Lions Rampant - Revision history

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The Fall

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	==The Fall==		==The Fall==
			The fall of the Lions Rampant is tied heavily to the downfall of their primarch. Cromwald's sickness claimed him, drove him to madness and brought him into the embrace of chaos. After the administrations of Aubrey the Grey, he returned to his legion changed and gathered the masters of the apothecarion to his flagship, the Indomitable Sovereign. The words exchanged in the meeting were never revealed outside the private chambers of the primarch; only four of the six chief apothecaries left the audience with their master alive after taking oaths of secrecy.
			Their work began as they reached their parent divisions. Quietly laboratories were turned to blasphemous new research into the fields of biology and genetic manipulation. Their ultimate objective became the gene-seed of the legion and its workings. They toiled in secret to unlock its mysteries, and began to tamper with the manifest soul of the legion. The primarch's sickness began to spread as the fruits of their research were spread first to new recruits, then later to the veterans of the legion. Every legionnaire that came to the medicae for healing was infected by the black numbness that crippled Cromwald. With the aid of the Zealot's best experts in medicine the plague spread across the whole legion like wildfire, matched only by the spread of the "cure" brought by the faithful. Corruption ate at the heart of the Lions as more and more desperate marines turned to chaos to heal their affliction.

	===The Culling===		===The Culling===
			Not every marine succumbed to the rot that festered at the legion's heart. The second division was largely inoculated against the blight by the clash against the greenskin menace of the Orlak Drift. Master Apothecary Sippeman died facing the Ork tides, leaving the proliferation of his dark research to stagnate. His apprentices continued their work, but progress was slowed by the clash against the alien hordes. The 2nd would be the most conflicted of the divisions in the face of the coming heresy, though they were not alone. Throughout the legion veteran marines unknowingly resisted the lure of chaos by evading the ministrations of their physicians. As heirs to the old stubbornness of the pre-primarch raiders, the holdouts persisted up until the coming heresy.
			With time running out before the outbreak of war, Cromwald and his faithful could not wait for the sickness to claim the legion fully. To cleanse his ranks of the loyalists he orchestrated a silent campaign of assassination. Elements of his divisions he could not sway were given the most hazardous assignments to whittle away their strength. As the strength of the loyalists within his ranks diminished, the faithful began quietly murdering their brethren when they were vulnerable. In most cases these killings remained discreet, though across the 2nd and 4th divisions firefights broke out as secrecy gave way to hasty violence. The traitors were able to silence the loyalists and prevent word escaping to the Emperor, but the purges bled much of their strength for the initial stages of the heresy.

	==Eve of Damnation==		==Eve of Damnation==

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Specialist Units

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	* Predator "Lancer" Formations		* Predator "Lancer" Formations
	Armored doctrine of the Lions was largely pioneered by the Lionhearts, who formed the first Lancer formation. Consisting of three tanks of varying patterns, the Lancer is a spearhead used to outpace and slay the largest enemy vehicles and beasts. Two vehicles form the ~~arms~~ of the unit, ~~assaulting~~ the ~~enemy flanks with autocannon and lascannon alike~~. ~~The third vehicle~~ engages ~~once~~ the ~~foe responds~~ to the ~~harrying lead tanks~~, ~~using a vanquisher cannon to pierce~~ the ~~armor and carve~~ the ~~heart out of the enemy~~.		Armored doctrine of the Lions was largely pioneered by the Lionhearts, who formed the first Lancer formation. Consisting of three tanks of varying patterns, the Lancer is a spearhead used to outpace and slay the largest enemy vehicles and beasts. Two vehicles, typically autocannon equipped predators or vindicator siege tanks form the jaws of the unit, while a third vanquisher pattern predator forms the spearhead. Upon identifying the target, the vanquisher engages at range, hobbling the enemy with precise fire to the treads or legs. With the enemy crippled, the jaws spring shut, pounding the crippled prey with merciless heavy ordnance.

