Index Astartes: Death Wolves
Index Astartes: Death Wolves
Founding: Ultima Founding
Homeworld: Celestia Tertius-Sigma
Fortress Monastery: The Vigilant (Jarlhalle)
Origins
The Death Wolves are one of a handful of known successor chapters of the Space Wolves established as part of the Ultima Founding on the direct orders of Lord Commander Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines. Unlike many of the other Ultima founding chapters however the Death Wolves were established around a core of veteran firstborn astartes absorbed into the chapter as it's founding cadre of officers and specialists, reinforced with several hundred Primaris marines from the Unnumbered Sons of Russ within the ranks of the Indomitus Crusade fleets. How this unusual circumstance came about is a long and troubled story.
In 433.M41 the Great Company of Torstein Ironbrow fought a bitter campaign against a warband of Thousand Sons traitor marines. The fighting was fierce and led to the loss of many of the company's warriors including the Wolf Lord and many of his Wolf Guard bodyguard. With their commander fallen the company was forced to withdraw from the campaign to lick it's wounds and reorganize. The former champion of the company, a young Wolf Guard Battle Leader named Silvar Stormblade was ultimately elected as the new Jarl of the company. The Wolf Lord would return the company to Fenris and gather reinforcements before setting out to hunt down the Thousand Sons warband and seek vengeance for the company's fallen. For a decade the company fought it's way across the Segmentum Obscurus, engaging in many battles against many different foes but throughout this journey they were unable to locate the one enemy they were seeking. Bitter and bloodied the company was forced to cut their hunt short and return to Fenris in 444.M41 after they received a priority call to arms from the Great Wolf himself. They were to race back home to join the chapter in a great battle against the World Eaters on the world of Armageddon,.
The campaign against Angron and his crusade of blood was costly and difficult but the conflicts that followed would prove even more challenging. In the wake of the Great Wolf's victory against the traitors and their daemon allies the Inquisition descended on Armageddon and began it's purges, culls and cover-ups. Many thousands of survivors of the First War for Armageddon, civilians, PDF, Imperial Guard and more were slapped in chains and loaded into the bellies of Inquisitorial transports to be taken off to remote prison worlds and isolation camps. The Inquisition deemed that the survivors had witnessed too much and knowledge of the warp and daemons could not be permitted to spread and so no matter how valiantly they had fought or how loyal they were those survivors who did not benefit from significant protection found themselves sentenced to a life of imprisonment, servitude and death under the watchful gaze of the Inquisition.
To the Space Wolves this treatment of their sworn allies, those men and women who had shed their blood in battle alongside the Sons of Russ, was an abomination that could not be allowed to stand. Unable to intervene immediately in the imprisonment and displacement of the Armageddon veterans the Space Wolves nevertheless vowed not to abandon their allies and so the companies of the chapter scattered to the stars, hunting down and overtaking the transport ships of the Inquisition. These dark vessels were disabled, boarded and their prisoners liberated one after another. It did not take the Inquisition long to notice the interference and take action, calling on the militant arm of the Ordo Malleus, the secretive Gray Knights chapter, to counter the space wolves aggression. This would lead to several major clashes between the Sons of Russ and the Knights of Titan that would culminate in a massive battle in the skies of Fenris itself between the surprisingly large fleet of the Space Wolves chapter and a mixed coalition fleet of the Inquisition that included Imperial Navy, the Gray Knights and the entire Red Hunters chapter. Although the fighting was fierce it was short and ended when the ancient Venerable Dreadnought Bjorn the Fell-Handed personally teleported aboard the Inquisition flagship and used his own reputation and charisma to bring the conflict to an end.
Although the Inquisition put down their weapons and departed the Fenris system in defeat this conflict would not be so easily forgotten. For the Stormblade Great Company the Months of Shame as the Gray Knights would come to label this conflict, only served to further embitter and bleed the company after years of fruitless campaigning.
After the conclusion of the conflict with the Ordo Malleus the Stormblade Great Company took some months to repair and re-arm, taking on fresh warriors, arms, armor and refitting the company ships before setting out once more into the stars. Although not immediately focused on returning to the hunt for their former Wolf Lord's killers the company did steer towards the Segmentum Obscurus once more and found itself campaigning through parts of the Calixis Sector and the Koronus Expanse before finally reaching the edges of the Halo Stars sometime around 483.M41. More than thirty years had passed since the company had last left Fenris and having reached the nominal edge of the galaxy it was past time to return once more. Even as the company was preparing for the voyage back to Fenris the company Rune Priest received a vision of their sworn enemies lurking within the Halo Stars themselves. This shocking revelation shook the company to it's core and led to a series of heated debates between the senior officers and specialists of the company, leading to a moot of the entire company strength where every battle-brother was given a chance to speak his mind on whether they should follow the traces of their priest's vision or return to Fenris for supplies and reinforcements. Ultimately the weight of opinions leaned heavily towards following the vision and with the counsel of his warriors taken into careful consideration Jarl Silvar Stormblade chose to delay their return to Fenris and follow the visions of the Rune Priest into the Halo Stars. Silvar ordered his astropaths to send a message to Fenris to inform the Great Wolf of the company's decision and intended course but with the variability of the warp and the company's inability to wait an unknown amount of time for a response they could not be sure whether their message was received or not.
Well known as a region of mystery and incredible danger few sane souls would dare venture into the ancient and largely uncharted region of space but the Sons of Russ were made of sterner stuff and disregarded the dark reputation of the Halo Stars, sailing into that realm filled with renewed purpose. The hunt that would follow was long and fraught with peril. The company would clash against numerous pirates and renegades, new and unknown xenos species and encounter strange and unnerving stellar phenomena yet despite these challenges the Space Wolves of the Stormblade Great Company would not relent for they had indeed found the spoor of their foe and could feel themselves drawing closer to their long awaited vengeance. Years passed but unknown to the company at the time decades were passing for the wider Imperium. With each jump through the warp the company was becoming further and further displaced in time. The company Rune Priest was beginning to suspect that they were advancing through time much faster than it appeared but it was not until the company encountered a lost explorator vessel that had only recently entered the Halo Stars did they realize that although seven years had passed for the company, nearly a century had passed in the reckoning of the wider Imperium and the current stellar date was 569.M41. Astounded the company Rune Priest, astropaths and navigators held a council and peered into the warp, the Imperial tarot and the runes for answers. Ultimately they determined that the Thousand Sons were responsible, that their quarry was attempting to evade his pursuers across time as well as space and that in their hunt the company had become ensnared in the time manipulation of their foe as well.
Once more the company debated their course of action and while more voices objected to continuing the hunt this time, the majority still sought to continue after their foe and bring them to justice. After all, they had already been displaced by decades and were likely assumed dead, there was little additional harm to suffer to continue. So it was that the company resumed it's hunt. Through system after system the company tracked their foe, overtaking and destroying the rearguard of the Thousand Sons warband time and again until at last, nearly to the edge of the galaxy in an unnamed stellar system the company at last ran their quarry to ground. The battle that followed lasted weeks as the opposing ships dueled in the void from one side of the system to the other before the great flagship of the traitor warband, an ancient Grand Cruiser of terrible aspect, was finally crippled and boarded.
Wolf Lord Silvar Stormblade led the assault personally, at the head of his Wolf Guard Terminator bodyguard and the bulk of his surviving company warriors the Sons of Russ carved their way through everything that stood against them. Sorcerous illusions were dispelled, animated Rubricae warriors were torn apart, bands of mutants and renegades and strange horned beastmen were cut down, shot to pieces and slaughtered to the last before finally the Wolf Lord and the warband's sorcerer lord met in single combat on the bridge of the ancient ship. Abrax the Undying, Sorcerer Lord of the Eternal Brethren was a warp-corrupted monstrosity, multi-armed, bird, legged, winged and feathered, born aloft on a daemonic disk and wielding a staff of flames the sorcerer was preternaturally fast and deadly. He evaded or deflected every bolt, plasma blast and lasbeam that shot towards him and only the devastating fury of the Wolf Lord's frost-axe proved capable of breaching the traitor's sorcerous defenses. Although the battle was costly Silvar Stormblade slew the traitor and took his head, banishing the traitor's daemonic allies and slaughtering his mortal servants to the last.
