Oathsworn
"Battles are won through manoeuvre and slaughter - the more you commit to the first, the less you need to commit the second."
- Debate between Raydon and Balthasar
The Oathsworn blah blah
Summary of Legion ##
Numeration: The## Legion
Primogenitor: Faustus
Cognomen (Prior): None
Observed Strategic Tendencies: Gene-purity, Mass Astarte Actions, Gene-Tech
Noteworthy Domains: Luna,
Allegiance: Imperium
Assorted Fluff yet to be properly worked through
+++ Geneseed +++
The Geneseed is remarkably pure, even 10,000 years after the heresy none other takes so easily to potential aspirants. Likewise despite the loss of their genebanks they have been able to slowly rebuild, a feat unmatched by any other legion.
Likewise, the Oathsworn have displayed a genetic disposition less compatible with chaos taint.
Common Traits: +
Homeworld
Luna
Legion Tactics
The size of their legion prevented coherent supply lines in the later end of the Great Crusade, which was forcing chances to their organisation and doctrine. However for the majority of the crusade they were considered the 'standard', having a nicely balanced make up of their battalions, favouring nothing in particular allowing them to adapt easily to their opponents strengths and weaknesses.
Legion Organization
Legion Organisation.
Special Formations
>Silent Knights The culmination of Faustus' experimentation with Nulls, the Silent Knights are able to project a directional null aura. At the Siege of Terra they were reported to weild psychokinetic blades that could drain the life from psykers and daemons, as well as supposedly being armed with a Speculum Anima-like device. Unfortunately the secret to their creation was lost with Faustus, and the so-called Silent Knights of later days are less powerful and far harder to make.
>Genomancer Cadre Of perhaps kindred spirit to the technomancers of the Behemoth Guard, the Genomancers take to the field of battle with their biological creations. These range from gene-bulked servitors to cy-carnivora, to far more esoteric beasts. According to legend, these included dragons deployed to fight daemons over Terra, but this is considered doubtful.
>Huskarls Such was the gene mastery of the Oathsworn that they could improve some on Astartes design. Essentially lesser Custodes, these guys get extra bling.
>Berserkers Thunder Warriors, basically designed as a disposable shock troop. A number underwent treatment similar to the Eversor Assassins to maximize their lethality.
Legion Relationships
Pre-Heresy
Primarch | Legion | Opinion |
Graha'nak | Void Lords | Friendly rivalry in regards to Void Combat, not particularly close as Primarchs. Disagreed with his fondness of Orbital bombardment, finding it wasteful and crude. |
### | @@@ | ### |
Xun Tohilcoatl | Sky Serpents | both vocal proponents of the Librium Project. were becoming friends towards the beginning of the heresy, and while Raydons favoured brother post-heresy he still resented Xuns "passive" approach. |
Alexios the White | Angels of Light | Envious of his ability to build empires, but knows that his is the soul of a wanderer, and would hate being 'trapped' in a single place for too long. Didn't spend time with him during the crusade as they werent deployed together. After the Heresy, Raydon suggested that Alexios be made Lord-High Marshal of the Loyalist Forces, his ability to rebuild being vital. However he grew to resent Alexios over the years, as he instead built his Imperium Minoris. |
Marcus Sinistrum | Fists of Mars | Did not spend time with during the Great Crusade, however afterwards the two grew close, the Fists being instrumental in supporting Raydon's Eternal Crusade. Raydon considered Marcus "one of three" who would be a fitting candidate to lead the loyalists. |
Sarco Funerus | Undying Scions | The legion sees being trapped in dreadnoughts as a fate far worse than death, having a strong ancestor honouring culture. They would pity them, but also most likely hold them in high regard for the sacrifice they would have made to be incarcerated within the dreadnoughts armour. Raydon thought Sarco was abit wild prior to his internment, but had very little to do with him both during the Crusade and after the Heresy. |
Engerand | Storm Hammers | Respected, but only worked with on a few occasions. Mostly after the Heresy, Raydon enjoyed duelling with Engerand, attempting to find a sparring partner to replace Klaus. |
Klaus Staffel | Knights Exemplar | Close bonds, Raydon's closest ally during the Crusade, it was said that his death changed Raydon everafter, he became dark and hate filled, a curse that has since passed onto his sons. |
REDACTED | Eyes of the Warmaster | Most hated enemy, having fallen prey to the traitorus tournament. To this day hunting these traitors is always considered a top priority. A step or two below the devotion that DA hunt the fallen, the Warhawks definately hold the a grudge. |
Enoch the Relentless | Judgement Bringers | Worked with extensively, never got along with. |
Rubinek | Iron Hearts | Up until the Heresy they worked closely together, and shared many battle honours. Was devastated by their betrayal. |
Balthasar the Bloody | Bloodhounds | Disapprove of methodology, and think they are shameful "hunters". A Barbarian. Probably the Primarch Raydon disliked the most. |
Kashaln | Silver Spears | Disapproved of utilisation of mass infantry assaults, thinking them a waste of resources - and callous, but mostly a waste. |
Saul Sheridan | Second Sons | Another close friend before the Heresy, shared many musings with, and the two legions worked extensively together during the great crusade. |
Gengrat Vannevar | Behemoth Guard | Avoided whenever possible, disagreed with tactics, mentality, and personality. |
Oramar | Warp Raiders | Avoided due to an eeries feeling Raydon was plagued with when in Oramars presence. |
