Flesh Tearers - Origins: The Flesh Tearers Chapter was created in the early 31st Millennium after the primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman, who led the reformation sweeping the Imperium of Man after the Horus Heresy in the Time of Rebirth as its first lord commander and Imperial Regent, determined that all of the existing Space Marine Legions would be broken up into 1,000-Astartes Chapters.This was so that no single military commander could ever again wield the dangerous power of an entire Astartes Legion. This event is known as the "Second Founding" and the Flesh Tearers was one of the Chapters formed from the Blood Angels Legion, even as they continued to grieve for their fallen primarch, Sanguinius, who had been slain by Horus at the climax of the Siege of Terra.When the Flesh Tearers Chapter was brought into being during the Second Founding, Captain Nassir Amit, the commander of the Blood Angels Legion's 5th Company, was chosen to be its first Chapter Master. Of all the IXth Legion's captains, Amit's reputation -- and that of his company -- was the most bloodthirsty. More than once, the 5th Company had been called to censure by Sanguinius for its zeal in pursuing enemy forces.It was not for nothing that the outspoken officer had earned the nickname "the Flesh Tearer," when serving in the gladiatorial pits of the World Eaters Legion alongside his Oath Brother Khârn and rather than deny the epithet, he had made it his own. Amit had a predatory way about him, a sense of aggression barely held in check that was often unleashed in full many times on the field of battle throughout the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Like their commander, the battle-brothers of the 5th Company were known to bear bolters and flaying knives alike in battle.After their official formation, the Flesh Tearers immediately left Terra to embark upon a new Imperial Crusade to eliminate Traitor forces still loyal to the Warmaster Horus as well as continuing to purge Chaos infestations from Imperial worlds during the period known as the Great Scouring.The Flesh Tearers were assigned the battle barge Victus from their former Legion, which served as their mobile fortress-monastery. The Flesh Tearers' reputation for savagery in battle was soon well-known, and so the terrible flaws of the IXth Legion's genetic legacy must have asserted themselves very soon after the death of the Blood Angels' primarch.During this time, these Space Marines remained constantly on crusade, destroying any Heretics whose path they crossed. Those they encountered, they defeated. Those they defeated, they utterly annihilated, leaving no stone left unturned and no living beings to continue any heresy.Some rumours circulated of their brutality, even going so far as to reach the High Lords of Terra. However, their degree of success in achieving compliancy was nearly unparalleled. During this period of strife, as the Imperium recovered from Horus' treachery, results were valued far more than technique. As such, there were no investigations into the savage rumours that accompanied the Flesh Tearers' implacable advance.Over time, the Flesh Tearers continued to earn a reputation for savagery. These volatile Astartes revelled in each close assault action and continued to cause unacceptable levels of collateral damage. Some reports indicated that during their mad frenzies, the Flesh Tearers continued their battle actions against allied forces or even against the innocent civilians whom they were assigned to protect.Their reputation for such savagery has spread through the millennia to the extent that some Imperial forces -- including several other Space Marine Chapters -- are no longer willing to engage in allied missions with members of the Flesh Tearers. In spite of this fact, there are numerous instances where the Flesh Tearers have worked in battle zones with other Chapters. On a number of occasions, these included other Chapters that were known to be part of the Blood Angels lineage.The Flesh Tearers fall prey to the curse of the Black Rage far more often than members of any other Chapter descended from Sanguinius' lineage. This is believed to be due to a mutation in their gene-seed, but their combat doctrines and military philosophy may also influence the frequency of the onset of the tragic psychogenetic syndrome.At the time of its formation, the Flesh Tearers Chapter discontinued the Blood Angels' practice of imbibing blood transfusions during a neophyte's initiation using the artefact known as the Red Grail. Some Imperial scholars speculate that this change could have contributed to the horrific mutation of their gene-seed that worsened the genetic Flaw of their lineage.When Flesh Tearers battle-brothers show the characteristic signs that they are falling prey to the Flaw, they are inducted into the Chapter's Death Company and isolated from their healthier brethren. These Space Marines continue their service under the supervision of the High Chaplain of the Death Company, residing in the specially-adapted strike cruiser Death's Cowl until they are called upon.