Janus Marines

Janus Marines armorial with Chapter iconography.

Janus Marines Firstborn Battle-Brother of the 2nd Company, 3rd Battleline Squad

"*Eternal.. The Great Vigilance is Eternal.. Peril.. Peril is eternal.. Always different, never the same.. Reborn.. We are reborn eternally.. Suffering eternal.. We.. No.. The Unchanged have need of us.. Eternal.. Their protection.. Unbroken, we are unbroken eternally.*"
—Honor Guard Cassian Theron
Their purpose, like their gene-sire, forgotten, the **Janus Marines** is a Loyalist Semi-*Codex* Compliant Space Marine Chapter created during the 21st 'Cursed' Founding, and, as such, infamously bear what they call "Shifts", a gene-flaw that results in mental and emotional changes that vary between frequent and occasional in each Marine, being far too sporadic to predict. Due to this flaw, they have a history of losing several battles more than those they've won, with the details of their lineage being lost to time only worsening such a reputation, by the matter no Chapter dares claim them as theirs as well as nothing concrete to settle any damning rumors. Though they continue to serve the Imperium and Emperor despite the hostility towards them, the Janus Marines are not without their well-kept secrets, much to the ever-intensifying disdain of the Inquisition.

Their most notable acts were their involvements in the Age of Apostasy and Badab War, the former due to most Space Marines simply minding their own business where they would not. The latter however for nearly splitting the Chapter in half. Despite that, they remain a stalwart and loyal legion among humanity's bulwarks against terror.

## Chapter History

### Creation

Much like others within the 21st Founding, the Janus Marines too were built to be better than the Chapters before, and yet they were wrought with various problems, in their case, they were an effort by their creators to minimize the physical mutations that occurred within their elder cousins of the 21st, instead resulting in the mental flaw that would persist and torment them for aeons. The first among them, Junal, who would be granted the pleasure of becoming the first Chapter Master, was well aware of the Chapter's gene-flaw but believed that because of said flaw, it was their solemn duty to persevere and protect those who lacked it. Given the necessities all Chapters receive upon their conception, they were sent out to make a world theirs and spanned the Galaxy for their prize, inevitably setting their sights on a Hive World known as Duplexitas, a world found nearby the Halo Zone that they recognized as both beautiful yet quite abnormal.

For a majority of that which resided on it, simple patches of different environments, deserts, forests, arctic icescapes, etc. Yet with it came patches of land that, like them, could not maintain a level of consistency. Despite that, that which caught their eyes, the attention that had brought their determination to make it their own was by the people. Those who resided on Duplexitas were more than just smart, fast, or strong- They were adaptable. With their sights set, they claimed it as theirs, though would not be directly involved in their government, simply a watchful eye to keep things steady and to ensure no Chaos Cults could prosper. However, they had to additionally keep it safe from any threats native to the Halo Stars that would come to prey upon their homeworld.

### Age of Apostasy

Before the Age of Apostasy had come, a Daemon had been found on their homeworld around the time of Chapter Master Junal's death, one whose armor-like carapace was compared to that of gold, bearing two pairs of wings, one akin to a simple bird, located on its right side, and the other akin to that of a bat on its left, a height greater than the tallest Marine among the Janus. Not much is known of this creature but was sought out and immediately slain by the Chapter after receiving the first reports, burned into ash by Imperium Flamer, additionally, Junal has been reported to have been cremated as well. This death, however, is believed by some to have been the catalyst for their flaw's true emergence, though the evidence of such is critically lacking.

Before the War had begun, the Janus Marines were among many Chapters who had been voicing their support for Sebastian Thor, believing the High Lord to be unworthy of his position. When he had finally committed acts that the Chapter could no longer tolerate and attempt to persuade him from, they first looked inward, finally involving themselves with the Homeworld's government. They quickly identified seeds of corruption within and that some had been. in fact, watching them, so much so they had been unintentionally nearing the revelation of a dark truth of the Chapter, one that *could not* be seen by the Unchanged. Thus, the hammer finally came down, taking it upon themselves to be more direct in their approach to managing the government of Duplexitas.

First, they forcefully removed those Unchanged who were a part of the planet's corruption, turning those with experience and information that could still be used into servitors, and those who were not were executed. Then, they proceeded to take a more active role in the planet's governing bodies, at the very least in helping to manage it and ensure corruption could not take hold. Though this process did not go smoothly thanks to their ever-debilitating Shifts, in what manner, is not known, simply that it had been an issue. When the War began, the Janus Marines dispatched several companies to aid in the effort while the rest maintained steady overwatch to ensure Duplexitas' safety.

### Bellrath Crusade

Heeding the call of the Praetor Slayban Bellrath, the Janus Marines sent a large number of their Brothers to aid in their efforts, to not just serve the Emperor, but believing in the cause of liberation that they spoke of, wishing to return the Laanah Rifts to the embrace of the Imperium. Although they worked alongside many of others who sought to contribute to the effort, most commonly worked with House Lacus, utilizing their nature and tactics to the combined effectiveness of their incredibly mobile platoons. Through this, and the time between these campaigns and missions where both were allowed to familiarize with the other, the Janus Marines began to see Lacus as a great ally, having worked together through the Crusade and ensuring the House's victories, yet never leaving them to seep within their losses, when they found themselves as Companions of Honor, the Chapter was humbly proud of this and yet secretly ashamed, knowing how much was purposefully hidden from those that should be all but trusted allies, and waited until the time was right to repay this privilege.

### The Waning

With the arrival of The Waning, the Janus Marines chose to, rather than simply stand and watch as the Imperium they love is slowly consumed by the enemies of Mankind, instead would go on Crusade to try and slow the fall of Imperium aligned systems, sending out as many of their own as possible around the galaxy without leaving their homeworld defenseless.

One thing remained constant after nearly a couple millennia of their Crusade, the reputation they had managed to garner for themselves had begun to sour, though not a constant, various reports were telling of missions and campaigns having gone wrong due to Marines of their chapter either ignoring established plans to accomplish certain goals, or compromising plans they seemingly had agreed with, right in the middle of an operation, to name some. The worst offender of it all, was the times when during some campaigns, Janus Marine forces had to be subdued by their own Brothers, leading to the fighting force becoming weakened to up to three quarters, and, even rarely, three-fifths. These, of course, worsened with the conspiracies around their Founding, with a small amount outright claiming them to be heretics, resulting in an additional inspection by the Inquisition, still yet finding nothing enough to declare them heretics.

### Macharian Crusade

At one point, the Macharian Crusade had begun, the recapturing of various human worlds once thought lost to the Imperium now being returned to its arms, the sights of the Lord Commander soon looking upon the Halo Zones and all that surrounded it. With it, the Chapter's loyalties were tested. They loved their world, and its culture, and would not see it changed, but they also loved the Imperium, trapped between two worlds, ultimately however, they chose their loyalty to the Imperium. Perhaps to their benefit, however, many companies were simply occupied elsewhere, unable to aid Solar Macharius in his crusade in totality. However, they were still able to supply them with a single company, which would make great friends with another inhabitant near the Halo Zone, the Abators Golden. Unsure, if not outright sceptical of the Chapter, many within the Company were hesitant to be forthcoming with knowledge of their predicament, and wished to keep an arms length to avoid potential issues between the two. Additionally, they were also actively holding back brothers who had unfortunately received more. Troublesome shifts, that would make them a threat to their Cousins, and wished not to involve them. At the behest of the Company Lead, the Abators were instead informed of the flaw that begets them. Those once sceptical now found themselves surprised at the kindness within their Cousins, moved further after seeing just how they operate themselves as well as the promise that they would aid in finding them a cure, ultimately leading many to bear faith and undisputed debt to pay to them.

