The Carcharodon Sons

VIth Legion Armorial

VIth legion legionary bearing bare-bones and unspecialized Mark V: Thunder Armor

## Imperial Marine Legion

### Observed Strategic Tendencies

Shock Assault, Planet-Kill & Extermination Operations, Close-Quarters Actions (Space Hulk Purgation, Boarding Operations, Line-Breaker Attacks, 'Forlorn Hope' Objective Assaults), Rapid Deployment Operations, Infiltration, Guerilla Actions, Deep-Range Raiding Operations, Extended Unsupported Operations within Hostile Domains

### Allegiance

Loyalist

"*Real power is silent.*"
—A common saying among the VIth Legion first spoken by their Luminarch, Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua.
**The Carcharodon Sons** are the VIth Legion of the Legiones Angelus, and are a first born Primaris Founding Legion and are the proud gene-sons of Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua, the Deep Lord. The Carcharodons are an enigmatic and often mysterious Legion, choosing to operate in complete silence and rarely opening up their secrets to anyone other than their own battle-brothers. Despite what they lack in public opinion they make up for in skill and efficiency, having ferocious brutality and brilliantly effective close-combat, along with brutally effective Void Assault skills. The marines of the legion adorn their wargear in tribal and ritualistic A'tūrākaun markings, as well as the bones from the beasts of their namesake; these tribal practices are not unlike the ancient Polynesians of Old Terra.

Despite their ruthless assaults and bloodthirsty demeanor, they are also surprisingly stealthy and unseen, attacking usually under the cloak of midnight. Usually, if the Carcharodon Sons are making an assault, the victims wont realize its even coming until the very last moment. This attack style is also exemplified by the Carcharodon Sons favorite terrain for assault, coastal and oceanic warfare.

## Origins and History

> "*And so, the slate-clad came from the outer night of the void, and their jagged maws did swallow the stars, and their inky gaze did mirror the waves of oblivion. Their pale shadows fell upon the servants of the Wyrm-Gods with great fury from the darkness, unseen as the beast that lurks beneath the black waters, there would be blood for blood, and death for death... Thus were the sons of the Khan bought respite, and they did turn back upon their pursuers, and so were the damned templars of the broken gods driven unto their ruin.*"
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### The Unseen VIth

The Carcharodon Sons, an enigmatic and mysterious Legion of the Imperial Legiones, etched a dark and bloody legend in the memories of those who survived the Boreal War. But before their grim destiny amidst alien waters, the initial recruits for the newly formed VIth legion hailed from scattered cities along the Terras Inter-Coastal Pacific territories, situated between the Cala’Rean Black Coasts of the Eastern Rallian Rad-Sea and the Gulf of the Llou'Isian Ocean. Rabia, Gyptosh, Levente, and Galatia, bearing the scars of relentless wars, were the lands from which the Emperor handpicked the core of the VIth. Living amidst a hostile environment, the inhabitants of these regions became a tenacious race, deeply acquainted with warfare. Their expertise in guiding armies through treacherous terrains had given rise to highly skilled scout forces.

Water, in these enclaves, became a defensive weapon of its own, as the people sought refuge in the depths and lured enemies to their hidden demise. Recognizing their resilience and adaptability, traits ideal for his chosen warriors, the Emperor initiated an unusual operation when the VIth came into being during the fading years of the Terran Unification Wars.

Their target was the domain of Ancient Argenta, ruled by the exiled scientist, Rrayan the Exiled, who had defected from the Jovian Mechanicum. Rrayan had constructed four immense dams, seizing control of vast Argentan lands by diverting rivers and submerging lakes. Fearing that these waters could be turned against his armies, along with losing valuable soldiers and coveted archeotech, the Emperor tasked the VIth with finding a way to strike at Rrayan through his prized assets.

With approximately 6,000 Marines in their ranks, the Legion deployed individual squads into the subterranean channels that fed the reservoirs, using heavily modified tunnelling machines. Although facing perilous encounters with the immense weight of water, more than four-fifths of the Angelus survived, emerging into the waters. Rrayan's fiendish servitors attempted to thwart them, but the Imperial Marines proved more formidable. Within eleven hours, they seized control of each dam's command stations, turning surface-to-air defenses against the crafts sent to drive them away and destroy the dams.

Though Rrayan's seemingly impregnable defense revealed its weakness, his armies remained a formidable foe. In the ensuing battles, hundreds of the Emperor's warriors perished at the hands of Rrayan's augmented mutants, clone-soldiers, and swarms of machines. Despite the loss, the VIth continued their attempts to wreck the dams and lay waste to Rrayan's domain. Throughout the night, the conflict illuminated the cannon-forested tops of the dams. But at dawn, the Imperial Cerberean Raptora stood tall over Rrayan's fortress. The remaining 2,000 Legionaries presented the Emperor with the captured warlord, and little is known of Rrayan's fate. Rumors suggest that he and a few other Jupiter renegades were delivered into the custody of Dammak-Nu-7, the Fabrication Officer, to face judgment as he deemed fit.

#### The Rallian Persecutions

The Rallian Rad-Seas, less of 'True' seas and more akin to an expanse of irradiated Marsh-Lands had become a Hot Bed of corruptions both daemonic and mutative upon Terra.

