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Dune Serpents - XIV
The Envenomed Hunters
They are a dark, terrifying Legion. Barely human at all. They view honour and bravery and kindness as diseases, to be excised from themselves and exploited in others. And they will stop at nothing to get what they want. –Diary entry of [REDACTED], Remembrancer attached to the 412th Expeditionary Fleet
Numeration: XIVth Legion
Primogenitor: Azus Bahmut
Allegiance: Fedelitas Scindere
Cognomen (Prior): Sightless Fourteenth.
Observed Strategic Tendencies: Stealth Operations, Guerrilla Warfare, Terror Tactics, Use of Chemical Weaponry
Noteworthy Domains: Dhul’Hasa and its orbiting space stations.
The Emperor’s Fourteenth were often known as an honourless Legion. Of all that was whispered of them, that much, at least, was true. Operating from the shadows, striking only where they knew they could win, and fleeing before the enemy had a chance to strike back, the Dune Serpents’ way of war was described by their Primarch as ‘practical and practical alone, for war’s purpose is to yield results no matter the means’.
If others had viewed the Fourteenth Legion as unpleasant and without boundaries during the Great Crusade, the Icarion Insurrection would escalate these views tenfold. The Legion splintered after news of the Stormlord’s betrayal, with nearing 40% of the Serpents casting off their Imperial colours and joining forces with the Insurrectionists, or simply making their own way in a galaxy of war. Their Primarch, however, stayed loyal to the Imperium, though whether out of respect for the Emperor or simply a need to survive is to this day murky. The Dune Serpents exemplify the belief of some that, to wage war against monsters, one must become a monster oneself.
FLUFF CHAPTER
Origins of the Dune Serpents
The nascent Sightless Fourteenth was composed of recruits hailing from the barely-inhabitable salt deserts of Terra. During the Age of Strife, fighting here had been fierce, and this combined with the punishing conditions in which they lived had hardened the peoples of this region into warriors. When the Thunder Warriors of the Emperor entered these regions, they expected to find no trace of life. Instead, they were immediately set upon by highly mobile groups of marauders, and were at first even beaten back due to the shock of being attacked in a seemingly empty place. However, the Emperor’s chosen warriors were not to be halted, and the second time the region was invaded, this time in far greater force, the desert tribes stood very little chance. Due to the conditions of the salt deserts, the technology possessed by the tribes was almost exclusively scavenged, and no match for the superior armaments of the Thunder Warriors.
Quickly, one of the larger tribes found itself surrounded. Acting as if surrendering, the Thunder Warriors were allowed inside the tribe’s camp, only to be ambushed by ranks upon ranks of tribespeople. After a brief skirmish, the Thunder Warriors emerged victorious, although only barely. While procedure dictated that the rest of the tribe should too be put to death, the Imperial Captain who led the Thunder Warriors was intrigued. Searching through the faces of those taken prisoner, he encountered the tribe’s leader. To the horror of the Emperor’s forces, instead of an execution, the man was granted an audience. One hour to explain why the tribes should be allowed to live. That man’s name was Jon Lawrence, and it was he who would become the first Legion Master of the Fourteenth.
Under the leadership of Jon Lawrence, the Fourteenth Legion began to take shape. It quickly developed an aptitude for hit and run strikes, and so was often used in conjunction with larger forces of other Legions such as the Sixth and Tenth. Another reason for this was that the Fourteenth themselves were a fairly small legion; many aspirants did not survive the process of gene-seed implantation – in fact, the violent side effects of the implantation process (which often led to total blindness in the earliest candidates submitted to the process) are what led to the name ‘Sightless Fourteenth’ being adopted. Additionally, a tribal culture still existed among the Legion, meaning it was in effect divided into several almost fully autonomous groups, although in times of need these groups could be united. The Legion was left to function in this way, both due to the grudges and allegiances that Lawrence himself still held on to and because destroying the way of life that the recruits to the Legion had known all their lives would inspire nothing but bitterness.
