Legion Wars of Expansion

From the birth of the Legion near the Grand Canyon in 2247, the Legion was in a state of near constant expansion, coming to dominate the region formerly known as the Four States Commonwealth absorbing 86 tribes, and numerous settlements.

Foundation of the Legion
The man that would found the Legion and name himself Caesar, Edward Sallow went on an expedition into Arizona to study it's various tribes alongside fellow Follower of the Apocalypse Bill Calhoun, and New Canaanite missionary Joshua Graham. The expedition officially ended when the Blackfoot tribe, close to the Grand Canyon kidnapped the expedition, and attempted to hold them ransom. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Blackfoot were in a war with seven other tribes in the region. Edward Sallow chose to use his knowledge to aid the Blackfoot in their war, including weapon maintenance, explosives, and strategy. For this, Sallow was made the leader of the Blackfoot, and he named himself Caesar, reorganizing the Blackfoot into the Legion.

Using a strategy of 'Divide and Conquer' and total war, Caesar went after the weakest of the seven tribes first, the Ridgers. Every member of the tribe, man, woman, and child were killed. The six remaining tribes, including the Fredonians and the Kaibabs were then given the choice to surrender to the Legion. At first they refused, but were then told to see the ruins of the Ridgers. The concept of total war was alien to these tribes, and upon seeing the brutality dealt by the Legion, they chose to surrender. With the conquest of the Grand Canyon Tribes, the Legion was established. Joshua Graham became Caesars right-hand man, known as the Malpais Legate, while Bill Calhoun was sent west back to California with the news of the Legion's rise.

Conquest of the 86 Tribes
Caesars Legion would expand from their base in the Grand Canyon in all directions, into the rest of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Caesar sought to enslave the many tribes in the region, break down their tribal identities, and replace it with the ideology of the Legion, with himself at the head. By 2250, Caesar had declared himself the son of Mars, and instituted a new religion in the Legion. By 2255, he had conquered Flagstaff, and made it his Capital.

In the early days of the Legion, the Twisted Hairs tribe in Arizona were allies to the Legion, and often served as scouts on their behalf. However eventually the Legion would repay their alliance by turning on the Twisted Hairs, conquering and enslaving them. Those that that resisted were crucified on the I-40.

During the wars of expansion, the Desert Rangers, a group of survivalists that sought to keep order in the wastes were pushed out of the states of Arizona and Utah by the Legion. Despite superior equipment and training, the Rangers were forced to retreat into Nevada, where they would petition for annexation by the NCR in exchange for protection of the Mojave against the Legion in 2271- bringing the Legion and NCR into conflict.

In Arizona, Caesar would conquer the Painted Rock tribe and the Hidebarks, the 67th tribe of the Legion, home to the future Legate Lanius. The Settlement of Two Sun and Pheonix would also be absorbed by the Legion.

In Colorado, the Twin Mothers tribe would be exterminated. Legate Lanius would lead the Denver Campaign to take Dog-Town and the Hangdogs. Though ultimately successful when the Legion burned the Hangdogs spirit animals, forcing their surrender, the campaign was very costly, due to attrition and long supply lines, and so the campaign served to slow the Legions expansion, at least for a time. As Joshua Graham was unaware of Legate Lanius, this suggests the Denver Campaign took place between the first and second battles of Hoover Dam (2277 and 2281 respectively).

Caesar controls all of New Mexico, and claims to control most of Utah. However New Canaan was independent up until 2281 when they were sacked by the White Legs a Utah Tribe seeking annexation by the Legion, and trained by the Frumentarii Ulysses. Dead Horse Point and Zion Canyon, home to the Dead Horses and Sorrows tribes, allies to the Mormons were also independent by 2281. Control of Utah would ultimately be decided with the War for Zion. The Legion may also have territories in Oklahoma and Texas.

At some point the Legion came into conflict with members of the Brotherhood of Steel- T-45d pauldrons were taken as trophies by Centurions. According to Caesar, the Brotherhood soldiers he fought were unaware of their own history.

Aftermath
The Legions Wars of Expansion resulted in the conquest of 86 tribes, and firmly established the Legion as the major power in the Four States Commonwealth. Their wars would spiral into yet more conflicts, namely the NCR-Legion War across the Colorado River and into Nevada, and the New Canaan-Legion War in pursuit of the former Malpais Legate.