Black Book - Insurrection (PUBLISHED)

[Sigismund229]

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Grave Stalkers fluff is now finished except for some boxed sections, meaning I am now free to help in writing any of the other book 1 legion's fluff.

 

Any takers?

[MikhalLeNoir]

I like the idea that icariom tries to hunger the terrans out. I can see a lot of stories evolving in secret diplomatic missions where small units try to turn the tide trying to turn the revolutionaries or trying to get the wardens of light out of their hermitage. That has so much potential. So how about 10-20 years, when there is a stalemate and only small changes in favor of icarion and his allies? But over that time the corruption breaks free.more and more. And the diplomatic units use that as an advantage to show jade that he is on the wrong side. On a dangerous mission they enter the secessionist realm to present the evidence.

[Athrawes]

Icarion's goal is simple and I think a simple explanation for why the war lasts longer.

 

After seeing his legions alternate death at the hands of the Emperor, that drives him to protect himself and his brothers from a Tyrant he is certain will soon betray them all. Further, Icarion believes the Emperor will betray humanity in hunger of some unknowable goal. 

 

Icarion is out at the beginning to save his brothers and Humanity from a Betrayer, He's not after the Emperors throne specifically.

 

Now the simplest way to save the imperium and his brothers from the Emperor is to take his power away from him, that involves unseating him from Terra ultimately, but it has as much to do with taking the Imperium away from the Emperor. SO while Horus desired the throne, icarion desires taking the Imperium away from the Emperor, or at least that's how it starts. 

 

SO Icarion's war will ultimately need to remove the Emperor from his throne, but more immediately he is seeking to pry worlds away from the Emperor and establish his own counter empire, until all that remains under the Emperors control is Terra. Icarion likely wouldn't approach worlds as Horus did, saying "join me or die" instead the dark compliances would be more along the lines of a counter great Crusade. But after decades of Civil war, that changes. Slowly as chaos corrupts Icarion, his world view shifts towards "join me or die" and his hatred of the emperor grows until he drives the secessionists away with corruption and his own tyranny. This forces his hand so that he must move on terra before the secessionists can dismantle Icarion's own empire. This of course feeds into the "duel siege" theme we were developing, that while the traitors lay siege to Terra, the secessionists lay siege to Madrigal and it becomes a sudden race against the clock, with the prize being humanity.

[Athrawes]

To that end:

 

 

“The Emperor has lied to you.

 

There is no Imperial Truth save for Imperial Dominance. Unity is Slavery, reason is ignorance. Your worlds have been shackled, your sons and daughters, the very marrow of your worlds have been bled dry to feed the insatiable thirst of the Imperator Exultarii. All who have

 

This is a Day of Revelation.

 

You are not alone. Your suffering does not go unnoticed. The grand lie that is the Imperium would see the Emperor use your worlds as stepping stones to achieve godhood in a universe he wheezes is sterile and secular.

 

As you hear me now, vast fleets ply the void of interstellar space to bring war to Emperor. Many of you will find our ships arriving at your worlds shores, do not be alarmed. There is a place for you. You shall be welcomed, we have heard your suffering and now descend upon you to answer your prayers. Even now, others are already rising.  Throwing off the shackles of hypocrisy and opening their eyes to revelation.

 

Enemies of a mad tyrant stand with me, join with me. March with me to Terra and the Imperium can be yours!

 

I am Icarion. I am Stormlord to this New Imperium. And I am coming for you.”

 

++++~Telepathic broadcast Emanating from the Malestrom Zone.~+++

[Nomus Sardauk]

Don't forget, Icarion is a master of divination with an entire legion of divination specialists at his command, on a strategic level he has a MASSIVE advantage over the loyalists (save the Pariah legions), both on a galactic or battlefield stage. How would that influence the course of the war when the Warmaster Leader of the Insurrection knows what the loyalists are planning most of the time?

[simison]

Don't forget, Icarion is a master of divination with an entire legion of divination specialists at his command, on a strategic level he has a MASSIVE advantage over the loyalists (save the Pariah legions), both on a galactic or battlefield stage. How would that influence the course of the war when the Warmaster knows what the loyalists are planning most of the time?

