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This article, Ferrus' Children, was written by Petrus Tyrannus. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Ferrus' Children, is currently under active construction. The author, Petrus Tyrannus, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "We were created by the God-Emperor, given form by our father Ferrus Manus. Now they are long lost, taken from us by the traitors. We are their tireless children, we do not stop, we do not falter. We are the Ferrus' Children, and the only death we are alloved to have is death through iron, through fire, fighting His enemies till the bitter end."
- — Words from Lord Commander Pherros Manus, known throughout the Imperium as the Gorgon.
Ferrus' Children are a semi-Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Successor Chapter of the unforgiving Red Talons, whom themselves are descended from the lineage of their unforgiving and stoic Primarch Ferrus Manus. Active since the middle of the 35th Millenium, this fleet-based fighting force is known for its ferocity and stubordness in battle, never fleeing combat in the name of their fallen primarch. They usually lend their forces to Astra Militarum's regiments, adding their stupendous firepower and highly armored vehicles to the Imperial Guard's huge numbers in order to deliver quick, efficient defeat to His enemies.
This chapter has, for obvious reasons, a death-grudge against the Emperor's Children and Black Legion successor warbands, as these heretical institutions' leaders took both the ancient Iron Hands legion's parental figures. Their hatred also extends, to a minor degree, to the warbands of the Iron Warriors, as these Heretic Astartes tend to boast of how their gene-sire's mighty power hammer Forgebreaker was always meant to be used by their Primarch Perturabo, and not the weakling Gorgon.
This Astartes brotherhood, like many successors of the Iron Hands lineage, is divided into a number of various clans. In the Children's case, there are three to be exact. The sole reason for the existence of these clans is to better organize and coordinate the chapter's companies. The clan elders, the oldest Ironfathers, also have the duty of choosing the chapter's next lord commander, who wil lead then until his iron death in glorious combat.
Currently, the Ferrus' Children are aiding imperial forces to retake lost territories in the Segmentum Pacificus during the birth of the Great Rift. Greatly reinforced by the new primaris marines, they wage war across star system after star system, laying violent planetary sieges that obliterate any enemy resistance, while also offering their vast technological knowledge to help in the reconstruction of these lost human settlements, so that imperial presence may become irremovable from the galaxy, forever and always.
Chapter History
Imperium Fractured
The Ferrus' Children came to be during the 35th millenium, a troubled period in Imperial history known as Nova Terra Interregnum. Humanity was divided, for the Ur-council of Nova Terra dismissed the unquestionable authority of the High Lords of Terra, declaring the galactical west to be independent from the wider Imperium. In order to counter this threat and reconquer the rebellious territories, a new founding of space marine chapters was ordered by the Adeptus Administratum in order to fulfill the demand for military aid in the fractured dominions of mankind.
Several chapters of the Adeptus Astartes were busy with overwhelming threats in other areas of the galaxy, such as the Segmentem Ultima and Obscures, so many stepped forth to lend their gene-seed for the creation of these new brotherhoods of warriors. In this case, the Red Talons chapter insisted in having a successor amongst the new founding, and then the Ferrus' Children were created from the legendary 2nd founding descendant of the Iron Hands.
The newly indoctrinated astartes were then sent to the forge world of Gryphonne IV, an important industrial planet in the Segmentun Tempesteus. There, the Adeptus Mechanicus forces received orders to supply the new chapter with its necessary war gears. Having d long lasting good relationship with the Iron Hands and their successors, the tech priests were pleased and eager to help these new angels of death deliver the word of the Omnisiah across the distant, unnumbered stars.
After fully equiped and trained to optimal use of their armoury and tactics, the Children were dispatched to the Etsem Sub-ector, a major area of conflict between Imperial and secessionist forces. The entire sector had been taken by hostile, rebellious militias that, being aided by local coalitions of corsairs, were harassing Imperial ships in the outskirsts of their occupied territory. By pillaging these valuable cargos, the rebels gained access to a sufficiently advanced array of weapons, the kind of wich would be found in an Astra Millitraum regiment. In the possesion of these sophisticated equipments and with the knowledge of their own surroundings, the defence of the sector showed itself not difficult, although some territorial reconquest by the Imperium had already occurred.
In mere 10 months, however, the Ferrus' Children would obliterate almost all resistance in the Etsem Sub-sector. Making use of bold tactics, such as constantly making Warp-jumps with their Ramillies-class fortress and launching great orbital bombardments using their three major warships, the chapter almost wiped out the rebels, making sure that all opposers knew of the terrible fate that awaited them. In this regard, the Ferrus' Children are widely known for their employment of terror tactics, rivalling even that of more estabilished terror units, such as the Mortificators and the traitorous Night Lords.
