#codex: thunderbearers

[gasha40k]

Codex: Thunderbearers

The Thunderbearers

“I invoke thee, Machine-Spirit; awaken anew,

Hear this anointment and be reborn,

Contained within thine shell shall be not the spirit of a weapon, but the spirit of Man,

For you are not a weapon; you are a vessel of all wrath,

Within every man unfairly slain,

Every life stolen,

Every dream shattered,

Every hope extinguished,

Every cry of terror, pain, or anguish, offered in woe unto the silent void

For you are not a weapon; you are retribution, and we its deliverers,

Blessed be this weapon.”

Excerpt from the “Psalm of the 1st Tempest,” the first in a cycle of many blessings that the Chaplains administer on a daily basis unto every bolter in the Chapter’s possession

Sons of the Hero Unremembered

“Nos tempestas sumus.”

These are the Thunderbearers, a monastic Successor Chapter of shadowy origin who worship the bolter and specialize in utilizing drop pod shock tactics and heavy ballistics.

The Thunderbearers were my first 40k army and are still my favorite to this day. They’ve been my main dudes since I started in the hobby, and over the last few years, I’ve written a lot of completely unnecessarily in-depth fluff for them. On this page you’ll find various lore posts diving into the Chapter’s structure, culture, and history, as well as periodic update posts documenting my progress working on their tabletop presence, alongside other stuff like my World Eaters, Crusades, and other more general hobby things.

Felled Chapter-Master Lucius Harold, now contained within the Venerable Aurum Eternatus, also known as “Big Harold”

The tag Codex: Thunderbearers will contain exclusively more semi-polished loreposts about the Thunderbearers and their inner workings, whether that be character profiles, remembrancer logs, or tidbits on Chapter structure. The rest of the blog will be whatever else, who care

Thanks for stopping by!

[gasha40k]

Codex: Thunderbearers

Damantyne-pattern Bolters

A pattern of bolt rifle utilized exclusively by the Thunderbearers, the Damantyne is standard issue for every fully-fledged Astartes of the Chapter. Each Damantyne Bolt Rifle is artificed and thrice-blessed by the Chaplaincy—a rigorous process involving months of incense and ceaseless litany—to awaken the Damantyne’s latent raging machine-spirit. Thunderbearers must cultivate a spiritual understanding of near every type of armament contained within the Chapter’s Reclusiam Cataegis before the Chaplaincy individually assigns them a Damantyne, and as such, wielding one is viewed by the Thunderbearers as both highly personal and incredibly spiritual. In combat, the Damantyne routinely displays unmatched ballistic efficiency, being a unique build of bolt rifle that mixes the oppressive firepower of the Auto Bolt Rifle with a high tech suite of wielder-interfacing systems and targeting enhancement that mirrors those of the Stalker Bolt Rifle.

[gasha40k]

Codex: Thunderbearers

The Emperor’s Storm: A General Overview of the Thunderbearers

The Thunderbearers are a Successor Chapter of currently unknown founding with shadowy origins speculatively dating back to the days of the Horus Heresy.

They are masters of rapid, orbital shock assault, and they subsequently specialize in mass usage of drop pods and heavy bolters, alongside other Astartes heavy weaponry. Their culture is uniquely monastic and highly austere, with a focus on stoic philosophy and dominance of the self. The cult of the Thunderbearers dictates that they must revere the sanctity of the holy bolter, viewing their weapons as divine vessels for the Emperor’s wrath. To a Thunderbearer, the act of wielding a bolter is the highest form of worship, and consequently, killing with them is a seen as a spiritual experience of no rival in sanctity.

Due to their creed of weapon worship, each and every weapon—but primarily bolt weapons—in the Chapter’s Armory is viewed as a relic, and is treated and maintained as such by both the Techmarines and the Chaplains. Due to the close proximity of these two elements of Chapter Command, the Armory and Reclusiam are combined into one facility called the Reclusiam Cataegis, which houses both the Chapter’s weapons and its worship. This special facility is overseen by a high-ranking member of the Chaplaincy called the Cataegarch—or the Thunder Warden—who fulfills the role of both Reclusiarch and Master of the Forge for the Thunderbearers.

As a fleet-based Chapter, each of the 10 Companies operate as independent Strike Forces complete with their own battle-fleets, support systems, and splinters of Chapter Command. These Companies are free to operate almost completely autonomously, but always travel on meticulously charted courses that keep them within a certain distance of the command fleet, allowing for the Chapter to maintain a semblance of monolithic coherency despite its highly scattered nature.