The Obruchev Family

The Obruchev familly sigil, with the eponymous scorpion as their emblem, art by Scorpip.

The Obruchevs were a prominent family in House Aquila that rose to power in the years of The Silence. Traditionally this family produced some of the brightest Aquilan military minds of their generation like the Warlord Anaïs Obruchev or the General Guillaume “Koschei” Obruchev. Always staunch supporters of a united Acheron Rho they fought for a strong Empire with House Aquila as its sword and shield.

Notable Members

The Obruchevs were known to exaggerate their family’s deeds in the Golden Age of humanity, as such, some of these members might not have existed but it is impossible to confirm this.

Colonel Gabrielle Obruchev (She/Her)

The alleged founder of Battlegroup Scorpio, she is said to have led the assault on 0004A during the War for Human Prosperity and to have been there at the founding of the Empire.

Général Aquila Obruchev Richard (he/him)

This Obruchev was said to have been a strong proponent for the colonization of Diomikato when it was discovered. Some Obruchevs even insisted that he was responsible for Emperox Diomikato’s decision of gifting it to House Aquila.

Warlord Aquila Obruchev Anaïs (they/them)

Guillaume, in his full Battlegroup Scorpio regalia.

The first Post-Scream personnage of note, they amassed the largest warband on Diomikato during the silence and effectively reunited Aquila in order to allow it to properly serve the Empire once again. They didn’t keep power and divided it once again after the rediscovery by House Vela.

General Aquila Obruchev Aurèle (She/Her)

Family head who swore fealty to Alejandra Ari and implemented the Alejandran reforms throughout Battlegroup Scorpio, she died on Imperial Prime in 2900, being replaced by her son

General Aquila Obruchev “Koschei” Guillaume (He/Him)

Also know as Arhat or President Koschei, last commander of Legio I Scorpio, founder and First President of The Deathless. Officially died in 2928, but didn’t take to it. Rejected his nobility in 2960 along with the rest of the surviving Deathless of noble birth.

Family History

Pre-Scream

Due to the lack of easily accessible records about noble history the importance of the Obruchev family before the Scream occurred cannot be confirmed. What is known however is that there was an Aquilan family mentioned under the name Obruchev in some imperial records that survived the Silence. The Obruchev family is also known to have claimed to have ties in the original Unnamed unit and to have been present in every important military matters the Empire was involved in since. Although some of these claims would get ridiculous (some claimed a direct descent from Arhat Mars), they would remain uncontested due to the family’s influence and the lack of discrediting sources.

Warlords Period (2665-88)

In a way the Obruchevs have the Scream to thank for their ascension to power, as Diomikato fell upon itself in ravageous war it provided a golden opportunity for an ambitious and cunning leader. This junior officer at the time was Aquila Obruchev Anaïs, their rank unknown, but over time they would be recognized simply as Warlord Obruchev, Conqueror of Diomikato.

2665 - 2670 Local expansion and consolidation

When the Scream hit Diomikato the Aquilan legions were thrown in disarray, failing communications systems, psychics going insane and Diomikato being completely isolated from the rest of humanity it fell into chaos. Anaïs managed to keep control of a large portion of Battlegroup Scorpio, maintaining discipline and a strict command structure. Using what was possibly the best organized warband on Diomikato at the time, they claimed lands near Infernum, a small farming settlement in the Green Belt at the time. Infernum proved invaluable, as it provided Obruchev’s troops with rations for their campaign and an appropriate seat of power.

At first Obruchev focused on consolidating their position around Infernum and recruiting troops for their future expansion plans. Over the 5 years of this period the Obruchev territory expanded over a large mass of the Green Belt, securing loyalty of neighboring warbands with the shrewd diplomacy. Always looking to make more allies, powerful defeated foes were offered positions of power and were not discarded, if possible.

