A former Night Lords' Legion company, the Corpse Screams have spread terror across the Imperium for millennia, seemingly just for the pleasure of it. The specialise in causing entire planets to fall from fear and panic. They prefer to work behind the scenes, manipulating and spreading chaos, before a single strike destroys all order.
Since M37 they have focused much of their attention on the Raven Guard Successor Chapter Dread Echoes. Their captain, Clamo Mihi, has become obsessed with the chapter, going so far as to blind himself to mimic the Dread Echoes' gene-seed flaw. The root of Clamo's obsession is that he believes the chapter is a loyalist successor of the Night Lord's, and he will go to any length to prove this.
History[]
The Great Heresy[]
No mention of the Corpse Screams are found in Imperial Archives that date to before or during the Horus Heresy; it is possible the company went under a different name at the time. After the Legion split follow the death of Konrad Curze, the company split away and became a roving band, bringing terror to any world they encountered.
Echo of Terror[]
During the 7th Black Crusade, the forces of Chaos exited the Eye of Terror, then scattered far and wide. The Corpse Screams was one such warband, using the resulting Ghost War as cover for their infiltration of the Hive World of Timore. The warband began to spread fear, corruption and chaos across the planet, all without revealing themselves. They managed to cause a rebellion against Imperial control on the world, which quickly toppled two hive cites of the planet's five. However, Clamo had become aware that something was working against his warband.
The Dread Echoes 2nd and 3rd companies had secretly deployed onto Timore, their Seers having detected Chaos forces on the planet. Without even knowing their enemy, the marines fell into their usual pattern of reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination on the traitorous forces. They too quickly realised the enemy was using the same tactics, with just as much efficiency. While both sides could have called each other out, attempted a confrontation, Clamo and the Dread Echoes captains decided to continue with their current course. Neither side knew the full extent of the other's numbers or capabilities, and both were not confidant in their combat efficiency. Shadow warfare was what they did best; and that is what they would stick to.
Over six years, two wars were fought on Timore. The first was between the Imperial and Traitor forces, consisting of siege warfare and urban battles. The Imperials were mostly PDF forces, with a single Imperial Guard Regiment that had been resupplying on the world. By contrast, the Traitor forces were mostly civilians turned cultists, with some traitor PDF and guardsmen. Despite being highly disorganised, the cultists were in vast numbers, incorporating the population of one of the fallen Hive Cities, and had support in all of the cities. The Imperial forces were holding the reaming cities, enforcing martial law to retain control.
The second war was a Shadow War, happening all across the planet, on battlefields, cities, ruins and even partially in orbit. The Dread Echoes and Screaming Corpses attempted to out do each other in all regards of stealth, intimation and sabotage. The Night Lords set up their favourite tactic of chilling screams across the vox-network, only for the Loyalists to replace it with holy prayers and threats of death for the Traitors. The Dread Echoes' Menders spiked the cultists water supply, only for the Imperial Guard's to suffer the same fate. Assassination attempts were made, blocked and completed, all with the two opposing space marine groups barely interacting. In fact, apart from attempting to stopping the assassinations, accidental encounters while navigating the Hive Cities and and short battles fought in the shadows, the two enemies were rarely face to face. Even so, both groups developed hatred for their foes, but also respect.
Clamo's Fascination[]
Clamo was the most struck by the Dread Echoes, going so far as to develop an obsession. He saw the marines as misguided successors to the Night Lords, not using their full potential to cause fear, to sow chaos. Late in the war, he even believed the chapter was a gene-seed successor of the Night Lords. To learn more about the Dread Echoes, he attempted to take their marines alive, or their scouts who were deployed on missions behind enemy lines.
Torturing his captives, Clamo learned some interesting facts about the chapter; that they were totally blind, which he did not believe for some time; that they claimed Raven Guard descent, which disguised him; and their use of Echo-Speak. This was more of an accident. Watching his prisoners secretly, Clamo noticed they were using clicks and whistles to communicate. Unable to fully hear them, he went to his warband's Apothecary and had him replace his ears with stronger, mutated copies. Coincidentally, the ears matched that of a bat's, the animal that was the inspiration for much of the Dread Echoes iconography and naming.
