IL XVII - Warriors of Peace

[TrajantheGreat]

This is the new thread for the War of the Eightfold Path.

 

The Warriors of Peace

 

Numeration: The XVIIth Legion

 

Primogenitor: The Jade General

 

Cognomen (Prior): Imperial Light

 

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Generalist, use of artificial "Pariahs"

 

Noteworthy Domains: Han (Homeworld), later moved to Jin

Allegiance: Separatist

 

Symbol and Colours: Midnight Blue, Red and Yellow

 

Inspiration: Medieval China, 3 Kingdoms

 

Tactics:

Every marine, every squad, every company is expected to fight as a single unit, operating in perfect coordination with their brethren, drawing strength from one another as they battle in near-total silence. The eerie movements of these Legiones Astartes is further enhanced by their "Pariah" officers which unsettle enemy combatants to weaken morale.

 

Personality of the Legion:

Unlike other legions, the Warriors of Peace approach warfare as one would any vocation. To them, warfare is their duty. Neither given into either the elation of slaughter or the despair of defeat, the Warriors of Peace maintain their stoicism in battle, no matter the odds they are against. It is only when a Warrior is at peace within himself does he achieve true mastery of the art of war.

This eerie detachment, combined with the pariahs serving in their ranks, has intimidated both foe and friend alike. Among the few exceptions are, strangely, the Mechanicum. As the Warrior of Peace seeks to shed himself of fruitless emotion in battle, the tech-adept seeks to shed himself of fruitless flesh.

The Warriors ultimate aim is to purge themselves of strong emotions or attachments, meditating to master inner peace. They train themselves to have almost inhuman focus, so in many ways, the Pariahs exemplify the ideals that they strive towards.

 

 

 

I am currently in the process of going through the older posts and forming a cohesive and updated backstory.

Edited February 18, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

Geneseed

The Warriors of Peace have a very unique geneseed, which gave them both their greatest strength and severely hampered their growth as a legion. The Warriors possess a form of artificially-created pariah gene, making them not true soulless but an approximation that produced the same effect. They are one of the smallest legions because of this, with an extremely high rejection rate only partially solved by the Jade General's discovery.

 

Homeworld

Han - Feudal Temperate World

Han is located in the far top left of Segmentum Obscurus, one of the furthest Primarch homeworlds from Terra. It has a varied climate, with great mountain ranges, lush forests and very fertile land to grow food. However, the technology of Han is still at a feudal level, meaning that most farming is subsident and most inhabitants live in the rual areas. At the time of the Jade General's arrival on Han, there were three large and severl smaller kingdoms, with a growing power in the flat and windy land to the north.

 

Equipment

The Warriors have no particular preference for types of armour, using whatever Mark is available as they hold little sentimental attachment to a particular kind. The vast majority of Warriors favour practical armour customization like additional protective armour or similar modifications. However, certain Orders or high-ranking officers will add more visual embellishments, especially when it comes to Artificer armour. A Warrior of Peace will denote which path he follows by wearing the appropriate colour on his armour or clothing, in the form of markings, sashes, plumes, trim, etc.

 

View on the Wider Imperium

The Warriors of Peace care little for the civilians of the Imperium, their main concern being for the pursuit of knowledge and scientific understanding of the universe. The XVIIth Legion has been counted as one of hte Imperial Truth's most consistent defenders. What was a straightforward application of the Imperial Truth became more nuanced with the arrival of the Jade General.

 

Mechanicum

The Legions' eerie detachment, combined with the pariahs serving in their ranks, has intimidated both foe and friend alike. Among the few exceptions are, strangely, the Mechanicum. As the Warrior of Peace seeks to shed himself of fruitless emotion in battle, the tech-adept seeks to shed himself of fruitless flesh. The biologically focused tech-priests have also found kinship with the Warriors and the Jade General, as the problems of the geneseed required work from both groups to bring under control.

 

Imperial Army

The Pariah nature of the Warriors has put off many mortals serving in the Imperial Army, many not wishing to serve alongside them as opposed to the more friendly legions. The Warriors' efficient way of waging war has earned them a degree of respect from commanders, as the Warriors will never wantonly throw the Imperial Army into pointlessly bloody situations.

The one exception to this is Lord Militant Jaacos Nurada, who is the Warriors' favoured commander due to their shared experimentation and sharing of knowledge.

Edited February 17, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

The Foundation of XVII

Founded in the early days of the Great Crusade, as the closing battles of the Unification Wars were being fought in distant lands, the earliest Warriors of Peace were recruited from the Kingdom of Qin in the east of what was once Aziatica. However, despite the large number of recruits the legion received, when the legions left Terra, the Warriors of Peace was the smallest, having barely 200 astartes. It was quickly discovered that the XVII possessed the most unstable of any of the gene seed strands, so unstable that only around 0.3% of aspirants survived the implantation process. Following the relatively heavy losses the legion sustained on Luna, the possibility was discussed of dissolving the XVII and striking their names from the record and merging the legion with another legion. However, while such talk would persist for much of the Great Crusade, the Emperor forbade any such action, decreeing that "the Legiones Astartes began in fire and if any of them are to be destroyed it shall be in fire".

 

Defended by the Emperor's decree, the XVII continued to prosecute the Crusade. However, they did not do so alone. Instead, they were attached to the XX legion, the Alabaster Order and it was alongside the XX that many of the XVII's early victories would be achieved. Indeed, it was from the XX that the XVII earned their nickname. After observing the almost trance like state of peace and calm the warriors of the XVII fell into while fighting, never using more force than necessary yet never using less, always using just enough to kill their foe, the XX dubbed them "Warriors of Peace". While it is unlikely the XVII themselves cared much for having been given the moniker, it stuck and they soon became referred to as the Warriors of Peace in official war council dispatches made by the newly discovered XX legion Primarch, Gustave Dunant. Due to this nature, the Warriors of Peace were often placed in the vanguard of the XX legion, using their particular skills to either diplomatically resolve the situation or the terror their pariah abilities granted them to carve a path through the enemy lines.

 

For much of the Great Crusade, the Warriors of Peace served under Gustave Dunant, who also took up the task of rectifying the instability in the XVII's gene seed, for the discovery of their own primarch was a long time in the coming. Through his efforts, the legion rose in size to 4000 marines by the time it was called to the world of Han. It was on that world that they found their primarch, the last of the Emperor's sons to be found.

[TrajantheGreat]

The Jade General’s Origin Story

 

The world upon which the Jade General's pod landed was the planet of Han. A world of plentiful resources, Han was home to many flourishing kingdoms and to many grand temples. However, these were not temples to any primitive deity who required blood sacrifice but to something far more precious: knowledge. Where these temples may once have been dedicated to gods, they were now entirely given over to study and each contained thousands upon thousands of scrolls containing knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years, from ways to treat common illnesses that afflicted Han’s populace to chemical compounds one could use to make weaponry. It was into one of these temples that the Jade General was taken following his discovery by a monk, who found the child seemingly abandoned and wondering the wilds alone. While at first, they intended to pass the child on to a farming family, they soon discovered that he had an insatiable appetite for knowledge and an extraordinary intellect. So it was that he became a monk at one of the temples, a Keeper of Knowledge.

 

While for his first years as a monk the young Jade General was content to simply read and discover. However, within a few years he had read all that the temples had to offer and his thirst for knowledge remained unsated. It was then that his goal, the goal towards which he would strive for his entire life, was to discover the greatest mysteries of the universe. The first to which he turned his formidable intellect was less a matter of discovery so much as rediscovery. The ancient texts spoke of various substances, harder even than iron, which had been possessed by the ancients and techniques by which a single man could create a thousand spear heads in a day where a blacksmith could create only a few dozen.

