The Wanderers

The Wanderers chapter are a chapter of the Third Founding of the Dark Angels. They are a loyal space marine chapter that operate in the Ghoul Stars. They are non-codex abiding chapter, though they do refer to the codex quite often. The Wanderers unlike the rest of the Dark Angels Successors do not obey the Dark Angels, as bad blood still remains between the two chapters.

Founding
Initially founded during the Third Founding, they were created after a dispute between a Company Captain of a Dark Angel Successor and a Master of the Dark Angels, there was a split between the two, and the Company captain and four other Captains left and several other Astartes left as well. A new chapter was formed and it was called the Knights Legion.

The Knights Legion left their former comrades for the Ghoul Stars. Where several reports of Xenos attacking several imperial colonies. They came upon a world called Neckia, a world filled with forests and a proud noble people. The World was a Civilized world and most of the world was covered in vast oceans.

The Fall of Neckia
After many thousands of years of service the chapter gathered to celebrate their chapters anniversary. The Knights Legion felt a terrible tectonic movement all across their homeworld. An event that the chapter libarius saw as an omen. The Knights Legion Chapter Master ordered that nothing be done about it, much to the protest of the other Headquarters staff.

After accidently awakening the creatures that lived within the planet. The race that is still debated as to whether they were the necrons or other creatures composed of metal. The Chapter caught off guard by these strange creatures retreated to their fortress monastery for only it to be infiltrated as the metal men walked through the halls of the once mighty Monastery, cutting down many of the Chapter's Reserve Companies. The Knights Legion seeing no other way to win ordered that the neophytes and the inhabitants of the planet be evacuated. The Knights legion deployed its first company and eight companies to defend the starport of Neckia. Though the companies were heavily damaged they defended the civilains as they were evacuated by the Astartes.

The Knights fought and fought, for every Astartes lost, many more "steel men" were slain. The Chapter Master watched as his chapter and the PDF were all but wiped out, seeing no other way to survive, he ordered the rest of the command staff off planet with the nephoytes and the remainders of any wounded. The last of the first, second, third, fourth companies gathered in the valley of the Crescent, the trial grounds of the chapter's nephoytes and recruits.

There the chapter master stood admist the battle fighting and breaking the metalloid creatures. A creature bellowed to the Chapter Master, this creature unlike the rest was in more ornate skin or armor than the others. The Chapter Master fought this creature or the while bidding time for his fleet to get into position to perform a mircalious feat. Above the surface of the planet the ships had been ordered to denotate their own warp engines over the planet as to destroy the menace and the whole planet in the process.

The Chapter Master fought the creature but as he had been fighting for days upon days, he's strength had began to fade. The creature stabbed into him and the chapter smiled as the energy filled the planet ripping it asunder.

Aftermath
With the chapter now in ruins and numbering less than two companies the chapter began to rebuild itself finding that many astartes had been blown out to space by the destruction of the planet. The Chapter forbid that there ever be a Chapter Master, as none would live up to the expectations of the previous Chapter Master. His name was Anselmus Tuyon. In memory of their destroyed home and those who had died, the chapter took the name The Wanderers in grim remembrance of the war that destroyed their chapter.

It would be many years until the chapter was seemed fit to serve in any type of campaigns. But the new chapter did not sit idolly by. They began to develop tactics and began to organzie themselves to better coordinate. They became skilled infiltrators operating at small numbers than even ordinary Space Marine Chapters.

The Chapter’s most famous incident during its time of recovery was when it was pitted against the Eldar of a *REDACTED* in the Ghoul Stars. The Entire Arch Angel Council born from the destruction of the homeworld, were either libarians, techmarines or any of the remaining captains, during this time an Arch Angel was a Dreadnought. The Wanderers were traveling in a system when they came across a Adeptus Astrates Signal, too weak to be a recent attack. But it was several thousands of years old. The Angel Prince at the time, Altoris (Angel of Honor) lead the Wanderers came across a Desert Planet and detected a large superstructure on the planet below.

When they arrived on the planet below they found a doorway to a massive armory, which contained relics. Much to the happiness of the Wanderers command.

