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Saint Praxedes - History: Saint Praxedes of Ophelia VII was the Canoness of the Order of Our Martyred Lady at the start of the Second Tyrannic War in 991.M41. With a force of Battle-Sisters from her Order she reinforced the Caladenian Regiments of the Imperial Guard on the Cardinal World of Okassis. As the Tyranids assaulted the Ecclesiarchal Cathedral, she led her Battle-Sisters and a company of Guardsmen in a gallant counter-attack.The combined fire of Retributor Squads and Exorcist tanks obliterated the first wave, but the second managed to breach the Cathedral's fortress-walls. As Tyranids poured through, Praxedes confronted the horde leader, a monstrous Hive Tyrant. During the furious battle, the Canoness was dealt a mortal wound. As her blood poured onto the floor, Praxedes summoned the strength to land one final blow, caving in the Hive Tyrant's skull with a thunderous strike from her Power Mace.With the Tyrant's destruction, the Tyranid swarm lost all cohesion and the Sisters of Battle wasted no time in pressing the assault, determined to avenge the death of their beloved leader. Such was the fury of their counter-attack that the remaining aliens were swept aside, buying the time needed to evacuate the Ecclesiarchy's priests and thousands of refugees fleeing from Okassis.She was the first Imperial to be martyred during the attack of Hive Fleet Kraken and her name is revered all across the Segmentum Ultima. Some claim that she yet lives, fighting on against the dreaded hordes of the Tyranids from within their swarm.
Saint Praxedes - Wargear: Sororitas Power ArmourGodwyn De'az Pattern BoltgunFrag & Krak GrenadesMantle of Ophelia - The Mantle of Ophelia was once the badge of office for the Prioress of the Convent Sanctorum and was worn by Helena the Virtuous, a Living Saint and one of the most revered leaders in the history of the Adepta Sororitas. The mantle is thought to have sacred powers of protection, for Helena was said to have anointed it with the Tears of the Emperor, a phial of blood-like liquid meticulously collected over a century from weeping statues of the Emperor found across the Cardinal Worlds of the Imperium.Sceptre of Vengeance - The Sceptre of Vengeance was the huge, heavy Power Mace wielded by Saint Ophelia in hand-to-hand combat. Its head is wreathed in a shimmering flame which leaves a trail of fiery sparks as it swings through the air.
Saint Sabbat - Saint Sabbat: The Saint of the Imperial Cult known as Saint Sabbat is described as a small but beautiful green-eyed girl with short black hair. She was born Sabbat Beati around the year 500.M35 on the pastoral world of Hagia, in the sector of the Segmentum Pacificus that afterwards became known as the Sabbat Worlds, to a simple shepherd.At this time, while Humans loyal to the Imperium had established footholds in the region of the Sabbat Worlds, much of it was incredibly wild, ruled by the hand of Chaos-worshipping barbarians as well as hostile xenos. Even those planets that were ostensibly loyal to the Emperor were well outside the bounds of the Imperium of Man.Little is known in detail of Saint Sabbat's history but what is apparent is that in her early life she was inspired by a vision of the Emperor to rally Humanity and liberate the entire region in a great Crusade against the Ruinous Powers. Her achievements overshadow those of many a Lord General Militant of the Imperial Guard, while her teachings lead all Imperial citizens to a simplicity and wisdom that belie her humble origins.At the height of her power, she counted at her side many of that era's most brilliant military strategists, including Lord Kiodrus, the great Imperial field commander who one day was himself beatified by the Imperial Cult, as well as the strategist Faltornus, and many other notables.Her host included warriors of the Adeptus Astartes including the Brazen Skulls and the White Scars Chapters, as well as the command of one of the precursor Sisters Militant orders that would later become the Adepta Sororitas Orders Militant (the Sisters of Battle), colonial planetary defence and Astra Militarum regiments, and pilgrim retinues of the Ecclesiarchy.Some Imperial historians theorise a connection between the saint and the precursor to the Adeptus Sororitas' Order of Our Martyred Lady, but this is doubtful and is most likely simply legend. The Ayatani priests of her private order trace out those parts of her crusade that are still accessible to this day, from the worlds of Hagia to Harkalon and back.The saint's crusade endured for 105 Terran years, until her martyrdom on the world of Harkalon, where she suffered the Nine Holy Wounds. Her body was retrieved by the Astartes of the White Scars and interred in a great tomb on Hagia known as the Shrinehold.The sector that would go on to bear her name as the Sabbat Worlds was already considered fully functioning Imperial territory at the time of her death.During the Sabbat Worlds Crusade to liberate the Sabbat Worlds from the forces of Chaos in the 41st Millennium the saint was said to have been reincarnated as an Esholi girl from the world of Hagia who then led Imperial forces on the planet of Herodor and joined the crusade's Warmaster Macaroth at the front lines in 773.M41 to inspire the Imperial forces.
