Updated Guardians of Silence Fluff

Introduction and Founding 

The Guardians of Silence were founded in 312.M41 in response to the Necron forces found in the Segmentum Pacificus. It all began when an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Fleet stumbled upon a dead world in the Halo Stars that showed evidence of an extinct highly-advanced culture. As they scoured the planet looking for arcane technology they found a great door that led into a series of tunnels, none of their equipment was able to see too far past the door. Magos Grinwald, head of the expedition, entered the the tunnels with a research team after days of work to open the door. Inside they found technological wonders like none they had seen before. After hours of exploration the team had only found one symbol that give any clue as to who the ancient technologists were. The Magos returned to the surface and took the relics with him back to the ship, planning to begin studying the strange machinery they had recovered. As he began to experiment, alarms sounded throughout the ship. Reports from the research team were coming in, mechanical beings had began to come out of the door through the tunnels. Their first reaction was awe, but awe turned to fear as the xenos weapons disintegrated the team one by one. Their armed escorts were hardly fairing better, their weapons didn’t even penetrate the armor of the beings and their armor might as well should have been sand for it disintegrated with them. Grinwald ordered his ship to leave orbit and head for the Sol system, he wasn’t going to loose the far beyond ancient relics he had recovered and he had to tell his brothers of his discovery. As they left orbit, two of the smaller vessels in the fleet were caught by a shot from the surface and they exploded in great balls of plasma fire. He noticed that the shot had gone through their void shields and armor as if they weren’t even there. Whoever the race was, they controlled technology far beyond that of the Imperium. When Magos Grinwald returned to the Sol system and reported what happened, the Fabricator-General caught wind and informed the other High Lords of Terra. Realizing the threat of whatever species had awoken on the planet, the High Lords of Terra sent an Imperial Guard regiment to further investigate and Magos Grinwald was to stay behind and continue his research. The Imperial Guard Regiment was never seen again, one message came back. “The enemy is relentless! They just kept coming, they never seem to die! Aaaaggghhh!!!” The council of High Lords met to discuss what to do about the threat, the final decision: create a new chapter of Space Marines to defend the Imperium from this new evil. They would stand guard over the Halo Stars and crush this new enemy. They would be outfitted with the Terminator Armour for the mission against these xenos would require heavy firepower and thick armor. This chapter became the Guardians of Silence. They are descended form the Ultramarines, but they were initially trained by the Deathwing of the Dark Angels Chapter. The Deathwing are masters of battle within their Terminator armor and their experience was critical in the success of the Guardians. The Guardians arrived at the fringe of the Halo Stars and the Astronomican in 377.M41 and began the journey into the darkness. Years later they came upon a large planet orbiting an orange sun, its name is Bezgroda.

Bezgroda

The dark planet is covered in craggy mountains and thick forest. The valleys are often filled with water, making travel through the mountains tedious and difficult. Light on the planet is dim, especially compared to that of Terra. At night, the planet’s moon Strix glows an eerie purple but not from reflecting light of the systems star but rather from the stones that make up its surface. The inhabitants are tribal peoples, constantly at war with one another, fighting for access to the various holds that offer protection from the creatures of the planet. They live in great seclusion from one another, only ever meeting to wage war. These people call their planet Bezgroda, meaning “Taken Darkness” due to the fact that it was taken long ago by their chief god from the foul beings who lived there in ancient times. Their religion emphasizes glory achieved in battle, devotion is shown by meditating upon ones death and mastering the art of war. Death is the center of life, viewed as they great transition and is reflected upon constantly by the tribe people. The religious ceremonies held by the the tribe shamans typically focus upon death as the sacred act of renewal. The most religious of the tribe are its warriors, masters of death. The greatest of all the various tribes’ warriors are often reclusive hermits, spending most of their life in cave’s honing their skills and studying their personal tribes art of war. They are fed by their people in payment and homage of their protection. The greatest of these hermits prove their worth by defeating the great birds of the land, many warriors meet their end attempting this feat. The Bezgrodan pantheon is led by a great god that lives in the sky, named Napi. Napi’s most common form is shown as a great bird in the night sky striking down upon his enemies or as a great warrior cloaked in gold. He is seen as the father of all Bezgrodans and the protector of their planet. The tribes worship their ancestors and thank them for giving them the holds that provide shelter for them to grow and prosper. The largest birds on the planet, the Vir’bu, resemble Terran owls except for their massive size. It is said that they carry the honored dead to join the armies of Napi, but only if they died a warrior. These beliefs have carried over to the chapter, creating the “morbid" beliefs of the Guardians.

