Legio Dolorous

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*Please enjoy some ambient music while you read, "BFG Division" by Mick Gordon. "Doom Eternal" (OST)*

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## Legio Dolorous(Bringers of Sorrow)

Legio Dolorous banner with Legio iconography.

Legio Dolorous Reaver-class Titan *Portentum Mortis*.

## Titan Legion

### Allies

Death Templars
House Hiraeth (Vassal Knight House)
Mesaran Legio Skitarii
Mesaran Taghmata

### Colours

Black & Gold Marble Pattern with Brass Trim

"*On days such as this, Death's long shadow hung like a broken halo over everyone - a sign of things to come.*"
— Unknown
The **Legio Dolorous** are a loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, one of the military arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. This Legio was formed during the latter years of the Age of Strife on the remote world of Mesar by Mechanicum exiles hailing from the Forge World of Phaeton. Due to their rivalry with great Mars over conflicting doctrine and subtle accusations of building their military assets to threatening levels, Phaeton chooses to avoid conflict by dividing a third of their priesthood, chattels, and machineries and sending these forces forth into deep space aboard a fleet of vast Explorator Arks. Conflict was averted, and the Phaetonite Covenant fleet founded the fledgling Forge World of Atar-Median.

A small portion of Phaetonite Priesthood wished to expand their burgeoning forge world's influence beyond the oppressive reach of Mars and its masters even further. Granted leave by the senior Archmagos, this small fleet was granted a portion of Atar-Median's resources and departed the Segmentum Solar for parts unknown. Eventually, they founded their own Forge World of Mesar, located in the mysterious Vrykul System in the Segmentum Obscurus.

Since that bygone era, the god-engines of Legio Dolorous have stood sentinel over the realms of Mesar, defending it against the attention of xenos raiders and other horrors from the Immaterium. The principal role of this Titan Legio was the eradication of fierce warp beasts and Neverborn creatures, leading the Bringers of Sorrow to favour direct and brutal tactics. Unforgiving and merciless to their enemies, the Legio Dolorous earned the moniker "Bringers of Sorrow" from their allies, due to their preference for close-ranged weaponry, bullish charges, and scorched-earth tactics.

## History

Much of the early history of the Legio Dolorous has been lost due to the passage of time, however, what is known with any certainty is that they were created sometime after the tumultuous era known as the Age of Strife finally abated in early M30. What is known with certainty, is that this Titan Legio has stood sentinel over the Forge World of Mesar, located in the isolated Vrykul System in the Segmentum Obscurus, since its inception. According to the Legio's own archives, their homeworld of Mesar was born from the political manoeuvring of the Forge World of Phaeton, who sought to deny Mars its attempt to acquire significant portions of the Forge World's assets.

At the outset of the Great Crusade, one of the first tasks of Imperial expansion from Terra was to link up with a number of key domains within the Segmentum Solar identified as vital to the Great Crusade's success. Crucial among these were several Forge Worlds with whom the Mechanicum of Mars had maintained some relationship throughout the tribulations of the later centuries of Old Night. In many cases, these inclusions went without difficulty, and the newly-contacted Forge Worlds willingly bent the knee to Mars without qualm, but in others such as Phaeton, inclusion in the Imperium was the matter of some negotiation and difficulty, and the final acquiescence bought with considerably more autonomy than the Fabricator-General of Mars would perhaps have preferred from a vassal-domain.

What began as a coldly cordial relationship quickly grew into one of veiled and open rivalry, with Phaeton's position further strengthened by its quickly becoming perhaps the second-most productive Forge World of the Great Crusade until the later discovery of mighty Anvilus. Although never faltering in its commitment to the Great Crusade, machinations by the authorities of Mars brought matters close to outright conflict over doctrine and subtle accusations that Phaeton was building its military assets to threatening levels, and this began to have a corrosive effect on the Forge World's reputation - to the point where the storm clouds of hostile censure and perhaps even armed retribution gathered.

