The other side is, we're almost never going to be committing as much of our manpower to near quixotic like the Crimson Crusaders are infamous for. The purpose of our chapter is to defend Armageddon and to fortify and prepare it for what inevitably comes next. Obviously we'll campaign abroad, but I'd be surprised if deploying more than half the chapter elsewhere was the rule rather than the exception.
Armageddon is a hive world with high quality, motivated recruits, and a solid technological and industrial base. And we're defacto planetary governor of that.
We're more likely going to be a subject of envy by our fellow founding chapters than we are a subject of pity for lacking supply and gear.
Eh, if were were going to play Turtle up and Hunkerdown, the campaign, then perhaps we should have picked a chapter suited for the art of fortifications and seige warfare.
Also I sincerely doubt envy is a word to associate with being assigned to Armagaddeon, considering the veritable bloodbath of astartes and imperial lives everytime Ghazgkhull decides he's bored of playing hide and seek with the Black Templars.
Eh, if were were going to play Turtle up and Hunkerdown, the campaign, then perhaps we should have picked a chapter suited for the art of fortifications and seige warfare.
Also I sincerely doubt envy is a word to associate with being assigned to Armagaddeon, considering the veritable bloodbath of astartes and imperial lives everytime Ghazgkhull decides he's bored of playing hide and seek with the Black Templars.
Do you know how prestigious this posting is for a space marine? We're literally being entrusted with the biggest success story of the Imperial counteroffensive. We only got this post IC because the Salamanders were given first dibs.
I'm definitely curious to see what happens next! Hopefully we will be able to secure a supply of gear, heavy guns and tanks from the Hives? Our techmarines should have the expertise to put Space Marine type equipment together, and the Hives have the industrial capacity?
"And I'd cut the Ork like this! And this and this and this!"
The child, no more than seven terran years of age or so, swings her practice blade through the air, it's dulled edge glinting in the light cast by the fireplace.
"Very impressive." You nod slowly from your position beside the hearth, the thick stone slab built into the wall allowing your gene-bulked form to sit down. The building is of typically practical Nocturnean architecture, sturdy stone walls and a central pillar to reinforce the roof against earthquakes and storms alike. Yet, there are fingerprints of loving craftsmanship evident in the stonework. The arch of the doorway to the outside is fashioned in the manner of a snarling drake, its lithe body snaking across the ceiling, around the pillar and ending coiled around the other entrance, leading to the living quarters.
Sensing your moroseness, Ka'El grows quiet as well, hanging her sword on the wall-mounted weapon rack before sitting down on the floor by you.
"Do you hafta go?" She asks after a while.
"Yes, child. Duty calls, and I must answer. Always."
"Hm." The girl gives you the kind of unimpressed glare that only young children can manage, crossing her arms imperiously. "What's it like? The place you're going?"
"Hmmm. Armageddon is a hard world. With a hard people."
"That's what the priests say about Noc- Nocturne." She said, stumbling over the word. "Are they alike?"
"In a manner of speaking. The world itself is dangerous, with only a few cities providing protection from the elements. And as we did before Vulkan came, they too have suffered at the hands of the xenos."
"They didn't have Space Marines of their own!"
"Just so. And that is why I must go."
She huffs indignantly at your use of her own logic against her, yet she does not argue further.
"Maybe I'll visit it one day, when I become a 'squisitor!"
You smile indulgently, knowing that she does not know the weight of the word she uses. You hope that she will never have to.
"Perhaps."
The screaming of turbofans passes overhead, too distant for any but your enhanced senses to pick up.
It won't be long, now.
"Go along now, little one." You say to Ka'El, reaching out with a massive hand to ruffle her hair. "Why don't you go and find your grandfather?"
She hesitates as she rises, before darting over to you and throwing her hands around your leg in a quick hug.
"Goodbye, Elder N'Varr."
She departs, and then the room is silent once more, save for the crackling of the fireplace, leaving you to your thoughts.
"I hope Ka'El was not bothering you." A voice speaks out after a few minutes, as a man emerges from the inner entrance. Dark-skinned, clad in the attire of a metalworker, his arms bare and muscular.
He looks so much like his grand-father it almost startles you. But you buried your birth-brother yourself, nearly a hundred years ago.
"She never bothers me. It gives me… contentment, to see the next generation grow. It reminds me of what I fight for."
Xavik nodded respectfully.
"She is not the only one who will miss you." He says. "You have guided the clan for generations. I… do not know if I am up to the task, alone."
"It saddens me to leave Nocturne behind." You nod. "But as I told her, there are people out there who need me. Who do not have the Salamanders to watch over them."
The pounding of ceramite boots on stone floor is unmistakable even to unaugmented ears, and a moment later a hulking figure appears in the doorway.
Unlike you, he is clad in his emerald-green power armour, the edges of his shoulder pads nearly scraping against the sides of the doorframe as he bows his head respectfully.
"Brother-Captain." His helmet is tucked beneath his arm, his expression one of sympathy. "The Thunderhawk is waiting. It is time."
"And so it is." You sigh deeply, taking in the air of your childhood home one last time, before rising to stand.
"Goodbye, Xavik." You tell your great-nephew. "You will take good care of the clan. I know it."
With those parting words, you turn to follow Ty'Shir, leaving what remains of your mortal family behind.
----
The armouries of Prometheus are never silent, the noise of the forges and the hum of machinery permeating through every wall. You stand in the arming alcove, watching the suit of power armour on the display rack before you.
It is fine armour, masterfully wrought golden detailing over the steel-grey ceramite. An artificer suit, fit for a Chapter Master.
But it is not your armour.
The emerald-green set you had worn for the ten years you had led 4th Company had belonged to Dac'Tyr, your predecessor as the Master of the Fleet, and Tu'Shan before him. It had not felt right to put an end to such a legacy by repainting it to serve another Chapter. Instead, it now belongs to Ty'Shir, who is to succeed you in turn, while a wholly new suit had been forged for you.
