Index Astartes: Golden Eagles

[dothac83]

 

• Chapter Name: Golden Eagles
• Founding Legion: Imperial Fists
• Founding: Third Founding
• Homeworld: Fleet-Based
• Fortress-Monastery: Chrysaetos (Battle-Barge)
• Chapter Master: Cylach Videv
• Specialty: Siegecraft and Bolter Drills
• Colours: Gold with Copper Trim
• Warcry: "For Dorn and The Emperor! Vengeance comes on the Wings of Eagles!"

Overview

 

The Golden Eagles are a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter, descended from the gene-seed stock of the Imperial Fists. They were part of the Third Founding which occurred in the first year of the 32^nd Millenium. Born during the same time as fellow successor chapter, the Executioners, the Golden Eagles have always shared a close bond with their brother chapter, a bond that was shaken during the events of the Badab War in M41 when they sided with the Astral Claws, Mantis Warriors, and Lamenters chapters that were under the thrall of Luft Huron, the Tyrant of Badab.

 

History

 

During the first year of the 32^nd Millenium, the High Lords of Terra had decreed a new founding of Space Marine Chapters were to take place. This was still fresh on the heels of the Horus Heresey and the Great Scouring, which had occurred in the previous millennium. While it can be disputed that the High Lords of Terra had believed to create chapters of a ruthless and brutal nature such as the Flesh Tearers from the Second Founding, and the Executioners, which were created during this founding, the Golden Eagles were created with a more level-headed approach in contrast.

 

Their first Chapter Master and Patriarch was an Imperial Fists captain by the name of Praetin Strorion, a honoured and decorated member of the Chapter who had been present during the Great Scouring amongst the time Rogal Dorn himself still walked and waged battle alongside his sons. He strove to be like his gene-father and when it was time to form the chapter, he took up the mantle and answered the call without question or hesitation. In tribute to the primarch, he chose the chapter colours to reflect that of the colours of Rogal Dorn’s Auric Armour, gold and copper to honour and remember their primarch. During the chapter’s founding, several artisans had travelled to Rogal’s homeworld on Inwit, and learned the secrets of forging the Storm’s Teeth, Rogal’s legendary Chainblade, but scaled it down to be able to be wielded by an Astartes. Stormchild, as it would be later known would serve as a mark of the Chapter Master, which has been wielded by each one since Praetin Strorion to its current Chapter Master, Cylach Videv.

 

The chapter was put to its first major campaign during the War of the Beast at the end of M32. While half of the chapter was deployed at various regions of the galaxy, they were able to mobilize the remaining half of their chapter to the defense of Holy Terra from the Ork onslaught by the Warboss only known as The Beast. In the aftermath of the War of the Beast, the chapter committed an entire battle company plus all of their newest scout recruits to help the Imperial Fists chapter rebuild as part of the Last Wall protocol.

 

As the 41^st Millenium now draws to a close, the Golden Eagles chapter is now facing conflicts and battles on an ever increasing scale and frequency. Most recently in the form of a Chaos Warband known only as the Black Sun Apostles, who dared to raid one of their chapter keeps and made off with one of their most sacred relics, the Fist of Strorion, the skeletal hand of the first Chapter Master and Founder of the Golden Eagles. They are relentless now in the pursuit and recovery of this relic from the Chaos Warband, investigating every lead that comes up that will bring them closer to vengeance and redemption in the eyes of their forbearers.

 

Now in the year 999.M41, the Golden Eagles have tracked down the Black Sun Apostles and the Fist of Strorion to the Death World of Crepuscius. The Heretic Astartes have bunkered themselves in to bide their time to begin a ritual involving the relic that was stolen from the Chapter. At the same time, a force of Necrons led by Trazyn the Infinite himself have arrived on Crepuscius as well, the Archaeovist of Solomnace having his eyes set on the Fist of Strorion himself, wanting it to add to his collection. This distraction of Xenos invaders might bring the distraction the Golden Eagles need to smash the stronghold of the Black Sun Apostles and reclaim their relic before it is too late.

 

Notable Engagements

 

M32

 

• The War of the Beast – The Golden Eagles commit half of their chapter to the defense of the imperium during the Ork invasion by the Warboss known only as The Beast. The other half of the chapter was already engaged in battles around the imperium already.  They were part of the Last Wall protocol that was enacted by their parent chapter, the Imperial Fists when that chapter’s numbers had been decimated by the War of the Beast.

 

M34

 

• The First Bassus Crusade – The Golden Eagles fleet takes part in the campaign to retake the planets of the Bassus sector. Their siege operations succeed in breaking several battle lines to help the imperium reclaim the sector.

 

M35

 

• The Purge of Wandering Damnation – The Golden Eagles are called to deal with a Space Hulk that has appeared in realspace. After 7 straight days of clearing the hulk of mutants and cultists they discover the critical power systems. After setting melta charges, the detonations cause a chain reaction which causes the space hulk to splinter into massive fragments. The Chapter fleet then destroys the rest of the fragments with a combination of their fleet’s bombardment cannons and cyclonic torpedos.

