The Forge

Summary
The Forge are a Space Marine Chapter; they were formed in the 39th millennium in the same Founding as the Revenants and the Emperor's Firebrands. The Forge are a Codex Chapter that is known to have served on many varied fronts, although being a younger Chapter they have yet to earn the greater glories of the older Chapters. They possess a warrior code which, although similar to that of other Chapters in some ways, is unique in several critical respects.

Essential Information
Chapter Name: The Forge

Chapter Master: Penultimate Leo

Home World: Collosea

Number of Marines: 1000 approx

Gene seed ancestry: Ultramarines

War Cry: "We will be Ultimate!"

Status: Active.

Founding
The Forge are believed to be descendants of Roboute Guilliman and the Ultramarines, but they pay little attention, save that which is courteous, to that element of their heritage. Instead, they venerate the Immortal Emperor alone, not as a God, but as the ultimate in what a warrior should be and should aspire to become; noble, intelligent, a master of man and machine who fights for the noblest of causes only, a being that gave up everything for the sake of his duty. To this end, the Forge have adopted a system by which they aspire to become this kind of warrior.

The name they chose for themselves after their assignment to Collosea, "The Forge", refers to what is referred to in several philosophical theories on their home world as “the Great Forge of War". This is what the Forge’s Marines believe the life of the Astartes to be: a crucible, which one enters a mere man and yet may exit (if one proves noble and true enough) as “the Ultimate Warrior”. They hold that any warrior may undertake the long, arduous journey of self-discovery that leads to this final point. So far, so the theory contests, none in the universe have succeeded in reaching the final stage – that of the Ultimate – save for the Emperor himself. Nonetheless, it is the guiding principle that the Forge's Space Marines follow, and permeates their entire Chapter culture.

The Forge believe that a warrior earns - by fighting, naturally, but also by being courteous, self-sacrificing, dutiful, modest and honourable - glory for themselves and their name, and honour for their Battle-Brothers and Chapter. By doing this, they may progress further upon the road to becoming Ultimate. Much stock is therefore set by a Marine's deeds in battle, and there is much competition for a position as an Assault Marine, as close combat is seen by many as the apex of a warriors skill (in this respect, not a dissimilar attitude to that of the Black Templars, although the Forge's ancestry precludes any true breaking from the great Codex Astartes). In any case, the warriors of the Forge never shirk their obligations to the Emperor and never flee from battle, always staying true to their code of honour. They are also the first to lay down their lives for the people of the Imperium – as they see it, the Emperor – the Ultimate warrior – lays down his life every day in unbearable suffering for the people of the Imperium. If He believes they are worth that, so too do the Forge.

Home World
The Forge make their home on the feudal world Collosea, named (so it is said) for a legendary arena of old Terra, where legend states the Emperor himself slew countless foes in gladiatorial combat, proving himself a mighty warrior in body. The name is apt, for Collosea is a place where warriors are made.

The planet is sparsely inhabited save for small villages and a human society that for the most part works at a medieval level of technology. The inhabitants live by a feudal system with very little Imperial interference; the local version of the Emperor is that of the Forge themselves, "The Ultimate," a warrior stronger, nobler, more chivalrous and renowned than any other ever seen, who ascended to the stars and became Emperor of the sky. Nonetheless, more advanced civilisation exists in the Southern hemisphere of the planet, which is where the primary Imperial presence is located in the form of local PDF and the Imperial Governor.

Every decade or so, the chapter will select a small number of warriors - usually young and fairly well respected or renowned in some way, otherwise known as warriors who have taken their first steps on the Great Forge of War - to be taken and screened for the process of being turned into Space Marines. The populous of the vast majority of Collosea are only dimly aware of the Forge as a sort of order of knights that serve the Ultimate, but nonetheless the young warriors of Collosea are eager to prove themselves worthy of this knighthood.

Collosea is situated near the Eastern Fringe, which presents a grave risk of invasion by Tyranids and Tau forces, though thankfully the former have not descended upon the world. Initially, the presence of the Forge on Collosea had precluded any attempt by the Tau Empire to try to annex the planet. Unfortunately, that situation changed near the end of the 41st Millennium, when the Tau decided to send an envoy to Collosea – after an unfortunate incident with Penultimate Leo, on which more is detailed elsewhere, the envoy's head was returned to the Tau Empire with a warning to stay away from the planet or die. They refused to heed this warning, and instead launched a massive invasion of the planet - partially to take revenge on the Forge but mostly to take Collosea, which is rich in mineral wealth. Their attempts to tame the wild populous – or steal the world from Leo and the Forge – were, despite their horrific caualties, nearly successful, but with the arrival of Daun Soloman and the Emperor’s Firebrands – as well as several regiments of Imperial Guard – the Tau were turned aside. Since then, the Forge has been vigilant, awaiting the return of their enemy.

