Black Book - The Eastern Expansion Campaigns

[Kelborn]

House Toho?

Count me in! :D

 

Would be the second Household of mine to get placed in a book.

 

So Toho for Expansion and Harkon of Escalation, correct?

Edited October 30, 2016 by Kelborn

[bluntblade]

The Yellow-Eyed

Among the ranks of the Bears are a few thousand who lack the truly vast stature of their brethren. Yellow of eye and grey of hair, they hunt and fight with a speed rarely witnessed in the VIth Legion, ensuring that they make up a substantial number of the Firebound Slayers. Yet their presence goes all but unremarked, and their curious origins are unspoken of.

 

In truth, they are not sons of Daerdd at all. They are the last remnants of the II Legion, the Space Wolves. The Vlka Fenrika, as they referred to themselves, were a bold and ferocious brotherhood. In the early decades of the Crusade, their rise was meteoric; their Primarch Leman Russ was the third to be found after Icarion and Alexandros. Under his leadership the Wolves were ever at the fore, and he played an important role in teaching the arts of war to several of his brothers. For all their vitality and many contributions to the Imperium's wars, however, their deeds are vanished from Imperial records, and their tales go untold.

 

This same silence masks one of the most tragic events ever to befall the Imperium: the Cataclysm of Prospero. In 966, Pionus Santor located Magnus, Primarch of the XIth Legion, on the world of Prospero. The discovery met with jubilation, for the Thousand Sons, as the XIth were known, were teetering on the brink of extinction. Many among their ranks were gifted psykers, wielding powers that went beyond almost any human, but their powers came with a terrible price. Mutation ran amok among the Thousand Sons, reducing them to monsters that were unrecognisable as anything remotely human.

 

Magnus was believed to offer a solution, as his psychic gifts were surpassed only by his father, and his intellect outshone even the other Primarchs. Indeed for a time it seemed that he had found a means to counter the flesh-change, as it was known. A first generation of aspirants from Prospero were brought into the Legion, and the Thousand Sons took their place again in the Crusade.

 

It was a false dawn. In their very first campaign, the flesh-change struck once again, with hundreds of the Thousand Sons succumbing. Magnus had those who were not entirely lost interred in stasis fields, and the Legion fled back to Prospero. In his panic, he devised a spell that he hoped would undo the curse. He named it the Rubric.

 

The Emperor, realising what Magnus intended, sent Russ to halt Magnus’ actions. Russ gathered the bulk of his Legion and made all haste to Prospero, but they arrived only in time to be swallowed up by the catastrophic effects of the Rubric. The Rubric did the opposite of its intended purpose, causing most of the Thousand Sons to succumb to mutation.

 

The Wolves themselves carried a flaw in their gene-seed known as the Curse of the Wulfen. If a Space Wolf gave in completely to bloodlust in combat, he ran the risk of becoming a monstrous, lupine creature which would simply tear through the ranks of his foes until death finally took him.

 

The Rubric caused this curse to manifest en masse on Prospero, and most of the Wolves were twisted into Wulfen and driven to such ravenous violence that they even attacked their own kind. Russ fought his way to Magnus among the spires of Tizca, despite being gravely wounded. He attempted to reason with his brother and retrieve him from the surface, but as the last Sons fell, Magnus was lost to despairing rage and unleashed his full power.

 

A psychic shockwave scoured Prospero, the very life essence of a Primarch turned outward as a force of destruction that spared none; not the people in orbit or even Russ himself. Magnus, burned out from within, fell beside his brother in the ruin of the city he had nurtured.

 

So terrible was this loss that the Emperor ordered not only the Cataclysm but the Legions themselves wiped from the records of the Imperium. The Primarchs assented to this, but this raised the question of what to do with the the remaining Wolves. Unlike the XIth, they had not all been present, and some still lived. Some advocated purging them, arguing that their gene-seed was too unstable. At the request of Daer'dd and Hectarion, however, the Emperor deemed such a drastic measure unnecessary, and instead decreed that the Wolves would be dispersed among the two Legions closest to them in temperament; the Iron Bears and Crimson Lions.

