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Rahman Keita'mansa

2020-01-12T05:53:17Z

2601:14D:380:1DE0:D873:42E7:ABC:C40: /* Personality and Appearance */

{{Infobox Warmasters' Triumvirate Primarch
|name=Rahman Keita'mansa
|bgcolor=teal
|fgcolor=silver
|image=[[File:Rahman_2.jpeg|272px]]
|title=the Bold One, the Privateer, Lord of a Thousand Warrants, Master of the Mines of Ghara, Patron-Illustrious of Stygies VIII
|alias=
|where=Manden
|when=
|legion=[[Corsairs Gallant]]
|crusade=Primarch, 36<sup>th</sup> Expeditionary fleet
|sigil= [[File:CorsairsGallantBadge.png|100px]]
|weapon=The ''Night Sabre'', a blade of xenos origin, and a brace of rare and powerful pistols
|trait=Clever, curious, economical, swashbuckling prowess
|flaw=Nihilism, duplicity, greed
|heresy=Separatist
|fate=Disappears circa M33, leaving behind a trail of clues that seem to lead into the Halo Stars
|dominion=
}}
{{Warmasters Triumvirate-Head}}

Rahman Keita'mansa is the primarch of the XXI<sup>st</sup>, Legiones Astartes; the Corsairs Gallant. Known for his keen mind and sharp wit, Rahman was a seen even by his close associates as a roguish and dangerous character, whose talents for rapid actions, bringing about compliant worlds, and supporting his fellows was offset by a habit for duplicity and covert action, often seemingly without purpose and even at the detriment to his erstwhile allies. Though he maintained relatively good terms with many of his brothers, relations were often strained by his actions, and his close friendship with many of the more controversial members of the brotherhood. In truth, much of his bravura and swagger was a cover for a deep nihilism that ate at him, driving him to attempt to fill a void in his soul. Following the Brotherwar he would be further shaken, slowly retreating into isolation until he finally disappeared entirely, leaving behind a trail that would become known as the Halo Map, seen by his sons as a mission set by their father to find him, and by many others as a map to some strange and arcane treasure.

=History=
==Primarch Origin==
The world of Manden was a water world dotted by relatively small but densely rivered continents, its climate a mix of deserts and tropic to subtropical in most places.

==The Great Crusade==

==Brotherwar==

=Fate & Legacy=

=Personality and Appearance=

==Appearance==
Dark in complexion, far more than those of his brothers, Rahman nevertheless greatly resembled many of them, and their father most of all. With a strong jaw and a set of piercing silver eyes, he stood out among his brothers, even if neither his height nor his build seemed to. He was decidedly middling in both factors, neither the tallest nor the shortest of the Primarchs, nor the most solidly built or the most slim, though he still towered above the average mortal and even his Astartes sons. Yet there was an air about him, a bearing that makes him noticeable, a natural and easy charisma.

He kept his facial hair well kept in a flamboyant style, very much based on the roguish charm of the Rogue Trader mythos. His hair, jet black, was kept in finely kept dreadlocks, woven in with charms and skulls of silver and gold, and rumors of digital weapons in those as well. He generally wore a large hat, a tricorn of black leather with silver filigree.

Neither the fastest nor the strongest of his brothers, he nevertheless was a consummate duelist, capable of matching to a man most through a combination of brutal cunning and a willingness to use tricks both technological and otherwise in order to win. He took to heart the words of his adopted father: the fair fight was the one you did not prepare right for.

==Personality==
Of the temperaments, Rahman was firmly seen as sanguine. A bold and boisterous man, he had charisma to spare, seeming to charm by his very presence. A consummate showman, his every move was often a calculated act, designed to further his image. Cultivated through youth, this mindset was hammered as essential for a captain and commander, to create an image and mystique that would lead men to follow, to volunteer for things that they did not know they were being led into, and to face death with a smile. It was not to say that Rahman is fake, far from it, but simply that he had embraced the image, and has, as a result, become that image even as he acts it.

Rahman cared for his sons, and he truly saw his legion as such, and to a lesser extent humanity as a whole. Hammered into him from youth as well was this supreme loyalty to family, yet it was one that was also tempered by the necessity for caution, as this loyalty was often tested by less scrupulous members. Thus, a sense of duplicitousness was also ingrained into him, furthered by the necessities of a trader’s way. Plans and schemes, a mind for tactics that was flexible, adaptable, and ruthless when necessary, yet sparing both for the prospect of future business and to preserve the spoils gained in victory.

Curious to a fault, Rahman never shied away from the strange, even the alien. He took in many peculiarities, both animate and otherwise. A menagerie of alien beasts was kept aboard his flagship, the Crystal Skull, while he took on retainers from abhuman breeds, utilizing their uniqueness to his advantage. However, he often courted disaster in pursuit of the strange technological artifacts of the galaxy, caring not if they were old human or xenos in origin. The armory of the Mansa of the Keita Dynasty was full of strange artifacts and items, and he did not shy from using them, earning the ire of many and nearly censorship on several occasions as a result.

As time progressed, he found himself increasingly disillusioned with the destruction of the Great Crusade, his distrust for his ‘father’ sprouting from seeds the Emperor had planted after Rahman had been found and watched his adopted father, the man who had raised and taught him, censored and exiled. His desires for material wealth, in pursuit of some esoteric goal, led him down a rebellious path, though he rebuffed the courtship of Chaos; many mistook him for a being of excess for its own sake, yet there was more to Rahman than that. In truth, Rahman desired a purpose… as time went on, he came to believe that there was no real purpose in the crusade.

To some, this might have been the way for the Great Destroyer to get hooks in, yet Rahman found this even worse; the warp was not even less than the material, the beings there were loathsome reflections of the mortal races, not worthy of anything. There was no discovery, no true curiosity in the warp, merely facsimiles aping true discovery. Excess for the sake of excess was nothing, and while all things decayed there was nothing to be taken from there… and Rahman did not fear it, so much as just… endure it. Neither the Dark Prince nor the Grandfather thus found purchase, and the others had even less a chance of gaining his service.

Like his brothers, Rahman was naturally psychic. However, his talents as a psyker were limited almost exclusively to the art of divination, and he never trained this sense as much as many of his fellows. It also instilled in him a sort of paranoia that drove him to attempt to have a handle on things, to know everything he could and also to trust those outside of his family very rarely. This included his 'brothers,' sparing a select few, and the Brotherwar seemed to validate this mindset in many ways. The fall of Mot Hadad most of all struck him; the abrasive Primarch of the Forge Lords was a friend, and indeed he was almost the only friend Mot had. Despite his abilities he was seemingly blind to his brother's path to damnation.

Torn by paranoia and curiosity, a desire for good and a fear of nihilism, Rahman was often torn in two directions. This desire for knowledge and meaning is part of what led to his eventual 'fall' into corruption of another sort.

==Equipment==
Rahman’s personal armor is one of the finest examples of power armor ever artificed, perfectly fitted to his body in every way. Though of comparable defensive power to that of a suit of master-wrought Terminator armor. Constructed in baroque style, it’s blue-gray coloring matches that of the rest of legion, with the same silver accents as well. On the center of the cuirass is a large embossed silver emblem, that of his legion, the Cardinal Skull. This houses a powerful force field generator, one of considerable strength. The backpack mounts several lenses and surveyors, linked into the monocle he wears as well, as well as what appear to be crystal structures in mountings of some kind. The suit’s pauldrons have dangling silver filigree, giving them something of the look of epaulets.

However, the armor also integrates a heavy coat styled as those of his adopted father’s calling, a flamboyant mix of high-collared and silver-edged naval uniform and daring rogue that integrates on his armor, a deeper navy, almost black, in color. The coat is woven with voidsheen, a micro-vitrious mesh designed to diffract and absorb energy, making it more than mere decoration, but a layer of defense all its own. It also holds another secret due to another material woven into it, one that reacts only when another device is activated.

