Silver Cataphracts
Summary of Legion XXIII
Generalists, Masters of Attrition and Indirect Warfare.
Legion Tactics
Dour, pessimistic, secular the Silver Cataphracts prefer to wear their enemies down over an extended period of time throughout an engagement rather than attempt to bet the fate of an entire campaign on a single battle. With an excess of troops and material the Silver Cataphracts usually maintain a sustained assault coinciding along multiple fronts. Though no strangers to the carnage of melee combat, they rarely commit themselves to a charge. The entire battle philosophy of the Cataphracts is to limit their own losses while maximizing those of the enemy. In symmetrical warfare with battle lines and fortifications they are able to dominate, but respond poorly when they re the force being poked and prodded from insurgents or lightning fast raiding groups.
Legion Equipment
The Silver Cataphracts have always had an enormous amount of Marines, growing well beyond their ability to arm the marines sufficiently. Some Marines make do with outdated equipment such as lesser grades of power armor. Having no concept of the term 'conservation', the Cataphracts have been recorded to use twice the amount of projectiles than other Legions in the field. Bolt shells are extremely time consuming to replace, leading many in the Legion to prefer wielding heavy stubbers or other ammunition effective solutions.
Legion Doctrine
The lessons learned by the Cataphract's Primarch Alexandri on the world of Rosskar play a vital role in their combat philosophy. Any tactic, any strategy, any act is not beyond them. They believe in the pure pursuit of victory by any means. A major driving force for cooperation with other Legions is to copy what works for those Legions and what doesn't, applying it to their own strategies. The Cataphracts abhor the idea of honor or even glory, as they solemnly march on to the taxing duty of warfare.
The Legion is hesitant to join a battlefield where they are not supported by conventional forces. The Imperial Army and the Legion's own auxiliaries are a common sight, marching in step with the Marines into the heat of battle. While the Silver Cataphracts would never callously discard the lives of human beings, it is not unknown for the Cataphracts to sacrifice scores of these regular forces to ensure the survival of a single squad of Astartes.
When it comes to specialization, the Cataphracts believe in the right tools for the job. They prefer to overwhelm a foe without ever being drawn out into an extended engagement, merely bleeding them over the course of a campaign until they can no longer withstand a never ending barrage of artillery and armor. If a campaign can be decided with a drop pod assault or will be lost if a fortress is not held, with heavy reluctance the Silver Cataphracts will take up their duty and plunge themselves into the grinder of combat.
Alexandri, Primarch of The Silver Cataphracts
Appearance
Regal best describes the towering progenitor of the Silver Cataphracts. A huge, flowing brown beard that goes down the front of Alexandri's power armour is a common sight to be seen even when he is on the battlefield. Having spent most of his formative years in regular clothing, Alexandri prefers when not on the Crusade to be wearing something other than his power armor. Despite commonly holding a smile and good humor on his face, Alexandri appears to have weathered the years less than handily when compared to his brothers. Dark circles have burrowed in deep into his eye sockets and many lines have formed on his face. Even specks of grey and white have touched his beard. All this only adds to his appearance as the iron-fisted ruler of Rosskar.
Youth
During the first few years on Rosskar's surface, Alexandri did not wander the wilds as a savage or toil beneath the oppression of slavers. He was raised up in a quite wealthy family due to his quick grasp of mathematics and the arts. Orphans with capability were rare, and a good investment made by adopting them to help the family legacy grow was a common practice by the Rosskan aristocracy. Rosskar itself was a cold, frigid place filled with malicious forests and an endless host of terrifying monsters lurking within the depths of these mega-woods.
Alexandri learned of his true origins fairly early, leading him towards the desire of ruling over all of Rosskar. He began with a swift rebellion in his home city which saw the deaths of more than a hundred aristocrats, but no one else was harmed as a result. Alexandri first began to experience the revulsion from others as a direct result of his actions for the first time as he was disowned by the family who had come to love him and care for him. At the time, the Primarch did not care at all. He had a world to conquer!
The years drove on, his armies being halted until no progress was being made. The few cities holding out had fortified themselves to the point none of his forces could press onwards. Alexandri stayed young and healthy, while his family began to die around him. A great depression overtook the ruler which had him seek the society of witches upon his world, the Covens of Rosskar. Here he gained knowledge of both sorcerory and the pragmatism that would dictate the rest of his life. A new, bloody and efficient doctrine still in use by the Cataphracts was employed to bring the capitulation of the remaining cities. Alexandri's grand ambition pushed him ever onward, seeking to fix the many problems with Rosskar and its people.
Sadly, this is frankly impossible. You cannot change fundamentals about a planet and it would take more than a few generations to change its people or its culture. Alexandri faced many attempts on his life by fanatic groups who believe this ridiculous change could only be brought about by his death. When these would-be assassins targeted his family, his nephews and nieces, this is when Alexandri forged his secret police which are still unknown to even his Legionnaries to this day. The police keep in check all movement upon Rosskar, making sure nothing threatens the rule Alexandri has put in place.
