Grey Knights

In the tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Grey Knights are a mysterious chapter of Space Marines. They act as the military arm of the Ordo Malleus, the Daemon-hunting branch of the virtually omnipotent Inquisition.

History
Legend has it that the Grey Knights were founded on the order of the Emperor himself, at some point between the start of the Horus Heresy and the events of the Second Founding. Though it is uncertain about the details (see below about origins), it is thought that the Emperor ordered the creation of a force designed to fight Chaos. It was the Horus Heresy that demonstrated that a force specializing in fighting Chaos was necessary.

Originally they were thought not to be descended from any of the original twenty Space Marine Legions, having been created from a unique gene-seed, rumoured to come from the Emperor of Mankind himself.

Another possible source for their gene-seed is a purified 'cocktail' of the eight loyal Space Marines from the traitor legions, presented to the Emperor by Malcador the Sigillite, during the Siege of the Emperor's Palace. Malcador had been charged by the Emperor to gather a group of people whose loyalty, courage and strength of mind was unquestionable. The resulting eight marines possessed paranormal skills that were kept dormant (in respect of the Council of Nikaea's previous ruling) and had cast aside former loyalty to legion and Primarch. The Emperor is believed to have responded, "Malcador, you have judged well. These eight Space Marines do indeed have a vital role to play in the future of the Imperium, though veiled in secrecy will they be."

Ironically designated Chapter 666, the Grey Knights are permanently attached to the Ordo Malleus branch of the Inquisition. The Grey Knights are unique among the Space Marines as the only chapter to have full knowledge of the dark secrets of Chaos - they alone completely know of and understand the existence of Daemons and of their appearance in the real world, and they alone are best equipped to battle and defeat mankind's most terrible enemy. While other Chapters and Imperium forces have some knowledge of Daemons and how to fight them, only the Grey Knights are privy to the darkest, deepest secrets that the Ordo Malleus knows of these creatures and how to defeat them.

In the Space Marines' long history the Grey Knights hold the highest honor of all: no Grey Knight has ever turned to Chaos or betrayed the Emperor.

Due to their secret nature, little is known about their operations. Under the great monastery fortresses on Titan lie countless Grey Knight Heroes, although few outside the Inquisition will ever know they existed.

Organisation
While the Grey Knights are technically Space Marines, they do not involve themselves with the ordinary activities of the Space Marines. They do not know their Primarch, and are not listed under any Founding. They are instead attached to the Ordo Malleus, charged with uncovering and expunging the heretical taint of Chaos wherever it is found.

Each successful recruit is given a suit of Aegis Armour and a Nemesis Force weapon, and is assigned to a squad under the leadership of a Justicar. The Grey Knight can ascend to the position of Justicar, and then from this point may be awarded the Crux Terminatus of the Grey Knights (which would also be accompanied by a suit of Tactical Dreadnought armour). Elite soldiers within the Terminator corps can be promoted to the position of Brother-Captain, or even to the position of Grand Master. Multiple Grey Knights may hold the rank of Grand Master at the same time, working together to guide the Chapter as a form of ruling council. At all times, a Grand Master of the Grey Knights traditionally is a member of the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition. (Note: Tactical Dreadnought armour, or "Terminator Armour," is worn by both Brother Captains and Grand Masters)

Headquarters
The Grey Knights' fortress-monastery is located on Saturn's moon, Titan. This world is also home to the Librarium Daemonica, the Imperium's foremost repository of information relating to Daemons and Daemonology.

Although Titan is the Chapter's homeworld, squads of Grey Knights are scattered throughout the galaxy, in order to best respond to the threat of Chaos, wherever it may strike.

Unlike almost all other Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights do not follow the tenets of the Codex Astartes in the matter of force organisation. Due to the unique manner in which the Grey Knights are recruited and trained, each warrior progresses through a series of pre-ordained ranks and will operate in a particular squad led by an individual of higher rank rather than being assigned to a particular battle company. These squads may be called upon to act independently from the main body of the Grey Knight force, and have to operate at full efficiency even when light years away from the rest of their chapter. As such the leader of each Grey Knight squad is obeyed immediately and without question by those under his command.

