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Phoenix Angels
Basic Informaion
- Chapter Name: Phoenix Angels
- Founding Chapter: Blood Angels
- Successor Chapters: Unknown
- Founding: Second Founding
- Archangel: Lirvistan
- Home World: Heamoria
- Fortress Monastery: Unknown
- Colours: Red and Black
- Specailty: Wing of Perseverance
- Battle Cry: "We cannot fall" and "We will rise to seek revenge" and "You cannot kill a Phoenix Angel" and "The Phoenix Rises"
- Strength: Melee Combat
History
- Origins of the Phoenix Angels
The Phoenix Angels were once part of the great Blood Angels Legion, They were the first company in the Legion and would have inherited the Legions name if it were not for company commander Cruentus. Cruentus was a fine leader, a brutal warrior and a cunning tactician. Over the years in command, he led the Legions 1st Company in many victorious battles, against countless foes on countless worlds and was one of Sanguinius' most trusted advisors along with Azkeallon. On a few occasions Commander Cruentus devised several strategies to overcome the forces against mankind, one which the Phoenix Angels still adhere to this day is the deployment composition of the Legions 1st company which is the cause of their astounding victory all those millennia ago. Sanguinius was an astounding strategist, able to defeat the onslaught of traitor marines from the former Emperors right hand man when outnumbered, it was certain that Cruentus was walking in the shadow of his Primarch.
Commander Cruentus and his revered 1st company were on Terra, fighting against the traitor marines to save the Emperor's palace when Sanguinius and his Sanguinary Guard, along with the Emperor, boarded Horus' battleship. Sanguinius fell to the traitor Horus, but not before weakening him so that the Emperor would be able to strike the final blow against the traitor warlord. Sanguinius had some psychic potential, the power of foresight, knowing his death would come to him if he boarded Horus' battleship, he did, probably knowing what the outcome would have been if he should chose not to follow his destiny. The psychic scream from Sanguinius' death echoed throughout the galaxy and could be felt by all those who had the gene-seed of the Primarch, imprinting the last moments of his life to all the Sons of Sanguinius.
When the Legions were to be split up into chapters and follow the codex, Commander Cruentus had other ideas how the Blood Angels should be organized. Azkeallon, along with the remaining company commanders, agreed with Roboute Gulliman that the Blood Angels would follow the Codex, but Commander Cruentus was adamant that the strategies and tactics he devised would better suit the nature of the Legion in battle. After a much heated debate Commander Cruentus, along with the Blood Angels legion and the remaining Primarchs, agreed he could follow his own ways if he renounced the Legion name to another Company. Thus the Phoenix Angels were born.
Commander Cruentus had most of the Terminator Armour at his disposal as he was the former Legions 1st Company commander, however he did not require such an abundant supply of the ancient equipment and gave most of it to the rest of the Legion, keeping over 100 suits for his Chapter. They are, after all, the same brothers he fought side by side with and any chance to aid his brothers in battle against the forces of chaos was not one to be missed.
Gene Seed
- The Gift of Sanguinius
The Phoenix Angels are one of the few chapters that refers to 'The Flaw' as a gift from Sanguinius. Sanguinius, knowing his time was over, unleashed his psychic energy upon his Legion, knowing that it came with a price but one that his Legion was able to undertake. Increased physical prowess, increased life longevity, increased thirst for melee combat for which Commander Cruentus has trained his entire newly formed chapter for. The price of course was the Black Rage.
- The Chosen
Each marine must fight back the Black Rage in battle and in spirit. But those that succumb to it effects are not shunned but rather admired, for the Gift of Sanguinius has been bestowed upon them. Seeing the last moments of their Primarch is considered a blessing from Sanguinius and they are treated as holy warriors, The Chosen. This 'Gift' has caused concern for the other chapters of the blood line, as the effects of the Black Rage are not kept a secret from outsiders. Boasting to others about the effects of the Gift to those who fight alongside the chapter are common practice, with warriors who have been chosen by Sanguinius aiding those on the battlefield while being accompanied by a retribution chaplain.
- Memory Eaters
The Phoenix Angels have the innate ability to absorb the memories of a creature or humanoid when their flesh is eaten, as all Space Marines do thanks to the omophagea gland. But due to the constant rituals of the Phoenix Angels and those on the recruiting worlds, this ability has become more enhanced than in other chapters as they are able to accurately recall strategies and plans from enemy commanders. It is still very difficult as the memories can be anything from small conversations to flashes of light and sound. Only a handful are selected to eat the memories of enemy commanders, although the entire chapter still practises this ritual by absorbing the memories of lesser, unimportant ranked individuals.
