The Myriad

The fascism of the Imperium of Man 41st millennium breeds only war. Through strife was birthed the infection of an ideal that infects men as surely as any Chaos god or genestealer. It is an infection that blinds us first- one that robs us of the ability to discern truth from convenient lies, to mistake glorious death in the name of the God Emperor as a noble end, and to see diversity of thought as anything other than humanity’s ultimate annihilation.
Through the millenniums humanity suffered; suffocated as the jackboot of the Imperium crushed the throat of those yearning to be free. Those who descended were burned as heretics, shot as traitors, and reconditioned to become adherents to the party line.
No more.
Humanity is calling, craving, and yearning for freedom. Those who oppose the golden throne are numerous, gallant, and fierce. They embrace the mutant, they hear the heretic, and welcome the xenos and are stronger for it.
The are- The Myriad.
== History ==
=== Early History ===
The Myriad’s roots are deep and shrouded in mystery and misinformation by the hypocrites, repressive, bureaucracy of the Imperium of Man. They existed in the time before the Great Crusade and some say even before the Unification Wars. The seeds of The Myriad existed on Terra and spread among the stars; formed of those who never trusted that one man, no matter how grand, could be trusted with absolute power.
Dozens of worlds had Myriad cells and even nation-states who formed opposition movements against the Emperor and his tyranny. They were crushed, splintered, scattered or obliterated as impediments to harmony but their light never truly faded. They survived on the fringes of society, on long-haul transports and in far-flung colonies, gaining members over the years. The Myriad’s ideals of self-determination, representation, transparency, equality, and freedom were diametrically opposed to the authoritarian regime of the Imperium so when the slave masters on Terra cracked their whips it just drove people 
Throughout the ensuing centuries fingers of The Myriad would appear and be snuffed out. Like waves crashing on the shores they rose and dashed themselves upon the rocks that were “The Imperium”. They went by many names: some were called “Hiver Gangs”, many were “Heretics”, “Rebels” was a favorite Imperial half-truth, and “Cultist” was applied liberally to smear them. Despite this, The Myriad persisted.
The Myriad’s greatest blessing was that they were not constrained by the hyper-dogmatic thinking of the Imperium. They traded freely with aliens, fought with heretics and other anti-Imperialists forces, embraced their psychic potentials, benefitted from post-humans and abhumans, and even had dealings with cultists. Admittedly, this just as often came back to bite them. Many cells fell to genestealers, they were betrayed often by their chaos-worshiping allies, had horrific accidents due to psychic powers, and fell to xenos plots. However, at the end of the day, they benefited more from their more open and liberal embracing of fringe ideals and they progressed farther and faster than humanity as a whole.
=== Current Events ===
In the 41st Millennium The Myriad has grown strong. Some call this era the “Era Indomitus” but, in truth, it should be thought of as “The Era of the Rebellion”. They are stronger now than ever before and hold several planets under their sway. These so-called “Free Worlds” are a thorn in the side of the Imperium but the events of the Indomitus Crusade, the Talledus War, and the Plague Wars have left the Imperium drained and tired. The rebels on these Free Worlds drove the Imperial forces sent to destroy them back at a great cost but have secured their safety. They plan new raids and to free even more worlds, a threat the Imperium cannot afford to ignore.
== Hierarchy ==
The Myriad operates using a complex system of cells. Within the command structure of an organizational unit (ranging in size from a regiment to a world) there are a number of “contacts” who know the identity of other groups and allies. In larger groups there are more contacts but key information is always kept compartmentalized. These large “cells” admittedly make information less secure but, sometimes it works to their benefit. Certain organizations also are simply fully aware of each other; if two Myriad armies are fighting the same enemy they will often be “read in” on the other army.
This structure has led to more than one incident where Myriad forces found themselves accidentally engaged with their own but it has, ultimately, proven beneficial to them. It has had the added benefit of causing the Imperium no end of pain as, due to their hyper-bureaucratic system of governance, they often miscategorize different cells as independent organizations. As such the Imperium has never fully grasped how large of the organization The Myriad is.
The organization itself has no one leader. Their cell-system is largely cyclical, looping back on itself so no one group or person could ever really administer it all. They act more like a “movement” than a formal organization at times. When large scale actions need to be planned, representatives from cells involved in the 
== The Free Wolds ==
Several systems have fallen under the direct command of The Myriad. These worlds live free from Imperial oversight or restrictions. They have blossomed into disorganized metropolises that are far from paradise but amount to the first real freedom most of its citizens have ever had.
== Military ==
While The Myriad’s military force has taken many forms over the years their common soldiers have largely conformed to the following archetypes:
=== Troopers ===
The most common soldier is referred to as a “trooper”. They tend to be better trained and equipped than your standard Imperial Guardsman but less formal and dogmatic in their tactics and equipment. A trooper is generally issued an autogun or even something equivalent to a bolt pistol. The Myriad has a fondness for kinetic weapons over las weaponry though many veteran troops will employ xenos weapons from their allies. In terms of armor most will wear flak armor, though carapace armor (or equivalent) is commonly issued as well.
As constriction is voluntary and soldiers are allowed to retire at any time, troopers are often the most dedicated and hardline members of The Myriad and retain a high degree of pride and discipline. Their fighting spirit is matched by few in the rank and file of the Imperial units, save those fanatics who are already half-mad. Troopers operate in small fire teams of about 4 soldiers (lead by the equivalent of corporals) which form into squads of 2 fireteams with heavy weapon elements attached.
==== “Personal Equipment” ====
Unique among armies is that whatever a trooper is issued belongs to them. While they can trade, swap, sell, or buy other equipment- once something is formally given to a trooper it is theirs to keep. Occasionally a trooper will be lent a weapon (such as a rocket launcher) but most gear is given to them. A trooper’s commander can request they use alternative gear (if provided) and will frequently have to as troopers like to show off their latest acquisition. There is a story about a trooper with a favorite anti-armor rifle trying to bring it into a battle in a dense jungle and songs were written about his gruesome fate. Still, in a movement that prides itself on self-determination you can’t impose TOO harsh restrictions on such things.
=== Irregulars ===
Oftentimes The Myriad will march into combat with the support of irregular troops. These may be anything from gangers, deserters from the guard, pirates, cultists, and even simply locals. While they are remise to use them they’d be foolish to turn them away and, as such, junior officers are placed in command of these large, motley, units of irregulars. They commonly serve as scouts or guides as they know the local area better than The Myriad and can be invaluable.
=== Golds ===
So called “Golds” are units of decorated veterans with advanced equipment and training. They get their name from the medals they often wear. Their experience is often hard-won and their equipment the result of years of hard earned buying, selling, and requests. Many wield exotic weapons and armor that would make any tech priest salivate (and any inquisitor go into a blind rage). They favor advanced xenos tech, like EM scramblers, low grade starcannons, power swords, or even stolen things like arc rifles. Most wear some variant of carapace armor though a few suits of more advanced armor are known to exist. Golds are exceptionally skilled at guerrilla warfare and often employ hit-and-run tactics. They have a very informal squad composition and it may be difficult to identify a formal "leader", though there is always one.
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Category:Rebels
Category:Heretics