Dark Castellans

The Dark Castellans is a Chaos Space Marine warband of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion. Its Heretic Astartes are led by the Warsmith Kallus. The Dark Castellans were instrumental in overthrowing their brethren on the Forge World of Taris, and taking their place as the new garrison in order to supply the Black Legion with needed war-material.

History
Warsmith Kallus was tired to serve Perturabo, his Primarch, as garriosn-captain on one of the many fortresses on Medrengard. Kallus thought to betray his Primarch and pledge his loyalty to the Abaddon, the Warmaster of the Black Legion. And so he did.

In order to prove his loyalty, Abaddon tasked Kallus to take over Taris, a Forge World outside the Eye of Terror. The planet was an ancient world, pre-dating the Imperium. It was discovered by the soldier Macharius in his crusade, and lost again in Macharian Heresy. In that time, companies from the Fourth Legion took the world. Since then, it has produced weapons for the Iron Warriors.

The Hereteks of the Dark Mechanicum, servants of Abaddon aided the Dark Castellans with escaping the Eye of Terror. Abaddon developed a plan to take over Taris, which the Kallus was about to put to use. Kallus and his small company of men landed on Taris and surrendured to the Iron Warriors garriosn-force,

His former warband-member, Terrox, the current garrison-captain of Taris, interrogated Kallus, demanding to know the truth. Kallus lied by telling him that he came to Taris to relieve Terrox of his duty, so that Terrox could return to Medrengard. Terrox did not trust Kallus. He informed him that he will verify that order with his Primarch. And if that order were to be falls, then kallus would be punished.

For three days Kalus was present in the prison-chamber, secretly uploading a piece of scrapcode into the Forge Worlds's noosphere, that were created by Abaddon's hereteks. When his warband struck, he was ready. Kallus and his Dark Castellans have survived long enought to upload the code and take over the Skitarii-warriors who were defending Taris. Once that came to fruition, the Skitarii were turned against their former allies. Terrox was killed and Tais was taken by the Dark Castellans in the name of the Warmaster. Kallus was ready to join the Black Legion and take the battle to the servants of the Falls Emperor. But that was not to be. Abaddon had a different plans for Kallus. To his horror, Kallus was to be wired to the Command-Throne of the planet's Forge-temples. He would defend it against any and all threats that present themselves, and use its resources to manufacture materiel for the Black Legion.

Notable Dark Castellans

 * Warsmith Kallus - Former servant of Perturabo, and the current Castellan of Taris. Kallus betrayed his Primarch to join the Black Legion. He was capable at carring out the Warmaster's order of conequring the Forge World of Taris. Only to realise too late, that he would spend the rest of his existance on the duty he thought to escape.
 * Brane - Second-in-Command of the Dark Castellans, Brane led the assault against the Iron Warriors present on Taris.

Warband's Fleet

 * Fallen Empire (Battle-Barge)- The Battle-Barge Fallen Empire serve the Dark Castellans as their personal starship.

Soruce

 * Black Iron (Short Story) by Graeme Lyon