vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Legio Cybernetica - Cortex and Programming: Constructed from artificially engineered neuroproteins and enzymes, the cortex is the artificial brain of a robot. Imprinted with simple maintenance, task and movement algorithms, the cortex serves as a rudimentary mind, enabling the robot to obey simple instructions from its assigned Tech-adept when away from the battlefield.These "firmware" routines are often patterned after those which exist in the organic neural cortexes of simple living creatures. It is known that a robot commonly develops a canine-like devotion to its technician-master.Before deploying a robot into battle the firmware routines are overlaid and replaced with so-called "wetware"; this is the robot's combat software which defines the commands of its handler. For example, wetware contains a set of algorithms that tell a robot where it is to deploy on the battlefield or when to fire its weapons or detonate its self-destruct charges.This specialised software is held in small slices of bioplastic, no larger than a credit card, which have been implanted within the robot's cortex. Believed by the Tech-priests of the Mechanicus to hold the robot's "soul", its Machine Spirit, many warriors on the battlefield are known to take these small bioplastic cards from a "dead" robot that has been incapacitated. They believe that by doing so, some of the robot's bravery will pass onto them. Even some Astartes Chapters have been known to abide by this tradition.In many situations a robot may be less effective than a living warrior, even though its reflexes and aim may be comparable, and it is a stronger, tougher and harder opponent to "kill" than a human soldier. Literal-minded to an inhuman degree, a robot is limited by its programming.Whatever the given situation, a robot always follows its pre-prepared programming, even when such programming will not produce the correct outcome for a given situation. Where a human can easily adapt to unexpected developments, a robot may not possess the mental adaptability required to successfully navigate the demands of a rapidly changing battlefield.Like any other weapon system, a robot without its cortex is as useless as a Bolter without its Space Marine. Without an operational cortex the robot is merely a heap of junk that can only take whatever punishment is meted out to it, but with a fully programmed cortex, a robot can prove itself the equal of many other opponents on the battlefield.
Legio Cybernetica - Slave and Master Systems: In some situations robots do not need a cortex to be fully operational, as they also possess the ability to act as the "slave" of a "master" robot, receiving orders by wireless radio communication from the master robot. The master robot is fitted with a cortex and wetware program, which in turn, relays algorithmic instructions to the slave robots fitted with standard Vox communicators.Each of these slave robots follows the instructions of the master's program in turn. But the master robot must remain in close proximity to its slave robots, for if it were to move beyond the effective range of its Vox transmitter the other robots would simply freeze in place, lacking the necessary instructions to carry out any operations.Should six or more of its communicator signals be jammed, a slave robot cannot perform any actions, and will freeze in place until further instructions are received. If the master robot's program or cortex are damaged all of its slave robots are affected equally. Communicator damage to a slave robot means that it can no longer receive or transmit data, grinding to an immediate halt. Any damage to a master robot's communicator brings all its slave robots to a halt. Any other damage to the master robot's other systems has no effect on its slaves.Any number of slave robots can be controlled by a single master robot, although the usual ratio is 1 master to 3 slaves. When a larger ratio is used, damage to a master robot's program can halt too many slave robots in a single stroke.
Legio Cybernetica - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition), pg. 42Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus - Cult Mechanicus (7th Edition), pp. 8, 10, 16-19, 23, 29, 36, 54, 82, 106-107, 171, 188Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Art Book), pp. 92, 131, 304, 326, 328, 384, 392, 402, 405, 412Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1st Edition), pg. 240The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 264-275The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 212-213, 223, 226Warhammer 40,000 Compendium (1st Edition), "Imperial Robots," pp. 67, 96-112White Dwarf 104 (UK), "Chapter Approved: Imperial Robots," by Mike BruntonA Thousand Sons (Novel) by Graham McNeill, pp. 101, 103, 107, 115, 246First Heretic (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, pp. 9, 43, 100-102, 104, 108, 114, 186, 187-193, 195, 203, 234, 236, 425-429Nemesis (Novel) by James Swallow, pp. 126-127, 129, 132, 133-136, 138The Talon of Horus (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Legio Damicium - Legio Damicium: The Legio Damicium ("Unbroken Lords") was a Traitor Titan Legion in the service of the Dark Mechanicum. It hailed from the Forge World of Urdesh located in the sector of space called the Belt of Iron within the Segmentum Pacificus.Little is known of the Legio's early history save it was a sorely depleted Titan Legion by the opening years of the Horus Heresy, and was forced to rely on Mars or other beneficient Forge Worlds to charitably provide additional Titans to replace its losses.Envious of other, more prosperous Titan Legions, the Legio Damicium soon became an envious and spiteful Legio. It willingly sided with the Traitors' cause during the Horus Heresy in the campaign known as the Cataclysm of Iron, bringing its wrath down upon more prosperous Loyalist Titan Legions.At the conclusion of this bloody conflict, the Legio Damicium was effectively wiped out by the Loyalist forces during the Censure of Urdesh, and the Forge World was given over to the Legio Ignatum for the remainder of the Heresy, to stand sentinel over the devastated world and to punish any who would dare raise a hand against the Emperor.
