Alternate Heresy 2018 - User contributions [en]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:35:37Z

Mavis: /* Legion Organisation */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Captain Brone of the VI during joint operations with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

{{Quote
|Quote= Honour be damned
|Attribution= Alighieri about if blowing up his flag ship to win was honorable, M31
}}

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:25:35Z

Mavis: /* Action Two */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

{{Quote
|Quote= Honour be damned
|Attribution= Alighieri about if blowing up his flag ship to win was honorable, M31
}}

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:25:16Z

Mavis: /* Action Two */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

{{Quote
|Quote= Honour be damned
|Attribution= Alighieri concerningif blowing up his flag ship to win was honorable, M31
}}

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:24:32Z

Mavis: /* Action Two */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

{{Quote
|Quote= Honour be damned
|Attribution= Alighieri respoding to question about if blowing up his flag ship to kill the enemy comamnder was honorable, M31
}}

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:24:02Z

Mavis: /* Action Two */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

{{Quote
|Quote= Honour be Damned
|Attribution= Alighieri on if blowing up his flag ship to kill the enemy comamnder was honorable, M31
}}

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:21:54Z

Mavis: /* Action One */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.
 
 

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:21:34Z

Mavis: /* Action One */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, on his refusal to attack the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. You have seen what we can do - you know it is inevitable. I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand to the President of the Stellar Federation, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always refused to attack them.

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand provided the Stellar Federation full and accurate details of the strength of the XVIII and in doing so convinced the rulling councial that there was no possible way for them to hold out - so why not join the Imperium of man as friends? With that the Stellar Federation ceased to exist without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:16:41Z

Mavis: /* Action One */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, M31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote= I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:16:19Z

Mavis: /* Action One */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
{{Quote Left
|Quote= We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait.
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, M31
}}

{{Quote I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again.
|Quote= The Text of the Quote
|Attribution= Commander Jean-Armand, M31
}}

The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:14:06Z

Mavis: /* Sanguis Clibanarii */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

{{Quote
|Quote= Everything is going to be ok - here comes the Cavalry!
|Attribution= Captain Lipitor, during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries M30
}}

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:04:45Z

Mavis: /* History */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:04:32Z

Mavis:

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=
 
 
 
 
 

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:03:42Z

Mavis: /* History */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.
 
 
 
 
 
=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:03:17Z

Mavis:

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.
 
 
=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:02:45Z

Mavis: /* Unique Formations */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===

{{Quote
|Quote=I feel the need. The need for speed.
|Attribution=XVIII legion Daredevil, M.31
}}
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:00:51Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

 
 

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:00:32Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T08:00:07Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:59:52Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

{{Quote
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle but often lose the war.

{{Quote right
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}
They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:52:34Z

Mavis: /* Legion Organisation */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean no?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:51:53Z

Mavis: /* Legion Organisation */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.
{{Quote
|Quote= What do you mean No?
|Attribution= Unknown Marine on joint operation with the XVIII
}}

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Risa

2018-03-09T07:47:35Z

Mavis:

The system Risa is a resource poor system with only a single planet of note also called Risa.

The planet of Risa has 4 moons (of various sizes) locked in complicated and highly eccentric orbits. This means that the waters of Risa experience signififanct and very variable tidal influence.

The native state of the planet is unknown as it was heavily terraformed during the age of technology - it's planetry surface and bio-sphere undergoing complete revision to produce a 'vacation' planet.

To understand Risa you need to understand what the intent of the changes was. As this occured at the height of Dark Age Decadence the word 'purpose' is not an approprite word. Risa was to be the 'perfect primative island adventure'. The entire planet is covered in innumerable small islands each one unique. Surrounded by an apparently natural breakwater the shallows around each island are an oasis of calm in the otherwise turbulant water.

The 'vactioners' would be 'cast ashore' on the island with 'minimal supplies' and told that the goal was to see how long they could 'hold out' before pressing there emergency becon. In truth the islands flora and fauna was enginered to make survival trivally easy. Such was the genius of the bio-enginers that the conditons on each island were subtly different so two people comparing stories did not realise that there victories were handed to them. In doing so Risa presented the illusion of ingeniously overcoming risk and challange without any of those things being involved. The full extent of this is hard to understand but best appreciated by the fact that the "coconuts" on each island are filled with a delightful fruity nutricious drink that was naturally slighly alcholic. Furthermore each island had some unique feature hiden away for people to find by exploring - a mysterious ruined temple, a natural hot pool, a secret cave behind a majectic waterfall.

Then came the Age of Strife. The warp storms isolated Risa which left vactioners and tourists trapped in a system utterly unsuited to maintaining any form of high tech society. Exactly how it happened is unclear - but a decision was taken to mothball all of resort utilties (including a luxery star port) and the staff to travel down to the surface and scatter themselves across the islands. There they produced a stable stone age society that endured across the entire age of Strife.

The inhabitants of each island were saved from a pointless life of decadence and idleness from the fact that each island was simply to small to support a population without inbreeding rapidly becoming a problem. Overcoming this problem involved the creation of rafts to cross the gaps between the Island. A difficult task in the tidally influenced waters beyond each Islands break which required skill and bravery to acomplish. This activity was soon elevated to a cultural ideal. Before long the entire culture was driven by wanderlust - a nomadic culture undertaking long journeys simply primarily just for the joy of it. Exciting journeys that result end on an island just as perfect as the one that was left behind. This does mean that there is no real concept of land ownership beyond controlling the island you are standing on.

Meetings with another group of travellers involved a form of ritual combat to decide precedence. The combats are full contact and can often result in deaths. However the cultural idea is that the losers have to serve the winners (in there language literally "to become the staff"). This only lasts while the two groups remain on the same island and if one group attempts to enforces its will the other will just sail away. This ritual combat discourages injuring or killing an opponent simply as this would prevent them serving you; to quote one native "dead men bring you no coconuts". Indeed if you do kill your opponent cultural it is accepted that you are matched in ability because if you could have between them otherwise you would have done.

