Codex Adeptus Astartes: Ardent Swords (WIP)

[Knightsword]

I've never been good at penning a shorter format or minimising the amount of detail I end up putting into IA articles, but here is my latest attempt. This is the latest revision of my Chapter, the Ardent Swords. The idea for this version of the Chapter came about before the novella Garro: Knight of Grey was released and so the idea was that Garro survived the Heresy and was given leave to found his own Chapter using the original Terran genestock from old Albia and took an alias for essentially a fresh start. This was also partly dow n to wanting to do a chapter with light nods to Arthurian lore and I'd read a couple of posts on the internet about how Libertas was potentially an in-universe version of Excalibur which I thought was cool and incorporated that. Obviously we now know he dies dueling Mortarion so I need to rethink the Chapter origin to whether I want to go with headcannon and pull a Rise of Skywalker "somehow he returned" gaff, or change their founding entirely. I also didn't want to go too hard on the Imperial Creed given that Garro became a believer during the Heresy. I chose to have the Chapter believe the Emperor's divinity but not worship overtly and not have it be a major factor of their look and feel

 

Rambling aside, here's the latest revision.

 

 

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The Ardent Swords are a loyalist Space Marine Chapter created during an unknown Founding with records of their gene-sire expunged from official records. This dearth of knowledge of their creation has left them with a near pathological need to ensure their deeds are meticulously recorded as they bring the Emperor’s fury to the foes of mankind.

 

Homeworld

The world of Camlann is located in the Cambrian system within the Cambriae sub-sector in Segmentum Obscurus, to the galactic northeast of the Eye of Terror. It is a temperate world with one large supercontinent sitting on the planet’s equator. The world is currently entering a glacial maximum resulting in the northern third of the continent being no-more than a mountainous icescape inhabited by creatures akin to the dragons of ancient Terran myth. These beasts often roam further south into the warmer populated regions. The rest of the lands are home to lush forests and open plains spread between the numerous mountain ranges. The population of Camlann can be found spread across ten feudal provinces. In millennia long past the world was a thriving Knight World until the coming of the Heresy.

 

Battlecry

Long live Artair! Long live the Emperor!

 

Chapter History

Whilst the exact time of their Founding cannot be confirmed, available fragmentary and anecdotal evidence lends credence to sometime around the Second Founding and it is believed by the Chapter that their first Chapter Master was one Artair Gaolehnn. The Chapter themselves attribute this loss of records to a pivotal conflict in their history known as the First Battle of Camlann, which itself has taken on a near mythological place in their annals. Believed to have taken place in early to mid M31, the First Battle of Camlann centres on the betrayal of the then First Company Captain, Morgan Medraut, and a subsequent daemonic incursion unleashed by him. Chapter Master Artair Gaolehnn overcame the traitor by throwing himself and Medraut into the warp which halted the tide of daemons. The Fortress Monastery was heavily damaged including the destruction of the Librarium and Reclusiam, the cause of the loss of their early records.

 

Following reorganisation, the Ardent Swords almost exclusively dedicated themselves to what would become known as the Great Hunt where they stalked Morgan across the stars. They would subsequently lend aid to notable campaigns such as the Scouring of Vincies, Waaagh Skullkraka, the Hunt for the Illustrious Faith and Vagrim’s Heresy to name but a few. The latter centuries of M41 would see them return to Camlann in strength to defend it in the Second and Third Battles of Camlann against Morgan Medraut and his minions, the final battle resulting in Lord Gwain Leoghann being elevated to Chapter Master, the first since the days of Artair almost ten millennia ago.

 

With the subsequent opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum the Chapter found themselves separated with half their number in Imperium Sanctus and the other present on their homeworld in Imperium Nihilus. Lord Gwain would take his forces in Sanctus and link up with Fleet Secundus of the Indomitus Crusade as they campaigned towards the Eye of Terror. From there he led a Torchbearer fleet through the Nachmund Gauntlet and relieved a Heretic Astartes siege encircling Camlann, bringing much needed reinforcements to the Ardent Swords.

 

Chapter Monastery

The Knighthold is a monumental edifice in the southern landscape of Camlann’s Cavallon province. Nestled at the foot of the Eastwall Mountain range this imposing fortress resembles an ancient feudal castle borne of stone and metal. Long ago it served as the seat of the Knight House of Penthraig, rulers of Camlann when it was a Knight World. The structure itself is far older than most are privy to, being built on top of the remains of the original Long March ark that first colonised the world. Recently discovered stasis vaults containing Questoris pattern Knight-frames have led to an effort to rebuild House Penthraig as a Questoris Household in alliance with the Ardent Swords.

