"Let us show these simple-minded fools that hope is less than worthless."
- — Company of Misery Chaos Space Marine
The Company of Misery is a warband of Chaos Space Marines of unknown allegiance. Since the degradation of their gene-seed stocks in the 32nd Millennium, the formerly Loyalist Chapter known as the Desolate Brotherhood found themselves assigned to impossibly dangerous and undesirable duties, including assaults on Death Worlds, Space Hulks and quarantine zones.
Each time the Brotherhood believed they had won a reprieve, they were sent on an even more hazardous mission, plunging them into a spiral of dissolution and despair. After a catastrophe in the acid swamps of the world of Misery, the Chapter took a new name and left their duties to the Emperor behind, forever becoming sworn enemies of the Imperium and the illusion of hope.
The Company of Misery was first encountered by Imperial forces as servants of Chaos on the world of Maddean IV in the 37th Millennium. A recent search of Imperial records concerning this warband led to the discovery of connections in the data between the Company of Misery and the "Brethren of Mysery." The meaning of the latter term is ambiguous and whether this is another unit of Chaos Space Marines with some prior connection to the Company of Misery or some other formation is unknown at this time.
Warband History[]
Company of Misery Warband Colour Scheme as displayed by Abomnis Mourne, the Red Knight of Tragedy
Notable Campaigns[]
- Campaign of Maddean IV (Unknown Date.M37) - It was during this campaign that the first known sighting of the Company of Misery after its corruption by Chaos was noted in Imperial records.
- The Death of the Witching Moon (013.M41) - The Forge Moon of Keziah, in the strategically vital Agathon System, fell into an unnatural eclipse when its population is driven to murder and madness in an endless night of horror. The dread forces of The Tenebrae and the Company of Misery reign as dark kings amid the nightmare, and the baleful light of the "Witching Moon" that Keziah has become spreads calamity and Warp-tainted phenomena wherever it now falls, threatening the entire star system. The first Imperial attacks by the Astra Militarum, squadrons from Battlefleet Ultima and the Inquisition are hurled back in tatters by the madness of the black light and the Warp-fuelled savagery of the defenders. It is only by the unexpected arrival of the Charnel Guard Chapter, accompanied by a sacred band from the Adepta Sororitas' Order of the Black Sepulchre bearing the holy relic known as the Book of Counted Tears before them, that the imminent loss of tens of billions of lives on Agathon Prime is prevented, and the insanity-inducing radiance of the Witching Moon is held back. The Charnel Guard lead a fresh assault as further Adeptus Astartes forces, including the Iron Hands, Storm Lords and Angels Porphyr, and Adeptus Mechanicus reinforcements arrive, fighting a brutal battle of tank and gunship clashes across the soaring metal canyons which crease the moon's surface and chamber-by-chamber Zone Mortalis actions to purge Keziah of the shadow that has befallen it. The Traitor Marines inflict fearful losses on their besiegers before they are driven into the deeper darkness of the Warp. In the wake of their retreat, all life is purged from Keziah before it is given back to the hands of the Machine Cult for tech-exorcism and eventual reclamation.
- The Invasion of Mnemosyne (Unknown Date.M41) - Fifty Chaos Space Marines of the Company of Misery invaded the Imperial world of Mnemosyne, quickly overrunning the planet's defences. However, they were unable to free the planet from the local Imperial presence. When Captain Akror of the Company of Misery attempted to destroy the Great Librarium of Mnemosyne, phantom enemies stood between him and the Librarium's scribes who were fleeing from his wrath. Those phantoms were none other than the Legion of the Damned. The Company of Misery fought a great battle against the Damned inside the Librarium's first floor, but could not prevail against the Warp-touched Space Marines. In the end, an unknown explosion took the lives of all the Traitor Marines present in the Librarium. Once the deed was done, the Loyalist Marines of the Legion of the Damned departed Mnemosyne in silence.
- Dysephamine Campaign (Unknown Date.M42) - The Dreadblade Chaos Knight Hatred of Krastellan aligned itself with the Company of Misery. Together they waged a harrowing campaign through the Dysephamine System, which culminated in them enslaving the populace of the world of Dyseph IX. The Company of Misery set about slaughtering every psyker on the planet, but not before a distress call was sent off-world. Yet this call for aid was not only anticipated but planned for by the Hatred of Krastellan. The Dreadblade's own message was added to the distress beacon -- a formal challenge to the Freeblade Sir Hekhtur and his Knight Canis Rex, the so-called "Chainbreaker." The Hatred of Krastellan then travelled to the sole moon of Dyseph IX, and on the barren surface awaited the coming of the renowned Freeblade.
Notable Сompanions of Misery[]
- Captain Akror (KIA) - Captain Akror led his company against the Imperial forces present on the world of Mnemosyne. The Planetary Defense Forces were no match for the Chaos Space Marines' might, as the Company of Misery killed all the forces that Mnemosyne could throw at them. After killing a great number of civilians inside the Cathedral of the planet's capital of Arkio, Akror and his men began to hunt the scribes who held the key to the Great Librarium of Mnemosyne. Fortunately for the Imperial local authority, their defence was bolstered by the mysterious Astartes of the Legion of the Damned. The ensuing fight proved to be fierce, and Akror was killed with his men whilst fighting the ghostly Space Marines.
Warband Fleet[]
- Herald of Anguish - A Gladius-class frigate that once bore the name of Grave Sentinel.
Warband Appearance[]
Warband Colours[]
The Company of Misery wear predominately blood-red power armour with black trim and usually incorporate black flame patterns over half their armour.
They also adorn their armour with the usual heretical Chaos symbols and fetishes, denoting their allegiance to the Dark Gods.
Warband Badge[]
The Company of Misery's warband badge is a red-arrow pointed upwards encircled by a black flame on a red background. The exact meaning of this symbol is unclear.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Codex: Chaos Knights (8th Edition), pg. 33
- Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pg. 50
- Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 50
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 15
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 18
- Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost and the Damned, pg. 23
- The Dark Hallows of Memory (Short Story) by by David Annandale