Legio Damicium - Horus Heresy: The desire of Urdesh to maintain the numbers of the Legio Damicium no doubt proved instrumental in driving the Forge World into the hands of the treacherous Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal when rebellion swept across the galaxy.In the years before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, increased shipments between Mars and Urdesh were recorded, dispatched on personal order of the fabricator-general. Alongside this, schematics denied to more illustrious Mechanicum enclaves were provided to Urdesh, including rare Leman Russ patterns which cemented the Forge World as the primary supplier of Imperial Army forces operating within the Segmentum Pacificus.These gifts no doubt secured the allegiance of Urdesh for the Warmaster Horus, cultivating an image that those who served him would further reap the fruits of knowledge. When the treachery of Horus was revealed and the Red Planet fell into schism, Urdesh had already begun mobilising its forge-fanes for all-out war.The true allegiance of Urdesh was not to be revealed until the Cataclysm of Iron began in earnest, yet the Forge World did not sit idle during the opening years of the Horus Heresy. Utlising their position on the border of the Segmentum Solar numerous clandestine tithe shipments bearing no identifying marks were apprehended ferrying materiel shipments into the heartlands of the Imperium, intended for hidden cells loyal to the Warmaster.Urdesh also helped aid the Traitor Dark Mechanicum in establishing small cells of saboteurs that worked tirelessly to undermine the defences of the Imperium in anticipation of a time when the Warmaster would make his final move upon Terra. Suspicion quickly fell upon Urdesh, for many of the weapons bore marks similar to those displayed by its forge-wrights, yet only circumstantial evidence of this existed.With much of the Imperium's fighting force occupied by more pressing threats, Urdesh was left to simmer, viewed as only a minor threat that could be dealt with in time. The god-engines of the Legio Damicium were to walk openly against the Emperor during the Cataclysm of Iron, focusing their wrath on those Loyalist Forge Worlds who had denied them the knowledge to construct god-engines, eager to plunder their archives for the prosperity of Urdesh.In retribution Malcador the Sigillite, the acting Regent of Terra, dispatched a force of the Legio Ignatum, and together with a large force of fellow Loyalists within the Belt of Iron, purged the upstart Forge World during the final stages of the conflict known as the Cataclysm of Iron, effectively wiping out the Legio Damacium.
Legio Damicium - Legion Combat Doctrine: Legio Damicium princeps were trained to endure pain that would drive others to the edge of insanity, a trait that proved useful in the thick of battle.Many of the Legio's princeps were ruthless, believing nothing should stand in their way of victory, pushing themselves and their god-engines beyond all reasonable limits.In battle, this Legio's princeps accepted that death was inevitable and would fight on to the bitter end, seizing a small measure of victory in their deaths. They would march on, not out of a sense of duty but of a spiteful need to deny their foe any measure of glory.
Legio Damicium - Legion Specific Wargear: Secondary Plating - Though the Unbroken Lords still valued the majesty of their god-engines, those of the Legio Damicium were not averse to brutalising their form by adding additional armour plating to increase their efficiency in war.
Legio Damicium - Notable Titans: Somnium Ultimus (Warlord-class Titan) - By the time the Great Crusade reached the world of Urdesh, much of the Forge World had lost its knowledge and STC patterns needed to produce additional god-engines. No reason for such a loss is reported within the Forge World's archives; manufacturing logs indicate that the last Legio Damicium Titan to walk from the forge-fanes of Urdesh, a Warlord Battle Titan bearing the name Somnium Ultimus, was constructed nearly a millennium before the arrival of the Great Crusade to the Forge World.Wounded Monarch (Warlord-class Titan) - The Wounded Monarch was a Warlord Titan that fought during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. Its most notable engagement occurred during the Cataclysm of Iron. This Titan was nearly destroyed on three separate occasions and left for dead, only for both it and its princeps to rise again, seemingly from the dead, to stride the battlefields once more. The Legio Damicium placed great pride in their ability to stand against odds others might deem insurmountable. This behaviour stemmed largely from the fact that the Unbroken Lords relied upon the technological generosity of Mars to replenish their numbers. The Wounded Monarch, depicted above mustering upon Urdesh during the closing years of the Great Crusade, was named for its history of surviving damage initially thought unrepairable. The skull marks upon its shoulder armour relate the number of times an enemy seemingly destroyed this Warlord Titan, only for both it and its princeps to survive and rise again later to unleash its anger upon the foes of Urdesh once more.Precipice of Ruination (Reaver-class Titan) - By the time Urdesh was brought into the Imperial fold, the vast majority of Legio Damicium Titans bore names that alluded to the gradual march to extinction the Legio was suffering. This ritual continued even after fresh supplies of god-engines were gifted to the Legio Damicium, for the Titan Legion still lacked the knowledge necessary to construct its own Titans; to its princeps, this was delaying the inevitable rather than being a cure for their woes. Precipice of Ruination, depicted below, was one of the first newer god-engines the Legio Damicium received following first contact with the Imperium, its name chosen as an implication that without direct control of the supply of Titans, the Unbroken Lords were but a single act of misfortune away from ruin.