To avoid open conflict, Phaeton acquiesced to Mar's demands, however, they managed to outmanoeuvre the Fabricator-General by dispatching a third of their strength aboard a vast fleet of Explorator Arks. Embarking upon a journey to the edges of known space, they settled the Forge World of Atar-Median. Due to their blatant defiance of Mars, Phaeton and its offspring Forge World drew the ire and lasting animosity of many of the Red Planet's allies. Due to their vast resources, the fledgling Forge World rapidly rose amongst the echelons of the Mechanicum with frightening swiftness, standing greater than many lesser Forge Worlds in their entirety.

Wishing to expand Atar-Median's influence even further, a small conclave of Tech-Priests wished to push the boundaries of their master's domain further afield. The ruling Archmagos agreed to their request and granted the small Explorator Fleet a portion of the Forge World's resources to succeed in their quest. Over several decades this explorator fleet pushed further westward, until finally, after a long and perilous journey through the Warp, they discovered the mysterious Vrykul System located to the galactic northwest of the Segmentum Obscurus. This Explorator Fleet founded the fledgling Forge World of Mesar.

Like their forebears, the transplated Phaenonite Priesthood rose up their new domain of steel and fire with frightening swiftness, using at its core, the ancient god-engines that had once defended Phaeton during the anarchy of Old Night. These Titans went on to become part of the newly-founded Legio Dolorous as its warden sentinels.

### Horus Heresy

This world was quickly transformed into a fully functioning Forge World. From its inception, this isolated outpost was created to be a war-world - a fane of weapons and armaments solely intended to serve the needs of the ever-advancing frontline of forces of the Great Crusade. Legio Dolorous committed itself fully to the cause of the Great Crusade, integrating itself in several Expeditionary Fleets to take part in the continued expansion of the burgeoning Imperium of Man. Their ardent support of the Great Crusade and its ideals ensured that Mesar, and by extension Legio Dolorous, was amongst the first worlds within the Vrykul System to denounce the Warmaster during the galaxy-spanning, internecine conflict known as the Horus Heresy.

Due to the tenuous astropathic communication with the wider Imperium becoming more erratic and infrequent due to the formation of the massive warp storm known as the Ruinstorm, Mesar was forced to weather the tide of encroaching darkness alone and unsupported. Becoming aware of the treachery of the hated Fabricator-General of Mars and the subsequent civil war known as the Schism of Mars, Mesar and the Legio Dolorous committed themselves wholly to the Loyalist cause. Aware that the potential for conflict within the Segmentum Obscurus was a likely prospect, Mesar laboured to increase its strength within its own holdings, even as much of Legio Dolorous took to battlefields across the galaxy.

However, despite their best efforts, the Legio Dolorous soon found themselves suddenly abandoned by their allies in the midst of battle, or worse yet, caught in a treacherous ambush by those they had once called ally. Within a short span of solar days, Legio Dolorous saw its forced decimated in scattered war zones across the galaxy. The treachery of the Dark Mechanicum and it's Traitor Titan Legion allies saw the once-proud Titan Legion's numbers vastly reduced to a fraction of its former strength. They were left with barely enough operational Titans to field even a demi-Legio scaled force. Fortunately, due to the defiant resistance of Mesar's infrastructure that survived, the Mesaran Priesthood was able to swiftly repair and return many crippled Titans to action.

Though the Traitors of Mars celebrated the loss of so many of Legio Dolorous' god-engines as a great victory, their celebration was pre-mature, for they had failed to eradicate a deadly and relentless foe. They had only succeeded in awakening the wrathful spirit of Mesar and its Titan Legio.

## Homeworld

Mesar is the epitome of a classical Forge World - covered with enormous manufactorums, towering production lines, and vast assembly yards that churn out specialised weaponry and vehicles for the Sector militaries and Astartes vehicles, specialised wargear and equipment for their close allies, the Death Templars Space Marine Chapter. However, their production extraordinaire is the ability to produce the collosal god-engines for the Legio Dolorous, the sentinel wardens of Mesar since its inception. The Mesaran Priesthood reverently maintain and worship these colossal engines of war; for in their eyes, every Titan is no less than the walking embodiment of the Machine God's power.

