Trilogy 4 (alpha) - Escalation

[Sigismund229]

Skeggold! Skalmold! Skildr o kloffnir!

Ehem. Right. simison has given decided that we should start working on a potential third book devoted entirely to the Blood Crusade and the various battles and mayhem that happen there.

At present the factions who are being given rules in here are as follows
Loyalists: Crimson Lions, Leonic Auxilia
Traitors: Berserkers of Uran, Cognis

And major agreed upon events of the Blood Crusade:
The invasion of the Blood Stars by the Abysii and the Corpora Ferro
The battle of Cadia

So, you all know the drill. Fluff and ideas relating to this book go here.

Current planned layout
Part 1: Times of War
Covers the summary of the Insurrection so far, the fluff of Icarion's plans for the Blood Crusade, the Dominion of Mycenae and the like.

Part 2: Title needed
- A section covering the traitor build up, the subsidiary offensives launched by the traitors against loyalist positions, the forces the traitors would committ to the Blood Crusade.

Part 3: The Fall of the Eastern March
- The Blood Crusade begins proper. Starts with a map of the Eastern March of Mycenae that shows the early traitor attacks and movements and other important info for this phase. This is the phase when the traitors are attacking the "outer wall" of the Dominion and when the loyalists are still just realising this is where the main traitor push is coming. Culminates with the battle of Gidion Rift.

Part 4: name needed
- This section covers the "height" of the Blood Crusade. The traitors are beginning to spread out across the Dominion, attacking vulnerable worlds and major ports. The main battle of this section is the invasion of the Blood Stars by the Eagle Warriors and Cognis culminating in the battle of Askusia Tertius.

Part 5: name needed
- Focuses on the traitors invasion of the Dominion's core systems. Crimson Lions rally and defeat them barely.

Part 6: name needed
- Focuses on the arrival of the Void Eagles and the loyalists beginning to drive the traitors out of the Dominion and the traitors retreat/thingy towards the Eye of Terror.

Part 7: name needed
- Focuses on the build up to Cadia and the battle itself then ultimitely the aftermath of the Blood Crusade.

Part 8: Worlds of the Dominion
Clue's in the tital.

Part 9: Forces of the Blood Crusade
Onc again, clue is in the name. If we're following Conquest as a guideline, I reckon we could also fit fluff for guys like House Harkon in here.

Current WIPs
Part 1: Draft is 3/4 done.(Sigismund229)
Part 3: Draft is 1/2 done.(Sigismund229)
Part 7: Draft in progress.(bluntblade).

Available writers:
Sigismund229
bluntblade
Apothacery Meros

NOTE: This book is to be strictly subsidiary to the main books. If help is needed with them, they take precedence over this.

Edited December 1, 2017 by Lord Thørn

[Kelborn]

As I said, you can have my knight houses if you need them.

Besides Harkon, you can do whatever you like with them.

If you need more information, I can send them to you. :)

[simison]

I'm sure there are several Warden Companies operating in the Dominion. Feel free to call upon them as supplemental forces in the fluff.

[Sigismund229]

Right so. Forces who are knocking around the Dominion.

 

Loyalists

Crimson Lions: Full force, 160,000, possibly higher possibly lower, depends on how many die on the Day of Revelation.

 

Iron Bears: A large force under Nibasiniiwi's command show up for the battle of Cadia.

 

Halycon Wardens: Several companies on garrisson duty, likely one on Cadia.

 

Sheperds of Eden: Unknown number.

 

Blood Stars Mechanicum: A significant Mechanicus faction who are vassals of the Dominion.

 

The Tewtonik order: A collection of knightly houses commanded by a Grand Master. Also a vassal of the Dominion.

 

Void Eagles: Possibly show up en masse at the end of the Blood Crusade.

 

Leonic Auxilia: Like a Crimson Lion.variant of the Tyrant's Legion. Full force.

 

 

Traitor

Berserkers of Uran: Full force, so 110-115,000 depending on Day of Revelation losses.

 

Eagle Warriors: 100,000 strong.

 

Stygian Jackals: Small forces raiding supply lines and refugee ships.

 

Cognis: Unknown strength.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Sigismund229

[Grifftofer]

Well my suggestions as to the other forces to get rules in the book would be: The Void Eagles/Fire Keepers; The Eagle Warriors.

 

I'm not certain how large the Fire Keeper tribes are and thus how much impact they would have on the fighting, so I don't know whether they would deserve* the spot more or less than the Void Eagles.

 

 

*Only in that they have a significant impact upon the Blood Crusade in specific. Not about their importance in general.

[Sigismund229]

I would have suggested them too but I the Void Eagles have relatively little impacts they arrive right at the end if at all and I thought we wanted to save thz Fire Keepers and Eagle Warriors for books 4 and 2 respectively

[Demus Ragnok]

The Fire Keeper force is only about 18000 but they are attached to a major Army led fleet.

 

So, we just mention the FK in passing and focus on regular army/ leoic auxillia.

[MikhalLeNoir]

Hey ho. The abyssii are loyal. You mean the cognis.

[Grifftofer]

The Fire Keeper force is only about 18000 but they are attached to a major Army led fleet.

 

So, we just mention the FK in passing and focus on regular army/ leoic auxillia.

 

'Only 18000' He says That's like a whole legions worth of marines to some people... Ok, maybe only to me, but still.

