New and improved Primarch CS: 

[hider=Anton Jager]
[b]Name:[/b] Anton Jager. Primarch of the Griffin Guard and High King of Sorus.

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[hider=Homeworld]
Sorus. A feudal world with a single continent. The bulk of the continent was wild and alien, with dense jungles, poisonous flora, monstrous fauna, and roving bands of orks… all of which were made even more severe due to the planet’s close proximity to the Eye of Terror. Had the entire planet been like this, Sorus surely would have been classified as a Death World.

The western portion of the continent, however, was far more secure and manageable. Before the Age of Strife, Sorus’s settlers had been able to tame this land and bring it under control, exterminating the most dangerous wildlife while introducing far more beneficial, less hazardous species. Separating these two contrasting areas was a vast mountain range, its mountain passes fortified and heavily garrisoned against the threats to the east. The inhabitants of this western portion were spared from the worst of the Warp’s corruption, as the deadly beasts on the rest of the planet were also siphoning and absorbing the bulk of the chaos energies.

Before Anton’s arrival, this western land was dominated by three kingdoms - Talendria, Daralt, and Gara - who had been at each other’s throats, frequently engaging in border skirmishes over territory. From time to time, orks would attempt to send raiding parties over the fortified mountain passes, but these rarely succeeded. Seafaring exploration was rendered all but impossible, due to the several large and hostile beasts which dwelled in the planet’s oceans.

The dominant religion on the planet was the Church of the Four. “The Four” were in fact the Chaos Gods, worshipped under different names and in more benevolent guises, though obviously Anton and the rest of the planet are unaware of this.

Technology was mostly at the gunpowder era, though each kingdom did have at least one old spacefaring vessel and a small arsenal of high tech weaponry at their disposal - most of it no longer functioning.

Between the arrival of Anton and later the Emperor, all this would change. The three kingdoms have long since been unified under one banner, and a fourth nation - the island Republic of Naris - had been rediscovered and brought into the fold. The inhabitants now see themselves as Sorusian before Talendrian, Garan, Daraltian, or Narisian. The Imperium’s advanced technology had been introduced to the world, greatly improving its economy, industry, and quality of life.

The worship of the Four was banned. Although many were outraged, some had been swayed by the Imperial Truth’s logic, while others were simply relieved to no longer have to pay church tithes or “mandatory donations.” Worship of the Four still persists to this day within underground cult movements, but the majority of the planet seems to have moved on.
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[hider=Appearance]
Anton is eleven and a half feet tall, with short blond hair and bright green eyes. He has a light skin tone and a rugged face, with a scar above his right eye and another along his left cheek, and some short stubble in the way of facial hair. Like all primarchs, he possesses superhuman strength and agility, although he tends to favour the latter over the former.

The armour he wears is a dark green - almost black - with a silver trim. His legion’s personal emblem - a beheaded black serpent over a white background - is painted on each pauldron. He carries a vicious straight power sword with a black blade, a single bolt pistol, and an advanced high-tech sniper rifle that is similar in design to the Exitus Rifle (which doesn’t exist yet.)
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[hider=Personality]
Steadfast. Stoic. Dutiful. Grim. These are but a few words that might be used to describe the Primarch of the 11th Legion. Those who know him more closely, however, are aware of a different side: to those he knows most closely, such as his direct subordinates and certain fellow primarchs, Anton can be friendly, cheerful, and affable. He cares deeply for the lives of his friends and the men under his command, becoming enraged at betrayals or needless sacrifices. His temper, in the rare instances it has been roused, can be a terrifying thing, as he will dedicate all of his considerable talents to seeing his enemy broken and ruined.

He also has a deep interest in the history and culture of the planets he comes across, and will sometimes order his men to salvage particularly fetching works of art, which are then sent back to either Terra or Sorus as gifts, or to his flagship to serve as decorations. Aside from the standard goal of restoring order to the galaxy, this is ultimately what keeps Anton going: the companionship he feels with his legion or fellow primarchs, the thrill of exploring new worlds, and the rush of battle.

Although he generally tries to avoid needless sacrifices of human life, he understands that death is an inevitable part of war, and sometimes thousands must die in order to save millions. If it comes down to it, he will harden his heart and do what needs to be done for the greater good.That said, he does genuinely enjoy fighting certain alien beasts, as well as particularly malicious intelligent species such as Orks.