 

As well as their share of the surviving Wolves, the Iron Bears took possession of most of the Wolves’ assets such as tanks and wargear, while the fleets of the two Legions were shared by their fellows; in a controversial act, The Drowned claimed the Hrafnkel for themselves. Daer'dd resolved to treat the Wolves’ homeworld with due dignity, and Fenris became an outpost of the Three Fires. The work that had begun to make the Fang into the mightiest fortress outside Terra was continued, and the Sons of Russ continued to fight, unknown, for the Imperium.

Edited October 31, 2016 by bluntblade

[Kelborn]

Slight question.

 

Redd was ok with giving House Harkon the custody over Fenris. Shall they be named here as a slight introduction?

[bluntblade]

Err, I dunno.

[simison]

Slight question.

 

Redd was ok with giving House Harkon the custody over Fenris. Shall they be named here as a slight introduction?

 

Hm, but why? The people of Fenris still offer top-quality barbarians for becoming Space Marines, and the piece mentions the Fang is maintained. How much custody are we talking here?

[Chief Captain Redd]

House Harkon is given a seat on the council of chiefs of the Three Fires, so they still answer to Daer'dd. And the Iron Bears take stewardship of the Fang and keep the Skywarrior selection traditions alive.

[simison]

That's a small enough role that it should be saved for the House Harkon entry. I don't see how you can fit the reference in here without breaking the theme and scope of the entry.

[Kelborn]

Hey no worries.

I just wanted to ask. I'm fine with it. :)

[simison]

"...in the VI[^th] Legion..."

 

"...Daerd[']d..."

 

"...the Crusade[,] their rise was..."

 

"... their Primarch Leman Russ the third to be..." - This is a fragment, I feel like a 'was' is supposed to be in here.

 

"... and [while] he..."

 

"...Imperial records[,] and their tales..."

 

Superscript on XIth Legion

 

 

 

Those are the errors I found. The only questions I have surround the Emperor. I'm okay with him sending Russ to Magnus, not as much with him ordering the purge of the remaining Wolves. Since this is one of the few open-ended areas in canon, let's just have him ask who will take the Wolves in.

[bluntblade]

I actually meant to put a comma or dash in. So "Russ: third to be found".

 

The rest will be worked in promptly

 

Edit: done

 

Another edit: I realised that Hosts are cooler than Brigades, and in any case I wanted to reference the Shepherds' Darksiders influences more

Edited October 31, 2016 by bluntblade

[simison]

Time to bring this thread back to the fore now that we have a proper antagonist. The overall campaign is still the same. Dune Serpents trying to rescue Azus, the Insurrectionists expanded eastward, Void Eagles trying to do something important, and Insurgos everywhere. 

 

As soon as the 18th has a proper name, we can finish the general history part. 

[bluntblade]

Maybe we should have Fal'uak of the Serpents leading the rescue mission?

[simison]

I've updated the first post with the 18th's official name and added a spot for House Toho. Looking over what we had, from a non-faction specific view, the next step is to lay out the factors and causes leading up to the book 2 campaigns. 

 

Taking a quick gander at everything else...

 

For the Void Eagles, I see an Origin section for Yucahu, which leaves a title page (I assume it's in the legion thread), pre-Primarch legion section, and what comes after Yucahu is reunited with his legion.

 

Steel Legion & House Toho are starting from the ground up. 

 

Dune Serpents, nothing has migrated to this thread yet, though it looks like Azus' origin section was written.

 

Insurgos, I think I finished writing the introductory page, and the Shepherds look completely done. That leaves the other Insurgos listed in the first post. 

 

And that concludes this status update. Whenever I'm waiting on feedback or finish the Harbingers, I'll move over to here.

Maybe we should have Fal'uak of the Serpents leading the rescue mission?

