IL V - The Halcyon Wardens

[simison]

To establish their own supremacy, the Fifth Legion began to shift an emphasis on close-combat tactics. Legionnaires became more proficient with hand-to-hand weapons, and assault squads began to displace tactical squads as the typical legion unit. Soon, they forged a proficiency and a reputation for being melee specialists but at a price. Even when protected by power armor, casualties among the V^th Legion were rising to then-current highs. Yet, none could argue against the effectiveness and potentially morale-breaking attacks their tactics were causing. A solution came in the form of new assault vehicles. For the first time, a legion other than the First tested out what would become known as the Land Raider. 

[simison]

With the advent of high-tier assault vehicles, three major changes occurred. First, casualty rates, while never high enough to threaten the Legion's existence, drastically fell. Second, the emphasis on assault squads waned, but remained higher than most legions. Instead, tactical squads armed with close combat weapons would enjoy a renewed prominence, until the introduction of terminator armor. Alongside the [Luna Wolves], the V^th Legion were vocal proponents of the new assault units. Third, an elite corps of vehicle commanders grew within the Legion, garnering experience and honor. The V^th Legion would be one of the few legions were a tank commander could ascend to the upper echelons of command and still continue their service from within their original assigned vehicle.

 

 

 

[so, who's the big advocate of terminator armour in BotL?]

Edited November 6, 2016 by simison

[bluntblade]

Scions and Fire Keepers, I think. Both Pionus and Niklaas have a major role in developing it.

[MikhalLeNoir]

Apostles of war tested some on terran unification wars. Assaulting with termiarmor etc. Focus on cc. At least in canonverse. But they were disbanded under gwal in favor of more assault. Edited November 6, 2016 by MikhalLeNoir

[simison]

Scions and Fire Keepers, I think. Both Pionus and Niklaas have a major role in developing it.

 

Are there pre-Primarch legions the same as post-Primarch?

[Skalpynock]

Tactics-wise, the Morning Stars are essentially less cruel Luna Wolves, for what it's worth.

[simison]

Tactics-wise, the Morning Stars are essentially less cruel Luna Wolves, for what it's worth.

 

Hm, in which case, I might go with that to really help establish how early of an era it was when the first terminators were introduced. Then in later decades, the Scions, Fire Keepers, and perhaps the Iron Bears become the primary developers of the newer suits.

[simison]

With the advent of high-tier assault vehicles, three major changes occurred. First, casualty rates, while never high enough to threaten the Legion's existence, drastically fell. Second, the emphasis on assault squads waned, but remained higher than most legions. Instead, tactical squads armed with close combat weapons would enjoy a renewed prominence, until the introduction of terminator armor. Alongside the Morning Stars, the V^th Legion were vocal proponents of the new assault units. Third, an elite corps of vehicle commanders grew within the Legion, garnering experience and honor. The V^th Legion would be one of the few legions were a tank commander could ascend to the upper echelons of command and still continue their service from within their original assigned vehicle.

[simison]

The new changes occurred shortly after the Albyon campaign, which would become a future recruiting site for the V^th 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. 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 scatter gun. 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 V^th 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 V^th Legion smashed through several Ursh defense lines, allowing the Imperial Army to advance and eventually push the Ursh forces completely out of Afrik.

Edited November 7, 2016 by simison

[simison]

It was in that campaign that the legion earned its first name, the Storm Riders. The close of the Unification Wars would herald the beginning of the Great Crusade. The Storm Riders would continue to distinguish themselves for their armoured assaults, but a dark blemish fell upon them. Roughly a decade into the Great Crusade, there was a wave of Storm Riders who awakened psychic powers, much like the infamous Thousand Sons. What seemed a gift appeared to inflict a curse. While accurate measurements are nigh impossible given the secrecy of this time, reports of Storm Riders attacking their own comrades, legionnaires collapsing into catatonia, and space marines losing their grips on reality whispered throughout the fleets. While not as prevalent as the dreaded Flesh-Change, the Storm Riders became insular as rumors created a dark haze around them. The legion would find no relief from this new shame. That is, until the Great Crusade discovered a lost son of the Emperor.

 

Thus, the V^th Legion became renowned as masters of armour 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 armoured unit could hope to withstand against the veteran Storm Riders. 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 Storm Riders enjoyed nothing but a growing series of accomplishments and honors. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by simison

[simison]

Plague of Madness

 

During the seventh year of the Great Crusade, a transformation fell on the V^th 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 Storm Riders 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]

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 set, 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. 

