Legio Fortitudinis

[Bellum Spiritus]

Below lies the history of the Legio Fortitudinis, a chronicle steeped in war and conquest. This legacy is not merely a tale of battles fought and won; it is a call to action. Do not allow this powerful narrative to end with you. Instead, carry forth the relentless pursuit of dominance across the galaxy. Use the wisdom of our ancestors to guide you in overcoming adversaries and forging a path to victory.


OOC Note: This is just a place to put the lore of the faction as of September 27, 2024, the only version here is the condensed version, will expand upon as time goes on.

Last update: September 27, 2024​

The Before Times:

Originally a small native tribe on Sanchina, the Legio Fortitudinis began as a group of religious fanatics whose entire existence revolved around war. Their ultimate goal was for the planet to unite under their rule and launch a conquest to dominate neighboring worlds, expanding both their religion and their power across the galaxy.

However, trapped in the deserts beyond the walls of greater Sanchina, they were confined to fighting other tribes. The constant power struggles of the desert lands kept the tribe suppressed, preventing them from rising to prominence. For generations, they were far from the strongest tribe, until the emergence of their first powerful leader: Calith, the tribe's first to wield what he called the Aetheris—the Force.

Legend has it that Calith climbed the highest dune and sat for twenty days before returning with a stick carrying a green flame, which he named the Diuturna Flamma—the Eternal Flame. His growing influence angered the ruling Primarch, Barris, who challenged him to a duel, demanding either submission through defeat or exile if Calith refused.

Calith accepted, and as the ceremonial swords clashed for the first time, Barris's blade was cleaved in two. Stunned by the spectacle, Barris stood frozen, unable to react before Calith's second strike claimed his life.

Calith's victory marked the beginning of the First Golden Age of the Legio Fortitudinis.


First Golden Age:

The First Golden Age of the Legio Fortitudinis saw the creation of their legendary armory and the first instance of the Primarch's Garb, marking a pivotal moment in the tribe's history. With his newfound power, Calith led a series of conquests across the desert, uniting tribes under his banner and crushing those who resisted. His rising influence alarmed the Republic of Sanchina, who feared that a unified desert could pose a serious threat to their walled cities.

In response, the Republic declared war on the tribes, sparking the War of the Solitudines. The tribes, under Calith's leadership, used their superior numbers and knowledge of the harsh desert terrain to overwhelm the Sanchina military in brutal confrontations. Despite early successes, the Republic began to undermine the unity of the tribes by secretly offering safe passage and life within the city walls to those willing to betray the Legio Fortitudinis. Initially, few tribes accepted the offer, but as the Republic intensified its bombing campaigns and more tribespeople died, defections increased.

With internal dissent festering, the once-united tribes faced collapse. At a pivotal council meeting meant to plan an assault on the Sanchina walls, the assembled tribes rejected the plan and decided to end the war. In a dramatic turn, they surrounded Calith, who fiercely resisted using the Aetheris, killing many. However, the sheer number of traitors overwhelmed him, and he was knocked unconscious. They dragged his body through the camps, ceremonially removed his helmet, and beheaded him, an event remembered as the Magna Proditio—the Great Betrayal.

Calith's legacy, however, endured. He had fathered many children before his death, and fearing for their lives, the remaining loyalists of the Legio Fortitudinis fled south to evade the tribes. Despite the Republic's success in encouraging the betrayal, they used it as propaganda against the tribes, declaring that they were savages incapable of peace, even among themselves. With the death of Calith and the betrayal of the tribes, the war ended, and the planet reverted to its fractured pre-war state, with fewer tribes but no lasting change.



The Dark Age:

After Calith's death, the tribe awaited the maturity of his favorite daughter, Serinus, curious to see what she and the other children would become. Serinus was the first to display potential with the Aetheris, able to move sand without touching it. Her early years were difficult, similar to the tribe's living during the Before Times, marked by little power and constant clashes with other tribes. Despite this, the Diuturna Flamma continued to burn, empowering the forges in the Armory.

As Serinus grew into her mid-twenties, she gazed into the eternal flame and claimed to have seen the future. With the flame's guidance, she led the tribe's warriors, predicting ambushes and steering them away from danger. Her visions from the flame gave birth to a new order within the tribe: the Verum Dicentis, a group of witches who were gifted with the ability to foresee and interpret the will of the Diuturna Flamma.

Under Serinus' leadership, the Legio Fortitudinis regained its strength and dominance over the surrounding region. However, despite their growing power, Serinus forbade any further expansion. She insisted that the tribe must wait until the Diuturna Flamma signaled the time for their next move. The tribe obeyed, though Calith's prolific fathering meant that more and more children were born with the Aetheris gift, with many women joining the ranks of the witches.

New traditions arose from Serinus' prophecies. Young warriors believed to have the potential to wield the Aetheris were brought before the flame, where the witches would judge their fate. Despite the ritual, the outcome was often the same: death in or from battle.

As the tribe grew restless, wanting to reclaim the lands in the North, Serinus held firm. They would not march until the flame gave its sign. She upheld this belief until her death at the age of one hundred and five, her passing marking the end of an era of unwavering restraint.

Even after her death, the witches maintained control, preventing the tribe from moving forward. Serinus' prophecy held sway for centuries, passed down through generations, ensuring that the tribe remained bound to the will of the Diuturna Flamma.



Second Golden Age:

One day, the eternal flame shifted from its familiar green hue to a striking blue. The witches, sensing the significance of this change, convened urgently, proclaiming that it was time for the tribe to march north and reclaim Sanchina. Unbeknownst to them, the Republic of Sanchina was engulfed in a civil war.

Over the centuries, the Legio Fortitudinis had expanded their influence, decimating or subjugating any tribes that dared to oppose them. As they approached the walls of the Republic of Sanchina, they discovered the once-mighty walls were in ruins. Seizing the opportunity, they advanced to declare their presence, only to find themselves immediately embroiled in conflict with the New Sanchina Republic, the dominant force of the region.

Thus began the fierce struggle between two major factions: the New Sanchina Republic and the Legio Fortitudinis, due to talks and legends that persisted of the original betrayal from the Republic, the tribes backed the Legio Fortitudinis.

Although the NSR was initially favored by the people, they faced opposition from multiple factions: the disintegrating current military, the Legio Fortitudinis, and the Liberation Movement–a group of terrorists. The conflict was devastating, with approximately 60% of the population killed, 70% of cities reduced to rubble, and the remaining 30% living in barely habitable refugee camps. The mismanagement of the surviving areas led to waning support for the NSR, shifting favor towards the Legio Fortitudinis. This shift culminated in the final battle, the Battle of Urbs, where the NSR was defeated. Their inability to address the issues in the provinces they controlled led to their downfall.

After forty years of fighting, the Legio Fortitudinis had defeated the New Sanchina Republic under the leadership of their current Primarch and the premonitions of the Verum Dicentis.

After the civil war, the Legio Fortitudinis assumed control of the government, but new corruption came from the new leaders. This changed when the current Primarch led a coup to take over the government. Following the coup, martial law was enforced to suppress dissent and execute remaining rebels. Despite the harsh rule, the new government, under the Primarch, was popular as they enlisted tradesmen to assist in the planet's reconstruction. This effort led to a population surge and the rebuilding of major cities. During this period, many citizens began converting to the religion of the Legio Fortitudinis, seeing it as the path forward.