Cerberus Crusade

Stellar Map depicting the location of the Cerberus Expanse.

### Outcome

Pyrrhic Imperial Victory; Secessionist and Forces of Chaos almost destroyed, but many manage to flee and escape into the Warp. Billions of civilians left dead. Imperial Astartes forces are left badly depleted. Sector left a wasteland, allowing xenos, secessionist and other forces to claim large swathes of territory for themselves.

Strength| * Elements from 16 Astartes Chapters
* 7 Astra Militarum Army Groups
* Various Imperial Navy Assets
* Various Inquisition Assets
* Adeptus Mechanicus:
	+ Skitarii Forces
	+ Legio Cybernetica
	+ Collegia Titanica
	+ Questor Imperialis

(See Order of Battle below.) | * 2 Astartes Chapters
* Terrozantian Traitor Militia
* Secessionist Astra Militarum Regiments
* Secessionist PDF
* Secessionist Imperial Militia forces
* Imperial Navy Forces
* Secessionist Adeptus Mechanicus Forces:
	+ Skitarii Forces
	+ Legio Cybernetic
	+ Collegia Titanica
	+ Questor Imperialis
* 21 Chaos Space Marine Warbands, Daemons, Chaos Cults & Mutants.

The **Cerberus Crusade** was a massive conflict that took place in Cerberus Expanse and Drameara Expanse, a large region of Imperial space located on the western edge of the Segmentum Obscurus close to the Helican Sub-Sector. This conflict was the result of the hubris of the rogue Fabricator-General of the forge world of Iterium, Ovid Terrozant. Dissatisfied with the Emperor's imposed limitations into the study of the forbidden sciences, such as cybermancy and most especially the development or study of Silica Animus ('Abominable Intelligence' or A.I.), he continued his forbidden research, despite repeated warnings from the Martian Priesthood. It is not entirely clear how Ovid managed to turn his forge world and a significant portion of the armies under his command against the Emperor, but he was known to be a very skilled and persuasive leader who earned immense personal loyalty amongst his peers and subordinates. The Fabricator-General is believed to have won over the loyalty of many of his fellow sector Fabricator-Generals after promising them the lost secrets of ancient Standard Template Construct technology and the ability to research the forbidden sciences at will. He also garnered the support of two Space Marine Chapters, the Knights of Guilliman and the Grey Gorgons as well as several million troopers from the local PDF, Astra Militarum and militia forces of the sector. With this powerful army, Fabricator-General Ovid Terrozant and his cohorts broke away from the Imperium. The resulting conflict would draw in millions of military forces from the Imperium and result in the destruction of several worlds and deaths of billions within the sector, leaving this region of space a desolate wasteland and vulnerable to the predations of xenos raiders and secessionist forces within the region. This sector has remained in a constant state of warfare for over a century since the end of this conflict.

## History

### Seeds of War are Sown (681-821.M41)

   The reasons behind the coming war are not known in great detail, but Imperial scholars have pieced together some parts of the story. It seems that Fabricator-General Terrozant was always known as being a highly arrogant and paranoid individual who chafed at the limitations imposed by the Imperium and longed to delve into technologies that were forbidden. He was appointed Fabricator-General of Iterium sometime in 681.M41, and soon began to conduct experiments into these banned technologies. This soon brought him to the attention of his superiors who ordered him to stop. But he paid no heed to these demands, and in fact, increased his work. In his goal of creating his own empire he persuaded the Governors of 6 Industrial Worlds to unite under his command and secede from the Imperium.

