Seekers of Unity

“*If we must wage war, let it be as swift as the wind, as sudden as the avalanche, as relentless as the tide. Strike with strength that cannot be overlooked and all will shudder to stand against it. Maybe then we can bring about a lasting peace for these yet unenlightened souls.”*

* Veratal Dharma in regards to conflict with human combatants

## Seekers of Unity

### **Primarch**

Veratal Dharma - The Tranquil Wind, Warrior Monk, The Slumbering Serpent, Meraki (One Who Cares)

### **Observed Strategic Tendencies**

Armored Breakthrough, Protracted Armored Warfare, Overwhelming belief in the Cause of Unifying humanity. Unified attacks.

### **Legion Colours**

Scarlet and Amber with black trim

*“If one is to seek enlightenment, to succeed in ascending to a higher plain as the Enlightened One has, one must free themselves from the bondage of flesh. You have surpassed the need of the physical, but one of such perfect being will return to man and work anew, as has the Enlightened One, to bringing forth the passage to enlightenment to others. With this purpose in mind, we strive to seek a unity that cannot be achieved without seeking to aid others on the path to a greater plane of existence.”*

* Veratal Dharma, teachings from the Path of Enlightenment

The Seekers of Unity, formerly known as the Desert Marauders, are the VIth legion to serve the Imperium. Led by the tranquil Primarch, Veratal Dharma, the Legion are true believers in the Imperial Truth and the Unification of Mankind. Under their gene-father’s guidance, the Legion seeks to unify Humanity to ensure an everlasting peace for the galaxy. While they ever wish to conquer through non-violent means, they understand that sometimes, conquest is the only option to ensure peace for humanity.

Prior to the discovery of their genefather, the VIth Legion was known to be a seclusive Legion, very dour in its personality. They prefered to interact little with others and were considered to be glory seekers, preferring to fight as individuals, and not a coherent force. The Legion specialized in rapid warfare, utilizing armored vehicles or bikes, conducting swift raids on targets and before pulling out to avoid taking significant casualties. They earned their title in the Unification Wars fighting against the techno barbarians of the Atlan and Desert Wastes. Utilizing their fierce and rapid tactics against these desert warlords, they gained their first battle honors before heading into the stars for the Great Crusade.

The Legion upon the discovery of their humble Primiach, Veratal Dharma, the 12th Primarch to be discovered, were changed in many ways. Their dour personality turned into one of tranquility, becoming focused and more unified in purpose than they had ever believed possible. They sought out opportunities to work with other legions, a new peace-of-mind overcoming all who served in the VIth, allowing them to fight amicably alongside their cousins. Yet their expertise in armored warfare only became more honed and focused after being reunited with their genesire. Unified in purpose, their tactics evolved with the Primarch at their head, the Legion becoming renowned for armored spearhead operations, protracted armor warfare, crippling enemy forces with surgical armored strikes and oddly peaceful negotiations. Along with their newfound focus, the Primarch had specific teachings that he spread across the Legion that instilled in them a fervor towards the unification of Mankind.

Veratal Dharma, known simply as Meraki by his sons, was a Primarch who first and foremost preached peace. If there was a peaceful resolution to be had with human populations, then he would expend every asset find it. He wanted to conserve human life and push towards a greater state of humanity with its unification. He believed in an enlightened humanity, but if it was not unified, it would never reach this lofty goal. He exhorted to his sons, and any who he could influence, the idea of reaching enlightenment and only through unification could Man reach its highest potential. He saw the Emperor as the Enlightened One, but he also believed that Man could reach a level similar to the Emperor through meditation, unity with man and the Emperor, knowing oneself, and martial skill. Veratal believed the Emperor possessed forms of god-like power, but that was achieved through His fully enlightened state of being. He felt the powers could be used in many ways, one of which was the protection of those in unity with Him, those whose souls were attuned to His. Veratal also preached a belief in reincarnation to his sons, yet such a way of thinking was for his sons alone. He truly believed this to be possible and because of this belief, the legion dreadnoughts were held in high regard along with their librarians, who with their psychic powers, were thought to be closer to being one with the Emperor.

