[hider=Primarch: Narcarro Salazar] Name: Narcarro Salazar, The Storm, Primarch of the Solar Dragons. Gender: Male Homeworld: Merendosa The temperate world of Merendosa was settled shortly before the events of the Old Night. Its surface is covered with mountains for a large part, as well as seas and small oceans. It is a harsh planet to live on, but still suitable for human colonization and civilization. The most dangerous natural hazards are the frequent and violent thunderstorms that sweep the valleys. Due to the planet's geography, the population uses aircrafts extensively for goods and passenger transportation, as roads and bridges would suffer heavy damages from the climate in many areas. Menderosa is by no means a hive world, its largest metropolises not even close to comparing to a massive hive city. On average, the planet's population numbers some three billion souls. [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/0hOgJWX.jpg[/img] Narcarro Salazar has tan skin and long brown hair, contrasting with his bright electric blue eyes that seem to know everything about whoever he's watching. Not the tallest among his siblings, he still towers over humans and Astartes at 11 feet high. He dons his armor whenever he feels is appropriate outside of combat, otherwise wearing his planet's traditional clothes, colorful and ornate pants and tunic adorned with a gold aquila brooch on the left side of his chest. When wearing his power armor, he looks every bit the demigod of battle that he is, a manifestation of the Imperium and the Emperor's might. When emerging from a fight, he rather appears as some kind of vengeful wraith, the white of his armor largely covered by the blood of those unfortunate enough to face his wrath. [b]Personality:[/b] Most would describe Salazar as cold and calculating as far as military matters are concerned. He is efficient and ruthless, taking his duties very seriously. His pragmatism is tempered by his sense of honor, although he considers it to be out of place on the battlefield, a notion that the 6th Legion embraces fully. When not preoccupied by war and battle, he reveals himself to be a quite blunt fellow, with a sarcastic and dry sense of humor. Despite his stern attitudes and the secretive nature of his Legion, he holds humanity and its continued survival and glory at the top of his concerns, even if some could think him heartless with an outsider's perspective on some of his actions. [b]Skills:[/b] Salazar is a true master of close-quarters combat, gracefully moving in the midst of his enemies as if he was dancing. With each of his strikes, his claws open greivous and fatal wounds while the roar of his assault cannon punctuates volleys of armor-piercing shells delivered with deadly accuracy, the primarch seemingly impossible to even hit, let alone wound. He is also a great battle tactician, even among his primarch siblings; his battle plans are carefully elaborated and exhaustive, yet he is a flexible commander able to make decisions to adapt to new situations in the blink of an eye and with a particular talent for infiltration and subversion. He is not, however, the most diplomat nor skilled with words, and as such prefers trusting his subordinates to do a better job at it than himself when appropriate. [b]Wargear:[/b] The Dragon's Breath: An experimental weapon with six rotating barrels, capable of firing devastating salvos with an extremely high rate of fire. It is a unique weapon, aptly named "assault cannon" by the artificer who built it. The Slayers: Masterfully crafted power talons, with the addition of four power claws mounted on the same gauntlet's backhand. This weapon is capable of slicing through and tearing apart almost anything, and has already claimed a great many lives in the name of the Emperor. Salazar also often has a jump pack on his back, and makes extensive use of grenades and other explosives. [b]Assignment Grade: Gamma[/b] As a powerful psyker, Salazar possesses many of the powers commonly associated with them, but although he is indeed capable of projecting lightning from his fingers or lifting a tank up in the air, the extent of these abilities go far lower than what could be expected of a Gamma-level psyker. In fact, he rarely uses his psychic powers except for sensing lifeforms, telepathic communications and his unique ability that seemingly compensates for his reduced power in other fields. Terror of the Mind: The effect of Salazar's ability could be in some ways compared to the aura of a psychic blank. Whenever he wishes so, his mere proximity instills a sense of dread and irrational fear upon others, which can be amplified to sheer terror and primal panic to the point of making the most battle-hardened soldiers abandon their fortified position, running from a threat nowhere to be seen with shrieks of terror. Alternatively, Salazar can make his being appear as so unnaturally horrible that the minds of others simply refuse to acknowledge his existence anymore, effectively turning him invisible. This ability seems to be even more potent on psykers, be they human or xenos. [hider=Biography] Merendosa was going through its darkest days to date when the primarch's capsule came crashing down through the atmosphere. No more than a few decades after the planet's colonization, an alien flotilla emerged from the Warp in an emergency right next to Merendosa, seeking to escape the Warp storms that marked the beginning of the Old Night. These