 

Tinkering amidst the simple wooden walls of his personal chamber, the Jade General worked for days without rest, testing hundreds of different ways in which he could create such a metal and such a mechanism. Eventually, he found a way to create this metal, which he named steel after that named in the ancient texts, and wrote an entire treatise upon various methods one could use to create steel of varying hardnesses and flexibilities. As he set his mind to how to create a machine capable of mass-producing objects, his first discovery spread like wildfire across Han, with Kings paying the temples entire rooms full of gold for the privilege of receiving a copy of the Jade General's treatise. However, the Jade General was far from finished.

 

Within a matter of months, he had discovered a way of making a crude iron machine capable of producing hundreds of spear heads in a single day. Once again, kings paid huge sums for a copy of his treatise on the matter in a desperate bid not to be out done by their rivals.

 

Where once, the world of Han had been united under the rule of the Celestial Lords, said to he descended from the god Heaven, the embodiment of all things, the world was now divided into three warring states, Zhu, Ju and Fei. It was the Kings of these three states who were most desperate to gain access to the Jade General's new inventions, each wishing to outdo his rivals and seeing the new technologies as a way of accomplishing it. However, as the Jade General continued to create new technologies, with each these rulers were obliged to empty their treasuries in order to gain access to it. Eventually, they decided enough was enough and began to offer this talented young monk a steady wage and access to everything he would need to continue inventing if he would only give them access to his inventions. Where any other would likely have agreed, the Jade General refused, no matter what the kings promised. So, deciding that if they couldn't have sole access to his inventions then they must stop him from creating inventions, the kings began to send assassins to kill the Jade General. However, they had made a grave underestimation of the young Primarch.

 

Despite his principal interests lying in science, the Jade General still possessed the formidable physical abilities of a Primarch and easily disposed of the assassins sent to kill him. However, as the assassins kept coming, the Jade General began to see the art of killing as a science, which could be perfected and then applied to any situation. It was to this matter the Jade General turned his mind, and he continued to churn out both new technology and new treatises upon techniques he had developed to kill.

 

However, within a few years the Jade General's need of resources to create new inventions outstripped those he could acquire and so, he sent out a message to all three kingdoms demanding that they give him the resources he needed or he would destroy them. Angered by his repeated refusal to serve them, only one kingdom, Zhu, agreed while another, Fei, actively declared war upon him. Only Ju remained neutral, trying to stall and delay the Jade General for as long as possible.

 

Using the army of the Kingdom of Zhu and equipping them with the latest of his inventions, the Jade General crushed first Fei and then Ju creating a huge kingdom. Over the next years, his kingdom would expand to cover all of Jin as his demands on resources and manpower grew, and he conquered other kingdoms to sate these needs. So it was that the Jade General became the successor to the Celestial Emperor without ever desiring to. 

 

Though the so-called Central Kingdoms were united under the General's guidance, the world was larger than these kingdoms.  Many of the aristocrats from the Central Kingdoms had fled rather than submit and, in cooperation with nomads and even the distant Empire of Borjiginhan.  In what happened next, one must, from our vantage point, suspect the hand of Chaos, for the aristocrats were soon united under a powerful psyker, Oljeitu.  Where precisely Oljeitu was from is unknown, but what is clear is that he had access to arcane secrets hitherto unknown on Han, not simply in the Central States, but in all countries under the sky.  Court Sorcerers were a court staple all over Han, but their powers were limited and knowledge limited.  Oljeitu, in contrast, clearly exercised a level of control and technique requiring an educational infrastructure simply beyond the bronze age society of Han’s various nascent civilizations.  Oljeitu went on the offensive, devastating the army sent to pacify the Xuehe oasis cities that had allied with Prince Gu Jiahao.  Worse still, Oljeitu began gathering and training psykers.  The number of these witches was never particularly high given how rare the psyker gene is, but Oljeitu also appears to have had psycho-reactive devices allowing ordinary mortals to channel some degree of empyrean might with horrific consequences.  A tide of madness and death was thus unleashed that even the General's strategic brilliance and well drilled armies were unable to check.  However, psykers had plagued Han in the distant past and legends remained.  A strange community of hermits known as the Shensha was known which drew upon strange members of all societies.  Once in a generation, these odd hermits would descend from their mountain refuges to scour the countryside for children with what we now understand to be the Null Gene.  On rare occasions they would be employed as exorcists in the world below, but in general, these Shensha were avoided.

 

The General had disregarded both sorcerers and the Shensha as curiosities ultimately irrelevant to administering an empire, an oversight which cost him dearly.  By the time the General was able to mobilize the Shensha, the countryside was overrun by mutated beasts.  Taking the Shensha as an elite force, The General deployed them both as retinue to aid him and as a mobile force able to hunt down the sorcerers.  Thus, it was that the General's campaign became a careful series of traps designed to draw out sorcerers and strike them down, while he devised chariot units with massive crossbows to hunt down the mutated beasts running rampant.  In time, the tides turned and the General, accompanied by the Shensha, personally slew Oljeitu at Shengya.

 

It was in time of reconstruction that followed that the Emperor came to Han.

Edited February 23, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

The Jade General

 

Honed on the battlefields of Han, the Jade General’s mind set him apart even among his brothers. Unsentimental to the point of foregoing a name, many assumed he would be a distant commander, directing rather than leading his troops. However, the Primarch swiftly dispelled this notion, viewing his own power as a weapon to be wielded like any other - with utmost precision. Combining an understanding of biology that few could equal with the breath-taking finesse of Han martial arts, in battle he was a warrior of absolute composure, no matter the chaos around him.

 

While adept with a wide variety of weapons, the General preferred to employ his astonishing martial arts ability - one might say unarmed, but such a word never truly applied to a Primarch. Often his foes were undone by their sheer bewilderment when they faced him. Few things were so incongruous in an age of volkites, plasma and grav-weaponry as a warrior who slew with fists and feet. He became a strange paradox, taciturn in person but inspirational on the battlefield.

 

However, there existed a flaw in his composure; a distrust of psykers, fed by disasters he witnessed on Han, that bordered on the obsessive. His efforts to combat their spread by engineering an increase in the number of pariahs were blunted first by opposition within the Imperium, yet with the autonomy gained by him from Alexandros he continued his work. It was not without remorse that he ordered his sons to turn their guns upon their traitorous kin, but with cold clarity he deemed it necessary. He made a point of taking the gene-seed of enemy Astartes where possible, and his ambitions began to grow.

 

War and Peace

The product of many years’ refinement, these unique thunder gauntlets and boots contained archeotech disruptor-cells of rare potency, surpassing almost any full-sized power fist in sheer power. Coupled with the Primarch’s native strength, speed and skill, they sealed the fates of uncounted foes.

 

The Obsidian Fang

The finest example of Han blade-crafting ever to exist, the Obsidian Fang was the sword favoured by the Jade General whenever he required such a weapon. As with all his weapons, it was optimised for lightning-quick attacks and economy rather than the heavy blades wielded by many of his brothers. Rumour dogged the blade, claiming that it employed technologies from the Age of Technology which allowed it to sap a foe’s strength.

 

The Equilibrium Plate

Favouring mobility over protection, the Equilibrium plate nonetheless was incredibly strong. The product of several months’ toil in the XVIIth Legion’s forges, it was a suit of artificer armour based on Crusade-pattern armour but vastly improved by the artificers. Its already sophisticated systems were further augmented with medicae devices fashioned by the Jade General himself.

