Phantoms Chapter

"Fear, Brother? Fear is artificial, fake - Created by the mentality of a single individual. Fear is merely another obstacle, in warfare, in life. The Phantoms, however, take a different approach. We embrace fear, we master it, make it our own, and with it, we pierce the hearts and minds of the Emperor's enemies - So yes, brother, I do feel fear, and it is my greatest weapon."

—Brother Captain Trelemann of the 4th Company

The Phantoms Chapter are a Space Marine Chapter originally named the Nether Host, founded during the 23rd Founding, also known as the "Sentinel Founding", and as such are known to be battle-hardened warriors. The Chapter's doctrine are largely based around close combat, utilising a large number of Assault Marines, Assault Terminators and Dreadnaughts. The Nether Host were nearly destroyed shortly after their founding after the Chief Librarian Vedral Olomas fell to the corruption of the Chaos God Tzeentch, resulting in a civil war within the chapter that split them into two separate forces - The loyalist Phantoms Chapter, and the Chaos Warband dubbed "Sons of the Changer", the latter of which are still lead by the surviving Vedral who seeks bitter vengeance against Chapter Master Malevos.

To this day, within the Chapter, Librarians have been noted with extreme caution, in memory of the damage that Vedral caused from his fall to Chaos. Yet they still make use of Librarians that are accepted only after a considerably long assessment.

Origins of the Chapter
"The past has little meaning on the field of battle, we do as we have always done - Serve his will, as we were made to do. However, the past can still teach us many things, about ourselves and the future of the Imperium."

—Chief Librarian Olomas

It is unknown precisely which chapter the Nether Host, prior to becoming the Phantoms Chapter, succeeded. Imperial records hold little information beyond the possibilities that they are descended from either the Dark Angels or Raven Guard, based on their somewhat darker nature. However there is no known report of Vemeras being part of the Dark Angels' inner circle, which would strain the theory they are descended from them. However the supporting evidence would be the structure in which the Chapter is organised, similar to the Deathwing and Ravenwing company concepts, however this may be a coincidence. The White Scars have also been implied as being the predecessor Chapter based on their speciality in close combat and lightning strike tactics, and being highly mobile. This is further supported by similar approaches to combat in which the Phantoms are regarded as savages during battle.

Defence of Industralia
The first recorded sighting of this Chapter was during an invasion of the Forgeworld Industralia by a Greenskin Horde under the leadership of Warboss Throatcrusha. The Orks were able to break the fleet that guarded the planet, however any attempt they made to make a significant impact with their ground forces were nullified near-instantly. Throatcrusha was both furious and confused as to why his attacks were not working. Little did the Warboss know that the Nether Host had been deployed in secret to defend the Forgeworld's assets, making use of lightning strike and hit-and-run tactics to whittle the Ork numbers down before they proved too great a threat for the PDF.

It was only when the Ork Horde was beginning to crumble that the Nether Host revealed themselves in open melee combat to the enemy, which prompted Throatcrusha to personally lead his forces - Which the Marines counted on him doing.

Chapter Master Vemeras Malevos himself was leading the Adeptus defence of the planet. Upon coming face to face with the Warboss, Vemeras declared a duel with the Ork, which the latter happily obliged with, the larger Ork's hubris playing into Vemeras' plan. During the duel, the Nether Host gained the correct impression that their Chapter Master was merely toying with the Ork, the latter's clumsy and cumbersome attacks were easily evaded by the Marine. This was a tactic used to make the Ork Horde doubt their Warboss' ability and instigate infighting among the Ork chieftains. Eventually, the Ork met his end when Vemeras was able to use his power sword to decapitate the Ork. The death of the Warboss allowed the Chapter Master's plan to come into effect - Ork Chieftains saw the opportunity to lead and this soon enough lead to the Horde imploding in on itself, whilst the Marines dealt with the remnants. It was during this time that the Chapter Master's victory gave birth to two of the Chapter's traditions. The first occurred when he removed the massive Powerklaw from the dead Warboss' right arm, covered with the xeno's own lifeblood, causing all future Marines to have their right gauntlet painted red in remembrance of the Chapter's first known victory. The second tradition spawned from this would be that after every victory, every fallen enemy officer would be relieved of their right forearm and would be kept by the leader of that unit. This caused frequent competition between Company Captains that would tally how many arms would be taken by their company.

