Emperor's Maul

The chapter has stayed largely guarded about its number but, by drawing from throughout the stream, has always managed to maintain a high state of readiness. It is anticipated that the current chapter strength is above the codex chapter approved strength of 1000, floating around 1100. During the Ultima Founding, the Emperor's Maul were slow to incorporate their Primaris counterparts.

Being originally a fleet based chapter, most of its original equipment was brought with them from outside the stream. The Black Mace orbital fortress being the most valuable of the chapters grand arsenal. While working with the forces in the sub-sector, the naturally aloof nature of the chapter has led to strained and distant relations with the forge worlds of the Hephaestus System. Instead, the Emperor's Mauls prefer to acquire their equipment either through a middle broker or out of sub-sector. Most notably is the reticence of the chapter to dock at the Hephaestus Eta Shipyards, choosing instead to have claimed a secluded wing of the Nemesis Starport.   While the fleet is maintained to a respectable degree, their predilection for close assault and boarding actions has lead to almost no vehicles within the chapter and the use of dreadnoughts rare. However the few vehicles that the chapter does possess are air frame such as the Thunderhawk, Stormhawk, and even the rare Storm Eagle despite their icy relationship with the sub-sector's Adeptus Mechanicus.

The Emperor's Maul Chapter has largely remained a pre Ultima codex compliant chapter with the High Marshal in charge of the 10 Companies known as Hosts. Each of his Captains holding sway of roughly 100 marines. The notable exemption to the chapters composition is a higher than average number of apothecaries. Each Host has a designated Lore Master, an apothecary who acts as a second in command to the company captain.

Being founded as a fleet based chapter, its doctrine is rooted in boarding actions and close assaults. This typically manifests itself in the use of drop pods, boarding torpedoes, and teleportation insertion using close range or melee weapons. These assaults typically are spearheaded by their most heavily armored Terminators, Aggressors, and Centurion contingents. The most crucial of assaults however are lead by the the Mourningstars. These are the elite veterans of the chapter gifted with master crafted power mauls and impenetrable storm shields. Few have seen the receiving end of a Mourningstar strike and lived. Either falling to the brutal blows of the power weapons or shredding fire of close range storm bolter fire.    These assaults however hinge on their ability to close with the enemy and thus achieve cover through incredibly proficient use of their air and void squadrons. Typically using airpower to soften defenses and suppress enemy firing positions, it is then with relative safety that the astartes on the ground can both close with and destroy the enemies of the Imperium.

The chapter's recruitment strategy pulls from throughout the stream rather than the planet of Ornis itself. With Ornis being uninhabitable on the surface with no known life, the chapter instead uses its extensive volcanic tunnel networks for training and for the rights of passage known as "The Gauntlet". The recruits are placed at the outward edges in these tunnels at roughly 1000 at a time and told that only 100 are permitted to leave through a central passage, and all 100 must be present to leave one day after the last arrives. What proceeds is a fight to the death where only the strongest band of recruits arrive at the center and defend their claim at rescue.   The bonds formed by those 100 are then maintained throughout their time as a neophyte. The aim of the chapter being to forge unbreakable bonds of brotherhood between the new brothers. When eventually as the neophytes are assigned throughout the companies, the whole chapter becomes more closely tied to itself.