War Bears

### **Observed Strategic Tendencies**

Deep Strike planetary assaults, Shock and Awe Warfare, Brutal Close Quarters Combat, Ork Hunting

### **Warcry**

A variety of beastial roars - No High or Low Gothic translation available

## Strengths

Bellicose and brutal the War Bears raise the question of whether the VIIth legion clad wild beasts in power armour instead of Astartes. As Ferocious as they are unyielding in the persecution of their prey, the Bears fall upon their quarry with unrestrained brutality.

Such aggression and desire to spill blood sees the VIIth willing to sustain devastating injury and punishment in order to get to grips with the enemy.

## Tactics

Combat is where the War Bears excel, the scream of the dying and the smell of freshly spilt blood akin to a second home for the legion. As such, the VIIth prioritise getting to grips with their enemy as quickly as possible. Deepstriking all but guarantees that the legion can descend into the heart of the enemy and emerge amidst the center of the battle ready to unleash their beastial fury, and because of this the VIIth has a particular fondness for Terminator armour, its nigh impregnable plates of ceramite and adamantine allowing it to serve as the perfect choice for unleashing devastating shock attacks into the enemy whilst absorbing tremendous punishment.

The War Bears also field a significant contingent of Land Raider, Spartan and Mastodon transports. The durability, speed and weapon configurations allowing the vehicles to serve multiple roles. Often the War Bears will deploy squadrons of similarly armed tanks to punch holes into the enemies lines with endless volleys of concentrated fire. Once open, the tanks will pour through the comprised portions of the enemies lines and immediately deploy the entirety of their payload of Astartes. Unleashed, these warriors set about slaughtering anything and everything in their path.

It is also worth mentioning that the legion has garnered a reputation as being an exceptional anti-Ork force. The VIIths inherent warlike nature and ferocity has seen them clash with the Greenskins on numerous occasions with devastating results for the Xenos as natural savagery is matched against gene-wrought ferocity. Indeed the War Bears seem to have developed a taste for confronting the Orks, regardless of the environments hostility, and set about eradicating them with a singular intensity bordering on feral zealotry. To many who've witnessed the horrific encounters between the Sons of Kodiak and the Greenskins, it has been noted that the legion seems to have been predestined to have always found its speciality in annihilating the savage aliens, the War Bears never happier than when tearing and ripping apart the hordes of the galaxies Orks.

## Personality of the Legion

Uncompromising and unyielding would be the summation by the VIIths ‘friends’. Warriors born on a world of wild hostility, where to awake each morning was the both the greatest gift and cruelest curse one could receive. Cold, wet, hungry and often hunted by predators, the life of the VIIths Astartes before their ascension was as harsh as one could expect on a world called Skara.

Such an upbringing though forged the keenest traits essential to rise to the ranks of the legion. Endurance and kinship. Two qualities that shape a War Bear into the weapon fit to serve the Imperium.

Within the VIIth, weakness is the enemy, its presence as great a threat as any xenos or seditionist. Weakness gets the Clan killed, the legion comprised and the Primarch failed. It must be purged and to do so a Bear must be able to rely on the teachings of his Elders and on the strength of his brothers. It is through the sharing of knowledge and the instruction in the ways of the VIIth that a War Bear can overcome the weakness of ignorance, and so long as he is as committed in body and mind as his brothers are then a chain is formed that is utterly unbreakable. Thus the Clan is strong, the legion is mighty and the Primarch served.

## Kodiak Ursidae

Amongst the largest and most intimidating of the Primarchs, Kodiak Ursidae is nature's ferocity made manifest. As immovable as the mountains and as unforgiving as a Skaran winter, the Chieftain King of the VIIth is an imposing and resolute figure. Silent and brooding, Kodiak observes all with a predators gaze. The workings of his mind hidden behind a steely gaze as cold as the surface of a frozen lake. Refusing to be rushed to cast judgement or commit to a course of action, the Primarch seeks to know all he needs too about any given situation before revealing his plans.

When the Master of the VIIth does finally speak it is like the rumble of thunder crashing through the valleys of Skara. Like the heart of the world bursting forth from the ground, Kodiaks voice shakes the very souls of those in his presence. As his thick, guttural accent growls over his lips the Bear of Skara reveals his great fangs the likes of which would be as at home in the mouth of a great predator beast.

With hair a crimson red akin to blood and eyes that are two solid pools of black that turn to deep Amber at the edges there is no denying Kodiaks Savage appearance. His great beard falls from his face like a waterfall of vitae and faint scars criss cross his face which only add to his brutal visage.

Braided throughout the Primarchs wire like hair are intricate talismans and other esoteric jewellery all of which hold value in Skaran society. The swirling patterns found on these trinkets are matched by the tattoos that stretch upon his skin. Each one signifying the undertaking and completion of arduous task or the defeat of a significant foe.