[TrajantheGreat]

Notable Warriors of Peace

Huang Ju-Long: 8th Captain, Master of Cavalry, The Flying Captain

Both a legend & oddity amongst the taciturn sons of the XVIIth Legion, Captain, or Duizhu, to use the original Han title, Huang Ju-Long is a warrior renowned throughout the Legion Astartes for his skill-at-arms and prodigious roll of honour, while not tactically astute, his prowess in combat is such that he is seen as one of the best duellists in mounted combat. Unlike his brother-legionnaires Huang is known to be exceptionally battle-hungry, relishing in the brutal thrill of war and delights in leading Squadrons of Jetbikes in devastating strikes from the heavens, driving the enemy before them like the storied horsemen of yore. But it is the challenge of single combat that truly sets his blood afire, Huang's warrior pride burns fiercely, and he will never pass up a challenge, regardless of how inadvisable it might be.

 

However, Captain Ju-Long's reputation is not all honours and accolades, as those who have had the dubious pleasure of being in his presence can often attest. Amongst a Legion known for the serenity and logical mindset of its soldiers Huang is possessed of a fiery, almost arrogant demeanour, openly boastful and often expressing contempt for those he deems lacking in some form or another. While those who do meet his lofty expectations, he treats with all respect befitting an equal, it is often only grudgingly so, and such individuals are often few and far between.

 

Wang's caustic demeanour is such that even the Jade General cannot stand his presence long, and were it not for his unrivalled tally of victories and mystifying habit of prevailing against impossible odds through sheer audacity Huang would surely have been stripped of his command, banished or both. Fortunately for the young Captain his skill and luck has held thus far and he continues to accumulate success and glory in equal measure, but time will tell if his prosperity will last or if the coming wars will see his rising star snuffed out...

 

Lord Chancellor Zhukelion: Equerry to the Primarch, The Bronze General, The Sleeping Dragon

Even as an initiate, Zhukelion showed great promise; his uncanny intellect and natural leadership ability allowed him to climb the ranks quickly, until he left behind his status of Centurion and became an Iron Monk. Many thought his rise would end there. But after serving as a monk for many years, the Jade General took notice of his wisdom and talents and personally elevated him to become his equerry and, later, supreme commander of the legion. As a follower of the ancient ways of Han, his tactics are oft unconventional, yet he is one of the great strategic geniuses of the 31st millennium.

 

Captain Shao Ziruan: The Yellow Ox

Shao Ziruan came from Han, and served under the Jade General willingly before the coming of the Emperor. Once raised to become a legionary, he distinguished himself as a diligent and dependable Astartes, soon becoming an officer and finding his natural talents for command. It was this dependability that made Shao Ziruan the logical choice for the Jade General to choose as the head of his honour guard, and one whose sound advice the General can always rely on.

He is extremely close to Shao Jian, having been trained by him and served alongside him on several occasions, and the two consider each other sworn brothers.

 

Qua Feng: 3rd Captain of the Warriors of Peace, King of the Southern Wind

When the Jade General was uniting the world of Han, Qua Feng was the child-emperor of a small kingdom renowned for its archers and crossbowmen. He pledged his allegiance to the General's cause and became an invaluable and loyal ally. When the Emperor came, Feng relinquished his titles and kingdom and became a humble follower of the Still Path, eventually rising back to prominence as a Praetor.

 

Taskmaster Zhen: Lord Preceptor, Master of Initiation

It is said that the only thing a Warrior of Peace fears is Taskmaster Zhen. One of the oldest members of the legion, Zhen has personally overseen the ascendance of thousands of initiates, and is infamous for his gruelling methods of training, even by Astartes standards. Yet the mark of a Warrior trained by Zhen is easy to discern: they are possessed of a cold discipline, and under his watch, will not be found wanting.

 

Elder Cheng

Along the Tigers under the command of Juan Zu, one stands out for his age and unfailing service. Cheng is one of the last of the Terran veterans among the Warriors, who remembers the days of the Imperial Light. With old eyes, he has seen the birth of the Imperium, the dawn of the Great Crusade, and much more. Through it all, he has maintained a phlegmatic spirit unrelenting in his concern for the small details that elude those aiming for glory.

Armed with a power spear, Cheng has climbed the ranks at an unhurried pace that has seen him outlast countless others who blazed bright and short. It was in Zu’s Service that he found the greatest satisfaction. Serving as his right hand, Cheng balanced out his superior’s audacity with reliability, zeal with cool logic. This combination of talent and energy had proven a great benefit to the Great Crusade and would be a boon to Loyalists in the war to come.

And here's the breakdown of the high-ranking Warriors of Peace.

 

Primarch: The Jade General

Equerry: Lord Chancellor Zhukelion

First Captains: Xian Yun and Xian Dong

Second Captain: Liu Gutir

Third Captain: Qua Feng

Fourth Captain: Shao Jian

Eighth Captain: Huang Ju-Long

High Chaplain: Duan Wong

Chief Apothecary: Xu Chun

Master of the Forge: Xun Hia

Chief Vigilator: Zhang Yin

Captain of the Golden Mountains: Shao Ziruan

Edited March 15, 2021 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

The Proper Relationship between General and Emperor

The Imperial Truth had a wildly varying relationship with the Legiones Astartes. From the devoted Red Eyes to the Halcyon Wardens' indifference to the resentful Azure Raptors, each Legion and Primarch reacted to this overarching philosophy in a myriad of ways. The XVII^th Legion has been counted as one of its most consistent defenders. What was a straightforward application of the Imperial Truth would become more nuanced with the arrival of the Jade General. 

 

Although more infamous for his forays into genetics, the Jade General often wrote treatises about other fields. Including the Imperial Truth. He took the few, simple statutes of the Imperial Truth and expanded upon them. 

 

Motivation and relationship, ironically, would play prominent roles in his discourses. The Imperial Truth, the General wrote, was a great liberator. It was only through understanding the nature of the cosmos was it possible to understand the relationship between human beings. Freed from prior superstition and false religion, humanity could now chart the correct course in understanding their place among the galaxy and each other. 

 

Among the relationships the Jade General pondered was the one between the Emperor and humanity. Within his philosophy, the Jade General explained the Emperor's right to rule laid within His excellence in, not military, but in His knowledge. After all, if raw power was the primary requirement to rule, any sufficiently powerful being could lay claim to the Golden Throne. 

 

If that was all he said, then no doubt more than a few of the Imperial scholars would have nodded and agreed to the General's points. But then the Jade General took the argument to its next step. Exhibiting excellence of knowledge was not a one-time event, the Jade General warned. Rather, it was an ever-continual process with each crisis, each decision revealing a ruler's command of intelligence. After all, the Jade General, continued, what was gained, could be lost. In his conclusion, the Jade General hinted that no being was above examination and potential replacement. Not even the Emperor. 

 

The uproar reached beyond the academic circles where the General's thoughts had been intended. Soon, even average citizens had heard that the Jade General claimed the Emperor could be replaced. Although supremely frustrated with the reaction, the Jade General refused to recant his words, stating the principle was sound regardless how uncomfortable the conclusion may be. The Emperor himself uttered no words either for or against his troubled son. In time, the loudest responses died away, but more than a few would recall the Jade General's thoughts when the Emperor had disappeared and his calls for greater autonomy for his legion.

[TrajantheGreat]

Golden Mountains

The Golden Mountains originated from the Jade General’s time on Han, when the warriors of an isolated monastery near to the Jade General’s own monastery were among the first to swear themselves to him and promised that their support would be as unshakeable as the mountains themselves.

