Salamanders

The Salamanders are one of the Loyalist First Founding Chapters of Space Marines. Their homeworld is the volcanic Death World of Nocturne. The Salamanders as a Chapter are unusually concerned with civilian casualties for Space Marines and believe that one of their most important duties is to protect the lives of the Emperor of Mankind's innocent subjects whenever and wherever possible. This is an attitude that developed as a consequence of the Salamanders own close connections to the Nocturnean people, as they are one of the only Chapters of Astartes who continue to interact with their families and the people of their homeworld after their transformation into Space Marines. For instance, it is not uncommon for a Salamander to serve as a clan leader among the Nocturneans and live with them when Chapter business does not require him to remain at the Chapter's fortress-monastery on Nocturne's moon of Prometheus. The Salamanders and their people as a whole are also defined by their adherence to a variation of the Imperial Cult called the Promethean Cult.

Vulkan
When the infant Primarchs were separated from the Emperor and transported randomly across the galaxy through the Warp by the machinations of the Chaos Gods, one of the children ended up on the feudal world of Nocturne. The baby was found by a blacksmith named N'bel, who, recognizing the child as the one prophesied to be a savior, named him Vulkan. Like all the Primarchs, Vulkan grew very quickly, reaching full adulthood (and a size bigger and more muscular than any man on Nocturne) by the age of only three Terran years. He was also highly intelligent, able to vastly improve the already considerable metalworking skills of the famed smiths of Nocturne. When Vulkan was four, his town was attacked by the Dark Eldar, who were on a slave-taking expedition. The people of his hometown hid, as they usually did when the decadent aliens came raiding, but Vulkan refused to hide. Armed with only a pair of blacksmith's hammers, he roused the people from hiding and drove back the assault, single-handedly slaying a hundred Dark Eldar warriors. As word of the battle spread, the headsmen of the seven most important settlements on the planet came to pay homage to Vulkan, swearing to forevermore crush their foes rather than hiding from them.

The Outlander
Jubilant at their victory, the people of Nocturne held a great celebration, involving tests of strength and craftsmanship. During the opening ceremonies, a stranger appeared. His skin was pale, compared to the dark complexion of the people of Nocturne, and his clothes were very strange. The stranger claimed that he could best any man at the competitions, causing many people to laugh at the seemingly inadvertent comparison to the superhuman Vulkan. Vulkan accepted the challenge, and the stranger wagered that whoever lost would swear his eternal loyalty and obedience to the victor. For eight days, the stranger matched Vulkan in several events, with neither able to beat the other by more than a slight difference (for example, an anvil-lifting contest was declared a draw after both men held theirs up for half a day with no signs of stopping).

The Final Trial
Finally, it came down to the final trial: Salamander Slaying. Both men had a day and a half to forge a weapon, then go out and slay the largest salamander (a large heat-loving reptile native to Nocturne), that they could find. Vulkan and the stranger worked all day at their forges, neither pausing to rest. As the day drew to a close, they emerged. Vulkan with a huge hammer, and the stranger with a keen-edged sword. They both climbed to the summit of Mount Deathfire, a massive volcano said to be the home of the largest Firedrakes on the planet. Vulkan found his prey first, smashing its head off with a single blow from his hammer. As he carried the carcass back, the volcano erupted. Vulkan was nearly thrown off a cliff, but managed to grab onto the edge with one hand, stubbornly grasping the tail of his prize with the other. Vulkan held on for several hours, but his hold finally began to slip. It was at that time the stranger reappeared, carrying a salamander larger than his own. The stranger quickly threw his carcass into the lava flow, using its heat-resistant hide as a bridge to cross over and save Vulkan. Vulkan was declared the winner when they returned home, but Vulkan silenced the crowd. He knelt before the stranger, stating that any man who valued life over pride was worthy of his service. The stranger revealed himself to be the Emperor of Mankind, and it was declared that Nocturne would be the homeworld of the Salamanders Space Marine Legion derived from Vulkan's genome, with Vulkan at his rightful place as Primarch of the Legion and ruler of the planet.

