Abyss Gazers

Abyss Gazers armorial with Chapter iconography.

Abyss Gazers Battle-Brother of the 3rd Company, 6th Battleline Squad.

### **Specialty**

Armoured and Hight-Intensity Wafare, Siege Warfare, Heavy Infantry Assault, Attritional Warfare, Hazard/Death Zone Warfare, Close-Quarters Actions (Space Hulk Purgation & Boarding Operations)

### Successor Chapter(s)

None

"*We have survived much, curses, accusations of mutation, and the split of the chapter but we will endure. None can break our will, not even the Dark Gods themselves. We Gaze into the Abyss. And we know no fear.*"
— Man Farren, 4th Chapter Master
The **Abyss Gazers** are one of the Chapters created during the ill-fated 21st Founding, the so-called 'Cursed Founding'. The Abyss Gazers were founded to police the edges of the Eye of Terror and have only just managed to survive due to both bad luck, mutation, and a section of the chapter breaking away and turning to Chaos. After nearly twice being declared *Excommunicate Tratoris*, the chapter is now somewhat closely monitored by the Inquisition, much to their ire.

## Chapter History

### The Affliction

"*Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster. For if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.*"
— Friedrich Nietzsche, *Beyond Good and Evil*, ca. M2
One of the chapters created during the 21st Founding, the Abyss Gazers were made with the intent to create Space Marines especially resistant to the powers of the warp. Unfortunately three centuries later the curse of the 21st Founding caught up with them in the form of an unusual mutation that lowered the body temperature of their Battle-Brothers significantly, while also causing a strange cryogenic liquid pool in their lungs, which occurred in nearly a third of the marines. To counteract this the Chapter Master had their artificers modify the armour of the afflicted marines to maintain a more comfortable temperature for them, all while doing their best to keep this fact hidden.

This temporary solution worked for a time, during which however, the chapter faced other difficulties. Ill-fortune plagued them, especially in the companies which had members of the afflicted marines. After a Captain with the mutation was appointed in 321.M37, the chapter had the worst disaster in its history up to that point, losing over half of its forces, including the Chapter Master, to a large Ork WAAAGH! after their allies arrived too late to assist them and they bore the brunt of the WAAAGH!'s attack.

After the devastation, suspicion began to fall upon those who suffered the 'Affliction'. Over the course of the next two centuries tensions would rise between those afflicted and those not afflicted. In 532.M37 the existence of the mutation was discovered by the Inquisition which attempted to declare them '*Excommunicate Traitoris* under the grounds of mutation and possible corruption. Desperate to save his chapter, Chapter Master Cole Warrens called in every favour his chapter was owed in order to sway the ruling of the High Lords of Terra. He succeeded in saving the Abyss Gazers but remained unaware that the Inquisitors were right.

Unbeknownst to most of the chapter, those who were afflicted had been slowly corrupted by Chaos in the form of whispering and dreams which had convinced the majority that their own battle-brothers would kill them to save their chapter. In 601.M37 the afflicted staged a coup in order to seize control of the chapter. For six days, battles raged aboard their ships ending when Chapter Master Cole Warrens ordered the rest of the fleet that remained under his control to fire on his Battle Barge, *Forbearance*, where he and many of the leaders of the Afflicted were locked in combat.

With the destruction of the *Forbearance* the remaining traitors fled in the few ships they controlled and vanished from Imperial space. At the end of the Abyss Gazer's civil war they were once again nearly declared *Excommunicate Tratoris* and only avoided this fate when their newly elected Chapter Master Man Farren swore to never again to allow those with the mutation to exist within the chapter.

### Through Hell and Back

In 012.M37 the Abyss Gazers 4th Company was attacked by a large pirate fleet. While at first the battle looked even, more and more corsair ships joined the fight until the Astartes were significantly outnumbered. With no reinforcements close enough to lend aid, in time the Captain made a dangerous call; to escape battle by jumping through the Maelstrom warp rift so that the pirates could not follow. Each ship was fully prepared for the dangers that the warp presented yet, when they reached the other side, the vessels carrying the Abyss Gazers were untouched and had encountered no difficulty.

