Red Eyes

''“People of Pratyasa, you have been saved. Saved from the darkness of the void, the darkness of being alone in the galaxy, saved from the path of ignominy. The glorious Emperor of Mankind, the most brilliant and shining lord in creation, has sent us to rescue you, he has sought you out to bring you back into the fold of humanity. We are here as liberators and long-lost family, we are the Red Eyes.”''


 * The beginning of the vox-cast message of the Red Eyes to the world of Pratyasa

There are few legions who embody duty and devotion more than the Red Eyes, being molded and molding themselves to be the Emperor’s executioners, his wrath made manifest and the ultimate punishment to the foes of the Emperor. They quickly established their unique style of warfare, savage yet precise strikes and large scale propaganda campaigns, with the areas and then worlds they conquered becoming some of the most compliant. Their reunion with their Primarch Theoderaf did nothing to change this, in fact it intensified it with Theoderaf’s and the new recruits from Certus Minor’s faith in the divine Emperor. Little did anyone at the time realise that this laid the groundwork for future catastrophe.

The Golden Light of Creation
The first recruits of the IVth were drawn from the relatively small polity of Bania on Terra, a land of large, flat areas divided by a long mountain range. The inhabitants of Bania were hardy, rough people, not having the technologies or psychic powers of the large states to improve their lives. In the face of the Imperium’s might, the people of Bania submitted to the Emperor and thus survived the Unification Wars relatively unscathed. The early recruits believed themselves to be the Emperor’s executioners due to their humble origins, as they swore their lives to the Emperor in return for his raising them out of poverty and obscurity. No geneseed instability was noted in the alpha stage of deployment, with the sole abnormality being entirely cosmetic. The irises of every single Astarte were crimson, but when the temper of the Astarte grew worse the eyes would glow in increasing intensity to the point that the whole eye would be lost in the light.

The IVth spent a long time training under the Legio Custodes and the First Legion, though strangely they felt more kinship with their Custodians than their Astartes trainers, growing to view them as their big brothers and baking a deep respect for the Custodes into the very fabric of the legion. The first captain of the legion was chosen when he became the first IVth marine to last longer than a minute against a Custodian in a one on one fight, to the applause of the IVth and what was interpreted as the silent respect of the Custodes. No official sources state the view of the Custodes on the IVth, though Theoderaf’s later friendship with Captain-General Vilaccan was used as later proof of this historic link. They gained their nickname during this time, given to them by the other legions who called them their Golden Brothers as both a praise and a criticism, viewing them as more attached to the Custodes than their brother legions.

The IVth saw service in the Unification Wars, as they were primarily used to put down any rebellions and target particularly high morale enemies. As they faced enemies who refused to surrender to conventional campaigns, they began developing what would become their trademark tactics, with their use of mass-scale propaganda and then vicious assaults. In campaigns such as the destruction of the Cxiaozte slave-empire, regimes could be toppled as populaces were roused and aided in throwing off their chains for themselves. In the chaos of the Unification Wars, the IVth sought to take on the aesthetic of demons and the enemies’ mythological beings of fear, turning a culture’s own mythology against them in proclaiming the Emperor’s will. The IVth would accept any command from the Emperor and they would spare nothing to achieve their goal, often resulting in excess casualties from the Legion. By the start of the Great Crusade, the IVth were renowned as the Emperor’s final punishment, sent to punish those who defied him.

They served with distinction for the first part of the Great Crusade, being large enough to campaign on their own shortly after the beginning and preferring to fight campaigns their way rather than be subordinate to another legion. The Golden Brothers’ immense self-belief also bred a degree of arrogance and dismissal of those who fought differently to themselves, the IVth viewing themselves as being chosen by the Emperor and as such above their brother Legions. They were responsible for the swift and brutal ending of the Cerberus Insurrection in the Sol System on the orders of the Emperor himself, where their fury was matched by that of the remaining Thunder Warriors. This aggression was more than simply frustration or lack of control, but a gift by the Emperor that was clearly to be used in his service, and thus the IVth cultivated it. The IVth’s largest campaign before Theoderaf was discovered was the Conquest of Caunides in Segmentum Pacificus, where the word of the IVth’s ruthless purge and the intense propaganda caused many worlds within the system to submit to Imperial compliance under any terms. It was immediately after this that word reached the legion that they were to meet at the world of Certus Minor to rejoin their Primarch.

For the Emperor
The world of Certus Minor is a bleak and black-stoned world, several human settlements scattered across its surface but having declined technologically since their foundation during the Dark Age of Technology. The surface of Certus Minor is covered in towers, steeples and spires, with the largest city being Obsequa City, which is on the verge of becoming a hive city. The world is almost entirely dedicated to the worship of the god of Death, and the inhabitants venerate the dead by constructing huge catacombs underneath their cities. The main buildings in the city are basilicas and cathedrals, huge stone monuments that are ornately decorated. It was into this realm of religion and death that the pod of Theoderaf landed.

Theoderaf grew up instilled with the belief that a radiant Thunder King ruled the galaxy, and was going to come to Certus and that Theoderaf was to be his avenging angel. When the Emperor arrived to find his son, Theoderaf was vindicated in his beliefs, and wholly gave himself over to the Emperor. The Emperor recognised that he would make an unconditionally loyal servant who would do whatever the Emperor needed, and so joyously took his son back to Terra with him. The Emperor told him in no uncertain terms that he was not a God, and so Theoderaf swore to renounce his public worship, although privately he still believed.

