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[basicheader=]CHAPTER NAME: Iron Heralds[/basicheader] SUMMARY ▪ GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): Iron Hands ▪ FOUNDING: 4th Founding ▪ CHAPTER MASTER: Chapter Master Seric Dasarro ▪ CHAPTER WORLD: Planet XVII-4R3 (Local Dialect: Megara) ▪ FORTRESS MONASTERY: The Desolate Spire ▪ FLAGSHIP: The Ultima Redemptio - Battlebarge ▪ MAIN COLOURS: Blood Red, Black and Iron ▪ SPECIALITY: Drop Pod Assault ▪ BATTLE CRY: Redemption through iron and blood! (Alt: Iron and blood! - Used as a greeting or battle cry) ▪ CURRENT STRENGTH: Nominal Strength ▪ KNOWN DESCENDANTS: None known The closing days of the 33rd Millennium were a time filled with both great promise as well as great foreboding. The horrors of the Horus Heresy and the subsequent Scouring were a distant memory and yet the Imperium still lay sundered. Many worlds and even whole systems had been lost in the chaos following the betrayal of the Emperor’s favoured son and the threat of the Traitor Legions still lurked within the Eye of Terror. Worse still the growing threat of a multitude of xeno races gnawed at the tattered fringes of mankinds’ domain. In response to this the High Lords of Terra declared a new founding of the Adeptus Astartes, the fourth of its kind. Gene-seed tithes and cadres of veterans were drawn from those Chapter’s still loyal to the Imperium. One such group was drawn from the Iron Hands, a Chapter still bitter and filled with hatred following the loss of their Primarch during the Heresy. Led by Former Captain, now Chapter Master, Dereo Fidel the cadre were placed in charge of a fledging group of marines, provided the requisite equipment by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and then sent out into an Imperium beset on all sides. Dereo, a man perhaps driven more to passion then most, strove to hape the marines given to him in the image of his Primogenitor. He taught his protege’s of a hatred of weakness, particularly of the flesh. He drove them to breaking point, filling them with the same bitterness and hatred that had filled the Iron Hands since the dark days of Istvaan V. Claiming a vision from the Emperor he named his fledgling Chapter the Iron Heralds. They would be as cold and unbreakable as the iron from which they were forged. They would be heralds of the Imperium’s will and a bane to those whom had fallen from the Emperor’s Light. It wasn’t long before the Iron Heralds became known as an uncompromising and merciless force of destruction. As the 34th Millennium dawned word came from the Fortress World of Cadia, Abaddon’s Fourth Black Crusade had begun. As a large force of the Traitors besieged Cadia Abaddon himself led the bulk of his forces into the wild space of Segmentum Obscurus. Imperial Command scrambled to meet the invading forces and any and all forces in the area were sent a desperate plea for aid and the Iron Heralds were one of the first to answer. Considered inexperienced by the Segmentum Command the Iron Heralds were tasked with missions outside of the main warzone. Embittered by what he saw as a blatant slander on both he and his marines Dereo threw himself into the missions assigned with a barely concealed rage. Tasked with hunting down and destroying a splinter of the Black Crusade that had ran deep into Obscurus the Iron Heralds struck like the hammer of doom. Worlds burned in their rage as they pursued the traitor force, led by a former Emperor’s Children Techmarine turned sorcerer known as Jydas the Forgotten, further and further from the Eye. It would be on the Forge World of Milvia Prime that the two forces would finally meet. Milvia Prime seemed to have been Jydas’ target all along and as his Traitor Forces rained down from his flagship, the Black Wrath, the Iron Wardens arrived in system and battle was joined. Dereo and his marines were eager to face their Primogenitors’ old nemesis and the forces of Jydas were eager as ever to fight loyalists. The battle was hard fought on the planets machine filled surface as Dereo and his brothers, driven by hate and sustained by their rejection of the flesh pushed the traitors back further nad further. It was then that Jydas’ plan was revealed. Unleashing a horrific blending of warp craft and sorcery upon the planets defenders that would become known as the Scrap-Code Malaise. Targeting any and all technology and possessing them with a near demonic in nature virus it rapidly spread across the planets surface and defenders. Suddenly weapons misfired and targetters went awry. Worse still the planets skitarii defenders suddenly turned on their masters and any and all bionics and vehicles suddenly acted with their own will. The Heralds, now beset by their mechanicum allies faces a further threat as, the parts they had replaced with bionics turned against them. Many were the marines cut down with their own weapons and others, those with cranial enhancements, fell completely under the sway of Jydas. Dereo himself, having large parts of his own body replaced in his pursuit of eliminating the weakness of flesh, fought against the voices that now seemed to tear at his very mind. Those of his forces still under his control retreated to their