Editing War Scribes (section)

=History of the War Scribes=

'''"From the ashes, glory."'''

- Motto of the Second Legion

As with the other First Founding Chapters, the War Scribes' history is long and often shrouded in the mists of time.  Before the Reformation, the War Scribes went through some of the most savage fighting of any Legion.  They recovered from the brink of annihilation on multiple occasions. Sometimes considered an unlucky lineage, nevertheless the gene-sons of Arelex Orannis have proven over the millennia that they are survivors above all else.  Despite their blood-stained history, they constantly exhibit a curious optimism and fearlessness. 

==Beginnings: Legio Secundus==
''"We were fortunate indeed to have found our Primogenitor so quickly. Not for us the confusion and soul-searching which many other Legions endured. It was as if Lord Arelex had never gone missing, and each War Scribe felt truly blessed among the Legions."'' 

-Maestro Ferrorum Polix Creel, Master of Fellblade "Orkburner"

Like the other [[Legiones Astartes (Hektor Heresy)|Legions]], the War Scribes first saw combat action as a squad of the [[Sacred Band]] of the Primarch [[Hektor Cincinnatus]].  Though Hektor was not their gene-father, the ten members of Second Squad greatly respected him as a military leader and, in a way, their uncle.  The Sacred Band's success in the Pacification of the Merican Hives won the Space Marines their place as the Emperor's favourite soldiers.  As the Second Squad expanded into a Legion, they recruited heavily from the Gangers who dwelt in Nord Merica's crowded Hive Cities.  These men were naturally wild and savage, and were cunning urban warriors.  Under Hektor's supervision, Orend Ymoro and his officers molded gang-scum into Space Marines with great success.  Throughout the [[Unification Wars (Hektor Heresy)|Unification Wars]], the fresh-minted ''Legio Secundus'' acquitted itself with honour.  The Legion also began to develop a more technical mindset, adding the skills of combat engineering to their prowess in built-up areas.   "Dirty, Dangerous, Deadly!" became their unofficial motto. 

Unfortunately, things became dangerous indeed during the war with Nathaniel Dume's Pan-Pacific Empire.  Second Legion were deployed to storm fortifications commanded by Dume's vassal, Vuthros Khan, but were met by a barrage of concealed nuclear missiles.  Many Marines were killed instantly, blasted into vapor.  Due to the short-comings of the primitive Mark I Power Armour, even the more fortunate battle brothers suffered terrible burns and radiation poisoning.  Though the Legion would survive, the resultant gene-seed anomalies kept the Second Legion from major engagements during the last decade of the Unification Wars and held up their deployment to the [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]].  The Emperor was greatly busy but devoted what time he had to repairing the damage from Vuthros's rad-weapons.  Most of the mutations were minor, but soon Melanchrome organ mutations began emerging, causing a wide and worrying variation in skin coloration.  The timely conquest of Luna won the services of a host of skilled genetors, among them the supremely brilliant [[Pallas Eugenesis]].  Without the burdens of command that sapped the Emperor's fathomless mind, Pallas and her minions were able to conduct a major repair the Second Legion's gene-seed, though the Eclipse Queen warned that its long-term stability was still in question.

As soon as they had received their conditional bill of health, the warriors of Second Legion went into action for the battles of the Solar System.  Due to being stood down for the last years of the Unification Wars, the Second were rested and eager to prove themselves.  They fought with distinction across the inner planets and the asteroid belt, earning great honour for their part in the Volemar Gamma Campaign.  After the Treaty of Mars in 805.M30, Legio Secundus formed the backbone of the 4th [[Expedition Fleets (Hektor Heresy)|Expedition Fleet]], taking the Emperor's Great Crusade to the stars beyond Sol.  But an even more significant event was just around the corner.

===Notable Battles===

*'''c.780.M30 [[The Cleansing of Calverna]]'''  Although the disaster in the war against the Pan-Pacific Empire is better-known, for a time the Second Legion's victory at Calverna marked them out as rising stars among the Emperor's servants.
*'''c.785.M30 [[Dalvan Atrocity]]''' Nathaniel Dume's henchman, Vuthros Khan, unleashed nuclear weapons on the Second Legion and inflicted terrible casualties.
*'''800.M30 [[Volemar Gamma Campaign]]'''.  After healing the atomic wounds of the Pan-Pacific campaign, the Second Legion were called on to help the [[Heralds of Hektor|First Legion]] purge an [[Orks (Hektor Heresy)|Orkish]] outpost menacing Terra.