But it is not your armour.
"You will make it yours." A flat, mechanically precise voice speaks out from behind you as Kor'Hadron stepped beside you. The Master of the Forge's own armour remains the deep red of Mars, but the left shoulder pad has been repainted in the same steel and gold as the suit before you. "You will make it yours when you anoint it with the blood of the greenskins."
"Mmm."
At his wordless command, blank-eyed arming servitors emerge from the recesses of the alcove and begin to take the armour apart before reassembling it around you. First come the boots, then greaves, the cuisses, and on it goes. As the backpack assembly is attached, you feel the hum of the microfusion pack activating thrum through you, the servo-motors kicking in and rendering the bulky armour as light as a feather.
Next is a heavy cloak of drake-scale, affixed to pre-made slots in your armor, falling over your shoulders. You shift around slightly, feeling the protective cloak move with you. Memories come unbidden, a primeval roar that shook the earth, your hearts slamming against your chest, your hammer feeling heavy in your hands as you swung it towards the gargantuan firedrake amidst the lava flow.
Lastly, the servitors hand you your weapons. The Left and Right Hand of Wrath, inferno pistol and hand flamer forged by your own hands, go to their holsters on your hips. The Hammer of Salvation, a gift from Watch-Captain Elysium upon your departure from the Deathwatch, you sling over your shoulder, the magnetic clamp attaching it to your back.
Finally, Kor'Hadron hands you your helm, fashioned in the image of a snarling dragon, sensors and comms systems cleverly hidden within its design. It clicks to your belt, and you lift your eyes to the Master of the Forge.
"Let us go." He intones. "The Chapter awaits."
-----
The muster hall of Prometheus is a vast chamber, columns and arches carved out of marble, dwarfing the gathered Astartes. Designed for tens of thousands of Marines, the muster hall is far too large for the Salamanders' present needs, yet it remains in use. For it was here that Vulkan had addressed the gathered Legion in times ancient past, and none would dare to break such a tradition.
You and Kor'Hadron emerge into a sea of emerald-green, immediately feeling self-conscious of your new colours. Though several Companies are out on campaign and could not be recalled, the majority of the Chapter is here, well in excess of six hundred Marines. They part before you, banging their fists to their chest as you make your way towards the central platforms, where the flames of the ceremonial pyre are already licking the ceiling.
A small cluster of figures in steel-grey stand at the lower level of the platform, set apart from their brethren around them. Your old second in command Pra'Tar smiles broadly as you approach, the mountainous Sergeant giving you a clap on the shoulder plastron. Well, Captain now, you suppose. Pyrion Zeon joins him, the only other warrior of the 4th Company who shall be accompanying you to Armageddon. Yet there is little time for talk, and you must move on.
The others, Xiaphian, Gargidemi, Zo'Tal, Drukeus and Kar'Thelar were drawn from the other Companies, but they are your brothers and comrades in arms still, and there is no loss of warmth as you exchange greetings with them.
For his part, Tul'Ra gives you a curt, approving nod. Well over a century past the then-Scout Sergeant now turned Master of Recruits had overseen your own Trials, and it was under his judging eye that you had learned how to fight and kill.
Fal'On draws you into a quick embrace as you reach him, squadmate from your earliest assignment in the Devastators of the Fourth Company before he joined the Apothecarion, and your oldest friend. Though Harath Shen, the current Chief Apothecary of the Salamanders, had been reluctant to allow him to accompany you due to the Chapter's own needs you had personally appealed the matter to Tu'Shan, who had seen the necessity of experienced Apothecaries on hand to oversee the building of a new Chapter, granting you not just Fal'On but three of his junior comrades, Navath, Tho'Var and Ikreus.
Elysoth is the only one of the group to wear his helmet, glaring at you from behind his skull-faced visage. The Chaplain had never liked you nor you him, and you suspect that was exactly why Leotrak had chosen him to go with you. The Master of Sanctity had been the main voice of opposition to your ascension, on the grounds of your inexperience, and it seems Elysoth is to be your watcher.
It is a challenge you shall simply have to raise above.
Next are the acolytes of the Machine God, and Kor'Hadron takes his rightful position at their head. You greet the four junior Techmarines by name; Ve'Nir, Har'Stan, Zen'Tal and Akadar, having often coordinated repair and maintenance work with the Armoury as Master of the Fleet, and so become familiar with their order.
Last is Va'Sor, the blue-armoured Librarian standing at a slight yet meaningful distance from the others, his face cast in shadow by his psychic hood. Of all those that are to join you of Va'Sor you know the least, and Vel'Cona had volunteered no information when asked, save that he was competent in his duties.
Beyond them, past an honour guard of Firedrakes, stand the Chapter leadership, the ceremonial pyre roaring behind them. In public Leotrak wears his disapproval stoically, his voice as stone as he intones the words of the Promethean Creed, presiding over the ceremony.
Captain Adrax of the 3rd and Mulcebar of the 5th have no such compunctions, glaring at you as you make the final steps, but you greet them as though you hadn't noticed. Shal'Dar, their preferred candidate, seems less offended by his loss, greeting you with polite indifference.
You do not dwell on them for long, moving on to greet Pellas Mir'San of the 2nd. The ancient Captain's skin has faded into the colour of ash, but there is still fire in his eyes as he clasps hands with you, giving you a broad, approving smile.
You step past him, bringing you face to face with Ko'Tan.
It should have been him. He has been the First Sergeant of the Firedrakes for longer than you had been a Space Marine, and it had been he who taught you the tenets of leadership in your time under him in the First Company.
Yet, just as you recognize your unworthiness, you know you are not worthy to dispute Tu'Shan's judgement. You have been chosen, and that is how it shall be.
Vel'Cona is as enigmatic as ever, acknowledging you with the barest inclination of his head, while Harath Shen regards you sullenly, seemingly still embittered by your poaching of his men.
