Jerionite Regiments

The 12 Jerionite (Jer-oh-knights) regiments of the Imperial Guard, collectively known as the "The Jerionite Warbands", are an elite unit with a long and colorful history. They were a people whose ancient homeworld was destroyed during the Horus Heresy and they were forced on a long diaspora before being given a new world. Even during their long travels from world to world their regiments served with distinction. Now they are crack regiments filled with religious zeal and are ready to face the worst the foes of the Imperium.
== The Jerionite Diaspora ==
One of the earliest human colonies ever recovered, Jericho, was destroyed during the Horus Heresy. It’s people, the Jerionites, without a home, embarked on a diaspora. During this time, known as the scattering, the Jerionite culture was kept alive via oral tradition and religious bonds. The practice a unique form of worship of the Emperor, known as Jerichism, that put them at odds with the Imperial Cult at time but their strong fighting spirit and fanatical dedication to the Emperor’s word has earned them the respect of the rest of the Imperium.
They carried their relics, records, and written histories with them as they moved from world-to-world and over time almost all was lost. Still, they held together and traveled from world to world. They would stay for a time before politics, crisis, or necessity forced them off the world. Many factions of Jerionites took their own path, lost the faith, died, or were simply absorbed into the culture of a world they settled on. It is theorized that the Sivenites of Keb may be a lost tribe of Jerionites who assimilated into their population. It wasn’t until the end of the awakening of Roboute Guilliman that they were finally granted a home world in recognition of their service, which they crissined New Jericho in honor of their lost world. Now the beacon is lit- an open invitation for all Jerionites to return to their people and they are flocking to Neo-Jericho by the millions.
== Jerichism ==
In Jerichism the Emperor is not the ultimate power in the universe but the greatest teacher of all time. They believe, wherever the Emperor is now (or whatever state he may be in), that he joined with the power and was inspired by this great power. They see the Emperor, who they call “The Teacher”, as the only Earthly avatar of that benevolent universal power and venerate him in hopes of improving the universe itself. Jerionites hold education of the next generation and recording of history as some of their highest moral duties and spread because of this much of the history that the Imperium has is due to Jerionite efforts. Jerionites also educate those that serve with them in the Imperial Guard or on the worlds they find themselves on.
There is a sect, within this sect, known as “neo-numerologists” who are obsessed with numerology- finding divine meaning in Imperial texts and the words of The Teacher. They have an uncanny (some would say heretical) ability to predict future events with their art. It is said that one of the texts they use is The Grey Scrolls (or some translation/variation/related text), but this unconfirmed. Twice the Inquisition has destroyed this sub-sect and twice it has sprung up again in secret. While not currently banned- it is eyed with extreme suspicion.
== Old Jericho ==
The ancient homeworld of the Jerionites was destroyed in a radiological attack that not only scorched the entire surface of the planet but put a deep fracture in its core. It’s currently a dead, radioactive, husk with extremely active volcanoes that can’t support life.
== Talpiot Program ==
Senior officers in the Jerionite warband are groomed from an early age. Those who show a great deal of aptitude and intelligence as well as several other indicators (temperament, zeal, cunning, faith, brutality, loyalty, etc) are entered into the "Talpiot program". This program takes very young children (sometimes as young as 5 or 6) and trains them to become officers- a process that breaks many that come in. After the chaff has been separated from the wheat what remains are the best of the best that the Jerionite's have to offer. They are often given positions in the 1st Regiment, as officers in the 5th Regiment's intelligence corp, or as senior commanders in other regiments.
== Jerionite Regiments ==
The Jerionites have long been in service to the Imperial Guard. Even during their diaspora they maintained a powerful fighting force many regiments strong. They often would arrive with their family’s and other hanger-ons, who often would fight just as fiercely as the soldiers themselves, when their space-borne regiments were called up for service. With the acquisition of their new homeworld they have formalized their regiments into 12. The 12 Regiments, collectively referred to as the Jerionite Warband, is lead by a “Jerionite Judge” (equivalent to a General). Each Regiment is run by a Colonel known as a “Melech”.