fleet where they prepared to withdraw, hoping that they could regain control of themselves elsewhere. It is unclear exactly what happened aboard his ship as they made to withdraw but Dereo’s own accounts claim he was again struck with a vision. In it the Emperor approached him and told him that he had failed the Emperor’s vision for his sons. Too much had he become embroiled in hatred. Hatred for the enemy and hatred for the flesh. But he would offer him a path to redemption. Purge himself of hatred, of his rage, and cleanse himself of the weakness of mind. Bring redemption to all mankind and in return the Emperor would help him overcome the curse that Jydas had placed on him and his men. When Dereo emerged from his meditations he was a changed man. Gone was the impulsive rage and deep hatred. Instead was a calm and cold purpose. Dereo’s face was scared and tattered where he had torn much of his bionics from him and instead only kept those that he needed to fight. He spoke to his marines and shared his vision and they too stripped much of their bionic enhancements. Then, after placing his second in charge, Pryden Falk, in control of the Chapter’s remaining forces, he led his most elite warriors in a do or die assault on Jydas’ flagship. The exact details of Dereo’s assault are lost to time, thee being so few survivors to recount them but in the end Jydas was slain aboard the bridge of his ship by Dereo himself. Jydas’ ship was sent spiralling into the warp to join the detritus of war and Dereo and the few remaining members of his elite cadre extracted via teleportation back to the planets surface. Their leader slain and their main in ruins the traitors withdrew as more reinforcements arrived from Imperial space, including forces of two other Chapters. The battle for Milvia Prime was won, but at a steep cost. Dereo’s wounded body was recovered amongst the rad swept dunes of Milvia Prime’s surface, surrounded by the remnants of his force. Each and all of them barely clinging to life. They were returned to the Chapter’s flag ship where they were rushed to the apothecarium. It was there that Dereo and those who followed him would be interred into stasis, their bodies too far lost to the Malaise to be laid to rest in Dreadnoughts. Here they would be held until such time as the Chapter found a way to finally purge the Malaise from the Chapter. The battered Heralds would drift for some time following the catastrophic battle of Milvia. Lacking the drive that Dereo had led them with and with much of the Chapter’s identity cast aside they roamed Imperial space, engaging foes where they found them but never truly committing to any particular campaign or battle. The losses suffered of Milvia had put the Chapter’s future into danger. It was then they arrived on the forgotten planet, known to its population as Megara. Megara had been left off Imperial star charts since the Age of Darkness and its population had faltered in isolation. Reduced to a feral state its people eked out a living amongst the shattered cities of the worlds glorious past. In its tumbled cities and forgotten glory Pryden saw something of his Chapter and declared that, as the Chapter needed a homeworld and Megara needed a defender, that henceforth the Chapter would call Megara their homeworld. The Iron Heralds had come home. Megara, a planet long forgotten by the Imperium that birthed it, is rightfully classified as a Death World. Hidden at the edge of Segmentum Obscuras Megara was once a thriving hive world, as evidenced by the tumbling ruins that dot the planets surface. The planets lethal forests survived between the towering urban spires and, when the planet fell, quickly reclaimed the urban sprawl. Its people degenerated from their hive dwelling past, becoming feral savages living as tribes in the forests around the cities. The Megaran’s regard the ruined Hive’s as cursed places, said to be haunted by the ghosts of those whom once dwelled there. Records on the rise and fall of Megara all all but non-existent, with references to the world being all but unheard of in Imperial Records. The planets ruins are similar in architecture to those from the time period following the Age of Darkness and the subsequent Great Crusade and, although their is little evidence suggesting a violent down fall, it has been supposed that the world was one brought into Imperial Compliance in the closing days of the Crusade, perhaps its re-settlement interrupted by the following horrors of the Heresy. Despite their superstitious distrust of the ruins around them the Megaran’s are greatly connected to their world. They believe that a persons soul is constantly reborn when someone dies and as such their bodies must be returned to the planet, to create an unbroken cycle of life. It is a belief of redemption and rebirth that has made its way into the Iron Heralds psyche. Whilst the natives hold the ruins in great superstition the Chapter does not. Making their home in what was believed to be the planets rulers palace at the heart of the largest Hive ruin the Iron Heralds have reforged the spire into their home. Known simply as The Desolate Spire the towering edifice bristles with defenses and thrusts into the planets sky like a