Jade Vipers

FoundingThe Jade Vipers are an Ultima Founding Chapter established ca. 999.M41. Unlike most Ultima founding chapters the true Gene lineage of their founding is not fully known with dark whispers being they are from Gene Stock that Belisarius Cawl had access to but was ordered not to utilize. Even with their possible Dark Lineage the Vipers have proved themselves time and again especially in the arts of close combat and in particular close quarter areas such as jungle warfare thanks in no small part to their chosen Chapter Home World of Yuc'anti XIII.
The Jade Vipers were originally attached to the 383rd Indomitus Battle fleet ordered to pacify several systems in the Segmentum Solar near the newly formed Ciatrix Maledictum, the Great Rift. Along with so many other Crusading fleets dispatched by the reborn Robute Guilliman the 383rd fleets mandate was the complete elimination of the rampaging Chaos hoards that were spilling from the Rift and its surrounding smaller warp storms and anomalies. One such system that became accessibly ironically thanks to the force of the Great Rifts birth was that of the Yuc’anti System. This system had been cut off for millennia due to a localised Warp storm and as such the Imperium had bypassed this area. Now with a certain amount of clearing of these vicious storms the 383rd fleet made its advance and exploration of the planets contained within. Initial scouting vessels reported that of the numerous planets and their surrounding planetoids and moons described a mostly uninhabited desolate outer regions but as the progressed closer to the systems core words they became more and more vibrant with vast wilderness until Yuc’anti XIII was found to actually still sustain human life albeit a very primitive and regressed humanity. This planet had 3 moons in its orbit and it was here that the scouts discovered traces of Chaos forces.
With the Great Enemy discovered the command elements of the 383rd dispatched its military might to descend on these moons. The spear head of the assault was led by the fleets attached Primaris Marines contingents. These warriors smashed into the Chaos forces at first so hard that the initial 2 moons were scoured clear of trace of Chaos within a matter of weeks however the final moon which was by far the largest of the three was home to an extremely large Night Lord fortress and these warriors would prove to be much more stubborn than the simple chaos cultists and minor demons that the Imperium forces had faced to date.The fortress was designated the Citadel of Screams by the intercepted Night Lord communications and it appeared that the Night Lords had taken control of the system centuries before protected by the raging Warp Storms that surrounded it. In that time the Warband had taken great delights in terrorizing the population of Yuc’anti XIII. As the full picture formed the rage of the Primaris Marines became what could only be described as almost psychotic but controlled rage. Channelling this rage, the Marines made planet fall in Thunderhawk gunships blasting the outer defence bulwarks that were poorly maintained due to the Night Lords arrogance that their fortress was unbreachable by the local threats that until now they had only faced. This poorly maintained defence was ripped to pieces but these were warriors of the Long War and the initial successes quickly dried up and a truer defence formed.
= Jade Viper Warbands =
Instead of organizing into the squads dictated by the Codex Astartes, the Jade Vipers form their Battle-Brothers into "Warbands." Each Warband will generally be made up of Astartes who have fought together for some time and will work together.
For the Jade Vipers their finely honed senses of smell and hearing are just as important to them as their keen eyesight. Warbands will work together to sniff and sound out their foes, hunting their prey methodically, identifying the locations of their comrades as much by their enhanced sense of smell as by any technological means.
The Jade Vipers have four primary types of Hunting Parties in the Chapter, including the Holcan, Reivers, and the Temple Guard. There are also Viper Scouts, who are an oddity among the Adeptus Astartes.
Holcan  - If Neophytes survive long enough to mature into seasoned Astartes, they are promoted to the ranks of the Halcons. These veteran Astartes are the equivalent of a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter's Interssesor Marines. The Halcon Hunting Parties form the greater mass of the Jade Viper's warriors. They are strong and resolute fighters, tempered by battle but as hungry for honour as any proud warrior of Yuc'Anti Xiii. They are experienced warriors, dour and sombre, proud of their skills, and rightly honoured by their younger brethren.
Viper Scout  - For some Jade Viper Astartes, the close-knit and boisterous brotherhood of the warband(squad) is not well suited to their personality, as they yearn for the open spaces and isolation of the Yuc'Anti jungles. These Space Marines are selected to become part of a Warband's Viper Scout force, providing reconnaissance and disrupting enemy movements. These Space Marines are often already Veterans, as opposed to the raw Neophytes commonly used in other Chapters' Scout Marines Squads.
Reiver  - Where Viper Scouts are stealthy hunters, Reivers are terror troops who instill in their enemies a sense of inescapable doom. Like the Viper Scouts they often fight alongside, Reivers are adept at flanking actions, setting up ambushes and targeting seemingly safe rearguard troops. As Primaris Space Marines, the full capabilities of Reivers are still being discovered by the Viper Lords. On occasion, packs of Reivers are placed with the main body of a Warband, their arms and armaments making them more than capable in a straightforward firefight; but they have also shown exceptional flair for less conventional methods of deployment. Their sleek and lightweight Mk X Phobos armour can be fitted with grav-chutes that allow the Reivers to be dropped into battle from low orbit. The grav-chutes' paired fins are used to guide the Reivers' descent, allowing them to glide along mountain ridges and around hive spires without leaving the contrail of a jump pack or Drop Pod, which would alert the enemy to their presence. The innate savagery of Reivers makes them a natural fit in the Warbands of the Jade Vipers. However, they tend to avoid the feasting halls where possible, and rarely engage in conversation with other battle-brothers. Even their Primaris brethren are kept at a distance. The only warriors outside of their own tight-knit packs with whom they openly converse are the Viper Scouts, and even then their communications take place whilst out on shared patrols. Though Reivers and Viper Scouts have been seen talking – and on occasion even laughing - in the distance, their stalkers' camaraderie remains dormant when in the presence of others not of their ilk. What Reivers lack in ebullience they make up for in battlefield effectiveness. Their reputation for swiftly and violently dispatching any enemy they are loosed upon has quickly spread through the ranks of the Jade Vipers, and while they make poor drinking partners, their War Captains know that Reivers can be counted upon to fulfill the duties of the Chapter. The Saga of the Reivers is still in its opening verses, yet already it is replete with tales of their glorious victories.
Temple Guard - Some Jade Vipers, having achieved feats of exceptional valour and martial prowess, may become members of the Chapter's Temple Guard. These mighty Astartes can lead smaller forces of Jade Vipers drawn from other Warbands, serve as the Jade Viper's version of an Honour Guard for the most experienced warrior in a deployed Jade Vipers force or serve as the Nacom for a Warbands's Hunting Parties, imparting their knowledge and experience to their younger charges and serving as the equivalent of standard Space Marine Sergeants. In addition to access to the best suits of Power Armour and the most advanced wargear available to the Chapter, the Temple Guard have earned the right to wear Terminator Armour. Unlike other Chapters, entrance into the elite ranks of the Temple Guard is not the result of seniority or Veteran status but is an honour earned directly through merit, through the display of extraordinary acts of courage and heroism under fire. Eventually, it is possible for a Temple Guard to rise to the position of War Chief, the mighty officers equivalent to standard Space Marine Captains who command one of the 10 Warbands that comprise the entirety of the Chapter.
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Category:Space Marines
Category:Space Marine Chapters
Category:Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes
Category:Imperium of Man
Category:Ultima Founding
Category:Chapters of Unknown Lineage