Then, you finally reach the end of the ceremonial procession, coming face to face with the Chapter Master himself on the uppermost steps of the platform. The enormous pyre is so close you feel the heat on your skin, and though it bothers you little you see the trio of serfs standing on either side of Tu'Shan sweating profusely.
With a calm and measured motion, you unclasp the Hammer from your back and lay it on his feet, dropping to one knee before your lord and master.
Tu'Shan smiles, nodding to you, before raising his gaze to regard the assembled Salamanders, whom you know to be looking up at the two of you.
"Today, is a momentous day!" His powerful voice echoes throughout the muster hall, reverberating through the marble columns and arches. "A day many of us thought we would never see! Today, we welcome a new Chapter of the Sons of Vulkan to the fold!"
Raucous cheers fill the cavernous space as one of the serfs pulls on a rope, unfurling a banner from the ceiling. Though it is behind you you see it in your mind's eye, a stylized of the highest craftsmanship displaying grey wyrm coiling around the shape of a planet bearing the resemblance of a world familiar to each Marine in the chamber: Armageddon. Below it, are written only two words.
STEEL DRAGONS.
"It has never been our way to shepherd our strength when there are those in need of our aid, and so while the sons of Guilliman and many others have spread their legacy far and wide, we Salamanders have always faced the horrors of the galaxy alone. But no longer! The people of Armageddon need our aid, and we shall answer, as we always have!"
Now, he turns his gaze back down to you.
"Captain N'Varr, you have been chosen to shepherd this new Chapter, to guide them to victory and prosperity in war and in peace, to teach them the ways of war and the tenets of Vulkan. Do you accept this sacred duty?"
"I do."
"Then I bestow upon you this symbol of your office, a relic from the era of the Great Crusade. May it serve your Chapter well for the years to come."
He nods, and the second serf steps forward, bearing a circular, jagged halo on his hands, placing it on its pre-designed slot on top of your power armour's backpack. When it clicks into place and connects into the power feed it crackles to life, coming alight with flickering flames.
"Do you swear to accept no master save the Emperor, to live by the Promethean Creed and fulfill Vulkan's task, to protect the innocent with every morsel of your strength, until your dying breath?"
"I do."
The last of the serfs bows, using thick protective gloves to lift a long metal rod from the ceremonial pyre, glowing red-hot. On its tip is stamped an intricate shape, one that the brander-priest presses into your forehead just above the right eye. Though even your gene-enhanced flesh sears and burns, you bear the immense pain without flinching. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the serf withdraws the implement, leaving behind a specific brand on your skin. It is a brand of which there exists only one other, for it rests on Tu'Shan's brow.
He offers you his hand, an outstretched invitation.
"Then arise, not as my subordinate, but as my peer."
You take the hand.
-----
The Voidflame is a ship unlike any that you had ever seen in your years of service, save perhaps the Eternal Crusader, briefly glimpsed during the Third War. Though smaller than the ancient Gloriana, it is significantly larger than the Flamewrought, the Battle Barge that had served as your previous flagship as the Master of the Fleet.
Though it bears the same artistic craftsmanship as all weapons of the Sons of Vulkan, void-bound or not, you recognize the Infernus-class Battleship for the brutal fleet-killer that it is. Not a hint of subtlety, only a mass of weapons and armour with which to batter the enemy into submission. The prow mounted exo-lance runs through the spine of the ship, capable of atomizing most unshielded capital ships with a single hit, while the ship's flanks are lined with macro-grade plasma weapon batteries. Its vast hangars, however, stand nearly empty, the handful of Thunderhawks in steel-grey occupying but a small corner of the launch bay. The barracks, designed and built for housing a substantial portion of a Legion, seem similarly absurd in their scale.
You make good time from Nocturne, raiders scattering from your path as soon as they see the hulking form of Voidflame emerging from the warp. As such you make your way across a war-torn Imperium unbothered, until at last you reach Armageddon.
Your arrival is met with hails of resounding cheers by the battered ships of Battlefleet Armageddon, huddling over their fleet-base of St. Jowen's Dock, still in the process of being rebuilt after suffering catastrophic damage from Ork orbital bombardment.
Though you had served on Armageddon during the opening phases of the Third War, the sheer amount of debris still shocks you as you travel deeper into the system, vast fields of wrecked warships of imperial and xenos make alike. You pass by countless Adeptus Mechanicus salvage vessels, working their way through the debris to recover what can be and to destroy the rest, propelling the remaining wreckage into the deep void.
It is critical work, for while warships possess the armour and shielding to survive the passage with little more than scratches on your paint, the debris poses a dire hazard to civilian traffic and could, if left unattended, form into a new Space Hulk, too many wrecked and leaking warp engines in close proximity giving rise to unpredictable chain reactions.
You bring your small fleet to a halt in geosynchronous orbit over Armageddon, the war-torn planet opening up beneath you as you descend upon a Thunderhawk. You had not been so remiss in your studies as to spend the entire trip admiring your new flagship, going over the latest reports and data.
Though the Orks have been repelled, it came at a terrible price. It is estimated that more than fifty billion people are dead, a full third of the pre-war population. Even now, the survivors struggle for food, water and fuel, for the Orks were merciless in their attention to detail. Kommandoes deliberately seeded countless hydroponics bays with their spores, forcing them to be torched lest they churn out more xenoes, while the oil refineries and water pumping stations of the Tempest Ocean were ravaged by submersible attacks. Not even the famed factoriums of Armageddon, the very reason behind the war, have survived three decades of warfare, starved for ore by the loss of the mines in the Fire Wastes, ruined in the fighting or simply come undone by being run at two hundred percent capacity around the clock for years on end simply to keep the war effort going. And that is to speak nothing of the entire Army Groups, Battlefleets, Titan Legions and Space Marine Chapters fed into the grinder.
In truth, from a purely logistical standpoint, the cost of holding Armageddon far exceeded its value.
