Dark Guardians NEW

Why Was The Chapter Founded -	For crusade against the Emperors foes
When Was The Chapter Founded -	Believed Twenty Third Founding  or The Sentinel Founding
Who was the Chapter's Progenitor -	Dark Angels
Fortress-Monastery -	Fortress of Solitude
Colours -	Black with silver greaves and arms, yellow chest plate
Gene-seed purity -	Pure
Chapter Demeanour -	Suffer Not the Work of Heretics
Gene-seed mutation -	No Known mutations
Chapter's Flaw -	Distrust of all but the Unforgiven
Chapter homeworld -	Rock 118402 RK78 (the Dark Chapel)
Homeworld Type -	Uninhabited World
Homeworld terrain -	Dead and Airless
Chapter organisation -	Divergent chapter
Combat doctrine -	Shock and Awe
Special equipment -	Blessed Wargear
Chapters' beliefs -	To Honour the Ancestors and the Chapter
Chapter strength -	Unknown
Chapter friendly -	The Unforgiven
Chapter's enemies -	Inquisition, Administratum, Ecclesiarchy Ultramarines, The Fallen
Battle Cry -	Death to the Heretics

The Dark Guardians were formed during the 23rd or Sentinel founding. Although there are no official records of their origin exist, it is know that they are members of the Unforgiven and as such a successor chapter of the Dark Angles. The chapter was created as a standing force to guard against an unknown threat from the ghoul stars on the eastern fringe, as divined by the Emperor's Tarot. As the chapter was rarely involved in anything more that skirmishes and minor rebellions they were rarely at less than full strength.

The chapter is mostly fleet based, maintaining a fair-sized fleet of vessels, most of which are smaller class of vessels, as the chapter does not possess many cruisers, maintaining just two, a strike cruiser and a vanguard cruiser, and no longer possesses any battle barges, the only one, the Fortress of Solitude, an old and heavily modified Emperor Class Battleship, was destroyed in an incident involving an Ultramarine Strike Cruiser.

The chapter is currently recovering after undertaking a penitence crusade. The penitence crusade lasted for 606 years and now the chapter is rebuilding. The gene seed of the chapter is stable and pure. The penitent crusade was as a result of treachery from within their own ranks, when the company captain of the 8th, an old and disgruntled veteran, tried to usurp the chapter master. The resultant civil war was bloody and protracted but more importantly it cost the imperium a whole star system to the Tau, as the Guardians became more interested in their own affairs that that of the imperium and deserted their duty and allowing the xenos threat to run rampant. The worlds were later retaken at great cost to the imperium and it was during these actions that some redemption was attained, enough to spare the full wrath of the inquisition. Those that remained in the chapter, nearly 400 marines, accepted the penitent crusade without pause. 

The fall of the 8th

The event around the chapters demise are often referred to as the fall of the 8th, for it was the 8th company of Captain Arras, that were the first to rebel. Whilst many are quick to suggest that they had fallen to chaos, the truth is far darker, for none had indeed fallen but had simply followed a disgruntled old man into a fight that got out of control. What had started as a personal disagreement between two old warriors quickly became a vendetta and open hostility, before finally becoming all-out war between them. Arras and chapter master Halas had once been inniates together but had always been rivals, though despite Arras being the better of the two, Halas played the political far better than Arras. Thus, it was Halas that climbed the ranks with ease, culminating in being crowned chapter master, while arras struggled to attain the captaincy of the 8th reserve company. It was only a matter of time until Arras' anger boiled over and lead to a very heated debate with Halas, during which the latter openly insulted the former, a fact not taken too kindly by Arras' supporters, including most of the 8th. Various honour duels were fought, and it didn't take long for things to get out of hand and beyond the control of Arras and Halas. It took the intervention of a Company Master from the Consecrators, another unforgiven chapter and his forces to stem the bloodshed, by which time over half the chapters marines were dead or mortally wounded and would never fight again. The inquisition, suspecting heresy and chaos taint wanted the chapter put to the sword, but the Company master suspected no taint of heresy, and proposed a penitence crusade. The inquisition accepted this and declared the chapter go on a 606-year penitence crusade, one year for every marine that fell.

The Kiviuq Incident

It was during this penitence crusade that the Fortress of Solitude, an old and heavily modified Emperor Class Battleship, was destroyed in an incident involving an Ultramarine Strike Cruiser. While it is not certain what happened as there were few survivors, none of which were members of the upper command, all of which were slain when the battle barge was destroyed. What is known is that the Dark Guardians battle barge was engaged in surrender discussions with a rebelling Imperial Navy battle group, near the planet of Kiviuq, when a task force of Imperial Navy vessels and a strike cruiser of the Ultramarines arrived and attacked the battle group, unaware that the Dark Guardians were there. Before the Fortress of Solitude could react, for she was powered down with both shields deactivated and weapons unloaded, as a show of peace, a shot from the Ultramarines strike cruiser penetrated the aft section of the vessel, causing a critical hit which resulted in a chain reaction that resulted the destruction of the battle barge. Although the Ultramarines apologised over the incident there is still a deep resentment towards the Ultramarines.

This incident not only resulted in the most powerful ship in the fleet to be destroyed, but it also resulted in the death of the majority of the upper command, including the Chapter Master, and the destruction of many of the chapters Holy Relics. As a result, the remaining upper command decided to find a more permanent place where the remaining Relics could be housed and protected, this result in the occupation of Rock 118402 RK78, an uninhabited dead and airless rock surrounding a small star in the depth of the Segmentum Pacificus, light years from anything or anyone. Within the rock, known as the Dark Chapel by the chapter, lies the new Fortress of Solitude, housing all the chapter remaining records and relics. While the chapter is still mainly fleet based, the Dark Chapel now forms a centre for the chapter's activities.

In addition to the incident at Kiviuq, there have been a number of incident involving the Ultramarines and many of their successors. Most of these have been instigated by the Guardians, and have usually revolved around the chapters refusal to assist the Ultramarines and their successors or simply ignoring them, but on the rare occasion there have been shots exchanged between the two chapters. This has lead to open hostilities between the two chapters and this has lead to the attentions of the Inquisition, even more so than would normally be warranted by a member of the Unforgiven. The chapter is even more secretive that most of the Unforgiven chapters due to the beliefs of the chapter, who believe that in the Imperial Truth and that the Emperor is not a god or deity but is simply a man. They reject the ecclesiarchy in its entirety and will not come to the aid of any ecclesiarchy force or individual. Although they have been called renegade for their beliefs in the past by various members of the Inquisition they have ever formally been charged with any traitorous actions. In addition, their contact with the greater imperium is poor to say the least. This has lead to the Mechanicus being reluctant to provide any advanced tech to the chapter. However the chapter still maintain their link as members of the Unforgiven and will answer any call no matter what from a fellow Unforgiven chapter.

The chapter is below strength as a result of the fact that they have a very poor relationship with the rest of the imperium, and as such are very restricted in where and when they can recruit. Although understrength they are not in any danger of dying out as they are able to recruit to cover any losses that they sustain. 

While they still maintain a loose DA codex structure, they have high numbers of TDA suits and Bikes, in addition to fielding a large number of veteran units with few assault or devastator squads. Task Force Psamathe, which is currently in the area of the Hamnavoe system, following some rumours as to a fallen. The task force is lead by an Interrogator Chaplain, Skathi, is leading a force of 1st company vet squads in their TDA, and the Chaplin Surtur leads his force of 3 5th company bike squads.

Tactical Marine from a Battle Company

1st Company Veteran in TDA