The Fires of Humanity
Theoderaf spent two years with the Emperor, fighting alongside him and absorbing all he could about the Imperium and the Emperor. The Emperor tried to teach Theoderaf to temper his fanaticism, taking him on a journey across Terra to show the failed history of religion and the strength of the Imperial Truth. For Theoderaf, the time he spent on Terra was the happiest he had ever been, as he treasured his time with his true father. However, all good things come to an end, and Theoderaf would eventually ascend the Astartes Tower and be given his task: to lead his legion in the Emperor’s name. He took over the IVth legion and renamed them the Red Eyes after their shared gene defect, a tool that Theoderaf would turn into the trademark of the terror the Red Eyes inspired. The reunion was a celebratory scene, with many works of art capturing the glory of the event as the sons of the IVth took a knee in front of their father and swore oaths of complete loyalty, with many shedding tears of joy. Theoderaf led the Red Eyes back into the Great Crusade with an intensity that soon became their standard operations. A new name was not the only gift that Theoderaf brought with him, as with the Emperor’s blessing Theoderaf’s Certian heraldry of the Wudsigna and the single-headed eagle were adopted by the legion as their legion symbol and an Aquila.

As the years went on, the Red Eyes gathered a long list of compliances, with not a single world captured by them rebelling once conquered by the legion which became a great accolade for the Legion. They prided themselves on and worked tirelessly to cultivate a reputation for  their effectiveness, their absolute devotion to the Emperor and their harsh punishments of those they deemed to have failed the Emperor. This gained them a glossy yet dark reputation, and an equal number of admirers and critics. The Red Eyes’ preferred strategy remained consistent from before Theoderaf arrived, and so Theoderaf worked to refine their terror tactics even further and was granted by the Emperor the largest teleportarium of any legion on his flagship The Emperor’s Oblivion and on all their main battleships. Theoderaf also subtly changed the nature of the Red Eyes’ propaganda, with the descriptions of the greatness of the Emperor developing religious undertones and the threats of punishment being described as the judgement of a god. While this did gain some criticism, with word reaching the Emperor and the Emperor having a private word with Theoderaf the next time they campaigned together, no official condemnation or punishment was issued as the propaganda proved highly effective.

For the enemies of the Imperium, the Red Eyes offered two options: join the Imperium or face the fury of the Legion. As the Great Crusade progressed, the history of the victories of the Red Eyes was filled with both, their peaceful compliances honoured on equal terms with their bloody executions. Some within the Imperium saw only the blood and terror the Red Eyes promoted, portraying them as merely cruel savages, yet the Red Eyes kept true to their mission and gained a certain amount of respect from many across the Imperium. The Red Eyes’ reputation was further enhanced by their service in the Second Rangdan Xenocide, where they were led alongside the Emperor to the aid of the Imperium and their brother legions. Scenes of golden angels descending upon foul xenos to aid their brothers were immortalised by the Legion and were used to exemplify the strength of humanity against the cruel races of the galaxy. In the fires of the Xenocide, the Red Eyes formed their most important friendship: the three-way bond between them and the Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors.

The work of the Red Eyes did not end with the mere fighting involved in compliances. Coupled with the iron fist of their assaults was the velvet glove of helping worlds join the Imperium, through the choosing of suitable governors and officials. On all of these worlds, the Cult of the God Emperor would soon arise, though the Red Eyes always denied any claims of purposeful proselytising. However, this was no mere humanitarian effort, and if the Red Eyes deemed the world sufficiently stable they would depart swiftly for the next campaign. They knew their purpose as laid out by the Emperor: they were Astartes, and they were to conquer the galaxy.

A Hammer blow to the Heart
Whilst the Red Eyes were far away in Segmentum Ultima carrying out a compliance on the world of Cando, news reached them of the Emperor’s disappearance. No Primarch was hit harder than Theoderaf, whose world was shattered by the loss of both his father and his deity. The Cando Compliance devolved into a mass slaughter as the Red Eyes, distraught over the Emperor’s loss, lost control of their rage and butchered the populace. Though discipline was re-established and efforts were made afterwards to rectify the Legion’s lapse in control, the Legion was forever changed. For a year, the Red Eyes acted as a roving horde of retribution for the Imperium, executing all who had shown themselves to be disloyal and making their own judgement on the loyalty of any who they came upon. Even by the Conclave of Terra a whole year later, Theoderaf and the Red Eyes were noticeably dulled, their previous fire nearly gone and Theoderaf being a silent watcher of the first day of the Conclave.

However, by the second day the old Theoderaf seemed to have re-emerged. Once the decision had been made to appoint a Regent, Theoderaf stood before the Conclave and, burning with passion, proclaimed the need of the Imperium for his guidance until the Emperor returned. He made an impassioned speech in favour of keeping the Imperium as it was until the Emperor returned, which would undoubtedly be very soon. Although he technically came second in the voting that followed, the noticeable lack of support was another huge blow to Theoderaf and the Red Eyes’ prestige and trust in their brother legions. In the aftermath, the Red Eyes became the primary legion of the Reclamation Command, making their sole mission now to find the Emperor as quickly as possible, and they threw themselves into it with their characteristic fervour.