giant spear piercing the heavens. It is from here that the Chapter has a commanding view of the ruined city and following jungles around. Visible for kilometres around The Spire acts as a grim reminder to the planets population of the planets overlords and a beacon to the planets youth who hope to one day join their hallowed ranks. Despite maintaining such an imposing fortress on the planet much of the Chapter’s facilities remain in part on board its massive fleet, particularly the Chapter’s flagship a Pre-Heresy Battle Barge known as the Ultima Redemptio. Although this is in part a relic of the Chapter’s crusading days it is as much a nod to the Chapter’s attitude that they are a weapon of the Imperium, nothing more or nothing less. They must be able to make war where ever they go and these assets enable them to do so. PRESENT ACTIVITIES:[/basicheaderhalf; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:10px; font-size:130%; width:50%;"> The Fall of Cadia was a death knell to the fragile stability the Iron Heralds had managed to achieve in Sub-Sector Megara. The arrival of Hive Fleet Titan to the north of the Sub-Sector, meeting the Chapter's forces already engaged against Traitor forces as part of the Ascarron Crusade, were already stretching the Chapter's resources thin, whilst a new WAAAAAGH was growing in the Bleak. When Cadia fell and the Cicatrix Maledictum burst into reality the Bleak errupted into hellish Warp storms that spilled forth, swallowing Megara and the entire sub-sector. Suddenly the Chapter faced daemons and traitor marines on every world as the servants of the Dark Gods took the opportunity to invade real space. Blood letters of Khorne cavorted in bloody slaughter on the world of Ascarron, slaughtering Imperial defenders and tyranids alike. Lucan Alerro, Master of the Fifth, battled the nauseating servants of Nurgle as they attempted to spread their rot on the agri world of Perditia. A legion of mindless power armored warriors led by sorcerers sword to Tzeentch invaded Milivia Prime, hoping to uncover the secrets of the Scrap Code Malaise. Worse still a Keeper of Secrets, servant of Slaanesh led an invasion onto Megara itself. Chapter Master Seric united what little of his Chapter remained on Megara to face the hellish forces, mostly those wounded in combat as well as elements of the tenth company and a portion of the reserve companies. Seric met the Keeper of Secrets in the Temple of the Waters where he faced the daemon in single combat. It is unknown what happened exactly in the Temple but it is said that the daemon of the Prince of Pleasure tempted the Chapter Master with his deepest desires but the aged commander resisted. Seric emerged from the Temple bloody but victorious, but has since been a changed man. He has become more and more withdrawn since his duel and has taken to spending more and more time in meditation and solitude. Iron Heralds Colour Scheme Victory on Megara was not the end of the conflict, however, and the Chapter battled all across the sub sector, working to safeguard those it was sworn to protect. Eventually the storms receded the Chapter emerged from the nightmarish toil battered and bloody, but not broken. Worse still contact had been lost with Terra and the Astranomicon. Chapter Master Seric didn't rest, however, sending out what little remained of the Chapter to continue to fight as Imperial forces reeled with the losses caused. Then forces of Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade arrived. Whilst the Primarch himself never visited the Chapter they were reinforced with elements of the Primarch's Primaris marines. Forged from untouched and untainted geneseed of the Primarch Ferrus Manus the Primaris marines were free from the Malaise. They were, however, still indoctrinated in the ways of their primogenitors, the Iron Hands. Whilst these new warriors were a relief to the Chapter murmurs of dissent have spread throughout the Chapter. Regardless these new reinforcements were the help the Chapter needed and they have committed ten fold to the wars that threaten their sector. [basicheaderhalf=]BELIEFS: The Iron Heralds beliefs are a combination of the final teachings of Dereo before his fall of Milivia Prime as well as an evolution of the beliefs of the Megaran natives. Dereo taught his chapter to abandon their hatred of the weakness of flesh and instead to focus on the hatred of the weakness of the mind. Instead of replacing their flesh with bionics instead the Chapter spends hours and hours in meditation and prayer, even more so then their brother Chapters. Iron Heralds shall spend hours, and sometimes even days, in silent prayer full vigil, contemplating over the smallest things. The Megaran people believe that the Emperor will one day return to the world and its fallen people will rise again to join him in a new paradise where they will be forgiven for the failings of their past. It was an idea that appealed to the wounded Chapter as offering a system of redemption. As the chapter drew more and more recruits from the world the beliefs of the Megarans began to infiltrate the Chapter. Soon the order of Keeper Chaplains was formed, taking the place of the Megaran Shamans. It is these Keepers