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I've revised and reworked some of the fluff for the Lions Rampant. Let me know what you think. Again, much like the Chapter Roster, there's more text than what fits in a single post.
THE LIONS RAMPANT SPACE MARINE CHAPTER
Origins
The Horus Heresy may have been the most famous, bloodiest, and most monumental of the civil wars that plagued the early years of the Imperium, but it was by no means the only one. During the Age of Apostasy that followed the Great Heresy, a number of internal struggles erupted in the newly-formed interstellar empire. Few inspired such great reform in the organization of the Imperium itself as Vandire’s Reign of Blood, which was at the culmination of that terrible age of war.
Goge Vandire, 361st High Lord of the Administratum, was able to become both head of church in the form of Ecclesiarch as well as head of state in 216.M36. He was a man of vision—his noble goal was to purge the Church of the God-Emperor of the corruption that plagued it during the Age of Apostasy. His conquest of Cardinal World Ophelia VII was the first sign of the trouble to come. When he took control of the Church, he did so by declaring the current Ecclesiarch a traitor and summarily executing him. With both the tremendous power of the Church and the immeasurable power of the Administratum, Vandire set about purifying the Imperium, as he saw fit.
The other High Lords—the Fabricator General, the Master of the Inquisition, and the Lord Commander Militant—were utterly at Vandire’s insane mercy. Atrocities were carried out in Vandire’s name without question. It was the Master of the Inquisition’s task to ensure that none were under the sway of Chaos, and Vandire was not. The Fabricator General cared only for Mars. The Lord Commander Militant reigned over the Imperial Guard, and it was his duty to defend the Imperium, though his orders came from the council of the four High Lords and not solely his own whim. Thus, for seventy years, the purging of often innocent worlds in the fires of Exterminatus continued.
Vandire’s dispatch at the hands of Saint Dominica at the culmination of the second siege of the Emperor’s Palace ended the bloodshed, at the cost of hundreds of Astartes on Terra and countless billions of mortal men across the Imperium. In order to prevent such an event from ever happening again, the Church was forbidden by Sebastian Thor’s Decree Passive to have men bearing arms.
In the wake of the catastrophic damage done to the Segmentum Solar, the Emperor issued an order for the founding of twenty-eight new Space Marine Chapters, who would be tasked with the defense of strategically important points within the Segmentum Solar. Of these was a Chapter whose progenoids were designated the seven hundred and thirty-third. Chapter 733 could not be pulled aside during their founding by the Ecclesiarchy and made into puppets of the Church due to the Decree Passive, but in the wake of such events, the Church was largely unwilling to completely surrender their fighting strength. While the standing army of the Church would become the Adepta Sororitas, a careful eye monitored the development of the 733rd Astartes Chapter.
The geneticists on Mars decreed the Chapter battle-ready at approximately half-strength, and Chapter 733 was deployed immediately to Elyseè, an agri-world in the northeastern part of the Segmentum Solar. Due to its proximity to a number of hive worlds, it was deemed strategically vital that Elyseè again come under Imperial control. The governor had refused to accept Ecclesiarch Thor’s reforms, and had seceded from the Imperium. While such an agri-world would rarely warrant the attention of a Space Marine detachment, the Ramilies-class Star Fortress that defended the world made it impossible to land Imperial Guardsmen to secure the planet.
Accompanied by a small detachment of Martian Skitarii to provide second-line support, several magos biologis to monitor the Chapter’s genetically engineered organs under battlefield conditions, and dozens of Ministorum confessors, Chapter 733 swiftly brought Elyseè back into compliance with Imperial rule. Deeming the Chapter fit for full, independent service, the Chapter was left to guard Elyseè as its homeworld.
The confessors which accompanied the Chapter to Elyseè spoke to the terrified, newly compliant populace as was their way, using passionate oratory and promise of a violent end to reaffirm the Imperial Creed in the populace. The most senior of the confessors described the Chapter’s Astartes as being as noble as lions, clad in the white light of the Emperor. The people of Elyseè began to refer to the Chapter as Lions Rampant, in reference to the arch-confessor’s speeches. Chapter 733 took the name as their official one, petitioning Terra for their approval. In 341.M36, the Lions Rampant were entered into the Liber Astartes on Terra, noted as the fourteenth Chapter of the Twenty-Sixth founding.
Very quickly after the Lions Rampant became a fully operational Chapter, they were approached by the Ecclesiarchy and petitioned to swear oaths of loyalty to the Adeptus Terra before the Administratum or any other Imperial organization. The Lions Rampant were quick to notify the newly-formed Ordo Hereticus of the violation of Sebastian Thor’s Decree Passive, and a strong bond between the Ordo Hereticus and the Lions Rampant blossomed in the following decades. Over the centuries, many of the attitudes common to the Ordo Hereticus, such as a distinct distaste for psykers and an unusual devotion to the Adeptus Ministorum have rubbed off on the Lions Rampant, and many Imperial scholars find it amusing that the Lions Rampant ended up serving the Ministorum as they had been requested to, though they never intended to violate Thor’s decree. It is quite common for the Ordo Hereticus to petition aid from the Lions Rampant, and frequently, when a world’s loyalty is found wanting and the need for Astartes arises, it is the Lions who respond first to the petitions for aid.