Well, that's one of the great ironies of the Insurrection. Both the Warmaster and Stormlord are Masters of Divination, which elevates the Pariah legions as strategic resources to all-out trump cards. This is another advantage Icarion has early on because he has 3 of the 4 parish legions. And that's why the Successionists breaking away is so critical. K'awil is killed, Koschei is corrupted, and Jade defects, ruining Icarion's easy counter to Alexandros and his diviners.

 

So, what I'm seeing as a general idea is a few decades. I'm thinking thirty-ish.

[MikhalLeNoir]

30 decades :o !!!!

Enough time to breed milliona of marines

 

( I knew you meant 30 years ^^ but i wanted to exaggerate)

[Demus Ragnok]

I say 28 or 35 years. Multiples of 7 and all. Or 40, a numbered associated with judgement.

 

The long duration makes for an interesting task for Niklaas and his legion.

 

Wait K'awil dies!?

[Athrawes]

Yeah 20-30 sounds good to me. 

 

I feel like the first 2/3 should be more about pushing back the loyalists and expanding the New Imperium. There should be a gradual build up to that point of Icarion becoming more of a tyrant, and falling slowly to corruption, and about 2/3 in is when the rhetoric swings from "Save humanity" to "Let the galaxy burn" and that sort of sparks the exodus of the Revolutionaries from the traitor faction.

 

Obviously it shouldn't happen all at once, but I feel like 2/3 of the way through the insurrection is a good point for the traitors efforts to begin to really fracture, which will force Icarions Hand to spend the next few years reorganizing house, and pushing madly towards Terra, apocalyptically bursting through the ever shrinking loyalists Maginot Line.

[Nomus Sardauk]

@Simison: I actually typed Warmaster on accident (Lupercal! Lupercal!), but putting that aside for a moment I was unaware Alexandros was also a Diviner, I mean I knew he was a Telepath but I've never read about him using that particular lore. Well, that certainly complicates matters...

[Slips]

So we're going for "The Slow Blade Penetrates The Shield" Approach?

[simison]

@Simison: I actually typed Warmaster on accident (Lupercal! Lupercal!), but putting that aside for a moment I was unaware Alexandros was also a Diviner, I mean I knew he was a Telepath but I've never read about him using that particular lore. Well, that certainly complicates matters...

 

Yeah, he's both a telepath and a diviner. I specifically chose those two disciplines because the idea was that despite being one of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy, Alex eschewed the more brazen acts of Warp powers. Both disciplines are supposed to represent the two core aspects of Alex. Divination represents Alex the protector. He lives to defend others, and his ability to see into the future gives him an undeniable edge in intercepting danger headed for others. If you want some examples, blunt's Koloss piece has some quick mentions, while the Dark Eldar chapter in The Third Son showcases an entire battle where Alex is constantly relying on his future sight both as a defensive and offensive weapon. 

 

Telepathy represents Alex the man. When I made Alex, I wanted a Primarch who was aware that in spite of all of his power and differences, at his heart he was still a human being. And he actively cultivated that root in a way that separated him from Sanguinius' ethereal nobility and Vulkan's simple compassion. It's why he he cracks jokes, has a cocky grin, and spends time with the common man. He's repeatedly reminding himself that he is a member of the same species as they are. (Or genus, if you prefer.) Finally, it's why he tries so hard to be the family man and maintain good relationships with his brothers. Family is one of the few universal experiences of people, and he emulates it as another way to ground himself.

 

Furthermore, if you ascribe to the Primarch-roles theory, the combination of his powers lends him into not only his role of diplomat but that of a seer. Except, instead of trying to look into the far future and guide the present to the future he desires while manipulating people, he uses it to have an innate understanding of others around him. If Russ was supposed to be the executioner, then Alex was supposed to be the internal affairs agent. If Russ is the bad cop throwing you murderous glares, Alex is the good offering encouragement with a smile. 

 

Which is a critical narrative reason for Alex being the Warmaster. In canon, he disappears before the Heresy when he could've alerted the Imperium to Lorgar's corruption or warned Fulgrim the nature of the Laeran blade. Here, he lives until the Insurrection, so we countered that by burying him in the overwhelming responsibilities of the office.

