IL I - The Harbingers (thread 2)

[bluntblade]

That's just what I was hoping to hear. I was thinking of doing a piece during or after one such purge, focusing on the pressure it puts the Legion under as well as their pride in how they alone are trusted with such a duty.

[Athrawes]

If it is something you are interested in I wrote a pair of companion pieces, that hint at how the Lightning bearers dealt with the aftermath of fighting the warp. I'll see if i can find them, basically they talk about the silence protocol, and it it meant to address prolonged exposure to the warp and taint. 

 

I havent really written down the specifics, but the Lightning Bearers are trained to count their own and their brothers deployments against warp creatures, and to watch for signs of corrupts, most commonly a Blackening as if by Ink, of their Blue Irises. 

 

Basically after a predetermined number of deployments against the warp, the Legionaries are "retired" from active duty. Weather that means execution, or imprisonment, or something else is left purposefully vague, but the Lightning bearers know the dire need for their war, and are willing to pay the cost on their soul for facing it.

[bluntblade]

I'm certainly interested. I'd also like to do a piece shortly after the Triumph, with the Legion wrestling with their new status.

 

In this 'verse, did the Ghost Crusade actually end, or just gradually begin to wind down?

[bluntblade]

So I'm doing a story from the Ghost Crusade to introduce Raiden (and hoping Athrawes resurfaces soon, because this one will really, really need his seal of approval). It's meant to work as a parallel to the Samus episode in Horus Rising. I have to fill in the bit between the opening and the crux, but I can say that it gets ugly.

 

I wonder if maybe, given the greater size and prestige of the Legion this universe, Lightning Bearers are simply retired from Ghost Crusade duties after a certain point, but kept under close watch. Some however do deteriorate and have to be fully, ahem, retired. So while it's not wholesale, real veteran Lightning Bearers are still rather rare.

 

Which, come to think of it, is a sting in the tail when Malis makes a remark to Raiden about how some old Wardens remember when Icarion was the only Primarch leading the Crusade.

Edited June 26, 2016 by bluntblade

[bluntblade]

So, does Icarion arrange for every potential Lightning Bearers loyalist to die? I just like the idea of a single company surviving Icarion's efforts, perhaps being dismissed as irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

 

Also, perhaps insectile possessed could be a thing when the Harbingers (or whatever Raiden remoulds them into later) go full Chaos? I just realised which residual memory gave me the idea...

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/digimon/images/1/11/Kabuterimon_t.gif/revision/latest?cb=20110818043550

Edited July 10, 2016 by bluntblade

[bluntblade]

I had an idea for Madrigal and decided to just run with it:

 

Yimura Sakeda had seen much beauty in his comparatively short career as a warrior, but he still felt that nothing, save perhaps Terra, could compete with Madrigal. The vessel bore him up, over the peaks of the mountains. Here and there he glimpsed Aspirants and neophytes, sparring in the courtyards or undergoing tests on the slopes. Truly, nothing but the Throneworld could vie with his home. Not even Qarith Prime as it now stood, a monument to what Man could achieve, clawing his way back from the abyss. In many ways Madrigal represented the same thing. And it was not tainted for the Lightning Bearers as Qarith Prime was. The confusion and dismay at the Emperor's choice had quietened down, but not subsided.

 

He let go of his worries for now as the craft soared free of the peaks, rising towards one of the floating cities. All these great structures were beautiful, wrought in the shape of clouds. To the east was the Haven of Commerce, smooth and stratified like lenticular clouds. Further south lay the Astral College, its peculiar shape derived from asperatus clouds with great peaks and spires above and below. To look at it out of the corner of one's eye, the glass almost appeared to flow.

 

But ahead lay the greatest of them all, like a vast anvil rendered in diamond, ceramite and gold. For all its beauty, it was redolent of primal force, one that almost nothing could stand against. This was no accident, for here was the court of the Stormborn.

 

I know Athrawes wanted an element of Napoleonic naval culture in the Legion's character, but I'm not quite sure how to work it in. The only reference point I have is some reading around Trafalgar and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin books.

Edited August 25, 2016 by bluntblade

[simison]

[it's been so long since I've worked on the Harbingers, that I'm gathering what's already done to make it easy to focus on the next step.]

 

Numeration: The I^st Legion

 

Primogenitor: Icarion Anasem, The Stormborn

 

Cognomen: (Prior) The Lightning Bearers

 

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Naval Engagements, Zone Mortalis and Boarding Actions, Planetary Interdiction, Precognitive Warfare, [Purgation].

 

Noteworthy Domains:  The Realm of the Sphere (a semi-autonomous administrative region of the Maelstrom Zone, Ultima Segmentum, accorded full rights or governance and muster by decree of the Emperor.

 

Allegiance: Traitorous Maximus

 

The Harbingers – the Legion of the Sire of Insurrection, whose name now echoes through time and the shattered realms of mankind as a curse. Though an age of darkness would follow them in their wake, these heralds of the end times once trod a different path. So great was their fall that few now remember that they and their master were once raised above their brothers of the Legiones Astartes. The First Legion, once held in highest in esteem and courage amongst their kind, were warriors cut in starlight, fierce and intelligent, gracefully bearing the Emperor's own lightning over centuries of glorious conquest during the Great Crusade. To humanity, they were angels of light, a bright star in the firmament of the Emperors greatest designs. To the Legions, they were the first amongst equals, paragons of all it was to be of the Space Marines and champions to the Great crusade. Once loyal, and trusted above all others, the Harbingers now stand as a mirror held up to the Imperium itself, a bright guiding light of hope, now corrupted and fallen to eternal darkness.

 

Origins: The First Among Equals

 

As the Emperor set his eyes to the stars beyond the unity of Terra, he raised new armies to fight his coming crusade. He drew these in part from the forces aiding him in Terra's Unification, and in part from his subjugated enemies, and standing besides the gene-breeds, war-wights, and battle emissaries were the first of the Legiones Astartes. These Legionnaires were far from the vast armies in their hundreds of thousands which would later unify the galaxy, but inheritors, bearing the legacy of the Thunder Warriors that had come before them, which together represented a fighting force singular throughout history.