 

What timing you have. Also...

 

http://t14.deviantart.net/GspTpCZyRUsaF4sKyPBcbOQ26SM=/300x200/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre02/733a/th/pre/f/2015/250/3/0/who___meme_by_hellraiser_89-d98rr6h.jpg

[bluntblade]

The leader of their champion-hunting Shamshir elite. Haven't showcased him yet, but he's the deadliest Serpent with a sword except for Azus himself.

 

Also, excellent meme use.

[simison]

The leader of their champion-hunting Shamshir elite. Haven't showcased him yet, but he's the deadliest Serpent with a sword except for Azus himself.

 

Also, excellent meme use.

 

Why, thank you.

 

And he sounds like the perfect man for the job of the actual mission. Maybe have another Dune Serpent in charge of operational/logistical matters, while Fal'uak is the commander on the ground. 

[bluntblade]

Sounds good to me. And a Serpent vs Warrior of Peace duel could be really cool

[Kelborn]

"We, the Samurai of House Toho, the guardians of Kaijo, stand ready at your command, warmaster. Honor and glory shall be our reward. These traitors are nothing compared to the horrors of the depths. The Ke'mano stood no chance against our combined might. Icarions bastards will neither."

------------

Shogun Moritsugo Minamoto, Defender of Kaijo

 

Seems like I need to fish my Samurai out of my Warhammer folder. :)

They will form a nice cultural triangle: Japanese Hose Toho, Egyptian Thousand Sons, African Predators ;)

[simison]

THE VOID EAGLES

 

 

 

Numeration: IV^th Legion

Primogenitor: Yucahu Sumakutaa the Star-Born

Cognomen (Prior): The Morning Stars

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Large-Scale Astral Warfare, Aerial Superiority, Saturation Warfare, Area Denial and Scorched Earth Operations

Noteworthy Domains: Coaban, Ekwesh II, Vernes, secondary recruitment rights on several other worlds among the Segmentum Tempestus.

Allegiance: Fidelitas Vacuæ

 

It is a common idea that many of the Traitor Legions fell from great heights on the day they met with their primarchs. The VII^th, the XIII^th, the XVI^th all suffered from reunion with their sire. But none speaks of the Fourth, whose loyalty is to the Emperor, and yet fell the same. I remember the days of yore, where the Morning Stars would uphold human virtue at the tip of their swords, bearing the light of Pax Imperialis. Then I look at the Void Eagles, and the lifeless rocks they leave behind, and wonder how such men can still call themselves heralds of Mankind.
–Remembrancer historiale Arcturus Meyan, "From Unity to Insurrection: a comprehensive History of the Legiones Astartes", introduction to vol. V. 

Edited December 4, 2016 by simison

[Big Bad Squig]

Maybe we should have Fal'uak of the Serpents leading the rescue mission?

Fal'uak would be interesting to see more of and make him more than the one dimensional 'champion' archetype. Another candidate is the former Legion Master in dreadnought form (although given my irrational love of dreadnoughts he'll most definitely be given screen time later on anyway).

 

Sounds good to me. And a Serpent vs Warrior of Peace duel could be really cool

Seconded

 

Dune Serpents, nothing has migrated to this thread yet, though it looks like Azus' origin section was written.

 

 

Yeah, here's the chapter as it stands (there is a title page as well somewhere in the XIV thread):

 

Origins of the Dune Serpents

The nascent Sightless Fourteenth was composed of recruits hailing from the barely-inhabitable salt deserts of Terra. During the Age of Strife, fighting here had been fierce, and this combined with the punishing conditions in which they lived had hardened the peoples of this region into warriors. When the Thunder Warriors of the Emperor entered these regions, they expected to find no trace of life. Instead, they were immediately set upon by highly mobile groups of marauders, and were at first even beaten back due to the shock of being attacked in a seemingly empty place. However, the Emperor’s chosen warriors were not to be halted, and the second time the region was invaded, this time in far greater force, the desert tribes stood very little chance. Due to the conditions of the salt deserts, the technology possessed by the tribes was almost exclusively scavenged, and no match for the superior armaments of the Thunder Warriors.

