vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Alpha Legion - Other Formations: Certain records also indicate other named and specialised formations of the XXth Legion, such as the "Rhatoshaen", "Shayatan", "Quaryn" and "Echidna" whose nature, if they truly existed at all, remain mysterious.In addition, certain references are made to the "Chrythsaor" which may have referred to the Legion's Librarians (possibly encompassing a wider intelligence gathering apparatus as well), which was suspected to have been extensive before the Council of Nikaea.Though not believed to have been present at the Council, Alpharius, at least outwardly, appears to have had his Legion abide by its ruling and disband their Librarius corps, a stance quickly ended during the war of the Heresy.
Alpha Legion - Non-Astartes Agents: Of importance also when considering the particular structure and capabilities of the Alpha Legion was its use of human and augmented-human agents and paramilitaries. Whereas many Space Marine Legion forces utilised the manifold elements of the Imperial forces to support their efforts in the Great Crusade, and many Expeditionary Fleets utilised regiments of the Imperialis Auxilia subservient to the Legiones Astartes in their order of battle, the Alpha Legion made particular use of detached mortal elements specifically trained for tasks of espionage, infiltration and terrorism, and these were beholden to none save the XXth Legion itself in fealty.When encountering human worlds to be brought into Imperial Compliance, these augmented and highly adept agents (referred to as Sparatoi, possibly from an ancient Terran term meaning the "sown men", in some sources), would go ahead of the Legion and infiltrate the population, acting as spies, agitators and saboteurs. Operating individually or as part of a cell network, these agents and operatives often had little knowledge of each other or in many cases of who their true masters were, but were uniformly highly trained, psycho-conditioned for ruthlessness and fanatical loyalty, and were often subjected to surgical, cybernetic or biochemical augmentation to further their abilities.They would encourage treachery, spread disinformation and corrosive mimetic patterns, and find or take over underground rebel or terrorist groups. Their role primarily was to promote dissent and cause widespread panic and infrastructural damage, and so seek to critically weaken an enemy before the Legion itself emerged in battle.When the Alpha Legion finally showed its hand, these elite agents and their web of prepper-agents would provide a wave of sabotage and destruction attacks, further destabilising the enemy, often at the cost of their own lives. It is apparent that prior to the Horus Heresy, these mortal agent networks was expanded into the Imperium itself and its armed forces, becoming a cancerous presence that was only revealed as the great interstellar civil war erupted.The XXth Legion recruited many of these non-Astartes specialists in every theatre and campaign they entered, commonly members of the other Imperial armed forces, though almost any human could be approached by the Legion for his knowledge or skills. These operatives often remained in their original position, ready to respond to Alpha Legion commands.Compromised operatives were not discarded if it could be avoided, and Alpha Legionaries would go to great lengths to retain them or hide their existence, lengths that included the fatal silencing of other Imperials. Alpha Legion operatives were tattooed with a small hydra symbol similar to the XXth Legion's badge.
Alpha Legion - Post-Heresy: Even less is known about the internal organisation of the Alpha Legion since the Horus Heresy than was known before. On occasions there have been successful assassinations of members of the Legion thought to be high-ranking officers, but their removal has had little visible effect on Alpha Legion operations.The Legion's badge, the hydra, is a multi-headed mythical beast which could keep fighting even if one of its heads was cut off. This legend seems to reflect the Alpha Legion's command structure, as well as echoing its doctrine of multiple simultaneous attacks.Alpharius Omegon believed in planning and co-ordination, and the twins always sought alternatives and multiple solutions to any given problem, with different elements working together for the end result. These doctrines, thoroughly embraced by the Legion as a whole, have apparently been continued by the Traitor Legion warbands and have proven effective, especially in the disparate and secretive way they now operate.Extensive preparations are made before actually attacking an Imperial target, including using spies and corruption to weaken an enemy's resolve. Not only is an enemy attacked from every angle, but every attack is often coordinated to achieve the most destructive results. Many actions are planned to utilise and support local Chaos Cultist activity. These cults go to considerable effort to spread propaganda, perform sabotage, and carry out acts of unrest and rebellion, providing a distraction and weakening the enemy before the Alpha Legion strikes.Furthermore, the Legion has been known to ally themselves with anti-Imperial forces including other Traitor Legions and even xenos like the Drukhari. On worlds far away from the Eye of Terror, daemons are less relied upon since they cannot remain stable for long enough in the physical universe to be useful. If the Alpha Legion succeeds in securing the belief of a local Chaos Cult the cultists are summoned to add to the variety of their attacks.