Risa return to the Imperium was counted as a successful compliance since there was nothing to resist them and the natives seemed to accept it. But it some became clear that the inhabitants were dealing with the Imperium by ignoring it and just living there lives as before. Administrators laid plans to do something more useful with the world but then Alighieri and the XVIII legion arrived and claimed it as their home world.

The Legion established itself in the facilties on the moon meaning there there chapterhouse is a stunning and soaring architercial wonder - but has no practical value. They have deployed a small number of mobile refineries and factories to the somewhat thin asteroid belt in the system - a gift from the Adeptus Mechanicus when it was clear that Alighieri had no claim on his 'homeworld'.

{{Quote
|Quote= Orks don't surf
|Attribution= Unknown Marine of the XVIII Legion, M31, Risa
}}

At first the Legion ignored the natives but before long they found themselves travelling down to the Islands for 'Shore leave'. A concept which appears to be unique to the XVIII legion. This resulted in a number of contact with the natives - which in turn lead to some ritual fights. Which the marines could easily win without harming the natives. This resulted in a high status for the Marines which they have been quiet happy to accept. The Astarte in turn have developed an interest in some of the natives more daring water based activities. Once the natives realised that it was possible for them to become Marines - and travel the stars they leapt at the chance to begin "the furthest journey".

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:45:22Z

Mavis: /* The Crimson Hussars */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighieri, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Risa

2018-03-09T07:44:34Z

Mavis:

{{Quote Left
|Quote= Orks don't surf
|Attribution= Unknown Marine of the XVIII Legion, M31, Risa
}}
The system Risa is a resource poor system with only a single planet of note also called Risa.

The planet of Risa has 4 moons (of various sizes) locked in complicated and highly eccentric orbits. This means that the waters of Risa experience signififanct and very variable tidal influence.

The native state of the planet is unknown as it was heavily terraformed during the age of technology - it's planetry surface and bio-sphere undergoing complete revision to produce a 'vacation' planet.

To understand Risa you need to understand what the intent of the changes was. As this occured at the height of Dark Age Decadence the word 'purpose' is not an approprite word. Risa was to be the 'perfect primative island adventure'. The entire planet is covered in innumerable small islands each one unique. Surrounded by an apparently natural breakwater the shallows around each island are an oasis of calm in the otherwise turbulant water.

The 'vactioners' would be 'cast ashore' on the island with 'minimal supplies' and told that the goal was to see how long they could 'hold out' before pressing there emergency becon. In truth the islands flora and fauna was enginered to make survival trivally easy. Such was the genius of the bio-enginers that the conditons on each island were subtly different so two people comparing stories did not realise that there victories were handed to them. In doing so Risa presented the illusion of ingeniously overcoming risk and challange without any of those things being involved. The full extent of this is hard to understand but best appreciated by the fact that the "coconuts" on each island are filled with a delightful fruity nutricious drink that was naturally slighly alcholic. Furthermore each island had some unique feature hiden away for people to find by exploring - a mysterious ruined temple, a natural hot pool, a secret cave behind a majectic waterfall.

Then came the Age of Strife. The warp storms isolated Risa which left vactioners and tourists trapped in a system utterly unsuited to maintaining any form of high tech society. Exactly how it happened is unclear - but a decision was taken to mothball all of resort utilties (including a luxery star port) and the staff to travel down to the surface and scatter themselves across the islands. There they produced a stable stone age society that endured across the entire age of Strife.

The inhabitants of each island were saved from a pointless life of decadence and idleness from the fact that each island was simply to small to support a population without inbreeding rapidly becoming a problem. Overcoming this problem involved the creation of rafts to cross the gaps between the Island. A difficult task in the tidally influenced waters beyond each Islands break which required skill and bravery to acomplish. This activity was soon elevated to a cultural ideal. Before long the entire culture was driven by wanderlust - a nomadic culture undertaking long journeys simply primarily just for the joy of it. Exciting journeys that result end on an island just as perfect as the one that was left behind. This does mean that there is no real concept of land ownership beyond controlling the island you are standing on.

Meetings with another group of travellers involved a form of ritual combat to decide precedence. The combats are full contact and can often result in deaths. However the cultural idea is that the losers have to serve the winners (in there language literally "to become the staff"). This only lasts while the two groups remain on the same island and if one group attempts to enforces its will the other will just sail away. This ritual combat discourages injuring or killing an opponent simply as this would prevent them serving you; to quote one native "dead men bring you no coconuts". Indeed if you do kill your opponent cultural it is accepted that you are matched in ability because if you could have between them otherwise you would have done.

Risa return to the Imperium was counted as a successful compliance since there was nothing to resist them and the natives seemed to accept it. But it some became clear that the inhabitants were dealing with the Imperium by ignoring it and just living there lives as before. Administrators laid plans to do something more useful with the world but then Alighieri and the XVIII legion arrived and claimed it as their home world.

The Legion established itself in the facilties on the moon meaning there there chapterhouse is a stunning and soaring architercial wonder - but has no practical value. They have deployed a small number of mobile refineries and factories to the somewhat thin asteroid belt in the system - a gift from the Adeptus Mechanicus when it was clear that Alighieri had no claim on his 'homeworld'.

At first the Legion ignored the natives but before long they found themselves travelling down to the Islands for 'Shore leave'. A concept which appears to be unique to the XVIII legion. This resulted in a number of contact with the natives - which in turn lead to some ritual fights. Which the marines could easily win without harming the natives. This resulted in a high status for the Marines which they have been quiet happy to accept. The Astarte in turn have developed an interest in some of the natives more daring water based activities. Once the natives realised that it was possible for them to become Marines - and travel the stars they leapt at the chance to begin "the furthest journey".