 

The I^st Legion stood sentinel over the creation of the monolithic organization, the Legiones Astartes, as the Emperor's prototypes. Created in secret, bearing the first (and some would claim purest) gene-seed, the I^st legion was believed to have been hand crafted in their alpha stage by the Emperor and his closest gene-smiths. In stark contrast to the larger raisings of the later Legions, the First (as they had become known) were created in training batches of a dozen aspirants at a time. The remarkable children the Emperor chose for this earliest of experiments were drawn from across Terra from all walks of life, children of noted intelligence, genetic stability and, some would note in hushed circles, a predisposition for unusual gifts. The road to becoming an Astartes is one fraught with peril and difficult. It goes without saying that many of these earliest implantations would end in tragedy, but the aspirants who survived the prototype stage of genetic enhancement would prove themselves capable and cunning. The surviving proto-1^st Legionnaires trained relentlessly with the most vicious and skilled Thunder Warriors of Unity. It can be said that these early experiments in training regimen and instruction would form the bedrock of generations of Legionaries to come. These first warriors were baptized in the fires of Unification with squads of aspirants seconded to grizzled Thunder Warrior regiments. The aspirants who survived these grueling trials and combat missions would find themselves elevated to the level of the first true Legionnaires, bearing advanced and potent forms of powered armor.

 

These first veteran inductees of the I^st eventually formed coteries of experienced officers who would come to oversee the training of future Legionnaires of the younger Legions. In this fashion, did the Emperor impart a sense of shared brotherhood amongst the earliest Legions, for even decades into the Great Crusade, the younger Legions would find themselves seconded officers from The First to help guide them and advise them on the surest way to uphold the Emperor's vision for humanity.

 

The final years of Terra’s Unification would see the I^st Legion achieve a series of faultless victories which would serve as examples and be lauded by their brother Legions until the dying light of the Great Crusade's End.

 

As prototypes to the wider Legiones Astartes, the I^st Legion mastered all manner of warfare in the name of the Emperor, to hone themselves as the perfect instruments of combat. To this end, they began conducting sieges, shock assaults, boarding actions and rescue operations, all the while learning and improving their warcraft, codifying their newly learned strategies for future dissemination. While they excelled in all styles of war, the I^st Legion applied themselves to each warzone in a truly singular manner, for the I^st Legion fought with controlled aggression, every situation and stratagem carefully measured and weighed, to best affect desired outcomes. Perhaps through the influence of their genetic heritage or the use the Emperor put them to, the First become synonymous with intricate, but swift and faultlessly decisive pinpoint assaults, locating a point in the grand scheme of each combat, a fulcrum around which the tide of battle could be swayed by their effortless intercession.

 

In such a manner were some of the greatest victories of late Unification won, wherever foes against the enlightenment of mankind could be found, the I^st Legion fought with honor and grace to illuminate mankind and fulfill the vision of the Emperor. If any event from this time speaks to the nature of the I^st Legion, it would be the razing of the Crystal Fortress, what came to be known as the ‘Silencing of the Eternal Dirge.’

 

Silencing of the Eternal Dirge

 

From the darkness of Old Night came the Cult of Rapture, a society of human blood mages and gene-grotesques who reveled in the ritualized slaughter of millions. Over centuries the Cult subjugated the southern Polar Region of Terra enslaving entire generations of that once prosperous region. The Cult was comprised of more than the petty tyrants all too common across Terra at that time. They were instead, an organized religion, exulting the abhorrent mutations of the Psyker and worshiping dark and ancient false gods. Each day, hundreds of innocents were sacrificed to feed the bottomless hunger of their warlocks, creating in the process a great psychic malignancy afflicting the region known as the Eternal Dirge, a reality-bending affront to the natural order of the universe, both twisting the perception of those enslaved and guiding those who abased themselves to the abhorrent cult. Wherever the Cult’s grotesques were lead by the Dirge, a grisly pogrom was enacted to cull hundreds in order to strengthen their enclave and sustain the song which fueled them.

 

Until the coming of the Emperor.

 

As unity slowly began to encompass Terra, the Emperor turned his attention to the Crystal Fortress of the Cult, the diseased seat of the ritualized power. Every effort of the Emperor’s mortal soldiers and gene-crafted thunder warriors to pacify the polar region had met with disaster. More often than not, entire armies were enthralled by the Dirge and turned back to cruelly assail their fellows.

 

The Emperor had foreseen the perils of warpcraft as a threat to his designs and turned to his 1^st Legion for the region's deliverance. While all Space Marines had been crafted to serve as the Emperor’s greatest warriors, the I^st Legion had been created with a further specialization in mind. To combat the malignancy of rogue Psykers and the repugnancy of warpcraft, the Emperor had looked to create warriors in his own image, the wider Legiones Astartes were all meant to reflect aspects of the Emperor, to become embodiments of his might, the I^st Legion, however, had been crafted at the genetic level to reflect a shard of the Emperor's psychic might.

 

While it is true that many Legions contained warriors proficient in the use of psychic powers, indeed some legions where psychic power was relatively common place, no Legion shared the innate and widespread psychic proficiency that became manifest within the First. This genetic propensity towards unlocking humanities psychic potential was further expanded by the Emperor's focused efforts to recruit children with noteworthy and controlled psychic talents into the I^st Legion.

 

[Personal note: All material after this point have yet to be submitted to Grifft.]

 

The Ghost Crusade

 

The Silencing of the Eternal Dirge would mark the beginning of a different path for the First Legion.  As the fires of organized resistance on Ancient Terra were smothered out by the Triumph of Unity, The Emperor set his eyes to the stars and launched his Great Crusade. While this war of ideals and ambitions spread from the Solar system in fanfare, spearheaded by his resplendent Legions, another war began in silence.

