Iron Revenants

''“I know what they all whisper about us, the names they call us behind our backs. Paranoid? No, they simply don't understand. We merely explore all possibilities of every situation. We see everything with total clarity. We simply prepare, while they choose to remain blind.”''

-Thaniel, First Captain of the Iron Revenant's

The Iron Revenants are the 1st Legion as established by the Emperor of Mankind. Initially known as the Steel Blades, the Legion was designed as a template Legion, with a very generalist approach to warfare. As Araphel took control over the legion early on during the Great Crusade, their formations became more rigid, however their deployment on each planet during the crusade became overwhelming. Araphel was not a man to deploy his legion in half measures, adopting a strategy of truly overwhelming the opposition and ensuring none were left standing.

The First are relentless, cold and ruthless. They’re a legion that before the Ruins was known for its’ generalist style of warfare, with a form of adaptability that was horribly rigid in its’ nature. Often choosing to be dropped into the worst war zones possible as a method of proving themselves, they are highly competitive due to their position as the First Legion, and their Primarch’s position as First found. Warfare is often a mathematical equation, a way for them to quickly conquer a planet, reform it in the image of the Emperor and move on quickly. It was only during the First Ruin that the true extent of their paranoia started to become apparent to the other legions.

Origins
The first Space Marines were thrust into a conflict that had already raged across Terra for centuries; although the enduring secrecy around the gene-seed project continues to shroud much, we know that it proceeded at a frantic pace as the Emperor sought to bring the fruits of His experiments to bear in the war for the planet. The Thunder Warriors were a devastating force, but only toward the end of the Unification Wars did the future soldiers of the Great Crusade emerge. They were drawn from among the Emperor’s domains, often the stock of defeated but worthy adversaries, and took their place alongside the gene-breeds and mortal warriors who served under the raptor’s head and thunderbolts. They did not begin in anything like the numbers in which they would prosecute the Crusade, and the Ist would be the ones to witness the entire process as the Astartes grew into this vast force.

The First Legion was first raised from the few recruits of the Emperor’s own kingdom in the Himalazias, hardy mountain folk whose families had sworn allegiance to the Emperor for generations. As the legion’s numbers grew, cadres began to be raised and grouped into units of up to twenty. With no pre-existing structure and the Principia Bellicosa still being formulated, a baptism of fire was decided upon: the Astartes would learn from the very warriors they were intended to supersede. As well as education from military scholars, they trained under the eyes of veteran Thunder Warriors before taking to combat alongside them. The First would draw their initial cognomen from this, as they would become the Steel Blades of the Emperor, in contrast to the golden blades of the Legio Custodes. These trials were costly, but they rapidly produced warriors of a pedigree never seen before on Terra and taught them the limitations of Thunder Warrior tactics. Over the following decade the Legionaries grew numerous enough to fight as a single unit, training their own recruits and fighting under the leadership of the Emperor Himself. The specialisation of the First can be traced back all the way to this point, as small groups of warriors began to train in specific tasks and become masters of their craft rather than mere jack of all trades.

It was during these years that the theoretical basis for the Legiones Astartes was completed, and other Legions began to be assembled. The Ist would take a hand in this process, training the initial cadres and seconding companies to their early campaigns. Some records indicate that this was at the behest of the Emperor Himself, recognising a way to instil true kinship among His Legions. Throughout this, the Ist strove to master any form of warfare in which they might be required to engage, a task they were able to do increasingly as the first chapters of the legion were founded and their expertise solidified. Sons of the Fifth Chapter were the ones who exterminated the dreaded Techno-Thralls of the Illucidarch in the bowels of Ur-Atlan, pioneering new developments in void hardened armour and identifying shortcomings in MkI Thunder armour. A single squad of the Eighth Chapter were the ones to discover the critical weakness in the defence of the Jialter Domain that paved the way for a swift victory.

Primarch Origins
Araphel's pod had landed on Khth'n, a planet that had known war since being settled upon by mankind. The world was settled early on in the Dark Age of Technology due to its relative closeness to Terra and positioned near a stable warp route. The world was rich in ores that would be needed for humanity’s expansion, and so great mines and industrial processing systems were built. For centuries, Khth’n was prosperous. When the Age of Strife hit, Khth’n’s former fame was forgotten, its mines slowly degrading and the pollution syphons falling into disrepair. The world became covered in a thick layer of smog and the once rugged beauty became merely rugged wastelands. The engines of industry were converted into engines of war by the remaining tech-cults. Conflict had soon erupted over these engines and the remaining active mines, and for millennia war had raged between the northern and southern states of Khth’n.

Having landed in the Northern hemisphere, Araphel was inducted into a Cult known as the Titans of Khth'n, and before he could read or write, he was used as a cog for their war machine. Armoured in a powered exoskeleton and given rudimentary but effective weaponry, he was unleashed upon the insurrectionists of the planet, told how they had destroyed the peace of Khth'n and needed to be stopped. Araphel learnt as much as he could from his mentors, learnt how to wage war, about their beliefs, and what he was fighting for. Eventually he was put in control of vast legions of warmachines to help with the cause and the insurrectionists were all but eradicated.

It was during one of his missions into a hive city that he met Thaniel, who would later go on to be the First Captain of Araphel’s Legion. It may have been fate that stopped the Primarch striking him down where he stood, but as Thaniel stood protecting a family, Araphel could not help but hesitate. Capitalising on the moment of mercy, the insurrectionists beseeched the Primarch for dialogue and brought him in. Explaining the truth of it and how the Titans of Khth'n had forced slaves into the mines, forced them to build the machines for them. The truth of it all ignited a fire within Araphel's hearts.

