During the Great Crusade, Khrn was a Space Marine of the War Hounds Legion, event ually rising

to become Captain of the Eighth Assault Company.[2] When the War Hounds' primarch, Angron, was found, the entire Legion rejoiced, bu t their elation turned to horror when their progenitor rejected them and disavow ed any interest in joining the Emperor's forces. After forcibly teleporting the primarch aboard their Battle Barge, as the Emperor had ordered, the War Hounds w ere forced to keep him imprisoned in a cargo hold, where he killed every Marine officer who attempted to treat with him. While the rest of the battle-barge's co mmand staff hovered in indecision, Khrn - the next ranking officer - was the only one who volunteered to try next.[2] Angron attacked Khrn as soon as he entered, and came dangerously close to killing him, but Khrn kept his composure, in such contrast to the previous officers that Angron was reluctantly impressed. Khrn swore to Angron that his refusal to fight back was not cowardice, but rather the complete awe and obedience which all of the War Hounds held for their primarch. He also managed to convince Angron that, if Angron was hungry for war, then the entire Legion was at his command, and th e Crusade offered a whole galaxy worth of enemies to slaughter.[2] Khrn succeeded where the other Captains had failed, and led his primarch to the b ridge of the ship to assume command of his Legion.[2] Crusade with the World Eaters During the Crusade, Khrn served as Angron's equerry, often acting as a voice of r eason that cooled his primarch's bloody rages (a surprising contrast with the pe rson Khrn was destined to become)[Needs Citation]. Like the other World Eaters, he underwent extensive surgery, increasing his aggr ession such that he now finds joy only in killing the enemy[Needs Citation]. His love of killing is so great that he has actually had a kill counter installe d in the lens of his helmet. This kill counter was made from arcane technology a nd was a gift from the Warmaster Horus himself[6]. Shortly before the Battle of Isstvan III, Khrn had gained a reputation as a brill iant, but unstable warrior. Encountering him aboard the Vengeful Spirit, Nathani el Garro reflected that some of the rumors surrounding the World Eater involved atrocities that even the most battle-hardened Death Guards found hard to stomach .[4] The Heresy Begins During the infighting on Isstvan III, Khrn was believed killed in action while fi ghting Garviel Loken of the Luna Wolves, a loyalist determined to stop Horus. Khr n engaged in close combat with Loken, only to be thrown against the dozer blades of a nearby vehicle, impaling his chest. It was believed that the blow was fata l, but this proved false.[3] Khrn was dispatched to Prospero to find out the fate of the Thousand Sons. While there he interrogated a Thousand Son who planted the idea of self-loathing in hi m that would lead to his complete fall to the power of Khorne[9]. The Battle of Terra During the culminating siege of the Imperial Palace, Khrn was at the forefront of every assault. When the battle ended with the loyalist forces victorious, Khrn l ay dead upon a mound of corpses at the walls of the Inner Palace. His fellow Wor ld Eaters carried his corpse away with them as they fought their way back to the ir ships. Once on board they discovered that by some dark miracle, he still live d.[1a] Whether Khorne himself breathed life back into the berserker's body or wh ether the relentless clamour of battle revived his blood-lusting spirit remains

a mystery, but since the Heresy Khrn has survived the bloodiest battles to the cu rrent age and never came so close to death again[1a]. Skalathrax At the Battle of Skalathrax, between the Emperor's Children and the World Eaters , Khrn became both legendary and infamous amongst his legion. When the World Eate rs' advance stalled, even though they were close to victory, Khrn became disguste d at their weakness and flew into a berserk rage, slaughtering friend and foe al ike. Because of this, the World Eaters were completely scattered into small, ind ividual war bands, and have seldom, if ever, fought as a unified Legion since th en. Khrn's actions at Skalathrax earned him the sobriquet "The Betrayer", which h e has carried ever since.[1a] Later Actions Khrn the Betrayer wielding Gorechild[7] Since Skalathrax, Khrn has become the unstoppable and bloody avatar of Khorne.[1a ] He hunted through the Eye of Terror, slaughtering any worthy enough to be kill ed in Khorne's name. During the Thirteenth Black Crusade his wrath was unleashed upon the Imperium as Khrn, alongside a few of the most insane of Khorne Berserke rs were loosed on the Emperor's warriors flocking to the defence of Cadia.[Needs Citation]