Editing The Crusaders (section)

=Culture=

Before the coming of their Primarch, the VI Legion were known as a dour and serious lot who fought with little joy. Their bloody-minded stubbornness meant that when committed to battle, they would fight for as long as necessary until victory was won, even if this meant the legion got sucked into quagmires that left them behind as other Legions pressed onwards. The ''Left-behind'' Legion was the name they gained as a result of this. One of Gaudin’s gifts to the Legion was to imbue in it a sense of purpose, that their purpose was as the representation of the Great Crusade. Other Legions might represent different facets of the Great Crusade, with the Emerald Doom the spread of the Imperial Truth and the War Scribes the return of Knowledge lost to Old Night, but the Crusaders would represent the Crusade as a whole, the Emperor’s ambition to rule the Galaxy given form. The Crusaders would never be left behind again; they would always be at the very forefront of the Great Crusade. This gave the Legion a strong sense of belief in themselves and their mission.

This belief gave the Crusaders a very competitive mindset. If another Legion was further out then they were, then they had to catch up and even press out beyond them. While this was an internalized struggle that meant the Crusaders rarely came to blows with other Legions, their competitiveness was noted by many others as the Crusade went on. The Legion put a great deal of prestige on their outriders and pathfinders who would keep them on the forefront of expanding Imperial space, and many famous Rogue Traders served with the Crusaders, acting as the eyes and ears of their ever-moving fleets.

This drive also had a darker side effect. To the Crusaders, Victory was worth almost any price, save that of attrition, a legacy of the time before the Primarch when casualties could not be easily replaced. While there was never an official policy regarding using war crimes and atrocities to shorten conflicts, there are many documented cases of such events happening under the Crusader’s watch. Massacres of refugees, terror-bombing campaigns, orbital strikes on civilian targets, all were at one point or another used by the Crusaders to shorten campaigns and bring about swift victories.

==Homeworld==

[[File:Planet Carbon Aluminum Sphere Earth-Like Lt.jpg|right|200px]]
Thomas Gaudin's homeworld was the brutal Death World '''Sturmundrang'''.  Ancient weapons and pollution had scoured the skies and soil of this populous planet, making its atmosphere lethal to an unprotected man.  But these atrocities did not end the planet's wars, as the bloodshed of centuries called down to each new generation.  Only the Primarch was able to end the violence of Sturmundrang, through conquest. The fierce sons of this scarred world made superb recruits to the Crusaders, taking especially well to the implant of the Black Carapace.

After the breaking of the Legion, Sturmundrang continued to be the principal source of recruits for the chapter, though in time it was lessened as other worlds including Terra, Harkon, Rhanna and other worlds in Segmentum Solar also contributed recruits for the Chapter. However the main fleet base for the Legion remained over Sturmundrang, and the character of the planet never left the Chapter.

==Notable Crusaders==

'''Leon Heldt''' was serving as Gaudin's page when the Emperor came to Sturmundrang. Still young enough to be inducted into the Adeptus Astartes, Heldt graduated as a fine Space Marine. Despite many offers of promotion to command, his highest aspiration was to serve as the Primarch's bodyguard.  Heldt laid down in life for Gaudin and the Emperor during the fateful assault on Hektor's flagship.

'''Thomas Caevael''' another son of Sturmundrang and one of Gaudin's key Lieutenants, Caevael was one of the first independent commanders of the Legion, when his tenth Chapter was sent off to join with the [[Thunder Kings]] in their prosecution of the Tarav Empire. He proved to be one of the brightest of the new generation of marines brought in from Sturmundrang and swiftly rose through the ranks, possessing a sharp insight and charisma in spades which allowed him to gain the trust of almost anyone. By the time of the Heresy he commanded the second largest force of Crusaders after the Primarch's own fleet, ten thousand Marines of the 91st Expeditionary Fleet which was operating in the southern Ultima Segmentum. His forces returned to Terra before the betrayal and he would be at the forefront of the fighting both on Mars and on Terra, and be one of the Marines who went with Gaudin onto Hektor's Flagship, where he saw firsthand the broken body of the Emperor. Caevael became the first Chapter Master of the Crusaders after the breaking of the Legion. He is remembered as ''Young Thomas'' by the Legion, and the Katzbalger he wielded is a sacred relic of the Chapter.