[Sigismund229]

Ah Mr.Freud...we meet again...

[simison]

Ha! You're the first one to call it.

[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 dissociative identity 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 was tainted. Although the Great Crusade fought against improper beliefs, especially inane superstitions, rumors pointed to an ill-define curse upon the V^th 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 V^th 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 Lord Commander Irvin Ruel enacted a general ban on battle psykers since they represented the majority of the afflicted. Additionally, an established Protector 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 comprehensive solution. 

Edited November 12, 2016 by simison

[bluntblade]

Does this mean our 'verse gets Chaplains before canon?

[simison]

Does this mean our 'verse gets Chaplains before canon?

 

Ah crap. This is really old fluff that (so far) fits well enough in BotL that I forgot about that debate. Alright, quick review of canon lore indicates that the earliest chaplains belonged to the Imperial Heralds, which were spiritual advisers, Blood Angels with their Watchmen, Salamanders with 'Voices of Fire', and the Iron Hands' Iron Fathers. 

 

These four predate the chaplaincy corps that was eventually standardized. Given the German WW2 influences on the legion, I think I'll rename them to 'Protectors', and then it's Alex who changes the name to chaplains.

[simison]

Name: Delos

Classification: Legiones Astartes Home World [imperial Civilized World]

 

System Data: DS/1564//δτ

Stellar-Grid: 13-BAT/LV-247

Segmentum: Solar/Fifty-Seventh Quadrant

 

Notation: Temperate, Rich in Mineral Resources

Native Population 53 Billion

++[Fiefdom of the Halcyon Wardens]++

[simison]

A New Perspective

 

Against this background of mistrust and struggle, the Storm Riders were ordered by the Emperor himself to re-assemble the entire Legion underneath his command. Rumors spread throughout the Legion serfs and other allied human contingents that this could only mean that the Emperor was to formally act against the Legion and warned that the Legion would be pulled from the Great Crusade and made to wait on Earth where they could no longer sully the honor of the Legiones Astartes, much like their brothers in the XI^th Legion. 

 

The rumors were proven false as the Legion rendezvous at the ordered coordinates. Waiting for them were not only the Emperor's flagship, but the flagships of his only found son: Icarion. The V^th Legion were to take their place for an unique, temporary Expeditionary Fleet. Their target? The Delos System, which lay just beyond the Imperium's latest conquests. The rumors of degradation withered away as newer, more exotic rumors took their place, trying to explain how one system could require the personal involvement of the Emperor and his Son. They spoke of an unheard of and deadly xeno threat that would need a decade to exterminate, a lost treasure trove of the Dark Age of Technology guarded by ancient machines, and, lastly, that another lost Primarch had been located.

 

Old Night had left a weak scar on the Delos system. When it struck, the Delos system became bereft of its connection to Humanity and had surrendered to fear as a brief, intense civil war reduced its technological levels to pre-Industrial capabilities. Yet, the blow was temporary and several planets including Delos Prime were still rich in natural resources. In time, the Delians struggled to return to their past prosperity, eventually spawning several new civilizations that would commit war and diplomacy against one another. Technological progress suffered when xenos raiders targeted the system, stealing valuable resources and destroying scientific centers, in moves obviously meant to impede advancement, all the while, never outright attempting to destroy the Delians, despite possessing the capability to do so. Though these setbacks greatly hampered progress and caused great fear of these 'night demons', these attacks would aid the Delians' on the road to political unity. Unfortunately, it was unknown which scenario would occur first: the Delians' eventual annihilation or developing the means to fight off their monsters. 

[simison]

That answer arrived in an incubation pod. Landing near a village within the small Hellasan state of Massidon, the Primarch was discovered and adopted by the local magistrate. Only a few years would pass before Alexandros was known throughout the planet, making his mark through his military victories over their xenos raider, while becoming an unparalleled statesman. While other brothers conquered their homeworlds with force, Alexandros would take the longer, more difficult, and less trodden road of unification solely through diplomacy. With his innante, Emperor-given gifts, this nigh impossible feat was accomplished in a decade. Not only was he appointed as supreme military commander & de facto political leader, Alexandros had invested small portions of his time into technology and science causing a new boom of innovation and progress. 

