Deathwatch Chaplain

"“Honour the fallen; speak their Rites of Passage with pride. Give respect unto the battle gear of the dead. Praise the bravery of the living with a loud, clear voice. Above all else, honour the Emperor and the Primarchs for their hand in our victory. I undertake to do this at battles’ end with reverence despite exhaustion and many wounds. It is my burden and my satisfaction to do so."

- Deathwatch Chaplain Antieus at the Fallow Cross Massacre

A Deathwatch Chaplain is the spiritual leaders of the Deathwatch who minister to the spiritual well being of their brother Space Marines. They are consummate warriors who lead from the front as awe-inspiring warrior priests, fighting where the fight is fiercest and praising the Emperor through the destruction of his enemies. These individuals are the wisest and fiercest members of the Chapter, mighty heroes that have demonstrated their own enduring devotion and uncompromising zeal on countless occasions. Not only are Deathwatch Chaplains fierce combatants, they are also dedicated scholars of the various traditions, histories and beliefs of a thousand different Space Marine Chapters. For it is their duty to minister to Battle-Brothers of other Chapters in the Deathwatch, many which have long-standing rivalries and past antagonisms. Exposed to the constant terrors and threat of the xenos, a Deathwatch Chaplain must always stand ready to renew a Battle-Brother's devotion when he falters, and to remind him of his duty and his vows when hope seems lost.

History
Deathwatch Chaplains act in a similar role to those of other Chapters by serving as the spiritual leaders of Battle-Brothers undertaking their Vigil with the Deathwatch. However, the challenges facing a Deathwatch Chaplain are unique. The rigours of serving in the Deathwatch can be sorely vexing for Space Marines accustomed to the rigidly ordered life of their own Chapters. Long periods of isolation and privation await them, only punctuated by chaotic, often-desperate combat against wildly diverse enemies. The need to work alongside Battle-Brothers of other Chapters in the Deathwatch can be challenging in itself, particularly amongst those from Chapters with long-running rivalries and past antagonisms. Most of all, Battle-Brothers in the Deathwatch are exposed to horrible truths about the true threat of the xenos lurking just beyond the circle of the Emperor’s light. They will witness sights that can shake their faith to its very foundations and yet are often asked only to watch and report back on what they have seen.

This corrosive poison of seeming impotence and frustration can drive Space Marines to insane acts of self-sacrifice in a hopeless effort to overcome star-spanning evils. A Deathwatch Chaplain must always stand ready to renew a Battle-Brother's devotion when he falters, and to remind him of his duty and his vows when hope seems lost. On the most difficult missions a Deathwatch Chaplain will lead his Battle-Brothers personally to ensure that their fervour is directed towards victory even if it comes at the cost of the sacrifice of the entire Kill-team. The fierce dedication of a Chaplain to his own Chapter usually makes them unsuitable to become Deathwatch Chaplains, although examples of such broad-minded individuals do exist. More typically, Battle-Brothers find their calling through apprenticeship to an existing Deathwatch Chaplain who has noted their unflagging zeal in pursuit of the alien. Once a Deathwatch Chaplain takes his vows he will seldom see his old Chapter again, instead giving himself entirely to the Long Vigil and the duties of the Deathwatch.

A Deathwatch Chaplain must study extensively during his training. He must known the beliefs and values of a thousand different Chapters and their sometimes contradictory legends of the Primarchs by heart. A Deathwatch Chaplain must become a dedicated scholar of the Primarchs and of Chapter histories originating at the very dawn of the Imperium. Thus, when a Deathwatch Battle-Brother stands at the brink of despair or impotent rage, the Chaplain will know the right liturgies and catechisms to speak, and which Chapter heroes or legendary battles of the past to cite that will inspire the warriors of the present. Deathwatch Chaplains also make it their business to know of every potential motivation, conflict and agenda amongst their Battle-Brothers before battle is joined. Many Battle-Brothers are amazed by the knowledge of Deathwatch Chaplains, and in some cases that knowledge extends even unto the deepest mysteries known only to the inner circle of Chapter hierarchies. A Deathwatch Chaplain takes no sides and makes no judgments about individual Chapters and their long study grants them a perspective denied to most. Deathwatch Chaplain doctrines hold that all Space Marines are united in their purpose of service to the Emperor and those bound by their vows to the Deathwatch must be united more than most.

Wargear

 * Power Armour
 * Skull Helm
 * Crozius Arcanum
 * Astartes Combat Knife or other combat accessory
 * Bolt Pistol, optional
 * Bolter
 * Plasma Pistol, optional
 * Power Sword
 * Conversion Field
 * Chainswords, optional

Some Chapters allow their Chaplains to carry a variety of close combat and heavy weaponry as well as grenades.

Notable Deathwatch Chaplains

 * Deathwatch Chaplain Vigilant - The individual known as Brother Vigilant arrived in the final hours of 812.M41 to Watch Fortress Erioch aboard a badly damaged Inquisitorial courier vessel belonging to an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor that had departed only a month before on some urgent, unknown mission. The Inquisitor was no where to be found and the crew had died from void exposure or radiation sickness within the following week, leaving only a single clue as to what had brought the vessel to Erioch. A stasis-crypt was found within the courier's hold, containing a single Space Marine in a Sus-an Membrane-induced coma, clad in battle-scarred black warplate and clutching a Crozius Arcanum that had seen much use. Upon the nameless Battle-Brother’s awakening, Watch Commander Mordigael gathered the Chamber of Vigilance at the newcomer’s urgent request, to hear his case. Three days passed, as he explained himself and put his fate at the mercy of the Master of the Vigil. Whatever was said is sealed by agreement of the Master of the Vigil and the Inquisitor of the Chamber, never to be spoken of again, and the bearer of this news was granted leave to swear the Apocryphon Oath and begin a Vigil without end, taking the name Brother Vigilant in place of his own. However, instead of taking to the field immediately, Brother Vigilant spent three years in intense study, learning the many rites and rituals of the Deathwatch, before he emerged to do battle with the Emperor’s enemies, bearing once again the scarred and war-worn Crozius Arcanum he arrived with, having taken up the mantle of Deathwatch Chaplain. At present, Brother Vigilant operates from Watch Station Andronicus, departing frequently with itinerant Kill-teams venturing deeper into space contested by the Tau.