Organisation
Phoenix Angels do not adhere to the Codex written by Roboute Gulliman, they follow the traditional ways of the Legion, the Phoenix Angels are a melee based chapter and adapted its structure from Commander Cruentus to allow for the strength and agility of the Gift to become a real asset in close combat
- Combat Doctrine
Battle formations used by the Phoenix Angels are no different than those used over ten millennia ago. Commander Cruentus focused his combat doctrine around close quarter melee fighting were using the inherent strength of the Space Marine up close was to their own advantage. Because of this innate ability and the Gift of Sanguinius, the Chapter practices in melee combat more so than other battle strategies combined. The ability to eat memories of the enemies also feeds the need to battle in hand to hand combat where the smell of coppery victory is richest.
Some sergeants forego the use of ranged weaponry altogether, deploying on the battlefield with a chainsword and combat knife to get close to the enemy before taking his life away with a stroke of his hand. Ranged weaponry is sometimes seen as a weak approach to battle and only for the weak, for even an Imperial Guardsman can get in a lucky shot but few can slay a Daemon wielding nothing but a powersword.
- Chapter Organisation
The chapter is split up into 14 companies or Wings, each comprising of 6 squads, there are approximately 840 battle brothers in the Phoenix Angels with additional personnel in command or not officially commissioned . The first company, known as the Wing of Destruction, are the only company to be given terminator honours. Unlike the other companies of the chapter that comprises 6 squads, each with 10 marines, the Wing of Destruction has 12 squads of 5 marines each, even when not deployed in terminator armour. This is mainly due to their assault based tactics where a deployment in a city, building or other location can usually be accessed through multiple entrances, giving the squads multiple points of attack. The second company called the Wing of Extermination are also veterans of the Chapter but do not use the revered terminator armour.
The squad composition in each company is vastly different than the codex also, with only 6 squads per company, the first four are assault squads, leaving the 5th and 6th to be tactical and devastator squads respectively. The tactical squads, however, have the additional option to be equipped with flamers to aid the assault squads, or heavy weaponry such as lascannons for extra support in dealing with armour.
It is not uncommon for a veteran sergeant to be placed in charge of a few squads from the battle companies. In this situation, the veteran squad will be split up and act as veteran sergeants in the remaining squads. The veteran sergeant placed in command will either participate in the assault as an acting captain, or direct the assault from the bridge of a ship whilst accessing any tactical information that could help in the advance. Delegating the control in such a way is not taken lightly, the veteran in command will do whatever they can to prevent even a single loss of a battle-brother and if the mission is a success, they are usually the first to be promoted to captain.
Only in times of great need will several companies of Phoenix Angels come to the aid of a single planet. These rare occasions are a true sight to behold, seeing the battle play out like a well rehearsed play as different squads move into position to provide cover fire as the front line effortlessly slaughters the oncoming hordes of grotesque creatures in fine, swift motions of direction and manoeuvring of well thought out choreography.
- Retinue of Retribution
There are many ranks of chaplains within the Reclusiam of the Fortress-Monastery. Many help guide the spirits of others on the path of righteousness, but the duty of the retribution chaplain is guiding the Chosen, in battle and in spirit. They are able to communicate with the maddened warriors easily by citing the litany of death and so lead them into battle where they can die and be honoured by their former squad. Each company is assigned a retribution chaplain as there is no telling when the Gift of Sanguinius will be too much to bare for some.
The Retinue of Retribution are clad in painted alabaster white and black armour in a quarter colour scheme to signify the duty towards the Phoenix Angels and the loyalty towards their Winged Primarch. They also do not paint red crosses on their armour to signify his death but rather the chapter symbol of the Phoenix to symbolize his return.