 

So we're going for "The Slow Blade Penetrates The Shield" Approach?

 

Indeed. Although Icarion has an undeniable advantage in legion strength, but since the Insurrection happens later, Alex has been more successful in stabilizing loyalty to the Imperium, which translates into a larger, more loyal Imperial Army. Icarion could smash them to pieces, but that could over-extend his legions without auxiliary support and enough time to replenish losses. Instead, his focus is on securing the loyalty of the words under his domain and slowly expanding it so he can eventually reach critical mass, in addition to the ideological reasons Athrawes listed. 

[bluntblade]

We're talking decades now? The Imperium will be reduced to cinders after 40 years, won't it?

[bluntblade]

Agreed, but how long do you think it should last? The US Civil War only lasted four years, but the Hundred Years' War between the English and French lasted over a century. We're obviously aiming higher than seven, but how much higher? How long can Icarion keep Chaos from overtly corrupting his legions? Because that's what triggers the Revolution, and could speed up the war efforts. Or maybe we enter into a three-way stalemate that lasts a decade before something breaks the equilibrium.

Aside from truces and so on, the Hundred Years War was largely limited to the extreme north of France. The real massive battles like Agincourt were decades apart. And the other thing to remember is that relatively little of a given year was spent fighting. Whereas a hundred years' conflict in 30k would be going on all the time at an insane intensity.

 

I'd argue for a couple of decades at most, personally.

[Demus Ragnok]

We're talking decades now? The Imperium will be reduced to cinders after 40 years, won't it?

Most of those 40 years would be low intensity political wrangling by Icarion.

[bluntblade]

 

We're talking decades now? The Imperium will be reduced to cinders after 40 years, won't it?

Most of those 40 years would be low intensity political wrangling by Icarion.

My gut says that doesn't seem quite right after the traumatic breakaway,and that's assuming that Hectarion, Raktra et al would be able to contain themselves for any length of time.

[Athrawes]

Well lets looks at it from this perspective, since Icarion is going into the war not wanting to destroy the imperium or his brothers.

 

• It begins with the Day of Revelation, with the ambushes of the Legions Icarion believes will never join him and death of Daer'ed. This is intended to cripple the Loyalist forces to make the reconquest of the Imperium easier for the Insurrectionists.
• the next ten years see the Insurrections slowly expand their imperium into the vacuum of the Loyalist withdrawal towards terra. The staged withdrawal is kept from being a route by Alexandros' brilliance and is intended as a delaying action, buying the loyalists time to fortify their core holdings and stall the Insurrectionists advance. At this point the Insurrectionist outnumber the loyalists handily, so they have the initiative and can invade, capture, consolidate worlds and move on, slowly expanding the power base, as the shattered legions and loyalist strike forces send in desperate sortiees to delay their advance.
• The next ten years See Icarion's grip on his new imperium tighten, as large confrontations erupt between the reconstituted/reinvigorated  loyaists. At the end of this period, Icarion counter-imperium is at it's strongest, but the growingly brutal confrontations with the desperate loyalists forces Icarion to adopt a vindictive strategy of destruction. I imagine that there  is some polarizing campaign which icarions launches that many of the revolutionary insurrectionists view as "ruthless" and "too-far" sacrificing of entire star systems to spite the loyalists and the like. This is the point after 20 years where Icarion has degraded to a "Let the galaxy burn" mindset.
• Due to the events above, the Revolutionaries leave a side they view to be spiraling out of control.
• The next 10 years see Icarion and his corrupted Traitors pushing relentlessly towards Terra. This is bloody, and apocalyptic, as the Loyalists while still battered, have had decades to try and shore up their lines and defenses, after being pushed back again and again. This period of Traitor advance is also stalled by revolutionary raids and stalling actions against them.
• The 10 year period ends with Icarion's Legions reachingTerra at last at the same moment that the revolutionaries begin the Siege of Madrigal, to try and destabilize and cripple the Traitor war effort. 
• Icarion Leads the Defense of Madrigal, which ends in terrible bloodshed and defeat. At the same time, the Lions share of his legion and the rest of the traitors are rushing to end the war on terra, or risk losing everything they have fought for. When Madrigal falls, Icarion flees through the webway, to the aperture on Terra. He fights Alexandros in the Throne Room, and slays him. Then confronts the Emperor over body of his brother. Icarion dies and the Lightning Bearers exit the war, much in the same way the sons of Horus do. The Traitors are fractured, which gives the loyalists their chance to push them off Terra, and ends the Insurrection.
• We enter the scouring, which will be the re reconquest of the imperium for the Loyalists, pushing the traitors back.

