IA:The Golden Rams updated 10/16/2010

[Necronpheliac]

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The founding of the Golden Rams is seeded in the age of the 22nd founding. The Dark Hands where commissioned to train a new chapter of space marines. Brother Krios Khrysomallos and 49 of his Dark Hand battle brothers set upon the creation of the chapter that would become the Golden Rams.

The same day the communicae from the High Lords of Terra was received, Brother Librarian Phineas received a vision of the Emperor cloaked in the fleece of a Golden Ram during his meditation. The Emperor silently pointed his mailed glove to a cluster of stars. Phineas requested that he be included in the training cadre because he felt the Emperor was trying to guide them in their endeavor to create a new chapter. Brother Krios accepted his request. Phineas began consulting the emperor's tarot and it confirmed his belief. Using the star charts, they plotted a course for the stars the emperor had pointed to in the vision. The Dark Hands were led to the planet of Colchis in the Segmentum Pacificus.

Krios and Phineas descended to the planet's surface. The Dark Hands touched down in the most densely populated area of the planet, known as city state of Aeson. Upon their arrival, they were exalted by the people of Colchis as their pantheon of war gods. This was not unusual for space marines to be exalted as gods on backwater worlds such as this one. The populace revered in both equal parts of adoration and fear. Krios was then led to the capitol of Aeson to meet with their leaders.

Upon entering the grounds of the Palace Of Aeson, Krios noticed a large gnarled and dead tree, but in it's branches lye a shimmering golden ram fleece. Phineas immediately recognized the fleece as the one that the emperor was shrouded in. The fleece had been ancient relic, thought to be a gift from the gods to the first rulers of Aeson as a reward for their devotion. Krios and Phineas agreed this was a sign from the Emperor, and demanded the fleece be handed over to them. The leaders complied quite readily to the demands of the war gods. They reasoned it was the gods merely taking back what was theirs to begin with. The vision came to fruition, and the chapter would come be known as The Golden Rams.

Krios proceed to give the terms and reason for his arrival. Krios told them that they wished to take with them the best warriors with them to fight in the heavens against their enemies. The leaders of Aeson were ecstatic that the gods would seek their warriors to battle along side them. Krios stated he would meet with all the other nations to find the best the planet had to offer. The Aesonians declared their men were the strongest and that only they deserved to fight alongside the gods. Krios declared that the Aesonians should muster their strongest warriors and pit them in tests of skill against the best of the other nations.

In order to select the strongest recruits possible, the first grand Olympiad was held as prescribed by Krios. All of the kingdoms and city states participated in the games to gain the favor of the newly descended gods. The games displayed the martial strengths and skills of each nation. The winners were selected by the Dark Hands to ascend to the battle in the heavens. The Dark Hands told the people to continue their training in the ways of war, and that they would return. Subsequently , the return of the sky gods heralds the next grand Olympiad.

Once the new recruits were battle ready, they began to deploy in various missions as support units, then eventually conducting full fledged battle operations. The men of Colchis proved to be apt learners and where extremely well suited to the rigorous training that the chapter demanded. Many of the basic tenants of the codex astartes meshed well warrior cultures of Colchis.

The only negative trait they possessed seemed to be thier very brash and impulsive nature. This was due to an ideal of combat shared among the countries of Colchis. This ideal drove the warriors to achieve their finest moment of battle that would elevate them to legends. The Dark Hands where a successor of the imperial Fists which meant that they shared their code of strict discipline. They found the recruits somewhat difficult and strong willed. The young marines thirst for a chance to prove their worth and attain glory in combat is fairly common among young chapters, but seemed much more so for the young Golden Rams. The recruits adhered to their superiors wishes, but seemed to in truth still burn with passion.

The most significant battle of the Golden Rams earlier years had occurred during Abbadon's 7th black crusade and would change the face of the chapter forever. The chapter was routing an ork Waaghh that had plagued the citizens of the hive world of Harryhausen. It was then that they where set upon by a massive host of chaos cultists. The traitors had been biding their time while the Golden Rams dealt with the orks. The cultists poured from city walls in a tidal wave of tainted flesh. While the Rams were dealing with the cultists, the cult's Alpha Legion masters had flanked their battle line. The chapter was taking heavy losses and where still exhausted from weeks of fighting the orks. They valiantly battled the traitors and fought with vigor that defied their exhaustion.

