During the age of human expansion, thousands of planetary systems were colonized. Over time, many of these civilizations lost contact with the Imperium. Vecarra is one of those systems. The system had two colonized planets, now known as Tundral and Vecarra. The people flourished for hundreds of years until a major catastrophe occurred. A small burst of unexplained energy spewed forth from the sun and floated to the fringe of the solar system, where it still remains. The wave rolled over both planets, rendering all technology inoperable. Heat waves scorched the surface of Tundral and massive chunks of ice pelted Vecarra. The people of Vacarra I were forced underground as the surface was incinerated until only a desert remained. Continuous ice storms slowly melted upon the surface of Vecarra, covering most of the planets surface with water. Contact with the Imperium was completely severed.

The people of Vecarra slowly lost faith in the Emperor and began to believe that the universe was punishing them for an unknown sin. They used small telescopes to study the catastrophic energy cloud. With time, they began to believe that its destiny was bound to their own. Thus, it was appropriately named 'Kismet Fog'. Huge chunks of ice occasionally spurt from within the Kismet Fog and plummet into the atmosphere of Vecarra. They crash into the oceans, causing powerful storms to rage across the world. These storms can last many months at a time, pelting the world with rain and hail. Waves swell and crash upon the few remaining fragments of land scattered across the planetary surface.

These land masses were the only places for which the survivors could build homes. They soon realized that the violent occasional ice storms would eventually destroy them. They gathered their resources and developed technology for underwater living. Migrating into the depths, they created submersible cities that were immune to the dangerous weather above. They could not forget the Kismet Fog, though. Men and women frequently travelled to the surface so that they could admire the night sky. Eventually, they started to worship the stars.. remembering stories of the Emperor as myths from the past. They began to believe that the power of the gods was contained within the Kismet Fog. A desire to touch the fog began to spread among the populace and they believed that they would surely be blessed such an action. Ancient space vessels were torn apart and researched extensively until space travel was rediscovered. At last, the people of Vecarra were able to reach for the heavens.

Thousands of people made expeditions for the Kismet Fog, but only a few came back. What they found within the fog was different from anything they had ever imagined. Violent and unpredictable ice storms and magnetic disruptions destroying most ships before they could reach the center. Those who survived the hellish scene and found their way to the eye of the Kismet Fog were amazed beyond belief. It was like looking into the gates of heaven with a bright array of colors floating in empty space. Sparkling particles randomly briefly arrayed themselves into recognizable shapes before scattering and coallescing into a completely new form. These images remained in the spacefarers dreams for years to come. Some explorers managed to retrieve small samples of energy prior to returning home. It has been rumored that the energy was harnessed for a variety of mysterious purposes, including weapon technologies. Despite the vast loss of life, effort, and monetary funds, no evidence of deities was found within the Kismet Fog. The people despaired and expanded their search.

They began to travel further away from their home planet. Eventually, an exploration ship named 'Hammer Tracer - Twelve' discovered Tundral and to their surprise, the crew found the surface to be inhabited by humans. The ship landed and men were sent with gifts to greet the natives. Each of the diplomats was brutally slaughtered by the local populace who then turned their guns on the visitors. The circumstances behind the event have long since been forgotten, but it is known that a war occurred between the two civilizations. The local inhabitants did not possess space-faring technology, but their weaponry was highly developed from years of fighting marauding Orks. The war was fought aggressively on the surface of Tundral for eight years. The natives retreated underground and fought desperately for their own survival. Casualties were severe for both sides, but in the end, the surface of Vecarra I was ruined and its people were broken. They were left to traverse a dead world with miniscule technology to help reduce their strife.