Saint Silvana - Saint Silvana: Saint Silvana is the patron saint and founder of the Order of the Argent Shroud. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica, the patron saint and founder of the Adepta Sororitas.She was also one of the first sisters to lead Imperial Crusades in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. In the late 36th Millennium, Silvana met her fate at the hands of a Death Cult assassin.Her remains disappeared whilst lying in state at the Convent Prioris. She was declared an Imperial Saint by the unanimous vote of the Holy Synod of the Ecclesiarchy.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Salamander (Armoured Vehicle): The Salamander, also known as a Salamander Scout, is a small, armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the Astra Militarum and based on the Chimera chassis. It is designed primarily for reconnaissance duties and is lightly armed and armoured but moves very rapidly.The Salamander is also used as a lightweight and fast moving command vehicle, as its open-topped design allows an Imperial commander to better coordinate his units.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Role: The Salamander is used in many roles, including as a scouting vehicle, towing vehicle, and even as a command unit. Equipped with Salamanders and Sentinels (though motorcycles or even riding beasts like the horse are not unknown), a reconnaissance squadron is often at the forefront of an offensive, fulfilling the vital role of scouting the enemy's routes of advance and locating their positions for an attack.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Salamander Scout: Operating in front of the main Imperial Guard force, these scout units need to be able to provide their own fire support. The Salamander Scout, equipped with an Autocannon and Heavy Bolter, provide this heavy weapon support. Sentinels are extremely mobile and able to operate in nearly any type of terrain, but they are lightweight and unlikely to survive a protracted engagement with the enemy. This is where the more heavily armed Salamander shines. While it is certainly no match for a true main battle tank, it is extremely fast and therefore capable of getting out of harm's way quickly. An armoured vehicle capable of taking on other light vehicles is a highly useful asset, since first contact between enemy forces is often a clash between their light scout units.For mutual protection, Salamander Scouts often operate in tandem, teaming up to provide extra support. One vehicle will provide cover for the other as it moves forward, with each taking turns leading the way. Salamanders are often the vehicles at the very front of an Imperial Guard advance and so are often ambushed or encounter an unexpectedly strong enemy position or unit. When an Imperial Guard regiment is on the defensive the Salamanders are often relegated to a rear area for security duties. Like Sentinels, it is not unusual to find Salamanders guarding supply dumps, headquarters units or patrolling supply routes.During a major offensive, Imperial Guard reconnaissance units often do not have enough vehicles to fulfill all of the necessary missions. In this case, the shortfall is made up by Armour Fist squads operating in Chimeras. A squad will be detached from its parent platoon and company and temporarily attached to the reconnaissance company. Because of this, Armoured Fist patrols and Salamander Scouts often operate together.The Salamander Scout is operated by a 4-man crew that is comprised of a gunner and driver inside the vehicle and a commander and Vox-operator on the rear fighting platform. Due to its reconnaissance role, each Salamander is fitted with unusually potent communications equipment to allow it to report back to the command units in its rear. Direct links to regimental command units, such as Leviathans and armoured company command tanks, are not unusual.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Salamander Command: When used as a command vehicle the Salamander acts as the personal transport of the Imperial commander during the battle, and is usually outfitted with enhanced communications equipment. The Salamander Command is not meant for front-line combat, and is usually used as just an officer transport vehicle that allows the company or regimental commander to keep in touch with his units.The Vanaheim Pattern of the Command Salamander is fitted with a multi-spectral surveyor as part of its overhead hatch. This advanced piece of equipment provides the vehicle with magnification, night vision, and tracking capabilities. The Salamander Command is armed with a Heavy Flamer in place of the Autocannon usually mounted on a Salamander.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Armament: The basic scout variant of the Salamander is armed with a top hull-mounted Autocannon to be used as a heavy support weapon for infantry squads and a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter for defensive purposes. The Command variant of the Salamander is used as a light behind-the-lines transport for officers and commanders and thus is only armed with a top hull-mounted Heavy Flamer and hull-mounted Heavy Bolter for defensive purposes.The Heavy Flamer can be replaced with another Heavy Bolter, giving the vehicle better medium-ranged firepower. Both variants can be outfitted with the following enhancements; Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a Dozer Blade, rough terrain modifications, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, track guards, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Variant Patterns: Vanaheim Pattern - The standard pattern Salamander Scout and Command Salamader is equipped with a multi-spectral surveyor.Gryphonne IV Pattern - The Gryphonne IV Pattern Salamander Scout makes use of a Gryphonne IV pattern Autocannon.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Notable Users of the Salamander: 28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - Saw action during the Betalis IV Campaign98th Cadian Armoured Regiment - Used during the Luxor Uprising146th Catachan Jungle Fighters Regiment, "The Red Cobras"90th Tekarn Armoured Regiment - Denkari-Prime Deathworld Campaign122nd Cadian Shock Troops Regiment - Siege of Vogen City during the Khai-Zhan Uprising101st Tallarn Armoured Regiment - First Assault on the Palace of Tears2nd Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment - Battle for Tartarus Hive during theThird War for Armageddon8th Palladius Armoured Regiment - Atria Wilderness Campaign114th Cadian Shock Troops Regiment - Deployed during the Taros Campaign1st Death Korps of Krieg Heavy Tank Company409th Tallarn Heavy Tank Regiment - Saw action during the Taros Campaign12th Tallarn Armoured Regiment - Saw action with extensive use of Salamnder Scouts during the Taros Campaign21st Death Korps of Krieg Panzer Division, "Death's Head" - Used during the Quatara Prime Campaign3rd Mordian Heavy Tank Company8th Pardus Armoured Regiment597th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - Ferik Jurgen, personal aide to the renowed Commissar Ciaphas Cain, was an expert driver, and always made sure the regiment's vehicle park always contained at least one Salamander, since both he and Cain valued the scout vehicle's combinaison of speed and all-terrain capacity.
