Index Astartes: Knights of the Ardent Flame

[Kawauso]

Hey all,

I was snapping some pictures of my Necrons earlier today ( [url]http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?t=19713[/url] ) and, since they were at hand, I decided to get a couple pics of some of my vanilla Space Marines, as well.

I don't have much to show for this army, painting-wise, as I've only got the two test models at this point. However, I'm happy enough with the way they turned out that I figured I might as well post them - this will at least give me a thread to come back to down the road when I've done more work on the army. That and, well I've got a substantial amount of fluff for this army and I figured this is a good venue for that, too. There's still a bit of work to be done on it, but there's no harm in sharing it now and hearing what people think.

So without further ado, here are the Knights of the Ardent Flame (specifically, two models from the 3rd company, which comprises the bulk of my army).



(Fluff post to follow; Wall-of-Text warning...)

[Kawauso]

(seriously, this is a lot of fluff)



INDEX ASTARTES - The Knights of the Ardent Flame
Seek purity in the heart of the flame.

Chapter Organisation & Uniform (Citadel colour names used for ease of reference; chapter population current as of 999.M41):
Chapter heraldic colours: Skull white and blood red

Chapter Command (heraldic colour is shining gold):
Chapter Master Heironymus Eberstark, Lord Regent of Immersturm
Chapter Chaplain Gabriel Levi, Keeper of the Flame (dreadnought)
Ancient Achatius, First Dreadnought
15 Honour Guard, 2 Venerable Dreadnoughts, 1,313 Chapter Equerries/servitors
1 Land Raider Redeemer (Abzahlung)

Armoury:
Volkmar Hitzig, Master of the Forge
34 Techmarines, 113 Servitors
84 Rhinos
36 Razorbacks
16 Predators
10 Vindicators
7 Whirlwinds
2 Land Raiders; 1 Land Raider Crusader; 6 Land Raider Redeemers
15 Land Speeders; 12 Land Speeder Storms
~95 Drop Pods

Apothecarion:
Alexius Rosenthal, Chief Apothecary
10 Apothecaries

Fleet Command:
6 Strike Cruisers, 2 Battle Barges, 10 Rapid Strike Vessels, 38 Thunderhawk Gunships

Librarius:
Erasmus Kantor, Chief Librarian
3 Epistolaries, 6 Codiciers, 5 Lexicanum, 4 Acolytum

Knights of the Ardent Flame Companies (shoulder trim denotes company's heraldic colour):
1st Company (Veteran Company): Bleached Bone (currently recovering from casualties sustained through prolonged conflict with Hive Fleet Leviathan)
Veteran Captain Adelman, Master of Accolades
63 Veteran Marines
4 Dreadnoughts

2nd Company (Battle Company): Golden Yellow
Captain Blasius, Master of the Fleet
6 Tactical Squads, 2 Assault Squads, 2 Devastator Squads
3 Dreadnoughts

3rd Company (Battle Company): Blood Red (company under-strength due to casualties taken in recent campaigns against Hive Fleet Leviathan)
Captain Zacharius, Master of Arms
3 Tactical Squads, 1 Devastator Squad
1 Dreadnought

4th Company (Battle Company): Snot Green
Captain Sigfrid, Master of the Watch
6 Tactical Squads, 2 Assault Squads, 2 Devastator Squads
2 Dreadnoughts

5th Company (Battle Company): Chaos Black
Captain Dietmar, Master of the Marches
6 Tactical Squads, 2 Assault Squads, 2 Devastator Squads
4 Dreadnoughts

6th Company (Reserve Tactical Company): Blazing Orange
Captain Alardus, Master of Rites
10 Tactical Squads
3 Dreadnoughts

7th Company (Reserve Tactical Company): Warlock Purple
Captain Zimmerman, Chief Victualler
10 Tactical Squads
4 Dreadnoughts

8th Company (Reserve Assault Company): Adeptus Battlegrey
Captain Hildebrandt, Guardian of the Flame
10 Assault Squads