As their expansion over the Green Belt grew it is said that Anaïs and their general staff basically rewrote the book for military tactics, operations, and strategy. Their heavy emphasis on proper logistical support and unorthodox use of equipment ensured that Battlegroup Scorpio and their allies crushed their opponents who were still stuck in pre-scream doctrine without pre-scream technology. This emphasis on proper logistics is also why it took 5 years for Warlord Obruchev to prepare for their next phase, too many times had they seen military campaigns be thwarted by a lack of resources and improper preparations. By 2670 Infernum had been filled beyond its capacity, only a farming settlement it couldn't properly supply the armies and expansion plans that Obruchev had in mind.

Over these five years Anaïs had found their new goal in life. They had seen the ravages of the undisciplined warbands in the territories neighbouring Infernum and the Obruchevs had proven to be adept at instigating the proper rule of law, as well as preparing it for when the Empire undoubtedly would return to Diomikato. House Aquila was meant to serve after all, and it should be an Aquila united that the Empire came back to, not these petty squabblers that plagued Diomikato.

2670 - 2687 The Diomikatan Unification Campaign

Taking the Red City

In 2670 Warlord Obruchev launched their Unification Campaign, the first target: The Red City. Seizing the Diomikatan capital would prove instrumental in showing the martial prowess of their warband, an essential element if one wanted to rule on Diomikato. In addition the city's industrial centers were essential for a proper military conquest. There Obruchev and Battle Group Scorpio met with the first massive warband, the Shining Guard. During the initial skirmishes with the Guard’s outriders the Obruchev troops noticed that they only fought to delay the advance, as such a strong resistance was to be expected once the Red City was reached.

In order to avoid unnecessary casualties Anaïs did what they did best, send an envoy with an offer: Bend the knee and live, or don’t, and die. The Shining Guard decided their fortifications would keep them safe, and so Obruchev was forced to lay siege to the city. The initial attacks on the city were repelled quite easily as The Shining Guard were well versed in defending positions.

The siege would not go well for the Red City as time passed however, a vile disease spread through the populace in only a month. Indeed, an outbreak of Diomikatan Flu normally easily curable with Pre-Scream medicine and biopsionics, was going rampant through the City. Now it is inferred, but never confirmed, that the Obruchevs themselves were behind the sudden outbreak of flu, as no symptoms were recorded prior to the siege. This would imply that the warlords had any access to biochemical technology, which is also unconfirmed at best.

After month with the disease ravaging the city  Iván Obregón, commander of the Shining Guard, sent an envoy to the Obruchev headquarters. They proposed a duel to end the siege trying to spare his men and save those afflicted of disease inside. Known as the Jorma Taccone within the Obruchevs, it was a way to determine who would become family leader. The Conditions of the Duel were as such, If Obregón won the warbands would leave the Red City alone, if Obruchev would win the Shining Guard would join their Warband. The Jorma Taccone took place in front of the city’s symbolic gates at dawn, with the two camp’s armies watching. Obregón fought valiantly, Obregón fought nobly, Obregón fought honorably, and Obregón died. Obruchev expertise at close quarters fighting and, allegedly, “dirty tricks” - tackling, punching, frappling, and other such tactics - allowed them to seize the day, the Red City, and the Shining Guard.

Onto Conquest

Now having control over the most important city and areas of Diomikato it was time for the Obruchevs to properly expand. The massive warband was then split into smaller armies, each under the command of a family member of Anaïs or a trusted ally. The Shining Guard even had their original role given to them once again. The former enemies were accepted into the fold as fellow warriors like any other and were entrusted with the task of defending and occupying the newly conquered territories. They were left directly under the command of Warlord Obruchev, but kept their name and status, as worthy foes are usually granted.

And thus started the 17 years long campaign to conquer a planet populated with humans bred for warfare, the battle standards of Obruchev and Scorpio leading the charge for a united Diomikato once more. Anaïs themself were leading armies as they coordinated the campaign, taking command of the most dangerous tasks with their battle-hardened troops that followed them ever since the Scream. During this time Warlord Obruchev won their most famous victories, which are still studied to this day as masterful tactics.