Risa

2018-03-09T07:31:28Z

Mavis:

The system Risa is a resource poor system with only a single planet of note also called Risa.

The planet of Risa has 4 moons (of various sizes) locked in complicated and highly eccentric orbits. This means that the waters of Risa experience signififanct and very variable tidal influence.

The native state of the planet is unknown as it was heavily terraformed during the age of technology - it's planetry surface and bio-sphere undergoing complete revision to produce a 'vacation' planet.

To understand Risa you need to understand what the intent of the changes was. As this occured at the height of Dark Age Decadence the word 'purpose' is not an approprite word. Risa was to be the 'perfect primative island adventure'. The entire planet is covered in innumerable small islands each one unique. Surrounded by an apparently natural breakwater the shallows around each island are an oasis of calm in the otherwise turbulant water.

The 'vactioners' would be 'cast ashore' on the island with 'minimal supplies' and told that the goal was to see how long they could 'hold out' before pressing there emergency becon. In truth the islands flora and fauna was enginered to make survival trivally easy. Such was the genius of the bio-enginers that the conditons on each island were subtly different so two people comparing stories did not realise that there victories were handed to them. In doing so Risa presented the illusion of ingeniously overcoming risk and challange without any of those things being involved. The full extent of this is hard to understand but best appreciated by the fact that the "coconuts" on each island are filled with a delightful fruity nutricious drink that was naturally slighly alcholic. Furthermore each island had some unique feature hiden away for people to find by exploring - a mysterious ruined temple, a natural hot pool, a secret cave behind a majectic waterfall.

Then came the Age of Strife. The warp storms isolated Risa which left vactioners and tourists trapped in a system utterly unsuited to maintaining any form of high tech society. Exactly how it happened is unclear - but a decision was taken to mothball all of resort utilties (including a luxery star port) and the staff to travel down to the surface and scatter themselves across the islands. There they produced a stable stone age society that endured across the entire age of Strife.

The inhabitants of each island were saved from a pointless life of decadence and idleness from the fact that each island was simply to small to support a population without inbreeding rapidly becoming a problem. Overcoming this problem involved the creation of rafts to cross the gaps between the Island. A difficult task in the tidally influenced waters beyond each Islands break which required skill and bravery to acomplish. This activity was soon elevated to a cultural ideal. Before long the entire culture was driven by wanderlust - a nomadic culture undertaking long journeys simply primarily just for the joy of it. Exciting journeys that result end on an island just as perfect as the one that was left behind. This does mean that there is no real concept of land ownership beyond controlling the island you are standing on.

Meetings with another group of travellers involved a form of ritual combat to decide precedence. The combats are full contact and can often result in deaths. However the cultural idea is that the losers have to serve the winners (in there language literally "to become the staff"). This only lasts while the two groups remain on the same island and if one group attempts to enforces its will the other will just sail away. This ritual combat discourages injuring or killing an opponent simply as this would prevent them serving you; to quote one native "dead men bring you no coconuts". Indeed if you do kill your opponent cultural it is accepted that you are matched in ability because if you could have between them otherwise you would have done.

Risa return to the Imperium was counted as a successful compliance since there was nothing to resist them and the natives seemed to accept it. But it some became clear that the inhabitants were dealing with the Imperium by ignoring it and just living there lives as before. Administrators laid plans to do something more useful with the world but then Alighieri and the XVIII legion arrived and claimed it as their home world.

The Legion established itself in the facilties on the moon meaning there there chapterhouse is a stunning and soaring architercial wonder - but has no practical value. They have deployed a small number of mobile refineries and factories to the somewhat thin asteroid belt in the system - a gift from the Adeptus Mechanicus when it was clear that Alighieri had no claim on his 'homeworld'.

At first the Legion ignored the natives but before long they found themselves travelling down to the Islands for 'Shore leave'. A concept which appears to be unique to the XVIII legion. This resulted in a number of contact with the natives - which in turn lead to some ritual fights. Which the marines could easily win without harming the natives. This resulted in a high status for the Marines which they have been quiet happy to accept. The Astarte in turn have developed an interest in some of the natives more daring water based activities. Once the natives realised that it was possible for them to become Marines - and travel the stars they leapt at the chance to begin "the furthest journey".

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:27:28Z

Mavis: /* Legion Homeworld */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighier, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't understand why I would choose this world to be our home. Still that's there problem. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:26:41Z

Mavis: /* Legion Homeworld */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighier, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=
''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

{{Quote Left
|Quote= I do worry about my family if they can't see why I choose this world to be our home. Toss me another coconut - these ones taste of rum.
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Alighieri

2018-03-09T07:21:30Z

Mavis: /* Post Discovery */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{Quote
|Quote= A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around
|Attribution= Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri
}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{Quote
|Quote= It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress
|Attribution= Alighieri
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus - apparently built to his own design ignoring Martian Orthodoxy.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-09T07:20:26Z

Mavis: /* Names */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{Quote
|Quote= A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around
|Attribution= Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri
}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus - apparently built to his own design ignoring Martian Orthodoxy.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-09T07:20:08Z

Mavis: /* Names */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{Quote
|Quote= A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around
|Attribution= Attributed to the EmperorPresumably about Alighieri
}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus - apparently built to his own design ignoring Martian Orthodoxy.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:18:13Z

Mavis: /* The Crimson Hussars */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighier, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:17:47Z

Mavis: /* The Crimson Hussars */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. But I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighier, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:17:23Z

Mavis: /* The Crimson Hussars */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==
{{Quote Left
|Quote="I used to think I was the greatest. To Cool to kill, to stupid to die. Turns out I'm the runt of the litter. I've still got tits and wine so it's not all bad."
|Attribution=Alighier, M.31
}}
The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:15:37Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:15:19Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote right
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:14:46Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

{{Quote Left
|Quote="I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-09T07:13:43Z

Mavis: /* Combat Doctrine */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

{{Quote Left
|Quote="If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished"
|Attribution=Commander Jean-Armand, M.31
}}

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

"I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......." Commander Jean-Armand.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T15:29:06Z

Mavis: /* Wargear */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus - apparently built to his own design ignoring Martian Orthodoxy.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-08T14:41:45Z

Mavis: /* Legion Organisation */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does now accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

"If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished". Commander Jean-Armand.