Legio Damicium - Notable Personnel: No notable personnel listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damicium - Legion Strength: Throughout the Great Crusade, the total number of operational god-engines within the Legio Damicium ranged from 50-85, marking it as a Tertius-grade Legio, with its serving demi-legio replenished by shipments dispatched from other Forge Worlds at the behest of Mars. These numbers were spread evenly amongst the three mainstay Warhound, Reaver and Warlord classes of Titans, with rarer patterns such as the Warbringer Nemesis being confined to a handful at their most plentiful.To reduce war losses, the Legio Damicium invested heavily in the development of secondary layers of armour plating that enhanced the survivability of its god-engines; bitter about the denial of knowledge to Urdesh, the Titan Legion refused to share such developments with others of its ilk.This Titan Legion's limited numbers encouraged the development of dedicated Taghmata support units that represented a blending of ancient Mechanicum doctrine with Imperial Army tactics. The composition of these forces, self-labelled as "Tempest Throngs," were reminiscent of the Solar Auxilia in both skill and armament, combining armoured companies with infantry well-versed in operating alongside Titans on the field of battle.By the onset of the Horus Heresy, the Tempest Throngs had cultivated a reputation for great skill on the field of battle, often eclipsing that of the Legio Damicium itself.
Legio Damicium - Legion Colours: The colours of the Legio Damicium were primarily purple, with bone shoulder pauldrons, livery shields and head, trimmed in silver.As the Legio Damicium placed great pride in their ability to stand against odds others might deem insurmountable, many of their god-engines displayed an ability for surviving damage initially thought unrepairable. Skull marks upon their shoulder armour related the number of times an enemy left an Unbroken Lords Titan for dead, only for both it and its princeps to survive and rise again years later to unleash its anger upon the foes of Urdesh once more.
Legio Damicium - Legion Badge: The badge of the Legio Damicium takes the form of a purple spectral skull with a mysterious rune on its forehead, centred upon a field of bone on their livery shields, and a field of yellow on their honour banners.
Legio Damicium - Sources: Aeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy - Traitor Legios (Specialty Game), pp. 150-155Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy - Crucible of Retribution (Specialty Game), pp. 15, 22-23, 27, 29, 54-55, 76-77Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard & Imperial Navy, pg. 8The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution (Forge World) by Alan Bligh, pg. 16Call of Chaos: Midnight Rotation (Short Story) by Dan AbnettWarhammer Community - Crucible of Retribution: The Story (23 Oct 2020)Warhammer Community - Coming Soon: Crucible of Retribution (29 Sept 2020)
Legio Damnatus - Legio Damnatus: The Legio Damnatus ("Warped Dogs") was a Traitor Titan Legion of the Dark Mechanicum that repudiated its oaths to the Emperor of Mankind and followed the Warmaster Horus into the service of the Ruinous Powers during the Horus Heresy.This Traitor Titan Legion met its fate during the Siege of Terra when its landing craft was destroyed while attempting to make planetfall during Horus' primary assault. The Legion was completely destroyed.
Legio Damnatus - Notable Campaigns: Siege of Terra (014.M31) - During the Siege of Terra when the Warmaster Horus ordered the troop transports of his fleet to make planetfall, the Renegades hoped to overwhelm the defenders by sheer weight of numbers. Unlike the Drop Pods that had carried the Traitor Marines in the initial assault wave, these vast bloated ships presented fine targets for the weapons of the defenders. Thus, the Battle of Terra began in earnest. Defence Lasers blasted many of the Renegade starships from the sky, sending thousands of tons of fused metal raining down onto the ground below. Crippled vessels crashed into buildings or were vaporized in flight by the lancing beams of the huge Terran defence batteries. The transport vessel of the Legio Damnatus was vaporized and that Legion's name passed into history.
Legio Damnatus - Notable Titans: None listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnatus - Notable Personnel: None listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnatus - Legion Colours: This Traitor Titan Legion's colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnatus - Legion Badge: This Traitor Titan Legion's badge is not listed in current Imperial records
Legio Damnosus - Legio Damnosus: The Legio Damnosus ("Lords of Ruin") is a Traitor Titan Legion of the Dark Mechanicum that repudiated its oaths to the Emperor of Mankind and followed Warmaster Horus into the service of the Ruinous Powers during the Horus Heresy.
Legio Damnosus - Notable Campaigns: Horus Heresy (007-014.M31) - The Legio Damnosus took part in numerous engagements during the dark days of the Horus Heresy.
Legio Damnosus - Notable Titans: None listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnosus - Notable Personnel: None listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnosus - Legion Colours: This Traitor Titan Legion's colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Damnosus - Legion Badge: This Traitor Titan Legion's badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Debellator - Legio Debellator: The Legio Debellator is a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica.
Legio Debellator - Notable Campaigns: Defence of Tophet VI (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Imperial Forge World of Tophet VI is attacked by an invading force comprised of the hated Iron Warriors Traitor Legion, the Imperium response in force. They send a joint task force consisting of the unforgiving Subjugators Space Marine Chapter alongside the god-engines of Legio Debellator. The battle between the two opposing forces are terrible, as the Iron Warriors are masters at siege-craft, but their forces are further augmented by the surprising appearance of a fallen Warlord-class Titan that spearheads their attacks. Surprisingly, this massive Titan bears the heraldry of the Legio Debellator. To their shame, the loyalist god-engines identify the Warlord Titan as one of their own - the fallen Ecce Bellum - which had been thought lost by the Legio during a previous campaign, when it was sent as part of an Adeptus Mechanicus strike force from the forge world of Agripinaa, into the Eye of Terror. Armed with a pair of Volcano Cannons, the deadly power this formidable god-engine carried, could easily carry the day for its dark masters if the Legio Debellator couldn't counter this dire threat. As the Forces of Chaos assaulted the forge world's primary hive city they managed to breach its walls, however, Ecce Bellum was caught in an ambush by a Legio Debellator Warhound Scout Titan maniple. Despite landing several well-placed shots, the damage was only minimal, and the Warlord Titan quickly gained the upper hand as it crippled both the Argentum Sororis and Ruber Captrix with a deadly psychic attack. However, thanks to the quick actions of Princeps Roan Asander, of the Warhound Titan Ruber Captrix, he was able to contact the fallen Warlord Titan's Princeps Demaratus, reminding him of his duty to the Emperor. Getting through to him for a brief moment, the corrupted Princeps was able prevent the Ecce Bellum from firing its weapons long enough to allow the Ruber Captrix the opportunity fire its Plasma Blastgun directly through the Warlord Titan's faceplate, destroying the larger Titan's command crew. In the wake of the destruction of the Ecce Bellum, the Forces of Chaos were driven back by the Imperial forces and Tophet VI was secured.
