Tenebric Legions

The *Tenebric Legions* constitute the formidable and dreaded military forces of the Dark Pantheon in the cosmos, as documented in the annals of the Wars of the Cosmos. Born from the primordial chaos of the Nemither and empowered by the fallen gods, these legions are a perverse reflection of the Messianic Knights of the Omnium Theocracy, embodying the antithetical principles of anarchy, malice, and destruction. Each of the nine legions is a direct emanation of one of the corrupted Nonet, now the Dark Pantheon, inheriting and amplifying the twisted aspects of their patron deity's original domain. They are the vanguard of Morsvitae's chaotic crusade against the ordered dominion of Uzhyr and the Omnium Theocracy, their existence a testament to the enduring conflict between order and entropy.

Origins and Genesis

The genesis of the Tenebric Legions is intrinsically linked to the desecration of the Ravager's corpse within the Nemither. Following the Ravager’s demise at the hands of Uzhyr and the subsequent corruption of the Nonet into the Dark Pantheon by the Ravager's death cry, Morsvitae sought to weaponize this newfound malevolence. Recognizing the rising power of Uzhyr’s Omnium Theocracy as an affront to the natural order of cosmic renewal and decay, she orchestrated the empowerment of the Dark Pantheon by drawing upon the residual energies of the Ravager’s remains.

From the remnants of the Ravager, Morsvitae and the Dark Pantheon forged the aberrations – sentient shards of the fallen gods, imbued with malignant acumen. Initially, these aberrations were disorganized and driven by primal instincts. However, Morsvitae, guided by Maaldir's strategic counsel, recognized the necessity of structure to effectively challenge the theocratic forces. Utilizing a portion of the Ravager’s body, specifically the tail, Morsvitae and Ytdarr engaged in a dark ritual to birth the Eschatons, monstrous entities of Nemithic power. Simultaneously, drawing upon the Ravager's heart and hands, Vitinvesto and Archimedus, albeit unwillingly, provided materials and schematics that would inadvertently contribute to the Tenebric war effort through gene-implants and armor schematics, respectively, for the Theocracy.

In a twisted parody of the theocratic Messianic Knights, Morsvitae and the Dark Pantheon conceived the Tenebric Legions. These legions were formed from Tenebric Heralds, major aberrations granted enhanced intelligence and power, bound eternally to serve their respective god. Each legion was meticulously crafted to embody the corrupted essence of its Primogenitor god, becoming instruments of chaos and terror in the War for Eternity. This creation marked a significant escalation in the conflict, transforming the scattered incursions of aberrations into a cohesive and strategically directed military force.

Legion Structure and Organization

Unlike the rigidly hierarchical Theocratic Navy, the Tenebric Legions operate under a more fluid and decentralized command structure. They are best described as a loose confederation of nine distinct legion-fleets, each fiercely loyal to its Primogenitor god and led by a Supreme Herald. While Morsvitae and the Dark Pantheon exert overarching influence and strategic direction, the Supremes enjoy considerable autonomy in tactical deployment and operational execution. This decentralized nature often breeds internal friction and competing objectives among the legions, mirroring the chaotic disposition of the Dark Pantheon itself. However, it also imbues the Tenebric forces with a degree of unpredictability and adaptability that can confound the meticulously planned strategies of the Theocratic military.

The primary operational units of the Tenebric Legions are categorized as follows:

• Warfleets: These are the largest formations, assembled for grand campaigns and major invasions. Warfleets typically comprise multiple legion-fleets, or significant portions thereof, coordinated under the temporary command of a particularly influential Supreme Herald or a direct representative of the Dark Pantheon.
• Legion Fleets: These constitute the core fighting units, each centered around a single Tenebric Legion and commanded by its Supreme Herald. Legion fleets operate independently or as part of larger warfleets, responsible for specific sectors of conflict or strategic objectives.
• Raider Packs: Smaller, highly mobile groups of starships, often composed of corvettes, frigates, and escort ships. Raider packs are deployed for scouting, raiding supply lines, and harassing enemy formations. Their speed and agility make them adept at disrupting the Theocratic Navy’s logistical networks and probing defensive weaknesses.

This flexible structure allows the Tenebric Legions to adapt to diverse combat scenarios and exploit opportunities as they arise, reflecting the opportunistic and chaotic nature of their masters. However, it also presents challenges in terms of inter-legion coordination and unified strategic execution, often leading to internal squabbles and a lack of cohesive long-term planning beyond the immediate pursuit of destruction and chaos.