Knowing he would not be allowed to go peacefully he set about creating an army to do his bidding, using the power of a Forge World and dozens of other Worlds, he set about creating an army that he believed would be enough to break away. To this end, he also used the long standing ties of his world to the vaunted Knights of Guilliman Astartes Chapter and to the Grey Gorgons, to convince them that his goals were honest. During the coming war, these two Chapters would commit themselves fully to Terrozant and his plan, much to the ruin of them both. Allied to these formidable forces was the Terrozantian Traitor Militia - an army 100 million-strong created - from both local Planetary Defense Forces and Astra Militarum regiments in the Cluster, along with tens of millions of poorly trained, but very well-equipped Imperial militia units from the worlds of the Cluster. The soldiers of the elite Terrozantian Traitor Militia units were equipped with a lighter type of power armour similar to that worn by some Inquisitors, as well as with human-sized boltguns. Further strength was added from the massed Skitarii Regiments of Iterium along with Titans and Imperial Knights based there. Against virtually any foe, this powerful army would sweep all before them, but Ovid knew that the Imperium would commit vast forces to retake these important worlds, but despite the risk, he was set on his path and plunged his worlds into war.

### The Cerberus Crusade Begins (821.M41)

The opening actions of the war were not the all-out attack that was expected, but rather a series of small raids carried out by elite Astartes units against known Imperial strongholds. The goal was to cripple the Imperium's ability to react swiftly. With these outposts removed, Ovid was able to launch his first major offensive against the holdout forge world of Lycan. Lycan was very important, as the only stable warp lane into the sector exited at this forge world, and so, the system became the main hub for all outgoing and incoming trade. Lycan was also intended to serve as an example of what happened to those who defied Ovid.

### Secessionist Advance; Defense of Corinth (821-829.M41)

For the next few years the secessionists advanced and conquered several worlds, but several who refused to join Ovid would defy him, including Corinth, who would holdout for 10 years in a heroic stand that would go down in legend, and Lycan itself. Using a series of diversionary attacks Ovid was able to move his army into position above the world and with a single word the massed fleet opened fired, and soon the world's defences were neutralized, with very little loss to the secessionists. The fleet, led by the battle barges of their Astartes allies, soon directed their fire against the ground defenses in order to allow the transports an unhindered approach to the landing grounds with the Astartes striking at the command centres and major defense positions. The ground assault soon followed, and despite taking casualties, the Terrozantian Traitor Militia was able to gain several footholds and the Skitarii, Knights and Titans of Lycan were forced back into prepared defense positions on the northern continent where they dug in to wait for the reinforcements that were certain to come. Reinforcements, however, were not soon in arriving and it took two years for the first Imperial troops to arrive. The first of which was the Great Company of the Space Wolves Wolf Lord Erik Olafsson. He arrived to find a world under siege and began immediately to asses the situation. Thanks to the few transmissions that managed to get through the traitor's communications blockade, he learned that over the past 2 years the Terrozantian Traitor Militia had launched repeated attacks against the Skitarii of Lycan but had not been able to break the defensive lines and the war had become a stalemate with neither side moving much from their own lines. The Space Wolves fiercely desired to launch an immediate attack in order to break the siege but were forced to wait due the strength of the traitor naval forces. But they would not have long to wait as the entire Ash Scorpions Chapter and a massive Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum forces were mere days away.

### Magister Militum Elected (826.M41)

With the power of an entire chapter behind his own forces, a Great Company and the Imperial Navy, the attack began in earnest. The traitor forces put up a significant fight but were unable to cope with the righteous fury of the Astartes. They were able to break through the blockade and launched the attack against the rear of the traitors in their siege lines. The fighting was fierce but six full Astartes companies landed within hours of the assault beginning and over a number of days 30 Astra Militarum regiments were deployed, and they soon surrounded the traitors. In space, the fighting was just as brutal, but the traitors were forced to disengage from the fighting and fled back to the warp. Despite these successes, the Imperials did not have it all their own way as 30 vessels were crippled or destroyed and thousands of guardsmen were killed, but the most telling casualty was Wolf Lord Erik Olafsson himself, who was killed leading a boarding attack against the Knights of Guilliman's flagship, *Konor's Honour*. The Space Wolves soon elected a new Wolf Lord but the casualties they had sustained would reduce their role during the remainder of the Crusade, though they remained a potent assault force, often being used as the spearhead for larger Astartes forces. Meanwhile additional Astartes forces had begun to arrive, including the Skull Reapers Chapter as well as companies from the Halo Dragons and Imperial Fists. A enclave of Chapter Masters soon convened and elected Commander Corvo of the Ash Scorpions as Magister Militum (supreme commander) of all Imperial forces.

