Exile Sector

"It is a place of degenerates and robber barons, a warzone beset on all sides and at ever angle. It holds easily some of the worst horrors I have ever seen. And yet, I've also beheld some great feats beyond mortal scope, countless heroes and saints. And while they burn briefly, their examples shine on for all eternity as the stars themselves."

- Lord Inquisitor Jacob Le'Faust

The Exile Sector is an ancient province of the Imperium of Man, resting on the Easternmost bend of the Cygnus Arm within Segmentum Ultima, to the Galactic North of the Dominion of Storms and the Dead World of Formund. Conquered during the Great Crusade personally by the Primarch Roboute Guilliman and his glorious Ultramarines Legion, the Exile Sector has long been a place of both great glory and unfathomable infamy. Long has it been a turbulent and troubled region, not only for the infamous Warp Storm the River of Exiles, whose wreched mass takes up over a quarter of the Sectors Easternmost regions, but also for her various unexplored and forbidden depths to the Galactic North, the turbulent and wild space of the Galatic West, and thousands of strange astral phenomena and unexplored regions within the core which house many a nightmarish xenos monster and fleet of savage pirates.

But regardless, the Exile Sector is home to a vast amount of proud Imperial worlds, hosting teaming legions of Imperial Guard, grand hosts of the Sisters of Battle, and several very distinguished Space Marine Chapters. Amongst these heroic hosts also abound planets ripe with the workings of industry and faith, for the Exile Sector is known most for her vast and sacred Shrine Worlds, whose militant stance trains thousands of would be militia fighters, warrior-priests, and virtuous Adeptus Sororitas. These armies of the faithful, supported by the great conclave of Forge Worlds and Rogue Trader Houses known as the Crimson Consortium, vast legions of the Imperial Guard, and the mighty Adeptus Astartes of the Exile Sector known as the Justicarium, stand against all the madness and corruption of the River of Exiles, forever locked in an endless war for the very soul of the region. Only time will tell, in this grim darkness of the 41st Millennium, if such valiance is in vain.

Harajuku
"A little too austere for my liking but they're shrewd negotiators and I have to respect that."

- A merchant captain on his visit

Harajuku is the central world of House Shujinko's Rogue Trader dynasty, a world dotted by vast and thriving metropolises whose cities are built in the shadow of the planet's great snow capped mountains. However, she is also home to more humble rural dwellings within the valleys and pine forests, crafted of wood and wax-paper as opposed to the towering edifices of rockcrete and plasglass of the urban centers.

House Shujinko essentially rules Harajuku, at the top of a considerable heap of noble born clans and lorships, with the head of the house serving as de-facto planetary governor. The Houses interests and defense of the planet itself are seen to by a mighty a private army known as the Great Guard, a supremely well funded force of professional soldiers outfitted with the finest weapons and armor their wealthy overlords can afford. General law enforcement is handled by the lower clans and their personal security forces, the Ashigaru, who also act as PDF, though more in the vein of state troops lacking in the more impressive arsenals of the Great Guard.

Tsunagi
"We ride, we rule over all we see in His name"

- Kai Sijizu Tai-an,head of House Kai

The fortress world of the Kai dynasty of Rogue Traders. The two houses are close allies and therefore so are their worlds. Their architecture shares a similar aesthetic but Tsunagi is much more restrained and almost severe, primary colors being black and white and the natural colors of the stone that make up Kai fortresses. These fortresses are built on the peaks of mountains that dot Tsunagi's surface with cities built around them.

Their capital city, Sakhama is built on an island monolith emerging from one of Tsuanagi's vast oceans and is the primary dwelling of the house head, his family and staff as well as their bodyguards.

Rogue Trader Houses
The various Rogue Trader Houses of the Exile Sector run the gamut, from little more than legitimized privateer fleets run by robber barons to massive Sector spanning conglomerates whose power is not measured in mere wealth but in raw political influence and military mass that their effect on the balance of the Exile Sector is nothing short of paramount. Generally speaking there are several different "Guilds", or loose affiliations, which the Houses of the Exile Sector belong to.

