With my army growing and having reached 12 Company Masters I felt the need to expand upon how they were able to gain that position. Below are the first 8 stories.
Vander
Company Master Vander is currently the senior Company Master and is in command of the Angels of Vengeance Chapter. Gaining this position is rare for a Space Marine of his temperament as he prefers close quarters fighting followed by ripping your enemies apart in close combat. His reasoning is so that your enemies will know who came to reap vengeance upon them. While this is his prefered method of fighting Vander has shown his mastery of other strategies and fighting styles.
Vander earned his place and rank after fighting and leading numerous campaigns and battles. More than a few of which have seen the chapters numbers decimated forcing the chapter to stall its engagement until enough recruits could refill the ranks of the lost battle brothers. His appointment to this position came after he defeated an Ork Waaagh! lead by the Warboss Clakk the Clamper as he invaded the nearby mining sector of MS-485. While not very populated only one main city, the capital of Durth, held most of the PDF forces and Imperial Citizens. The whole sector was extremely rich in raw minerals. This made it a tempting target for Clakk as he aimed to use those resources to build warmachines to continue his Waaah!. Yet to gain the favor of his followers he needed to prove himself in battle.
Rather than take the mining colonies in the sector Clakk attacked the main planet first. Trying to destroy whatever resistance the Imperium had against him in the sector. After establishing a beachead on the main planet Clakk made for Durth. Knowing the Orks would be broken and easier to defeat Vander made a daring drop pod and thunderhawk strike upon the Waagh! as it was en-route to the main planets Hive City. With a new enemy to fight this stalled the Orks long enough to be shelled by the local PDFs artillery. Wanting a quick end to the infestation of Orks Vander and his Assault Squad dropped out of their thunderhawk and straight for Warboss Clakk. In the ensuing close combat Vander defeated Clakk in single combat, ripping his body apart in front of his Waaagh! and presenting his head as a symbol of his victory. With the Waaagh!'s leader dead the orks were quickly routed. Unable to escaped the entire Waaagh! was destroyed, and the planet cleansed of their taint.
Vander carries an artisan pair of ancient lightning claws 'The Claws of the Lion', and wears the relic the 'Shroud of Heroes'.
Charon
Having the same temperament as Company Master Vander Charon enjoys taking the fight to the enemy face to face. Out of all of the battle brothers in the chapter Charon was the least likely to be considered for the rank of Company Master. Not because he has not earned this position, more he shuns laurels and promotions unless thrust upon him. Delivering the enemies of the Emperor to justice is all that matters to him.
The battle that saw all this change was the one that saw the death of former senior Company Master Beld. While the campaign against the Eldar waged on Asylus Beld had the opportunity to take the fight to the enemy, and removed their leadership. It was Company Master Beld's hope that this would end the conflict and drive the Eldar from Asylus. He was correct yet would not see the day come to pass. In assaulting the Eldar Seer's Council Beld was struck down by their Farseer and his witchblade. Enraged Charon charged the Farseer slaying 3 of the warlocks of the council before engaging in close combat with the Farseer.
Once the Farseer was dead rather than run the Eldar fought on. This would prove to be their undoing as Charon and the remaining Angels of Vengeance of this strike force assaulted their ranks. Forgoing ranged weapons the Angels of Vengeance ripped the remaining Eldar apart in close combat. When the battle was over the Angles of Vengeance had won, and the campaign against the Eldar on Asylus came to an end.
Charon carries an artisan pair of ancient lightning claws 'The Teeth of the Lion'.
Mandeus
The Dark Eldar are a deceitful foe, yet that was who Mandeus defeated to earn him the rank of Company Master. The planet of Formund was targeted by a Dark Eldar slave raid. Being the tip of the spear Mandeus did a daring high altitude insertion of his Assault Squad. Once on the ground he relayed back coordinates for the remainder of the company to be able to insert via Drop Pods and Thunderhawks. The Dark Eldar Archon of the Cabal of Three Eyes attempted to flee with whatever slaves he was able to capture as the Angles of Vengeance arrived. Cutting off the Archon's escape Mandeus beheaded him and destroyed most of the Dark Eldar forces leaving them with no Imperial Citizens to return with as slaves.
Mandeus carries with him the relic 'Monster Slayer of Caliban'.
Artemius
With a distress signal from Desperation Artemius responded. The Tau had decided to test the strength of this sector to see if it would be ripe for conquest. Only after the battle did the Angels of Vengeance learn that the Tau thought that Desperation was a completely different planet, and that they had been caught in a warp storm sending them far off course. No matter to Artemius who realized the best way to defeat the Tau was to take away their mobility. Destroying their only tanks and APCs, and with no reinforcements coming they were unable to replenish their vehicles, the Tau were forced to make a last stand. Before they were able to make a solid firebase Artemius called down artillery strikes from the local PDF forces and ships in orbit. With the Tau in disarray Artemius lead the charge and struck down the Tau leadership, Commander Stillwater.
Artemius carries with him the artisan power sword 'Oath Keeper'
Balthasar
Having only recently taken command of his company, Balthasar was promoted to his rank as a Deathwing Sergeant to succeed Company Master Zadakiel after his death at the hands of the Crimson Slaughter. His lifetime of servitude to the Deathwing has honed him inot a crafty and cunning tactician. He holds a great personal anger against the Crimson Slaughter for murdering his mentor.
Balthasar carries the relic 'Lion's Roar'.
