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I wrote this ages ago as a piece of background fluff when I started my Sons of Malice army.
Since posting it on Malal Lives! I've found it quoted on numerous forums and taken almost as canon!
I havn't yet read the Sons of Maice story printed in 'Heroes of the Space Marines' (my copy is somewhere in the post
), but once I have I'll re-work this and probably start writing up some of the stories that've been floating around my head.
Like with a great many Chapters, it is unclear from which founding the Sons of Malice originate from. It is suspected however that they were a part of the group of twenty Space Marine chapters referred to as the Astartes Praeses, which, according to the Mythos Angelica Mortis were founded with the express purpose of guarding the regions surrounding the Eye of Terror.
Long before the Sons of Malice revealed themselves as traitors they were noted as being an obstinate Chapter, flaunting the teachings of the Codex Astartes in favour of their own military organisation.
Regarded by many as distrustful thanks to a number of misdemeanours, from the Chapter’s unwillingness to fight alongside other imperial forces to an unperceivable yet ‘discomforting aura’, it is alarming that the Sons of Malice were not sooner brought to the attention of the Inquisition, especially due to their widely reported displays of consuming their defeated foes.
It was at the aftermath of the Cilix 225 campaign that the truth of the Sons of Malice’s allegiances and practices were witnessed by an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus. Appalled by what she witnessed, the Inquisitor brought the might of Adeptus Sororitas to bear upon the traitors. In a bloodthirsty rampage the Sons of Malice slaughtered the Celelstian strike force and Kathal himself ritually sacrificed the Inquisitor to their shadowy patron.
Soon after the Sons of Malice retreated into the Eye of Terror as their homeworld was declared Perdita and assaulted by the forces of the Imperium.
The disappearance of Chapter Master Ba’kel Draak
Ba’kel Draak was the mighty and bloodthirsty Chapter Master of the Sons of Malice at the time the Chapter turned from the Emperor’s light. He has however been absent from all known actions of the renegade chapter since long before then.
Many believe he was slain by the ambitious Kathal who now leads the Sons of Malice but a stranger tale persists, whispered by the tribesmen of Scelus.
The Saga of the Doomed One as it is known tells of Ba’kel being tasked by his patron to search out a daemon named Sigru’p’law who dwelt with in the Eye of Terror. Upon his crusade Ba’kel single-handedly slew a great warband of the World Eaters legion led by the Infamous ‘Foulheart’, and is recounted to have battled with the greatest champions of each of the dark powers.
Having located the daemon Ba’kel was further tasked with locating a number of crystals that when combined would awaken an unnamed entity from its ‘crystal prison’.
Beyond this point variations on the Saga of the Doomed One occur, but none have any coherent story that is worth repeating.
Homeworld
The Scelus Sub-sector is a lonely, isolated area of space on the western edge of the Eye of Terror. Scelus was the homeworld of the Sons of Malice, and was declared Perdita at the time the Chapter turned upon the Imperium.
A cold, desolate place, Scelus is home to the savage and barbaric tribes from which the Sons of Malice recruit their number. It is made up of jagged, blackened mountain ranges, with almost no moisture in the atmosphere at all. A barren, rocky world whose meagre population eke out a precarious existence on the flanks of the more sheltered mountain ranges.
The native tribes were almost entirely eradicated by the Cadian 331st in a planet-wide campaign of genocide after it was revealed that the grisly tendencies that led to the Sons of Malice’s excommunication was found to be rooted in the barbaric practices of the feral population.
Combat Doctrine
The Sons of Malice are vicious, brutal and bloodthirsty in the extreme, although with just a hint of restraint. In the vast majority of their reported actions, the Renegade Chapter favour an infantry based close assault force, often backed up with remnants of Scelus’ feral tribesmen and foul turncoat traitor guardsmen as well as various other downtrodden desperados.
Often the auxiliary elements of an attacking force act as a distraction whilst the Sons of Malice themselves prepare for the right moment to make a sudden deathblow strike from forward positions, be it through prior infiltration, teleportation or other means.
It has been noted that the Sons of Malice often operate in squad formations larger than can be accommodated by regular transport vehicles such as the Rhino, and indeed that other vehicles, tanks & artillery are rarely sighted alongside them.
Organisation
Since they first appeared on record the Sons of Malice have been regarded as non-conformist Chapter, going against the teachings of the Codex Astartes. Whereas it is usual to field 10 companies with in a Chapter, the Sons of Malice have 11.
