Absolvers

"We are judgement. Death is absolution."

—Tygranas Dalir, first Chapter Master of the Absolvers Chapter in M34

The Absolvers is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter that is a successor of the Blood Angels, founded sometime during the 34th Millennium. Despite being members of the Sanguinary Brotherhood, the Absolvers are known for their near-dogmatic adherence to the Codex Astartes.

Enigmatic and dour, the Absolvers Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes are based -- and now trapped -- in the Gilead System of the Imperium Nihilus. Recruitment of neophytes has skyrocketed since the appearance of the Great Rift to alleviate the burden of these stalwart warriors, oath-bound as they are to defend the Imperium's citizens from the fell foes of the Emperor. The citizens of the Heartworlds in the Gilead System whisper of the righteous wrath of the Absolvers, relentless and draconian in their fight against heresy.

Each noble Astartes of this Chapter knows they have no reinforcements; they are cut off from the vast war machine of the Imperium, and instructed to savour every bolt round. They have been informed that to save the many they may have to sacrifice the few. Many Absolver Space Marines and Scout Marines have been allowed to operate within the system individually, lending their strength to covert operations by other Imperial forces to serve as force multipliers.

The Great Rift spews Daemonic monstrosities into the Gilead System daily. Although Astartes-led warbands have proven more than capable of beating back Daemonic incursions, there has been notable collateral damage among the system's civilians.

Space Marine Scouts are viewed as demi-gods among the people of the Heartworlds of the Gilead System; though the Absolvers Chapter have a reputation for being as fearsome as they are fearless, most Heartworlds citizens still put their faith in the Emperor's greatest warriors. The Chapter's lack of resources and dwindling gene-seed reserves in-system mean there are many Scouts operating as part of the Absolvers who have not yet completed their full transhuman transformation and initiation into the Chapter. Leading a small cadre of mortal warriors on focused missions is considered a rite of passage for the neophytes of the Chapter; one that some Absolvers Scouts have been committed to complete for solar decades whilst they await the implantation of their Black Carapace.

Chapter History

Absolvers Astartes — Absolvers Chapter colour scheme as displayed by a Firstborn Space Marine.

Origins

The Absolvers have protected the Gilead System since their first Chapter Master, Tygranas Dalir, swore a solemn vow to defend its people in perpetuity. His Astartes carry this mantle still, tightly bound as they are to every vow they make. They are a Chapter that bears a litany of glories, earned both in defence of the Gilead System and in war zones scattered far and wide across the galaxy.

However, honoured as they are, the Absolvers harbour an ancient and shameful secret. Far from the blood-soaked battlefields of the 41st Millennium, in the heart of the Gilead System, failed aspirants and broken brethren speak raw damnation, recounting incoherent prophecies to their watchful guardians.

The history of the Absolvers is both a chronicle of solemn oaths sworn to safeguard enigmatic secrets, and a burden of unrelenting shame, for when their will falters, the resulting actions can violate the very essence of what it is to be a Space Marine. To ascend to the ranks of the Absolvers is to inherit a heinous flaw, but also the vows to temper it, a history of hubris and the iron will to seek redemption.

The history of the Absolvers is inextricably bound to that of the Gilead System. Here, the Chapter earned its well-deserved reputation for ruthlessly enforcing the Emperor's will, and here too did they forge an altogether less honourable legacy.

The Gilead System is rich in resources and host to numerous Human-habitable worlds. Nestled on the border of the Segmentum Obscurus, it has always been a tempting target for conquest. By the 34th Millennium it lay in the grip of the forces of Chaos, its many worlds cut off from the Emperor's light by darkness and damnation. The system stood as a gateway into the depths of Segmentum Obscurus, presenting an ideal early conquest in a campaign to emancipate these beleaguered worlds and press further into the unknown.

An Imperial Crusade to do just that was raised in the 34th Millennium, and at its head was Saint Julyanna Gilead, though she had yet to earn that lofty title. To a mighty fleet of Navis Imperialis voidships, she gathered a host of towering Imperial Knights, innumerable regiments of Astra Militarum soldiers, and the backing of a Tech-priest Dominus and her Battle Congregation. Despite the might of the host Julyanna Gilead assembled, one thing was conspicuously and inauspiciously absent -- the wrath of the Emperor Himself in the form of a contingent of Adeptus Astartes.

