Astral Crusaders

* This is my first Wiki article ever. Both the article and the chapter are considered a WIP. If you have tips for either feel free to let me know. Especially for anything cleaning up and organizing the page. I literally have no clue what I am doing along those lines.

"We are men transcended into gods to serve the God by whose grace we have been transformed. It is for his glory we live, his glory we fight, and for his glory we die."

- Chief Librarian Karlal Hellwalker

The Astral Crusaders are descended from the Imperial Fists from the 26th founding during the 41st millennium. Founded as and experimental idea for rapid response, the Astral Crusaders organize their companies into fleets that roam imperial space, constantly scanning for signs of distress or calls for reinforcements. While there is no official code against it, multiple fleets being involved in the same operation. The only known occurrence is the battle of Khan's Dawn.

HISTORY

The Astral Crusaders were founded as part of the 26th Founding during the 41st millennium from the Imperial Fist legion. A new chapter they highly zealous to prove themselves worthy of the emperor's glory.

The largest battle the Astral Crusaders have been involved in has become known as the "Battle of Khan's Dawn" among Astral Crusaders. A small planet in the same system as the Grindstone was attacked by Tyranid forces. The planet was under the protection of the Imperial Guard, who quickly found themselves overwhelmed and called for aid. The second fleet of Astral Crusaders was dispatched to respond. At first the second fleet was pushing back the tide under the command of Fleet Commandant Leodernon Tactus. Victory was on the horizon for Leodernon. But so were reinforcements for the Xenos invaders.

When the tide turned, Chapter master Kal Khan took the first fleet into battle. Kal Khan took the bold move to drop directly at the hart of the Hive to cut off their leadership at the head. The battle was long, and Kal Khan's forces were not without their losses. But in the end Kal Khan was able to slay the beasts that controlled the Tyranid horde. Afterwords he took the carcass of an over-sized Carnifex he had slain by hand back to Barboda. There he erected a shrine, an offering of glory to their most high. Since then, kills of exceeding glory have been brought back and added to the shrine.

Not long after, Kal Khan fell in battle. In another battle in a different system, Kal Khan and the first fleet drove back another Tyranid threat. At the end of the bloody campaign, Kal Khan was slain. About to deliver the final strike to a Hive Guard when he was brought low by the Turbo-penetrator round of a sniper from the Officio Assassinorum. There have been many cries of outrage. Everything from strategicly abandoning the planet, protecting the Tyranids, to theories that Kal Khan was about to unveil conspiracy and heresy from within the Imperium. Since then the Astral Crusaders have only worked with the Officio Assassinorum by either deceit or with great cohesion.

COMBAT DOCTRINE

"We are gods raining down upon the enemies of our God, a fiery death from the heavens to purge them from his holy sight."

Archarius Tradexus, Captain Commandant of the fourth fleet

The Astral Crusaders view themselves as men selected by gods to join them in godhood. War heroes of the many conflicts of Barboda they fought for this glory and this glory alone. Taken to the Grindstone and refined, purified, and reforged into gods made in the image of the God of gods. The Emperor and bringing him glory is paramount above all else to an Astral Crusader. From glorious kills to maintaining high standards of honor and code, everything an Astral Crusader does is for this purpose. It is then surprising that they are not as Codex adherent as the Ultramarines or even the Imperial Fists. Generally Astral Crusaders push this off with the understanding that their specialized tactics and methods set them apart for generalized rules or organization. They view the codex as holy writ, but understand their purpose puts them outside of this and upon their own holy code.

RECRUITMENT

"You have proven your mettle among men, now prove your worth among gods."

-Angenoch Ventre Apothecary Commandant

The vast majority of the Astral Crusader's recruits come from the surface of the Gravestone, referred to as planet Barboda. One of the few traditions that are common to all societies of Barboda is a coming of age ceremony. All along the planet's surface are caves and other outlets used to release heat from the mechanical core underneath. These vents provide heat through the long, cold night of travel from system to system. At the age of sixteen youth enter into these caves where the escaping chemicals induce them into deep hallucinations. They are observed and tested by Astral Crusader support staff during their travels through the caves. Males who show great promise are marked for war. Women are marked to lead the matriarchal societies of the people above. Those who leave unmarked are free to lead their lives as they see fit. And those who do not return were deemed unfit genetic material, cleansed from polluting the rest of the population.

EQUIPMENT

"By the grace of our great God we are gifted tools to strike down his foes. It is through his design that we plunge feet first into hell, and by him that we know we may rise again."

