Grey Knights
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In the tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Grey Knights are a mysterious chapter of Space Marines. They act as the military arm of the Ordo Malleus, the Daemon-hunting branch of the omnipotent Inquisition.
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[edit] History
Legend has it that the Grey Knights were founded on the order of the Emperor himself, at some point between the start of the Horus Heresy and the events of the Second Founding. Originally they were thought not to be descended from any of the original twenty Space Marine Legions, having been created from a unique gene-seed. rumoured to come from the Emperor of Mankind himself.
Another possible source for their gene-seed is a purified 'cocktail' of the eight loyal Space Marines from the traitor legions, presented to the Emperor by Malcador the Sigillite, during the Siege of the Emperor's Palace. Malcador had been charged by the Emperor to gather a group of people whose loyalty, courage and strength of mind was unquestionable. The resulting eight marines possessed paranormal skills that were kept dormant (in respect of the Council of Nikaea's previous ruling) and had cast aside former loyalty to legion and Primarch. The Emperor is believed to have responded, "Malcador, you have judged well. These eight Space Marines do indeed have a vital role to play in the future of the Imperium, though veiled in secrecy will they be."
Ironically designated Chapter 666 (according to Codex: Daemonhunters), the Grey Knights are permanently attached to the Ordo Malleus branch of the Inquisition. The Grey Knights are unique among the Space Marines as the only chapter to have full knowledge of the dark secrets of Chaos - they alone completely know of and understand the existence of Daemons and of their appearance in the real world, and they alone are best equipped to battle and defeat mankind's most terrible enemy. While other Chapters and Imperium forces have some knowledge of Daemons and how to fight them, only the Grey Knights are privy to the darkest, deepest secrets that the Imperium knows of these creatures and how to defeat them.
In the Chapter's long history the Grey Knights hold the highest honor of all: not one Grey Knight has ever turned to Chaos, or betrayed the Emperor.
Due to their secret nature little is known about their operations. Under the great monastery fortresses on Titan lie countless heroes of the Imperium, though no one outside the Inquisition would ever know they existed.
[edit] Organization
While the Grey Knights are technically members of the Adeptus Astartes, they do not involve themselves with the ordinary activities of the Space Marines. They are instead attached to the Inquisition, charged with uncovering and expunging the taint of heretical Chaos wherever it is found.
Each successful recruit is given a suit of Aegis Armour and a Nemesis Force weapon, and is assigned to a squad under the leadership of a Justicar. The Space Marine can ascend to the position of Justicar, and then from this point may be awarded Terminator honours (which would also be accompanied by a suit of Tactical Dreadnought armour). Elite soldiers within the Terminator corps can be promoted to the position of Brother-Captain, or even to the position of Grand Master. Multiple Grey Knights may hold the rank of Grand Master at the same time, working together to guide the Chapter as a form of ruling council. At all times, a Grand Master of the Grey Knights holds a seat on the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition.
[edit] Headquarters
The Grey Knights' fortress-monastery is located on Saturn's moon, Titan. This world is also home to the Librarium Daemonica, the Imperium's foremost repository of information relating to Daemons and Daemonology.
Although Titan is the Chapter's homeworld, squads of Grey Knights are scattered throughout the galaxy, in order to best respond to the threat of Chaos, wherever it may strike.
Unlike almost all other Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights do not follow the tenets of the Codex Astartes in the matter of force organisation. Due to the unique manner in which the Grey Knights are recruited and trained, each warrior progresses through a series of pre-ordained ranks and will operate in a particular squad led by an individual of higher rank rather than being assigned to a particular battle company. These squads may be called upon to act independently from the main body of the Grey Knight force, and have to operate at full efficiency even when light years away from the rest of their chapter. As such the leader of each Grey Knight squad is obeyed immediately and without question by those under his command.
[edit] Recruitment
Considering the role of the Grey Knights, potential recruits are put through even more stringent trials than other Space Marine Neophytes. The recruits are drawn from across the galaxy and brought to Titan for testing. The most advanced bio-engineering and psycho-surgery available is utilised to condition the Neophytes, and each recruit must pass the six hundred and sixty six Rituals of Detestation, to prove that he is capable of withstanding horrors that would break even the greatest of 'normal' Space Marines. Upon success, the recruit also has the majority of their memories and personality erased, the better to ensure their absolute and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor. One of the main criteria for selection is that the recruit must show great psychic potential, as the entire Chapter is made up of psykers. Once accepted into the chapter and undergoing the standard process to transform into a member of the Adeptus Astartes, the new Grey Knight is also implanted with silver purity wards under his skin which cover his entire body. Unlike normal Space Marines, Grey Knight neophytes are awarded a suit of power armour (or Aegis Armour) and are immediately pressed into service. They then move through the ranks as detailed above. This is likely due to their few numbers.
[edit] Combat Doctrine
Most engagements will involve a single squad of Grey Knights supporting an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, or a local force. For more serious daemonic incursions, several squads of Grey Knights are collected around the presence of a senior Brother-Captain, or even a Grand Master. In these circumstances, tactical squads will attempt to establish a beachhead in the tainted area, before the Terminators and senior Marines teleport down to the surface and engage the primary Daemon, banishing it back to the Immaterium.