Many stories are told of the Gilead Crusade, the high hopes and boundless ambition that launched it, and the glory and horror it would find amidst the far-flung stars to which that duty would carry it. One of the most revered tales is that, on the very eve of the fleet's departure beyond the Segmentum Solar, Tygranas Dalir, a storied Astartes warrior, came to Julyanna Gilead unheralded and pledged himself to her cause. With him, he brought a newly-founded Chapter of Space Marines. Tygranas hoped the nascent Chapter would earn the first of many honours acting as the Emperor's own armoured fist amidst the crusade's already formidable arsenal. To the leadership of the crusade, it seemed that the Emperor Himself had blessed their efforts, and all were overjoyed.

As commonly told, the tale ends there, though certain records held by the Absolvers carry it further. Tygranas was so certain of the glory and honour to come that, by his decree, the Chapter he led bore no name, such that their presence was recorded under ambiguous and reverential appellations like "Dalir's Astartes" and the generic "Angels of Death." He hoped that by mighty deed and hard-earned victory, the newly founded Chapter would find on the battlefield a name worthy of its primarch, the mighty Sanguinius, noblest of all the Emperor's gene-sons.

The tale of how Tygranas Dalir arrived with his nameless Chapter of Space Marines just in time to lend their aid to the Gilead Crusade is recorded in numerous Adeptus Ministorum tracts, but the truth of the matter seems clouded at best. Some scholars have suggested that the Chapter was established in an earlier Founding and its former name and history buried for reasons unknown.

Absolvers Reiver Siman Vlaisavljevic — An Absolvers Primaris Reiver rushing towards the enemy.

For a time, it seemed certain that this would be the case. Many hard-fought victories were won, and in the wake of some notable battle, the Chapter command would gather to consider if their victory was noteworthy enough to have earned them a name. The Liberation of Anacarsus, the Desolation of Minas, the Battle of the Nameless Gates -- none were judged sufficiently great, but as each conclave debated the matter, the Apothecarion recruited new aspirants from among the newly liberated populace. It seems this gave rise to the Chapter's tradition of recruiting from many diverse worlds and cultures, but in truth, even the Absolvers' own records of this time are deeply redacted.

If any harboured doubts that the Emperor was truly with the crusade during those early, glorious days, then the actions of His Astartes in capturing and bringing the Gilead System to Compliance was a balm to such fears. They were ferocious in their persecution of the enemy, often pushing to engage the Chaos-worshippers that infested the system in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

They were stalwart defenders of worlds brought back into the glorious fold of the Imperium, rooting out corruption wherever it was found and pushing back raids of foul xenos and desperate Heretics with the same unbridled ferocity with which they liberated the system. Would that the history of the Chapter ended here, or continued across the Terran millennia echoing these early, glorious victories. But even in these earliest days of the Chapter's history, signs of a devastating flaw were beginning to emerge, for the Absolvers were members of the Sanguinary Brotherhood, the genetic lineage of Sanguinius, and they suffered from the terrible curses of his bloodline -- the Red Thirst and the Black Rage.

Gilead Crusade

As the formidable fleet of Julyanna Gilead burst forth from the Immaterium to commence their hallowed Imperial Crusade, it was confronted by a system befouled, a vile dominion of the legions of Chaos. Corruption and heresy had infested the entire star system, from the densely-populated spires of the Hive World that would be later known as Gilead Primus to the once lush and verdant fields of Ostia, a fertile world soaked in the blood of feuding Chaos warlords.

The battle for the Hive World marked the crusade's opening engagement. The fleet plunged deep into the cankerous heart of the system, deft manoeuvring and brave sacrifices allowing the crusade to bypass much of the Heretics' defences. An unrelenting, two-solar-week orbital bombardment razed numerous spires, teeming with those pledged to the Ruinous Powers, down to their very foundations. Once the thunderous cannons of the Navis Imperialis' warships finally fell silent, the Space Marines descended upon the surface with unbridled ferocity, bringing the full fury of the Imperium to bear on the scattered throngs of Traitors that remained. In the midst of unrelenting warfare they set to work laying claim to the world.

Both in anticipation of victory and out of a need for a fortified command structure, the Chapter's Techmarines laid the foundations for the great fortress that would become Castle Grigori. Adepts of the Adeptus Mechanicus deployed a colossal Ion Shield to safeguard this beachhead from the Heretics and Warp-spawned horrors that emerged from the ruins of the world's smouldering hives. Within, Adeptus Astartes battle-brothers and Astra Militarum soldiers laboured side-by-side to erect stalwart rockcrete walls and fortifications, knowing that the Tech-priests' stores of Motive Force would not sustain the energy shield forever.

