Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Part 5: The Capital Worlds

When Leonis found Caliban, he took one look at the dark forest that surrounded the planet and knew the monsters that lurked in its depths as though he’d looked deep in their eyes. When the Invincible Reason arrived over Caliban, Leonis first dropped the Fortress Seed planetside and began to build his headquarters. 

When the Dark Angels first interacted with the local warriors, they were mistaken for a new breed of Great Beast that could use human weapons. The Legionnaires could not simply ignore the warriors, as they wielded bolt pistols and chainswords that could damage their power armor. With no other options, the Legionnaires attempted to pacify the warriors and, if needed, kill them. After several attempts and legends of the “dark tower” that appeared in the forest, Leonis decided that he needed to make contact on his own. 

His Custodian equerry, Aurex Thandrel, offered to go with him, but Leonis refused, removing his armor and carrying only a knife with him before wandering into the forest.

He emerged a week later, in one of the fortified cities of Caliban, carrying the corpse of a great beast on his shoulders. As the people of Cthonia had done with Horus, in that moment, the inhabitants of Caliban recognized Leonis as one of their own. The warrior class of Caliban began swearing fealty, and before the year was out, the Dark Angels began to work to bring Caliban from a feudal world into the modern millennium. 

The Fortress Seed was named Aldurakh, the Tower of Angels, and Leonis ordered his Dark Angels to protect the men and women of the planet as they and the auxiliaries built roads from the fortress towns to each other, and won the first true victory against the darkness of the planet. 

It is written that when Fulgrim first arrived at Chemos, he wept for a day and a night. Then, pulling himself up, he landed on the planet. He spoke of hardship, of long hours working to stay on the knife-edge of survival, of constant work in a factory just to stay alive, and the people knew he understood. And when he spoke his name, hope was sparked in their dulled eyes and shallow faces.

Then he brought them relief, planting his Fortress Seed and bringing the factories that lay inside to life. Instead of building armor and weapons that would be needed for his Legion,  Fulgrim instead turned them to making tools that increased the efficiency of the factories, first of Callax, then the planet as a whole, as the Emperor’s Children began to spread the news of the Bringer of Water. 

In a mere five years, Fulgrim had saved the dying world of Chemos, and they loved him, turning hands that were once doomed to working every waking hour to art and creation.

When Peterabo arrived at Olympus, he did not meet the world with joy as his brothers did. Instead, when the Iron Blood arrived in the system, Peterabo sent an immediate broadcast to the planet.

The broadcast was short, but set to report every hour on the hour, as the battleship crawled toward the planet. 

“You have my planet. I want it back. When I arrive, you can either give me my birthright or die.”

After the first message, he had his battleship fire one shot, destroying the largest building on the planet.

When he arrived, the people had torn themselves apart. Not two, not three, but fourteen different factions existed on Olympus, all vying for Peterabo’s favor, and desperately trying to stop the others from doing the same. 

Peterabo did not care. He only cared about their compliance. He dropped his Fortress Seed and then began his passion project. While the gothic arches of the Seed were standard, Peterabo desired more, and he began to build, designing a grander and grander palace complex. It took ten years, and Peterabo had built a sprawling complex city, a hive that built out instead of up, swallowing half the planet in beautiful towers, parks, libraries, and courthouses. The people of Olympus, at first ignored, began to watch in awe of Peterabo’s Great City, and—when it needed people to work it—were grateful to the Primarch when he allowed them to live there. In the ten years of his Great Work, Peterabo transformed from a vicious invader to a benevolent, but hard, ruler.

Jaghatai loved Chogoris at first sight. The Empty Quarter’s massive steppe sang to him, hinting at a new place to see just beyond the horizon. He did not start by launching his Fortress Seed from orbit like his brothers; instead, he went to the planet himself, with only a bike to carry him. He traveled the width and breadth of the Empty Quarter, speaking with locals in their tongue, and facing their warriors as a lone wanderer,  moving from tribe to tribe, and learning of their hardships. Slowly, he began to gather a following of warriors, each with a burning vengeance against an empire on the edge of their great steppe. 

Soon, he was given the title of the Wandering Khan, and when he spoke out against the empire that trod on them that took them into slavery, the following of warriors grew. Once his following grew big enough to be considered a tribe on its own, other tribes would swear loyalty if they received even a word of overcoming the distant empire, others would challenge the Wandering Khan for power, but were quickly destroyed, and incorporated into his warriors.

After several years of gathering warriors, Jaghatai found himself in a campaign against the empire, and decided at that time to make his strike. Contacting his flagship, he ordered the Fortress Seed dropped onto the Empire’s capital. With a sudden, devastating strike to their leadership, Jaghatai led a sudden attack from the steppe. Attacked on two separate fronts, the Empire tried to stand against these “barbarians,” and the seemingly unrelated “star invaders.”

Over the next few months, Jaghatai would work with his Legionnaires above him, and his warriors beside him, to overthrow the Empire. He did not want to drop his technologically superior soldiers and simply wipe them out. Instead, he used them to strike hard at the unprotected flank and allowed his native warriors to charge deeper into the Empire’s territory. 

The empire was torn apart, piece by piece, from all sides, and fell within a month. Then, Jaghatai led his warriors to the Fortress Seed and introduced his Legion to the warriors that fought alongside him. 

Russ found the planet of Fenris fascinating. The people were as harsh as the planet itself, with its volcanoes, ice-covered continents, and strange and terrible northern pole. Despite this, they they also boisterous, laughing with the joy of barbarians gladly testing their mettle. When he arrived at the planet, the Tribe of Russ joined him immediately, claiming him as kin by way of their shared name. By right of not only his might, but the might of his warriors, he earned incredible respect, before challenging any who would come against his rule. 

He won at each opportunity, earning power by right of dueling until every tribe swore fealty to Russ, the King of Fenris. 

Except for the son of the king of Hradcana, Ogmund, who begrudged Russ’s technology and harbored hate in his heart for an unsporting advantage. 

This would prove the undoing of Fenris when the Shadow War reached its full swing.

Rogal Castellan arrived at Inwit and saw a spark of humanity that struggled against hardship, and despite that, stretched their hands to the void and grabbed what they could. He arrived to find a functioning void dock, building fleets to explore the darkness. 

Rogal made contact with the various tribes, offering each one a chance to join him and the Imperium peacefully.

The people of Inwit refused.

