Overview[]
The Crusaders Once Crossed are a warband whose loyalty lies with the Despoiler and the dark gods of chaos. They originate from the Sons Of Horus and pay homage to their primarch and dark heroes of the past. They have been active in every recent Black Crusade (the 8th and forward) and in recent years have been prone to large scale raids.
They were largely inactive (and pretty much nonexistent) as a fighting force after the Horus Heresy other than infighting or small supply raids until their current warlord rose up to power some time in the 9th century of M37. They then flourished under his visage and began to invade the nearby worlds of the Imperium for slaves and supplies. After many years of raiding and trading with other renegades they amassed themselves into a formidable force. They often draw the ire of the Imperium with their habits of pillaging but are also adversaries of the craftworld Eldar who often try to foil the Crusaders' plans.
Bandits and raiders at heart they have a vast fleet as their disposal befitting of such a feared group. They rarely stay on their home planet as the Despoiler always has something for them to ransack.
Loyalties and Beliefs[]
The warband has always been very loyal to Abbadon and the dark pantheon of gods. They are zealous in the manner with which they spread the unholy word of the chaos gods and it is common for them to forcibly induct their prisoners into the ways of chaos. They carry great pride for their dark history and keep great collections of records of their exploits.
Being an undivided group they do not worship any of the gods more than the others but they do call on Khorne for assistance more than the others. They are quite a motley sight due to the variance in appearance within the warband as attire and customs vary greatly from person to person.
They are grateful for the assistance that the dark gods can provide but they often refrain from taking "gifted" mutations as they believe they would be lessened in their ability to serve the ruinous powers.
Tactics[]
While typically raiding and pillaging the Crusaders are capable of full fledged wars and sieges. In some battles they have waited months on enemy held planets chipping away at their strongholds until they break through or simply starving the foe out. They adapt tactics according to foe with most of their battle plans being tried and true against Imperial forces.
For the raids/assaults the Crusaders will send in waves of their cultist warriors to break the line or infiltrate gaps in the enemy defense. Afterwards the astartes will advance taking out any still standing or going after the trophy worthy enemies. While perhaps not the best for the mobs of cult followers it does yield results for the chaos marines. Typically this plan of attack will be used against weaker armies such as PDFs or poorer ork mobs who can't afford war machines.
Sieges are fought in a traditional way with the forces of chaos first securing a starting area to set up their artillery and build trenches. Trenches are a signature part of the Crusaders' method of siege warfare since they typically spend long amounts of time in the fight. Usually they will shell whatever building is standing until all that is left is a pile of rubble and then advance to search the ruins for survivors cowering in the wreckage.
A New Champion[]
He is the undeniable champion of the Crusaders and a master of armed conflict. He has seen whole hives burn and countless weaklings have fallen before him on the battlefield. Blessed by all of the dark gods but particularity favored by Khorne he is a frightening man to say the least.
Arrival Of Erik[]
When the current champion of the warband arrived to the planet Krello the group of chaos marines were in sore shape from fighting with other chaos groups and being hunted by the Imperium. He came in an outsider not being from the warband originally (rumored to be sent by the Despoiler but it is still unknown), but when he arrived with coin and weaponry the Crusaders accepted him with open arms. Well most of them did, the old champion ( Havenro Twice Crossed) wasn't very fond of the outsider getting along so well with his underlings and military advisory.
Havenro made his case very clear to Erik and told him either to leave or face Havenro in astartes to astartes combat. Being the mighty warrior he is Erik accepted the challenge and engaged Havenro in melee combat. After a few quick strikes from a blade Havenro lay broken and bloody on the floor begging for mercy. Erik being the person he is allowed Havenro to be carried by his slaves to his ship.
After Havenro had departed the planet Erik was crowned as the new champion of the warband. Within the span of twenty Terran years he reworked the miserable collection of chaos astartes into a horde of dark warriors that would soon be well known for their brutality.
The Recasting[]
After being warlord of the warband for twenty years, and defending his title several time in the gladiatorial pits of Krello, Erik was respected by his dark followers. He told them of his plans to construct a army worthy of the envy of even the best warriors of chaos and they followed his every order. Each astartes was cast unarmed and unarmored into the pit with one of the many feral beasts of Krello mutated by the foul powers the warp.
