40K Lore: Black Templars – Fury & Zeal
Loremasters, today we delve into the history of the never-ending crusaders of Dorn – The Black Templars!
The Black Templars are a Second Founding chapter derived from the Imperial Fists. Since its founding, the Black Templars have campaigned on a never-ending crusade.
A Second Founding Chapter
During Horus‘s attack on the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Fists‘ primarch, Rogal Dorn chose his First Captain, Sigismund, as the Emperor’s Champion, and he was given the best armour and weapons. Sigismund went forward to challenge the traitorous leaders in single combat, and triumphed over all he met in battle.
Sigismund, Imperial Fist Colors
After the Horus Heresy, Roboute Guilliman, the primarch of the Ultramarines, ordered the breakdown of the Space Marine Legions into chapters. Dorn thought Guilliman a coward for not being there during the defence of Terra. Guilliman, in turn, thought Dorn a rebel for refusing to accept the dictates of the new Codex Astartes. Neither would give in. Leman Russ of the Space Wolves and Vulkan of the Salamandersboth sided with Dorn, as they did not want their Legions divided, while Corax of the Raven Guard and Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars sided with Guilliman. Again, civil war threatened to split the Imperium.
The Imperial Fists were persecuted for their so-called heresies and even fired upon by the Imperial Navy. When civil war seemed all but inevitable, Dorn finally relented and agreed to split his legion. The first Successor Chapters created from the Imperial Fists were the Crimson Fists and the Black Templars.
Sigismund led the more zealous of the Imperial Fists with him to the founding of the Black Templars, and became their first High Marshal. Sigismund swore an oath that upon leaving Terra, that he and his new chapter would prove their loyalty by never resting in his duties against enemies of the Emperor. Sigismund spent much of this time remaining vigilant over the Cadian Gate, insisting that Horus‘ Traitors would one day return to plague the Imperium. Despite the dismissals of many Imperial officials, Sigismund was proven right when Abaddon returned in the First Black Crusade. The Black Templar fleet was waiting, and a massive battle erupted that saw Sigismund slain by Abaddon himself.
Since his death, every High Marshal has renewed Sigismund’s oath of never-ending crusade and as such, the Black Templars’ Crusade has continued for over ten thousand years, and is thus the longest Space Marine Crusade ever begun. Because of this unending crusade, the Black Templars have no permanent homeworld and instead live on their Crusade Fleets, using the planets they conquer to establish Chapter Keeps which are used for recruitment and staging areas.
Crusade Fleets
Unlike most other chapters, the Black Templars do not have a homeworld. Eschewing the idea of one, they opt to live aboard their crusade fleets. These vary in size and are made up of dozens of Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers and other craft such as training vessels and huge forge ships. Given this fleet-based nature, the Black Templars are rarely assembled as a Chapter, but are instead divided into many Crusades, every Crusade being responsible for its own recruiting as well as training of new Neophytes.
The High Marshal himself has his own personal Battle Barge, the Eternal Crusader, a huge vessel that is the spiritual home of the entire Chapter and contains its most sacred relics, chapels, and reliquaries. It has been expanded and refitted many times and can currently hold twice as many Space Marines as a normal battle barge.
This flexible, mobile nature allows the Templars to continue the first mission of the Black Templars: to actively seek out the enemies of the Emperor and destroy them before moving onwards to find the next foe.
Learn more about the Black Templars, the Eternal Crusaders at the Lexicanum
