Bronze Guardians

Bronze Guardians armorial with Chapter iconography.

Bronze Guardians Battle-Brother of the 5th Company, unknown Battleline Squad.

The **Bronze Guardians** appears to be a semi *Codex*-compliant, loyalist Space Marine Chapter with an unclear founding. Although it appears that the Bronze Guardians were created mysteriously, they were founded with the approval of the High Lords of Terra. Their main goal was to protect the Sanctus sector from frequent Xenos attacks. It is rumoured that the Red Crusaders have a part in their founding, but there are no imperial records to prove or disprove this notion. The planet Kevillon, in particular, is a frequent target for Xenos invasion. Since the bronze Guardians made Kevillon their home, the surrounding worlds have a decrease in the number and severity of destruction and losses. The Bronze Guardians are considered a zealous chapter that has something to prove. The creation of the Bronze Guardians is a mystery to most of the Imperium. It appears as though one day, a small Space marine Chapter just settled there and began its long vigil over the system. This may, in fact be the case, but again, it is impossible to prove. The founding members of the Bronze Guardians, including Chapter Master Marcellus Tacitus, know precisely how they came to be. The Bronze Guardians seek to prove their loyalty to the Imperium by protecting the Sector from Xenos Invasion. After a large scale war, rumoured to be the Stygian Civil War, their numbers dropped to a mere 200 Space Marines. An extensive recruitment campaign took place to replenish their numbers. They have spoken an oath of loyalty to the Imperium and are zealous in their servitude to the Emperor. They are a silent chapter. They will chant and pray in unison but seldom speak.

## Chapter History

The Bronze Guardians' history is only known to the marines who make up the Chapter and a select few trusted Imperial agents outside the Chapter. Although their founding is officially unknown, their first recorded appearance is around 900M41. Although created by the High Lords of Terra, there is not much information about what prompted their creation. It would appear they were founded outside of an official founding, but that could be a mistaken assumption. The records could simply be lost, or there could merely be no information recorded on the reasons and the discussions of the founding. The gene father of the Bronze Guardian is also unknown although it is assumed that they would be sired by the Great Rogal Dorn and of Imperial Fists lineage. This has not been confirmed.

It is safe to assume a need was present in the Sanctus sector to fend off the many Xenos invasions. The Bronze Guardians are the first line of defence from their position at the edge of the sector. The Bronze Guardians are in the process of replenishing their strength after a rumoured altercation with chaos forces. From 200 marines, they swiftly rose to 500. Being semi codex compliant means for them that there are no markings of rank or colours to differentiate the ranks between the Marines. As an example, even though the Chapter has a mildly higher than the average number of sanctioned Librarians, they do not have the traditional blue helms. They are identified by the mold of their faceplates, which look like the Marine behind the mask. The Bronze Guardians have sworn never to forget and never speak of their history, so they have chosen to be a primarily silent Chapter. They only talk when absolutely necessary. The Bronze Guardians have sworn to protect the Imperium and die for the Emperor. A tome recounting the events of the creation of the Bronze Guardians can be found in the vaults, but only those who can navigate the vaults are aware of this tome. The Bronze Guardians have a reputation that precedes them for their efficiency, and their tactics are unorthodox and theatrical. They have thwarted many Xenos attacks since their creation and continue to do so to this day.

## Chapter Homeworld

Kevillon is the Space Marine Homeworld of the Bronze Guardians. It is a civilised world with interesting topography. Kevillon would be ideal for an agri-world, but the mountainous terrain and punctuated with fertile grounds in scattered valleys and water sources is not exploited to its full potential. There is enough water and fertile lands for the world to be quasi-self-sufficient but not enough to mass export.

Being on the outer edges of the Sanctus Sector, there is a constant Xenos threat, usually by greenskins, but they are not safe from chaos either. The Bronze Guardians settling in the Sanctus Sector on a highly desirable, strategic planet benefitted greatly the system and the sector. Protecting exports and the people from threats has seen the system flourish and thrive in recent years. The Fortress-Monastery of the Bronze Guardians sits on top of a mountain overlooking the sea. The people of Kevillon have been fighting invaders for so long that they are thankful for the protection and peace that the Bronze Guardians bring to their world. They still know that invasion will continue to happen, but now, they have their own protection against those that would seek to destroy mankind.