The Ghost of the Sands
Far on the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, a desolate, barely inhabitable world named Dhul’hasa was about to rise from obscurity. Once a hub of technology and scientific research, the Age of Strife broke Dhul’hasa, atmospheric pollution raising the global temperature of the planet so high that most of its surface turned to desert just as all contact with the wider Human Empire was lost. After this had followed centuries of territorial warfare between clans and factions, until almost all left on the world was dust. The one constant over this period of change and darkness was the ring of space stations and satellites orbiting Dhul’hasa, all scanning systems trained on the stars in the desperate hope that humanity would return from beyond the cloudless sky.
Onto this background, the Primarch of the Fourteenth Legion landed, his pod lighting up the night sky. Whether by radios receiving data from satellites or simply by looking upwards, all the tribes near to the landing site saw descent of the spaceship and rushed to meet it as it rushed towards the ground. The Primarch’s journey had been long, and so he had already matured partially when he first made planetfall on Dhul’hasa. Stepping out of the pod, labelled AZU-5, he fled into the night before the amassed clans could investigate his arrival.
In the aftermath of the skirmish to claim the Primarch’s pod, the Dhul’hasan clans each discovered the wealth of technology that this craft from the heavens had to offer and wanted more. So it was that search parties began to be sent out to trace whatever else had been in the empty pod, first only one or two per week, and then increasing in frequency until almost all the resources available to the clanspeople were directed towards this great search.
The Primarch, who had taken the name Azus, could only remain isolated in the desert for so long. He soon heard of the amassed forces searching for him, and due to their ever increasing size, he could not avoid them for long. And so it was that the first humans that the Primarch Azus encountered attempted to take him prisoner. However, despite his lack of training, Azus was after all a Primarch, and so tore through his assailants with ease. After that, he became more careful. Staying far away from others, hiding and only engaging enemies at range when necessary, Azus was able to survive the assault of the clans for well over six months.
However, one day, the inevitable happened. Well versed in the arts of stealth as Azus himself had become, Dhul’hasan warriors surrounded the Primarch at night, and although he killed near to one hundred in the ensuing struggle, he was captured, put in chains, and hauled back to the city of Kaobyrra, the stronghold of the Bahmut Clan, as a prisoner. There, this captured giant suffered months of research, his superhuman skin reknitting after every dissection, and bones healing after every marrow extraction. Slowly, the Dhul’hasan scientists outdated, malfunctioning medical equipment began to reveal the secrets of the Primarch’s advanced biology. Soon, the experiments became increasingly violent, all non-vital organs being removed and rudimentary brain scans being conducted in an effort to synthesize a compound nearing gene-seed.
Eventually, battling through the mind-numbing effects of the concoction of tranquilisers that he was constantly drip-fed, Azus developed a plan. During a simpler medical procedure, the Primarch pulled so hard against the restraints holding his left arm that his hand was torn clean off. He proceeded to batter the nearest scientists to death with his bloodied stump, freeing himself and staggering out of the operating chamber in which he had been kept a prisoner. The few that dared to oppose Azus’ incandescent fury were blessed with quick deaths. After only about an hour, the people of Kaobyrra submitted to the Primarch in awe and terror. Azus’ coup was brutally efficient. The surviving scientists’ final task was to craft the Primarch a new bionic hand to replace the one he had lost, before they, along with the city’s existing governing body, were executed, leaving none to oppose Azus’ rule. His power within the city had become absolute within a week of his escape.
Over the next seven years, Azus waged a bitter war of subjugation over the rest of the planet. Slowly, the Dhul’hasan clans fell to Azus of Bahmut, a figure revered and feared in equal measure due to his martial prowess and terrifying presence and morals respectively. To most Dhul’hasans he was rarely glimpsed, a hidden fiend who ruled with an iron fist. His elusive nature earned him the title ‘Ghost of the Sands’, a name he grudgingly appreciated. Eventually, the entirety of Dhul’hasa came under Azus’ rule, and he began to turn his ambitions skywards.