First and foremost is the so-called Crimson Consortium, an unspoken alliance between several Rogue Trader Houses and the mighty Forge Worlds of the Exile Sector, whose focuses tend to be upon the exportation and discovery of new technologies and raw resources for the production of more materials for the Imperium's ever hungry war machine.

Second is the Aristo League, a collection of the more venerable and wealthy Houses, ever dedicated to holding onto their ancient routes and nepotistic hegemonies within the Exile Sector. These Houses are known for their lack of interest when it comes to large expeditions to the farthest reaches of the Sector and are usually content to exert their considerable influence within regions their forefathers have controlled for eons.

Third is the so-called Missionary Brotherhood, a loose but influential grouping of Rogue Traders ever dedicated to spearheading the spread of the Imperial Cult to the obscure reaches of the Exile Sector and fighting the great Wars of Faith that endlessly rage up and down the shores of the River of Exiles. Generally these men and women are driven more by their faith than monetary gain, and lack the more extravagant airs of their aristocratic brethren.

Fourth is the Merchant-Militant Allegiance, a disciplined alliance of Rogue Trader Houses whose origins tend to be closely intertwined with the Imperial Navy and to a lesser extent the Imperial Guard, these heavily armed Traders tend to be in support with most Imperial military operations as vanguards for upcoming crusades.

Finally, there is the Privateer Guild, made up of younger or declining Rogue Traders who have nothing but a few ships and boundless ambition at their disposal. These Houses are either new and have only just begun establishing themselves or are once venerable Houses that have, though incompetence or sheer misfortune, have lost almost all of their former power and influence. In such a desperate and precarious position, Houses of the Privateer Guild tend to be little more than legitimized pirates and bounty hunters, though some are more intrepid explorers and caviler enraptures.

It is these diverse and powerful individuals that make up so much of the Exile Sectors grand folklore and proud traditions. And so within the Exile Sector there is a slightly greater celebrity for even the lowest Rogue Trader than there would be in other regions of Imperial space.

House Pyrrhus
"Live great, die better."

- The Creed of Pyrrhus

House Makadon
"For the people, for the realm."

- The Creed of Makadon

House Lotus
"Righteous in duty, true in creed."

- The Creed of Lotus

The venerable House Lotus has been an enemy of houses Shujinko and Kai for millennia, though they have rarely come to open conflict, their struggle is one fought in various manners, from all out war to petty corporate one upsmanship. As both houses are supremely ancient and leading members of the Aristo League, it is unclear exactly when their rivalry began but legend has it that at the conclusion of the First Exile Wars there was a grand ball held in Primarch Roboute Guilliman's honor. As both sides tell a similar story, though the roles are oft reversed to place the most blame upon the rival party. According to the tale, a high ranking member the rival House spilled his beverage on the wife of the Patriarch of the House recanting the tale. When pressed to apologize for such clumsiness, the accused House member drunkenly insulted the House Patriarch and challenged him to a duel. The offending noble was summarily slain and the rival House swore vengeance, and to this day both Houses pass off the other as the one with the foolish vendetta.

While similar to appearance in the members of houses Shujinko and Kai they are not from the same people, they have forgotten their ancestry and have taken their name from a flower that once grew in certain regions of Ancient Terra. Every house Lotus dwelling or ship has a garden dedicated to growing these flowers, and the flower features prominently in the House's coat of arms.

While House Lotus maintains a merchant fleet, they do not possess an army, relying on faceless mercenaries (on occasion employing Xenos) who can be trusted to maintain secrecy, especially when paid to do so. Despite their creed these mercenaries are used as assassins, sent to kill single targets or die trying. This is the dark underside to their creed, while they claim righteousness in all things they are anything but. They share one trait with their rivals, they too hate xenos but are not above using them to further their own ambitions but only then do they have any dealings with them, in secret.

The head of house Lotus is Keng Yuke ruling the house at the head of her vast family. In 320 years she has given birth to 8 children who have given her 25 grandchildren and more than 100 great- grandchildren. She is beginning to show her age, she wears a red lotus in her white hair and on the hilt of a saber she visibly displays.

