Steel Wardens

("Steel and fire!" -Steel Warden's battlecry.)

Created during the 26th founding, the Steel Wardens have had the dubious honour of being wiped from the list of active space marine chapters and then surviving to return to active service. The chapter differs from others in that they doesn't fight for just the Imperium, but the people themselves, often throwing themselves into hopeless battles or even sacrificing their lives to protect the Imperium's numberless citizens. Rumours of deviant geneseed and tolerance for mutants, xenos, and traitors attracts the Inquisition's suspicion, but without evidence the Inquisition witholds judgement...for now.

History
Created to replace losses incurred during the previous years, the Steel Wardens were originally based within the Thanatian system, just outside Imperial borders. However within days of taking up residence of their Fortress-Monastary, a massive Chaos uprising took place upon their homeworld. Lacking the experience or preperation to deal with such a threat, and far from help, the newly appointed Chapter Master, Andreas Randolph, was forced to order exterminatus upon his chapter's homeworld.

Lacking the means to destroy the planet off world, the Steel Wardens had to deploy their arsenal of Cyclonic Torpedoes on the ground, placing them in key locations around the planet, while the Chapter began a desperate retreat to orbit. Randolph hoped to get his entire Chapter off planet and detonate the torpedoes from orbit. It was not to happen. With only 2 companies and half of another safely off world Chaos forces assaulted the cyclonic torpedo emplacements, forcing the overwhelmed defenders to detonate them manually. Randolph and the survivors could only watch helplessly as 3/4ths the Chapter died in the destruction that followed....

In the aftermath the Steel Wardens were struck from the roster of active Space Marine chapters, but they refused to disband, swearing to return their chapter to its glory. Afterwards they became a fleet-based chapter for a while.

It is rumoured that during this time the Steel Wardens have attacked ships carrying geneseed, stealing a small amount form the ship's holds. The Space Wolves and Ultramarines have reported their geneseed stolen from bodies during battles which featured the Steel Wardens as one of the combatants. The veracity of these rumours has yet to be confirmed. However, it has been confirmed that the Steel Wardens attacked a Red Corsair ship carrying raided geneseed, carting off the geneseed for "disposal".

Around 777.M41 the Steel Wardens finally found a new homeworld.

The Caphos System was perfect for the Steel Wardens. The system lay outside the reach of those who sought to disband their chapter, while still being close enogh to the Imperium to provide aid. A massive war had decimated the planet, creating a climate in which only the hardiest could survive, perfect recruits for the Chapter. Detritus from the war littered the system, providing the Steel Wardens with easy access to raw materials. The Steel Wardens soon set up base on an abandoned forgeworld, restoring it to somewhat working capacity, and began to rebuild.

The Steel Wardens have been seen accepting former Deathwatch Black Shields, individuals who carry no chapter markings, into their ranks during this time. Such individuals have always been regarded with no small amount of suspicion, for there are few besides the worst blasphemers and traitors who would willingly erase their Chapter's badge from their armour.

In 810.M41, the Chapter had regained sufficient strength (now up to 4 Battle Companies and 2 scout companies) to be returned to the Roster of Active Chapters, a time of celebration for a Chapter that has had little to celebrate.

Combat Doctrine
"Tell me...what wins the day for the Imperium of man? Is it the tank? No! Is it the gun? No! It is man! Without the men and women of the imperium there sould be no crew for the tank, no soldier to fire the gun, without men there would be no Imperium! So next time that Lord-General tells us that he thinks our efforts to evacuate the workers are better served rescuing more......important......persons I'll shoot him myself!"

"Ummm...sir?"

"Yes?"

"It's the Lord-General, he wants to speak with you."

"Get me my plasma pistol."

-Attributed to Chaplain Covington, shortly before Lord-General Herridon's untimely death at Solaia Prime.

The Steel Wardens are primarily a Codex chapter in terms of how they fight. They place a higher priority on rescuing civilians than most other chapters. When on the field, the Steel Wardens tend to favour infantry over the use of tanks, a minor but notable divergence from the Codex Astartes.

Persons of Note
"The Steel Wardens, while not an extraordinary Chapter, contains some downright extraordinary Astartes, going above and beyond the call of duty to achieve their objectives, and also to save me my men. They exemplify the saying 'The Emperor protects....'"

- Commisar (serial number 30090613) in a post-battle report.

Chapter Master Andreas Randolph, High Lord of the Caphos System: Formerly an Honour Guard in the Ultramarines, he was chosen to be the Chapter Master of the (then unformed) Steel Wardens, on account of tatical and martial prowess, prior to the 26th founding. Through his leadership, the Steel Wardens have escaped annihilation again and again. However, the stress of so many brushes with death, coupled with the horrors that he has seen, have unhinged him slightly, he suffers from acute PTSD, a condition aleviated only by a constant supply of drugs from the apothecarium. Emperor knows what will happen should he succumb to his condition....

Chaplain Covington, Keeper of the Reclusiam: The only Steel Warden Chaplain to survive the destruction of Thanatia, he has taken it upon himself to remind the Steel Wardens of why they fight: For the people! He is devoted (some say fanatical) about protecting the lives of as many Imperial citizens as he can, sometimes taking risks that jeopardize the mission or the battle. This sometimes creates tension between his Battle-brothers who sometimes feel that he is reckless or is willing to waste their lives. However, Covington is a capable warrior and leader of men, and any messes he gets into he manages to get out of, with most of his men.

