Theta Warriors

[The Theta Warriors are the 14th Legionies Astartes, made from the genome of Qurrius Phovis, they were first forged from the many youths on Terra after the Unification Wars to reunite the planet. Forged for the Great Crusade, a massive undertaking of nineteen other legions alongside them. Renowned for being as cold and as distant as their siege engines.

Once the Great Crusade launched from its cradle on Earth and secured the resources of the Martian Priesthood, the Theta Warriors' stock of siege engines and shell would increase over tenfold. This would boost the Theta Warriors effectiveness in several of the first compliance actions against heavily fortified worlds owned by wayward Human Empires or Xenos Strongholds.

Once their Primarch was found on the world of Cutriephus, the legion would gain several new technologies like the Amrtaka Terminators and the Plasma Shells, used to bring down the mightiest of walls when regular shells would just leave pockmarks in the wall.

Their sire is Quirrus Phovius, the fourteenth son of the Emperor. Phovius is a cold and calculating Primarch who also has a knack for upgrading and building new weapons for his legion. However, once the Rangdan species destroy his homeworld, Phovius' attitude turned toward blind rage and revenege before being calmed down by Eshmun Kadluk, Primarch of the Keepers of the Flame.

Once the Rangdan were defeated and the Great War began, Quirrus Phovius would join the side of the Secessionists after hours in deep thought, the betrayal of the Hunters Eternal and Umbral Blades deeply troubling him. The legion would be instrumental during several campaigns of the Great War including the Battle of Beta-Garmon and the Second Siege of Terra itself.

*I am not one who wants glory or fame, I am a weapon that is made to conquer and I shall with my sons at my side* - quote by Quirrus Phovius ]

## Legion History

### The Great Crusade

During the Great Crusade, the XIVth legion would mainly take up missions that involved breaking through and conquering worlds that were heavily fortified. Dozens of worlds alone would be brought into compliance through the actions of the siege engines of the legion, thousands of Astartes pushing through the destroyed husk of what used to be fortifications, bunkers, and bulwarks designed to keep enemies out and their people safe within.

For years, the Theta Warriors watched as other Primarchs were reunited with their legions, and eventually their time would come. On the world of Cutrephius, a former mining world, came the 14th son, Quirrus Phovius. Dropping into a warzone with a new class of Terminator armor, the 14th Primarch was responsible for the overhauling of the legions fleet, focusing more on bigger ships to keep his legion all in one place, lest a company suffers a setback they will always have reinforcements.

The end of the Great Crusade came for the Theta Warriors when the Rangdan Xenos species, after their discovery by the Void Watchers legion, attacked his homeworld. For hours he and his sons fought by the PDF forces of his homeworld while mass conveyors evacuated mortals, gene-seed, and the currently training recruits of the legion. Here Phovius would lose an eye, a injury that would remind his sons of what had been lost.

### The Rangdan War

Before the official start of the Rangdan War, Phovius would spend hours onboard the *Besiger of Iron* in a heated rage, destroying dozens of combat servitors in combat leaving their bloody and broken bodies strewn throughout his personal chambers. This would only be stopped when one of his brothers, Eshmun Kadik of the Keepers of the Flame legion would visit his brother by the request of the Primarch's bodyguards. Afterwards, the Theta Warriors would gear up for total war against the Rangdan, thousands of siege guns and tonnes of ammo transported to their ships for various war fronts. Months would go by as the Imperium of Mankind and Rangdan Empire would fight bloody wars of attrition on several planets, thousands of Astartes and million of mortals would fall in combat.

The Theta Warriors would suffer most from this, taken out of their element, the 14th legion would come across worlds filled with unique and deadly Xenos weapons, guns that pierce power armor like it was paper, ships that could punch out holes from ships through their void shields, and even weapons that could reduce Astarte and gene-seed to ash.

The final year of the war would see a mass movement of manpower from all twenty Astarte legions, the 14th serving mainly as the spear tip that would destroy Rangdan manufacturing and production worlds. Phovius reaping a heavy toll on his enemies for destroying the world that he had called home. Finally, the war would come to an end when Nocterra and Meidi alongside several of his other brothers would launch an attack on the Randan Queen herself, slaying the beast and bringing the war to an end, however this wouldn't be the "Last War" some had claim, for while they were out fighting on the front lines, the Umbral Blades were accused of being traitors by the Emperor himself, with the legion sending out astropathic messages of what they had seen on Terra. This would spark the Great Secession.

