Changes: Sons of Orar

Revision as of 03:59, 4 January 2015

"The Emperor's will guides us, the Primarch's blood strengthens us, the Founder's example drives us. No foe can stand before us and prevail."

— Alavaan, Chapter Master of the Sons of Orar

The Sons of Orar are a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown origin and Founding. Their homeworld is named Armato and it lies in the Segmentum Ultima. They are perhaps most famous for spearheading the Imperium of Man's massive assault upon the Eldar Craftworld Alaitoc.

Chapter History

Sons of Orar Marine2 — Sons of Orar Chapter Colour Scheme

Though the full history of the Sons of Orar has been lost to Imperial records, what is known is that they revere Orar, an Ultramarines Captain who won great renown in the wake of the Horus Heresy, and claim him as their spiritual patriarch, though it remains unknown if the Sons of Orar are actually a Successor Chapter of the XIII Legion.

Notable Campaigns

Jorun Retaliation (143.M41) - En route to service in the Gothic War, an Imperial Guard battlegroup, the 15th Heraklion Ironclads, turned on their Commissariat detachment and went Renegade. Investigations into this turn of events uncovered the foul xenos taint of the Dark Eldar, who had managed to ensnare and corrupt General Jorun and his command structure. The Traitor General Jorun and his attached former Imperial Navy battlefleet raided planet after planet, enslaving whole populations for their foul xenos masters. The full Howling Griffons Chapter was given command of a strike force to deal with the Traitors, with support from the Ultramarines and Sons of Orar Chapters of Astartes for a campaign that became known as the Jorun Retaliation. The Traitor Guard force was intercepted as they made planetfall on the Feral World of Asturia. Caught unprepared for such a fierce counter-assault, over 5,000 Renegade Guardsmen died in the first hour of the ferocious Space Marine attack, torn apart on their landing zones with much of their heavy armour yet to be unlimbered. General Jorun eventually met the Emperor's judgement at the hands of the Howling Griffons Chaplain Armand Titus. The Traitors' morale collapsed with the death of their leader and the swift desertion of their foul xenos allies. The disordered and panicked Heraklons were ruthlessly hunted down and slain in the aftermath; the Renegade forces had been completely wiped out within only six hours of the battle's opening salvoes.
Assault on Alaitoc (Unknown Date.M41) - The Eldar's Alaitoc Craftworld had long been the source of a large number of Eldar pirates who preyed with deadly results upon Imperial shipping in the Ultima Segmentum. This was because Alaitoc was a highly structured society, even by the standards of the Eldar of the Craftworlds, and substantial segments of its population found it attractive to pursue the Path of the Outcast, becoming Rangers or Eldar Pirates. Alaitoc was assaulted by a huge Imperial force after an attack by Eldar Pirates on an Imperial shipping convoy was traced back to the Outcasts' home Craftworld, which happened to be Alaitoc. Tired of the constant raids of the Eldar pirates, the Imperium determined to make an example of the Craftworld which allowed its citizens to attack Imperial shipping and take human lives. The surprise assault upon Alaitoc utilised a large Imperial Navy fleet, numerous Imperial Guard Regiments, and the Sons of Orar Space Marines Chapter. At the time, the Craftworld was in fixed orbit around a dying star, using the tremendous energy of the star's dying throes to recharge its solar sails. There was no time to get away before the invading human force was upon it. Therefore the Craftworld's Autarch and Farseer Council mobilized all of its Aspect Shrines as well as the regular Eldar army—comprised of Alaitoc's Guardians, civilian citizen-soldiers who had been trained in weapons and/or had previously walked the Path of the Warrior. Also awoken was the Craftworld's Avatar of Kaela Mensha Khaine and several powerful Eldar Phantom Titans to help in the defence of the great vessel. Additionally, the Phoenix Lords Baharroth, Maugan Ra and Karandras all offered their aid. The Eldar's advanced laser technology proved effective against the Imperial Navy fleet, and the Alaitoc Bonesingers outsmarted the invading Imperial infantry by trapping them within the Craftworld's Wraithbone structure. Despite these maneuvers, the Imperial forces held on to their initial beachhead, helped by a vicious Drop Pod torpedo attack led by the Space Marines that successfully penetrated deep into the Craftworld but met increasing resistance from Alitoc's Aspect Warriors, who were backed by the extraordinary combat abilities of the three Phoenix Lords. Yet the Eldar were forced to retreat from the Imperial forces' onslaught in order to better defend the Craftworld's Infinity Circuit and its core cities. This bitter retreat let the regiments of the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines overrun the settlements of Exodites that existed at the Craftworld's periphery. Despite the Imperial might arrayed against the Craftworld and the territory the Emperor's forces had already seized, the Farseers of Alaitoc foresaw the ultimate defeat of the Imperial offensive and the expulsion of the Mon-Keigh from the sacred confines of their home.

Chapter Beliefs

From astute observations by Imperial scholars, it appears the Sons of Orar's badge and traditions are closely related to those of the famous Ultramarines Chapter. This may gave an indicator as to the Sons of Orar's still unknown Chapter origins.

Notable Sons of Orar

Captain Orar - Orar is a mythical figure in the histories of the Space Marines. He is one of the Ultramarines' greatest heroes in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, who strove to keep the Eastern Fringe secure against alien threats. After triumphs and victories uncounted, Orar finally fell in battle and was entombed on the world of Commrath, where his monument has stood as a reminder of sacrifice and victory ever since. Orar's legendary feats have made him the Sons of Orar's chosen patriarch and his life serves for them as the model of the perfect Astartes.
Chapter Master Alavaan - Prior to becoming Chapter Master, Alavaan was a renowned veteran who received great honours during the Jorun Retaliation. Under his skilled guiadance, the Sons of Orar have earned a well deserved reputation for acts of heroism that are equally inspiring and terrifying to behold.

Chapter Relics

Valiant Legacy - Valiant Legacy is a master-crafted Storm Shield. This Storm Shield is of great antiquity, and is said to contain fragments of the original Storm Shield wielded by the Ultramarines Legion hero Orar in the Great Crusade. Those who have held it claim they felt their Chapter’s spiritual patriarch watching and guiding them from afar. Some scoff at this legend, but none doubt that anyone bearing the shield is able to achieve great deeds.

Chapter Appearance

The Sons of Orar Chapter appears to possess large numbers of Mark VI Corvus Pattern Power Armour suits within their Armoury.

Chapter Colours

The Chapter colours are red with white shoulder plates, Aquila and trim. The white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Assault, Devastator, or Veteran) is indicated on the left knee plate. The red Roman numeral stenciled in the centre of the Sons of Orar Chapter icon, indicates a Battle-Brother's squad assignment. No company markings are displayed.

Chapter Badge

The Chapter badge is a red Omega letter drawn from the ancient Greek alphabet, very similar to an inverted Chapter icon of the Ultramarines.

Sources

Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 18, 31
Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 30
Deathwatch - Honour the Chapter (RPG), pg. 136
How to Paint Space Marines
Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War, Part One, pg. 127
Path of the Warrior (Novel) by Gav Thorpe, pp. 329-409
Path of the Seer (Novel) by Gav Thorpe

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 ==Gallery==
-<gallery widths="210" position="center" columns="3" spacing="small">
+<gallery widths="200" position="center" spacing="small">
 File:Sons of orar banner 2.jpg|Sons of Orar Chapter Banner
 File:SoO_Marine.png|Battle-Brother Demitrion, Sons of Orar 6th Company, 7th [[Tactical Marine|Tactical Squad]]; no company markings  are displayed