Ardent Shields

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Ardent Shields
"We are the shield of humanity, from all that wish them harm. We stand here today in order to make sure that every man, women, and child in the hive cities below may grow and prosper even when we have fallen and been forgotten. We are not here to seek honor or glory for our selves, we are here as the protector’s of man, as the Emperor himself does upon his Throne, it is now our duty to do the same. Semper Fidelis."

- Ardent Shields oath ceremony

Found around the 20th founding, the Ardent Shields are a relatively new chapter whose founding was based off a need to add more numbers to the Adeptus Astartes in the Armageddon Sector well still abiding by the Codex Astartes. Founded near the end of the 35th millenia by the detachment of Ultramarines who had partook in the minor crusade known as the “Salvation Crusade”. These Astartes would form a much greater form of brotherhood with their Imperial Guard brothers which would come to define their very chapter in the centuries to come.

They would soon be known for their immense sense of duty and skillfulness as the centuries went and their worlds populace began to grow. It was not uncommon for a member of the Ardent Shields to risk their life just to bring back one lost Guardsmen from behind enemy lines, or the war torn battlefield. This would also be a detriment to them as it would increase the chance of that Astartes never coming back, but the ones who did survive learned greatly and quickly. They have grown to be a non-codex Chapter due to the culture that had slowly developed from books found in a ancient tech priest reliquary built around a Golden Age of man computer. This has also led them to butting heads with the inquisition quite a few times.

Chapter History
Refounded around the end of the 35th millennia by a Rogue Trader who was investigating a faint and ancient Imperial distress beacon from a lost sub sector in the Armageddon Sector. The Trader was forced away soon after entering the sub sector by the appearance of a massive Battleship of Imperial design, painted all over with metal welded over holes, clear indications of an Ork looting, as well as it’s many ramshackle escorts, but not before getting a partial scan done, revealing the once Imperial desert planets there. With the chance that the sub sector may be infested with enough Orks to create a WAAAGH big enough to attack other nearby lightly defended Agricultural worlds or cause major trouble along supply lines, plans for a minor Crusade began to come together.

Nearby Ultramarine and Imperial Guard forces were requested along with two Battle Fleets combining to a total of nearly 100 ships to deal with the situation. When the request was finally met some years later, the minor crusade began to purge the sector of the Orks. The initial attack on the sector went horribly as the reclaimed Imperial Battleship, identified as the ‘Salvation’, seemed to be near indestructible as it rammed though Escorts and Light Cruisers, taking full broadsides from ships, but seeming to take very little. The Ultramarines that were with the fleet came up with the plan to knock it out from the inside using the teleportarium. This attack was successful, killing the Ork captain on the bridge, the ship now floating dead as the tech priests aboard the remaining vessels seemed abuzz, sending the news of this ancient ship to the nearest Forgeworld, detecting one right in the sector, making them even more curious as to what the world was doing here, and what secrets could it hold as the fleet continued with it’s crusade.

When the fleet had originally approached the Forgeworld, the Fleet was met with a automated greeting by a orbital station that was still operational, recognizing the Imperial codes. The station’s weapons were found to be all but non functional due to lack of power through the ship, or ammo reserves having dried up centuries ago. The area around the station made it clear the Ork’s had tried getting aboard many a times, to little effect from the debris of ships around it, clearly having slammed into the void shields. With this new staging ground aboard the station, a new supply line was opened to rage the crusade on the Forgeworld below as tech priests and servitor’s went about the then named station “Resurgence”, fixing broken down system’s and helping to relieve the machine spirit of the stations stress from operating for so long in such a state.

The crusade on the Forgeworld would last nearly 10 years with millions of Guardsmen dying in the battles, fighting Ork’s that numbered in the Hundreds of thousands on the Forgeworld alone, having to request Adepta Sororitas and Titan support to fight off the many things the Orks had created to fight each other having made many Knight class and several Titan class machines along with looted Baneblades, earning the Forgeworld the name of “Annihilation”. The Hive worlds were another story, most building had been left standing, but had clearly seen battle damage, or just lack of maintenance from being left alone with the Orks. During this decade long battle, they Astartes that were deployed grew to respect their Imperial Guard brothers, watching how they would fit on even in the worst of case scenarios.

