Great Bears

Great Bears armorial with Chapter iconography.

A Great Bears Veteran Sergeant of the 2nd Company, 5th Battleline Squad.

### **Specialty**

Mass Assault, Strategic Decapitation Strikes, Close-quarters Actions (Line-breaker Attacks), Planetary Interdiction, Heavy Infantry Assault

### Successor Chapter(s)

None

A Successor Chapter of the heroic Blood Angels the **Great Bears** was created during the 8th Founding, which allegedly occurred during the mid-34th Millennium. This Founding was undertaken amid the dark times of the Nova Terra Interregnum, when the Imperium of Man had been split into twin interstellar empires.

This Chapter has wandered far from the blood-theme of their Progenitor and their fellow Successor Chapters of the Blood. Taking on the symbol of the savage bears of their home planet, the Great Bears hail from a frigid, freezing planet near the Twin Stars of Ursa Major and Minor. Hardy and strong, they will weather any blizzard while unleashing a torrent of firepower against their enemies as they close in for the kill.

## Chapter History

Founded amongst the times of the Nova Terra Interregnum, the Great Bears were established to combat the threat of the Ur-Council and the empire of Nova Terra. Strong, fierce warriors who are utterly dedicated to the Imperium that their gene-father died to protect from the Traitor Legions, the Great Bears are reliable, dedicated Astartes who will slay anyone standing between them and their objectives.

The Great Bears were first deployed during 363.M35 against a rebellious planet in the Segmentum Pacificus, Drebar, that was seeking to secede from the Imperium to join Nova Terra in rebellion. Over a months-long Crusade, the Great Bears stormed the Capital Hive city of Dreballion Prime, fighting throughout, taking the Spire with great losses. Bringing the world into compliance by putting the Planetary Governor to the axe, the Den Master at the time, Ursilon, personally presented his head to the Imperial Commander supporting them for transport back to Terra.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Drebar Crusade (363.M35)** -
* (More to be added)
* **Devastation of Baal (999.M41)** -

## Chapter Homeworld

The Great Bears's homeworld of Arcas is found in the Dubhe system, orbiting the twin stars of Ursa Major and Minor. The world is covered in snow and ice year-round, with blizzards an almost daily occurrence for the inhabitants. Mountain ranges are common, surrounding deep valleys through which the bitter wind can blow. Coniferous forests of Arcasian Pine stretch for kilometres, thick green blankets against the crisp white and dull greys of the snow-covered landscape.

Life on Arcas is hard, with the weak, old or sickly being left to freeze far from the hearths of the homes. This forms strong people however, making them hardy and eager to work to keep the cold at bay. The people of Arcas build their lives around their work; ice-fishers and hunters providing food along with the below ground hydroponic farms. Woodcutters and miners build homes for the people, utilising the Stafnmoos, large moose-like creatures native to Arcas, as work animals, pulling the large sledded pallets to the construction sites.

The working population live in villages in wooden homes, with elders living in stone and wood long-halls. The noble and more wealthy population live in great stone walled cities built in the Gothic style typical of other Imperial cities. The largest and grandest city, the planetary Capital, Calisto, is located among the foothills of the mountain that contains The Den.

### Fortress-Monastery

The Fortress Monastery of the Great Bears is known as The Den. Built into the largest mountain on Arcas, it delves deep below and stretches high above. The entrance to The Den is an enormous cave known as Ursa's Maw. Huge Adamantium gates block the Maw, with Diamantine walls surrounding the base of the mountain, defence positions set around the Maw and along the walls to repel any enemy forces. Leading down into the mountain from the Maw is the hallway known as Ursilon's March. An enormous corridor carved from the stone itself, with a high ceiling and engravings showing the greatest victories of the chapter, it is named in honour of the first Den Master, Ursilon Whitefang.

### Great Hall

At the end of Ursilon's March lies the Great Hall of The Den, known as The Bear-Hearth. Huge enough to have every Marine in the Chapter stand or sit inside at the same time for ceremonies such as the choosing of a new Den Master, the ceiling stretches far above, the braziers lining the walls not being able to light it to its apex. Between these braziers stand statues of notable Den Masters and great Marines, looking down on their brothers long after they have passed to the other side. The Bear-Hearth also functions as the Chapter's Assimularum, the place for gathering them all together, as well as their Refectory for eating with the kitchens, store-rooms, disposal units and purification vats located in small rooms off of the Hall and the food brought in by Chapter Serfs.

At the far end of The Bear-Hearth, on a high stone platform, with steps leading up to it carved with the name of every Den Master, the throne of the Den Master sits, carved from a single log of Arcasian Pine and decorated with bear skulls. In front of these steps, sits an enormous ever-burning fire, the eponymous Bear-Hearth. Kept burning by Chapter Menials, there is a legend within the Chapter; "*Should the Bear-Hearth extinguish, so too will the Chapter be extinguished.*" For this reason, and the importance of heat and fire in the lifestyle of the Arcasians, the Chaplains of the Great Bears, known as Black Bears, will add an annoited log of Arcasian Pine to the Hearth during ceremonies. On top of the throne sits the skull of Whitefang, a legendary Arcasian Bear. The first Den Master Ursilon hunted Whitefang with nothing but a simple woodcutting hatchet after it slaughtered his village. The bear was twice as big as any bear seen before, with snow white fur and scars covering it from many battles, Ursilon tracked it to its den. He fought it in the snow outside the cave, hand-to-hand until the snow was stained red with Whitefang's blood. Inside the den was found a colony of Whitefang bears, all snow white in colour. Ursilon believed these bears now to be blessed by their Gods and so after the founding of the Great Bears, these Whitefangs were brought to The Den living in their own cave as the Chapter "pets". This cave and the subsequent area that is open to the elements, but still inside the great walls of the Den, is known as Whitefang's Pass with a relief carved into the wall above the cave entrance of the great beast. Though it is open to infiltration, only a foolish or suicidal foe would attempt it as the Whitefang bears are extremely hostile to anyone but members of the Chapter and those associated with it and will tear anyone, including Orks or Traitor Marines to shreds.