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Salamander Scout VehicleVehicle Name:SalamanderMain Armament:AutocannonForge World of Origin:Mars, Vanaheim, Gryphonne IV, Stygies VIII, Voss, Triplex Phall, Graia, Tolkan, Accatran, Lucius, Metalica and many othersSecondary Armament:Heavy BolterKnown Patterns:I - XXIXTraverse:22 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1 Communications OperatorElevation:-3 to 24 degreesPowerplant:Vulcanor 16 Twin-Coupled Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:500 RoundsWeight:33 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:600 Rounds RoundsLength:6.90 metresArmour:Width:5.70 metresHeight:3.18 metresSuperstructure:150 millimetresGround Clearance:0.45 metresHull:130 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:100 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:68 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:0427-941-0340-SA38Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/ASalamander Command VehicleVehicle Name:SalamanderMain Armament:Heavy FlamerForge World of Origin:Mars, Vanaheim, Gryphonne IV, Stygies VIII, Voss, Triplex Phall, Graia, Tolkan, Accatran, Lucius, Metalica and many othersSecondary Armament:Heavy BolterKnown Patterns:II - XXIITraverse:22 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1 Communications OperatorElevation:-3 to 24 degreesPowerplant:Vulcanor 16 Twin-Coupled Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:10 ShotsWeight:33 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:600 Rounds RoundsLength:6.90 metresArmour:Width:5.70 metresHeight:3.18 metresSuperstructure:150 millimetresGround Clearance:0.45 metresHull:130 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:100 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:68 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:0427-941-0350-SA42Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 129-142Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 80-88, 249, 261, 267Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros CampaignImperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 200Imperial Armour, pp. 24-27, 41-42Honour Guard (Novel) by Dan Abnett
Salamander (Armoured Vehicle) - Also See: Imperial Guard Vehicles
Salamanders - Chapter History: In the great war of the Horus Heresy, many deeds of infamy and valour were writ upon the bloody stars, and at the centre of this maelstrom lay the Salamanders Legion; betrayed, struck down, laid to waste and yet resolute against the foe. There were few Space Marine Legions who paid such a high price for their loyalty and honour as the Salamanders. There are fewer still who have so willingly and so often shed their blood in Mankind's defence beyond their measure and due.The Salamanders are such a force, and though driven to near-destruction not once, but time and again, they have each time arisen from the ashes of war, stronger and tempered like the peerless steel blades fashioned in the legendary forges of their homeworld: unbroken, undefeated and true to their cause.
Salamanders - Born of Fire: When the Primarch Vulkan was restored to the Imperium, it was to be on the world of Nocturne. This world of his growth and maturity would, as with his brethren primarchs, shape much about him and, by extension, his Legion in later years.Nocturne is a Death World, a turbulent volcanic orb riven with fire, radiation and subject to destructive tidal forces caused by its moon, Prometheus. Nocturne is vastly rich in mineral wealth, particularly in gemstones and precious metals, but sparse in the stability of climate or the abundance of organic flora which makes Human life readily possible.Further to the perils of Nocturne numerous forms of highly evolved and adapted predator species and mega-fauna hardened themselves by the environment of this foreboding world and the struggle to survive there. That Human life was able to survive on Nocturne is a testament both to the persistence and sheer will to live that is the true strength of Mankind.The people of Nocturne had become, through design or natural evolution, a phenomenally hardy breed, markedly resistant both to extremes of climate, gravity and of ambient radiation far above the baseline Human norm, yet were also possessed of considerable genetic stability.Although their technological level had regressed to pre-industrial during the travails of Old Night, the Nocturneans had maintained a high degree of cultural sophistication and social cohesion, and the values of stoic resistance, perseverance in the face of adversity and, above all, courage had become the hallmarks of its tribal people. Deadly Nocturne was to its people "the Anvil" -- the adversity by which men and women were forged, and never more so than during the deadly "Time of Trials" when the planet's moon of Prometheus was at its closest orbit.During this time the land was riven with tempest, earthquake and volcanic eruption, and the great beasts were stirred from their slumber in the earth of Nocturne to slake their hunger.
