IO - Armies of the Machine God

[bluntblade]

Nah, they don't all need one. The Drowned don't find any use for permanent detachments while on Crusade.

[Grifftofer]

The Grave Stalkers don't work with Titans much at all. They fulfill the terrifying aspect of war, but a tower-block sized robot doesn't really shout 'stealthy' does it? :P

[Kelborn]

But it's an intimidating gigantic iron mountain full of weapons of mass destruction.

Imagine an advancing Titan Legion, the cities defenders stand on the wall, already nervous because of the coming wall of death.

 

Then, all of the sudden, right behind them, a Grave Stalker whispers in their ears: "Impressive, eh?"

 

Heart attack included. ;)

[bluntblade]

The Grave Stalkers don't work with Titans much at all. They fulfill the terrifying aspect of war, but a tower-block sized robot doesn't really shout 'stealthy' does it? :P

I believe we already made that a thing with Lasaris already. Something about the Grave Stalkers ordering production switched to automata, servitors and other things that'd be handier for their methods of war.

[bluntblade]

Foregoing Imperators, Gojira will have a Titan class between that and the Warlord, and Tonarum are getting one somewhere between the Reaver and Warlord. Any name suggestions?

[bluntblade]

Also also, vaguely spinning ideas for GS-allied automata and cyborg thralls. Any input welcome. Edited November 7, 2017 by bluntblade

[bluntblade]

Jotting down ideas for Telesto:

- Potentially an Ignatum successor

- High falutin tech from Madrigal's vaults

- Raised at the behest of the Emperor to safeguard Akira and its domains, and subsequently becomes Icarion's go-to Legio

[bluntblade]

The original Lightning Bearers thread mentions Tesla Cannon. You can all guess what this means for Telesto.

[bluntblade]

Legio Telesto

 

Title: The Legio Telesto Ordo Titanica
Patent: Post-Unification, Martian Mechanicum
Warden Domains: Akira and associated forge-colonies
Allied War Houses: Rackham, Sunhava
Cognomen: The Thunder Blades
Allegiance: Traitoris Perdita

The Legio Telesto had earned a reputation as one of the mightiest Titan Legions raised since the Great Crusade began, serving both as wardens over the domains of Akira and stalwart allies of the Lightning Bearers during their many campaigns. With the onset of the Insurrection, however, they would follow the changed I^st Legion into treason, and give the Imperium ample reason to rue their power.

They were born as part of Akira’s integration into the Mechanicum as it grew alongside the wider Imperium. Savaged by the rise and reign of the Thunder King, the Akiran Mechanicus had since lacked the ability to construct Titans. This deficiency had left them at the mercy of the tyrant Tokawa until Icarion seized power on Madrigal. It remained a lingering mark upon their prestige and a chink in their armour, even after Icarion’s rise had enabled them to expand their taghmata and colonise a number of nearby worlds. Moreover, the Imperium in this period was vulnerable, as the First Rangdan Xenocide would prove before long. Forge Worlds were too valuable to leave without sufficient protection, still less the homeworld of the first Primarch.

Thus the patent was issued for the Legio Telesto, born of the venerable Ignatum but very much rooted in the distinctive culture of Akira. They grew swiftly, for little was denied to the Emperor’s only known son at this time. Akira was restored to its former might and rose beyond it. The archeotech that had served to sustain them through Old Night was appropriated and modified to arm their new sentinels. When the Lightning Bearers left Madrigal with their first cohort of inductees from their Primarch’s world, four maniples of the new Legio came with them.

As with the new Ist, Telesto’s worth was swiftly proven on the battlefield. Undoubtedly they benefitted from having commanders who could glimpse the future, and the generalship of Icarion. In sources from this period we see, perhaps for the first time, the envy that a Primarch’s close allies inevitably attracted. Yet at the same time, the power of Telesto’s god-machines and the courage and prowess of their crews were never in question. They proved especially able in supporting infantry and armour formations, bringing their might to bear against enemy war machines with the greatest fervour.

