Vulkan
From Warhammer 40k
Vulkan is the Primarch of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter.
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 prophesised 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, singlehandedly 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.
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[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 Firedrake 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, stubbournly 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 homeworld of the Salamanders legion, with Vulkan at his rightful place as Primarch and ruler of the planet.
[edit] Salamanders
The emperor gave Vulkan legion XVIII which Vulkan named the Salamanders in Honor of the contest linked him with his father.The salamanders preformed their duty to emperor with great pride and loyalty during the great crusade.
[edit] Isstvan V
Vulkan was one of the three Primarchs that were caught in Horus' trap along with Ferrus Manus, Primarch of the Iron Hands legion, and Corax, Primach of the Raven Guard. At first, it was thought only the Emperor's Children, the Sons of Horus, the World Eaters and Death Guard were the only traitors. During the battle it was proven to be a different case, for when the Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Iron Hands went to greet the Word Bearers, Alpha Legion, Iron Warriors, and the Night Lords they were greeted with death as the these legions opened fire killing many of the Loyalists in a hail of bolter fire. Vulkan was fought with elite guard alongside Corax and what little remained of the Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders in a desperate attempt to survive. Both Vulkan and Corax survived the ambush on Isstvan V. Corax disappeared into the mountains and Vulken, gravely wounded was dragged onto a thunderhawk by three of his men and escaped.
[edit] Last days
Around a thousand years after the heresy. Vulkan hid 9 artifacts around the galaxy for his chapter to find, as a test to see if they were worthy. He then disappeared, supposedly leaving his chapter with a message: whenever the Forgefather of the salamanders finds all nine items, Vulkan will return to lead his chapter to victory. Of these 9 nine relics, five have been recovered, three of which, the Spear of Vulkan, Kesare's Mantle and the Gauntlet of the Forge, are wielded by the Forgefather, Vulkan He'stan. Two remain on Prometheus, The Chalice of Fire and the Eye of Vulkan, while of the remaining artefacts, the Engine of Woes, the Obsidian Chariot, the Unbound Flame and the Song of Entropy, only their names are known.