After careful experimentation, the chapters Librarians deduced that the presence of the Abyss Gazers anti-warp aura made it difficult for the horrors of the warp to attack or effect the vessels. By the time this had been discovered the Abyssal Crusade was underway and the Abyss Gazers Chapter Master Eric Masters decided to put it to the test by going after the chapters crusading within the Eye of Terror. While they were unable to save the chapters that undertook the ill-fated crusade they were successful in traveling through the Eye of Terror and bringing news of the Chapters back to the Imperium.

After this event, the Chapter began it's Oblivion Crusades - crusades into the Eye of Terror itself. While they ranged in success it led them to have a greater understanding of the Eye of Terror and the most coherent map of the Eye out of anybody outside of it. The only incident with warp travel in the Chapters history was in 782.M39 on the strike cruiser carrying the powerful Psyker Beor Achlin where, despite the protections given by the Geller Field and the Abyss Gazers, the forces of Tzeench desperately tried to claim the vessel. The end result was that the Strike Cruiser did not reemerge until late M41 and it effected the aging of everyone aboard, most especially Beor.

### Return of the Primarch and the Primaris Marines

With the return of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman, a new hope was inspired in the Imperium. As he took control, he revealed to the Imperium a secret long in the making - the Primaris Space Marines - designed to be larger and stronger than regular marines, as well as less prone to mutation. As the Primaris Marines were sent to bolster Space Marine Chapters across the Imperium, Roboute Gulliman offered to send some to aid the Abyss Gazers, the majority of which were made up of Unnumbered Sons that hailed from the genetic lineage of Rogal Dorn.

The Abyss Gazers accepted, though with some hesitation, having already suffered from attempting to improve upon the Emperor's work and fearing a repeat of the 21st Founding. By the time a year had passed the Primaris Marines had almost be wiped out to a man as, despite their superior strength, they lacked the supernatural warp resistance of the Abyss Gazers and were far more vulnerable to the daemons that the Chapter battled on a regular basis.

However, even as the Primaris Marines from the Imperial Fists fell, those who made the dangerous crossing across the Rubicon by having Primaris gene-seed and organs implanted into Firstborn Abyss Gazers, proved to retain a degree of their natural warp resistance.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Caancol WAAAGH! (341.M37)** - In 238.M37 a aarge WAAAGH! began forming in the systems around the Caancol sector near the Eye of Terror. Worried about the defense of the Eye of Terror the High Lords of Terra ordered for a force to be assembled to head off the WAAAGH! before it spread to Imperial space. A force of Imperial Navy was assembled and the Abyss Gazers were recruited as well and a rendezvous was arranged to challenge the WAAAGH! head on before it could spread to far. Unfortunately, due to the ways of the warp, the rest of the Imperial forces were delayed for nearly a solar month. By the time they got there the Abyss Gazers had been in combat with the Greenskins and actually managed to stop the WAAAGH! by killing the warboss. As a result, however, their fleet had been decimated and a full five companies had been destroyed by the overwhelming hordes of the Orks. In commemoration of their valor the High Lords ordered ships to be built, or requisitioned, to bolster their fleet including 2 battleships to be converted into battle-barges; the *Memory of Inwit* and *Fury of the Ancient*
* **Chapter Schism (601.M37)** - In 601.M37 the head Chaplain, Arrancar, discovered what he believed to be the taint of Chaos in those marines with the Affliction. Upon discovering this Arrancar began a subtle investigation of the other Afflicted, to his horror he found that the same taint was to be found in every one of the Afflicted. In his panic to convey this to the Chapter Master he accidentally revealed his findings to what he thought was a loyal Battle-Brother. A battle erupted aboard the Battle-Barge *Forbearance* between the loyalist, and the newly revealed traitors. As news of it spread several of the Strike Cruisers suddenly fired on the rest of the fleet. Taking them by surprise the rest of the fleet suffered greatly from the sudden assault, and soon the *Forbearance* fell under traitor control. Things may have gone poorly for the loyalists if the *Unchanging Fortress*, their Fortress-Monastery had not showed up. With it's powerful defenses the battle quickly turned in favor of the loyalists. The leader of the traitor marine, Third Captain Erikhas quickly assessed the situation and ordered his forces to retreat to the Eye of Terror.