House Shujinko
"Weave trust with trust."

- The Creed of Shujinko

House Shujinko is an ancient and powerful House, with a venerable linage that can trace itself back to the days when the first of their line, the "reformed" Pirate Lord Shujinko Bashura Sei, was granted the Warrant of Trade by none other than Guilliman himself. As such, they are a founding member of what is considered the Aristo League, and hold considerable influence across the whole of the Exile Sector.

Guided by the noble principles of their creed, House Shujinko is known for its steadfast loyalty, cultivating alliances with the intent to honor them for centuries to come. This attitude makes them valuable friends and has served the House well in the past, as they will not hesitate to send their support in the way of ships and wealth to an ally in honest need. Such philanthropy has won them a dedicated circle of allied Houses and a vast sum of wealth as they make profit from those expeditions of their allies. However, these same traits make House Shujinko a mighty and tenacious enemy, for they will never forgive a slight against their honored allies nore suffer traitors within their midst. To earn the ire of House Shujinko or its partners is to bring down the wrath of not only one of the most powerful Houses in the Sector, but also bring the wrath of Shujinko's smaller and opportunistic allies.

While any man or woman loyal to the Imperium can be worthy of trust, respect is another matter, just because they're willing to deal with you it does not mean they like or respect you. They do not hold this same philosophy regarding Xenos, they despise all that is not human, or that which is human but tainted by the Dark Powers. Trade with them is unthinkable and in their minds they are enemies only worthy of destruction so thorough their very names are forgotten.

Their current leader, Shujinko Hideki is young, roughly fifty years old. (though juvenat treatments make him look half his age) He wears his hair in a traditional topknot but has forsaken the robes typical of Harajuku fashion. Rarely seen without a joygirl on his arm or a sword at his waist he is a study in contrasts, but forever an enigma - he prefers to keep his secrets and oversee his interests quietly.

House Kai
"For Emperor and Imperium we ride."

- The Creed of Kai Ardent allies of house Shujinko and oft considered one of the oldest Merchant-Military Houses within the Exile Sector, they have been the enforcers of House Shujinko since their founding in M33, sharing common ancestry from the world of Harajuku though House Kai currently centers its power on the mighty Fortress World of Tsunagi. Even though the two Houses are not explicitly family in blood, they are so by bond, with the House Lords of every generation reaffirming the trade agreements and mutual defense treaties between the two houses every century.

Their motto comes from their Houses legacy as calvarymen, for their ancestors rode into battle from the backs of majestic warhorses in centuries past on the verdant fields of Harakjuku. Thus, they maintain a household guard composed of cavalrymen, known as the Fire Cavalry, who ride into battle upon their genetically enhanced steeds, clad in their elegant Carapace Armor and armed with master crafted Power Lances, Power Swords, and Archotech Laspistols. However, House Kai's true strength is in their vast Merchant-Militant Fleet which, in addition to transporting weapons and war material for a modest fee to assist the forces of the Imperial Guard, wreaks havoc on the likes of both the Xenos and Heretic. House Kai, like their honored ally House Shinjuko, hate all that which is alien or unholy with a burning passion.

They are a rather austere house, focused on duty honor and loyalty to their allies and death and dishonor to their foes. Despite all of this are not above "salvaging" anything of value from their fallen enemies and displaying their trophies in place of honor in the fortress. This vast collection has sometimes brought with it accusations of black market dealing, which House Kai responds violently too as naught but uncouth slander upon their honorable linage.

Their leader, Kai Sijizu Tai-an, is an experienced Rogue Trader with more than three centuries of life behind him. He has fought countless battles against both business rivals and eneimes of the Imperium, and whilst he regularly behaves as if he were a general or admiral, those who have dealt with him personally know him to also be a remarkably shrewd and savvy businessman. He acts as something of a second father and mentor to Shujinko Hideki who still has much to learn, though he respects the young man's more delicate approach in both matters of trade and war. His centuries of life have made him somewhat paranoid (rightly so in some cases) and only feels remotely safe in his own home or in the presence of Shujinko personnel. Thus, he is surrounded by his heavily armored and armed bodyguard at all times.