Training
An initiate will be taken to the Fortress Monastery of the Forge, and there informed - in a roundabout sort of way - of what they are to become (the exact words used are usually "Sky Knights of the Ultimate" or any similar variation). They will first duel a young tactical Space Marine with training swords - if they last under 30 seconds, they are mind wiped and turned into Chapter serfs. If they manage - through strength of arms or cunning tactics - to last longer, they begin their operations to be transformed into Space Marines. Tactical Marines in these contests both refuse to and are banned from going easy on their opponents, knowing that a substandard warrior is no use to the Emperor's finest, and has no chance of surviving what is to come, and knowing that those who join the Chapter must be worthy to begin the journey on the Great Forge.

The Forge's Scouts are taught in much the same way as any other Chapters; great emphasis is placed on their duty to the Emperor and the warrior code of the Chapter. While serving, Scouts tend towards close combat weapons and bolt pistols as a rule, and many die in hand to hand combat. During their “off hours” (those times when they are not killing their enemies), the neophytes are given over to the tutelage of an older Marine, who trains the younger warrior on a one-on-one basis in order to ensure the best results. While this relationship is in some ways similar to the Black Templars once again, in that the younger warriors serve under an older mentor, this relationship is limited to the times when both are free from duty. Nonetheless, both the warriors training the scouts and the scouts themselves take these lessons seriously, for this one-to-one tutelage is how the scouts learn the core of their code.

When their training is concluded, a scout novice will again fight a Space Marine - but this time, they fight a Company Master, and must last a minute. If they fail, they remain a scout for another ten years before retrying, though some scouts are known to re-challenge the Master they faced much sooner. If they succeed, their time as a scout ends, and they become full Space Marines - one step closer to the Ultimate.

Organisation
The Chapter Master is known by the title of Penultimate, this being the highest stage of warriordom the Forge's warriors can reach (the title "Ultimate" is used for the Emperor alone – no loyal member of the Forge would ever dare use it for themselves, though they aspire to it). The Penultimate is chosen when the previous incumbent dies; the Captains of each company (known as Masters) fight in ritual combat until a victor is placed in command of the Chapter - even if they do not wish to compete for the position, they are made to do so, for the Great Forge can sometimes call the unwilling as readily as the willing, and if the best candidate does not try, he will never reach his true potential. The combat itself is brutal but never fatal, consisting of a single free for all brawl in an arena, watched by as many of the Chapter as can be summoned. The current Penultimate is called Leo.

Below the Penultimate and the Company Masters are the other battle brothers; though they most often use standard terminology, they have also been known to use their warrior-titles in formal situations. These are;
 * Novices (scouts).
 * Warriors (battle brothers).
 * Knights (sergeants).
 * Champions (Veterans).
 * Legends (the Chapter's honour-guard).

Allies

 * The Emperor's Firebrands: the Forge and the Firebrands, together with the Revenants, were part of the same founding but where they dislike the Revenants, the Forge have nothing but respect for the Emperor's Firebrands. The two have often fought alongside one another and the Penultimate and the Firebrands Chapter Master always renew bonds of brotherhood whenever a new one of either is anointed.

Enemies

 * Iron Hands: due to their approach to armour and the various types of equipment, the Forge are looked down upon by the Iron Hands and indeed, by the Adeptus Mechanicus in general, who only reluctantly allow Marines from this Chapter to train with them. The Iron Hands however take this dislike to new extremes, and there have been known brawls between Marines of the two Chapters.


 * The Revenants: despite being part of the same founding, the Forge dislike the Revenants, seeing their attitude to war as being disgracefully shoddy for a Space Marine Chapter, and not worthy of the Emperor. The Revenants, for their part, see the Forge as being the kind of Space Marine Chapter the Revenants don't want to be like at all. The two have only rarely fought alongside one another and these meetings are tense to say the least.

Battle Honours

 * Battle of Ragnarok, supporting role for Revenants Chapter Astartes in cleanup operation, M41.
 * Battle of Thermos, cleansed the entire planet of Dæmonic taint.
 * 13th Black Crusade, supporting roles on Cadia and other worlds.
 * Armageddon, continuing Ork fighting operations.

Notable Members

 * Leo, Penultimate of the Forge.

