The Renegade Legion

[Augustus]

Booo.

My primarch doesn't even have stats yet and he's already beaten

[Augustus]

Booo.

My primarch doesn't even have stats yet and he's already beaten

[simison]

Heh. You'd root for the Lion even if he was corrupted?

[simison]

The new changes occurred shortly after the Albyon campaign, which would become a future recruiting site for the II^nd Legion. Originally, while recruits came from all corners of Terra during its earliest days, the lion's share of bodies would come from Jermani. This small techno-barbarian state would be one of the few Terran political entities to wholly embrace the Emperor's new Imperium. At the time, Jermani was divided into a caste system with the ruling caste composed of warrior-priests, who alternated between warring with their neighbors and each other. However, no matter how much they appeared to be divided, they were united in their religion with some minor variations. Chief among their tenets was the prophecy of the OberMann. Coming from an ancient prophet in M2, it was predicted that one day the OberMann, or the Supreme Human, would one day come and unite the various tribes and led them into a glorious 10,000 year reign. 

 

To them, the Emperor was the individual they had long awaited. With the exception of only one Bischof who was summarily executed, Jermani rallied behind the Emperor. The Emperor accepted them into Jermani and would gradually erase the religious overtones. (Of course, not long after the end of the Horus Heresy, Jermani quickly returned to its past as the Imperial Cult has made a powerful resurgence that grows at a phenomenal rate to this day.) Their soldiers, the infamous Blitzers or Lightning Warriors, had developed a reputation for both fearlessness and close-quarter tactics, their preferred weapon being the ancient yet reliable shotgun. Many of the Lightning Warriors would become Legiones Astartes, while the remaining soldiers joined the Imperial Army.

 

The new legion would first test themselves against the isle nations of Albyon, which had avoided the Imperium's early list of conquests due to its small strategic value. After the Albyon campaign and the integration of the assault tanks, the II^nd Legion would practice their new legion organization in the Liberation of Nordafrik Conclaves. The campaign had been well underway for several years as part of a multi-front war against the state of Ursh, and was currently at a stalemate. The stalemate broke as the mechanized II^nd legion smashed through several Ursh defense lines, allowing the Imperial Army to advance and eventually push the Ursh forces completely out of Afrik.

[Tiberius Cato]

That bit about the Bischof being summarily executed made me laugh really hard, even if that wasn't the purpose of the line.

[simison]

I admit, I had not expected anyone to LOL at that post, but I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.

[simison]

Alexandros had thought that Guilliman was insane for his seceding from the Imperium. What hope did he have against the full might of the Imperium? What were Five Hundred Worlds against thousands? Now he knew why Roboute thought he had a chance, the Primarch thought to himself as he finished off a squad of Imperial Fists. His Wardens, Angron's World Eaters, Fulgrim's Emperor's Children, and Corax's Raven Guard were in a desperate battle of survival after Dorn had sprung his trap. A trap I should've foreseen, he berated. He knew some force had kept him blinded while in the Warp, and had delayed his arrival. He'd very nearly miss the battle due to the warp storms in his fleet's path. 

 

When his fleet arrived, the battle had already been well underway. Instead of being contacted by Dorn, (something he should've immediately been suspicious of) Fulgrim had reached him out to him and coordinated the Wardens abrupt Third Wave landing. His legion had arrived only a moments before Dorn gave the order for the Traitors' to open fire on the remaining loyalists.

 

Suited to defensive warfare, the Wardens had survived the opening salvo, but now came the difficult task of breaking through the enemy perimeter. Xiphos sang through the air as Alexandros led his personal guard against the last line of Traitors. We're so close, he thought to himself as his shield bashed through the skull of a Firedrake terminator. His advance was abruptly stopped when he sensed a powerful mind nearing him. A mind rent with bitterness and anger. 

 

To his left, Vulkan approached. As Alexandros opened his mouth to speak, Vulkan fired the Furnace's Heat.

 

 

Alex's Usable Powers - Invisibility/Shriek

 

Vulkan wins the first roll. A 1 derails Furnace's usefulness and ends his first turn with little fanfare.