House Pantegrul
"Eternal prime."

- The Creed of Pantegrul

House Korleon
"Ever the same, ever the different."

- The Creed of Korleon

House Van Utarefson
"We are and always will be."

- The Creed of Van Utarefson

House Aberhamson
"The Emperor is with the people."

- The Creed of Aberhamson

House El' Oso
"Never conquered, always feared."

- The Creed of El' Oso

House Constantine
"Now you see us."

- The Creed of Constantine

House Valentine
"Born free, live free, die free."

- The Creed of Valentine

Dreaded by the pirate scum of the Exile Sector for thousands of years, House Valentine is one of the more infamous members of the Privateer Guild, the subject of both scorn and fanfare in copious amounts. House Valentine's comparatively recent origins result from a controversial pardon for the infamous Imperial Navy Captain Jacob Valentine in M37, and has since then gone on to become one of the most profitable group of pirate hunters and mercenaries within the Exile Sector. House Valentine's ancient flagship and base of operations, the Siluria Class Light Cruiser, Santa Anna Vindictae, is a ship so feared for her storied reputation that all but the most bloodthirsty brigand would tremble at her name.

As the house creed would imply, House Valentine has a reputation for being fiercely independent, constantly striving to remain free of influence beyond their sworn loyalty to the Imperium of Man. Thus, dealings with other Houses or independent entities tend to be curt and purely mercenary. In keeping with this wild streak, House Valentine's main source of income is bounty hunting, a time honored practice within the Exile Sector. House Valentine is regularly contracted by both Imperial Navy and independent entities to hunt down and eradicate various groups of both human and xenos brigands that pollute the Exile Sectors Western and Eastern expanses, and the House has garnered a reputation for being some of the best in their field.

House Iruadiv
"Wardens of the West."

- The Creed of Iruadiv

House Wahrheialte
"With wisdom we conquer."

- The Creed of Wahrheialte

House Tiuse
"Eternal Shepherds."

- The Creed of Tiuse

Recent newcomers to the cuthroat world of the Rogue Trader, House Tiuse has begun to take an interest in other affairs than simply the acquisition of wealth. In keeping with their creed they are concerned with the souls of humans who do not know The Emperor, and so make a tidy profit serving the interests of the local Ministorum. Their ships house missionaries, pilgrims, and colonists, intent on bringing the Imperial Cult to the wildest and most distant reaches of the Exile Sector. Through their vast network of small but well armed fleets House Tiuse brings the light of the Imperium to the distant stars and supports the every expanding borders of humanity while also transporting millions to holy sites across the Exile Sector.

In spite of their priestly demeanor, the forces of House Tiuse outfits its House Troops, known as the Shepherd's Guard, with weapons and vehicles on par with that of the rank and file Imperial Guard. House Tiuse has made quite a name for themselves in several xenocidal campaigns, distinguishing themselves as a very capable military power.

They are primarily a space faring house, having no worlds under their direct control though they have established a network of trading outposts on colony worlds and along the northern frontier regions of the Exile Sector. They are often considered one of the more altruistic Houses, their shipping focusing on maintaining and supplying their scattered colonies and missions on alien worlds.

Delevan Tiuse oversees his house from his flagship, ''Lux Aeterna Terra. ''His few symbols of his House's considerable wealth are a simple gold pocketwatch kept inside a billowing black coat and a red sash from which hangs a mastercrafted power sword and bolt pistol. He looks the part of a fiery preacher, wearing his hair long and loose. He is unafraid to charge into battle alongside his men, with his weapons in hand and roaring a sermon above the sounds of battle.

Battlefleet Kyberia
Perhaps better known for their Imperial Guard the world of Kyberia is also the home port of the Battlefleet that bears her name- a small fleet of roughly 50 vessels their forces were bolstered with the arrival of the Exorcist class Grand Cruiser Amaranthine formerly a part of the destroyed Battlefleet Medici, arriving in 747 M41.