'''Olaf Gunther''' was a Terran recruit from Skandermark and among the very first intake of Marines to Mars to become Techmarines. Smart, gregarious and open-minded, he excelled, forming lifelong friendships with members of the Mechanicum and other high-ranking Techmarines from the second and eighth Legions. He would be a major influence of the decision to send troops to Dieseleum and other major operations alongside the Lords of Mars. Gunther met his end on Terra, supporting a detachment of Knights of Accolon trying to hold back an advance of Titans of the Fire Wasps.

===The Sacred Band: Sixth Squad===

The ten most promising warriors of what would become the Sixth Legion were first led into battle by [[Hektor Cincinnatus]] as part of his Sacred Band.  The Sacred Band's Sixth Squad would all make significant contributions to the history and traditions of the Crusaders, and together their influence is second only to that of Thomas Gaudin.

'''Anton Kantner''' led Sixth Squad during the battles of the Merican Hives.  Kantner took pride in always accomplishing his tasks ahead of schedule, and was seen as a bit of a maverick, especially after he and the rest of sixth squad stole a Land Raider to launch a surprise flanking manoeuvre ahead of the main advance of the Sacred Band during the battle of the Black Hills. Although this zeal sometimes offended other members of the Sacred Band, it also established the Sixth Legion's tradition of letting nothing slow, let alone stop, their advance.  After Thomas Gaudin was rediscovered, Kantner laid down his command against some ill-feeling.  His competence and humility would be recognised with a place as the Legion's ''Hochmeister'', the Primarch's second-in-command and leading the main siege-breaking efforts during the long Battle of Mars during the Heresy. He stood by his Primarch's side at the boarding of the Bucephalus, wielding his Zweihander to great effect. After the breaking of the Legion he was expected to become the first Master of the Crusaders, but Gaudin decided that only a sons of Sturmundrang would be given that role. Kantner however did not consider himself slighted, and instead threw himself into the task of building the '''Ultima Crusaders''' Chapter as their first commander. He would eventually fall before a Vetrovnak assault on the northern fringes of Ultima in M33, the last of the Sacred Band still alive.

'''Erik Faas''' was a much-feared commander.  His weapon of choice in the Merican Hive campaign was the flamer, and it was well-suited to his temperament. Though Faas could be jovial and kind to his men, he is best-remembered for his declaration to the Legion at the start of the Great Crusade, ''Do not be swayed by the false virtues of compassion or mercy.  No carelessness, driven by warm feelings, should dissuade you from utter loyalty to the cause of Mankind.  We go to the stars to destroy the Alien, the mutant, and all who would endanger the human race!'' A number of the darker crimes committed by the Legion were attributed to his command. He was known for deploying Destroyers more than any other Crusaders commander, with a particularly large cadre of them under his command. Faas was chosen by Thomas Gaudin to lead the '''Crusaders Obscurus''' Chapter that would have to face the brunt of Traitor forces from the Eye, and he instilled them with his fierce spirit and hatred for all who would oppose the Imperium. He was first in line when the First Dark Crusade happened, and fell in battle there though not before sending hundreds of traitors to Death's embrace.