The Eldar of *Redacted* arrived in large numbers of Storm Guardians lead by a single Farseer called Ja’loti the so called keeper of relics. Immediately on arrival the Eldar Ground forces attacked The Wanderers Guarding the Superstructure. While the Eldar Ships engaged The Wanderers Fleet above.

Surrounded and almost completely outnumbered Altoris scattered the fleet making it harder for the Eldar to target them, and sparing his fleet the destruction He then sent down his newly Equipped Terminator Squads to the ground below to provide aid to the besieged units below. Also simultaneously sending out Cobra Fighters, to engage the Eldar Fighters. Though the wanderers had something the eldar didn't know they had. They had the entire Chapter Command. Putting to work their new tactics the chapter began to fight the Eldar.

The Wanderers immediately on sensing an Eldar Pysker nearby, bolstered the defenses of the Superstructure by collapsing tunnels and by using the ancient Land Raiders to aid them in their battle against the Eldar who had believed to find only infantry. When the ancient Machines roared to life thanks to their Techmarine Plato they immediately took the battle to the Eldar by driving them back from the keep.

When the Terminators Arrived to provide aid they found The Wanderers pushing the Eldar but still not gaining as much ground as they would like.

With a large Push the Arch Angels immediately engaged the Eldar in combat, slicing through the Seer Council with relative ease with his Assault Squad. The two Pyskers battled each other with their minds and with blade, finally the Arch Angel disemboweled the head of Ja’loti. Taking the force weapon away from the Farseer’s corpse; as a prize. The Seer Council Seeing their leader dishonored so attacked the Assualt Squad and the Arch Angel. The Arch Angels emerged with a blink of warp energy and emerged within the Seer Council setting their bodies aflame with a gesture with his flamer.

They secured the last of the cargo and prepared for transit. But before they could leave the Eldar attacked yet again. Seeing no other way to aid his brothers Techmarine Plato planted within his land raider several melta charges that he rammed straight into the Eldar Webway gate destroying himself and a large chunk of the Eldar forces and their escape root.

Their still remained a large heavy army on their door step. The Wanderers forces engaged the eldar into close combat. The Eldar's last Wraithlord bringing it's sword to bare upon an Angel Prince and his Command group. The Prince dispatched the Wraithlord. But in the process his command was killed.

The Eldar Warlocks slaughtered the Novices that had traveled with the wanderers. The Angel Prince (NAME LOST) tore apart one of the Eldar Warlocks with his bare hands. Taking the Eldar Warlock's witch blades as his own.

With no route of escape the Eldar Storm Guardians were quickly mopped up by suppression fire laid down by the enraged Terminators. After Successfully retrieving all the relics and the remnants of the Land Raider that Plato used was rebuilt and is called Plato’s Fury.

The Lost
Several hundred years after the destruction of the chapter's homeworld, Astartes wearing the colors of the Knights Legion were spotted across the galaxy. The Chapter confused by this sent Angelic Cells to see if these rumors were true. The Cell assigned to this mission brought back an insane Astartes, nothing more but a husk, seeing the horrors of the warp for many centuries or even thousands of years. The Wanderers seeing that more reports were coming up about these 'Lost' Astartes created a group in inspiration of the Ravenwing, called the Seekers, who would hunt down the Lost and end their suffering, unless they might provide to be useful and sane.

Though a terrible secret looms within the chapter as some of these 'Lost' have truly fallen to the predations of chaos. Even members of the chapter have developed a syndorome unique to the chapter. Called the blank-virus, a virus that often creates a psychic-blank in the Astartes, but often causes insanity, those lucky few who resist the virus are able to purge themselves of this virus. None know how this virus was contracted at all, some blame the Xenos that defiled their fortress monastery might of planted some curse upon their chapter. Or be it the Emperors doubt upon them. The Wanderers dare not ask, or share. But any Wanderer that betrays them, is swiftly hunted down, and executed promptly upon finding.

Organization
Though not following the Codex Astartes to the letter, the chapter does follow many of its core tennats, and uses it to organize much of the chapters tactics in battle and in aiding whenever the resource would provide to be useful.