Legio Debellator - Notable Titans: Ecce Bellum (Warlord-class Titan) - Captured and corrupted by the forces of Chaos and destroyed during the fighting on Tophet VI.Argentum Soraris (Warhound-class Titan)Domina Mortis (Warhound-class Titan)Regina Verum (Warhound-class Titan)Ruber Captrix (Warhound-class Titan)
Legio Debellator - Notable Personnel: Princeps Cynna - Princeps of Domina Mortis.Princeps Roan Asander - Princeps of Ruber Captrix.Princeps Demaratus - Fallen princeps of the Ecce Bellum; deceased.Moderatus Berowne - Moderatus of the Ruper Captrix.Moderatus Vyola - Moderatus of the Ruper Captrix.Komnena - Tech-priestess of the Ruper Captrix.
Legio Debellator - Legion Colours: The Legio Debellator primarily paint their Titans dark tourmaline red, which appears almost black.
Legio Debellator - Legion Badge: The badge of the Legio Debellator is a pair of stylised gold coloured lionesses heads, in profile, facing away from one another.This pair of symbols sits on opposite sides of the central symbol -- the stylised 'T' for the Collegia Titanica.Beneath these central symbols is a gold coloured laurel.
Legio Decimata - Legio Decimata: The Legio Decimata is a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica.
Legio Decimata - Notable Campaigns: War of the Beast (544-546.M32) -  The Legio Decimata is known to have taken part in the War of the Beast, a massive Ork WAAAGH! of extraordinary size that threatened Terra itself. A greenskin invasion on this scale had not been seen since the Ullanor Crusade during the latter years of the Great Crusade. The Legio Decimata played a vital role in aiding Imperial forces during the third invasion of The Beast's homeworld of Ullanor.
Legio Decimata - Notable Titans: Deus Domitor (Unknown Class)Divinitata Excelsii (Unknown Class)Imperator Ultimatum (Unknown Class)
Legio Decimata - Notable Personnel: Princeps Senioris Grimaldi - Grimaldi led the forces of the Legio Decimata forces during the Third Invasion of Ullanor in the War of the Beast.
Legio Decimata - Legion Coulours: Not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Decimata - Legion Badge: The badge of the Legio Decimata is not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Defensor - Legio Defensor: Legio DefensorNova GuardTitan LegionCollegia TitanicaAdeptus MechanicusSatyraes XIIDuring the Horus Heresy, the Legio Defensor contained many devotees of the Lectitio Divinitatus, the text which first postulated the belief that the Emperor was the god of Mankind. It was not unusual for those of the nascent Imperial Creed to pray to the divine God-Emperor before battle. They would often decorate their battle stations with icons of religious significance, such as warding tokens and other icons, like the double-headed eagle known as the Aquila.For the most part, their prayers only functioned to irritate their brethren, though sometimes their faith in the Emperor could manifest in miracles when the circumstances were right...
Legio Defensor - Legion History: That the Legio Defensor, known more commonly as the "Nova Guard", hold unwavering loyalty to the Emperor is indisputable, for their dedication was fuelled by beliefs many amongst the Imperium, including the Emperor Himself, publicly denounced -- those of the Lectitio Divinitatus.The path through which the outlawed cult devoted to the veneration of the Emperor as a divine being took root within the Titan Legion is unknown, though clues may lie in the extensive service elements of the Legio Defensor saw alongside the Word Bearers Legion prior to the latter's chastisement by the Emperor upon Khur.Given that it was Lorgar Aurelian, primarch of the Word Bearers, who first penned the book that served both as the namesake and guiding tenets of the cult, it stands to reason that the foundation of unyielding devotion towards the Emperor was first established in service alongside the Word Bearers, a bitterly ironic origin given the later treacherous actions of the XVIIth Legion.
