Obsidian Wyrms

"We are the Obsidian Wyrms! And that name alone means something in this Imperium. Let the Wolves of Fenris and the Angels of Caliban chase their stars. We will be there to keep the line. Why else would the Emperor call us I say?  We can be counted upon to act like soldiers, not warriors or knights.""- Ancient Horst, Praetor of the Obsidian Wyrms, at the onset of the Rangdan Xenocides"

The Obsidian Wyrms were the second of the Legiones Astartes raised in the troubled days of the Unification Wars of Terra for the coming galactic-wide campaign known as Imperial Compliance. Initially known by the names of The IInd, or the Terra Wardens, the Obsidian Wyrms took part in many of the most brutal and harrowing engagements of the Compliance, displaying valor and distinction. After the discovery of the Primarch Elias Dammerung on the ashen world of Corusco Parva and the reforms that followed, the Second Legion's reputation as an unyielding force grew further, being matched by few.

The current name of the Obsidian Wyrms stems from a specie of intelligent, winged reptilian creatures of the same name native to the mountainous areas of Corusco Parva. The beasts are extremely durable and capable of wiping out a standard platoon of the Imperial Army singlehandedly, but it is their resilience to the malignant effects of the touch of the Warp during the Incursion of Corusco that earned them their place as a totem creature. Like their namesake, Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms are gifted with especially pure Gene-seed largely devoid of mutation or deviancy and highly resistant to damage from exposure to radiation or the equally debilitating effects of the Vortex weaponry championed by the Legion.

The Legion's notable use of Vortex weaponry and derived systems stems from the fact that their adoptive Homeworld was ravaged by the touch of the Immaterium during a Warp Storm that carried with it twisted creatures that sought to extinguish all life. The natives managed to weaponize the storm around them and turn its energies back upon the abominations, which proved instrumental in defeating their incursion, demonstrating their effectiveness and making Elias a proponent of their use. Even now, with the creatures exterminated and the Warp Storm dissipated, considerable knowledge was gleamed in harnessing it.

Despite this dark arsenal and their own ferocious nature, the Second Legion is among those whom greatly value discipline and order over sheer savagery and brute force. Whenever possible, unnecessary collateral damage to the infrastructure and population of worlds targeted for subjugation are avoided and awe is preferred over fear to induce Compliance. The Wyrms largely see themselves as protectors not only of the worlds but also of the people under their jurisdiction and as such afford more attention to the survival and well-being of civilians while Elias seeks to induce an economic and technological renaissance in worlds liberated through the Compliance.

This attitude is also mirrored within the Legion itself as the atmosphere is one of cooperation rather than competition. Obsidian Wyrm astartes put more focus and training on efficient teamwork than on personal glory and dueling skills. Considerable emphasis is also put on honing skills of craftsmanship. Elias' tactics often focus on a mindset of attrition to minimize the losses in men and material to the Legion and its Auxilia and allied forces on the rationale that after the current battle, there will be a hundred more awaiting just around the corner.

Unification Wars
The battles of the Unification Wars were by large brutal and savage affairs, as were the Techno-Barbarian tribes that opposed the Raptor Imperialis. This was an environment in which the equally savage Thunder Warriors thrived but they were deemed as too savage to undertake the long campaign of Imperial Compliance through the stars that would follow, and as such they were to be replaced by the new Legiones Astartes. History would eventually show that for better or worse, many of these Legions would turn out to be no less ruthless and destructive than the Thunder Warriors they were to replace, but at the time there was hope, naïve as it might be, that such brutal methods might at the very least be needed less frequently.

While most of the campaigns thus far had been costly and ravaged the already destitute lands of Terra and these were seen as acceptable losses, some attempts were made to shift this paradigm. One of the most noteworthy of these was the operation to create a beachhead on the Nordmerican continent by the Terra Wardens. An entire ocean of dust and sands separated the Nordmerican continent from the Emperor's base of power around he Himalazian region, which made otherwise simple logistical matters challenging. Making matters even more complex, the Techno-Barbarian tribes of Merica was vast and powerful, and taking them head on would have been a difficult proposition, even without these hurdles.

Before any serious offensive force could be transferred across the sands of the former pacific, a beachhead needed to be established to provide an uncontested landing zone and staging point. The target of this operation was the large Hive City of Losangel in the south-western Merican territories. The Hive city needed to be taken as intact as possible despite its heavy defensive positions and the staggering amount of troops that were expected to be stationed in and around the Hive City. This seemingly impossible task was tentatively assigned to the Terra Wardens, who at the time numbered but five thousand Astarte warriors.

The first short was fired from the inside as carefully inserted infiltration units disguised as warriors of the Merican tribes burst into the central control room of the gargantuan plasma reactor complex that powered the entire Hive City. The guards and technicians were mowed down within seconds and the Astartes of the IInd moved in to manually shut down power. Destroying it would have been faster and impossible to undo in the short term, but the Emperor's new staging ground needed power, and so the reactors needed be taken functional. Still, while the infiltrators would face counter-attacks numerous enough to empty their entire ammunition supplies and force them to trust only in their close combat weapons, the blow had been struck: In one fell swoop, communications, sensors and defensive turrets had all gone dark, as did the very city itself.

It was when all light suddenly vanished that the main force of the Terra Wardens, which had been holding position off the coast, sprung into action under the cover of the night. Vast speeder-barges crossed the remaining kilometers of the dunes at high speed and grounded themselves on the foot of the Hive City, their lethal cargo bursting through each of the major gates with melta charges almost simultaneously. Meanwhile, Storm Eagle gunships converged from above like a hungry pack of vultures, serving as mobile jump and fire support platforms as Assault squads rappelled down onto the upper spires with their jump packs. Under the generalized confusion of the blackout, the two assault forces stormed their way towards the middle-levels under the terrified gazes of the cowering civilians, slaughtering any resistance encountered along the way. When dawn came over Losangel, fighting was already dying down, and next would come the task of defending the newly-conquered Hive City from the nearby Merican forces in the region, but Losangel had been their most major base of operation and their leadership fragmented...

To The Stars
As the Unification Wars drew to a close, the forces of the nascent Imperium began to look outward and begin to cleansing of the Sol System, which had become overrun with mutants, xenos and pirates across its minor worlds and countless satellites. The extent to which the outer reaches of the Sol system had fallen were more pitiful than even the low depths of the post-atomic wars of Terra and demanded immediate rectification. Alongside many others, one of the IInd Legion's first task outside of their homeworld was the cleansing of many of the infested moons of Jupiter and Saturn, where they found not only misshapen mutants, but also entire enslaved populations.

The fact that such things were taking place so close to Terra itself presented an ominous start to the campaign of Compliance. If such depths could be reached right outside of Terra itself, what kind of measures of depravity and ruination would be found further out of the old empire's core? Yet, it did not cause doubt nor hesitation, and instead strengthened the resolve of the Astartes of the IInd Legion. The battles of the countless Jovian and Saturnine moons and orbital habitats were individually relatively easily won and thoug technically Zone Mortalis, the slow, meticulous advance of Breacher Squads throughout dark tunnels and dilapidated habitat hallways left behind nothing but the already spiritially-rotten carcasses of the Mutant and the Xeno slavers, with the muzzle flash of Bolters being the sole source of light in many of these scum-ridden ghost stations.

It is during these early actions that the motto and warcry of the then-Terra Wardens would become crystalized. Thus named as guardians of Old Terra, the Wardens understood that they were no more the protectors of only one world, and that thousands more awaited out there, shriveled with fear and oppression. There as a sense of urgency along that of duty, and so came the one singular, dominant imperative and mindset: "We are those who bring the Light that will banish the Long Night.", often shortened as simply 'Bring Light to the Long Night."

