Editing Thunder Kings (section)

==The Great Crusade==
If the Eleventh expected the beginnings of the Great Crusade to be their chance for glory, they were to be sorely disappointed. Roc Galveoc was given the title of Legion master more because someone was needed than out of any real consideration for his talents. In fact, the warriors of the Eleventh never fought as a full legion before the arrival of their Primarch. Individual chapters were dealt out piecemeal to any force that requested Astartes and were frequently relegated to garrison duties. Even Roc's official status as Legion Master earned him no respect or influence, and many of the Imperial Army commanders who fought alongside him either did not know of his position or simply did not care. This prevented the Legion from forming any real sense of identity; most thought of themselves more as members of their chapters, and some felt almost no connection to the wider Imperium at all. Few records speak conclusively about members of the Eleventh until they were reunited with their Primarch. What is well known is that many of the members of the Eleventh squad felt extreme animosity towards each other, particularly Zebulon Uriy and Roc. The only real exception to this rule was Finn, whose general likability and knack for storytelling made him the one member with whom the entire legion could agree.

When Brennus was given command of his legion, he knew he had a truly difficult task at hand. His father had given him a horde of disillusioned men with no common thread to bind them, and expected his son to form an army. The Primarch felt that this was simply his first challenge, a way for a father to ensure his son was ready for command. Brennus decided that, if no common link existed among his sons, his own presence would forge one. He greeted his Astartes as a High King would greet soldiers returning from battle: with open arms, celebrations, and feasting. He had spoken to the veterans and senior captains among the legion before seeing the rank and file, and so he knew much about the deeds and proclivities of each chapter. Armed with this knowledge, the Primarch mingled with his legion, hearing their stories, their grievances, and their dreams. He encouraged them to connect to the people of his world; he would accompany many Astartes on hunting expeditions eschewing the technology of his father's realm for the sword and spear of his home. The warriors and young men of Alessia were also encouraged to mingle with the warriors from the stars; Brennus thought that it would be wise for both cultures to know as much as possible about their new brothers. The council of tribes was largely in favor of this; the only exception was Brennus' best friend and the current Council Champion, the warrior Ferdiad mac Conn. Ferdiad had advised Brennus for years, and his position now was that the Imperium could do nothing but harm to their peaceful world. Brennus was not in the habit of disagreeing with his friend, but felt that the Champion was simply nervous about leaving his world to go to the stars. Brennus also suspected that his friend was worried that the two would grow apart, and so appointed Ferdiad to the position of Legion Equerry, a post second only in power to the Primarch's own. Though the new Equerry would give up this point of contention, it would fester in his heart throughout the Great Crusade.
 
Brennus dedicated the better part of a year to interacting with his legion. In addition to hunting expeditions, the High King set elaborate tests and challenges for his sons, to ensure they were adaptable and able to think on their feet. He also set them to live among the people, to remind them of the human beings they laid down their lives to serve. At the same time, he prepared the world he ruled to contribute to the Imperium. Though Brennus favored a traditional existence for his planet, he allowed modern innovations to arrive on Alessia as a measured pace; soon small hive cities had sprung up on the larger continents. The Primarch encouraged his people to spend a good deal of time with the Astartes, and began contests between young men to decide who would have the honor of sailing the stars. While he was doing this, however, he was also coordinating the Imperial conquest of Alessia's nearest neighboring star system. In Alessian folklore, the star was called Golden Tree!Brennus believed it was an auspicious sign, and so he directed the forces under Lord General Cruzand to conduct skirmishes against the system, and learn everything possible about their capabilities. They would relay the information to him, and he crafted a plan that would give each of his newfound sons a piece of glory. (The Heresy)
The Assault on 
Main|The Assault on Osmium

After escaping from the disastrous foray on Ostium, Brennus recalled all of his remaining sons to Alessia, where he planned to organize a grand, sweeping attack on many of Hektor's forces, bolstering all the brothers he could and harrying the Warmaster to delay his advance. Unfortunately, the High King's plan would never come to fuition. At the great assembly Brennus called to dispatch his sons to the stars, his equerry Ferdiad stepped forward to declare that he sought to challenge Brennus for the position of High King of Alessia, as he and several of the other tribes felt that the Emperor (and by extension, Brennus), was no longer fit to rule mankind, and that the gods of Chaos represented the true power of the universe. Ferdiad had taken five tribes with him into rebellion, each embracing a different aspect of Chaos, and these rebellious Astartes instigated a planet-wide civil war for leadership of the Legion. Though the traitors were outmatched, they had the advantages of betrayal and the dark powers of Chaos. The fighting continued at a near stand-still for just over a year, before Ferdiad finally challenged Brennus to a combat of champions, to decide the entire war in the ancient manner.