Stone Men

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This page details people, events, and organisations from The /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

Stone Men
Stone Skull and Henge
Battle Cry	*The sound of meteors screeching through the atmosphere*
Number	XXVII
Founding	First Founding
Successors of	N/A
Successor Chapters	N/A
Chapter Master	Johannus Osmosius
Primarch	Onyx Lithus
Homeworld	Neolithus(sucked into the warp), now Methuselah IV
Strength	50,000 at peak, now between 7000 and 5000 (200,000 if auxiliary forces and allies are counted)
Specialty	Close combat/deep strike
Allegiance	Fedelitas Constantus
Colours	Brown and grey (sometimes steel blue)

Summary of Legion XXVII

Numeration: The XXVIIth Legion

Primogenator: Onyx Lithus(also known as "The Indestructible")

Cognomen (Prior): Defenders of Cragg(A world the Legion protected from Corsair raids before Onyx was found).

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Close Combat, Mass Drop Deployment, Naval Bombardment, Astra-Geological Assault

Noteworthy Domains: (pre-heresy) The Neolithus System (Primary), tithe rights to five other asteroid based colonies. (post heresy) methuselan system, domain over the ghoul stars.

Alliegence: Fedelitas Constantus

"I am not, a complex person. I am merely a warrior. A son of Onyx, sworn to fight for the Emperor. Do not expect poetry to flow from this mouth, I am but a tool for war. And I will protect the innocent and uphold justice. That is all I have to say, for that is all I am."

Captain Jarace of the First Obsidian Strike Force, M.30

Characterized by their affinity for solid rock and hard work ethic, the Stone Men are one of the most honorable, brotherly, and just Legions in the whole Imperium. Both blessed and cursed by their geneseed, most Stone Men stand far above their fellow Legionnaires. However, their geneseed takes a considerable amount of time to mature, making recruitment a slow and arduous task. Still, they make great use of their stature to bring about swift and crushing victories in the name of the Emperor. Though many remark on their odd qualities and personalities after the Heresy, their devotion to humanity and the Emperor is unquestionable.

Legion Tactics

"The Stone Men fall, and every enemy dies." (Quote attributed to Iren, Marshal of the Terrancotta First)

Pre-Heresy

When Onyx was reunited with his genetic offspring, he quickly set to work organizing the tiny legion. He used his strength to discipline them, testing their iron wills against his intense training, training beyond even space marine standards. Before long, the ceramite armor used by most of the Imperium proved insufficient for even training purposes. A new void-based ore known as Neolithite, found in the asteriods of the sector and possesing incredible durability, became the base material for Stone Men equipment. Onyx's forces, armed with nigh-indestructible armor to match their indomitable wills, became a nigh unstoppable force in the never ending defense of the Imperium against its foes. Attacks would begin with heavy bombardment by naval vessels accompanied by simultaneous deep strikes, the bombardment serving as mere suppression as the Stone Men destroyed the enemy from within. Power fists, normally used for melee engagement, found a more fitting place in the ranks of the Stone Men as simply larger hands to grasp bigger weapons. The Stone Men dealt almost exclusively in heavy weaponry, with standard bolters replacing bolt pistols, heavy bolters and meltaguns replacing standard bolters, and all manner of normally vehicle based weaponry as "heavy weapons" (one account even describes an enraged marine using a salvaged Gaspard Lumey cannon as an improvised weapon. This account is hotly disputed, as the firing mechanism isn't adapted for personal handling.). Almost all the vehicles of the Stone Men were armored with pure, molded Neolithite (although later ones were armored with a plasteel/Neolithite alloy dubbed "Neolithium", reinforcing the Stone Men tradition of favoring older designs and traditions). Stone Men combat vehicles could simply ram other vehicles and fortifications, and in defensive operations could simply outlast an enemies ammunition supply.

Guerrilla warfare, as well as conflicts taking place in populated areas, were especially difficult for the Stone Men as they refused to kill or endanger innocents. In several reported cases, Stone Men have been seen coming between fire (both enemy and Imperial) and innocents, protecting them with their hardened bodies. Onyx himself has said that he personally addresses these lapses in discipline, but some suggest this means he is secretly honoring them for their altruism. The Stone Men usually work alone as a single force, with only guard regiments and other low-level forces (possibly because they relate to the common men and women of the Imperium more than their knightly brothers). The only exception to this being the great War on the Colossi, and of course, the Hektor Heresy.

