10th Founding

The 10th Founding

The 10^th Founding of Space Marine Chapters occurred during the mid-35^th Millennium, created amid the dark times of the Nova Terra Interregnum, when the Imperium of Man had been split into twin interstellar empires. Denouncing the High Lords of Terra, the Ur-Council of Nova Terra claimed rule over the Segmentum Pacificus. This period of divided rule lasted for nine standard centuries. Few records remain surrounding this Founding, which was believed to be created to try to counteract the rapid erosion and contradiction of the Imperium's borders during this period of political and military division. The infamous Astral Claws were one such Loyalist Space Marine Chapter allegedly created during this Founding from an unknown genetic origin, although some sources differ on this. Their Chapter was specifically created to defend the Eastern Fringes of the Imperium of Man from any Chaos threats spawned by the massive Warp Rift called the Maelstrom, in the region of the Ultima Segmentum appropriately called the Maelstrom Zone by Imperial astrocartographers.

Select 10th Founding Chapters

Chapter	Successors of	Primarch	Homeworld	Notes
Angels of Wrath	Dark Angels	Lion El'Jonson	Unknown	The Angels of Wrath are a Successor Chapter of the original Dark Angels Space Marine Legion and were numbered amongst the ranks of the Unforgiven. Though their Founding is unknown, they might have possibly been created during the 10th Founding in the mid-35th Millennium, as by the 36th Millennium, they were still considered a young Chapter. During the Age of Apostasy, the seeds of the Angels of Wrath's destruction were sown due to the machinations of the insane High Lord Goge Vandire, during the Age of Apostasy. Vandire wished to replace the Chapter's Chaplains with Ecclesiarchy Missionaries, to proselytise the divinity of the God-Emperor to the Astartes of the Chapter, and to allow the Ecclesiarchy easier control over them. The 'proselytiation' of this relatively young chapter was to have been an experiment, and an example. But the Angels of Wrath wanted none of it, their loyalty was only to their Emperor and to the memory of their Primarch Lion El'Jonson. They had opted to fight and die to a man, rather than have their ranks diluted by men who were not of their gene-seed. In retaliation, Vandire sent a large force of Frateris Templar zealots to the Chapter's home world, and in a five-hour long running battle, managed to breach their fortress-monastery and wipe out ninety percent of the Chapter, including their Chapter Master. The 10th Company Captain, the last surviving commanding officer of his Chapter ordered the evacuation of the remnants of his Chapter, made up almost entirely of Scout Marines, and fled into the warp in their Chapter's remaining vessel. It is unknown if this Chapter still exists in the modern era.
Astral Claws	Unknown	Unknown	Badab Primaris	The Astral Claws were Founded specifically to defend the Eastern Fringes of the Imperium of Man from any Chaos threats spawned by the massive Warp rift called the Maelstrom in the region of the Ultima Segmentum appropriately called the Maelstrom Zone. The Astral Claws eventually turned Renegade against the Imperium and initiated the major rebellion and attempt at secession from the Imperium by the Badab Sector appropriately called the Badab War in the late 41st Millennium. Upon losing this conflict to Loyalist Imperial forces, including several other Space Marine Chapters, the surviving Astral Claws were corrupted by Chaos and fled into the Maelstrom.

Sources

• The Citadel Journal #22, "Covert X - Stealth & Vigilance," by Wolfrik, pp. 49-81
• Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War, Part One, pp. 54-65