Overview
The Scroll Holders are an Ultramarines strike force hardened by three centuries of warfare against the Orks in the Gharrovan Reach. Raised for the Indomitus Crusade, they have fought alongside Roboute Guilliman through a campaign measured in generations. Warp travel has left their chronometers at odds with Imperial calendars; the losses they have suffered are less open to interpretation.
They take their name from the Scrollhold, a reliquary containing the names of Ork warlords they have fought but failed to kill. Each Battle-Brother carries a copy of an unclosed name upon his armour. Only when the warlord’s skull is laid upon its scroll may the parchment be burned before the company. With Guilliman’s blessing, these unfinished tasks have become a defining duty: pursued with patience, discipline and an exacting loyalty to the Codex Astartes.
Command
The strike force is led by Captain Lucan Aethos, Keeper of the Unclosed Scrolls. A former Firstborn sergeant who crossed the Rubicon Primaris during the campaign, he plans each engagement against the Codex, then prepares for the moment the Orks disregard his expectations. He personally carries the oldest unclosed scroll, whose name he has never disclosed.
Epistolary Thessian Mor, Librarian and custodian of the Scrollhold, records the enemy’s weapons, numbers and habits. Chaplain Oriax Vell teaches the company to master its hatred, denying the Orks the reckless battle they desire. Ancient Darian Keel bears the Banner of Unclosed Names, from which each slain warlord’s name is unpicked by the brother responsible.
Purpose at Vandros
The Scroll Holders’ first duty is to keep the Vandros Corridor open. Reinforcements, munitions and grain destined for the Lord Regent’s war pass through its routes, and rival authorities have already delayed convoys at Veyr Gate. Aethos has been ordered to prevent the succession dispute from severing that supply line.
They also pursue Warboss Krugdreg, who escaped their cordon at Morrow’s Anvil aboard a stolen space hulk. Mor has traced his passage towards the Corridor, where reports from the Outer Watch suggest a familiar enemy at work. His scroll remains unclosed.
The Chapter has further tasked Aethos with observing the Ashwardens, assessing their conduct and reporting whether they should return to Chapter command. The knowledge that Captain Caius hunts the same Ork makes an unwelcome responsibility more complicated.
Current Stance
The Scroll Holders declare for neither succession claimant. They respect the Imperial recognition of Severan’s claim and Cassia’s demonstrated competence in maintaining the Corridor. Aethos will cooperate with whichever authority keeps it functioning. Should both fail, he is prepared to consider placing Veyr Gate under Astartes protection until the dispute is resolved.
The Ashwardens are brothers whose courage deserves recognition, but Caius’s apparent willingness to sacrifice those he protects troubles Aethos. Their shared pursuit of Krugdreg offers grounds for cooperation, while questions of command, conduct and responsibility could bring them into conflict.
The Crimson Paladins have earned respect through their intervention at Relay Seven, although Aethos watches for signs that their protection of the Outer Watch is becoming permanent dominion. The Ironclad 122nd are natural allies in sustaining Imperial supply lines; competing demands for dockyards and munitions should be settled through negotiation. Mor has also requested access to House Valec’s shipping archives, receiving unexpectedly prompt agreement.
The Blades of Spite are enemies to be destroyed, but their raids must not divert the strike force from its principal duties. Orks remain its foremost quarry, with Krugdreg first among them. Tyranids and the forces of Chaos will likewise be met without hesitation or mercy.