Quickly, one of the larger tribes found itself surrounded. Acting as if surrendering, the Thunder Warriors were allowed inside the tribe’s camp, only to be ambushed by ranks upon ranks of tribespeople. After a brief skirmish, the Thunder Warriors emerged victorious, although only barely. While procedure dictated that the rest of the tribe should too be put to death, the Imperial Captain who led the Thunder Warriors was intrigued. Searching through the faces of those taken prisoner, he encountered the tribe’s leader. To the horror of the Emperor’s forces, instead of an execution, the man was granted an audience. One hour to explain why the tribes should be allowed to live. That man’s name was Jon Lawrence, and it was he who would become the first Legion Master of the Fourteenth.

Under the leadership of Jon Lawrence, the Fourteenth Legion began to take shape. It quickly developed an aptitude for hit and run strikes, and so was often used in conjunction with larger forces of other Legions such as the Sixth and Tenth. Another reason for this was that the Fourteenth themselves were a fairly small legion; many aspirants did not survive the process of gene-seed implantation – in fact, the violent side effects of the implantation process (which often led to total blindness in the earliest candidates submitted to the process) are what led to the name ‘Sightless Fourteenth’ being adopted. Additionally, a tribal culture still existed among the Legion, meaning it was in effect divided into several almost fully autonomous groups, although in times of need these groups could be united. The Legion was left to function in this way, both due to the grudges and allegiances that Lawrence himself still held on to and because destroying the way of life that the recruits to the Legion had known all their lives would inspire nothing but bitterness.

 

 

The Ghost of the Sands

Far on the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, a desolate, barely inhabitable world named Dhul’hasa was about to rise from obscurity. Once a hub of technology and scientific research, the Age of Strife broke Dhul’hasa, atmospheric pollution raising the global temperature of the planet so high that most of its surface turned to desert just as all contact with the wider Human Empire was lost. After this had followed centuries of territorial warfare between clans and factions, until almost all left on the world was dust. The one constant over this period of change and darkness was the ring of space stations and satellites orbiting Dhul’hasa, all scanning systems trained on the stars in the desperate hope that humanity would return from beyond the cloudless sky.

Onto this background, the Primarch of the Fourteenth Legion landed, his pod lighting up the night sky. Whether by radios receiving data from satellites or simply by looking upwards, all the tribes near to the landing site saw descent of the spaceship and rushed to meet it as it rushed towards the ground. The Primarch’s journey had been long, and so he had already matured partially when he first made planetfall on Dhul’hasa. Stepping out of the pod, labelled AZU-5, he fled into the night before the amassed clans could investigate his arrival.

In the aftermath of the skirmish to claim the Primarch’s pod, the Dhul’hasan clans each discovered the wealth of technology that this craft from the heavens had to offer and wanted more. So it was that search parties began to be sent out to trace whatever else had been in the empty pod, first only one or two per week, and then increasing in frequency until almost all the resources available to the clanspeople were directed towards this great search.

The Primarch, who had taken the name Azus, could only remain isolated in the desert for so long. He soon heard of the amassed forces searching for him, and due to their ever increasing size, he could not avoid them for long. And so it was that the first humans that the Primarch Azus encountered attempted to take him prisoner. However, despite his lack of training, Azus was after all a Primarch, and so tore through his assailants with ease. After that, he became more careful. Staying far away from others, hiding and only engaging enemies at range when necessary, Azus was able to survive the assault of the clans for well over six months.

