The 68th Deltic Lions is an elite and renowned Tempestus Scions regiment of the Ordo Tempestus. They have garnered a reputation for being a hardy and resilient regiment -- having proven an ability to endure highly toxic Zone Mortalis warzones -- and have fought in some of the most horrific conditions throughout the galaxy. They have also earned renown for being experts at fighting the daemonic minions of the Plague God Nurgle, having faced those plague-ridden nightmares in multiple campaigns.
Regimental History[]
Colour Scheme of the 68th Deltic Lions
The 68th Deltic Lions are well-known for their ability to endure some of the most toxic worlds in the Imperium. Indeed, numerous noxious quagmires have proven to have little effect upon their bodies. Where other regiments have perished upon planets ravaged by plagues, the Deltic Lions have survived some of the most virulent contagions in the galaxy. Their renowned immunity has led to them being summoned regularly when the Inquisition's Ordo Malleus suspects the minions of the Plague God, Nurgle, are at work in a war zone. However, their resilience against disease has also made the 68th Deltic Lions objects of curiosity for Grandfather Nurgle himself, and he often sends his daemons to investigate the Scions in this uniquely horrifying manner.
As such, the 68th Deltic Lions possess a long and glorious history of combatting Nurgle's forays into the galaxy. With a sequence of blistering strikes, they destroyed a Cult of Nurgle on Hive World Mularion before their foulness could spread to the rest of the populace. On the ring world of Avatroid, the Scions fought alongside the Space Marines of the Aurora Chapter -- together, they controlled a burgeoning daemonic incursion and destroyed the infected citizens, saving the majority of Avatoid's populace.
Notable Campaigns[]
- Defence of the Scams Sector (Unknown Date) - Perhaps the 68th Deltic Lions' greatest victory came against a warband of The Purge who attacked their Schola Progenium facility in the Scams Sector. Having rushed back to the defence of their Schola's progena, the Scions utilised decoy units to lure the corpulent Chaos Space Marines into a nearby ice ravine where the deep snow and cold confounded the traitors' movement. Surrounding Scions opened fire with overlapping fields of ruby-red hotshot fire and incinerated the threat. Ever since that day, a small garrison of the Deltic Lions remains attached to the Schola Progenium, vigilantly checking the skies for further visits from Nurgle's minions to ensure their Schola is safe.
68th Deltic Lions Tempestor Brellius, who valiantly sacrificed himself in the defence of the ringworld of Avatroid against the daemonic forces of Nurgle
- Vindication of Brellius (Unknown Date) - When a huge incursion of plague-carrying Daemons invaded the ringworld of Avatroid, the 68th Deltic Lions were summoned to the Avatroid System to assist. A small force of the Aurora Chapter had diverted from their mission to investigate a Warp rift which had opened there, but the daemonic surge from within soon proved beyond even their ability to control. The Space Marines sent an astropathic request for aid, and a large contingent of the 68th Deltic Lions arrived swiftly. Fighting alongside the Aurora Chapter, they drove the daemonic forces back towards the rift, which lay in a quarantined sector of the city that would be destroyed from space. Imperial citizens -- or soldiers -- who showed symptoms of the plague were to be either killed outright or driven into that same quarantined section. Dividing into two separate contingents, the 68th Deltic Lions each linked up with two of the Aurora Chapter. Once both forces linked up, the Imperials began the systematic purge, and drove the Daemons down the streets of the ringworld, pushing them into the quarantined zone. They were soon set upon by a massive daemonic counter-strike of Plague Drones and Rot Flies with their Plaguebearer riders swarming around the Space Marines. More Plaguebearers and Nurglings oozed from nearby building to surround the Scions, isolating them further. Then a Great Unclean One, a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, lumbered out of the atrium of a hab-block and lurched towards the Scions' commander, Tempestor Brellius. Though the commander fought bravely against the Greater Daemon, he was no match for its massive bulk and sheer power. With a great strike of its massive plague sword, the Daemon struck the Tempestor, throwing him from his feet and severing his breathing apparatus. Brellius only managed to survive, when fierce combined hot-shot fire of the remaining squads drove the Greater Daemon away from the fallen commander. One of the hitherto untouchable 68th Deltic Lions had now succumbed to one of Nurgle's diseases. Brellius still had orders, and so he concealed his suffering from his fellow Tempestus troopers. The Imperial forces continued to push the Daemons back towards the quarantined zone, but soon realised there was once more avenue of escape. Someone needed to stay at the perimeter to keep the infected throng in place. Whoever remained would surely die in the blast. Still concealing his bilious coughs and bleeding eyes, Tempestor Brellius volunteered himself. The doomed Tempestor valiantly fought the horde of daemons, pouring hot-shot gunfire into the Daemons and citizens who threatened to spill from the quarantine zone. A minute later the Space Marine Strike Cruiser fired its colossal lasers, and a whole sector of the ringworld became a raging inferno.
Regimental Appearance[]
Regimental Colours[]
The Tempestus Scions of the 68th Deltic Lions primarily wear red-coloured fatigues, with black-coloured Carapace Armour with silver-coloured trim, as well as black-coloured knee guards, Slate Monitron and Omnishield Helms. Parts of their carapace armour have red-coloured stripes along the edges. A red-coloured stripe runs vertically down the left side of the faceplate of the Scions' omnishield helms.
Regimental Badge[]
The provenance of the symbol born by the 68th Deltic Lions is unclear. Some believe it to be an ancient Terran symbol associated with victory in the face of misfortune. If so this would certainly seem apt, for the Lions have endured and achieved victory amid some of the most horrific conditions in the galaxy.
Sources[]
- Codex: Militarum Tempestus (6th Edition), pp. 19, 42-44