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This article, The Saurians, was written by Zhadorak Hesh. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
Where their boots smash down, death always follows - that is the surest thing. Prophets dare not claim much further, for these honourable Sons of Vulkan prove evermore inscrutable with each passing century. What reports of Saurian deployments remain public record point to contradiction: numerous citations against the Chapter indicate its proclivity for wasteful acts of compassion, yet just as many implicate them in excessively callous compliance measures.
Those precious few who consider the reclusive Chapter an ally attest to their complex nature: the Saurians choose battles shrewdly but, should they respond to distress, commit so strongly they are often last to leave the field; the Saurians care deeply for Humanity, striving to minimize collateral damage and death whenever possible, but will not lift a finger to help ravaged worlds rebuild; the Saurians work closely with the Adeptus Sororitas and several Astartes Chapters which adhere to the Imperial Cult, but are themselves staunch disciples of the Imperial Truth.
Only those deep within the arms of the Ecclesiarchy, or favoured by the Astartes themselves, gain true access to the painful history of the relatively young Chapter (and therefore insight into their scarred psyche). To all others the flames of the past remain hazy, keeping whatever formative events burn away at the Saurians a mystery.
Chapter History
- "What use is an untempered blade? A weapon whose veneer of embellishment cannot hide the weakness within. The tempered blade does not shatter. It endures and it slays."
- —Chapter Master Tu'Shan of the Salamanders
Founding
The Saurians claim to originate from the 25th 'Bastion' Founding in the latter half of M40, largely as a counter to the threat now known as the Tyranids, and it is without a doubt that they participated with vigor and distinction in the First Tyrannic War.
However, there are those amongst the Administratum who would question this origin and point to the 23rd 'Sentinel' Founding as being more likely, due to the recent recovery of damaged Imperial records which detail the actions of unidentified Astartes displaying eerily similar heraldry and tactics as far back as M38. These claims have been harshly rebuked by the Chapter, which treats such rumors as grave and impertinent insults.
The Three Calamities
Disaster struck the Saurians from unexpected quarters not once, but thrice -- each event pushing them further down the bitter path they tread going into the 42nd Millennium. Though the Chapter weathered each storm, the end of each brought little relief and much grief. To the present day, they do not acknowledge the first of these calamities, conspiring closely with the priests of the Adeptus Ministorum to keep all data pertaining to it redacted and sealed to the best of their abilities.
- [Approx.500.M38]: THE VINGIAN CRUSADE
- A shockingly effective campaign conducted by the Saurians and forces of the Ecclesiarchy. Fought against multiple warbands of the traitorous Alpha Legion in the Galactic Core, it came to a wholly unexpected conclusion involving the sudden loss of the entirety of the Saurians' Scout Company. Much of the Chapter Organization was re-structured in the wake of this crusade, and the Saurians have ever striven towards greater Codex-Compliance since.
- [999.M40-004.M41]: NEAR EXTINCTION
- A massive, Nurgle-corrupted fleet besieged the Saurians' home system at the turn of the 40th Millennium into the 41st, which the far-flung Saurians rushed to relieve. Many great and terrible events occurred during the first phase of this war, most notably the successful deployment of a long forgotten psy-plague by the invaders (which decimated the planet's local population and felled many of the Saurians' battle-brothers). Ultimately the original invaders escaped under cover of a Daemonic Incursion, which was only defeated after the loss of nearly two-thirds of the manpower of the Chapter. Compounding their shame, without the aid of the Sisters of Battle and a swollen Frateris Militia it is doubtful whether the Chapter could have fully cleansed and warded their world, a miracle of deliverance for which the Saurians are eternally grateful.
- [650-799.M41]: CRISIS OF FAITH EPOCH
- Former Chapter Master Antanar Da'Zel suffers a near-death experience but recovers from what should have been a mortal blow. The specifics of the event converted him to the Imperial Cult, and he decreed that his Chapter would follow suit. So began the Crisis of Faith, where the religious minority of the Chapter seized control, despite numbering (at their height) no more than one-third of the Chapter and its Command. After struggling to reconcile their differences for the better part of two centuries the epoch ends violently, with an honour duel between the Chapter Master and Lord-Confessor Jorgandr Parsen of the Reclusiam culminating in both their deaths. Civil war within the Chapter is narrowly avoided by extreme measures, which sees the ascension of Hauri Loc'rac to Chapter Master, a position he holds and uses to keep the peace into the present day.
These calamities kept the Saurians Chapter under-strength for much of the past thousand years, and only the arrival of Primaris reinforcements from Terra itself has allowed the Chapter to truly launch onto the offensive, turning focus outwards and away from their own struggles and homeworld.
Notable Campaigns and Events
- "You understand as well as I the necessity of my actions."
- —then-Captain Tu'Shan of the Salamanders
Near Extinction (999.M40-005.M41)
Without warning, the Saurians' homeworld suddenly found itself besieged in 999.M40 for the first time in centuries. Voidships bearing Heretic Astartes iconography exited the warp with malicious intent, cannons and torpedoes firing almost immediately upon the farthest flung watch stations of the Sohtrac System. Initially much ground was lost as the ambush caught the fledgling chapter by surprise, with the majority of their forces deployed abroad; the Pilgrims of the Plague Moon made planetfall on Sohtrac II before the Saurians 1st Company ever made it back to their home system.
The vicious jungle-fighting that ensued lasted years, as neither side could gain a lasting upper hand in orbit to rain down uninterrupted fire upon the foe. Eventually their familiarity with the natural terrain and hazards of their homeworld gave the Saurians the upper hand in the ground war - even despite the intervention of Warp Ghosts - and the loyalists began to push the traitors and their spectral allies back to their initial dropsite.
