Crimson Fists

The Crimson Fists are a Loyalist Space Marines Chapter. They are a Second Founding Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion. The Crimson Fists are a Chapter on the edge of extinction, their fortress-monastery destroyed and their numbers all but annhilated when the Ork WAAAGH! Snagrod descended on the Loki Sector and their Chapter homeworld of Rynn's World in 989.M41. Yet the Crimson Fists fight on, bearing the blows of a cruel fate with a stoicism that has become legend across the Imperium. Even amongst the elite ranks of the Space Marines, the remaining Crimson Fists are held as warriors without peer, forged in the fire of the most terrible and hopeless battles. As one would expect of successors to the Imperial Fists, the Crimson Fists are steadfast and stubborn warriors, reluctant to yield so long as victory is possible. Nonetheless, the Chapter's brush with annihilation has tempered this ardour with grim reality. The Crimson Fists' future now lies with a handful of Space Marines, their lives to be expended for greater rewards than the salving of personal pride. Now the Battle Brothers of the Crimson Fists fight for more than the Emperor of Mankind, more than honour and renown. They fight so that their Chapter may survive, and one day regain its former glories.

Foundation and Crusades
Although initially resistant to the ideals of the Codex Astartes, the Primarch Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists Legion eventually relented, and allowed for his Legion to be split into three, 1000-Space-Marine-strong Chapters. The Crimson Fists were made up primarily of the Space Marines who had only recently been initiated into the Imperial Fists Legion at that time. The Crimson Fists were a crusading Fleet-based Chapter for nine thousand years, like their brother Chapter the Black Templars. Perhaps their most famous Crusade was the Crusade of Righteous Liberation fought for 300 years during the 36th Millennium that nearly destroyed the Chapter, leaving only 128 Astartes remaining in the Chapter before it was completed. Unlike the Black Templars, the Crimson Fists showed a more rigid adherence to the Codex Astartes, and tended to maintain close ties with the Loki Sector. It was not until almost eight hundred years into the 40th Millennium that the Crimson Fists were granted feudal rights to their own Chapter planet of Rynn's World by the Imperium in the Loki Sector. The proximity of Rynn's World to several of the Crimson Fists' primary recruiting worlds like Blackwater in that sector was ideal, and the Chapter constructed their fortress-monastery, the Arx Tyrannus, from the dismantled remains of their ancient Battle-Barge Rutilus Tyrannus in the middle of the inhospitable and frigid Hellblade Mountains of the planet's southern continent.

The Battle of Rynn's World
In the 989th year of the 41st Millennium, an Ork Warlord known as Snagrod, the Arch-Arsonist of Charadon, united many of the warring Ork factions surrounding the Loki Sector and began a massive WAAAGH!, taking several human colonies with minimal resistance, Snagrod boasted that his next conquest would be Rynn's World. In response, the Third Company of the Crimson Fists was sent to stall the WAAAGH! and gauge its strength. The size of Snagrod's forces had been significantly underestimated, and only a few Space Marines escaped to relay vital intelligence back to Chapter Master Kantor. Kantor ordered the immediate recall of all Crimson Fists, and set about organising the defences of Rynn's World.

When Snagrod's WAAAGH! hit Rynn's World, it was with a force unseen among Orks since the Second War for Armageddon. During the initial invasion of Rynn's World, a great tragedy befell the Crimson Fists.A single missile, launched by one of the planetary defence installations, faltered in its trajectory and struck the Crimson Fists fortress monastery. The missile managed to strike an unknown weak point in the fortress' design, detonating the Chapter's entire arsenal of weapons. The resultant explosion levelled the monastery, the mountain it rested on, and wiped out everything within a half mile's radius. Of the forces stationed around and within the monastery, there were just sixteen survivors, Kantor among them.