### Conflict Flares Up (826-829.M41)

Over the following years, following the attack on Lycan, significant numbers of Astartes Chapters flock to the war.

### Trident Plan Launched; Battle of Sigma (827.M41)

While the fighting on Lycan raged on, Corvo was preparing the next phase of the war, the road to Iterium and Ovid. Using the Lycan System as a springboard, the Imperial forces were to attack in three separate wings. The left wing would move through the Extal and Dorn's Light systems and on towards the Industrial world of Undine, but would first have to destroy the traitor forces around Sigma. This would not be easy and Corvo dispatched significant forces including elements from 6 Astartes chapters led by Captain Pardis of the Halo Dragons 2nd Company. The fighting was especially brutal as Ovid had turned Sigma into a fortress world and forced the world's entire population to manufacture arms and other weapons of war. The Battle of Sigma marked the first occasion of human wave attacks as the civilian populations were used as cannon fodder to deplete the Imperial's ammunition and sap their morale, but victory was soon achieved and Sigma was marked as secured. Chaos warships were also noted in the Cerberus Expanse for the first time and the librarians of the the chapters warned of major disturbances in the warp.

### Liberation of Lycan V (829.M41)

This was a major turning point in the conflict as Lycan was finally liberated after 6 years and millions of casualties.

### Secessionist Forces On The Defensive (829.M41)

With Lycan liberated and Sigma neutralised, Corvo was free to implement the next stage of his plan. Two more army groups would launch their attacks. The centre, led by Corvo, was to be directed at Lytonus, while the right wing would strike towards Granitan. The fighting would be intense as hundreds of worlds lay between the Imperial forces and their ultimate goal - Iterium.

### Blood in the Void; Jorvick Slaughter & Massacre of Albia (830.M41)

With the war now nine years old, the number of Astartes and Imperial forces arriving were growing monthly, and this year marked the arrival of a force that would go down in infamy and would change the war in an unexpected way. Sometime during 830.M41 as the war finally began to turn in favour of Imperial forces Lord Commander Corvo (Chapter Master of the Ash Scorpions), supreme commander of the Imperial forces had received word that the Knights of Guilliman had retired from the war and returned to their homeworld of Jorvick, sending word that they would surrender, preperations were begun to accept the surrender when events overtook them. The Knights of Guilliman were a proud and storied chapter that though no fault of their own, had found themselves fighting on the wrong side against the Imperium. The reason behind this decision dates back a thousand years, back to when the Knights of Guilliman fought to defend the Iterium System from the foul Aeldari. At the height of this conflict, they, and Iterium's Fabricator-General, swore a binding oath to help each other when needed. With their homeworld close to the Cerberus Cluster their choice was clear and they entered the war on the side of the Secessionists. They were however, an unreliable ally, as their loyalty to the Emperor and the Imperium warred with their sense of honour and the need to honour their oath. They never operated under the command of Fabricator-General Ovid and had few of his units in their ranks, and attempted to end any engagement with words rather than bolter and blade. Any foe that was beaten was granted passage to rejoin the Imperial Forces. By 830.M41, they had however, grown tired of the war and desired to end its involvement and they began to believe that they had been deceived and that Fabricator-General Ovid, the Grey Gorgons and the other Fabricator-Generals had been corrupted and turned to Chaos, but they would not get the chance to end it peacefully. Recalling the entire Chapter and those units of the Terrozantian Traitor Militia that also wanted to end the war back to Jorvick, they began to prepare to surrender and submit themselves to the Emperor's Judgement, when In orbit over Jorvick an unknown Chapter suddenly broke from the warp, ignoring all haild from the Knights they immediatly attacked the Knights fleet, and soon, a great battle raged in orbit as the secessionists fought back. Once they had broken through the Knights fleet, the unknown Astartes launched their entire Chapter into a massive assault against the world of Jorvick. Hundreds of drop pods and gunships roared through the atmosphere crashing into the ground outside the walls of the Fortress of Konor. Led by their Chapter Master, the Chapter erupted from their drop pods and thunderhawk gunship and without heeding injury or loss, they hurled themselves at the walls. The Knights of Guilliman leapt to meet them, matching their attackers pure fury with pure determination. For nine blood-drenched hours, the two chapters fought in the most vicious fighting imaginable, until finally a ramp of corpses led up to a single breach in the wall, and the unknown Astartes plunged in. Filled with rage, they were merciless. By the time Lord Corvo and his forces arrived the battle as over and the unknown Astartes had gone. The inside of the fortress was a slaughter house, filled with the dismembered and mangled corpses of the defenders, for not one soul had been spared from the fury. It was an absolute slaughter, the fortress having been transformed into an abattoir of mangled Astartes. The Knights of Guilliman were all but destroyed and Corvo, though pleased that such a powerful force had been eliminated, was disgusted by the unknown Chapters actions. He called a meeting with the other chapter masters to discuss what was to be done about them. They unanimously agreed that the ferocious Chapter needed to be delt with, and Corvo dispatched the Skull Reapers and Revenants Chapters (a poor choice as the Revenants are just as ferocious an unhinged as this unknown Chapter) to ensure that if they were to reapear they would be restained. He hoped that the presence of 2 other chapter masters and their chapters would be enough to make sure that the unknown Chapter would not interfere with the Imperial plan.