A secondary defense to the force field generator, a holo-field hangs around his neck, one of several pendants of various kinds. When activated, it generates a blurring image, and casts off reflections that hide his position. Photoreactive materials in the coat assist in this process, making it difficult to track him when he is in motion. The origins of this technology are disputed, with the official claim being that it is derived from archeotech from before the Age of Strife, yet similarities to Eldar technology have cast doubt on this.

The crystalline structures on his backpack are often thought of as mere decoration or perhaps some sort of targeting matrix, but in reality are part of piece of technology of unequivocal xenos origin: a Ulumeathi Plasma Syphon, which creates an aura that destabilizes the fields of plasma weapons around the wearer, making it nearly impossible to accurately target with them. Another piece of hidden xenotech is the Eldar flip-belt integrated into the suit’s waist, one that he uses only sparingly to avoid revealing.

Per weaponry, fitting someone who prides himself both on his flamboyance and tactical flexibility, and someone who so greatly appreciates unique curios and relics, he carries with him quite a panoply. Specifically, his primary arm is the Volkite Petronel, a unique archeotech weapon. At its most basic, it resembles a volkite weapon, yet is capable of far higher output. Firing a pulsed storm of energy, it could reduce entire squads of lightly armored foes to ash. It was often carried alongside two other weapons, both of xenos origin. The first, a psychocrystalline weapon of unknown alien manufacture, the Neuro Disruptor was one of several xenos treasures that Rahman had and uses, pulling out the weapon to lay waste to the most dire of foes. It had no obvious power source, internal workings or mechanical trigger, but worked by intent. It used intricate psycho-crystalline circuitry to emit a wave of particles that disrupt the brain's neural pathways. He also carried another weapon of xenos origin, the Blast Pistol. Not to be confused with a weapon sometimes found in the hands of other Imperial officers, not being a laser weapon but rather one that fires a strange material referred to as Darklight, harvested through unknown means. Limited in ammunition, Rahman kept it as a trophy and used it only in the most dire circumstances, bringing a power that can tear through armor with ease.

For melee, he is no less esoteric, and while his panoply includes several eldritch items of unknown origins, the primary being a heavy falchion of black metal, etched with emerald lines and runes that dances with energy of the same. It’s grip is of human make a caged basket hilt that integrates a light suspensor to lighten the weapon to near nothing, while the blade itself is of xenos origin. The blade is unusual in its ability to phase in and out of Realspace by molecular realignment, allowing it to plunge clean through armour, flesh and bone as though they were not there at all. Energy shields, armour and even daemonic bodies are of no defence against a it’s fractal edge.

Further, both hands are festooned with rings, several of which contain digital weapons of various kinds, rounding out the flexible panoply of death Rahman carries with him. However, this is not the extent of his arsenal, and he’s been known to make use of micro-void shields, phase generators, and peculiar cloaking devices, all manner of device both archaeotech and xenos, based upon his whims and fancy and cunning plans, black tetrahedrons with dark green circuitry across its alien surface. A favored weapon are strange metal spheres around the size of a man’s fist, seemingly featureless and activating only if thrown, delivering a stunning shock upon impact.

Rahman is usually accompanied by a Gyrinx by the name of Musa, a 2 meter felinoid creature that bonded with him during one of his many explorations into the depths of space. The creature accompanies him nearly everywhere, and is widely considered one of the largest of its kind; gyrinx are known to take on the physical traits of those they are bonded to, and it is likely that Rahman’s unique physiology and prodigious soul caused the peculiar growth in the creature. The creature accompanies him even into battle, a stalking predator with peculiar abilities, assisting his ability to think and react.

=Rules=
[[File:RahmanInFull.jpg|400px|left]]

Rahman Keita'mansa

2020-01-12T05:46:29Z

2601:14D:380:1DE0:D873:42E7:ABC:C40: /* Appearance */

Rahman Keita'mansa

2020-01-12T05:45:07Z

2601:14D:380:1DE0:D873:42E7:ABC:C40:

Corsairs Gallant

2020-01-12T05:36:07Z

2601:14D:380:1DE0:D873:42E7:ABC:C40: /* Filibusters and Blackshields */

{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = Corsairs Gallant
|Heraldry = [[File:CorsairsGallant.png|200px]]
|Battle Cry = “Fortune favors the bold!”
|Number = XXI
|Founding = First Founding
|Successors of = None
|Successor Chapters = Aquilon Knights (Fillibuster), Crimson Hawks (Fillibuster); Umbral Maw
|Legion Master = Folami Keita'mansa
|Primarch = [[Rahman Keita'mansa]]
|Homeworld = Manden
|Specialty = Light/Mechanized Infantry, Covert Actions, Lightning Raids, Zone Mortalis/Void Operations
|Strength = 72,000 at height (officially 65,000)
|Allegiance = Separatist
|Colors = Black on Blue-Gray Armor, Silver and Teal-Blue Accents, Red Weapons
}}
{{Warmasters Triumvirate-Head}}

The Corsairs Gallant were the XXIth [[Legiones Astartes]]. Led by [[Rahman Keita'mansa]], they were known for their covert nature and specialty in [[Zone_Mortalis|Zone Mortalis]] and AirLand operations, and a fondness for highly specialized bolt weaponry. Long skirting the line of acceptable behavior, having pushed to the limit the use of various legal loopholes to avoid censure, they sided with the Separatist forces during the Brother's War, and eventually became an economic and naval powerhouse of the Union that followed. Their primarch, Rahman Keita'mansa, was often considered to be a Rogue Traider first and a primarch second, and he eventually disappeared into the unknown in M35, leaving behind the Gallant Quest, a series of clue and map fragments that some said led to a reponsitory of wealth, archeotech, or other prizes, but that the Corsairs themselves felt was the location of their genefather.

Often distrusted even by their allies, the Corsairs had engaged in false flag operations even during the [[Great Crusade]], and infiltrated several secret chapters in the Imperium, known as Fillibuster chapters, yet largely remained unified following the end of the Brother's War.

=History=

==Pre-Primarch History & Reunion==

==The Great Crusade==

==Brotherwar==

==Post-Brotherwar==

=Homeworld=
Manden is a prosperous and well-connected world, known for being at the nexus of a network of stable pathways through the warp, a fact that accelerated the spread of Manden influence throughout a number of worlds prior to its reunion with the Imperium of Man. The planet itself is roughly one-fourth the size of Terra, with a mixture of climates but largely savannas and hilly regions separated by large lakes and vast rivers in its disposition, a fact that led to the development of a rich mercantile culture of independent city-states led by noble-houses. Rich in mineral wealth as well as a diverse amount of flora and fauna, it managed to regain spaceflight relatively quickly, but carried its disunited nature into the stars with it.

=Legion Doctrine=
The Corsairs Gallant are, in many ways, entirely unlike most legions, operating almost entirely outside the norms that even diverse legions often share. Their doctrine is crafted by a number of factors, not the least of which is the old maritime culture of Manden and its expansive trade league that was incorporated into the Imperium. The legacy of the House Troops is reflected in several ways, including the Fillibusters but also in the general deployment and tactics; Manden forces were true marines, naval and often light infantry designed to be mobile, self-sufficient, and adaptable. Another major factor was size; due to the restrictive nature of Corsairs Gallant geneseed, the legion was significantly smaller and thus forced into certain tactical options by near necessity. Further, the wealth and culture also led to specific kinds of weaponry and tactics, including low-impact as a defining characteristic of their operations, something that makes them exceptionally good at pacifying human worlds where a lighter touch often goes far.