Leo has been Penultimate for eighty seven years. His skill was so impressive that, having beaten only half the combatants, the remainder surrendered (there is no dishonour in doing so before a superior warrior in these contests, as the ultimate warrior ‘’must’’ be both self sacrificing and humble). Leo's reign as Penultimate has been marked with tragedy, as the Chapter has lost many brothers in various fields during his tenure, including to an invasion of Collosea by the Tau, but they accept these losses as part of their duty as Space Marines. He has in other ways been one of the most noble and successful leaders of the Chapter since its creation, leading the Forge in many glorious victories against the enemies of Mankind.

Temperament
The temperament of a Forge Space Marine is largely dependent on their position.

Penultimate and the Masters
The Penultimate's have on the whole tended towards being determined, strong leaders, and Penultimate Leo is no exception. It is necessary for them to be so, as they need such qualities to be promoted to Master and to win the contest that determines who is the Penultimate. There are those Penultimates who have been headstrong and eager for combat (a side effect of having a warriors trial for leadership) but this headstrong nature is usually tempered by the experience they gain and no Penultimate has ever led the Forge astray yet. There are above all thing honourable, brave, noble, and true servants of the Imperium and its subjects.

The Masters of the Companies tend towards being the strongest, bravest, and most intelligent of their company’s Marines, as befits the finest warriors in the Chapter. They are brutally efficient strategists who use their full resources to devastating effect on their enemies. Though there is of course some variation on the individual capabilities of each warrior, in general a Master is among the most capable soldiers his Chapter can produce.

Veteran Company
The warriors of the Veteran Company – the Champions of the Chapter – tend to be calm, shrewd and analytical, having already served their brothers and Chapter for many years. There will still be the fire of a true warrior within them, but unlike some of their younger brethren, they will not let it control them. Many have reached the end of ambition, knowing that they will never lead the Chapter, and so dedicate their wisdom to teaching the next generation and slaying the enemies of mankind.

Devastator Marines
There are those within the Forge who see the Devastator squads of the Chapter as an inglorious posting to be assigned, and few are the Marines who would openly desire to become a Devastator Marine. Those who do end up in this position are either unhappy about it, or else they are the kind of Marine who is wise before they are old, and who knows that there are many kinds on honour on the battlefield. A Devastator Marine does not remain so long, in most cases, and it is the least ambitious warrior who will stay in that position for any considerable length of time.

Assault Marines
Assault Marines believe without a shred of doubt or of hesitation that they are the finest, most glorious warriors in the Chapter, that they will ascend to glory much faster than any other brothers due to meeting the enemy close up in battle, and that they are unbeatable. They tend towards being the younger, more headstrong members of the Chapter, which might explain this. Many remain Assault Marines for a long time, honing their skills until there are few enemies that could stand against them. This unfortunately means that they focus all their knowledge and experience into a single field, so while a brother who remains an Assault Marine for fifty years is brave, noble, true, battle hardened and capable of fighting anything that comes before him, he is also perhaps the most limited of his brothers.

Tactical Marine
To be a Tactical Marine in the Forge is to first know disappointment, for ninety percent of Tactical Marines would have chosen to be Assault Marines instead, had it only been their decision. Then it is to know patience - in many battles, where an Assault Marine must attack in close combat, a Tactical Marine gets that chance less often, and is often left giving fire support, clearing buildings, securing objectives while their brothers get the more “glorious” opportunities. Then, it is to know the rewards of patience: Tactical Marines, being the backbone of the Chapter, are most often in the centre of the fighting. Few are the Tactical Marines who stay disappointed, and often they are the ones who gain the highest positions in the Chapter: Penultimate Leo was among those assigned to be a Tactical Marine, and yet he is now the Penultimate, lending hope to those brothers who are disappointed by the posting.

Equipment
Unlike many Space Marines, the Forge save the newest and most up to date equipment for their best warriors, believing that the finest warriors deserve the latest, most refined equipment and weaponry. This often means that new recruits are seen in armour dating back to the Horus Heresy, whereas the Penultimate wears Mark VIII armour in most of his engagements. This is a strange deviation from the usual attitude most Chapters have, but the Chapter's Techmarines do not dispute it, and indeed encourage it, as they believe the older armour is more honoured by honest service than being treated like relics - after all, how better to appease a machine spirit than to use it as was intended when it was first forged? This has led to the occasional slightly humorous situation of having a mere Tactical Marine mistaken for a high Chapter official by a planetary governor, due to his ornate armour.