Editing Soul Drinkers (section)

==History==

===Origins===
Officially, according to the Imperium's ''Index Astartes'', the Soul Drinkers are a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion. When [[Rogal Dorn]] was forced to break up the VII Legion under the dictates of the [[Codex Astartes]], he was left with <s>five</s> six Chapters' worth of marines: the veterans would remain with him as the Imperial Fists, the youngest and least-experienced neophytes would be heralded as the [[Fists Exemplar]], the most zealous would serve under [[Sigismund]] as the [[Black Templars]], the most tactically flexible would serve under [[Alexis Polux]] as the [[Crimson Fists]], the most masochistic would serve under Demetrius Katalfaque as the [[Excoriators]], and the boarding specialists would become the Soul Drinkers. During the War of the Beast, the other successor chapters - less than 2000 years after the heresy - thought of them as related. There has been some evidence that both disputes and proves that this is accurate, but we'll get to that later.

One of those Soul Drinkers was Daenyathos, who became a [[Space Marine]] sometime during the Age of Apostasy. Daenyathos was a sensitive soul and he didn't relish having to [[Goge Vandire|invade Terra]]. Over a few hundred years, he came to the conclusion that the Imperium was corrupt and inefficient (somewhat accurately), and that ordinary humans were nothing more than cattle (rather ''less'' accurately). However, Daenyathos believed that humanity could be made better through extreme bloodshed and suffering. He decided that the Soul Drinkers would be that agent of suffering, laying the seeds for them to turn against the Imperium within the ''Catechisms Martial,'' a spiritual treatise on the purpose and nature of the Soul Drinkers and their tactical Bible. At the same time, he co-opted the [[Chaplain|Chaplaincy]] and turned them into his agents in fomenting a contempt of the Imperium within the Soul Drinkers now and forever. When Daenyathos was struck down by a heretic, his loyal servants interred him within a haunted [[Dreadnought]] and he ascended to being the Soul Drinkers' [[Spiritual Liege]], second only to Rogal Dorn and the [[God-Emperor_of_Man|God-Emperor]].

===Rebellion===
Fast forward some 5,000 years. It's the close of the 41st millennium, and the Soul Drinkers receive word that one of their sacred artifacts, the Soulspear, has been discovered by a ne'er-do-well family owning a star fort. The [[Administratum]], already eager to take control of the fort and its revenue, assembles a task force to occupy the station while a kill team under Captain Caeson and Librarian Sarpedon go in for the Soulspear. Caeson is killed (somehow poisoned, despite his oolitic kidney), but Sarpedon manages to locate the Soulspear. Just as the Soul Drinkers claim it, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] element of the Imperial task force teleport in and steal the Soulspear, immediately sending it to a Forge World so that the Administratum would lose jurisdiction. The Soul Drinkers demand the Soulspear returned and hold the star fort for a siege. During this time, they meet a mutant preacher named Ysir who worships the Emperor in his aspect as [[Tzeentch|the Architect of Fate]], and begin listening to his tales about the Imperium's corruption. The AdMech makes things actually worse by ''attacking'' the fort, believing the Soul Drinkers would stand down. Instead, the Soul Drinkers fight off the Skitarii and destroy the fort before fleeing on their fleet.

After five months of evading the Imperium, the [[Inquisition]] finally shows up. The Inquisitor orders the Soul Drinkers to stand down, regarding this as little more than a simple case of them suddenly rebelling against the Imperium. When they refuse he declares the Chapter ''Excommunicate Traitoris''. Eventually, the rest of the Soul Drinkers fleet arrives, and Chapter Master Gorgoleon challenges Sarpedon to combat. Sarpedon is about to lose when he spontaneously develops spider legs and kills Gorgoleon. Believing his mutations to be a gift from the Emperor, the Chapter veterans acclaim Sarpedon as Chapter Master, but the younger marines and novitiates reject Sarpedon as a mutant. This leads to the First Chapter War, resulting in many of the younger members being killed off, while many of the veterans also gain mutations, though less extreme than Sarpedon. As of this, the Soul Drinkers officially break with the Imperium.

