Gaius Julius
19-03-2006, 09:10 PM
here is the completed True SOns fluff(minus part three)
The \'Beginning\'
Cohort Octavus was originally led by Gaius Julius, one of the more sinister Cohort Captains of The Sons of Aenaeus. He employed torture, sacrificial rituals, corporal mortification and various other terror tactics to frighten his foes. Cohort Octavus was based on the world of Tarquinii, an arid desert world, where only the toughest could survive. When the tribes people of Tarquinii were chosen to be Space Marines, they rejoiced and worshipped Aenaeus more so than any other Cohort. They saw him as the saviour of their people, a great being who would lead them to glory. After the Horus Heresy, Gaius ordered that mighty Cathedrals, statues and other monuments be erected to praise the glory of Aenaeus. Whereas the other Cohorts waited in isolation to rejoin the Imperium, Cohort Octavus had no intention of doing so. They saw no need to return to the Imperium since anything they needed was already provided for, and even the Emperor could not rise up to the glory of Aenaeus. Although they kept their distaste for the Emperor secret, the other Cohorts viewed Octavus as outcasts.
When the forces of Chaos struck, Tarquinii was hit hard. The original spearhead of the Chaos forces appeared in close proximity to the desert world, and so was their first target. In the ensuing conflict, the beautiful monuments of Aenaeus were polluted by the foul beasts of Chaos, and many marines were driven insane by the horrors they witnessed. Gaius himself was sucked into a vortex at the opening of the crisis, only to return apparently unscathed. When Aenaeus was lost in single combat with a vile Daemon Prince on Elysium, Cohort Octavus were stunned beyond all belief. The entire company went into seclusion, and they refused to aid the rest of the legion during the future battles of their isolation.
For millenia, Octavus remained in orbit around Tarquinii, and had little contact with the other Cohorts. Eventually, communication with the Imperium was re-established and the other Cohorts had to act against their erstwhile brethren to learn of their plans. The Chapter Master at the time, Bellator, decided to confront Cohort Octavus on their main cruiser, \'The Sword of Retribution\'. On boarding the star-ship Bellator was ushured in a private audience with the current Cohort Captain. To his disbelief, he was met by what appeared to be Gaius Julius, apparently un-aged during the millennia that had past. Gaius reassured him that despite first appearances he was simply an ancestor of the original Gaius Julius and obviously not the same man! - ?What could possibly allow such unnatural longeivity! That would be ridiculous!?
Unbeknownst to Bellator, during Gaius?s time in the warp he had discovered an unusual artefact - a finely crafted, jet-black blade. Initially, Gaius was unaware that this Darkblade was the resting place of a vile Daemon but, overtime, the Daemon whispered in Gaius\' ear, telling him that the Sons were jealous of his prowess, and that the other ?weakling? Cohorts were challenging his, and Aenaeus\', glory. Gaius believed these voices to be those of his God Aenaeus, speaking from the Warp, and so maintained his isolation from the other Sons. Over the millennia the Daemon had slowly twisted Gaius and supernaturally prolonged his life...
Reassured by Gaius?s lies, Bellator, asked him to return the Sons, so they could reform with the Imperium, to fight again alongside the True Emperor once again for his glory. Without apparent thought, Gaius rose from his seat and in one movement drew his Darkblade and sliced the Chapter Master vertically in two, the Daemon within the Darkblade revelling in the spilt blood. Gaius became aware he was now fully under the influence of Chaos?
He called an assembly of the entire cohort, the first one in years. He informed his brothers that Aenaeus had come to him in a vision, telling him of Horus\' right for the Emperor\'s throne and how the treacherous Emperor had killed Horus through treachery and deceit. He told them that the other sons placed their loyalty in the false Emperor, rather than where it should lie - in Aenaeus. Long into the night, Gaius spilt lie upon lie upon lie into the Space Marines\' heads, spreading the taint of Chaos into their ranks. The entire Cohort spat on the Emperor and the rest of their Legion, who they believed to be loyal only to the false Emperor, not Aenaeus. Cohort Octavus deemed themselves ?The True Sons? of Aenaeus, and aware that their leader?s actions would surely bring retribution form the other Sons, began to fortify Tarquinii.
After 5 years of hard fighting against Cohort Nonus, who were charged with purging the taint of their brothers, the ?True Sons? were dislodged from their home, and forced to retreat into the warp. They now wage a hate fuelled war against those who do not worship the great Gaius and the true Master of Chaos: Aenaeus.....