### Khyatis War

Upon the dawn of the Badab War, the Janus Marines were far too busy to contribute to the effort and were forced to maintain their oversight on other enemies of Man, as well as their own Homeworld and System. At some point, however, their Chapter Master, Alexius Choniates, who was known for his cautious, tactical mind and cool-headedness and was unique in his chapter due to having the largest time gaps between his Shifts, slowly began to be consumed by paranoia by attaining knowledge about the Imperium, whittling away at his faith worsened by the pestering of a Dark God, gave in to his wrath and turned to the side of the Secessionists. Though he gave order to betray the Imperium, around half of the Chapter refused, splitting the Chapter in two, and creating a Civil War that nearly devastated Duplexitas, referred to as the Khyatis War. Without Chapter Master, one among the half that remained needed a replacement, one who would take the mantle.

Edmericus Custwæros, current First Captain of the Chapter would take the responsibility and lead the Janus Marines through this annal of their dark history, doing whatever was needed to spite and deter the rogue Chapter Master. During the first years before any additional aid, the Chapter Loyalists and its citizens began reporting sightings of AAeldarii Aspect Warriors attacking traitor encampments and holdouts, moving too fast for any to successfully and substantially stop this additional bombardment of guerilla warfare. During an assault upon a major city of the Secessionists, as the Loyalists proved desperate to retrieve its ownership, these unlikely allies showed themselves once more, providing Edmericus' forces with the means of taking ground. Reportedly, after this victory, they were supposedly unable to capture them and execute them. Around this time, all reports of their aid ceased.

However the Janus Marines were not alone, as the Loyalists' call for aid was hailed by the Abators Golden Chapter, who came to help in freeing their homeworld from the Tyranny of Alexius which resulted in all the more ferocious, gruesome combat. Once the two Chapter Masters met, their golden allies would be provided with essential information, knowing of their specialization, and a plan was hatched. The Abators, knowing the tied hands of the Janus Marines with simply trying to repel these traitors from loyal cities, with their full 1st Company would teleport inside of the Fortress Monastery, and with their might would allow their forces to take back Numquam. Among this seemingly efficient plan is the matter that the Janus Marines do not have any emplaced teleporter beacons, requiring a man on the inside to even attempt so, a man they do not have. It would by the hands of the Duphoan Guard who would risk their necks to give them such an advantage and infiltrate the labyrinthine halls of Numquam and plant the beacons, posing as loyalists to the Traitors' cause.

When the time came for the Centuria Prima of the Abators to go in, the Chapter Master of the Janus Marines would additionally send with them Terminators from their numbers not just to provide additional fire support but also instructions to allow them unhindered traversal of its interior. Upon arrival they were swift, splitting up to accomplish their dual tasks. A majority of the Abators moved to eliminate Alexius and end things once and for all with a small contingent of vengeful Janus Terminators, coupled with the Abators Chapter Master. In contrast, the rest moved to one of the Fortress' batteries to allow reinforcements to airdrop. However, things would go awry. Coupled together, not only would Choniates give in to the dark temptations of Tzeentch in an attempt to achieve victory and prevent his death, but additionally, would allow the various Kaizersaurs that the Monastery had once been contained loose within its walls. Worse yet, the legions of Traitor Janus Marines still inside would come running to eliminate the intruders, ready to kill without question, with their reinforcements too slow to arrive in time. By the end of it, a small handful managed to survive, extracting from a pad built to allow aerial access, now able to be used, though not for throwing more troops as originally intended.

Ultimately, the Chapter Master of the Abators Golden at this point was among these casualties, one the Janus Marines felt deeply ashamed of, a shame that would become stained upon their honor. They would not sulk in their guilt however, and simply continue their fight, now bolstered by the aid of Abators Golden with fanned, fiery hate for the enemy, the war would last a whole other year, until the arrival of, a noble house from a Knight World, their trusted allies since the Bellrath Crusade, House Lacus, arriving to supply them with dispatching a small number of Knights and Armigers to their aid, all prepared to be the bulwark of this bloody war. With them, and the Traitors lacking of a significant counter, the battles became far easier than they had in the past few years, and inevitably, they were able to begin a full assault on the Traitors. These traitor forces had been significantly weakened in the last year due to both their fighting of a full Company's worth of Terminators and then having to return the Kaizersaurs to the Forbidden Zones with great losses.

The motivations for this however came due to the imminent threat of the Traitors' attempts at beginning the launch of a missile containing what they called "The Greenskin Breaker", which they knew to have disastrous effects on those who were not Orks. With this assault, came the gratifying death of Choniates, who died not at the hands of an army, but from a single Brother, one of no special standing. Reportedly however, the form the Traitorous Chapter Master took, was a daemon of golden armor, an eye at his chest, two pairs of wings at his back, the right a pair of azure, almost angelic wings, and the left, a pair of darkly, blood red demonic wings, though the body has since been cremated. Despite their resolve and their efforts in success, the knowledge of this schism would result in a great punishment upon the Chapter, one they accepted without question, sent upon a Penitent Crusade for many long, arduous years.

### 13th Black Crusade & Onward

When Abaddon had begun his 13th Black Crusade and began attacking Cadia, the Janus Marines, still suffering from their Penitent Crusade, and now reduced to 65 Marines, practically threw themselves at the opportunity to aid the Imperium in such a dire time, though this would come at the great cost of the majority of the Chapter, leaving only it's Master, Edmericus Custwæros, and a handful of Marines to flee as the planet broke. This wound dealt to them by Chaos would only serve to be deepened, leaving a grudge that could not simply be forgotten.

Years later, the Psychic Awakening occurred, causing a sudden surge of Tzeentch Daemons to show their faces within their system, as well as the deaths of many unprepared brothers, though their numbers were still recovering, they still called for aid as they moved to repel the invaders and protect the people from their corrupting visage. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and they were getting increasingly desperate, fearing failure would come to claim them, until their Primaris Reinforcements arrived, bolstering their numbers and giving them the strength to completely remove the Great Conspirator's influence.

Thankfully, a small number were tainted, and those that were had been cleansed, something they took no joy in doing. When the call came, the Janus Marines happily heeded Lord Guilliman's request and stood and remained steadfast and undaunted at what came to beset them.