Salamanders - Vulkan: Before the Great Crusade began, the infant primarchs were separated from the Emperor of Mankind and transported randomly in their gestation capsules across the galaxy through the Warp from the Imperial gene-laboratory beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains on Terra by the machinations of the Chaos Gods.The Promethean Opus (source of much Imperial knowledge of Vulkan) tells the tale of how one of these children ended up on the feudal Death World of Nocturne. Among the hardy and stoic people of Nocturne, the infant Vulkan had fallen like a blazing comet, and into the home of a "Black-Smiter," a metal worker by the name N'bel, in the city-settlement of Hesiod, who took the infant primarch as a foster child.N'bel recognised the child as the one prophesied to be a saviour by the teachings of the Promethean Cult, and named him Vulkan. Like all the primarchs, Vulkan grew very quickly, reaching full adulthood (and a size bigger and more muscular than any man on Nocturne) by the age of only three Terran years. He was also highly intelligent, able to vastly improve the already considerable metalworking skills of the famed smiths of Nocturne.Quickly, he had risen in strength and wisdom, embracing the culture which had taken him up, working in his adopted father's forge and hunting the great saurians and other beasts bestirred by the planet's fiery temper, becoming a legendary champion in his world's defence against far more dangerous foes; "Dusk Wraiths" as they were known in Nocturne. In reality, these creatures were of the most degenerate and vile class of Aeldari slavers, the nightmarish beings who called themselves Drukhari and to whom pain and slaughter were as meat and drink, who sought to prey periodically on the hardy people of Nocturne for their own wicked sport.The Opus tells that during Vulkan's fourth year of life, his town was attacked by the Drukhari, who were on a slave-taking expedition. The people of his hometown hid, as they usually did when the decadent xenos came raiding, but Vulkan refused to hide. Armed with only a pair of blacksmith's hammers, he roused the people from hiding and drove back the assault, single-handedly slaying a hundred Drukhari warriors.As word of the battle spread, the headsmen of the seven most important settlements on the planet came to pay homage to Vulkan, swearing to forevermore crush their foes rather than hiding from them. Against this threat Vulkan became transformed, and his legend spread across his world. He was the "fire-born" -- an undefeated warrior whose superhuman strength had torn the slave-barges down from the sky and crushed the xenos in droves, and whose granite-like flesh had scorned their poisoned blades unmoved, driving the Dusk Wraiths from Nocturne.
Salamanders - Outlander: In celebration of the primarch's victory over the Drukhari, a tournament of various contests involving tests of strength and craftsmanship common to the people of Nocturne was held. During the opening ceremonies in the year 832.M30 by the Imperial Calendar, a stranger appeared. His skin was unusually pale, compared to the dark, swarthy complexions of the people of Nocturne, and his clothes were very strange, made of materials unfamiliar to the pre-industrial Nocturneans.The stranger asked only to be allowed to compete. The stranger claimed that he could best any man at the competitions, causing many people to laugh at the seemingly inadvertent comparison to the superhuman Vulkan. Vulkan accepted the challenge, and the stranger wagered that whoever lost the challenge would swear his eternal loyalty and obedience to the victor. With a smile at such effrontery, Vulkan agreed to the stranger's terms. Lasting for eight Nocturnean days, the contest included many tests of strength and endurance. The people of Nocturne were treated to the spectacle of two godlike beings competing against one another, utterly astonishing the mere mortals around them with their superhuman prowess. Many of the contests had to be called a draw between Vulkan and the fair-skinned stranger, for there was simply no way to determine a victor.For instance, the anvil lift, where the contestants were required to hold an anvil aloft above their heads for as long as possible, ended in a tie when the two superhuman competitors both held anvils aloft for half a local day with no sign of tiring, while all the other competitors had given up after mere solar minutes.All the subsequent contests saw similar outcomes, and by the end of local day eight, Vulkan and the stranger were tied in the overall tournament. To break the tie, the elders of Nocturne decided that the winner would be determined by the test of salamander hunting. Assessing that this task, impossible for any others, would be a formality for both godlike contestants, the elders included the caveat that the contestant who brought back the largest salamander would be proclaimed victorious.
Salamanders - The Hunt: For the final trial both men had a day to forge a weapon, then were to go out and slay the largest salamander (a large, heat-loving reptile native to Nocturne), that they could find. Vulkan and the stranger worked all day at their forges, neither pausing to rest. As the day drew to a close, they emerged.Vulkan had forged a huge warhammer, and the stranger a keen-edged sword. They both climbed to the summit of Mount Deathfire, a massive volcano said to be the home of the largest Firedrakes, the most fearsome species of salamander, on the planet. Vulkan found his prey first, smashing its head off with a single blow from his hammer.As he carried the carcass back, the volcano unexpectedly erupted. Vulkan was nearly thrown off a cliff, but managed to grab onto the edge with one hand, stubbornly grasping the tail of his reptilian prize with the other. Vulkan held on for several solar hours, but his hold finally began to slip. It was at that time the stranger reappeared, carrying a salamander larger than his own. The stranger quickly threw his carcass into the lava flow, using its heat-resistant hide as a bridge to cross over and save Vulkan.Vulkan was declared the winner when they returned home since he had a salamander hide and the stranger had lost his, but Vulkan silenced the crowd. He knelt before the stranger, stating that any man who valued life over pride was worthy of his service. At that moment the stranger threw off his psychic disguise and at last revealed Himself to the primarch as his genetic father, the Emperor of Mankind.Vulkan would take his rightful place as primarch and master of the  XVIIIth Legion and ruler of his adopted world. Vulkan's only reservation on departing Nocturne for the Great Crusade was that he would not leave its people undefended, but in this the Emperor countered that Vulkan's duty was not simply to one world but to many, worlds that knew the terror of the darkness and the feasting of alien horrors uncounted as Nocturne had, and that Nocturne itself as the homeworld of a primarch would forever be secured by his gene-sons, the XVIIIth Legion which bore his blood.