The Wanderers have a radically different organizational pattern compared to most chapters. This is mostly to provide tactical flexibility to the Wanderers. The chapter is lead by a Council, 9 Individuals lead this chapter, 7 lead the companies, one acts as a representative, the other The Ancient holds the history of the chapter.

The Wanderers Organize their chapter into Knight Hosts, Grand Companies, and Angelic Cells.

Grand Companies are all that remain of the first company and the major companies of the chapter. The Grand Companies are various in strength, often they are composed of several Knight Hosts. There are only 7 Grand Companies in service. The Arch Angels of Justice's Grand Company for example has 7 Knight Hosts, but his company only breaks codex tradition by having 120 Wanderers, but it should be noted that this is the largest company in the whole chapter. The Smallest Company, lead by the Arch Angel of Messages is comprised of only 3 Knight Hosts, though this company rarely sees action, acting as recruits for the chapter..

The Knight hosts are known for being small in number and often times being composed of various types of marines. The Knight hosts sometimes have veterans of the chapter, these form the backbone and the image of the chapter. Knight hosts comprise of 15-30 Astrates, all knight hosts are lead either by an Angel Prince (title), Angel Princes are then sub categorized into: Angel Priest (Chaplain) or Forge Prince (Techmarine) or Wrath Prince (Libarian) or a Virtue Prince (Captain) or a Savior Prince (Apothecary). Knight Hosts are organized similar to codex in that they have tactical marines, devastator marines, assault squad marines, and command squads. But it various in composition based on which Angel Prince leads the Host. Virtue Prince Gavreel for example

Angelic Cells are the smallest of all the organizations and do not serve in the Grand Companies consisting of 5-15 battle brothers or Intitates or Neophytes, they usually maintain recruiting worlds, act as the eyes and the ears of the chapter, or hunt any of The Lost. These cells are lead by a Name Angel, (An angel charged with a duty, Such as Loras the Angel of the Hunt, is charged with the recruitment of Assault Marines)

There is a small organization called Seekers, Seekers are composed of whatever the Mission demands. They are the chapters utmost elite and are the ones that search for The Lost. Seekers are usually selected by the most skillful of the Wanderers. The Seekers are often sent off and very few times do more than half of them return.

An even smaller unit are the Justicarian Knights the sworn Guardians of the chapter's most precious relics and commanders. They are the equalivent of the Honor Guard of most chapters, but they are noted to be more of them than per usual.

The Wanderers are spread out considerably far apart from each other. The Chapter is very well known for appearing on the battlefield in times of absolute need for either PDFs or Imperial Guard Regiments. And then disappearing when Imperial Forces gain the upper hand or about to be victiorious. They are known for taking out enemy leadership rather efficiently and then disappearing.

Armory
The Many Relics within the chapter are various, here are but a few of them....

The Chapter Fleet
12 Strike Cruisers

45 Strike Craft

95 Thunderhawks

1 Battle Barge (The Eden)

Star Fortress (Soul of Neckia)

Various other craft

-Authors Note- These numbers are temporary

The Soul of Neckia
Though not offically the Homeworld of the Wanderers. The Soul of Neckia is a massive space bound star fortress. Named after the ill fated original world of Neckia. The Soul is all that remains of the once glorious world's military and civilian culture. Within the Star Fortress is a sprawling city and the Fortress Monestary of the Wanderers. A massive Biodome that protects the Fortress and the City from the cold vacuum of space. Within the population stands at 1,000,000. Quite a small population given that this was all that remained of the Neckian Population. All those Aboard the Soul of Neckia are the Remnants of Neckia. This way the homeworld of Neckia lives on through the Soul, even having flora, and native wild life from Neckia.

There are also several other biodomes on the fortress which house animals, creatures and training areas for the newly recruited Wanderers or the Dawn Guard (The Security Forces of The Soul.)

The Biodomes for the Tasks are separated by the Sworn Guardians of the Soul, the Justicarian Knights, who bar only access to those who have passed the Tasks or those who are beginning the Tasks. Using these biodomes to great effect the chapter uses these biodomes to change the atmosphere and weather conditions inside the biodomes to keep the Recruits ready for anything.