Chapter master Krios was locked in combat with the Alpha Legion's foul daemon prince leader. The Daemon prince had the visage of a massive hydra with many writhing necks topped with foul reptilian heads. No matter how many of it's many heads he cleaved off, more seemed to take their place. It regenerated at an astonishing rate. It seemed no wound could fell the beast The Daemon prince struck a mortal blow to the commander with it's fell daemon weapon. It was only thanks to a distraction caused by brother Phineas' psychic attack that allowed Krios to strike a counter attack on the monster. After finally killing the daemon, Krios fell to his knees.

With their leader dead, the chaos forces scattered and retreated to lick their wounds. The Golden Rams hunted down a majority of the survivors, leaving only a few Alpha Legionaries unaccounted for. The chapter had also taken many casualties themselves. Chapter master Krios lay dying and before he succumbed to his wounds, handed the mantle of the ram to the veteran warrior Ballerophon Pegas . The Golden Rams now harbor a particularly deep seeded hatred for the Alpha Legion and it's agents.

What remained of the original 49 Dark Hands veterans had returned to their chapter with the remains of Krios. The torch had finally been passed to the next generation.

Their home world is the planet of Colchis. Only a small subcontinent is inhabited in any mentionable numbers by man. Part deathworld and part bronze age society ,the rest of the planet is filled with ferocious beasts. Just beyond the shallow areas of the inland sea, is harsh and untamed wilderness. Even the ocean which so many make their livelihoods on is fraught with peril. Chaotic storms and brutal sea monsters thwart those brave enough to venture too far from home. The rest of the planet is marred by steaming jungles filled with beasts, and vast barren deserts. The poles are ice capped wastes that no man has survived an encounter with. The land is very hostile to man, and he knows not to venture out of his domain should he value his life.

The planet also has small pockets of feral villages in the untamed wilds, but they are cut off from society and are considered subhuman by those of the peninsula.

The one area densely populated by man is a peninsula separated from the main land by an impassable mountain range to the north. This is a natural barrier that prevents the onslaught of the extremely hazardous native fauna.

The peninsula consists of many warring city states and kingdoms. The dominant city state is Aeson. It is a democratic nation with great military might, that breeds strong space marine stock.

The chapter maintains an orbital space station named Aegis to guard the planet. Generally one company remains to defend Colchis from potential enemy attack and to train the new recruits. Most of the Chapter's various companies are out crusading to gain glory in the name of the Emperor and to smite the Imperium's many enemies. The defense Company is rotated regularly as to keep the defenders from losing their combative edge.

Ranks and Titles

1st Company Commander and spiritual chapter master: Polemarchos
Company Commanders: Lochagos
Company: Lochos _____ (each lochos is named after it's first leader)
1st Company: Pentèkostys
tactical squad: Dekas
seargent: Dekarchos
Scout seargent: Hoplomachos
marine: Hoplite
scout: Pais

Deviations From The Codex

The chapter adheres mostly to the basic framework of the codex astartes. The contents and command structure however are fairly divergent with differing names and titles. The reason for this is that the warriors of Colchis are very independent and willful. The standard codex organization was too rigid and they felt styled by it. Following the death of Krios, Ballerophon decided it would the most effective solution was to merge the ideas of the armies of Colchis with that of the codex creating a hybrid. This restructure allowed for the marines to be true to their instincts. They still maintain the prescribed amount of Chaplains,Apothecaries , and librarians as other codex chapters.

The Golden Rams have very few holy dreadnoughts in their army. Should a brother's deeds be great enough, the Boule will decide to enshrine him in the sacred relic. The few Dreadnoughts in their possession form a separate entity known as the Talos Phalanx and are maintained by the Techmarines. A Lochagos will request the use of the Dreadnoughts and other armor from the rest of the Boule and will be given access to them based on necessity.

Each company consists of 100 marines and is not labeled by number, but by the first commanders of each company or Lochos. IE: Lochos Pollux, Lochos Heracles, Lochos Ajax, Lochos Castor, etc. The only exception is the first company which is named after the first chapter master Krios Khrysomallos.

