Editing Scale Bearers (section)

=Culture=

Tiran Osoros, along with the recruits from the tribal peoples of Solnhofen, brought with them not only the ubiquitous Sors, but a number of artefacts of the planet's culture. The smoking of various herbs endemic to Solnhofen itself was echoed in the Legion's use of Lho sticks when meeting with friends, and even offering them to comrades when meeting before battle - a practice not normally found amongst Astartes. From the village of Yrash Pak, they brought the idea of the Victory Totem - a wooden monument erected in a defeated enemy's capital after the fighting had ended. Over time, the Terrans among the Legion were worn down by attrition and vastly outnumbered by the sons of Solnhofen.

The Legion holds to a tradition of painting their close combat weapons before the battle - a sort of stylized "splatter" pattern is painted in red onto the part of the weapon that will face or strike the enemy. This is believed to prepare the weapon's machine spirit for the blood it will inevitably be covered in during the fighting. This paint is, of course, removed during the cleaning of weapons after the fighting, unless another battle is imminent (that is, within three days).

Solnhofen culture thoroughly integrated into the Legion not long after their Primarch's discovery. Among these were ideas of respect towards civilians, women and elders. The Scale Bearers have a long history of risking their own resources and men to ensure lowered civilian deaths. Until the Heresy started, the Scale Bearers were notable for being one of the few Legions without a dedicated fortress to guard themselves. They used a large complex of facilities to carry out the majority of a fortress's needs and their living quarters were intermingled with the surrounding civilian population. After this was exploited in the Hektor Heresy, it was decided to use a more traditional fortress monastery.

Also of note is the lack of Legion (and later Chapter) serfs. Instead, each Scale Bearer brought with him several friends and family members to assist and support him during his lifetime. Additionally they would gain men and women to help with the various tasks required to run a Legion through conquest. This happened on a number of circumstances. The most common were through orphans and prisoners. Legion doctrine stated that any child left orphaned by the Scale Bearers would be adopted by the men responsible for the action. In such a way, many of these children would be raised as though it was the Legionnaire's own blood. Second was through prisoners. The XVII Legion often treated prisoners of war better than their counterparts, and in many cases, better than their own home worlds. In some longer campaigns, prisoners would refuse to return to their homeworld, and would instead be included into the various noncombat support positions needed for the Legion to perform.

==Legion Colors==

The colors of the Legion are a dark green (reflecting the color of the plains of Solnhofen) with a gold trim. The pauldron on which the Legion's badge is painted, however, is a watery blue - perhaps reminiscent of Solnhofen's rivers.

==Homeworld==
===Homeworld: Solnhofen===
{{Infobox 40k Planet
|name= Solnhofen
|bgcolor=black
|fgcolor=white
|image=[[File:Solnhofen.png|200px]]
|class= Feral World/Space Marine Chapter Homeworld
|orbdist= 1.25AU ± 0.23AU
|gravity= 0.94G
|temp= Tropical
|pop= 8,738,903
|governor= 
|system= Mesazon System
|sector= Uhulis Sector
|subsector=
|segmentum= Segmentum Tempestus
}}

Located somewhere in Segmentum Tempestus is the Mesazon system, containing the feral plains world of Solnhofen. A primitive planet, it is home to a small population of humans who, by the 41st Millennium, adhere to the Imperial Cult in their own unsophisticated way. This second planet of the Mesozon system boasts vast plains and plateaus dotted by large but simple villages. On the planet's (still warm) northern pole rests the Cliffs of Tiran, the Fortress-Monastery of the Scale Bearers. One kilometer to the southeast sits the northernmost of the villages, Gand Wanunlen, which served as home to the young Tiran Osoros in the time he spent on the planet before the Great Crusade. Now the largest of the villages, Gand Wanunlen is the 'capital' of this Imperial World.


'''History'''

Evidence found on the planet's southern regions indicate that humanity first settled here sometime in M19, atop the ruins of a primitive xenos civilization. The nonsapient Sors had already been there by the time of the first Dark Age records that have been recovered so far - records that were perhaps made in M26. During this time the planet underwent massive terraforming in order to develop a large [[Imperial Worlds#Agri-World|Agri-World]] By the time Tiran's genetor-pod arrived in M30, the planet had taken the full brunt of the Age of Strife. It is unknown if the technological fall or xenos invasion was the cause of the planet's downfall. But humnity had been reduced to mere tribes with stone weapons and bone tools. The people of Solnhofen could not have expected ever to see visitors from another planet again. Not until, that is, the arrival of the Primarch of Legio XVII...

During the Great Crusade, the planet provided a number of recruits for the Scale Bearers Legion, and the technology of the people improved slightly. By the time of the Heresy, the people had at last discerned proper irrigation systems and begun developing a larger agricultural system. These advancements served to raise the planetary population, and thus increase the pool of available recruits for the Legion.

