Some ambient music while you read. Please enjoy "Kana" (Far Cry Primal Song) by Miracle of Sound.
- "We all know, brothers, that combat and an honourable fight are the greatest things in life, but remember the fate of our pathetic gene-sire. Remember that we will not follow his path, remember that we will not be slaves to a hideous spirit that seeks our race's doom. Remember that we will forge humanity's rightful place as rulers of the stars. Remember that we are proud lions, not lobotomised dogs"
- —High Shaman Swanazar Irontongue, inscribed on The Lazarus Stone
A blood chilling roar, like that of an enraged giant.
- Angron's response to his recent gene-sons' appraisal of him and his Legion.
The War Lions are a notorious Renegade Space Marine Chapter created during the 19th Founding, which occurred somewhere between 975-991.M35 as a part of a series of linked foundings. Their exact lineage was unknown, and Imperial scholars had been unable to determine exactly which original Space Marine Legion this formerly loyalist Chapter was descended from. This was chiefly due to the crusading nature of the Chapter and their reluctance to part with their required genetic tithe to be examined by the Magos Biologis. However, it soon became readily apparent that something was inherently wrong with this Chapter from the outset, as its Astartes were notoriously bellicose and savage - merciless in the prosecution of their duties. Many fellow Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes found the insular War Lions wanting in brotherhood - darkly tainted from their very birth. It was eventually discovered why: the chapter was created from the gene-seed of the World Eaters Traitor Legion.
After several decades of committing excesses that could no longer be ignored, falsified evidence convinced the High Lords of Terra to decree the Chapter as Renegades and declared them Traitoris Perdita. Following this declaration, the War Lions largely disappeared from the records of the Imperium. Nonetheless, the War Lions refused to acknowledge this decree, and proceeded to continue their bloody-handed ways. Despite their status as renegades, the War Lions still continue to prosecute their personal Imperial crusade against the enemies of Mankind, determined to slaughter all those that would dare turn from the light of the Emperor or encroach upon His domain.
Renegade Chapter History
Dark Beginnings
The tragedy of the War Lions begins in the latter centuries of the 35th Millenium, a tumultuous era where the Imperium was beset by internal strife, resulting in centuries of warfare and bloodshed and the deaths of hundreds of millions. To help bring order to the anarchy that plagued the worlds of the Imperium, in their infinite wisdom the High Lords of Terra instituted a series of linked foundings that occurred over two decades, between 975-991.M35. The newly created Chapters of these Foundings were created to help restore order to an Imperium rife with civil upheaval and insurrection. One such founding was the 19th Founding.
Gene-seed was taken out of cryo-storage from the gene-vaults on Terra and used to create several new Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. One such Chapter, later to be known as the War Lions, was born during this particular founding. It is unknown to Imperial scholars exactly which lineage this newly created Chapter was descended from, however, few extant documents indicate some troubling accusations that the War Lions were, in fact, created from the gene-stock of one of the Traitor Legions. Based on the Chapter's later actions and propensity for utterly exterminating their foes, many believe they are scions of none other than the savage and dreaded World Eaters! This fact is not well known outside of the Imperialis Senatorum, and has been deliberately suppressed and sealed under binding edicts laid down by the High Lords of Terra that even the authority of the Inquisition cannot circumvent.
Unbeknownst to almost everyone outside their Chapter the War Lions were, in actuality, indeed created from the gene-stock of Angron, the ferocious Primarch of the XII Legion. How samples of this gene-stock were obtained by outside sources is unknown, for many believed these dangerous stocks of Traitor Legion gene-seed to have been destroyed after the events of the Horus Heresy. However it was obtained, many believe the culprit behind the creation of this doomed Chapter was a Radical Inquisitor Lord secretly corrupted by Khorne. Even before they were forged as a Chapter, plans had already been put into motion to corrupt an entire Chapter of newly created Astartes into the service of the Blood God - their very lineage tainted by one of the most notorious Traitor Legions of old - making them highly susceptible to the corrupting influence of this particular Chaos God. It remains unknown whether this Inquisitor somehow managed to convinced the High Lords to create a chapter from the XII Legion's gene-seed, or used contacts within the Adeptus Mechanicus in order to interfere in the 19th Founding. Either way, due to the existence of this Inquisitor being purged from nearly all records, much of their other activities remain unknown.
The War Lions quickly garnered a reputation as a force of berserkers that made war with savage abandon and eschewed all contact with other military forces. This did not endear them to their fellow Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, and many outright refused to serve alongside such a barbarous Chapter, claiming the War Lions were darkly tainted and wanting in brotherhood. Compounded with their constant crusading against nearby threats and highly independent and intractable nature, the War Lions did not endear themselves to Imperial command as well, causing them to be judged harshly by their detractors as monsters in the guise of Astartes. The War Lions cared not for such aspersions and continued to conduct themselves in accordance to their own whims.
Despite the War Lions' zeal for prosecuting wars against the enemies of the Imperium and the Emperor, allegations of excessive use of force against innocent civilian populations continued to be leveled against these malevolent Astartes, as were accusations of collateral damage against fellow Imperial forces. This reputation for aggressiveness and general disregard for innocent life brought the War Lions into conflict with several fellow Space Marine Chapters as well as calls for Inquisitorial censure and investigation.
Fall of the Lions
Finally, things eventually came to a head when the War Lions were accused by the same corrupted Inquisitor that had overseen their creation. The Inquisitor levelled accusations that the Chapter had been corrupt from the beginning, revealing that the War Lions were created from the tainted gene-seed of the hated World Eaters Traitor Legion. Compounded by the facts of the Lions' well-known independent nature and frequent refusal to follow the orders of Imperial higher-ups as well as falsified evidence, this convinced the rest of the Inquisition to send an Imperial Purgation task force to wipe out the War Lions.
The War Lions had committed so many excesses in the Emperor's name that the High Lords decreed the Chapter as Renegades and cast them beyond the Emperor's light. This decision was not made lightly, for after several centuries of rage-fueled carnage perpetrated by the War Lions against the Emperor's foes and their Imperial allies alike, the blood-soaked actions of the Chapter could no longer be ignored.
Lazarus Civil War
Following this declaration, a rebellion occurred on the Lions' homeworld of Lazarus. The War Lions, alongside most of the tribal population and portions of the planet's Imperial Guard, launched an uprising against Imperial rule in opposition to this decision. Despite valiant resistance from Imperial forces, they proved no match for the sheer ferocity of the Renegade Astartes and their rebel compatriots. Eventually, they managed to capture the planetary capital of Antius in a bloody siege battle that saw the Lions slaughter nearly everyone in sight, with their allies staying behind them for fear of being on the receiving end of their bloodlust. The world of Lazarus was now under the rebels' control. They had little time to rejoice, however, for the Imperial Purgation taskforce sent by the Inquisition had finally arrived in the system, composed of Sisters of Battle from the Order of the Ebon Chalice (chosen due to their expertise at fighting Chaos Space Marines, since the High Lords and Inquisition believed that the War Lions were likely in the process of being corrupted by Khorne) and Imperial Guard regiments from neighbouring worlds.
What followed was a bloody planetary conflict that cost hundreds of thousands of lives, with the civilian population caught in this vicious crossfire. Both the Sisters and War Lions were merciless and destructive, only caring that the other was exterminated as they slaughtered all within their wake, while their Imperial Guard allies fought in a vicious war of attrition that left many of the planet's cities and farms in flames. Despite the efforts of the Sisters and Guardsmen, including successfully destroying the War Lions' fortress monastery, the Proudspear, the rebels would not give an inch, and it was decided by Inquisitorial command that a ground war was becoming too costly. Due to the planet's once legendary soil fertility being devastated by the war and most of the civilian population being either evacuated or sympathetic to the War Lions' cause, as well as the possibility of Chaos corruption, it was decided that it would be no great loss for the planet to be Exterminatused. The order was authorised by the Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor in charge, and the planet, after a few more months of fighting, was subjected to annihilation by cyclonic torpedoes.
The corrupted Inquisitor that had plotted the Chapter's fall had planned for the War Lions to survive and then turn from the Imperium to worship Chaos. However, things did not go according to plan. The Lions survived the attempted purge alongside their rebel allies, as intended, but instead of falling to Chaos, they rejected it and went into hiding somewhere within their home system, refusing the dark and daemonic path of their progenitors. Despite their status as renegades, the War Lions continue to prosecute their neverending crusade to eradicate the foes of the Imperium from the wider galaxy, intent on going out on their own terms, as true sons of the God-Emperor.
