Salamanders
From Warhammer 40k
| Salamanders | |
|---|---|
| |
| Warcry |
"Into the fires of battle, unto the anvil of War!" |
| Founding | |
| Successors of |
N/A |
| Successor Chapters | |
| Number |
XVIII |
| Primarch | |
| Chapter Master | |
| Homeworld | |
| Allegiance | |
| Colours |
Green, Black and Gold |
The Salamanders are one of the First Founding chapters of Space Marines.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Vulkan
When the Primarchs were separated from the Emperor, one of the children ended up on the world of Nocturne. The baby was found by a blacksmith named N'bel, who, recognizing the child as one prophesied as a savior, named him Vulkan.
Like all the Primarchs, Vulkan grew very quickly, reaching adulthood(and bigger than any man on Nocturne) by the age of three. He was also highly intelligent, able to vastly improve the already considerable metalworking skills of the smiths of Nocturne.
When Vulkan was four, his town was attacked by the Dark Eldar. The people of his hometown hid, as they usually did when the decadent aliens came raiding, but Vulkan refused to hide. Armed with only a pair of blacksmith's hammers, he roused the people from hiding and drove back the assault, single-handedly slaying a hundred Eldar. As word of the battle spread, the headsmen of the seven most important settlements on the planet came to pay homage to him, swearing to forevermore crush their foes rather than hiding from them.
[edit] The Outlander
Jubilant at their victory, the people held a great celebration, involving tests of strength and craftsmanship. During the opening ceremonies, a stranger appeared. His skin was pale, compared to the dark complexion of the people of Nocturne, and his clothes were very strange. The stranger claimed that he could best any man at the competitions, causing many people to laugh at the seemingly inadvertent comparison to the superhuman Vulkan. Vulkan accepted the challenge, and the stranger waged that whoever lost would swear his eternal loyalty and obedience to the victor.
For eight days, the stranger matched Vulkan in several events, with neither able to beat the other by more than a slight difference (for example, an anvil-lifting contest was declared a draw after both men held theirs up for half a day with no signs of stopping).
[edit] The Final Contest
Finally, it came down to the final contest: Salamander Slaying. Both men had a day and a half to forge a weapon, then go out and slay the largest Salamander they could find.
Vulkan and the stranger worked all day at their forges, neither pausing to rest. As the day drew to a close, they emerged. Vulkan with a huge hammer, and the stranger with a keen-edged sword. They both climbed to the summit of Mount Deathfire, a massive volcano said to be the home of the largest Firedrakes on the planet.
Vulkan found his prey first, smashing its head off with a single blow from his hammer. As he carried the carcass back, the volcano erupted. Vulkan was nearly thrown off a cliff, but managed to grab onto the edge with one hand, stubbornly grasping the tail of his prize with the other.
Vulkan held on for several hours, but his hold finally began to slip. It was at that time the stranger reappeared, carrying a salamander larger than his own. The stranger quickly threw his carcass into the lava flow, using it as a bridge to cross over and save Vulkan.
Vulkan was declared the winner when they returned home, but Vulkan silenced the crowd. He knelt before the stranger, stating that any man who valued life over pride was worthy of his service. The stranger revealed himself to be the Emperor, and it was declared that Nocturne would be the home world of the Salamanders legion, with Vulkan at his rightful place as Primarch and ruler of the planet.
[edit] Horus Heresy and the Aftermath
Little is known about the Salamanders' involvement during the Horus Heresy, nor about the fate of their Primarch, Vulkan. Reports place them as one of the three legions massacred by the traitors at the battle of Istvaan V, and many believe Vulkan may have very well been slain during that conflict, as he and his chapter were caught in a vicious crossfire by the second wave of Traitor Marines who were suppossed to reinforce the loyalists attacking Horus. The Raven Guard and Salamanders both suffered horrendeous casualties, and neither played much of a part during the Heresy. Vulkan was one of the Space Marine Primarchs opposing Roboute Guillimans idea to split the legions into chapters, but unlike Dorn or Russ, he did no oppose it so violently to endanger the Imperium. Not much is known when Vulkan passed from the realm of the living to that of legend. The Salamanders believe that Vulkan will return and lead the chapter in a grand crusade to smash the forces of Chaos once and for all, and that he is not dead, but simply waiting for the right time to be re-united with his sons. This will only be after the Forgefather finds the nine sacred items scattered around the galaxy, each one showing the fortitude, faith and courage of the current brothers can measure with the deeds of their brothers of old.