The Coming of The Emperor
At first the Emperor's coming was met with glee and celebration. The people of Rosskar were glad to not be the only ones alone in the galaxy. But not all turned about to be well. The Emperor disliked the existence of the Covens, which had helped the Rosskans through countless hardships and even helped Alexandri achieve victory and happiness, for a time. The Custodes were quick to expunge every trace of the society. When it turned out that some were being hidden from the Emperor by the secret police, more purges continued this time in the hearts of Rosskar's cities causing a great many deaths as Silent Sisters joined the fray, to null the effect of the witches' sorceries.
Alexandri would never forgive his Father for this act, but he understood the necessity of accepting it. He never once rose up his might to oppose him, and even as hundred died in the purges he didn't attempt to bicker with him as a child. A silent hatred grew between them, the same hatred which festers in the hearts of Rosskans secretly for the rest of the Imperium as a whole. It ruined their grand dreams of a better future. Every knew now that the rest of the galaxy is just the same, a damn shithole.
The Great Crusade
Never once did the Silver Cataphracts refuse the call to arms when summoned. Due to the massive population of Rosskar the Legion's ranks swelled to the brim, and then spilled over. It was never clear if the Cataphracts even once told the truth of the actual size of their Legion. To further add to this blatant growth of Astartes numbers, millions of regular human soldiers were introduced as part of the Legion as the Rosskar Strelky. The Strelky served as a valuable source of support during the Crusades, fighting as an auxiliary force to the Cataphracts main operations.
When not helping the Emperor or his fellow Primarchs however, Alexandri was eager to expand the realms of the Imperium on his own. He searched for worlds either with unrealized industrial potential or low population, high resource worlds. A huge warmachine was forged form the tiny fiefdom he claimed to help fund his ever expanding Legion and auxiliary force. When rumors of a rising amount of Librarians in the Cataphracts came to light, along with reports of witches serving in the auxiliary, it became clear that Alexandri had great ambitions that might upset the balance of order in the Imperium. Still, even if Alexandri broke regulations, he was always loyal to humanity, understanding the Imperium's way was the best way. The Imperial Truth just needed, bending.
The Heresy
Post-Heresy
Homeworld: Rosskar
Technological Level: Industrial/Hive World.
Lore:
Long before the Emperor even revealed himself to the feuding tribes on the fractured world of Old Terra a great many colonists hoping for a better life fled to the fabled Rosskar. The world was lush with vegetation and life, the soil itself so rich of nutrients that one could literally grow anything with just the smallest amount of light and water. The forests were blasted from orbit, the wildlife within scattered allowing the first cities to be built. It only had a single dim blue star but it was closer to the world than most allowing it to still give off enough light and heat to keep life on Rosskar. Sadly the Dark Age soon began with Warp Storms raging across the breadth of the Imperium stealing away contact and trade with the rest of mankind.
The Rosskans soon found that without constant orbital clearing of the wretched trees the mutated foliage soon grew back with a rabid tenacity. Within the forests lived many a varied killer, herbivore and carnivore alike all desiring to rend flesh apart. Upon this world of abundance had developed animals of unrivaled deadliness, which could only be kept at bay by removing their much needed forests. In this pandemonium arose a new class of aristocrats who came to own all the businesses and marshaled great militias to fight off the creatures and the forests.
Under the aristocrat's rule many died, starving and freezing on the cold world's surface while these elite ate feasts and lived in mansions.
Primarch's Rise
Alexandri enjoyed a childhood without pain or suffering since he lived among these aristocrats. He mastered all of their known sciences before turning eighteen, becoming renowned for his size and intellect. When told of his true origins from the stars it did not come as a surprise to him, but the desire to be something more had been awakened in him. A dream of conquest came to him, to have all of Rosskar in his grasp! Arming the organized crime gangs of his city, bribing the aristocrat guards, and maneuvering himself sufficiently he was able to massacre the societal echelons of Rosskar to secure a position as ruler.
The years dragged on. His family never forgave him for his terrible acts. One by one they began to age to death before his very eyes. His armies had been stalled after conquering most of Rosskar, held back by the new strategies in the defense of the few remaining cities. With his dreams shattered and his family wasting away, loathing him Alexandri saught out the help of the witches of Rosskar. The Covens existed since the Dark Age, rising up after a population boom ensued on the world. Imparting to the Primarch wisdom and guidance rather than arcane help, he was able to see a clear path ahead on what to do next.
After conquering the world, Alexandri attempted to fix the many problems in a vain effort to craft it into a utopia. Sadly his dreams were never able to be realized as several factors contributed to his inability to bring about a better future on Rosskar. The populous he had stirred grew violent and angry, trying to assassinate him for countless years even after he met with the Emperor himself. Rosskar today houses billions of people who contribute heavily to the Primarch's Legion through both industry and manpower.
Heresy
Post-Heresy