Even though they won the battle the Abyss Gazers still had many difficulties. Five strike cruisers, six Escort craft, and a Battle-Barge had been lost to the traitors, as well as roughly a third of their Astartes. However this loss was small compared to the Inquisition. Many of the Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus called for them to be declared *Excommunicate Traitoris*. Desperate to survive the Chapter Master called upon his parent chapter, the Imperial Fists, for aid. After thoroughly inspecting them to make sure no taint remained, the Imperial Fists exerted their political influence to save the Abyss Gazers.
* **Clearing of Hulk Deformia (686.M38)** - A Space Hulk that emerged near the Abyss Gazers Fleet, the *Unchanging Fortress* soon detected a faint distress signal of a type dating back to the Legio Astartes of the Great Crusade. Within the Hulk they found a battlefield on the upper levels between a Genestealer Cult and an Ork Horde. Cutting through and avoiding the battles where they could, the Abyss Gazers discovered the source of the signal to be a vessel near the center originating from one of the original Space Marine Legions, though time and the battles between Orks and gene-stealers had made it nigh impossible to tell which legion. To make matters worse they found that it was for the most part clear of Xenos due to a combination of still active defense systems, highly toxic gas, and a radiation leak from the fusion cores requiring the Chapters Terminators to search it.

After incurring a number of causalities from the battleline and fire support squads protecting the Terminators as they made their way to the Astartes vessels, the Terminators set to work searching the ancient vessel. Soon however they were rewarded beyond what they could imagine. Within a locked and sealed armory they discovered, in poor condition, nine sets of ancient Cataphractii Terminator Armour. With such a prize available, the majority of the chapter was called in to ensure their safe retrieval drawing the attention of the xenos and sparking a major battle that would result in nearly 120 casualties as they evacuated with their prizes before destroying the Hulk by overloading the Astartes vessels fusion cores and finishing it with sustained bombardment. After nearly a century of work the Chapter's artificers and Techmarines managed to restore five of the sets of ancient terminator armour by using the other four parts and material.
* **Death of a Titan (774-781.M38)** - In 774.M38 a powerful Dark Mechanicus force attacked the Forge World of Delta-Theta-4. When Imperial forces arrive to free the world they are met with Chaos forces beyond what was expected. hordes of daemonic engines and worst of all a legion of Chaos Titans led by the Warmonger-class titan *Earth Splinter*. With control of the planets Defense Grid it made it all but impossible for Imperial ships to provide support for the guardsmen. Eventually the Abyss Gazer, who were in the sector were called in to aid the Imperial forces. Arriving with the *Unchanging Fortress*, the 3rd and 6th companies made planetfall. After a month of slow armored advance, the Abyss Gazers were able to take several of the defense guns, their psychic resilience allowing them to easily overcome daemons summoned by the Hereteks. With the planetary defense guns down the *Unchanging Fortress* was able to provide fire support against the Chaos Titans, destroying *Earth Splinter* with a shot from the Dominus Cannon.
* **Alliance War (987.M41)**

## Chapter Homeworld

As a fleet-based Chapter the fortress-monastery of the Abyss Gazers is the space station known as the *Unchanging Fortress*. While smaller than such mobile fortress-monasteries like the *Phalanx* of the Imperial Fists and *The Rock* of the Dark Angels, it is still sizable. Protected by powerful void shields and powerful point defence guns the *Unchanging Fortress* is always accompanied by a portion of the fleet as well as two smaller space stations; *Providence*, devoted to producing food for the Abyss Gazers and their serfs, and *Temperance*, which serves as the main forge and vehicle depot for the chapter.

While all three Stations are capable of warp travel it is typically slow and only used when the full might of the chapter is needed to be brought to bear. The final feature of the *Unchanging Fortress* is the Domnius Cannon. A modified Nova Cannon, it sacrifices power and size for accuracy and is used either for fortress-breaking or destroying enemy capital ships. Doing either is risky, as it requires dropping a portion of the void shields while firing.

## Chapter Organization

The Abyss Gazers Chapter is somewhat *Codex*-compliant, except in the case of Librarians due to their gene-seed defect and lower number of Close Support Marines than normal. The only other slight difference being their Terminator squad organization.

