Knights of Justice

Knights of Justice
Battle Cry	The Emperor Wills It!
Number	I
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Successor Chapters	The Avenging Angels, Guillotine Guard
Primarch	Bohemond
Homeworld	Hydegate
Specialty	Air Assault, Air and Space Superiority, Boarding Actions, Orbital Assault
Allegiance	Imperium of Man

This page details people, events, and organisations from The /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

Summary of Legion I

Cognomen: (Prior) Storm Bringers, the Executioners (Unofficial)

Legion Tactics

Air Assault and Superiority

They are fast and surgical. Hold a code of honour most highly, and are rather zealous and stubborn. Much like their Primarch, the Knights favour any strategy that will allow them to close quickly with the enemy and defeat them. Once engaged the Knights dispatch their foes in high-intensity close quarter exchanges, whether it be with ranged or melee weapons as emphasized by their training focus on Boltgun and Blade. They remain constantly on the move to never give their foes a chance to regroup, relying heavily on Gunships and Jetbikes for transport and fire support. As capacity in the Gunships favored by the Legions are limited, the Knights use less heavy weaponry than normal,what heavy weapons they do use tend to be the Heavy Bolter or ever reliable Missile Launcher, both easily fitted with suspensor webs making them better suited for the ever fluid methods of war they prefer. Their extreme focus on assault stems from their home world, where both Knights-Errant and Ordered Knights would ride into battle on winged beasts. This combat focus tends to leave them lacking in other departments as far as vehicles, leaving them with far less in the way of APCs and Tanks, nevertheless they are un-phased their vehicle crews preferring to master the skies. To witness an assault by the Knights is to truly witness the Emperor's fury made manifest.

Legion Equipment

The Legions Vehicle armories are dominated by gunships of various sorts, with the Storm Eagle and Fire Raptor Gunships being among the most common. Additionally the Knights of Justice have a large stock of Jetbikes and Land Speeders which are put to great use by one of the Legion's specialist formations.

Legion Doctrine

The I Legion, when it was founded, was created with the specific intention of capturing strategic locations as quickly and efficiently as possible before moving on to their next target, only leaving a token force behind to hold the location and bring into further compliance until other Legion or Imperial Army forces where able to secure them. This was used to great effect early on in the Crusade when the Emperor tasked the Legion with the initial capture of the Jovian moons and Moons of Saturn, where their Lightning Tactics proved highly effective. The Legion would perform their duties in perfectly planned out and executed operations. Typically the Legion begins their assault with a massed Drop Pod assault on key military locations and for the initial seizure of forward operations bases. Second comes the Gunship assault, hitting secondary positions, while others move into assist the initial wave of forces by bringing to bear heavier fire power. After their initial blows are struck the Legion, then uses its gunships to rapidly relocate forces to eliminate any further enemy resistance, until the target world has fully come to compliance. When heaver resistance in encounter the Legion, through use of Thunderhawk transports is known to deploy armored vehicles to assist the ground troops, such actions are rare however, as usually the combined might of the ground troops, Jetbikes, Gunships and Orbital Bombardment render most opposition combat ineffective.

Officers are expected to be able to perform most of the same duties as the Astartes they lead, something heavily emphasized after their reunion with their Primarch, Bohemond. Following in the Primarch's example, officers are encouraged not to issue orders that they themselves would be unwilling to follow. Additionally the Legion would have a high sense of justice, a trait the legion seems to have been created with, and reinforced by the Primarch's own up bringing on his own homeworld. As the First Legion to be created they experienced much of the ending of the Unification Wars, when the tyrants of Old were put to the sword, with the First serving as both Judges and Executioners. As time went by the First Legion would become on occasion paired (uneasily) with the Winged Victory, a brother Legion also frequently used to judge and execute radical forces.

Bohemond, Primarch of The Knights of Justice

Appearance

A powerful figure who dominates his surroundings with his presence. His skin is remarkably clear, and if he were a mere mortal his face would appear on many recruiting posters. When speaking to a group, he's constantly taking everyone in, even addressing lowly Guardsman. To be judged by his steely blue eyes is a terrible thing, but when he roars a rallying cry it is a powerful and uplifting thing to behold. He is not the fastest of his brothers, but moves and fights with a ruthless economy of muscle and motion.

Youth

Bohemond's upbringing took place on the world of Hydegate, a world of forgotten technologies, Knights and Sorcery. Shortly after his arrival on the world he as discovered by a band of Knight Errants who believed in the old Code of Knights on their world, a code strongly emphasized the importance of Justice, and would frequently state when the King's Law was brought up, that justice is not always law. Bohemond took quickly to the martial teaching of those Knights-Errant mastering blade work and marksmanship quickly, as well as the skill of riding.