Rebirth
After the birth of the Great Rift, the Kuvatarin, a psyker cult that served as the chapter's spiritual advisers, began receiving visions that were apparently from the Emperor himself, telling them to return to their home system and reclaim it in preparation for a coming war, though what with remains unclear. The chapter and their allies subsequently set out for Lazarus and eventually arrived in their home system only to find it ailed by Chaos incursions and weak Imperial leadership. With most of the Imperium's forces being concentrated on holding back the daemonic tide erupting from the Rift as well as attacks by the Necron Kaulabesh Dynasty, the Lions were able to successfully conquer the system and batter the under-supplied and thinly spread Guard forces into submission. Many of their heads were taken as trophies, revenge for the Lazarus Civil War and the devastation of their homeworld. It was a sorrowful moment for most of the victorious survivors of Lazarus when they gazed upon their bleak and lifeless homeworld. Subsequently, a new fortress monastery was built for the Lions, named Firstclaw, on the ruins of Lazarus. The artefact known as The Lazarus Stone was finally restored to where it was created, and the fortress built around it heralds the potential for the planet to once again be reborn.
Home World
Lazarus was a world that has constantly been subject to death and rebirth, fitting its name. Located in the Avendire Sector in the Segmentum Solar, it was originally called Savira and was mostly composed of immense grasslands full of huge, predatory beasts and the descendants of human colonists from before the Age of Strife that had organised themselves into various tribes struggling for resources and territory and dwelling in crude mud huts. Their religions centred on guardian spirits, beings that would protect a tribe if they viewed them as strong and worthy enough for their favour, and malevolent spirits that aimed to destroy humanity by unleashing events such as natural disasters and plague. Another core part of these religions was the idea that a tribe's spirit would grow stronger with every enemy tribe they defeated, absorbing the inferior spirit into themself and hence gaining more power. Eventually, Savira was discovered by the Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade, and its soil was deemed to be so fertile that it was decided that Savira would be converted into an agri-world. The local tribes clashed with troops from the expeditionary fleet, camouflaging themselves in the grass and then launching rapid assaults on Imperial outposts as well as raiding settlements. However, they were no match for the mighty tanks and artillery of the Imperium, and due to the lack of foliage cover on Savira as well as their enemies' advanced weaponry they were defeated and the planet was finally brought into compliance.
Six millennia later, at the time of the War Lions' creation, the world now named Lazarus was mostly populated by Imperial colonists living on farms and in massive walled settlements, with the original tribesmen of the planet generally living outside of the cities either as farm labourers or in the few remaining patches of grassland where they continued to practice their primitive lifestyle. Unlike their ancestors from before the Great Crusade, these tribals worship the Emperor as their Great Spirit, believing that he defeated and absorbed all others and is now the strongest being in existence and hence they must serve him if they wish to survive. Due to Lazarus being the only agri-world in the Corrus Sub-Sector and hence a key resource for a region constantly facing threats from the Traitor Astartes known as the Shadows of Slaanesh as well as the potential resurgence of a mysterious xenos race lurking in the Szarl System (later revealed to be Necrons of the Kaulabesh Dynasty), it was deemed that a Space Marine Chapter should be created to defend against a threat this close to Terra. Because of their hardiness as well as their physical strength, the tribesmen of Lazarus were deemed as ideal subjects for conversion into Space Marines. Lazarus was designated the homeworld of the newly created War Lions, and the people of the benighted Avendire Sector rejoiced that they had the Emperor's finest warriors protecting them from the horrors that had plagued their sector for so long.
After the War Lions were declared renegades, the world of Lazarus fell into civil war, with elements of the civilian population and armed forces as well as the tribals rebelling against what they saw as false followers of the Great Spirit. During the ensuing conflict between the War Lions and the Imperial purgation taskforce, the once legendarily fertile farms of Lazarus were reduced to ash and rubble by artillery and flame weapons, and countless numbers of settlements had their infrastructures damaged beyond repair. Eventually, the Imperial Purgation taskforce deemed that a ground war was becoming too costly and decided to subject the planet to Exterminatus by launching a barrage of cyclonic torpedoes. The once fertile and industrious world was bombed until it was completely devoid of life. Unbeknownst to the Inquisition and Imperium at large, this wasn't the last that they'd be seeing of the War Lions.
Now a Dead World, Lazarus may one day be resurrected, with the War Lions now using the planet as their home base once more and a new fortress monastery being built on the planet's rocky and barren crust.
Chapter Recruitment
Before the War Lions were declared Renegades, almost all of their Neophytes were recruited from the tribal population of Lazarus. The chapter's aspirant trials are usually massive arena battles against captured foes. The recruits who manage to slay the most are deemed worthy of becoming Astartes. Like most chapters, the Lions' recruits serve as Scouts, or Youngspears, but unusually their Scout Marines do not focus on reconnaissance and infiltration but instead on melee combat and physical strength, and furthermore how they are organised may vary between Raiding Hosts. Recruits are often judged based on how many foes they kill, and hence a Neophyte's prowess is frequently measured on how many severed heads he brings to his Shaman and how much of him is splattered in enemy blood.
After the destruction of Lazarus and their gene-stocks, the War Lions now rely on extracting the gene-seed of Loyalist Astartes and taking children from nearby Death Worlds, and while they believe it is unfortunate that they must slay the sons and warriors of the Great Spirit, it is necessary for their survival and the continuation of their crusade against the filth of the universe and His foes. After their conquest of the Lazarus System, the Lions now recruit from the toughest and strongest of the three remaining worlds.
Fortress-Monastery
The Proudspear
The War Lions' original fortress-monastery, the Proudspear was built upon Lazarus's tallest hill where the ancient tribal relic known as The Lazarus Stone stood, a huge rock with the history of Lazarus and its people etched into its hard bleached surface. The chapter was granted this relic by the local tribals, who viewed them as demigods due to them being created from the Great Spirit and as the worthiest sons of Lazarus due to their strength and combat prowess as superhuman Astartes. The other notable feature of their monastery was an immense arena known as the Umla Fakaris or Proving Ground, where Neophytes and occasionally the chapter's marines would engage in fights with captured foes to test their strength and mettle. The Proudspear served as the Lions' primary base of operations during the Lazarus Civil War until a large force of Sisters of Battle from the Order of the Ebon Chalice launched a Drop Pod assault in an attempt to severely weaken the War Lions and prevent them from creating more marines and replenishing their forces, taking advantage of the fact that most of the chapter's forces were occupied fighting Imperial forces in the Second Battle of Antius.
Unleashing their meltas upon the monastery's century old walls, the Sisters managed to break through, using their flamers to carve a bloody path through the defending War Lions as they breached the inner sanctum, and subsequently planted several tons of explosives carried by their Servitors along the hallowed walls and pillars of the Lions' sacred fortress. The leader of the forces protecting the monastery, Second Raiding Host Chief Raoul Yglus, realised what the Sisters were doing and ordered a desperate assault into the heart of the monastery in order to halt the detonation. Realising that they were surrounded, the Sisters detonated the explosives, sacrificing themselves in order to destroy one of the Imperium's foes. A ball of fire erupted from the Proudspear, and a noise like a thousand war drums resounded across the land. Those Astartes that weren't slain by the fire or shockwave were soon crushed to death when the monastery crumbled apart on top of them.
The War Lions' proud Blood Guardians were decimated that day, including their Chief, and only around 20 marines survived either because they were out of the blast radius or because they were simply lucky. The Sisters had succeeded in their mission in what would later be called one of the few decisive Imperial victories in the entire war, with the War Lions' gene-stocks being incinerated along with the monastery's inner sanctum. Mysteriously, one of the few relics that survived the fortress's destruction, if fairly scorched, was the Lazarus Stone. The huge pale rock jutted out of the crumbled stone and steel of what was once the Proudspear like a mountain, as if in defiance of the Sisters' attempt to lay the Lions low.
After the destruction of the Proudspear and Lazarus itself, the War Lions became fleet based, with most of the command operating out of the Lions' capital ship, the Red Lion.
Firstclaw
The War Lions, after their conquest of the Lazarus System, returned to Lazarus, and with the assistance of captured tech priests and builders, managed to recreate their original fortress monastery, naming it Firstclaw. Surrounded by a great steel dome in order to insulate the monastery and its inhabitants from Lazarus's airless environment, Lazarus is now once again, in a sense, the War Lions' homeworld.
