Templars of Steel (eng. fluffia)

[Warwolf]

Tässäpä hieman Templareilleni tarkoitettua fluffia, joka on vielä (yllätys yllätys) hieman kesken. Palutetta saa silti antaa.

"In life we were Men.
In reincarnation we became Warriors.
Oaths we swore,
And took up the Sword.
In service we killed,
With Honour we fought.
And now we have come,
To the last mighty strugle.
In Courage we unite.
With Steel and Blood we,
Brothers,
Prepare to die!"
-Chaplain Heer, commanding the 2nd Hammer Company in the battle of Helm Prime [088.M41] against Tyranids, while protecting the cilivilian transports. The whole company was declared to have been wipedout. Helm Prime was later targeted by an Exterminatus.

Basic Data
Name: Templars of Steel
Founding chapter: Unknown
Founding: Unknown
Chapter Master: Unknown
Homeworld: Unknown
Fortress-Monastery: Unknown
Main colours: Black with dark red shoulder pads and grey trim
Speciality: Close Combat
Battle Cry: For Mankind!;
Templars- we will prevail
Steel - let us hail
For our Masters!
Estimated strength: Unknown

History:
The Imperial sources are very vague of the Chapter, as it should not actually exist. According to mostly rumors, myths and even sheer legends the suggest that it was founded soon after the Horus Heresy. Allegedly the Chapter was formed by Marines from seven Legions, whom for one reason or another had felt unsatisfyied with the Imperium. In their eyes the Imperium was no longer the place Emperor had intended it to be.
Thus the seven Legions combined their forces, forming the Templars of Steel, and began to fight their own war, according to what they believe was the Emperor will and to fulfill that vision. Since then the Templars have been fighting in the name of the Emperor as a ruler, not as a god, and this has caused the fact that they are considered to be heretics by the most hardlined members of the Inqusition and the Ecclesiarchy. Most merely turn a blind eye in the matter.
The Templars have since then fought against the forces of Chaos alongside the Imperial Guard and ocasionally other Chapter. There seems to be some bad blood amonst the Templar and other Chapter, and its, according to rumors, believed to be bacause the Templars also seem to recruit some Marines from other Chapters, as well as from the ranks of the Imperial Guard regiments that fight at their side. There are also stories about Mars priests that aid them to maintain their geenseed, but this is judged to be just a story.
Regerdless, the official sources have very little material of the Templars, and even other Chapters records are vague. Still there seems to be a great number of unofficial civilian and other reports of these warriors, but these are mainly decleared to have been nothing but cases of miss placed indentities.

Organisation:
The Templars of Steel is controlled not by a Chapter Master, but a "Council of Seven". Their identeties are a closely guarded secret and it is rumoured the even the members don't know each others true names or faces. The Counsil decides on the more important decions, where as the "lesser" everey day decisions are left to the commanders in the field. Even so, the commanders still have to make special request to the Council for some more unusual or rearer methods or recourses.
The Supreme Grand Masters of the organisation are not what the name might suggest. They are more the sort of special agents of the organistion, whom have much more power than other leaders of the Templars. They are responible to none, bar the Council. The actual depth of their real power is a mystery, but the most famous of the Masters, The First Supreme Grand Master Arkticus WarWolf, is known to have fielded a notiable strenght of Templars to the field in a number of occasions seemingly without an confirmed permission of the Council. None the less, the Masters are well respected within and without the rank of the organisation.
The Chaplains of the Templars of Steel are usually the ones that lead their forces in battle, acting as the highest commander. They also attend to the other responsibilitys of "regular" Chaplains as well.
Where as the Chaplains are the main leaders of the Templar forces, the Captains are placed as tactical officers, commanding the troops from the front. A captain commands a force the size of the most Chapter companies.

The number of compnies varies, as the Templars do not follow the Codex Astartes. Instead they divide them in the task forces by their roles in the field, and have applied a unique insignia to all these different units:

The Blades are the most elite units of the Templars. Usually under direct command of the Chaplins, they are the ones to wear Terminator armour. They can be compared to the 1st companies of most Chapter, but there seem to be a number of these companies as well.
The Hammers form the main bulk of Templars of Steel Space Marines. Each company is led by a Brother-Captain.
The Spears are not formed from space Marines, but rather from Imperial Guard Regiments that support the Templars. Their number are unkown, but on many campaings atleast 5 seperate Regiment have been observed to having been fielded. It is that from these regiments the Templars draw most of their recruits.
The Templars have also divided the their more heavy support units to the Bows and the fast moving support (mainly Land Speeders and variants) to the Arrows. They are seemingly deployed according to the overall situation.
The Staffs are the psykers of Templars. There seem to be only a handfull of them, and they are rarely seen in the field. Within their ranks some of the troopers have nickcamed these strange people as the Brains.
The Daggers are the Templars scouting unit. Its an odd micture of Guard and Templars, and some belive it to be the equal of 10th company, altought the number of Daggers seem to indicate them to be be more of Space Wolf Scouts like detatchment.