Crystal Skulls

Crystal Skulls symbol

Battle-brother Armaros of the Crystal Skulls 3rd squad, 3rd Company.

### **Specialty**

Tunnel Warfare, Guerilla Warfare, Lightning Strike, Hit and Run tactics, Total Annihilation.

### Successor Chapter(s)

None

The **Crystal Skulls** were created to prevent a terrible prediction created by many psykers on tarot cards. They said that in the near future, humanity would again be under threat of destruction from the mandibles and jaws of an uninvited guest from outside our galaxy, who was nicknamed the Great Devourer. The horrors of the first war with Tyranids left a deep scar on the body of both the Imperium and the entire Milky Way galaxy. A huge number of genestealer cults started new uprisings every second, every day some idiot inquisitor began to follow the path of radicalism, believing that the destruction of more life in the galaxy would make the Tyranids believe that there was nothing left and they had nothing to do here, deceiving themselves and leading to the deaths of billions of Imperial citizens, and sometimes deaths of strategically important worlds, for which they are naturally executed. Panic among the servants of the Inquisition and the administratum can lead to another discord of humanity, and in order to prevent such an outcome, the decision of this outcome was made, the Lords of Terra decided to establish many Astartes chapters to fight the all-devouring horror of the outer void, as well as a huge number of additional units of mortal armies.

As it was said, the Crystal Skulls were created by one of these chapters. They settled on the dead world of Zabveniye, on whose surface there was no vegetation or multicellular life forms. And the human settlement lived in underground settlements near the remaining water mines, surviving solely on food supplies. However, now this world is completely under the control of the chapter, from which supplies have become much more, and also, for a better selection among the mortal population, such deadly xenos as ambulls, vampires and a huge variety of others have been released into the caves. And let the danger to human life on that world has greatly increased, but it has erected a cult of hunting, perfectionism and a human temple, and the population of these xenos is tightly controlled by the forces of the PDF and the chapter's auxilia.

After the disclosure of the Cicatrix Maledictum, all communication with the chapter was lost, as was their homeworld. The Indomitus Crusade reconnaissance fleet discovered the native system of the chapter of the Crystal Skulls, which was thrown back one and a half parsecs from its proper position and rebuilt from such an impulse, and only because of the similarity of the landscape of some planets it was possible to recognize it. Imperial astronomers put forward the theory that the chapter's homeworld was simply thrown out of the system, becoming a wandering planet, and the chapter probably spends most of its forces searching for its world and reorganizing structures in emergency circumstances.

## Chapter History

### Founding

The First Tyranid War was a horror for the entire galaxy, not just for the Imperium. An incalculable number of lives were destroyed in the shortest possible time, and the cruelty of the enemy of humanity was incomparable even in comparison with the arch-enemy. the bloodshed that almost led to the death of another chapter of the first foundation, on their home world of Macrage, in a battle in which no warrior of the then veterans of the first company could survive. Through the efforts of Chaplain Ortan Cassius, a new type of veteran detachment was introduced into the chapter - Tyrannic War Veterans. The warriors who survived those terrible events, who have incredible willpower and experience in the field of survival, and it was the warriors from these ranks became the founders of the chapter of Crystal Skulls.

Veteran Sergeant Julius, who once claimed the rank of captain, was chosen by the High Lords of Terra as an ideal candidate for the role of master of the newly formed chapter, as he met all the requirements, from seniority and experience to unquestionable loyalty to the Imperial creed. It could not be said that everyone agreed with such a result, even Julius himself had arguments against it, but the decision was final, and the Veteran Sergeant, together with a small contingent of Astartes from different chapters of the Ultramarine successors, were sent to a dedicated homeworld - Zabveniye, to create and develop another shield of humanity that will counter the new threat. The battle brothers donned new armor, or repainted their old ones in a simple gray color, without any symbol or tactical designation, because then the chapter had none of this, not even a name. However, fortunately for the Administratum logisticians, the name of the chapter was changed from its simple number 623 to match one outstanding tradition of local residents. They created copies of the skulls of legendary warriors, heroes and dead relatives from pure crystal, which had a bluish hue, and it was from here that the name was taken, the color was added and the issue of a symbol with a tactical designation was resolved. In the following years, the chapter increased its power to a combat-ready minimum against its main enemy, according to joint research by Ordo Xenos and Ordo Astartes, and also led the Oblivians to the current new way of life, where any piece of flesh that remained on a person was valued, and where stagnation and weakness were the most terrible offenses from which a person could easily perish in to feed some hungry creature.