With their long hunt finally ended the company found itself isolated on the very edge of the galaxy, reduced to a third of it's former strength and with most of it's fleet lost or severely damaged. Even worse, food, ammunition and fuel were all running dangerously low. The company great ship was barely void worthy after the final battle with the Thousand Sons and the company was in poor shape to fight in any serious conflict. Jarl Silvar chose to put most of the remaining mortal crew into stasis sleep, only critical personnel would remain awake and even then most of those roles would be filled by surviving space wolves of the company wherever possible. The vessels of the company fleet too damaged to continue were scuttled and supplies and crew concentrated on the flagship, an ancient Mars-Class Battlecruiser known as the Harbinger that the company had acquired as war-geld from a band of renegade pirates early in their campaign into the Halo Stars after their own Strike Cruiser had been crippled in battle. Running on minimal power the company would make many short, cautious warp jumps from one uninhabited system to another, always avoiding notice or conflict wherever possible and staying in real-space only long enough to get their bearings before returning to the warp once more. It had taken years to get as far as they had and it would take years to return, but exactly how long they had been gone the company would not learn until at last it returned to the Koronus Expanse and made contact with the Imperium once more.
As a matter of fact the year was 891.M41. Four long centuries had passed since the company had embarked on it's journey into the Halo Stars and it would take decades longer for them to return to Fenris. Refit in the Koronus Expanse took five long years, it took another ten to fight their way out of the expanse, and another thirteen to cross the Segmentum Obscurus once more. As they went the company was drawn into multiple smaller conflicts, fighting to aide beleaguered Imperial worlds wherever possible though always with a mind to preserve the dwindling number of warriors left to the company. By the time the Stormblade Great Company returned to the Fenris system on the edge of the Segmentum Solar the company numbered fewer than fifty warriors from the one hundred and sixty that had departed Fenris after the First War for Armageddon. It was now 919.M41, four and a half centuries after the company had departed.
Their brothers were stunned to see the long-lost company return and more so when Silvar presented the head of Abrax the Undying to the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar. Torstein Ironbrow had been avenged and the honor of the chapter restored but the problem remained that the company had been declared lost just a few years after it had entered the Halo Stars and had been replaced in the chapter's ranks centuries ago. A number of Wolf Lords had risen and fallen in that time, companies had been raised from death repeatedly and now a band of battered survivors had returned from the cold void of space to find their places at the hearth taken by new blood. Grimnar knew that the company would not take kindly to the suggestion of disbanding and dispersing among the current companies but by the same token he could not afford to add another company to the chapter's ranks and rile the Inquisition still further than he already had in recent centuries. Instead Grimnar offered to keep the Stormblade Great Company as a lost company for the time being, he would quietly direct reinforcements to the company ranks and give them assignments to patrol and protect the chapter protectorate but he would not officially acknowledge them unless or until one of the current Wolf Lords fell in battle and then he would give the lost company the opportunity to merge with the leaderless company and return to the chapter's ranks once more.
This state of affairs was troubling to the warriors of the Stormblade Great Company but they were in no place to argue with the Great Wolf at that time, short on everything from warriors to ammunition the company and their lord were grateful for whatever support Grimnar was willing to give them. Fifty young blood claws, a sizable boon, were transferred to the company along with stores of fresh supplies. The company fleet was reinforced with fresh escorts and support craft and their mortal servants replenished as well. Freshened and ready for a fight the Stormblade Great Company began it's long mission of patrol and defense that would last decades. Every twenty years or so the company would return to Fenris, receive some support and then depart as quietly as they had arrived. Between those occasional visits to home the company spent it's time sailing the stars between the scattered domains of the Space Wolves protectorate, hunting down pirates, renegades and xenos wherever they could be found and ensuring that the worlds under the protection of the chapter remained secure.
This situation would continue until the last years of the forty-first millennium when the galaxy was torn asunder by war and conflict. The return of the lost 13th Company scattered the chapter across the stars in an attempt to recover their lost brothers before the wider Imperium could learn of their existence. The Stormblade lost company was left out of this hunt officially but Jarl Silvar still managed to rescue several packs of Wulfen from remote worlds on the edge of the Segmentum Solar. These efforts kept him and his company away from Fenris when Magnus launched his surprise invasion and by the time the lost company returned the fighting had already ended and most of the chapter had departed for the Cadian Gate. Jarl Silvar and his men were shocked to see the devastation wrought on their homeworld and it's surrounding worlds but when they learned that Grimnar had allowed many thousands of surviving Fenrisians to be taken by the Inquisition they were driven into a deep fury. Even worse, although at least one Wolf Lord had fallen in the defense Grimnar's previous promise of returning the company to the chapter had been withdrawn, he had left a message for Jarl Silvar informing him that the Inquisitorial scrutiny on the chapter meant he couldn't acknowledge the return of a lost detachment of warriors at that time. Enraged and ashamed Silvar chose to ignore his company's standing orders and set out to repeat their actions during the Months of Shame, hunting down the vessels of the Inquisition, overtaking them, boarding them and liberating the stolen Fenrisians held within. The company was still engaged in this mission when Cadia fell and the Cicatrix Maledictum split the galaxy in two.
Barely avoiding the edge of the growing warp storms the company found itself adrift on the edge of the worst stellar disaster in the history of the Imperium. The Astronomicon beacon had gone dark and the warp was a boiling maelstrom even beyond the borders of the great rift. At that time the company had grown to nearly two hundred warriors with the addition of several large packs of Wulfen and the company fleet had grown to encompass half a dozen warships and a dozen escorts as they had captured and claimed many of the Inquisition transports they had run down. Yet again Jarl Silvar gathered his warriors in a grand assembly and let them give voice to their opinions on the situation. While some argued they should return to the chapter, having heard that at least one more Wolf Lord had fallen and with the galaxy torn in two Grimnar might finally be willing to honor his earlier promise and let them return to the chapter at long last, but the majority were no longer interested in Grimnar or his promises. The Great Wolf's actions in the defense of Fenris had been shameful, his bending the knee to the Inquisition unforgivable. They argued that it was better to remain as they were, an ignored and abandoned company of exiles than to go back to Fenris and bend their knee to the Great Wolf that had ignored and betrayed them and the tribes of Fenris both.
With the will of his company made clear Jarl Silvar turned his company and their ships back to the void, sailing along the borders of the great rift, hurling back incursions of chaos fleets, pirates and xenos and rendering aide to what Imperial worlds and forces they could while ignoring and avoiding any detachments of Space Wolves they found. Years passed this way and by limiting their losses, carefully managing gene-seed and recruiting fresh warriors from the ranks of the chapter serfs and recovered Fenrisian tribesmen they had taken back from the Inquisition the company not only survived but slowly grew in strength. Their fleet suffered losses but gained new ships too as they captured renegade and pirate vessels where possible and sought to ever grow the company's strength. Jarl Silvar took to having the Harbinger lead the fleet in every warp jump, making short jumps only in close formation with a team of three to four navigators guiding the flagship through the storm tides as carefully and safely as possible.