In this, Corvo was mistaken, as the next attack on Albia would descend to new depths.

Albia was an agri-world located not far from the Jorvick System, the 57th Army of Terrozantian Traitor Militia had been stationed there and Corvo was determined to take it. He dispatched the Revenants, along with the 14th Army of the Astra Militarum. The plan was simple, the guardsmen would land first and engage the Terrozantian Traitor Militia, while the Astartes would drop right into the heart of the defences and destroy the traitors from the inside. Once more the unknown Chapter would appear and join the Revenants in thier attack. At first, the plan proceeded smoothly but Imperial Guard commanders soon realised something was wrong when the Terrozantian Traitor Militia began pouring towards the Imperial line. The 14th Army Commander, General Tayle, saw in the faces of the soldiers, absolute terror, and they displayed no fear of the massed guns of the Astra Militarum forces, only a desire get away from whatever was attacking them. The Colonel soon saw what it was - the Revenants and their mysterious allies, apparently driven mad by some kind of battle-frenzy, crashed into the Terrozantian Traitor Militia's rear ranks, just as the first soldiers reached the loyalist Astra Militarum's lines.

The crazed Space Marines fell upon the Terrozantian Traitor Militia in an orgy of bloodletting. Many Astartes had removed their helmets, and eschewing the use of pistols and other ranged weapons, set about the soldiers with chainsword, chain-axe, combat knife and even their own teeth. General Tayle witnessed in mute horror, Astartes ripping out the throats of men with their bared teeth. The raw fury and love of carnage he saw in their faces, as they literally tore the enemy apart, made him shudder in fear. The traitor forces were annihilated within minutes of the Space Marines' brutal attack, but the small number of the enemy were simply not enough for the blood-crazed Astartes, who by now seemed to have been driven into a fever pitch of absolute bloodlust. With no more traitors for them to butcher, they scrambled over the breastworks of the Astra Militarum regiments and smashed into their own line. Properly driven into a true battle frenzy now, the two Chapters performed acts of the most debauched nature, in the name of violence.