5 First-Born Legions were raised and ordered to Scour the Marshal Radioactive Expanse, the IIIrd, IVth, Vth, VIth, and VIIIth

The VIth along with a contingent of VIIIth Exterminus Units were directed to purge the Black Ruins of Thule. A force of 4,500 in total

#### The Black Cleansings of Mars

Mars, once regarded as Terra's celestial sibling and humanity's cherished second home, embarked on an extraordinary odyssey of transformation during the pinnacle of the Golden Age of Technology. This cosmic metamorphosis was not the handiwork of nature but the brainchild of ingenious engineers, wielding the power of iron and glass. What transpired was nothing short of awe-inspiring – Mars evolved from a cradle for life into the cradle of data known as the Rift Network, a testament to humanity's unyielding progress and ambition.

The sheer magnitude of this audacious endeavor cannot be overstated. The architects of the Golden Age dared to dream on a cosmic scale, striving to construct an intergalactic communications hub capable of bridging the vast expanse of hundreds of light-years in every direction. Even the most visionary engineers of the era could scarcely fathom the enormity of this feat. Such a monumental undertaking demanded resources and power unparalleled in the annals of human history. At the epicenter of this grand vision lay the beating heart of the Rift Network, nestled deep within the cradle of humanity—the Solar System.

Mars, once known as the Red Planet, and its enigmatic moons, underwent a profound and irreversible transformation. This transformation was a relentless quest for technological advancement, a mission to harness the very essence of Mars to serve as the central repository of the awe-inspiring Rift Network. Within the frigid and desolate Martian expanse, the accumulation of human knowledge and the lifeline of interstellar communication discovered their new sanctum.

The Martian landscape, formerly marked by desolate dunes and rugged peaks, bore witness to an astonishing metamorphosis. Once-meandering dunes sculpted by the Martian winds were reforged into magnificent data caches, now housing information spanning galaxies. Mighty mountains, their ancient summits untouched for eons, were harnessed for the construction of towering spires, meticulously crafted from the finest glass and steel. These architectural marvels reached ever higher into the thin Martian atmosphere, a symbol of unyielding human ingenuity and aspiration.

Notably, the very core of Mars experienced a seismic transformation, not just once, but threefold. This audacious undertaking defied the limits of what was once thought possible. The remnants of the planet's original core were replaced by a labyrinthine network of forcefield generators, Data Minds, and gravity engines, all occupying the space where the core once resided.

Within this intricate technological heart, the planet's vital functions were no longer governed by natural processes but by the brilliance of humankind. The Data Minds operated as the cerebral cortex, tirelessly processing and disseminating vast quantities of information across the vast expanse of the Rift Network. Gravity engines assumed the core's role, expertly manipulating the planet's gravitational forces to suit the needs of this new era.

Yet, the monumental data processing within the heart of the Rift Network generated a staggering level of heat, necessitating an ingenious solution. Vast quantities of Uranus' frigid oceans were transported to Mars during its reconstruction. These icy waters filled sprawling subterranean networks, constantly recycling and flowing over the intricate components. These frigid reservoirs became the lifeblood of the machine world, tirelessly circulating and dissipating heat, thus ensuring the seamless operation of the network and preserving the invaluable data contained within. This fusion of advanced technology and nature's resources transformed the once-quiet Red Planet into a pulsating hub of knowledge, bridging the chasm between humanity's past and its boundless future among the stars.

In addition, Mars' newfound capabilities were fortified by a formidable energy shield defense system enveloping the entire planet. This shield stood as a monument to Mars' resilience, safeguarding against potential cosmic threats and protecting the monumental achievements of the Golden Age of Technology. In this brave new world, Mars transcended its status as a mere celestial body; it became an epitome of human innovation and determination, boldly redefining the boundaries of what was once deemed possible.

The Emperor needed it to effectively reset The Rift Network

The campaign of the Black Cleansings had been one of a duel nature, as the VIth scoured the as the IInd waged war upon the glass surface of the Data-World.

### The Great Crusade

Departing into the black voids of space into the farthest reaches of the galaxy during the opening years of the Great Crusade, the VIth Legion was reborn as strangers to both friend and foe alike, the Carcharodon Sons aided the Imperial Legions against those that would challenge the Imperium of the divine Emperor.

The exact whereabouts of the infamous Legion during these decades were and have been continued to be hard to pinpoint in Imperial archives as the VIth Legion have left no records of their activities in Imperial history. They had chosen to feature nowhere within the open Imperial records, and likewise the Legion has no officially-recorded battle honors. Only scant corrupted Data-Scripts from transient Comm-Hails from Inter-Legion interviews still exist that could give a ephemeral glimpse as to what the Legion was doing in this time. References are made in these oft-vague and incomplete works to an Imperial Marine Legion later identified as the *Carcharodon Sons;*

> *"...outer darkness...upon an endless voyage...-ravage the foes--Mankind...*-*....-seek the wayfarer...seek--Father....to imbue in his strength-...-set about the Witch... the alien... and the Renegade.....without mercy....and harrow them in their places of strength."*
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These texts stem from a set of far older works, now long lost, dating back to the Great Crusades opening years of the late 90th Millennia. This is a point for the Legion now shrouded in myth and allegory, and its true nature has been purged from Imperial history so thoroughly that less is known of it than of the Long Dark.