Haydryan Axe-Guard
"With all due respect sir, Haydryans do our best work when we are stuck in."

- Sergeant Sean Dulhan of the Haydyan 343rd

Pullian Hive Guard
"Don't worry boss, we got this."

- The unofficial motto of the average Pullian infantryman

Gurgaian Guard
"Catachans? Ha! You call Catachans soldiers? Those protein guzzling apes aren't fit to polish boots! Now these men here, these are soldiers!"

- Merchant-Militant Rogue Trader Maximus Iruadiv III on his Gurgaian bodyguards, the "Little Shields"

Borne of the freezing and mountainous Death World of Gurga, the Gurgaian Guard are reputed as some of the finest warriors within the whole of the Exile Sector. Relentless, resourceful, and quite simply lethal soldiers, the natives of Gurga have earned a reputation throughout the Exile Sector for outstanding feats of combat ability and tenacity. Armed with nought but standard issue lasguns and their infamous Gurgaian Khuri (a form of large, curved combat knife) the Regiments of the Gurgaian Guard have proved themselves against the likes of daemons and monstrous xenos. Noted for sheer ruthless capability in combat and tactical flexibility that is awe inspiring, these simple mountain warriors have wreaked utter havoc upon countless foes. For heretics within the Exile Sector, the mere words, “The Gurgaians are coming!” is enough to shatter morale. To even the Astartes of the Exile Sector, the same words a met with hearty cheer and newfound hope.

The Gurgaian Guard is not an army of specialists but instead a capable and very deadly work horse, with every Gurgaian capable of most battlefield tasks from field surgery to combat engineering. Each and every one of them are expected to know these key survival skills if they are to have a remote chance of surviving upon their harsh homeworld, and thus these inate abilities, combined with a deceptively meek stature and razor sharp cunning, make the Gurgan Guard a very resilient enemy indeed.

Kordakan Shock Guard
"IMMORTAL!"

- The oft heard battlecry of the Kordakan Shock Guard

Nihilian Genos Regiments
"Milites sumus."

- The High Gothic motto of the Nihilian Genos Regiments

Kyberian Assault Infantry
"Velocitas Eradico."

- The High Gothic motto of the Kyberian Assault Infantry

Dahakan Lancers
"Mind the beak lad, ol' Deathclaw is spoiling for blood."

- Knight-Lieutenant Bram Hask regarding his Demi-Gryph mount

Hailing from the Feudal World of Dahak, the Dahakan Lancers are fearsome shock cavalry, both for their skill with a Las-Lance and the might of their noble Demi-Gryph mounts. Clad in heavy Carapace Armor and trained in the arts of war since the age of seven, the Lancers themselves are all of noble birth. Though some may be of lower titles than other higher ranking Lancers, all consider their service to the Emperor in war amongst the stars a holy birthright and fight with an unbreakable zeal.

As for their famous mounts, the Demi-Gryph is a powerful creature, bred for war centuries ago when Dahak was a technologically advanced world, it is a beast most at home on the field of battle. With the head of a noble raptoral avian and the body of a mighty feline predator, the Demi-Gryph is a creature capable of ripping infantry and even lightly armored transports to pieces. The lethality of the Demi-Gryph's claws and beak is often augmented by thick barding and bionic enhancements.

Dulhal Raiders
"Ubique."

- The High Gothic motto of the Dulhal Raiders

Adeptus Astartes of the Exile Sector (The Justicarium)
There are several Chapters of Adeptus Astartes that reside within the Exile Sector, many of which were founded with the purpose of fighting back the horrors of the River of Exiles. While they are of many distinct creeds and linage, all pledge a form of allegiance to one another in the order known as the Justicarium. A distinct conclave of Space Marines who have sworn themselves to the protection of the Exile Sector as well as the greater Imperium abroad. As members of the Justicarium, these Chapters all gather at a great conclave every century in order to synergize with one another and ensure that none of their cousins are caught in the taint of heresy. When Chapter representatives arrive, they must present Chapter recruitment rates, total casualties over the last century, projected campaign maps, and much more. Said data is reviewed by an elected council from each Chapter, and then passed over by a triplet of Inquisitorial representatives for cross examination. In this manner, the Justicarium ensures the purity of the Chapters of the Exile Sector and allows for a level of cooperation in military campaigns. Failing to send a representative without reason to the conclave is considered a dark omen amongst the Adeptus Astartes of the Exile Sector, and results in an armed Inquisitorial force supported by no less than one Battle Company of at least two member Chapters arriving at the errant Chapter's Fortress-Monastery to investigate.