Notable Campaigns
- The First Avendire Crusade (004-101.M36) - In response to the various threats to humanity across the Avendire Sector, the War Lions launch eight companies on a crusade to purge any xenos or Chaos force they encounter. They are mostly successful, managing to eliminate a marauding fleet of Eldar Corsairs and an Ork Klan making inroads in the sector, among other such achievements. It is suspected by some that it was at this time that the chapter learned of their descent from the World Eaters legion, due to this being the longest amount of time that the chapter was away from the rest of the Imperium as well as many of the chapter's marines possessing a more ferocious but also dour attitude upon their return to Lazarus.
- Corrus Uprisings (117-123.M36) - In their efforts to subvert the Corrus Sub-Sector and claim it in the name of Chaos, the Traitor Astartes of the Shadows of Slaanesh warband convince the populations of several Imperial worlds across the Vorugar and Lazarus systems to rebel against Imperial rule, exploiting the suffering caused by the excesses of Goge Vandire to stir up popular resentment toward the Ecclesiarchy and Imperium at large. The War Lions, alongside several Imperial Guard regiments, battle to reclaim the planets of the Lazarus System, showing a lack of mercy as well as the bloodthirstiness and propensity for killing their allies that the chapter would become infamous for. They later assisted in the retaking of Vorugar Prime and Aslan's World, where the Imperial Guard forces were disturbed by the Lions' brutality and disregard for allied casualties. The Shadows of Slaanesh and their corrupted allies were eventually driven back to their daemonic world within the warp storm known as the Dark Maw, severely bloodied by the conflict to the point that they would take centuries to recover.
- Second Avendire Crusade (197-259.M36) - Once again, the War Lions launch a crusade, this time against threats erupting during the chaos of the Reign of Blood.
- Plague of Unbelief (300.M36) - During their conquest of Imperial territory, the forces of the Apostate Cardinal Bucharis entered the Avendire Sector, looking to add this relatively isolated region of space to their new empire. Instead, they suffer a vicious assault by the War Lions and face heavy casualties, being forced to retreat and get as far from the wrathful Astartes as possible.
- 6th Black Crusade (901.M36) - The War Lions are among the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes sent to defend the Imperium against Abaddon the Despoiler's latest Black Crusade. It was during this conflict that they first came into contact with their hated progenitors, the World Eaters Traitor Legion. The Lions also face conflict with their fellow Astartes due to their repeated berserker rages and slaughter of their own allies, and are eventually sent to battle the foul traitors of the Black Legion away from the other Imperial forces.
- Excommunication (909.M36) - The secretly Chaos-corrupted Inquisitor responsible for the War Lions' creation, after a millennium of planning, finally sees a perfect opportunity to enact his plan to corrupt the chapter to his master Khorne, and begins an 'investigation' into the chapter's history after the Lions' troublesome actions during the 6th Black Crusade. He soon 'discovers' that the Lions are descended from the traitorous XII legion, the monstrous World Eaters, and further claims that the chapter was likely corrupted by Chaos during the conflict, citing the chapter's practices as being all too similar to those of a Khornate warband, their self-isolation from other Imperial forces, and their frequent refusal to follow the orders of Imperial higher-ups as sufficient evidence to have the chapter purged. With pushing from the Ecclesiarchy and several elements of the Inquisition, the High Lords of Terra decided that the War Lions were likely tainted by Chaos and were too dangerous to be left alive. The Ordo Hereticus sends one of its Inquisitors along with a force of Sisters of Battle from the venerable Order of the Ebon Chalice to the Lazarus System to eliminate the War Lions, since the chapter is regarded as not yet fully Chaos corrupted and hence the assistance of the Grey Knights is not required.
- Lazarus Civil War (909-912.M36) - After learning of the High Lords' declaration, the War Lions and elements of the Lazarus Imperial Guard rebel against the Imperium, quickly capturing the planetary capital of Antius. The Imperial Purgation taskforce, alongside Imperial Guard regiments from neighbouring worlds, launch an assault on the planet to eliminate the traitors, only to find themselves soon bogged down in a costly war of attrition that would devastate Lazarus over 3 bloody years. Despite the destruction of the Lions' fortress monastery The Proudspear, the rebels refuse to give an inch, continuing to hold Antius and approximately 70% of the planet's surface. Eventually, the Inquisitor in charge decides that a ground war has become far too costly, and resolves to have Lazarus subjected to Exterminatus since its once prosperous farms were reduced to ash by the war and most of its infrastructure devastated, having no strategic value for the Imperium anymore. Lazarus is turned into a Dead World by a bombardment of cyclonic torpedoes, while the segments of the population still loyal to the Imperium are evacuated beforehand. The War Lions and the remaining rebels flee the planet before its annihilation, and set out on their holy mission to purge the Great Spirit's foes wherever they may be. The corrupted Inquisitor who caused the chapter's founding and their declaration as Renegades was eventually found out to be a worshipper of Chaos, and was executed with his name expunged from all Inquisitorial records, a dark stain on the entire organisation of the Inquisition.
- Great Spirit's Crusade (912.M36-000.M42) - Based on the visions they received before the destruction of Lazarus and the Emperor/Great Spirit's supposed order for them to enact his will amongst the stars, the War Lions launch a new crusade across the galaxy to destroy the enemies of mankind, unleashing a tide of blood-fueled rage and death upon the servants of the Ruinous Powers, xenos, and the Emperor/Great Spirit's 'false followers'.
- The Kingdom of Lazarus (000.M42) - The War Lions, alongside the Shields of Lazarus, return to their home system after five millennia and conquer its three worlds. With most of the sector's forces concentrated on threats from the Great Rift or incursions by the Necrons of the Kaulabesh Dynasty, and the Lazarus System suffering from weak leadership, the defending Imperial Guard are easily crushed. Most of the Imperial leaders are subsequently slaughtered, and, declaring independence from the Imperium of Man, the Kingdom of Lazarus is founded.
Renegade Chapter Organisation
The organisation of the War Lions is heavily influenced by the practices of the tribesmen of Lazarus. Companies, or Raiding Hosts, are largely self-sufficient compared with the doctrines of the Codex Astartes, since a single Raiding Host may have all of the functions of all ten Codex-compliant companies. Generally, Raiding Hosts do not possess any squads, with a Chief and his Raid Shaman usually commanding their marines as a whole. Furthermore, there are no chapter or company champions since the War Lions' greatest fighters are usually those who also lead.
Ranks
Officer Ranks
- War Chief - The War Lions' equivalent to a Chapter Master, only the toughest and strongest of the chapter reach this position, usually a Raiding Host Chief that is voted by the rest of the chapter as the most worthy to lead through their deeds in battle, their adherence to the doctrines of the Great Spirit, the number of His foes that they have slain, and their ability to maintain their marines' discipline and lead them effectively.
- Raiding Host Chief - Equivalent to a Company Captain, they command their Raiding Host as they see fit unless ordered otherwise by the War Chief and so long as they hold true to the creed of the Great Spirit. They are usually chosen by vote from the War Chief himself and the chapter's Shamans.
- High Shaman - Equivalent to a Master of Sanctity and Chief Librarian. Unlike many other chapters, in the War Lions a High Shaman serves as both the spiritual guide of the entire chapter and the second in command to the War Chief, as well as the one who keeps and maintains the chapter's history and lore and trains the Shamans within the chapter. They are chosen using the same method as the War Chief, and are the only one within the chapter than can communicate with the elders of the Kuvatarin and convey their visions to the rest of the War Lions. They are also occasionally the most powerful psyker within the chapter.
- Raid Shaman - Equivalent to a Chaplain and for some a Librarian as well. Serving as lieutenants to a Raiding Host Chief and the spiritual guides of an individual Raiding Host, they are usually handpicked by the High Shaman and the chief of the Host themselves. They are also responsible for keeping the Host Chief in check and ensuring he follows the War Chief's orders and the Great Spirit's creed. Those few who possess psychic abilities are also trained as Shamans, transforming them into both inspiring bearers of the Great Spirit's word and terrifying warriors that can charge into battle wielding a flaming spear while using their mind to drag a foe closer for a gory and brutal death.
Specialist Ranks
- High Healer - Equivalent to a Chief Apothecary, the High Healer manages the chapter's gene-seed as well as the Maishak Durin ('Vault of Life', the War Lions' term for the Apothecarion in their fortress-monastery).