The worlds the lost company aided were almost exclusively isolated and cut off, their astropaths dead or blinded and almost all travel between systems rendered all but impossible by the lack of the astronomicon and the state of the warp. So it was that it was almost twenty years before the lost company finally made contact with the Imperium in the form of the vanguard of the Indomitus Crusade Fleets as they carved their way across the Imperium Sanctus as it had come to be known. The Astronomicon had returned in that time and the warp tides had settled somewhat but travel and communication over any distance were still fraught with peril. The company had heard rumors from intercepted astropathic messages that a Primarch had returned, that a new crusade had been called and a strange new breed of Astartes had appeared but had little believed these rumors until they encountered the Primaris of the Indomitus Crusade first hand. Astounded by these new, larger, and strangely armed warriors the lost company was cagey about who they were and what they were doing. Suspicions of heresy, treachery or renegade status were bandied about by the Indomitus Crusade leadership and the situation risked turning violent when Jarl Silvar demanded an audience with the returned Primarch, declaring that he would only reveal his history to the Primarch and that all would be made clear then. Although still suspicious the request was moved up the chain of command to Guilliman's right-hand, the Lord Lieutenant Messinius himself. Curious to know more about this unusual band of Space Wolves the Lord Leiutenant sailed to meet with the company. Jarl Silvar chose to meet with the Lord Lieutenant and after a private meeting he and his fleet were granted permission to follow Messinius and rendezvous with Fleet Primus and there he would have an audience with the returned Primarch Roboute Guilliman. Months passed and the voyage was filled with danger and multiple diversions but eventually they reached the bulk of Fleet Primus and Jarl Silvar was conveyed aboard the mighty flagship of Roboute Guilliman, the Gloriana-Class Battleship the Macragge's Honour. What exactly passed between Silvar and Guilliman is not known for neither spoke of it or recorded the content of their conversation in any way but when Silvar departed the Macragge's Honour he did so with four hundred unnumbered sons of Russ at his back, fresh reinforcements for his company which would become the founding veteran cadre of the Ultima Founding successor chapter dubbed the Death Wolves.
Although significantly reinforced with hundreds of fresh warriors and several new Primaris strike cruisers the newly minted Death Wolves chapter would still take some considerable time to find it's footing. Integrating the new warriors into the chain of command, reorganizing itself into a chapter proper rather than an oversized company, distributing material and personnel across the growing fleet and mastering the new implants, weapons, armor and machines Cawl's Primaris warriors had brought with them would delay the chapter's departure from the Indomitus Crusade fleet for months. Trailing behind fleet Primus, aiding in minor missions of reclamation or extermination, and undertaking much needed repairs and refits to the chapter's ships the Death Wolves would slowly take shape as a proper chapter in their own right. Many of the Wolf Guard of the Stormblade Great Company would be promoted to Wolf Lords, and the veterans of the company would be dispersed among the Primaris detachments which themselves were split into a rough approximation of a complete chapter structure. Six hundred warriors was a sizable force, but nowhere close to a full-strength chapter and certainly not one ordered along the dictates of the Sons of Russ rather than the Codex Astartes. Despite this Chapter Master Silvar Stormblade chose to nominally form his warriors into thirteen great companies, the same as the original XIII Legion. Each would consist of roughly fifty warriors to start with, while the thirteenth company would serve solely as the domain of the bestial Wulfen.
Liberated from having to recruit solely from Fenrisian stock thanks to the improvements made by Cawl to the XIII Legion gene-seed the Death Wolves began drawing recruits from feral world populations wherever they found them. Especially those worlds doomed to destruction in the wake of chaos invasion or Tyranid consumption. Hundreds of thousands were hauled from the surface of these worlds, used to replenish the crews of the chapter's ships and drafted into shock assault infantry forces to supplement the chapter's fighting strength. After months of reorganization and recruitment Silvar Stormblade chose to take his chapter and depart the ranks of the Indomitus Crusade fleet and return to isolated campaigning along the edges of the Great Rift along the Segmentum Solar and Segmentum Obscurus. Guilliman had given the chapter orders while it was serving alongside the rearguard of Fleet Primus but the new chapter master chose to break from the fleet with the explanation that the chapter needed to find a stable recruiting ground and establish a chapter stronghold of it's own, not merely continue following in the wake of Fleet Primus and picking up the scraps. Some recrimination came in return to this statement but the Death Wolves were already gone by the time the news filtered up through the crusade chain of command.
One of the former lost company's favorite hunting grounds was a remote system on the edge of a small region of space known as the Vanyr sub-sector, a region of space held as the protectorate domain of the middling sized Imperial Knight Household known as House Cenwulf. The Celestia System was technically within the sub-sector but had long been abandoned and was not deemed a standing part of the protectorate and so there was no real resistance to the chapter taking up residence there. Thousands of years ago the system had served as a popular refueling point for ships moving along the edge of the Segmentum Solar from Fenris to Armageddon but subtle changes in the stable warp routes in the mid thirty-eighth millennium had led to the system and the refueling stations located there being abandoned. In the long centuries after it's formal abandonment the system had become home to various pirate, renegade and freebooter warbands who used the remote system as a safe haven from which to launch raids along the borders of the Segmentum's Solar and Obscurus. Trailing the pirates to their stronghold had brought the Stormblade Company to the system for the first time decades earlier and the warriors of the lost company had become quite fond of the dead and forbidding system, it's melancholy and derelict state resonating with the brotherhood adrift.
Now the system stood on the very edge of the Great Rift and had become a graveyard for ships spat out of the terrible warp storms in addition to the various abandoned hulks left in the system from it's time as a major supply point for galactic trade. Thousands of derelict vessels now filled the system and the Death Wolves had towed more there during their time patrolling the Fenris sector and in the decades that followed. After departing from the Indomitus Crusade the reinforced chapter fleet sailed for the Celestia system and there set about turning the once pirate refuge into their new home. The first step was to salvage and restore the old orbital refinery and dockyard that orbited the gas-giant Tertius Sigma. Known as Vigilant Station the facility was once a bustling center of trade in the sub-sector where ships traveling across the northern reaches of the Segmentum Solar would stop to refuel, resupply and dump waste. The original core of the facility was a large orbital gas extractor that pulled precious minerals from the atmosphere of Celestia Tertius and processed them into fuel, water, oxygen and other useful resources much needed by the voyaging ships of the Imperium. Around those core refineries a series of docks, repair facilities, storehouses and basic defenses had grown until Vigilant Station had become a sizable amalgamated mass of industry and trade. Yet those days were long ago and centuries of neglect and occupation by pirates and renegades had left the orbital station in terrible shape but the Iron Priests and accompanying tech-adepts of the chapter set to work restoring the station and refitting it to serve as the fortress monastery of a chapter of the adeptus astartes. The Death Wolves chose to rename their new home the Jarlhalle and the station quickly became the central hub of chapter activity as it's various facilities and systems were slowly brought back into operation. Having not originally been built as a fortress the station, docks and refineries would take time to reinforce with armor, shields and weapons but to supplement the defenses the chapter chose to drag derelict vessels from across the system and chain them to the station. Most of these ships were no longer void-worthy, their generators dead, their engines burned out and keels broken but those that could were brought together and tethered to the station. Minor attitude adjustment, emergency power and point defense guns as well as what lances and broadsides could be repaired, were restored, creating a series of floating defense installations drifting in a loose cloud around the station. The dead but dangerous hulks orbiting the station like moths to a flame, held loosely in place and their guns and ruined hides serving as ablative protection for the core of the installation. Openings in the cloud of wrecks led to the obscured docks where the chapter's warships could be refit, repaired and resupplied between deployments.
The functioning systems of the chained derelicts are crewed by mono-tasked servitors and overseen by small contingents of chapter serfs but the ships have also become home to thousands of transplanted feral worlders from those tribes who showed a greater aptitude for technology. Their task is to scour the wrecks in search of valuable technology and functioning systems and scavenge these resources for the chapter, slowly but surely cannibalizing these ships until there is little left but a gutted skeleton. At that point the few remaining weapons are removed and reinstalled on other hulks or used to restore damaged vessels of the chapter fleet and the emptied hulks are towed away from the station and replaced with a new vessel. This cycle of continuous cannibalism and replacement provides a steady flow of raw materials to the chapter and has enabled the Death Wolves to scavenge and restore a number of dead ships for service with the chapter fleet.
