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At a glance
Nocturne is a harsh, volcanic world, the homeworld of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter and of their Primarch, Vulkan. Its surface is covered with ash deserts, mountains of black rock and rivers of lava, and its skies are often darkened by smoke and ash. It is a world of constant danger, where earthquakes, eruptions and storms can destroy a settlement in a moment. Yet its people endure with a quiet strength, and the Salamanders who come from them are known as the most compassionate of all Space Marines.
Nocturne's most striking feature is its relationship with its moon, Prometheus. The moon follows an eccentric orbit, and when it comes close to Nocturne, its gravity triggers a period of terrible upheaval known as the Time of Trial. Volcanoes erupt, the ground splits and tidal forces wrench the planet's crust. The people of Nocturne retreat to their fortified Sanctuary Cities to wait out the storm, and when it passes, they emerge to rebuild what has been lost.
Prometheus is also the site of the Salamanders' fortress-monastery, and the Chapter keeps a close watch over the world below. Unlike many Space Marines, Salamanders live among the people of Nocturne for much of their lives, working as smiths, protectors and leaders in the Sanctuary Cities. To the Nocturneans, they are not distant gods but sons and brothers.
Geography & environment
Nocturne is a world of fire and ash. Its crust is thin and unstable, and volcanic activity is constant. The landscape is dominated by vast ash plains, jagged mountain ranges and active volcanoes, the greatest of which is Mount Deathfire, a towering volcano whose eruptions are said to reach the edge of space. Lava flows carve new channels through the landscape, and the ground is often hot to the touch.
Despite its harshness, Nocturne is rich in minerals and precious gems. Its volcanoes bring up metals, crystals and rare stones from deep beneath the surface, and the people of Nocturne have become skilled miners and smiths. Even children learn to work metal, and a family's forge is often its most treasured possession, passed down through generations and protected in every Time of Trial. The world's mineral wealth is legendary, and Nocturnean metalwork is prized across the region.
Nocturne's atmosphere is thick and hot, laden with ash and sulphur. The sun is often obscured by clouds of smoke, and the days are dim and red. The night sky is dominated by Prometheus, whose glow is a constant reminder of the dangers it brings. The seas of Nocturne are few and shallow, often warm and mineral-rich, and they support little life.
The native life of Nocturne is as hardy as its people. Great reptilian predators known as salamanders and fire drakes roam the ash wastes and mountains. These creatures are immensely dangerous, with scaly hides that can resist heat and claws that can tear through steel. The Salamanders hunt them as a rite of passage, and the hides and teeth of the beasts adorn their armour.
Prometheus and the Time of Trial
Prometheus is the moon of Nocturne, a barren rock that serves as the home of the Salamanders' fortress-monastery. The fortress is carved into the moon's surface and connected to Nocturne by shuttles and orbital docks. From Prometheus, the Salamanders oversee their homeworld and launch their fleets into the galaxy.
The moon's orbit is highly elliptical. For long periods it is distant from Nocturne, but at regular intervals it comes close, and its gravitational pull wreaks havoc. The Time of Trial is a period of great danger, when earthquakes shake the planet, volcanoes erupt and the very ground seems to boil. The people of Nocturne prepare for this time for years, storing supplies and fortifying their cities. When it comes, they retreat into the Sanctuary Cities and pray to the Emperor and the Primarch for deliverance.
The Salamanders see the Time of Trial as a test of endurance and faith. They aid the people of Nocturne during the upheaval, helping to evacuate threatened settlements and to rebuild afterwards. Many of the Chapter's traditions centre on the idea of endurance through hardship, and the Time of Trial is a powerful symbol of that belief.
History
Vulkan of Nocturne
According to legend, the infant Vulkan was found by a blacksmith named N'bel in the Sanctuary City of Hesiod. N'bel raised the child as his own, and Vulkan grew to be a mighty warrior and a master smith. During a raid by Dark Eldar slavers, Vulkan led the defence of Hesiod and drove off the attackers. He became the leader of his people and earned their love and loyalty.
When the Emperor came to Nocturne, he challenged Vulkan to a series of contests. The first was a test of smithing, in which each forged a weapon; the second was a hunt for the greatest of the fire drakes of Mount Deathfire. Vulkan slew his drake but fell into a lava flow, and the Emperor saved him, holding him above the fire. Vulkan acknowledged the Emperor as his father and took command of the XVIII Legion, which became the Salamanders.
The Heresy and after
During the Horus Heresy, the Salamanders were among the Legions sent to Isstvan V to attack Horus. They were betrayed in the Drop Site Massacre, and the Legion was nearly destroyed. Vulkan was captured, tortured and presumed dead, but he survived and returned to help defend Terra. After the Heresy, the Salamanders rebuilt their Legion, and they became a single Chapter rather than founding many Successors, due to their small numbers.
Vulkan eventually disappeared, and the Salamanders kept his memory alive through their faith, the Promethean Cult. Vulkan left behind nine artefacts, scattered across the galaxy, and he decreed that when they were all recovered, he would return. The search for these artefacts has occupied many Salamanders, and their Forgefather, Vulkan He'stan, has made it his life's work.
The Era Indomitus
In the Era Indomitus, the Salamanders were reinforced by Primaris Marines brought by the Indomitus Crusade, and they accepted their new brothers with the same warmth they show their own people. Rumours persist that Vulkan himself still walks the galaxy, deathless, appearing to aid the Imperium in its darkest hours. The Salamanders neither confirm nor deny such tales. They continue to search for the artefacts, to defend Nocturne and to fight wherever the weak need protecting.