 

For the Golden Mountains, the mentality of the guard is a central factor in selecting new members, on par with their loyalty to the General and martial skill. Members were chosen for their internal harmony and emphasis on simplicity in life, being the embodiment of stability within the legion. This internal balance allowed the Golden Mountains to exert that same balance in combat, adapting to new developments with ease and calculating battlefield strategies in an instant.

 

Inspired by their father, the Mountains seek to defeat the enemy with their fists, using a pair of power fists and thunder gauntlets to be able to switch between lightning jabs and powerful strikes. Their armour is for the most part unadorned, as they spurn extravagance, with the unique sigil of the group being the only sign of their symbolic importance and status.

[TrajantheGreat]

Swift Earth Style 

The outriders of the XVII^th Legion did not follow in the same creeds that their fellow brothers did among the assault squads or the jetbike squadrons. While the three forces enjoyed similar benefits of speed, the outriders could not match their brothers in sheer flight capability. Thus, they eschewed the creeds of Striking Wind Style and Linshan for one that truly respected their more limited manoeuvrability. 

 

Swift Earth Style was more balanced between the necessary speed the outriders used to accomplish their tasks yet more at home with the earth unlike the other creeds. Perception, in particular, was a key skill as outriders needed to be able to memorize the terrain within a blink of an eye to best utilize their 'steeds' for reconnaissance and against the enemy.

 

While the utility of Swift Earth Style was undeniable, it was slightly controversial. For the monastery it originated from did not lie in the heart of Han civilization but on its outskirts. It was there where this style was mastered through a combination of traditional Han martial arts and barbarian horse-lords beyond the borders.

[TrajantheGreat]

The Beprotx Campaign

This is going to be a long campaign, so for the moment all I have is snippets from throughout the campaign. It is the first and most prominent joint campaign between the Warriors of Peace and the Red Eyes.

 

The green glow of the hologram of the world the Emperor’s Oblivion was orbiting filled the room, the Jade General studying it intently in silence. He took in all of the data in an instant, already beginning to formulate a strategy. Theoderaf stood on the other side of the table, allowing his new brother time to think whilst studying him. His brother gave nothing away, standing completely still and his face an unreadable mask. After ten more seconds, the General spoke.

“Based on these communications, the use of the Terran Warriors of Peace to spearhead the diplomatic operation makes the most strategic sense.” Mao Shi, standing slightly behind the General, pressed his fist to his chest. The fur trim on his new midnight blue armour ruffled with the motion.

Theoderaf nodded. “If that mission fails, my fleet and the Red Eyes will be prepared to commence our propaganda campaign. I shall go down with you to the surface with my Decapitation Squad so that they are in position for if diplomacy fails.” Both Primarchs left the room, followed by their retinues.

 

Mao Shi clenched his fists as the Storm Eagle descended towards Beprotx, trying not to show outwardly his discomfort in front of his Primarch. The General disapproved of such shows of emotion, preferring his detachedness and setting a new standard for the legion. Mao had to stop himself from checking the readings from the Storm Eagle to not appear too nervous. He knew his brothers would be feeling the same, but none wished to let their father down, especially with this being a chance for the old Imperial Light to show its effectiveness and reputation.

“Coming in to land, my lord.” Came a voice over the vox. The Jade General moved for the first time, gracefully standing without needing to brace himself and ready to disembark. The Storm Eagle landed with a rush of air, Mao managing to not move with the turbulence. The door slid open and the Terrans piled out in two lines, keeping perfect synchronicity, their training allowing them a degree of coordination that was the envy of the other legions. The General merely looked on without giving away any hint of his thoughts, following the lines out as they formed a box around their Primarch. The Red Eyes’ Storm Eagle had landed at the same time, Mao catching sight of the shining gold armour out of the corner of his eye. The two groups of Astartes started walking forward, towards a group of finely-dressed officials who were looking nervous even from this distance. Mao hoped that the presence of Theoderaf would not hamper negotiations too much, but it also gave them a great advantage so Mao and the Warriors would simply need to tread carefully. The two bodyguards met, marching together with both Primarchs now walking together in the centre. They soon arrived at the officials, who bowed in front of the Astartes. Not a single Astartes moved in response. The officials rose awkwardly, one of them stepping forward.

“Greetings, our fellow humans from the stars. We here at the Beprotxian Empire welcome you to our world. We are glad to welcome you as our honoured guests.”

Mao paid attention to every word, considering why each one was chosen to work out the thoughts and intentions of the officials. Their accents were thick, the words slurring together in an almost unintelligible string of a sentence. Mao’s several days of intense studying of their language were really being put to the test. He stepped forward himself.

“Hail, Beprotx. We are the representatives of the Imperium of Man, and are searching across the galaxy to reunite humanity. We are overjoyed to have found you, there is much for us to discuss. Thank you for your hospitality.” The delegation seemed to calm at his words, their obvious fears of an immediate attack allayed. The delegation approached the group and began leading them towards the palace.

[TrajantheGreat]

The General moved like none of his brothers, flowing through the crowd like a leaf on the wind. Theoderaf marvelled at his precision and mobility, as the General crippled any who sought to attack him, each strike incapacitating an opponent before they could even swing. Theoderaf ran at full speed towards him, identifying a large armoured brute the size of a dreadnought charging towards the General. Theoderaf swung back as he ran and let loose with Psyche Cleaver just as the General ducked. The axe cleaved straight through the brute, sending the body parts flying as Theoderaf kept his momentum charging forward. In less than a minute the whole street was cleared of enemies, their bodies covering the road and piled up against buildings.

[TrajantheGreat]

“I am told that this is the finest wine in all of the Imperium.” Theoderaf poured two glasses, handing one to the General. “But they say that in every system you visit.” Theoderaf laughed at his own joke, the General smiled politely but rather stiffly. The General took the time to study Theoderaf’s study, noting the many books and scrolls that surprised him. Front and centre was a large portrait of the Emperor, which while it naturally failed to capture his presence it did have artistic merit the General could admire. Theoderaf sat down in his chair, and the General turned his attention back to him. “Now tell me, brother, what happened inside the city? What did you find?”

“I found the king of the world in a sealed chamber pulsing with power,  and we slayed him and his bodyguard. I felt the taint of psychic powers as soon as we arrived, my very being is repelled by it. All because of the source of all evil and disorder in the galaxy, psykers.”

Theoderaf took a sip of his drink. “Psykers? How so?”

The General closed his eyes and took a breath. 

“The leaders of the Beprotx were the ones to animate the populace to such violence and feral rage.”

Theoderaf nodded, “During my campaigns during the Great Crusade, I and the Red Eyes have encountered many who sought to use their psychic gifts to defy us. They were all crushed.”

The General near snorted in derision. “Gifts.”

Theoderaf put his drink down. “You do not believe them to be gifts?” For a second Theoderaf thought that the General would say no more, but then he began. 

“Psychic power corrupts all it touches, bringing madness and suffering whenever it goes. One who draws deep from the Immaterium is as one who drinks poisoned water, for while it may quench your thirst it shall kill them from the inside. This I saw on Han, the mutations and madness.” Theoderaf could feel the disgust and anger of the General, so he knew that the General truly believed what he said. “It is my mission to destroy this corruption. The inhabitants of Beprotx were drenched in psychic power, and it was their downfall.”

“But the Emperor and many of our brother Primarchs use their psychic abilities for good, they are not the crazed sorcerers we have seen misusing their powers.”

“Well I am not so sure about Magnus.” muttered the General. 

“Careful, General” growled Theoderaf, “All of our brothers have a role designed by the Emperor, Magnus included. The Emperor surely you agree is not some mad psyker polluted by his power?”