### The Great Secession

*Our father betrayed us. He attacked his children to hide his flaws. He lied to us about Ezani's demise during the Rangdan War, but what else could he have lied about? Today, I shall no longer fight for my father's Imperium. I shall be the tip of the spear that brings it down and rebuilds it a new*- Quirrus Phovius

The Great Secession would start with overwhelming victories in favor for the loyalist. The Secessionist forces being too spread out after the Rangdan Wars to centralize their fleets and armed troops. Hundreds of battle-brothers would die surrounded by enemy forces as their fleets were summarily blown up or captured in orbit above worlds. *The Iron Fortress* itself would be a sight of a massive void battle between Imperial Army, Loyalist Mechanicus, and various loyalist legions starships against the Theta Warriors 3rd Corps, desperately defending while their father rushed to their aid. By the time of the Successionist Council, the Theta Warriors would be reduced to fifteen hundred warriors.

The second year of the Great Secession would finally see the movement come to a head, when all the Primarch came together and Constinian Justarion is elected by his brothers and sister to the position of Lord Commander. With a leader chosen, and battle lines drawn, the Great Secession would begin in earnest. The theater chosen by Quirrius Phovius would be in the Coronid Deeps fighting a desperate battle against the Immaculate Sons. Later battles would see them attack various strongholds belonging to both mortal and Astartes alike, one of the more costly battles being on Beta-Garmon, one of the Gates to Terra. Thousands of titans would be destroyed or heavily damaged. Dozens of Astartes lives would be lost in the field and several voidships would be heavily bombarded in orbit, but victory was achieved.

During the Siege of Terra, the Theta Warriors, alongside the Storm Riders, would spend hours bombarding the Imperial Palace. Phovius would personally oversee every detail of how his captains deployed their forces, rearranging siege guns, and Amrtaka Terminator breach sites. He would see little of what happened in the Imperial Dungeons, reports only coming in once victory had been achieved. Finally, after five long years of bloodshed between cousins. The Great Succession came to an end with a Secessionist victory.

### Notable Campaigns

**Siege of Threcas 3(**M30.804): This is the first known campaign the XIVth legion partook in during the Great Crusade, the world of Threcas 3 was located in Segmentum Solar, a few lightyears away from Terra, as the 1st Corps exited the warp in-system, they were immediately beset by strange void ship hailing from the space station orbiting the world, engaging and destroying the vessels, the 1st Corps would launch a full invasion on the world heralded by the legion master himself at their head.

Thousands of siege guns and hundreds of Astartes made planet fall under the cover of orbital bombardment and false promises of negotiation, landing zones were choked with black smoke and the sound of trench lines being built up and reinforced, and on the first day of M30.804, the true siege began as thousands of artillery shells were launched into the capital city of Threcas 3. Thousands died of starvation over the course of several weeks as supply vehicles and roadways were bombed out by the 14th legion, soon the time came for the infantry and regular tanks to push inside the ruined city and they did with a righteous vigor. Some PDF forces did survive of course, and made war with the Angels of Death and failed. Out of the ten-thousand Astartes that made planetfall, only seven hundred had died. They would fly the flag of Terra in the capital city and leave a few token squads to assure no one came up with the idea to rebel as new settlers and Adminstartum clerks came to truly induct the world into the growing Imperium.

**Battle of Icarus Theta**(M30.814): This would be the first time the legion would encounter the dreaded greenskin menace, Warboss Nukgozak had burned the world and taken the fifteen million-strong population captive, transporting them to the planet's moon and put them to work in their vast mines,

## Legion Organization

Unlike other legions that use a unique organizational structure, the Theta Warriors keep the same organization that the Emperor laid down during the early days of the legion. Twenty "Corps" further divided up to the squad level. Ten-thousand to seven-thousand five hundred Astartes would be assigned to each Corps, the original legion master deciding that this would be the more effective option. However, once the Emperor had found his 14th Son, he would introduce several new ranks and formations into the legion changing the command structure of the legion.

**Corps**: Commanded by a Major General, the Chapter Commander equivalent, the Corps is the largest and strongest unit among the 14th legion, boasting between ten thousand and seven-thousand five hundred warriors, the Corps is capable of destroying entire enemy cultures and history in the time it takes for the Sun to orbit around Terra.

**Division:** Commanded by a Captain, the Division is made up of two-thousand five-hundred Astartes. When three Divisions are formed into one unit, they make up the Corps.

**Brigade:** Commanded by a Lieutenant, the Brigade is made up of five hundred Astartes. When five Birgades come together to form a single unit, they make up the Division.