- Healer - Equivalent to an Apothecary, Healers perform the role of combat medics as well as the extractors of gene-seed from fallen battle brothers. However, they use far cruder and more superstitious medical techniques than the apothecaries of most other chapters, ranging from trepanning to blowing soot blessed by a member of the Kuvatarin into a battle brother's wounds. Originally, the Healers of the chapter were far closer to standard Apothecaries, but after the destruction of the chapter's fortress monastery and the Maishak Durin with it, and the loss of a huge amount of equipment during the evacuation from Lazarus, they have regressed to far more primitive methods due to a lack of resources as well as the enormous influence that the Kuvatarin and in turn the religion of the Great Spirit now exerts over the chapter as a whole. Despite the questionable reliability of their healing methods, they are among the most courageous of a chapter focused on martial excellence and honour, frequently charging in a berzerk fury through enemy forces to reach a wounded battle brother.
- Mabakus - Equivalent to a Reclusiarch, they guard and maintain the chapter's relics as well as performing the duty of training the chapter's psykers. Acting as the second in command to the High Shaman, a Shaman of the chapter attains this position by proving himself both strong and virtuous enough to be worthy of it, following similar criteria to aspirants for the titles of War Chief and High Shaman.
- Master of the Forge - Out of all the leaders of the War Lions, the Master of the Forge has the least amount of prestige. Tasked with overseeing the building and maintenance of the chapter's equipment, as well as of its fleet, a holder of this position was initially regarded with suspicion, much like all of the chapter's Forgemen, due to their worship of the Omnissiah, and furthermore their lack of prowess in combat means they are often looked down upon in the War Lions. However, their influence and importance is immense in a fleet based Renegade chapter that spends most of its time crusading and has no access to any technological resources beyond its few Tech Priests and the Forgemen. The Master of the Forge is granted their position by the War Chief and High Shaman themselves rather than by vote like most of the other major ranks in the chapter.
- Forgeman - Responsible for maintaining the chapter's technology and equipment as well as creating new items and vehicles where necessary, they were initially regarded with suspicion by the rest of their chapter due to their ties with the Cult Mechanicus as well as scorned for their lack of presence in battle. However, after the destruction of Lazarus, they became essential for the chapter's survival due to the need for their ships and ageing equipment to constantly be repaired and replaced. Over time, the Forgemen have become more influenced by the beliefs of the tribes of Lazarus than the Mechanicum of Mars, with practices such as having their artefacts blessed by the Kuvatarin as well as their creation and use of melee weapons such as spears and knives. While they generally have a supporting role in combat, it is nonetheless a truly terrifying sight when they do partake in battle, charging into the fray with all manner of blades and pole-arms being wielded by their cybernetic appendages, ready to utterly eviscerate any foe brave or foolish enough to face them up close.
- Bendaran - Equivalent to a Standard Bearer, they are known for their ferocity in battle, frequently being the first to head into the fray. They also act as terror troops, adorning themselves in grisly trophies taken from their enemies and giving their latest foes a terrifying first encounter with the War Lions, frequently that of a figure clad in countless skulls and limbs beating a pair of wardrums as they approach at the head of an army.
Line Ranks
- Battle-Brother - Common term for a marine in the chapter.
- Youngspear - Scout equivalent.
- Aspirant - Humans who wish to undergo the process of becoming an Astartes and joining the War Lions.
- Youngbrother - Initiate equivalent.
Order of Battle
Headquarters
| War Chief of the War Lions | |||||
|
| |||||
| Shamancy | Healership | Forge | |||
  |
  |
  | |||
Companies
| 1st Raiding Host, "Spears of the Great Spirit" |
2nd Raiding Host, "Blood Guardians" |
3rd Raiding Host, "Fire Bringers" |
4th Raiding Host, "Stone Breakers" |
5th Raiding Host, "Bonebearers" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 6th Raiding Host, "Charging Lions" |
7th Raiding Host, "Red Claws" |
8th Raiding Host, "Marching Jaws" |
9th Raiding Host, "Foe Hunters" |
10th Raiding Host, "Prowling Crusaders'' |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combat Doctrine
Much like the World Eaters, the War Lions focus on close combat and berserker tactics, and favour the use of primitive weaponry such as spears, knives, axes and even metal claws in imitation of their namesake rather than power or chain weapons which they view as the armaments of weaklings. Their preferred strategy during open battle is to line up marines armed with shields and spears and charge in a terrifying wall of death towards the enemy. The chapter also specialises in siege breaking, making use of overwhelming force by using auxiliaries or gathering other Raiding Hosts in order to overwhelm an enemy position. Despite the chapter's emphasis on melee combat, some Raiding Host Chiefs are more flexible in terms of the tactics they use than others.
Chapter Beliefs
The War Lions place an immense emphasis on strength and one's prowess in battle, and hence bear a disdain for the weak and those who do not face their foes eye to eye. They view melee combat using primitive weapons such as spears as the most honourable form of warfare a living being can engage in, viewing it as a true test of their fighting ability due to it being based on nothing but the warrior's strength and endurance. This belief, like the rest of the chapter's religion, is based off of the Lazarus tribal faiths. Much like them, the Lions' chapter cult centres on guardian spirits, beings that protect those humans they see as strong and worthy enough for their favour, or according to the post-Great Crusade tribal faiths that the Lions follow, a single one known as the Great Spirit, the Lazarus tribals' term for the Emperor.
The War Lions, and the remnants of these tribes, believe that originally there were many guardian spirits, with each one trying to absorb the other and become the strongest. However, one from a planet called Terra began defeating and absorbing the rival spirits of his world while destroying their followers, and eventually he and his disciples managed to lay low and consume all of the other guardian spirits, with Him becoming the most powerful being in existence, the Great Spirit. However, the Evil Spirits (the term the War Lions use for the gods of Chaos) feared His power and seduced several of His weaker willed followers into worshipping them. Furthermore, they have been attempting to usurp the Great Spirit's hold on the Realm of Spirits (the tribals' term for the Warp), and although they have claimed much of it due to his followers' failures and the attacks of faithless xenos races, the Great Spirit and his loyal psykers continue to resist them. Viewing the Emperor as the strongest being in the universe and hence the only thing that can protect humanity from the attacks of these malevolent spirits, the War Lions interpret humanity as needing to be strong enough in order to earn His favour and survive, and view the currently poor state of the Imperium and the growing power of Chaos as a consequence of the Imperium descending into weakness and rejecting His true teachings.
Viewing themselves as the only followers of the Emperor that know his true message, they regard all beings other than humanity as incapable of true strength and hence requiring annihilation, whether they be xenos, heretics, or humans who do not truly follow His ways and hence are 'false followers', which include the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition (while the Adeptus Mechanicus is generally disliked by the chapter due to their use of cybernetic modification and ranged weaponry, they are viewed as necessary to the Imperium's survival). There are some that the Lions view as worthy followers of the Great Spirit even if they misinterpret his teachings, mostly certain chapters of the Adeptus Astartes as well as much of the Imperial Guard, due to the former being descendants of the spirit himself and hence possessing the capacity to be almost as great as Him while the latter possess great bravery and endurance in the face of battle.
The main spiritual guides of the chapter are the Kuvatarin, mortal psykers who claim to receive visions and orders from the Great Spirit himself, and in turn the War Lions' Shamans act as intermediaries with the Kuvatarin as well as preachers of the Great Spirit's tenets. Another practice of the Lions is the collection of trophies from the greatest warriors of their enemies, whether that be bones or skin, with the chapter's own best warriors often being granted the ancient pelts of slain predators from Lazarus. These trophies are not only an indication of a battle brother's combat prowess and hence a mark of prestige, but for the Bendarans in particular they act as a way to spread fear among their foes, adorning themselves in the organs of their dead enemies in order to terrify the next ones they face.
Gene-Seed
After millennia of examination by the chapter's Healers, it has been determined that the War Lions' gene-seed is mostly pure, and only suffers from a psychological rather than physical quirk that was inherited from their progenitor: a physical need to kill that drives them into a bloody berserker rage. If no foe presents themselves then battle-brothers will often turn on each other to satisfy this psychotic urge. The chapter has used various methods to limit the damage done by this unfortunate quirk of their gene-seed, including establishing arenas where battle brothers can satiate themselves on the blood of captured foes, using the sorcery of the Kuvatarin and the chapter's Shamans to try and somehow calm the minds of battle brothers, using psychedelic herbal remedies, or even resorting to knocking an afflicted marine unconscious and locking him in a cell until his berserker rage dies down. There have been a few members of the chapter over the course of its six millennia long history who, through the various methods previously described or in a few rare cases through sheer willpower, have managed to keep their homicidal urges in check.