### First Battles

The first battles of the chapter began a decade and a half after its foundation, against the small hive fleet of the Tyranids, which broke away from the Behemoth hive fleet. Unfortunately, or even fortunately, the name of this fragment was quickly lost from the Imperial vaults, if the name was given to this fleet at all. During the first combat mission, the Crystal Skulls began an open battle in almost its entirety, against a superior enemy, both in number and in lethality, however, while there was a parallel battle in space and on the surface, ground troops were forced to retreat to the hive cities, where they adopted the initiative and stood up to the end the orbital battle that ended the devourer's bio-ships and nullified all the efforts of the hive fleet fragment to survive and to win. The fragment of the hive was completely destroyed, albeit with quite serious losses, however, the chapter did not go to the "parking lot" before its restoration but replenished the number of main companies due to the remnants of the reserve, three of which then went to their home world for restoration.

The forces of the chapter began to respond to calls for help in their sectors, preferring to deal with the already smaller tyrannical threat and uprisings of Genestealer Cults, however, in the seventeenth year of the chapter's existence, a demonic invasion began in one of the systems adjacent to their home world and the Astartes could not help but respond to this request for help from the planetary the governor, because otherwise, their world would be under threat. Three companies of Crystal Skulls, led by Chief Librarian Ardeus, clashed against the troops of the unborn and cultists, led by the Daemon Prince +++REDACTED+++. The campaign ended with the hard victory of the Crystal Skulls and the self-sacrifice of Ardeus, who exorcised the Daemon Prince from the material world with his dying act.

### Second Tyrannic War

The influx of the second attack wave of the Devourer from the outer void was not a surprise for the warriors of the Imperium this time. Humanity anticipated the reappearance of the enemy and prepared for all the time that he had. The Kraken Hive Fleet attacked the Imperium from the eastern edge of the galaxy, moving through less violently, but more confidently than the Behemoth. The Chapter of the Crystal Skulls became one of the means of protecting the worlds of the Imperium from the new huge hive fleet, trying not to let the hive forces to the north of the Ultima Segmentum. During the three years of the war, the chapter managed to lose about 550 chapter battle brothers, not counting the huge number of auxilia and servants that they brought with them, and certainly not mentioning the countless regiments of Astra Millitarum that laid down their lives defending that part of the galaxy where this hive fleet was not even going to go. At the same time, the first chapter master Julius also died, becoming a victim of a hungry horde of hormagaunts, gargoyles, neurogaunts and thermogaunts, under the control of swarmlords and tyranid warriors, as well as his entire retinue, along with the third of the first company and half of the fifth in a losing battle on the agrarian world of Harix IV. There were fifteen worlds under the protection of the chapter in that war, and only four of them were successfully protected, three more were subject to tyrannical infection and quarantine from those worlds was never lifted, and the rest were completely absorbed by the insatiable swarm, and the chapter owes its survival to its new master, who ordered to retreat from obviously losing battles.

For the next six years, the chapter spent its forces in destroying the remnants of the Kraken hive fleet, as well as restoring numbers, going into battle only for real need, being unable to join the other forces in other sectors to fight the new tyranid invasion in Third Tyrannic War against Hive Fleet Leviathan.

### Lost

The fall of the fortress world Cadia was marked by the opening of a huge wound on the material body of the galaxy. The Great Rift divided the Milky Way and the Imperium of Mankind into two parts: light and dark. Countless worlds were absorbed into the warp, many chapters ceased to exist due to the influence of the warp, which either simply took them into the Immaterium or perverted them, the galaxy itself was rebuilt and many coordinates of systems and worlds that were near the site of the opening of the rift became invalid, and the same trouble happened to the native system of the chapter of the Crystal Skulls. The Indomitus Crusade reconnaissance fleet discovered it in the Imperium Nihilus only ten years after the opening of the rift, but they realized what kind of system it was only because of the landscape of the worlds of Rain and Gaia, since the system itself was also rebuilt, from the impulse of the disclosure of the largest warp storm. It is believed that the native world of the chapter was simply thrown out of the orbit of the gas giant and out of the system, becoming a wandering world, and now calculations are being carried out in which direction it could throw out.