Most recently, with the return of Primarch Guilliman, they have adapted their organization to have some of the new changes to the *Codex*, such as lieutenants. While they received relatively few Primaris Marines to replenish them, the non-altered Imperial Fist gene-seed allowed them to finally begin to utilize psyker Librarians.

When first founded they, like many new chapters, had less than a full companies worth of Terminators. Only given 25 sets of Terminator Armor, they soon found that their being part of the 21st 'Cursed' Founding made getting more sets next to impossible. Even after several millennia they have only managed to amass a total of 35 sets of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Five are used by the Chapter Master and other high ranking officers of the chapter while the other thirty are used by the First Company in six squads of five Terminators each. Unlike normal squads, the Terminators are not led by a Sergeant but rather by a Squad Leader elected by the squad itself before each mission.

The Terminator Armour is almost entirely used for boarding actions and awarded only to those veteran Battle-Brothers who have shown particular skill, and survived purging at least one Space hulk as part of a Battleline or Fire Support squad.

### Officer Ranks

* **Chapter Master**
* **Captain**
	+ **Castellan**
* **Lieutenant**

### Specialist Ranks

* **Reclusiarch**
* **Chaplain**
* **Chief Librarian**
* **Librarian**
* **Chief Apothecary**
* **Apothecary**
* **Master of the Forge**
* **Techmarine**
* **Chapter Champion**
* **Company Champion**
* **Chapter Ancient**
* **Company Ancient**
* **Venerable Ancient**

### Line Ranks

* **Veteran Sergeant**
* **Veteran**
* **Battle-Brother**
* **Neophyte**
* **Aspirant**

## Chapter Culture & Beliefs

"*Going to the Abyss Gazers for conversation is like going to Greenskins for peace and quiet. Still you can count on them to remember everything you say and weigh it carefully before answering.*"
— Inquisitor Kendel
Like their Primarch, Rogal Dorn, many of the Astartes of the Abyss Gazers are both stoic and quiet. As a result of their constant battles against Chaos and the schism of their chapter in M37 the Abyss Gazers are slow to trust, even other Astartes. Almost as if to make up for it when they do forge alliances they will hold to them to the bitter end.

Because they are fleet-based and recruit from no individual planet the recruits all come from vastly different cultures. To maintain unity among the chapter all the Marines are required to abandon the practices of their origins and hold strictly to the chapter's own culture; one of strict vigilance, close bonds and earnest sacrifice. As an Astartes Chapter assigned to watch over the Eye of Terror they place great emphasis on maintaining spiritual purity as well as tight bonds between battle-brothers. Thus, if one brother begins to crack under the enormous stress of their duty his brothers will notice the difference almost immediately. Every Astartes annually will undergo a strict mental and spiritual review with the chapter's Chaplains to ensure their purity.

Due to their extreme proximity to the Eye of Terror even lesser impure acts can lead to temptation and thus even for their serfs they go to extremes to make sure no activities occur that could lead to spiritual contamination. After an incident in M39 they no longer utilize the infamous pain glove after a battle-brother began to savor the feelings of pain as a form of enjoyment and became corrupted by Slannesh.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

As part of the 21st Founding the Abyss Gazers have a gene-seed modified to make them resistant to the powers of the warp. It is only considered a partial success as while they resist psychic and daemonic powers, they lack the complete immunity of psychic blanks. What's more it has rendered them incapable of having true Librarians, as any neophytes with psychic potential die during gene-seed implantation.

Further study into the effects of the gene-seed reveled that the resistance is a result of the fact that, unlike blanks which neutralize or absorb warp power, they naturally produce a psychic field that provides a measure of protection against warp-based powers. While strong enough to inhibit weaker powers like mild telepathy or background warp radiation, it only provides slight protection against directed and deliberate attacks. Even Lesser Daemons have been known to overcome their protection in a matter of seconds, while creatures like Greater Daemons, this innate barrier will not provide any noticeable protection.

