Brethren of Spite

"A galaxy full of adventure awaits us boys. We have legends to make and tales to tell, come with me and we'll be the greatest pirates to sail on the tides of the warp"

- Cain

The Brethren of Spite are a group of fleet based pirate Chaos space marines operating in the Imperium of man’s Eastern Fringe. Originally making up the core of the “Brotherhood of Man” Space marine chapter, the Brethren formed from secessionist splinters that remained after the chapter collapsed in late m.37. The Brethren are led by Cain, the former captain of the 2nd company and now Chaos lord. The Brethren of Spite are known to worship Chaos undivided, while certain squads have adopted a specific god to worship.

History
"Death will not be the punishment of our foes, no, it will be much worse. When they crawl from their blackened holes, they will look up at our glorious accession into the heavens, lit by the golden light of the Emperors throne."

- Cain, Captain of the second company

Though not much is known about the Brotherhood of Man before their civil war and their rebirth as the piratical Brethren of Spite, what is known is that the organisation of the chapter and its tactical doctrines are relatively the same. The Brotherhood of man extensively used its fleet as the basis of its chapter and recruited on selected worlds across the Imperium, which it's forces where thinly spread across. With the constant warfare that raged throughout the galaxy, the Brotherhood found their casualty rates begin to climb. The chapters numbers began to dwindle to a mere four hundred strong as the eternal conflict of the galaxy took its toll, and soon members of the chapter began to object to chapter commands actions, and the perceived future extinction of the chapter.

The leader of the opposition was Cain, a skilled shipmaster who had served the chapter faithfully for two hundred years. He believed that the chapter needed to regain its numbers before involvement in any further major engagements, but chapter command would have none of it. Realising that without action that the chapter would be destroyed by Chapter commands incompetence, Cain rallied his brothers against the Chapters leadership and began a civil war.

"Civil War" "The ranks are half of what they should be and with every day they dwindle further, I cannot count the number of the brothers we have lost. This cannot continue."

- Cain

While Cain possessed a large force of the Brotherhood at his disposal, Chapter command had sway over most of the specialists and old guard of the Chapter. This meant the loyalist forces possessed Veterans and Sergeants, who had many years of fighting experience, against a largely inexperienced force. The war was grueling, both sides taking heavy casualties, before Chapter command was defeated. The war had lasted 3 years, leaving the chapter at only 240 members, and deprived of most of its original leadership. A new chapter command was formed, led by Cain as its chapter master.

But the chapter faced a new hurdle. It had lost most of its specialists and along with that, almost all of the tenth company. It quickly began to recruit new members, but with few experienced Chaplin’s and Librarians to monitor the recruits, corruption began to worm its way into the chapters growing ranks. As well as this, the chapter began to withhold its gene-seed tithe, claiming it required it in order to survive. However the Inquisition looked upon the reformed and rebuilding chapter with a sense of suspicion. The murder of its specialists and original commanders could be seen as heresy, and with its numbers swelling, what if it were to suddenly turn upon the Imperium with the same abandon as its chapter command?

A small fleet of Ordo Hereticus ships were able to locate the Brotherhood’s fleet over one of their recruiting worlds, and attempted to hail the fleet, demanding that the Brotherhood man surrender and allow its members to be interrogated and scanned for heresy. Cain ordered that his ships open fire on the Inquisition fleet, before fleeing from the eventual reprisals, deep into the Eastern Fringe. As they descended further and further into the void, they also descended further into madness and anarchy. Spiralling into chaos, the chapter looted and raided dozens of worlds under Cain's command, slaughtering thousands and enslaving defeated foes as they struck at their former allies. Imperial outposts and space stations greeted the arriving Astartes, only to find themselves under attack. The Brotherhood of Man was reborn as the Brethren of Spite.

"Glory to Cain, Glory to Chaos, Glory to the Brethren!" M.37-M.41
The aftermath of the Brethren of Spites savage rampage had left them bloodied and their ranks thinned. Moving to a new extreme, the Brethren began to steal and loot gene-seed from defeated renegades and chaos servants, alongside their corrupted war gear and ships. This taint was like a virus, which spread throughout the chapter as it continued to savage it's foes. Cain and the Brethren's other war lords slew the leaders of Chaos war bands and took their beaten and subdued men as their own, expanding the Brethren of Spite into an even larger force.