However, one last bastion of foul corruption would stand, a great battle that would mark the beggining of a noble chapter's history. The world of Espalia IV, a heavily fortified mining world that was previously used as supply den for the neighboring Mechanicus facilities and the noble knightly house wourld of Inebria. Unfortunately for the astartes, not only did the rebels aquire access to a great amount of explosives at the planet, setting bombing traps all around their forts, but they were also being supported by an unknown force giving them substancial heavy weaponry.
Making planetfall, every meter of advance against the seven major mining complexes serving as rebel bases were payed in bloody sacrifice by the unrelenting astartes, distributing fiery shells of destruction among the flooding enemy lines. One by one the fortifications fell, unnable to whistand the chapter's combined fury, yet, in the end, the real malefactors would show up. Corrupted war machines started emerging from beneath the last of the rebel bastions, once noble heroes of the Imperium, the knightly steeds of house Jumenos had fully given themselves to the worship of the ruinous powers, and now were using their great firepower to unleash havoc over the loyal servants of the Emperor. Only the incredibly bulky terminator squads of clan Akhlys' first company, transported by heavy vehicles constructed by the chapter's iron fathers' own skilled hands, were able to hold their ground against the knights' destructive armaments without imediate obliteration, and even so, their numbers were diluting faster than they hoped for.
The battle would have proved a complete disaster if it was not for the intervention of the legendary first lord commander Germont Manus, who made a daring manuever with clan Akhlys' strike cruiser, the Eviscerator. Dropping from low orbit, the chapter's fighters were launched from their bays and flew freely across the planet, bombarding all of the chaos knights while avoiding the anti-aircraft batteries disposed in the metal monters' backs. Only with a joint effort of the air and ground forces did the chaos knights fell, one by one, until only their great leader remained: Queen Exarta Jumenos III, riding the enormous porphyrion-class knight Bloody Havoc, a massive walker with the firepower of a scout titan.
Retreating to the lowest levels of the mining facilities, the queen surrounded herself with her rebel pawns, only now fully realising the true nature of their revolutionary leader.
Chapter Homeworld
The Ferrus' Children do not have a homeworld from wich they hail and protect. This chapter base of operations revolves, however, around the Ferrus' Head, their powerful star fortress. Here, the chapter's vehicles, ships and battle-bothers stay stationed untill they are called forth to do battle in the Emperor's name. Usually, only one company will be called to partake in battle, a fact that allows for multiple confrontations at a given time. In more dire circumstances, an entire clan can be called to fight for the Imperium, using their companies' combined might to crush any opposition.
There are those rare and apocalyptical scenarios where the Children's entire chapter will have to defend humanity against the horrors that lurk beyond. When such events unfold, the chapter's full combined might will be unleashed over those fool souls that dare question the rulership of mankind over the galaxy. Those blessed enough to fight alongside the Gorgon's inheritors claim that these warriors are "Bloody rage made manifest in flesh, bone and steel".
Although not having a world of their own, they consider Rikan, their foster chapter, the Red Talons, homeworld, as well as Gryphonne IV, the forge world that first supplied them, to be very special places in their history and, as such, have more than once defended these planets from invasion. When the Talos System, in wich Gryphonnes IV was located, got overwhelmed by the forces of Hive Fleet Leviathan, the Ferrus' Children immediately approached to help with their full battle capabilities. As the confront continued, resistance proved futile, and they received direct orders from the High Lords to evacuate the system's most important resources and personnel. Not used to flee, this proved a tough act of loyalty these astartes had to partake, yet one that would allow them to fight another day and enact vengeance upon the foul xenos.
Fortress-Monastery
An ancient and powerful star fortress, the Ferrus' Head serves as the chapter's mobile Fortress-Monastery. Here in this highly weaponised station, the chapter's records are stored and told with pride. Tales of great battles that shoock the foundations of planets, of alliances that made any enemy tremble, of heroes of legendary status and combat prowess, all this is sculpted in the fortress' inner walls, a testament of their glorious past to the current members of the brotherhood.
The stellar battlestation is filled with a powerful arsenal of destruction weapons, including several Exterminatus-class weaponry, besides countless missile and laser batteries to void confronts. The fortification also has three strike cruisers, one for each of the clans transportation needs, as well as serveral minor voidcrafts. Countless times has this mobile bastion aided in Imperial defences against planetary sieges, employing its firepower to hold back enemy ships from rapid troop deployment, not allowing the defending forces to be overwhelmed by the attackers.