However, one day, the inevitable happened. Well versed in the arts of stealth as Azus himself had become, Dhul’hasan warriors surrounded the Primarch at night, and although he killed near to one hundred in the ensuing struggle, he was captured, put in chains, and hauled back to the city of Kaobyrra, the stronghold of the Bahmut Clan, as a prisoner. There, this captured giant suffered months of research, his superhuman skin reknitting after every dissection, and bones healing after every marrow extraction. Slowly, the Dhul’hasan scientists outdated, malfunctioning medical equipment began to reveal the secrets of the Primarch’s advanced biology. Soon, the experiments became increasingly violent, all non-vital organs being removed and rudimentary brain scans being conducted in an effort to synthesize a compound nearing gene-seed.

Eventually, battling through the mind-numbing effects of the concoction of tranquilisers that he was constantly drip-fed, Azus developed a plan. During a simpler medical procedure, the Primarch pulled so hard against the restraints holding his left arm that his hand was torn clean off. He proceeded to batter the nearest scientists to death with his bloodied stump, freeing himself and staggering out of the operating chamber in which he had been kept a prisoner. The few that dared to oppose Azus’ incandescent fury were blessed with quick deaths. After only about an hour, the people of Kaobyrra submitted to the Primarch in awe and terror. Azus’ coup was brutally efficient. The surviving scientists’ final task was to craft the Primarch a new bionic hand to replace the one he had lost, before they, along with the city’s existing governing body, were executed, leaving none to oppose Azus’ rule. His power within the city had become absolute within a week of his escape.

Over the next seven years, Azus waged a bitter war of subjugation over the rest of the planet. Slowly, the Dhul’hasan clans fell to Azus of Bahmut, a figure revered and feared in equal measure due to his martial prowess and terrifying presence and morals respectively. To most Dhul’hasans he was rarely glimpsed, a hidden fiend who ruled with an iron fist. His elusive nature earned him the title ‘Ghost of the Sands’, a name he grudgingly appreciated. Eventually, the entirety of Dhul’hasa came under Azus’ rule, and he began to turn his ambitions skywards.

It was then that fleet approaching Dhul’hasa was discovered.

 

Dhul’hasa Under Siege

Satellites began transmitting warnings that ships were approaching Dhul’hasa’s system for the first time since the arrival of Azus Bahmut. Needless to say that these signals were taken very seriously by the planet’s people, some fearing invasion, some hoping for a joyous reunion with the rest of mankind. Those hopeful few were to be disappointed. The fleet was revealed to be xenos in origin as it approached, and it was approaching quickly. Quietly, within his lair in the palaces of Kaobyrra, Azus began to plan. The few still functioning factories on Dhul’hasa’s scorched surface were put to work manufacturing large quantities of weaponry. Outriders were sent to inspect the ancient orbital defence platforms and ready them for war. Within a matter of weeks, Azus had readied the planet for the imminent incursion, with predicted landing sites being surrounded with troops, traps laid around significant settlements, and the populace armed and trained in basics of combat. It was then that the fleet arrived.

It was nothing like Azus had expected. The ships careened towards the planet’s surface with little care for their own safety, descending too quickly for the orbital defence batteries to lock on to them. Ignoring flat, empty areas, the ships crash-landed in a random pattern, belching smoke and crackling with flame. It quickly became clear that this had not been an invasion, but an escape.

Azus sent a delegation to meet the first ship to land which he himself accompanied, albeit in secret. While the Dhul’hasans were prepared to negotiate with the refugee xenos, the aliens opened fire as soon as they caught sight of the delegation, slaughtering it to a man. Azus watched from the shadows, and fell back to Kaobyrra. It seemed a war was to be fought after all.

The clans were informed, and readied for battle. Warbands mounted on outdated, barely-serviceable jetbikes were sent to harass the xenos as they disembarked from their ships, striking so quickly that the attackers had barely any time to respond before the Dhul’hasans fled once again. Struggling to navigate the planet’s monotonous and harsh terrain, the refugees’ first attempts to make territorial gains were easily repelled. Quickly, however, the xenos began to breach the first lines of defence Azus had put in place, making targeted pushes for nearby oil refineries. It became obvious that the objective of the invaders was to refuel and depart as quickly as possible, rather than to take the planet. While it may have been easier to simply stand back and give the xenos the resources they needed, Azus’ rise to power had come via uncompromising strength and bitter justice, and in the act of invading Dhul’hasa, the xenos had slighted Azus personally. This was something that they would come to regret.