While the work of turning the remains of Vigilant station into a new home for the chapter continued the chapter's attention turned to the nearby moon of Tertius-Sigma. A frozen wasteland with a barely breathable atmosphere and minimal ecosystem the world was as close to the climate of Fenris as the Death Wolves had found after leaving their former homeworld behind. Filled with a sense of nostalgia some of the warriors of the chapter elected to establish an outpost on the planet crewed by the remaining Fenrisian tribespeople that had been liberated from the clutches of the Inquisition. There was a desire among the warriors of the Death Wolves to shape the native ecosystem into something that more closely resembled Fenris but this would prove a challenge. There were a number of Fenrisian Wolves packs living within the ships of the lost company that would serve as a viable seed population but other Fenrisian species would be harder to find. Instead as the months turned to years the patrolling companies of the chapter began to routinely capture interesting specimens from the various worlds on which they fought, returning to Tertius-Sigma with whole herds for seeding. Slowly but surely the native ecosystem began to evolve into something that mirrored, albeit only just, the ecosystem of Fenris. While perhaps some might view this transformation as pure vanity to the displaced warriors of Fenris the act of preserving their ancient traditions was important, including the Test of Morkai and the alteration of Tertius-Sigma was a critical component in that tradition. Young warriors of the chapter would drink from the Cup of the Wulfen, taking in the Canis Helix of Leman Russ and activating their freshly implanted gene-seed. Then the warriors, with minimal clothing and no weapons other than a simple steel hunting knife, would be dropped into the frozen wastes of Tertius-Sigma and instructed to journey to the chapter outpost. Those who succeeded in suppressing the curse of the wulfen and surviving the hazards to make it back to the chapter would be welcomed as Blood Claws while those who failed either died or became part of the hazards other recruits would face.
Although some of the rescued feral worlders have become scavenger clans serving the chapter by scrapping the derelict ships chained to the Jarlhalle the bulk of the survivors from Fenris and other worlds were slowly introduced, one tribe at a time, to the surface of Celestia Tertius-Sigma. Sheltered in isolated underground cavern settlements the tribes scrape a meager existence from the surface by cultivating limited hydroponic agriculture and hunting the fauna introduced to the rugged planetary ecosystem. Resources are kept purposefully scarce which encourages regular conflict between the tribes and provides the chapter with ample opportunities to observe the feral world natives for signs of promising recruits to the chapter. Whenever the keen eyes of cyber-ravens spot a viable recruit within the combatants of some tribal skirmish a Wolf Priest of the chapter will descend to the surface, stilling the battle with their very presence before taking the recruit and departing without a word.
Within a decade of departing the Indomitus Crusade the Death Wolves had made great strides in transforming the Celestia system into a worthy home for the chapter and the growing companies had begun to campaign regularly in the surrounding sectors, hunting down pirates, xenos and chaos warbands wherever they could find them and protecting Imperial worlds under assault. This activity ultimately drew the attention of the nobles of House Cenwulf whose homeworld, Andlang, was home to the largest Astropathic relay in the sub-sector and whose eyes and ears saw and heard just about everything that happened in the region. It did not take long for the nobles to notice the increased frequency of adeptus astartes activity in theirs and other nearby sub-sectors and begin to ask questions as to who these astartes were and where they were coming from. After several tense confrontations with detachments of the household Silvar Stormblade, now dubbed the Konungur of the chapter, chose to undertake a diplomatic mission to Andlang itself and meet with the seneschal of the house. Arriving on Andlang with much fanfare an entire company of the Death Wolves made planetfall aboard the new and mighty Overlord Gunships, creations of Bellisarius Cawl nearly twice the size of the ancient Thunderhawk gunships. Descending from the ramps came serried ranks of Primaris warriors in immaculate armor, weapons shining. Konungur Silvar himself wore a suit of ornate Terminator armor and marched at the head of ten similarly armored veteran warriors. To the shock of the gathered onlookers as soon as they had assembled in ranks and stood before the delegation of household nobles led by Jarl Sigurd Cenwulf, lord of the house, the entire company dropped to one knee and clashed their arms in salute of the Imperial Knight household. Impressed by the show of strength and humility the nobles of House Cenwulf welcomed Silvar and his warriors into their home and held a great feast that would last for more than a week by Terran reckoning. The cultures of the sons of Russ and the nobles of Andlang had many similarities and appeared to have been based on very similar cultural influences from ancient Terra. These similarities led to a fast and easy friendship forming between the warriors of the chapter and the nobles of House Cenwulf with many friendly duels, drinking and eating contests being held. Although benefiting from enormous advantages in these contests the astartes were nevertheless impressed by the fortitude and tenacity of the nobles of Andlang.
As their warriors feasted and competed the two kings met in private and hashed out the details of a formal alliance between the chapter and the noble house. In exchange for formally recognizing their uncontested possession of the Celestia system and all within it the nobles of Andlang would receive vows of military and material support from the chapter. In addition the Death Wolves were granted very friendly supply contracts with the forges of Andlang and their allied Forge World Minoris of Ydalir, giving the chapter access to a steady and reliable stream of arms, munitions and supplies from the protectorate of House Cenwulf. This alliance would become known as the Pact of Fang and Steel and would be a major development for the sub-sector.
With their domain established and new allies gained the Death Wolves would continue to entrench themselves in the Celestia system, grow their numbers and solidify their chapter's organization, traditions and cultural identity. Much of the Death Wolves doctrines and culture was drawn directly from Fenris but differed from the present day Space Wolves in a number of ways. The influence of the Unnumbered Sons of Russ, themselves largely ancient warriors drawn from the worlds of the Imperium during the bitter years of the Scouring that followed the Horus Heresy. The Imperium and the Fenris these warriors remembered had not existed for nearly ten thousand years and their language, beliefs and doctrines that had been instilled in them as youths and ingrained by Cawl's training regimens were based on that ancient time. The mien of the Death Wolves is altogether more grim and severe than the modern-day Space Wolves, feasting, boasting and contests are common but less so than among their primogenitor chapter. The warriors of the Death Wolves are typically of fouler temper, quick to anger and slow to forgive. The Deathwovles do not boast or laugh or even shout or howl but go about their business and war-making in grim silence, letting their actions speak for themselves, as cold and pitiless as the void.
Experts in void warfare and boarding actions the Death Wolves are masters of close quarters fighting and do not hesitate to use every dirty trick available to achieve a rapid and total victory over their foes. Crippling life-support, venting the atmosphere from entire decks, deploying deadly poison gas into ventilation systems and disabling gravity are all favorite tactics of the chapter. Few are the prisoners the Death Wolves take and the warriors of the chapter view surrendering enemies with little but disdain, such cowards seen as having wasted the chapter's valuable time. Despite these tactics the chapter is very keen to salvage and claim the resources, weapons, ships and vehicles of their enemies, seeing any battlefield salvage as a boon not to be lightly passed up. When drawn into direct conflict on the ground the chapter frequently deploys support troops, vehicles and aircraft that are not normally part of the arsenal of a space marine chapter. Packs of Fenrisian Wolves lope alongside the warriors of the chapter while failed neophytes whose bodies rejected augmentation but survived charge into combat alongside their astartes brothers bearing weapons from the frozen ice of Fenris, iron swords, shields and spears, determined to redeem their bodies' failure by earning glorious death in combat. Tanks and artillery normally reserved for the Imperial Guard are often deployed by the chapter in support of the faster and more aggressive adeptus astartes armor. Leman Russ squadrons are a common sight alongside the occasional super-heavy tank. One of Konungur Silvar's favorite steeds is a mighty Stormlord Super-Heavy Tank, the mighty war machine capable of deploying nearly half a company of warriors directly into the heart of battle.