Other records give this Legion variations in name or title, such as the *'Void Reapers'*, or the *'Red Maw',* but all the accounts are consistent on certain similarities of iconography and operation, and in their description of the Pre-Carcharodon Sons' bestial but calculated savagery in combat. To this, the Legion was afforded the sacred and unending duty to travel the interstellar night beyond the Burgeoning Imperium's borders to locate and destroy the enemies of Mankind before they could penetrate Imperial space.

The only other tantalizing clues to the Legion's origins can be offered up by those few Imperial servants who have had the dubious honor of encountering the enigmatic Pre-Austral Carcharodon Sons in the flesh. For the most part, these individuals have been those dispatched to explore the outermost bounds of the growing Imperium (ie. Explorators, Imperator Eyes and the like).

However, beyond these rare encounters recorded in various fragmentary Imperial data-vaults, the only information forthcoming on the Carcharodon Sons are the stories of their often bloody deeds across the galaxy.

Only coming into the Imperial light once their Luminarch was rediscovered and returned to them, only then would the Bloody VIth strike from the darkness of the Void during the Austral war.

### The Deep Lord

"*They rose from the serf, figures marching in utter silence with only the roar of the sea, and the feral cries of Manovir as their heralds. Everything seemed to freeze in place as the moon reappeared, its light shining off slick black armor and gleaming pearly white bone. Burning red eyes picked out their targets. And the night was torn asunder by the pulsing barks of Arcus fire.*"
— Imperialis Auxilia soldier's journal.
Departing into the black void of space beyond the farthest reaches of the galaxy, VIth Legion was reborn as strangers to both friend and foe alike, the Carcharodon Sons aided the Imperial Legions against those that would challenge the Imperium of the divine Emperor.

The VIth legion holds its initial Imperial origins in the Austral Proxima, upon a world known as A'tūrākau. A'tūrākau was an Oceanic Death World with constant Roaring, thrashing storms. Wherein it was ruled by a malignant Xenos species keen in gene-craft, resulting in the populace having to seek shelter in seabed facilities, floating spire cities, or more commonly in nomadic tribal fleets, all of which whilst being under the rule of Alien slavers. it was on this very world that the VIth's Luminarch, Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua would be born.

After the birth of Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua and his 22 years of warring, battling and bloodshed, the shattered tribes and clans of A'tūrākau stood united under one banner, just prior to his Gene-Sons, the then unnamed Silver VIth reclaiming their Lost Father.

It would then be 32 years before the now unified Legion would be discovered by Lucifer, and the rediscovered Azrael.

## Legion Organization and Structure

As previously mentioned, what few Imperial records exist about the Carcharodon Sons suggest they are entirely fleet-based, which in turn would suggest they have fundamental differences from most, more conventional, Imperial Marine Legions.

Their long isolation may also have an effect on the Legion's wargear. The few starships observed to have served the Carcharodon Sons were wildly different in design and even the era of their construction, indicating the Legion likely makes use of whatever vessels it can find, and performs extensive modifications and repairs in order to keep them sailing as long as possible.

This carries over into the individual battle-brothers as well. Those Carcharodon Sons who have been seen often sport arms of ancient providence.

They are far more likely to carry ancient archeotech weaponry into battle, rather than newer patterns of weaponry and constantly rebuilt Patterns of Power Armor from possibly ten thousand standard years in the Pre-Imperium past, alongside other weapons and gear that potentially span the entirety of the thirty-millennium history of the Long Dark.

Again, it is likely this is a by-product of the Legion's strictly enforced self-sufficiency.

These attitudes seem to apply to the Legion's overall organization. Although anecdotal evidence indicates the Carcharodon Sons roughly conform to the tactical and squad doctrines of the Principia Millitant, this however does not carry over to its overall command structure and company arrangements.

Instead, the Carcharodon Sons seem to split their Legion into a number of Chapters designed to operate independently. Each having an augmented auxiliary Marine force for reconnaissance and evaluation of the enemy, and a dedicated spearhead of Terminator Veterans who serve as the Carcharodon Lord's bodyguard. Though it seems likely the Carcharodon Sons eschew Reserve Chapters entirely.

Those accounts which purport to be of the Carcharodon Sons indicate that they often seem to have abandoned the *Principia Millitant*-prescribed symbols and insignia that signify rank and assignment in a Battle Company.

In their place, the battle-brothers use a wide range of personal and totemic markings, corresponding with their primitivist tendencies. This is naught but conjecture, however, as again, the Carcharodon Sons are quite unwilling to discuss the intricacies of their Legion's organisation.

The Carcharodon Sons have been observed to make use of Chaplains and Librarians, with little deviation from their roles in other Legions. However, Apothecaries and Techmarines seldom appear outside the Carcharodon Sons' nomadic fleets. It's very likely that the Carcharodon Sons recognize the vital role these Marines play in preserving and maintaining their Legion's very existence, and keep them on hand whenever possible.