There is one company that stands out from the rest in terms of courage and combat ability . The fourth Company, He'stans old Company, has often fought for those who no-one else will fight for, like in the third war for armagedon where the chapter master Tu'shan sent his salamanders into countless battles to save civilians. Also Tu'shan came to blows with Captain Vinyat of the Marines Malovent after they shelled a refugee camp because Orks were within the perimeter. Athers worthy of note are Brother Trajan, the chapters oldest dreadnought. He is reputedly so old, he watched the Emperor and Vulkans contest and the Firedrakes, Tu'shan's honour guard consisting of 10 veterans in terminator armour who have gained countless medals and honours
[edit] Headquarters
The Salamanders have built their Fortress-Monastery on Prometheus, Nocturne's oversize moon. Nocturne itself is too unstable to build a large, defensible structure upon. Its gravity and other environmental issues could also make training more problamatic and dangerous than even Space Marines would be able to handle. When not at war, the Salamanders prefer to live among the people of Nocturne and Prometheus, and are the leaders of each settlement. This is a unique trait of the chapter, and makes the Astartes akin to living gods amoung the fierce tribes of their homeworld.
[edit] Recruitment
Like many of the First Founding Chapters (and many subsequent ones as well), the Salamanders recruit exclusively from their home world. Children aspiring to become Space Marines begin at the age of six or seven as the apprentice to a Space Marine. They spend several years learning the art of the smith, and the most able apprentices are then judged by the chapter's Apothecaries and Chaplains to see if they are worthy to become marines. Their training includes many of the same feats the Emperor and Vulkan competed in, finally culminating in the hunting and slaying of a massive Salamander.
Each clan-company recruits solely from one of the great clans of Nocturne, and each battle brother is a clan brother as well. The companies each mantain huge, tracked fortresses that crisscross the volcanic surface of their homeworld, serving as an easy way to interact with their fellow companies and the various tribes. Because each battle brother is a clan brother as well, the Salamanders have been known to fight like their savage namesake to rescue their fallen and wounded.
[edit] Combat Doctrines
The Salamanders follow the Codex Astartes, but their doctrines are also strongly influenced by the Promethian Cult, which places a high regard on self-reliance, self-sacrifice, and loyalty. The hammer and the fire are both important symbols of the cult, and the Chapter makes widespread use of Flamers, Meltaguns, and Thunder Hammers in their forces. This makes them very deadly in close-range firefights. Due to their pre-training background as craftsmen, the Salamanders also have a large amount of high-tech equipment, such as Artificer Armor and Master-Crafted weapons.
However, the high gravity and harsh volcanic conditions of Nocturne means that the Salamanders have little opportunity for training in fast-attack equipment such as Land Speeders or bikes, and as such, the army makes little use of them. They also seem to have slightly slower reflexes compared to other Space Marine Chapters, although still pretenaturally quick compared to humans.
The Salamanders also have an intimate knowledge of the ways of metal and fire, forging great relics and powerful items. They have more Tech-Marines than normal, although not a disproportionate number. Because each battle brother can completely repair, service and modify their own arms, power armor and wargear, the Techmarines of the Salamanders are free to craft intricate and powerful items of incredible workmanship and technology. Vulkan himself was a great artificer, the only primarch able to match his skill was his metal-handed brother Ferrus Manus, although Vulkan himself prefered to work the steel over a flame, just like he had when he was young.
[edit] Appearance and Colors
The Salamanders are typically armored in bright green armor and trim, with black shoulders and backpack, and gold chest eagle, they also have coal black skin and glowing red eyes, and ornamentation on their weapons and vehicles. Their symbol is a white silhouette of the armored and spiked head of a Salamander lizard.
Salamander Space Marines have often been depicted in both drawings and models as having dark complexions and features worn commonly by the radioactive surface of their home planet
[edit] Successor Chapters
The Salamanders have no officially proven successor chapters. This may be because they had little to give if they were in fact massacred at Istvaan V. However, some chapters, such as the Storm Giants and Black Dragons, seem to have similarities in Physique and tactical doctrines.
