The Grail Wardens: a Liber Astartes Group Project

[Sir Perfluous]

The little quote of yours from the timeline further up the page worked for me:

 

While the first founding chapters were called to contribute to these crusades, very few were in fact able to participate. In particular, the Blood Angels were asked by the High Lords of Terra to secure five sectors in the Segmentum Pacificus, who had at the time seceded alongside Nova Terra.

The IX Legion were at the time occupied with the final destruction of the forces of WAAAGH Vangrod and the Chaos Incursion of Silas Gorehand, and were constrained to pass on their regrets to the masters of Humanity. However, in order to preserve the reputation of the Sons of Sanguinius, the conclave of the descendants of the Blood Angels convened, and proposed a joint force of successor chapters: and so, the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, the Crimson Knights and the Carmine Cardinals would take part in a campaign that would go down in their annals as the Red Crusade.

Why they picked that particular sector, though, we should probably work out, unless it was just randomly allocated.

 

Though, thinking about it - and this might be irrelevant - but if the Knights Resplendant are Cursed Founding, would the Imperium trust them to clear out a chaos-infested sector? If not, should we think up a reason? Maybe they would - we'd need someone with more authority in these things than I to say.

[Minigiant]

Why they picked that particular sector, though, we should probably work out, unless it was just randomly allocated.

 

I think it is an opportunity to come up with something cool, to add more context and depth to the story. Someone wanna come up with something for that?

 

Though, thinking about it - and this might be irrelevant - but if the Knights Resplendant are Cursed Founding, would the Imperium trust them to clear out a chaos-infested sector? If not, should we think up a reason? Maybe they would - we'd need someone with more authority in these things than I to say.

 

 

Yeah agreed, people in the know, thoughts?

Maybe it could be as simple as the Knights Revenant bringing them along being their founding chapter after all

@Slavetodarkness, any thoughts on this?

 

Edit: Updated Link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1heyAYBInRZTXqV_DoEYBrGQTkMnmig-iz9DlHy4pGE4/edit?usp=sharing

Edited May 6, 2016 by Minigiant

[Sir Perfluous]

Speaking of which, are the K Rev. the K Res' founding chapter or the other way round? At the minute, the Rev. have an earlier founding, so probably Rev. first. Just need to sort it out on my head, is all. Either way fits my fluff - though Rev. being the parent would probably be better.

 

We'll probably need STD's opinion, thinking about it.

[Minigiant]

Speaking of which, are the K Rev. the K Res' founding chapter or the other way round? At the minute, the Rev. have an earlier founding, so probably Rev. first. Just need to sort it out on my head, is all. Either way fits my fluff - though Rev. being the parent would probably be better.

 

We'll probably need STD's opinion, thinking about it.

As it stands the Knights Revenant are the founding chapter of the Knights Resplendent

[Sir Perfluous]

Molto bene. I will note it on the IA.

[Minigiant]

Actually, I think randomly assigned works (can always come back to it if need)

 

While the first founding chapters were called to contribute to these crusades, very few were in fact able to participate. In particular, the Blood Angels were randomly assigned by the High Lords of Terra to secure five sectors in the Segmentum Pacificus, who had at the time seceded alongside Nova Terra.
The IX Legion were at the time occupied with the final destruction of the forces of WAAAGH Vangrod and the Chaos Incursion of Silas Gorehand, and were constrained to pass on their regrets to the masters of Humanity. However, in order to preserve the reputation of the Sons of Sanguinius, the conclave of the descendants of the Blood Angels convened, and proposed a joint force of successor chapters: and so, the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, the Crimson Knights and the Carmine Cardinals would take part in a campaign that would go down in their annals as the Red Crusade.

 

Now if you accept that as the pretext for the Crusade? We can move on to what actually occurred during it

 

So from my understanding it goes a little like this

 

1. Why was it the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, the Crimson Knights and the Carmine Cardinals that went?

2. Knights Resplendent, okay for a curse founding?

3. Warp Rift spewing out all sorts

4. Marines fight to close it

5. They have to use an artifact to do it (That was or becomes the grail?)

6. During all this the Crimson Knights are destroyed

 

Before we go into detail, any more points that need to be added here?

 

Ideas to be added to this

Knights Resplendent first taint of Chaos?