Vecarran ships explored the surrounding solar systems with renewed vigor. It was simply a matter of time before they were re-united with the Imperium. Shortly after the Horus Heresy, one of these ships encountered an Ultramarine warship battling against an Eldar fleet. The Vecarrans aided the space marines and helped to turn the tide of the battle. The marine captain was thoroughly impressed with their performance and invited Myallus, the Vecarran captain, to join him back on Macragge. The two discussed wartime experiences the factual history of the Imperium. Myallus returned to Vecarra with amazing stories about human culture on other planets. In particular, he spread stories about the Emperor. The majority of the people felt that they had finally discovered their god and this mentality opened a door to their destiny. They completely embraced the imperial religion and were eager to join its cause. An Imperial outpost was built on Vecarra II and the star system quickly joined the Imperium.

The Imperium noticed that Vecarrans had an unusually high ratio of telepaths among its population. The Ultramarines admired the Vecarran warriors and noticed their telepathic potential. The Space Marines petitioned for a successor chapter to be created utilizing these men. The chapter would be named the Void Reapers in honor of their spacefaring accomplishments. Imperial bureaucrats promptly denied the request claiming it to be unneccessary. Shortly thereafter, a mysterious audio message was discovered among the archives. It had originally been received prior to the re-discovery of Vecarra and was filed as 'unresolved'. It went as follows...

Naturally, the message was confusing. It had previously been validated as a space marine message, but a Void Reapers marine chapter was non-existant. Upon careful study, scholars concluded that the message had been retrieved from warp space. Since time is different within warp space, the message could have been sent in the future and recieved in the past. Since encryption was verified and the terminology was too coincidental, the implications could not be ignored. Imperial Inquisitors thoroughly examined the situation and a decision was reached. By the Emperor's grace, a successor chapter was to be created from the Ultramarine geneseed.

Recruits were taken from Vecarra, trained, and inducted into the new Void Reapers Space marine chapter. Numerous underwater fortifications were built and utilized as a base of operations.

97% of the surface of Vecarra is covered with water. Its dark depths hide a wide variety of sea creatures. Many of these animals are beautiful and harmless, but others are very dangerous. Garrian Spikers are small fish that gnaw on the submerged protective barriers that surrond cities. Men are rewarded with high wages for purging the barrier of these irritating animals. Massive eels are also problematic. They possess a strange curiosity that has resulted in countless vehicle accidents. Probably the worst underwater animal is the Coral Devil. Little is known about these monsters, except that they attack nearly anything that moves. They can grow up to 45 feet long, have an abundance of flippers and fins, and an extremely long spiked tail. They conceal themselves by stretching across the sides of coral reefs. When movement is detected, the creature lashes out with its tail. Few ships have survived an encounter with one of these beasts. Luckily, they breed slowly and are rarely seen.

Most human settlements and Space Marine bases are located underwater. Only a few small towns and outposts are scattered across the islands. These habitations were designed so that people can view the night sky. Giant telescopes protrude from the buildings and point directly into space. Thousands of people travel to the surface each year so that they may admire the stars and give thanks to the Emperor. The population is slowly growing and trade agreements within the Imperium have become more common. Massive quantities of fuel and ore are extracted from the ocean floor and transported to other planetary systems.

The Kismet Fog seems to protect the planetary system from most surveillance equipment. Many scholars theorize that this is why Vecarra remained hidden for so long after the initial energy burst from the sun. Yet the properties of the fog remain unknown since only a few men have survived the expeditions to its center. The tiny energy sources that have been extracted from the fog are well guarded and are worth a small fortune. This has been a frustrating problem for the Inquisition. Curious inquisitors have been forced to infiltrate in order to investigate the telepathic behavior of the Vecarran people. The fog also seems to distort communications into and out of the planetary system. The people of Vecarra developed an intricate communication network that enables them to send and receive massages with an accuracy of 82% (improved from the original 47%). It utilizes a combination of telepathy and electronics. The system is complex and sensitive, requiring tremendous amounts of manpower to maintain. Approximately 15% of the world's population specializes in communication technology. Their products are in high demand throughout the Imperium. Unfortunately, this also means that this equipment has been sold on the black market. Many people have been arrested for selling to aliens.

