Index Astartes: Fists of Light (Iron Gauntlet 2024)

[Rusted Boltgun]

Chapter Name: ……………………………….Fists of light

 

Founding: ……………………………………….Ultima Founding

 

Chapter World: …………………………....Cantab IV

 

Fortress Monastery: ……………………Name (Note)

 

Gene-Seed (Predecessor): ……………..Salamanders

 

Known Descendants: ……………………N / A

 

“Duty and Service take many forms.  We will perform our duty with honour, we will serve as our Primarch expected.”

- Lord Chaplain Hruoh

 

 

Origins

 

The Fists of Light are a Salamanders Successor chapter from the Ultima Founding.

The Torchbearer Fleet ‘Honest Truth’ under the auspices of Custodian Auxilian was dispatched to Cantab IV to reinforce the the Dark Shepherds chapter, the remains of which had sought refuge and reinforcement on the Imperial agri-world.

The Dark Shepherds had been en route to Cantab IV when they fell foul of a Word Bearers warband, The Illuminated Page.

The fierce void battle cost the Shepherds dearly. Whilst they had numerical superiority in terms of ships, the Astartes were spread thinly across them. They had always been a small chapter and had not been reinforced for some time.

In a desperate attempt to send a call for assistance, a small force of 30 Shepherds under Chaplain Arcan headed for the nearest Imperial world, their original destination nation - Cantab IV.

Chapter Master Quintos fought desperately against the Chaos warband and the two fleets traded blows until the the Chaos warband was forced into retreat. Their forces now insufficient to launch an offensive on the planet.

Upon planetfall, Chaplain Arcan’s Shepherds were greeted by the incumbent Sisters of Battle, the Order of the Eternal Flame and sent out a request for aid and reinforcement.

The Astartes fleet had been an unwelcome distraction for the Chaos Legionnaries. Once restored and rearmed, the Warband commenced their original plan, decimated the remaining Astartes ships laying in orbit and descending to the plant surface. Of the Shepherds, only Arcan and his small force remained.

The heretics laid siege to the capital city and the Shepherds lent their forces to the Sisters. In a gradual war of attrition,  the remaining Shepherds were lost. The last was Lord Chaplain Arcan, falling to the cursed blade of the Word Bearer’s Aspiring Champion.

One of the Sisters, Susannah, had received a vision dream of the city being struck by a beam of bright light, cleansing fire sweeping away the heretics. The next day their prayers were answered in the form of Drop Pods delivering the green-clad Greyshield Primaris, with Auxilian at their head. Those that emerged from the forest surrounding the city did so with hands stained with the blood and gore of their enemies.

The Illuminated Page vanquished, the Primaris marines were left without a chapter to reinforce and no-one to instruct them in the ways of the Dark Shepherds. To the Sisters, they weren’t a gift from Guilliman or Cawl but a gift from the Emperor himself, sent down in the shaft of blinding light, as in Susannah’s dream, and presented to them with hands red with heretic blood. They were the Fists of Light.

 

The emblem of the Fists of Light is the mailed fist, common across numerous Astartes Chapters.

Battle plate is often enhanced with addition emblems, seals and other personalisations. These may help to bring squads together or mark an andividual’s journey.

Each marine is encouraged to record a journal, an oppportunity to reflect on their experiences, place them in context. These histories are then available to new initiates, not so much as training manuals but as guides, multiple perspectives on what it means to be an Astartes, what has come before and how it shaped their brethren.

 

 

Fists of Light Assault Intercessors

 

Homeworld

 

Cantab IV is primarily an agri world, producing livestock to export. Surrounding worlds in the system are valuable mining planets, producing ore.

Cantab IV’s capital, Cascara, is home to the Sisters of The Eternal Flame.

They are resident in the Hyume cathedral, sworn to protect the artifact held in its highest tower – The Lantern of St Stephen.

