Thunder Krakens



"Mighty Emperor...watch this."

- Attributed as the last words of Battle Brother Skaan.

The Thunder Krakens are a very peculiar chapter of Space Marines. Part of the 6th founding by the Gene-Seed of Jaghatai Khan, they have been active in all corners of the galaxy, fighting all kinds of enemies. This wide spread activity is only made possible by their unique codex structure: Each Astartes is their own commander.

History
Founded during the 33rd Millenia, the Thunder Krakens immediately settled on the world of Vangelia and started drafting the feudal populace into their ranks. However, as they would find out in a matter of generations, the culture on the planet was one that could only be described as adventurous. As more and more of the warrior breed entered the ranks of the Astartes, the formerly organized structure fell down. After a century, a whole new system of running the chapter had been established, one in which a group of, or just one, individuals would set out on an adventure into the galaxy, finding new foes to fight or defending the citizens of the Imperium.

Notable Campaigns

 * 2nd War for Armageddon: Brother Skaan is known to have fought and died during the 2nd War for Armageddon. It is known that he was also the only Thunder Kraken on the planet at the time of the campaign. He was lost early on in the battle.
 * 3rd War for Armageddon: At least fifteen Thunder Krakens were known to have fought during the 3rd War for Armageddon, amongst them future Chapter Master Mulcebar the World Ender.
 * 13th Black Crusade: Several Thunder Krakens are known to have been present on the frontline worlds of the various conflicts during the 13th Black Crusade.

Organisation
The Thunder Krakens are individualistic in the extreme, with no real command structure to speak off. A Chapter Master is elected from one of the senior veterans of the Chapter who agrees to hang up the mantle of adventure and be ready to direct the Chapter in the case of an approaching threat to the Chapters homeworld. The Chapter Master's authority is absolute, and with a mighty Astropathic choir, his authority can reach out to all his subjects no matter where they are in the galaxy, and with an army that could make a regiment of Guardsmen pale in comparison he can hold the line for his brothers to arrive.

But apart from that, there is no command over the Battle Brothers other then that which they bestow upon one another. When more than one Astartes sets out, they decide who shall take up the role of acting commander, although this is not something that happens in all cases; Sometimes, a band of brothers simply join together and set off on an adventure.

Equipment
Though for a chapter like the Thunder Krakens, the term "Standard Equipment" really is a stretch, but there are some pieces of equipment that all Krakens use. This is generally just their Power Armour, a Combat Blade, Grenades and a locator beacon allowing him to be found wherever he is in the galaxy. After that, the chapter armoury is open to all brothers, with the only restriction being what one can carry and quantity. The only thing not allowed to the standard battle brothers are the relic weaponry that are kept in the reclusiam.

Power Armour
The colouration of the Thunder Krakens power armour is dull to say the least, and not fitting of such heroic figures. However, it is custom to personally decorate ones armour and make it individual. Veterans who have learned the arts can do advanced customization such as adding more plates to their armour and engraving whole books in golden letters on the armour, but most brothers simply paint it with personal heraldries and designs and hang it with fetisches that catch their eyes. Because of this, when the Krakens gather in force, they look like a slap-dash force of cobbled together warriors, but for any who have seen them in action they will know that they face a legion of heroes.

Followers and Recruitment
When the Krakens set out into the galaxy, it is not uncommon for them to bring a retinue of allies with them. Sometimes, these are other Krakens, sometimes it is an aspirant who have just recently recieved his implants, sometimes it is natives from his planet, or other planets, or perhaps even a trusted animal companion. For many people, going with a Kraken is their only chance of seeing the larger galaxy, though it is a dangerous thing for an Astartes only ever goes one place: To war. But despite the danger, it is vital to the development of the next generation of Krakens, but due to the high toll these trips have, it can be assumed that there are never a large amount of recruits to continue the tradition of the Krakens, thus leading to the enigma of how the Chapter can maintain a seemingly sizeable force throughout the millenia.

Highcaller
In the Thunder Krakens, there is one very important rank: The Highcallers.

Serving as both Chaplain and Apothecary, it is the Highcallers duty to ensure that fallen battle brothers are brought home and new recruits are fit for the trials they will endure. Sometimes they will accompany their brothers on their journeys, sometimes they will remain on Vangelia, but they are always on duty and always on alert, ready to set out to any point in the galaxy should the beacon proclaim the battle brother fallen.