### Genetic Flaws

The Abyss Gazers suffer from a strange mutation that used to occur in up to a third of the battle-brothers. It causes the body temperature of the marine to lower immensely and for a cryogenic fluid to pool in their lungs allowing them to freeze enemies with their breath. Unfortunately it was eventually discovered that those suffering from the affliction are vulnerable to corruption to chaos. While mostly manifesting in neophytes it will occasionally take up to 200 years to manifest.

After the Chapter Schism however, the rate in which it manifested dropped dramatically to less than one in fifty making the chapter's librarians wonder if the warp entity the Frost Wraiths follow, Heims, had anything to do with it. Whenever the affliction manifests in a neophyte the he is doomed to either be granted the Emperor's Peace to maintain the bargain struck with the High Lords or to be turned into a servitor. Whenever a battle-brother in good standing begins to manifest the affliction, he is instead sent on the Warrior's Pilgrimage, never to return. Most will die shortly in battle, some will be recruited by Inquisitors for their retinue, but a very few will turn themselves over to chaos.

## Combat Doctrine

The Abyss Gazers, like many Imperial Fists successors, value defence. When defending they have been known to construct fortifications strong enough to drive off even Reaver-class Titans. Where they truly shine however is the slow advance. Compared to most chapters they have a relatively low number of Close Support specialists and instead prefer to attack using heavily armored vehicles to lead while they are supported by line infantry units on foot. They do no manoeuvre in fanciful patterns to confuse the enemy, instead they stand their ground and wait for the enemy assaults to falter before striking back with fatal force.

The Chapter will continue to march inexorably forwards, no matter the terrain or firepower arrayed against them, there is no hell they will not endure to crush their enemies and achieve eventual victory. They are delibertely slow-moving and utterly murderous in their methodical march forward. While such advances may seem slow compared to the charges of the Space Wolves, or the lightning fast attacks of the Blood Angels, they are so thorough in their advance and attack that even Orks struggle to recover.

Due to their expertise in siege breaking, they possess weapons capable of harming titans and as such are greatly valued by Collegia Titanica Titan Legions whenever they may think they will face enemy titans or their equivalents.

The genetic modification that was involved with their chapter was at least a partial success. The marines of the Abyss Gazers are highly resistant to warp powers, but it also proved impossible for the chapter to have true psychic-imbued Librarians as the gene-seed implantation proved fatal every-time the neophyte had any sort of psychic potential.

The final piece of combat doctrine of their that stands out is their usage of storm and combat shields. Unlike most chapters in which they are used almost solely by Terminators, the Abyss Gazers give them to whatever Battle-Brothers are assigned to lead the assault to be used with either bolt pistols or a close combat weapon.

### Space Hulk Purgation Operations

In their guard around the Eye of Terror, one of the biggest threats they face are Space Hulks; huge, ancient, and often infested with xenos or Chaos cults, their mere presence threatens the watch on the Eye of Terror and they must be destroyed with all haste. However due to the possibility of ancient technology existing within the Hulk, the Abyss Gazers can't simply destroy them on first contact requiring the Space Marines to first search the Hulk before destroying it.

Standard procedure for searching the Hulk involves first sending in Terminators to establish a foothold within the hulk before landing Battleline and Fire Support squads to search the hulk. The Terminator's are then regulated to keeping the base camp secure and exploring areas too radioactive for regular power armour to protect from. The Battleline squads form the main bulk of searching the Hulk with Fire Support squads proving fire support where resistance proves fierce.

Meanwhile the Chapter's Techmarines will be split between staying at the base camp to examine anything found, and the surface of the Space Hulk if it is close to a gas giant or star. If it is close to a gas giant or star, the Techmarines will plant powerful explosives (often thermo-nucleonic bombs) on the surface to propel the Hulk into the celestial object to destroy it. Should there be no celestial object be nearby, they will set any warp drives they can find within the Hulk to overload and tear the Hulk apart once the fleet is at a safe distance.

