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For his first command as Reclusiarch, [[High Marshal (Black Templars)|High Marshal]] [[Helbrecht]] charged Grimaldus to lead one of the three Black Templars Crusades that had been dispatched to [[Armageddon]], specifically the [[Helsreach Crusade]].{{Fn|3c}}{{Fn|3d}} Grimaldus led a hundred Black Templars in the defence of [[Hive Helsreach]]. They were besieged by millions of [[Ork]]s, who attacked from land-side but also from a vast fleet of submersibles launched from the icy [[Deadlands]] far to the south.{{Fn|3d}}{{Fn|3f}} Towards the end of the siege, a great horde of Orks attacked the [[Temple of the Emperor Ascendant]], a vast basilica that had stood since the earliest days of colonisation, and was held at bay for nearly two months before they finally penetrated the temple precincts, looting and destroying priceless holy relics as they went. The [[Imperial Guard]] units and the hive militia fled, but the Black Templars refused to yield. The battle degenerated into bloody melee combat in the heart of the temple, where Grimaldus bellowed his now famous cry: ''"I have dug my grave in this place and I will either triumph or I will die."'' The battle only ended when the entire Temple collapsed. All were thought lost, but a day later, Grimaldus crawled out from underneath the ruins, carrying the last relics of the Temple. [[Apothecary|Apothecaries]] who later treated Grimaldus' wounds claimed that it was a miracle that he still lived, let alone had the strength to crawl from the rubble of the destroyed Temple.{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|3i}}
Upon commencement of the [[Season of Fire]], Grimaldus was given the title "Hero of Helsreach", the greatest honour its inhabitants could grant.{{Fn|3i}} Grimaldus's next assignment was to have been to return to the ''Eternal Crusader'' and stand with High Marshal Helbrecht and [[Commissar]] [[Sebastian Yarrick|Yarrick]] in their pursuit of Ghazghkull, who by this point had left the Armageddon Warzone.{{Fn|4b}} However, Grimaldus had uncovered evidence that [[Inquisition|a hidden enemy]] was attempting to systematically eliminate one of their brother Chapters, the [[Celestial Lions]].{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}} Helbrecht gave Grimaldus leave to remain on Armageddon to investigate these troubling findings.{{Fn|4b}} Grimaldus travelled to the Lions' forward base near [[Hive Volcanus]], where he met with only 96 surviving Space Marines out of the 983 that arrived on Armageddon.{{Fn|4c}} After speaking with the highest-ranking surviving Celestial Lion, [[Space Marine Sergeant|Pride Leader]] [[Ekene Dubaku]], he learned of the Lions' plight - they had challenged the [[Inquisition]] over the conduct of [[Inquisitor]] [[Apollyon (Inquisitor)|Apollyon]] during the [[Khattar Massacre]] and the Inquisition had decided to make an example of the Chapter by grinding them down and letting others witness their shameful death. Dubaku and his remaining Brothers were determined to die in a final blaze of glory against the orks infesting the [[Mannheim Gap]] and avenge the deaths of those Lions that had perished in the Third War. Dubaku asked Grimaldus to perform a ceremony of last rites to bless them for the coming battle.{{Fn|4d}} Grimaldus, however, refused. He believed that the Celestial Lions could and should rebuild themselves.{{Fn|4e}} To that end, he called upon Astra Militarum forces from Helsreach and joined the Lions when they [[Second Mannheim Siege|returned to Mannheim]].{{Fn|4f}}
==Retinue==
Grimaldus elected not to reform his Command Squad following their deaths.{{Fn|4b}} In the aftermath of the siege, however, [[High Marshal (Black Templars)|High Marshal]] [[Helbrecht]] provided Grimaldus with an apprentice, [[Initiate]] [[Cyneric]], who was under consideration for elevation to the [[Chaplaincy]].{{Fn|4a}}{{Fn|4b}}
In addition, Grimaldus is occasionally accompanied by a trio of [[Cenobyte Servitor]]s, each bearing one of the surviving relics from the [[Temple of the Emperor Ascendant]] - a broken [[aquila]] statue, the remains of the founding charter of [[Hive Helsreach|Helsreach]] and an orb containing the last of the Temple's holy water.{{Fn|4f}}
==Wargear==
**{{Endn|4a}}: Chapter I
**{{Endn|4b}}: Chapter II
**{{Endn|4c}}: Chapter III
**{{Endn|4d}}: Chapter V
**{{Endn|4e}}: Chapter VI
**{{Endn|4f}}: Chapter VIII
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grimaldus, Merek}}