The Coming of The Emperor

Largely ignored by society as a whole, he travelled far and wide trying to fill the hole in his soul until one night he set camp in the wilderness. A stranger approached Bohemond as he sat at his fire, and Bohemond bid the stranger sit. The stranger noted Bohemond was a warrior, and asked what Bohemond would do to bring justice to all humans. Bohemond laughed, assuming the stranger mean just the people of his planet, and said that he was trying to do just that but that he could only maintain justice with those within sight or under his sword. At this point the stranger began to shine in a brilliant light, revealing a power figure that was the Emperor of All Mankind.

The Emperor told Bohemond of the Primarchs, of the Imperium and of the Great Crusade to reunite humanity, and with every word that was spoken Bohemond's spirit was lifted and his soul was made whole for the first time. At last Bohemond had found his calling, to be a knight not just for himself but for all of humanity.

The Second Founding

Crusading Exiled

Crusading Exiled
Battle Cry	Fight in the name of the Emperor!
Founding	Second Founding
Successors of	Knights of Justice
Chapter Master	Chaplain Rodlak (Formerly)
Strength	Less than 800
Specialty	Aggressive tactical combat
Allegiance	Independent / Imperium of Man (Formerly)

The Crusading Exiled are a group made of several chapters banished by a rogue Inquisitor. They crusade in the name of the Emperor now, seeking redemption in his name.

Chapter History

Following the Heresy, the Knights of Justice split their forces, creating a chapter known as the Winds of Vengeance. This new founding of Astartes set out amongst the stars to find and destroy the enemies of the Imperium. During a battle to rest control of their recruiting world, the Chapter Master of the Winds of Vengeance met his end, leading to the appointing of a new Chapter Master. As a well known Chaplain, Rodlak was selected to lead the Chapter due to his zealous nature and constant preaching of Imperial scripture.

For the next several hundred years, the Winds fought the enemies of man, eventually becoming so hateful of Chaos that they would clean entire worlds of life on the very suspect of corruption. Over the years, Rodlak's campaigns had become more aggressive and the doctrine of the Winds had become increasingly savage. It was clear to only a few marines that Rodlak had come under the influence of Chaos. Perhaps this taint had been within Rodlak since the beginning. Several captains, under the leadership of Second Company Captain Varallus, found that their Chapter Master had surrendered his soul to the Ruinous powers. They exposed Rodlak to the Inquisition, executing him and giving up their lives to the Inquisition in hopes of redemption.

The Redeeming Crusade Following their trial, the Inquisition decreed that the Chapter should lead a crusade to redeem their name. The Winds did what they knew best and warred against the enemies of man once more. However, after passing by the outskirts of the Eye of Terror, the Winds picked up transmission detailing Rodlak's plan to sacrifice the Chapter to ascend to Daemonhood. The Chaos Space Marines that gave them the transmission were under the belief that Rodlak was on his way to deliver a new Chapter to the forces of Chaos. The Chaos forces were part of a large Warband, sent out to make contact with various officials to secure more numbers for the Warband. This plan was supposedly thought up of a renegade Inquisitor by the name of Ogiard who was also expected to be with the Winds. However, instead of handing of any traitors and greeting the Chaos Space Marines with open arms, the Winds executed their traitorous cousins, sustaining heavy losses as a result. They fled back into Inquisition-controlled space to warn them of the Enemy Within.

The Exile Unfortunately for the Winds of Vengeance, Inquisitor Ogiard was the one to hear the distress call. Ogiard arrested the Winds and found them guilty of the murder of fellow Space Marines. The Winds were cast out of the Imperium forever. There were other Chapters that heard of the trial and realized that Ogiard's ruling was not only unjust but highly suspicious. Following a long and arduous investigation, three other Chapters, The Shield of the Emperor, The Fathers of Brass, and The Sanguine Solaire had found evidence of Ogiard's treachery. The Chapters banded together and renamed themselves The Crusading Exiled, declaring Ogiard as an enemy of their beloved Imperium. The Exiled fought there way to the Inquisitor, branding him a Chaos-tainted traitor and slaying him on his homeworld. The other Inquisitors were blinded by rage, hatred or the lies of others who declared the Exiled as renegades. Either way, Ogiard's original ruling stood. The Crusading Exiled were banished and were to be shot down should they ever enter Imperium space again.

The 41st Millenium Since the death of Ogiard, the Crusading Exiled have been slaying Chaos and xenos threats all over the galaxy in the name of the Emperor, keeping close to the Eye of Terror so they may warn nearby Imperium forces. Unfortunately, without a proper means of recruiting, the Exiled have been slowly losing numbers during their unending war but still stand at almost the size of a regular Astartes Chapter. However, considering the fact that four different Chapters came together to form the Exiled, this number is much less than most Inquisitorial estimates. Despite this, the collective armories of the Chapters have compounded to form one of the largest armored divisions the Empire has ever seen. Although, due to the nature of their dwindling resources, the vehicles cannot be replaced. This large stock of armor is sure to end one day.

