The Lion Guard

[VENGEANCE]

THE LION GUARD - A Space Marine Chapter

"...In attack he shall strike with the wrath of the Immortal emperor, felling the foe without mercy, remorse or fear."

From the teachings of Roboute Guilliman as laid down in the Apocrypha of Skaros

ORIGINS

The Space Marines are a warrior caste, spreading across the Imperium of Man and fighting it’s enemies wherever they can be found with righteous bolter in one hand and the animalistic power of their chainsword in the other. There are over 1000 Space Marine chapters in existence in the 41st Millennium, and though many have been forgotten, lost or simply left out of the Imperial notice, those survivors of the Third War for Armageddon will never forget one; the chapter known as the Lion Guard.

These glorious marines, proud in ways only a Space Marine could be, trace their origins back through the millennia to a time before their founding; to the man known as Cleander. Lost during the Dark Age of Technology, the once great world of Lisimba Prime descended swiftly from it’s cities of fire and work to tribes of thirty men or so, congregating in villages and led by the primal version of their Hivecity leader, a Boyar.

Eventually, the tribes became settled in their new way of life, and for almost four thousand years, they fought amongst themselves while the planet retook it’s hold, covering the Hivecities with winter snow and the plains with it’s creatures, most notable the mighty Lisimban Great Lion, a beast which stood seven foot at the shoulder at adulthood and who hunted in prides for meat, both animal and human. None within the villages could match it’s strength and, as the population began to grow, humanity on the planet became an endangered species.

However, all was not lost. As the Boyar’s met for an emergency meeting in the large village, built in the remnants of a Hivecity, the village was ambushed by a pride of Great Lions. In terror, the inhabitants hid in fear, for they had neither the wapons nor the power to overrule even one of the Great Lions, and certainly not the Pride Leader, who was greying in the mane and yet stood well over seven foot.

As the Boyar of the Huntblood tribe, a tribe famous for it’s hunting power, was about to become the Pride Leader’s meal, there was a yell from one of the villagers, who let loose a roar of fury which is said to have matched the Great Lion’s. The boy pounced upon the Great Lion with only his hunting knife to aid him. The Boyar was able to escape the clutches, and watched in horror as the Pride Leader made ready to attack the boy who had taken the Boyar’s place as his next meal. However, the boy somehow managed to repel the Great Lion. It is unknown exactly how he did so, but when the people emerged from their bastions the boy was skinning the hide of the Pride Leader, and the remainder of his pride were walking around the boy in submission.

From then on, the boy named Cleander was viewed as a god in human form. After his triumph over the Great Lions spread, all the tribal leaders journeyed to the village Cleander had made his base camp, and bowed before him, naming him their leader. Cleander, himself only about fourteen years old, managed to unite all the tribes into his kingdom within three months, a feat unimaginable beforehand. Wherever he strode, the people looked in wonder; the shining coat of Great Lion skin hanging from his back and six Great Lions walking passively in his wake.

However, Cleander did more for the people than unite them. Under his guidance, the Lisimbans learnt the ways of the hunt and how to fight better than ever before, as well as how to protect themselves behind tall stone walls. However, his greatest accomplishment as the leader of Lisimba was the instigation of the mighty ranks of Lion Guard, an elite bodyguard to the villages of Lisimba from the Great Lions, drawn from the greatest hunters and warriors of Lisimba. These Lion Guardians were hailed as demi-gods, wearing gold armour and the trophies of their hunts. At the age of sixteen, Cleander was hailed as the Lion Blood, the mythical saviour of the people in Lisimban myth.

But then, something happened which turned Lisimba on it’s head...

THE WOLFSON AND THE LIONBLOOD

Unknown to the people of Lisimba, the Imperium had just entered the 32nd Millennia, and with the Horus Heresy and the Second Founding in history, the Great Wolf of the First Founding Chapter, the Space Wolves, Harek Ironhelm was on a quest to discover and kill the fallen Primarch, Magnus the Red and his Thousand Sons chapter. His quest had led him to the planets bordering the Eye of Terror, one of which was mighty Lisimba.