Although victory over Gilead Primus would come, the crusade nearly stumbled at this first hurdle. By thrusting so deeply into the system, the fleet was left prey to a strikeforce of Heretic voidships, and resupply lines to the fleet's logistics vessels fell under constant assault. Supplies of ammunition and other equipment dwindled quickly in the face of this endless battery, and only the iron will of the Adeptus Astartes held the field. Salvation arrived in the form of a missive from the Adeptus Mechanicus contingent of the fleet.

One of their number had discovered an ancient refinery temple beneath the oceans of the relatively nearby world of Charybdion. This ancient artefact would later prove to be one among dozens, but even that single facility, swiftly rededicated to the Omnissiah, was sufficient to replenish Imperial forces on the worlds of Ostia, Enoch, and Gilead Primus. From the sturdy redoubt of Castle Grigori, the Chapter prepared to launch their conquest of the entire system. Conscious that relief and resupply might continue to be sporadic, they next turned their attention to the Agri-world of Ostia.

The brutal struggle to subdue Ostia marked one of the darkest days of the Gilead Crusade, and the events that unfolded on the befouled Agri-world would come to shape the fledgling Chapter more than any glorious victory. The event is the founding entry in the Absolvers' Book of Broken Bonds, and by decree of the first Chapter Master, it is forbidden to make a record of it anywhere else.

Yellem was one of Ostia's most vital voidports, the main hub through which the world's agricultural bounty was reaped. Despite the ruthless tyranny of the feuding Chaos warlords who ruled there, the population, forced to labour in the production zones under the lash and partake in vicious gladiatorial bouts for the amusement of bloodthirsty Traitors, clung to a fading memory of the Imperium. Their faith in the Emperor, whom they named the "Lord of Dawn," endured by way of secret traditions and hidden rites that defied even the corrupting touch of Chaos.

An entire company of Space Marines was despatched to purge Yellem of Traitors, though precisely which one has since been struck from even the Absolvers' own records. They descended from the sky, the embodiment of the Emperor's fury, and the Loyalists of Yellem rejoiced, believing deliverance was upon them at last. Nevertheless, the strike force encountered bloody and determined resistance as they fought to retake Yellem. Field by field and hab-unit by hab-unit, they fought against swathes of mortal Chaos Cultists led by Heretic Astartes in crimson power armour. A lightning strike to seize crucial infrastructure became a solar-days-long battle of attrition, and the Space Marines' assaults became increasingly frenzied, strategy and order slowly disintegrating. Communications with those of their battle-brothers on the surface were lost, the last vox messages simply unintelligible screams of fury.

In stark contrast to the disciplined actions on the Hive World, this offensive turned into a rampage, indiscriminately slaughtering ally and enemy alike. Even as the last of their cowering victims fell, their blood staining the white armour of their would-be saviours, the Astartes did not find their thirst for battle slaked. Brother turned on brother, and the slaughter continued through a long night of horror from which only a single battle-brother emerged.

It is whispered among those who know this tale that Tygranas Dalir, picking through the remains of the massacre, slew this warrior himself in a frenzy of bloodshed so brutal that some who witnessed it feared that their Chapter Master too had succumbed to the madness that had claimed so many.

When the dust settled, and the carnage subsided, it became apparent that all those on Yellem had succumbed to the Black Rage, a curse common to most, perhaps all, of the genetic sons of the primarch Sanguinius. This genetic flaw must have been known of by many within the Chapter, certainly to Tygranas Dalir, but for so many to fall in a single battle, to lose an entire company to the affliction, was and remains almost unheard of among the Sanguinary Brotherhood.

The details were quickly expunged, blamed on the unusually fierce resistance of a world of Heretics, but the shameful truth weighed heavily on those who knew of it. In the aftermath, Tygranas Dalir swore the "Oath to Gilead," pledging his Chapter to the system's continued and perpetual defence. And at last, he chose a name for his Chapter -- the "Absolvers" -- to underscore their deep need to make amends for the terrible events at Yellem, and the shame they brought upon their brethren among the Adeptus Astartes, the sons of Sanguinius, the Imperium, and the Emperor Himself.

