Editing Soul Drinkers (section)

===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.