These last two cadres may have been held in reserve in the Legion's fleet, a not uncommon practice for fleet-based Legion forces who spend large periods in isolation. This structure puts the effective strength of each Era-Angelus Tribe at roughly around 110,000 to 120,000 Line-Troops, although in both the Era Angelus and Luminous the exact size and disposition of the Carcharodon Sons Legion as a whole remains unknown.

Only a few intelligible accounts of the Carcharodon Sons exist that tell of the Legion's very disciplined order of deployment and battle, despite the evidence from casual observers that they are a barbarous and savage Legion in nature.

Their tactical deployments and use of shock-assault tactics is highly reminiscent of the Warhogs, and Scarlet Lions. Although these Legions are diametrically opposed in character and culture, they do tend to display an overriding desire to close with the enemy and shatter their foes in bloody personal combat.

### Legion Command Hierarchy

Each marine in the Carcharodon Sons belongs to a specific Legion Legion/Tribe. Each Tribe has its own markings and insignia, along with bone ornamentation; which the tribes members wear with the utmost pride.

These markings differentiate the Angelus' of another tribe. The needs and actions of the tribe are managed by a so-called *"Carcharodon Lord"*; such duties include medical oversight, equipment management, and burial rights. In this capacity the Carcharodon Lord is a chieftain of sorts, with only the Luminarch, and Emperor being above him in terms of control. The Carcharodon Lord also has oversight over the small number of Librarians, Apothecaries and Techmarines that come under their command.

The tribe is likely the most important aspect of the Carcharodon Sons legion; for an Angelus it defines their habits, morals, and even their view of war and their place in it. The only other things besides the tribe that hold more sway over the collective mindset of the legion, is Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua himself, and the hunger of the aquatic predator that runs writhe in their veins.

### Specialist Ranks

The Carcharodon Sons' order of battle contains several officer positions not present in other Imperial Marine Legions, though they largely resemble the standard *Principia Millitant* ranks:

* **Carcharodon Lord (Tribe Master)** - The title of "Carcharodon Lord" is used instead of lord Commander to refer to the Lord Commander of a Carcharodon Sons Tribe(Chapter).
* **Carcharodon Prime (Lieutenant Commander)** - Carcharodon Son Lieutenant Commanders are referred to as "Carcharodon Prime" instead.
	+ **Reaper Prime** - A Reaper Prime is an additional title given to a Carcharodon master. Beyond the lordship of their own Shoals(battalion), it is their job to ensure the Legion is constantly supplied with fresh aspirants, normally achieved during their "Red Tithes," when the Legion's Edicts permit time to descend on an Imperial world to harvest the population for Legion serfs and potential aspirants.
	+ **Harvester Prime** - A Harvester Prime is an additional title that is potentially given to a Carcharodon Prime. It is their duty to seek out archeotech and lost technology on the isolated worlds that lie in the outer dark. This acquisition of technology is achieved during a so-called "Grey Tithe," and traded to the Mechanicus on their Forge-Worlds for Angelus arms and equipment, per the Legion's pact with the Jovian Mechanicus.

* **Carcharodon (Company Captain)** - Companies Captains are referred to as the
* Legion Battalions are referred to as Ljuske.
* **Strike Leader (Sergeant)**
* Tactical Squads are referred simply as Carcharodon Teeth
* **Void Brother (Battle-Brother)**

### Specialist Formations

* **Wave Stalkers** -

* **Tempest-Born** -

* **Crimson Brethren** - A sect of elite melee focused battle-brethren pulled from various tribes among the legion. These battle-brothers swear oaths by blood and blade, to rend and tear the enemies of the Imperium and the legion. They often scratch kill marks of blood into their armor, and usually wield chain weaponry, power weapons, or fists and hammers.
* **Devourers** - Angelus equipped with heavy weapons for when an armored target or fortress needs devouring. Wield weapons such as heavy bolters, spear cannons, plasma/melta weapons, rockets, and portable drills.
* **Deep Walkers** - Specialized to brave the icy depths and crushing weight of a worlds lifeblood, these tribes of Carcharodon Sons have dedicated their lives to mastering the art of deep ocean warfare. Equipped with specially pressurized suits designed by the Mechanicus; these Angelus own the deepest leagues of the sea, able to fight in the darkness of the ocean floor and the sheer walls of ocean cliffs. They are adept at slaying xenos species so far down beneath the waves for even their own brothers to reach. When assaulting non-compliant human worlds, the Deep Walkers will destroy vital ocean infrastructure such as oil rigs, pipes, bases, submarines, as well as ships passing on the surface. They are often accompanied by the hardiest of Manovir and other abhuman species suited to the depths.
* **Shade** **Hunters** - Elite headhunters for the legion, the Shade Hunters are sent far ahead of the main forces of the legion, paving the way for a worlds conquer months or years before its first assault by the Imperium. They are adept at assassination, subterfuge, and sabotage. As the crusade has marched onward the gene-curse of Dakuali, the cursed Crimson Hunger has only worsened. More and more Angelus have fallen to its scarlet temptation; and the Shade Hunters are equally as affected. But these already elite hunters refuse to let the call for blood control them, they refuse their urges to spill blood from vulnerable flesh. Instead they use and hone their new instincts to be evermore adept at their hunts, and when their control finally does begin to slip? They complete their current mission, raise a bolter to their temple, and refuse to give in one last time.
* **Blood Crazed** - Carcharodon Sons Angelus that have fallen to the blood curse of their gene-line. These Angelus have been herded into squads of berserk warriors let loose on battlefields where no allied forces can be caught in the crossfire. Contained and cared for by sane brothers, the Blood Crazed are stripped of all markings besides the A'tūrākaun symbols of sorrow and the blood and gore from their enemies. They are sent forth to die, for to live is suffering, and to die in battle allows them to serve one last time.