Recruitment
Considering the role of the Grey Knights, potential recruits are put through even more stringent trials than other Space Marine Neophytes. The recruits are drawn from across the galaxy and brought to Titan for testing. The most advanced bio-engineering and psycho-surgery available is utilised to condition the Neophytes, and each recruit must pass the six hundred and sixty six Rituals of Detestation, to prove that he is capable of withstanding horrors that would break even the greatest of Space Marines. Upon success, the recruit also has their memories and personality erased, the better to ensure their absolute and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, and to prevent psychic daemons from using one's own fears and feelings against them. One of the main criteria for selection is that the recruit must show great psychic potential, as the entire Chapter is made up of psykers. Once they begin to undergoing the standard process to transform into a member of the Grey Knights, the new Grey Knight is also implanted with silver hexagrammic and pentagrammic purity wards under his skin which cover his entire body. Unlike Space Marines, Grey Knight neophytes are awarded a suit of power armour (or Aegis Armour) and are immediately pressed into service. They then move through the ranks as detailed above. This is due to their elite training.

Combat Doctrine
Most engagements will involve a single squad of Grey Knights supporting an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, or a local force. For the most serious daemonic incursions, several squads of Grey Knights are collected around the presence of a senior Brother-Captain, or even a Grand Master. In these circumstances, tactical squads will attempt to establish a beachhead in the tainted area, before the Terminators and senior Marines teleport down to the surface and engage the primary Daemon, banishing it back to the Immaterium.

The very presence of Grey Knights upon the field of battle is painful to Daemons and their kin. The psychic purity and sonorous chants of detestation repel the daemonic and make it hard for them to maintain a grip in the physical universe. This means that Grey Knights gain immense advantages against Chaotic opposition, but the high expense of an individual Grey Knight leads to its own tactical problems - for all their power, Grey Knights will always be badly outnumbered and must focus upon fast application of force.

The Grey Knight force also contains a high proportion of troops who can teleport into battle, a high-risk maneuver which can turn the tide of a battle if deployed well.

Equipment
As the Grey Knights are an elite chapter engaged in fighting Daemonic infestation, they have access to specialised equipment not available to other Chapters. Among these powerful and arcane items are the Psycannon, a powerful heavy weapon, armed with ritually inscribed silver and blessed 'bolts' which are capable of damaging Daemonkin far more than the standard Bolter. Another heavy weapon used by this chapter is a sanctified Incinerator which utilizes promethium which is mixed with sacred oils and then is ritually blessed to give it an even greater effect on the daemons that it is used on. Grey Knights may also utilise standard Space Marine weapons or equipment, although this is much rarer. In addition, Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and Grey Knight Hero units obtain powerful equipment designed to weaken the resolve and skill of warp-spawned foes. This equipment can range from simple Storm Bolters to the powerful Psycannon or relics such as the Grimoire of True Names, and even a legendary Daemonhammer.

Nemesis Force weapons
These are sanctified Force weapons, usually taking the form of a sword, halberd or spear. Sometimes a rare Nemesis hammer or mace will appear, though Nemesis weapons can take the form of any close combat weapon. Each is consecrated and anointed with sacred oils, psychically charged, and inscribed with religious scripts that are anathema to Daemons. Original Nemesis Force Weapons had Storm Bolters built into the shaft of the weapon, but newer models separated the ranged weaponry from the Nemesis Force Weapon.

Like all Force weapons available to the psychic warriors of the Imperium, the power of the weapon itself directly corresponds to the psychic talent of the wielder, and as the Grey Knights are some of the greatest psykers of the Imperium, they are truly devastating weapons in their hands. Because of this the entire chapter is able to wield these, and every member is a hero in his own right. However, due to the inexperience of younger recruits the Nemesis Force Weapon delegated to lower ranks will be weaker in terms of strength than their higher level counterparts. This makes the weapon effectively "evolve" as the bearer progresses through the ranks and masters the weapon. In the hands of a Grand Master these Force Weapons are some of the strongest in the galaxy (a Grand Master is more than capable of beheading a Nurgle Daemon Prince or a Hive Tyrant with a single cut).