## Notable Members

* **Chapter Master Cole Warrens**- The Chapter Master during the schism of the chapter, he was the last officer of the Abyss Gazers to have the affliction and remain loyal. After leading the loyalists to victory though the schism, he realized that those such as him with the infliction would never be allowed to remain with the chapter and would be lucky to escape without being executed under suspicion of corruption. In order to save his chapter he established a new practice among his chapter to deal with the Affliction; those neophytes showing the signs of the affliction would either be turned into a servitor or granted the Emperor's peace. As the Affliction could take up to 200 years to manifest, those battle-brothers in good standing are given a third choice, to take a Warrior's Pilgrimage, never to return. As he himself had the Affliction he was the first to leave on this Warrior's Pilgrimage. None among the chapter know what became of him, but for nearly 200 years, whispers were heard about a Deathwatch Kill-team that left naught but frozen corpses in it's wake.

* **Chapter Master Arthan Coldwin** - Considered one of the more radical of the chapter's leaders, Arthan Coldwin was a major proponent of seeking to alter a portion of their gene-seed to allow for psychic Librarians. Known for his efficient leadership and his battle with both the Inquisition and the Adeptus Telepathica over control of Beor Achlin. He was finally killed in the final battle of the Alliance War.

* **Captain Borel** - Captain of the 3rd  Company, in 713.M39 he led his company on a raid on the Deamon world Corin to retrieve a powerful relic, where they were joined by an unlikely ally; the Aeldari of an unknown Craftworld. After three weeks of hard battling to reclaim the relic the combined Abyss Gazers and Aeldari forces made a final pincer advance on the daemonic forces left. Captain Borel leading the Imperial forces and an Avatar of Khaine led the Aeldari. When victory seemed assured the daemons unleashed one last surprise, a Lord of Skulls daemon engine. With many of the Imperial forces nearby when it was summoned the daemon engine quickly decimated most of the nearby forces with only the Avatar of Khaine being able to survive close combat with it. Unfortunately even a being as mighty as an Avatar of Khaine could not last against a foe as mighty as a Lord of Skulls. Seeing that the Aeldari Champion would soon fall, Captain Borel chose to sacrifice it by having all the heavy weapons and Imperial vehicles fire on the two combating foes, destroying both.

* **Veteran Sergeant Helmm** - Sergeant of a Veteran Terminator squad of the 1st Company whose deeds have become legend throughout the Segmentum Obscurus. Helmm master of combat and serving as a father to the 2nd Squad, he has served as Sergeant for over 100 years and earned both the *Crux Terminus* as well as the *Crux Argentum*. In combat he wears a Tartaros pattern terminator armor with a shoulder-mounted cyclone missile launcher and wields a pair of power fists known as *Dorn's Embrace* - the right fist having an integrated bolter and the left a small flamer. Even now in the 42nd  Millennium he continues to lead his squad to new heights though time has begun to creep up on him.

### Notable Squads

* **1st Company, 1st Squad; 'the Unbroken'** - The most revered squad within the chapter, the 1st Company's first squad is comprised of those veterans who have shown the greatest skill with Terminator armor. Armored with Ancient Cataphractii armor and the heaviest of weapons, they can boast more durability and fire power than many tanks. However the sheer size and weight of their armor makes any movement faster than a slow jog impossible. New members for this squad are always drawn from other Terminator squads.

### Non-Astartes Personnel

* **Anders Solum**- One of the few outside of the Adeptus Mechanicus to have a through understanding of physics and engineering, Anders Solum designed and led the construction of the *Unchanging Fortress*. In honour of Anders, the Abyss Gazers have raised a statue of him in their hall of trophies. It is said that during the construction the Adeptus Mechanicus, in amazement of his knowledge, inducted him almost on the spot to the Cult Mechanicus. He would later rise to be a Magos among the Mechanicus but would always retain a close bond to the Abyss Gazers.

## Chapter Fleet

As a fleet-based chapter they maintain a larger chapter fleet than most allowing them to contend effectively against most other fleets, containing;

* ***Unchanging Fortress* (Space Station)** - Mobile space station which serves as the Chapter's defacto fortress-monastery.

* ***Memory of Inwit* (Apocalypse-class Battle-Barge)**

* ***Fury of the Ancient* (Retribution-class Battle-Barge)** - Lost during the Chapter Schism.