Lightbringers
"Swift as the Dusk. Deadly as the Dawn."

- The grand credo of the Lightbringers

One of the three Unforgiven Chapters within the Exile Sector, (Known amongst their cousins of other lineages as the 'Trinity') the Lightbringers are noted as perhaps some of the most sardonic and fatalistic of the Lions somewhat eccentric brood within the Exile Sector. However, regardless of their cold and courtly mannerisms, the Lightbringers are known prosecutors of righteous wars and valiant efforts to spare the people of the Exile Sector from the horrors of the Traitor, Xenos, Mutant, and Heretic. They, along with the Iron Wings and the Knights Exile, form the more public image of the Justicarium as the righteous force of the Emperor's will.

However, the Lightbringers will always be somewhat tainted in the eyes of their fellow Justicars, their boundless suspicion and enforced distance making them less than personable to outsiders. For the Lightbringers, as all Sons of the Lion, are forever cursed with their most secret and sacred duty. The Exile Sector is home to various Fallen enclaves, and home to cursed renegades who are far too close to the truth to ever let live. Thus, the Lightbringers strike fast and ruthlessly, utilizing their search and destroy tactics to bring forth the deadly dawn and leave nought but the mournful dusk in their wake.

Angels of the Hunt
"Our Hunt begins in shame. May it end in Redemption."

- The Creed of the Prime Hunter

Yet another of the Trinity, the Angels of the Hunt are by and large revered across the Exile Sector as peerless warriors, known most for their astonishing valor and fortitude in the face of incredible odds. They have often suffered for their boldness in grave losses in both sacred wargear and the lives of their Battle-Brothers, but have so often torn victory from the jaws of defeat that none can fault their zeal. However, the Angels of the Hunt are most often ostracized by their cousins, their strange melding of the Dark Angel's knightly credos and their barbaric, neolithic culture of their home-world resulting in an esoteric cult that marks them as dangerously unpredictable.

Part of this unreliable nature can be attributed to the Chapter's sacred Long Hunt, in which they must seek out the Fallen and force their repentance. Of all the Trinity, the Angels of the Hunt have long made it clear that they are the most willing to do whatever is needed to ensure the honor of the Lion remains unsullied, even going so far as to commit blatant purges of those who may know too much. It is the ruthless dedication and their unflagging loyalty that make the Angels of the Hunt what they are, for they believe that once all is sacrificed upon the altar of their Legion's honor, may they then find peace in their redemption.

Black Lions
"Leave nothing!"

- Attributed to Siege-Sergeant Thalon Cardre during the Purge of Strikos

Sons of Woe
"Remember, leave one alive, so that he may tell them what he saw on this day."

- Scout-Sergeant Claudio prior to the infamous Torchmuches Raid

Iron Wings
"Always outnumbered, never outmatched!"

- The grand credo of the Iron Wings

Maverick Lords
"It is not the tsunami the foe should fear, nore is it the subtle riptide. The foe shall learn to fear the rouge wave, the one that has drowned you long since before you were born. We are not coincidence, we are fate."

- Attributed to an unknown Battle-Brother of the Maverick Lords during the Altohaust Crusade

Sacred Blades
"Ah, but heretic, I already killed you. Ten seconds ago."

- Captain Ganon Le'Flur to the then whole Arch-Magus of the Cult of the Undying Hand

Royal Mastodons
"Come traitors! You have but one loyalist to kill!"

- Posthumously attributed to Battle-Brother Arkar during Lamasto's Last Stand as he stood upon a pile of Chaos Marine corpses

Bothers of the Anvil
"Targets in range! Unleash initial barrage! Again! Again! Again!"