Greyston
Earning his rank by his actions against a Chaos Space Marine Pirate raid upon the Chapter's Fortress Monastery on Vengeance during a series of severe warp storms. Only a third of the Chaos forces were able to make planet fall, the rest being shot out of the sky and destroyed. The Chaos fleet was soon destroyed by Retribution Citadel and other orbital defenses. Sensing that the raid was not going well the Chaos Gods used their powers to teleport the chosen survivors back into the Eye of Terror. Sadly Greyston and his Tactical Squad were sucked into the warp with them. 458 years later during the 13th Black Crusade the Angels of Vengeance were notified that Greyston was alive, and as well as his squad. A space hulk had made transition from the warp, yet oddly had signaled for aid. When the Dark Angels arrived to assist they were astonished to find Greyston, his squad, and another Battle Brother thought lost years ago.
Upon returning to the chapter Greyston and the survivors were interrogated by the Chapters and Dark Angels Librarians and Interrogator-Chaplains. Upon finding no taint of chaos within them, and a stern resolve in Greyston, the Dark Angels returned them to their chapter.
Greyston carries the artisan Thunder Hammer 'Hammer of Vengeance' and the relic 'The Eye of the Unseen'.
Odwin
In the Thramus sector was where Odwin earned his rank of Company Master. Facing off against a Necron Scouting fleet probing the sector for any signs of life to destroy. After succeeding in destroying all of the Necron scout ships the Necrons changed tactics and sent a large force to assault the main planet of Thramus itself. Engaging with the Necrons Odwin noticed that something was odd about their tactics and behavior. It seemed as if this force was not there to outright challenge the forces of the Imperium, but to gauge their defenses and report back.
Odwin realizing that was most likely the case devised a strategy to encircle and destroy the Necron forces before they were able to send word back of the size of the Imperial forces. With the Necron's scouting attempt foiled, they retreated from the sector. It is only a matter of time before they will return.
Odwin carries with him the relic 'Foe-Smiter'.
Dominus
Company Master Dominus was found by, the now known Company Master, Greyston upon a Space Hulk upon its transition from the warp by the Dark Angels. 324 years ago Dominu was in command of then a squad of Company Veterans, or Vengeful as they are known. A distress call was made for aid by a nearby planetary governor that an unknown space hulk, a Retribution Class Battleship and others, had spewed forth from the warp at the edge of their system. Dominus was tasked to investigate. Since there were no terminators or terminator armor aboard his strike cruiser, the Divine Reason, at the time it was a simple recon mission. Get in, scout the area, and if possible shut off the warp engines. Dominus was supposed to withdraw at the first sign of danger as reinforcements were coming.
Upon boarding via a boarding torpedo Dominus and his squad scouted the ship finding nothing but the bodies of the dead crew. Most died due to warp exposure. Finding no enemies or lifesigns of any kind throughout the ship, they made quick work to the warp engines. Communications were still good, and now with no fear of the ship making a jump into the warp Dominus decided to press his luck. Voxing back to the Divine Reason Dominus updated them with their status. The plasma reactors needed stabilizing, the main cogitator was nearby and could be accessed, and the Astropath chamber could be investigated to see what had happened. First the plasma reactors were stabilized. With power now back to the ship, and no longer sporadic, Dominus and squad made way for the main cogitator. Using a requisitioned cogitator core Dominus began the download. While accessing the main cogitator Dominus learned that this Retribution Class Battleship was the Lighting's Spear thought to had been lost centuries ago battling a renegade Chaos Space Marine Chapter The Blighted. Realizing that retrieving the rest of the data from the cogitator would take time Dominus sent the rest of his squad to investigate the Astropath Chamber. His task done he placed the cogitator core into its protective container and voxed his squad.
Upon not hearing from his squad at the completion of his task he went to investigate. In the Astropath chamber he found his brothers slain at the hand of xenos. The Astropath had sacrificed herself to lock them in the chamber with her. Dominus' squad did not go down quietly and the chamber was littered with the corpses of numerous Geanstealers. Dominus requested instructions from the Divine Reason, yet heard nothing but static in reply. Making way for the boarding torpedo Dominus slayed what Geanstealers got in his path. Vox communication with the Divine Reason was sketchy the closer he made to the boarding torpedo. Something was jamming them. As Dominus made way down the last corridor to his boarding torpedo he saw something sinister. A Demon from the Warp had teleported in front of him blocking his path. Using the bodies of the crew as vessels the Demon teleported from one to the other. There were too many for Dominus to handle alone and get a clear path to the boarding torpedo.
The Divine Reason voxed over in broken chunks that the warp engines had activated and a translation into the warp was minutes away. Realizing that he would not make it to the torpedo Dominus made way for the bridge. With power restored he needed the gellar field up before the transition into the warp. While enroute he ran through the rescue deck. Finding a lifeboat that he could not hope to fit in for it was made for Imperial Navy crew and not for Astartes, he threw the cogitator core in the seat, set it for immediate launch, and pressed the activation rune. "At least the data from the ships cogitator would make it off the ship", Dominus thought. With vox communication still choppy Dominus gave a status report. The Divine Reason acknowledged about the cogitator core, and if he could get to the bridge they might be able to teleport him out.
Reaching the bridge Dominus found the controls for the gellar field and warp engines. Upon communication with the Divine Reason Dominus knew that they would not be able to get him off the ship in time. He voxed over his last orders and status, and activated the gellar field before the translation into the warp. It would be another 120 years until he was found by Greyston. With the help of Greyston and his squad, Dominus was able to return the Lightning's Spear to real space, banish the demon back into the warp, and regain contact with their chapter. They were rescued within a day, however, it was not as much a rescue as a retrieval for all other enemies aboard the space hulk had been slain. After debriefing and finding no corruption or taint upon Dominus he was returned to the Angels of Vengeance. The Interrogator-Chaplains and Librarians of the Dark Angels ensured it was recorded his resistance to Chaos and purity of faith in the Emperor.
Dominus carries with him the relic the 'Mace of Redemption'.