Though disaster struck when the tide seemed most sure to turn, as a Sorcerer dedicated to the Ruinous Powers opened a warp rift planetside for his forces to escape under cover of Daemonic invasion. All in all, the combat would stretch on for another four years after the Heretic Astartes' flight, with the last of Nurgle's foul essence purged from the world by 005.M41.
To call the defense of their world a victory would seem disingenuous, as the Chapter lost all but one of their Battle-Barges to this conflict, and was reduced to less than half of their starting population of battle-brothers: a heavy toll, which to the current day the Chapter has yet to fully recover from. Worse still, the intent of this sudden, excessively violent invasion was never made clear. Peace terms were never offered nor asked for throughout the conflict, resulting in one of the largest mysteries the Chapter grapples with to date.
Hunting Pale Starlight (249-251.M41)
A red light awoke, blinking silently in the night, and a dozen red eyes saw it. Those without helmets could be seen to smile in the dark as their Sergeant brought the massive hulk of a Chaos flagship center-screen, studded with guns and flanked by dozens of smaller void craft. An expedition was finally at hand; the Pilgrims of the Plague Moon were departing from Carthos.
The Saurians spent the next two years stalking the Pale Starlight as it drifted north, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Their prey moved in most peculiar fashion, and they had to be careful; the Chapter Master would accept nothing less than total victory, given the terrible losses of their last war with the Pilgrims.
Perhaps their efforts were too effective, for the total lack of harassment on their journey caused the Sorcerous Navigator Crews of the Pale Starlight to develop a terrible anxiety. The longer the tranquility lasted, the harder they scried – until one day, they saw the truth. A massive Saurian fleet, revealed in a divination, dispersed in a wide and closing ring just a few star systems away on all sides.
The traitor's response was rapid, as screening ships broke formation with the Nurglite flagship and veered off in a dozen directions. Yet the Saurians did not rush. They were all far enough away from Carthos now. Let them fortify what random rocks they could around far-flung stars, dig trenches in futility, and feel the terror of ambush as the Saurians had. None would escape: the diversionary ships merely chose to perish first.
But by the time the Saurian fleet finally dealt with the distractions and tracked the bulk of the traitor fleet to the Disov System, there was nothing left of Pale Starlight. Her bloated crew was discovered floating in the void, dead already; her mighty escort fleet was found blasted to debris, vanquished prior to their arrival in-system.
The Saurian fleet remained at high alert, searching for answers. A hail came; they answered. What was charted as an empty tract of space was in fact the home system of a fellow chapter. The Sons of Rapture, successors of the Iron Hands, had killed the Nurglites, killed them all.
The Saurians were shocked, but pleasantly so. Not a single Saurian brother had been lost, and the defeat of their foe was total. Another expedition would not occur for centuries now, and as thanks the Saurians left the field with nothing – gifting the spoils of war to those who had actually fought it.
Bogragawa Massacre (745.M41)
A two-part defensive campaign initiated by the Keelhaulers Chapter, deployed in full with a primary objective to intercept and destroy a divergent tendril of Hive Fleet Behemoth. Badly mauled by the first wave of Tyranids, the Keelhaulers were initially relieved by forces from the Iron Juggernauts Chapter, the surviving victors joined in debriefing by forces from the late-arriving Saurians. Only then was the true scale of the threat determined when an unexpected second wave appeared. Hammering into the Astartes with alien fury, the second wave of Tyranids was only defeated with massive casualties and multiple reinforcements from the Void Vultures Chapter and additional forces from both the Iron Juggernauts and Saurians.
Rendezvous at Multaris Tertiatus
With all the Navigators of the Sudden Roar slain and her cogitator banks heavily damaged, her Astartes passengers find themselves temporarily stranded in the wake of the Naymia Ambush.
Months pass as the survivors attempt repairs with limited resources, making progress slowly. The lone squad of Redemptors amongst the Saurians prove a great boon, and in turn find themselves gradually welcomed into some of the rites and customs of their more solitary brethren.
By the time the fleet of a passing Confessor responds to their distress beacon, the warriors of both Chapters have exchanged ceremonial trinkets of great value. A blessed Everlit Candle now burns ceaselessly on the command deck of the Sudden Roar, and Sergeant Eli Zoltan of the Redemptors carries with him an embroidered salt-pouch containing the poisonous tooth of a massive crocodilian.
Ontiac Campaign (833-843.M41)
Ontiac Campaign
A successful retribution crusade against an Ork Empire, which saw the efforts of numerous Space Marine Chapters united in mutual hate: the Aasvogels, Calthen Justitians, Dusk Vultures, Knights Angelicus, Optimus Legion, Redemptors, Saurians, and Silver Flames all worked in concert to purge the Greenskin hordes. A particular achievement for the Saurians during this time came to be known as the Drowning of Conar's Hope, when their Chapter detonated hundreds of dams planet-wide to unleash a massive flood - crushing the enemy's Squiggoth herds beneath endless waves of water. Similarly impressive battles and acts of valor marked this period, highlighting the martial genius and cooperation of the Emperor's Angels of Death.
Yet what should have proved illustrious turned sour in the final act, with the sudden occurrence of the Robanni Incident - a violent and efficient fratricide of the Silver Flames Chapter at the hands of the Aasvogels. The Saurians, absent at the genocide but having worked most closely with the Silver Flames over the long decade, roared in anger upon hearing the news - nearly engaging the Aasvogels in a blind rage.
Only the intervention of the Optimus Legion and other more senior and diplomatic Chapters kept the Aasvogels and their detractors from open war, instead convening an investigatory tribunal which later came to be known as the Laternax Councils.