Alpha Legion - Hydra Dominatus: The Primarch Alpharius was the last to be found by the Emperor, their relationship distant and formal even before Horus revealed his true colours. Those outside the XX Legion believed this was because the Emperor had already completed His galactic odyssey to reclaim the primarchs by the time the two met in person, and that His focus had shifted elsewhere.Some Legionaries realised that their relationship was likely more complex, and others whispered that Alpharius was one of two twins who were all but identical. Many of the Alpha Legion were uncannily similar in appearance and temperament, and their primarch used this fact to his advantage -- the claims that Alpharius was so efficient he could appear in two places at once had their basis in reality.Unusually for a primarch, Alpharius was not a giant by comparison to the battle-brothers that followed him. He was able to assume the identities of his minions -- and vice versa -- whenever it would serve him to wrong-foot his enemies. Many was the warrior who claimed to be Alpharius to throw his foes off the scent; indeed, in some ways, every member of the Legion is an echo of his primogenitor in some manner.This grand misdirection is reflected across the XX Legion to this day. Alpha Legion warlords are rarely where they appear to be; inside the armour of a famed leader may be a new recruit, whereas a Bolter-wielding line warrior may in truth be the mastermind behind a sector-wide conquest. In this way do the Alpha Legion echo their totem and embody their war cry "Hydra Dominatus," for their foes find it impossible to land a decapitating blow.
Alpha Legion - Pre-Heresy: At a tactical level, the Alpha Legion favoured freedom of manoeuvre and portability of firepower, and its battle tactics showed particular tendencies towards specialised reconnaissance and infiltration units in opening combat operations, to be quickly followed by the rapid deployment of fast armour, close air support and mechanised infantry units as a main strike force.Attacking from many vectors at once, as well as skillfully employing feints and ambushes, would commonly reveal a foe's weaknesses to the watching Alpha Legion commanders. They would then bring about maximum pressure against the exposed vulnerability, deploying reserves of shock troops, heavy armour and artillery as expedient to deal a shattering death blow.In order to employ these tactics, the Alpha Legion was known to have developed a number of specialised formations and units, often equipped with otherwise unknown and esoteric weapons and wargear. They were also known to form sub-divisions, referred to as "Splinters," which operated completely in isolation to achieve a particular mission or strategic goal, without regard to the safety or survival of either themselves or other members of their own force. It was often the case that other allied forces, and even the rest of the Alpha Legion deployments in the conflicts in which they operated would be entirely unaware of a Splinter's existence or mission.
Alpha Legion - Post-Heresy: The Alpha Legion's Primarch Alpharius' axiom was to attack one's enemy in as many diverse ways as possible, at the same time. The most experienced of the Alpha Legion are always specialists in the arts of the infiltrator and the thoughtsmith. The chosen agents of their warband's leader, these master operatives are able to bind their victims in spiralling webs of suspicion, confusion and doubt before springing their lethal traps.In practice, this doctrine manifests in a variety of ways depending on the size of the operation and locale of the battle zone. Obfuscation and skullduggery are the Legion's mantra.The Alpha Legion has been known to employ devious tactics such as flanking maneuvers, tunneling to bypass enemy defences, diversionary tactics, disguising troops and vehicles in enemy colours, air drops and teleportation behind enemy lines, infiltration, disabling enemy transport vehicles and routes, sabotage of essential supplies, ammunition, food, and fuel depots, as well as atmospheric and ecological tampering, triggering seismic and tectonic activity, coercion, bribery of enemy troops and officers and Imperial officials, disguising as and impersonating Imperial officers, enlisting enemy forces, distributing propaganda to incite civil unrest and outright rebellion, organizing anti-Imperial activity and supplying heretical groups and cultists, and allying themselves with corsairs, aliens and other Traitor Legions.Many of these unscrupulous tactics are employed by the Legion after careful coordination, often resulting in an elaborate and enigmatic strategy that leaves their enemies confounded and confused. Through the use of these completely unorthodox tactics the Alpha Legion is able to deploy smaller and more mobile forces than is normally necessitated, for the Legion employs actual combat as only one part of their overall strategy.
Alpha Legion - Alpha Legion Names: It is unknown from where Alpha Legion names derive, though they often include a name taken from a physical feature, personality quirk, past deed, another defining feature of the Heretic Astartes in question or even a simple numerical designator.However, these names may or may not represent the real designations of Alpha Legion Astartes, whose penchant for disguise and deception are well known. An Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marine is as likely to simply refer to himself as "Alpharius" as he is to use any other name.Examples of Alpha Legion names include: Orron Dureel, Tallir Lightfall, Sylas Nul, Cronyx X632, Helon of the Ghost Code, Hammar the Whisper, Parassus Nul, Dynan Valdorius, Alpharius 23-7, Trago Sygnus, and Xanias Korsa.