The General reluctantly inclined his head. “True, the Emperor is wise enough to know not to draw too deeply, but most psykers do not know where the limits are, and are arrogant enough to risk their own destruction.”

Theoderaf leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “I must admit that I have my doubts about the reliability of psychic abilities. And their misuse by some of our brothers.”

The General finished his drink, his composure having returned. He placed his glass back on Theoderaf’s desk, and rose. “It is about time I return to my flagship. Thank you for your hospitality, Theoderaf. We brought the campaign to a satisfactory conclusion.” From any other Primarch that would have been an insult, but Theoderaf judged that the General viewed that as a compliment. Theoderaf rose and bowed to the General.

“Well done on your recent compliances, I hope to see you soon, brother.” The General bowed back, and left the study.

[TrajantheGreat]

Theoderaf's Reaction to the Jade General's Treatises

The Jade General sat in his command throne, his eyes focused on the void in front of him. In the sea of tumult and fear around him, he was the eye of the storm, completely calm and unperturbed. He filtered out the beeping of the ship and the running of the fleet crew, focusing on one sound. The thunderous stomps heading for the bridge. The crew were already reacting to it, unconsciously trying to get as far from the door as possible.

The door slid open and a golden monster stalked in, the red glow bathing the whole room and a few small cries of terror coming from the crew. The General arose, not bothered by any of this at all.

 

“General, what do you mean by this?” The primarch Theoderaf growled, holding a data slate in his hand. The General did not need to read it to know what was in it. 

“Theoderaf, you are overreacting, this was a logical line of philosophical thinking.”

“Logical? To say that the Emperor could be replaced? How many like Father have you met? You do not know him as I do, there is none like him and none who could replace him.” The General could feel Theoderaf holding back the urge to pounce at him, yet still he maintained a calm and relaxed posture.

“Brother, your thinly veiled belief in the divinity of the Emperor does not counter the arguments I…”

“Enough!” shouted Theoderaf, his bodyguards tensing and holding their weapons a little tighter. The Golden Mountains had formed a defensive circle around their Primarch, though the thought of either side attacking the other was anathema to everything they believed. “You have overstepped your bounds, General. The mere talk of replacing the Emperor is treason, and you will desist from mentioning it ever again and go back on your words, or I shall make sure your punishment will be severe.” His eyes burrowed straight into the General, the eyes themselves barely visible through the bright red glow.

The General shook his head. “I will not, brother. The argument exists whether I say it or not. It is a series of logical deductions that do not become untrue if I say that they are. The manner of your arrival tells me that the Emperor did not send you here to chastise me, this is a personal decision on your part. As such, it is you who has overstepped their bounds in assuming the ability to chastise without the command of the Emperor. If the Emperor wishes to counter my arguments, he is free to summon me to Terra and I shall talk the matter through with him. Until that time, I remain fulfilling the commands given to me by the Emperor. I hope, once you have calmed down and seen reason, that our relationship will return to its previous state and we may undertake another campaign together soon.”

Theoderaf ground his teeth, crunching the data slate in his hand as he clenched his fists. The atmosphere in the bridge was like ice, the cracking under the weight of two gods almost audible. He let out a breath.

“I shall contact the Emperor myself, General, and ask for permission to escort you to Terra personally. Until next time.” He stared at the General for one more second, and then turned and walked out of the room. Once all the Red Eyes had left the room, there was a collective breath as the crew and bodyguard relaxed. The General returned to his throne, as Sun Ziran approached.

“What are your thoughts, Ziran?”

“Your arguments were logical indeed, my lord. I believe that it will take Theoderaf weeks or months to come to terms with your argument, though he will never agree with you about it.”

“Yes, I agree. He is not a rational creature unfortunately.”

[TrajantheGreat]

Taskmaster Zhen story

Despite being one of the 2,000 mortal auxiliaries aboard the battle-barge Tranquility, Yongfu rarely had a chance to see the Space Marines. His company was sequestered toward the stern of the warship, surrounded by the constant hum of its massive engines. Their days were spent in a rigorous cycle of training exercises and maintenance interspersed with brief break periods, usually lasting no more than half an hour. Thus, it was only on rare occasions that Yongfu was afforded enough free time to make the twenty-minute trek to the Astartes’ training hall.

 

On this day, the room was alive with the sounds of a duel. The clashing of blades rang through the air amplified by a vaulted ceiling. Yongfu sat above it all, perched atop one of the catwalks that spanned the room’s width. Below, a crowd of legionnaires clad in lacquered black armour watched as two of their number sparred in a roped-off ring. Toward the outer edges of the room, even more congregated. Their armour was of a different make than their brothers’, the otherwise smooth plates of ceramite interrupted by exposed power cables and bonding studs. Yongfu recognised it as Mark V power armour, a detail that he had gleaned from one of the serfs on the vessel. Such knowledge made him feel quite smug, although he would never mention it to his squad-mates.

 

In the centre of the room, the two warriors fought with a fluidity that belied their massive appearance. They flowed from one strike to the next, their weight shifting with each motion. Attack and defence blended together as they redirected hits and returned them with lethal precision. All the while they methodically paced around each other in perfect synchronicity. The glossy black of the pair’s war plate made them seem like two droplets of some ferric liquid, circling the ring as if moved by a magnetic force. To Yongfu, their grace was almost soothing. Many in his company would joke about the paradoxical name of the XVIIth Legion, but in watching the serene motions of the men below he knew that no title could fit the Warriors of Peace better.

 

A bulkhead opened at the far end of the room and a lone figure entered. The duellists paused and the hall fell silent as he strode in. He wore a full suit of archaic power Armor with a fraying grey sash tied around its waist. The chest plate was inset with a circular metal casting of his legion’s symbol. Two glowing green eyes peered out from the studded faceplate of an otherwise featureless helm. As he made his way to the centre the crowd parted, giving him a wide berth when he passed. He stood no taller than the other marines, and yet they moved around him as if he were a giant. At last the figure arrived at the forefront of the crowd, where Yongfu could see him more clearly and at last recognized him as Taskmaster Zhen. As Lord Preceptor of the Seventeenth, it was rumoured that over a tenth of the legion passed through their initiation under his watch.

 

The Taskmaster surveyed the ring before turning his gaze toward the two warriors in the middle, both of whom were now kneeling. He spoke.

“Why did you stop?”

 

He motioned for them to rise. Slightly embarrassed, the marines obeyed. They assumed a combat stance and crossed blades before looking to the Taskmaster for confirmation. He gave them a slight nod and they resumed fighting, his emerald gaze following their movements.

 

Where before they fought in perfect harmony, this time one began to put more strength into his blows. Each time their blades met, sparks flew and the duel became a steady crescendo as the warrior advanced toward his foe. The other duellist was quickly put on the defensive, overpowered by the escalating barrage of blows. It wasn’t long before he was pushed to the edge of the ring, his power armoured greaves digging into the stone floor as he struggled against the onslaught. The attacker at last summoned his strength for the coup de grâce. He surged forward while his blade made a beeline for his opponent’s torso. In an instant his foe sidestepped and grabbed his sword-arm, spinning around and redirecting his momentum to the ground, where he crashed in an armoured heap. His weapon clattered away.

 

Seconds passed. Yongfu could practically feel the tension in the room as Zhen approached the downed Astartes. The warrior quickly picked himself up, then kneeled and hung his head low in front of the Taskmaster.

“That...was sloppy. Was it your intention to impress me with such careless technique?”

 

Zhen looked around and addressed the entire room.