Veratal and his sons had a belief that armor and armored vehicles were the physical manifestation of the Enlightened One’s powers, created to protect those at unity with Him. This grew into a spiritual reverence for their vehicles, many of the legionnaires of the VIth spending time meditating within the confines of their tanks or atop them. They sought to meld with their vehicles and armor spiritually, feeling that an atonement with their wargear would serve them in a greater regard. While not particularly tech savvy, they would take to blessing their vehicles instead of the many tech-priests that assisted the Legion. This was a ritual they took to be exceedingly important and to better commune with their armored vehicles, felt it was necessary they themselves performed these duties. These benedictions of course differed greatly from the Mechanicum’s and while it irritated the Tech-priests and Mecanicum adepts, it was allowed.

Veratal and the Seekers found common ground with many of the other Legions, being generally accepted and liked, often seeking to conduct joint actions with cousins. Veratal got along well with the majority of his brothers, his kind demeanor and somewhat jovial attitude bringing about much love from his brothers, some even seeking his counsel with regularity. While not all his brothers agreed with his teachings or his beliefs, they either ignored it or accepted it in someway. Even brothers like Surmah, who came to philosophical differences with him on more than one occasion, grew to have a strong bond of mutual respect and understanding.

It was early during the Apostasy that Veratal would be killed by his brother Antarus. In an attempt to stop the Warmaster from breaking from the Imperium, Veratal tried to reason with Antarus, but was slain in the process as Veratal refused to harm his cherished brother. Veratal thought he could convince him to return to the fold even unto the end.

## Home World (Terbiha II)

Terbiha II is the planet second from the sun in the Terbitan System of the Galactic East. There are six worlds in the small system, only two of which are the right distance from the sun to be habitable. Terbiha II is one such world, the planet itself is made up of four large land masses with a few small oceans to separating them. The continents are nearly uniformly comprised of large, flat plains or tundras, however, there are some areas that are dominated by immense and majestic mountain ranges. These massifs cut through the centers of the continents, nearly dividing them due to their scope, six major regions making up the bulk while hundreds of smaller, lesser known regions are littered about the globe.

The planetary population is limited in scope with many people being either nomadic or living in minute population centers. Due to the nature of the mountains that cut through the continents, travel between regions had always limited and war was rather scarce. Mostly these small conflicts were fought for food or resources, very rarely being over cultural disputes as the need for supplies was of far greater import. Terbiha II did not have much to offer as far as resources were concerned, and while conflict was rare, the populace was generally divided. Regions were loyal only to its other inhabitants, being suspicious to outsiders who ventured into their domains. Thus, if not for the mountain ranges that secluded such settlements, war might have been far more prevalent. The world’s inhabitants were primitive by Imperial terms, their technology was limited, having never reached an industrial age; they had metal working, but had not yet reached the stage of inventing any combustion or advanced sciences.

Each region was religious in its own way and praised some form of animal-like god. Each god was represented with a form of warfare by the people, as well as other various important cultural aspects. Lhasam, the largest and richest region was represented by the Snow Lion. The main portion of the city laid at the foot of the world’s largest mountain and greatest mountain range, its people praising the Snow Lion as a mighty and regal god, and in their minds, was the king of all the gods. The largest city of the world rested here, bearing the name of the region, comprised of stone buildings, homes and a few ziggurat-temple structures. The largest of these structures hung near the peak, its edifices bored into the face of the mountain. The warriors of this region wore heavier armor than any other that fought on this world, their helmets were of a stylistic and ritualistic likeness to the Lion God they venerated. An assortment of weapons were in common use, however, their armor was affixed with mighty claw-like blades affixed to vambraces or tied to wrists.

Of the other prominent regions, Nagqual was situated on one of the many plains that spread across the globe. Their, they praised a god known in Imperial Gothic as the Wind Horse. This majestic god represented the wind of the Great Plains and the speed is brought with it. Horses were an integral part of the populace’s lifestyle, the horse being their prime source of travel, trade and even food. Many of this region were nomadic, any population centers being small tent villages quickly erected for brief stays. As such, the warriors of these plain nomads were prolific in the use of mounted warfare, riding their horses into battle and firing from their backs with short bows. They would raid and strike at a distance, trying to stay at length from their quarry, their raids resulting in devastating blows upon their foes that were incredibly difficult to combat.

