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Cronos Parasite Engine - Cronos Parasite Engine: The Cronos Parasite Engine is a Drukhari war construct and Engine of Pain. It resembles a great, biomechanical insect or spined deep-sea abomination, its burnished shell covered in bristling antennae and twitching vanes.Though it is employed to the same end as the Talos Pain Engine -- to torture and destroy -- the Cronos is an even more extraordinary machine.Through the blend of alchemy and science practised by the Haemonculus covens, the Cronos is able to drain the very life essence from its victims using a variety of esoteric apparatus.What remains of its prey when the vile creature has drunk its fill is a testament to the diabolical skill of its creators, for in its wake a Cronos leaves little more than grey and shrivelled husks.
Cronos Parasite Engine - Role: The Cronos has earned a grim reputation amongst those members of the "lesser races" who have fought against it and survived, for this horrific product of the Haemonculi's art can generate a feedback loop of negative energy that siphons the life force of those caught in its field.To the onlooker, a victim of the Cronos' invisible attention seems to age at an incredibly rapid rate, their body wrinkling and rotting until nothing is left but an ancient-looking cadaver.In addition, each Cronos has multiple tentacles wrought from metal, flesh and nervous tissue dangling from its forelimbs and underside, which are similarly capable of draining the animating essence of those they strike.These beneficial effects are by no means confined to the Haemonculus covens, however; all Drukhari can absorb the life forces purloined by the Cronos, becoming stronger and more vital every time the beast successfully feeds.Archons who expect a raid to become protracted will pay handsomely for such an Engine of Pain to accompany their mission, for should their warriors become bogged down in a roiling battle, a nearby Cronos can not only sustain them through grievous injuries, but drive them to such heights of murderous passion that the scales are quickly tipped in the Drukhari's favour.Even within the Dark City, it is not uncommon for a wealthy overlord of a Kabal to permanently keep a Cronos close by, so that it can be set upon disloyal servants and potential usurpers.When a Haemonculus enters realspace to gather living fodder for their oubliettes, they will regularly take a Cronos with them -- not only to bolster their own vitslity in battle, but also to observe the effects different harvested souls have on their other fleshy creations. Indeed, countless sentient species have been eradicated over the millennia for the simple reason that their spirit essence proved especially invigorating to a particularly genocidal Haemonculus.
Cronos Parasite Engine - Wargear: Some Cronos are further modified by their Haemonculus creators to bear other soul-draining weaponry, such as a Spirit Vortex or Spirit Probe.The Spirit Vortex is a spiral-etched device that hurls out massive amounts of negative force across great ranges, ensuring those who try to keep their distance from the Cronos do not avoid their grim fate, while the Spirit Probe takes the shape of a fluted and crystalline device that hangs from the Cronos' head like the proboscis of an alien insect.The Cronos drives this hollow tube directly into those it has grasped in its tentacles, ingesting their life-force through more direct means.The stolen vitality of the machine's victim is then magnified within its shiny carapace, fed through its ribbed capacitor-valves and projected from its resonator vanes once more.Pulsing waves of spirit-essence flow outward to those Drukhari standing near the Cronos -- usually its Haemonculus master and his ghastly carnival of monstrosities.In this way the metallic monstrosity nourishes and rejuvenates those Drukhari nearby, driving them on to ever-greater feats of destruction. It is this ability that has led the superstitious denizens of the Imperium to refer to the Cronos as "time-thieves," for they steal youth and vigour from their prey and gift it to their sadistic keepers.
Cronus-class Battlecruiser - Cronus-class Battlecruiser: The Cronus-class Battlecruiser was an aging cruiser design employed by the Imperial Army's Armada Imperialis during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. The Cronus was considered an obsolete pattern and had been retired from active service before the Great Crusade ended.However, a Cronus-class Battlecruiser served as the flagship of the Traitor defence of the Death Guard Legion's homeworld of Barbarus late in the Heresy from the Exterminatus campaign carried out by the Dark Angels Legion against Traitor Legion homeworlds just before the start of the Siege of Terra. This vessel was presumed to be destroyed by the Loyalists during the subsequent fleet action.
Crotalid - Crotalid: A Crotalid is a large, semi-aquatic carnivore found throughout the human-settled galaxy that prefers to live in and around tropical and sub-tropical rivers. They are dangerous reptilian beasts with long scaly bodies carried on stubby, powerful legs capable of driving them forward with surprising bursts of speed over short distances. A long, finned tail drags behind the creature on land, leaving distinctive tracks, but in the water a Crotalid propels its whole body with powerful flicks of its tail.The Crotalid's head is dominated by its ferocious jaws filled with serrated rows of triangular teeth. These teeth never stop growing throughout a Crotalid's life and Crotalid feeding grounds can be easily identified by the gnawed rocks and tree trunks found in the vicinity. Despite this, instances have been reported of dead Crotalids that were killed by their teeth growing so long that they finally pierced the creatures' own tiny brains. Aside from such examples of autophagia, Crotalids are protected by thick scales and a rudimentary nervous system that makes them extremely difficult to kill outright. Once injured or exposed to the scent of blood, Crotalids enter a kind of feeding frenzy which overrides any kind of pain or fear response, sending them into a berserk attack of thrashing limbs and snapping jaws.Crotalids are primarily ambush predators, feeding on fish, other aquatic animals and wildlife drinking at the water’s edge. Crotalids favour attacking from a submerged location and clamping their formidable jaws onto a victim before they have a chance to react, but they will also pursue prey a short distance out of the water, dragging it back to their aquatic home at the first opportunity. Crotalids are opportunists too and will quickly investigate any disturbances in the water, especially kills by other Crotalids, in hopes of snatching a mouthful or two for themselves in the resulting frenzy.A full-grown Crotalid can easily overwhelm a man, and can even give a Space Marine a difficult fight. Unfortunately, Crotalids often appear in large numbers, quickly making their way to the top of the food chain and completely dominating the area they inhabit. As such, any encounter with one Crotalid means that several more will soon arrive, and in a heavily-infested area, dozens can appear in moments.Crotalids in captivity have lived over seventy Terran years, but Adeptus Mechanicus Magi Biologis xenologists have been unable to determine the life span of Crotalids in the wild with any precision. This is due to their curious migratory habits which are, as best determined, unique in the known galaxy. As a rapidly expanding population of Crotalids comes to dominate a region, their prey is completely exhausted in the course of a few standard decades. The Crotalid population must now migrate to a new location or face extinction, and the creatures instinctually gather in response to their growing hunger. At some undetermined point, the unconscious desires of the Crotalids enable them to move on, not by walking or swimming but by passing through the Immaterium itself.How Crotalids perform this feat is still unknown, as autopsies have revealed no organ or abnormality that might give the beasts the ability to pass through the Warp. Certainly no conscious manipulation of the process seems available to the Crotalids themselves, as they can appear on worlds quite unsuited for them, including desert planets and even airless worlds. Nonetheless, migratory packs of Crotalids can appear on worlds up to ten light years from their origin point and have been highly successful in establishing themselves in new environments through this apparently hit-and-miss process. Crotalids have been found all over the galaxy, but the densest concentrations of sightings are clustered around the Death World of Lost Hope.Tracking migratory packs has proved impossible, as has keeping more than three Crotalids together in captivity. However it appears that once a population migrates it will not do so again for several standard decades, for the impetus seems to be driven by population pressure. Although observation of this phenomena is limited to finding evidence of failed migrations, Crotalids appearing on a world poorly suited to them do not seem able to move on to greener pastures using this remarkable trait. For some, this reinforces the prevalent theories that the Crotalids' ability is not consciously used but an instinctual response to environmental pressures.A typical migratory pack comprises anywhere up to a hundred or more fully-grown Crotalids and can cause considerable damage. When they first arrive in a new hunting ground, Crotalids are extremely aggressive and will attack anything in sight to establish their dominance. Frontier colonies have been all but wiped out by such unexpected appearances, with livestock and outlying farms paying the highest price in the sudden invasion by large carnivorous reptiles. The Pleasure World of Colonica was entirely ravaged by large numbers of Crotalids multiplying in its picturesque river deltas to the point where they threatened Highborn pleasure seekers on the beaches.Conversely, some Crotalid populations are actively hunted or even farmed on certain worlds. Crotalid meat is tough and unappetising but their hides and teeth have some value. Hunting Crotalids for sport has some notoriety among more gauche, high society types, but it is more commonly the preserve of desperate men. Bait and traps are the clever ways to kill a Crotalid, preferably by getting it out of the water first.
Crow Spirits - Crow Spirits: The Crow Spirits are a band of Aeldari Corsairs who hunt their prey in the Koronus Expanse of the Segmentum Obscurus.The Crow Spirits are grim, cold killers who seem bent not on piracy but the selective annihilation of Humanity's presence within the Koronus Expanse. Clad in glittering Asuryani Mesh Armour that shines as if filled with moonlight, they make no sound in battle and are led by witches robed in pale tatters with tall helms of gleaming wraithbone.Their starships are like pale, dead things driven by a cold and broken will. Their tattered ethereal solar sails propel them from the depths of the void to strike at Imperial voidships, colonies, and space stations in the Foundling Worlds, Accursed Demesne, and Unbeholden Reaches regions of the Expanse.Cloaked and unseen until it is too late, the Crow Spirits are borne on a storm within the Warp and realspace that boils and screams with ethereal voices. They destroy and kill with a cold precision -- and then leave, taking no prizes.Who leads these mysterious Aeldari Corsairs and what their true purpose is remains unknown to the Imperium, but some have speculated that they are guarding something, or keeping something from being discovered. At least one Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos believes that the Crow Spirits have some tie to a notorious Aeldari Corsair in the Calixis Sector -- Ulthyr Ellarion.
Crow Spirits - History: These Aeldari Corsairs are descendants of those inhabitants of the Chaos-corrupted craftworld of Lu'Nasad who were not aboard the craftworld at the time of its desecration following the Fall of the Aeldari. They are aware that it was lost to the Rifts of Hecaton in the Koronus Expanse, and the Farseers of their faction have long predicted its return as a hideously Chaos-corrupted force of destruction.Through the millennia, the Crow Spirits have dwelt within the Koronus Expanse, eliminating any whom their Farseers believed would hasten the corrupted craftworld's return. Over the thirty standard years since the craftworld's return into the main reaches of the Koronus Expanse, the Crow Spirits have been aggressively seeking out any means to destroy it.At the same time, their vessels have travelled throughout the Koronus Expanse to destroy those who might become tainted by the home of their ancestors. It is because of this endless quest to protect the Koronus Expanse and the rest of the galaxy from the Chaos taint of Lu'Nasad that the faction has earned its reputation as merciless killers of all non-Aeldari.
Crozius Arcanum - Crozius Arcanum: A Crozius Arcanum is a mace or staff surrounded by a power field that is used as both a melee weapon and the primary badge of office of Space Marine Chaplains. This duality of purpose presents no philosophical conundrum for the Chaplains, as for them battle itself represents the most valuable form of worship of the Emperor of Mankind. It is normally shaped in the form of either a staff or a mace, topped by the double-headed Aquila of the Imperium or a winged skull that represents the Emperor's sacrifice for Humanity.A few versions use iconography from the Chapter they belong to, such as the blacksmith's hammer-version used by some Chaplains from the Salamanders Chapter. Chaplain Ortan Cassius, the Master of Sanctity of the Ultramarines Chapter, has fashioned his Crozius Arcanum in the form of a Tyranid head, in remembrance of Hive Fleet Behemoth's costly invasion of the Ultramarines' homeworld of Macragge during the First Tyrannic War and the Battle of Macragge.Incorporated within the shaft of a Crozius is a powerful energy field capable of disrupting matter much in the same way as a Power Weapon. The Crozius Arcanum is the badge of office of Chaplains and is normally used in many Space Marine ceremonies and rituals across a vast array of Chapters. To show their faith in the Emperor of Mankind, the Crozius, along with the Chaplain, is most likely to be adorned by Purity Seals and other tokens of faith.
