Eternal Zealots

"In the name of the Gods! Before all species, go forth and enlighten! Let none be spared the truth of the Primordial!"

Aubrey, speaking out to his Legion moments before descending on Terra.

Eternal Zealouts
Battle Cry	"We march eternally!" "For the Dark Gods!"
Number	XVI
Founding	First Founding
Primarch	Aubrey
Homeworld	Lazerus(Purged)
Strength	120,000
Specialty	Generalists, Chaos Undivided
Allegiance	Chaos Undivided

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

Summary of Legion XVI

Numeration: The XVIth Legion

Primogenator: Aubrey the Grey (also known as "The Surgeon")

Cognomen (Prior): The Emerald Doom

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Close Combat, Strategic Strikes, Tactical Decapitation, Planetary Pacification.

Noteworthy Domains: The Lazerus System (Primary), Tithe Rights to five systems in tributary fiefdom.

Alliegence: Traitoris Maximus

"The enemy has a collection of tumorous growths in their head. It is not their fault. We shall take but a moment to cure them of their cancerous leadership."

Legion Chaplain Zachery Irisus, M.30

Proud, passionate, and self-righteous, the Eternal Zealots fought with barely matched enthusiasm during the Great Crusade. Their tolerance and acceptance of Xenos assistance painted them with scorn by their fellow humans, leading ultimately to their censure when the Xenos they so ardently crusaded for betrayed them. The Legion's Primarch Aubrey, dismayed at the response of humanity towards the actions of only a few was easy to deceive by Uriel Starikov. Now the Legion pledges themselves to the four Dark Gods of Chaos, having special sects dedicated to exemplifying their worship on the battlefield.

Legion Doctrine

Pre-Heresy

As the Legion expanded beyond the early years of the Great Crusade a tendency towards close combat and fast attack developed within them. With Aubrey's guidance, many became trained in the ways of medicine and surgery.

The Imperial Army forces positioned alongside the Zealots became glad to share the front with them, always having easy access to great minds of healing and recovery. It was believed every man in the Legion had to be able to not only to save his brothers from a wound, but also himself. This methodology allowed them to throw themselves into bloody clashes where chainsword and bolter were met with blade and axe, for the needs of the many men needing medical attention and to show the enemy their zeal in close combat.

Unlike the Sons of Fire or the Gorgers, however, they would not continue to throw themselves at the enemy or commit to costly and dangerous assaults. Zealotry tempered with reason was the motto of the Legion.

Aubrey began to use his Zealots' ferocity into more elaborate forms of waging war. The people of the worlds he fought usually didn't want to oppose the Imperium, but were forced to do so. Eliminating the corrupt or misguided heads of these states allowed the Legion to peacefully occupy the rest of the world as army after army surrendered. This grew from Aubrey's old saying, "The patient is not at fault for the disease. Kill it, not the one you are caring for." This tactic grew and grew as they faced myriad horrors along the Great Crusade.

Their focused wrath came down upon the foolish Corsair Captains and blithering Orkish Warbosses, who, once dead, saw the rest of their cobbled together forces crumble in moments.

As the Zealots desired to be the epitome of medicae and fair tolerance to all castes and Xenos alike, they used a Xenos Auxiliary which served with distinction, covering the advancing melee focused Astartes with ranged support. However, because of this, the Zealots were always second guessed and reviled by the Imperial Army and other Legions.

On the worlds they came to conquer, the Zealots and their auxiliaries became known as 'The Healers with their Helpers'. Weeks, sometimes months after a world had been taken, the Eternal Zealots would stay on its surface teaching science, medicine, and repairing the damage they had caused to the planet after the war was over. This endeared many worlds to them, making it easier to sow the seeds of corruption.

Post-Heresy

The righteous fury delivered in concentrated, directed strikes faded out from the combat philosophy of the Eternal Zealots as they began their slow descent into the clutches of Chaos. Healing began to not matter as the lust to keep on the offensive drove them. Techmarines and Librarians combined over time to fill the gap this made, rapidly augmenting and mutating the wounded to keep them moving long after their mortal shells had crumbled under exhaustion and damage.