Legion Doctrines and Tactics

The combat doctrines and tactics of the Tenebric Legions are as diverse and malevolent as the gods they serve, united by a common thread of brutality and disregard for conventional warfare. Their approach to conflict is characterized by:

• Overwhelming Force: The Tenebric Legions prioritize the application of sheer, overwhelming force. They favor massed assaults and relentless barrages of firepower to crush enemy resistance through attrition and brute strength. Numerical superiority and relentless aggression are key tenets of their battlefield philosophy.
• Terror Tactics: Psychological warfare is integral to Tenebric strategy. They employ terror tactics to demoralize and break the will of their opponents. This includes broadcasting psionic screams across comm-channels, displaying grotesque trophies of slain enemies, and unleashing hordes of aberrations into breached enemy vessels to sow panic and chaos. The sheer horrific nature of the Tenebric Legions themselves serves as a weapon of fear.
• Disruption and Chaos: Leveraging the Nemitherian energies that permeate their starships and weaponry, the Tenebric Legions actively seek to disrupt enemy formations and operational coherence. The Nemi-aura emitted by their vessels warps spacetime, degrading the accuracy of enemy fire and causing navigational anomalies. Anarchic Canons are specifically designed to disable enemy power and control systems, further exacerbating battlefield confusion and hindering organized resistance.
• Boarding Actions: The Vitriolic-Class and Dissenter-Class Frigates are specialized boarding platforms, designed to deliver waves of Tenebric Heralds directly into enemy starships. Boarding actions are brutal and close-quarters, intended to overwhelm defenders through savage melee combat and internal sabotage, turning enemy vessels into chaotic battlefields.
• Attrition Warfare: The Kleptomancers, in particular, are masters of attrition warfare. Their vessels are capable of absorbing debris and wreckage from fallen ships, allowing them to regenerate and sustain prolonged engagements. This capacity for self-repair and resource acquisition enables the Tenebric Legions to endure protracted conflicts and slowly grind down opponents, even in the face of sustained losses.

These doctrines, while effective in instilling terror and causing widespread destruction, often come at the cost of tactical finesse and strategic depth. The Tenebric Legions, in their relentless pursuit of chaos, are sometimes predictable in their brutality and can be vulnerable to sophisticated counter-strategies that exploit their lack of coordination and reliance on overwhelming force.

Individual Legions

The Tenebric Legions are comprised of nine distinct forces, each mirroring the corrupted nature of their Primogenitor god:

The Tricksters of Damnation

• Primogenitor: Ytdarr, the God of Deception
• Supreme Herald: Kalabras the Cunning
• Legion Size: Approximately 200,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Tricksters of Damnation are characterized by their scheming nature, internal squabbling, and dissimulative tactics. They excel in sowing confusion among enemy ranks, utilizing subterfuge and psychological manipulation as much as brute force. Despite their chaotic tendencies, they are formidable battlefield warriors when directed by Kalabras, though their inherent paranoia often undermines their own battle plans.
• Special Weapons and Units: The Tricksters wield Treacherous Weapons, arms with blades that flicker between material and immaterial states, inflicting wounds that cause parts of the victim's body to betray them. Their elite warriors are the Faceless, heralds lost to trickery and impersonation, bound to serve Ytdarr directly.
• Color Scheme: Mint Green
• Puissants: The Faceless
• Flagship: Serpent-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Kleptomancers

• Primogenitor: Iros, the God of Greed
• Supreme Herald: Ergullun the Collector
• Legion Size: Approximately 194,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Kleptomancers are driven by insatiable avarice. They are opportunistic raiders, focused on plunder and acquisition. In battle, they are relentless in their pursuit of spoils, their starships literally absorbing debris and fallen vessels to grow stronger. Their combat style is characterized by aggressive scavenging and a willingness to endure prolonged attrition, as they regenerate and resupply from the battlefield itself.
• Special Weapons and Units: Their vessels are uniquely designed to absorb battlefield debris, enhancing their durability and firepower. Elite units known as Pillagers lead boarding actions, driven by a lust for loot and conquest.
• Color Scheme: Dark Emerald and Gold
• Puissants: The Pillagers
• Flagship: Rapacity-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Host of Spite