## Notable Campaigns

* **The Vengeance of Oren'Kel VI (024.M36)**: The first ever recorded after the 4th Company heeded the call of a Feudal World by the name of Oren'Kel VI, being the first to arrive they found only the corpses of those they had come to save, Imperial facilities turned to Ruin. Enraged, the 6th Company scoured the planet for the perpetrators, finding only a World Eaters Warband fighting the remnants of the planetary defenses. Around this time, a couple other Marine chapters arrived to heed the call, such as a fellow Chapter from the 21st Founding, the Sons of Antaeus, as well as the White Scars. When they arrived, many Brothers as well as that of the PDF forces had been slain as the remaining Marines fought against Heretic forces, with the two coming to their aid and repelling the enemy. Informing them of the situation, the two Chapters hunted the remaining Chaos Cultits that persisted on the world, while the Janus Marines moved to evacuate the rest of the civilian populace. When they were assured they were out of danger, a majority of the 4th Company joined their Cousins in exterminating the Heretics, while those that chose to stay behind maintained guarding the people. When all was said and done, the 4th Company came together and returned to the stars. After inspection of the Chapter's forces along with that of the PDF, their deaths were not at the hand of Heretic weaponry, and, in the case of the PDF, were slain from behind.
* **The Age of Apostasy (M36)**: The Janus Marines were among many who voiced their support for Sebastian Thor and opinion on Vandire, resulting in acts that ultimately led to the Janus Marines taking control of their planet's governmental systems, as well as their involvement in aiding in the overthrowing of Vandire from his position.
* **Uludak Slaughter (119.M38)**: The 2nd Company made their way to the distress call from the Feral World Uludak which had requested aid from any who could provide, which had come under siege by the Greenskin Menace, specifically, the Blood Axes. The Janus Marines saw fit to arrive and come to the aid of the populace, seeing fit to end their ally's bloodshed as quickly as possible, enduring hard-fought battle after hard-fought battle, identifying the closest thing an Ork Base of Operations could ever be, and finding however that not only were the Orks just as resilient as they were, but were far more numerous. The Captain of the 2nd Company, Captain Toff Du'ketix, at the time due to an unlucky change of his personality, chose that rather than throw bodies at the problem, instead, they would force their opponents off through the usage of terror tactics. Toff, believing the Orks would not flee from the more simple displays of their dead, instead had the Apothecaries of his Company modify a powerful Hallucinogen to be able to be "Ork Compatible" so to speak, researching any deceased Orks they managed to salvage during the fighting. At the same time, the rest of their army fought them off. When it was reportedly complete, the Captain had then launched into vast quantities of the Greenskin armies. At that point, he and his Brothers waited, waiting for the moment of truth, to see if their efforts had been worth it. Within minutes, many Orks began doing whatever it took to get away with their armies dispersing into giving those on the frontline ample time to begin utilizing their Flamers to full capacity. Spending as much time as needed to ensure not one Ork spore would rise to become another while also ensuring not one drop was wasted. When all was said and done, they entrusted the fate of the world to its citizens, keeping hold of their creation for later usage.
* **Jinnuala's Descent (240.M38)**: The 4th Company had been making way to a Fortress World by the name of Jinnuala to heed their call for aid as they were apparently being sucked into the Eye of Terror itself, which the Marines were unwilling to allow happen. Yet before they could arrive, a Thousand Sons Warband intercepted them and attempted to trap its living cargo in a mental maze, before boarding to either wipe those who were too resistant or convert those who showed much promise. To their surprise, a majority of the Marines were not in an almost comatose-like state, instead, they were very much awake and had been alerted of their presence resulting in battles both out and inside of their ships, the 4th Company trying desperately to end the battle as swiftly as possible knowing the people of Jinnuala are in dire need. Thus with as much strength as they could muster, pushed their enemy as far back as they could, before ejecting the heretics from the airlocks, the Marines left outside knowing to return to the inside of the ship before it returned its course back to the Fortress World. However, the true intentions of the interception were accomplished, and the Lord of Change's eyes had been locked on a new prize to attain. As the Marines arrived, the planet had already begun its descent through the portal into the Realm of Chaos, various imperial ships had already arrived to extract what few people they could, but they were not content, sending an armada of their transports onto the world to extract as many as they could, retaliating against any Daemons that showed their evil faces. Said efforts, however, did not come without cost. Many a battle-brother were lost in these efforts, even more when those who could've evacuated chose not to allow more innocents to do so, around half of the 4th Company staying on World to accomplish this resulting in them being dragged into the Realm of Chaos with the planet, never to be seen again. Even then, however, their efforts were in vain, as the Transports returned, the Inquisition required screening of these evacuees, with a large majority of the innocents their brothers had given their lives for being lost, leaving a sour taste in their mouths, and long would it dissipate from their tongues.
* **Assault on Merjunas (900-902.M41)**: Arriving at the Civilised World of Merjunas, the Janus Marines Second Company fought against the invading threat of the Dire Avengers, Aeldari Aspect Warriors specialized in generalized combat. Though this too, was a ploy they fell for, as their eyes went from the remains of the PDF, to that of the Marines. Their actions derived from a Farseer, they were completely devoted to preventing the terrible future they saw, accomplishing whatever was needed. Simultaneously, the Shifts had begun to push the Second Company into ineffectual and opportunistic plans when most needed, leading to the slow victory of the Aspect Warriors though the Janus Marines would not give such a victory lightly, they were inevitably forced to retreat, both after losing a substantial amount of Brothers as well as with the hope they would likely leave Merjunas alone if they did so. A risk, that rewarded them, as the Dire Avengers left the world around the time they did, though the Company Lead remains suspicious that they had begun extracting before they had done so.
* **Khyatis War (904-910.M41)**: Considered a difficult part of their history, the Khyatis War was a cruel turn of Fate for the Janus Marines, the resentment found in the Janus Marines finally outpouring to the detriment of their own Chapter and Homeworld. Beginning upon the planet, the Chapter Master and their 10 Companies were simply preparing to join the Badab War, until he heard a whisper, the words of a being that, at any other time he would forsake and repel from the planet, yet it spoke to him and promised to provide him information, information about the War itself, and why it started as it did. Upon listening, and learning of what the High Lords did, in his rage, Alexius declared the Imperium their enemy and ordered his Marines to begin a wide array of assaults and attacks against them, yet only half were willing, the other half instead showed immediate hostility, with many of the Duplexitas populace as well as the people within the taking the side of the Loyalists and instead began doing battle with the Marines, calling aid from those who would help them. Those who had, being the Abator Golden Chapter, old friends from during the Macharian Crusade, and the Noble Knight House of Lacus, whom they had met during the Bellrath Crusade. With their aid the war came to a swift end, its finale reached before the Traitor could unleash a terrible bioweapon upon the populace.
* **Fall of Ga'haji (913.M41)**: Spanning across the Galaxy seeking to redeem themselves of their failure, the first to start this process of healing was the 5th Company, arriving to the aid of Hive World Ga'haji which in fact, was a Tomb World, with Necron forces rising from their tombs to wipe away the "parasites". 5th Company acted quickly, first unleashing a volley of artillery fire into them in attempting to weaken their numbers, unfortunately finding their enemy to be unwavering and tenacious, with few missing from their army. Believing a head-on assault to be suicide rather than an effective strategy, the Marines sought to use the environment around them to their advantage, which served them well and allowed them to slow the enemy as their bolter fire rained down. Until their changes arrived, many among them suddenly disregarded their long-range weapons in favor for close range chainsword, many a brother being gunned down, with few able to able to cut down one Necron. Many a Brother as well would flee their current position in attempts to avoid being trapped by enemy fire, while others stood their ground, yet it all would come to an end, as a Tyranid Hive Fleet came to consume the planet, having destroyed the transport ships of civilians and leaving the Marines no chance of escape. Thus, the 5th Company, with no other choice chose instead to fight to the end as the Tyranids slowly began to absorb their bio-mass, leading to the complete wipeout of the 5th Company and the Necron to fend the Tyranids off the world.
* **13th Black Crusade (999.M41)**: Having recently been through their Penitent Crusade and with far reduced numbers the Janus Marines unflinchingly came to the aid of the Cadians, splitting into groups, those who would stay on world and fight alongside them, doing whatever they could to push back and hopefully end the daemons descent, those who would fight the Despoilers fleets in space, and those who would attempt to board them and fight from within. Despite the overwhelming odds, many Brothers fought as hard as possible alongside the Unchanged, even going so far as to take bolter fire or any other sort of incoming damage for their allies, and many a Brother's first descents via Drop Pods were intentionally aimed at Chaos Forces, large vehicles, Daemon engines, etc, ultimately resulting in death regardless of survival, with only half of those making planetfall uniting and fighting with their Brothers, and only a fraction surviving and fleeing as Cadia Falls. Those who boarded, or at least, attempted to board shared a similar fate, either being intercepted and shot down, or being successful and fighting against innumerable odds which resulted in their demise regardless. Even when evacuating, after the onslaught their ships suffered, many were no longer space-faring, or completely destroyed.