Clamo then took one of the Dread Echoes scout marines, and for 18 days straight tortured him for his knowledge of Echo-Speak. By the end he was able to at least understand basic Echo-Speak. Using this, Clamo listened in on Dread Echoes communications, both over the vox network and when they spoke to each over out loud. After a couple months, he learned the location of the chapter's base on Timore, and lead his warband to attack it. The Chapter's 3rd Captain was killed, and their forces scattered across the planet. Just to worsen an already terrible situation, one of the last Hive Cities fell to cultist influence.
The situation seemed dire for the Dread Echoes, but the 2nd Captain Witwatia refused to be cowed. Taking over the vox network, he broadcasted a message to Clamo, challenging him to an honour duel, alone. Clamo arrived at the site, an old battlefield from early in the war, to find Witwatia waiting for him blade drawn. Before they began, Clamo demanded the truth; was the Dread Echoes descended from the Night Lords Legion. Witwatia denied this. When Clamo pressed him, he declared Corvus Corax his Primarch, and the Night Lord's Primarch Konrad Curze a inhuman monster. Clamo only laughed at this, agreeing, before he began his attack.
The two fought hard, fighting not just for themselves, but for their respective legions. Clamo was much older than Witwatia, with experience dating back to the Horus Heresy, and he quickly gained an advantage. Witwatia however had known this, and had planned. His Power Sword had been coated in a blinding poison, which quickly affected Clamo. Although he had the hearing of Dread Echoes marine, he had never used it while blinded. This evened the fight, but Witwatia was still hard pressed to defend himself. Finally though, he got past Clamo's defence and knocked him down. Before he could land the final blow, he fell under bolter fire. Clamo had ignored the rules of the duel, and brought his warband with him.
Laughing down at him, Clamo declared Witwatia a fool, and a dead one at that. The captain gazed up at him with blind eyes, and declared Clamo the fool. Suddenly bolter fire was launched at the traitors, Dread Echoes marines appearing across the battlefield. They were not alone either. The sky lit up with the flare of drop pods, and Thunder Hawks swooped down. Witwatia had been stalling, and had drawn the Night Lord's out into the open. Within moments, the Dread Echoes 1st Company had deployed, wearing Terminator Armour and following their Chapter Master. Alongside them were Ordo Angelus marines, having joined the reinforcing forces to help purge the planet. Much of the warband was killed, but many more escaped. Among them was Clamo Mihi, taking with him Witwatia's head as a final trophy.
The Corpse Screams had lost many of it's members, reduced down to a half. On their shadowy craft, Clamo swore on Witwatia's bloody head he would reveal the truth of the Dread Echoes; that they were a Night Lord's successor. Even if took him until the End Times to do so, Clamo would see the chapter accept it's true heritage.
Hounding the Echoes[]
Clamo's main goal was discover the Dread Echoes' home world; once there, he would have access to their records and possibly their chapter master aswell. Clamo's obsession was growing; he ritualistically blinded himself, to bring him closer to his supposed "brothers." His warband were disturbed by Clamo's activities, but none dared stand against him. Leading his warband on a furious pursuit, Clamo followed any whispers of the black clad chapter. From the Halo Stars to The Realm of Ultramar, the Corpse Screams shadowed the chapter, always watching.
- Echo of Fear (Late M36) - While involved in a campaign against a Hive World fallen to Chaos, the Dread Echoes are once again attacked by the Corpse Screams. This time, Clamo Mihi directs his forces to undo all the work the chapter has done, and frustrate their efforts. In a duel between Clamo and the Dread Echoes Chapter, the latter again rejects Clamo claims of brotherhood, and forces him to flee. It is during this battle the Night Lord's relic Helm of Screams is stolen from the warband by the chapter.
- Echo of Pain (M38) - Hiring Noise Marine mercenaries, Clamo attacks the Dread Echoes 3rd Company while they investigate a Eldar Maiden World. Both Space Marine and Eldar fight against the invader, both suffering heavy casualties, until the forces of Chaos are forced in retreat.
Culture[]
Sadistic tendencies and cruelty are hallmarks of the Night Lord's legion, and the Corpse Screams are no different. What is only different is how the marines go about it; instead of wading into crowds of innocents, blades striking at random, the warband prefers to work from the shadows, causing terror, fear, suspicion, without revealing themselves. It apparently gives them a perverse pleasure to know how much power they hold over regular mortals.
