The Liber Cluster

[Olis]

*grabs hair and begins pulling bloody chunks out* 

 

Page five....

 

I'm on page bloody five of the Sereiki Lions...

 

*begins weeping blood and laughing as the madness takes him*

 

 

Good lord - it's starting to sound like you need to release this in installments... 

[Conn Eremon]

 

 

 

 

Like I said, I'm glad it's not me pumping up my self-insert.

 

Edit: For the Sentinels, what about a plain shield and trident? Alludes to Brittannia, the Roman personification of the island, rather than British flag(s).

Hmm, that sounds promising, the Trident would also allude to the Naval aspect of their character...

That's my two ideas smushed together! Outrageous! Where's my credit?!

 

Nah, if you do go for it, I'll just be happy having somehow steered things sorta that way. ;)

I have to admit, my only takeaways from that discussion, thanks to me skimming through, was that there was something wrong with a shield and that modern flags were being looked at for inspiration. I was googling around to see if there was a Roman symbol for the province that could be used instead of a modern one. All I came across was Brittanica, which I assume you know all about from your British-oriented history classes, a symbol that eventually became a worsipped goddess, and who bore a shield and trident. So I thought, well what about that?

 

Sorry for accidentally stealing thunder. :p

[Wade Garrett]

Like I said, I'm glad it's not me pumping up my self-insert. :D

 

My devious Mechanicus Mafia is your self insert? Errr...I'm not sure how I feel about this.

[Aegnor]

Like the direction the Saneslau Mechanicus has been taken. Think there's also scope for there to be tension - not outright conflict by any stretch, but definite tension with the mainstream Mechanicus who have more recently arrived from the Milky Way. I think the Mechanicus on the Iron Ravagers planet Aneisidora would fall into the Milky Way faction.

 

For the Angels Exultant, I'm putting together something on their pre-Fall organisation. So far the material on them has been conspicuously silent on their librarians, so I've got a slightly different idea for them that plays into the idea that the Angels represented an attempt to "cure" the Blood Angels geneseed.

[Conn Eremon]

 

Like I said, I'm glad it's not me pumping up my self-insert. :D

 

My devious Mechanicus Mafia is your self insert? Errr...I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Eh, in that the name was taken from my geopolitical region and employer, that's it. The equivalent to your parishes (if I am remembering that you're Louisianan correctly).

[Captain Nameless]

How do you make a titan stealthy? Even if it's invisible and silent, you're still going to feel the footsteps of a 40-60' tall war machine.  Do they use grav tech to reduce the weight or something like that?  

 

 

 

Admittedly, I probably shouldn't think to hard about it.

[Aegnor]

That's where you need Ursaker Creed's tactical genius. CREEEEEEEEEEDDD!!!!!!

[Conn Eremon]

I believe he meant it as in relative to other Titans, not that they get extra modifiers to their backstab attacks kind of sneaky.

[Astus]

Work on the Blades of the Lion is taking far longer than originally planned, so while I continue to grapple with that here's some hint on other factions and characters I'm working on next.

 

- A Chaos warband led by a trio of blind Tzeentch-worshipping sorcerors, who may be part of the reason behind the formation of the Blackjaw Kindred.

- The renegade descendants of the last of the Knives of Guilliman

- A Rogue Trader who attempts to keep Imperial morale high through various means

 

Edit: Keep up the good work guys, this project is really coming together great.

[Hyaenidae]

Honoured Chapter Masters, Lord and Lady Inquisitors, Cannoness Superiors, and Blessed Warmaster, I am Hayden Rodiyaa, Archivist Senior of Library Sector 12-759, upon Holy Terra, Glory to the God-Emperor. I am humbled to have been selected to prepare a briefing of one of the greater threats within the Liber Cluster, prior to the undertaking of the mighty Crusade into her heart, to shine the beauty of His light upon those who have been removed from it for so long. Should it please you, Masters, I present what has been found on the so-called 'mercenary' warband known as The Sereiki Lions.