===Buying Victory===

===Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast===

===Legion Apart===

===Mastercrafted Simplicity===

==Legion Culture & Personality==

===Curiosity and Commerce===

===The Gallant Dominion and Corsair Secessions===

The manner in which the Corsairs Gallant cement their power in worlds is innately tied to the unique circumstances affecting both their primarch's 'homeworld' as well as the flaw, of sorts, present in their geneseed. It is also how they maintain a network of de jure independent worlds that that de facto under either their direct or nearly so control, the so called Gallant Dominions, contrasted to the worlds they hold via economic means, often themselves technically outside the Union, a few even officially belonging to the Imperium; the so called Corsair Successions. These worlds range from settled planets and even great hive worlds to frontier lands and settlements claimed largely for control over rare resources. These are also the worlds where conflict between Imperial forces, often seeking to reaffirm their control, run afoul of the Corsairs, though far more often control is held covertly, via mercantile means.

The Corsairs maintain a strong aristocratic system of patronage and nobility, tied into the legal protections granted by the Warrant of Trade held by the Keita'mansa dynasty, under the authority of the Emperor himself and thus held in a strange state even in the post-Separatist era; no Imperial authority can countermand that of the Emperor himself, and thus while technically (and, in truth, actually) outside the light of the Imperium, the Keita'mansa dynasty technically hold authority through the Warrant, one granted under such specific terms by the Emperor that mark it as utterly unique. This factor is why agents of the Corsairs can occasionally be found even inside the Imperium, abet only when enough power can be exerted to cause the Warrant to be enforced. The Corsairs are not so foolish as to attempt to invoke it to stave off battles where forces are already in place, but it can be used in other, more tactful, manners. Its protections are directly tied to the house of Keita'mansa, and this has shaped much of the legion culture.

As a result, each member of the Legion is adopted, legally, into the Keita'mansa family, or a cadet branch there-of. This, at least technically, would extend the protection of the Warrant of Trade to them. Further, as they achieve higher ranks, they are eventually set up in an arranged marriage with a noblewoman from one of the many other houses that dot and hold power in the worlds of the Gallant Dominion. These arrangements are more than merely formal; Astartes are encouraged to actually meet and interact with their wives, though the production of children is done entirely via in-vitro methodologies, using samples taken prior to ascension into full Astartes and/or methods of seed generation via techno-alchemical methods. However, marines are more often than not away engaging in the business of war and trade, and as such consorts are often not merely tolerated, but actively provided, often failed aspirants to the legion, a fact that is not seen as dishonorable due to the nature of the gene-seed and difficulty, and instead these individuals are often integrated as chosen servants inside the noble families. Gene-therapies and other methods are utilized to avoid negative effects, and outside blood from noble houses is regularly brought in, thus causing noble marriages to serve a double purpose.

The relationship between an Astartes and his children is complicated. Female children rarely interact with their fathers and are, like many of their kind, used for political and noble marriages, as well as to spread the key genetic markers of the Keita'mansa dynasty that are necessary for gene-seed implantation to succeed. Sons are often, by contrast, more directly tutored, taught the key skills of a Corsair Gallant long before the trials of ascension are held and they are tested as being fit for the implantation process. Failures to these trials are married into other families, serve aboard vessels as lower officers or deck crew, or, occasionally, chosen as consorts. Those that do pass and enter the implantation process undergo deep checks for gene-seed compatibility long before it is ever attempted, and even then often fail to accept the implant process. These usually die, but those that survive almost universally become ship crew, and are generally not allowed to pass on genes, at least not into the noble houses.

Through these methods, the Keita'mansa family becomes entrenched on worlds, linked by marriage and blood to other noble houses, and supported by the military and economic might of the Legion, is able to maintain power and control. Often, other houses nominally are higher in authority, directly administering worlds, yet few are foolish enough to think they do not do so at the sufferance of the house of Keita'mansa.

==Gene-seed flaws and other Mutations==
Either by flaw or by design, the gene-seed of Rahman Keita'mansa is incredibly restrictive in its implantation rates, with rejection rates significantly higher than normal. It is for this reason that the Corsairs Gallant have always been the smallest of the legions, at least sparing the lowest points of the Brotherwar where casualties rose to astronomical heights for some others. This limitation has informed their combat doctrine, leading to the rapid tactical strikes and covert operations, and the shock-and-awe lightning strikes that maximize efficiency and minimize causalities on their side. It is also why, ironically, they hid away a portion of the legion, the Fillibusters and Blackshields, operating under false-flags to further their goals long before they ever entered the picture officially, if ever.

===The Geneforged===

===The Ghasts===

==Legion Organization==

===Rank Structure===

===The Auguries===

===Filibusters and Blackshields===
[[File:blackshieldcorsair.png|200px|frame|right|A Corsairs Gallant-aligned Blackshield operating during the Brother's War]]Even prior to the Brother's War and the Corsair's joining of the Separatist cause the Corsairs Gallant made heavy use of unmarked and false-flag operatives, keeping a full seven-thousand marines in covert status. The origins to this phenomenon lie in the traditions of old Manden and surrounding worlds. Trade families dominated the politics, and it was simply the way of things to both declare ones official forces as well as maintain unmarked forces, often masquerading as other armies or mercenaries, yet composed of fully loyal members. Rahman instituted this method for acting outside the normal realms of propriety. Though often rumored, they were studious in hiding their origins and never officially pinned to the legion; if they were to be captured, they would instead destroy themselves to prevent identification.

A Fillibuster is an astartes masquerading as another legion, with armor and equipment to match. Only the most skilled members of the legion, able to emulate the mannerisms of other legions, were chosen for such a role. Often, the Corsairs would deploy such troops simply to keep tabs on the other legions, leading to one of the reason they had such information. Yet this also became something of a blind spot; paranoid due to his divination abilities, Rahman trusted these assets to keep him appraised and yet he was caught off guard by the Brotherwar all the same.

Blackshields, on the other hand, originated with the act of blacking out the armor of an astartes for deniable operations not linked to any explicit legion. Though during the Brotherwar other blackshields would arise in the form of rogues and warbands, the original blackshields where actually these Corsairs assets. Additionally, the Corsairs would recruit a number of other blackshields into their forces, both overtly and covertly supporting them and directing them towards ends that Rahman saw as desirable or necessary.

==Special Units==

===Braves===

===Reaver Squads===
[[File:CorsairsReaver1.png|200px|frame|left|A Corsairs Gallant serving in a Reaver squad, note the combi-heavy bolter/flamer weapon and the lack of Bills of Honor]]Though often considered lacking in honor, the Reaver Squad was a formation inside the Corsairs Gallant deployed when maximum impact and destruction of property and personnel was necessary. In some ways taking the place of Destroyer Squads and inspired by legions such as the Death’s Heads, the Reavers utilized a mix of flamer weaponry, entire sqauds using combi-flamers, infernus heavy bolters, and other incendiary weapons to wreck havoc across wide areas, burning out resistance too hard to expel through other means. Though considered lacking honor, and thus not authorized to wear Bills of Honor on their armor, the Reaver Squads were not disdained, and were considered necessary parts of the Corsairs Gallant doctrine. Rarely did an Astartes remain in their numbers for long, instead rotating back into normal squads, their time in the formation rarely spoken of and not held either for or against their later honors or promotions.

===Brethren of the Court===
The elite of the elite, the Brethen of the Court are a force of terminator-armor equipped Astartes that honor guards are drawn from for praetors and the Primarch himself. They are also the last stop before an astartes of the XXIth legion is promoted to an officer rank, and indeed all officers remain as members of the Brethren, entitling them to a place at the court of the Primarch and Legion master. It is there that these picked men both learn and give council. Often, Brethren are then embedded into squads to give direct action to the council choices, but when formed into an all Terminator force they are to be reckoned with, equipped with heavy blades of arcane make and both grenade harnesses as well as under-slung Astartes-grade grenade launchers for hurling several varieties of powerful grenade at foes. The blades used by the Brethren, though, are perhaps the true iconic element. Drawn from caches of ancient weapons and those discovered on the fringes of the galaxy, some are not unlike the phase blade used by the primarch, while others are cleaving weapons that strike with unheard of power. Rahman himself would gift a member of the Brethren their first blade, a rite later taken up by the Legion Master after the primarch disappeared into the unknown.