"The Covenant of Sin"
"We have our ships, we have our guns, we have our armour. The galaxy is ours to plunder, come on lads, let's get to it."

While the Brethren marauded through the eastern fringe, they would happen across a great discovery. The twisted cadre of warriors where able to find an Ark Mechanicus silently drifting through the void, deep within the eastern fringe. Though scarred by laser fire and without crew, the Brethren of Spite where able to slowly but surely repair and re-crew the craft through the assistance of Dark Mechanicus 'Hereteks' who were paid through activities found within the great crafts vaults. The ship was named the "Covenant of Sin" by Cain, who considered it a gift from the gods.

Now the Brethren of Spite possessed a sizable fleet of twenty ships and around four hundred astartes, along with numerous militia and pirate groups they had enslaved. Cain himself sought little more but to continue his trail of marauding and destruction, and was happy to oblige to his corrupt lieutenants and captains own goals, in order to keep them in check. The eastern fringe of the Imperium of man hosts numerous shipping lanes which are vital to those far out worlds under the Imperium's command, and are well guarded, however, the Brethren's sizable fleet could easily overwhelm other ships quickly in battle. Soon the Brethren of Spite began to target the shipping lanes, and destroyed and looted numerous craft. Even well guarded convoys could not properly counter the Brethren's tactical advantage of numbers, and when the Imperium possessed any advantage, the Brethren would retreat. Hit and run attacks soon formed the core of the Brethren of Spites tactical doctrine.

But the Brethren of Spite's actions where not without consequence. In an attempt to tackle the rising raids and attacks, larger and better defended convoys where used instead. These small battle groups could fend off the Brethren's smaller strikes and forced them to adopt larger groups when assailing the Imperials, but this cost the Brethren of Spite resources, and could led to them being bogged down in large naval battles. This led to a lower rate of Brethren activity against the Imperium. The Brethren however refused to be pushed away from their hunting grounds. Deploying fleets of cruisers and dreadnoughts, the Brethren of Spite continued to raid and loot Imperial shipping lanes on the Eastern Fringe.

"The Sons of Dorn"

"Loyalist Cunts, we've been waiting for days now, days waiting to send a message to the rest of your kin."

- Cain

The knowledge a successor chapter has betrayed the Imperium is not well taken, espically by the Imperial Fists, a chapter whose culture was based around the ideas of self control and flawless discipline in combat. The news that the Brotherhood of Man had become a fleet of renegade pirates enraged the chapter, and as soon as it was possible, a fleet of the Imperial Fist ships were deployed alongside the main Imperial fleet to head the counter attack against the Brethren. They planned to eliminate the traitors in a single swoop, breaking their leadership and resistance and mopping up whatever remained. When the Imperial Fists arrived at the first signs of a Brethren raid, they found a small flotilla of craft eagerly awaiting the next Imperial convoy to arrive. Upon sighting the Imperial Fists vessels, the Brethren fled as fast as they could, but the Imperial Fists were quick to pursue. After a day long pursuit, they discovered the Brethren had laid a trap. Now the outnumbered Imperial fleet found itself surrounded by the full might of the Brethren's gathered armada, now led by their command vessel the Covenant of Sin. Cut off from reinforcements and unable to retreat, the Imperial Fists found themselves engaged in a hopeless fight above the arid moon of Actacia.

Caught in the noose of the renegades, the Imperial Fists realised that attempts to flee were futile, and that their only goal now was to take as many traitors with them as possible. The Imperial fleet dived deep into the Brethren's armada, smashing through smaller craft and critically damaging other ships, the Imperial Fists fleet found itself battered by the massive fire power of the Chaos ships guns. Soon the Ark Mechanicas that led the Brethren of Spite began to bare down on the Imperials, it's great main weapon struck a mighty blow to the Imperial Fist's battle barge that headed their fleet. The shot crippled the craft, and left it drifting in the void. With the Imperial fleet whittled down by the savagery of the Brethren, the Space marines made one final gesture of resistance. loading into their gunships, drop pods and other boarding craft, they launched themselves towards the Covenant of Sin.

