Legio Mortis
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This article is about the Traitor Titan Legion; for the Imperial Titan Legion, see Legio Mortis Metallum. |
| Colour Scheme | Legion Info | Symbol | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Name: | Legio Mortis |  |
| Alternative name: | Death's Heads | ||
| Affiliation: | Chaos | ||
| Founded: | Age of Strife[1a] | ||
| Forge World: | Formerly Mars and Retlaxi, now the Eye of Terror | ||
| Colours: | Black with red | ||
| Strength: | ~200 Titans (Pre-Horus Heresy)[13] | ||
| Arch Enemies: | Legio Ignatum[1a] | ||
Legio Mortis (AKA the Death's Heads) are a Traitor Titan Legion currently residing within the Eye of Terror.
Contents
Overview
Even in the days before the Horus Heresy, the Legio Mortis were regarded with fear and suspicion. They were bound directly to the Fabricator-General of Mars, which led them to display contempt towards any Titan Legion not from the Red Planet itself. Not helping matters were their tendencies towards secrecy and hidden ritual.[5c] When the Fabricator-General allied himself with Horus, the Legio Mortis followed both into open rebellion against the Imperium[5c] and, even millennia later, they continue to one of the most infamous and feared of the active Traitor Titan Legions.[17]
History
Pre-Heresy
The Legio Mortis was formed during the Age of Strife, before the founding of the Imperium itself. According to legends of the Martian Lexmechanics, they were one of the Triad Ferrum Morgulus, the three original Titan Legions created by the besieged Cult Mechanicum during the bloody wars to take the Red Planet from hordes of Cy-Carnivora and Mutants. Legend holds that their original purpose was to serve as the personal guardians of the Fabricator-General's domain and the annihilation of any who would threaten the cult of the Omnissiah. Before the union between the Mechanicum and the Imperium, the Legio Mortis was frequently employed as the Praetorian Guard of the Fabricator-General, punishing any who would dare challenge the authority of the Priesthood, including other Titan Legions. Their status garnered rivalry from other Legions, most notably the Legio Ignatum and Legio Venator.[1a]
Even after joining with the Imperium, the Legio Mortis was looked upon with suspicion by the fledgling Imperial military staff, many accusing them of being solely loyal to the Fabricator-General as opposed to the Emperor. To both demonstrate and deepen their loyalty to the Imperium,[Needs Citation] the Legio Mortis was assigned to Horus Lupercal and the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet during the last years of the Great Crusade - for example they fought in the War on Murder.[11] With the charismatic Primarch they fought over a hundred campaigns, scoring victory after victory. However rather then becoming loyal to the Emperor or his Imperium, the Legio Mortis instead developed a fierce allegiance to Horus himself. Thus it was that they willingly followed their Warmaster into treachery.[1a]
Horus Heresy
By the time of the Horus Heresy, the Legio Mortis possessed around 200 Titans, 2 support armour battalions, five Skitarii Legions, and 9 air support squadrons. It is said only the Legio Destructor possessed more Titans than the Legio Mortis, and they possessed the greatest number of Emperor Titans.[13] The legion was corrupted by the powers of Chaos which enveloped the rebel forces under Horus, and most of the Death's Heads fell towards the vile decay of Nurgle, ironically that same entity which had so disgusted the Titan crews fighting against the hordes of Plague Bearers on the moon of Davin before Horus fell. The Legio Mortis became the most notorious of the traitor Titan Legions. The Legio directly supported Horus before his daemon-possessed treachery against the Emperor. The Legio followed him willingly. When the Horus Heresy began with the virus-bombing of Isstvan III, it was the Legio Mortis which made the landings to scour the corpse-packed hives for the last survivors.[Needs Citation] Later during the Fall of Prospero a Legio Mortis contingent was dispatched as part of the Space Wolves-led force. However, the Legio Mortis force was near-annihilated during the battle, saved only by the Ordo Sinister. The humiliation caused their involvement to largely be covered up.[9b] Legio Mortis also fought alongside Horus during the Dropsite Massacre, where they clashed against the titans of Legio Atarus.[20]