	==Fleet Assets==		==Fleet Assets==

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Specialist Units

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	Lions' doctrine affords hand to hand combat as an essential skill of every marine, but advises against charging into the enemy's guns. Instead, a doctrine of marines equipped for and tasked with counter-assault was developed. These formations are equipped with combat shields and power blades in addition to their standard kit, and form a reserve that deploy where the enemy has gathered strength for a charge. Should the foe brave the storm of bolter fire laid down by the tactical squads, the Wardens surge forward to check the enemy's momentum and shatter their cohesion in close quarters.		Lions' doctrine affords hand to hand combat as an essential skill of every marine, but advises against charging into the enemy's guns. Instead, a doctrine of marines equipped for and tasked with counter-assault was developed. These formations are equipped with combat shields and power blades in addition to their standard kit, and form a reserve that deploy where the enemy has gathered strength for a charge. Should the foe brave the storm of bolter fire laid down by the tactical squads, the Wardens surge forward to check the enemy's momentum and shatter their cohesion in close quarters.

	* ~~Headquarters Support~~		* Predator "Lancer" Formations
	~~Additionally~~, ~~it is~~ of ~~great note that on each level~~ of ~~command there are multiple attachments~~ to ~~the unit headquarters that help expand upon its capabilities. Signals companies, medical units, librarian detachments~~ and ~~reconnaissance companies are often held separate from~~ the ~~standard organizational table,~~ and ~~regularly report directly to brigade or division command rather than following the conventional hierarchy~~. ~~These forces are even further supplemented by maintenance and recovery units, auxilia forces and other assets that~~ form the ~~extensive infrastructure~~ of ~~war. Though each division on paper numbers roughly 25~~,~~000 marines, in practice this number is highly flexible~~ and ~~does not account for~~ the ~~small legion of serfs~~, ~~technicians, servitors, orderlies, administrators~~ and ~~other necessary forces to ensure~~ the ~~engine~~ of ~~war is well maintained~~.		Armored doctrine of the Lions was largely pioneered by the Lionhearts, who formed the first Lancer formation. Consisting of three tanks of varying patterns, the Lancer is a spearhead used to outpace and slay the largest enemy vehicles and beasts. Two vehicles form the arms of the unit, assaulting the enemy flanks with autocannon and lascannon alike. The third vehicle engages once the foe responds to the harrying lead tanks, using a vanquisher cannon to pierce the armor and carve the heart out of the enemy.

	==Fleet Assets==		==Fleet Assets==

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Specialist Units

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	==Specialist Units==		==Specialist Units==
	* Goshawk Squads		* Goshawk Squads
	~~Unlike their contemporaries, the Lions refrain from outfitting~~ jump packs to assault ~~squads~~. ~~Instead~~ the ~~mobility such equipment affords~~ are ~~given~~ to teams ~~dubbed~~ Goshawk squads, ~~which are equipped to act as forward observers~~ and ~~recon assets~~. ~~The field gear each marine is issued for such duties varies wildly~~ with ~~the theater of war, but emphasis is placed on targeting~~ and ~~communications equipment~~. With ~~such specialized gear these teams advance to high ground or infiltrate by air~~ into enemy territory and ~~mark targets~~ for ~~their allies. Through their guidance friendly artillery, air support, and even orbital bombardments can be wielded with uncanny precision. Should their position become untenable,~~ the ~~Goshawk teams rely on their mobility and friendly air/speeder support~~ to ~~escape to safety. Even so, their mortality rate is high, though volunteers are in abundance for~~ the ~~glories earned from such a perilous duty~~.		The utility afforded by jump packs extends far beyond the common use in assault formations. As part of the Lion's arsenal, jump packs are afforded to specialist teams attached to the command structure with the important task of providing forward observation of the enemy and communication of their intentions. These Goshawk squads are daredevils, bold marines hand chosen for their insane courage and supreme skill in operating in isolation from friendly lines. They are outfitted with sophisticated auspex equipment and powerful extended range vox units. With this wargear they intrude into enemy territory and set up forward observation posts in defiance of the enemies guns, then relay coordinates for the legion's firepower to crush the foe.

