Hi all, just recived my copy of Dark Heresy and was thumbing through it and lo and behold there's a symbol for the custodes in it. Its a single headed eagle with its wing tips swept downwards and a skull seated in a circle on its chest. I'll try and get a scan or photo of it.

Is that the roleplay book? I have Scourge the Heretic which aparently is the first of a series of novels linked with Dark Heresy but haven't read it yet.

That's the logo. No new information on the custodes with it just a rough discription, though it does list their name as 'The Thousand Companions' so that might indicate that there were only 1,000 of them during the time of the heresy (and might also be where guilliman got his ideas from when writing the codex astartes).

I'm sure that you're right about there only being a thousand of them at the time of the Heresy.

I seem to recall details of a battle where they all fought alongside the campaigning Emperor and two of them were killed.

It does sound about right for the inspiration for the chapter size as well. The Speartip formation of Horus probably played a big part in the tactics of the modern chapters as well.

Nice find on the symbol.

It is important to remember the chronological context of this particular symbol; that it is the symbol for the Custodes in the 41st Millenium (the time in which the Dark Heresy game is set) rather than the symbol that was used during the Pre-Heresy and Heresy itself.

A comparative study of representations of similar symbols in the artwork (Horus Heresy: Collected Visions), with the symbol shown in the Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, reveals the main difference between the symbols themselves.

The 41st Millenium version appears to have been augmented by the addition of a skull in the middle of the eagle.

I would suggest that this was added on after the Emperor's 'death' and his internment in the Golden Throne. If this was the case, then it would certainly fit well with other changes to Custodes equipment, which were adopted at this time; the exchanging of their ceremonial red colours (plumes,cloaks,tabards etc) to that of black and their abandonment of their use of armour.

Horus Heresy: The Collected Visions P. 29, confirms your thoughts with regard to the numbers of Custodians. There were only 1000 warriors in a Custodes Legion.

A very good find, Robert_the_Damned; it took me ages yesterday to locate it in my copy!

I like the fact that it's not a triumphant eagle... it looks almost depressed!

Great find.

I believe the symbol shows two things;

1. The skull of the Emperor, his rotting body on the throne, but his soul forever.
2. The wings down and the depressing look of the symbol itself showing the failure the custodes bare upon themselfs for not protecting the Emperor.

Does anyone have a pic of the badge during the Great Crusade to compare the diffrence?

Get the Collected Visions man, it's an invaluable tool.

As to the badge, It would probably be a less-depressed version of this one - minus the skull and clutching thunderbolts in its talons, if some of the custodian chest-pieces in the artbooks are to be believed.