The Long Years
The Red Eyes took to their new assignment with gusto, fanning out across the Imperium to begin their search for the Emperor. While a single chapter was kept militarily active through aiding in compliances, close to ninety percent of the legion turned to the administrative task of visiting worlds, collecting reports and hunting for rumours. Theoderaf coordinated closely with his brothers Kubwa-Chui-Khalfani and Absalom Vaughn to divide the Imperium between the various forces at their disposal, aided by a large portion of the remaining Custodes. Though the first years showed promise and the areas ruled out grew, the Red Eyes would grow weary of the Imperium, as they felt themselves hamstrung by the resistance from local authorities and the lack of support from the majority of their brother legions. While their faith in the Emperor remained strong, their already renowned temper grew more frequent and their once prolonged propaganda campaigns began shrinking in favour of swift conclusions.

Matters would come to a head in 010.M31, as Theoderaf received an urgent communication from his brother Hectarion Mycenor to meet with him. Hectarion revealed to him that the High Regent Alexandros was considering crowning himself Emperor, and that the Red Eyes had been deliberately excluded from being informed due to their known opposition to the move. The news roused the morose Eyes to incandescent rage, and Theoderaf returned to Certus to gather his forces. While others may have lost faith in the Emperor’s return, the Red Eyes would not give up so easily. What the High Regent and his supporters were undertaking was sacrilegious and near heretical in the eyes of Theoderaf and he would not allow it to happen without him doing everything in his power to stop it. Astartes, mortals, Mechanicum Taghmata, Knights and Titans all mobilised and assembled on Certus, flying the Certian Aquila and holding mass religious ceremonies in the Emperor’s name. Though few of their brother legions would answer the Red Eyes’ call, the Red Eyes would refuse to back down when the diplomats of Terra and the Halcyon Wardens arrived, believing that it was their duty to oppose the succession whatever the personal cost. While the Red Eyes were not known for being a political force, they would find themselves one of the central actors in the succession crisis that threatened to break out into full-out civil war.

Legion Organisation and Structure
The Red Eyes, when forced to fight pitched battles, do not differ too much from the Principia Belicosa, preferring melee combat but with plenty of ranged firepower to support them. Warriors belonged to squads, squads to companies and companies to chapters. A Red Eyes fleet will typically have a good balance between the different combat units, as each one has a specific role to play in any campaign. The rediscovery of their Primarch and the influx of recruits from Certus Minor did little to change the Legion’s basic structure, rather it streamlined the legion to all flow from the Primarch. However, it is rare for the Red Eyes to fight standard battles, as their unique tactics and way of waging war established a set style for the legion. Theoderaf enacted few structural changes to the legion when he was rediscovered, keeping the same compositions of chapters and companies as before. The only new position he created was the Drauhtinon, a council composed of several of the commanders of the legion to advise the Primarch and carry out his orders. Theoderaf also gave the position of Equerry unique influence within the legion, being his enforcer of discipline and morale to mirror the relationship between the Emperor and Theoderaf. After the Shattering of the IVth, the new Equerry took on the role of High Chaplain, being in charge of the training of chaplains and overseeing their performance.

Chapters

 * 1st Chapter - The Tiwaz Furies
 * Speciality: Terminators, Veterans and Teleportation Strikes
 * Iconography: 𐌰, a flaming sword
 * The most esteemed chapter in the legion, the Tiwaz Furies consists of the most veteran legionaries. Headed by the Marks of Fate, most of the legion’s suits of Terminator Armour are also used by the 1st chapter veterans. The Tiwaz Furies are the first to teleport into battle, and often serve alongside Theoderaf himself.
 * 2nd Chapter - The Fairguneis Bolts
 * Speciality: Urban Warfare, Mass Terror Campaigns
 * Iconography: 𐌱, a claw
 * The 2nd chapter was dedicated to being fear incarnate, organised by Theoderaf to be wholly geared towards terrifying non-compliant worlds into submission. Comprising Assault Squads, Drop Pods, Tactical Support Squads and Despoiler Squads, they are a mostly close combat focused focus with short range support elements to deliver as much up close damage as possible to the enemy.
 * 3rd Chapter - The Shining Gaut
 * Speciality: Propaganda, Close Operation with Auxilia elements
 * Iconography: 𐌳, eagle
 * The 3rd Chapter is the most propaganda-focused and zealous chapter within the legion, spreading the glory of the Emperor and the Red Eyes far and wide. Priding themselves on their pristine image, carefully managing their frightening appearance to inspire awe in the worlds they seek to bring into the Imperium. The Shining Gaunts also promote close cooperation with allied forces, cultivating a broad network of support and good will that the Legion can draw upon when needed.
 * 4th Chapter - The Ingwaz of the Flame
 * Speciality: Armoured Warfare, Artillery Bombardments
 * Iconography: 𐌴, Skeleton
 * The 4th Chapter has the largest concentration of vehicles within the Legion, having many of the Tanks and Dreadnoughts and nearly all the Artillery. The Ingwaz of the Flame specialise in reducing targets to rubble, and to break the nerve of the enemy through constant bombardments. Enemies brought into compliance by the Ingwaz of the Flame are noted for many cases of shell shock.
 * 5th Chapter - The Light of Donaws
 * Speciality: Close Combat Assaults
 * Iconography: 𐍆, Twin Axes in a Shield
 * The 5th Chapter does not bother with the subtlety of precision teleportation strikes or the flowery language of mass propaganda campaigns, the Light of Donaws is dedicated to sweeping the enemy away in a tide of carnage. Housing many of the legion’s transports, the Light of Donaws is usually deployed on the planet to be the anvil against which the enemy will be held until the hammer of the teleportation strikes hits the enemy from behind. There is also a significant duelling culture within the chapter, with ones ranking in the fighting pits playing into who is promoted.
 * 6th Chapter - The Wuotan Runes
 * Speciality: Reconnaissance and Scouting
 * Iconography: 𐌲, a hooded figure
 * The 6th Chapter specialises in both fast moving assaults and reconnaissance, containing recon companies and being the originator of the Decapitation Squads. It is also noted for its number of bikes and jetbikes, particularly having all of the legion’s limited number of Estoc jetbikes.
 * 7th Chapter - The Vindhlér
 * Speciality: Proscribed Weaponry, Close Coordination with the Forge World Aehiri
 * Iconography: 𐌷, Three Crossed Bones
 * The 7th Chapter is kept on a very tight lease by Theoderaf, only deployed independently when the target is deemed irreconcilable hostile and of no strategic importance. The Vindhlér contains the largest number of destroyer companies, and is typically where the Moritat-Prime is chosen from. The Vindhlér is also the closest ally of the Forge World of Aehiri, which provides the chapter with its proscribed weaponry and has taken part in many joint compliances.