Every guardsmen they found, fell beneath their blades. Even though they were allies, none were spared by the Marines crazed attack. General Tayle and several regiments were only just able to make it back to their drop ships, and soon fled to the safety of their ships, leaving behind terrified and helpless civilians to face these crazed Astartes alone. General Tayle later reported that he had personally witnessed cannibalistic acts committed by the frenzied Space Marines. General Tayle was able to report back to his commanders and to Lord Commander Corvo all that had happened on Albia. The Inquisition was informed of these events, and the matter would have to be handled at a later date, but for now, such matters had to be pushed aside as other events had forced Corvos's hand. Forces of Chaos had been conclusively identified and were increasing in number at each passing week. The matter of the Revenants and the unknown Chapter would have to wait until the war was over. Later during the hearings at Lycan a single Strike Cruiser bearing the heraldy of this Chapter anchored near to the assembled fleet, this ship was identified as the Gladiator, previous reports had idetified this ship as belonging to a Chapter called the Flesh Rippers although the Galdiator made no attempts to identify itself and left following an agument with the Lord of the Ultramarines, Marneus Calgar. Since then various reports from other Chapters and other camaigns including their now infamous actions during the Hades Crusade and the Slaughter of Hel confirmed them as the Flesh Rippers but aside from these scattered encounters, they have not been seen since.

### Imperial Left Wing Halted at Undine VIII (832.M41)

Eleven years had passed since the outbreak of this conflict and the situation was stable - dozens of worlds had fallen to the Imperials - but the massive Factory World of Undine was the next target and this would not be easy to capture. Undine was the third most heavily defended World in the sector and had a standing army of some 8 million-strong and it was defended by a ring of orbital stations and a significant naval presence. These formidable defences were further augmented by massed defense silos and ground lasers which surrounded the manufacturing hubs. Most significantly, an entire Demi-Legion of the Legio Draxon was stationed there and the nearby World of Undine VI would also need to be taken.

Lady Marshall Kasteen was fully aware that Terrozant would defend these important worlds with all available forces, and so she dispatched an entire Astra Militarum army group - some 3 million troopers strong - and elements from 3 separate Titan Legions and numerous Imperial Knights to take it as swiftly as possible. She placed these forces under the command of Lord General Nayle. Undine VI was taken swiftly, as most of its forces had been dispatched to defend Undine VIII, leaving it vulnerable to a swift assault from over 30 Knights who broke the defenses, before moving onto the main target of Undine VIII, but thanks to a series of mistakes and general incompetence from Nayle, even the massive force that was assembled was unable to capture the world, and like Lycan, the fighting descended into a stalemate that would last four years.

### The Great Withdrawal (832.M41)

For reasons that have yet to be determined, two Astartes Chapters - the Revenants and Skull Reapers - inexplicably and without explanation, suddenly withdraw from the war zone.

### Liberation of Corinth; Chaos Revealed (834.M41)

While the left wing of the Imperial crusade forces were busy fighting at Undine, the center was moving swiftly forwards and liberated the major hub of Corinth, which thanks to the Corinthian Guard Auxilla Regiment, had held out for twelve years. At the same time, the largest naval action of the war took place at Oberon as Imperial forces clashed with the traitors in a battle that numbered close to 200 vessels. The Imperial Navy emerged victorious but badly mauled in the fighting and 47 ships were lost. It was during this year that chaos was suspected to be behind the war, thanks to an Imperial Assassin that brought the news back from a failed attempt on Ovid's life.

### Disaster at Radium I (835.M41)

Whilst the fighting at Undine was underway, Lord General Nayle, commander of the 31st Siege Army Group, attempted to end the stalemate by launching an attack against the nearby forge world of Radium and hoping to draw away the stream of reinforcements that Terrozant was sending to Undine. By attacking Radium, Nayle also hoped to divert attention from his failing at Undine. The 109th Army that was designated to capture the world was made up of new recruits and was badly under-equipped to fight on Radium which was, as its name suggested, a barren wasteland covered in noxious fumes and high levels of radiation - the legacy of thousands of years of industrialization. Anyone not wearing appropriate protective gear would be killed within hours. Nayle did not care that his troops would be killed in their thousands and ordered the attack. Nayle also ignored the reports that massive Chaos forces were present on Radium.