===Kroot===

====Origins and Development====

====Usage====
Shaped through introduction of gene elements to make them both effective and to work well with Corsair forces, modern Kroot have been compared to Orks, owing to the robust physiology that actually has more roots in integration of Astartes gene elements, combined with their nevertheless often primitive appearance. Kept in a state of semi-uplift, Kroot vary in some degrees of development, with those in the service of the Corsairs being the most well equipped, trained, and organized.

==Legion Equipment==

===Power Armor===
[[File:CorsairsGallant.png|200px|frame|left|A Corsairs Gallant Tactical Marine in Mark III Ultra/Manden pattern armor and wielding a Mark IV Ultra Pattern bolter.]][[File:CorsairsAssault.png|200px|frame|right|A Corsairs Gallant Assault Marine wearing Crusade-era assault-grade armor]]
Designed based on their standard Mark III armor, the Mark III Ultra/Manden resembles exterior pattern of Mark III plate closely, though its shoulders tended to be more akin to that of the older Mark II plate. Notable for its use of exposed riveting as much for decorating as construction purposes. It also utilized a wide, flaring belt, as well as usually a loincloth woven of armormesh which actually could deflect or reduce the power of las weapons, though it was largely stylistic in usage. The true modifications were largely internal; the pattern was constantly updated to incorporate later advances in internal technology, while retaining the front-focused defensive capabilities of the original Mark III armor favored by the Corsairs for its usefulness aboard vessels and in other narrow confines, such as urban terrain. Additionally, they integrated improved targetter systems and autosenses above that of standard power armor, with even the basic tactical marine incorporating improved optics and other technology as a force and power multiplier. Each suit also incorporated a grav-chute into the backpack design, allowing all marines to operate as paratroopers. The design is also intended to be able to easily host extra pouches, ammo or grenade racks, or other equipment as necessary, and also an optional wrist mounted vid-screen with integrated vox uplink to the overall network, often coordinated via command Rhinos that are deployed in theater.

Further, the Corsairs Gallant produced what was known as assault-grade armor, designed for use by their rare but elite assault and other jump troops. Though its torso design was taken more from later patterns, its internals and other parts were mostly linked to that of the original Mark III plate, abet with a much higher gorget and a full cowling around the head. Later models would included reinforced leg-mountings that had greater armor and impact absorbing properties for jump-use.

The Corsairs Gallant would continue to use Mark III Ultra/Manden pattern armor well past the Brother's War, abet integrating later developments in certain areas into it. The use of the consistent style was an intentional choice; associating a specific pattern with the legion helped to set apart the Blackshields and Fillibuster forces who, in contrast, nearly never were seen in Mark III armor, let alone the Manden pattern of it. Though seemingly simple, this small choice proved effective.

====Terminator Armor====
Though it may seem surprising for such a fast raiding force, the Corsairs Gallant not only make heavy use of Terminators, the possess a significant amount of the armor, notable of the Tartaros pattern, and employ it widely in void and zone mortalis combat. The Corsairs Gallant were some of the first to receive the relatively late Tartaros pattern, having heavily subsidized the production for several key Forge Worlds that allowed them to claim a lion share of the initial production. While the Corsairs Gallant possess enough suits of Terminator armor to equip several formations, most astartes granted rights to a suit also have a suit of finely wrought artificer armor they make use of in many cases, deploying in Terminator armor only in specific circumstances. When deploying, they are done so via Storm Eagle transport more often than not, teleportation being disfavored by the Corsairs for its somewhat dangerous nature and unpredictability.

===Small Arms and Infantry Equipment===

The standard bolter pattern utilized by the Corsairs Gallant was the Mark IV Ultra Pattern, notable for its capability for both single-shot and three-bolt burst fire as well as automatic, loaded from a standard 25-round sickle magazine and firing the same .75 caliber explosive tipped mass-reactive bolt of most other patterns. However, the Mark IV Ultra Pattern also integrates a built-in ammunition counter, an Auto-senses targeting uplink, and a biometric handgrip sensor for genetic identification of its user as standard features, and was usually constructed to a significantly higher grade by both the Forges that the Corsairs patronized and by their own legion smiths. Capable of accepting a number of other attachments, the legion tended to equip many of its forces with additional optical sights, drum magazines, barrel extensions or suppressors, and with foregrips, among other attachments, all of which improved its versatility and capabilities. It could also mount a grenade launcher under-barrel.

The focus on the bolter is not entirely odd; it is, after all, the standard small-arm of the legions. However, the focus on quality and versatility the Corsairs Gallant put into it exceeded that of other legions by several levels. The Corsairs Gallant culture shunned the use of the common plasma and melta weaponry, and the rare and hard to maintain volkite gear was also disliked. Flamers, while useful, were niche and lacked versatility. For plasma and melta weaponry, it was a mix of issues; plasma tended to have stability issues, a major concern for smaller forces like the Corsairs, and also was dangerous for use in shipboard environments. Melta weaponry was even more so, and its range limitations was seen as almost precluding use. As a result, the Corsairs preferred to utilize mix of dedicated and underbarrel grenade launchers and combi-bolters equipped with drums and specialized ammunition as support weapons, and notable integrated these weapons at a tactical level, in contrast to the dedicated support squads used by other forces.

One exception was graviton weapons, due to both the legion’s contacts with certain forge worlds and their use in shipboard operatons. This also led them to throw weight behind the development of other forms of the weapon, even when the Mechanicum objected.

The legion also made heavy use of shotguns, even equipping whole squads with them during shipboard actions, themselves utilizing a variety of specialized rounds as well. Favored by their assault troops, the Corsairs were at ease with the shotgun as they were with the bolter.

====Heavy Weapons====
Much like their attitudes to small arms, the heavy weapons utilized by Corsairs infantry were limited largely to heavy bolters and missile launchers, once against linked to their focus on versatility. The heavy bolter could utilize various ammunition types, and often was equipped with suspensor harnesses to assist in mobility and use aboard ships and other close quarters areas. Missile launchers were used both in dedicated heavy launchers as well as single-shot disposable tubes, thus giving individual squads capabilities that they otherwise would lack. There was one heavy weapon the legion did use that was unique to them: the frag cannon. A heavy, shotgun-like weapon that fired either in slug or fragmentation modes, it could decimate entire corridors or punch through the armored bulkheads when needed.

====Bolter Ammunition====

One of the primary ways the legion achieved versatility in the use of its bolters was in its focus on specialized bolt rounds for them. Stalker-pattern bolts designed for stealth use and other rounds like Metal Storm frag shells were not invented by the Corsairs, but were extensively utilized by them. However, the legion did go out of its way to gain the ability to produce certain rounds for itself, such as Tempest Bolts, which were largely the province of Mars before the Corsairs gained the ability to produce them through a mix of covert acquisition and reverse engineering. The discovery of this fact nearly led to a small crisis between the Mars priesthood and the legion, with the Corsairs Gallant promising to limit their production and the spread.

Other strange rounds included toxin-infused Metal Storm rounds, known as Viper Storm rounds, as well as Webber Binding rounds, Hellfire bolts, and the odd Bombard round, which was designed to be fired at an arc as a sort of impromptu light mortar, containing greater explosive filler due to the lower propellant, and less focus on penetrative power over blast force. Combined with the targeting systems used, this meant squads could form small urban fire support platforms. These were just some of many other types that the forces were often deployed with, giving even a normal tactical squad greater flexibility than nearly any other legion.