This Forge World is a living symbol of the Opus Machina on a planetary scale - highly industrialised and heavily polluted. Thick layers of smoke and waste gases nearly obscure surfaces covered with technological development, even as huge refinery platforms churn from one ore-spike to another. Pyramidal cathedrals of metal and plasteel tower into the skies lost in the noxious clouds. Endless vessels move across the planet, carrying the products of the forges across the Sector: munitions, vehicles, weapons, voidship components, and even pre-fabricated foodstuffs.

The process of constructing a Titan is a close secret within the Adeptus Mechanicus, and each is an immense undertaking, requiring centuries of experience and countless blessings and rituals throughout the process. These colossal machines are held in such high standing that every Titan is granted a High Gothic name upon completion. In the same vein, the death of a Titan is a true tragedy for those who aided in its construction, with entire Foundries mourning the loss of one of their sacred creations.

Mesar also consists mostly of construction facilities for large or specialised combat vehicles, such as battle tanks and larger war machines, including many ancient patterns of armoured personnel carriers such as Mastadon Heavy Assault Transport and even the ancient and rare Fellblade and Glaive Super-Heavy Tank patterns.

### Opus Actinaeum

When not serving on some distant warzone or guarding one of the Legio's many fortresses, the Titans of Legio Dolorous rest in the Titan Pens within Mesar's forge-city of Opus Actinaeum. Here they undergo any necessary critical repairs, upgrades, or refittings. The planet's massive manufactorums contain these pens within their sprawling bulk, and continuously produce parts and armaments for their sacred charges. A single pen often houses multiple Titans at a time, while some of the more illustrious or massive machines warrant an entire forge to themselves. All who maintain the Legio's machines view their labour as a great honour, and duels and conflicts frequently occur over the right to house Titans of particular reverence.

The Titan Pens also contains facilities to see to the medical and physical needs of the legion's members, including hospitaller complexes, hab quarters, and training bays. Many veteran members of Legio Dolorous live and train here beside the Legio's aspirants, and serve as an example to those who have yet to face the enemy in righteous battle. Unfortunately, these facilities sometimes serve as the final abode to any Princeps that succumbs to the extreme physical and mental toll of controlling the destructive spirit within a Titan. These tortured individuals are sights inspiring both reverence and pity. Some are carefully managed in their declining days as inspirational heroes of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but most live out their remaining days as pitiful, broken shells of the walking gods they once embodied.

### Kranion

Opus Actinaeum plays a very critical role in the training of aspirants and Titan crews to function as a single, unified, and cohesive unit. Here, the god-engines Princeps, the leader of a Titan crew, and their Moderatii, who implement their commander's directives, must learn their god-engine's unique quirks, tolerances, and individual temperament so that each can instinctively anticipate and interpret the Titan's intentions during combat. Without this mutual link, the Titan is slow to react and unruly, the rebellious machine spirit struggling against its crew instead of directing its boundless rage against the enemy. In contrast, a Titan and crew who have bonded are a true wonder to behold: man and machine communicating and reacting without a moment's hesitation to deliver the wrath of the Omnissiah down upon their foes. To truly walk as one with their Titan's machine spirit is akin to a holy experience for all within, the Princeps in perfect communion with his Engine, and his Moderatii in seamless anticipation of his commands.

To better achieve this end, the Legio Dolorous conducts endless training drills and has authorised the creation of an area known as Kranion ('Land of Skulls'). This large section of the planet's surface is essentially a 'no-man's land' - off-limits to all personnel - with the exception of the crews of the Legio Dolorous. This vast barren expanse of wasteland essentially acts as an artificial warzone in which the god-engines of the Titan Legio can learn to deal with almost any threat they might face on a battlefield. Here countless captured enemies and prisoners from across the Sector are penned in place, surrounded with enormous ferro-crete walls that house automated sentry guns and targeting servitors, and used in live weapons training. The lowly wretches within live out their dangerous, and often very short, lives perpetually rebuilding the remnants of buildings and battlefields, only to have them destroyed anew each session.