Edited May 6, 2016 by Minigiant

[Slave to Darkness]

Jeez that was a lot to read :lol:

 

Maybe its not common knowledge that Im cursed founding? Though Im happy bein dragged along by someone else for the party, reasons how I ended up there dont bother me too much, Ill let you guys figure that out as my knowledge on the Imperial side of doing things is a bit sketchy since I became a full time Chaos player. As for how I turned, my Chapter Master/Lord was a bit of an arrogant and vein bastard, why bend over backwards to help the little man and get no thanks, after all arnt Astartes above humans? Slaanesh whispers praise him and stroke his ego etc etc etc. Im still working out the finer details on this but between ETL prep and this god damn heat scrambling my brain my focus has gon a bi... Ooooh look! A shiny!!!! :lol:

 

Also wasnt Golgotha the planet where Ghazgull fought Yarrick (and captured him)? Im sure it was mentioned in the old Epic batrep with orks vs guard/squats...

Edited May 6, 2016 by SlaveToDarkness

[Minigiant]

Jeez that was a lot to read

My apologies, I do feel like I am hijacking this thread a little. But believe me, I am only posting 50% of the stuff I am noting and writing down

 

Maybe its not common knowledge that Im cursed founding? Though Im happy bein dragged along by someone else for the party, reasons how I ended up there dont bother me too much, Ill let you guys figure that out as my knowledge on the Imperial side of doing things is a bit sketchy since I became a full time Chaos player. As for how I turned, my Chapter Master/Lord was a bit of an arrogant and vein bastard, why bend over backwards to help the little man and get no thanks, after all arnt Astartes above humans? Slaanesh whispers praise him and stroke his ego etc etc etc. Im still working out the finer details on this but between ETL prep and this god damn heat scrambling my brain my focus has gon a bi... Ooooh look! A shiny!!!!

 

I think it is very doable writing in your chapter. Knowing what your curse is/was would go a long way

 

Maybe it is not common knowledge or maybe at the time it is not a curse

[Minigiant]

So I have attempted to write the bit that connects Lord Thorns bit to what will be the real 'meat' of the Red Crusade

 

Vandire has just been defeated, yet parts of the Imperium have yet to be reconquered following the dire events of the Nova Terra Interregnum and the Age of Apostasy.

 

In an effort to stabilise the regime of the Council of Terra, the High Lords declare a dozen crusades, targeting various parts of the galaxy, sending out contingents from more than fifty Space Marine Chapters, old and new, and it has been suggested that a thousand new Imperial Guard regiments were formed just in order to take part in them.

 

This time also marks the first Holy War launched by Sebastian Thor since his accession to the throne of the Ecclesiarch, during which several of the founding orders of the newly-formed Adepta Sororitas fight on fronts spanning the entire Milky-Way.

 

While the first founding chapters were called to contribute to these crusades, very few were in fact able to participate. In particular, the Blood Angels were randomly assigned  to secure five sectors in the Segmentum Pacificus by the High Lords of Terra, who had at the time seceded alongside Nova Terra.

 

The IX Legion were at the time occupied with the final destruction of the forces of WAAAGH Vangrod and the Chaos Incursion of Silas Gorehand, and were constrained to pass on their regrets to the masters of Humanity. However, in order to preserve the reputation of the Sons of Sanguinius, the conclave of the descendants of the Blood Angels convened, and proposed a joint force of successor chapters: and so, the Sanguinary Crusaders, Knights Resplendent, Crimson Knights,  and the Carmine Cardinals would take part in a campaign that would go down in their annals as the Red Crusade.

 

This operation would prove pivotal in the history of these chapters, yet today, they remember little of it but the taking of the world of Golgotha. Golgotha had always been an extremely populous planet, and had even been considered a shrine world for three different factions within the Ecclesiarchy for the past two Millenia before the Nova Terra Interregnum.

 

This of course caused many tensions between the inhabitants, and the secession of the Planetary Governor did nothing but compound rivalries and enmities: finally, civil war broke out among them, a war that lasted five centuries, during which the earth of Golgotha saw countless deaths, murders and other atrocities. These proved to be fertile ground for Chaos Cults, and without supervision on behalf of the Inquisition or the Adeptus Arbites, the religious tensions progressively turned the combat into something unholy.

 

Little today is known of the events that transpired during those dark years, but when the host of the Red Crusade at Golgotha, they discovered what can be best described as a Warp Rift. Upon the surface of the planet, mortals fought, drank, and cavorted with Daemons.

 

With the rest of the star systems returned to the imperial fold an all-out assault on Golgotha was being prepared. Initial intelligence reported that the rift was growing, being fed from four defiled imperial temples. The Space Marines of the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, the Crimson Knights and the Carmine Cardinals would be the Emperor’s instrument of divine justice. They must do everything they could to prevent the growth of rift. The plans were made; each Chapter would undertake a coup d’etat mission on their assigned temple, destroying whatever is feeding the hell hole. From there they must push on towards the rift from all four sides and send back the daemons to once they came.