As the chapter has settled into its new identity and its strength has grown companies of the Death Wolves have set out to join various elements of the Indomitus Crusade, especially those aimed at crossing the Cicatrix Maledictum into the Imperium Nihilus. Such a near suicidal endeavor appeals to the grim and nihilistic attitude of the chapter and Silvar Stormblade himself is keen on making the voyage personally as soon as he can.
Organization
The structure of the Death Wolves chapter more closely mirrors that of the XIII Legion of old more than the modern Space Wolves chapter and unsurprisingly the chapter adheres very little to the dictates of the codex astartes, if it does so at all. The squads of the Death Wolves are known as Packs and instead of the Tactical, Support and
Assault squads typical of Codex-compliant chapters the Death Wolves
organize their forces into Claw, Hunter and Fang packs. Veterans of
the chapter are known as Wolf Guard and are often detached to lead other packs and spread their experience around the company rather than keep it concentrated in a single pack. The chapter maintains scout
squads but they are not the fresh-blooded initiates of codex chapters
but are seasoned veterans known as Wolf Scouts. Like all chapters of the Ultima founding the Death Wolves make extensive use of the entire range of arms, armor and vehicles developed by Archmagos Dominus Bellisarius Cawl for his Primaris marines, from bolt rifles to Repulsor grav-tanks. Unlike most Ultima founding chapters however the Death Wolves are built around a core of veteran firstborn warriors, most of whom have yet to cross the Rubicon Primaris. Most of the chapter's leadership and veterans are therefore firstborn warriors with centuries more experience in warfare than their Primaris counterparts and subordinates.
The chapter is organized into twelve line companies, with a thirteenth company designation reserved exclusively for battle-brothers who have succumbed to the Curse of the Wulfen. A cadre of specialist officers and priests serve under the designation of the 13th Company but are deployed across the remaining companies to minister to those battle brothers suffering from the wolf within and lead their afflicted brothers into combat. The thirteenth company is never deployed on it's own and has no feast halls or quarters assigned specifically to it in the Jarlhalle fortress monastery but rather the domain of the 13th company comprises a series of armored cells and medicae halls built into the depths of the fortress monastery, far from the halls of their non-afflicted brothers. The remaining twelve companies, much like their reflection in the Space Wolves, recruit and operate largely on their own, their squad composition, numbers and armory are not reflective of the conventional battle and reserve companies of codex chapters but vary depending on the needs of the current campaign and the whims of the Wolf Lord leading the company. At present all of these companies are under-strength as the chapter continues to grow and expand from it's modest initial draft of Primaris recruits into a full and independent chapter. Nevertheless despite their numbers the chapter has had an out-sized impact on the region surrounding it's base of operations, the experience of the firstborn cadre proving an incredible boon to the chapter and an advantage most other Ultima founding chapters lack.
The Great Companies of the chapter have no formal size or structure with their numbers varying depending on recruitment and cassualty rates and the number and organization of the company packs shifting depending on the needs of a given campaign and the personal whims of the Wolf Lord in command of the company. Each company possesses it's own great ship from the chapter fleet to ferry it from warzone to warzone and each company maintains it's own armory, vehicles, gunships and equipment and even conducts it's own recruitment as needed.
Instead of the normal rank progression of codex chapters from Scout to reserve company to line company to veteran the Death Wolves youngest warriors are known as Blood Claws and are organized into Claw packs where their hot-headed aggression can be best put to use. As the warrior gains experience and restraint as well as greys in the hair and beard they will rise to the rank of Grey Hunter and join Hunter packs. These are versatile warriors expected to fight in whatever manner their lord requires and keep their heads in battle. Older warriors who have not earned a place in the veteran Wolf Guard or whose temperament is better suited to ranged warfare become Long Fangs and serve in Fang packs, the heavy-weapon specialists of the chapter. Any warrior of any age who proves themselves in battle or saves their lord's life may earn a place in the company Wolf Guard, the chapter's veteran elite. Those battle-brothers whose personality tends towards the lonesome and independent may join the ranks of the veteran Wolf Scouts, the elite reconaissance, sabotage and infiltration specialists of the chapter. Unlike in the Space Wolves the Wolf Scouts of the Death Wolves are not part of the chapter master's retinue but are organized and maintained by each great company individually the same as their Wolf Guard. Occasionally a warrior who has lost all of his battle brothers and is the lone survivor of his pack may choose to take the oaths of the Lone Wolf, forsaking brotherhood and taking on the role of the lone berserker, seeking vengeance in battle for his fallen brothers or glorious death. Only rarely will a Lone Wolf succeed in his mission, avenge his brothers, and return to the brotherhood of the chapter, most such warriors end their lives in glorious battle against some worthy foe.
Headquarters – Einherjar
-The chapter's various priests, dreadnoughts and senior command staff all serve as part of the Great Wolf's retinue or Einherjar. Like their primogenitor chapter the Death Wolves maintain cadres of Wolf, Rune and Iron Priests that fill the typical roles of Chaplain/Apothecary, Librarian and Techmarine and like the Space Wolves the chapter does not maintain a standing core of dedicated Apothecaries. Instead the Wolf Priests serve a dual role as both spiritual leaders and field medics. Specialists from the Einherjar will be detached and assigned to each of the Great Companies as needed, typically with each company receiving at least one of each priest and several dreadnoughts at any given time.
First Great Company
– Onn – The Great Wolf's Own
-The Great Wolf or Konungur of the chapter also serves as the Captain or Wolf Lord of the first company. A tradition carried over from the Space Wolves and which differs from codex chapters whose Chapter Masters do not directly command any single company. The bulk of the chapter's veterans, terminator and gravis-armor can be found in this company though each other company will typically maintain modest numbers of heavy assault specialists and veterans as well.
Second Great Company – Twa
Third Great Company – Tra
Fourth Great Company – For
Fifth Great Company – Fyf
Sixth Great Company – Sesc
Seventh Great Company – Sepp
Eighth Great Company – For-Twa
Ninth Great Company – Tra-Tra
Tenth Great Company – Dekk
Eleventh Great Company – Elva
Twelfth Great Company – Tolv
Thirteenth Great Company – Dekk-Tra – Wulfen Company
-The thirteenth company, known as the Wulfen company diverges from the generally versatile and self-reliant structure of the other companies of the chapter and never takes to the field as a single coherent unit, typically seconding packs as needed to assist other companies. On its own the thirteenth is made up almost entirely of packs of mutated Wulfen and highly specialized Wolf Guard Thunderwolf cavalry packs. These forces are reinforced with packs of Fenrisian Wolves whose numbers wax and wane depending on casualties and breeding rates but typically number in the low hundreds. The company even maintains a handful of Wulfen-Dreadnoughts, powerful but dangerous weapons unleashed on only the most savage of battlefields.
Chapter Serfs – Kaerls
Feral Worlders – Draugr
-Taking inspiration
from the legends of Fenris the feral worlders transported to the
Celestia system and who serve as a recruiting population for the chapter have come
to be known as draugr, literally translated as the living dead. These are peoples
who to all intents and purposes do not exist in the eyes of the
Imperium, considered long dead by any and all who once knew them on
whatever world they once called home, if that world even still exists. Divided up among the various drifting derelicts that circle the fortress monastery these tribes are kept in a constant state of struggle, the chapter ensuring that they have access to just enough food and water, shelter and supplies to remain viable but not so much that they can be comfortable. This state of affairs keeps pressure on the tribes and ensures regular conflicts between the different tribes over resources, conflicts that give the chapter reliable opportunities to spot promising recruits to the chapter. Thousands of cyber-ravens roost in the ruins of the derelict ships the draugr call home, their eyes ever watchful for signs of corruption, degeneration or rebellion as well as picking out genetically viable and promising potential recruits. Should viable candidates be identified the Wolf Priests of the chapter will journey to the derelicts and take their chosen candidate from his home and family and bringing him to the Fortress Monastery for induction into the chapter as a neophyte. To be chosen is a great honor and the family of a chosen recruit will honor his memory and gain considerable renown for generations afterwards.