Strix 

The planet’s moon became the home of the Guardians of Silence and they took the name the locals had for it, Strix. From space it appears dead, a scarred mass of dark stone and the dull color of lichen and moss. Tall, jagged mountains pierce through the surface like ancient blades of obsidian, reaching high into its atmosphere. Moss and lichen cover the bare stone wherever the light rests upon it, yet not much light ever touches it. The sky is never brighter than Terra at sunset, the orbit of the moon prevents it from ever receiving but the slightest touch from the sun. The The air is moist and earthy smelling, the weather never changes. The rocks of the moon emit an eerrie purple glow that makes the moon‘s light upon the planet a soft magenta. It is here, upon this moon that Napi is said to live. He is said to be with his vast army, waiting for the ancient beings to return so he can defend Bezgroda once again. This has led the people of Bezgroda to see the Guardians as his generals, considered part of the fables just as Napi is. Vaengr Monastery The Astartes live in the great monastery Vaengr, its might has been tested over the centuries of war fought in isolation. Great walls surround the monastery, its steeples and chapels stand tall into the dark, purple sky. The largest structure is the Regnia Magna which contains all the battle trophies of the chapter and paintings of its greatest victories upon its wall, it shows the history of the chapter better than any book can explain it. It is the first place one must go to enter the monastery and it stands testament to the long lasting nature of the chapter. The next largest structure is the Great Solitorium, a place of darkness and silence. It’s purpose is to provide a place for meditation and study. In the center of the structure is a circular room filled with the names of those who perished in battle, the jet black walls filled with the golden names of the chapter’s ancestors. In the center of the room stands a statue made of the purple stone, it is of the Emperor. He is revered as their greatest ancestor, father to all Space Marines. The chapter initiates spend copious amounts of time meditating in front of the statue, focusing upon the great sacrifice the Emperor made for mankind and of the sacrifices made by all their brothers past. The monastery is a defensive master piece designed by the first chapter master, Ivan Verillian. It took a century to be completed by the Adeptus Mechanicus. It has a total of 100 defence lasers, hundreds of other defensive turrets for defending the walls of the monastery itself, and six large las cannons with mounted missile launchers. The moon also has orbital defense platforms and missile silos located throughout its mountains for fighting off orbital attacks.

Chapter Relics

Wisdom’s Judgment
The master-crafted thunder hammer of the First Great Sage Ivan Verillian. It was used in Sigurn Mordax’s defeat of the Necron Lord Herald of Sorrow which cost Ivan Verillian his life. The myth of the hammer states that it will bring wisdom to its owner but if one of impure mind is to wield it they will fall in battle. Upon Ivan Verillian’s death the hammer was given to Sigurn Mordax.
Shield of Strix
Forged from the material that makes up Strix, this master-crafted storm shield is said to protect a true warrior of Strix, one who has mastered death. It was made for Great Sage Sigurn Mordax when he became Brother Sage of the 8th Company by order of Great Sage Ivan Verillian.
The Acteus Device
Created by Magos Grinwald this device detects an energy pulse generated by Necron technology. It is a large piece of equipment usually mounted on the Chapter’s Battle Barges. It’s range is limited but can be amplified by using physic powers. Magos Grinwald had been working on developing a smaller version that could be mounted in the helmet of Space Marines to assist in fighting the Necrons as they phased in and out. The design is still being worked on by his apprentice, but the task seems almost impossible.

Doctrinae Guardianus 

The Guardians of Silence are great sages of war, their battle style has been refined over the past six centuries. Meditation upon ones death is a religious practice that has continued over from the Bezgrodan culture and the Astartes are oft meditating in the darkness of Strix. This is said to ground one to their purpose and make them invincible on the battle field for they fear not death but rather embrace it. They spend their days mastering their close combat weapons of choice, entering into the exalted battle meditation. It is a state in which death and life no longer matter, they become the maestro of a symphony of death focusing every muscle fiber into every action. It is within this state, the Guardians seek to exist permanently and only the oldest veterans have accomplished this feat. Tactical skill and weapon mastery is favored over physical prowess and brute strength. Sages of War, the Guardians are a deep striking army favoring crippling blows behind enemy lines over frontal assaults. When founded, the Guardians of Silence were given many suits of tactical dreadknought or terminator armor. Fighting within the great tombs of the Necrons would require thick armor and devastating power. The ability for terminator armor to be teleported into position is widely used throughout the chapter’s companies. The chapter prefers close combat to long ranged warfare, choosing to smite the enemies of the Empire wherever they stand.