 

Old Night had seen the collapse of countless Golden Age societies. Empires and individual worlds found themselves suddenly isolated, cut off in a galaxy where threats loomed abundant. Many worlds found themselves besieged by xenos of varied and unknowable qualities. Many more worlds were torn apart by civil war and self-immolation as resources dwindled and panic reined. Great swaths of the galaxy faced a darker fate still.

 

For millennia, the Warp had served as a means of empire for nascent human cultures spreading throughout the galaxy. With the psychic awakening, and the Terror of Old Night, the boundaries between material and immaterial realm wore thin on thousands of worlds. Here it was that madness reined and neverborn creatures stalked and ravaged the life that they had for so many eons craved with envious eyes.

 

In a galaxy which the Emperor's Imperial Truth claimed was sterile and godless, the existence and rediscovery of tainted worlds and the malevolence that held sway over them proved a dire threat to unity. For if such worlds were encountered in abundance by crusading hosts, dangerous questions might arise. For the sake of Humanity, and the success of the great Crusade, knowledge of these worlds and their malevolence must be sought out, purged and subsequently sequestered from the records of humanity.

 

Such was the Mandate of the Ghost Crusade.

 

From the very beginning of the Great Crusade, it had been a direct Imperial dictate from the Emperor to enact Exterminatus upon worlds discovered to have substantial Warp breaches. While all Legions and Expeditionary Forces were tasked to obey this edict, the Emperor; realizing the threat exposure to such warp anomalies could inflict upon warriors and the foundation of Imperial Truth, sought to craft warriors with a mandate to seek out, and war upon these malevolent threats, far from Imperial Eyes. For this purpose, he charged the I^st Legion as his primary instrument against the chaotic forces of the Warp.

 

It is a testament to the Lightning Bearers that their rolls of victories remained the longest among all of the legions, even with these secretive campaigns removed from public records. Far from the watchful eyes of their cousins, the Lightning Bearers fought timeless horrors as they cleansed entire planets of taint before the Mechanicum was given 'news' of barren worlds awaiting terraforming. To this day, the full extent of the Ghost Crusade remains unknown. How many planets were purged? How many Lighting Bearers fell to the deprivations of the Warp? What knowledge was learned then lost in the span of this shadow crusade? All these questions will remain unanswered for all time. For, in the greatest of ironies, the Emperor's chosen weapon against what would become known as Chaos would eventually succumb to it. The tool to accomplish this great feat of corruption was none other than the Icarion the Stormborn, Primarch of the Lightning Bearers.

 

Madrigal: Time-lost Empire

 

Near the galactic center, located in the Maelstrom zone lies the planet Madrigal. Madrigal is a world of storms, but this was not always so. Milliena ago, Madrigal was a colony of Mars. By the standards of contemporary Mechanicum auditors, it is credited to have achieved the approximate status of Ultima Forgeworld.  In its earliest days, Madrigal; consisting of a large population with the psyker mutation, began to forge its own reputation as a center of Void navigation and ship construction. Its lunar shipyards are said to have been the envy of Saturn in its golden era.  But, as time dragged on and the psyker mutations became more erratic and widespread, the projects within Madrigals forge-vaults become secretive affairs, esoteric and haunting.

 

It was in this time-shrouded era that Madrigal was believed to have fallen under the thrall of a machine lord recorded only as the Thunder King.  Accounts from this time make reference to terrible, unfathomable experiments being conducted in the Thunder King's vaults. While the nature of these experiments have been lost to the ravages of time, the consequences are laid bare to Imperial record. At the culmination of some heinous work, the surface of Madrigal became an irradiated nightmare of atomic fire and warp-spawned horror.  So great was the psychic outburst of the planet's death, that a large tendril of the warp anomaly known to Imperial cartographers as the “Maelstrom” was pulled hazardously close to the planet's orbit. Whether this was the goal of the experiments or some unforeseen side effect, the result remains the same. Every two centuries (by Terran approximation), Madrigal's orbit brings it passing through an (in-system) warp disturbance.

 

Horrendous as this event was, life on Madrigal was not completely extinguished. The survivors of the Thunder King's cataclysm found refuge high in the planet's extensive mountain system; above the dense rad-storms, which clung to Madrigal's surface. There, the surviving Magi looked out from their mountainous Islands across a sea of storms and vowed to never allow such warp-knowledge to surprise them with destruction again. It was here that the first sky cities; anchored to the mountain fastnesses, were constructed. And within them, the first seeds of the of the mystic colleges were planted, eager in mourning, to once and for all quantify and understand the nature of the Warp so that its power is never abused.

 

The years following the cataclysm of the Thunder King saw Madrigal undergo a period of gradual change. The Techno-Magi continued to build up their mountainous domains into crude Principalities, whose currency and continued survival relied heavily on salvaging expeditions to the rad-haunted surface of their world.

 

It was the threat of the first passage through the in -system warp disturbance that would shape Madrigal's future. Those Techno-Magi gifted with future sight began to foresee the horrendous outcome for Madrigal that would occur should the planet pass through the Warp event. They pulled together what scraps of their former technology they could scavenge and for a half century, endeavored to save their world lest it pass through the storm unprotected and fracture under the strain.

 

Salvation came at last with the creation of the first planetary Macro-Geller field. Although the field was more permeable to warp-space than smaller conventional shipboard field generators, the Macro-Geller field was sufficient to shield Madrigal from the most destructive effects of colliding with the warp-space anomaly. Despite the fact that every 200 (Terran standard) years Madrigal would become a haunted place, stalked by creatures that defied rational explanation, the stability created by the Geller field and the centuries between each “storm season” allowed civilization on Madrigal to build up and eventually prosper.

 

It was to this world that one of the Emperor's sons would be flung, the arrival of Icarion would forever change the fate of Madrigal.

 

[Personal note: This is where I moved into new territory. Needs another revisions with this PM in mind,

"Icarion was adopted by The Anasem Clan, one of the larger principalities/clans on the surface of madrigal. At this point there were several dozen clans on madrigal, each controlling a small cluster of cities in the mountains above the clouds and a small fleet of void capable ships, each also competed with one another for energy contracts with Madrigal. They would fight for control of Geothermal taps, and trade energy for ships with the Madrigal Magos. 