Far away from any of the city and surrounded by one of the biggest Ork Clanz on the planet sat a bunker miles below the planet’s crust sat a Tech Priest reliquary, filled with ancient books, ranging from warfare tactics to how to bake a double decker cake. They found very little in the way of ancient tech, but what they did find out put the rest of what they had found to shame. A Sword, a Hammer, two Daggers, a Lance, a massive Gun with a sword on the bottom, and a Cannon all were well kept inside of a secured section of the bunker with no signs of any STC’s or anything about them besides some lists detailing some basic’s on the weapon. After 4 more years of fighting, the system had been as cleansed as it could be of the Ork’s, allowing the Imperium to begin to restore the sector to functionality.

The Ultramarines decided that they did not have enough Astartes near the subsector to protect or partac in crusades so they founded a new chapter their, leaving half a company's worth of Astartes. Over the next 6 millennia, they adopted new tactics into their previous ones from the books they had found from ancient times, before even the Golden age. As they learned from those books, they were forced to take up a more jack of all trades role as a Chapter, now going by the name, ‘Ardent Shields’, in honor of the knowledge that they had gained from a ancient war force known as ‘United States Marines Corp’ and ‘Spartans’, adopting a black, brown, and sandy color scheme. They only posse 6 Companies, the 1st Honor Company, 2nd Tactical Company and 3rd Assault Company are almost never at full Company strength due to almost always being head long in nearby crusades and defenses.

Notable Campaigns
M35 - Salvation Crusade

This is where the Chapter first began to gain its reputation from it heavy work with Guard forces throughout the whole crusade.

M37 - Operation burning tide

During this campaign is where they would slowly begin to develop their disdain and in some cases hatred of Inquisitor's willingness to subject entire planets of people to the end of a ship cannon because the fighting would be too costly and time consuming, at one point, even coming to blows with them when a Inquisitor began to rain Imperial fire onto an Imperial Hive city that was currently undergoing a heretical rebellion with many Imperial Guard and a few of the Chapters brothers still located their. The Chapter Master of the Ardent Shields responded by ramming his Strike Cruiser into the Inquisitors, branding the man a traitor to the Imperium as him and the First Company boarded his ship and took the man prisoner, sending him to be judged by the High Inquisitors for his actions against the Chapter.

M38 - Calidas Campaign

This is still the highest number of casualties the Ardent Shields have ever sustained, losing almost 60% of the 1st Company, including the Company Commander and most of their Terminators, 20% of the 3rd and 5th Companies along with their Chapter Master in defense of Forgeworld Annihilation from a incursion from the daemons of Tzeentch as they had hoped in taking this world for their god. The battle for the planet was a massive defense on part of the Ardent Shields due to the high amount of Daemons, the tide only turning from the arrival of a Titan Legion and some nearby Imperial Guard Regiments. This would lead too over a year of fighting before a final climactic battle between Company Commander Kratos and the Greater Daemon leading the invaders which would end in a draw, both Kratos and the Daemon liying defeated. As thanks for their sacrifice and defense of the Forgeworld, the Tech priests gifted them the recently repaired Retribution class Battleship the “Salvation” as it was all they could offer due to the amount of damage the Forge Worlds factories had taken in the conflict.

M41 - Calidas Campaign II

Around 3 Millennia after the first Calidas Campaign, another group of warp tainted beings tried their hand at taking the Forge World. This time they would not be fighting Daemon’s, or even traitor Astartes, but traitor's of Mars. This fight against the Dark Mechanicus would only end with the help from a very unlikely source. The Dark Eldar, the Kabal of the Sixth Heart only payment request was for a planet that offered no strategic or resource value of any kind, at least to the Imperium, and some psykers. The Ardent shields agreed, if a little put off about why they would want such things.

Chapter Homeworld
Tesca arctica scriptor protector (Tundra’s Shield) is a desert world where every Hive city is encased in a massive dom to protect against the nearly 300 mile an hour dust storms that will appear. The period between storms can range from a few weeks to a few days. When the storms are not active, there are still many dangers when going out of the dom. Whether it be from the roaming Ork gangs who hide in their underground workshops during the storms. The normal desert worm grow to the size of a Leman Russ and pray on anything smaller than it, the safest place from these is near the massive rocky locations the Hive Cities are built around. The much bigger mother worms can grow from either 500 meter to just under a kilometer long, swallowing low flying aircraft and large convoy vehicles. Right below these rocky locations is a massive water reservoir that spans kilometers in every direction giving the idea the planet may have once been a water world before something happened that turned into into what they see now. The ever changing terrain of the desert makes it hard convoy’s or merchants without ships to get from city to city as it is impossible to tell when an Ork raiding group is about to come leaping over one of the dunes in their buggies before running back to their hidden caves under the sand. The Ardent Shields retain a somewhat indirect rule of the world and its neighbors. They will attend many services and major event such as the celebration of their founding in order to inspire moral among the populace and troops. They will also only make changes if something has affected the efficiency of anything negatively, otherwise they leave it up to the sub sector council which consists of a leader from each of the planets in the sector.