that witness the recruits birth into the Chapter, baptizing them in the First Waters. And it is the Keepers that, upon a warriors death, return them to the same waters where their body is anointed, cleansing him of his failures and sins should he be worthy, before being laid to rest in the vast catacombs beneath the Temple of the Waters. It is this ritual which is said to return the warriors soul to the planet to wait for the Emperor's return to join him in Paradise. It is this belief in redemption through service that has made the Iron Heralds into the implaccable foe they are today. Despite having since settled on Megara the Iron Heralds still maintain the a strong fleet presence and, combat wise, have little ties to their homeworld or its people. The first warning foes often have of the arrival of the Iron Heralds is as their ships arrive in system. Sending no messages, offering no surrender or quarter they smash through whatever space borne assets the enemy have before striking as true angels of death, raining down in drop pods or, where circumstances prevent otherwise, arriving by thunderhawk or storm raven. They form a relentless aggressor. Known to keep pushing until either they or the enemy is destroyed they have been known to completely ignore fellow Imperial Commanders and it is believed that, for many, they simply do not accept defeat as an option. Despite having moved much from their Iron Hand primogenitors they have maintained both the merciless attitude to their enemies as well as their affinity with machines. To face an Iron Heralds force is to face an implacable, merciless and relentless foe, who expects no quarter and will offer none in return. [basicheaderhalf=]ROLL OF HONOUR: Incarnation of Despair - M39 It was in the closing days of the 39th Millennium that the Space Hulk, classified as the Incarnation of Despair, was vomited forth from the Warp above the Imperial Hive World of Oru Secondus. Imperial prognostication had the vessels flight path bringing it crashing down upon the densely populated world in an event that would have seen the important world plunged into a dust induced long night that would cause the loss of all life on the planet. With Imperial Navy assets commited elsewhere at the time the planetary governor of Oru petitioned the Iron Heralds for aid. Sending a strike cruiser with some of the Chapter's elite First Company armed with Tactical Dreadnought Armour and led by Chief Librarian Provatus Evette the Iron Heralds answered the call. Knowing that their only was to stop the vessel would be to destroy it from within Provatus led a series of boarding actions into the Space Hulk, only to find it densely populated with the Xeno biomorph known as Genestealers. As the scope of the vessels infestation became apparent Provatus realised that if he detonated the ship so close to Oru then parts of the hulk would still land on the planet and potentially carry the genestealers with them. Deciding on a last, desperate course of action he activated the Warp Drives board the ship, plunging it and his marines into the Warp with the hope of detonating the ship where-ever they arrived. Whether he ever arrived or not is unsure as contact was lost shortly after he entered the Warp and neither he nor the Incarnation have been seen since. What is certain, however, is that the Keepers insist that Provatus is alive somewhere still and so the Chapter waits in hope for his return one day. The Lament of Hercellium - M41 When the Iron Heralds were petitioned by the High Lords to assist Imperial forces in the space surrounding Hercellium against Eldar raids the Chapter answered with gusto. A detachment of a full three companies under the command of Chapter Master Thomut himself arrived in the system in a show of force. It was Thomut's hope that the enigmatic eldar, upon realising the massive force against them, would simply melt away as was their custom. He had no such luck however and a series of stinging attacks and ambushes by the eldar left the Iron Heralds forces reeling. Seeming to strike from a hundred places at once the eldar strikes were bleeding the Herald forces dry with the marines scoring little back against their Xeno foe. Thomut's chance seemed to come when he recieved reports of what appeared to be an eldar base on the world of Hercellium itself. Realising that sending his entire force would alert the Eldar to his plan he Thomut led an elite force at the Eldar base. Leaving the remaining forces under the command of the young Captain of the Third Company, Seric Dasarro, Thomut led his forces from the front. Little did he know it was cunning ambush to lure him in. Finding himself suddenly cut off and overwhelmed Thomut and those with him were killed to a man. With command of the forces now under Seric it was here that the young captain aptly demonstrated the tactical instinct that would become his reputation later in life. Taking a more intentionally reactive strategy then Thomut he used tactics similar to those the xenos employed against his own forces. Eldar strikes would suddenly find themselves over reaching their strike as Iron Herald forces simply melted away. It was a delaying tactic, for the most part, leading the Eldar force further