Forces of the Emperor's Nightmare
This page details specific descriptions ofthe fighting forces of the Emperor's Nightmare,
Tactical Marines
Tactical Marines form the fighting backbone of every chapter, able to move fluidly from a tenacious defensive firefight to a blistering assault in a matter of moments. Although the vast majority of Space Marine chapters reserve the position of Tactical Marine for those who have undergone service as both a Devastator and an Assault Marine. The Emperor's Nightmare conduct themselves differently. Upon their promotion from Scout they are immediately inducted into the ranks of the Tactical Marines, the vast wealth of extra training provided to their Scouts allows the Nightmares to function effectively in their role despite relative inexperience.
Every member of the Emperor's Nightmare chapter is a fully trained Tactical Marine, from the Captains down to even the Chapter Serfs to a certain extent. This is due to the catalepsean mutation, requiring the entire Chapter be able and willing to take over the role of a brother lost in sleep at a moments notice.
The signature weapon of the Tactical Squad is the Boltgun, one of the greatest symbols of the Imperium, the roar of its wrath as a death knell to billions of the Emperor's foes, firing a mass-reactive shell which blows its victim apart from the inside. The Boltgun is particularly favoured by the second to fifth companies of the Emperor's Nightmare, Battlegroup Primus, as the ferocity of its discharge compliments their deadly shock assaults well. Battlegroup Secundus can and does field Tactical Squads, but it is a rarer sight, the Dusk preferring to organize their manpower into their feared infiltration teams.
It is not merely the Boltgun a Tactical Marine must train with, however. Each member of the Emperor's Nightmare is well versed in the operation of prometheum-spouting flamers, tubular missile launchers, mighty heavy bolters and many other weapons besides, not only because they may be assigned these weapons upon the battlefield, but in case the Nightmare bearing these holy instruments of vengeance should succumb to sleep. Thus when the Emperor's Nightmare goes to war it does so fielding some of the most versatile soldiers in the galaxy, each Tactical Marine truly worthy of the name Astartes.
Scouts
With very few exceptions the Tenth Company of each Space Marine chapter is the Scout Company, where initiates who have survived the brutal genetic alterations and transplants required to become a fully fledged Marine are placed to learn their vocation. The Emperor's Nightmare is no exception, those plucked from Icelus who manage to transcend their humanity are inducted into the tenth company.
Here, scouts are taught the necessary skills to function as an Emperor's Nightmare under the watchful eye of the Scout Sergeants and Battlegroup Secundus. It is a hallmark of the bizarre organization of the Nightmares that the Chapter possesses no Master of Recruits; instead, Adjunant Secundus bears the role in addition to his regular duties.
The training for Emperor's Nightmare scouts is gruelling, even more so than of scouts of most other Chapters. This is because the Scouts must learn a myriad of supporting roles in order to cover for any of his battle brothers, including but not limited to basic Thunderhawk piloting and landing and basic maintainance rites. So it must be, as without such rigorous training a single battle brother falling asleep at an inoppotune time may spell doom for an entire battle plan.
In battle the scout act as the eyes and ears of the chapter, roving ahead in their lightweight carapace armour, seeking out enemy troop movements and assassinating important figures. Depending on their mission they may be equipped with the standard boltguns, long-barrelled sniper rifles to pick off the enemy from afar, or robust shotguns or long-bladed combat knives to battle the enemy more personally.
Secundus Operatives
Promoted scouts are placed within Battlegroup Primus for a year and a day, earning experience as a tactical marine in the Dawn as a counterpoint to their training as a scout. After this time is up many choose to remain in their new company, or are required to stay temporarily due to threat of an imbalance. Just as many choose to stray from the Dawn and re-embrace the skills from their first battles as Scouts. Thus, the sixth through ninth companies are filled.
Battlegroup Secundus Operatives are given even more grinding training, honing their talents of stealth and marksmanship until they can remain undetected even in power armour. If a situation cannot be handled efficiently through sheer force of arms, if the enemies of Man are dug in too deep, or fanatically inspired by some mad demagogue, The Dusk is brought in. Like all of the Nightmare the Secundus Operatives are able to employ a variety of weaponry to accomplish their task, but their signature weapon is a black-swathed sniper rifle. Punishing fusilades of these scoped weapons come from unexpected angles, cutting down their targets before they were aware they were under attack.
The Sleepless
A shadow sits over the Emperor's Nightmare. A ghastly curse brought on by the flaws in their Catalapsean Node which chills each and every nightmare to their marrow. It comes like a thief in the night, even the Chapter's Apothecarion doesn't understand the reasons behind its manifestation. From a newly implanted scout to the living relics which are August Dreamwalkers in Iron, nothing is safe from Sleeplessness.
A Nightmare unfortunate enough to become Sleepless will find the rest which proceeds their months awake not to come. Their waking hours stretch on, and on, and on, until the Catalapsean Node has degraded near enough entirely.
These unfortunates, tortured by the incessant wakefulness, start to feel their sanity frey. They will become more alert, faster, with a greater attention to detail than even the rest of their chapter. Unfortunately, even Space Marines cannot endure without rest forever, and sooner or later the Sleepless will lose their grip on reality, attacking even their own chapter in misguided fury.
Looking after and restraining the Sleepless is the province of the Apothecarion, who maintain a vast hold within the chapter keep where these maniacs are kept. Most Nightmares who realize the symptoms immediately turn themselves in, while others hold out in desperate hope for rest. Once Sleeplessness has been confirmed funerary rites are held for the Nightmare, their dreamcatcher ceremonially cut, and their name stricken from chapter records.
In battle the Sleepless form a close mob of howling killers, racing for the enemy (or what they perceive to be the enemy) with the focused fury of true madmen. Other Marines give the Sleepless a wide berth on the battlefield, for all are aware that they may be next to feel the blades of the undreaming.
Assault Squad
Should an Emperor's Nightmare elect to remain in Battlegroup Primus he will likely find himself serving periodically as an Assault Marine. Assault Squads are not a permenant body within the Nightmares, and are rather raised from Primus' tactical pool when and where needed. It is a position Primus marines relish, as it is hard to find a greater definition of Shock and Awe than to crash into the enemy amidst the furious roars of the squad's jump packs, reducing the unprepared enemy to so much red ruin in short order.
Assault Squads are shunned by Battlegroup Secundus, and although they understand the need for such squads (and are indeed trained to go to war similarly) they view it as a clumsy hammerblow, flashy and noisy but in the end about as subtle as a punch to the face. Primus scorns this view, insisting that an Assault Squad in the right place, at the right time can change the course of wars.