Imperium Asunder

Behold, a wiki page

The legions go here:

Legions that we're fairly sure about

These are legions that have long term active anons or generally work pretty well and all that

Sky Serpents

tldr

High Aztech-Chinese Sorcerors and Logisticians, The other empire building dudes. They prize knowledge above all, both sorcerous and technological, and fight mobile warfare. Think the bastard lovechild of the Khan and Guilliman, tutored in dirty tricks by The Lion, and you'll be about right.

Name and Symbols

Xun Tohilcoatl of Tepectitlan, Primarch of the Sky Serpents They're clad in plate of jade and storm-grey, with gold trim. They decorate their armor and vehicles in abstract swirls and curvilinear forms reminiscent of dragons and storm clouds. (Something akin to the Taotie patterns from the Shang Dynasty.) One of the most important legion symbols is the Calendar Wheel, Tepectitlan's indigenous calendrical system which inspired Xun Tohilcoatl to attempt to understand the workings of the heavens. Tepectitlan had been a world barely advanced to the Bronze Age when he found it, and over the century he spent there, he succeeded in advancing that world to a primitive industrial level of technology. The Calendar Wheel reminds the legionaries that possibilities lie in the most unexpected places, while also reminding them of the greater cycles of the cosmos.

Tactics

They're definitely the cunning sort. The legion specializes in hit and run tactics and mobile warfare at the operations level. Legion strategy places a great deal of importance on information, so as to know how best to draw out and achieve local numerical superiority to crush and disorder the enemy. Once a breach in the lines is achieved, Xun Tohilcoatl prefers an aggressive stance, so as to prevent the opponent from regrouping. The legion is noted for its cohesion and ability to coordinate effectively with human auxiliae, as well as a high degree of technological proficiency, following its primarch's intense interest in technology, and as such, much archaeotech and armor is employed. They'd be called in when a novel approach is needed or the foe is technologically advanced or otherwise intractable by traditional means. >>Nikea Tohilcoatl was a firm supporter of and helped in establishing Librarius Project. At Nikea, confident that the librarius was safe, he spoke against some his brothers and earstwhile collaborator's reckless experimentation (particularly that of the Warp Raiders)

However, he maintained that a careful and controlled study of the warp was instrumental to the future of the Imperium. He found attitudes like Alexios' unenlightened and those like Graha'nak's irritatingly unhelpful, feeling kinship with Engerand's. Following the decision, the librarius was quietly kept operational, though restricted to data gathering operations.

Notable Battles

The Vaal Cluster Compliance

The legion was as comfortable with conquest as it was with infrastructure and so tended to leave behind personnel to rebuild even before being reunited with the Primarch shortly before the end of the Crusade's first century. After being reunited, the legion began to build on larger scales, developing essentially a pocket domain of model worlds. Shortly after being reunited with his legion, Tohilcoatl led his men against the Witch-Kings of the Vaal Cluster. These foul warp-sorcerors ruled over an empire of enthralled gene-warriors, each nearly the equal of a Space Marine, but far less stable. After a few probing void engagements, Tohilcoatl found that the Witch-King's military forces were dependent upon witch-generals to maintain control of the gene-thralls. If the command structure could be disrupted, then the foe's defenses would crumble. However, the Witch-Kings were not unaware of this weakness and designed their forces to compensate. Without a witch to maintain order in a geno-thrall force, they would go berserk and the resulting psychic turmoil would make long distance communication near impossible. Thus, even if a force was broken, the opponent would find it difficult to communicate and exploit the breach. To combat this, Tohilcoatl and his War-Council developed a daring strategy.

Similar to the legendary Pacification of Luna, ships would be sent into Vaal space, powered down to avoid detection. These ships would stake out the Mandeville points in systems to be contested and hide in asteroid fields. Similarly, kill teams were infiltrated across the worlds of Vaal. Knowing that communication by Astropath would be nigh impossible, Tohilcoatl revived an archaic means of communication from before the dark age of technology, the radio. While it would be limited to light-speed, signals could still be passed in system without too much trouble. With this limited means of communication in hand, the timetable of the operation was carefully projected and each level of the command hierarchy given general directives to allow them to press any advantage they found. They were, in effect, to operate as independent cells all working towards the same goal, all dynamically implementing a broadly agreed upon timetable. Furthermore, it was realized that while Imperial communications would cease to function, those of the Witch Kings would continue without any problem. Infiltrated forces, then, simply had to monitor communication traffic and activity from the Witch-Kings. Operations began with multiple, simultaneous planetary invasions, with the priority placed upon elimination of the commanding psykers. Once eliminated, the berserker horde could easily be lead into pre-planned ambushes. Similarly, comm-traffic and energy signatures would be faked on one front prior to a rapid redeployment of assets to another sector, so as to focus the entire military might on a single point. Once behind their lines, infrastructure targets were eliminated, forcing the Geno-Thralls to come to the Sky Serpents. Hampering legion communications did the Witch-Kings little good when they had to come to the prepared Sky Serpents.