### Fortress-Monastery

The Fortress-Monastery, **Pantheon**, is built on top of a mountain, overseeing the sea. It is a large marble square building with a majestic marble staircase. Near the entrance, at the top of the stairs, is a giant golden statue of the Emperor of Mankind. Built to resemble its namesake from Holy Terra, it boasts large white marble columns. The halls are lined with statues of great Marines of the past and present. The halls are vast and extensive and are created to amplify sound. There are two reasons for this. When the Marines must speak, they do not need to do so loudly, and the second reason is a defence mechanism. If an infiltration into the Fortress-Monastery occurs, the Marines standing guard in the halls look precisely like the statues. These Guardians will seemingly come alive and attack the invaders, emitting a deafening scream. The scream is amplified, and the sound is diffused, creating confusion and fear.

The Fortress-Monastery is primarily silent except when it is time for prayers and chants to the Emperor. Footsteps echo through the great halls as the Marines march the white marble corridors. The vaults where the relics are kept are on the lower levels of the Pantheon. These vaults are built into the mountainside and unseen from the outside. The halls leading to the main vault are built like a maze and protected by a dreadnought. It is difficult to get one's bearings in the lower levels. These are sealed off from the general population but accessible to all the Bronze Guardians. Every Guardian has a bronze rope around their waist, which, when tied to the right peg at the entrance of the lower level, will guide them invariably to their relic room.

## Chapter Recruitment

The Bronze Guardians recruit as any other chapter, but they prefer candidates with an open mind and possible latent psychic abilities. They also test their potential recruits preferring to choose a candidate with infallible loyalty to the Imperium over a more physically fit candidate. This can increase the number of unsuccessful transitions, but it is a price they are willing to pay to assure the purity of the Chapter. The Chapter has a powerful sense of chaos and chaotic tendencies, so they recruit the most zealous and pure candidates they can find. They are recruiting to bring their Chapter up to the 1000 Astarte maximum.

Recent years have brought about an increase in recruitment, and with large scale training, they now have 500 Astartes. It is believed that the Chapter has suffered massive causalities during a massive altercation in the Cadian sector, possibly during the Stygian Civil War. No records were found of their involvement. The Chapter is small but is increasing, as the people's enthusiasm in neighbouring planets to make a change and hold the sector for the Imperium is great.

Although they are a little particular within their recruiting criteria, they were able to increase their numbers by 300 Astartes in a short period.

## Notable Campaigns

* **The Battle for the Titan (Unknown Date)**- The Bronze guardians had located a very damaged Titan on a nearby planet, Sentar Prime. The Titan needed to be salvaged, and the Bronze Guardians investigated, bringing some serfs to prepare it for the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Tech Marines of the Bronze Guardians were trying to determine what kind of repairs were needed and what was functional and could be salvaged. A company of Bronze Guardians were assigned to Sentar Prime for the salvage mission. They found it in the same state as before when they approached the Titan, but it crawled with chaos squats. The Legatus Legionus of the company sent a transmission to Kevillon asking for reinforcements and explained the situation. The best way to deal with these heretics was stealth and surgical strikes until the reinforcements arrived. The Bronze Guardian librarians used their psychic prowess to make their small squads disappear. At the same time, the rest stayed back and silently picked off the stragglers and the squats as they left the salvage site with parts of the Titan.

When reinforcements arrived, the Marines attacked openly. The company that had gone for the surgical attack had eliminated many squats. The chaos squats realised that some of their numbers were missing as the Bronze Guardians mounted an attack surrounding the Titan as best they could. Having them surrounded, they marched on. The chaos squats had heavy firepower and were fighting vigorously. Some Marines of the Bronze Guardians fell during the battle, but the squats were eliminated, and some escaped, but the Titan remained in possession of the Bronze Guardians with only reports of minor damage.

* **Ambush at the Pantheon**- It was a normal day for the Bronze Guardians. The Chapter Master, Marcellus Tacitus, talked over the plans for a campaign where their assistance was requested in his office at the Pantheon. The Hall of Statues was being guarded, as always. On this day, Legatus Legionus Somek, a librarian, was standing guard with a small squad of guardians, standing silently amongst the statues. The hall seemed quiet, but Somek realised that they were not alone, recognising the feeling of chaos in the halls. With a silent warning to his brothers, he informed them that their halls were being infiltrated. With a powerful psychic scream, Somek reached out to the invisible Marine and grabbed him by the neck and threw him on the sword of the statue across from him in the hall, instantly killing him while the other Guardians' screams echoed through the halls and the battle of the halls of statues took place.

