Fall of Vilamus
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The Fall of Vilamus was a major Chaos Space Marine raid in M41. It targeted Vilamus, the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant Space Marine Chapter.
History
In the last few years of M41, Huron Blackheart of the Red Corsairs set out to steal large amounts of gene-seed. For unknown reasons, Vilamus became the target of Blackheart's next assault. The monastery itself was protected by its garrison, naturally, power shields to prevent teleportation inside the facility, and anti-air lasers to destroy invading vessels from orbit. Blackheart set in motion a plan to neutralize these defenses.[1]
Over the course or two years, the Red Corsairs performed increasingly daring raids on shipping in the sector, drawing more and more Marines Errant out on patrol and counter-piracy missions. Soon enough, this left the garrison of the fortress down to only 120 Marines and a large number of chapter serfs.[Needs Citation]
Huron decided to strike a deal with several Marines of the Night Lords Legion[1] of The Exalted[2], they being infamous for their ambushes, sneak attacks, and drop tactics. These Chaos Space Marines formed the vanguard of the raid. They were dropped onto the world during a cosmic storm to mask their approach, and infiltrated the defences of Vilamus via poorly defended ventilation shafts.[1] Once inside the fortress-monastery, they disabled the generatorum, shutting down power to the teleportation field and the defence lasers.[Needs Citation]
With the lasers deactivated and teleportation field removed, Huron's ships, consisting of cruisers and strike craft were able to enter low orbit. From there, Huron's Terminators were able to teleport directly into Vilamus, wreaking untold havoc. Their main target was the power relays that still pumped energy into the defence bastions. These were still a problem to the invaders, as they remained on a separate grid, seeing as the lasers were intended to defend against ground assaults. Once the power was cut, the Chaos Terminators diverted their assault to the Chapter's apothecarion, where the Marines' Errant gene-seed vault was located.[1]
With Vilamus' automated defenses deprived of power, and the small Marine garrison fighting off the enemy Terminators, Blackheart himself struck the coup-de-grace. He led an attack on the main chapel, which held many of the Chapter's most prized artifacts. The Marines Errant were torn between defended the gene-seed, which was essential to their survival, or the relics. Thus, they were divided, and subsequently slaughtered. Blackheart escaped with nearly all the Chapter's gene-seed, dooming the Marines Errant to a slow demise.[1]
Sources
- 1: Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition Rulebook, p.146
- 2: Blood Reaver (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden,[Needs Citation]