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

"I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......." Commander Jean-Armand.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T14:39:39Z

Mavis: /* Wargear */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T14:39:08Z

Mavis: /* Wargear */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T14:38:33Z

Mavis: /* Wargear */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Huntsman.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri with the Huntsman rifle
}}
Alighieri is only known to have one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' style with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to appearance rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

File:Huntsman.jpg

2018-03-08T14:36:48Z

Mavis:

Alighieri

2018-03-08T14:20:23Z

Mavis: /* Wargear */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==
Alighieri has only one item of note - a rifle known as "the huntsman" which was given to him by his brother Linnaeus.

This weapons appears has been constructed in a 'retro' appearance with a great deal of attention seemingly paid to style rather then functionality. It is adorned with wood and brass components and has a preposterously long barrel giving it a total length of one and a half metres. It is unclear if it was named "the huntsman" by Linnaeus or Alighieri.

Some people have suggested the weapon is not a gift but a snub. Whatever the intent Alighieri seems to be very pleased with it and has taken to carrying it into battle with him. In typical Alighieri manner however he has ignored the fact that it is clearly intended to be a sniper rifle (it appears to share some characteristics of an Exitus Rifle) and carries it into hand to hand combat. Often shooting it one handed - and sometimes just hitting people with it.

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T13:01:48Z

Mavis: /* Primarch Attributes */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==

Description of your Primarchs wargear

Drafting Note - after somebody to make a sarcastic present......

==Primarch Attributes==

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Alighieri

2018-03-08T13:01:25Z

Mavis: /* Primarch Attributes */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==

Description of your Primarchs wargear

Drafting Note - after somebody to make a sarcastic present......

==Primarch Attributes==
Please List the Bandings of your Primarch Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Average
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Average
*'''Statecraft=''' Good
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Average
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Terrible
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Good
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Average

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-08T12:51:29Z

Mavis: /* Homeworld Attributes */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does no accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

"If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished". Commander Jean-Armand.

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

"I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......." Commander Jean-Armand.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=

*'''Population=''' Average
*'''Fabrication=''' Average
*'''Fortification=''' Terrible

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-08T12:50:44Z

Mavis: /* Legion Attributes */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does no accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

"If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished". Commander Jean-Armand.

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

"I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......." Commander Jean-Armand.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Homeworld Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Population=''' Population indication
*'''Fabrication=''' Fabrication indication
*'''Fortification=''' Fortification indication

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars

2018-03-08T12:50:26Z

Mavis: /* Legion Attributes */

{{Infobox Legion
|Image=XVIIILegion.jpeg
|Numeration= XVIII
|Primogenitor= Alighieri
|Cognomen= Sanguis Clibanarii
|Observed Strategic Tendencies = Aggression combined with rapid unpredictable movement.
|Noteworthy Domains = Risa
|Allegiance= Fedelitas Constantus
|Colours= Crimson and Gold
|Quote= “They are an Adamantium Fist in a Silk Glove. They do not talk first because they are weak but because they are strong." -Attributed to the Emperor Following the Compliance Of The Stellar Empire}}

The Crimson and gold of the XVIII legion is associated with daring & dashing behaviour on the battlefield paired with boisterous but charming behaviour off the battlefield. The legion makes extensive use of bikes, jetpacks, jet bikes and anything else they can acquire that goes fast.

=History=

==Sanguis Clibanarii==

The XVIII legion earned the name Sanguis Clibanarii (blood cavalry) during the wars of Unification on Terra. It stems not from a single incident but from the Legion tendency to rush into the thickest parts of battle to support the hardest pressed. Be they Astarte or Imperial Guardsmen. There tendency to move to support others in battle lead to greater mobility - which in turn lead to an ever increasingly fluid style of battle - which in turn lead to greater mobility and so the cycle developed.

As the Great Crusade left Sol the Legion adopted Crimson as their main colour but with black detailing. With the treaty of Mars was signed they approached the Adeptus Mechanicus for ever greater numbers of Assault Bikes, Jump packs and Jump packs in return they have been punctilious in handing over technology that has come there way.

During the early portion of the Crusade Commander Jean-Armand gained a reputation for a willingness to reach peaceful resolutions where Human worlds were involved and a tendency towards swift action when confronting anything Xenos related.

Overall there compliances were slower then many other Legions which at first brought complaints from the bureaucracy. These complaints dried up when statistical analysis demonstrated that they brought in comparable resources to the other Legions due to the better condition of the planets they conquered and there methods had a lower rate of Recidivism.

== The Crimson Hussars ==

The arrival of Alighieri into the legion started a slow evolution away from the Sanguis Clibanarii and into the Crimson Hussars.

At first as ordered by the Emperor commander Jean-Armand remained in control of the XVIII legion and attempted to ensure that Aligheri 'grew up'. However as Aligheri mingled, drank and roughhoused with the Marines they grew to like him. Like turned to respect during the Battle of Felicia as he provided advice and support that allowed a number of Strike Groups to escape from very negative situations. He additionally proved himself more then capable with keeping up - dropping with the Dragoons a number of times. This breached the orders Jean-Armand had given but the commanders of the strike group simply responded that they were in charge of the Strikegroup at that point and Aligheri had done an excellent job.

