Editing Mastodontii (section)

===Rolling onwards===

All of the Space Marine Legions were greatly affected by the rediscovery of their Primarchs.  The Legion's sire was a source of fresh genetic material that improved their gene-seed and invariably was a mighty warrior and formidable leader.  In the case of Tollund Ötztal, who led more by example than by command, he was not merely a tremendous asset to the Eighth Legion but a beloved father-figure to his men.  The Primarch rarely sent orders of the day, preferring to express himself in personal missives.  He was especially known for the messages of condolence and encouragement he sent to commands that had suffered casualties.

Even the renaming of the Legion to the Mastodontii did not come about through Tollund Ötztal's direct command.  The Primarch saw the Legion's transports, especially the Rhino, as particularly important to his way of war.  He also identified them with his spirit guide, the Mastodon Sabaka, and explained to his TechMarines that inscribing the Rhino vehicles with the likeness of Sabaka would please the spirits.  Although these scions of Mars were not well-accustomed to taking advice on pleasing the Machine Spirits, they were also the sons of Ötztal and followed his instructions.  It is unknown whether the images of Sabaka or the skill of Eighth Legion TechMarines was more responsible for the excellent operating qualities of their Rhino park, but other warriors certainly took notice.  As was so often the case in the [[Great Crusade]], a chance remark by [[Hektor Cincinnatus]] that the Eighth's Rhinos seemed so much better than those of other Legions that it would be better to call them Mastodontii dictated fashion, and the Eighth Legion soon became synonymous with their trademark vehicle.

Among the warriors of the Imperium, the Mastodontii were generally well-regarded for passing lightly over the worlds they conquered.  They became bitter rivals of the [[Stone Men]] in part due to opposing philosphies, but also due to the personal enmity felt between [[Onyx the Indestructible]] and Tollund Ötztal.  The Eighth were also drawn into politics, against their natural inclination, by the atrocities carried out by their brother Legions.  Tollund Ötztal intervened at the Council of Nikaea and instigated the Ussur Tribunal in an attempt to protect the people of the Galaxy from the worst excesses of the Great Crusade.  In hindsight, he need not have worried.  The Crusade was soon to end in slaughter and unimaginable horror.