Company of Heroes

Krios' company consisted of 50 brothers from the Dark Hands space marine's who were tasked with raising the fledgling chapter to full battle strength. In remembrance of the 50 heroes who helped mold the young chapter, the first company remains only 50 marines strong. After his passing and the subsequent return of the remaining of the original 50 Dark Hands, the group was named Pentèkostys Krios and consists of the chapters most elite warriors. Each Lochagos submits a select few candidates for admittance into Pentèkostys Krios. The company functions as an independent unit and go from battlefield to battlefield of their own accord. They often join other Lochos at the request of a Lochagos, but it is up to them whether they comply or not. It is rare a request for aid denied.

The Polemarchos

The leader of the Pentekosts Krios is known as the Polemarchos. The title is one bestowed by the Boule. The Boule votes and one of the 50 of the Pentèkostys Krios is elevated to Polemarchos. The Polemarchos inherits the mantle of the ram, the symbol of the chapter, and personal effect of the founder Krios Khrysomallos. While not having the final say over the direction of the entire chapter, the Polemarchos is the spiritual chapter master of the legion. He is the best of the best, whose experience and prowess put great weight behind his words. He is the pinnacle of what every Hoplite aspire to.

The Lochagos

The Lochagos is a position that is similar to the rank of Captain in other chapters. Every century, a vote is held amongst each Lochos to determine its Lochagos. All of the Dekas vote for a candidate from the ranks of the Lochos. It is possible that a charismatic younger Hoplite is elected as Lochagos over his more experiened brothers, though it isn't common place. The newly designated Lochagos is granted a seat on the Boule. He may be reelected for subsequent terms as Lochagos.

The Dekas

Each tactical squad is organized into a Dekas, which is a band of 10 battle brothers. Each squad elects a Dekarchos to be their leader. When a Dekas becomes under strength, a Hoplomachos will submit a Pais to fill the gap. Should he pass the tests put before him, he will be welcomed to the Dekas. Should a brother who has taken the role as Lochagos leave his station after his term and find his position taken in his old squad, he will join another under strength squad.

The Boule

The real masters of the Golden Rams are the members of the war council known as the Boule. The Boule consists of all of the chapter's Lochagos. Usually senior members who have attained many victories are elected, but its not necessarily the rule. A barely seasoned battle brother may become Lochagos over a hardened veteran with countless battles under his belt though the former is less likely than the latter. It is a place of honor among the chapter to be elected by their peers to be part of the council and is very seldom refused. On the occasion there is a tie, a duel is held in the form of a traditional wrestling match between the two candidates . The winner is celebrated as the new Lochagos. In the instance which the candidate declines the station, the second place candidate is elected. If that results in a tie, the same process is used to determine the winner. Never has it occurred that two brothers have declined a position on the Boule. A brother may be re-elected every century and in some Lochos, the same brother remains as Lochagos for much longer

Each city state will take it's best potential warriors and will send them to represent their country in the Great Olympiad against other countries for the honor of being chosen by the “war gods” that will take them to battle in the heavens. When a new recruit is brought up, he is given the title “Pais” and is put into a squad together with other initiates under the tutelage of a senior battle brother known as a Hoplomachos. He is a Hoplite whom has seen many centuries of service that has an affinity for training and mentoring his younger peers.

The Pais

The Pais are part of an independent company seperate from the other Lochos that consists only of other training squads known as Lochos Laertes. They do not posses a Lochagos and while they have no official say in the matters of the Boule, they are very often consulted for their wisdom and experience. After he has proven himself through trial by fire, the Pais is given the chance to become a full fledged Hoplite. He is put through a gauntlet of rigorous tests until he is finally accepted into the brotherhood officially. The trials are known as “The Labors” and are steeped in traditions from their homeworld of Colchis..

The Labors

The first test is the labor of will. A device called the excruciator (spiritual descendant of the pain glove) is linked into the nervous system by insertion at the base of the spine. Once activated, this turns on every pain receptor in the body and remains on for 24 hours. This is to teach the apprentice to use his steel will to block out the pain.