 

Icarion unifies the Clans to resist the machinations of another clan attempting to use some of the darker tech from the Thunder Kings era in order to conquer the planet.

 

I havent actually named the Patriarch of the Anasem Clan, as he dies relatively early in Icarion's life. Before the Emperor found Icarion, He was significantly more joyful, more exuberant and free spirited. The revelations about the Darkness focuses icarion and gives him a powerful purpose, but it also damages him in his ability to find joy easily. His Brothers become one of the only things in the world in which he can find true joy again.]

 

Fallen Star

 

Uniquely amongst the Primarchs, Icarion’s arrival upon Madrigal had been anticipated. Instead of plowing into the harsh surface his incubation pod landed gracefully in a triumphal field; purpose-built at the exact location of the capsules predicted landing. The High-Magisters of the Astral College had long foreseen the fateful arrival of Icarion, for in the years since their world’s first salvation, they had become master adepts in the training of precognitive psykers and of the navigators which guided Madrigal's mighty fleets through the Warp-troubled sector.

 

Thus, from 'birth', Icarion was safeguarded and well-provided by his chosen guardian, High-Magister K4T0 of Clan Anasem, all the while Icarion was repeatedly told of his grand destiny. When the appointed time came, Icarion was enrolled into the Astral College to master his powers and to learn a healthy wariness of the Warp. The young Primarch was a prodigy and rapidly ascended to the title of High Magister himself. Although more than capable of mastering all of the psychic disciplines, Icarion chose to renounce the other schools of power to focus his entire attention on the mastery of divination. It was here, Icarion believed, that the power of the Warp could be safely harnessed and used for the betterment of humanity. Diligent and graceful, Icarion would embrace his role when he announced his intentions to unite Madrigal.  

 

Many members and masters of the Astral College would swear vows to support Icarion, establishing the core of Icarion's new Madrigal empire. Although this granted Icarion rulership over many of Madrigal's sky city-states, the planet was not yet Icarion's. A reactionary faction of jealous and fearful members of the Astral College rejected Icarion, believing that Icarion represented a threat to the planet. Allying with them were renegade Magisters who had rejected the Astral College since it's inception. The Madrigal Civil War would prove instrumental in developing Icarion as a lord of war. Not since the time of the Thunder King had Madrigal since such widespread war, but the sons of Madrigal proved to be adept students. With every battle, Icarion learned and grew as a warrior and strategist. Several times the rebels would come close to claiming victory against the Stormborn, only for the Emperor's son to steal it from them at the last possible moment with his divination proving to be an undefeatable weapon. Desperation infected the rebels as they resorted to forbidden technologies and unleashing the beasts of the rad-wastes in an attempt to surprise and overwhelm the Primarch. It was all for naught. No weapon or stratagem could overcome Icarion. As he foresaw on the day he announced his intentions, Icarion united Madrigal eight weeks later, declaring his victory on the same spot where he said he would unite Madrigal. 

 

Few beings could claim to have achieved so much in so little time, but Icarion, as always, was seeing a step further than everyone else. Madrigal would be but the beginning of his empire as he turned his eyes to Akira and beyond. An academic challenge once bandied about between Imperial scholars was to determine on what day Icarion foresaw the Emperor's arrival. Some argue Icarion only discovered the Emperor's impeding arrival a day before the event given the few steps he took to prepare of the Emperor's coming. Others wrote tracts, identifying subtle decisions and small details, saying Icarion knew weeks, even months beforehand. A rare few went even further, suggesting that Icarion knew as far back as the day he decided to unite Madrigal. Regardless of the day Icarion saw the Emperor in his visions, the Emperor would enter the Madrigal system to find his first son awaiting him.

 

The First Son

 

As the High-Magisters had expected and welcomed Icarion, so too did Icarion treat the Emperor's arrival as an event worthy of celebration. The Emperor's reunion with Icarion was a day marked throughout the nascent Imperium. For Icarion was the first of the lost Primarchs to be found and opened entire new possibilities now that it was possible for the Primarchs to have survived their unexpected kidnapping. As the unintentional first representative of his brothers, Icarion provided the Imperium with a model warrior of great power, even as the space marine legions became alight with fervor to find their own missing gene-sires. 

 

With every move scrutinized by curious eyes, Icarion took command of the Lightning Bearers with casual grace as the Lightning Bearers eagerly accepted him as their leader. Given his favour with the Emperor, it was possible for the Stormborn to rearrange the First Legion into a form he preferred, however, Icarion chose a more conservative route. After having read the Principia Bellicosa, Icarion resolved not to deviate far from its principles and preserved the legion much as it was when it first left the grounds of Terra. Although he left the core of the legion's structure untouched, Icarion did introduce a few changes that brought the Lightning Bearers into compliance with his own vision. Madrigal would become the first of the legion homeworlds. As Madrigal soon discovered, this elevated status grew its influence several fold as Imperium resources flowed into the system. With the move to recruit from Madrigal, Icarion would begin the process of inducting the Lightning Bearers into the Astral Colleges of Madrigal. Finally, the Celestial Orders of the Astral Colleges would soon find their teachings and ways being adopted by the Lightning Bearers at Icarion's behest.

 

These transitions occurred quickly and with little conflict under the preternatural gaze of the Primarch. What came next was an occasion that the Imperium eagerly awaited: a Primarch at war. The Primarchs were genetically crafted by the Emperor's own hand to be his finest generals. Magos and members of the War Council were keen to see the capabilities of a Primarch and estimate how much of an impact they would have on the Great Crusade. 

 

Icarion did not disappoint. 

Edited September 6, 2016 by simison

[simison]

Grifft, Sig, now that I'm looking at everything I have right now, I'm concerned about length. Is it already too long? Is it outclassing the other legion fluff chapters?

[Sigismund229]

So far that LB section is 3,708 words.

