The Legio Vulpa (Death Stalkers) is a Traitor Titan Legion of the Dark Mechanicus that repudiated its oaths to the Emperor of Mankind and followed the Warmaster Horus into the service of the Ruinous Powers during the Horus Heresy. It was originally based on the Forge World of Mars and then later on Anvillus.
The Legio Vulpa 's personnel valued the honour of close quarters battle, where they could see the eyes of their foes -- or in the case of Titan warfare their armoured heads -- and feel the concussive force as their weapons smashed into them. The Legio Vulpa always had a reputation for excessive cruelty, and their fall to Chaos has only made them more deadly.
Legion History
An alternate Legion badge of the Legio Vulpa
The Legio Vulpa participated in the Great Crusade and were originally one of the Titan Legions based on Mars. It was there that they became embroiled in a long dispute about territorial rights with another Titan Legion of the Red Planet, the Legio Honorum, known as the "Death Bolts."
During the Great Crusade, the Legio Vulpa's Titans destroyed the city of Biphex on the world Dendritica rather than allowing negotiations to proceed and put an end to the siege peacefully. This drew the ire of their ally in that campaign, the Legio Solaria.
When the Schism of Mars erupted, the Legio Vulpa turned against the Emperor and joined the Dark Mechanicum forces that had sworn to serve the Warmaster Horus. The Traitors sent the Legio Vulpa to eliminate their rivals the Legio Honorum, who had remained loyal to the man they believed to be the Omnissiah. The Traitor Legion launched a devastating surprise assault upon the Death Bolts' Legion fortress in which the Loyalists lost 19 of their Titans, though the Legio Honorum managed to ultimately escape destruction and survive to fight on in the Emperor's name.
As the Horus Heresy progressed, the personnel of the Legio Vulpa hearkened to the teachings of the Word Bearers Dark Apostle Vorrjuk Kraal, and ultimately dedicated themselves to the worship of the Blood God Khorne, whose savage theology most closely matched their own aggressive tendencies and desires for close-ranged melee combat between god-engines. Blood sacrifices and dark rituals soon became commonplace among the Death Stalkers.
Notable Campaigns
- Schism of Mars (ca. 005.M31) - During the opening days of the Horus Heresy when civil war erupted on the Red Planet, Titans of the Death Stalkers were involved in the opening volleys of the war. Along the borders of the Lunae Palus and Arcadia regions, what had previously been confined to a heated war of words between different Mechanicus factions, erupted into true warfare when Princeps Ulriche of the Death Stalkers unleashed his war engines upon the fortress of Maxen Vledig’s Legio Honorum (Death Bolts). Caught by surprise, the Death Bolts lost 19 Titans in the first hour of battle, before withdrawing into the frozen wastes of the Mare Boreum and seeking refuge in the dune fields of Olympia Undae. Their calls for reinforcement went unanswered, as all of Mars tore itself apart as the cancer of civil war spread across the planet in a raging firestorm.
- Istvaan III Atrocity (ca. 007.M31) - The campaign known in later times as the Istvaan III Atrocity began when the Imperial Planetary Governor of Istvaan III, Vardus Praal, had been corrupted by the Chaos God Slaanesh whose cultists had long been active on that world. In 205.M31, Praal declared his world to be independent from the Imperium of Man. Unaware of the change in Horus' loyalties following his corruption by the Chaos Gods on the world of Davin, the Council of Terra charged the Warmaster with the retaking of that world, primarily its capital, the Choral City. When the Imperium finally gathered its forces, the Sons of Horus, Death Guard, Emperor's Children and the World Eaters Legions arrived in the Istvaan System, mustering in orbit above the doomed planet. Under the guise of putting down the rebellion against Imperial Compliance, Horus hatched the plan by which he would destroy all the remaining Loyalist elements of the Legions under his command. He purposely gathered those Astartes who were not loyal to him and used them in the assault on the non-Compliant world. With elements of the Legio Mortis, the Legio Audax and the Legio Vulpa Titan Legion in support, the invasion of Istvaan III then began in earnest. The Legio Vulpa undoubtedly played a part in the campaign, but sadly none of its exploits are currently present in Imperial records.
- Battle of Molech (008.M31) - The Legio Vulpa was among the forces that fought at the side of the Warmaster Horus on the world of Molech when he sought to gain even greater powers from the Chaos Gods.
- Battle of Beta-Garmon, "The Titandeath" (013.M31) - The Legio Vulpa fought against the Loyalist forces in the Beta Garmon System as part of the preparation for the Traitors' final assault on Terra. The Legion fought primarily on Beta-Garmon III and Theta-Garmon V. During this conflict, eight Princeps of the Legion were possessed by daemons and placed within Warlord-class Titans under the command of the Dark Mechanicum Magos Ardim Protos and the Word Bearers Dark Apostle Vorrjuk Kraal. These represented the first known Banelord Titans.
- 13th Black Crusade (ca.999.M41) - The Titans of the Legio Vulpa were among the forces of Chaos that participated in Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade.
Notable Titans
- Benediction of Blood (Warlord-class Titan)
- Iconoclast (Warlord-class Titan)
- Nuntio Dolores (Warlord-class Titan) - Titan of Princeps Majoris Terrent Harrtek of the 7th Maniple. By the end of the Battle of Beta-Garmon Nuntio Dolores ("The Herald of Sorrow") was possessed by a daemon of Khorne and became the first Banelord Titan.
- Omnia Sangui (Warlord-class Titan) - Destroyed by Legio Solaria Titans during a battle for Theta-Garmon V.
- Tenebris Vindictae (Warlord-class Titan)- Titan of Princeps Bennif Durant of the 7th Maniple.
- Ultimate Sanction (Warlord-class Titan)- Titan of 7th Maniple.
- Ars Bellus (Reaver-class Titan) - Titan of 7th Maniple.
- Dust of Ages (Reaver-class Titan)- Titan of Princeps Maklaren, 7th Maniple.
- Immitis Venor (Reaver-class Titan)
- Ithonian Lorga (Warhound-class Titan)
- Kitsune (Warhound-class Titan) - Fought with the Sons of Horus Traitor Legion during the Horus Heresy at the Battle of Molech.
- Kumiho (Warhound-class Titan) - Fought with the Sons of Horus Traitor Legion during the Horus Heresy at the Battle of Molech.
- Death’s Monument - Destroyed by Legio Atarus Titans during a battle for Theta-Garmon V.
Notable Personnel
- Princeps Senioris Ulriche - Ulriche was the master of the Legio Vulpa during the time of the Great Crusade and the Schism of Mars.
- Princeps Majoris Terent Harrtek - Harrtek commanded the Warlord Titan Nuntio Dolores during the Battle of Beta-Garmon.
- Princeps Bennif Durant - Durant commanded the Warlord Titan Tenebris Vindictae during the Battle of Beta-Garmon.
- Princeps Maklaren - Princeps Maklaren commanded the Reaver Titan Dust of Ages during the Battle of Beta-Garmon.
- Duluz Casson — Carson was the personal servant to Princeps Majoris Terent Haartek and also a Chaos Cultist.
Legion Appearance
Legion Colours
The god-engines of the Legio Vulpa march in rust brown and purple with bone trim.
Legion Badge
This Traitor Titan Legion's badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Sources
- Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 16
- The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 40
- The Horus Heresy - Adeptus Titanicus: Titandeath (Specialty Game)
- Vengeful Spirit (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Ch. 13
- Mechanicum (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Ch. 3.01
- Titandeath (Novel) by Guy Haley, Chs. 7, 20, 21, 22
- Alternate Legio Vulpa Badge