The crusade continued into other systems and sectors, and more battle-brothers fell to the madness that afflicted them at Yellem. The losses at the Ostian voidport had been substantial and were added to by Dalir, who threw the Absolvers into every desperate fight and nigh-hopeless assault to be found, all to assuage something of the Chapter's great shame. As a result, when the Absolvers returned to Gilead Primus in the wake of the crusade they were much diminished and began the slow and painful process of rebuilding their strength and their honour.

Tygranas Dalir's fate is not recounted in either the Imperium's heavily redacted records nor the Chapter's own great tomes in its Librarius -- a notable omission that has raised many uncomfortable questions over the centuries. His successor was Anthon Emascus the Reforger, who had the unenviable task of stabilising the Chapter and ensuring its long-term survival.

Recovery and Reforging

Absolvers Reiver vs Drukari Sam Manley — An Absolvers Reiver launching a surprise attack against a Drukhari Reaver.

In the wake of the Gilead Crusade, it fell to the Absolvers' second Chapter Master to lay a lasting foundation for the Chapter. Anthon Emascus, now recalled by the epithet "the Reforger," set about this task with the uncompromising single-mindedness that would come to characterise his battle-brothers. Emascus had joined the Chapter as an aspirant during their voyage to the Gilead System, but so long was the crusade that, by its final years, he was an experienced warrior honoured by his comrades and rightly feared by Heretics. During the crusade, he had witnessed both the very best and very worst of what the Absolvers might be, and was known even in those early days as an ardent dialectician. Under his leadership, recruitment efforts redoubled, and the gene-seed recovered from those who fell during the crusade was put to good use.

Some whisper that Emascus hoped to find a population of aspirants that would prove resistant to the curse of his gene-sire, but if so, the effort would be counted among his few failures. In this time, the first signs of the Red Thirst were observed -- another flaw inherent to the genetic lineage of Sanguinius. This powerful drive to consume the blood of foes afflicts many Blood Angels and their successors among the Sanguinary Brotherhood, but usually only after solar decades of service. It emerged far earlier in the careers of the Astartes of the Absolvers, afflicting Veterans and newly elevated aspirants alike. Where others might have despaired or, like his predecessor Tygranas Dalir, searched for redemption in a string of near-pyrrhic victories, Emascus sought to dissect this problem as he did all others. He began by treating the issues of his Chapter as one of discipline and structure. He had felt the call of the Black Rage in his own heart, but had resisted -- could that capacity not be fostered in his own brothers? Looking for a source of proven stability, he turned first to the Codex Astartes.

Though the Absolvers had largely adhered to the tenets of the Codex, under Emascus, the Chapter committed itself to it as strictly as any of Roboute Guilliman's own gene-sons. Those found engaging in the bloodletting of Chapter serfs or allied mortal soldiery of the Astra Militarum were heavily censured, and the worst excesses of the Chapter during the Gilead Crusade were radically curtailed. A blood tithe was instituted in the hive cities of Gilead Primus, ostensibly to fuel the training and rituals needed to replenish the Absolvers' ranks, and the Chapter's provisions were universally infused with this blood to dull the Red Thirst.

Absolvers Tactical-Marine — An Absolvers Firstborn Tactical Marine

Perhaps in memory of the tragedy at Yellem, and all those that followed, Emascus renewed focus upon the vow of Tygranas Dalir to the people of the Gilead System to always come to their defence, establishing a tradition that all Chapter Masters since have abided by. Here, he found his second source of stability for the Absolvers, and the culture of swearing vows became a core tenant of the Chapter. For the Absolvers, vows became a tool by which they tempered their own warrior soul and restrained the worst of their impulses. Though the Red Thirst could never be fully denied, it did appear to be somewhat mitigated, and a culture of swearing solemn vows was forever established amongst the Absolvers.

Anthon the Reforger's decrees reshaped the Absolvers, but his tenure as Chapter Master was relatively short. He fell in battle with an Ork warboss almost a standard century to the day after he rose to lead the Chapter, and the Terminator Armour he wore remains a carefully guarded relic of the Absolvers to this day.

Alongside Anthon Emascus, the Absolvers were also reforged by the initiatives undertaken by Chaplain Deikan, a powerful orator and bulwark against the encroaching despair that afflicted the Chapter as it came to terms with the events at Yellem where the Red Thirst and Black Rage had overwhelmed the Absolvers and led to terrible civilian casualties and the adjustments made by Chapter Master Anthon Emascus' decrees in response.

Absolvers Mounted Patrol Stefan-Ristic — An Absolvers Firstborn Tactical Squad disembarks from a Rhino armoured personnel carrier during a campaign.