Fortress-Monastery
Sacrarium Spiritus Sanctus (Sanctuary of Silence) is a place of where the Ardent Shield Marines come to rest and reflect, looking over the vast deserts with multiple Hive Cities on the horizon. It is a place where the only sound that can be heard is the stepping of tech priests, servitor's, and other Astartes. Records of almost every Marine in the Chapter is recorded on a holo wall in the very center of the sanctuary, from the newest Scouts too the oldest Spartan. The Sanctuary is completely automated with it's own outer defensive guns and a void shield that may cover it in times of crisis. The sanctuary was built upon the site of the ancient tech priest reliquary and is almost the only place you can find a Chaplain in the entire Chapter.

Chapter Gene-Seed
A slight mutation has lowered their sense of self preservation, leading them to die much sooner than a normal Marine, but often times leading them to a story worthy death. This has lead to the Chapter having much fewer marines survive for more than a few century.

Chapter Combat Doctrine
Ardent Shield combat revolves around the idea of being the first into the fight, believing it's their duty to die in the place of the countless men and women of the Imperial Guard who they see as the future of man, normal men and women who can stand in the face of the worst that can be thrown at them and spit in its face. This comes down to them revolving around being fast and hard hitting shock troopers who specialize in their versatility to be able to quickly change from fighting a Ork WAGH too assaulting a Chaos stronghold.

They are also readily able to accept any form of help from Imperial Guard Forces, understanding the strategic value of cooperation with other Imperial forces, knowing that well a Astartes can turn the tide of any battle, they should be turning the tide of the biggest or most strategic battles, saving as many men as possible to help in the following battle. During times in which the Imperial Guard or other Imperial forces are resupplying, it is not uncommon to see a member of the Ardent Shields walking around with patrol’s or helping unload muniton’s or food.

Notable Space Marines
Enpvon Sharis- The first Chapter Master of the Ardent Shields. He was the commander of the Astartes forces in the “Salvation Crusade.” He would remain Chapter Master the longest so far for the chapter at almost 2 millenia before falling in battle against the unending hordes of the Daemons of Tzeentch well defending a tech priest command center on Forge World Annihilation until Guard and Astarts reinforcements arrived. Enpvon was to first come to prominence during the “Salvation Crusade” where time after time he would lead the charge into the most dangerous combat zones. This first started when he lead the strike team aboard the then Ork looted battleship “Salvation” where he would defeat the Kaptain in a one on one duel. He would continue to lead the assaults against the Ork Warboss’ on each of the worlds in the sub sector, each one falling by his hands. He would later show is commitment to those men under his command by ramming his Strike Cruiser into a Inquisitorial Cruiser which was bombing the Hive City that still had his Ardent Shield and Guard forces still in their.

Kratos- A wielder of the Talon’s Fildies and Magister Psyler of the chapter during the first Calidas Campaign, he lead the 1st company into battle against the Daemon incursion of Forgeworld Annihilation where he fell after beating back the greater Daemon of Tzeentch

Hadrius Vizor Assanius- 2nd Company Commander during the early years of M37. He fell fighting off thousands of Ork’s well Guard forces retreated, splitting the leading Warboss in half moments before being ripped apart by the tide of green.

Calidorus Camerius- 2nd Company Tactical Marine at the time of M38 deployed with one of the Ardent Guard Super Heavy Company’s inorder to break a defensive line of Orks. During one of the battles the Baneblade “Exterminium” (Extermination) took a critical hit to it’s drive system, leaving it dead in the water without its ability to move. Knowing what would happen to the Guard forces if they kept pushing up without it’s support, he ordered the Astartes under his command to help him push the tank. This left them all extremely vulnerable to enemy anti tank fire as they moved the 300 ton behemoth along. Calidorus would end up in a critical state when he was hit by an Ork Rokkit square in the side, blowing his left arm and leg clear off well damaging most of his organs. He would later be entombed within a Dreadnought for his actions that day. He would go on to help hold strategic points during the ”Calidas Campaign.”