 Chapter Master Tacitus was informed of the arrival of the Verum Illuminate. He did not waste any time reaching the hall of statues and engaging the enemy. The battle of the Halls of statues was won swiftly with few casualties for the Bronze Guardians. Meanwhile, the leader of the Verum Illuminate expedition infiltrated the Maze. He was looking for a sorcerer's cloak and relics, including a gene seed that used to belong to them. Lord Walsh met his end when he triggered the labyrinth's defence systems, and he became trapped and faced with a dreadnought. This campaign was a clear victory for the Bronze Guardians and a massacre for the forces of the Verum Illuminate.

## Chapter Organisation

The chapter will be codex compliant, but they only have five companies due to their lower numbers and efforts to replenish their ranks. A Librarian leads each company.

### Officer Ranks

* **Legatus Legionus**- Leader of a company. He is a commander, and he leads the legion into battle and is the second in command to the Chapter Master. Legatus Legionus are consulted when a decision for the Chapter must be made, protecting their Company. These Astartes are privy to the history of the Chapter and can decide on who should be promoted from the line ranks. Presently, all Legatus Legionus are Librarians; as the chapter grows to full force, there will be non-Librarian Legatus Legionus.

* **Praecti**- This rank is the equivalent of the rank of Captain.

### Specialist Ranks

* **Techmarines**- The tech marines are often required to make repairs to armour, ships, and anything that the Chapter needs. Still, they are also integrated into a company often called upon to sabotage enemy ships and weapons.

* **Librarian**- There are a slightly higher number of Librarians in the ranks of the Bronze Guardians, including the Chapter Master. The reason for this is undetermined but may be explained by the geneseed. Librarians are the Chapter's psykers. In this Chapter, they are also tasked to train the Primi Ordines to resist psychic attacks and to develop a chaos sense that is common in the Chapter. Presently, most the Librarians are veterans.

* **Apothecary**-Apothecaries are the medicae of the Chapter. They treat injured Marines and retrieve and test the geneseed.

### Junior Ranks

* **Centurion**- Centurions are graduated scouts. They are the first rank of a fully trained Space Marine.

* **Primi Ordines** - Primi ordines are scouts. Newly trained recruits need to prove themselves to move up to the rank of Centurion.

### Specialist Units and Formation

* **Guardians**- Guardians are the Marines that line the halls of the fortress-monastery, silent, unmoving, blending in with the real statues. It is a rotating position and one that the Space Marines highly covets. Often assigned as a reward for a victorious campaign, one company may have more rotations than another if they prove more useful to the Chapter.

## Chapter Belief

The Bronze Guardians believe in the divinity of the God-Emperor and that he forgives those who repent. Repentance can take many forms, but you will be under his protection when the Emperor accepts repentance. Suppose you are a traitor to the Imperium. In that case, the sword of the Emperor will fall upon you, usually in the form of his disciples, who are other Space Marine Chapters and Adepta Sororitas. They are strictly loyal and believe that the Emperor will provide what is needed for his children.

Experience has taught them that the tiniest bit of deviance from the light of the Emperor or any intervention or experiment can open the door to chaos. This is why, even though they have noticed a significant decrease in psykers, they could have the Apothecaries experiment or try to modify the gene-seed, but this could open the door to chaos. If they ever are a need of more Librarians, then the Emperor would provide.

The Chapter is silent because it is wiser to say nothing than to say something that could be heretical. They also refuse to speak of their past or their Chapters' secrets. They only speak when it is strictly necessary, and by not speaking, they can ensure that words cannot taint the purity of the Chapter.

