Rebirth from the Ashes
In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, the Scythes of the Emperor Chapter has faced unimaginable hardship. Their homeworld, Sotha, was ravaged by the Tyranid hive fleet Kraken, leaving only a handful of battle-brothers to escape the devastation. The survivors fled to the Miral System, where they made a last stand on the death world of Miral.
A New Stronghold
On the surface of Miral, the Scythes discovered a natural citadel known as the Giant’s Coffin. This towering rocky outcrop became their final stronghold, its steep cliffs and rocky promontories providing a desperate defense against the Tyranid hordes. Though their defenses were strong, the Scythes were ultimately overwhelmed, and their Chapter Master Thorcyra met his end on Miral.
Hit and Run
Captain Thrasius, the new Chapter Master, adopted a strategy of hit-and-run attacks against the Tyranids. This pattern of defense and retreat continued until the Scythes received word that Hive Fleet Kraken’s advance had been stalled by the Ultramarines on Ichar IV. The Scythes then shifted their focus to preserving their Chapter and salvaging what they could from the devastation wrought by the Tyranids.
Secrets and Shadows
Since the destruction of their homeworld, the Scythes have become a secretive Chapter. Many of their battle-brothers were infected with the Genestealer’s Kiss during the invasion, and they now wear psychic dampening hoods to resist the calls of the Hive Mind. The Scythes have also lost all but three of their Codex-approved Terminator suits, and their Forge Master Sebastion is working to restore a fourth partial suit to combat-readiness.
Rebirth and Rebuilding
At the dawn of 999.M41, the Scythes of the Emperor announced that their Chapter would be “born anew.” Later, during the Indomitus Crusade, they were formally reborn thanks to reinforcements of Primaris Space Marines from Belisarius Cawl’s Ultima Founding. The Scythes have since returned to fighting for the Emperor, including in the Battle of Hamagora.
Guardians of the Realm
After the Indomitus Crusade, the Scythes of the Emperor were chosen by Roboute Guilliman to guard the reformed realm of Ultramar. A force of Scythes later accompanied Belisarius Cawl to Sotha to study the Pharos, but they were ambushed by Genestealer Cultists. Chapter Master Thrasius died slaying the Genestealer Patriarch, and the remaining Scythes Firstborn fell with him.
A New Fortress-Monastery
The abandoned orbital station of Scythes of Emperor above Sotha Aegida was rebuilt and assigned as their fortress-monastery. From there, the Scythes will fulfill their ancient obligations of honor and watch the eastern marches of Greater Ultramar for threats.
Recruitment and Iconography
The Scythes of the Emperor do not restrict recruitment to their homeworld; they maintain bastions on several Imperial worlds, which are used for resupply and recruiting Marines. The Chapter’s power armor is black with a yellow breastplate and backpack, and their symbol is a pair of yellow crossed scythes on a black background. Company affiliation is indicated by the color of the Marine’s chest aquila, and veteran status is marked by a yellow left kneepad with a black skull.
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