Laternax Councils Begin (843.M41-915.M41)
Began as a set of impromptu, closed meetings meant to prevent open conflict between the Aasvogels (Successors of the Ultramarines) and the Saurians (Successors of the Salamanders), over the former’s ruthless purge of the Silver Flames Chapter, the Laternax Councils quickly evolved beyond their founding peacekeeping mission when detailed investigations into the deceased yielded highly controversial results. These findings threw the question of the necessity of the Aasvogels’ deeds into hotly contested debate, when all involved immediately knew the gravity of their situation had increased a thousandfold.
For in researching the Silver Flame’s Apothecarium, and in chasing whispers leading elsewhere, the Councils soon compiled a growing collection of scraps of evidence from across the galaxy that pointed, ultimately, to the strong possibility of more widespread tampering, contamination, and intentional mutation of gene-seed than ever before thought possible. This news, kept secret out of practical concern regarding its profound implications, proved deeply shocking to all involved. That Loyalist forces might have not only managed to stabilize hybridized gene-seed, but in fact willingly perpetuated the practice in creating what those present at the Laternax Councils later came to refer to as ‘the chimeric’, was a powerful accusation not to be made public lightly. The discussion of the veracity and permissibility of these so-called Chimeric Chapters existing within the Imperium at first merely competed for priority against the founding peacekeeping mission, but then came to dominate the deliberations (much to the detriment of relations between the Chapters involved, who drove themselves further and further apart in mutual disdain as the Councils dragged on).
Hand Bearers Purge (978.M41) & Dandoori Accord Drafted (984.M41)
A pair of pivotal events during the Laternax Councils timeline, the first of which occurred when the usually headbutting Council factions united to eliminate the corrupted Hand Bearers, a Chapter of dubious genetic lineage which had clearly fallen into the dark worship of Warp Entities. Those Lost Sons, even swollen well-beyond regulated strength as they were, stood no chance against the united might of the Councils (by now more than a dozen Chapters strong), and were smote from existence with relative ease. This rare and successfully coordinated purge showed that the Puritans and Radicals could indeed overcome their differences for a common cause and led to the second pivotal event, when Leonardo of the Knights Angelicus drafted and proposed a specific compromise to the Laternax Councils: the Dandoori Accord.
A well-written merger of older plans whose prior iterations had been dismissed in committee due to mistrust or indignation, the Dandoori Accord quickly found itself before the general assembly, buoyed there by feelings of good faith. Copies soon circulated with excitement through most of the Laternax Cathedral, being slowly ratified by the supermajority of those assembled - even despite the two Chapters at the epicenter of the Councils (the Saurians and Aasvogels) finding themselves both deeply disgruntled with what lay before them.
Laternax Counciles End (997.M41-012.M42)
When the Chapter Commands of both the Aasvogels and the Saurians finally accepted that the Dandoori Accord was a better outcome than continuing to drag out the Councils or resorting to open violence, their Chapter Masters openly pledged to limit their representatives to hammering out only a minimum number of additional amendments to the accord as needed. With news of this groundbreaking change, energy rippled through the Council Chambers: the question was no longer what to do, but details. Final negotiations began about the standing subcommittee members and specific responsibilities with haste - important factors to be sure, but little more than the last stretch of a marathon of work.
Yet it was not to be, for as the Councils grew closer and closer to a conclusion, an ill-fated speech was made. Amongst the agitated eating tables of the Commons, Chaplain Aazir Cathaar of the Aasvogels rallied his Battle-Brothers, speaking boldly and with intent to support the Accord; the rambling monologue, as heard by Chaplain Acadian Marcel of the Saurians, required challenge – a harsh reminder of the limitations of their Accord and this being not unilateral victory but instead measured compromise. With words shared, then raised (in both anger and intensity), a crowd of Astartes from all the Chapters present formed, and what began as a loud debate between two Chaplains devolved into a discordant shouting match across faction lines.
At the fever-pitch height of this impromptu confrontation horrible accusations were hurled, and then threatened to be enacted – sending shouting and fury boiling over into physicality. Several Marines died in the Brawl – killing any sense of goodwill along with. Not long after the initial fighting was broken apart, Chapters from both factions began to close ranks, the only recently dormant fires of resentment exploding out into a raging inferno. Further accusations of far heavier weight were leveled, and the tension built to a horrible apex as the Carrion Lord, flagship of the Aasvogels fleet, locked its weapons on de Marisa, warship of the Saurians – ready to fire at a moment's notice. Only a suspiciously well-timed call for aid against a sudden Tyranid invasion nearby managed to diffuse the spiraling situation, the Loyalist Chapters one-by-one turning their guns away from each other and departing to counter the dire Xenos threat.
With the majority of participants backing out of the Laternax Councils prior to the turn of the Millennia – citing lack of good faith in the wake of the Brawl, or the demands of war concurrent with Tyranid incursions – the halls of the Laternax Cathedral fell into disuse. Years later, following the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Aasvogels and the Saurians found themselves separated from each other in a seemingly more permanent fashion, as a literal schism now matched their metaphorical one. Each Chapter managed to relay message to the other participants of the Laternax Councils, signaling their permanent withdrawal from the already paused proceedings and declaring their symbolic victory. Though closing meetings and other formalities trundled on, the absence of the driving antagonists and the subsequent departure of their factions led the Optimus Legion to formally dissolve the Councils in 012.M42.
