The Aurellian Crusade

[Crovan]

So, I seemed to remember there being a thread at one point cataloging everyone's crusades, but now it appears to have gone missing. All the same, I've meant to get my own thread started anyway. This fluff was somewhat created in a vacuum, so if I've transgressed too badly on canon, feel free to point it out.

 

The Aurellian Crusade

 

At the launching of the 13th Black Crusade, there was no official Black Templar presence among the defenders of the Cadian Gate. When the Despoiler's forces came howling through the Eye of Terror, Marshal Aurellian's forces had recently concluded operations in a minor crusade to liberate imperial worlds in Segmentum Pacificus from the ravages of Waaagh Goldtoof. The ancient fires of hatred that burn in the soul of every Templar roared with new fury at the news, and Aurellian immediately ordered his battle barge Sword of the Faithful to make ready for a journey to Segmentum Obscurus. The Crusade did not take the most direct route, since the Marshal's forces had suffered significant losses fighting the greenskin menace. As a result, the route instead took them near chapter keeps and known Black Templar staging points in order to recruit additional Initiates to their most holy mission. Marshals and Castellans were often able to spare only a few brothers from their own sacred Crusades, but Aurellian's numbers slowly rose all the same. The one notable exception was when the Crusade encountered a fighting company of Templars taking on additional neophytes at a chapter keep in the Icarus system. The commander of the fighting company, Castellan Lucius had come to a similar conclusion regarding the threat of the Black Crusade, and agreed to join his own forces under those of Marshal Aurellian. In addition, his strike cruiser, Light of Truth to Aurellian's own Sword of the Faithful.

 

The newly bolstered forces of the Aurellian Crusade continued their journey, but encountered increasing incidences of planets which had been or were in the process of being subverted by lead elements of the Alpha Legion and Word Bearers traitor legions and their followers. Unable to tolerate the perversion of the Emperor's subjects in the face of such a serious threat from beyond the Eye, Marshal Aurellian, in addition to his chaplains and Castellan Lucius, elected to devote additional effort to not only uprooting those infiltrations as they encountered them, but to actively seek them out en route. While their progress has slowed as a result, innumerable of the Emperor's faithful subjects have been spared the ravages of Chaos, not to mention the impact that the cutting of supply lines from many of those worlds would have meant to the continuing effort. Still, the Aurellian Crusade remains fixed with lethal intensity on reaching the Cadian Gate and throwing back the invaders.

 

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Crusade Fleet

 

Battle Barge Sword of the Faithful

Strike Cruiser Light of Truth

 

Crusade Officers

 

Marshal Aurellian

Castellan Lucius

Master of Sanctity Gaius

Reclusiarch Sariel

 

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I've only got a few models at or near completion, but I wanted to put up pics of what models I do have. It's been years since I put serious effort into completing an army, so this should be an interesting ride. My painting skills are admittedly rusty, but I'm already seeing some improvement. Here's hoping it continues :tu:.

 

http://i.imgur.com/oOjaP.jpg

2 Five man Crusader Squads, each with Plasma Gun and Lascannon. I've gone with shoulders similar to what I saw in Firepower's Templars. They had white shoulders at one point, but I really do like the somewhat more characterful look of the bone shoulders. Go easy on the hand-painted crosses ;). They have some detail work left to do, but it is nice to have them about to the point where I'd feel comfortable putting them on the table as "painted."

 

http://i.imgur.com/fyEsu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e2j8S.jpg

Reclusiarch Sariel, as seen in the Chaos at the Gates challenge.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wYxVy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MlPaI.jpg

 

A "complete" assault marine. I'm sure I'll find more I want to do, but this is a decent example of where my skills stand as of this point. (except I clearly need to touch up the skulls on his tabard, ick).

 

Anyhoo, CC always welcome both on the fluff and the painting.