HOMEWORLD
Elyseè is a lush, hilly agri-world whose principle exports to the rest of the Segmentum Solar are fine wines and amasec. Most of Elyseè’s surface is rolling hills, with about half the surface covered in shallow seas. It is the fourth planet from its star, and is comparable to modern Western Europe in climate.
Elyseè is at a feudal state of technological decay, and for the most part, people are content to work the vineyards and not concern themselves with what lies beyond the sky. The northern reaches of the major land masses are largely uninhabitable, and as such make prime areas for the Lions Rampant to train and construct their fortresses. The Chapter Fortress-Monastery is located to the far north, just before glacial conditions prevent life from existing altogether, and smaller complexes exist across the northern hemisphere, each given over to an individual Company.
Construction of Elyseèan buildings is generally practical and simple. Usual materials are wood and stone. Most settlements are no larger than five or six houses and appropriate non-residential buildings such as a smithy and a mill. Only near the spaceport, which the population tends to avoid, and the Chapter Fortress-Monastery itself are the settlements larger, and then, they are mostly not native to Elyseè.
The Lions Rampant continue to maintain the Ramilies-class Star Fortress above Elyseè, though its defensive capabilities have been largely stripped in order to provide dry-docks for the Chapter’s naval assets. It is vital to the Chapter’s survival to have a functional naval base, as the Lions Rampant do not typically recruit from Elyseè, deeming the farmers too “peaceably-minded” to make good Astartes. Occasionally, a recruit will wander forth from the vineyards, but it can be many centuries between two Elyseèan recruits. Aspirants from particularly backwards civilizations will often take a Gothic name, or sometimes a traditional Elyseèan one, to complete their assimilation into the Chapter, so that there is still a touch of Elyseè within the Lions, regardless of it not being their true homeworld.
Elyseèan fauna is, much like its people, generally non-aggressive. The largest terrestrial animals are the Elyseèan lions, which are adapted, evolved forms of the Terran species. Elyseèan lions are the exception to the generally peaceful fauna, and are the only natural predators for many species on the world. The lions often grow to be sixteen feet in length and stand as tall as a mortal man’s shoulder. They are incredibly territorial, extremely loyal, and are quick to anger. A Chapter tradition is for officers to raise one or two lion cubs to serve as companions and, at their discretion, allies in combat. There are several recorded instances where an Elyseèan lion reared by an officer will go into battle with him, and will protect the officer in melee as if the officer were the lion’s own flesh and blood.
THE LIONS RAMPANT SPACE MARINE CHAPTER
Origins
The Horus Heresy may have been the most famous, bloodiest, and most monumental of the civil wars that plagued the early years of the Imperium, but it was by no means the only one. During the Age of Apostasy that followed the Great Heresy, a number of internal struggles erupted in the newly-formed interstellar empire. Few inspired such great reform in the organization of the Imperium itself as Vandire’s Reign of Blood, which was at the culmination of that terrible age of war.
Goge Vandire, 361st High Lord of the Administratum, was able to become both head of church in the form of Ecclesiarch as well as head of state in 216.M36. He was a man of vision—his noble goal was to purge the Church of the God-Emperor of the corruption that plagued it during the Age of Apostasy. His conquest of Cardinal World Ophelia VII was the first sign of the trouble to come. When he took control of the Church, he did so by declaring the current Ecclesiarch a traitor and summarily executing him. With both the tremendous power of the Church and the immeasurable power of the Administratum, Vandire set about purifying the Imperium, as he saw fit.
The other High Lords—the Fabricator General, the Master of the Inquisition, and the Lord Commander Militant—were utterly at Vandire’s insane mercy. Atrocities were carried out in Vandire’s name without question. It was the Master of the Inquisition’s task to ensure that none were under the sway of Chaos, and Vandire was not. The Fabricator General cared only for Mars. The Lord Commander Militant reigned over the Imperial Guard, and it was his duty to defend the Imperium, though his orders came from the council of the four High Lords and not solely his own whim. Thus, for seventy years, the purging of often innocent worlds in the fires of Exterminatus continued.
Vandire’s dispatch at the hands of Saint Dominica at the culmination of the second siege of the Emperor’s Palace ended the bloodshed, at the cost of hundreds of Astartes on Terra and countless billions of mortal men across the Imperium. In order to prevent such an event from ever happening again, the Church was forbidden by Sebastian Thor’s Decree Passive to have men bearing arms.
In the wake of the catastrophic damage done to the Segmentum Solar, the Emperor issued an order for the founding of twenty-eight new Space Marine Chapters, who would be tasked with the defense of strategically important points within the Segmentum Solar. Of these was a Chapter whose progenoids were designated the seven hundred and thirty-third. Chapter 733 could not be pulled aside during their founding by the Ecclesiarchy and made into puppets of the Church due to the Decree Passive, but in the wake of such events, the Church was largely unwilling to completely surrender their fighting strength. While the standing army of the Church would become the Adepta Sororitas, a careful eye monitored the development of the 733rd Astartes Chapter.