This Light, which has never gone out, was brought to Cantab IV by Saint Stephen. He was sent forth by his superiors who had recognised the power and the draw of the relic. Stephen somehow survived four attempts on his life before being exiled to Cantab IV with a mission of Sisters accompanying him. They were not there to protect him, but to keep the artefact safe. Their duty remains the same now – to the relic over the populace.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

Captain Vargen has been keen to incorporate as much of the Dark Shepherds philosophy – doctrine and tactial- as possible to provide a grounding for the new chapter.

This has included updating bike squads to Outriders and incorporating Phobos armoured troops into the force organisation.

Phobos troops have been deployed in covert squads, typically utilising flanking methods to encircle their enemies. Vox clicks and high pitched whistle signals are used to co-ordinate squads who isolate elements of enemy forces upon which they concentrate attention before repeating the exercise to whittle down their opponents.

The FoL have two In Victor Tactial Warsuits to call upon in lieu of any warriors having been elevated to dreadnought status.

When Lord Chaplain Hruoh takes to the field, he will often do so on his bike, followed by a retinue of Outriders.

Alternatively, he will take the Chapter’s sole suit of Tactical Dreadnought Armour – a relic that belonged to the last Dark Shepherds Lord Chaplain, Arcan.

The largest of engagements will involve planetfall by drop pods – the method from which they gained their name. Swift and with a mighty impact, like a hammer wrought by Vulkan.

 

Beliefs

 

As sons of Vulkan, the FoL are aware of the tome of but do not follow it to the letter. They are not born or Nocturne and this force of Primaris marines are disclocated, separated from the influence of Firstborn mentors following the loss of the Dark Shepherds.

They are left with the teachings of Lord Chaplain Arcan and the relics of their forebears

-         The staff

-         The horn

-         The hammer

It has fallen to Chaplain Hruoh to take up the spiritual mantle of the newly formed chapter and Hruoh has taken on the mantle of Lord Chaplain. They are, in some ways defined by what they are not rather than what they are. The Sisters on the planet are there to protect The Lantern. By contrast, the Astartes are there to protect the human citizens of the planet – the flock as Lord Chaplain Arcan referred to them in his writings.

The FoL use the writings of the esteemed Chaplain as a basis for the beliefs, themselves a distillation, a translation, of Vulkan’s writings via a Successor chapter.

 

Organisation

 

The Chapter is fully Primaris as none of the Dark Shepherds were alive by the time the Greyshield arrived on Cantab IV.

They also carry no Terminator armour, bar one suit of the late Lord Chaplain. This is the only relic armour that remains.

The Shepherds had suffered heavy losses even before the final assault by the Word Bearers and the only armour that remains comes from those marines who perished on Cantab IV. Elements of this armour have been bestowed on the most decorated warriors who have been given the deisgnation of Sternguard Veterans.

The chapter does not yet have a First, Veteran Company. The Fists of Light do not feeling that they have yet earned this right. They feel not fear or doubt and yet something holds them back from absolute cetainty of purpose.

The sole suit of Terminator armour is bestowed upon the Lord Chaplain. This relic armour from the Dark Shepherds has been repaired, the lower abdominal element where mortal would suffered by Arcan was received has been excised and replaced. The wound was struck by a daemon blade but the armour has been exorcised and reconsecrated by the Sisters of The Eternal Flame.

Auxilian bestowed the Chapter a company of Marines, spread across a wide range of abilities and armour variations with two Dreadnought Sarchopigia, however, they are yet to be brought to to life.

To aid the establishment of the Chapter, Magos M’GU-Haart has been left with his team of techno-serfs and equipment to reinforce the Astartes with suitable candidates from the population. At this point, permission for this to be established on the planet has not been granted by the Canonness.

Given their small numbers, emphasis is placed upon survival of the Astartes. Accordingly, in addition to their Chief Apothecary, they have Field Medics embedded within their Intercessor squads. These medics are trained and equipped to recover gene seed where absolutely necessary and will become full apothecaries in due course.