The truest danger, though, was the Torsion bolt, which used gravitic technology to create a rending gravitic burst on target. Though often no more dangerous than a normal bolt, the rounds could often cause internal damage, allowing them to bypass armor completely.

====Astartes Grenade Launchers====
.

===Armored Vehicles===
[[File:corsairsgravrhinoprofile.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|right|A Pythagori III-made Rhino hull, using anti-grav technology]]

Though wealthy and well-equipped, the Corsairs Gallant made a point of avoiding many of the larger, rarer and more complicated vehicle systems used by the legions. This even included the relatively common, comparatively speaking, Land Raider platform, let alone vehicles like the Spartan or Sicaran-series of tanks. Instead, they made extensive use Rhino-patterned vehicles, including the base Rhino Armored Personnel Carrier, the Predator Battle Tank, the Vindicator Siege Tank, and the Whirlwind Mobile Artillery Tank, as well as variants of those. However, they also made use of several other vehicles, most not entirely unique to them but either discovered by them or merely used more extensively.

However, there is one aspect of the Corsair Gallant that set them apart. Though the Grav-Rhino, as it was often called, was not unknown, it was a rare vehicle indeed. The Corsairs Gallant, however, secured the services of a Forge World in the Eastern Fringes, Pythagori III, whose talent with gravity technology was comparable in scope to the plasma expertise of the renowned Forge World Ryza. The pattern of Grav-Rhino hull produced there, using both their expertise and fragments of data recovered by the Corsairs Gallant and their Rogue Trader allies, came to be used by the Corsairs Gallant as the primary hull for nearly all their other vehicles. They produced and used versions of the multitude of other vehicles that were based on the Rhino chassis, all using the same anti-grav skimmer technology that gave them extremely effective mobility. Though they would pass on data to other Legions on most other discoveries, the Corsairs Gallant stubbornly controlled the export of the Grav-Rhinos of Pythagori III, using the fact that it was a Forge World as a shield against charges of tech-hoarding, though their actions and clear manipulation of the Forge World hierarchy was one of a number of things that caused rifts between the core of the Priesthood of Mars and the XXI Legion.

====Stegodon Armored Personnel Carrier====
Actually discovered by Ashur of Banipal's Loxodontii, the Stegodon never-the-less became a favorite of the Corsairs for its extended hull and weaponry potential. Functioning essentially as a Rhino hull with an extended crew compartment, with firing ports for passengers and a cupola turret in the front, the Stegodon would become the basis for many other Corsairs Gallant vehicles, replacing the Rhino in some regards as the base hull, the extended section allowing for the mounting of more substantial equipment internally. It recieved the same grav-propulsion upgrades as the other Corsairs vehicles as well, and eventually would all but replace the Rhino in their use.

====Cyclone Armored Mortar Carrier====
Discovered in the eastern fringe, the STC for the Cyclone is based on relatively common parts. Based on the Rhino hull abet with the top doors removed and parts of its hull left open, the Cyclone was intended as a mobile mortar platform. However, its weapons system was not found, and thus the Corsairs Gallant integrated the quad-launcher into it as a result. When put into service it was found to be an extremely effective mobile artillery platform. Less destructive than the Whirlwind, the Cyclone never-the-less was also faster and easier to transport, and thus became a standby for the Corsairs Gallant in their highly mobile attacks. The data was passed on to the other legions, but the fact that the Corsairs Gallant put it into production prior to getting approval from the Mechnaicum was one of several slights that soured relations between central Mars and the legion, exacerbated when they did pass the data on not to Mars, but local Forge Worlds that were closely aligned to the Corsairs.

====Sabre Armored Tank Hunter====
Not unlike the Vindicator in hull, the Sabre was a dedicated anti-tank platform that utilize a large laser destroyer, a massive anti-vehicle laser weapon. Favored by the Corsairs Gallant, the hull was only used in mixed ways by other legions, but was modified with the grav-propulsion platform of a Pythagori III-made Rhino, or produced from those hulls, rather frequently. It was favored more so by the Corsairs Gallant compared to other legions due to that anti-grav technology, thus alleviating some of flaws in mobility that limited its use.

====Predator Punisher Combat Tank====
A modified form of the standard Predator that utilizes a turret-mounted Avenger mega bolter taken from the same STC data that led to the creation of the Stormcrow Fighter, and the hull of actually the Stegodon armored personnel carrier. The cupola-mounted combi-bolter was retained, while the sponson mounts usually used heavy bolters. The expanded hull was used to hold the large quantities of ammo necessary to feed the weapons systems on board. The platform was utilized in urban terrain where the massive firepower was useful against infantry and other soft targets, but utterly lacking against anything harder. The design would be later spread to other Legions, particularly those with relative closeness or at least operational connections to the Corsairs.

===Aircraft===

====Stormcrow Fighter====
[[File:Stormcrow2.jpg|200px|frame|left|A Blackshield-aligned Stormcrow with its nose weapons shown]]A twin-engine fighter based on data discovered by a Corsairs Gallant-associated Rogue Trader and explorator fleet, the Stormcrow Fighter would be passed on in full to the other legions, but was heavily used by the Corsairs themselves perhaps to a greater degree. With its nose-mounted avenger mega bolter, as well as heavy bolters, and wing weapons in the form of missile launchers or hurricane bolters, and also bombs, it served as a fast air to air interceptor as well as light ground support craft that fit perfectly with Corsairs Gallant doctrine. Though the nose weapons could be swapped with two lascannons, this was rarely done by the Corsairs themselves, their ever-present ''Cult of the Bolter'' mentality seeming to take hold.

====Storm Eagle Transport====

A modified version of the Storm Eagle, the Storm Eagle Transport removed the passenger compartment entirely and replaced it with a more open space with a transport system derived from that of the Thunderhawk Transport, designed to grip a Rhino-pattern vehicle and allow it to be rapidly transported and deployed. The Storm Eagle Transport usually mounts the twin-linked Avenger Bolt Cannons from the Fire Raptor in the nose, while retaining the wing-mounted lascannons, allowing to support the advance of forces after it has deployed them. The Storm Eagle Transport could haul most Rhino-hulled vehicles, sparing the Whirlwind due to the size of its launcher. This was part of the reason the Corsairs came to prefer the less destructive but easier to transport Cyclone in many cases.

=Naval Assets=

==''The Crystal Skull''==

==''Chrysaor''==

=Notable Members=

Named, noteworthy marines

=Rules=

If available, tabletop rules

{{Template: Warmasters Triumvirate}}

Corsairs Gallant

2020-01-12T05:28:10Z

2601:14D:380:1DE0:D873:42E7:ABC:C40: /* Homeworld */

{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = Corsairs Gallant
|Heraldry = [[File:CorsairsGallant.png|200px]]
|Battle Cry = “Fortune favors the bold!”
|Number = XXI
|Founding = First Founding
|Successors of = None
|Successor Chapters = Aquilon Knights (Fillibuster), Crimson Hawks (Fillibuster); Umbral Maw
|Legion Master = Folami Keita'mansa
|Primarch = [[Rahman Keita'mansa]]
|Homeworld = Manden
|Specialty = Light/Mechanized Infantry, Covert Actions, Lightning Raids, Zone Mortalis/Void Operations
|Strength = 72,000 at height (officially 65,000)
|Allegiance = Separatist
|Colors = Black on Blue-Gray Armor, Silver and Teal-Blue Accents, Red Weapons
}}
{{Warmasters Triumvirate-Head}}

The Corsairs Gallant were the XXIth [[Legiones Astartes]]. Led by [[Rahman Keita'mansa]], they were known for their covert nature and specialty in [[Zone_Mortalis|Zone Mortalis]] and AirLand operations, and a fondness for highly specialized bolt weaponry. Long skirting the line of acceptable behavior, having pushed to the limit the use of various legal loopholes to avoid censure, they sided with the Separatist forces during the Brother's War, and eventually became an economic and naval powerhouse of the Union that followed. Their primarch, Rahman Keita'mansa, was often considered to be a Rogue Traider first and a primarch second, and he eventually disappeared into the unknown in M35, leaving behind the Gallant Quest, a series of clue and map fragments that some said led to a reponsitory of wealth, archeotech, or other prizes, but that the Corsairs themselves felt was the location of their genefather.