“War is balance! Strength means nothing without control! You are Space Marines of the Warriors of Peace! You will either fight like one of us, or you will fail in battle as he failed today.”

 

He knelt and brought his helmeted face near the warrior’s.

“Do you consider yourself one of the Fourth Legion brutes? Or perhaps you would like to join the ranks of the Peons?”

 

A few marines in Mark V grimaced. Zhen extended his hand toward the bowed legionnaire’s chin and lifted his head.

“I never forget a face. Yours is not familiar to me. Who trained you?”

“...My tutelage was under Lieutenant Fang of the Sixth Company, sir.”

“I see. And I take it you know who I am?”

“Yes, sir.”

 

The Taskmaster leaned over and carefully picked up the fallen sword. Holding it by the blade, he thrust its handle before the kneeling warrior.

“Then keep training. Or I will personally see to your removal.”

 

Zhen calmly stood up and turned around to leave the training hall. The armoured crowd dispersed out of his way.

“And tell the mortal that he is welcome to come down from the rafters and watch from the ground.

He may learn something.”

Edited February 28, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

Why the Warriors of Peace join the Separatists

The first step towards the Warriors of Peace joining the Separatists was the disappearance of the Emperor. Though the Jade General held no sentimental attachment to the Emperor, his unchallengeable strength had ensured the compliance of all to his decrees. With him gone, the pressure on the Jade General to comply with Imperial decrees was lessened.

 

The other misstep made was the naming of Alexandros Darshan von Salim as Warmaster. While the Jade General respected Alexandros and the relatively cost-free way he favoured for bringing world's into compliance, the Jade General believed that appointing a diplomat to leadership of what was, in effect, a military undertaking was a decision of questionable logic.

 

As the decades ground on, the Jade General saw the death of the Great Crusade as the Imperium fell onto the defensive against the threats from xenos, Chaos and separatist legions, and the General’s doubts as to the direction of the Imperium grew.

 

So it was that when Koschei’s offer came yet again to the Jade General in search of support, in the aftermath of the falls of the Alabaster Order and the XIth, for the Jade General it was a binary choice. He had maintained connections between legions both loyalist and separatist since the beginning, keeping his options open as to what would be best for himself and his legion. Where many of his brothers’ decisions were based off of feelings of bitterness or ambition, the Jade General's decision was taken by analysing the points in favour of the Imperium and the Separatists. Eventually, the balance logic swung in favour of the Separatists. So it was that when the Warriors of Peace decided to abandon Han, they chose the world they named Jin in Separatist space as their new home.

[TrajantheGreat]

Colours of the Warriors of Peace:

Primary Legion Scheme: Lacquered/glossy black with crimson trim and accents. Occasionally metal elements may be used.

Officer Corps and Distinguished Members of the Legion: Yellow or gold trim, stripes, patterns, or symbols. Can signify heroic deeds or recognition by a superior. However, many officers choose not to include such elements on their armour, usually to show humility.

Assault Units and Fast Vehicles: Ruby red cloth, trim, stripes, patterns, or symbols. Also often used to denote skill with the blade, and features prominently on the armour of Admiral Guan’s 1st company: “The Ruby Champions.”

Armoured Units and Heavy Tanks: Azure cloth, trim, stripes, patterns or symbols. Many breacher shields bear Han characters of protection brushed upon them in blue.

Iron Monks and Pariahs: Grey or White robes, stripes, patterns or symbols. These units exist as a class apart from the main legion, and while the other colours can be used somewhat flexibly, these are reserved for a special breed of warrior.

Edited March 18, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

Beprotx Campaign

The Beprotx Campaign was the first and sole joint campaign between the Jade General and Theoderaf, Theoderaf being keen to get to know his new brother more through a campaign. As such, the Jade General and his newly named Warriors of Peace took the lead in bringing the world of Beprotx into the Imperial fold. The General decided to utilise his legion’s past expertise in diplomacy, wanting to test his Terran officers. The initial diplomatic overtures were given to Mao Shi, the former legion master of the Imperial Light, who was respected both within the legion and throughout the others.

The Warriors of Peace started by hailing the world, issuing a statement that the Imperium of Man was peaceful and looking to open negotiations. The Red Eyes and Warriors of Peace descended to the world in two Storm Eagles, each Primarch with a small bodyguard. The initial interactions were positive but tentative, as the Beprotxian government was wary of newcomers from the stars who could threaten their control of the world. The Primarchs were led to the palace, where they spoke with the emperor and his wife. In the face of two Primarchs and the diplomacy of the Warriors of Peace, the rulers agreed to begin talks for the integration of Beprotx. The rulers ordered their officials to take the Primarchs on a tour of the capital city, to show it off and the benefits of a relatively light integration with the Imperium.

The Jade General felt an uneasy feeling as he toured the capital, something about the people of the world that seemed off to him, reminding him of a feeling he had felt during his campaigns on his homeworld. He secretly sent orders for the Golden Mountains and Iron Monks to join him on the world, but not in a noticeable fashion. As the General and Theoderaf finished their tour in the city’s main street, the populace suddenly emerged, people pouring out of their homes armed with all sorts of arms and improvised weapons. Mutated brutes were released down the street, bull-like and with white eyes. The Primarchs and their entourages fought back, the Warriors of Peace remaining calm amidst the storm of bodies. The Warriors of Peace reinforcements arrived swiftly, drop pods landing in the street and through buildings as the Golden Mountains and Iron Monks came to their lord’s aid. Theoderaf and the Red Eyes began securing the area, as the General led the Warriors towards the palace.

The pariah nature of the Iron Monks and the Jade General helped them cut through the civilians, the enemies falling like puppets whose strings have been cut when the Iron Monks got close to them. The General kicked down the door of the palace, finding the emperor floating in the air surrounded by his advisors, who revealed themselves to be a kabal of psykers who held a stranglehold over the royal family, and thus the whole empire. The General soon dispatched all of the psykers, none of them able to oppose him in close quarter combat. Once the psykers were killed, the citizens controlled by them all fell into comas, and the Warriors began focusing on helping heal them.

The campaign was a great success for the Warriors of Peace, a rapid compliance with minimal casualties, plus the boon to their image of the picts of them aiding in the healing of the afflicted.

[TrajantheGreat]

Pacification of Faentyr

After the Conclave of Terra, the Jade General headed to the north of Segmentum Obscurus to begin campaigning. Surveying the information, he determined that the Tanika System was a primary target as it was strategically placed near Han and on the northern edge of the Segmentum. Rogue traders headed into the system, obtaining the information that the outermost planet was rich in minerals. However, they were attacked by a rapidly moving adversary, forcing them to flee the system with several being killed in the retreat. The Jade General thus gathered his legion and planned for a full invasion of the system.

The Warriors of Peace fleet entered the Tanika System in a defensive formation, prepared for immediate conflict. However, the space was quiet, with no ships in sight. The Warriors landed on the outermost world with no opposition, established a small outpost and then headed deeper into the system. The second planet they came across as a lush jungle world, with no sights of human contact previously, yet a distress signal from one of the rogue traders was faintly echoing from the interior. The Warriors again land planetfall, the General keeping rigorous discipline as they landed in waves and began pushing into the jungle. As they advanced, suddenly creatures burst from the trees on their flanks, large reptilian creatures moving at the speed of bikes came charging into the lines of the Warriors. As this happened, in front of the Warriors the forest was filled with energy blasts as hidden foes let loose with their ranged weapons. The Jade General reacted swiftly, calling for a defensive perimeter to be set up and heavy support to begin immediate retaliation. From the few fallen bodies of the enemy that were recovered, it was clear that these were Eldar, yet not like those encountered on the self-named Craftwords, more primitive technologically. 