While many were killed in the process it was successful in ensuring only the best and brightest would be allowed to serve within his army of darkness. After this grand event the warband went on their first large raid to gather up prisoners for indoctrination and conversion to Astartes to recuperate the losses.
Notable Members[]
Erik The Conqueror[]
- "Crusaders, revel in this bloodshed, this agony. Let your senses be overwhelmed with the beauty of battle."
- —Erik
Unbeknownst to every one in the warband Erik isn't some stray asartes that stumbled into the Crusaders. He is an agent of the Despoiler himself and is a conduit of his will. While Erik's true motives remain unknown to all it is theorized he is merely waiting for an opportunity to break free from the control of Abbadon.
When the Horus Heresy broke out he sided with his father and his brethren against the Emperor killing many loyalists. Even though his combat prowess and sheer strategical intelligence was unmatched by his squadmates he still remained hidden within the ranks of the legion. Greatly upset by the fact that he was a unparalleled warrior and wasn't even given any promotions or merits he would lead the most gruesome attacks of the Heresy committing unspeakable atrocities. These events weren't because he was a sadist or even much of a follower of chaos; It was strictly business to him.
By the time the Horus Heresy failed Erik was well aware of what would happen to him and his traitorous brothers. He fled into the furthest corner of the Eye of Terror and remained there for a long time as Abbadon hunted the oathbreakers. Erik remained within the Eye of Terror, occasionally coming out to raid a ship or two to keep his sword arm strong, but it was when he saw the Crusaders Once Crossed wallowing within their own despair and cowardice at the hands of an incapable champion he decided it was time to come out from hiding.
Dolfdir[]
- "I really enjoy my job. One of the weak boys decides to stop moving, BAM, give 'em a good lash with the whip. A whole mob isn't willing to charge a gun line, start whipping indiscriminately."
- —Dolfdir
A somewhat jovial man Dolfdir leads the hordes of cultist and slave soldiers that comprise much of the Crusaders Once Crossed warband. He barks orders at the scrawny humans as he stands behind them with a whip and bolter. He is actually not a member of the Black Legion, he originally came from the Emperor's Children but after the warband he was with decided to try to let a daemon of Slaanesh take his body he politely resigned from the group's ranks. Now he serves happily within the Crusader's warband.
Ashrol The Mauler[]
He is a relatively new member of the Crusaders and a secretive fellow. None of his brethren know of his origins, then again why should they care as he is one of the most capable fighters within the ranks of the Crusaders perhaps only second to the mighty swordsman Erik. Ashrol bears the mark of khorne branded into his arm and carries his god's signature weapon that being a grand two handed power axe. Ashrol stands out as a black sheep in the mobs of chaos Astartes however as his fighting style and maintenance of equipment is abnormal for a servant of darkness. He is still accepted as a brother by the Crusaders though as he could easily kill any and all of them if they were to anger him. He often fights in the pits of Krello to keep his skills honed.
Lindus Rik[]
- "Stand with me brothers and call upon the gods with me. With their eyes looking down upon us we shall dominate our foes for the penalty of failure is losing favor with our dear lords."
- —Lindus Rik
The human leader of the cultist mobs he is the equivalent of a commissar within the Crusaders' ranks. A meek man around his Astartes overlords but a rather charismatic fellow in front of his men. While he isn't particularity fond of the gifts of chaos that are offered to him by the dark gods he does worship them all the same. As a follower of Slaanesh, Lindus is gifted with swift reactions and abnormal speed. While he isn't a mighty champion of chaos he is indeed a worthy pawn as he has led the mortal members of the Crusaders to victory countless times.