Post-Heresy

Due to the lack of resources, small numbers, remote location, and numerous, horrific enemies, the Stone Men had to adapt many new strategies to combat the strange, new evils they faced; many without the help of Onyx.

Asteroids became a invaluable resource, as they fortified themselves in the meteor fields of Methuselah. They could be used for all manner of purposes, ranging from weapons, transports, fortifications, even make-shift exterminatus. Asteroids were much slower than most other planetary weapons, but thanks to the relatively predictable nature of the fringe warp, they could be sent through temporary warp portals directly to a planetary surface. They could also deliver entire platoons of Stone Men directly to the planetary surface, or to an enemy ship. Conventional weaponry is sparse at the edge of the galaxy, so the Stone Men can not afford to be picky. Practically anything will be salvaged or recycled, baring heavily chaos-tainted equipment.

Legion Equipment

Stone Men armor and color pattern

Clad in a stony ore, called Neolithite, found in asteroids and wielding powerfists and heavy weaponry, they are nearly indestructible, yet small in number and almost completely unable to increase the size of their ranks. They are all rather simple, preferring to stay away from politics and intrigue. They know only one thing: the enemies of the Imperium are great; We must be greater.

Gene-Seed

The Gene-Seed of the Stone Men is a curious one; it grants them incredibly long life spans, hardened physiques, and taller frames. However, it is incredibly fickle and fragile when it comes to replication. The large supply on Neolithus was only achieved through careful cultivation and fertilization. This is why loosing these stocks was so devastating, as it robbed the Stone Men of a secure future. These Gene-Seeds also have a much higher fatality rate when it comes to induction, furthering the difficulty of adding to the ranks of the Stone Men.

Legion History

Pre-Heresy

Pre-Onyx

The Stone Men began as a loosely connected group of companies, lead by captains whose names are lost to time. However, one of these captains rose to a mythical status and united the Stone Men, after a number of legendary feats. His name was Gilgothish, a tan-skinned, bearded man who wore gold robes and is said to have been like a lesser image of the emperor. His legacy has been warped, mistranslated, added to, and taken away from, leaving some to believe he may not have existed at all. He commanded the Stone Men with his bare fist and a strange piece of archeotech, a whip powered by unknown energies. Upon the successful raid and destruction of the space hulk "Ishtar's Bull", an STC was discovered for a unique, fully articulated power fist, dubbed the "Gilgothish Pattern Powered Fist". Using this piece of archeotech, Gilgothish invented a form of grappling-based martial arts that the Stone Men still use today (Coincidentally, wrestling was a favored sport on Neolithus, and Onyx added to the techninque upon taking up the mantle of the Stone Men). Gilgothish eventually perished, killed by an eldar avatar of Khaine. Many other leaders rose and fell, most have had their names lost to history. Just before Onyx's Discovery, a new leader emerged; Hammurabi of Ebathica, a dark-skinned Warrior King. He had a knowledge of logistics and organization beyond most space marines and even planetary lords. If he wasn't a space marine lord, he may very well have been a lord on Terra. He laid a basic framework for the complete reformation of the legion (which Onyx would carry out and complete), and helped bring the chapter together permanently. When Onyx was discovered, Hammurabi willingly stepped down and continued to help structure the chapter until his death during the Collossi Wars.

