Scions of Europa

This text, by necessity, is incomplete. Even if his mighty heart never beats again, even if his Scions should vanish from the Galaxy, the Primarch's tale will not be done. All those who witness the heroic courage and self-sacrifice of man know this truth.

Kleisthenes lives!

(Excerpt from Europa's Honor by Gaspard Lumey)

Scions of Europa
Battle Cry	There is only Man! There is only the Emperor!
Number	VII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Successor Chapters	Ares' Sons, Iron Tide
Primarch	Kleisthenes
Homeworld	None (listed officially as Terra)
Strength	150,000 at start of Heresy
Specialty	Direct assaults, tactical flexibility
Allegiance	Imperium of Man
Colours	Bronze, gold, and red

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

The Scions of Europa were a Loyalist Space Marine Legion, once led by the great Primarch Kleisthenes. If their valour has left them few in number, it has also made them the most honoured and cherished of all the Adeptus Astartes.

History

No warriors were so at home on the battlefield as the Scions of Europa. From their first battles in the ancient Hives of Merica, the gene-sons of Kleisthenes would know their place as warriors, nothing more and nothing less. Their matchless courage, prowess, and versatility would see them exalted as a standard to which all other Space Marines aspired - but the same qualities would see their own line driven to the brink of extinction.

Beginnings: the Sacred Band

During the Unification Wars, the best of the first Space Marines were gathered up in the Sacred Band under the leadership of Hektor Cincinnatus. This temporary formation was intended to help develop bonds between the nascent Legions. The Seventh Squad of the Sacred Band was led by Nikomedes. He was born in the hives of Terra to a patrician family. Nikomedes was slow to learn as a child, but his apparent difficulties were in fact the consequence of a great mind struggling to deal with the narrowness of his education. As a superb young athlete, he was put forward for selection into the Adeptus Astartes and although the standards were demanding he easily passed them. The process of becoming a Space Marine brought forth the outstanding qualities of his character - his fierce, probing intellect, indomitable courage, and coolness of temper. Nikomedes' stock was high enough that he was selected as one of Hektor's Lieutenants in the Sacred Band, and he would lead masterfully from the front throughout that campaign.

Disposition on the Eve of the Heresy

Numeration: The VIIth Legion

Primogentor: Kleisthenes

Cognomen (prior): Lunar Lions, The Gauntlet, The Invincible Seventh

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Shock assaults, deep strikes, rapid redeployment

Noteworthy domains: None. The Scions spurned dominion over the planets they conquered.

Allegiance: Fidelitas Constantus

"Let other men build, love, make works of art and beauty. Let other men rule, judge, make peace and prosperity. War is enough for us."

Themistocles, Equerry of the Seventh Legion

Culture

Unfettered by the traditions of their Primarch's homeworld, the Scions of Europa would stay true to the heritage of Terra and the "Grey Legions" of the Unification Wars. The sons of Kleisthenes never see themselves as anything other than humanity's soldiers, blessed and cursed to fight and die so that others may know peace.

Recruitment and Training

Although he honoured Europa in renaming his Legion, Kleisthenes did not look to his homeworld for recruits to Seventh. Instead, he taught his sons to find their aspirants on the battlefields of the Great Crusade. Neophytes would receive the gene-seed aboard the mighty warships of the Scions' Crusade fleets and gain much of their experience by induction into the Legion's squads as soon as they had recovered from the gene-seed. Even Neophytes part-way through the process of becoming Space Marines were expected to take military duty aboard Kleisthenes' warships, though these youths were usually kept to the task of manning the guns.

To befit the tactical flexibility of the Legion, the Scions go through intense Tactical Marine training after basic Scout training, with those marines excelling in a given field going on to become either full-time Tactical Marines, Devastators Marines, and Assault Marines. Because of this, any given sergeant of a squad is not only an extremely proficient veteran of their field, but is able to fall back on their Tactical Marine training if the situation dictates.

Notable Domains

Spurning landholding, the Scions devoted themselves entirely to the tasks of the Great Crusade. Kleisthenes decreed that a school of government be established on Europa for the purpose of training administrators, but the graduates of his academy were mortals.

