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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.

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 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.

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.

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:

Name
Legion Fate
Galiel Dark Angels Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Jehoel Dark Angels Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Kiron Emperor's Children Escaped imprisonment with The Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Cayne Iron Warriors Joined Malcador's Knights-Errant. Later slain aboard the Sons of Horus' flagship Vengeful Spirit during a clandestine mission.
Baatan White Scars Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Rek Space Wolves Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Torvendr Space Wolves Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Ahired Imperial Fists Freed by Rogal Dorn. Ultimate fate unknown.
Danmar Imperial Fists Freed by Rogal Dorn. Ultimate fate unknown.
Tarkh Night Lords Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Marcus Blood Angels Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Zephon Blood Angels Ultimate 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.
Crius Iron Hands Ultimate 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.
Asubha World Eaters Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Subha World Eaters Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Tagore World Eaters Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Aggrippo Ultramarines Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Blasio Ultramarines Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Cassius Ultramarines Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Quintus Ultramarines Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Regulon Ultramarines Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Gythua Death Guard Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Atharva Thousand Sons Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later slain on Terra.
Severian Luna Wolves Escaped imprisonment with the Outcast Dead, later joined Malcador's Knights-Errant.
Volkhar Wreth Word Bearers Freed 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'shar Salamanders Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Reve Raven Guard Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Tallor Raven Guard Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Raulus Alpha Legion Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Rond Alpha Legion Ultimate fate unknown. Imprisoned by Rogal Dorn at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.

Sources[]

  • The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution by Alan Bligh, pp. 17, 88
  • The Horus Heresy Visions of Heresy: Book One (Artbook), pg. 23
  • The Outcast Dead (Novel) by Graham McNeill
  • The Master of Mankind (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
  • The Purge (Novel) by Anthony Reynolds
  • Vengeful Spirit (Novel) by Graham McNeill
  • Riven (Novella) by John French
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