Death Knights

**This article, Death Knights, was written by Emperors Potato, Lord of Dawi and Spuds. It may be linked to any page without asking for the author's permission.**

## Death Knights

The Symbol is a old Medieval knights helmet with red eyes and two twisted spears behind it

(To be added)

## Chaos Warband

### **Colours**

The color scheme is a dark blue tinged black with a trim made of a bright blue with a darkened ice color

"*Now, that wasn't very civilized, was it? I am afraid some don't deserve our nobility...and thus deserve no remorse*"
— Voltaire, after blasting a Ork's head off
The **Death Knights** are a formerly loyalist, now turned traitor chaotic warband. Once known as the Chevaliers, they turned to chaos when half the captain saw terrible visions of chaos, starting a civil war for the chapter that they won. After this war they accepted their fate as Chaotic warriors. Their former knightly honor was twisted into a dark reflection of its former self, and in their minds they still fight for civilization, seeing the Imperium as a rotting corpse and Chaos the coming evolution of civilization. They chose the name Death Knights, and left Monchesto behind to bring about the new order throughout the galaxy. With noble class befitting of their station, of course.

## Notable Campaigns

* **The Civil War (740.M41-747.M41)** - A painful war was to break out within the Chevaliers. Second captain Voltaire saw terrible visions, visions of Chaos that he claimed enlightened him. He shared these visions with his closest friends, including the fifth and third captains. And they too were corrupted. Dark visions and corruption spread through the chapter. Then, chaos attacked. Word Bearers. Foolishly Chapter Master Herian sent Voltaire to lead the charge against the ship of the Word Bearers with his men. They won, but it is said that Voltaire conversed with the word bearers leader. And when he came back he had a resolve. Heresy was his goal. He declared a war for the chapter, the corrupted marines had only increased and the Loyal marines had been severely depleted by the word bearers. And so the chaos marines had the advantage, fully declaring their allegiance to the dark gods as they fought, tearing apart there own world with the thunder of guns and the stomps of giants. The world became more and more ruined as the battle continued, the war between brothers turned it into a wasteland where once it had been a desert. The fury of both sides was unimaginable and as paradise was now a death world, the final battle took place at the Fortress Monastery. Morgha. The chaotic marines blasted open its walls, knowing its weak points, and Voltaire sook out Herian. Herian met him in combat amongst a battle between the last of both sides marines. But, though he held his own against Voltaire, a stray shot knocked him off his balance, and open to attack. He was slain by Voltaire's blade. Voltaire let out a yell, and the loyalist were defeated or converted. He declared them Chevaliers no more, now they were the Death Knights. They captured the Insanire and left the world, seeking for a way to start their new life as Chaotic Renegades.

* **The Black Legion (747.M41-800.M41)** - The Insanire traveled through the void, escaping far from the Sanctus sector, arriving elsewhere. As they arrived in this near system, a weak system of Imperials colonies. Then, they were attacked. A Space Marine chapter of Salamanders attacked the damaged Insanire, and it was all they could do to defend the Insanire. Voltaire led the charge against the Salamanders to defend the ship from the attack. But, they appeared to be losing as the Salamander fire began taking more and more of the ship. Then, the black legion arrived. Led by a Chaos Lord named Kalior Kallak they attacked the Salamanders ship, allowing the Salamanders to be purged from the Insanire. When all of the Salamander foes had been defeated the Death Knights and Black Legion looked to each other. The Death Knights respected them, and Kalior told them that they were preparing for a new black crusade. Voltaire decided that his men would join this black crusade when it came about. But, the two warbands could not meet without conflict. Voltaire invited Kalior to a feast. Kalior begrudgingly excepted, telling his armies to attack the Death Knights on his signal. As he spoke with Voltaire, a knife shot through his throat from behind. Voltaire had ordered his assassination. With Kalior dead the death knights turned on the Black Legion warband and crushed them, absorbing all who surrendered to them, growing their power.

## Chapter Homeworld

The former Homeworld of the Deathknights was Monchesto, a planet on the far edge of the Sanctus System. It was severely damaged in the war that turned the Chevaliers into the Deathknights, as the fury of the civil war of the marines tore it apart. It was once a world reminiscent of Europe of old, dark green forests with castles towering over it, its feudal population ruled over by the Chevaliers. Much of the Chevaliers, and thus the Deathknights culture are based off of this feudal society that they once recruited from. This society of course was mostly destroyed. At the end of the civil war, the Deathnknights loaded up onto what remained of the Chapters fleet and left to cause honorable mayhem elsewhere, thus leaving the rotting corpse of Mochesto behind. The rotting castles and broken fortress monastery still sit on what was once Monchesto, remembering better days,

## Capital Ship

***The Insanire*** - The Insanire is the last remnant of the chapters fleet and the only ship held by the Death Knights, a large battle barge with chaotic weaponry. This battle barge transports them everywhere and is their sole ship, for even when presented with the opportunity to take a new one Voltaire demands not to, as in his own words he would rather not "Split up the Party." The Insanire is more then just a battle barge now, the blessings of chaos make it seem alive, and walking down its hallways some swear they can hear heavy breathing and gurgling noises. In fact, the bottom seems to have a leathery covering like flesh.