Notable Members
- Malkran Barbareck, the First Father: The War Lions' first War Chief after their founding, Malkran had overseen some of the most important moments in his chapter's history, including numerous campaigns along with the discovery of the identity of their progenitor and the Lazarus Civil War, and led them up until his death in 957.M36. Born on Lazarus in 984.M35 to a small but deeply traditional tribal family, he was elected by his brothers as the strongest one of them all and the most worthy leader in 003.M36, and he involved his chapter in various campaigns against the Great Spirit's foes. He also allowed the practices of the tribal religions of Lazarus to influence his chapter, while reorganising the War Lions into Raiding Hosts in order to more efficiently launch crusades against Chaos and xenos threats.
Unlike subsequent leaders, he viewed the savagery of his chapter as necessary for destroying the enemies of the Imperium, and while he was a competent military leader he was also arrogant and reluctant to change his mind. When relations between the chapter and the Imperium broke down, the first thing Malkran felt was initially anger for what he felt was a betrayal by the very people they had fought for, and then regret after realising that his own reluctance to limit his marines' berserker rages and his insistence on incorporating the tribal cult of Lazarus may have been what led to the chapter being excommunicated. Determined to not let his mistakes cause the doom of his chapter, as well as of the old ways of Lazarus, Malkran decided that the best course of action was to rebel against the Imperium and the Emperor's false followers and show that the people of Lazarus would not be beaten into submission by the cowards of the Inquisition and Ecclesiarchy.
Launching a swift rebellion on Lazarus, the War Lions, alongside their tribal and Imperial Guard allies, managed to occupy the entire planet within four Terran months of fighting. Fortifying the planet and making preparations for an Imperial assault, Malkran and his battle brothers would face three bloody years as Lazarus was plunged into a vicious war of scorched earth and attrition, with Malkran being determined to either annihilate the enemy or at least die with his homeworld. Despite this, he was deeply distraught by the destruction of much of Lazarus's landscape and history, including the Proudspear, but nonetheless held onto his dogmatic desire to crush the invaders, determined to avenge Lazarus and his fallen brothers. Even when he received news that the Imperial forces were withdrawing from the ground war in preparation for an Exterminatus of the entire planet, he refused to retreat. It was only the actions of the Kuvatarin's elders and the Emperor's supposed psychic message that convinced him to withdraw and leave his chapter's homeworld to its destruction.
Malkran would continue to lament the loss of Lazarus until his death, his only reassurance being that at least its people and traditions lived on with the rebel fleet and had not been destroyed by his follies. During the next forty five years, Malkran worked alongside the rest of his chapter's command to try and limit the damage caused by his marines' berserker rages and possibly find a solution for this issue, while also continuing to fight against the foes of mankind and protect the brave and worthy people of the Great Spirit rather than weak bureaucrats and their cronies. Malkran was eventually slain fighting against what was much later determined to be a Tyranid Hive Tyrant from a splinter fleet that was attempting to launch an incursion into the Segmentum Pacificus. His fellow War Lions managed to launch an assault to reclaim his body and prevent it from being consumed by the foul xenos, and with the assistance of the advanced weaponry of the 3rd Raiding Host, managed to successfully bloody the Tyranids and reclaim Malkran's body. Afterward, the chapter's marines launched further assaults until the splinter fleet was largely decimated and forced to withdraw.
- Sharrak Maghuyar, the Hidetaker: The current War Chief and leader of the War Lions, Sharrak was originally a marine from the 9th Raiding Host, the Foe Hunters. Known for their preference for ambush tactics and stealth, much like the tribal guerrillas that fought against Imperial rule during the Great Crusade, they were also infamous for their taking of trophies from enemy dead, and none was more infamous than Sharrak, who was said to have taken more limbs from his foes than all of the marines in the Foe Hunters. He served his Raiding Host faithfully for three hundred years, and despite his gruesome reputation he consistently displayed a cool headed demeanour and the ability to think on his feet, quickly adapting to any situation that presented itself. Eventually, this reputation would lead to him becoming the chief of the Raiding Host in 100.M40, and, in 201.M40, his fellow battle-brothers voted him as the most worthy to lead the chapter as its War Chief. Despite his age, the Hidetaker's prowess in battle and his mind have remained as sharp as ever, his armour continuing to be adorned in the magnificent furs of the beasts of Lazarus as the gruesome decorations of his slain enemies only grow in number. However, the Lions' chapter master continues to struggle against the curse of his chapter's progenitor, and although he has seemingly been able to overcome the incessant need to kill, it continues to taint and undermine his brothers, with seemingly no solution being in sight. War Chief Maghuyar is infamous among the Eldar for personally leading the assault on Craftworld Unmei, butchering most of its inhabitants and claiming many new ornaments for his armour.
- Swanazar Baré, the Irontongue: The chapter's longest serving High Shaman, Swanazar was born into a tribal family, and his father was a member of the Kuvatarin. While he was initially encouraged to follow in his footsteps, this changed when the War Lions began recruiting from the tribesmen of Lazarus, and Swanazar believed he could do more service for the people of Lazarus and the Imperium at large if he became a Space Marine. After years of training, he became a fully fledged member of the War Lions chapter, and due to his oratory as well as psychic talents he was selected as a member of the Shamancy. Eventually, he was elected by his brothers as the chapter's first High Shaman in 004.M36, just before the War Lions launched their first crusade against the various threats to the Avendire Sector. It was during this campaign that Swanazar first proved his mettle as well as the practical mindedness and ferocity in battle that he would become famous for.
After it was discovered that the chapter's progenitor was the infamous World Eaters legion, this fact soon spread to most of the Lions, who began to feel a sense of shame and guilt over the fact that they were descended from traitors. However, the newly appointed High Shaman managed to use this as a morale boost and a reinforcement of the chapter's devotion to the Emperor, claiming in a speech to his brothers (that would later be recorded in the chapter's logs and eventually inscribed onto the Lazarus Stone after the chapter's flight from Lazarus) that the very fact they were descended from traitors meant that they had to prove themselves to the Emperor by fighting even more for mankind and not despair and give up on their sacred duty. Swanazar would serve on the frontlines of several battles in the chapter's history, including the Lazarus Civil War, where he would march into battle inspiring his men with his deeds and words while also being a destructive ball of psychic rage that sundered some of the chapter's greatest enemies. Unlike his chapter master and many of his brothers, Swanazar was known for his pragmatism and a desire to eliminate the enemy over personal glory, and approved of the use of any methods necessary for eliminating mankind's foes, and while his brothers commented that he had a way with words he was also infamous for his brutal honesty with regards to those he and his chapter despised and his intolerance for weakness within and outside of the War Lions.
During the Lazarus Civil War, Swanazar was one of the staunchest advocates for rebelling against the Imperium, viewing it as a perversion of the Great Spirit's doctrines. However, as the war dragged on and Lazarus was rendered devastated by the fighting, he began to doubt the worth of staying and fighting when his world and its history were burning around him. However, when he attempted to voice his doubts to Malkran Barbareck, the War Chief refused to listen. Growing desperate and at a loss as to what to do, the High Shaman conversed with the Kuvatarin. It remains unknown what occurred during the conversation between the High Shaman and the elders of the enigmatic psyker cult, but soon afterward the Kuvatarin elders approached the chapter's base and unleashed a psychic surge that sent all of the Lions' marines unconscious, with the Emperor himself supposedly ordering the War Lions to leave Lazarus and crusade against his foes elsewhere among the stars.
Swanazar himself would continue to serve alongside the chapter, with most of his time not spent in battle focused on recording the chapter's history and that of the remaining tribals of Lazarus. Eventually, he was struck down fighting against the War Lions' hated progenitors, the World Eaters, during one of the many battles in the conflict known as the Dominion of Fire in mid-M38. He was found with his limbs torn off and a gaping hole in his gut, along with only a few surviving battle brothers, surrounded by the corpses of slain Khorne Berserkers. It remains unknown whether he received these wounds from his hated Primarch or merely one of his crazed followers, and the former High Shaman remains reluctant to speak of this event after his internment in a Dreadnought. After millennia of being in this state, the once focused and cunning Shaman has begun to suffer from several mental problems, including dementia, and while his mere presence is still able to rally and inspire his battle brothers and his psychic might remains as potent as ever, he seems to doubt the complete righteousness of his chapter's cause, questioning whether they truly are following the wishes of the Great Spirit/Emperor. In battle, Swanazar is a fearsome sight, wielding both his vast psyker powers and his Dreadnought armour's mighty guns and blades to great effect in carving through enemy lines, adorned in several hides of slain predators from Lazarus and gruesome trophies from his enemies.
