Lord Commander Erus..

Ok.. Here is a new and huge development in the fluff of my Chapter. As poor Killer said, my fluff knowledge scares him.

For those of you who aren't up to fluff as I am, here are some helpful definitions.

1. Sus-an Membrane - This flat, circular organ is implanted over the top of the exposed brain. It then grows into the brain tissue until completely merged. The organ is ineffective without subsequent chemical therapy and training. However, a properly tutored Marine may then enter into a state of suspended animation. This may be a conscious action, or may happen automatically in the event of extreme physical trauma. In this condition a Marine may survive for many years, even if bearing otherwise fatal injuries. Only appropriate chemical therapy and auto-suggestion can revive a Marine from this state - a Marine cannot revive himself.

2. Omophagea - This complicated implant becomes part of the brain, but is actually situated within the spinal cord between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. Four nerve sheaths called neuroglia are implanted between the spine and the Preomnor wall. The Omophagea is designed to absorb genetic material generated in animal tissue as a function of memory, experience or innate ability. A Marine can actually learn by eating. Incidentally, it is the presence of this organ which has created the various flesh and blood drinking rituals for which the Marines are famous, as well as giving the names to Chapters such as the Blood Drinkers, Flesh Tearers etc.

3. Catalepsean Node -This brain implant is usually inserted into the back of the skull via a hole drilled into the occipital bone. The pea-sized organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the bodies response to sleep deprivation. Normally a Marine sleeps like any normal man, but if deprived of sleep, the Catalepsean node cuts in. A man implanted with the node is capable of sleeping and remaining awake at the same time by switching off areas of the brain sequentially. This process cannot replace normal sleep entirely, but increases a Marines survivability by allowing perception of the environment whilst resting.

4. Progenoid - There are two of these glands, one situated in the neck, the other deep within the chest cavity. These glands are important to the survival of the Marines Chapter. Each organ grows within the Marine, absorbing hormonal stimuli and genetic material from the other implants. After five years the neck gland is mature and ready for removal. After ten years the chest gland becomes mature and is also ready for removal. A gland may be removed anytime after it has matured. These glands represent a Chapters only source of gene-seed. When mature, each gland contains a single gene-seed corresponding to each zygote implanted into the recipient Marine. Once removed by surgery, the Progenoid must be carefully prepared, its individual gene-seeds checked for mutation, and stored.




The Scions of Heireann are a Cursed Founding Chapter of multiple genetics, created in an attempt to test Adeptus Mechancius Genetic theory. Primarily, the largest donors are Blood Angels and Space Wolves, with Ultramarines and Dark Angels being the next largest donors, as well as trace amounts of Salamander genetic make up said to be added in to use the stoic nature of that Chapter to balance the humors and wild emotions of the Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Space Wolves.

The reasoning of mixing two severely flawed gene seeds followed as thus: The amount of traits that will surface is a fixed and finite amount. With a large amount of stable geneseed to take up as much make-up of the new material as the flawed donors, it should help to stabilize the flaw. However, the use of two flawed sources follows that with the stability of the other donors dampening the flaws, surely one would take precedence over the other, thereby allowing further experimentation to eventually remove the flaws from that Chapters genetics, while maintaining the advantages.

However, as most of the research in the Cursed Founding era went, they were horribly wrong. Not counted on was the reaction of the canis helix from the Space Wolf stock, as well as the black rage and red thirst implanted upon the Blood Angels stock, and the darker, unspoken of variants to the Dark Angels genetic material.

Combined together, the flaws of all three chapters did in a way prove the Adeptus Mechancius and the Magos in charge of the project right. The Dark Angels flaw, which inevitably led to flirtation or outright descent to heresy by way of Chaotic corruption, was outright obliterated.

However, the theory was flawed. The Dark Angels flaw was looked to be negligibly, and likely not the one to be ousted by the others. The effects of a combined canis helix and the duality of the black rage and red thirst were never considered by the Magos, although some hint darkly that it was but the Mechanicum approved the experiment anyway.

The resultant mix, again, proved the theory correct above and beyond all hopes. The feral beast that dwelt within all Space Wolves showed no signs in any of the tested marines for the Scions of Heireann, and they exemplified no genetic markers for the red thirst or black rage. To all exstensive batteries and tests, they were as stable, if not more so, than the Ultramarines themselves.

