Lions Rampant

Lions Rampant
Battle Cry	For valor, strike swift!
Number	IX
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Primarch	Cromwald Walgrun
Homeworld	Sommesgard
Allegiance	Chaos
Colours	Red, Steel grey and White

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

The Lions Rampant once stood as stalwart defenders of mankind. Credited with brilliant leadership and numerous victories, their former glories are now forever stained by infamy. During the Hektor Heresy they cast their lot in with the traitors to the Imperium and are now among the greatest examples of the excesses of Chaos. Now they ride in an eternal quest to satisfy their dark master, the god of Chaos, Slaanesh.

History of the Lions Rampant

Before the discovering of Cromwald, the Lions Rampant were an understrength legion known as the Highland Raiders. They were tasked with subjugating worlds that refused overtures of peace, and as a result were often set against well prepared foes. They lacked for glorious campaigns in their formative years, especially in the wake of legions more specialized, organized, or simply more brutal in their ways. It was not until the discovery of the lost primarch that they would be catapulted to the role of a vaunted vanguard, earning their name and place in the Great Crusade.

Culture

The Lions fall took a finely tuned, highly disciplined machine and set it to run amok in the galaxy. Before the embrace of chaos forever tainted the legion, it gained a reputation as a highly strategic engine of war. They engaged their foes with an eye for delivering their strength to the correct place at the correct time to leverage the maximum effect on the enemy. Their forethought and strategic cunning led to numerous victories over numerically or technologically superior foes. To do so, they formed tactics and doctrine that manifested as a highly mobile, heavily mechanized legion. By rhino or land raider, thunderhawk or bike, the Lions would deliver swift, measured aggression to their foes where they are weakest.

Hailing from ignoble origins, the Lions Rampant became an esteemed legion of peers. The return of their primarch injected noble blood into the legion, drawn from Sommesgard's military elite. Youths drawn from the armed forces across the planet brought the values of their homeworld, introducing the ideals of nobility, valor, and etiquette to the legion. The brotherhood became a refined organization, led by marines groomed to standards both in war and in matters of state.

This grooming of noble born recruits led to a sharp contrast in the ranks. The ranks of officers were swiftly filled by promising candidates from the noble children of Sommesgard. Each peer was given the best training the Lion could offer, and those who excelled would swiftly find themselves in command over their brothers. Terran-born marines endured the prejudice favoring their younger kin with the same thankless stoicism that they had held before Cromwald's return, knowing full well that the greatest leaders of the legion were still those most exceptional marines that had endured the crucible of war and been forged into a lethal instrument of the Primarch's will. This mixture of fresh blood and aged experience blended together to make a cadre of soldiers that were the face of the legion. Each was a highly educated, highly disciplined, well spoken man. As an officer such marines carried themselves to exacting standards, and would in turn act as liaison to the greater Imperium with measured words and sharp intellect.

Below the officer corps stood the rank and file. These warriors were the backbone of the Lions, and carried a far larger percentage of the original Highland Raiders among their number. The unflinching stoicism of the old guard met with the exuberance of the new blood to form a culture of resolve in the face of all the galaxy's horrors. While not held to the same standards of conduct as the officer corps, the rank and file mimicked the culture of appearances; each man felt duty bound to present a collected, controlled face to their peers. In battle this often would translate to channeling stress and suffering as righteous anger or disdain for the enemy, which acted as a focus for the marines to cleave to when fighting. To demonstrate anything less was a shameful act that would mark a marine out as being of lesser stock than his squadmates, effectively marginalizing him to an ignoble career that culminates in an unremarkable death unless he could restore his standing with the legion.

The culture of maintaining appearances helped to mark the Lions Rampant as a legion closely tied to the average human. Dignity and carefully chosen oratory served to inspire the men that fought and bled alongside them, and it was not uncommon for their sometimes haughty or arrogant demeanor to be overlooked by those who held them as an example of the best mankind had to offer in its fighting men. This, combined with the legions strong Iterator presence and ideals of parlay, would make them well received by noblemen and officers of the regular Imperial Army.

Organizational structure

The Lions Rampant form a legion that seldom fights as one. Instead, the legion is split into six divisions, each numbering over 20,000 marines apiece. These divisions are autonomous; each forms the heart of a crusade fleet with its own array of capital ships, logistical support, and administrative backing to prosecute protracted campaigns with little outside influence from the rest of the legion. These divisions are commanded from above by a dedicated headquarters battalion formed by the Primarch, his hand-picked advisors and his elite guard. This command group attaches itself to a division for a period of time (usually the length of a campaign), then moves on to the next in line. In this fashion each division gains the guidance of its Primarch during particularly difficult battles, while others facing less dangerous times are given the leeway to operate to their own means and needs.

Each division is further broken up into a quintet of brigades, which nominally number between 4-5 thousand marines. The first brigade is a dedicated heavy armor brigade, while the rest are predominantly infantry. Each brigade is then broken into multiple battalions of roughly a thousand marines, which are in turn broken into companies of one hundred, then sections of thirty, down to the base squads of ten men.

Aside from the segregation of armor in the legion organization, the Lions vary from their peers in the manner of their rapid response troops. Very few squads are outfitted for melee combat, and fewer still are equipped in the manner of other legions assault marines. Instead focus is placed on high mobility for reconnaissance elements, and a doctrine of avoiding melee where feasible unless a tactical advantage is secured by taking the enemy in hand to hand.

