ZEL TERTIUS
Homeworld of the Scions of Macragge Astartes Chapter
Pict-vid footage of Ultramarine Squad Ventio, dating from the time of Saint Drusus’ Crusade.
The progeny of one of the more recent waves of Foundings of Adeptus Astartes Chapters in Segmentum Obscurus, with roots tying them back to the mighty realm of Ultramar itself, the Scions of Macragge owe their existence to the courageous exploits of the Ultramarine forces present in the Crusades which saw the Calixis Sector claimed for the Emperor nearly a thousand years ago.
Under the command of the then-Master of the Fleet Decimus Aurelius, the Ultramarine force present during the campaign, drawn from several Companies and fighting alongside detachments drawn from over a dozen Successor Chapters, with the mighty Battle Barge Aeturnus as its flagship, provided its formidable prowess at planetary invasions, boarding actions and unmatched ferocity in combat to the efforts of Saint Drusus’ expeditionary forces.
Indeed, it was no less a figure than Drusus himself who petitioned the then Lord Macragge, as well as the Senatorum, for the establishment of an Ultramarine Successor Chapter in the newly-won sector – a request granted in 125.M41, as the frontier world of Zel Tertius, deep in the Drusus Marches, was formally established as the exclusive fief of the Scions of Macragge.
Aurelius was granted the title of Chapter Master by the Lord Macragge himself, and permitted to retain a core of volunteers from the Ultramarine and Successor Astartes present in the Crusade to serve as the backbone of the new Chapter, and by Aurelius’ request, a significant number of civilian personnel from the eight systems of Ultramar were dispatched to the world to serve as its first colonists.
In the centuries since, Zel Tertius has flourished – and it is not for nothing that it is renowned as a model colony, for the carefully balanced form of government forged by Roboute Guilliman himself on Macragge and its sister worlds over ten thousand years ago have been followed to the letter on the new colony world. The quiet pride and social order of distant Ultramar has been granted a presence in Calixis, and the Scions are loath to see it go to waste.
The Scions have been kept busy in recent centuries – their battle barges and strike cruisers are routinely deployed alongside the Imperial Navy in several battlefronts across the sector, and more recently have been seen in action in the neighbouring Scarus sector, where they are joining the efforts of several other Astartes Chapters in countering the increased ork presence, which emerged in the wake of the 13th Black Crusade.
Yet, word from distant Ultramar is not missed completely, and the colonists who had originated from once-fair Prandium have lobbied the current Chapter Master to rename Zel Tertius to Nova Prandium, in honour of the jewel lost in the face of the Tyrannic threat. Indeed, given the overwhelming popularity of the proposed name change among the colonists, it is likely that such a declaration could be made within decades, yet there are those who believe that the Scions would be taking a step in the wrong direction should they re-name their home world after a planet on the far side of the galaxy, rather than focus on the traditions forged in their current home sector.
+++PLANETARY DATA+++
GALACTIC POSITION: N/A.
CLASS: Frontier World/Astartes Fief.
SUBSECTOR: Drusus Marches.
SATELLITES: One moon (Nova Calth). Ramilies star fort in orbit of Zel Tertius, Scion fleet yards in orbit of Nova Calth.
Nova Calth shares many features with its illustrious namesake – the population live within large self-sustaining subterranean complexes, shielded from solar radiation and capable of surviving independently in the event of a siege.
In addition, the Scions maintain a permanent presence on Nova Calth, operating from a secondary fortress monastery (The Wrath of Hera) roughly equidistant from the three largest lunar cities.
POPULATION: 2,700,000,000.
CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION: Temperate.
MEAN SURFACE TEMPERATURE: 24°C.
TROPOSPHERIC COMPOSITION: Nitrogen 70%, Oxygen 26%, Argon 1%, Ozone 1%, Carbon Dioxide 0.5%.
RELIGION: In stark contrast to non-Astartes fiefs in Calixis, the Chapter Cult as outlined in Ultramar and on other Successor home world holds sway in-system, both among the Astartes and human populations.
As the Ecclesiarchy are forbidden from proselytism on Astartes fiefdoms, the jealous maintenance of this minor, yet irritating, rival faith is a sore spot among the equally-jealous Ecclesiarchal authorities in the sector, yet one they attempt to hide when calling upon assistance from the Scions in various campaigns in the sector.
PLANETARY GOVERNER: Scions of Macragge Chapter Master Scipio Tarquinius.
CLIMATE: Temperate – the world shares a similar mix of tundra, rainforest, temperate zones, deserts and oceans that once lay upon the surface of Prandium, prior to the coming of the Tyranids. Indeed, it is the lush nature of life on Zel Tertius that inspires to a great extent the current campaign for the adoption of the name Nova Prandium.
ECONOMY: Mixed – the system is completely self-sustaining, as befits a home fief of an Astartes Chapter. Nevertheless, a significant range of agricultural and industrial goods are available to export to the neighbouring systems in the sub-sector, yet the Ultramarite minimalist aesthetic of the majority of the local population lowers the demand for outsystem finished goods, compared to Imperial worlds with similar population levels elsewhere.
PRINCIPAL EXPORTS: Perhaps the most prominent ‘export’ of the system is no less than the superlative fighting skill of the Scions of Macragge themselves – a significant asset to Imperial commanders across Calixis. Also, the tradition of raising volunteer regiments for service in the Imperial Guard has been inherited from the distant home worlds of the colonists, and a number of well-equipped regiments deploy often alongside their genetically-enhanced overlords.
PRINCIPAL IMPORTS: There is a moderate market for various finished goods, medical supplies, and other such items in-system, but the dominant ethic among the populace keeps such ‘extravagance’ to a relative minimum.
COUNTRIES AND CONTINENTS: Six main continents – northern and southern polar caps, two northern temperate/tundra landmasses, one equatorial jungle landmass with large inland mountain ranges (including the location of the primary fortress monastery, the Stronghold) and two southern temperate landmasses. Remainder of planetary surface covered in ocean.
DEFENCES: Scions of Macragge (Astartes Chapter, based in primary and secondary fortress monasteries, orbital star fort and fleet yards), Imperial Guard and system PDF regiments (High quality, raised from civilian populations on Zel Tertius and Nova Calth).
CONTACT WITH OTHER WORLDS: While not formally part of the Scions’ fief (as opposed to the direct sovereignty Lord Macragge wields over the eight systems of Ultramar), the nearby Zel Primus and Zel Secundus systems typically follow the lead set by Tertius, and show significant cultural influence from the colonists and infrastructures seen on the Scions’ home world. Indeed, it is not unknown for the Scions to deploy to each system on ‘temporary’ deployments, or for them to establish ‘provisional’ recruitment stations for the Astartes proper. The Current Captain of the 6th Company is a native of Zel Secundus, and it is no surprise to see him lead such ‘visitations’ to the death world, where he tests his Marines against the local xeno creatures and heads recruitment drives on behalf of the Scions.
So far as the wider course of political intrigue in Calixis goes, the Scions tend to side-step such issues. Their primary aim is to develop a strong working relationship with the Imperial Navy, Imperial Guard and Inquisition assets present in Calixis, following the coalition-building traditions of successive Lords Macragge. However, without the might of Ultramar to back them up, the Scions can only do so much in that regard, and even then their successes are often limited to efforts in-theatre.
