Black Stars

The brightest light casts the darkest shadows. An old Terran saying that perfectly fits the IIIrd Legion. Spurred by their gene-sire's obsessive urge to prove himself superior to his older brothers, the **Black Stars** amassed a tally of accolades matched by few of their peers and were known as one of the Imperium's most illustrious defenders. This honour, though, came at the cost of their reputation within the Legiones Astartes, their bonds of brotherhood and, perhaps, their sanity.

## Black Stars

Black Stars armorial with Legion iconography

Graf Markus Calantar

## Space Marine Legion

### Noteworthy Domains

Kingdom of Skandra, Skandra Prima (Homeworld and Legion headquarters), Antire (Legion-aligned Forge-World, armoury), Riudal (legion training grounds), Talanis (fleet base)

### Observed Strategic Tendencies

General Warfare Shock Assaults , Tactical Preparation and Complex Strategic Planning in Extremis, Decapitation Strikes

### Unique Organisations

Ochranic Cavaliers, Boetar Squads, [[Raitelic Outriders]]

## **Origins**

### **The Marauders**

Born in the Emperor's gene labs as any other Legion, the IIIrd legion's first recruits came from the children
of subjugated raiders of the Caucasus Wastes, strong, hardened people that would serve as an ideal
recruiting pool for the Emperor's angels of death. Fate, however, would prove to be cruel to the IIIrd,asa
flaw in their geneseed would make their aspirants resistant to psycho-indoctrination. The incomplete
conditioning, combined with the inbred violent and impulsive nature of the Caucasian savages, proved to
be a destructive combination. In their first deployments, the Astartes of the IIIrd were shown to be
significantly more unstableand disobedient than their cousins, disregarding the orders of their superiorsand
losing themselves in the joy of war. True to their past, these transhuman warriors resembled a gang of
pillaging bandits rather than soldiers, earning them a name that would haunt them until the discovery of
their Primarch: The Marauder Legion.

This behaviour, of course, earned them the displeasure of their peers, their commanders and even the
Emperor. However, ever pragmatic, the Master of Mankind realised that a Legion, even defective, is too
precious to be discarded. Instead, he elected to deploy them to targets meant for total destruction, where
collateral damage and civilian casualties would be of no concern. Brutal, merciless, almost feral, the
Marauders would meet their enemies in brutal close combat, annihilating them to the last, giving no
quarter to woman, child or elder. Where this was impossible, the legion would apply generousamounts of
heavy artillery to destroy their foes. This trend was continued during the majority the Great Crusade, during
which the IIIrd was set loose against xenos, corrupted humans or other targets deemed unsalvageable, until
one fateful campaign where, under the command of Primarch Caelum Vigilat, the Marauders refused his
direct orders and, instead of supporting the Star Lords in the operation, turned on garrisons of new recruits,
the kind of easy prey they relished. Lord Vigilat, enraged at their savagery and disobedience, brought the
issue to the Emperor's attention, who promptly called recalled the IIIrd back to Terra for the final
judgment. It seemed that the bloody story of the Legion had come to an end when, unexpectedly, Absalom
Vaughn was discovered and joined his sons.

### **Birth of the Stars**

Absalom's first meeting with his sons occurred on Terra, and it was far from the glorious moment the Primarch envisioned. Instead of worthy soldiers of Mankind, the Primarch was instead met with alegion of brigands, savages and criminals that would have been purged had he not been discovered on time. Displeased with his deplorable 'sons', he ordered drastic changes in the IIIrd, starting with personally executing the old legion master who allowed this situation to grow rampant. He decreed that all recruits would henceforth be taken from the Kingdom of Skandra and reorganised the organisation system. His efforts bore fruit and within four years his legion had turned into an exemplar of discipline, obedience and organisation, owing no little to the fact thatalmostall of the Terran recruits had been unofficially purged by means of deployment in brutal missions that wore their numbers down until there were buta hundred left. It was then that he deemed them worthy of a true name, and so he baptised them Black Stars, after the legendary warriors of the First King, who fought at his side in the Grand Conquest.

His relationships with his brothers were not ideal either, as this is where Absalom's flaws first became apparent. Having a comfortable, royal upbringing in an environment where he wasall but worshipped had instilled great arrogance and egotism in the Amber King. These character traits were exacerbated by his Legion's poor prior performance, creating feelings of inadequacy and deep envy in Absalom's soul,as well as his hidden malice, which he had thus far unleashed only on the Antirans. He viewed some of his brothers not as family or even fellow warriors, but as rivals that he had to surpass by all means necessary. It was for this reason that he would push his sons ever forward to the next conquest, so that they may reap all the glory and make another display of their supremacy. The Black Stars espoused the ideals of their gene-sire completely, and thus the Legion's culture became one where personal skill was all that mattered, peak performance wasa necessity,and glory was the ultimate goal. Such behaviour of courseaffected the Legion's reputation among their peers, who regarded them either as brilliant, if vainglorious, warriors or as self-obsessesed glory hounds who put their obsessive quest to prove their superiority above their duties and warrior oaths. Nevertheless, the Black Stars were widely loved by the Imperium as they reinforce the image of the noble defenders against a hostile galaxy, Absalom himself adored as an idol by the people.

