Grey Gorgons

Armorial of the Grey Gorgons Chapter.

Grey Gorgons Battle-Brother of the 5th Company, 2nd Tactical Squad (Battleline)

### **Specialty**

Heavy Infantry Assault, Attritional Warfare, Armoured Assault, Planetary Decimation, Attrition & Retribution Campaigns

### **Number of Marines**

Unknown (Currently)
1,000 (Formerly)

## Pre-Heresy

### **Pre-Heresy Colours**

Grey & Blue

"*You cursed my soul, my mind is dead..
Eyes like a weapon, snakes on my head..
A priestess I was, honoured by worship and feast..
Now I'm banned to live the life of a beast.*"
— From the ancient Algolian myth, *The Gorgon*
The **Grey Gorgons** are a formerly Loyalist Success Chapter created from the genetic heritage of the stoic and unforgiving Iron Hands. Created sometime late-M40 during the 25th 'Bastion' Founding, from the outset, the Grey Gorgons proved to be a dedicated and zealous Chapter, eager to prove themselves to their elder Adeptus Astartes brethren and the wider Imperium. For over thousand years, the Grey Gorgons carved their own legends in the annals of the Imperium's history, winning several notable victories and taken part in numerous campaigns and Imperial Crusades.

Unfortunately, their meteoric rise of this once-heroic Chapter came to a crashing halt when they became corrupted by the insidious influence of Chaos sometime in the early 900s-M41, during their participation in the Centurion War. Following their fall to the Ruinous Powers, the once-loyalist Chapter began to worship the minor Chaos God, Charon and to a lesser extent, Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. As a result the Grey Gorgons Chapter, now renamed the Ninefold Acolytes, found themselves declared *Excommunicate Traitoris* by the High Lords of Terra. But not all hope was lost as Lord Tikan, the former Chapter Master of the Grey Gorgons Chapter, disappeared sometime in 800.M41, having become aware of the burgeoning Chaotic-taint within his Chapter. He willingly went into exile alongside several dozen loyalist battle-brothers from the various companies aboard their Chapter's flagship. It is Lord Tikan's hope to restore the honour of the Grey Gorgons and eventually destroy their former, erstwhile brethren, redeeming themselves and hopefully earning the Emperor's forgiveness.

## Chapter History

The Grey Gorgon's origins lie in late M40, when they were created during the 25th Founding, the so-called 'Bastion Founding', by the order of the High Lords of Terra. At their Founding, they were granted fiefdom over the strategically important world of Algol and the planets within the surrounding Sarpedon System. Created as they were from gene-seed sourced from Iron Hands stock, their initial command and training structure was composed of honoured warriors drawn from several Iron Hands Successor Chapter. The Grey Gorgons quickly established themselves as a rising star amongst their fellow recently founded Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. Just as they were honourable to their allies, they were implacable to their enemies. Unknown to the Grey Gorgons, the seed of Chaos had been planted within their ranks, and soon, corruption began to spread amongst the Chapter's battle-brothers. This corruption would germinate and eventually reach it's full fruition during the conflict that would come to be known as the Centurion War.

### Centurion War

The Grey Gorgons fall from grace had already begun several decades earlier, but during the height of the Imperial campaign known as the Centurion War, the Chapter's ruination would become complete. This major Imperial campaign was fought in 931-954.41, to reclaim the Centurion Cluster from secessionist Adeptus Mechanicus forces and their allies. The secessionist forces were led by the fallen Fabricator-General Attila, the master of the massive Forge World of Iterium VI. In his goal of creating his own empire he persuaded the Fabricator-Generals of six other Forge Worlds to unite under his command and cede from the Imperium.

Knowing he would not be allowed to go peacefully he set about creating an army to do his bidding, using the power of seen Forge Worlds he set about creating an army that he believed would be enough to break away, to this end he also used the long standing ties of his world to the vaunted Knights of Guilliman Astartes Chapter and to the Grey Gorgons to convince them that his goals were honest and during the coming war these two Chapters would commit themselves fully to Atilla and his plan much to the ruin of them both.

