Crimson Blade Campaign

## Crimson Blade Campaigns

The **Crimson Blade Campaign** is an oft-forgotten decade-long campaign that took place in the Scarus Sector to cleanse a multitude of Chaos cult uprisings across four sub-sectors. Several of these corrupt cults had been largely instigated by Deimos the Defiler and his splinter Alpha Legion warband, The Formless. The Ebon Knights and Lions Malevolent Chapters began a decade-long campaign beset with many battles to hunt down and slay Deimos. During this time they successfully uprooted many hidden cults and corrupt officials across four sub-sectors. They were later joined by their Primogenitors, the venerable Dark Angels. They had arrived to oversee operations in capturing a group of identified Fallen Angels amongst the ranks of the Heretic Astartes.

During the final epic battle of the campaign, the Ebon Knights willfully ignored the commands of their genetic forebears to abandon their position, leaving a beleaguered Astara Militarum to their death, to pursue their own objectives. Instead, the Ebon Knights stoically held their position and fought side-by-side with the Astra Militarum regiment, eventually turning a near-disaster into an outstanding victory. Due to their actions, the Ebon Knights were condemned by their erstwhile former brethren. The Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels issued an Edict of Obliteration, and ordered all contributions of the Ebon Knights to be excised from the official record. They were no longer officially recognised as one of the Unforgiven -- they would henceforth be referred to by their former brethren as the 'Forgotten'.

## History

The Ebon Knights are an ancient and proud Chapter whose origins are found in the chaotic centuries following the Horus Heresy. They were founded during the 3rd Founding as a Successor Chapter of the venerable Dark Angels Chapter. While the Ebon Knights share the genetic heritage of the Dark Angels, they have no special links to the wider body of their Progenitor Chapter or any of the other Dark Angels Successors. Instead, the Ebon Knights look forwards, carving their own legends in the annals of the Imperium's history. The reasons for this animosity is unknown to outsiders, but the origins of this bad blood occurred only half a millennium following their creation. Like many of the Unforgiven, the Ebon Knights have fought in many campaigns and wars, both as a part of a greater Imperial force or as a single Chapter. But unlike their fellow Unforgiven Chapters, who are wont to stand apart from their own allies, the Ebon Knights believe in honour, selfless service and loyalty, especially to those who fight for the Emperor. This can be directly attributed to the multiple feudal worlds the Ebon Knights recruit from. The Chapter's Astartes had initially been drawn from the ranks of the Dark Angels themselves, and their Successor Chapters. But over five centuries of constant warfare, a high attrition rate and the need to recruit from outside of their Chapter homeworld, the majority of the Chapter's Neophytes were drawn from multiple feudal worlds within the system. This, coupled with the deaths of their original command hierarchy over five centuries of campaigning against the foes of Mankind, they were eventually all replaced by Shadowmehr-borne Astartes. This changed the culture and traditions of the Chapter, so much so that by the mid-32nd Millennium, there were increasing tensions between the Ebon Knights and their fellow Lion-Borne Chapters.

Over their first five centuries of existence, the Ebon Knights had fought with their Progenitor Chapter as well as several other Dark Angels Successors. Most notably, was during the Crimson Blade Campaign (532-542.M32) that took place in the Scarus Sector. A join strike force comprised of the Ebon Knights and Lions Malevolent were sent to halt the onslaught of a massive incursion by the Forces of Chaos. Over a period of five years, a series of bloody wars had engulfed the Scarus Sector. Dire portents and Chaos cult uprisings were rife throughout many of the sector's worlds. But unbeknownst to the Scions of the Lion, was that several of these corrupt cults were largely instigated by Deimos the Defiler and his splinter Alpha Legion warband, The Formless. The Ebon Knights and the Lions Malevolent began a decade-long campaign beset with many battles to hunt down and slay Deimos. During this time they successfully uprooted many hidden cults and corrupt officials across four sub-sectors. But the wily Chaos Lord always manages to elude his pursuers by staying one step ahead. The battles against this network of subversion brought much suffering to the Scarus Sector, before the corruption was finally subdued, culminating in the assault of the vitally important Hive World of Gudrun.

Just as the Ebon Knights and Lions Malevolent began the coordination for the final assault upon the hive's primus capital, they were interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the Rock, the Dark Angels' massive mobile fortress-monastery. The Dark Angels summoned the leadership of both Successor Chapters aboard the Rock to take part in a war council with Dark Angels' Supreme Grand Master Purson. The Supreme Grand Master informed the two Grand Masters that they had been following many clues that had led them to Gudrun, and had recently uncovered the unmistakable signs of the presence of multiple Fallen. Seeking to ensure that none escaped, the Imperial strike force blockaded the planet and unleashed the the 1st Companies of all three Chapters against the heretic forces. Fighting alongside Imperial Guard regiments from the Maccabian Janissaries, Gudrunite Rifles and the Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii legions, the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters attempted to halt the cultists' onslaught and capture their erstwhile brethren. But little did they know that Deimos the Defiler had laid a cunning trap for the sons of the Lion.

