The Marshals

Primarch: Rogal Dorn

Chapter Master: High Marshal McCabe
Homeworld: Deadwood
Fortress Monastery: Fort Griffin
Colours:
Speciality: Marksmanship, Close Quarters Warfare.
Battle Cry:

Homeworld
The Marshals started out their service to the Imperium as a fleet based chapter created
during the 24th Founding using stable Imperial Fist gene-stock. Whilst reasonably unknown
and with only a few minor accolades to their name The Marshals were pressed into service
against the very citizens of the Imperium they were sworn to protect. During the closing
years of the 40th millennium as the Macharian Heresy sweeps the galaxy and hundreds of
worlds rebel against the Imperial yolk.

Named after a town from ancient Terra’s Wild West famous for its gold rush, the El Dorado
system was much like its name sake; rich in an abundance of valuable minerals, ore and
precious metals. The system had become wealthy as had its Overseers growing fat and rich
in the name of the Emperor, it was not long before the flames of civil war caught in the
down trodden miners who revolted against their decadent masters and claimed El Dorado
for themselves.

Answering the call for aid from the remaining loyal citizens the Marshals entered the system
and made for the planet of Deadwood. The planetary guns began to bombard the fleet but
were silenced as the entire chapter war fleet unleashed their fury on the orbital platforms
and soon found a foothold in the system. The campaign was long and bloody and after all
was concluded it was decided by the high lords that The Marshals had acquitted themselves
in such a way that they would be given stewardship over the El Dorado system and rights to
recruit from the planets of that system including their new chapter planet; Deadwood.

History
Founded as part of the 24th founding the Marshals had an uneventful beginning, created
with a view to keeping the Emperors peace across the border systems along the far reaches
of the Ultima Segmentum they found battlegrounds few and far between. Winning only
minor accolades in a series of campaigns not worthy of merit they felt more like simple law
men rather than the weapons of war they had been made to be.

As the Macharian Crusade faltered and hundreds of worlds rebelled the Marshals found
they were the closest source of aid to a system that had fallen under the sway of heresy.
Heading to the El Dorado system the chapter had prepared itself for yet another minor
engagement and potential peace keeping exercise but were instead thrown into a system
wide civil war.

They fell upon Deadwood first of all; they were met with huge resistance from a miner’s
rebellion with all but one of its cities turning its back on the Emperor of mankind and his
elected officials. The Marshals were diligent in their cleansing of heresy from every city,
freeing the terrified imperial citizenry from their new oppressors. The campaign on
Deadwood came to a close with a titanic duel atop the Overseer’s Manse in the final mining
city, Chapter Master Logan Cade met the leader of the rebellion in single combat. The
Chapter Master was triumphant and struck the huge Ogryn to the ground and declared
Deadwood to be under Imperial Control once more.

The rest of the system soon fell in line with the brutal efficiency of the Marshals war effort,
though the campaign had proved to have a steep cost with a high number of casualties
reducing the combat effectiveness of the chapter to 50%. Fortunately in the closing stages
of the campaign they were reinforced by Astra Militarum regiments and further forces of
Adeptus Astartes in including fellow scions of Dorn; The Black Templars.
The black knights were greatly impressed with their brethren and forged a strong bond with
the Marshals through battle and bloodshed; this would not be the last time the two
chapters would fight together in the name of the Imperium.

Gene-seed
Taken from stable gene-stock of the Imperial Fist tithes The Marshals share many genetic
markers with their progenitors including the absence of a Betcher’s Gland and Sus-an
Membrane. They also share their progenitor’s stubbornness in the face of overwhelming
odds. The chapter has on a number of occasions suffered heavy losses due to an
unwillingness to retreat when it would have been most viable tactic, yet there have been
many instance where their stoic resolve has turned the tide of a battle in their favour as
their foes have fallen upon an unbreakable wall of ceramite and steel.

Whether through genetic legacy or chapter doctrines The Marshal are fiercely loyal to the
Emperor and will persecute his enemies on any and all fronts, with a particular zeal of
fighting heretics and traitors. It has not been unheard of for the chapter to create ragged
squads of specialist marines to hunt down groups of traitors outside of the structure of
command. Such practices have brought the chapter to the attention of the Ordo Hereticus
who have made use of such skills on a number of classified missions.

Culture
Since becoming tied to the El Dorado system The Marshals have brought order to the
industrialised star system. Unlike some chapters who portray an area of mystery to their
human inhabitants The Marshals are an ever present force in the sector with each city
governor having direct access to the chapter to requisition intervention on matters of law
and order within in the settlement that the Arbites are not able to handle, this has bred a
strong level of trust between the people of El Dorado and their Astartes protectors and even
though the justice delivered is harsh and unforgiving it is always fair.

Each member of the chapter unless in times of chapter wide conflict is expected to carry out
duties within the system when their battle company is rotated back into the system for
repairs and replenishment, these Astartes tasked by their Captains attend in pairs. The
newest member of the squad allocated to that city attends with a mentor to teach them the
way of the lawman. Should such an undertaking prove to require more than two astartes
they are able to petition their squad sergeant for further resources from the chapter. These
occasions are very rare, the sight of an Astartes is ordinarily enough to pacify any incident.

The Marshal rarely recruit from the general populace for they have introduced amongst the
miners tournaments of skill and strength in an effort to keep the peace and to find aspirants
who would bring the most to the chapter should they survive the trials of becoming an
Astartes. Each entrant must volunteer because entering holds the prospect of injury or
death but this has never been a deterrent. Entrants compete with marksmanship, feats of
strength and trials of combat where often only the victor survives, these trials are brutal and
bloody and enjoyed by many of the populace of each planet and many miners have grown
to fame by becoming combatants in the arena, It is these warriors from which the chapter
recruits.

Notable Engagements
M39 – M40 – For nearly 100 years the chapter is involved in only my skirmishes and
inconsequential engagements that do not influence the wider Imperium. Tasked with
keeping the peace amongst the chapter becomes despondent that they are destined to be
lawmen.
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