Legio Defensor - Origins: Upon the rediscovery of Satyraes XII by the 914th Expeditionary Fleet, it was noted that the Forge World and its people maintained an almost fanatical devotion to the Omnissiah, above and beyond that displayed by many other Forge Worlds. The primary tool for such devotion proved to be the Forge World's three moons, each tidal locked to the planet and settled in the centuries following the colonisation of Satyraes XII.Each moon had undergone extensive transformation during the Age of Strife to transform them into vast, functional industrial cathedrals dedicated to the Omnissiah. In accordance with principles laid down upon the world's founding, the work completed within the manufactoria of Satyraes XII was to be dictated by devotional sigils broadcast via lumen displays positioned on the Forge World's moons that, when activated, could be observed from the planet below.Such displays were monitored by a dedicated sect of magi logis which accurately plotted the movement of Satyraes' celestial bodies and, through that, divined the Omnissiah's will and dictated it to the Forge World.Each sigil held meaning to the planet's Tech-priests, with further complexity divined depending on the moon from which a sigil was broadcast. In turn, these sigils dictated the work patterns of Satyraes XII and the goods each manufactorum would produce at a given time, the illuminated celestial bodies a permanent reminder of the Omnissiah's presence.The archives of Satyraes XII tell of the system of devotional sigils failing only twice in the recorded history of the Forge World, both of which caused great upheaval. In the first instance, in which a single moon experienced failure of its lumen display and broadcast an unknown sigil, Satyraes XII entered a period of shutdown that lasted six solar weeks, its tech-priests debating the meaning of such a sigil. The second instance proved a momentary power failure in which all three lumen displays shutdown for 14.56 seconds, leading to mass dissent as the Forge World's labourers preached of the Omnissiah's displeasure.Seventy-two standard years of civil war followed during which the Nova Guard saw heavy combat, hunting down and destroying any who showed the slightest deviation from the prescribed worship of the Omnissiah.It is noted that, during the later years of the Great Crusade, many returning demi-Legios showed resistance to the idea of being guided by Satyraes XII's sigils; several redacted reports state that a handful of princeps spoke of the Omnissiah as a prophet of the Emperor, who was a true divine being above and beyond that of the Machine God.
Legio Defensor - Spread of Faith: Following the destruction of Monarchia, a city upon the world of Khur that stood as a monument to the Emperor's perceived divinity, and the public rebuke of the Word Bearers Legion by the Emperor Himself, Satyraes XII withdrew its military support for the XVIIth Legion.Though official communiqués claim such a move derived from a need to reinforce the Legio Defensor's strength elsewhere in the galaxy, honour records of those princeps who served alongside the Word Bearers show that nearly all were censured for deviant beliefs, the nature of which remain undocumented.These princeps were further admonished through the dissemination of the battlegroup structure they once served in, their numbers divided across numerous other battle groups.This disruption of maniples that had served together for solar decades supports the theory that the withdrawal of military aid from the Word Bearers was intended to forestall the continued growth of beliefs learned from the Space Marines.In truth, however, the move appeared to only further spread the teachings of the Lectitio Divinitatus, exposing increasing numbers of Legio Defensor personnel to the emerging cult.Given that the Titan crews of the Legio Defensor hailed from Satyraes XII, a Forge World noted for its zealous dedication to the Omnissiah, the ranks of the Legio Defensor offered fertile ground for new beliefs to grow.By the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, numerous reports attested to elements of the Legio Defensor striding into battle to audio barrages of hymnodic fashion, though the exact focus of its praise remained elusive and was commonly attributed to the Omnissiah.
Legio Defensor - Horus Heresy: The growing religious devotion to the Emperor changed not just the beliefs of the Nova Guard but also its methods of war. Even during the early days of the Great Crusade, the Legio Defensor was noted as holding a measure of self-righteousness, believing its work held higher purpose.Many of the Nova Guard's exaltations were focused on the tenets of the Great Crusade, razing entire worlds as if in monument to the unstoppable might of Humanity. This righteousness took on new meaning with growth of the Lectitio Divinitatus and the dawning of the Horus Heresy.Pre-battle audio logs obtained from Legio Defensor briefings during the early years of the conflict make numerous mentions to the Emperor as a divine being. Further investigation notes propaganda, disseminated both amongst the ranks of the Legio Defensor and upon Satyraes XII, framed the Warmaster Horus' actions as a desire to topple the Emperor and claim godhood in His place.To the Legio Defensor, the conflict was a battle for the soul of Humanity, a belief only strengthened in light of the emergence of Warp denizens alongside the Warmaster's forces and the horrific physical transformations exhibited by many Traitor Titan Legions.The Nova Guard held no mercy for those who turned against the Emperor, willingly or otherwise, and the Titan Legion soon earned a fearsome reputation for the brutal nature with which it pursued its foes.Events such as the Tarren Suppression highlight the zealotry that took hold within the Titan Legion's ranks. Tasked with bringing retribution down upon the leaders of the world of Tarren for having sided with the Traitor forces, the Legio Defensor made extensive use of both Warlord and Warbringer Nemesis Titans in their initial assault, condemning entire cities to a fiery demise as an example to all who strayed from the Emperor's side.Any further displays of anti-Imperium sentiment were dealt similar fates and soon the Nova Guard held onto the world as much by fear as by strength, having cowed the population into subservience, lest tens of thousands die for the transgressions of a single individual.The iron grip with which the Legio Defensor ruled the planet was only relinquished upon the arrival of a detachment of Emperor's Children accompanied by elements of the Legio Mortis, an arrival seen by the population of Tarren as a liberation rather than invasion.If reports from Tarren are to be believed, the Nova Guard upon the planet were destroyed not by the invading Traitors but by the actions of its own princeps who, after several solar weeks of conflict and numerous casualties, deemed their position untenable.Thus, in an action of tactical spite, the few remaining Titans of the Legio Defensor overloaded their reactors in close proximity to vital sections of the planet's power grid, reducing much of its infrastructure to rubble.The final words of the commanding princeps, issued across the planet so all could hear, simply stated that "If you wish to stray from the Emperor's light, then it is darkness you shall have."