The Jade General sat in the centre of it all, deep in contemplation as the Eldar circled around the Warriors of Peace. He waited until the Eldar attempted another large charge with their reptilian mounts, and as they were repelled Xian Yun led a mighty countercharge with the jetbikes and javelin speeders, chasing the Eldar back and cutting many down. The General charged forward, leading his troops straight forward and kept a rapid pace towards the source of the distress signal. The Eldar scrambled to harry the sides of the Warriors, but they were unable to stop the Astartes’ advance and the legion found the distress signal was coming from the remains of the ship, with no survivors. The General ordered flamers to clear the forest and the Warriors to slowly retreat, allowing his men slightly more freedom to attack the Eldar and slowly withdrawing back to the landing zones. 

The General organised systematic clearing of the planet, slowly scouring it of xenos combatants and any Eldar craft that attempted to flee the world were shot down by the navy in orbit. He left the process to his first captain Xian Dong, who in a few weeks had secured the world and grown the command base into a more permanent campaign base. The General took the majority of the troops and the navy and left to continue the conquest of the system.

As they past a dead world, the General had to decide whether to divide the fleet to cover more ground quicker or keep the fleet consolidated, as the planets from then on were grouped in two clusters. The General insisted on remaining together, and made the decision to head towards the west cluster. As the fleet began to turn, ships suddenly appeared from the east and behind the dead world. The designs of the ships were similar to the recorded Eldar vessels, but they had significant alterations, not fitting any seen previously. The General did not turn to engage these new threats, despite the calls from some of the more aggressive commanders, maintaining course for the nearest planet. The only retaliation he sanctioned was on those enemy ships that were too reckless and got too near the fleet to be able to retreat before the strike cruisers in the rear could turn and unleash devastating volleys.

The fleet passed a few worlds, all being barren with no signs of life, and the attacks by the Eldar increased in intensity. Eventually they picked up a lot of activity on the final world in the system, which was revealed to be a paradise like world. The Eldar, pushed back to their last world, gathered their entire fleet to oppose the Warriors of Peace, but in a straight contest of firepower the Eldar were hopelessly outgunned, with the Gloriana Qiang Shui taking several kills. The final phase of the campaign was the compliance of the world now designated 97-33 but known to the Eldar as Faentyr, where scans revealed significant hostile forces.

The General held a war council with his commanders, determining that an all out assault was the best way forward. No safe landings for the legion available, the Warriors fell in drop pods onto the world, getting to grips with the Eldar in close quarter combat. The General took to the field in person, killing all xenos and reptiles alike who dared stand against him. The highlight, and the image that circulated to civilians, was the Jade General standing on top of the body of a huge deadly reptile holding the Eldar chief in his hand raising them high. The report of the compliance was widely praised as a great Imperial victory, a sign that the Imperium was not weak without the Emperor. In the aftermath and propaganda victory, the administrative details of the system were misplaced, which at the time meant little in the grand scheme of things. It was only later with the benefit of hindsight that the later appearance of the knight world of Tanika, a fortress world and mining colony discovered in that area proved the real prizes of the campaign.

[TrajantheGreat]

Xian Yun: 1st Captain of the Warriors of Peace, The Ruby General, The Lightning Strike

Xian Yun and his twin brother Xian Dong both were recruited in the first wave from Han, being unique in being the only twins in the whole legion to both survive the implantation process. They are inseparable, serving alongside each other in the 1st Chapter and earning the respect of the Jade General. Following the Beprotxl Campaign, the General chose both of them to become the 1st Captains. Xian Yun is a member of the Mongsuti, though he is one of its cooler voices in comparison to others such as Huang Ju-Long.

Xian Yun is one of the more sociable members of the Warriors of Peace, being skilled in both diplomacy and warfare. He is known for his sense of humour, which others within the Warriors of Peace view as strange but other legions enjoy. He is completely dedicated to the Jade General, viewing his vision for the galaxy as the best possible outcome. However, he does have a temper, being less patient than many of his brothers. He also has a keen sense of honour, being unwilling to attack human civilian targets and having respect for honourable foes.

 

Xian Dong: 1st Captain of the Warriors of Peace, The Emerald General, The One-Eyed

Xian Yun and his twin brother Xian Dong both were recruited in the first wave from Han, being unique in being the only twins in the whole legion to both survive the implantation process. They are inseparable, serving alongside each other in the 1st Chapter and earning the respect of the Jade General. Following the Beprotxl Campaign, the General chose both of them to become the 1st Captains. He is a member of the Suiyu, though as a newer member he is less warm than some of the older Imperial Light.

Xian Dong is a serious and loyal man who rarely questions his Primarch's judgment. He shares some of the same traits as his brother, namely his sense of humour and to a lesser extent his temper. He is known for his focus, being single-minded when given a task by the General to fulfil and not resting until it was. Similar to his brother’s sense of honour, Xian Dong hates deceitful tasks, viewing it as a less enlightened way to gain victory. As the Ruins progress, Xian Dong becomes less hot-headed and more focused and analytical.

He is probably the General closest to the Jade General as he can usually comprehend the reasoning behind his lord's actions. His hardened and undeterred mindset gains the respect of other Warriors of Peace, particularly Deng Wiang and Xu Chun.

Edited March 20, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

Unit and Formation Structure within the XVIIth Legion

The XVIIth had a much longer history without their Primarch than any other legion, and so adhered strictly to the Principia Belicosa and had a strong Terran culture. Their small numbers, only reaching nine thousand by the time the Jade General was discovered, meant that they favoured diplomacy and minimising casualties. Lacking the numbers to deploy autonomously, they were forced to work alongside the XXth, both legions being understrength. When Gustave Dunant was discovered, the XVIIth took a supporting role, reinforcing the Amathame Brotherhood and lending scientific assistance to the medical side.

Following the discovery of the Jade General, the legion’s structure has changed dramatically as numbers have increased and the General has brought the influence of Han into the legion. The General restructured the chapters as dajun ‘Grand Armies’ of 10,000 Astartes, da ying ‘Grand Battalions’ of 1000 Astartes, ying ‘Battalions’ of 500 Astartes with the commander of these called Commandants, gongsi ‘companies’ of 100 Astartes and dui ‘squads’ of 10 Astartes. Different aspects of the legion developed into five ‘Paths’, with a Warrior of Peace denoting which path he follows by wearing the appropriate colour on his armour or clothing, in the form of markings, sashes, plumes or trim. These paths are not rigid divisions though, so it is possible to change paths or belong to multiple paths at once. The individual paths permeate through the entire legion, from the lowest rank to the highest, and across the lines of standard Legion organization.

The first path is called Mongsuti, and is the path of swiftness, fury and martial prowess, most assault squads are members, along with legion champions, jump pack-focused squads and bike squads. They denote themselves with red cloth, trim, stripes, patterns or symbols.

The second is called Jinsedao, and represents the ideas of patience, thoughtfulness, practicality, hard work, and stability. This path has the highest number of officers of any path, with the Golden Mountains exclusively recruiting from Jinsedao. They denote themselves with yellow trim, stripes, patterns, or symbols.

The third is called Yinshao, and represents the ideas of firmness, rigidity, persistence, strength, and determination. This path is made up of the heavier assault forces, primarily Terminators and Dreadnoughts. They denote themselves with purple trim, stripes, patterns, or symbols.

The fourth is called Liudongli, and is representative of intelligence, wisdom and flexibility. This path is filled with the armoured units and vehicles, with breacher shields bearing Han characters of protection brushed upon them in blue. 