- Initiation Squad
Neophytes in the Chapter are inducted into the one of the 14 Wings as an Initiation squad where they are trained in the use melee weapons and close combat. This is because after training, the recruits will then be incorporated into a squad of the company they are assigned to, thus making any training in long range warfare redundant. The new initiates will receive training from a sergeant before being deployed on a mission, fighting side by side with the company. Being led into battle by their sergeant and learning by example, any who are unable to adapt to dangerous situations and face the horrors they swore an oath to kill will soon be eliminated, leaving only the strongest to survive. Some sergeants have requested certain individuals from the Initiation squad to join him and his brothers when the neophyte completes his transformation into a battle hardened Space Marine. The neophytes are to eager to please and this only fuels their new found blood lust which is almost to much to bear for some. The two veteran Wings do not incorporate an initiation squad as only battle hardened veterans from the Wings are chosen to lead the chapter into battle. The number of successful Aspirants vary from year to year and on occasions there will be insufficient numbers to meet the demand. If this is the case then the recruits will be divided among the companies that require them the most, leaving the sergeant to fight as an army of one.
- Ranks
there are several ranks and titles that Space Marines can achieve through bravery, acts of valour or other means, it is customary to address another Marine as one would themselves, there a few ways to represent this:
Rank, Name, Title, Honourary Title. Eg: Keeper of the Librarium Typhus the Unstoppable, Master of the Unknown.
Rank, Name, Squad, Wing. Eg: Sergeant Koris 10th Devastator Squad of Extermination
Rank, Name, Squad, Wing. Eg: Brother Nyren squad Ezreall of Extermination
Company Ranks
Similar to the cousins of the Phoenix Angels, the company markings and squad symbols are displayed on the right shoulder pad and knee pad respectively. This has also emphasized the need to portray the rank and designation on the helmet, a sign of honour and great esteem amongst others.
- Recruitment
Phoenix Angels recruit off a feral and barbaric world known as Haemoria. Haemoria is a brutal and savage world where only the fiercest warriors can survive. The planet is covered in a dessert with little food to spare and water is just as sparse. The native people, called Haemorians, travel in small groups called tribes were they migrate across the dessert plains following the herds of wildlife as they too struggle for survival. If one tribe should meet another, there is nothing but madness as the two tribes battle for supremacy over the land and rite of passage. The victorious tribe would be successful only by killing everyone in the rival tribe during the onslaught, but not all is lost. The tribesmen are known to be cannibals and in such extreme conditions the extra food from the kills cannot be wasted. The tribe will gather the surrounding food and celebrate their victory by dancing, drinking the water from the defeated tribe and feasting upon them.
The Haemorians live a secluded life from one another with no contact from one tribe to the next and no contact from other planets, except for a special event held once a year. The Phoenix Angels hold an event in their Fortress Monastery annually and then, and only then, do the tribes meet peacefully, for a moment that is. Duels against one another is the first competition as this will quickly eliminate the weak. Contests between the survivors will then prove who are worthy aspirants. Races around the Fortress Monastery test the stamina and speed of the people. Violent games against the planets vicious animals test strength and courage required in order to become Space Marines. The survivors are then pitted for a duel against the sergeant in charge of recruiting new aspirants. Worthy warriors will remain under his command in the initiation squads. If the Sergeant deems them fit, they are allowed to enter the Fortress Monastery were they will begin the transformation and training into a fully capable Phoenix Angel, those deemed unworthy are sent back towards their tribe.
Beliefs
Phoenix Angels are ritualistic and spiritual in all aspects of their lives. When a battle-brother dies in battle, they do not caste him aside to rot like lesser creatures would do with their kin. They celebrate, not the death of the battle-brother but the start of a new life, as he has left his life for the chapter. Everyone in the squad of the dead hero will eat his flesh, absorbing the memories and passing his knowledge down throughout the ranks. It is unclear if this tradition is a mere extension from the tribes of Haemoria, or if there is some truth to the knowledge of oneself being absorbed into another. On rare occations a company captain, or Angel, will fall in battle, the entire company will then be required to attend the Reborning ceremony where every brother under his command will honour the memories of the dead Angel keeping his legacy alive within the Chapter company.
The Great Honouring of Archangel Olimprius was a sad day indeed. He fell in battle fighting against a Chaos Lord when a cursed blade struck and slowly drained his life away like it was eating him from the inside out. When the body was recovered, the Sanguinary Priests deemed the body could not be honoured in the traditional ways of the Chapter as the taint was still present and certain side effects might occur if his flesh ingested. The body was instead incinerated with high hope it would set the spirit free among the stars and not instead within each of his brothers. There were rumours after the ceremony that, despite the body being guarded the moment it entered Haemoria, some were able to bypass the servitor guards in its resting place to honour the Archangel as he would have wanted it done so. This cannot be confirmed as there was nothing left of the body to investigate, nor can it be denied.