The 11th company is made up of selected members of the 1st company and was, prior to his disappearance, led personally by Chapter Master Ba’kel. That the Sons of Malice effectively have two companies of veterans is not such an unusual thing given the overzealous nature of the Chapter where combating forces of the Ruinous Powers is concerned.
In comparison to the other traitor legions the general organisation of the Sons of Malice is not that far gone from the codex norm. What equate to tatical, assault and devastator squads can clearly be found, although the latter often field a more diverse selection from the traditional support weapons.
Another peculiarity amongst the Sons of Malice when compared again to renegade chapters is that the psykers of the chapter have retained the traditional blue uniform of loyal librarians.
Beliefs
The Sons of Malice are Chaos worshiping traitors, that much is known, whichever aspect of Chaos they venerate however is not, for it is certainly not any of the four major Gods of Chaos.
Ascertaining anything of the Sons of Malice’ belief system is hard at best given the vow of silence they have apparently taken.
The only established ‘facts’ are that the number 11 is of significance as is the taking of trophies (particularly those of other renegade chapters). That the Sons of Malice are known to very rarely be supported in battle by daemons of any known type is also considered relevant to their religious practices.
It has been noted however that on these rare occasions that daemons have appeared alongside the chapter, they appear as those previously documented ('bloodletters' or 'plaguebearers'etc.) yet some how changed - appearing chastised or bound, and often wearing the black & white livery of the Sons.
Geneseed
The geneseed of the Sons of Malice does not appear on record in any of the Imperium archives. Whether this is due to accident or design cannot be discerned. As the Sons of Malice are recorded to have been one of the 20 Astartes Praeses Chapters it is thought that like so many chapters they are of Ultramarines stock.
Another theory is that they may be born of the Blood Angels Geneseed, the cannibalistic nature of the Sons of Malice being the prime factor behind this. There a few scholars however who have further commented on the possibility of the Blood Angels being cited as the Sons’ primogenitors. These few draw attention to the Lamenters Chapter who are also believed to have been descended from the Blood Angels. In this case, parallels are drawn between the Lamenter’s brush with heresy during the Badab war, and the so called ‘aura of doom’ that surrounds them.
Battlecry
The Sons of Malice reportedly fighting utter silence, and those who have fought against them cite this as the prime source of the deeply disturbing aura surrounding them.
Since posting it on Malal Lives! I've found it quoted on numerous forums and taken almost as canon!
I havn't yet read the Sons of Maice story printed in 'Heroes of the Space Marines' (my copy is somewhere in the post
), but once I have I'll re-work this and probably start writing up some of the stories that've been floating around my head.INDEX ASTARTES: SONS OF MALICE
Origins
Like with a great many Chapters, it is unclear from which founding the Sons of Malice originate from. It is suspected however that they were a part of the group of twenty Space Marine chapters referred to as the Astartes Praeses, which, according to the Mythos Angelica Mortis were founded with the express purpose of guarding the regions surrounding the Eye of Terror.
Long before the Sons of Malice revealed themselves as traitors they were noted as being an obstinate Chapter, flaunting the teachings of the Codex Astartes in favour of their own military organisation.
Regarded by many as distrustful thanks to a number of misdemeanours, from the Chapter’s unwillingness to fight alongside other imperial forces to an unperceivable yet ‘discomforting aura’, it is alarming that the Sons of Malice were not sooner brought to the attention of the Inquisition, especially due to their widely reported displays of consuming their defeated foes.
It was at the aftermath of the Cilix 225 campaign that the truth of the Sons of Malice’s allegiances and practices were witnessed by an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus. Appalled by what she witnessed, the Inquisitor brought the might of Adeptus Sororitas to bear upon the traitors. In a bloodthirsty rampage the Sons of Malice slaughtered the Celelstian strike force and Kathal himself ritually sacrificed the Inquisitor to their shadowy patron.
Soon after the Sons of Malice retreated into the Eye of Terror as their homeworld was declared Perdita and assaulted by the forces of the Imperium.
The disappearance of Chapter Master Ba’kel Draak
Ba’kel Draak was the mighty and bloodthirsty Chapter Master of the Sons of Malice at the time the Chapter turned from the Emperor’s light. He has however been absent from all known actions of the renegade chapter since long before then.
Many believe he was slain by the ambitious Kathal who now leads the Sons of Malice but a stranger tale persists, whispered by the tribesmen of Scelus.