9th Company (Reserve Devastator Company): Enchanted Blue
Captain Hammerstein, Master Bombardier
10 Devastator Squads
3 Dreadnoughts

10th Company (Scout Company): No heraldic colour (recruitment drastically increased to help keep other companies’ strength up in the face of prolonged conflict with Hive Fleet Leviathan)
Captain Ambrosius, Master of Recruits
20 Scout Squads,

Helm patterns and colour palettes denote rank/seniority
- Rank and file marines: skull white helm, blood red crest stripe
- Sergeants: blood red helm, skull white crest stripe
- Veterans (1st Company): sergeants have blood red helms with bleached bone crest stripes, and
regular veterans have bleached bone helms with blood red crest stripes
- Chapter Master: blood red helm; no stripe
- Apothecaries: skull white helm; no stripe
- Champions: shining gold helm; no stripe
- Company Captains: blood red helm, shining gold crest stripe
- Librarians: regal/enchanted blue helm; no stripe
- Techmarines: mechrite/scab red helm; no stripe



~~~



Chapter Symbol
The chapter symbol of the Knights of the Ardent Flame is a stylized fiery halo; a rendition of the Ardent Flame itself.

This is in reference to the actual, physical Ardent Flame, a monument on the chapter's home world of Immersturm. The Ardent Flame is an "eternal" promethium torch which is always lit and, it is foretold, will remain so until the end of the Imperium (and mankind) is at hand. It is regarded as a sacred artefact of the chapter and enshrined in their fortress monastery. This shrine is the destination for many religious pilgrims across the chapter's home system and sometimes even beyond.

The ever-burning ring on which the Ardent Flame dances is constructed of a strange metal which is never consumed by the blazing promethium constantly streaming across its surface. There has been some speculation that the metal used in this artefact's construction may be of alien origin. These rumours have been of particular interest to the Inquisition, which has on more than one occasion attempted to gain access to the Ardent Flame for examination. Since such procedures would require dousing or otherwise violating the sanctity of the Flame, these requests have been continuously - and on more than one occasion, violently - opposed by the Knights of the Ardent Flame. The Inquisition has resolved to get to the bottom of these rumours, though of late it has been content simply to keep a close eye on this particular chapter and the actions it undertakes.



~~~



Notable Deviances
- Fanatically devoted to the defence and reverence of their holy relic, the Ardent Flame; under Inquisitorial suspicion for possible influence from xenos or entities of the Warp; chapter known to look to this artefact for guidance as it is believed to have some unexplained prophetic properties

- Considerable amount of veneration placed upon fire and its 'cleansing' properties; this is one area in which there is actually an overlap of ideology with one branch of the Inquisition, namely the Sisters of Battle of the Ecclesiarchy; fire is also respected by the chapter for its use in the forge, which is seen as an extension of its use in the persecution of the chapter's enemies