**Regiment:** Commanded by a Sergeant-Major, Veteran-Sergeant equivalent, the Regiment is made up of one hundred Astartes, the second smallest organizational structure in the legion, when five Companies come together to form a Regiment, the most veteran out of the Sergeant's take up command of the unit.

**Company**: The smallest group of warriors in the legion, the Company are led by a Sergeant , and boast only ten warriors. However, a single Company squad is capable of bombing out cities and heavily fortified defensive lines, as seen during several battles fought against the Loyalist legions during the Dark Days of the Great Succession.

### Specialist Ranks and Formations

*Amrtaka Terminators:* One of the newer formations introduced into the legion at the time their Primarch had rescued several of his sons, the Amrtaka's function as the first one into the enemies city after the mass artillery bombardments serve the function of weakening of the enemy. Advanced training is given only to those that have proven themselves capable of wielding the massive Terminator armor in the 1st Corps, the most eltie out of the several Polemarchi.

### Legion Tactical Markings and Heraldry

The 14th legion does not rely on fancy markings or trophies to donate ranking structure. Instead, each warrior of a different rank gets a single marking on their right shoulder, underneath the Theta symbol.

## Legion Homeworld

Cutriephus was a former mining world, ruled over by Slave Lord guilds that lorded over the millions of slaves forced to work in the mines of the Lords. The world like many other mining worlds had very little flora or fauna and most people received their sustenance from deep wells extracting water deep beneath the surface, but like everything else on the world, the prices are extremely high and many go into debt just to feed their family for the month. The Slave Lords lived in intricate palaces near the planets equator. Miles of land was flattened for the main capital city along with dozens of walls to protect them from outside threats.

With the arrival of Phovius and his overthrowing of the Slave Lords, he would establish a much less cruel government, handing out water by the gallons for free, but the slaughter he wreaked upon fellow humans left him hollow and distant, letting others talk for him during non-important Council meetings. After the arrival of the Emperor and Phovius returning to Terra, he would leave several garrisons of Astartes to protect the world, the main defenders during the Rangdan Invasion before the Primarch arrived to reinforce his sons.

After the destruction of Cutriephus, the legion would reform around a recently built Ramillies-class Star Fort, *The Iron Fortress*, using this as a main staging point and recruiting ground, the Primarch would make war against the filthy Xenos species, and after their defeat and the start of the Great War, the XIVth legion would use many recruiting worlds across the Imperium to rebuild their numbers.

## Legion Combat Doctrine

Much like the old wars that plagued Terra before the Emperor unified or destroyed the warring factions of Techno-Barbarians that plagued his homeoworld, the XIVth legion, known as the Theta Warriors practice the art of sustained artillery bombardment before launching a massive movement of infantry and tanks to break the demoralized infantry. Described as *The Siege Lord* by his father, Quirrus Phovius meticulously plans out before committing to battles, not wanting to risk the lives of his sons in a hasty attack.

When going on the defensive, the Theta Warriors will use everything they have to the best advantage, makeshift fortifications are dropped from orbit inside retrofitted drop pods that supply them with ceramite and adamantium to make their own walls. Thousands will work to build trenches,  set-up bunkers, and sometimes even use their siege weapons as fake abandoned distractions before launching an ambush with a bolter and shield slaughtering the enemy before they have time to react.
When one of the many Polemarchi launch a planet assault, they first send down legion recon squads to scout out enemy defenses, especially those that would be vulnerable to orbital bombardments once they have acquired void domination.

Then, the ground landings begin, waves of Thunderhawks escort captains, Consuls, and the legions war engines down to a make-shift landing zone built beforehand by servitors and Tech-Priests.
Efforts are made to begin the manufacturing of offensive trench lines, some preferring to use connected trenches to move ammunition while others like to use bulk freighters or heavy transports to quickly move around their men. However, once everything is in place, the battle begins.
The first few hours are marked with hundreds of shells of varying types including phosphex, plasma, and high explosives shells leave pockmarks all across the enemies walls, and once a weak spot is noticed, a secondary wave of Space Marines, Dreadnought, and Land Raiders are supported with a rolling bombardment to support a speartip operation to crack open the fortress like a egg on the ground.

When in combat, the 14th prefer to stay at range, clearing out streets, buildings, and even palaces with bolter, volkite, and plasma weaponry, while only using their melee weapons to  cut through toughened steel. Typically most Theta Warrior legionnaires are armed with a bolter, plasma gun, or similar type of ranged gun along with a repurposed breacher shield.
The legion also has several specialized units to aid in this task such as Amrtaka Terminators, plasma cannon equipped Astartes in Terminator armor that are trained by their Primarch to be excellent breachers. Some of them are granted command of Amrtaka “Terarii” unit, made up of  nine Amrtaka led by a High Terarii.

