Kardan Rauth

Kardan Rauth was a former Astartes of the Iron Hands who was eventually chosen to become the first Chapter Master of the newly created Sons of Iron Space Marine Chapter, created during the 26th Founding.

Background
Kardan Rauth, called the Inflexible by his brothers, was the first Chapter Master of the Sons of Iron Chapter. Even among the Astartes his size would make him a colossus, without even taking into account his numerous bionic ameliorations, which make him more machine than man. This veteran served the Imperium for more than 700 years, first as an Iron Hand and then as a Son of Iron. He was a cold, austere and merciless man, whose devotion to the medusan faith was severely put in question with the discovery of the Parchment of Neimerel. Since he read them, Rauth struggled everyday against the weakness in his mind which inspired his disgust toward his own flesh. This fight between his new-found faith and his deep drives weighed more on his soul with each passing day. Kardan Rauth knew very well that his men drawn from the Iron Hands suffered just as much as he does while those hailing from Suami saw him with a deep respect tinged of pity.

If at the beginning he saw himself as in exile among his young brothers from Suami, they have managed to earn his respect among the decades of war, and even his admiration, forcing him to soften -if only a little- the purges he conducted. As he died, Kardan Rauth saw himself as a Son of Iron who had reached the end of his time. He considered that the time had come for him to die on the battlefield long before actually succumbing so he could transmit the charge of Chapter Master to another man. But until the very end, Rauth wielded his mighty Thunder-hammer, Foesgrinder, and his huge Tempest-shield, Rampart of the Imperium, to bring down the enemies of Ferrus Manus and the Emperor. Woe was the lost of those who underestimated the old Inflexible, for even at the twilight of his service to the Imperium, Kardan Rauth remained a formidable warrior.

He fell defending the Imperium on the World of Hyborea, his almost entirely mechanical body consumed by the horrible metal-eater mutants which had infected and overthrown the pure-blooded natives.