[simison]

It was to this prosperous system the Emperor and his armies arrived. Knowing four days before the first of the Imperial ships would reach the system, Alexandros began a subtle propaganda campaign that would plant the seeds for the inevitable Imperial compliance. Broadcasting planet-wide, the Primarch spoke to his people of his dreams. He dreamed of reuniting with the rest of the Humanity. A dream to share in lost technologies. A dream of an even brighter future, where they were made whole. Although it seemed obvious, we must remember we have the benefit of hindsight, and the Delians had no knowledge of the Imperium. 

 

Thus, when the Emperor arrived, his Son was waiting and willing to join the Great Crusade. The Compliance of Delos was achieved quickly as Alexandros departed from his homeworld to Terra to learn directly from his Father. It was during this time he would learn about the Imperium and his place in it. Once his time came to an end, he would finally take his place at the head of the Storm Riders. 

 

Few legions have undergone such a drastic change as the V^th Legion did with Alexandros' ascension. Renaming the Legion as the Halcyon Wardens, Alexandros changed the appearance and guiding principles of the legion. No longer was the priority on destroying the enemy, but on preserving Humanity and the Legion. Instead of aggressive assaults, Alexandros molded the legion into a powerful defensive army that could absorb much firepower before unleashing devastating counter-attacks or force their enemies into suicidal charges. With contemporary warfare involving close quarter fighting as much as long-range ballistics, an ancient tool of war was resurrected and underwent an apotheosis through technology: the shield. 

[simison]

Remade with adamantium and powerful generators, the shield would become the symbol of Alexandros as he campaigned across the galaxy. Able to defend against both melee and ballistic weaponry, it offered a utility hinged on its size from the small, agile combat shields to the elite, mammoth storm shields. More importantly, in Alexandros' eyes, it sacrificed a small portion of offensive power for a greater degree of defense that could be shared by both wearer and any units behind him. 

 

While the shield remained as the legion's most visible change, Alexandros wrought another, greater change upon taking command. The incidents of insanity that had reeked havoc upon the V^th Legion simply stopped. Curiously, for a Primarch who had been infamous for his insistence on transparency, how this came to be is still unknown. Where truth remains hidden, rumor is more than eager to fill its place. From early whispers of the Emperor himself secretly curing the legion to the latter fears of malicious pacts, none could be sure. Whenever questioned on the subject, Alexandros would merely offer a wink, a grin, and say, "Que sera, sera."

[simison]

Regardless of the mystery, in a decade, Alexandros had completed the transformation of his legion. With his new combat doctrines and philosophy of command, the Halcyon Wardens transitioned from being ostracized to being a welcome sight on the battlefield. With his men in full control of themselves, their brother legions and the Imperial Army could rely on them to do their part. With the Wardens taking special care to defend the Imperial Army on deployments, the mortals fighting for the Emperor released their former suspicions and eventually cheering at the mere sight of the Halcyon Wardens.

[simison]

An Unexpected Appointment

 

The Halcyon Wardens would serve the Great Crusade with a quiet humility modeled by their liege lord. Due in no small part to their defensive tactics and a skill at diplomacy, the ranks of the V^th Legion would grow throughout the decades to become the second largest legion at the Emperor's service, rivaled only by the venerable Lightning Bearers. With a focus on protecting the common man, the Halcyon Wardens would fulfill many of the necessary garrison duties throughout the new conquests and became the common face of the Legiones Astartes to the Imperium, despite other legions securing greater glory on the battlefield. It was assumed that the Fifth would continue serving as one of the background forces that subtly kept the Great Crusade working at peak condition. 

 

On the Qarith homeworld, those assumptions would prove wrong.

[simison]

Standing on the conquered world from which the Qarith had once built their empire, the Emperor announced that he was retiring from the Great Crusade. Such a declaration alone shocked the Imperium, but he immediately named his successor. Instead of the renowned Icarion, Alexandros was chosen as Warmaster, a surprise to all, especially to the Halcyon Wardens. In a single day, Fate pulled the V^th Legion into the spotlight of the entire Imperial war machine. Amidst the mystery of the Emperor's decision and the grumbling of others who felt jealously towards them, Alexandros and the Halcyon Wardens dedicated themselves to living up to the high honour the Emperor bestowed upon them. From that day forward, the Halcyon Wardens forged themselves into a zealous and disciplined weapon in the Great Crusade, holding themselves to a demanding standard above the other legions even as they strove to treat their cousins no differently than before. 

Edited November 22, 2016 by simison