White Lions

The White Lions are a chapter of loyal, Codex-compliant Adeptus Astartes founded in the 36th Millennium, rumoured to be descended from the Imperial Fists. Located in the Ultima Segmentum, to the north of the realm of Ultramar, the chapter have ever since their founding patrolled the area, ever watchful for xeno incursions. In more recent years, the White Lions have been heavily involved in the Damocles Gulf Crusade, being assigned to monitor the activities of the Tau Empire, and defend against their southern advances into the greater Imperium.

Orgins
It still remains unknown as to which Founding the White Lions belong, as most records concerning their origins were either lost or destroyed in the wake of the Age of Apostasy. Imperial historians theorize that the White Lions came into being somewhere between the 14th and 19th Foundings of the Adeptus Astartes, likely alongside such Chapters as the Angels of Fire, Celebrants, and Relictors; as these Chapters exact progenitors and Foundings are similarly unknown.

Whatever the exact manner of their origin; the existence of the White Lions was not officially made known to the Imperium until after Goge Vandire's Reign of Blood had finally come to an end. First contact as a Chapter was made during the period known as the Plague of Unbelief, by none other than the brave souls of the 201st Cadian Mechanized Regiment dispatched into the Litesh Sector near the Damocles Gulf, to break the occupation of the Shrine World of Ether's End by fanatical militias loyal to the apostate Cardinal Bucharis. However, upon making planetfall, the Guardsmen would arrive to find the citizens of Ether's End not only liberated of their long-time oppressors, but singing praises to their saviors, so-called "angels of ivory and gold". These angels, as it turned out, were in fact Adeptus Astartes, though they bore markings and heraldry that the Cadians did not recognize. They encountered the bulk of the Space Marine forces within the processional march of the Shrine Worlds capital of Aeshar, where they watched in morbid fascination as the white-armored giants heaped the corpses of the apostate militia into massive promethium-fueled bonfires, burning the bodies to ash in an almost ritualistic manner. Their commanding officer, who identified himself as Veteran-Sergeant Bolo, later claimed that the apostate forces had been burning any who spoke out against the teaches of Bucharis at the stake before he and his battle-brothers arrived. As he put it, the White Lions were only responding in kind.

From there the White Lions would go on to strike several other blows against the forces of Cardinal Bucharis throughout the Eastern Fringe, coming into contact with other forces of the Imperium in the process, including other Space Marine Chapters such as the Ultramarines and Red Legion. They would eventually develop strong ties to the former, as the White Lions were reportedly in small numbers at the time, and thus would oftentimes fight alongside their Astartes cousins rather than fully commit their own forces, likely in an attempt to conserve what little numbers they currently had. By 378.M36, the last vestiges of the Reign of Blood had finally been been quashed, and the White Lions were official recognized by the High Lords of Terra as a sovereign Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

Chapter Cult
Having been influenced heavily from the way of life led by Zanzibarian aristocracy and all it stands for, the White Lions are a regal and wise chapter, prone to acting with poise and thought as opposed to raw pathos and gusto. In keeping with the tradition set down eons ago when the White Lions first arrived on their homeworld, the first born male of every generation of Zanzibarian aristocracy is recruited into the chapter. There, the chapter combines the raw military mandates of the Codex Astartes with their own refined way of war.

The White Lions have taken much from their homeworld, including the customs set down by the ancient rites known as the Sword Laws. During the Age of Strife, the once advanced society of Zanzibar saw its people turn to anarchy and war. Entire contents were scorched with the apocalyptic arms of the Dark Age of Technology, and to this day some regions still bear the bleak scars of these conflicts. Following the devastation, it was ruled by the surviving noble houses that war itself would be abolished, and with it the devilish tools of the trade. Nothing but the sword remained, and eventually the people regressed to a pre-industrial state, with great cities ruled by aristocrat houses maintained by the plow and peasant. When such city states came into conflict, either over land or other matters of state, it was the solemn duty of both parties to come to a peaceful conclusion via the spoken word and written law long before any form of violence was considered. Months, even years were to be spent in delegation, sorting out these issues by careful deliberation. For all remembered all too well the horrors of war. However, should peaceable means be unreachable, the issue was settled by a personal duel between chosen members of the house. These sword duels, and their outcomes, were the final authority. This ensured that it was the ruler of the land who bore the full weight of any violence, for only he would go to battle in the name of his ambitions.