But the Imperium does not subsist on logistics alone. Where Armageddon's factories might equip millions once repaired, its legend can inspire trillions. Lasguns and Chimeras cannot buoy flagging morale or convince the people of the Imperium that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that the end times are not yet at hand.
But victory can.
As you cross over Hive Infernus, you see a chunk of the spire simply missing, as though some titanic beast had taken a bite out of it, the results of an Ork superheavy siege gun scavenged from a wrecked cruiser's macrocannon.
Yet, even amidst this devastation, you see the signs of humanity's indomitable spirit. Your enhanced eyes pick out the sparks of macro-welders hard at work patching the wound on Hive Infernus, and from the reports you know similar reconstruction efforts continue across the planet. As you fly over the Ash Wastes, you spot sporadic firefights between Ork mobs and the vengeful Armageddon Defence Force. Exhausted and desperately in need of R&R they may be, Armageddon's defenders have been forged in the crucible of battle, with an incredible wealth of combat experience. The fires of industry are being relit, and though for the moment they are focused on rebuilding, one day Armageddon shall be a bastion of Imperial might once more.
The task ahead shall be monumental, but by the Emperor, with such people at your side you have not even a shred of doubt that you shall succeed.
-----
Ork Mountain it had once been known as, the greatest stronghold of the Orks that had survived the second war as they waited for Ghazghkull's return, and the Great Beast's own command center before he fled the planet again. It had been the site of one of the last great battles of the Third War, the decisive victory that had cemented the Imperium's triumph over the xenos.
Now, it serves as the Fortress Monastery of the Steel Dragons. Gun-turrets, bastions and walls line the surrounding mountains in a defensive ring, while in the middle the newly-renamed Mount Heartflame stabs towards the skies. Built into its slopes and sunk into its depths are all the facilities that a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes would need to wage war, from forges to barracks to void shield generators. Stylized statues of great drakes and of the great Primarch, Vulkan, greet you as your Thunderhawk lands on the small spaceport.
Yet, it was not merely to showcase dominance over the Xenos that this specific site had been chosen, you muse as you descend into the mountain's depths.
It is because Mount Heartflame is an active volcano.
You emerge into a vast cavern hewn out of rock, not entirely unlike the muster hall of Prometheus. Certainly not as grand, but reminiscent without being a mere copy. Banners line the walls, woven by the people of Armageddon in gratitude to the Salamanders who protected them above all else. Who raised an entirely new Chapter in their defence. At the far end of the Chamber lies a sheer drop, beyond which glows the molten lifeblood of Armageddon. Though the Tech-Priests who built the Monastery dug out release vents and valves to control the flow of magma lest it pose a danger to the structure, in honour of the Salamanders and their traditions, this chamber was left with access to the mountain's heart.
And it is here that for the first time, you see your new brothers.
"STAND! AT! ATTENTION!" Captain Tul'Ra bellows with a voice honed over two centuries of service as a Scout Sergeant, and the cavern rings as five hundred pairs of ceramite heels click together.
You watch them, as you step onto the small platform before the drop into the lava. Their spotless steel-grey power armour seems to glow in the fire-light, and their boltguns smell of fresh gun-oil. Their faces have been darkened by Vulkan's Gift, eyes shining red as they look up at you, helmets tucked beneath their arms. Lined squad by squad, and grouped into the seven line Companies, one for each of the seven Hive Cities of Armageddon. Thus was the tradition of the Salamanders, allowing each Company to maintain relations with where they came from.
They look to you, unsure, uncertain. Nervous, even. Though you feel the one-eyed man leading the blind, you begin to truly appreciate the duty Tu'Shan set upon you. For a Space Marine officer, at a mere one hundred and forty years you are painfully young. Yet to them, none having so much as reached their third decade, you are as if one of the entombed Ancients.
"Stand at ease, Steel Dragons. My brothers." You feel the sense of tension amongst them lighten slightly, but not by much. "You have been chosen for a great honour. Yet, you are uncertain. Unsure of who you are, or where you stand. How could you not? Augmented and trained you may be, yet questions remain. What does it mean to bea Space Marine? A Son of Vulkan?"
The words come naturally to you, a gift of the tongue, or so you had been told. Perhaps in another life, your talent for rhetoric would have made you a Chaplain. Though personally, you doubt it.
"There is a famous saying, one that you may have heard spoken many times in the course of your training. It is written that it was first uttered by the Emperor himself on Terra, to the assembled Legions at the dawn of the Great Crusade. 'And They Shall Know No Fear.' Fine words, well-spoken. But they are not the whole truth. For while I do not feel fear, I understand it. I remember it. I remember my mortal fear, the terror of helplessness, of being unable to protect myself and those dear to me from a cruel, uncaring galaxy. Instead there is another, less-quoted yet even more important passage drawn from that same speech. 'They Shall Be My Bulwark Against The Terror.' I bid you to ponder upon these words. We do not know terror, yet we are charged to shield others from it. So I tell you this: remember that fear. Hold those memories close, so that you never lose sight of what we fight for. We fight to shield the people of the Imperium from that fear, we who are immune to it. This is the sacred charge the Primarch Vulkan set down for us, as his sons."
You turn towards the handful of serfs who accompanied you from Nocturne, standing at the edge of the magma flow. At your gesture, they begin pulling up great chains, lifting up branding rods suspended right above the molten lava, heated to a red glow.
"So, I ask you this. Will you take this oath-brand with me? Will you swear bonds of brotherhood and loyalty? Will you become the defenders of Armageddon, of humanity itself?"
You raise your voice, and though you may not match Tul'Ra for sheer volume your words echo throughout the cavern.
"Will you stand with me, as the Emperor's bulwark against the terror?!"
Five hundred throats roar in affirmation.
Martial Actions (Choose unlimited. Assign Companies to each mission you want to undertake. Available Companies: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th.)