The Ashes of Xu

One such battle is the Battle of the Ash Wastes, where Battlegroup Scorpio’s 1st Army Corps obliterated Warlord Xu’s warband. This battle took place to capture Steirhold, a nigh impregnable  fortress. Built deep within the granite canyon walls on the very bottom of the canyon, accessible only by a small winding road any invasion force would have to survive not only the environment, but also the constant raids by Xu’s forces. As such laying siege to the city in the traditional way would mean certain death.

It was then imperative that Obruchev managed to bait Xu’s forces out his fortress, he couldn’t be goaded into a duel and no drilling equipment was available, Steirhold being so far from the Green Belt or any mining industry. Of course Obruchev could’ve starved Xu out but it was estimated that it would take too long and would put a dent in their operational plans.

In order to bring Xu out of Steirhold, Warlord Obruchev led a personal charge against the fortress with their most veteran troops. Expertly calculated they went deep enough to have Xu make a full sortie, betting on his arrogance and will to kill Anaïs in order to bring the warlord’s army out in the open, where the rest of the Obruchev army, and especially their artillery, waited. This ridiculously simple strategy worked because, although impregnable, Steirhold’s canyons offered little possibility for proper reconnaissance, leaving the defenders effectively blind. As such Xu had no way of knowing of the wall of guns that awaited him in the open fields of the Ash wastes, nor was he known for his calm and tactful temper.

By the time Xu and his army noticed the trap, it was already too late, explosives set in the canyon closed the passages from which the defenders emerged, and the Obruchev artillery outright massacred the soldiers. In what is called “The most egregious example of Danger Close in post-scream military history” it is said that Obruchev called the artillery strikes nearly on their own head as they retreated. By the end of the day Xu’s army lay in ruins, and so was Xu himself, the former warlord reduced to an artillery hole.  

2687 - 2688 Imperial Contact and Reunification

By 2687 the Obruchevs had lain claim to most of Diomikato through military conquest or diplomacy. As such is was only normal that the Velan Explorers contacted Warlord Obruchev first, announcing that the Empire was being reformed. Of course, this is what Anaïs wanted to, no, knew would happen, and they pledge their service to the Empire once more.

Following rediscovery the remaining pockets of resistance were quickly dealt with, those who remembered the Old Empire and their service to it quickly rejoined and the rest were expediently killed. In 2688 Diomikato was finally reunited under the banner of the Scorpion. Their task accomplished, Anaïs declared the dissolution of their warband, each group splitting off into their own to serve the Empire under the name of House Aquila. The former warlord took command of Battlegroup Scorpio, and led their troops into the stars, in their attempt to bring it back to its former glory.

2690 - 2800 Unifying the Empire

For the next century, and following Anaïs’ death. The Obruchevs cemented their power and influence within House Aquila, and furthermore the Empire. Although no leader of House Aquila was ever determined during this time, it was obvious as to who held the most political sway, and those were the Obruchevs. They and Battlegroup Scorpio became synonymous, only very rarely did a Battlegroup Général not bear the Scorpio name, and it was always done with the express approval of the family’s elders. By the end of the 28th Century the Obruchev name was a symbol of prestige and power within House Aquila.

The Imperial Period (2801 - 2928)

2801 - 2886 Neutrality

As the First Imperial Civil War began the Obruchev made a choice to not get involved in the conflict. Although they had much to gain and, as some would say, enough allies to conquer the Empire whole, they kept to their founder’s ideal: Serve a united Empire, not lay claim to it. During the early stages where you could still call it a “disagreement” the Obruchevs attempted to keep the peace between the feuding factions, to no avail. When it was obvious that the conflicts could only be solved by blood the Obruchev family, under the leadership of Général Aquila Obruchev Nanako, called their assets, including Battlegroup Scorpio, back to their lands on Diomikato, Nanako would not partake in useless bloodshed and she wanted to protect her lands.

Following this retreat from political life the Obruchevs kept an isolationist policy, protecting their lands from rival incursion while maintaining a strong military arm. This didn’t stop some of their wilder members from leaving the now extensive family in search for glory and adventure, and soldiers bearing the Obruchev name were said to be found in every army of the civil war.

