Legio Mortis
This article is about the Traitor Titan Legion; for the Imperial Titan Legion, see Legio Mortis Metallum. |
Colour Scheme | Legion Info | Symbol | |
---|---|---|---|
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
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 armor 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.[9]
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], Maedran, Paramar V, and Tallarn]. 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 independent 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 defense 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
- 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.[9]
- Ire Incarnatus — Ancient engine which served the Mechanicum for many long centuries before the Horus Heresy. Badly damaged during the Tarren Suppression, where it's Mars-Pattern head was replaced with a Lucius-pattern.[5b]
- Molossus — Warlord Class Titan[5a]
- Penumbrae Reaper — Fought in the Battle of Beta-Garmon during the Horus Heresy.[6]
- Phantom Lord — Fought in the Battle of Molech during the Horus Heresy.[2]
- Tellum Ire — Warlord Class Titan[5a]
- Xestor's Sword — Fought in the Battle of Molech during the Horus Heresy.[2]
- Harbinger of Woes - Took part in the Battle of Beta-Garmon, where it claimed 9 kills.[13]
Reaver-class
- Black Consul — Reaver Class Titan.[5a]
- 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.[5a][5b]
- Malum Benedictio — Destroyed in the Battle of Iydris.[8a][8b]
- 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]
- Varcarnerix — An ancient war engine that fought in the Battle of Prospero. Nearly destroyed in the battle by Zhao-Arkhad Taghmata forces.[9]
Warhound-class
- Blood Wolf — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Carrion Crow — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Scar of Honour - Fought in the Battle of Prospero. Destroyed during the battle.[9]
- Sothis — Fought in the Battle of Isstvan III.[1b]
- Tenebris Fedelis — Commissioned weeks before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy and first saw combat in the Drop Site Massacre.[5b]
Notable Personnel
Princeps
- Esau Turnet - Princeps
- Camulos - Princeps
- Maldis Drane - Princeps. Led the Legio Mortis contingent during the Battle of Prospero. Slain during the battle by a Reaver Titan.[9]
Moderati
Images
Legio Mortis Banner[9]
See also
Sources
- 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)[Needs Citation]
- 5: Adeptus Titanicus (2018) Rulebook
- 6: Adeptus Titanicus: Titandeath, pgs. 41–44
- 7: Vigilus Ablaze, pg. 73 - Forces of Chaos: Heretic Astartes
- 8: Angel Exterminatus (Novel)
- 9: The Horus Heresy Book Seven pg.108-111
- 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)
Uncited