## Chapter Homeworld

Duplexitas is a temperate Hive World that, because of minimal Imperial involvement given its placement near the Halo Zone, has grown on its own, raising grand cities among a shining gem within space, though this is an effort that has not been wrought with ease, yet not so far that the Chapter is without supply. The planet itself, though beautiful, is greatly abnormal, due in part to, rather similarly to the Janus Marines themselves, shifts, though in this case relating to both the climate and environments rather than within the psychological. For the most part, these changes seem to do so on a bi-yearly basis, standing either subtle, drastic, and whatever be in-between, but there are patches among these, areas where these changes are rapid occurrences, and can swap from one extreme to the other, one moderate to another, all within a matter of an hour or even half an hour, with the time itself being inconsistent. These places came to be known as the Forbidden Zones, named as such to prevent inhabitants from crossing them, aided by various built-in barriers which surrounded each Zone which had a purpose alongside it. Additionally, due to the Hive City's natural and somewhat significant production of pollution, the planet has slowly begun to be affected, though at a much slower rate due to its abnormality, with that noticed however, many Cities have been making efforts to minimize if not outright remove it. Due to its current locations, there have been mentions of the Chapter needing to protect Duplexitas from the dangers of the Halo Zone, but no recorded events of such occurrences are available.

### Wildlife

Despite the planet's seemingly infrequent and uncertain changes, the wildlife is (somewhat) normal, though still incredibly alien. A large majority of its fauna have adapted to largely nomadic lifestyles, as well as developing a keen "sixth sense" which allows them to identify when significant changes are occurring and where the next suitable place of habitation is. These animals include, but are not limited to:

* **The Duhurdon**: A herbivorous creature whose size stands between a small car, and a large truck, this animal presides in areas that contain grass or leaves and is a common prey animal found in forests or plains. As such, it has evolved hardy leathery skin to help it withstand attacks, as well as tusks near the edges of its mouth along with an offensive hammer-like appendage on its tail, though, due to the frequency of them it is prone to attacking whatever it sees that is not a Duhurdon. That being said, Duhurdons raised in captivity are remarkably affectionate and peaceful.
* **Kirixeph**: A carnivorous hybrid of what appear to be crustacean-like features, along with arachnid features, the Kirixeph, bears a size akin to that of a common housecat and unlike most other species and is known for using its sixth sense to detect coming volcanic activity, to which it buries its eggs somewhere beneath the dirt, before leaving them. When the magma flows over, it warms the eggs for a long enough period that when it finally cools the eggs hatch and dig out into the open wild. The Kirixeph itself is armed with four front-facing clawed appendages which it uses for digging, stabbing, cutting, etc, using them to hunt for small prey such as baby Aviga and Beron of all ages.
* **Aviga**: An avian species found on Duplexitas, Aviga are scavengers born with incredible eyesight and honed senses with a size akin to a large dog, they're also one of the few species that are not inherently hostile and many Aviga roosts, both natural and artificial can be found in certain parts of the Hive Cities even. Despite being scavengers they fly in flocks of around 30 and are also very social creatures, as such, have evolved a powerful alarm system in their voice used to alert the rest of their flock of any predators, which the Order of Duphoan have made use of by stationing Aviga around areas of importance and having them use their voice to alert nearby guards. Additionally, Aviga is equipped with four legs and stomach acids that allow them to consume anything, including bone.
* **Beron**: One of the subterranean species on the planet, Beron are insectivores that have traded sight for their excellent vibration detection. Berons at their oldest are no bigger than a mouse with an appearance akin to that of a worm with scales, additionally there exist various ports around their body, where it releases several tendrils to grab at anything to pull back into their body to devour.
* **Kaizersaur**: A type of creature found exclusively in the Forbidden Zones, the Kaizersaur is a creature that, by all accounts, shouldn't even be able to live inside them and yet it does. The Kaizersaur is a solitary, Omnivorous Apex Predator that can adapt to all sorts of changes and is around the size of a train car, bearing carapace-like armor, fur, multiple appendages as well as spines that protrude from various parts of its body. They are equipped with both flat and sharp teeth and have special poisonous mandibles to help them devour their prey, and though they do not walk in such a way, they are capable of standing completely upright as well as able to knock down a tree in one strike. To make matters worse, they have a natural internal cooling system which allows them to persist in environments of extreme heat, being able to turn it off in environments of extreme cold, surviving those as well due to a layer of blubber found beneath their skin. Equipped with a tail with a row of spines around its side, the Kaizersaur swings this appendage around to grab at its prey to keep hold of them and, of course, these spines on both the tail and around their body have poison to slowly kill the unfortunate prey. Worse yet, these spines can also be launched at a high speed. Being highly aggressive and deemed incredibly dangerous and hostile to the life of the planet, the inhabitants of Duplexitas built a barrier to keep the Kaizersaur's inside.

### Civilization

The Hive Cities of Duplexitas, housing over 5 trillion people in total, are not ruled by either the Imperial Creed, nor the Imperial Truth, ruled instead by their own rules, and their faith, due in part to their isolation. This faith itself corresponds to the ever-shifting climate of the world, believing that it is done so due to the will and power of a singular god which has led to the worship of the Great Evolutio Vitae, and while the only religion that has persisted through time, it is not a dogma that is forced upon others. A large majority of cities within the Hive World are split in two, generally, between the two cultures that sprouted, founded from divisions of poverty and perceived hostility. In an attempt to ease these rising tensions, the Duphoan Order created Gladiatorial Arenas to entertain their people, each Gladiator taken from different social classes and different cities, fighting for the same reason.

