Battle of Gathalamor
It was upon Gathalamor Prime, before the ruins of the Sanctic Citadel, that Custodian Erasmian Alhoris Cassabar Lychansis slew a trio of traitor champions single-handed. Though bloodied by the fight near-unto death, Lychansis battled on for six more hours and felled dozens of the heretic foe. At battle’s end, when the threat was passed and his wounds bound, Lychansis' comrades agreed that he had earned great honour through his deeds. So did he become a Vexilus Praetor, who would bear his shield company's honour onto the field of war.
- Extract, the Battle for Gathalamor[1c]
The Battle of Gathalamor occurred during the Indomitus Crusade after the creation of the Great Rift.[1a]
The battle began when the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines assailed the holy Imperial world of Gathalamor Prime. Their Dark Apostles summoned Daemons, and the fight turned viciously against the Imperial defenders, which included the Mordian 84th Regiment and Order of the Argent Shroud. These brave souls dug in to stage their last stand in the ruins of Gathalamor's macro-cathedral. As the hordes of traitors mobilized for the final attack, the Indomitus Crusade arrived in the form of a combined force of Adeptus Custodes and Grey Knights under the leadership of Captain-General Trajann Valoris and Grand Master Voldus. The new reinforcements shattered the traitor army into battling warbands.[1a]
Inspired by the arrival of these demigods, the Mordians and Sisters of Battle advanced, prayer songs rising from their ranks. The Word Bearers and their Daemonic allies launched a savage counter-attack, but, after three days of vicious fighting, the traitors were broken in the Battle for the Statue Steps. With fresh Imperial reinforcements arriving, the Custodes departed for Terra while the Grey Knights began the grim purge of those they had rescued in the macro-cathedral, for they knew too much of Chaos.[1a]
Also in this battle, the Adeptus Custodes with support of some Astra Militarum forces fought the Black Legion Legionnaries in the frozen northern reaches of the planet of Gathalamor Prime.[1b]