Salamanders - Post-Heresy: The events immediately following the end of the great galactic civil war for the Salamanders are even more obscure in current Imperial records and perhaps known only to the taciturn masters of the Salamanders' Librarius.What is clear, however, is that when the Ultramarines' Primarch and Imperial Regent Roboute Guilliman authored the Codex Astartes during the reformation of the Imperium after the end of the Heresy in the Time of Rebirth and prepared the plan to safeguard the Imperium from another civil war by breaking down each Space Marine Legion into multiple Chapters comprised of only 1,000 Space Marines each, Vulkan stood alongside Leman Russ of the Space Wolves and Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists in opposition to the plan.However, like the others, Vulkan eventually acquiesced rather than put the unity of the Imperium at risk once more. Whatever was said, Guilliman eventually relented and the fact remains that the Salamanders were the only Legion exempt from being divided into several Chapters. Several Chapters created much later in subsequent Foundings may share the genetic inheritance of the Salamanders, but no evidence exists of any Second Founding Successor Chapters having been sired.It is a matter of debate whether any Successor Chapters during subsequent Adeptus Astartes Foundings were created using the Salamanders' gene-seed, although similarities in the physique, markings and tactical dogma of several other Chapters, such as the Black Dragons and Storm Giants, make it seem likely.The sad truth is that the XVIIIth Legion may have not sired any immediate successors due to the painful fact that their numbers were so severely depleted by the events of the Drop Site Massacre that it was not possible to divide the Legion into separate Chapters. With the Salamanders exempt from dividing their numbers, Vulkan's initial misgivings about the Codex Astartes were quashed, and to this day the Salamanders are largely compliant with its dictates.However, they continue the tradition of maintaining the seven warrior-houses of the original Legion, with each of the great settlements of Nocturne forming the basis of one of the seven main companies of the Chapter. In addition to these, the Salamanders maintain a Scout Company, which has no permanent settlement on Nocturne, its Astartes residing instead in the harsh mountain ranges of Nocturne until such time as they complete their training and rejoin the warrior-house of their birth as full battle-brothers.Each of the Salamanders' line companies is slightly larger than a standard Codex company, but the Scout Company is barely half the size of most other Chapters', due to the sparse population of Nocturne and the Salamanders' meticulous selection process. This method has its limitations, but still provides a slow but steady turnaround of new recruits to replace the Chapter's losses.
Salamanders - Ultimate Fate of Vulkan: The ultimate fate of the Salamanders' primarch is a matter of much conjecture, for he disappeared many Terran years after the Horus Heresy.Some sources state that Vulkan led his Chapter for as long as three millennia before he departed on some undocumented mission he never declared to the Imperium at large, though scant evidence of any of his deeds throughout that age remain.The tale is made all the more mysterious by the fact that Vulkan appeared to have left behind him a collection of texts and other objects crafted by his own hand, called the Tome of Fire, within which is locked the nature and location of nine artefacts the primarch willed to his Chapter.It said that over one thousand standard years after the events of the Horus Heresy, Vulkan hid these nine artefacts around the galaxy for his Chapter to find, as a test to see if they were worthy of his leadership.Of these nine relics, five have been recovered, three of which, the Spear of Vulkan, Kesare's Mantle and the Gauntlet of the Forge, are wielded by the Chapter's Forgefather, Vulkan He'stan. Two, the Chalice of Fire and the Eye of Vulkan, remain on the Nocturnean moon of Prometheus in the Chapter's fortress-monastery, while the last four artefacts, the Engine of Woes, the Obsidian Chariot, the Unbound Flame and the Song of Entropy, have yet to be discovered.The texts of the Tome of Fire claim that only when all of these artefacts are recovered by the Forgefather of the Salamanders, as five now have been, will Vulkan judge the Salamanders sufficiently tempered to have passed the ultimate contest.Then, so the legend states, he shall return to lead the Salamanders in the final war against the enemies of Humanity in accordance with the prophecies written within the Chapter's most sacred tome.
Salamanders - Era Indomitus: Since the opening of the Great Rift and the start of the Era Indomitus, the Salamanders have seen their duty clearly. Now is an era of intense hardship for the Imperium in which its greatest champions must step forwards and bear the brunt of battle. They must withstand the fires of war and act as a shield for those who would be consumed by the flames.This mission has already proven costly. The war for the brothers has gone some way to restoring the balance, but still the Salamanders' slow recruitment rate and selfless dedication has put a great strain on the Chapter.The sons of Vulkan accept these hardships with equanimity, sure in the knowledge that they shall only emerge stronger from amidst the flames.