• Primogenitor: Oruer, the God of Envy
• Supreme Herald: Unnamed (variable, shifts due to infighting)
• Legion Size: Approximately 136,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Host of Spite is fueled by corrosive jealousy and resentment. They are reluctant warriors unless there is something tangible to gain, driven by a bitter envy of others' possessions and achievements. Their combat doctrine is characterized by spiteful aggression and a focus on denying resources and glory to their enemies, often engaging in scorched-earth tactics and vindictive destruction.
• Special Weapons and Units: While not possessing unique weaponry, their combat effectiveness is heavily influenced by the promise of plunder and the opportunity to inflict spiteful damage upon their foes. They are prone to infighting for spoils and recognition, reflecting Oruer's envious nature.
• Color Scheme: Viridian
• Puissants: Grudge Gorgons (Major Aberrations leading units)
• Flagship: Presence-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Forsaken Guard

• Primogenitor: Veneta, the Goddess of Despair
• Supreme Herald: Gaunten the Sorrowful
• Legion Size: Approximately 259,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Forsaken Guard embodies despair and hopelessness. Their battles are grim and joyless, fought with a resigned fatalism. They excel in demoralizing enemy forces, spreading a contagious sense of despair and futility. Their tactics are often defensive and attritional, seeking to erode enemy morale through prolonged suffering and psychological warfare.
• Special Weapons and Units: They wield Grievous Weapons, cursed arms that gradually weaken their victims, inflicting pain, disorientation, and despair with each strike. Their elite warriors are the Nightmares, beings who embody pure despondency and amplify the legion's demoralizing aura.
• Color Scheme: Grey and Mournful Purple
• Puissants: Nightmares
• Flagship: Crestfallen-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Wrath Bearers

• Primogenitor: Gardor, the God of Rage and Madness
• Supreme Herald: Aeyr the Murderous
• Legion Size: Approximately 370,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Wrath Bearers are a legion of berserkers, consumed by uncontrollable rage and bloodlust. They charge into battle in a choleric frenzy, valuing raw aggression over tactical precision. Their starships are designed for ramming actions, adorned with spikes and reinforced plating to maximize destructive impact. While their fury is a potent weapon, their lack of discipline makes them vulnerable to ambushes and traps.
• Special Weapons and Units: They wield Sthenic Weapons, arms that grow stronger with each successive attack upon an enemy, mirroring their escalating rage in battle. Their elite warriors are the Implacable, relentless shock troops clad in crimson armor, teetering on the brink of madness.
• Color Scheme: Crimson and Black
• Puissants: The Implacable, Insanities
• Flagship: Irascible-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Black Barbarians

• Primogenitor: Elarus, the God of Cruelty
• Supreme Herald: Xelyon the Scarred
• Legion Size: Approximately 188,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Black Barbarians are cruel and tyrannical brutes, reveling in pain and suffering. They embrace hardship and inflict torture even upon their own ranks to weed out weakness. Their combat doctrine is characterized by brutal, merciless assaults and a sadistic enjoyment of inflicting pain upon their enemies. Their starships are often adorned with the flayed skins of their victims, a testament to their cruelty.
• Special Weapons and Units: They wield Excruciating Weapons, spiked arms that draw power from the user's pain, becoming more potent as the wielder is wounded. Their elite warriors are the Painchosen, remorseless heralds who have committed the most horrific atrocities in Elarus' name.
• Color Scheme: Obsidian and Deep Red
• Puissants: Painchosen
• Flagship: Fulminator-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Biblioclasts

• Primogenitor: Eelia, the Goddess of Enticement
• Supreme Herald: Hanryck the Unwriter
• Legion Size: Approximately 163,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Biblioclasts are nightmarish warriors driven by a fanatical hatred of knowledge and learning. They commit Libricide, systematically erasing and destroying repositories of wisdom and culture. Their primary targets are the Astral Questors, the theocratic defenders of history. Their tactics are insidious and knowledge-centric, aimed at crippling enemy morale by destroying their heritage and intellectual foundations.
• Special Weapons and Units: They wield Libricide Weapons, arms capable of erasing knowledge from their victims' minds and destroying written records. Their elite warriors are the Word Burners, specialists in the systematic destruction of libraries and archives.
• Color Scheme: Ink Black and Burnt Orange
• Puissants: The Word Burners
• Flagship: Depraved-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Retributors