Post-Onyx

Onyx and the newly improved Stone Men first made themselves known by stopping a WAAAGH of epic porportions at the doorstep of the Imperium. The battle took place on the harrowing surface of Fenris, where the Stone Men stood like immovable mountains, jutting out from a sea of green and red. Their courage and strength earned them the honor of leading a great crusade into the segmentum ultima. In the Segmentum, they fought numerous xenos empires, such as the amorphic ghourb, which could fashion melee weapons from their gelatinous tentacles, the Xioxinid, a race of creatures fueled by nuclear hearts that could melt an entire bane blade, and even a race of warp creatures known as the violatius, which seduced the minds of human men and women then used them as conduits to feed on their emotional energy. The greatest of these xenos threats was the almighty Jormmund. These titanic beings of crystalline, silicon shells were resistant to almost all forms of energy weapons, incredibly durable, capable of turning entire mountains into starships, and could dwarf an imperial titan in sheer magnitude. They commanded a legion of slave species, ruling over them by threat of desrruction, and were a threat to the entire imperium. They could only fly at near light speeds, meaning the Stone Men could spend a few years fortifying their next target; however, this usually only slowed them down. They even reproduced through spores that could traverse space, meaning they could appear on any planet in any system nearby. The Stone Men had to call upon other legions in order to finally defeat them, and even had the sons of fire burn every world they had fought on to make sure the spores were completely eradicated. Onyx's stubborn, definitive personality did not help him gdt along with many other imperials. In fact, Onyx once even butted heads with the emperor himself, over the destruction of a xenos homeworld. This lead to a somewhat distant relationship between them. Through all these battles, The ruinous forces were watching, and they knew that for their plan to succeed, they needed to cripple the mighty Stone Men.

Heresy era

Destruction of Neolithus

The Stone Men returned from their crusade, tired and homesick from the epic journey. Many awaited the return to Neolithus with a tired excitement, and looked forward to seeing their battle-brothers. The Stone Men's fleets emerged from the warp, and bore witness to a horrific sight. A warp storm ravaged Neolithus, blotting out it's star and burning it's air with noxious warp-gasses. They deployed to the only areas left untouched by the foul daemon hordes and purple miasma, rescuing everyone and everything they could. The gene-seed storage facility, upon which the future of the Stone Men's legion depended on, was consumed by a massive army of warp abominations, leaving them without any way to generate more. The daemonic forces and warp storm currents scrape across the landscape, ravaging and defiling the world. Almost the entire population was lost, and the few survivors sought shelter on the remaining ships. Neolithus is dead. It seems that the Stone Men are doomed, trapped within the pull of a massive warp storm, and completely devoid of hope. Onyx made a desperate move, calling for the "bottleneck formation". The Stone Men's ships gathered together, getting extremely close to eachother. The tight unit of ships spear-headed by The great Everest, dives straight into the warp storm. Guns blazed all around as daemons and monsters scraped and grinded against the hulls of the flying fortresses. The ships reached the center of the warp storm, explosions from enemies and allies alike surrounded them, and The edge of the materium and the Immaterium became visible. They charged up their Gellar Fields to maximum strength, and bore the blunt force of the maelstrom. Just as many ships began to give out, the currents reversed. Tendrils of chaos and daemons were pulled into the eye of the storm as the tear in space collapsed in on itself. The imploding warp storm took with it Neolithus, and any future for the Stone Men.

The Everest Summit-class Battle Barge, the largest battleship ever created. pictured exiting the warp along with two emperor-class battleships and a nemesis-class battleship.

Istvaan

The Stone Men were doomed, having lost all of their gene-seed, Neolithus, and over 10,000 marines to the ruinous forces of the universe. They traveled to the nearest Imperial sanctuary, an agri-world named Allanius. There, they assessed their losses and prepared to set up a new home world, albeit with heavy hearts. A transmission came in from the distant world of Isstvan, on an emergency vox channel. It stated that Hektor, the warmaster, and a sizeable number of other legions had turned traitorous, mounting an offensive on Istvaan V. They had begun consulting with dark gods of the warp, and rought warp storms all across the Imperium. Slowly, the pieces came together in Onyx's mind. This was not a natural disaster, a cruel twist of fate, a random occurrence. It was an attack. A devastating, critical strike, directly at the heart of the Stone Men. The blood of the Stone Men grew hot, like veins of magma in the earth. They knew what they had to do. The Everest hurtled through the warp, spearheading the Stone Fleet. Currents and turbulence were nothing, pushed aside by the cruiser's massive hull. Their guns were loaded, drop pods ready, cannons aimed and prepared to fire. They would have fought in the warp if they had to, nothing would stop them from seeking vengeance. The fleet arrived at Istvaan, finding the battle had just begun. Cruisers bombarded the planet, and landing crafts were being prepared for the first assault. The drop pods of the Stone Men followed the landing vessels, crashing into the earth and delivering their deadly cargo. The traitors attacked as soon as they made landfall, swinging chainswords and firing into the loyalist ranks. The Stone Men's power fists and meltaguns incinerated and decimated the attackers, but the enemy firepower was overwhelming. Onyx himself, in his massive, hulking power armor with two custom goliath-power fists waded through the enemy ranks, crushing marines in his mechanical hands. The Stone Men no longer feared death, as they thought themselves doomed anyway. They only had two objectives: destroy the traitors and protect their brothers. The heavy volley of enemy firepower rained down upon the loyalist forces, and even the mighty Stone Men were helpless against it. The rare sight of a Space marine's blood forever scarred the barren wastes of Istvaan, and signified the end of a unified Imperium. The Stone Men did all they could to help their brothers escape from an unwinnable massacre, as their armor shattered to pieces from sustained fire. The loyalists made their escape, and the Stone Men retreated soon after. The war had begun.