1st Sicari Sub-Sector Purge (c.early-M42)
Space Marines of the Saurians Chapter attempt to purge fragments of Splinter Fleet Lindwyrm from their underground lairs on multiple worlds in the Sicari Sub-Sector. Initial reports indicated stunning success, with large swathes of tunnels cleared and infestation levels drastically reduced. However, the deeper the Chapter delves, they unearth pockets of Tyranid bioforms in ever-greater numbers than previously speculated, leading to a tactical withdrawal. The Sub-Sector is placed under quarantine, until further resources can be gathered for a second purge attempt.
Earned Through Return (042.M42)
The Saurians detect a small Ork fleet on a close-pass trajectory to the Sohtrac system, inbound from the galactic north. With the proximity deemed too close for comfort, the Chapter intercepts the Greenskins with overwhelming force. Still, the Orks put up a shockingly nasty resistance, with the greatest of their number - a grisled Boss Nob of unknown moniker - leading a daring boarding action deep into the flagship of the Astartes fleet. When Dreamfather Ados Lafont finally slays the great beast and has chance to study its unique armament, he is surprised to recognize the veteran Xenos' weapon as none other than the relic Thunderhammer "Forgesplinter", which the Librarius dates back to the Sons of Rapture's Time of Drowning (when it was presumed lost).
The Navigators immediately chart a course towards Disov V, and a years-long pilgrimage ensues. After many battles and lives lost, the Saurians arrive to offer up Forgesplinter and the Ork Nob's head, in hopeful exchange for the secret details of its crafting. Alas, those secrets prove more long-lost than the weapon itself, but out of consolation and respect for the attempted return, the Saurians are gifted "Forgesplinter" to keep.
2nd Defense of Egya (c.early-M42)
The Saurians commit a token relief force to the nearby Vulkan's Drakes, a fellow Salamanders-successor Chapter calling for aid. Marcher-Lord Zey'sha Luc leads this force personally, mustered from elements of the 5th, 6th, and 7th Companies, as well as the Armoury (approx. 150 Battle-Brothers in total, with nominal supporting vehicles).
The campaign proves costly and frustrating for the Saurians, who publicly decry the culling of worlds in advance of the Traitors' approach, and later chafe at having to cooperate with reinforcements from the Obsidian Fists during the closing stage of the war.
Chapter Homeworld
Chapter’s Relation to Homeworld
More often than not, the Saurians govern Sohtrac II distantly. Most of its feudal population have never seen a Space Marine, and half of those that claim to are liars. Those blessed enough among the common folk to have actually encountered the Emperor's Angels are never consistent in their tales. Some claim to have glimpsed large animated statues across the foggy swamplands, which disappear into the mists as soon as they are spotted. Others report naked giants, too well-proportioned and graceful to be explained away as local Ogryn, stalking mountain predator species from far above.
Yet the Saurians do maintain some direct contact with the ruling nobility of the warring medieval states as necessary, and also provide indirect aid to their populations. Plagues are not allowed to persist on the planet, and the sewage systems of all major cities are strangely advanced for their time period. The extent and manner by which Saurians interact with the ruling classes of Sohtrac II varies from Chapter Master to Chapter Master, but they have all maintained the power and influence needed to issue grand strategy to the world's indigenous armies should the world ever face external invaders.
Predominant Terrain and Setting
Despite its violent past, Sohtrac II remains a rich biosphere, lush with hearty vegetation and abundant wildlife. Much of the planet is covered in hyper-lethal jungle or swampland, and the atmosphere is muggy and oppressive; large swathes of the deeper wetlands are unexplored or undeveloped by its human inhabitants, who have neither the means nor interest to change that.
Mountain ranges, quarantine zones, and oceans serve as natural borders for the world's primitive nations, who constantly battle over the more habitable and productive planetary regions. Those few major cities which do exist are well-defended by fortifications much thicker and taller than ancient Terran equivalents, due to both the constant threat of war and the prevalence of predatory mega-reptiles on the planet.
Much of the population works in agricultural pursuits, laboring from sun-up to sun-down to hunt megafauna, gather wild fruits, or farm whatever aquatic crops will thrive in the oppressive heat. Technological advancement is slow at the best of times, often set back by the frequent solar flares from its semi-stable host star or by subtle sabotage on the part of the Space Marines who protect them. In the eyes of the Saurians, this harsh environment is almost perfect. The Sohtrac people remain hardy survivalists, ever-violent and free from luxury, but do not possess any firearms or other technologies sufficiently advanced to pose an actual threat to their own population.
Fortress-Monastery
With each new generation of Neophytes toiling to expand its tunnels, the Bogkeep of Sodergren sinks its fingers deeper into the swamplands of Sohtrac II. Precious few have witnessed the full breadth of the Saurians Fortress-Monastery, as even from orbit one struggles to track its rockrete corridors as they snake beneath dozens of water bodies. Marsh lakes, laden with algae, obscure underwater defense platforms, and the brackish water of over a dozen rivers play host to a large variety of distracting wildlife.
Further complicating the structure, certain sections of the Bogkeep are intentionally left in disrepair. The Chapter finds this to serve a dual-purpose: frustrating hazards for trespassers and a solemn reminder of the danger ever-present for its wardens. Ancient oil spills obstruct the exact locations of points of egress while heavy-metal contaminants infect the unarmored and unwary who trudge its halls. Although the Armoury tended Sodergren’s deeper wounds long ago, attempts to remove less serious surface scarring continues into the modern day with no immediate end in sight.
Chapter Organization
Standard Battle-Ranks
OFFICER RANKS
- Chapter Master
- The highest rank attainable within the Chapter, currently held by Hauri Loc'rac (former Lord of Bones, Company III). Whereas other Chapters may heap additional honorific titles unto the post of their commander-in-chief, the Saurians eschew such practice and simply revere the title set down in the Codex Astartes. Any additional titles one of their Chapter Masters may bear are that of the individual himself, rather than being inherent to the office he holds.