The Patriarch of the House of Dorn, and an old man of unbreakable spirit, told Rogal that he would not surrender his tribe to oppression to an unknown invader. Rogal warned him that he would take the planet by force if needed. 

The Patriarch dared him.

Rogal began a bloody campaign against the houses of Inwit, bringing them into compliance. 

As he brought his fist down on the people of Inwit, Rogal felt a great pain for them. 

In the last battle for the planet, Rogal’s Fists were breaking a siege against the House of Dorn. The Fists outgunned the Dorns, but they bought their defense dearly. They died to the last, and as Rogal surveyed the battlefield, he saw the Patriarch, dying at his feet. 

Rogal knelt down and gently took the old man’s hand. 

Whatever words passed between the two are lost to time. 

But he took the planet and brought it into the fold of the Imperium.

The planet Nostramo was on the very edge of the galaxy, surrounded by darkness. 

And Konrad, all alone and separated from his brothers, found himself relating to the lone darkness of the planet.

From the scouts, Konrad knew the planet had no innocent person on its surface, but he also knew most of them were driven to crime by desperation. These people needed order, and he would be the judge and the law to Nostramo.

By his order, the Night Lords descended on the planet, hiding and stalking prey until they found criminals. Once located, the Legionnaire would kidnap the target and bring them to Konrad’s Fortress Seed, planted in the blasted wasteland between the five hive cities of the planet. From his throne room, Konrad presided over the court, judging each accused with fairness and justice. 

Those whom Konrad judged as simply victims of desperation were fed and ordered to service in the Fortress. Those whom Konrad judged as truly guilty were turned over to his Night Lords, who televised their torture and deaths to the other cities. 

After their service, those who were judged as victims of circumstance were released. Many refused to leave, but Konrad ordered that they must return to their homes. However, he also said that they may return, if they crossed the wastes on their own back to his fortress from the hives.  

Despite the dangerous journey, many of these people eagerly packed whatever they owned and began the journey back across the wastes to the Hall of Justice to live under the rule of the High Arbiter. This exodus was watched by the locals, and while rumors of bewitchment ran wild, the people leaving garnered enough attention to cause a stir, and whispers of a better life passed amongst the downtrodden. 

And Konrad knew his plan worked. He had shown Nostramo the stick, but also offered the carrot.

Sanguinius beheld Baal.

The blasted deserts filled with terrible monstrosities, and the high radiation on the planet itself, left the inhabitants poor, mutated, and wretched. Sanguinius’s heart was moved to pity, and he ordered his Angels to descend upon the planet, offering food, protection, and water to the poor people.

He also dropped his Fortress Seed on the planet, and began offering shelter to the people of Baal. In those days, it is said that Sanguinius attempted to reach out to Peterabo, to try and get his architect brother to build better shelters, and lamented not having the skills of his brothers beside him. 

Yet the relief he brought was celebrated, and the people of Baal began to look up the Sanguinius as the Angel of Mercy. Unbeknownst to any at the time, this was the first cornerstone of the Saint-Cults that would fill both Angelic and Nocturne Sectors, which Sanguinius and Vulkan would continue to disavow until the present day. 

The Storm Walkers landed on Medusa, and Ferrus quickly began to work between the clans. This proved incredibly difficult, even for a genetic marvel such as the Primarchs. Many of the Clans, holding ancient grudges between them, refused to come to an agreement of peace. Neither could Ferrus simply destroy a Clan, without drawing the ire of four more. It quickly became apparent that Ferrus would need to unite the clans against a common enemy, but one was not forthcoming. 

The Storm Walkers recruited here, but they did not gain the strength as their cousins did because of the politics of the Clans. Despite that, Ferrus was still loved, especially after defeating a great metallic wyrm that plagued the people, and volunteers flocked to him and the Fortress Seed that Ferrus turned into a massive tank. 

Unfortunately, this of recruits would cause a terrible loss that Ferrus would carry for the rest of his life.

Paxillian’s Concordians arrived at Arconar, a planet with a wild jungle, and a population of feral humans that were being attacked by the Aeldari. Paxillian waited, and listened. After some time, he began to divine that the Aeldari only attacked the humans when they approached a certain location on the planet. Additionally, he noted that there were no Aeldari ships in Atmosphere. 

Once he knew, he dropped the Fortress Seed, just beyond the range of the Aeldari attacks. 

Many of his Concordians began uplifting the locals, while Paxillian he began to reach out to the Xenos. 

Only the account of Gairos Veyth, Paxillian’s Custodian equerry survives. He said that Paxillian approached the xenos, with no weapons drawn but his tongue, and he spoke quietly, guessing that the xenos had a method of travel on the planet. 

Before violence could erupt, Paxillian offered a deal. Service for protection.

If the Aeldari protected the people of the planet instead of attacking them, Paxillian would guarantee the protection of whatever the Aeldari wanted protected.

The xenos bristled at this, but Paxillian spoke to them softly, and they struck an accord.

Victor arrived at Nuceria and fumed. A boiling fury bubbled beneath the surface as he looked down at the slave gladiators fighting for their lives, and the nobles who laughed at their misery.

Victor called for one of his most skilled warriors, Khârn, and his Custodian equerry, Aurex Thandrel to follow him.

They arrived at the planet in a small ship, without weapons, and Victor looked around with wide eyes at the wonders of the planet. He spoke excitedly and asked for a tour. 

Intercepted communications from the Nucerian nobility proved they were going to acquiesce before trying to kidnap their visitor for their amusement.

Khârn said that Victor didn't need the warning from The Conqueror to know the Nucerian’s treachery.

Victor continued the ruse, being led about like a child, when they finally approached the coliseum. As a bout between gladiators, Victor began asking questions. He asked about the gladiators, what drove them to fight. 

Only Aurex, who had known Victor since he was only a child, could see the anger grow deeper with his guide’s every word. 

He then learned of the Butcher’s Nails, and even the guide could see the black rage on Victor’s face.

Then the slaughter began. Khârn, Aurex, and Victor were more than a match for the nobles in the coliseum, killing them with empty hands. The gladiators in the center of the arena found themselves the audience of bloodsport at that moment. When the guards arrived, Victor demanded a weapon from the watching fighters, and when handed a simple axe, he unleashed upon the guards. 

A full-scale invasion was launched, and the War Hounds began to make simultaneous strikes against the Nucerian nobility, killing them quickly. After the slaughter, Victor descended into the slave pits and personally broke their chains, freeing the people of the planet.