The result was as expected, those few troops not killed by the massed ranks of chaos cultists and Traitor Marines were killed by radiation. Nayle would pay the price for his stupidity and was arrested by the senior commissar of Lady Marshal Kasteen and executed by Lord Inquisitor Diemos. Lord General Krag was appointed in his place. Krag immediately set about rectifying his predecessor's mistakes and dispatched the 3rd and 10th Siege Army, along with Skitarri forces from Lycan to take Radium. These two army groups and their Mechanicus allies were battle-hardened veterans and with the guard formations equipped with protective suits, they were finally able to fight on equal terms with the world's defenders. The centre wing were able to capture Lytonus at this time and continue their inexorable advance towards Iterium.

### Siege of Radium I; Encounter with Ninefold Acolytes (835.M41)

The war for Radium would be swift but brutal, as massed tank regiments fought over the barren ground. Eventually through sheer will, the Imperial forces pushed the chaos forces back and captured the world. Meanwhile at Kalen, the Novamarines would encounter for the first time, the Ninefold Acolytes Chaos Warband and confirm, once and for all, that chaos had indeed corrupted Ovid.

### Woes of the Loyalists (836.M41)

In 946.M41, the war would take a major turn as fighting continued across the sector. At Likal, the Iron Snakes Chapter would suffer heavy casualties fighting amongst the hives against Heretic Astartes. Meanwhile, Lord Commander Corvo, impatient to finish things at Undine, moved his entire Chapter to the world and in heavy fighting, finally captured the world. Admiral Priett, left in command of the centre, would attempt to move swiftly and led a task force to Obtine, but was met with massed fire from numerous Traitor vessels. Admiral Priett and over 100,000 crewmen were killed. Lord Commander Corvo ordered elements from four chapters and four entire fleets to Obtine, and soon, the Imperials were able to land ground forces and fighting broke out across the surface.

### Destruction of Obtine V (837.M41)

Unable to break the traitor lines on Obtine V, the Imperials deployed Titans and Knights and pushed back the traitors enough to shell the main defences. Chaos forces responded by unleashing the plague virus causing many of the attackers to transform into plague zombies. Determining that the world was lost, Corvo ordered a retreat from the surface and destroyed the doomed world from orbit through *Exterminatus*.

### Setback at Granitan; Daemonic Incursion of Likal VI (838.M41)

The Imperial right wing continued their advance towards Granitan but faced heavier resistance from chaos forces and were increasingly forced to slow their progress, but nevertheless, managed to force their way though, and soon, the twin Fortress Worlds of Granitan were under siege. But large chaos forces counter-attacked and in a series of battles, forced the Imperial Navy out of the system, leaving the Imperial ground forces vulnerable and without orbital support. Lord Commander Corvo ordered all available Astartes forces to Granitan, he also disbanded the left wing and moved them to Granitan. His center increased their advance and moved towards Granitan. After several months of fighting the Imperial forces regained control of the system and were able to resupply the Astra Militarum units on the ground, but the battle would take a further four years before the world was declared secure. Meanwhile at Likal, the Grey Knights were fighting the largest daemon invasion of the war, emerging victorious, but only at great cost.

### Final Assault on the Iterium System (842.M41)

The war was almost over, after 21 years the Imperial Crusade was finally poised to assault Iterium, the Chaos fleet was in tatters and powerless to stop the landings but the world was a fortress. Massed defense silos and satellite strongpoints surrounded the central citadel where Ovid and his dammed cohorts resided and for 2 bloody years the imperial pushed forwards inch by bloody inch until finally, mercifully the citadel was in sight.

For six days the massed guns of the Imperial army pounded the defenses and at dawn on the seventh day the order was finally given. The Imperials surged forward, in the van came a phalanx of Land Raiders and Rhinos spearheaded by a dozen redeemers, their flamestorm cannons burning a path through the ranks of the dammed cultists and mutants, powering forward alongside was the Land Raider's of the Inqusition led by the High Inquisitor Deimos. Behind them came the God-Engines of the Mechanicus, seven Titans and over 30 Knights, in the the lead Alyssa Van Lycan High Princeps of the Legio Canis. Sat upon her throne in the control room of a mighty Mars-Alpha Pattern Warlord Titan, *The Hand of Blood*, she advanced relentlessly, massive bolts of energy speared from the twin Volcano Cannons on its arms the ground shaking with every footfall, alongside her her twin sister Elyssa lady of House Lycan powering forward in her Acastus Knight Porphyrion, *The Unrelenting Vengeance*, Armiger Warglaives threading their way between them.