 

With that the Marines readied themselves for battle. Boltguns and power armour were anointed and blessed one last time by the Company Chaplain for the final assault. Chapters ancient brothers were awoken and their their dreadnought systems checked and declared fully functional by Techmarines. The Chapters were preparing for war, and it would be a war few would forget.

 

The Adeptus Astartes fleets swept into position in low orbit and the order was given to launch the drop pods and Thunderhawks. The launch operation moved with clockwork precision. One after another the Thunderhawks took off and drop pods sped away from the strike cruiser, burning through the atmosphere and plunging downwards, retro-thrusters re-orientating each pod so that it remained true to its pre-programmed landing co-ordinates. From the surface of Golgotha you witnessed a daunting amount of burning trails of lights, those that saw it would soon learn of the might of its content.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Now I thought the next bit could be four small tales of each chapters assault on their assigned temples. Then come back to all four assaulting the rift

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

With all four temples now destroyed, the rift is no longer expanding but it still continues to spew out all manner of contorted creatures. All chapters converge onto the rift from their positions, smiting down anything that gets in their way. The rift is huge and for every one they put down it is spitting out two more, through sheer numbers it will grind down the finest warriors the Emperor can throw at it.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Then somehow cut to using the grail to seal the rift

Edited May 8, 2016 by Minigiant

[Slave to Darkness]

 

 

Jeez that was a lot to read

My apologies, I do feel like I am hijacking this thread a little. But believe me, I am only posting 50% of the stuff I am noting and writing down

Maybe its not common knowledge that Im cursed founding? Though Im happy bein dragged along by someone else for the party, reasons how I ended up there dont bother me too much, Ill let you guys figure that out as my knowledge on the Imperial side of doing things is a bit sketchy since I became a full time Chaos player. As for how I turned, my Chapter Master/Lord was a bit of an arrogant and vein bastard, why bend over backwards to help the little man and get no thanks, after all arnt Astartes above humans? Slaanesh whispers praise him and stroke his ego etc etc etc. Im still working out the finer details on this but between ETL prep and this god damn heat scrambling my brain my focus has gon a bi... Ooooh look! A shiny!!!!

I think it is very doable writing in your chapter. Knowing what your curse is/was would go a long way

 

Maybe it is not common knowledge or maybe at the time it is not a curse

No need to apologize, its better to have a lot to read than nothing at all. :tu:

 

Curse wise atm I have no idea. A lot of my stuff is visually based on the Helraiser Cenobites, maybe some form of mental instability that was the main cause of the Chapter master to look down on those he protects as weak, worthless subhuman scum. After Slaaneshi influence creeps in it speeds up the mental degredation and they turn into complete loonys with a body modification fetish? Thats just off the top of my head. Ill have a think on it tonight.

[Kelborn]

Hey guys,

 

here are my first thoughts and impressions of my participating Knight Household:

 

The people of Lordahron (including several Knight Households under the leadership of House Atreis) are facing a great plague. Its origin lies within a small cult of mutants and psykers dedicated to Nurgle.

 

The nearest imperial institution was the Raven Guard with their Primarch Corax being found lately. Since Lordahrons rediscovery via Corax the plague was spread over nearly all of Lordahron, the victims of it becoming mindless servants of the cults leader, Nar'Rhul, a potent mutant and psyker of Nurgle. The cult was able to infiltrate several minor Houses, threatening House Atreis. When they were finally discovered by the Raven Guard, the imperial forces couldn't do anything to help them. Instead of being cured, the very last pure survivors of Lordahron were evacuated, taking their precious Knight suits with them.

Now a shattered House without a planet to call their home and drastically reduced in numbers, they started an orbital bombardment, annihilating everything left on Lordahron. With their home in flames, the survivors unified under a new banner: the Burning Blade.

Regardless of their origin, the Knights of the Burning Blade joined the Great Crusade. Orbiting their burning home, they swore to purge the galaxy of those they blame for their loss: mutants, psykers and something unholy bejond their understanding.

Instead of resettling their people, the Knights of the Burning Blade gathered multiple ships under their banner until they had their very own fleet of transport ships, battleships and so on. Led by the zealous Grand Crusader Renault Dathrohan, the Knights of the Burning Blade will not stop until the galaxy is purged. During the centuries, they befriended the Space Marine chapter of the Black Templars and the Adeptus Sororitas. They were also joined by several Knights and their suites who share their believes, be it a former Freeblade or a former member of another House. Even several imperial units of the Astra Militarum joined their cause.

Furthermore, they've started to secretly use caged psykers as an additional weapon against the discovered forces of chaos. For them, psykers have no more rights to be free. Their soul is tainted with the foul corruption of chaos and they can only redeem themselves when being used against it.

 

During their service, they travelled across the whole Imperium. During the so called Red Crusade, they helped the sons of the angel Sanguinius to hold off a demon invasion. Many Knights fell in the last battle of Golgotha.