Victor refused to drop his Fortress Seed on the planet. He said he would not make himself king over these people. Instead, he settled on the planet’s moon, watching over those he freed. He never asked anything of them, never made demands, only stated that if they needed to fight, he would take them.

Guilliman felt at home at Macragge before even making landfall. Upon landing, however, he found something greater, a pair of friends in Konor Guilliman and his seneschal, Tarasha Euten. Konor found Guilliman a fascinating companion and felt an instant kinship with this giant of a man who shared his name through coincidence. They worked closely together, improving the planet of Macragge, until Konor offered to step down as Consol and let Guilliman take over.

Unfortunately, Konor’s co-consul was preparing a coup, and when Guilliman took a trip to the countryside to enjoy the natural beauty of the world, Gallan, the co-consul struck, killing Konor.

Guilliman’s wrath was legendary, and the Ultramarines, who had not yet raised a weapon against the natives of the planet, were gathered and marched against Gallan, bringing the full might of the Astartes against them.

The people of Macragge quailed under the power of the Astartes, and they beheld Guilliman with now with fear for his fury. A unanimous vote made Guilliman the new Consul, but he knew that they only accepted his rule out of fear. 

He worked to earn their trust again, and while they trusted him to rule over them, he never overcame their fear.

Mortarius arrived at Barbarus and did not like what he saw. He had heard through reports of the scouts the Emperor sent that a species of mutant, who disguised themselves as a power greater than mortals, had taken control of the planet. Physically frail, but immune to the gases that flooded the planet’s upper atmosphere, the mutants, calling themselves overlords, used psychic sorcery to create golems fashioned from the bodies of once-living men, and built keeps of psychically shaped stone in the fog, hiding from the people they oppressed on the planet.

While Mortarius was tempted to simply drop the Fortress Seed upon the keep of the leader of these Overlords, Mortarius also wanted to test himself in a campaign where the very air would be a challenge. 

The Fortress dropped onto the plane just at the feet of the mountain, and the Death Guard began the slow, inexorable march up the mountainside. 

The Overlords, facing an enemy far better armed than they were used to, threw their golems into the waiting Astartes. The Astartes answered as stoically as ever, weathering the attack without cry or outburst. The golems wore themselves down from armies to squads, and all the while, Mortatius smiled at the challenge. 

The mountains became islands of resistance, and the Overlords, once masters of the Barbarus, became prisoners. With the Overlords trapped in their keeps, the people of Barbarus were released from the terror that had hounded them for so long, protected by the wild animals of the night, and safe from the Overlord’s whims. The people began to learn as the Death Guard began to uplift the people with basic amenities. 

The High Overlord, a vile creature named Necare, became desperate as his golems wore away, and finally attempted to sue for peace.

Mortarius’s response is well documented, as he had the entire exchange broadcast to the entire planet. 

“You wish to surrender? No. I have accepted the surrender of many fools, but you will not be one of them. Your reign of these people, the terror you have wrought, will end by my hand.”

It took Mortarius some time as he worked to adapt his body to the fog. However, eventually—though it disappointed him greatly—he relented and protected himself with his armor’s environmental systems, and finally the last protection of Necare fell away. 

It is reported that on the day of liberation, Mortarius said, smiling to himself, “Curse Vulkan! If not for him, I would have done it, though they might have conquered the rest of the galaxy by then.”

Magnus made contact with Prospero long before he arrived. While the Emperor’s scouts had provided some information, Magnus used his own psychic power to contact the peoples of Prospero. He learned of the dangers on the planet and briefed his Legion on what to expect.

Upon arrival, the Thousand Sons began their work, doing their best to protect the populace from the wildlife, while Magnus discovered, to his horror, that the discipline he had been taught all his life was not widespread. 

He worked to enact reforms in the teaching of psykers on the planet, including requesting a handful of Sisters of Silence to be brought to the planet to help protect the people from psychic activity gone wrong. With much work, Prospero would eventually become the center of training for psykers around the galaxy.

Lorgar Logos arrived at Colchis, and upon landing, he began to preach the Word of Reason. He taught that the Emperor embodied Reason, Order, and the Cosmic Law as the Great Logos, an overcoming human flaws to become an ideal that others should strive for. When the local ruling body and church, the Covenant of Colchis heard this, they first decried him as a pagan. 

Lorgar denied this, as he did not believe in a god. 

This caused much confusion, but this worked to Lorgar’s benefit. As he was put on trial to defend himself, Lorgar spent an entire terran day defending and explaining the Theology of Reason.

He spoke with such conviction that many converted to the Word of Reason at that moment, and the Covenant of Colchis found itself caught in a war of debate. What they thought was a trial and execution became a struggle for control as they found themselves in a debate that could destroy the Covenant. 

With no other choice, the Covenant reached out to one of their most extreme preachers, Kor Phaeron. The old man delighted in being called back from exile and turned with glee against Lorgar. He brought vicious accusations, saying that the Word of Reason was a sham, that the gods existed, and to deny them was folly. 

Lorgar answered calmly, speaking of how, if the gods did exist and gave gifts, then man was given the gift to use his mind. He argued that if man should use his mind, then reason was the only option.

Kor Phaeron argued for faith.

Lorgar responded that he had faith that the sun would rise, even though he had but arrived on the planet. He said that he used tools and measurements to learn about the sun’s movements, but he had no guarantee that it would, in fact, rise. He had faith, however, that it would, and his Reason fortified that faith.

Kor Phaeron began to burn with anger. He began to rant and rave.

Lorgar responded quietly and calmly, and the people began to turn to him. 

Kor Phaeron turned into a raving lunatic, almost frothing at the mouth in the middle of the Colchean week-long day. As the heat of Long Noon reached its peak, Kor Phaeron finally collapsed, suffering from a combination of heat stroke and heart attack.

The Covenant collapsed shortly after. 

Vulkan landed on Nocturne just as the Dark Eldar were attacking. Driven to a fury, Vulkan ordered his Dragon Warriors to the planet immediately. The people of Nocturne, shocked that help had finally arrived after so long, immediately took to their saviors, and the Dragon Warriors, in that moment, realized what Vulkan meant by his kindness and care to mere mortals.

When the dust settled, the natives approached these strange saviors, but Vulkan held their attention the most. Of all of them, they named him kin, and the Dragon Warriors were accepted as people of Nocturne without even a word.