Due to the fact that a considerable amount of time has passed since the opening of the rift, and the chapter has not been contacted, three theories about the fate of the chapter have spread extremely strongly among the Administratum and the Ordo Astartes: The first is that the chapter was destroyed or lost in the warp along with its home world, the second is the fact that the Crystal Skulls succumbed to the influence of the warp and turned away from the light of the Imperium, the third is the theory that, that the chapter is currently in full force and is simply unable, due to these or other circumstances, to contact the forces of the Imperium, where the first and last theories are considered the closest to the truth.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Purification Strike (756.M41)** - This was the first battle of the Crystal Skulls, both of the newly formed chapter and with its eternal nemesis in the form of the Great Devourer, where during the development of the battle the chapter developed its direction in specializations, shed blood on a large scale for the first time and for the first time felt the sweet taste of victory over one of the greatest opponents of humanity.

* **Hunt of Cousins (758.М41)** - One of the rare examples is the chapter's battle with an enemy from the immaterial realm, where the chapter of Crystal Skulls sent three of its companies, led by chief Librarian Ardeus, to protect the neighboring system from a potential threat to the chapter's home world. The invasion of the unborn on the world of Gardos was supervised by the Demon Prince of the god of Corruption, named +++REDACTED+++, who was once a member of the arch-enemy organization, namely a legionnaire of the Death Guard. The actions of this brat led to the death of one hundred and twenty-four battle brothers of the Crystal Skulls and the sacrificial death of the librarian chief, which banished him from the material realm. The world itself was cleansed by the sanctified promethium in those places where the influence of the slaves of the Plague God was discovered.

* **Unsuspected Alliance (834.M41-837.M41)** - Two chapters responded to the request for help in the uprising of the next genestealer cult: Crystal Skulls and War Sanctors, both chapters came here to fight their nemesis, and although the genestealer cults were considered the main opponents for the Crystal Skulls, since they were a tyrannical threat, for the sons of Jaghatai Khan they were the next nonentities who dared to rebel against The light of the Emperor and His sons. The forces of the chapters totaled eighty astartes, and despite the cultural differences of the chapters, they perfectly complemented each other in this campaign, which in the future led to the conclusion of an alliance between them, from which even simple cultural misunderstandings of their home worlds began to be ignored between them, or simply led to cultural exchange, so captain of the fourth company Adrian Nox of the Crystal Skulls, he carries a flask with a black liquid from the home world of the chapter of War Sanctors, and the Lord of the third company Sarat "The Unescapable" of War Sanctors has a crystal skull of the First Chapter Lord in his chambers.

