Skabbian Heresy

Overview
The Skabbian Heresy was a two system-spanning civil war that consumed the Space Marine Homeworld of Storm Zealots, Thousand Blades, and Space Naga for nearly three and half Terran years. The conflict was fought in the early 42nd Millenium and resulted in more than 2 billion dead including  the destruction of Tethannis Prime and Indravari II as well and its populations purged by the Imperium after the Heresy due to the taint of Chaotic corruption. The conflict was fought between the loyalist Storm Zealots, Thousand Blades, and Space Naga against their traitor brothers. The Heresy concluded with the deaths of several traitor leaders Space Naga Chief Librarian Kapoor, Captain Devadatta of the 6th Company, and the ascension of Storm Zealot Champion Dovid Skabbian as the new Lord of Contagion, the favored Champion of Nurgle. The Heresy also cost a heavy casualties among the loyalist, among them were the deaths of Chapter Master Mordechai Captain Josaphat Bielsky of the Storm Zealots, Captain Vladislaw and Tadeuz of the Thousand Blades, Chapter Master Vikram Aditya, and Librarian Sambadji of the Space Naga. After the heresy concluded, a new formation of Chaos Space Marine Warband called the Blight Butchers is formed.

Jeras
Following death of Chapter Master Yaakov Mordechai at Drisis, his murderer and Chapter Champion Dovid Skabbian with the commendation of Chapter Master’s Honor Guard had been promoted as the new Chapter Master of the Storm Zealots. With his new found allegiance to the Dark Gods, he sought to corrupt the Chapter from within, turning the lights of the Emperor over the Ruinous Power of Chaos.

Under leadership of Chapter Master Skabbian, the value of rites, and teachings of Jerasian Ark are slowly abandoned and many Chapter Serfs are indoctrinated to form an auxiliary forces of Storm Zealots, equipped with Militarum Tempestus Armaments, as well as trained for long range and chemical warfare. This chapter serfs are also indoctrinated to be as ruthless their transhuman masters. With the recent discovery of the long lost technology of a life eater virus bomb, Chapter Master Skabbian sought to produce more of them to be used for planetary bombardment and the creation of a chemical loaded life eater grenade. His promotion and his deeds to the chapter and Jeras are received with suspicion and silent despise among the officers of the chapter from an ordinary sergeants and captains, to even the old venerable Dreadnoughts.

But his action of corrupting the chapter from within turn into failure due to the hard unshakable faith of the Storm Zealots Astartes to the Emperor of Mankind. Realizing his failure, the Chapter Master and his several Honor Guards ventured to the Plague Star in order to bring more forces to eliminate and replace his own brethren. There he challenge many Plague Lords and Heretic Champions until he gain the favor of Nurgle through subjugation of the old traitor Chaos Lord Abe Farren and his armies.

Indravari II
Meanwhile chaos erupts upon Indravari system. On the discovery of the Axaras, the psykers of Indravari II suddenly goes frenzy, causing psychic rampages across the city of Indrapurva and Jahalendu. The Space Naga Librarian conclave decided to capture and contain every rampaging psykers and recover the Axaras stone. After the containment, the Axaras slowly corrupts the mind of Chief Librarian Shekar Kapoor and half of the Librarian conclaves, turning them from the Lights of the Emperor over thirst of forbidden knowledge offered by the Lord of Change itself. The Chief Librarian then wrote a tome full of dark chantings, spells, and incantations said that it will empower the sanctioned psykers and the librarian enclave of the Space Naga so that they could channel more energy from the warp to empower the chapter. Unknown to them the warp energy empowers the Axaras and the daemon sleeps within.

Over 2 years the seed of Chaos slowly corrupts each and nearly every potent psykers within Indravari II, both humans, abhumans, and Astartes succumb to the corruption of Tzeentch. Even the 6th Company Captain Devadatta is slowly corrupted and deeply believes in the teaching sermon of the Chief Librarian itself. A civil war will soon erupted.

Wojtyla
After the Red Corsair invasion over the Hive World Wojtyla, the wounded Captain Morkas Wisniwicky is slowly corrupted by the serrated blade wielded by Chaos Champion Osgor Red Eye. He is given a vision of eternal glory over the bleeding world and with it he slowly turn into a bloodthirsty figure. After his recovery the Captain begin to show a sense of violence, hunting criminals and gangs across the underhive and slaughter them without mercy. Captain Morkas action soon reach the ears of the Chapter Master Kasimir. Under orders of the Chapter Master, Captain Morkas is restrained on the chapters prison and such action is causing a rift between the 6th Company and the rest of their brethren.

