Linnaeus
| This article relates to: |
| LEGION |
| III |
| Star Lions |
| [[Star Lions|Main Article]]| |
Linnaeus the Black Lion is the 3rd of the Emperors sons, and Primarch of the Star Lions
Contents
Character
The Primarch of the Star Lions is at times a controversial figure in the Imperium. His hardline against Psykers has at times pitched him head on against both his siblings and many of the great institutions of his fathers empire. He makes exception for the Emperor, at least in public and he and his Legion are solid exemplars of the Great Crusade in all other particulars.
Perhaps some of his rough edges can be attributed to his childhood spent alone amongst the devil haunted ruins of Thundara, he learned social graces when almost a man and so at times he can be unknowingly blunt or unwieldy. It did however hone a killing edge exceptional even amongst his kin, it is said when Linnaeus fights the human eye cannot follow him, merely the corpses he leaves in his wake. He possesses an uncanny gift to detect psykers, which can be unfortunate for said psykers who he is more than happy to dispatch.
Biography
Arrival
Linnaeus crashed to Nemea deep within the haunted depths of Thundara itself, his capsule's fiery descent marked as a fell omen by the watching Gargoyles, little did they realise that far from it, their salvation had arrived from the stars.
Rumours began to circulate amongst the Sentinels of a strange child seen amongst the ruins, his eyes were unafraid but he skilfully avoided their attempts to scoop him up. Sightings continued and increasing numbers of slain beasts began to crop up around the city, petty Wemics and the like to start but as the child grew so did its prey.
His trail spiralled out towards the city edge and, anticipating the strange boy leaving the forbidden city the Elders began to debate whether they should prevent him or not, he seemed opposed to the beasts they fought but his coming was marked by a fell omen and his very existence amongst the devils of Thundara marked him as unnatural. It was a conundrum they could not conclude in time and so they gathered at the ancient graveyard marking the city boundary the boy seemed headed to. The multitude of gathered Gargoyles, (of all castes, none wanted to stay away) still not decided whether they were there to greet or slay him.
He wandered from the ruins, a boy in days but a man in frame, wrapped in scavenged drifters clothes with a gunslingers pistols on his hips. He paused, looked at the multitudes and look puzzled.
It was at this moment that a terrible roar shook the city, legends spoke of particularly powerful devils within the city but these were rarely encountered and survived. Such a beast was upon them now though, shrouded in shadow a gigantic lion that walked like a man, enormous wings hung from its back, its talons were as thick around as a mans body and sharp enough to slice through steel like it was paper. To look upon it was agony and some amidst the onlookers collapsed with blood pouring from their eyes and ears. The Manticore had come and sought to leave the city for the plains beyond.
All weapons now tuned on the beast and the host of shadow beasts and dark armoured revenants that followed with it, chief among them the young enigma Linnaeus who blurred into motion, his pistols spitting death in an unending torrent that carved down Devils left and right and drove the Manticore to seek easier prey.
Many were slain that day but the beasts were repelled and the allegiance of the boy discovered. In the aftermath he spent time talking with the survivors, he claimed to not know from whence he came but knew the creatures and their witch-kin were behind the ills of Nemea and found common cause with the Gargoyle order.
Rise to Power
Uncomfortable with large groups and needing some tutoring in the ways of man Linnaeus first spent time apprenticed to an old Seeker named Dedun, walking the plains learning all his mentor could teach and much more, indeed his charisma shone through and from the first all who saw him knew he was something special.
Recruits began to pour in from the local area, speaking of Linnaeus and the need to perhaps purge Thundara for good and by the time Dedun and Linnaeus returned to their home mny of the local Warlords had proceeded them.
Seeing that perhaps he might be best utilised in the city itself the Elders moved him instead to the Sentinel order. Here Linnaeus excelled if anything even more, he seemed to know instinctively how any weapon could best utilised and was teaching his instructors inside of a week. He always came back to pistols though, by now he had reforged a pair to his own design, scaled for his larger frame and firing rounds of his own invention of unsurpassed lethality.
Soon after he joined the Sentinels he was their defacto head, the Elders all heeding his commands even if his actual rank was noviate. The cleansing of Thundara began in earnest. Utilising the uncanny abilities of the Nemean Lion and much gathered lore of the order that Linnaeus devoured in his time away from the front they devised ever more effective means of slaying the devils and haunts and driving back the once seemingly endless hordes. Even the temporal anomalies began to stabilise as the creatures were slain and it looked like perhaps the ancient capital could indeed be reclaimed.
Then the Manticore returned. At the head of a host of lesser beasts once more it sliced through a number of purge companies and headed straight for the tower Linnaeus had claimed for his own on the city perimeter. The Gargoyles were not prepared for such a large scale breakout and were caught out of position, it was dawn before reinforcements were able to breakthrough to what had become the site of a massacre. The tower was ashes, its garrison slain with but one survivor, Linnaeus, who seemed to have aged a century in one night remained. All the creatures were dead or scattered, the perimeter had held.
The Primarch has never spoken of that night, save to commend the fallen but rumours persist of unholy laughter which echoed through the ruins as reinforcement were closing, laughter that came from no mortal throat.
Linnaeus continued to lead from the front whilst he recovered and before long all but the central districts were free of corruption. These was rife with time pockets and the most powerful devilkin and at this point Linnaeus called a halt and for a great wall to be built to contain the threats within, Thundara would not be truly purged until [OBSIDIAN CLEARENCE REQUIRED] some years later.
In the wake of this great victory Linnaeus was declared Lord Commander of the Gargoyle order, renamed in honour of the beasts who made much of their victory possible, the Black Lions. By now the order had expanded such that it effectively controlled much of the planet with most of the former Warlords now Sentinels riding for the Lions rather than their own desires.
For Linnaeus it was not enough though and he began a series of reforms, utilising lore and technology reclaimed from the dark city he formally inducted the many factories and farms of Nemea into the Servant caste dedicated to keeping all prosperous. Much of the Sentinel and Seeker castes were formed into a new Lion Caste more recognisable as a Crusading army than one of static defence. Whilst the remainder kept watch over Thundara's dark heart the Lions poured forth and extended Linnaeus' rule to all corners of Nemea.
Rediscovery
Days after Linnaeus returned in glory to Thundara the skies split to show a host of golden craft hanging in the heavens. Linnaeus' father had come. Accounts report the compliance of Nemea was a straightforward handover of power with Linnaeus eager to begin the great Crusade and unite the stars.
Appearance
Linnaeus has a face reminiscent of the Emperor, though bearing what appears to be great age as a result of his battle with the Manticore, outsiders often mistake him for an Elder brother or perhaps uncle to his kin which many of them find amusing. His sable and gold armour is richly decorated but built to allow his uncanny speed and mobility over brute mitigation and he usually wears his old Gargoyle robes over it. When out of armour he usually dresses like the Seekers of old in a black coat and wide brimmed hat, as if ready to head out to the bush at any moment.
Wargear
While he is no Artificer Linnaeus is well known to, as he puts it, "Tinker" with his wargear, much to the dismay of the Mechanicum. His particular fascination has always been with firearms and his collection is unparalleled. He varies which weapons he might carry by circumstance and mood and so it is hard to offer specifics but it is a safe assumption that he will be carrying at least three exceptionally lethal guns at any given time.
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