Often distrusted even by their allies, the Corsairs had engaged in false flag operations even during the [[Great Crusade]], and infiltrated several secret chapters in the Imperium, known as Fillibuster chapters, yet largely remained unified following the end of the Brother's War.

=History=

==Pre-Primarch History & Reunion==

==The Great Crusade==

==Brotherwar==

==Post-Brotherwar==

=Homeworld=
Manden is a prosperous and well-connected world, known for being at the nexus of a network of stable pathways through the warp, a fact that accelerated the spread of Manden influence throughout a number of worlds prior to its reunion with the Imperium of Man. The planet itself is roughly one-fourth the size of Terra, with a mixture of climates but largely savannas and hilly regions separated by large lakes and vast rivers in its disposition, a fact that led to the development of a rich mercantile culture of independent city-states led by noble-houses. Rich in mineral wealth as well as a diverse amount of flora and fauna, it managed to regain spaceflight relatively quickly, but carried its disunited nature into the stars with it.

=Legion Doctrine=
The Corsairs Gallant are, in many ways, entirely unlike most legions, operating almost entirely outside the norms that even diverse legions often share. Their doctrine is crafted by a number of factors, not the least of which is the old maritime culture of Manden and its expansive trade league that was incorporated into the Imperium. The legacy of the House Troops is reflected in several ways, including the Fillibusters but also in the general deployment and tactics; Manden forces were true marines, naval and often light infantry designed to be mobile, self-sufficient, and adaptable. Another major factor was size; due to the restrictive nature of Corsairs Gallant geneseed, the legion was significantly smaller and thus forced into certain tactical options by near necessity. Further, the wealth and culture also led to specific kinds of weaponry and tactics, including low-impact as a defining characteristic of their operations, something that makes them exceptionally good at pacifying human worlds where a lighter touch often goes far.

===Buying Victory===

===Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast===

===Legion Apart===

===Mastercrafted Simplicity===

==Legion Culture & Personality==

===Curiosity and Commerce===

===The Gallant Dominion and Corsair Secessions===

The manner in which the Corsairs Gallant cement their power in worlds is innately tied to the unique circumstances affecting both their primarch's 'homeworld' as well as the flaw, of sorts, present in their geneseed. It is also how they maintain a network of de jure independent worlds that that de facto under either their direct or nearly so control, the so called Gallant Dominions, contrasted to the worlds they hold via economic means, often themselves technically outside the Union, a few even officially belonging to the Imperium; the so called Corsair Successions. These worlds range from settled planets and even great hive worlds to frontier lands and settlements claimed largely for control over rare resources. These are also the worlds where conflict between Imperial forces, often seeking to reaffirm their control, run afoul of the Corsairs, though far more often control is held covertly, via mercantile means.

The Corsairs maintain a strong aristocratic system of patronage and nobility, tied into the legal protections granted by the Warrant of Trade held by the Keita'mansa dynasty, under the authority of the Emperor himself and thus held in a strange state even in the post-Separatist era; no Imperial authority can countermand that of the Emperor himself, and thus while technically (and, in truth, actually) outside the light of the Imperium, the Keita'mansa dynasty technically hold authority through the Warrant, one granted under such specific terms by the Emperor that mark it as utterly unique. This factor is why agents of the Corsairs can occasionally be found even inside the Imperium, abet only when enough power can be exerted to cause the Warrant to be enforced. The Corsairs are not so foolish as to attempt to invoke it to stave off battles where forces are already in place, but it can be used in other, more tactful, manners. Its protections are directly tied to the house of Keita'mansa, and this has shaped much of the legion culture.

As a result, each member of the Legion is adopted, legally, into the Keita'mansa family, or a cadet branch there-of. This, at least technically, would extend the protection of the Warrant of Trade to them. Further, as they achieve higher ranks, they are eventually set up in an arranged marriage with a noblewoman from one of the many other houses that dot and hold power in the worlds of the Gallant Dominion. These arrangements are more than merely formal; Astartes are encouraged to actually meet and interact with their wives, though the production of children is done entirely via in-vitro methodologies, using samples taken prior to ascension into full Astartes and/or methods of seed generation via techno-alchemical methods. However, marines are more often than not away engaging in the business of war and trade, and as such consorts are often not merely tolerated, but actively provided, often failed aspirants to the legion, a fact that is not seen as dishonorable due to the nature of the gene-seed and difficulty, and instead these individuals are often integrated as chosen servants inside the noble families. Gene-therapies and other methods are utilized to avoid negative effects, and outside blood from noble houses is regularly brought in, thus causing noble marriages to serve a double purpose.

The relationship between an Astartes and his children is complicated. Female children rarely interact with their fathers and are, like many of their kind, used for political and noble marriages, as well as to spread the key genetic markers of the Keita'mansa dynasty that are necessary for gene-seed implantation to succeed. Sons are often, by contrast, more directly tutored, taught the key skills of a Corsair Gallant long before the trials of ascension are held and they are tested as being fit for the implantation process. Failures to these trials are married into other families, serve aboard vessels as lower officers or deck crew, or, occasionally, chosen as consorts. Those that do pass and enter the implantation process undergo deep checks for gene-seed compatibility long before it is ever attempted, and even then often fail to accept the implant process. These usually die, but those that survive almost universally become ship crew, and are generally not allowed to pass on genes, at least not into the noble houses.

Through these methods, the Keita'mansa family becomes entrenched on worlds, linked by marriage and blood to other noble houses, and supported by the military and economic might of the Legion, is able to maintain power and control. Often, other houses nominally are higher in authority, directly administering worlds, yet few are foolish enough to think they do not do so at the sufferance of the house of Keita'mansa.

==Gene-seed flaws and other Mutations==
Either by flaw or by design, the gene-seed of Rahman Keita'mansa is incredibly restrictive in its implantation rates, with rejection rates significantly higher than normal. It is for this reason that the Corsairs Gallant have always been the smallest of the legions, at least sparing the lowest points of the Brotherwar where casualties rose to astronomical heights for some others. This limitation has informed their combat doctrine, leading to the rapid tactical strikes and covert operations, and the shock-and-awe lightning strikes that maximize efficiency and minimize causalities on their side. It is also why, ironically, they hid away a portion of the legion, the Fillibusters and Blackshields, operating under false-flags to further their goals long before they ever entered the picture officially, if ever.

===The Geneforged===

===The Ghasts===

==Legion Organization==

===Rank Structure===

===The Auguries===

===Filibusters and Blackshields===
[[File:blackshieldcorsair.png|200px|frame|right|A Corsairs Gallant-aligned Blackshield operating during the Brother's War]]Even prior to the Brother's War and the Corsair's joining of the Separatist cause the Corsairs Gallant made heavy use of unmarked and false-flag operatives, keeping a full seven-thousand marines in covert status. The origins to this phenomenon lie in the traditions of old Manden and surrounding worlds. Trade families dominated the politics, and it was simply the way of things to both declare ones official forces as well as maintain unmarked forces, often masquerading as other armies or mercenaries, yet composed of fully loyal members.