and further forward. Seric had a plan, however. Using his famous insight and the data available to him Seric was able to predict the location of the Eldar Craftworld. He then drew his entire force together and struck a hammer blow at the raiders Craftworld. Drop pods rained upon the Wraithbone ship whilst Thunderhawks made devastating bombing runs. Seric himself led the ground forces, making a point to destroy everything in their path. Delicate spires were toppled and monuments destroyed. Despite their success, however, an assault on a craftworld was no small thing and the Heralds losses began to grow. It was a calculated move and, after causing massive destruction the Iron Heralds forces stopped their assault. Seric called for a meeting with the Eldars leader. It is unknown what was said during that council but at its conclusion the Iron Heralds withdrew and the eldar disappeared from the sector. A truce had been struck, as great cost to both forces. Upon returning to the Chapter Seric was unanimously voted to take the place as Chapter Master. The Harrowing of Mosicum - M41 When the worlds of Sub-Sector Mosicum declared themselves as succeeding from the Imperium a crusade was declared by Imperial High Command. Led by Inquisitor Lord Harlom Halt of the Ordo Hereticus the Imperial Crusade arrived at the fringes of Sub-Sector Mosicum to find that the renegade planetary governors had allied themselves with the forces of Chaos. Chaos cultists roamed the planets offering bloody sacrifices to their dark gods whilst elements of the traitor legions and other disparate renegade astartes ruled over the worlds. Realising he would need greater forces then what he had at his command he petioned for the aid of several nearby Chapters of the Astartes. One Chapter to answer his call was the Iron Heralds, sending the Second Company along with supporting elements from the rest of the Chapter. Pushing from world to world the Imperium forces were relentless and merciless. By the end of the campaign a full three quarters of the sub-sectors population had been put to the sword and the traitors had all been cast down. Those that remained were put back to work in the sub-sectors factories and mines whilst loyal forces were brought in to rule over the worlds. Many deemed the brutal culling too be going to far, particularly when in some occasions the planet had surrendered at the Chapter's arrival having heard of the fate of their neighbours. The fact that Sub Sector Mosicum remains a highly loyal and productive region of Imperial space since perhaps says otherwise. The Black WAAAAGH!!!! - M41 Sub Sector Megara, home of the Iron Heralds, is bordered on one side by a vast stretch of unchartable and unconquerable space known simply as The Bleak. It is home to all manner of Xeno forces. The most numerous and troublesome of these is the orkoid kine. Typically a disorganised and chaotic species the orks of the Bleak are regarded as typically a minor threat to Imperial interests in the area. It wasn't until the early days of M41 that the orks of the Bleak began to build towards a critical mass. As Warp storms through the Bleak subsided Ork tribes from various worlds that, until recently, had no contact with each other began to make war and, as the species is wont to do, grew from the conflict. As the threat the growing ork presence became apparent the Iron Heralds began to prepare an invasion force, hoping to cull the orks before they reached Waaagh!!!! numbers. The Iron Heralds entered the Bleak and began a systematic extermination of the orks. Little did they realise this preemptive strike would be the match that started the inferno that would consume much of Sub-Sector Megara. When the Ork warboss known as Drizog Blacktoof met the Iron Herald forces with his warband his brutal savagery caught the Heralds off guard and Blacktoof was able to crush the Iron Herald forces. Using this as proof to the other orks he bullied them into joining behind him and leading an invasion against the Imperium. Inspired by his success or bludgeoned into submission Drizog led a massive WAAAAGH!!!! into Sub Sector Megara. Despite the skill and might of the Chapter the Iron Heralds found themselves being pushed further and further back towards their homeworld of Megara. Even the legendary insights of Chapter Master Seric seemed unable to stem the tide. As world after world fell to Drizog's forces the Iron Heralds braced themselves for the inevitable invasion of their homeworld. It would be the timely arrival of reinforcements from both the Forge World of Milivia as well as a detachment from the Knight House Ysuelt that would halt the invasion. As legions of skitarii, platoons of guardsmen and squads of marines fought in the shadows of Titans duelling ork gargants Chapter Master Seric Dasarro met the ork Warboss Drizog in single combat. Despite all his years and skill Seric found himself on the back foot. Wounded and his strength fast fading it seemed Seric would fall but, by chance, he managed to fell the warboss with a shot from his combi melta. As the warboss' flesh melted away literally his great Waaagh!!!! did the same. Suddenly leaderless and pushed hard by the Imperial forces they began to fight amongst