Horus Heresy and the Aftermath
The Salamanders' role during the Horus Heresy is not well known to Imperial scholars; what is for certain is that the Legion, along with the Iron Hands and Raven Guard, was part of the first wave of Loyalist attackers during the Massacre of Isstvan V. After the announcement of the Warmaster Horus' treachery and the destruction of Isstvan III, the Emperor ordered seven Legions of Space Marines to attack the Chaos forces serving his son and former friend. But among those seven Legions, four were already secretly Traitors to the Imperium and devotees of the Ruinous Powers. The initial landing force on Istvann V fell into a trap set by the Traitors and, despite their martial skills, the three loyal Legions were forced to begin a tactical withdrawal toward their landing site, which had been fortified by the four Traitor Legions secretly forming the second wave of the assault on Horus' forces. At this moment the second wave opened fire on the retreating Loyalist Marines, crushing them between the hammer of Horus' forces and the anvil of the fortified drop site. Despite a heroic defence, the three loyal Legions were practically destroyed; all but a handfull of battle brothers fell on that fateful day. After this sad defeat the Salamanders, as well as the other two betrayed Space Marine Legions, were unable to perform any tasks the Emperor had planned for them and spent the rest of the Heresy rebuilding their forces. When Roboute Guilliman authored the Codex Astartes and prepared the plan to safeguard the Imperium from another civil war by breaking down each Space Marine Legion into a single Chapter comprised of only 1,000 Space Marines, Vulkan stood alongside Leman Russ of the Space Wolves and Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists in opposition to the plan, though he eventually acquiesced rather than put the unity of the Imperium at risk once more.

Second War for Armageddon
Ten millennia later, led by Chapter Master Tu'Shan in the early 41st Millennium, whose tenure as Chapter Master had only begun 3 years before, the Salamanders fought with distinction. Among other feats of their service on the world of Armageddon, a company of the Salamanders managed to defend the bridge over the River Stygies from a thousand-strong Ork Speed Freeks Army, and prevented the Orks from destroying a water purification plant, thus saving Hive Tempestora from a slow death by dehydration. Although the hive city eventually fell to the Orks, the Salamanders' efforts allowed it to be evacuated before the Orks could capture it. The Salamanders have been involved in many magnificent Imperial conquests and victories, but in recent times even these great achievements have been eclipsed by their stalwart fighting during the Second War for Armageddon. While the Blood Angels set about destroying the massive Ork horde, and the Ultramarines bent their strength to the defence of the surviving hive cities, the Salamanders took upon themselves the essential but neglected task of protecting the supply convoys, fighting rearguard actions against the Ork advances and escorting refugee columns. So unstinting were they in these arduous but unsung duties that the Salamanders were to earn the gratitude and respect of thousands of Imperial Guardsmen and civilians. The Salamanders have become renowned as sturdy and dependable allies, a reputation which is not shared by other, more unpredictable, Space Marine Chapters.

Third War for Armageddon
When the Ork Warboss Ghazghkull launched his new offensive against the Imperial forces on Armageddon, the Salamanders were one of the first Space Marine Chapters to respond, sending a full seven companies to combat the Orks, including Chapter Master Tu'Shan, who personally lead his Firedrakes (the elite 1st Company). The Salamanders launched several counter-attacks against the Rok-forts landed by the Orks along the Hemlock River. Preferring the close-quarter fighting within the maze of crudely-carved tunnels within the Roks to the long-range duels in the desert, the Salamanders made the Orks pay a high price for their audacity. At least three Roks were destroyed by the Salamanders' attacks, slaughtering untold thousands of the savage greenskins.

Many Chapters fought in the name of the Emperor on Armageddon, or for personal glory. Of the fully twenty Space Marine Chapters that deployed for the Third War for Armageddon, only the Salamanders truly fought to save the lives of the people of Armageddon. They are even today much respected for their willingness to stand up against one of the Marines Malevolent's captains who had left civilians to die because they "hadn't time" to defend them from the Orks.

Recruitment
Like many of the First Founding Chapters (and many subsequent ones as well), the Salamanders recruit exclusively from the people of their homeworld. Children aspiring to become Space Marines begin their training at the age of six or seven Terran years as the apprentice to a Space Marine. They spend several years learning the art of the smith, and the most able apprentices are then judged by the Chapter's Apothecaries and Chaplains to see if they are worthy (and capable of surviving the implantation process) to become Space Marines. Their training includes many of the same trials the Emperor and Vulkan competed in according to Nocturnean legend, finally culminating in the hunting and slaying of a massive Salamander on Mount Deathfire.

