Chapter Genetics

Standard template schedule for Astartes implants

The genetic information of the geneseed of the Ghosts of Retribution is gathered here. The Ghosts of Retribution are descended from the Raven Guard, and so they share many of the same deficiencies as their progenitors.

Implants

There are nineteen organs created by ancient technicians and the techno-sorcery of the Emperor. Organs are listed below in the order they are implanted in a neophyte.

Secondary Heart - The Maintainer

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: The simplest and most self-sufficient implant. The secondary heart is capable of boosting the blood supply or maintaining full life functions even with the destruction of the recipient's original heart. This implant enables the Marines to survive low oxygen concentrations and traumatic injury.

Ossmodula - The Ironheart

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This is a tubular shaped organ whose small size belies its complex structure. The ossmodula monitors and secretes hormones affecting epiphyseal fusion and ossification of the skeleton. At the same time, the specially engineered hormones encourage the forming bones to absorb ceramic based chemicals administered in the Marine's diet. Two years following implantation, this will have caused considerable strengthening of the long-bones, extreme ossification of the chest cavity (caused by growth of the ribs forming a solid mass of inter-laced bone plates) and a general increase in the size of the recipient's skeleton.

Biscopea - The Forge of Strength

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This organ is implanted into the chest cavity. It is small, approximately spherical and, like the Ossmodula, its primary actin is hormonal. The presence of the biscopia stimulates muscle growth throughout the body.

Haemastamen - The Blood Maker

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This tiny organ is implanted into a main blood vessel. The Haemastamen serves two purposes. It monitors and to some degree controls the Ossmodula and Biscopea. The organ also alters the constituent make-up of the recipient's blood. As a result, Marine blood is considerably more efficient than ordinary human blood, as it has to be when you consider the extra biological hardware a Marine carries inside him!

Larraman's Organ - The Healer

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This is a liver shaped, dark, fleshy organ about the size of a golfball. It is implanted into the chest cavity along with a complicated array of blood vessels. The organ generates and stores special 'Larraman cells'. If the recipient is wounded, these cells are released into the blood stream. They latch onto leucocytes in the blood and are transported to the site of a wound. Once in contact with air, the Larraman cells form a skin substitute of instant scar tissue, staunching the flow of blood and protecting any exposed wound area.

Catalepsean Node - The Unsleeping

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This brain implant is usually inserted into the back of the skull via a hole drilled into the occipital bone. The pea-sized organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the body's response to sleep deprivation. Normally, a Marine sleeps like any normal man, but if deprived of sleep, the Catalepsean Node 'cuts in'. A man implanted with the node is capable of sleeping and remaining awake at the same time by 'switching off' areas of the brain sequentially. This process cannot replace normal sleep entirely, but increases a Marine's survivability by allowing awareness of the environment whilst resting.

Preomnor - The Neutralizer

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: The Preomnor is a large implant which fits into the chest cavity. It is a predigestive stomach which allows the Marine to eat a variety of otherwise poisonous or indigestible materials. No actual digestion takes place in the Preomnor. Individual sensory tubes assess potential poisons and neutralize them or, where necessary, isolate the Preomnor from the rest of the digestive tract.

Omophagea - The Remembrancer

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: The Omophagea becomes part of the brain although it is actually situated within the spinal cord between the cervical and thoracic vertebra. Four nerve sheaths called neuroclea are implanted between the spine and the preomnoral stomach wall. The Omophagea is designed to absorb genetic material generated in animal tissue as a function of memory, experience of innate ability. This endows the Marine with an unusual survival trait: he can actually learn by eating. If a Marine eats a part of a creature he will absorb some of the memories of that creature. This can be very useful in an alien environment. Incidentally, it is the presence of this organ which has created the various flesh eating and blood drinking rituals for which many Chapters are known, as well as giving the names to Chapters such as the Blood Drinkers, Flesh Tearers, etc.

Multi-lung - The Imbiber

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: The Multi-lung, or 'third lung' is a large tubular grey organ. Blood is pumped through the organ via connecting vessels grafted onto the recipient's pulmonary system. Atmosphere is taken in by means of a sphincter located in the trachea. In toxic atmospheres, an associated sphincter muscle closes the trachea and restricts normal breathing, thus protecting the lungs. The multi-lung is able to absorb oxygen from poorly oxygenated or poisonous air. Most importantly, it is able to do this without suffering damage thanks to its own efficient toxin dispersal, neutralization and regeneration systems.

Occulobe - The Eye of Vengeance

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This small slug-like organ sits at the base of the brain. It provides the hormonal and genetic stimuli which enable a Marine's eyes to respond to optic therapy. The Occulobe does not itself improve a Marine's eyesight, but it allows technicians to make adjustments to the growth patterns of the eye and the light-receptive retinal cells. An adult Marine has far better eyesight than a normal human and can see in low light conditions almost as well as in daylight.

Lyman's Ear - The Sentinel

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This organ enables a Marine to consciously enhance and even filter certain types of background noise. Not only is hearing improved but a Marine cannot become dizzy or nauseous as a result of extreme disorientation. The Lyman's ear is externally indistinguishable from a normal human ear.