Chapter Organization
The Ferrus' Children try as much to adher to the teachings of the Codex Astartes, although some minor alterations inherent to the chapters from Ferrus Manus lineage can be noticed.
Command Ranks
This chapter is ruled by its Lord Commander, wich fulfills the role of Chapter Master. This particular warrior is chosen from one of the clans by the three Ironfathers elders who lead each one of them. His last name is changed from that of his clan to Manus, indicating his bothers now see him as the personification of their fallen gene-sire, and will protect him with their lives.
Second only in command to the Lord Commander are the Ironfathers, responsible for maintaining the clans' traditions, equipment and morale always in perfect syncrony. These astartes are not only the chapter's oldest veterans, they are also the best craftsmen and most accomplished warriors, counting hundreds of military victories in their carreers. When in battle, these venerable members of the chapter can be seen leading attacks fully clad in masterfully crafted terminator armors and wielding incomprehensibly powerful weapons, all this made by their own hands.
Finally, there are the company captains. Handpicked by each clan's council, these warriors must embody the chapter's ideals of loyalty, bravery and unending rage against the enemies of the Imperium. To receive the title of captain is considered a great honour, to lead one's brothers at their front, boosting their killing instincts and delivering the first blow of the opgoing force's defeat.
Junior Ranks
The Ferrus' Children's 10th company, the so called Iron Shadow, works not only as the chapter's reconnaissance unit, but also as the training ground for the recruits, for this task force is not particularly known to engage in wide, bloody conflicts, giving the new members the opportunity to learn from a distance.
Members of the 10th company are not considered fully indoctrinated in the chapter yet, as this is the only company that does not belong to a clan. For this reason, they still maintain their last name from their previous lives as mortals and, only when they ascend to one of the clan companies, they will receive a different name to match that of their brothers in arms.
Line Ranks
Each company has a division of line squads to adapt to battlefield everchanging circumstances. the availability and disposability of these squads in combat is organized by the respective company captain, who must inform his decision to the clan Ironfathers, that, in turn, inform it to their Lord Commander. It is particularly rare for the superiors to interfere with a captain's battleplane, as they believe constant pampering would lead to the creation of a dependence relation. However, they will not hesitate to reprehend him if a terrible mistake is noticed among his plans.
In general, there are three squad types primarily used in land attacks:
- Tactical/Intercessor Marines: battle-brothers with standard equipments, such as mkVII and X power armor, bolter rifles and krag granades, these numerous soldiers take amore flexible role in battles, being assigned to multiple different tasks. Their balanced fighting style allows them to rapidly adapt and properly respond to battlefield changes and new official orders. In the case of the firstborn tactical marines, they can be further divided into close quarter tactical marines, known as blood hands, and long range tactical marines, known as grey hands.
- Assault/Inceptor Marines: these battle-brothers are the chapter's response to fast enemy units. Being outfitted with mk VI or modified mk X armor, jump-packs, bolter pistols, chainswords and frag granades, these squads purpose is to persecute enemy leaders in the battlefield and cut them down, as well as persecuting fleeing enemies with their rapid mobility.
- Devastator/Agressor/Hellblaster Marines: wielding heavy bolters and reinforced plated armors, these marines' duty in combat is assuring their frontline brothers have the necessary fire support to obliterate the enemies. Although not as mobile as their fellow comrades due to their equipment's weight, they more than make up for it with their vast firepower. These squads' firstborn sargeants can be found wearing the much rarely seen mkVIII errant power armor, while the primaris wear reinforced tacitus and gravis mkX armours.
These line ranks are almost always supported by the chapter's vehicles, driven by tactical/intercessors marines with special training to better make use of the machine's battle capabilities.
Besides the battle squads, the Ferrus' Children also employ scout squads in their 10th company. Although somewhat less used than the more belicous astartes of the other nine companies, these stealthly marines have proven more than once invaluable to any battle scenario:
- Scout/Reiver: used to infiltration missions, these astartes tend to partake stealth operations, usually during a planet's night time. They invade enemy camps, gather as much intel as they can and, in the meantime, sabotage every asset the opponent can use against their battle-brothers' charge. When the attack finally begins, the foes of the Imperium will fall to anarchy as their exact weak spots are perfectly aimed and their war machinery falters when they need it the most.