xenos known as the Thalvans were the last of their race, turned nomads after exhausting their planet's resources. Using their superior technology, they quickly subjugated the human population and settled on their new home. The Merendosi had been enslaved for millenia, but Salazar's arrival brought about their liberation and the doom of the Thalvans. He was found in the mountains by a small community of outcasts who raised him into their culture. As Salazar grew up, he quickly established an underground resistance against the xenos. Under his leadership, it only took years for the Thalvans to be overwhelmed by sudden revolts and cast down from their palaces. Salazar and his adoptive people gave no quarter, and the last of the Thalvans were thoroughly exterminated. Salazar continued to work for the betterment of the newly liberated planet as a member of the council that ruled Merendosa, voluntarily stepping down from his position as a war leader, but nonetheless ready to take back his role should the people of Merendosa be threatened ever again. In the meantime, he worked tirelessly and was in a large part responsible for bringing about a golden age. The planet's technological level had gone backwards considerably over the centuries, regressing to a pre-industrial society. Under the primarch's guidance, both science and technology skyrocketed, quite litterally as by the time that the Emperor found his lost son, the Merendosi were celebrating the completion of their second space station. [/hider] [hider=The Meeting] A dream. Lightning striking high towers, wind so powerful that it tore the very mountains apart. And, from the skies of this unknown world, fire raining down, setting ablaze cities and fortresses alike. Narcarro Salazar woke up to the sound of a ringing phone. His dream still imprinted into his mind, he sat up on his bed and reached for the offending device. "I hope you have a good reason to call in the middle of the night, Castillero. What is it?" His voice was steady, his tone calm as it always was. "Sorry to wake you up, Counsellor, but I have urgent news from MSS-2. It's... incredible." The primarch's advisor's voice was practically trembling with excitation. "It's the crew, sir. They gave ground control an emergency call minutes ago." "Is there a problem?" "I... I don't know sir. They say they've spotted ships in system." Salazar kept silent for an instant. He should have been surprised, and yet... this whole situation felt familiar to him. As if he had already lived it. "Sir?" "Meet me at the S.O.G.C.. I'll be right over." ------------- The command center in the space operations ground control building was bustling with almost frantic activity, scientists and engineers compiling and analysing data sent down from orbit. Salazar walked in, making his way to the large displays in the front of the room. The pictures that could be seen on them were indeed troubling. There was no mistaking it, those were spaceships. Massive and intimidating, some estimated to be kilometers long. "So it is true..." Salazar's voice was a whisper. His usual neutral demeanor was replaced by a troubled look. "Sir?" The advisor turned his head towards the primarch. "Do you think... [b]they[/b] could be back?" Salazar shook his head. "Impossible. Those are not Thalvan ships, I am sure of it." He himself did not know where this conviction came from. But it was a certitude nonetheless. He pointed at the pictures. "We must be ready. Call army command, and tell all branches to mobilize their best units at once. They must gather in the capital by morning." Castillero gulped and nodded, his anxiety clearly visible on his face. "Understood. Should I tell them to take defensive positions as well?" Salazar turned his gaze to his advisor. He was obviously terrified of a war to come. Fortunately for him and the people of Merendosa, the primarch knew he was mistaken. "Defensive positions? No. Have them put on their dress uniforms." He turned away and started to walk out of the command center, smiling to himself and gesturing for the man to follow him. "Come, Castillero. We have a parade to prepare." ------------- Everything was ready. Soldiers in impeccable colorful uniforms were standing in ranks in the morning sunlight, armored vehicles adorned with banners and their weapons raised high. In the sky, jet fighters circled around the center of the capital city, their engines roaring as they flew in formation above the plaza that had been deemed suitable for a landing. Aircrafts carrying cameras and news reporters were hovering above the parade with their horizontal rotating blades. Behind the military, a massive crowd had gathered to witness this historic event. The planet's council had been unanimous in designating Salazar to be Merendosa's representative, and so he was standing before the improvised landing grounds, waiting for the arrival of these visitors from space. He did not wait for long. A single ship descended from the heavens, its golden hull bearing a two-headed eagle. The plaza was more than capable of allowing it to land, and it did so with a grace that put the most advanced Merendosi crafts to shame. Salazar could not shake a strange feeling of familiarity as the craft's landing ramp lowered and armored giants came out and lined up to form a guard of honor. But his attention quickly shifted to the figure that stepped down and came towards him, walking between the aligned warriors. He was even taller than Salazar, his