Obstiria - The Red WAAAGH!: In 998.M41, the Ork Warlord Grukk Face-rippa and his Red WAAAGH! ploughed into the densely populated Sanctus Reach Sub-sector. By the time Grukk reached Sanctus Reach he had billions of Orks following in his wake. Only a few obstacles stood in the Orks' way, most notably the Space Marine world of Obstiria, home to the Obsidian Glaives Chapter.Five companies of the Chapter defended the planet, led by their Chapter Master Midnias, a scarred veteran of countless wars against the Greenskins. Despite Grukk's numbers, Midnias had assured the Imperial sector lord that he could halt the Ork incursion before it plunged even deeper into the sub-sector.Even before Grukk reached Obstiria, Freebooterz and mobs of Evil Sunz had raced ahead to be the first Greenskins to attack the Space Marines. Kaptin Dakbad Flamegut was the first to descend upon the planet, his Kill Kroozers charging at the Obsidian Glaives' orbital defences.Hundreds of thousands of Orks reached the surface of Obstiria through a hail of anti-aircraft fire and laid siege to the Penumbral Spike, the fortress-monastery of the Obsidian Glaives. In the ten millennia since the Founding of the Chapter, it had never fallen to a foe. Soon Orks scaled the fortress walls, bellowing war cries while the Space Marines blasted at them from above.Numerous times the Orks bludgeoned or shot their way into the fortress, Midnias personally leading counterattacks to throw them back, and for seven solar days and nights the Obsidian Glaives held back the Orks, the loss of each fallen Space Marine keenly felt, each section of their fortress defiled a stain upon their honour.In a desperate ploy, Chapter Master Midnias brought with him the final weapon to be deployed from the Chapter's arsenal -– the Ancients of the vault, the Dreadnoughts, eleven of them storming onto the battlements in a tide of ruthless steel. During this battle, Midnias faced Flamegut himself and managed to kill him. This shattered the morale of Flamegut's forces.By the dawn of the eighth day, the tide of Orks seemed to slacken, leaving the Space Marines to count their dead, which included all but one of their Dreadnoughts, most of which had succumbed to the intense radiation of their homeworld. The Ork onslaught had been temporarily halted. But the Chapter Master knew this was only a temporary respite. Then the Warlord Grukk arrived.At the Slaughter of Black Gulch soon after his arrival, Grukk famously tore open a malfunctioning Drop Pod to get at the Space Marines inside. He then cut all ten of the Astartes into pieces, one by one, in a series of increasingly violent kills.It was such an ignoble fate that the commanders of the Chapter's Battle Company, with the assent of Chapter Master Midnias, authorised a revenge strike upon Grukk himself. Despite inflicting severe damage, the Space Marines were unable to complete their mission.The following Battle of Black Gulch was Midnias' final attempt to kill the Warboss. At first, the Space Marines caught the Orks by surprise, slaying thousands as they fell upon the horde, but then the Orks' numbers started to come to bear. Into their midst Midnias soared, roaring across the battlefield on his jump pack to engage Grukk, his blade moving in a blur to hack off the Ork's head.Grukk turned at the last moment, taking the blow on his thickly-muscled shoulder, roaring in pain. As Midnias raised his blade for another strike, Grukk lashed out and wrapped a meaty fist around the blade. The Chapter Master strained with his considerable strength against the Ork to free his sword, but Grukk pivoted against the Space Marine's weight and delivered a thunderous uppercut that tore Midnias' helm from his head.Grukk wrapped a massive hand around Midnias' body, pinning his arms to his sides. The massive Ork's mouth yawned open, revealing rows of gory fangs leading to a hungry black throat. The Ork Warlord closed his massive maw, severing the Chapter Master's head from his body. Thus ended the Obsidian Glaives.Their commander dead, the Space Marines valiantly attempted to defend their world for a further three solar days, fighting a battle they could not hope to win against the overwhelming numbers of Grukk's hordes. With Obstiria crushed and the Sanctus Reach aflame, only the Knight World of Alaric Prime remained defiant, and the Red WAAAGH! gathered once more for war.