-Greenskin Purge
Though the Orks are no longer in a position to threaten the Hives, the survivors have fled into the wilderness to bide their time. In addition, the sheer amount of spores shed on Armageddon during the Third War is immense, guaranteeing a lasting greenskin infestation. Though demoralized, fragmented and ill-equipped, if given time to regroup their sheer numbers make them a threat that must be dealt with. [Risk: Low]
--Mountains
The mountains of Armageddon are one of the main holdouts of the Feral Orks since the Second War, innumerable small caves, nooks and valleys providing fertile hiding places for the greenskins. It may not be a particularly glorious or exciting task to track them down one by one, but it is a necessary one if you are to keep the Orks from recovering their numbers.
--Ash Wastes
The deserts and wastelands of Armageddon were the site of Ghazghkull's initial landings, and though the Roks have been destroyed the greenskins remain, fast-moving mechanized mobs roving the deserts in search for scrap while evading Imperial cleanup forces. The Armageddon PDF have communicated to you that they have the situation at hand in the Ash Wastes and need no aid, thank you very much, but their forces have been run ragged while you are fresh to the fight. It may prove useful to establish a connection with the local forces, for you will be working alongside them for years to come.
--Jungles
The equatorial jungles have historically proven nigh-impossible to penetrate, filled to the brim with hostile xenofauna, horrid terrain and disease, allowing the hardy Orks to survive and breed free from retribution. Such obstacles may hinder the Guard and PDF forces, but Sons of Vulkan suffer no such impediment. Still, the Orks here are hardened jungle fighters, and may prove a threat despite their lack of unity.
--Mines
The Fire Wastes of the northernmost landmass are home to a wealth of minerals vital to Armageddon's industries. The extensive mine networks made to harness these resources were damaged or captured by the Orks during the Third War, priority given over to the defence of the Hives, leaving the factories starved for raw materials. Now that rebuilding efforts are underway, they are constantly frustrated by the lingering Ork presence in the Fire Wastes, small warbands raiding imperial positions or simply squatting upon the valuable mines. Like the mountains, hunting down these small, isolated infestations are not likely to provide much combat experience, but it will greatly accelerate Armageddon's recovery.
--Oceans
Armageddon's hives are endlessly thirsty for fresh water, and the largest source on the planet is the vast glacier known as the Deadlands, across the Tempest Ocean. It is here that water is mined, purified and pumped across the ocean to Armageddon Prime and Secundus to sate the needs of the Hive populations. Located in the Tempestus Ocean are also vast oil and gas refineries that provide fuel for the rest of the planet, vital for all aspects of life on Armageddon. During the Third War the Orks built a vast fleet of crude submersibles, using them to ferry troops and attack from unexpected angles. Though many were destroyed a substantial number of them persist, roving the ocean and making sporadic attacks upon the imperial construction teams attempting to rebuild the broken infrastructure. You may lack the ability to hunt them beneath the waves, but you can protect the refineries and pumping stations from attack, while tracking down and destroying the submersibles' hidden bases. It is dangerous work, but necessary.
--Debris Fields
The Forge World of Voss Prime was granted salvage rights over the enormous debris fields littering the Armageddon system, owing to their vast contributions of war material and troops to the Third War. Yet, wrecks are frequently home to surviving pockets of Orks that will fall upon the salvage teams and attempt to seize their vessels for themselves. Though they do not strictly need your aid, you know that Voss Prime's forces were badly mauled by the war, and could use your aid. It may earn you goodwill among the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the sooner the debris is dealt with the better.
-The Beast Must Die: Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka has been named Diabolis Extremis by the High Lords of Terra, a threat to the Imperium of Mankind itself and an affront to the Golden Throne. It is the duty of all right-minded citizens of the Imperium to aid in his destruction where able. As the Wardens of Armageddon, your duty in this regard is only heightened, for as long as he draws breath your homeworld shall never truly be safe. The Great Beast is on the move, pursued by most of the Black Templars Chapter and a crack Astra Militarum force under Lord-Commissar Yarrick across the galaxy. Let loose the dragons, and join the hunt. [Risk: Immense. DO NOT DO THIS UNTIL YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU ARE READY.]
Miscellaneous Actions (Choose unlimited)
-Assign Specialists to Companies
-Assign Wargear
Chapter Actions (Choose three, and one extra action from either Administrative or Diplomatic Actions due to Chapter Master traits)
General Actions
-Initiate Aspirant Trials
You may begin running the Trials and gathering more aspirants from the Hives to be inducted to the Scout Company. Master of Recruits Tul'Ra advises against doing so immediately, however, for he would like to handpick a few Scout Sergeants from amongst the line Companies first to assist him as instructors. He asks for five, preferably ten years to prepare, or he cannot guarantee the quality of the aspirants' training.
-Cultivate Gene-Seed
Gene-seed can be artificially cultivated without requiring implantation, though it is a careful and long process. You will gain back an equal amount of gene-seed to what was used in ten years, and again in twenty, leaving you with double what you started with. [Specify amount of gene-seed put into cultivation, max 100]
-Expand Armoury [-300 FC for 4 turns]
You may upgrade your forges even further, giving you an additional +200 FC/turn once completed.
-Expand Apothecarion [-200 FC for 4 turns]
You may expand your Apothecarion facilities, allowing you to cultivate more gene-seed, reducing casualty rates and recruitment failures.
-Expand Librarius [-200 FC for 4 turns]
You may expand your Librarius facilities, allowing you to better store and catalogue lore and information, communicate across the stars via astropathy, and recognize/train new Librarians.
-Expand Reclusiam [-200 FC for 4 turns]
You may expand your Reclusiam facilities, allowing you to better educate and train your Chapter, fortifying them against spiritual malaise and quelling internal issues.
-Expand Defences [-200 FC for 4 turns]
You may expand your Fortress-Monastery's defences with additional ringed bastions and banks of void shield generators, defence laser batteries and anti-ship missile silos, raising the Fortification level to six.
-Expand Docks [-300 FC for 4 turns]
You may expand your small dry-dock, allowing it to repair major damage up to cruiser size class and minor damage to battleships, as well as repair faster and service more ships.
