Avenging Sons

The Avenging Sons are a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marines Chapter originally created during the 19^th Founding from the gene-seed of the Ultramarines. The Avenging Sons hail from the world of Traekonnis Major.

Chapter History

Avenging Sons Marine — Avenging Sons Chapter Colour Scheme

The Avenging Sons were raised during the 19^th Founding in the mid-36^th Millennium. They are a Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines and proudly maintain that Chapter's vaunted martial traditions and their stoic faith in the tenets of the Codex Astartes written by their Primarch, Roboute Guilliman.

Notable Campaigns

Space Port on Archimedon (Unknown Date) - The world of Archimedon was the place where a major engagement of the Avenging Sons' 3^rd Company unfolded. Their mission was to defend a spaceport on the planet. However, after the battle turned against them, they destroyed the spaceport themselves rather than let it fall into enemy hands. The Chapter Master disagreed with this course of action, but he did not formally punish the company. The 3^rd Company suffered substantial losses in this battle, including their Chaplain (who was replaced afterwards by Chaplain Herdain) and these losses helped to prime the company for the betrayal of the Emperor they would carry out on the world of Helmabad.
Helmabad Rebellion (Unknown Date) - The Avenging Sons' Captain Gessart and his 3^rd Company turned Renegade whilst fighting in the civil war on Helmabad against a force of Chaos Cultists, who had stirred up a rebellion against the Emperor, to save their own lives when the course of the battle went against them. Killing their Chaplain and those Loyalist Battle-Brothers who would not follow them, the Space Marines of the 3^rd Company negotiated with the Traitors for safe passage to their Thunderhawk in return for leaving the Planetary Governor undefended for the cultists to slay. After fleeing the planet, which had been struck by a Warp Storm, the 3^rd Company painted over their Chapter badges and other Imperial symbols and set course for the Eye of Terror. It should be noted that Captain Gessart intended to continue fighting for the good of humanity, yet could not remain as part of the Avenging Sons Chapter after he had allowed the elimination of those Space Marines who had refused to abandon the world of Helmabad to Chaos to save their own lives.
Liberation of Antillis IV (Unknown Date.M41) - The Avenging Sons' 2^nd Company led by Force Commander Selleus took extremely heavy casualties during the Antillis IV campaign to recover that world from the Forces of Chaos. Outnumbered by a Chaotic force led by a warband of Chaos Space Marines of the Black Legion, the detachment was ground down and eventually surrounded. Their defences broken, they fought to the end, detonating their position just at the moment of being completely overrun. The only known survivor was a single member of an attached Scout Squad and a Thunderhawk gunship which contained a large portion of the company's precious gene-seed, extracted during the battle.
The Taros Campaign (998.M41) - A strike force composed of the Avenging Sons' 2^nd Company fought in the first Imperial intervention that began the Taros Campaign on the desert Mining World of Taros in the Ultima Segmentum. The Avenging Sons' Captain Armaros led a Kill-team comprising a single reinforced company of the Avenging Sons to Taros in order to execute Planetary Governor Uphir Aulis within the Governor's Palace for his traitorous dealings with the Tau Empire, but the Space Marines were surprised by Taronian Planetary Defence Forces and a large contingent of Tau Fire Warriors who were secretly on the world to try and seize it from the Imperium. As a result of the unexpectedly large presence of the Tau Fire Caste on Taros, the Avenging Sons' mission failed and they had to extract themselves from the world with heavy casualties, including the loss of a Dreadnought.