Notable Members

Rodlak Appointed to lead the Chapter in its early days, Rodlak had been known as a Chaplain with unwavering faith. Inspiring and misleading his troops into battles, Rodlak had proven himself to be a devious and dangerous threat to the Imperium. It is not known how or when Rodlak had been tainted by the forces of Chaos but when he was finally exposed, there was no denying it. As a self-proclaimed Champion of Chaos, Rodlak confessed to the sacrificing of entire worlds in his esteemed position. He died, branded as a heretic and his armor was cast into a star. That star has shown signs of decay since then.

The Council of the Exiled Since the Exiled are made up of several Astartes Chapters, none of the Chapter Masters have ever come out to sieze total control. Instead, a council made up of Chapter Masters Varallus, Magniun, Corrok and Taract has been appointed to keep watch over the Exiled.

Varallus A loyal and deeply faithful man, Varallus has always been known to lead his men through faith and valor. He was the first of the Winds of Vengeance Captains that exposed Rodlak of his Chaotic allegiance and was directly responsible for the execution of both Rodlak and Ogiard. Since the exile of his Chapter, Varallus has become somewhat of a father figure to the Exiled. His teachings are of faith, courage, and the search for truth.

Magniun About as confident as his best friend, Varallus, Magnium was the first to vouch for the Winds' honour. Now, he is in the position of the leading tactician of the Exiled, hoping to lead his men into battle while suffering minimal losses. He and Varallus butt heads regularly over combat doctirine but the other members of the council always manage to bring the two back to a more calming state. He was the Chapter Master of The Shield of the Emperor.

Chapter Combat Doctrine

With a low amount of troops and a large amount of armored weaponry, the Crusading Exiled always try for a conservative yet aggressive attack. Utilizing as much armor as possible, the Exiled have a consistent method of getting their men as far behind enemy lines as possible before deploying foot soldiers to finish the job.

Chapter Beliefs

Many of the Exiled genuinely believe that the misfortunes they go through are part of some divine test given to them by the Emperor. The Crusading Exiled fight in the name of the Emperor despite the fact that a surprising amount of their former brothers have been ordered to engage them on sight. They still believe in the Emperor and all the teachings given to them by Varallus and their Chaplains. However, they still keep a vigilant watch over each other, making sure that Chaos taint may never reach them again. This aversion to Chaos extends to the judgement they pass on others. The Exiled are aware that Chaos can spring up within any civilization. As such, they refuse to set up a means of recruiting from nearby planets due to the fact that corruption may find its way into their Chapter. The Exiled also believe that kidnapping suitable candidates to bring bulk to their numbers is the practice of one who worships Chaos. The beliefs of the Crusading Exiled are dangerous and will eventually result in the death of the Chapter.

The Exiled Fleet

Since the Crusading Exiled are made up of several Chapters, they have access to the ships granted to them by said Chapters. This Exiled Fleet, lead by the flagship known as the Noble Wind, has been the home to the Exiled for the past five hundred years. Rather than settling on a single planet, the Fleet floats freely along the borders of Imperium space, ready to strike down the enemies of the Emperor.

Other Successor Chapters

The Avenging Angels

The Imperium is beset on all sides by foes both external and internal, and it is a testament to the dire nature of these threats that sometimes they are able to overcome the armed forces of the Imperium. It has been reported that sometimes, after a particularly grievous or strategically significant defeat, Astartes have appeared to punish the enemies of mankind and make their victory short-lived. Following a similar tactical doctrine to their founders, the Knights of Justice, the Avenging Angels concentrate their efforts into one merciless strike into the heart of the enemy.

The Guillotine Guard

Whilst most Space Marines accepted the reformation of the Eyes of the Emperor, that forgiveness could be earned for their part in the betrayal of the Emperor and the subsequent death and destruction seemed unthinkable, especially given that their beloved Bohemond fell at Istvaan V. A schism was only prevented by a last-minute compromise suggested by (someone). The Eyes would be granted temporary forgiveness, and a delegation of the Knights' choosing would watch for any sign of taint or treachery until such a time as the Knights felt that suitable penance had been carried out.

It has now been over ten thousand years since the formation of the Guillotine Guard, recruited from veterans of the Battle Companies and rotated every few years. The Guillotine Guard stand watch over the Eyes, their mere name a reminder of the tenuous nature by which the Eyes of the Emperor still claim to be true servants of humanity.

The Guillotine Guard integrate themselves into all castes of the Eyes of the Emperor. From being present at Councils of War with the Chapter Master and his closest confidantes to bolter drills, vehicle maintenance and even mealtimes it is not uncommon for a Guard to be standing in silent observation. It devotes extra attention to the training of recruits, and this area often comes under additional scrutiny.

The Guard, whilst having a duty to observe the Eyes, are proud Marines and as such do not stand idly by in battle. They revel in the chance to shed the blood of their foes. Whilst they will not follow the orders of their supposed brothers, they do not interfere with their commands either and allow the Eyes to conduct themselves as they wish.