Aurora Chapter
This article is about the Space Marine Chapter; for the Eldar space vessel, see Aurora Light Cruiser. |
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The Aurora Chapter is a Chapter of Space Marines formed from the Ultramarines Legion during the Second Founding. Like all descendants of the Ultramarines, they are strict followers of the Codex Astartes.[1]
Contents
History
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, the 4th Chapter of the Ultramarines Legion was known as the Aurorans. They possessed five times as many armoured vehicles as a standard Chapter.[13a] The 4th Chapter also used non-standard iconography, using the color green to mark veterans and marking its members with the so-called "Auroran Ribbon",[22] a sign which later became the Aurora Chapter's symbol.[9]
In 007.M31, the 4th Chapter was among the Ultramarines units mustered on Calth. It was mainly deployed on the planet's continent of Ithraca.[22] There, it was drawn into the apocalyptic Betrayal of Ithraca, fighting alongside the 24th Ultramarines Chapter, Legio Praesagius, and other loyalists against the Word Bearers, Legio Suturvora, and other Chaos followers. The 4th Chapter suffered massive losses at Ithraca City,[13d][13e] but rallied under Sub-Captain Mantargo and helped to hold back the traitors before being forced to retreat due to the mass emergence of daemons.[13f][13g]
The Aurora Chapter was officially set up in the Second Founding,[1] and since then operates largely in the Ultima Segmentum. The chapter is well known for their armoured assaults; the Chapter possesses three times the typical number of Land Raiders and Predators[2a], all of which are manufactured on their homeworld, Firestorm.[10]
After defeating the Alpha Legion in the Redemption Rebellion alongside the Knights of the Raven in 744.M41, the Aurora Chapter blamed the Knights for their heavy losses and have been in a bitter feud with them since.[6b]
The Aurora Chapter are bitter rivals with the 66th Armoured Company, a World Eaters warband that also specializes in armoured warfare.[19]
Battles and Campaigns
As Ultramarines 4th Chapter ("the Aurorans"):
As Aurora Chapter:
- 121.M31 — Battle of Thessala.[15]
- 544-546.M32 — The War of the Beast. The Aurora Chapter fought under Master of the Forge Aloysian as part of a force led by Maximus Thane on Ullanor.[12]
- 282.M36 — An armored spearhead of the Aurora Chapter halted the Ork invasion of Grylos.[6a]
- 330.M41 — Eukari Insurrection. The Aurora Chapter and Emperor's Spears quell a chaos rebellion on the world of Eukari but conflict erupts between the two chapters.[21]
- 650.M41: The First Company was deployed against Chaos cultists during the Goru Heresy.[3][11]
- The chapter is mentioned in connection with Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn as having been responsible for saving another Inquisitor from the daemonhost Cherubael after it slew his entire retinue.[4]
- The Chapter was involved in a conflict with the Knights of the Raven, a fellow Space Marine Chapter. The conflict was ended by the intervention of Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines.[2b]
- 926.M41 — Elements of the Chapter were sent to battle the Necron World Engine.[2d][2f]
- Late M41 — The battle for the world of Satys against Hive Fleet Leviathan.[8]
- c. 999.M41 — An Aurora Chapter Predator spearhead aided Ultramarines Captain Cato Sicarius in the Zeist Campaign, reclaiming several worlds previously annexed by the expanding T'au Empire, including Augura, which was being used as a T'au staging point.[2e]
- 999.M41 — 13th Black Crusade.[14]
- ~012.M42 — The Battle of Raukos
- M42 — The Plague Wars. The Aurora Chapter provides 5 Companies.[16]
Heraldry
The Aurara Chapter has a stylized ribbon as its chapter symbol,[9] an icon already used by the 4th Ultramarines Chapter in the Horus Heresy.[22] The Aurora Chapter wear green armour with a golden aquila. Company affiliation is shown by the colour of a Marine's pauldron trim, as per the Codex Astartes.[6c]
The Chapter's Chaplains wear Rosarii gifted to them by the Ecclesiarchy.[7]
Chapter Elements
Armoury
As Aurora Chapter:
Notable Vessels
Named Vehicles
As Ultramarines 4th Chapter ("the Aurorans"):
As Aurora Chapter:
- Harbinger of Death — Predator Destructor. Fought alongside the first company of the Chapter against Chaos cultists during the Goru Heresy.[3]
Known Members
As Ultramarines 4th Chapter ("the Aurorans"):
As Aurora Chapter:
- Aloysian — Master of the Forge during the War of the Beast.[12]
- Ation — Devastator Marine of the 5th company.[6c]
- Donas Maxim — Codicier.[Needs Citation]
- Doveskamor[23]
- Ludon — Chapter Master during the Battle of Thessala.[15]
- Herak Nhuson — Chapter Master. Killed during the Goru Heresy.[Needs Citation]
- Laemodon — Scout.[17]
- Ledyon — Watch Sergeant in the Deathwatch.[18]
- Torath — Watch Sergeant in the Deathwatch.[20]
- Tidominus[23]
Images
See also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Ultramarines (2nd Edition), pg. 42
- 2: Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition):
- 3: Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pg. 31
- 4: Malleus (Novel), Prologue
- 5: Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter, pg. 132
- 6: Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition):
- 7: Index Astartes: Chaplains, pg. 7
- 8: Dataslate: Tyranid Onslaught - Rising Leviathan III (Background Book), Introduction, Invasion
- 9: How to Paint Space Marines, pg. 84
- 10: Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) — Ultramarines Successor Chapters
- 11: Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition), pg. 20
- 12: The Last Son of Dorn (Novel), Chapter 15
- 13: The Horus Heresy Book Five - Tempest,
- 14: Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia, pg. 98
- 15: Dark Imperium (Novel), Chapter Two
- 16: Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition Rulebook pgs. 158–159
- 17: Warhammer Combat Cards, Card Description
- 18: War Zone Octarius - Book 1: Rising Tide, pg. 31
- 19: Codex: World Eaters (9th Edition), pg. 23
- 20: Codex: Deathwatch (8th Edition), pg. 15
- 21: Index Astartes - Emperor's Spears (Limited Edition), pgs. 13-14 - Footnote
- 22: Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Siege of Cthonia, pg. 110
- 23: Avenging Son (Novel), Chapter 1
- 24: The Helwinter Gate (Novel), Chapter 23