- Marcher-Lord
- The Captains of Companies I, IV, VI, and X traditionally hold the additional honorific of Marcher-Lord. A direct result of their Chapter's particularly traumatic battle history, this office allows them battlefield command of up to two additional companies in times of dire need. This right is rarely enacted, and in practice has never been done without the assent of the Leadership of the Companies being seconded; in the 42nd Millennium, and with much-needed Primaris reinforcements to replenish their numbers, this honourific is seen as largely ceremonial.
- Captain
- Considered the equal of each of the Masters of the Departmento, each Saurian Captain has earned the right to scour the blue from his relic helm and bear proudly the full glory of the Salamanders green it was always meant to. The term "Lord-Saurian" also applies to anyone of Captain rank or higher, an interchangeable title.
- Archosaur
- Each Archosaur fills a role similar to that of Lieutenants in other Chapters, being the commander of a demi-company. The only exceptions to this are the Archosaurs of the 8th and 9th Companies, who either perform a more ceremonial duty as bodyguards to their Company's Captain or serve as the direct squad leaders of specialist units, respectively.
SPECIALIST RANKS
- Firedrake
- A title formerly granted unto only the finest and most experienced warriors of the Veteran Company, as an homage to their Progenitor. Under the command of Chapter Master Hauri, however, the title has become largely defunct; the Last of the Firedrakes retain their titles but are aged Astartes, and with no new members inducted into their ranks in over two Terran-centuries the honorific is expected to fall into obscurity with their eventual passing.
- Draconians
- While the 9th Company largely consists of standard Devastator Squads, two specialist units are trained and deployed separately by its Captain. With each unit led by an Archosaur personally, they are experts in urban warfare and terror tactics. Although feared as harbingers of compliance throughout their home sector and beyond, the Draconian Squads quietly take greater pride in having the lowest collateral damage record of any squad in the Chapter.
LINE RANKS
- Viper
- This rank is reserved for a Sergeant of a squad of Battle Brothers. Additional privileges accompany this position, with the Astartes holding it allowed greater leeway in personal armament and adornment. Typically this right manifests itself in the form of salt pouches, ornamental feathers, or wreathes of claws and teeth -- although many also forgo such trinkets entirely, to the tacit approval of the Chapter's upper echelon.
- Saurian-Sergeant
- Upon ascending to the first of the officer ranks, a Saurian-Sergeant typically finds themselves immediately seconded to the 10th Company (if not already under its auspices). It is there they receive their initial charge, a squad of Neophytes and Aspirants, to whom they must provide leadership and tutelage both on and off the battlefield.
- Saurian (Battle-Brother)
- Greenfang (Neophyte)
- Aspirant (Squire)
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Other Departmento
Armoury
The Ironscale (Master of the Forge)
Techmarine
Tank Commander
Apothecarium
Lord-Purifier (Chief Apothecary)
Honour Guard
Master of Arms (Chapter Champion)
Chapter Ancient (Standard-Bearer)
Reclusiam
Lord-Confessor (Master of Sanctity)
Judiciar/Reclusiarch
Chaplain
Librarius
The Dreamfather (Chief Librarian)
Codicier
Epistolary
Lexicanium
Acolytum
Chapter Recruitment
- "Honour, self-sacrifice, self-reliance, brotherhood.
It is our Promethean creed and all must adhere to it if we are to prosper."- —Primarch Vulkan to the survivors of the XVIIIth Legion
RITES OF SELECTION
Aspirants of the Saurians Chapter must pass three trials in addition to the rigors of their organ implantations and martial training in order to ascend to the rank of Battle-Brother. The first of these tests are administered by the Librarius, the second by the Apothecarium, and the third by the Reclusiam.
Knowledge of Self
During the First Trial, Codicier-Librarians consume animal brains and fungal matter with the Aspirants while using their powers to induce them into a hallucinatory fugue state. It is then that they guide their charges through their first exposure to the memories of the dead and undying. While the minds of the Chapter Squires are so distracted by that novel experience, their collective subconscious is deeply probed by the senior Astartes. At first only those most sensitive to the touch of the Immaterium detect such investigations, receiving Marks of Secondment to the Librarius for their natural aptitude.
But after mere hours of subtlety, the Librarians make their true motives quite clear, turning the memories and passions of each Aspirant against them violently in tests of temptation and mental fortitude. Should the resilience or motives of any amongst them be found too deeply flawed, the Librarius is at liberty to enact summary execution, or permanently relegate the more fortunate to the rank of Serf.
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Hunting the Hunter
The wilds of Sohtrac II host several species of predatory megafauna, known to menace the local populace and to possess raw strength eclipsing even that of a fully-fledged Astartes. As their Second Trial, a trio of fresh Neophytes deploy alongside a seasoned veteran of the Apothecary to the mountains and bogs of their homeworld so they may track down and capture several of these great beasts in their own territories. During the entirety of this Trial, the recruits must remain fully stripped, unarmed and unarmored, with only their superhuman cunning and speed to aid them.
The Apothecary may tend to the hopeful's wounds and instruct them as he deems fit but is mostly to serve as a passive and emotionless statue, truly present only to harvest the Chapter's precious gene-seed should the worst come to pass. If the Greenfangs succeed in subduing each beast without unnecessary slaughter, they earn their first boltgun upon their triumphant return to Sodergren.