* ***Agony of Failure* (Battle-Barge)**

* ***Breaker of Adamant* (Battle-Barge)**

* **12 Strike Cruisers**

* **10 Escort Craft**

## Chapter Wargear

In terms of war gear the Abyss Gazers do not have as much unique equipment as other chapters, though they do have more combat and storm shields than many others. Only 35 sets of Terminator Armor exist within the chapter. Five are Catapractii used by the most elite of the first company, 29 are Indomitus pattern used by either other members of the 1st Company or high ranking officers such as the Chief Librarian or Recusiarch. The final set is a Tartaros pattern, which is utilised by the Chapter Master.

## Chapter Relics

During the chapter schism many of Abyss Gazers' relics were lost, however, they still managed to salvage a few including:

* ***Chaos Bane***- A two-handed power sword wielded by the Chapter Master, it channels the anti-psychic abilities of the wielder slimier to how a force weapon channels psychic power.

* ***Adamant Shield***- Storm shields with above average power field durability, used solely by the Honor Guard and veteran marines.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Abyss Gazers primarily wear ultra violet coloured power armour with their secondary colour being silver, which includes the helmet, shoulder pauldron trim, couters (elbow guards), vabraces (forearm armour) and gauntlets. The Aquila or Imperialis affixed to their plastron (chest guard) is also silver in colour.

A siler squad specialist symbol stenciled on the right armorial inset indicates a Battle-Brother's assigned squad specialty (Fire Support, Close Support, Battleline, Veteran or Command), while the Chapter's badge is prominently displayed upon the left shoulder pauldron.

A larger silver Roman numeral stenciled on the right poleyn (knee guard) indicates squad assignment, while the opposite poleyn also displays a silver Roman numeral, indicating a battle-brother's assigned company.

### Chapter Badge

The Abyss Gazers' Chapter icon takes the form of a silver coloured open-faced circle, a large eye centered within towards the top staring downwards; while tendrils covered in daemonic eyes extending upwards. This symbolism harkens back to an ancient Old Earth proverb, 'For if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you'. The use of such arcane symbols is quite fitting in regards to the Chapter's apt moniker, 'Abyss Gazers'.

## Relations

### Allies

* **Imperial Fists** - As a successor Chapter of the VIIth Legion they maintain close ties with their parent chapter, to which they owe a great debt as it was through their influence that they were spared being declared mutants. Whenever the Imperial Fists are in need the Abyss Gazers will answer their call

* **Subjugators** - As a fellow Imperial Fists Successor Chapter tasked with guarding the Eye of Terror, they have worked together and the two chapters maintain a strong bond of brotherhood.

* **Collegia Titanica** - As masters of the armored assault and their powerful tanks, they often work with the Collegia Titanica to help counter Traitor Titan legions, Ork Gargants, and AAeldarii Wraithlords.

### Strained

* **Inquisition** - The Abyss Gazers have a mixed relationship with the Inquisition as a whole with very different relations with each of the major Ordos:
	+ **Ordo Malleus** - This Ordo which the Abyss Gazers work with most closely, given their specialization in battling Chaos. The only ordo which truly earns the Abyss Gazers respect, many Deamon hunter Inquisitors have paid a visit to the Unchanging Fortress or received aid from the Abyss Gazers.
	+ **Ordo Hereticus** - On the other hand has the opposite relationship with the chapter, the Abyss Gazers despising them for their accusations of treason and mutation, the Inquisitiors only refraining from declaring them *Excommunicate Tratoris* due to the Imperial Fists' support. It is a rare day that the chapter answers a plea for help from a witch hunter Inquisitor.
	+ **Ordo Xenos** - This Ordo has the least interaction with the chapter due to the fact that the Abyss Gazers only occasionally fight against xenos threats.

### Enemies

* **Traitor Legions**- As a chapter created to fight against the forces of Chaos, their greatest foe is the Chaos warbands and renegade chapters that reside in the Eye of Terror. Their greatest foe is the Frost Wraiths renegades, comprised of the Afflicted marines who survived the Chapters schism as well as what new marines they still have the power to make.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Abyss Gazers

"*Should you ever decide to turn your gaze to the Abyss proper, I'll be waiting.*"
— Azunar during a brief encounter.
### About the Abyss Gazers

[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]

## Gallery

Abyss Gazers Veteran Marine of the 1st Company arrayed in one of the few suits of Indomitus pattern Terminator Armour the Chapter possesses.