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As with many Chapters, it is unclear during which Founding the Sons of Malice were created or what their original Chapter name was before their corruption. It is suspected that they were one of the 20 Space Marine Chapters referred to as the [[Astartes Praeses]], which, according to the Mythos Angelica Mortis, were Founded with the express purpose of guarding the regions surrounding the [[Eye of Terror]]. It is alarming that the Sons of Malice were not brought to the attention of the Inquisition sooner, especially due to their widely-reported custom of cannibalistically consuming their defeated foes.{{Fn|4}}
Events leading to the Chapter's excommunication began following the successful end of the Cilix 225 Campaign against Heretics who had threatened to depressurize three underwater hive cities on that world, and ultimately led the Chapter to declare itself to be both enemies of the Imperium of Man and the Forces of Chaos.{{Fn|1b}}
[[Kathal]], [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] of the [[First Company]] of the Sons of Malice,{{Fn|1}} led the chapter victory rites, which bordered on cannibalism, observed by [[Inquisitor]] [[Pietas]], a senior member of the [[Ordo Hereticus]]. Although flesh-eating rituals are not uncommon among the Space Marines, Pietas was obviously unacquainted with the barbarous customs of Space Marines and mobilized a strike force of [[Adepta Sororitas]] [[Celestians]] to deal with the "heretics." The Sisters made planetfall right in the midst of the Company at the height of their celebrations. Kathal and his troops responded to the interference of their sacred Chapter rites by savagely attacking the strike force, defeating the Celestians. Kathal dragged the meddling Inquisitor before the chapter altar where she was ritually sacrificed.{{Fn|1b}}
==Chapter Beliefs==
As followers of the [[Chaos God]] [[Malice (Chaos God)|Malice]], the Chapter hold the number 11 as sacred. Even before being declared traitors, the chapter would hold a cannibalistic sacrificial ritual on their homeworld of Scelus every 11 years.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|4}} The Chapter's Space Marines often communicate rather quietly, almost in whispers.{{Fn|4}}
After their exile, they started a ritual of returning to their former capital ship, the ''[[Labyrinth]]'', every 100 years. Here, a ritual of cannibalistic feasting would take place using 1,000 humans and xenos captured across the galaxy. A volunteer team of Sons of Malice Astartes would then be tasked with surviving an expedition through the ship's long abandoned interior, using only what they can scavenge to fight off hordes of warp-mutants (secretly former Astartes who had failed this trial previously). The survivors would be deemed worthy to join the ranks of their elite "Doomed Ones". In this ritual, the Astarting, . However, no matter how many of the team survived, once the first of them walked through the teleportarium gate at the end of the ship, the gate would shut down leaving the rest of the team to become more of the horde for future rituals. The single survivor would then be sacrificed as a "Doomed One" as part of a ritual to summon Malice to the Materium. Once 11 Doomed Ones were sacrificed, Malice could be summoned.{{Fn|3}}
Since becoming followers of Malice, the Sons of Malice have devoted themselves to hatred of everything, including themselves and the devotees of the other Chaos Gods. In fact, the Chapter proudly adorns its vessels with the helms of slain Chaos champions. The Sons' hate is not especially emotional, however, and more matter-of-factly.{{Fn|4}}
==Known Engagements==
===Notable Vessels===
*''[[Labyrinth]]'' — Derelict [[battleship]] and base of operations.{{Fn|3}}
*''[[Bronze Minos]]'' — [[Strike Cruiser]]{{citethisFn|4}}
===Notable Members===
*[[Invictus (Sons of Malice)|Invictus]] — The 11th "Doomed One".{{Fn|3}}
*[[Genareas]]{{Fn|3}}
*[[Jungr]]{{Fn|4}}
==Related Articles==
*{{Endn|2}}: [[Codex: Eye of Terror]], pg. 9
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Labyrinth (Short Story)]]
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Cadia Stands (Novel)]], Part 4, Chapter 2*{{Endn|5}}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost and the Damned]], pg. 77
[[Category:Chaos Space Marines]]