## War Disposition

### Legion Auxiliaries

Unlike some legions who often fight alone (or maybe have the occasional stint with an expeditionary fleet), the Carcharodon Sons have their own standard auxiliary force that accompanies them into combat, this includes elite soldiers picked from A'tūrākau´s defense force, slaves taken from defeated worlds, and abhumans such as the Manovir.

* **Manovir** - The fierce abhumans of A'tūrākau, also known as the Deep Clans or the Manovir; are a sight to behold upon the field. Able to bound across a battlefield with alarming speed, easily able to shatter a man's bones with a single charge, claws rending flesh like paper as their shark toothed jaws open wide to tear apart the throat of a screaming foe. They tower over most humans at 1.8-2.4 meters, though smaller individuals are not unheard of. The thick hide of a Manovir can shrug of most blade wounds, blunt force, or small arms fire; while their raw strength and endurance enable them to rip enemies limb from limb, while also allowing them to fight 3 men at once with relative ease.

## Legion Homeworld

> "*We are the protectors of humanity, and its judges. When the shadows strike, we strike back. From the Outer Dark we come, and into its depths we shall return. The black sea beyond the stars calls to us.*"
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The fragmentary records of the Carcharodon Sons would indicate that the Chapter has no set homeworld. Though this is not true, for the homeworld of the legion is the water world of A'tūrākau; a wild world of frequent storms, lapping waves, crushing depths, and small islands dotted around the equator of the planet. Humanity was a gene-forged beast on this world; with Tribes, Pirates, and Xenos Slaving Empires scattered across its wet shifting surface, as well as the feral gene-crafted abhuman tribes known as the Mānoviir, and a number of ancient settlements isolated in complexes upon the ocean floor.

It is a world of blood like so many others during this era, but it has not totally fallen into darkness. Though unknown to the wider Imperium Dominus, it is a loyal imperial world; newly constructed floating habs, ocean city-rings, and spires ride the waves and descend into the depths, though plenty of the abhuman tribes and the now tamed Mānoviir still cling to the old ways, the unseen planets future seems to be assured under the sole protection of the Planetary Lord Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua and the worlds steward legion of the Carcharodon Sons.

Though due to self-enforced fragmentary records of the Carcharodon Sons would indicate to the uninitiated that the Legion has no set homeworld. Due to its choice in following a modified version of the Imperial Harbingers pattern of operations, relying instead on an operational strategy known as the "Hunter-Nomad" pattern. The Hunter-Nomad pattern evolved in use by Imperial Forces operating beyond the Imperium's boundaries for extended periods of time. It refers to an entirely self-contained force that can sustain itself without any Imperial support whatsoever.

A Hunter-Nomad fleet may contain as many support vessels as true warships, or it may contain voidships capable of both combat and maintenance repairs. This second possibility may be more likely in the case of the Carcharodon Sons; given the bellicose Legion's propensity for combat, it seems unlikely they would tolerate vessels in their fleet's ranks that could not hold their own on the battle line.

A Hunter-Nomad fleet voyages endlessly, pausing only to identify and engage its foes. It must choose its targets carefully, selecting those within its means to destroy without threatening the fleet's viability as a fighting force.

Once it selects the appropriate victims, it can descend upon them quickly and savagely, engaging and destroying potential threats or launching spoiling attacks against foes too large to attack in force. The fleet obtains resources from the vanquished foe before vanishing, safe from any potential retaliation.

Though one cannot be certain that this is the means by which the Carcharodon Sons solely operate, the tactics do seem to perfectly fit their observed behavior. If this is the case, the Carcharodon Sons most likely replenish their ranks in the same manner as other Legion's that follow the Hunter-Nomad pattern. Namely, they cull potential Initiates from amongst the young of the survivors of their assaults, provided those survivors are human and free of the corrupting influence of the Void.

This culling for potential aspirants is known amongst the Carcharodon Sons as a "Red Tithe." These Initiates must be returned to A'tūrākau to be subjected to intensive hypno-conditioning and other harsh procedures designed to strip away any past loyalties, replacing them with the will and attitudes of the Carcharodon Sons, and their people of A'tūrākau.

If they successfully pass their induction trials, initial surgery and indoctrination, these Initiates become Marines. When not training with their fellow Scouts in the 10th Company, oftentimes they will be attached to one of the Legions Tribes, in order to gain combat experience.

After being bloodied in battle over the course of a solar decade or more, they will begin to earn their first Exile Markings, jagged tattoos that often spiral in loops up their bared forearms and across their pale, shaved scalps.

When they are on the cusp of becoming full members of their Legions Tribe, they will eventually leave behind the number designations all Scouts are known by in favor of a true "void name," swapping their grey carapace plates and black multiweave fatigues for the coveted Power Armor of a full Void Brother (Battle-Brother).