	* Warden Counter-Assault Squads		* Warden Counter-Assault Squads

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The Turning Tide

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	==The Turning Tide==		==The Turning Tide==
	With the Elume Elish campaign ended, nearly the full strength of the Lions Rampant gathered at the stretch of space dubbed the Lions' Corridor. There they stood as a barrier for forces seeking to aid the Emperor's beleaguered defenders approaching from Segmentum Pacificus. The Steel Marshals were turned back, as were smaller battlegroups of both Imperial Army and Mechanicum forces. Any loyalists wishing to bypass the Lions would be forced to either brave the rough seas of the empyrean, or seek a safe passage weeks to months out of the way. To prevent this, Cromwald deployed each division across a vast swathe of space, where they would act as interdiction forces to all but the mightiest loyalist fleets. Combined with his auxilia, the legionaries proved to be a challenging roadblock.
	The holding action could not last, however. At Rosskar the Steel Marshals rallied ever greater numbers of men to their cause. Roman's return would be a tide of vengeance not easily resisted. Worse still, other legions were being drawn to the conflict as moths to the flame. A gathered assault spearheaded by the fifth had begun to press towards Terra from the galactic west, joined by elements of the Eyes of the Emperor. Cromwald was confident he could match any single legion, but to challenge three or more was suicide. In the final hours of the heresy his position had become untenable. Orders to retreat were issued to all troops under the Lions' command. They had done their duty to the warmaster; to waste their lives in a hopeless defense would deny them a galaxy at war to savor. They would regroup, and prepare to assault the loyalist rear flanks when they committed to battle.
	===Flight===		===Flight===
	The order to flank march never came. Hektor was slain in mortal combat with the Emperor, and his armies broken and forced to retreat. The loyalists hounded the routed traitors until Terra was safe, then turned inward to lick their wounds and muster their strength. It was reported that when the news reached the ''Sovereign'', Cromwald broke into fell laughter that terrified even his greatest champion.		With so many fresh legionaries mustering at Terra, there could be no option but to escape the inevitable scouring of the galaxy. Most of his brethren fled north, to the Eye of Terror. Cromwald's pride would not allow him to be so easily trapped and caged by the loyalist march. He commanded his legion to flee east, into the far reaches of Ultima Segmentum. They would split, giving the loyalist hounds more rabbits to chase than they could catch. Much of his legion would be lost, but the Lions would not be exterminated or confined so long as the war could continue.

	~~"Fickle are the whims of spurned gods. Hektor should have known better than to serve no master."~~

	~~And with that, the order was given: the Lions were to flee.~~ With so many fresh legionaries mustering at Terra, there could be no option but to escape the inevitable scouring of the galaxy. Most of his brethren fled north, to the Eye of Terror. Cromwald's pride would not allow him to be so easily trapped and caged by the loyalist march. He commanded his legion to flee east, into the far reaches of Ultima Segmentum. They would split, giving the loyalist hounds more rabbits to chase than they could catch. Much of his legion would be lost, but the Lions would not be exterminated or confined so long as the war could continue.
	Each division struck its path to the eastern fringe, trusting in their swift vessels to ferry them to safety. That which could not keep up was left behind to fight and stall the loyalists for as long as possible. Hundreds of thousands of auxilia troops found themselves abandoned by their masters and left to be slaughtered by the vengeful legionaries of the loyalist scouring. The titans that accompanied the IXth were similarly cast aside; there simply was no means of maintaining such powerful and complex machines during the flight. Many of the Legio Martyax (the Man-Eaters) were destroyed as they fled to the maelstrom for safety, leaving a grudge against the Lions that would last for thousands of years to come.		Each division struck its path to the eastern fringe, trusting in their swift vessels to ferry them to safety. That which could not keep up was left behind to fight and stall the loyalists for as long as possible. Hundreds of thousands of auxilia troops found themselves abandoned by their masters and left to be slaughtered by the vengeful legionaries of the loyalist scouring. The titans that accompanied the IXth were similarly cast aside; there simply was no means of maintaining such powerful and complex machines during the flight. Many of the Legio Martyax (the Man-Eaters) were destroyed as they fled to the maelstrom for safety, leaving a grudge against the Lions that would last for thousands of years to come.
	Despite casting off the slower Mechanicum and auxilia battlegroups, the Lions did not escape unbloodied. In a bitter stand at Hundis the entirety of the 4th division was surrounded and isolated by a joint strike force of both Silver Cataphracts and Void Angels. The Lions fought tooth and nail, but could not stand against the combined might of their former brethren. Hundis was reduced to a cinder once the last of the Lions' fleet had been destroyed, leaving a barren rock surrounded by burnt out husks. Other battles were waged in smaller scale as battalions were hounded by the vengeful Imperials. Alexandri himself commanded the destruction of the infamous Lionhearts, and in doing so avenged the Cataphracts' defeat at the agri-world of Sepnoy Terius some fifteen years before.		Despite casting off the slower Mechanicum and auxilia battlegroups, the Lions did not escape unbloodied. In a bitter stand at Hundis the entirety of the 4th division was surrounded and isolated by a joint strike force of both Silver Cataphracts and Void Angels. The Lions fought tooth and nail, but could not stand against the combined might of their former brethren. Hundis was reduced to a cinder once the last of the Lions' fleet had been destroyed, leaving a barren rock surrounded by burnt out husks. Other battles were waged in smaller scale as battalions were hounded by the vengeful Imperials. Alexandri himself commanded the destruction of the infamous Lionhearts, and in doing so avenged the Cataphracts' defeat at the agri-world of Sepnoy Terius some fifteen years before.