During his time in the chapter prison, Captain Morkas received another false vision of how the Emperor of Mankind betray their own Space Marines as well as the whisper promising a death of his enemies both Red Corsairs and his own Chapter Masters and a throne of Wojtyla. Soon Captain Morkas swore an oath to Khorne for vengeance against the Red Corsairs and vengeance against his own Chapter. Many of his trusted sergeants, chaplains, and battle brothers were slowly corrupted and turn against the Emperor and their Chapter.

Heresy Revealed
With the new changes done to the Storm Zealots, the captains, the reclusiarchy, and the librarian enclave started to worry about the Chapter’s future. Sensing a suspicious activity of the Chapter Master and his Honor Guard, Captain Avishai sneak through the Chapter Master’s chamber in the absence of the Chapter Master. There, he hacked one of the Chapter Master’s personal recorder probe and transmit a hacking device through his vox link channel. Captain Avishai later apprehended by the Chapter’s Honor Guard, he is tortured and sent to the penitentry cell but not before sending all the transmission records and chatters straight to the Reclusiarch Goren’s cogitator, enabling Goren to read and investigate Dovid Skabbian’s deeds.

After the 3rd Company Captain has been apprehended, Captain Tal Soros of the Honor Guard decreed a lock down upon the Chapter’s Fortress Monastery, ordering the entire 3rd Company to submit and declare their loyalty to the chapter and to Captain Soros without question. But the Reclusiarch supported by Chief Librarian Tovar denounce Captain Tal Soros and decreed through Vox Channel that the Chapter Master turn traitor. A civil war erupts within the Golean Heights. Outnumbered 1 to 9, the Honor Guard and the Chapter Auxilia manage to slay a handful of Battle Brothers and retreat back to the Inner Sanctum.

Trapped within and face with a bitter defeat, Captain Tal Soros with the aid of traitor Storm Zealot Librarian Epistolary Uzia Teitelbaum decide to sacrifice seven chapter serfs as tribute to Nurgle and to summon disgusting daemons and pox walkers to aid their escape. Grandfather Nurgle happily accept their sacrifice. And in less than an hour a massive horde of Pox walkers, Plague bearers, and Nurglings poured forth from the Inner Sanctum, slaughtering, killing and spreading deadly disease among the loyal Chapter Serfs and Storm Zealot Battle Brothers. Captain Tal Soros then proceed to the main control room where he slain any loyal chapter serfs as well as corrupting  the Fortress power plant to destroy the Fortress.

Led by the rescued Captain Avishai and Reclusiarch Goren, the Storm Zealots fought back and bit by bit the daemons were slain by bolter and chainswords. Just as they chase Tal Soros and the Honor Guards. A warp gate were summoned out of nowhere and the traitors retreat inside the gate as it vanished leaving nothing in its trace.

Accepting new orders from the Reclusiarch, the whole Storm Zealot companies and the remaining loyalist Chapter Serfs decide to evacuate the near destroyed Fortress Monastery, taking with them every arms, relics, warsuits, and vehicles back to the Batte Barge Jeras Invicta and Four Strike Cruiser. As the whole chapter leaves the fortress, Golean Heights power plant begin to overheat. Within a blink of an eye, the proud fortress monastery of the Storm Zealots were destroyed. Although now homeless, the Storm Zealots stand triumph for most of their Battle Brothers and the loyal chapter serf survived, and more importantly they stand loyal to the God Emperor of Mankind.

Rebuilt and Retaliate
Having successful in their hunts against the Tau Empire, the 2nd and 7th Company fleet returns to Jeras only to witness their Fortress Monastery destroyed. Captain Bielsky then received an incoming transmission from Captain Shoshanim, telling him  about the betrayal of the Chapter Master and chaos within the Golean Heights. To combat the massive threat that will fall to Jeras as well as to create new home for the chapter, the Storm Zealots with the aid of Squat Enclaves of Jeras and the Imperial Navy begin to construct a Space Fortress that serve as the new Headquarters of the Storm Zealots. Named after an ancient Terran Citadel, the Star fort Massada is finished within four months thanks to the technology of Adepts Mechanicus and the Squat Enclave.

Star fort Massada had a size of a large asteroid shaped like a 6 pointed Jerasian Star. It has six docking piers, which it can dock nearly 10 Imperial Navy Cruisers and three Battle Barges around its circumference. The fortress itself is essentially a small hive city in space. Nearly 30,000 Chapter Serfs that survive the destruction of Golean Heights were now relocated and lived in Starfort Massada where they could continue their service to the Chapter and go for their daily routines.