Salamanders - Notable Campaigns: Ardent defenders of Humanity since their inception, the Salamanders have achieved incredible things over the long and brutal millennia.Amongst the many rites new initiates of the Chapter must undergo is to learn by rote these mythic tales of their forebears, the majority of such accounts revolving around the Salamanders' legendary perseverance against impossible odds.
Salamanders - Legion Transports: Prizing short-range engagements and the deployment of crushing force against their enemies' strongholds, the Salamanders Legion maintained an extensive arsenal of transport vehicles. These were assigned to units on an ad hoc basis within the Battle Companies and often re-organised to suit the nature of a given campaign.As with all of the Salamanders' wargear, these vehicles were constructed and maintained to an exacting standard, often far surpassing the performance levels listed in their STC specifications and embellished as works of craftsmanship in their own right. Though deployed in great numbers to the battlefields of Isstvan V, almost none of the Legion's auxiliary vehicles are known to have escaped.A notable exception is the Thunderhawk Ohidoran, which blasted a path through squadrons of Traitor Storm Eagles and Primaris-Lightning fighters in order to land amidst the Loyalist Legion's medicae encapment. There it was loaded past maximum capacity with the most serious of the injured.Once loaded, Ohidoran took flight once again, under the control of the wounded Raven Guard Legionary Kirhane, who had lost his right leg below the knee to a Traitor Autocannon salvo and been evacuated to the medicae encampment before switching places with the slain pilot, and managed to dock with the cruiser Warlock.Despite taking serious damage, the Warlock was one of the few XVIIIth Legion vessels that managed to evade the Traitor fleet and escape the Isstvan System, reaching an outpost held by the Imperium nine solar months later carrying thirty-eight wounded Salamanders, seventeen Raven Guard and three Iron Hands from the massacre.
Salamanders - Vehicles: Like many other Space Marine Legions of the Great Crusade, the Salamanders often grouped their armoured vehicles into large, special purpose formations. Siege Cadre Magnor was one such formation and was based around a core squadron of Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks, and supported by full squadrons of Deimos Predator Infernus' and the new Sicaran main battle tanks as outrider forces.Unlike many cadres within the Salamanders, which were ad hoc formations formed for a single mission or campaign and then reassigned as the course of the Great Crusade's endless battles dictated, Cadre Magnor, under the command of Centurion Magnor Ha'ken, had achieved longevity, proving its worth time and again in situations that required the brute application of firepower to spare the Salamanders a costly infantry assault.Landing during one of the later drops on Isstvan V, Cadre Magnor was not initially deployed to the front lines of the Loyalist advance, forming part of the Salamanders' reserve force not far from the Loyalist drop zones. With the betrayal by those Legions making up the second wave of the assault on Isstvan V, Cadre Magnor found itself surrounded by enemies and cut off from their primarch and the force of Salamanders trapped with him.Rather than dig in, or attempt to fight free of the Urgall Depression, Centurion Ha'ken brought his tank, the Typon Abraxus, to full power and signalled his cadre to counter-attack. Using the sheer bulk of his two surviving Typhon super-heavies, Ha'ken began to smash a path through the encircling Alpha Legion troops in an attempt to reach Vulkan.The trail of destruction forged by the Salamanders tanks was only ended when the Traitor Legio Mortis Imperator-class Titan Dies Irae directed a salvo of fire onto their position, obliterating a number of Alpha Legion units as well as the Loyalist tank squadrons.
Salamanders - Chapter Organisation: The post-Second Founding Salamanders follow the Codex Astartes, but their doctrines are also strongly influenced by the Promethean Cult of Nocturne, an accepted variant of the Imperial Cult, which places a high regard on self-reliance, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to each other as well as to the Emperor.The hammer and the fire are both important symbols of the cult, and the Chapter makes widespread use of Flamers, Meltaguns, and Thunder Hammers in their Armoury. As one can imagine, this preference for Flamers and Meltas leads to a strong affinity among the Salamanders for close-range shooting when in combat.Because of their universal early training as blacksmiths, all Salamanders are fully capable of maintaining and performing moderate repair work on their weapons and armour, leaving the Chapter's Artificers with the free time necessary to create great works of technology and metallurgy.As a result, the Salamanders Chapter has an unusually high number of master-crafted weapons and Artificer Armour. The Chapter also favours the use of Land Raider Redeemers. In an interesting example of juxtaposition, however, the fluctuating gravity of Nocturne makes training with certain units such as Land Speeders and Assault Bikes difficult, therefore the Chapter makes little use of them, favouring instead Devastator Squads and Terminator Squads (the Chapter has 120 Veterans as opposed to the typical 100).Indeed, it is fitting that the Salamanders should lack fast attack capabilities, as for some inexplicable reason, they naturally have slightly slower reflexes than most Space Marines, probably as a result of mutations in their gene-seed. However, a Salamander's reflexes are still significantly faster than those of a normal Human.Also, as a result of a reaction between their genetics and the high levels of radiation present on Nocturne due to the constant volcanic churning of rare earth elements from the planet's deep crust, Salamander battle-brothers usually have dark or jet black skin and bright, burning eyes with the capability to see in the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which gives them a natural form of night vision.This appearance is entirely superficial, but has intimidated more than one rebel against the Emperor into submission without firing a shot. Trained never to give up or retreat, Salamanders are capable of going on even when their entire squad is dead, holding positions for solar months on end. This is one of the more significant effects of Promethean doctrines upon the Chapter's collective psyche.Before each battle every Salamander receives an honour-scar from a Promethean brander-priest. This symbolises their respect for the Chapter and the Promethean belief that one must be cleansed by the pain of fire before every major undertaking.Only Veterans ever receive honour-scars on their faces, as it takes several centuries of battles before every other space on the Astartes' ebon-skinned body has been filled up with the scars.