Legio Defensor - Legion Traits: In the waning days of the Great Crusade and the first years of the Horus Heresy, the teachings of the Lectitio Divinitatus began to take root within the armies of the Imperium. Of all of the Titan Legions, the Legio Defensor, or Nova Guard, contained large numbers of those sworn to the nascent Imperial Creed, and its princeps were well-known for their righteous wrath.Many Legio Defensor princeps felt rage rise within them when battle was joined against a Traitor force. Transmitted through the MIU, this hatred reached down into their Titan's Plasma Reactors, and the burning heart of the god-engine increased the Titan's power output. The Legio Defensor had a well-deserved reputation for standing their ground, no matter the odds. These qualities were among those that drew the praise of the Emperor Himself, and earned them many honours during the Great Crusade.Utterly devoted to the Emperor, the Nova Guard rarely gave ground in the face of Traitors, preferring to martyr themselves than fail their divine master. Death is preferable to defeat in the mind of many Legio Defensor princeps. Even as their Titan burns around them, they will fight on if it means exacting their vengeance.It has been noted that many princeps have commanded their god-engines for solar decades, and are able to control their Titans in ways that seem almost preternatural to their enemies. Some princeps are beacons of the Imperial cause, and when their Titan strides onto the field of battle, their allies grow ever more resolute.Often during the Horus Heresy, when a Nova Guard princeps recognised the heraldry of a particularly hated foe, they would ignore all other enemies in their sights and unleash a torrent of weapons fire against their chosen adversary, pushing their Titan hard to score the first hit.Many Warlord Titans of the Nova Guard often marched into battle fitted with devotional war sirens. These blaring speakers issued forth Lectitio Divinitatus devotional chants and sermons on the divine glory of the Emperor, filling their brothers with renewed hope and purpose.
Legio Defensor - Notable Titans: Vengeful Scion (Warlord-class Titan)- Vengeful Scion, as shown above before the Battle for the Carthega Telepathica, went on to survive the horrors of Beta Garmon and joined the final defence of Terra against the Warmaster during the epic Siege of Terra. That this Warlord endured, when so many of its brethren did not, became just another sign to the believers within the Legio that the Emperor was watching over them. The Vengeful Scion was to become a relic of those dark days, and centuries later, its hull resplendent in the icons of the faith, it continued to wage war for the Emperor as He sat upon His Golden Throne.Horns of Satyraes (Reaver-class Titan) - After the first battles for Beta-Garmon III, the Nova Guard tightened its defensive lines around the hive cities. Horns of Satyraes, depicted above, fought on Beta Garmon III. It was one of several Titans sent to hunt down Sons of Horus and Iron Warriors siege battalions, the Titan's heavy weaponry powerful enough to target Termite breeching vehicles beneath the earth. For days, the Titan and its maniple hunted these interlopers, some defending against overland assault, others using their potent auspexes to track the ghostly shadows of companies tunneling beneath their feet.Beast Lord (Warhound-class Titan) - True to the teachings of the Collegia Titanica, in battle doctrine at least, the Nova Guard favoured the Axiom Maniple configuration for its versatility and resilience. Beast Lord was typical of the Warhounds of these maniples, armed with Turbo-Laser Destructor and Plasma Blastgun to engage the most common enemy of the Axiom -- another Titan maniple. In this capacity, the Beast Lord preyed upon the weak and damaged among their adversaries. Unlike other Legions, however, the Nova Guard readily embraced the virtues of sacrifice, Titans like the Beast Lord regularly shielding their Princeps Seniores from harm with their hulls.Alacrity of Thought - A Rapier-class Scout Titan of the Legio Defensor that was destroyed on Beta-Garmon III during the Horus Heresy.
Legio Defensor - Notable Personnel: Guillame Ferré - Guillame Ferré was the commanding princeps majoris of the Legio Defensor 3rd Maniple that fought on Beta-Garmon III during the Horus Heresy.
Legio Defensor - Knight Houses: House BeaumarisHouse VyroniiHouse Sterlund
Legio Defensor - Space Marines: Word Bearers (Pre-Heresy)
Legio Defensor - Legion Strength: As a Secundus-grade Titan Legion at the onset of the Horus Heresy, the Legio Defensor stood 136 god-engines strong. In war, it relied upon the employment of heavier weaponry, favouring the deployment of Battle Titans.In accordance with such doctrines, nearly two-thirds of the Titan Legion's strength lay in Warlord-class Battle Titans, with much of its remaining numbers consisting of Reaver and Nightgaunt types.The employment of Warhound-class Scout Titans was a rarity within the Legio Defensor, with the Titan Legion recording roughly two dozen of their numbers, spread across Warhound, Rapier and Jackal-class Titans, in active service at the onset of the Horus Heresy, all of which showed heavy preference towards flame and plasma weaponry.The Legio Defensor was capable of fielding at least one Imperator-class Titan, which was recorded as having undergone extensive retrofitting in the early days of the Horus Heresy so that it bore decorative structures designed to praise the Emperor upon its shoulders.
Legio Defensor - Legion Colours: The colours of the Nova Guard are white, black and green with gold highlights.