Around this time, Sarpedon realizes that a fleet would be too much of a waste of resources for the Chapter to effectively move around. Finding a massive [[Space Hulk]] dubbed the ''Brokenback'', the Soul Drinkers scuttle their fleet and use the ''Brokenback'' as their fortress-monastery, with [[Techmarine]] Lygris, de facto Master of the Forge, able to bring the vessel under their technological control. After cleansing the hulk of the usual hangers on ([[Genestealer]]s, [[Daemon]]s, etc.) the Soul Drinkers react to visions Ysir was having. They find a Daemon World ruled by Ve'Meth, a [[Daemon Prince]] of [[Nurgle]]. Though taking horrible losses, the Soul Drinkers ultimately defeat Ve'Meth. Mere moments after they're back on the ''Brokenback'', however, they're confronted by Abraxes, a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch, who was the real cause of Ysir's visions and their mutations. Having acquired the Soulspear (and indirectly killing the Archmagos responsible for its theft), Abraxes offers Sarpedon the chance to serve Tzeentch. Sarpedon replies that the Soul Drinkers belong to no one and stabs Abraxes through the heart with the Soulspear. Now knowing that they can serve neither the Imperium or Chaos, Sarpedon instead advocates a policy of doing "the Emperor's work": instead of fighting threats as designated by the [[Adeptus Terra]], the chapter would work to protect the people of the Imperium so frequently forgotten by the Adepta.

Unfortunately, just because they rejected Chaos didn't mean that Tzeentch stopped offering up mutations. With their [[gene-seed]] rapidly becoming unstable, the Soul Drinkers review a previous mission where they intervened in an [[Eldar]] attack on an Adeptus Mechanicus facility that was attempting to develop measures to halt or reverse mutations. Unfortunately, the Eldar attack ended up releasing the very thing it tried to prevent: one of the test subjects, a mutant psyker with delusions of godhood by the name of Teturact, resulting in the mutant becoming a Champion of Nurgle without realizing it. Finally locating where the facility was, on Stratix Luminae, the Soul Drinkers sent in the entire chapter to retrieve the genetic data. Unfortunately, they got caught in a three way battle with Teturact's forces and the Inquisitorial force sent to eliminate the Soul Drinkers under a new Inquisitor, Thaddeus. Sarpedon and Thaddeus reluctantly worked together to kill Teturact, and the Soul Drinkers were able to escape with the genetic data.

===New course===
Chief Apothecary Pallas was able to stabilize the mutations, and the Soul Drinkers began recruiting aspirants into their ranks again with stabilized gene-seed, to be trained under the leadership of Captain Karraidan, one of the Chapter's last [[Terminator]]s. Unlike previous generations of Soul Drinkers, however, they were not subjected to hypno-indoctrination, so that they could have free minds like the rest of the Chapter. This would come back to bite the Chapter in the ass, but we'll get to that later. Unfortunately, one group of marines under Assault Sergeant Tellos was left behind when the Soul Drinkers retreated from Stratix Luminae. Already suffering from uncontrollable aggression after mutations to his body caused him to have bullets pass through his skin, Tellos fell to [[Khorne]] and began tearing through the unsuspecting Imperium. Sarpedon made tracking him one of their top priorities, since he had been mucking about in the depths of the ''Brokenback'' and knew its secrets. Eventually finding one of his men, the Soul Drinkers learned that Tellos and his marines were on Entymion IV, a planet fighting off a [[Slaanesh]]i incursion.

What the Soul Drinkers discovered was that the Slaaneshi cultists were fighting for a [[Dark Eldar]] [[Kabal]] that had [[What|willingly embraced Slaanesh]]. Even worse, they weren't the only Astartes on the planet: the Crimson Fists under Force Commander Reinez were also there. With both Chapters descended from the Imperial Fists during the Second Founding, Reinez broke off from the main Imperial force and made eliminating the Soul Drinkers their priority. Squad Eumenes, one of Karraidan's new Scout Squads, managed to steal the Fists company banner, dishonouring Reinez and making an enemy of him. Using it as an offering, the Soul Drinkers were able to meet with the Archon, Kadheros. Sarpedon and Kadheros agreed to an alliance, both planning to betray the other. Unfortunately, Kadheros betrayed the Soul Drinkers first, revealing his plan to turn Entymion IV into a Daemon World with himself as a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh. Using the deteriorating situation to their advantage, the Soul Drinkers sent the Crimson Fists against the Dark Eldar, while Sarpedon managed to defeat Tellos. However, Tellos survived the battle, only to be killed when the Inquisition subjected Entymion IV to Exterminatus.

However, things were happening within the Chapter under Sarpedon's notice. This whole time, Iktinos, the sole remaining Chaplain and de facto Master of Sanctity, was carrying out the secret orders Daenyathos had laid down millennia ago to bring about his ultimate plan. As part of this, when the [[13th Black Crusade]] opened up, Iktinos convinced Sarpedon to help the people of the planet Vanqualis, one of the planets Daenyathos had seeded myths about in the Soul Drinkers, there known as "the Black Chalice". Vanqualis was undergoing an [[Ork]] invasion, and had fallen through the cracks with the recent focus on [[Cadia]]. However, Eumenes, now a Sergeant and full brother, instead advocated that they take the opportunity to attack [[Terra]] and block out the [[Astronomican]]. Sarpedon challenged Eumenes to trial by First Blood, and Sarpedon won, in the process realizing that he had made a major mistake by not using the hypno-indoctrination.