### Fortress-Monastery

Though hidden to the purview of the wider Imperium, the Carcharodon Sons fortress Monastery is a notorious mobile Dreadnought-class Starfort of unknown origin, '*Lurke*', often being pulled to the next shadowed war-zone where the Carcharodon Sons have decided their overwhelming force is needed. The *Lurke* is a heavy war station covered in weapons batteries, lances, and hundreds of missile tubes. But the most important aspect of *Lurke* is it's capability to be pulled through the Void and placed in a completely different location sectors away. Utilizing this the Carcharodon Sons have set many a trap and ambush for an unwitting enemy fleet.

### Notable Tribes of A'tūrākau

* **Mā'ohii** - The Mā'ohii are the Tribe of Kings, a vast and sprawling tribe that eclipsed all others in terms of territory and victories in tribal war. As the most populous clan, most Carcharodon Son's Angelus are descended from the Mā'ohii.
* **Tuu'ngā** - The Tuu'ngā are a coastal clan, known for their battlefield scavenging, when they loot the dead of other, larger clans after tribal wars. Some of the oldest chronicles even recorded witness-oaths seeing the Tuu'ngā devouring the flesh of the dead.
* **Repa Nuii** - The Repa Nuii are a clan of wanderers and scavengers, going from region to region, island to island, offering their services as mercenaries and itinerant druids, preferring to serve rather than raid. The other tribes see them as a breed of necessary vermin, useful in battle and for the secrets kept by their druids, but disparaged for their lack of territory and loyalty.
* **Tuveluu** - The Tuveluu are a small Northern tribe.

## Legion Fleet

The Carcharodon Sons' fleet, though extensive, is inconsistent in makeup. The vessels of the Carcharodon Sons are a mismatch of old and heavily modified classes and capabilities. Within its line of battle are numerous examples of either very ancient, salvaged or extensively repaired vessels.

Many fleet-based Imperial Marine Legions use the conventional Crusade Legion pattern (which consciously imitates the example of the Imperial Marine Legions of old). Instead the Carcharodon Sons follow the rarer, so-called "Nomad-Predation" pattern. This is used exclusively by Legions operating for long durations beyond the Imperium's borders, acting as self-contained forces which function without recourse to the Imperium for support at all.

These types of fleets voyage without end, pausing only to attack targets that are within their means to destroy without threatening their own viability as an effective space-borne fighting force.

The majority of the Carcharodon Sons Nomad Predation fleet has been in service since the first Day of Exile, that dark time when the first members of the Legion known as the "Wandering Ancestors" had been banished from their homeworld and the ranks of their brethren, and ordered out beyond the galaxy's edge.

