The Thramas Crusade was a three-year war during the Horus Heresy, fought far from Terra in the Eastern Fringe. It pitted the Night Lords against the Dark Angels, and though it’s often overlooked, its outcome had a major impact on the wider conflict.
What was the Thramas Crusade?
Horus sent Konrad Curze and his Night Lords to the Eastern Fringe to distract the Dark Angels and seize the vital Forge Worlds of Triplex. The campaign quickly spread beyond the Thramas sector, becoming a war for the entire region.
The Night Lords unleashed a reign of terror, massacring billions of civilians. But the Dark Angels, led by Lion El’Jonson, were determined to stop them.
The war raged from 007 to 009.M31, and it wasn’t just a simple distraction. The Night Lords had their own goals: capturing the Triplex Forge Worlds, which supplied Rogal Dorn’s forces, and finding a new homeworld after they’d destroyed Nostramo. That made them even more dangerous.
The Night Lords’ reign of terror
The Night Lords first struck at the Tithe Road, a chain of planets linking the Nostramo sector to Thramas. They’d long demanded tribute from these worlds, but now they wanted more. At Tsagualsa, they demanded the entire population become thralls. When the world refused, the Night Lords slaughtered them. Survivors were herded into flaying pits, and only a few hundred were spared to spread word of the horror.
After that, Curze’s sons built a new citadel on Tsagualsa, a base for their campaign. They then sent warbands to neighboring worlds, and refugees flooded the Thramas sector and Gulgorahd Protectorate with tales of terror. Under brutal commanders like Nakrid Thole, the Night Lords easily took nearly half of the Thramas sector.
But not all Night Lords were lost to savagery. First Captain Sevatar continued the drive on Triplex. He led a flotilla of four full Chapters against the small, ruined world of Thule. Many of Triplex’s Magi had already sided with Horus, leaving only a few loyalist maniples to resist. On Nehren, Sevatar and his Atramentar teleported into an underground fortress powering the world’s orbital cannons. With the cannons disabled, traitor forces landed and annihilated their outnumbered brethren. Sevatar captured the Archmagos of Thule, and when Curze arrived, he tortured the Archmagos aboard the Nightfall, finding his flattery annoying.
The Dark Angels strike back
The Dark Angels didn’t take this lying down. Led by Lion El’Jonson, they fought back fiercely. The war spread across several sectors, and the Night Lords initially overran many worlds, but the Lion’s tactics and the arrival of Loyalist reinforcements turned the tide.
The duel at Tsagualsa saw First Captain Sevatar captured. The final stand shattered the Night Lords fleet. Though the Night Lords were broken as a fighting force, they’d already delayed the Dark Angels enough to keep them from reaching Terra in time.
Key battles and turning points
The Thramas Crusade wasn’t one big battle, but a series of brutal engagements across the Eastern Fringe. The Night Lords had early successes, but the Dark Angels slowly gained the upper hand.
The war ended with the Night Lords shattered, losing over 50,000 warriors and most of their fleet. Curze vanished, and Sevatar was taken prisoner. The Dark Angels suffered fewer than 10,000 dead, but their delay meant they couldn’t reinforce Terra.
- Triplex Forge Worlds: vital industrial prize for both sides.
- Thramas sector: heavily populated, key recruiting ground.
- Aegis sector: agri-worlds reduced to ash by firestorms and bio-phage munitions.
- Gulgorahd: remained Loyalist despite relentless assault.
Forces and commanders
The Night Lords committed over 100,000 warriors, 200 capital ships, and 600 escorts. They also had Traitor Taghmata and Titan Legions like Legio Ulricon and Legio Victorum. The Dark Angels had 70,000 warriors, 300 capital ships, and 600 smaller ships, plus a small White Scars contingent, a small Ultramarine contingent, and the Thramassi Nightwatch. The Loyalists also had Titan Legions like Legio Solaria and Legio Adamantus.
Key commanders on the Traitor side included Konrad Curze, First Captain Sevatar, and the Kyroptera. The Loyalists had Lion El’Jonson, Paladin Corswain, Eskaton Marduk Sedras, and Captain-General Arcturus Morhde.
Aftermath and legacy
The Night Lords were shattered, losing over 50,000 warriors and most of their fleet. Curze vanished, and Sevatar was taken prisoner. The Dark Angels suffered fewer than 10,000 dead, but their delay meant they couldn’t reinforce Terra.
So while the Loyalists won tactically, the Traitors gained strategically. The Thramas Crusade shows how Horus used one Legion to tie down another, with devastating consequences for the Eastern Fringe.
Key facts
- Fought from 007-009.M31 during the Horus Heresy.
- Night Lords vs Dark Angels, with over 100,000 and 70,000 warriors respectively.
- Night Lords lost over 50,000 troops; Dark Angels fewer than 10,000.
- Ended with Night Lords shattered but Dark Angels delayed from reaching Terra.
- Konrad Curze vanished; First Captain Sevatar was captured.
FAQ
Who won the Thramas Crusade?
The Dark Angels won a tactical victory, shattering the Night Lords. But strategically, the Night Lords succeeded in keeping the Dark Angels away from Terra.
Why was the Thramas Crusade important?
It tied up two entire Legions for three years. The Dark Angels’ absence from Terra may have contributed to Horus’s initial success during the Siege.
What happened to Konrad Curze?
Curze went missing after the crusade, though he later resurfaced. His Legion was left in ruins.