Legion Organization

The stone men have three basic tiers of space marines: First is the igneous, composed of (relatively) new recruits, scout marines, and experimental forces. They are named so because their armor is still new, and lacks any significant scarring or burns. The major groups in this tier are the obsidian arrowheads, which act as percision strike forces, the quartz techmarines, which test new technologies developed by the latomus tech preists, and the pumice bludgeons, lightweight scout marines and assault marines for fast, swift actions and operations.

The next tier is the sedimentus, the main bulk of the stone men. these are almost all run-of-the-mill space marines, with a select few terminators. They are named for their armor, as the weaker outside of the ore slowly crumbles away. They are compsed entirely by sandstone marines, and all share the same eternal will that makes sandstond last for aeons.

The third and highest tier are the metamorphus marines. These are the elites of the stone men, almost all are either commanders, leaders, or named heroes. Each has custom equipment and is distinguished by their darker, hardend armor. They are the veterans, and most were there since the founding itself. They are also called the anthracite marines.

Ordo Latomus

In their battles among the ghoul stars, the Stone Men have gathered a cabal of priests known as the ordo latomus, or the stone masons. survivors from the harrowing battles against tyranids, necrons, and all other manner of horrific entities on the fringe of the galaxy can join this prestigious order, meaning it is mostly composed of veteran guardsmen and sisters of battle. On occasion, a xenos may be able to attain priesthood, if sufficient heroism and honor is displayed. The xenos must request admission into the order. The ordo latomus carries out various non-combat roles such as repair, maintenance, research, supply, and administration within the stone men. Their traditional garb is a brown cloak that covers their entire visage along with light armor and weaponry.

Gemstone Preists

Exodite eldar preists from the aftermath of hive fleet azathoth. They are all rocking 80's hair and have even more gemstones than normal eldar. They provide psychic advice, as well as semi-reliable scrying, mind reading, and precognition.

Adeptus Silicates

a rogue faction of adeptus mechanicus preists on the run from the imperium after being set up by a corrupt inquisitor. They were expelled for their "unorthodox" practices, such as preferring to come up with batshit crazy ideas on the fly and test them in the field, as the omnissiah prefers actions to script.

Terrancotta Army

Various rank and file imperial guardsmen and women tasked with the jobs that marines can't do while fighting the elder gods.

Sisters Strata

A long-lost order of sororitas who have since taken a vow of silence, and record the various exploits and information about the stone men, ordo latomus, and ghoul stars

Headquarters

Neolithus

Neolithus
Segmentum	Segmentum Solar/Segmentum Ultima
Sector	Neolithic
Sub Sector	Paleogothic
System	Neolithian System
Population	1,000,000,000
Planetary Governor	Onyx
Orbital radius	0.8 AU ± .2AU
Gravity	1.987 G
Temperature	temperate-hot