In general the Jerionite warband are known for their anti-armor and infantry; they generally mix heavy vehicles with their infantry. They use high-end las weapons and are very cunning, even their most disciplined units relying largely on guerrilla warfare tactics.
=== 1st Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Hammer of the Teacher” ===
The Hammers are a veteran heavy infantry regiment that has been in existence, in one form or another, since the Great Crusade. Legend has it that the Teacher himself requested the 1st incarnation of it and it has been active ever since. The Hammers are well-trained and well-equipped; generally supporting hellguns and carapace armour. While not trained to the same level as Stormtroopers, they are more numerous and far more shrewd and cunning. The Hammers have a propensity for high end las weaponry and many of their heavy weapons squads sport lascannons.
=== 2nd Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Wisdom Within” ===
The “Wise-guys” of the 2nd Neo-Jerionite are a mechanized hunter-killer regiment. They have a number of light vehicles which transport troops armed with anti-armor weapons. The 2nd is often used as an advanced force. The troop also has an attached supply and engineering corp so they can advance even under adverse conditions. Their motto, which gives them their name translates to, "By wise counsel thou shalt make thy war".
=== 3rd Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Blood of Heroes” ===
The 3rd is a light infantry regiment known for its bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and survivalist attitude. The 3rd trains it’s soldiers by dropping them on the Jerionite’s bombed-out deathworld, old Jericho and picking up the survivors 2 months later. Those that survive are taught survivalist techniques, fieldcraft, and scouting. Their regiment is known for its impressive snipers and the speed at which they deploy. As is the case with most Jerionite regiments they use advanced las weapons (often hellguns) and are backed up by a small number of artillery pieces to cover their advance. Their motto translates to, "Where no counsel is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." and refers to their intelligence gathering/scouting missions.
=== 4th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Screaming Doves” ===
Despite their ironically peaceful sounding names, the 4th are a drop troop regiment. A large part of their number are dedicated to ground-support and transport aircraft while the rest are drop troops. Most of the time the 4th does not operate alone but rather in support of another regiment. They strike from above and secure vital locations. Many people think the drop troopers of 4th, which are historically one of worst funded and equipped of the regiments of Neo-Jerionite, are insane but they find a certain level of glory in their underdog status.
=== 5th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Silent Ones” ===
The 5th Regiment is distributed among the ships of the Jerionite Warband and act as security for the ships as well as a sort of “military police”. The officers of Silent Ones are often commissars or at least involved with the political bureau. They also have a number of communications and intelligence officers in their number. When they are deployed they act as a line infantry regiment deployed as a holding force to protect/secure key objectives. Like most regiments in the warband they use hellguns and have a number of heavy weapons squad backing them up. Their motto is, "Silence is praise to You" ("you" referring to the Teacher).
=== 6th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Guns of the Teacher” ===
The 6th is a tank regiment lead by a superheavy tank corp that features “The Teacher’s Gun”, a Baneblade of the Hellhammer variant. This regiment sports many tank companies as well are artillery support units and a company of light vehicles for scouting. The regiment has a number of Leman Russ Agitators for large-scale anti-infantry actions. They are famous for taking part in Operation Helsing. Their motto translates to, "The place where the tank treads stop, there the border will be decided".
=== 7th Neo-Jerionite Regiment "[Redacted]" ===
Information on the 7th Neo-Jerionite Regiment has been expunged from Imperial records by Inquisitor Grace Parmenion. They are known to still be active but not on or near Neo-Jerionite. The only information available on them is that they are (or where) a siege regiment and they occasionally still recruit troops (often from other regiments).
=== 8th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “The Fields of Wheat” ===
The term “fields of wheat” was chosen as their nickname because of a proverb "one mows down wheat in times of war but, in times of peace, feeds many". The 8th is the main regimented dedicated to the protection of the holy land of Neo-Jericho, the new Jerionite homeworld. Many of its members are raw recruits on their first assignment but its officers are all old veterans who are as crafty as they are gruff. They have been twice attacked by Eldar (mostly harlequins and corsairs) on their homeworld but each time they have been repelled by “the Wheaties”. They are never deployed off-world these days, though during the diaspora they were, and the possibility remains that they theoretically could. In theory they are guarding the entire system, not just Neo-Jericho, but since Neo-Jericho is the only inhabited planet in the system that leaves them as a de facto planetary defense force.