Notable Avenging Sons

Captain Armaros - Amaros was the Avenging Sons Kill-team Force Commander during the First Taros Intervention of the Taros Campaign as well as Captain of the 2^nd Company.
Captain Gessart - Disgraced for dishonourably withdrawing his forces during the Archimedon Campaign, Captain Gessart and the Avenging Sons' 3^rd Company were reassigned to fight a grueling campaign on the world of Helmabad. Feeling the strain of continuous warfare and angered by the unprofessional standards of the Helmabad Planetary Defence Force, Gessart became disillusioned. He soon learned from the company's Librarian that Helmabad was mere hours away from a massive incoming daemonic assault, and that to stand and defend it would mean certain death. Desperate to survive what he saw as a pointless sacrifice, Gessart resolved to withdraw his forces from the doomed planet. When his proposed plan was met with open hostility by Chaplain Herdain, the desperate Gessart murdered the Chaplain in cold blood. He then removed any further resistance within his company until only Battle-Brothers loyal to him remained. Gessart ordered his company to subjugate the Helmabad PDF and secure the Imperial Governor as a hostage. He turned the Governor over to the rebel Chaos Cult forces as a bargaining chip in order to secure passage off-world. Unable to reconcile these dishonourable actions with his Chapter, Captain Gessart soon realised that he and his men had become Renegades and ordered his company to chart a course for the Eye of Terror.
Chaplain Herdain - A resolute and staunch Battle-Brother, Chaplain Herdain was reassigned to the 3^rd Company after their dishonourable actions during the Archimedon Campaign, and resolved that he would ensure that the company's Astartes were absolved of their sins by achieving a noble death during the grueling campaign on Helmabad. When Captain Gessart informed the Chaplain of the approaching daemonic incursion and made the suggestion that they should withdraw, the Chaplain refused to countenance such cowardice and was provoked into confronting the disreputable captain for command of the company. When he attempted to sway the men of the 3^rd Company to support him, Gessart ended the debate by shooting Herdain in the head, killing him instantly.
Librarian Zacherys - Zacherys was the Librarian assigned to the 3^rd Company. His prophetic visions helped influence the company's actions. When he informed Captain Gessart of the impending daemonic incursion that would arrive in a matter of hours as part of a Warp Storm that would engulf the doomed world of Helmabad, Gessart resolved to withdraw his forces and save his men by any means possible. Zacherys stood by his captain and supported his decision after discerning the meanings of his visions; for he knew that to stay on the planet meant certain death.
Apothecary Tylo - Tylo was an Apothecary assigned to the 3^rd Company. He sided with Captain Gessart against Chaplain Herdain, claiming that to allow their Chapter's gene-seed to fall into the hands of the Forces of Chaos was unthinkable.
Brother Hechsen - Hechsen was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who sided with Chaplain Herdain, choosing execution at the hands of his fellow Battle-Brother, Nicz, rather than sully his company's honour further by withdrawing from Helmabad in disgrace.
Brother Karlrech - Brother Karlrech was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who sided with Chaplain Herdain's decision to stay and die an honourable death, refusing to change his mind even after Herdain's execution, and was subsequently executed at the hands of Brother Nicz.
Brother Lehenhart- Lehenhart was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who sided with Captain Gessart's decision to withdraw, declaring that to do so was not cowardice, but survival. To fight against impossible odds was tantamount to committing suicide.
Brother Nicz - Nicz was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who sided with his commander's decision to withdraw from the doomed world of Helmabad, though his viewpoint was more extreme than even Gessarts' own; the situation was untenable and the company's honour meant nothing compared to survival. In the end, after the 3^rd Company's Astartes successfully carried out their plan and withdrew from the doomed world, Gessart realised that they had truly become Renegades and ordered the company to set course for the Eye of Terror. Realising his folly, Nicz attempted to assert his authority over his commander, but the captain confronts Nicz and dared his subordinate to shoot him if he believed that he could best him. Nicz relented and stood down, resigned to his fate as a Traitor to the Emperor.
Brother Ruphen - Ruphen was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who agreed with Chaplain Heldain's decision to stay on Helmabad and die honourably. He was the first Avenging Son to draw his weapon and aim it at a fellow Battle-Brother.
Brother Rykhel - Rykhel was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who also agreed with Chaplain Heldain's decision, declaring his oaths of loyalty to the Chapter meant that he had no say as to the manner or place of his death. Reluctantly, he went along with Captain Gessart's devious plan after Heldain was executed. After the 3^rd Company successfully withdrew from the planet, Rykhel elected to desert in an escape pod to bring word to his Chapter of Gessart's treachery. Considering the only place he would be able to land safely was controlled by Heretics and was about to be overrun by a daemonic incursion unleashed by an onrushing Warp Storm, Gessart doubted that Rykhel would live long enough to carry out his plan.
Brother Willusch - Willusch was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who sided with Captain Gessart; to throw the 3^rd Company's lives away in such a pointless manner was a needless self-sacrifice.
Brother Heynke - Heynke was a Battle-Brother of the 3^rd Company who was unsure which side to choose, but eventually chose to support the opinion of the vast majority of the 3^rd Company, and agreed to Captain Gessart's plan to withdraw their forces from Helmabad.
Brother Chaim - Brother Chaim was a Mark V Dreadnought of the Avenging Sons' 2^nd Company who served during the First Taros Intervention of the Taros Campaign. He was killed in action against the Tau during the failed attempt to assassinate the heretical Planetary Governor of Taros, Uphir Aulis.
Brother Hakael - Brother Hakael was a Mark IV Dreadnought of the Avenging Sons' 2^nd Company who served during the First Taros Intervention of the Taros Campaign Kill-team.
Apothecary Korpus - 2^nd Company Apothecary during the Antillis IV Campaign.

Non-Astartes personell:

Kholich Beyene - Chief Chapter Serf who served aboard Captain Gessart's Strike Cruiser Vengeful.

Chapter Fleet

The Avenging Sons have an average-sized Chapter Fleet, of which the only known vessels are:

Proxima Justus (Strike Cruiser) - The Proxima Justus delivered the Avenging Sons' 2^nd Company to the desert Mining World of Taros during the First Taros Intervention in the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Planetary Governor Uphir Aulis that set off the Imperial Taros Campaign against the Tau in 998.M41.
Vengeful (Strike Cruiser) - The Vengeful belonged to the former commander of the 3^rd Company, Captain Gessart. When the commander fled the doomed planet of Helmabad in the face of an impending daemonic incursion and Warp Storm, Gessart ordered the vessel to make course for the Eye of Terror, as they were now true Renegades and would never be able to reconcile with their Chapter.

Chapter Appearance

Chapter Colours

The Avenging Sons wear sapphire blue coloured Power Armor. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is gold in colour. The white coloured squad specialty symbol on the right shoulder guard designates operational specialty -- Tactical, Devastator, Assault or Veteran. A black coloured Roman numeral is stenciled on the centre of the squad specialty symbol which indicates squad number. The colour of the shoulder pad trim indicates company number in accordance with the dictates of the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1^st Company), Yellow (2^nd Company), Red (3^rd Company), Green (4^th Company), ect.

Chapter Badge

The Avenging Sons' Chapter badge is a white coloured crosslet, centred on a field of sapphire blue.

Sources

Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)
Dark Imperium (Anthology), "Apothecary's Honour" by Simon Jowett
Heroes of the Space Marines (Anthology) "Renegades" by Gav Thorpe, pg. 79
Imperial Armour - Volume Three - Taros Campaign
Insignium Astartes, pg. 60

Avenging Sons

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