Abominable Menace
Among the first major tasks assigned to the IInd Legion during the early years of the Compliance campaign was the pacification of the Corusco Cluster. The Cluster was a tightly-grouped number of habitable systems not too far from central Terra that spread out Coreward and had been wracked by widespread warp storms until very recently. The Cluster had once been very prosperous, but between the uncertainty of the Long Night and the lingering warp storms that endured even as the galaxy at large quieted, there were no expectations as to what would be found out there. This was especially true when one remembered just how close to Terra itself Xenos and mutant throngs had lurked.

When the Legion first appeared on the outskirts of the Cluster, the first few systems seemed relatively empty and destitute as they encountered a few Feudal and Feral worlds that could not pose any meaningful resistance even if they chose to do so. Initial contact with these worlds however quickly revealed that there was more than met the eyes as the locals spoke fearfully of giants of iron that came from the skies to mine ore, spirit away people, or even at times enacting slaughters as punitive actions for whatever perceived crimes or sins the locals could think of. It quickly became apparent that these 'giants' - most between 2 and 3 meters tall - had come to dominate much of the Cluster, or at the very least these periphery worlds.

The first assessment was that a former colony of the Mechanicum may have decided to extend its influence in isolation, but as scouts of the IInd Legion deployed to survey several of the mines and installations reported by the locals, a much darker truth was revealed. These installations, it seemed, were totally automated with no signs of the red robes of Mars, and the giants themselves resembled Battle-Automata of the College Cybernetica somewhat, but had no accompanying Tech-Priests. This disconcerting absence hinted to an ancient threat thought to be extinct, and immediate action needed to be taken to confirm their nature. Indeed, no chances could be taken.

Countless individual strike groups were organized and deployed covertly with the intention of hitting every single known position simultaneously in order to prevent the machines from alerting one another, or worse: report back to their dark masters. The operation was a massive one that required both great coordination, precision and decisive force. The IInd Legion was able to muster all of these virtues and the targets were no fortresses, but even as second or third-rate locations, to say that they fell -easily- would have been gross misrepresentation. The individual Battle-Automata encountered were resilient enough to soak large amounts of Bolter fire before going down and were only really easily disposed of with heavy or anti-vehicle weapons. On top of their formidable defenses, the Automata were armed with a mix of Phase-Plasma Fusils, Multi-lasers and Rad-cleansers that were a threat to even Astartes and could single-handedly wipe out large groups of lesser combatants.

Once the battlefield settled and the remnants of the Automata were salvaged and studied, differences between them and the Collegia Cybernetica quickly became more numerous than resemblances, and that which had been feared became evident: These machines had been fitted of artificial, individual thought and sentience. Known as Abominable Intelligence, or Silica Animus in High Gothic, there existed few crimes more universally reviled than the creation of such entities. Mere mention of the name invoked dark thoughts and imageries from a war that made even the Long Night seem like a leisurely vacation by comparison to the widespread destruction wrought by the Men of Iron in the 23rd Millenium. And now, it seemed, the Corusco Sector was under the dominion of someone or something which had brought such sentience back.

Closer observation revealed that in addition to the outposts and mines found on the primary worlds of each system, additional installations were found in many other locations from automated excavation missions on dead or frozen worlds and asteroid belts to space stations that served as maintenance and waypoint spots for Voidships. Making sure that no presence of the Silica Animus remained in each system was a task that required patience and meticulousness. There could be no swift victory by smashing at the heart of a dissident empire or crushing its armies in a decisive battle: The systems needed to scoured and searched far and wide, and each and every solitary bastions of the machines needed eradication.

With the first few systems cleansed in a long serie of Zone Mortalis actions, the forces of the IInd Legion began to proceed further inwards into the Corusco Sector. In doing so, they began to encounter the first ships of the enemy. It did not take long from that moment for the treachery to come to light as elements of a Mechanicum Forge World were present aboard each ship encountered. Moreover, these Magos rejected the authority of Mars and therefore deemed the Treaty of Olympus as non-binding and void, casting them in open opposition to the Compliance fleets and their allies. Void Combat broke out, and although they were badly outnumbered the rogue Mechanicum vessels boasted unparalleled accuracy and agility while their hangar decks spewed unmanned Automata-fighters capable of impossible high-G maneuvers and presenting extremely slim, difficult profiles. These Automata-fighters were extremely difficult to pin down by defensive turrets or dogfights and their bombers carried lethal ordnance that could threaten even Imperial capital ships.

The Rogue Forges
As the Compliance advanced onwards and began to encounter proper Civilized Worlds, things didn't change. Worlds that an abundance of resources had been subjugated by the wayward Mechanicum and those that had little to offer had been largely ignored and left to their own devices, but all knew of the their presence, and none dared to openly defy them. On worlds that had grown loyal to their mechanical oppressors, massive fortifications and armies of Battle Automata could be found, and while such worlds were few, they boasted considerable power and proved very challenging for the Astartes of the then-Terra Wardens to take on. Both the fleets and armies of those worlds loyal to the Rogue Mechanicum outclassed them technologically and were just as fearless and relentless as they were.

After long an grueling battles, more worlds of the Corusco Cluster were brought to Compliance, and the existence of two Forge Worlds that refused the authority of Mars were discovered. These were Novae IV - a major Forge World with sprawling orbital shipyards, war-factories and even its own Titan Legions which was the main actor in this union - and Viradel, a somewhat recluse and isolationist Forge World dominated by Genetors of the Organicist faction. Without contest, Novae IV was the heart of this pocket empire of forbidden machines and sentiences, but both of them would need to be brought to Compliance sooner or later, and the battles to achieve this victory would be even more difficult than those the IInd Legion had fought up to this point.

When word of the full extent of what was going on in the Corusco Cluster reached Mars, the official authority of the Mechanicum were predictably infuriated. Nothing short of a Holy War was proclaimed by Mars to bring every weapon to bear to punish their renegade scions. Even with the combined, full might of an Astarte Legion and the unleashed Ordos of Mars, however, progress was slow and costly. In every naval engagement, the fleets of Novae IV could be expected to take on three times their numbers and still come out on top, while on land, the ranks of the Battle-Automatas were strengthened by renegade Titans, but also, similarly genetically-augmented soldiers from Viradel, and even Chimeric, biological warforms that were unleashed as instruments of terror and destruction.

So difficult was the war against the overlords of the Corusco Sector that it had been considered call for contingents of other Legions to come and reinforce the IInd and their Mechanicum allies. Before this could come to pass however, the balance was upset as one particular warp storm disappeared, and a new objective had been added to the list which required the Emperor's direct attention.

Corusco Parva Revealed
In the wake of the warp storm, the previously shrouded world of Corusco Parva became accessible, and the Emperor immediately switched his focus towards the volcanic moon that served as the main world of the system. The reason why became apparent soon enough, as the world seemed to have suffered a large-scale invasion from creatures then unheard which had seemingly been brought by the warp storm itself in some fashion. So severe was the attack that even despite boasting a formidable army, Corusco Parva faced total annihilation at their hand. Such a fate was only averted by the intervention of a mysterious Oracle who had turned the tide and brought the fight to the Abberations.

This Oracle, as fate would have it, was none other than the IInd Legion's Gene-sire. The discovery predictably caused a temporary halt in operations as the newly-found but already bloodied Primarch was given command of the Legion. While other Primarchs enacted wide-sweeping changes to their Legions once reunited, Elias largely kept the Terran doctrine and organization intact, only enacting minor changes and overhauls, which in turn helped smooth the transition of command. This lack of divide would also later prove to be a source of unity for the Legion as Terran inductees and those of Coruscoan stock were able to work together smoothly as brothers with very little cause for internal griefs or quarrels.

