Militarum Tempestus - Tempestus Scions: Shock assault troops without peer, Tempestus Scions are elite special operations soldiers used to enact missions that the regular Imperial Guard cannot accomplish alone. Scions have undergone a brutally uncompromising training regime and are armed with some of the best weaponry available to the Astra Militarum.Their violent potential is enhanced by rigid discipline, so that the dictates of their superiors are enacted swiftly and accurately, regardless of how inhuman such orders may seem. Scions are trained to ensure that commands are carried out with a merciless pragmatism.Moreover, their indoctrinated sense of obedience and duty overrides any instincts of personal safety. No matter what the foe or the challenge, no matter how catastrophic the situation, Tempestus Scions will stop at nothing to fulfil their orders. They are fully prepared to sacrifice their own lives in the process so long as it sees their mission completed.These indomitable warriors depend upon their commanders like a Lasgun depends upon a trigger. Those among their number who show exceptional qualities in battle may rise to the rank of Tempestor or Tempestor Prime, where they give orders as well as follow them, ensuring that there is never a break in the chain of command.Having committed to memory thousands of military doctrines learned in the Schola Progenium, a Tempestor Prime is able to guide their squads on the ground, effortlessly processing those split-second battlefield decisions that can mean the difference between success and failure. Their efficiency often provides the opportunity for a vital assault or manoeuvre that can push defeat into victory.Even a few squads of Tempestus Scions, precisely deployed, can change the course of a war before many regular regiments have even tied their bootlaces. From standing firm against ravenous Tyranid swarms to striking fast against the undying horrors of a rising Necron Tomb World, Tempestus Scions are unyielding in the prosecution of their goals.These elite warriors may hurl themselves from the ramps of low-flying Valkyries, plunging through smoke-filled skies with Grav-Chutes, or they might infiltrate behind enemy lines to neutralize the foe's reinforcements before the threat is fully realised. Riding aboard Taurox Primes, Tempestus Scions are able to strike into the most inhospitable of war zones.They can traverse all kinds of terrain in order to rescue planetary officials from the midst of a raid. Such is their unwavering loyalty that some Scions are deemed worthy to be assigned as temporary Honour Guards for Imperial officers. On occasion, they have even been selected to escort Inquisitors to and from the Black Ships.As a consequence of the Tempestus Scions' reputation for glorious conduct in battle, the common soldiery of the Imperial Guard often resents or even loathes them. Some of the more ill-disciplined rank and file may exhibit a dangerous insouciance towards orders, and regularly indulge in raucous mess hall antics, so the Scions' unequivocal servitude and absolutism does not endear them to their comrades. In fact, the average Imperial Guardsman sees them as little more than over-privileged bullyboys with their mag-boots on the throats of good, honest soldiers.That Tempestus Scions remain oblivious to such mutterings may be mistaken for arrogance. However, the truth is that they are simply indifferent to the opinions of the common Imperial soldiery, so long as their missions are successful, and they are not kept idle long between deployments.When they are dropped into a war zone, these warriors take to war with equipment every bit as specialised as they are. Garbed in baroque Carapace Armour with moulded plates of armaplas and ceramite that almost entirely cover them, Scions are better able to endure the rigours of battle.The hot-shot weaponry of the Militarum Tempestus lights up enemy bunkers, and their pinpoint fire rips through xenos hides and sears through armour alike. These scalding red lasers, and the greenish glow of visual augmenters cutting through smoke-filled corridors, are often the enemy's first clues that their defences have been breached.Though for many Tempestus Scions, a parade beret will suffice, when a unit fights in particularly inhospitable climates, they will opt for masked Omnishield Helms through which nutrient gruel and oxygen can be piped. Since they rarely experience times of rest between missions, Tempestus Scions take with them the means to sustain themselves.Those who have remained plugged into their masked helmets can go for solar days without needing additional nutrition or sleep. They simply stand side-by-side on their transport between missions in a sort of trance, dormant yet ever alert.Their superiors do not encourage reliance upon these techniques for too long, for in some instances this lack of real sleep can lead to a dependency upon their equipment that can hinder discipline. In extreme cases, such weakness can lead to them being removed from their regiment entirely.Tempestus Scions that have been elevated to the rank of Tempestor Prime may be rewarded with a regimental greatcoat, an item usually associated with Commissars, as an indicator of their shared heritage and the position of command.In addition to this, they carry a skull-crested staff known as a Canna Militarum. These honours of the Schola Progenium are only issued to warriors of true distinction.