Marines Baleful

"We are Death. We shall take your lives and the Emperor shall torment your souls."

- The Mantra of the Marines Baleful

The Marines Baleful are a 15th founding Dark Angels successor chapter, one with a dark and shrouded history. Originally known as the Angels of Victory, a proud and arrogant chapter obsessed with purity of the self. However, after their arrogance nearly became their downfall, the chapter underwent drastic changes to it's structure, livery, and and culture, renaming themselves the Marines Baleful. They have since become a mysterious and potent force against the enemies of the Imperium, striking fear into the hearts of their foes.

History
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Chapter Organization
After their penitence crusade, the Marines Baleful underwent several major changes to the structure of their chapter. However, like most Dark Angel Successors the Marines Baleful is structured largely the same way as their Progenitor, with Captains referred to as Company Masters, and Companies identified through heraldic markings rather than markings. As is tradition for Unforgiven Chapters, they also retain both a Deathwing and Ravenwing Company.

The Abscondium
"Our history must never repeat itself."

- Brother Wrath, Sanctriarch of the Abscondium

After during the Chapter's reformation into the Marines Baleful, the source of their downfall, the Chapter's Librarius, was completely dissolved, never to be reformed. In it's place rose a new organization, known as the Abscondium, from which the rank of Absconder would be created. A hybrid role between Chaplain and Librarian, Absconders are non-psychic warriors charged with chronicling and safeguarding the history and traditions of the Marines Baleful, as well as serving as the Chapter's spiritual guides. Absconders are also responsible for the capture and interrogation of the Fallen hunted down by the Chapter, a task they undertake with grim determination.

The Abscondium is organized similarly to a Codex Chapter's Librarius, sharing the three main ranks of Lexicanium, Codicier, and Epistolary. However, these are merely hierarchical roles rather than levels of power; Lexicaniums being novice Absconders often charged with studying, maintaining, and cataloging the vast amounts of texts within the Chapter's Librarium, Codiciers being mid-ranked Absconders who oversee the activities of the Lexicantums, and Epistolaries being senior Absconders oftentimes charged with the interrogation of Fallen captives. The Abscondium is lead by the Santriarch, the commander of all Absconders within the Marines Baleful, and a member of the Chapter's Inner Circle.

Absconders are typically identified by their jet-black armor and bone-white robes, both of which are sparsely adorned, decorated with nothing save the symbol of the Marines Baleful on the left shoulder and the mark of their rank within the Absconditium decorating the front of their robes. Like Codex Chaplains, Absconders wear skull-faced helms, and usually wield staff-variants of the traditional Crozius Arcanum, which serve as both their primary weapon and their symbol of office.

The Deathwing
Like most Dark Angels successors, the Marines Baleful's 1st Veteran Company is known as the Deathwing. Arrayed in the traditional bone-white Terminator Armor and bearing the Broken sSword icon upon their chestplates, the Deathwing are responsible for hunting down the Fallen and delivering them into the hands of the Absconders, so they might pay for their crimes against the Primarch. Shattering the enemy lines through sheer firepower and brute strength, very few can withstand a full on assault by the 1st Company.

The Ravenwing
In addition to the Deathwing, the Marines Baleful's 2nd Company is organized into the elite assault force known as the Ravenwing. Clad in midnight-black armor bearing the Winged Sword icon, and fighting astride powerful Assault Bikes and Land Speeders, the Ravenwing are a highly mobile strike force whose sheer ability as shock troops has been the end of many an enemy. Like the Deathwing, the Ravenwing are responsible for hunting down the Fallen so that they might face judgement for their sins.

Chapter Fleet
The Marines Baleful are known to have the following ships in their Chapter Fleet:
 * Umbra Vigilemus (Battle-Barge) - The mighty flagship of the Marines Baleful, the Umbra Vigilemus has served as the Chapter's impromptu fortress-monastery since the re-founding. The Battle-Barge also contains the Chapter Librarius, the repository of all the Marines Baleful's knowledge and history, and thus is considered a sacred vessel by the Absconditium.
 * Redemptor (Battle-Barge) - The Redemptor serves as a prison-ship of sorts, in which the Chapter's Fallen captives are imprisoned, interrogated, and made to repent within the darkened confines of it's lower decks. It also oftentimes serves a meeting place for the Chapter's Inner Circle, where the Marines Baleful's leaders might discuss more the Chapter's more secretive matters away from prying eyes.
 * Dark Harbinger (Strike Cruiser)
 * Wrath of the Lion (Strike Cruiser)
 * Alterius Aevi (Strike Crusier)

Chapter Culture
The Marines Baleful have learned from their time as the Purifiers that pride is a weakness, and so they are a very humble chapter, never going into battle seeking glory but simply victory. They also "give up" their names after being initiated, giving up all sense of individuality in an ultimate act of humility and are only referred to by the names that they give themselves in order to tell one another apart. These names usually refer to a certain aspect of the marine, like "Brother Vengeful" or "Brother Penitent". They do not decorate their armor or weapons, and members of the Marines Baleful only receive honors after their deaths. Others, even their fellow Unforgiven Chapters, tend to find the Marines Baleful's lack of the concept of individuality unnerving.

While the Marines Baleful may be humble, but they are also cruel. They believe that the only way to fight the enemies of Man is to break them completely, and so they never give any quarter or mercy no matter what the circumstances. Anyone who is in the least affiliated with the enemy is an enemy themselves and is killed on the spot. They also do not barter or make deals with those they consider to be enemies, not even with more benevolent factions such as the Tau or Eldar. In addition, The Marines Baleful strongly dislike psykers, as they were nearly the death of their chapter, and thus they believe them to be easily corrupted. This does not mean they will not associate themselves with psykers, but they will keep a close eye on them, ever wary in case of potential corruption.

The main aspects of the Marines Baleful's creed are centered around the belief that they are merely the Emperor's weapons of war, and nothing more. They believe that things like battle-honors and even their own names are superficial in the grand scheme of things, as only purpose in life is to kill the enemies of the Imperium, and they do so with great zeal. Simply put, the Marines Baleful do not want to be honored or respected, they are content with being feared by mutants, heretics and xenos alike. The Marines Baleful also dislike the overly proud or boastful, knowing that their pride will be their downfall just like it was almost theirs.

The Hunt for the Fallen
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