themselves over whom would lead. The arrival of those Iron Heralds deployed elsewhere came at a critical time and the ork forces were broken. It would take many years to fully purge the orks from the sub sector and longer still for the following strikes into the Bleak to eradicate as much of the orks as possible but the worlds that had suffered under the orks still bear the scars to this day. The Iron Heralds are, for the most part, compliant with the Codex Astartes as proscribed by Guilliman at the end of the Heresy. Although they are forged from the more divergent Iron Hands they have moved closer to the tome as laid down by the Ultramarines Primarch. The role of Iron Father has been divided into both separate roles of Chaplain and Techmarine. This has as much to do with the Chapters lack of obsession over the weakness of flesh as it does the need to have Techmarines fully devoted to their craft, due to the after effects of the Scrap Code Malaise which still haunts the Chapter to this day. The Primaris: A Brotherhood Apart The arrival of the Primaris wasn't an entirely welcome one. Separated from their Firstborn brothers by beliefs, lack of effect of the Malaise, as well as not being from Megara itself they struggled to fit in alongside their veteran brothers. Even Chapter Master Seric viewed them with dislike, stating they were "the wrong solution to the right problem" meaning they were addressing the weakness of the flesh when chaos won due to a weakness of the mind. As it stands they are an organisation apart, whilst part of the chapter they are organised into different companies and maintaining their own fortress monastary, the Sanctum Primaris, upon one of Megara's moons. On top of this separation of the role of Chaplain the Iron Heralds maintain an entirely different organisation of Chaplains. Whilst the regular Chaplains function much as they do in any other Codex Chapter, serving alongside the battle companies as both a spiritual guide for the brothers under his guidance, as well as advisor and warrior on the field of war. The other organisation of Chaplains, known as Keeper Chaplains, tend to both the recruitment and eventual death and interment of the Chapters warriors. The role of Keeper Chaplain is a hold over from the belief of the Megaran people, one of the few influences the population has had on the Chapter. It is the duty of the Keeper Chaplains to help raise a mortal into the ranks of the Chapter alongside the Apothecarium. Then, when a Brother falls, it is the Keeper’s who ensure his body returns to Megara where, after his gene-seed is extracted, it is annointed and laid to rest in the catacombs so that his essence returns to the planet.. [basicheaderhalf=]RECRUITMENT: For the most part the Iron Heralds draw their recruits from the feral tribal warriors of Megara, making the most of the populaces hardy nature and ferocity in battle. Although some recruits are drawn from elsewhere, often from worlds where the Heralds have fought, these recruits are often looked down upon by their Megaran counterparts. Regardless of where they are from all recruits start their journey to the join the Chapter on the Chapter’s homeworld. Starting out from one of Megara’s villages they must journey through the death worlds deadly forests to the heart of the Chapter, the Spire. Many of these recruits never survive the journey, falling prey to either the predators of the forests, the deadly plants or even each other as groups from rival villages have been known to fight to the death on the journey. Upon arriving at Spire they will be met at the gates by the Master of Recruits whom shall tell them the Spire is only open to those whom have passed through the flame and been judged worth. It is here in the ruins fo the ancient hive, in the shadow of the Spire, shall the recruits be trained. As they progress they will be given the various implants that raise them from the a mere mortal to that of an astartes. When they are finally judged ready they are sent on one their final tests known as the Iron Pilgrimage. They will be sent back into the world’s jungles, given only the location of a place known as the Eternal Fire. They will journey alone to the holy site, watched over secretly by the Keepers. As they draw close they enter another set of ruins, this time one bereft of any trace of the Chapter or Imperium. As the recruit makes this final approach the lesson of the ruins is a simple one. Without the Imperium, humanity falls, without the Chapter, the brother will fall. At last the recruit will come to a central plaza where the Temple of the Waters sits. In a secret ritual the recruit is baptised in the waters, representing him being washed of the failings of him as a mortal and his rebirth as a marine. From that moment on his is an Iron Herald. There is one last ritual that a brother takes before becoming a fully fledged marine. Once he is judged ready to join his brothers and be granted his Black Carapace and his Power Armour he is taken back to the First Waters to face a rite known as the Final Harrowing. Watched over by the leaders of the Chapter the brothers mind is laid bare by the Chief Librarian. The darkest recesses of the brothers mind are plunged and he is