The Auron Infantries

This article is about an Imperial Army formation from the /tg/ Heresy project, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40k universe.

Auron Infantries
Homeworld	Auron
Doctrine	Light Infantry
Signature Equipment	Slouch Hats, Simple Fieldkits, Small Arms (Autoguns, Lasguns) Bayonet Attachments, Hunting knives, Mounted Infantry with Sabre
Colors	Brown and Tan, with splashes of Green

The Auron Infantries were a renowned formation of the Imperial Army. They focused on light infantry.

Overview

"As a former Marshal of the Imperial Army, I am obliged to have something bad to say about the Auron Infantries. Among the more polite remarks of my fellow officers the terms "insubordinate", "undisciplined", "reckless", "coarse", "savage", "lazy", and "sloppy" all crop up. But I found the Aurries' most offensive habit was not being more numerous."

(Excerpt from A Marshal in the Great Crusade, the memoirs of Jeanne d'Orléans.)

Before the Great Crusade, the planet Auron had no global history. Its date of first settlement is unknown and regional records date back only a few hundred years prior to the world's compliance with the Imperial Truth in 893.M30. Archaeologists from off-world have excavated sites of earlier habitation and can confirm that humans lived on the world for much of the Age of Strife, but the true story of Auron before the coming of the Imperial Legions is lost to the sands of time. What can be said with confidence is that the conditions of ordinary life on Auron are desperate and that this bred a tough, tight-knit breed of humans. Though the inhabitants of Auron had little reason to war with one another in their dark ages, their bitter struggle for survival was as tough a test as that endured by men on the most bellicose of planets.

The development of the Auron Infantries was a difficult process. Several Imperial Discipline Masters lost their lives in unfortunate accidents in the first year after Compliance, though investigations found that the Auronians were guilty of little more than failing to warn the authorities about the dangers of their homeworld. For several years, Imperial policy was that collecting a tithe of soldiers from Auron would be more trouble than it was worth. However, in 904.M30, the Planetary Governor was contacted by a cadre of young men from the settlement of Butana. These youths had absorbed Imperial propaganda in their schooling and taken it upon themselves to begin drilling for enlistment into the Imperial Army. After several years of waiting for a recruiter to arrive, their question to the Governor was, "Where the bloody hell are ya?"

With an initial intake of men who were eager to fight and schooled in the ways of Auron, Imperial recruitment began in earnest. Despite a casual disregard for discipline and rank, the men of Auron - or "Aurries" as they refer to one another - proved outstanding soldiers in the field. Auron Infantry regiments are mainly comprised of light infantry, with little use of little heavy weapons or vehicles. They are known to be outstanding survivors, particularly in hot or jungle environments.

Behaviour

Auron Infantryman behavior is characterized by their casual, jokey attitude and outlook towards life and war. They usually follow orders loosely, but in deadly situation the grim determination and loyalty of the Auron Infantryman is almost unmatched. Each Infantryman has a unique bond with his fellow Aurrie, known internally as 'mateship'. Often, it is mateship that keeps squads and companies together, rather than the efforts of the discipline officers. The looseness and amiability of the Auron Infantrymen earns them scorn and underestimation from commanders of other IAs, but also fondness and benevolence from rank-and-file soldiers of other IAs.

In their spare time on the ground between fighting, the Infantrymen can be found playing various sports of Auron ('Checky', a ball game concerning a black and white checkered ball, 'Wickets', a ball-catching and running game with a batsman and pitcher, and 'Foursticks', a hands-on ballgame with four tall goal posts, are to name but a few). Infantrymen enjoy teaching these sports to the bewildered soldiers of other Imperial Armies, much to the disdain of officers. A very few of the Adeptus Astartes have dabbled in Aurrie sports.

Doctrines

The planet Auron

Select companies of the Auron Infantry have found niches in the theatre of war, specifically jungle fighting and mounted infantry, in which the natural habits of the Aurries are extremely useful (like bushland tracking and farmland horse-handling). Such skills sometimes saw Auron Infantry regiments broken up and dispersed among other Imperial Army formations to serve as scouts, although sterner commanders were wary of 'infecting' their troops with the Aurrie approach to military discipline.

The Auron foot soldiers seem more at home in harsher, wild environments than the average soldier, especially in hot climates, as they are used to such conditions on Auron, especially the rural areas. Living on Auron has also let Aurries develop certain habits and rituals, like checking your boots EVERY time you put them on, NOT leaving clothing on the ground, and the old tried and tested assuming EVERYTHING that moves is a danger. Such practices further add to the Auron Infantry’s resilience to harsh environments. This doesn’t mean that the Auron Infantry can breathe toxic air and live in deadly temperatures; it’s just that their ‘comfortable fighting conditions’ is wider and more flexible than the average joe.

Homeworld

Auron is a world of farms, bush, and mountains. Unlike many death-class worlds, Auron is not plagued by mega-predators and the plant life is largely benign. However, the climate is unforgiving and the world is plagued by an endless variety of highly venomous creatures. Aurrie claims that off-worlders have been poisoned just getting out of bed in the morning are no exaggeration.

Where there is fresh water, efficient agricultural systems built up over time. These dusty farms feed the planet's small population without the need for a substantial infrastructure. Population centers invariably focus around air-locked public houses and schools, and meticulously-kept sporting greens. These common areas are the safehouse of human life on Auron and provide a refuge for the young and the weary - few grow old on this world.

Notable Regiments

• 38th Auron Infantry The 38th was the only first-line Imperial Army regiment on the newly-pacified world of Destino when the Harakien Eldar Empire attacked. Although they were unable to prevent a rout of the defending forces, the Aurries' courageous guerilla campaign disrupted the invaders until Uli Dreier's Squadron of Winged Victory arrived. The half-starved survivors of the 38th also provided the Imperium with critical tactical intelligence for the Pacification of the Harakien Sector. These heroes of the Great Crusade were personally commended by the Primarch Gaspard Lumey.