Upon further examination though, it was discovered that Corusco Parva had suffered significantly from not only the invasion, but the intense presence of the warp storm itself, with entire regions of its wildlands twisted by the touch of the warp. Of the native fauna and flora of Corusco Parva, only one specie stood in utter defiance of this corrupting mark: The Wyrms of the central Coruscoan mountains. Seemingly untouched and pure despite the horrors the world had been subjected to, they served as a perfect symbol for the Legion, and so it was done. The Terra Wardens would from this day on be known as the Obsidian Wyrms instead, their armors painted black like the scales of the giant beasts.

The discovery of Elias was a fortuitous timing, as the presence of the Primarch, it was hoped, would help break the deadlock and quagmire that had by now envelopped the Corusco Clusters. Barely recovering from the victory against a seemingly undefeatable foe on Corusco Parva, Elias was put in charge of creating yet another miracle against one more utterly indomitable enemy. The Primarch did not only bring experience and Psychically-induced foresight, however. No, with Corusco Parva hesitantly accepting to integrate into the Imperium without a fight by Elias' persuasion, the IInd Legion also received new weapons; weapons of terrible destructive powers that had turned the tide against the Abominations on Corusco Parva. These weapons would now be used against the Silica Animus and the renegade Mechanicum.

Shrouds and Shadows
As the legion was reforming itself and getting used to the presence of its Primarchs, the attached Magi of the Mechanicum analyzed all the data they could compile, and suddenly, a strange anomaly was found from amidst the data. By studying the vectors and routes of the various voidships in the sectors - be they civilian or military - from the cogitators of destroyed or captured vessels, pattern emerged. Indeed, an inordinate amount of 'traffic' was passing by a point in the Cluster where by all logic - and whatever remnants of ancient records could be scrounged - nothing should exist. This anomaly, this dark point in the space lanes of the sector begged attention and investigation, for surely it hid something. Something important.

Sure as the stars in the void, the data did not lie. A sizable fleet of the Obsidian Wyrms and Martian allies entered the system that was the locus of the anomaly and found it heavily defended, with considerable amount of incoming and outgoing freight vessels. Against all odds, it seemed that the Forge World of Viradel existed upon the utterly alien and highly inhospitable surface of a gas dwarf, itself orbiting a no less unusual red giant. By following this lead, the IInd Legion had found one of the two pulsating hearts of the Renegade Mechanicum. Almost instantly, the defending vessels sailed out at full thrust to engage the expeditionary fleet that had emerged from the Warp.

The expeditionary force found itself roughly matched in numbers, which meant that it would have been completely outclassed and easily destroyed by the previous standards the IInd Legion had been working under. It was only thanks to the tactical skills of Praetor Horst, the use of newly deployed Vortex weaponry and an extremely aggressive, all-or-nothing boarding assault that the fleet was able to stand its ground and inflict enough damage to the Renegades to blunt their assault and survive long enough for reinforcements from the rest of the Legion to arrive and turn the tide. The defenders, bloodied, fell back to the defense of their world.

After a second naval engagement, the Renegade fleet unexpectedly pulled back. Though outclassed and unlikely to achieved victory, it was still very much in shape to fight back when it did, suggesting it was either itself awaiting reinforcements, or setting up some sort of trap. Now personally lead by their Primarch and unopposed, the Obsidian Wyrms made planetfall through the thick and dark hydrogen atmosphere of the gas dwarf assumed to be Viradel. What they found at the surface was the stuff of the nightmares of lesser men; perpetually dark lands drowned in shadows and colors, blurred and misdirecting, but most importantly... hiding terrible Chimeras and Gholam warforms in its wilds. These were Astartes, however, not lesser men, and lumen pierced the thick, dark blue shadows like banishing lances of light as they made steady advance.

The nature of the world obscured all sensor and auspex readings, and the only way to find the Forge Cities hiding within - if they indeed were there - was the old fashioned way, which would have been a extremely tedious task requiring fragmenting the legion in countless small search parties. This was without accounting for the unnatural instincts and foresight of the Grand Wyrm, Elias, who was able to sense the location of Viradel's primary Forge City amidst the roiling gases and shadows. The task force landed in strength, but was assailed by much greater numbers of Chimeras than ever seen before. Bolts and energy weapons roared, muzzle flashes and arcs lighting up the shadows as surely as lumens. Thankfully, the utter lack of oxygen in the atmosphere meant that even this concentrated weapons fire could not ignite the otherwise extremely flammable hydrogen all around then.

As the number of Chimeras - and then their sheer scope, size and twisted savagery - increased, one thing seemed to become clear: The rogue Mechanicum had allowed the Obsidian Wyrms to land on purpose in order to unleash these creatures upon them personally. All notion of time was lost upon the shrouded surface of Viradel, its giant red star struggling to pierce the gases, but eventually, the flow of Chimeras seemed to thin. In their stead came new horrors: Gholams as tall as Imperial Titans, but made of flesh, bone and chitin. These abominations had been created for one purpose and one only: To break entire armies. Each shared unbelievable durability, but their individual abilities varied, with some seemingly displaying regeneration even in the midst of combat, while others could unleash dazing psychic shrieks, and yet others combined fleshcraft with cybernetics to project fields that disrupted electronics, sounds, or even repelled projectiles entirely. All had some form of massive natural melee weaponry, but they were also diverse in their means of killing. Some could belch torrents of acids, others discharging bolts of bio-electricity, while yet others simply mounted Titan-grade weaponry upon their colossal skeletons.

In this crucible, the IInd Legion held firm with its Primarch, and after a long and excruciating fight, the titanic chimeras no longer emerged from the shadows. After a moment of uneasy silence, what came next was no more twisted aberration, but emissaries who bore a most unexpected message: The Archmagos Intendent desired an audience with the Primarch. Under heavy escort of Terminators and wary of traps, Elias accepted and was lead through the gigantic gates of Laboratorium Umbra. There, the Archmagos - an ancient Genetor by the name of Yersinia Kadheron - revealed that he had been positively impressed by the performance of the Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms and that their ability to take down even his most fearsome creations was humbling proof that there was yet more to learn and that he was willing to stand down if allowed to study their template and a few more conditions were respected. An hour of sharp negotiations and battles of wits ensued, but in the end, Forge World Viradel accepted to acknowledge the authority of the Obsidian Wyrms - and by proxy, Terra - without further conflict.

Heart of the Machine
With one of the rogue Forge Worlds taken care of, the various expeditionary fleets and splinter taskforces that made up the IInd Legion and its allies, all under the watchful gaze of the Golden Fleet, converged towards the location of Novae IV, now positively confirmed by the Archmagos of Viradel. So significant was the threat of the Silica Animus that the Emperor himself had decided to remain in the Cluster and keep a close eye on the proceedings, half appraising the capabilities of the newly-reformed Legion, half prepared to step in and take over at any moment if needed be.

It was decided that there was no need to waste precious time and resources on costly ground assaults on every planet along the way if by taking out the central command, the Battle-Automata may be deactivated, rendering said planets much easier to conquer at a later time. Soldiers and equipment would be saved for the decisive battle on Novae IV, and the decision would soon prove vindicated, but the naval squadrons encountered along the way still needed to be defeated. As the Armada converged towards the Renegade Forge World, its fleets went from battle to battle, suffering damage and attrition along the way as well as expending valuable ordnance and supplies. When the Forge World could finally be reached proper, a considerable portion of the Imperial Armada was sporting unrepaired battle damage, with many ships being crippled or taken out of action entirely pending major repairs.

