Vulkan He'stan

The Forgefather

Vulkan He'stan was a senior captain of the Salamanders when the chapter's council elected him to a unique standing position: Forgefather, the brother charged with recovering the nine artifacts Vulkan had scattered across the galaxy before his post-Heresy disappearance. The title is not hereditary; the position rotates between captains as each Forgefather completes part of the quest or falls in pursuit.

He'stan accepted the title and has held it for several centuries. He has recovered three of the nine artifacts so far.

The Nine

The artifacts of Vulkan are individually unimpressive in operational terms but theologically central. They include the Eye of Vulkan (a relic-helm), the Spear of Vulkan, the Gauntlet of the Forge, the Chalice of Fire, and others whose names the chapter does not announce publicly. Each was forged by Vulkan personally. Each was hidden where only a Salamander could find it.

The chapter believes — and the Promethean Cult formally teaches — that when all nine are gathered, Vulkan will return.

My primarch hid them where his sons could find them. I have not found them all yet. I will.

— Vulkan He'stan, attributed Promethean ceremony

Method

He'stan travels with a small command-cadre rather than a full company. Each quest typically lasts months or years and ends in a single engagement against whatever force has acquired or guards the artifact in question. He has fought Orks, Necrons, Drukhari raiders, and at least one Daemon Prince in pursuit of individual artifacts.

He is, by Salamanders custom, exempt from chapter-management duties for the duration of his tenure. He returns to Nocturne only between recoveries.

M42

He'stan continues the quest. The Era Indomitus has, in some ways, made his work easier — the Indomitus Crusade's general activity has brought him into contact with sectors he could not previously reach. In other ways harder — Chaos warbands are actively hunting the same artifacts now, having been told by Tzeentchian sorcerers that their possession would prevent Vulkan's return.

The three artifacts he has recovered are kept at Prometheus. The remaining six are tracked.