For the better part of the century the Obruchevs were neutral, observing the conflict from their domain in Infernum while protecting their borders. This came to a change when a young Aquilan noble and distinguished commander started gathering allies on Diomikato, this would lead the Obruchevs to break their neutrality, to finally join the war.

2886 - 2901 Loyalty to an Empress

After having noticed the rapid expansion of Alejandra Ari and her gathering of allies on Diomikato. The Obruchev family head at the time, Général Aurèle, sent a delegation to the Ari lands. The ambassadors came back with interesting news: Once again an Aquilan commander took it upon themselves to reunite a House Aquila divided through military might. Interested in the young leader’s motivation, Aurèle invited her to the Obruchev estate in Infernum. In this meeting Ari thoroughly convinced the Obruchev leader that her goal was to reunite the Empire under one banner, with Aquila as its head. Oddly enough Ari reminded Aurèle of stories told to her of Warlord Obruchev and her conquest of Diomikato, all to realize the dream of an Aquila united.

In 2886, merely a few months after having met Ari, Aurèle Obruchev held a reception in the ancestral estate. There the Obruchev family’s most important members were gathered, including a 23 year old Guillaume Obruchev, the family’s scion returned from the border wars frontlines at the behest of his mother. It is at this reception that Aurèle announced the Obruchev family’s return to Imperial affairs, by swearing fealty to Alejandra Ari. It is also said that she promised her son’s hand in marriage to Ari, but no records of such promises exist, nor was the Blood Eagle married, as far as histories show.

Following this the Obruchevs mobilized their power to assist Ari’s conquest of Diomikato and then, the Empire. The newly named Legio I Scorpio took up arms once again in a war to reunite the Empire and the Obruchev diplomats used their family’s prestige and clout to gather as many allies as possible. This political involvement became expressly important to Ari’s campaigning effort for Emperox, as military conquest sometimes proved not to be the perfect solution.

In 2900, as Ari’s conquest of the sector winded down and was transferring into a peacekeeping phase, tragedy struck the family. Aurèle, the family head, was killed in a bombing on Imperial Prime. Her son, Guillaume “Koschei”, having earned the moniker for his nearly suicidal tendencies in combat, took control and led a destructive campaign of repression following the attack.

In 2901, following much debate among the family’s elders and some suspected strong arming by Alejandra, Guillaume was declared head of the Obruchev family and General of Legio I on the day of her coronation.

2901-2928 The Fall of Obruchev

As the Blood Eagle’s rule established itself, the Obruchevs saw their power and influence diminish greatly. The Empress’ disregard for noble rank and active undermining of the nobility at large caused for concern. This made a few important members of the family question her rule, at first in secret, and gradually openly. Even Guillaume himself, once the Empress’ staunchest ally, began questioning her motives and orders openly. Still the Obruchevs, and by extension Legio I, served admirably during the first half of the War of the Eagle, fighting their Empress’ enemies with the righteous fury worthy of the Obruchev and Scorpio name.

Not much is known as to why Legio I was sent to Thorg and left there for dead, there are conspiracies of course, but nothing is certain. What is sure, however, is that it effectively gutted the Obruchev name and power. All of their most important characters, youths, and soldiers were ingrained in the legion, and it’s destruction was thought complete. With the loss of Scorpio, the Obruchevs lost almost all relevancy in the political sphere, and the Imperial Court of Alejandra Ari was inhospitable to them. Over time the family name pretty much disappeared from the Empire, with its members marrying off into other families, defecting to the White legions, along with a majority of its members outright disappearing in the years between 2928 and 2932, their whereabouts unknown.

The final Obruchev act  was in 2960, where the noble members of The Deathless, led by Guillaume “Koschei” Obruchev himself, went to Andophael to request an Exigo from the nobility. A mass exigo was held for its members, and finally, the Obruchev noble dynasty was officially ended, having lost all institutional power it still held.