The region of Bayit sat at the edge of one of the largest oceans, near the edge of a mountain range that when viewed from the sky, looked like a winding form of a snake. Numerous rivers passed through this area, spilling down from the mountains and emptying into the ocean. The city here was immense, second only to Lhasam in terms of size, however, unlike its cousin, Bayit conducted more trade than any other region due to its proximity to the sea. Many of the warriors from this region were seafaring, but those who fought on land used cunning and a weapon known as Viper Fangs as their primary armament. They would ambush foes when on dry land as well as when fighting them ship-to-ship on the oceans. In Bayit, they worshiped a god by the name of Pha Trelgen, a monkey-like creature, accredited with wisdom and cunning similar in nature to that of the Primarch. This is where the Primarch originally hailed from, being found as a child wandering the river beds.

Shigat was another plains region, though it sat in the great tundra-zone of the north. A solitary people who were generally looked at with great superstition and reserve, many other regions would avoid interaction with them, believing them to be witches and seers; those who could read fate but also twist it to their own designs and curse those unlucky enough to interact with them. Ekajati was their goddess, possessing three eyes, the third representing the Gift of Sight but also being open to great wisdom. To outsiders, she was mistaken as a goddess of magic and trickery but o those who worshipped her, she was a goddess who could see fate and bless it with her knowledge. The warriors, while few, were known to use deception, and to many, it was believed they could see the future as well.

Kangdint is a region settled in the mountains of the eastern most continent. The towns and villages that make up the populated area all occupy the valleys and gorges within the largest mountain range on the planet. The god worshiped here is Garuda; in the planet’s mythology it is a great avian god who soars through the mountain air noble but fierce in its countenance. This reflected by warriors who utilized tall boys and defended their homes from high upon mountainous ridges. The people here accustomed to the higher altitudes and thinner air, allowing them to travel faster and higher than any potential foe attempting to raid their land.

Before the coming of Veratal, these regions rarely treated with one another outside of the loose trade deals for necessities, relations often breaking down relatively quickly. Trader’s from all but Bayit, were a different class of society in their own. A nomadic people who did not claim one region as home. This was a dangerous lifestyle but these individuals would be the only form of cultural exchange between regions as well as the exchange of goods. However, it was Veratal’s coming that saw an end to such fractious behavior. A meteor was seen in the sky the day he came to the world, though many weeks passed before he was discovered by monks from a temple of Pha Trelgen. He was found traveling through the nearby river beds, a child with no clothes and no recollection of who he was, even speech seemed beyond his abilities, though he learned with alarming alacrity. Though raised by the monks of the temple that found him, it was not long before he began teaching them a new way of thinking, most prominently his feeling that their isolationism of his world must end. Thus when he came of age, he left his home and began philosophically orating at each village he ventured to, speaking of a new form of thinking and a new religion, one not just of peace, but also unity. He began using the nomadic traders as a means to spread his messages far and wide. They would be his first to carry his philosophy from village to village and person to person. Veratal preached the gods should be removed from worshipped but instead seen as entities that could represent a higher plane of existence reachable by all men. Veratal preached that man should search within himself and through unity of others to reach a form of enlightenment. His teachings spread quickly and soon he gained a large group of followers who set out all directions of the compass to spread his philosophy. It wasn’t long before his wisdom became sought after by leaders and commoners alike, while the various regions of the world began to abandon their ideas of gods and joined together in harmony. This led to massed acruement of resources and opening new forms of trade and the exchange of thoughts as well as ideas. There were some who initially resisted, but Veratal taught of a world of peace and would treat with these opponents, persuading many to his beliefs peacefully with near total success. More than once assassins were sent to kill the wandering monk, yet each time the would-be killers were stopped, enlightened by his words and no longer capable of bringing him harm.

Through Veratal’s teachings the world became united, his teachings flowing to every person of the world as freely as the wind. Many forms of government were eliminated and the people lived a peaceful and prosperous way of life; that is, until the coming of Necalli, the Primarch who found Veratal and spirited him away to the stars. While the world stayed peaceful and loyal to Veratal’s teachings, its role changed as it needed to begin supplying warriors for the VIth legion and become apart of the Imperium of Man.