Following the tragedy at Yellem, whispers of Chaos taint and corruption spread among the Absolvers, accompanied by rumours that the eyes of the Inquisition had fallen upon the fledgling Chapter. At a time when the Absolvers needed it most, Deikan acted as both its most ardent and vocal defender and its most captious judge. With determined will and iron fist, Deikan crushed the rumours and galvanised the rank-and-file of the Chapter. The Chaplain was the first to understand the potential for prophecy in the haunting visions of those who fell to the Flaw of Sanguinius called the Black Rage. He vowed to oversee these young wards vigilantly, prepared to eliminate any who spoke of visions that jeopardised the Chapter's future. This duty was a heavy burden, but this resolute and watchful Chaplain guided each new generation of the Absolvers through their challenging early years.

Deikan oversaw the construction of a great vault, the site of which was to be kept secret by blood-bonded vow among those of the Chapter Reclusiam alone. Here those among the Absolvers plagued by unrelenting visions as a result of the Flaw, and the remaining evidence of the Chapter's transgression, would remain hidden from the wider Gilead System. Under Deikan's influence, the Chapter found renewed strength and the will to bear what burdens the Emperor wills upon it while continuing to serve the Imperium. The legacy of Deikan's dedication to this duty has become a cornerstone of the Chapter's legacy to this day, and each Chaplain to succeed him in the long millennia that followed has borne the burden of this dark duty with honour.

Era Indomitus

In the Era Indomitus, with the Gilead System now cut off from the rest of the galaxy due to the birth of the Great Rift and its location in the Imperium Nihilus where the psychic beacon of the Astronomican no longer shines to guide Navigators, the Absolvers have acquiesced to many difficult orders in such trying times, often causing collateral damage as they ensure they keep their word; citizens of the Gilead System that have seen their ghastly work and those who have survived now speak of them with fear.

The Firstborn Astartes of the Absolvers refuse to initiate their newly-introduced Primaris Space Marine brethren into the Chapter's secret rites; another isolation they must bear.

Raised in the Ultima Founding and first ferried to the Gilead System by the Varonius Flotilla of the Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius who is working closely with Imperial forces to combat threats to the worlds of the Imperium Nihilus, these Intercessor reinforcements have met with a cold welcome by their brethren despite a proven prowess in combat.

The unwillingness of the Firstborn Absolvers to fully work alongside their Primaris Intercessors has led to them being assigned to watch over less-powerful agents of the Imperium in need of heavy combat support.

Chapter Recruitment

"Eighteen times I have lain on cold metal, my eyes open, my body torn asunder and remade strong by the strictures of the Codex. Once more and I will be an Angel of Death. These scars are steps to my ascension."

— Gezrael, Space Marine Scout of the Absolvers Chapter

Absovlers Primaris Intercessor Sam Manley — An Absolvers Primaris Intercessor in battle.

Since they first swore oaths in its defence, much of the Absolvers' recruitment has taken place within the Gilead System, though aspirants from further afield are gathered frequently. From the scions of high-born noble houses, to the most brutal underhive gangers, to the most reclusive of Nethreus' nomads, all have offered up their offspring to Gilead's mightiest defenders. The Absolvers have ever drawn aspirants from unusual backgrounds, and with the coming of the Great Rift and the desperate need for new Space Marines to replace those lost in battle, this practice has continued to serve them well.

All new recruits undergo the gruelling regimen of surgical and genetic alterations required to elevate a mere mortal into a transhuman Astartes warrior. Unique to the Absolvers, their training includes each prospective warrior swearing a personal vow that must be dutifully upheld until they become a full-fledged battle-brother. Set by the brothers who train them, these vows range from simple tasks, such as only wielding a weapon in their left hand, to more complex challenges or dedications. Despite being sworn by uninitiated novices, these vows are treated as a solemn oath by the Chapter's instructors. Each vow is designed to help strengthen the aspirants' skills where they are lacking. The practice serves to establish the importance of upholding one's vows, and any who break such an oath rarely survive their already harrowing induction.

Siman-vlaisavljevic-siman-vlaisavljevic-librarian — An Absolvers Primaris Librarian unleashes his psychic vengeance upon the foes of the Emperor.

