Mortifactors

The Mortifactors are a Loyalist, Codex Astartes-compliant Second Founding Successor Chapter of Space Marines founded during the 31st Millennium from Ultramarines gene-seed, making them one of the Ultramarines' Primogeniture Chapters. The Mortifactors recruit from the austere night world of Posul, where the population of nomadic tribes are constantly in conflict with one another and practice cannibalism. The Mortifactors' Neophytes are chosen from the most vicious and skilled warriors on the planet - who subsequently have a morbid and dark outlook on life.

Chapter History
Split from the Ultramarines Legion during the Second Founding, nearly ten thousand years ago, the Mortifactors were descended from the same lineage of heroes as Guilliman himself.

Ancient tales told of how Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, had held the Emperor's realm together after its near destruction at the hands of the treacherous Warmaster Horus, and how his tome, the Codex Astartes, had laid the foundations of the fledgling Imperium. Central to those foundations was the decree that the tens of thousands strong Space Marine Legions be broken up into smaller fighting units known to this day as Chapters, so that never again would any one man be able to wield the fearsome power of an entire Space Marine Legion. Each of the original Legions kept their colors and title, while the newly formed Chapters took another name and set out to fight the enemies of the Emperor throughout the galaxy.

An Ultramarines Captain named Sasebo Tezuka had been given command of the newly created Mortifactors and led them to the world of Posul, where he established his fortress monastery and earned many honors in the name of the Emperor before his death.

The recruitment of new Neophytes is done by the Chapter's Chaplains who were originally part of the upper echelons of Posul's cannibalistic tribes. The halls of the Mortifactors' orbiting fortress-monastery, the Basilica Mortis, are lined with the skulls and bodies of their dead, and the chapel with the skulls of their enemies.

On the day of the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension in 998.M41, the entire Chapter entered a mass meditation. When they awoke, they prophesised that the Third War for Armageddon against the Beast would be the 'Last Battle' and all men who would be Mortifactors from the tribes of Posul were called up and recruited into the Chapter. The Mortifactors entrusted their fortress-monastery to their serfs and other servants and the entire Chapter (all 10 Companies) set off for Armageddon.

Homeworld
The bleak world of Posul is perpetually shrouded in darkness, its surfaces craggy and mountainous. The Mortifactors are feral warriors shaped by the harsh environment of their feral world. The barbaric people of the warrior tribes knowing neither sunlight nor joy. These things do not exist on Posul, only a brutal life of darkness and bloodshed. Often times a youth will have taken hundreds of skulls before being chosen to become a Space Marine and have the opportunity to kill the enemies of the Emperor.

Foretress Monastery
The Basilica Mortis is home to the Mortifactors. The ancestral home of the Mortifactors Chapter of Space Marines rotates slowly in the wan light of Posul and her faraway sun.

For nearly ten thousand years, since the Chapter's founder, Sasebo Tezuka, had been led here by the Emperor's tarot, the Mortifactors have stood sentinel over the night world of Posul, and since that time, these holy knights of the Imperium have trained members of their warrior order within the walls of their orbiting fortress monastery.

In appearance, it resembled some vast mountain range cast adrift in the void of space. The Imperium's finest tech-priests and adepts had come together to create this orbiting fortress: the Basilica was a marvel of arcane technical engineering that had long since been forgotten.

At full occupation, the monastery is home to the thousand battle-brothers of the Chapter and their officers, with a supporting staff of servitors, scribes, technomats and functionaries that number seven and a half thousand souls.

Vast docks jut from the prow of the adamantium mountain, spearing into space with slender silver docking rings rising from the jib. At any given time, heavily armed Space Marine strike cruisers are berthed in the docks, with smaller, Gladius frigates and Hunter destroyers either returning or departing on patrol throughout the Mortifactors' domain. Battle barges, devastating warships of phenomenal power, are housed in armored bays deep in the bowels of the monastery, terrible weapons of planetary destruction held in their silent hulls.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - The entire Mortifactors Chapter, all 10 companies, participated in the Third War for Armageddon.
 * The Tarsis Ultra Conflict - When the Tyranids from a splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan threatened the world of Tarsis Ultra, a planet under the sworn protection of the Ultramarines, the Mortifactors sent a company under Chaplain Astador to assist in its defence with their strike cruiser, the Mortis Probati, as they fought with the Ultramarines 4th Company and the Inquisition's elite Deathwatch Space Marines against the Tyranids' invasion of the world of Tarsis Ultra. This was the result of a renewal of brotherhood between Captain Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines' 4th Company and the Chapter Master of the Mortifactors, Lord Magyar. During the conflict, the Mortifactors showed themselves to be worthy Space Marines, albeit highly reckless at times.