Anton believes in the Imperial Truth, though he is not its most fanatical or devout believer. The reason for this is because he believes that zealous support of the Imperial Truth isn’t any better than blind faith in any other religion.

When it comes to the Edict of Tolerance, Anton is not inherently opposed to it, but he only invokes it on species that were incapable of space travel and have not previously encountered the Imperium. His reasoning for this is that the advanced species are less likely to become loyal citizens, as the Imperium has less to offer them and they may already be suspicious toward it due to the several genocides it has already been involved in. In his eyes, the vast majority of seemingly-compliant advanced xenos worlds will inevitably rebel at some point or another. For less advanced species, Anton is willing to offer more leeway, because the Imperium has more to offer them and can easily defeat them if they turn rebel.

Lastly, it should also be noted that Anton is wary toward psykers. He does not view them as inherently flawed or dangerous, and understands that they can be both safely and effectively used, but in his own experience, the psykers on his homeworld have been a consistent danger. His planet’s close proximity to the Eye of Terror made psykers especially vulnerable to corruption. Due to this, almost all the psykers in his legion hail from other worlds, but the ones who do hail from Sorus are especially potent.
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[hider=Skills]
Anton excels at ranged combat. Compared to most of his fellow primarchs, his accuracy and vision are unmatched, capable of landing shots with pinpoint accuracy from seemingly impossible ranges. This is his preferred method of combat, but he is just often seen fighting in the thick of it with his blade, which he is almost as skilled with.

His arsenal consists of the Eagle Sword; a sword coated in a strange sort of living metal, from the shell of a beast he slew on the planet Medusa. Its crossguard is in the shape of gilded eagle wings. Other than that he has a pair of bolter pistols, and a high-tech long-ranged sniper rifle of his own design (it more or less looks and functions almost exactly like the Exitus Rifle.)

From a command standpoint, Anton’s exceptional perception has granted him a masterful eye for tactics. He is extremely adept at sizing up enemy formations and working out where best to strike. Never one to charge recklessly, he knows that the way to win wars is to minimize the losses on his own side while maximizing the losses on the enemy’s side.

Off the battlefield, Anton possesses other skills. Although not a master diplomat, he is a reasonable and level-headed man, well-versed in the powers of persuasion, with a tendency to try diplomacy when hotter heads might recklessly attack. He is also a skilled gunsmith, designing custom-made weapons for himself and his legion. In fact, the rifle he uses is one of his own design.
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[hider=Assignment Grade]
Iota. Anton possesses some psychic abilities, but they are entirely passive. His first ability allows him to look at a creature and instinctively become aware of its weaknesses. His second ability allows him to detect when creatures of the Warp gather in sufficient concentrations. Lastly, Anton can also see the Eye of Terror no matter where he is, provided nothing is obstructing his vision.
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[hider=Biography]
Anton arrived in the feudal world of Sorus, landing in the countryside of Talendria. The nearby village, in awe at this mysterious child which fell from the sky, decided to take him in. He was put in the care of a local rancher, who named him Anton.

Eventually, word of this strange child from the stars spread. A group of priests arrived the next day, claiming to have foreseen the boy’s arrival, and wished to take him in. The locals, however, refused to give him up. A group of scientists, who had come to investigate the fall of his capsules, visited him a few days later. They took his ruined capsule to study, and they too wished to take the boy as well, but were once again refused.

Then, finally, one month after his discovery, a company of soldiers arrived directly from the capital, with orders personally written and signed by Talendria’s King. The boy would go with them, and this time the villagers could not refuse. He was taken to Talendria’s court, where the royal family took this strange miraculous child as a ward. Despite this he did not take on the name of the royal family, and instead retained the family name of the rancher who first took him in.

Like the rest of the Primarchs, he grew at a rapid pace, reaching the size of a fully grown human within three years. He excelled at everything he was taught and always craved more. However, as he studied within the safety of the Palace’s walls, debates soon sparked in the outside world as to his significance.

The local clergy claimed he was a gift from the Four, and cited his miraculous growth and superhuman feats as proof. They claimed he was destined to unite the Sorusian people and lead them to greatness.

The local science communities, however, took a far more rational approach. They claimed his existence was not divine in nature, and that he instead hailed from a planet of humans that was more technologically and biologically advanced than their own. They pointed to his high-tech capsule as evidence, and expressed a concern that whoever sent or lost him might one day come to claim him.