The Saga of the Doomed One as it is known tells of Ba’kel being tasked by his patron to search out a daemon named Sigru’p’law who dwelt with in the Eye of Terror. Upon his crusade Ba’kel single-handedly slew a great warband of the World Eaters legion led by the Infamous ‘Foulheart’, and is recounted to have battled with the greatest champions of each of the dark powers.
Having located the daemon Ba’kel was further tasked with locating a number of crystals that when combined would awaken an unnamed entity from its ‘crystal prison’.
Beyond this point variations on the Saga of the Doomed One occur, but none have any coherent story that is worth repeating.
Homeworld
The Scelus Sub-sector is a lonely, isolated area of space on the western edge of the Eye of Terror. Scelus was the homeworld of the Sons of Malice, and was declared Perdita at the time the Chapter turned upon the Imperium.
A cold, desolate place, Scelus is home to the savage and barbaric tribes from which the Sons of Malice recruit their number. It is made up of jagged, blackened mountain ranges, with almost no moisture in the atmosphere at all. A barren, rocky world whose meagre population eke out a precarious existence on the flanks of the more sheltered mountain ranges.
The native tribes were almost entirely eradicated by the Cadian 331st in a planet-wide campaign of genocide after it was revealed that the grisly tendencies that led to the Sons of Malice’s excommunication was found to be rooted in the barbaric practices of the feral population.
Combat Doctrine
The Sons of Malice are vicious, brutal and bloodthirsty in the extreme, although with just a hint of restraint. In the vast majority of their reported actions, the Renegade Chapter favour an infantry based close assault force, often backed up with remnants of Scelus’ feral tribesmen and foul turncoat traitor guardsmen as well as various other downtrodden desperados.
Often the auxiliary elements of an attacking force act as a distraction whilst the Sons of Malice themselves prepare for the right moment to make a sudden deathblow strike from forward positions, be it through prior infiltration, teleportation or other means.
It has been noted that the Sons of Malice often operate in squad formations larger than can be accommodated by regular transport vehicles such as the Rhino, and indeed that other vehicles, tanks & artillery are rarely sighted alongside them.
Organisation
Since they first appeared on record the Sons of Malice have been regarded as non-conformist Chapter, going against the teachings of the Codex Astartes. Whereas it is usual to field 10 companies with in a Chapter, the Sons of Malice have 11.
The 11th company is made up of selected members of the 1st company and was, prior to his disappearance, led personally by Chapter Master Ba’kel. That the Sons of Malice effectively have two companies of veterans is not such an unusual thing given the overzealous nature of the Chapter where combating forces of the Ruinous Powers is concerned.
In comparison to the other traitor legions the general organisation of the Sons of Malice is not that far gone from the codex norm. What equate to tatical, assault and devastator squads can clearly be found, although the latter often field a more diverse selection from the traditional support weapons.
Another peculiarity amongst the Sons of Malice when compared again to renegade chapters is that the psykers of the chapter have retained the traditional blue uniform of loyal librarians.
Beliefs
The Sons of Malice are Chaos worshiping traitors, that much is known, whichever aspect of Chaos they venerate however is not, for it is certainly not any of the four major Gods of Chaos.
Ascertaining anything of the Sons of Malice’ belief system is hard at best given the vow of silence they have apparently taken.
The only established ‘facts’ are that the number 11 is of significance as is the taking of trophies (particularly those of other renegade chapters). That the Sons of Malice are known to very rarely be supported in battle by daemons of any known type is also considered relevant to their religious practices.
It has been noted however that on these rare occasions that daemons have appeared alongside the chapter, they appear as those previously documented ('bloodletters' or 'plaguebearers'etc.) yet some how changed - appearing chastised or bound, and often wearing the black & white livery of the Sons.
Geneseed
The geneseed of the Sons of Malice does not appear on record in any of the Imperium archives. Whether this is due to accident or design cannot be discerned. As the Sons of Malice are recorded to have been one of the 20 Astartes Praeses Chapters it is thought that like so many chapters they are of Ultramarines stock.
Another theory is that they may be born of the Blood Angels Geneseed, the cannibalistic nature of the Sons of Malice being the prime factor behind this. There a few scholars however who have further commented on the possibility of the Blood Angels being cited as the Sons’ primogenitors. These few draw attention to the Lamenters Chapter who are also believed to have been descended from the Blood Angels. In this case, parallels are drawn between the Lamenter’s brush with heresy during the Badab war, and the so called ‘aura of doom’ that surrounds them.
Battlecry
The Sons of Malice reportedly fighting utter silence, and those who have fought against them cite this as the prime source of the deeply disturbing aura surrounding them.
