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 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 Rynn's World Campaign
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 Declates Crusade
 * Battle for Rynn's World
 * Battle of the Steel Cross
 * The Crusade of Righteous Liberation

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 sources seem to conflict over the actual number of Battle-Brothers who survived the Rynn's World Campaign. In one supplement, it is explained 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 source mentions that the Crimson Fists field 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 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. In the novel Deathwatch by C.S. Goto, Captain Octavius, an Imperial Fist seconded to the Deathwatch; comments that no other Chapter has provided as many Deathwatch marines as the Crimson Fists. This and other cannon sources seem to suggest that the Crimson Fists are amoung the most highly regarded Xenos Fighters in the Imperium. Captain Octavius also ruminates on the loyalty and sense of duty possessed by the Chapter and it's marines. Despite their severe losses the Crimson Fists continue to second battle brothers to the DeathWatch. In fact, no less than one quarter of the Captain's eight man kill squad in the novel were marines of this Chapter.

Though previously famous for stubborn, intractable defensive actions (much like their progenitors, the Imperial Fists), after the Rynn's World Incident, the sheer amount of casualties has prevented the Chapter from fighting in the way prescribed by the Codex Astartes. Instead, Kantor has fielded his surviving Marines as infiltrators and guerrilla troops, attacking specific, high-value targets in an attempt to minimise casualties as opposed to engaging enemies in open battle.

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.

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

 * Rogal Dorn - Crimson Fists Primarch (via the Imperial Fists)
 * Chapter Master Alexis Pollux - The Crimson Fists' first Chapter Master
 * Chapter Master Kordova - Chapter Master during The Crusade of Righteous Liberation
 * Ancient Amentus - Chaplain
 * Chapter Master Pedro Kantor - Lord Hellblade, the 29th and current Crimson Fists Chapter Master, Commander of 1st (Crusade) Company
 * High Chaplain Marqol Tomasi - High Chaplain, killed in action during the Battle of Rynn's World
 * Chief Librarian Eustace Mendoza - Master of the Librarius
 * 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, nigh-invulnerable Captain of the 4th Company
 * 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 - Dreadnought
 * Rynn's Might - A Land Raider with a fierce Machine Spirit
 * 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.