Neolithus is the First homeworld of the Stone Men, and the homeworld of Onyx himself. It is located near the border of the Segmentum Solar and the Segmentum Ultima, near where the galactic core meets the sagittarius arm. It is rocky, dusty, and vast, with oceans transitioning into cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Mountains and Deserts dominate the land, with small havens of hospitality near the coasts and rivers. After a massive revolution led by Onyx before the coming of the Emperor, It was unified under the just rule of Onyx and his advisors. After the Emperor brought Onyx into the Imperium, it was industrialized into a fortified mining world as well as a thriving metropolis. A majority of Stone Men neophytes came from here, although the Stone Men had other recruiting worlds nearby. During the Great Hektor Heresy it was consumed by a massive warpstorm conjured by the combined might of Tzeentch and a loose alliance of daemon princes. If not for the heroic stand of the dark-skinned neophyte Johannus Osmosium, all the spare geneseeds and training recruits would have been lost to chaos. He stole two long-dead power hammers from the monument to Onyx's rebellion, and wielded them despite them being uncharged. He slew Daemons by the hundreds and acted as a shield for the escaping acolytes and apothecaries.

Methuselah

Now the Stone Men fortify themselves within a massive field of asteroids, shrouded by cold, dark clouds of dust and gas. They orbit a dead, zombified star, which has long since lost it's light. The star was named Methuselah, as calculations predict the star remnant to be over 10 billion years old. This dark, forsaken fortress is actually beyond the ghoul stars, as it's isolation shrouds it from the sensors of attacking tyranids, and is far from any webway for the necrons to stage a meaningful assault. On the larger asteroids and planetoids, massive stone fortresses are carved from the rock. about half of the remaining fleet (500 ships) as well as the remnants of the destroyed craftworld were cannibalized to create a massive network of functional strategic weaponry and facilities. The system has a few other cold, rocky dead worlds, and a single gas giant that emits strange signals periodically thoughout the year named "Jogsototh".

Methuselan System
Segmentum	Ultima Segmentum
Sector	Ghoulan
Sub Sector	Exodia
System	Methuselan System
Population	7,000-5,000 Marines 200,000 refugees, soldiers, technicians, etc.
Planetary Governor	Chapter Master
Orbital radius	3.4 AU ± 1.6AU
Gravity	N/A
Temperature	-100 C

Enemies

In their battles among the ghoul stars, the stone men have acquired a number of enemies, many of which have fallen underfoot the mighty march of the Stone Men. The ones that have managed to last against the rocky bombardment of the Stone Men pose the greatest threat to the Imperium, and if the Stone Men were to fall, it is likely trillions could perish in the deluge of monstrosities that floods from the dark abyss.

Hive Fleet Azathoth

Coming from a separate direction entirely than the other hive fleets, Azathoth is as errant from normal tyranid biology as is physically possible. They resemble early encounters with the tyranids, in that they have more spindly appendages, hooves, spikes, and bulbous heads. They manage to use and harness all manner of energies in the form of weapons, such as psyke-rays, tesla-spines, plasma breath, atomic fire, and even stellar artillery. The biomorphs of Hive Fleet Azathoth are so incredibly divergent from known tyranid data, it is possible that they have even evolved into a seperate species. The Biomorphs of this Hive Fleet is almost entirely energy based. Their Hormogaunts have a giant, milky eye, and can fire blasts of psychic energy. Plasma energy, usually reserved for artillery in normal hive fleets, is everywhere in Hive Fleet Azathoth. Even their methods of feeding are aberrant. They do not simply consume all edible materials on a planet, in fact many worlds they have ravaged have since regrown (albeit into mutant radioactive death worlds). The reason for this is unknown, perhaps some sort of allergy or intolerance as a side-effect of the heavy mutations? This should cause the tyranids to lose biomass and starve, however they seem to draw on some foreign energy source of a psychic/immaterial nature. Perhaps encounters with the unimaginable horrors beyond the stars have caused these harrowing mutations. It is possible that this Hive Fleet is a scouting fleet, much like the early encounters, but unlike the others this one has become unnaturally twisted and mutated in the vast abyss of deep space. A splinter of another Hive Fleet almost entered the ghoul stars; however, they encountered Azathothian tyranids and subsequently reversed direction and headed for the galaxy at large.