Unlike Viradel, Novae IV was a conventional planet of cold, boreal biomes orbiting a conventional K-type main sequence yellow star. What was not conventional about the system was that it laid in a nebula which interfered with navigation, and to a lesser degree sensors. It was far from the opaque shrouds of Viradel, but the interferences would prove an hindrance nonetheless, and it was a foregone conclusion that the Renegades' own vessels would be fine-tuned and calibrated to perform at peak performance despite these interferences, making them even more formidable than usual. Between this, the general state of the Armada, and the extremely heavy naval and orbital defenses present in the Novae system, there was no guarantee of success even with the might of an entire Legion's assets.

The Void engagement over the cold planet was a truly bloody affair, much like what had been suffered in the Viradel system during the early stage of fighting, and the same strategies were used again to try and gain an edge. When the Renegades' ships and orbital stations disgorged swarms of their deadly Fighter-Automata, Vortex torpedoes were driven into their midst and remotely detonated to take out entire squadrons with every blast. Meanwhile, daring raids via teleportariums and Dreadclaw assault crafts targeted the several Ark Mechanicus that made up the lynchpins of the space defense force, attempting to take these formidable fortresses out from the inside.

In the aftermath, enough debris from both sides orbited Novae IV to keep salvage teams busy for whole decades to come. The victory had been won, but it was a pyrrhic one as the damage to the fleet was severe enough that any further full-scale offensives in the next few years would be impossible due to how few vessels were still fully battle-ready. So intense had it been that even the Bucephelus - the Emperor's personal flagship - came locked in close combat with one of the Ark Mechanicus at the height of the battle.

Still, the hardest part was yet to come. The ground defenses were truly formidable, and nothing short of an Exterminatus would be enough to neutralize them without significant effort. Such a solution was seriously considered to avoid further losses, but Elias argued that capturing Novae IV's orbital shipyards and manufactorum intact would not only go a long way towards hastening the repairs of the battle damaged Armada, but was extremely likely to yield many valuable Archeotechs that would strengthen the Imperium's war machine as a whole. Agreement was quickly given from the emissaries of Mars, and their forces were the first to set foot onto the renegade Forge World, with hordes of Skiitari marching, backed by several of the Titan Legions. No Battle-Automata of the Legio Cybernetica were deployed, as there was fear they could potentially be hi-jacked.

With Mars deploying in such numbers and meeting the Renegades on countless simultaneous battlefields, the Obsidian Wyrms also fragmented their forces, making themselves the hammer to the anvil of the Mechanicum. Before long, the white world was ablaze. As had been the case on Viradel, the Automata on Novae IV proper were more numerous and more masterfully coordinated than anywhere else, while the Renegades had their own Titan Legions to field in defiance of those brought by Mars. Any human commander would have quickly become overwhelmed in the true deluge of information and data from the many battlefields, but the Wyrms' Primarch was able to handle the data flow. Moreover, Elias was able to make use of uncanny psychic foresight to cut through the data and sense the tide and flow of the battlefield.

The Wyrms confused the Renegades and their Martian allies alike by striking neither where nor when it was seemed most logical and strategically sound, yet their deployments managed to result in many unexpected breakthroughs, at times discovering weak points in the Renegade formations that hadn't been detected until then, while other times making use of unexpected environmental conditions or outflanking their foes through tunnels or ruins that had simply been forgotten or drowned in the data overflow. Elsewhere, the sudden destruction of Vox relays left entire throngs of Battle-Automata somewhat vulnerable as their link to their masters was abruptly severed and they were made to revert to basic protocols.

The mayhem eventually became such that the Obsidian Wyrms were able to send a strike force directly to the heart of Flux City, the seat of the reigning Archmagos' Holy Synod. In its grand halls, the Archmagos Intendent was personally slain by Elias and most of the other high-ranking Magi and their unholy retinues also fell in combat, destabilizing the entire chain of command. Still, the battle continued to rage on for several more long hours as resistance remained fierce until the cessation of hostilities was ordered by Archmagos Sigma Gaevran after terms of surrender were negotiated in Flux City. To the surprise of the Mechanicum envoys, Archmagos Gaevran continued to reject the authority of Mars, but accepted to recognize that of Terra, answering to it and only it directly. In the wake of the surrender, all units of Silica Animus were seemingly decommissioned and Sigma guaranteed the cooperation of the Novaean shipyards for the Compliance.

First Xenocide Campaign
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Legion Gene-Seed
The Gene-Seed of the IInd Legion is unique in that it reflects the nature of its Primarch by being compatible with both halves of the human genome, effectively doubling the potential candidate pool and allowing for greatly quickened expansion of the Legion and recovery from combat losses. It is this unique property that has allowed it to rapidly swell in size and eventually rival that of the Dark Angels and Ultramarines. Due to the highly transformative nature of the Astartes induction process, there is very little difference in capabilities between neophytes of either gender, with both being equally strong, tough and swift, and exhibiting none of the patterns that had been predicted.

Overall, the Obsidian Wyrms' Gene-Seed is pure to a fault. It not only presents no abnormalities or mutations whatsoever, but it even presents an above-average resistance to mutation and the twisting touch of the Warp. While this allows its Astartes to make use of various weapons normally greatly hazardous to their wielders and to evolve in some of the most hostile Zone Mortalis with little difficulty, it means that the Psyker gene - itself a mutation - is extremely rare, and while Elias is a formidable psyker, very few among the Legion have the potential to become Librarians.

While devoid of mutations and abnormalities, the Wyrms are not devoid of distinctive features however. The searing rays and radiations of the white star of the Corusco system translates to most of the initiates from or having trained on Corusco Parva to display slightly darkened pigmentation. Though this is not even close to the charred hue of the Salamanders, Astartes of the IInd Legion often have a brown skin tone reminiscent of the old Caribbean and Arabian populations of Old Terra. This is however a normal effect of the Melanochrome. What is more noteworthy is the psychological legacy, as most of the Obsidian Wyrms' Astartes have inherited to a lesser or greater degree their Sire's pride. This manifests in both positive and negative ways, as they display a tendency to push themselves to and past their limits in order to accomplish their duty, protect their charges and support one another, which can be seen as recklessness frequently enough.

Legion Organization
While most of the Legiones Astartes saw more or less radical changes to their organization and doctrine after being reunited with their Primarch, reflecting their personal preferences and the experience they had gathered on their respective Homeworlds, the same could not be said of the Second Legion. Upon rediscovery by the Emperor, Elias instead sought to learn as much as possible about the millenias of experience in warfare of Old terra and not only was the organization of Legion largely kept as is, it was actually doubled down upon and reinforced. Where many other Legions see adhoc or changing command structures and unit sizes, those of the Obsidian Wyrms - nominally at least, are very rigid, streamlined and standardized.

Frontline Structure
The most basic tactical unit among the Second Legion is the Squad. Depending on their type and degree of specialization, a Squad nominally numbers 5, 10 or 20 Astarte warriors led by a Decanus, an old Terran rank analogous to the more common Sergeant. Squads are rarely deployed on their own, save for smaller Reconnaissance, Seeker and Outrider squads which are specialized in commando operations behind enemy lines or otherwise away from supply. Even so, a larger force is usually not too far away. Large frontline squads are almost always accompanied by an Apothecary for immediate battlefield treatment.