Aegis Armour
The unique suits of power armor and Terminator armour worn by the Grey Knights are incredibly well crafted; anointed and inscribed with prayers and wards, ritually consecrated and psychically charged. Working in tandem with the Grey Knights' formidable psychic powers, the Aegis Armour protects the wearers from the effects of the Immaterium and the Daemons it spawns. The armour's ritual blessings and psychic resonance also serve to confound the perception of any enemy, resulting in an effect called the Shrouding.

As well as its psychic properties, the armour itself incorporates a Stormbolter which, when combined with the skill of the Knights themselves, can be used with equal effectiveness in both ranged and melee combat. When circumstances dictate, the weapon can be loaded with force-touched ammunition.

The Liber Daemonica
A copy of this book, its contents drawn from material taken from the Librarium Daemonica along with the battle rites of the Grey Knights Chapter, is carried into battle by every single Grey Knight, in a compartment in his chest plate. The book is also represented in Grey Knight iconology, on the chestplate and pauldron of both power armor and Tactical Dreadnought armour (Terminator armour). It is a symbol of the greatest weapon against the forces of Chaos - an unshakeable faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind.

Dreadnoughts
Like other Space Marine Chapters, mortally wounded Grey Knights are sometimes placed within the massive battle armor known as a Dreadnought. Unlike other Chapters, however, Grey Knights do not look upon this extension of their life as an honour - all Grey Knights desire to be brought to the crypts underneath the Temple of the Emperor on Titan and laid to rest with their brothers over continuing life inside a machine. As such, Grey Knight Dreadnoughts are extremely rare.

Ships
Like other Space Marine chapters, the Grey Knights' primary mode of transportation is the strike cruiser class of ship that is exclusive to the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. However, the Grey Knights' ships are specially modified in several ways. One is the hexagrammic and anti-daemonic wards that are built into the entire ship from bridge to landing struts and every bulkhead in between, similar to those that are placed under the skin of the Grey Knights themselves that lend the ship added protection from the forces of Chaos. Also, the Grey Knights' strike cruisers are equipped with significantly more advanced armour than the ships of other chapters. This is to allow them to close with more powerful foes and reach their destination safely, since the Grey Knights must fight more powerful enemies than the standard Adeptus Astartes chapters. Finally, the landing and drop pod bays are enlarged to be able to deploy larger numbers of marines faster.The crew of the Grey Knights strike cruisers are all serverly mind wiped to stop the possible taint of corruption, and are given a key word which will kill all the crew members on cruiser should it fall into the hands of chaos.

The modifications to their ships are made possible by two factors. The first is their fortress monastery's location in the rings of Saturn, its close proximity to Mars, the greatest forge world in the Imperium of Man, allowing access to technology that was forgotten or is impossible to replicate anywhere else in the Imperium (this could also explain the high quality of all Grey Knights equipment). The other reason is the resources that the Ordo Malleus gives the Grey Knights due to their close working relationship as the Ordo's Chamber Militant.

Abilities of the Grey Knights
The Grey Knights have many abilities that Space Marines lack. These are psychic based and work on a gestalt principle. Unlike Librarians or Psykers, their power is deemed free of the taint of the warp and they are the only psykers allowed in a Black Templar army.

The Shrouding
Through prayer and the combined gestalt psychic power of the Grey Knights, they are able to blind their enemies with their sheer faith. For an enemy to fire upon a Grey Knight, he must first determine if he can spot the unit.

Holocaust
Units of Grey Knights Terminators are able to take the Holocaust psychic power as a whole. They are able to harness their gestalt psychic ability but also suffer from the perils of the warp failure as a whole. If successful, a Grey Knight Terminator can incinerate opponents at close range using this power (In tabletop terms it uses the Large Blast Template).

