Howling Griffons

"Here we stand and here we shall die, unbroken and unbowed, though the very hand of death itself come for us, we will spit our defiance to the end!" - Revered-Ancient Titus, during the last stand on Khymara Elipsis

The Howling Griffons are a Loyalist Space Marines Chapter founded in the 33rd Millennium from the gene-seed of the Ultramarines who fought in the Badab War and saw extensive action in the 13th Black Crusade, fighting against Chaos Plague Marines in the defence of the world of Amistel Majoris. The Howling Griffons take a special pride in their oaths, seeing each as the promise of an unending effort until the deed sworn in the oath is accomplished or the oathtaker has been slain in the trying. Before battle, additional oaths are often added to the Howling Griffons' already long lists of promises, some sworn for the Chapter as a whole and others that are far more personal for each Astartes. Once an oath is taken, a Howling Griffons Astartes goes to extreme lengths to complete it and it is never forgotten, even if decades have passed. Completed or satisfied oaths are taken as a badge of honour, often inscribed on parchments or directly into the Power Armour of the oathtaker.

Chapter History
The Howling Griffons are staunch traditionalists amongst their fellow Adeptus Astartes, who consider themselves first and foremost to be defenders of the Imperium of Man and an instrument of the divine Emperor's purpose. Their exact origins remain lost in the shadowed wars of the 35th Millennium, but what is known is that they have always been a highly active Chapter. Few Space Marine Chapters can boast of such extensive campaign honours as the Howling Griffons. This Chapter is notable for having been at the forefront of a great many Imperial battles and campaigns throughout the ages. The Howling Griffons are also justly proud of their ability to engage almost continuously in conflict and auccessfully fight the most bitterly contested campaigns. Due to the Howling Griffons' glorious record, they have gained the right and title from the High Lords of Terra to recruit their initiates from several different worlds in order to sustain a high level of induction and combat the continuous attrition in the Chapter's ranks.

However, a dark shadow has fallen over the Howling Griffons' otherwise glorious history. The Chapter maintains a longstanding bloody vendetta against the foul entity that would become the Daemon Prince Periclitor the Foresworn, and the Word Bearers Traitor Legion from which this vile creature sprang. For millennia, the Howling Griffons have pursued thePericlitor's warband of Chaos Space Marines drawn from the Night Lords Traitor Legion, who are responsible for the death of the Howling Griffons' former Chapter Master Orlando Furioso and the entire 1st Company on the 5,000th anniversary of the Chapter's creation. During the 13th Black Crusade, however, the current Chapter Master Alvaro diverted his battle barge Force of Destiny from the war effort to pursue the Daemon Prince. Revenge was finally obtained when Periclitor was banished at the height of a titanic space battle between the Howling Griffons' 1st Company and the Chaos Space Marines of the Daemon Prince's warband.

Notable Campaigns

 * Arios System (220.M38) - Late in the year 220.M38 the Howling Griffons Chapter were preparing to celebrate the 5000th anniversary of their Founding. As Furioso and the 1st Company made their way to the Chapter's homeworld, Lord Periclitor of the Night Lords and a substantial force of his Chosen fell upon the Howling Griffons' starship as it traversed the Arios beacon. The battle was a furious one, culminating with Periclitor and his elite boarding Furioso's battle barge aboard their Dreadclaw Drop Pods. The attack crippled the ship, and the defenders were forced to evacuate aboard their Thunderhawk and escape pods. The battle was continued upon the surface of Arios Quintus, where the survivors were surrounded and eventually cut down. The body of Furioso was mounted upon the front hull of his Thunderhawk, this permitted the body and its gene-seed to be successfully recovered.
 * Valerian Purges (Date Unknown) - The Howling Griffons, with the Imperial Guard's 108th Cadian Regiment, the "Wyverns", saw action in the Valerian Purges.
 * The Dennar IV Suppression (109.M41) - The Howling Griffon's 3rd Company, led by Captain Penvath Joachim, responded to a call for aid from the agri-world Dennar IV. When they arrived at the planet, they discovered a handful of city-states full of refugees holding out against a horde of Chaos Cultists and daemons. The Howling Griffons used their superior armor and tactics to defeat the Forces of Chaos, rallying the local forces and leading them in a long and bloody struggle to clear the planet of the uprising. Afterwards, the Howling Griffons swore an everlasting oath to protect the world; in return Dennar IV now provides new recruits for the Chapter.
 * Caradryad Sector (905-906.M41)  - Shortly before the Badab War, the Howling Griffons' 4th Company as well as parts of their 6th, 10th and 1st Companies, carried out a lengthy search-and-destroy campaign within the Caradryad Sector. It can be safely assumed that a large number of planetary assaults were carried out during this action as the Howling Griffons were severely lacking in Thunderhawks and Drop Pods when answering the call for aid in the Badab War as they had not had the chance to return to Mancora and resupply their stocks of materiel.
 * Badab War (901-912.M41) - The Howling Griffons were assigned to convoy duties during the Badab War, allowing the Red Scorpions and Fire Hawks to return to their normal duties.
 * 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - During the 13th Black Crusade the Howling Griffons sent 8 companies to aid the Imperial defence. The 1st Company of the Howling Griffons, including Chapter Master Alvaro, were based on the battle barge Force of Destiny and sought to track down and eliminate a company of Night Lords Chaos Space Marines known as the Chosen under the command of the infamous Daemon Prince Periclitor.
 * Liberation of Vanqualis - The world of Vanqualis was under attack by Orks. The Howling Griffons and the Imperial Guard's 901st Penal Legion defeated the Greenskin tide. Shortly after landing the Howling Griffons turned on the Renegade Soul Drinkers Chapter, believing them to be the bearers of a Chaos artefact, the Black Chalice.