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Clash of Gods

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	==Clash of Gods==		==Clash of Gods==
	The long march saw the Lions serving as Hektor's vanguard. Through their steady drive the traitors had captured hundreds of worlds bearing vital wartime assets. Men and materiel flocked to the warmaster's banner for the inevitable siege of the birthplace of man. All that lay between Hektor and Terra lay the Elume Elish sector. To this campaign the warmaster sent elements of three of his legions to wage war. Among them were the Lions Rampant, though Cromwald did not ride with them. His legion was to split, as the loyalists would soon be reinforced without direct action. His command battalion led three full divisions to Segmentum Pacificus to intercept the Steel Marshals. It was a bitter twist of fate that the two brothers, once close, now faced each other in a deadly struggle.
	Cromwald had spent years battling Alexandri's stalwart defense, and had taken to heart the lessons learned during the long march. Now it was his turn to fight a slow and steady withdrawal, using every trick and tool at his disposal to force Albrecht to lose time and momentum trying to battle past the Lions. The conflict became known as the Lions' Corridor, as the IXth held the swiftest stable warp route to Terra in their claws. With feints, ambushes and cunning ruses the smaller but nimbler legion bled the Marshals. To reach the Emperor Roman would have to sacrifice his legion and undo the strength the loyalists so badly needed. In an attempt to break the IXth and free his legion to move, he launched a daring assault on the ''Indomitable Sovereign'', seeking to slay his brother in single combat. The venerable warship was low in anchor over the rocky fuel depots of Utaupa Tertius, and her forces ill prepared for the sudden strike. In a storm of vengeance the Marshals took to the field, swiftly proving their superior strength in battle. Yet as Cromwald and Roman squared off in a fateful duel, the Lion smiled. The embrace of Slaanesh had honed his skills and body both, making him much closer a match to his brother. They crossed swords in a climactic battle of skill and steel for a full hour, with no soldier from either side willing to intervene in the clash of two gods of war.
	Warp fueled power proved to be insufficient to best the Emperor's duelist. Roman gained the upper hand and slowly battered Cromwald back. The final blow was not destined to fall on Utaupa, though; Cromwald's mocking smile had hidden a base treachery that threatened Roman's legion. While he fought to behead the serpent his reserves had been pounced upon by the Lions in an ambush. Were he to fight on and slay his brother he would deny them his leadership with devastating consequences. Pressed between righteous vengeance and the preservation of his legion he called a full retreat. The bitter sting of defeat served as a deciding factor in the Marshal's strategy; Roman had realized that to reach Terra he would have to withdraw further and regroup. He withdrew his legion, leaving the Lions the uncontested masters of the corridor.

	==The Turning Tide==		==The Turning Tide==

173.31.128.45: /* The Fall */

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The Fall

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	==The Fall==		==The Fall==
	In the waning years of the Great Crusade, the fate of the Lions Rampant became inextricably tied to the wasting curse of their primarch. Cromwald's sickness influenced his command, which in turn began to twist and mold the doctrine of the legion. The ''Indomitable Sovereign'' continued to rendezvous with the expeditionary fleets as the needs of the crusade dictated. Universally the field marshals commanding the Lions' great divisions viewed the primarch's arrival as a monumental occasion, and welcomed his guiding hand to further refine the art of war. The process was slow, much as the numbness afflicting Cromwald himself. It was over the course of dozens of campaigns that his lust for rapid assault and high-speed maneuver was made manifest.

