Astral Reapers

Astral Reapers armorial with Chapter iconography.

Astral Reapers Sergeant of the 3rd Company, 5th Battleline Squad.

(Whispers persist that this Chapter's numbers are much higher than the maximum allowed number of battle-brothers in direct contravention of the *Codex Astartes*. Conservative estimates place their numbers closer to 2,000+ Astartes.)
Under Investigation

### **Specialty**

Stealth, guerrilla warfare, terror tactics, sabotage

### Successor Chapter(s)

None known.

"*Gloria in Umbra Mortis!*"
— Battle cry of the Astral Reapers.
When the xenos, daemons, and heretics feel themselves victorious against mankind, then come the black hooded enforcers of the Emperor's will, as silent as the dead of night, to break both the enemy's morale and bodies, and they shall gloat nevermore. They are the **Astral Reapers**, sons of the Primarch Corvus Corax, born during the 3rd Founding. Having no home world to call their own and being a crusading chapter, these descendants of the Raven Guard wage stealth and guerrilla warfare against the enemies of mankind as the shadow-draped dagger of the Emperor's justice.

## Chapter History

Records of the Astral Reapers campaigns are few and in between, as many are kept as secret as the chapter itself. The few that are known rarely carry enough information to keep a scholar interested for too long. It is theorized by many that this is due to the chapter possibly working for, or at least alongside, the Holy Inquisition. This however cannot be proven, as Inquisitorial activity has not truly been associated with the Astral Reapers, as the truth may instead be that it is simply due to the chapter's own secretive nature.

## Notable Campaigns

One campaign that does show a fair amount of description is that against an Ork invasion on the planet Poltova in the year 876.M32, located in an unknown region of space. The Orks were constructing a massive anti orbital cannon from the broken remains of fallen titans and ships they had crashed into the planet, along with enslaving the human populace. In the final hours of the cannon's completion, the Astral reapers launched an ambush on the green skins, thinning them out in hit a run tactics, and infiltrating their strongholds, slitting the proverbial throat of the Ork Warband. As the chapter rigged explosives to the cannon, and evacuated all of the enslaved civilians as they could, all remaining Orks that fled were pursued and wiped out. The remaining Astral Reapers then returned to the battlefield to build a monument tower from the bones of the fallen, be they civilians, soldiers, or brother Astral Reapers, as is chapter tradition after every battle.

Another incident took place during the year 853, M35, after a distress beacon from a trade fleet reported a Night Lords raid. The battle lasted for a standard Terran day and night, each opponent using terror tactics, hit and run, and sabotage. But in the end, it was the Astral Reapers finally cut off the Night Lords route of escape, and cleansed the traitors from the ship.

In the year 999.M41, the Astral Reapers received their contingent of Primaris Marines after a brutal campaign against the Tyrannid Hive Fleet of Kronos. At first, the chapter was hesitant to accept the new Astartes, but after much debate with the high command of the chapter, they finally accepted the Primaris, albeit begrudgingly so.

## Chapter Homeworld

The Astral Reapers have no official home world, as they are a crusading chapter, taking recruits from wherever they go. Their flagship is named the Umbra Angeli, an Emperor class battle barge. In much the same manner as the Black Templars, the Astral reapers have splinter fleets, crusading across the galaxy wherever they are needed.

### Fortress-Monastery

The Umbra Angeli serves as the fortress monastery of the Umbra Dominus splinter fleet.

## Chapter Organisation

The Astral Reapers have different names for their different branches, including the following;

### Officer Ranks

* **Dread Lord**- Chapter Master equivalent.
* **Skull Lord**- Company Captain equivalent.
* **Thunder Skull**- Fleet Captain equivalent.
* **Scythe Lord** - Lieutenant equivalent.

### Specialist Ranks

* **Lord Shadow Caster**- Chief Librarian equivalent.
* **Shadow Casters**- Librarian equivalent.
* **Chief Death Builder**- Master of the Forge equivalent.
* **Death Builder**- Techmarine equivalent.
* **High Doom Priest**- Reclusiarch equivalent.
* **Doom Priest**- Chaplain equivalent.
* **Lord Bone Worker**- Chief Apothecary equivalent.
* **Bone Worker**- Apothecary equivalent.

