An irremediable and phenomenal blight within mankind are the few whose nature is attuned to a greater chaos power from birth. Such individuals are indistinguishable from other imperial citizens, a rare feature in the normally insane, decadent and unrestrainedness of those who sell their souls to chaos. Among the Inquisition there is speculation that it is for this reason that the Sons of Khorne are among the most outwardly sane and sophisticated slaughters in the Blood God's legions. The controlled and merciless destruction in the wake of these zealots is testament to the aspect of the war god that is embodied within each marine. They are living immolations in charred grey armour that strike out against the galaxy with a cold resolve, a terrifyingly reminder of the inescapably innate conflict within even the most cultured humans' psyche.

History

Created during the sixth founding from the Ultramarine gene stock, the chapter was christened under the name the Sons of Epicurius. Their home world was Aegeus Labyros, a fertile and wealthy planet famed for the skill of its armour smiths. Aegeus Labyros was locked in mutual orbit with its disproportionately large moon. Despite the planetary prosperity, the planet was locked in internal conflict for centuries with traitors, daemon summoners and alien cults. At any time the majority of the chapter was located in battle on the planets surface, while the detachments left to maintain order in surrounding systems.

Upon arrival an seer whose name goes unrecorded in imperial annuls predicted that the chapter would fall to chaos within five centuries of its creation. Instances of citizens receiving this vision increased, and small groups secretly arose that opposed the chapter's presence.

Within the first century from its conception, the legion clashed with numerous foes, particularly that of the Goff Ork tribes and the World Eater legion. Combined with the constant war on their home world, the chapter turned towards a fierce respect for martial ability, and eventually towards the battlefield itself for spiritual direction and identity.

Originally a celebrated Ultramarines commander, the chapter master Epicurius slew every one of the numerous warlords of Khorne and bosses of the Goffs the Chapter crossed. By the first decade the chapter master was held in near absolute reverence by every marine within the chapter for his tactical mastery. However, the chapter master was not above .

There came a time when his trusted advisory, Chief Librarian Didymus, prophesied of an ultimate failure of the legion to protect the population on Aegeus Labyros. Acting on Didymus' vision and finding himself without available imperial navy, Epicurius sent his chapter to relocate the citizens to a temporary dwelling on the planet's moon before incinerating the planet's cities and forests from orbit. The secured control over Aegeus Labyros, although being incomplete, was the great secret joy of Epicurius.

Disaster struck as a sudden warp storm swallowed over two thirds of the chapter in transit to the first to-be-refugees. Stricken with grief and bitter over his inability to see this future as Didymus' had, he ordered his remaining marines to turn on the civilian population, believing them in his deluded rage to be secretly harboring psychic mutants of unchecked power.

Learning of his chapter master's resolution, the Chief Librarian Didymus sent a psychic warning to the planet surface on the impending space marine invasion. He confronted Epicurius with a plea for peace, begged him to stop his madness. Didymus told his chapter master of a second vision that revealed the fate of the missing space marines; his legion was unharmed by the warp storm. Disbelief bred scorn in the once noble Chapter master who coolly rejected his friend's council. Didymus engaged the chapter master and thrust his force weapon into his old friend's side. Unable to muster the intent to kill him and worrying for the people on the planet, Didymus sent his psychic presence across the chapter in an effort halt his brothers' advance.

In that moment Epicurius instinctively called out to Khorne, and struck down Didymus. The psychic death scream reverberated throughout the chapter as Didymus exploded into flame as the lord of skulls consumed the chief librarian's soul. The consciousness of Didymus, although twisted and shattered, continued to exist within the Sons of Epicurius, tainting them with a psychic presence and casting their minds into eternal unrest.

Epicurius and his space marine chapter pursued the population across the planet, then hunted down those who managed to escape. Within each marine Didymus unceasingly howled protest.

Learning of this betrayal, the Imperium arrived over Aegeus Labyros to find that the Sons of Khorne had long since left. Suddenly the lost ships of the Sons of Epicurius emerged from the warp storm, having been thrown forward in time. The imperial ships fired upon them. Seeing the burning planet and believing themselves to be betrayed, the marines fled to the stars and cursed the Imperium for attacking their planet.

Many of those who survived the Imperial fleet managed to rejoin the rest of the chapter.

Eventually submitting themselves to Khorne as Epicurius has done, the dark god laid his blessing upon the entire chapter. The psychic presence of Didymus within the rogue marines reacted against the fell blessing, and Khorne in turn unleashed a portion of his power against the presence of the chief librarian. The legion burst into flames, and while the librarians perished, the other marines managed to survive in the immolated state. The chapter remains forever cursed to hear the screams of Didymus being consumed by Khorne's fire yet living until his the life he is tethered to, the host marine himself, perishes.

With a chapter forever denied peace at his disposal, Khorne directed them towards prey and the marines, completely devoid of purpose, gladly followed.

Organization

As with the armies of the blood god, there are no sorcerers among the Sons of Khorne.
There is no formal system of ranks held by the chapter, yet the undecipherable chain of authority is unquestioned by the chaos marines.

Combat Doctrine

The Sons of Khorne prefer keep the fight within bolter range. Terminators, dreadnoughts and vindicators feature heavily alongside a core army of chaos space marines.

Although it is rare for a Sons of Khorne army to be entirely mechanised, deepstriking terminators and rhino transports feature in their assaults frequently. The preferred manner of battle for the chapter is a highly orchestrated and simultaneous assault on several key locations in the enemy line by the main force, while a smaller force, often in transports, attacks areas of little or no resistance to capture ground and force the enemy to divide their force.

The Sons of Khorne are just as likely to engage in a firefight as to charge into combat, but rarely perform hastily thought out manures.

Appearance

The once pure gene seed of the Ultramarines was cursed by Khorne. Each marine burns as he lives, and is encased in the power armour forged in the local fashion by the late armour smiths of Aegeus Labyros. Each marine is unable to find death until the battle field claims him or the warp causes him to manifest psychic powers, upon which the flames of Khorne finally consume him.