	Field Marshal Basil Heart was first to take to heart the evolving doctrine handed down by the primarch. He had inherited mastery of the 3rd division from Geoffrey the Lionheart, and had always been known for favoring a heavily mechanized method of war. He was first to adopt the idea that mobility was more than a necessary advantage in battle, but an objective all its own. He took the doctrine of overwhelming concentration of force already exemplified by his elite armored brigade and rebuilt his division around making such concentration capable of striking anywhere, at any time. The 3rd under his command served as an example for the other field marshals, who implemented their own interpretation of the primarch's strategic brilliance. Even the infamously stubborn Field Marshal Venetus of the 2nd division was forced to adopt facets of what he dubbed the "cult of speed" when he found it was being enforced by the 6th training division. The legion as a whole was shifting to reflect Cromwald's need to clash with his foes as swiftly and violently as possible.

	The shift in doctrine was the first signs of the sickness that soon would sweep through the legion. In the waning days of 994M30 the primarch assembled the master apothecaries under his command. They answered the summons and crossed the vast gulf of space to gather aboard the ''Sovereign''. There he held a meeting with the foremost medical minds among his children, and sold the soul of his legion. For two full months they labored in secret on a project that threatened to change the fate of the Lions, and when the master apothecaries returned to their divisions they carried with them a horrid curse. Their knowledge had blended with the sorcery bestowed by advisers from the Eternal Zealots. Now their gene seed bore the same fatal flaw that had dragged Cromwald down the road of madness. With absolute mastery of the health and wholeness of the legionaries at their fingertips they spread the slow numbness to each and every Lion to need their tending.

	"As it is above, so shall it be below. It is the master's right to demand such of his subjects," spoke the primarch of his legion. By the time the Ullanor wars ended virtually every Lion would be afflicted, with only a small few veterans remaining whole and unchanged. With the campaign requiring the rare mustering of the whole legion to face the greenskin menace, Cromwald had the perfect opportunity to see his children succumb to the madness. They fought with a fervor previously unseen in their ranks, as if some hunger for violence drove them into the orks. The lust for the thunder of battle and the rush of the charge became more manifest as the campaign carried on, marking out numerous cases where the daring maneuvers of the Lions Rampant would be celebrated as brilliant, while other cases they would be heralded as needlessly aggressive or dangerous and reckless. Any serious inquest, however, was staved off by the strategic success they enjoyed.

	===The Culling===		===The Culling===

	The years following Ullanor were fraught with preparations for the coming storm of betrayal. Cromwald and his command battalion were now fully beholden to the glories of chaos, and had sown the seeds of its worship among the legion. Already it bore fruit, but there were those individuals of singular will and loyalty that would not be so easily swayed. To this end a quiet cull of those incorruptible souls was put into place.

	The decade leading into M31 came with an increase in factionalism within the legion. Cabals and lodges began to form in the guise of veterans circles or competitive groups. Often they would clash for honors or assignment, but within each lay the core veneration of a darker cause than could be readily seen. These cabals often were drawn along the lines of platoons or companies, but some crossed organizational boundaries to make covens of like minded individuals. Their influence grew within the legion under the guise of internal competition, but ultimately they served to isolate and alienate the marines that would not be corrupted.

	Those marines were subject to duty on the bleeding edge of the crusade, or left to garrison distant outposts in isolation. Those that could not be eliminated or stranded through duty often met sudden and violent ends that would frequently remain unsolved mysteries to their peers. Though it took years of preparation, slowly the loyalist presence in the legion whittled away to be replaced by indoctrinated raw recruits. When the time for betrayal came, the loyalists would be marginalized to the point of being unable to influence the outcome of the war.

	==Eve of Damnation==		==Eve of Damnation==

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	{{/tg/-Heresy-Head}}		{{/tg/-Heresy-Head}}