Upon breaching the first bulkhead the Imperial Fists strike force found themselves already under counter attack by the experiments of the Brethren of Spite's vast science division. GriefKommando, Astartes further modified and altered through the use of extensive and unstable chem stims and steroids charged the Imperial's with no fear. They possessed no thought of self preservation, their minds and bodies numb to pain. Clad in power armour, these monstrous shock troops broke through the ranks of the Imperial Fists assault teams and crushed several underfoot or in their grasp. Though they quickly fell to the concentrated fire, the GriefKommando had done their work. The Imperial Fists had lost any advantage, and their heroic last stand was under threat of becoming a slaughter. The Brethren, uninterested in giving the loyalists any form of honourable combat, began to open airlocks and vent the oxygen out of the sections of the craft that the Imperial Fists had landed on. The Brethren of Spite soon revealed that the Covenant of Sin was more than just the leading ship of their armada, it was a space borne fortress. Automated turrets and traps lined the corridors and hallways of the ship, while at every corner and turn more of the science divisions rabid and insane experiments ambushed or assaulted the Imperial Fists. By the time the scattered Space marines had linked up, they found their combined strike team was barely over fifty men.

Weakened and running low on ammunition, the Imperial Fists now were prime prey for the Brethren, who scorn the concept of a "fair" fight. A great force of veterans and chosen sallied forth to meet the Imperial Fists who remained, the finest the Brethren of Spite could muster from their ranks. At their head was Cain, who greeted the Imperial Fists with open arms. Forever seeking to expand his forces, Cain offered a place to those who remained, but they refused. Stalwart as ever, the Imperial Fists refused to kowtow to the arrogant offers of the Chaos champion. Unamused, the Brethren of Spite set upon them. The battle was vicious, but short. Outnumbered and without aid, the loyalist Space marines crumbled in the face of the vicious Brethren counter attack. The Brethren made sport of their former brothers more than anything, and many "old guard" Brethren still wear the helmets and skulls of those Imperial Fists who bordered the Covenant of Sin as trophies. Taking from them their gene-seed and equipment, the Brethren jettisoned the remains into the space above the world of Atacia and activated an open homing beacon for the Imperial Forces, before departing. While the Brethren had achieved a notable victory, often jokingly referred to as "Cain's personal Iron Cage", the Brethren were forced to retreat from most of their operations within the Eastern Fringe due to anger of the Imperial Fists and their successors, several of whom sent small detachments to continue hunting them alongside the Imperial Navy battle groups already deployed.

"They know what we bring"
"Kill the children, strangle the mothers, burn the homes, string up the soldiers, lynch the leaders, torch the cities. Everyone knows what we bring."

Having fled the Eastern Fringe's Imperial Shipping lanes, the Brethren of Spite sought fresh victims, loot and plunder. Moving undetected through the void, the Brethren slowly but surely found a new source. An Eldar maiden world. The Brethren of Spite delighted in their discovery, and quickly set about launching raids on the planet. Although they faced stiff resistance from the worlds Exodite inhabitants, the Brethren's advantage of orbital weapons allowed them to crush their opponents from orbit, carving gouges into the world and burning their opponents to cinders. Within a few days, the Maiden Worlds skies were choked with the ashes of the cities and settlements the Brethren of Spite had raised from orbit, while they carried off all manner of treasure and loot, but the Exodites remained stalwart to the end, costing the Brethren of Spite numerous casualties. It wasn't long however, before the Eldar struck back at the invaders in force. Lead by vaunted Autarch, Drow Thel, a war host from Saim Hann sailed forth from the webway to engage the Brethren.

