Lorgath Maclir
Lorgath Maclir is the current Ward-Master of the Storm Wardens, bearing the additional titles of Imperial Commander of Sacris, Lord Protector of the Northern Halo Marches, and Marshal Designate Imperialis of the Ninth Convocation. He is known for being a studious studier of the Tactica Imperialis, which, some claim, he has entirely memorised. If this is true, it would indeed be an impressive accomplishment, even among the Adeptus Astartes. Lorgath is an impressive strategist who is perpetually challenging his Captains with tactical exercises.[1a][2a][2b]
Lorgath was initiated into the Storm Wardens in 229.M41. He began his ascent in the Chapter immediately. Driven to bettering himself in all things, even more so than a Chapter already noted for doing such, he committed the Codex to memory. He did not just memorise its contents, however, for he tested himself to assure that he comprehended fully each lesson and principle. Having been judged worthy of commanding a Company later in his life, he turned the honour down, stating that his mastery of the Codex was not yet complete. Over the next decade he was offered a captaincy three more times, finally accepting command of the Seventh Company, followed by the Third, and finally the First.[2a][2b]
He assumed command of the Chapter in 629.M41, his promotion validated by all twenty-two Dreadnoughts that the Techmarines were able to awaken.[2a] He is regarded as the greatest Ward-Master in extant history.[2b]
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Kraazgrug's Folly
While still a Captain, Lorgath was given command of several companies of the Storm Wardens, supported by a handful of veterans and numerous armoured vehicles, to rid Keffik's World of Ork Waaagh! Kraazgrug. Responding to an astropathic distress signal, the Storm Wardens made planetfall and Lorgath commenced with organising the formations and strategies of his force. The Orks attacking Keffik's World were under command of the nefarious Warboss Kraazgrug, who had, along with a warband to boot, been ravaging a number of settlements throughout the Scarus Sector and threatened to cut the food supply for an entire subdivision of the sector.[1b]
Lorgath's plan of action was engage Kraazgrug's Trukks and Warbuggies in open battle upon the grassy plains of the planet's northern continent. Kraazgrug, however, did not wish to conform to Lorgath's plan. Under cover of a monumental dust storm, Kraazgrug's Ork Vehicles outflanked the Storm Wardens formations. With his battle plan dashed, Lorgath Maclir was forced to reform it quickly lest the Orks were to descend on the Storm Wardens' unguarded flanks. The result of his quick thinking - Lorgath launched a diversionary force of Scout Bikers, Land Speeder Typhoons and Stormravens directly at the oncoming enemy while he had the rest of his men redeploy to the top of a nearby box canyon. When they had moved into position, the diversionary force feigned retreat, and the Orks took the bait. Lulled into Lorgath's trap, the Orks followed the bait into the box canyon where they were met by an unwavering hail of heavy weapons fire. Kraazgrug and every Ork in his army were slain by the Storm Wardens, not one survived.[1b]
The Cleansing of Vigil
We are the storm! We are the fury!
Not much is known about Lorgath's presence at The Cleansing of Vigil. Doubtless, he was pivotal to the upkeeping of the Storm Wardens' morale as they took heavy casualties battling the Xeno Slaugth and their warrior constructs deep beneath Vigil's surface in small, lightless tunnels. After the battle, the few Veterans who survived had learned to play closer heed to the teachings of the Codex Astartes. Lorgath Maclir noticed this, and had many of them promoted to his Honour Guard.[1b]
Operation Hammerfall
Planning of Operation Hammerfall began in mid-773.M41 when Lorgath was summoned before the High Lords of Terra. The High Lords requested that he support the newly appointed High Lord Militant of the Eastern Marches, Achilus. Lorgath already knew the man, having served alongside him during the Scouring of Low Boria when they were fighting the Khrave. He committed his Chapter to the upcoming crusade immediately.[2c]
While Achilus and Lorgath were beginning the planning of the Achilus Crusade, messengers were sent to other Space Marine Chapters. In many cases, Lorgath sent his own battle-brothers to petition the other Chapter Masters. Ultimately nearly one hundred Chapters were approached and, within a year, several dozen had committed available forces. A command council was formed, at which time Lorgath was appointed the figurehead and nominal leader of all Space Marines forces for the opening battles.[2c]
Ten days before the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension in 777.M41, Achilus gave the final order and the crusade officially started. The first warriors through the Warp gate were Space Marines under the command of Lorgath. They surged forward well ahead of the Crusade, smashing aside any resistance from the Tau. It was hoped that the occupied human worlds would celebrate their arrival and that these worlds would be used as staging points. Shockingly, these worlds rejected the Imperium and cut all communication. The forces of Operation Hammerfall were forced to divert around these worlds, straining the lines of communication. Despite these setbacks, Operation Hammerfall achieved many glorious victories, such as the defeat of twenty Tau battle cadres at Spite, the destruction of an Air Caste picket fleet during the Battle of Kaggeran, and the annihilation of several hundred thousand of the Tau worker caste at Wrath. Lorgath won the greatest battle honour when he held the line at Epiphany Rock against the Tau, ultimately tearing apart their heavy battlesuits in a teleport assault.[2d][2e]
The greatest battle happened at the Death World of Ravacene. The Tau threw every asset into a last ditch effort to repel the Space Marine advance. The First Battle of Ravacene raged for three weeks, where it was said that Lorgath was everywhere, bolstering the defence, leading bold counter-attacks, and taking the fight directly to the enemy without rest or respite. It was said that Lorgath had a dream later of the Tau capital of the region, Tsua'Malor.[2d] He knew then that they were mere light years from the Crusade's objective. He had planned for decades of war, but the effort had only taken months thus far. He ordered all available forces to mass at Ravacene and smash the Tau aside so that they could strike at Tsua'Malor without delay. Achilus gave his assent.[2e]
This success did not last. All across the Jericho Reach, the worlds that refused to help the Crusade suddenly rose up and engaged the Crusade's forces, which had been overstretched and exposed by the worlds' noncompliance. It was discovered that the hand of Chaos was involved in having the populace rise up at the Crusade's most important moment. No reinforcements would ever arrive at Ravacene, for all were destroyed. Lorgath knew then that the Crusade had been conducted incorrectly and that it would likely never be finished even within his lifetime. Indeed, it was not completed within Achilus' lifetime, as he died aboard his flagship, the Proclamation of Wrath, when its Gellar field collapsed in 786.M41. By this time, Lorgath and Achilus were no longer friends, both having become embittered by the Crusade's descent into a war of attrition.[2e]
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