In the aftermath of the Heresy, Solnhofen underwent a myriad of changes in order to facilitate a much faster recruitment drive and rapidly increase the Legion numbers. Among these changes were the building of a Fortress Monastary proper and a severe decrease to the population as almost all who were capable of accepting a gene-seed were recruited into the Legion. Eventually, the planet normalized and became what it had always been, a nondescript [[Imperial Worlds#Feral World|Feral World]]

Little has changed on Solnhofen in the last ten thousand years, save for the adoption of primitive metallurgy and notable improvements in pottery. In M36, the planet very nearly came under threat in the war against WAAAGH! Da Beast, which to this day remains the largest Ork WAAAGH! ever recorded. Da Beast's forces sought to descend upon the planet, though fortunately they never made planetfall on Solnhofen-- a combined fleet of the Imperial Navy and the Scale Bearers' own Chapter Fleet laid waste to the voidfaring Orks before they could reach the planet's orbit.


'''Culture'''

The people of Solnhofen are a primitive folk,  tending towards simplicity of thought and life. Their general character is that of tribes competing for vital resources - conflicts are short, but vary between highly ritualized (in matters of honor) or bloody and frantic (in matters of sustenance or potable water). With the work subdivided relatively evenly among the members of the community, women and children have a greater degree of political power among the tribes of Solnhofen than on many other worlds of such a developmental level. What does hold interest is the superstition the locals hold about the pre-Imperial ruins that dot the planet, often containing statues of the sail-backed lizard xenos thought to have gone extinct millennia prior to human arrival. The planet's natives think the ruins to be haunted by the spirits of the ancient xenos that once called Solnhofen home, and are often blamed for everything from a death in childbirth to milk spoilage.

==Notable Members==
''Come, traitors! Come, damned ones! Break yourselves on the horns of my hatred!'' 

- Ancient Dreadnought Kratei Shias 'The Tyrant King', during the Relief of Cadia, 999.M41


*'''Kratei Shias the 'Tyrant King''''  Tribal Warrior on Solnhofen; followed his friend and leader Tiran Osoros when the Primarch took command of the Scale Bearers Legion. Made Chief of the 'Spear-Bearers', an elite Squad of Marines who served as Primarch's personal guard.  Present through Palia Ceen and WAAGH! Sarkus Campaigns, and on Sorfall when Primarch Rogerius Merrill slew Tiran. Kratei swore a bloodoath to avenge his friend and Primarch. Served as first Chapter Master of the Scale Bearers after reorganization into a Chapter. Fell in battle 598.M31 and interred into a dreadnought sarcophagus.   Still serving the Chapter in M41, Kratei Shias is only awakened to lead contingents of Scale Bearers during the successive Black Crusades, in the hope that he might yet be able to make good on his oath to spill the blood of Iron Rangers and Rogerius Merrill. 

* '''Rychad Owain'''  A member of Squad XVII of the Sacred Band, pledged from the Legion during their time as the Imperial Riders. Commander of the Second Company. One of the oldest Astartes in the Scale Bearers, and still alive as of the End of the Hektor Heresy. After the defeat on Sorfall, Rychad had the Scale Bearers regroup at the Mechanicus Forgeworld of Tigris, using the defenses of that world as cover for the battered Legion's fleets. First Chapter Master of the Knights Saurian at the Second Founding.

* '''Parris Rolfis'''  Warrior recruited from Solnhofen when Tiran Osoros took command of Scale Bearers Legion. Made Commander of battle-bike Marines after death of Brother-Captain Karles Onatel during campaign against WAAGH! Sarkus. Survived Hektor Heresy; Eventually being made Captain of 4th Company after Reorganization into Chapter. Fell in Battle against Chaos Forces 363.M31.

* '''Karles Onatel'''  A member of Squad XVII of the Sacred Band, pledged from the Legion during their time as the Imperial Riders. Known for a rivalry with Adwaer Kopp, fellow battle-bike Marine from 'Imperial Rider' days. Died in battle against Orks, M30. 

* '''Adwaer Kopp'''  A member of Squad XVII of the Sacred Band, pledged from the Legion during their time as the Imperial Riders. Known for a rivalry with Karles Onatel, fellow battle-bike Marine from 'Imperial Rider' days. Eventually made Commander of 5th Company after reorganization into Chapter. Slain in battle, M31.

*'''Lukas Ilion'''  Astartes Recruit from Kras Xenkoh, notable mainly for sending his serpentine Sor Aleph to kill Warboss Sarkus on Henom IX. 

* '''Dylo Phoso''' Tribal Warrior from Solnhofen; Promoted from Scout to full Battle-Brother just as Hektor Heresy occurs. Present at Sorfall. Long and notable career, promoted to Champion alongside his Sor 'Acid-Spitter' after victorious single combat with Khornate Champion. Interred in dreadnought sarcophagus, 710.M31

* '''Olit Okirus''' Chapter Master of the Scale Bearers as of 999.M41.

*'''Heyoka Gand''' Chief Librarian of the Scale Bearers as of 999.M41. From the village of Gand Wanunlen; his tribe claims Kratei Shias as an ancestor.