Chapter Organisation
The Howling Griffons are organised along the strict guidelines of the Codex Astartes, seeing this tome not so much as holy writ, but simply as the finest military treatise ever written. The Howling Griffons is also notably well-provided for in both arms and wargear. The Chapter's extensive forges on their homeworld of Mancora tirelessly work to keep the Howling Griffons supplied and to make good on battlefield losses as they occur. The capacity of their armouries are such that they are not only able to keep pace with the Chapter's aggressive nature, but they are also able to manufacture and maintain some of the rarer battle machines, such as the Land Raider Prometheus and advanced Mark VIII Errant pattern Power Armour in noteworthy numbers. Also of note is the Chapter's tradition of maintaining powerfulpsykers in its ranks, due in no small part to the recruits they adopt from their homeworld of Mancora. This planet's population is known to have a higher than average incidence of psykers born among its population. This has resulted in the Chapter's ability to maintain a strong Librarium down through the centuries, due in no small part to their own Codiciers taking an active role in culling and policing Mancora's population and weeding out those psykers who would be a danger to themselves and the population at large.

Chapter Combat Doctrine
The Howling Griffons strive to remain within the tenets of the Codex Astartes, keeping to its Codex-approved disposition and division of companies wherever possible. This made it standard for the Chapter's Battle-Brothers to master each discipline in turn as the Codex dictates. Competition within the Chapter for excellence is intense and encouraged, but is never allowed to spill over into discord.

Chapter Beliefs
The Howling Griffons take special pride in their oaths, seeing each as an eternal conflict to be pursued until the sworn deed is complete. Before battle, additional oaths are added to their already exceedingly long lists, some for the accomplishment of Chapter goals and others that are far more personal. Once an oath is taken, a Howling Griffons Battle-Brother goes to extreme lengths to complete it even over the course of decades. Completed or satisfied oaths are a badge of honour, often inscribed on parchments or directly into the Howling Griffons' armour.

Notable Howling Griffons

 * Chapter Master Orlando Furioso - Late in the year 220.M38 the Howling Griffons Chapter were preparing to celebrate the 5000th anniversary of their Founding. As Furioso and the 1st Company made their way to the Chapter's homeworld, Lord Periclitor of the Night Lords and a substantial force of his Chosen fell upon the Howling Griffons' starship as it traversed the Arios beacon. The battle was a furious one, culminating with Periclitor and his elite boarding Furioso's battle barge aboard their Dreadclaw Drop Pods. The attack crippled the ship, and the defenders were forced to evacuate aboard their Thunderhawk and escape pods. The battle was continued upon the surface of Arios Quintus, where the survivors were surrounded and eventually cut down. The body of Furioso was mounted upon the front hull of his Thunderhawk, this permitted the body and its gene-seed to be successfully recovered.
 * Mercaeno, Chief Librarian of the Howling Griffons - Mercaeno fulfilled the oath of avenging Chapter Master Furioso's death by vanquishing the Daemon Prince Periclitor during the 13th Black Crusade. He then led the battle barge Cerulean Claw to Vanqualis in the Obsidian System to fulfill an oath to the ruling Falken family to defeat the Soul Drinkers who were mistakenly identified as the bearers of the Chaos artefact called the Black Chalice. Mercaeno had a titanic physical and psychic duel with Sarpedon in the Soul Drinkers' Space Hulk Brokenback. He broke Sarpendon's Force Staff and defeated him. However, before he could deal the death blow to Sarpedon with his Force Axe, Mercaeno met his demise at the hands of Eumenes, the renegade leader of the Soul Drinkers. Sarpedon then defeated Eumenes and won the leadership of the Chapter back. Chapter Master Sarpedon of the Soul Drinkers now wields Lord Mercaeno's Force Axe.

Chapter Colours
The Howling Griffons Chapter colour scheme is a quartered red and yellow design.

Chapter Badge
The Howling Griffons Chapter badge is a black griffon rampant. On Sigmar VI, the Insurgency Force from this Chapter wore a yellow, orange and brown camouflage pattern with smaller black spots.

Gallery
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