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Apothecary

He that may fight, heal him. He that may fight no more, give him peace. He that is dead, take from him the Chapter's due. While his geneseed returns to the Chapter, a Space Marine cannot die. Without death, pain loses its relevance.


White Scars Firstborn Apothecary[14]

Apothecaries are Space Marines with special medical training. Their role in battle is to recover the Chapter's gene-seed from killed Marines and to tend to the wounded. Outside of combat, Apothecaries are responsible for monitoring recruits and neophytes for mutation or flaws in their gene-seed organs and implants.[1]

Overview

 
Dark Angels Primaris Apothecary[19]

The Apothecary's role is to serve as a field medic and bio-researcher. Along with being highly trained in medicine, they are among the elite warriors in the chapter.[1]

Apothecaries are greatly honoured within the Chapter, as they are responsible for maintaining the purity of its gene-seed. If its gene-seed were to become mutated, it could well bring the Chapter's extinction or its fall to Chaos. The Apothecaries are charged with maintaining the health and genetic purity of the Space Marines. Their skills and equipment, when combined with the added organs and resilience of a Space Marine, allow an Apothecary to perform battle surgery with a good chance of success.[1]

Not all wounded Marines can be saved; some are beyond even the Apothecary's skills. In this case, it is the Apothecary's responsibility to administer "the Emperor's Peace" (euthanasia) to those warriors who deserve it. The Apothecary's medi-pack (known as a Narthecium) includes a special humane killer for this task, called a Carnifex — a solid spring-loaded piston of metal. This is applied to the sufferer's temple, its powerful spring hurling the piston through the Marine's brain and killing him instantly.[3]

It is also the Apothecary's duty to harvest from the bodies' of fallen Marines the two implanted Progenoid glands, allowing for the gene-seed material to be cultivated and re-implanted in a Neophyte. Marines rarely go into battle without an Apothecary being available, as every Marine is a valuable resource and to lose any of their gene-seed would be a blow to the Chapter.[2]

Each Company in a Chapter has an attached Apothecary that accompanies them into battle. Additional Apothecaries staff the Apothecarion, although they rarely take to the field, instead acting as bio-researchers and occupying themselves in taking part in the training of Neophytes and potential new Apothecaries.[2]

Apothecaries that seek to understand Xenos biology and collect samples from such foes in order to better combat them in the future are known as an Apothecary Biologis[25]

Heraldry

 
Prime Helix symbol and variants.
[2]

The insignia of the Apothecaries is the prime helix, rendered in bright red.[16] The symbol represents the sacred code of the Chapter's gene-seed.[2] The helix symbol is often adorned with additional iconography such as wings and skulls.[16] This double helix is also known as a caduceus symbol.[38]

The Apothecaries of most Chapters wear white power armour, with the left shoulder plate retaining the Chapter colors along with the Chapter symbol. The right shoulder armour displays the prime helix. Some less traditional Chapters use different schemes.[2]

It it known that many Apothecaries personalise their colours, like having only the helix on their helmet's brow and their right shoulder plate in white[28], only their Narthecium, helmet, right right shoulder plate and knee in white[30], only their Narthecium, the bracer it's on, helmet, left shoulder plate trim, right right shoulder plate and knee in white[30], only their narthecium, the bracer it's on, right shoulder plate trim in white, with the right shoulder plate in red with a white helix on it[31], their armour bone coloured instead of white[32], both their pauldrons in Chapter's colours,[33a] only their helmet in their Chapter's colours,[33c] and some Apothecaries keep fully to their Chapter's standard colours.[29][33b]

Chapter Variations

  • The Blood Angels Apothecaries bear the honorary title Sanguinary Priest. In addition to their roles as medics and overseeing the induction of new recruits, the Sanguinary Priests share a role with the Angels' Chaplains in watching over their battle-brothers' spiritual well-being, guarding against the influence of the Red Thirst and the Black Rage.[4]
  • The Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves combine the roles of Apothecary and Chaplain within their Great Companies. They also prefer not to use Codex medical equipment but instead use healing potions and balms, the knowledge passed down through the generations.[5]
  • The Emperor's Spears group together their Apothecaries with their Chaplains, Techmarines, and Librarians under the title Druids, who all have black armour.[26] These warrior-priests each stand ready to harvest the gene-seed of fallen brothers, as well as performing their own duties based on their specialist skills and esoteric abilities.[27]
  • Grey Knights Apothecary

Primaris Apothecaries

 
Helix Adept[34]

The new generation of Primaris Space Marines also utilizes Apothecaries. Unlike their firstborn cousins, they are known to wield reductor and absolvor bolt pistols.[17]

Primaris Apothecary Initiates may also become a specialist known as a Helix Adept, which is assigned to a Vanguard Space Marine squad.[18]

Initiate Apothecaries

Initiate apothecaries are still in training; they have been selected due to the medical talents they have shown while serving in their squadrons[24b]. Initiates are apprenticed to an apothecary for their training and will also assist in their mentor's duties[24a]. However, until they are declared apothecaries themselves, the initiates must continue to serve in their squads when they are not undergoing training.[24b]

Primus Medicae

 
Primus Medicae[21]

Primuses Medicae were high-ranking Apothecaries of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. These officers held the onerous duty of overseeing the battle-readiness of their Battle-Brothers and above all else protecting the Legion's Gene-Seed.[21]

Notable Apothecaries

Images

See also

Sources


 

This article or article section is based on information included with miniatures showcased in Warhammer: Visions. These showcases regularly featured miniatures submitted with written content by the hobbyist that made them and, as such, their content may or may not be in contradiction to established background lore.


Space Marine Infantry
Chapter Command Chapter Master • Master of Sanctity • Chief Librarian • Master of the Apothecarion • Master of the Forge • Master (Master of the Watch • Master of the Fleet • Master of the Arsenal • Master of the Marches • Master of the Rites • Master of Relics • Lord Executioner • Master of Recruits • Master of the Signal • Master of Reconnaissance) • Chapter Ancient (Primaris Ancient) • Chapter Champion • Honour Guard
Company Command Company Command Squad • Reclusiam Command Squad • Captain (Primaris Captain) • Lieutenant (Primaris Lieutenant • Vanguard Lieutenant) • Company Ancient (Bladeguard Ancient) • Company Champion
Specialists Librarian (Epistolary • Codicier • Lexicanum • Primaris Librarian • Vanguard Librarian) • Chaplain (Reclusiarch • Primaris Chaplain • Judiciar) • Apothecary (Primaris Apothecary • Helix Adept) • Techmarine (Primaris Techmarine)
Veteran Squads Sternguard Veteran Squad • Vanguard Veteran Squad • Terminator Squad (Terminator Assault Squad) • Bladeguard Veteran • Veteran Intercessor Squad • Company Veterans
Battleline Squads Tactical Squad • Intercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) • Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault Squad • Assault Intercessor Squad • Jump Pack Intercessor Squad • Inceptor Squad • Reiver Squad • Incursor Squad • Assault Centurion Squad
Fire Support Squads Devastator Squad • Hellblaster Squad • Aggressor Squad • Eliminator Squad • Suppressor Squad • Eradicator Squad • Desolation Squad • Infernus Squad • Devastator Centurion Squad
Scouts Scout Squad
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