Ignition of Passion
The final rite of ascension, the Third Trial, involves committal to the Reclusiam, where one of the Chaplains sees the Greenfangs stripped bare and lashed to iron stakes. After a week of fasting in such a fashion, the personal choir of the Lord-Confessor enters the chamber in somber chant. The Chapter Serfs bear cauldrons of heated pitch, which they use to paint a single blistering line upon each limb, followed by an Aquilla upon the chest. The Greenfangs must then be doused in incense and oils, and let drip in the dark as the Chaplain re-enters and prepares the ceremonial torch. Upon completing this task, the Chaplain orders the Neophytes unbound. He then performs the Ignition of Passion, recanting the Litanies of Hate as he touches the torch to each Greenfang, igniting them in turn.
It is the honorable duty of each Greenfang to bear this immolation in silence as the Chaplain makes his rounds; any Greenfang who makes any noise at any point during this rite is escorted from the Chamber in shame. Once the ignition is complete, the Chaplain completes the circle again, this time yanking a chain above each Neophyte to deliver a deluge of cooling bog water to temper his passion.
To step out cooly from beneath this waterfall is to become a full Battle-Brother of the Saurians.
Chapter Beliefs
- "See, But Don't Be Seen"
- Revere the Primarch
- Totem Creatures
- Reptoids
- Serpentines
- Drakes
- Effigies
- Purity of Man
- Death Cult
- Sciomancy
- Shrunken Heads
- Death Cult
- Esoteric Beliefs
- Cults of Superstition
- Bolter Cult
- Popular Aspirant Supersitions
- Rule of Three
- Salt
- Ritual Animal Sacrifice
- Cults of Superstition
Chapter Flaws
The Saurians take special pains to preserve the purity and security of their gene-seed, given the often endangered- or under-strength status of their Chapter for much of its history. Yet, the legacy of Nocturne is not so easily removed; even though the Saurians preferred to solely recruit from a single world with a semi-stable star since their founding, they still bear the visual signs of radiation-exposure. Their red eyes almost glow in the dark, and while not often charcoal-black, their skin remains at least ashy-gray.
But where the Saurians excel in preserving their genetics, their Chapter continues to struggle with the flaws that have developed within their culture and certain excesses of demeanor.
[Primarch's Curse]: Scarred Psyche
Each and every Saurian honors Vulkan's teachings to the best of their ability, seeing the protection of innocents as most sacred among these duties. Nothing has swayed their Chapter from this charge, despite having suffered much in its pursuit over their relatively short history. The burden of this monumental task weighs heavy upon them, however; the least stoic among the Saurians fall prey to a deep cynicism, slowly twisting them into firm believers in the cruelest of inoculations and most extreme of preemptive strikes.
[Stage 1]: Mistrusting
This Battle-Brother has lost confidence in the capabilities and motives of non-Astartes, seeing the bulk of humanity's warriors as potential liabilities on any battlefields they may share. They may seek to limit their exposure to non-Astartes even off said battlefields, avoiding contact-duties as best they can. It is not uncommon for a Saurian at this stage to develop an overstrained occulobe or neuroglottis from paranoid overuse, symptomized by sensitivities to harsh lights and smells which in turn cause a further retreat from the company of others.
[Stage 2]: Cold-Blooded
The Battle-Brother at this stage harbors little faith in the strength of others, but abandons their preference for seclusion to take it upon himself to kindle true strength within them. Those non-Astartes unfortunate enough to find themselves under his indelicate care are subjected to grueling exercise regimens, endless cautionary tales, and heavy-handed discipline. No amount of pleading moves him, and only formal reprimand from a superior will stall his brutal educations. But only the foes of Mankind know the true extent of his callousness; this Battle-Brother takes no prisoners, executing all regardless of age or surrender, of being heretic or alien.
[Stage 3]: Predatory
At this stage, an afflicted Saurian becomes a truly cruel protector. He disdains those unable to defend themselves and takes from the weak so they may be inspired to grow stronger. This Astartes stalks even those he once trusted most, endlessly tensed and ready to strike should treachery arise. Squad members can no longer rely on him to lead in a fully rational manner, as he is inclined to instinctive strikes against targets of opportunity which often compromise the greater battle-strategy.
Combat Doctrine
- "[...] set about the Traitor, the alien, and the Renegade without mercy, and harrow them [...]"
- —Mythos Angelica Mortis excerpt, quoting a far older work dating back to M32
- [Combat Doctrine]: Shock and Awe
- [Favored Warfare]: Cityfights, Suppressions
- [Preferred Enemies]:
- Tyranids (Hive Fleet Leviathan)
- Forces of Chaos (Nurgle Cultists, Alpha Legion Warbands)
Special Equipment
Despite aspiring towards greater Codex-compliance than even their Salamander predecessors, the Saurians Chapter does both possess and field a small variety of non-standard wargear. Perhaps most prevalent of these divergences are the Kaltov-Pattern Storm Bolter and the Puckel Variant of Autocannon, which on rare occasions an entire Squad may be equipped with; most non-standard equipment use is limited to Battle-Brothers of at least Sergeant rank or higher, with no more than a single instance of Codex-deviant weaponry authorized per combat squad by default.
