Grey Orphans

Grey Orphans armorial. Note: Lack of Chapter iconography.

Grey Orphans Evocatus (Tactical Marine).

### **Specialty**

Shock Assault, Armoured Warfare, Planetary Interdiction Campaigns, Multi-Vector & Sub-Orbital Attack

### **Battle cry**

"Never bent, never broken, never subdued, never!"

### **Colours**

The entire armour is grey except for the shoulders trim that are black

### Successor Chapter(s)

Unknown

The **Grey Orphans** are a Loyalist, non-*Codex* compliant Space Marine Chapter of unknown lineage, founded in 945.M36 during the 21st Founding, also known as the "Cursed Founding". They were explicitly created to protect the Segmentum Tempestus from the continuous raids and uprising of Chaos Cultists. They are a Chapter of Space Marines that differs completely from the precepts of the *Codex Astartes*.

## Chapter History

### The Fall (945.M36-071.M37)

The origins of the chapter are shrouded in mystery, but extant reports show the Chapter began to first appear in official Imperial records only from 071.M37, onwards, when their flagship, the *Vox Imperatoris*, crashed on the desert planet Tarchon. What emerged were the remains of what was once the Chapter of the Gray Orphans: the 1st and 2nd Companies were completely annihilated, while the others suffered serious losses. In the meantime, the 10th Company was declared missing. Unable to leave the planet, the survivors decided to settle on the planet and rebuild the chapter. They established contacts with the primitive tribes of the planet, the natives, welcomed the Emperor's champions as gods and converted to the creed of the Imperium.

After purifying the planet from the plague of mutants, they created their fortress-monastery around the wreck of the *Vox Imperatoris* and began recruiting new Space Marines.

### The Return of the Lost (153.M37)

Several years after the crash of the *Vox Imperatoris* another Imperium ship crossed the Tarchon sky landing near the chapter monastery fortress, it was the 10th Company, missing since the days of the Fall. The space marines that emerged presented horrible mutations: bony outgrowths came out of the armor and horribly disfigured what were once the champions of humanity.

The initial distrust of mutated space marines was overcome when the captain of the 3rd Company welcomed them into the Battle-Barge as long-lost brothers. Inside the fortress the survivors of the 10th Company told of the horrific events they suffered when their ship remained at the mercy of the warp.

### The Conflictus Sempiterno (340.M37-999.M41)

Having succeeded in re-establishing contact with the Imperium and having received new ships, the Gray Orphans could begin the mission for which they were created: the elimination of the heretics in the sector. During a battle against a band of cultists, Chaos Space Marines were spotted with the effigies of the 1st and 2nd Companies of the Gray Orphans. Once it was established that they were in fact survivors devoted to the chaos of the lost companies, the anger took hold of the loyalist Space Marines that pursued the treacherous brothers, regardless of the losses. The traitors fled to the warp leaving the Gray Orphans prey to their anger. Since then, the 10th Company began research to look for renegades, considered to be responsible for their mutations.

### Mens Alveo (999.M41)

Simultaneously with the struggle against the Forces of Chaos, in the Segmentum Tempestus, another threat was revealed: the extra-galactic predators known as Tyranids. A tentacle of the Hydra bio-flotilla threatened the Tarchon System. To address the new threat, all available companies and the newly formed Tarchonian Astra Militarum Regiments were deployed. The defences were deployed on Tarchon and its moons to counteract the alien monstrosities, the Planetary Defense Forces resisted the first waves, but the overwhelming number of the Tyranids forced the gray orphans and imperial soldiers to retreat. On Tarchon Primus the 2nd and the 7th Companies saw the number of their own troops reduced in an alarming way. On Tarchon Secundus the 5th Company and several companies of the Tarchoniana Guard were completely exterminated leaving the Tyranid forces to consume Tarchon's moon. Only the timely intervention of a contingent from the ongoing Indomitus Crusade which brought newly revealed Primaris Space Marines to bolster the Chapter's sorely depleted ranks, were they able to save the destiny of the sorely depleted Chapter and the entire system.

## Chapter Homeworld

The native world of the Gray Orphans is Tarchon, a medium-sized desert planet around which two moons orbit. The populations of the planet were originally united in 14 tribes, two of which were destroyed by the mutants long before the Fall.

### Citadel of the Tribes

Around the place of the crash of the Vox Imperatoris the leaders of the 12 tribes gathered, marching under the banner of the gray orphans, marched against the mutants and exterminated them. After the victory the celebrations lasted for several days and it was decided to build a fortified citadel around the precipitated ship, it had to represent the rock against which the assaults of the enemies of the Imperium would have run aground.

## Chapter Organisation

The Grey Orphans do not strictly follow the *Codex Astartes*, and instead, have their own structure and ranks.

### Concilium Bellicus

* **Primus Pilus (Chapter Master)**
* **Princeps (Captain)**
* **Hastatus (Lieutenant)**

### Specialist Ranks

* **Imperatoris Immaginifer (Standard Bearer)**

#### Concilium Artificis

* **Demiurgus (Master of the Forge)**
* **Faber Ferrarius (Techmarines)**

#### Concilium Magister

* **Magister Maximus (Master of Sanctity)**
* **Magister Prior (Chaplain)**

### Line Ranks

* **Tribunus (Sergeant)**
* **Evocatus (Battle-Brother)**

## Chapter Recruitment

Each of the 12 tribes sends its champions once a year to fight for the honor of becoming a Space Marine. The fighting lasts until one of the two contenders suffers a wound, the winners of the duel are taken inside the Vox Imperatoris where the new organs are implanted. Once the transformation is completed, the neophytes are placed in the scout companies where, to finish their training, they must forge their own sword and give it a name.

## Gene-Seed

### Notable Deficiencies

* **Oolitic Secretions**-The organ malfunction is responsible for the gray color of the skin

## Chapter Combat Doctrine

The Grey Orphans are oriented towards hand-to-hand combat. In battle, land raiders are deployed in the front line with devastator teams and tactical teams on board, while assault teams operate hit and run attacks on the sides of the enemy deployment.

## Chapter Fleet

* ***Vox Imperatoris*** (Battle Barge) [Crashed]
* ***Gladius Veritatis*** (Battle Barge)
* ***Vigilante Perpetua*** (Battle Barge)
* ***Venator Infernum***(Strike Cruiser)
* ***Exitium Sphaeram***(Strike Cruiser)

## Notable Quotes

### About the Grey Orphans

''Feel free to add your own''

"*I do not care about the founding, our brothers in the Grey Orphans have served nobliy for decades and they are welcome in our halls*"
— 6th Captain, Battle-Brother Darragh of the Emerald Spears

 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

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