The Salamanders and their ways
The Salamanders are a small Chapter by the standards of the Adeptus Astartes. They are organised into seven companies rather than the ten prescribed by the Codex Astartes, and each company is large and largely self-sufficient. The First Company is the Firedrakes, the Chapter's veterans, who fight in Terminator armour and serve as the guardians of the Chapter's relics. The Chapter Master in the late 41st millennium was Tu'Shan, a warrior who rebuilt the Chapter after heavy losses and was known for his wisdom and courage.
The Salamanders place great value on craftsmanship. Every Salamander is expected to forge his own weapons and armour, and many are master smiths. Their wargear is among the finest in the Imperium, and their flamers and meltaguns are particularly famous. The Chapter believes that a warrior who makes his own weapons understands them better, and that the act of forging is a form of prayer.
They are also known for their humanity. While many Space Marines see civilians as an afterthought, the Salamanders go out of their way to protect them. They have been known to risk their own lives to save civilians caught in battle, and they have clashed with other Imperial forces over the treatment of innocents. This compassion is not weakness; Salamanders are as ferocious as any Space Marine in battle, and their enemies fear their flames. But they never forget that they fight to protect humanity, not merely to destroy its foes.
The Chapter has a long and bitter rivalry with the Dark Eldar, whose raids on Nocturne have caused immense suffering. Salamanders who encounter Drukhari raiders fight them with particular fury, and they have pursued Dark Eldar fleets across the galaxy to rescue captives.
Fire drakes and the beasts of Nocturne
The greatest predators of Nocturne are the fire drakes, enormous reptilian beasts that dwell in the mountains and volcanoes. Their scales are as hard as armour plate and can resist the heat of lava, and their claws and teeth can rend steel. The largest drakes are said to be ancient, and the Salamanders regard them with a mixture of respect and awe.
Hunting a fire drake is the ultimate test of a Salamander's strength and courage. Many Firedrakes wear cloaks made from the hides of drakes they have slain, and the scales are prized for their resistance to heat and flame. The legend of Vulkan's drake, slain on the slopes of Mount Deathfire, is the most famous of these hunts, and many Salamanders seek to emulate their Primarch by hunting drakes of their own.
People & culture
The people of Nocturne live in the Sanctuary Cities, great fortified settlements that protect them from the dangers of their world. Among the most famous are Hesiod, where Vulkan was raised, and Themis. Each city has its own traditions, but all share a culture of hard work, craftsmanship and mutual support. Nocturneans are miners, smiths and traders, and they take great pride in their work.
The Promethean Cult is the faith of the Salamanders and of many Nocturneans. It venerates Vulkan and teaches the values of self-sacrifice, endurance and the importance of protecting the weak. The Cult emphasises the role of fire as both destroyer and purifier, and its rites involve forging, the use of flame and the endurance of pain.
The Salamanders recruit from the people of Nocturne. Aspirants must undergo trials that test their strength, skill and character, including hunting salamanders and fire drakes and enduring the heat of the volcanoes. Those who succeed become Space Marines, and their bodies are changed by the gene-seed. Salamanders have jet-black skin and glowing red eyes, a reaction between their gene-seed and the radiation of Nocturne.
Unlike many Chapters, the Salamanders maintain close ties with their people. They often return to Nocturne to live and work among the people of the Sanctuary Cities, serving as smiths, teachers and protectors. Many Salamanders keep contact with their families, and they regard the people of Nocturne as their kin.
Landmarks
Mount Deathfire
The largest volcano on Nocturne, Mount Deathfire is a place of great significance for the Salamanders. It was there that Vulkan slew the great drake that was the subject of his contest with the Emperor, and Salamanders go there to prove themselves and to seek visions. Its eruptions are terrifying, but they are also seen as a sign of the planet's power.
Hesiod
The Sanctuary City where Vulkan was raised is one of the most important cities on Nocturne. It is a place of pilgrimage for Salamanders and the people of Nocturne, and its forges are renowned for their skill.
The forges of Prometheus
The Salamanders' fortress-monastery on Prometheus contains some of the finest forges in the Imperium. Here, the Chapter's artisans create weapons and armour of extraordinary quality, including the master-crafted flamers, meltas and thunder hammers for which the Chapter is famous.
Defenders & war-machine
Nocturne is defended by the Salamanders. Their forces include Firedrakes, the Chapter's elite Terminator veterans, as well as Tactical Squads, Assault Squads and Devastator Squads armed with flamers and meltas. They are supported by Dreadnoughts, Land Raiders and other vehicles. The Chapter's Techmarines and smiths maintain their equipment, and their Librarians protect Nocturne from psychic threats.
The Salamanders' fleet guards the Nocturne system, and their fortress-monastery on Prometheus is heavily defended. The people of Nocturne also maintain their own militia to defend the Sanctuary Cities against raiders.
Notable battles
- The Dark Eldar raid on Hesiod (M30): Vulkan leads the defence of his adopted city against slavers.
- The Isstvan V Drop Site Massacre (M31): the Salamanders are betrayed; see Isstvan V.
- Countless wars of the long Imperium (M32-M41): the Salamanders fight in defence of humanity across the galaxy, and they are especially known for their wars against the Dark Eldar.
Trivia
- The Salamanders favour flamers, meltas and thunder hammers, and their weapons are often master-crafted.
- Salamanders' red eyes and black skin are a reaction between their gene-seed and the radiation of Nocturne.
- The Salamanders are known for their compassion and their willingness to protect civilians, in contrast to many other Chapters.
- The Salamanders' companies each maintain their own forges and armouries, and a Salamander's personal wargear often stays with him for centuries before passing to a worthy successor.
- Nocturne's gemstones and metals are traded across the region, and its smiths are regarded as some of the best outside the Adeptus Mechanicus.
- The nine artefacts of Vulkan are a recurring theme in Salamanders lore, and their recovery is a sacred quest.