-The Sereiki Lions-

-Rise to Power-

Known to have existed under many different names over the centuries, the force known now as the Sereiki Lions were once a minor, dubious mercenary company in poor standing with the wider Imperium; even amongst the dregs of Imperial society, were treated with much disdain. Multiple failed contracts and various bounties upon the heads of the Lion's leadership led them to disappear into the dark edges of the Imperium roughly around the early years of M35, and it was generally assumed the Lions were either destroyed or had devolved into piracy and fractured. Contact was re-established amongst the rising anarchy within the Liber Cluster around 443.M35, though the incompetent leadership that had once controlled the company seemed to be utterly absent. In it's place was a ruthless and effective combat doctrine that left any forces arrayed against it in shambles, and a fluid assault structure that could not be stopped except by vast force. Considering the madness that was slowly consuming the Cluster, such effectiveness amongst sellswords swiftly brought them to the attention of planetary leaders, noble families, and merchant groups, all vying for their protection and services in such desperate times. In short order, though, it was painfully found that drawing the Lion's attention was a double edged sword.

Loopholed contracts, exuberant prices, and indebtedness left noble houses ruined and shackled to violent professional killers who tallied their losses while in contract and multiplied recuperative damages many times over originally set limits under threat of violence. Merchants whose empires had stretched centuries found their ships held in a permanent limbo of a desperate need for protection, and contracted killers who had no reservations of selling plotted trade routes to pirates, who ironically found themselves indebted to the same mercenaries who were killing them to feed their continued existence. From the anarchy of a Cluster slowly devouring itself with fear and panic, the Sereiki Lions fanned the flames and reaped the benefits in blood money.

It was only a matter of time before a confederation of those disaffected by the Lion's actions joined forces to crush the criminals who were slowly bleeding their coffers to death. Eighteen different worlds and their PDF forces, supported by six merchant families and their fleets, along with the aging Imperial Navy Vengeance-Class Grand Cruiser Spirit of Saint Jocelyn and her attendant Escorts, struck out against the Lion's holdings and bases, taking back what had been stolen and exacting a blood toll on the debts forced upon them. Having freed their own domains, the Union followed intelligence leading them to the Lion's final domain, a vast, radiation choked, asteroid field called The Den.

Multiple attempts by scouting craft to pierce the rocky veil was met with disaster, as the smaller craft were met with active homing mines, defense turrets, and the Lion's fleet prowling through the debris, stalking any that entered. The Union forces bickered amongst themselves as to the next course of action, until His Majesties' Admiral Tianigan of the Spirit made the decision for them. Impatient to return to his duties, and be away from what he saw as spoiled nobles who had bitten off more than they could chew, drove the Grand Cruiser to the edge of The Den, and began opening fire with massive broadsides into the field, shattering defenses and mines, casting shattered asteroids deeper into the Den to cause mayhem. Quickly following his lead, the Union ships emulated his tactics, hoping desperately that the expenditure of massive amounts of ordinance would spare them their lives.

They were to be proved incorrect in this assumption.

Hidden by the vast radiation distortions in the area, a second, larger fleet appeared from the z-axis, driving hard for the Union fleet. Meanwhile, the smaller, swifter Lion fleet snuck from the Asteroid field's lower plane, hidden by the expanding debris the vast weapon strikes drove into the field by the Union fleet, and struck from 'below', hitting engines and launching assault boats into the Union ships to capture their prizes, effectively pinning the fleet in place. Filled with righteous anger, Admiral Tianigan, blessed be his name, rolled the Spirit and turned towards the larger fleet alone, cursing the merchants and nobles for their weak spines as they screamed for support from every slight impact against their hulls. Vowing to break the pirate scum by himself, the Spirit poured broadsides into the lighter Cruisers and Escorts that were trying to hold her, splitting them asunder, and pushed through the panicked weapons fire and ship wreckage, finally seeing the larger enemy fleet in it's entirety. It was at this point the the Sereiki Lions showed their hand in it's entirety as well, and this revelation explained why the Lions had become so violently effective and dangerous, as well as how badly the Union and the Imperial Navy had underestimated them.