These rabble are lorded over by ruthless individuals, who have risen to the top of the hierarchy of prisoners through their sheer brutality and force of will. Since little care is given to the rationing or the maintenance of order among the confined, the prison leaders are able to organise and intimidate prisoners into massive work gangs in order to curry favour from their Adeptus Mechanicus overseers. Those Tech-Priests charged with overseeing these labour forces are known to encourage such aberrant behaviour, often motivating the prisoners with the promise of higher quality rations for those who manage to achieve exceptional productivity. Monumental violence is quite common amongst these groups and is believed to add to the overall authenticity of the Legio's training.

## Legio Traits

* **Bullish** - Constantly fighting against monstrous and vile Neverborn from the Immaterium on their homeworld, the Titans of Legio Dolorous were often forced to fight their foes face to face, leading to a culture of direct conflict far beyond that of most other Titan Legions.
* **Callous** - Mercy and compassion are not virtues that are known to the Legio Dolorous and the horrors of the galaxy are nothing compared to the suffering they can inflict.
* **Glory in Death** - It is the creed of Legio Dolorous that the manner of their death is as important as anything they do in life. Crews will fight on to the bitter end, obtaining firing solutions and stoking the reactor even as their Titan comes apart around them.
* **Deep War Vaults** - For millennia Messar has been amassing war materiel. Losses in battle are swiftly replaced and the Legio's Princeps mourn the loss of their Titans only for as long as it takes their Forge World to furnish them with a replacement.

## Legio Strategems

* **Cull the Weak** - The Legio Dolorous often employs merciless tactics, forcing their foes to retreat into crossfires that ensure none survive.
* **Heedless Charge** - Contrary to the prescribed dictates of the Collegia Titanica, the use of close-quarters armaments, such as chainfists and Arioch power claws, is the norm amongst the Titans of this Titan Legion. A favoured tactic of this Legio is to unleash a spearhead of Reaver Titans armed with short-range weapons upon enemy fortifications, battering down the walls and shattering all attempts to counter-attack.
* **March of the Dead** - Titans of the Legio Dolorous are relentless in the pursuit of their enemies, often marching from one battle to the next without stopping. Wasting no time organising their line of battle or considering the disposition of their foe, they swiftly close in for the kill.

## Legio Specific Wargear

* **Bastion Armour** - Based upon Mesar, Legio Dolorous benefits from their expertise in manufacturing, incorporating many unique metallic compounds within their armour plating and skeleton.
* **Disruption Emitters** - Legio Dolorous quickly developed a taste for close-in combats during the Horus Heresy. Not the natural environment for many Titans, the Legion made modifications to their war machines, fixing disruption fields to armour plates and limbs to enhance the destructive potential of close encounters.

## Notable Titans

* ***Mors Umbra* (Imperator-class Titan)**
* ***Immortis Umbra* (Warmaster-class Titan)**
* ***Mordua et Somnus* (Warlord-class Titan)**
* ***Genitor de Malum* (Warbringer Nemesis-class Titan)**
* ***Portentum Mortis* (Reaver-class Titan)**
* ***Brimir* (Warhound-class Titan)**
* ***Kreoboros* (Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titan)**

## Legio Appearance

### Legio Colours

The colours of the Legio Dolorous consist of a black and gold marbalised surface with darkened brass trim.

### Memento Mori Symbols

Often, symbols of death or *memento mori* decorate various portions of their god-engines. The following, are the most common types of symbols and icons seen on the Titans of the Legio Dolorous:

* **Coffin Symbol** - Symbolises death.
* **Clock Dial with Skull** - Represents the passage of time and tells the Legio's foes that the hour of their death is at hand. The hands of the clock are usually placed at five minutes to midnight, which symbolises an enemy's inevitable death at their hands.
* **Winged Skull** - Represents the ascension of the soul into the afterlife.
* **Scythe or Sickle** - Commonly associated with the ancient Old Earth symbol of the Grim Reaper, the personification of death, it is a symbol that represents death as if one is cutting down the harvest (reap).
* **Skulls, Skull & Crossbones, Skeleton Symbols** - Self-explanatory, commonly used to represent mortality and the inevitability of death.