As the aspirants join the Scout Company, each one must serve a period leading a strike team composed of mortal Humans, a rite known as the Dux Mortalium. This tradition, initiated millennia ago by Chapter Master Anthon Emascus, helps to make the Absolvers aware of their solemn duty to the mortals of Gilead and to solidify the first vow of the first Chapter Master Tygranas Dalir to protect the people of the system further. An aspirant can only be fully inducted into the ranks of the Absolvers once this task is completed, so they approach this duty with reverence.

Absolvers Chaplain sam-manley — An Absolvers Primaris Chaplain displaying his sacred Crozius Arcanum as he exhorts his battle-brothers to greatness.

The final act of each neophyte's biological transformation is the implantation of the Black Carapace, the bio-augmetic subdermal implant that allows a Space Marine to neurologically interface with their power armour as if it were a second skin. This process is a uniquely excruciating experience, yet for the aspirants of the Absolvers, who have sworn solemn vows, trained relentlessly, and mentally steeled themselves in preparation for this moment of ascension, it carries even greater risk -- the potential to trigger their genetic flaw.

The invasive and agonising surgeries employed in the implantation triggers horrific prophetic visions in some individuals, suffering a series of vivid images of what may come to pass, usually blood-soaked and tainted by death. For those who foresee an honourable end, this moment is often a comfort, the reassuring knowledge that their death shall not find them wanting for courage or meaning. For others, it is maddening, as visions of a shameful fate is burned into their souls.

Some claim these visions are the result of the aspirant inheriting some sliver of their progenitor Sanguinius' well-documented prescient powers, while others suggest the visions are the result of the incredible pain and metabolic stress created by the augmentation process, and any apparent truth to be found in them is little more than a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Occasionally an aspirant may be afflicted by a particularly haunting prophecy, a terrible fate that pertains to the Chapter's future and the role that they may play in it. This vision might foretell of a great shame they may bring upon the Absolvers, vows they may come to break, or battle-brothers they may fail. It remains the solemn duty of each serving Chaplain of the Absolvers to judge whether such events may be allowed to come to pass. If not, it falls to them to sever that thread of fate in that moment. Why this same mercy is not extended to those who later fall to the Black Rage is known only to the Chaplains of the Absolvers, and is never discussed.

Chapter Beliefs

"I'll tolerate a meddling Inquisitor over another decadent, dogmatic sybarite of the damned Ecclesiarchy."

— Brevet Captain Akahir of the Absolvers

Absolvers Heraldry Sam Manley — The Chapter heraldry of the Absolvers, inscribed with the name of their first Chapter Master, Tygranas Dalir

If an Absolver proclaims that he will take an action, nothing but death stops him. This has garnered a famed reputation for the Chapter of utter trustworthiness and dependability, coupled with an infamously obstinate inflexibility. Beset on all sides by Warpborne evil, opportunistic xenos, wary allies, and rebellious mortal citizens, the Absolvers rely on their faith to shield them more than ever before -- after all, the Emperor protects.

The Absolvers Chapter has 1,000 names they deem sacrosanct, one of which is ritually tattooed onto a Space Marine's magnified form when the Chapter Master deems it has been earned.

Many Absolvers decorate their wargear with their names, knowing that when they fall in glorious battle their designation will be passed to a new aspirant.

Notable Absolvers

Chapter Master Aureus Erinyes - Aureus Erinyes is the current master of the Absolvers Chapter.

Chapter Master Tygranas Dalir - Also known as the "Emperor's Archangel," Tygranas Dalir was the first Chapter Master of the Absolvers Chapter at the time of its Founding and led the Chapter during the Gilead Crusade of the 34th Millennium that brought the Gilead System into Imperial Compliance by eliminating the forces of Chaos that had previously occupied it. He most notably pledged the Absolvers to the eternal defence of an Imperial sub-sector including the Gilead System, which has become the Chapter's greatest acclaim and glory. Dalir also was the first Absolvers Chapter Master to have to come to terms with the Flaw present in the lineage of all the gene-sons of Sanguinius, the terrible Red Thirst and Black Rage. To deal with the shame the Absolvers felt over the deaths that resulted from these conditions among the civilians and other Imperial forces they fought beside during the crusade, Dalir sought redemption in the pursuit of a string of pyrrhic victories over the Emperor's foes that nearly destroyed the Chapter. Details on the fate of Tygranas Dalir are scant. Had he died during the Gilead Crusade, a monument would most certainly have been raised to him and his contributions lauded alongside those of Saint Julyanna Gilead herself. Inquisitor Calux attempted to confirm a rumour that the Chapter Master may have fallen to some inescapable battle rage, but efforts ended with the death of the Inquisitor at the hands of xenos raiders in the late 38th Millennium.