 

Alex fails to manifest Shriek, but gets Duelist. Ultimatum is just as useless as Furnace before the assault happens. Alex scores the first wound, while keeping Dawnbringer at bay. 

 

Vulkan and Alex trade blows without harming each other. Vulkan gets IWND. 

 

With 3 successes on both powers, Alex gets Invisibility, but Vulkan Denies Duelist with triple 6's. Despite that, Alex cuts off another wound and dodges. No IWND.

 

Vulkan fails another Invul save as he fails to hit his brother. He does get IWND. 

 

Alex suffers his worst Psychic phase yet as he fails to get anything off. Then fails to wound before Vulkan knocks a wound off of him. Alex gets IWND. 

 

Vulkan does not stand for this and deals 2 wounds this time, while Alex can't get through his armor. Vulkan gets IWND, bringing him back to full health. 

 

Alex activates Invisibility only to lose it right after to a Peril, and two 6's equals another Deny on Duelist. A wave of 1's ensures Alex does nothing to Vulkan, but Vulkan does nothing to him. No IWND.

 

Vulkan takes a scratch before missing his brother again. Vulkan gets IWND, bring him back to full health for a third time. 

 

Alex throws everything into Duelist to prevent Vulkan Denying him again. Takes a Peril which takes out useless Divination power #2, but now he's down to his last wound. He hurts Vulkan and Vulkan goes through his own storm of 1's to uselessness. No IWND.

 

Vulkan takes another scratch before ending his brother. 

 

[Vulkan's ability to reroll Deny saves (and his incredible luck at rolling 6's this match for that pool) makes him a potentially lethal counter to any psyker.]

 

 

Dawnbringer smashes into Alexandros again, rupturing several more internal organs. Blood is streaming out of Alex's mouth as he backs away. His view of the future is gone again as agony keeps him rooted in the present. Around him, his Wardens are dying as their near breach is sealed with Traitor reinforcements. Spitting out some of the blood, Alexandros forces his breaking body on the offense. Vulkan stares impassively as the Strategos attacks, blocking most of the thrusts. 

 

A moment of opportunity presents itself to Alexandros, who promptly takes it, Xiphos piercing through Vulkan's armor. The ebony giant's hand snaps forward and locks onto Alex's wrist. The same wrist that wields Aegis. Dawnbringer reaches out to the sky as Alex struggles against his brother's grip. "Please, Vulkan. This is not who you are!"

 

Vulkan is silent as he brings down his hammer. Alex desperately blocks with his sword, but Xiphos shatters beneath the strike. The last thing Alexandros sees is Dawnbringer crashing down on his face.

[simison]

Nothing in-depth. Now that I've made some headway into the fluff chapter, I wanted a clearer idea on how many pages usually go into the background part. 

 

SoH - 3 pages (2 subsections)

WE - 3 pages (1 subsection)

EC - 3 pages (1 subsection)

DG - 4 pages (1 subsection)

IH - 3 pages (1 two-page subsection)

NL - 2.5 pages (3 subsections)

SAL - 3 pages (1 subsection)

IF - 3 pages (2 subsections)

AL - 5 pages (1 subsection)

IW - 4 pages (1 two-page subsection)

RG - 4 pages (2 subsections)

 

 

And every background entry comes with a planet stat box. They're technically more pages, but there's a lot of pictures and blank areas. This'll make my job easier since I don't have to write as much, but there's no chance I'll be able to replicate the images. I think I have enough material for a first page. It's hard to estimate since they cram three rows of writing per page, while I just have the one. 

[simison]

Thus, the II^nd legion became renown as masters of armor assaults and close quarter tactics as the Unification Wars came to an end and the Great Crusade began. No other legion could field an equal body of talented cavalry officers, and so the legion found itself deployed against enemy armies that featured large or skilled mechanized units. Many battles left landscapes filled with burning wrecks as no armored unit could hope to withstand against the veteran II^nd. The Legion also deployed in many urban warfare scenarios where the Legion shined as they cleared streets and buildings of enemy forces. For a time, the II^nd Legion enjoyed nothing but a growing series of accomplishments and honors. 