Defense of Wojtyla
While the construction of the Fortress begin, the Storm Zealots focused their mission upon the Night Lords invasion of Wojtyla where the escaped traitor Captain Morkas with the aid of Night Lords Champion Barran Flaymaster led a massacre against the population of the Hive World. The 4th, and 7th company under leadership Captain Shoshanim were sent to deal with the heresy. The Storm Zealots shoulder to shoulder with their Thousand Blade brothers and the Falcon Hussar guardsman.

Luckily Captain Bielsky manage to destroy a constructed warp gates inside the center of the Hive City before it could open a portal from the immaterium. Although Wojtyla is saved, Captain Tadeuz Sikorski were slain by Captain Morkas. The traitor captain and the 6th Company escape with the Night Lords taking with them 2 Battle Barges and 1 Strike Cruisers, operated by Night Lords Cultists and Thousand Blades 6th Company Astartes.

When the allied forces tried to gave a chase against their traitor brethren, they were stopped by Inquisitorial Forces whom branded both Chapters as renegades and forced them to cleanse their name or suffer the Emperor's justice. Through many arguments and intervention from Chaplain Shar'tac of the Salamanders, the inquisitor decide to aid the loyalist by provide them with forces of 2 squads of Grey Knight Terminators led by Inquisitor Aethelstan the Grim.

Chaos Invasion of Indravari II
On the same moment, the 2nd and 6th Company were sent to Indravari II at the request of Chapter Master Vikram Aditya himself to aid the Space Naga and the 168th Ashokan Rifles against their traitor brethren of the 6th Company and the Librarian Enclaves led by Shekar Kapoor and Captain Devadatta. The struggling battle gets hard to overcome as the Chief Librarian Shekar Kapoor sacrifice many frenzied psykers and closing every Gautam Veil station within Indravari II.

Thousands of Daemons poured from the warp gates, millions of slain Ashokan Rifles and Astartes from both sides covered the cities of Indrapurva and Jahalendu. With the death tolls of reaching millions, the Axaras were transformed into a living Lord of Change, a birdlike daemon of Tzeentch that begin to spark Chaos in its power. The war last for nearly 6 months, and the remaining loyalist forces were retreated to Agriworld Indravari I.

Battle of Zyon
Not too long after the Star Fortress Massada was finished, a distress call were sent to the Chapter. The return of Chapter Master Skabbian and his daemonic army of Nurgle spark chaos upon the Knight World Zyon. Thousands of Plague Marines followed by millions of Plague Bearers and Rot Flies laid waste upon the green prairie Knight World. Slowly turn it into a Daemon World as a a foothold for his invasion upon Jeras. The 1st and the 8th Company led by Captain David Shatrio and Chief Librarian Matisyahu were sent to Knight World Zyon to aid the Knight House Orenstein. 1st Captain David with vengeance in his heart, sworn to behead the renegade Captain Tal Soros for his action of turning half of his company against him and the Emperor.

The war sparks for nearly 6 months and once green prairie turn into a wasteland filled with rotting corpses and broken bones. Though failed to establish a foothold upon planet Zyon, Dovid Skabbian manage to acquire a long lost unholy relic unearthed beneath the vaults of Orenstein Keep. The traitor Storm Zealots decide to retreat upon a warp gate leaving the remaining daemons and Chaos Sorcerer Teitelbaum to deal with the loyalist forces. The war ends with the death of Sorcerer Teitelbaum, former Epistolary of the Storm Zealots, a talented student to Chief Librarian Matisyahu whom thirst of knowledge led him to study the dark arts of Nurgle. He is slain by his own master, beheaded with a single stroke from the Chief Librarian's Force Sword. Zyon was saved although it was reduced from a verdant prairie to a wasteland.

Pacification of Tethannis Prime
Tethannis Prime is a small agriworld located nearby Wojtyla. When war sparks on the hive world, Tethannis Prime were invaded by Khornate daemon hordes. Thousand Blades Captain Bronislaw and Storm Zealot Captain Avishai were instructed by Chapter Master Janus Kasimir to secure a relic gem rumored able to absorb the power of a Greater Daemon with ease. It was on Tethannis Prime that the combined forces face a daemonic army led by a Daemon Prince of Khorne, Om'var the Butcher. Suffering near heavy casualties, the combined forces and several scientist were evacuated.