gold armor shining in the sun. His face was noble, his black hair flowing unnaturally in the wind while his eyes were two orbs of golden light. Salazar was speechless as the being approached him. He radiated power and might, yet also compassion and justice. As he got close, the primarch bowed his head and slowly got down on one knee. "Father." Salazar was neither afraid nor plunged into adoration. He simply stated a fact, that he welcomed gladly. As he did, all of the soldiers standing behind him kneeled down on their own, as well as the huge civilian crowd, as if a silent order had been given to the entire city at once. The Emperor smiled, a warm and welcoming smile. "Arise, Narcarro Salazar. My son." He was merely talking, yet his voice resonated throughout the entire plaza. "Your own descendants have been waiting for you. You shall lead them and be one of my generals in my crusade to liberate mankind." Salazar rose to his feet, laying his eyes upon his father once more. "You shall be the lightning that strikes the enemies of Man. You shall be the storm that casts them down into the abyss..." "...and the fire that rains from the sky to purge humanity's foes." Salazar finished the Emperor's sentence. He was ready. The Emperor of Mankind nodded approvingly. "Wherever they may be. Come, my son. We have much to discuss." [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Legion: Solar Dragons] Legion Name: Dubbed by the Emperor as the Solar Dragons, Narcarro Salazar kept the original legion name. Legion Number: VI Legion Strength: 115,000 Astartes, 150,000 Merendosi Raiders Armour Appearance: [img]https://i.imgur.com/4jX3oPQ.jpg[/img] Warcry: "From the heavens we strike!"; typically used right before launching an airborne assault. "Draco ignis!" [hider=Dramatis Personae] Astartes: [b]Ancient Sorrano:[/b] The Primarch's right hand man and his most trusted advisor. Like Malcador the Sigillite speaks with the voice of the Emperor, Sorrano speaks with Salazar's. [b]Ancient Zancador:[/b] Legion Vexillarius, bearing Salazar's personnal banner and commander of his Honor Guard, the Drakes. He rarely makes his opinion known, but his words hold considerable weight. [b]Nocanus Villion:[/b] Equerry to the Primarch. He has the honor of being Salazar's primary bodyguard in battle, even more so than the Honor Guard. Although his skills and loyalty more than justify his position, his nomination for Equerry was also a political move by Salazar, as a way to show unity between the Terran and Merendosi Astartes. [b]Forgemaster Borjas Varranza:[/b] Few consider the Forgemaster to be fully part of the Solar Dragons, but he still commands respect and reverence as he is responsible for the Legion's armories. [b]Chief Librarian Pedro Morellana:[/b] A very powerful psyker, Morellana is unusually cheerful for a Solar Dragon and openly displays his emotions. One would be ill-advised to take him lightly because of this, however: he has proven his worth in numerous occasions both as a battle psyker and as Chief Librarian of the Legion. [b]Chief Apothecary Secarius Medelis:[/b] Medelis is an extremely quiet individual, only communicating with others when necessary. He is dedicated to his work to a rare degree, even for an Astartes, focused on monitoring the Legion's health and its purity's integrity. [b]Captain Destimus Polumedes:[/b] Commander of the 2nd Great Company, Master of the Red Wing Fleet and former Legion Master. Level-headed and meticulous, Polumedes primarily uses craft carriers and long-range ordinance to whittle down enemy fleets while staying out of reach. [b]Captain Carsa Levilla:[/b] Commander of the 17th Great Company, Master of the White Fang Fleet. Levilla is an agressive fleet commander, using a combination of light and medium ships to open a breach in the enemy's formation and delivering devastating volleys at close range. [b]Captain Adanis Contador:[/b] Commander of the 19th Great Company, Master of the Gold Talon Fleet. Contador prefers putting the superiority of his Astartes contingent to good use by launching boarding actions whenever possible against enemy vessels. Mortals: [b]Lord Commander Asier Costales:[/b] Commander-in-chief of the Menderosi Raiders. He has been serving by Salazar's side since he became the primarch of the Solar Dragons. [b]Admiral Estela Vergalino:[/b] Commander-in-chief of the Solar Dragons navy. She rose from the ranks of the 6th Legion's ship commanders thanks to her talents with logistics and large-scale campaigns. [b]Castellan Carmen Alcada:[/b] Oversees the Solar Dragon's homeworld in Salazar's stead, making sure that the planet is safe and prosperous. [b]Magos Syloris Karabras:[/b] Mechanicum Representative for the Solar Dragons legion. Laconic and introverted, like many of his peers, he is nonetheless a valuable asset to the Legion as he serves as an efficient and remarkably impartial middleman. [/hider] [hider=Legion Organization] The Legion is organized into Great Companies, each 5000 Legionaries strong and commanded by a Captain. These Great companies are divided into 500 Astartes units named Squadrons lead by a Commander, which are divided further into Platoons numbering 50 Astartes and commanded by a Lieutenant. The smallest unit is the Squad, nine Astartes lead by a Sergeant. [b]The Merendosi Raiders:[/b] These augmented humans are not space marines, but rather recruits who failed the trials to become Astartes. These failed recruits, almost always 12 years