The premier true Strategic formation is the Century, which always numbers a nominal roster of 100 Astartes, no matter the type, and are lead by a junior officer called an Optio. A few types of both Line and Specialist Centuries have been referenced and represent the most commonly encountered formations:

Line Centuries

 * Tactical Century - The bulk of Obsidian Wyrm deployments are made up of Tactical Centuries, a flexible formation capable of handling most kind of standard threats the Compliance faces. With massed Bolt fire closely supported by a variety of specialist and heavy weapons, a Tactical Century can take on massed hordes, heavy infantry and armored threats alike with minimal resources. The most commonly deployed support weapons are Flamers and Volkite Chargers, while the long-ranged Lascannons and Missile launchers are preferred for heavy support. A Tactical Century is composed of three 20-men Tactical Squads, two 10-men Tactical Support Squads and two 10-men Heavy Support Squads.
 * Assault Century - Assault Centuries are specialized in close-quarters combat, sweeping advances and airborne deployment. They are often used to brutally exploit a breach in enemy lines or dropped en masse from large formations of Storm Eagles and Storm Bird gunships to wreak havoc behind defensive lines. Assault Centuries lack the flexibility of Tactical Centuries but are capable of inflicting brutal shock and are expert at outmaneuvering their foes. They feature small numbers of Outriders tasked with the dual-role of harassment as light cavalry and in-depth rapid reconnaissance, as well as Destroyers who carry specialized Rad and Vortex weaponry for the most difficult targets. An Assault Century is composed of four 20-men Assault Squads, two 5-men Outrider squads and one 10-men Destroyer Squad.
 * Siege Century - Siege Centuries are specialized in Zone Mortalis combat of all kinds, including starship boarding action, fortress assault and operations in underground or cavern complexes. At their core are Breacher Squads equipped with heavy boarding shields and hardened armor, especially resistant to ordnance blasts and flamers. As their name implies, it is Breacher Squads who lead assaults against fortified positions, though they can just as well defend them with their mighty resilience. For these tasks, they are supported by multiple smaller Squads carrying Heavy Weapons behind the shield walls as well as Reconnaissance Squads equipped entirely with sniper rifles who systematically pick out leaders and gun emplacement crews. A Siege Century is composed of three 20-men Breacher Squads, three 10-men Heavy Support Squads, and two 5-men Reconnaissance Squads.

Specialist Centuries

 * Disruption Century - Unlike most other Centuries, Disruption Centuries almost never operate as a single element and instead break up in their individual components. The purpose of Disruption Centuries is to sow as much chaos as possible within the ranks of the enemy in order to cause their chain of command and cohesiveness as fighting units to crumble. As such, they are made up largely of smaller Squads relying either on the speed of assault bikes or the stealth of cameleoline cloaks to throw foes off focus with constant hit and run attacks against the rear lines from the Outriders and sabotage and heavy sniper fire from Reconnaissance Squads pinning foes and causing terror. Last but not least, Seeker Strike Teams infiltrate enemy lines and target the enemy's military or spiritual leadership wherever it might hide, all the way to their bunkers. A Disruption Century is composed of six 10-men Outrider Squads, four 5-men Reconnaissance Squads and four 5-men Seeker Strike Teams.
 * Annihilation Century - Although they are neither the most heavily armed nor armored Century of the Obsidian Wyrms, Annihilation Centuries are possibly the most feared. They carry a disproportionally large proportion of the Legion's unique technologies and warp-based infantry-level ordnance. The bulk of an Annihilation Century is made up of Destroyer Squads employing Stormbringer bolt rounds and Vortex grenades and missiles, capable of jumping in unexpectedly, drowning a firing line in rending Warp energies and blast, then firing off their jump packs to hit another position. As if that wasn't enough, they are reinforced with Seeker Strike Teams who decimate leadership in the confusion and Pulse Rider Terminators who confound foes with brutal assaults from ever-changing positions using their modified teleporters. An Annihilation Century is composed of six 10-men Destroyer Squads, four 5-men Seeker Strike Teams and four 5-men Pulse Rider Terminator Squads
 * Triarii Century - Triarii Centuries are effectively made up of exclusively Veteran Squads who act as the strategic reserve of most Cohorts. Their role is to bolster and rally weak points in friendly defense lines and to form the spearhead of decisive assaults against those of enemy lines. Obsidian Wyrm Triarii vary drastically more than average both in their unit structure and individual wargear, in no small part due to the fact that Triarii often carry master-crafted weapons and Artificer armor of their own making as they have mastered both the arts of war and of the forge. There exists Tactical and Assault variations of Triarii Squads as well as Support Squads developed to accompany jump troops and provide them sorely needed anti-armor options via massed plasma or inferno pistols. Finally, a small contingent of scouts is also present in each Century. A Triarii Century is composed of seven 10-men Triarii Squads (Tactical or Assault), four 5-men Triarii Support Squads (Regular or Jump) and two 5-men Reconnaissance Squads.
 * Terminator Century - Finally, Terminator Centuries are mostly the purview of Preatorian Cohorts, though they are also found supporting Siege Centuries in their daring assaults. Terminator Centuries are mostly made up of the slower but more resilient Cataphractii-pattern suits, generally wielding a variety of customized power weapons alongside ranks of Volkite Chargers and supported by Reaper Autocannons. These shock troops draw attention and fire, serving as the unyielding anvil to the hammer that is made up by the fewer Terminators clad in Pulsar-Pattern suits, themselves either carrying paired Lightning Claws or a variety of heavy weapons such as Heavy Flamers, Reaper Autocannons or Volkite Calivers. A Terminator Century is composed of seven 10-men Cataphractii Terminator Squads and six 5-men Pulse Rider Terminator Squads.

Cohorts
The second level of strategic formations among the Wyrms is the Cohort, which is led by a Centurion. A Cohort is always made up of five Centuries - usually 3 frontline Centuries and 2 of Specialists for support - and represents the level that is deemed adequate for larger-scale independent actions. Cohorts have access to significant armories and support units in the form of vehicles, dreadnoughts and air - or even naval - support.


 * Strike Cohorts - The most archetypical Cohort deployed in most situations, Strike Cohorts are made up of three Tactical Centuries, one Triarii Century as strategic reserve, and one Disruption Century to shake the cohesion of hostile forces and gather intelligence. They are the anchor around which the entire battlefield revolves and is planned.
 * Assault Cohorts - Capable of either overwhelming breakthroughs in targeted strategic locations or dispersed, they are likewise made up of three Assault Centuries, one jump-equipped Triarii Century and one Disruption Century to cause further havoc. They are largely the outflankers and those who exploit rapid breakthroughs to cause enemy defenses to collapse from the inside out.
 * Siege Cohorts - Much more heavily armed and armored than the other two frontline Cohorts, Siege Cohorts are made up of three Siege Centuries, one Terminator Century, and one Annihilation Century. They push the line where the most ferocious enemy resistance is encountered, and hold it when on the defense.
 * Praetorian Cohorts - The Praetorian Cohorts are the most elite forces of any Fulcrum and are made up of three Terminator Centuries and two Annihilation Centuries. These forces are usually not committed unless the foe is especially powerful as the frontline Cohorts are more than enough against most foes and the staggering, concentrated destructive power they bring is not necessary.

Fulcrum
The final mid-range formation among the Obsidian Wyrm is the Fulcrum. It is about equivalent in size to five Chapters or Millenials and is made up of five Strike Cohorts, two Assault Cohorts, two Siege Cohorts, and one Praetorian Cohort. A Fulcrum is led by a senior officer holding the rank of Praetor. These formations represent the preferred operational level among the Legion and at least one Fulcrum is generally deployed with full armored, and aerospace assets whenever any form of truly serious resistance is expected on a world that needs to be brought into Compliance or a foe that needs to be defeated. For the Wyrms to deploy less than a Fulcrum is essentially a sign that the enemy is not taken seriously and is perceived as little more than a quaint nuisance at best.