Crozius Arcanum - Accursed Crozius: The Crozius Arcanum is still used by the corrupted Dark Apostles of the Word Bearers, which is the only Heretic Astartes Traitor Legion still to employ the use of Chaplains. However, in the hands of the Dark Apostles, the weapon is known as an Accursed Crozius, now a symbol of the Dark Apostles' devotion to the Ruinous Powers of Chaos in the form of the Chaos Star (representing the Eight-Fold Path), rather than a sacred emblem of their reverence for the Emperor.Twisted and warped from the pure Crozius Arcanum of Loyalist Space Marine Chaplains into something hideously blasphemous, an Accused Crozius mocks the Imperium with its mere existence. Not only is an Accursed Crozius still a potent weapon, it also signifies that its bearer is blessed by the Chaos Gods, enjoying physical protection as well as a closer connection to them, and ability to summon the Daemons of the Warp.At the time of the Horus Heresy, most of the Chaplains of the Traitor Legions resisted the lure of Chaos and were slaughtered by their fellow Space Marines. Only the Chaplains of the Word Bearers were as possessed of the same fervent desire to find entities truly worthy of worship as their Primarch Lorgar, and so they willingly followed him into devotion to Chaos Undivided.To prove their dedication to faith in the Ruinous Powers, the Chaplains corrupted their once-sacred Crozius Arcanum, a symbol of the Imperial Truth that they had now abandoned. Even worse, some became home to vengeful Daemons in the form of Daemon Weapons that sought not only the violence that surrounded a Dark Apostle, but also the endless supplications of the Dark Apostle's mortal followers. In battle, an Accursed Crozius serves not only as both a weapon and mark of a Dark Apostle's rank, but also a powerful link between the bearer and the entities of the Warp itself.
Cruciator Gatling Array - Cruciator Gatling Array: A Cruciator Gatling Array is a Titan-grade, ballistic anti-infantry weapon deployed on the Warmaster Iconoclast-class Heavy Battle Titan. It is a gatling weapon whose spinning barrels unleash a withering hail of death upon any infantry or vehicles who are revealed after this close-combat Titan pattern rips through their static fortifications.
Crucible-Omega - Crucible-Omega: Crucible-OmegaHell-ForgeDark MechanicusRuinous PowersSTC
Crucible-Omega - History: It has long been posited that there existed a domain of the fallen Mechanicus beyond the boundaries of the Imperium and that it was a Forge World predating the Age of Strife which was never contacted during the Great Crusade. Various legends have surfaced of a world of crippled hell-smiths that prostrate themselves before a cyclopean machine altar, sending up venerations in sonorous binaric cant that echoes weirdly through the Empyrean and can be perceived by Imperial Warp-seers when the tides of the Sea of Souls is especially strong.It has recently been learned by Inquisitorial agents that a Phaenonite cell and their unhallowed master believes Crucible-Omega is very real indeed and that the altar its population worships is in fact a functional Standard Template Construct system. The Inquisition has mobilised available assets to ascertain the current status of this group of adversaries and have recommended a convocation of an Inquisitorial Conclave at the earliest opportunity to debate the matter further. Crucible-Omega's current status is unknown.
Crucible - Crucible: A crucible is the artificial womb technology used by the Leagues of Votann to produce new cloned Kin. Every newborn Kin emerges from one of these crucibles, which draw upon vast banks of genomic data housed by the self-aware machine intelligences known as the Votann to produce a stable and varied populace. The Votann watch over the gestation of every Kin within a crucible.It is believed the crucibles were originally created by the Kin's First Ancestors.All Kin in a given Kindred have sprung from its artificial wombs or "crucibles," and thus share a genetic bond stronger than allegiance to any flag. The crucibles are among the most important assets held by any Kin hold, and are always defended by the elite Kin warriors of the oath-bound orders known as the Embyr, one of the few Kin cloneskeins that are psychoactive and can make use of Kin barrier-tech to wield the energies of the Warp.Every Kin has a first -- "given" -- name, and a second -- "chosen" -- name. The given name is assigned by the Votann themselves at birth, appearing in a small slot in that Kin's crucible in the moments before their emergence. A given name cannot be changed in Kin culture, for it is the will of the Ancestors and to cast it aside would be deeply disrespectful.
Crucible of Malediction - Crucible of Malediction: The Crucible of Malediction, also known somwhat sardonically by the Haemonculi as The Kin-Gift, is a weapon used by the Drukhari to neutralise the psychic powers of enemy psykers, a necessary defence for an Aeldari kindred that cannot risk ever developing its own powerful latent psychic abilities for fear of drawing the attention of Slaanesh, She Who Thirsts.This is a weapon much-favoured among Haemonculi who make use of essences extracted from their Craftworld Aeldari kin.Each Crucible appears to contain the trapped spirits of psykers of many species captured and tortured by the Drukhari in their Dark City of Commorragh.Once released, these spirits move across the battlefield and unleash a psychic cacophony that only other psykers can sense and that can drive them insane if their psychic defences prove too weak to survive the assault.The most powerful Crucibles of Malediction contain the trapped and tortured souls of Asuryani Seers.
Crucible of War (Anthology) - Crucible of War (Anthology): Crucible of War is a 2003 anthology edited by Marc Gascoigne and Christian Dunn.
Crucible of War (Anthology) - Synopsis: In the war-torn darkness of the far future, Mankind teeters on the brink of extinction. The galaxy-spanning Imperium is under threat from all sides by a multitude of savage alien races, and from within by the insidious forces of Chaos. War is Humanity's only chance of survival; at the forefront of battle stand the genetically-engineered Space Marines and the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard.Brimming with action-packed tales of bloodshed, heroism, and courage, Crucible of War throws you headlong onto the desperate battlefields of the 41st Millennium.Contains the following short stories:Liberation Day by Matthew Farrer and Edward RuskThe Curiosity by Dan AbnettPayback by Graham McNeillThe Emperor's Will by David ChartersFight or Flight by Sandy MitchellOn Mournful Wings by Si SpurrierBackcloth for a Crown Additional by Dan AbnettFirestarter by Jonathon GreenWarp Spawn by Matt RalphsLeviathan by Graham McNeill
Crucible Resolviate - Crucible Resolviate: The Crucible Resolviate is a cabal of magi within the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Jericho Reach devoted to the shadowed study of xenos machine spirits. The Omnissiah's Universal Laws condemn the alien mechanism's perversion.Despite this warning, the Machine Cult's quest to recover knowledge and others' more pragmatic drives for new weapons against Humanity's foes can make it difficult to ignore the opportunity presented by alien technology when it falls into their hands. Organisations like the Crucible Resolviate are a logical corollary to this state of affairs.Seldom spoken of and barely tolerated, this circle of Adeptus Mechanicus magi acquires an unusual number of captured alien devices through the Ordo Xenos and other channels better left unmentioned such as the Cold Trade.Their Dioctal Sacellum sits on Vormos, surrounded by mysterious, Aquila-topped xenos monoliths that they have made pure through elaborate rites of consecration.Deep within this sanctuary, they labour to remove the corruption from the alien machines brought to them, to isolate the knowledge trapped within and bring it into compliance with the Universal Laws.Several items of technology, such as the EMP Grenade and masking screen have quietly made their way into circulation after being declared Technosanctus Verifidae by the Crucible.
Crudarach - Crudarach: Crudarach was a craftworld of the Asuryani. Crudarach and its people recently went missing from their prior known location for reasons that remain mysterious.It was the home of the Craftworld Aeldari Ranger Yrliet Lanaevyss, who joined with the retinue of the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius in the Koronus Expanse after meeting them on the Agri-world of Janus to seek out clues as to what had happened to it and her people.
Crudarach - Notable Inhabitants: Yrliet Lanaevyss - Yrliet is an Asuryani Ranger of Craftworld Crudarach who walks the Path of the Outcast in the Koronus Expanse of the Segmentum Obscurus and for her own reasons forged a partnership with the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius. Many Terran centuries ago, on its quest to conquer the stars, Mankind escaped the bounds of the Sol System to spread across the galaxy and bring the Emperor's word and will to its darkest reaches. But Humans weren't the only ones to have found a home among the void. They encountered a multitude of intelligent alien species: villainous, enigmatic, and monstrous threats, all of which threatened Mankind's survival. "Xenos" was the High Gothic term used to describe these enemies of Humanity, and the Imperium's deadly struggle against them has continued to this day, with no end in sight. Loyal servants of the Emperor are prohibited from conducting any manner of business with aliens or their foul technologies, as the vigilant Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos mercilessly stamp out heresy in all its forms. And even the basest of underhive rabble have been taught since the day they were born that the alien is to be exterminated on sight. However, every rule has its exceptions. Rogue Traders are among the few servants of the Emperor who are permitted to interact with xenos, do business with them, and even tolerate aliens as part of their crew so that they may be used for the Imperium's benefit. Yrliet Lanaevyss may be about to become one such xenos. Yrliet is a proud Craftworld Aeldari whose ancestors made journeying through the star-studded darkness their eternal calling. The children of Asuryan spend their long lives walking different Paths and perfecting their understanding of their own special calling, so that they may better fulfill their role in Aeldari society. Yrliet had been living on her planet-sized starship, known as a craftworld, for solar decades: long enough for her to grow restless and decide that her new Path was to take her to faraway and unfamiliar places. Having chosen to walk the Path of the Outcast, Yrliet left the enormous craftworld that her kin called home. She sought to blaze her own trail in a universe that would otherwise lie beyond the reach of Aeldari society, and she followed that desire to distant stars. However, new insights and experiences sometimes come at great cost -- as Yrliet is about to discover. As the darkest hour comes, Yrliet's and the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius' paths cross and intertwine -- and only the God-Emperor knows what this meeting of a xenos and a Human lord will lead to.
Cruiser - Cruiser: A cruiser is a type of void-faring warship that makes up the backbone of any starfaring warfleet. More maneouverable than a battleship and more powerful than an escort, they have the firepower and speed to be used for almost any sort of duty, including patrols, blockades, raids and straight-up firefights.Cruisers are divided into many sub-types depending on their size and tactical role. From light cruisers that are fast enough to chase off escorts all the way up through standard cruisers, heavy cruisers, and battlecruisers, culminating in the massive grand cruisers that are almost the equal of a true battleship, each cruiser type has its own part to play in achieving victory in void battles.
