The World of Chemos
The Emperor's Children were originally recruited from Chemos, a harsh industrial world where survival depended on efficiency and perfection of craft. The planet's factories and refineries demanded absolute precision, and its people learned that even the smallest flaw could mean disaster. This culture of perfectionism would come to define the IIIrd Legion.
When the Emperor discovered Chemos, he found a world already yearning for unity and order. The planet's industries were crumbling, and its people desperate for purpose. The Emperor's arrival promised a return to glory, and the world's finest warriors were recruited to form the core of a new Legion.
The Great Crusade
During the Great Crusade, the Emperor's Children earned a reputation as the most disciplined and visually splendid of all Legions. Their purple and gold armor gleamed, their formations were flawless, and their martial prowess was unmatched. They were the Emperor's exemplars, held up as the ideal that all other Legions should aspire to.
The Legion specialized in rapid, decisive strikes — surgical warfare that minimized collateral damage and maximized efficiency. They were diplomats as much as warriors, often securing compliance through awe and persuasion rather than sheer force. Worlds that saw the Emperor's Children in their full regalia often surrendered without a fight, convinced that resistance against such perfection was futile.
The Reunion with Fulgrim
The discovery of their Primarch, Fulgrim, on Chemos marked a turning point. Fulgrim had already risen to become the planet's leader, transforming it through his visionary leadership. He embodied everything the Legion aspired to be: brilliant, charismatic, and utterly dedicated to perfection in all things.
Under Fulgrim's command, the Emperor's Children reached new heights. Their conquests were swift and their compliance rates the highest among all Legions. Fulgrim encouraged his sons to pursue excellence not just in war but in art, music, philosophy, and all fields of human endeavor. The Legion became a brotherhood of scholar-warriors, each Marine encouraged to cultivate his talents to their fullest potential.
The Laeran Campaign
The campaign against the Laer — an advanced xenos species — would prove to be the Legion's undoing. The Laer were a serpentine race whose culture was steeped in excess and sensory indulgence. Their temples held dark secrets, and their weapons corrupted all they touched.
It was on Laeran that Fulgrim discovered the Laeran blade, a xenos weapon imbued with a malignant warp entity. The blade whispered to him, praising his ambition and stoking his pride. It promised him the perfection he so desperately sought, and Fulgrim, in his hubris, listened.