* **Plague of the Uprising (873-878.M41)** - A brief message from the newly developed Imperial mining world Rastus-Alpha reached the territory of the Imperium of Mankind. Xeno-threat in the form of soulless Necron Machines struck this planet with terrifying efficiency, as it turned out later. The message about the obsessive uprising that spread like a plague around the world did not go unnoticed by the eyes of the Imperial Military Might, after which a battalion of Imperial Guard peacekeepers was put forward to suppress the uprising, but according to their quick message and subsequent permanent radio silence, the Astartes decided to respond to the message. Two chapters of Pyre Guards and Crystal Skulls, two organizations obsessed with hatred for inhuman scum, met at the edge of the system to hear even worse news: this uprising is not the only one, there were more of them, on different worlds and in different systems of this sector, but it was not too late to get rid of the Plague of the Uprising. Chapter Master Julius and Flame Lord Xavier met each other in the strategium of the Ramiles-class star fort "The Grand Torch", after which they clashed in a duel of reason between each other and an opponent they did not know, except for the fact that they were necrons who enslaved imperial citizens and forced them to kill imperial forces, with the help of microscabs that tightly bit into their brains and forced them to act according to the will of some crazy cryptek. These actions contradicted the doctrines of the universal honor of these xenos, from which the assumption was quickly put forward by two masters that these metal bastards from the Nekthyst dynasty. It was decided to find and destroy the source of the infection and at the same time prevent its spread, which required the genocide of the entire population of those worlds, but as the imperial doctrine stated - "The Emperor recognizes his own". Naturally, there was no talk of the extermination of those worlds, except for the destruction of the tomb world, which was the security ticket of the cryptek leading this swarm, but it was decided to carry out this action only as a last resort. The chapters decided to divide their forces and cut out the population of the defeated worlds, and then unite all their forces and give crushing blows to the monastery of the cryptek that cursed by all Saints. The Imperials had to grab seven worlds in five systems, one of which was the enemy's stronghold. Both chapters divided their companies into three battle groups, giving a total of six such, which had to compete with the forces of enslaved people on their world, and if one group finished before the other, it would simply join the rest. Agreeing with the tactics of action, both leaders of their chapters shook hands, grabbing each other's wrists, as a sign of respect and solidarity, suddenly finding a lot in common between their chapters in the field of battles and ideology, though not culture, after which the plan came into action. About four years were spent by the Crystal Skulls and Pyre Guards to annihilate the enslaved inhabitants of the Imperium, during which they had to deal not only with all the imperial equipment and tools that could be used as weapons, but steel xeno-scum already appeared on the spot and used their dirty tricks to repel the cousins of both chapters but fortunately, though with heavy losses, the worlds were free again, and they were waiting for their moment when the astartes forces would report on the victory, and after that the Administratum would give the go-ahead for the re-settlement of the planets. The greatest burden for spacemarines was the storming of the necron tomb world, despite the fact that it was relatively poorly protected, compared to other tombs of that dynasty. Even the strength of both chapters together was less than necessary, so that it was possible to keep the initiative longer than some hours, and sometimes just minutes, however, thanks to the steadfastness and endurance of both chapters and their skill in hit and run tactics, it was possible to win with fewer losses, even though both Crystal Skulls and Pyre Guards lost almost half of their the general composition, during the final battles. As a result, the cryptek was destroyed together with the tomb, when the entire second company of Crystal Skulls, ked by Captain Nemeroth Astroya, sacrificed themselves, deciding on a desperate step, and now the cast of the skull from the crystal of each soldier of the second company who sacrificed himself during this campaign took its place in a single ziggurat dedicated to their feat, in the Hall of Fame in the Fortress-Monastery of the chapter. Years later, when the mortal forces of the Imperium had already checked the worlds cleared by the Astartes, the Administratum issued a decree on repopulation.

* **Second Tyrannic War (990.M41-993.M41)**

## Chapter Home World

Zabveniye is the homeworld of the Chapter of Crystal Skulls. This is a dead world with underground settlements, putting forward a full population of people not exceeding six hundred million. The planet itself is under the full control of the Astartes. Thanks to the influence of the chapter and its management, local residents now receive a sufficient amount of provisions for their own survival, as well as by the will of the chapter itself, various types of hostile xeno-fauna are imported to the planet to develop the hunting and survival potential of people, which gives its result. The population of xenos and humans itself is tightly regulated by the forces of the PDF and the auxilia of the chapter, and in extreme cases, the Crystal Skulls themselves are involved.

The planet was until recently located in the Goida system inside of the northern half of Segmentum Ultima, where it was the only satellite of a Neptunian-type gas giant called Rakshi. There are also two other planets in the system, Rhine and Gaia, where the first world is completely covered by a methane ocean and is located outside the habitable zone, while the other world is considered unacceptable for human life and extremely difficult to transform, but wild xeno-forms that are silicon life forms.

### Fortress-Monastery

The House of Hunt is an extremely mysterious place for the natives of the Zabveniye world, no one dares to set foot there, without the permission of the defenders of the fortress-monastery, in the person of the astartes officers themselves. This fortress is an ancient complex that goes deep inside the planetary crust and goes far up, piercing the clouds with its spire. It is there that the neophytes and astartes of the Crystal Skulls hone their skills, it is there that the most blood is shed and it is there that the fate of the inhabitants of this world is decided.