During the Schism of Mars, the Legio Mortis forces supported the traitor Fabricator General Kelbor-Hal, and were the first titan legion to walk in support of Horus. These contingents of Legio Mortis, however, were all but destroyed by Legio Tempestus, save for the Hellstorm Cannon of the Imperator Aquila Ignis.[Needs Citation]
Over the course of the Heresy, the Death's Heads also fought on Iydris[8a], Maerdan[5a], Paramar V[5b], and Tallarn. The Scourging of Nilfargun revealed that not all elements of the Legio had turned traitor, as the engines bearing crudely fashioned Aquilae fought against their erstwhile compatriots.[21c] In 013.31, Legio Mortis, alongside Legio Magna and Legio Vulturum took part in the invasion of Ryza, where the three legios gathered 140 titans to conquer the Forge World.[21d]
The Legio also took part in the Beta-Garmon Campaign, fighting alongside Legio Vulpa during the Second Battle of Nyrcon.[22a] They were the tip of the spear of Horus' final attack during the climax of the Battle of Beta-Garmon, engaging in a surprise attack upon Beta-Garmon III with the Sons of Horus.[10]
During Siege of Terra the Legio Mortis was unleashed in full, sending hundreds of Titans towards the Mercury-Exultant Killzone of the Imperial Palace defenses. Led by the Dies Irae, by this point the Legio Mortis had been heavily corrupted by the powers of Chaos and many of its Titans demonstrated the ability to regenerate from damage or operate independently of a Princeps.[12a] During the battle for the Mercury-Exultant Killzone, the Legio Mortis annihilated their long-hated enemy, the Legio Ignatum.[12b]
Some say that it was mutated strains of the Life-Eater Virus that was unleashed upon Isstvan III that brought about the final corruption of the Legio. When the Legio Mortis landed on Earth to besiege the Emperor's palace they were warped and mutated almost beyond recognition. The adamantium skins of their Titans were pocked and bubbled with foul effluvia, great tentacles of flesh and metal lashed and their titan heads had been transformed into the visages of daemons. The Legion breached the walls of the Imperial Palace during the siege.[Needs Citation]
Post-Heresy
The remnants of the Legion fled to the Eye of Terror following the collapse of the rebellion, and from time to time, Chaos Titans bearing the tattered banners of the Legio Mortis have attacked human planets to wreak terrible vengeance on all living things for the defeat of their beloved Warmaster.[Needs Citation]
By M41/M42, Legio Mortis was still one of the most active Traitor Titan Legions. It fought in First War for Armageddon,[16] the Siege of Hydra Cordatus,[17a] the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler,[7] the Battle of the Agripinaa System,[15] the War of Beasts on Vigilus,[7] and the Nachmund Rift War.[14]
Assets
Known Titans
Imperator-class
- Aquila Ignis — Attacked Magma City during the start of the schism. Destroyed the last of the Legio Tempestus' Titans, before being destroyed during the destruction of Magma City. Its Hellstorm Cannon was salvaged and transported to Kronus for study, before being lost for 10,000 years. It was finally destroyed during the defence of Victory Bay.[Needs Citation]
- Dies Irae — Present during all of the major ground assaults towards the end of the Crusade and the beginning of the Horus Heresy. The legendary Dies Irae finally met its end ten thousand years later during the siege of Hydra Cordatus.[17a][17b]
Warmaster-class
- Excoriator Vita - Took part in the subjugation of the Fortress World of Cerebiaus III during the Horus Heresy.[13]
Warlord-class
- Aeterna Virtus — Command element of the Legio Mortis contingent during the Battle of Prospero under Princeps Maldis Drane.[9a]
- Breath of Thunder — Fought in the Dropsite Massacre during the Horus Heresy against the Legio Atarus. The Titan was ultimately destroyed by the Reaver Titan Red Naga.[20]
- Cadavaris Perdita — Command titan of the Legio Mortis contingent during the Battle of Prospero under Princeps Maldis Drane. It was a veteran that had fought for years with the Sons of Horus as part of the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet. However, during the attack on the Zhao-Arkhad sub-forge the Titan was decapitated by the Legio Xestobiax Reaver Titan Sleepless Watcher. The machine was recovered but ever after was marked with shame for its humiliating defeat.[9b]