Battles[]
The Grand Slaughter Of Esorii - M38.001[]
The first attack the Crusaders Once Crossed committed under the new leadership of Erik and also the one that gained their name infamy. The planet Esorii was a small Imperial farming world with a large population and a laughably small PDF so it was a prime target for the warband. They approached the planet and shelled it for hours upon its few fortresses before making landfall. The fight for the chaos forces was nothing more than shooting fish in a barrel as they advanced through the towns and villages. Erik marched at the front with his chaos emblem adorned blade and his plasma pistol ridding the galaxy of the lackeys of the Emperor that dared to stand in front of him. The warband reveled in the carnage and stayed for eight hours raiding the planet. They stole supplies and grabbed as many prisoners as they could before returning to their ships and dropping a couple final bombs on the surface as a parting gift.
Sacking of Alixus Prime - M38.018[]
Another grand event for the Crusaders, this battle took place upon the dwarf planet Alixus Prime (an Imperial mining world). Lightly defended by a few hundred guardsmen with light armor it was ripe for the picking. The unsuspecting fools on the surface were blown to pieces by the descending ships of the chaos marauders. The doors of the barracks were torn off as the chaos astartes purged the fortress outside of the mines of those unfit to be prisoners. The peak of the battle consisted of the last handful of guardsmen crammed in the armory using everything the could to keep pillaging invaders back even if for only a few minutes. After the cowards ran out of ammunition the were met with a swift end from a swing of Erik's sword. The hunk of rock known as Alixus prime lay in ruin as the Crusader's fleet exited reality into the warp.
Defense of Krello - M38.027[]
After many years in exile Havenro Twice Crossed returned to Krello; However he didn't come to make peace but rather to bring war to his old allies. With an army of slaves and mercenaries he tried to overtake the grand fortress which he used to call home. His return to Krello was the biggest mistake he could have ever made. His weakling soldiers were gutted and blown to pieces without even reaching the interior of the fortress, and after many failed assaults they resorted to siege warfare.
The Crusaders were thrilled that the coward stayed to fight like a true warrior. To ensure Havenro wasn't going anywhere Erik dispatched teams to destroy his ships on the surface and circle him on his flanks. For days they remained encircled around Havenro's forces waiting for them to starve out. After a suitable time of hearing the moans of the hungry and tired Erik gave the order to advance on the pathetic army that once tried to take their lives. Erik and his retinue of chosen marched forwards Havenro cutting down any mercenaries they seen on the way. By the time the reached the coward they were covered in fresh gore and their weapons hungry for more.
Appealing to Erik's sense of honor Havenro challenged him as he did in years past. The Conqueror was pleased to hear the request and the two astartes were watched by the inhabitants of the fortress as they faced off in the pit. Havenro picked up his axe and Erik drew his blade. Clashing of steel was heard throughout the hallowed halls as the Conqueror toyed with his foe ensuring he got the most out of the fight. After many unsuccessful strikes and being severely wounded Havenro the coward he was ran away towards the pit's doors trying to escape. Erik advanced and struck his opponent in the back of the legs bringing him to his knees.
Erik pulled his foe towards the audience and then proceeded to butcher him. He made Havenro nothing more than a torso with a head by the time he was done, and to top it all off he drug him over to the warpsmith's workshop where he then interred Havenro inside of a chaos dreadnought. To this very day Havenro remains trapped in the metal prison Erik put him in rarely getting the chance to get a glimpse of a life he once knew by being a unstoppable engine of war on the battlefield.
The Raid on Gerizim - M41.899[]
Seeking fresh slaves and supplies the piratical fleets of the Crusaders found their way to a small mining "world" (more akin to an asteroid). The locals were rather pathetic in their attempts to put up a fight against even the mortal servants of the cursed Astartes of the warband and were quickly defeated. All was going swimmingly until loyalist reinforcements arrived to combat the COC. While initially all seemed to be reasonably under control things quickly began to go in the favor of the loyalists with the arrival of thirty cowardly space marines of the Iron Snakes chapter.
After a woefully long exchange of gunfire the Crusaders decided to retreat leaving much plunder behind but still managing to come out of the battle with considerable amounts of loot and slaves. Losses were paltry for the warband in comparison to the harm they inflicted upon the local defensive forces of Gerizim but they'd unfortunately lost a handful of Astartes to the lowly Iron Snakes.