Thunder Krakens Librarians
When a Librarian of the Thunder Krakens wishes to set out on an adventure, none is going to stop him, for not only is he as glory hungry as his brothers, but he wields the powers of the Warp at his command. However, no Librarian is to go alone. Always accompanied by at least one other, often a Highcaller, the Librarian can rest assured that should he be possessed, his brother can strike him down before the Daemon can bring the power of an Astartes Psyker to bear on the Imperium.

Deathwatch Service
To serve in the Deathwatch is a duty all Space Marine Chapters should be held too, and to the Thunder Krakens service in the Deathwatch is an honour beyond imagining. Not only will he go to the fringes of known space to stave off enemy invasions, he will meet new brothers in the act and bring back new trophies and knowledge to his chapter, as well as hopefully strengthening the bond between two chapters. As such, it is never rare to find a Kraken in the Deathwatch, ready to bring death to the alien and celebrate with his new cousins. When they return, the Kraken repaints his left shoulder pad black in memory of his service to the Deathwatch. He may also wear the silver shoulder pad on his right shoulder, though this is, for some reason, a less common practice. One can be sure, however, that when a battle brother returns, he will have a story to tell and trophies never before seen.

Homeworld
The world of Vangelia is a truly massive planet, and just as it is large it is diverse. Being so large, the gravity is incredibly strong and would, normally, cause the people living on it to be stunted. However, the nearby star has an even stronger pull, causing the native humans to become tall and muscular. The musculature comes from the high amount of oxygen in the air, causing gigantism in a lot of animals and allowing the human body to become bulkier than most. This reflects in the Krakens themselves, who often stand taller than most other Space Marines, though not necessarily by much.

The planet has only five uninhabitable zones, the two poles and three volcanic spots on the planet. All other places have been settled by humanity, where technological levels vary between location. The general technological level is around the Terran early renaisance or late middle ages, but some have even come so far to have their own industrial revolution. On the north pole, the Halls, are manned by several thousands of specially educated humans, all native to the planet but taught advanced technology and the existance of the Imperium at large. From the civilizations the Krakens draw their recruits, and depending on where the recruit is found, his combat preference will differ: He might prefer the sword and shield of the Tornean knights in the west, or he will want to ride atop a bike whilst firing his bolter in tribute to the mounted tribes of the eastern Mooria, but what all the cultures seem to have in common, oddly, is a longing for adventure, something that reflects in the recruits it brings and the Astartes it breeds.

The Halls
The Halls are truly massive, taking up 70% of the planets already huge northern pole. Stretching a kilometre into the ground and towards the sky, it is a fortress more than anything, a fortress guarded by a not-to-small army of well trained and well drilled mortals with weaponry superior to common Guardsmen. They are only an army in the sense of the word, for they have only one duty: Garrison duty. They may never leave the fortress other than in small scouting forces or to repell an attack; something that has never yet occured.

Chapter Fleet
If the chapters organisation is odd, then the chapter fleet is odder still. It has no Battle Barge and only three Strike Cruisers. What it does have, however, are small transport ships with oversized engines, and hundreds of them, perhaps even thousand. They have but one purpose: Deliver the battle brother(s) to his destination. Due to this, they are armed only with a single, low-powered lance and a weak shield, but their purpose is never to engage in battle, only to bring the brother close enough for him to descend on a world in a Thunderhawk, Drop Pod or Stormraven.

Notable Thunder Krakens

 * Mulcebar the World Ender: Current Chapter Master and legend amongst the chapter, Mulcebar fought on Armageddon and faced off against Abaddon the Despoiler himself on Cadia, loosing his legs whilst inflicting only minor damage. Against a foe like Abaddon, Mulcebar did well, never gaining a chance to strike at the traitor but dodging the attacks of the Warmast for several minutes, before he was struck, just glancingly, by the tip of Drach'nyen. Though the wound only sliced skin, the daemonic power in it ensured that, for his own survival, he had to rid himself of his legs. Lacking a cutting weapon and having to get away fast, Mulcebar fired his plasma pistol right at his legs, separating them both through bone-vapourizing plasma. As all seemed lost, he was saved from certain doom by the intervention of two legendary figures; Tu'Shan of the Salamanders and Logan Grimnar of the Space Wolves. Furthermore, Abaddon recieved reports of the approaching forces of Ursakar E. Creed and Azrael of the Dark Angels. Never the fool, Abaddon understood that not even he could fight such odds and triumph, and promptly retreated from the battle. Had the forces not arrived when they did, it was certain Mulcebar would have been lost forever.