It is not known exactly which genius or madman created the protection systems of this monster, however, unlike most fortress-monasteries, the House of Hunt has in its arsenal massive promethium installations capable of plunging a quarter of the inhabited caves into the devouring flames of infernal guns, by the sole activation of the protocol of the chapter master or his deputy, who have a special code.

In the hall of fame of this fortress, copies of the skulls of the fallen brothers of the chapter are kept, consisting of pure crystal cut by the best masters of their craft from the world of Zabveniye, where they are watched day and night by the trusted serfs of the chapter, and any action that damages or spoils, even if accidental, is taken as an ardent manifestation of disrespect for the fallen hero and to the chapter as a whole. Glass fakes of these skulls serve as the goal of one of the tests in the selection of neophytes, where they will have to enter the lair or hive of one of the most dangerous xenos species and get it in battle without damaging it.

## Chapter Organisation

### Officer Ranks

•**Chapter Master**

•**Captain**

•**Lieutenant**

### Specialist Ranks

•**Master of Faith**

•**Chaplain**

•**Chief Apothecary**

•**Apothecary**

•**Chief Librarian**

•**Librarian**

•**Master of the Forge**

•**Techmarine**

### Line Ranks

•**Veteran Sergeant**

•**Veteran**

•**Sergeant**

•**Battle-Brother**

•**Novice**

•**Aspirant**

### Order of Battle

#### Headquarters

**Chapter Master Olanius Deiga**
**The Savior**
**Chapter Champion Nero Kiravar**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Land Speeders & Bikes**
**Transports**
**Chief Librarian Horus Nelle**
**Epistolaries**
**Codiciers**
**Lexicaniums**
**Acolytum**
**Master of Faith Daraks Ignu**
**Chaplains**
**Acolytum**
**Master of the Forge Ortus Heir**
**Techmarines**
**Chapter Serfs & Servictors**
**Chief Apothecary Thameus Jukh**
***Master of the Apothecarion***
**Apothecaries**
**Chapter Serfs & Servitors** | **Admiral Sarak Goidus**
***Master of the Fleet***
**Battle Barges**
**Purifier Prime, Ultima's Hope, Indestructible**
**Strike Cruisers**
**Warrior, Tyrannic Slayer, Fireborn, Blazing Sun, Guilliman's Hate**
**Escorts**
**Thunderhawk Gunships**

#### Companies

**Company Champion Joseph**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant Thane**
**Lieutenant Gregor Blade**
**Elder Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Battleline Squads**
**Close Support Squads**
**Fire Support Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Battleline Squads**
**Close Support Squads**
**Fire Support Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain Adrian Nox**
**Company Champion Temir Krull**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant Anastas Luenski**
**Lieutenant Roboute Alrik**
**Battleline Squads**
**Close Support Squads**
**Fire Support Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Battleline Squads**
**Close Support Squads**
**Fire Support Squads**

**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Battleline Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Battleline Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Close Support Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain (add name)**
**Company Champion (add name)**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Lieutenant (add name)**
**Fire Support Squads**
**Dreadnoughts** | **Captain Grat Briggs**
**Company Champion Arkshas Tolgrin**
**Honour Guard**
**Command Squad:**
**(Ancient, Chaplain, Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine)**
**Lieutenant Vergil Kueros**
**Lieutenant Kim Tuar**
**Scout Squads**
**Neophytes**

## Chapter Beliefs

In the culture of the chapter, two things are extremely strongly developed: perfectionism and the exaltation of the human body. Let perfectionism be one of the most common things in all Astartes chapters, which makes them constantly look for ways to develop into perfection, but the idea that the human body is an ideal mechanism was introduced artificially both to the people of the Zabveniye world and to the brothers of the chapter. Augmentations are one of the most expensive allowances for mankind, especially for the inhabitants of the dead worlds. People began to defend their temple and teach their children about it. Let the Astartes chapter not have a financial question in relation to augmentations, but inside the Crystal Skulls there were also sentiments about the safety of their own body and its development, because the machine will not be able to recover on its own, and it is critical to losing limbs in battles against the Great Devourer.