#### Phatopians

The Phatonians, named so after the Phatonan Guard, are what the Kinsman Reus refer to as a majority if not outright all of the upper class and the perceived relationship between the two; being that the Phatonan Guard only have recruited from the Phatopians, though this has been debunked by the Duphoan Order showing records contrary to that "fact". These individuals tend to grow near not only their beautiful architecture and are raised by the best of tutors, but are also minimally exposed to the pollutants and sickly elements of their city enough that they do not perish, but just enough that they have somewhat of a resistance. For them however, there is a strong sense of honor between each man and woman, and, despite what the Kinsman would think, a strong sense of individuality and desire for freedom, so much so, upon reaching a certain level of prestige among Phatonan Guard, they will commonly coat one gauntlet or greave in a shackle pattern as to them, chains are a sign to fight harder in the name of their people, with each time they coat another piece of armor into this pattern until all four are coated. As a sign of veterancy, Phatopians a special type of brow armor over their helm which functions similarly to that of the brim of a cap as well as a metal arch that goes over the top of the helm and extends slightly upward.

Relation to the Phatonan Guard aside, Phatopians outside, though not nearly as tough as the Kinsman, the Phatopians are more visionaries, making them excellent scholars, architects and advisors, though when push comes to shove you will never find an ally more stalwart and determined but also loyal in the heat of combat.

#### Kinsman Reus

A naming convention that the Kinsman adopted unto themselves, they are the lower class, as well as the criminals, though most lower class inevitably fall into a life of crime, who live within Duplexitas' Underworld, a filth-driven waste of grime and depravity, one that has managed to dodge the hammer of the Order more times than their star has fallen and risen past the horizon. The name itself comes from a matter of those who perceive themselves as accused of crimes they have not committed, regardless of how true it is. Many Kinsman are fearful of having children, believing that they will fall down the path of criminality they have worsened by the matter that a large portion of children born in Kinsman are commonly exposed to the worst elements of their cities, leading to an 80% death rate. Yet it serves as well to create strong, tenacious offspring who can endure, with the lives they live also giving way to individuals who will not always stand their ground and know when to retreat rather than simply stand and die.

In a phrase, pure experience is their tutor, and they are all well taught. Despite what other Kinsman may lead one to believe, many raised as a Reus develop a strong sense of brotherhood and loyalty, as well as an innate desire for order. Kinsman who find themselves not only as Phatonan Guard but also reach a level of prestige will add a plume to the back of their helm, as well as a layer of facial plating akin to that of a Spartan Helm of Ancient Terra. Upon reaching a certain rank, however, a Kinsman will engrave onto a piece of metal the names of fallen comrades, regardless of being Kinsman or Phatopian, and then meld it onto one of their shoulder pads.

Those who do not become a part of the Guard are likely to become tacticians, crime lords, enforcers, bodyguards, or simple weapon experts, though remember, even if a Kinsman flees from their position, they always find areas with better protection and more ease of aim.

#### Phatonan Guard

The Phatonan Guard are the acting military and police force of Duplexitas and the Duphoan Order, selected from candidates from every city. The military is, as expected, charged with protecting the planet from external threats, additionally, they are also the main guarding force outside of the Forbidden Zone barriers to prevent the Kaizersaurs from exiting. Despite what the Kinsman may say, the Guard, regardless of division, have no bias towards either, their loyalty lying solely in the Order. The armor they wear is loosely reminiscent of that worn by the warriors of the Byzantine Empire from Ancient Terra, which varies depending on division, those serving as Police wear additional layers or heavier amounts of armour, the military having the normal amount or "less" in comparison to the police.

Additionally, when corruption had begun to seep into even the Order, rather than persist in following their orders, many had begun protesting against it while still not neglecting their duties and instead acting on their own intuition. Once it had been removed by the Janus Marines, some that had protested and showed greatness were given positions replacing the corrupted officials. Recruitment of a Phatonan Guard begins at a far younger point in time, picking candidates when they are around the age of ten.

### Chapter's Relationship with Homeworld

When they had first arrived, the Janus Marines maintained a distance from the populace and allowed it to manage itself rather than interfering in what they believed to be a matter they should not be concerned with, though as time went by, their concern for the people rose progressively until the Age of Apostasy, where they ultimately chose to involve themselves with its government after finding various points of corruption that had progressively been infecting each division of the Duphoan Order, maintaining a stern punishment for those that stray from the service of their people of either death or becoming a Servitor. The Chapter since then maintains a strong connection with the Duphoan Order, taking would-be Phatonan Guard candidates to become Aspirants, and those already Phatonan Guard and other Order personnel as Serf, while also sending their more diplomatic Astartes, Librarians, Chaplains, etc to watch over and assist on their political matters, as well as send Brothers to help watch over the Forbidden Zones alongside the Guard. Many of the populace have a well-regarded and deep-seated respect for the Janus Marines, due in part to their constant protection of its people, treating those who remain loyal to order as fellow brothers, and those who would rather sow chaos the same as they would the enemies of Man.

### Fortress-Monastery

The Great Numquam Idem was built by the combined efforts of Duphoan Architects, and the help of Astartes minds, built in an isolated area where no cities are within sight, and where none would dare get close to, its design a mix between that found within the Imperium, and what one finds upon Duplexitas' great Hive Cities, becoming a towering castle of utilitarian yet still ancient design, shared with the various spires that protrude from the various buildings that surround it, many housing a giant dome above their rooves, each connected by a winding path segmented perfectly. Its entrance welcoming visitors with an array of flora collected and planted near, placed at the front of statues representing the Chapter's Heroes, inside a labyrinth of beautifully carved rock and steel, various mosaics placed sporadically envisioning the climax of their many battles, whether successful or not, its winding, almost confusing layout leading into the many faculties it houses, so confusing in fact, many times a Serf is stationed by the Entrance whom will help guide others to their desired destination. The back, however, is but a result of where the Janus Marines chose to place.

The exact location it sits, near the largest Forbidden Zone ever recorded on the world, a purposeful choice, to watch over the Kaizersaur, a decision that allows them to prevent any of those beasts from leaving, but also one that would allow them to observe the creatures and be prepared for any potentially dangerous developments. Where the front of the Monastery is friendly and welcoming though not without the typical Astartes-isms found in others of its ilk, the back is simply brutal efficiency, practical in all senses of the word, with its vision clear as day: Defense. Massive walls and bulks of metal and stone, extending from its side various walls and towers for its overseers to stand atop on. Despite the shifts that occur, it remains as Stalwart as the Marines housed inside, in part due to its foundations being the same as those of the Hive City, a special mixture of materials found on the world and careful placement within the earth it stands upon, but also due to how slow these shifts can be.

## Chapter Organization

The Janus Marines loosely follow the *Codex Astartes*, though they maintain the required numbers such as the 10 Companies and 1000 Marines, they will ultimately bend it either slightly, or greatly depending on the rule itself. Especially so in the case of their Librarians, whom they have far fewer of in comparison to their Cousin Chapters due to the inherent flaws within their Gene-Seed not mixing particularly well with the delicacy of a Psyker's mind, leaving only the strongest of minds to become a member of the Librarius. Those that <b>do</b> become a Librarian, find themselves able to somewhat control and slow the Shifts that beget the brother, and, with training, can even apply that ability to a small number of Brothers lacking in Psychic training. Additional tasks members of the Librarium must take part in is aiding Brother Techmarines when it comes to processes involving a Brother and Machine Spirit, particularly those found within Centurion armor, ensuring that there is no risk of the Brother unintentionally harming or corrupting the Spirit with their unstable minds, as well as researching a cure for the plight that begets the Chapter, with restrictions in place to prevent a Brother Librarian from utilizing more heretical means to acquire a cure.