- Sergeant Wojtek of Whirlwind Squadron Draco during the Hive Fleet Orthros

Suspected to be a successor of the Salamanders, the Brothers of the Anvil are a Chapter long known within the Exile Sector for their raw destructive might, terror to all that dare opposed their elite tank squads and mighty Devastator Squads.

Knights Exile
"The Imperium needs no more heroes Brothers. She needs no more champions, idols, and saints. She needs symbols. She needs exemplars. Not people, but ideas to rally behind. For while the individual is fallible, the symbol is incorruptible. We are to be a symbol, an example to both our cousins and the common man. We will stand for clarity when all calls out for confusion. We will rise to the call when all others grow deaf. We will unite when others seek to be divided. We must be more than simply soldiers, we must be Astartes."

- Chaplain Augustus Rel's time honored address to the Knight Exile's latest batch of Neophytes

Proud but humble Sons of Guilliman, the Knights Exile are an ancient Chapter who have long kept ardent watch over the Exile Sector and her peoples. For countless centuries these vaunted exemplars of the Adeptus Astartes have stood at the very gates of hell, casting back foul traitors and xenos barbarians while simultaneously seeking out and eliminating treasonous cowards and brigands that hide within the heart of the Sector. Strict followers of the Codex Astartes yet weary of the reputation some within their bloodline have received for their dogma, the Knights Exile constantly strive to remain, at their core, servants of the Imperium. They have regularly shunned overbearing titles and gaudy honors in lieu of a quiet, hard won respect of both the noble and the common man, holding true to the spirit of their Primarch when he reformed much of the Exile Sectors then civilized worlds. They hold that their most sacred duty is to the common man of the Imperium, to defend all that swear their loyalty to the Emperor, no matter their standing within the grand scheme of the Imperium's political and economic machinery.

As both ideal practitioners of the Codex Astartes martial dictates and a founding member of the Justicarium, the Knights Exile regularly act as intermediaries in both times of war and peace between their cousin Chapters. It is often the Chapter Master of the Knights Exile who oversees the Great Conclave of the Justicarium that arises every century and it is often the Knights Exile who settle disputes between Astartes of differing Chapters, their humble but no less capable counsel often setting their fellows down the proper and honorable path as opposed to being mired in petty squabbling. On the battlefield they are very much the determinators, possessed of such tactics and skills that few can best them in any field of war. They are the solid bulwark from which those of faith and righteousness may rally towards, the beacon on the edge of oblivion that stands ever defiant in the face of darkness and injustice.

Howling Claws
"Nostra Nocte."

- The battlecry of the Howling Claws

Shrine Dragons
Regal Sons of Dorn like their blood-brothers within the Royal Mastadons and Iron Wings Chapters, the Shrine Dragons are ferocious and noble defenders of all the Imperium holds sacred and just.

Children of Adamantium
A rare Chapter of the harsh and bellicose linage of the Gorgon, the Children of Adamantium are noted as one of the Justicarium's premiere fleet-based Chapters. Relentless hunters of the heretic and boundless bringers of Pax Imperium upon the darker reaches of the Exile Sector, the Children of Adamantium share a close bond with the Crimson Consortium, working closely with both the Forge Worlds of the Exile Sector and the myriad Rogue Trader Houses they hold under their sway. Thus it is not uncommon for a contingent of Children of Adamantium to accompany an Explorator Fleet or Rogue Trader vessel upon its voyage into parts unknown.

The Children of Adamantium are noted for their surprisingly outgoing and compatible personalities, though they are still considered emotionally stunted to the point where they can almost behave in a manner more akin with a base servitor than a regal Astartes. Regardless their sheer combat efficiency and their endless hunger for pure knowledge bestowed upon them by the almighty Omnissiah keeps their ties strong with both their fellow Justicars and the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Pirates/Renegades
Despite the well organized efforts of the Imperium's military assets there is an abundance of brigands that plague the expanses of stars that comprise the Exile Sector. Ranging from strict business men only looking to make quick riches by plundering merchants to sadistic madmen seeking to inflict pain upon their unfortunate victims. While they are feared cutthroats who are the bane of small unprotected astral convoys these renegades are seen as a minor threat to the security of the Sector when compared to the horrid forces that reside within the river.