The Psyteks of Tzeentch

The Librarius and Frater Astrotechnicus melded into one whole during the Heresy, combing metal with mental. With the flesh bolstered by the machine, these minds have become great figures within the Legion. Each take on several human apprentices, who they are able to always match the Legion's geneseed through means both mundane and infernal. All that matters is the pupil's psychic potential and aptitude for learning. The Psyteks are in trusted with not only keeping track of mankind's inventions and archeotech, but also the replication and advancement from this building block of the past.

The Artisans of the Prince

It was the Apothecaries that were numerous in number of the Eternal Zealots, their core of healers and dedicated transports becoming mobile hospitals for the marines and Imperial Army in battle. It was they who approached Slaanesh's domain, whether they knew it or not.

The doctors had long become twisted in their chaotic days; their healing ways were broken, and instead they turned their hospitals into places of torture and pain. Slaanesh gifted these men with visions, and as such, they sought the path of the debaucherous prince.

They found that as they tortured their victims they found pleasure, so they turned their once practical medicines into sources of even more pleasure. Their Rhino Apothecarium was transformed, voxs mounted to the outside of the transport becoming a source of morale and fear as men would hear the screams of their foes or allies respectively.

So, Slaanesh gifted these men of medicae the speed in which to carry out their tasks, snatching up men from the battlefield to throw into the pain machines, but also to spark life in their brothers with stimulants and drugs forged by the artisans themselves.

The Disciples of Juggernaut

Following on from their Loyalist days, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Companies, who were the foremost users of the "Astartes Centaur Exo-Suit," found their Xeno allies presenting them The Juggernaut, a daemonic steed. The Captains, Cyllarus, Hylonome and Kinnaras, slaughtered over 10,000 souls in battle to gain the honor of using such wonderful steeds to ride into battle. They had a battle hunger and lust for glorious slaughter, making them the perfect servants of Khorne.

Khorne listened. The Blood God was amused at this display, giving these 3,000 Astartes the gift they so desired. He had already pledged his support to Infernox and his Sons of Fire, and these measly offerings were nothing compared to the glories he wrought in Khorne's name without any demand made yet. Let it not be said that Khorne had no sense of honor, for he still rewarded these souls for their devotion.

In a flurry of red energies, the Astartes changed. Their legs shifted and changed into the headless bodies of the steeds they had once seen. Made of living metal and burning blood, soon the armorers equipped their bodies with the heavy weapons they once wielded, so the Cult of Juggernaut was born. Devastators would continue to use the Centaur suit until they would be interred by a Khornate ritual, becoming a shard of the Legions rage; Half Daemon, Half Astartes.

Legion Equipment

During the Loyalist days of Eternal Zealots, they made frequent use of the rare Centaur Exo-Suit, which was latter known as the Lazeriun Pattern Additio-Arma. Few Forgeworlds produced the pattern, as most focused on the production of Power Armor rather than producing upgrades for it. These units allowed for the Zealots to cleave through throngs of opposing infantry, racing straight to their leadership and dispatching them with ease. These suits are now produced by several Daemon Forges, melding a Juggernaut to the technology with a final ritual once a Devastator has proven himself able.

The Legion makes use of the odd warp-based technology devised by their skilled Psyteks craftsmen and honored Cyfecti allies. These weapons are able to bring down Titans and rend apart armor and flesh as if they are nothing. Thankfully for the Zealots' enemies, these weapons are few and far between. Most of the weaponry produced by the Cyfecti and Psyteks are odd warp-powered thrusters for dropships, more accurate teleportation devices, and bolter shells infused with the power of the Immaterium.

Aubrey The Grey, Primarch of The Eternal Zealots

He was gifted in the medical arts, but it was a narrow understanding at best, for Aubrey did not see the parallel between the human body and the human society. A healthy immune system does not let "tolerance" prevent the elimination of foreign bodies or diseased cells. The Great Crusade taught the rest of us that this truth of nature also applies to politics.

(Excerpt from Gaspard Lumey's private correspondence.)

Appearance

A lean physique, coupled with a gaunt and angular face; he tends to have a certain warmth to his face. His skin tone is pale, almost pure white in colour. His hair is silver, parted towards the right of his face and flowing, with a pair of emerald coloured eyes. He bears a pair of curved scars under his left eye, which curl towards the edge of his lip, the outer scar dwarfing the smaller scar and curling around it.