Clad in a mighty custom forged suit of Tartaros pattern terminator armour, Kodiak assumes his true wrathful form as the Herald of the Morrigan. Coloured a deep burnt bronze with the sigil of his legion, a great bears paw, inscribed in blood red - Kodiak is as terrifying as he is magnificent to behold. Across his war plates surface are the many Skaran runes of whom’s meaning Is part spiritual protection as well as a recollection of his homeworlds history and his legions. To his sons, the Bear of Skara is as much an avatar of war as he is a lumbering tome of Skaran history. Draped across his back hangs the fur of a mighty Skaran Bear, it's coat as black as the void, its presence adding a degree of primal regalness.

Finally, to complete the Primarchs fearsome appearance are The Claws of Arctos. A pair of artificer forged power claws, they appear as two huge gauntlets each one bedecked in the detailings of Skaran culture and comprised of huge interlocking plates of armour. The fingers of each gauntlet end in finally wrought claws and can be wielded as deftly as Kodiaks bare hands. Deadly in their own right, the Devastation they can unleash is increased a hundredfold when the Primarch activates the power cores that eclipse each talon in overlapping fields of energy. Such weapons wielded by a being like the Chieftain King have the capability to butcher entire armies and should Kodiak ever find himself out of reach of his quarry then the twin linked master crafted combi bolters on each gauntlet can shred those who escape his claws.

To his sons, Kodiak Ursidae is as much a warrior King as he is protective father. As happy to offer praise as he is a stern reprimand, as likely to embrace his sons with gratitude as he is to cuff them for disobedience. The Lord of the VIIth does not make the effort to involve himself so personally in his sons lives, it is instead just a natural response to the strong paternal instincts he feels for his Bears. Because of this Kodiak feels the loss of his sons more keenly than perhaps is useful for a gene forged son of the Emperor and should to many of his sons fall in battle then Kodiak is pushed into a grief stricken fury the likes of which few if any can withstand.

## Skara

A planet of fog and rain, towering mountains and dark forests - Skara is a world of fables and myths. Cold and battered by strong storms, much of the planets life scratches a living from deep within the forests of Skara. Trees, thousands of years old, stretch up for hundreds of feet - their density and size blotting out what light can pierce the thick fog.

Despite the almost total darkness of the forest floor, plant life persists. All manner of fungus and mosses sprout from the metres thick layers of dead and rotting leafs, while water pools form quickly in such a wet landscape, swamps and quagmires sometimes stretching on for mile after mile. Home to all manner of scavenging creatures, these areas are seldom visited by all except the most foolhardy. Whilst these water sources are teeming with fish, grown large on such nutrient rich waters the predators that lurk in the deepest depths are always ready to snare an unwary fisherman keen to try their luck.

Where the forests roof gives way to create glades and meadows hundreds of flowers bloom. All of these are Hardy and resilient, usually thorned and prickly to deter herbivores but as if to compensate the world's plant eaters have evolved to overcome these challenges. Leathery hides and thick layers of fur and fat help both insulate Skaras fauna as well as deal with the challenging flora. Teeth, gums and tongues are thick and numb to all but the sharpest of prickly plant life and horns and tusks allow the herbivores to dig up roots as well as fend off predators.

However, just as Skaras foragers have adapted to the world's flora, so have the Carnivores to their prey. Large paws, powerful limbs and crushing Jaws make the hunters of Skara lethal. Almost all specialise in Ambush hunting and require but a single bite to leave its victim with a fatal wound. The predator will then wait for its prey to collapse from shock and blood loss before moving in to feed. Of all these meat Eaters, however, there is one that stands above them all, the Skaran Bear.

Growing to immense sizes with the strength to uproot trees and Jaws wide enough to swallow a mortal man whole, the Skaran Bear is feared and respected in equal measure. Choosing to spend much of their time in their dens, usually found at the base of Skaras many mountain ranges, humans will rarely venture to such regions for fear of rousing a Bears fury.

Indeed, almost the entirety of Skaras eco-system revolves around the Bears movements. Herbivores will migrate away from areas where a Bear has settled, the human clans following them in turn and the lower predators after that. Even the world's plant life appears to recognise their migratory patterns and certain flowers will only bloom when the herbivores return to the area.

## Equipment

The War gear of the VIIth is fairly typical of the Legiones Astartes. Forgoing anything that cannot be easily repaired or manufactured, the War Bears preference is for reliability. Conventional ballistic weaponry such as the numerous bolter variants, autocannons and missile launchers are a common sight in the legion. Harder to find are the likes of plasma, melta or flamer weapons. Lascannons are as equally rare, being mostly fielded on vehicles and Volkite weapons are almost non existent. The War Bears disdain the use of forbidden weapons such as Radium, Phospex and the life eater virus and openly denigrate the legions that do.