Konungur: Chapter Master, literally “chieftain.”
Jarl: Captain, “ring giver.”
Thane: Lieutenant, “noble.”
Fáninn: Ancient, translates roughly as “flag bearer.”
Huscarl: Sergeant
Hersir: Veteran, translated as “hero.”
Ulfsark: Battle-Brother
Kennari: Scout-Sergeant, literally “teacher.”
Ungur: Neophyte, literally “young.”
Gothi: Librarians and Chaplains
Skapari: Techmarine, roughly translated as “creator.”
Huskaerl: Serf officer.
Kaerl: Chapter serf.
Fortress Monastery
Records surrounding the exact date that Vigilant Station was built are sparse and contradictory. Conflicting sources put the establishment of the first orbital refinery at somewhere in the latter half of the thirty third millennium to the early half of the thirty fifth millennium. The date the station was abandoned is better known with the last honest Imperial inhabitants departing the station somewhere between 121.M41 to 213.M41. The station is believed to have sat empty for some three or four centuries before pirates began to occupy the abandoned refinery and docks towards the middle of the forty-first millennium until the Stormblade Great Company annihilated the pirate inhabitants shortly after the opening of the Great Rift. During it's abandonment and hostile occupation the station suffered considerable damage and neglect with whole sections depressurized or opened to the void, others left without power or infested with vermin. Occupying the station and bringing it back to full operation has taken considerable effort and resources from the Death Wolves chapter with years spent slowly restoring one section after anotherr working from the core refineries outwards. In addition to restoring the existing facilities the Death Wolves have undertaken to heavily fortify the station, adding meters of ablative armor to the outer surfaces, installing void-shield generators and significant anti-ship and close defense weaponry.
Although the restoration has taken time and resources the station has proven a valuable asset to the chapter once it was brought into operation. The refineries produce valuable materials to keep the chapter's ships supplied while the storehouses and dockyards have made a roomy and functional home for the chapter's fleet, companies and servants. The one thing the station severely lacks is ample forge facilities for the chapter's arms and armor but a Lucius-pattern forgeship is currently meeting the chapter's needs.
Renamed the Jarlhalle by the chapter the station is slowly transforming into a space-borne Fenrisian great-hall with it's corridors lit by flaming torches and gas lamps while it's chambers are carpeted in furs and bedecked with shields and trophies. One of the storage bays near the station's core has been converted into a spacious apothecarion and gene-seed repository where the bulk of the chapter's recruits undergo their ascension into skywarriors.
Recruitment
Since establishing themselves in the Celestia system the Death Wolves have slowly begun to solidify a formal recruitment process. It is early days yet for the chapter so this process may significantly change over time however in the last ten years the chapter has managed to draw a steady flow of fresh recruits from the transplanted feral world populations relocated to the surface of Celestia Tertius-Sigma. The chapter continues to recruit from among the populations it encounters while on campaign but the bulk of chapter initiates are beginning to come from the frozen surface of Celestia Tertius' frozen moon. The tribes relocated to Tertius-Sigma are housed in underground settlements, sheltered from the worst of the frozen climate and sustained by water-recyclers and minimal hydroponic agriculture. The tribes supplement their sustenance by hunting the transplanted fauna for meet and furs and skirmishing with each other over valauable resources and hunting grounds. These minor but frequent skirmishes provide ample opportunity for the chapter to evaluate the tribal populations for promising young male recruits for the chapter. Thousands of augmented cyber-ravens stalk the skies and caverns of the world, their keen gaze missing little that happens on the surface of the chapter's isolated domain. When one of these ravens spots a promising young warrior a gunship will be dispatched from the Jarlhalle bearing a Wolf Priest of the chapter who will descend to the surface and interrupt the ongoing skirmish. None of the tribal warriors would dare obstruct one of the sky warriors grim choosers of the slain in his duties and the appearance of a Wolf Priest inevitably brings whatever battle was happening to pause as the black-clad and skull masked warrior moves among the tribesmen to make his selection. The chosen warrior, whatever his physical state, is then carried or escorted from the field in silence while the tribesmen look on in a mixture of wonder, fear and envy.
Chapter Tactics
For many years the Stormblade Great Company existed as a void-borne strike force operating independently from any chapter command or Imperial authority, scavenging supplies and taking enemy ships wherever they could. This experience would become central to the emerging identity of the Death Wolves as an Ultima Founding chapter. The chapter heraldry, a wolf skull over crossed bones, was chosen to represent the marauding and piratical experience of the chapter's founding veteran cadre and it's expertise in void warfare. Even now that the chapter has a home system, fortress monastery and recruiting world the chapter's various great companies still spend most of their time operating far from their home, patrolling the edges of Imperial space and hunting pirates and renegades, taking prizes and claiming wargeld from their foes. More patient and disciplined in void warfare than their primogenitor chapter the Death Wolves are capable of waiting until the perfect moment to strike, shadowing their prey for days, weeks or longer until the perfect moment to attack presents itself. Sometimes the chapter will prefer to stalk their pray back to their lair, following marauding warbands or isolated pirate raiders to their strongholds before striking at the heart of their foes and tearing them apart.
Close quarters fighting is the cornerstone of the chapter's battle tactics, the warriors of the Death Wolves preferring the cut and thrust of melee combat over calculated ranged bombardment. The chapter makes heavy use of armored transports and assault gunships to deliver the chapter's packs into close contact with their foes, their attacks covered by mortal vassal troops rather than relying solely on chapter heavy support elements such as Long Fang packs and Whirlwind artillery tanks. Boarding actions, clearing space hulks, cleansing operations in the maze-like depths of hive cities, these are the battlefields the chapter most favors and excells in.
When a foe proves particularly troublesome the Death Wolves may choose to unleash the Wulfen of the 13th company on them. Packs of thunderwolf riders and fenrisian wolves accompanying their bestial brethren in lightning assaults on the foe, unleashing their merciless ferocity without consideration of collateral damage. As such these forces are rarely deployed when allied Imperial forces are anywhere nearby, the chapter loath to allow their more savage brothers to be witnessed or risk their wrath falling on unintended targets. It does happen but the Death Wolves strive to ensure such incidents are rare and quickly covered up.
Chapter Beliefs
Given the general attitude of the chapter and it's name it is little surprise that worship of the Death Wolf itself, the twin-headed wolf of legend Morkai, would take a prominent place in the culture of the chapter. The Wolf Priests of the Death Wolves hold great sway over the tempers of their battle brothers and the savage wolf-skull helmets favored by the priests have become a common sight on the warriors of the chapter with whole packs sometimes choosing to wear the forbidding headgear over more conventional battle helms. In particular the veterans and wolf guard of the chapter almost always wear the wolf skull helms, each one fashioned from a great beast slain in single combat by the wearer.
Cult of Morkai
-While the warriors of the Death Wolves revere many of the traditions of Fenris, including the many wolves of Fenrisian myths, the death wolf Morkai holds the greatest favor with the battle-brothers of the chapter. The Wolf Priests, as the choosers of the slain, hold even greater reverence for the battle-brothers of the chapter than they do within the ranks of their primogenitor or other known successor chapters.