Salamanders - Specialist Formations: Firedrakes - The Firedrakes are those elite Veteran Astartes of the Salamanders Chapter's 1st Company, chosen not simply for their martial skill, but also because of their mental resilience and capacity for discipline and self-sacrifice; for these values the Promethean Cult holds in high esteem. Tried and tempered in the flames of war, just as a blade is tempered in the flames of the forge, the Firedrakes are indefatigable and relentless, possessing a singular focus in battle which borders on the preternatural and legendary resilience; a matter as much to do with their phenomenal willpower as their superhuman physiology or superlatively fashioned arms and armour. Such was the wisdom of Vulkan and traditions of the XVIII Legion that many of the Firedrakes could be found fulfilling numerous roles throughout the ranks, rather than concentrated into elitist cadres as were found in other Space Marine Legions; the better to serve as exemplars, champions and protectors, a tradition which still carries over to the modern era. The Firedrakes, most commonly clad in exquisitely crafted Terminator Armour, are formed to act as shock troops and line breakers for the Chapter in the most deadly battles it undertakes.
Salamanders - Chapter Command and the 1st Company (The Firedrakes): The Firedrakes, of which Chapter Master Tu'Shan is the captain as well as the Regent of Prometheus, are barracked on Prometheus along with the Chapter Master himself.These venerable warriors are almost a breed apart from their fellow Salamanders; the transition they have made to the vaunted ranks of the 1st Company has changed them in myriad ways as they have fully embraced the full evolution of their genetic encoding.Unlike their fellow battle-brothers, the Firedrakes are seldom seen on the surface of Nocturne where the other Salamanders readily cohabit with the unaugmented Human populace, albeit often as part of a solitary lifestyle.Their rites are ancient and clandestine, conducted by the Chapter Master himself. Only those who have undergone the most heinous of trials and endured hardship beyond imagining could ever hope to aspire to become a Firedrake.
Salamanders - Salamanders Librarians: Like their fellow Astartes, the Salamanders also maintain a Librarius of potent psykers who are highly talented and trained to master the power of the Warp at the highest levels.Each Chapter selects its Librarians in its own way, either from seed worlds, as do the Salamanders with the bulk of their initiates, or from the ranks of gifted psykers brought to the Scholastica Psykana.Most Chapters train and test their chosen psyker candidates for the Librarium following the ancient methods prescribed by the Codex Astartes.Librarians of the Salamanders are trained in this way, and, with few minor traditional variances, have been taught to live by the word of the Codex. Salamanders Librarians have a number of unique psychic abilities only used by the psykers of their Chapter, which include:Fury of the Salamander - The Librarian conjures the flame and fury of his homeworld of Nocturne and the terrible lizards that dwell upon it, and drives this raging conflagration towards his enemies. The roiling flames twist and writhe into the form of an ancient and powerful drake, its malevolent visage inspiring dread. This power conjures a 1 metre wide line out to its maximum range which strikes everything along its path.Heart of the Furnace - The searing heat of the forge runs through the veins of the Salamanders, and the Librarian can turn that heat outwards, wreathing himself in a flame that enemies cannot bear to be near, and which causes flesh to burn and blister at his touch. Any creature, friend or foe, can be affected by these flames.Nocturne's Fire - The volcanic fury of Nocturne is a deep and powerful force, and terrifying when fully unleashed. Salamanders are reluctant to use this power unless absolutely necessary, for it can be difficult to control once manifested. The area around the Librarian is suddenly engulfed in a raging inferno which few things can withstand. All creatures within the area of effect suffer, whether they are friend or foe. The Librarian remains unharmed, but cannot move while this power is being sustained.Vulkan's Anvil - The Librarian draws upon the unyielding endurance that the Salamanders are legendary for, becoming an anvil against the attacks of his enemies. There is little that can strike a Librarian down when he manifests this power, which greatly enhances the ability of his body to withstand all attacks.
