Death to the Maiden

Armorial of the Wings of Salvaxes

The campaign known as the **Death to the Maiden**, was a xenocidal purgation campaign carried out by the ferocious and unforgiving Wings of Salvaxes Space Marine Chapter against an unnamed Aeldari Maiden World that was inhabited by Aeldari Exodites. Displaying their characteristic xenophobia and savagery to anything xenos, the Wings of Salvaxes brutally massacred the entire population of the Maiden World.

## History

Eldar Exodites are a well documented, if not often targeted aspect of the Eldar xenos threat, due mainly to their limited ability for attack, and powerful capabilities on the defence. Despite this however, when the Wings of Salvaxes exit warp drive several light years from their intended location, and several years too late to make any impact upon the engagement's outcome, they are presented with a Exodite colony ripe for Imperial acquisition.

War is commenced immediately, and the Eldar, despite their propensity for precognition, are taken aback by the ferocious savagery of the Astartes advance. Knowing that the Exodites strength grows as time wears on, they execute a plan of conquest that leaves nothing left of the xenos filth. While the beasts of the Exodite warhosts proved formidable and able to both match the Salvaxean assaults in both speed and destructive power. Ultimately what would lead to the Exodites downfall, was the Wings of Salvaxes overwhelming firepower compared to the the xenos forces. While the destructive power of the Maiden worlds wild beasts, brought to bear by the Exodites World spirit, was certainly a force that could destroy tank columns and overrun fortifications, they could be put down from afar with blast and bolt. And while their Reptilian cavalry warriors could easily outpace the Salvaxes own mounted units, they lacked the protective armour offered by the astartes plate, and in protracted battles could not hope to maintain their offensive superiority.

As the Astartes slowly pushed back the xenos forces, too did allies from the webway begin to appear. Craftworld Aeldari clad in orange and grey marched forth from their secret webway gates, accompanied by the ranged capabilities the Exodites themselves lacked. The tide, once in the Astartes favour, now shifted and prepared to turn on the Space Marine forces. However, the Eldar were not prepared for the simple, callous regard in which the chapter held its Death Company. After being held in reserve, locked in stasis, the Cpace marine commanders saw fit now the time to deploy their fallen brethren, for they had finally located the means by which they would secure their victory. The location of the largest exodite tribal barrow, from which the priests of the temple soothed and steered the World Spirit's wrath.

To call the Death Company's arrival at a barrow a massacre, would not do due justice the true carnal onslaught that with them they brought. The Eldar Priests, while powerful psykers in their own right, had no chance against the raging, psychopathic warriors. As Eldar blood stained more and more of the hallowed space, the world spirit became ever more enraged, the Eldars control over the natural elements of their world fading. When a Death Company marine was impaled on a soulspear and pinned to the barrow's sacred altar, where the spirit stones of dead exodites were shattered to release their soul to the World Spirit, the Eldar lost any semblance of control. Whether is was simply the defilement of the sacred altar with the blood of a Mon'keigh, or whether the insanity coursing through the marine at the time of his death, somehow "infected" the World Spirit with his madness, and sent the psychic collective into a self destructive rage. Volcanoes long left dormant blossomed to life, earthquakes shuddered and crack the land, and great tidal waves battered the shorelines. Not even the skies were safe from the unchained world spirits wrath, and Eldar and space marine craft alike was struck from the sky with gusts of hurricane wind and spears of blinding lightning.

As the world tore itself apart in bloody cataclysm, the Wings of Salvaxes were eager to leave the now burning, turbulent hellscape. Retreating to orbit, though arduous through the storms, it was achieved, and the Space Marine forces watched from orbit as the planet consumed itself. When the planet's violent rages eventually died out, the Marines returned to investigate. Of the Eldar, there was no living sign, whether they perished, or retreated through the few remaining warpgates, no one knew and none cared. An Adeptus Mechanicus explorator fleet was contacted as the the now uninhabited, prime world, and they left. The blood lust within them appeased.