The young Anton was sheltered from these debates at first, but it was not long before he was eventually made aware of both sides of the story, and it left him deeply conflicted. If he was sent by some divine force, then it was his duty to guide and direct these people as much as possible. And yet, his homeworld’s religion had left a bad taste in his mouth, because he couldn’t help but find a number of small logical inconsistencies, or make note of the self-serving undertones, which made him question the validity of the religion’s doctrine as a whole. He became agnostic, though he kept these thoughts to himself.

Meanwhile, if the other theory was true, then wouldn’t his duty instead be to find a way to return home? To reunite with his true family, or whoever had sent him here in the first place?

Yet there could also be a middle option. He was not sent here by any divine power, but he was sent to serve these people nonetheless. It was this internal compromise that Anton eventually made peace with. Stating these beliefs publicly did little to quiet the debates: the Church had taken this as a sign of humility, while the more rationally-inclined individuals saw this as confirmation of their own beliefs. Anton decided to carry on with his own beliefs despite this, but the question remained: in what manner was he to serve the people?

The answer to that was obvious. He had always been especially gifted in the art of war. Even as a boy, no man on the planet could match him with a sword or pistol, and his understanding of the academic side of warfare was on par with most generals. Only his size and age had prevented him from entering military service. But now he was taller, stronger, and smarter than any other man. None could deny that he was ready.

The King was more than happy to grant him an officer’s commission in the Royal Grenadiers, the royal family’s personal guard and Talendria’s most prestigious infantry regiment. He quickly worked his way up through the ranks, because with the King’s patronage and his natural talent, the only obstacle that stood his way was the availability of commissions. He reached the rank of Major and could rise no higher, for all the Lieutenant-colonel posts were currently occupied, and he was not going to offend the man who was both his royal patron and adoptive father by transferring to a less prestigious regiment.

Meanwhile, Anton had also come to realize just how broken Talendria’s military system was. In times of peace, commissions could only be acquired through purchase, and only in war could they be granted on merit. Even then, money and connections often prevailed over skill or experience. Additionally, there was no formal military training or education system. This meant promotion was determined not by qualifications, but by who had the most wealth or influence. It was a sobering revelation, because he quickly realized that without the support of the King, he might never have become an officer at all.

He raised these issues in person to the King, and although the King agreed with most of his points, he nonetheless refused to reform the army, citing political and economic concerns. Anton was not appeased by this. Meanwhile, it soon turned out that a Major in the Grenadiers on “active duty” had very little to do during peacetime, beyond shuffling papers behind a desk or standing as a glorified bodyguard.

Naturally, that was not enough for Anton, so in every moment he could spare he sought out other ways to occupy himself. He spoke with men from other branches of the military: cavalrymen, marines, naval officers, engineers, and artillerymen. He then sought out people from outside the military, but were just as vital to its maintenance: gunsmiths, blacksmiths, stablemasters. Such men were considered beneath the notice of a highborn aristocratic officer, but by seeking them out, Anton expanded his mind in ways that his formal education and training hadn’t. Especially with the latter groups, for in learning how exactly muskets were designed and crafted, he soon wondered how to improve the weapon’s design.

The musket was a notoriously inaccurate weapon. Battles often came down to who had more men or could fire more quickly, because if enough shots were fired, some would inevitably find their mark. There was a weapon that was more accurate, however: the rifle. Unfortunately, most rifle designs were unsuited for large scale warfare.

Anton resolved to fix this, and with his natural intellect he eventually came up with a new design. One that was lighter, more accurate, and easier to maintain than any other rifle design at the time. He then considered how such a weapon would be used in battle, and concluded it would be better utilized in the hands of dedicated skirmishers and marksmen in support of the main body of the army, which would still be armed with muskets. He then wrote an in-depth book on light infantry tactics which would serve as the basis for such a force’s doctrine.

Anton proposed this idea directly to the King, who eventually came around to the idea. Not only did he agree to adopt the design, but he also decided to fund a new regiment… with Anton as its Colonel. And thus, the Royal Rifle Regiment was founded. Its men were handpicked from the ranks of the rest of the army, based on their ability to shoot accurately and think independently, and each officer who wished to join was scrutinized heavily by Anton himself.