Cruiser - Imperial Navy Cruisers: The conduct of the Great Crusade required vessels by the thousands, vessels that could not only carry armies and bring apocalyptic destruction to bear, but that could also endure the perilous transit of Warpspace and the titanic forces and hardships of the Empyrean and the deep void both.Military vessels were needed to replace losses and meet the ever expanding demands of the expeditionary fleets, the Imperial Army's Armada Imperialis and, on a lesser scale, the Rogue Traders and local star system defence navies. To satisfy this constant need, a bewildering variety of classes of warship were developed to fulfil an equally bewildering variety of tactical roles.Light cruisers and heavy cruisers are medium-sized Imperial warships, ranging in general terms between 4 and 6 kilometres in length and with an on-board complement of crew ranging into the tens of thousands. They are intended primarily for independent military operations such as raids, outpost assaults, deep-range patrols and search-and-destroy missions, and for use as "workhorse" warships in larger fleets and squadrons.The difference between the two primary types of cruisers is principally found not in general size (although this may also be the case) but role and tacical specialisation; heavy, or armoured cruisers as they are also known, are designed to favour defence and firepower (particularly over-gunned ships for their class may be referred to as battlecruisers).A noteworthy but relatively uncommon type of Imperial warship, grand cruisers are "pocket battleships" -- something of a halfway house between a battleship and a cruiser in size and firepower. They were intended principally to be capable of operating on their own rather than as part of a larger fleet, however, and are often further specially designed either for range (which was to say duration of deployment without significant resupply or refit) or to mount a specialised weapon system which required particular tactics to utilise. Grand cruisers make for formidable heavy raiders and could use their range and speed to catch targets unawares, as well as serving as powerful flagships for small fleets of cruisers and escorts.The galleass of war is an equivalent vessel to a grand cruiser (though often much larger physically), much of whose fabric is given over to freight and transport capacity, while still maintaining formidable armaments and defence. They make for ideal support vessels for deep-range explorations into unknown regions of space and were used in ancient times as the flagships of the most powerful Rogue Traders Militant.Light cruisers sacrifice some of the favoured elements of heavy cruisers for greatly increased speed and manoeuvrability. Both however are more than a match for any warship smaller than themselves, and will be the death of any civilian ship it chooses to turn its wrath on.Just as with battle barges -- but on a smaller scale -- strike cruisers are modified designs used by the original Legiones Astartes and their Successor Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, optimised and reconfigured for planetary assault and voidship boarding actions in primacy over other roles.No cruiser of any type can hope to match a true battleship in an open fight on equal terms, and so in any "clash of the line" between fleets, they are used in a supporting role for their side's battleships and battle barges, their role primarily to use their speed to carry out flanking attacks, combine their firepower, and to harry and finish off wounded ships of the line.Because of the flexibility of their hulls and their relatively smaller scale in comparison to a battleship -- needing far less resources and material to construct as a mighty capital ship -- cruiser-sized hulls are also used for a wide variety of rarer variants and specialised functions.As a result, minor cruiser classes such as siege monitors, attack carriers, pursuit cruisers, arvelasters, torpedo rams, claw-cruisers and shield-barques can all be found in the ancient Armada Imperialis order of battle and as relics in the Space Marine Chapter fleets and Navis Imperialis of the 41st Millennium.
Cruiser - Grand Cruisers: Grand cruisers are vastly powerful and archaic Imperial warships, remnants of a more technologically advanced era of Imperial history. Only battleships, true ships of the line, carry heavier armour or wield more firepower. These vessels were once the core of battlefleet squadrons, tough warships designed for concerted broadside actions and punishing void-duels. Now few in number, they are in many ways relics of a bygone age dating back to the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.Very few grand cruisers have been constructed in recent millennia, the entire concept having fallen out of favour in many battlefleets. Their revolutionary and highly sophisticated Warp and realspace engine designs are now poorly understood by the Adeptus Mechanicus, leading to many well-publicised disasters and Warp calamities. Indeed, the fleets of the Archenemy contain the reinvigorated hulks of many formerly proud Imperial grand cruisers lost in the Warp due to the gradual dilution of the sacred knowledge needed to render these imposing starships safe.Regarded by many suspicious senior staff officers in the Navis Imperialis as dangerous, temperamental, and constructed using dubious and possibly heretical technologies, the surviving grand cruisers of the 41st Millennium are largely relegated to the segmentum reserve fleets. These are motley collections of outdated and mothballed antique warships, held cold and silent in orbit around Departmento Munitorum depot worlds, ready for one last call to arms.Although incredibly costly, complex, unpredictable and massively demanding in terms of maintenance and manpower, grand cruisers have much to offer Rogue Traders. They are vastly powerful ships, with continent-shattering firepower and ironclad armour that enables them to sweep aside entire squadrons of lesser vessels. As such, these vast voidcraft are surprisingly common among the fleets of the wealthiest Rogue Trader dynasties, especially given the willingness of cunning Navis Imperialis battlefleet lord admirals to divest themselves of what they regard as expensive and hazardous anachronisms.Avenger-class Grand CruiserDagon-class Grand Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Dominus-class Grand Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Exorcist-class Grand CruiserInflexible-class Grand Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Repulsive-class Grand CruiserVengeance-class Grand Cruiser
Cruiser - Galleass of War: The galleass of war is a vessel otherwise to a grand cruiser in firepower and defensive survaivability, though often much larger physically. Much of this increase in size is given over to cargo and transport capacity, while still maintaining formidable armaments and defence. They make for ideal support vessels for deep-range explorations into unknown regions of space and were used in ancient times as the flagships of the most powerful Rogue Traders Militant. They are rarely found as prized relic ships today among the wealthier or luckier dynasties of the Rogue Traders of the 41st Millennium.Maelstrom-class Galleass of War (Great Crusade era)Odysseus-class Galleass of War (Great Crusade era)
Cruiser - Battlecruisers: The battlecruiser concept arose as a result of the perceived failures of the older Imperial grand cruiser designs. These had been built around advanced experimental Warp-Drive systems, which ultimately proved to be unacceptably prone to catastrophic malfunction during Warp transit. As a result of these issues, grand cruisers came to be regarded by many in the Navis Imperialis as cursed ships. Furthermore, during the internecine conflict of the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium, several of the skills required to safely maintain the arcane technologies of the grand cruisers were lost, rendering them hazardous to operate.Yet there was still a gap in the Imperial fleet armoury for a heavy cruiser, a vessel which straddled the gap between a "classic" cruiser like the Lunar-class Cruiser and a full battleship. Numerous small task forces required a powerful flagship, yet the potent and precious battleships could not be spared for every such engagement.Using the simpler technologies of the later Imperial cruisers, and the power systems of battleships, the master tech-masons of the Adeptus Mechanicus produced an elegant hybrid, the battlecruiser, during the latter centuries of the 36th Millennium. Designed to provide the fleet with the long range punch of battleship weaponry in a cruiser-sized hull, battlecruisers are forged purely for heavy engagements between vast capital vessels, and excel in this narrow speciality. They overpower other cruisers by virtue of their overcharged weaponry; very few ships can out-shoot a battlecruiser.Typically somewhat smaller and more lightly armoured than their predecessors, the grand cruisers, battlecruisers are nevertheless more economical, safer and more reliable. What they lack in heavy armour and exotic drive systems is more than made up for in raw firepower. Jealously guarded by battlefleet admirals, it is rare for these powerful starships to end up in the ragtag Rogue Trader fleets, but on occasion a particularly influential or devious individual will intrigue their way into the command of a battlecruiser.Armiger-class Lance Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Cronus-class Battlecruiser (Great Crusade era)Eclipse-class Lance Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Hades-class Lance Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Armageddon-class BattlecruiserChalice-class BattlecruiserJovian-class BattlecruiserMars-class BattlecruiserOverlord-class Battlecruiser
Cruiser - Heavy Cruisers: Heavy cruisers are medium-sized Imperial warships, ranging in general terms between 4 and 6 kilometres in length and with an on-board complement of crew ranging into the tens of thousands. They are intended primarily for independent military operations such as raids, orbital or void outpost assaults, deep-range patrols and search-and-destroy missions, and for use as "workhorse" warships in larger fleets and squadrons.The difference between light cruisers, standard cruisers and heavy cruisers is principally found not in general size (although this may also be the case) but in their fleet role and tacical specialisation; heavy, or armoured cruisers as they are also known, are designed to favour defence and firepower (particularly over-gunned ships for their class may be referred to as battlecruisers) rather than speed and manoeuvrability.Bellerophon-class Heavy Assault Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Cardinal-class Heavy CruiserCarnivore-class Heavy CruiserIndrajit-class Heavy Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Lunar-class Heavy Assault Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Castellan-class War Cruiser
Cruiser - Cruisers: Standard cruisers are vast warships that form the iron backbone of the Navis Imperialis' battlefleets. Principal combat vessels designed to pound the enemy into flaming ruin, they are monolithic and awesome vessels only rarely found in the hands of the most wealthy and ambitious Rogue Traders.Ambition-class CruiserConquest-class Star GalleonDaemon Slayer-class CruiserDictator-class CruiserDominator-class CruiserGothic-class CruiserLunar-class CruiserPromethean-class Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Relentless-class CruiserTyrant-class Cruiser
Cruiser - Light Cruisers: Light cruisers are often characterised as scout vessels, but some Forge Worlds produce true "pocket cruisers," slower, up-armoured and well-armed light cruisers that offer a cheaper alternative to full cruisers. They are often easy to maintain and less demanding in manpower, and many Rogue Trader dynasties find these flexible ships extremely attractive.Crusade-class Strike Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Dauntless-class Light CruiserDefender-class Light CruiserDefiant-class Light CruiserEndeavour-class Light CruiserEnforcer-class Light CruiserEndurance-class Light CruiserLathe-class Monitor-cruiserOlympia-class Strike Cruiser (Great Crusade era)Siluria-class Light CruiserSecutor-class Light CruiserTesujin-class Strike Cruiser (Great Crusade era)
Cruiser - Space Marine Cruisers: Strike CruiserVanguard-class Light Cruiser
Cruiser - Rogue Trader Cruisers: Rogue Trader Cruiser
Cruiser - Grand Cruisers: Executor-class Grand CruiserRepulsive-class Grand CruiserRetaliator-class Grand Cruiser
Cruiser - Heavy Cruisers: Acheron-class Heavy CruiserHades-class Heavy CruiserHecate-class Heavy CruiserHellfire-class Heavy CruiserStyx-class Heavy Cruiser
Cruiser - Cruisers: Carnage-class CruiserDevastation-class CruiserEmasculator-class CruiserMurder-class CruiserSlaughter-class Cruiser
Cruiser - Light Cruisers: Hellbringer-class Light CruiserPestilaan-class Light Cruiser
Cruiser - Drukhari Cruisers: Torture-class Cruiser
Cruiser - Battlecruisers: Phoenix Ship
Cruiser - Cruisers: DragonshipEclipse-class CruiserNaiad-class CruiserShadow-class CruiserWraithship
Cruiser - Light Cruisers: Aurora-class Light CruiserSolaris-class Light Cruiser
Cruiser - Battlecruisers: Scythe-class Reaper Ship
Cruiser - Cruisers: Scythe-class Harvest Ship
Cruiser - Light Cruisers: Shroud-class Light CruiserKhopesh-class Light CruiserCartouche-class Light Cruiser
Cruiser - Battlecruisers: Hammer-class Battlekroozer
Cruiser - Cruisers: Kill KroozerTerror Ship
Cruiser - Light Cruisers: Lite KroozerBasha
Cruiser - T'au: Il'fannor-class CruiserLar'shi-class CruiserIl'porrui-class StarshipLar'shi'vre-class Cruiser
Cruiser - Leagues of Votann Cruisers: Bastion-class Commerce Vessel
Cruiser - Battlecruiser-grade Bio-Ships: Devourer
Cruiser - Cruiser-grade Bio-Ships: RazorfiendDark ProwlerVoid Fiend
Cruiser - Light Cruiser-grade Bio-Ships: Void Prowler
Crull - Crull: Crull was the borderline psychotic Chaos Lord of the World Eaters Traitor Legion who led the Blood Legion of Khorne warband to the Ice World of Lorn V in order to obtain some unknown artefact for the glory of the Blood God.The Khornate warband and a large Ork horde present on the world had been fighting for a number of standard years until Crull and the Ork Warboss Gorgutz struck an uneasy alliance in order to destroy the encroaching Forces of Order, represented by the Imperial Guard and the Craftworld Aeldari.This cooperation immediately broke down once Gorgutz announced that he would destroy the remains of the Imperator-class Titan that lay quiescent on Lorn V, which Crull wanted to claim for his own personal gain and the glory of Khorne. Crull was eventually defeated and killed on Lorn V by the Ork Warboss Gorgutz who cut off the Chaos Lord's head.Another outcome takes place if the Word Bearers Dark Apostle Eliphas the Inheritor successfully destroys the Ork faction in the Dark Crusade on the world of Kronus in Dawn of War - Dark Crusade. Eliphas recovers Crull's skull and adds it to the tally for the Skull Throne of Khorne. Rather than the Manreaper wielded by the Chaos Lord Bale in the original Dawn of War, Crull was armed with a large Khornate mace.