## **The Great Crusade**

### **Compliance of Paladra**

Immediately after Veratal Dharma’s discovery on Terbhia II by Necalli, the Cutter of Men, Veratal was taken to Terra to meet his Father, the Emperor of Mankind. Veratal and Necalli spent several months on Terra awaiting their Father’s arrival and then several more were spent with the Emperor who spoke with his son about his great dream of the unification of Mankind. Veratal was eager to hear his Father speak and with such surety of purpose, he took his Father’s dream and made it his own. After allegiances had been sworn and his duty given, Veratal was taken to meet Shaaa and the Star Guardians who were to assist Veratal with his first compliance at the head of his own legion. The VIth legion had exceedingly little time to meet their Primarch in the initial phases of the campaign, as his attentions had been spread over a plethora of tasks. Upon his arrival, Shaaa immediately briefed Veratal on his plans for the compliance, though Veratal took quick issue with the compliance and departed for the surface to try to negotiate a peaceful transition, despite the protest of his brother and sons.

The people of Paladra were somewhat technologically advanced. They utilized a primitive version of power armor and had advanced gene-splicing techniques they used to make chimeras that were used for combat purposes. The Chimeras and their riders were employed to make up for the lack of speed and agility the cumbersome power suits and armored vehicles were hindered by. The inhabitants all served a reigning oligarchy that ruled through birthright succession. Though this was a small group, they held power over the planetary population, having convinced them to blindly obey through violence and fear to labor under the Oligarchy.

Upon his arrival to the surface, Veratal asked for peace and to speak to them of the glories of the Imperium despite disapproving of the society. ---However even a Primarch was met with stiff resistance as the Oligarchy did not want to relinquish its power. A contingent of power suits engaged the Primarch who was subsequently saved by Shaaa and some forces of the VIth legion. After saving the Primarch of the VIth the compliance began in earnest Veratal now ready to listen to his brother’s plans. Following Shaaa’s lead, Veratal commanded  the VIth legion in their first major conflict. On the open plains of Paladra’s vast Contraga Steppes the VIth Legion armor engaged a massive Paldra force. Their armored vehicles slow compared to the Imperials’ but heavily armed and armored. Using rapid strikes Veratal expertly lead his forces to decimate the enemy armored formations. While Veratal engaged the Paladrans in the open Shaaa and the Star Guardians pushed to the main fortress where the Oligarchy hid, conquering all the major cities along the way.

After this first engagement Veratal finally took a moment to speak to his new sons. He told them of unity, enlightenment and the importance of the Emperor’s dream of unifying humanity. He claimed to them that they must seek unity in anyway possible. They must bring humanity the chance to achieve enlightenment. With his great words he moved his legion closer together in a single cause and while standing upon his Falchion he spoke to his sons and gave them a new name to bear into the stars. He named them the Seekers of Unity, for their goal was to seek out mankind and bring them into the dream of an enlightened race. With their Primarch at their head and new and inspiring purpose the newly named VIth legion went to battle with a new fire in their hearts. Victory after victory followed as they broke the Paladra forces.

Eventually utilizing a continent wide pinscher movement the two forces of the Primarchs met and surrounded the fortress of the Oligarchy. Under Shaaa’s direction Veratal led a series of rapid armored assaults that broke defensive lines and the teetering morale of the Paladrans. Victory was at hand. Shaaa led the final assault that broke into the fortress and into the deep bunker complexes underground. When he found the Oligarchy cowering he didn’t give them a choice. For their attack on his brother he took them above ground and executed them in front of their few remaining forces. Once the Oligarchy was killed compliance of the planet quickly followed.

Campaign now complete, Shaaa left Veratal to complete the conquest of the sector. The two brothers having formed a strong brotherly bond the parting was hard for both though Shaaa would have never shown it.