To the VIIth, the truest expression of battle is found in hand to hand combat. The legion enjoys a vast armoury of melee weapons, with a great number being of unique Skaran patterns. Chain weapons of all variants have a home in the legion as do lightning claws. The War Bears, lacking of a dedicated anti-armour weapons system, have instead developed a number of substitutes the most exceptional being the Hammer Axe. Ideal at cracking armour as well as cleaving limbs, the Hammer Axe is crude and brutal just like its wielder. Another unique weapon is the Claemore, a sword of immense length and thickness, it serves as the perfect antidote for hordes of rushing enemies of whom a War Bear would wish to dispatch with but a single strike. Due to its size and weight, it is rarely seen outside of the legions Terminators, these armoured giants able to utilise the Claemore with terrifying efficiency.

## View on the Imperium

### Citizens

The War Bears view on the Imperiums citizens is a mixture of empathy and detachment as well as a duty bound desire to guard and protect. In truth, the War Bears struggle to comprehend the short and difficult lives of mortals. For a War Bear there is the legion, the Primarch and the Emperor and his duty to all three. These things guide and shape him and ultimately give him purpose. This purpose does not end until his death and even then there is no guarantee.

For mortals though, the chores of day to day life and the stagnation of choice as well as the fear of mortality is as alien to the War Bears as is a Greenskin. Despite this the VIIth pity them, unlike the Skarans who are strong, the majority of Imperial citizens are weak in the War Bears opinion. The Emperor though has decreed they are his people and thus the War Bears will obey his word and will defend them. Death would be a kinder gift  and the War Bears would not hesitate to free the majority of the Imperium from the rigors of daily life.

But that is not their purpose so instead they will save all that they can as the Emperor has commanded and whilst a single War Bear still breaths then the citizenry of the Imperium has a defender.

### The Mechanicum

The metal men of Mars are a curiosity at best and a dire threat at worst. Most lack a scent to mark or faces to read. Their minds are numbers and equations and if they have souls then they are buried far down inside their metal shells.

To a War Bear who seeks to know all he can of his allies before trusting them, the Mechanicum present an unknown variable thus the VIIth is always on guard around the disciples of the Red Planet. What war gear and equipment they require, the War Bears will receive with thanks but make no mistake - the War Bears will never trust anyone who willing chooses the cold of Metal upon their body over the heat of warm blood in their veins.

### The Imperial Army

Soldiers of the Emperor, massed in their billions to spread out amongst the stars and conquer the galaxy. Admirable but dangerous. The War Bears do Not begrudge any mortal who wishes to fight but in the galaxy they know exists, how fair is it to expect a mortal man to Overcome such terrors as the Orks or the Hrud.

It is the opinion of the War Bears that humans serve as support units or better yet be redeployed to forge worlds or agri worlds to bolster Labour force. Indeed, many worlds require pdf's and mortals can fill that role adequately, but when it comes to front line combat it should be an Astarte - not a baseline human standing against the galaxies horrors. Upon the battlefield War Bear commanders with the clarity of foresight will direct the Imperial armies to deploy away from the VIIth. The Bears will not restrain themselves when the din of war eclipses all and stubborn Imperial commanders have learnt that refusal to heed the Bears warnings has led to “unfortunate” circumstances.

### Psykers

Druids, as the Bears refer to them, are intrinsic to the very soul of the legion. Their ability to teach, heal and inspire their fellow Astartes has made them invaluable. Moving between clans, external to the legions loose command structure, they offer their skills and talents to all who may need them.

Patient and wise, Druids are a glade of serenity within a forest of brutish warriors and their presence can help temper the Astartes most Savage impulses.

In combat Druids serve multiple roles, both summoning dense fog to shroud their brothers as well as manifesting the spirits of great beasts to disorientate and intimidate the enemy. Druids will also tend to wounded and dying Astartes, performing field surgeries with an eclectic assortment of primitive tools and if necessary removing the geneseed of slain War Bears.

Druidswhen not tending to the fortification of their brothers bodies, minds and spirits seek to further their understanding of the spirit realm. Using shamanic practices passed down through the history of Skaras people, they call out to the souls of the fallen as well as the world's spirits to aid them in their divination of the future. Such rituals ultimately dictate the path the legion will take and many omens great and ill have been revealed to the Druids who in turn impart their gleaned knowledge to the Primarch. Some of the War Bears greatest triumphs as well as luckiest escapes have been made possible by the efforts of the Druids.

External to the Legion, however, psykers as the galaxy refers to them are viewed with suspicion and outright hostility on occasion. Unlike the Druids, other psykers do not seek the aid of a spirit guide to aid them through the spirit realm. Such arrogance can have damning consequences and the War Bears view such blatant disregard for the perils of the spirit realm as a threat to the Imperium itself. Openly critical of others practices, the War Bears would welcome a decree by the Emperor to curb such dangerous individuals.