Cruor Blades - Cruor Blades: Cruor BladesSpace MarineChapterBlood AngelsFounding
Cruor Blades - Chapter History: A loyal member of the Sanguinary Brotherhood of Blood Angels successors, the Cruor Blades have been overwhelmed with guilt since their failure to reach Baal before it came under siege by the Tyranids.Now on a self-imposed crusade of penitence, their fleets sweep the Red Scar to purge it of the Tyranids and plunge into the hell of Imperium Nihilus.They are determined to restore the light of the Imperium and to spread word of Dante's appointment as regent of the Dark Imperium by Lord Commander of the Imperium Roboute Guilliman.
Cruor Blades - Notable Campaigns: Angel's Halo, Battle of Acrabellar (Unknown Date.M42) - An ongoing battle of the wider Angel's Halo campaign, the Cruor Blades fought to save the Shrine World of Acrabellar from an invasion by the splinters of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Blood Angels, Blood Scythes, Cruor Blades and Flesh Eaters are defending the Shrine World, with the spiritual well-being of several sub-sectors depending on its survival.
Cruor Blades - Chapter Culture: In combat, the Cruor Blades prefer to wield swords. These weapons, which can be of many different types, are often personally created by them using ancient techniques.Some are known to be forged from pure gold mined from the deepest veins found on the Chapter's homeworld of Kremonas.Amongst the Cruor Blades, raising one's blade before an individual and then lowering it slowly is a gesture that signifies great admiration and respect.
Cruor Blades - Notable Cruor Blades: Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion - Cyras Vitalion is the current Chapter Master of the Cruor Blades. He wields the curved, single-edged relic power sword Gorefalx as his personal weapon. Though the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal was not his home, Vitalion believed it to have an important spiritual significance to his Chapter as the homeworld of the Cruor Blades' Primarch Sanguinius. He had made a pilgrimage to Baal following his rise to Chapter Master and had been gifted a Bloodstone by the Blood Angels' first captain, while he had reciprocated with twenty master-crafted swords, each made of pure Kremonas gold and shaped like a single feather of the wings of Sanguinius. During the assault on Baal of Hive Fleet Leviathan, Vitalion led the Cruor Blades to Baal to aid their progenitors. Though the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters were ultimately victorious, the Cruor Blades did not arrive in time to aid the defence and Baal and its moons were devastated. Vitalion blamed himself for the delay in his Chapter's arrival. Though all of the Cruor Blades felt a similar sense of shame, Vitalion claimed that as the Chapter Master, that shame was his alone to bear. He vowed to gain vengeance upon the Tyranids and led the Cruor Blades into military action in the Red Scar during the Angel's Halo campaign against the remaining splinter fleets of the Leviathan.Chapter Master Calixtus Gordia - Gordia was the second Chapter Master of the Cruor Blades after their Founding. He wielded a relic panabas sword in battle. With that weapon, Gordia killed the Drukhari overlord that had enslaved the Twelve Systems of Maniake in the 35th Millennium after leading the Cruor Blades against those malicious xenos. Six thousand standard years later, this panabas is now a relic of the Cruor Blades and is among numerous other such relic blades that adorn the walls of the Xiphos, the flagship battle barge of the Chapter.First Captain Maktann Phoca - Maktann Phoca was a former first captain of the Cruor Blades Chapter who wielded a kampilan sword in battle. Phoca used that blade to kill a Heretic Astartes from each of the Traitor Legions. His kampilan is now one of the relic blades that adorn the walls of the Xiphos, the flagship battle barge of the Chapter.Sergeant Baliol - Baliol is a sergeant of the Cruor Blades who is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign.Darmad - Darmad is a grim-faced Astartes of the Cruor Blades, who serves in Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion's Honour Guard. He is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign, where Darmad wielded his dadao Primarch's Thunder against the Tyranids. This dadao is among the most fearsome swords that Chapter Master Vitalion had ever seen and is capable of cleaving a Chaos Space Marine in two.Gigor - Gigor is a burly Astartes of the Cruor Blades, who serves in Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion's Honour Guard. He is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign, where Gigor wields his massive, two-handed greatsword Righteous Might against the Tyranids.Guol - Guol is a quiet and solemn Astartes of the Cruor Blades, who serves in Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion's Honour Guard. Guol is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign, where Guol wields his two hook swords, Angel's Grit and Angel's Courage, against the Tyranids. According to Chapter Master Vitalion, few among the Cruor Blades took their Primarch Sanguinius' emphasis on artistry to heart as much as Guol did. As a result, Angel's Grit and Angel's Courage are true masterpieces forged by Guol's hands. Vitalion believes that even the Salamanders might envy Guol's craftmanship and skills at the forge.Lybekion - Lybekion is an Astartes of the Cruor Blades, who serves in Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion's Honour Guard. He is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign, where he wields two cutlasses against the Tyranids. Lybekion prefers cutlasses, but fights with such ferocity he frequently breaks one or even both of these blades during combat. While most of the Cruor Blades form personal attachments to their chosen swords by giving them a personal name, Lybekion does not, and thus has never grown attached to his blades. After learning of this, Chapter Master Vitalion often wondered if Lybekion did so because he had forged a particularly strong bond with a cutlass he had lost in the past. If this is true, then perhaps Lybekion has vowed to never again grow so connected to any sword that he wields.Omia - Omia is an Astartes of the Cruor Blades, who serves in Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion's Honour Guard. He is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign, where he wields his shamshir Heartpiercer against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan.Lekapis - Lekapis is an Ironclad Dreadnought of the Cruor Blades. He is currently taking part in the Angel's Halo campaign.
Cruor Blades - Chapter Relics: Gorefalx - Gorefalx is the relic, single-edged, curved power sword wielded by the Cruor Blades' Chapter Master Cyras Vitalion.Gordia's Panabas - This relic panabas sword was wielded by the second Chapter Master of the Cruor Blades, Calixtus Gordia. This panabas is now a relic of the Cruor Blades and is among numerous other such relic blades that adorn the walls of the Xiphos, the flagship battle barge of the Chapter.Phoca's Kampilan - This relic kampilan sword was wielded by a former first captain of the Cruor Blades, Maktann Phoca. This kampilan is now a relic of the Cruor Blades and is among numerous other such relic blades that now adorn the walls of the Xiphos.Primarch's Thunder - This relic blade is a dadao wielded by the Honour Guard Darmad.Righteous Might - A massive, two-handed relic greatsword wielded by the Honour Guard Gigor.Angel's Grit and Angel's Courage - A pair of two relic hook swords wielded by the Honour Guard Guol.Heartpiercer - A relic shamshir wielded by the Honour Guard Omia.Bane of Ypsil - The Bane of Ypsil is an ancient Land Raider Redeemer found in the Armoury of the Cruor Blades.
Cruor Blades - Chapter Fleet: Xiphos (Battle Barge) - The flagship of the Cruor Blades' Chapter fleet.
Cruor Blades - Chapter Colours: The Cruor Blades primarily wear silver power armour with dark red arms, shoulder plates and helmet. The red of their armour signifies the Cruor Blades' respect for their Chapter's Blood Angels heritage.The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is black, as well as the left knee plate.The black squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, fire support, close support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder guard.A red Low Gothic numeral centred in the middle of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number.The left shoulder pauldron proudly displays the Chapter's iconography.
Cruor Blades - Chapter Badge: The Cruor Blades' Chapter badge is a bright red blood drop with two crossed black swords behind it.
Cruor Praetoria - Cruor Praetoria: The Cruor Praetoria was a force of twelve highly-esteemed Bloodthirsters who acted as the Daemon Primarch Angron's bodyguard during the First War for Armageddon.
Cruor Praetoria - History: The Bloodthirsters of the Cruor Praetoria were among the strongest of Khorne's followers; the twelve daemons whose lives and deeds most pleased their wretched Blood God over forty thousand Terran years of warfare.Every one of them had thousands of heresies etched under its name in the great libraries of the Grey Knights' fortress-monastery. Each was devilry incarnate, rivalling a gunship in height, drawn from the pages of human myth and given the most hateful, bloody forms.Wings of black smoke and bleeding leather beat the gore-stench of split bodies across the battlefields they fought on. Whips lashed with the feral intelligence of beast-tails, while tongues cracked from bullish, malformed visages with the same curling intent.During the First War of Armageddon, Khorne placed the Cruor Praetoria in the service of Angron, the lord of the World Eaters Traitor Legion. These Greater Daemons spearheaded the main host at their foul sire's side, a mighty being who dwarfed even them in size.
Crusade's End (Omnibus) - Crusade's End (Omnibus): Crusade's End is the first omnibus novel of The Horus Heresy series.
Crusade's End (Omnibus) - Synopsis: It was to be the dawn of a glorious new age. Following countless millennia of darkness and strife, the armies of the Emperor of Mankind had reconquered world after world in a Great Crusade, the like of which the galaxy had never seen. Having established themselves as the most powerful military force ever to march under a single banner, the Space Marine Legions were each led by a god-like Primarch – those apparently immortal sons of the Emperor himself. Humanity seemed set to rule the stars once more. And then came Horus Lupercal, the noble Warmaster, and reviled arch-traitor.
Crusade's End (Omnibus) - Contents: Crusade's End contains the following:Horus Rising (Novel) by Dan AbnettFalse Gods (Novel) by Graham McNeillGalaxy in Flames (Novel) by Ben CounterThe Wolf of Ash and Fire (Short Story) by Graham McNeillLord of the Red Sands (Short Story) by Aaron Dembski-BowdenDeath of a Silversmith (Short Story) by Graham McNeill
Crusade of Righteous Liberation - Crusade of Righteous Liberation: The most legendary military campaign executed by the Crimson Fists Chapter of Space Marines was the Crusade of Righteous Liberation, conducted for three hundred standard years during the 36th Millenium before the Crimson Fists had given up their original role as a Fleet-Based Chapter and settled on their homeworld of Rynn's World.At this time, known to Imperial savants as the Age of Apostasy, the Imperium was wracked by internal strife and physically disrupted by swirling Warp Storms as a result of the Emperor of Mankind's displeasure. Much of the turmoil arose from a massive schism within the religious organisation of the Adeptus Ministorum of Terra.After the arch-traitor High Lord Goge Vandire was finally slain by his own bodyguards, the Daughters of the Emperor who eventually became the Sisters of Battle, the Crimson Fists Chapter took it upon themselves to wrest back control of Imperial worlds that had fallen from the Emperor's grace. The whole Chapter's fleet of Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers forced its way through the Warp Storms to liberate those planets which had fallen into anarchy or been invaded by alien races.The first such world they came across was Welte, which they found subjugated by the Ork Warlord Ghar Nazzghar -- loathed by many at the time as the brutal Plunderer of Polemis. A force drawn from 4 different Crimson Fists companies descended upon Welte, whilst the rest of the Chapter fleet dropped back into the Warp to locate other such stricken worlds.Led by the valiant Captain Sandriaz, the Crimson Fists fell upon Ghar Nazzghar like an azure-armoured storm. They struck at his ore mines, burnt the human slave factories and wrecked the ramshackle convoys that transported food and weapons across Welte's treacherous dust bowls. Ghar Nazzghar's Orks soon found themselves scattered across much of the world trying to protect the few installations that still remained.It was then that Captain Sandriaz mustered his force once more and attacked Nazzghar's stronghold in the ruins of what was once Welte Prime, the world's capital city. With most of his warbands chasing ghosts across the dust bowls, Ghar Nazzghar could do nothing as the mighty Astartes advanced relentlessly through the shattered town.Nazzghar himself led a final counter-attack, but he and his cadre of burly Ork Nobs were wiped out as they ran the gauntlet of the Crimson Fists' concentrated fire. With Ghar Nazzghar dead, the Crimson Fists left Welte, leaving the fragmented Orks to the surviving Imperial citizens who had been so brutally enslaved and repressed during the Greenskins' rule.Welte was just the first of 84 worlds re-conquered by the Crimson Fists during the Crusade of Righteous Liberation. Over the Crusade's 300 Terran-year-span, the Chapter's numbers dwindled through age and battle losses; whilst crusading, the Crimson Fists were unable to recruit new Initiates to replace their losses. Finally, after breaking the four-century-long rebel siege of Barenthal on Excelsiva II, then-Chapter Master Kordova declared the Crusade of Righteous Liberation to have ended.Only 128 Crimson Fists were left and ever since then, the numbers of the Chapter's 1st Company has always been kept at 128 Astartes in memory of this time, and its Captain is also always the Crimson Fists' Chapter Master. The 1st Company is always known amongst the Crimson Fists as the Crusade Company, and it is considered a bad omen if the Chapter goes to war without the Crusade Company being at full strength.