The Flight
After their fighting retreat into the maelstrom, Cohort Octavus took for themselves a new base of operations: Bovianum. On the main continent, a huge monolithic cathedral was constructed, spanning the
size of a country in Ancient Terra. Filled with statues, prayer rooms and amphitheatres, this immense structure was to become the focal-point for Gaius\' new plan: to spread the word of Aenaeus to each and
every world in the Galaxy. He envisioned a time where the heavens trembled under their god\'s name and, over the ashes of Terra, a new order would arise headed by himself and Aenaeus. Octavus believed that their leader would return on the day the True Sons of Aenaeus cast down the pretenders and destroyed the Imperium. He would lead them in their final battle on Terra, and he would reward them greatly.
Although many of the True Sons come under the sway of one of the Chaos Gods, they do not worship them as other Legions do. They believe Aenaeus to be the Master of Chaos itself, and all the other Gods are simply manifestations of his psyche, imprints left behind after his disappearence. For example, Khorne is his fighting prowess, and Tzeentch his awesome knowledge. The Chaos gods, however, do not care in what form they are worshiped, as long as they have followers, so their gifts are bestowed on the greatest of the True Sons. After Cohort Nonus had invaded Tarquinii, Octavus was left with only 250 troops, not enough to take over the Galaxy! Therefore, Gaius began a campaign of propaganda within the maelstrom. He was a powerful orator, and his words alone could sway entire systems under Aenaeus\' influence. Thousands of rebels, heretics and traitors flocked to the Cathedral, known as the ?Palace of Illumination?, to hear Gaius Julius?s speeches. Before long, the True Sons\' numbers were increased exponentially, and with the aid of sorcerers and the infamous Fabuius Bile, Space Marine training programs were instigated on the harsh moons of Bovianum. With their numbers reaching the thousands, Gaius reformed the True Sons\' military. The cohort was split into 10 Centauriae. Each centauriae was made up of 100 troops. The 1st Centauriae (Praetorian Guard) - Made up of those of the original Cohort, and Gaius\' favourite warriors. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Centauria (The mainstay of the Cohort) - Made up of those in the original Cohorts and those created by Fabius Bile\'s experiments. The 5th, 6th, 7th,8th and 9th Centauriae - the vast horde of traitor guardsmen and mutants. The 10th centauria - The raw recruits and those training to be Legionnaires.
Octavus, unfortunately did not have time to begin expanding their domain, for the Septimus Cohort of the sons of Aenaeus had tracked them down. The Captain of Septimus, Castus, had once had sympathies for the Octavus Cohort. However, upon their re-discovery by the Imperium, Septimus Cohort had chosen to worship the Emperor zealously and this confliction of views and the murder of their Master Bellator had led to hatred. Castus pledged to hunt and destroy the ?True Sons? wherever they had fled. When Septimus brought their fury down on Octavus, they were initially stunned, and Septimus was able to push them back to Octavus\' sacred palace. There they fought to a standstill, each side fighting ferociously ? An unstoppable force against an unmovable object. The once great Cathedral had been turned into a ghastly battlefield, stained red with the blood of the slain, and craters pocketed the field. After days of bitter fighting in the halls and corridors of the Cathedral, news reached Gaius of a reinforcement force led by Cohort Nonus only two days away. Octavus had to act quickly to break the stalemate or they would be wiped out in the one sided battle to come. However, Octavus\' forces were too little to attempt a breakout, and if they stayed they would be swiftly annihilated. All through the night, Gaius and the remnants of Octavus Cohort prayed for a miracle from Aenaeus; they just needed some way to escape. Their prayers were answered the next day when, in a spectacular disturbance of the Warp, a huge rift in space was opened, destroying part of the reinforcing fleet and blocking the remainder?s progress. With this huge boost in morale, Gaius was able to organise his troops into small raiding forces and cut off Septimus\' supplies at night, then returning for the battle in the day. Soon, Septimus was forced to retreat after a large number of reserve troops moving up to the front line were ambushed and killed by the first Centariae. Octavus saw it as a blessing from Aenaeus, and as living proof that He lived.
After this tragic setback, Octavus had once again been reduced to minute numbers of troops: only 200 marines had survived the battle, and the Palace had been desecrated beyond repair. During this terrible
time, many of Gaius\' troops let their desperation take hold, and several turned their worship to the Blood God: Khorne. They fought each other in violent bloodbaths, and the victors fed on the rotting corpses of the fallen. Gaius called upon the Daemon inhabiting his Darkblade for aid to end the terrible brawls. The Daemon instructed Gaius to gather his followers and restore order. He called an assembly in the main courtyard of the once magnificent palace of illumination. He told them,once again, that they were the True Sons, they had been chosen by Aenaeus to uphold his legacy.
\"Is this anyway to repay our glorious God, by killing each other in rage?\" he cried,\" No! We must seek out our Lord, and repay his debt by casting down the pretender gods, killing those who stand in our way! For Aenaeus, and for VICTORY!!!!\" With this, the True Sons roared in applause and began plans for their new campaign. They weren\'t giving up yet... While Septimus regrouped for another attack, the True Sons slipped away again, quietly into the Warp.