 

The Grave Stalkers was 6,916 words. 

The Iron Bears sections that I wrote were 3,963 words in total. 

The Crimson Lions so far are 9,308 words

[Grifftofer]

Ok. I've copied the new bits over to see how much space it will take up. It's currently at 4 pages (actually nearly 1 column short, but still) which is pretty similar to the other Legions in Insurrection. So as far as the current book is concerned it's fine. I think once the Exemplary Battles and Legion Structure sections are written It should be about the same as the Grave Stalkers. We may even have some space to add a couple of red boxes if we want, but I won't know until those bits are put in.

[simison]

Alright, so I was just a little surprised how much space the bulk of a chapter takes up. Because I still have to write out the last section and then do an entire section on Icarion's fall. 

[simison]

Fallen Star

 

Uniquely amongst the Primarchs, Icarion’s arrival upon Madrigal had been anticipated. Instead of plowing into the harsh surface his incubation pod landed gracefully in a triumphal field; purpose-built at the exact location of the capsules predicted landing. The High-Magisters of the Astral College had long foreseen the fateful arrival of Icarion, for in the years since their world’s first salvation, they had become master adepts in the training of precognitive psykers and of the navigators which guided Madrigal's mighty fleets through the Warp-troubled sector.

 

Thus, from 'birth', Icarion was safeguarded and well-provided by his chosen guardian, Magister Hide of Clan Anasem. As the leader of one of the larger Madrigal clans, Anasem inducted Icarion into their way of life. In those latter days of Madrigal before the Imperium, the original unity that had brought together the Magi to save their planet from the Maelstrom had largely evaporated now that survival was guaranteed. The world was divided by dozens of clans and principalities that regularly competed with one another over geothermal taps and ships. Energy was the true currency of the realm. What sources we have from this period inform us that Icarion was a much different man than he would become as master of a legion, and even further still from the Stormlord.

 

Here, Icarion was known as a bit of a fool. Although tremendously talented, he was infamous for his boundless curiosity and casual disregard for Madrigal's deep sense of propriety. It would cause no end to frustration to both his adopted father and to his teachers in the Astral College. While many Magisters foresaw a great destiny awaiting Icarion, many of them feared Icarion would miss this glorious opportunity through his reckless, free-spirited actions. The young Primarch, whenever warned of this, would retort that he was happy with who he was. 

 

Fate, however, would not be denied. 

 

To the west of Anasem's borders, dark tidings arrived. The Tokawa Clan, in a recent salvaged expedition, unearthed one of the Thunder King's experiment vaults, discovering a trove of cruel technology. With this discovery, Magister Tokawa declared that the other clans must submit to his rule or face annihilation. There was great fear of repeating the Thunder King's mistakes by engaging in a war of escalation. It was with history in mind that Hide and a number of other clan heads arranged for diplomatic talks on neutral ground with Tokawa in an effort to end the war before it had truly begun. For three days, Madrigal awaited with bated breath as Hide and Tokawa reasoned against each other. Eventually on the fourth day, Tokawa saw no further purpose to diplomacy. On the hour of the bull, Tokawa excused himself from the chamber, only a few moments before a nuclear explosive detonated beneath the temporary compound. With the use of a teleportation pad, Tokawa was at his fortress where he declared himself shogun in the same moment as his trap had been sprung.

 

Tokawa had hoped that with the opposition leaders dead, the rest of Madrigal would be cowed by his power. He did not factor in Icarion's reaction. The Primarch was incensed by the cowardly murder of his father and declared that he would forever oppose Tokawa. After a speech given in front of the Astral College, Icarion recruited many members and magisters of the Astral College, who would swear vows to support Icarion, inadvertenly establishing the core of Icarion's new Madrigal empire. The Madrigal Civil War would prove instrumental in developing Icarion as a lord of war. Not since the time of the Thunder King had Madrigal since such widespread war, but the sons of Madrigal proved to be adept students. With every battle, Icarion learned and grew as a warrior and strategist.

 

Several times Tokawa would come close to claiming victory against the Stormborn, only for the Emperor's son to steal it from them at the last possible moment with a mastery of divination that was unrivaled. As the war quickly turned against Tokawa, desperation infected him as he unleashed more forbidden technologies and weaponized the beasts of the rad-wastes in an attempt to surprise and overwhelm the Primarch. It was all for naught. No weapon or stratagem could overcome Icarion. Nine weeks after Tokawa's original declaration, Icarion united Madrigal, declaring his victory on the same spot where he slew the corrupted Magi. 

 

Few beings could claim to have achieved so much in so little time, but Icarion had become adept at seeing a step further than everyone else. Madrigal would be but the beginning of his empire as he turned his eyes to Akira and beyond, eager to prevent another from using such dark power. An academic challenge once bandied about between Imperial scholars was to determine on what day Icarion foresaw the Emperor's arrival. Some argue Icarion only discovered the Emperor's impeding arrival a day before the event given the few steps he took to prepare of the Emperor's coming. Others wrote tracts, identifying subtle decisions and small details, saying Icarion knew weeks, even months beforehand. A rare few went even further, suggesting that Icarion knew as far back as the day he decided to unite Madrigal. Regardless of the day Icarion saw the Emperor in his visions, the Emperor would enter the Madrigal system to find his first son awaiting him.

Edited September 6, 2016 by simison

[simison]

The First Son

 

As the High-Magisters had expected and welcomed Icarion, so too did Icarion treat the Emperor's arrival as an event worthy of celebration. The Emperor's reunion with Icarion was a day marked throughout the nascent Imperium. For Icarion was the first of the lost Primarchs to be found and opened entire new possibilities now that it was possible for the Primarchs to have survived their unexpected kidnapping. As the unintentional first representative of his brothers, Icarion provided the Imperium with a model warrior of great power, even as the space marine legions became alight with fervor to find their own missing gene-sires. 