=== 9th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “Nephilim” ===
Known as “no-man’s army” the Nephilim are an all-female regiment of the Jerionite Warband. It is an open secret that they are part of the Neo-numerologist sub-cult. They are a mechanized infantry unit with a large complement of sanctioned psykers. The Adeptus Astra Telepathica keeps a careful eye on the regiment and has representatives in their midsts. It is rumored that the 9th is some kind of testing ground for the Adeptus Astra Telepathica as soldiers have been known to “spontaneously” become psykers; though they are reported to have simply been “misidentified earlier on. Still, they are a component mixed unit, using the Neo-Jerionite’s hellguns for most of their troops and armored transports that double as heavy weapons platforms.
=== 10th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “Trumpets of Jericho” ===
The 10th is another mechanized infantry regiment with three full tank companies and two dedicated artillery support companies. They are something of an R&D regiment as they are often issued new equipment first for testing. They have a larger than normal allocation of tech-priest enginseers and often help with repairs for other companies. They are famous for their destruction of a Plaguereaper superheavy tank.
=== 11th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “Iron Golems” ===
This mechanized regiment of the Jerionite Warband is a mixed regiment comprised mostly of tanks, artillery, and mechanized infantry. They are famous siege-breakers and skilled in anti-tank warfare.
=== 12th Neo-Jerionite Regiment “Magen David” ===
The 12th Regiment is an auxiliary regiment primarily outfitted with specialist companies that are dispatched to other regiments. They sometimes act in concert with one another, acting as a logistical and support regiment for others. The main core of their regiment is a group of medical/biohazard companies that are equipped and trained to fight the forces of Nurgle and are highly resistant to biological/chemical warfare. Their heavy vehicles are hermetically sealed and a number of medical specialists are ready with antivirals. The rest of their companies are comprised of the command & communications squad of the Judge (currently Judge Bomberg), the rapid-response force of sentinel walkers, and a Warlord-class Titan known as זעמו של אלוהים or “The Wrath of God” as well as it's support crew.
== Notable Jerionites ==
Judge David Bomberg: The famous Imperial Guard sergeant, now Judge of the Jerionites, who slew Gogmagog, a Chaos Lord of Khorne, with nothing more than grit, his wits, and his lasgun. It is said that his bravery is equal to that of a thousand marines, as is his value to his people.
Capt. Louis Maccabeus: The son of a neo-numerologist priest, Capt. Maccabeus is famous for his service during the Tyrannic Wars where he led his people on a guerilla style campaign against the Tyranids forces of Hive Fleet Behemoth after their transport ships were ambushed and forced to crashland on a planet far outside of Imperial support. The held out, dealing massive blows to the Tyranids, until Imperial help could arrive. He relied a great deal on the teachings of his father and the guidance of their cult.
Sgt. Samson: The brooding and egotistical Sgt. who is famous for his massive muscles, rugged independent streak, and totally absurd kill record (Gameplay Note: He uses the rules for Sly Marbo). They say he killed a warboss with his own hand and proceeded to beat the rest of the ork amy into submission using just its jawbone. Legend tells that he beat a terminator in an arm wrestling contest and is so unpredictable that he foiled the plan of a sorcerer of Tzeentch when he showed up unexpectedly. One account reports that he successfully tortured a Dark Eldar into talking... and it thanked him afterwards. There have been many effigies and paintings of the tall tale that he rode a Carnifex like a horse during the Tyrannic Wars. It is unclear if Sgt. Samson is alive, dead, or similar a nom de plume used by a line of impressive Jerionite soldiers (or even, potentially, just a person to credit for ANY impressive feat accomplished by a Jerionite). Samson is nominally part of the 3rd Neo-Jerionite Regiment but he more or less does what he wants.