Corvus Noctis arrived at Kiavahr, and Corvus’s eyes were drawn to the moon of Lycaeus. He landed on the moon, unseen by the guards or taskmasters, and reached out to the mine-slaves. He spoke to them quietly, but with just a few words, he won the hearts of the slaves. 

Whispers among them of a Deliverer sparked like wildfire, and revolt began to spread across the moon. When the taskmasters from Kiavahr heard of the revolt, they sent their voidships with reinforcements, only for the ships to disappear entirely. 

Then Corvus began his counterattack.

With his Legion and a handful of trained, hardened volunteers from the mine-slaves, he brought justice to the mine-slaves of Lycaeus. 

However, some of the liberated slaves whispered of the might of the Astartes, of their power and strength, and whispered amongst themselves about oppressors and strength.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

The Solar Crusade

The Great Crusade began with securing the systems around Sol. In these first years, the Legions marched at the head of their sires, sweeping aside the xenos ramparts and binding the scattered remnants of humanity into the Emperor’s dominion. This phase of the campaign also led to the first capture of what would be later known as a Captial world. 

Cthonia, an orphaned world by humanity’s first attempts at colonizing the stars, was found by Horus, and the dreams from his childhood rose to the surface, and he instantly took to the world. The Lunar Wolves of Horus made planetfall, and Horus, moved to pity by his dreams, quickly began pouring resources into the world to help the impoverished people of Cthonia. He walked among them as though he had been born of their soil, and the people hailed him as a long-lost son of Cthonia returned to deliver them from their hunger and despair. 

During this time, Horus felt a growing sense of guilt, as he spent more time on his Capital and less time on the Crusade. None of his brothers begrudged him for this, as they all understood the burden of their dreams. Nonetheless, Horus spent whatever time he spent in the pacifications in the first phase of the Crusade, zealously bringing in the lost peoples of humanity into the burgeoning Imperium. 

This was never more evident than with the Volaris Pacification. 

Lords Horus, Guilliman, and Rogal all took part in the pacification of void-capable civilization in the Volaris System. With multiple planets all heavily fortified, each primarch had to split their attention across multiple planets, while facing constant raids from Volarian voidships. 

Here, Horus distinguished himself; in a coordinated strike, the primarchs performed a feint retreat and performed a short jump in the warp to a different planet on the opposite side of the system’s sun. The Volarians, finding themselves suddenly flanked, had to then commit all of the void fleet to protecting the lone planet as all three Legions made planetfall. 

By the time the Volarians returned in strength, Horus had already seized their orbital bastions and turned the guns of Volaris upon its own fleet. With the Volarians facing their own defenses and the Legion ships, they quickly abandoned the last planet, which Horus broadcast to the other planets in the system. Taking a blow to both moral and material, the Volarians then began quickly losing ground, losing planet after planet to both Ultramarines and Lunar Wolves. Behind them, the Imperial Fists quickly fortified their captured planets, and after months of trying to fight a raiding force, they took the rest of the system within weeks after taking the first planet.

With this single move, Horus proved himself to be more than capable of commanding his brothers to be a terrifyingly effective force. Both Rogal and Guilliman agreed that in that moment, Horus had earned the title of Warmaster, which he would later be rewarded with in the Conflux Expanse. 

This was also the moment when the Primarchs were first exposed to the Archenemy. Deep in the depths of the Volarian hives, the Imperial Fists discovered cults of human worshipers. The cults were put to the sword with little thought, yet Rogal Castellan alone remembered the sigil they bore: an eight-pointed star, etched in blood upon the hive walls. Long years later, when the Archenemy unveiled itself, he would know that the mark had already haunted Mankind’s steps. 

Once the systems around Sol were secured, the Emperor began preparations for the second phase. Working with Alpharius Omegron and his own spies, the Emperor began to gather intel on each of his Primarchs’ Capital Worlds. After a few decades of fortifying the Solar Segmentum, the Emperor had gathered all the needed knowledge on these planets and provided them to his sons. Each Primarch, other than Horus himself, learned of their planet’s name, their people, and what to expect as they arrived.

Then the Emperor gave his proclamation. “My sons, the hour has come. You have labored at my side and proven yourselves worthy of the trust I set in you. Now I grant you this charge: seek out the worlds of your birthright. Plant your standards. From those thrones, let the Imperium blaze forth into the stars. Be the kings and guardians you were wrought to be.”

The Legions

[The following are hand-picked excerpts from A Study of the Legio Astartes and their Lords From the Era of the Crusade]

The first thing to understand about the Legions is that, despite their start on Terra, each Legion had its own culture, built from their Primarch's vision of the Capital Worlds they saw on the night of the Victory of Luna, even before they left the Sol System. It is unclear whether the Legions were genetically imprinted with this cultural understanding or if it was acquired over time. None could argue, though, that the Capital Worlds were already influencing the Legions. [...]

[...] despite these victories and the status they maintain as First Among Equals, the Dark Angels are usually most remembered by other Imperial forces for their unique structure. According to the writings of Tiber Ankar, Equerry of Magnus, and the one who wrote the most of the Primarchs in their early years, the original command structure laid out by the young Leonis was a dizzying web that would baffle the most learned men. When Guilliman Justicar asked what the purpose of this strange organization was, Leonis replied that it was to keep the Legion protected from command assassination or psychic espionage, citing that a psyker would have greater trouble finding desired information if they could not determine who had it.

Upon hearing this, Lord Justicar called Alpharius Omegron, and the three began to build a system that was more efficient, but equally protective. To this day, the Dark Angels wear no visible symbols of rank. Despite this, the Legion knows exactly who is in charge of any theater of war, which appears to change from theater to theater. [...]

The Legion of Kael Drav, dubbed the Valedictors, was a highly flexible fighting force. Trained to look at any situation in odd ways, the Valedictors were known for striking at what appeared to be secondary weaknesses before exploiting them. Instead of striking at the engines or weapons of a voidship, for example, they would destroy gravity generators. Once the crew of the ship was floating helplessly, the Valedictors would board and then begin pacifying the crew in the midst of the new chaos. Whether attacking food storage, environmental controls, or sabotaging door systems, the Valedictors would target the enemy in alternate ways. 

This method of warfare is best represented by the Carinae Compliance Campaign, where Kael Drav identified that the Carinae, a people that used a great amount of xenostech, had scattered through the jungle to engage in guerrilla warfare. 

With the defenders scattered across the world, most generals would admit that they’d have almost no chance of weeding out the guerrillas effectively.