Allied to these formidable forces was the Atilla Legion, an army 17 million-strong, created from the PDF and Imperial Guard regiments in the Cluster along with millions of poorly trained but very well-equipped Imperial militia units from the worlds of the Cluster. The Elite Atilla Legion units that were encountered in the final twp years were equipped with a lighter type of Power Armour similar to that worn by some Inquisitors as well as with Boltguns. Further strength was added from the massed Skitarii Regiments of the Forge Worlds along with Titans and Knights based there. Against virtually any foe this Army would sweep all before them but Atilla knew that the Imperium would commit vast forces to retake these important worlds but he was set on his path and plunged his worlds into war. The Imperium did as expected and in 931.M41, an Imperial Retribution force arrived to begin the War that was to last 23 years and claim more than a billion lives.

The Grey Gorgons and Knights of Guilliman were always at the forefront of the fighting but by 940.M41 the Knights had tired of the constant war and retired to their homeworld, only to be nearly destroyed by the Flesh Rippers. The Grey Gorgons for their part had no such qualms, as many were already disenchanted by the Imperium and revelled in their newfound freedom. They committed scores of atrocities as they slowly but surely fell to Chaos. With each passing week the pull of Chaos became greater and greater and by 935.M41, the Gorgons had fallen completely and allied themselves to the Daemon Prince Charon and his God Tzeentch, but they kept their new allegiance a secret, particularly from the Knights of Guilliman who they knew would never follow them after turning to Chaos. Having fallen, the newly renamed Ninefold Acolytes were in time able to fully corrupt Attila and his subordinates by 940.M41. The war which started as rebellion became a full-fledged Chaos incursion as Traitors from all over the Galaxy flocked to this new conflict, including followers of three of the main Chaos Gods. Only Slaanesh would not commit to the War. With the support of the Chaos Gods, various Daemons and cults became a major part of the Atilla Legion along with Chaos Marines from several warbands. Charon himself was able to manifest during the final battle on Iterium VI where he created havoc before being banished by the Grey Knights.

The armies of Atilla were eventually pushed back to the Forge World Iterium VI and defeated but the cost was high and Atilla and the other forces, including the remnants of the Bringers, were able to escape into the Maelstrom, where they continue to raid the Imperium to this day, who had paid a heavy price for victory.

## Notable Grey Gorgons

* **Lord Tikan** - Former Chapter Master of the Grey Gorgons Chapter, he disappeared sometime in 800.M41. There have been whispers that he noticed the growing corruption within his Chapter and that he willingly went into exile along with dozens of his men rather than be a part of it. Rumours abounded that during the Centurion War he fought against his former brothers. There were numerous sightings of unknown Astartes wearing plain slate-grey armour present during the final battles of this conflict, but whether they were Tikan and his loyalist brothers, is unknown at present.
* **Lord Thanatos** - Thanatos was once a loyal servant of the God-Emperor and the former Epistolary of the Grey Gorgons who was said to so powerful that he was considered to one day become the Chapters Chief Librarian. Assigned to the 9th Company, he was believed to have fallen to Chaos during the Centurion War. However, unknown to any outside the Chapter, Thanatos was long dead - killed over a hundred years before the outbreak of the Centurion War. His place was usurped by Sobek, a member of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, and a sorcerer of immense power. Sobek fought during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy and later survived the Rubric of Ahriman. For the next ten thousand years he has continued to serve both Tzeentch and Chaos. Whether he chose the Grey Gorgons to corrupt, or if they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time is unknown, but for over a hundred years he slowly corrupted the Chapter and may have orchestrated the war itself. Following the end of the war he led his new followers into the Maelstrom.
* **Champion Lucius** - Lucius was once the Senior Sergeant in the Grey Gorgons 9th Company before his fall and is now a mighty Chaos Lord and Thanatos's most loyal servant. Although, like Thanatos, he is in fact an imposter. Who he was before the war and what Legion he hailed from is unknown.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Grey Gorgons, like their namesake, bear storm cloud grey power armour with the exception of both shoulder pauldrons and the left poleyn (knee guard) which are blue in colour. A white coloured squad specialist symbol stenciled on the right shoulder pauldron indicates an individual battle-brother's squad specialty (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran). A white roman numeral on the inset indicates squad assignment. A white roman numeral stenciled on the left poleyn indicates company assignment.

### Chapter Badge

The Grey Gorgons Chapter badge is a stylised grey skull with snakes of the same colour for hair coming out of the top of it, reminiscent of the ancient Greek monster of legend - the gorgon - whose hideous appearance was so terrible, that those who gazed upon it, would turn to stone. The name gorgon is derived from the ancient Grecian word gorgós, which means "dreadful". This image is centred on a field of blue.

## Relations

### About the Grey Gorgons

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]