### Assault on Gudrunhive

The Lion-borne Chapters launched a swift planetary assault, Supreme Grand Master Purson divided the Unforgiven forces to better contest the world's remaining cities, but focussed his efforts on retaking the capital of Gudrunhive. In these early stages of the assault, the Supreme Grand Master was far from reckless, analysing terrain, reconnaissance reports and countless missives to ascertain the enemy's weaknesses. Much to his dismay, he found none. The maze of streets and bridges of Gudrunhive favoured the numerical superiority of the followers of Chaos. With no swift victory to be gained, and the enemy commander yet to rear his ugly head or show his hand, the campaign on Gudrun almost immediately became a war of attrition. Gudrunhive would need to be purged by sword and bolter.

Biding their time, the Unforgiven instead concentrated on inflicting casualties on the enemy and retaking the strategic initiative. But their primary objective remained -- to capture the elusive Fallen, that, according to intelligence reports, had taken refuge in the western industrial sector. Impatient to end the Hunt, the Supreme Grand Master ordered the Unforgiven's elite 1st Companies to press forwards, for his fury had been awakened. He admonished himself for allowing the Fallen too much time to prepare, therefore, he took the initiative and would cleanse the industrial district of the taint that had befallen it.

Despite the Ravenwing's warnings not to overextend the line or venture further into the city without proper reconnaissance, the elite companies of the Unforgiven did just that. The Unforgiven's first assault on the industrial district was a success as the Terminator-armoured elite cleared the cultist-manned gun nests in order to allow an armoured column of the Ebon Knights Chapter to advance. The Unforgiven's assault even prompted a reaction from The Formless, which deployed its Chaos Terminators into the fray. With battle flaring up between the two opposing Astartes forces, the Ravenwing arrived as reinforcements, clearing the road into the industrial sector of remaining cultists and forcing the Chaos Terminators to flee, the Ravenwing giving chase. But within the wreckage of the industrial refuse and fallen debris of buildings, in a little explored, and too quickly dismissed area, the The Formless had hidden from the Unforgiven's wrath and patiently awaited the moment to strike.

Elsewhere in the city, an Ebon Knights armoured column, bolstered by two battalions of Gundrunite Rifles, was cut in half when a large spire had fallen, blocking the main route of access to the inner city. Having no other choice, the Ebon Knights were forced to make a great detour in order to reach the main advance of the trio of elite companies, or risk being ambushed and trapped in Gudrunhive's narrow streets. Despite being informed of this major delay, the Supreme Grand Master ordered the 1st Company Grand Masters to press on. As they crossed the final bridge into the industrial sector, the Ebon Knights Interrogator-Chaplain Uzziel sensed something was amiss. He urged his 1st Company's Grand Master to proceed with caution, urging him to halt the advance and to properly scout the way ahead. Confident in the superior protection of their Terminator suits, the Unforgiven elite continued on. Again, they were wrong.

The Terminators were lured into a deadly trap. The Chaos Space Marines sprung their ambush, when three squads of Havocs let loose with a devastating barrage of missile, meltagun and autocannon fire. Left in shock and reeling from the surprise blow, The Formless pressed their attack. Fuelled by anger and a desire for vengeance, the Grand Masters ordered the advance not to falter. The relentless barrage of the Havocs heavy weapons took a brutal toll on the advancing Terminator elite. Nearly a third of their number fell before they could reach the other side of the bridge. The remaining Terminators took refuge behind the shattered plasteel walls of the remains of a large manufactorum building. The headhunter squads of The Formless scoured the area, purging it of survivors and seeking ingress to the defensive position of the remaining Unforgiven.

Meanwhile, as the Ebon Knights armoured column pressed on, the Chaos cultists made their move. Having lured the Unforgiven's elite companies away and ambushed them separately, The Formless collapsed a causeway beneath the combined advance of Gundrinites and Ebon Knights, disrupting the armoured column and killing most of the human soldiery at the same time. The scattered survivors, both Astartes and human barely had time to register what had happened that the crazed hordes of cultists, led by Traitor Marines, rushed them. Far from being beaten, the Chaos forces had laid in wait patiently within the hive city's subterranean sewers, and sprung their trap at the most opportune moment. The forces at the front of the Imperial advance fared the worst, effectively falling into the subterranean level, cut off from help and disoriented. Still the Ebon Knights fought on, often sacrificing themselves to protect their Gudrunite allies.