Ancient Lisimban texts tell of how the Great Wolf, annoyed and irritated at his constant failure to find the Primarch, insulted Cleander and the Lion Guard, calling them weak fools, despite the similiarities between the Fenrisian Culture and Lisimban Culture. Cleander, a man of pride and honour, was furious and challenged the Great Wolf to combat, despite the obvious power of the Space Marine. Harek laughed and said he would crush Cleander’s skull with his boot, something entirely believable. Still, Cleander entered combat with the Great Wolf.

While the Wolf Guard of Harek expected a short-lived duel, their boasts and laughs at the puny human warrior began to fail as Cleander held his own, however narrowly. Finally, the Great Wolf smashed his axe-blade towards Cleander’s head, who managed to raise his own blade to protect his head. This monumental feat was recognised as the sign of a true heo by the Space Wolves, and though Harek delivered a blow to the Lord of Lisimba which knocked him back several meters, it was the Great Wolf who helped the Lion Blood to his feet.

Harek had, for the first time in months, forgotten the Thousand Sons, and he smiled and shook Cleander’s hand with his own huge one, and he offered Cleander the opportunity of a lifetime; the opportunity to give him and those Lion Guard who were old enough the Space Marine surgery. Cleander graciously accepted the honour, and the Lion Guard were born as an Astartes chapter.

AGAINST THE THOUSAND SONS

Cleander and those Lion Guardians who had first been created, around twenty Space Marines, followed the Space Wolves in the search for the Daemon Primarch in order to gain better expirience with which to tutor their own chapter when it came to full power. Together, they traced the forces of the Thousand Sons to the world of Gangava. Cleander and his followers took to the battlefield in standard power armour the golden colour of the Great Lions, Cleander still wearing the pelt of the first lion he had killed, and along with the grey of the Space Wolves tore into the Thousand Sons warriors.

The whisperings of the Thousand Sons proved an extra challenge to the Lion Guard, who had never truly encountered such whispers, but the Lion Guard are proud of the fact they their first skirmish were able to resist the forces of Chaos and win the fight on Gangava with only three casualties. Unfortunately, these lives were let down for nothing, as the forces on Gangava emerged to be a diversion created by Magnus so he could attack Fenris itself, possibly in retribution for the loss of his own homeworld of Prospero to Leman Russ, the Space Wolves primarch.

Rage flooded the Space Wolves and Cleander’s men, for the loss of their warriors for nothing. Still new to the process of Warp-travelling, Cleander and his warriors aboard their own ship committed the most risky Warp-jump ever attempted in the history of the Imperium, one which carried them into close proximity to Warp entities and almost culminating in the release of a Daemon-horde into the Immaterium. However, luckily, Cleander managed to land on the iceland of Fenris before Harek himself could. Cleander and his warriors fought a strike run on the Thousand Sons, following the tactics of Great Lion hunting missions, and soon the tide had changed in the Space Wolves favour. Magnus, furious at this interferance from a young chapter, sent a Zoroa Mazaak, a powerful sorceror, to Lisimba itself.

Cleander attempted to convince the Navigator to commit another Warp-jump as they had used to get to Fenris, but he could not persuade her. Therefore, the Lion Guard arrived at Lisimba to find Zoroa burning his way across the planet. Cleander landed on the planet and called for the entirety of the Lion Guard to come to his aid. With one thousand normal humans at his back, Cleander roared his defiance at the sorceror and raised his Lightning Claws (a gift from Harek) on the battlefield site, a plain known as Blizkreg. Zoroa laughed as he ripped through the pitiful human defenders.

But then, the gods of Lisimba roared in anger as Zoroa made to strike down another of the Lion Guard, and from the edges of their plain their bursted a force of what must have been 80% of the Great Lions on Lisimba. These beasts continued to strike with their viscious might the Thousand Sons, whose empty armour was ripped apart in an orgy of blood and lion roars. Zoroa himself yelled as Cleander entered single combat with him, but with mirth, not with anger. Cleander used all his power against the Thousand Son, though the psychic might of the warrior was his match in every way. Finally, Zoroa bashed the Lord of Lisimba to the ground. All seemed lost as Zoroa raised his staff to kill the Lion Blood. But it was not to be, for then a Great Lion seized his cloak flickering behind him and wrenched him off his master.