Although many were doubtful of the regiment’s necessity, especially since the King had to raise taxes in order to create it, it would soon get a chance to prove itself three years later.

The Orks on the eastern half of the island were a series of divided warbands, constantly fighting with one another, whilst occasionally attempting to break through the fortified mountain passes of Gara and Daralt. All of these attempts had been beaten back by superior fortifications and weaponry of the human defenders. So long as the Orks remained disunified, they would never break through. And it was believed that the Orks, barbaric savages that they were, were never capable of such cooperation.

Which is why it came as a massive surprise when the Orks [i]did[/i] unify, under the leadership of the Ork Warlord known as Groshab, and led a massive WAAAGH! through the northern mountain pass. Although they took heavy casualties, they were able to overrun the defenders through sheer numbers, before spilling into the countryside of Gara. The Garan army attempted to repulse them, but was slaughtered.

When news of this defeat reached Talendria, the King immediately mobilized his forces. If Gara fell, Talendria would be next, and they had no fortified mountains or natural defenses to keep out invaders. The Orcish incursion needed to be dealt with quickly, on the field of battle. And so the King personally led his army northeast, into Gara itself.

When the time came to meet the WAAAGH! in battle, the King chose a very conventional means to fight the enemy. The artillery was placed upon a hill, with the infantry lined up in front, and the cavalry would circle around to strike the Orks in the flank. Anton and his riflemen were to be deployed ahead of the enemy, with orders to pick off as many warbosses as possible before retreating to the safety of the infantry formations.

Warlord Groshab, seeing the humans arrayed in such a manner, did not bother with intricate tactics. Believing sheer numbers would be enough to break through the thin Talendrian line, he ordered a frontal charge.

It was Anton himself who fired the first shot of the battle.

It was not the custom for an officer to carry a longarm such a musket or a rifle, but Anton did; a decision which was regarded as more than a little eccentric. He scanned the approaching horde, and with his incredible sight, he was able to identify the leader of the WAAAGH!: Groshab himself. Shouldering his rifle, he took aim and fired, shooting the Warlord through the eye, at a range which have been considered almost impossible even by riflemen standards.

As their leader fell, the Orkish horde paused. Never before had they seen one of their own fall to a human firearm at such a range. Their own leader, no less. The pause lasted only for a moment, and then another Warboss stepped up to take Groshab’s place.

Anton shot him as well, with a second rifle passed to him by one of his own men, who was now reloading the first rifle. Anton traded the second rifle for a third, and then killed another Ork leader. The horde soon fell into chaos, as warbosses began fighting each other on the field over who would get to take command. One warboss would kill another, only for Anton to kill him, and then [i]his[/i] underlings would begin feuding amongst themselves for command of that one individual warband. It is said that Groshab survived the first shot, and eventually tried to stand up to retake command, only for Anton to shoot him through the other eye.

Then artillery shells began to rain down upon the Orks, killing hundreds. Finally, they came to their senses, and instead of fighting over who would hold the title of warlord, the individual warbosses all ordered their warbands to attack at once.

When the Orks approached, the rest of the Riflemen did as they were ordered, firing well-aimed shots at those who seemed to be in charge. Then they fell back, fleeing for safety behind the infantry. Anton himself joined the battle line, and as the Orks came approached point-blank range, the Talendrian army unleashed a thunderous volley.

The surviving Orks came running out of the smoke, and a desperate melee ensued. They were just about to break through a section of the line when Anton led his riflemen back into the fray, joining the melee with fixed bayonets. It was said that Anton personally slew half a hundred Orks during the fighting. Then the cavalry struck the Ork horde in the flank, which is what finally broke them.

The Talendrians emerged victorious, but at great cost: they had lost a third of their army. The Orkish army, its leadership removed, scattered into roving bands in the countryside. While men were deployed ahead to recapture, repair, and refortify Gara’s mountain fortress, the rest of the army remained in Gara to deal with the Orks who had escaped the battle. Once more, Anton and his riflemen proved their usefulness, using their skills at hunting and skirmishing to track down and destroy the savage warbands. Anton himself became something of a folk hero to the Garan people, with tales of him singlehandedly defending entire villages.

But even after the Garan countryside had almost been swept free of Orks several years later, the Talendrian army remained, and it soon became apparent that they had no desire to let the country retain its independence. This might have sparked rebellion, but after nearly being annihilated by the Orks, the people were weary from war and feared what would happen if the Talendrian soldiers within their borders suddenly withdrew.