Another case of this is their squad types, where, unless in the case of vehicles, they do not have sole squads made up of one type of Marine, ie, Assault Squads or Devastator Squads, or even Tactical Squads, and instead have squads that are more diverse, usually having at least one of each type in a Squad, simply naming them "Lascaris Squads", made up of 4 Tactical Marines, 3 Devastators and 3 Assault. In the case of vehicles, they should have the aid of at least two Techmarines, while the rest should be operating the vehicles. In the case of Terminators, or Heavy Squads, they should maintain around 4 Terminators, 4 Devastators, 1 Dreadnought, and 1 Techmarine, though some Heavy Squads instead employ 4 Terminators, 2 Devastators, 2 Centurions, 1 Dreadnought and 1 Techmarine, ultimately dependent on Squad preferences.

When it comes to the Companies of the Chapter, they all maintain a strong level of flexibility but also self-reliance, prepared for whenever they lose contact with their brothers, or, far worse, whenever they hear the loss of their Chapter Master or homeworld, for their survival is ultimately dependent on doing so by oneself, the leaders of each Company acting as their own Chapter Master in a sense. For the Chapter Master himself, however, even he heeds the advice of the Council, a faculty of the Janus Marines whose rank overwrites that of the Chapter Master himself.

Many of the Serfs within the Chapter are taken either from the Phatonan Guard, or from those Aspirants who were unable to complete training, however, rather than just focus on maintaining and operating various vital functions of the Chapter will come to the aid of their Lords whenever failure is no longer an option, though there outliers to this rule. Due to the smaller number of Psykers, additional serfs are sometimes diverted to aid in the efforts of the Librarius. Regardless, many Brothers try to be as appreciative and compassionate to their Serfs as possible, some even extending as far as viewing them as family, though with their condition it, unfortunately, is not something they always maintain.

## Recruitment

The process of finding a Space Marine Aspirant begins with looking through the Duphoan Order's own records of potential recruits, which involves finding the healthiest, strongest, yet also those with mental, emotional, and moral tenacity, however rather than wait for them to get older before beginning training, the process of becoming a Space Marine cannot allow such a thing, due to requiring a young body to minimize organ rejection, though at times the records are not good enough for the recruiter, and instead they will explore the city personally for those that grab his attention rather than wait for the Order to collect the initiate.

After the Aspirants are found, they are taken to the fortress-monastery, spending months being trained with their physical and mental attributes tested daily to the point past exhaustion, until in their final weeks as an Aspirant, first, pairs of them will be selected and forced to duel against each other, thrown out into the wild to battle in the shifting climate. While they are told that anything goes, this is a test of resolution, to see if the Aspirants are willing to kill, the overseers are ready to step in if their opponent is truly about to die. Third, regardless of who succeeds or what occurs, the Aspirants are then thrown out into the nearby Forbidden Zone with no food nor water, only disposable versions of the doctrines of the Chapter, being watched over by one of the higher-ranking Librarians, using their powers to see into their location enough to know exact details to extract them from danger if possible, but not enough that the Aspirant is aware of their presence.

After enough time has passed, the overseers will then have the Librarians mentally contact the Aspirants to come home, with designated coordinates for them to come to, a great majority of the time, pairs or even small groups of Aspirants will come as one unit, few arriving on their own, either losing the group they had joined up with, or maintaining their own isolation. Aspirants who encountered Kaizersaur and escaped alive are considered perfect candidates, though those who not only encountered the creature and managed to kill it, regardless of being in a group or solo, are predicted to be great heroes of the Chapter. Aspirants who are extracted dead, but manage to either protect their doctrines, sacrifice themselves for their initiate group, or even rarer, both, are seen as tragic heroes of their Aspirants and it is common for the overseers to tell the Initiates to follow their example. Those who are extracted due to severe danger are simply relocated at a different time, however, if they are to be extracted again, they are considered failures.

## Chapter Combat Doctrine

As generalists, the Janus Marines subscribe to every style of warfare at the cost of being masters of one, rather than masters of none. For within their Doctrines and even their recruitment of Neophytes, comes the focus on not just versatility, but survivability, the methods to persist and live in a foreign world and those that will allow the Brother to use the environment against his enemies. Due to this adaptability, the Chapter has no preference for battlefield, believing any to perfectly suffice, additionally, though training is still of course needed for certain weapons, they are unafraid of using whatever they find on the battlefield if the situation calls for such an act.

When it comes to weaponry, the Janus Marines typically favor Combi-Weapons or any other weapon that can have different applications.

## Gene-Seed/Genetic Flaw

The Janus Marines are rather unique amongst their Cousin Chapters, in that rather than suffer from any physical flaw within their gene-seed, the flaw found within them is mental, with every Brother suffering from ever-constant changes of their minds, "Shifts" as they call them, which results in constant, random alterations to a Marine's mind, leading to their personality becoming that of what is considered an entirely different individual. This Marine will continue to bear the name of who he once was without any realization that one had occurred. This does not seem to change a Marine's loyalty to both the Imperium and his Chapter as far as anyone knows, but instead can sometimes alter the memories of the Brother, as attested by some of the Chapter's Librarians who delved into the minds of their brothers.

Sometimes, the simple perception of certain memories is replaced, the more subtle changes, and others have outright altered events in their minds. However, there are Shifts that, upon inspecting the Brothers' mind, have no sign of alteration within their memories. Shifts can occasionally cause a Marine pain, as well as leave them staggered due to the mind's need to work through now tangled mental connections. Believed to be related, their Catalepsean Node and Omophagea organs are considered non-functional.

Additionally, for Firstborn crossing the Rubicon Primaris, there is another obstacle in the path of the Janus Marines. During the procedure of transference, a Firstborn Brother will typically find themselves within a void, a desert of indiscernible design, surrounded by an uncountable amount of eyes, all staring directly at the Marine. The Marine, at this point, must search his soul, explore through the vast desert, and find from the eyes around him which is himself, before he was a Marine. When he was just a man, a child. This, of course, does not always lead to success, many Marines, as far as their records have described, have simply died on the table due to finding either the wrong self or simply not finding it in time. Many who do, however, look deep into their soul, past the introspective mind to discover their true self, emerging a newfound Primaris Marine.

## Chapter Beliefs

Those within the Chapter view Humans in rather the opposite lens that many Astartes do, in that normal mortals, and those in general who do not carry their curse are above them, referring to them as the "Unchanged". So much do they believe this that they believe that the needs of their Chapter are TOWARDS humans and their fellow Chapters, and will accomplish nigh anything in the preservation of the life of Unchanged. This does not go so far as they heed the word of an Unchanged more than one of their Officers, but they will always try to at least be a listening ear at the very least, nor does this go so far as to say those officers follow the orders of Unchanged, and they are not so blindly zealous that they can't tell when one is attempting to manipulate them. Though contradictory to this, they are not without resentment nor pride, and many Brothers are left eager and frustrated to prove their position to the Unchanged as fellow stalwart defenders of the Imperium of Man despite their years of service.

