The Angels of Redemption is a Loyalist Chapter of Space Marines and a Second Founding successor of the Dark Angels Legion.
Nothing can dissuade the Angels of Redemption from their mission to hunt down the Fallen Angels, and it has been noted that the Chapter has, on occasion, withdrawn from a campaign in order to pursue its own undisclosed ends.
It was at the height of the Defence of Gaitlinghive that the Angels of Redemption redeployed at the moment of the Orks' final assault, leaving seven brigades of Gaitlinghive militia alone to face an Orkish horde three million Greenskins strong.
The Angels of Redemption were never called to account for this act, as there were no survivors to press any formal inquiry. The Angels themselves embarked upon a hunt that led them to capture the Fallen Dark Angel Baalakai -- a victory, to them, worth the lives of the Gaitlinghive militia, and the population of the hive city they fought to protect.
Perhaps due to this incident, and other similar events, Imperial forces have actually declined the aid of the Angels of Redemption.
The consequences of their reputation have yet to emerge, but could range from Inquisitorial censure to outright excommunication, depending upon the Chapter's actions in the coming years.
Chapter History
Angels of Redemption Chapter Colour Scheme as displayed by a Firstborn Space Marine.
The Angels of Redemption is a Chapter of the Second Founding, created from the gene-seed of the Dark Angels. This Chapter is celebrated throughout the Imperium of Man, their deeds almost as famed as those of their Progenitors.
They have fought in many campaigns and wars, both as a part of a greater Imperial force or as a single Chapter. Like their fellow Unforgiven Chapters, however, they are wont to stand apart from their own allies.
Angels of Redemption Chapter Colour Scheme as displayed by Primaris Marine Brother Mortimus, 5th Company, 1st Squad (battleline).
This Dark Angels Successor Chapter displays a particular zeal in prosecuting their quest against the Fallen Angels. Nothing can dissuade them from this most sacred of quests, to right the ancient wrongs of their progenitors.
Even though the Chapter has proven itself in battle, their help is sometimes refused due to their reputation for acting against orders and on occasion withdrawing from a campaign in order to pursue their own, undisclosed ends.
This has often times resulted in tragic consequences for their allies. Due to a number of incidents, Imperial forces have at times actually declined the aid of the Angels of Redemption, despite the terrible insult implicit in doing so.
Calls for Inquisitorial censure have been forestalled by the opening of the Great Rift following the destruction of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade. With disrupted communications keeping reports of further misdeeds from reaching Terra, the Chapter's secret quest has been allowed to continue.
Notable Campaigns
- The Forgotten Wars (580.M31-632.M32) - During an unspoken period of their history, referred to as the Forgotten Wars, rumours lead the Dark Angels, along with three of their Successor Chapter, the Angels of Redemption, the Angels of Vengeance and the Lions Sable, to embark upon a harrowing campaign to track down multiple Fallen. The clues lead them through Segmentum Obscurus, deep into the Gothic Sector, and eventually into the Eye of Terror itself. In hindsight it is easy to see that the Ruinous Powers baited the Dark Angels. Only the Dark Angels' irrepressible resolve allowed them to escape, and they paid a high price in casualties. The Lions Sable was completely annihilated. To cover up their immediate losses after their warriors were thought lost to the Warp, the resources of the recruiting world of the Lions Sable -- the ebon orb of Nachwald -- were usurped to replenish the Angels of Vengeance and the Angels of Retribution. The Dark Angels staged a false plasma explosion aboard the Rock to explain their loss of records, for it was decided by the Inner Circle to destroy all records relating to the event. Of the Forgotten Wars, the Dark Angels do not speak, nor has it entered into the apocryphal tales told to their initiates. They have gone to great lengths to ensure all references to that campaign or to the Lions Sable have been stricken from the records available to the Adeptus Terra. Deep in the dungeons of the Rock are secreted the only remaining accounts, and only those of the Inner Circle ever learn of that heroic sacrifice that must forever go untold.
- The Redwings of Redemption (Unknown Date.M32) - Aided by the vast armouries of the The Rock, the Angels of Redemption restructured and re-equiped their 1st and 2nd Companies -- the Redwings -- in emulation of the Dark Angels' Deathwing and Ravenwing. The other Successor Chapters soon followed suit.
- Saviour of Praxus (997.M33) - The Angels of Redemption found sedition upon one of their own recruiting worlds. The notorious Fallen Cypher, under the guise of the Saviour of Praxus, had been manipulating recruiting practices, hand-selecting and training the feral warriors to increase their chances of being chosen. He escaped before he could be apprehended.
- Defence of Gaitlinghive (Unknown Date.M41) - The Angels of Redemption abandoned their post beside seven brigades of Gaitlinghive militia just before the final assault by a horde of three million Orks to capture a Fallen Angel. This resulted in the fall of Gaitlinghive and the massacre of all its remaining people by the triumphant Greenskins. The Chapter was never called to account for its actions, as there were no survivors to press any form of formal inquiry to the Imperium. The Angels of Redemption had forsaken their duties to begin a hunt that led them to capture a particularly notorious Fallen Angel, the former Dark Angels Legion's Captain Baalakai.
- Brother Against Brother (Unknown Date.M36) - Still operating largely in the Segmentum Pacificus, the Dark Angels took a lead role in the fierce fighting that characterised the era known as the Cataclysm of Souls. In addition to putting down all who rejected the High Lords of Terra and the Ecclesiarchy, they searched for signs of the Fallen. Although the Unforgiven Chapters are seen as loyal by the wider Imperium, many dark rumours tell of the Angels of Redemption abandoning their duties to pursue their own veiled missions.