Using hit-and-run tactics, Azus’ forces baited the xenos to collect in large numbers. At that point, chemical strikes were launched, decimating the invaders and damaging their morale. The reprieve for this was violent, with diversionary attacks being launched by the xenos into nearby settlements, while other forces desperately rushed to the refineries. The Dhul’hasan soldiers moved to defend the oil refineries, while incendiary bombing campaigns were launched against settlements in which the xenos attackers were most concentrated, with no concern for the lives of civilians. The fighting became so bitter that the arrival of a second fleet in the system went completely unnoticed.

Fleeing desperately from their newly arrived pursuers, the xenos launched a final push to break free of the Dhul’hasans and escape. The clans mustered to retaliate as quickly as they could. Azus himself took to the battlefield, sensing that his men’s morale needed to be boosted. Seeing an opportunity to destroy the aliens outright, the Dhul’hasans fought with every weapon in their arsenal, no matter how unpleasant, cutting down xenos by the thousands. Although they fought back with terrified determination, the invaders were finally defeated in the ensuing pitched battle. The relief of Dhul’hasa’s liberation was palpable. So when Azus saw an amassed army of black-armoured warriors staring across at him from the other side of the blood-soaked battlefield, it came as a surprise.

In the ensuing meeting, Azus was introduced to the leader of the xenos’ pursuers, a human larger even than himself. His name was Daer’dd Niimkiikaa, the Primarch of the Iron Bears Legion, who had been chasing the xenos fleet down after being ambushed in deep space. They had finally been forced to make planetfall on Dhul’hasa after their ships suffered colossal damage in a void engagement. Elated to have chanced upon another of his brothers, Daer’dd requested the presence of the Emperor himself on Dhul’hasa. When he arrived, Azus was offered the chance to join him in his Great Crusade, and he readily accepted, both seeing it as an opportunity to take the people of Dhul’hasa to the stars once again and fearing the wrath of the Imperium of Man should he refuse.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Big Bad Squig

[bluntblade]

Fal'uak was always meant to be less of a grandstanding champion and more of a ruthless hunter, so this would be a good way of demonstrating that.

[Big Bad Squig]

Oh I found the title bit as well (should go in front of the other spoilered bit but I'm on mobile and editing that post is a pain):

 

They are a dark, terrifying Legion. Barely human at all. They view honour and bravery and kindness as diseases, to be excised from themselves and exploited in others. And they will stop at nothing to get what they want. –Diary entry of [REDACTED], Remembrancer attached to the 412th Expeditionary Fleet

 

Numeration: XIVth Legion

 

Primogenitor: Azus Bahmut

 

Allegiance: Fedelitas Scindere

 

Cognomen (Prior): Sightless Fourteenth.

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Stealth Operations, Guerrilla Warfare, Terror Tactics, Use of Chemical Weaponry

 

Noteworthy Domains: Dhul’Hasa and its orbiting space stations.

 

The Emperor’s Fourteenth were often known as an honourless Legion. Of all that was whispered of them, that much, at least, was true. Operating from the shadows, striking only where they knew they could win, and fleeing before the enemy had a chance to strike back, the Dune Serpents’ way of war was described by their Primarch as ‘practical and practical alone, for war’s purpose is to yield results no matter the means’.

 

If others had viewed the Fourteenth Legion as unpleasant and without boundaries during the Great Crusade, the Icarion Insurrection would escalate these views tenfold. The Legion splintered after news of the Stormlord’s betrayal, with nearing 40% of the Serpents casting off their Imperial colours and joining forces with the Insurrectionists, or simply making their own way in a galaxy of war. Their Primarch, however, stayed loyal to the Imperium, though whether out of respect for the Emperor or simply a need to survive is to this day murky. The Dune Serpents exemplify the belief of some that, to wage war against monsters, one must become a monster oneself.

