Serpent Skulls

== The founding, appearance and early history ==
"We the are poison the fangs of the Imperium spit out inside it's pray."- Motto of the Serpent Skulls.The Serpent Skulls are a loyalist renegade chapter of the Adeptus Astartes created during an unknown founding. The chapter's primogenitor Primarch is also unknown, though there are some who whisper that they are a chapter of mixed geneseed. Yet many scholars claim to have proof that they are in fact a Blood Angels successor chapter. Though this also is unknown, for the chapter's appearance is as unique as any other. Their skin, due to the geneseed is very pale. So pale in fact, that they often look like walking corpses. This could make them a Raven Guard successor. But again, there is the fact that they have the Black Rage. But they also are more then prepared to sacrifice entire companies of battlebrothers in order o safe civilians, making them likely a Salamanders Successor. So it is best to leave it be. 
The chapter's color scheme is a fairly ornate yet simple one. For it is gold and green. With some bearing a red shoulder marking to indicate that they suffer from the chapter's geneflaw. Records regarding the chapter's first sightings date back to before the Age of Apostacy and the Nova Terra Interregnum. With the earliest of records being dated as during the War of the Beast. Where the chapter would fight many battles against the hordes of Orks. It was during one of these battles that the chapter would become famed for their honor and selflessness. As the warriors from the second and fourth company would trade many astartes in order to save as many civilians and guardsman as possible from the Orks. With them even going out of their way to order the withdrawal of the guardsmen when the size of Orks increased so much that entire battalions of guardsmen died to only kill a few dozen Orks. When the commissars refused their command and started shooting at the guardsmen that fled, the Serpent Skulls mercilessly purged these same commissars. Making an enemy of the commissariat. They would further risk their own ships in order to evacuate as many humans from the now almost overrun planet. Loosing almost their entire fourth company as a result.
The chapter would after this battle only fight small engagement for the betterment of the War of the Beast. During the Age of Apostacy and Nova Terra Interregnum, the chapter would stay loyal to the high lords of Terra, but fight heavily against the forces of the Ecclesiarchy. For they still followed the guidelines of the Imperial Truth, not seeing the Emperor as a god or father-figure, but as the pinnacle of human might. 
== Contact with the Aeldari ==
During the dying days of M36, the chapter would come into contact with the minor Aeldari craftworld of Ly'nat. The astartes, rather then killing the xenos at first site, would openly conduct peaceful negotiations with the craftworld. Even going as far as to ensure the safety of the Aeldar diplomats when a group of inquisitors from the Ordo Xenos branch of the Inquisition wanted to capture and 'question' the xenos on their own vessel. The chapter made it seem as if they were questioning the xenos already. With the inquisitors eventually leaving the ship without their wanted captives. 
The fact that the chapter went out of their way to ensure the safety of the Eldar delegation meant that Ly'nat was rather thankful. They would, aside from signing a treaty of mutual aid and peace, grant the chapter a piece of human Archeotech. The identity of this piece is however long since lost to the Imperium. This encounter would however not be the last between the craftworld and the Serpent Skulls. As in the middle of M37, the chapter would be visited by a farseer of the craftworld in their fortress monastery on Salerius Prime, in the Salerianus system in the Segmentus Solar. Who would bring a message from her craftworld which was requesting the chapter's aid in the craftworld's defense against an Ork WAAGH. The request for aid was mainly because no other craftworld was willing to help the small craftworld. Seeing their own problems as more important. So the council of farseers determined that, since the Imperium at large nor any forces nearby would aid them, that they should use the treaty they signed with the Serpent Skulls in order to survive. The chaptermaster at that point in time, Volerius, would debate the matter with the other members of the chapter's high command. Coming to the conclusion that it would benefit the Imperium greatly, for if the ork Waagh was destroyed, it could cause no harm to imperial planets. And so the chapter would agree to the request for aid. Sending in the full third and contingents of the first and tenth company to aid in the craftworld's defence. During the battle, it was the captain of the third company, Malnius Wald, that slayed the Ork Warboss together with the Farseer that requested their aid in the first place. The orks, who almost immediately began fighting among themselves, were quickly slaughtered by the ork-hating astartes and Eldar forces. Shattering the entire Ork Waagh before it could even land on the craftworld. Though this might seem as a miracle, it must be said that the few records recalling this particular ork Waagh, state that the amount of orks were incredibly small for a Waagh. After the defeat of the ork Waagh, the chapter would leave the Eldar once more in order to search for the participants of the Children's Crusade. 