The 13th Black Crusade - M41.999[]
When the warband was approached by an agent of Abbadon they were cautious but as he told them what they were assigned to do they were thrilled. They had been tasked with leading the attack of the Nerio system, a place that was the site a grand tactical blunder for the Black Legion. They were given ships, supplies, and slaves in such high quantities they wouldn't need anything else for a century. Upon the Despoiler's instruction they filled the largest most decrepit ship to the brim with bombs of all sorts (conventional explosives, chemical and biological weapons too). He told them this ship would have a special purpose and they didn't question his word fearing what may happen if they did.
The Crusaders set off from their homeworld and began the journey to the Nerio system. Erik plotted out how the attack would go and was thrilled at the assignment of the mission. He could finally get his name some attention.
The bomb ship hurled forth from warp space towards the planet Syprios and proceeded to take half of a continent with it. Once the debris fell back down to Syprios' surface the Crusaders could see the vast majority of the explosives failed to detonate but more importantly the bio bombs weren't set off. As more chaos forces entered the system behind the Crusaders Erik ordered a detachment of the reinforcements to descend to the planet and rig up the remaining bombs to explode. The rest of the chaos invasion fleet proceeded onward to the prison world of Kri-os.
The Battle For Kri-os[]
The world of Kri-os was decided to be the next target for the Crusaders as they attacked the Nerio system. Not only would they slaughter of the guards and local Tempered Souls loyalist astartes be a worthy tribute to the gods but they could also bolster their forces with the prisoners who were trapped within the grand structures of the planet.
Landfall[]
After a small bombardment from their mighty ships the chaos fleet sunk down to the planet's surface. Erik and Ashrol set out to lead their most favored brothers in battle to take the main prison-fortress of the planet. They faced barely any resistance as they swept aside the prison guards who tried to stall them. It wasn't until they were close to the main prison facility that they faced any real resistance.
They seen the servants of the corpse emperor before them (loyalist marines). The blood soaked chaos marines weren't afraid of their foe in fact they were thrilled to finally come face to face with the famous Tempered Souls. As the first boltershot was fired the chaos marines charged headfirst into the enemy slashing and thrashing in a tornado of hellish anger. Mighty demon weapons cleaved through the loyalist astartes as the fight carried on. Khorne in sheer delight of the slaughter called out to Erik and told him to seek out the mightiest of the enemy.
With his eyes scanning the battlefield he fixated on a decorated astartes holding aloft the company banner as he took the head off of a chosen marine. Lunging through the clashing forces Erik reached his destined foe and challenged him. Surprisingly the loyalist in his arrogance agreed to fight the Conqueror in single combat. The two began to slash at each other with equal fury. The coward loyalist tried to pull his bolt pistol to end the fight and Erik severed his hand clean off.
The crippled foe was now no match for Erik and the Conqueror slew him outright for his cowardice. Ashrol whom was in the middle of severing a loyalist's head depicted what would happen next in his journal writing "I looked to my right at the top of the hill to see The Conqueror standing over his foe just absolutely soaked in blood. Then he let loose a terrifying roar and he began to deform into something otherworldly, next thing I know I was setting my eyes upon a daemon prince of Khorne!"
The remaining loyalist Astartes looked on in horror at the monster known now as Erixius the Bloodied and ran into their fortress. It was no use as Erixius charged the gate and massacred all the cowards within.
The Clash On Necro[]
With no hesitation and a fresh crop of soldiers taken from the prison world of Kri-os the Crusaders Once Crossed headed towards Necro. Erixius now as a daemon prince led his fleet past the defensive blockades of the loyalist swine and reached the planet's surface without the ships suffering too much damage. As more ships housing his damned allies reached the planet Erixius along with his retinue of chosen set out to lead the mobs of mortals and daemons that were congregating at the landing site.
With a thunderous voice he yelled commands and the planet shook as hundreds of thousands of traitors marched into the cities. Cultists and mercenaries gunned down PDF troopers and civilians alike while their Astartes overlords formulated a plan on how to conquer the sole threat to them, the Tempered Souls. As more ships made it through the blockade the cowardly loyalists retreated into their fortress and left the cities undefended. Since the cities remained largely abandoned there was much loot to be had and the battle seemed to be going swimmingly thus far for the forces of chaos.