	The ~~IXth legion, dubbed the~~ Lions Rampant, ~~fought to perfect the science of victory through highly mobile~~, ~~heavily armed forces working~~ to a ~~grand strategy~~. On the ~~battlefield their deployments and strategies are nothing less than brilliant, drawing from~~ a ~~long tradition of mastery over terrain~~, ~~logistics~~, and ~~an almost uncanny presence of mind in predicting~~ and ~~countering enemy movements. Notably,~~ the ~~IXth incorporate an extensive diplomatic corps integrated within the legion~~'s ~~structure, playing into~~ the ~~carefully maintained veneer of gentlemanly behavior and nobility in appearance and deed~~. ~~The Lions Rampant are arrogant yet benevolent, and possess a doctrine~~ of ~~converting worlds into recruitment centers that resembles~~ their ~~close allies in~~ the ~~XXVIth legion.~~		The Lions Rampant, designated Legion IX by Terran records, strive to wage war at a frantic pace. Bold, daring maneuvers are the hallmark of a legion that races to battle by speeder, tank and bike to outflank, envelope and destroy their foes. At this they excelled and earned their place among the Emperor's finest during the Great Crusade. By the cruelty of fate their love for the bravado of the charge devolved into a lust for speed and the adrenaline soaked thrill of closing to violence with the enemy. The Heresy claimed the Lions Rampant for Chaos; they cast aside oaths of loyalty and pledged their souls to Slaanesh.
	~~The fall to Chaos twisted the high standards~~ of ~~conduct~~ the ~~Lions held~~ into ~~something wholly debased. In the wake of their treason their souls were sold to Slaanesh and their~~ lust for the thrill of ~~war elevated~~ to the ~~point of insanity~~. ~~Their actions, and~~ the ~~actions of many of their splintered warband demonstrate a perverse preference~~ for ~~the same breed~~ of ~~highly mobile warfare,~~ and ~~a wholly corrupt gift of silvered tongues in dealing with~~ their ~~foes. They are fickle and unpredictable, prone~~ to ~~almost civil behavior at one moment, and absolute barbarism and slaughter the next~~.

	=History of the Lions Rampant=		=History of the Lions Rampant=

	==The Highland Raiders==		==The Highland Raiders==
	Founded in the waning years of the Terran Unification Wars, the IXth were drawn from the conquered peoples of Albyon and Franc, who made excellent stock for the nascent legions. They were drawn together and clad in livery of deep blue and slate grey. Dubbed the Highland Raiders, these marines formed ~~a vanguard that saw conflict across~~ the ~~galaxy, beginning with the conquest~~ of ~~Merica and stretching far to~~ the galactic south and west.		Founded in the waning years of the Terran Unification Wars, the IXth were drawn from the conquered peoples of Albyon and Franc, who made excellent stock for the nascent legions. They were drawn together and clad in livery of deep blue and slate grey. Dubbed the Highland Raiders, these marines formed the backbone of several expeditions into the galactic south and west.
	The Raiders prosecuted their wars with a solemn stoicism that bordered on self destructive. Their ~~leadership consisted~~ of ~~skilled yet callous generals, under whose command~~ the ~~marines ground away~~ the ~~enemies of the Emperor~~. ~~They marched to battle knowing well their lives~~ were the ~~currency~~ of ~~war, to be spent~~ in ~~the crusade to claim worlds for the growing Imperium~~. This ~~outlook distanced them from many~~ of ~~their peers~~, ~~who found~~ the ~~dour nature~~ of ~~the Raiders made for poor allies~~.		The Raiders prosecuted their wars with a solemn stoicism that bordered on self destructive. Their manner of war was to march into the enemy supported by heavy armor to grind the foe down in a relentless advance. Their masters, while brilliant strategists, were callous and casually spent the lives of their men in pursuit of victory. This manner of war was brutal and bloody, yielding results at the cost of lives and glory.
	For the first half of the Great Crusade the IXth fought in this fashion, marking brutal victories over renegade regimes such as the charnal lords of Voughry VI, or the alien domain of the Skrrt-ka. ~~Few~~ of ~~these campaigns~~ were ~~lauded~~, ~~as each came at a steep toll in life. The Raiders simply fought~~ and ~~won, then moved on to~~ the ~~next hellish battlefield to crush under~~ the ~~treads~~ of ~~their tanks~~. ~~For over a century this persisted, as~~ the ~~Raiders grew stigmatized for lacking a~~ primarch ~~or any glories to celebrate. Internally~~, the ~~legion eventually succumbed to a morbid acceptance of~~ their fate as the lost ~~sons~~ of the ~~Crusade, and fought on all the same~~.		For the first half of the Great Crusade the IXth fought in this fashion, marking brutal victories over renegade regimes such as the charnal lords of Voughry VI, or the alien domain of the Skrrt-ka. Other legions were granted great honors for their conquests, but the Raiders remained relatively unlauded for their dour suppression of the Emperor's foes. Their victories were neither decisive, nor glorious, and over the course of the crusade they became looked down upon by their brethren of other legions. With the primarch of the IXth absent after all others had been discovered, the Raiders sullenly accepted their fate as the lost children of the crusade.