The Praetors in charge are given a great degree of freedom in how they operate, despite the otherwise rather rigid structure of the Legion, and are highly trusted. For the most part, there are no formal distinction in authority or rank between Praetors, but the most experienced and effective are considered for induction into the Council of Wyrm Lords, and as such there is a greater degree of competition between Praetors than anywhere else in the Legion, as that prestigious place is highly coveted. Whenever many Fulcrums need to operate together at once, they are either overseen by the Primarch or by one of the Wyrm Lords whom acts as Senior Praetor.

Council of Wyrm Lords
Not so much an official military or command formation as a spiritual one, the Council of Wyrm Lords is a small group of Astartes highly trust by Elias who act as advisors and confidents in very much the same way as the Luna Wolves' Mournival or the Thousand Sons' Rehati. In this purpose, the Wyrm Lords also served as a link between the Primarch and the rank-and-file. Despite the lack of formal authority, the respect afforded to the position allowed Wyrm Lords to command any unit with little to no questions asked as they were often seen as - and acted under the official charge of - the proxies of Elias, who could not be everywhere at once.

Though there were no formal requirements to join the Council of Wyrm Lords, it is well known that only Praetors have ever been offered the position thus far. Where others were picked for their specific personalities or influence, the nomination - or revocation - of Wyrm Lords might seem highly arbitrary, and the one single most crucial element seem to be the Primarch's trust and faith. Likewise, unlike with the rest of the Legion, there is no formal structure or even so much as a fixed number of seats in the Council of Wyrms.

Asides from acting as seconds in commands and equerries, the Wyrm Lords are occasionally summoned to hold meetings in the inner sanctum of the Solace of Wisdom where they discuss matters of the highest importance regarding the state of the Compliance campaign, the Legion itself or the Imperium at large, but also domestic matters of the Corusco Sector. It is said that whenever Elias faces a truly difficult decision, the Wyrm Lords are summoned to present the opinions and beliefs of the rest of the Legion in the matter.

Specialist Ranks
Few unique ranks have been created within the Second Legion due to its fairly rigid organization based on the Terran model. Of those few, none were initially created when the Terra Wardens were first re-organized into the Obsidian Wyrms and all of them resulted from later integration of new principles and lessons learned through the Crusade.


 * Justicarius - For most of the Legion's history, the Justicarius - or Justiciar in singular - did not officially exist and were only made into a formal rank in the closing days of the Great Crusade. Operating from the shadows, a Justiciar was an extension of the Watch with the grim duty of neutralizing or terminating any of their brothers who was found guilty of subversive activities of any kind. Since those early days, the Justicarius' duties - which overlapped largely with the newly-created rank of Chaplain - were extended to encompass this new role, now taking care of the spiritual well-being of other Astartes and overseeing the recruitment process of new inductees. In battle, a Justiciar is often the most fervent officer within any given Cohort and serves as a paragon of courage and boldness, often carrying elaborate battle standards with one hand and melee weapons with the other as their rallying sight inspires other battle-brothers to fight with the same fervor no matter the threat.

Specialist Formations
Though the overall organization of the Second Legion remained very closely tied to the Terran doctrines and the tenets of the Principia Belicosa, several specialist formations emerged fairly early on, due in part to the character of its Primarch, but also due to the many arcane technologies of the Age of Strife that were available on Corusco Parva and re-introduced to the Imperium through the Second Legion. Most notable is the use of Stormbringer Bolt rounds and Vortex weapons.


 * Pulse Rider Terminators - Best exemplifying the strengths of the Second Legion and its Primarch, Pulse Rider Terminators completely turn on its head the foe's expectations as to what a Terminator even is. Using arcane technology designed personally by Elias during the height of the Corusco Incursion, Pulse Riders trade off their Teleportation Matrices' ability to conduct long-range Deep Strike operations for the ability to perform many very short range teleportation referred to as 'Blinks' in the midst of combat at a relatively quick pace. Theoretically, any suit of terminator armor can be modified in such a manner, but in practice, the Cataphractii already available in decent numbers was used as the streamlined base for a new variant dubbed Pulsar-pattern Terminator Armor. Boasting a Cataphractii suit's formidable protection as well as the ability to quickly relocate across battlefields and through solid obstacles, Pulse Riders are especially fearsome and relentless. Their numbers remain somewhat limited however due to the extensive training required to use Pulsar armor effectively, the fact that the device exposes the user repeatedly to the Warp even if just for a fraction of a moment, and the fact that even among the most elite ranks of the Legion, there are few who are capable of both adjusting their senses to the highly disorienting style of faction and enduring its strain for extended amounts of time. Those few who manage to overcome all these obstacles however number among the most lethal soldiers of the whole Imperium.
 * Triarii Squads - Mirroring the ancient maniples of the same name, Triarii squads of the Obsidian Wyrms concentrate the most experienced soldiers into a potent fighting force typically kept in reserve to be used where they will be the most effective after the initial contact reveals the hands of both sides. Where Triarii differ from typical Veteran Squads of other Legions however is in their equipment. As the arts of craftsmanship are actively promoted within the Legion, its most seasoned warriors also tend to have had many years to tweak, customize and refine their own wargear. As such, Triarii often feature suits of more or less ornate Artificer armor as well as a variety of high-performance weapons, often in eclectic mixes not fitting with the usual deployment standards. Triarii squads have broad generalist experience and are just as capable of acting as tank hunters, hit and run troops or skywatch units.
 * Immortal Dreadnoughts - An ancient pattern of Dreadnoughts tentatively dated back to the Age of Technology, Immortals are extremely heavily armored and durable sarcophagus making use of several techniques and pieces of technology largely lost to the Mechanicum and the wider Imperium. Chief among them is their Graviton Reactor which is able to harness Graviton particles to create various utilitarian effects and grant them unexpected mobility for such a heavy machine. They serve as the anchor on which an assault or defensive line can rest as their durability makes them incredibly difficult to bring down, though their offensive capabilities are somewhat limited. Immortals are geared for close combat and make use of unique close combat weapons called Wyrmclaws that resemble giant versions of legionnaire lightning claws. They are capable of mounting good ranged weaponry for taking care of infantry and heavy infantry, but are lacking in anti-vehicle weapon mounts.

Legion Combat Doctrine
While other Legions are famed for crushing brutality, lightning fast campaigns or byzantinely complex battle plans, the two hallmarks of the IInd Legion are discipline and indomitable spirit. They are not as fast, not as ruthless, and not as tenebrously impenetrable, but the Obsidian Wyrms can be relied on to do the job done in the face of the more terrifying horrors the galaxy has to offer, and to do so while minimizing both their own casualties and the damage to the civilian populations and infrastructure of the worlds in need of subjugation or liberation.

The strategic reasons for such a seemingly moderate or soft stance are quite obvious: Elias sees the Compliance as a long war of attrition that can ill afford many casualties and the experience and skills of individual warriors is a potent and valuable force multiplier worth preserving, especially given the galaxy always has new threats and abominations awaiting once one is vanquished. Moreover, productive, largely intact worlds are far more useful to the war effort while savaged and devastated worlds require more resources to rebuild than they offer. Logistical considerations asides, Legionnaires of the IInd Legion are especially tightly knit, even for the standards of the Astartes, and will be spurred to perform to greater heights in order to save - or avenge - their brothers in the field, where others would have just seen death as a necessary sacrifice for the Imperium. This bond between each warrior, the unshakable resolve they hold, and the never-flagging order within the ranks are what allows the Legion to be much more than the sum of its parts and to achieve victory where none seem possible.