## **Legion Beliefs**

Before the discovery of their Primarch, the old IIIrd Legion was comprised of brutal warriors with a background of tribal life and violence. It was only natural, as a result, that the legion's culture would mirror that past. "Might makes Right" perfectly sums up their beliefs. Officers were selected not because of their leadership skills or their ability to inspire, but because they had proven themselves stronger than any challenge, often defeating or even killing their predecessor in honour duels. Everyone was allowed to challenge their immediately superiors for their rank. This practice, combined with their power-thirsty attitude, caused the command structure of the IIIrd to be remarkably fluid, with officers rarely lasting for more than a few months before being dethroned by their competitors. Weakness in the Legion was looked down upon, and those deemed weak would find themselves the target of their brothers' ridicule, enmity and violence. The same principles applied to the aspirants, who were selected through brutal deathmatches. Over the course of their training and induction they would be subject to great cruelty and abuse by their trainers in order to become "stronger". As a result, aspirants became cruel, brutal and violent themselves, and would inflict the same abuse to future recruits, creating a vicious cycle. As for their relationships with mortals, those they viewed as little more than weaklings, meatbags, in the case of Imperial soldiers, easy prey, in the case of civilians and nuisances, in the case of commanders. They did not concern themselves with minimising mortal casualties, instead, they seemed to encourage and enjoy them as proof of their superiority over the human dregs they had left behind on induction. Civilian casualties were of no concern to the IIIrd, and some would claim they even enjoyed them as they mercilessly raided enemy cities for sport. When it came to Astartes of other Legions, those they viewed with a mix of pity, for they forced strict rules on themselves, distrust of hatred. It was a rare occasion that the Marauders would willingly deploy with other legions, and they only begrudgingly worked together with the Star Lords, since they had been placed under the stewardship of Caelum Vigilat.

After their reunion with their primarch, Absalom Vaughn, disgusted with his son's prior behaviour, aggressively burned out all remnants of it in his Black Stars. New aspirants were now claimed exclusively from the Kingdom of Skandra, and new recruits were instilled with great discipline, as well as taught in the ways of proper conduct. Absalom's goal was a Legion of noblemen as much as warriors, exemplars of what it means to transcend mankind, to become an Astartes. Aspirants would be screened extensively both mentally and physically, to make sure that only the finest specimens were allowed to join the Legion . After the initial tests followed the First Proving, a great test of skills conducted before the primarch's chosen representatives. Candidates who passed this trial would then begin their long training, far more extensive than those of most Legions and aiming to teach every future battle-brother all facets of combat. Their training wasn't limited to warfare but also academic studies and art, so the legionaries could be more than mere soldiers, go beyond and embody the values of their gene-sire. Throughout their training, tests were common and strict, so as to ensure the future generations' skills capabilities were nothing short of superb. At the end of their training, only those who passed the Grand Proving, their final trial, with Absalom himself as the judge, were fully inducted in the Legion as true Battle-brothers.

Astartes of the Black Stats were expected to excel in all battlefield roles. Whether it is piloting, handling heavy weapons of fighting in melee combat, the sons of Absalom's would not be found wanting. Still, improving one's abilities was greatly encouraged in the Legion , and martial excellence was indeed the ideal that all Legionaries strived towards. Furthermore, astartes of all ranks would regularly go through the Teleotas, regular trials where they proved they remained in an optimal level of skill. Taking place in a virtual environment created by the Legion's veterans and Absalom himself, the Teleotas pushes a Legionary's skills to their limit. Failure is punished with rebuke, demotion or, in the worst case scenario, with induction to the ranks of the Boetar Penitents, a fate equal to a death sentence. These practices would create a climate of intense competition which was in part cultivated by the Legion command, and sometimes created fractures in the relationships between battle-brothers and even other Legions , who were often less than keen on tolerating the IIIrd's arrogant tendencies. On the other hand though, a special kind of inter-astartes relationship was born. That of master and apprentice. Certain Black Stars would take it upon themselves to help their brothers hone their skills and realise their full potential. So was the unofficial rank of the Didactes born, those immaculate warriors who gathered a great entourage of followers and apprentice around them. Even though they were not recognised as true officers of the Legion , Absalom and his upper command was nevertheless very satisfied with this development.