The ongoing task of the Phoenix Angels is to find Enatus Iterum, the Born Again. Sanguinius had the power of foresight and had seen the fate that was coming to him and so like the great strategist that he is, constructed a means to escape the trap that Horus had laid aboard his battle ship. They believe that their beloved Primarch will be reincarnated and will fight alongside them in battle once again. It is unknown how Sanguinius aims to accomplish such a feat, perhaps a brother who succumbs to the Black Rage will be the catalyst for this event, maybe the psychic echo pierced the darkest edges of the galaxy for some unknown reason. What it known, however, is that his day will come again and the Phoenix Angels will be there to welcome it.
Phoenix Angels believes that the Gift from Sanguinius is not a Flaw of the gene-seed but an embodiment of the winged Primarch in all of his sons. This has led to the Chapters chaplains taking precedence over the meaning of the Gift and not the Sanguinary Priests analyzing the gene-seed for mutations. The chaplains take the chosen into battle were their frenzied minds and ferocious bodies will better suit the fight at hand than to be slayed by Astorath the Grim. The Chosen that survive the battle are then taken back to the Reclusiam where they can be studied by the chaplains for any underlying meanings in their visions to possibly find a reason for what Sanguinius did, attempt to find a message to lead them to his reincarnation or even try to overcome the Black Rage and control its for themselves.
Chapter Colours
The Armour of the Phoenix Angels is as symbolic as much as it is a sign of their past relationship with the Legion. When the Chapter part ways with the Blood Angel Legion, they coloured half of the armour in blood red, because of the heritage that they share with the winged Primarch. The other half is a dark and deep black, to symbolize the acceptance of the Gift of Sanguinius and to ensure he is always with them on the battle field in spirit. The scouts although coloured in red carapace armour, do not wear the black like their brethren, as they have yet to be transformed into a fully fledged Phoenix Angel and so only the scout sergeant may adorn black on the carapace armour and so can be recognized on the field with their black shoulder pads.
Notable Phoenix Angels
Tethelis - Angel of Anguish (10th Company)
The 10th Wing is known as the Wing of Anguish solely because of the acts of the Angel of Anguish who died in battle against a greater daemon sacrificing his life to slay the bloodthirter and doing so saving his men, through this incredible act Tethelis is the only Angel in a dreadnought
Valdir - Epistolary and Angel of Perseverance (15th Company)
With the death of the Angel who's Wing responded to the abnormal readings in the warp, the Librarian aboard was the next in rank to take command of the vessel, but with the horrific events that occurred it became clear that he would be needed to do more for his chapter.
Typhus - Keeper of the Librarium
The Librarians of the sons of Sanguinius some would say are stronger than most because of the mental will power and dexterity required to be able to control their own psychic powers without succumbing to the warp as well as the physical strength to repel the Black Rage within their blood.
Trucido the Frenzied - Death Company
Brother Captain Trucido, along with his company, were fighting the forces of Chaos on a populated planet. Tasked to eradicate all enemies of the Emperor on the planet, they set off in Stormraven gunships and drop pods just a head of the enemy front line. Upon reaching the mountainous region, Trucido and his accompanying squads charged at the enemy forces, breaking the front line and slaughtering anything they came across. They were vastly out numbered but the primary objective to keep the Chaos from spreading to populated areas was paramount. Needing to hold off the attackers so reinforcements would arrive, they did not retreat, Trucido was in the center of the attack, as a beacon of light in the dark for all to follow. As more and more of his men fell, Trucido became more eager, and his lust for blood grew. The company became surrounded by Traitor Marines who were slaughtering the loyalist squads, in was in this moment that the captain called upon the Gift of Sanguinius, he fought with greater strength and speed, killing one after another with no mercy or remorse. His remaining squads thought that this battle would be the last and so too fell to the Gift. No sooner had the last marines succumbed to the Black Rage did the reinforcements arrive, clearing a way to land before joining in the battle. When reaching the surface, only Trucido had survived and was led into battle by the company chaplain.