Holmgang
-Ritual honor duels are common among the Death Wolves and are frequently used to settle disagreements and help warriors form bonds with their pack brothers. However the greatest grievances and matters of honor must be settled in the sacred contest of holmgang. These duels can only take place on solid ground, space stations, ships or other artificial constructs are not sufficient. When a dispute between battle-brothers is so serious that a holmgang is demanded the Death Wolves will find the closest available solid ground, be it a moon, an asteroid, a rogue planetoid or even the rocky surface of a drifting space hulk. There a circle will be drawn and witnesses will gather in a circle around the dueling ring. All results of the holmgang are final with no further challenges permitted on any given matter after the duel has been demanded and resolved. All battle-brothers of the chapter will accept the results of a holmgang, even if only reluctantly, for such duels are a sacred matter.
The Lion and the Wolf
-Although the Death Wolves have diverged from some of the practices of their primogenitor chapter the honor of Leman Russ is still of utmost importance to all of his sons. Even if they no longer wear the colors of the Space Wolves should a strike force of Death Wolves find themselves sharing a warzone with any Dark Angels or their successors it is inevitable that an honor duel will be demanded with the sons of Lion El'Johnson. Occasionally such duels are carried out by the commanders of either force but more often a veteran or champion will be selected to represent each chapter in the duel. These contests are always to the first blood but serious injuries and even the occasional death do happen. Most of the time the sons of both Primarchs are able to share a battlefield without coming to direct blows but open aggression between the sons of Russ and the sons of the Lion do occur and can result in considerable destruction and many cassualties before the two sides eventually calm their ire.
Chapter Artifacts
As a succcessor chapter of the Space Wolves and a rare Ultima founding chapter that benefitted from a veteran firstborn contingent, the Death Wolves possess a number of weapons and technologies unique to the Sons of Russ. Even though their initial supply of such artifacts was relatively limited the chapter Iron Priests retained the knowledge of their creation and slowly the armory of the Death Wolves has been filled with master-crafted examples of weapons and armor unknown to the chapters of other gene-lines.
Belts of Russ
-Rather than using the more common Iron Halo to provide protective force fields for chapter officers the Sons of Russ utilize a unique form of protective technology known as the belts of Russ. Incorporating a powerful force field generator the belts of Russ provide the chapter's Wolf Lords with formidable protection against all but the most powerful and esoteric of enemy attacks.
Runic Armor
-The Rune Priests of the chapter utilize customized suits of power and terminator armor enhanced with an elaborate series of protective runes carved and enchanted with the powers of the Rune Priests. These suits grant their wearer significantly improved protection against the aetheric powers of the warp.
Frost Blades
-These weapons take a variety of forms, from axes forged of ice-cold crystal to chainblades made from the teeth of Fenrisian kraken, yet whatever their form these weapons are extremely deadly and formidable. Only the greatest heroes of the chapter are permitted to bear such relic weapons into battle and the chapter will take great pains to recover these priceless artifacts should their bearers fall in battle.
Helfrost Weaponry
-Rare and unusual energy weapons powered by crystals mined from deep beneath the Asaheim mountain range helfrost weapons produce beams of incredible cold that can freeze even the most terrible monsters and warmachines in their tracks. Only a few honored warmachines and the Iron Priests of the chapter are permitted to bear these weapons and they are highly prized by the chapter.
Stormwolf and Stormfang Gunships
-Based on a pattern of vehicle unique to the Space Wolves chapter and their successors the Stormwolf is a dedicated assault transport while the Stormfang is a gunship with a small passenger compartment enabling it to insert small packs into battle. Both gunships mount helfrost weaponry in addition to a suite of primary and secondary armaments that make them fearsome attack craft and highly prized insertion vehicles for the Death Wolves.
Chapter Fleet
For a chapter of
it's size the Death Wolves maintain a fleet much larger than it should
be were the chapter being compliant to the dictates of the Codex
Astartes. In particular the Death Wolves have captured and refit a
number of classes of ships that should not be in a Codex adherent
Space Marine chapter fleet such as Battlecruisers and Grand Cruisers. In addition to the
capitol-ships the Death Wolves have obtained through various means a
large number of escort craft. At the present time the chapter fleet numbers fourteen capital ships of various classes, with the bulk being made up of different light-cruisers. Each of the twelve Great Companies is assigned one of these capital ships as it's primary transport with a further two in reserve, the thirteenth company does not deploy as it's own distinct force and therefore does not require it's own independent transport vessel. The chapter was also provided with a Lucius-pattern forgeship to aide in the manufacture of the various arms and armaments designed by Archmagos Dominus Bellisarius Cawl for the Primaris Marines and five fleet supply ships when the chapter departed from the ranks of Fleet Primus. The three largest and most powerful ships of the chapter fleet are the transports of the first, second and third great companies and typically deploy together, concentrating their formidable firepower to break the back of any fleet that stands against them and the overwhelming force of more than three hundred Sons of Russ to annihilate any foe that dares stand against the chapter. The rest of the chapter companies and ships are more often deployed alone or in smaller detachments, utilizing the greater speed of the chapter's light cruisers and escort craft to deliver strike forces to beleaguered warzones across the segmentum as quickly as possible given the still turbulent warp conditions.
Victory-class Battleship Herald of Morkai
-This Victory-class battleship is one of a rare few examples of it's size and class of ship to be newly built in the Jovian shipyards in the last century, intended for Fleet Primus of the Indomitus Crusade the ship has seen a few major battles in that time but is still a largely untested craft. Nevertheless the design, based on the irreplaceable Apocalypse-class, possesses unmatched long-range firepower with lance batteries and dorsal lance turrets combined with a prow mounted nova cannon. When the Death Wolves were formally recognized as a chapter of the Ultima Founding the chapter was granted a number of ships to reinforce it's fledgling fleet but no proper Battle Barges were available and so Jarl Silvar requested permission to select a flagship for the chapter from the vessels of fleet Primus and the Primarch Roboute Guilliman agreed to the request. Jarl Silvar chose the Righteous Wrath without a moment's hesitation, his time with the Storm Breaker having left the new chapter master with a deep admiration for the nova cannon and he was determined that any flagship of his chapter had to possess such a weapon. In the last few decades the Righteous Wrath, renamed the Herald of Morkai, has proven to be an invaluable asset to the chapter. Together with the Storm Breaker and the Redoubtable the Herald of Morkai is referred to as one of the Three Crones, the trio of sister ships having gained a fearsome reputation for sailing together and unleashing the fury of their nova cannons in simultaneous barrages capable of ripping the heart out of entire fleets with a single salvo.
Mars-class
Battlecruiser Storm Breaker
-Claimed by the original Stormblade Great Company during it's years in exile from the Space Wolves chapter this main-line battlecruiser and served as Jarl Silvar's flagship for many years. Although not as fast or agile as a traditional strike cruiser the Storm Breaker is favored by Silvar largely because of it's nova cannon armament. The Nova cannon is one of the largest and most powerful weapons ever deployed by the Imperium of man and is capable of breaking whole ship squadrons and scattering fleets with a single shot. Few are the foes that can withstand a sustained bombardment from the formidable weapon and it is a favored tactic of the Death Wolves' Chapter Master to open fleet engagements with a shot from the mighty weapon.
Mercury-class Battlecruiser Redoubtable
-Salvaged from the wreckage found adrift in the Celestia system the Redoubtable was painstakingly rebuilt for the simple reason that it's primary armament, a deadly Mars pattern nova cannon, remained mostly intact. Despite the extensive damage to the rest of the ship the Death Wolves chose to cannibalize multiple other wrecks to restore the Redoubtable and bring it into the service of the chapter. Together with the Storm Breaker and the Herald of Morkai the Redoubtable is known as one of the Three Crones, a name derived from the chapter's habit of deploying all three ships together and utilizing their nova cannon armament in simultaneous and extremely destructive bombardments.
