The 1st Orphean Polar Rangers
"The Yetis"
The Orphean Polar Rangers’ home world is the large Hive World of Orpheus Prime. Orpheus Prime’s only moon, named Corinth, is the home of The Blazing Fists Adeptus Astartes Chapter. Orpheus Prime is the Capital Planet of the whole Margath System and as such supplies arms and munitions to multiple war efforts through out the system of Margath including an Imperial Navy Battle Group, a detachment of 20 Titans, and their attendants from the nearby Forge World of Maskar II, and 3 missions of the Adepta Sororitas.
Orpheus Prime has 5 major inhabited continents all of which are arranged roughly in the equatorial regions of the planet. These 5 continents are all covered with huge Imperial Cities, called Hive Cities, that exploit Orpheus Prime’s large reserves of petroleum and rare minerals found beneath the surface. There are also multiple manufacturing hives that produce the high quality Orphean pattern Sniper Rifle (which is one of the top sniper rifles in the whole Imperium), the Orphean Pattern Sentinel, and the Orphean Pattern Power Weapon. In addition to the 5 inhabited continents there is also an ice-covered continent at the north pole of Orpheus Prime. This continent is largely uninhabited except for a large relay station with a full astropathic choir at the equatorial north pole of the planet. This relay station is the lynchpin in all of the regional communications and is defended by The Polar Planetary Defense Force or PDF consisting of 9 Orphean Polar PDF companies and 3 companies of the elite Rangers. These troops are taxed with defending the relay station and the small mining colonies along the coast. As these troops are permanently garrisoned on the ice continent they have to conduct extensive patrols across the frozen wasteland to make sure the native Yetis, huge man-eating beasts standing at over 4 meters and weighing over 400 kilos, do not threaten any citizens. As such they quite quickly become experts at camouflage, stealth, marksmanship, and survival. The defense forces quickly found that their Battle-tanks and armored personal carriers were too heavy to transport them across the planet. Soon the troops completely abandoned the use of vehicles except for their specially modified Sentinels. Most of the PDF stationed there have been there for over 5 years and are very well trained. Uncommonly for a PDF force, most of the troops see action quite a few times against the Xenos commonly called Eldar, and the Xenos known as Orcs. This exposure to action leads to the creation of some of the most hardened veterans in the whole Orphean PDF. The hardened veterans of the Polar PDF constantly have their training and courage put to the test. One such occasion happened at The Battle for Munox Glacier.
The Battle for Munox Glacier
The Battle for Munox Glacier was fought 35kms east of the astropathic relay station on the frigid plains of Munox Glacier in MK40.987. The 1st, 3rd and 7th companies of the Polar PDF and the 2nd Ranger Company had cornered a large force of Word-Bearer Chaos-Space Marines, including their Commander [EXPUNGED], between the impassable Tordez Mountains and the frigid Sea of Claws. Although the Word-Bearers were outnumbered and cornered, the Imperial Forces could not make them budge. The Word-Bearers excelled at close combat fighting and were impossible to move from their well-built trench system. The battle went on for 2 months with neither side gaining the upper hand. Finally the Commander of the Imperial Forces, General Isaac Ramhorn, devised a plan to defeat the Word-Bearers. He split his force into 2 divisions. The 1st Division, under the command of Thomas Folag, a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of experience in the Polar PDF, was smaller but more elite consisting of the whole 2nd Rangers and 7 elite platoons from the 1st, 3rd and 7th companies of the Polar PDF. The remaining men in the 1st, 3rd and 7th companies formed the 2nd Division under the command of General Isaac Ramhorn. Under the cover of darkness Ramhorn attacked the Word-Bearer’s trenches. For 8 ½ hours the battle raged between the 2nd Division and the Word-Bearers. The PDF forces lacking the combat ability of the Word-Bearers were being slowly pushed back. General Ramhorn was about to order a retreat when his trap was finally sprung.
While the 8½-hour battle between the 2nd division and the Word-Bearers was raging, Major Folag was leading his division up the treacherous slopes of the Tordez Mountains. For hours they marched through the ice and snow not hearing the sound of the battle far below them. Many men were lost to predators and cold but somehow Major Folag was able to lead his men to their destination. They stopped on a 300-meter cliff overlooking the rear of the Word-Bearers position and a large ammo-dump. Now Folag had to make the most important decision of his career. He could either stay were he was and use his heavy weapon squads to pore enfilading fire into the Word-Bearers rear, or he could descend the cliff and attack the Word-Bearers From behind. Major Folag decided to descend the cliff. Major Folag had done the impossible, he had marched his division for 61/2 hours and over 7kms of some of the harshest terrain on the planet, to the place where he was now standing. He now asked the impossible again. The 1st division although exhausted were aided by the sounds of battle below them. The whole force of almost 750 men descended the cliff in under 2 hours. When they reached the bottom of the cliff they wreaked havoc in the Word-Bearer camp.
For the next 2 hours the combined 1st and 2nd divisions destroyed the Word-Bearers piece meal. Although a timely attack by a force of Word-Bearer Terminators almost broke through, the Imperial Forces carried the day. Not only was the Word-Bearer army all but destroyed, but Commander [EXPUNGED] was also taken prisoner and ritualistically interrogated and tortured by the Chaplains of the Blazing Fists Chapter of Adeptus Astartes. Victory was not bought without a price however, The Battle for Munox Glacier claimed the life of General Ramhorn. Also in General Ramhorn’s 2nd division there were 54.7% casualties, and in Major Folag’s 1st division there were 43.6% casualties. For his exploits in the battle General Ramhorn was awarded the Honorifica Obscuras, the Macharian Cross, and the title Lord Polaris (posthumously). Major Folag (who was wounded twice in the action) was awarded the Medallion Crimson, the Macharian Cross, and the Command of the elite 1st Ranger Company. All members of the 1st division were awarded the Medallion Crimson. Although the troops in this battle were not Imperial Guard they were awarded Imperial guard honors, and they now form the elite core of the 1st Orphean Polar Rangers, with Major Thomas Folag as their com
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