Passage of the Angels

Space Marines Portal Dark Angels

The Passage of the Angels^[1], also known as The Passage of the Angel of Death and the Crusade of Vengeance, was a 012.M31 to 013.M31 Horus Heresy campaign, that was waged by the Dark Angels' Primarch Lion El'Jonson.^[2]

History

After they took part in destroying Davin and ending the Ruinstorm, the Dark Angels' were freed from the isolation caused by the giant Warp Storm. A wrathful Lion El'Jonson, then led the Dark Angels in wreaking havoc across the southern Imperium in a campaign of revenge and extermination. It is designed to both punish the traitorous forces of Warmaster Horus and destroy their military assets in the region. By doing so, El'Jonson seeks to prevent the Warmaster from creating a "second front" unified against Terra. The Primarch orders the usage of the Dark Angels' Old Night weaponry and this results in a trail of blackened, scorched worlds that were loyal to Horus, to be left in their wake. Among those worlds that were destroyed by the Dark Angels, during the campaign were the Traitor Legion Homeworlds of the Emperor's Children, the Death Guard^[2] and Nuceria, the adoptive world of the Primarch Angron.^[3]

This systematic annihilation of resource rich worlds, deprived Horus of precious materials he needed in order to maintain a lengthy siege of Terra. This ultimately forced the Warmaster to hasten his planned invasion of the Sol System. Other Imperial forces also took part in the Dark Angels' campaign as well. Some Imperials, however, had no choice but to fight beside the Dark Angels or else they would earn El'Jonson's wrath, for showing what he perceived as disloyalty to the Emperor and the Imperium. The Primarch was so intent on his vengeance, though, that El'Jonson would refuse to allow the Dark Angels to directly aid or take part in any Imperial battles, that would deviate from his main objectives. The devastation that was left in El'Jonson's wake, as his forces quickly moved on to their next target, also aided the Night Lords in creating numerous Carrion Realms across the southern realm of the Galaxy.^[2]

The Lion eventually made for Deliverance, linking up with the Raven Guard and Space Wolves as well as their respective Primarchs Corvus Corax and Leman Russ. The Lion is quick to question the Raven Lord's absence from major fronts of the war, but is ire is put to rest by Russ, who points at the survival of his own legion as evidence of their worth. Russ declares he will join The Lion's Crusade of Vengeance, including warriors equipped with new Mark VI Power Armour produced on Kiavahr. Corax however is cautious to commit his bloodied Legion to what he sees as a needlessly spiteful waste, and only assigns a small expeditionary force of his Raven Guard to The Lion's forces. Even in this role, Corax's forces will be used to eliminate key enemy targets ahead of the main Dark Angels fleet in order to spare entire worlds from annihilation.^[2]

Known Battles

• Death of Chemos^[2]
• Liberation of Saronican^[2]
• Fall of Luth Tyre^[2]
• Thassos Incident^[2]
• Wolf King's Fury^[2]
• Thassos Incident
• Ydursk Incident^[2]
• Dawn of Desolation^[2]
• Ghosts of Zhao-Arkhad^[2]
• Siege of Barbarus^[2]
• Destruction of Nuceria^[3]
• Siege of Cthonia^[4]

Related Incidents

• Siege of Inwit^[2]
• Burning of Vrexor^[2]

Known Forces

• Dark Angels - Led by Lion El'Jonson^[2]
• Space Wolves - Led by Leman Russ^[2]
• Raven Guard - Small Expeditionary force^[2]
• Ultramarines - Expeditionary force^[2]
• Imperial Fists - Small force^[2]
• Shattered Legions - Small elements^[2]
• Legio Atarus^[2]
• House Orhlacc^[2]
• Calth High Guard Solar Auxilia - Part of the Ultramarines' Expeditionary force^[2]

Sources

• 1: Horus Heresy Website: Explore the Galaxy - The Passage of the Angels (Posted on 02/06/22) (Last accessed on 2 June 22)
• 2: White Dwarf 478, pgs. 102-109 - Horus Heresy: The Passage of the Angel of Death
• 3: Saturnine (Novel) - Epilogue
• 4: Cthonia's Reckoning (Anthology) - Postulant (Short Story)