Legio Defensor - Legion Badge: Originally, the Legio's livery was the twin sunburst motif, which depicted the twin suns of their homeworld of Satyraes XII which would later become the Emperor's divine crown of light after their incorporation within the Imperial forces. Despite the rise in popularity of the Lectitio Divinitatus among the ranks of the Legio Defensor, the prominent displaying of its religious iconography was still strictly prohibited by the Collegia Titanica at the time of the Great Crusade.During the battles of the Beta Garmon campaign in the Horus Heresy, the Legio bore the symbols of their homeworld Satyraes XII. Central to the Legio's heraldry of Satyraes is the stag, its skull lit by the Forge World's two suns. Legends among the Legio tell of a time when the people of Satyraes worshipped their great forest stags as gods, now believed by the Satyrii to be a forerunner manifestation of the Emperor.Beneath these icons of old Satyraes, skulls indicate the Titan's battlefield victories, while the signum nobilis details its maniple and rank laid out in the form of axe blade icons.
Legio Defensor - Trivia: The 1st Edition Nova Guard's badge was depicted as a red sunburst, centred on top of an orange sun. Below the red sunburst was a letter "D" (possibly a reference to the High Gothic numeral for the number 500). Below these was a vertical line of three skulls. The background field was halved, with green on the left and a lighter greenish-brown on the right.
Legio Defensor - Sources: Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Rulebook (Specialty Game), pp. 7, 17, 50-51, 76-77, 89Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Titandeath (Specialty Game), pp. 14-17, 24-28, 72-73, 78-79, 91-95Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Loyalist Legios (Specialty Game), pp. 48-52White Dwarf 108 (UK), "'Eavy Metal", pg. 76Titandeath (Novel) by Guy Haley, Chs. 14, 16Warhammer Community - Titandeath: The Legions of the War for Beta-Garmon (19 Jan 2019)
Legio Destructor - Legio Destructor: The Legio Destructor ("Beasts of Steel") is a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica.
Legio Destructor - Legion History: The Beasts of Steel are one of the Imperium of Mankind's largest Titan Legions, comprising over 100 Titans of all classes.This is unsurprising as the Legio Destructor's home Forge World of Accatran, which is located in the Ultima Segmentum, lies within a hundred light years of the Wheel of Fire and at the very edge of the Ork Empire of Charadon.Led by their eccentric Grand Master Thaedius Wilson the Legio Destructor has sallied forth to stave off numerous Ork WAAAGH!s issuing from the Wheel of Fire or the Charadon Empire. Consequently, the Legion spends much of its time building up its strength to resist the next avalanche of maniac Ork warriors and war machines.It is murmured in some areas of the Adeptus Mechanicus that the constant exposure to Ork attacks has made the Legio Destructor increasingly "Ork-like" in its outlook and behaviour, particularly in its attitude to combat. The Princeps and crews of the Legio Destructor hunger for battle with an unusual exuberance.So far this thirst for battle has been viewed as a useful attribute, particularly against foes other than Orks who find the Legion a highly unsettling opponent. Even the Fabricator General of Mars expressed surprise when he first learned that this Legion's crewmen had outfitted their war machines with amplifiers so that they could reply to the Orks' war cries with their Legion's own somewhat simple-minded battle chant.
Legio Destructor - Notable Titan Battle Groups: Legio Destructor "Redempta" Battle Group - This notable Titan battle group took part in the Thermopylae Scouring. The weapon fit of this battle group added to the worries of Imperial command that the Beasts of Steel were becoming more "Orky" with every battle, enjoying the prospect of battling close up to the enemy. The mixture of short ranged weapons and high rate of fire allowed the battle group to stave off a Chaos attack for thirteen solar days, allowing reinforcements to arrive and annihilate the Chaos horde.
Legio Destructor - Notable Titans: Death Monger - A Warlord-class Titan of the "Redempta" battlegroup that participated in the Thermopylae Scouring.Doomlord - A Warlord-class Titan of the "Redempta" Battle Group that participated in the Thermopylae Scouring.Deathfiend - A Warlord-class Titan of the "Redempta" Battle Group that participated in the Thermopylae Scouring. The Deathfiend is noted for breaking out of the defensive position that the battle group took to combat the Khornate Banelord and Lord of Battles Chaos Titans, destroying them with Melta Cannon fire and viscious melee blows dealt with its Titan-sized Chainfist.
Legio Destructor - Notable Personnel: Thaedius Wilson - The eccentric Grand Master of the Order responsible for and approving of the Legion's unusual attitude to battle.Princeps Graine - Legio Destructor Princeps who attended an assembly of the Titan Legions' representatives on Mars dubbed the Council of Tharsis, shortly before the outbreak of open hostilities on the Red Planet during the Schism of Mars. Graine was encased in a life-sustaining exoskeleton.Princeps Leonidas - Leonidas was the commander of the "Redempta" Battle Group during the Thermopylae Scouring.
Legio Destructor - Legion Colours: This Titan Legion's colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Legio Destructor - Legion Badge: The Legio Destructor's Legion badge is a winged Adeptus Mechanicus skull, centred in front of the sacred Cog Mechanicum, with two crossed Omnissian Pattern axes pointed downwards.
Legio Dominatus - Legio Dominatus: The Legio Dominatus is a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, one of the military arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. It served as part of the Imperial Crusade fleet led by the Dark Angels Supreme Grand Master Azrael to the Space Wolves Chapter's homeworld of Fenris in ca. 999.M41 to take part in the campaign remembered as the Siege of the Fenris System.
Legio Dominatus - Legion Colours: The Legio Dominatus' colours are unknown.
Legio Dominatus - Legion Badge: The badge of the Legio Dominatus is unknown.