Not only does this mean that the average Zanzibarian aristocrat is an expert swordsman by his or her fifth year, but also that war as the Galaxy knows it has not been seen upon the surface of Zanzibar for untold generations. Thus, the White Lions hold very true to the Sword Laws, for before the chapter dares to go to war, they first try to find a peaceable solution if possible. For they, unlike so many of their brother chapters, are not overly fond of war. They see war as a wasteful act, a final solution in the face of an unwinnable situation. This of course does not mean that they are meek or mild should the time come for them to join battle, for they fight with the fury of the regal beast that is their namesake, but instead that they are much more civil in nature, and willing to spare the lives of both Battle Brothers and the human race they swore to protect if peace can be achieved by means other than the bolt and blade.

The White Lions find their name from both the sacred constellation of Leo, which is said to be a manifestation of the Emperor's regal presence watching over the people in the cult of Zanzibar, and the great lions of their homeworld. A Zanzibarian White Lion is a truly impressive beast, easily the size of a Terran Draft Horse, and clad in a coat of purest white fur, it is a symbol of all things good and proud in Zanzibarian culture. Often they are guardians of aristocrat estates, and honored members of noble families. In some regions of Zanzibar, the houses eldest White Lion may actually have inheritance rites, and there are several city states that, by line of succession, have been ruled by a White Lion at one time or another. Naturally, several members of the White Lions chapter have their own Zanzibarian Lion as a companion. The White Lion is a beast known for both its shear might and ferocity, capable of killing scores of armed bandits and even vile Chaos Marines in defense of their masters. But the White Lion is also equally well known as a creature of royal compassion and poise, tame and even capable of bowing as any delegate should when meeting other beings of status. Thus, the Zanzibarian White Lion is both a symbol of power and peace, a creature that knows both when the time for war and diplomacy must come.

However, even more deeply ingrained into the culture of the White Lions than their sense of honor is their sense of pride. They are notoriously proud of both their Chapter and their traditions, which over time has given them an unfortunately romanticized view of the galaxy as they continue to exercise the arts of diplomacy and honorable congress despite the fact that such things are practically extinct in the current day and age, blind or perhaps willfully ignorant of the fact that there are all too many that would take advantage of their trust in order to gain  advantage over them. As such, there is a growing movement within the younger generations of the White Lions to completely abolish the Chapter's penchant for speaking rather than acting, a mindset that is viewed as tantamount to blasphemy by their older, more traditionalist kin. This internal schism has only become more pronounced in the wake of the White Lions' close encounter with the forces of the Great Devourer, as many seasoned veterans of the Chapter perished in the conflict, allowing more radical-minded Astartes to fill their vacant positions. Now the call for a complete reformation of the Chapter Cult is stronger than ever, and as tensions rise, the threat of conflict within the Chapter is becoming more and more likely with each passing year...

Uniform
The White Lions wear predominantly white armour, with shining gold shoulder pad trim and back pack. The chapter symbol, an ancient Terran symbol for the constellation of Leo, is shown in black on the left shoulder pad. Tactical markings are marked in black on the right shoulder pad, with squad numbers stenciled over the top in white. Company colours are shown on the right knee or shin guard.

The White Lions forgo the use of alternate helmet colours to show specialty, but colour the helms of their veterans gold, rather than Codex white to denote status; the Codex assured stripe to denote veteran-sergeant status is still apparent and shown in white. The Aquila, when shown is burnt gold.

Gene-seed
Though there have been some claims by the elder members of the Chapter that the White Lions are in fact a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists, thorough examination of the Chapter's gene-seed suggests otherwise. Their genetic material has proven to be both stable and relatively pure, but cluttered with so many nascent gene-markers it is next to impossible to determine which Primarch their gene-stock is derived from. As it stands, the White Lions gene-seed allows those implanted with it full use of both their Betchers Glands and Sus-An Membrane, ruling out any chance of Dornian lineage. Based on cursory examination, it is the popular theory that the White Lions are descended from either Ultramarines or perhaps Dark Angels genestock.

There is however a small imperfection within the White Lions' gene-seed that causes minor alterations within the eyes of certain marines post-implantation. Those affected by it develop reflective, golden-colored irises, akin to those of a large feline, though this mutation is somewhat rare and appears to have no effects beyond physical appearance. In some cases, the occurrence of this mutation within a marine is considered by the White Lions to be a sign that the individual effected is in fact destined for great things.

