Crimson Slaughter - Shrouded Beginnings: The Renegades who call themselves the Crimson Slaughter were once the Crimson Sabres Chapter of Space Marines. Since their betrayal and excommunication, many have sought out the Chapter's origins, delving back into their past to find perhaps some reasoning behind their rapid decline into savage butchery. Thus far, the Inquisition has failed to reveal any conclusive evidence that links them to corrupt gene-seed or known mutagenic factors.What has been brought to light in the quest to understand what happened to an elite army is only another reminder that there are enormous gaps in the Imperium's data. Tracing historical records is a difficult task. Much of the history of the Imperium of Man, including that of some of the most decorated Space Marine Chapters, has holes riddled through its continuum.These dead patches are often ascribed to rampant warfare, but not always. Even without xenos threat or internecine fighting, the sheer size of the galaxy-spanning empire and the dangers of Warp travel conspire to make any kind of cohesive record-keeping impossible.The most bureaucratic star systems -- those with the most Adeptus Administratum workers -- keep the best records, but ironically, they are the most difficult to extract information from. The sheer number of datascrolls and information stockpiles, along with outdated or misunderstood technology, makes sifting the heaped recordings the life's work of entire armies of scribes.It is unknown from which Founding the Crimson Sabres were created, or which Chapter served as their progenitor. Naturally, much speculation on both accounts has been made, including postulations made by members of the Chapter itself. The earliest mentions of the Crimson Sabres that have been uncovered are battle records that list them as participating in campaigns at the dawning of the 36th Millennium.That the Chapter's Founding is unknown seems tied to two events -- the Amalgamathian Schism and the destruction of the planet Rhoghon. After long searches, keen-eyed Inquisitorial teams have been able to track down several sources regarding the Chapter's activity during the Wars of Apostasy. One, a brief report in the chrono-logs of the Silver Skulls, lists the Crimson Sabres' service in several battles, noting their disciplined fire support as exemplary. To aid the investigations, Silver Skulls Prognosticators delved further into their records, confirming that, at the time, they judged their brethren to be in perfect accordance to the Codex Astartes.Another reference in the data-scrolls of the Black Templars credits the Crimson Sabres as the leaders in hunting down and destroying a xenos threat that encroached upon Segmentum Solar while the Imperium was distracted in their war with the rogue High Lord of Terra Goge Vandire.During the Cleansing of Danor IV, a standard-year-long campaign in which no less than six Chapters of Space Marines took part, it was the Crimson Sabres who gained the most commendations. The overall leader -- the then-Master of the Blood Angels, Commander Virgilus -- noted that the duty-bound Crimson Sabres were masters of quick-strike warfare, praising their Drop Pod assaults and claiming that they nearly rivalled those of his own legendary Chapter.The only cautionary note from this period comes from Brother Aerigulus, an Ultramarines Librarian who took part in the actions on Danor IV. It was his report that cited the Crimson Sabres as "overeager for acceptance." Later, in the same data-scroll, Aerigulus went on to clarify that this overwrought zeal might have been expected from a new Chapter fighting alongside such Imperial stalwarts as the Blood Angels and Ultramarines. This foreshadows what was to follow.