forced to face his darkest fears and the horrors hidden in his mind. Many brother’s are broken or driven insane by this final test. Worst still some will turn on those whom have showed them such horrors. Most, however, are hardened by this rite able to face all the darkness and evil that the galaxy has to offer without flinching. Redemption through iron and blood! Alternatively: Iron and blood (usually used as a greeting or benediction [basicheaderhalf=]GENE-SEED: The Iron Heralds are forged from the gene-seed of Ferrus Mannus and like their Iron Hand forefathers is relatively free of mutation and degeneration. Like their primogenitor they display a propensity for obsessive behaviour towards eliminating perceived weaknesses. Unlike their parent legion this has been turned from a hatred of the weakness of the flesh and more towards the weakness of mind. [basicheaderhalf=]CHAMPIONS OF THE CHAPTER: Chapter Master Seric Dasarro Lord of Megara, The Iron Lord, The Eternal Currently holding the title of longest serving Chapter Master as well as one of the oldest members of the Iron Heralds Chapter Master Seric Dasarro has led his Chapter for the greatest part of his long life span. Gaining the notice of his superiors early in his career Seric proved himself a capable commander as well as a formidable warrior. He was elected unopposed for his first captaincy, that of the Third Company, and led its warriors with distinction. It was only a matter of time before his rose to command of the First and then, when his predecessor was slain by the Eldar in an ambush, there was little opposition to his taking up the mantle of Master of the Chapter. Known for a near uncanny ability to predict the enemies movements, sometimes even before the enemy themselves realise it has won countless victories for his Chapter across the length and breadth of the Imperium. It is this almost supernatural foresight that has brought the attention of many of the more suspicious members of the Imperium and Seric has been examined thoroughly on three separate occasions for any taint of Warp based abilities. Once by his Chapter’s own Librarium and twice by the shadowy arm of the Inquisition. All three turned up no trace of psyker abilities what so ever and his abilities have just been passed off as a fortunate abnormality. Seric goes to war most commonly clad in an ancient suit of Cataphractii Terminator Armour, a relic of the Heresy once worn by the Chapter first Master, Dereo. He wields an ancient power fist and carries the combi melta known simply as Hearthfire, a gift from the Star Leopards following a joint action. (Acting) Chief Librarian Jorn Agrethan Lord of Mysteries The title of Chief Librarian is actually currently held by Provatus Evette. Provatus, however, disappeared along with the forces he was fighting alongside into the Warp aboard the Space Hulk the Incarnation of Despair. Despite the millennium since the vessel and with it Provatus disappeared the Keepers have declared that Provatus and those with him still live, as they have not seen his death in their flames. Because of this Provatus still officially holds the title of Chief Librarian but it was decided in his absence another needed to fill his role. Thus the Acting affixed to the title of Jorn and those whom filled the position before him. Jorn is a reserved and often cryptic member of the Chapter's council, tending to speak only when he deems it necessary. He takes a similar attitude with the Librarians under his charge. Seeming to rather they work on their own accord and stepping in only when it would be foolish to not do. When he does offer advice it is often in cryptic riddles, leaving those to whom he imparts his wisdom wondering if they were better of before or after the lead Librarian speaks. Chief Apothecary Nuuro Fenn If one was too say Chief Apothecary Nuuro Fenn was dedicated to his craft they would be making a dramatic understatement. Nuuro is highly protective of his charge, that of ensuring the continued preservation and implantation of the Chapter's geneseed. Such is his dedication to his charge that he has been known to regularly take to the field of battle, unlike many of his contemporaries. Clad in Terminator Armour and wielding both Narcelethium and an ancient thunder hammer he is known to be a veritable immovable object on the field of battle when it comes to protecting the gene-stock of his Chapter. His dedication to his craft continues off the field and when not engaged in battle he is obsessing over both the purity of his chapters stock as well as the treatment of his wounded brothers. Master of Sanctity Taron Baere Master of Hate From early in his career Taron proved a capable warrior and inspired leader. A master of hand to hand combat he was just as highly regarded for his ability to inspire those around him. It was this dedication and skill that fast saw him rise to a position of leadership and he became one of the youngest ever members of the Chapter to be raised to Captaincy. It is believed that Chapter Master Seric had even earmarked the young warrior for further advancement. Taron was granted one of the Chapter's most treasured relics, The Blade Eternum. A pre-heresy relic wielded by one of Dereo's