The usual way of war of the Obsidian Wyrms is one of the hammer and anvil, where the hammer consists of highly mobile and cunning disruption forces tasked with shattering chains of command, communications and unit cohesion while the anvil consists of a ponderously advancing main force that methodically and mercilessly eliminates every single hostile asset, strongpoint or formation one by one as they become confused, cut off or flagging in morale. Generally, ranged combat is preferred over close combat assaults, but the Legion is far from lacking in that aspect of warfare despite their preference otherwise. The Obsidian Wyrms feature an higher than average number of Dreadnoughts and fewer vehicles for heavy support, which is in part due to their beliefs in preserving the experience, skills and spirit of their warriors, while extensive Apothecarion deployments are more often able to stabilize and save fallen heroes for interment.

When the foe is especially terrible and formidable in equal amounts, the Obsidian Wyrms will open the armored gates of the Empyrean Arsenal. Where others may unleash Phosphex and rad bombs or even enact exterminatus, the arcane knowledge of Coruscoan weaponsmiths and scientists grants the IInd Legion the dreadful might of Vortex weaponry. From their voidships equipped with dozens upon dozens of Nova Cannons and untold thousands of torpedoes that are capable of opening rends in space all the way to the humble infantry bolter armed with Stormbringer bolts that detonate not with explosive charges but minuscule, rending aetherian sparks, to combat the Obsidian Wyrms when nothing is held back is like fighting a crawling tempest.

Legion Homeworld
The Obsidian Wyrms' homeworld is the Civilised World of Corusco Parva at the heart of the Corusco Sector. It is a strange world, a planet-sized moon of volcanic mountains, ashen plains and teeming oceans filled with dense kelp jungles orbiting an enormous, puffy gas giant with relatively little mass and constantly wracked by ion storms. Originally a center of arts and philosophy in the Golden Age of Technology, its people have been forced to trade brushes and instruments for weapons and armor throughout the Age of Strife, culminating with an invasion from strange, unknown creatures at the height of a Warp Storm of unprecedented force, which left its mark on the world and is the reason that Warp energies linger on the planet even to this day.

Corusco Parva provides large quantities of foodstuff, fuel, weapons and armor to the war machine of the Compliance - well above its minimum required Tithe grade - and holds sole production rights over several pieces of technology from the Golden Age whose STC templates have not yet been recovered by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Though providing recruits for inductions in the IInd Legion, the bulk of these resources - and manpower - goes towards raising cohorts of the Coruscoan Velites and Equites, formations very similar to the Solar Auxilia in training and equipment who accompany the Obsidian Wyrms on the Compliance Effort.

Recruitment Trials
As with all other Space Marine Legions, the Obsidian Wyrms uphold several trials to judge whether the many aspirants that seek to join them are worthy. The Wyrms recruit from just about every planet on the Corusco Sector and are capable of recruiting from either gender due to the unique Gene-seed of their Primarch Elias, but no matter where they came from and how they look, every Hopeful that passes preliminary competence and background test is brought to Corusco Parva where they will face the first two Trials. These are not as bloody or as violent as the Trials of some other Legions, but they remain nonetheless very lethal.

The Journey through the Tainted Lands
The first of the four trials Hopefuls are subjected to seems quite simple at first glance, but it is very deceiving. Candidates are to simply travel though a wild portion of Corusco Parva's outlands, but it is no common wilderness. The Tainted Lands bear the mark of the most recent Warp Storms that raged above and onto Corusco Parva. The land itself and whether fauna and flora inhabit it are twisted, vile and vicious. Attacks by such deformed predators or carnivorous flora are common, and even if one group were to be lucky enough to avoid such abominations entirely - which would be unfortunate as they are one of the few sources of food - the very land itself is hostile. Mere presence upon the Tainted Lands is enough to cause a primal, subconscious fear in most humans, and for those able to control their fears, the shadows of the land hold dark whispers, and every night is rife with nightmares and dark visions of all sorts, from monstrous creatures to distant lands of unspeakable madness. Those whose mental fortitude is insufficient to endure the journey are sent back as failed aspirant, but those who manage to make it through with their spirit intact move on to the second trial.

Judgment of the Wyrms
After emerging from the Tainted Lands, remaining aspirants begin an arduous climb of the mountains of central Corusco under the watch of the chaperon that oversaw them thus far. Upon reaching a sufficiently high location amidst the sprawling mountain chains, Hopefuls are instructed to meditate and clear their mind of all distraction or fear, a matter more easily said than done given their recent journey. For three days and three nights, the aspiring candidates must demonstrate further mental fortitude and self-privation. That, however, is the easy part of the second Trial. These mountain chains are the home of the eponymous beasts the Obsidian Wyrms are named after. Massive, winged reptilian creatures. The True Wyrms are known to be territorial yet highly intelligent and mischievous creatures with the ability to smell fear as readily as a shark would smell blood in water. These True Wyrms will often come out of their dens to observe the Hopefuls, and even sometimes mess with them for no other reason than their own amusement, poking them with their claws or coming down to stare them in the eyes. The True Wyrms are merciless to the weak, but hold respect for the strong. Those who can stand in their presence without fear are considered accepted guests of their territory, but those who panic are either devoured or knocked down to plummet to their deaths in the ravines below. Thus is the Judgment of the Wyrms, and how and why Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms have such indomitable spirit. The first two trials brutally test their spirit, and those who succeed are said to be without fear even before psycho-indoctrination.

Flames of the Forge
At this stage, aspirants are considered to have proven themselves enough to become Neophytes, and the worst of the trials is behind them. With their fortitude and spirit already tempered, the third trial requires them to learn of the ways of the Legion and adapt to them. With craftsmanship being held in the highest regard on Corusco - and thus quite highly in the IInd Legion as well - for a Neophyte to become a Battle Brother, it is first necessary for them to soak in the necessary knowledge and display skill enough to create their own weapon, usually a Bolter or Chainsword. If successful and deemed combat-worthy by their elders, this weapon will become the first of the new Astartes' very own. The Neophytes must acquire and process the materials all on their own, using the Legion's workshops, but it is much easier for the to succeed if they work together or seek the advice of their elders. While full Astartes are not allowed to touch the weapons nor components, they are fully allowed to provide guidance and advice. While this might seem like an oversight, it is actually on purpose and serves to reinforce the bond between the new recruits and the old guard, as well as demonstrate the value of cooperation over individual glory-seeking.

Steel and Fury
Finally, after a Neophyte has successfully demonstrated their spirit and skills and acquired a proper weapon, they are tested in their ability to use it. While this trial might appear to be the most simple and benign, it ensures that no Neophyte reaches the battlefield before they are ready. The nature of this final trial is simple: They must perform various feats of marksmanship and face a veteran Astartes in single combat. It is neither expected nor plausible for the Neophyte to win the duel, but that is not its purpose. The veteran is to assess and test the combat skills of the neophyte until they are deemed satisfactory for frontline service in the Legion. Once this last requirement is satisfied, the neophyte is officially an Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms.

Warrior Lodges
Owing to the sturdy bond between the Obsidian Wyrms and the Luna Wolves, knowledge of the Warrior Lodges inspired from those found on the Feral World of 63-8 - also known as Davin - spread to the IInd Legion fairly quickly after its initial Compliance. The Lodges would develop quite quickly, but evolve into a form that was very different from the ritual secrecy typical of the Lodges found in other Legions. These Lodges within the IInd were public knowledge and admittance was open to any within the Legion, and even at times to respected guests outside of it.