[simison]

Dune Serpents

 

Numeration: XIV^th Legion

Primogenitor: Azus Bahmut

Allegiance: Fedelitas Scindere

Cognomen (Prior): Sightless Fourteenth.

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Stealth Operations, Guerrilla Warfare, Terror Tactics, Use of Chemical Weaponry

Noteworthy Domains: Dhul’Hasa and its orbiting space stations.

 

They are a dark, terrifying Legion. Barely human at all. They view honour and bravery and kindness as diseases, to be excised from themselves and exploited in others. And they will stop at nothing to get what they want. –Diary entry of [REDACTED], Remembrancer attached to the 412th Expeditionary Fleet

The Emperor’s Fourteenth were often known as an honourless Legion. Of all that was whispered of them, that much, at least, was true. Operating from the shadows, striking only where they knew they could win, and fleeing before the enemy had a chance to strike back, the Dune Serpents’ way of war was described by their Primarch as ‘practical and practical alone, for war’s purpose is to yield results no matter the means’.

If others had viewed the Fourteenth Legion as unpleasant and without boundaries during the Great Crusade, the Icarion Insurrection would escalate these views tenfold. The Legion splintered after news of the Stormlord’s betrayal, with nearing 40% of the Serpents casting off their Imperial colours and joining forces with the Insurrectionists, or simply making their own way in a galaxy of war. Their Primarch, however, stayed loyal to the Imperium, though whether out of respect for the Emperor or simply a need to survive is to this day murky. The Dune Serpents exemplify the belief of some that, to wage war against monsters, one must become a monster oneself.

 

 

[Moved the quote to a more appropriate place and added a missing 'is'. Other than that, it's good.]

Edited March 12, 2017 by simison

[simison]

Origins of the Dune Serpents

The nascent Sightless Fourteenth was composed of recruits hailing from the barely-inhabitable salt deserts of Terra. During the Age of Strife, fighting here had been fierce, and this combined with the punishing conditions in which they lived had hardened the peoples of this region into warriors. When the Thunder Warriors of the Emperor entered these regions, they expected to find no trace of life. Instead, they were immediately set upon by highly mobile groups of marauders, and were at first even beaten back due to the shock of being attacked in a seemingly empty place. However, the Emperor’s chosen warriors were not to be halted, and the second time the region was invaded, this time in far greater force, the desert tribes stood very little chance. Due to the conditions of the salt deserts, the technology possessed by the tribes was almost exclusively scavenged, and no match for the superior armaments of the Thunder Warriors.

 

Quickly, one of the larger tribes found itself surrounded. Acting as if surrendering, the Thunder Warriors were allowed inside the tribe’s camp, only to be ambushed by ranks upon ranks of tribespeople. After a brief skirmish, the Thunder Warriors emerged victorious, although barely. While procedure dictated that the rest of the tribe should too be put to death, the Imperial Captain who led the Thunder Warriors was intrigued. Searching through the faces of those taken prisoner, he encountered the tribe’s leader. To the horror of the Emperor’s forces, instead of an execution, the man was granted an audience. One hour to explain why the tribes should be allowed to live. That man’s name was Jon Lawrence, and it was he who would become the first Legion Master of the Fourteenth.

 

Under the leadership of Jon Lawrence, the Fourteenth Legion began to take shape. It quickly developed an aptitude for hit and run strikes, and so was often used in conjunction with larger forces of other Legions such as the Sixth and Tenth. Another reason for this was that the Fourteenth themselves were a fairly small legion; many aspirants did not survive the process of gene-seed implantation – in fact, the violent side effects of the implantation process, which often led to total blindness in the earliest candidates submitted to the process, are what led to the name ‘Sightless Fourteenth’ being adopted. Additionally, a tribal culture still existed among the Legion, meaning it was in effect divided into several almost fully autonomous groups, although in times of need these groups could be united. The Legion was left to function in this way, both due to the grudges and allegiances that Lawrence himself still held on to and because destroying the way of life that the recruits to the Legion had known all their lives would inspire nothing but bitterness.