- Considerably more respectful and gracious of technology than most other Astartes chapters, particularly with regard to the forging of weapons and the use of such venerable relics as land raiders and suits of dreadnought armour; techmarines and dreadnoughts are held in higher esteem among the Knights of the Ardent Flame than most other chapters, and the Knights possess more of either and a better technology base than many other chapters. However, there is no particular affinity for augmetics technology within the Knights such as there is among chapters like the Iron Hands, and their level of technological aptitude and artistry pales in comparison to the likes of the Salamanders. The Knights of the Ardent Flame do, however, boast a sizable number of Land Raiders, particularly of the Redeemer variant. This affinity for technology and fire-based weaponry is in keeping with the chapter’s specialization in close-range firefights



~~~



Chapter Origins & History
The Knights of the Ardent Flame, originally called the Sons of Immersturm, were created sometime in M32 during the Third Founding. While records regarding their creation have been lost, their stock is believed to have originated from the Ultramarines or the Imperial Fists. A relatively unremarkable Civilised World in the Segmentum Tempestus was chosen as the headquarters for this fledgling chapter by the High Lords of Terra for its impeccable record of meeting tithes and unwavering devotion to the Imperium. Though the number of Imperial Guard inductees produced by Immersturm, as this world was called, was negligible in the grand scheme of humanity’s greatest army, the soldiers produced were of fine stock and possessed a proud, noble bearing. With men such as these ready and willing and a fresh supply of geneseed prepared by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Sons of Immersturm were formed.

Basing much of their internal structure on the feudal warrior castes that had ruled Immersturm long ago, the Sons developed into an organization not unlike the knightly orders of Terra in ancient times. The original chapter master, Gabriel Lindemann, was a nobleman with a great sense of social responsibility, and he viewed his chapter’s duty as being in service of the people of Immersturm and the Imperium. To that end, while the chapter built up strength in its early days, much of its early deployment was seen in service of the citizens of Immersturm and nearby systems. Though the newly-recruited Astartes were by and large from the finest stock that Immersturm’s PDF could have supplied, Chapter Master Gabriel was intent on honing their skills further before seeing and major engagements. Thus, much of the chapter’s early years were spent fending off Eldar and renegade pirates and the occasional Ork infestation. It was not until the waning years of M32 that the Sons of Immersturm would see any combat that would truly put its warriors to the test.

In the latter years of M32, Ork Waaagh! Broketoof began to gather momentum and batter its way through several systems in the Tempestus Segmentum. At the behest of the magos of an overwhelmed Forge World near the Immersturm System, Chapter Master Gabriel ordered that the Sons of Immersturm make all haste to the aid of their besieged, neighbours. Eager to prove themselves in their first large-scale engagement, the Sons hammered into the Ork invasion with unprecedented speed and ferocity. Within a month the Waaagh! ground to a halt, its back broken upon the unshakable resolve and steely determination of the Emperor’s finest. In gratitude for their swift and effective response to the call for aid, the magos of Forge World Lumen VI pledged the service of her foundries to any user the Sons of Immersturm may have of them. To commemorate this pledge, a strange artefact was gifted to the Sons, taken from the magos’ own personal vaults. This artefact was taken back to the Sons’ fortress-monastery on Immersturm and came to be called the Ardent Flame. From that day forward, the Sons of Immersturm were thereby known as the Knights of the Ardent Flame.

This pledge by a high-ranking member of the Mechanicum also marked the beginnings of a very close bond between the Knights and the Adeptus Mechanicus. While the Knights were true warriors and not artificers of the same calibre as their brothers in the Salamanders or Iron Hands chapters, those sons of the Flame with any technical aptitude were granted full support by members of the Mechanicum in the vicinity of the Immersturm system. Any knowledge or materials that techmarines of the Ardent Flame required became theirs should they have asked for them. As a result of this, the Ardent Flame grew to boast one of the most impressive armouries in the Segmentum Tempestus – and indeed among any Space Marine chapter within the galaxy.



~~~



Home World - Immersturm
Immersturm is a mundane Civilised World nestled in the galactic east of the Segmentum Tempestus. Most of its surface is covered in dark oceans which roil almost perpetually with mighty storms, giving the planet its name. As a result of these storms, civilisation tended to develop farther inland along the planet’s vast rivers which feed its tumultuous seas. Inland, dense, damp forests and rolling foothills lead up towards the mighty peaks of long-dormant volcanoes. While most of these volcanoes have not been active for thousands of years, they are not extinct, and occasionally will remind the planet’s inhabitants of this fact with violent, earth-shattering eruptions.

Immersturm has a variety of resources which are of considerable value to the Imperium, though none of these are in especially abundant supply. Imperial tithes are met largely with lumber and agricultural goods, though there are some mining operations located in the planet’s southern hemisphere along a string of volcanic islands. Additionally there is at least one major offshore drilling operation, conducted with the assistance of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the form of providing and maintaining vast weather engines which keep the worst of the planet’s well-known storms at bay. Luxury goods provide another, if smaller, boost to tithes and the planet’s overall economic well-being. Immersturm also produces a healthy stock of fresh recruits for the Imperial Guard, and good ties with the Mechanicum ensure that these new soldiers are atypically well-equipped and well-trained compared to many of their brethren throughout the galaxy.