 

++++

 

The point being that, the murdering billions and slaughtering whole worlds doesn't really come into the conflict until the last decade or so. The first 20 years are mostly battles of conquest, not destruction.

 

 

 

Simison correct me if I'm wrong but how does that seem as a rough timeline to you?

[Sigismund229]

Well lets looks at it from this perspective, since Icarion is going into the war not wanting to destroy the imperium or his brothers.

 

• It begins with the Day of Revelation, with the ambushes of the Legions Icarion believes will never join him and death of Daer'ed. This is intended to cripple the Loyalist forces to make the reconquest of the Imperium easier for the Insurrectionists.
• the next ten years see the Insurrections slowly expand their imperium into the vacuum of the Loyalist withdrawal towards terra. The staged withdrawal is kept from being a route by Alexandros' brilliance and is intended as a delaying action, buying the loyalists time to fortify their core holdings and stall the Insurrectionists advance. At this point the Insurrectionist outnumber the loyalists handily, so they have the initiative and can invade, capture, consolidate worlds and move on, slowly expanding the power base, as the shattered legions and loyalist strike forces send in desperate sortiees to delay their advance.
• The next ten years See Icarion's grip on his new imperium tighten, as large confrontations erupt between the reconstituted/reinvigorated loyaists. At the end of this period, Icarion counter-imperium is at it's strongest, but the growingly brutal confrontations with the desperate loyalists forces Icarion to adopt a vindictive strategy of destruction. I imagine that there is some polarizing campaign which icarions launches that many of the revolutionary insurrectionists view as "ruthless" and "too-far" sacrificing of entire star systems to spite the loyalists and the like. This is the point after 20 years where Icarion has degraded to a "Let the galaxy burn" mindset.
• Due to the events above, the Revolutionaries leave a side they view to be spiraling out of control.
• The next 10 years see Icarion and his corrupted Traitors pushing relentlessly towards Terra. This is bloody, and apocalyptic, as the Loyalists while still battered, have had decades to try and shore up their lines and defenses, after being pushed back again and again. This period of Traitor advance is also stalled by revolutionary raids and stalling actions against them.
• The 10 year period ends with Icarion's Legions reachingTerra at last at the same moment that the revolutionaries begin the Siege of Madrigal, to try and destabilize and cripple the Traitor war effort.
• Icarion Leads the Defense of Madrigal, which ends in terrible bloodshed and defeat. At the same time, the Lions share of his legion and the rest of the traitors are rushing to end the war on terra, or risk losing everything they have fought for. When Madrigal falls, Icarion flees through the webway, to the aperture on Terra. He fights Alexandros in the Throne Room, and slays him. Then confronts the Emperor over body of his brother. Icarion dies and the Lightning Bearers exit the war, much in the same way the sons of Horus do. The Traitors are fractured, which gives the loyalists their chance to push them off Terra, and ends the Insurrection.
• We enter the scouring, which will be the re reconquest of the imperium for the Loyalists, pushing the traitors back.

++++

 

The point being that, the murdering billions and slaughtering whole worlds doesn't really come into the conflict until the last decade or so. The first 20 years are mostly battles of conquest, not destruction.

 

 

 

Simison correct me if I'm wrong but how does that seem as a rough timeline to you?

I see 1 problem with it. The Lions and a large portion of the Bears don't retreat to Terra, they fall back to defend the empire of Mycenae. That's where they intend to make their stand and of necesary die. We had it that the BoU, Jackals&a force of EW attack them and at the end of it Raktra goes deamon following the Cadian massacre. That campaign could only last 2 or 3 years and it would make strategic sense to have it at the beginning of Insurrection.

[bluntblade]

Well, it's certainly an interesting idea. The issue for me is whether that's really workable with such individuals as Raktra and Alexos in the mix. It's gonna be a divisive matter either way, so might be worth holding a vote.