The Lion Blood leapt to his feet and then roared the roar of a Great Lion, one which was echoed from the few surviving Lion Guard, both human and Space Marine. Then, he jumped onto the Great Lion’s back and rode him forwards across the battlefield, smiting the surviving Thousand Sons where they stood until finally, the plain was a mess of dead blue armour and Lion Guard.

The First Confrontation was over.

Behold the Lion Guard

THE LION RIDERS EMERGE

Up until the creation of the Lion Guard Adeptus Astartes, the presence of Psykers on Lisimba had been limited to the point of the phenomenon being something of a myth among the people, so little was the gift known. However, soon after the Lion Guard emerged as a full eleven company chapter, something unusual happened.

In the village of Aker, a Boyar’s son, no more than three winters of age, was playing in the fields with his mother, when a Great Lion cub stalked through the long grass to him. In shock, the boy’s mother made a grab for her child, but the lion cub growled when she approached the boy. The boy, whose name was Tarik after his father’s father, did not shrink in fear from the great beast, but instead stood on his feet and touched the cub upon the nose. The cub bowed before the child, who climbed upon it’s back and who accompanied the stunned mother back to the village.

The news of the Lion Rider, a feat none but Cleander had achieved and of one so young, soon reached the Lord of Lisimba, who journeyed to the village with his own Great Lion and a chaplain. Cleander reached Aker and found the boy and his cub, who were standing in the centre of the village, as if waiting for him. Cleander attempted to take the boy from the Great Lion cub, but the beast growled at the Lion Blood. Within moments, Cleander understood what was happening, and smiled. He decreed Tarik the first true Lion Rider; a man who controlled his steed on the psychic level, not out of respect.

From then on, Lion Rider’s were found across Lisimba. The system was more or less the same, although there are stories of mothers, poor and honourless, who take their children into the habitats of the lions in the hope they will be chosen, but more often than not the mother and child are never seen again. These Lion Riders spent half of their lives in the plains of Lisimba with their lion steeds, while the other half they were trained by chaplains and other Lion Riders.

These take the place of Librarian in the Lion Guard, and are highly thought of on both Lisimba and in the ranks of the Lion Guard. Despite their name, the Lion Riders are not always seen upon their Great Lions; instead the lions lead prides into battle, for with their connection to the Lion Rider they have a rather different view upon the battle than their brethren. It is known that when either a lion or it’s Lion Rider is killed, then the survivor goes insane, fighting ferociously to deal vengeance or die in the process to join their beloved lion in the afterlife.

THE LIONS OF DARKNESS

On Lisimba, there is little the people fear more than darkness, for in it there is the possibility a Great Lion is stalking you or a hunter is readying his bow for the kill. Seventy six years after the creation of the Lion Guard, Cleander was entering his two hundredth year. He and his warriors had spread across the galaxy, destroying the Orks on Space Hulk Nebula, annihilating the Eldar pirates of Sittia Prime and brutally retaking the Hive world of Artimadorus from the Necrons as they arose from their iron tombs. Cleander had a host of battle scars, yet he still rode the aged Great Lion Mufasa, now infused with numerous mechanics.

By his side there rode Lion Rider Aker, named after the famed city from which hailed the first Lion Rider, Tarik himself. Together, they journeyed to the small planet of Leapoardis, and, with some aid from the Hawk Lords, overthrew the powers of Warlord Niterida and his Speed Freek mob. Though extensive burning raids were staged across the planet, both chapters knew that the planet would never truly be rid of the foul Xenos.

Nevertheless pleased with the relative triumph, Cleander sent Aker and the Killer (Assault Squad) Company and Ironlion Company to a system where signs of a possible Thousand Son infestation were brewing, while he himself went to fight the Dark Eldar in the sister-system of Lisimba. Aker grudgingly agreed, and went to the system known as Gradium to investigate. Though no trace of the Thousand Sons could be found, Magnus decided to take this chance, not to destroy his hated enemy but instead to turn them into the very thing they fought.