### Dark Encounters on 6-1459

Shortly following the compliance of Paladra, the rest of the populated worlds of the sector fell with ease, many agreeing to compliance solely because of Veratal Dharma’s words. So moved by his presence and his ideals were they, that they gladly entered into the Imperium without violence or need of conflict. One however, stood alone from the others in their beliefs. The world had some recollection of its history and maintained some of the technology of the ages where man first took to colonizing the galaxy, yet the people cowered in the shadows and dilapidated structures. Victims of great calamity, the denizens of the world 1459-6 suffered from constant raids where they were kidnapped and enslaved by a vile species of the xenos known as the Drukhari.

For many years, this planet suffered at the predilections of the repugnant xenos with no one to aid them. At first they had tried to fight yet they could not push the xenos back, so they resorted to hiding, and little good it did them. When the VIth Legion arrived, the inhabitants cowered all the same, worried it may be some trick to lure them into the open. Veratal, the Voice of Truth, coerced the people out and had them tell him of their plight. The words of the people of this blighted world brought out an anger in Veratal he had not known he possessed. Making a vow on the spot to help these people and help free them of these foul xenos, he quickly went to work planning the execution of an extermination campaign. Veratal tasked the 8th Armored company with engaging the xenos on the surface, Tara Khul with protecting the citizens, while he went to lay a trap in orbit so the xenos could not escape.

The 8th Company took to their duties with relish combined with the anti-air forces of the Solar Axuilia and the aviation forces of the Garuda chapter. The ranks of the 8th having swelled with Astartes inducted from the Primarch’s homeworld and like him, they shared their gene-father's appreciation of the tank. Much of the armored company was made up of Sicaran Battle tanks and its variants, though a few other models could be spotted in the armored mass and deredeo dreadnoughts. The vehicles set up on the open plains outside of the capital city’s limits, in an open invitation to confrontation. Many of the tanks however were concealed just inside the cities limits, laying in wait to spring a deadly trap. Sure enough the Aeldari raiders showed and were enticed by the ground bound vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes. Their fast skimmers shot through the air targeting their less mobile prey. So the trap was sprung. Multiple sicaran battle tanks struck out from where they hid with their deredeo counterparts and Solar Auxilia flax guns. Their weapons creating a wall of fire that even the xenos expert pilots couldn't avoid. To add to the crescendo of ground fire the Garuda struckout from low orbit  blasting xenos skimmers from the sky. The tanks outside of the city would fire at a xenos vehicles, which were easy to avoid but this would lead the xenos into the fire of the tanks hiding in the ruins. The VIth legion fought in perfect unity to eradicate the xenos raiders, every strike orchestrated and working towards the great whole. Some xenos raiders fled into the city, quickly jinking out of Astartes fire only to disembark and fall into the second trap of Khul and his warriors lying in wait within the city. Once disembarked they lost their speed and agility and the small raiding party could be picked apart. Not wanting to waste lives needlessly the xenos fled back to their ship hiding in orbit. Only too late did they realize that Veratal was waiting for them, feigning ignorance to the xenos arrival only to turn on them with vicious vengeance. Veratal had the entire fleet surround the raiding party and turned the battle into a boarding action, taking the fight to the xenos scum intent to kill them all. Veratal faced the xenos warlord and slew him on the bridge of his own ship. All but one of the xenos were killed. One was a slave and risked her life to save Veratal’s. Veratal granted her life to repay her for her actions but warned he would kill her and her kind on sight in the future for the atrocities committed.

With the xenos defeated the people of 1459-6 eagerly joined the Imperium of Man, their savior and his teachings becoming a beacon of hope for these people in the merciless galaxy.

### Battle of Velekshar

A lifeless system of gas giants circling a red star, Velekshar was home to the Ork-infested Kaldrak Cluster, located near a stable Warp route. Imperial Authorities needed the Warp routes brought to stability and so it fell to 1,151st Castigation fleet under the Ashen Crows 16th Flock, commanded by Balthasar Ghur, to purge the greenskin hordes. A unit of Seekers of Unity was also attached to the fleet, under the command of Bhutan, Master of the Druk. The Druk known as Thunder Dragons, in High Gothic, were renowned for void combat, hosting the legion’s greatest void-craft fighters and boarding teams. The two legions were not easy comrades, reports arising that the Seekers of Unity were treated with a clip and insensitive attitude, leading Bhutan to barely recognize Balthasar’s authority.