== Notable Campaigns ==
The Megakill WAAAGH!: The the 3rd Neo-Jerionite Regiment was dispatched to stop the 2nd WAAAGH! of the Wildstorm Klan. Being a light infantry regiment with significant survivalist training, they acted as an advance guard for the other forces (namely the Brotherhood of the Mammoth space marine chapter, elements of the Ilen 1st Armored Regiment, and the 21st Kebbian Regiment). They provided exceptional long range support with their snipers and sabotaged any coordinated ork efforts (disorganized as the were) before they occurred. The regiment was given a mark of valor for their exception service and in recognition for their heavy losses during their campaign.
Rain of Tears: When the Aquila Legion of Nurgle infected the world of Oberon's Sword the biohazard companies of the 12th Regiment were dispatched to aid in the effort to drive them off the Imperial World. They fought alongside two space marine chapters: the Emperor’s Servants and the Yoddha. They took many casualties but were instrumental in both the curing of the sobbing sickness that was killing so many and in their artillery strikes against the heretical marines. They were ultimately successful in their campaign and drove the diseased marines of the Aquila Legion from the world
Purge of Easthill: A breeding den of felstalkers had developed in a ratling community. The 1st Neo-Jerionite Regiment lead other Imperial Forces, including the infamous abhuman unit known as the "125th Iridos Auxilla" (aka Homo Sacer), to destroy the city down to the last abhuman.
Extermination of Höllenschlund:
A large pocket of Rangdan were discovered. They had ravaged an imperial world, conquered the entire system, and were breeding to start another large crusade that would have rivaled that of the xenos forces during the Rangdan Xenocides. A massive number of Imperial forces undertook the campaign of extermination on the Höllenschlund system. The 4th, 9th, 10th and 11th Neo-Jerionite Regiments were assigned to the campaign and they suffered heavy casualties. Colonel Naomi Samuels of the 9th Neo-Jerionite regiment was assigned as overall commander of Non-Astartes forces under Chapter Master DeLuca of the Emperor’s Servants. She was given the brevet rank of General for the campaign. The 4th Neo-Jerionite Regiment, serving as drop troops, were the first imperial forces on Höllenschlund Prime and famously established a beachhead. They also found kindred spirits in the Grey Eyes chapter of space marines. The Grey Scrolls they seemed to venerate was very similar to the Jerichism the Jerionites practiced. After the campaign 20 Jerionites became battle brothers of the chapter.
At the end of the campaign Naomi Samuels was slain by a squad of Black Orthodoxy due to her spontaneously becoming a psyker (Main Article: The Slaying). This has caused a lot of bad blood between the chapter and the Jeronites who regard her as a near mythic hero.
Operation Helsing 
Main Article: Operation Helsing
A protracted war between the Imperium and the Rasmodine was fought for many years. The conflict saw many young space marine chapters (Sons of Gwydion, Emperor’s Marauders, and Order of the Stone Lion) as well as the older Megamarines take the field with support from the 6th Neo-Jerionite Regiment to oppose the migration. They liberally used planet-buster when progress was slowed and only by pledging the dying Rasmodine species to Nurgle (their "Deity of the Divine Disease") could they survive. Ultimately a Deathwatch Kill-Team was used to assassinate many queens. The final battle saw the Sons of Gwydion luer the last of the Rasmodine into a trap and their chapter master assassinated Rasmo. Rasmo lives on as a greater daemon of Nurgle whose all consuming goal is to take revenge for his exterminated race.
The 1st Scraxian War: When the Scrax were covertly hired by the Eldar of Craftworld Nova’Cor to take over the Imperial world of Apate IV. They were aided by Tau allies from Kau'ui Ko'vash Hunter Cadre and the human mercenaries of By’tho Se’ieg’n. Imperial forces comprised of the Megamarines and Golems space marine chapters, Ubrin Regiments, 9th Neo-Jerionite Regiment, and duelists from Spada Sacra under the command of Inquisitor Grace Parmenion struggled to retake the planet. After many months of conflict the Imperium was driven from the planet with both sides suffering heavy casualties.
Jerionites 1st Regiment.png|Veteran Trooper of the 1st Regiment
Jerionites 2nd Regiment.png|Sniper from the 3rd Regiment
Jerionites Officer.png|A Jerionite Officer
Jerionites Sr Officer.png|A Jerionite Captain