Being a chapter planet, Immersturm’s ruling government does its best to live up to the ideals of the Adeptus Astartes. Average citizens of Immersturm are devoted followers of the God-Emperor of Mankind and typically strive to live pure, noble lives in line with their guardian angels, the Knights of the Ardent Flame.



~~~



Chapter Master - Heironymus Eberstark
The current chapter master of the Knights of the Ardent Flame as of 999.M41 is Heironymus Eberstark, Like all chapter masters before him he bears the title of Lord Regent of Immersturm, though this position is largely honorific and the actual governance of the planet of Immersturm is left to Administratum officials. This leaves Lord Eberstark free to direct the Astartes under his command and put the defence of Immersturm and the Imperium as a whole before all other concerns.

Eberstark became chapter master of the Ardent Flame in the year 749.M41, when his liege Till Koenig fell in battle during a campaign in the Weltanschauung System against a sizable Eldar raiding fleet. Eberstark, serving as captain of the 1st company at the time, fought like a man possessed to retrieve the body of his lord from the depraved xenos, and only one member of his command squad survived to return to the Imperial line with him. Taking up the mantle of office in the slain chapter master’s stead, Heironymus tempered his rage and used it to focus his will, driving the Knights forward with a renewed sense of purpose. Their righteous fury proved too much for the xeno pirates to withstand and within a week the Eldar forces had fled Imperial space. Upon returning to Immersturm it was unanimously decided by the most senior-ranking members of the chapter – including the revered dreadnought Ancient Achatius – that Heironymus Eberstark be made the next chapter master permanently. With great reverence for the ancient dreadnought’s confidence in his abilities and the humility for which he was known, Heironymus accepted the role.

It has been 250 years now since Lord Eberstark first took up the title of Chapter Master of the Ardent Flame, and in those centuries he has led his brethren on campaign after glorious campaign in defence of the Imperium to successes undreamt of. Under Heironymus’ command an Ork incursion was quashed before it developed into a full-fledged Waaagh!, despite the Ordo Xenos’ refusal to help on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to support such a claim. A Tau exploration fleet was turned back thanks to swift and brutal intervention on Eberstark’s orders. The forces of a recently-awakened Necron tomb world were driven out of a neighbouring system at the behest of a loyal planet’s beleaguered defense forces in 893.M41, and in 934.M41 the Ardent Flame joined forces with fellow Space Marine chapter the Sky Sentinels to halt the nefarious actions of a warband of traitorous Thousand Sons. In recent years the Knights of the Ardent Flame have proven instrumental in slowing the advance of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Leviathan, and dozens of systems both surrounding Immersturm and abroad in the Imperium owe debts of gratitude to the heroic actions of Heironymus and his noble knights.

Heironymus Eberstark is a stern, introspective individual who brooks no nonsense and takes his duties both to his chapter and the populace of the Imperium very seriously. He is solemn and thoughtful, and as devout a servant of the Emperor as one is likely to find anywhere in the galaxy. What the lord reagent lacks in humour he makes up for in compassion and empathy, for though his stony face betrays little emotion, within lies a patriarchal figure who cares deeply for those under his command and protection. At his command, Heironymus’ marines are as likely to be found bolstering security on worlds recovering from devastating conflict as they are at the front lines of the destructive battles that preceded the aftermath. Eberstark has even, on at least one occasion, come to blows with the Inquisition over the fate of a world’s citizenry whereupon a daemonic incursion was concerned.