The last of the PDF and loyalist Astartes who had failed to retreat back to the Tempered Souls' fortress monastery (the Sanctuary of Light) had been exterminated and now came the final part of the battle. The only thing still in Imperial hands was the Sanctuary of Light which proved quite troublesome to take thus far as many assaults had been repelled by the defending Imperial forces.
Erixius ordered all forces under his control to converge on the fortress monastery. Thousands of men, daemons, and mutants encompassed the grand structure. Mortars and artillery rung out all through the night in a continuous rhythm. Hours passed as literal tons of shells were launched into the walls of the cowardly loyalists' den.
After nearly a day of sustained bombardment the amassed forces of Chaos had managed to create an opening into the loyalist stronghold. Without hesitation hundreds of madmen who'd been waiting for the wall to give way rushed in through the freshly created gap. Nearly as soon as they entered the fortress they were pushed back by gunfire. Erixius lacked the patience to devise a plan to infiltrate the fortress covertly or to wait through another bombardment. Looking over his legions of slave soldiers and daemons he ordered them to simply continue storming the entrance they'd created until the eventually exhausted the defending Imperial forces.
Lines of autogun toting cultists and mutants ran in one after the other getting blown away by boltguns and las-rifles. As time would pass corpses began to clog the entrance which further angered the Conqueror. The hulking daemon prince ordered his slaves to fetch his weapons and he climbed atop a ruined building. He hissed out in his newly acquired voice that he was going to lead the assault and that the entirety of the collected chaos forces on Necro were to follow behind him. Once he was armed Erixius ran forth towards the Sanctuary of Light flinging puny cultists out of the way as he pressed onward.
The Conqueror forced his way through the piled corpses and burst into the interior of the fortress with a ferocious roar. With his man sized axe in hand he cleaved through dozens of PDF troopers and ripped several loyalist marines asunder. As the brawny daemon prince pummeled scores of foes his allies trailed behind. After only a few minutes thousands of his mortal servants had stormed inside and most of the Astartes of the Crusaders had managed to make it in as well.
From wall to wall the servants of darkness filled the massive hallway and the Conqueror barked orders out in his guttural tone. Columns of slave soldiers pressed onward through the hall destroying statues, paintings, and anything else they could break or burn. The marching continued until the pulsing mob of warriors came into the central chamber of the monastery where the accursed servants of the corpse-god waited for them. Time seemed to halt as the two monumental forces gazed upon one another until a hail of fire from the Imperial line shredded the first few columns of cultists.
As the sea rushes to shore the savage hordes of cultists and traitors clashed against the bayonets and rifles of the defending Imperials. Those at the front of the assault skewered themselves on the defender's weapons blind with immeasurable bloodlust. In only a few seconds the PDF defenders at the front of the Imperial gunline had been overwhelmed leaving little to halt the advance of the chaos forces deeper into the chamber.
With their mortal cannon fodder being reduced to bloody pulp the cowardly Tempered Souls finally fought as true warriors and came out from the rear lines. Khorne enjoyed by the crimson which flowed so freely called to the Conqueror once more instructing him to fetch a worthy skull. Overlooking the sea of bodies and the trading of gunfire Erixius laid his eye upon a worthy sacrifice. The very chapter master of the loyalists was positioned in the center of the conflict surrounded by his honor guard. With an insatiable thirst for a worthy foe Erixius sprinted straight through whole clumps of combating soldiers and pounced upon one of the PDF sergeants.
After ripping the unworthy waste in half he fixed his gaze on his soon to be worthy trophy. Whilst being pelted with gunfire the Conqueror charged at the chapter master deeply gouging the loyalist's power armor with a mere swipe of his axe. The chapter master quickly regained his footing and parried the next swing of Erixius's axe. The two stood there amidst the churning sea of embattled bodies filled with hatred. The chapter master thrust his blade towards the hulking daemon before him and with lighting reflexes Erixius hooked the loyalist's blade with his axe. With a swift motion the Conqueror disarmed his foe and cast him against a rubble pile. While drawing in on the stupefied cur the daemon prince felt something strike him. He spun around to see a librarian wielding a force weapon readying to cast a spell. In frustration the daemon lashed out with his axe and wounded the librarian. Clutching at his wound the sorcerer was vulnerable but as Erixius brought his axe up to finish the job he felt a blade slice through his leg.