[MikhalLeNoir]

A few questions about your timeline:

 

-Icarion slays Alexandros. How is his state afterwards? Was it an easy fight like Horus against Sanguinius so he can go full powered into the bout with Big E or was it a relatively even match, and although Icarion wins, he is afterwards in a very bad state and Big E has no problems killing him after he sees what has become of Icarion.

 

-will he be utterly destroyed, every trace of Icarions beeing erased from

Existenced? Or will he be slain but his soul remains to set that apart from the canonverse.

 

-which traitors are on terra( more for simison I guess)? I guess they all want to break through to the emperor. Are they aware that madrigal has fallen? I would support this as they can them concentrate their efforts on the eternity gate, refocus so that they attack from outside and from the webway the throneroom.

 

 

 

 

And as we are expanding the timeline, I have to rethink a bit the stance of the Wardens of Light. Waiting 30 years out is a bit different than waiting 7 years. At least I need a excuse. Will it really take 30 years for Gwal to recover his physical and psychological injuries?

[Athrawes]

 

Well lets looks at it from this perspective, since Icarion is going into the war not wanting to destroy the imperium or his brothers.

 

I see 1 problem with it. The Lions and a large portion of the Bears don't retreat to Terra, they fall back to defend the empire of Mycenae. That's where they intend to make their stand and of necesary die. We had it that the BoU, Jackals&a force of EW attack them and at the end of it Raktra goes deamon following the Cadian massacre. That campaign could only last 2 or 3 years and it would make strategic sense to have it at the beginning of Insurrection.

 

 

With the apparent lengthening of the war, i don't really see a problem with any of the above happening. The Lions and the Iron Bears withdrae to Mycenae and establish their foothold there as the rest of the loyalists fight battles being pushed back to form an imperial defense line, which I assume Mycenae would be a part of of. 

 

The BoU, Jackals and EW invasion of Mycenae would then happen sometime in the middle portion of the war, (For argument sake and assuming 30 year insurrection, lets call it 15th year) So that way, the cadian massacre and ascension of Raktra coincides with the corruption of the Traitor war effort, and it becomes one of the principle reasons the Revolutionaries say the Traitors have gone too far.

[bluntblade]

I was gonna suggest that maybe Alex strikes the final blow but burns himself out in the process.

[MikhalLeNoir]

Is alex alexos or Alexandros? That is the reasom I refer to Travier and Alexandros ;)

[Athrawes]

A few questions about your timeline:

 

-Icarion slays Alexandros. How is his state afterwards? Was it an easy fight like Horus against Sanguinius so he can go full powered into the bout with Big E or was it a relatively even match, and although Icarion wins, he is afterwards in a very bad state and Big E has no problems killing him after he sees what has become of Icarion.

 

-will he be utterly destroyed, every trace of Icarions beeing erased from

Existenced? Or will he be slain but his soul remains to set that apart from the canonverse.

 

 

 

 

 

As I recall, Icarion is fully infused with the warp at the point 'Icarion Ascended' so the fight should be relatively similar to Horus v. Sanguinius. Alexadndros leaves a psychic 'chink' in Icarion's state of mind that makes him hesitate while fighting the Emperor.

 

I believe the Idea Simison had was that Alexandros' last act was to impart a memory/image of himself and Icarion as loving brothers. That Idea takes root in Icarion and distracts him during the fight with the Emperor.

 

This allows the Emperor to finish him. I haven't given much thought to how Icarion is destroyed, but I assumed Icarion's fate would be the same as Horus. Soul obliterated by the Emperor. I'll have to think about that and discuss it with Simison though.

[MikhalLeNoir]

- wasn't it in old canon so that emperor didn't fight back against horus with full power cause he still had hope for him and he striked with full power when he realized, that there was nothing of the old horus left.

 

- what is the case with Icarion? If Alex implants an image of the brotherly love and Icarion is distracted by it, does that mean, that a rest of old Icarion is left? That could have a heavy impact then on Big E's decission either to obliterate him or to simply kill him. Or maybe save him?

 

I know that is for later discussions but as I know myself, I will have forgotten the questions when it is time so I ask them now ;)