[SteveBerenyi]

Vital Crusaders

The vital crusaders are a successor chapter (however unlikely) of the Blood Angels Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

Their origins are shrouded in the depts. Of the Horus Heresy and while not recognized by the High Lords of Terra until relatively recently, they have been growing since just after the attack on Terra by Horus and his Sons of Horus.
Their First creation happened by accident not by approved means of the administratum. When Abbadon (later Abbadon the Dispoiler) fled from terra, his fleet stopped on a planet called ???????? and when the locals approached Abbadon attacked in a storm of gore and death. The people’s Chieftain was grievously wounded by the Talon of Horus and was later found by the Tribe’s Shaman. The chieftain was dieing slowly from a poisoning of the blood. He raved in his sleep and called out that for blood to drink. It was later when more of these strange men arrived to do battle with the first group that the shaman found his awnser. He sensed within some of the new warriors something akin to the poison that had wasted their Chieftain almost to nothing.
After the battle, the Shaman went to the battlefield and found a sole remaining dying soldier whose wounds had far exceeded any that the Shaman had before seen any man survive. He had the tribe carry this man to the Chieftain and performed a blood ritual that transferred a small piece from the dying warrior to the tribe’s chieftain.
It took about 2 days for the shaman to notice any difference, but after that it became clear that the Chieftain would survive. In fact, the chieftain grew almost two feet taller in the week that followed and gained muscle mass that otherwise would be impossible to attain. His metabolism increased and he was able to perform acts of strength that he never could before. People came from all around the land to see him and join him. The warriors that he deemed fit he had the Shaman perform the blood ritual that he had had done to him and gave to them a small portion of his blood. Their subsequent increase in prowess was nothing in comparison to the Chieftan’s, but their bloodlust and battle fervor was increased a hundredfold. However, they were subject to terrible nightmares that would leave them howling the name HORUS in the night and some would go mad and drink the blood of their companions. These unfortunates were killed with a swiftness that would put even the most devout Ordo Hereticus to shame. And it was widely rumored that the chieftain was Immortal because of his encounter with the off-worlders as his lifespan seemed to just keep on extending while he never seemed to age.
About a hundred years later, the Blood Angels arrived and saw what was happening and began to search the planet for the cause. After hearing the stories, they called on the now King of the Planet who had been ruling for well over 4 decades. Upon seeing him he knew them and they he, for he was clad in a Suit of advanced armor that seemed to be very much akin to their own. The Commander of the detachment of Blood Angels demanded he surrender the armor and he declined claiming it was his by right of blood. He challenged the Commander and bested him in a hard fought bare fisted fight. The Blood Angels knew some of what had happened, and lacking the ability to speak with the Shaman instead asked to speak with the king alone. Nobody knows what was said but later that day the army of the Imperium of man left.
It took the Blood Angels some 200 years to aquire the High Lords’ permission to actually start the Vital Crusaders chapter, but the chapter had had an almost 400 year head start by then. Their numbers were quickly increased as the King who was now promoted to the position of Chapter Master, or the title that the chapter’s master now holds: Diademed Battle Lord; had the geneseed implanted in all of those who survived that had partaken of his blood.

And so the Vital Crusaders were born.

Colors: Purple/Black/Silver