The Chaos marines were already scattered, too thinly spread and already being harried severely by the natives own counter attacks faced obliteration at the hands of Saim-Hann. The Brethren of Spite took massive casualties in the days after the Eldar war hosts arrival, attempts by Cain to regain the initiative failed as the Eldar countered them over and over again. In their desperation and Cain's anger, the Brethren of Spite fled to their ships, but not without unleashing one final attack on the Maiden World. Unleashing a massive payload of biological and atomic weaponry, the Brethren laid waste to entire continents with their orbital attack. Almost two hundred and fifty Brethren astartes had died on the Maiden World, but the Brethren of Spite were not ones to forget or forgive those who had felled them. As Cain and the Brethren fled into the darkness, they plotted to strike back at the Eldar in a vicious and cruel way, but also make an example of those who sought to oppose them.

"A thousand worlds to pillage..."
"We've found so much strange shit out here. Necromancers worshipping WOMD, some Tzeentch sorcerer having captives from across history battle in a constant loop, all sorts of other shit. Great loot though."

While Cain moulded his next champion, the Brethren of Spite marched deeper into the Eastern Fringe. Just like the Imperial worlds they had raided before, the Brethren set fire to xenos systems and worlds in the same fashion. The Brethren of Spite's greed for treasure and love of war pushed them on through even the most weary of conflicts. Often, the fleets of the Brethren of Spite would carve great runes and sigils into the worlds they had raided, great icons of the Chaos Gods. The Brethren encountered stalwart resistance from many of the foes they faced. Alien armies and hosts brought strange weapons and war-machines against the traitor astartes, but the Brethren of Spite fought on none the less. As the Brethren delved deeper and deeper into the uncharted void of space, they found themselves fighting beings that challenged the Chaos astartes own Daemonic allies in terms of strangeness. On a dead world, mass graves and great dusty tombs were home to cults of warring necromancers and sorcerers, who worshipped ancient long dead gods.

Summoning legions of skeletal warriors and constructs to battle, they warred to defend their massive libraries of knowledge, and what little resources the world had left. The Brethren of Spite bombarded the Necromancers fortresses and descended, finding the vaguely human cabals to worship them as gods or flee from them as devils. Those who attempted to defy the Chaos marines summoned massive armies of the undead, ranging from vast hosts of ghouls and skeletons to great drakes and space wyrms that breathed emerald flames. The necromancers did make what could be a valiant defence in the name of their goods, never surrendering or retreating, fighting to the end in the name of their dead god. Crushing the primitives in a fortnight, the Brethren of Spite raided the Necromancers libraries and vaults for whatever they could find of worth. Going through the old temples and lairs of the sorcerers, the Brethren found colossal shrines to the Necromancers "dead god". A massive stockpile of nuclear and atomic weaponry, which the Brethren looted eagerly.

But the Brethren encountered more than just aliens. Finding an abandoned Imperial outpost, the Brethren discovered that an exploration team had uncovered a webway portal and damaged it. From the portal, creatures from a variety of strange dimensions lurked forth, and had slaughtered or stolen away the colonists and explorers. The Brethren of Spite soon realised that the creatures they faced were Mandrakes, and that they had brought with them some sort of artificial darkness that blotted out the sun and allowed them to emerge from every corner and inch of the Imperial base. As the Brethren fought bitterly against the Mandrakes, the twisted Dark Eldar summoned more of their kin as well as other dark things from the depths of the web-way. Already nigh-invisible, the Mandrakes cut a bloody swathe through the Brethren's ranks. Only when chief sorcerer Kremlin and his cabal summon a great pillar of blinding light were the shadow creatures pushed back. The Brethren, intent on looting whatever the Mandrakes hid within their shadowy lairs, pursued them into the webway gate.

They were quick to retreat, finding that the gate was connected to the destroyed city of Shaa-Dom. Fleeing, the Brethren of Spite unleashed a monstrous barrage upon the worlds surface as the Dark Eldar began to spill out on greater numbers, dragging several of the Chaos marines into the webway. Worse still, the Brethren had managed to bring a number of the Mandrakes back with them as they departed. The Covenant of Sin held host to almost half a dozen of the shadowy creatures, before they were exterminated by Cain and his praetorian guard in a vicious series of hunts which lasted almost two weeks. The Brethren of Spite had managed to recover the mostly untouched resources of the slaughtered colonists, untouched by the Dark Eldar.