The survivors, forced to move stealthily through territory captured by the Orks, were able to link up with a detachment of Crimson Fists assigned to defend Rynn's World's capital, New Rynn City, in the process remaining awake for 328.7 standard hours. Faced with the destruction of the vast majority of his Chapter at Rynn's World, Kantor was faced with a choice few Chapter Masters have ever had to make. He could lead the remnants of his decimated force in a vainglorious last stand, determined to slaughter as many of the enemy as possible before succumbing to their overwhelming numbers, or, as he eventually chose, he could marshal his resources and deploy his remaining force in missions that favoured small, elite units, looking to the eventual rebuilding of the Chapter and retaking of his world.

Taking command of the Imperial forces, Kantor was able to eventually repulse the Orks from Rynn's World, although the siege of New Rynn City lasted eighteen months, and the effort to fully cleanse the planet of Greenskin taint took many years. It has been noted that many Chapter Masters in Kantor's position would have chosen the former option, ensuring their Chapter a place in legend rather than accept their virtual defeat. It is to Kantor's eternal credit, and is a mark of a leader of superior character, that he made the choice he did, for the Imperium can ill afford the loss of such a fine Chapter of Astartes as the Crimson Fists.

The Rynn's World Campaign resulted in catastrophic losses for the Crimson Fists, with the Chapter almost completely wiped out. As a result, Kantor's primary focus is currently on rebuilding the Chapter. Though famous across the Imperium as Ork fighters, Snagrod's WAAAGH! has induced a deep hatred of Orks within the Chapter, and it is said that Crimson Fists Space Marines will go to any lengths to defeat any Ork forces they encounter. The Crimson Fists are often on the move, no longer having a true home base and reverting to their ancient practice of operating as primarily a Fleet-based Chapter. Yet, they often return to Rynn's World to mourn the Battle-Brothers who died so heroically in its defence.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Crusade of Righteous Liberation (Date Unknown.M36) - The Crusade of Righteous Liberation was the most legendary military campaign executed by the Crimson Fists in their history. The Crusade lasted for over three hundred Terran years before the Crimson Fists had given up their original role as a Fleet-based Chapter and settled on their new homeworld of Rynn's World. This Crusade occurred during the Age of Apostasy when the Imperium was wracked by internal strife. In total, 84 worlds were reconquered by the Crimson Fists over the course of the Crusade. The Chapter's numbers dwindled as a result of attrition during the logn campaign, because the Crimson Fists were unable to recruit new Initiates to replace their losses whilst on Crusade. Only 128 Crimson Fists were left at the successful conclusion of the Crusade, and forever after the Chapter's 1st Company has always been kept at 128 Astartes in memory of this time, and is always led by the Crimson Fists' Chapter Master. Known as the Crusade Company, it is considered a bad omen if the Chapter goes to war without the 1st Company being at full strength.
 * Chapter Dispute (819.M41) - A perceived slight causes the Mortifactors and Crimson Fists to come to blows. Only a personal intercession by Marneus Calgar ends the dispute before it escalates to open war. The matter is kept from the attention of the Adeptus Terra.
 * Battle of the Steel Cross (853.M41) - During the decisive moments of the Battle of the Steel Cross, Captain Cortez single-handedly slew an Ork Warlord and his entire bodyguard. Cortez had managed to disarm the Ork leader with a twist of his torso after the Ork's sword had become embedded in Cortez's ribs.
 * The Toran VI Massacres (934.M41) - The Crimson Fists defeat the warband of Chaos Lord Sathash the Golden.
