The Crimson Slaughter are a Chaos Space Marine warband that used to be the loyalist Crimson Sabres. Their fall wasn’t a slow slide into damnation. It was a purge, a curse, and a thousand screaming voices that never stop.
From Crimson Sabres to renegades
The Crimson Sabres were a Space Marine Chapter of unknown founding. The earliest records of them show up at the start of the 36th Millennium, but nobody’s sure which Chapter they came from or which founding created them. That gap in their history ties back to two things: the Amalgamation Schism and the destruction of their homeworld Rhoghon.
After the Amalgamation Schism, the wider Adeptus Astartes rebuked the Chapter for breaking protocol. Chapter Master Nigellus didn’t take it well. He cut all ties to their brother Chapters, including their founding Chapter, while still claiming loyalty to the Imperium. Nigellus was killed a century later during the Fornstadt Rebellion, but he’d already set the tone for the Chapter’s new creed: accomplish every mission with faultless efficiency.
During the Imperium’s Age of Redemption, Chapter Master Drabek led the Crimson Sabres through a string of crusades. They fought well, but Drabek never believed their reputation was secure. His suspicion and constant criticism wore on their allies. Then, while the Chapter was away, the Brakatoa System fell to a daemonic onslaught. Rhoghon was left in ruins, and surviving worlds were hit with Exterminatus. The Chapter resettled on Drogsh, the third world of the Brakatoa System, but losing Rhoghon stung their pride badly.
The Umidia affair
For over a millennium after settling on Drogsh, the Crimson Sabres kept doing their duty. Then came Umidia. A distress call came in from the jungle world, and the Chapter answered. As the calls for support escalated, every available warrior in the Chapter was pulled onto the planet. Every scan turned up more corruption, and localized assaults turned into a full genocidal cleansing. The Crimson Sabres purged Umidia, aiming to wipe out every last inhabitant.
When questioned later, the Crimson Sabres claimed the whole population had fallen to Chaos-worshipping Balethu Cults. The Ordo Hereticus sent Inquisitors to investigate. They found no evidence the Balethu Cults worshiped the Dark Gods. The Inquisition’s report was damning: the purge went far beyond eradicating a hidden cult. They called it an act of butchery.
The curse and the fall
Before everything fell apart, the symptoms started. The Crimson Sabres felt their multiple hearts racing at peak levels for no purpose. A growing sense of foreboding crept in, like an unseen fog closing in around them. A rising pressure weighed on their minds.
Then came the voices. Khorne, either as a reward or as revenge for massacring his followers, cursed the Crimson Sabres to be haunted by the voices of everyone they’d killed. Only more bloodshed could silence the voices, and even that was temporary. Chapter Master Sevastus Kranon led his followers into the Eye of Terror, hoping to find some peace in the realm of Chaos rather than stay in Imperial space and risk harming more innocents.
The Imperium declared them renegade and excommunicated them in M41. The Crimson Sabres were gone. The Crimson Slaughter had taken their place.
What they look like now
The Crimson Slaughter wear dark red with gold trim. Their homeworld was Rhoghon originally, but now they operate from the Space Hulk Lost Hope. They’re dedicated to Chaos Undivided, and Kranon the Relentless leads them.
For rules and lore, there’s Codex Supplement: Crimson Slaughter, released in March 2014 for the 6th Edition of Warhammer 40,000. It’s a supplement to Codex: Chaos Space Marines.
Key facts
- Formerly the loyalist Crimson Sabres Chapter, declared renegade and excommunicated in M41.
- Cursed by Khorne to hear the voices of everyone they killed after the Umidia massacre.
- Homeworld Rhoghon was destroyed when the Brakatoa System fell to a daemonic onslaught; they resettled on Drogsh, the third world of the system.
- Colour scheme is dark red with gold trim.
- Led by Kranon the Relentless, dedicated to Chaos Undivided.
- Codex Supplement: Crimson Slaughter was released in March 2014 for 6th Edition.
FAQ
Who leads the Crimson Slaughter?
Kranon the Relentless, formerly Chapter Master Sevastus Kranon of the Crimson Sabres. He led his followers into the Eye of Terror after the curse took hold.
Why are they called the Crimson Slaughter?
They renamed themselves after falling to Chaos. The name reflects the bloodshed they now need to temporarily silence the voices of their victims.
What happened at Umidia?
The Crimson Sabres purged the entire population, claiming they were Chaos-worshipping Balethu Cults. The Ordo Hereticus found no evidence of that and called it an act of butchery.