Protected by a horde of Destroyers, Frigates, and Cruisers of various designs and conditions, were a pair of Adeptus Astartes Strike Cruisers of ancient provenience and non-standard design. The Spirit of Saint Jocelyn was a mighty ship, with a string of successful fleet actions upon her rolls of honour stretching back millenia, and even had been blessed with shepherding the Saint Herself and five Angels of Death from the Soul Drinker Chapter centuries before. The noble Admiral fought hard, but as boarding torpedo after boarding torpedo from the Strike Cruiser launch bays slammed into her skin, there was only but one outcome. Within an hour, the Spirit of Saint Jocelyn was in enemy hands, and the martyred Admiral Tianigan crucified to the bridge's ceiling. The surviving Union ships' swiftly surrendered, though if they believed they would be given succor, they were denied brutally. After repairing the worst of the damage across both their ships as well as their newly captured craft, the Lion's broke from The Den with murder on their minds. The eighteen worlds of the short-lived Union, as well as the Merchant families that had transpired against them, were struck with the full and unrestrained power of the Lions unleashed, one by one.

The Agri worlds of Heroda IV and Cenicika were put to the sword, families terrorized, and local PDF forces butchered. The Feudal world Tonagish was left salted, torched and enslaved, the Knight households of the MkCormick family unable to rise to the defense, forced to stand by and watch their world burn due to severe debt and members of their own households held for ransom and collateral. The Merchant waystations and spaceports were swiftly claimed with little violence, their fleets already captured or destroyed, the nobles executed without mercy. The last to fall was the Hive World of Evin Prime, the local seat of power.

Here, the Lions surrounded the planet and began picking it apart piece by piece with a swiftness that belied their organizational size, their hunger not yet satisfied. Saboteurs and assassins hit command cells and shield pylons, sniping PDF commanders and slitting the throats of nobles in their beds. Heavily armed and armoured Death Squads roamed the highways, gunning down innocent Imperial citizens at random, creating panic wherever they went that drove through Imperial positions, forcing the PDF to open fire on their own people, lest they be trampled. Combat vehicles fell from the skies, airdropped into positions by modified merchant mass-lighters, cutting off supply routes and striking PDF armoured columns where they least expected it. Above all, though, was the fearsome massed airpower that the Lions brought to bear against the world. Vast flights of Marauder Bombers that blocked the sun shattered stretches of hab-blocks with bombing runs. Thousands of Thunderbolts and Lightnings swept the skies of all Imperial aircraft, then descended upon targets of opportunity, like crows on carrion. Valkyries and various other VTOL craft conducted air assault missions into the heart of the hives, capturing and fortifying key sections one after another with unerring accuracy, Vultures and other Gunships prowling overhead the squads, killing anything that moved. Loxatl mercenary brood-groups swept through Arbites citadels, filling the intimidating buildings with blood, shredded corpses, and the ever-present scent of spoiled milk and crushed mint. Worst of all, the skies split with Thunderhawks that swept the highest towers, dropping ashen renegade Astartes into the heart of the Hive's nobility, the hammer of bolt rounds rapid and unending behind the screams of chainswords and the howling of dying princes and princesses.

Final to fall was the capital hive, Sitianau. The Planetary Governor of the world, seeing no recourse amongst the devastation and hives full of the dead, surrendered, asking to meet the leader of the Lions to offer the terms of capitulation. Recovered vox and pict recording show the meeting point atop the highest hive-spire, on a terrace overlooking the burning hell of Sitianau. A single Caestus Assault boat, guarded by a pair of Vultures loaded for anti-personnel actions, approached the terrace, and hovered in place as the assault ramps lowered. Stepping down from the depths of the bay came a ten-man squad of barbaric Space Marine renegades, their patchwork armour the color and texture of blackened cast iron, streaked with charred ash and carbon, weapons locked in tight grips. Last to disembark was a massive Astartes, a shield clasp to his back decorated with a ruined image of a winged lion, a cracked leather cloak around his shoulders and an Umbra-pattern bolter strapped to his chest, who identified himself as the master of the Sereiki Lions, Al-Rashid Ibn Khroda. The Planetary Governor groveled, offering his view of the terms of surrender, and begged for his life. Al-Rashid did not let him finish. Drawing a beautifully crafted and decorated powered Kopis, silver of edge and broad of fuller, the Ashen cut the governor in twain with a single strike. The renegades about him opened fire on the other surviving dignitaries and military advisers, and cast their shattered bodies from the terrace. Thus did the hive fall, and the last act of defiance against the tyranny of the Sereiki Lions fail.