The Old Guard[]
Only about a quarter of the Warband are from Nostromo, the long destroyed home world of the Eight Legion. They have seen the rise and fall of the Imperium, fought for two Warmasters of Chaos, seen the darkness at the centre of all men's souls. Their's is the knowledge of ten thousand years of war. They follow Clamo, but at the same time they are disgusted by his infatuation with the Dread Echoes. None dare say that out loud however...
Fresh Blood[]
The newest recruits to the warband, these marines are kidnapped children, or sons of cultists. They fanatical follow Clamo, seeing him as a kind of father figure. Young as they are, they are less skilled, but just as enthusiastic to cause terror.
Organisation[]
Mimicking their style of warfare, there is little structure to the Corpse Scream's ranks. Essentially, Clamo is on top, below him are group of lieutenants, and then the rest of the warband. The lieutenants change constantly, being challenged by those below them or each other, and if one displeases Clamo they are quite promptly killed. There are no squad; the marines work with who they fell like for each mission. Specific targets are handed out by the lieutenants, but mostly the Chaos marines do as they wish.
Combat Doctrine[]
The Corpse Screams' main goal is to cause as much terror as possible. They use everything at their disposal to do this, from jumping out at someone to poisoning water or food supplies with severe hallucinates. Unlike other Night Lord Warband, who delight in wholesale slaughter, the Corpse Screams work mainly in the shadows.
A Corpse Screams assault will mainly consist of a reign of terror, where the Chaos marines terrify the local population into a mad panic. Sometimes they will create cults, revealing themselves to people in position of power to gain influence. Over months or even weeks, the targeted world will fall to chaos. The population will fight amosgt themselves will the Corpse Screams laugh. If a bastion of order remains, such as Guard Regiment, it will be dealt with in a lightning strike, killing them or forcing them to flee.
Fleet[]
It seems the Corpse Screams do not own a vessel. Instead they hijack void craft whenever they can. This makes their movement across the galaxy slightly erratic.
Notable Marines[]
- Clamo Mihi - Born on Nostromo, Clamo fought alongside his Primarch in a hundred battles. Now he leads his warband on his quest to confirm his deranged theory that the Dread Echoes are a Night Lord successor chapter. In his quest he has even blinded him self, and had his ears replaced with stronger bat-like copies that allow him to hear the lowest pitches of the Dread Echoes language, Echo Speak.
Warband Relics[]
- Helm of Screams - Taken from the warband by the Dread Echoes, this relic is one that is not used lightly. Usable only by the psychically adept, the helm can project demonic screams into the mind of any within a area decided by the wearer's psychic might. Wearing the helm is a constant battle, as the wearer fights against demons and directs their attentions away from his allies, and towards their foes. Needless to say, using the Helm is dangerous, and if the wearer fails to contain them demons shall posses his form, necessitating a quick execution. Miraculously, the helm always survives these incidents, eager for a new victim.
Appearance[]
Colours[]
The warband armour is mostly purple, with white edging and black horns and back-pack. The marines also adorn their armour with skulls or flayed skin, and are often covered in dried blood.
Badge[]
The warband's badge is that of a screaming skull, fanged and with a lolling tongue.
Relations[]
Allies[]
- Other Chaos Warbands/ Marines - The Corpse Screams are quite happy to work alongside other Chaos marines; they are even more happy to stab them in the back. Mainly Clamo will work with other warbands when he has something to gain.
- The Screaming Rapture - Clamo once hired Vritra the Howler and his personal Noise Marine band to attack the Dread Echoes alongside his own forces. The two groups have remained cordial ever since.
Enemies[]
- Dread Echoes - A Raven Guard Succesor chapter with methods similar to the Night Lords Legion. After the Echo of Terror Campaign, the chapter has ever been watchful for signs of Clamo's return. He believes they are actually a loyalist successor to his Legion, and seeks to prove this by forcing them into more radical methods. Most Dread Echoes marines that fall to Chaos try to join the warband; the rest are hunted down. All are tortured for information.
Quotes[]
Feel free to add your own
By[]
- "Gut them quick; the fun is over. Run them down, and it gets interesting."
- —Corpse Screams saying
About[]
- "We know you are there, Mihi. You and your degenerate monsters. Back again to force us to join you. All I say to you; watch the shadows."
- —Dread Echoes Captain calling out the warband
- "Proud son of Chemos I may be, but by the Dark Prince, no one throws a party quite like a Night Lord."