Ranks
The Grey Knight hierarchy, like that of the Space Wolves and Black Templars, is drastically different from Codex-adherent Chapters. The biggest difference is that the Grey Knights do not have an acknowledged Chapter Master.


 * Battle Brother: The standard Grey Knight. Equipped not only with the famed Aegis suit, the standard armament of a Grey Knight includes a wrist-mounted Storm Bolter of perfect craftsmanship and the Nemesis Force Weapon. Each weapon is unique to its owner having been attuned to his particular psychic signal. They can take the form of a Halberd, Sword, Axe, Hammer, Mace, Maul, Scythe or even a Morning Star. Newly accepted battle brothers will be inducted into fresh squads led by a Justicar, eventually developing their abilities in leadership, weaponry, psychic ability and armed/unarmed combat. Upon demonstration of above average ability in one of these areas they take their place in either the assault Teleport, heavy Purgation squads or become Justicars themselves to lead new batches of recruits.


 * Justicar: Justicars are the leaders of the latest recruits to the Grey Knights - although it should be noted that such recruits may have been fighting the Emperor's foes for up to a century. This is the first step on the path to becoming a Grand Master. Justicars also lead Grey Knight Terminator squads, although such leaders are usually referred to as 'Brother Captain' (more detailed below).


 * Terminator: Like all Space Marine Chapters, the battle-brothers wearing Terminator armor are the elite of the Grey Knights. In addition to possessing greater armor, they also use their psychic powers actively as opposed to passively in combat. It is also speculated that they go through the Emperor's soul binding as part of their final initiation, which (if true) would make their willpower and stoicism far beyond even the most dedicated servants of the Imperium. They also have the same special weapons options - incinerators and psycannons (although they are wrist-mounted rather than two handed) - as their power armor-wearing battle-brothers but some exceptionally strong Marines may wield thunder hammers and storm shields.


 * Brother-Captain: Usually the leader of a Grey Knight Terminator squad, he may also be the force commander. Like his brethren, he wields a Nemesis Force Weapon in combat, and also possesses considerable psychic powers.


 * Grand Master: The highest rank attainable by a Grey Knight, a Grand Master is - by virtue of his esteemed rank - a member of the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition. A master daemonslayer, the Grand Master always wears Terminator armor and wields a force weapon in combat, and is also a powerful psyker. Few, if any, Daemons have been able to stand against a Grand Master and survive. The death of such a powerful defender of the Emperor's will is always mourned by the Grey Knights and the Ordo Malleus - though no common citizen will ever know of him. Due to the amount of experience, and enemy heads, needed to become such a warrior, Grand Masters are typically ancient, millennia old, marines.

Appearance
The symbol of the Grey Knights Chapter is an open book, with a sword stabbing through it. In all accounts, this remains constant.

However, there are at least two different documented versions of their colours. Earlier portrayals show the Chapter's Aegis armor as being black, with ornate silver gauntlets, shoulderpads, and decorations with the Chapter symbol displayed in gold. The second source depicts the Grey Knights as wearing silver Aegis armour, with ornate gold decoration prevalent on many parts of the armour. The latter is the currently accepted livery, black and silver colour schemes being already well used in several named Chapters, most notably the Deathwatch of the Ordo Xenos.

In both cases, each individual Marine bears personal heraldry, either on their shoulderpad, or on a small shield positioned over the left shoulder, facing forward. The heraldry designs incorporate black, white and red, with iconography usually made up of swords and skulls. For Grey Knights and Justicars, heraldry often includes squad markings. However, Grey Knights in Terminator armour are permitted to use their own design, with one half typically depicting their own heraldry, and the other half simple battle honour markings.

Grand Master Mandulis
One of the few that survived the first war for Armageddon, Mandulis headed a force of three hundred Grey Knights on to the Chaos corrupted world of Khorion IX in an attempt to vanquish the daemon Ghargatuloth back into the Immaterium. His Nemesis weapon becomes a plot device in a sequence of events that come into play after he vanquishes the daemon into the Warp for one thousand years. The sacrifice of the three hundred Grey Knights results in the banishing of Ghargatuloth. None, save the body of Grand Master Mandulis and his Nemesis weapon, were recovered. He is mentioned several times in Grey Knights by Ben Counter, his sword is thought to be the only weapon capable of destroying Ghargatuloth again.