Lord Valgul's Kingdom of Drazak

When the stone men first arrived at the pale wastes of the ghoul stars, they encountered the deranged flesh-craving kingdom of Drazak. These decrepit, flayed husks preyed upon the few remaining human worlds and exodite havens, lead by the (slightly less) deranged lord Valgul. These unorganized raids would be easily traced back to the original tomb world if these were normal necrons, but the minions of Drazak are far from normal. Drazak itself is a mystery, hidden in some unknown cataract of space-time, possibly even the warp. When the reaping comes, and the stone men are not present, pray to whatever gods you hail that you are not found.

The Cult of Triangulum

Far beyond the boundaries of the milky way, past the black void of deep space, lies a distant galaxy named by ancient human astronomers "Triangulum". In the sparse regions of the outer edges of the galaxy, where signal interference is almost silent, one can faintly hear the whispers of distant stars burning with alien light. Beyond the touch of the chaos gods and their daemons, these whispers echo throughout the shadowy wastes of the dark warp. These echoes embed themselves into the minds of mortals living on the edge, driving them into insanity beyond comprehension. These prophets spoke of gods beyond the stars, lying in wait, sumbering in the dark beyond. Fanatical cultists, possibly even madder than their chaos counterparts, must be quelled or silenced before they can spread their seeds of madness across the galaxy.

Onyx, Primarch of The Stone Men

Onyx Lithus the Indestructible

Appearance

Onyx was a massive ox of a man, 12 ft tall and with the strength to almost rival that of the emperor. he was simple, however, certainly not a learned scholar. He had a a bald head, grizzled features, and a glorious muttonchops/viking beard combo. His skin was a tan grey, almost as if he was constantly covered in the very stone he worked.

Youth

He landed on a slightly primitive agri-world, where he became a stone worker. Onyx effortlessly drove into the rock, as if it was water and he was wading through it. He saw his fellow workers toil more rigorously, as they were mere mortals. he honored these men, for though they were less powerful than he; they gave more than their weight in spirit and will. This impacted the primarch deeply, and when he saw the gross mistreatment of the workers by their superiors, he set out to usurp these aristocratic rulers. He staged an armed revolt, conquering his local lord in mere days. upon seeing his indulgent throne, he crushed it with his bare hands. He spread the dust over the people, shouting "THIS IS YOURS NOW". He continued on to all the nations of the planet, doing the same. the regents would often try to bribe him, convince him, tell him "you are the real menace!". he listened not to the words of these politicians. they angered him. any of these nations would have failed on their own, but under the protection of onyx, they were prosperous.

The Coming of The Emperor

After becoming the ruler of the planet, the emperor and his crusading astartes came to retrieve him. after his history of mistrust of politicians, he challenged the emperor to a duel. The emperor tried to tell him that he was his father, but onyx would not listen to his words. Tired, the emperor convinced him to settle for an arm wrestle. the match lasted for 3 days, and on the fourth, the table shattered, leaving the two remaining for 12 hours. at the very last minute, the emperor drove onyx's tiring into the ground, fracturing the granite. onyx finally accepted the emperor's words, knowing that only his true father could beat him in a test of strength.

The Great Crusade

Onyx and his Stone Men traveled the far reaches of the galaxy, fighting all manner of foes. He lead one of the strongest legions in the imperium, and became incredibly prideful.

The Heresy

He became disheartened when his homeworld Neolithus was destroyed, but his grief was turned to anger when he found that hektor had caused the warp storm responsible. He would go on to fight for the Imperium in battle after battle, up until the siege of Terra. He fought valiantly against the ranks of chaos, and slaughtered many traitor marines. When the battle was over, he chose to leave the Imperium with his Legion (severely undernumbered) and wait for it's inevitable passing (he believed it was doomed, and that it had no purpose anymore).

Post-Heresy

It is said that Onyx regained his faith and fervor, though reports suggest he may have died or gone missing during the Stone Men's crusades at the edge of the galaxy. New reports from far flung fringe worlds describe a possible return of the Stone Men. Imperial forces under attack by tyranids reported meteorites using warp-travel bombarding tyranid forces. They also describe a 12 ft tall astartes in ancient, cracked armor smashing and melting entire swarms with archaic weaponry. it is this Inquisitor's opinion that the Stone Men are out there, right now, safeguarding the Imperium from threats unknown. Things even we may not comprehend. They are silent guardians, waiting at the gates of the milky way, waiting for the enemy.