The Void Reapers have deviated only slightly from Codex doctrine. They maintain typical organization structure, but tend to have a higher ratio of Librarians. This is a direct result of Vecarran innate telepathic abilities. The Librarians aren't necessarily more powerful than other space marine Librarians, but they are more common.

Because the Vecarra star system is located on the fringe of Imperium controlled territory, the Void Reapers are commonly utilized for two things. First, they act as a buffer force to slow down enemies infringing on the Emperor's space. Second, they are often sent to investigate and resolve situations outside of the Imperium. They log extensive combat experience against alien races and display no fear of the unknown. They remain a superstitious people, though, and possess an extraordinary hatred for all things chaos related.

Void Reapers have had little experience or success in siege warfare. Their tactics vary, but lean toward luring the enemy away from their battle lines. They favor small tactical squads with specialist abilities. They have become experts with rapid reinforcements and troop communication systems. The Void Reapers provide excellent cover fire and excel at creating diversions. They have become famous for protecting flanks and breaking enemy troop formations. They are masters at giving marines time to either defeat their enemies or pull back when a withdrawal is necessary.

Librarians take advantage of the Void Reapers sensitive telepathic minds in order to help squads cover their advance. This enables the marines to strike at the enemy with better timing and coordination. It also allows them to sneak into enemy teritory unseen. This tactical advantage can turn the tide of a battle when used in conjunction with other squads. When preparing for battle, Void Reapers recite the following battle cry, 'Kismet is the Emperor'.

Void Reapers are extraordinarily superstitious. They practice a wide variety of rituals to protect themselves from accidents, natural catastrophes, and stray warp powers. They believe that every accident happens for a reason and that one must be pure in order to prevent them. They perform strange rites to cleanse themselves and constantly meditate on the their duties to the Emperor. Chaplains work continually to keep the men pure of mind and body.

These marines believe that their destiny lies in the stars. They take pride in the fact that they are often required to travel into unknown areas. Deep space missions are often regarded as rewards for purity and are commonly assigned to trainees so that they may be hardened by separation from known surroundings.

Many Void Reapers believe that the display of squad type (assault, heavy support, troops) on their armor promotes individualism and a lack of team effort. Thus, their right shoulder bears a company number instead of a squad type symbol. This is a deviation from standard marine tradition. The Void Reaper Chapter symbol is proudly displayed on their left shoulder. It resembles a black star on a white backdrop and represents the endlessness of space. A Void Reaper marine believes that his duties are infinate, similar to the void of space. Stars fields and nebulas are commonly displayed on their equipment. Void Reaper armor is colored teal in honor of their watery homeworld.

The Void Reapers possess a strong gene-seed that remains similar to the Ultramarines with one exception. The Vecarran people tend to manifest minor telepathic abilities. It is believed that this is caused by the close proximity of the Kismet Fog. Very little is known of the fog, other than the fact that it can be used to enhance energy and telepathic abilities. Most Void Reapers marines display minor telepathic abilities as if it is second nature to do so. Over the ages, one of these abilities has become ingrained in their gene-seed. When groups of Void Reapers gather, they have the ability to cloak their movements from the minds of enemies. This enables them to easily infiltrate into enemy territory. There is a drawback to this trait, however.

Void Reapers telepathically sense the presence of one another. This causes them to stay in an area until all of their brethren have moved out of harm. Void Reapers therefore tend to retreat later than they should after a battle has been lost. This can easily result in the loss of more marines than necessary.

Inquisitors have investigated Void Reapers telepathic behavior and concluded that it is not chaos related. It appears to be a simple telepathic trick that the marines utilize to their advantage in combat situations. The chapter is under constant scrutiny, though, because many inquisitors do not agree with the original consensus. This has been a scar on the history of the Void Reapers Space Marine Chapter ever since it's founding.

Void Reapers have minorly diverged from standard marine doctrines. Each divergence is directly related to their minor telepathic sensitivity. The following traits apply to all Void Reapers armies and are described in the Space Marine Codex (published by Games Workshop).

See, but Don't be Seen

Death Before Dishonour