Anacondas

Anacondas armorial with Chapter iconography.

Anacondas Firstborn Battle-Brother of the 4th Group.

" *Where did you all go? Where did you disappear to? You were just here! I didn't hear you leaving. Don't leave me alone in this place!*"
— The sole survivor after an assault on a platoon of renegades by an lonely unnamed Brother of the Anacondas.
The **Anacondas** Space Marine Chapter are a loyalist *non-Codex* compliant Successor Chapter that was created from the lineage of the feared Raven Guard. The Chapter was founded during an unstated Founding in mid-38th Millennium to face the threat against the Imperium during The Waning, which lasted from early in M38 until ca. 744.M41. During this period the Imperium faced numerous threats that slowly led to a degradation of the Imperium's stability, power and peace by both Chaos and xenos that assaulted Imperial space.

This long conflict shaped the Chapter into what it is today and their reputation as invisible, deadly and terrifying has since continued to grow.

## Chapter History

The Anacondas have a glorious and bloody history as loyal servants of the Emperor and Mankind. Originally the Chapter was created as an ordinary chapter but it was soon noticed that the Anacondas were no ordinary chapter. They never used their assigned power armours or most of their vehicles and weapons. Instead, they preferred lighter equipment and lying in ambush rather than open combat against their enemy.

The Chapter developed the strategies where they could use small groups of Battle-Brothers to face much larger and stronger enemies, to emerge victorious from these battles. Throughout history, there are countless examples of incidents and events where Brothers of the Anacondas have managed to turn battles in the Imperium's favour.

### The Founding

The Chapter was founded in the mid-38th Millenium to protect the Imperium by facing the threats by Chaos and xenos during The Waning. Originally the Anacondas was meant to function as a regular chapter but as soon as it was noted that the Chapter preferred a different way of waging war and this ability was used in the most effective way possible by the Imperium.

### The Homeworld

After the Waning the Anacondas were given the moon Nakahi by the Imperium. This moon is classified as a Death World and is in orbit around the Penal World of Matautia. This moon consists of innumerable terrible and life-threatening creatures and plants. Matautia is a penal colony holds all kinds of criminals and therefore also all kinds of hidden talents and is used as the Chapter's main recruiting source.

### Chronology of Events

#### M38 - The Founding

* The Chapter was founded mid-38th Millennium.

#### M38-M41 - The Waning

* The Chapter fought during the The Waning. During this long conflict, the Chapter was almost completely exterminated and was given the moon Nakahi so that the Chapter could regain its strength.

#### M42 - Indomitus Crusade

* During the Indomitus Crusade the Chapter put in nearly all of its resources to save the Imperium.

## Chapter Homeworld

The moon Nakahi is an equally lush and deadly planet. This moon consists of innumerable poisonous plants, acidic waters and bloodthirsty beasts. Nakahi has huge rivers and small streams running all over the surface of the moon. The water is very corrosive if you are in it too long and there is more than one man who has succumbed in his desperation to quench his thirst.

The vegetation consists of many more poisonous plants than are edible, and it takes solid experience to see the difference between the plants that give life and those that create death.

The wildlife is large and varied but consists to some extent of smaller mammals, but this is the home of the reptiles. An enormous population of various types of lizards, snakes and crocodile-like creatures rule this moon.

An ordinary person can barely make it through a day, but this is where the brothers of the Anacondas call home.

### Chapter Fortress-Monastery

The Fortress-Monastery of the Anacondas is named *Kohinga* and is actually their last surviving Battle Barge after The Waning, which was deliberately landed on this moon and eventually sunk below ground level due to the shallow ground. The entrance is very well hidden in the terrain among swamps, bushes and logs and not even sensors can locate the ways in. Only the Battle Brothers themselves know how to enter.

The inside of the Chapters fortress is well-lit by torches and lamps in long chains. Everywhere there are statues and tapestries of the Chapters heroes. Halls of various sizes and purposes together with long endless corridors create a labyrinth that to the uninitiated is experienced as impassable.

If the Chapter were to be attacked in their home, there are hidden passages and secret passageways that basically make it impossible for a larger enemy to find the brothers before they themselves disappear and are killed in silence.

## Chapter Recruitment

The Chapter only recruits new brothers from the population of prisoners on the Penal World of Matautia that their homeworld orbits around. Matautia is a terrible prison and is ruled with an iron fist by a council of governors who together keep its prisoners in check. The planet produces various industrial components for the rest of the Imperium and occasionally even gets together one or two Penal Legion of fairly high quality.

### Recruitment Process

At uneven intervals, a couple of hundred prisoners who are judged to be "troublesome" in one way or another are gathered. These prisoners are transported up to Nakahi without really knowing where they are going or why they are being moved. Once there, they are instructed by their guards that they have been "chosen" as recruits to the Chapter that owns this moon. They are then told to survive a standard year as best they can and are then pushed off the ship right into their new reality without any supplies.