Little is known beyond this point, as the Silence fell shortly afterward. It can be safely assumed that the Lions consolidated their new holdings and entrenched, and I fear that there is a very strong possibility that the hunger of the Lions is still not satiated, and more worlds and territories may have fallen to their aggression. There is little doubt in my mind, though, that the Lions are no mercenaries, nor simple pirates. These are violent, professional and highly capable armies that will oppose our every step with shot, blade and blood. May the God-Emperor preserve us, and give us strength to overcome this foe.

-Combat Doctrine and Organization-

The various regiments that make up the Lions seem to have preferred tactics and are given much leeway to conduct war as they see fit by the Ashen, though one thing seems to be highly common across the entire structure of organization: speed and airpower. The Lions possess an inordinate number of fighter craft, both void and surface, and seem to have very little that could not be combat dropped, and swiftly recovered, using such aircraft. Even their ground armour and stalk tanks have been altered to fulfill such uses, which left many Imperial commanders scrambling to engage a fluid foe that was always at their rear lines. Attack and Interdiction fighters are imbedded within each regiment, adding to their lethality. Rarely do the Lions assault dug-in positions, but instead strive to circumvent such fortifications with capable and highly trained airborne troops and air assault platoons. Combat drops, high altitude insertions, and rapid deployments are their key to victory. The Lions have also shown a high aptitude when engaging forces greater then them, and know when to swiftly and cleanly pull away from overwhelming threats in good order, only to strike again at a weaker point, until their enemies are ground into dust or submission. Much like a master pugilist, the Lions hit, fade, and hit again until an opening appears for a haymaker. With so many varied elements, the only feature that seems to give them a unified appearance is the colors they wear. Cloth is commonly dyed in shades of white, gray or black, while bare armour is scored black with plasma torches until it appears as if made from cast-iron and dipped into wet ash.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The following forces detailed are the various regiments of the Sereiki Lions, the lieutenant warlords of The Ashen, and of course, the monster himself: Al-Rashid Ibn Khroda. The detailed information is gathered from older information, and more recent scouting missions. Nothing, though, can be considered carved into adamantium with a foe so swift of foot and mind.

++The Ash Wolves++

The meat and backbone of the Sereiki Lions, the massive regiments of the Ash Wolves are the most heavily promenant organizations, nearing an estimated 70% of their assumed size. Well armed with Arucadian .50 caliber (short) Auto Carbines and heavy blades, along with impressively constructed flak armour and light boarding mantlets, the Ash Wolves are a devastating and well drilled force, discipline a by-word for their capabilities. Commonly deployed at high-altitude from transport craft, the Wolves swiftly encircle their foes as packs, and envelop them in vicious crossfires and close quarters bladework, leaving nothing alive.

---Threat Notice: Unique Vehicles----

Amongst the various combat vehicles that are more common amongst the greater Imperium, there are also two purpose made vehicles that have been seen amongst the Ash Wolves regiments.

-Grolay-Pattern G3-Beta Main Battle Tank- Code: Crowpath-

Though not as heavily armed or armoured as the blessed Leman Russ, the G3-Beta is none the less highly dangerous. Armed with a gyro stabilized battle cannon and reaching speeds upwards of 52 mph, the Lions preferred combat vehicle is fully capable of overtaking slower armour, and using it's cannon to cripple heavier vehicles that have trouble tracking the quick armour. Even more dangerous is the vehicle's capability to be combat-dropped at low altitude, creating rolling spearheads where there were none. Weak points noted are the rear quarters near the fuel cell, the join of the turret, and the tracks which are noted for fatal linkage issues.

-BZ-19(ABN) Stalk Tank- Code: Dervish-

A product of the damned Forge World of Lelith Secundus, this variant of the BZ-19 has been redesigned for airborne operations, which is disturbing in itself, as it may mean that the Lions have developed a trade pact with tek-heretics. Though very poorly armoured, the Dervish is swift, capable of traversing the worst of terrain, and easy to deploy in large numbers, using very little cubic space inside the aircraft and easily modified with detatchable descention thrust jets for safe landings. The weapons on the BZ-19 are also easy to swap, giving them a high level of tactical flexibility. Noted variants consist of quad heavy stubbers for anti-personnel; twin autocannons for hunting light armour; and even an unstable twin plasma cannon variant, which is known for being used as suicide vehicles, as the reactor cells bake from overuse and detonate violently. The Stalk Tank is susceptible to infantry, especially the weak servos of the legs.

