The Astartes Praeses are a group of twenty Loyalist Space Marine Chapters whose sole purpose is to guard the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus. The ancient tome known as the Mythos Angelica Mortis makes a single reference to 20 Space Marine Chapters created from the unique gene-seed of those Primarchs who did not fall to Chaos during the Horus Heresy and who were charged with protecting the Imperial sectors surrounding the Eye of Terror and supporting Cadia and the Inquisition as needed. Although the brotherhood of Space Marines included in the Astartes Praeses originally included 20 Chapters, one has been destroyed by the Forces of Chaos and two other Chapters, the Relictors and the Sons of Malice, were both declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the High Lords of Terra. Though it should be noted, the latter Chapter is only suspected of being one of the original 20 Chapters mentioned in the Mythos Angelica Mortis. The truth of this matter may never be known for certain. The Astartes Praeses were evidently Founded anew rather than assembled from the remnants of the Space Marine Legions, like many of the other Second Founding Chapters, to reduce the possibility of corruption by Veteran Space Marines who had been exposed to Chaos during the fighting of the Horus Heresy.
Though no comprehensive list has ever been assembled, the current known members of the Astartes Praeses include the:
- Brothers Penitent
- Crimson Scythes
- Excoriators
- Iron Talons
- Knights Unyielding
- Marines Exemplar
- Night Watch
- Reclaimers
- Relictors (declared Excommunicate Traitoris)
- Sons of Malice (declared Excommunicate Traitoris)
- Subjugators
- White Consuls
Sources
- Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition)
- Dark Creed (Novel) by Anthony Reynolds, p. 74-75.