Legion Command Hierarchy
The Red Eyes enforced a strict hierarchy of command, with a superior’s word being law to those under him. At the top of the hierarchy, Theoderaf tolerated little challenging of his orders, not even the Drauhtinon could openly challenge a direct order from Theoderaf. This extended down the chain of command, from chapter masters to company captains all the way down to squad sergeants. The Drauhtinon was composed of the Equerry, First Captain, Chief Librarian and later the High Chaplain.

Those who climbed the ranks of the IVth legion tended to be those who had a talent for instilling terror in the enemy and had the tactical acumen to conduct the most effective campaigns. Those who were exceptional at the former but lacked the tactical skill could still reach high office by competing to join the Marks of Fate, but there is fierce competition and duels between candidates and one can only join with the endorsement of Theoderaf himself.

Though a relatively new rank, the Chaplaincy was given significant power and status within the legion, as they were recruited from the most fanatical worshippers of the Emperor to keep the morale of the legion up as the disappearance of the Emperor distressed the Red Eyes. The word of a chaplain held even more weight than a captain, as any order vetoed by the chaplains would be rejected.

Specialist Units

 * Marks of Fate - The elite bodyguard of Theoderaf, chosen for their battlefield prowess, their devotion to their Primarch and to the Emperor. They are the Primarch's representatives within the legion, being respected by all within the legion and their word is synonymous with their Primarch's. They are named by Theoderaf's belief that his chosen are marked by fate to serve the Emperor, in the same way he himself was marked. They have the finest quality Tartaros Terminator Armour, highly decorated with Imperial iconography, and armed with a pair of power axes.
 * Decapitation Squad - When the Red Eyes strike their single blow, the Decapitation Squads are the ones who laid the groundwork. In situations where the removal of high value targets will cause maximum demoralisation, the Decapitation Squad will be tasked with their removal by any means necessary. Armed with special issue ammunition to remove a target from range, and chain axes to deal with targets close up, they are prepared for any eventuality.
 * Sky Terrors - Few members of the legion exemplify the terror that the Red Eyes bring upon noncompliant worlds than the Sky Terrors. Their arrival on the battlefield alone causes routs, as their reputation, appearance and aura of fear all combine to terrify all those around them. The members of the Sky Terrors are chosen wherever one of their number is killed, chosen by the existing members and the head of the group called the Sky Lord. To be chosen is to be seen as terror personified.
 * Irorukian Wraiths - During one of Theoderaf’s first compliances after having joined his legion, on the world of Iroruki, a veteran company overwhelmed a critical strong point on the enemy’s defence line, suffering heavy casualties as they charged headlong through the breach. This insane bravery and devotion was recognised after the battle by Theoderaf, who took the surviving 20 veterans and formed them into a new unit, the Irorukian Wraiths. Given teleportation transponders and selecting as their weapon of choice the chainaxe design of their fallen commander from Iroruki, Fritigar, the Wraiths overwhelm their opponents with a lightning series of blows. Only those Red Eyes who have survived against incredible odds are chosen to join the Wraiths.

Cult of Torten
Whilst the culture of Terra is predominant within the Red Eyes, there is a subculture of those who follow the old ways of Certus. The majority of Certus were not worshippers of the Thunder King before Theoderaf’s conquest, with one of the major gods of Certus being the god of Death, Torten. Many of the children recruited into the Red Eyes were from families who had worshipped Torten, and some of these still kept the traditions alive in secret. Most of these children would then have their faith replaced with worship of the God-Emperor during training and indoctrination, but a very small number retained their traditions.

