Alkaios

* Portrait
* Firstborn
* Rubicon Primaris

Regulus Alkaios, Chapter Master of the Nemean Lions.

The current Chapter Master of the Nemean Lions, Regulus **Alkaios** was already a legendary figure within the Chapter, having defeated an Apex Nemean Leonis single-handedly during a hunt and scored many victories as Hekaton of the 2nd Speria. Alkaios can often be seen at the forefront of battle, scattering and crushing his foes with mighty sweeps of his thunder hammer, the Hammer of Hephaestus. Alkaios has recently successfully crossed the Rubicon Primaris as an example to his men that the procedure is feasible.

## Background

### Early Years

Born in 435.M41 to a family of the *Sentinels of Mytikas* tribe, Alkaios was already marked from birth as a person of note by the tribe's spiritwalkers. He was descended by blood from the lineage of Kajama, former king of the 300 tribes and sire of Shaka, who had become the first Regulus of the Nemean Lions upon their founding. Additionally several portents foretold that this child would achieve greatness, including a meteorite which fell during his mother's labour, traditionally a sign that the spirit of a great warrior was returning to inhabit a new form. It came as somewhat of a shock when a second child, twin to the first, followed swiftly after. As the first born, they decreed that Alkaios, was the bearer of the warrior's spirit; while Iphaclus, the second, would still accomplish great deeds, though they would not be with the blade and shield.

While still an young Astartes fresh out of Scout training, he was assigned to the 11th Speria and found himself fighting alongside a detachment of Salamanders in a prolonged campaign. In awe of the legendary warriors of this storied Chapter, Alkaios would sit with them during breaks, asking questions and hearing tales. From the Salamanders he developed a deep regard for the lives of mortal humans, beyond that of the compassionate but also brutally pragmatic Nemeans. Alkaios developed a hybrid of these two philosophies where he will do his utmost to protect the mortal humans of the worlds he fights on, though he will not allow this to compromise his battle plans or put too many of his brothers at risk.

### Ascension to Regulus

With the passing of Regulus Dioedas in 652.M41, an election was undertaken by the Chapter leadership, who agreed that Alkaios was the most suitable candidate. While young, Alkaios had shown great promise as a leader and tactician, having already gained the rank of Hekaton and a vocal voice in gatherings pushing for reform and changes to tactical doctrine. Some of the more conservative elements of the chapter were unhappy with this decision, as they were with the reforms that Alkaios immediately decreed, but they were overruled by the majority and the fact that Alkaios had the support of the Spiritwalkers. Alkaios oversaw a number of doctrinal and tactical reforms, requisitioning vehicles that the Chapter had long disdained and discarding others that no longer fit. He disbanded the 10th and 11th Speria and renamed the 12the as the new 10th scout company. This new doctrine would suit the Lions well in the larger formations they began to field, giving them a more flexible capability.

### Fall of Cadia

When calls for assistance reached the Lions from Cadia, Alkaios was in the middle of organising the Chapter for their participation in the Trojan Crusade, something which he had intended to deploy the entirety of them in support of. Despite this he felt that Cadia required their support and resolved to take three Speria personally to Cadia, and leave the remaining seven under the command of Akhilles to assist the crusade. This force of 300 Astartes, plus the Lion Guard and the formidable *Argos* would acquit themselves well in the following conflict, overseeing a number of successful counterattacks and evacuations. Alkaios' new tactics would prove highly successful in a number of these actions, though he would amend a number in light of lessons learned, in particular the need for a heavily armed gunship and the importance of slower (and heavier) armour to support the lighter vanguards. During the battle of Medin Kasr, Alkaios and the Lion Guard conducted a rear guard action to cover the withdrawal of the three Speria and the last civilians. A Chaos Lord, seeing an opportunity, charged Alkaios with a force of traitor Astartes and fought Alkaios personally. While Alkaios fought fiercely and landed a number of crippling blows, his foe gained the upper hand, shattering Alkaios' shield and toppling the lion. His guard, enraged at seeing him fall, succeeded in driving the lord back and retrieve their commander. As they dragged the semi-conscious Regulus from the fray, Somatophylakes Aberderus held back the heretics, slaying several with great sweeps of his sword before being felled by the furious lord. Alkaios was nearly overcome with rage and shame at the loss of Aberderus and vowed that he would gain both vengeance and the recovery of Aberderus' corpse once his wounds had healed.