The final path is called Suiyu, and represents the ideas of warmth, generosity, co-operation and idealism. The many diplomats of the Imperial Light formed the nucleus of the path when it was formed, as a way of keeping alive the old Terran traditions within the new Warriors of Peace. They distinguish themselves with jade green cloth, trim, stripes, patterns, or symbols.

A unique structure in the legion that has emerged since the discovery of the Jade General is the Iron Monks, who exist outside the Legion's structure. A Warrior can choose to give up his rank and any honours in order to devote himself to the teachings of their Primarch and the monastic orders of Han. The Iron Monks technically exist as a warrior class of the Han monasteries rather than a part of the Legion itself, yet it is highly respected by the Legion as a whole. Upon becoming a Monk, there is no re-joining the Legion, unless the Jade General or one of the other Generals personally orders it.

[TrajantheGreat]

Legion Command Hierarchy

Another divergence from standard organization are the Generals. These are handpicked by the Jade General himself to act with near-absolute authority over the Legion and any of their vassal worlds. They also serve as his counsel and emissaries to other legions and forces. The leading General is the Bronze General, Zhukelion, who is second in command of the Legion. The others are Shao Ziruan, Qua Feng and the twins Xian Yun and Xian Dong.

Due to their small size, each officer has fewer troops under his command than in other legions, and thus there is a strong bond between a squad and their commander. These smaller numbers have led to a leaner chain of command, with only the bare essential offices being in place.

 

War Disposition

The Warriors of Peace at the turn of the millennium are at their largest that the legion has ever reached, almost 90,000 Warriors in total. Still, as the smallest legion they were only present in a few warzones, preferring to keep their forces concentrated as to have the highest number of resources available for any campaign. To bolster their numbers, they have at their disposal a significant number of Mechanicum forces, with many sympathetic tech priests serving with the Warriors.

Edited March 22, 2020 by TrajantheGreat

[TrajantheGreat]

Liu Gutir: 2nd Captain, The Golden Hearted

Liu Gutir was a Terran recruit during the middle of the Great Crusade, serving alongside the medical corps of the Alabaster Order and as a diplomat. He did not gain the military reputation of many of his brothers, but he was known as a great scientist and bringer of peace. He was also a vocal member of the Jinsedao, being its second master under Lin Bah. Following Lin Bah’s death a few years before the General’s discovery, Liu Gutir was nominated to fill his space as Captain of the 2nd Grand Army.

Liu Gutir is renowned for his affability, being kind, virtuous and viewing the goal of the Great Crusade and the Imperium being to bring peace to the galaxy. He focuses on reducing civilian casualties, being empathetic to the suffering of the common human and believing that the Warriors should leave every system better when they leave it than when they arrived. It was this idealism that caused a rift with the Jade General, who distrusted Liu Gutir’s attachment to the civilian population and how it would hamper his military decisions. Liu was acutely aware of this failing, being deeply troubled by the losses his strategic decisions incurred and having his judgement clouded in certain situations where the casualties were too high to bear.

[TrajantheGreat]

[TrajantheGreat]

The Jade General

[TrajantheGreat]

A Garden Conversation

 

The Jade General sat in the middle of the garden, his eyes closed as he waited for the water to boil. He breathed deeply, taking in the aromas of all the flowers and plants around him, mixing together like a cocktail. He disagreed with the way the garden had been planted, with no attention having been given to how the energy of the garden flowed. Still, he could admire the physical attractiveness of the plants, gathered from all over the Imperium. As he sensed that the tea was nearly ready, he heard soft footsteps behind him. Still with his eyes closed, he called out.

 

“Hello, Ezharion, I guess that you came here for the plants too?”

 

The figure, not even breaking step, walked around to stand in front of the General. The General kept his eyes closed, listening to the water inside the pot, still waiting for it to reach the perfect temperature. Ezharion courteously stood a little to the side, purposefully not putting the General in his shadow. The General appreciated the little things that Ezharion did that showed he understood. The General gestured at the spot in front of him.

 

“Would you care for some tea?”

 

“Thank you, I would love to.” The General could feel his smile even with his eyes closed, and Ezharion sat down with his legs crossed. The tea reached the perfect temperature, and the General opened his eyes. He picked up a small glass jar filled with dried leaves, took a small pinch from each and placed them in two cups. Ezharion studied the cups, as he had never seen such a material. It was smooth, sleek yet fragile, Ezharion being scared to touch it in case he broke it. Sensing his reticence, the General gently lifted the pot of water and poured water into the cups. Ezharion watched intently as the water turned brown, and a sweet aroma reached his nostrils.

 

“Even now, I am discovering new ways to enjoy nature.” Ezharion smiled. The corner of the General’s mouth raised slightly, and he lifted the small round disc that the cup was on. He slowly passed it to Ezharion, who bowed his head and carefully supported the disc with his left hand as he held it with his right. The General raised a tiny spoon, and began stirring his drink. “Is there a plant from Han here in this garden?” Ezharion asked as he looked around.

 

“Yes.” The General pointed over his left shoulder. “That tree started as a cutting from a tree in my monastery where I grew up. A piece of Han in here feels strange though. Like a puzzle piece placed in a different picture.”

 

Ezharion nodded slowly, studying the tree intently. “I see what you mean, like a machine made from different parts. While they are functional, the pieces are not in harmony.” The General put down his spoon, and took a sip of his drink. He smiled to himself. Ezharion took a sip of his own drink, allowing the liquid to fill his mouth. The taste was strange, yet rather pleasant. Ezharion went to take another slip, but the General shifted subtly, and Ezharion stopped himself.

 

“You came here to escape from the Conclave.” The General stated, rather than asked. “Even though you put yourself forward for the position of Primarch Representative on the Council.”

 

Ezharion took another sip from his drink, and nodded. “Yes, all this politics is rather unexpected for me. I do not have the political upbringing of our brothers like Alexandros or Absalom.”

 

“Yes, some of our brothers are more blessed with political experience. Though from what I have observed, you have a rather large amount of support for your candidacy, rivalling even Koschei.” Ezharion grimaced, seeming to actually be genuine unlike the General’s assessment of his more political brothers. “You seem uncomfortable with this? Why put yourself forward then?”

 

Ezharion took a second, staring at his drink intently. “I wish to do the most good for my people. I thought gaining a position high within the Imperium would allow me to do that. But now I doubt it, as there are so many factions that must be appeased and dealt with, and I am not sure how I could do a better job than, say, Koschei or Niklaas.” Ezharion took a large gulp of his drink, nearly draining the cup. “What about you, General? Why do you run? You have no support from our brothers, if you do not mind me pointing out, yet you refuse to stand down? Why?”

 

The General finished his drink, and put down his cup and saucer. “One who stands straight does not fear a crooked shadow. I do what I know to be right, regardless of those telling me I am wrong.” He reached down, and lifted a rock from the floor of the garden. He passed it to Ezharion, who examined it. It was a near perfect oval, smoothed from all sides. “My beliefs are as this rock. Smoothed by the water of time and thought. It is no sculpture, like some of our brothers’ beliefs, large and grandiose yet brittle and prone to fall at the first breeze. While theirs stand tall for the moment, mine shall endure.” Ezharion nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. After a moment, a smile spread across his face, and he finished his drink.

 

“Thank you, brother, for helping me. Even though you probably did not mean to.” Ezharion laughed, not the booming roar of Hectarion but a low chuckle. He continued. “I admire you for remaining in the race when none support you. May I have some more of your drink?”

 

The General inclined his head slightly, and began preparing a second pot of water.

Edited July 17, 2021 by TrajantheGreat