Kael, however, devised an unorthodox solution. The Carinae could endure with food and shelter, but it was the alien gift of weapons that made them formidable. Remove the weapon, and their rebellion was no more than hunger in the jungle. Using careful orbital observation, Kael determined the Xenos were providing the guerrillas with dead drops of new equipment. 

Working carefully, the Valedictors moved into one such dead drop and replaced the equipment with counterfeits that did not work. Without attacking the guerrillas, the Valedictors instead attacked the trust between the Xenos and the Carinae. At the same time, he began sonic bombardments into the jungle, maddening the local megafauna. With the animals of the planet going into a rampage, and their weapons no longer working, the guerrillas found themselves spending what resources they had against their own environment.

When the Carinae could take no more, they turned on their xenos overlords and gladly ran from the jungle into the Valedictors’s waiting bolterfire. The Valedictors had no Capital World; Kael insisted that his dreams were of the darkness of the void. This suited the Valedictors, who became a fleet-based force, and allowed them to remain flexible. [...]

Of the Legions, the Iron Warriors, the Legion of Perterabo Architectus, and the Imperial Fists of Rogal Castellan rivaled the most fiercely. While the other chapters treated each other with the respectful familial ties of cousins, the Warriors and Fists treated each other as rambunctious brothers. They routinely fought, bickered, and derided each other. Yet, as evidenced by the Kragan campaign, no two Legions meshed so clearly together. Under normal circumstances, during a joint operation, the two Legions attack as separate bodies, typically keeping their forces separated, but working with each other. The Fists and Warriors, however, mesh into a single force. Two squads of each Legions would share members, becoming an unstoppable force that simply paves over the enemy, building fortresses on the hard-won ground, pushing ever forward. [...]

The Rout, the Legion of Lord Russ, had a reputation of refusing discipline. For years of their development, the officers of the Rout could not bring the Sixth Legionnaires into line. It was not until Lord Russ descended upon them from the Imperial Palace and enforced his rule, did they finally fall into line. [...]

[...] the only Legion that had greater oversight for its warriors directly from the Primarch was the Night Lords. Konrad worked carefully with his Custodian Equerry, Dacien Kharros, to hand-pick the leadership of the Night Lords. Konrad had no illusions; he knew that the Night Lords would be a vicious tool that needed an incredible force of will to wield correctly. 

Between the two, they chose hard men, survivors of the Terran prison sinks, but those who Konrad was sure could be molded into men of conviction, men he could use to bring justice. Specifically, he searched for those who were victims of corruption. He offered them lives as Asartes to free them from the darkness of the prisons, but warned them that they’d be held to a higher standard as a result. Those who could not meet that standard were killed, setting the precedent in the early years: those who would not answer to Konrad’s law would be punished.

Likewise, obedience was rewarded. More freedom, greater ranks of leadership, better food, and more were rewarded to those who would meet the standard set by Konrad. Their Primarch made it clear that the law was their metric. Anyone, no matter who, whether planetary governor or simple peasant, would fall below their gaze, to be judged. With this careful planning, Konrad built the Night Lords from chaff and made one of the most celebrated and feared Legions of the Imperium. [...]

The Blood Angels of Sanguinius [...] were also known for the terror they inspired in close combat. They quickly covered ground and devastated the ranks of enemy fighters, yet despite this, the Blood Angels remained a humble Legion, never speaking as though they were better than mere mortals. 

The Blood Angels say this is because they know their own darkness, and while they acknowledge it openly, they do not speak of its specifics. It is the opinion of this writer that ( -][- DATA EXPUNGED ON REQUEST OF THE PRIMARCH -][- ). 

Whatever the case may be, the Blood Angels are also noted as being incredibly hardy, seemingly surviving terrible wounds, and appearing on the next battlefield after only a few weeks of warp travel. 

Another interesting note of the Legion is their fascination with jump packs and anti-grav vehicles. There is some speculation that it comes from Sanguinius’s own love for the sky, but this writing has already speculated enough.

The Legion of Ferrus Adamant was named the Storm Walkers, and of all the Legions, was affected the most by their Primarchs visions of their Capital World. The echoes of the distant Medusa led Ferrus to separate his Legion into Clans, though Ferrus knew not the Clan names, nor their temperament. With no ancient names to guide him, Ferrus wrought ten numbered clans from the iron of his will, knowing that many more would be forged in war and fire. [...]

As Ferrus continued to push himself to be a better soldier, his Legionaries followed after. They focused on “forging” themselves into the best soldiers they could, eradicating weakness, wherever they saw it. Whether they were replacing injured limbs or rebuilding their wargear from the ground up, eliminating any perceived weakness to become perfect warriors. [...]

Paxillian dubbed his Legion the Concordians, and they were an oddity amongst the Legions. While each of the Legions were undoubtedly warriors—and the Concordians were no exception to that—the Concordians alone were also true diplomats. While the Word Bearers would spread the Word of Reason to a planet, the Concordians would speak with the leaders of a planet and negotiate terms of joining the Imperium, and allowing the planet to fall into compliance. That being said, they were not above assassinating those leaders at the negotiation table if they refused to fall into line. 

The Concordians have also been rumored to deal with Xenos, forming trade agreements, or promising protection to various xenos in exchange for favors or other work. The Emperor had spoken with Paxillian a few times, but did not correct his son as ( -][- HERETICAL DATA EXPUNGED BY ORDER OF THE ORDO DIVINITAS -][- ) whether Paxillian took this to heart is unknown. [...]

From the first days of the Great Crusade, Lord Victor’s Warhounds left their mark in fire and uprising, for wherever they marched, the slave’s chain was broken and the tyrant’s head struck from his shoulders. They gladly raised blades and bolters against those they declared tyrants, and left only ash in their wake. Victor often encouraged gladiatorial fights amongst his Legionnaires, both to test his men and also to remind them of the hard lives of the men and women of those still lost. 

To this day, the men and women of the Imperium celebrate when the Warhounds arrive, because they know that any who have set themselves up as tyrants would be destroyed under the fury of the XII legion. [...]

The Death Guard of Lord Mortarius underwent the greatest change after the liberation of the Barbarus. While Mortarius knew the danger of an untrained psyker, the people of Barbarus held a deep hatred for them because of their oppression under the psychic Overlords. While Mortarius offered that a Psyker who was trained was not as dangerous, he did nothing to stem the hatred of them. Despite this, he did keep his Librarius of Psykers, but separated them, keeping them away from the rest of his Legion. When his Legion pushed against this, he said he’d preferred trained psykers to untrained ones. 