However, the flaw in the testing was that only one generation of 'test marines' were tested, and the progenoid glands appeared to function just fine, producing exemplary geneseed at a rate of three and a half years quicker than most. However, the sucessors of that generation were not tested before being founded as a Chapter in their own right, and there was the flaw to rear its ugly head.

First it appeared as only an oddity, most common in the dreadnoughts of the Chapter. After being awoken from the suspended animation brought on by their Sus-an membrane, the warriors seemed to take longer to come to full awareness, and were reported as being slow to react. Also amongst the odd symptoms listed by the Chapters Techmarines and Apothecaries were the mutations (where applicable) of the catalepsean node, as well as an alarming enlargement of the omophagea implant.

The repercussions were to become apparent when the fourth generation of Heireann marines was founded. Particularly after the decimation of the 10th Company during a recon mission on a fringe system in the Eastern sector. A splinter Hive fleet had begun systematically laying waste to worlds, and the Ultramarines in the area had sent out an emergency notification to all nearby Marine fleets for assistance.

Judging the need to be great indeed if the stiff necks of the Ultramarines were bending to ask for aid, Nuada commanded his warriors to the sector with all haste. The closest was the tenth company, and they were sent in to gauge the nature of the enemy and the field of battle, so the Scions of Heireann might best combat the foe.

Expecting little problems, the Captain of the Tenth arrogantly lead his warriors in by a flamboyant drop pod deployment, as was promptly set upon by hordes of genestealers and lictors. Those scant hundred or so scouts rescued from the massacre by the combined strength of the Scions of Heireann and the Ultramarines Fist Companys were all in deep shock, and only those furthest in developmental stages of Astartes induction were to survive. A fact noted by Apothecary Lamfada of the Scions of Heireann is the fact that all of those to survive were possessed of a fully functional catalepsean node and sus-an membrane.

Upon revival and treatment, more and more of the recovered recruits were noted to have memory loss, and traumatic, involuntary triggering of the catalepsean nodes half-sleep effect, although there seemed to be little response to the outside world beyond basic reflexive motor movements, and violent reactions to anything or one physically touching the subject.

What was discovered afterwards shocked and horrified all but Nuada himself. Those who recovered fully were put through typical purity tests and checks, to weed out any possible tyranid spawned corruption. Many professed memories of other, older battles. Assault oriented scout squad members were acquainted with the workings of heavy weapons and Devastator combat, sniper trained scouts showed an uncanny knowledge of a dreadnoughts inn working, and one scout professed a deep knowledge of the Chapters lore and history, rivaled only by that of the Chapters Chief Librarian.

Batteries were conducted again, and again. Members of the Inquisition, all three Ordos even, were called in. All checks passed, and all tests for corruption were negative. It appeared to be a freak occurrence that was written off as a side effect of the unique tyranid strand encountered. How wrong they were is a stain of honor upon all who were involved.

Decades and centuries went by, with the strange memory-recall being professed by more and more members of the Chapter, an more often those not involved on the crisis in the Eastern fringe. This fact was kept quiet by the Chapter itself, and several times it was called to task for not sending samples of it's gene seed in, or sending 'doctored and falsified organs'. What the horrible truth was, is that more and more marines from the Scions of Heireann were possessing memories they had no way of knowing, or seeing. The only common factor was some type of traumatic injury that triggered the functions of the sus-an membrane, with rarer occurrences being as battle brothers 'slept' in the half slumber of the catalepsean node.

The secret was eventually discovered, and the Chapter declared extremis diablous and ordered to be sent on suicide mission after suicide mission. Thereby, they would, as the last man died, attain forgiveness from the Emperor by having spent their last in His name.

The secret, the horrible flaw committed to the very souls of the doomed Marines of the Scions of Heireann was this: the mutations of their implants was a resultant of the flaw in the genetic Blood Angels makeup that allowed the imprinting of the death of Sanguinius combined with the 'inner beast' of the canis helix. These, in addition to the sporadic mutation of the Omophagea in puzzling ways resulted in what can only be called a type of selective, linear genetic memory bordering close to the old pagan belief of reincarnation.

For this sin, the Magos involved were put to the sword as heretics, and the Chapter ordered on the suicidal crusade. The threat represented by the flaw of the Scions of Heireann, even sporadic and weak as it was at the time of the trial, represented something unspeakable to the Inquisition. For, when the Imperium relies upon being able to silently write history as it sees fit, one can clearly see the threat such marines as the Scions would bring to bear.