These few Certians coalesced into a secret subculture within the legion, marking themselves out with very subtle Certian symbols and holding secret gatherings. Despite the amount of secrecy, for the period of the Great Crusade the Cult was not concerned about overturning the Terran culture or opposing Theoderaf’s command, instead simply celebrating the old traditions and keeping the flame alive. They actively avoided recruitment, believing that any of the Hinimam would catch wind and clamp down on their non-belief, with new members only being selected if they already had an upbringing in the traditions and could recognise the symbols.

In the aftermath of the Second Ruin and the Shattering of the 4th, the Cult of Torten would grow in size considerably as some Red Eyes turned to old Certus to fill the gap left by their abandonment of the Imperial Cult. Many of the Cult’s adherents would be amongst the fiercest warriors to fall during the Siege of Terra, dedicating themselves openly to Death and throwing themselves at the Loyalist defences.

War Disposition
The Red Eyes are an average sized legion, having had steady, continuous growth but not the great speed of some of the larger legions. By the dawn of the First Ruin, the Red Eyes had reached 125,000 of the Emperor’s chosen sons, with the largest number of Terran marines of any legion. While some within the Legion viewed the larger size of other legions such as the Obsidian Guard as an issue, Theoderaf managed his strict recruitment standards and kept the stock of Terran recruits sustainable. The majority of the legion campaigns under the direct command of Theoderaf, with rotating chapters serving under him and the 1st Chapter as to keep the legion unified. With the formation of the Reclamation Command, a significant portion of the legion is dedicated to finding the Emperor, with the rest being dispersed around the Imperium dealing with insurrections. As time went on, the elements of the legion not chosen to be part of the Reclamation Command grew more and more distant, with those who displeased Theoderaf merely reassigned away from the Reclamation Command to these distant chapters and companies.

The Red Eyes were always accompanied by significant numbers of allied detachments due to their popularity with certain groups. The closest of these would be the Aumet Revolutionary Army, a number of Imperial Army regiments from the world of Aumet that was aided in its liberation by the Red Eyes. The Aumet troops are as fanatically religious as their Red Eye counterparts, having been converted to the Imperial Cult by the Legion through its long years of service alongside them. For much of the Great Crusade, the Red Eyes served alongside the Titan Legio Defensor, the two sharing a sense of honour and belief in the divinity of the Emperor. However, as the Halcyon Age and Ruins progressed, Legio Interfector would begin to rise in Theoderaf’s favour and Legio Defensor would begin to feel isolated.

The Red Eyes are not known for their naval prowess, gutting many of their ships’ weapons systems for increased teleportariums. In addition, the exterior of their ships were decorated with the honours they had gained in their years of service, making stealth not an option. As such, the Expeditionary Fleets under their command were light on battleships and were more suited to orbital assaults than prolonged void combat.

Legion Wargear

 * Propaganda Speakers - Though not a weapon, the Propaganda Speakers have proven to be nearly as effective in bringing worlds to compliance as the legion’s armoury. The booming voices of the leaders of the Red Eyes echo across the battlefield, promising clemency for those who willingly side with the IVth, and utter destruction to those who stand against them.
 * Teleportation Transponders - One of the legion’s most prized and used items, the Red Eyes’ style of warfare has become synonymous with the teleportation strike. At the cutting edge of teleportation use, the Red Eyes have won several battles with a sudden teleportation onto the enemy’s high command or into the thick of battle.
 * Executioner's Sword - The weapon of ultimate sanction, the Executioner Sword is wielded by those Red Eyes who devote themselves to the punishing of those who defy the Emperor. Whether corrupt Imperial official, lowly criminal or enemy combatant on the battlefield, the Executioner Sword cuts all down in the name of the Emperor’s justice.
 * Godfall (Relic) - Though the origin of the Godfall is lost, its first recorded appearance in the canon of the Red Eyes was when a mighty power fist ended a campaign by destroying the main temple of a rebellious state during the Unification Wars. Legends soon arose that this power fist was specially designed to break the heathen gods of the Emperor’s enemies, a weapon blessed by the Emperor himself. Theoderaf kept on the relic, bestowing it to a specific champion who was given the task of destroying the religious centre of his enemies.

Cryptosi Purgation (927.M30)
Occurring far into the Great Crusade, the Cryptosi Purgation was the pinnacle of the efficient brutality of the Red Eyes, not as mindless butchers but as necessary excoriators. As the Emperor’s executioners, they would bring his justice swiftly when needed, not for glory but for the Emperor. The Kanzuz System is located on the northern edge of Segmentum Obscurus, home of a far away human colony that had become isolated early in the Dark Age of Technology. Once a system thriving with life across several worlds, now the Kanzuz System was lifeless at first glance. As the first Imperial contact with that region of space and with little reconnaissance available, the Red Eyes gathered considerable strength as part of a larger-scale campaign north. Not only did they bring several Chapters and their closest Imperial Army regiments, the Aumet Revolutionary Army, they also arranged for Knight and Titan support to accompany them, from Legio Defensor and House Makabius.