Salamanders - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The Chapter follows most normal Imperial tactical and strategic dogma, as emphasised in the Codex Astartes, with only slight variations. The Salamanders have a preference for close-ranged fire fights and use many Melta and Flamer weapons to burn whole swathes of infantry troops and to smash armoured foes.The Salamanders also have an intimate knowledge of the ways of metal and fire, forging great relics and powerful Artificer items. They have more Techmarines than is normal for an Astartes Chapter, although not a disproportionate number.Because each Salamanders battle-brother can completely repair, service and modify their own arms, power armour and wargear, the Techmarines of the Salamanders are free to craft intricate and powerful items of incredible workmanship and advanced technology.This is most evident in the unusual numbers of Terminators in their force, as well as a greater portion of master-crafted weaponry. Their technological resources are also supplemented by regular trade with the Adeptus Mechanicus, made possible by Nocturne's abundant mineral resources.Self-reliance and craftsmanship are both highly prized traits within the Salamanders Chapter as their Primarch Vulkan himself was a great Artificer, forging many wonders.The only primarch able to match Vulkan's skill at crafting was his iron-handed brother Ferrus Manus of the Iron Hands Legion, although Vulkan himself preferred to work the steel over a flame rather than using advanced machinery, just as he had when he was young.
Salamanders - Prometheus: Nocturne is part of what is actually a binary planetary system, with its oversized moon Prometheus circling it in an erratic orbit whose shifting gravity causes massive tectonic stress. As mentioned above, the Salamanders' fortress-monastery is based on the moon of Prometheus and is known by the same name. It is little more than a spaceport at which the Chapter's starships may dock and refuel.The monastery is the only construction built there and has a great orbital dock were the Chapter's strike cruisers and battle barges can be maintained, refit and repaired. However, many of the Salamanders live on this moon rather than on Nocturne itself when their duties require them to be away from their home clans and the planet's sanctuary cities.
Salamanders - Chapter Fortress-Monastery: The Salamanders have built their fortress-monastery on Prometheus, Nocturne's oversized moon. Nocturne itself is too geologically and volcanically unstable a world to build a large, defensible structure upon.Its high gravity and other environmental issues like the constant volcanic eruptions could also make training more problematic and dangerous than even Space Marines would be able to handle.When not at war, the Salamanders prefer to live among the common people of Nocturne and Prometheus, and are the leaders of each settlement. This is a unique trait of the Chapter, and makes the Astartes akin to living gods among the fierce peoples of their feudal homeworld.
Salamanders - Regions of Nocturne: Nocturne has nine settled "realms," seven known sanctuary cities and two other locales of great spiritual and practical significance to the native population.Each city-settlement serves as the focus of the Chapter's recruitment and their governance on the planet, anchoring the Salamanders to the mortal Humans for whom they fight, and each city-settlement exhibits its own unique influences on the Chapter's traditions.The Nine Regions of Nocturne include:Hesiod - Known as the Seat of Kings, Hesiod is the largest of the sanctuary cities of Nocturne.Themis - Themis is also known as the City of Warlords.Epimethus - Known as the Jewel City, Epimethus is Nocturne's only ocean-bound sanctuary city. This tall spire juts like a dull blade into the sky. Epimethus is surrounded by other, much smaller satellite structures, which are the numerous drill rigs and mineral harvesting platforms that rake the ocean floor or mine its deepest trenches for ore.Heliosa - Heliosa is also known as the Beacon City.Aethonion - The Fire Spike.Clymene - The Merchant's Sprawl.Skarokk - The Dragonspine.Mount Deathfire - The Fount of Life and Death.Ignea - The Cold Labyrinth of the Underworld.
Salamanders - Vaults of Remembrance: A Vault of Remembrance is located within each of the seven sanctuary cities of Nocturne. Located within the highest echelon of the Chapter Bastion within each city is the sacred chamber where a battle-brother of the Salamanders can reflect and offer supplication in memoriam for his slain comrades.These temples are vast, echoing spaces. The harmonies of phonolite-chimes echo off each one's darkened walls. Hewn from volcanic aphanite, they rise up like geodesic intrusions and taper off into a craterous aperture that lays open to Nocturne's fiery-orange sky. Black and fathomless obsidian form a hexagonal expanse, serving as the massive chamber's floor.Stout columns of deep red felsite buttress the half-ceiling, shot through with veins of fluorescent adamite. The rare volcanic rocks and minerals used to fashion these magnificent temples are harvested after each Time of Trial, and the stark and frigid winter that follows in its wake.Such artefacts of geological beauty can be found throughout Nocturne. The most precious are protected within the stout walls of the sanctuary cities and their Void Shield generators. Iron braziers around the chamber's edge give it a fiery cast, their flames flickering in the lustrous faces of the polished rock.The vaults appear luminous and abyssal in the light's reflection -- a diabolic temple raised from the bowels of the world. At a vaults nexus a giant pillar of fire roares, tendrils of a memorial flame lashing from a core of white heat.Ordinarily, a slain Salamander is incinerated in the Pyreum, a massive crematoria forge that exists beneath Mount Deathfire, Nocturne's greatest volcanic peak. According to Promethean lore, the essence of the departed will be passed on into his suit of power armour when his ashen remains are offered up on the pyre-slab and he is returned to the mountain.But memorials or remembrance for the departed are always carried out within the Vault of Remembrance located in the Chapter bastion of which the lost battle-brother had been a part.