#### The Survival

Once these new recruits understand where they are and what horrors live there, most panic and it is not unusual for 70-80% to die in the first few days. To manage to survive for a week is an achievement, to still be alive after a month is astonishing, but up to survive a year is nothing short of a miracle.

#### The Gathering

The few who have actually managed to survive a full year in this inhospitable place are rounded up, more or less, against their will by special Chapter serfs and is brought with the eyes covered and the hands and legs tied to the Fortress-Monastery of the Anacondas. Not infrequently, some of the recruits fight for their lives and it is not uncommon for several serfs to have to give their lives to capture them. However, other recruits fall to their knees and praise the Emperor for their perceived rescue.

#### The Selection

The recruits who think they are out of danger and that they will get a warm meal and a bed are terribly disappointed. The year on the surface of the moon was only to select out the weak. It is now that the real test comes for the recruits.

The recruits undergo months of constant additional trials, tests, weapons training and combat scenarios both inside Kohinga and on the surface of the moon. Most of these exercises focus on combat and survival in small groups for weeks on end. Nearly no sleep or food are given them during these trials. After this intensive period, the best is finally selected as Neophytes. Those not selected become new Chapter serfs.

## Chapter Organisation

Directly in connection with its founding, the Chapter renounced the teachings of the Codex Astartes. They chose instead to follow their own path.

In the centuries that followed, the Chapter instead developed its own way of waging war and organizing itself. This the Chapter documented in their own writings which they called the *Liber Absconditus*.

Unlike other Chapters, the Anacondas do not have specialist ranks such as Chief Librarian, Master of Sanctity, Chief Apothecary or Master of the Forge. In fact, the Chapter has so few librarians, apothecaries, chaplains and techmarines that it is not considered meaningful to have these support functions in their own section, but they are gathered under one and the same unit within the Chapter.

One thing that also distinguishes the Chapter is that they never use names, only titles to address each other. If a recruit has become a Battle Brother, he receives the title of Watcher, his own name is erased from all records and he is now only one of the Emperor's servants. Individual achievements or efforts count as the entire Chapter's performance and effort.

### Liber Absconditus

Also known as the *Book of the Hidden*, the Liber Absconditus conveys all the knowledge that the Chapter has accumulated since their founding and is a chronicle containing the Chapters history. It also contains all the different ways of waging war and the tactics used by the Chapter and a list of all the missions its brothers have performed since its founding. In other words, this is the Anacondas' most prized artefact which never leaves the Chapter Master's side.

### Officer Ranks

* **Master of the Sight** - Chapter Master equivalent.
* **Watch Commandant** - Captain equivalent.

### Line Ranks

* **Guardian** - Veteran equivalent.
* **Watcher** - Battle Brother equivalent.
* **Observer** - Neophyte equivalent.

### Anacondas Librarians

The Librarians have two special disciplines unique to the Chapter.

* **Scale Armour** - The psyker uses his psychic power to create an armour of pure energy that both protects and camouflages his brothers in battle.
* **Serpent's Fangs** - The Librarian uses his psychic powers to create dozens of venomous snakes in the midst of his enemies that bite at anything that moves.

## Order of Battle

The chapter does not organize itself in companies but rather in smaller groups. Each group consists of 5-10 Battle-Brothers. It happens that several groups are assigned the same task and work together. But in most cases, the groups act alone. Depending on the assignment, the groups are sometimes supplemented with a specialist such as a Librarian or similar.

## Chapter Combat Doctrine

The Chapter is specialists in infiltration, sabotage and stealth warfare. It is rare to see the Chapter in direct combat, but rather the effect of their deeds is seen. With key points sabotaged, commanders eliminated, and buildings and vehicles destroyed, the Chapter conducts precision operations.

There are examples of brothers who have lain still and observed a target for months, only to wait for just the right moment to fire the fatal shot. It is also not uncommon for the Chapter to send out smaller groups of Battle-Brothers years in advance to infiltrate and prepare for larger invasions by undermining and sabotaging the planet's own defences.

## Chapter Fleet

The Chapter does not have its own fleet, but when they need to be transported, they accompany ships from the Imperial Fleet that pass by or merchant ships and freighters. This is so that they can carry out their mission in the utmost secrecy.

## Chapter Appearance

The power armour of the Chapter is primarily painted dark brown and decorated with ornate green scales. The helmet is shaped like a skull. A small white Roman numeral stencilled on the left upper side of the chest indicates group assignment.

### Chapter Badge

The Chapter Badge is a black head of a snake holding a white skull in its mouth.

## Relations

The chapter has a long and trusting partnership with the Imperial Fleet.

[Source]

[Source]