Alpha Legion - Legion Beliefs: The Alpha Legion lives by the tenets of its primarch, who believed that only through thorough planning and decisive coordination could one's ultimate objective be achieved. By having different elements working together in a cohesive and decisive force, the Legion is able to find alternative and multiple solutions to any given problem that may present itself.This nefarious doctrine has been wholeheartedly embraced by the entirety of the Legion, having proved to be brutally effective for millennia. During the early days when the Space Marine Legions came into existence, they had set grueling tasks and trials for potential recruits.Prior to the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion was known to set these initiation trials for entire squads, not individual candidates. They had to succeed as a group or not at all. If one failed, they all failed. Foolhardy or individual heroics were frowned upon, for the overall strategic plan is paramount and more valuable than any one Space Marine. It is not known if this practice is still carried out by the Legion.The first batch of Alpha Legionaries was notably tall and strong even for members of the Astartes, physical attributes which suited Alpharius' focus on misdirection. For the primarch put into place a directive that, as far as possible, all Alpha Legion Space Marines had to attempt to look alike; and the visage they patterned themselves on was that of Alpharius and Omegon.As a result, all Alpha Legionaries were at the very least shaven-headed, with many going so far as to have cosmetic surgical alteration. Their height also made it easier for them to be confused with the primarch, although the twins were still the tallest in the Legion. When asked by non-Legion members, all Legionaries gave their names as "Alpharius," even when more than one was present.This was an extension of the Legion's philosophy that they were a body of one that could strike in many places at once. This complete solidarity with each other expressed itself in other ways. Decisions within the Legion were made in a fairly open and reasonably democratic way, with all ranks -- including the Alpha Legions' non-Astartes operatives -- allowed to interject and comment freely during planning sessions.This freedom was allowed not just on military matters -- the Alpha Legion internally discussed matters of philosophy and galactic policy that would have been forbidden or frowned upon in other Imperial institutions. Later recruits for the XXth Legion were selected by the primarch primarily based on high intelligence and personal initiative.
Alpha Legion - Legion Gene-Seed: Unlike the other Traitor Legions that reside in the Eye of Terror, the Alpha Legion's gene-seed is not plagued by the warping influence of Chaos, though there is still evidence of mutation in their gene-seed. It is unknown if there was such a problem with their gene-seed prior to the Horus Heresy; if so, it was kept concealed.It would not be surprising if the Legion did such a thing, due to their predilection for secrecy. During one well-documented battle during the Gothic War known as the Lethe Ambush, Alpha Legionaries that were mutated were observed hiding their warped body parts, not out of any sense of shame, but as a form of subterfuge. They would only reveal their mutations once they were upon their enemies, adding shock and revulsion to their horrified enemies.
Alpha Legion - Legion Appearance: The Alpha Legion wear many skins and don many guises in the prosecution of their covert agendas, but when the time to land the killing blow is nigh, they go to war in the colours of their Primarch Alpharius.It is not unusual for the Legion's warriors to incorporate designs based on the scales of serpents into their battle plate, or even to have similar icons tattooed under their skin, visible only when the wearer wishes them to be. Ostentation is rare, giving more of a sense of unity to their armies than is common in other Chaos Space Marine forces.
Alpha Legion - Legion Colours: The Alpha Legion, unlike many of the Traitor Legions, maintained the same basic colour scheme for their Power Armour -- azure blue, silver and green -- even after their fall to Chaos. This was an outward testament to the fact the Alpha Legion has -- in spirit if not in body -- remained much the same since its creation. Alpha Legion Sergeants often had green helmets with a blue stripe down the centre.The typical livery of an Alpha Legionary is some combination of sea blue and emerald green. This is sometimes worn in subtle contrast, half obscured by the dust of conquest; at other times it is polished to a violently clashing high sheen, the better to draw the eye of the enemy so that the greater work might pass unseen.The scaly cloaks worn by the operatives of the Alpha Legion are highly sought after -- should a Legionary fall, one of his brothers will take up the mantle in his place, donning it on behalf of the Legion itself. Often, these are worn not by Champions, but by the least favoured or experienced of a warband -- such obvious signs of status attract the sniper's bullet, and the Alpha Legion regard such linear thinking with contempt.
Alpha Legion - The Colours of Deceit: The question of the Alpha Legion's livery and heraldry of arms is also a matter of some contention in the study of this Traitor Legion's history. It is the case that over the centuries-long conflict of the Great Crusade, all of the grey-clad Legions that first departed Terra changed their appearance to some degree -- some very dramatically so -- as the consequences of the long war and campaigning took their toll, and most tellingly when they were reunited with their primarchs.It is also the case that most uniformity or conformity of livery and appearance proved impossible, even for a Legion not as stratified and fractured as perhaps the Ultramarines or the Iron Warriors, given that an armed force such as a Space Marine Legion numbered in the tens of thousands and was very scattered across the vast distances of the interstellar void.These facts, however, do not account for the wide variance displayed by the Alpha Legion, and instead it is likely that a more deliberate policy of misdirection and secrecy played its part. Variously and across multiple time periods, the Alpha Legion has been witnessed in liveries of pale grey, gleaming steel, veridian, dull bronze, sable, indigo, amaranth and azure blue -- both in main and combination.It has been variously recorded as displaying Principia Belicosa standardised rank and unit signifiers, elaborate stylised reptilian iconography of unknown meaning, and the complex logos-teknika forms favoured by the Emperor-shattered Panpacific Empire on Ancient Terra before Unification. It has also gone into battle without emblems or markings of any kind; a faceless, anonymous army of killers without distinction or division in its ranks.If any deeper meaning is held by these changes and masquerades beyond their use to confuse the enemy and confound those who would study the XXth Legion and know its ways, one of the most outlandish and disturbing explanations is that not even the Alpha Legion itself knew its true shape and forms.This theory, postulated since the Horus Heresy, contends that only Alpharius knew the main extant of his Legion and its domain, its strength and its reach, and perhaps then even he knew it only imperfectly. By this token the Alpha Legion had become unknowable, a self-sustaining, self-replicating force, a weapon that had transcended the flesh of the Legionaries that made it up and the hand that wielded it.It would be a force whose limits and extent would forever be unknown, even unto itself, and therefore ultimately unstoppable as no enemy or influence could ever hope to fully infiltrate or overcome it from within.It was and is indeed the case, that even before the Horus Heresy, entire generations of Alpha Legion warriors could have been trained, fought and died in ignorance of their own Legion's wider operations, purposes and goals. Entire Expeditionary Fleets could have operated never knowing the existence of mirror images of themselves, each believing that they were the only Alpha Legion bearing the name. The implications of such a colossal deceit are staggering if true.
