Chapter Relics and Awards

Cyclops Chapter Relics
Though the chapter is far from one of the oldest or most well equipped chapters in the galaxy, their history has been long enough for the accumulation of several rare pieces of technology that would be the envy of any chapter anywhere.

The Solis Blade and Shield – These relics were taken from the personal effects of mad magos Dession upon his defeat who had no doubt understood the immense value these two items held. The Solis blade takes the form of a surprisingly plain looking power sword, save for a series of runes of an unknown script inscribed along the center of the blade. Though the weapon appears to be of ancient human origin and is scaled for astartes use, it bears no known relation to any pattern of weapon utilized by these warriors in their long history, perhaps dating it to the wars of unification or terra or even earlier to the age of strife or Dark Age of technology. Unlike the majority of imperial power weapons it glows with an almost white hot fiery radiance, almost appearing to melt through any material it is faced with.
The Solis shield likewise shares a similarly plain appearance and somewhat large size, potentially also sharing a similar providence with the Solis blade. When its internal shield generator is activated via kinetic or energy impact, a brilliant sphere of orange energy temporarily seems to protect the bearer from harm, making the wielder appear as if they were briefly surrounded by a bubble of holy flame.
Since their acquisition by the chapter both of these relics have become the official weaponry of the chapter master, only to be touched by their hands or those of their personal artificers. Over the years both the sword and shield have been painstakingly engraved and decorated by the finest chapter artificers, with the hilt of the Solis blade and facing of the Solis shield now proudly baring the design of the imperial Aquila.

The Black Lightning Armor – This relic was originally found dissembled and squirreled away in a munitions crate in the hold of a captured pirate vessel who very obviously had no idea of the value of the item they had found. This consists of a set of ancient Mk 1 power armour, likely dating from the unification wars. How it had found its way all the way out to the eastern fringe over all these years and buried, seemingly almost forgotten, in a pirate’s hold was a mystery none could even begin to unravel. Though found in poor repair, the suit of armor was lovingly restored by chapter artificers and put on display in a stasis field in the chapter fortress monastery. Though it has never been used in battle due to its great age and inferiority to more modern power armor, it acts as a relic of a time of legends when the emperor still directly commanded troops across the face of ancient terra toward a new tomorrow for humanity; a spirit the chapter seeks to continue over ten thousand years later.

The Steel Halo – This item in appearance is all but identical to the more common iron halos used by most astartes captains, however it incorporates an energy field much stronger than is typical for most imperial shield technology of its size, being similar in strength to the more powerful shield generators incorporated into storm shields. The exact providence of this relic (like most others) is unknown but is obviously of imperial design, perhaps dating to the much earlier years of the imperium or great crusade when similar feats of technological ingenuity were more common. It was initially taken off the body of the leader of an otherwise minor imperial secessionist faction during the chapter’s first conflicts. Where exactly this individual had acquired such an item remains a mystery.

Crusade Era Contemptor Dreadnought – While some few chapters can boast ties to forge worlds that still maintain the extremely rare technological lore to re-produce the ancient Contemptor pattern dreadnought, the Cyclops chapter is not one of them. As a result the chapter only has a single example of such a war machine, recovered disassembled and unpainted from the stash of crusade era astartes equipment recovered after the conclusion of the battle with mad magos Dession. Though the chapter is able to keep this venerable walker in fighting condition thanks to the extensive supply of replacement components the stash also contained, they remain unable to reproduce this design due to not possessing its STC blueprint.
Due to the immense value of this particular piece of hardware, it is only deployed in the most vital battles the chapter engages in and is always recovered when damaged or disabled no matter the cost. Only the most well respected chapter heroes have been allowed interment in the sarcophagus of this war machine, with the dreadnought currently holding its third such occupant, former chapter master Fotadon, felled after many centuries of exemplary service in the middle years of M41.