It was then that fleet approaching Dhul’hasa was discovered.
Dhul’hasa Under Siege
Satellites began transmitting warnings that ships were approaching Dhul’hasa’s system for the first time since the arrival of Azus Bahmut. Needless to say that these signals were taken very seriously by the planet’s people, some fearing invasion, some hoping for a joyous reunion with the rest of mankind. Those hopeful few were to be disappointed. The fleet was revealed to be xenos in origin as it approached, and it was approaching quickly. Quietly, within his lair in the palaces of Kaobyrra, Azus began to plan. The few still functioning factories on Dhul’hasa’s scorched surface were put to work manufacturing large quantities of weaponry. Outriders were sent to inspect the ancient orbital defence platforms and ready them for war. Within a matter of weeks, Azus had readied the planet for the imminent incursion, with predicted landing sites being surrounded with troops, traps laid around significant settlements, and the populace armed and trained in basics of combat. It was then that the fleet arrived.
It was nothing like Azus had expected. The ships careened towards the planet’s surface with little care for their own safety, descending too quickly for the orbital defence batteries to lock on to them. Ignoring flat, empty areas, the ships crash-landed in a random pattern, belching smoke and crackling with flame. It quickly became clear that this had not been an invasion, but an escape.
Azus sent a delegation to meet the first ship to land which he himself accompanied, albeit in secret. While the Dhul’hasans were prepared to negotiate with the refugee xenos, the aliens opened fire as soon as they caught sight of the delegation, slaughtering it to a man. Azus watched from the shadows, and fell back to Kaobyrra. It seemed a war was to be fought after all.
The clans were informed, and readied for battle. Warbands mounted on outdated, barely-serviceable jetbikes were sent to harass the xenos as they disembarked from their ships, striking so quickly that the attackers had barely any time to respond before the Dhul’hasans fled once again. Struggling to navigate the planet’s monotonous and harsh terrain, the refugees’ first attempts to make territorial gains were easily repelled. Quickly, however, the xenos began to breach the first lines of defence Azus had put in place, making targeted pushes for nearby oil refineries. It became obvious that the objective of the invaders was to refuel and depart as quickly as possible, rather than to take the planet. While it may have been easier to simply stand back and give the xenos the resources they needed, Azus’ rise to power had come via uncompromising strength and bitter justice, and in the act of invading Dhul’hasa, the xenos had slighted Azus personally. This was something that they would come to regret.
Using hit-and-run tactics, Azus’ forces baited the xenos to collect in large numbers. At that point, chemical strikes were launched, decimating the invaders and damaging their morale. The reprieve for this was violent, with diversionary attacks being launched by the xenos into nearby settlements, while other forces desperately rushed to the refineries. The Dhul’hasan soldiers moved to defend the oil refineries, while incendiary bombing campaigns were launched against settlements in which the xenos attackers were most concentrated, with no concern for the lives of civilians. The fighting became so bitter that the arrival of a second fleet in the system went completely unnoticed.
Fleeing desperately from their newly arrived pursuers, the xenos launched a final push to break free of the Dhul’hasans and escape. The clans mustered to retaliate as quickly as they could. Azus himself took to the battlefield, sensing that his men’s morale needed to be boosted. Seeing an opportunity to destroy the aliens outright, the Dhul’hasans fought with every weapon in their arsenal, no matter how unpleasant, cutting down xenos by the thousands. Although they fought back with terrified determination, the invaders were finally defeated in the ensuing pitched battle. The relief of Dhul’hasa’s liberation was palpable. So when Azus saw an amassed army of black-armoured warriors staring across at him from the other side of the blood-soaked battlefield, it came as a surprise.
