Second Sons

Second Sons
File:Radiation.jpg
Battle Cry	Currently undecided
Number	XI
Primarch	Saul Sheridan
Homeworld	Lorrentia
Specialty	Nuclear/chemical arms, shock and awe, large scale command operations
Allegiance	Dark Imperium
Colours	White, and Green

This page is part of the Imperium Asunder, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the Imperium Asunder page for more information on the Alternate Universe.

"Let this be yet another reminder of the might of the eleventh Legion. We do what must be done while others cannot, or will not to save morale face. No one remembers, we are but soldiers first and foremost, not the kingmakers or politicians my brothers attempt to become. To be a soldier is to win, and that is what we do no matter the cost. Others forget this, and feel empty for it. We were created to forge peace from war by any means necessary, and so that is what we shall do."

– Saul Sheridan, addressing the assembled forces upon completion of the Sabbat Crusade

Homeworld

Lorrentia was once a verdant world, rich in natural resources. Now only the mineral wealth of the world remains, the farms and forests long since blackened. Lorrentia is now a blasted nuclear wasteland, with the majority of the worlds former lifeforms completely eradicated and those still able to eke out a living mutated beyond recognition. The majority of it's citizens lived in vast domed cities, verdant and idyllic, renowned for their unusually serene and equitable lives. A bare handful lived outside the walls of these cities, acting as rangers and scavengers among the ruins of the former nations of the world.

Legion Tactics

The Second Sons are used to wars of overt and rapid dominance, preferring the straightforward approach of strength and overwhelming firepower to secure their victories. Known for their expertise in the use of incredibly destructive and toxic archeotech weapons, they make much wider use of Destroyer squads than any other legion. They shatter enemy morale and supply lines with massive deployments of potent weapons and massed forces. Toughened by years of exposure to noxious agents and bolstered by a culture of stoic endurance barely rivaled by their brother Astertes, the Second Sons advance under the most withering fire to deliver their sinister armaments to the enemies hearts. Known for their willingness to accept collateral damage among allied forces, and even their own, so long as it ensures victory.

Legion Organization

The legion is subdivided into chapters, Each lead by a Taskmaster, who administrates, and organizes the chapter. Chapters can move both in unison or independently.

Legion History

The nascent Primarch of the Second Sons, who would be named Saul Sheridan, was flung through the warp with the rest of his brothers. His pod crash landed on the civilized world of Lorrentia, a planet with technology about equal to late twenty first century Earth’s and ravaged by global conflict. Resource wars had shattered the planet, and borders shifted with the seasons. Campaigns lasted for decades, and capitals were essentially mobile. No region of the world was sparred for long. Landing in one of the major nations of the planet, the Primarch was recovered by the military. At first fearing him to be some kind of biological weapon, they quickly realized he was far beyond anything of their world. Turned over to the nations equivalent of the Pentagon, he was almost made vivesected before they discovered his staggering intellect. Raised by a small group of scientists, generals, and engineers, Saul was raised to be the model leader for their nation. They hoped he would someday lead them to peace, and prosperity for everyone living on their planet. He was instilled with that duty from the moment they first spoke to him, and he took it to heart. Only fifteen years after his discovery, the nation was being led by Executor Saul Sheridan, but the nation was not a peace and the world was still embroiled in conflict. It seemed endless, despite reforms of the military and the incredible advances in science and leadership Saul had created, the end was simply not in sight. Increasingly desperate, he condoned the deploying of more and more dangerous weapons. Chemical, biological, and even nanotechnological weapons were used on militaries and civilians alike. But enemy nations retreated, restructured, and inevitably rearmed. There was a single final option, something that had been taboo for almost a century since their discovery and made illegal by all world governments. Massive shelters were built to house tens of millions of citizens, and be self sufficient to the end of time. Resources were diverted from the front, and the nation began to crumble. Enemies arrived to an empty capital, and outlying cities are similarly devoid of life. Token detachments were found, and small numbers of civilians were apparently as confused by the mass disappearances as the enemy forces. That was, until a week later. Hidden silo doors slid open, and Lorrentia was bathed in the light of a second sunrise. Hundreds of millions of lives snuffed out in an instant, billions more dying the in the aftermath. A few years later, the Primarch and his nation reemerged onto the shattered world. Peace had finally been achieved, and no cost had been too great. His people prospered in the wake of the holocaust, and soon they lived in huge domed cities seperated from the toxically irradiated hellscape outside. When the emperor arrived a few years later, colonization had even begun on Lorrentia’s moons. The Primarch welcomed the Emperor to his utopia, and accepted his duty to the Imperium as he had accepted his duty to his nation.

Great Crusade

Reunited with his legion, they took to him as quickly as they were able to. Long had they felt like outcasts among their brothers. Their tactics and choice of arms had never made them popular, but the Primarch saw them for what they could accomplish. Teaching them to go even farther in the name of victory, and augmenting their already potent armories.

Later in the Crusades a curious and deeply disquieting ailment began to appear in some of the more senior Second Sons, and even the Executor himself. Rather than developing the acute radiation sickness and cancers that most of the marines had begun to show from their use of Rad weapons and chemical arms, these souls instead began to feel attracted to radiation. A light glow could be seen around them in the dark, and when deprived of exposure for too long they would become unwell. Some of the most afflicted began to disable the safety features on their weapons and armor, allowing them to be directly bathed in the glow. Some began to become emaciated as well, losing their physical vigor but maintaining mental aptitude. Soon it became clear that many of these marines would actually die if they were not being exposed at all times. A special unit was created for these unfortunate souls, and terminator armor was modified to accommodate their needs. Fallout would be directed back into the suits from their Irrad cleansers, and they would be supplemented with their unshielded fusion generators. Despite the debilitation, these marines were able to wield the most potent and unrestrained weapons on the battlefield, and their suits of armor became walking radioactive bombs