If he isn't seen with a pondering look on his face, he is either in battle or conversing with his valued brothers, normally with a small smile on his face.

When out of his armour, he wears a black coat, seemingly made of scales and leather, with a green lining made of the same material. Underneath it he wears a soft leather cuirass made of weaves. Inside of his armour, he wears a cloak made of this material, purely green over his armour.

Youth

Aubrey's childhood was an oddity, even for a primarch; when he was lost, he was thrown onto a planet that was already inhabited; it was inhabited by Xenos called Tarellians. It was a grand debate on whether or not the small primarch should live; he only did so upon the mercy of a sadistic general, deciding to see whether or not the small child could survive the rough life of a Tarellian.

Aubrey was brought up in the lowest caste of Tarellian culture; The Doctors. In Tarellian culture, it was the doctors who were the disgrace; for a warrior, the highest honour and caste of the Tarellians, to have his blood spilled in anything but combat, such as by a surgeon, was the most vilified of possibilities. Aubrey showed prowess in learning, quickly becoming one of the most renowned doctors of the Tarellians in his early twenties.

It was then that his life came to a twist as he saved the life of the general who decided to save his life. The General and Aubrey made a pact; if Aubrey told no-one of his surgery, the General would allow Aubrey to become a warrior.

Aubrey rose through the ranks as quickly as he rose through the medical world, becoming a valiant warrior and leader, soon taking the place of the now retired general. His ascension to general was a very treacherous one. As he made his way through the ranks, many questioned his ability based upon Xenophobia. Aubrey learned quickly, the only way to silence the sniping comments made of him was to hurt their pride; while his voice could not be heard, his blade could. He picked up the sword and became well versed in swordplay, throwing all of his spare time into practice. It was not unusual for an officer to bring a sword by his hip into the theatre of war, but not many openly used it to its intended purpose as a weapon.

After many assaults upon him, he dueled his way to a bregrudging form of respect, and he was eventually approached by Brother Makai, Major Vex, and Sergeant Vaas. Major Vex had also been another rising star in the military, and many had compared Aubrey to Vex. Due to this, Vex had a grudge; how could some lowly off-worlder garner so much respect? Vex challenged Aubrey to single combat. Soon, the two locked in a duel with Aubrey clearly winning. However Vex had an edge; his brother Vaas had slipped into Aubrey's blind spot and struck Aubrey with a club, allowing Vex to wound Aubrey.

Aubrey's pride was wounded; regardless of the obvious interference, he knew the only way for him to regain that status was to beat Vex and Vaas at the same time. It was upon this revelation that he took up a second sword, taking his time to master the ways of the dual blade.

He once again approached Vex, demanding a rematch. A very cocksure Vex accepted, a more cocksure Vaas insulting Aubrey and attempting to enrage the Primarch. All they found was an icy emerald gaze in return.

The fight began; Aubrey toyed with Vex, hunting his prey, showing only a single sword. Aubrey was waiting, anticipating Vaas. All his senses flaring open, and when he felt confident, he went on the offense, forcing Vex into a corner he couldn't escape from. Vaas made his move and when he did, he found his club blocked by a second sword. Aubrey turned his attention to Vaas, ruthlessly disarming then striking him down. He was left bleeding, but only wounded. Vex, in a blind rage, rushed at Aubrey, letting the Primarch quickly dispatch him as well. From that day on, Aubrey held his head high, two swords by his side.

The Coming of The Emperor

After Aubrey had put down the fourth "Aubreyian Rebellion," composed of Tarellian purists coming mostly from the far flung planets in the system, he was prepared to launch a colonisation effort. That was when the crusade ships appeared on Lazarus. Hektor, the Emperor's most trusted son had descended to Lazarus, seeking to meet his brother. He had learned the location of such a man through the whisperings of communications within the Tarellians' small empire.

Hektor made a show of appearing before the Xenos and asked for Aubrey. Aubrey presented himself, dressed very well in a very fine coat of black, scaled leather. Hektor proceeded to converse with him. However, his tongue was different, and he was somewhat shocked himself to hear Aubrey speaking in a serpentine tongue. Aubrey stood in front of what would become his Legion, attempting to stop them from purging the Xenos. Hektor soon realised that these Xenos were under Aubrey's command.

