History of The Fire Tenants

The Ashen Hawks

Some time in M38 a sizable Ork presence was detected in the Vossaga system in the Uhulis Sector. The Xenos infestation resisted attacks from nearby Imperial forces, and were found to be spreading to nearby systems. As part of the 23rd founding a new Space Marine chapter was created, The Ashen Hawks, to respond to this rapidly growing threat. Descended from The Raven Guard they believed that knowledge was power, and used extensive reconnaissance to ensure victory against any opponent.

The Ashen Hawks trained specifically to tackle the Ork menace, They quickly found that the largest of the creatures, Maddboss Zogzark, possessed powerful psychic abilities that he had little control over. To respond to this the Space Marines focused heavily on their own psychic warriors and developed an extensive force of Librarians, many sergeants also held the title of Lexicanum and were able to wield minor abilities in battle.

The Orks were slowly pushed back, and the newly founded chapter claimed the Ork’s homeworld, Vossaga IV as their new chapter world and established a permanent Fortress Monastery there. Having lost his homeworld the warboss fled into deep space vowing to return to claim the system for himself again. The Space Marines decided to split their forces, one half would remain to establish the system as a part of the Imperium, holding off other threats that would wish to claim the planets for themselves. The other half would set off on a crusade to wipe out the warboss and his horde, spearheaded by the chapter’s manufactorum vessel-turned battle barge, The Forgeflame.

The Vossaga Catastrophe

Centuries later at the close of the 41st millennium, having pursued the Warboss across the galaxy, the crusading Marines realised that he had gathered enough Orks to strike back at the Vossaga system. The Xenos had managed to mount engines and weapons to a large asteroid, and they were steering their contraption directly towards Vossaga. They attempted to warn their brothers, but due to significant warp storms around the system no messages could reach the fortress monastery. Future Imperial scholars would conclude that these warp storms may have been connected to the Great Rift that tore through the galaxy soon after. With no way to contact the rest of the chapter, The Forgeflame raced home as fast as she could.

The Warboss reached the system first however and striking without warning he crashed his Rok directly into Vossaga IV. The green skins poured from the shattered vessel and swarmed the planet. The marines responded well, using all their experience fighting the Orks they were able to hold their own and push the Xenos back for a while. With the support of the soon to arrive reinforcements the battle would have easily been won by the Marines. This was not to be however, as the ship arrived they could only look on in horror. The warboss had fought his way through the fortress monastery and had reached the most potent psychic area, the Librarium. Using this power he attempted to channel enough warp energy to wipe out the Marines, but due to the warp storms raging around the sector he unwittingly opened the floodgates, and warp energies spilled across the planet.

The Marines on the orbiting ship reported that they saw streaks of twisted light snaking beneath the surface, swelling rapidly until the entire planet was bulging with vile energies. In a blinding flash the crust gave way and vast chunks of the planet were torn into the immaterium.

A Chapter Without Purpose

The Ashen Hawks had sworn to stop the Ork menace when they were created, and they succeeded, but at a great cost. Only the returning fleet survived the destruction of Vossaga IV, numbering around 300 Marines. They believed they had failed their brothers, but with the green skins now wiped out they no longer had a purpose with which to repent their sins.

The survivors of the Vossaga catastrophe sifted through the wreckage of their home in hope of recovering some of the chapter’s prized artefacts or tomes of knowledge. The only thing they could find was a single lantern, still burning despite the destruction that had surrounded it. This symbol of hope enabled the survivors to band together and focus on rebuilding. With the creation of the Ultima Founding chapters, the surviving Ashen Hawks decided to take on Primaris reinforcements to replenish their numbers. Many of the Firstborn felt that it was wrong to attempt to recreate the Ashen Hawks after such a staggering destruction, so it was decided to re-found the chapter anew. The Ashen Hawks were officially laid to rest amongst the ruins of their home, and the Marines declared themselves the Fire Tenants. They re-ignited the furnaces at the heart of The Forgeflame using the recovered lantern and declared that they would bring this Flame Eternal to the darkest sectors of the Imperium, and would ensure that it never faltered. They painted their armour in honour of their new mission, red for the fire they carried, black in mourning for their lost brothers, and gold in hope for a better future for humanity. On their left shoulder they wear an image of a blinding flash, representing the final moments of Vossaga IV. This image haunts the marines through visions, forcing them to relive their worst failure.

Rising from the Ashes

As the chapter’s gene-seed stocks were wiped out in the calamity, new recruits instead drew from a stock descended from the Salamanders. It is rumoured that some Firstborn who were unhappy with this decision managed to sneak some of their original gene-seed into the pool, a forbidden action due to the high risk of mutations and corruption. This rumour persists due to new recruits that never witnessed Vossaga IV also being wracked with nightmarish visions of the planet splitting apart.

All of the new additions to the chapter were Primaris marines, and some of the survivors underwent the Rubicon Primaris. However, many Firstborn decided not to undertake the procedure and now mostly reside in the chapter’s fourth company, often referred to as The Embers. This company is abnormally large at over 200 marines, however it is allowed to hold these numbers as no new Firstborn are being recruited to the chapter so the company will eventually fade into legend.  Other survivors joined the first company as veterans, or one of the reserve companies where they could act as mentors. Each of these warriors has spent lifetimes in service to the Emperor, their duty now is to pass on their skills and traditions to the newer members of their chapter.

Due to the way they lost their brothers, the chapter developed a distaste for knowledge and psychic abilities. They shifted their training regimes accordingly, now following a doctrine of overwhelming massed firepower. Instead of waiting for a well timed tactical strike, they favour bringing their full force to bear on the enemy. Some have attributed this zeal for battle to the new gene-seed, however the Firstborn members of the chapter also show this change in tactics. The chapter now maintains very few Librarians, most of which are either Firstborn, or survivors of the catastrophe that underwent the Rubicon Primaris. This stems from the chapter’s distrust for knowledge, a fear that runs so deep they often destroy centres of academia and learning. The chapter instead relies on rituals and tradition to guide them, and the Chaplains now play a greater role in guiding the chapter. Instead of carrying the standard weapon of a Chaplain, the Crozius Arcanum, they wield a brazier lit directly from the Flame Eternal at the heart of The Forgeflame. Thus a small part of the Ashen Hawks is still carried into battle, and legends tell that these flames can burn the very soul of the enemies the chapter faces. These fires are also used to guide and inspire the Fire Tenants through ritual brandings and omens that can be read in the movements of the flames.

Crusades of Redemption

The rebuilt chapter decided not to take a homeworld, and instead they travel across the galaxy, forming crusades to deal with specific threats and bring the Emperor’s light to every heretic, witch and xenos they can find. Any Lieutenant, Captain, Apothecary, Techmarine, Chaplain or Librarian can request the Chapter Master’s blessing to declare a crusade, although Librarians will always be accompanied to ensure they do not stray too far with their powers. During these crusades they also seek out worlds that are suitable for recruitment and add to their neophytes when required, rather than maintaining a constant feed of new bodies. Currently they are undertaking multiple crusades, the most recent of which is lead by Captain Soral Khoradak of the 2nd Company, who is investigating reports of heretical activity in the Eydon Alpha system.