Even as distress calls went out from the besieged worlds and reinforcements were dispatched, the second part of the Sky Serpent's plan kicked into action. As laden troop ships, confident of orbital control in-system, dropped out of warp, the concealed Legion ships struck, destroying some outright, capturing the command decks of others and venting geno-thralls to the cold void. The victorious Legion fleet then joined with the invasion fleet to eliminate remaining Thrall-ships before redeploying for the next target. With the planetary communication networks down and the geno-thralls dead, the legions pushed on rapidly, striking at those systems from which the reinforcements had been moved. These fell far more quickly, and with more panic, allowing legion operatives to sneak onboard refugee ships. Some of these were sabotaged directly, with transports exploding in orbit or tumbling from orbit, but for the most part, rumors of saboteurs were started. On some worlds, this was the signal for Sky Serpents forces-- they began quick campaigns of sabotage, before vanishing into the wilderness, their work complete. It was less important that the attacks cause damage than that they spread fear and panic. This pattern of sudden, overwhelming attack, followed by the spreading of diffuse threats kept the Witch-Kings from regrouping effectively, the timing obscuring the method of operations for the Legion. Refugee and evacuation ships with valuable reinforcements were held up as they were searched for saboteurs, saboteurs who had spent weeks in position, waiting for the panic to spread before carrying out their missions. Though the initial cost in infrastructure was high, the stalling of the Vaal's war plans pre-empted battles planetside, and within two months of the opening actions, the Vaal Cluster had been successfully captured, with some worlds entirely spared lengthy campaigns, their fortresses emptied by the Witch-King's frantic redeployments.

Krag'athalax

These sorts of tactics were not always successful, but the Storm Serpents were nothing if not adaptable. One notable example was against the Krag'athalax, a foul xenos species, which spawned bio-soldiers in unending hordes. Assaults were initially stymied against the numberless forces of the enemy. It hardly mattered where you struck when the foe swarmed from every building, every corner of the globe. Several assaults were thrown back before a different tact was taken. Volkite and incendiaries were brought forth from legion vaults and the attendant forge ships worked double-time to produce additional weapons and spare parts to maintain thousands of volkite weapons. Similarly, Gishgimash negotiated with several Reductor Covenants for Holy Ordinatus Ullator Engines. Various toxins and weapons such as phospex were considered, but it was decided that damage to the ecosystem would be excessive. It was decided, however, that rad weapons would be sanctioned, their cores changed out for elements with shorter half-lives. (Despite this precaution, areas of former Krag'athalax would remain uninhabitable for decades after the campaign's end) With this technological superiority in hand and the legion's armor gathered, the legion deployed. The resulting campaign was grueling, and even with the mass effect of volkites, including no few Fellglaives, as well as other, stranger devices which reaped a heavy toll on the chittering hordes, as often as not it came down to bloody melee, particularly as the slow firing Ullator Engines recycled for their next shot. After each wave, the Storm Serpents would regroup and reinforce their defenses, designing kill channels, and meter by meter, they took each world, but each battle became easier as they developed better means to poison their foe.

Of the campaign, Tohilcoatl said little, though it is said that Sheridan found respect for his brother in that campaign, attested to by the fact the the Lord of Iron sent several members of the Stor Bezask equivalent unbidden to advise in the campaign.

I'll have to figure out where he was running around, but I'm kind of picturing something out in what we'd know as Ultramar, in keeping with the idea of 'what if the Ultramarines were from Ancient China/Mesoamerica instead of Rome'. Sorry for the wordiness. >_<

During the Heresy

The Sky Serpents remained loyal, but their success in the crusade proved their weakness in the Heresy. Their domain required defending and this kept the Sky Serpents pinned down during much of the first half of the heresy, while only being able to launch relatively minor raids against the traitor rear. However, as the Heresy wore on and the traitors prepared to invade the Sol System, Tohilcoatl was fast on their heels. Tohilcoatl and his first ten Chapters managed to make it to Sol in time to man the walls of the Imperial Palace, but most of the legion's strength arrived too late to make much of a difference and Tohilcoatl blamed the outcome on his being too attached to his private domain. He had managed to preserve some portion of his works, though much of his finest work burned (as at Calth), but perhaps at the expense of the Imperium as a whole.