Battle Doctrine
The White Lions strike as their namesake suggests, swiftly and powerfully. The Generally accepted tactic is the use of the chapters Assault and Attack Bike Squads as the first hammer blow of the assault, the Assault Bikes carving through infantry, while the Heavily armed Attack Bikes make short work of any light to heavy armor. Then comes the chapters vaunted Assault Marines, masters of swordplay, they are devastating in close combat with their finely crafted chainswords and power swords. While the enemy is still reeling, the Land Speeders make up the final blow, swooping in, various variants in deadly attack patterns, letting loose with their heavy weapons.

Finally, the rest of the chapter's forces arrive, carried in their Rhinos. These rank and file battle brothers preform mop up duty, and eliminate whatever pockets of resistance remain with extreme prejudice. Generally this style of battle was designed to defeat the Tau Septs that would not be talked down by the Chapters diplomatic teams, to swiftly deal with the Tau where they are weakest, at point blank range. However, the White Lions are not so arrogant as to assume their one style of combat to be superior in all situations, and readily utilized heavier units such as Terminators and Devastator Squads if need be. And should the battle be most dire, one could expect the White Lions to call to battle their finest warriors, the Lion Claws. They are veteran Assault Marines of the First Company, the Lion Claws are undisputed masters in close combat. Utilizing the masterfully crafted Zanzibar-Pattern Lighting Claw, the Lion Claws utterly annihilate all but the most sturdy enemy, striking with measured fury and masterful strokes borne of both eons of combat experience and decades of rigorous training.

Organisation
Tactically, the chapters' Master is struggling to re-build the 2nd and 6th Companies, which were destroyed in battle with a wisp of a Tyranid Hive Fleet Gorgon almost fifty years ago. Many of the 1st Company veterans were taken to be officers and squad leaders, and each squad in every company contributed a Brother to help in the re-building. As a result, most squads are only nine Brothers, and the 1st Company only has seven squads at the moment. Other than these minor constraints the White Lions follow the typical Chapter structure as outlined by the Codex Astartes.

Notable Members

 * Chapter Master Neméos Cleonae - Chapter Master of the White Lions, Regent of Zanzibar, and Lord Protector of the Leonis Faith, Neméos Cleonae is an Astartes that now more than ever caries the weight of the Chapter upon his shoulders. The White Lions are still struggling to recover from the grievous losses inflicted upon them by Hive Fleet Gorgon, and while the threat of the Tau advancing through the now-vulnerable Damocles Gulf looms overhead, the White Lions threaten to tear themselves apart as new and old ideologies clash. For even one such as him the burden of responsibility seems to much to bear, but Cleonae has never been one to give up without a fight. Currently all of his considerable diplomatic skill has gone towards soothing the rising tempers of his battle-brothers so that cooler heads might decide what the Chapter's next course of action may be, but at this point the even the Chapter Master can only do so much.
 * WhiteLionDread.gifVenerable Bolo - The Chapter's last remaining Founding brother, the Brother Bolo has been encased within his Dreadnought sarcophagus for millennia, to the point where he is rarely awoken from his resting place within the Hall of Champions save in the face of dire crisis, and of late, he has spent quite some time awake. As both the oldest living member of the White Lions and one of the few Dreadnoughts that did not perish fighting in the Tyrannic Incursions, Bolo commands respect from even the most zealous of White Lion "reformers", as it were. His very presence alone has gone great lengths to soothe tensions within the Chapter, and his prestigious wisdom, accumulated from thousands upon thousands of years of service, is entirely devoted to guiding his fellow battle-brothers through the difficult times they now face.
 * Captain Ancifités Morgancia - The recently promoted Captain of the White Lions' 2nd Company, Ancifités Morgancia is the unofficial leader of the growing reformation movement within the Chapter. Young for his station, Morgancia is better known within the Chapter as the Firebrand, for he is both an exceptional orator and not the least bit afraid of expressing his beliefs. Said beliefs state that the Chapter's recent losses are due to the Chapter's adherence to old and decaying traditions, traditions that committed the bulk of the Chapter's forces to setting up blockades and opening peacekeeping talks with the Tau Empire when they should have been waging war against them, and thus leaving Zanzibar defenseless as the Tyranids closed in. This stance is highly popular with the younger generations of the White Lions, and as such Captain Morgancia's circle of followers has only grown larger and larger as the Chapter is forced to increase it's recruitment quotas in order to replace their fallen battle-brothers. Aggressive and hot-tempered by nature, most believe it is only a matter of time before the Firebrand openly challenges Chapter Master Cleonae for the right to lead the White Lions.
 * Veteran Sergeant Anton Durant - A veteran of the great war against Hive fleet Gorgon, Anton was promoted just before the battle with one of the Hive Fleets horde. During the Battle of the Pike in 500902.M41, he and his squadmates were able to kill a synapse creature. But fate was not on his side as the Tyranid horde with no stable connection to the Hive Mind drove off in animalistic rage towards his squad and him, both his legs were shattered and his squad was slaughtered before him, as he fought on bravely until the remainder of the Second Company came to his aide. The war would continue but the blow to the Tyranids was done, allowing the Imperium and the Tau Empire the chance to defeat the Hive Fleet much easier. After losing both his legs, he was given bionics by the Techmarines of the Chapter, after recovering he swore vengeance upon the alien menace. Commenting after receiving his bionics that the Tyranids are nothing more than a race that must be exterminated. Due to his extreme heroism he was given a Crux Terminatus a sigil of high honor. Anton returned back to the war as an advisor against the tyranids. He served valiantly throughout the war, until the Hive Fleet was defeated in 500903.M41 at the Battle of Worldspine Ridge by the hands of a combined alliance between the Imperium and the Tau Empire. Anton from then on served in Ancifités Morgancia's command squad as his veteran sergeant. As the previous sergeant had died during the fighting. Anton is relatively young for his position, and often seen as wild by the rest of the Chapter. Though if brothers ever count on him to do something, he will carry it out to the letter.