The very presence of Grey Knights upon the field of battle is painful to Daemons and their kin. The psychic purity and sonorous chants of detestation repel the daemonic and make it hard for them to maintain a grip in the physical universe. This means that Grey Knights gain immense advantages against Chaotic opposition, but the high expense of an individual Grey Knight leads to its own tactical problems - for all their power, Grey Knights will nearly always be badly outnumbered and must focus upon fast application of force.
The Grey Knight force also contains a high proportion of troops who can teleport into battle, a high-risk maneuver which can turn the tide of a battle if deployed well.
[edit] Equipment
As the Grey Knights are an elite chapter engaged in fighting Daemonic infestation, they have access to specialised equipment not available to other Chapters. Among these powerful and arcane items are the Psycannon, a powerful heavy weapon, armed with ritually inscribed silver and blessed 'bolts' which are capable of damaging Daemonkin far more than the standard Bolter. Another heavy weapon used by this chapter is a sanctified incinerator which utilizes promethium which is mixed with sacred oils and then is ritually blessed to give it an even greater effect on the daemons that it is used on. In addition, Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and Grey Knight Hero units gain powerful equipment designed to weaken the resolve and skill of warp-spawned foes. This equipment can range from simple Storm Bolters to the powerful Psycannon or relics such as the Grimoire of True Names.
[edit] Nemesis Force weapons
These are sanctified Force weapons, usually taking the form of a sword, halberd or spear, though sometimes a rare Nemesis hammer will be utilized by a Grey Knight of incredible strength. Each is consecrated and anointed with sacred oils, psychically charged, and inscribed with religious scripts that are anathema to Daemons. They are specifically attuned to the bearer and thus no others, not even another Grey Knight, may use the weapon other than it's sanctioned bearer. Original Nemesis Force Weapons had Bolt Pistols built into the shaft of the weapon, but newer models have the ranged weaponry separate from the Nemesis Force Weapon.
Like all Force weapons available to the psychic warriors of the Imperium, the power of the weapon itself directly corresponds to the psychic talent of the wielder, and as the Grey Knights are some of the greatest psykers of the Imperium, they are truly devastating weapons in their hands. Because of this the entire chapter is able to wield these, and every member is a hero in his own right. However, due to the inexperience of younger recruits the Nemesis Force Weapon of lower ranks will be weaker in terms of strength than their higher level counterparts. This makes the weapon effectively "evolve" as the bearer progresses through the ranks and master the weapon. In the hands of the Grand Master these Force Weapons are some of the strongest in the galaxy.
[edit] Aegis Armour
The suits of power and Terminator armour worn by the Grey Knights are incredibly well crafted; anointed and inscribed with prayers and wards, ritually consecrated and psychically charged. Working in tandem with the Grey Knights' formidable psychic powers, the Aegis Armour protects the wearers from the effects of the Immaterium and the Daemons it spawns. The armour's ritual blessings and psychic resonance also serve to confound the perception of any enemy, resulting in an effect called the Shrouding.
As well as its psychic properties, the armour itself incorporates a 'Stormbolter' pattern weapon - a rare and powerful weapon which, when combined with the skill of the Knights themselves, can be used with equal effectiveness in both ranged and melee combat. When circumstances dictate, the weapon can be loaded with psychically-charged ammunition.
[edit] The Liber Daemonica
A copy of this book, its contents drawn from material taken from the Librarium Daemonica along with the battle-rites of the Grey Knights Chapter, is carried into battle by every single Grey Knight, in a compartment in his chest plate. The book is also represented in Grey Knight iconology, on the chestplate and pauldron of both power armor and tactical Dreadnought armour(Terminator Armour). It is a symbol of the greatest weapon against the forces of Chaos - an unshakeable faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind.
[edit] Dreadnoughts
Like other Space Marine Chapters, mortally wounded Grey Knights are sometimes placed within the massive battle armor known as a Dreadnought. Unlike other Chapters, however, Grey Knights do not look upon this extension of their life as an honour - all Grey Knights desire to be brought to the crypts underneath the Temple of the Emperor on Titan and laid to rest with their brothers over continuing life inside a machine. As such, Grey Knight Dreadnoughts are extremely rare.
[edit] Ships
Like other Space Marine chapters, the Grey Knights' primary mode of transportation is the strike cruiser class of ship that is exclusive to the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The Grey Knights' ships however are specially modified in several ways. One is the hexagrammic and anti-daemonic wards that are built into the entire ship from bridge to landing struts and every bulkhead in between, similar to those that are placed under the skin of the Grey Knights themselves that lend the ship added protection from the forces of Chaos. Also, the Grey Knights' strike cruisers are equipped with significantly more advanced armour than the ships of other chapters. This is to allow them to close with more powerful foes and reach their destination safely since the Grey Knights have to fight more powerful enemies than the standard Adeptus Astartes chapters. Finally, the landing and drop pod bays are enlarged to be able to deploy larger numbers of marines faster.
