Sea Serpents

Sea Serpents
Battle Cry	Vis Per Mare!
Number	800
Founding	Unknown, Possibly a Chimeric Founding.
Successors of	Unknown, possible Alpha Legion or Night Lords.
Successor Chapters	None
Chapter Master	Julius Verne
Primarch	Unknown
Homeworld	Navis IV
Specialty	Amphibious Assault
Allegiance	Imperium
Colours	Aqua, Silver, & Brass

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"Better to die in the sea, than live in the dust."

– Chapter Master Julius Verne

Overview

The Sea Serpents are a Space Marine chapter from an unknown founding. They model their chapter Traditions on the nautical traditions of ancient Terra. Much of the traditions are pieced together from what’s known, so has a tendency to span a number of times and cultures from Terran Nautical tradition.

The preferred tactic of the chapter is the “Hammerhead Strike”. The strike that goes into a war zone quickly and loudly, only to disappear quickly before the enemy can react. Due to this, they make excellent shock troops and counters to Druhkari raiders; counter-deploying to match their raids in a very short amount of time.

Special Tactics

The Primary special tactic of the Sea Serpents is amphibious assault. They specialize in dropping onto a planet in mid-ocean and using their great submersible troop transports to strike quickly from the sea, causing as much collateral damage as possible before disappearing again beneath the waves.

Navis IV

The Sea Serpents are based out of the Navis system in the gothic sector. They make their home on the Penal Death World of Navis IV. This world is nearly entirely ocean apart from a few small landmasses one of which has their fortress-monetary upon it. “The Mount” as it’s referred is the fortress-monetary of the Sea Serpents and is cloaked in perpetual Thunderstorms & Rain.

Storms are commonplace in the Navis System.

The world’s oceans are home to numerous kinds of giant and dangerous sea life that is often harvested for food. The world is fished by the prisoners of the Penal Colony; Navis’ only non-space marine inhabitants. Only the most hardened criminals get sent to Navis IV to fish its oceans as punishment. Most don’t last but a couple of standard Teran years before meeting a terrible fate in the jaws of the sea going wildlife or falling overboard and being carried away by the storms.

Those that do manage to survive long enough to master the planet’s waves and storms, are often recruited by the Sea Serpents chapter that call the world home. These Sailors make up the bulk of the Sea Serpent’s recruits; this means the demeanor of most Sea Serpents Space Marines if often grim and dour.

Special Equipment

Upon the Founding of the Chapter, a number of Power-Tridents where forged for them by the Emperor’s Spears Chapter as a celebration of their founding. These Tridents are kept in the armory deep in the Mount and distributed to the Chapter’s Leaders as a reward for great deeds. An example of this is Librarian Maximus Nemo of the 10th company. After vanquishing a Farseer of the Ulthwe craftworld singlehandedly, one of the Power-Tridents was retrofitted as a Force-Trident for him to wield; one of only two force Tridents in the Adeptus Astartes.

Another special piece of equipment are the Chapters “Dive Helmet” inspired helmets. These helmets have specially designed auspexes that can see in environments with heavy rain and debris, as well as underwater. They are gifted to Astartes who show an unusual zeal that puts them on the front lines and in the vanguard.

Special Units

• The Lords of the Deep: The Cataphractii Terminator Bodyguards of the Chapter Master. Rumored to be the same original 5 from the founding of the chapter and the first chapter master. Though, they never remove their helmets so identification is impossible.

• The Tide Guard: The Sea Serpent’s elite unit of Guard Veterans. The Sea Serpents contain far less “Blade Guard” in their first company than other chapters. These Guards are deployed with their power tridents only in the presence of the First Captain, Gugleilmus Halsey.

The Tide Guard are rarely seen and rightly feared by the enemies of man.

The Ludum Locus Campaign

In M42, the Sea Serpents did not take part in the Indomitus Crusade. They operated in the Galactic east quelling rebellions and hunting xenos raiding parties. It was during this time that they received a distress signal from the Planetary Governor of a lush backwater world called “Keeg’s Moore”. The message was garbled, but it was clear that some sort of Alien threat was looming. Being the only Chapter is the area, the Serpent fleet was rerouted to provide aid.

• The Battle at Ludum River Valley – Upon arriving in the Keeg system, the Chapter dispatched a contingent from the 10th company to make planetfall and develop a fire base. 10th Captain Iocobus Hook was given command and the expedition was named “Strike Team Hammerhead”. During the initial scouting operations, Hammerhead discovered Necron activity on the planet. Intelligence suggested that the Necrons where on the planet to perform some sort of ritual to take control of local resources. Strike Team Hammerhead met them in the desert mid-ritual; and a skirmish broke out. The Necrons and Sea Serpent battled for several hours before it was clear to be a stalemate. Both forces retreated from the area. While not a solid success, they prevented the alien ritual from being completed. Post Battle, the fleet still in orbit received a signal from an incoming Adeptus Mechanicus fleet from Forgeworld Sygies VIII. Before the Astartes could express their relief at reinforcement, the Mechanicus fired upon them. In the opening barrage, the hanger doors on the Sea Serpent flagship were damaged. In the chaos, First Captain Halsey collected a few marines and escaped in a troop transport. They made planetfall and rallied with Strike Team Hammerhead. The flaming transport landed at the fire base and it was decided the only way to get reinforcements was going to be by teleport homer.

• The Dropsite Massacre at Duncan Station – There was an abandoned space port on the planet that they discovered had a relic teleport homer. When they arrived at the space port, called Duncan Station, they found the Mechanicus already there. They launched a lightening attack on the Forgeworld forces. They where able to get all the way to the teleport homer before being detected. When they where discovered, they found quickly they where outgunned. The Sea Serpent’s bolter fire was insufficient against the tank hulls of Sygies VIII. Orca squad of the 10th company tried to smuggle the relic out on the flanks of the battlefield but was crippled under a hail of fire from their former Mechanicus allies. The teleport homer was dropped and the Sea Serpents withdrew, unable to whether the losses the enemy tanks would inflict. As the Sea Serpents withdrew from Duncan station, they ran smack into the Necron forces that where already advancing on the station. With quick thinking by Captain Halsey, they where able to skirt the edges of the Necron forces and escape direct conflict while so wounded. He was able to trick the Necron overlord into moving wide around his forces, leading them directly into Duncan station and the Mechanicus. As the Sea Serpents watched the station disappear over the horizon, the only thing that could be hears was the guass weapons firing on the Mechanicus held station.