- "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."
- — Karlal Hellwalker, Master of the Chantry
The Astral Crusaders are descended from the Imperial Fists, created during the 26th founding in the latter 41st Millennium. While their Founding was no detriment to the Imperial Fists or any other chapter, it still remains somewhat controversial.
History[]
Founding[]
Founded as an experimental idea for rapid response there are those who feel like the founding was not considerably necessary, though alternative reasons are few and far in between. Originally this led to a level of distrust from other Astartes chapters, concerned that the Astral Crusaders were puppets of some political shadow who wormed their way into obtaining a chapter to do their bidding.
Their first real test of faith has come to be known as "The Battle of Khan's Dawn", where they gained the trust of the Imperial Guard who had called for aid against Tyranid hordes. Their reputation with the Guard has only grown since then and it is not uncommon for Imperial Guardsmen who have received past assistance from the Astral Crusaders to first check if an Astral Crusaders Fleet is within range when in peril.
There are Astartes chapters who have also come to trust and accept the Astral Crusaders as well, but far from all. The chapter is still young though, and knows that it is only a matter of time before they have proven themselves before their elder brothers.
Khan's Dawn[]
The largest battle the Astral Crusaders have been involved in has become known as the "Battle of Khan's Dawn" among Astral Crusaders, and is the only known occurrence of two fleets involved in the same conflict.
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 was in orbit of the Grindstone and was dispatched to respond. At first the second fleet was pushing back the tide under the command of Second Fleet Commandant Leodernon Tactus.
As dusk set 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 heart 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 light of first dawn 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.
Assassination of a god[]
Not long after the Battle of Khan's Dawn, 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 as well as theories as to why, everything from strategically abandoning the planet, protecting the Tyranids, to Kal Khan about to unveil conspiracy and heresy from within the Imperium. Since then the Astral Crusaders have only worked with the Officio Assassinorum unknowingly or with great cohesion.
After the assassination of Kal Khan, Korirath Tray was named the second Chapter Master of the Astral Crusaders at the Celebration of the Temple.
Chapter Doctrine and Culture[]
Gods[]
- "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, Commandant of the Fourth Fleet
The Astral Crusaders view themselves as men who have been selected by the gods to transcend their human forms. They are 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. They are lesser, minor gods but gods none the less. 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. Taken to the Grindstone and refined, purified, and reforged into gods made in the image of the God of gods.
The Emperor is the god above all 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.
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.
Tech marines are fairly poorly viewed for their allegiance to a machine god. In a way they are a necessary heresy, tolerated being the best word to describe the attitude. Tech Marines almost never see battle, rather kept to maintain equipment.
The Emperor's Shrine and the Chantry[]
Near the base of the Grindstone monolith, to its south, is an island with a Temple upon it, the "Chantry of the Hallowed God". Though it may appear small to the naked eye, this is a trick of proportions being so near the Grindstone monolith and it is quite massive in its own rite. The Chantry is elaborate and beautiful compared to the rough stone monolith overshadowing it.
At its core is a large rotunda, connected to the rest of the Chantry only by bridges over a surrounding chasm. This rotunda is their Reclusiem, 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 was started with the first Chapter Master, Commandant of the First Fleet Kal Khan. It has become the goal of every Astral Crusader to kill an enemy of the Emperor worth adding to the shrine. Since that time more rites and rituals have been added to this tradition providing for full ceremony.
Also included in the Chantry is the Librarium, making up a portion jutting out from the island away from the Grindstone monolith. Enormous with every wall covered in shelves and display cases, most of which are still empty waiting for history to be made and preserved.
All ten Astral Crusader Fleets return to the Grindstone once every one hundred years for the Celebration of Temple, a grand feast and celebration in honor of the High God. Promotions are given, records and reports made and turned in to the Librarium, and offerings are added to the halls of the Temple with the greatest offering being added to the original shrine standing in the temple's center at the Reclusiem.
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 at the Chantry of the Hallowed God.
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.
Recruitment[]
- "You have proven your mettle among men, now prove your worth among gods."
- — Angenoch Ventre, Chief Apothecary
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 have become the center of civilizations for the people of Barboda.
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.
Those who were marked for war are required by holy decree to be warriors, though those who are unmarked may also become such. The many wars and conflicts of the people of Barbados are watched with great scrutiny for heroes who are deemed worthy to ascend into godhood. While it is rare, it does happen that someone who is unmarked is selected for ascension.
Equipment[]
- "By the grace of or 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, Commandant of the Eighth Fleet
There are two main amendments to codex equipment that the Astral Crusaders use. The first 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. Scouts are also equipped with guiding lasers and even more effective guiding beacons.
The second is a large naval ship. Much smaller than a Battle Barge but similar in many ways, the Astral Crusaders Fleet Carrier is designed similar to a tick. Heavy shields, with weapons meant mostly to help defend itself, the mass of the inner hull of a Fleet Carrier is dedicated to launch bays, muster decks, Marine and staff facilities, and transport storage. The Astral Crusaders Fleet Cruiser comes in two classes; Support class and Crusade class.
Support class Fleet Cruisers are relatively quite small, housing up to two drop pods and one Stormraven or smaller flyer, and Space Marines and staff to match.
Crusade class Fleet Cruisers are the flag ships for each Fleet, and their exact designs vary according to the will of the Fleet Commandant of that fleet. Though the core concept is the same as the Support class, just bigger, larger payload, and with some better weaponry including orbital bombardment capable of burning the surface of a planet to cleanse it rather than let if fall into the hands of the enemy. Though it can also fire less damaging bombardments to aid in battle.
Air ships are also deployed when needed, and are in no short supply. Most land vehicles on the other hand do not fit Astral Crusader methods. If it doesn't fly and it doesn't fit in a drop pod they will rarely use them, if ever.
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 dark as night with the occasional summer. Winters commonly last many many generations while a summer will only last two or three generations before the planet moves to another system.
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 mechanical 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.
Fortress Monestary[]
The Grindstone[]
- "As you are now you are nothing but raw material that has shown value. You will be melted down, purified, reforged and reformed, and finally sharpened to a point at the Grindstone. All to be a weapon at the hands of the God of gods."
- — Korirath Tray, Second Chapter Master
The Grindstone is the mechanical core to the roaming planet Barboda, its location a closely guarded secret. There is one portion of the Grindstone that rises above the surface of Barboda. A stark, gray, rough stone 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 in the Chantry of the Hallowed God , a collection of the carcasses of the enemies of the Emperor in the center of the a grand temple to 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 on a small island.
Chapter Organization[]
Each company of the Astral Crusaders serves as a single fleet, with a Fleet Commandant at its 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, Tech Marine, 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.
In organization, Chaplains and Librarians are pushed together as "Disciples of the Chantry". While use of the warp is all but required to deal with the Imperium's many threats, it is still a sin against the great God with great risks involved. Librarians are thus officially under the supervision of the Chaplain, though they are given plenty of leeway. This dynamic continues out onto the battlefield, which has resulted in a surprisingly deadly combo with Chaplains able to go full out while their Librarians watch their backs and sing protective hymns. This battle combination is in emulation of The Brothers Exios.
Unlike other chapters, all the Fleets are equal with no moving up from one Fleet to another with the exceptions being veterans moving into the First Fleet.