Crusade Era Mk IV Warhawk Stormbird – Even amongst the greatest space marine chapters of the modern day, very few can boast of possessing such a machine, long since phased out over the more easily producible thuderhawk. This too was recovered within the same collection of as of yet unused crusade era astartes equipment previously controlled by mad magos Dession and was the crown jewel of such a bounty. Though meticulously presided over by only the most senior chapter techpriests and mechanicum adepts, this vehicle has only been flown but a few times as any damage incurred upon it is almost impossible to adequately repair as its design is all but unknown to the modern imperium. The only times it has ever (and will ever) been used in battle is when the very security of the chapter’s fortress monetary and entire homeworld is threatened, most recently against the assault of splinter fleet Wyvern in M41 999 where the craft narrowly avoided being shot down when transporting the chapter master and an entire company of astartes to directly combat the Tyranids that had managed to make planetfall.

Aetheric Destroyer Bomb – Though the imperium boasts many varieties of superweapon capable of destroying entire planets, few (if any) share any resemblance to this extremely rare piece of technology of incredibly ancient and unknown origin. From what little ad mech adepts have been able to discern about the device it appears at its core to share a design similar to an imperial warp core, though small enough to fit in a single room rather than taking up most of an entire ship. Its function therefore is speculated to tear a large hole in reality within a gravity well, causing extensive damage to whatever body it happens to be closest to before violently collapsing sending out a shockwave of pure warp energy, capable of shattering the weakened crust of any planet or potentially even triggering a nova reaction if detonated close to a star.
How the chapter came to possess such a device is unknown, though agents of the inquisition are heavily suspected to have been involved somehow. The unique rarity and destructive power of the bomb means the chapter will only ever consider using it in the most dire situation imaginable, when even ‘normal’ methods of exterminatus might be deemed insufficient. Likewise secrecy of the item is deemed of vital importance should enemy agents seek to claim it for their own ends. The device therefore is not stored along with other chapter relics in the fortress monastery but rather on a top secret (but heavily fortified) abandoned asteroid mine in the primary asteroid belt of the Cyo system.


Cyclops Chapter Awards
The cyclops chapter carries on the tradition of the most commonly issued honors amongst the greater number of Astartes all over the galaxy, though of course includes some awards unique to the chapter.

Imperial Laurel – This award is only given to a chapter member who either continues to display exemplary skills in battle over a period of many years or less commonly is presented to a marine who has performed some extraordinary feat of valor or heroism far beyond what is ‘typical’ even for an Astartes. The presentation of such an honor marks out a marine as having earned ‘veteran’ status and thus is permitted to paint their helmet white in recognition, as well as earning the honor of entry into the 1st company or company command squad. While the white helmet itself denotes the earning of this award, many marines still choose to have some kind of laurel device etched into, attached or painted somewhere on their armor (though around the temple is most traditional).

Iron Skull – Only chapter members who display exemplary leadership skills over many years may earn this honor. Due to the time this often takes it is next to unheard of for a marine to earn this honor before also earning the Imperial Laurel. Marines who receive this award are given permission to be promoted to a squad sergeant (either in their original company or 1st / 10th company) and will paint their helmets red upon receiving this commission. The award itself is always simply displayed as a simple iron skull affixed, etched or painted onto the center of a marine’s helmet, though may be displayed elsewhere if the recipient advances beyond sergeant rank.

Iron Halo – A further rank displaying continued exemplary leadership and tactical skills beyond what is already required for an iron skull. Receiving this reward is always conducted simultaneously on promotion from company lieutenant to company captain and as such only serving captains or those who have willingly stepped down from this position possess this award. This is usually displayed as either a halo shaped pendant worn around the neck or a semicircular device attached to the peak of a marine’s backpack. The honors themselves, far from merely being decorative hold much additional value as all incorporate a small but extremely difficult to manufacture energy field which offers additional protection to the bearer. Each one of these is considered a chapter relic and is passed down for many years as the production of even one of these relics of the dark age of technology requires the years long toil of the finest ad mech scions of micro engineering.