- Carhene Autaxes — Took part in the Battle of Beta-Garmon. Destroyed by the giant battery cannon of Nyrcon City during the Second Battle of Nyrcon.[22b]
- Death Knell — Took part in the Battle of Beta-Garmon. Destroyed by the giant battery cannon of Nyrcon City during the Second Battle of Nyrcon.[22c]
- Harbinger of Woes — Took part in the Battle of Beta-Garmon, where it claimed 9 kills.[13]
- Ire Incarnatus — Ancient engine which served the Mechanicum for many long centuries before the Horus Heresy. Badly damaged during the Tarren Suppression, where its Mars-Pattern head was replaced with a Lucius-pattern.[5e]
- Molossus[5c]
- Penumbral Reaper — Fought in the Battle of Molech and the Battle of Beta-Garmon during the Horus Heresy.[6a]
- Phantom Lord — Fought in the Battle of Molech during the Horus Heresy.[2]
- Tantus Abolitorus — Fought in the Schism of Mars during the Horus Heresy.[19]
- Tellum Ire[5c]
- Vita Messorem — Fought in the Defence of Ryza during the Horus Heresy. Destroyed by titans of Legio Osedax.[21b]
- Xestor's Sword — Fought in the Battle of Molech during the Horus Heresy.[2]
Warbringer Nemesis-class
Reaver-class
- Black Consul[5c][6a]
- Dread Wake — Fought during the Horus Heresy.[1b][2]
- Ferrum Mori — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Hand of Ruin — Fought during the Horus Heresy.[1b][2]
- Iron Baron — Fought in the Battle of Calth alongside the Word Bearers, where it killed 2 lesser and 1 greater enemy Titan engines.[5c][5e]
- Malum Benedictio — Destroyed in the Battle of Iydris.[8a][8b]
- Mors Foedus — Felled by the Knight of House Taranis, Gladius Ignium during the Defence of Ryza.[21b]
- Mortis Vult — Destroyed in the Battle of Iydris.[8a][8b]
- Mortmain — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Myrmidon Rex — Fought during the Horus Heresy.[1b][2]
- Unfurled Rage[21d]
- Varcarnerix — An ancient war engine that fought in the Battle of Prospero. Nearly destroyed in the battle by Zhao-Arkhad Taghmata forces.[9b]
Warhound-class
- Blood Wolf — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Carrion Crow — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Iron Hunter — Legendary Warhound, which fought throughout the Horus Heresy[18]
- Scar of Honour — Fought in the Battle of Prospero. Destroyed during the battle.[9b]
- Sothis — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Tellum Ire — Fought in the Battle of Beta-Garmon.[6a]
- Tenebris Fedelis — Commissioned weeks before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy and first saw combat in the Drop Site Massacre.[5e]
Notable Personnel
Princeps
- Esau Turnet — Senior Princeps of the Dies Irae.[4]
- Varken — Princeps Seniores.[6b]
- Camulos[5d]
- Maldis Drane — Led the Legio Mortis contingent during the Battle of Prospero. Slain during the battle by a Reaver Titan.[9b]
Moderati
Images
Legio Mortis Banner[9b]
See also
Sources
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- 1: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal:
- 2: Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost and the Damned, pg. 139
- 3: Vengeful Spirit (Novel)[Needs Citation]
- 4: False Gods (Novel), Chapter One
- 5: Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy Rulebook:
- 6: Adeptus Titanicus: Titandeath:
- 7: Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze, pg. 73 — Forces of Chaos: Heretic Astartes
- 8: Angel Exterminatus (Novel):
- 9: The Horus Heresy Book Seven - Inferno
- 10: Titandeath (Novel), Chapter 33
- 11: Horus Rising (Novel), Part Two, Chapter Seven
- 12: Mortis (Novel) - Cover
- 13: Adeptus Titanicus: Traitor Legios, pgs. 28-30
- 14: War Zone Nachmund: Rift War, pg. 33
- 15: Loyal to the End (Short Story)
- 16: White Dwarf 279 (UK), The First War for Armageddon — Angron's Horde
- 17: Storm of Iron (Novel)
- 18: The Horus Heresy: Legions Twitter (Posted on 08/09/2022) (Last accessed on 02/03/2023)
- 19: Cybernetica (Novella), Formulate
- 20: The Horus Heresy Book Two - Massacre, pg. 36
- 21: Adeptus Titanicus: The Defence of Ryza, pg. 82 - Declaring Allegiance
- 22: Legions Imperialis: The Great Slaughter
Uncited
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