 * Battle of Rynn's World (989-990.M41) - The Battle of Rynn's World began in mid-989.M41 when the Ork Warlord Snagrod, the Arch-Arsonist of Charadon, united the warring Greenskin factions bordering the Loki Sector and launched the largest WAAAGH! the Peryton 163 Cluster had seen since the Great Crusade, attacking the isolated Imperial Agri-world of Badlanding. The Imperial defenders of Badlanding were utterly unprepared for the invasion, and within days the only major strongpoint of resistance was the capital city of Krugerport, where the remnants of the 18th Mordian, 24th Lammas and 49th Boros Imperial Guard Regiments, commanded by Commissar Alhaus Baldur, put up a bold, but ultimately doomed, defence. Confident that he had the world in his grasp, Snagrod put out incessant, ranting broadcasts, boasting that his next conquest would be Rynn's World, which lay only a few weeks Warp travel from Badlanding. Chapter Master Pedro Kantor responded immediately, despatching the 3rd Company under Captain Ashor Drakken to Badlanding to stall the Ork WAAAGH! and determine its strength. The Battle of Krugerport was a tragic defeat for the Crimson Fists who found WAAAGH! Snagrod to be far larger and more aggressive than any could have predicted. In the resulting defeat, the Crimson Fists suffered a loss of 56 Space Marines out of a detachment of 84; Captain Drakken was among the fallen. The handful of Space Marines that survived the battle were able to escape to bring valuable intelligence back to Rynn's World. Upon hearing of the size and strength of the Ork war host, Chapter Master Kantor ordered the immediate recall of all Chapter companies fighting away from Rynn's World, mobilised the Planetary Defense Force, and prepared for the inevitable invasion. When the WAAAGH! Snagrod hit Rynn's World, it was with a force unparalleled by any other Ork invasion save for the second Greenskin assault on the Hive World of Armageddon that would come 9 standard years later. As the Ork dropships and “Roks” fell through the night sky, the Chapter’s automated defence systems responded, and all was well until a malfunctioning plasma missile from the Space Marines’ surface-to-space defence system, in a trillion to one malfunction, impacted the Crimson Fists’ fortress-monastery. The errant missile scored an impressively accurate, if altogether unintentional, hit on the fortress-monastery's main Armoury. The arsenal, the fortress-monastery, the mountain, and an area half a mile wide were instantly atomised. The Chapter was almost obliterated in the ensuing holocaust Only 16 Crimson Fists garrisoned in their fortress-monastery survived its destruction, including Pedro Kantor and Captain Alessio Cortez. These Astares then traveled overland while protecting what civilians theu could until they linked up with what remained of the Chapter in New Rynn City. There they held out against the Ork siege of the city. The siege of New Rynn City ground on for 18 months, but the Crimson Fists maintained their stoic defence of the beleaguered city until Imperial reinforcements which included 6 Space Marine Chapters finally arrived in 990.M41, 18 months after the invasion began, to drive the Orks from the world, although small pockets of Greenskins would remain to trouble the planet's reconstruction for years afterwards. These reinforcements arrived just in time, as the Orks had constructed a series of Gargant war machines that not even the Crimson Fists' heroism could have repelled. The Chapter's losses in the wake of the reclamation of Rynn's World proved most grievous, with only nearly the loss of over half the Chapter's Battle-Brothers.
 * The Declates Crusade (Date Unknown.M41) - The Declates Crusade was a joint Imperial Crusade against the Ork WAAAGH! Gitzmott carried out by both the Crimson Fists and Black Templars Space Marine Chapters in the heavily-populated Declates System. As a symbol of solidarity against what seemed to be an innumerable foe, Astartes from both Chapters "exchanged" iconography and often fought in mixed squads. Black Templars painted their left hands red, and Crimson Fists painted a Templar Cross onto their right knee. This unusual gesture of unity helped establish a tight bond that steeled the resolve of the brave warriors involved in the ultimately successful cleansing of the system from the Greenskins' taint.

