Flayed Legion Cult

### **Origin**

Renegade Astra Militarum and Hive Gang elements corrupting several Hives on Cogger

### **Allies**

Cult of Poxmire,
 Omnia Cadunt,
 Dahk'ash Dynasty Flayed Ones,
 The Remnants

### **Colours**

Red and Yellow

The **Flayed Legion Cult** is a cult that worships the Necron, specifically the Flayed Ones. They are vicious fighters and tacticians. As they grew, they branched off into two cults. The main one being the Brotherhood of the Red Banner which is comprised on elite fighters and strategists and a secondary cult or sub cult that consist of converted civilians, killers, and madmen bent to the will of chaos undivided. The worship of the flayed ones have fed the god of blood while their allegiance with Nurgle chaos marines have also pleased the Papa Nurgle. The zeal with which they fight and worship the Flayed ones is a Slaaneshi trait whereas the strategy and the secretive nature with which they attack pleases Tzeentch. This means that they inadvertently started aligning themselves with chaos undivided. The leader of the cult was able to approach a Necron and survived to tell the tale but not without any eventual causalities. Little did the cult leader know that some of his fellow cult members would not survive their own encounters with Necrons.

## History

The Flayed Legion's history is deeply rooted in the dark corners of Hive World Cogger. As the re-pacification efforts were underway, the cult emerged under the leadership of Father Lazarus, a charismatic and cunning Cultist champion. Their devotion to the Flayed Ones, the twisted Necron entities afflicted by an ancient infection, fueled their rise.

Father Lazarus, in a daring move, managed to secure an audience with the second in command of the Flayed Ones Necron. This encounter not only bolstered his position within the cult but also hinted at a sinister alliance between the cult and the enigmatic Necron forces. The Flayed Legion, with newfound confidence, initiated a series of sieges, notably the devastating Siege of Hive Cogger, expanding their influence across the subsector.

The fall of Hive Cogger marked a turning point, revealing the cult's insidious nature and its ability to manipulate events to achieve its dark objectives. The Flayed Legion's influence spread like an infection, with subfactions emerging in other hives, perpetuating the cult's ominous legacy.

## Warband Organisation

The Warband while numbering in the Millions as it sublimated an entire Hive City and made branches into many more had a core leadership surrounding a warband within the warband. At the heart of the Flayed Legion stands the Brotherhood of the Red Banner, an elite core of warriors and strategists primarily comprised of renegade Astra Militarum fighters. Distinguished by their crimson and yellow insignias, these battle-hardened cultists are the epitome of the Flayed Legion's military might. The Brotherhood serves as both the shock troops and commanders of the cult, leading the charge in battles and orchestrating the warband's strategic maneuvers. The Brotherhood of the Red can be said to be the strength of four to five Astra Militarum Regiments. Traitor Cogger PDF and Traitor Cogger Penal Legions are said to have swelled the ranks of trained killers and madmen.

To ensure the cult's pervasive influence, the Flayed Legion operates through decentralized Cult Cells. These cells, each led by a trusted lieutenant or veteran cultist, function independently in various hives and subsectors. They are responsible for recruiting new members, spreading chaos, and conducting local rituals. The Cult Cells contribute to the overall reach and resilience of the Flayed Legion, allowing them to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.

Over time, splinter cults have emerged from the Flayed Legion, each taking a unique interpretation of the cult's beliefs and methods. These splinter cults often form in response to ideological differences, power struggles, or the desire for more autonomy. The Inquisition has identified several of these splinter cults, each with its own leaders and distinct objectives, complicating efforts to combat the Flayed Legion as a unified force.

Recognizing the importance of secrecy and subterfuge, the Flayed Legion maintains a network of infiltrators and spies. These individuals embed themselves within Imperial organizations, other Chaos warbands, and rival factions to gather intelligence and sow discord. Their actions contribute to the cult's ability to manipulate events to their advantage and anticipate the movements of their enemies.

## Combat Doctrine

The Flayed Legion's combat doctrine is characterized by a blend of cunning strategy, brutal violence, and a penchant for subterfuge. Infiltration and violence are the cornerstones of their tactics, as evidenced by the uprising in various hives on Cogger. The cult specializes in underhanded methods, using ruse and deception to weaken the Imperial defenders before launching full-scale attacks.