Even for a Titan Legio they were an arresting sight, wielding Tesla Cannons - vastly powerful weapons developed from arc guns, which bathed their foes in searing arcs of lightning. At Gneos they routed the foul xenos which infested that world, scouring their Titan-analogues from the field. For such displays they soon earned the name of “Thunder Blades”, and it was said by more than one commentator that the Legio Tempestus were lucky, in that they had such an established claim to the title of Storm Lords.

It was noted with disquiet by some Martian Legios that the loyalties of Telesto were more to the Primarch than to the Fabricator-General, and that certain eccentricities born of Akira manifested themselves in the martial culture of the Legio. Honour was paramount, and on occasion maniples would be brought into dispute as they vied for glory. However, these would be kept in check by the sense of duty fostered in the men and women who made up the Legion’s crews, for they represented the heritage of the Triad Ferrum Morghulis. Cast in the mould of Ignatum, they would thus stand as solemn guardians of a world long denied the protection of Titans.

Even as other Primarchs and Forge Worlds were brought into the fold, Telesto went from strength to strength, for Icarion’s prestige was undimmed and the Madrigal Sphere continued to grow in strength and riches. Under Icarion’s banner, the Thunder Blades battled the behemoth engines of the Golgotha Wastes alongside Tempestus and the Halcyon Wardens. Several times, as on Thranguilas, they formed the Emperor’s own vanguard. On the cusp of the 31st Millenium they contributed forces to the two great wars that the Imperium was waging, with maniples fighting on Qarith Prime even as their brethren brought destruction to AI constructs in the Koloss Syntheticide.

The fierce pride that burned in their hearts at serving Icarion was a multi-faceted thing. Icarion represented either a masterwork by the avatar of the Machine God, or actually embodied some facet of the same. This gave rise to something of an exceptionalist outlook in Telesto which some of their fellows resented, and in particular their relationships with the likes of Auris and Victorum were strained for several years. This was exacerbated by the doubt which some expressed for their merit, given the close relationship they enjoyed with such a powerful force as the I^st Legion. Their heritage earned them the ire of the Legio Mortis, an enmity which would endure despite their shared allegiance to the Stormborn.

Just as their ascendancy had been entwined with that of the Lightning Bearers, so too would Telesto share in Icarion’s damnation. They had always been just as loyal to him as they were to the Emperor, if not more so. The handful of crews deemed unreliable were whittled down, and the rest gradually led down the path of treachery. As Icarion’s armies began their conquests, the Legio Telesto were at the forefront, earning themselves a place among the most feared and hated of the Insurrectionist forces.

Material Strength
The circumstances of their founding, coupled with the mighty forges of Akira, made Telesto a Primus grade Legio on the Day of Revelation, numbering 168 god-machines in total with more under construction. Of the extant Titans, thirty were stationed on Akira and its primary forge-colonies. The balance of Telesto’s god-machines were of the Warlord and Reaver classes, but they also fielded several Titans of the mighty Imperator and Warmonger patterns.

The Thunder Blades eschewed the extreme specialisation observed in some Legions, although fighting alongside the Lightning Bearers and powerful mortal armies ensured that infantry were of little concern to them. As a consequence, there were no known Nightgaunt Titans among their ranks, and precious few Vandal-class Reavers, with the Legio favouring firepower over melee capability. It has been noted that many Titans eschewed such weapons entirely, favouring the fearsome Madrigalan Tesla Cannon to serve their close-combat needs.

Lacking the means to manufacture Titans, the magos of Akira had surrounded themselves with fearsome taghmata, and these were put at the disposal of Telesto upon their founding. They included four Skitarii Auxilia Legions, which integrated substantial armoured and aerial elements, and six Cybernetica cohorts. All of these made use of esoteric technology taken from the vaults of Madrigal, bolstering their already considerable power.