Eventually Jean-Armand took personal control of the orbital Strikegroup and confined Aligheri to the flag ship to limit what he could get up to. Which resulted in the loss of the flagship and further increase to Aligheri status amongst the XVIII Legion.

As Aligheri influence grew the legions colours slowly morphed with the black trim of the Sanguis Clibanarii giving way to gold. Equally skulls and official imperial insignia became less prevalent and were replaced at first gold detailing, and finally gold braid. Although the double headed imperial eagle is still popular.

During this time the Legion continued to deploy both it's diplomacy and it's free wheeling attitude to conflict to great effect during the crusade. Even if they were eclipsed somewhat by other Legions whose Primarchs were more favoured.

Eventually Jean-Armand admitted to him self what he had long suspected. Not only was he no longer in full command of the Legion he was no longer sure he was the best candidate to be in command. He reported directly to the Emperors that he wished to be removed from office as he was no longer able to carry out the Emperors commands. The Emperor granted his request and sent him back the XVIII in disgrace.

Arriving there he expected death but instead Aligheri just reinstated him as Commander and told him to carry on exactly as before. Since "Somebody has to do the paperwork. It's not going to be me....."

It was at this point the Primarch stopped referring to the XVIII as the Sanguis Clibanarii and instead started using a vulgar name "The Crimson Hussars". This name swiftly caught on with both the Legion and the Imperial Army. While the administration did not like it - eventually they accepted as "an alternative translation" of the original name even if the meaning is very different......

= Legion Organisation =
The base unit of the Chapter is the Company. A company is a group of Marines from a single clique (see custom and practice for cliques) who fight together as a single unit. The size of a company is variable depending on the roll they are expected to fill. There is an expectation that each company is deployable as a fighting unit - able to make it's own decisions.

The highest rank in charge of a Company is not fixed and technically the commander of the XVIII legion only directly commands a single company on a day to day basis.

The deployment unit of the Legion is the Strike Group - a mix of companies from all cliques that are deployed together. Command is given to the highest ranked individual in the strike group - irrespective of there clique. Strike groups are formed and broken on an ad hoc basis - which seems to be a recipe for chaos but the XVIII seem to be very adept at moving from obeying orders to giving them and vice versa.

Once a strike group is formed it is expected to act autonomously. Indeed once a strike group is formed a 'senior officer' is unable to issue them any orders other then to form or break a strike group. Within a strike group disipline is as rigid as you would expect. Two consquences of this is that the most senior officers have been known to lead small groups to deal with what they consider vital at the time - while the majority of the legion is left under the command of a surprisingly junior officer. Secondly this drive other legions insane during join operations when they attempt to order a 'junior' officer to do something only to be told "no". The legion has softened it's position and it does no accept suggestions and polite requests.

It is a tenant of the Legion that a commanding officer is responsible for everything that happens to there Strike Group - good or bad. If you are not aware enough of what is occurring to be responsible then should create another strike group and give responsibility to somebody who has enough awareness to be responsible.

==Unique Formations==
===Galloping Death===
The Legions love of speed and manoeuvrability comes to it's zenith in their elite Jet bike squads - summed up by their motto 'Admissos Mortem' or 'Galloping Death'.

The Galloping Death will make use of any template of jet bike, equipped with any weaponry they can acquire. They even have a number of the highly sought after Dawneagle Jetbikes which are believed to have been 'acquired' by Alighieri through some unknown means from the Adeptus Custodes.

==Combat Doctrine==

The Crimson Hussars place an emphasis on speed and manoeuvre on the battlefield - utilising large numbers of assault bikes, jet packs, and Jet Bikes (or indeed anything that goes fast). Even there standard foot troops use large numbers of Rhinos to increase there mobility.

They do not attempt to control the battlefield directly - instead they concentrate on controlling the tempo and the location of conflict upon the battlefield. Many an opponent has seized control of a vital location only to realise that the XVIII legion have decided that today they will go elsewhere and destroy there enemies weaker forces. Technically there opponents have won the battle - but to quote the commander of the XVIII legion...

"If they can win a few more victories like that - they'll be finished". Commander Jean-Armand.

They are unpredictable on the battlefield due to each element being given extraordinary freedom of action depending on the particular circumstances they find themselves in. This does allow the exploitation of enemy mistakes with extraordinary speed but has been known to lead to some extraordinary disasters as well. The XVIII legion has been known to cheer a truly glorious failure as much as great success. While they love to win - they despise playing it safe.

"I have heard it said that commanding a battle is like being a conductor of a great and magnificant orchestra. With the XVIII legion it is closer to being the singer for a free-form Jazz Band - I just try and fit in around what they feel is best......." Commander Jean-Armand.

While they are very capable of fighting on the defensive they are terrible at defending any particular location. It is for this reason they enjoy fighting alongside the Imperial Guard since they can order large numbers of them to "Stand here and look after this". Likewise the Imperial guard often open up any annoying fortifications that stand in the legions way.

=Legion Homeworld=

''Main Article [[Risa]]'' 

Since he lacked any claim to the world there Primarch grew up - the XVIII legion was free to pick any unclaimed world as it's home. The criteria chosen for the selection of Risa is not fully understood, however it is not based on industry, resources or strategic location since Risa has none of these.

A heavily terraformed "vacation" planet during the Age of Technology it consists of innumerable small islands each one beautiful and unique get away spot. Once the age of strife began the stranded vacationers devolved into a primitive stone age society that was saved from descent into a decadent idleness due to the cultural importance of sailing and travel.

The XVIII Legion has set up it's base on the four moons that surrounded Risa. This has left the culture generally untouched. There is some contact between the two groups - not least because members of the legion have been known to travel down to the surface for 'shore leave'. This has lead the legion to start some recruiting from the planet below; the most daring and bold sailors volunteer to be taken "on the longest journey".