-Merotus Octas, Fleet Commandant of the eighth Fleet

The main amendment to codex equipment that the Astral Crusaders use are modified drop pods. Added directional boosters and impact explosives, as well as exterior guns help to make sure that Astral Crusaders get to the ground and have as big of an advantage as possible.

HOMEWORLD

Barboda is a hard crust surrounding the small planet sized fortress monastery the Grindstone. Generally the planet is covered in an icy wasteland caused by the cold depths of space as the planet roams from system to system recruiting support staff from other imperial planets. This results in many long winters with the occasional summer, winters commonly last many many generations while a summer will only last two or three generations. The people who inhabit the surface survive in tribal/medieval clans who build their civilizations around one of the many holes on the surface, heat vents for the world below.

The Astral Crusaders do not directly interact with the people on the surface except as needed to keep their conflicts going, crushing any form of lasting peace. This is rarely needed though, while the Astral Crusaders do not interact with the people of Barboda they do not hide themselves from them either. The people of Barboda view them as gods, and the war is the only way to honor them.

The war is eternal and there is nothing but war.

CHAPTER MONASTERY

"As you are now you are nothing but raw material that has proven it has value. You will be melted down, purified, reforged and reformed, and finally sharped to a point at the Grindstone. All to be a weapon at the hands of the God of gods"

-Second Chapter Master Korirath Tray

The Grindstone is the mechanical core to the roaming planet Barboda, it's location a closely guarded secret. There is one portion of the Grindstone that rises above the surface of Barboda. A stark, gray monolith rising out of one of Barboda's many generally frozen oceans. It lives more of as a holy spot for the people of Barboda to focus their worship on. The only other holy spot is the shrine to the Emperor, a collection of the carcasses of the enemies of the Emperor. Trophies of glory won in his name and for his honor. The shrine to the Emperor is very near the base of the Grindstone monolith.

CHAPTER CULTURE AND BELIEFS

THE EMPEROR

Astral Crusaders view themselves as men who have been selected by the gods to transcend their human forms through refinement, reforging, and sharpening in the Grindstone. As gods they worship and dedicate their lives to the God of gods, the Emperor. They live by their codes of honor and view breaching that code as disgrace before the Emperor, the only fate worse than death.

It is the belief of the Astral Crusaders that the war is eternal and will only be ended when the Emperor awakes and rises from his throne to lead them in a glorious purge of the unclean and impure from the known universe. Until that time comes, there is nothing but war and the war is eternal. Their duty to the Emperor eternal.

THE EMPEROR'S SHRINE

Near the base of the Grindstone monolith is a shrine to the Emperor made of out of the bodies of notable and honorable kills made in the glory of the Emperor. The tradition got started with the first Chapter Master, Commandant of the first fleet Kal Khan. Since that time more rites and rituals have been added to this tradition. It has become the goal of every Astral Crusader to kill an enemy of the Emperor worth adding to the shrine.

MIGRANT FLEET

Including the Grindstone, the entirety of the Astral Crusaders is a migrant chapter. Each company is organized in fleets, who randomly sail throughout the cosmos. Returning to the Grindstone only to refit and restock supplies. Every one hundred years the fleets are called home to the Grindstone to share in revels and add to the Shrine of the Emperor.

NO BROTHER LEFT BEHIND

Astral Crusaders almost never leave a fallen brother behind. There has been speculation for the cause of this tradition from other Imperial sources. From bonds of brotherhood to hidden secrets like a mutation the Imperium may not approve of. In truth this tradition stems from their belief that they are gods and would sooner die themselves or glass an entire planet than allow a fellow god to be tread upon by the enemy, especially Tyranids. The only exception to this are those who have disgraced themselves before the Emperor and fallen from his grace.

CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

Each company of the Astral Crusaders serves as a single fleet, with a Fleet Commandant at it's head. There are ten Fleet Commandants with the Chapter Master serving as Fleet Commandant of the First Fleet. While the ten Fleet Commandants serve together as a council, it is more like a council of advisers to the the Chapter Master who has final say. Also on the council are the Chiefs of Officers, the Chief Librarian, Chief Apothecary, and Chief of the Chaplin. Whenever the First Fleet is away from Barbado the Chief officers act as a council of stewards over the planet/monastery.

That is all for now, but I will be adding more. Again, any and all suggestions/tips/hints are appreciated. For everything from 40K lore, things to think about/expand on, and Wiki page making. Thank you.