Far out on the edge of the galaxy, the Brethren discovered a strange world. It's surface red, the planet was marked by vast mountain ranges and great brazen temples. Upon landing, they found the world played host to thousands of warriors, eternally battling for some sort of daemonic sword. As the Brethren hacked and gunned their way to the sword themselves, they found that the dead re-knit and rose again, their armour and weapons repaired by some outside force. The Brethren of Spite discovered that some of the warriors who fought on the world were from the times before the Great Crusade. Among the massive free for all, the Brethren of Spite found the blades location. A colossal temple of bone, brass, iron and flesh, it was surrounded by a boiling sea of blood. Crossing it using great brazen daemon ships, the Brethren found themselves beset by great serpents and daemons that emerged from the red sea. It soon became apparent any warrior killed on the world and raised fell under the thrall of Khorne, effectively puppets to the swords will. Cain and the Brethren resorted to obliterating the bodies of their opponents, desperate to delay their resurrection. Finally landing upon the island where the sword was located, they found it was effectively a colossal fortress, manned by hundreds of Khorne daemons. The Brethren of Spite battled through the red sand beaches and pressed deep into the fortress, fighting past it's red skinned guards, they finally broke through into it's nexus.

It's walls and floors marble red, the Brethren of Spite found at it's centre the daemon blade sat upon a pedestal. A great-sword of some form, it burned with power, an aura of power surrounded it. It spoke to the Brethren, demanding that they release it from it's prison, raging at them and demanding it's release. Cain approached the blade, and placed his hands upon it. The Brethren of Spite watched as their lord was sent into a comatose state, watching him go silently as he spoke with the sword. With a sudden thrust, Cain tore the blade from it's mount, and threw it too the floor. Cain demanded his sorcerers encase the blade in some sort of protective field, and make sure it was secure. Soon the world began to rip itself apart, the resurrected warriors became dust, the red seas dried up the great fortress that had housed the sword began to collapse. Barely escaping with their lives, the Brethren now looked upon their latest trophy. Cain congratulated those who had survived the trials of the red world, and thanked them for their contribution to his and the Brethren's cause.

Tales of the Brethren's deeds spread quickly, and soon aspiring renegades, heretics and other pirates began to flock the Brethren's banner. Some were aliens, others human, and some renegade astartes. A few even hailed from the dread traitor legions, offering their services to Cain and the Brethren. The stories of the Brethren of Spite's raids and adventures allowed them to almost double their numbers. They brought with them their own skills and abilities, and were valued among the Brethren of Spite for such reason. In return, they sought a share of the loot, glory and booty the Brethren had made themselves known for.

"Your kin is ours now"
"We hear you weep and rage Eldar at our acts, we hear you curse us for our 'horrid crime', and how you shall exterminate us for it. Your kin is ours now, and now we come to reap a tally for our fallen. Worry not, we shall not make prisoners of you. She, she was an exception."

Almost a year after the kindapping of Drow Thel, the Brethren found themselves beset by an Eldar strike force from the Craftworld of Saim-Hann. Across their vox-comns and through their minds using the psychic powers of their seers, the Eldar broadcast a message of doom to the Chaos space marines. Seconds later, the Brethren of Spite found their ships disabled or crippled from pin point bright lance fire. Advanced EMP weapons silenced and shut down the guns of the Brethren's fleet. The Eldar then sent waves of fighters and boarding craft to assail the Brethren of Spites flagship Covenant of Sin, seeking to free their stolen Autarch, while the Brethren fought a desperate battle for their lives. Communications jammed or destroyed, the Brethren of Spite fought a vicious battle of attrition against the Eldar. Slowly but surely, the Brethren turned the tide.