## Combat Doctrine

The Bronze Guardians excel at defence, stealth, sabotage and surgical strikes. They tend to do the guerilla-type attacks and surgical strikes, wanting to get in and out of battle as fast as possible, inflicting the most damage and preserving their numbers. Because of frequent invasions by Xenos, the Bronze Guardians excel at protecting the people of the planet Kevillon from Xenos invasion and pushing back the Xenos before they can make it any further into the sector. They like to blend in with the statues that line the halls of the fortress-monastery and stay silent until an attempt to infiltrate is made. At this point, some of the statues seemingly come to life and, with an enhanced and diffused scream, they attack the enemy.

The Bronze Guardians use stealth as described earlier. The Guardians line the halls blending in and ambush trespassers. Also, the Librarians can hide small groups of people using their psyker abilities and get by the enemy to attack the leaders or the most formidable threat. When the issue is the number of enemy troupes, they can be hidden from sight and cut down the enemy without being seen for short periods. A unit is created and responsible for disabling vehicles and ships to cripple the advance or retreat of invaders. They also can use sabotage to disable weaponry.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

The Chapter Gene-Seed is of unknown origin. The documentation on the gene-seed has been lost or has never been recorded. The gene-seed is relatively stable, and mutations are rare. Some Marines experience partial failure of the Oolithic kidney. Some filtration of poisons and drugs does occur, but it is not optimal. Instead of rendering the Marine unconscious, it makes him tired. Other mutations include a bronzing of the colour of the skin. Another more frequent anomaly is a sense of chaos, where the Marines can feel the presence of a chaos item or be. The Bronze Guardian has a larger than usual number of Librarians, but this anomaly is stabilizing in recent years for an unknown reason. The gene-seed now sits in a chamber in the lower levels of the Fortress-Monastery, **Pantheon**, under the protection of the Bronze Guardians and their dreadnought.

## Deathwatch Service

Unfortunetly, the Bronze Guardians do not have many Marines available for deathwatch service. As the strength of the Chapter grows, the deathwatch tours will increase. The members of the Bronze Guardians who join the deathwatch are well respected, even though they can be unconventional. Their primary mission, as a chapter, is to protect the sector from Xenos invasions which makes them very successful when they join the deathwatch. A tour in the deathwatch services is of the highest honour, and the marines selected fight with zeal and determination.

## Notable Members

* **Chapter Master Marcellus Tacitus**- Chapter Master Marcellus Tacitus played a major part in saving the loyalists of the Verum Illuminate during the civil war on Stygian and creating the new Chapter, the Bronze Guardian. He rallied the loyalists and fought the despicable chaos traitors with the help of the Red Crusaders' grail knight and a librarian. He then took the gene-seed from the traitors and established the Bronze Guardians on the planet Kevillon in the Sanctus Sector.

* **Legatus Legionus Roman Somek**- Legatus Legionus Roman Somek was a founding member of the Bronze Guardians and granted the highest rank after Chapter Master by Tacitus. After fighting bravely in the battle against the Renegade chapter of the Verum Illuminate, he stopped most guards from attacking Tacitus when he and Tacitus acquired valuable relics and resources from the fortress Monastery protect them from the traitor Marines. He is a strong fighter, and he acquired the traitor scroll from the guards at Dara Seans Fortress Monastery on Stygian.

* **Praecti Ikarus Dedaleus**- Ikarus designed the halls and the labyrinth underneath the Fortress-Monastery. Although he was an average marine, his gift for architecture and strategy made him a valuable asset to the Bronze Guardians. During a battle against orks, Ikarus was fatally wounded, and his last request was to be made into a dreadnought to continue to serve the Emperor. He wanted to guard the labyrinth under the pantheon. His request was approved, and now, he slumbers in the labyrinth that he created and protects the relics with a vengeance. He is the only battleship the Bronze Guardians have.

## Chapter Fleet

The Bronze Guardian fleet is a wonder to behold. Ships gleaming in the void, the powerful **Aegis** at its head, carry the will of the Bronze Guardians far behind Kevillon. Already great in power due to the diligent and masterful craftsmanship of the Bronze Guardians, who harvested many of their current ships from wrecks on Kevillon. Based around a starport outside of Kevillon, the mighty fleet is a force to be reckoned with, and the engineers of the Bronze Guardians continue working to improve it.

* ***Aegis* (Battle Barge)** - *Aegis* is the main battle barge for the Bronze Guardians. It is a formidable ship that brings fear to whoever lays eyes upon it, for its formidable weapons and original architecture brings a sense of dread to whoever approaches it.