Fortress-Monastery
Located on the moon of Zanzibar, the Fortress Monastery that is often referred to as Leonis Faith was built by the White Lions after they came to Zanzibar. Like most chapter fortresses, the Monastery is heavily guarded, to such a degree that to attack it would be suicide. The Moon of Zanzibar, or better known as Zanzibar Minor. Is an ocean moon, where storms constantly rage. Said to be where a super volcano exploded and caused much of the permanent storms on the planet. These storms pass through each land mass every twelve hours. Allowing those who wish to arrive onto the planet a twelve hour window of opportunity to land on the planet. Such is the ferocity of the storms that any invader that tries to invade such a planet will find it too risky to even attempt it, as the electrical storms cause most electronics to go haywire or cause missiles to become inaccurate. Better yet the way to the chapter fortress is hard to traverse for any army or anyone in general, either they are cast aside by the mighty winds or they plummet to their death to the ocean below.

The White Lions are known to have built their fortress on one of the few land masses. On which land mass it is unknown as only the White Lions know of where their fortress is built. The Fortress is said to gleam once the storms have faded away, and that its halls are made of the finest marble erected in its three main halls the Hall of Champions, the Hall of the Sword, and the Hall of Honor. Their fortress monastery is a place of power, and the seat of the Chapter. To show their power and to show that Astartes, know no fear.

Relations
The chapter protects the Zanzibar sub-sector, a six-star cluster with eighteen inhabited planets and moons, on the northern rim of the Damocles Gulf. Their home is the world of Zanzibar, and they maintain a naval force based on one of its three small moons. They are charged with patrolling the Rift along the Tau Farsight Enclaves and watching for signs of westward Tau expansion. They are, consequently, in frequent contact with the Tau, and so are viewed by the most xenophobic with suspicion. Despite this, they maintain close ties with the Ultramarines who are south of them and the Red Legion to their north. The three chapters often train and fight together, and the Ultramarines and Red Legion are among several chapters who maintain attaches with the White Lions.

The Tau Empire
Politically, the chapter works locally along the fine line of protecting the Empire's interests where they intersect with day-to-day life in a mixed-species corner of the galaxy, patrolling the Gulf aggressively with squads and companies of Marines in Nova-class frigates and strike cruisers. Because of the frequency of contact with the Tau, and the diplomatic manner in which the Lions behave themselves, there is often an Ordo Xenos inquisitor hovering around the chapter.