787th Armageddon Steel Legion "Hellborn"

The Armageddon Steel Legion, 787th Mechanized “Hellborn”

History of Regiment:

The 787th are not a venerable regiment, but they are distinctly well-known on their homeworld. This is not a mark in their favor, generally. The so-called Hellborn are a regiment that has universally been used by the other Steel Legion regiments as a dumping ground for persona non grata. For the soldiers that are troublesome, but not so troublesome as to award themselves a Commissar’s bolt or a hanging. Meddlers and suspected (but not proven) thieves. Malcontents, black marketeers and the like.

The regiment has undergone multiple changes over the centuries, normally being reformed every few decades and then dying an ignominious end, only to be reformed again. In its current iteration, it has survived several commanding officers (each of which died under mysterious circumstances) and bloody battles until it was dangerously close to being deemed combat ineffective.

The decision on whether to reinforce it or disband it was made due to two factors. Firstly, at that time the Steel Legion had a number of troublesome soldiers they wanted shunted out of other regiments, and they again needed a dumping ground for them. Secondly, when the potential roster for a regiment commander was a who’s who list of the worst commanders on Armageddon, a relatively bland but serviceable officer volunteered for the position.

Colonel Quentin Everly took command of the 787th, and through a swift reorganization and reinforcement of the regiment, she did what many thought was impossible. She succeeded.

Now they are not so much a dumping ground as a collection of the most outlandish personalities in the Steel Legion. Led by Colonel Everly, they are a vicious fighting force, victor of multiple brutal engagements. In an unfortunate turn of circumstances, their popularity and outlandish personalities had one large detrimental effect. Armageddon High command expressed concern that they might draw attention away from more “valuable” and “noteworthy” and “suitably less crazy” persons serving in the Steel Legion. Thus they were shipped off-world just prior to the 3rd war for Armageddon with the annoyingly vague orders to “Reinforce Imperial Forces (preferably as far away as possible)”.


Society and Traditions:

The 787th are formed around multiple cults of personality, each company within the regiment having a slightly different outlook and behavior than its fellows. Under normal circumstances this would form a divisive whole. Fortunately, under Colonel Everly, the 787th is particularly suited to making such divisions lead to success.

Within the separate companies you will find all sorts. Hive Gangs in everything but name, Aristocratic nobles sipping tea atop their Leman Russ’s, small religious sects. All of it watched over by a larger than normal helping of Commissars, all reporting to Commissar-Captain Longbeach, who in turns shares their findings with Colonel Everly. Colonel Everly then makes sure the disparate portions gel together as much as possible while maintaining their identity. It should be noted that to an outsider, they seem to have a plethora of identities, most of them at odds with each other.

Rivalries are carefully encouraged, competition between the units seen as a good thing so long as they remember they are all in it together at the end of the day.

Notable Engagements:

Battle of Loathing Hill: The first engagement under Colonel Everly's command. The regiment was deployed in support of of several Armageddon Ork Hunter Regiments in a cleansing of portions of the equatorial jungle on Armageddon. Loathing hill was a key strategic point within the jungle that the Hellborn took from Ork forces, and then fortified and held for nine hours as the Ork Hunter regiments encircled the Ork Horde and drove it into the fortified position. Notes in the after-action report indicate that at this point in time the Hellborn were still very much a disparate and separated regiment, companies acting almost independently of each other. Their success is deemed equal parts luck and the result of Colonel Everly's consistent (and loud) shouting.


Ash Wastes Defensive Operation: Another notable engagement of the Hellborn's, indicated as the first time Armageddon High Command realized the regiment was actually performing better than expectations. The Hellborn were deployed as a "speed bump" for a gathering Ork Horde heading for Hive Tartarus. It was assumed that they would be destroyed, but hopefully slow down the Orks and buy a few more hours for other regiments to finish their preparations. Colonel Everly had spent her time with the regiment well, however. And was able to utilize a now cohesive and dedicated regiment in scathing hit-and-run attacks on the Ork Horde. The regiment kept a constant motion and harried the Ork forces before falling back in good order. After-action reports praise her ingenuity, use of the ash wastes terrain and thoughtful preplaced resupply points for her regiment's decisive action. (Some redacted notes indicate that High Command was surprised the regiment suffered so few losses. Perhaps even--disappointed.)


The Battle of Hel's Underpass: Noted as one of the most brutal engagements of the Hellborn's service. The 787th were deployed against a renegade penal regiment which had previously been giving the duty of security for a portion of Hel's Highway. After turning traitor, the penal legion took refuge amongst the supports and underpasses, heavily mining and barricading the area. The Hellborn were sent to dig them out. Now several years into Colonel Everly's tenure, the Hellborn took to the task with determination and in relatively short order, obliterated the renegade forces in a bout of extremely bloody fighting. After action notes indicate that Colonel Everly herself was almost killed, but a timely intervention on the part of one of her subordinates (Lieutenant Marilyn Yarrick) saved her life. Colonel Everly recommended the Lieutenant for several medals, but none were confirmed before the regiment was sent off planet several months later.


Steel Legion Forces in the Haven System:

As it stands, the majority of the 787th is still out of system, their whereabouts unknown in the warp storms. Colonel Everly and one Battalion (made up of two mechanized infantry companies and a mixed armor company) are all that have made landfall. They eagerly await news of their homeworld, or the rest of their regiment. Until then, their Colonel has been given command over the structure of the Imperial Guard stationed within Harvest, and they have taken to acting as a reserve and police force due to their command structure now being co-opted for running logistics of the majority of the rest of the local Guard. The irony of their position as eccentric and outlandish personalities now largely being relegated to guard duty and logistical support is not lost on the Hellborn, and they routinely chafe at such conditions.

Rules for the 787th “Hellborn”:

-No Officers above Captain or Commissar Rank
-Guardsman PC’s can lead a small squad of NPCs
-PCs can play 1 vehicle and its crew, no vehicle Squadrons