The first world they came across, labelled Kanzuz I, was a desolate world, with signs of the human civilisation having been destroyed but no clue as to what had caused it. The following worlds were equally bleak, with more signs of cataclysms having occurred but more inconclusive investigations. However, on the world of Kanzuz IX, a barren rocky world, the Red Eyes found the surviving remains of the empire of Kanzuz. The human population were living in the ruins of their largest hive city, the outskirts abandoned and crumbled due to neglect. Early signs showed that the humans had little in terms of weaponry or defences, with the essential life support systems barely being operational.

The Red Eyes did not receive a warm welcome, with the populace of Kanzuz IX being skittish and fearful of the Astartes, but the Red Eyes were used to this reaction. The humans had no army to speak of, and so there seemed that this would prove to be a peaceful compliance. The one puzzling thing was how the humans were keeping the life support systems going after all this time, when everything else on the world seemed to have collapsed.

However, the Red Eyes’ scouts alerted Theoderaf to a deep series of tunnels beneath the cities, not revealed by the local governors to the Red eyes in their discussions. Theoderaf sent the Decapitation Squads to infiltrate the tunnels with teleport homers and find out their secrets. They discovered mysterious green clouds of gas, but when they were spotted the humans turned extremely violent, clawing at the Astartes with their bare hands. The Decapitation Squads tried to escape to the surface, but the humans flooded into the tunnels and blocked their escape with sheer weight of numbers. The remainder of the squads managed to teleport out, though several Astartes died through teleporting into the rocks.

Theoderaf tolerated no defiance, and the accounts of the surviving Decapitation Squads indicated xenos involvement. The Red Eyes teleported straight into the government buildings of the capital city, slaughtering all there as the humans infected by the gas poured towards the centre in an attempt to block the Red Eyes. Theoderaf led the assault in person, with House Makabius taking part as the rearguard whilst the Red Eyes stormed the tunnels. In the close quarters of the tunnels, the humans’ numbers meant nothing as the Red Eyes tore their way through any who stood in their way. The march was a gruesome and bloody sight, severed body parts trampled underfoot and blood covering the walls and flowing down the tunnels in rivers. The Red Eyes eventually reached the bottom, using their flamers and grenades to destroy the caverns, and then retreated and used heavy ordnance to utterly destroy the tunnel. The Red Eyes rounded up the surviving humans, those who had not participated in the assault on the Red Eyes and the survivors of the massacres who had now returned to normal, and resettled them to Kanzuz VII after intensive interrogations and testings.

The Kanzuz System was rendered compliant, the Red Eyes moved onward to the next system, and the mysterious xenos had disappeared. No great propaganda arose from the occasion, and the event would be forgotten by most as one of the many xenocides required for the betterment of humanity. Whilst some of the more peaceful Primarchs were disgusted by the slaughter, all accepted that the purge of the xenos was necessary and none could disagree with the results.

Conquest of Caunides (830.M30)
The last major campaign by the Golden Brothers before Theoderaf was discovered, the Conquest of Caunides was the crowning achievement of the IVth legion before Theoderaf’s coming. Occurring in 830.M30, the Golden Brothers discovered the world of Caunides in Segmentum Pacificus, which had a surviving human civilisation from the Dark Age of Technology. However, the rulers of the world, called The Chosen, had endured the Age of Strife through instituting a tyrannical system of keeping the populace enslaved, dividing them into “labour units” to be immediately euthanized when they no longer had value to its system, and ruled through a mixture of crushing oppression and forced chemical dependence. Caunides boosted a powerful military and industrial base that could resist the Imperium for years possibly. The Golden Brothers swore to liberate the humans of the world and bring them into the Imperial fold.

The reconnaissance squads of the Golden Brothers stealthily landed on the world, identifying the officials in charge of maintaining the chemical dispensing machines and enforcing the oppression of the Chosen. After a week of reconnaissance, the Golden Brothers began their propaganda campaign, broadcasting the news of Caunides’s upcoming liberation, that the tyranny of the Chosen was not the only way to survive in the galaxy and that a new age was dawning, the Age of the Imperium. Images of the Emperor were distributed, accounts of his glory were spread and the officials of the regime were assassinated to lift the repression on the populace.

The Chosen, at first, relied on their repression mechanisms to keep the populace under their control, increasing the chemical dosages and keeping the labour units working without a chance to absorb the information. However, the Golden Brothers’ undermining of their system began giving the human populace the space required to hear their propaganda and begin pushing back against the Chosen. Labour units began communicating between themselves, work slowed, vandalism and riots began. Reports reached The Chosen of their furthest outposts being overturned by civilians. Panicking, the Chosen ordered the army to exterminate rebellious labour units, firing basic anti-air weapons to try and shoot down the Golden Brothers in orbit.

The Golden Brothers descended via drop pods into the city, crushing the army as they tried to slaughter the civilians, and called on the populace to embrace their liberation. At the same time, Roderic and the 1st Company teleported into The Order’s palace, killed the entire Order and all of their officials hiding there, and brought the bodies out for the populace to witness. The populace rejoiced, praising the golden angels who had saved them and the golden lord who had sent them to their aid. Soon after compliance, an Iron Revenants fleet emerged in-system, there to relieve the Golden Brothers of the reconstruction duties as their Primarch had been discovered.

