Legio III: Spears of Eternity

Legio III: Spears of Eternity

Primarch's Name: Zaeed
Homeworld: Qirac
Background: Fighter
Psychic Potential: Normal
Gene-seed: Unstable
Talent: Storm bringer
Legio III: Spears of Eternity
Colors: Khaki and Olive Drab
Battle Cry: A storm of blades descends upon you!

Primarch History

The third primarch, Zaeed, landed on the medieval world Qirac where he was discovered by a monastic order dedicated to the study of astrology – the monks had tracked the arrival of Zaeed’s gestation pod through the stars and calculated where it would come to ground. Surprised to discover a child at the impact site the monks took him in and concealed his origins from outsiders. The monks discovered that the child possessed an incredible intellect and he quickly mastered the esoteric semi-scientific teachings of the order. The teachings of the monks also informed Zaeed greatly of the outside world, philosophy and sciences and the necessity of secrecy in the face of the Embrace, the oppressive theocracy that held dominion over all of Qirac. Even forewarned and with great care, the Order was discovered by the agents of the Embrace and Zaeed forced to flee while his ersatz family was slain as an example of those who defy the power and will of the Embrace.

Determined to end the tyranny and fear fostered by the Embrace, Zaeed took to the desert wastes and shadowy slums of Qirac, spreading the beliefs of the Order and gaining allies and supporters. The young primarch lead small bands shadow warriors to strike at the Embrace without warning and disappearing without a trace. The example Zaeed set inspired many to emulate his example, striking the Embrace and fading before retaliation could fall upon them. Not all who battled the Embrace did so with arms as did Zaeed and his warriors – many spread the beliefs and teachings of the Order among the people undermining the corrupt ideology of the Embrace with enlightenment and proper education.

Under attack from every side with a foe they could not bring to grips the Embrace as all oppressive governments do, resorted to savage retaliation against the guilty and innocent alike. Even the horrors and brutality of the Embrace’s worst could not sway Zaeed from his course and in less than a decade, the Embrace was swept aside in a bloody purge that left not one survivor of the Embrace’s remaining membership and adherents. Now with a whole world to run and shape, Zaeed remade it in his own image by establishing schools and universities dedicated to the study of the works of the Order. Science and philosophy made huge leaps forward under Zaeed’s secular humanist regime when the first Imperial scout ships arrived over Qirac.

The two sides experienced no strife or threats of war for when the Emperor set foot on Qirac for the first time Zaeed recognized his father and embraced him before swearing himself and his world to the service of the Imperium. Zaeed then promptly took command of the Third Legion and christened them the Spears of Eternity as a tribute to the favored weapon of his insurgency and an acknowledgment of one of the principles of the Order’s teachings.

Legion Organization

The Spears of Eternity are less strictly hierarchal than other legions to represent their more fluid hit-and-run style of combat. The Legion’s warriors are arranged into the 10,000 strong Tumen commanded by a Burseg, the 1,000 strong Myangat commanded by a Caid, the 100 strong Zuut commanded by a Bator, and the 10 strong Aravt commanded by a Murad.

The most notable deviation from regular legion organization is the assignment of a Sihrmagus to each Aravt. The Sihrmagi as a whole correspond roughly to the Librarians of other legions but are individually less powerful. The high number of Sihrmagi is explained by the fact that most Sihrmagi, especially at the Aravt level are not strictly speaking, psychic. Through a quirk of Zaeed's genetics, a number of his astartes display the ability to exist as conduits and channels for psykers while having little or no psychic potential themselves.

Thus when the common Sihrmagi or Ah-Sihrmagi is relatively near the presence of their Primarch or a powerful Zu-or My-Sihrmagi whose powers are comparable to a regular librarian's, the Ah-Sihrmagi can tap into their psychic potential at a much reduced level.

The Ah-Sihrmagi powers and purpose are far more tactically oriented, using their powers to stir up fog banks, dust clouds and storms to conceal and disguise the movements of the Legion during combat as opposed to striking with bolts of lightning or fireballs. While Zu-Sihrmagi, My-Sihrmagi, or Tu-Sihrmagi can utilize such offensive powers. In the absence of Zaeed or higher level Sihrmagi, the Ah-Sihrmagi's powers are greatly reduced or even on existent.

To compensate for this the legion will gather a collection of mortal pykers to provide the psychic power for the Ah-Sihrmagi to draw upon. Unlike Zu, My, or Tu-Sihrmagi the collection of mortal psykers are not able or prepared to handle the strain of the Ah-Sihrmagi conduit-connection and will suffer ill effects and death as a result of the process.