 

Plague of Madness

 

During the seventh year of the Great Crusade, a transformation fell on the II^nd Legion. It began when several legionnaires exhibited the abilities to foresee the future and read the thoughts of others. Then the few became a few dozen, then a few hundred, then a few thousand. As these psykers developed, many of them discovered their abilities either limited or unable to grow beyond the powers of divination and telepathy with some exceptions. While the change was unexpected, the II^nd Legion quickly put these psykers to work, augmenting legion combat efficiency. With the ability to predict enemy maneuvers and disorient their minds, the Legion enjoyed its new advantage on the battlefield.

[simison]

It had taken much of both his charisma and logic to persuade Dorn that he should go and confront Konrad over his visions. Alexandros doubted his abrasive brother would accomplish much in a conversation with the infamous Night Haunter. Although, Alexandros knew he would face a different yet severe handicap when speaking with his brother. 

 

That handicap manifested the moment Alexandros entered the darkened room. An angry hiss greeted him. "What are you doing here?" said the figure in darkness. 

 

Even if it was dark enough to physically blind the Seer, he sensed the tortured mind at the other end of the room. In another version where Dorn came, the Praetorian had the lights turned on before he began his verbal attack. In this reality, Alexandros left the lights off. "I have come to help and gain enlightenment. Fulgrim mentioned you've seen a miserable future ahead of us. I come to understand how to prevent this future."

 

Knowing of his brother's unusual talent for foresight, Alexandros struggled to only passively know where his brother was. Indeed, there was almost another cloak of darkness around his brother that would hide his true position from the minds of telepaths. But Alexandros was much more powerful, and when not hidden, Konrad's emotions were powerful and obvious auras. Currently, the King of Terrors bled betrayal from his aura with anger and fear, fear of the portents he had seen. "You've merely come to pluck secrets from my mind. Leave at once!" 

 

Alexandros did not retreat. "I come to understand, nothing more. You know I have my own powers of foresight. Unlike Dorn, I know the future can be a desolate place. Please, trust me, I can help you."

 

A miserable laugh was his answer...and the presence of another line of though, one much more darker than Konrad's. "You can't stop it. No one can stop it. Father's glorious Imperium will destroy so much. Our brothers fighting one another. There's nothing we can do."

 

The other thoughts were growing stronger. Against his caution, Alexandros stealthily reached out with his mind. With more than subtly than he used in his first fight with Leman, he studied these new thoughts. After a moment, he realized the truth. "You aren't the Night Haunter," he whispered, so surprised by the revelation that the words flew before he caught them.

 

Konrad vanished and the Night Haunter attacked.

 

 

Alex's Usable Powers - Shriek/Hallucination (fitting)

 

Alex wins the first roll. Fails at using Shriek, but gets Duelist. Ultimatum burns off 1 wound. 

 

Konrad doesn't wound with his Widowmakers and loses another wound in Overwatch. Gets 2 HoW attacks which bounce off Aegis. Going at the same time, Konrad scratches a wound off Alex, who stabs 1 off in turn. No IWND.

 

Alex doesn't get Hallucination off, but gets Duelist on a Perils (Power Drain). Konrad flails against Aegis before Alex has the same trouble against Night Haunter. No IWND. 

 

[Time for work. Will finish later.]

[simison]

Night Haunter rages against the Shield before suffering 2 wounds. No IWND.

 

Alex is Denied Hallucination, but gets Duelist. Alex lands the last blow on Night Haunter, who still gets a vengeance strike. 

 

 

[i'm beginning to suspect that this is going to be a repeat of Corax. Now, I know Night Haunter has Hit & Run, but neither his Widowmakers or his Hammer of Wrath have AP 2 and aren't likely to wound, while Ultimatum could do a lot more damage. That's why I didn't do it this fight, but next fight, I'll make extensive use of it.]

 

 

The two brothers struggled within the gloom of Night Haunter's quarters. However, even fighting in his domain was not enough advantage for Night Haunter to overwhelm his brother. True to his moniker, the Shield of the Imperium blocked his claws, denying his claws the blood they sought. Night Haunter snarled as Xiphos found him again in the twilight. "Die! Die! Die! This is my world! The night is my realm!"