==Special Units==

===Braves===

===Reaver Squads===
[[File:CorsairsReaver1.png|200px|frame|left|A Corsairs Gallant serving in a Reaver squad, note the combi-heavy bolter/flamer weapon and the lack of Bills of Honor]]Though often considered lacking in honor, the Reaver Squad was a formation inside the Corsairs Gallant deployed when maximum impact and destruction of property and personnel was necessary. In some ways taking the place of Destroyer Squads and inspired by legions such as the Death’s Heads, the Reavers utilized a mix of flamer weaponry, entire sqauds using combi-flamers, infernus heavy bolters, and other incendiary weapons to wreck havoc across wide areas, burning out resistance too hard to expel through other means. Though considered lacking honor, and thus not authorized to wear Bills of Honor on their armor, the Reaver Squads were not disdained, and were considered necessary parts of the Corsairs Gallant doctrine. Rarely did an Astartes remain in their numbers for long, instead rotating back into normal squads, their time in the formation rarely spoken of and not held either for or against their later honors or promotions.

===Brethren of the Court===
The elite of the elite, the Brethen of the Court are a force of terminator-armor equipped Astartes that honor guards are drawn from for praetors and the Primarch himself. They are also the last stop before an astartes of the XXIth legion is promoted to an officer rank, and indeed all officers remain as members of the Brethren, entitling them to a place at the court of the Primarch and Legion master. It is there that these picked men both learn and give council. Often, Brethren are then embedded into squads to give direct action to the council choices, but when formed into an all Terminator force they are to be reckoned with, equipped with heavy blades of arcane make and both grenade harnesses as well as under-slung Astartes-grade grenade launchers for hurling several varieties of powerful grenade at foes. The blades used by the Brethren, though, are perhaps the true iconic element. Drawn from caches of ancient weapons and those discovered on the fringes of the galaxy, some are not unlike the phase blade used by the primarch, while others are cleaving weapons that strike with unheard of power. Rahman himself would gift a member of the Brethren their first blade, a rite later taken up by the Legion Master after the primarch disappeared into the unknown.

===Kroot===

====Origins and Development====

====Usage====
Shaped through introduction of gene elements to make them both effective and to work well with Corsair forces, modern Kroot have been compared to Orks, owing to the robust physiology that actually has more roots in integration of Astartes gene elements, combined with their nevertheless often primitive appearance. Kept in a state of semi-uplift, Kroot vary in some degrees of development, with those in the service of the Corsairs being the most well equipped, trained, and organized.

==Legion Equipment==

===Power Armor===
[[File:CorsairsGallant.png|200px|frame|left|A Corsairs Gallant Tactical Marine in Mark III Ultra/Manden pattern armor and wielding a Mark IV Ultra Pattern bolter.]][[File:CorsairsAssault.png|200px|frame|right|A Corsairs Gallant Assault Marine wearing Crusade-era assault-grade armor]]
Designed based on their standard Mark III armor, the Mark III Ultra/Manden resembles exterior pattern of Mark III plate closely, though its shoulders tended to be more akin to that of the older Mark II plate. Notable for its use of exposed riveting as much for decorating as construction purposes. It also utilized a wide, flaring belt, as well as usually a loincloth woven of armormesh which actually could deflect or reduce the power of las weapons, though it was largely stylistic in usage. The true modifications were largely internal; the pattern was constantly updated to incorporate later advances in internal technology, while retaining the front-focused defensive capabilities of the original Mark III armor favored by the Corsairs for its usefulness aboard vessels and in other narrow confines, such as urban terrain. Additionally, they integrated improved targetter systems and autosenses above that of standard power armor, with even the basic tactical marine incorporating improved optics and other technology as a force and power multiplier. Each suit also incorporated a grav-chute into the backpack design, allowing all marines to operate as paratroopers. The design is also intended to be able to easily host extra pouches, ammo or grenade racks, or other equipment as necessary, and also an optional wrist mounted vid-screen with integrated vox uplink to the overall network, often coordinated via command Rhinos that are deployed in theater.

Further, the Corsairs Gallant produced what was known as assault-grade armor, designed for use by their rare but elite assault and other jump troops. Though its torso design was taken more from later patterns, its internals and other parts were mostly linked to that of the original Mark III plate, abet with a much higher gorget and a full cowling around the head. Later models would included reinforced leg-mountings that had greater armor and impact absorbing properties for jump-use.

The Corsairs Gallant would continue to use Mark III Ultra/Manden pattern armor well past the Brother's War, abet integrating later developments in certain areas into it. The use of the consistent style was an intentional choice; associating a specific pattern with the legion helped to set apart the Blackshields and Fillibuster forces who, in contrast, nearly never were seen in Mark III armor, let alone the Manden pattern of it. Though seemingly simple, this small choice proved effective.

====Terminator Armor====
Though it may seem surprising for such a fast raiding force, the Corsairs Gallant not only make heavy use of Terminators, the possess a significant amount of the armor, notable of the Tartaros pattern, and employ it widely in void and zone mortalis combat. The Corsairs Gallant were some of the first to receive the relatively late Tartaros pattern, having heavily subsidized the production for several key Forge Worlds that allowed them to claim a lion share of the initial production. While the Corsairs Gallant possess enough suits of Terminator armor to equip several formations, most astartes granted rights to a suit also have a suit of finely wrought artificer armor they make use of in many cases, deploying in Terminator armor only in specific circumstances. When deploying, they are done so via Storm Eagle transport more often than not, teleportation being disfavored by the Corsairs for its somewhat dangerous nature and unpredictability.

===Small Arms and Infantry Equipment===

The standard bolter pattern utilized by the Corsairs Gallant was the Mark IV Ultra Pattern, notable for its capability for both single-shot and three-bolt burst fire as well as automatic, loaded from a standard 25-round sickle magazine and firing the same .75 caliber explosive tipped mass-reactive bolt of most other patterns. However, the Mark IV Ultra Pattern also integrates a built-in ammunition counter, an Auto-senses targeting uplink, and a biometric handgrip sensor for genetic identification of its user as standard features, and was usually constructed to a significantly higher grade by both the Forges that the Corsairs patronized and by their own legion smiths. Capable of accepting a number of other attachments, the legion tended to equip many of its forces with additional optical sights, drum magazines, barrel extensions or suppressors, and with foregrips, among other attachments, all of which improved its versatility and capabilities. It could also mount a grenade launcher under-barrel.

The focus on the bolter is not entirely odd; it is, after all, the standard small-arm of the legions. However, the focus on quality and versatility the Corsairs Gallant put into it exceeded that of other legions by several levels. The Corsairs Gallant culture shunned the use of the common plasma and melta weaponry, and the rare and hard to maintain volkite gear was also disliked. Flamers, while useful, were niche and lacked versatility. For plasma and melta weaponry, it was a mix of issues; plasma tended to have stability issues, a major concern for smaller forces like the Corsairs, and also was dangerous for use in shipboard environments. Melta weaponry was even more so, and its range limitations was seen as almost precluding use. As a result, the Corsairs preferred to utilize mix of dedicated and underbarrel grenade launchers and combi-bolters equipped with drums and specialized ammunition as support weapons, and notable integrated these weapons at a tactical level, in contrast to the dedicated support squads used by other forces.

One exception was graviton weapons, due to both the legion’s contacts with certain forge worlds and their use in shipboard operatons. This also led them to throw weight behind the development of other forms of the weapon, even when the Mechanicum objected.

The legion also made heavy use of shotguns, even equipping whole squads with them during shipboard actions, themselves utilizing a variety of specialized rounds as well. Favored by their assault troops, the Corsairs were at ease with the shotgun as they were with the bolter.

====Heavy Weapons====
Much like their attitudes to small arms, the heavy weapons utilized by Corsairs infantry were limited largely to heavy bolters and missile launchers, once against linked to their focus on versatility. The heavy bolter could utilize various ammunition types, and often was equipped with suspensor harnesses to assist in mobility and use aboard ships and other close quarters areas. Missile launchers were used both in dedicated heavy launchers as well as single-shot disposable tubes, thus giving individual squads capabilities that they otherwise would lack. There was one heavy weapon the legion did use that was unique to them: the frag cannon. A heavy, shotgun-like weapon that fired either in slug or fragmentation modes, it could decimate entire corridors or punch through the armored bulkheads when needed.