Chapter Organisation
The Crimson Fists are classified as a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter, because they are strict followers of the holy tome with only a few minor variants. At the end of the Crusade of Righteous Liberation in the 36th Millennium, only 128 Marines were left in the Chapter. Since that time the Crusade Company (First Company) has always numbered 128 Space Marines. Since the Crimson Fists started as a crusading Chapter, they always had access to a large, well maintained fleet of starships. Although many vessels were lost over Rynn's World, the surviving fleet was more than capable of entangling the Orks' space forces until the Imperial Navy was able to reinforce the system.

After Rynn's World, the Crimson Fists found themselves in the interesting position of having more specialists than Battle-Brothers. The Chapter's Apothecaries and Techmarines have been forced to take on roles not normally assigned to them, although without their skills the Chapter would have dwindled beyond repair within a few years. The process of rebuilding the Chapter has been slow and arduous, although any rush would result in complications that would corrupt or destroy the Chapter at a later date. A number of Scout Squads have been inducted into a newly formed Tenth Company, and are said to be forging the future of the Chapter with their every action.

Various Imperial sources seem to conflict over the actual number of Battle-Brothers who survived the Rynn's World Campaign.One set of records record that just after the destruction of their fortress-monastery -- but before the battle for Rynn City began in earnest -- the Crimson Fists numbered 400 Battle-Brothers, mostly those stationed in Rynn City, in their Fleet and on outlying settlements. However, given the length of the Battle of Rynn's World, it is unlikely that anything even approaching that number of Space Marines were still alive at the end of the campaign. One quote made in reference to the Crimson Fists mentions the fact that a Chapter reduced to less than a company of Battle-Brothers is unlikely to recover. However, an additional record mentions that the Crimson Fists fielded four "reduced companies" at the turning of the millenium. Given that this is less than a decade after the end of the Rynn's World campaign (997.M41), it is unlikely that the Chapter has managed to "graduate" many new Battle-Brothers from its reduced Scout Marines cadre. While the actual number of Crimson Fists Marines who survived the Rynn's World campaign is unknown, it seems fair to assume that, by the end of the 41st Millenium, the Chapter is unlikely to field more than 200 Battle-Brothers.

Chapter Combat Doctrine
During the nine thousand years of their crusade, the Crimson Fists became skilled at combating many alien species, most notably the Orks. These skills have been valuable to the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition, with many members of the Chapter serving terms with the elite Deathwatch. Captain Octavius, an Imperial Fist seconded to the Deathwatch once commented that no other Chapter has provided as many Space Marines to the Deathwatch as the Crimson Fists. As a result, the Crimson Fists are among the most highly regarded xenos fighters in the Imperium. Captain Octavius also ruminated on the loyalty and sense of duty possessed by the Chapter and its Astartes. Despite their severe losses on Rynn's World, the Crimson Fists continue to second Battle-Brothers to the Deathwatch. In fact, no less than one quarter of Captain Octavius' own eight-man Kill-team were Crimson Fists.

Though famed for their stubborn, intractable defensive actions, much like their progenitors, the Imperial Fists, after the Battle of Rynn's World, the sheer number of casualties suffered by the Crimson Fists has prevented the Chapter from fighting in the way prescribed by the Codex Astartes. Instead, Chapter Master Pedro Kantor has fielded his surviving Astartes as infiltrators and guerrilla troops, attacking specific, high-value targets in an attempt to minimise casualties as opposed to engaging enemies in open battle. This will change in the coming decades once the Crimson Fists begin to refill their depleted ranks.

Beliefs
The Crimson Fists venerate the Emperor as the gene-father of the Adeptus Astartes, and Rogal Dorn as the Primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion. They maintain a strict calendar of holy days, one of the most sacred being the Day of Foundation, during which the entire Chapter gathers to celebrate its creation. During the ceremony, extracts from the works of Alexis Polux are recited, as well as the words of Dorn himself. The Chapter's greatest victories are remembered, and its boldest sacrifices commemorated. In this way, the lessons of the Chapter's history are passed down through the ages, ensuring the brethren learn from the actions of their ancestors. This sort of critical introspection is encouraged by the Codex Astartes, but actually practised by very few Space Marine Chapters, whose pride will often preclude any admission that they have anything to learn from past mistakes, or indeed that their predecessors erred in any way.

Chapter Gene-Seed
The Crimson Fists draw their recruits from a number of Feral Worlds in the Loki Sector, most notably the world of Blackwater. The natives of this world are renowned for their ferocity and courage, but are far from barbarous primitives. They are a noble people, whose lives are a daily struggle against adversity, and it is this stoic nature that makes them such ideal raw material to become Crimson Fists.

Being a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion, the Crimson Fists share their genetic legacy with them, inheriting many of the characteristics of their Primarch, Rogal Dorn. The Chapter's gene-seed is highly stable, though the Imperial Fists', and therefore the Crimson Fists', genome is lacking the Betcher's Gland that allows a Space Marine to spit acid, and the Sus-an Membrane that allows him to enter a life-sustaining state of deep hibernation.