While Aker brooded over Cleander claiming glory over the Dark Eldar while he trapsed around an empty system, Magnus’ chief sorcerer whispered lies and false truths into the mind of Aker. Already sensitive to the warp powers because of his psychic ability, Aker proved fickle to Magnus’ ways and soon fell to the corruptive and mutative powers of Tzeentch. After his defeat of the Dark Eldar, Cleander began to hear reports of a Chaos renegade force in the Gladium system accompanied by what appeared to be a Thousand Son sorcerer.

Cleander contacted Aker to confirm these rumours, and surprisingly quickly, Aker returned saying there was indeed a force on the planet of Gladium VII. Fuelled with hatred for his old enemy, Cleander journeyed with the Hunters and Tigons to the planet, and made planetfall shortly. However, when Cleander and his bodyguard left the confines of their transport, it was to find black armoured warriors surrounding a figure on a creature which vaguely resembled a Great Lion, except it’s hide was pitch blade and matted, and it’s eyes burned with something more magical than fury. As Cleander demanded an answer to what was going on, Aker laughed and told him of his treachery. Then his warriors opened fire.

Taking heavy fire from the tanks especially, Cleander roared his fury at his erstwhile companion, and demanded all forces engage. As his Hunters roared their mechanical steeds towards the enemy, Cleander charged with Mufasa roaring in anger as he smelled the taint in the Chaos Marine’s scent. However, it was soon when Cleander, bloodied and beaten, realised that his forces were outmatched, and only one thing could turn the tide of the battle.

Thumping Mufasa’s mighty neck with his gauntlet, the two sped towards Aker, who was laughing at the scene of carnage before him. Cleander bared his teeth and raised his crackling claws while Aker spun his staff in anticipation, psychic energy rippling from his frame. The duel which followed was of epic proportions; a legend which has transcended into a mythical battle of right against wrong in the primitive tribes of Lisimba. Lion fought lion and leader faced leader as the slaughter happened all around them. But Cleander knew his fate before he had entered combat. With a massive headbutt, Cleander smashed Aker off his steed and onto the ground. Cleander dismounted Mufasa, who tackled Aker’s own creature, and walked towards the traitor.

Those that were there tell of how Cleander stood before Aker as the traitor stabbed through him with his weapon. Cleander let loose a roar of pain as his warriors echoed it and immediately the battle turned in the favour of the loyalists, for as they saw their lord and master fall to the ground, they fought like men possessed; not caring for their own safety but diving into combat to smite the fools who had turned on their master. Aker, who stood over his friends body, was suddenly lifted of the veil which had clouded him, and in a fit of repentance, he allowed Mufasa to deal him an almost deadly blow to the face.

The day was won, but at the cost of their master’s life. Aker fled into the Warp with his denizens, and in the millennia since he has been seen, his face hooded so as not to reveal the horribly mutiliated skin of his face, and he continues to fight the Lion Guard wherever he can, for they are something he will never be again.

So ended the life of the mighty Lion Blood.

SERGEANT LEV'S LAST STAND

Four thousand years passed from the Lion Blood’s death, and the Lion Guard were still fighting across the Imperium against the forces of the Xenos and Chaos. It was one particular battle, however, which has caught the mythmakers of Lisimba by amazement. Sergeant Lev was the leader of a Hunter Pride (Bike Squad), who took to the battlefield of Strumsin against Eldar pirates, who outnumbered them 3 to 1. With the death of the company captain, Lev took control of the offensive, and led the bikers against the Xenos with a ferocity known only to the Lion Guard who have lost a beloved champion.

As the Eldar, having suffered the loss of not only a Wraithlord but of several Eldar lives retreated through one of their Webway gates. Furious at the leave of the Eldar, Sergeant Lev led his squad into the portal, and were never heard of again. The force returned to Lisimba with the news, and Lev’s name was added to the Scroll of Heroes and his statue erected in the Hunter Company’s hall.

But Lev was not gone. It is unknown exactly what happened when Lev entered the webway, but ever since his disappearance, Space Marines riding strange machines of roaring metal have been known to emerge onto the battlefield at random points in Lion Guard history, and still appear in the 41st Millennia. It is believed that Lev and his warriors still return to the Lions of the Emperor in times of need, and, in the event that this tale may be true, the Inquisition are eager to capture and question these Space Marines, for they are believed to hold the answer to the mystery of the Warp, a question no one is really sure is.