The \'Beginning\'
Cohort Octavus was originally led by Gaius Julius, one of the more sinister Cohort Captains of The Sons of Aenaeus. He employed torture, sacrificial rituals, corporal mortification and various other terror tactics to frighten his foes. Cohort Octavus was based on the world of Tarquinii, an arid desert world, where only the toughest could survive. When the tribes people of Tarquinii were chosen to be Space Marines, they rejoiced and worshipped Aenaeus more so than any other Cohort. They saw him as the saviour of their people, a great being who would lead them to glory. After the Horus Heresy, Gaius ordered that mighty Cathedrals, statues and other monuments be erected to praise the glory of Aenaeus. Whereas the other Cohorts waited in isolation to rejoin the Imperium, Cohort Octavus had no intention of doing so. They saw no need to return to the Imperium since anything they needed was already provided for, and even the Emperor could not rise up to the glory of Aenaeus. Although they kept their distaste for the Emperor secret, the other Cohorts viewed Octavus as outcasts.
When the forces of Chaos struck, Tarquinii was hit hard. The original spearhead of the Chaos forces appeared in close proximity to the desert world, and so was their first target. In the ensuing conflict, the beautiful monuments of Aenaeus were polluted by the foul beasts of Chaos, and many marines were driven insane by the horrors they witnessed. Gaius himself was sucked into a vortex at the opening of the crisis, only to return apparently unscathed. When Aenaeus was lost in single combat with a vile Daemon Prince on Elysium, Cohort Octavus were stunned beyond all belief. The entire company went into seclusion, and they refused to aid the rest of the legion during the future battles of their isolation.
For millenia, Octavus remained in orbit around Tarquinii, and had little contact with the other Cohorts. Eventually, communication with the Imperium was re-established and the other Cohorts had to act against their erstwhile brethren to learn of their plans. The Chapter Master at the time, Bellator, decided to confront Cohort Octavus on their main cruiser, \'The Sword of Retribution\'. On boarding the star-ship Bellator was ushured in a private audience with the current Cohort Captain. To his disbelief, he was met by what appeared to be Gaius Julius, apparently un-aged during the millennia that had past. Gaius reassured him that despite first appearances he was simply an ancestor of the original Gaius Julius and obviously not the same man! - ?What could possibly allow such unnatural longeivity! That would be ridiculous!?
Unbeknownst to Bellator, during Gaius?s time in the warp he had discovered an unusual artefact - a finely crafted, jet-black blade. Initially, Gaius was unaware that this Darkblade was the resting place of a vile Daemon but, overtime, the Daemon whispered in Gaius\' ear, telling him that the Sons were jealous of his prowess, and that the other ?weakling? Cohorts were challenging his, and Aenaeus\', glory. Gaius believed these voices to be those of his God Aenaeus, speaking from the Warp, and so maintained his isolation from the other Sons. Over the millennia the Daemon had slowly twisted Gaius and supernaturally prolonged his life...
Reassured by Gaius?s lies, Bellator, asked him to return the Sons, so they could reform with the Imperium, to fight again alongside the True Emperor once again for his glory. Without apparent thought, Gaius rose from his seat and in one movement drew his Darkblade and sliced the Chapter Master vertically in two, the Daemon within the Darkblade revelling in the spilt blood. Gaius became aware he was now fully under the influence of Chaos?
He called an assembly of the entire cohort, the first one in years. He informed his brothers that Aenaeus had come to him in a vision, telling him of Horus\' right for the Emperor\'s throne and how the treacherous Emperor had killed Horus through treachery and deceit. He told them that the other sons placed their loyalty in the false Emperor, rather than where it should lie - in Aenaeus. Long into the night, Gaius spilt lie upon lie upon lie into the Space Marines\' heads, spreading the taint of Chaos into their ranks. The entire Cohort spat on the Emperor and the rest of their Legion, who they believed to be loyal only to the false Emperor, not Aenaeus. Cohort Octavus deemed themselves ?The True Sons? of Aenaeus, and aware that their leader?s actions would surely bring retribution form the other Sons, began to fortify Tarquinii.
After 5 years of hard fighting against Cohort Nonus, who were charged with purging the taint of their brothers, the ?True Sons? were dislodged from their home, and forced to retreat into the warp. They now wage a hate fuelled war against those who do not worship the great Gaius and the true Master of Chaos: Aenaeus.....
The Flight
After their fighting retreat into the maelstrom, Cohort Octavus took for themselves a new base of operations: Bovianum. On the main continent, a huge monolithic cathedral was constructed, spanning the
size of a country in Ancient Terra. Filled with statues, prayer rooms and amphitheatres, this immense structure was to become the focal-point for Gaius\' new plan: to spread the word of Aenaeus to each and
every world in the Galaxy. He envisioned a time where the heavens trembled under their god\'s name and, over the ashes of Terra, a new order would arise headed by himself and Aenaeus. Octavus believed that their leader would return on the day the True Sons of Aenaeus cast down the pretenders and destroyed the Imperium. He would lead them in their final battle on Terra, and he would reward them greatly.