For a time the Sihrmagi functioned not only as Librarians but as Chaplains as well, providing ethical and philosophical reinforcement to their Aravt in addition to wielding their powers in combat. This practice was ended after the repeated objections of Nyxos of the Grim Angels forced the separation of the two positions. Though diminished in total authority the Sihrmagi still practice astrology as a means of predicting and understanding the weather, climate and very nature of the world they find themselves warring upon. Chaplains nominally provide the morale-reinforcement of the Legion, but the interference by Nyxos and the cross-training the Chaplains must undergo with the Grim Angels sets them apart from their brothers.

Combat Doctrine

The hit-and-run philosophy of the Spears of Eternity is centered on the infantry primarily mounted in Rhinos whose smoke launchers work closely with the powers of the Sihrmagi. The mechanized infantry in the Rhinos are supported by small detachments of assault marines and Jetbike or Attack Chariot squadrons. Tanks and Land Raiders loaded with Terminators are used as a hammer held in reserve to shatter reinforced positions that can resist the attacks of the main striking force.

The favored personal weapons of the Spears of Eternity are, unsurprisingly polearms especially those with curved blades to allow for slashing and stabbing with equal capability. In keeping with their focus on concealment, the Spears of Eternity wear robes when going into combat – rather than made of simple cloth the robes are made of special materials that dynamically adapt to their background when active but does not render the wearers invisible, only harder to spot from a distance.

Legion Beliefs and Practices

The Spears of Eternity cleaved to an ideology not too far removed from the Imperial Truth, though still linked to Qirac’s native mysticism and astrological roots. The legion’s makeup still regularly relies on astrological interpretation of the movement of planets, suns, moons and stars to try and anticipate future events by observing and interpreting the mechanics of the universe.

At some point late in the Great Crusade, the Legion’s former ideology has been supplanted (or, as some amongst the Spears would say, supplemented) by a hereto unexpected belief in the Emperor’s divine nature. It is not clear where or how this belief took root, though various sources suggested that it originated with the mortal crews and Legion remembrancers, before spreading to the warriors of the Third and eventually finding a willing listener with the Primarch himself.

Interestingly, the Legion does not consider itself a proselytizing force. As Qirac’s mystical traditions dictate, a soul is only ready for enlightenment after overcoming a variety of trials of wit, faith, and purity. Consequently, only the willing participants are admitted into the higher mysteries of the Faith, and any new adherent is expected to spend much time in self-contemplation, meditation, and reflection before undergoing the initiation ceremony and fully becoming one of the flock. This slow, methodical, and philosophical bent of the Legion’s beliefs ensured that it never interfered with the Third’s duties during the Great Crusade. Further, it allowed the Spears to skirt the boundary between outright forbidden religious worship, and idiosyncratic yet acceptable rituals typically kept within the Legion.

Recruitment and Flaws

The recruitment process of Spears of Eternity is strictly limited to Qirac, where the agents of the Legion begin identifying potential recruits at birth and in the earliest stages of education in the school system. Once the candidates are of appropriate age they are courted by the recruiters and taken to the Legion’s Great Bastion for training and induction. The selection process must be meticulous and selective as a result of the quirks and peculiarities of Zaeed’s genetic heritage that makes successful implantation and elevation of initiates to full Astartes slower and more difficult than most others.

Ah-Sihr-Khal

The Legiones Astartes are well-known for their association with death, not only in its application but in the rituals, imagery, and cultural connections it holds. Many legions are known for barbaric practices involving trophy-taking and the collection of severed heads for various reasons, but the Spears of Eternity stand apart even from this in that the severed heads they carry are still technically alive.

The items the sons of Zaeed call Ah-Sihr-Khal are some of their most prized, most useful and most misunderstand possessions. At the heart of each Ah-Sihr-Khal is the severed head of a living psyker, surgically removed from the body and subjected to a very specialized form of servitorization before being preserved in an armored cask that protects and preserves the still living head. Often the head is stripped of flesh as well except for the skull and most critical nervous and support tissues, and it is then layered in richly decorated silver with golden orbs for eyes. These casks are carried most often by Ah-Sihrmagi who cannot have a retinue of mortal support psykers to provide them with power to draw upon, and so the Ah-Sihr-Khal acts as a much more portable, if more limited source of warp-power.

Even knowing their function and origin, it is easy to see how many Imperial citizens, mortals and Astartes alike, are discomforted by the Ah-Sihr-Khal...to say nothing of the inhabitants of more primitive cultures and non-Compliant worlds...

During Heresy

The Third Legion was located close to Terra in the final days of the civil war, however, shortly before the Fall of Terra it mysteriously disappeared. Some among the Council Legions accused the Spears of cowardice, while others wondered if they were involved in some clandestine operations on the edges of known space, though it is unclear who would have had the authority to order them in this manner.