companions at the founding of the Chapter the Blade Eternum was only to be wielded by those of outstanding ability and whom had sworn the most sacred oaths to unsure the blades safety. Rising from Captaincy of the Eighth Company to command of the Fourth Taron wielded the blade with brutal efficiency. It was the world of Veconna VI that prove Taron's downfall. Fighting against elements of the Traitor forces that had fled to the Eye Taron led his Company on a savage thrust, smashing aside the traitor forces. Thinking his enemy weak and allowing himself to be overcome with pride he pushed relentlessly forward, only to realise he had been drawn into a trap. As his forces pushed into an ancient temple on the planets surface the trap was sprung as thousands of Warp Rifts opened across the planets surface and Warp entities of all manner poured out. His forces drawn out and isolated, as well as hopelessly outnumbered, the Iron Heralds were cut down almost to a man. Taron himself fell in one on one combat against a Keeper of Secrets but not before the greater daemon deliberately broke the Blade Eternum in front of the striken Captain. It was only the arrival of more Iron Heralds as well as a detatchment of the mysterious Grey Knights Chapter that meant any of the Fourth Company survived at all. Taken back to the Chapters apothecarium Taron's wounds were treated with all the care deserved of one of his rank. His body soon healed but his mind not so much. Gone was the charismatic and noble Captain and in his place was a dark, brooding man prone to bouts of rage and anger. Taron refused to return to command in the Chapter, stating that he had no right following Veconna. Released from the Apothecarium but with no place to go he became a dark shadow, stalking the halls of the Desolate Spire. It was here that the Master of Sancity Desimund found him. Recognising that the wound to Taron's soul could be shaped rather then healed he took the young marine under his wing. Under Desimund's tutelage Taron soon learned how to shape his grief and rage into a weapon for the use of his Chapter. Hate was the one emotion the Iron Heralds allowed themselves if it was kindled properly and under Desimund Taron's anger became a smouldering ember that could, when needed, be turned into a raging inferno. It wasn't long before Taron donned the black of the Chaplaincy and fast became one of the more respected members of the Chapters Reclusium. When Master of Sanctity Desimund was slain during the Battle for Transcendence his mantle was passed onto a reluctant Taron. Desimund's final gift, passed to Taron after his death, was the remains of the Blade Eternum reforged into a new Crozius to be wieled by Taron in his new command and then any whom bare the title after him. Keeper of the Temple of the Waters Megara When a marine takes up the mantle of Keeper of the Flame they set aside their old name and take up the title Megara. Regarded as one with the Chapter's homeworld the Keeper tends to the rites over the First Waters as oversees the final Harrowing of all new recruits. The Keepers are regarded as an enigmatic and distant group, perhaps even more so then the Chapter's Techmarines. The Keeper of the Temple of the Waters is regarded as the strangest and most distant by far. Indeed many doubt if he even remains truly sane, prone as he is to long silences and random mutterings. Despite this he remains a member of the Chapter's Inner Council and Chapter Master Seric is said to highly regard the Keepers advice. At least, that is, when he understands it. Despite this the Keeper of the Flame and his Chaplains are regarded as a vital part of the Chapter still and as such most overlook their eccentricities. Master of the Forge Austilian Ferrum The Scrap Code Malaise still lurks hidden in the machine spirits of the Iron Heralds warmachines and, like all those whom held the title before him, Master of the Forge Austilian has dedicated his life and work to purging it. Between his duties tending to the Chapters armoury or organising those beneath him to do the same, Austilian spends large amounts of his time of the Forge World of Milivia Prime that suffers from the same fate. It is this seemingly neglect of his duties that has led many to question the true reason for his obsession with the Malaise Captain Dosje Ludovic Captain of the 1st Company, Regent of Megara A warrior without equal within the Chapter and a cunning strategist as well many regard Dosje as the obvious choice to succeed Seric as Chapter Master and it is said Seric agrees as the two have spent many hours in private conversation regarding the future of the Chapter. Dosje takes great time with his charges within the First, pushing to achieve the greatest results from them. His exacting standards and no nonense approach has meant he has ruffled a few feathers, particularly from those outside the Chapter besides which he has fought but he still remains a stalwart example of what it is to be a Iron Herald. Captain Lucan Alerro Captain of the Fifth Company, Master of Marches TBA SIDEBARS The Alliance with Rogue Trader Dynasty Why Their Heraldry - Blood Red for blood lost for redemption Nearby Forge World/Older Armour Marks The Scrap Code Malaise