Alpha Legion - Legion Badge: The Alpha Legion's original symbol was derived from the ancient Terran "Helac" script -- the Alpha-Omega symbol. This iconography was used by the XXth Legion throughout the early Great Crusade era. Many icons utilised by the Alpha Legion at this time appeared to be drawn from the same ancient script.It is thought that the Helac gamma, omega and delta symbols were commonly used as the Legion's Chapter identifiers, though rarely consistently. By the start of the Horus Heresy, the Traitor Legion's icon had been replaced with that of the three-headed Laernean Hydra, a Terran mythological multi-headed serpent that would grow back two heads for every one that was cut off.Often this icon could be seen surmounting the older, chained alpha-omega icon. Both were common symbols within the Alpha Legion, with numerous combinations and variants adorning armour, banners and the flanks of armoured vehicles.
Alpha Legion - Trivia: The name Alpharius Omegon is drawn from "Alpha" and "Omega", the first and last letters of the Ancient Greek alphabet, which also represents the "Beginning" and the "End" in Greek mythology and Christian iconography. The Alpha Legion was also the "Legion Omega", the last of the 20 Space Marine Legions to be raised during the First Founding.
Alpha Legion - Sources: Alpharius: Head of the Hydra (Novel) by Mike Brooks, "Discovery," "Hydra Dominatus," "Lord of the First," "In the Shadows"Black Crusade: Tome of Fate (RPG), pp. 29, 32-33Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 36-37Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 42-43Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 12Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pp. 20-21Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, Revised Codex), pg. 40Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pg. 32Codex: Chaos (2nd Edition), pp. 14-15Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 26-29Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 26-29Traitor Legions - Codex: Chaos Space Marines Supplement (7th Edition), pg. 81Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pg. 78Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition) - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pg. 19Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pp. 16, 140Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 16Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned, pg. 24Inquisitor: Core Rulebook (RPG)Index Astartes IV, "The Enemy Within - The Alpha Legion Space Marine Legion"Realm of Chaos: Slaves to DarknessThe Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 78-103, 258-265The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 81–82White Dwarf 310 (US), "Battle Report: The Defence of Cephian IV", pp. 94-113White Dwarf 277 (US), "Index Astartes: Alpha Legion"Legion (Novel) by Dan AbnettDeliverance Lost (Novel) by Gav ThorpeAge of Darkness (Anthology), "The Face of Treachery" by Gav ThorpeThe Primarchs (Anthology), "The Serpent Beneath" by Rob SandersSedition's Gate (Anthology), "The Harrowing" by Rob SandersFear to Tread (Novel) by James SwallowLegion of the Damned (Novel) by Rob SandersGarro : Vow of Faith (Novel) by James SwallowThe Seventh Serpent (Novella) by Graham McNeillTallarn: Executioner (Novella) by John FrenchTallarn: Ironclad (Novel) by John FrenchWolf King (Novel) by Chris WraightPraetorian of Dorn (Novel) by Chris WraightHunter's Moon (Audio Drama) by Neil RobertsScions of the Emperor (Anthology), "First Legion" by Chris WraightWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (PC Game)Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)Forge World - Armillus Dynat: Harrowmaster of the Alpha LegionForge World - Alpha Legion Contemptor DreadnoughtPsychic Awakening - Faith & Fury (8th Edition), pp. 72-77
Alpharius - Head of the Hydra (Novella) - Alpharius - Head of the Hydra (Novella): Alpharius - Head of the Hydra is the fourteenth novella in the Horus Heresy - Primarchs series. The novella was released on April 29, 2021.
Alpharius - Head of the Hydra (Novella) - Synopsis: Legends abound of the glorious -- or infamous -- deeds of the Emperor's sons. Yet almost nothing is known of Alpharius, the most mysterious of them all, for the Lord of the Alpha Legion is unparalleled in the art of obfuscation. Such are his gifts of secrecy and deceit that even his rediscovery has remained an enigma -- until now. But when the tale comes from the serpent's mouth, where does the deception end and the truth begin?