In the ensuing meeting, Azus was introduced to the leader of the xenos’ pursuers, a human larger even than himself. His name was Daer’dd Niimkiikaa, the Primarch of the Iron Bears Legion, who had been chasing the xenos fleet down after being ambushed in deep space. They had finally been forced to make planetfall on Dhul’hasa after their ships suffered colossal damage in a void engagement. Elated to have chanced upon another of his brothers, Daer’dd requested the presence of the Emperor himself on Dhul’hasa. When he arrived, Azus was offered the chance to join him in his Great Crusade, and he readily accepted, both seeing it as an opportunity to take the people of Dhul’hasa to the stars once again and fearing the wrath of the Imperium of Man should he refuse.
AZUS BAHMUT, PRIMARCH OF THE DUNE SERPENTS
Azus Bahmut – 405 pts
Primarch of the Fourteenth, Ghost of the Sands, The King of Darkness
WS: 6 BS: 8 S: 6 T: 6 W: 5 I: 7 A: 4 Ld: 10 Sv: 2+
Unit Composition:
· 1 (Unique)
Unit Type:
· Infantry (Character)
Wargear:
· Armour of the Sands
· Devil’s Vengeance
· Anarchy
· Frag, defensive and smoke grenades
Special Rules:
· Primarch
· Sire of the Dune Serpents
· Ghost of the Sands
· Lone Hunter
· Bulky
Warlord Trait:
· Night Attacker
Armour of the Sands: During the early years of the Great Crusade, Azus clashed with wyches belonging to the Cult of the Red Grief. He took note of the Night Shields with which the xenos transports were fitted, and charged his allies within the mechanicum with reproducing this technology and incorporating it into his armour. The Armour of the Sands confers a 2+ armour save, a 4+ invulnerable save and the Stealth and Shrouded special rules.
Devil’s Vengeance: The Devil’s Vengeance is a large rifle, made to Azus’ specifications by the Techmarines of the Dune Serpents, and named after a legend of his homeworld. The rifle fires four types of unique ammunition, the most infamous being the Separator Round, named for both the smoke canister that detaches itself as the projectile flies through the air, and the bullet’s uncanny ability to separate head from body. Each shooting phase, the bearer of Devil’s Vengeance may choose which type of specialist ammunition it will use.
Fleshburner Rounds: RNG: 30” S: 6 AP: 3 Assault 3 Deflagrate, Rending
Electroscrambler Rounds: RNG: 24” S: 1 AP: 2 Assault 2 Haywire
Nervebane Canisters: RNG: 36” S: 1 AP: 5 Assault 1 Fleshbane, Pinning, Strikedown, Blast
Separator Bolt-Rounds: RNG: 72” S: 8 AP: 1 Heavy 1 Firing Calibration, Instant Death, Bone Crusher, Inbuilt Smoke Canister
Bone Crusher: Against models with the Eternal Warrior special rule, each unsaved wound caused by this weapon multiplies to two.
Inbuilt Smoke Canister: Extend a line between Azus and the closest model in the target unit, after firing. Place a smoke grenade marker 4d6” along that line
Anarchy: The same enormous scimitar Azus was given as a child on Dhul’Hasa, Anarchy has since shrunk in comparison to its superhuman owner. Upon making contact with the Imperium, Anarchy was given to the artificers of Terra. It emerged again having been hollowed out and fitted with a power field, meaning Azus could swing it as easily as if it were his own hand while carving through all in his path. Anarchy is a melee weapon that uses the following profile:
RNG: - S: User AP: 3 Melee, Master-crafted, Duellist’s Edge, Rending
Sire of the Dune Serpents: Having trained with almost all the ranged weapons under Dhul’Hasa’s two suns, Azus makes Precision Shots on to hit rolls of 4+, and at any point at which Azus is required to Snap Shoot, he does so on a 4+. Note that these Snap Shots may still not generate Precision Shots. All friendly models with the Legiones Astartes (Dune Serpents) special rule gain Stealth if they are within 12 inches of Azus.
