Artellus Numeon - Imperium Secundus: Upon reaching Macragge, Numeon discovered that he was not the only son of Vulkan to have reached the homeworld of the XIII Legion, nor were the Salamanders the only shattered Legions present on Macragge -- delegations of Iron Hands and Raven Guard were also present, as were lone warriors of the White Scars and even the Space Wolves Legions. But supreme amongst the Loyalists stood the triumvirate of Ultramarines, Dark Angels and Blood Angels -- the legions of the founders of the new Imperium. While Numeon's return was celebrated with due rejoice, the sad certainty of Vulkan's death overshadowed the reunion between Numeon and his brothers. Almost upon arrival, Numeon demanded to be taken to his Primarch's resting place. Escorted by two of his brothers, Numeon reached the vault where Vulkan's body had been laid to rest in an ornate golden casket, only to find that the Primarch's mortal remains had mysteriously vanished. Neither Numeon nor the honour guard standing vigil around their Primarch had seen or heard anything, which only served to deepen the mystery of the Primarch's true state.Almost immediately, search parties from the Ultramarines most elite troops, the Invictus Guard, were despatched to cover the entire fortress and city, but in the initial phase, the Salamanders were purposefully kept from joining the search. It would take a personal audience of Numeon -- rightly regarded as the de facto Legion Master of the Salamanders Legion, being the sole surviving senior officer of the XVIII having been saved from the black sands of Istvaan V -- to sway the mind of both Lord Guilliman and that of the new Emperor, the Primarch Sanguinius of the Blood Angels. Numeon argued his case with charisma, and although he failed in convincing the gathered three Primarchs of Vulkan's return to life, the Salamanders were permitted to search for their lost Primarch. Their efforts would however, largely be in vain. Nevertheless, this episode marked a decisive turn of events for the sons of Vulkan, firstly because the enterprise they showed in questing for their missing Primarch served to strengthen and renew the bonds of brotherhood between these scattered survivors and secondly, because more and more of these legionaries were now looking to Numeon for guidance and leadership. Some of the legionaries had even started believing in Numeon's mantra, "Vulkan lives," that their Primarch may indeed still live, but this new uplifting spirit was soon sorely tested when Titus Prayto, amongst the most senior Librarians of the Ultramarines, revealed to Numeon and his closest advisors the full and horrible truth about their Primarch's arrival on Macragge; that Vulkan had truly died upon arriving on the Ultramarine homeworld and had miraculously come back to life shortly afterwards to battle against Night Lords murderous Primarch, Konrad Curze, but also that the trauma he had experienced had bereft Vulkan of his sanity. Ultimately, Titus Prayto revealed a final secret that Roboute Guilliman had not shared with Vulkan's sons -- that the man behind Vulkan's murder, the Word Bearer, Bartusa Narek, was imprisoned within the Fortress of Hera and that Xenuth Sul had also been transferred there.Numeon ultimately grew to the task of leadership he had never had desired, to lead what remained of the XVIII Legion. As an exterior symbol of his new responsibilities, Numeon was presented with a new suit of Power Armour, a Salamanders' forged suit befitting of a Legion Consul, and armed with the very best weapons at their disposal. Chaplain Var'kir had relinquished his ornate Bolt Pistol, the bronze-chased and serpent-headed, Basilysk, while Sergeant Zytos presented the Legion Master with his own sword, an artificer-wrought Chainsword forged from the teeth of the mighty Nocturnian salamander Draukoros. Thus armoured and armed, Numeon would lead his brothers on their first mission -- the interrogation of Bartusa Narek.By the time a Thunderhawk gunship was summoned to take the small party to the Eastern Keep of the Fortress of Hera, pandemonium had broken out. Unknown to his captors, Xenuth Sul had been one of the dreaded "Unburdened," the elite demonically-possessed warriors of the Word Bearers Legion, which he had now utilised his unnatural powers to free himself, and gone onto rampage through the prison facility. The sacrifice of the Demagogue and the Dark Sacrament, his own capture and transfer to the Eastern Keep, had all been done willingly, so as to get closer to his intended target, the renegade Bartusa Narek, from which his sombre master, the Dark Apostle Quor Gallek, hoped to learn the secrets and powers of the fulgurite stone. In company of Aeonid Thiel and one of his Red-marked, Numeon raced after Xenuth Sul to confront him, but the Unburdened was faster, and reached Narek's cell first. Thiel, one of his warriors and Numeon stormed the cell to confront the Word Bearers Legionary inside the cell, only to realise that they were confronting Xenuth Sul and not Bartusa Narek. Revealing his true demonic nature, Xenuth Sul attacked the Loyalists, knocking Thiel unconscious and killing his companion. Numeon lashed out with his new blade, Draukoros and severely wounded Sul, but the blade remained trapped in the daemonic flesh of his opponent, effectively disarming him. Numeon was forced to fall back and utilise his secondary blade -- an Ultramarine Gladius -- to desperately fight for his life. Xenuth Sul pressed his advantage and sought an easy kill, but hesitated when confronted with Vulkan's Sigil, which gave the arriving legionaries comprised of the Salamanders Zytos and Var'kir and two Ultramarines guards more than enough time to rake the Unburdened with deadly bolter fire. Hurled back by the deluge of shells, Xenuth Sul staggered, giving Sergeant Thiel enough time to regain his senses, and launched another attack. Hard-pressed by both Thiel and Numeon, Xenuth Sul was finally vanquished when Artellus Numeon retrieved Draukoros from its unholy flesh and beheaded the foul creature.Bartusa Narek's escape resulted in a renewed city-wide search, but as for the search for the Primarch of the Salamanders, both parties of Ultramarines and Salamanders returned empty-handed. With their only lead on their Primarch's whereabouts now lost to them, the surviving Salamanders gathered together in council. The new brotherhood of the sixty-six surviving sons of Vulkan took the name of the Pyre and now, more than ever, looked to Numeon for guidance. Narek's escape and the disappearance of their father's body left them precious little reason to stay on Macragge, and most of them desired to undertake the perilous journey back to their home world of Nocturne. But most of these survivors of the XVIII Legion refused to be treated as a mere tool of propaganda for the Ultramarines' new Imperium. However, Numeon overwhelmed by grief over the repeated loss of his Primarch, refused the position that was offered to him and isolated himself to mourn in one of Magna Macragge's former cemeteries. Seeking solitude, Numeon instead encountered the Primarch of the Dark Angels, Lion El'Jonson, the new Lord Protector of Imperium Secundus. Far from trying of convincing Numeon to remain on Macragge, the Lion confessed his doubts regarding the fall of Terra and reminded Numeon of his duties as the new Legion Master of the Salamanders. Still reluctant, Numeon answered him that he had neither desire, nor claim to that title, upon which the Primarch of the First Legion answered that Numeon's was the only true claim. Although their causes might have seemed lost or futile, they were still warriors of the Imperium and their oaths and honour demanded that their quest should nevertheless be accomplished. Left alone with his thoughts and broken dreams, Numeon wandered in the cemetery until he encountered a honourary statue of Ferrus Manus, the slain Primarch of the Iron Hands Legion. Denied his vengeance and single hope, Numeon let his bitterness flow, but was struck by silence as his eyes fell on another statue -- there in the shadows, sitting upon a marble throne was Vulkan's body.Reunited with his Primarch, Numeon's convictions grew strong -- Vulkan would be restored -- not on Macragge, but on their home world. The Salamanders would bring Vukan's body back to Nocturne.