Guardians of the Covenant
| Guardians of the Covenant | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Battle Cry | "For Mortikah and the Imperium!" "Knowledge is power!" | |
| Founding | Unknown Founding | |
| Successors of | Dark Angels | |
| Chapter Master | Xandor Solaceon | |
| Primarch | Lion El'Jonson | |
| Homeworld | Mortikah VII | |
| Strength | ~1000 | |
| Specialty | Armoured warfare and fighting Xenos | |
| Allegiance | Imperium of Man | |
| Colours | Gunmetal grey, a black trim and crimson robes | |
The Guardians of the Covenant are a Dark Angels Successor Chapter of an unknown founding, though sources suggest it to be around M36. Their home planet, Mortikah VII, lies close to the western rim of the galaxy, in the Segmentum Pacificus and more specifically, near the Halo Stars. The brothers of the Chapter have stood vigil for thousands of years, defending the Imperium for whatever threat may lurk betwixt the borders of the Imperium and ancient stars of the Halo Zone.
Origins
It is known only to few Guardians themselves from which time their Chapter stems. Knowledge is power, and the origins of the chapter are secrets well guarded deep within the catacombs of the Spire, a vast baroque Fortress-Monastery hidden deep within the mountains of Mortikah VII The only thing that is certain, is the fact the Guardians of the Covenant were founded to stand vigil against the horrors that lurk beyond the Halo Stars, on the edge of the Segmentum Pacificus. Inquisitors place the founding of the Chapter around M34, though some ancient scriptures and artistic renderings speak of a Chapter in the First Legion which carried the Chapter Symbol, Vigilatus on their banners. During their millennia-long existence, the Chapter has stood watch over a region of space from which many alien threats find their origin. To better understand the myriad threats the galaxy had to offer, the brothers of the Guardians of the Covenant took upon themselves to record and catalog all knowledge and information they could gather, eventually leading to works such as the Tome of Oblivion, a vast collection of knowledge, carefully gathered and indexed over the course of dozens of centuries. It is this the Battle-Brothers of the Chapter are renowned for and it has earned them both praise and ire from the various institutions the Imperium consists of. The quest for knowledge and understanding is what drives the Chapter. Where the pinnacle of martial training will result in a suit of Power Armour for an aspiring Battle-brother, they are expected to add a unique piece of knowledge, fully studied and well documented, to the Archives of the Spire. Only after a Brother has done this, will he earn the trademark Crimson Robe so often seen flowing over the dull grey Power Armour.
Beliefs
The Chapter places knowledge and understanding above all else. Though dogmatic worship of the Emperor is frowned upon by members of the Chapter, certain freedom of thought is given to Brothers of the Chapter. This has resulted in both zealous Space Marines as well as more open minded individuals. Guardians of the Covenant believe that no one entity but the Emperor holds the truth, and by congregating and sharing ideas, they can come closer to understanding this truth.
Chapter Doctrines
The Chapter is unique in that they value scholarly arts on an equal level to martial arts. Most Battle-Brothers are gifted individuals with unique skills that range from poetry to masonry and from biology to exact science. The path to becoming an Astartes of the Chapter is a long and arduous one. A brother is expected to take part in the Practicum as well as the Theoreticum. The former earning them a suit of Power Armour, the latter earning a brother his Crimson Robes. The Practicum equals the training each aspiring member of the Adeptus Astartes receives over the course of many years until they become a full Battle-Brother. During this training, a brother of the Guardians of the Covenant will also attend the Theoreticum, a unique course of learning which is considered of equal importance to the Practicum. In order to pass the Theoreticum, a brother has to complete a Quest for Knowledge. This Quest can only be completed once the Brother has proven his worth by adding a unique piece of knowledge to the Archive of the Spire or Librarium. A Battle-Brother is free to choose in what way this piece of knowledge takes form, be it music, scripture or science. Through extensive knowledge, a Battle-Brother hopes to understand his situation and his foe.
The Chapter itself is divided into Convenio, which translates to Low-Gothic as “Gatherings”. Each Gathering the equivalent of a Codex Company. A Convenio is led by a Dominus, or Company Master. These are gifted and wise individuals, each one taking care of a certain aspect within the Chapter. Together with the First Company, the Convenio Mentoris, they form the Convenio Arcanum. The Guardians of the Covenant equivalent of the Inner Circle. The Convenio Arcanum is led by Xandor Solaceon, Lord Guardian of Mortikah and Supreme Grand Master of the Guardians of the Covenant.
Status as Unforgiven
Though part of the Unforgiven and close ties to other Unforgiven Chapters, the Guardians of the Covenant, mostly due to their remote location, do not actively hunt the Fallen like their primogenitor and fellow successor chapters. Though aid will be given when requested, the Chapter's Second Company, which was originally formed after the primogenitor's Ravenwing, seldom rides out for one of the cast-down members of the legion from whence they originated. This has further lead to an already isolated status apart from the rest of the Unforgiven. Nevertheless, the Guardians of the Covenant are proud of their heritage as Sons of the Lion and follow many traditions laid down by their parent Legion and Chapter.
Favorable relations with the Priesthood of Mars
The Guardians of the Covenant have indeed very favourable relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus. The simple fact that they Mechanicum and the Guardians of Mortikah have in common that they gather and catalog a vast wealth of information is not the only cause of this. It happened that while crusading in the Halo Stars, a Grand Master of old unearthed several intact fragments of a Standard Template Construct and granted this boon of Old Night to the Adeptus Mechanicus. The favourable relations between both faction, which were already existent, would be forged in steel and gold henceforth. Over the centuries, the Priesthood of Mars gifted the Chapter many ancient relics of ages past, such as several Contemptor Dreadnoughts from the time when the Emperor walked amongst men and even two mighty Fellblades, which they uncovered from an ancient weapons cache. Currently, the Adeptus Mechanicus has a firm presence in the Mortikah system, occupying the Mortikah V, a barren, lifeless planet which holds vast amounts of Mortikan Ore, which is mainly used to create weapons which have a distinctly coppery colour despite being regular gunmetal. Mortikah V is a small planet, but has vast manufactorii and forges for its size.