Combat Doctrine
Despite being the inheritor’s of Primarch Guilliman’s gene-legacy, the Mortifactors are unusual, in the sense that they feel that they have grown beyond the needs of dogma set down in the dictates of the Codex Astartes, forging their own path from the wisdom of their Chaplains. Despite the fact that it was their Primarch that penned the words of this holiest of tomes, the Mortifactors feel that to be bound by words set down an age ago is not their way. The Mortifactors venerate the Primarch, just as the Ultramarines do. After all, he is their Chapter's father and all their oaths of allegiance are sworn to him and the Emperor. They do not scorn the words of Guilliman. In fact, they look upon the Codex Astartes’ words as the foundation for their way of life, but to follow its teachings without consideration for what they have learned and that they see around them is not wisdom, it is merely repetition. Repetition leads to stagnation. And stagnation dooms them.

Chapter Beliefs
The Chapter's Chaplains preach to their Space Marines that death will unite them with the Emperor of Mankind, and regularly enter a state of near-death prior to battles in order to find out how the Emperor would like them to fight this coming battle. When Mortifactors do die, they believe they are taken to the Halls of the Victors and sit at the feast table of the Ultimate Warrior (a divine being inhabiting the perfect body for fighting prowess), in the afterlife.

The existence of indigenous and often unique cult belief systems, martial philosophies and variations on the Imperial Cult within the Adeptus Astartes is far from uncommon. The Mortifactors obsessive veneration of death is of a more extreme variety. The Mortifactors deeply honour those who fall in the Emperor's service and hold the many martyrs of the Imperium and the dead of their Chapter with extreme reverence.

Within the Mortifactors' mighty fortress-monastery the gently arched walls are smooth and spartanly ornamented. Here and there along their length, tiny niches are lit by delicate, diffuse lights, held stasis-sealed vessels containing some of the Chapter's holy relics.

The halls of the Mortifactors are gloomy and silent as a tomb. Every portal and chamber a visitor passes through bears more skulls and upon closer inspection, only then, does one realize that none of them are carved or fashioned by human hand. All are real, bleached and dusty with age. Though visitors will see no inhabitants of the fortress monastery in their long journey, the silence is broken by occasional snatches of hymnal dirges and somber chants of remembrance.

From the main docking tunnel, seated statues run along its length. But soon, those visiting the citadel of the Mortifactors realise that these are not actually statues, but preserved human corpses. But these are no ordinary corpses, these are the preserved bodies of fallen battle-brothers whom died in glorious combat, and now reside at the feast table of the Ultimate Warrior (the Emperor).

The recruitment of new Neophytes is done by the Chapter's Chaplains who were originally part of the upper echelons of Posul's cannibalistic tribes. The halls of the Mortifactors' orbiting Fortress-Monastery, the Basilica Mortis, are lined with the skulls and bodies of their dead, and the chapel with the skulls of their enemies. The Chaplains preach to their Space Marines that death will unite them with the Emperor of Mankind, and regularly enter a state of near-death prior to battles in order to find out how the Emperor would like them to fight this coming battle. When Mortifactors do die, they believe they are taken to the Halls of the Victors and sit at the feast table of the Ultimate Warrior (a divine being inhabiting the perfect body for fighting prowess), in the afterlife.

Chapter Colours
The Mortifactors' Power Armour is painted bone white and black. The upper helmet, upper legs (but not the groin), elbows, toes and hands are painted black. The remainder of the armour, including the helmet faceplate and top of the backpack, is painted bone white. The Aquila and low backpack are primarily painted silver. The Chapter's shoulder plate trim is painted in the company colour according to the Codex Astartes.

Chapter Badge
The Mortifactors' Chapter badge is a bone white human skull painted on a black background.

Notable Members

 * Artemis - Brother Artemis of the Inquisition's Deathwatch was a member of the Mortifactors Chapter.


 * Lord Magyar - Lord Magyar is the venerable Chapter Master of the Mortifactors Chapter. His exact age is unknown, though most would guess his age to be at least seven hundred years old. Physically, Magyar cuts an impressive figure; his eyes are dark pinholes which seem to swallow all ambient light. His long, silver hair is tied in numerous crystal-wrapped braids reaching to the small of his back and his coal-dark skin resembled a lunar landscape, cratered and ridged with numberless wrinkles. A long, forked white beard falls to his waist, waxed into sharp points. He is clad in artificer armor made of bleached bone; the breastplate formed from long ribs, bent and fashioned into shape, the Imperial eagle at its center as skeletal as his winged familiar that sits atop his throne and watches the proceedings below. Every piece of this warrior's armor, from the greaves to the vambrace, cuissart and gorget is formed from bone. He carries a gigantic scythe, its blade silvered and sharp, the haft gleaming ebony.