-Provide Aid [Specify amount of FC spent]
The industries of Armageddon have been ravaged by war, and though unconventional you could certainly use your forges to aid them, particularly providing certain high-end machine parts critical to repair works.
Administrative Actions
-Re-Organize the Chapter
[Write-in how]
-Train the Chapter
The Steel Dragons have been trained… adequately, but you may wish to give them additional training in key aspects of warfare. [Write-in what you want to train them in.]
-Educate the Chapter
The Steel Dragons have been taught the bare minimum, but Master of Sanctity Elysoth is eager to teach them of the ways of the Salamanders and the Promethean Creed.
-Teach the Chapter [-100 FC for a turn]
One of the strengths of the Salamanders as a Chapter is that every battle-brother is capable of basic maintenance on their wargear, leaving their Techmarines and forges free to work on more advanced matters. It will be a long time before you reach such a level, but you have to start somewhere, right?
Diplomatic Actions
-Assuming Control
Armageddon has been ruled by a military council since the ousting of the treasonous Herman Von Strab. As Chapter Master, the full power of the Planetary Governorship resides within you, theoretically granting you tyrannical power over the world. Still, there's no reason to upend power structures already in place and functional, simply have them report to you.
-Contacting the Sector Command
Now that your Chapter has been founded, it would behoove you to figure out the sector-wide situation and who your neighbours are. Plus, letting people know you exist allows them to call for help from you, always a bonus.
-Getting to know the Chapter Command
A few of them you know well, but many of the veteran Astartes assigned to your new Chapter you know only by name and reputation. Yet now these men form your inner circle, whom you must rely upon and trust utterly. You must get to know them, so that together you may steer the Steel Dragons to victory.
Forge:
Your ability to build stuff is determined by Forge Capacity. You get Forge Capacity from your Fortress-Monastery's Forges, Techmarines assigned to the Armoury, etc. Keeping ships idle above the homeworld allows you to use their onboard forges, but if they're out on campaign the forges will be used for maintenance purposes and won't be available. Some wargear may take more than one turn to complete, in which case you only pay the FC once but any assigned Techmarines stay unavailable. Forge Capacity can be lost to maintenance/repair requirements or the construction of bionics after battle, which can be reduced by assigning Techmarines and Apothecaries to the Companies or increased as you equip them with more gear or push them into heavier combat. Non-Forge projects may also consume Forge Capacity, as the Chapter uses its resources to, say, construct water purification systems for the locals or improve the defences of its fortress-monastery.
You will also need to assign Techmarines, as certain pieces of wargear require the attention of an adept of Mars of sufficient skill. For example, Terminator Armour is marked as Master of the Forge/5. This means that you need a Master of the Forge-level Techmarine for every five Terminator Armour suits, so if you only have the one you can't build more than five suits per turn, and you cannot build anything else that requires a Master of the Forge during that time. Masters of the Forge and Senior Techmarines can do anything their juniors can do, and you also do not have to assign all of your Techmarines. Leaving them idle gives a bonus to the random chance of making relics. You cannot intentionally make Relics, but you can make Master-Crafted wargear, which costs triple FC and requires at least a Junior Techmarine for each piece. You cannot make Master-Crafted versions of something that already requires a Techmarine.
Finally, the Forge World of Voss-Prime is obligated by treaty to provide you with basic wargear. Therefore, as long as supply lines are open and you don't piss them off, wargear marked as standard issue does not cost anything.
Chapter Forges: +600 FC/Turn
Each Battle Barge not on deployment: +100 FC/Turn
Each Strike Cruiser not on deployment: +25 FC/Turn
Each Master of the Forge assigned to the Armoury: +100 FC/Turn
Each Senior Techmarine assigned to the Armoury: +50FC/Turn
Each Junior Techmarine assigned to the Armoury: +25FC/Turn
Total FC currently available: 600+100+5x25+100+0x50+4x25=1025
Techmarines available:
Master of the Forge: Kor'Hadron
Senior Techmarines: None.
Junior Techmarines: Ve'Nir, Har'Stan, Zen'Tal, Akadar Praetatone
Standard Issue Wargear:
Tactical: Boltgun, Combat Knife, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Mark VII Power Armour
Assault: Chainsword, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark VII Power Armour, Jump Pack
Devastator: Missile Launcher, Combat Knife, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark VII Power Armour
Artificer Armour: 50 FC/Suit, Senior Techmarine/5, Takes Two Turns
-Power Armour built to the highest standards, whose capabilities war exceed normal suits.
Assault Centurion Warsuit: 75/Suit, Junior Techmarine/3
-Slow-moving siege exosuits, designed for close-in assaults.
Devastator Centurion Warsuit: 75/Suit, Junior Techmarine/3
-Slow-moving siege exosuits, designed for bombardment from afar.
Terminator Armor: 100 FC/Suit, Senior Techmarine/5, Takes Three Turns
-Immensely protective armour capable of turning aside all but the mightiest of blows, at the cost of some mobility. By tradition, only Veteran Astartes are permitted to use these suits.
Iron Halo: 50 FC, Junior Techmarine/3
-Potent forcefield projectors mounted on the backpack. By tradition, these are symbols of office for Astartes of Captain rank and above.
Combat Shield: 10 FC
-Energized hand-carried shields, designed to ward off blows in close combat.
Storm Shield: 20 FC
-More powerful and larger shields, capable of reflecting even heavy firepower.
Psychic Hood: 25 FC, Senior Techmarine/5
-Specialized equipment for the Librarians, which assist in regulating the usage of their abilities and in denying those of enemy sorcerers.
Heavy Bolter: 5 FC
-A belt-fed automatic bolt weapon with a larger calibre, perfect for clearing out infantry at range.
Plasma Cannon: 10 FC
-Advanced energy weapon firing blasts of superheated gas that explode upon impact. Can be temperamental if overheated, but capable of wiping out concentrations of armoured enemies.