Although many of the True Sons come under the sway of one of the Chaos Gods, they do not worship them as other Legions do. They believe Aenaeus to be the Master of Chaos itself, and all the other Gods are simply manifestations of his psyche, imprints left behind after his disappearence. For example, Khorne is his fighting prowess, and Tzeentch his awesome knowledge. The Chaos gods, however, do not care in what form they are worshiped, as long as they have followers, so their gifts are bestowed on the greatest of the True Sons. After Cohort Nonus had invaded Tarquinii, Octavus was left with only 250 troops, not enough to take over the Galaxy! Therefore, Gaius began a campaign of propaganda within the maelstrom. He was a powerful orator, and his words alone could sway entire systems under Aenaeus\' influence. Thousands of rebels, heretics and traitors flocked to the Cathedral, known as the ?Palace of Illumination?, to hear Gaius Julius?s speeches. Before long, the True Sons\' numbers were increased exponentially, and with the aid of sorcerers and the infamous Fabuius Bile, Space Marine training programs were instigated on the harsh moons of Bovianum. With their numbers reaching the thousands, Gaius reformed the True Sons\' military. The cohort was split into 10 Centauriae. Each centauriae was made up of 100 troops. The 1st Centauriae (Praetorian Guard) - Made up of those of the original Cohort, and Gaius\' favourite warriors. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Centauria (The mainstay of the Cohort) - Made up of those in the original Cohorts and those created by Fabius Bile\'s experiments. The 5th, 6th, 7th,8th and 9th Centauriae - the vast horde of traitor guardsmen and mutants. The 10th centauria - The raw recruits and those training to be Legionnaires.
Octavus, unfortunately did not have time to begin expanding their domain, for the Septimus Cohort of the sons of Aenaeus had tracked them down. The Captain of Septimus, Castus, had once had sympathies for the Octavus Cohort. However, upon their re-discovery by the Imperium, Septimus Cohort had chosen to worship the Emperor zealously and this confliction of views and the murder of their Master Bellator had led to hatred. Castus pledged to hunt and destroy the ?True Sons? wherever they had fled. When Septimus brought their fury down on Octavus, they were initially stunned, and Septimus was able to push them back to Octavus\' sacred palace. There they fought to a standstill, each side fighting ferociously ? An unstoppable force against an unmovable object. The once great Cathedral had been turned into a ghastly battlefield, stained red with the blood of the slain, and craters pocketed the field. After days of bitter fighting in the halls and corridors of the Cathedral, news reached Gaius of a reinforcement force led by Cohort Nonus only two days away. Octavus had to act quickly to break the stalemate or they would be wiped out in the one sided battle to come. However, Octavus\' forces were too little to attempt a breakout, and if they stayed they would be swiftly annihilated. All through the night, Gaius and the remnants of Octavus Cohort prayed for a miracle from Aenaeus; they just needed some way to escape. Their prayers were answered the next day when, in a spectacular disturbance of the Warp, a huge rift in space was opened, destroying part of the reinforcing fleet and blocking the remainder?s progress. With this huge boost in morale, Gaius was able to organise his troops into small raiding forces and cut off Septimus\' supplies at night, then returning for the battle in the day. Soon, Septimus was forced to retreat after a large number of reserve troops moving up to the front line were ambushed and killed by the first Centariae. Octavus saw it as a blessing from Aenaeus, and as living proof that He lived.
After this tragic setback, Octavus had once again been reduced to minute numbers of troops: only 200 marines had survived the battle, and the Palace had been desecrated beyond repair. During this terrible
time, many of Gaius\' troops let their desperation take hold, and several turned their worship to the Blood God: Khorne. They fought each other in violent bloodbaths, and the victors fed on the rotting corpses of the fallen. Gaius called upon the Daemon inhabiting his Darkblade for aid to end the terrible brawls. The Daemon instructed Gaius to gather his followers and restore order. He called an assembly in the main courtyard of the once magnificent palace of illumination. He told them,once again, that they were the True Sons, they had been chosen by Aenaeus to uphold his legacy.
\"Is this anyway to repay our glorious God, by killing each other in rage?\" he cried,\" No! We must seek out our Lord, and repay his debt by casting down the pretender gods, killing those who stand in our way! For Aenaeus, and for VICTORY!!!!\" With this, the True Sons roared in applause and began plans for their new campaign. They weren\'t giving up yet... While Septimus regrouped for another attack, the True Sons slipped away again, quietly into the Warp.