### Line Ranks

* **Lord Reaper** - Veteran Sergeant equivalent.
* **Reaper-Sergeant** - Sergeant equivalent.
* **Reaper-Brother** - Battle-Brother equivalent.
* **Wraith** - Scout Marines, Reivers and Vanguard Marines equivalent.
* **Shade** - Neophyte equivalent.
* **Meat** - Aspirant equivalent.

### Order of Battle

The Astral Reapers are non-*Codex* compliant, meaning that their structure does not adhere to the tenants of the Codex Astartes. Instead of having the standard ten companies, the Astral Reapers have 5 battle companies for each of the splinter fleets of the chapter.

#### Companies

The battle companies include the following;

* **Young Wraiths** - This formation are the equivalent of other Chapter's scout units. These units now include the Primaris Reivers. Their company icon is a pale, red eyed skull with crossed silver scythes on a black background.

* **Pale Horsemen** - This formation are made up of the Chapter's biker, tank, and aerial units. Their company icon is a pale, red eyed horse skull with an electric blue flaming mane over a midnight blue background.

* **Shadow Blades** - These are the Chapter's standard devastators and tactical marines. Their company icon is a pale, red eyed skull centered within a pair of black wings with a knife in its teeth, all centered on a midnight blue background.

* **Night Angels** - This formation are made up of the Chapter's elite jump assault and regular assault marines. Their company icon is a pale, red-eyed raven skull on a pair of black wings, all on a midnight blue background.

* **Crypt Lords** - This veteran formation are the most elite members of the splinter fleets, having Terminator armor and relic swords. Their company icon is that of a jet black raven, wielding a silver scythe on a midnight blue background.

## Chapter Beliefs

The chapter has a tradition of revisiting the battlefield after victory, and gathering all of the bones of both Astartes brothers and human allies alike, and with them building a monument tower in the honor of their sacrifice in the name of the Emperor and the Imperium.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

Being descendants of the Raven Guard, the Astral Reapers share the same genetic mutations, such as pale white skin, oily black eyes and hair, and sensitivity to extreme heat and cold. They also share the same melancholy and nihilism as their parent chapter.

## Chapter Combat Doctrine

Like the Raven Guard before them, the Astral reapers utilize the arts of stealth, hit and run, infiltration, guerrilla warfare, terror tactics, and sabotage, also employing ground and aerial vehicular assault, and heavy emphasis on jump pack assault.

## Notable Space Marines

Currently leading the Astral Reapers is Dread Lord Sans Alabaster, a grim figure with a deep, monotone voice and a bright blue bionic eye, which he lost during the battle against the Hive Fleet of Kronos. His signature weapon is Nevermore, a relic power scythe of the chapter given to all successor Dread Lords as a symbol of office.

## Chapter Fleet

The chapter fleet consists of three splinter fleets;

* **Fleet Umbra Dominus** - Led by the Dread Lord himself, and the lead splinter fleet.

* **Fleet Mortis Angeli** - Resides in the Imperium Nihilus.

* **Fleet Astra Umbra** - Circles the outer ring of the galaxy.

## Chapter Relics

* ***Nevermore*** - A relic power scythe wielded by the Dread Lord as a symbol of office.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Astral Reapers color scheme is a base of jet black, with bone white helmets, shoulder trim, cuiresses (elbow guards), guantlets and poleyns (knee guards), combined with a midnight blue aquilla and shoulder pauldron insets. Brothers of the chapter are also known to frequently wear black or dark midnight blue cawls, those that are reminiscent of the fabled grim reaper of ancient Terran myth. The right shoulder pauldron bears the icon of the appropriate company, such as the Young Wraiths, Pale Horsemen, Shadow Blades, Night Angels, or Crypt Lords respectively.

### Chapter Badge

The Astral Reapers chapter badge is that of a stylised, forward facing bone-white skull and jawbone with glowing red eyes wearing a black hood - a silver scythe within it's mouth - all centered on a field of deep midnight blue.

## Notable Quotes

### About the Astral Reapers

*Feel free to add your own*

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 White Scars Successors
 Space Wolves Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage

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