Specialist Formations
In terms of specialized formations, the Ferrus' Children have seven, being two for each of the clans and one assigned to direct command of the Lord Commander. These formations, unlike special troops from most Codex compliant chapters, are rarely held back in reserve. Instead, they'll usually be seen where the attrition with enemy lines is thickest. Those special groups in the chapter are:
An elite Morlock Terminator veteran of Clan Akhlys (1st Clan Company) wearing highly modified Indomitus pattern Terminator Armour.
- The Morlocks: Inheriting the name of the elite terminators of the ancient Iron Hands legion, these battle-bothers all wear masterfully crafted terminator armours. They serve as the chapter's honour guard, personally defending their Lord Commander in combat. These warriors are considered some of the most stoic astartes of the Imperium, hardly taking significant lossess in battle.
- The Vecles: The elite formation of the Akhlys clan first company, these astartes ride the chapter's most powerful vehicles, the heavy Fallblade tanks. These war machines are reinforced with shield generators and highly advanced targetin systems. Extremely resistant and capable of delivering astonishing destruction in combat, these Fellblades and their pilots are held with great pride as the Akhlys greatest war assets.
- The Astes: Clan Baargus' second company elite astartes, these warriors are masters in field repairs, both mechanical and biological. They tend to use their vast maintenance knowledge to keep their battle-brothers fighting, and can even boost their combat capabilities through the use of drugs and quick cybernetic enhancements. Surely to be side by side with an Astes is to be assured of a mission's success.
- The Intries: The chapter's librarians are allocated under the command of clan Cistar's third company. Although the Ferrus' Children despise the use of psychic powers for direct offensive purposes, wich they see as coward substitutes to conventional firepower, an Intry is allowed to use his powers in other conventional ways, such as that of astropath. The members of this elite force, yet, also have the permission to (and are even encouraged to) use their talents to transpose battle-brothers from one place to another, making them ideal infiltration troops that can provide a quicker, safer path into enemy fortifications, serving as living transport beacons.
- The Cusdes: the cusdes serve as a replacement to the bulky morlocks when these invaluable assets of destruction are needed elsewhere. Employed wielding relic boarding shields used by the ancient Legiones Astartes, and usually wearing plate reinforced mkIII iron power armor, they can hold their ground against basically anything. These harbingers of war are used especially in ship-to-ship boarding actions, where the slowlyness caused by the extra weight of their equipment is irrelevant. They are allocated in the under the clan Baargus' seventh company, and are the smallest of all the special formations of the Ferrus' Children, comprising only one squad or a hanful of squads at any given time.
- The Strures: Specialists in both siege and fortification, the Strures are the masters of all fortresses. They are the clan Cistar's fourth company elites, and are used when defensive measures are needed. They are generally seen stationed at the Gorgon's Head, the chapter's great ramillies-class star fort, supervising its defenses and making sure that every military asset of the station is in perfect state. It is thanks to the Strures that the fortress of the Children is considered one of the most well guarded locations in the Imperium.
- The Iron Demons: The most modified members of clan Akhlys are named iron demons, and are allocated mostly under the fifth company. More machine than men now, these astartes have gone way beyond what would be considered reasonable in terms of mechanical implants, replacing almost all byologic material with mechanical improvements. Although this makes them perfect killing machines, the sheer amount of machine implants render them mindless berzerkers whose only objective is to kill. To become an iron demon is considered a great honor and sacrifice among the Ferrus' Children, for these battle-brothers are giving their lives to become weapons in body and mind, and to assure the victory for their chapter, no matter the cost. Inside the iron demons, there is even an unofficial hierarchy: lesser demons, who wear power armor, and the mighty greater demons, morlocks of the clan who decided even terminator armor was not enough, and gave themselves to the service of the machine.
Order of Battle
The Ferrus' Children are divided in three clans: Clan Akhlys, Clan Baargus and Clan Cistar. Clan Akhlys is responsible for the chapter's 1st, 5th and 9th companies, as well as the chapter's armoury. Clan Baargus is responsible for the 2nd, 6th and 7th companies, as well as the chapter's apothecarion. Finally, Clan Cistar commands the 3rd, 4th and 8th companies, as well as the chapter's librarium. The clan's 10th company and the chapter's reclusiasm does not belong to any clan, and instead receive orders directly from the Lord Commander, or the elder Ironfathers council in his absence. Each company has greatly varying numbers, that are maily dependant upon recruitment rates and frequency of deadly combats. That considered, the standard number of astartes in a legion is 180, considering the smallest company to be the 7th, with 45 members, and the largest being the 2nd, with 234 marines.