While dispensing with the whole of labyrinthine intrigue, the Lodges retained their purpose as a place where warriors could bond and increase their kinship irrespective of rank and with their own internal structure, which was itself a reflection of the nature of the various Lodges themselves. It is likely that more Lodges existed within the Obsdidian Wyrms Legion than in any other, for theirs were dedicated to various aspects of warfare, ranging widely from single combat duels to maksmanship, passing by ones that promoted the arts of covert ops and sabotage or the arts of the forge itself. Within these, an individual Astarte's rank was determined by their skill at the aspect of war promoted by the specific lodge, thus they were usually headed by whomsoever was perceived as the absolute authority in the art within the Legion and seconded by the most talented. In addition to reinforcing loyalty and kinship, the Wyrms' Lodges also had the function to promote the spread of knowledge and so individual Astartes could join a Lodge for the purpose of learning new skills or refining their abilities in this or that mode of warfare.

The only Lodge that differed significantly was known simple as The Atrium. Presided over by the Primarch Elias, the Atrium does not concern itself with aspects of warfare, but rather matters of philosophy, ethics and stewardship. It is no secret that Elias views the whole of the IInd Legion as not merely conquerors and rulers, but as guardians and protectors of mankind with a sworn duty onto death not only on the battlefield, but outside of it. The purpose of the Atrium is to remind Astartes of this singular driving fact and to hone their minds about the matter.

The Watch
Formed about half-way through the Great Crusade at the insistance of the Rogue Trader Draken Romanus, the Watch is an internal security and surveillance force that monitors the IInd Legion's entire war apparatus for any signs of subversive activity or sabotage. Though present in some capacity within the Legion's Fulcrums, a majority of their number is deployed to monitor the various Auxilia, logistical apparatus and ship menials that are instrumental to the smooth operation of whole expedition fleets. The Watch also maintain a presence on major war manufactorum and recruiting centers.

The Watch is primarily composed of mortals, which allows them to blend in with crowds and look inconspicuous in most situations where they need to. Virtually all key positions are held by natives of either the Corusco or Novae systems and are hand-picked for their unwavering and incorruptible loyalty to the Legion's Primarch. Many of its founding members are veterans of the Techno-Barbarian warhosts that fought under the Oracle's guidance during the Corusco Incursion, while others - perhaps surprisingly so - fought during the Novae IV compliance campaign, with the common distinction of a blood debt, for without Elias, their very worlds would surely have perished. In addition to their loyalty, members of the Watch display a combination of personal combat skills and inquisitive character, never shying away from getting to the bottom of any suspicious event or rumor.

Officially, the Watch does not exist and its agents use various cover identities, many of which in law enforcement, but often also in various menial occupations that allow them to loiter in various areas on ships or cities without looking suspicious. Only high-ranking members of local planetary arbitration and leadership know of the existance of 'a secret agency working to preserve security and stability', and yet again even among them few know the full scope, origins and authority of the Watch. It is worth noting that even Astartes of the Obsidian Wyrms are no exception, with rank-and-file Legionnaires usually believing undercover Watch agents to be merely serfs, aides-de-camps or Remembrancers. Centurions and Praetors have a much higher chance of knowing the truth, and members of the Wyrm Lords Council invariably do. The only other notable exception to this are the Justicarius, Astartes who are themselves members of the Watch and who are tasked with the grim duty of subduing or terminating any within the Legion's own ranks found guilty of treachery.

Legion Traits

 * Judgment of the Wyrms - Models with this special rule are immune to Fear and ignore negative modifiers to Leadership tests.
 * Wrath of the Fallen - Units with this special rule who lose enough friendly models to incur a Leadership Test during the Shooting Phase and succeed their Leadership Test gain +1 BS until the end of their next Shooting Phase. Units with this special rule who incur a Leadership Test as a result of losing combat in the Melee Phase, lose at least one friendly model and succeed their Leadership Test gain +1 WS until the end of the next Melee Phase.

Unique Wargear

 * Stormbringer Bolts Replacing the conventional high-explosive charge of Bolt rounds by a minuscule, suspended fragment of the energies Warp Storms of Corusco, the Wyrms’ weaponsmiths have managed to create an even more frightening round for their Bolters which detonate in kaleidoscopic, devouring energies on impact. These Bolts have been known to be capable of sundering even Terminator armor at times, but their energy output is unfortunately inconsistent, as befitting of a weapon of the Warp.  Bolt Weapons taken by an Obsidian Wyrms Triarii or Destroyer Squad may be upgraded with Stormbringer Bolts for 5p per model, gaining the Rending special rule.  Bolt Weapons mounted on an Obsidian Wyrms Dreadnought may be upgraded to Stormbringer Bolts for 5p/weapon (twin-linked counts as one), gaining the Rending special rule


 * Pulsar-Pattern Terminator Armor Based on the venerable Cataphractii Pattern of Terminator armor, the Pulsar’s distinctive feature is a modified teleportation device. This modification removes the Pulsar suit’s ability to be sent to the heart of battlefields via Deep Strike, but allows warriors to enact short-range tactical ‘blinks’ in the middle of battle, allowing them to cross otherwise impassible obstacles and to dodge attacks they would normally be too slow to evade. Owing to this mix of protection and bursts of mobility, Pulsar Pattern armor offers unparalleled survivability.  Pulsar armor afford a 2+ Armor save and a 3+ Invulnerable save and grants the Bulky and Phantom Terror special rules. Terminators with Pulsar armor cannot Deep Strike without a Dreadclaw dedicated transport  Phantom Terror  A model with this rule may not run but may make a sweeping advance after winning melee combat. A Unit with this rule ignores obstacles and difficult terrain entirely so long as every model can cross the entire obstacle within its allocated move distance.


 * Vortex Grenades One of the most feared weapons in the IInd Legion’s arsenal, Vortex Grenades carry the devouring power of the Warp in an even more undiluted form than Stormbringer Bolts using arcane containment methods. Their indiscriminate nature – as dangerous to friend or foe – and the difficulty in producing them ensures they only see limited deployment.  Vortex Grenades may be used offensively or defensively either to target a unit or to break a Charge. In either case, they are represented by a Small Blast marker which lingers after use and may Scatter 1d6” every subsequent turn. Any models in contact with the marker takes one automatic Wound with no Saves of any kind allowed except Invulnerable. When used defensively, the marker is thrown in the path of the Charging unit and the controlling player may either break or attempt a Leadership Test to hold the charge, with Models passing through the Marker suffering Wounds as above.

Rites of War
Subjugation Protocol

Effects:


 * Fist of the Legion: Any Legion Tactical Squad, Legion Breacher Squad, Legion Tactical Support Squad, Legion Heavy Support Squad and Triarii Squad may take a Land Raider Spartan as a dedicated Transport.
 * Consolidated Mechanization: Two or more eligible squads may ride in the same Land Raider Spartan up to maximum carrying capacity of each vehicle.

Limitations:


 * Detachments with this Rite of War may not take any jump-equipped Infantry units.
 * Detachments with this Rite of War may not take more Infantry units than can be carried by its vehicles.
 * Detachments with this Rite of War may not take any fortifications or Allied Detachments

Annihilation Protocol

Effects:


 * Marked for Annihilation: Legion Destroyer Squads are Troop choices in the force but MUST be taken as Compulsory Troop selections.
 * Storm Unleashed: All units in this detachment able to purchase the Stormbringer Bolts upgrade MUST do so, but only pay half the usual cost.
 * Relentless Executioners: All units in this detachment gain the Fleet special rule.

Limitations:


 * Detachments with this Rite of War may only take a single Consul as part of their HQ choices and may not take a Librarian.
 * Detachments with this Rite of War may only take one Heavy Support as part of its primary detachment.
 * Detachments with this Rite of War may not take any fortifications or Allied Detachments