### The Berserker's Den

Deep within The Den, there is a cave that many Marines will not approach, save for the Black Bears and the Den Master. Within this cave live The Berserkers, Great Bears Marines who have succumbed to the Black Rage. Half-mad with grief over their loss of their Primarch 10,000 years ago and full of rage after reliving his final memories, these Marines can no longer tell the difference between friend or foe but for the Black Bears who are able to corral them. Known as the Heimórr Ódrrinn or Home of the Mad in Arcasian, Marines will not go near it, out of fear of both the maddened screams emanating from within as well as their potential fate.

## Chapter Organisation

### Officer Ranks

* **Den Master** - The Chapter Master of the Great Bears Chapter.
* **Karhu** - The name for a Captain of one of the Companies of the Great Bears.

### Specialist Ranks

* **Black Bears** - The Great Bears' equivalent of a Chaplain found in other Chapters. Their armour is painted completely black and their helmet is fitted with a bear skull to create a suitably terrifying visage.
* **Rune-Fangs** - The Great Bears' equivalent of a Librarian found in other Chapters.

### Specialist Units & Formations

* **Death Company-The Berserkers:** Despite their apparent separation far from the themes of their brother Chapters, the Great Bears still succumb to the twin curses of all sons of Sanguinius. When a Marine succumbs to the Red Thirst, the insatiable thirst for the blood of living creatures, he is sent on a Blood Quest by his Karhu or if he is a Karhu, the Den Master himself. The Marine is stripped of his armour, and sent out to hunt an Arcasian Bear with naught but a combat knife. Should he survive and return with its pelt, he may wear it into battle along with new red adornments to his helmet and pauldrons, as both an honour and a warning to his fellow Marines. Should a Marine succumb to the Black Rage however, he is sent to the Great Bears Death Company, known as the Berserkers. Clad in the typical black armour, with the red Saltires, the death wounds of Sanguinius, they are kept deep within the Den in their own cave. When unleashed, they are a terrifying force. Leading the charge, they tear into their enemies, their maddened roars breaking ranks as fast as their furious assault. As with the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters, the Black Bears, the Great Bears' Chaplains, lead the Death Company into battle, rallying the Berserkers into even more of a battle frenzy before unleashing them on their foes.
* **White Fangs- Sanguinary Guard:** The most elite veterans of the Great Bears, those who have performed centuries of service to the Chapter and carried out amazing deeds, are inducted into the White Fangs. The Great Bears' equivalent of the Sanguinary Guard, they are the Honour Guard of the Den Master. The White Fangs will accompany him at all time on the battlefield, ready to give their life for him at a moment's notice. Clad in snow-white Artifice armour with stone grey accents and trim, they are the might of Arcas, representing the mountains of their homeworld as well as the bears that dwell within those same mountains. They wear the pelt of a Whitefang bear draped around their shoulders to show that they are the greatest warriors of their Chapter. The White Fangs have access to the greatest weapons of their Chapter with them being experienced in all of them. The White Fangs have pride of place amongst the Chapter with them sitting in thrones either side of the steps leading to the Den-Master's throne.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

### Primarch's Curse: 'Twin Flaws'

As with all Sons of Sanguinius, after his death at the end of the Horus Heresy, aboard the Vengeful Spirit during the Siege of Terra, every Marine has the potential to succumb to the Twin Flaws known as the Red Thirst and the Black Rage.

When a Marine succumbs to the Red Thirst, the insatiable thirst for the blood of living creatures, he is sent on a Blood Quest by his Karhu or if he is a Karhu, the Den Master himself. The Marine is stripped of his armour, and sent out to hunt an Arcasian Bear with naught but a combat knife. Should he survive and return with its pelt, his face and mouth blooded after drinking the blood of the Bear, he may wear it into battle along with new red adornments to his helmet and pauldrons, as both an honour and a warning to his fellow Marines. Should a Marine succumb to the Black Rage however, he is sent to the Great Bears Death Company, known as the Berserkers.

## Notable Great Bears

* **Den Master Ursilon Whitefang** - The very first Den Master of the Great Bears.
* **Den Master Bjorn Greenaxe** - The current Den Master of the Great Bears. He earned the honorific "Greenaxe" after he defeated Ork Warboss Krossbreakah in single combat, taking the foul Greenskin's head with his Power Axe, when he was still the Karhu of the 5th Company, stopping his WAAGH! in its tracks.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Great Bears bear the colours of Brown, Black and Gold upon their armour.

### Chapter Badge

The badge of the Great Bears Chapter is the head of an Arcasian bear roaring, which is a terrifying image and a common one for any Arcasian who stumbles across one out in the tundra. It is centred on a field of gold.

## Notable Quotes

### About the Great Bears

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