Emperor’s Children

My Heresy journey began when I bought a resin mk.4 tactical squad from Forge World. I’d always found the Heresy fascinating ever since getting Collected Visions when I was younger. It was initially going to be a small, slowly built army but after the Betrayal at Calth boxed set came out that went out the window.

‘The XXII Millennial of the Emperor’s Children is led by Lord Legate Antingonus Chlorus. He took over command of the XXII Millennial after his predecessor, Aristogeitus, was interred in a contemptor after the Garzorp Campaign. Under his leadership the XXII Millennial became a well-oiled machine, even for the Emperor’s Children.

On Chira IV, when the whole legion fought against the Phalex, the XXII made a mistake which cost the lives of a thousand marines and set the campaign back several months. Their attack stalled, creating a gap between them and the neighbouring millennial. The Phalex exploited this gap and burst through, running amok amongst the rear elements of the III Legion before Fulgrim’s personal intervention from the Firebird. The XXII lost favour because of this shame and were sent on routine garrison duties as punishment.

The was a chance for redemption when word of Bile’s genetic ‘improvements’ filtered down legion command. Antigonus was one of the early testers for a variety of genetic enhancements and forced most of his Millennial to do likewise. The added power proved addictive to Antigonus, who demanded more and more surgeries so as to be ever powerful. The Millenial redeemed themselves on Isstvan III and V thanks to their heavy use of fast skimmer hunting packs.

After Isstvan V the legion descended into the madness that gripped the rest of the legion with more legionaries making use of the sensory-overloading kakophony weapons. Antigonus’ maintained a vice-like grip over his Millennial after Iydris, and fought alongside Eidolon.’

Lord Legate Antigonus Chlorus – Praetor and commander of the XXII Millennial.

Antigonus was called ‘Chlorus’ (the white) because the introduction of Fulgrim’s gene seed made him albino. He made the title his own and soon was called Chlorus on account of his loyalty and dedication to purity. On Isstvan V he delighted in tracking down surviving loyalists and even survived a duel with Corax. Since then he has maintained a degree of sanity compared with other members of legion command, drawing greatest pleasure from toying with his enemy on the hunt.

Hipparch Anthame – Legion Champion and Delegatus, representing the XXII in Antigonus’ absence.

Elagabaleon – Primus Medicae of the XXII.

Chief Apothecary of the XXII, he studied for some time under Fabius Bile before returning to the chapter, bringing Fabius’ dark surgeries with him. He set to work on the rest of the Millennial, operating on them with fervour. Present on Isstvan V, he delighted in the betrayal and the slaughter. At his waist sits a ringmail skirt, each link taken from a different Iron Hand he had killed. His decent into madness and excess only increased as the dark days of the Heresy continued. Inspired by Bile’s chirurgeon, Elegabeon constructed a similar, though much more basic, servo-arm to aid his work. It contains an extremely concentrated liquid which pushes a body into overdrive. This is instantly lethal for any non-astartes but gives a kick to Emperor’s Children allowing them to get back in the fight.

Phideion – Master of Signals and Logistics Lord.

Diorthon – Chief techmarine.

Aristogeitus – Contemptor-mortis pattern dreadnought.

The oldest member of the Millennial, it was he who carried the XXII’s banner at the first meeting with Fulgrim and performs the role of Ancient of the Millennial. He was a terran native and commanded the XXII until an Ork warboss mortally wounded him on Garzorp.

Harmodion – Contemptor pattern dreadnought.

A relative youngster with a gift for blade work, he once served in the palatine blades by their Primarch’s side at Moraeb Drifts. Supremely arrogant and skilled as any in close combat, Harmodion gave up his beloved duelling swords for the crushing fists of a contemptor.

Theracles & Basileon – Apothecaries.

Basileon had only just been assigned to the Apothecarion when Isstvan III happened, and he found his new role suited his tastes perfectly. He drove the marines of the XXII to new levels of ecstasy and pain using his neural whip. This ensured that they continued fighting despite horrendous casualties, eager to experience more sensation before their death. Off the battlefield he would use his skills with surgical blades to both torture enemies and delight members of the III Legion. After the highs of fighting on Isstvan V, Basileon returned to the XXII’s Battle Barge and was immediately driven mad by the absence of any similar sensation. He prowled the barge’s human quarters in a orgy of violence; murdering anyone he came across, skinning them and stitching a cloak. The skin on this cloak has stayed fresh and raw ever since.

Unlike Basileon, Theracles was a blunt instrument. He was also very proficient in torture, but preferred to crush and maim rather than more delicate methods favoured by his brother apothecary. Theracles was a son of a notoriously decadent Jermani noble family and his heritage made him supremely arrogant, even for a member of the III legion. His narthecium is a very basic design, stripped of most of the life saving and gene-seed preserving instruments, it is simply a tool designed to brutally stimulate the pain sensors of its victim. For the legionaries of the Emperor’s Children this allows them to keep fighting but for everyone else it is crippling.

Squad Teth – Phoenix terminators.

The Hetairoi – this is the general term for the 1st company of the XXII Millennial, some 150 strong, made up of veterans who form Antigonus’ bodyguard. First squad, or ‘Hetairoi Primi’, acompany Antigonus at all times.