He may also have worked on a codex-equivalent.

I'm thinking that he was really in a no-win situation, since his worlds would have presented a major problem to the Traitor's cause and his campaigns of defense did drain the traitors, and keeping the worlds somewhat intact did help in the recovery, but he wasn't where he felt he should have been and being tied down to an empire, being tied into a defensive posture deprived him of his mobility.

Friends and Enemies

In the prime universe, he would have been close to G-Man, Jaghatai, and Alpharius.

• Paladins Kor

Their heart is in the right place, and their head's up their ass. He respects their commitment to principle, but hates them for it.

• The Void Lords

Not sure on them yet, I imagine that they strike the Sky Serpents as kind of creepy, but highly effective and respect them in the same way that Gorillaman respected Russ.

• Angels of Light

Xun has a lot of respect for Alexios and enjoys their rivalry. He just comes away from most of the interactions feeling vaguely judged, but really the worst he can say about him is that Alexios is too rigid at times. In the build-up to Nikea and its aftermath, things soured over the psyker issue. They're brothers.

• Scions

A lot of respect for them

• Warhawks

Xun gets along really well with Raydon and his mobile warfare. Rumors of races remain unsubstantiated. They get along very well.

• Storm Hammers

Xun also gets along well with Engerand. He appreciates his sense of humor and attitude, even if Engerand does tend to leap into things without considering the next step. Even so, Xun knows he can count on Engerand and has his back.

• Oathsworn

Not sure yet

• Fists of Mars

Probably bond over blueprints

• Judgement Bringers

Xun always found Enoch a bit needy, far too morose, which, in part, was why Xun was so happy about the Grand Tournament.

• Silver Spears

Xun finds their primarch to be an arrogant ass. Whether that's in a good way or a bad way will come out as we flesh out the crusade, I think.

• Bloodhounds

Xun felt similarly about Balthasar as he did about Graha'nak, I think. He enjoyed their hunts, but ast time went on...

• Second Sons

Xun had a grudging respect for Saul after fighting alongside him in a lengthy siege-based campaign. Saul's defection stung him deeply.

• Behemoth Guard

Xun understands expediency, but Gengrat crosses too many lines for Xun.

• Warp Raiders

Xun had been very close to Oramar and feels guilty about Nikea. That Oramar probably has a vendetta against the Jade Empire is all the worse.

Crimson Warhawks

Legion:

>The Crimson Warhawks, II Legion.

Cry:

>Second to None!

Primarch:

>Raydon Neratos

Main Tactics, Common Doctrine, Military Characteristics:

>Airmobile covert strike teams, Void Combat and Air Superiority.

Heraldry:

>Crimson, White, Yellow, and Black. Swords, Wings, and Lightning Bolts.

Loyalties:

>Imperium

Geneseed quirks:

>Heightened reflexes, superior eyesight, paling hair, pitch black eyes.

Signature Equipment:

>A perchant for stealth focus equipment ranging from power armour to thunderhawks to strike cruisers.

Legion Organisation:

Legion > Battle Group > Task Force > Brotherhood > Wings / Talons

Command Structure:

Council > Marshal > Force Commander > Strike Captain > Flight Sergeant / Sergeant

Legions currently inactive

Put legions that were proposed, but have anons that vanished, or legions that we're probably not going to use here.

Proposed Legions

Hekatonkires

The Hekatonkires were once a legion of brothers, who had long abandoned their primarch before his discovery. They took up their own home on a hiveworld and brought the underhive's gang culture with the legion's recruits, forging a cult of honor and revenge. They developed an affinity for heavy vehicles and weaponry, and became a powerful armoured fist of the Emperor. Their primarch, however, had his own ideas about honor and battle. Unlike his legion of tankers who hail from the Underhive, Samson was a gentleman and a hunter on his homeworld Avalon. When the Heresy began, the Hekatonkires sooner preferred fraternity with the plague god than continued service under their primarch. Now the Hekatonkires spread Nurgle's gifts and wreak havoc to the remnants of the Imperium.