Black Chapter

The dawn of the 41st millenium was accompanied by a wave of mass hysteria that engulfed entire sub-sectors of the Anton Australis sector. As fate or the machinations of Dark Gods would have it, this coincidened with a number of Warp storms in the vincinity. Despite the most strenous efforts of his Divine Majesty's servants, the faith of many planetary populations faltered with devastating results. To the horror of the Ordo Malleus, 64 daemonic incursions of varying size were reported in the space of eight solar days. Although the Grey Knights were equipped with the fastest ships and most puissant navigators available, they were not able to reach many of the afflicted planets in time. Untold  Gbillions lost their lives and their souls to creatures spawned by man's darkest nightmares.

In the aftermath, members of the Ordos Antona Australis, pertitioned the High Lords of Terra for a new Space Marine chapter to be founded within the sector with the express purpose of fighting and slaying the foul detizens of the Warp. Decades passed, as their petition was heard, lost, refiled in triplicate and on one occasion, accidently eaten by one of the High Lord's canine susapeds. Eventually, the request was granted, despite private fears that the Ordos was attempting to form its own power base within the sector. It is suspected by the Ordos that the Stars of Dorn's opposition to the request may have been partly the cause of the delay.

For the Black Chapter, the reasons and the politics behind their creation are irrevelant. They exist only to cast the daemon back unto the dark pit from whence it came. Like the Grey Knights on which they are modelled, their lives are those of spartan purity, their personalities cast down to their foundations before being rebuild to the Ordo Malleus's exacting specifications. For almost a thousand years, they have stood as a bulwark against the daemonic and the minons of Chaos. Through this time, they have accquited themselves honourably, with only a scant handful of defeats tarnishing their considerable glory.

Their relations with the other armed forces of the Imperium are varied. To the Imperial Guard and the PDF forces of his Divine Majest'y's dominion, they are holy terrors, the wrath of the Emperor made manifest. As for the Stars of Dorn, their very existence is a slight, for the Stars are proud and are loathe to admit that there are some foes best left to others.

The Black Chapter are curently led by Grand Master Kastor Joneuth, whose pity is said to be so great that those sinners unlucky enough to find themselves in his presence are racked with agony even before the first touch of his weapon, the force halbard, "Decido Immunda". Kastor's is curerntly driven by the burning need to find the loathesome servant of Khorne, Warpbane and offer up his head as a burnt offering unto the Lord.