[hider=Primarch Severi Niemelä]
Name: Severi Niemelä

Legion: XIV - Sons of Winter (colloquially known as the Ice Cubes)

Homeworld: Inwit

Severi Niemelä was cast to the bitterly cold world of Inwit, whose tidally locked snowscape is deeply inhospitable to human life. He who was meant to stand right by the Emperor’s side was stranded far from His light, forced to adapt to a hellish place with little more than the stoic and determined warrior bands upon its surface for company. Even from the moment he landed on the planet, the warriors who found him knew that they were dealing with someone the likes of whom they had never seen before. Nevertheless, they did their best to raise him into their ways, so that he could survive the harsh winters, hostile wildlife, and internecine warfare that characterized Inwit. Severi would not only take well to the task, but would quickly surpass his caretakers and become a leader. In this leadership position, Severi began to ponder the very nature of his role, and whether it was simply divine right or a support system which had propelled him to it. Ultimately, after much pondering, he came to the conclusion that his gifts meant little compared to the clan that had taken him in and supported him in his journey.

With this knowledge in mind, he set out on a quest to unite the various tribes of Inwit’s ice hives into one entity. For too long, he decided, had they stood divided and at each other’s throats. And in his eyes, the greatest obstacle standing in the way of a united Inwit was the caste system they practiced. Severi concluded that if Inwit remained divided by caste, it would never unite. Thus, his quest was simple, yet not easy: to eliminate it entirely. To do so with his own tribe was as easy as doing so by decree, but proving the longevity of his new way was the tough part. Seeing his reforms as an existential threat to their power, several tribes formed a coalition against his own, leading to the first large-scale war that Severi has ever had to lead. It is in this context that he will have to prove his mettle.

Psyker Grade: Iota

Skills/Abilities: Severi is a fortress of a man, and his very presence seems to drive away the horrors of the Warp when he focuses. This solid presence is felt in his every action, and gives the people around him the confidence they often need to survive in a world of gods and monsters. Bolstering this aura of confidence is his keen strategic and tactical mind, knowing when to pick his fights and how to win them. Key to this ability to win his battles is his ability to create sturdy fortifications, from field entrenchments to towering fortresses and everything in between. However, Severi also can direct a good offense once his fortifications have ground down the enemy, preferring to use ski troops and other such mobile forces to deliver the decisive punch when the time is right. But most of all, Severi is a shrewd diplomat that is often able to cut right to the heart of an issue and identify solutions if they exist. And if they do not, he does not hesitate to use force and strike first. Shrewd and unshakeable, Severi is a man anyone would want watching their back…as long as they can stand his dour nature, and his utter lack of social skills beyond getting what he wants.

Appearance: Severi Niemelä is a man who appears to have a steadfast, stoic demeanor. His bearded face contains little trace of emotion at most times, for he is the rock and the foundation. The very way he carries himself is with a dignity and gravitas befitting a man of his stature, and his immense height also adds to his imposing figure. Even in the more casual clothing he sometimes wears outside of his armor, he is a veritable wall of muscle that never smiles. All in all, one does not get more dour and serious-looking than Severi Niemelä.

Concept: Severi Niemelä is mildly based on Rogal Dorn (and uses Dorn’s planet), but draws much more inspiration from the historical figure of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and from Finland in general.
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[hider=Legio XIV]
Legion Name: XIV - Sons of Winter (official), Ice Cubes (colloquial)

Associated Primarch: Severi Niemelä

Concept: The Sons of Winter are, as the name might imply, masters of fighting in bitterly cold environments. Trained as arctic warfare specialists first and foremost, the Sons of Winter start off as a Legion that values its mobility and concealment greatly, using lighter gear and light vehicles to move quickly. In the winter environments they were trained for, they often make use of skis and snowmobiles to traverse quickly. In other environments, they will use light armored vehicles, with their priority still being speed. This is because prior to reuniting with their Primarch, they are a harassment force first and foremost. Their modus operandi is to wear down an opponent, breaking their morale piece by piece through skirmishes and raids, and ultimately to cut them into easier “motti” (pockets) to deal with one by one. When they have isolated these motti, then they unleash their devastating charge. Beyond this role, however, they can also serve as mountain infantry, being masters of difficult terrain.

Or at least, it shall be so until their reunion with their Primarch. Once Severi is returned to his rightful place, the Legion will undergo a significant reformation based on his experiences. Where once the Legion operated as a mobile force in its entirety, Severi will reform it into two parts. One will retain its previous character, but the other part will be reformed into heavy infantry capable of entrenching deeply and holding a position with heavy weapons and artillery, so that their mobile counterparts can run down an already defeated enemy. Said mobile element can also act as eyes for the artillery as needed.
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