The destruction of the Aquila Shrine and the poisoning of an entire Arbites garrison showcase the Flayed Legion's commitment to chaos and their disdain for symbols of Imperial authority. The cult's members, driven by homicidal aggression and madness, engage in acts of cannibalism, rape, and torture, reflecting their chaotic and depraved nature.

The cult's belief in omens, such as shooting stars and animals, influences their combat decisions. These omens, seen as symbols from the warp, guide the cult in determining the right time to enact plans and assess the satisfaction of their dark gods. The integration of dark symbols and the tapping into the Immaterium hinted at a mastery over the warp, allowing the cult to draw upon chaotic energies for strategic advantage.

## Warband Beliefs

The Flayed Legion places immense importance on omens and signs from the warp, considering them direct messages from the Flayed Ones and the Chaos Gods. Shooting stars, strange weather patterns, and the behavior of animals are seen as divine indicators guiding their actions. A cultist who interprets these signs accurately is often elevated in status, viewed as a conduit between the mortal realm and the chaotic forces they worship.

The cult reveres the Flayed Ones as god-like and superior entities. They believe that by serving these twisted Necron entities faithfully, they will be rewarded with unimaginable power, immortality, or ascension to a higher state of existence. The cultists consider themselves the chosen disciples of the Flayed Ones, destined to carry out their will in the material realm.

Cult members engage in horrific acts of violence, including cannibalism, rape, and torture, as a means of pleasing the Chaos Gods and the Flayed Ones. Ritualistic self-mutilation, such as deliberate gashing and cutting of their own flesh, is a common practice among the cultists. Those who fall in battle are seen as sacrifices, and their deaths are celebrated as offerings to their malevolent patrons.

In their rituals and acts of worship, the Flayed Legion believes in offering blood and screams to the Flayed Ones and the Chaos Gods. The more gruesome the act, the greater the favor they believe they earn. Rituals involving the flaying of victims, both alive and dead, are performed with religious fervor, and the echoing screams are seen as hymns that resonate in the warp, attracting the attention of their dark patrons.

After every major victory, there are those within the Brotherhood of the Red Banner who attempt the ultimate display of loyalty: the Skinning Ritual. Cultists ritually skin their own faces as a sign of devotion to the Flayed Lord. Completing this gruesome ritual is considered a tremendous challenge, and those who succeed are revered within the cult. The marked cultists wear their own flayed skin as a grotesque display of their commitment.

The Flayed Legion demonstrates a mastery over the warp by integrating dark symbols into their rituals and tapping into chaotic energies. This ability allows them to draw upon the warp for strategic advantage, enhancing their combat effectiveness. Symbols associated with the Flayed Ones and the Chaos Gods are inscribed on weapons, banners, and even the flesh of cult members, serving as conduits for the chaotic powers they seek to harness.

## Warband Rituals

The members of the Flayed Legion Cult, when engaging in battle will paint their faces red and make it seem like they have in fact removed the skin from their face, in honour of The Flayed ones, whom they worship. Those who are in need of stealth and secrecy will not paint their faces.

In the aftermath of every major victory, there were those in the Brotherhood who attempted the ultimate display of loyalty to the Flayed Lord: taking the Mark by ritually skinning their own faces in deference. It was enough of a challenge for one of the Astartes to complete the ritual, and every human who had attempted had perished of shock or bled out before they could finish.

Following a victorious campaign, the Flayed Legion performs The Flayed Offering. Captured enemies, both living and deceased, are subjected to a gruesome ritual where their skin is methodically flayed from their bodies. The flayed skins are then meticulously crafted into grisly trophies, banners, or worn as macabre ornaments by the cultists. This ritual is believed to symbolize the triumph of chaos and serve as a literal representation of their devotion to the Flayed Ones.

Cultists who have proven their unwavering devotion and exceptional service to the Flayed Legion undergo the Marking of the Faithful. In this ritual, intricate and chaotic symbols associated with the Flayed Ones are branded onto the cultist's flesh using warp-infused flames. This mark is considered both a badge of honor and a sign of divine favor, setting the marked individual apart as a leader and exemplar of the cult's beliefs.

## Notable Warband Members

* **Father Lazarus** - An Enigmatic leader of the Flayed Legion, steering the cult toward its dark destiny. Cultist champion of Chaos Undivided and Herald of the Flayed Lord. He was the leader of the Brotherhood of the Red Banner. He has an artificial left eye and wears a tattered Imperial Guard colonel's coat.