Exorcist-Class Grand Cruiser Unbroken Fury
-Formerly the flagship of a small corsair fleet operating in the Segmentum Obscurus. The storm-ravaged remnants of the corsair fleet were fortunate enough to break from the warp in the Imperium Sanctus but were unfortunate enough to be met almost immediately by a fleet of Death Wolves chapter ships. The ensuing battle was short and grossly one-sided and resulted in a number of new vessels being added to the chapter fleet including the Unbroken Fury itself which now serves as an assault carrier for the chapter fleet. Fitted with spacious launch bays the aging Grand Cruiser may not be a powerful and deadly ship-of-the-line capable of slugging it out in close-ranged void war but it's hangar bays make it a highly effective launch platform for chapter void-fighters and gunships.
Dictator-Class Cruiser The Spear of Retribution
-Another recent addition to the chapter fleet The Spear of Retribution was formerly part of Battlefleet Gothic, tossed out of the warp with it's decks crawling with daemon-spawn and warp-twisted mutants, all that remained of the once human crew. The chapter stumbled upon the ship while patrolling the borders of the Cicatrix Maledictum and cleansed the vessel from bow to stern. After a lengthy period of re-sanctification and refit the vessel entered service with the chapter fleet.
Dominion-class Battlecruiser Fist of Bakka
-Like the Dictator-class cruiser the Dominion is another attempt by the Imperial Navy to iterate on the Mars-class combining considerable firepower and launch bays to create a versatile and powerful ship of the line. To the Death Wolves these traits are particularly important given the chapter's need for gunship launch platforms in the absence of conventional strike cruisers and battle-barges. Recovered from the blasted wreckage of an Imperial Navy patrol fleet found dead on the edge of the great rift the chapter chose to haul the gutted wreck back to Celestia and spent years bringing the vessel back to service.
Strike Cruiser Angurvadal
-One of a number of Adeptus Astartes strike craft granted to the Death Wolves chapter upon it's inception as part of the Ultima Founding.
Strike Cruiser Romslag
-One of a number of Adeptus Astartes strike craft granted to the Death Wolves chapter upon it's inception as part of the Ultima Founding.
Strike Cruiser Utholdenhet
-One of a number of Adeptus Astartes strike craft granted to the Death Wolves chapter upon it's inception as part of the Ultima Founding.
Dauntless-class Light Cruiser Herald of Vengeance
-One of a handful of pirate vessels captured and repurposed by the chapter in recent years the Herald of Vengeance has proven a tough and reliable brawler despite it's relatively modest size compared to other capital ships of the line and it's greater speed is highly prized by the chapter's aggressive warriors.
Dauntless-class Light Cruiser Redoubtable Spirit
-The newest light-cruiser added to the chapter fleet the Redoubtable Spirit was discovered as an abandoned hulk cast out of the warp on the edge of the Celestia system and crewed by nothing but ghosts and foul spirits. Many would have scrapped the ship or blasted it from the void but the Death Wolves would not be deterred by the ghosts of the dead or whatever foul humors may have infested the ship from it's time in the warp. The chapter's priests scoured the vessel from prow to stern, servitors and servo-skulls prowled every chamber, every deck and every maintenance hatch for weeks burning insense and scrawling countless lines of prayers and blessings across the decks. Tech-adepts scoured every system for signs of taint and Wolf Priests carved runes of warding into every hatchway. When the chapter was certain the ship had been cleansed of any remaining taint it was dragged back to the Jarlhalle and underwent months of refit and restoration before it joined the chapter fleet properly.
Defiant-class Light Cruiser Sword of Constantine
-An unusual variant of the endeavor-class cruiser the Defiant swaps the broadside macro cannons for launch bays. The Defiant is very much based on the old Enforcer-class cruiser, taking an old design and applying it to a newer platform.
Defender-class Escort Cruiser Vigilant Shield
-Surprisingly heavily armed for a ship of it's size the Defender-class light cruiser is often used as the flagship of supply convoys where it's firepower and speed make it an effective deterrent against pirates and xenos raiders.
Enforcer-class System Control Cruiser Adamant Scion
-A rare variant of light-cruiser the Enforcer mounts sizable flight decks capable of launching fighter and bomber wings as well as boarding assault craft and gunships. Although nowhere near as potent in a direct engagement as a Strike Cruiser the rapid growth of the chapter has required utilizing whatever ships they can lay their hands.
1 Lucius-pattern Forgeship
5 Fleet Supply Ships
21 Frigates
36 Destroyers
19 System Defense Monitors (Celestia System Defense Squadron)
6 Orbital Defense Platforms (Celestia Tertius-Sigma orbit)
Notable Examples of Chapter Escort Squadrons
Gladius-Class Frigate Squadron Blad
-Blad/Onn
-Blad/Twa
-Blad/Tra
Nova-Class Frigate Squadron Reise
-Reise/Onn
-Reise/Twa
-Reise/Tra
-Reise/For
Nova-Class Frigate Squadron Seile
-Seile/Onn
-Seile/Twa
-Seile/Tra
Sword-Class Frigate Squadron Jakt
-Jakt/Onn
-Jakt/Twa
-Jakt/Tra
Hunter-Class Destroyer Squadron Drepe
-Drepe/Onn
-Drepe/Twa
-Drepe/Tra
-Drepe/For
-Drepe/Fyf
Cobra-Class Destroyer Squadron Skyte
-Skyte/Onn
-Skyte/Twa
-Skyte/Tra
Heroes of the Chapter
Great Wolf Silvar Stormblade, Bringer of the Red Snow, the Headtaker, Champion of Russ
-Once a brilliant young swordsman who earned glory and honor as the champion of his Great Company the warrior who became a Great Wolf of his own chapter is still a sword-master of considerable skill who is never shy to take to the field of battle and wet his legendary blade with the blood of the Emperor's foes.
Silvar first earned his title when he, as a Blood Claw, defeated an Ork Nob in single combat, witnesses claiming that Silvar's chainsword moved and flashed with the speed of lightning. Over the years that followed he clawed his way up the ranks of the company to the Wolf Guard where he served for several years as the company champion and one of it's battle-leaders. One of Silvar's most notable accomplishments as a Wolf Guard was the defeat of a Night Lords traitor warlord, a battle in which Silvar claimed an ancient Frost Sword known as Tyrfing from the Night Lord's personal trophy displays on the bridge of his flagship. Not long after claiming his sword Silvar was given the chance to serve with the Deathwatch and eagerly accepted the position, going on to serve twenty years with the alien hunters of the Ordo Xenos before returning to his company. During that time Silvar absorbed everything he could about swordsmanship frorm his comrades, particularly those of the Blood Angels and Black Templars chapters. After his return to the chapter Silvar resumed his role as company champion. The death of the company's previous Wolf Lord led to a unanimous vote for Silvar to be his successor and the Wolf Lord would continue to lead the company until it was absorbed into the newly founded Death Wolves chapter.
Wolf Lord Brynjar Razorfang
Wolf Lord Daelin Frostmourn
Wolf Lord Half Ironbreaker
Wolf Lord Skjor Angel-Bane
Wolf Lord Anrakiir Kin-Slayer
Wolf Lord Ragnvald the Red-Handed
-The only Primaris Captain of the Death Wolves chapter at the present time Ragnvald had to earn his place by defeating every other challenger from the ranks of the firstborn Wolf Guard of the Stormblade Great Company. No other primaris marines were able to overcome their challengers but Ragnvald proved strong, skilled, and extremely determined. With raw aggression and power he overcame his more experienced and skilled opponents to earn the right to command one of the newly re-organized Great Companies of the chapter.
High Wolf Priest Geirmund Wolf-Totem
High Rune Priest Holmgeir Oath-Keeper
High Iron Priest Haelfdar Ironhelm
Lord Ancient Thorvald Felldawn
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