With the enemy finally rearing its ugly head, the Ebon Knights unleashed their wrath, hacking, slashing and wrecking a terrible toll amongst the enemy. Yet their valour alone could not save the day. As the situation looked grim, reinforcements arrived unexpectedly in the form of the badly battered Manticores Knights-Errant, the Ebon Knights' elite 2nd Company. These unexpected reinforcements kept the defeat from becoming a rout, and thus bloodied and bruised the Ebon Knights survived. Their losses had been high, but enough remained to still continue the fight against the servants of Chaos.

#### Final Assault

Surviving the Chaos Space Marine ambush, the Deathwing and the Lions Malevolent's Knights of the Lions prepared to launch an assault on the industrial citadel where the Fallen were supposedly ensconced. Meanwhile the Ebon Knights armoured column continued to push forwards trying to link up with their fellow Unforgiven. As night fell, there was no letup in the attack, and the Supreme Grand Master continued to push the Unforgiven elite forwards in the darkness. By dawn, they had cleared the western approaches to the industrial complex, as the enemy had fallen back in disarray. The industrial district was strewn with rubble and masonry scattered about in piles around the streets. Accompanied by armoured support, the Terminators jumped off its attack and was soon enmeshed in heavy fighting with the enemy defenders. The bone white and ebony and dark green armoured figures could be seen advancing through the ruins, as bright orange tongues of heavy flamer blasts burned the defenders out of their cover. The streets were littered with the dead. The renegade forces occupying the industrial complex were effectively cut-off from resupply and reinforcement. At that time, the surviving Ebon Knights armoured column finally arrived to lend their support in the final assault.

Supreme Grand Master Purson sensed they were close to achieving their objective, and arrived on the scene to personally lead his Dark Angels and the Unforgiven in the final assault. Dismounting his Land Raider, Purson led the assault as he plunged into the enemy ranks of Chaos Cultists, his black blade, the *Sword of Secrets*, cutting a bloody swathe. Though the assault inflicted painful losses upon the Unforgiven, the Traitors were unable to carry the day, as they were routed from their former inviolable position. The Unforgiven searched the ruins of the industrial complex but found no traces of their quarry. As they proceeded to hunt down and destroy the remnants of surviving Chaos Cultist forces, the Unforgiven received the desperate hails over the command vox that the Imperial Guard High Command's position was being overrun by a massive assault of Chaos Cultist forces, estimated to be a million strong. Five brigades of Imperial Guard regiments were effectively cut off and surrounded.

The Ebon Knights were the first to respond to the Imperial Guard's request for aid and proceeded to make all haste towards their position. As the armoured column departed the industrial sector, the Supreme Grand Master received intelligence reports from the Ravenwing that the Fallen had been sighted near Gudrunhive's starport and had likely commandeered a shuttle. The Supreme Grand Master ordered the Unforgiven to withdraw all forces from the planet's surface, as their quarry could not be allowed to escape.

Breaking protocol, the Ebon Knights Grand Master protested profusely with their progenitor's command to abandon their allies to their fate. The Supreme Grand Master reminded the Ebon Knights' commander that their first duty was to the Lion and their Hunt for the Fallen - all other concerns were secondary. The Lions Malevolent readily complied with the Supreme Grand Master's orders, but the Ebon Knights' personal code of honour wouldn't allow them to abandon their allies, and so, the Ebon Knights' Grand Master disobeyed their progenitor's orders and made all haste towards the Imperial Guard High Command. Enraged at the Ebon Knights' temerity, the Supreme Grand Master warned their commander, that if they refused to take part in the Hunt, they would forever after be ostracised -- they would no longer be one of the Unforgiven -- for to turn their backs on their sworn duty was tantamount to treason.

The Ebon Knights Grand Master would not back down, as he argued that their duty to the Emperor and his people should be first and foremost, as they were the sworn protectors of Mankind. They would not callously sacrifice so many lives in order to capture only a few Fallen. He then ordered all vox communications to be cut off with their progenitors. The Dark Angels and the Lions Malevolent took their leave and departed Gudrun to continue their pursuit. The Ebon Knights were left behind to their fate. In the ensuing final battle, the Ebon Knights managed to break the Chaos Cultist blockade, and proudly stood by their allies' sides as the Forces of Chaos launched their final devastating assault. The Ebon Knights fought valiantly alongside their Imperial Guard allies, but suffered the grievous loss of nearly a third of their Chapter's number.

#### Discommendation

Following the successful conclusion of the Crimson Blade Campaign, the Ebon Knights sought a reckoning with their progenitors, but the Dark Angels refused all communication with the upstart Successor Chapter. The Dark Angels would never be called to account for this callous act, as they were a First Founding Chapter, and no one would dare accuse them of cowardice. The Ebon Knights had been summarily condemned by their former Unforgiven brethren. They were no longer recognised as Scions of the Lion. The Dark Angels' Supreme Grand Master issued an Edict of Obliteration and ordered all contributions by the Ebon Knights to be excised from the official record. They would no longer be officially recognised as one of the Unforgiven -- they would henceforth be referred to as the '*Forgotten*'.