| Codex-Deviant Weaponry (Active) | |
| Ceramite Spikes | While typically carried as a ceremonial weapon, with a primary function in Chapter Rites, some Sergeants have taken to carrying these shortspears onto the battlefield after coating them in debilitating neurotoxins. |
| Kaltov-Pattern Storm Bolter | Known colloquially as the 'Torrent Bolter', the Kaltov-Pattern is an over-under Storm Bolter, sporting shorter barrels and abnormal magazine orientation. |
| Puckel Variant Autocannon | A moderately snub-nosed iteration of the Astartes-portable autocannon. |
| Codex-Deviant Weaponry (Retired/Destroyed) | |
| Gnarthian-Pattern Lasgun | The Gnarthian-Pattern Lasgun was a rare, over-under configuration of double-barreled lasgun. Only the most extreme of offenses once caused an individual to be issued one of these overcharged rifles as an Act of Penance, for even temporarily losing the privilege to bear a Holy Bolter was seen as perhaps the greatest mark of shame a Neophyte could earn during the Crisis of Faith Epoch. |
| Hiklam-Pattern Shotlas | When at the height of its influence, the tenets of the Saurians Bolter-Cult dictated that the least promising among Saurian Aspirants were to be issued these confiscated weapons in place of more standard weaponry, to better provide proper short-range fire support. |
Chapter Fleet
Last of the Leviathans
By 999.M41, the Saurians Chapter Fleet has operated without any battle barges for over five Terran centuries. Records from the Imperial Navy indicate the last vessel of such size to bear their heraldry was the Gloire, whose battle damage proved far too severe to warrant repairs. Tech-Priests of ((RECORDS LOST)) instead performed Rituals of Deconsecration upon her sometime in early M41, prior to scrapping the once-proud spacecraft for parts. It is in this way that the last of the Saurian battle-barges serves on, even in death; the hearts of the Gloire beat still, her reactors long-transplanted to her Chapter's newest pair of sister-ships, the Endless Oath and Sudden Roar.
Known Vessels
STRIKE CRUISERS
- Standard-Pattern
- Sudden Roar
- (Commissioned mid-M41)
- Coldscale
- (Declared MIA in mid-M39; confirmed KIA in late-M41)
- Daggertooth
- (Confirmed Active, M42)
- Rusteater
- (Confirmed KIA)
- Grin
- Death Roll
- Brigandine
- Sudden Roar
- Vanguard-Variant
- Excavatis
- Insomnus
- Punisher-Variant
- Endless Oath
- (Commissioned mid-M41)
- de Marsia
- (Oldest Ship in the Fleet)
- Endless Oath
Deathwatch Service
Like most Chapters, when the Ordo Xenos call for one of their number to join the Long Vigil, the Saurians typically hold a solemn departure ceremony for their chosen Veteran. The first part of the Saurians' version of this ceremony involves a short meditative session within one of the rooms of their Reclusiam, where the Deathwatch recruit is joined by no more than a handful of pre-chosen Battle-Brothers of personal importance. There a brief bonding ritual occurs involving the performance of commemorative melodies and songs, where no normal speech may take place. Only then will the chosen Astartes find himself personally escorted by his Chapter-Master and Chief Librarian to the black-hulled Thunderhawk awaiting him.
Once properly inducted into the Deathwatch, Saurian Veterans often struggle to truly adapt to the unique demands of the organization they have joined. The withdrawn and quiet nature of these Astartes makes their passions a particular challenge for Deathwatch Chaplains to enflame, further exasperated by the relative lack of public history regarding their young Chapter. Only the esoteric teachings of the Salamanders' Canticle of Immolation tend to move them to sufficient battle fury, and even then only the portions to which their Chapter adheres most strongly. Further complicating matters is the strenuous relationship their Chapter maintains with the Inquisition in general, as many Saurians feel that Inquisitors tend to pursue their own agendas heedless of the risk to civilians, which has brought them into open conflict in the past; the bad blood between individual Inquisitors and Saurian Astartes makes the assignment of such Space Marines all but impossible to those Watch Stations overseen by a Lord-Inquisitor in place of a standard Watch-Commander.
For these reasons, among others, Deathwatch Saurians rarely advance beyond the rank of Veteran Tactical Marine within their Watch Station. More often than advancing the ranks, a Saurian of the Deathwatch will find himself best put to use as a lone Kill-Marine, with the skills Saurians value and hone shining brightest when left to do so unsupervised. This is not to say that no Saurians hold specialist ranks within the Deathwatch, as the Chapter sends many of its Apothecaries to the Long Watch in earnest hopes to preserve the quality of not only their own Gene-seed but of as many others as they may. The Saurians also dispatch a disproportionate amount of Librarians to the Deathwatch, who volunteer at random points of veterancy within their Chapter, when so compelled by signs and messages they receive in their dreams.
Notable Members
Formerly Active
- Antanar Da'Zel, former Chapter-Master
- Jorgandr Parsen, former Lord-Confessor
- Iegan Ta'var, former Dreamfather
- Elijah Mason, former Marcher-Lord and Hyperosmian
- Gar'Dos Hugh, former Captain (Co.9)
- Jean Mek'vo, former Veteran Apothecary
Currently Active
- Brother Matheus Onyx - Void Vulture Auxiliary, Co.8
- Ge'loth Emile - Apothecary
- Gideon Grignon - Deathwatch, formerly Sternguard Veteran
- Haros Tarsen - Deadly Emissary of the Igneous Forge, Deathwatch Veteran Tactical
- Archosaur Maureeses - Prior Assault Sergeant of Co.8
  Archosaur rank, donning the Chapter's only suit of Tartaros Armor |
  Assault Sergeant rank, donning his Jump Pack, flamer, and lightning claw |
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- Mirdstone - Dreadnought, formerly of the Keelhaulers Chapter (decimated & disbanded)
- Nahrius - Greenfang
- Ra'vek Deaux - Tank Commander
- Gaétan Fimbran (Exiled, late M41)
- [Honourifics, Active]: The Armoured Vulture, Overseer of the Red Purge, Bane of Tyranids
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- Relief Force Calvo, led by Marcher-Lord Zey'sha Luc
- Saurian-Sergeants of Scout Force Signum-h9, Co.X
- Harul Jerome (Advance Squad 01-m)
- Rolande Nu'matr (Advance Squad 09-e)
- Sa'vek Reinald (Ambush Squad 07-r)
- Quinton Heka'un (Ambush Squad 08-n)
Chapter Relics
- "The weapon you carry today is as much a part of your squad, your company, as the warriors who stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the crucible of battle. Honour its victories, maintain its warrior spirit, dedicate oaths of brotherhood to its name."