Additionally, the King of Talendria had appointed Anton as the Military Governor of Gara, tasking him with rebuilding the region and hunting down the remaining Orks. It was due to this reason that, when Daralt declared war on Talendria a year later - ostensibly to liberate Gara and put Talendria’s influence in check - Anton did not accompany the rest of the army south, and instead turned his attention to administering the lands.

He soon proved to be an effective administrator as well as a soldier, rebuilding roads and infrastructure, and finding ways to pay for it despite the increasing war taxes. He toured the region and personally inspected the areas most heavily affected by the war, while taking the time to cozy up to prominent nobles. Tales of his mysterious backstory had spread to Gara as well, and the local church quickly adopted the narrative that he was a gift from the Four, which did much to boost his image. Although some Garans resented him, very few made attempts at open rebellion.

The war between Talendria and Daralt ended two years later in a stalemate, with neither side able to gain much ground. Anton continued to serve at his post with diligence, until eleven years later when he was called back to the capital.

The King was dying.

On his deathbed, the King spoke to Anton alone. He revealed that he had always wanted to see Sorus unified, and regretted that he may die before that wish was fulfilled. He then went on to say that Anton had proved a capable leader in both war and peace, and claimed that there was no one else more fit to rule a unified Sorus. After that, the King called in his courtiers, and before two dozen witnesses, claimed that Anton was to marry his daughter, and the two would rule jointly. This was a controversial decision, as it set aside the King’s presumed heir, Prince Willard.

Two years later, King Anton marched on the nation of Daralt with a combined army of Talendrians and Garans. With his superior numbers and generalship, he bested their army in the field and quickly laid siege to their capital, taking it by storm. But after the battle had been won, his army broke discipline, and began looting the city, inflicting countless horrors on his populace.

Anton was ultimately forced to build a gallows in the city center, and threatened to start arresting and hanging looters if they did not cease. Although they stopped, Anton’s eyes had been opened to a harsh reality of war he had not previously been exposed to.

The rest of the country soon capitulated. Yet despite the nobility issuing a formal surrender, the commoners were displeased. In Daralt, Anton lacked the heroic reputation he had earned throughout Talendria and Gara. To the Daraltians, he was nothing more than a foreign conqueror, who imposed his soldiers onto their households and stole their food.

The men and women of Daralt fled into the countryside, becoming partisans, and Anton was forced to fight them. It was a type of warfare he had waged against Orks, but never against fellow humans. Infuriated by the constant attacks on their patrols and supply lines, some of his men even began to take their anger out on local villagers and townspeople, who were believed to be aiding the rebels.

Anton did his best to reign these attempts in, but as high up as he was in the chain of command, there was little he could do to directly intervene. Meanwhile, repeated assassination attempts were made against him, but he survived every single one.

There were many nights when he was tempted to withdraw from the country altogether, but he knew that wasn’t the best solution. If he withdrew his soldiers and left the locals to pick up the pieces, there was no guarantee Daralt would be able to pull itself together again. And what if they faced another Ork WAAAGH!, or some other threat? Order had to be brought to this land one way or another.

So instead of attempting to stop the reprisals, he began ordering them. With his masterful deduction skills, he was able to correctly identify which villages and towns were aiding partisans, and deployed his men to deal with them. At first, these brutal measures only caused the partisan attacks to increase, as the partisans became more furious and the local civilians became more sympathetic to their cause. But eventually they became too much for the partisans to bear, and the attacks began to dwindle, until eventually they ceased.

Finally, Anton could return home.

He spent the rest of his time in Sorus continuing to administer his new kingdom, making a number of social and military reforms while attempting to repair the damage he had wrought during the pacification of Daralt - partly of guilt, and partly out of a need for efficiency. Daralt made another attempt at rebellion, but it was half-hearted, and Anton easily crushed it.

In his spare time, he also tinkered with some of the old pieces of advanced tech stored deep within Talendria’s vaults, becoming intimately aware of their designs, and even repairing some of them to become functioning again. The means to reproduce such weapons were not currently within his grasp, but it had rekindled his desire to learn more about the universe beyond his one small planet.