Lascannon: 10 FC
-A laser cannon designed for taking out tanks and hardened targets at long range.
Multi-Melta: 10 FC
-Melta weapon designed for extreme damage at short-moderate ranges.
Grav-Cannon: 15 FC
-A weapon that fires rapid graviton distortions that can rip through armoured infantry and damage heavier targets.
Heavy Flamer: 5 FC
-A large high-power flamethrower, perfect for clearing out enemy infestations.
Meltagun: 5 FC
-Short-range melta weapon for taking out hard targets.
Plasmagun: 10 FC
-Prone to overheating, but has moderate range and rate of fire as well as excellent penetrative power.
Flamer: 2 FC
-High-power flamethrower, good for hordes of light targets at short ranges.
Storm Bolter: 2 FC
-Twin-linked boltgun, for twice the firepower and twice the ammo usage.
Assault Cannon: 20 FC
-Heavy rotary cannon favored by Terminators for clearing out hordes of light enemies at range.
Cyclone Missile Launcher 20 FC
-Rack of missiles to be mounted on top of Terminator Armour,
Plasma Pistol: 5 FC
-Sidearm with a heavy punch, but with overheating issues.
Inferno Pistol: 5 FC
-Extremely short-ranged melta weapon, but packs a punch.
Hand Flamer: 2 FC
-Miniature flamer, fills the same role but has less ammunition.
Power Weapon (Specify Sword/Axe/Maul/Lance/Spear): 15 FC
-Melee weapons wrapped with a disruption field that makes them particularly deadly.
Lightning Claw: 15FC/Single, 30FC/Pair
-Gauntlets with protruding blades wrapped with disruption fields, excellent for slicing through hordes of enemies.
Power Fist: 20 FC
-Powered gauntlet encased in a disruption field, strikes hard but with low reach.
Chain Fist: 25 FC
-Power Fist with an underslung chainblade to assist in cutting through bulkheads and armoured targets.
Thunder Hammer: 20 FC
-Hammer that releases a disruption field charge upon impact, inflicting devastating damage but slow to swing, even for a Space Marine.
Force Weapon (Specify Sword/Axe/Staff): 25 FC, Senior Techmarine/5
-Melee weapons designed to amplify and channel the psychic energies of a Librarian.
Crozius Arcanum: 20 FC (Senior Techmarine/5)
-Intricate Power Mauls traditionally used by Chaplains as symbols of office.
Combat Bike: 10 FC
-A small one-Astartes motorcycle equipped with twin boltguns for maneuver combat.
Attack Bike: 20 FC
-A large motorcycle for two Astartes, equipped with twin boltguns and a heavy weapon on the sidecar.
Rhino: 50 FC (Junior Techmarine/3)
-Basic transport vehicle, capable of transporting ten Marines but armed with only a Storm Bolter.
Razorback: 75 FC (Junior Techmarine/2)
-A upgraded Rhino that trades lower transport capacity of six for a heavy weapon mount.
Vindicator: 100 FC (Junior Techmarine/1)
-An armoured siege tank equipped with a short-ranged but powerful Demolisher Cannon.
Predator (Specify Destructor or Annihilator): 100 FC (Junior Techmarine/1)
-A fast light tank armed with a turret-mounted high-power Autocannon designed for taking out light-medium targets or Twin Lascannon for armored targets, and either heavy bolters or lascannons in sponsons.
Whirlwind: 100 FC (Junior Techmarine/1)
-A mobile artillery piece armed with a multiple rocket launcher system for supporting fire against a variety of targets at range.
Hunter/Stalker: 75 FC (Junior Techmarine/1)
-Mobile anti-air weapon platforms equipped with advanced autocannon array or missile launcher, respectively.
Castraferrum-Pattern Dreadnought Chassis: 75 FC (Junior Techmarine/1)
-Light walkers piloted by crippled marines, equipped with a wide variety of ranged and melee weapons.
Land Raider (Specify Phobos/Redeemer/Crusader) 300 FC, Master of the Forge/1, Takes Three Turns
-Venerable assault tanks of incredible durability, equipped with a dizzying variety of weapons and an advanced machine spirit, used for delivering the most valuable squads to battle. Loss of one is considered a major tragedy and prestige hit, and the recovery a reverse.
Land Speeder: 40 FC
-Small anti-grav craft for reconnaissance work, carries two heavy weapons.
Stormtalon Gunship: 75 FC, Junior Techmarine/2
-A gunship designed for providing ground support, armed with a mix of cannons and missile launchers.
Stormhawk Interceptor: 75 FC, Junior Techmarine/2
-A gunship designed for fighting aerial targets, armed with a mix of cannons and missile launchers.
Stormraven Gunship: 150 FC, Junior Techmarine/1
-A gunship designed for insertion of strike teams, capable of carrying twelve marines and a dreadnought.
Thunderhawk Gunship: 250 FC, Junior Techmarine/1
-A large gunship designed for insertion of strike teams, fire support and fighting aerial targets. Armed with variable heavy weapon loadout, capable of carrying thirty Marines, fifteen bikes or three Dreadnoughts.
Thunderhawk Transporter: 150 FC, Junior Techmarine/1
-A large gunship designed for insertion of tanks, capable of carrying two Rhino-chassis vehicles or a single Land Raider.
PLAN VOTING ONLY. Turns are five years. Write-ins are allowed, conditional on QM approval. Tell me what to do and I'll tell you if you can do it and what action category it belongs to.
Example Plan:
[] Blackout's Super Plan
-Greenskin Purge
--Jungles: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
--Ash Wastes: 6th, 7th, 8th
-Cultivate Gene-Seed: x100
-Educate the Chapter
-Contacting Sector Command
-Assuming Control
-Forge:
x5 Terminator Armour (Kor'Hadron) 500 FC
x3 Stormraven Gunship (Ve'Nir, Har'Stan, Zen'Tal) 450 FC
x1 Rhino (Akadar Praetatone) 50 FC
x1 Chain Fist 25 FC
Sweet! That was a well-written intro, very evocative.