Anders Kor | Paladins of Kor | Respected his humanitarian outlook but thought him naive. Lost his respect when he turned Renegade, seeing no divide between the traitors actions and his. Hates him for preaching 'neutrality' a pointless and empty gesture in a galaxy at war. |
Faustus Ascelpious | Oathsworn | @#@#@ |
Post-Heresy
Loyalties | Summary | Description |
Traitors | ++EXCOMMUNICATE TRAITORIS++ | The prey for the Great Hunt. No Mercy, No Remorse. |
"Independents" | ++EXCOMMUNICATE TRAITORIS++ | During the Heresy there were those who fought for the Emperor, and those who didn't. These Independents may claim neutrality but there absence was noted from the final battle, their inaction causing the deaths of many loyal brothers. |
Crusader States | Desperate Allies | While still loyalists, tensions are vary from Legion to Legion, the Hawks having closer ties with some Legions than others. Ultimately though, they resent those with the power to retake the Imperium and continue the Emperors vision. |
The "True Blades" | Battle Brothers | A covenant of those that have remained committed to the Eternal War and defending teh Emperors vision. |
Legion History
Great Crusade
1. something something 2. something else 3. Faustus is bad leader, likes to be in the lab more 4. Warmaster grows uncomfortable with huge numbers 5. warmaster sets up them as patsies 6. Oathsworn called out as renegades 7. X. Y, Z called in to purge them 8. They fight above luna, recalling their numbers from across the stars. 9. Long battles, the loyalists sent in all die off, once gone the Warmaster summons great demons to fill the gap they leave 10. Faustus releasing his pet projects to combat them (Dragons, Bio-Warriors, Obliterator EQ) 11. Seeing inevitable defeat, Faustus launches Luna into the face of Terra itself 12. Something stops it...
The Red Road to Terra
The Eastern Imperium
Creates the post of Gene-Lord, who takes a seat in the Imperial Senate, the First Gene-Lord Bastion even attends the Council of Titans.
Faustus
Characters
Gene Lord Bastion, of the Oathsworn.
Once a lowly Breacher Squad Sergeant destined for nothing more than a death on a forgotten battlefield amongst the stars, Bastion became a symbol of defiance and determination not only to the surviving Oathsworn, but to the many worlds that aligned themselves with the legion in what they saw as a brutal attack brought on by the corrupt Imperium. Bastion was in charge of boarding and counter boarding actions aboard his section of The Dauntless. When the fleet was attacked by an armada three times its size made up of Marines and the Imperial Navy, Sergeant Bastion survived by having been aboard a War Hawks ship when the Frigate was destroyed under the weight of the combined fire.
With brothers being slaughtered and the Oathsworn flotilla being slowly destroyed in the void, picked apart by the Warhawks, Bastion lost himself to insanity and rage. Taking his strike team on a rampage, he sabotaged the life support by implanting a biophage into the network only the Oathsworn could have survived before setting upon a massacre of the survivors. With the ship theirs, Bastions men used the powerful guns to turn the battle and later reave a bloody path through the void and warp on a race to Luna.
There against all odds the Sergeant survived once more, and managed to collect the largest gathering of survivors from the Oathsworn, some 200 marines. Later at the gathering of the Primarchs the Sergeant was rebuffed for his efforts and attendance, only for the man to declare himself the Gene Lord of the Oathsworn and the primarchs all manner of foul titles for their involvement in the censure and inability to protect Terra and the Emperor. Where had they been when Faustys and the Oathsworn gave everything to hold the line from the unending tides of Daemons? Where were they when Faustis and the legion sacrificed 99% of their legion to buy time for everyone to get off Terra? Where were they when Faustus, brightest and smartest of them all died?
Callsign"Warbeast"
The tank that would later become infamous post-Heresy originally served with the Second Sons as a standard Predator. Third chapter, second battalion, sixth company. It survived for almost a hundred years in continuous service during the Crusade before the outbreak of the Heresy, and was deployed on Armageddon at the time. It had seen numerous modifications over the course of it's long service, including a larger bore main gun to fire specialized radium and phosphex shells and significantly increased armor. It had also already received numerous appellations from it's crews, some having died while the tank stayed in service, the most famous being the large image of a snarling xenos on the gun and the accompanying low gothic scrawl "WARBEAST". At Armageddon Warbeast and the rest of it's battalion were deployed in the central marshland, one of the most contested regions of the war torn planet. By the end of the conflict, the entire rest of it's company had been wiped out and Warbeast was operating alone with no contact with command. More than once the Predator was bogged down and almost overwhelmed by orks, but every time it held out. Eventually, when the Second Sons decimated Armageddon, Warbeast and her crew fled with the Undying Scions back to Terra.
On Terra the Predator continued service on the front line, with it's legion markings removed, eventually being overwhelmed and lost during a traitor attack. The tank was then recovered by a loyalist counter attack, still mostly intact but the crew dead to the last. It was evacuated from the planet by a group of loyalist black-shields.
It has since served nearly ten millennia, fighting doggedly with the descendants of the Blackshields that recovered her. Hundreds of crews dead or moved on, thousands of battles fought, and uncountable modifications, repairs, and new designs scratched or painted onto her hull. Warbeast fights on, an enduring icon of the loyalists from the traitor legions.