### Indomitus Era

With the destruction of Cadia, Alkaios joined the fledgling Indomitus Crusade, leading his men to the Coele-Myr Sector, which they helped liberate and then returned to the Aeaean Cluster via the Marmara passage with his three Speria, reuniting the Chapter and leading it back to rejoin the Indomitus Crusade.

With the revelation of the Primaris, Alkaios was quick to press for them to be adopted into the Chapter, accepting the offer of a small number of Greyshields but focusing primarily on shifting the creation of new aspirants over to Primaris gene-seed. When the Rubicon was revealed and successfully tested, Alkaios decided to undergo the procedure, reasoning that if successful it would encourage others to follow. The procedure was fraught with risk, and Alkaios flatlined several times on the table, with his brother Iphaclus intervening to restore Alkaios' spirit with his abilities. Ultimately Alkaios was successful, and emerged from the operating chamber as a Primaris marine.

## Personality

Alkaios retains the youthful vigour and fearlessness that marked him out early for greatness, seemingly un-tempered by the many trials and torments that he and the Chapter he now commands have gone through. Alkaios is an innovator, something that has sometimes put him at odds with the more conservative elements of his Chapter. Since taking command, he has overhauled the organisation of the Nemean Lions to bring it more inline with his interpretation of the Codex Astartes and pushed to adopt wargear and equipment that can better suit the tactics of his warriors. Alkaios was quick to see the importance of the Primaris and to push for their adoption, risking death to cross the Rubicon Primaris to show his warriors that this was the way of the future.

## Appearance

Alkaios possesses the dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes that are typical to the people of Caelus Prime. Like all of the warriors of Caelus, he bears ritual tattoos on his face and body that display his status and history. Alkaios dislikes baroque armour and has worn plain, battered plate with only a few tribal markings for his entire career. When overseeing the construction of his Mk X armour he made sure that it was kept comparatively plain and unadorned, despite the protests of Hephaestus. The only markings of his status are a cloak and a pair of carved lions on his powerpack. In keeping with the panoply of earlier Chapter Masters, Alkaios selected a Mk III helm and pauldrons to be integrated into the Mk X suit.

## Wargear

* **Hammer of Hephaestus** - Forged by the legendary Forgemaster Hephaestus for Regulus Alkaios, this mighty Thunderhammer was used to slay a Greater Demon of Khorne during the Indomitus Crusade.
* **Aramis Patete** - At first glance a plain suit of Mk III armour, this was in fact a cuirass of artificer plate, crafted to resemble the relic iron armour of the Great Crusade.
* **Aspis Leonis** - A large, round shield, wielded by Alkaios until it was broken during the Fall of Cadia.
* **Invictus Aspetos** - Another one of Hephaestus's marvels, This is a master crafted suit of Mk X Artificer Armour created for Alkaios after his crossing of the Rubicon Primaris.
* **Aspis Cadianis** - A large, round shield, crafted after Alkaios's previous shield was shattered. It was named in honour of that terrible conflict and has been inscribed on the inside with the names of the Lions lost.

## Relations

### Friends and Allies

* **Iphaclus** - As Alkaios' twin, Iphaclus is naturally a strong advocate of Alkaios, aiding him in many debates within the Chapter.

## Quotes

### By:

"*Do you see those Heretics over there?! Do you see them?!?! Their presence offends me, their stench offends me, their very appearance offends me! Purge this Heresy brothers, charge!!*"
— Regulus Alkaios during the Indomitus Crusade.
### About:

"*Alkaios... he dragged the Chapter kicking and screaming into the current millennium, and as much as it caused debate and grumbling, it was the right move. We had become stale and inflexible, too entrenched in dogma. Had he not done so we would probably have fallen during the Noctis Aeterna, as so many of our brother Chapters did.*"
—Eparchos Niketas of the third Speria, reflecting on the events of M41 to a freshly inducted Chapter Serf.