Death Spectres - Origins: Of the dark and terrible times known to later historitors as the Nova Terra Interregnum, when the Imperium fractured into warrior factions during the late 34th Millennium, there exist in what records remain from this era scattered and veiled references to a great threat arising from the Ghoul Stars known as the Pale Wasting.Much of the extant evidence relating to this threat has been censored or purposely destroyed, but there are contradictory indications which describe the nature of the threat as both a "star-spawned plague" that swept away scores of worlds and as "nightmare engines" slaughtering the populations of whole sectors.Those partial records which have been uncovered suggest that the threat was xenos in nature and that more than one Space Marine Chapter may have been completely destroyed in the course of the conflict. The xenos threat briefly mentioned in Imperial historical records might be the Thexian Elite of the Thexian Trade Empire, a biomorphic species few in number but strong in influence.They hail from the iron-oxidised worlds known as the Bloodmoons of Thex Prime, which are located in the region of space called the Ghoul Stars. These vile xenos are known to be masters of manipulation and have worked themselves into integral positions in the Borlac, Loxatl and Nicassar civilisations. Though Thexians are famously persuasive, when guile is not enough their battle form is quite horrifying to behold. Eleven Space Marine Chapters were lost in the final battles of what must have been a truly apocalyptic struggle.The chronicles of many Chapters who took part in this campaign as noted in other sources are curiously empty of any reference to this conflict, and it is quite possible that this ancient threat may also account for the unusually large number of formerly Human-inhabited Dead Worlds in the region.Following this lamentable period of history, the 13th Founding, also known as the "Dark Founding," occurred sometime between the 35th and 36th Millennia, and is one of the very rare Foundings of Space Marine Chapters that were not recorded in exact detail.Since the Horus Heresy, the Adeptus Terra has maintained a bank of original gene-seed tithed by every single Chapter ever created, with one notable exception: the 13th Founding. There are no reliable records that indicate how many Chapters were created during the Dark Founding or what became of them. Full disclosure of the exact details of this mysterious Founding may lie buried deep within the record office of the Adeptus Terra.The Death Spectres are one of two known Chapters to have been created during this unusual Founding. They were created as a Successor Chapter of the Raven Guard, sharing many of the same mutations and genetic flaws found in that venerable Chapter's gene-seed. Following their creation, the Death Spectres were stationed beyond the frontiers of the Imperium and charged by the High Lords of Terra to maintain a constant vigil to ensure that the inhabitants of the Ghoul Stars never again threatened the galaxy as they had in the Pale Wasting. The nature of the threat could not be overstated enough, and the containment of such a species as the Thexians was worthy of the attention of an entire Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.When the newly created Chapter's first Megir (Chapter Master), Merrin Corcaedus, was swearing his oath of loyalty and service to the Emperor at the foot of the Golden Throne itself, he received a vision. Guided by this vision, Corcaedus led his Chapter to the world of Occludus and to the very spot where they raised Logopol, their future fortress-monastery. It was at this location that the Chapter would find the source of its destiny -- the Shariax.