Additionally, it is of great note that on each level of command there are multiple attachments to the unit headquarters that help expand upon its abilities. Signals companies, medical units, librarian detachments and reconnaissance companies are often held separate from the standard organizational table, and regularly report directly to brigade or division command rather than following conventional hierarchy. These forces are even further supplemented by maintenance and recovery units, auxilia forces and other assets that form the extensive infrastructure of war. Though each division on paper numbers roughly 25,000 marines, in practice this number is highly flexible and does not account for the small legion of serfs, technicians, servitors, orderlies, administrators and other necessary forces to ensure the engine of war is well maintained.

Renowned Figures

The Sacred Band

Squad IX of the sacred band was chosen from the newly developed Highland Raiders, whose human stock had been drawn from the wastes of what had once been the western stretches of old Europe. They were a hardy group whose powers of endurance and stalwart hearts had made them excellent candidates to become Astartes. From this legion the ten marines chosen to join Hektor in his subjugation of the broad Merican wastes were not the strongest, the most skilled, or the greatest champions. Those men chosen to ride with the warmaster possessed a far greater quality: intellect and leadership. They were the best examples of scholarship and integrity, of cunning and of charisma necessary to spur their marines to ever greater feats of military excellence. When the legion reached for the stars at the onset of the Great Crusade, it would be under the command of the survivors of the band and wielding their tactics across the stars.

Eight of the ten survived to take the reigns of their legion. Of those eight, only six lived to see their primarch restored. Four of these six were given mastery over a division of the legion. The remaining pair would serve alongside the primarch as advisers and specialists whose talents and understanding would prove utterly invaluable.

1) Geoffrey Calisth - The Lionheart, a warrior whose aggressive tactics would help shape the core of the Lions armored might. Mentor to Basil Heart, who would succeed him. Died in battle as master of the 3rd division, leading the brigade that shared his title.

2) Callidan Taylor - Shrewd, cunning, and gifted in deception and subterfuge. His contributions would be marginalized in his later years as too underhanded and indirect. Slain in battle shortly before the discovery of their primarch.

3) Frederick of Lomstead - A simple, down to earth individual whose plain manner hides a very keen intellect. A good anchor for his peers, he was often the broker of peace between astartes for his level head. Joined Cromwald's command company upon discovering the primarch.

4) Isaac Venetus - A tactician and capable fighter, he was renowned for his stubbornness and eye for positioning and deployment. A good shot with heavy weapons, he would go on to lead the 2nd division.

5) Ricard Leminway - An expert marksman with a cheerful demeanor, he never ceased to show pride at being chosen as one of the legions best and brightest. His jovial ways helped morale, as no horror of war ever seemed to phase him. Died on the crusade before Cromwald was found.

6) Russel Brennenburg - A heavyset, somber man who bore the names of slain brothers and battles branded upon his skin. He would never forget a defeat, and would avenge his fallen brothers as a grim reaper upon his enemies. Slain in the final days of Unification.

7) Carloff Everts - Faced with the wisdom and knowledge of the Warmaster, he demonstrated an insatiable craving for more. He threw himself at theory and was always keen to adapt his academic understanding of tactics to practical ends. Mastered the 6th division.

8) Vincent Klienes - Psychically gifted and in possession of an iron will, he was a noble soul who fought brilliantly no matter the danger. He would be the first and greatest of the legion's librarians, who proved a dauntless explorer of the powers he wielded and the source of their might.

9) The Bear - Drawn from an annexed barbarian tribe and uplifted to the Imperial Truth, Bear was a surprisingly intelligent man. Built like his namesake and possessing a fearsome nature, he would become a legend among his brothers as a champion, and master of the 4th division.

10) Gabriel Belimond - A moody, dark man whose even temper restrained a slowly smoldering rage within. Died during unification.

Victor Chesly of the Crusader Host

Chesly stands apart from his legion as a brave, loyal soul whose career remains untarnished by the stain on his legion's honor. He was an esteemed officer in the late years of the crusade given command of the 1st division. From this lofty position he was chosen to join the Emperor's side as one of the Crusader Host. Taken aback by the peerless honor such a position entailed, he humbly resigned his post as marshal and prepared himself for the long separation from his brethren.

Victor embodies the very best of his legion. (to be continued)

Successors and Warbands

The Tyrants Legion

Warriors of the Whispering Tyrant, a Chaos Lord of Slaanesh that is reported to draw from the souls of those he faces their darkest secrets, and whisper terrible things to their mind. A generalist warband with a high concentration of sorcerors, they are based on a small stronghold near the Maelstrom, where the tides of the warp hide them from Imperial Justice.

The Lions Claws

Formed around an armored brigade that split from the legion, they are a horde of vehicle mounted marines that delight in the thunder of treads and the roar of big guns. Praising Slaanesh from their iron steeds, they raid for slaves and victims to satisfy their need for violence, flesh and souls. Their master reportedly feeds his Vanquisher pattern Predator tank the blood and souls of his victims to bring the daemon within to compliance. Where the tank rides, it is accompanied by the tortured screams and ecstatic howls of those condemned to the daemon's clutches.

Writefaggotry in progress

The Trial of General Betroval

--/Pict feed begins./-- Subject (identified General Griffon Betroval, age 98) is seated in center of wide chamber, stripped to only trousers and shackles. Pict focuses on Betroval. Blurred human figure (Subject (i)) crosses camera. Sudden light fixes on Betroval, causing him to flinch and squint.

Voice(i?): General Betroval. What has it been, three days? Three days, bound before this court. Three days denying the truth of your crimes before the Imperium.

BETROVAL: I have told you! I told you I am no traitor! You have the evidence for yourself!

Voice(i?): You deny still, then, the charges leveled before you?

BETROVAL: Yes! I do!