Unlike other sprawling cities of the Imperium The Soul Of Neckia's civilian population has nonexistant crimes as they do not wish to tamper the anger of the Dawn Guard or the Wanderers. The Civilians live a quite good life, but most of the time they are either split between joining the military, the Wanderers, or apart of the ruling government of the Soul. Very Similar in construction to the Imperial Fist's Phalanx, the Soul is still a fully operational Star Fortress. Being able to have Several ships dock with it. It is an ideal Mobile Command Center for the Wanderer's Council. It also boasts at least 1 Grand Company of Wanderers as its permanent defense force, it also retains most of the chapter's relics and artifacts. Always present are the ever vigilant The Eden, The Jailer, and The Mercy. Three Strike Cruisers that always remain at the side of the Soul of Neckia.

Only twice has the Soul of Neckia been attacked. Both times the Enemy was swiftily defeated by the thunderous lance batteries and nova cannons that could demolish an entire fleet by itself with no aid. Hence why no enemy wishes to attack the Soul. For it would be worth too much to take it.

Chapter Beliefs
The Wanderers know they are not like other Astartes. As they consider themselves too human to be considered Astartes. More common among their number, the wanderers stand apart from other chapters. Being notably quieter, shorter, less angered and patient. They unlike the Storm Crusaders rely on short but efficient close combat. They also hold the Emperor as a Spiritual Guardian and Sole Founder of the Imperium. Like many other astartes each Wanderer is considered by the chapter to be a resource. Each Astarte's death is tragedy upon the chapter. Most notably the Wanderers are extremely well trained. Even more so than a Regular Astartes. The chapter has since disbanded any ideals of increasing the chapter size. Instead they will remain only 7 Grand Companies in number at one time. The Wanderers rarely take credit for their battles. Usually giving imperial forces that they were fighting with the credit.

The chapter is quite independent of itself often being far apart this has created rivalry within the chapter, though not as violent as the White Scars Chapter.

Chapter Tactics
Known widely for their disdain for close combat, the Wanderers fight from afar, using their own specialized version of a bolter: called the Widow Maker Pattern. A design created by the Forge Princes of the chapter, this weapon is a heavily modified bolter that is similar to a sniper rifle but in bolter form. Though the drawbacks are that the weapon is much heavier, but the gun is more deadly. The Chapter does have some members that fight in close combat, but these individuals are rare, though they will deploy meele equipment when the occasion rises.

The Chapter's use of stealth is quite well known in the ghoul stars. The Host of Barathiel is famous for infiltrating into a Renegade Strong hold and assassinating the entire leadership in the dead of night without raising any alarms.

The chapter is known to paint their armor according to the occasion or campaign.

Barathiel Champion of the Chapter
During the first war of Neckia, and when the Wanderers fought a losing battle against the Necron Menace on their home planet, The relics of the chapter were given to a single company of Wanderers to move off world to the Moon's of Neckia, Barathiel was but a simple neophyte at the time, and was tasked with the rest of the grand company. Barathiel along with every neophyte was thrown into stasis tubes deep within the tombs of the Moon Hectoris Minor. Every member of the neophytes sent here were eventually forgotten, until a Seeker, by the name of Tadir the Savior found the neophytes guarded by the last remaining dreadnoughts of the chapter. Barathiel was among the dozen or so to be found in the ruins untouched. Some Neophyte capsules had indeed been breached, and taken by a mysterious creature. Barathiel and those with him took it upon themselves to hunt the creature down. They did so, and slew the creature Barathiel forever taking it as his heraldry.

