Excoriation of Visegrad

Armorial of the Impalers Chapter.

"*N-now see here Tepes. I-I am the ruler of Visegrad, a-appointed by the God-Emperor Himself-" It was as though she was trying to shrink, almost to evaporate into the throne. Orsika's eyes were full of tears and horror.

"Ah, but did you not just say, that Terra and the Master of Mankind holds no power here?"

"I-I made a mistake! Please Lord Tepes! P-"

Strahd's smile was an animal's growl, an anticipation of hunger stated, "Yes Orsika of Visegrad. Yes, you did..."*"
— Final conversation between the traitorous Planetary Governor Orsika of Visegrad and Lord Strahd Tepes, Grand Voivode of the Impalers, before her death at the Chapter Master's own hands.
The **Excoriation of Visegrad** was a notorious Imperial castigation campaign of retribution carried out by the merciless and unforgiving Impalers Space Marine Chapter against the recalcitrant world of Visegrad, a notable industrial world of the vitally important Solva System in 996.M41, when several planets decalred their independence from the Imperium and the rightful rule of the God-Emperor. This campaign of brutality and savage retribution was one of several notorious campaigns carried out by the vengeful Impalers, and is notable for it's particular aspect of sheer barbarity and cruelty carried out against the upstart world's populace, to serve as a dire warning of the folly of rebellion.

## History

When Planetary Governor Orsika of the imperial world of Visegrad declared their independence from the rule of the God-Emperor and subsequent secession from the Imperium of Man, the High Lords of Terra were forced to act. Visegrad was one of the most important industrial worlds within the Solva System which provided war material for several Astra Militarum regiments in the various local sub-sectors. A loss of such a vitally important world as Visegrad would harm the deployability and overall readiness of these regiments. If this outrage was allowed to stand, it might encourage a system-wide insurrection which would result in the loss of untold billions of Imperial lives, not to mention to complete collapse of the entire system if an Imperial Crusade was launched to re-take these recalitrant worlds. This didn't even account for the potential loss of valuable resources and infrastructure. Already, nearly a half-dozen planets had agreed to join Orsika's secessionist cause, recognising her as the true ruler of the entire Solva System, pledging their undying loyalty to her. They were willing to shed the blood of any who would dare trespass within their domain.

Within the span of only weeks, a large Chapter fleet of dark red coloured vessels entered the outer reaches of the Solva System. Quickly they were identified by secessionist forces as a Chapter fleet of unknown provenance. However, their identities were soon revealed by the dire symbol identified by the secessionist outrider forces; that of a bound skeleton impaled upon a large black spike. This was the iconography of the infamous and merciless Chapter known as the Impalers. Gathering in orbit above the capital world of Visegrad, the Impalers made short work of the planet's outlying defence satellites and orbital docks that ringed the hive world. Following the destruction of these skeleton forces, the deadly fleet sat silently above, hovering inexorably over the rebellious world - the promise of death hanging like a shadow over the doomed populace of Visgrad like a guillotine blade about to fall upon the neck of a hapless victim. Mysteriously the Astartes fleet did not issue demands, warnings or threats. They merely sat - eerily silent - for months on end.

As the Space Marine Chapter sat in patient judgment above the planet, the Planetary Governor's fear and paranoia grew the longer she waited for the executioner's axe to fall. She did not sit idle, as she desperately had the capital city cordoned off and hastily built defences put into place. Osika scrambled about in terror, hoping to satisfactorily fortify her world against the Emperor's Angels of Death. In this regard, she failed miserably, as was made all too clear when the skies of Visegrad were filled with Impalers crimson coloured drop pods and gunships. Like some dark monster, the Impalers fell upon the world like a thunderbolt, launching a rapid planetary strike upon the world's capital city - the seat of the Planetary Governor's power. When the Impalers drop pods touched down, the Lemures - the berserk Astartes of the Chapter's Death Company lost to the Black Rage - spearheaded the assault upon the doomed Planetary Defence Forces. Like a tidal wave of black ceramite and ragged chainblades, the wall of battle-crazed Astartes made short work of the pitiful mortal foces arrayed against them. However, they were briefly stunted by a small force of Bane Wolf variant Hellhound tanks armed with deadly Chem Cannon in lieu of their usual Inferno Cannon.