## Legion Geneseed

While relatively pure when compared to some of the legions, allowing for the XIVth to maintain their casualty intensive method of war, there was a single documented flaw, only appearing those who bore geneseed after the legions reunification with the Primarch, known simply as ‘Hollowing’

Every warrior raised to the legion after the Primarch’s rediscovery suffered from this fate, cursed to forever remember those innocents who perished in the Primarch’s war to conquer his homeworld, stricken with memories as clear as any of their own. Some recruits would go mad with grief at the visions, killing themselves to hide their shame, while most would simply learnt to live with this unfathomable burden. It was this that kept the legion solitary for much of the Great Crusade, always holding others at arms length, not wishing to add to the faces each warrior saw every waking moment.

## Notable Theta Warriors

Xenakis Helveldus Fabritanus: The most recent Legion Master at the time of their Primarch's rediscovery, Fabritanus is among the few Terran-born Legionaries who survived the Rangdan Wars and the Great Succession, having to watch thousands of his battle-brothers be slain by either Xenos or former cousins still loyal to their treacherous father and the six legions still stayed by his side. Acting as the Primarch's diplomat when Phovius couldn't attend himself, Fabritanus forged a great respect among a few regiments of the Imperial Army, some coming to his aid when he and several of his brothers were surrounded by Rangdan on the world of Aurous-56.

## Legion Fleet

The XIVth legion preferred mostly using larger vessels in the battleship and cruiser classes while keeping a much smaller force of escorts used for patrolling systems that the Theta Warriors wished to conquer, reconnaissance operations launched months in advance before the non-complaint world or worlds know that a Astartes legion is even targeting them. Many ships in his fleet would be modified with extra plasma, and macrocannons, significantly increasing their firepower, but lowering their speed as well, by the time the Great Crusade came to a close, the legion boasted a total number of fifty-five battleships and cruisers in the Theta Warriors fleet compared to other legions.

### Notable Vessels

*Besieger of Iron*: The Gloriana-class flagship of the legion, the *Besieger of Iron* would be forged alongside her sister ship in the vast shipyards of Mars. In void warfare, the *Besieger* would reflect the personality of the legion greatly, preferring to keep back and bombard an enemies fleet from afar, and then let other ships rush into the breach formed by her massive guns. During the closing days of the Rangdan War, the massive ship would take heavy damage over a world since lost to Imperial records, and this would leave the Gloriana out of service for much of the early Great Succession.

*The Iron Fortress*: A Ramilles-class Starforst, the Iron Fortress was built out of the remains of several space stations found floating above the world of Gnuchotov. Smaller than the Imperial Wardens Phalanx, the Iron Fortress is still a formidable opponent to any enemy fleet. After the destruction of their homeworld, the Theta Warriors would use this as a staging ground for the Rangdan Xenocides, and the First War against the Emperor.

*Fist of Phovius*: A Emperor-class battleship, the Fist of Phovius is assigned to the Corps of the Theta Warriors, this vessel has the honour of being the first one to enter the system where their Primarch was alongside the Emperor’s own flagship. Much like the *Besieger of Iron*, the Fist has had several weapon systems swapped out and replaced.

*Eye of the Imperium*: A Battle Barge that is assigned to the Corps, the *Eye of the Imperium* would serve up until the First Battle of Hethica-V where it would be destroyed by the Ork Warboss Krookbasha, it would be replaced by *Phovius’ Will*

*The Heart of Cutripheus:* One of the twin Battle Barges that escort the Besieger of Iron, the Heart of Cutripheus is a standard Battle Barge with very little modifications made to its hull or weapons systems. It would later be destroyed by loyalist Imperial Navy forces above Terra during the Great Succession.

*The Compliance*: The second of the twin Battle Barges, the Compliance also keeps the same hull design as the *Heart of Cutripheus*, fighting in such battles as the Battle of Ullanor, this ship would share its brothers fate above the Terra during the First War, brought low by renegade Theta Warriors which had sided with the Emperor and the six loyalist legions.

## Legion Appearance

### Legion Colours

The Theta Warriors choose to use a bisected color scheme, half of their armor is painted white and the other half is very bright grey. After the discovery of their Primarch and his introduction to his sons, Phovius would introduce bronze into the legion, the same color as his palace on his homeworld, armor was repainted by the Astartes who wore them.

### Legion Badge

The Theta Warriors use the older Greecian Symbol of the Theta, a letter in the old Greecian alphabet during the days before the Dark Age of Technology and the Age of Strife.