 

With every move scrutinized by curious eyes, Icarion took command of the Lightning Bearers with casual grace as the Lightning Bearers eagerly accepted him as their leader. Given his favour with the Emperor, it was possible for the Stormborn to rearrange the First Legion into a form he preferred, however, Icarion chose a more conservative route. After having read the Principia Bellicosa, Icarion resolved not to deviate far from its principles and preserved the legion much as it was when it first left the grounds of Terra. Although he left the core of the legion's structure untouched, Icarion did introduce a few changes that brought the Lightning Bearers into compliance with his own vision. Madrigal would become the first of the legion homeworlds. As Madrigal soon discovered, this elevated status grew its influence several fold as Imperium resources flowed into the system. With the move to recruit from Madrigal, Icarion would begin the process of inducting the Lightning Bearers into the Astral Colleges of Madrigal. Finally, the Celestial Orders of the Astral Colleges would soon find their teachings and ways being adopted by the Lightning Bearers at Icarion's behest.

 

These transitions occurred quickly and with little conflict under the preternatural gaze of the Primarch. What came next was an occasion that the Imperium eagerly awaited: a Primarch at war. The Primarchs were genetically crafted by the Emperor's own hand to be his finest generals. Magos and members of the War Council were keen to see the capabilities of a Primarch and estimate how much of an impact they would have on the Great Crusade. 

 

Icarion did not disappoint. 

 

In his first campaign, Icarion demonstrated a prodigious ability to master the arts of war that soon advanced beyond even the most veteran commanders of the 1^st Legion. Fighting with the grace and skill of a superb dancer, Icarion made for a hypnotic sight on the battlefield, slaying enemies with a flourish. Any doubts that a Primarch may not be worthy to inherit a legion were erased. After this initial display of power that silenced critics, the Emperor took Icarion under his wing. For several decades, the pair fought on a hundred worlds together. It is presumed that it was during this time that Icarion was secretly initiated into the Ghost Crusade. It was also during this time that the confident, energetic young man gave way to the more experienced yet solemn general the Imperium became familiar with. 

 

Although other sons would be found, until eighteen stood in support of the Emperor, none could hope to match either the close relationship with the Emperor or the number of dazzling victories the Stormborn had cultivated over two hundred years of war. Yet, none of Icarion's mastery of divination or his close counsel with the Emperor had prepared him for the surprise awaiting him at the Qarith Triumph.

[simison]

The Warmaster

 

After successfully slaying the corrupted Qarith, few thought that the Triumph would herald in a new phase of the Great Crusade, least of all Icarion and his Lightning Bearers. When the Emperor announced his temporary retirement to Terra, blunt surprise reverberated through the Emperor's audience, Icarion most of all who had not seen even the hint of this future in his visions. Not only was the Emperor leaving the Great Crusade, he was appointing one of his sons to fulfill his place as the Imperium's first Warmaster. 

 

Though it may have been subconscious, in the few seconds between the Emperor's announcement of the new office and the declaration who would fill the post, over half of the soldiers, warriors, and legionnaires listening had begun to assume Icarion would receive the honour. Even among the Primarchs, who were observed to be a group filled with strong personalities, Icarion was favoured the most to earn the title. It was then the Emperor unveiled his second surprise.

 

Instead of Icarion, Alexandros Darshan VonSalim was to become the new Warmaster. When the proclamation was made, the entire Imperial gathering made an open show of support. Before nightfall, that show of unity quickly wilted beneath confused and frustrated whispers. The Emperor, at the time, had declined to explain either of his decisions, and it is only with the gift of hindsight and the publication of the Warmaster's memoirs do we understand the decision at this late hour. In this void of understanding, many pessimistic views would fill this gap, growing further sour as time went on.

 

Denied the knowledge he sought, Icarion, at first, quickly became one of the Warmaster's most fervent supporters. The unwavering friendship between Icarion and Alexandros was well known, and few expected the graceful Stormborn to react with base petty against the unintended affront. However, for all of his gifts, Icarion was not perfection incarnate. A seed of doubt and irritation took root within his heart that day. Left alone, perhaps it would have eventually starved itself, but events took a darker turn.

 

While the Warmaster office was supposed to be a purely military role, Alexandros soon transformed it into a political one as well. Alexandros attempted to insure that he and his brothers' views were properly represented in the new Council of Terra, and to aid the council in steering the Imperium into a prosperous direction. Unfortunately, due to his involvement of matters political, Alexandros at times would leave a void in the command of the Great Crusade. To remedy this issue, whenever Alexandros was addressing to the Imperium's internal needs, he would rely on Icarion to take his place at the head of the Great Crusade. However, both brothers rapidly learned that where the Emperor could count on the unquestioned loyalty from the other Primarchs, no Primarch, even endowed with the Emperor's own authority, was beyond contempt. The more troublesome Primarchs, such as Raktra and Morro, would often quarrel over their orders, adding a layer of frustration to the Warmaster's and Icarion's duties. 

 

Against this backdrop of inner confusion and vexation, something happened that would change Icarion's course. To this day, only hearsay provides an answer as to why corrupted the Stormborn. Some say he had a vision of the Emperor destroying Madrigal and the Lightning Bearers for undeserved crimes. Others claim that it was Alexos Travier, Primarch of the Eagle Warriors, who secretly poisoned Icarion's heart against the Emperor and his Imperium. Finally, a few assert that Icarion was visited by Lightning Bearers from another time with portents of doom if he remained on his current path. 

 

Regardless of motivation, it was this mysterious event that would cause the fall of the Stormborn. Once his decision was made, Icarion would spend the next two decades corrupting what Primarchs he could, purging his own legion of those with questionable loyalty, and laying down the formation for an insurrection that would tear the galaxy apart...

Edited September 7, 2016 by simison

[Chief Captain Redd]

The only thing is "Blunt surprised shocked the Emperor's audience" shouldn't that be "the blunt surprise shocked The Emperor's audience"?

[bluntblade]

I'd change "shocked". Actually, I'd change it a bit further, so "shock and dismay wracked the audience"

[Chief Captain Redd]

Agreed^ that's more elegant prose.