Further back still came the massed ranks of the Astra Militarum. Meeting them came a hellstorm of fire as the traitors rushed to meet them, Khorne Berzerkers flinging themselves forward without heed to injury while Iron Warriors sent down disciplined fire from the Ramparts, millions of cultists, chanting prayers to their vile gods advanced and warmachines that could only have come from the mind of a madman erupted from the gates, a massive steel spider, a hundred foot across studded with guns scythed into the line while smaller beatle like machines flooded out. The Imperial attack bogged down and the Heretics gave a great cheer as the Land Raiders first slowed then stopped only for for the cheers to stick in their throats as the Assault Doors of these mighty warmachines opened and out came 10 full companies of Astartes, 100 clad in Terminator Plate, drawn from 7 Chapters and led by Corvo himself they plunged into the fray, reaping an horrendous tally as the Lost and the Damned fell before them, a thousand falling for every Astartes laid low.

For 3 hours the 2 sides fought in the most brutal fighting known, thousands falling with every minute that passed, Titans toppled like vast, flaming trees screaming as they fell smashed down in ruin but true horror was yet to come, the blood that soaked into the soil was the catalyst for a ritual years in the making. The ground shook, the guard Psykers began to scream and blood began to weep from the sky, reality bent and the wall that separated this world from the next first buckled and than broke and with a scream of hate that echoed across time and space, Ska'nnath Daemon Prince of Chaos ripped his way into being. Behind him came hordes of cackling daemons, blue horrors launching eldritch fire at their enemies, bloodletters carving their way through with inhuman fury, daemonettes screeching as they killed while plaguebearers advanced relentlessly forward, above them all stood Ska'nnath, a dozen falling with every sweep of his possessed sword, beams of energy erupting from his other hand he rampaged across the battlefield.

The Imperial line broke and thousands ran from these new horrors, only the Astartes, Inquisition, Adepta Sororitas, Titans, Imperial Knights, Skitarri and the bravest of the Imperial Guard stayed. All seemed lost but Corvo spoke a single word, just one word 'Now'. From above, the death and carnage came a roaring rumble that built into a crescendo, 10 full Companies of Astartes, their drop pods darkening the sky fell to earth, they aimed not for the front line but for the mass of Daemons pouring from the rift, and who despite their numbers were no match for the righteous fury of the Emperors finest who erupted from their pods and plunged into the fray.

Behind them came massed flights of Arvus Lighters and from the orbiting ships massive beams of power lanced down scouring deep gorges on the ground and obliterating everything they touched. But even with this arrayed power the Imperial forces were still not sure of victory, daemons still poured from the rift and Ska'nnath who was a foe beyond any of them but not for the Astartes of the Grey Knights who launched an entire brotherhood in a massive teleport assault directly into the fight with the Daemon Prince. The Grey Knights and Ska'nnath fought in a battle on both the physical and mental plane when finally and at great cost they forced the massive daemon back into abyss where he came from and closed the rift. Cut off from the Immaterium the massed ranks of the Daemonic Hordes faded into nothingness and bereft of their allies the Heretic Astartes fell back toward the Citadel and from there they escaped into the depths of space leaving behind millions of Cultists and Mutants who were slaughtered mercilessly by the vengeful Imperials.

Five hours had passed and the Battle was over and the tally began, tens of thousands lay dead or dying in the field but as for the Lost and the Damned, they were wiped out to a man, their diseased corpses piled into mounds a hundred meters high and burnt in great pyre's that lasted for days.