Renegade Chapter Fleet
- Red Lion (Battle-Barge) - Serving as the chapter's base and flagship after the destruction of Lazarus, the Red Lion is a massive vessel, modified extensively to carry as many marines as possible, primarily functioning as a transport for the War Lions from one battle to the next. This ship also has makeshift versions of areas normally found in a fortress monastery, such as a Forge and Apothecarion. The most unique sections of this Battle-Barge are the arena, much like the one on the Proudspear where battle brothers test their mettle against captured foes, and the Hall of Stories, which contains the Lazarus Stone, one of the few artefacts that survived the Proudspear's destruction.
Renegade Chapter Relics
- The Lazarus Stone - A massive pale rock said to have been thousands of years old even during the time of the Great Crusade, the Lazarus Stone was used by the tribes of Lazarus as a way to immortalise their history, with pictures and words of their great deeds and significant events carved into its surface. It changed hands many times as all the tribes sought the sacred rock due to legends telling of how it was blessed by all of the Guardian Spirits as a bulwark against the machinations of the evil spirits, and how a tribe who recorded their history there may be able to go to the afterlife. By the 36th Millennium, it was still regarded as a sacred site by the now monotheistic tribals. When the War Lions claimed Lazarus as their homeworld, the tribals were in awe at what were to them demigods, the descendants and greatest warriors of the Great Spirit. Proud to serve as protectors of his realm, the locals eagerly assisted the War Lions with establishing a fortress-monastery, recommending that they build it on the tall hill where the Lazarus Stone had stood for more than ten thousand years. It was among the few artefacts that survived the destruction of the Proudspear, and was removed by the War Lions' Forgemen using a makeshift crane attached to a Whirlwind tank. Later, when the Lions were forced to evacuate from Lazarus before its Exterminatus, they made sure to take this sacred record of their people's history with them. For six thousand years it sat in the Hall of Stories in the chapter's flagship, the Red Lion, alongside the various tablets recording the more recent history of the tribes of Lazarus. Eventually, when the War Lions conquered the Lazarus System, the Stone was returned to its homeworld, and a new fortress monastery, Firstclaw, has been constructed around it.
- The Chieftains' Hides - The pelts of various beasts slain by members of the chapter on their homeworld of Lazarus, these sacred artefacts are only given to the chapter's leaders (initially the Master of the Forge was the only one excluded from this honour), or its greatest warriors as deemed by the War Chief. Swanazar Irontongue, the former High Shaman, is among the few members of the War Lions who received one of these pelts despite not being a major leader anymore due to his status as a Dreadnought.
Renegade Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The armour of a typical Astartes of the War Lions is dark grey with the pauldrons, armoured umbilicals, backpack exhausts, and backpack crown all being coloured blood red, with the shoulder trims and Imperialis being coloured brass. The simple grey colouring is meant to reflect that a Battle Brother should be defined by the victories he achieves rather than his colours, while the red parts of their armour obviously signify blood and the violence that they inflict on their enemies. The practice of painting their shoulder trims brass only seems to have appeared after the First Avendire Crusade, and is clearly a reference to their progenitors, likely a reminder for a Battle Brother to not stray down the same path as them and prove himself worthier in the eyes of the Great Spirit than Angron and his legion.
An unusual practice of the chapter is that nearly all marines have an Imperialis on their chest plates. Due to the Imperialis being given to those Space Marines regarded as particularly loyal to the Emperor, it sends a message to the forces of Chaos and the Imperium: the War Lions will continue to serve Him even when branded Renegades. Another notable practice of the chapter is for a marine to decorate himself in gruesome trophies collected from slain foes, usually skin, bones, or limbs from an enemy human or xenos. The leaders of the chapter, and warriors deemed especially exceptional by the War Chief himself, also wear the hides of slain beasts from Lazarus, cladding themselves in the furs of animals now extinct alongside all life on their homeworld.
Raiding Hosts are distinguished by the symbol on their marines' left knee, with the 1st having two spears crossed together with a golden skull in front of them, the 2nd having a brick wall coloured blood red, the 3rd having a depiction of a cloud with fire shooting downwards from it, the 4th showing a white rock broken into ten pieces, the 5th showing a human skull at the top, with a Tyranid and demonic skull lined up together at the bottom, the 6th showing a yellow lion in a running motion, the 7th showing a symbol of a lion's claw coloured bright red, the 8th showing a monstrous brown jaw opened in a gaping smile, the 9th showing a black eye that resembles that of a lion, and the 10th showing a brown shield with a red lion's head on it.
Chapter Badge
The chapter's insignia is a brass lion's head over a blood red field. The lion is believed to have been introduced to Savira from Terra due to its endangered status on their home planet, long before the Age of Strife. These creatures adapted fairly well to Savira's climate and landscape, becoming deadly predators that were often considered some of the most dangerous predators on the world by the original human inhabitants. Hence, the War Lions wish to follow this magnificent creature's example, but with one major difference: their prey is anyone and anything who opposes the Great Spirit and His will.
Relations
Allies
- Kuvatarin ('Sightful Ones') - A cult of psykers that apparently wield the power of prophesy, they were tolerated before the Lazarus Civil War due to their worship of the Emperor like the rest of the tribal population as the 'Great Spirit', though they were often viewed as either madmen or charlatans due to their claims that they received visions from the Emperor himself. Their teachings were widespread amongst the remaining tribal populations, and this in turn affected the War Lions who soon started recruiting members of the cult as spiritual advisers as well as assistants in the Shamancy. This decision was one of many that drew them ire from Imperial authorities. During the Lazarus Civil War, the Kuvatarin were viewed as heretics and accomplices of the War Lions and hence were subject to extermination. The survivors of the cult either fought alongside the rebel forces or acted as advisers and strategists. Close to the war's end, the Kuvatarin's seers began having visions, of a fleet of ships unleashing beams of fire upon Lazarus, and of a dark and barren world. Concluding that an Exterminatus fleet had arrived to destroy Lazarus, the leaders of the rebel Imperial Guard and Kuvatarin concluded that they needed to evacuate Lazarus before the fleet arrived. However, the War Lions were reluctant to, in their eyes, flee from the fight. It seemed like the War Lions' stubbornness would result in the doom of Lazarus and its people until a strange event occurred. The elders of the Kuvatarin suddenly acted strangely. They all walked, almost as if in their sleep, to the Lions' base in the planetary capital of Antius, and then unleashed a gigantic psychic surge. The marines of the chapter experienced visions of the destruction of Lazarus, but also of something else. A voice, one that told them to leave Lazarus and continue to enact His will elsewhere among the stars until a time came where he deemed it necessary for them to return. When the Lions snapped out of their visions and recovered the unconscious and exhausted elders, they resolved to finally evacuate, with the rebel command forming a plan to quietly leave the system using the chapter's fleet. Millenia afterward, it remains unknown whether it was truly the Emperor who spoke to the Lions or if the Kuvatarin elders were simply using a form of mass telepathy in order to masquerade as the Emperor and manipulate the Lions into taking action. Whichever may be true, the War Lions continue to show immense respect for the Kuvatarin, due to both their physical and psychic prowess during combat and a sense of gratitude for saving the chapter and giving them the opportunity to live to fight another day, and the cult continues to guide the Lions and fight alongside them.
- Shields of Lazarus - The Imperial Guard regiments that turned against the Imperium alongside the War Lions during the Lazarus Civil War, they are predominantly composed of tribals that were resentful towards the Imperium and the Ecclesiarchy in particular for attempting to outlaw their ancient religion. They, alongside the War Lions, fled Lazarus before its destruction, and continue to serve alongside the Renegade Astartes, acting as auxiliary troops. However, they generally prefer to keep away from the War Lions during combat due to their propensity for bloodlust and attacking everything in sight, and hence will often operate separately from the Lions and only help if they are absolutely needed to ensure victory and the annihilation of their foes. The marines of the War Lions view most of their Guardsmen allies with respect due to their bravery and prowess in battle as well as finding kinship with them as the only remnants of their homeworld, in spite of the isolation between the two due to the danger to the Guardsmen posed by the Lions' berserker rages.
