Welcome back, faithful followers of the Emperor, to another captivating chapter in our exploration of the incredible tapestry that is Warhammer 40,000. Today, we delve into the ruthless galaxy of the 36th Millennium, a time etched into the annals of history as the Age of Apostasy.
We recount the legendary Crusade to Anor, a battle waged against the ominous Beast that had ensnared the world in its savage grip. Many brave souls perished at the hands of this monstrous creature, until the mighty Primark Vulcan vanquished it once and for all. Yet, despite the Beast’s demise, the relentless Orcs carried on the fight for several more Terran years, leading to the tragic death of Captain Corand.
This era bore witness to the valiant Imperial Fists chapter’s demise, a loss mourned across the Imperium. Yet, from the ashes rose the Crimson Fists and several successor chapters, who sacrificed part of their strength to resurrect the parent chapter, embodying the undying spirit of their forebears.
One of the most memorable campaigns of the Crimson Fists was the Crusade of Righteous Liberation, a relentless war fought over 300 Terran years. The Crimson Fists undertook the monumental task of reclaiming control over lost Imperial Worlds, breaking through warp storms to reach planets plunged into anarchy or captured by the xenos.
The first world to be liberated was VTA, oppressed under the iron fist of the Orc War Boss, Garan Asgar. Four companies of the Crimson Fists descended upon VTA, led by the valiant Captain Sandreas. Their azure armor gleamed in the harsh light as they launched a ferocious assault on the Munitions mines, reduced factories to ashes, and gunned down convoys transporting food and weapons.
They struck like a lightning bolt, scattering the Orcs who were desperately trying to protect their surviving facilities. Capitalizing on the disarray, Captain Sandreas regrouped his forces and launched an audacious attack on Nasar’s Fortress, nestled in the ruins of what was once the world’s capital. The War Boss could only watch helplessly as the mighty Astartes advanced through the devastated city, laying waste to everything in their path.
The final counterattack was led by Nasar himself, but even his team of knobs proved futile against the concentrated fire of the Crimson Fists. With the War Boss’s death, the Fists departed VTA, leaving the remnants of the green skins to be finished off by the liberated local inhabitants.
This victory marked the first of 84 worlds reclaimed in the Lona Imperium over the course of the Crusade. However, the battle losses were significant, leading to a decline in the chapter’s numbers. Despite the inability to recruit neophytes to replace the fallen, the Crimson Fists persevered, breaking the 4-century siege of Barel.
By the conclusion of the Crusade of Righteous Liberation, only 128 Space Marines survived. These were consolidated into one company, known thereafter as the Crusader Company. Comprising of 128 warriors, it came to be considered a bad omen to go to war without them.
Following the grueling 300-year Crusade, the Crimson Fists underwent a significant cultural shift. They abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled on Rynn’s World, a planet that would henceforth be their homeworld. Here, they built their Fortress Monastery in the inhospitable Hellblade Mountains, retaining their feudal rights while allowing the local nobility to govern, a testament to the teachings of Rogal Dorn.
But as with all tales in the grim darkness of the far future, peace is but a fleeting illusion. Stay tuned, brethren, as we delve deeper into the mysteries of the 36th Millennium in our next installment.
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