[bluntblade]

Actually, let's say it reverberated through the audience. Fits better.

[simison]

Fixed.

[simison]

Potential ship names:

 

The Red Dawn - Frigate

[simison]

I've uploaded everything to Grifft, so, in theory, the Harbingers' General History chapter is done. Which leaves Legion Organization. Now, Blunt has pointed out that there was supposed to be a naval theme alongside the Japanese one, but neither he or I can remember if Athrawes touched upon that aspect. 

 

Does anyone know about this naval theme?

[MikhalLeNoir]

Sorry. I can remeber the naval theme too. But how that would translate to the battlefield is beyond my imagination.

[Nomus Sardauk]

If I remember correctly Athrawes had a subtle Napoleonic navy kinda theming going with the Lightning Bearers when he first posted them to the BnC, though I'm uncertain as to how much of that remains in their BotL version.

[simison]

Sorry. I can remeber the naval theme too. But how that would translate to the battlefield is beyond my imagination.

 

It might be purely a fluff theme, since most of the LB rules focused on the divination side.

 

If I remember correctly Athrawes had a subtle Napoleonic navy kinda theming going with the Lightning Bearers when he first posted them to the BnC, though I'm uncertain as to how much of that remains in their BotL version.

 

Fairly certain that still carries over. Can you expound upon it?

[simison]

[Collecting every bit of lore that could pertain to Legion Organization from the Leviathan thread here for ease of research.]

 

P. 1 - The cultural "theme' for the Legion is broken down like this in my head. Stylistic embellishments on armor and Madrigals culture most closely resemble "Bushido" and Feudal Japan. However, the prevalence of Madrigals Storm-cloud Sea (and though you don't see much of it now) 18 and 19th century naval tradition will play a huge role on the shaping of the Primarch and the culture of Madrigal before the coming of the Emperor. 

 

Volta

 

While all Legionaries bearing the Primarch Icarions geneseed exhibit psychic gifts (most commonly in the form of precognitive visions and future scrying), the Volta master this gift to the level of art form. Chosen as neophytes by the Legions Magisters, these fated aspirants are put through grueling trials and rigorous studies until they become peerless in their ability to predict and observe the world around them. Their final initiation before donning the mantel of Volta is the ritual blinding; freeing them from the burden of false sight so that their minds eye can truly focus.

These gifted Astartes are able to foresee the swing of a blade or the trajectory of ordinance through a technique know as Battle-scrying. So talented are they at avoiding the blows of enemies and pinpointing their own, the Volta  forsake close combat weapons entirely; choosing instead to march to war bearing a pair of arcane weapons from the II Legion armories. Though blind, these psychic gunslingers aim is nevertheless eerily accurate.  Because of this, Volta are naturally drawn to the fulcrum of a combat zone, to the exact moment where one crucial decision or blow can swing the tide of victory.

 

 

Though their role on the battlefields of the Great Crusade as elite troops and bodyguards are valuable, it is as a councilor that the Volta truly shine. Many a compliance has been rescued from disaster by the well-timed advice from these mystic advisors.

 

Page 2

 

Excerpt from "Field Manual XK-II\ji-009: Rank structure and Organization of the II Legion Astartes"

 

At the time of the Terminus Event, The II Legion was constituted by no more than 20 Companies with a total Legion disposition of fewer than 50,000 line Astartes.

 

9^thCompany Structure

     
Company Captain (voted senior battalion Captain, Bears honorific title
‘Sentinel’)

• 3-5 Battalions (500 Legionaries Each)      

Battalion Captain (1^st Maniple Centurion)  

• 5 Maniples (100 Legionaries Each)  

Maniple Centurion

• 5-10 Squads (5-20 Legionaries Each) 

Squad Sergeant

 

 

Note: While In Tactical command of a company in a combat theater, Company Captains retain
direct command of their respective Battalion and Maniple. As an officer rises
higher inside a company Rank structure, they can choose to nominate a lieutenant
or Senior sergeant to oversee the day to day running of their Maniple/battalion.

 

Rank Signifiers: Upon elevation to the rank of Sergeant and Lieutenant, Astartes are give then honor of bearing a Longitudinal Helmet Crest. Upon elevation to the rank of Centurion, this is replaced by a Transverse Crest. Upon being elevated to the rank of battalion Captain, Astartes are given the option to replace their Centurion Crest with a Captain Storm-Cloak (a carry over from tradition on the Legions homeworld). Upon nomination to the post of Company Sentinel (or Senior Captain), a Captain can choose to adorn their helmet with a datemono Crest, signifying their nobility in the eyes of the Primarch. (It is worth noting that in addition to Sentinels, certain elite organizations such as the Volta, or dually honored individuals may don the datemono Crest.)

 

Within the Legion, the Council of Sentinels is the highest organizational body, lead by the First Sentinel under the auspice of the Primarch.

 

Page 3

 

The formation of the Librarium within the Legiones Lstartes was met with equal measures applause and outrage. From the earliest day of the Great Crusade, astropaths and navigators have served as a necessity, oiling the cogs that keep the magnificent formation of the Imperium functioning. Sanctioning psykers for combat however, was another mater entirely. Most notable amongst those petitioning for the creation of a psyker body within the Legions was the great Primarch Magnus. Along with the Primarchs Sanguinius, Icarion and Jaghatai Khan, Magnus was able to create the foundation of the Librarius Program with those Legions willing to embrace their gifts. Interestingly, it appears that there was some degree of tension between the Primarch of the XV and II Legions on the manner in which the Librarius Division should take. While the arguments have no official record, it is noted that a great deal of time was spent between the IX and II Primarchs during these debates, and in the end, it appears that The Lord Sanguinius a likeminded brother to Icarion, was able to sway the 'Second Son' in Magnus' Favor.

 

Naval ratings ran carrying sealed orders as officers at their posts calmly awaited the news of the first active system scan. Even the professional bridge officers of the II couldn’t hide an excited glint in their eyes for he imminent campaign. All of them had heard the news that the muster orders came at the behest of the Emperor himself.