The Black Stars' relationships with other Legions were mixed, and often mirrored their Primogenitor's
relationships with his brothers. They were bound by close friendships with the Red Eyes and the Stalking
Leopards, whose Primarchs were Absalom's closest friends, and maintained a friendly rivalry with the
Crimson Lions. It was an undisputed fact though that the IIIrd's arrogance placed a big strain on their
interactions with their peers, many of which held them in contempt as narcissistic gloryhounds whose
loyalties lay only with themselves. As for those Legions whose Primarchs were on hostile terms with the
Amber King, like the Halcyon Wardens, the Iron Revenants and the Warrior of Peace, the Black Stars
refused to fight alongside them unless expressly ordered by the Emperor of Mankind himself. Still, hostilities
were practically non-existent between the IIIrd and other legions, as the sons of Vaughn would always strive
to be courteous like their father. The same would apply to their relationships with mortals to which they
were normally respectful towards. The Black Stars respected the soldiers who fought with them, obeyed the
orders of imperial officers and tried to minimise both unnecessary losses and destruction of infrastructure, aiming to leave conquered worlds in the best condition possible. This disposition of theirs towards mortals, paired with Absalom's preternatural charisma and charm, have earned the IIIrd incredible popularity within the Imperium.

## **Legion Organisation and Structure**

After his discovery and reunion with his Legion, Absalom restructured the combat doctrine of the IIIrd to better suit his own views on warfare and to purge the brutality of their origins. During operations, the Black Stars adhere to the dictates of the Principia Bellicosa, and while there is an observed preference to melee warfare, Black Star detachments generally feature a balance of long and close range firepower, in order to maintain maximum tactical flexibility in battle.

The Legion's style of war reflects their primogenitor's bombastic nature. Before taking to the field, the officers of the Black Stars, each of them an expert tactician, will analyse the information gathered by scouts and infiltrators and proceed to formulate a detailed battle plan tailored to the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. They rob the foe of any advantage and destroy them in a swift and well-coordinated assault. This kind of warfare requires precise coordination between various units on the field, and as a result independence is not a favourable trait among low ranking officers. As one ascends the ranks however, he is expected to display greater independent thought and initiative, as he bears the burden of planning, coordinating and carrying out ever larger scale operations.

The organisation structure of the Black Stars has remained relatively unchanged since their pre-primarch days, as Absalom enacted few changes upon it. The most substantial change was the creation of the Grand Chapters, or Domens as they are called in the Legion, which encompass thirteen Chapters. The Domens were led by the Margravi, the most elite Astartes of the Black Stars, who had managed to gain the trust and admiration of Absalom through their superlative feats in combat and their cunning mind. It is those warrior-generals that form the inner circle of Absalom, standing right below the Primarch in the hierarchy and wielding great authority and prestige in the Legion. More than commanders, they were an example that their brothers would aspire towards. The Margravi were afforded great freedom of action, and would often lead thousands of Astartes as well as mortal warriors to combat, carrying out their gene-sire's orders without fail. In an unusual occurrence among the Legiones Astartes, the rank of fourth Margrav was held by a psyker, Chief Librarian Cyprian Wiez, who was counted amongst Absalom's most favoured sons and, perhaps, the closest to the Primarch in character.

To ascend in the ranks of the third is an arduous task, for aspiring officers need to undergo long and demanding tests to prove they are worthy of the promotion. One must demonstrate both great skill in combat, the tactical acumen required for the demanding warfare of the Legion, as well as obedience to their superiors. Those that have displayed skill with arms that rivals that of all their peers have a chance to ascend to the ranks of the Ochranic Cavaliers and fight side by side with their gene-sire, regardless of former rank or seniority.

The ranks of Equerry and Margrav Aerst are separate from the command structure. While the equerry functions as the Primarch's voice in the Legion, the title of margrave aerst is awarded to that Astartes who best exemplifies the virtues of the Black Stars, and he leads the Ochranic Cavaliers to battle. The Margrav Aerst also acts as Absalom's bodyguard and champion. For more than three Terran decades, this rank has been held by Valtar Laude, as no challenger has succeeded in surpassing the genius duelist in skill of arms.

## **Notable Characters**

* Absalom Vaughn - Primarch of the IIIrd Legion.
* Tobiah Stolar - Equerry
* Valtar Laude, Margrave Aerst - First Captain of the Black Stars.
* Jacoby Margrol - Primus Medicae
* The Disgraced
* Markus Calantar - Graf of the Veteran Tactical Squad

### **Mortal Characters**

* Keirstenn Alkrantz -Vaughn - Wife of Absalom Vaughn