====Bolter Ammunition====

One of the primary ways the legion achieved versatility in the use of its bolters was in its focus on specialized bolt rounds for them. Stalker-pattern bolts designed for stealth use and other rounds like Metal Storm frag shells were not invented by the Corsairs, but were extensively utilized by them. However, the legion did go out of its way to gain the ability to produce certain rounds for itself, such as Tempest Bolts, which were largely the province of Mars before the Corsairs gained the ability to produce them through a mix of covert acquisition and reverse engineering. The discovery of this fact nearly led to a small crisis between the Mars priesthood and the legion, with the Corsairs Gallant promising to limit their production and the spread.

Other strange rounds included toxin-infused Metal Storm rounds, known as Viper Storm rounds, as well as Webber Binding rounds, Hellfire bolts, and the odd Bombard round, which was designed to be fired at an arc as a sort of impromptu light mortar, containing greater explosive filler due to the lower propellant, and less focus on penetrative power over blast force. Combined with the targeting systems used, this meant squads could form small urban fire support platforms. These were just some of many other types that the forces were often deployed with, giving even a normal tactical squad greater flexibility than nearly any other legion.

The truest danger, though, was the Torsion bolt, which used gravitic technology to create a rending gravitic burst on target. Though often no more dangerous than a normal bolt, the rounds could often cause internal damage, allowing them to bypass armor completely.

====Astartes Grenade Launchers====
.

===Armored Vehicles===
[[File:corsairsgravrhinoprofile.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|right|A Pythagori III-made Rhino hull, using anti-grav technology]]

Though wealthy and well-equipped, the Corsairs Gallant made a point of avoiding many of the larger, rarer and more complicated vehicle systems used by the legions. This even included the relatively common, comparatively speaking, Land Raider platform, let alone vehicles like the Spartan or Sicaran-series of tanks. Instead, they made extensive use Rhino-patterned vehicles, including the base Rhino Armored Personnel Carrier, the Predator Battle Tank, the Vindicator Siege Tank, and the Whirlwind Mobile Artillery Tank, as well as variants of those. However, they also made use of several other vehicles, most not entirely unique to them but either discovered by them or merely used more extensively.

However, there is one aspect of the Corsair Gallant that set them apart. Though the Grav-Rhino, as it was often called, was not unknown, it was a rare vehicle indeed. The Corsairs Gallant, however, secured the services of a Forge World in the Eastern Fringes, Pythagori III, whose talent with gravity technology was comparable in scope to the plasma expertise of the renowned Forge World Ryza. The pattern of Grav-Rhino hull produced there, using both their expertise and fragments of data recovered by the Corsairs Gallant and their Rogue Trader allies, came to be used by the Corsairs Gallant as the primary hull for nearly all their other vehicles. They produced and used versions of the multitude of other vehicles that were based on the Rhino chassis, all using the same anti-grav skimmer technology that gave them extremely effective mobility. Though they would pass on data to other Legions on most other discoveries, the Corsairs Gallant stubbornly controlled the export of the Grav-Rhinos of Pythagori III, using the fact that it was a Forge World as a shield against charges of tech-hoarding, though their actions and clear manipulation of the Forge World hierarchy was one of a number of things that caused rifts between the core of the Priesthood of Mars and the XXI Legion.

====Stegodon Armored Personnel Carrier====
Actually discovered by Ashur of Banipal's Loxodontii, the Stegodon never-the-less became a favorite of the Corsairs for its extended hull and weaponry potential. Functioning essentially as a Rhino hull with an extended crew compartment, with firing ports for passengers and a cupola turret in the front, the Stegodon would become the basis for many other Corsairs Gallant vehicles, replacing the Rhino in some regards as the base hull, the extended section allowing for the mounting of more substantial equipment internally. It recieved the same grav-propulsion upgrades as the other Corsairs vehicles as well, and eventually would all but replace the Rhino in their use.

====Cyclone Armored Mortar Carrier====
Discovered in the eastern fringe, the STC for the Cyclone is based on relatively common parts. Based on the Rhino hull abet with the top doors removed and parts of its hull left open, the Cyclone was intended as a mobile mortar platform. However, its weapons system was not found, and thus the Corsairs Gallant integrated the quad-launcher into it as a result. When put into service it was found to be an extremely effective mobile artillery platform. Less destructive than the Whirlwind, the Cyclone never-the-less was also faster and easier to transport, and thus became a standby for the Corsairs Gallant in their highly mobile attacks. The data was passed on to the other legions, but the fact that the Corsairs Gallant put it into production prior to getting approval from the Mechnaicum was one of several slights that soured relations between central Mars and the legion, exacerbated when they did pass the data on not to Mars, but local Forge Worlds that were closely aligned to the Corsairs.

====Sabre Armored Tank Hunter====
Not unlike the Vindicator in hull, the Sabre was a dedicated anti-tank platform that utilize a large laser destroyer, a massive anti-vehicle laser weapon. Favored by the Corsairs Gallant, the hull was only used in mixed ways by other legions, but was modified with the grav-propulsion platform of a Pythagori III-made Rhino, or produced from those hulls, rather frequently. It was favored more so by the Corsairs Gallant compared to other legions due to that anti-grav technology, thus alleviating some of flaws in mobility that limited its use.

====Predator Punisher Combat Tank====
A modified form of the standard Predator that utilizes a turret-mounted Avenger mega bolter taken from the same STC data that led to the creation of the Stormcrow Fighter, and the hull of actually the Stegodon armored personnel carrier. The cupola-mounted combi-bolter was retained, while the sponson mounts usually used heavy bolters. The expanded hull was used to hold the large quantities of ammo necessary to feed the weapons systems on board. The platform was utilized in urban terrain where the massive firepower was useful against infantry and other soft targets, but utterly lacking against anything harder. The design would be later spread to other Legions, particularly those with relative closeness or at least operational connections to the Corsairs.

===Aircraft===

====Stormcrow Fighter====
[[File:Stormcrow2.jpg|200px|frame|left|A Blackshield-aligned Stormcrow with its nose weapons shown]]A twin-engine fighter based on data discovered by a Corsairs Gallant-associated Rogue Trader and explorator fleet, the Stormcrow Fighter would be passed on in full to the other legions, but was heavily used by the Corsairs themselves perhaps to a greater degree. With its nose-mounted avenger mega bolter, as well as heavy bolters, and wing weapons in the form of missile launchers or hurricane bolters, and also bombs, it served as a fast air to air interceptor as well as light ground support craft that fit perfectly with Corsairs Gallant doctrine. Though the nose weapons could be swapped with two lascannons, this was rarely done by the Corsairs themselves, their ever-present ''Cult of the Bolter'' mentality seeming to take hold.

====Storm Eagle Transport====

A modified version of the Storm Eagle, the Storm Eagle Transport removed the passenger compartment entirely and replaced it with a more open space with a transport system derived from that of the Thunderhawk Transport, designed to grip a Rhino-pattern vehicle and allow it to be rapidly transported and deployed. The Storm Eagle Transport usually mounts the twin-linked Avenger Bolt Cannons from the Fire Raptor in the nose, while retaining the wing-mounted lascannons, allowing to support the advance of forces after it has deployed them. The Storm Eagle Transport could haul most Rhino-hulled vehicles, sparing the Whirlwind due to the size of its launcher. This was part of the reason the Corsairs came to prefer the less destructive but easier to transport Cyclone in many cases.

=Naval Assets=

==''The Crystal Skull''==

==''Chrysaor''==

=Notable Members=

Named, noteworthy marines

=Rules=

If available, tabletop rules

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