The truth was considerably more complicated. As one of the few Legions that enjoyed the Emperor's complete trust, the Spears allied themselves to Malcador in the days of Council rule, and served as guardians of Malcador's fallback plan – Imperium Secundus. If Terra was to fall, their mission was to protect the Imperial Remnant and to ensure that the Emperor, and as much of the old government as possible, could resume their war against Chaos from a new, secret location. Even the Third Legion's apparent belief in the Emperor's divinity did little to dissuade Malcador from using them as a trustworthy, clandestine force to protect the Emperor's backup plan.

Unfortunately, Nyxos of Grim Angels learned of the endeavor. In a lightning campaign behind the enemy lines, the Grim Angels assaulted their former allies, overtaking what they could of the Imperium Secundus and scuttling everything of value to their own hideouts. Though the Spears of Eternity suffered significant casualties, their entire strength was not yet spent; as a result, they became a wandering Legion that continued to serve the Imperial Creed from their homeworld of Qirac, yet allying themselves with neither Chaos nor the Council.

A curious rumor persisted amongst both Loyalist and Traitor ranks after the Fall of Terra. Though the Legion was present in strength near the Sol System, it did not participate in the final defense of the throne world. However, the Spears were seen as operating at or near Terra itself, last observed hurriedly leaving the system en masse before the final Traitor assault. Curiously, their forces seemed to leave with only minimal Traitor interference, leading some to believe that perhaps they were spiriting something... or someone... away...

Post-Heresy

The sons of Qirac maintained their quasi-religious outlook even after the Fall of Terra, however, their beliefs took on a decidedly apocalyptic and even zealous bent. Though they still believe in the Emperor's divinity, they maintain that the events at Terra were necessary to strengthen it, and that the true, terrible form of their god would return at the End Times. Then, all of humanity would be judged, and those who strayed from the righteous path would suffer for all of their transgressions.

The Third Legion maintains a small empire of worlds near Qirac, but treats it as extended recruitment grounds rather than as a star realm. Instead, most of the Legion strength is spent on wars of aggressive proselytization geared equally against the Chaos forces and Rogr Hemri's Imperial Remnant. Where the Legion was once content with allowing the new recruits and converts to fully comprehend the teachings of the Faith, slowly easing into those beliefs, the Third Legion became adamant and unforgiving in their religious zeal, demanding complete and unconditional conversion from any world they encounter and overtake. These campaigns are often hurried and frantic, pushed far beyond the boundaries of all tactical and strategic sense almost as if the Spears of Eternity are desperately racing against time…

This shift in mentality did not go unnoticed by the other Imperial successor states, whose dealings with the Spears of Eternity are characteristically tense and often violent where they come at cross purposes. Though the Legion is adamant about converting all “profligate” humans to its brand of apocalyptic Faith, the commanders of the Third are notoriously tight-lipped about any more elaborate aspects of their religion. It is thought that the Legion had retained the system of only initiating the veterans and the officers into the deeper mysteries of the Faith, leaving outsiders guessing as to what those mysteries might entail, or what might be driving the Spears’ actions.

It is certainly true that the higher-ranking warriors of the Third Legion exhibit abilities considerably beyond even the rugged physiology of the Adeptus Astartes. Some are known to shrug off or heal wounds that should have ended them on the spot, while others suddenly and temporarily manifested wings of incorporeal light or blinding auras that only seemed to harm creatures of Chaos. The rank-and-file warriors of the Spears believe that these “miracles” are the proof of the Faith, and redouble their efforts when one of their leaders is clearly blessed by the God-Emperor.

Zaeed himself remains the Legion’s leader, and, unlike most of his surviving brothers, tends to take a very active role in the Legion’s affairs. More than once, the Spears’ desperate campaigns were saved from utter disaster by the Primarch’s personal intervention at the head of his Sihrmagi, often leading throngs of mortals willing to lay their lives for the promise of spiritual salvation. With Zaeed at the head of the maddened fanatical warriors, they are difficult to stop, especially as the Primarch himself seems to have changed.

In addition to his already imposing stature as one of the Emperor’s heirs, Zaeed is now a winged, beautiful and terrifying being permanently wreathed in an aura of light. It is said that to those pure of heart, the aura appears as a soft, pleasant glow; to those tainted by Chaos or otherwise corrupt, the aura is a blinding flash of violent lightning too powerful for their eyes to witness. In battle, the light has been known to turn away blows that should have wounded Titans, inexplicably stopping projectiles and blades or causing foul magicks of Chaos to dissipate in its presence. With every century, Zaeed seems less a man and more a titan of legend, growing taller in stature and somehow reminiscent of a presence from another age...