After this event the neophytes were welcomed back into the chapter, including the Ancients that were also awoken. He was bothered much by the way his chapter had changed since he had last seen it. Making him suspicious of its new organization and leadership. Barathiel soon rose in rank to become a Champion of the Grand Company during the War of the Void, a long struggle between the Wanderers and a rouge Imperial Fleet. Several years later, Barathiel and his seekers were able to teleport aboard in terminator armor and slay Leader of the fleet. This won him the chance to join the Archangel of Justice's Honor Guard. He refused on grounds of seniority. He like many Wanderers have fought in the Wars of Drancoris, a seasonal war against many xenos races that constantly try to expand their empires in the northern boundary between the Storm Crusaders Homeworlds. He has fought in three of them. Barathiel is often remarked as "The Youngling" Having been the youngest of the Neophytes found. And most of the Neophytes found have become heroes of the chapter, or high ranking officials within the chapter. In recent times he has been on the hunt for "The Lost" those wanderers that have abandoned their duty and their chapter. He has successfully caught thirty of "the Lost" and brought them back to the chapter. His deeds are many but after being tasked with watching over Nisroc. He was gifted the name "The Bronze Knight" much to his dismay. He is also tasked with finding suitable candidates either willing or unwilling to join the Deathwatch.

Keltizifiel The Angel Prince of Fire (Wrath Prince)
Known across the Ghoul Stars as the Angel of Fire. Keltizfiel is known to many chapters a brilliant commander and a talented pysker. Keltizfiel wields the Sword of the Eternal Flame. Which burns with energy from Keltizfiel's pyschic abilities. He is one of the few Angel Princes also granted the use of Warp Jump Packs.

He also carries the relic the Lion's Bite, a amulet that protects himself from pyschic abilities and his own abilities. The Lion's Bite a relic given to him for aiding a Dark Angels Successor Captain while on a Campaign.

Keltizfiel is quite young compared to his more established brothers and is even considered a runt compared to Gavreel or his commander Arch Angel Sariel. He is also one of the few that survived a nuclear war upon Meranis his homeworld that is now over run by Mutant Tribes and the Chapter uses for recruitment now that the war had ended. Keltizfiel's talents are in the art of pyschic abilities, though he only knows how to control warp fire and is thus Called the Angel of Fire.

His abilities with fire make him a valuable asset among the Arch Angel's Grand company. Keltizfiel is known for his powerful Fire Walls where he surrounds himself in flame and becomes an entity of pure warp fire and slaughters entire contingents of his enemies. He can also literally create wings of fire that slaughter enemies from afar and even burns the flesh of his enemies with a glance. He is a very powerful pysker, but continuely he has had to deal with Various types of Xenos. He has caught the eye of countless Imperial Organizations for his talented powers with fire.

Angel Prince Gavreel (Virtue Prince)
In progress.....

Nesroc  the Pariah
A long dark tale that has been forbidden to speak of in the chapter is the once honored Brother Nesroc, a noted swordsmen, pilot and marksmen. During his Exile in the Deathwatch he came into contact with a Chaos Daemon, that he had encountered before in the catacombs of Tinal IV while he served under Gavreel. The Daemon had slowly began his corruption onto the blade it had leeched itself upon. Though a Pyschic Blank, it had little effect upon till his mind finally betrayed him and the once Noble Nesroc became a Traitor, slaughtering a slew of Deathwatch and now a champion of Slaanesh, he evaded the Deathwatch and is now wanted by the Inquisition for the murder of Fellow Astartes. After hearing of one of their own betraying the Inquisition, The Wanderers immediately sent out a Justicarian and a Seeker Squad. Thus began the Hunt for the Pariah. Every time the Justicarian and his Seekers thought they had trapped Nesroc, he escaped using unknown means. It is unknown what had happened of the ill Fated Nesroc, but the hunt continues. His last known location was in the maelstorm where he eluded a Dark Angel Strike Force. Who had heard of Nesroc's terrible deeds. He had stolen one of their treasured Fighters and evaded capture, killing the Astartes guarding him. He left in his wake a Nurgle rot, that caused those he killed to be turned into mindless husks. Nesroc was fallen. And Now Inquisition knew that this Astartes was proof against the Wanderers training tactics. The Wanderers abandoned the proof claiming it to be Nesroc's corruption, and the care he was given was lacking. Nesroc, became what the Inquisition needed to bring them in as their dogs. The Wanderers in penitence of one of their owns betrayal became the source of experiments and the Inquisitions sword upon any chapter that would disobey them. Nesroc would become one of the most hunted of the Wanderers. And the weapons he carried a relic of the Chapter that were stolen from them.