Armorial of the Flesh Tearers chapter.
- Flesh Tearers - One of the only Astartes chapters that had vaguely friendly relations with the War Lions, many of the Flesh Tearers agreed with the Lions' bloodthirsty and brutal methods of war, and found common ground both as chapters mostly focused on berserker tactics as well as their disdain for the Inquisition. However, with the recent efforts of the Flesh Tearers Chapter Master, Gabriel Seth, to limit the damage done to allied forces by his marines' rage fuelled rampages, the common attitude towards the War Lions within the chapter has changed from viewing them as righteous warriors who were betrayed by the Inquisition to regarding them as a cautionary tale of what the Flesh Tearers could've been. Nonetheless, many older Flesh Tearers continue to sympathise with the War Lions and regard them as true followers of the Emperor that may one day redeem themselves from their traitorous heritage. The War Lions consider the Flesh Tearers one of the organisations within the Imperium that is closest to being true followers of the Emperor/Great Spirit, and hence bear enormous respect toward the chapter, even to the point of generally avoiding battles with them.
Armorial of the Hounds of Kerberos chapter.
- Hounds of Kerberos - While the two chapters have had their differences, even before the War Lions turned Renegade, they both share a strong bond as loyal sons of the XII Legion, and for their dedication to honourable combat and the destruction of the Emperor's foes. However, the two have clashed over the Lions' worship of the Emperor as a deity. Like most Astartes, the Hounds of Kerberos view the Emperor as the saviour of mankind and their commander in chief, but not a god, in accordance with his Imperial Truth. The Lions, on the other hand, worship Him as a guardian spirit, and while the two chapters both share a disdain for cowardice and an emphasis on strength in combat and taking trophies from their enemy's bodies, this facet of their chapter has led to unease from many of the sons of Acherousus. The War Lions, although most marines feel unease at the Hounds' use of chain-axes and many of the traditions of their hated progenitor, continue to regard them as some of the few who are closest to being true followers of the Great Spirit, and believe they are what the World Eaters should have been. The Hounds continue to provide covert assistance to their brother chapter, determined to ensure that they stay in the Emperor's light and not suffer the fate of their parent legion, believing that they can one day be accepted back into the Imperium. However, after the War Lions' invasion of the Lazarus System, the Hounds of Kerberos are unsure at where the Lions may be headed, and whether their destination will be one of darkness and ruination.
Icon of the Order of the Ebon Chalice.
Enemies
- Order of the Ebon Chalice - The marines of the War Lions despise the Sisters of this order for their actions during the Lazarus Civil War. As the main force of the Imperial Purgation taskforce on Lazarus, the Sisters of the Ebon Chalice frequently used flamers and melta weapons, unleashing a torrent of fire and death upon the rebel forces rather than engaging them in melee, which the Lions viewed as extremely cowardly, regarding the Sisters as too weak to face their foes eye to eye. They were also responsible for the destruction of the Proudspear, the Lions' fortress monastery, as well as the loss of many battle brothers, which has earned them even further scorn from the Renegade chapter. The Lions continue to view the Order as one of the Emperor's 'false followers', those who are too weak to serve him properly and do not follow his true teachings as opposed to the 'blinded' - those who are strong and serve the Emperor well but also make the latter mistake. The Order view the chapter as little more than traitors whose souls will soon be claimed by Khorne, and justify their actions during the Lazarus Civil War as putting down uncontrollable madmen that were destined to fall to the Ruinous Powers from birth. The Sisters of the Order view it as their duty to the God Emperor and the Ecclesiarchy to exterminate the War Lions once and for all and eliminate these heretics that dared mock their faith.
- Order of the Flying Knife - The War Lions and the Sisters of Battle of this order have long been rivals. Both were created to protect the Lazarus System, but their methods of war could not differ more drastically. The Order of the Flying Knife favours the use of stealth and ambush tactics, which the War Lions viewed as cowardly and unbefitting of the warriors of the Great Spirit. The Sisters on the other hand abhorred the Lions due to their bloodthirsty and uncontrollable nature as well as their disregard for the Imperial Cult. On the other hand, the two found common ground on their belief in the strength of the human form over cybernetic modifications as well as their extreme reverence for the relics of their ancestors. While only 200 sisters took part in the Lazarus Civil War due to the rest of the order being involved in a series of counterattacks against daemonic incursions into the Avendire Sector after the Reign of Blood, this small number would earn great infamy among the rebel forces for their cunning and ruthlessness, launching attacks on rebel supply lines and waging a guerrilla war deep behind enemy lines. When the War Lions returned to the Lazarus System, the order's homeward of Gavrilius was one of their first targets, both for the strategic purpose of eliminating the most powerful military force in the system as well as revenge for the Lazarus Civil War. The order was left devastated, with only a few battle sisters surviving the Lions' conquest. They were forced to flee to the Vorugar System, seeking the aid of other Imperial forces to reclaim the Lazarus System from the foul heretics.
Icon of the Inquisition.
- Inquisition - The War Lions view the Inquisition as cowards that have in truth turned from the Great Spirit, and not only despise them for destroying their homeworld but also due to them interrupting their 'quest' to purge the Emperor's enemies and destroy 'the pathetic races' of the galaxy (all species other than humanity). The Inquisition view the chapter as dangerous heretics, and were shocked when it was learned that the War Lions had survived the Exterminatus of Lazarus. They currently can do nothing to retake the Lazarus System and destroy the War Lions due to their hands being tied by conflicts erupting across the Imperium after the birth of the Great Rift.
Armorial of the World Eaters Traitor Legion.
- World Eaters - The War Lions knew the identity of their progenitor fairly early on. High Healer Simran Ekarl, after much study of the chapter's gene-seed following concerns regarding the chapter's similarities with the World Eaters legion of old, made a terrible conclusion: the chapter was indeed created from the treacherous XII Legion. This knowledge soon spread to the rest of the chapter, and many marines felt hatred and disgust towards their heritage. However, the ever practical High Shaman Swanazar Irontongue managed to avert disaster and a loss of morale by using the fact of the War Lions' shameful heritage to motivate them to fight harder for the Emperor and slay more of His foes in order to prove themselves worthier than their progenitors, while working alongside the rest of the chapter's leaders to keep the fact of their heritage hidden from the rest of the Imperium. The battle-brothers of the War Lions continue to despise their parent legion, viewing Angron as a failure for turning from the Emperor and becoming a slave to his Butcher's Nails cybernetic implants and to Chaos, and viewing his World Eaters as little more than brain dead savages that have continually failed to win in their unending war against the Imperium. The World Eaters, in turn, utterly despise their Emperor worshipping gene-kin as scum that defy the will of Khorne, and are determined to bring them under the Blood God's sway or slaughter them all and present their skulls to their Primarch.
Emblem of the Aeldari.
- Craftworld Eldar - The Asuryani are viewed by the War Lions as one of the weakest xenos races due to their use of trickery and magic rather than melee combat, and hence one of the most worthy of extermination. The Craftworlds that know of the Lions' existence usually see them as terrifying savages that should best be avoided, and many Eldar wonder why they have not fallen to the Chaos Gods after so many millennia of unleashing carnage and slaughter. The War Lions are responsible for raiding and devastating Craftworld Unmei, which had been unlucky enough to cross paths with the Lions' fleet. Curiously, most of the craftworld's spirit stones were left intact. Whether it was simply because the Lions were not interested in breaking gems when they could be breaking xenos spines or if they consciously chose to spare the stones in order to deprive Slaanesh of souls is unknown.
- Kaulabesh Dynasty - The War Lions have fought many times with the Necrons of the Kaulabesh Dynasty, consistently fighting off incursions made by these genocidal automatons into their sector. The Lions' attempts to invade their system and eliminate this xenos menace once and for all have met with a small amount of success, with the Lions mostly focusing on raiding the Necrons' ships and crippling their fleet in preparation for a proper invasion.
Icon of the Ecclesiarchy.
- Ecclesiarchy - The War Lions, even before they were declared Renegades, had a hostile relationship with the Ecclesiarchy. The Lions generally viewed the Imperial Cult as a false religion and a misinterpretation of the Great Spirit/Emperor's teachings, bringing them a great deal of ire from the Adeptus Ministorum that was only kept from boiling over by the fact that the Lions pursued the destruction of humanity's foes with great zeal and were useful to the Imperium so long as other forces kept far away from them. After the Lions were revealed to be descended from Traitor gene-seed, the Ecclesiarchy was one of the factions that pushed for the Lions to be exterminated, arguing that they were already borderline heretics and Khorne worshippers and should be destroyed before they fully turned from the Emperor's light. Millenia later, the animosity between the Lions and Ecclesiarchy remains, with much of the Ecclesiarchy being shocked to discover that the Lions survived the Exterminatus of Lazarus and resulting in them being determined to destroy the heretics once and for all.