 

Alexandros ignored the words as he looked for the true opening that would give him victory. Already forewarned, he shifted Aegis to his right flank as Forgiveness slashed at him. He countered, landing a deep cut on the passing arm. The darkness hissed at him, but he saw it. There! Through the darkness, Alexandros saw Konrad peeking through his prison. "Enough!" Alexandros declared as he gathered his mental power. Forming a powerful fist, Alexandros stuck at his true foe, shouting, "Begone!" 

 

The Night Haunter was wholly unprepared for it as the personality crippled, both mind and body abruptly landing in a heap. In an instant, the Seer was upon him, placing his hand on his brother's forehead. A symbolic gesture, but symbolism could be a strong tool in the right hands. "I want my brother back." The prison holding Konrad was broken as Night Haunter was temporarily banished back into the dark corners of his mind. The deed done, Alexandros stepped back. "Konrad."

 

The Primarch of the Night Lords groaned as he climbed to his feet, his eyes locked onto his brother. "How did you do that?"

 

With a rueful chuckle, Alexandros answered, "Madness and I are old, intimate foes."

[Augustus]

It's interesting. Dan Abnetts interpretation of Curze's powers is a lot like Alexandros' (I don't like his interpretation)

 

I want see him fight Fulgrim!

[simison]

If we're referring to Unremembered Empire, then yes. Broadly, Curze has a talent for seeing the worst possible outcome, so in a duel against an opponent has no intention of killing him, I figured it would avoid that unique ability of his. 

 

Also, I'm saving Fulgrim for last, since, as the dueling Primarch, he should have the best chance against Alex, not counting Horus. 

[simison]

Unfortunately, this tool of war turned against its masters. The first documented case of this happened during the Ork Extermination campaign in the Hamadan cluster. A legionnaire, 3^rd Lieutenant Froid, was leading his brothers on a flank attack against a small mob of the xenos. Another legion element was to open fire and draw the attention of the mob before Froid's unit launched a rear attack and crush them. Moments before the trap was finished setting, Froid, who had been using his powers to reveal the xenos' exact positions in cover, abruptly gave the order to charge, ruining their element of surprise and support. Throughout the entire melee, the Space Marine was shouting and screaming with unheard of barbarity as they fought. Even with the assistance of their support element, the greenskins died only after inflicting high casualties, including Froid himself who was bifurcated by a power klaw. 

[Raktra]

I reckon when my Primarch rules get done, Raktra and Alex should duke it out, IInd vs. XIth. What say you?!

[Slips]

AWWW HELL YISS

 

Give us a Skeleton of a Rules idea for your Primarch and I'll try to get my brain juices flowing to help you get a unit to be proud of!

[simison]

I reckon when my Primarch rules get done, Raktra and Alex should duke it out, IInd vs. XIth. What say you?!

 

 

If you don't mind watching your little barbarian being taught a proper lesson of dueling with his blood flying out of him, then sure. Alexandros would be more than happy to oblige.

[Raktra]

I am now excitable.

[simison]

The Battle of Isstvan V took a hard turn against them as Horus revealed how deeply his treachery went. The Word Bearers, the Night Lords, and the Alpha Legion had opened fire on them and the Loyalist Legions were paying dearly for it. Yet, Alexandros had his own ploy to play, and now the Iron Warriors were offering relief as they turned on the turncoats, while the Alpha Legion faced a mini-civil war within their ranks. But the second half of his plan wasn't coming together: achieving a breakthrough. He had been delayed and now worried that he may not reach the Alpha Legion lines in time to stop Alpharius from re-uniting his legion. 

 

He charged into a new squad of Word Bearers, cursing fate for forcing him for this tragic war between brothers even as he slaughtered this Ashen Circle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a duel erupt between Corax and Lorgar. He moved toward them, then hesitated, unsure of what to do. The answer came to him when he felt a dark presence approaching them. I'll have no compunction fighting that one, he told himself as he changed directions, abandoning his plan to neutralize Alpharius.

