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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→The Great Crusade
==History==
===The Great Crusade===
A [[Terran]] native from the plains of the '''Sibran region''', Astelan was a child when his land was conquered by the [[Emperor]]'s [[Thunder Warriors]], and he retained vivid memories of the massacres he saw for the rest of his life.{{Fn|4}} Astelan claimed that his people were then among the first to fight alongside the Emperor during the [[Wars of Unification]] and that it was from them that the Emperor took the first recruits for the [[Legiones Astartes]]{{Fn|5b}}; Astelan was inducted into the [[First Legion]] — then the ''only'' legion - as one of the first ever 5,000 [[Space Marines]].{{Fn|4}} He next comes to prominence in Imperial record as a Dark Angels Legion Chapter Master, or '''Chapter Commander'''. Little is known of his previous career, though it is believed that his advancement from [[Sergeant]] to Chapter Commander took only fourteen years, and that he achieved his Chapter command before the Imperial discovery of his [[Primarch]], [[Lion El'Jonson]]. Indeed, he on occasion referred to being given his power and honours by the Emperor himself.{{Fn|1}},{{Fn|4}} However, other information about Astelan states that, as a recognised veteran, he was in fact appointed Chapter Master by Lion El'Jonson in the years following Jonson's assumption of command of the First Legion.{{Fn|3a}}
His role in the prosecution of the [[Great Crusade]] came to end in the aftermath of the compliance action carried out on the world of [[Byzanthis]]. Previous to this, his [[Expeditionary Fleet]] (something less than eighteen vessels, led by Astelan's command ship, the ''Spear of Truth'') had spent five years on exploration duties in largely uncharted areas of space, going without refit or resupply from the Legion for four of those, and indeed not even finding any habitable planets worth absorbing into the [[Imperium]] for three. {{Fn|1}}
[[Image:Astelan.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Chapter Master]] Astelan]]
===Caliban===
While it is not known for sure that Belath's actions in reporting the events of the Byzanthis campaign resulted in Astelan's reassignment, what is known is that, some fifteen years after the [[Sarosh|Saroshi campaign]] and the subsequent dismissal of [[Luther]] and a substantial portion of the Legion to Caliban to act as a training garrison, Astelan was himself reassigned there in mysterious circumstances. Reassignment to Caliban was considered a form of exile by those stationed there, and a single, veteran Terran Chapter Master being posted there from the Great Crusade was thought baffling, especially as Astelan was himself apparently at [[Sarosh]] and had avoided the initial reassignment cull. Luther however, quickly made a great show of support for Astelan and immediately assigned him command of one of the training Chapters. Astelan is noted to have been "won over" by Luther's personal charisma and the respect afforded to him. {{Fn|3a}}