Alpharius Omegon - The Emperor and Alpharius: Following his discovery, however it occurred, eventually Alpharius was taken back to the epicenter of the ever-expanding Imperium and reunited with his father, the Emperor. There was the usual rejoicing, pomp and circumstance, but records on Terra suggest that the two spent little time together. Alpharius was quickly sent to take command of his Legion, while the Emperor had many pressing affairs of state by this time late in the Great Crusade era.Alpharius and his twin-primarch brother Omegon shared the same physical appearance and together served as joint-primarch of the Alpha Legion. The Emperor was aware of Alpharius Omegon's secret; but whether the creation of the twin primarchs was intentional or not remains a mystery. The two primarchs supposedly shared one soul, with Omegon acting as Alpharius' second-in-command of the XXth Legion. The existence of the twin primarchs of the Alpha Legion was known only to the members of the Legion itself, and was a well-kept secret even from the other Astartes Legions. The new Legionaries under the twins' command were tall and strong, and were reminiscent of their primarch, and possessed their gene-sire's cunning intelligence.When Alpharius Omegon took command of the XXth Legion, it was eager, zealous and completely committed to embracing the primarch's command and philosophies of combat. Alpharius led his Legion, created in his image, to the outer reaches of the Imperium and was eager to join battle and emulate the glories of the older Legions. In battle, this "youngest" Legion, driven by its mysterious and taciturn primarch, became renowned quickly for its discipline and strict and impenetrable organisation and regime, which emphasised the unity of the Legion and its wider actions over the individual Astartes in every aspect.Its hallmark was a relentless application of force and a terrifying level of co-ordination between its warriors and war machines. This capacity for combined arms warfare, speed and surety of attack, were matched only by a mastery of the darker arts of war -- of sabotage and ambush, stealth tactics and assassination. Also evident was its desire for secrecy and talent for misdirection. It kept its distance from its fellow Legions, even when tasked to directly fight alongside them, and it is certain many of its Astartes fostered a sinister wilfulness, and beneath the facade, the shadow of mockery.
Alpharius Omegon - Great Crusade: Although its history as an active Legion is a short one compared to the others -- at least under its own name -- the Alpha Legion proved quickly determined to match any of its brethren in glory -- or perhaps more accurately prove itself superior to them -- and its tally of victories mounted with surpassing speed. The Alpha Legion, ever watchful, was far from adverse to studying both the strengths and weaknesses of their fellow Legions and adapting the weapons and tactics of the others to their own ends.In this the Legion was not so different in strategic observances as the Ultramarines Legion and their master Roboute Guilliman, although it is doubtful that the Lord of Ultramar would have cared much for the comparison, even before the two Legions later came to bitter bloodshed. Such zealousness to prove themselves as part of the Great Crusade at any cost, and the often over-elaborate and needlessly complex and malign way in which the Alpha Legion chose to wage war, saw them quickly gain infamy more than fame. This, coupled with growing distrust due to their insular and deceptive nature, brought rivalry and acrimony between the Alpha Legion and much of the rest of the Legiones Astartes.As time passed, the relationship between the Alpha Legion and its peers soured further. The nature of the Alpha Legion's way of war and their lack of alliance to the commands of other Legions placed over them in the field brought Alpharius and his brothers Guilliman of the Ultramarines and Mortarion of the Death Guard into conflict on several separate occasions, with incidents notably occurring both in the aftermath of the Ullanor Crusade and a later campaign soon thereafter.After Alpharius' disagreements with Roboute Guilliman over the supposed "dishonourable ways" of his Legion's chosen methods of warfare, the Alpha Legion threw themselves even further into their preferred method of operations, largely cutting themselves off from standard Imperial military practices and orchestrating greater and greater victorious examples of their approach to the Great Crusade, even when more conventional attacks would have been more efficient.The most notorious example of this took place on the world of Tesstra Prime, where the Alpha Legion, instead of taking the opportunity to capture the planetary capital city and thus force the world's surrender, allowed the enemy to dig in and defend it so that they could then expertly take the defending forces apart in a number of different ways. After a solar week of suffering seemingly random mishaps and deadly sabotage as well as brutal ambushes, the defenders were forced to capitulate, having taken 90% casualties.When asked why the XXth Legion had not used the simpler strategy, Alpharius is reported to have replied that they avoided it as "it would have been too easy." This campaign brought Alpharius censure from almost all of his brother primarchs. Guilliman in particular raged at Alpharius' conduct of the war, labeling the drawn-out operation as "a waste of the Emperor's bolt shells". Only the Warmaster Horus, always impressed by Alpharius and his work, praised the Alpha Legion's skill.