The Chapter's order of battle is as follows:
Headquarters
| Chapter Command | |||
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Clan Companies
| Battle Companies | Scout Company | ||
| Clan Akhlys |
Clan Baargus |
Clan Cistar |
10th Clan Company |
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Chapter Combat Doctrine
Pherros Manus and his stalwart followers are known for their extremely agressive approach to battle scenarios. Usually they will make use of Indomitus-pattern terminator squads, crastaferum-pattern dreadnoughts and centurion armored marines to deliver the highest, most concentrated firepower upon enemy lines, making sure that the infantry that charges will have few things to kill in the aftermath.
Only when the situation calls for it specifically will the children engage in melee combat, usually when they are fighting aboard space hulks and other space vessels.
Chapter Culture
Chapter Beliefs
Chapter Gene-Seed
Prmarch's Curse
Notable Campaigns
Deathwatch Service
The Ferrus' Children have a somewhat close relation with the Inquisition's forces. They tend to send some of their best warriors to serve in the Ordo Xenos chamber militant, including members of the elite Morlocks clad in ceremonial terminator armour. This chapter's veterans have a vast experience in engagements against the Dark Eldar of Comorragh, and are more frequently recruited when the numbers of raids by these foul aliens in Imperial worlds increases at any given time.
Notable Members
- Lord Commander Pherros Manus: the de facto leader of the Ferrus' Children, Pherros Manus is a hero whose dedication to the safeguarding of the Imperium is beyond measure. Unusually caring for a descendant of the iron primarch, this lord commander always strived the hardest to avoid unecessary bloodshed among his brothers' battlelines, and would go to any length to protect the innocent civillian population of humanity's worlds. He strides to battle clad in the mighty terminator armor Gorgon's Plate, an intricatelly piece of protective gear equiped with disruptor field and several offensive and auto-repar servo-mechanisms, and wielding the unbearebly heavy Woe of Power, a superb thunder hammer said to be able to crush even the hardest adamantine. Pherros has served his chapter now for six hundred years, and has been the Lord commander for three centuries now, always respected and admired even by the oldest, more pragmatic ironfathers. A great advocate of the primaris marines, Pherros knows that, in these dark times of uncertainty, all the help to defend the Imperium must be put to good service, lest one would be simply inviting the destruction of mankind.
- Chapter Champion Khalos Dantar: The first primaris marine to reach such a prestigious position in the chapter, champion Khalos didn't reach this position for naught. Since his indoctrination in the Ferrus' Children as a sargeant, he has shown unthinkable feats of battle, and is greatly admired by his brothers, both primaris and firstborn. Lord commander Pherros, seeing the opportunity to once and for all cease the conflict and distrust between the firstborn and the primaris, chose Dantar as his personal champion, to represent his interests in peace and protect in life in war. Clad in mkX gravis power armor and boasting a set of power sword and storm shield known as Sheel and claw, with which he has taken countless heretic lives.
Chapter Fleet
Chapter Relics
Relations
Allies
Crystal Dragons
The Crystal Dragons, the only known descendant chapter of the Ferrus' Children, have been known to help their forebearers in combat. The greatest example of this cooperation happened during the great schism of the Fhelon Sector, when, through the machination of an unknown xenos race, an entire battlefleet of the Adeptus Mechanicus rebelled against the Imperium. Always eager to prove themselves to their progenitors, the dragons surely are trustworthy allies.
Red Talons
The stalwart progenitors of the Ferrus' Children, this chapter is widely known for their brutal efficiency to battle and straightfoward bloodthirst. Still, they have received the aid of the Children when their homeworld was attacked, and are still to repay for such assistance.
Iron Hands
As descendants of the same primarch, the Iron Hands have a decently friendly relation with the chapter of the Ferrus' Children, and have partook in battle more than once. Currently, the Hands aknowledge their descendant chapter to have some of the best craftsman in the Imperium, and have been known to throw artificer competitions when they are stationed together in siege or prolongued campaigns.
Enemies
Notable Quotes
By the Ferrus' Children
About the Ferrus' Children
| Tenth Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | Dark Lions • |
| White Scars Successors | Knights of the Frost • Velites • Wind Runners • |
| Space Wolves Successors | N/A |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Lions of Babylon • Revenant Crusaders • Void Templars • |
| Blood Angels Successors | Carmine Reavers • |
| Iron Hands Successors | Black Thorns • Ferrus' Children • Iron Retributors • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Blue Flames • Nova Knights • Sons of Eden • |
| Salamanders Successors | Wardens of the Flame • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Void Wardens • |
| Unknown Lineage | Blood Tigers • Tempestors • |
Gallery