Chapter Master Anthon Emascus, "the Reforger," second master of the Absolvers

Chapter Master Anthon Emascus - Anthon Emascus, known as "the Reforger" in the Chapter annals, was the second master of the Chapter who succeeded Tygranas Dalir in the wake of the successful Gilead Crusade. As described above, it was Emascus who found a way to control the early onset of the Red Thirst in the Absolvers' Astartes and who created much of the Chapter's foundational culture. The Absolvers' Chapter cult is dedicated to providing some form of stability in the face of the Flaw that afflicts Sanguinius' genetic lineage and does so through the practice of intense mental discipline through the use of vows and regular blood infusions taken as a tithe from the people of the hive cities of Gilead Primus to hold the worst of the thirst at bay. Though Emascus was the master of the Chapter for only a relatively short time before his death at the hands of an Ork warboss a standard century after his ascension to leadership, his actions saved the Absolvers from ultimate extinction and laid the basis for its future success as the protectors of the Gilead System and the surrounding sub-sector, upholding the pledge made by Tygranas Dalir. It is for this reason he has been named "the Reforger," for he reforged the Absolvers into the template that would carry them into the 41st Millennium.

Captain Syres - Syres is a company captain of the Absolvers Chapter. Syres is currently the official commanding officer of the battle barge Vow of Absolution. In the aftermath of the Great Rift's creation, Syres is leading his company in the defence of the Imperial sub-sector the Absolvers have pledged to defend. The Vow of Absolution remained behind in the Gilead System where it is currently commanded by Brevet Captain Akahir since that system has been cut off from the rest of the galaxy by the opening of the Great Rift.

Brevet Captain Akahir - Akahir is an Absolvers Primaris brevet captain and is among the Chapter's forces now trapped within the Gilead System due to the birth of the Great Rift. Akahir is actually a sergeant of the Chapter, but attained his current, acting officer rank after most of the Absolvers' Chapter Command departed Gilead for a mission before the Great Rift formed. Now he commands the battle barge Vow of Absolution, which is located in the region of the Gilead System known as the Reach. Though he stands barely over 7 feet tall, Brevet Captain Akahir looms large among the Astartes of the Absolvers Chapter. The inscrutable ritual scarring popular amongst the Absolvers intermingles with the twisted scars Akahir earned through battling Daemons, attesting to the violence of his three standard years of service. His dark skin has been stretched thin over his enhanced transhuman form since he became an Astartes, his only imperfection a patchwork augmetic eye installed midway through the battle for Villum Fundus. In the absence of the Chapter Master and with the anarchy of the Noctis Aeterna bearing down on the system, the Absolvers within the Gilead System had grave need of leadership. It was Chaplain Heractis who took it upon himself to anoint Akahir as a brevet captain and the acting commander of the Absolvers in the system, in recognition of Akahir's early success in rallying Gilead's mortal defenders. In privacy, Heractis spoke also of a prophecy from the forgotten annals of the Chapter's history, and the role he foresaw for Akahir. Akahir has shown a greater knack for diplomacy than many of his battle-brothers. He tolerates much of the politicking and debate of the Circlet Council with stony silence before voicing his opinion with both tact and finality.

AbsolversPrimarisBraham — Invictor Braham, a Primaris Marine Intercessor of the Absolvers Chapter

Invictor Braham - Braham is a Primaris Space Marine Intercessor sent to defend the Gilead System. Like the other battle-brothers of his Chapter stationed in the system, Braham is zealously dedicated to defending the Emperor's holdings within the Gilead System.