* ***Queen of the Damned* (Throne-class Battleship)** - Kahorere Wetekina Tereiti Kua Wetekina renamed the XVIth's Throne from the *Tidemaster* when he accepted it as his flagship. Over the following years the great vessel underwent substantial modifications to serve the Copper Prince's purposes, included an expanded Apothecarion.
* ***Nicor* (Battle Barge)' *- The* Nicor *was the Carcharodon Sons' notorious flagship during the Badab War and serves as the Legion's mobile fortress-monastery. Though nothing is known about the vast majority of the Carcharodon Sons' fleet, certain records unearthed on the Segmentum Pacificus fleet base of Hydraphur detail at least one of their warships, the* Nicor*. A cadre of archivist-savants in the employ of Battlefleet Pacificus, studying these ancient records in 703.M40, reported that the* Nicor *was a relic of ancient heritage. Deck plans identified its make as a heavily modified* Charibdys*-class Grand Cruiser of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, and if any of its sister ships still exist in the Imperium, they are exceedingly rare. The* Nicor *is slightly smaller than the traditional Battle Barges of more conventional Imperial Marine Legions, but if the records are to be believed, the ship is both swift and lethal. Its armour is comparable to a Battle Barge but the ship sports far stronger Void Shields, rivalling those of an Imperial Navy Battleship. The ship packs a solid long-range macrobattery broadside, with a forward array of torpedo tubes able to launch conventional plasma torpedoes or the boarding torpedoes favoured by many Imperial Marines in naval actions. In place of the more common Bombardment Cannons, the archivist-savants found the* Nicor *appeared to be armed with an unorthodox weapon-system known as a "Plasma Destructor". Two Tech-priests spent three solar months in supplication and prayer amongst the Cogitator stacks of the fleet archives and determined that such a weapon, though short-ranged, could exceed the sheer destructive power of a Bombardment Cannon's magma-bombs. Finally, the* Nicor**s plans indicated the voidship traded traditional Thunderhawk hangar space for a vast array of mass teleporter systems. If the blueprints of these archeotech devices are accurate, these teleporters would not only be able to teleport whole Battle Companies at once, they could do so with a degree of accuracy almost unheard of. In summary, the *Nicor* is a perfect flagship for the Carcharodon Sons; fast, well-armoured, and utterly lethal in close quarters. Such a starship, if it still sails the void under their command, could easily prove a match for the heaviest space fortifications the Imperium has to offer.
* ***Annihilation* (Battle Barge)** - Vessel of the Red Brethren and the 2nd Company.
* ***Scyla* (Battle Barge)** - Vessel of the Red Brethren and the 2nd Company.
* ***White Maw* (*Tyrant*-class Cruiser)** - The *White Maw* is an ancient Exile-era *Tyrant*-class Cruiser. Its original design had been both rebuilt and expanded down the centuries. Most recently, it served the Carcharodon Sons' 3rd Company during the collecting of the Red Tithe on the Mining World of Zartak. It was also used two standard centuries later, when the Carcharodon Sons' 3rd Company had returned to the now Penal World of Zartak, when they fought against the invading forces of a Night Lords warband led by the Chaos Lord Amon Cull.
* ***Silent Judge* (Strike Cruiser, Unknown Class)** - The *Silent Judge* is the flagship of the 5th Battle Company.
* ***Scylior* (Frigate, Unknown Class)** - The *Scylior* is a warship known, albeit infrequently, within the Jericho Reach. The ship itself is the rough size and make of a Frigate, similar in design to the Imperial *Sword*-class Frigate. It does contain powerful, even oversized, Plasma Drives capable of propelling it at impressive speeds, and appears to trade some of its weapon batteries for expanded hangar bays capable of holding Thunderhawk gunships. The remaining macrobatteries appear to be a medley of types, ranging from the traditional laser-based weapons found aboard a *Sword*-class Frigate to archaic macrobeamers and magno-carronades. Characteristically, the *Scylior* has never allowed non-Carcharodon Sons aboard her, and only identifies itself by name, never by Legion. That she belongs to the Carcharodon Sons at all is conjecture. Nevertheless, the ship has been sighted in the Reach at least twice since the beginning of the Achilus Crusade. Long-range Imperial Navy patrols reported a voidship matching its description off the Black Reef, engaged with two Tau *Defender*-class Escorts. Though outnumbered, the *Scylior* managed to cripple one with macrobattery fire and ram and board the other (with the results one would expect from a Imperial Marine boarding action). Even when its task is transport, it seems the *Scylior* is unwilling to pass up a chance for blood. Recently, Inquisitor Adrielle Quist unearthed some information from Watch Fortress Erioch's data-vaults pertaining to a possible origin of the *Scylior*. A voidship matching her description named the *Prowler* was reported to have hunted the space lanes of the Jericho Sector many millennia ago. According to the crumbling data-tape, the *Prowler* vanished with a number of other pirate vessels during a decade of "mysterious disappearances" amongst reavers plaguing Imperial shipping.
* ***Ma-tahe* (Strike Cruiser)** - The *Ma-tahe* was under the command of Company Master Mannfor, who allied himself with Battlegroup Betaris of Fleet Secundus of the Indomitus Crusade. The complement of Carcharodon Sons Angelus under Mannfor's command were known to emerge from the void to aid the forces of the crusade when and where Mannfor chose. The Angelus of the *Ma-tahe* were instrumental in retaking the Castellus Sanctic on Budor V from a warband of Word Bearers Chaos Imperial Marines and their daemonic allies.
* ***Grey Harvest* (*Sword*-class Frigate)** - The *Grey Harvest* is a *Sword*-class Frigate that was part of the *White Maw*'s Escort fleet during the Zartak Campaign.
* ***Void Revenant* (*Wrath Hammer*-class Escort)** - The *Void Revenant* is a *Wrath Hammer*-class Escort that was part of the *White Maw*'s escort fleet during the Zartak Campaign.
* ***Adamantius* (Forge Ship, Unknown Class)** - The great forge vessel of the Carcharodon Sons Legion, where arms and armour are forged.
* ***Horrorheart* (Throne-class Battleship)** - acquired under mysterious circumstances and to no small amount of condemnation from several other Legions, the *Horrorheart* was a source of peculiar pride to Morro. At Untara, captained by Tidemaster Renno, its presence gave the Drowned a crippling advantage over the Scions, rampaging through the XIXth Legion formations. Its rampage was only halted by Captain Glaucus, who commenced a suicidal attack with the *Hell's Heart*. Impaled amidships by the *Hell's Heart*, the *Horrorheart* was crippled before Glaucus finished it off with vortex torpedoes at the cost of his own ship.
* ***Neptune's Grief* (Battleship)**
* ***Stygian Tide* (Battleship)**- Hennasohn's flagship
* ***Nova Levante* (Battleship)** - the Legion's flagship prior to the construction of the *Queen of the Damned*
* ***Kraken's Maw* (Mortis Rex-class Battleship)** - while Herrud Bloodseeker appropriated numerous warships from defeated fleets, the *Kraken's Maw* remained the flagship of his 27th Tendril.
* ***Call of the Depths* (Grand Cruiser)** - the flagship of Yarlath Keelsplitter and the 12th Tendril
* ***Chasmata Inmitus* (Unique Battleship)** - this vessel was one of several which only became known to the Imperium at large during the Ravaging of the Nerska March
* ***Asenath* (Unique Battleship)** - first seen during the Nerska March campaign, this relic-vessel was acquired by the 17th Tendril from an unknown source
* ***Osseus Herald* (Unique Grand Cruiser)** - a mysterious and shadowed vessel, the *Osseus Herald* is suspected to have been xenos in origin
* ***Megiddo* (Cruiser)**
* ***Nova Cathargo* (Battle-barge)** - destroyed during the first encounter with the Mechanicum Abyssii
* ***Atlantean Nightmare* (Battle-barge)**
* ***Wall of Jericho* (Battle-barge) -** extensive damage forced it to be refitted as a dedicated Super-heavy Carrier, Fleet Anti-Ordnance defence, and Primary Bombardment vessel
* ***Degeneracy of Lusanne* (Strike Cruiser) -** destroyed during the first encounter with the Mechanicum Abyssii
* ***Aegyptian* (Strike Cruiser)** - destroyed during the first encounter with the Mechanicum Abyssii
* ***Jezebel's Principle* (Strike Cruiser)** - destroyed during the first encounter with the Mechanicum Abyssii
* ***Hope Fails* (Strike Cruiser)**
* ***Wings of Lazarus*** - Gifted by the Godslayers to the Drowned
* ***Angelfall -*** Unknown as whether in reference to the Drowned's battle honours in Sud Merica, or a reference to the role of the Legions in rooting out superstition. Presumed both, given the Legion's love for irony and hypocrisy.
* ***Ferryman*** (Battleship)