The Chapter only narrowly escaped extinction during the destruction of its fortress-monastery on Rynn's World. According to the Genetors of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a Chapter reduced to less than a company of brethren has only a 20-25% chance of survival, for the failure rate of the Progenoid Glands will often preclude the successful harvesting of new gene-seed, resulting in an inability to induct new brethren. It was only the Chapter's superior gene-seed that saved it from extinction, for the Crimson Fists have been reduced to less than a company of brethren, yet seem more than capable of rebuilding their numbers -- however it will take many decades before those numbers are at anything approaching the Chapter's full strength.

Chapter Colours
The Crimson Fists paint their Power Armour deep blue, with crimson trim and white markings. When a Neophyte joins the ranks of the Chapter his left glove is painted crimson, symbolic of Rogal Dorn's tradition of cutting the palms of new recruits and sharing his blood with them directly, creating a bond between them, upon reaching Veteran status his right glove is also painted Crimson.

Chapter Badge
The Chapter's badge is a direct copy of the badge of the Imperial Fists but in the Crimson Fists' colours, with a crimson fist and roundel on a deep blue background.

Notable Crimson Fists

 * Chapter Master Alexis Pollux - Alexis Pollux was the Crimson Fists' first Chapter Master, drawnn like the rest of the Chapter from the ranks of the Imperial Fists Legion after the end of the Horus Heresy
 * Chapter Master Kordova - Chapter Master during The Crusade of Righteous Liberation
 * Chapter Master Pedro Kantor - Lord Hellblade, the 29th and current Crimson Fists Chapter Master, Commander of 1st (Crusade) Company
 * Ancient Amentus - Ancient Amentus is a Dreadnought Chaplain of the Crimson Fists
 * High Chaplain Marqol Tomasi - Marqol Tomasi was the High Chaplain of the Crimson Fists Chapter who was killed in action during the Battle of Rynn's World
 * Chief Librarian Eustace Mendoza - Eustace Mendoza was the Chief Librarian and Master of the Librarius for the Chapter
 * Epistolary Delevan Deguerro- Librarian Epistolary, assumed command of the New Rynn City detachment of Crimson Fists during the Battle of Rynn's World after the death of Captain Drigo Alvez.
 * Forgemaster Javier Adon - Techmarine and Master of the Technicarum
 * Chief Apothecary Curien Droga - Chief Apothecary
 * Ceval Ranparre - Master of the Fleet, Hero of Hesperidon, likely killed in action during the Battle of Rynn's World.
 * Captain Drigo Alvez - Master of the Shield, Captain of the 2nd Company, Commander of the Crimson Fists in New Rynn City during the Orkish Invasion. Killed in action during the Battle of Rynn's World while defending the gates of New Rynn City.
 * Captain Ashor Drakken - Master of the Line, Captain of the 3rd Company, killed in action during the Battle of Rynn's World. Led and died during the recon-and-destroy mission to the world of Badlanding at the Ork invasion's opening.
 * Captain Alessio Cortez - Master of the Charge, Captain of the 4th Company. Cortez is considered to be unkillable by many within the Chapter, for he has never been slain despite facing often daunting odds. Cortez is an aggressive commander who often leads with his heart and his honour on his sleeve, but who often does not act as strategically or as wisely as he should, a flaw often pointed out by his best friend within the Chapter, Pedro Kantor.
 * Captain Selig Torres - Captain of the 5th Company
 * Captain Olbyn Kadena - Master of the Watch, Captain of the 6th Company
 * Captain Caldimus Ortiz - Master of the Gates, Captain of the 7th Company
 * Captain Matteo Morrelis - Master of Blades, Captain of the 8th Company
 * Captain Raphael Acastus - Master of Siege, Captain of the 9th Company
 * Captain Ishmael Icaro - Master of Shadows, Captain of the 10th (Scout) Company
 * Veteran Sergeant Huron Grimm - Second-in-command to Captain Drigo Alvez of 2nd Company
 * Brother Jerian - Jerian is a Dreadnought of the Crimson Fists
 * Rynn's Might - A Land Raider with a fierce Machine Spirit

Gallery
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