Chaplain Deikan - Deikan was a Chaplain of the Absolvers during the 34th Millennium in the Chapter's founding solar decades. He was a powerful orator and bulwark against the encroaching despair that afflicted the Chapter as it came to terms with the events at Yellem where the Red Thirst and Black Rage had overwhelmed the Absolvers and led to terrible civilian casualties and the adjustments made by Chapter Master Anthon Emascus' decrees in response. Following the tragedy at Yellem, whispers of Chaos taint and corruption spread among the Absolvers, accompanied by rumours that the eyes of the Inquisition had fallen upon the fledgling Chapter. At a time when the Absolvers needed it most, Deikan acted as both its most ardent and vocal defender and its most captious judge. With determined will and iron fist, Deikan crushed the rumours and galvanised the rank-and-file of the Chapter. The Chaplain was the first to understand the potential for prophecy in the haunting visions of those who fell to the Flaw of Sanguinius called the Black Rage. He vowed to oversee these young wards vigilantly, prepared to eliminate any who spoke of visions that jeopardised the Chapter's future. This duty was a heavy burden, but this resolute and watchful Chaplain guided each new generation of the Absolvers through their challenging early years. Deikan oversaw the construction of a great vault, the site of which was to be kept secret by blood-bonded vow among those of the Reclusiam alone. Here those among the Absolvers plagued by unrelenting visions as a result of the Flaw, and the remaining evidence of the Chapter's transgression, would remain hidden from the wider Gilead System. Under Deikan's influence, the Chapter found renewed strength and the will to bear what burdens the Emperor wills upon it while continuing to serve the Imperium. The legacy of Deikan's dedication to this duty has become a cornerstone of the Chapter's legacy to this day, and each Chaplain to succeed him has borne the burden of this duty with honour.

Chaplain Shahin - Shahin serves as a Chaplain of the Absolvers Chapter in the company commanded by Captain Syres. In the aftermath of the Great Rift's creation, Syres is leading his company in the defence of the Imperial sub-sector that the Absolvers have pledged to defend. However, this sub-sector is within the Dark Imperium, cut off from the light of the Astronomican, and along with the upheaval caused by the Great Rift, the Chapter's numbers have dwindled in battle against the Imperium's enemies. In order to be able to continue to carry out their pledge, Shahin and Syres both agreed that the Absolvers' tactics needed to change. They decided to send individual battle-brothers to combat the numerous minor threats within the sub-sector that the company as a whole could not respond to. The first to take part in this new initiative was Battle-Brother Gulkir, who Shahin ordered to the Gilead System after Yaril Varonius, eldest daughter of the Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius, requested aid to combat a threat to Gilead, which her dynasty was currently protecting.

Gulkir - Absolvers battle-brother sent to defend the Gilead System.

Scout Atticus - Standing over 2 metres (over 6.5 feet) tall and rippling with muscle, Atticus is a proud Astartes of the Absolvers Chapter. Grim but honourable, he follows his Chapter's strictures rigorously, refusing to ever break his word. Atticus' dour personality was intensified by his trials to be accepted as a neophyte and the subsequent gene-seed implantation operations, leaving him psychologically disconnected from the mortals he protects. He seeks only to bring honour to his Chapter through his actions, and earn a Black Carapace, becoming a full-fledged Space Marine.

Chapter Fleet

Vow of Absolution — An Absolvers battle barge takes on a Genestealer-infested space hulk.

Vow of Absolution (Battle Barge) - The Vow of Absolution is among the Chapter's forces now trapped within the Gilead System due to the birth of the Great Rift. It is currently based in the region of the Gilead System known as the Reach, which is infested by xenos and Chaos forces. The Vow of Absolution is commanded by Captain Syres but is under the temporary command of Brevet Captain Akahir.

Chapter Appearance

Chapter Colours

The Absolvers Chapter wears white power armour with black shoulder plate trim.

The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest armour is red. The red squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.

Squad number is indicated by the white High Gothic numeral centred in the squad specialty symbol. The Chapter iconography is on the left shoulder guard.

Chapter Badge

The Absolvers' Chapter badge is a red chalice, with a white Aquila in the middle of it, all centred on a field of white.

Sources

Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 4
Chapter Approved 2001 - Second Book of the Astronomican, pg. 117
Wrath & Glory: Blessings Unheralded Cover Art by Diego Gisbert Llorens
Wrath & Glory: Brass Tax (RPG), pg. 6
Wrath & Glory: Core Rules (RPG) (2018 Edition), pp. 8-13, 58
Wrath & Glory: Forsaken System Player Guide (RPG), pg. 77
Wrath & Glory: Rulebook (RPG) (Cubicle 7 Revised Edition 2020), pp. 14, 27, 58, 71, 106, 117, 299
Cubicle 7 Games Website - #40KFriday: Tactical Space Marine
Cubicle 7 Games Website - Wrath & Glory Cover Reveal
Wrath & Glory: Rain of Mercy (RPG), pg. 14
Wrath & Glory: Redacted Records (RPG) (Cover Art) by Mikhail Savier
Wrath & Glory: Vow of Absolution (RPG), pp. 1, 4-13, 91, 100