Crusade of Wrath - Crusade of Wrath: In 869.M41, at the instigation of the Astral Claws' Chapter Master Lufgt Huron, the Black Templars Chapter declared a Crusade of Wrath into the Maelstrom, assaulting it from its eastward marches. Meanwhile, the Astral Claws, Lamenters and Mantis Warriors launched their own assaults into the pathways of the great Warp Rift from its southern and northeastern approaches. Due to Huron's strategic planning as well as the mettle of the Chapters involved, no fewer than 23 alien or Heretic stronghold worlds were purged, including several on the Maelstrom's fringes that had fallen into the hands of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion and their apostate followers.At the height of the campaign, having made inroads deeper yet into the Maelstrom than any recorded Imperial fleet had attempted, the Astral Claws and Mantis Warriors directed their massed assault to smash the subhuman flesh-haunters of the Howling Gyre. At the culmination of the battle against the Howling Gyre, the Astral Claws' 1st Company led by Lufgt Huron fought their way deep within the foul creatures' carcass vaults before unleashing the Life-Eater virus upon the abominations. By this single act, they had ended a threat that had plagued the Imperium since before the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium, earning a great and lauded victory. But once again, wider events intervened, putting a premature end to the Astral Claws' plans, as the Black Templars were suddenly called away to aid the beleaguered Realm of Ultramar in the wake of the First Tyrannic War.Having sustained substantial losses, and with readings from the Emperor's Tarot portending oncoming doom, the Maelstrom Warder Chapters were forced to withdraw from the Maelstrom without completing their objectives, much to Huron's fury. This incident would convince Huron that sterner measures would be required if the Astral Claws were to carry out their mandate to protect the Maelstrom Zone from all enemies of the Imperium.
Crusader - Crusader: A Crusader is a holy warrior of the Adeptus Ministorum who is recruited for his or her unflagging devotion to the God-Emperor. Most are inducted into the ranks of the Ecclesiarchy from a Schola Progenium, selected for their deep faith in the Imperial Creed and the Emperor.To be chosen to become a Crusader is a great honour, though it leads not only to a gruelling life of asceticism and martial perfection, but also inevitably to an unmourned death in battle against the forces of heresy and apostasy.Nonetheless, such a calling guarantees the opportunity to test sword and shield against Mankind's greatest enemies. Equipped with a Power Sword and Storm Shield, the Crusader is a stalwart melee warrior whose place is in the heat of battle, surrounded by his foes.It is improbable that a Crusader's fate will differ greatly in an Inquisitor's service. Some Inquisitors recruit Crusaders from the honour guard of the Cardinals Crimson -- that most mysterious of all the Ecclesiarchy's many orders.It is said that nowhere else in the Imperium of Man can more devout warriors be found -- save perhaps within the ranks of the famed Adepta Sororitas. In fact, several Crusaders have risen to become Inquisitors themselves in time, though they almost always begin their careers as staunch Puritans, as might be imagined.Inquisitors are not the only ones who recruit the martial prowess of Crusaders. Ecclesiarchy priests often gather a band of bodyguards to assist them in the execution of their duties (and Heretics). Known as Battle Conclaves, these groups are necessarily small.Anything larger would breach the prohibition of "men under arms" as laid down in the Decree Passive that prohibited the Ecclesiarchy from raising its own military forces in the wake of the abuses carried out during the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium by the Renegade High Lord and Ecclesiarch Goge Vandire.Even so, the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus covertly monitors the activities of the Ecclesiarchy's Battle Conclaves to safeguard the spirit of the Decree Passive, if not its letter.
Crusader - Role: The Crusader protects his allies from the unholy enemy, both with his martial abilities and the strength of his faith. He can serve an important role in any warband, bearing the brunt of the enemy's assault in order to protect allies, but is invaluable when facing daemonic adversaries.Resilient and focused as much on protection as on attack, as shown by the large shield he likely favours, a Crusader is a paragon of righteous battle. Standing strong against the enemy, a Crusader absorbs blows and gives back in equal measure against his foes, daemonic or otherwise.A Crusader excels in single combat, taking the ﬁght to the foe to neutralise the threat or buy time for his allies to complete their mission. Although heroic single combat is where he shines, a Crusader can also hold the line against the gibbering tide of horrid foes.A Crusader's strong defence allows him to survive outnumbered where others would fall. However, even if it means sacriﬁcing himself, a Crusader stands ﬁrm so that the side of righteousness wins the day. Often, an inspirational death can turn the tide of a battle as surely as any cleaving strike or accurate shot, and the Crusader knows the true importance is the ﬁnal defeat of his unholy nemeses, for to lose against such foes is more than mere defeat -- it can spell the doom of an entire world's worth of souls.The Crusader lives to battle the unholy enemies of humanity. One serving in a Battle Conclave or warband of Inquisition Acolytes is certain to receive numerous opportunities to test his skills against Heretics and deadly xenos. Perhaps the greatest calling for a Crusader is to serve an Inquisitor from the Ordo Malleus, pitting his sword against the Archenemies of Mankind, the servants of Chaos.A sanctiﬁed blade is a potent weapon against the daemonic, at least in the hands of a skilled warrior. But even the greatest swordsman is of no use against the daemon, should he succumb to fear or falter in his faith. A Crusader's resolve is as strong as his sword arm, ensuring the mental and spiritual fortitude to see the ﬁght through and stand against the unholy foe.Almost without exception, the Crusader is a master of melee combat, favouring a sanctiﬁed sword, axe, or mace to purge the daemonic. He is likely to eschew ranged weapons altogether. Many Crusaders view it as the ultimate show of faith and courage to take the ﬁght to the daemon in personal combat.In an Inquisition warband, a Crusader fulfils the role of front-line melee combatant. He does not sneak or shirk from the foe, but faces it head-on. Such displays of courage and faith inspire other Acolytes, giving them the resolve to ﬁght on against otherworldly enemies.
Crusader - Crusader Houses: Across the Imperium there exist countless orders that combine martial and religious ideals, each venerating and serving the God-Emperor according to its own ideals and traditions. To such warrior-monks, war and worship are one and the same.One type of order, little known to anyone outside of the Inquisition, is the Crusader Houses. Crusaders are warriors of utmost dedication and potency, sworn to serve the agents of the Inquisition with no regard for their own desires whatsoever. These puissant warriors are inducted into one of the Crusader Houses, each of which is a closed and secretive community with as few as a dozen or as many as several thousand members.Many of these houses are located near to Inquisitorial facilities, and some are housed inside the larger Inquisitorial fortresses. The Tricorn in Hive Sibellus on Scintilla, the sector capital world of the Calixis Sector, hosts a number of Crusader Houses, the warriors of each always close at hand to accompany Inquisition Throne Agents wherever their duties may take them.The duty of a Crusader is to protect a specific Inquisitor, to whom he is bonded by a solemn, unbreakable oath. However, they are more than mere bodyguards. A Crusader is the Inquisitor's right hand who delivers the coup de grâce or parries the attacks of his foe. To have been inducted into a Crusader House, the warrior must have been judged nigh-incorruptible, at least in so far as any mortal can be judged so.Induction into a Crusader House occurs only at the invitation of one of its senior members, and only after the subject has been scrutinised from a distance, sometimes for many standard years. Having joined the cloistered ranks of the Crusaders, the inductee puts aside all thoughts of personal ambition and dedicates himself body and soul to the House and the greater cause pursued by the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition.From that moment on, the Crusader casts off wealth and all possessions beside his weapons, armour, and the articles of his faith. He takes residence in a bare stone cell within the Crusader House until such time as he is called upon to serve an Inquisitor. Then, he goes where his new master wills.Crusaders study every aspect of the arts of close combat, excelling in the use of melee weapons. As a matter of dogma, they eschew ranged weapons, believing that the pure essence of duty is only to be found in the clash of steel on steel, where blood is shed and bone hewed asunder.Crusader Houses teach many and varied martial techniques, many houses favouring a specific, signature weapon by which its members are known. Such weapons are invariably ancient and highly venerated, bedecked in devotional scripts and Purity Seals. They bear the intricately inscribed names and deeds of former owners, reminding the current bearer of his duties and that the eyes of the past are ever upon him.Many Crusader Houses favour long, heavy Power Swords, their reach able to intercept any blow that threatens their charge. Others favour massive powered polearms, often wielded two-handed so that the mighty haft breaks the blade of any blow it parries. In addition to their melee weapons, many Crusaders carry Suppression Shields of one type or another. Over the centuries, the shield has become something of an emblem of the Crusader, symbolising the essentially defensive nature of their calling.Yet, common to all Suppression Shields is some type of offensive capacity. Many house a compact electrostatic generator that delivers a powerful stun charge when an enemy's weapon comes into contact with its outer surface, stunning the attacker so that the Crusader can deliver the killing blow or rendering them insensible and ready for the Inquisitor's attentions. Other Suppression Shields incorporate single-use fragmentation rounds, Melta Charges, or even gas-release devices.Many Inquisitors call upon the services of a Crusader, and Witch Hunters in particular are known to value their skills and spiritual fortitude. Although many Inquisitors are more than capable warriors themselves, others are more thinkers than fighters, preferring to surround themselves with specialists.A Crusader provides the very best personal protection an Inquisitor could hope for, allowing him to pursue his own duties safe in the knowledge that no danger can approach whilst the Crusader stands watch.