The lords of the Crusade convened and the decision was made, the walls of Ovids last stronghold were torn down the World of Iterium was evacuated and destroyed from orbit, the taint had burrowed too deep and finally the War that had lasted for 23 years and billions of casualties was over, all that was needed was to deal with the survivors

### Cerberus Crusade Brought to a Close (844.M41)

After the war was concluded the Knights of Guilliman were brought before the assembled chapter masters to face their judgement, during the trial the only surviving Captain Marneus Albrectus made an impassioned speech that moved the chapter masters and with the support of the Novamarines themselves, who recognized that their descendants had fallen victim to machinations beyond their control, the Knights of Guilliman were granted the Emperor's forgiveness on the condition they undertake a 200 year penitent crusade to atone for their transgressions, and would have to do so without the right to recruit new brethren to replace their losses during this time of punishment. Their future survival would therefore, be left in their own hands and by the grace and benevolence of the Holy Emperor, their homeworld of Jorvick was given over to the Novamarines in trust rather than forfeited, to be returned if the Knights Survived their crusade.

As for the Cerberus Expanse itself the results left a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of the Imperial Commanders - billions were dead and the sector was now a barren wasteland, and the Forge Worlds that had been at the heart of the war had been left completely unusable. The Imperial forces withdrew and were sent to other warzones leaving the sector undefended. Orks, Aelderi and other xenos moved in and carved out territories of their own, and from the world of Arachnos, a spider-like race began to forge themselves an empire. From the nearby Koronus Expanse, Rak'Gol Marauders soon arrived, forcing the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos to despatch a Deathwatch task force to deal with this new alien threat and fight yet another war for control of the Cerberus Expanse.

As for the Magos of Lycan, Balthasar, after the conflict had ended and with his world in ruins he took to the stars in his flagship, the mighty Chronicles of Iron along with the surviving Knights and Titans as well as his massed legions of Skitarii and Imperial Robots. He now travels the stars seeking out Archaeotech and other Treasures, the power of Legio Canis and House Lycan along with his own Mechanicus forces ensures that he can wrest control of these treasures whoever may hold them.

## Order of Battle Cerberus Crusade (821-844.M41)

### Imperial Crusade Forces

#### Imperial Guard (Regiments)

Assault and Siege Army Groups were comprised of the following Regiments:

Loyalist PDF Regiments (Unknown Number) Hundreds of other Regiments whose names have not been recorded
Unknown Number of Penal Regiments (Estimated to be in the Hundreds)

#### Imperial Navy & Astartes Fleet Assets

Elements that comprise Battlefleet Cerberus:

 19
 23
 51
 78
 7
* Ash Scorpions 1
* Revenants 2
* Halo Dragons 1
* Black Templars 1
 47
 86
 1

#### Adeptus Mechanicus Forces

 Lycan VIII
* 71 Knights
 Voss Prime
 Mars
 Voltaris

#### Forces of the Inquisition

 Inquisitor Vale
 Inquisitorial Task Forces
 Grey Knights | CLASSIFIED

### Xenos Forces

Various Xenos took an unofficial part in the Cerberus Crusade including the Orks, Aeldari of the Iybraesil Craftworld and the Drukhari, the Orks as is their way attacked both sides indiscriminately while the Eldar of both types followed their own goals sometimes allying with the Imperium but for the most part they remained aloof from the fighting but neither type actively hindered the Imperial Crusade for reasons of their own choosing.

### Secessionist Forces

#### Senior Commanders

 Lord Marius Gage Kruger
 Lord General Ligrus
 High King Litanus tar Iterium
 Admiral Apolynia

#### Chaos Commanders (after 830.M41)

 Curia quattuor
 Lord Thanatos
 Lord Severus

#### Various Chaos Forces (Encountered after 828.M41)

Estimated 100 million (Comprised of Cultists, Mutants and Daemons).

#### Secessionist Imperial Navy, Astartes Fleet & Chaos Fleet Assets (Chaos Forces after 828.M41)

 19
 41
 56
 7
 14
 35

Unknown number of Chaos Vessels (after 828.M41)