In terms of industry what is present came with the Legion itself. Upon learning the history of the Alighieri the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the legion with a small number of mobile refineries and factories to accompany them to where ever they made there home. These are currently based in the sole asteroid belt the system posses.

=Primarch=

''Main Article: [[Alighieri]]'' 

{{Picture Box Left
|Image=XVIIIMarineAndPrimarch.jpg
|Text=Primarch to scale
}}

Every Primarchs is unique - but Alighieri seems to defy even the few standards that apply to a Primarch. Firstly his physical stature is that of a normal human - smaller even then a marine. Secondly he was not hurled across the universe to some unknown world - he appears to have remained on Earth. Thirdly he did not take command of his homeworld instead he spent his early years drinking, thieving, fucking and getting into bar fights.

It is commonly held that Emperor eventually sent Alighieri to the XVIII legion in order that military discipline would provide a steadying influence and discipline in his wayward son. He was not given command of the Legion - that remained with [[Jean-Armand]].

This plan appears to have had some success - Alighieri appears to have accepted his reponsibilty and duties to his numerous 'off spring' and is now in command of the Legion. Even if Commander [[Jean-Armand]] is still responsible for most of the day to day decisions.

However it is very clear that the influence has not been one way - for all that the Legion has influenced Alighieri towards duty and responsibility his presence has certainly made the Legions flamboyant tendancies more pronounced.

 

=Culture and Beliefs=

In addition to rank and operational structure - the XVIII legion is split into four cliques of varying levels of social status. Specialist Marines sit slightly outside of the structure - for example Tech Marines (Or Grease Monkeys as they are called in the Legion) are respected no matter what clique they belong to. Given the Legions heavy use of war machines this is to be expected.

The four cliques are Dragoons, Wheels, Wings and Daredevils. Dragoons are the lowest status, Daredevils are the highest, and Wheels and Wings appear to be of roughly equal status but they have a 'friendly' rivalry around which is higher social status.

Dragoons are a 'standard' marine being deployed into battle on some form of shared transport (often a rhino) before dismounting to fight. They deploy with a wide range of hand held weaponry. Due to there slow nature Dreadnaughts are included in this group and they provide the majority of the fire support. Pilots or Drivers of vehicles that are used to deploy Marines are included in this clique.

Wheels are the marines equipped with some form of ground based fighting machine - most often assault bikes but the few land raiders the legion uses are also in this group.

Wings are the marines equipped to self deploy via the air - most often jetpacks but other options are possible. Any multi crew flying craft that fights is include under wings.

Daredevils are the elite of the Legion. These marines use any sort of fast, flying, fighting vehicle that carries a single person. Jet bikes are common but air combat vehicles like the Stormhawk interceptors are piloted by members of this clique.

Interaction between rank and clique is very unclear to outsiders but broadly rank is important for anything on the battlefield. But clique appears to be important for off the battlefield interactions. To further highlight the oddness of the system commander Jean-Armand is technically a Dragoon due to his use of a command vehicle - while Alighieri is definitely classed as a daredevil due to this use of a Jetbike.

One tradition that seems to be loved by all cliques in the XVIII legion is roughhousing. Due to there interest in drinking they can often be found mixing with the wider populace in taverns and other low places. When roughhousing a small group of off duty marines find a rough looking bar and then one of them starts a brawl with everybody else there. The other Marines watch and ensure nobody takes things to far and keeps guns out of it.

There is a distinct tendency to favour bars frequented by members of the Imperial Guard - which you might well consider would sour relationships between them but the opposite seems to be true. The Guards seem to consider injuries sustained during a rough housing to be a badge of honour. This in part comes from the marines habit of buying anybody who "showed some spirt" drinks. One persistent rumour is that if you show enough spirit you get taken drinking with them and if they really like you a guardsman might find themselves waking up on a transport heading to Risa destined for a life in the legion. It depends on the teller if this is considered a good or bad fate.....

=Geneseed=

The XVIII legion has one well documented quirk of their Gene Seed - they drink. While they don't seem to get drunk in a conventional sense - they do seem to enjoy the taste of alcohol and it does seem to provide them with some pleasure.

Persistent rumours abound that they engage in other frivolous and fun activities enjoyed by the general populace of the Imperium. But there is currently little evidence of this behaviour beyond vague tales.

=Legion Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Legion Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Tactics=''' Good
*'''Espionage=''' Average
*'''Aggression=''' Specialized
*'''Mitigation=''' Good
*'''Diplomacy=''' Specialized
*'''Geneseed='''Average

=Homeworld Attributes=
Please List the Bandings of your Homeworld Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Population=''' Population indication
*'''Fabrication=''' Fabrication indication
*'''Fortification=''' Fortification indication

=Exemplary Actions=
==Action One==

''Main Article: [[The Fall of the Stellar Federation]]'' 
The Stellar Federation was a human multi system civilisation encountered early in the crusades. It refused to join what it saw as an upstart Empire. When discovered they were under attack by an Ork Warghggh which many viewed as a golden opportunity.

The XVIII legion instead of attacking assisted the armed forces of the Stellar Federation in driving away the Ork Warghggh. Many considered that each Ork they killed and each Marine they lost was a comparative gain for the Federation. But despite the pressure the Jean-Armand always replied "We fight the enemies of Man - everything else can wait".

At the victory celebrations for the defeat of the Warghggh Jean-Armand demonstrated that the best case scenario for the Federation was to hold out for a year before losing.

"I have a mission to bring these worlds into the Imperium of Man - and now the enemies of man are gone that will happen. By working together you have remained in charge for three times as long as you ever could through forces of arms and you have saved countless lives in doing so. You have seen what we can do - and you know now that to resist is to waste all that you have saved for no gain....... Accept the inevitable - I offer my hand in friendship. It will not be offered again."

With that the Stellar Federation joined the Imperium of man without a shot being exchanged between them.