Going to Vanqualis, Luko (now promoted to Captain) made contact for Sarpedon with the Penal Legion the Imperial Guard sent. The war with the Orks was going well until half the Chapter, mostly novitiates, but including a few veterans like Pallas, ended up turning on the Chapter and freeing Eumenes, killing Captain Karraidan in the process. Worse, the people of Vanqualis had an old alliance with the [[Howling Griffons]], a chapter known for its exceeding obsession with fulfilling its oaths beyond the point of [[Warhammer 40,000]]'s loose definition of sanity. With the Vanqualis PDF believing that Soul Drinkers were the Black Chalice, the Howling Griffons focused their attention on Sarpedon's loyalists while Eumenes' traitors were able to escape to the ''Brokenback''.

However, Lygris was able to sabotage the ''Brokenback'' and prevent them from escaping, while Iktinos (after acquiring the information he needed on Daenyathos) linked up with Sarpedon and Luko. Finally, Librarian Gresk, one of the traitors, deliberately allowed Sarpedon's group to escape. In addition, Inquisitor Thaddeus had joined the Howling Griffons, having learned about several other legends involving cups and chalices on planets the Soul Drinkers never visited, though he soon wore out his welcome (having realised the Drinkers were ''not'' Chaos Space Marines, he tried to help them, killing a Griffons Battle-Brother in the processes) and was soon killed by Merceano, Chief Librarian of the Howling Griffons.

Forced into a stalemate, Sarpedon agreed to lay down command if Eumenes would get his Marines off Vanqualis. Fighting off the Howling Griffons boarding the ''Brokenback'', Eumenes killed Merceano, while Luko allowed the Howling Griffons access to their cogitators, proving that they were not the Black Chalice. Eumenes prepared to take command when Sarpedon broke out of his restraints, then challenged Eumenes, pointing out that he broke his word first. Sarpedon quickly killed Eumenes, but allowed anyone who wanted to leave the right to do so. Most of the Scouts and new Marines ended up leaving, with the Soul Drinkers reduced to 250 marines.

===Endgame===
Fleeing to the Veiled Regions at the suggestion of Chaplain Iktinos, the Soul Drinkers ran into an AdMech Explorator fleet probing the region. Managing to escape the AdMech, the Soul Drinkers began finding evidence of human life in the region, but had been mysteriously wiped out. The answer soon presented itself: [[Necron]]s. What's worse, these Necrons hadn't suffered [[fail|Villain Decay]] like the Tabletop Necrons at the time and were a legitimately frightening threat. Learning of human holdouts at Ravenia, the Soul Drinkers learned that the Ravenians were part of the Selaccan Empire, a human empire who had been cut off from the Imperium for a long, long time.

With the ''Brokenback'' running out of fuel, the Soul Drinkers made a deal with the AdMech to take to Selacca, where the Necrons were based, and work together to destroy the Necron Overlord leading them. After a bitter struggle, the Soul Drinkers managed to destroy the Necron Overlord, but at the price of Techmarine Lygris, who sacrificed himself to destroy its consciousness. Things soon turned for the worse when the AdMech double-crossed the Soul Drinkers and revealed that they had called in the Imperial Fists to take care of them. First Captain [[Darnath Lysander]] challenged Sarpedon to single combat, and Sarpedon accepted, ordering Luko to carry out his orders to stand down if he fell. For all of Sarpedon's speed, it was Lysander he was facing, and was quickly overpowered.

Instead of immediately executing the Soul Drinkers, Chapter Master [[Vladimir Pugh]] decided to put them on trial for treason, with himself serving as Lord Justice and Lysander as Chief Bailiff. Representatives from all over the Imperium arrived at the Phalanax for the trial, including familiar faces such as Captain Borganor of the Howling Griffons (who lost a leg to Sarpedon) Reinez, who was now an exile and appointed Prosecutor, Lord Inquisitor Kolgo (Thaddeus' former superior), and Bernice Aescarion of the [[Sisters of Battle]] (Thaddeus' former bodyguard). New faces included Librarian Varnica from the [[Silver Skulls]], Captain N'Kalo from the [[Iron Knights]] (another Imperial Fists successor, and the only person to defend the Soul Drinkers) and Commander Gethsemar of the [[Angels Sanguine]]. The trial was anything but dignified, with Reinez and Borganor constantly crying for the Soul Drinkers' immediate execution, but Lysander was able to keep them in line.