Ghost of the Sands: Azus is a master of the art of stealth, and can melt away into the shadows at will, much to the terror of those opposing him. Once per game, at the end of the friendly turn, Azus may use this ability. This means that no enemy models may draw line of sight to him, and all enemy units within 12 inches that could draw line of sight to Azus must take a morale check as if they had just lost a combat. This ability lasts until the beginning of the next friendly turn.
Lone Hunter: The Primarch of the Dune Serpents has conditioned himself to have few allies, and prefers his own company above all, as he has none that rely on him or slow him down. Azus may never join a unit, but may Run and shoot in the same shooting phase. If he does so, he may only fire Snap Shots.
DJINN STEALTH SQUAD
FAST ATTACK - Djinn (185 points)
Name WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Djinn 4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3+
Djinn Alchemist 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+
Unit Composition
4 Djinn
1 Djinn Alchemist
Unit Type
Djinn: Infantry
Djinn Alchemist: Infantry (Character)
Wargear
Power Armour
Poisonbreath Launcher
Smoke Grenades
Special Rules
Legiones Astartes (Dune Serpents)
Noxious Fumes
Infiltrate
Options
May take up to 10 additional Djinn for +28 points per model.
The Djinn Alchemist may take one of the following:
- Sharibalddam ….. +15 points
- Power Weapon … +10 points
- Power Fist ……….. +15 points
- The Djinn Alchemist may upgrade his Power Armour to Artificer Armour for +10 points
Dedicated Transport
- A unit of Djinn numbering ten or fewer models may take a Rhino Armoured Carrier as a Dedicated Transport
Poisonbreath Laucher
Firing Mode Range Strength AP Type
Gas Saturation Template * - Assault 1, Corrosive, Gas Dispersion, Poisoned (3+)
Gas Canister 18" * - Heavy 2, Blast, Corrosive, Poisoned (5+)
Corrosive: When making save rolls against this weapon, models count their armour save as being one point worse than normal (i.e. a 3+ armour save becomes a 4+ armour save.
- Gas Dispersion: Template weapons with this special rule only make one attack when firing Overwatch.
Noxious Fumes: Shrouded. In addition, all enemy models in a unit charging or being charged by a unit of Djinn must take a Dangerous Terrain test after charge rolls have been made.
DURSK RASSAN HEAVY ASSAULT SQUAD
Taking their name from an ancient Dhul’Hasan war prayer, the Dursk Rassan or "they who rise" were formed from the Legion's assault companies, but bear striking differences from the likes of the XIXth Legion’s Phantoms. They are tasked with occupying key positions and holding them until reinforcements arrive, and as such are more heavily equipped than most assault companies.
Besides melee weapons they also wield hand flamers and chem-munitions, and while most of their comrades use Mk IV armour, the Dursk Rassan favour Mk III armour. These suits, augmented with modern auto-sense and targeting systems, have enabled them to endure the grinding battles that often follow their lightning assaults. They are also adept users of gas weapons, favouring substances which induce or intensify fear in their enemies. Unlike the Shamshir, they embellish their armour extensively, seeking to frighten their enemies.
Initially considered an oddity by their peers, under the leadership of Kalhu Nachash they have earned a reputation as bold, tenacious warriors. Nachash is revered by his brothers for securing a bridgehead on the walls of the Thabosian High City in the battle against the so-called “Emperor” of that system. The imposter’s forces had been severely depleted on the plains of Thabos III, but nonetheless he retained hundreds of thousands of soldiers armed with technology that was a match for the Imperium's. Despite this, Nachash and his men seized their objectives, holding the enemy at bay until the main Legion force joined them. As the defenders were driven back, the Dursk Rassan assaulted the palace and slew the pretender.