Upon exiting the warp towards their destination, the fleet was seemingly ambushed by a massive Space Hulk that spilled from Warp space right on top of them. As the hulk tore through the Ashen Crows and Seekers of Unity fleet, it became apparent that the Orks themselves had managed to glean some form of control of the scrap monstrosity and turn it into a functioning vessel of sorts. As Bhutan had expected, Balthasar and the Ashen Crows fled from the conflict leaving the Seekers of Unity to fend for themselves against the xenos’ wrath. Balthasar had reasoned that they were many times outnumbered and without informing Bhutan, felt using the Seekers as a distraction would best suit the current situation, any other strategy being useless against the Greenskins.

Meanwhile, the Seekers of Unity fought to hold their ground repelling Ork boarders, putting up a vicious fight and killing tens of thousands of Orks in the halls of their ships over the next several hours. However, the sheer weight of greenskin numbers were beginning to take their toll, as one by one, each Seekers of Unity ship was slowly overwhelmed. Using the distraction provided by the Seekers of Unity, the Ashen Crows returned with unexpected fury, launching a series of hit-and-run raids on the Ork fleet and eventually managing to rip an opening in the Space Hulk’s rear and land boarding companies. Of the Seekers of Unity vessels, only one managed to survive and rejoin the Ashen Crows fleet, the staggering loss of their battle brothers being felt in ever Astartes hearts. For the next five months, the Ashen Crows and the remaining Seekers of Unity waged a patient guerrilla war against the Orks on the Space Hulk and in the greater system at large, frustrating the battle-hungry greenskins until discord ripped their horde apart from the inside.

Eventually, a reprieve force of Silver Basilisks, War Bears and Imperial Army arrived and cleaned up the remaining Ork marauders, though such a task was nearly complete by that time. Balthasar, for his part, claimed that his strategy had worked without flaw and showed no regret in sacrificing the Seekers of Unity to make such a plan happen. Bhutan and two hundred of his legionnaires were all that survived the initial contact and by the end of the conflict, only fifty remained. Following this conflict, Bhutan refused to fight alongside the Ashen Crows ever again, his scorn buried too deep within his being, regardless of the friendship Veratal Dharma and Galavrian shared.

### The Destruction of Quietude

The Olamic Quietude was a hostile, post-human civilization that the 57th Expedition fleet, the 1st Company of the Seekers of Unity and 6th Company of the Scorpion Guard encountered during the Great Crusade. Both Primarchs were at the head of their respective forces; Veratal Dharma attempted to make first contact in the name of the Imperium of Mankind with the Quietude but was immediately considered to be a mockery of humanity. The Quietude considered itself the rightful successors to Terra and saw the Imperials as xenos-infected impostors. As a result, the Quietude attacked the Primarch of the VIth Legion, capturing and vivisecting the other Imperial emissaries that had accompanied the Primarch, resulting in war between the two empires.

The inhabitants of the Quietude were implanted with bionics from birth to integrate them into their social network and by the time they reached adulthood, their augmentations encompassed their entire bodies, leaving only the brain, skull and spinal cord; synthetic organs supported the remaining organic components with a purple circulatory fluid, while their faces were holographic images. The Quietude’s elite soldiers were called Robusts; when attacked, the Robusts’ social network analyzed the method of attack and modulated their force field defenses to adapt. Their weapons consisted of gravity penetrators and heat rays similar to melta weapons. Gigantic Super Robusts, some Super Robusts having two sets of harms and two heads, were equipped with concussion maces and accelerator hammers defended the social network’s nexus.

Once the war began, the two legions struck out and assaulted the Quietude’s orbital docks; through stealth, brute force and unity of purpose, the Imperial forces were able to overcome the Robusts and capture the docks, allowing for aggressive landings on the ice covered home world of the Quietude. Once planet-side, the destruction of their civilization began in earnest, with two primarch’s present, the hostile post-human civilization was laughably outmatched. This conflict would solidify the bond between the Scorpion Guard and the Seekers of Unity, their Primarchs sharing a close friendship that exceeded many of the bonds they shared with their other brothers. Veratal Dharma said that after this conflict, he looked up to Antarus more than any other brother and cherished their friendship more deeply.