+Vincen Acuda, Commander of the Ash Wolves+

Acuda, cursed be his name, is one of the few individuals we have any intelligence on. Formerly a major with the 78th Shenac Bladecatchers, Acuda led his men into piracy after murdering his commanding officer for unknown reasons. Shown to be a loyal, capable and tactically flexible leader, with a long and spectacular career ahead of him, his treason came as a surprise, and he was able to capitalize on this and leave with his entire regiment in tow. His reappearance with the Sereiki Lions is a bitter pill to swallow, and should be targeted for death at any opportunity. Though we are sure to crush the cur, we must also prepare and not underestimate such a potent foe.

++The Swift Foxes++

A shadow regiment within the organization, the Swift Foxes are the saboteurs, murderers, demolitions experts and assassins. Beyond this, and a handful of scratchy recordings, nothing is yet known of this force. Terror strikes and poisoned food and water supplies are a common element of their MO. It would be highly suggested to test all food and water supplies whenever possible, when we begin striking the Eighteen Worlds. The only other note of intrest is the Foxes use of a unknown VTOL design of unique design, which seems to have some form of stealth technology. Should any of these crafts be downed or captured intact, we have been ordered to turn over the craft to attached Mechanicus Magos for study.

-Unknown pattern stealth VTOL-

+Shade, Commander of the Swift Foxes+

-No data found-

++The Jackals++

Void combat and boarding action professionals, the Jackals are some of the most cruel and bloodthirsty of the Lions regiments. Wearing tight-fitting carapace void suits and wielding rapid-firing and low recoil sub-machine guns, the Jackals have been the end of many an Imperial ship, including, in part, the Spirit of Saint Jocelyn. It is assumed the Jackals were once an independent pirate group, though what brought them into the permanent employ of the Lions is unknown at this time.

+Tala the Heartless, Commander of the Jackals+

Badly scarred and violent of nature, Tala is easy to recognize in her suit of captured Sororitas power armour and spiked power maul. Tala has very little stomach for cowardice, and has acquired her name through the bloody treatment of captured crew members. There is also hints that she has begun her descent into worship of +NAME REDACTED/HERESY+ of Blood. No attempts at capture of this Lieutenant, may she be consigned to fire, should be made. Purge on sight.

++The Kodiak++

Heavily armed and armoured, the Kodiak are the Sereiki Lions' shock assault group. Broken down into battalions, and attached to the Ash Wolves regiments, the Kodiak are highly disciplined elites who can be quickly brought to bear with their permanently attached Valkyries, assaulting at low altitudes and breaking the toughest of resistance without fear. The Kodiak take perverse satisfaction in tearing their victims apart with their kukri combat knives and machetes, using such bloody-minded tactics as an effective psychological weapon against their targets.

+Kione, Commander of the Kodiaks+

Nothing is known of this lieutenant, barring his lack of mercy, close combat excellence and an obsession with leaving nothing alive. It has been noted that Kione bears a refractor shield of some sort, so it would behoove our commanders to apply vast amounts of ranged fire. Do not engage in close combat.

++The Hyenas++

Persoanlly trained and blood-sworn by Al-Rashid himself, the Hyenas are the most dangerous forces at the Lion's disposal, barring the renegade transhumans who serve him. Rumoured to be hand picked from the most violent and unstable of the various regiments, surgically altered with reaction enhancing micro servos, dangerous stimms, and strength enhancing combat harnesses, each member of the Hyenas is trained by the traitorous Astartes of the cursed Lions, including live fire exercises and brutal hand-to-hand combat regimens, turning them into fanatically loyal and disciplined (for the most part) soldiers, the alphas of the pack. Well armoured and armed with Triarch-Pattern assault rifles loaded with .462 caliber penetrator rounds, enhanced with the harnesses and stimms, and equiped to a man with chainswords, the Hyenas are often used as headhunters, kill-teams, terror troops and even as enforcers within the ranks of the Lions themselves.