- —Ghol'kwe, Veteran Sergeant of the Salamanders
THE FORGE-SPLINTER
Forged through days of unceasing toll and creative fever by a Sons of Rapture forgewright, the Forge-Splinter is a weapon of immaculate design and strength. Its large flat head can deal devastating blows that sunder bone and armour alike, while the sharp spike opposite has yet to meet a hide it could not pierce.
ARMOUR OF THE FIRST
Once worn more plainly, and rumoured to have been with the Chapter since its Founding, the Armour of the First now boasts several impressive ornamentations. In truth, the subtle glory of the Tribunal Tassle and Bones of Iakrom inspire greater awe from those who know their stories, but it is oft the skin and skull of the long-gone allodile which draws the gaze of others.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
Chapter Badge
The Saurians Chapter Badge features the simple relief of a long-extinct creature from their homeworld. It serves as a stern reminder that strength and power alone do not guarantee survival.
Relations
=== === === ALLIES === === === 
| Adeptus Astartes | |
The Redemptors
 |
Perhaps most stalwart amongst the allies of the Saurians are the grim Redemptors of Lachrimorta. While the two Chapters differ significantly in both structure and beliefs, the bond they share remains adamantine: when nearby Imperial worlds call for aid, they will respond in force to defend the loyal subjects of the Emperor. In their presence the slaughter of innocents will not be tolerated, a committed stance which only deepens their mutual respect.
Furthermore, the Saurians and Redemptors share a common enemy in the forces of Nurgle, who besieged both their homeworlds. This like hatred, combined with similar sensitivities regarding their own Chapter Histories, see them naturally aligned on many issues. |
Starborn Giants
 |
Like the Saurians themselves, the Starborn Giants find their Chapter somewhat estranged from their Salamanders progenitor, instead driven into the arms of the Ordo Hereticus and Ecclesiarchy. Both Chapters, therefore, find themselves cooperating in campaigns of compliance which those Imperial organizations deem critical. The victory-tally of each of these joint ventures are long, as it seems their Chapter tactics naturally compliment each other.
Their alliance is not without strain, however; the Saurians find the genetic flaws of the Starborn Giants and the more extreme of their actions mildly repulsive, leading them to treat their cousin Chapter as little more than a crude - yet admittedly powerful - tool. |
Void Vultures
 |
During the Defense of Nirchin II, the Vultures clashed with a Tyranid splinter fleet and found themselves struggling to cleanse the foul Xenos from the system. Reinforcements from the Saurian Chapter brought much-needed volleys of meltagun fire in their first cooperative campaign.
The following centuries saw their partnership deepen, as the two Chapters worked to bring system after system out from under the Shadow in the Warp. Rare weapon patterns were tested and exchanged, and at least one former member of each Chapter serves as permanent attaché to the other. |
=== === === ENEMIES === === === | The Lost and the Damned | |
Pilgrims of the Plague Moon
 |
Following the unexplained ravaging of their homeworld by the Pilgrims of the Plague Moon, the Saurians hunt for these insidious cultists wherever rumors of their presence appear. Only their mastery over the wicked arts of sorcery keep these devoted servants of the Plague God one step ahead of the Saurians who stalk them from the darkness. |
Narcath Sect Warband
 |
Greatly reduced from their former glory in the wake of the Vingian Crusade, the few surviving Alpha Legion warbands of the Hiklam Corridor bound together in the shadows to re-emerge nearly five hundred years later under a new banner - that of the Narcath Sect. While little more than a token force by the dawn of the Era Indomitus, the secrets they still know and the atrocities they once committed have earned them a special kind of hatred from the Saurians Chapter. |
| Xenos | |
Splinterfleet Lindwyrm
 |
This splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan demands the attention of the Saurians Chapter, infesting dozens of worlds across a nearby tract of space (known to locals as the Gnarthian Gate) and beginning to spread far beyond. With the Space Marines' recent campaign to cleanse the Sicari Subsector ending in measured success and tactical withdrawal, the Chapter has spent years studying the battle footage, learning from their burns and scars. The arrival of Primaris reinforcements to their Chapter and those of their allies have the Saurians eagerly organizing a renewed offensive against this sliver of the Shadow in the Warp. |
Gallery
  Greenfang (Scout Marine), |
  Saurian (Battle-Brother), |
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| Twenty Fifth 'Bastion' Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | Umbral Brotherhood • |
| White Scars Successors | Storm Heralds • |
| Space Wolves Successors | • |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Eternity Invictors • Shenandoah Knights • Storm Sentinels • Voidwardens • |
| Blood Angels Successors | Angels Benevolent • Blessed Reavers • Bone Reapers • Gold Templars • Knights of Sanguinius • Sanguine Spectres • Soaring Angels • |
| Iron Hands Successors | Crystal Dragons • Grey Gorgons • Steel Tempests • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Azure Ravens • Emerald Spears • Instigators • Pillars of Jeza • Silver Consuls • |
| Salamanders Successors | The Saurians • Stellar Drakes • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Accentors • Angels Tenebris • Astral Ravens • Sandsons • |
| Unknown Lineage | Aacharns • Argent Leviathans • Frost Reapers • Gloam Strikers • Grecians • Heralds of the Storm • Orcinus Astra • Wolves Eternal • |
| Renegades | Silver Sigils • |