The Primarch went upon a rampage, this time fighting for the insurrectionists he had vowed to destroy. However, this time, his campaign would fail. After one fateful battle, the Primarch finally tasted defeat, his forces broken and retreating, the Titan's offered peace to the people of Khth'n in return for the Primarch being handed over.

They obeyed.

Araphel was betrayed. Handed back to the Titans who took him in, they tortured and experimented upon him. As a warning to the people of Khth'n he was chained up upon the parapets of the forges, tortured daily, the birds of prey feasting upon his guts with only the Primarch's resilience and willpower keeping him alive. It was like this that the Emperor found him, and Araphel remembers the shame of being seen like this to this day.

Great Crusade
The Imperium rejoiced with huge celebrations as news spread that the first of the Emperor’s sons had been recovered and had joined the Great Crusade. Huge crowds gathered on Terra as the Bucephalus returned to Terra and Araphel and the Emperor stood together as the first Primarch stepped on Terra. Araphel was taken on tours of the many cities and continents of Terra, seeing the scars of the Unification War still visible on the former techno-barbarian kingdoms. Together, they worked on several of the Emperor’s projects on Terra of building the infrastructure for the new Imperium, whilst Araphel was tutored by many of the leading lights of the new Imperium. It is said that Valdor himself sparred with him in training sessions, though the results of these supposed bouts are not recorded. It was not only Terra that was graced by the Emperor and his son, but later into his training Araphel was taken to many of the planets of the Sol System to expand his horizons. The Emperor and Araphel spent many hours alone in conversation, the Emperor attempting to heal the trauma from his time on Khth’n. Unfortunately, it would seem that even for the posthuman mind of a Primarch, the psychological damage was too great to completely repair.

Araphel was eventually reunited with his legion on a permanent basis, the Steel Blades standing strong at 6,250 Astartes, all able to assemble on the newly created Gloriana-class Battleship Titan’s Gaol. The Emperor offered him the tools to fulfil his destiny, as his first mission was to be the conquest of his homeworld.

Notable Campaigns

 * Pacification of Luna

Legion Organisation & Structure
The First Legion is made up of a dozen chapters, each split into a certain battlefield role. Each chapter has a specific battlefield role that they will be utilised for, whether this be siege breaking, destroyer, outriding, or any other operational capacity. Training throughout the legion is done on a chapter by chapter basis. For example, the third chapter, dedicated to siege breaking, is further split into 10 companies. These 10 companies will train amongst each other to become an effective force in and of themselves for siege breaking. The chapters will be split into terminators, bikes, siege weaponry and so on, just as any other legion may be, but their tactics and training will be specialised towards their combat role. The size of each chapter does vary depending upon the needs of the legion at the time, with Eleventh and Twelfth chapters acting as reserve who go through a more ‘generalised’ training. Along with these differences to other Legion’s, the First Legion also has a larger than usual amount of apothecaries broken down into the Companies.

Legion Combat Doctrine
Each chapter acts as a smaller independent force, with specific training and a specific battlefield role in mind. Often, when arriving upon a new planet to bring into the Imperium, the type of battlefield will be assessed. If the Legion does not have enough information about their targets, the Eighth chapter will be sent in to assess the situation. The Eighth are often known as the Vanguard, or the outriders chapter. They will relay as much information as possible back to the legion for dissemination and analysis. So that the Revenants can decide who the next wave will be.

The waves are decided by what type of battlefield, or what type of warfare will be waged. If the target is within a fortress for example, the third chapter will be sent as the second wave, as they are trained as the siege breakers. From there the situation will be continually assessed, and further troops, supplies or waves sent down to the planet as required. Araphel is conservative in his efforts and will only send as many chapters as are required for the work done. If extra reinforcements are needed he will choose from the eleventh or twelfth chapter. If the fighting is especially brutal that is when he makes use of the first chapter to break the planet and force compliance.

The Midasian Hoard
A collection of various rare and unique items from the Legion's long history. Gathered together to help further the many doctrines of their Chapters. While the largest known Hoard is located on Terra itself, the many fleets of the First keep certain stockpiles of these individual weapons and vehicles should their ancient capabilities be needed.

Banestrike Bolt Rounds
These mysterious variant bolt shells, believed to have been designed in secret within the armouries of the Iron Revenants long before the outbreak of the Ruins, had it seems a sole purpose; to breach the Ceramite Power Armour of Space Marines. Their dense explosive cores and firing stresses reduced their range and swiftly degraded the firing weapon, but their effect against the Traitor and Separatist Legions were devastating.

Notable Iron Revenants

 * Araphel - Primarch of the Ist Legion
 * Thaniel - First Captain of the Iron Revenants. Thaniel has served with the primarch longer than any other living being. Thaniel was the one to turn the Primarch himself away from quashing the rebellions upon their home planet Khth’n, and to stop him from taking many innocent lives. Since this time, Thaniel has served in every conflict that Araphel has taken part in, many times at the Primarch’s side, and many times leading the legion himself to mighty effect.
 * Arlo - Captain of the Fourth Chapter
 * Archiron - Chief Apothecary, Lord of the Steel Sceptres
 * Icarus Kallus - Master of the Fleet
 * Athanos, the Immortal Bastion - Leviathan Siege Dreadnought
 * Sellenus (Deceased) - Former Legion Master