Legio Excruciata - Legio Excruciata: Legio ExcruciataTitan LegionsForge WorldMarsSol SystemSegmentum SolarFollowing the cataclysmic events of the Horus Heresy and the Schism of Mars, much of the Legion's history has been lost, so very little information remains about the original Titan Legion bearing that name.That the Legio Excruciata is still remembered at all is due to the valiant efforts of a Loyalist group of Mechanicum rebels known as the Omnissian Faithful.Abandoned by other Imperial forces, this well-organised group of Mechanicum Loyalists under the guidance of Lexorcist Raman Synk conducted several daring raids and acts of sabotage aimed at reducing the Dark Mechanicum's stockpile of arms and manufacturing capabilities on Mars.Following one of these raids, the Omnissian Faithful were able to capture and purge a single Warlord-class Titan of the Legio Excruciata, the Belladon Ventorum, and use it to wreck havoc amongst the forces of the Traitor Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal.While this Legion shares a similar name with the Traitor Titan Legion called the Legio Excruciatus, it is unclear if both Titan Legions are related as was the case for the Legio Tempestus and the Legio Tempestor or if this is a mere coincidence.
Legio Excruciata - Notable Titans: Belladon Ventorum - A Warlord-class Titan constructed in Mars' Temple-Tarantyne after the Dark Mechanicum's victory in the Schism of Mars, Belladon Ventorum was a newly-commissioned Mars-Alpha Pattern Warlord originally intended as reinforcement for the Traitor Titan Legions when they would push on to Terra. Following the destruction of its sister-engine, Ajax Abominata, Belladon Ventorum was the first to react to the sabotage action but arrived too late to stop the Loyalist Mechanicum forces from escaping. Having been activated, Belladon Ventorum quickly joined the search for the Loyalist base, but was infected by the Tabula Myriad artificial general intelligence which battled and vanquished the daemon controlling the Traitor Titan before turning the Warlord’s guns on the remaining troops of the Dark Mechanicum. Belladon Ventorum was subsequently claimed by the Omnissian Faithful, now allied to the Tabula Myriad, and would conduct a one-engine war on the rest of Mars. Belladon Ventorum’s first target was the armour depot of the Legio Vendettica in the eastern part of the Mare Hadriacum.
Legio Excruciata - Notable Personnel: Princeps Kallistra Lennox - Although it is unclear from which Titan Legion she originally hailed, Princeps Kallistra Lennox was left stranded on Mars at the time of the Schism of Mars. Ripping out her bionic eye and burning out her plug-in-sockets as soon as she realised that the Chaos scrap-code propagated itself through the implants' link to the Mechanicum's Noosphere and other planetary Cogitator networks, Princeps Lennox attempted to join the Loyalist evacuation effort, but arrived too late to be transported to Terra. Intent on continuing the fight against the Traitors of the Dark Mechanicum, Lennox joined several reistance cells, always escaping their destruction by the agents of Kelbor-Hal before joining up with the Omnissian Faithful. Rising quickly through the ranks thanks to her military mind and experience on the battlefield, Princeps Lennox was put in charge of a strike team which proved itself a thorn in the Traitors' side. It was her team that successfully sabotaged the Warlord-class Titan Ajax Abominata at the very heart of the Titan yards of the Temple-Tarantyne. With the capture of Belladon Ventorum, Lennox's rag-tag band of fighters would become the crew of the newly acquired Titan and lead it into battle allied with the Tabula Myriad.
Legio Excruciata - Legion Colours: The Legio Excruciata’s colours are not listed in Imperial records.
Legio Excruciata - Legion Badge: The Legio Excruciata’s Legion Badge currently remains unknown in Imperial records.
Legio Excruciatus - Legio Excruciatus: The Legio Excruciatus is a Traitor Titan Legion of the Dark Mechanicus in the service of Chaos. The Legio Excruciatus was once a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, but it shamefully betrayed the Imperium of Man and repudiated its oaths to the Emperor to serve the Ruinous Powers, joining the ranks of the infamous Traitor Titan Legions. There is very little information in Imperial records about this Titan Legion, including when it was founded and what Forge World they originally hailed from, though it is presumed to have been founded before the Horus Heresy. It is assumed it resides within the Eye of Terror along with the majority of the Forces of Chaos. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
Legio Excruciatus - Notable Campaigns: Iconoclasm of Eydolim (946.M41) - The Legio Excruciatus supported the Foresworn splinter warband of the Word Bearers Legion in their quest to raze the Shrine World of Eydolim, which they helped to create millenia ago, in the days of the Great Crusade. The Legio Excruciatus took part in a number engagements throughout the campaign, most notably in the final assault on Eydol City, the capital of Eydolim, as described above.
Legio Excruciatus - Notable Legion Titans: Blasphemous Rex - Blasphemous Rex was a Warhound-class Titan of the Legio Excruciatus and part of Squadron Beta-II-XII, the so-called "Helldogs". This pack of Chaos Warhounds has a long and storied history, detailing ten thousand years of atrocities against the Imperium. The Helldogs took part in the final battle for Eydol City, the capital of Eydolim, where they supported the Forces of Chaos and threatened the Imperial defenders' flank. Blasphemous Rex was the first war engine of this squadron to fall in battle since they turned to the worship of Chaos.
Legio Excruciatus - Notable Legion Personnel: None listed in current Imperial records.