Feast of Blades - Notable Feasts: Unknown Feast of Blades (546.M32) - During the War of the Beast, Chapter Master Maximus Thane of the Fists Exemplar declares a Feast of Blades on Inwit during the funeral of Koorland, last of the Imperial Fists, while Thane himself serves as the champion for the Fists Exemplar. After defeating Sergeant Dathan Tychor of the Excoriators, Thane is declared the winner of this Feast of Blades.The Feast of a Hundred Duels (Unknown Date) - The Feast of Blades is the target of a massive World Eaters invasion. The sons of Dorn quickly unite against the Khornate maniacs smashing their way through the world's defences. The finest Space Marine bladesmen of the age match their Power Swords against the Chainaxes and flails of the World Eaters. Though the Chaos Space Marines finally fall to superior numbers, the skies rumble with Khorne's approval, for the feast halls are awash with the hot blood of champions.812th Feast of Blades (749.M41) - The 812th Feast of Blades was held on the planet of Ganath in the Segmentum Pacificus. All 12 competing Chapters were in attendance. The Iron Knights' Champion Hervald Strom wins the competition.813th Feast of Blades (849.M41) - Despite suffering heavy wounds in the Vinculus Crusade, Hervald Strom of the Iron Knights emerges triumphant once more. Never before has one Chapter, let alone one champion, prevailed in two successive assemblages.814th Feast of Blades (949.M41) - The ravages of war dictate that only 8 of the 12 participating Chapters are in attendance, but the tradition is still observed. The competition is tied between the Imperial Fists and the Crimson Fists Chapters, who have won the Feast's competition the most times of any of the 12 Chapters invited.816th Feast of Blades (Unknown Date.M41) - The most recent Feast of Blades was held on the formally Ork-held world of Samarquand IV, within the heavily contested Samarquand Sector, which had been part of the Urk Empire for nearly two thousand years. Suffering some of their worst losses in five thousand years, the Excoriators Chapter suffered the indignity of having seven of their champions defeated early in the tournament, and their remaining two were hopelessly outclassed by their upcoming match-ups. With a heavy heart, the Chapter decided to risk waking Zachariah Kersh (the Chapter Scourge or Champion) in a desperate bid to salvage some honour. The recently disgraced Kersh had suffered the unfortunate dishonour of losing his Chapter's sacred standard to the vile Alpha Legion. It is not clear whether the Chapter's genetic affliction known as Dorn's Darkness caused Kersh’s recent failures or was triggered by them. As punishment, he had been placed within a stasis sarcophagus. A risky medical intervention with Kersh's Catalepsean Node brought him out of the Darkness and restored him to something resembling a functional state. Though Kersh performed admirably and won several successive victories during the grueling 816th tournament, the senior officers of the other competing Chapters remaining in the Feast did not recognise the legitimacy of "the Scourge's" victories. Their honour prevented them from stepping into The Cage with Kersh and the same honour also prevented them from claiming victory in the Feast without first besting Kersh. Therefore, Master Fortinbrase, the senior Imperial Fist presiding over the Feast, decreed that the final match would be decided by a three-way duel between Kersh and the remaining Champions from the Black Templars and the Imperial Fists. The Black Templars Champion Alighieri was a devout Brethren of the Sword and a Castellan. He was half the age of Kersh but had twice the victories to his name. The Imperial Fists' Champion was Montalbán, a hulking Astartes and Chapter Master Vladimir Pugh's personal Champion, as well as the best competitor at the Feast. Despite the disadvantages arrayed against him, Kersh managed to do the impossible and defeat both champions in The Cage. He became the first Champion of the Excoriators to win the Feast of Blades in the Chapter's history.