FLUFF: The Emperors Shadows

<999.m40> Magos Teradine

By your request, here is the report on the chapter you found yourself alongside in the most recent combat Lady Inquisitor:

The Emperors Shadows homeworld was named Lethe, a largely flat world covered in plains that served the Imperium as a low grade agri-world in the Segmentum Tempestus. The Shadows Chose this world due to the high numbers of Nomadic tribes that roam the world, skilled and honourable warriors they seemed like a good source of potential gene stock for the chapter. Lethe also possessed to small inhabitable moons, while they were of little use for agriculture they proved rich in minerals and have since been turned into successful mining worlds manned and worked by the penal legions with the Shadows ever watchful for insurgents.

The Emperors Shadows themselves are an Interesting chapter, originally of Ultramarine gene stock their purity has never been called into question, however for a chapter descended from the sons of Guilleman they have strayed from chapter doctrine in a number of ways. While their chapter structure follows their individual squads show variance by including many “Cleanse” squads in the place of the assault marines one would expect in a codex Chapter. These squads seem to have been born of the chapters preference for close range firefights and urban warfare by including a higher proportion of plasma, melta and flame weapons as well as rhino transports to bring them to the firefight with greater speed.

They are also unusual in their refusal to deploy aspirants in scout roles with the belief being that if they are unworthy to wear the armour of the chapter they are unworthy to bear it’s colours into battle. The aspirants instead of gaining battle experience that way participate in often lethal “wargames” against each other with the principle being that there is no greater foe they could overcome to prove their worth than another potential battle brother.

The Chapter is also noted in their complete absence of Chaplains, it is not understood how a chapter is able to maintain the spiritual welfare of their brothers without them but it is believed to be linked to our main concern regarding the Chapter

They raised flags with the Ordo Hereticus when it became apparent that rather than a God, the Chapter saw the Emperor as a extraordinary man with great powers, but merely a man none the less. The Inquisition has allowed this to continue as the belief seems to have left their dedication to him untouched and in the current climate investigation and potential excommunication of an entire chapter of dedicated marines would be a greater risk than allowing them to continue.

The chapter is currently embarking on a penitent crusade in repentance for the loss of it’s homeworld 2 years previously to an element of Hive Fleet Leviathan. Their devotion proved to be their undoing as with all but 3 battle companies of their 12, another break from codex tradition, out responding to calls for Astartes assistance when Leviathan smashed into the sector the Marines were too hard pressed to hold with depleted strength. It was this world that confirmed Inquisitor Kryptmans suspicions to Leviathans emergence however as the Shadows were able to pool their Librarians might and in an act of sacrifice generate a signal strong enough to punch through the Shadow in the Warp the foul Tyranids produce and send a single short message “We are the Emperor’s Shadows, the Tyranids have come, Honour to the Emperor”

By the time their battle brothers had arrived in reinforcement the sector was lost to the Tyranids, their homeworld of Lethe a blasted rock. The Shadows had apparently used they weapons stockpiles on Lethe and it’s surrounding moons to turn all large portions of all 3 bodies into a firestorm when it had become apparent they could hold them no longer dealing the swarm a blow, but sadly given the size of Leviathan, not enough to slow their advance. The remaining companies were ordered to withdraw and reform.

The Chapter has begun it’s recruitment, splitting the remaining companies back into 12 smaller groups to regain their original formation and dispatching them throughout the Galaxy as needed, careful not to recruit from worlds marked by other chapters the Shadows have none the less begun to receive aspirants from all corners of the Imperium but despite this variance maintain a strong prevalence for their original combat doctrine.

Recent Engagements:

With battle companies throughout the Imperium the Shadows are one of the most active Chapters currently engaged but they have been seen in high numbers engaging Hive Fleets Leviathan and Kraken and noticeably two battle companies responded when Inquisitor Carolus requested their aid in assisting her and her battlegroup during a mission to retrieve a number of potentially useful artefacts in the Ipsos sector which is where they fell under your jurisdiction during the end of that campaign after the death of Inquisitor Carolus.

They appear to be dedicated servants of the Emperor but their refusal to acknowledge the Divine Light of the Emperor is a worry regarding their devotion and defiantly warrants attention during any dealings with them.

“We are the Emperors Shadows, The Tyranids have come, Honour to the Emperor”
--Last communication from Lethe--