Chapter Colours
The Main Power Armor is a light Sandy Color, The Armoured Umbilical and Crouched areas are a darker color. The lenses are Teal, The Aquila and hounor colors are boltgun metal, The Shoulder Pad Inset, Upper Arm, Knee Pads and sabatons are black (or dark grey) The Squad specialty symbol is white, Displayed upon the left shoulder plate, having it just an outline and a white helmet indicates sergeant rank well having a the shoulder color’s reversed as well as a green Laurel indicates a Captain, a sandy color indicates a Company Commander. Honor guard units have black lens, a wet Sandy color, or both. The left knee pad will display a roman numeral for what Company they are from.

Chapter Badge
The chapter badge is that of a sword piercing holy terra whose hilt is adorned with the Imperial Aquila sprouting thunder bolts from its wing. From the Symbol of Holy Terra laurels sprout forming a defensive wall

Chapter Fleet
“Salvation” - Retribution class Battleship

“Qua re cognita semper”(Always Learning) - Battle Barge

“Semper Lorem” (Always Training) - Battle Barge

“Imperatoris Gladio” (Emperors Sword) - Strike Cruiser

“Dominationis” (Domination) -Strike Cruiser

“Domination of Steel” -Strike Cruiser

“Victamque Victricemque” (Vanquisher) - Strike Cruiser

“Talionis” (Retaliation) - Strike Cruiser

“Ardens Gladius” (Ardent Sword) -Strike Cruiser

“Vicit” (Victorious) - Strike Cruiser

“Leonidas” - ”Strike Cruiser

“Framea imperatoria” (Imperial Spear) - Strike Cruiser

“Credo imperatoria” (Imperial Creed) - Strike Cruiser

Chapter Relics
-The Talon’s Fidelis

"Come forward and embrace the Light, ye who dwell in darkness, Or resist, and be dragged into it."

- Engravings etched along the blade

"I will tell you a truth. A simple one. Killing is not special. The act, unremarkable. Every second of every day, something or someone dies. For glory, sport, madness or faith. These deaths amount to nothing. Accomplish nothing. An act perpetrated by fools and cowards. But these Blades? To wield these blades is to cast off pretense. To deny pride and suffocate ambition. I harbor no illusions as to my purpose. I am no mongrel slobbering for its next meal, no. As these blades are an instrument, so am I an instrument. A weapon wielding weapons of He who Sits On High. Death has purpose. Blood shed meaning. With every arc of these blades, I slaughter an Empire into existence. His Will is my will. His Light stabs into darkness even as these blades cleave His Enemies flesh. I cannot waiver, For I have Faith in Him, His Will. These blades are a promise. The ironclad oath that carries the precious truth of all that exist within creation. That He has Faith in me."

- Excerpt from the 1st Company Commander of “The Talons Fideles”, Kratos

These dual daggers are an ancient design of Force Weapons, each having long lines of chains connected to the bottom hilt of the blade. This gives the weapon much greater reach than a normal Force weapon like the Force Sword well also allowing the user to create destructive waves of warp energy and direct it at their enemy. Only the mightiest of the chapter’s psyker may wield this weapon.

-Meteor Fall

"It was as though the Captain was a Meteor falling upon the enemy line. They fell to that giant hammer as the Captain paved a way through to the enemy gate. And then, the Meteor struck once. Struck twice. The third time, it stuck for just a moment before a large hole burst, bigger than even the Captain. And that was when the enemy realized what they were up against."

- Excerpt from the 8th Ardent Guard Infantry Regiment, Company Echo, Sergeant Olive ‘Sewers’

The Hammer is a more powerful version of a normal Thunder Hammer, making craters larger than the wielder, punching through walls and ceiling of defense’s, falling like a Meteor along with his brothers, crashing into the defending forces leading the charge into the enemy defensive lines.

-Last Breathe

"This expertly crafted blade is one of few, but no less distinct. Only someone who has given away all dreams of their dreams and given themselves over to become one of the shadows of the Imperium’s long reaching hand will be able to use this ancient power sword to the fullest of its power."