Alpharius Omegon - Deliverance Uprising: Following the Drop Site Massacre on Isstvan V, the mysterious Cabal sought to utilise the Alpha Legion in order to ensure Horus a swift victory. Following the calamitous events of Istvaan V and the Raven Guard's flight to Terra to bring word of the disaster, the shattered XIXth Legion returned to their homeworld of Deliverance. Unknown to them, the insidious Alpha Legion had inserted several of their own Legionaries into the Raven Guard, surgically disguised as Raven Guard Astartes who had died on the black sands of Istvaan V.Gathering intelligence on the Primarch Corvus Corax's efforts to reconstitute his Legion utilising a sample of pure, undifferentiated primarch DNA given to him by the Emperor Himself, the Alpha Legion operatives patiently waited until the Raven Guard had achieved a genetic breakthrough and developed advanced new accelerated gene-seed protocols. In the meantime, they fomented rebellion amongst the old tech-guilds of Kiavahr, the Forge World that the moon of Deliverance circled, while assembling Alpha Legion forces nearby for an unsuspected surgical strike.The Alpha Legion successfully tainted the pure primarch DNA, which resulted in the disastrous mutation of newly inducted Raven Guard Aspirants into hideously transformed monstrous creatures. At the same time, the Alpha Legion's plans reached their climax. The Kiavahr rebellion was well under way, supported by the newly-arrived Alpha Legion forces, who were camouflaged as Raven Guard. The Loyalist Raven Guard successfully put down the rebellion and killed all the Alpha Legion operatives, but the damage to their attempts to reconstitute their Legion had been done.In the aftermath of this successful operation, Alpharius was forced to hand over the research data obtained from the pure primarch DNA to the Emperor's Children's Chief Apothecary Fabius for further research. Unknown to Fabius, however, the data was practically useless and was incomplete at best. The Alpha Legion ensured that it had kept the integral data for themselves as well as a copy of the corrupted genome. Alpharius wished to utilise this valuable data to raise his Legion above all others. Following this action, Omegon met with the Cabal representative Athithirtir aboard his ship. After a terse exchange, the twin primarch departed, informing the Cabal that the XXth Legion would fulfill its duties on its own without further external influence, interference or control.
Alpharius Omegon - Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula: Following the debacle at Chondax, Alpharius ordered the remainder of his fleet to beset the Space Wolves Legion at the Alaxxes Nebula. Leman Russ had ordered his battered VIth Legion to muster there in order to lick its wounds after their recent campaign at Prospero, following the razing of the planet after the Thousand Sons had willfully disobeyed the Emperor's Nikaean Decrees Absolute. Horus had deployed the XXth Legion to launch a massive assault on Russ' battered and outnumbered Space Wolves.The Alpha Legion and its twin primarchs, Alpharius Omegon, had long harboured deep grudges against the Space Wolves, and Russ in particular, for his criticism of their reliance upon trickery, manipulation and subterfuge to win battles rather than engaging in what the Space Wolves primarch saw as honourable, open combat. The Alpha Legion relished the chance to prove their superiority against the arrogant Wolves of Fenris by delaying them long enough to keep them from contributing to the Imperial defence of Terra.Russ sent a distress call to the nearby White Scars at Chondax, requesting that his brother Primarch Jaghatai Khan send his forces in order to assist the VIth Legion against the traitorous Alpha Legion. Unsure as to which side the Space Wolves truly belonged, the Khagan sympathised with his brother primarch's predicament, but refused to get involved until he was able to sort out the conflicting and often contradictory astropathic messages he had received from Terra and beyond, first by returning to Prospero. Until he knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, who was ally and who was an enemy, the Great Khan refused to choose sides. Wishing his brother the best of luck, Jaghatai wished to seek his answers elsewhere.Realising that the VIth Legion faced a hopeless situation, Russ was demoralised and isolated himself within his personal chambers, forcing his First Captain Gunnar Gunnhilt to assume command in his primarch's absence. Harried at every turn, the Space Wolves' fleet faced imminent destruction by the larger Alpha Legion fleet, when suddenly, the primarch reemerged from his chambers to lead his forces against the Traitors.During the height of the ensuing Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula, a large contingent of elite Laernaean Cataphractii Terminators teleported aboard the bridge of Russ' flagship, Hrafnkel, where the Wolf King seemingly battled Alpharius disguised as one of his own Laernaean Terminators.When the Alpha Legion were on the verge of ultimate victory, help for the Space Wolves arrived from an unexpected quarter in the form of a large Dark Angels fleet led by a mobile Ramilies-class Starfort, the Chimaera. The Dark Angels aboard the Chimaera had heard the Space Wolves' distress signals and determined that the VIth Legion were in fact still loyal to the Emperor. With the assistance of their Ist Legion cousins, the Space Wolves were ultimately able to force the Alpha Legion fleet to withdraw.
Alpharius Omegon - Shattered Legions: Reliable testimonies from the members of the Shattered Legions who manned the warship Sisypheum, most importantly the accounts of the Raven Guard specialist Nykona Sharrowkyn, place at least one of the Alpha Legion primarchs -- presumably Alpharius -- on a secret and hence unknown facility, designated as Lerna 2-12. In the disguise of the famed Iron Hands warleader Shadrak Meduson, Alpharius used the crew of the Sisypheum to assist in his hunt for Loyalist elements within the XXth Legion. His deception was only revealed towards the end of this affair, after the surviving members of the Shattered Legion force escaped with the knowledge that Alpharius had indeed been masquerading as Meduson.