Thanks to the multiple crystal deposits on the chapter's homeworld, multiple rituals and customs built around them were born here, and the skill of cutting and shaping these crystals has become one of the most common formalities in these caves. Thus, the tradition of sculpting crystal skulls of fallen soldiers, as well as many religious interior items dedicated to the God-Emperor, was passed on to the chapter from the natives of Zabveniye.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

Despite the late foundation of the chapter, the quality of its gene-seed is on top and does not even have significant mutations, however, the chance of assimilation by it has not reached the mark above 17.5%, and along with this, one of the zygotes, called mucranoid, was also lost. This means that the bodies of the Astartes chapter cannot secrete a waxy protein substance similar to mucus through the pores that seal its skin when reacting to specific chemical stimuli in the environment.

## Deathwatch Service

Like a huge number of other chapters aimed at destroying various xeno-threats, Crystal Skulls also send their battle brothers to serve in Deathwatch, and unlike some other chapters of brothers or cousins, this service is considered honorable and extremely respectful, from which even a simple battle brother who wore black armor with a silver hand will be invited and listened to at a meeting of commanders, in relation to the strategy in the upcoming or already ongoing battle.

## Combat Doctrine

Swift as wind - Slowness on the battlefield is dangerous not only for life but also for the success of the mission. Crystal Skulls are extremely aware of this, because in their business, even a fraction of a second is a huge period of time. The Astartes must be able to think on the move and act at the same time, must anticipate any move of the enemy and forget how to doubt their next move. No matter how old or young the chapter's combat brother is, this teaching should go with him until both hearts stop completely, and those who stumble from this path are called fools, that in the future they will either return to the right path of extermination of all living things or perish with a painful death.

## Notable Mebers

* **Chapter Master Julius (KIA)** - A veteran of the First War with the Tyranids, a true son of Guilliman and a righteous Ultramarine. He was the first Chapter Master of the Crystal Skulls, the ideological mentor of all his brothers, a real leader, whom mortals were not afraid to follow even to death. He forged the chapter and the inhabitants of the Zabveniye world into what they have become now, but no matter what the figure is, death overtakes everyone, and Julius met his on the world of Harix IV when the entire contingent of the chapter in the form of a third of the first company and half of the fifth was overrun by a horde of devouring xenos, which ultimately left them only shattered armor and steel implants that the Tyranids of the Kraken Hive Fleet did not like. Now an approximate copy of his skull is kept on the highest pedestal in the chapter Hall of Fame.

* **Chief Librarian Ardeus (KIA)** - Originally a librarian brother from the Chapter of the Silver Skulls, Ardeus was an experienced user of the Emperor's gift in the form of psyker powers, which gave him the right and duty by order of the lords of Terra to become the Chief Librarian of the newly formed chapter of the Ultramarine successors under the number 623, which was later nicknamed the Crystal Skulls. He was an ardent follower of the cult of the Emperor and the teachings of the older brothers from the Ultramarine chapter, who imposed on the inhabitants of the Zabveniye world the cult of perfectionism and the human body as a perfect mechanism. Unlike most of his brothers, he had more experience in battles against the arch-enemy, heretics, renegades and the unborn, and he practically never had to deal with xenos, not to mention the tyrannical threat, from which he had to be trained to become equal with his brothers. He met his end on the world of Gardos, having expelled the Demon Prince from material space, having spent his last vital forces. Now his crystal skull is kept in the Hall of Fame of the Fortress-Monastery of the Chapter, among the skulls of the greatest, but unfortunately deceased, figures of the chapter.

* **Captain Nemeroth Astroya (KIA)** - The captain of the second company, who led his subordinate brothers to self-sacrifice, in the name of saving the Imperium from a terrible threat in the form of a cryptek of the Nekthyst dynasty, whose skills in managing canoptek microscabs were capable of enslaving an entire sector, if not more. He was the first of the Zabvenians to reach an officer position in the chapter and was the first candidate for the position of chapter master if something happened to Julius, thanks to his cold mind and ardent temper, thanks to which he showed both an excellent strategist and an excellent friend, however, fate had its own plans for him, which he did not resist and accepted her with due honor and glory. Now a crystal cast of his skull stands on top of a ziggurat dedicated to the heroic deed of his entire company.