'''Max Toten''' was one of the best-known of the Crusaders outside of their Primarch. Toten's tall, bearded figure stood out among his peers, and his great voice and charisma could rally the forces of the Imperium like few others. He served closely with several other Primarchs, and was willing to listen to their council unlike his stubborn father, to the point where even Gaspard Lumey praised him for his tact, a rare commodity among the Crusaders. Though not the most skilled general of Gaudin's inner council and the one who had the most disagreements with his Primarch (where his own booming voice mixed with that of his Primarch deafened everyone within earshot), he was regularly entrusted with critical commands because of the effect he had on morale Thankfully for the Crusaders, Toten was humble enough to take advice from better planners. Max Toten's final battle was the massive naval engagement at the beginning of the Traitors' attack on the Solar System.  He volunteered to take command of the point ship in the Imperial forces, the mighty Crusaders Infernus-class battleship ''Koenigsraum'', understanding that this duty was a death sentence.  Though Toten and his command were lost early in the engagement, his selfless courage would continue to inspire the Crusaders through the dark days of the Siege of Terra.  He is venerated as a saint in many parts of the Imperium.  Void-farers, especially sailors in the Imperial Navy, often carry medals bearing a likeness of "Saint Max" to invoke his protection.  Toten was posthumously honoured as the first Chapter Master of the '''Crusaders Tempestus'''.

'''Gabriel Bain''' was initially groomed for duty as an Apothecary in the embryonic Legion, but his combat and leadership skills improved much more quickly than his peers.  A sober and stiff-mannered Marine, his cool demeanour masked a tendency for daring in both personal combat and command. Bain was Sixth Squad's point-man throughout the Pacification of the Merican Hives, and tanks under his command would reprise the role during many of The Crusader's armored actions. He became known as the ‘Spear of Sturmundrang’, a skilled tank driver and commander, who contributed to some of The Crusaders finest hours – especially the armoured thrust at Grudno. Yet it was his role behind the scenes that truly defined this warrior's role.  He was a firm convert to the decentralized nature of the Crusaders, where every expeditionary fleet would be an entity unto itself and he worked tirelessly to plan and establish The Crusader's network of motor-pool fortresses throughout the interior of the Imperium, as well as negotiating deals with several Forgeworlds to supply those worlds so that there would always be a stockpile for the Crusaders to swiftly re-arm with.  Drag's achievement allowed the Legion, and later their association of Successor Chapters, to rapidly rearm and redeploy across the Galaxy to confront the Imperium's direst foes. His forces were yet another group of Crusaders that failed to link up with the main body of the Legion when it was ordered to Terra, and he would fight the traitors all across Segmentums Obscuras and Pacificus, ending up on Rosskar where his forces fought until relieved by the Steel Marshalls. In the Second Founding he was assigned to lead the '''Crusaders Pacificus''', a sign of how seriously Thomas Gaudin took the threat of the resurgent [[Harakien Eldar Empire]] as well as a recognition of the reputation he had built during his fighting in that region during the Heresy.

'''Severin Hahn''' A highly skilled warrior with a flair for bladework, Severin Hahn was the first Legion Champion of the X Legion. He spent much time with the [[Steel Marshalls]], and learned the arts of dueling and swordplay from them and became close to Primarch [[Roman Albrecht]]. Much of his service would be leading armored forces alongside the Marshalls, acting as the hammer to their anvil. Though highly regarded outside the Legion, within it he was also seen as somewhat quaint with his ideals of honor and chivalry, including the Pacification of several feudal worlds where Hahn bested a chosen champion as a proxy for open warfare, which was seen by others within the Crusaders as not a sufficient enough lesson to truly pacify them. This noble warrior met his end on the blasted plains of [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]], slain by the traitor Primarch [[Tollund Ötztal]] in single combat.

'''Elias Selig'''.  Selig was a competent but uninspired warrior during the Unification Wars and fought with distinction throughout the Great Crusade, ever at the fore-front of the Imperium's armies. However his greatest moment could come with Hektor's betrayal. When the Heresy began, Selig's 83rd Battalion was caught on the far edge of the vast Ultima Segmentum.  Taking stock of the reports of treachery and atrocity, the Crusader determined that his task was to tie down as many Traitor troops as possible. Targeting '''Bunyoro''', a strategically-located world that Selig had helped pacify, the 83rd made a rapid insertion and managed to prevent it falling into traitor hands, thus leaving most of the Northern Ultima Segmentum safely for the Emperor. Following this and several other swift actions, the 83rd arrived in [[the Atalantos Worlds]] to link up with the [[War Scribes]], who were even then bracing for the Burning Crusade.  [[Arelex Orannis]] was grateful for the addition of the three Chapters of Crusaders who made up the 83rd, who would fight under his command for the duration of the Burning Crusade.  Though this heroic commander would fall in the course of this bitter campaign, his memory and tactics would be preserved by the '''Askaris''' Chapter and his name would be given to to one of the great Fortresses of the War Scribes in the Atalantos Worlds.