Legion Combat Doctrine
The Red Eyes will start by blocking all communications on the planet and sending fake reports to sow confusion and hinder organising resistance. Once the blockade is complete, the Legion will use the hijacked communications to send Imperial propaganda to the inhabitants every moment of every day for several weeks, promising the glory of the Imperium or utter destruction. Throughout this period, supplies will be destroyed and intense reconnaissance will be done until the entire planet’s government and military structures are understood. Then, once preparations are complete, the Legion will begin The Purge, where the legion will descend onto the planet en masse, slaughtering all officials and soldiers and any civilians that resist.

Notable Red Eyes

 * Theoderaf - Primarch of the IVth Legion
 * Athanius Eurex - First Captain and Captain of the Marks of Fate, The Red Storm
 * Athanius Eurex was one of the first recruits from Certus Minor, having been brought up during Theoderaf’s reign of Certus. He is entirely devoted to Theoderaf, willing to do whatever Theoderaf commands and he was the first Astartes to gain the endorsement of Theoderaf to join the Marks of Fate. Once a member of the Marks of Fate, he was never defeated by someone looking to replace him in the bodyguard, and eventually became the Mark of Destiny.
 * Roderic - Equerry
 * Roderic was a recruit from Terra, and was the Legion Master when Theoderaf was discovered. Theoderaf moved him to become his advisor, bringing him up to speed on the history of the legion, its strengths and weaknesses, and the two became close. Roderic is the one Astartes Theoderaf can confide his doubts in, and Roderic always gives him the best advice he can. His death at the Shattering of the 4th was a devastating blow to Theoderaf.
 * Winguric Baza - Captain of the 2nd Chapter, The Destiny Cutter
 * Winguric was from one of the first cities conquered by Theoderaf on Certus Minor, and his family was ruled by Theoderaf several years until the Emperor arrived. Winguric was born just before Theoderaf’s conquest, and has vivid memories of the fear that Theoderaf brought with him. He strives to instil that fear in his enemies. He has travelled up the chain of command, showing a flair for the fear tactics of the legion that aided him rise to become Captain of the 2nd Chapter.
 * Thrasaric Tufa - Captain of the 3rd Chapter
 * Thrasaric is one of the few main captains who cannot remember a time before Certus Minor was a part of the Imperium, being born the year that the Emperor arrived. As such, his faith is slightly different than his battle brothers, as he did not have the years of waiting and then vindication, living in a world where Theoderaf’s beliefs had already proven themselves and so to Thrasaric, his religion is not superstition, it is fact. He served with distinction for the hundred years of his service, steadily advancing from a marine to captain. His first significant campaign as captain was the Purging of Cortonis, and for the rest of the Great Crusade commanded independent campaigns from the legion with exemplary results. With the disappearance of the Emperor, Thrasaric and his expeditionary fleet rejoined the Red Eyes as soon as possible.
 * Ermanaric Ansis - Captain of the 4th Chapter
 * Ermanaric is one of the few Terrans in the high echelons of the Red Eyes, having tenaciously kept fighting over the past centuries. Born in Bania to a local warlord, when the Emperor had nearly finished the Unification Wars, Ermanaric’s family got him chosen to become an aspirant in the Golden Brothers. Beginning in a tactical support squad, Ermanaric forwent the more close combat side of campaigns and instead focused on ranged warfare, seeking to inflict terror at a distance. Whilst this style of warfare has not made him the favoured of Theoderaf, its results have seen him rise to become first chief of the armistos and then captain.
 * Saphrax Agila – Captain of the 5th Chapter
 * Saphrax started as an unremarkable recruit from Certus Minor, recruited around 20 years after Theoderaf was discovered and Certus was integrated into the Imperium. His early service was marked by his great record in the legion’s fighting pits, showing promise in close combat that won him a little fame. He would perform a reckless charge into the ranks of the Rangdan during the Second Rangdan Xenocide in order to rescue a trapped pocked of Iron Revenants, an action that saw him promoted yet also served as a troubling sign of his rashness. Saphrax would continue his rise up the legion, becoming a regular sparring mate of Athanius Eurex.
 * Asbad Eberwolf - Captain of the 6th Chapter
 * Teias Fritigern - Captain of the 7th Chapter
 * Vetericus Salla - Captain of the 8th Chapter
 * Valamir – Chief Librarian
 * Valamir was a recruit from Certus, showing a cool head yet no particular skill in close combat in comparison to his battle brothers. During the Compliance of Umakoqua, his psychic powers manifested, an early sign of his preference for Telekinesis. After this incident, he was put immediately into the Librarius for training, honing his skills at offensive use of his powers. He served for several decades rising up the Librarius, eventually reaching the rank of Chief Librarian. Theoderaf views Valamir as a trusted advisor, and chose for him to have a permanent place on the Drauhtinon and to accompany him on campaigns.
 * Amalaric - Chief Apothecary
 * Visimar - Master of the Forge
 * Huneric Thorismud - Moritat-Prime
 * Huneric has a dark and unique reputation amongst the Red Eyes, preferring to spread his terror through unconventional means. He uses the most destructive of weapons, phosphex and radiation weaponry, to create grisly scenes with which to terrorise the rest of the populace. Theoderaf disapproves of this extremely, and shunned Huneric and the destroyers. Huneric gained his infamous nickname due to the effects of the radiation on his body, his jaw gaunt and decayed, his hair burnt off in patches and the afterglow of phosphex clinging to his armour. When the Ruins occurred, Huneric’s once shunned tactics gained new support.
 * Arius Rikiar - Chief Obsequarius for the Shadow Warriors
 * Alaran Walla - Future Equerry and High Chaplain
 * Alaran started as a recruit from Certus Minor, rising to the rank of Sergeant by the 31st Millenia. Following his censure for his actions on the Candor Compliance, he was demoted and moved to the stewardship of Roderic, but this turned out to be a great boon for Alaran. The next year, the Chaplaincy was introduced, and Roderic pushed for Alaran to be made a Chaplain. It was here that Alaran flourished, his zeal and loyalty above those of regular Red Eyes made him a fantastic chaplain. After the Shattering of the 4th, Alaran was elevated to High Chaplain and took over Roderic’s role as Equerry.
 * Alexius Jarimir - Chaplain of the 5th Chapter, The Voice of Doom
 * There exists no Red Eyes who speaks with the fury of the legion like Alexius, his sermons filling the hearts of all who hear them with fire and purpose. He works tirelessly to spread the message of the inner strength of the Imperial cause, and damn that of the enemy. On the battlefield, Alexius joins combat with a roar, amplified by his propaganda speakers to carry across the din of battle. Armed with a plasma blaster and his power maul, he is a force of nature.
 * Vinitharius Feva - Sergeant in the 4th Chapter
 * Vinitharius was mostly an unremarkable Astartes during the Great Crusade, being recruited during the early 900s and taking part in the Cryptosi Purgation. The main distinguishing feature of his was that he was a psyker, joining the librarius and having not settled on any one discipline, leading to his nickname of the Unbound.