The modifications to their ships are made possible by two factors. The first is their fortress monastery's location in the rings of Saturn, its close proximity to Mars, the greatest forge world in the Imperium of Man, allowing access to technology that was forgotten or is impossible to replicate anywhere else in the Imperium (this could also explain the high quality of all Grey Knights equipment). The other reason is the resources that the Ordo Malleus gives the Grey Knights due to their close working relationship as the Ordo's Chamber Militant.
[edit] Ranks
The Grey Knight hierarchy, like that of the Dark Angels and Black Templars, is drastically different from Codex-adherent Chapters. The biggest difference is that the Grey Knights do not have an acknowledged Chapter Master.
- Battle Brother: The standard Grey Knight trooper. Equipped not only with the famed aegis suit, the standard armament of a Grey Knight are a wrist mounted Storm Bolter of perfect craftsmanship and the Nemesis Force Weapon. Each weapon is unique to its owner having been attuned to his particular psychic signal. They can take the form of a Halberd, Sword, Axe, Hammer, Mace, Maul, Scythe or even a Morning Star. Newly accepted battle brothers will be inducted into fresh squads led by a Justicar, eventually developing their abilities in leadership, weaponry, psykana and armed/unarmed combat. Upon demonstration of above average ability in one of these areas they take their place in either the assault Teleport, heavy Purgation squads or become Justicars themselves to lead new batches of recruits.
- Justicar: Justicars are the leaders of the latest recruits to the Grey Knights - although it should be noted that such recruits may have been fighting the Emperor's foes for up to a century. This is the first step on the path to becoming a Grand Master.
- Terminator: Like all Space Marine Chapters, the battle-brothers wearing Terminator armor are the elite of the Grey Knights. In addition to possessing greater armor, they also use their psychic powers actively as opposed to passively in combat. They also have the same special weapons options - incinerators and psycannons - as their power armor-wearing battle brothers but some exeptionly strong terminators may wield nemesis force hammers and storm shields.
- Brother-Captain: Usually the leader of a Grey Knight Terminator squad, he may also be the force commander. Like his brethren, he wields a nemesis force weapon in combat, and also possesses psychic powers.
- Grand Master: The highest rank attainable by a Grey Knight, a Grand Master is - by virtue of his esteemed rank - a member of the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition. A master daemonslayer, the Grand Master always wears Terminator armor and wields a force weapon in combat, and is also a powerful psyker. Few, if any, Daemons have been able to stand against a Grand Master and survive. The death of such a powerful defender of the Emperor's will is always mourned by the Grey Knights and the Ordo Malleus - though no common citizen will ever know of him. Due to the amount of experience and enemy heads needed to become one such warrior Grand Masters have been known to live for thousands of years.
[edit] Appearance
The symbol of the Grey Knights Chapter is an open book, with a sword stabbing through it. In all accounts, this remains constant.
However, there are at least two different documented versions of their colours. One portrays the Chapter's Aegis armour as being black, with ornate silver gauntlets, shoulderpads, and decorations. The Chapter symbol is displayed in gold. The second source depicts the Grey Knights as wearing silver Aegis armour, with ornate gold decoration prevalent on many parts of the armour.
In both cases, each individual Marine bears personal heraldry, either on their shoulderpad, or on a small shield positioned over the left shoulder, facing forward. The heraldry designs incorporate black, white and red, with iconography usually made up of swords and skulls. For Grey Knights and Justicars, heraldry often includes squad markings. However, Grey Knights in Terminator armour are permitted to use their own design, with one half typically depicting their own heraldry, and the other half simple battle honour markings.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Though the Grey Knights are "attached" to the Ordo Malleus, they are still a chapter in their own right. They do not answer to the Inquisition and are not obligated to follow any orders given to them. They work with the Ordo Malleus because of their common foe of Chaos (and more specifically daemons) and it is convenient for the two organisations to share resources and work together. The Grey Knights undertake their own missions most of the time and share information gathered with the Inquisition. When the Ordo Malleus has an operation that requires the assistance of the Grey Knights they ask the Chapter for a force to aid them. A grand master may attach a strike force led by a brother-captain to an Inquisitor but this is a temporary arrangement that ends with the mission or being recalled by their chapter. Traditionally, however, the Grand Master of the Grey Knights is a member of the Inquisition's Inner Conclave.
- ↑ Though not specifically erased, the new Grey Knight's memories are almost entirely sublimated by the knowledge he gains from ancient teaching machines and the stress of the trials. His former life becomes a mere shadow, a flicker of time before his real life began.
[edit] References
- McNeil, Graham; and Haines, Pete (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Daemonhunters. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-361-6.
- (August 2001) "Index Astartes – Purge the Unclean". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (260). ISSN 0265-8712.
- Counter, Ben (2004). "Grey Knights". Games Workshop Black Library: ISBN 1-84416-087-4
- Merrett, Alan (2006). Horus Heresy – Volume IV: Visions of Death. Nottingham: Black Library