Before the Khyatis War, there were many theories as to where their gene-flaw stemmed from, one such theory was what some Marines and Duplexitans referred to as "The Well of Echoes", a dimension or existence that houses pure consciousness, in a sense a cosmic database of one's self, one that they are connected directly to, but one that is flawed resulting in the Shifts in the first place. Alternatively, some believed that the death of the Daemon that was founded and slain on Duplexitas was what brought the flaw upon the Chapter, some believing that it had tampered with their gene-seed.

However, after this dark point of their history, these beliefs supposedly died with the Janus Marine Secessionists. Alongside it however, were other theories, such as a potential connection to the Blood Angels, their Shifts being a mutation of the Black Rage, though there is no confirmation of this relation, diminished by the matter that they also lack the Red Thirst. Another far more common theory as to it's origin relates to a mutation from both the Catalepsean Node and Omophagea organs, warranted by the fact that said organs do not function properly.

## Notable Members

* **Chapter Master Nicephorus Ducas**: The Recent Chapter Master of the Janus Marines, recognized both as the Marine to have chosen to stand in Choniates' place after his betrayal but also as an exalt of combat and even of his own mind. Through haunting revelation, Ducas is commonly recognized for bearing great venom within his voice and very being, having endured through great trials and tribulations across various campaigns his Company had taken part in, withstanding a great many wounds that he would not be content with dying from, with naught but his own unstable mind and powerful Astartes body to get him out. Among his feats included when he was forced to survive alone in enemy territory, lasting for weeks spending what some within the Chapter consider a solo Campaign enacted by him and him alone, when the Chapter returned, their assault was granted the ease of access as he cleared a small segment of the world for his Brother's arrival. Thought to be more savage than noble, Ducas prioritizes brutal efficiency and a strong sense of the survival of the fittest, and yet takes no more that would render him a raving lunatic, only what he believes is necessary. So great was he, Alexius Choniates considered him his right-hand, the two bearing a comradery so great, Choniates, knowing how his friend would react, chose not to bring him along, and Ducas too, when first finding what occurred was in disbelief, and at first was outright in denial, though survival necessitated such things to be cast aside.

* **First Captain Eadric Varus**: Being relatively enigmatic and aloof, those who've served under him do not question his leadership, nor would any seek to challenge his authority, especially those majority whose very lives likely would not have lived without the guiding fire that was he. Tactical and precise, even through the Chapter's persistent gene-flaw, even as his personality, perhaps even memories change, his calm, calculated demeanor is present, always, though this has led to times where rather than when it should disappear, it is instead intensified to an extreme. Despite this, the Chapter's beliefs hold, with Varus never allowing casualties beyond excess, and, if such failure occurs, will first punish the enemy for daring to do such, and, once all is over, punish himself, usually severely. Unless the account is due to the error of another, he will always fall to blaming himself for such transgressions. During the 13th Black Crusade, he sustained terrible injuries though not enough to entomb him, resulting in the necessity of various cybernetic augmentations.

* **Chapter Champion Dunstan Celeriter**: To be a Company Champion is to be a legend, to be the one to confront the enemy in personal combat and inspire the Chapter. Though considering himself short a legend, and viewed rather young for Champion Standards, Dunstan excelled in his trials, having slain a Kaizersaur though not singlehandedly, for his life too was saved by an act of a fellow Neophyte, who died giving him time, time he used wisely to slay the beast. To his credit, this was not by the power of normal mortal hands, but by one blessed with psychic potential, using a fragment of it to help in his task. Enduring the later years and the conditioning to ensure he was trained to handle the gene-flaw of the Janus Marines, so that it did not threaten himself or who would he call his Brothers, he would come out of his induction a Librarian, the tasks of which are those he still does not neglect. One of his more renowned acts was when the last surviving member of his squad, singlehandedly defended Imperial citizens as they ran for the extraction point, with Dunstan utilizing more than just the weapons he was equipped with or his psychic abilities, but everything around him, giving everything he had to ensure the innocents escaped and survived, letting not one opponent escape his sight. When he returned to his brothers to retreat as well, he was found covered in daemonic and traitorous blood, with a small assortment of wounds. Another tale is when he reportedly was challenged to a duel by a Traitor Astartes, who then proceeded to sick a Greater Daemon upon him to attain advantage. Despite this, Dunstan persisted, making use of his psychic prowess along with his martial skill to attain victory, and, short of that, last until reinforcements arrived. When they finally did, all that remained was Dunstan, whose armor was left broken, grievous wounds and unkempt psychic energies fluctuating from him. By the hand of his fellow Librarians was he able to come back from the end, though he recalls a collection of voices calling that it was not yet his time. Upon the 13th Black Crusade, he was among those sent down upon enemy vehicles, surviving along with a fellow Brother whom he would not allow to fall, the two pushing back into allied lines, though his Brother would take the bullet for him, getting in the way of a lethal attack, allowing Dunstan to survive, dragging his body as he would not accept leaving it for the traitors to defile. Dunstan as an individual, or at least a trait that persists past his Shifts, is that of complete neglect and hate for arrogance, never giving a threat he did not believe he could back up, nor a statement he did not believe was utterly true.

* **Chapter Master Leonidas Junal**: The First Chapter Master and led the Chapter through their first Campaign, before dying of unknown causes before the beginning of the Age of Apostasy. Being the first, he is bar none the most normal of his Brothers at least by his time, facing extensive scuffles with heretics and every other abomination home to the Halo Stars that threatened Duplexitas. Always Stalwart, never surrendering, even as he lost arm and leg to an Ork Warboss, almost left for dead if not for his stubborn refusal to die, crawling back to salvation. For himself and all those who he led, they were known as the Unbroken, as each Marine even through their Shifts aspired to be up to his standard of warrior even at death's door.

* **Chapter Master Alexius Choniates**: A forsaken Chapter Master whose caution and tactical mind caused his progressive paranoid downfall into wishing to destroy the Imperium only to be defied by the other half of his Chapter causing the Khyatis War, using a bio-weapon the Chapter had created against civilians. However before this, Choniates was indeed a respected Chapter Master, even in spite of his Founding, known for a tactical sound mind and general caution regardless of the personality that popped up, even going out of his way to support his allies even at his own Chapter's detriment. However various scuffles with the Inquisition as well as general misfortune that beset them by the hand of their allies, usually via perceived betrayal or abandonment had begun to jade the Chapter Master, driving paranoia into him. Likely, this culminated in the Lord of Change being granted the opportunity to slip into his head and whisper promises and worsen these thoughts. Before this, he also enjoyed reading and actively desired to create his own works of fiction.

* **Chaplain Theodosius Antonopoulos**: Having endured a gruesome battle, Theodosius was one of few among his Company to survive a battle against a Chaos Incursion. With such low numbers and no other choice, Theodosius inspired a large sum of the Chapters Serfs to join him and his remaining Brothers to begin a suicide run against the enemy. Knowing the effort to be futile, the Chaplain believed it to be more honourable than simply retreating, as well as believing it to allow the fleeing civilians ample time to escape. Though the Chaplain died with his allies, the stories from the Civilians of his act remain written within the annals of the Chapter.