- Shadows of Slaanesh - During the Corrus Uprisings, the War Lions fought against this warband of Chaos Space Marines, and almost immediately began to despise their foe. The Lions viewed the Shadows as cowards who did not face their foes in honourable combat, due to their preference for ambush tactics and letting their mortal underlings do most of the fighting. Furthermore, the Shadows' vitriolic hatred of the Emperor was comparable to that of the ancient Traitor Legions, leading to the Lions despising them even further and labelling them as mere weaklings who could not even hope to live up to the Emperor's standards and hence feeling resentful for it.
Icon of the Tau Empire.
- Tau Empire - The War Lions regard the Tau as cowards due to their use of ranged weaponry and mech suits as well as blasphemers to the Great Spirit due to their atheistic beliefs, and hence they are one of the xenos races that are highest on the Lions' extermination list. The Tau, in turn, view the Renegade Chapter as superstitious and violent barbarians that will never accept the Greater Good, and as a result all Septs' military forces are ordered to attack any vessel belonging to the Lions that enters their territory on sight.
Icon used to designate the Tyranids.
- Tyranids - The Tyranids are regarded as ravenous monsters and one of the greatest threats to humankind by the War Lions, and are one of the few creatures which the Lions will usually use ranged weaponry on and utterly obliterate rather than face up close. When a battle-brother does claim a trophy from a slain Tyranid, it is usually cleansed of any surviving spores using fire. Furthermore, they were the foe responsible for the death of the Lions' first War Chief, Malkran Barbareck. Nonetheless, they are also regarded as some of the greatest prey in the galaxy by the chapter, and marines that slay great numbers of them receive no small amount of renown.
Notable Quotes
By:
- "FREE?! [A mocking laugh]. You deluded fools believe you're free, serving Slaanesh? A rapacious monster that only seeks to feed on the souls of mankind like an oversized maggot? 'Cousin', we are the free ones here! Our most blessed Grandfather, our Great Spirit, our Emperor, has been freeing humanity for millennia from the grip of tyrants and weaklings such as you! And now we shall ensure that he is one step closer to achieving his goal!"
- — Igwoyar Barballus, Raid Shaman of the War Lions 9th Raiding Host, to Chaos Champion Varlar the Midnight Shadow of the Shadows of Slaanesh during the second conflict between the two Renegade Chapters.
- "They think wielding weapons that do most of the killing for them makes them strong? They are as pathetic as their Spirit-forsaken Primarch!"
- — Madrul Thundermaker, Chief of the War Lions 3rd Raiding Host, on the World Eaters' use of chain-axes.
- "Come to your death, Whore of Vandire. You will finally receive the redemption you crave, through your gory evisceration. What your order did to Lazarus will be repaid a thousand times over!"
- — Arlyelk the Bloody, Dreadnought of the War Lions 2nd Raiding Host, to a Sister Repentia of the Order of the Ebon Chalice amidst a battle on the Shrine World Urliya IV.
- "I have done everything I can, Swanazar, everything, to abate or, Great Spirit will it, eliminate the curse of our gene-seed. The arenas seem to help somewhat, but then I heard a report that several of our battle-brothers continued their berserker rages even after slaughtering through waves of captured orks. I had Asagyr consult with the Kuvatarin and see if they could somehow use the sorceries of the Realm of Spirits to heal our battle brothers' minds, but they only told him that there were no such powers that could do that. I even had Jurlan experiment with using psychedelics and hypnotherapy, before we learnt that it only degrades our gene-seed just like it does with our brother chapter. I am at a loss as to what to do"
- —Sharrak Maghuyar, the Hidetaker and War Chief of the War Lions, to former High Shaman Swanazar Irontongue.
- "What to do, my Chief? You must decide, as you are the one who is strongest and most worthy to lead, but if you wish to hear my advice, continue with what we have always done. We have taken the rage and madness of our gene-father, and used it as a weapon against the enemies of mankind. That is what we have done since our birth, and it is part of what we are. Without it, do you think we would have made even a small difference in the Black Crusades, or the Tyranid incursions, or the wars in our home sector? This savagery may cause us to lash out at our allies, but we have always been stronger alone anyway. We are what the Great Spirit wanted when he made the XII legion, and what it could have been had our Primarch stayed loyal. But no matter my words, Sharrak, you are the one who decides what is right for our chapter"
- —Swanazar Irontongue, Shaman Dreadnought and former High Shaman, in response.
About:
Feel free to add your own
- "These 'War Lions', these... bastard sons, believe they are better than my World Eaters. [a shot of pain from his Butcher's Nails]. Rrrrggh! I and my sons shall show these Imperial dogs what true warriors are, show them the might of Khorne. And I shall see if their chaplain truly has an iron tongue, when I rip it from his head..."
- — Angron, The Red Angel, Primarch of the World Eaters Traitor Legion, and Daemon Prince of Khorne, upon learning of the War Lions' involvement in the Dominion of Fire.
- "I remember the Second Battle of Antius like no other. Armed with our Flamers and jump-packs, we prepared to launch over the wall and easily exterminate the Renegade scum once and for all, scorching their battlements until they were only slag while our tanks broke through their walls. That never happened. When we soared over our foes, we were not greeted by unsuspecting savages who rarely even wielded bolters, but a hail of spears from below, and the mighty roars of these monstrous fallen Angels as they charged through the holes we'd made in the city walls, seemingly with no regard for the Exorcists preparing to launch another salvo. Within minutes they were climbing over our tanks, butchering everyone they could see, as we, the holy warriors of the God Emperor's Ecclesiarchy, were being knocked out of the sky by spears like we were flies. Just before I was taken out, I saw for a brief flash the weapon that would be my end, a shining adamantium spear as smooth as a missile, before I commended my soul to Him, and everything went dark. When I woke up, I found that I had gotten lodged in one of Lazarus's few trees, the spear having hit my jump pack instead of me, and it was then that I knew the God Emperor had saved me that day. 13 of my Sisters were also favoured by Him, and managed to survive the massacre. The rest of us were slaughtered"
- — Sister Ilya Carechia of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, in an interview by the Administratum historian Marcus Langmar.
- "They created WHAT?! Explain to me, Inquisitor, why the High Lords thought it was a good idea to create a chapter from the second most deranged of my brothers? And who left an entire system largely undefended, within proximity to Terra itself no less, for these superstitious madmen to take for themselves?"
- —Roboute Guilliman, The Avenging Son, Primarch of the Ultramarines and Lord Commander of the Imperium, upon learning of the War Lions from an Inquisitorial historian.
- "Something is heading into the system... my visions indicate that they are the Mon-Keigh's Space Marines based on their ships... oh, by Khaine, no! Not those savages. The craftworld must leave the system immediately if we wish to survive! These brutes are immune to all negotiation and reason. They were too bloodthirsty for the mon-keigh! And they slaughtered Unmei unprovoked, simply because it was there... I shall bring this to the rest of the council immediately"
- —Farseer Idhargen of Craftworld Alaitoc, upon learning of the War Lions' fleet currently being near his Craftworld.
- "These Gue'ron'sha are nearly as mad as the Be'gel. They are savages only obsessed with war who seek the destruction of anyone they so please, even members of their own species. They are completely incompatible with the Greater Good, and it is recommended that if they are sighted within a Sept they should be viewed as a threat, considering their previous attempts to attack our empire in spite of their small numbers, which only gives further proof of their sheer insanity"
- —Aun'Ui'Tsua'm'Shovah, Ethereal of the Tau Empire, on the War Lions.
| Nineteenth Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | • |
| White Scars Successors | Voidborne • |
| Space Wolves Successors | N/A |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Charnel Hammers • Knights of Sol • |
| Blood Angels Successors | Ashen Angels (Wardens of Ash) • Auricblood Knights • |
| Iron Hands Successors | • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Knights of the Silver Blade • |
| Salamanders Successors | Ashborne Drakes • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Ashen Crows • Horned Machetes • |
| Unknown Lineage | Sin Seekers • Storm Knights • |
| Renegades | War Lions • |