While aboard the Covenant of Sin the Eldar rescue teams found that their beloved Autarch had been lost to the rage of Khorne and joined the Chaos pirates, the Brethren had begun to repair their weapon systems and begin their counter attack. Awoken, the lumbering might of the Brethren's war fleet turned upon the panicking Eldar and caught them in a tight noose. While the Eldar tried to flee into the web way from the vengeful Chaos marines, several of their ships had been caught in the heavy weapons fire of the Brethren, and now hung in the void. Evacuating as many of their kin as they could, the Eldar retreated back too their Craftworld, swearing to return and exterminate the Brethren of Spite. Those few Eldar ships that remained soon found themselves beset by the Brethren of Spite.

Crashing into the wraith bone halls of the Eldar craft, the Brethren of Spite began their massacre. While the Eldar fought back viciously, the Brethren delighted in the close confines of a space crafts halls. Drawing blades and bayonets, the Chaos marines crashed into the dazed Eldar ranks. For all their speed and agility, the Eldar found themselves cornered and outmatched by the brute strengh of the Brethren of Spite. Though they inflicted horrendous casulties and wounded scores of others, those of the Saim-Hann strike force who had been left behind faced a vile fate. Those not cut to pieces, found themselves made sport of by those Brethren who had pledged themselves to Slaanesh or on the slabs of the Brethren's science divsion.

Organisation and tactical doctrine
"A galaxy full of loot, treasure, women, glory and adventure, what else could a man possibly ask for?"

- Anonymous Brethren.

The Brethren as a loyalist chapter where a fleet based chapter, and have continued this tradition. This makes the Brethren exceptionally mobile, a majority of their operations based in their flagship, the Covenant of Sin which serves as the nexus of all Brethren of Spite operations. The Brethren's favouritism of ship to ship warfare has influenced the rest of their tactics, and has made them exceptionally hesitant to engage in long drawn out wars or battles, anything that restricts their ability to strike fast is despised and avoided at all costs. Rarely will the Brethren of Spite attempt to battle targets of their own strength, nor will they fight foes that may be able to mount a significant resistance. Most attacks are preceded by en mass orbital bombardments, mass carpet bombing leaving shell shocked targets easy prey for Brethren of Spite death squads and terror troops.

The Brethren of Spites love quick, vicious fast paced raids has led to their war-host consisting of all manner of assault troops. Raptors, terminators, bikers, possessed and Khornate Bezerkers are a common sight among the Brethren of Spite strike teams. While they despise on the ground warfare, the Brethren have mastered the tactic of breaking battle lines, shattering the defenders will to fight and sapping their moral through brutal displays of strength and ruthlessness. The Brethren of Spite also make use of auxiliary units of human and xenos fighters, mostly armed with looted weaponry of several variates. These troops commonly make use of grav-chutes to allow them to drop in from low flying drop ships, meaning they can 'keep up' with their Astartes masters. Most are used as fire screens, ambushers and distractions by the Brethren of Spite, or as support troops.

Science Division
"Such a resilient specimen, we'll do great things with you. Now, up! Up! onto to the slab!"

The Brethren of Spite hosts an extensive "Science Division", made up of numerous tech-hereteks, renegade tech-marines, apothecaries and other rouge scientists who have been enlisted into the Brethren's ranks through the offer of support in the form of resources, and access to the ancient vaults of the Covenant of Sin. The Science Division is a well protected asset, held securely on the Covenant of Sin's depths to produce and maintain all matter of dark technology and weaponry for the Brethren of Spites use. Super soldiers, daemon engines and weapons, and all manner of other forbidden technology to be unleashed upon the foes of the Brethren from their hidden forges and laboratories. All manner of dark things lurch forth from the bio-forges and soul furnaces of the science divisions blackened laboratories, super soldiers, daemon engines and armour vessels all come to answer the Brethren's call to war.

Cain
Leader and grand admiral of the Brethren of Spite, Cain was once the leader of the Chapters second company, and continues to lead it as a Daemon Prince. Having lead numerous raids against the Imperium, Cain is venerated in both ground and naval battles since his corruption.

Drow Thel
Former Eldar Autarch of Saim-Hann, Drow was captured and corrupted by the Brethren of Spite. Now a fully fledged member of the Brethren, Drow now leads the remains of the Brethren's splintered assault company into battle.