 

Even without the night to cloak him, Night Haunter possessed a darkness all on his own as he neared. Alexandros placed him squarely in his path and challenged, "Come master of night, let's see how well you fare during a fight in the day."

 

The Traitor Primarch brandished his claws, Mercy and Forgiveness before he charged. 

 

 

Alex's usable powers - Foreboding/Hallucination/Shriek

 

Alex wins the first roll. Manifests Foreboding, Shriek (which Haunter makes his 1 invul save), and gets a 1,2,3 for Duelist. Ultimatum also bounces off Night Haunter for a pretty weak first turn. 

 

[And time for a work. Sorry.]

[simison]

[Okay, quick note, had another battle with the Wardens. This time it was Wardens/40k Wolves vs Black Templar/Ultramarines/IG. Maelstrom mission, we lost by 1 point, which we would've won if the game had gone through the 5th turn. Biggest lesson: don't place a Prefect on a barrage-using tank]

 

Konrad makes his jump and opens fire. One knives cuts into Alex with no save possible. Hammer of Wrath does nothing as melee begins with Overwatch doing nothing. Konrad slices another wound off before losing one himself. Gets IWND.

 

Learning from earlier mistakes, Alex activates both Hallucination & Duelist. Attacking at a higher initiative, Alex does nothing, while Konrad slices off one more wound. Konrad passes his Hit & Run test, and backs away 15 inches with Alex consolidating 4 inches. Alex gets IWND. 

 

Konrad gets ready for another charge, but his knives bounce off Alex's armor. Overwatch does nothing as HoW is also pointless. This time, Konrad takes 2 wounds before he scores another wound against his bro. 

 

Alex tries Hallucination, but Perils (Warp Surge; LD test passed on an 8) and then Denied. Gets Duelist. Fleshbane works its magic as Konrad loses 2 more wounds and can't get through Alex's new glowing aura. Konrad fails his Hit & Run test on a 6, while no IWND for Alex.

 

Konrad struggles more as he fails to hurt Alex before the empowered Psyker Alex tears through him.

 

 

[Not going to lie, Konrad was making good progress until Warp Surge showed up.]

 

 

Radiating with undiluted power, the colorful light is the last thing Konrad sees before Alexandros swings, his blow cutting his brother into two halves. Before him, the entire Night Lords legion radiate with shock before whole companies give way to an undignified retreat. We have our escape path, Alexandros thought as he began sending his orders. He turned back and with a mixed reaction of misery and victory saw that Corax had likewise vanquished his foe. Lorgar's blood joined Konrad's as two more of the Emperor's sons fell this day. "Corax, we need to move."

 

The Primarch of the Raven Guard looked toward him and nodded. Noticing the general rout of the Night Lords, Corax replied, "They may have won this battle, but it has costed them dearly."

 

Alexandros nodded with a final thought. May the ending come before we must slaughter more of our brothers.

[Augustus]

I wish this ending was "canon"

Have you given any thought on how chaos will try to manipulate Alexsbdros' visions?

[simison]

With both Konrad & Lorgar dead, the Horus Heresy would've ended much more decisively against the Traitors. Even if Sevetar could keep the Night Lords together for any significant length of time, the Thramas Crusade would have crippled them with the Lion being able to achieve more decisive victories much earlier in the campaign. With Lorgar dead, Angron is doomed to die during the Shadow Crusade to that one titan. 

 

Barring Horus changing tactics, of course. Even if he changed strategies, in this alternate reality, the Iron Warriors and the Wardens are added to the Loyalist side. That leaves the Warmaster's with 8 legions to take on 11 legions with 6 Primarchs against 10 Primarchs, with the eventual death of Angron.

 

 

 

As to manipulating his visions, I'm not sure. So far, the only idea I've had is that Tzeentch is intercepting the major visions that Alex would see and forewarn him of the major disasters about to happen to the Imperium. Combine that with Alex's own self-imposed rule of not seeing any farther than a single military campaign, Alex never sees the Horus Heresy coming before he disappears from Imperium history. 