FAST ATTACK - Dursk Rassan Heavy Assault Squad (285 points)
Name WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Dursk Rassan 4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3+
Dursk Qal 5 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+
Unit Composition
- 9 Dursk Rassan
- 1 Dursk Qal
Unit Type
- Dursk Rassan: Jump Infantry
- Dursk Qal: Jump Infantry (Character)
Wargear
- Power Armour
- Jump Pack
- Chainaxe
- Hand Flamer with Chem Munitions
- Frag and Krak Grenades
Special Rules
- Legiones Astartes (Dune Serpents)
- Hardened Armour
- Implacable Advance
Options
- May take up to 5 additional Dursk Rassan for +20 points per model.
- The unit may take Melta Bombs for +50 points.
- For every 5 models in the unit, one Dursk Rassan may replace their Hand Flamer with a Flamer with Chem Munitions for +5 points per model.
- For every 5 models in the unit, one Dursk Rassan may replace their Chainaxe with a Power Axe for +10 points per model.
- The Dursk Qal may take one of the following:
§ Sharibalddam ……… +15 points
§ Power Weapon ……. +10 points
§ Power Fist …………… +15 points
§ Thunder Hammer … +20 points
- The Dursk Qal may upgrade his Power Armour to Artificer Armour for +10 points
KALHU NACHASH, ARCH-CAPTAIN OF THE DURSK RASSAN
Name WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Kalhu Nachash 5 5 4 4 2 5 3 9 2+
Unit Composition
1 (Unique)
Unit Type
Jump Infantry (Character)
Wargear
Artificer Armour
Jump Pack
Qatal
Hand Flamer with Chem Munitions
Frag and Krak Grenades
Special Rules
Legiones Astartes (Dune Serpents)
Implacable Advance
Independent Character
Hardened Armour
Warlord Trait
Take And Hold: Kalhu and his unit gain the Stubborn special rule when holding an objective
Qatal
Range Strength AP Type
- +2 2 Melee, Unwieldy, Master Crafted
ZULFIQ FAL'UAK, SHAMSHIR PRIMUS
to be completed
SHAMSHIR RAIDERS
to be completed
VENERABLE JON LAWRENCE, LEGION MASTER OF THE DUNE SERPENTS
to be completed
AL'LARRAMAD OUTRIDERS
to be completed
DHUL'HASAN DICTIONARY (for my benefit as much as anyone so I don't accidentally develop inconsistencies in my naming convention)
Afeahamra = Type of venomous snake found on Dhul’hasa Aist = Poison Akharin = Legionary from a world other than Terra or Dhul’hasa, foreigner Al’ = Of, belonging to, akin to (prefix) Alha = West Alrrabeshr = The fourteenth legion Alrrabeshram = Serpent-king of the Afeahamra, mythical creature from Dhul'hasan culture Ard = Terra Az’ = Possessing (a quality), of (prefix) Badis = Great Badisin = Clan leader, extrapolated from badis meaning great Dirah = Contempt Dhul’hasin = Legionary of Dhul’hasa Dur = He who Dursk = They who Eazim = East Faylaq = Legion Faylaqin = Legionary Haj = Dagger worn on ceremonial occasions Hashd = Horde, the largest unit of the XIVth legion Iralsm = Breath Janu = South Kaobah = City Larramad = Ashes Rassan = To rise Sada = Ceremonial carpet upon which you kneel for a feast/celebration etc Sahir = Librarius Shaba = North Shari = Blade Shayash = A pipe smoked at ceremonial occasions Qan = To kill Qatal = Butcher, killer Yrra = Endurance
Aistin = Poisoner/Destroyer
Alharin = Legionary of the western horde
Alrrabeshrin = A Dune Serpent
Ardin = Terran legionary
Eazimin = Legionary of the eastern horde
Janurin = Legionary of the southern horde
Sahirin = Librarian
Shabarin = Legionary of the northern horde
Shutuj = Regicide, chess
Nabid = A beverage favoured by Dhul’hasan legionaries
Edited by Lord Thørn, 28 November 2017 - 09:33 PM.
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