The activities of these vagabonds take place all over the sector as small bands of gangs ravage merchant convoys and full fledged pirate fleets assault towns. These renegades can range from your typical thug armed with a las pistol to full time marauders adorned with carapace armor and the finest arms they can plunder.

Homo Sapiens Insignitus
"I quite like that one..." ""She's yours if you want her, a gift to a loyal friend.""

- one house Pantagruel merchant speaking to another at a party

Zaesta, settled by humanity sometime in the ancient past gave rise to a unique breed of Abhuman Set apart by an extreme form of heterochromia, their skin has natural swirling patterns that look like tattoos, stark white hair and mismatched eyes. While they once had a thriving society the Imperium knows little of its history before House Pantegruel introduced them to narcotics, destroying their culture and reducing them to poverty. They now exist as little more than slaves to the house and to their chemical dependency, working high risk jobs for their daily fix.

Unfortunately for their women their exotic looks make them prized possessions of the upper echelons of House Pantegruel's leadership. In some cases they are simply living art but others are put to work in more carnal professions.

Xenos
Though the Exile Sector has been settled by the Imperium for eons now, it is still rife with the taint of Xenos filth. Though few of these species have yet to be tainted by the Archenemy (and thus refuse to near the infamous River of Exiles en masse) they are still considered to be dangerous heathen threats by the Imperium as their alien ways and technologies are nought but a blight upon the Emperor's stars.

While the Ultramarines, and later the Word Bearers, purged much of the Xenos that inhabited the Sector in the golden age of the Imperium of Man, it seems that quite a few survived and even more went undetected or unmolested due to lack of priority. Most Xenos of the Exile Sector are invariably hostile, though some are more civil than their beastly forms suggests and thus have often made lucrative trade with Rogue Traders willing to look the other way. Even fewer have been sanctioned over the years, and are approved of by the Imperium at large, and utilized as mercenaries in the private armies of nobles and Rogue Traders, though such a practice is generally frowned upon.

Most Xenos activity takes place to the Galactic North of the Exile Sector, where the space is generally more wild and unexplored due to astral phenomena and the aforementioned alien strongholds. However, the alien is everywhere, and there are no doubt several pockets of more mobile Xenos infestations all over the Exile Sector's more lawless expanses of space.

Zjuekkytz (Thraxian Screechers)
"Oh hell! To the lines men! To the lines! The beasts are upon us!"

- Yeoman Sergeant Darius Blake of the Dahakan 23rd Homeguard during the infamous Thraxian Invasion

A nightmarish species of reavers and pirates, the Zjuekkytz, or as they are known in the Imperial Lexicon, the Thraxian Screechers or simply Screechies, have been a bane on the Exile Sector's northernmost quadrants since the days of the Great Crusade. Originally thought destroyed when Primarch Roboute Guilliman personally purged their suspected homeworld of Thraxis, the Zjuekkytz have continued to be a deadly presence in the form of their sizable raider flotillas and asteroid belt fortresses, having adapted and thrived in the vast void of open space.

Taking the shape of long, segmented arthropods with cruel, beady yellow eyes and rasping lamprey-like mouths, the hideous Zjuekkytz attack using their strange sonic weaponry and various taloned appendages, storming Imperial vessels utilizing a strange form of field projector that creates an electronic disturbance about their vessels not unlike a storm cloud to scramble targeting systems and then closing in via boarding torpedoes.

Their language, and therefore what they call themselves is incomprehensible to human ears and unpronounceable to human mouths, the best any can manage is a crude approximation of the name and its spelling. Furthermore, Zjuekkytz speech is deeply disturbing to the senses of most species, its deep and unearthly reverberations capable of causing crippling headaches, bleeding from the eyes, ears, and nose, and finally drive the victim into abject insanity.

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