* ***The Argo* (Unknown Class)** - *The Argo* is a ship that has been through many adventures, having almost been lost during an altercation with a Xenos attempted invasion. The Argo being a vessel built from the wrecks of Kevillon, is sturdy and well-armed. It is one of the favourites of the Bronze Guardians.

## Chapter Relics

* ***The Sword of the Hunter*** - The Grail Knight, Mathael Drakvard, of the Red Crusaders returned the sword of a fallen Brother of the Verum Illuminate who was a loyalist and Vek's friend. This Hunter, Nathaniel Roth, has eliminated a significant number of Sisters of the Night in the Emperor's name and sacrificed himself to kill a Slaaneshi daemon and many members of the Warband.

* ***The Traitor Scroll*** - *The Traitor Scroll* is the scroll that contained the taint of Tzeentch that was used to indoctrinate the members of the Verum Illuminate. By following this scroll, the members were introduced to blasphemous thoughts until they fell to the Lord of Change. The Bronze Guardians keep it to remember that it only takes one or two words to turn one's back on the Emperor and fall to chaos.

## Chapter Appearance

The Bronze Guardians' power armour is bronze in colour, with shoulder and knee pads being a dark red, burgundy colour. They also wear robes draped over the shoulder and tied at the waist with a rope used to navigate the labyrinth under the Fortress-Monastery. The robe is dark red, and the rope tied at the waist is bronze in colour. They wear faceplates that are moulded to their faces. These masks are also bone colour, and so are the Aquila and the chapter symbol. They are meant to look like statues that come to life.

### Chapter Colours

The power armour of the Bronze Guardians is bronze, representing the sands of Stygian that were on fire during the civil war with the Verum Illuminate and red accents, representing the blood spilled as the result of this war. The chapter badge, mask and Aquilla are bone colours.

### Chapter Badge

The Chapter badge is a screaming bronze mask as one would see during an elaborate play.

## Relations

### Allies

* **Red Crusaders**- The Red Crusaders became allies with the Bronze Guardians after the Grail Knight, Mathael Drakvard arrived on Stygian during the Great Civil War where the Verum Illuminate took arms against the Loyalists in the Chapter, which included the soon to be Chapter Master of the Bronze Guardians. Drakvard helped the Loyalists escape Stygian and allowed them to protect the Sanctus Sector after an Oath of Loyalty to the Emperor, and the Chapter was recited. The Bronze Guardians and the Red Crusaders became allies and worked together to stop the invasion of Xenos in the Sector.

* **The Condemned**- For an unknown reason, these two chapters get along very well, although they often do not cross paths. It is believed that the Condemned played a part in helping the Bronze Guardians during the campaign that nearly decimated the Chapter, but nothing more is known. Chapter Master Marcellus Tacitus has a ceremonial blade called a Redempshank, which was gifted to him by the Chapter Commander Yakub Forass of the Space marine Chapter The Condemned.

### Enemies

* **Verum Illuminate**- Broken off from the Verum Illuminate during the great Civil war of Stygian, the Bronze Guardians have sworn to destroy the scattered force of the treacherous Space Marines. The Bronze Guardians refuse to speak the name of their former Chapter. If they must, it is spoken with great disgust, and the Verum Illuminate are referred to as "The Traitors."

* **Sisters of the Night**- The Bronze Guardians have vowed to purge the Slaaneshi Warband to avenge the Red Crusaders from their attack on their Fortress monastery and their fallen friend Nathaniel Roth who had hunted them for years.

* **Chaos Space Marines (Especially Tzentchian warbands)**- Haven has been under the veil of the chaos god of change for a long time. The Bronze Guardians have a pure hatred for any traitor or heretic associated with Tzeentch. Whether it is the Thousand Sons, the Verum Illuminate or the sorcerer Pallas, they vow to purge them from the Imperium.

## Gallery

Official pict-file of Bronze Guardians Legatus Legionus, Marcellus Tacitus.Bronze Guardians Veteran Marine of the elite 1st Company arrayed in relic Indomitus Pattern Terminator Armour.Bronze Guardians battleline Astarte.Ikarus Dedaleus: Chapter Ancient, designer of the labyrinth under the Fortress-Monastery and protector of the Chapter relics.