The Grims

The Grims are an 8th founding chapter of chimeric gene-seed. They hail from both the Thousand Sons and Space Wolves, a mix that is as profane as it is profound.

## Origins

Their origins are unknown but legend has it that the chapter was established by a secret plot to produce useful soldiers from the traitorous gene-seed of those who had fallen to chaos. The idea was, supposedly, to use their greatest rival to “quell the chaos” in them. In this respect they chose the Space Wolves gene-seed to temper the Thousand Sons gene-seed so they would not be corrupt.

Their origin is unknown because of how heretical it would be if anyone found out about it. Details have been obscured, fabricated, redacted, or outright deleted.

## Nature

The Grims are a complex chapter but not a large one. They number only two companies and are banished to the outer void below the galactic plane. They battle unknown xenos threats far before they ever see Imperial space. Because of their position, in recent years, they have been in regular conflict with elements of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

They are a very superstitious, grim, self-hating chapter who focus on self abasement and “absolving themselves of sin”. They believe the “sorcerous taint” of the Thousand Sons can be “fed to the great black dog” in their spirit. They wear spiked collars to remind themselves that they’re dogs on a leash but fight with all the furious tools of their profane side too. These collars have spikes not just on the outside but the inside too and they regularly flagellate themselves to “beat the sin” out of themselves. Despite this they are a passionate chapter with strong believes, a very competitive nature, and overwhelming need to prove themselves (to each other and the Imperium at large).

### Curse of the Wulfen

The Grim suffer from the Curse of the Wulfen, though as they also suffer the horrific mutations of Magnus the Red’s genetics, they almost always devolve into some kind of chaos daemon. Those few who can hold it together become fell beasts of power, with horrific red eyes, large fangs, and bits of black hair sprouting from their body.

## Physical Appearance

The Grims are plagued by mutations due to their sorcerous heritage and many are slaughtered for their impurity, hence their small number. Even those of acceptable levels of purity aren’t always pretty. Add that to the tortuous nature of the Canis Helix from their Space Wolf ancestry and few survive the process of becoming a Grim. Those who do are pale of skin, dark of temper, and unlovely in appearance. They always wear their helmets when around others as not to scare them or give a hint of their true heritage.

## Armor

The armor of a Grim is traditionally black and red. They cover their armor in symbols meant to ward off evil spirits. The 2nd company wears dark blue armor (in lieu of black) to differentiate themselves. When they were still in existence the 3rd company wore a lighter black armor color. Pelts are worn as capes by veterans of the chapter as a sign of seniority and skill. A Grim will be tasked with killing the creature they wear the pelt of in ritual combat.

## Black Dogs

The chapter maintains a lineage of cyber-mastiff kill-dogs who accompany them onto the battlefield. All marines raise one while training as scouts to teach them compassion and the value of life, something they fear they might be missing due to their taint. There are many superstitions about them and foremost among them are that the black dogs “eat” the sins of their master and sort of absorb negative effects on them. It’s unclear if this is true or if the presence of a loyal cyber-mastiff at their side makes them more resistant to Chaos through some psychological effect. These eerie kill-dogs are large, black, and have glowing red eyes. They are more biological than those used by the Adeptus Arbites and have genetic tampering to make them essentially canine supersoldiers. It is said they can “smell sin” a mile away and have a special hatred for the stench of Chaos.

## Psykers

Just about every member of the chapter is a psyker to one degree or another, though most are simply gifted rather than able to manifest true powers. However, all but the chapter's librarians employ anti-psyker bracers known as “Barghest Bracers” that suppress their psychic power and offer them some limited resistance to psychic attacks.

## Notable Campaigns

**The Sige of Betchworth Castle:** A rogue imperial breakaway state had secretly established itself in the void far from Imperial control. When discovered by the Inquisition they were ordered to eliminate the renegades and the marines set about their task with grim determination. The planet itself was effectively a failed state ruled by an autocrat and as such little was needed to pacify the populace (they were on the edge of a rebellion anyway). The Grims laid siege to the autocratic dictator’s palace-fortress compound, Betchworth Castle. The siege took weeks and thousands of the dictator’s men died to the chainswords and hexes of the Grims before surrender was achieved. The planet was later brought under Imperium control and, to this day, the planet offers a tribute of its best and brightest to the Grims as tribute.

**Hive Fleet Wars:** In recent years, since the return of Hive Fleet Leviathan in force from below the galactic plane, the Grims have been tasked with intercepting and dealing critical blows against the hive fleets.

**Brotherhood of Dust:** The Grims happened across elements of the Brotherhood of Dust, a Thousand Son Chaos warband, after jumping though Warpspace. While it at first seemed like an impossible chance meeting, the work of Tzeentch had been behind the meeting. Deadly ship-to-ship combat ensued and a boarding action by the 3rd company of The Grims failed to capture the Brotherhood of Dust’s flagship. (The Grims have never been able to repopulate to the point where they could re-field a 3rd company after this.) Eventually a skirmish broke out on one of the Grim’s ships and, thanks to the timely intervention by a hundred Black Dogs released from their pens, the majority of the forces of the Brotherhood of Dust were killed or driven off. The survivors were whisked away via sorcerous means but to this day the Grims hold one of their sorcerers captive and torture them for information.

A stylized depiction of a Grim by an alien culture.A Grim of the 2nd Company.