[x] Plan Stoking the Flames
- Debris Fields: 7th, 8th
- Mines: 4th, 5th
- Jungles: 2nd, 3rd, 6th
- Expand Armoury [-300 FC for 4 turns]
- Expand Reclusiam [-200 FC for 4 turns]
- Assuming Control
- Educate the Chapter
- Forge
-- 10x Heavy Bolters (50 FC)
-- 10x Heavy Flamers (50 FC)
-- 5x Meltaguns (25 FC)
-- 5x Power Fists (100 FC)
-- 4x Razorback (Junior Techmarine Ve'Nir, Junior Techmarine Har'Stan) (300 FC)
-Miscellaneous
--Assign wargear as follows: Each company captain, along with our Chaplain, Librarius, Master of the Forge and Junior Tech-Marines, Apothecary and Junior Apothecaries, each get 1x Artificer Armor, and their choice of melee and ranged weapon
-- Divide the remainder of our gear into company armories as evenly as possible.
-Assign Junior Apothecary Ikreus to 2nd Company, and Junior Apothecary Tho'Var to 7th Company
Bloods us a little, goes after the jungles which are a harder target, gets our armory going, starts coalescing our forces in terms of ethos and morale, takes control of the planet, and starts churning out more heavy weapons, as well as some mechanized transport. Razorbacks seem more like Salamander's style than Rhinos. Thought about going for Whirlwinds for use on Armageddon, but figured transport might be better to start with.
Greenskin Purge is not its own action: Mountains, Jungles, Ocean etc are sub-sets of Greenskin Purge. So you can't just assign Companies to it, you need to specify which front they're going.
Greenskin Purge is not its own action: Mountains, Jungles, Ocean etc are sub-sets of that action. So you can't just assign Companies to it, you need to specify which front they're going.
@Blackout the phrasing about the Ash Wastes is ambiguous as to whether the local forces will be offended by our aid or not. Is the uncertainty intentional?
@Blackout the phrasing about the Ash Wastes is ambiguous as to whether the local forces will be offended by our aid or not. Is the uncertainty intentional?
Sweet! That was a well-written intro, very evocative.
[x] Plan Stoking the Flames
- Debris Fields: 7th, 8th
- Mountains: 4th, 5th
- Jungles: 2nd, 3rd, 6th
- Expand Armoury [-300 FC for 4 turns]
- Expand Reclusiam [-200 FC for 4 turns]
- Assuming Control
- Educate the Chapter
- Forge
-- 10x Heavy Bolters (50 FC)
-- 10x Heavy Flamers (50 FC)
-- 5x Meltaguns (25 FC)
-- 5x Power Fists (100 FC)
-- 4x Razorback (Junior Techmarine Ve'Nir, Junior Techmarine Har'Stan) (300 FC)
Bloods us a little, goes after the jungles which are a harder target, gets our armory going, starts coalescing our forces in terms of ethos and morale, takes control of the planet, and starts churning out more heavy weapons, as well as some mechanized transport. Razorbacks seem more like Salamander's style than Rhinos. Thought about going for Whirlwinds for use on Armageddon, but figured transport might be better to start with.
Think you could add some gear distribution? We have a small stockpile of high tier wargear.
For gear I was thinking we give each company captain along with our Specialist Chiefs, if they don't already have good stuff, an Artificer Armor and their choice of 1 melee and 1 Ranged masterwork weapon.
Think you could add some gear distribution? We have a small stockpile of high tier wargear.
For gear I was thinking we give each company captain along with our Specialist Chiefs, if they don't already have good stuff, an Artificer Armor and their choice of 1 melee and 1 Ranged masterwork weapon.
I wanted to go more granular, but really don't have time at the moment. If Blackout wants more detail, happy to edit it in tomorrow or if someone else breaks it down.
[X] Plan Mortals Need Aid
-Greenskin Purge
--The Mines: 2nd and 3rd Companies
--The Oceans: 4th and 5th Companies
--The Ash Wastes: 6th and 7th Companies
--The Debris Fields: 8th Company
-Assign Chief Librarian Va'Sor to the 4th Company
-Assign Master of Sanctity Elysoth to The 6th Company
-Assign Junior Techmarines Ve'Nir to the 8th Company, Zen'Tal to the 2nd Company, and Har'stan to the 4th Company
-Assign Junior Apothecary Ikreus to the 2nd Company, Tho'Var to the 5th Company, and Navath to the 7th Company
-Assign Head Apothecarian and Head Techmarine to the Apothecarion and the Armory
-Assign Artificer Armor to every Company Captain
-Expand Defenses 200 FC
-Teach The Chapter 100 FC
-Educate The Chapter
-Assuming Control
-Forge 10 Heavy Bolters 50 FC
-Forge 10 Heavy Flamers 50 FC
@Blackout quick question can we sign one of the cruisers or the frigates as orbital support for these subjugation missions? If we say we sign up frigates for orbital support they don't cost any FC?
I'm inclined to lean towards Mortals Need Aid (drill into the heads of our men that we are For Mortals, and also win some early goodwill if we can get the mines working and the water flowing (that's the big one)), but I feel like there should be an apothecary included in the debris field detachment instead of the Ash Wastes?
I feel like we can recover corpses and their geneseed better in a gravity well, and void war is kinda disgustingly lethal - those are the bodies I feel like we're most likely to lose, if/when we take casualties.
I don't want to get involved in the Ash Wastes until we have more information. Annoying the local defense force is not how I want to start the quest. There are plenty of other places on Armageddon that need Astartes.
It's not like it is impossible for the ADF to have good motives for not wanting us in the Ash Wastes. They might want us attacking Orks in areas where Armageddon's mechanized forces are less able. Or they are worried that we won't be able to keep up given our lack of combat vehicles. It's even possible that they're worried that the troops morale could be damaged by being outshined by the new Astartes on the block. Stranger things have happened in warfare.