Land Vehicles
The Furere: A Land Raider Redeemer, one of the few vehicles that escaped the death of Thanatia. Its scored and pitted hide has been thoroughly abused on almost every major battlefield that the Steel Wardens have fought on. The Steel Wardens take pride in showcasing the tank's scars, testaments to the futility of resisting both the Steel Wardens and the Imperium as a whole. Inscribed upon one of the few undamaged panels of armour is the inscription: Vincemus- We will prevail....

Invideo: A Vindicator, looted from a Chaos warband and reconsecrated for Imperial use by the Chaplain Covington. The tank's name comes from when its Demolisher Cannon was first fired (against its former masters no less!), utterly destroying the enemy's fortifications, almost as if the vehicle had the utmost hatred for its former owners.

Condumno: When the Steel Wardens were clearing away debris in prpeparation of building a fortress-monastary, they discovered agreat vault half-buried in the earth. A search team was sent in, and what they found was staggering. The Vault contained a treasure-trove of relics, from Terminator suits to Relic Blades, all neatly lined up and in perfect condition, but the greatest discovery lay at the end of the tunnel, past ancient banners carrying the glories and regalia of a long-forgotten Chapter of Adeptus astartes. A Fellblade, kept in the same pristine condition as the other relics, with one side inscibed with the name Condumno-Condemnation. Such a discovery was miraculous, for few of the ancient tanks exist anymore. The Steel Wardens only use this tank in times of great need, for it is ancient and powerful relic of a bygone era, but when they do field it, the tank's cannons devastate the enemy like they did 10,000 years ago.

Geneseed
"I thought we had succeeded, that the geneseed would, despite what we put into it, function properly. I guess you could say we did. It worked, for the most part......"

"....I don't want to think about those with which the geneseed didn't work. Throne, I can still hear their screams......"

-Apothecary Mendoza, private notes.

The Chapter's geneseed is not uniform. Since the destruction of their Homeworld Thanatia (and the destruction of most of their geneseed), the Steel Wardens have been forced to scavenge whatever geneseed they could, even looting the precious organs from dead allies or traitor marines. The remaining Apothecaries and Techmarines attempted to create some uniformity in the geneseed samples by mixing the geneseeds they had the most of- Ultramarines and Corrupted geneseed (from traitor marines and Space Wolves). The result was a success, after a fashion. The geneseed worked, even with a lower rate of mutation than some others, but at the cost that those that did mutate would have their mutations spiral out of control. Sadly insanity is not one of the mutations, so the afflicted remain rational throughout the horrible process. Some of the mutated can be saved, prosthetics to replace twisted limbs, the Mark VI "Corvus" helm used to cover ravaged, animalistic faces (its elongated peak a perfect fit for muzzles and elongated faces), surgery to remove extra....unwanted....bits, and so on. For others, there can be no saving, and they are given a choice: be sent on a single suicide mission for the glory of the Emperor, or be given the Emperor's Mercy in the form of a shot to the head.

Notable Campaigns
(Losses refer to the squad/company that took part in the battle, not out of the whole chapter.)

Death of Thanatia (738.M41): Steel Warden's homeworld and Fortress-Monastery destroyed when a massive Chaos uprising forced Chapter Master Randolph to issue Exterminatus upon the planet. The Steel Wardens suffered extreme losses and were struck from the list of active chapters.

The Road of Ruin (738.M41-775.M41): Various skirmishes and raids as the Steel Wardens wandered the galaxy, both confirmed and uncomfirmed sightings of Steel Warden astartes participating in the battles. Losses unknown.

Defense of Istar VII (776.M41): Confirmed sightings of Steel Wardens fighting alongside the PDF to halt a Tyranid incursion. Losses unknown, though there is a confirmed vox-pict of steel wardens dying to give refugees a chance to evacuate.

The Long Retreat (778.M41): The Steel Wardens are called upon to defend the agriworld of Solaia Prime against an Ork Waaagh. What was once a simple garrison duty becomes a desperate fight for survival as Ork reinforcements arrive, allowing the Waaagh to rampage unchecked over the planet. The Steel Wardens, with refugeees in tow, are forced to fall back to the nearest spaceport, 1000km away. Though they face incredible hardship, the Steel Wardens manage to get themselves and their charges off-world just before exterminatus is conducted. Losses: 103 Adeptus Astartes of the Steel Wardens Chapter, all but 1,436 of the population (including PDF units) slaughtered.

Defense of Caphos tertio (811.M41): The Steel Wardens were once again in danger of losing their hard-won homeworld as Chaos attacked their Fortress-Monastary directly. though outnumbered and nearly overrun, the Steel Wardens refused to give up their homeworld. Relief eventually came through a bold strike to the enemy's rear by PDF units and milita, giving the beleaguered Marines time to regroup and assault the enemy, breaking the back of the Chaos assault, no heretic or traitor survived. Losses are approximately 142 astartes.

The Plague (850.M41): (still recruiting other fanon chapters to create a seperate page, talk to me if you want in, all chapters/forces welcome, remember, the more alies I can get, the bigger it'll be, so message me with a force number ex: Chapter name: number of companies, squads, any special details or heroes.....hope to see a lot of chapters......)

The Calipsian Crusade( ---.M41): the 5th company is enroute to fight the foes of the Imperium. Praise the Emperor.

(more to come)

13th Black Crusade-entire company of Steel Wardens and their Chapter Master defeated trying to defend embattled civilian enclaves. Andreas engaged Abaddon in combat, and was nearly slain. Losses almost total, only the Chapter Master Andreas survived, his Chapter's 4th company holding Abaddon off just long enough for his broken form to be placed on board an extraction thunderhawk that managed to escape the destruction of the planet. Bless the 4th company's souls, for they were harvested by Chaos.