## Chapter Organization

Organization is simple. Voltaire has a council of his favorites. Though all they need to lead is Voltaire, he will sometimes use the advice of his council to make decisions. Though sometimes he will leave the council alone to govern the lesser things in the warband. To be on the council of Voltaire one must be a good warrior and master of strategy. This makes it to so the greatest men of the warband are those who help decide is fate and take seatson the council of which there are no set numbers. Voltaire of course will make a majority of decisions, but he is careful to appease his warbands greatest. What better way to stop rebellion then to make them think they have a place of power that they need you to posses? And so Voltaire uses his council for both strategy, and appeasing the many men of his warband that could possibly turn away from his leadership.

## Notable Members

**Lord Voltaire Mortimont** - Voltaire, leader of the Warband is a strange figure. He embodies the warbands ideas of "nobility" and civility. In his own words, those in a position of power must show class and nobility. His version of this however, is such things as stabbing someone through the heart instead of simply torturing them like another chaos marine may do. It is he who brought to chapter the idea that the Imperium was failing, and that Chaos was the heir of civilization. He was formerly the second company captain, until the Rebellion, in which he led the charge against his former brothers who remained loyal to their emperor. He is cruel, with a wicked smile, but hides it behind a guise of nobility.

## Warband Culture

They had, and still maintain a knightly and noble culture due to the feudal world it recruited from. Honor coursed through the Chevaliers until they were touched by chaos, and madness gave a violent edge to honor. After the civil war, they all upkept the standards of chivalry, honor and being "civilized." But that doesn't work to well when influenced by the dark grasp of chaos. They would pretend to be chivalrous up front, then thrust a dagger into your back when your not looking, and blame it on someone else. However, they do not see any reason to torture their foes or be unnecessarily cruel. They make deaths quick, and painless, the apex of their "honor."

## Warband Belief

They believe in Chaos and that it is the future of civilization, and enjoy its blessings. However the hearts of some of the higher ranking members of the warband simply see chaos as means to a end. Whatever the case if some other society or force proved itself worthy of them believing it the future of civilization they would quickly betray chaos, no matter the cost. The warband, especially its higher ranking members such as Voltaire himself delude themselves into thinking that they have survived through no great blessing of chaos and on their own merits. It is wrong, without the hand of chaos they would most certainly not pillage the galaxy still.

## Warband Gene-Seed

The gene-seed has always been mutated. The chapter of which they succeed is unknown, lost to the darkness of the Imperium's bureaucracy, but deformities were commonalities in their days of loyalty. In fact Voltaire himself is said to have one, but what exactly it is is unknown. It is theorized by the wise in the warband, or simply those with not much else to do that the mutations were a early sign of the blessing of chaos and a omen for the chapters fate. Mutations are now celebrated when once they were scorned, and having such things as a third eye or a arm with no skin is now hailed as a mark of chaos, and of the dark gods favor.

## Warband Relics

* ***Bloody Helmet*** - The bloody helmet is a power armor helmet of a strange design not seen any where else. It looks somewhat like a mark 4 helmet but is smoother with jagged edges, and looks twisted. The helmet, of unknown origin aside from being found by Voltaire, its known to give its user the "gift of sight." It is unknown exactly what they see but after wearing this helmet ramblings and madness can follow, along with the former bearer going on about his newfound enlightenment. Voltaire just smiles every time this occurs. But it is a good helmet in combat, near unbreakable by missile or blade, and the visions don't usually happen until after the next battle. Voltaire seems to be the only one who can be "Enlightened" by it without losing his mind.

* ***The Bloodspike*** - The bloodspike is a daemon possessed blade. It is unique, instead of a typical longsword or other design, it is a duelist rapier. The daemon locked inside of it lust for one thing. Duels. It eagerly urges on the wielder to go prove himself in tests of might, ritual combat, battlefield duels and stain the blade with blood of greater and greater foes. This inevitably gets the wielder killed, sometimes by the Bloodspike itself, which amuses the daemon within. However, its current wielder has proved quite resilient. Gorios Bloodcrest. He has used it for a long time now, tempering the daemons urges and wining every duel. This pleases the Daemon, or at least it appears to. Though, it is undoubtable that the daemon would like the taste of his blood.

### Enemies

* **Red Crusaders**

* **Orks**

## Notable Quotes

### By the Death Knights

"*Be my guest. Sever me. Or, show some class, and stand still while I execute you...*"
—Lord Voltaire to a frightened guardsmen in the Battle of Starthur
### About the Death Knights

"*How deluded must you be to find chivalry where there is none? To find honor in slaughter? To find nobility in thinking you are superior to all around you? To twist the codes of honor to your own liking? Truly, this is the warband of fools, and will be purged as such.*"
—Mortigar, Chaplain of the Red Crusaders, writing in his book "Of The Mind of a Traitor"

 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]

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

[Source]