==Action Two==

''Main Article: [[The Battle of Felicia]]'' 

Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Elder force lead by a Coursair known as Ourabros.

Escalation lead to a direct confrontation between the Crimson Hussars and a equally powerful group of Dark Elder. This was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of there Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.

The Crimson Hussar used a flexible defence based around strike groups of Bikes and Jetpacks - using movement and manoeuvre to leave the Elder unclear of what they would face. While some Dark Elder attacks would get through untouched, others were heavily harassed and driven off, and some would be wiped out. Any attempt by the Dark Elder to concentrate on a key target would be met with the deployment of the less mobile reserve forces from orbit.

As Dark Elder loses mounted it became clear that this was no longer a conflict worth fighting - however Ourabros pride would not let him be driven off. As such he drew out the legions reserves before launching a strike against the flagship of the Legion intending to kill Alighieri.

They reached the bridge only to discover that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow - leaving the fusion reactor to go critical blasting the flagship and Ourabros to smithereens - ending the threat to Felicia.

It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"

=Notable Members=
'''Primarch''' 
[[Alighieri ]] 
'''High Command''' 
[[Jean-Armand ]] - Commander 

[[Category:Legion]]

Alighieri

2018-02-22T12:10:09Z

Mavis: /* 'Arrival' */

{{Legion Tag
|Numeration=XVIII|Legion Name=The Crimson Hussars
|Article=Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars
}}

Alighieri is the 18th of the [[Emperor|Emperors]] sons, and Primarch of the [[Legion XVIII: The Crimson Hussars]]

==Names==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "A Legions Primarch exists to inspire, to show them the way, to make the Astarte they best they possibly can be. Only in one case is it the other way around." -Attributed to the Emperor Presumably about Alighieri}}

No official titles or honours.

Known aliases - 'the Gentleman Bandit'.

Derogatory terms - 'the Runt'.

 

==Biography==
==='Arrival'===
It is debatable if Alighieri arrived on Terra or if he simply failed to leave it.

It has been suggested that his lack of stature and his lack of distance travelled are some how connected. Each is felt in some way to represent the lack of whatever it is that makes a Primarch a Primarch. Which of these is the cause and which is the effect is something that has been discussed.

His early years are a complete blank as he seems to have no impact on the Unification Wars at all -either for or against the Imperium.

He claims to have been raised by Katarina the Pirate Queen of the Pan-Pacific Empire (a feared lieutenant Narthan Dume) who he says claimed to be his mother. This seems unlikely given that Katarina was known to have an all female crew. He claims he was abandoned by her and so avoiding the fate of those that opposed the Unification of Terra. Alighieri claims to have been abandoned at the age of 8 on the streets, left to fend for himself due the disruption his womanising was causing amongst Katarina crew. Given a Primarchs accelerated development this is possible - although Alighieri says he showed no other signs of such rapid development and claims he was just "an early starter".

What is clear is that Alighieri fall in with the disreputable elements that seem an inevitable consequence of complicated human society. There is no evidence of him leading any gangs or groups - and he seems to have avoided the attention of the Adeptus Arbites beyond being considered 'a disreputable sort but fun to drink with'.

==='Rise to Power'===
It is unclear at what point he raised his ambitions entirely out of the gutter but at some point the Lord of Terra begin to experience a series of increasingly daring thefts. Starting with the merely wealthy but soon escalating up the wealth scale. These thefts involved very little violence and tended to focus on the rich rather then the powerful. After a while a number of clues pointed that some of these thefts were linked together and the person responsible was labelled "The Gentleman Bandit" by high society.

Large number of the stolen objects were recovered but it was never possible to track them back to the person who originally stole them. The complicated legal status of Boeotia appears to have been a key factor in helping avoid detection.

At the same time Alighieri more openly begin to obtain a reputation amongst a certain sort of high class lady as 'pleasant' company - especially amongst bored trophy wives or mistresses. These were often less then discreet and caused embarrassment to a number of important figures. It is unclear if this a way of gathering information simply to assist his thefts or if the thefts were a way of financing his sexual conquests.

=='Rediscovery'==
It was a chance meeting that brought the carer of the 'the gentleman bandit' to an end. While Alighieri thefts focused on those with wealth rather then power eventually one of his victims found themselves attempting to make small talk with Raguel - Primarch of the Emperor's Judgement. Desperate for conversation he mentioned his recent theft, which got onto the subject of the Gentleman Bandit at which point he found himself the subject of Raguel full attention.

Learning there was a famous thief plaguing Terra - Raguel ordered a squad of his Astarte to locate and bring this thief to Justice. He quickly changed his order to "take him alive and deliver him for punishment" after remembering that Earth fall directly under the Emperors legal jurisdiction.

The Astarte investigations were brutally direct - and rode rough shod over Boeotia complicated legal status as a semi-independent entity. The company took their orders at face value - and only considered they needed to keep "the Gentleman bandit" alive; meaning anybody else was fair game. This included executing the junior member of Boeotia ruling family who has been acting as Alighieri primary fence but only once he had confessed.

Alighieri was drinking when the squad found him and attempted to apprehend him. The result as an epic tavern brawl. Despite lacking there size and strength Alighieri speed meant he was holding his own to the bafflement of his attackers. This lasted until a frustrated Marine drew his pistol to end the conflict. Disturbed at this breach of order his brothers attempted to disarm him while Alighieri drew his sword. The resulting melee ended with Alighieri escaped and one marine dead.

Raguel was consumed with a cold furry. He accused the squad of incompetence and assigned them to a punishment detail before going to personally bring this thief to justice. Alighieri was swiftly tracked to a bar not far from a spaceport - apparently attempting to get off world but apparently having stopped for a drink. Distaining tactics Raquel simply burst into the bar and attacked his target. Alighieri dodged the first blow, but a follow up connected with full force and smashed him into the ground. Raguel assumed the broken figure was dead - and turned away. Only to hear a groan from behind him - he raised his foot to finish the thief off before remembering he himself had ordered him captured alive. The broken figure was dispatched into the care of Adeptus Custodes to receive Imperial Justice. Washing the blood of his hands Raquel gave the entire incident no further thought.

