Death Oath

"To merely execute warriors who might still bring grief to Mankind's enemies is a waste and a sin!"

- Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines Chapter.

A Death Oath is one of the most severe punishments that can be meted out to a Battle-Brother of the Loyalist Space Marine Chapters by his superiors. If a Battle-Brother has been found severely wanting, he will be forced to take an oath of moment to either fulfill a truly superhuman task or die trying, and exiled from his Chapter. Only should he manage to succeed at this suicidal task and survive will he be allowed to return to his Chapter, for he will be considered to have been absolved of his failures by the Emperor of Mankind Himself.

History
"The Codex Astartes ultimate purpose is not to tell us how to be the ultimate Space Marine, Uriel, but how to be a loyal Space Marine. Without having to account for our actions, we Ultramarines would be no different nor better than the traitors of the Black Legion!"

- First Captain Severus Agemman of the Ultramarines, talking to his fellow Captain Uriel Ventris.

The tradition of the Death Oath has been inherited from the ancient time of the Great Crusade, where both individual Space Marines and entire Space Marine Legions would take solemn oaths of moment to accomplish some glorious goal or die trying. Often, a dishonoured Space Marine would swear an oath of moment to accomplish a truly impossible thing even for a superhuman Astartes, and find redemption in death while trying to fulfill the oath. If by a miracle the Astartes managed to accomplish his heroic task, he would then be vindicated, and welcomed back amongst his Battle-Brothers as a hero.

In the 41st Millenium, a Death Oath is not often pronouced. Space Marines are endoctrinated and psycho-conditioned from the moment they are accepted as Aspirants into their Chapter that failing the Emperor and their Primarch is the grieviest sin possible, and a Space Marine will fearlessly stand his ground against all possible abominations the Galaxy can throw at him, and be slaughtered without ever thinking about taking a single step back, unless retreating can deliver victory in the longer run.

Yet for all their fearlessness and prowess in battle, failure is not unknown to the Space Marines, and some events simply cannot be ignored or prayed away. The loss of a sacred Chapter relic, or unnecessary losses in battle are but two examples of failures for which a Space Marine will be called to account for. In some instances, the Astartes superior will impose a Death Oath to the penitent Marine, often when said Battle-Brother has failed without dishoniring himself. However, the monastic existence of the Astartes, and their fanatic reverence of their Primarch Progenitor sometimes calls for punishment even in victory, as was demonstrated by Ultramarines Captain Uriel Ventris: to the Ultramarines, delivering victory while disregarding the Codex Astartes is a grievious sin.

When the Death Oath is pronounced, the concerned Battle-Brother will be announced his task before the whole of the Chapter and casted out. For all intent and purpose, he is dead to his brothers and no longer exists. To recieve a Death Oath is a harsh punishment for an Astartes, for he will be cut off from his anchor of brotherhood and sanity, and will truely be alone in a hostile Galaxy. Most Astartes who recieve such punishment die trying to fulfill their Oath, but a few manage to miraculously fulfill it, and are welcomed back to their Chapter as heroes after being tested for any corruption. A few others, unable to fulfill their objectives, either join the retinue of an Inquisitor or petition for service into the Deathwatch as a Deathwatch Black Shield, in order to give their death a measure of meaning. Sadly, some lose their sanity, and ultimately turn Renegade, and turn upon the Imperium they were forced to leave.

Notable Death Oaths
Captain Leonatos of the Blood Angels - Captain Leonatos lost the Blade Encarmine, a Master-Crafted Power Sword having belonged to the first Chapter Master of the Blood Angels in battle against Orks. Chapter Master Cervan Dante and Chief Librarian Mephiston imposed a Death Oath on Leonatos and the remaining survivors of the battle to either retrieve the Blade Encarmine, or die trying.

Captain Uriel Ventris and Sergeant Pasanius Lysane of the Ultramarines - When defending the planet of Tarsis Ultra against the Tyranids, Captain Ventris assumed command of a Deathwatch Kill-team after their leader was slain, and assisted Inquisitor Kryptman into capturing a Lictor and devising a poison whith which they could kill the Tyranid Norn-Queen. Ventris and his trusted companion Lysane then joined the Inquisitor and the Deathwatch Kill-team in the assault on the Norn Queen, but thus doing "deserted" their posts as leaders of the Ultramarine's Third Company during battle. Despite their victory, accusations of severe dereliction of duty were levelled against both Astartes by their fellows, and Chapter Master Marneus Calgar imposed on both a Death Oath to find and destroy the Daemonculabla his Chief Librarian Varro Tigurius had recieved disturbing visions about.