old at most, are returned to civilian life on Merendosa and offered a chance to enlist in the Raiders once they turn 18. The Merendosi Raiders are an integral part of the Legion; they and their Astartes brothers-in-arms sleep in the same quarters, train and eat together and fight on the same battlefields, although their roles are quite different. While the Astartes are more than capable of displays of stealth, it is the Raiders who do the vast majority of the infiltration and sabotage that allow the Solar Dragons to employ their tactics of choice. Once the attack is launched, they reveal themselves and take possession of vantage points, attacking targets of opportunity and supporting their Astartes brethren during the battle. [/hider] [hider=The Stormclaw Speeder] The Solar Dragons use their own design of aircraft, a transport vehicle bearing some resemblance with a Land Speeder but bigger, with better armor and able to carry five Astartes or ten mortals with all of their gear. These crafts named Stormclaws are armed with twin-linked lascannons or volkite culverins on the front mount, and two rotor cannons or heavy bolters on pintle monts in the Stormclaw's side doors. [/hider] [hider=Favored Tactics/Battlefield Role] The Solar Dragons' favored tactics are lightning airborne assaults, thoroughly prepared by long-term infiltration and stealth operations, an art in which they are unequaled by others, perhaps with the exception of the Adeptus Custodes. They never hold defensive positions if they can help it, and avoid massed assaults by land as much as possible. Their doctrine relies on single strikes, delivering incredibly brutal blows in a short span of time, either destroying all enemy targets in the area or retreating as fast as they came, leaving behind crippled formations and ruined installations. Using Stormclaw speeders, the Astartes swoop down from the skies the moment that the anti-air defenses are neutralized by the infiltrators and surgical drop pod strikes. The Stormclaws then carry their deadly cargo from target to target at neckbreaking speeds while keeping close to the ground, its side weapons spraying down anything that moves with a hail of bolts and bullets, while the Merendosi Raiders provide accurate covering fire from carefully selected positions. Due to their specific approach to warfare, the Solar Dragons maintain comparatively low numbers of heavy armor and artillery, and detest fighting on front lines more than anything. They are still capable of engaging in other forms of warfare but they would much rather leave such tasks to others, be they Imperial Army or fellow Legionis Astartes. For these same reasons, their Terminator elites are used more frequently for ship-to-ship combat in space rather than on the planetside. [/hider] [hider=Legion Characteristics/Ideology] To the Solar Dragons, war is the Imperium's final argument. When fighting rebels or other human empires, the longer it lasts, the more damage is dealt to the population, infrastructure and future relationships with the Imperium as civilians are starving and killed by collateral damage. Therefore, the 6th Legion will go to many lengths to ensure a swift war, waging it with all necessary brutality and overwhelming force in order to achieve victory in a quick succesion of decisive blows. A single 6th Legion attack may cause significant collateral damage, but on the scale of a campaign it becomes much less than what would be suffered during a campaign done in a more conventional fashion. The pragmatism of Salazar and his sons also show in the fact that they generally value Astartes lives more than mortals. Not out of a sense of selfishness, but simply because a single Astartes can do more for Mankind than many mortals. The Solar Dragons view themselves as the shield and sword of humanity, and in the words of Narcarro Salazar: "A splintered shield and a broken sword are of no use to anyone." [/hider] [hider=Relationships] [b]Imperial Army:[/b] The Solar Dragons are amicable enough towards regular humans, but somewhat distant. While not as full of disdain as others might be, they prefer spending time with members of their own Legion. In turn, the Imperial Army tends to view the Solar Dragons in a positive light, as their presence means that they will focus on the enemy where they are the strongest, leaving the Imperial Army to less risky duties. Although, the fact that the imperial commanders rarely know what the Solar Dragons are up to or if they are even present tends to leave them a bad taste in the mouth. [b]Mechanicum:[/b] The relations between the 6th Legion and Mars are very much formal. Both sides are generally content with having only necessary interactions between eachother. Even so, Salazar made sure to cajole the Mechanicum with gifts of alien and ancient human technology to appease them after the Solar Dragons developped and started to produce their Stormclaw speeders themselves. [b]The Emperor:[/b] The Emperor of Mankind and Malcador are the only two persons in the galaxy who can give an order to Salazar and be obeyed without question. The Primarch has a great deal of respect and love for his father, viewing him as the pinnacle of humanity and its greatest hope. [b]Xenos Species:[/b] As a general rule, the Solar Dragons will need a reason to let xenos species live rather than a reason to kill them. In their opinion, they cannot be trusted and the Edict of Tolerance is too big of a risk. [/hider] [/hider]