Mission to Skylus V
In the centuries of M38, three millennia before the uprisings in Segmentum Pacificus, the Nether Host were dispatched to investigate disturbances in civilian settlements. The expedition was lead by Chief Librarian Vedral Olomas and escorted Veteran Assault Terminator Sergeant Felemoore and his Veteran Terminators dubbed "The Spectre Company". The Spectre Company were a largely feared company of terminator Veterans, and as such their deployments were of utmost importance, being the Elite of the chapter. Olomas had felt a disturbance between the walls of reality and the warp within the Pacificus rim, fearing the risk of a Chaos incursion, he took the Company with him to quickly deal with the threat before it could spread. Upon arriving on the ice world of Skylus V, Olomas immediately felt the presence of the Warp several kilometres away from their landing site. Yet the city in which they landed -named Lanscar- seemed unharmed. Despite being an Imperial world however, the population were stricken with rampant disease and poverty whilst the Imperial Governor and PDF seemed to revel in riches. The pity for the civilians that Olomas felt -and the hatred for the Governor- would lead to his unwitting downfall.

The Company made their way out of Lanscar and into an Icy Tundra, where they encountered almost nothing, save for the occasional abandoned convoy, civilians that had been stranded and froze to death in the harsh environment. For several hours the mission seemed pointless, until they came upon a simple archway that seemed to lead down into the earth. Olomas felt that this is where the warp disturbance had originated. Sergeant Felemoore lead the group inside, and what they encountered would soon change the fate of everyone in the room.

They saw that several of Lanscar's PDF had captured many civilians and taken them here. Committing inhumane atrocities, using them for sadistic torture, entertainment, sport, rape, and slaves. The fury that Olomas felt in that instant, made him order his forces to engage the corrupt PDF. The fragile Guardsman stood no chance against the Terminator Onslaught and Olomas' Psychic might. Bodies were smashed, broken and set alight. After the slaughter of the corrupt PDF, Olomas inspected the room, documenting everything he would need to provide proof of the planet's corruption. What he didn't expect to find however, was a tome set on a pedestal. It was crude, made of and bound by the flesh of the PDF's victims. The tome contained the names of the PDF and other officials who all seemed to be part of the sadistic proceedings. Immediately the Librarian recognised the eight-pointed star of Chaos carved into the cover of the tome. Whilst hesitant to use it, the tome seemed to call to the Psyker and his company, they knew with this proof they could contact the inquisition, or even deal with the corruption then and there, just this once.

With that thought, Olomas and the Terminators began their dark path down to corruption.

Liberation and Downfall at Skylus V
Having obtained the flesh tome, Olomas and the Terminator company had set to return to the Governor's Palace. Knowing that the book bore the mark of Chaos, they could never use it as legitimate proof of the Governor's involvement, instead acting upon the knowledge without approval of the Inquisition to deal with the Governor. What Olomas was unaware of however, is that those they had killed in the underground conclave, were not PDF soldiers - They were Tzeentch-dedicated Cultists that had disguised themselves, as part of the one of the innumerable schemes the Changer of Ways had put in motion. Unaware of his imminent downfall, Olomas and Felemoore, along with their Terminator escort, stormed the palace and began their assault. Many of those killed were taken by surprise - Loyal guardsman unaware of the Chaos cult that had manipulated the Marines to slaughter warriors of the Emperor, were broken and unable to defend themselves. It is said that Olomas himself confronted the confused and terrified Governor, who pleaded for his life, explaining he did not know of any corruption taking place - Yet the fury-engulfed Olomas ignored his pleas and set him ablaze.

What precisely happened after the Governor's death is unknown to anyone but the expedition members present, yet upon leaving the throne room - The Librarian began to hear whispers, promises of power with which he could use to change all the wrong that is done within the Imperium. Promises which he and the Spectre Company soon accepted, feeding the Chaos God Tzeentch with their souls, bargained away to Chaos in exchange for power.