In place of a Judiciar, the Fists of Light have ‘Aspirant Chaplains’. These acolytes are Chaplains in training in the same way as the Judiciar.

 

Force Enhancement

 

Whilst the Chapter is currently smaller than average, it is fully expected that the Fists of Light will grow in number.

Not only do they have the Magos on hand to create new intakes of Astartes to swell the ranks, Auxilian has pledged to return with or send armour to bulk out the Chapter. Specifically  this will be Terminator armour.

As the Chapter expands, it is expected that a veteran 1st Company will be created.

 

Chapter Fleet

 

The Fists of Light have a small band of ships left to the by Custodian Auxilian, a splinter from his feet which brought the Greyshields to Cantab IV.

 

Gene-Seed

 

The Fists of Light are successors of Vulkan, their gene-seed having been defined by Arch-Magos Caul in their construction as Primaris marines.

 

Chapter Motto

 

In battle we serve. Our duty is to prosecute the foe.

 

Selected Battle Honours

 

The Release of Cascara, Cantab IV recovery [###.M42]

 

The battle started with the Astartes as Greyshields, emerging as the Fists of Light. Blooded arms and torsos became the colours of their battle plate, the chapter name reflecting their arrival on the planet.

The tattered remains of The Illuminated Page warband fled the world, without claiming their prize of the Lantern of St Stephen or even having breached the city walls.

 

Freebooter 1st incursion [###.M42]

 

On its journey to Cantab IV, the fleet containing the Greyshield Dark Shepherds was ambushed by an Ork Freebooter fleet as it dropped out of warp.

As the capital ship was waiting for the rest of the fleet to safely rejoin from the warp, the Freebooterz pounced.

A fierce void battle ensued but within minutes it was apparent that the Orks were severely outnumbered as the other ships from the fleet emerged from the empyrean and so they beat a hasty retreat.

The Greyshields had mobilised, ready in boarding torpedoes and void craft but never got the opportunity to rest their mettle against the greenskins.

 

Freebooter 2nd Incursion [###.M42]

 

The Freebooter’s shadowed the Greyshield fleet. Whilst this does not appear to be typical Ork behaviour, the Freebooterz Kaptin was no typical Ork.

Kaptin Zigbutt was paricularly long-lived for an Ork, with many decades of realspace sailing experience which he put to good use in the pursuit of the Imperial fleet. His obstinance and persistence had paid off before – he had shadowed the original Dark Shepherd fleet, claiming their ruined ships as his own after their downfall at the hands of The Illuminated Page.

Piles of Dark Shepherd equipment lay up at the back of the bridge, loot the Kaptin was particularly proud of. These included the former Chapter Master’s helmet and pauldrons.

Having realised that they were being followed, Auxilian’s fleet lay a trap as they reached the system containing Cantab IV. One of their cruisers, the Lachrimosa, separated from the main body of the fleet, moving out of sensory range of the Orks, behind the nearby sun.

The manouvre was a success, as the the Orks descended upon the stationary fleet, the Lachrimosa appeared behind the. The Imperial cruiser released a devastating salvo of torpedoes – both explosive and carrying a transhuman payload.

It does not take long for the Greyshields to take control of the Kaptin’s bridge, only to find it deserted. The wily old Kaptin masterminded the attack from another vessel and was now disappearing  into the void, vowing vengeance on da ‘umies for not playing fair.

 

Great Heroes

 

Lord Chaplain Hruoh

 

Greyshield Chaplain Hruoh was elevated by Auxilian to lead his chapter in terms of faith a doctrine.

His natural aptitude to assimilate text and produce inspiring oratory in excess of his already accomplished brethren made him the inspired choice.

Hruoh had taken his forebear’s writing s to heart, feeling them to be the link to the Chapter of which they should have been a part, the Dark Shepherds. The Shepherds has referred to their battle brothers as being part of ‘a flock’, shepherded on their path of righteousness by the Chaplains.