 

M36

 

• The Second Bassus Crusade – Chaos Cultists had risen up in the Bassus sector, overtaking several worlds as they laid claim to the sector in the name of the Chaos Gods. Calls for help go mostly unheard due to the current reign of High Lord Goge Vandire. The Golden Eagles however do receive the call for aid and the entirety of the Golden Armada arrives at the Bassus sector to begin their siege to retake the sector for the second time.

 

M37

 

• The Filpus Reclamation – The chapter answers a request for aid from a Adeptus Mechanicus exploratory fleet when they find the worlds of the Filpus sub-sector overrun with an insectoid Xenos race. As the purging of the worlds commences, the chapter comes across an untainted STC Template. The Mechanicus claims the STC and as thanks rewards the chapter with a brand new Battle Barge, which they name the Ankhaarus.

 

M39

 

• The Third Bassus Crusade – The Golden Eagles return to the Bassus Sector as the worlds are now overrun with Ork warbands. The Chapter deploys via massive Drop Pod insertions and slaughter countless millions of the greenskins. During this campaign, then Chapter Master Maelus Pherec succeeds in personally slaying 3 different Ork Warbosses.

 

M41

 

• The Crimson Ruination Campaign (950.M41) – The Golden Eagles set their most ambitious campaign, this time against the Red Corsairs renegades. This was planned in retaliation for their manipulation of their brother chapter, the Executioners during the Badab War, 40 years earlier. Working in tandem with the Imperial Navy the chapter set about to ambush an outlying Red Corsairs stronghold, a captured Ramilies-Class Starfort, that had been renamed the Port Red.  Using a nearby nebula to mask their ships, the chapter fleet has the element of surprise as they engage the Star Fort and its defense fleet. The surprise raid catches the Red Corsairs off-guard, never expecting their own tactics to be used against them. In a matter of hours the Star Fort is destroyed with a message to the Red Corsairs that their treachery will never be forgotten or forgiven.
   
• The 13^th Black Crusade (999.M41)  – The Golden Eagles send 3 Battle companies to aid the Cadian System to repel Abbadon the Despoiler’s 13^th Black Crusade. Their sieges break the chaos forces battle lines in several spots to hold the planet. When Abbadon hurls fragments of the Blackstone Fortresses into Cadia, the upheaval of the planet by the impacts causes massive casualties as the Chapter has lost more than two-thirds the battle-brothers they had sent in to aid.
   
• The Strorion Reclamation Campaign (999.M41 – Present) – A Raid made by the Chaos Warband the Black Sun Apostles on one of the Golden Eagles’ Chapter Keeps has seen the theft of not only weapons, slaves, and gene-seed, but one of their most prized relics, the Fist of Strorion, was stolen as well. The theft of the skeletal hand of their first Chapter Master is a devastating blow to the chapter but has now renewed their resolve to hunt down the heretic astartes and reclaim that which was taken from them.
   
• The Indomnitus Crusade (999.M41 – Present) – After the fall of Cadia, the Chapter receives word that the Primarch, Roboute Guilliman has been resurrected. With the Primarch’s resurrection the chapter is reinforced with new Primaris Space Marines. The chapter gets to work as being part of the spearhead for the new Indomnitus Crusade.

Recruitment

 

The Golden Eagles recruit from several worlds, primarily from Hive Worlds, Feral Worlds, and Feudal Worlds. Like their parent chapter, they will sometimes aid Hive World governments with clearing out Hive Slums to seek out potential recruits to serve as aspirants. These aspirants will be subject to rigorous trials, testing their skill, resolve, strength, pain endurance, psychic sensitivity, and killer instinct. Those who would survive these trials will become Neophytes and begin the first stages of organ implantation.

 

Chapter Organization

 

The Golden Eagles are a standard Codex-Adherent Chapter, with the standard 1,000 Battle-Brother Strength of the Chapter. These 1,000 are split into 10 battle companies of 100. They also have fully staffed support in the roles of Librarians, Chaplains, Techmarines, Apothecaries, Serfs and Servitors.

 

Homeworld

 

The Golden Eagles Chapter does not have a chapter homeworld, as they are a Fleet-Based chapter and have seen time and again how crippled other chapters have been if their homeworlds are ravaged by Xenos and Traitor attacks. Their fleet consists of 3 Battle Barges, 9 Stike Cruisers, several squadrons of Vanguard, Nova, and Gladius Frigates, along with various support craft numbering 101 ships, which have been dubbed the “Golden Armada”.