== The fall of a chapter ==
During the late stage of M37, the chapter would settle on a new homeworld, the feudal world of Salinis II, due to an Ork Waagh led by one of the Orks that survived the massacre committed by the Serpent Skulls almost 100 years ago. This warboss, known as 'Madork MaKrak', would b-line for the chapter's old homeworld and utterly destroy it before the full chapter could help. Killing all the marines and humans that were on the planet and pursuing the few humans that escaped. It was only because of an Aeldari strike force led by a Troupe of Harlequins that they managed to escape. With Madork MaKrak seemingly not activating his Gellar Fields as he followed the human ships into the Warp. The complete ork Waagh dissapeared in the warp and no further record exist of it beyond this point. 
The few humans remaining from Salerius Prime and it's nearby planets, would settle alongside the chapter on Salinis II. Here the chapter wouldbuild their new fortress monastery. building it inside the largest mountain on the planet. And to make sure no ork or any enemy for that matter would set foot on their planet ever again. They increased not only the monastery's own defences, but also the world's PDF forces and cities were heavily defended. With the full first and second companies staying almost permanently on the planet due to the chapter's increasing paranoia. However, as soon as the first company got settled on the world, the craftworld of Ly'nat came to them yet again. The chaptermaster was much more causius this time, and made it clear that they would destroy the entire craftworld by themselves if helping Ly'nat had any bad consequences for the chapter. They were however surprised to find that the group of Aeldari diplomats were, for a lack of a better term, begging for their help. As the exodite world known in Imperial records as Kaspirion VII was being attacked by Emperor's Children. The chaptermaster, in a weird turn of events, accepted without question. Though this caused a split within the chapter. As the captains of the Second to fifth along with the tenth companies were outraged that they were helping and tolerating the xeno's for longer then wanted. The all proclaimed they refused to aid, and instead left to fight a penitence crusade towards the Eye of Terror to rid as many worlds of chaos investation as possible. the remainder of the chapter proceeded in haste towards Kaspirion VII. And found the exodite and Ly'nat forces completely surrounded on the planet by the chaotic traitors. Chaptermaster Volerius lead a relieve-force consisting of 40 first company veterans and the complete sixth company towards the location of the encircled Aeldari forces. Fighting their way through the hordes of demonic creatures and EC's alike, they would meet up with the Eldari, who would proclaim them their saviors. The relieve-force, alongside the Eldar, would now battle their way out towards a location from which they could get pick up from. This is however where the first account of their less commonly known geneflaw. For it was already known that to the highest of members of the chapter that they suffer from the Black Rage. Yet this flaw was unknown to them. I would become known as The Black Cry. This trait is one never seen before in any chapter of Imperial records. For the geneflaw can be 'activated' at will by one who suffers from it. When it is 'activated', the battlebrother will become highly aggressive towards any warp spawned entities no matter the side it fights on. Be they Living Saint or Deamon Prince. As the Eldar forces were being picked up, the Emperors Children and their chaos spawned deamons attacked the landing site. But in a twist of fate, the defending astartes became overcome with rage and hatred. And in a fury of this hatred attacked the enemy. The attack was so aggressive, that the Emperor's Children fled. leaving most of their cultist followers and deamons behind. The raging astartes slaughtered the cultists, leaving piles of mutilated corpses in their wake. They however captured as many Emperor's Children and deamons as possible. This was even a surprise to the few astartes that didn't fall to what they presumed was the Black Rage. The mad astartes began slowly torturing their prisoners for all to see, not caring in the slightest about the consequences. It was observed that the warp entities, despite being those aligned to Slaanesh, were in great agony and pain. With even a captured Keeper of Secrets begging to be banished back to the warp rather then enduring anymore of the torture that the mad astartes were delivering upon it. 
When the last deamon was painfully banished back to the warp, it left only the astartes. When the other astartes and whatever remaining Eldar that stayed behind approached them, they acted as if nothing happened. Many seemed to be in shame of what they did. Some even committed suicide in self-hatred of what they had committed, seeing themselves doing the same thing their enemy did and worse. Of those that fell to the Black Cry, only 23 were alive when they left the planet. The others either killed by the enemy, having committed suicide or being executed by their fellow brothers. 
"What we have done is something that can not be forgiven, we can not repent in live for these atrocities. And possibly not even in death." 
- The last words of one the astartes that fell to the Black Cry before killing himself. 
== A new beginning ==