• Primogenitor: Maaldir, the God of Bitterness
• Supreme Herald: Azgun Ironskull
• Legion Size: Approximately 127,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Retributors are highly disciplined and rigidly organized, adhering to strict codes of retribution and justice (albeit twisted). They are methodical and vengeful, seeking to repay every slight and wrong, real or imagined, with ruthless efficiency. Unlike other Tenebric Legions, they value order and discipline within their ranks, reflecting Maaldir's distorted sense of justice.
• Special Weapons and Units: They wield Reprisal Weapons, arms that channel back the blows of their enemies, turning aggression against itself. They employ a unique system called Slightkeeping, meticulously recording every offense against them to fuel their vengeful campaigns.
• Color Scheme: Iron Grey with Cobalt Green Trimmings
• Puissants: Viziers of Vengeance (Major Aberrations acting as tactical commanders)
• Flagship: Retaliator-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

The Disintegrators

• Primogenitor: Dystus, the God of Annihilation
• Supreme Herald: Hylthar the Diviner
• Legion Size: Approximately 268,000 Heralds
• Distinctive Characteristics and Combat Style: The Disintegrators are nihilistic and driven by a desire for complete annihilation and purification through destruction. They view the universe as inherently flawed and seek to erase all imperfection through utter eradication. Their tactics are brutally direct and focused on maximizing collateral damage, employing blightzones and weapons of mass destruction to obliterate entire districts and populations.
• Special Weapons and Units: They employ Extirpator Rifles, weapons designed for complete annihilation, and are masters of creating Blightzones, areas of Nemithic energy that facilitate aberration incursions. Their elite warriors are the Extinctors, specialists in deploying weapons of mass destruction and enacting Dystus' nihilistic will.
• Color Scheme: Bone White and Void Black
• Puissants: Extinctors
• Flagship: Deracinator-class Nemithic Fleet Warship

War Materiel and Technology

The Tenebric Legions wield war materiel and technology as twisted and corrupted as their own natures. Their armaments and starships are forged from Nemithic metal, a dark and pulsating substance imbued with the chaotic energies of the Nemither dimension. This material grants their war machines unique properties, including:

• Nemi-aura: Nemithic vessels emit a disruptive aura that warps spacetime, deflecting enemy fire and hindering targeting systems. This aura provides a form of inherent shielding, making Tenebric starships remarkably resilient to conventional weaponry.
• Infernal Shielding: Capital ships are further protected by Infernal Shielding, a grotesque amalgamation of sacrificed souls that act as a potent energy barrier, absorbing and dissipating incoming attacks.
• Nemifire: Hellwave Batteries, a common armament, unleash blasts of Nemifire, an inextinguishable, soul-burning flame that engulfs enemy vessels, causing catastrophic damage and spreading terror.
• Blight Cannons and Lances: These weapons fire projectiles of Nemithic blight, tearing open breaches in enemy hulls that serve as conduits for aberration incursions, allowing hordes of demonic entities to flood enemy starships from within.
• Anarchic Cannons: These specialized weapons unleash beams of infernal code, designed by Dark Artificers to disable enemy power systems, disrupt control networks, and sow chaos within opposing vessels.

Nemithic fleet warships are characterized by jagged, grotesque aesthetics, often adorned with spines, glyphs, and grotesque ornamentation reflecting the chaotic and malevolent energies that power them. They prioritize firepower and durability over maneuverability, embodying the Tenebric Legions' doctrine of overwhelming force. Nemithic Fleet Warships are categorized into various classes, each designed for specific combat roles, ranging from nimble escort ships and corvettes to massive, heavily armed battleships like the Thaenator-Class, the apex of Nemithic naval might.

Dark Artificers

The Tenebric Legions are sustained and equipped by the Dark Artificers, aberrations who have ascended beyond mere warriors to become masters of unholy craftsmanship. Selected for their ingenuity and capacity for creation, Dark Artificers undergo brutal trials to refine their minds and forge weapons and armor from the very essence of suffering and chaos. They operate within Forges of the Damned, citadels of industry where reality itself warps under the weight of their profane inventions.