The ranking inquisitor present at the time had declared upon the quelling of the invasion that a sizable portion of the world’s surviving populace be rounded up and summarily executed to avoid the risk of any malingering corruption. Outraged, Lord Eberstark stormed the inquisitor’s base of operations with a contingent of honour guard and members of the 1st company, laying waste to a host of inquisitorial troops and even a combat squad of the enigmatic Grey Knights before demanding to the inquisitor’s face that he leave the planet in question and never return. The Ardent Flame’s master has made enemies of more than one powerful member of the Inquisition and Administratum through his brash enforcement of noble ideals, but he cares not. As long as those loyal to the Emperor are kept free from harm, Eberstark is content.

In battle, the chapter master of the Ardent Flame dons a suit of masterful artificer armour, forged over the tongues of the Ardent Flame itself by the chapter’s most skilled artificers countless centuries ago. Eberstark also wears a mantle enhanced with protective wards placed upon it by members of the Ardent Flame’s Librarium, which safeguards him from all but the most horrific attacks. The lord regent wields in combat a mighty halberd that he himself crafted under the tutelage of the chapter’s Master of the Forge many years ago during his days as a squad sergeant, and the weapon has served him well on hundreds of battlefields. In keeping with the chapter’s preference for close-ranged firefights and belief in the cleansing properties of fire, Heironymus’ suit of armour has a heavy flamer built into a personalized vambrace for his left arm. Last but not least, as a symbol of his office, Eberstark’s armour is replete with an adamantine halo upon his backpack over which burning promethium continuously flows in a mirror image of the Ardent Flame itself, there to spur on his Knights to greater acts of valour and drive fear into the hearts of the Imperium’s many foes.

Heironymus does his best to maintain his chapter’s close ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and he well understands the benefits of such an arrangement. At all times, provided they are not otherwise engaged, members of the elite 1st company of the Knights are available should any members of the Mechanicum near the Immersturm system require their assistance, and the Ardent Flame does not treat this pledge lightly. In return, virtually any and all needs and wants that the techmarines of the Ardent Flame have for the Mechanicum and their nearby forge worlds are fulfilled upon request. This is not to say that Eberstark and his chapter get along well with all members of the greater Imperium, however.

A special tension exists between the Knights of the Ardent Flame and the Inquisition, for on more than one occasion their goals have come into conflict with one another – and by extension, so too have members of the chapter and the Inquisition. Aside from matters of honour and nobility perceived by Heironymus to have been violated through the actions of zealous inquisitors, the Inquisition has continually attempted to gain private access to the Ardent Flame itself for analysis ever since the artefact was gifted to the chapter by the Mechanicum long ago. All such attempts have been denied by the chapter masters of the Ardent Flame continuously throughout its long history, and as recently as 975.M41, open conflict has resulted from the chapter’s refusal to grant the Inquisition access to their most holy of relics. While sects of the Inquisiton continue to decry the Ardent Flame’s refusal to accept their inspection requests and the blows that have been exchanged in their name as outright heresy, those who can claim to know Heironymus Eberstark personally know better. Those fortunate few are certain that no more devoted servant of the Imperium could be found anywhere, and are content in the knowledge that so long as they remain loyal to the Emperor, the Knights of the Ardent Flame can be counted upon to support them in their times of need.