Sus-an Membrane - The Hibernator

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This flat, circular organ is implanted over the top of the exposed brain. It then grows into the brain tissue until completely merged. The organ is ineffective without subsequent chemical therapy and training. However, a properly tutored Marine may then enter into a state of suspended animation. This may be a conscious action or may happen automatically in the event of extreme physical trauma. In this condition a Marine may survive for many years, even if bearing otherwise fatal injuries. Only appropriate chemical therapy and auto-suggestion can revive a Marine from this state--a Marine can not revive himself. The longest known period of deanimation followed by successful reanimation is 567 years in the case of brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels (d. 321 M37).

Melanochrome - The Skinshield

• Status: Active
• Mutations: Skin grows paler while hair & eyes darken over time.
• Description: This organ is hemispherical and black. It functions in an indirect and extremely complicated manner. It monitors radiation levels and types bombarding the skin and, if necessary, sets off chemical reactions to darken the skin to protect it from ultraviolet exposure. It also provides limited protection from other forms of radiation. Differing Melanochrome organ gene-seed from Chapter to Chapter leads to the variations in skin and hair colour, and in some Chapters all the Marines may have identical coloration, such as is found in the albino warriors of the Death Spectres Chapter.

Oolitic Kidney - The Purifier

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This red-brown and heart-shaped organ improves and modifies the Marine's circulatory system enabling other implants to function effectively. The Oolitic kidney also filters blood extremely efficiently and quickly which, among other things, makes it almost impossible for a Marine to become intoxicated. The secondary heart and Oolitic kidney are able to act together, performing an emergency detoxification program in which the Marine is rendered unconscious as his blood is circulated at high speed. This enables a Marine to survive poisons and gases which are otherwise too much for even the multi-lung to cope with.

Neuroglottis - The Devourer

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: Although the Preomnor protects a Marine from digesting anything too deadly, the Neuroglottis enables him to assess a potential food by taste. The organ is implanted into the back of the mouth. By chewing, or simply be tasting a Marine can detect a wide variety of natural poisons, some chemicals and even the distinctive odours of some creatures. To some degree a Marine is also able to track a target by taste alone.

Mucranoid - The Weaver

• Status: Inactive Repaired (Full Chapter coverage by ~381.M41)
• Mutations: None
• Description: This small organ is implanted in the lower intestine where its hormonal secretions are absorbed by the colon. These secretions initiate a modification of the sweat glands. This modification normally makes no difference to the Marine until activated by appropriate chemotherapy. As a result of this treatment the Marine sweats an oily, naturally cleansing substance which coats the skin. This protect the Marine against extremes of temperature and even offers a slight degree of protection in vacuum. Mucranoid chemotherapy is standard procedure on long space voyages and when fighting in vacuum or near vacuum.

Betcher's Gland - The Poison Bite

• Status: 2% chance of viability
• Mutations: None
• Description: Two of these identical glands are implanted, either into the lower lip alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. The Betcher's gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of venomous reptiles by synthesizing and storing deadly poison. Marines are rendered immune to this poison by virtue of the gland's presence. The gland allows the marine to spit a blinding contact poison which is also corrosive. A Marine imprisoned behind iron bars could easily chew his way out given a few hours.

Progenoid Glands - The Gene-Seed

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: There are two of these glands, one situated in the neck, the other deep within the chest cavity. These glands are important to the survival of the Marine's Chapter. Each organ grows within the Marine, absorbing hormonal stimuli and genetic material from the other implants. After five years the neck gland is mature and ready for removal. After ten years the chest gland becomes mature and is also ready for removal. A gland may be removed any time after it has matured although the chest gland is typically not removed except immediately after a Marine's death because of the difficulty in reaching the gland in a live Marine. Great care is required not to damage the glands (and therefore their contents) on removal. These glands represent a Chapter's only source of gene-seed corresponding to each implant zygote. Once removed by surgery the Progenoid must be carefully prepared, its individual gene-seeds checked for mutation and sound gene-seeds stored. Gene-seeds can be stored indefinitely under suitable conditions. Were the Progenoid glands in a Chapter to cease to function the Chapter would be guaranteed to collapse as no new Marines from that Chapter could be created.

Black Carapace - The Interface

• Status: Active
• Mutations: None
• Description: This is the last and the most distinctive implant. It looks like a film of black plastic when it is growing in the nutrient tanks. This is removed from its culture-solution and cut into sheets which are implanted directly beneath the skin of the Marine's torso. Within a few hours the tissue expands, hardens on the outside, and sends invasive neural bundles deep inside the Marine. After several months the carapace will have fully matured and the recipient is then fitted with neural sensors and transfusion points cut into the hardened carapace. These artificial 'plug-in' points mesh with features integral to the powered armour that all Space Marines wear including also the monitoring, medicinal and maintenance units. Without the benefit of the Black Carapace a Space Marine's armour is of drastically less use. A Chapter that suffers from an inability to create a properly functioning Black Carapace would doubtlessly be allowed to die out by the High Lords of Terra as said Chapter would no longer be able to fulfill its duties.

Other recurring mutations

• None

See Also:

• Creation of a Space Marine