When House Rackham and later Sunava swore their oaths to the Imperium, Icarion saw to it that they made pacts with Telesto. Thereafter they served as skirmishers to the Thunder Blades, and as the Insurrection progressed they would be joined by a host of freeblade Knights. Their worth would be demonstrated on several occasions during the Commena War, with Telesto fighting in cityscapes where a well-laid ambush could bring down even their god-machines.

Edited October 8, 2019 by bluntblade

[bluntblade]

Tonarum's intermediate Titan shall henceforth be called the Subjugator Class.

[bluntblade]

Oh damn, Slaaneshi Scout Titans are called subjugators. Do we wanna ignore that or go with something like Suppressor or Vanquisher?

[simison]

While not one of the Triad, Legio Praesagius is known for its zeal for the Imperial Truth, the Emperor's vision, and for their precise application of war to better leave intact civilizations to join the Imperium.

 

They may very well be the most Noblebright Titan Legio I know of. In canon, they were aligned with the Ultramarines but originate from Mars. So, they exist regardless of our differences of canon. 

 

Does anyone want them? 

[bluntblade]

I'm inclined to have them operate as relatively free agents, but have ties to one or two Legions.

Have the Legio Destructor had any outings in the Heresy so far?

[Beren]

Titan Legio Concept

 

Stranded on an isolated planet and constantly at war with the native alien race. Refuses taking any aid to destroy their opponents, partly out of honour, partly because of their belief system.They believe that should one faction begin to triumph over the other something will happen to restore the equilibrium. This is based upon their own history where xenos raids or natural disasters have disrupted one factions growing dominance over another. Because of this they will not tolerate outsiders disrupting the war. Naturally they see the Insurrection as confirming this philosophy.

 

Their contributions to the Great Crusade are minor, being only what they can spare whilst using new tactics and units to maintain the equilibrium. Both sides have become somewhat ritualistic in their eternal war, with armies spending weeks reducing a population centers outer defenses only to leave without assaulting the city interior. Their maniples are made up primarily of Reaver class Titans, with Warlords being considered too resource intensive and War Hounds rendered redundant by their knight detachments.

Edited January 24, 2018 by Beren

[bluntblade]

I feel that outlook could lead to real trouble once they link with the Imperium. Like, "purged for the corruption of Mechanicum logic" trouble unless they sort themselves out.

[TheBlindPrimarch]

The Heredes would purge the aliens wither the human inhabitants liked it or not

[Beren]

Depends who finds them and how open they are about it. Legio Tempestus had a growing apocalypse cult inside it for a while without anyone but the traitors and an allied forge world knowing about it.

 

I suppose if the Heredes turn up first then most of the Legio get devastated as well then.

 

Also without extended observation it would look as if they were doing their best to annihilate one another. It's a case of them hating one another but being terrified of actually starting to win, because whenever they do the other one starts making phenomenally desperate acts of stupidity to stop them.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Beren

[bluntblade]

True, but any Imperial force worth its salt is going to descend on the enemy quite promptly

[Beren]

How long would an Imperial scout force be in contact with them before making planet fall?

[bluntblade]

Not long at all if a Forge World is under attack

[Beren]

So they wouldn't be recipient to the planets human government telling them to back off?

[Talonair]

If it's a scout force it's unlikely they'd press an attack (depending on the circumstance. If it's a single asteroid orbital they would probably just shoot it to pieces) and would instead contact the rest of the fleet

[bluntblade]

But a large fleet will generally rock up quite quickly.

 

Seriously, if a Forge World insists on not upsetting a balance that drains their output, no one in the upper echelons is going to be impressed.

[Beren]

Fair enough. Although it's not going to be too productive with its cities reduced to radioactive scrap either.

Kind of stuck on this now.

 

Maybe they could argue that they're using it as a training ground?

Edited January 25, 2018 by Beren

[bluntblade]

Still not acceptable, really. You'll end up with the most suitable nearby force heading straight for that system to help out, whether they're welcome or not.

 

Honestly, I think this could be an amusing episode, but it's just not feasible as a prolonged situation.