- Excerpt from the Scout Company Commander to the to be Astartes

This masterly crafted power sword makes no noise at all, from turning it on to slicing through the enemies of man, making it the perfect weapon for recon or assassination.

-Ardens Antiphon (Ardent Rail)

"As the Angel stood atop the burning wreckage, teeth gritted, helmet damaged to the point of uselessness, looted tanks and infantry charged the defensive lines.The wreckage quacked under him as he spat a round at the closest enemy, turning armored vehicles inside out and leaving mist where an Ork once stood. Every round was shot without missing a single target, from the size of a Leman Russ to an Ork Nob until the ammo ran dry, allowing the enemy to advance to the last defensive line as he slammed the bladed end into armor and flesh alike, splitting both open with ease as he fought for hours before falling to the unending numbers of the green tide."

- Excerpt from a PDF Guardsmen who had witnessed Company Commander Vizor’s final stand

This massive railgun is equipped with an underslung power weapon the size of a greatsword. The rounds it fires go faster then even a Bolter round, able to punch a small hole in the frontal armor of a Baneblade the size of the average Astartes fist. The munitions of the railgun can be swapped out for rounds that can either punch through most armor’s or leave chemical’s that will eat away at it’s targets flesh, along with a few more. The weapon also has the ability to link up with the user’s helmet, allowing greater accuracy and prediction with some user’s having been able to hit a hypersonic aircraft after much use with the weapon. This weapon’s draw back is it’s slow rate of fire, having to wait 10 seconds for a full recharge and not being able to use the sword on the bottom during the time in power mode. It also has a limited supply of ammo due to the lack of a mass need for their production, usually only giving the user around 1000 rounds, only able to carry 40 in combat with help from 4 other Marines all geared for deployment

-Virtus lanceam (Power Lance)

"The pure white fire of this weapon can shine even in humanity’s darkest hour. The gold tipped end will shine just like the Emperor does on his golden throne, a ray of hope, all who believe in him as their savior will find comfort in the shining heat of this mighty fire passing them by, its light of judgement the last thing his enemies will see."

- 4th Company Commander Lyco Domitius, M36, log entry *Corrupted*

This lance was originally made to be wielded by a normal human, but was deemed to heavy to be used in any practical way. This is not the same for a member of the Adeptus Astartes, giving this weapon it’s earned glory, firing pure white energy from it’s end, punching through the heaviest of tank armor well it tip is open. Well closed, it becomes a deadly power weapon, able to run deep through enemy infantry or knock back many a foes at once with a wide swing.

-Voice of the Imperium

"That's when the Cannon came. Noise Cannons, like those of the Slaaneshi Marines, but... It was untainted by Chaos. It rang out against the enemy, as if the entire Imperium was shouting at them. It was a beautiful noise. The enemy shattered beneath the weight of those voices, of the sheer force and meaning behind them. It was beautiful to witness."

- Excerpt from 5th Ardent Guard Mechanized Regiment, Company Bravo, Captain Ivory

A uncorrupted sound cannon. How this ended up in a tech priest reliquary or when it was is unknown, all that is known as that somehow, someone had completely removed the warp taint from the weapon.

Allies
-Ardent Guard

The Imperial Guard from sub sector Salvation, often seen working in conjunction with Ardent Shields forces, has been in nearly any battle that the Ardent Shields have been in

-Ardent 1st Fleet

The Imperial fleet of sub sector Salvation, often seen working with the Ardent Shields during any space combat, will almost always have at least one of the Chapter’s battle barges with it.

-Forgeworld Annihilation

The Forge World located in sub sector Annihilation became a major allie of the Ardent Shields protected the world and it’s Tech Priest from the incursion.

-Kabal of the Sixth Heart

A Kabal of exiled Dark Eldar who helped fight off the invading Dark Mechanicus during the 2nd Cablidas Campaign.

Enemies
-Mechanicum Undivided

A faction of the Dark Mechanicus who had gotten word of the damaged Forge World after the first Calidas Campaign and decided it was their turn, starting the second Calidas Campaign Millenia’s later.

By:
“One man can change everything, it just takes determination.” -Chapter Master Enpvon Sharis, M38, Defense of 1st Calidas Campaign

"One man can change everything, it just takes determination."

- Chapter Master Enpvon Sharis, M38, Defense of 1st Calidas Campaign

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