Marksman’s Honor – Marines who display continued exemplary marksmanship over an extended period of time receive this honor in recognition of their abilities. This honor is used within the chapter to assign sternguard veterans within the first company, though many outside this company may also possess this honor (especially in the 9th company). This honor always consists of the recipient receiving a single gilded bolter shell engraved with a skull. Though of course not meant to be ever fired from a bolter, several heroic last stands have involved marksman honor bearers firing this shell as a final act of defiance. The honor is also often painted on a marine’s armor with a golden bolter shell or a crosshairs device.

Warrior’s Honor - Marines who display continued exemplary close combat skills over an extended period of time receive this honor in recognition of their abilities. This honor is used within the chapter to assign vanguard veterans within the first company, though many outside this company may also possess this honor (especially in the 8th company). This honor always consists of the recipient receiving a tiny adamantium sword icon, about the size of a pocket knife. In times of deepest desperation some warriors honor recipients have been known to make usage of this award as a makeshift dagger in combat. This honor is also often painted on a marine’s armor as a sword or crossed swords device.

Crux Terminatus – Though not a specific honor awarded to individual marines, the crux itself is a device which along with the laurel is used to denote veterancy and as such all those who have earned the imperial laurel may also decorate their armor with this Icon, though such an icon is typically only used after a marine has served in a veteran formation for a significant amount of time. Suits of TDA always sport a large, highly detailed version of this icon affixed to their left shoulder pad which along with the energy field generated by the armor acts as an additional ward against psychic forms of attack, with some of the very oldest icons allegedly incorporating a tiny piece of the emperor’s own armor.

Blood Drop – Marines who have received some type of extremely serious injury and have returned to active service will often receive this honor. Due to the remarkable physiology of a space marine little less than the loss of one or more limbs, serious abdominal/facial wounds or extremely serious acid/plasma burns are likely to earn this honor. As a result every marine who receives this distinction are likely to have received extensive cybernetic reconstruction. Receiving this honor more than once without being killed/interred in a dreadnought is seen as a mark or remarkable tenacity, even for a space marine. Those interred in a dreadnought therefore receive this honor by default. The honor itself is represented as a simple red blood drop marking somewhere on a marine’s armor.

Iron Shield – An award given to marines that through their personal actions put themselves deliberately in harm’s way to save the lives of one or more of his battle brothers (or indeed those of other imperial warriors or civilians) and live to tell the tale. This award is typically only presented when the action in question led to the saving of a significant amount of lives under extremely severe circumstances. This honor is usually represented by a simple silver shield marking painted/inscribed/affixed somewhere on the wearer’s armor. A gold version of this honor is presented to a marine posthumously if they died in such a heroic feat of self-sacrifice. A rarer red variant of this award exists for those who through similar actions led to the saving of extremely valuable/ancient technology highly valued by the chapter forge or scions of mars. This however is never awarded if such an action was performed at the detriment of friendly lives.

Xenos Bane – An award presented to a marine who has consistently demonstrated particular expertise in the efficient slaying of one or more species of Xenos over a long period of time, though is sometimes more rarely given to a marine who has committed a single suitably heroic act of xenocide in a single battlefield operation. Understandably only marines who have earned this honour are considered when seconding forces to the death watch. This award generally takes the form of some kind of xenos skull marking on a marine’s armor, the type of skull of course corresponding to the marine’s preferred prey. Recipients of this award however are also allowed the honor of affixing battlefield trophies from their xenos prey to their armor if desired.

Warp’s Bane – A suitably rare reward in the chapter (though has become substantially more common since the fall of cadia), this honor is only presented to marines who either have excelled over a long period of time in the slaying of warp spawn or psychically gifted enemies or who have displayed a near indomitable will in resting a suitably powerful form of psychic attack. Thus only warriors who have received this honor are expected to be able to pass the chapter’s rights of initiation into the Odyssian guard. This award generally takes the form of some kind of demonic skull marking on a marine’s armor. Recipients of this award however are also allowed the honor of affixing battlefield trophies from their tainted foes to their armor if desired.

Service Studs – A long service honor with each ‘stud’ representing a full century worth of active service. Though these used to typically consist of a simple steel stud attached to a marine’s forehead this practice has fallen out of favor with the honor instead now being represented somewhere on the marine’s armor as small star or skull devices.