~~~



Notable Engagements
824.M32 – Proving Grounds – The first major engagement for the Ardent Flame, who are at the time called the Sons of Immersturm. The entire chapter is deployed in response to Waaagh! Broketoof and within a month the Ork invasion force is routed and the Sons have earned a name for themselves. Forge World Lumen VI is liberated from Ork control and the grateful magos from whom the distress call had originated pledges the allegiance of all nearby Mechanicum worlds to the fledgling chapter. The mysterious artefact which comes to be known as the Ardent Flame is gifted to chapter founder Gabriel Lindemann and the Sons of Immersturm are renamed the Knights of the Ardent Flame.

913.M32 – Even in Death – The chapter suffers a grievous blow when many of its senior-ranking members and much of the 1st company is eradicated in a surprise attack by the forces of an Imperial planet whose government and military has gone rogue. Elements of the 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th companies arrive to reinforce their battered brethren within a month only to find that the rogue governor has enlisted the force of several warbands of traitor marines. The Chaos marines make their presence known with a surprise attack against the Knights’ warships stationed in orbit, cutting off the retreat of those Astartes deployed to the surface. The Knights of the Ardent Flame manage to hold off the vile traitors on the ground until further help arrives in the form of an Imperial fleet, and the long and bloody Morgenstern Campaign begins. Though the chapter is successful in the end, most of the 1st company is lost and the 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th companies suffer heavy casualties, as does much of the chapter’s naval potential. Chapter founder Gabriel Lindemann is dead, having succumbed to the traitors’ devious sneak attack along with all of his command retinue, save for one honour guard, whose injuries necessitate his internment in a dreadnought sarcophagus. This individual comes to be known as Ancient Achatius, and becomes a legendary figure within the chapter’s history.

354.M33 ++REDACTED+++

496.M34 ++REDACTED+++

564.M35 – Daemon Rising – The Knights’ presence is requested when a daemonic incursion plagues the primary world of the Fruhlung system. The local PDF and dispatched Guard regiments are all but overrun by the time the Knights arrive and manage to grant them some respite. This reprieve from the enemy is short-lived, however, as the situation rapidly deteriorates and the forces of the Ruinous Powers begin to rapidly regain ground. In short order, members of the Ordo Maleus and the mystical Grey Knights arrive to further bolster the defenders. With renewed energy, the Knights and their new allies push the fell forces of Chaos back to the desecrated Citadel of Saint Gilles Duceppe, only to discover that they are too late to prevent their foes’ sinister plans from coming to fruition. A massive Greater Daemon is summoned into the material realm, and the valiant defenders of the Imperium are all but overwhelmed by its terrible power. A brave librarian of the Flame – whose name has been lost to the annals of history – managed to secure victory for the Emperor’s finest when he distracted the foul creature long enough for the brother-captain of the Grey Knights strike force to strike a fatal blow. The banishment of this greater daemon causes a backlash of warp energies which immediately dematerializes the rest of the invaders from the Warp, and the threat is successfully eliminated. Of course, the Grey Knights present enforce mandatory mind-wiping procedures on the surviving Knights of the Ardent Flame (much to their chagrin) and purge the surviving defenders from the local PDF and Imperial Guard. As far as official chapter records for the Ardent Flame are concerned, the Knights were too late to save any of the mortal defenders from the forces of Chaos, but they did manage to single-handedly halt the daemonic incursion, though at great cost.

967.M36 – Traitors and Heretics – Inquisitor Magnusson is the first member of the Inquisition to suspect the Knights of the Ardent Flame may be under the malign influence of Chaos or xenos, following a joint campaign between the Ardent Flame and an Inquisitorial task force. During this campaign, members of the Flame outright refused Inquisitorial orders to exterminate a civilian refugee camp which may have contained cultists seeking to evade Imperial wrath. A formal investigation is launched into the Knights of the Ardent Flame. Inquisitor Magnusson grows to suspect that the Ardent Flame itself may be an artefact forged by the Ruinous Powers or xenos of unknown origin and requests permission to examine it. When the current chapter master of the Knights refuses this request, he is accused of heresy. An inquisitorial task force led by Adepta Sororitas of the Order of the Fiery Heart are dispatched to relieve the chapter master of his command and capture the Ardent Flame for Investigation. Orders are to disband the chapter temporarily while the investigation is underway. Though the inquisitorial forces are permitted to land on Immersturm, they are fooled by the Knights into opening fire first, allowing the Astartes to retaliate without fear of widespread reprisal. Inquisitor Magnusson’s forces are routed and sent back to Terra in shame, with nothing to show for their work.