Xaphon
Chief sorcerer and archivist of the Brethren, Xaphon acts as Cain's chief advisor on arcane and daemonic matters, despite his incompetence and occasional failure to properly preform spells, Xaphon remains one of Cain's most favoured and trusted servants. He took this position after the death of his predecessor Kremlin, who was killed by Drow Thel.

Fleet
The Brethren's of Spites fleet contains a varied array of ships, though several have been noted in their regularity in raids and attacks;
 * Covenant of Sin: The Covenant acts as the flagship for the Brethren of Spites war-fleet, and is a feared sight among Imperial admirals. The ship has been heavily modified to support more weapon batteries, along with heavier armour and shielding. The Covenant was discovered by the Brotherhood of man after they fled the Imperium, drifting on the eastern fringe, and quickly formed the centre of their naval strength.

Culture and beliefs
"There's nothing here to loot, and the crew aren't worth the effort. Just flush them out the gods dammed air-lock already..."

- Recording of an Brethren of Spite member aboard a boarded Imperial freighter

The Brethren were, before their corruption a closely knit chapter, bound by their strong codes of brotherhood, however this quickly fell apart and vanished as the chapter descended into piracy and Chaos. Now, like many other renegade chapters and war bands the Brethren are ruled by the iron fist of their leaders and their acts of piracy. The Brethren have become skilled reavers and corsairs, veterans raiders who have looted and pillaged hundreds of Imperial satellite worlds and shipping lanes. Masters of naval combat, the Brethren favour it above all else, rarely engaging their foes in ground based warfare. Weakness of any form is quickly and openly purged, whether it be weakness of the mind, the body, or the soul. While Chaos has been embraced by the Brethren of Spite, fanatics, apostles and cultists are looked upon with a mix of despair and hatred. Such individuals are few among the Brethren, while Possessed are kept for their combat efficiency and excellent affinity for guiding ships through the warp. Some of the Brethren have resorted to modifying their bodies for greater martial abilities, like replacement mechanical limbs and combat stims provided by the Brethren's extensive science division.

Livery and symbolism
The Brethren of Spite's universal uniform is a deep bone/cream, marked further by black and obsidian. This however, has spawned several variants, with ship masters designating their own followers armour to their whims. Most commonly, this will be the adding of a hue that is commonly associated with their patron power, or the decoration of symbols that do the same. The Brethren's main icon or insignia would be a fanged or cracked skull, a plain symbol generally printed upon shoulder pads or the chest place, some embellished upon helmets as well.

Geneseed
The Brethren of Spite are descended from the Imperial Fists, and were part of the 13th founding. What is odd though, is that while the 13th founding is shrouded in mystery and with many chapters formed from it ignorant of their heritage, the Brethren are fully aware of their origins. Being descended from means the Brethren lack of Betcher gland and Sus-an Membrane, however due to their recruitment of various renegades and traitors, alongside the theft of gene-seed leaves the mutations and alterations within the Brethren varied and unusual.

Recruitment
"All matter of traitors and rouges have come under his banner. They are a varied lot the Brethren, which makes them all the more dangerous."

Like all Chaos and renegade war bands, the Brethren really on slaves and cultists as their main form of recruits for new astartes warriors. However, other methods of creation have been observed. Psycho surgery and psychic brain washing on other captured astartes can create entirely new personalities, ready for combat alongside their new brothers. The theft of Space marine recruits have also occurred, and has led to several chapters swearing vendetta's on the Brethren of Spite for their heresy. During their early days as pirates, the Brethren recruited all manner of rogue and corrupted space marines into their ranks, inevitably corrupting the chapter with their influence and tainted gene-seed. This mass recruitment also led to the induction of individuals like Sorcerers, Dark Apostles and other specialists into their ranks, who inevitably have passed on their knowledge and teachings to their own acolytes within the Brethren of Spite. It's known that the Brethren were able to acquire the services of at least one Berzerker surgeon, alongside a Nurgle sorcerer capable of bestowing loyal servants of Nurgle with the gifts of the Plague marines.

Relations
If you want to add anything ask me about it first