Spring Cleaning Challenge: Imperial Guard (PROJECT COMPLETE!)

The “Order of the Tooth and Claw” of Galland are a Relic of the Pre-Heresy Days. They were the Original Warriors that defended Galland when it was first colonised.

Clad in a Primitive Powered Armour they fought the many Wild Beasts of Galland with Massive Armoured Gauntlets and Large Shields.

Through the Millennia these suits dwindled and fell into disrepair before being forgotten in the halls of the “Crusaders” who maintained their Order as an elite Big Game Hunting Club once all the Dangerous Beasts had been exterminated. Membership was not limited by any social or financial standings but approval was needed by a majority of current members before a new member is inducted and the new member must don a suit of the Powered Armour, Wield the Clawed Gauntlet and Carry the Shield of the Watcher, then slay one of the few mighty beasts that remain on Galland.

With Galland returning to the Imperial Fold after a 100 year Succession it was noticed that this Order existed and they were given an ultimatum, send men to fight for the Emperor or disband the order and hand all equipment over to some Bureaucrat. Ever since then the men of “The Order of the Tooth and Claw” have trudged their way through dozens of battlefields, lending their weight to assaults and plugging gaps in the line with their stalwart shields.

They operate as Mercenaries. They’re considered private citizens who are exempt from Military Conscription and many of their members are ex-military Veterans who could find no more work but did not want to re-enlist for obvious reasons.

They are often employed by Marshall’s as personal bodyguards or “Riot Control Squads”.

The Members of the Order originally fought with no helmets, showing their bravery in the face of the enemy but that changed two decades ago on Praximus V.

After Two Companies of Militarum Tempestus Scions were slaughtered to a man Fifty Brothers of the Order of the Tooth and Claw were sent to secure the site and repel the Tyranids that had killed the Scions.

The Mercenaries achived their goal and in the process found themselves in possession of two companies worth of Scions equipment. Their Contract states they can keep all weapons, equipment or objects taken from the enemy so long as they are deemed safe and proper by the correct authorities. Everything they don’t want can be sold back to the Imperial Guard at a nice markup.

The Order argued that the Scions equipment was technically in the possession of the enemy when the Order found it so they legally owned it. The Scions disagreed and soon a literal standoff took place between the Scions and the Order of the Broken Sword around the conquered position. Both sides poured in reinforcements and many men were wounded and a few killed in minor skirmishes.

The Higher Command did not even attempt to intervene for many reasons, they didn’t want to get involved, they didn’t want to piss off either side, they didn’t want to set a precedent and frankly the area they were in was a pretty crucial point to hold and the two sides putting the best fighters in the area was what Command wanted anyway.

After months of stalemate the scions made their move, they stormed the complex in an attempt to drive the Order away but things quickly escalated. The Order slaughtered the Scions though they took enormous losses themselves. The Order of the Tooth and Claw emerged victorious and claimed hundreds of Scion Corpses for their Order.

Ever since that Day Three things have happened:

1. The Order of the Tooth and Claw wear Scion Helmets and Berets into Combat.

2. The Order of the Tooth and Claw can NEVER be assigned to the same Planetary Task Force as Scions since the two will constantly try to kill each other, endangering missions if it means reclaiming one of their precious helmets or to rub it in to the Scions.

3. Brothers of the Order of the Broken Sword must submit 10% of their Number to the Inquisition for use as Retinue members. This was done to calm down the situation after Imperial Troops and Imperial Mercenaries basically slaughtered each other over hats. The Scions dare not defy the Inquisition and so relented and the Order got to keep their cool new gear and get a reputation boost as Inquisitorial Retinue members.