After a few months, Hektor, being the first human Aubrey had ever laid eyes on, began to form a bond as a mentor and student bond developed. Aubrey had the beginnings of Higher Gothic under his belt and he was finally ready to see the Emperor.

Aubrey was a devout atheist, but he never stopped his Tarrellian subordinates worship of their old gods. Aubrey could never relate to a god of lizardian visage, but when he saw the Emperor, he could not help be feel awed. However, despite this, Aubrey began to debate with his father. This became a long arduous week of debating, during which Hektor interjected his opinions, some for the Trellians and some against. Hektor wished to side with his brother, but he knew the dangers of manipulative xenos. By the skin of their teeth, as well as an agreement of quarantine, the Emperor allowed the Xenos to live.

The Great Crusade

After years of inspiring Xenos, beings fundamentally disparate to his entire being, it did not take the Primarch long to gain the trust of his legion.

It was then, with caution and the Emperor's unknowing, that the Tarellians formed an Auxiliary under his legion, making sure to keep his secrets from his brothers.

The Betrayal

Aubrey led his Legion, upon the Warmaster's orders, to recapture a human colony and to bring it back to the Imperium. However, events had been set in motion by Uriel, Primarch of the Children of Armok. Whilst in combat with the heavily fortified foe, the Tarellians, the Zealots' Xeno Auxiliary, as well as the host of the homeworld of Aubrey and his legion, had began their Coup.

The Captain of the 1st Company had been felled, and a number of the Xenos were beset upon him and his Legion. He survived, wounded, and sent out a message to his homeworld. A third of the legion was stationed there to keep an eye on the Xenos by the Emperor's order. There was no response from the homeworld and he feared the worst; his hands were tied, for he couldn't pull out of the world without withstanding unneeded losses. Seeing no other alternative, he called out to one of his battle-brothers; Bohemond of the Knights of Justice Legion.

Bohemond rushed to the planet, vengeance in his heart. These filthy xenos had betrayed his brother, regardless of his naivety. When he landed, he was received with the glares of the Captains of the Eternal Zealots as the Knights of Justice opened fire on the Tarellians. However, to the Knights' surprise, the Zealots returned fire.

The messages from the Primarch had been intercepted by the group responsible for the betrayal; a large anti-Imperium faction, they had manipulated the message, reporting to the Captains stationed there that Aubrey had been slain by Bohemond and he had come to Lazarus, their homeworld, to finish the job.

The fighting lasted for a week before a wounded Aubrey and Uriel, who arrived in time to bolster his forces on the world, arrived. Aubrey was livid, for most of his forces had been killed. He shouted, bellowed and threatened to beat Bohemond, and they were about to come to blows before Uriel stepped in, saying that he had to return to his legion.

Aubrey was contacted by the Emperor, his face stern and unamused. He berated the Primarch for allowing this to happen, reminding him of what he had said the day he arrived to Lazarus; that Xenos were never to be trusted, for they were treacherous, selfish beings that wanted naught but their own advancement. They cared not for Aubrey, nor his ambitions. Aubrey was silent through the entire communication. Near the conclusion, the Emperor, after reminding Aubrey of his naivety and disappointment, told Aubrey that Bohemond has been ordered to purge the system of the Xenos and Aubrey was to stand down while they did their work. The Primarch said with a sorrowful heart that he understood. He went then to watch as the people who raised him from infancy burned for their betrayal. He felt it was unjust. He felt sorrow. He felt rage.

After his Xeno allies betrayed him and were then destroyed, planet and all, by the orders of his father, whom he admired greatly, he festered a hatred deep inside him for Bohemond and Aubrey's faith in the Emperor became shaken. Aubrey became distraught; the normal life and warmth in his face began to fade and he become a much darker man, throwing himself in the pursuits of sorcery.

He was confronted by the Primarch Kranios, who openly mocked him for his trust in xenos, laughing at his expensive. The pair came to blows, for the two Primarchs had already begun to hate each other after Nikaea Council. After an seemingly endless number of hours, Kranios bellowed and chortled. This was the final straw for Aubrey. He struck his brother with a violent fist of rage, knocking out the other Primarch and fostering a rivalry that would continue for millennia to come.