- Achilus Crusade - Sepulchre Sigma Incident (811.M41) - A combined Angels of Redemption force consisting of elements of the Chapter's 1st and 2nd Companies deployed to the Jericho Reach in 811.M41, though not at the request of the Crusade's High Command. The force made orbit around Fortress Spite, and several of the Chapter's officer cadre including an Interrogator-Chaplain demanded entry into the dungeons of Sepulchre Sigma. Refusing entry to the Space Marines, a short, brutal firefight ensued. Thirty enlisted men and three senior officers were killed. The Space Marines finally emerged three days later, several of their number bearing a stasis-casket, and returned to their vessel. The Angels of Redemption then departed Fortress Spite, without explanation, and were last seen heading towards the Hadex Anomaly.
- Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - The Angels of Redemption participated in the Third War for Armageddon. When the Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka led a second unsuccessful WAAAGH! against that crucial Hive World, the Angels of Redemption committed 4 companies to the conflict. During its operations on Armageddon, the Chapter's forces were redirected to the homeworld of the Imperial Guard's Monglor Ogryn Auxilia in order to put down an insurrection by the indigenous Ogryn population.
- 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - The Angels of Redemption sought to help defend the Cadian Sector from the assault of Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade.
- War of Beasts (ca. 001-025.M42) - The Angels of Redemption deployed 1 company in a force comprised of other Unforgiven Chapters to aid the defence of the strategically important world of Vigilus from assault by xenos and Chaos foes.
- Invasion of the Stygius Sector (Unknown Date.M42) - The Angels of Redemption participated in the unsuccessful defence of the Stygius Sector from an invasion by the forces of the Blood God Khorne.
Chapter Organisation
Most of the Unforgiven Chapters follow the Dark Angels' pattern of organisation, including having formations similar to the Deathwing and the Ravenwing, although they are not named as such.
For instance, the Angels of Redemption have the Redwings, their 1st and 2nd Companies, and although they have performed admirably, they have not garnered the recognition like that of the Dark Angels' famous Deathwing and Ravenwing.
Like the Dark Angels, the Unforgiven Successor Chapters also have a clandestine group who possess knowledge of the Fallen and of the true events that occurred on Caliban. This clandestine group comprised of the Chapter's elite Veteran battle-brothers is known as the "Inner Circle."
Notable Angels of Redemption
- Gualtino (KIA) - Gualtino was a Space Marine of the Deathwatch, originally drawn from the Angels of Redemption. He was attached to the watch station of Picket's Watch, where he served as a member of Kill-team Primus, piloting the Kill-team's Corvus Blackstar. Kill-team Primus was assigned by Watch Captain Nergui to anti-T'au operations in the Damocles Gulf. While travelling through the Sexton Sector, the Kill-team discovered an old T'au communications hub on a moon designated QX-937. Investigating this, the Kill-team were ambushed by a force of experimental T'au Battlesuits that were being tested on the moon. The T'au force killed all eight Astartes, including Gualtino, but their remains were uncovered by Nergui, who proceeded to command an assault on the Battlesuit's production facility, the M'Yan'Ral Base.
Chapter Relics
The Angels of Redemption relic Storm Shield called The Bastion Unwavering.
- The Bastion Unwavering - This mighty Storm Shield stands little over a metre-and-a-half tall, forged of triple-hardened adamantium, and reinforced with a potent force field. It was brought to Watch Fortress Erioch by Brother Asmodel of the Angels of Redemption, and when its protection at last failed him, his Chapter demanded the return of their sacred relic. The Watch Commander of the time saw this as dishonour upon Asmodel's service in the Deathwatch, and kept it within the armouries of Erioch, where it remains a point of contention between the Deathwatch and the Angels of Redemption to this day.
Chapter Appearance
Angels of Redemption Chapter Badge
Chapter Colours
The Angels of Redemption's power armour bears livery that is halved horizontally, with the dark green worn in remembrance of their parent Ist Legion's lost homeworld's forests, and bone-white on the left.
A red Aquila or Imperialis is worn on the chest guard. The red squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support or Veteran -- is indicated on the right shoulder guard whilst the Chapter iconography is painted on the left.
Squad designation is indicated by a white Low Gothic numeral stenciled in the centre of the squad specialty symbol.
Company colours are designated on the right knee guard.
Like their parent Chapter, Veteran Angels of Redemption and Inner Circle members are commonly found wearing red hooded cloaks and tabards; this symbolises their shame over what the Fallen Angels did near the end of the Great Crusade.
Chapter Badge
The Angels of Redemption's Chapter badge is a white skull bearing black, stylised wings. This is centred on a field of bone white.
Sources
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Dark Angels (8th Edition), pp. 11, 18-21, 45, 59
- Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition), pg. 32
- Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pp. 72-73, 75
- Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 12, 16, 76
- Codex: Dark Angels (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 40-41, 45, 168
- Dataslate: Cypher - Lord of the Fallen, pp. 18, 20, 25, 28
- Deathwatch - Honour the Chapter (RPG), pg. 125
- Deathwatch - Rites of Battle (RPG), pg. 60
- Gathering Storm - Part I - Fall of Cadia (7th Edition), pg. 97
- How to Paint Space Marines (2004), pg. 80
- Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Defiant (8th Edition), pg. 79
- Storm of Damocles (Novel) by Justin D. Hill, Chs. 2, 4, 8