Then, in M30.837, a visitor arrived.
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[hider=The Meeting]
The crown was heavy on Anton’s head. His wife looked to him uncertainty, from the smaller throne next to his, but he gave no indication that he had seen; his gaze was fixated on the long figure who stood before him.

The visitor stood before the throne in shining golden armour, the likes of which had never been seen before. He was tall; almost as tall as Anton himself. His vessel had appeared in the sky of Talendria’s capital without warning. The landing craft had descended into the city’s square, and he had been allowed an audience at once, bypassing all the waiting petitioners. None dared complain.

When the court herald asked the stranger how he was to be announced, he had asked to only be announced as “The Emperor.” Who was this man, to claim such a lofty title, but no name to go with it, and no additional titles or achievements beneath it? The herald had been reluctant, but ultimately did not question him.

The ‘Emperor’ approached the throne, and the courtiers unleashed a collective gasp when he did not kneel. He did not even speak, and instead looked Anton directly in the eye. By all rights, Anton could have ordered him thrown out of the palace right then and there.

But he didn’t.

Because, as Anton looked upon the stranger, a sense of recognition filled him. Slowly, he removed his crown, and laid it on the armrest of his throne. Then, he rose to his feet, approached his father, and knelt before him.

“You know who I am?” the Emperor questioned.

“I do,” Anton nodded, “but I do not know why you have come.”

“It is time for you to return the fold. For you, this world you have united will be just the beginning. The Great Crusade is underway. Join me, march alongside your brothers and sisters, and aid me in my quest to bring order and prosperity to all mankind, as you have brought it to this planet.”

There were several long moments of silence, as Anton considered the Emperor’s words. Then he stood up, and dismissed his court. The guards remained, so he dismissed them as well. Once the room was clear, he turned back to his creator.

“You mentioned brothers and sisters?” Anton asked, with some apprehension.

“You are not alone,” the Emperor told him. “There were nineteen others like you. All were lost, and scattered across the cosmos. You are the fifth to be found, but before this crusade is over, I will see all the others returned to me.”

“And what is this crusade?” Anton inquired, taken aback by the revelation, but still wishing to move on to the more pressing issue.

“Long ago, humanity once built a star-spanning Empire. That Empire crumbled, and the technology of its planets was set back centuries if not millennia,” the Emperor explained, and Anton nodded, for he knew this firsthand.

The Emperor continued speaking. “I intend to reunite humanity. By word, or by force. I will cast aside all delusions and superstitions, and replace them with science and logic. I will put a stop to humanity’s infighting, and destroy those who would destroy us, so it can achieve its full potential.”

By word… or by force. “Millions will die,” Anton realized. “Countless worlds will burn.” The thought of going back to war - war on a galactic scale, no less - gave him pause. He had thought he was done with war, but clearly he had been too hopeful.

The Emperor frowned. “Across the stars, mankind slaughters itself in the name of false idols, and lives in needless poverty or isolation. Your world’s struggles were light compared to the rest. Millions will die regardless of whether this Crusade will happen or not. The difference is, we will be preventing further destruction in the long-term.”

It was a daunting task, and one that carried an immense burden. It would have been incomprehensible to a lesser mind. But Anton was a Primarch. And as the Emperor spoke, Anton instinctively understood the scope and sense of his vision.

More importantly, he had also heard the conviction in the Emperor’s voice, and he knew that refusal was not truly an option. His planet now belonged to the Imperium. If the Primarch did not yield it, then the Emperor would take it.

So without another word, the Primarch nodded his assent.
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[hider=The Great Crusade]
Anton spent a year under the Emperor’s personal tutelage, before he was deemed ready to join the Great Crusade. In the meantime, his planet went through all the necessary steps to join the Imperium; new technology was introduced, and candidates for Space Marines were selected. 

Once the period of instruction was over, Anton took command of his legion. He looked upon these strangers from different worlds, and gave them a rousing speech which emphasized order, unity, and duty. He had experience leading people of different cultures, and so navigating such differences came easily to them. He then led his Legion on a campaign to exterminate the planet’s Orks, reducing their population to a point where they had been all but extinct - inevitably, a few spores survived.

So, a sizable garrison was left behind, while the remainder of the Legion set about pacifying the nearby worlds. 

They found the Death World of Caliban, where Anton and a number of his legionnaires made a name for themselves amongst the locals by hunting down and slaying the planet’s Great Beasts. 

