Emperor's Swords Chapter Colour Scheme
The Emperor's Swords is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown origin and Founding. The Chapter was decimated by the forces of the Alpha Legion after 300 standard years of infiltration and subversion. Another Chapter named the Emperor's Swords, which may or may not be the same group of Astartes, was wiped out in 970.M41, when a massive force of Necrons that had just awakened deep beneath their Chapter homeworld of Bellicas assaulted their fortress-monastery and slaughtered every last Emperor's Swords Space Marine over the course of a three-week-long siege.
Chapter History
The Emperor's Swords were decimated by the machinations of the Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marines. For over a dozen generations the Alpha Legion manipulated the slums, gangs, and sects of the Emperor's Swords' homeworld of Ghorstangrad, a heavily populated Imperial Hive World. The Alpha Legion's operatives placed subconscious triggers in the rituals used by the gangs and sects who inhabited the Underhives of the planet's various hive cities. It was from these gangs and sects that the Emperor's Swords recruited new Space Marines for their Chapter.
Notable Campaigns
- Decimation of the Emperor's Swords (Unknown Date.M41) - When the Alpha Legion finally launched its assault on Ghorstangrad, it was able to use the subconscious triggers it had placed within the Emperor's Swords recruits to disorient and confuse a good number of the Emperor's Swords. These Swords even turned on their fellow Astartes. In the ensuing chaos, the Emperor's Swords ceased to be a functional Chapter. Some of the survivors turned Renegade and joined the Alpha Legion. Those that died at the Traitors' hands had their gene-seed harvested for use by the Alpha Legion in creating new Chaos Space Marines. As for Ghorstangrad, it fell to the control of Chaos and was renamed Bellicas by the Alpha Legion.
- Defence of Galthamor (925.M41) - Skullkrumpa -- the infamous Red Scourge of Galthamor -- was an ambitious and foul-tempered Evil Sunz Ork Warboss and one-time favoured minion of the great Warlord Grax himself. In 925.M41, Skullkrumpa's Speed Freeks laid waste to the Hive World of Galthamor. The Emperor's Swords defended the besieged Imperial world, but Skullkrumpa managed to personally slay the Emperor's Swords' Chapter Master Kendral during the assault on Fireheart Hive, the planet's primary population centre. Following the death of their Chapter Master, the enraged Emperor's Swords managed to drive off Skullkrumpa's forces.
- The Hall of Swords (970.M41) - The Emperor's Swords Chapter, the second to bear the name, was destroyed when a Tomb World awakened beneath its fortress-monastery on the world of Bellicas. Those forces isolated outside were swiftly overwhelmed, but the fate of those within was far grimmer. Necron Crypteks shut down the defences and entombed the Space Marines within their own citadel. Waves of Necron Warriors marched through the shadowed halls, each with the aim of accruing more kills than his peers. Though the Space Marines fought with determination and never once surrendered to terror, after three weeks the contest went to Necron Lord Trakesz following his personal decapitation of Captain Arnoc Voreign. Two decades later, in 990.M41, the Fire Lords Chapter descended upon the blighted world of Bellicas, exterminating the Necron menace and avenging the destruction of the Emperor's Swords.
Notable Emperor's Swords
- Chapter Master Kendral - Kendral was Chapter Master of the Emperor's Swords in 925.M41. Kendral died at the hand of the infamous Ork Skullkrumpa while defending the world of Galthamor. Though he died, the remainder of his force was so enraged by his death that the Space Marines drove off the Ork forces.
- Captain Arnoc Voreign - Arnoc Voreign was a Captain of the Emperor's Swords Chapter, who in in 970.M41 helped to lead the stubborn defence against the encroachment of a massive Necron invasion force, when the Astartes discovered to their shock that their homeworld Bellicas was actually a Tomb World and that the Necrons had awoken beneath their own fortress-monastery! Despite their best efforts, their fortress' defences were overcome and the Astartes found themselves trapped within their own citadel. Despite their hopeless situation, Captain Voreign continued to valiantly fight against wave after wave of Necron Warriors. Though they fought with determination and never once gave in to their dire circumstances, three solar weeks later the Necrons emerged triumphant from the fortress-monastery after having completely wiped out the Emperor's Swords. Their Necron Lord had also personally decapitated Captain Voreign.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Emperor's Swords primarily wore metallic silver Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard, as well as the shoulder plates, were red. The black squad specialty symbol -- Tactical, Assault, Devastator or Veteran -- was located on the right shoulder plate. A white Roman numeral was centred on the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad number. The colour of the helmet stripe was used to denote company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc.
Chapter Badge
The Emperor's Swords' Chapter badge was a large white skull pierced through by two intersecting ebon swords on a field of red.
Canon Conflict
There is some ambiguity in exisiting canon in regards to the existence of the Emperor's Swords Chapter. Apparently there are two Space Marine Chapters named the Emperor's Swords who were connected to a world called Bellicas. One Chapter that bore the name was destroyed when the automatons of a Necron Tomb World stirred to life beneath their fortress-monastery on their Chapter world of Bellicas in 970.M41. The other was decimated by the insidious Alpha Legion on their homeworld of Ghorstangrad, after 300 years of subverting their Initiates. The world then fell to Chaos and was renamed Bellicas.
Sources
- Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet), pg. 40
- Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 21
- Codex: Necrons (5th Edition), pg. 27
- Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 30, 49
- White Dwarf 390 (US), "The Battle for Cardrim," pg. 30