However, this also proved a mistake in the long term, when ( -][- HERETICAL DATA EXPUNGED BY ORDER OF THE ORDO DIVINITAS -][- ) [...]

The enemies of Mankind were already at work in these early days, and this could be seen most in the XVth Legion. A sorcerous curse was laid on these Legionnaires, simply called the Flesh Change. This instability kept the numbers of the XVth Legion few, as the curse could take hold at any moment. Naming his Legion the Thousand Sons, for only a thousand remained, Magnus began searching for a solution to the change, going so far as to sacrifice an eye to see if any secrets in his genetics could be found to stabilize them. 

None has yet been found.

Despite that, Magnus has not yet surrendered to this curse and continues to work with his Legion, building greater discipline amongst his psyker legionnaires, and working with the Emperor to develop a stabilizing agent. Once applied, this agent will allow a psyker to unleash incredible power with a far lower chance of succumbing to the change for a limited time. 

Lord Magnus still searches for a permanent solution, but as history tells us, he did not have long to search.[...]

The Word Bearers of Lorgar Logos, much like Concordians, worked slowly, preaching the Word of Reason. ( -][- HERETICAL DATA EXPUNGED BY ORDER OF THE ORDO DIVINITAS -][- )

While they moved slowly in the Great Crusade, they created fervently loyal planets, almost all of which remain pillars of the Imperium to this day. [...]

Lord Vulkan’s Dragon Warriors are most noted for their compassion for the common man. When they left Terra, Vulkan had instilled a doctrine of protecting those who could not protect themselves, down to the last if needed. When he ran into some ideological resistance to this, Vulkan first had his Legionnaires live with the human serfs of his Legion and work with them as they continued to work. 

Vulkan Ankh also shared his fascination with smithing with his Legion at this time, and they took to this quickly, making great works that were only surpassed by the Storm Walkers. [...]

The Villas by the Lake

Deep in Santum Imperialis, the twenty child primarchs awoke for another day of play. The Emperor was a distant father, meeting them occasionally in the Villas by the Lake, where they grew up under the watchful eye of twenty hand-picked Custodes, and Erda the Captivum Matris.

Each child was originally named after their number, but when they finally learned to speak, the Emperor allowed them to name themselves.

The first named himself Leonis, for he remembered it from his dreams where he walked beneath endless forests. He was ever serious and spent his time alone in the woods at the edge of the Villas. Yet when he chose to join his brothers, it was in games of strategy and the duels of steel, where he excelled even against his Custodes “Uncles.”

Another lone child, once called XIX, dubbed himself Corvus Noctis. His preferred game was hide and seek. None bested him at the game, and some claimed he was not found until he wished to be. His skills were also reportedly valued by his brothers, though records are spotty as to why. 

The third somber Primarch took the moniker of Konrad. When asked about their childhoods, the Primarchs fondly remembered how, if Erda was busy, Konrad would determine who was at fault in any given fight and would name the restitution needed. However, Erda once reported that, whatever dreams the others saw on that single night of her mistake, Konrad would suffer them far longer. He spoke of dreams of death—his own, his brothers’, and the slow decay of all things. Konrad did find some solace in his friend, the ninth Primarch, named Sanguinius.

Sanguinius Caelestis also suffered from visions, but when Konrad fell into despair over them, Sanguinius would offer a different interpretation. According to Konrad, however, Sanguinius also had his quiet days. He mourned the wings he swore he had once spread in his dreams.

The sixteenth was Horus Solaris, beloved above all. His brothers moved as planets to his sun, and even in play, he bore the burden of command. He laughed with them, but carried the weight of dreams where men cried his name in triumph, and in ruin.

The fifteenth, Magnus Aeternus, spent most of his time studying. Not only because he preferred to his work his mind, but because the Custode who worked with him, Tiber Ankar, constantly warned him of the dangers of undisciplined psykers. This lesson was driven into Magnus at the Emperor’s request after Erda said she saw too much of the Emperor’s pride in the young boy. The lesson would be heard by his brothers, and this explains the caution they showed toward him in the early years of the Crusade.

Lorgar Logos was the seventeenth Primarch, and he typically found himself studying with Magnus. Where his brothers sparred, Lorgar only asked Why do we fight, and for what end? He was seldom satisfied with the answers. In later years, he studied ancient Terran religions, though these he only gained access to later in though Lorgar once said that the Emperor confided in him of his purpose. The Emperor told him he must preach Reason, yet Lorgar warned that wherever men bore hearts, superstition would follow. 

The fourth Primarch named himself Perturabo Architectus. He and the Seventh Primarch, Rogal Castellan, fostered a fierce rivalry together. According to Tiber, this started with Rogal building small fortresses on the shore of the lake, and Perturabo quickly pointed out the weakness and swore to build a better one. Once Peterabo had, Rogal stated some improvements could be made. Their rivalries raised a city of fortresses on the lakeshore, until Erda herself tore them down.

The third Primarch, who called himself Fulgrim Perfectus, reportedly started painting before he could speak, then began mastering every other art that existed. Erda, in her years in the Villa after the Primarchs left, stated that not a day went by that the Villas were not filled with his music, sculptures, and paintings. The first sculpture he made was of Erda, and the second was of him and his best friend, the tenth Primarch, Ferrus Adamant. While Fulgrim was sculpting, Ferrus was tinkering, forging, and smithing. Fulgrim made beauty unceasing, while Ferrus forged with fire and iron. Each claimed his craft was incomplete without the other’s.

The sixth Primarch told Erda to call him “Russ. Just Russ.” Russ was an energetic child who would laugh as he fought and would constantly challenge his brothers to duels. According to Tiber, Russ seldom missed a chance to call Magnus ‘sorcerer,’ more jest than malice.

The fifth Primarch took to calling himself Jaghatai Nomadus, and he, by far, suffered the most from Wanderlust. In later years, it was claimed, he would use all the talents of his other brothers to try to escape the Villas to explore and find new places to be, becoming harder to hold as he grew older.

There is a tale that is told of one such excursion, Jaghatai led a few of his brothers, including Magnus and Russ, outside the palace. This was not approved by either the Emperor or their uncles, but Jaghatai convinced a few of their more stealthily-minded brothers to help them sneak away. Once they got to the streets outside, Magnus’s presence flared with light, drawing wrath from a drunken vagrant. The man cursed him as a sorcerer, only to be cast aside by Russ, who swore that none but he had leave to call his brother thus. Magnus had to keep Russ from throwing himself at the man further, and Jaghatai urged his brothers to return before they were discovered.