They journeyed to the old ruined planet of Medusa, integrating the roving clans into the Imperium. There, Anton and his Legion slew a beast known as the Great Silver Wyrm. Anton personally slew the beast by using his sword to drown it in a pit of magma. However, both his sword and the gauntlets of his power armour became coated in the creature's melted flesh, fusing with both the armour and the weapon. Anton had the gauntlets replaced, but kept the sword.

A number of other nearby worlds were conquered or colonized as well, until Anton eventually came to the world of Cadia. Throughout his voyage through the area surrounding the Eye of Terror, Anton’s sleep had been plagued with strange dreams and odd whispers, urging him to take certain actions, and claiming to be the voice of his four gods. The Primarch had initially tried to ignore these voices - gods could not exist - but began to fear he was going mad. 

He soon found that as he neared the Eye of Terror, the dreams and voices increased in intensity. Either his madness was growing, or there was something truly sinister at the Eye’s center. The rest of his fleet was deeply unnerved as well. 

And so the reluctant primarch decided he would go no further. He did not visit Cadia, and instead led his legion into other regions of space. The whispers faded, but the Primarch still feels a drive to return there - partly to master his own fear, and partly to find if there was some undiscovered truth on the planet or perhaps even the Eye of Terror itself that he was not aware of. Unbeknownst to the Primarch, he was not the only one to hear voices; the denizens of the Warp had reached out to other members of his Legion, those who once strongly believed in the Four, and rekindled the fires of faith that the Imperium attempted to smother.

Attempting to banish the incident from his mind, Anton carried on his portion of the Crusade elsewhere. He participated in several campaigns against the Ork species, due to his experience in fighting such a foe, and was involved in the integration - either peaceful or forceful - of several other human worlds.
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[hider=The XI Legion]
[b]Current Name:[/b] The Griffin Guard
[b]Original Name:[/b] The Imperial Pathfinders

[b]Legion Number:[/b] XI

[b]Legion Strength:[/b] 150,000

[b]Armour Appearance:[/b]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/fs8DCqE.png[/img]

[b]Warcry:[/b] “Vive l’Empereur!”

[b]Dramatis Personae:[/b]
[i]Sorus:[/i]
-Colonel Willard Calder. Commander of the Sorusian Garrison. Prince Regent of Sorus, and Anton’s adoptive brother.
-Major Lucien Villiers. Second-in-command to Colonel Calder. Former acolyte of the Church of the Four.
-Captain Hans Stilhart. Company Commander in the Sorusian Garrison. Former comrade-in-arms to Anton Jager.

[i]Anton’s Fleet:[/i]
-Brigadier-General Kennith Wakefield. Anton’s second-in-command. Often tasked with commanding the bulk of the legion while Anton leads the skirmishers elsewhere.
-Colonel Franz Volmark. Commander of Anton’s best sharpshooter battalion.
-Colonel Henri Gaspard. Artillery commander.
-Captain Alfred Klain. Commander of the Chosen Men (Anton’s personal bodyguard.) The greatest swordsman in the Legion, second only to Anton himself.
-Lieutenant Mercer Brun. Commander of a Tactical Squad in Volmark’s Battalion. The greatest shot in the Legion, second to only Anton himself. Notable for refusing promotions, despite being offered.

[b]Organization:[/b]
Primarch: Commander of the Legion (duh.)
Brigadier-General: Commander of a Brigade (Griffin Guard equivalent of a Chapter.)
Colonel: Commander of a Battalion.
Major/Captain: Commander of a Company.
Lieutenant: Commanders of Platoons and Tactical Squads.

[b]Battlefield Role:[/b]
Compared to other space marine legions, the Griffin Guard possess a disproportionately high number of reconnaissance teams. Due to the traits their primarch passed on to them, these are among the finest in the Imperium. These teams make for excellent scouts, sharpshooters, and saboteurs. The Legion heavily relies on their skill in asymmetrical warfare. To be selected for a reconnaissance team is to be considered a high honour, as it is no secret that their Primarch favours this type of unit the most. Many of these scouts are equipped with jetbikes or jump packs, allowing them to more easily deploy in certain environments.

The Legion’s artillery is also quite formidable, with a focus on range and precision, which is to be expected given the Primarch’s nature. The artillery will typically be used to either force enemies to advance (usually into an ambush) or to force them to stay behind cover (allowing the Legionnaires to safely maneuver into an assault formation.)