+Yitzchaq, the Laughing, Commander of the Hyenas+

-No known intel at this time-

++The Pride++

As previously mentioned, the renegade Space Marines that make up the Pride are all marked in cast iron-esqe black warplate coated in shades of ash, erasing any former marks of allegiances or heraldry, though terror markings and brow horns are common. Heavy with leather pouches and blades, it seems that the Pride are fully prepared for extended operations; the patchwork condition of their warplate adds to this belief. Whatever their former origins, the Pride are now a united and highly motivated force, showing at the time of the Silence a great level of sanity and cohesion, which is unusual for their traitorous breed. Besides a handful of heavy and special weapons, and the firepower of the gunships that often support them, the Pride focus on Astartes pattern squad actions at a tactical level, with bolter and close combat weapons (which vary greatly) taking their forces apart quickly and painfully, though the use of jump packs has been noted in the past. Though the 400 strong Pride most assuredly have a number of sub-commanders within their ranks, none have yet been picked out from their brethren besides Al-Rashid himself.

+Al-Rashid Ibn Khroda+

Besides his general appearance, and his bloody cunning, nothing at all is known of the renegade Space Marine Al-Rashid or of his origins. While conducting research, I have found the surname Khroda to be a dead end, though the usage of the word “Ibn” is quite common on many worlds, denoting one as the “Son of”. More interesting, though, is that there is a planet named 'Khroda', which has been recruited from by a number of Chapters in the past, including the Dark Angels, Crimson Fists, and the noble and blessed Astral Claws. Even more interesting is that the world was earmarked for recruitment use of the newly-crafted Tiger Claws, though how long the young Tiger Claws have been recruiting from this world is unknown. Perhaps we will only know after his fall, perhaps we will never know. Threat: Primaris.

++Note++

If there was anything we can draw from the Slaughter in the Den void battle, it is this one pict, which was sent out in panic across broadband from one of the scouting crafts weaving through the asteroids:

How the Sereiki Lions acquired an abandoned Ark Mechanicus, even a badly damaged one such as this, is an absolute mystery, though this could very well explain where they are receiving the advanced tech and vast amounts of material to conduct their criminal empire. Such a prize would also be an easy way to hire tek-heretics, as such woeful creatures could not help but be tempted by such a vast wealth of technology. The destruction or retaking of this craft should be paramount in ending the threat of the Lions, though I fear the ship will not be where we last seen it.

Thank you for time and dedications, my Lords and Ladies.

Hayden Rodiyaa, Archivist Senior of Library Sector 12-759

+ Note: Archivist-Senior Hayden Rodiyaa was sentenced to death by Inquisitorial Decree, to preserve his soul from the damnation of knowledge. May the God-Emperor welcome him, a devout servant+

[Captain Nameless]

+Yitzchaq, the Laughing, Commander of the Jackals+

-No known intel at this time-

He actually has the same name as me, except for "the Laughing, Commander of the Jackals". And is the redundancy of "Yitzchaq, the Laughing" intentional?

Good story, I enjoyed it.

[Hyaenidae]

Yeah, it was intentional. He has both the first, and the last laugh.  

[Aegnor]

Wow. The Lions are bad news!

[Conn Eremon]

Took me a bit to get through all that, but niiiiice. Worth the read.

[Teetengee]

So I want to apologize for a mistype a while ago, I meant to write Angels Exultant-"through blood we are cleansed"-goblet/grail not Scarlet Sentinels. Ooops.

[Machine God]

Orbital Phenomena

 

 

Clans of Medusa

 

 

Frequency:  One month every 100 years.

 

 

Location:  Randomly appear within systems of the Liber Cluster usually near to Forge Worlds and sites of great battles.

 

 

Hazard:  Shipping hazard primaris.  Disruption of Astropathic communications.

 

 

Effect:  Prior to any appearance of the Clans of Medusa psychics suffer intense nightmares. 

 

First record of phenomena: Not known.

 

This hazard to shipping and planetary communications happens sporadically across the Liber Cluster.  Astrpathic Choirs go silent, Navigators cannot function as preceded by a massive psychic scream the Clans of Medusa emerge from the warp into a random system. 

 

These 10 Mile high constructs are representations of all the 11 Clans of Medusa.  All of the clan symbols are utterly impervious to damage and examination, however the Clan Raukaan symbol is noted to have suffered extreme damage to its surface strucure at some point in the past. 

 

Over the course of a month the constructs travel through the system hazarding careless shipping and then they serenely disappear back into the warp...