Notable Members

The Scions of Europa were represented in the Crusader Host during the Hektor Heresy by Commander Leonidas of the III Chapter, veteran of the Valenor Crusade and of the infamous Scourging of Helgrim.

Legion Organisation

In accordance with the ancient patterns of Terran warfare, the Scions' squads were led by charismatic and heroic individuals. At every step of their command, the Legion ensured that only the boldest rose above their peers.

Tactics

Kleisthenes understood the significance of the Space Marines as shock troops. His teachings always emphasised the importance of a decisive direct assault, relying on strategic rather than tactical surprise to give his forces the initiative in a campaign. However, he also counselled his men not to waste lives in an assault that was developing poorly and to seek alternatives when necessary.

In all their long history, the Scions have never made a strategic withdrawal. While they are not so foolish as to simply stand and fight, their warlike souls refuse to surrender the field once they have entered the fight. The acts of valour they have performed have often served to inspire the armies of the Imperium, but they have also suffered extraordinary losses.

Legion Equipment

Their bronze-painted armor, trimmed with gold and cloaked in red, is an homage to the old Terran warriors of Europa.

The Scions of Europa do not make a fetish of their equipment. They understand that between the bolter, the chainsword, frag and krak grenades, and their mighty power armour, there are few military situations they cannot resolve. Still, when those situations do arise, the Legion arsenal is well-stocked - indeed, unlike some of their peers who feel that rare materials are to be used regardless of the situation, the Scions can generally count on having the right equipment when they need it.

Some weapons were unique to the Legion:

• The Gladius Europaeus was a short Power Sword, designed for use in close quarters. Scions of Europa boarding teams used these weapons to deadly effect.

Specialist Ranks

The gene-seed of the Scions of Europa is incompatible with psykers. Although a few attempts were made to induct aspirants with the psyker mutation, the only one to become a full Space Marine was Brother Xenophon. His psychic gifts were completely ruined by the process.

Auxilia and Allies

Although Europa was not compelled to provide recruits to Kleisthenes' Legion, she still surrendered her children to war. The Europan Evzoni were organised on the Solar-pattern and grew to a prodigious strength. Evzoni would fight alongside the Scions in many campaigns, but the auxilia also fielded their own taskforces in the Great Crusade.

Legion Fleet

They are as bold in the void as in any other theatre of war. Though other Legions may boast superior hand-to-hand fighters, the determination and willing self-sacrifice of Scions of Europa boarding teams makes them among the most effective available to the Imperium. Expeditionary fleets organised around the Seventh Legion typically assigned support roles to the Imperial Army vessels with the Scions themselves captaining and crewing line-breakers and assault ships.

By the time of the Hektor Heresy, the Scions of Europa fielded 84 Battleships, almost all specialist or converted battle barges, 74 grand cruisers, 84 heavy cruisers, 142 light cruisers, 89 frigates, 312 destroyers, and 52 auxiliary military vessels. Many of the Imperial Army vessels strongly associated with the Scions were cruisers and frigates.

Gene-seed and Successors

Although the Scions and their Successors come from a wide range of worlds and cultures, their gene-seed leaves a strong mark on every Marine inducted. The sons of Kleisthenes acquire their gene-father's pale-olive skin, grey eyes, and light-brown hair.

By the time of the Codex Reforms, the Scions of Europa were devastated. Even the doomed Legion of Golgothos, the Entombed had more battle brothers to call upon. Yet the heirs of Kleisthenes still agreed to partition their legion into three chapters, to prove that there was no exception to obedience. The first chapter kept the name of their legion, while two others were given distinctive names, armor schemes, and combat doctrines.

Over the millenia, the Scions and their Successors have often been exempted from tithing geneseed for whole decades in order to rebuild their losses. Despite the fearsome toll that they endure, their geneseed still functions well into the 41st Millenium, although its incompatibility with psykers has never been solved.

Ares' Sons

Drawn from many of the assault veterans of their parent Legion, the Ares' Sons are powerful warriors that specialize in rapid assaults and close-quarters combat.

Iron Tide

Sturdy and indomitable, the Iron Tide specialize in defensive operations and siege warfare, utilizing fortifications and the most heavy of armor and ordinance.