IA: Scions Of Gehenna

[Mazer Rackham]

Ladies and gentlemen, The Mazer Rackham Studio Press Presents:

R

ogal Dorn, Hero of the Gold, Imperial Fist, my Son...you have failed. You did not save me from Horus...now you cannot save your Legion...The Primarch was awake in a second. Dark dreams clouded his mind as black warplate adorned his form. His vision was shattered – his own sons lying broken and scattered across the wasteland of the Iron Cage. The Iron Warriors would suffer for it. His kin would avenge. They would scourge the traitors from the galaxy, as would all his sons, until the end of humanity itself.

Origins:

The Scions were created in the 3rd Founding as Chapter 116 using Imperial Fist gene-stock. This being an age of rebirth for the Astartes and never having founded new Chapters before, worthy Veterans from the First Company formed the core of the command nucleus for the newer sons of Dorn. Given arms and armour both by the Primogenitor Legion and the Adeptus Mechanicus, they inherited a fine array of devices with which to bring destruction upon the enemies of the Emperor.

Homeworld:

The chapter has no home-world and is a crusading fleet. Equipped with two Battlebarges, Hector’s Blade and Shield of Glory, with several Strike Cruisers and attending escorts, the remit of the Scions was to purge the Iron Warriors at every turn.

Combat Doctrine:

The Scions’ humour is set by their commanders. Being staunch members of the old Legion, these Astartes are of the notion that the old ways are the best ways and that leaving no stone upon another is the best option. The Scions specialise in Siege and urban warfare, so much that their armoury is given over to many great vehicles of destruction: The Land Raider, having at least one Achilles pattern in operation, Thunderfire artillery platforms, Whirlwind tanks and many Vindicators. These vehicles are supported by a capable Marine infantry force. They are also quick to exploit opportunities for orbital bombardment and routinely enlist the help of Imperial Guard artillery formations to soften up the enemy for the inevitable assault, breaches being exploited by jump packs, Terminators with Ironclad Dreadnoughts in close support and Thunderhawk gunships on standby for attack runs.

Standard Chapter doctrine during a siege will be to broadcast a demand to surrender to the defenders. Any attempt to surrender will be accepted; up to the point a siege engine reaches the walls of the enemy bastion. After this point no quarter will be invited nor given and the siege will usually grind out to a very bloody conclusion.

Organisation:

Each Battle Company is referred to as a Siege Company. The Veteran and Reserve Companies retain their traditional names, but the Scout or 10th Company is referred to as the Light Company. Each Siege Company has a Strike Cruiser with an extensive arsenal of heavy equipment on board, all the better to implement total destruction at a moment’s notice.

Since there is no fixed size for a Scout Company and the attrition rate of urban and siege warfare is high, the Scions maintain a very large number of Scouts and never prosecute a campaign without at least one unit in theatre to act as a light infantry formation.

Whilst some obvious resemblances can be borne by the Chapter to their parent Legion, the Codex Astartes has made the force far more flexible than the Legion of old, and the Scions can operate in a full spectrum of environments – albeit with a monstrous amount of firepower at their disposal.

Combat Doctrine:

The Scions are the doom of any fortress or the salvation of any strongpoint, knowing instinctively where to strike, where to fall back and most tellingly, where to hold. The stubborn trait exerts a powerful grip on them and they exercise it fiercely, embracing it and turning it into legendary tales of heroic sacrifice.

This attribute is matched by an all consuming indignation that any foe should dare to build any fortress or defences to waylay the righteous wrath of the Emperor. Likewise, any foe that attacks a position occupied by the Scions is treated to the same umbrage, with nought but contempt as their reward, shortly followed by a punishing salvo of well-sighted artillery.

Recently, their ire has been turned against the exploratory fleets of the upstart Tau, whose emissary was greeted with bolter rounds during a full-on boarding operation.

Their most bitter hatred however is reserved for the ancient enemies. Chaos Space Marines have on more than one occasion been on the receiving end of the Scions’ heavy shells. The 13th Black Crusade proved to give the Scions ample employment. Chaos warbands and renegade Imperial Guard formations found out the hard way how much ordnance the Scions possess and what ferocity they could exert in their attacks.

Geneseed:

The Geneseed is of Imperial Fist stock and therefore the Marines have no functioning Betcher’s Gland, nor Sus-An Membrane, but it is otherwise stable.

Battlecry:

Chaplains: Serve Dorn and the Emperor!

Brethren: We do so 'ere Gehenna comes!

[Messor]

I'm sure you mean to add to this, but I think one of your strengths here is simplicity, and directness. Everything is to the point, and not long winded filler, which is a pit I'm trying to get out of in my articles. That's just something I like though, not everyone favors it. The Chapter's M.O. does a good job bringing the idea of Gehenna to mind, imagining an urban center just glowing under constant barrage. I imagine you'll be establishing that as an important part of the Chapter(Something about Gehenna, that is)?

[Mazer Rackham]

Thanks Messor - I was trying to get across exactly that - at one point I didn't have a battlecry fo them at all, just a short passage along the lines of "stop wasting breath and fire more shells!" The Scions are blunt, to the point of being rude in manner and speech. When action is decided on they act immediately and brook no timewasting....all this will get written in soon I hope - but I have a good deal on my hands already! ;)

 

Thanks for looking and your C&C.

 

MR.