Lance Corporal Auren Rickland

Rank: Lance Corporal

Age: 27

Regiment: 13th Tethannis Drop Regiment (Blackbirds)

## Early Life

Auren hails from the Gemois Tribe of Tethannis Majorus, a nomadic people that raverse the grassy steppes of the moon in caravans of great motorized rovers. Most of the tribe's resources come from the herds of grazing beasts they follow as they migrate across the steppe but they also regularly trade with Imperial bases on the moon's surface for ammunition, machinery and other advanced technologies. Their primary currency for these transactions are young children tithed to serve in the Emperor's service.

These children are trained from a young age the basics of hunting, survival, and the use of blades, autoguns, and other arms. The Gemois have a unique ritual to choose their would-be recruits, where potential condidates are tasked with the sucessful hunt of one of Tethannis Majorus' most dangerous beasts - the lion serpent. To accomplish this task the children are given only a large caliber rifle with a single shot, though candidates are allowed and encouraged to make their own additional preparations in the months leading up to the Trial. Those that survive the ordeal and return with a trophy of the victory are collected by Imperial personnel and formally inducted into the Schola.

Auren was one of the successful candidates, and still carries the ceremonial kukri gifted to him by the Tribal elders before his recruitment.

## Training and Time in the 12th Tethannis

Auren spent the next two decades of his life in the Schola-eating, sleeping, and living the tenants of the Imperial Guard. During his training he became especially close to a fellow stormtrooper comrade, Jax Barricks, whom he looked up to as a mentor. The two grew up together, and were often in the same training classes and oeprational groups. Upon graduation the two were placed in the same squad as part of the 12th Tethannis Drop Regiment. Jax was the "Point Man" of the squad while Auren became the "Six," tasked with watching the Point Man's back and looking out for any immediate threats to the squad.

Unfortunately their first combat drop was the same that resulted in the almost complete annihilation of the 12th, a disastrous assault drop to subjugate an ork camp. Due to an error on the part of the Valkyrie transport pilots the men and women of the 12th found themselves dropped directly on top of an alert and bloodthirsty ork host. Auren and Jax's valkyrie was destroyed by anti-aircraft shortly after their drop, spoiling their grav-chute fall and knocking Auren unconscious.

Auren came to half buried in a scrap pile with the terrifying realization that the Orks were already upon them and had slaughtered the rest of the squad, save Jax. His friend and mentor was battered, bleeding, and reeling from the shock of their bad descent but remained standing as he drew his kukri and shouted insults to the gang of orks surrounding him. It was then Auren made a choice that haunts him to this day, he abandoned Jax to his fate and used the distraction to pursue the squad's objective. Taking advantage of the chaos in the Ork camp, Auren managed to destory an AA battery that allowed for reinforcements to arrive and complete the subjugation of the ork host.

Rickland was extracted as his squad's sole survivor, and he along with the remaining members of the 12th were rolled into the 13th Tethannis under Aleksandr Thundermoon and immediately deployed to Verghast IV