Glancing back the Conqueror saw the chapter master quickly readying himself to strike again. Spinning around Erixius flashed his teeth and swung his axe before the loyalist could lash out with his sword. The daemon prince soon found himself surrounded as more loyalist marines made their way to their chapter master and was berated with bolter fire. Shots collided with his steely hide as he swung his weapon savagely in all directions as he attempted to maintain some control over the flow of combat. Trying to keep his focus on the shifty psyker, whom he had yet to slay, the Conqueror pushed through the hail of gunfire lunging forward. Slamming his foot down on the dreaded psyker Erixius began to press his axe blade on the loyalist's helm.
The Conqueror roared as he felt a blade plunge deeply into his back and swiveled on the spot to find the chapter master behind him once more. With the blade still lodged in his back Erixius slammed his fist into the chapter master's chest plate. Feeling the blade sliding around in his back Erixius dropped his weapon to pull the sword from his rib cage. Distracted by the blade writhing around in his body Erixius was unable to defend himself from the amassed attacks from the Imperial forces which now encircled him entirely.
With blades drawn, the loyalists set upon him with malice in their blood chopping and slicing wildly. The Librarian stepped forth with their force weapon in hand and slashed the hulking daemon through the midsection. With that last strike Erixius was slain and sent to his master's realm leaving the remaining chaos forces in terror. They'd all just witnessed the commander of the entire invasion be beaten by a puny sorcerer.
Very shortly after the tide of the battle was turned as the once massive stream of cultists began to dwindle under the sustained bolter fire of the loyalist Asartes. Ashrol took the place of commander and ordered a retreat outside of the monastery and back to the chaos occupied trenches.
As quickly as the retreating chaos forces made it back to their trenches they were being pushed back by the remnants of the PDF and several companies of loyalist marines. Knowing they'd only lose heaps of fighters trying to hold their ground Ashrol sounded the signal for the warband to flee off-world. With little warning to their fellow chaotic brethren, the Crusaders boarded their own ships and stole many of their allies' vessels desperately trying to flee the planet. Making a flak ridden escape the Crusaders Once Crossed fled Necro with haste and made way towards Kri-os.
The Siege of Kri-os[]
Alongside several other warbands the Crusaders garrisoned the local prison structures and attempted to take the only remaining Imperial stronghold, the Citadel. Lindus Rik was tasked with storming the facility and getting rid of the last few defenders stationed there while the rest of the warband was getting ready for the impending assault by the retaliating Imperial forces which were off-world.
Storming the Citadel[]
Supported by thousands of his underlings Lindus set out towards the Citadel formulating his plan of attack. Once he'd arrived at the severely damaged facility it was evident that the garrisoned Imperials were already partly defeated. Even from afar Lindus could see the gaunt figures that were once the guards limping around in dirty uniforms and the battle scarred armor of the remaining Tempered Souls Astartes. With over ten thousand mortal fighters under his command Rik was assured he'd take the facility in a short time.
With very little in the way of a plan herds of chaos soldiers stormed the lone entrance of the building getting pelted with all manner of gunfire. Lindus was leading his forces from the center until he reached the interior of the structure where the cohesion of the unit disappeared and the fight shifted into a savage brawl. The emaciated Imperial defenders put up much stiffer resistance than initially expected and very quickly began to shift the battle in their favor. With little warning Lindus was blown clean in half by a stray bolter round and bled to death almost instantly. With their commander slain the remaining forces attacking the Citadel fled in all directions.
Crooked Crusaders[]
With Imperial forces now assaulting the planet of Kri-os the Crusaders fought bitterly as they tried to keep their grasp of the intact prison structures. For an entire week the warband toiled in its efforts to repel the Imperials until they were eventually overwhelmed and were forced to once again retreat and regroup. Thousands of members of the warband piled into the crumbling remains of the grand structure that once was the Westgate prison facility.