Crusader - Notable Crusaders: Cassara Novia - Sergeant Cassara Novia served for many years as an armswoman aboard the Imperial Navy cruiser Unyielding Triumph. During this time, she pitted her Shock Maul and Suppression Shield against pirates, alien raiders, and even Chaos reavers. In each battle, she fought with courage and skill, leading her squad to hold the corridors of the vessel against boarders, or leading attacking forces to take enemy voidships. Her greatest test, however, came with the most feared of events that might befall a voidship -- a Gellar Field failure. As daemons of the Warp swarmed the ship, many other crew succumbed to madness and mutation even before falling to the unholy claws and blades of the attackers. Most of the Unyielding Triumph’s crew were helpless against the daemonic onslaught. Yet Novia's faith held ﬁrm, and she rallied her armsmen to defend the ship's enginarium as Enginseers and Tech-adepts frantically beseeched the Omnissiah to restore the protective Gellar Field. Novia held the line against the unholy creatures long enough for a strange group of passengers to reach the enginarium, powerful individuals who were able to hold back the daemonic tide with esoteric weapons and abilities as the Tech-priests completed their work. In the aftermath, many of the crew faced mind-wiping or execution for what they had seen, but the intimidating leader of the mysterious group offered Novia another path. Now, she travels the Calixis Sector, pitting her faith, maul and shield against the daemon wherever it may be found.
Crusader - Wargear: Master-Crafted Power Sword or other Power WeaponCrusader Suppression ShieldStorm Shield (Optional replacement for Crusader Suppression Shield)Master-Crafted Carapace ArmourBadge of OfficeMicro-Bead - Micro-beads, also called comm-beads, are short-range communication devices used by the forces of the Imperium, worn in the user's ear. Its Vox range is good out to about one kilometre. Such phenomena as bad weather, dense terrain and intervening rock, plasteel, or other dense material can greatly reduce this range, however.
Crusader Host - Crusader Host: The Crusader Host was an elite Legiones Astartes Honour Guard stationed on Terra during the Great Crusade and early years of the Horus Heresy during the 30th Millennium and early 31st Millennium.It is presumed once the entirety of the Crusader Host was incarcerated, that it was formerly disbanded by order of the Terran Council. Following the formal disbandment of the Crusader Host, the fate of the majority of its members remains unknown.
Crusader Host - History: At the conclusion of the Unification Wars, the Legiones Astartes stood upon the precipice of launching the Great Crusade, to depart the Sol System in a great many cases never to return. Before leaving at the head of the first great expeditionary fleets, each of the Legions mustered a party of Legionaries who would remain on Terra and stand as their representatives before the Terran Council in all matters in which the Legions held a stake.In addition, they would serve as an honour guard to watch over Terra and all that the Unification Wars had won for Mankind. Perhaps most importantly, they would record the names of those Legionaries who would lay down their lives conquering the great darkness beyond the light of Sol, so that no sacrifice would ever be forgotten.In accepting this honour, the Legionaries of the Crusader Host would be making an equally great sacrifice, for they would partake in none of the glory their brothers would win and all their victories would be won by proxy.
Crusader Host - Crusader Host Composition: The Crusader Host was based in the Preceptory within the Imperial Palace. Within its hallowed halls they kept tally of their brothers' glorious victories, mourned the dead and acted as their primarchs' proxies in the Sol System.This unit was composed of representatives from all 18 Legiones Astartes and normally numbered at least 30 members. Although service in the Crusader Host was required on a rotational basis that all of the Legions adhered to, the Host was not required to have a member from each of the Space Marine Legions in its complement.The rotation of Astartes did not happen regularly, as some members of the Crusader Host had been away from their Legions for over 100 standard Terran years at the start of the Horus Heresy.
Crusader Host - Horus Heresy: During the early 31st Millennium, the Emperor's favoured son, the Warmaster Horus, fell to the seductive whispers of Chaos and instigated a galaxy-spanning civil war against the Imperium. Horus pitted primarch against primarch and Legion against Legion.When the Warmaster's betrayal was revealed at Isstvan III, the members of the Crusader Host were as one incarcerated by order of the Praetorian of Terra, the Primarch Rogal Dorn, in the prison Khangba Marwu, better known as "The Vault."If one such as Horus could turn, then who among the Host could be trusted? Under the orders of Constantin Valdor, the Captain-General of the Legio Custodes, a "hunt team" of Custodes warriors was assembled to bring all the members of the Crusader Host to justice, by force if necessary.At length, Dorn was satisfied that those of the Host drawn from his own Legion were sound in their loyalties and he ordered them freed. Of the remainder, each is a tale in its own right.Some escaped, their fates unknown. A small number were freed on condition of their performing some great and vital task, such as service in the ranks of the Knights-Errant. The ultimate fate of many of the Crusader Host is bound up in the events of the climax of the Horus Heresy, when total war came at last to Terra.
Crusader Host - Known Crusader Host Members: This is a list of all known members of the Crusader Host at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, which includes their eventual fates when known:NameLegionFateGalielDark AngelsUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.JehoelDark AngelsUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.KironEmperor's ChildrenEscaped imprisonment with The Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.CayneIron WarriorsJoined Malcador's Knights-Errant. Later slain aboard the Sons of Horus' flagship Vengeful Spirit during a clandestine mission.BaatanWhite ScarsUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.RekSpace WolvesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.TorvendrSpace WolvesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.AhiredImperial FistsFreed by Rogal Dorn. Ultimate fate unknown.DanmarImperial FistsFreed by Rogal Dorn. Ultimate fate unknown.TarkhNight LordsUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.MarcusBlood AngelsUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.ZephonBlood AngelsUltimate fate unknown. Initially imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, Zephon, "The Bringer of Sorrow," was recruited by the Legio Custodes to aid in the defence of the Imperial Webway Project, a secret endeavour that ultimately failed to secure an entry to the Eldar Webway from the bowels of the Imperial Dungeon beneath the Imperial Palace, yet succeeded in preventing the Traitors from using it to invade Terra. It was during the fighting retreat from the Webway that Zephon saved the life of Baroness Jaya D'Acur of House Vyridion.CriusIron HandsUltimate fate unknown. Initially imprisoned by Rogal Dorn, Crius was released to hunt for those of his Legion that had survived the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V. While Crius succeeded in linking up with an Iron Hands-faction of the Shattered Legions, Crius chose to be abandon his initial mission and join his brothers in the fight against Horus.AsubhaWorld EatersEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.SubhaWorld EatersEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.TagoreWorld EatersEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.AggrippoUltramarinesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.BlasioUltramarinesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.CassiusUltramarinesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.QuintusUltramarinesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.RegulonUltramarinesUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.GythuaDeath GuardEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.AtharvaThousand SonsEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.SeverianLuna WolvesEscaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later joined Malcador's Knights-Errant.Volkhar WrethWord BearersFreed by Rogal Dorn to join the forces mustering for Istvaan V, severely crippled by Sor Talgron and infected with a daemonic creature implanted into his chest cavity and left on Terra in secret.Vor'sharSalamandersUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.ReveRaven GuardUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.TallorRaven GuardUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.RaulusAlpha LegionUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.RondAlpha LegionUltimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Crusader Squad - Crusader Squad: A Crusader Squad is the standard tactical organisation employed by the Black Templars Chapter of Space Marines. The Black Templars are organised in a different manner to many Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters and do not follow the dictates of the Codex Astartes in many ways, notably in the recruitment, training and deployment of their warriors.The majority of Black Templars Battle-Brothers -- known within the Chapter as "Initiates" -- are organised into Crusader Squads, which form the backbone of any strike force unleashed by the Chapter. Many Crusader Squads have the honour of being led to battle by one of the Chapter's Sword Brethren -- Veterans whose deeds and example inspire the Initiates to ever greater acts of courage.Crusader Squads are armed primarily with the holy Bolter, though given the Black Templars' preference for fighting their foes face-to-face in melee, many choose to carry Chainswords and other weapons more suited to the cut and thrust of close combat, epitomising the Black Templars' righteous zeal and their drive to defeat their foes in battle.Before a Black Templars recruit marches to war as an Initiate, he must first prove his mettle as a neophyte. Unlike other Space Marine Chapters, the Black Templars have no dedicated Scout Company in which its aspirants are trained. Instead, the Black Templars' recruits train within a Chapter Keep and, once they are deemed ready by the keep's Castellan, are transported to one of the Black Templars' fleets.Here, the neophytes are put through even more gruelling trials as the Chapter's Initiates test their strength, martial skills and faith to the limits. Should a survivor of these trials impress one of the assembled Battle-Brothers, an Initiate may take it upon himself to personally mentor the Neophyte in the art of war.From that point on, the Initiate takes sole responsibility for his pupil's training and conduct. He swears an oath to prepare the Neophyte for his entry into the brotherhood that is the Chapter, teach him of its history, and guide him through its holy rites of worship to the Emperor.In return, the Neophyte pledges obedience to his master and vows never to bring dishonour to his name. Neophytes also act as servants to their mentors, waiting on them at the great banquets and seeing to their day-to-day requirements.On the battlefield, an Initiate often stands beside his young pupil, teaching him through bloody example the way of bolter and blade. In this way, the neophyte learns first hand the methods of waging war and of destroying the Emperor's enemies. After fighting as part of a Crusader Squad on several battlefields, it is common for groups of Black Templars neophytes to be tasked together into independent squads, akin to a Codex Chapter's Scout Squads.These units are tasked with infiltrating enemy positions or fulfilling some other critical mission. For a neophyte to be trusted so speaks volumes of his Initiate’s faith in his abilities, and the neophyte fights all the harder, lest they show such trust to be misplaced.It is the Initiate's prerogative to say when his apprentice's training is complete. Once he has proven his valour and skill, a Black Templars neophyte submits to the Chapter's Chaplains to undergo the final trials of purity before, in a ceremony of great reverence, he is elevated into the ranks of a full Battle-Brother of Initiate status and honoured with a suit of Power Armour.He is now truly a Black Templar, possessed of great power, and sworn to use it in the Emperor's service unto death.
Crusader Squad - Unit Composition: 5-10 Neophytes4-9 Initiates1 Sword Brother
Crusader Squad - Wargear: Power Armour (Initiates and Sword Brethren only)Scout Armour (Neophytes only)BolterBolt PistolFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Crusader Squad - Optional Wargear: Chainsword (as replacement for Bolter)Combat KnifePower Weapon (Power Axe, Power Fist, Power Maul or Power Sword) (any type; 1 Initiate in the squad only)Grav-cannon or Heavy Bolter or Lascannon or Missile Launcher or Multi-Melta or Plasma Cannon (1 Initiate in the squad only)Astartes Shotgun (any Neophyte only as replacement for Bolter)Melta Bombs (Sword Brethren only)
Crusader Squad - Dedicated Transport: Drop Pod, Rhino, Razorback or Land Raider Crusader - Any one of these vehicles can carry the Crusader Squad into battle.
Crusaders - Crusaders: The Crusaders is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin.Almost nothing is known about this Chapter in Imperial records, except that they were created some time after the Second Founding.
Crusaders - Chapter Colours: The Crusaders Chapter wears a quartered pattern of red and white on their power armour.The white squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.A white Low Gothic numeral on the inside edge of the shoulder plate, next to the squad specialty symbol, indicates squad number. The chapter badge is worn on the left shoulder plate, which is white.The colour of the Aquila or Imperialis on the chest indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), etc.
Crusaders - Chapter Badge: The Crusaders' Chapter badge closely resembles the holy icon utilised by the Adeptus Ministorum -- a quartered red, stylised letter "I" with a large, white Human skull in the centre of it with a red halo surrounding it. This is placed over a field of white.