## Chapter Fleet

### Battle Barges

* ***Purifier Prime* (Warspite-class Battle Barge)**

* ***Ultima's Hope* (Legate-class Battle Barge)**

* ***Indestructible* (Ironclad-class Battle Barge)**

### Strike Cruisers

* ***Warrior* (Vanguard Light Cruiser Mark II)**

* ***Tyrannic Slayer* (Vanguard Light Cruiser Mark I)**

* ***Fireborn* (Vanguard Light Cruiser Mark III)**

* ***Blazing Sun* (Vanguard Light Cruiser Mark I)**

* ***Guilliman's Hate* (Vanguard Light Cruiser Mark II)**

### Escorts

* **3 Hunter-class Destroyers**

* **5 Rapid Strike Vessels**

* **4 Kill Ships**

* **3 Gladius-class Frigates**

## Chapter Relics

* ***Iron Rage*** - A relic from the time of the Great Crusade of the Imperium of Mankind. The Deimos pattern APC Rhino, which once carried veterans of countless victories from one of the greatest eras of the human race. He was discovered by the chapter in one of the battles of the Second Tyranid War, on the devastated world of Atros Prime. The transport itself has been preserved well enough that its Machine Spirit is still alive, albeit in hibernation. The Crystal Skulls, having agreed with the priests of Mars, took the APC for themselves, and now it serves as the personal transport of the current chapter master and his retinue.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The battle brothers of the chapter do not put on themselves a huge number of catchy acid colors, compared with a lot of chapter cousins and brothers, more adhering to minimalism in this regard. Their armor remains gray and faded, even with the addition of a second color, which is a bright and almost colorless blue, applied to the faceplate and top of the helmet, along with the skull on the breast aquilla. Following the Astartes code, they mark their companies on the left knee pad, painting it in the appropriate color, and if there is no knee pad itself, as on the leg of the Mark 6 "Corvus" Power Armor, then the company is indicated by a white Roman number on this leg.

### Chapter Badge

Chapter uses painting of the white skull as their symbol on their armour and vehicles, while on banners and decorations of the buildings their symbol is bleak cyan coloured and more detailed.

## Relations

### Allies

 Pyre Guards |      | A chapter of cousins that is so similar to Crystal Skulls that they are ready to call each of them their brother. They were bound by common interests, similar ideology and tactics, together with just one common campaign that was able to unite them as if it had always been so. None of them looked at the seniority of the other, no one blamed the cousin for the difference in traditions and culture, everyone perceived it adequately and simply did not notice that even the fact of different fathers of chapters seemed invalid.

*Feel free to add your own*
### Enemies

 Tyranids |      | The nemesis of the chapter, those against whom they were created, those who shed their blood the most and those whom the chapter kills the best. The Tyranids have become a new threat that has achieved the status of the main targets of destruction because of their danger to the survival of the Imperium and humanity as a simple being.

*Feel free to add your own*
## Notable Quotes

### By the Crystal Skulls

"*Each of us lives only once, and nothing can change that. Let our lives be much longer than the lives of people, let our bodies be more durable and perfect than theirs, let us be faster and stronger, but we should not be arrogant about it, because we are not immortal. Astartes die every day, and which of them is worse - breaks down and betrays the light of the Imperium. Crystal Skulls should understand this perfectly and learn from the mistakes of older brothers and cousins, from the mistakes of their peers and their own, so as not to repeat them and become better until they achieve the ideal.*"
— Grat Briggs, Captain of the 10th company of the Chapter of Crystal Skulls.
"*Brothers! Today we will die from the clutches of xeno-scum, but do not let this fate sadden you, since we are the shield of Humanity, and let every drop of our blood cost them hundreds of lives, let them direct all their forces at us, in their senseless attempts to destroy our race! They have no honor, no glory and no victory, because we are Warriors, Adeptus Astartes from the chapter of the Crystal Skulls and we will weaken our enemy by our own efforts, so that even the penal battalion will be able to cope with him after us! For we are people! For we always win!*"
—The last speech of the Captain of 5th company Aderus Stern of the Crystal Skulls chapter, made during Second Tyrannic War a moment before he got his head cut off by Hive Fleet Kraken gargoyle.
### About the Crystal Skulls

[Source]

 White Scars Successors
 Space Wolves Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage

[Source]