* **Drachen Lamech** - Lamech emerged as a key figure, entrusted with leading a group of chosen disciples to harness the power of the dragon of Cogger fortold in some omens.

* **Lady Jael Eisell** - Wife to Lord Edrick Eisell, Baron of Hive Cogger's South District, Lady Jael played a covert role in the fall of Hive Cogger.

* **Mordecai** - One of the few members of the Brotherhood who came from the Legion and were not recruited. A loyal disciple and leader.

* **Sorcerer A'Khel** - Advisor to Father Lazarus, Sorcerer A'Khel brings a touch of psychic influence to the Flayed Legion. His role is in guiding the cult with dark sorcery.

* **Molor** - Cultist captured by Inquisitional Storm Troopers after a failed raid on Inquisition Camp.

* **Arlaz** - Leader of a Hive Cornith sect going by the title of Grand one, Folloer of the changer of ways

* **Nara** - Ex-ganger and Cultist of the Brotherhood of the Red Banner who served as second in command of Arlaz's Hive Cornith Sect

## Warband Appearance

Members of the Flayed Legion don a macabre array of clothing and makeshift armor, adorned with symbols and trinkets that pay homage to their dark allegiance. Tattered remnants of Imperial Guard uniforms and Penal Legion gear are common, signifying their renegade origins. Barbaric piercings and random bits of metal protrude from their flesh, giving them an unsettling, corpse-like appearance. Many proudly display open or partially healed wounds, deliberately inflicted in gruesome rituals, showcasing their utter disregard for physical pain.

In honor of their worship of the Flayed Ones, cultists often paint their faces in vibrant shades of red. This symbolic act represents the removal of their own skin, a chilling display of devotion that both unites them and distinguishes their presence on the battlefield. The members of the elite Brotherhood of the Red Banner go further, adorning their faces with additional markings to signify their elevated status within the warband.

As a testament to their violent nature and disdain for the Imperium, cultists adorn themselves with grisly trophies harvested from their victims. The flayed skins of enemies, both human and xenos, are commonly strapped to their bodies or used to embellish their crude armor. Some members go so far as to incorporate bones and other remains into their attire.

### Warband Colours

The Flayed Legion Cult adopts a distinctive color scheme that reflects their allegiance and the gruesome nature of their beliefs. Their primary colors are red and yellow, symbolizing the blood and fury that defines their combat style. Members of the Brotherhood of the Red Banner, the elite core of the cult, often adorn themselves with additional symbols and markings to distinguish their status within the warband.

### Warband Badge

Warband Badge
The warband's badge prominently features an image of a flayed face, a gruesome representation of their devotion to the Flayed Ones. This symbol is emblazoned on their banners, armor, and vehicles, serving as both a mark of identity and a terrifying emblem to instill fear in their enemies.

## Warband Fleet

The Flayed Legion Cult, though not possessing a vast fleet, utilizes a combination of stolen, corrupted, and scavenged starcraft. These vessels are often adorned with grisly trophies, such as the flayed skins of their victims or symbols representing their chaotic beliefs. The fleet is known for its hit-and-run tactics, striking quickly and disappearing into the void, leaving chaos and terror in its wake..

## Relations

### Allies

 Dahk'ash Dynasty Flayed Ones
The initial tension between the two factions was palpable. The cultists, staunch followers of the Flayed Lord, found themselves face to face with Astartes whose allegiance lay with the Warmaster and the Black Legion. The uncompromising nature of the Black Legion, as embodied by Kusun, clashed with the fervent fanaticism of the Flayed Legion.
 Disciples of the Jagged Iron |  | Said to have created the several of the more esoteric weapons of the Brotherhood of the Red in their Hellforge. Rumors of this connection have not been confirmed by the Inquisition.

### Enemies

 4892nd Cogger Penal Legion
 Grey Knights

## Quotes

"*We are men of Hive Cogger, and on these gates the enemies of the Emperor will perish!
 By the word of the Flayed Lord And stars which bleed at his command
 By the blades of His legion And the worlds which lie dead in their wake
 You will not live to the dawn.*"
—Father Lazarus
"*All things are but ashes in time!*"
—A'Khel's Ninth Canticle
"*From this day you will be Drachen. You will lead your brothers, and bring the fire and fury of the gods themselves to the enemies of the Flayed Lord.
 Fire and fury.*"
—Father Lazarus

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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