 

 

[Need more details for location. A new reader to 30k might not know exactly where the Salt Deserts are.

 

And Lawrence should get the 40k name treatment. Sounds similar but spelled differently.]

Edited December 5, 2016 by simison

[bluntblade]

Origins of the Dune Serpents

The nascent Sightless Fourteenth was composed of recruits hailing from the barely-inhabitable salt deserts of Terra. During the Age of Strife, fighting here had been fierce, and this combined with the punishing conditions in which they lived had hardened the peoples of this region into warriors. When the Thunder Warriors of the Emperor entered these regions, they expected to find no trace of life. Instead, they were immediately set upon by highly mobile groups of marauders, and were at first even beaten back due to the shock of being attacked in a seemingly empty place. However, the Emperor’s chosen warriors were not to be halted, and the second time the region was invaded, this time in far greater force, the desert tribes stood very little chance. Due to the conditions of the salt deserts, the technology possessed by the tribes was almost exclusively scavenged, and no match for the superior armaments of the Thunder Warriors.

 

Quickly, one of the larger tribes found itself surrounded. Acting as if surrendering, the Thunder Warriors were allowed inside the tribe’s camp, only to be ambushed by ranks upon ranks of tribespeople. After a brief skirmish, the Thunder Warriors emerged victorious, although barely. While procedure dictated that the rest of the tribe should too be put to death, the Imperial Captain who led the Thunder Warriors was intrigued. Searching through the faces of those taken prisoner, he encountered the tribe’s leader. To the horror of the Emperor’s forces, instead of an execution, the man was granted an audience. One hour to explain why the tribes should be allowed to live. That man’s name was Jon Lawrence, and it was he who would become the first Legion Master of the Fourteenth.

 

Under the leadership of Jon Lawrence, the Fourteenth Legion began to take shape. It quickly developed an aptitude for hit and run strikes, and so was often used in conjunction with larger forces of other Legions such as the Sixth and Tenth. Another reason for this was that the Fourteenth themselves were a fairly small legion; many aspirants did not survive the process of gene-seed implantation – in fact, the violent side effects of the implantation process, which often led to total blindness in the earliest candidates submitted to the process, are what led to the name ‘Sightless Fourteenth’ being adopted. Additionally, a tribal culture still existed among the Legion, meaning it was in effect divided into several almost fully autonomous groups, although in times of need these groups could be united. The Legion was left to function in this way, both due to the grudges and allegiances that Lawrence himself still held on to and because destroying the way of life that the recruits to the Legion had known all their lives would inspire nothing but bitterness.

 

 

[Need more details for location. A new reader to 30k might not know exactly where the Salt Deserts are.

 

And Lawrence should get the 40k name treatment. Sounds similar but spelled differently.]

Are they in what was the Middle East? Maybe the Caspia Salt Deserts, or Erythaea?

[Big Bad Squig]

 

Dune Serpents

 

 

Their Primarch, however, stayed loyal to the Imperium, though whether out of respect for the Emperor or simply a need to survive is to this day is murky.

 

Just flicking through and I noticed I've made a mistake here as well and put 'is' twice. I wrote that introductory bit a while ago and I can't actually remember where the salt deserts were supposed to be, although I think they weren't middle eastern. If memory serves there's a salt desert in Chile, so that could be a possible location. What would work for Lawrence do you think? Lawrynce? Jörn Lawrence? Lawrentce? I'm leading towards the first one because I struggle with names and it follows the 40k tradition of replacing any/all letters with 'y's. Which do you think works best?