This Hruoh took the mantle of Lord Chaplain, like his Shepherd predecessor. Canonness Nagra presented him with two artefacts left by the Shepherds – a Chaplain’s Crozius that was unusual in its design – instead of typical eagle wings, it was topped with a crook. There was also a horn, ivory carved from the horn of some grazing animal, such as a shepherd on a basic agri-world might carry.

 

I am the Shepherd of my flock. We are all sons of the Primarch. We have been raised, elevated to serve the Emperor for the benefit of our lesser brethren and to spread his Light across the galaxy.

 

 

Captain Vargen

 

Captain Vargen led the assault on Cantab IV, first among his troops to land on the planet and first to fight. Duty overrides all and his desire to cleanse the world, to bring safety and security to it’s inhabitants drives his zeal. As Hruoh reminds him, they were once all of the flock, all under the God-Emperor.

Vargen spent much of the time in the travel to Cantab IV in the company of Auxilian. In both the training cages and the stateroom he learned his role, expanding upon the knowledge implanted by Cawl.

His command experience was further honed in the battles they entered into on their journey to their destination.

 

Duty weighs heavy on the soul. Our Primarch is lost to is. Guilliman is not our Father, Cawl is not our Father. As we fight on the fringes of the galaxy we must band together as brothers and take strength from our unity of purpose. We are Astartes. We are the will of the Emperor made real.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 07:49 AM by Rusted Boltgun
Added dates

[Rusted Boltgun]

This is technically my second homebrew chapter, the first being the Marines I painted as a kid.

 

 

 

The Iron Gauntlet challenge came along just as I was revisiting the colour scheme of my original marines and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

 

What I don't have in place yet are

 - a time

- a location in the galaxy

[sitnam]

As far as location, I think what matters is whether you want Sanctus or Nihilus to be their realm. Both have narrative advantages. I think given the lore of them reinforcing a beleaguered chapter, Nihilus might be more suitable. 

 

I would worry too much about dates. The post-Great Rift timeline is kind of in flux and not as well defined. For my own force, I simply wrote ~M42 for events happening post-rift.

[Trokair]

While I can see that the Chapter respects the Sisters on the planet, I am not sure any Space Marine chapter would stand for an external authority denying them the ability to recruit on what is designated as their homeworld.

What was your intention with the Canoness not granting permission?   

[Rusted Boltgun]

Thanks @sitnam, I've amended to show M42. Had a look at Nihilus too, feels like it should be the most fitting setting.

 

Thanks also @Trokair that's much appreciated.

In my head, this world falls under the rule of the Ecclesiarchy, making the Astartes 'guests' on the planet.

However, perhaps I should revisit this point. Is the Canonness really in a position to say 'no' to Astartes - Astartes presented to the world by a Custodes too!*

Given that my next IG vow is meant to include Scouts I think the next chapter in this story will be the establishment of the FoL on Cantab IV.

 

*Already writing the 'discussion' between the two parties in my head 

[sitnam]

One advantage of Nihilus is that the norms of the Imperial hierarchy are broken in many sectors. The Spears of the Emperor were shown as either commanding Imperial Navy elements or just straight up using Navy ships in their book. I think the unique governing situation of Cantab IV can fit into Nihilus well, and could help explain how Astartes have an Ecclesiarchal world as their world

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

The entwined dichotomy between the Astartes and the Sororitas vis a vis recruiting is an interesting one indeed--presumably the world has a Scholam, which the Sisters get fresh blood from, what's to say that eventually the FoL couldn't recruit from amongst the boys of the schola?

 

It would be an interesting read indeed to look inside the canoness's reasons for initially denying recruitment rights to the chapter, and how she's brought about, especially since one of her Sisters had a vision of the crusade arriving. Is it possible that Susannah and the Canoness don't get along? Some disciplinary problem, perhaps, or an interpersonal conflict, that would make her suspicious of the FoL? A "we thank you for your aid, now get lost, this is our jurisdiction" type thing?

 

That's definitely excellent fodder with the scouts to work on figuring out how the whole thing goes down.