Centuries later, the holy grail, which was necessary to keep the warp rift on Golgotha closed and for which their ancestors had given their life to protect, was stolen. The Knights of the Burning Blade gathered their troops and announced a new crusade of retrieving the ancient artifact. As they've entered the realm of Golgotha, they found the scions of the former Wardens searching for the Grail as well. Unworthy in the Knights eyes for losing the Grail, the crusade denied their help and searched on its own.

 

What do you think of it?

[Minigiant]

Overall I think it is fine, I dont know a lot about the intricacies of Knight houses to be very helpful with most of it. The final bit though, I think is interesting:

 

Furthermore, they've started to secretly use caged psykers as an additional weapon against the discovered forces of chaos. For them, psykers have no more rights to be free. Their soul is tainted with the foul corruption of chaos and they can only redeem themselves when being used against it.

So a stance of Psykers creates some questions?

For example How do they feel about the Librarians that sealed the rift?

It creates some interesting dynamics between my sisters and the knights hiding the reality of caged psykers

 

During their service, they travelled across the whole Imperium. During the so called Red Crusade, they helped the sons of the angel Sanguinius to hold off a demon invasion. Many Knights fell in the last battle of Golgotha.

Fleet based Knights is cool. So they helped out of revenge? Honour?

 

Centuries later, the holy grail, which was necessary to keep the warp rift on Golgotha closed and for which their ancestors had given their life to protect, was stolen. The Knights of the Burning Blade gathered their troops and announced a new crusade of retrieving the ancient artifact. As they've entered the realm of Golgotha, they found the scions of the former Wardens searching for the Grail as well. Unworthy in the Knights eyes for losing the Grail, the crusade denied their help and searched on its own.
 

Unworthy? Or still bitter at not being allowed to be a Warden? (That escalates into feelings of the grail rightfully belonging to them?)

 

Keep it up

[Kelborn]

Like every psyker, those who gave their life to seal the rift, only fullfilled their purpose: die fighting and serving the Imperium. They don't venerate the psykers. Why should they? Would you venerate a mere tool for doing its job?

 

Their ancestors gave their lifes for this grail. The Astartes lost it and therefore dishonored the sacrifices of the Burning Blade and became unworthy of guarding it. To regain their honor, the current Knights want to find the grail. So, yeah. Honor and revenge. Like the black templars they are driven by their hate.

[Minigiant]

Any thoughts on my added on bit, I thought a section on each chapters assault on their assigned temple would give each their little moment in the sunlight in the story. Also it allows us to inflict the serious casualties on the Crimson Knights so that we can kill them off.

 

Are you okay with Temples?

Should each temple be a different chaos god?

 

If @Arkangilos you write your assault and @SlaveToDarkness writes theirs. Then the rest of us can divide up and write the Crimson Knights and Carmine Cardinals. @Sir Perfluous I know you wanted to do the Cardinals IA, would you like to help write up this bit?

 

Once this is done we can get down to the challenge of resolving what actually happened with the grail

Edited May 7, 2016 by Minigiant

[Sir Perfluous]

I don't know if having four temples, one for each god, one for each chapter, wouldn't seem a bit contrived. It could work, and as you say, it would give each chapter a moment in the sun, but is feels a bit Temple of Elemental Evil.

[Minigiant]

That was a concern I had but It doesnt need to be four temples. Just four elements of chaos that need to be destroyed before assaulting the breach itself.

I will stand by trying to give each chapter a spotlight.

That way we can have the Cardinals do their first of two epic things, fatally wound the crimson knights (to get killed off), may want the Knights resplendent have their first brush with chaos, and the crusaders can be a shining example type thing

[Sir Perfluous]

I agree that each chapter should get a spotlight, though that doesn't have to be each having their own individual awesome fight. Just something interesting that happens. The fight as a whole should be awesome, though.

 

The Crimson Knights could be sent on (or volunteer for) a suicide mission of crucial importance, succeeding but being virtually destroyed, a la Astral Knights, then survive long enough to be able to have their heads cradled by the other chapters and say "It is done", before dying.

 

The Knights Resplendent  could break into the inner sanctum and witness a great display of power, and have some daemon or high prince tempt them by promising to show them the true strength of the Dark Side of the Warp. As they teeter, unsure how to proceed, the Crimson Cardinals come barging in and put the doubt out of mind by hitting everything with pointy implements. Like the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (aptly enough) where Sir Lancelot "rescues" Sir Galahad from Castle Anthrax.

