Fluff - The Schism of the Fists

The following details the rise to power of Roscius, Apothecary of the Emerald Fists and describes the great fissure which decimated the Emerald Fists and led to their disapearance from the Imperium.

The story will be expanded as I add more units to the army.  For now, this is the fluff for the daemon prince I'm working on as part of a 'tale of four gamers' I'm doing.

The motivations which sowed the seeds of the Schism of the Fists were known only to Chief Apothecary Sextus Roscius, whom has long since transcended his mortal existence.  The following details the compiled records pieced together following the Schism.

Some time in early 800M41 Roscius began tampering with the Emerald Fist geneseed; making minor alterations which lay dormant and unknown to any within the chapter.  Gradually, as the crusading fleet suffered battle losses, the corrupted geneseed was implanted into new recruits and their training was enacted as it had been for 5 millennia.  For nearly 100 years the chapter continued its campaign around the eye of terror persecuting whatever mission chapter command had ordered and slowly the composition of the chapter swelled with battle brothers host to a dormant corruption.

In 898M41, acting on intel suggesting a potentially massive incursion from the eye of terror, fully one half of the Emerald Fists were dispatched to meet this building threat.  The 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and portions of the 1^st, 2^nd, 9^th and 10^th along with Roscius travelled at speed through the warp to reach their target.  During the journey the fleet became stalled within a savage warp storm and a plague of immeasurable horror was spread throughout the fleet.  Escorts, strike cruisers and the battle barge Intangible Force were enveloped one by one.  At this moment the truth of the introduced gene flaw became apparent; the Emerald Fists knew fear.  As the plague ravaged the crew and space marine alike, the marines with the corrupt geneseed felt anathema to the thought of rotting a slow and painful death.  Apothecary Roscius spread word that his battle brothers could protect themselves from the plague by cutting a three ringed mark on their chest.  The veteran marines knew this for what it was and steeled themselves against this threat for no true son of Dorn would cower before hand of death.  The marines carrying the corrupted gene seed however saw the result of the plague before them and their iron resolve crumbled.  In scores they followed Roscius’ instructions as did most of the Imperial crews.  The veteran marines moved to take Roscius but the plague had ravaged their strength and those marines now loyal to Roscius rushed to his aid.  The plague slowly and mercilessly destroyed the bodies and minds of the veterans as the traitors held them at bay.

Witnessing these events from the bridge of the Dawn Imperitus and piecing together reports from the veterans aboard other ships in the fleet, veteran sergeant Titus Latinius of 1^st company, 4^th assault squad gave the order to disengage.  Guided by the Emperor’s light the chief navigator aboard the strike cruiser managed to escape the warp storm and bring word of the treachery to chapter command. 

Over the next 5 years as the chapter’s chaplains and apothecaries unearthed the depth of the corruption and nearly half of the remaining loyal marines were purged for the good of the chapter.  Chapter master Gneaus Claudius swore vengeance and set the chapter about its last crusade, to bring the traitor fists to heel.  This event would be forever recorded as the Schism of the Fists within chapter records however no word of this would be spoken to the Imperium. 

The crusade fleet, now cleansed of the pure geneseed bearing marines was under Roscius’ control.  He now controlled nearly one half of the chapter’s strength; materiel and men.

As reward for his patient deceit and the corruption of a chapter he was elevated to daemonhood.  Roscius, Daemon Prince of Nurgle now directs the tainted marines through the warp, targeting systems seemingly at random to further the goals of his master.  Though he cannot lead his fleet through realspace his captains are more than capable of enacting his will and summoning him should the barrier between the realms be weakened.