* **Brother Cassian Theron**: Having fought during the Khyatis War, and some time before then, Cassian Theron was among the many Brothers who opposed Alexius, remaining resolute in doing so, giving no quarter to his heretical brethren. During an assault upon the Fortress Monastery of the Chapter, Cassian was, by sheer luck, able to bypass the defenses though he was unfortunately alone. By simple fate, he encountered the traitorous leader of this movement and began dueling Choniates one on one despite the supposed power gap. And in further spite of it, the Marine was victorious, though not without grievous wounds. In reward of this act, he was firstly entombed into a Dreadnought, but then also promoted to that of an Honor Guard.
* **Veteran Michael "Legion" Gurrod**: The most abnormal member of the Chapter, this Astartes earned his nickname for his peculiar ability to sustain consistency with himself, but also change only when desired, when in melee, he channels the mindset or persona of a swordsman, when in ranged combat, he channels one for a sharpshooter, so and so forth to fit the situation he is in. These do not inherently grant greater skill but rather provide a mindset that itself gives him the edge needed to get even just a smidgen ahead of the enemy, as well as a surprisingly efficient method of swapping back and forth between various methods of combats as required of him. As an individual, Michael is, melancholic. When referring to humans he does not refer to them as the Unchanged as normal per his Chapter, and instead the Astartes Default: "Mortals". Part of this stems from the matter of his status as a Pariah amongst his Legion, which itself is rooted in envy and isolation, it is common for him especially to be found socializing with the Serfs more than any Brother 'less it be for orders or general matters of importance.

## Chapter Fleet

### Orbial Defense Platform

* ***Custos Vigilia*:** The Original Fortress Monastery of the Janus Marines, the Custos Vigilia or Sentinel's Vigil as they referred to it, was emplaced within the planet's gravity well to allow them to be near enough that they could monitor but also defend the planet from external threats. However, the Age of Apostasy forced the Janus Marines hand, building a new Monastery on the planets surface, leaving the original as a basic Defense Platform which stands within Duplexitas' Orbit to this day.

### Battle Barges

* ***Emissarius Junalis***

* ***Labyrinthine Light***

* ***Victoria per Incertitudinem***

### Strike-Cruiser

* ***Kaizersaur's Ambition***: The Flagship of Veteran Company

* ***Aviga's Home***: The Flagship of 2nd Company

* ***Phatonan Spear***: The Flagship of 3rd Company

* ***Fluxus Virtutis***: The Flagship of 4th Company

* ***Pugna Determinativa***: The Flagship of 5th Company

* ***Impavidus Fraternitas***: The Flagship of 6th Company

* ***Invictus Astra***: The Flagship of 7th Company

* ***Vigor Vindex***: The Flagship of 8th Company

* ***Custos Salutis***: The Flagship of 9th Company

* ***Impetus Veritatis***: The Flagship of 10th Company

## Chapter Relics

* ***Blade of Shifting Fates***: Forged with rare alloys found naturally below Duplexitas' crust by the hands of various master blacksmiths made up of both Phatopian and Kinsmen, it is considered by the Duphoan Order and Janus Marines to be a blade without equal, able to survive extreme heat and cold, capable of withstanding great pressure, while not atom sharp, has withstood the test of time. The inherent properties of the blade's materials allow it to change between light and heavy as well as blunt and sharp, though never by the thoughts of who wields it. Very few can use the blade effectively, though usually Psykers, an even smaller minority of brothers have been able to wield the blade. On the sword are engravings that always change into different Duplexitan letters.

* ***Veil of Facades***: This special Psychic Hood helps to amplify the psychic abilities of a Janus Marine librarian, allowing them to increase the number of Marines the Librarian can apply the Clarity upon, as well as place the Shifts that plague the Chapter upon their enemies, additionally, the Librarian can then create illusions that prey upon the weaknesses of the individual personalities that the Shifts create.

* ***Bastion of Scales***: An augmented Storm Shield, its appearance reminiscent of a mixture of a Heater Shield and Tower Shield. Much like the Shifting Fates, this shield too has endured many battles, more than it likely should have, having even seen through the end of the Havot War. Those who carry it find themselves commonly unmoved by whatever is thrown upon them so long as they put the shield between them and what arrives to deter them.

* ***Duphoan Honor Stash***: Commissioned by the Janus Marines to create a piece of fabric to be worn solely by one of their most elite and loyal Marines. The sash has various symbols and letters exclusive to those found in Duplexitas' cities, each one depicted used by either a Phatopian, Kinsman, Duphoan, or the Janus Marines themselves. The banner was made right before the Khyatis War had begun, where its wearer was not the corrupt Chapter Master Choniates who chose to defy the Imperium, nor the one who rose in their place to resist them, but instead a normal Battle Brother. Upon his chassis, the sash had endured along with him, until his arrival to face his Chapter Master with Psyker aid. With the help, and motivation of the Sash, the Battle-Brother successfully ended the life of Choniates, being promoted to lead Honor Guard, a position the Sash has remained alongside.

* ***Banner of Duplexitan Destiny***: Another Commission of the Janus Marines, this banners fabrics include depictions of a shield-shaped view, showing a Janus Marine and Duphoan Guard side by side, raising a singular blade atop a Kaizersaur corpse, as a Duplexitas city stands behind the Guard, and a forest stands behind the Marine. The parts outside where the shield is are decorated with specially designed patterns that change depending on the angle, along with a simple phrase, separated by the top and bottom of the shield, reading: "For the Unchanged - We are Immortal!"

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colors

The average Janus Marine wears armor that is primarily distributed around various parts of it, extending to the backpack as well as the crotch-plate, with golden trimming separating a majority of these colors, as well as on the kneepads. Their optical lenses are a similar coloring as the trimming.

### Chapter Badge

The Janus Marines Chapter badge consists of a single eye with two pairs of wings on each side with a black doorway replacing the eye's pupil. On the right side of the eye is a pair of angel wings, colored light red, and on the left side a pair of demonic wings, colored a dark blue.

## Relations

### Allies

* **Abators Golden**: While the Janus Marines maintain suspicion over the Imperial Creed, the combined factors of being, in their eyes, neighbors, as well as their methods and views on serving Mankind, along with the matter of their provided aid during the Khyatis War, a war that many within both the Chapter and Homeworld see as their darkest hour, the Janus Marines greatly respect the Abators, with some outright feeling indebted to them. This nigh-admiration of them has made it so if the Abators are ever in need, the Janus Marines will try their damndest to provide as much assistance as possible, as they did them. Regardless of whether there is some jealousy within the darkest depths of their persons or sincere admiration, there is an unspoken respect they have for their golden neighbors.

### By the Janus Marines

"*It is hard to forget, even if they were heretics. To fight those you had once viewed as Brothers, and vice versa. To then find your hands stained with their blood, a persistent taint that does not easily wash from your hands. When I finally found myself fighting against the mastermind behind all of this, I felt relief and a resolve I had never known. Even in success, I felt a longing, a wish, one I can never meet. I knew I was again trapped within the Labyrinth, even now I struggle to find the exit, and I doubt I ever will.*"
—Venerable Dreadnought Cassius Theron recalling the Havot War
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### About the Janus Marines

 White Scars Successors
 Space Wolves Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage

[Source]

 White Scars Successors
 Space Wolves Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage
 Renegades

[Source]