The geneticists on Mars decreed the Chapter battle-ready at approximately half-strength, and Chapter 733 was deployed immediately to Elyseè, an agri-world in the northeastern part of the Segmentum Solar. Due to its proximity to a number of hive worlds, it was deemed strategically vital that Elyseè again come under Imperial control. The governor had refused to accept Ecclesiarch Thor’s reforms, and had seceded from the Imperium. While such an agri-world would rarely warrant the attention of a Space Marine detachment, the Ramilies-class Star Fortress that defended the world made it impossible to land Imperial Guardsmen to secure the planet.
Accompanied by a small detachment of Martian Skitarii to provide second-line support, several magos biologis to monitor the Chapter’s genetically engineered organs under battlefield conditions, and dozens of Ministorum confessors, Chapter 733 swiftly brought Elyseè back into compliance with Imperial rule. Deeming the Chapter fit for full, independent service, the Chapter was left to guard Elyseè as its homeworld.
The confessors which accompanied the Chapter to Elyseè spoke to the terrified, newly compliant populace as was their way, using passionate oratory and promise of a violent end to reaffirm the Imperial Creed in the populace. The most senior of the confessors described the Chapter’s Astartes as being as noble as lions, clad in the white light of the Emperor. The people of Elyseè began to refer to the Chapter as Lions Rampant, in reference to the arch-confessor’s speeches. Chapter 733 took the name as their official one, petitioning Terra for their approval. In 341.M36, the Lions Rampant were entered into the Liber Astartes on Terra, noted as the fourteenth Chapter of the Twenty-Sixth founding.
Very quickly after the Lions Rampant became a fully operational Chapter, they were approached by the Ecclesiarchy and petitioned to swear oaths of loyalty to the Adeptus Terra before the Administratum or any other Imperial organization. The Lions Rampant were quick to notify the newly-formed Ordo Hereticus of the violation of Sebastian Thor’s Decree Passive, and a strong bond between the Ordo Hereticus and the Lions Rampant blossomed in the following decades. Over the centuries, many of the attitudes common to the Ordo Hereticus, such as a distinct distaste for psykers and an unusual devotion to the Adeptus Ministorum have rubbed off on the Lions Rampant, and many Imperial scholars find it amusing that the Lions Rampant ended up serving the Ministorum as they had been requested to, though they never intended to violate Thor’s decree. It is quite common for the Ordo Hereticus to petition aid from the Lions Rampant, and frequently, when a world’s loyalty is found wanting and the need for Astartes arises, it is the Lions who respond first to the petitions for aid.
HOMEWORLD
Elyseè is a lush, hilly agri-world whose principle exports to the rest of the Segmentum Solar are fine wines and amasec. Most of Elyseè’s surface is rolling hills, with about half the surface covered in shallow seas. It is the fourth planet from its star, and is comparable to modern Western Europe in climate.
Elyseè is at a feudal state of technological decay, and for the most part, people are content to work the vineyards and not concern themselves with what lies beyond the sky. The northern reaches of the major land masses are largely uninhabitable, and as such make prime areas for the Lions Rampant to train and construct their fortresses. The Chapter Fortress-Monastery is located to the far north, just before glacial conditions prevent life from existing altogether, and smaller complexes exist across the northern hemisphere, each given over to an individual Company.
Construction of Elyseèan buildings is generally practical and simple. Usual materials are wood and stone. Most settlements are no larger than five or six houses and appropriate non-residential buildings such as a smithy and a mill. Only near the spaceport, which the population tends to avoid, and the Chapter Fortress-Monastery itself are the settlements larger, and then, they are mostly not native to Elyseè.
The Lions Rampant continue to maintain the Ramilies-class Star Fortress above Elyseè, though its defensive capabilities have been largely stripped in order to provide dry-docks for the Chapter’s naval assets. It is vital to the Chapter’s survival to have a functional naval base, as the Lions Rampant do not typically recruit from Elyseè, deeming the farmers too “peaceably-minded” to make good Astartes. Occasionally, a recruit will wander forth from the vineyards, but it can be many centuries between two Elyseèan recruits. Aspirants from particularly backwards civilizations will often take a Gothic name, or sometimes a traditional Elyseèan one, to complete their assimilation into the Chapter, so that there is still a touch of Elyseè within the Lions, regardless of it not being their true homeworld.
Elyseèan fauna is, much like its people, generally non-aggressive. The largest terrestrial animals are the Elyseèan lions, which are adapted, evolved forms of the Terran species. Elyseèan lions are the exception to the generally peaceful fauna, and are the only natural predators for many species on the world. The lions often grow to be sixteen feet in length and stand as tall as a mortal man’s shoulder. They are incredibly territorial, extremely loyal, and are quick to anger. A Chapter tradition is for officers to raise one or two lion cubs to serve as companions and, at their discretion, allies in combat. There are several recorded instances where an Elyseèan lion reared by an officer will go into battle with him, and will protect the officer in melee as if the officer were the lion’s own flesh and blood.