Crux Terminatus - Crux Terminatus: The Crux Terminatus, or the Terminator Honour as it is also known, is amongst the most famous of all the honours to be granted to the Adeptus Astartes as prescribed by the Codex Astartes. It is awarded only to those Space Marines who have proven their battlefield skills as respected and accomplished Veterans of their Chapter. In many Chapters, the Chapter Master himself grants a newly-designated Veteran battle-brother the right to wear the Crux Terminatus and serve in the Chapter's elite 1st Company as Terminators wearing those ancient but potent technological relics of the Imperium known as Tactical Dreadnought Armour.Often, the recommendation of another member of the Chapter who already bears the honour lends great weight to the Chapter Master's decision. In some Space Marine Chapters, receiving the Crux Terminatus first involves a ritual of cleansing, prayer and meditation, the details of which vary widely from Chapter to Chapter. Each badge of the Crux Terminatus is said to have bound within it a tiny fragment of the power armour worn by the Emperor of Mankind during the climactic end to the Siege of Terra with the Arch-Traitor Horus over 10,000 standard years ago.From Terra came a gift to all of those Space Marine Legions who had remained loyal to the Emperor in the face of Horus's perfidy, a section of the Emperor's own armour so that it may be incorporated into the newly forged Terminator suits of his true sons. Reputedly, the Dark Angels Legion, for example, took delivery of the Emperor's right gauntlet, and over the coming solar decades over a thousand suits of armour were fashioned incorporating metal from His battle plate in the pauldrons. Many of those suits were gifted to the Dark Angels' noble Unforgiven successors when the primarchs Rogal Dorn and Roboute Guilliman broke the Space Marine Legions down into smaller Chapters during the Second Founding, and though most have been lost down the millennia, some of their battle-brothers still went into battle in armour bearing those original Crux Terminatus.It is whispered amongst the highest echelons of the Inquisition that all of the Grey Knights Chapter's Cruxes hold a shard of the One True Armour of the Emperor. Whether or not this is true it means that these ancient suits of power armour bearing Terminator Honours are considered even more rare and precious to a Chapter as a result of their reputed connection to the Master of Mankind. However, if this is true, then each suit of Terminator Armour must only contain the most minuscule of fragments.The design of this ancient badge can vary considerably, even within a single unit or Chapter. Sergeants' and officers' Crux Terminatus tend to be more elaborate and finely detailed than those worn by normal Veteran battle-brothers, but all are venerated equally. To lose even a single Crux in battle is considered a betrayal of the Emperor's trust and brings great shame down on the entire Chapter.This honour appears most commonly as a skull set onto a cruciform shape of red iron or bone. Terminator sergeants often add crossed bones behind the skull, whilst lightning bolts behind the skull are often added for Terminators trained as assault units wielding Lightning Claws or Thunder Hammers paired with Storm Shields.Variations include the size and dimensions of the skull and the removal of the crossed lightning bolts or bones or their scale in relation to the shape of the cruciform. Elements of the Crux Terminatus on the shoulder plate of a Terminator can be adorned with additional ornamentation in recognition of acts of supreme valour. One such adornment is the Crux Argentum, a shoulder badge of silver encrusted with gems that is awarded to already Veteran Space Marines who perform acts of valour above and beyond the call of duty. Smaller representations of the Crux are frequently also worn by the Veterans who have earned it when they fight in standard power armour. These small icons (often of bone or metal) are hung from banner tops, weapons, and belts.The Crux Terminatus is almost always worn on an Astartes' left shoulder plate, though it may also be worn on one knee plate (this is usually done only in combination with the shoulder plate, however). Only Veteran battle-brothers who have earned the Crux Terminatus are granted the specialised training required to wear Terminator Armour, having proven themselves worthy of the right to wear these rare and powerful relics of the Imperium's golden age into battle.Veterans who bear the Crux are often given great respect by other Space Marines of their Chapter, and in many such Chapters earning the Crux Terminatus means that the Veteran has also been inducted into the Chapter's elite 1st Company. Such an honour is often the first step towards attaining the upper reaches of command within the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes.
Crux Terminatus - Sources: Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 81Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 44Codex: Ultramarines (2nd Edition), pg. 23Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pp. 206-207Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition), pg. 185White Dwarf 303 (US), "Index Astartes: Deep Strike", pg. 18White Dwarf 181 (US), "Space Marine Terminators: Tactical Dreadnought Armour", pg. 37White Dwarf 112 (US), "Terminator: Space Marine Tactical Dreadnought Armour", pp. 11-20White Dwarf 109 (US), "Terminator Squads", pp. 32-33Warhammer 40,000 Compendium (1st Edition), "Terminator, Space Marine Tactical Dreadnought Armour" by Rick Priestley and Andy Warwick, pp. 11-18Pandorax (Novel) by C.Z. Dunn, pg. 207
Cryptek - Cryptek: A Cryptek is one of the technologists and engineers of the Necron species, and they are responsible for studying and maintaining the technology of the Necron dynasties. A Cryptek's powers mirror that of the psykers found amongst the other intelligent species of the galaxy.However, while psykers channel the energies of the Warp to accomplish their seemingly supernatural feats, a Cryptek uses their highly advanced knowledge of science and technology to manipulate the purely physical universe's fundamental forces and produce many of the same seemingly magical effects.What a Cryptek often accomplishes with their technology is nothing short of magical to the eyes of the "lesser" intelligent peoples of the galaxy.With their knowledge of arcane sciences, a Cryptek can transmute a foe into liquid adamantium, turn them into a speck of dwarf star matter, set the air ablaze, call down eldritch bolts of lightning and other equally impressive feats of technological arcana.
Cryptek - History: Crypteks are members of a pan-galactic conclave of Necron technologists whose purpose is to study and maintain the eldritch devices of their ancient species. They are masters of dimensional dissonance, singularity manipulation, atomic transmutation, elemental transmogrification and countless other reason-defying technologies.In many ways, a Cryptek's powers mirror those employed by the psykers of other intelligent races, but instead of using their innate psychic abilities by channeling Warp energies, the Cryptek employs arcane science to harness the universe's fundamental forces.Every Cryptek conclave specialises in a particular field of techno-sorcery in one of a hundred thousand disciplines. These conclaves were originally founded to share information and expertise amongst Necron settlements from one end of the galaxy to the other, but have since become fragmented and isolated.In the long millennia since the Necrons' biotransference, Crypteks have become just as stagnant and fragmented as every other aspect of Necron society. In the present era of the late 41st Millennium, the surviving Cryptek Conclaves are maintained out of force of habit more than for any practical purpose.Though Crypteks have no official rank in the political structure of a Necron dynasty, they wield immense influence. A Cryptek's power springs from the army of Canoptek Spyders, Wraiths and Canoptek Scarabs under his control, but is mainly acquired from the ignorance of the disinterested Necrontyr nobility, who have no interest in the working of the technology they employ.As Tomb Worlds need perpetual maintenance to maintain their countless systems functioning at peak efficiency, it is not unknown for a slighted Cryptek to bring the maintenance cycle to a screaming halt should his supposed "betters" require a reminder of the power he and his kind wield. Even the proudest Necron Overlord will muster an apology when his soldiers and weapons seize up on the eve of battle.On occasion, a Necron Overlord will go so far as to recruit a particularly trusted and knowledgeable Cryptek to serve in his Royal Court. To entice a Cryptek to serve it is common for an Overlord to grant him the first pickings of precious alloys, power cores and focus crystals in exchange for his services in a campaign.This can prove politically dangerous for the Overlord, as this essentially elevates the Cryptek to the same rank as the Necron Lords already serving within his dynasty, and so inevitably fosters resentment amongst his regal subordinates.Nonetheless, having the Cryptek's wealth of knowledge and expertise close at hand is normally viewed as more than adequate compensation for the political risk. Ultimately, the only thing that holds the ambitions of a Cryptek in check is another of his kind. Should a retained Cryptek rise too far above his station, a Necron Overlord will attempt to replace him by luring a different, and more tractable, Cryptek away from the service of a rival.This process can also have complications, for whilst no Cryptek will knowingly supplant another of the same conclave, a rival from another conclave will not hesitate to do so. This usually results in plots and counterplots which can lead to rivalry, or even outright conflict, between different Crypteks and their respective conclaves.
Cryptek - Technomandrite Crypteks: All Crypteks possess a level of genius that makes the finest minds of Humanity appear drooling simpletons by comparison. The Technomandrites are the most inventive of them all.Many of the Necron species' most powerful technologies can be ascribed to this hermetic brotherhood -- from translocation beams that teleport them from pocket dimensions into material space, to Gauss Weapons that strip their targets to their constituent atoms. So powerful did these Crypteks become that the Silent King, ruler of the lost Necron Empire, arranged for their downfall.Only now they stalk from the shadows once more, released from exile by anti-Chaos protocols put in place against a breach from the Immaterium of cosmic scale, a breach like the birth of the Great Rift.Though many a Necron Overlord seeks the blackstone that will hold back the flood of Chaos in this new era, the Technomandrites are already several steps ahead -- if their plans reach fruition, their mastery of science will give them the keys to ultimate triumph.
Cryptek - Cryptek Disciplines: The Crypteks have developed countless disciplines of techno-sorcery, down through the aeons. Further, each individual Cryptek makes its own unique advancements in its chosen expertise. As such, it is unlikely for two Crypteks to ever wield quite the same abilities and weapons.Presented here are the five most common Cryptek techno-sorcery disciplines, but by no means are these the only ones, as there are literally hundreds of thousands of such disciplines in use by the different Cryptek Conclaves:
Cryptek - Psychomancer (Harbinger of Despair): Accomplished psychomancers are amongst the most keenly retained of all Crypteks due to their command over the powers of the mind.If their abilities are employed properly, the enemy's morale will be quickly shattered within moments of the battle's start, leading to their appelation of "Harbingers of Despair."Nightmare Shroud - When this small, black cask is opened, the worst terrors of a thousand aeons are unleashed on the Cryptek's foes, assailing their enemies with phantasms of dread as potent as any mortal danger.Veil of Darkness - With a simple wave of its skeletal hand, the Cryptek can summon a billowing sheet of almost tangible shadow, enveloping it and nearby allies before disappearing along with the enshrouded Necrons. When the darkness ebbs, the Cryptek and his comrades have disappeared, only to rematerialise some distance away.
Cryptek - Plasmancer (Harbinger of Destruction): Plasmancers are not subtle beings, for they choose to wield raw energy rather than go to the trouble of binding it into other forms.Thus are they known as "Harbingers of Destruction," as the spread of destruction is their gift to the galaxy.Gaze of Flame - Some Plasmancers choose to implant hidden weaponry within their own bodies. Many Necrons find this practice unsavoury, at best. Few, however, would question a Harbinger of Destruction to his face, particularly when that face may conceal all manner of terrifying weaponry. When in battle, the eyes of a Cryptek who has granted himself the Gaze of Flame burn with an unnatural, ghostly fire, stealing away both an assailant's speed and inducing great fear of the Cryptek.Solar Pulse - Often incorporated into an Eldritch Lance, the Solar Pulse unleashes a sizeable portion of the Lance's energy, not as a coherent beam, but as a flash of light bright as a solar flare.
Cryptek - Chronomancer (Harbinger of Eternity): Chronomancers are known as "Harbingers of Eternity," as knowledge of the future flows through their every act.Few chronomancers are trusted, as they always have a shrewd idea of how any event will unfold.Chronometron - The bearer of this arcane device exists slightly outside the flow of time, allowing him to glimpse possible futures and modify his recent actions accordingly. A Cryptek utilising a Chronometron appears blurred, its movements sudden and spasmodic like a primitive pict-reel or degraded hololith.Timesplinter Cloak - The most accomplished of chronomancers can weave together disparate strands of time, forming an unassailable shield against any attack that does not originate from the time stream corresponding to the precise moment of impact.
Cryptek - Ethermancer (Harbinger of the Storm): Ethermancers are called the "Harbingers of the Storm," for the fury of the turbulent skies lies at their command. They can summon lightning, or set punishing winds upon the foe.Ether Crystal - An Ether Crystal can control the fundamental forces of nature, summoning storms from tranquillity and lightning from clear skies. In seconds, the chosen area is assaulted by gale-force winds from nowhere as black storm clouds gather to block out the sky.Lightning Field - A Cryptek equipped with a Lightning Field is surrounded by crackling, incandescent electricity that arcs across his body and any nearby Necrons. Bolts of emerald lightning arc between the Cryptek and his comrades, electrocuting any foe who comes near.