 

Chapter Fleet, the "Golden Armada"

 

• Chrysaetos (Battle-Barge/Flagship/Fortress-Monastery)
• Lacrymosa (Battle Barge)
• Ankhaarus (Battle Barge)
• Spear of Dorn (Strike Cruiser)
• Tears of Terra (Strike Cruiser)
• Light of Vigilance (Strike Cruiser)
• Rogal’s Righteousness (Strike Cruiser)
• Sword of the Zealot (Strike Cruiser)
• Eagle’s Talon (Strike Cruiser)
• Wings of Vengeance (Strike Cruiser)
• Spirit of Inwit (Strike Cruiser)
• Auric Invictus (Strike Cruiser)

Combat Doctrine

 

The Golden Eagles chapter utilizes siege assaults. Usually they will unleash volleys of fire from Whirlwind Tanks and Thunderfire Cannons. During these barrages, the chapter’s Vindicator Tanks will move up to unleash their salvos from their Demolisher Cannons to break the enemy battle lines and fortifications. As they break, armoured transports of Rhinos and Razorbacks will roll in with squads of battle-brothers along with squads of bikes to move in and finish off any survivors who haven’t surrendered.

 

Chapter Beliefs

 

The Chapter holds their Primarch, Rogal Dorn in higher regards than many other chapters that descended from the Imperial Fists. They strive on almost the same level as the Imperial Fists themselves to emulate the best traits of Rogal Dorn: his vigilance and his unyielding will, are amongst the most frequently seen by the chapter that they strive to show from their brothers.

 

Their view of the Codex Astartes, laid out by primarch Roboute Guilliman, is one of spiritual guidelines rather that absolute law. They believe the benefits of critical thinking and taking initiative to solve problems that the codex didn’t present solutions to. This allowed for more flexible battle companies, able to overwhelm the enemies of the God-Emperor with effective results, which have strained relations with the Space Marine chapters of the Ultramarines and their successors. They have retorted such criticism with the fact that as gifted as Guilliman was with tactics, that there were enemies and tactics that even he had not encountered in his life, citing the Tyranids and Necrons as prime examples.

 

Gene-Seed

 

The Chapter’s Gene-Seed derives from the Imperial Fists, and as such they do have all the gene-seed implants save for two: The Betcher’s Gland and the Sus-an Membrane. Their Gene-Seed has also retained its purity and has seen no changes or mutations since their founding as well.

 

Notable Golden Eagles

 

• Chapter Master Praetin Strorion – Founder and first Chapter Master of the Golden Eagles.
• Chapter Master Maelus Pherec – Chapter Master during the Third Bassus Crusade, known for killing 3 Ork Warbosses single-handedly with Stormchild and Eagle’s Talon.
• Chapter Master Cylach Videv – Current Chapter Master, current wielder of the Stormchild and Eagle’s Talon.
• Chief Librarain Xevaan Haris – Current Chief Librarian
• Master Sephardon Par – Current Master of Sanctity
• Master Lynoch Kelis – Current Master of the Forge
• Master Boreadis Ticles – Current Chief Apothecary

Chapter Relics

 

• Fist of Strorion: The skeletal hand of the first Chapter Master of the Golden Eagles, Praetin Strorion. Kept preserved in an amber case much like the hand of their Primach, Rogal Dorn on board the Imperial Fists Fortress-Monastery, the Phalanx. Every Chapter Master following Praetin has engraved their name on the bones of the hand, a custom carried over from their founding chapter.
• Eagle’s Talon: A Master-Crafted Boltgun wielded by the Chapter Master. Said to have been bestowed to the chapter upon their founding. The weapon, along with each Bolter shell that will be fired is consecrated and blessed by both a Chaplain and Techmarine before battle.
• Stormchild: A relic chainblade said to have been made in the image of Storm’s Teeth, the legendary chainblade wielded by Rogal Dorn. This blade is reserved only to be wielded by the Chapter Master and is carefully and meticulously maintained by the chapter’s Techmarines.

Chapter Appearance

 

The chapter’s colours are Gold with Copper Trim, as an homage to the Auric Armour that was worn by Rogal Dorn.

 

Cylach Videv, Current Chapter Master

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Not bad. I need more details on the Black Sun Apostles raid that allowed the traitors to claim Strorion's hand, though, due to the following questions:

 

1) Assuming the hand was kept aboard the Golden Eagles flagship, how did the traitors sneak past the escorting warships and then aboard the flagship? Did the Black Sun Apostles use Warp-based sorcery to teleport from their base (wherever that is) directly into the ship's reclusiam?

 

2) Assuming the hand was kept on the surface of a Golden Eagles recruiting world (which would be easier to get to than a vault ABOARD A WARSHIP), does the Chapter build keeps on various planets for various reasons, like the Black Templars? Or did the Chapter choose to be fleet-based AFTER the Black Sun Apostles' raid?

 

Also, remember what amber is. How do the Golden Eagles Chapter Masters engrave on something encased in amber? Do they dissolve the amber (which may damage the hand), make their engravings, and then re-encase the hand in amber (which may be time-consuming, considering the size of a Space Marine's hand) every time? Or do they make the engravings on the amber itself?