Brother-Captain Stern
Brother-Captain Stern has served the Grey Knights for many long years and is a prominent Daemonhunter. His most famous act was when he destroyed the Cult of the Red Talon and banished its instigator, the Lord of Change Daemon named M'kachen, back into the Warp for one hundred years and a day. When the vengeful daemon finally returned he vowed to send Captain Stern into the realm of the dead no matter what the cost. He appears on the battlefield to face Stern every chance he gets, or if unable to personally, sends one of his most powerful servants to attempt the deed for him.

Stern is approximately 400 years old and has battled M'kachen three times so far. Each time, the Brother-Captain has proven his ability to withstand the power of the Daemon and defeated the creature.

Justicar Alaric
Justicar Alaric leads, from Ben Counter's Grey Knights, Dark Adeptus, and the recently released Hammer of the Daemons a strike force of the Elite, Grey Knights.

In Grey Knights, Alaric finds himself and the men under his command hunting down The Prince of a Thousand Faces, Servant to Tzeentch, Gargatuloth. Along the path Alaric hunts down Hidden Cults along the trail of St. Evisser, who in turn has become a vessel of the enemy. When his Inquisitional aide, Ligeia, finds her mind being warped by the powers of the Daemons, and is subsequently executed at the prison of Mimas, Alaric has to decipher the secrets of the Trail himself. His quest finally leads him to Vulcanis Ultor, the Hive superior of the trail. It is here, that after a brief battle with the confused Sisters of the Bloody Rose, does Alaric make his way into the Fallen Saint's tomb, and face off against it and its unimaginable strength. It is only when his battle brother Terminator Justicar Tancred smites the Saint that Gargatuloth comes into being. By saying the Daemons true name, Alaric brings the creature into the physical realm, where with the help of all the loyal Imperial forces nearby they banish the Daemon Prince for another one thousand years.

Qualities normally buried by the training of a Grey Knight such as imagination and creativity are actually notable traits found in Alaric. Combined with his Space Marine's physical and psychic abilities, his sharp mind was the decisive factor that allowed him to survive on the daemon world of Drakaasi where he was captured and stripped of his armor. These characteristics may be deemed as unstable and unwanted among Grey Knights, thus preventing Alaric from attaining the rank of brother-captain. However, Inquisitor Nyxos seems to have special plans to better employ Alaric's skills within the Inquisition.

Terminator Justicar Tancred
In the novel Grey Knights by Ben Counter, Tancred is revered as the best swordsman Justicar Alaric has ever seen, second only to Brother-Captain Stern himself. Tancred himself could become a captain in his own right, but chooses the life of the elite soldier instead. Having never met his match in battle, nor finding an agent of chaos strong enough to contend with him, Tancred finally met his death at the summoning of the Daemon Prince, Gargatuloth. The Grey Knight strike force sent to stop the rising of the Daemon met the Herald of the Prince of a Thousand Faces, who was none other than the Daemon-warped corpse of Fallen Saint Evisser. Standing four times the height of a Grey Knight, the Saint fought the strike force and slaughtered any Marine who strayed too near. Tancred, wounded and wielding the Sword Of Mandulis, rose from the smoke and approached the Fallen Saint, saying a time-honored Battle Prayer of a Martyred Grey Knight, "I am the Hammer. I am the sword in His hand. I am the Gauntlet about His fist. I am the Bane of His foes and the woes of the treacherous. I am the End." With two of his Battle Brothers, Justicar Santoro and Justicar Alaric, Tancred beheaded the Saint, and allowed Gargtuloth to be born, giving Alaric the chance he needed to say the Daemon's true name. In doing so, Tancred gave his life, but brought about the banishment of the Prince of a Thousand Faces. Neither his body nor his armor were found in the aftermath of Gargatuloth's banishment, which has left some to speculate that he may still be alive.