'''Walter Blum''' was the Sixth Legion's first combat casualty.  A promising, gregarious warrior inducted into the Sacred Band as a candidate for high command, he was struck down in the bitter fight for Atl'Ntar Hive. Even thousands of years later, his name is well-remembered and is awarded to any aspirant who meets an honorable death in training.

'''Lucas Braun''' is officially forgotten and his name stricken from all but the most secure records, though he was highly regarded by Hektor during the Unification Wars and a major presence in the War Councils of the Crusaders. He protested the dramatic reorganization of the Legion under Gaudin, and remained close to Hektor. He was turned by the many Traitors in the Sacred Band and attempted to spread corruption through the Legion, turning the three Chapters of the 154th Expeditionary Fleet to the service of Hektor.  He would lead them on a rampage throughout the Segmentum Tempestus before arriving on [[Battle of Zhuko V|Zhuko V]] by the order of the Warmaster to reinforce the traitor Tank forces fighting the climatic battle there. There he met his Sacred Band brother Severin Hahn and his loyalist Crusaders at the '''Battle of Bitter Iron''', one of the most brutal battles of the entire Heresy where loyalist and traitor Crusaders destroyed each other. Hahn would slay him there, and Braun would only be remembered as "the Serpent" in the legends of the Crusaders and their Successor Chapters.

'''Marcus Drag''' is the second of the Crusader’s Sacred Band traitors, and like Braun his records have been removed save from the deepest vaults of knowledge on Terra and Sturmundrang. He was a naysmith who constantly questioned his brothers and their maverick nature, believing that only by working as part of the whole could the VI Squad truly benefit the Sacred Band as a whole. When the Legion grew big enough, he was given his own command and left the bulk of the Legion, becoming part of the 'Alizarin' fleet, the forces of Rogue Trader Carl Alizarin. Drag was not present when his Primarch was found, and only met him later after the Legion's reformation. Drag was known to dislike the new direction, believing that flesh was superior to steel and the only way to win battles. But he could not stand against his Primarch, and reluctantly bowed before him. Once again he was given a new command and sent forth into the stars to conquer as he would, free from the constraints of the rest of the Legion. His 234th Expeditionary Fleet had a large percentage of Terrans who did not sit comfortably with their Brash Primarch and his swift, brutal and incomplete methods of conquest. They would continue to take worlds slowly, methodically and, for them at least, correctly. Drag always maintained close ties with the other Sacred Band members beyond his Legion, and when Hektor rose the standard of rebellion Drag answered the call. His fleet was diverted to block the passage of the Void Angels as they struck towards Terra, and though the Void Angels never discussed what happened, it is known the Drag and his entire force was destroyed trying to keep the Angels at bay.

'''Rook North''' was an exemplary warrior.  He was also something of a blowhard, composing and performing many fine songs - about his own heroic exploits.  His bragging did not endear him to his peers, and his ties to Hektor, second only to Braun meant that when the Heresy did break out he was suspected of traitor sympathies. However the Crusaders prize results more than personality and North certainly got his results.  He would fight in every great campaign of the Legion, from its origins in the Merican Hives to the pyrrhic victory at the Siege of Terra.  Unlike his peers, North was particularly able in void combat, setting up specialist ''Sturmtruppen'' squads for boarding actions.  The expertise and heavy equipment of these troops would be invaluable in the brutal slugging match of the Siege of Terra.  For all of his skill, North's unpopularity saw him passed over for command of a Second Founding Chapter.  He would eventually be dispatched to guard an ancient relic in the far Galactic South-East as the Master of the [[Nova Defenders]] Chapter.