The planet Tethannis Prime were heavily bombarded by the Thousand Blades Navy followed by an Exterminatus conducted by Inquisitorial fleet under Aethelstan the Grim of the Ordo Malleus. The power gem then secured by the Inquisitor Aethelstan, awaited to be used for the traitors and their daemonic allies in the upcoming battle.

Evil United
Following the traitors success in conquering Indravari II. The traitor Chief Librarian Kapoor begin his ritual of transforming Indravari II to a daemon world, a new staging ground for Forces of Chaos to rule over Ultima Segmentum. Once a tropical world filled with splendid cities, great waterfalls and ashrams now corrupted by the power of Chaos and the Warp. Millions of innocent civilians and psykers were trapped, rounded, and forced to abandoned their faith in the Emperor for the dark forces of immaterium. Thousands were sacrificed in many gruesome methods to Khorne, Nurgle, and Tzeentch.

Satisfied with the victory of Indravari II. Tzeentch reward the Chief Librarian with the gift of the dark tome Yammataka that allowed any sorcerer who wields it to control the minds of every daemon at his command from the cunning Pink Horrors to the Great Lord of Change. The Changer of Ways instruct the now Exalted Sorcerer Kapoor to run a 9 month ritual of Daemonhood ascension as well as to unite their 'allies' from the Storm Zealots and the Thousand Blades, providing a headquarter for them before their conquest of Eastern Fringe.

Warpstorm consume Indravari II, the traitor Storm Zealots, the Thousand Blades and a small warband of Night Lords had regroup at Indravari II. There the leaders of the the chapter discuss their plots and stratagems to slay their loyal former brethren.

Battle of Indravari III
An epic clash between the loyalist chapter and their traitor brethren occured in Indravari III at monsoon season. Both forces are fighting in heavy rains, storms, and floods. It was on this jungle world that the Power Gem is used against the Axaras, trapping the Greater Daemon upon the power gem.

It is on Indravari III that the 7th Company Captain Josaphat Bielsky were slain by the now Plague Champion Tal Soros whom later were beheaded by 1st Captain David Shatrio on Nadu Plateau. Although the planet is successfully defended, the war and flood had cause devastation upon the Indravari III. The traitor forces were driven out of Indravari III through the bravery of the combined forces of Storm Zealots, Space Naga, Thousand Blades, and the Gulf Hawks.

Skirmish at Space Hulk Angra's Triumph
The retreating traitor forces took refuge over a newly emergent Space Hulk Angra's Triumph. There the Chaos Sorcerer Kapoor and Chaos Lord Morkas set to trap the loyalist upon the Space Hulk labyrinth. A battle errupts for more than 8 Terran days in which thousands of Battle Brothers, Chaos Cultists, and Daemons were slain. It is on this Space Hulk, Chaos Lord Abe Farren were cursed into a hulking Chaos Spawn and rampaging the whole Space Hulk killing every loyalist Zealots, Thousand Blades, and Nagas alike. The rampaging Chaos Spawn were finally slain by Captain Zachariah, smashed into a pulp.

Third Jerasian War
Crippling the defenses of the Imperial Navy stationed upon Jeras as well as severely damage the Star fort Massada, Chaos Lord Skabbian made a planetfall on a planet once the Chaos Lord called his home. He bring the entire traitor forces consist of Heretic Astartes from the Storm Zealots, Thousand Blades, Space Naga, and Night Lords as well as Renegade Knights of House Mogal Using the cursed relic he gathered from Planet Zyon, Chaos Lord Skabbian summon  the Greater Daemon of Nurgle, a Great Unclean One called Ezgroth rose from the warp, consuming every corpses presented as a sacrifice to the daemon. Setting their base upon the ruins of Golean Heights, Dovid Skabbian lay siege upon the Hive City of Jeras. It took nearly 5 days for the 48th Jerasian Defenders to defend their Hive City until the Storm Zealots return to aid their chapter home-world alongside the remaining 260 Space Nagas, 80 Gulf Hawks, 520 Thousand Blades Astartes, 6 Knights from House Orenstein and 9 Knights from House Vartan.

The battle continues for nearly two weeks with the death toll  of fifteen million guardsman and more than 800 Astartes fell, the war is nearly lost. At the third week of the great war. A strange Imperial Barge approach Jeras and four Primaris Overlord plummet from the sky dropping hundreds of Primaris Astartes clad in new Mark X Tacticus Power Armor. Led by a Primaris Captain Yeguviel of the Storm Zealots and Primaris Captain Ezgodar of the Thousand Blades, the Primaris Astartes led a spearhead assault upon the Hive City.