Cryptek - Alchemist (Harbinger of Transmogrification): "Harbingers of Transmogrification", also known as "alchemists," or "geomancers," are adepts of geomancy and masters of the science once known to Mankind as alchemy.Alchemist Crypteks specialise in the transmutation of matter from one form to another and the instilling of animus within inanimate objects.Harp of Dissonance - Many an enemy has underestimated the power of this strange, alchemical weapon, most often fatally. An irregularly shaped metallic casket, a Harp of Dissonance is laced with numerous strings of different materials, each perfectly calibrated to a precise level of tension. A correctly played note, when amplified and focused through the arcane technology housed within the Harp, can burst the molecular bonds of nearly any material, transmuting it to brittle porcelain.Seismic Crucible - A skilled geomancer with a Seismic Crucible may command the very earth beneath his feet and, more importantly, the feet of his enemies. The Harbinger of Transmogrification can precipitate a powerful, localised quake.
Cryptek - Technomancer: Technomancers possess the power to augment and swiftly repair Necron units and Canoptek constructs in the field. Some Technomancers use Canoptek Cloaks to flit swiftly to wherever they are needed most, while others employ the nanoscarab beams of their Canoptek Control Nodes to augment from afar.Canoptek Cloak - The Canoptek Cloak allows a Technomancer to move swiftly across the battlefield to reinforce Canoptek constructs wherever needed.Canoptek Control Node - The Canoptek Control Node is a device that allows a Technomancer to control, repair or augment the abilities of Necron Canoptek constructs on the battlefield from afar. It works through the use of beams of microscopic Nanoscarabs that are sent to carry out the requested operations on the designated constructs.
Cryptek - Wargear: Necrodermis - Like all Necrons, Crypteks are composed of the living metal called necrodermis, which allows them to self-repair even catastrophic amounts of damage.Most Crypteks will be armed with a type of staff that contains arcane technologies used to unleash their techno-sorcerous powers against the enemy. The most common forms of Cryptek staffs include:Staff of Light - The Staff of Light is both a weapon and a symbol of authority for those Crypteks who have no real specialisation in the arts of techno-sorcery. Its haft is actually a disguised power generator rod, and the crest is a finely tuned focussing device, allowing the wielder to unleash searing bolts of energy at his foes.Abyssal Staff - Crypteks that are accomplished Psychomancers utilise Abyssal Staves. As dark as onyx and decorated with symbols designed to prey on the subconscious fears of mortals, an Abyssal Staff blasts the sanity of a Psychomancer's foes. To succumb to the swirling ebon mists called by the Abyssal Staff is to be swallowed in inpenetrable darkness.Eldritch Lance - The Eldritch Lance is utilised by Crypteks who are also Plasmancers and are able to wield raw energy. This long stave is laced with arcane circuitry, its flared tip studded with focusing crystals. An Eldritch Lance emits a beam of annihilating energy, compared to which the Staff of Light seems but a toy. The passage of its blasts of furious energies can make even the air scream in agony. For those rare cases when the Cryptek's enemies survive long enough to engage him in close combat, the Eldritch Lance can be wielded in a manner akin to a spear.Aeonstave - Utilised by Crypteks that are masters of Chronomancy, the crystalline sapphire head of an Aeonstave generates a kind of low-level stasis field that contains a massive chronal charge. With each blow from the Aeonstave, the energies unleashed will encapsulate and trap the Cryptek's enemy in a bubble of slow-time.Voltaic Staff - The Voltaic Staff is used by those Crypteks who are Ethermancers. Energy continuously crackles along the length of this heavy staff, arcing between exposed storage crystals. An ideal weapon for the Cryptek who wishes to demonstrate the superiority of Necron technology, the impossibly high voltages emitted by the staff are enough to fry even the most sophisticated Imperial technology. Just as the Ethermancer commands the Voltaic Staff, the Voltaic Staff commands lightning.Tremorstave - A Tremorstave is utilised by those Crypteks who are adepts of Geomancy and masters of the science once known as alchemy. A large staff enclosing numerous gyro-engines, grav-flux generators, and other sophisticated devices, a Tremorstave is as deadly a weapon as it is unconventional. When a Cryptek drives the tip of his Tremorstave into the ground, a wave of energy is released, travelling in a straight line directly towards his intended target, splitting the very ground open and sending shards of stone and sprays of dirt blasting out with deadly velocity; knocking any survivors sprawling.
Cryptek - Notable Crypteks: Aghadax - Aghadax was a Technomandrite Cryptek who led the forces of the Sautekh Dynasty on the world of Amontep II in a failed attempt to stop the Magos Dominus Dentrex Ologostion from harvesting blackstone on that mineral-rich world.Drizyan - Drizyan is a Necron Cryptek of the Nihilakh Dynasty. An Ethermancer, he worked with the Necron Overlord Tarekh to reactivate an ancient Necron superweapon on the Tomb World of Cardrim dating back to the War in Heaven. Over the decades, the Cryptek has grown overly eccentric, insisting on ever-more bizarre demands from Tarekh if the ancient weapon is to be completed. Needing the Cryptek's knowledge, Tarekh has been forced to acquiesce to Drizyan's demands. However, unknown to Drizyan, Tarekh is looking for another, more compliant Cryptek to replace the Ethermancer.Illuminor Szeras - The enigmatic Cryptek Plasmancer known as Illuminor Szeras is one of the most reviled beings in the whole galaxy. Both hated and envied by the other Necrontyr, it was Szeras' twisted genius that ultimately made the process of biotranference a reality, and condemned the whole Necrontyr civilisation to an eternal undeath. Uncaring, the megalomaniac Szeras only saw the sacrifice of his people as the first step of his own ascension to C'tan-like godhood. In the 41st Millennium, Szeras still labors toward that goal, seeking to unravel the last mysteries of life that escape him. Despite being distrusted and reviled by the majority of his peers and Necron royalty, Szeras' knowledge is so vast, and the help he can grant so potent, that few Nemesors refuse his assistance nor its price when offered.Navgran the Eternal - Navgran was a Cryptek in the service of the Sautekh Dynasty who was known as the High Transmuter.Orikan the Diviner - Orikan the Diviner is one of the most powerful of the Crypteks, and is a potent Chronomancer. Millennia ago, he was the astromancer of the Necrontyr empire's ruling Triarch, and one of the Silent King Szarekh's most trusted counsellors. Orikan was the only one to then oppose the proposal of the C'tan Mephet'ran the Deceiver to grant the Necrontyr immortality through the process of biotransference, as he foresaw it would end in disaster, but his lone voice of dissent was ignored by the Triarch. Driven by loyalty to his race, Orikan submitted to the process and became one of the undying Necrons, forever undying and soulless in an android body of living metal. Despite the loss of his soul, the biotransference procedure had an unexpected bonus for Orikan, as his already considerable powers have only expanded after he was freed from the limitations of fallible flesh. In the late 41st Millenium, Orikan's mastery over the flow of time is such that he can actually "walk back" into the past in a limited manner, just enough to ensure his predictions never go awry.Osiskor, Harbinger of TransmogrificationRahkoz, Chronomancer of SuhbekharRaunek Ka, The Holder of KeysToholk the Blinded - Toholk is the Necron Arch-Cryptek of the Maynarkh Dynasty, and is a being of diabolical ingenuity whose particular genius lent itself to the creation of vast amounts of war machinery for his bellicose dynasty. Indeed, his designs and schematics were even distributed by the Triarch across the Necron dynasties in the past, in order to aid the Necron legions in their campaigns against the Old Ones during the War in Heaven. The Canoptek Tomb Sentinel is one such creation of his, and was one of the last he designed before the Necron race underwent the Great Sleep. Even before his transformation into a cold machine-existence, Toholk was without care for the lives his creations took, or indeed the use to which they were put -- only that each invention was a greater triumph of destruction than the last. This maxim was pushed to the extent of him testing new weapons and war machines first-hand on the battlefield as well as on captive subjects. Toholk’s hubris made him many enemies both amongst rival Crypteks and among the Necron Lords of the Maynarkh Royal Court, who were jealous of his fame and notoriety. Despite this, he has survived many plots and assassination attempts made against him and prefers to trap his would-be murderers in Hyperphase Prison Matrices for later disposal or use in further weapons testing.
Cryptek - Sources: Black Crusade: Hand of Corruption (RPG), pp. 82-83Black Crusade: The Tome of Fate (RPG), pg. 118Codex: Necrons (5th Edition), pg. 13, 32, 56, 57, 67, 77, 84-85, 90Codex: Necrons (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 134Codex: necrons (9th Edition), pg. 90Deathwatch: The Outer Reach (RPG), pp. 116-118Warhammer 40,000: Forgebane (Boxed Set Book), pp. 3, 9White Dwarf 389 (US), "Necrons of the Nihilakh Dynasty," by Chris Peach, pg. 45 (Drizyan)
Cryptos - Cryptos: The strange and sinister xenos race known to the Inquisition as the Cryptos comes from the cold darkness of the interstellar void where it can scarcely be conceived that anything could live. Without solid physical form, they appear as strange gaseous clouds tinted with an eerie greenish glow and filled with maddening, half-formed shapes. They are able to pass through solid matter and even through the hulls of star vessels, and far more dangerously, they have the power to take living human bodies as hosts in order to fulfil their inscrutable aims.The Cryptos are a cold and mysterious species whose desires and thoughts remain hidden from others and possess an implacable and patient intelligence. Masked in human flesh, they walk amongst Mankind and secretly infest communities, twisting them until they are completely under their dominion.They treat humans with utter disdain and a callous disregard, for these seemingly immortal creatures carry themselves as fallen gods fleeing something greater and more terrible yet, and Mankind is to them no more than cattle to be used and disposed of at will. The Cryptos are a rare and utterly insidious threat, and though no cities have burned in their name nor have they raised armies against the dominion of the God-Emperor, they are the manifestation of why the alien is loathed and mistrusted in all of its forms by the Imperium of Man.
Cryptos - History: How long the Cryptos have existed is completely unknown, but what can be guessed at is when the Cryptos first began to infiltrate Mankind. This moment can only have taken place during the ages in which man has moved amongst the stars, as the remote existence of the Cryptos beyond the warmth of suns would have kept them away from the planet-bound beginnings of humanity.Dwelling in the lightless margins of star systems or in the deep void, the Cryptos must have met with Humanity and learned its weaknesses, its flesh-bound desires, its fears, and its ignorance. They must have seen a possibility in the fleshy race they could so easily possess, the possibility of domination and concealment, because for all their utterly alien nature the Cryptos have one thing that can at least be approximated to a human emotion -- fear.The unknown object of their fear may even have driven the Cryptos into their bodiless existence, hiding in the emptiness, perhaps drifting away from some ancient enemy or star now long dead. However, it seems to them that the human Imperium represents their greatest chance of successfully hiding from whatever it is they flee.How long ago the process of infiltration and control began and how many Cryptos there are in the Imperium today can not be estimated with any accuracy. However, infestations have been uncovered on scattered Imperial worlds in the Segmentum Obscurus and Segmentum Pacificus ever since this alien species was formally identified and confirmed as "Diabolous" in the 35th Millennium. It has been noted by some in the Ordo Xenos that the number of instances of Cryptos infestation may extend far further into the past, but such instances may have been mistakenly treated as instances of witchery or daemonic influence.

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