Ficiosus the Beserked - Death Company
A fierce battle was in place between a squad of Assault Marines and a squad of Chaos Marines. A Chaos marine plunged forward, heading strait for Ficiosus, who saw the approaching marine coming and managed to parry the attack pushing the traitor away, towards Ficiousus' sergeant. The Sergeant seeing what was about to unfold, raised his Thunder Hammer high above him ready for the final blow against the Chaos Marine. The Chaos Marines however, had foreseen this and leaped towards the Sergeant, sword at hand and struck him with the blade. The Sergeant fell to his knees grasping the blade sheathed in his torso. The sergeant pulling out the blade from his chest, then charged at the Chaos Marine who still had his back to the Sergeant thinking he was already dead. That was his last mistake. Decapitating the Traitor with a clean hit from his Thunder Hammer, the Sergeant then fell over in exhaustion, and died. Ficiosus now realizing what had happened began to feel a dark hatred building up, for it was he who brought an end to his sergeant. The Gift of Sanguinius overcame him and he eradicated the remaining enemy forces.
Vhementer the Wrathful - Death Company
Epistolary Vhementer was leading a squad into battle against Eldar forces. They chanced upon a group of wraithguard, led by a warlock who initaited the attack. the Space Marines scattered, dodging the incoming fire from the wraithguard while the librarian distracted the warlock. one by one the wraithguard fell, each one easier than the last as the oncoming fire was becoming less of a challenge. The last wraithguard posed almost no resistance, as a marine stepped out to take a shot the warlock fires a destructor psychic blast at the Marine killing him instantly. Vhementer then realizes he is the only one that can put an end to this, concentrates on the remaining wraithguard, and fires a smite towards it, killing it. The Librarian then trying to find the warlock with his mind is unable to do so and so opens his mind even further. The warlock sensing the vulnerable Librarian attacks him through his minds eye, trying to kill the Librarian with a single thought. Vhementer resisting as much as he can starts to feel weak, and eventually the barriers around his mind break down, allowing the warlock in. Just before the Librarians demise, he calls upon the Gift, forgetting he is a Librarian and even where he is, he wonders out from cover. Vhementer sees the warlock and charges towards him, the Warlock fires another destructer psychic attack but Vhementer is uneffected and the warlock is slain by the Librarian's now redundant Force weapon.
Ictus the Savage - Death Company
Brother Ictus along with his squad was in a brutal battle with the forces of Chaos, in their cowedess they called upon a Blood Thirster to even the odds. The battle was going well as the Phoenix Angels were able to subdue the Daemon and it fell to the floor with a bang so fierce it shook the ground. Thinking the Daemon was soon to be banished, they turned to finish the traitor marines. No sooner had tey done so, the Blood Thirster struck Ictus from behind and was impaled with the scythe from the bottom of its wing. The scythe punctured the battered power armour, went through the Marine and emerged the other side tossing him in the air like a rag doll impaled on a sword. This blow would have easily killed a man, it would have even killed a marine but at that moment Ictus called upon the Gift of Sanguinius. Maddened with rage he threw off his helmet, hitting the Daemon, and starting to knaw on the scythe emerging from his chest where one of his hearts should have been. The Daemon yelled out in a high pitched scream like it should of come from a smaller entity and started to then repeatedly throw Ictus to the ground. Ictus finally gnawing his way through the last of the scythe, fell to the floor and starting to run towards the beast with a speed few have ever seen. The Blood Thirster unable to knock him over was still helpless on the floor watching as Ictus climbed on top, ran towards the Daemons head and stabbed him with his own scythe he had been carrying since he fell. The Daemon then unable to maintain its grasp in the material world, was sent back into the Warp
Letovis the Raged - Death Company
Letovis was engaged with a Chaos defiler on a small desolate world. constantly firing his lascannon onto the hull of the defiler soon brought their attention to his location. After Sprinting away from the Daemon infested machine he began firing at it again and again but causing little damage. The defiler soon caught up to him and was able to trap him beneath one of its massive feet. Letovis was soon to be crushed by the giant machine but the Gift of Sanguinius was given to him at that moment. He was able to free himself from the inevitable death beneath the giant machine and grabbed what he thought was a chainsword. Climbing up the leg of the Defiler Letovis hit the machine with the lascannon which impaled the weakened armour. The lascannon stuck in the armour of the defiler started to malfunction and exploded with a force even the Defiler couldn't withstand. Letovis who jumped down to acquire a nearby weapon off his fallen comrade was fortunately safe from the blast.
CC is most welcome.