 

The Crimson Cardinals, prior to preventing the Knights Resplendent from turning into Darth Vader, have been doing all sorts of awesome things. Thinking about it, I think we should actually have the Cardinals be the leaders of this crusade - they're NPCs, so no arguing there, and it'd give them a reason to stay as the full time Wardens and adopt Golgotha as their homeworld. So we should give them something awesome to do in the final battle. I'm sure we can think of something.

 

The Sanguinary Crusaders can be generally holy. I dunno. Any ideas, Arkangilos?

 

Whaddaya think?

[Minigiant]

@Sir Perfluous I love all that, think that works really well

 

Any ideas on suicide mission?

 

Maybe for the Sanguinary Crusaders its as simple as them leading and holding the line while the other chapters complete their missions and objectives

 

Edit: I have a name I want to use, maybe for an assassin or something. The Scarlet Sicario. Just noting it down here for reference

Edited May 7, 2016 by Minigiant

[Minigiant]

Okay so from this

 

 

So I have attempted to write the bit that connects Lord Thorns bit to what will be the real 'meat' of the Red Crusade

 

Vandire has just been defeated, yet parts of the Imperium have yet to be reconquered following the dire events of the Nova Terra Interregnum and the Age of Apostasy.

 

In an effort to stabilise the regime of the Council of Terra, the High Lords declare a dozen crusades, targeting various parts of the galaxy, sending out contingents from more than fifty Space Marine Chapters, old and new, and it has been suggested that a thousand new Imperial Guard regiments were formed just in order to take part in them.

 

This time also marks the first Holy War launched by Sebastian Thor since his accession to the throne of the Ecclesiarch, during which several of the founding orders of the newly-formed Adepta Sororitas fight on fronts spanning the entire Milky-Way.

 

While the first founding chapters were called to contribute to these crusades, very few were in fact able to participate. In particular, the Blood Angels were randomly assigned  to secure five sectors in the Segmentum Pacificus by the High Lords of Terra, who had at the time seceded alongside Nova Terra.

 

The IX Legion were at the time occupied with the final destruction of the forces of WAAAGH Vangrod and the Chaos Incursion of Silas Gorehand, and were constrained to pass on their regrets to the masters of Humanity. However, in order to preserve the reputation of the Sons of Sanguinius, the conclave of the descendants of the Blood Angels convened, and proposed a joint force of successor chapters: and so, the Sanguinary Crusaders, Knights Resplendent, Crimson Knights,  and the Carmine Cardinals would take part in a campaign that would go down in their annals as the Red Crusade.

 

This operation would prove pivotal in the history of these chapters, yet today, they remember little of it but the taking of the world of Golgotha. Golgotha had always been an extremely populous planet, and had even been considered a shrine world for three different factions within the Ecclesiarchy for the past two Millenia before the Nova Terra Interregnum.

 

This of course caused many tensions between the inhabitants, and the secession of the Planetary Governor did nothing but compound rivalries and enmities: finally, civil war broke out among them, a war that lasted five centuries, during which the earth of Golgotha saw countless deaths, murders and other atrocities. These proved to be fertile ground for Chaos Cults, and without supervision on behalf of the Inquisition or the Adeptus Arbites, the religious tensions progressively turned the combat into something unholy.

 

Little today is known of the events that transpired during those dark years, but when the host of the Red Crusade at Golgotha, they discovered what can be best described as a Warp Rift. Upon the surface of the planet, mortals fought, drank, and cavorted with Daemons.

 

With the rest of the star systems returned to the imperial fold an all-out assault on Golgotha was being prepared. Initial intelligence reported that the rift was growing, being fed from four defiled imperial temples. The Space Marines of the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, the Crimson Knights and the Carmine Cardinals would be the Emperor’s instrument of divine justice. They must do everything they could to prevent the growth of rift. The plans were made; each Chapter would undertake a coup d’etat mission on their assigned temple, destroying whatever is feeding the hell hole. From there they must push on towards the rift from all four sides and send back the daemons to once they came.

 

With that the Marines readied themselves for battle. Boltguns and power armour were anointed and blessed one last time by the Company Chaplain for the final assault. Chapters ancient brothers were awoken and their their dreadnought systems checked and declared fully functional by Techmarines. The Chapters were preparing for war, and it would be a war few would forget.