## Legion Beliefs

> "*Solitary contemplation offers the best opportunity for revelation.*"
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Despite their long isolation from the early years of the Imperium, the Legion and its battle-brothers seem deeply, almost incredibly, loyal. Most of the Carcharodon Sons encountered have shown reverence towards the Stellaris Divinatum and places of Imperial worship. Many also make a habit of carrying devotional items such as prayer scrolls on their wargear.

To the *Carcharodon Sons Astra* the Emperor was *Rangu*, the Void Father, sire of the Lost One. Like the Carcharodon Sons, His vigilance was eternal, a beacon in the night, the bane of the encroaching shadows.

Their Legion had left the union of humanity for the emptiness of the Outer Dark when the Imperium was still young, and they would not return to the fold until they themselves had found their gene-sire. Only with the return of the lost wayfarer could the Edicts of Exile be overturned, and the Legion's eternal crusade in the darkness be brought to an end.

The *Carcharodon Sons* are a faithful brotherhood, even by the standards of the Legions. Their creed is an old one, older than the superstitions and beliefs of the current Imperial Cult. Theirs is not some blind faith based on hollow praise and lavish donations. Their memories of the Emperor are of a living, breathing titan, and Terra is far more to them than some distant hub of galaxy-spanning bureaucracy.

Their connection to it is ancient and primal. It has sustained their loyalty and their determination for ten thousand standard years, amidst the loneliness of the Outer Dark. When they had first been banished, none had expected them to survive, let alone remain united as a Legion. But survive they did, their disparate heritage bound by their faith in Him on Old Earth. Nothing could shake that.

Many Carcharodon Sons battle-brothers carry abstract scrimshaw talismans, or decorate their armor with intricate and abstract line-work. These talismans, etchings, and traceries often depict highly stylised images of fanged maws, death's heads, oceanic predators, and the like. This primitivism likely evolved as part of the Legion's unique and impenetrable culture over millennia of isolation.

The Carcharodon Sons also hold great respect for the Legion's wargear, for it is forbidden for a lower-ranked void brother or Legion serf to lay even a finger upon the wargear of a higher-ranked Marine. This taboo is referred to by the Legion's battle-brothers as *tapu*.

However, all this stands in contrast to the savagery they show to their foes. "*Merciless*" is perhaps the best descriptor for the Carcharodon Sons in combat, but even that does not describe the depths of blood-soaked slaughter to which they are willing to descend.

They fight with a wild abandon that could make even the most impetuous Scarlet Lion Amuru'nagii take pause, and do not ask for or grant mercy to their opponents beyond a quick -though seldom clean- death.

In a way, they seem to see the universe very much in terms of black and white, enemy and ally. Anyone who stands against the Stellar Imperium, for whatever reason, can only expect a brutal demise at the hands of the Carcharodon Sons.

## Legion Appearance

### Legion Colors

The Carcharodon Sons Legion primarily wears light grey colored power armor with dark grey colored insets and oft brass trimmed shoulder pauldrons. The faceplate of their helms are white. The Aquila or Imperialis worn on their plastrons (chest guard) are brass.

Instead of the usual *Principia Millitant*-proscribed markings and conventional emblems utilized by most Imperial Marine Legions, the Carcharodon Sons make use of more idiosyncratic markings taken from their A'tūrākaun culture. These markings take the form of abstract or depictive images and tokens concerning fanged maws, death's heads, oceanic predators and bloody wounds. The Carcharodon Sons almost universally decorate their armor with elaborate swirling glyphs as a way of honoring their homeworld's culture.

Instead of utilizing the principal organizational unit as the Chapter, Battalion and Company, the Carcharodon Sons instead designate these formations as a Maw, Fang, and Tribe. Typically, Legionaries wear their tribal icons on their poleyns(knee guards) however, they do sometimes wear them on their shoulder pauldrons or other parts of their battle-plate.

### Legion Badge

The Carcharodon Sons Legion badge takes the form of a large white colored abstract great white shark motif, it's form curled into an inverted S, forming a predatory and stalking crescent upon a void of light grey.