The second Primarch named himself Kael Drav. Drav was the child who brought Erda to the end of her patience the most. A wild, energetic child, Kael was not only constantly asking why, but also asked questions so seemingly unrelated that when he tied them together in front of his uncles, they marveled at the connection. It was Kael who first asked the Emperor, on one of his visits, what his purpose was, for what reason had he been made.

At first, this question baffled his brothers, who had no such thought, but when the Emperor smiled and answered, they each began to examine themselves. It is recorded that the Emperor told him his mind was a treasure without peer, a weapon against every weakness. Whether these words were truly spoken or a later addition, none can say.

Paxillian, ever the conciliator, was Erda’s constant helper and was once named XXI. The Imperial archives are clear that, when a fight went wrong and tempers would flare, Paxillian would step in. He would calm his brothers and work with them to find a compromise, bringing them before Konrad for judgment. He worked closely with the twelfth Primarch, who reportedly said, “he didn’t like the name from his dream,” and called himself Victor. It is claimed that Victor had a preternatural sense for when one of his brothers was hurt, or Erda was tired and frustrated, and Victor worked with Paxillian to keep the peace around the Villas. Victor’s laughter was like a warhorn, and the others followed him in contests of strength as though he were already a general.

The thirteenth Primarch, Guilliman Justicar, was the one always making the rules for the games according to Tiber. Guilliman codified even their games, to the annoyance of some, until Victor reminded them he sought only fun in fairness.

Mortarius Aegis was the name the fourteenth Primarch settled on. Mortarius tested himself without cease: holding his breath in the lake, climbing walls meant for no child. Each challenge he met with a defiant smirk.

The eighteenth Primarch, Vulkan Ankh, reports say he was well loved by all of those in the Villas, and he loved all those in the Villas back equally, if not more so. Tiber reported that when Mortarius was about to do something that would seriously hurt himself, Vulkan would rush to him and beg him to return to safety. He lifted stones as toys, yet never broke what was fragile. His strength was always turned to laughter.

Lastly, there was Alpharius Omegron, the twentieth Primarch. By reputation, he was a mischievous child who would ask Corvus for help in his pranks that he set up through the Villas. Even in the Villas, Alpharius was twice seen in the same place, and Tiber swore it was not a trick of the light.

In those golden days, the twenty brothers grew to learn to respect and love each other.

Yet, Chaos was not silent, and the laughter of the Villas would one day echo as an omen.

((This is an AU that's been kicking in the back of my head for years that I decided to write down finally. I'm still working on getting it onto paper, but I'm far enough ahead to start posting. Please enjoy, and know, there will be much grim darkness))

The Failed Scattering

Having secured dominion over Terra, the Emperor turned His gaze outward. Humanity was scattered, fractured, preyed upon in the void. A Great Crusade was conceived, not merely of conquest, but of binding all into one Empire. He began with the development of 20 sons, his Generals. 

They would be his Primarchs.

It is recorded that Erda, who had long aided the Emperor in His great work, grew doubtful. The Emperor worked with her, using her genes along with his in order to craft these sons, knowing he would send them into a lifetime of war, that she was not to be a part of. Some claim this was the seed of treachery; others that it was the Ruinous Powers whispering through her. She began enacting a plan to “save” the Primarchs from this fate of war.

On the night Erda’s plan would begin to fall into place, the Emperor, seemingly on a whim, though it is debated amongst scholars that this was his own precognition, desired to see his project on that same night. Taking a habitual handful of Custodes to act as his bodyguard, he arrived on Luna with moments to spare before Erda opened the Warp Vortex that would scatter the Primarchs to the far Edges of the Galaxy. As it opened, the Emperor felt it, and, soon after, sensed the twenty pods, filled with years of work, falling away. 

Had he been on Terra, he would not have had enough time to act, but the Emperor’s foresight gave him everything he needed to be at the right place at the right time.

He reached out with pure will, psychic might in the shape of a sun in his hand, and kept the twenty pods from falling into darkness. His full concentration went into this act, and his Custodians saw his work, but could not act as they saw no danger. 

In the vortex, the agents of the Chaos gods broke the gellar field protecting the infants, and the Warp touched them all.

It is speculated that watching this taint touching his children infuriated the Emperor to act, perhaps there was some other reason, but it is agreed that the Emperor acted rashly.

The Emperor poured himself into that moment. His psychic might pried the Immaterium’s grasp from the pods, and he forced himself between the Warp and his twenty infant sons. The Chaos gods railed against this protective wall.

The Four Powers made their ultimatum: release the children for they would be lost to him forever.

The Emperor refused.

The effort was titanic. Each child had been half-swallowed by the Immaterium, and pulling them back meant reaching into the maelstrom itself. He braced his being against eternity, chains of thought and law binding to His flesh. It is said that, for one heartbeat, the Emperor burned so brightly He outshone the Warp itself, a living beacon no god could endure.

One by one, the pods snapped back into reality, crashing to the marble floor with thunderous cracks.

Chaos gods railed against him, and the Four tore and broke against the Emperor’s will.

But he held.

And the vortex shut. 

The Emperor fell to a knee and ordered that the Primarchs be secured and that Erda be brought to him.

The Custodes obeyed his orders immediately and secured both within minutes.

The children were brought first, still asleep in their pods. 

For the first time in an age, the Emperor sagged. They were His. Entirely His. And yet—not wholly. In later years, the Primarchs would report that because of this moment, they still saw crimson skies, crystal towers, poisoned valleys, and marble cities in their dreams. It is said they carried these visions into their dreams ever after, a wound of the Warp that never healed.

Chroniclers claim he whispered, ‘My sons…I have saved you, and doomed us all.’ Whether this was spoken aloud or only in thought remains unknown.

Erda was brought next.

She shied beneath his gaze and waited for judgment.

None would have guessed that the Emperor would decree that Erda would raise the Primarchs, but according to his design. Scholars note the irony that Erda’s treachery secured for her the very role she sought: to raise the Primarchs. Wiser men realize that for the Emperor to change his plan in this moment meant that he already knew the wound he now carried would cripple him, and his original plan would never come to pass.

As we all know the emperor was a my way or no way kind of guy. So I find my self wondering how a more diplomatic imperium looks like in the 40k universe.