 

As the first recon flight made contact, none were surprised by what was waiting for them in the shadows of the 4^th planet. The Imperator Somnium; A void-worthy continent rendered in gold and brass, built by loving hands in adoration of a being who could only ever be known as the Emperor.

 

No sooner had word of the Emperors flagship arrived, than the II Primarch made his presence known to the great bridge crew. He strode into the Strategium with a boundless enthusiasm that was infectious, for none could look upon Icarion without being caught up in his magnetism. It was magical, as if their own desires were made flesh in the form of the demi-god that now walked amongst them.

 

With a camaraderie that was entirely at odds with his appearance, Icarion gently slapped the back of his Master of Communication.

 

“Master Bowden, when you are able, let my father know that I await his summons.”

 

-

 

Page 6

 

The Astral College of Madrigal

 

Since long before the arrival of the Lord Icarion upon the hollowed soil of Madrigal, the Astral College has endured and grown to guide it’s citizens and Principalities. The college itself is a place of learning and reflection to which all are welcome but for those gifted with the psyker gene, the college forms the center of a curriculum of self-awareness and betterment. 

 

The Celestial Orders

 

Within the structure of the Astral College exist the Celestial Orders. Named for Madrigals most significant constellations, the Celestial orders each embody different views on the mastery of psychic ability, each championing their own view in noble opposition to their brother Orders. 

 

At one time, the Astral College espoused the teachings of all forms for psychic mastery such as Biomancy and Pyrokinesis, but by the time of the Great Crusade, these areas of instruction have been falling by the wayside in favor of honing the ability to predict and affect the future. This can be seen most clearly in the Celestial Orders that have currently risen to the fore within the College; Volta of the Blue shield and Oni of the Red Path. Both distinctions focus on the mastery of star-seeing and battle-scrying, however their aim differs at a fundamental level.  The Volta believe that fate and the future is sacrosanct and that the gifts of future sight must be used to steer events and moments towards a preferred future while respecting that some points in time are fixed. In contrast, the Oni of the Red Path believe that fate and destiny are dynamic and fluid things which can be changed, twisted or manipulated by the proper exhortation of controlled will.

 

Despite the predominance of psychic visions and Future sight among the people of Madrigal, it is not uncommon for Members of the Various Orders to exhibit minor psychic powers in addition their battle-scrying. Because of this, the several complimentary Celestial Orders have not yet become defunct in the eyes of the Astral College. Legionaries who follow the teachings of Tengu of the Jade Diamond and Kitsune of the Golden Blossom can be found amongst the Companies of the II Legion, although in diminished numbers compared to their brother Orders.

 

Psykers in the Thunder Legion

 

Within the Thunder Legion, the Astral College and its Celestial orders form the foundation of psychic training for gifted legionaries. Every neophyte, upon induction into the legion is enrolled as part of their training into the Astral College, regardless of psychic talent, for The Astral college not only seeks to train warrior sages in the art of psychic manipulation but to shape the mind, and tutor legionaries on methods through which they can focus their thoughts and through reasoned understanding, better serve Icarion and the Emperor.

 

Only after years of Training, can a legionary choose to progress into the focused study of one of the Colleges Celestial Orders. Upon beginning training in the ways of a specific order, a legionary begins on a path outside of the traditional Legion structure. For most legionaries, the study within a celestial order does not alter their position within the Legion; they will still march to war under the leadership of their sergeants and captains. But for some, those who champion the teaching of an individual Order, will take to the field of battle surrounded by their brothers as deadly proponents of the psychic arts in practical use.

 

Oni

 

Amongst the Thunder Legion, many Astartes exhibit a singular gift for precognition and Future sight, however none seek to utilize their gift as aggressively as the Oni of the Red Path. Senior Members of this Celestial Order have found their niche amongst the II Legion Astartes as Paragons of Close in combat.

 

 The Oni are superlative blade masters, whose unique gift of Battle-Scrying allows them move with a preternatural grace and swiftness in the heat battle that is said to be almost hypnotic.

 

Equipped with a prototype Teleportation Device designed by Icarion himself, the Oni are able to perform short distance “warp shunts” using their psychic prowess to tunnel their way through warpspace traveling from point to point on a battlefield.

 

Page 7

 

!!!Glory of the Legion, Honor of the Fleet

 

The name Ansem carries great weight within the II Legion.

 

When the Primarch landed on Madrigal, it was the Principality of Haven which took him in, and it was their ruling Family, the House of Ansem which raised and shaped the young Demi-God.

 

The House of Ansem, through the keen diplomacy and generosity of its patriarch Ikaru Ansem, had established itself as one of the wealthiest, most productive and most regal Principalities doting the surface of Madrigal.

 

Though the Principality of Haven has long since become the Empire of Madrigal, center of the Maelstrom Co Prosperity Sphere, being born into the Imperial family of the Adopted Icarion Ansem is an almost irresistable boon to carry.

 

That being the case, it is perhaps unusual that Iro Ansem is only the second Legionary Drawn from the lineage of Icarion's foster Father. 

 

Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, of the 9th Company, Iro Ansem found himself under the watchful gaze of Sentinel Athrawes who has made it his personal mission to tutor and shape the young Warrior. Despite some misgivings surrounding his rapid rise to prominence, few can doubt that Iro is a rising star, soon to make his mark upon the Legion.!!! [Crap! Maybe I should just grab everything!]

 

Page 11

 

The Thunder Legion Fleet assets at the time of the Siege of Madrigal  numbered just over 1,200 Vessels. While not as numerous as the assets ascribed to the 7th Legion, the ships of the IInd more than make up for their numbers with the quality if their construction. 

 

Over the millenia, Akira has produced many classes of vessels, Patterns not seen since the golden age of technology. Some of these vessels, such as The Thunderchild and Storm's End even rival the Emperor's own Gloriana class Capital ships. This has lead to an eclectic, yet majestic menagerie of Ships found in the Thunder Legion fleet, and patrolling the Tempest Sub-Sector.