The Heresy

After the betrayal, their Primarch threw himself further into his studies of magicks to be used for an alternate form of healing. It was then that Uriel introduced a race of Chaos worshiping Xenos; The Cyfecti, a race close to the Eye of Terror who worshipped the Great Eye and the mighty beings that dwelt within. Uriel had kept this secret in the hopes it could be used, and no other would be so easy to fall to this bait then Aubrey. When contacted by the Zealots, the Cyfecti invited them down to their planet and Aubrey was witness to a summoning of a Daemon, which spoke to him. Thus were his eyes opened, showing him the proof of these magicks and giving Aubrey the deal he could never refuse, in the name of medicine. Aubrey would go on to use these powers to corrupt the wounded Warmaster Hektor and cause him to fall to Chaos.

Aubrey wanted a better Imperium, where men and xenos could live in prosperity; this was his vision and no one could get in his way now that he had a god on his side. His legion believed now, fully, that they would be the ones to lead a new and perfect Imperium. The Eternal Zealots then soon believed that the loyalists were beneath them and should therefore die in the name of Aubrey's new Imperium.

Now with zealotry and fanaticism, the Eternal Zealots pursue Mankind and the Imperium, world by world, shrugging off their Hippocratic Oaths of healing in favour of cutting out the tumor that is The Corpse-Emperor's followers, so that he may heal the Imperium and shape it into his own image.

Post-Heresy

Aubrey resides on the planet of the Cyfecti, just outside of the Eye of Terror. With an ancient rune placed on the planet, it seems to have blinked out of existence, an aura surrounding the planet making whomever gazed upon it experience a profound aversion to going near it.

He continues to hunt for the rest of the Knights of Justice, as well as any high priority target in the Imperium. He seeks to cut out the cancer of the Imperium, wishing to keep most of it intact so that he may instate his own "perfect" Imperium that is free of any xenophobia.

Game Material

Aubrey the Grey, the Betrayed, the Chosen of the Gods, Primarch of the Eternal Zealots

WS8 BS5 S6 T6 W5 I5 A4 LD10 SV2+/4++

Unit Composition

•1 (Unique)

Unit Type

•Infantry (Character)

Wargear •Armour of Lazarus

•Jörmun and Gandr

•Archeotech Pistol

Special Rules

•Primarch

•The Scapel

•Dark Fortune

•Sire of the Eternal Zealots

•Very Bulky

Sire of the Eternal Zealots

Aubrey is the spiritual heart of his Legion, the epitomie of all that his sons stand for and all they wish to achieve. Aubrey has the Crusader Rule, and confers this on any squad he joins. In addition, all models with the Legiones Astartes (Eternal Zealots) rule may re-roll failed leadership tests, and all apothecaries in a force containing Aubrey may re-roll a single failed FnP test once per turn.

The Scapel

Aubrey likes to be on the front line, doing his part to keep his sons safe, challenging the leaders and champions of the enemy armies, like a surgeon cutting out the cancer of his foes. Aubrey must issue a challenge if possible, gains Preferred Enemy while in a challenge, and if he wins, all allied forces within 24” of him gain +1 to Combat Resolution to determine who was won an assault.

Dark Fortune

The player may re-roll any failed Deny the Witch Rolls for Aubrey. In addition, once per game, Aubrey may elect to force a single enemy model or squad to re-roll all successful hits on Aubrey, both from shooting and close combat in a given player turn. Note you must accept the re-rolls, even if they are better.

Armour of Lazarus

The Armour of Lazarus confers a 2+/4++ save, and in addition he may re-roll his It Will Not Die rolls and gains 5+ FnP.

Jörmun and Gandr

These matched serpentime Blades, made by dark powers in the heart of the Eye, are fast as quicksilver and can slice any foe apart with ease.

Jörmun and Gandr

Range: Melee

Strength: User

Ap: 2

Type: Melee, Duelist's Edge, Paired (+1 Attack), Soulrend

Soulrend: For every wound caused in a challenge, the enemy suffers -1 to both WS and I, and it stacks.