Second is the Labor of courage. Given only a combat knife and buckler, he is to slay a fierce Leos Nemeas. The Leos is a large mountain cat with an incredibly tough hide taken from the wilds on the island of Nimea. On Nimea, the Leos is the apex predator whose temperament is the thing of legends on Colchis. This is to test his Courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Lastly is the Labor of combat . This final tests consists of two parts. The first being unarmed combat in a traditional wrestling match with a potential battle brother. Should the Pais either pin or compete to the satisfaction of his future Dekarchos, he progresses to the next stage. The final task consists of armed combat against a Dekarchos. The objective is for the Pais to score enough solid blows against his opponent to draw blood. Should he draw blood or fight to a satisfactory level, the Dekarchos accepts him as a Hoplite , and there is much rejoicing as the chapter and Lochos adds him it's ranks. It is his fellow marine that decides whether he becomes a Hoplite or stays a Pais. A Pais may retake the trials.

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Each member of the chapter strives to achieve a martial concept known as the Aristeia . The Aristeia is a space marines finest moment in battle. Neither man nor beast can defeat the warrior during his Aristeia, for he becomes the living embodiment of the Emperor’s wrath. When a marine accomplishes a feat worthy of being dubbed his Aristeia, it is entered into the chapters most holy script, the Aristeinomicon. The tome is a record of the chapter’s greatest martial victories , battle honors, and achievements and is the their most prized script. It is kept on the space station Aegis.

The constant drive to achieve the Aristeia has had a profound effect on the tactics the Ram's employ. The Golden Rams have a thirst for impossible odds and show great disdain for retreat even in the face of utter defeat. This is because each retreat brings a Golden Ram farther from his Aristeia and denies him his ideal. Because of this, ounce the Auric Crusaders have committed their forces, they will fight down to a man. This isn't to say that they never retreat, but it is looked upon with shame.

Due to their lust for valor, the Golden Rams sometimes incur heavy casualties. In one example , Lochos Pollux was almost completely obliterated by Waaaghh Gitstompa. They were defending an imperial resource outpost against wave after wave of orks. The planetary defense forces were running low on men and muntitions. It was after taking significant casualties themselves that they made an almost damning decision. The Lochagos ordered a charge into the center of the ork line to destroy their warboss in one glorious assault. In what most would consider a suicidal attack, the Golden Ram's reveled in the thought of the potential glory to be had in slaying the enemies of the Imperium. After the local Imperial Guard commander pleaded for the Lochagos to stay and assist the defense and await reinforcements, he replied “ Fear not commander. I will not falter in this task, for I fight with the will of the Emperor side by side with my fellow battle brothers. I will have Gitstompa's head on a pike if it is my final act! Should I fall to the foul xenos, know that it was a fine day to die!”

The next morning, the Lochagos took his remaining troops and aimed for the bulk of the ork horde. They smashed against the front line and slew many green skins , but they where simply too greatly outnumbered. The resulting casualties of the attack were as one would expect. Many Hoplites fell that day. The The only thing that prevented it's utter destruction was the last minute arrival of support from Lochos Castor and Lochos Orpheus. Many of the fallen Hoplites were posthumously entered into the Aristeinomicon.

Waaaghh Gitstompa

Each Lochagos will give his squads a general objective and it is up to each Dekas to complete their given task. So in the end, each Dekas has relative autonomy and the Dekarchos has the final say in the tactics used. Because of this, the make up and tactical preferences of a Lochos can shift depending on their Dekas. The Golden Rams are also very competitive with one another and even other chapters. There has been more than one occasion where they have unintentionally foiled the battle plans of allied forces by throwing themselves into the fray in search of glory. The Rams have had minor disputes with a few chapters and seem to have a developed somewhat of a rivalry with the Space Wolves as they share similar traits. They harbor a strong respect for the strength of the sons of Russ and gladly share the battlefield with them..

The Golden Ram's are also well versed in the tactics of the Codex Astartes. It is the duty of each brother to know the Codex and the suggested methods of waging war. They look to the book as an essential combat primer and revere it as such. They do not strictly adhere to the tennants, but are still expected to know them as a supplement to their tactical repertoire. It is up to each Dekas, Lochagos, and Polemarchos whether or not to employ them.

[Necronpheliac]

updated. Edited some of the text and reworded some parts. C+C welcome.