[Teetengee]

How are the Lions's relations with other renegade and mercenary factions?

[Hyaenidae]

How are the Lions's relations with other renegade and mercenary factions?

 

Well, the Lion's just loan sharked and Italian Mafia-ed (I breaka you legs!) their way into the ownership of an entire sub-sector, every trade route within it, and forced servitude of every pirate group, Knight Household, criminal organization, anarchist cell, and even xenos mercenary groups in the immediate area, plus the capture of a Grand Cruiser, AND are still hungry for more power...

 

so, you tell me how they "cooperate" with other renegades and mercenaries?  

[Wade Garrett]

The Sereiki Lions are just...wow.

 

But, I do have to question the presence of loxatl broods within their ranks. That particular species of xenos guns-for-hire seems limited to one small corner of the "Main" galaxy. I can buy Orkz, 'Crons, Eldar, and even Nids turning up in the Liber Cluster, but the loxatl...surely there must be xenos reavers native to the Cluster who would cheerfully throw in with the Lions and Al-Rashid without him needing to import them all the way from the Sabbat systems.

 

In other news:

 

THE LEGIO PHLEGETHON

 

"Most sentients respond more productively to the presence of well reasoned arguments and an inferno gun than to reason alone."

Nicommo Zant, Arch Magos of the Saneslau Mechanicus

 

"Nice spaceport you've got here. Be a shame if something happened to it."

Laurent Rhadev, Enforcer-Princeps

 

Usually, the Saneslau Mechanicus dislikes openly waging war. For one thing, it runs contrary to their guiding principles of enlightened self interest and mutual profit, and for another, it is an admission that they can't locate a proxy or patsy to do the bleeding for them.

 

But the venerated elders who rule the triune worlds the divergent faction claims for its own are not unaware that the universe is often an unreasonable place, and that sometimes, if you want a matter resolved properly, it is best to handle it yourself.

 

Hence their investment in training and maintaining their own loyal Titan Legion.

 

Equipped almost solely with Warhound class Scout Titans, Phlegethon is deployed when the Saneslau hierarchy wishes to send an unequivocal message to recalcitrant trading partners, planetary law enforcement agencies that remain zealously unamendable to bribery and graft, and factions like the greenpigs and followers of the Ruinous Powers, who are by definition immune to

logical entreaties.

 

As even a Scout Titan represents a significant investment in time and resouces, the Legio's crews are trained to avoid pitched battle in favor of ambushes, sudden terror raids, and strikes against the enemy's infrastructure, tasks for which they are uniquely suited.

 

Equipped mainly with inferno guns and similar incendiary weapons, its Princeps are adept at both incinerating enemies in sudden shock attacks, and nurturing firestorms capable of swallowing up entire armies in all but the most inflammable terrain.

 

Unconfirmed intelligence reports hint at the existence of an elite echelon within Phlegthon which mounts forbidden relic technology like chem muntions, rad cleansers, and even the nigh mythical phosphex rounds on its machines, but so far these claims have been neither admitted nor refuted by the local Tech Priesthood, despite pointed inquiries from the Martian branch of the Mechanicus.

[Conn Eremon]

Aren't the loxatl mentioned in Eisenhorn as well? Or is that also near Sabbat?

[Wade Garrett]

The only significant xenos species I recall in Eisenhorn were the Slaanesh tainted non Euclidean orbital habitat building salruthi in Book One.

[Hyaenidae]

The Loxatl have been noted as far as the Maelstrom and Jericho Reach. I always assumed they were a nomadic xenos.

 

Also, I edited in a shot of the Swift Foxes' stealth VTOL.  :)

[Wade Garrett]

The Loxatl have been noted as far as the Maelstrom and Jericho Reach. I always assumed they were a nomadic xenos.

 

Also, I edited in a shot of the Swift Foxes' stealth VTOL. :)

 

Fair enough. I've got no objection to murderous cyber frogs with frigging fletchette cannons on their heads in principle, I just thought they were a Sabbat Worlds only thing.

 

As an aside, where do you get all that wonderful artwork?

[Hyaenidae]

The glory of Google Images and careful word entry.  :D

[Machine God]

@Wade Garret - Heathens got the Exo-Frame and enhanced AK-47 from Elysium.

 

The image of Yitzchaq is the bad guy in Elysium!