The chapter of the Emerald Warriors was born during the twenty fifth foundation, chapter 934 of the Adeptus Astartes. They were entrusted with a little forested planet called Lusitania Secundus, located half way between the imperial Cadia and the devastated El'Phanor. The Imperium had recently discovered that the giant spiders of Lusitania Secundus secreted a powerful poison that could be used in the needle rifles. Lusitania Secundus trees were more than 300 feet high, the biggest spiders were 2 yards long and weighed about 1000 pounds. Installing a Space marine chapter on this world would guarantee its security and continuous supplies.

       Terra chosed Arthobald Trist as Master of the chapter. Arthobald had shown great fighting and leadership skills in many wars as a commander in the Black Templars chapter. So began the building of the Emerald fortress on Lusitania Secundus, which would last for decades and be remembered in the songs as the unfinished fortress. The inhabitants of the planet were all excellent hunters and experts in camouflage, in spite of (or maybe because of) their low technology level. Most of the suspended towns accepted the authority of the King Len Hoyt, recognising his wisdom and trusting him for all off-planet negotiations. Soon, Arthobald visited him to recruit the finest hunters of the world for the Emerald Warriors. The history of the chapter was sealed when Arthobald saw Hoyt's daughter, Maejima and fell in love with her. How this rude warrior who had lead his company on dozens of worlds for the glory of the Emperor, had faced all kinds of death and seen countless horrors suddenly fell in love is still a mystery, but love was mutual and the wedding was celebrated some months later, sealing the bond between the chapter and the planet. More and more hunters were coming to join the Space marines and the chapter was soon ready to serve the Imperium. The first campaigns began and Arthobald was often far from Lusitania Secundus and Maejima, slowly adding to the chapter's list of victories. Nevertheless, Maejima soon gave birth to a little girl, called Laurelyn, whose name would soon be feared among chaos forces.

       The day came when Laurelyn was 17 and her beauty and intelligence were such that everyone on the planet was proud and thought she would be the best suzerain ever. But a black crusade was progressing deep in the Imperium, the greatest threat for decades, and the Emerald Warriors were called to help. Nearly all the chapter was ordered to embark in its giant ships to fight chaos, leaving Lusitania Secundus with the slightest protection of some troops in the incomplete fortress. Less than 20 years after its birth, the chapter was about to be nearly destroyed. Mere weeks after forces had left the planet, some battle-cruisers appeared in the sky of Lusitania Secundus and immediatly began a massive orbital bombing. Soon, the forests were in flames and the sun hidden by smoke and ash. Then, invaders were dropped around the Emerald Warriors' fortress. The marines left to defend the fortress understood immediatly that all hope was lost when they saw that it was berserkers that were attacking them. They resisted tenaciously until their last breath but finally the fortress was taken. During the invasion, unfortunately, Gorthaur, the lord commanding the band, fell on Maejima and Laurelyn. Maejima succeeded in causing him to burst into flames, but his terminator armor was far too powerful and Gorthaur struck her with his daemon sword and killed her. Then, seeing the beauty and the rage in the eyes of Laurelyn, he decided to take her for himself. When he thought Khorne was satisfied, he gathered his berserkers and retreated to the Eye of Terror, leaving only an ash world behind him.

       The Emerald warriors arrived only hours after they were gone, responding to the desperate calls launched in the warp by the astropaths during the invasion. Arthobald cried in pain when he found the ripped open body of his beloved Maejima, but when he was told Laurelyn had been kidnapped, he became absolutely crazy. Speaking to all the ships of the chapter, he exhorted all the marines to follow him in the Eye of Terror to avenge Lusitania Secundus and rescue his daughter. Of course, every brother, listening to him, became consumed with hate and bloodlust. Forgetting everything but their burning hate and pain, Arthobald and the Emerald Warriors dived into the Eye of Terror, tracking the Gorthaur berserkers' ships. A number of ships were lost during the hunt and many marines were killed or became insane. Not much is known about what happened during this terrible trip. The few who came back sane never wanted to talk about it. Anyway, the Emerald Warriors finally arrived in sight of Gorthaur's palace and scanned it. The huge fortress was well protected but the scanners showed an enormous hall deep underground. Arthobald decided that all but the first company of marines would assault the front doors of the ramparts to divert the berserkers attention. So it was done. The companies made brilliant moves, hit and run attacks, attracting the bloodthirsty berserkers out of their walls to hammer them with heavy weapons. Meanwhile, the whole first company teleported into the big hall. As Arthobald had thought, here were the headquarters of Gorthaur. The Chaos Lord was there, surrounded by his terminator guard and number of hideous demons. Laurelyn was there too, tied on a bloody altar. Every marine of the first company became a hero that day, a great number of them gave their lives in a desperate attempt to free their beloved Laurelyn. As everybody knows, the name of each of these fallen brothers is now carved on a memorial on Terra and lot of people come to celebrate them as they died for love and loyalty. Arthobald's name is not on the memorial because he betrayed the Emperor in taking the chapter for his own purpose. But here is the end of the story. Finally, Arthobald was successful in reaching Gorthaur. Their fight was terrible, fields throwing lightning around them, their Terminator armors saving them many times. Finally, Arthobald struck Gorthaur a deadly blow with his Thunder Hammer. Taken by the fear that he might die, Gorthaur came to the altar and beheaded Laurelyn with his claw and then brandished the head before the master of the Emerald warriors. Arthobald was stunned for a moment, just long enough for an enormous Bloodthirster to strike him and mortally wound him. It was too much for the brave marines. The first company teleported back on their ships and gathering the rest of the chapter, began their return to the Imperium.

       Furlan Cerdeiki, Arthobald's second was called to Terra to explain this disaster. Finally, after many disputes, the chapter was forgiven but renamed 'The Laurelyn Avengers'. Patiently rebuilt, the chapter is now famous for its terrible and endless hate of chaos and particularly of berserkers, that they hunt everywhere across the Imperium. The chapter kept its green colors with the black spider as its insignia but the commanders armors are now black and the Eye of Terror is drawn on their shoulder pad, filling every marine with hate when the time comes to fight Chaos.

       The end     v1.3