 

And I'm not sure which legions will be going into Book 2 now as the Blood Crusade was to be part of that book. But you may be right, and certain legions may be moved around to fit better.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Grifftofer

[simison]

I would have suggested them too but I the Void Eagles have relatively little impacts they arrive right at the end if at all and I thought we wanted to save thz Fire Keepers and Eagle Warriors for books 4 and 2 respectively

 

Maybe, maybe not. If this works, and we prove we can build two books concurrently, we can do the same for future releases. So, if you want either the Fire Keepers or Eagle Warriors to show up here, it's fine. We are resetting the rest of the outlines anyway, minus some certain points. WoP and Warbringers in the same book is one example. But not sure which book. The only real guarantee we have is that the last book will be focused on the Siege of Terra and maybe Madrigal.

[Sigismund229]

In all honesty I'd rather on the loyalist side we focus on the Leonic Auxilia rather than another legion as they will, alongside the Lions, be doing the bulk of the fighting in the Blood Crusade.

[Demus Ragnok]

On second thought, count me out.

[simison]

That's fine. Also, remember to come up with an actual book title.

[Sigismund229]

Good point. Need to start thinking on that...

 

So. I have decided that, unless simison states otherwise, the two other factions will be in this book will be the Leonic Auxilia and traitor mechanicum, the Cognis.

[MikhalLeNoir]

How abut simple: blood or lions blood?

 

 

Aaaaaand: it would be great to split madrigal and terra. So the focus is on each. They can play at the same time. Amd the book enda with icarion taking a last look over his shoulders seeing the burning madrigal tham looks forward to the dimensional gate, strengthening his resolve and then vanishes. Leaving the doorway behin which then crumbles.

[Sigismund229]

@Demus: So no Fire Keepers in the Blood Crusade? I'll remove them from the list.

 

Right so. Ruleswise, there's going to be the rules for the Crimson Lions and 'Serkers in here alongside an army list or in any case rules for the Leonic Auxilia and the Cognis to add in some non legion variety.

 

As far as name's go, Mikhal those are good suggestions but they sound more like names of novels than a Horus Heresy books. How about we call this one Unbroken? As this is when the war starts to turn in favour towards the Imperium and the Imperium starts to come back from the brink.

 

Now, while this book will focus on the Blood Crusade, there will need to be a brief section covering events between the last book and this one as well as summarising the Insurrection's events so far before getting into the lead up to the Blood Crusade. So, we need to start doing two things.

 

1. Figuring out what events come to pass in Corruption that we'll need to cover in the "summary" at this book's beginning.

2. Figuring out what happens during the Blood Crusade. I have a few ideas so far but I want to hear everyone else's ideas for battles as well. We can then trim it down to the biggest battles and so the ones we need to cover.

[bluntblade]

Any Shepherds present will be Knights Errant, the Legion as a whole having been wiped out by the Berserkers during the defence of the Interex.

 

I've got the beginnings of a story for the Siege going (very slowly) so I'd be happy to tackle that.

 

We might want to consider numbers fluctuating over the initial Insurrection rather than just decreasing, as there will be time and resources for both sides to procure and train new recruits. The Berserkers probably should have less than they began with though, as I see them playing a major role in driving the Interex out of Sagittarius, and you can bet the Shepherds won't die easily.

[Kelborn]

House Atreis (loyal) + allies against House Sardok + Cognis

on the forgeworld of Askusia Tertius

 

A siege war in which the loyalists fight against the traitor invasion.

 

Deep within the cities are well hidden secrets of the mechanicum.

 

Imagining it like the battle of Paramar.

[bluntblade]

As far as the stage the war represents goes, I see it as things starting to go against the Loyalists again, with Icarion road-testing Chaos and giving Cognis free rein to try out their new toys.

[simison]

Found the post, took forever with phone.

 

It's between 060 and 063. At the start of the book is the stalemate now that the Imperium is employing Xeno auxiliaries. To break the deadlock, Icarion is forced to turn to Chaos for additional power.

[Sigismund229]

Right. So the summary will need to state that. I'll get working on it.

[bluntblade]

I'll crack on with the bones of the Siege of Cadia once I've had breakfast. Obviously I'll need to factor in the presence of the Halcyon Wardens (any suggestions for names and number?) and any companies and Clans who successfully fall back to Cadia.

[Sigismund229]

Well Clans Karakal and Askar are there full force. I'd say elements of Clan Mycenor will be there too and some Cocidii. There'll also be Cadian tribal militia and some Leonic Auxilia.

[Nomus Sardauk]

How about we call this one Unbroken? As this is when the war starts to turn in favour towards the Imperium and the Imperium starts to come back from the brink.

 

Unbroken sounds cool, although how about Retaliation as an alternative if people aren't keen on Unbroken? Edited August 26, 2016 by SanguiniusReborn

[bluntblade]

Well Clans Karakal and Askar are there full force. I'd say elements of Clan Mycenor will be there too and some Cocidii. There'll also be Cadian tribal militia and some Leonic Auxilia.

I meant the Wardens, rather than the Lions. Though will Cadia have tribes? The original people were cultists right? So for me it stands to reason that they'd be wiped out and replaced with a civilised world culture, as in canon. Advanced Anglo-Saxons, if you will.

 

Retaliation doesn't really work in the context. Escalation is more accurate.

Edited August 26, 2016 by bluntblade