	==Remaking the IXth==		==Remaking the IXth==
	In the year 914.M30 the last of the primarchs was discovered on the world of Sommesgard. At this time the bulk of the Highland Raiders were engaged in the waning days of the reclamation of sub-sector Orridak from the technocratic league that held out against the Emperor's rule. They were not to be reunited with their primarch until five years later, after the fires of the brutal campaign had burned out. When the legion was gathered to join their genetic forbear, the meeting initial was joyless and cynical. Cromwald, the Lion of Sommesgard, had lost his arm in battle against the Mechanicum, and had joined the Emperor only after a brilliant but violent resistance against the explorators that had discovered his homeworld. To the Raiders the parallel was immediately ~~drawn; it seemed fitting that~~ a ~~mangled~~ legion ~~would have an equally~~ mutilated primarch.		In the year 914.M30 the last of the primarchs was discovered on the world of Sommesgard. At this time the bulk of the Highland Raiders were engaged in the waning days of the reclamation of sub-sector Orridak from the technocratic league that held out against the Emperor's rule. They were not to be reunited with their primarch until five years later, after the fires of the brutal campaign had burned out. When the legion was gathered to join their genetic forbear, the meeting initial was joyless and cynical. Cromwald, the Lion of Sommesgard, was immediately seen as a parallel to the legion: a mutilated primarch for a mauled and discarded legion.
	~~This disappointment~~ was ~~short lived~~. Cromwald ~~was a talented~~ orator~~, and his voice rang clear upon~~ the ~~plains~~ of ~~Berau, where~~ his ~~legion stood assembled~~. ~~He spoke to his men of struggle and triumph, and with a~~ firebrand~~'s tongue he banished their dismal outlook. With every rousing word he kindled in~~ the ~~hearts of his~~ legion a ~~fire~~, ~~offering a renewal of purpose~~ and ~~a chance to claim their place of honor at~~ the ~~forefront~~ of the ~~Crusade. Only the~~ most jaded ~~of marines were unmoved by~~ their ~~primarch~~.		The dismal outlook was not easily shaken. It took every ounce of Cromwald's skill as an orator to sway the jaded hearts of his marines. His firebrand speech before the assembled legion slowly stirred a faint hope for the future, and despite the council of the eldest, most jaded astartes among their number the newly christened Lions warmed to the reformations Cromwald proposed.
	The ~~reformation that followed was a six year plan that halted all activity in~~ the crusade~~. The whole strength~~ of the legion was ~~brought to their new home at Sommesgard~~, ~~where~~ Cromwald ~~toiled to remake his legion~~ into ~~Lions, fit to roar their name across~~ the ~~stars~~. ~~Across mountains~~, ~~deserts and plains~~ the ~~legionaries engaged in strategic exercises and wargames designed to incorporate~~ new ~~strategies and weapons into their~~ order of battle. As ~~the men drilled and trained in the arts~~ of ~~war~~, Cromwald ~~chose carefully from their ranks and built~~ a ~~core~~ of ~~officers. Tapped for their cunning and organizational prowess~~, ~~these marines endured a grueling course~~ of ~~training in~~ the ~~classroom,~~ on ~~the battlefield, and in the halls of government to mold them into masters~~ of ~~their craft. The final act was to inject~~ new blood into the ~~IXth, drawn from~~ the ~~rich military culture that had raised Cromwald~~ from ~~his youth~~. ~~Officer cadets became astartes, and with~~ them came ~~a reinforcement of the new values and ideas Cromwald worked to instill in his marines. While he would never truly break the old Raiders~~ of their ~~roots to Terra~~, ~~he was successful in distancing his legion from their bleak history. When they returned to~~ the ~~Crusade, it was clad in the crimson and purple armor~~ of ~~their new cognomen:~~ the Lions ~~Rampant~~.		The next five years saw Legion IX removed from the crusade as the core structure of the legion was remolded. Drills and wargames waged across the training world of Garripor, pitting legionnaires against one another, and against the harsh extremes of the Garriporic poles. The best and the brightest were marked by Cromwald for extensive training into the newly minted officer corps. Training under the primarch himself, they would become the masters of the legion's new order of battle, reshaped into a form reminiscent of the army structure of Sommesgard. As a final act of rebirth, Cromwald ordered a grand conscription of young boys, all children of the military forces on Sommesgard. They were an infusion of new blood into the legion and served as a final measure to distance the Lions from their ignoble past. With them came an influx of their homeworld's culture, which would change the character of the Lions at a fundamental level given time.

	==The Fall==		==The Fall==