Changes

In an interesting example of juxtaposition, however, the fluctuating gravity of Nocturne makes training with certain units such as Land Speeders and Bikes difficult, therefore the chapter makes little use of them, in favour of Devastator squads and Terminator Squads. Trained never to give up or retreat, Salamanders are capable of going on when their entire squad is dead, holding positions for months on end. This is one of the more significant effects of Promethean doctrines upon the Chapter's collective psyche. Before each battle the Salamanders get a brand mark each by a Brander-Priest. This symbolizes their respect for the chapter. Only veterans ever get brand marks in on their faces.{{Fn|1a}}

* '''Rituals of Interment and Ascension''' - When a [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] of the Salamanders is slain, this ceremony is performed to commemorate his passing, and celebrate his successors promotion. The ritual involves chaining what remains of the fallen to a vast, [[ceramite]] coated slab of black marble. This slab is then lower lowered into a lava flow which pools within a vast, ceramite-sided, basin of volcanic rock. The slab is lowered by means of two chosen Astartes robed in the traditional garb of Nocturnean metalworkers, who pass chains twice the size of a an Astartes fist and etched with symbols of the forge - the flame, the anvil and the hammer - through their hands. As the chains are red-hot from the heat of the lava below, the symbols are branded into the palms of the incumbents. The Astartes must grip the chains precisely and in unison, for any deviation will result in an irregular brand - a mark of great shame that will be scoured away in disgrace. Following this Ritual of Interment, comes the Ritual of Ascension. The prospective Captain is stripped naked aside from a sash to preserve his dignity and branded with the marks of a Captain upon his chest and right shoulder. Stepping onto a dais, the ascendant is subjected to a blast of flame from below, surrounding him in a pillar-like inferno for a few seconds. This complete, the ascendant is addressed by the [[Regent of Prometheus]] with the words' ''"Vulkan's fire beats in my breast..."'', to which the ascendant concludes, ''"...with it, I shall smite the foes of the Emperor."'' Finally, the Regent bids the new Captain to rise.{{Fn|4a}}

* Upon the start of a new campaign, each Salamander builds his own pyre, separate from his battle-brothers and leaves, returning when the flames are at their apex. In solitude, they anoint their armour and focus upon the key tenants tenets of the Promethean Cult.{{Fn|5a}}