Despite this focus on ranged warfare, however, the bulk of the legion consists of close and mid-ranged combatants, armed with power swords. Their purpose is usually to protect the artillery or to lure the enemy into an ambush by the Legion’s snipers, but they are also used to seize positions - typically under the cover of artillery fire, sniper fire, and with Imperial Tanks serving as a vanguard. 

The Legion’s best fighters, who prove themselves skilled at both ranged and melee combat, are selected to join Anton’s Chosen - the Primarch’s personal bodyguard.

In orbit, the Griffin Guard tends to favour ships that possess speed and maneuverability, with a strong core of heavy hitters.

[b]Legion Ideology:[/b]
The Skirmishers of the Griffin Guard Legion are friendly and jovial, quick to exchange jokes with each other and boast about their accomplishments. They walk with their heads held high, for they are considered to be their legion’s elite, and their primarch’s favoured. They extend this hospitality to the reconnaissance teams of other legions, though they may come across as patronizing at times as they consider themselves superior.

In contrast, the Legion’s melee fighters are stoic, grim, and determined. There is something of a rivalry between them and the Skirmishers. It is no secret that Anton places the Skirmishers above them, and although this breeds resentment in some, most become all the more determined to prove themselves. They have little resentment for their primarch, for although his favouritism is clear, he does not view them as expendable. 

For the most part this divide remains a friendly rivalry; they may shun each other or make jokes at each other’s expense, but if they face antagonism from outside the legion they will usually rally against it.

Beneath this friendly rivalry, however, is a somewhat more concerning divide; one that is based on faith. While the bulk of Anton’s legion are staunch believers in the Imperial Truth, there are many who still cling to Sorus’s old faith - the Church of the Four. Most are wise enough to keep their beliefs secret, but there is no telling when or if these conflicting beliefs might ever spring to the surface. 

Interestingly enough, most of the Four’s worshipers are in the melee infantry. They still see Anton as something of a messiah figure, but fear the Emperor has led him astray.

[b]Relationships:[/b]
[u]Factions of the Imperium[/u]
[i]The Emperor:[/i] The bulk of the Griffin Guard is fiercely loyal to the Emperor, but those who secretly reject the Imperial Truth and still cling to the Faith of the Four believe the Emperor has led their saviour astray. 
[i]The Night Watch:[/i] The Skirmishers of the Griffin Guard feel a certain friendly rivalry toward the Skirmishers of the Night Watch. The rest of the legion doesn’t feel particularly strongly toward them.
[i]The Daughters of Iron:[/i] The bulk of the Griffin Guard have a certain respect for the Daughters of Iron Legion, but the skirmishing elements of the legion don't think particularly highly of them.
[i]The Stargazers:[/i] The Legionnaires of the Griffin Guard view the Stargazers with barely disguised contempt.
[i]The Cult Mechanicum:[/i] Although the Mechanicus play a vital role, most of the Griffin Guard resent that they have been allowed to retain their religious beliefs. Alas, it is impossible to have a functioning legion without technological support.
[i]The Imperial Army:[/i] Although they recognize that the Imperial Army as a whole plays a critical role, they are also more than aware that the common unenhanced imperial soldiers possess shorter lifespans and higher casualty rates. As a result, the Griffin Guard distance themselves from the common Imperial soldiers, initially out of a desire to not get too attached, though for some this developed into a genuine sense of elitism.
[i]Imperial Citizens:[/i] Although their empathy toward the common human has dulled considerably, the Griffin Guard will still attempt to avoid unnecessary human casualties, though sometimes it is unavoidable.

[u]Other Species[/u]
[i]The Orks:[/i] The Astartes of the Griffin Guard relish the chance to combat Orks. Skirmishers will compete to see who can kill the most while the melee infantry frequently exchange advice on how best to meet them in battle.
[i]The Watchers in the Dark:[/i] Encountered on the Death World of Caliban, the Watchers in the Dark were brought into the Imperium via the Edict of Tolerance. Although they were technically integrated into the Imperium, and they did aid the Griffin Guard in ridding the planet of the Great Beasts, the Griffin Guard was deeply unnerved by their presence and did not integrate them into the Legion.
[i]The Eldar:[/i] The Griffin Guard has engaged in occasional skirmishes with the Eldar from time to time.
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