Replacing its usual promethium with bulky canisters of toxic gas, the incredibly corrosive fumes chewed through the Lemures' ceramite in microseconds, reducing their front ranks in a hail of virulent chemiclas inimical to organic matter. Even the insane fury of the Black Rage was not proof against the horrific effects of those foul, venom-spewing tanks. Despite this temporary setback, the Impalers responded in kind, unleashing a pinpoint teleportation assault by the Chapter's elite assault specialists. Three whole Adrasteia Assault Squads made short work of the Bane Wolves, prizing open the iron-skin of the armoured vehicles and slaughtering the terrified mortal crews within, butchering them with their telltale gladius-like, forearm-mounted blades and wrist-mounted, compact-bolters. Once this obstacle was overcome, the Planetary Governor coul no longer muster anything within her planet's armories to make the pitched battle even close to even with overwhelming forces of the blood-maddened Impalers.

All the Chapter's forces converged upon the Planetary Governor's palace, grinding their way through Visegrad's hive capital. It wasn't a battle, it was a massacre. The Grand Voidvode, Strahd Tempes, and his elite Honour Guard of the Hellsong, spearheaded the Impalers' assault. When the Chapter finally arrived in the shadow of the towering palace of the Planetary Governor, the Lord of the Impalers casually observed the palace defences, as a withering firestorm of las and autocannon fire rained down upon the Impalers' position. With a silent signal, the Hellstorm ignited their winged-jump packs as one, launching themselves towards their assigned objectives. Within a short span, they broke through the secessionist force's main line, allowing the rest of the Chapter to pour through a breech in the palace walls and into the palatial estates of the Planetary Governor.

Those unfortunate enough to stand between the elemental force of the Astartes and their incandescent rage, were slaughtered like chaffe before a harvester's scythe. The secessionist forces throw down their weapons, screaming and begging for mercy, but there was none to give. Their cries for pity were ignored as the Impalers contemptuously slaughtered the treacherous curs where they stood. The Grand Voivode led his entourage within, slaughtering anything that crossed his path. Finally, the Impalers reached their destination - the palace throne room. Covered in blood and gore, the Lord of the Impalers and his silver-clad Honour Guard made their way towards the cowering Planetary Governor, whose corpulent form sat upon a high-backed, golden command throne. Trying to stall for time, the impertinent Planetary Governor had the audacity to demand the surrender of the Impalers. Initially caught off guard by the mortal ruler's incredulous demands, the Grand Voivode strode towards the pathetic mortal that had forsaken her sacred oaths of fealty to the God-Emperor.

However, Orsika played one final hand, and called for her hulking bodyguard to step forth from the shadows behind her throne. A massive abhuman Ogryn, armed with crude, blade-like approximations of hands in place of its natural limbs, strode forth towards the Chapter Master of the Impalers. Wide-eyed and twitching with a notable palsy, it was apparent that the massive abhuman was pumped full of combat-stims, its body jolting back and forth in violent spasms in anticipation of the fight to come. One of the Hellsong's Virtues strode forth to meet the creature in a one-on-one dual. The consummate warrior made short work of the disgusting homonculus, ramming its massive Eviscerator blade through the Ogryn's thick skull. Falling like a mighty timber to the throne room's marble floor, the colour drained from the face of the doomed Planetary Governor. Her feigned arrogance vanished like smoke in the wind, as she sat wide-eyed and trembling with fear. The Grand Voivode then ordered the Hellsong to kill everyone within the throne room. Before they could even comprehend what was happening, the silver-clad warriors fell upon the gawking nobles with their massive Eviscerator chainblades like a storm, turning the throne room into a charnel house of blood-spattered ravaged meat and decapitated body parts.

After the slaughter ceased, the Lord of the Impalers walked up the steps to the dais of Orsika's throne, and stood over her like a predatory beast savouring the meal to come. Taunting the disgraced Planetary Governor one final time, the Grand Voivode plunged his artificer-wrought arm-mounted gladius into the treasonous governor's stomach, draining her entirely of blood, before contemptuously throwing her corpse across the throne room. Once the traitor had been executed, the Impalers performed one final, bloody-handed act of savagery. The remaining populace of the hive capital were rounded up by the Impalers and subsequently impaled upon large black metal stakes; men, women and children - none were spared. Tens of thousands of civilians underwent this cruel and barbaric torture, their still writhing bodies left to hang upon the raised stakes embedded in the ground, taking several days to die. The entire execution of the planet's capital city was broadcasted throughout the system. A virtual "forest" of over 250,000 impaled and decaying corpses were left to rot within the hive city. This grim tableau of impaled corpses were left as a dire warning for the other secessionist worlds - *this too shall be your fate*. Within a matter of days the rest of the secessionist worlds unanimously surrendered without any further bloodshed and willingly subjected themselves to the mercy of the God-Emperor.