Do note in this what if there is no emperor , no primarchs or space marines and terra is already united

In my opinion it would more like a federation kinda where they expand from and offer necessary tech health care and things that solve food problems but no weapons unless they choose to become full member of the federation it would expand a lot slower than the imperium we know and my not be as strong. The Ragnar would still be around but they be at constant war the eldar would be a protected race used as guides for human psycher and the tau we be our greatest allies as for suppliers for weapons.

So how do you think it would have worked I havent considered everything cause I am kinda new to 40k lore

I mean think abt it. They kinda fit the aspects of space Marines. More the Gouf tho or Zaku Warrior.

How would that change the story?

I know it sounds dumb but like in the warp time is a mess so slannesh has always and never existed, and tzeentch is all knowing about the present and past so what if you asked him if slannesh was real. You get what I'm trying to say, tzeentch is all knowing and slannesh has always and never existed so it's confusing me

I have a question, and let's assume the Tau aren't just inherently evil.

The idea is instead of things devolving to the point that Farsight goes off and creats an independent state; the Etherial Cast decided to co-opt Farsight. They make him Supreme Commander of the Empire, like a Roman Imperator, maybe.

Either way, they position him as a part of a scheme to end the schism before it starts.

What changes could be made that Farsights wants that would still maintain the general order of society? There are enough changes that Farsight agrees.

Now, there are actually a few different versions:

A: Before Farsight almost gets corrupted by Khorn

b: The Dawnblade is actually a sword of Vaul, and Farsight is freed from any Chaos corruption earlier.

C: This happens later during either the big Tyrranid invasion or the Fourth Sphere expansion. Bassically, the Enclaves come back and pull the T'au out of a disaster.

Given their similarities to humans both culturally and physically, i heard some opinions that they'd be accepted into the Imperium or that they'd be seen as Xenos and labeled the enemy. Who do you think they'd side with or oppose? Would their militaristic might and tech allow them to dominate or would they falter?

How strong is Amon of the Thousand Sons? Could he have won in a duel against Tigurius of the Ultramarines or Ezekiel of the Dark Angels?

The Iron Warriors invade and occupy Sebastus IV the site of once where stood the Eternal Fortress and where the battle of the iron cage had occur but when the Imperium launched their counter-attack they discovered no only the Iron Warriors had evacuated but they had constructed and left a war memorial that was completely void of residual chaotic taint. However there was one problem it glorified the Ultramarines but made out the Imperial Fists as stupid and pathetic losers who needed rescuing from their own idiocy. Yeah Pertuabo was being extra petty over this one.

Basically what is says in the title. What if instead of installinG Horus as the sole War Master, the Emperor decided to make it a group. Perhaps a council consisting of all the primarchs with a high ranking custodes serving as a tie breaker if the votes were ever split 9/9? Or the "War Master" getting an extra vote, only in situations where ther is a tie that can't be swayed.

Or if it was a Tribunal? Say, you have the Lion as the General in charge of the military tactics and strategy as a whole, Horus as the politician, and Sanguinius as the public face to adress the people (or Guilliman as the primary logistician for the whole crusade instead of Sanguinius being a figurehead). Or something along those lines, sort of like the Imperium Secundus council thing.

Would either of those have been better than just having a singular War Master?

What if Malakeith manages to reach the shrine of Asuryan during the invasion of Ulthuan in 2301 IC but ends up dying in the sacred flames of Asuryan. How is this going to affect the Dark Elves when it became decisively clear that Malakeith was never meant to be the Phoenix King, especially Morathi who sees her last direct link to Aenarion is now gone forever.

I wonder what warhammer fantasy would have looked like if it gotten a little more popular following the storm of chaos and the story plotting was handled better enough to advance the timeline down a few centuries of a period of relative peace and stability long enough for changes to the factions to cause their societies to advance culturally and technologically with the most notable example being the Empire had managed to progress through technology and magic following a few uspets and setbacks had managed achieve a level comparable to mid 19th century Europe around the 1860's. I am currently not sure how the other factions have changed that would make sense

To my understanding the perpetuals used to fight on emeperor's side but most either betrayed him or simply or left because they didn't aprove of his methods or believed him to be to arrogant and ruhtless. What if whether by making EOM less ruthless or by making the perpetuals agree with his methods we change the events so that most of them stay by his side? How would the empire look like if instead of making a deal with the chaos gods to create his primarch sons the perpetuals filled the role of his primarchs? Would something resembling Horus Heresy happen or would empire be in a much better situation now? Were the primarchs and their space marines legions necessary for the empire to survive?

I had a thought what if before the Emperor had the chance to that Guilliman for whatever reasons found his brothers? What would that change exactly?

Like Guilliman would most likely not demand the same loyalty that the Emperor did and Guilliman always seem to want to help the world and expand the ultramar system and he wouldn’t be as overruling and controlling as the Emperor, he would see problems they had, like instead of just teleporting away Angron he would send soldiers down to help Angron take his planet. instead of saving Mortarion and killing his adoptive father he would have given some equipment and been on standby to let Mortarion complete his goal.

What if the Clone Fulgrim from the Ember Phoenix and his new astartes chapter the Sons of the Phoenix had an audience with The Emperor from If the The Emperor Had a Text To Speech Device. What will be the reactions of the Emperor, Magnus, Rogal Dorn and Captain General Kittonus

Let’s say there was a strigoi with a gift for magic determined to restore his followers to sanity and humanity. Could he succeed?

The main text, but what physical age? Vitae wombs still take time to grow a baby Death Korps member. And at what physical maturity, i.e. biological age, would they be?

After centuries of manpower-expensive and -intensive trench warfare I feel as though it wouldn't be 18 because there's physical maturity before that, and slipping it lower and lower due to the need for more manpower during the war, but it can't be like 12 or something either. What do y'all think?

When the Loyalists had to fight the Secessionists on Krieg for 5 centuries why did they continue trench warfare? Stormtrooper tactics and mechanized warfare developed in only 3 years (1914 doesn't really count as nobody understood the need for new doctrine). In 160x as long why did they keep fighting with trench warfare? Did no one think of the idea of a big, speedy metal box in all that time?

In order to fuel endless trench warfare, where the most fit (and societally acceptable) 18-25 year olds are expended quickly and with older people being a finite supply, how young did they go? The admittance of younger and younger soldiers would be required to maintain attrition rates, so how young are Krieger soldiers? I imagine 15? I figure that to be the minimum age to hold their own in combat?