 

The Adeptus Astartes fleets swept into position in low orbit and the order was given to launch the drop pods and Thunderhawks. The launch operation moved with clockwork precision. One after another the Thunderhawks took off and drop pods sped away from the strike cruiser, burning through the atmosphere and plunging downwards, retro-thrusters re-orientating each pod so that it remained true to its pre-programmed landing co-ordinates. From the surface of Golgotha you witnessed a daunting amount of burning trails of lights, those that saw it would soon learn of the might of its content.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Now I thought the next bit could be four small tales of each chapters assault on their assigned temples. Then come back to all four assaulting the rift

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

With all four temples now destroyed, the rift is no longer expanding but it still continues to spew out all manner of contorted creatures. All chapters converge onto the rift from their positions, smiting down anything that gets in their way. The rift is huge and for every one they put down it is spitting out two more, through sheer numbers it will grind down the finest warriors the Emperor can throw at it.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Then somehow cut to using the grail to seal the rift

 

A few developments and alterations. 4 Temples seems to 'tidy' but each chapter having their role to play before uniting is a good idea. The suggestion was too have the Crimson Knights do a suicide mission. The Carmine Cardinals do something epic. Then the other two do something

 

So I have a few questions

 

1. What is a good enough suicide mission that cripples a chapter?

 

2. @SlavetoDarkness Do you want your chapter to have their first brush with chaos here?

 

3. What should the other two chapters missions be?

 

I would love to see if we can get a first draft done of the Red Crusade this weekend

 

The other thing, Sir Perf, STD and I have been discussing the Carmine Cardinals and a small IA for them. We all liked the idea that they are a sort of Spartan esq, as it would make a great 300 moment open their death

[Bjorn Firewalker]

1. What is a good enough suicide mission that cripples a chapter?

You're probably thinking of something on the scale of the Astral Knights' efforts to destroy the Necron World Engine, or the Invaders' assault on Craftworld Idharae. The Astral Knights willingly sacrificed their own Chapter to stop the Necron superweapon; the Invaders suffered grievous casualties during the assault, leaving their homeworld and their fortress-monastery vulnerable when Craftworld Alaitoc attacked them in retaliation.

[Kelborn]

These are multiple possibilities:

 

-Ork Waaagh! Werd tasked to defend a certain planet and underestimated the Orkd.

-Sabotage or robbery of their geneseed stock like when NL attacked Vilamus.

-Alpha Legion shenanigans

-a long and vile plan of Eldar to get rid of them to liberate former Exodit worlds

-fought traitors and Werd overwhelmed. Grey Knights appear to save the day but too late for them

-Argument between them and the Inquisition / church

-fought a Black Crusade like the extinguished Warhawks

 

Something like that?

[Doctor Perils]

Wow, lots of cool stuff coming out! It's going to take me a bit of time to compile all this in my head Sorry, but this post is going to be a bit rambling (as my posts so often are) ^^

 

+++

 

Minigiant, I have edited the first post to include the current emblem devised.

 

+++

 

First off, I've increasingly been thinking that the Crimson Host, once they discover they have been manipulated all this time by daemons, just deciding to call quits and go off to do their own thing is a bit... anti-climactic?

 

So what if the Crimson Cohort (the Crimson Host renamed) decide (possibly after several years), to take part in the Grail Quest/Campaign, but on the Imperial side (rather than the Grail Warden's side). They'd be totally traitors against their own kin, but if they believe that their own kin have been deceiving them all this time (which was one of the reasons they originally left), it seems justified.

 

+++

 

One thing that we haven't explored in a long time which we should probably revisit is how the Grail is connected to the Flaw. I think we have long since discounted the option that it could be believed to cure the Red Thirst and the Black Rage, but there may be other possible links: possibly, Blood Angels in presence of the Grail feel a deepened connection to their Primarch, which can make them fight better, but more prone to fall to the Flaw.

 

+++

 

For the participants in the Red Crusade, I think it would be best and more logical (read "simplest to explain later") if it was only the "parents" of the lineages that took part, ie the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Archangels, the Carmine Cardinals, and the Knights Revenant. (That is, if those are indeed the ones that found the "families").

 

I'd suggest that the [Crimson Knights] descend from the Sanguinary Crusaders, as their personalities seem closer than the Archangels'.

 

I'm also thinking that we could call these "families" "blood-lines", named after the chapter master taking part in the Red Crusade that swore the oath. ie, we could have the "Line of Lot", including the Carmine Cardinals, the Red Sentinels, the Silver Sons and the Crimson Host; the "Line of Pellinore" including the Knights Revenant and the Knights Resplendant; the "Line of Bors", including only the Archangels; and the "Line of Ban" including the Sanguinary Crusaders and the [Crimson Knights].

This would make it far easier to refer to one of the "families". (of course, we should choose names that won't be quite as obvious)

 

+++

 

I still feel that we should give the [Crimson Knights] a different name, not only because the original Crimson Knights were created by an absent member (and it would be unfair to take this chapter places he wouldn't want them to go), and also because we already have enough Knights and Shades of Red...

 

+++

 

In fact, I don't know if you'd noticed, but these four "Red Crusader" chapters seem to represent very distinctive facets of the Blood Angels: "normal" Blood Angels, the Sanguinary Guard, the Chaplaincy and Priesthood, and the Flawed. We could possibly spin some sort of tale from this...