It was in prison that the mandatory genetics testing showed that the broken wreck clinging to life might have some genetic value and the sample was forwarded higher up. And higher up, and higher up and higher up. Until eventually a somewhat nervous Master of the Administratum presented the Emperor with proof that they had one of the lost Primarchs in Jail, on Earth. Or to be exact - they had had a Primarch in jail but they had appeared to escape at some unknown point in the past.

The Emperors responded that "No Primarchs are on Earth - I would know." He glanced at the trembling data readout, his golden visage darkened, and he stood up. "I shall investigate this my self...." before striding out.

Alighieri was attempting to negotiate swift passage off planet in a dive bar when a truly stunning lady walked in. Alighieri never one to pass up an opportunity swopped in. The exchange of words resulted in a drinking contest - which became of the stuff of legends as they downed drink after drink. To his shock Alighieri seemed unable to match his opponent who seemed no worse for wear no matter what she drank - and eventually Alighieri accepted his defeat in slurred words - slumped over the bar.

At this point the lady shimmered and transformed into the Emperor. Into the suddenly silent and shocked bar he is reported to have said "I do not know how I over looked you before - but here I can tell that you are indeed my son." At this point Alighieri vomited all over his Imperial majesty's shoes before passing out.

==Post Discovery==

{{right Box
|Title= Quote
|Text= "It has never been to clear to me if the 'Lords of Terra' are more offended by the trinkets I stole from there houses or the favours I was given by there mistress." Alighieri Discussing his relationship with the Lords of Terra
}}

So it was that Alighieri found himself waking up not in a prison cell but a luxurious bed in the Imperial Palace - and not as a prisoner but as a favoured son of the Empire. All his crimes pardoned by word of this the Emperor. Such a momentous revelation would change a man or so you would think. Apparently not Alighieri as he 'borrowed' funds of one of the imperial functionaries and went drinking. Only to find himself escorted back to the palace by members of the Legio Custodes. Despite repeated warnings he seemed to treat escape and discovery as nothing more then a game.

Lectures from his father about the importance of the Great Crusade seemed to work as he said all of the right words - and then later that day he would be back to his bad habits. His introduction to the Lords of terra went worse then anybody expected - already dicey on the grounds he had stolen from them as the Gentleman Bandit and embarrassed them as Alighieri his drunken activities that evening resulted in him being challenged to multiple duels. Challenging a Primarch to a duel would normally be unthinkable but it seems multiple people mistook his more human scale for a lack of ability. A mistake nobody is expected to repeat but this ended all hopes of positive relationship.

Eventually an exasperated Emperor ordered his Son to "attend to his duties with the XVIII Legion. Not as a commander but as student - lower then any other in that Legion. Obey Commander Jean-Armand as if he spoke with my voice. Failure to do so and I will consider you a deserter and hunt you myself to the Ends of the Universe."

The tradition of each Legion claiming the world of there Primarch discovery as it's homeworld soon lead to a beucractic requirement for the XVIII legion to have a home world. However it was clear they could not claim Terra as that was Imperial. Alighieri solved the problem by picking a world he liked and claiming it as his own.....

==Character==
Alighieri is a contradiction.

Viewed as a human he is tall, handsome, dashing, and athletic. By any standard he would be considered an alpha male.
Whereas viewed as a Primarch he is without doubt the runt of the litter, and is a great disappointment to his entire family.

He appears to be reasonably intelligent but is utterly undisciplined and has almost no concept of duty whatsoever. Repeatedly prioritising fun, excitement and pleasure whenever given the opportunity to do so. Additionally he is often drunk, is cavalier about what constitutes 'personal property' and is a letch. The later seems to be more offensive to men then it is to women.

He has almost no redeemable qualities but despite this...... you do kind of have to like him.

==Appearance==
{{Picture Box Left
|Image=Alighieri.jpeg
|Text= Alighieri
}}

Alighieri is handsome well proportioned human male standing somewhere between 1.8 to 1.9 metres tall. Proportionally speaking his physique is very much human standard and he lacks any of the outward physical signifiers that distinguish a Primarch (or even a marine).

He has dark shoulder length hair, a nearly trimmed beard, his grin has been described as "cheeky" and his manner as "charming".

He dresses in a flamboyant pseudo-military style choosing Crimson to match 'his' legions primary colours. Initially his had a lot more gold braid on it but over time gold has become the accepted secondary colour of the XVIII legion. He has a single gold earing in his right ear - and an Imperial double headed eagle tattoo on his left shoulder. This later appears to be his only concession to his status as a Primarch.
 

==Wargear==

Description of your Primarchs wargear

Drafting Note - after somebody to make a sarcastic present......

==Primarch Attributes==
Please List the Bandings of your Primarch Attributes.
'''0 Ranks = Incompetent/Terrible''' 
'''1-4 Ranks = Competent/Average''' 
'''5-8 Ranks = Specialized/Good''' 
'''9+ Ranks = Exceptional/Amazing''' 
SUMMARY FOR REFERENCE, DELETE ONCE BELOW COMPLETED.

*'''Strategic Planning=''' Strategic Planning indication
*'''Martial Prowess=''' Martial Prowess indication
*'''Statecraft=''' Statecraft indication
*'''Psychic Potential=''' Psychic Potential indication
*'''Lords of Terra Influence=''' Lords of Terra Influence indication
*'''Imperial Army Influence=''' Imperial Army Influence indication
*'''Mechanicus Influence=''' Mechanicus Influence indication

[[Category:Character]]
[[Category:Primarch]]