Alpharius Omegon - Personality: Contemporary accounts record Alpharius as a masterful tactician and strategist whose skills were rated by the Imperial Stratagos as akin to the legendary abilities of the Iron Warriors' Primarch Perturabo or the Ultramarines' Primarch Roboute Guilliman. His erudition was said to be astounding, but one whose great intelligence was as cool and as watchful as a viper's gaze.He is recorded as having sought out the comradeship and counsel of none of his brother-primarchs save perhaps Horus, although some reports that place him also on Caliban, home of the Dark Angels' Primarch Lion El'Jonson, and Terra at various times cannot be easily dismissed. He is said to have encouraged his commanders to operate with extreme independence of thought and action, and yet the Alpha Legion was known to pride itself on its unbreakable unity of purpose and will. Such are the paradoxes that abound in the wake of the shadowed figure of Alpharius, and in this he can be said to encompass his Legion.
Alpharius Omegon - Physical Traits: Furthering the mystery of the Alpha Legion primarch and the outright deception perpetrated by Alpharius Omegon, many reliable reports of the primarch's physical appearance differ. While he is noted on many occasions to be of similar stature and countenance of many of his Legionaries and able to pass unnoticed in their ranks, other records show him as a towering and fearful figure as were the other primarchs, bedecked in sinisterly ornate, hydra-chased battle-plate and wielding a mighty double-headed spear. There was a certain likeness in the cast of features to both Horus Lupercal and the face the Emperor wore, which made sense if the primarchs were both genetic brothers and sons of the Emperor.
Alpharius Omegon - Wargear: The Pythian Scales - Although frequently recorded as entering battle in the semblance of a regular member of his XXth Legion, Alpharius -- or perhaps an individual carrying that name -- was also known to have led his Legion to war armoured in sinister and baroque reptilian-styled Artificer Armour whose stature left no doubts in the mind of onlookers that a bloody-handed primarch had entered the fray. This armour, faceless and fashioned after the style of the shadowed mythic age of Ancient Terra, was known as the Pythian Scales, and could turn aside blade, energy blast and alchemical attack with equal ease.Venom Spheres - Venom Spheres were specialised assault grenades utilised only by the Alpha Legion. This deadly weapons upgrade replaced the more commonplace Frag Grenades employed by the Space Marines for advanced variants which contained toxin-impregnated crystalline splinters that have been darkly claimed to be based on xenos technology.Master-crafted Plasma BlasterThe Sarrisanata - The Sarrisanata, or Pale Spear, was one of a number of strange and esoteric weapons associated with the primarch of the XXth Legion and rumoured to be a strange xenos artefact whose forging predated even the rise of the Aeldari. This double-bladed spear flickered seemingly out of phase with the material universe when wielded, emitting an eerie and otherworldly howling, and was able to pierce any physical defence it encountered without impediment, ripping it apart at a molecular level. Against living matter, it inflicted hideously gaping bloodless wounds as the flesh where it struck dissolved into oily smoke.Nuncio-Vox Cognis SignumCameleoline Cloak
Alphos - Alphos: Alphos is an Imperial Fortress World within the Jericho Reach serving the forces of the Achilus Crusade. It is among the closest of life-sustaining worlds to the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate.
Alphos - History: During the initial launch of the Achilus Crusade, Lord Militant Tiber Achilus had set out to colonise and fortify a number of worlds in close proximity to the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate.Studying the charts of the region around the Warp Gate, Achilus settled on a number of possible life-sustaining worlds that would suit his purposes. Most prominent among them were Karlack, Calisi, Alphos and Spite.Though Calisi and Alphos were closer to the Warp Gate than either Karlack or Spite, Achilus ended up discounting them, even though they would make excellent outposts and strong points. They were too poor in resources to support the kind of production he wanted to eventually unleash for the crusade.However, sometime around 777.M41, during the first phase of the crusade, Imperial forces spread out from the Warp Gate and set out for the worlds of not just Calisi and Alphos, but Hethgard, Pyrathas, Spite, and Karlack. Alphos fell within a standard year of the initial invasion, without any severe losses.With the crusade's second wave, Alphos, alongside the other conquered worlds, experienced rapid fortification from the Imperium, turning what was once a minor colony into a towering edifice of plasteel and ferrocrete bristling with Macrocannon and lance turrets.In less than five standard years, Achilus made Alphos part of what would become the Iron Collar -- a series of Fortress Worlds surrounding the Well of Night, thereby warding the Warp Gate from invasion.It was in 786.M41, during a routine voyage from Alphos to Karlack that the lord militant's vessel Proclamation of Wrath was lost to the Warp. Indeed, rumours spread of what may have happened.The most disturbing of these, however, and the one which haunted the entire investigation for the missing vessel, was the discovery that the Aeldari assassin Syndilian Shanyr had been sighted on Alphos only solar hours after the departure of the lord militant.
Alric - Alric: Alric is a Knight-Warden and Black Shield of the Deathwatch.As a member of the Inquisition's Dead Cabal, operating within the Jericho Reach, he aids in the investigation of the phenomenon known as the Dark Pattern.