 

+++

 

EDIT: I'm also changing the Crimson Host's founder to me, as that is the case...

Edited May 8, 2016 by Lord Thørn

[Sir Perfluous]

https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/313265-the-grail-wardens-a-liber-astartes-group-project/page/17/#findComment-4388558

Share on other sites

---

More sharing options...

[Minigiant]

Wow, lots of cool stuff coming out! It's going to take me a bit of time to compile all this in my head Sorry, but this post is going to be a bit rambling (as my posts so often are) ^^

 

+++

 

Minigiant, I have edited the first post to include the current emblem devised.

 

Yeah sorry, I have been posting a lit. What can I say, I am enthusiastic

 

+++

 

First off, I've increasingly been thinking that the Crimson Host, once they discover they have been manipulated all this time by daemons, just deciding to call quits and go off to do their own thing is a bit... anti-climactic?

 

So what if the Crimson Cohort (the Crimson Host renamed) decide (possibly after several years), to take part in the Grail Quest/Campaign, but on the Imperial side (rather than the Grail Warden's side). They'd be totally traitors against their own kin, but if they believe that their own kin have been deceiving them all this time (which was one of the reasons they originally left), it seems justified.

 

I think that could work, balance out the sides a little bit. Creates an interesting dynamic between all the Imperial factions as well

 

 

One thing that we haven't explored in a long time which we should probably revisit is how the Grail is connected to the Flaw. I think we have long since discounted the option that it could be believed to cure the Red Thirst and the Black Rage, but there may be other possible links: possibly, Blood Angels in presence of the Grail feel a deepened connection to their Primarch, which can make them fight better, but more prone to fall to the Flaw.

 

My understanding of the Flaw is pretty vague, so better people should figure that bit out

 

+++

 

For the participants in the Red Crusade, I think it would be best and more logical (read "simplest to explain later") if it was only the "parents" of the lineages that took part, ie the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Archangels, the Carmine Cardinals, and the Knights Revenant. (That is, if those are indeed the ones that found the "families").

 

I'd suggest that the [Crimson Knights] descend from the Sanguinary Crusaders, as their personalities seem closer than the Archangels'.

 

I'm also thinking that we could call these "families" "blood-lines", named after the chapter master taking part in the Red Crusade that swore the oath. ie, we could have the "Line of Lot", including the Carmine Cardinals, the Red Sentinels, the Silver Sons and the Crimson Host; the "Line of Pellinore" including the Knights Revenant and the Knights Resplendant; the "Line of Bors", including only the Archangels; and the "Line of Ban" including the Sanguinary Crusaders and the [Crimson Knights].

This would make it far easier to refer to one of the "families". (of course, we should choose names that won't be quite as obvious)

 

 

I am not sure if parent chapters are required, I maybe wrong but I think it can work either way

 

I do say I like the idea of 'The line of ......' That is really cool

 

I still feel that we should give the [Crimson Knights] a different name, not only because the original Crimson Knights were created by an absent member (and it would be unfair to take this chapter places he wouldn't want them to go), and also because we already have enough Knights and Shades of Red...

 

You are probably right, at first I thought it would be a nice sign of nostalgia in acknowledging there part in this project. Enough shades of red? :-( So no Scarlet Sicario. (I have just watch the film Sicario with Emily blunt, been trying to use that word somewhere)

 

 

In fact, I don't know if you'd noticed, but these four "Red Crusader" chapters seem to represent very distinctive facets of the Blood Angels: "normal" Blood Angels, the Sanguinary Guard, the Chaplaincy and Priesthood, and the Flawed. We could possibly spin some sort of tale from this...

 

 

I had noticed this, I wasnt sure if it could just be a symbolic thing, or we could make it more

 

 

So I am going to have another go at writing the assault on Golgotha. I thought maybe the [Crimson Knights] one way mission would be to assault to orbital defense cannons located on the moons around the planet. If the cannons are not destroyed the assault on the planet could not be successful

 

 

Edit: Ninja'd

Edited May 8, 2016 by Minigiant

[Minigiant]

 

Vandire has just been defeated, yet parts of the Imperium have yet to be reconquered following the dire events of the Nova Terra Interregnum and the Age of Apostasy.

 

In an effort to stabilise the regime of the Council of Terra, the High Lords declare a dozen crusades, targeting various parts of the galaxy, sending out contingents from more than fifty Space Marine Chapters, old and new, and it has been suggested that a thousand new Imperial Guard regiments were formed just in order to take part in them.