#### Common Phrases

The Legio Dolorous commonly utilise various phrases written in High Gothic upon their Titan's banners and scrolls attached to the hulls of their god-engines. Commonly utilised phrases include:

* ***Memento Mori*** - "Remember you will die."
* ***Memento Vivere*** - "Remember to live."
* ***Vive Memor Leti*** - "Live remembering death."
* ***Fugit Hora*** - "Time flies."
* ***In Dedicato Imperatum Ultra Articulo Mortis*** - "For the Emperor beyond the point of death."
* ***Mors Mihi Lucrum*** - "Death to me is reward."
* ***Mors Omnibus*** - "Death to all."
* ***Mors Tua, Vita Mea*** - "Your death, my life."
* ***Mors Vincit Omnia*** - "Death conquers all."
* ***Malo Mori Quam Foedari*** - "Death rather than dishonour."
* ***Memoriae Sacrum Imperator Rex*** - "Sacred to the Memory of the God-Emperor."
* ***Mors Certa*** - "Death is certain."

### Legio Iconography

The Legio icon og the Legio Dolorous is a stylised hourglass made of bones, the top of the hourglass consisting of a large skull with the sigil of the Forge World of Mesar stamped upon it. Instead of grains of sand, smaller skulls pour from the larger skull's mouth. This ancient symbol depicts that time is passing rapidly and that their foes are now closer to death.

## Gallery

Legio Dolorous Princeps Livery Shield with personal heraldry, affixed to the hull of the Imperator-class Titan *Mors Umbra*.Legio Dolorous livery shield with Legio iconography, affixed to the hull of the Imperator-class Titan *Mors Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner of the Imperator-class Titan *Mors Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Livery Shield of the Warmaster-class Titan *Immortis Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Livery Shield with Legio iconography affixed to the hull of the Warmaster Heavy Battle Titan *Immortis Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Livery Shields with honours affixed to the hull of the Warmaster Heavy Battle Titan *Immortis Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner with kill-markings, of the Warmaster Heavy Battle Titan *Immortis Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner of the Warlord-class Titan *Mordua et Somnus*.Legio Dolorous Princeps livery shield with individual heraldry, affixed to the hull of the Warlord Titan *Mordua et Somnus*.Legio Dolorous livery shield with Legio iconography, affixed to the hull of the Warlord Titan *Mordua et Somnus*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Livery Shield with personal heraldry, affixed to the hull of the Warbringer Nemesis-class Titan *Genitor de Malum*.Legio Dolorous livery shield with Legio iconography, affixed to the hull of the Warbringer-Nemesis Titan *Genitor de Malum*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner of the Warbringer-Nemesis Titan *Genitor de Malum*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner of the Reaver-class Titan *Portentum Mortis*.Legio Dolorous Princeps Honour Banner of the Warhound-class Titan *Brimir*.Legio Dolorous Imperator-class Titan *Mors Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Warmaster-class Titan *Immortis Umbra*.Legio Dolorous Warlord-class Titan *Mordua et Somnus* armed with a rare and deadly Sunfury Plasma Annihilator, Arioch Power Claw and a pair of turret-mounted twin-linked Gatling Blasters.Legio Dolorous Warbringer-Nemesis-class Titan *Genitor de Malum*, armed with a deadly Gatling Blaster, Melta-Cannon and Mars-Alpha pattern Quake Cannon.Legio Dolorous Reaver Battle Titan *Portentum Mortis*, armed with a rare Whip Arm and Titan Chainsword Arm. A dual-linked Vulcan Mega-Bolter Turrent is mounted atop its main hull.Legio Dolorous Warhound-class Titan *Brimir*, armed with a rare Natrix Shock Lance and Vulcan Mega-Bolter.Legio Dolorous Dire Wolf Heavy Scout Titan, *Kreoboros*, armed with twin Ardex Defensor Mega-Bolters and a carapace-mounte Neutron Laser.