346.M37 ++REDACTED+++

836.M38 ++REDACTED+++

756.M39 ++REDACTED+++

642.M40 ++REDACTED+++

749.M41 – Death of a Legend – Chapter Master Till Koenig is slain during a campaign against Dark Eldar raiders in the Weltanschauung System. Taking up leadership of the Knights in his stead, Captain Heironymus Eberstark of 1st Company leads the Ardent Flame to victory and is rewarded for his many years of loyal and exceptional service by being sworn in as the next rightful chapter master.

798.M41 – Waaagh! Lostboyz – In the chapter’s first major action with Heironymus Eberstark as chapter master, the Knights of the Ardent flame are deployed in force in the Kaban System to investigate a fledgling Ork empire which looks ready to develop into a full-fledged Waaagh! Though their requests for aid from the Ordo Xenos are denied, the Knights diligently proceed with a campaign of systemic cleansing of all Orks throughout the system, and within a years’ time no more greenskins remain.

862.M41 – The Greater Good – A Tau exploration fleet is discovered on the eastern fringe of Segmentum Tempestus, and since the 3rd company has been deployed nearby they are ordered by Lord Eberstark to investigate. The xenos fleet is deemed a threat to nearby Imperial worlds and the 3rd company wages a swift but brutal battle that ensures no Tau vessels escape.

893.M41 – Their Number is Legion – Elements of the 6th and 9th companies are deployed to the Donaub System in response to a plea for aid. When they arrive it is discovered that the forces of a Necron tomb world have stirred from their slumber and attempting to reclaim a planet populated by loyal Imperial citizens. Further help is requested and arrives in the form of a detachment from the 8th company. The Knights of the Ardent Flame successfully drive back the xeno threat, saving Donaub III from certain doom. The Astartes deployed to this region remain to ensure stability while the Donaub system recovers from the attack.

934.M41 – Traitors and Cowards, All – Elements of the 1st, 3rd and 9th companies are dispatched along with a task force from the Sky Sentinels chapter to halt a marauding warband of the treacherous Thousand Sons. A series of daring raids performed by the two loyal Astartes chapters forces the traitors to take refuge in the library they’d thought to rob of its forbidden knowledge. After several months of prolonged siege warfare, the Thousand Sons lure the loyal servants of the Imperium into a cowardly ambush, unleashing fell beings from the Warp upon them. The Emperor’s finest prove more than a match for the loathsome creatures, however in the chaos of the ambush the traitor marines manage to escape.

998.M41 – It Came from Below – The Ardent Flame is called in to aid a string of worlds on the brink of succumbing to the newly-unveiled threat of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Knights, along with three other Space Marine chapters and a host of Imperial Guard and Ordo Xenos forces, campaign across a vast swathe of space and raze entire worlds to deny the Tyranids biomass. While the Imperial forces are victorious and the Ardent Flame escapes relatively unscathed, the cost to the Imperium is substantial.

999.M41 – Glory to the Third – The 3rd company and elements of the chapter’s 1st company engage in a campaign to slow the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan in the Aria System. While their attempts are ultimately successful, the chapter pays dearly for this minor victory, as the 3rd company is all but eradicated in the conflict and the 1st company suffers a mighty blow as well.



~~~



The 3rd Company – Heroes All

++REDACTED+++

[hpdandy]

Wow, that's a lot of back ground! Paint scheme looks good and really clean too.

Andy

[Brakkart]

Very impressive backstory and such you've written up there. The 3rd company took a real whipping from the Nids it seems. Nice colour scheme too, simple and very effective.

[DrWobbles]

Love it! This is what the hobby is all about.

[energongoodie]

Lovely colour scheme, it's really clean and sharp.Lovely back ground. I look forward to more

[Grrmpf]

Nice Paintjobs. What about scenic bases?

[Irongut]

They look great- nice paint job.

[Quattro]

Great paint job, I'm really interested to see what it would look like on a Rhino or a Dreadnought.

[MercyKiller]

Very crisp! I like it a lot, and it gives me ideas for my Blood Angels Sanguinary Priests.