[simison]

Lieutenant Froid's case would not be the last. Less than two months later, a veteran sergeant by the name of Goverian succumbed to an affliction of acute paranoia and was removed from active duty before he could do harm. Then a new recruit, one who had never shown any signs of being a psyker, was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder after his second campaign. What began as a trickle grew into a dismal steady pool of mental health issues, though it never neared the catastrophic levels of the Thousand Sons' flesh-change affliction. The most infamous incident occurred when Lord Commander Yeshie, the head of the Legion itself, fell under the sway of schizophrenia and died of it.

 

Unfortunately, while the legion was never crippled by this strange endemic of madness, their reputation took a much more critical wounding. Although the Great Crusade fought against improper beliefs, especially inane superstitions, rumors pointed to an ill-define curse upon the II^nd Legion. Imperial Army units ordered to field with the Legion were more wary, and this suspicion (though not entirely misplaced) hampered cohesion and the operational effectiveness. To their brother legions, the II^nd Legion became something of a minor embarrassment, which had a far greater impact on the Legion's reaction to their new struggle. 

 

In order to stem the tide, new Primus Lord Commander Irvin Ruel enacted a general ban on battle psykers since they represented the majority of the afflicted. Additionally, a reinforced Chaplain Corps was given the important duty for policing the Legion and discovering and intercepting any incidents that may follow. His efforts proved to be a balm on the issue, decreasing the number of incidents, but never outright ending them. It would ultimately take a Primarch to provide a more powerful solution. 

[simison]

"I can help you."

Hope and despair shouted parallel to each other within Konrad's mind. A chance to be free or nothing more than another false hope. No more suffering, how could he say no? Easily. Of his brothers, there were none, save one, he trusted. The rest shunned him and his ways, failing to realize how important his work was. The one that stood in front of him was another matter. It was Night Haunter who shunned Alexandros, well aware for his brother's penchant for learning secrets as stated by one of his nicknames.

But freedom? Wasn't that worth the price? Free from the darkness that haunted him?

Against the voices in his mind, he said, "You can try."

Alexandros offered him a confident smile before closing his eyes. Konrad's mind immediately felt its affect. His immediate reaction was to fight it, pushing away.

Please.

With a grim resolve, Konrad ended his mental resistance and let his brother in.

And his brother saw.

He saw how each of their brothers died. He saw the terrible fate awaiting their mutual father. He saw the hell awaiting the Imperium.

Alexandros stared into the abyss.

The abyss stared back.

By the time Konrad realized what was happening, his brother was screaming in madness-induced terror.

Alex's Usable Powers - Invisibility/Shriek

Konrad wins the first roll. Widowmakers don't hurt, ending his first move.

Alex begins his offense with Shriek, which does a wound. Invisibility fails, but Duelist is manifested. Two 2's still means Alex hits with Ultimatum, and Konrad feels one burn through his Mantle. Overwatch does nothing as Alex charges into Curze, stabbing 3 more wounds off his brother who is down to his last one. Curze flounders as he can't get past Aegis, but does pass his Hit & Run test, making an impressive 17 inch move.

Konrad jumps closer and scores an unsavable wound with one Widowmaker. HoW does nothing, along with the rest of his attacks. But, Alex has the same luck against him. No IWND.

No Invisibility, but Duelist stayed as Alex deals one last wound onto Curze. With a retribution attack left, Curze makes 3 wounds, but all are saved.

[ ...I wasn't expecting it to go so one-sided. Though, I think Konrad belongs in the Corax/Alpharius crowd. Next up is Ferrus.]

Even consumed by madness, Alexandros is still a demi-god of war, his powers granting him an undeniable edge as he inflicts wound after wound onto Konrad. Konrad's visions, for the first time, do not appear to him, at perhaps the one moment he needs them most. With an accurate thrust, Xiphos cuts through his leg, not enough to detach it, but enough that Konrad collapses to the floor. Perhaps I will know peace after all, Konrad thinks with a dour grin. Alexandros obliges him as he slices completely through Konrad's neck.

[Praefectus Invictus]

THIS IS AWESOME!

 

this has got to be the coolest heresy stuff i have ever seen. the fluff is amazing and all the alternate realities really add something for me! 

 

keep up the great work!