With supplies running low and the dead piling up in the halls of the prison Dolfdir confided with his fellows that he feared they'd all die under the leadership of Ashrol. He spoke of his plan to storm out of the facility and commandeer one of the warband's ships for his own escape. With his suave nature the slave master convinced dozens of his dark brethren to follow his plan. During a lull in the battle Dolfdir, along with his lackeys, dashed out into the desolate landscape of Kri-os abandoning their posts.
Nearly as soon as they'd left the prison they made it off the planet's surface leaving their fellow Astartes (and cultists) to fend for themselves. Ashrol grew furious and in his rage found it fitting to lead a counter attack against the Imperials. With only a handful of his chaos marines still by his side along with a paltry few thousand human fighters the Mauler charged the Imperial lines. Crushing guardsmen beneath his armored boots and dismembering several loyalist marines Ashrol became doused in crimson.
He managed to keep the slaughter going for some time until he became surrounded by the knavish Tempered Souls. With utter savagery Ashrol fought and thrashed until he was ridden with the collected fire of several stormbolters which were brandished by the vainglorious honor guard of the enemy chapter master. Ashrol was reduced to a pile of torn chunks of flesh and armor as the last of his dark brethren were being skewered or blasted apart. Gazing up at the sickening yellow sky of Kri-os Ashrol in his last few seconds of conscience thought could see his old friend Dolfdir who was escaping into the Warp like a rat squeezing through a crack in a wall.
Whether or not Dolfdir's presence would've swayed the battle remains uncertain but his cowardice surely didn't help his now dead battle-kin. The Crusaders now lay dead, scattered across the Nerio System from end to end. From the muddy trenches of Syprios, which were filled with slain slave soldiers, to Necro where countless men, mutants, daemons, and chaos Astartes lay dead inside of the loyalist's stronghold (the Sanctuary of Light).
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
Quotes of or about the Crusaders Once Crossed (feel free to add your own).
By[]
- "So many oath-breakers, so little time. We're quite busy these days. "
- —Dolfdir to a fellow Crusader
- "We're still crusaders, only we're of a different caliber now."
- —Erik The Conqueror addressing a space marine reminding him of the Great Crusade
About[]
- "Now we have the bastard! Run him down maggots! Smile for me bitch, I'm going to take your head for the Blackspawns!"
- — Krethnan Bloodlord, Draugar Lord of the Eighth Storm, as he sights his bolter on Erik the Conqueror[src]
- "Hark my honored brothers, Black Legion! Blades at the ready, this shall be a battle to remember!"
- —Ilium the Bladed of the Vile Blood
- "Be welcome, Disciples of Chaos, be at home within my halls. Help yourself to the slaves provided, and I will return with tonight's entertainment shortly."
- —Valkyura Warpschild
- "The hunters of oathbreakers, spawned from an oathbreaker. How ironic"
- —Nui-ta Nujuk of the Star Reapers
- "Crusaders? Feh! Do you still sleep? Do you still feast? If so, then you are no more a crusader than the dirty little mongrels that scurry about at my feet, bearing ammo and fresh chains!"
- —Yenzy the Spineless, Champion of the Crusade Eternal, comparing an elite unit of Crusaders Once Crossed to his own Cultist minions
- "Commence cleansing of these foul cultists in three... Two... One... Let fly!"
- —Idria Salaman of the Obsidian Blades as his jet pack Command Squad dive onto the massed cultist swarms of the Crusaders.
- "Your helmet shall become my trophy, heretic!"
- —A Laughing Skull Astartes' response to Ashrol the Mauler's Challenge.
- "If it's one thing I love about Heretic Astartes..is their over-inflated sense of invincibility. Especially when a round from my sniper rifle goes into one of their optic lens and right into their rotten brain..the look of surprise is priceless! It never gets old!"
- — A Sergeant of the Morana Black Guard Imperial Guard Regiment, commenting upon his love for killing Chaos Space Marines
- "When you reach your peak, it's time to die."
- —Cain's heartfelt opinion on the Crusaders