Knights of the Watch

The Knights of the Watch are not a standard chapter but a 'fellowship' of veteran Astartes who inspired by the example of Nathaniel Garro have left their Chapters and banded together to follow the path of Errantry seeking out and destroying the enemies of the Emperor wherever they might be found.

History:
The origins of the Watch are undocumented but apparently date back to the period of the Heresy. One theory is their original members were loyalists from the Traitor Legions - like Garro - who shed all former allegiances and dedicated themselves to the Emperor alone through his servants the Lords of Terra.

Organization and Mission
The Watch is stunningly un-Codex compliant - explaining the Ultramarine's hostility. Instead of squads or companies they have bands of Knight-Companions that may number as few as five or many as fifty, in the latter case a temporary formation assembled from several smaller bands. There are also a number of experienced Knights-Errant who work alone or perhaps with the support of a Watch-servant or two - their version of Chapter Serfs. Companion Bands may also have mortals in their service. The Watch sees itself as a roving force and so maintains no great Watch Fortresses like Erioch in the Jericho Reach. Such stations as they have are established on planets, moons or even space stations located at nexuses of warp currents for ease of intercommunication. Each Station is headed by a Knight Commander who acts as liaison with the Lords of Terra and other Adepta. He heads a small staff of Knights and Servants who analyze the constant stream of intelligence coming in from Knights and Friends of the Watch, keeps an eye out for potential trouble and assigns missions to the Knights Companion and Errantus who work out of his station.

Knights Errantus are quite independent and have been known to roam through dozens of sectors and station-zones following their instincts and the Mission of the Watch. That mission as set down all those millenia ago, possibly by the Emperor Himself, is to seek out and eliminate any and all threates to the Unity of Mankind and to ideally resolve such problems before they blow up into full scale wars. Needless to say they do not always succeed.

The Watch has no Chapter Master. Instead such central control as there is is exercised by a council of ten Captains General, Knights Commander or Errantus selected by their Brothers two from each Segmentum, who sit at Watch Station Prime on Artemisia, a moon of Centaurus Octave in Solar Sector.

Recruitment
The Watch's method of recruitment involves a long period of observation of a candidate, who is usually quite unaware of their interest. before they invite him to take the Watch-Oath. How amenable Chapter Masters are to releasing a Brother to the Watch varies, the Ultramarines for example disapprove of them rarely permit brothers to join. The Blood Raven chapter on the other hand is very ready to extend such permissions. The number of years to be served is often set in the oath itself but sometimes the recruit - with the permission of his Chapter Master - leaves it unstated. Some neophyte Knights chose to serve life long.

Unlike the Grey Knights the Astartes of the Watch are not all psychics but they recruit a high proportion of Librarians. Every band of Knight Companions will have at least one of these psyker warriors and many Errantus are psykers. Librarians will also be part of a watch station's staff as analysts and defenders.

Chapter Appearance
The newly chosen Knight paints his armor bone white except for the right pauldron, vambrace and gauntlet which are gilded and the pauldron embossed with the icon of the Watch: A black sword pierced skull with red aquila wings. The Left pauldron carries the colors and icon of the Knight's original chapter. If he takes the life-oath this pauldron is left plain white.