THE CLEANSING OF NYBIA V

In 985.M41, Lion Lord (Chapter Master) Juan proclaimed a campaign against the Tau in the now well known Tau Empire. The recently taken planet of Nybia V for the Tau Empire was the first target. The attack was an integrated system, for along with the Lion Guard were warriors of the Mentor Legion, the Novamarines, Black Consuls, Minotaurs and the Emperor’s Scythes. It is unknown why the Emperor’s Scythes entered the battle, for none of the chater’s asked for their aid.

This battle is still being fought between the Tau and the Space Marine forces, though the Emperor’s Scythes have retreated in the face of Lion Lord Juan, who reputed them for their inhumane tactics on the people of Nybia. It is rumoured that Juan and the Emperor’s Scythes commander, Auralius Tyrion, fight came to physical blows which, according to the rumours primarily in the Lion Guard, Tyrion lost.

[VENGEANCE]

Really? It's that good that no one can find a problem with it? Well, I guess I'm flattered.

 

C'mon, guys. Is anyone gonna reply?

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

First off, hold your horses friend. The Liber is a slow board and you only posted this very recently. Secondly, being Australian like myself a fair chunk of the boards northern hemisphere regulars won't necissarily be around when you are.

 

You also have a fairly large IA posted up very quickly, which will take people a while to chew through, or a few return visits.

 

After quickly skimming what you've written I caught your mention of the Space Wolves.

 

Ancient Lisimban texts tell of how the Great Wolf, annoyed and irritated at his constant failure to find the Primarch, insulted Cleander and the Lion Guard, calling them weak fools, despite the similiarities between the Fenrisian Culture and Lisimban Culture. Cleander, a man of pride and honour, was furious and challenged the Great Wolf to combat, despite the obvious power of the Space Marine. Harek laughed and said he would crush Cleander’s skull with his boot, something entirely believable. Still, Cleander entered combat with the Great Wolf.

 

While the Wolf Guard of Harek expected a short-lived duel, their boasts and laughs at the puny human warrior began to fail as Cleander held his own, however narrowly. Finally, the Great Wolf smashed his axe-blade towards Cleander’s head, who managed to raise his own blade to protect his head.

 

I don't like it. It's almost impossible. Space Wolf in Power Armour hits normal human man, human man breaks. Even if he can raise his weapon to deflect the blow the force would break bones at the very least. It's not just about sheer strength either, a marine is physically far superior to a man and a veteran officer would make mincemeat of him within seconds likely.

 

It also smacks of name dropping for the sake of it. The entire section could be removed and replaced with something that doesn't blatantly trip over the very obvious SW inspiration every other sentence.

 

Having a normal human seems to me to simply be more 'awesome' than 'cool', as one particular Liberite once put it. Toning down the awesomeness and making them cooler is the way to go. Where awesome is what you think is cool when you first write them, writing off raw inspiration and putting pen passionately to paper. Objectively, it's not.

 

Just the fact that this man was willing to enter into a fight that he was sure to lose for the sake of his people should have been enough for any truly wise Astartes captain, rather than just a thug, the kind of marine who could never rise through the ranks, with good reason.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Didn't get past the first couple of paragraphs in the Origins section.

 

If a person is reading an IA, then he or she will know who and what a Space Marine is.. Looks like you're just trying to bulk up your word count.

 

Also, having browsed GHY's comments as well.. There are a few rather obvious links to the Sons of Russ, even in those first two paragraphs.

[Hemal]

And I would avoid treading on canon fluff - there is no talk of any interference from another chapter in the Fenris assault. Nor is there any means for a Space Marine chater to just be "given" gene seed and founded like that, not even by the Space Wolves...

 

The world may have been discovered b ythe Space Wolves, fair enough, but I doubt they would go as far as surgery to create a new chapter - rather, Cleander may have been made a Space Wolf himself. And thus the Lion Guard are not actually the Lion Guard but Space Wolves...

 

Space Wolves arriving is all well and good - maybe they HELPED out control the Great Lions and Cleander befriended the space marines and was taken away. Maybe he was made a marine by another chpater after he passed tests and then was made a commander with a founding, soming back to Lisimba with an Imperial fleet and the beginnings of a Marine chapter...