During the course of the trial, startling information came to light: not only did Imperial Fists Scouts discover Daenyathos in a Dreadnought buried beneath Selacca, but Commander Gethsemar revealed that the Sanguinary Priests had conducted tests on one of the young Soul Drinkers who was presumed dead during the First Chapter War, and revealed that Rogal Dorn was not the Soul Drinkers Primarch. After Varnica revealed the role of Abraxes, Pugh concluded that the Soul Drinkers were to be sentenced to death. However, the Blind Eye, a cult Daenyathos had seeded millennia earlier, freed the Soul Drinkers and kidnapped N'Kalo, where part of Daenyathos' plan was revealed: use Dorn's blood to open a Warp portal he had sealed during the [[Great Scouring]], bringing forth none other than Abraxes. The prospect of taking the Phalanx was too appealing, and pretty soon the four [[Chaos Gods]] had worked out a miniature cease-fire among themselves to allow some of their own Greater Daemons into the vessel. Daenyathos intended Abraxes to take the Phalanx on a Daemonic rampage through the galaxy, causing suffering and bloodshed unseen since the [[Horus Heresy]], from which a new, stronger Imperium would emerge (with himself as its ruler, of course).

While Iktinos and his flock joined Abraxes, the rest of the Soul Drinkers refused to be anyone's pawn and joined the assembled Imperial forces in repelling Abraxes' Daemon army. During the course of the battle, Sarpedon managed to mindrape Iktinos and throw the Chaplain out of an airlock, before cutting Daenyathos out of his Dreadnought with the Soulspear, while Varnica was able to close the Warp portal using the blood of Reinez (who had already gone over the deep end and allied with Iktinos's flock in his desire for vengeance) and with the help of Luko, who managed to keep Abraxes pinned long enough for the Warp portal to cut the Daemon in half. However, only Sarpedon, Luko, Sergeant Graevus, and Daenyathos survived the battle among the Soul Drinkers.

Knowing that there was no other place for them in this galaxy, the three loyalist Soul Drinkers instead chose to walk into the Warp, urging the Imperial Fists to stop being the agent of humanity's repression and start being the agent of its salvation. With that, the three loyalists walked into the Warp gate, with Sarpedon dragging Daenyathos in as well, who began screaming hysterically like a little bitch at the prospect (though given that he was going to be at the tender lack of mercies of the Chaos Gods, he had pretty good reason to be scared). Now convinced that the Soul Drinkers were indeed loyal, if unorthodox, servants of the Emperor of Mankind, the Imperial Fists inscribed a column in their Apothecarion as a memorial to the fallen Chapter, ensuring that the galaxy would not forget the tale --or the idea-- of the Soul Drinkers.

===Re-founding===

''On the isolated world of Kepris, a Primaris Space Marine Chapter deploys to break the bloodthirsty cult that rules the world.  But will this new Chapter's name spell its doom?  After all, the universe has never been kind to the '''Soul Drinkers'''...''

An upcoming novella by Ben Counter, ''Traitor by Deed,'' who just so happened to write the original Soul Drinkers novels, has a very interesting marine on the cover -- a Marine from the newly formed '''Soul Drinkers chapter of Primaris Space Marines.''' Officially declared a loyalist chapter by their actions at the end of the above novel series, the Soul Drinkers are one of the many destroyed chapters that were re-founded during the Ultima Founding with fresh Imperial Fist Primaris Marines, straight out of the Indomitus Crusade. As a result, they are composed entirely of Primaris marines and have no members who knew of the "old Chapter" under Sarpedon or the "old old Chapter" under Gorgoleon. They also likely don't adhere to the Catechism Martial (or any of Daenyathos' teachings) anymore given what happened the last time the chapter did that.

The newly re-formed Soul Drinkers immediately are sent to Kepris to deal with a Chaos cult, which presumably goes about as well as possible for a chapter with a cursed name and a legacy of being tied to Chaos. Except, as it turns out, it's not a Chaos cult at all, but a cult started by a noblewoman whose family has been taken hostage by some Eldar from Biel-Tan. The Eldar are seeking to retrieve one of their ancient artefacts from one of the planet's many cathedrals, where it had been enshrined as a relic of the local Imperial saint. The Soul Drinkers team up with the remaining loyalists on the planet, plus an inquisitor who happened to be there (and who knows more about the OG Soul Drinkers than he lets on). Things actually go pretty well for the new Soul Drinkers, but one of their Marines smashes the Eldar artifact instead of letting the spess elves have it or handing it over to the inquisitor. The inquisitor gets all [[butthurt]] about it and tells the Marines that they've made an enemy of the Inquisition again. What, if anything, will come of this remains to be seen. From his reactions,  Inquisitor Stheno might be a member of the Xenos Hybris faction. As a non-radical member wouldn't give a shit if some Eldar trinket was destroyed.