Each Salamanders company recruits solely from one of the great clans of Nocturne, and thus each Battle-Brother is a clan brother as well. The companies each mantain huge, tracked fortresses that crisscross the volcanic surface of their homeworld, serving as an easy way to interact with their fellow companies and the various Nocturnan tribes. Because each Battle-Brother in a Salamanders Company is a clan brother as well, the Salamanders have been known to fight like their savage namesake to rescue their fallen and wounded.

Chapter Organisation
The Salamanders follow the Codex Astartes, but their doctrines are also strongly influenced by the Promethean Cult of Nocturne, an accepted variant of the Imperial Cult, which places a high regard on self-reliance, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to each other as well as to the Emperor. The hammer and the fire are both important symbols of the Cult, and the Chapter makes widespread use of Flamers, Meltaguns, and Thunder Hammers in their armoury. As one can imagine, this preference for Flamers and Meltas leads to a strong affinity among the Salamanders for close-range shooting when in combat. Because of their universal early training as blacksmiths, all Salamanders are fully capable of maintaining and performing moderate repair work on their weapons and armour, leaving the Chapter's Artificers with the free time necessary to create great works of technology and metallurgy. As a result, the Salamanders Chapter has an unusually high number of master-crafted weapons and Artificer Power Armour. The Chapter also favours the use of Land Raider Redeemers. In an interesting example of juxtaposition, however, the fluctuating gravity of Nocturne makes training with certain units such as Land Speeders and bikes difficult, therefore the Chapter makes little use of them, favouring instead Devastator Squads and Terminator Squads (the Chapter has 120 Veterans as opposed to the typical 100).

Indeed, it is fitting that the Salamanders should lack fast attack capabilities, as for some inexplicable reason, they naturally have slightly slower reflexes than most Space Marines, probably as a result of mutations in their gene-seed. However, a Salamander's reflexes are still significantly faster than those of a normal human. Also, as a result of a reaction between their genetics and the high levels of radiation present on Nocturne dueto the constant volcanic churning of rare earth elements from the planet's deep crust, Salamander Battle-Brothers usually have dark or jet black skin and bright, burning eyes with the capability to see in the infared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which gives them a natural form of night vision. This appearance is entirely superficial, but has intimidated more than one rebel against the Emperor into submission without firing a shot.

Trained never to give up or retreat, Salamanders are capable of going on even when their entire squad is dead, holding positions for months on end. This is one of the more significant effects of Promethean doctrines upon the Chapter's collective psyche.

Before each battle every Salamander receives an honour-scar from a Promethean brander-priest. This symbolises their respect for the Chapter and the Promethean belief that one must be cleansed by the pain of fire before every major undertaking. Only Veterans ever receive honour-scars on their faces, as it takes several centuries of battles before every other space on the Astartes ebon-skinned body has been filled up with the scars.

Fortress-Monastery
The Salamanders have built their fortress-monastery on Prometheus, Nocturne's oversized moon. Nocturne itself is too geologically and volcanically unstable a world to build a large, defensible structure upon. Its high gravity and other environmental issues like the constant volcanic eruptions could also make training more problamatic and dangerous than even Space Marines would be able to handle. When not at war, the Salamanders prefer to live among the common people of Nocturne and Prometheus, and are the leaders of each settlement. This is a unique trait of the Chapter, and makes the Astartes akin to living gods amoung the fierce peoples of their feudal homeworld.

Companies
Salamanders differ from most if not all other Space Marine Chapters in that each company possesses 120 Marines as opposed to the standard 100 that the Codex Astartes prescribes. Additionally, instead of having 10 companies, the Salamanders have only 6 companies of full Astartes in addition to a small company of about 60 Scout Marines. The Chapter organization of the Salamanders is as follows: The Fire Drakes (1st Company)

Chapter Master: Tu'Shan Squads: 12 Veteran Squads (10 Marines each) Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Land Raiders, Terminator Squads Company Colours: White Salamander head on black left shoulder

Battle Company (2nd Company) Captain: Unknown Squads: 7 Tactical Squads, 3 Devastator Squads, 2 Assault Squads Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Bike Squads, Landspeeders Company Colors: White Salamander head on black left shoulder

Battle Company (3rd Company) Captain: Agatone Squads: 7 Tactical Squads, 3 Devastator Squads, 2 Assault Squads Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Bike Squads, Landspeeders Company Colours: Yellow Salamander head on black left shoulder