Dark Artificers do not merely craft; they sacrifice into being. Metal is ripped from the bones of fallen enemies, arcane fuel is drawn from interdimensional rifts, and every creation is imbued with a fragment of the Artificer’s own tortured essence. Their creations include:

• Hellforged Wargear: Weapons and armor that evolve and adapt, feeding upon carnage and binding themselves to their wielders. Hellguns, for example, reload by consuming souls and shift firing modes based on the wielder's intent.
• Sacrificial Armors: Living armors that react to threats preemptively, meld with their wearers, and punish weakness by consuming the wearer to fuel a stronger warrior.
• Fleshbound Engines: Monstrous war engines, fusions of demonic biology and unholy fabrication, that scream in agony as they fight, their pain fueling their destructive potential.

Despite their brilliance, Dark Artificers are cursed by their own creations. Every weapon and engine they forge carries the risk of betrayal, sentience, or catastrophic failure, making their existence a perpetual dance with paranoia and the ever-present threat of their own works turning against them.

The War for Eternity

The Tenebric Legions are at the forefront of the War for Eternity, Morsvitae’s grand campaign to dismantle the ordered cosmos of Uzhyr and usher in an era of chaotic renewal. Their attacks are widespread and relentless, targeting the districts of the Omnium Theocracy and Elysian territories alike. Notable engagements and campaigns involving the Tenebric Legions include:

• The Razing of the Athenaeum: The Biblioclasts, in a devastating blow to the theocracy’s intellectual foundations, laid siege to and razed the Vorthen’s district, the Unshaped Athenaeum, using libricide weapons to erase vast repositories of knowledge.
• The Siege of Asterloth: The Black Barbarians and Disintegrators launched a brutal siege upon the Hyurg district of Asterloth, seeking to annihilate the cosmic historians and their vast archives of universal history.
• The Unfair Ambush: The Tricksters of Damnation orchestrated a devastating ambush against Entelius the Disgraced’s Elysian fleet, severing foldspace routes to the Technate of Elysia and plunging the theocracy into further turmoil.
• The Defense of Elysian Foundries: The Tenebric Legions have launched numerous assaults upon Elysian foundry districts, seeking to cripple the theocracy’s industrial and technological capacity.

These are but a few examples of the Tenebric Legions' relentless war effort, a campaign marked by brutality, terror, and a ceaseless drive to dismantle the ordered structures of the cosmos.

Notable Figures

Within the Tenebric Legions, several figures stand out as embodiments of their respective legion’s nature and prowess:

• Kalabras the Cunning: Supreme Herald of the Tricksters of Damnation, a master schemer and manipulator, wielding the sentient and treacherous Plotting Sword.
• Aeyr the Murderous: Supreme Herald of the Wrath Bearers, a paragon of berserker rage and martial fury, leading his legion in frenzied assaults aboard the flagship Irascible.
• Azgun Ironskull: Supreme Herald of the Retributors, a disciplined and tactical leader, wielding the Ring of Chosen Enforcement and enforcing a twisted code of justice upon his legion.
• Hanryck the Unwriter: Supreme Herald of the Biblioclasts, a nightmarish figure dedicated to the eradication of knowledge, leading his legion in their campaign of libricide and intellectual destruction.

These figures, and countless others within the Tenebric ranks, represent the diverse and terrifying face of the Dark Pantheon's military might, each a formidable adversary in the War for Eternity.

Weaknesses and Limitations

Despite their fearsome reputation and considerable power, the Tenebric Legions are not without vulnerabilities. Their inherent chaotic nature and internal divisions often undermine their strategic effectiveness. Key weaknesses include:

• Lack of Coordination: The decentralized command structure and competing objectives among the legions often lead to a lack of unified strategic execution. Infighting and a lack of inter-legion cooperation can hinder their overall war effort.
• Predictable Brutality: While their terror tactics are effective, the Tenebric Legions' reliance on overwhelming force and brutal aggression can make their strategies predictable. Sophisticated opponents can exploit their lack of tactical finesse and reliance on brute force.
• Internal Paranoia and Mistrust: Legions like the Tricksters of Damnation are plagued by internal paranoia and mistrust, undermining their operational cohesion and making them susceptible to internal sabotage and miscommunication.
• Susceptibility to Order and Discipline: In contrast to their chaotic nature, the Tenebric Legions struggle against highly disciplined and organized forces, such as the Messianic Knights and the Theocratic Navy, who can effectively counter their brute force with coordinated tactics and unwavering resolve.

These limitations, while not negating their considerable threat, offer potential avenues for the Omnium Theocracy and its allies to exploit and ultimately counter the chaotic tide of the Tenebric Legions in the ongoing War for Eternity.