Warships

 * The Emperor's Oblivion = Gloriana-Class Battleship, Theoderaf’s flagship - 5th Expeditionary Fleet
 * Angelfall = Ironclad-Class Battle Barge, Admiral Filimer - 16th Expeditionary Fleet
 * Sword of Damnation = Legate-Class Battle Barge, Admiral Videric - 56th Expeditionary Fleet
 * Pyre Axe = Warspite-Class Battle Barge, Admiral Odoin - 231st Expeditionary Fleet
 * Justice Rains = Retribution-Class Battleship, Admiral Nidada - 242nd Expeditionary Fleet
 * Timore Imperialis = Emperor-Class Battleship, Admiral Suatrius - 559th Expeditionary Fleet

Legion Appearance
The Red Eyes base their primary colour scheme off of the Emperor and the Custodes, wearing gold armour. The legion's namesake shines through their helmets, with the visors glowing the signature crimson. The lower arms are coloured red as to show both the blood that the Legion willingly spills in their duties, and to strike terror into their enemies. In a similar vein, their helmets have black faceplates to play into their terrifying image.

Legion Icon
The Wudsigna is a sacred religious symbol on Certus Minor, being used as the city emblem of Obsequa City and later adopted by Theoderaf in his conquest of the world. Its exact origins are unknown, as it comes from Certus’ early years during the Golden Age of Humanity, but it has come to be the symbol of the Thunder King’s power and divinity. Warriors of the Thunder King would paint the symbol on their foreheads and sometimes their own faces to both ask for and show their favour from the Thunder King.

The Wudsigna is most commonly simplified to a round circle with four curved lines passing through it, though was often stylised with thunderbolts and flames. Certan theologians have described the circle as symbolising Certus, with the lines representing the four aspects of the Thunder King that the people of Certus venerated: his wrath, his justice, his clemency and his wisdom.

With the coming of the Emperor, the Wudsigna was brought with the Certan recruits and Theoderaf, who replaced the IVth’s symbol with the Wudsigna. The previous association with the Thunder King was replaced by descriptions of the Emperor, and the official references to the Wudsigna were brought into line with the Imperial Truth.

The Aquila
While the Palatine Aquila, the Emperor’s personal heraldry, is well-known in Imperial history and has persisted for centuries, there is a sister symbol that once represented the glory of the Emperor’s vision and burning faith, but was twisted and turned into a sick reflection. On Certus Minor, the eagle was a symbol long associated with the worship of the Thunder King, and so Theoderaf adopted the eagle as his own personal heraldry. As Theoderaf and his followers conquered the cities of Certus, the eagle banners spread across the world.

When Theoderaf was reunited with the Emperor, the similarities between the Palatine Aquila and Theoderaf’s own symbol were noted by the Emperor. While some thought it an imitation created post-reunion, in reality the Emperor gave his blessing for Theoderaf to continue his use of the eagle under the title of the Certian Aquila. Theoderaf and the Red Eyes took great pride in their aquila, holding it up as yet another sign of the Emperor’s favour.

One group who took greatest offence to the Certian Aquila was the tech-priests of Mars, who interpreted the single-headed aquila as a disrespect towards their autonomous status as represented by the second hand on the Palatine Aquila. Theoderaf’s disdain for the Martians’ cult of the Omnissiah compounded the belief in the slight, though there is no evidence that the slight was intentional.

The Certian Aquila would be a staple symbol of the Red Eyes throughout the Great Crusade and Five Ruins, with its use growing during the First Ruin as allies chose to adopt the symbol as a sign of their support for the Red Eyes in the Succession Crisis. This would begin the transition of the Certian Aquila into its more sinister symbolism which culminated in the Fourth Ruin.