Battle Company (4th Company) Captain: Doc'Tyr Squads: 7 Tactical Squads, 3 Devastator Squads, 2 Assault Squads Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Bike Squads, Landspeeders Company Colours: Green Salamander head on black left shoulder

Reserve Company (5th Company) Captain: Mulceber Squads: 8 Tactical Squads, 4 Devastator Squads Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks Company Coloors: Black Salamander head on yellow left shoulder

Reserve Company (6th Company) Captain: Unknown Squads: 8 Tactical Squads, 4 Devastator Squads Support: Dreadnoughts, Rhinos, Razorbacks Company Colours: Green Salamander head on yellow left shoulder

Scout Company (7th Company) Captain: Unknown Squads: 6 Scout Squads Support: Scout Bike Squads, Land Speeder Storms Company Colours: Black Salamander head on white left shoulder

Fleet Disposition
One of the Salamanders Chapter's strike cruisers is called the Vulkan's Wrath.

Technology
The Salamanders also have an intimate knowledge of the ways of metal and fire, forging great relics and powerful items. They have more Techmarines than is normal for a Chapter, although not a disproportionate number. Because each Battle-Brother can completely repair, service and modify their own arms, Power Armour and wargear, the Techmarines of the Salamanders are free to craft intricate and powerful items of incredible workmanship and advanced technology. Vulkan himself was a great Artificer; the only Primarch able to match his skill was his metal-handed brother Primarch Ferrus Manus, although Vulkan himself preferred to work the steel over a flame rather than using advanced machinery, just as he had when he was young.

Chapter Colours
The Salamanders are typically armoured in bright green armor and trim, with black shoulders and backpack, and a gold chest Aquila; they also have coal black skin (regardless of actual ethnicity) and glowing red eyes as a result of their radiation-induced Nocturnean mutations. The Salamanders often make use of flame ornamentation on their weapons and vehicles.

Chapter Badge
The Salamanders Chapter badge is a white silhouette of the armored and spiked head of a Nocturnean salamander reptile from Mount Deathfire. Salamander Space Marines have often been depicted in both drawings and models as having black-skinned complexions and features commonly created by exposure to the radioactive surface of their volcanic home planet Nocturne.

Successor Chapters
The Salamanders have no officially known Successor Chapters. This may be because they had few Space Marines left after the massacre of their Legion at Istvaan V. However, some Chapters, such as the Storm Giants and Black Dragons, seem to have similarities in physique and tactical doctrines to the Salamanders and may represent their Successor Chapters.

Known Campaigns

 * Moribar - A mission on the cemetery world of Moribar where the Salamanders intended to capture Renegade members of their Chapter (including Vai'tan Ushorak, who was killed in the attempt and Nihilan, a former Salamanders Librarian who subsequently joined a Renegade Chaos Space Marine warband that had once been part of the Salamanders 6th Company called the Dragon Warriors).
 * Stratos Campaign - The Salamanders succeeded in the liberation of Cirrion, a floating loft-city and the capital of the Imperial mining world of Stratos. A small group of Dragon Warriors under the command of the Chaos Sorcerer Nihilan orchestrated the uprising of a Chaos Cult, the so-called Cult of Truth, on the Imperial mining world of Stratos to serve as a distraction while they secretly recovered an artefact known as the decyphrex from the depths of Stratos' floating loft-city and capital of Cirrion. The Salamanders responded to Stratos' astropathic distress call and Nihilan had the added enjoyment of arranging for the death of the Salamanders' Captain Kadai, one of the Space Marines who had nearly killed him after he had gone Renegade decades before on the cemetery world of Moribar.

Notable Salamanders

 * Vulkan - Primarch of the Salamanders
 * Tu'Shan - Chapter Master*
 * Vel'cona - Chief Librarian
 * Vulkan He'stan - Forgefather
 * Argos - Master of the Forge*
 * Xavier - Chaplain (deceased)
 * Elysius - Chaplain
 * Ko'tan Kadai - Previous Captain of the 3rd Company* (deceased)
 * N'keln - Previous Captain of the 3rd Company, Kadai's successor* (deceased)
 * Pyriel - Librarian*
 * Praetor - Terminator Sergeant*
 * Dak'ir - Veteran Sergeant*
 * Tsu'Gan - Veteran Sergeant*
 * Fugis - Apothecary*


 * * Featured in the Tome of Fire book series