Alric - Personality: Knight-Warden Alric is something of a contradiction to other members of the Deathwatch. While his demeanour and bearing are distant and cold, even by comparison to the surly Master of the Forge Xerill, the Black Shield is the only member of the Dead Cabal to treat all on the Dead Stations Vigil as equals, rather than his subordinates.Unlike his brothers in the Dead Cabal, Alric does not delegate tasks to the Vigilants serving on the Dead Stations, instead preferring to act on his own behalf.For this reason, despite his propensity for long, brooding silences, Alric is particularly well regarded among the Battle-Brothers serving the Dead Cabal, especially among those who have found themselves in need of his battlefield intervention.The nature of the knight-warden's mission and the independence with which he is wont to operate make it unlikely that a given Battle-Brother will ever encounter him in times of peace.Indeed, for these same reasons the Black Shield can act as a guardian to them while far afield, undertaking missions deep in the stellar wilderness of the outer Jericho Reach. In such situations, it is unlikely that a Kill-team will even be aware of his watchful presence, the knight-warden only revealing himself if truly necessary for the survival of his brethren.
Altansar - Altansar: Altansar was a small Asuryani craftworld that survived the Fall of the Aeldari but was caught in the Eye of Terror, its only escapee being the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra. Ten thousand Terran years after the homeworld of Maugan Ra was swallowed by the Eye of Terror, Abaddon the Despoiler launched his 13th Black Crusade from within its depths in 999.M41.The nightmarish realm vomited the legions of Chaos into the material universe, leaving a gaping rift between the material universe and that of the Warp. Whilst the Eye was still open, Maugan Ra undertook a perilous quest into its malignant reaches in search of the remains of his people.Maugan Ra eventually found the remains of his craftworld and guided what was left of it out of the Eye of Terror, and led them against the forces of Chaos. However, there was no celebration or welcome from the other Aeldari craftworlds at the return of their lost counterpart.The shadowy Aeldari of Altansar were treated with open suspicion and hostility, for it was believed that no Aeldari could remain untouched by the predations of Chaos for so many millennia.Altansar is known as the sister craftworld of Ulthwé, due to its close proximity to the Eye of Terror. The world-rune used by Craftworld Altansar is known as the "Broken Chain" -- not only in reference to the escape of Kurnous and Isha from the dungeons of Khaine in the Aeldari myth cycles, but also to the shattering of the links that bound Vaul to his anvil.The symbol has taken on a deeper meaning since Altansar's mysterious escape from the Eye of Terror. The broken infinity loop above the world-rune has only been adopted by the craftworld as its new sigil since its narrow escape from an eternity of damnation.
Altansar - History: When Slaanesh surged into existence, many craftworlds escaped the deadly metaphysical pull of the Eye. Altansar was one of the Aeldari craftworlds that survived the Fall of the Aeldari species. It rode out the psychic shock waves that destroyed the ancient Aeldari Empire following the birth of the newest Chaos God, but was subsequently caught in the gravity well of the newborn Warp rift now called the Eye of Terror.Although the Aeldari of Altansar struggled valiantly against the encroachment of Chaos, their doom was inevitable, and within five hundred agonising years their craftworld was swallowed by the Warp. Amongst the entirety of Altansar's population, only the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra escaped the craftworld's consumption by Chaos.Ten thousand years later in the 41st Millennium, Abaddon the Despoiler emerged from the insane reality of the Eye of Terror, at the head the 13th Black Crusade of the forces of Chaos. The Chaos Traitor Legions' intrusion into reality left a rift which bridged the material universe and the universe of the Immaterium. Through this opening, Maugan Ra undertook a great odyssey into the Eye of Terror in search of the remains of his people.Leaving a silvered trail of soulfire behind him, Maugan Ra eventually found the remains of his lost craftworld. He found that the Asuryani of Altansar had indeed survived ten thousand years within the Eye. Maugan Ra guided the remnants of his craftworld out of the Eye of Terror and against Abaddon's forces to deny him ultimate victory.However, there was no celebration or welcome from the other craftworlds. Since their reemergence, the people of Altansar have been distrusted by their kin. Some whisper they are tainted by their ordeal, others that they entered a dread pact with Ynnead. Perhaps the rumours are based in truth, for it is said the Asuryani of Altansar never remove their helms, and speak only in whispers.
Altansar - The 13th Black Crusade: During the 13th Black Crusade, the Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra led an elite force of Asuryani Dark Reapers and Black Guardians from the craftworld of Ulthwé into the Eye of Terror in search of Altansar. It was during this pilgrimage that he found the Belial Hex System and the Crone World of Belial IV, located deep within the Eye of Terror.Despite several early victories and the aid of the Harlequins, a daemonic counterattack forced the Aeldari back. As they reeled from their losses, the Craftworld Altansar drifted into Belial's orbit, proving that it still existed and had survived ten millennia within the Eye of Terror.The Asuryani of Altansar then joined their brethren from Ulthwé, defeating the daemonic forces and helping the Aeldari to reclaim one of their lost Craftworlds.Maugan Ra then led the Craftworld back through the bridge between the Warp and the material universe, and used his remaining troops to help battle the forces of Chaos and bring an end to the 13th Black Crusade.Currently, Craftworld Altansar is somewhere close to Terra, although how it has managed to get that close to the heart of the Imperium without Imperial retaliation is unknown.