 

Chapter Culture

The Chapter places great value on loyalty and deeds of valour performed on the battlefield, and their meticulous recording so that they may be retold across the ages and never forgotten. It is these deeds that are rewarded with honours such as emblazoning one’s own personal heraldry on their power armour. The fear of being forgotten is a driving force that ever ushers the Astartes of the Ardent Swords on to ever greater deeds. This drive to have their tales remembered and subsequent fear of being forgotten stems in part from the destruction of the Chapter’s earliest records during the First Battle of Camlann.

 

The Ardent Swords believe in the Emperor's divinity, similar to the Red Scorpions, and so the Chaplains' sermons are a mix of sermon and the Chapter's history. They are the living memory of the Ardent Swords and extol the heroic deeds of fallen Battle-Brothers, their sermons re-enforcing and inspiring those listening on to greater deeds than their forebears so that their tales may one day be recounted.

 

Until recent events the Ardent Swords had no Chapter Master. With Morgan the Betrayer seemingly surviving being plunged into the Warp alongside Artair, the Chapter held out hope that he to yet lived. On this belief was founded the reign of the Lord Regent, steward of the Ardent Swords and Chapter Master in all but title. For nearly ten thousand years the Lord Regents led the Chapter until Lord Gwain Leoghann claimed the relic sword Caliburnus Rex and was proclaimed Chapter Master following the Third Battle of Camlann just prior to the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum.

 

Organisation

The Ardent Swords followed the Codex Astartes with a number of minor divergences prior to their restructuring following their losses from the First Battle of Camlann in M31. In order to return to operational strength as quickly as possible they consolidated their remaining Astartes into fewer Companies that were greater in size. Since then, this new organisation has evolved and they now operate the standard 1^st Company consisting of the Chapter’s veterans, along with 6 Battle Companies consisting of approximately 170 Battle-Brothers plus Neophytes and Aspirants, and a non-standard 8^th Company consisting of mounted cavalry.

 

 

Recruitment

The Ardent Swords lack the traditional 10^th Company and instead the Chapter’s six Battle-Companies are responsible for their own recruitment, drawing their neophytes exclusively from their assigned feudal provinces on Camlann. Recruitment takes many forms, but the most common are through the Pact of Lords and the annual Grand Tournaments. The numerous noble houses of Camlann are sworn to provide their firstborn sons to the Ardent Swords with the region in which they reside determining which Company they enter. The Grand Tournaments in turn are available for all to participate in, allowing those not of noble blood but noble in spirit the chance to prove themselves worthy of becoming a neophyte through combat.

 

Combat Doctrine

The Ardent Swords prefer close, melee combat to ranged warfare, believing there is greater honour in defeating your foe face to face. They are however not blind to the necessity and usefulness of ranged weaponry and will employ it to great effect in support of their spearhead assault forces. War is treated akin to a sport, taking pride in testing their skills against the various enemies of Humanity as they seek to have their deeds recounted in the centuries to come.

 

When making war, the Ardent Swords will focus on two main tactics. The first is orbital assault; the Strikeforce will use Drop Pods and Thunderhawk gunships to perform a mass-landing in the wake of a heavy orbital bombardment under the supporting fire of Stormraven and Stormhawk gunships.

 

If the foe withstands their initial assault, then the Ardent Swords will land their heavy transports and launch a spearhead against the weakest link in the enemy's defensive line led by units of their wyrm-mounted Lancer squads.

 

Geneseed

Those bearing the geneseed of the Ardent Swords are observed to carry a stoic temperament and gene-crafted aptitude. The exact source of the Chapter’s gene-sire is locked behind layers of Inquisitorial seal, however the level of stability demonstrated by their tithe points towards the Ultramarines as their forebears. It should be noted however that the geneseed of the Chapter appears to grant additional advantages not seen within the line of Guilliman such as apparent increased endurance.

 

Chapter Relics

As with any Astartes chapter, the Ardent Swords maintain a collection of relics ranging from potent weapons of war to ancient tomes and scrolls. The most prominent of these is the relic blade Caliburnus Rex. This ancient sword is said to predate Old Night and was Artair’s weapon. It was reforged after being shattered during the end days of the Heresy and wielded anew by the Chapter Master. It then spent ten millennia embedded in a stone dais before being claimed by the then 2^nd Company Captain, Lord Gwain Leoghann. It is said that the sword possesses a unique machine spirit.

 

 

Edited Friday at 01:19 PM by Knightsword
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