Together, the loyalist forces charge forth to the armies of daemons and heretics. The main forces were led by Captain Avishai of the Storm Zealots while the flank forces were march towards the ruins of Golean Heights led by Captain Aditya Gupte fo the Space Naga. In the midst of battle the Inquisitor and his Grey Knights forces arrived, deep striking the enemies rear and charge forth to the Greater Daemons both Ezgroth and Om'var the Butcher. The battle ends at near dusk with the Greater Daemons banished and many heretics and daemons were slain by the loyalist. Realizing the battle is lost, the Chaos Lord retreat back to Indravari II.

It is rumored that the entire Night Lords were retreat and leave the battle following the arrival of Primaris Astartes reinforcements.

Destruction of Indravari II
Five days following the end of Third Jerasian War, Chapter Master Janus Kasimir now interred inside a Venerable Dreadnought rallied the loyalist Astartes to strike deep inside the heretic fortress at Indravari II. Now aided by at least 600 Primaris Astartes reinforcements, the Loyalist Storm Zealots, Space Naga, and Thousand Blades embark upon the final battle against the Chaos Forces that stain their chapters name. An intense battle fell upon the once beautiful Indravari II. There the loyalist encountered mass army of heretic guardsman and daemons upon their arrival.

The loyalist forces are divided into four groups, the main forces that march towards the ruins of Jalendu were led by Chapter Master Kasimir and Reclusiarch Goren. Captain Gupte, Zachariah and Rosenberg will led the mountain assault deep into the enemies temple complex. Captain Jonah Shoshanim, Corpus Chaplain Kazansky, and Captain Shivaji will led the Assault upon the Rambhuri Fortress and from that they will regroup with the Space Naga 1st Company led by Captain Chandpuri. The main forces will be protected by a vanguard forces led by Captain Sobiesky and Avishai. And the rest of battle will be fought in the void by Captain Jan Mihal Skrzetuski and Inquisitor Aethelstan himself.

On the opposing side, Lord Berzerker Morkas will led the vanguard and the Rambhuri Fortress will be defended by Chaos Lord of Skabbian and his remaining Storm Zealot traitors. The Daemon Prince Kapoor and his retinue will chant a ritual for summoning horrors of the warp at the ruins of Jalendu.

The battle were so brutal corpses from both sides litter the ground. But the unwavering faith in the Emperor of Mankind sparks a ray of light to the daemon world and slowly the loyalist win the battle. At the final battle where the traitors were pushed back, Khorne and Nurgle intervene the battle, creating a soul warp as the fallen and dying Astartes were teleport to region unknown, the wounded Skabbian and Morkas were sucked inside the soul warp and taken by their Gods. The Daemons Prince Kapoor however were left forsaken by the Chaos Gods to fight the loyalist with only by himself and a handful of his personal bodyguards. Betrayed by Chaos, he chant a destructive mantra that summons a massive earthquakes and storm upon Indravari II. Reclusiarch Goren than ordered all the loyalist forces to evacuate the planet.

As the Indravari II destroyed from within, all loyalist forces were successfully evacuate the planet. Using an old webway gate uncovered below the temple surface, the daemon prince sought to escape the doomed planet. As the daemon prince enters the webway the daemon were shot by a hot supercharged plasma fired from Captain Zachariah, with a great courage the captain charge towards the daemon and strike his head with the Duskbreaker. In a deep agony, the Daemon Prince threw the Captain inside the webway gate right unto one of a xeno pillar. Soon as Daemon Prince Kapoor stand at the webway gate, Zachariah fires a supercharged plasma at the wounded Daemon Prince, killing him. The webway portal is destroyed from the outside as the planet Indravari II crumbles, Captain Michael Zachariah is trapped within the webway gates.

Aftermath
Standing triumphant over their victory, the Three Chapters have redeemed themselves from heresy. Inquisitor Aethelstan the Grim lift the sanction that bestowed upon Storm Zealots, Space Naga, and Thousand Blades. As a token of gratitude, the Space Naga is given a new chapter headquarter at Indravari III. A military parade was conducted over Jeras and Wojtyla and slowly the planet rebuilt from the chaos that consume them. The three chapters rebuilt, new chapter masters and officers were elected and filled the ranks of the chapter's hierarchy. Within twenty Terran years: Jeras, Zyon, Wojtyla, and Indravari System were return to their former glory.

As for the fallen heretic astartes, it was told that the remaining traitors from the three chapters were formed into a single banner led by a Dread Council, each of them dedicated and favored by the Gods of Chaos. The newfound Chaos warband, the Blight Butchers will have their vengeance against their former brethren.