==The Rediscovery of Arelex Orannis==
[[File:Arelex orannis.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Arelex Orannis, Primarch of the War Scribes]]
{{See also|War Scribes-Father and Son}}

In just the eighth year of the Great Crusade, the Emperor left his First Expedition Fleet in the command of His deputy and traveled to the newly-compliant world Whitestone.  Fabricator-General [[Kalkas Tygian]], the Primarch Hektor Cincinnatus and Legion Master Napotiel Greybeard were called on to attend their lord in his mission to this obscure planet.  From the bridge of his flagship, the Emperor explained his purpose at Whitestone.  A Primarch, one of Hektor's lost brothers, was soon to appear.  The Master of Mankind pointed out into the void, and on cue a great hulk burst forth from the warp.

The Emperor commanded his servants to wait, then vanished, borne into the space hulk by an ancient teleporter.  Kalkas, Hektor and Napotiel stood silent, their thoughts abuzz.  When their lord returned, he had with him the stout, ragged figure of [[Arelex Orannis]].  On being introduced to his gene-father, Napotiel could not resist an envious look at noble Hektor.  But he saw in the eyes of the first Primarch a look of compassion and warmth towards Arelex.  During the short journey back to the Solar System, Arelex had only a passing interest in speaking to Napotiel about the Second Legion and their hard-won victories to date.  He was far more eager to talk to the Lord of Mars, Kalkas Tygian, a man whose every word carried the weight of mankind's ancient knowledge.  Hektor, as ever the peacemaker, counselled patience among all parties and recommended that his brother take some time on [[Mars (Hektor Heresy)|Mars]] to learn more of the new Imperium before taking command.

While his gene-father studied on the Red Planet, Napotiel returned to command of the Fourth Expedition Fleet.  His mind was greatly troubled in those months, especially as the discovery of Arelex Orannis was as yet a closely-guarded secret.  But the rigours of campaign helped to keep Napotiel distracted from his concerns about the future of ''Legio Secundus''.  When the news of the Primarch's rediscovery and imminent reunion with his gene-sons became public, Napotiel put on a brave face and celebrated with his command, but in his own quarters he worried.  The man he had met above Whitestone seemed ill-suited to lead.  Would the stay on Mars truly have improved him?

Late in 807.M30 Arelex Orannis formally took command of the Fourth Expedition Fleet on the newly-compliant Civilized World, Makkia.  He arrived at he head of substantial reinforcements, mostly Solar Auxilia raised from the stations of the outer Solar System, and he cut an imposing figure in his Mars-forged power armour.  None the less, many in the Legion were alarmed to see the bionic replacements that Arelex had received from the Mechanicum.  Some wondered if they were to be led by a man or a machine.  Napotiel alone saw the bionics as an improvement, knowing how ravaged his gene-father's body had been when he was first discovered, and was quick to lead a cheer for the new lord of the Second Legion.  Over time, the Second Legion came to learn and admire the true character of their gene-father.  Like the many Legionnaires who had spent their childhood fighting for survival in the Hives of Merica, Arelex Orannis knew what it was to struggle for life from an early age.  He impressed on his sons the importance of self-sufficiency while forging tight bonds between squadmates.  Arelex also taught Legio Secundus to seek out the lost wisdom of mankind, for a relic that could not be understood today might be of great use tomorrow.  Survival, after all, is a long game.

Those who met the reforged Second Legion often remarked on their twin character as Warriors and Scribes, fierce fighters in the Great Crusade and tireless scholars, but it was the ever-caustic [[Void Angels|Fifth Legion]] Primarch [[Gaspard Lumey]] who first, mockingly, described them as the War Scribes in one of his dispatches.  It is unclear whether Arelex Orannis realised his men were being insulted and decided to redeem the epithet or if he simply didn't see a problem with the name in the first place.  Regardless, by the second century of the Great Crusade, the name of the War Scribes was famous across the Galaxy.  Great victories such as the ''"Burning of Volganis Beta"'', the ''"Scourging Beneath Twin Suns"'', the ''"Black March Crusade"'' and dozens more were added to the Legion's honor rolls.  A harder-won battle, the so-called [[Second Sagittarius Crusade]] to lead the expansion of the Imperium into the Atalantos Worlds would have a great effect on both the War Scribes and the Imperium.

===Notable Campaigns===

*[[The Reaving of Powanam Voct]].  Under Napotiel Greybeard the War Scribes win one of their first major victories outside of the Solar System.
*[[The Iron Waltz]]
*[[First Sagittarius Crusade]]
*[[Specularia Incident]]
*[[Second Sagittarius Crusade]]