 

This time also marks the first Holy War launched by Sebastian Thor since his accession to the throne of the Ecclesiarch, during which several of the founding orders of the newly-formed Adepta Sororitas fight on fronts spanning the entire Milky-Way.

 

While the first founding chapters were called to contribute to these crusades, very few were in fact able to participate. In particular, the Blood Angels were randomly assigned  to secure five sectors in the Segmentum Pacificus by the High Lords of Terra, who had at the time seceded alongside Nova Terra.

 

The IX Legion were at the time occupied with the final destruction of the forces of WAAAGH Vangrod and the Chaos Incursion of Silas Gorehand, and were constrained to pass on their regrets to the masters of Humanity. However, in order to preserve the reputation of the Sons of Sanguinius, the conclave of the descendants of the Blood Angels convened, and proposed a joint force of successor chapters: and so, the Sanguinary Crusaders, Knights Resplendent, Crimson Knights,  and the Carmine Cardinals would take part in a campaign that would go down in their annals as the Red Crusade.

 

This operation would prove pivotal in the history of these chapters, yet today, they remember little of it but the taking of the world of Golgotha. Golgotha had always been an extremely populous planet, and had even been considered a shrine world for three different factions within the Ecclesiarchy for the past two Millenia before the Nova Terra Interregnum.

 

This of course caused many tensions between the inhabitants, and the secession of the Planetary Governor did nothing but compound rivalries and enmities: finally, civil war broke out among them, a war that lasted five centuries, during which the earth of Golgotha saw countless deaths, murders and other atrocities. These proved to be fertile ground for Chaos Cults, and without supervision on behalf of the Inquisition or the Adeptus Arbites, the religious tensions progressively turned the combat into something unholy.

 

Little today is known of the events that transpired during those dark years, but when the host of the Red Crusade at Golgotha, they discovered what can be best described as a Warp Rift. Upon the surface of the planet, mortals fought, drank, and cavorted with Daemons.

 

With the rest of the star systems returned to the imperial fold an all-out assault on Golgotha was being prepared. Initial intelligence reports were in,  an assault on the planets surface was impossible without first removing the two ancient orbital defense cannons situated on each of Golgotha's moons. The cannons would easily cut swathes through any fleet, and effectively end any surface assault if allowed to remain intact. Chapter Master Cesar of the [Crimson Knights] volunteered, his chapter for what would most likely be a one way mission, as the moons were rigged to below to prevent the guns being turned onto the planets surface. The Space Marines of the Sanguinary Crusaders, the Knights Resplendent, and the Carmine Cardinals would be the Emperor’s instrument of divine justice upon Golgotha. They must do everything they could to prevent the growth of rift. The Knights Resplendent were assigned the honour of executing the planetary governor assumed to be found in his residence within the governors palace. The Crusaders and Cardinals would be the first wave upon the rift, were they hope to create an opening for the Knights Resplendent to arrive and exploit.

 

With that the Marines readied themselves for battle. Boltguns and power armour were anointed and blessed one last time by the Company Chaplain for the final assault. Chapters ancient brothers were awoken and their their dreadnought systems checked and declared fully functional by Techmarines. The Chapters were preparing for war, and it would be a war few would forget.

 

Golgothas Moons

 

The [Crimson Knights] were to assault and destroy the Orbital Defense Guns, left over from ages past. In order to allow their fellow chapters an opening to assault the planets surface and close the every growing warp rift. The guns would be quick to respond to any ship so Chapter Master Cesar ordered for his brothers to prepare for an immediate launch to the moons upon exiting their warp drives. The Fleet would be divided in two and each would deploy three companies with their four remaining companies left in reserve, the fleet would launch their drop pods and thunderhawks before trying to escape, if escape was impossible they were to abandon ship/

 

The Adeptus Astartes fleet of the [Crimson Knights] fell out of warp space and quickly moved into position, the order was immediately given to launch the drop pods and Thunderhawks. The launch operation moved with clockwork precision. One after another the Thunderhawks launched and drop pods sped away from the strike cruiser, burning through the atmosphere and plunging downwards, retro-thrusters re-orientating each pod so that it remained true to its pre-programmed landing co-ordinates.

 

ETC ETC (Climatic assault story)

 

With the guns and moons destroyed along with six companies of the [Crimson Knights], the opportunity had been created. Their sacrifice would not be nothing. The orders were given, the Adeptus Astartes fleets of the Sanguinary Crusaders, Knights Resplendent, and the Carmine Cardinals swept into position and launched would they hoped would be the last assault of the Red Crusade.

 

Governors Palace

 

Short story about the Knights Resplendent assassination of Planetary governor - Keeper of Secrets  and first seed of chaos

 

Assault on rift

 

Climatic ending to the Red Crusade

The use of the 'Grail'

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++