Background and Origin: The Order of the Black Guards is a splinter from the Dark Angels chapter; they would be classed as Fallen by the Unforgiven, but their origins differ. Just prior to the Horus heresy, when the Dark Angels began to split, the Legion contained many minor societies. The Virtues was one, a small group of marines who took a particular interest in normal humans. They were sworn to help people to develop spiritually, which would help protect the developing psychic race from the predators of the warp. As part of this, they would also redeem those who had become criminals. A minimal detachment of Dark Angels was sent the planet known as Hellenica-4, an agricultural world with a small population. They had been drawn to a specific location, the Island of the Great Swan, which was being used as a dumping ground for those whose political views were unacceptable, as well as others who had been guilty of more mundane crime. The two Virtues amongst the detachment suggested that the marines use this place as a base of operations, as it was far enough from the main population of farmers to be secure, while the younger criminals could be gene-tested for recruitment into the Legion. This was agreed, and the Virtues, Brothers Sefiel and Remiel, began proselytising. Meanwhile, the rest of the marines were checking the suitability of potential recruits. During confession, one prisoner admitted to knowing the "Secret of the Island", the reason that it was used as a dumping ground. The senior marines, including Sefiel, were summoned to hear about this. The prisoner, Webb, said that there was a hidden entrance in a cave on the edge of one of the bays, which led to some sort of hidden temple. |
LEGIO INFITIALES VENIA |
ORDER of the BLACK GUARDS By Leon Quigley |
This article has been published with the kind permission of Leon Quigley. Planetary image created by Shadow Guard |
The brethren were certainly curious, and several, including the Virtues, went to investigate. They arrived to find the cave as expected, and made their way in. Symbols of death marked the route through to the temple, and became more extreme as they progressed. They found several decayed bodies, criminals who had evidently fallen having activated traps. They were then subject to numerous traps themselves, but their armour, and their dedication, protected them. Eventually they reached a sanctum, containing an altar made of some kind of crystal. Within that crystal lay a man of strange aspect, wearing black armour of an archaic kind. He had an axe, carved with features of a monstrous face, almost seeming alive. The immediate response to this was an attempt to destroy the crystal and what it contained, which failed. However, as they discussed what would be done to defeat this threat, they were unaware that the rest of the marines were trying to contact them. News previously had arrived of the betrayal of Horus and the despatch of seven legions to deal with him. Unfortunately for the expedition, their communicators were now out of range of the main detachment, blocked by rock and emanations from the temple. Then there was a sudden cave-in, trapping the marines in the main temple area. This registered on the surface as a small earthquake. When, after some days, a second expedition arrived, they found evidence of massive subsidence, and assumed that their brethren had been lost underground. Unfortunately, they had no time to mount an excavation, as they had been recalled to the Legion after the events at Isstvan. The trapped marines could not use explosives to damage the casket without a probable collapse of the temple roof burying them all. Of course, they could not rest in an unsecured area, so entering suspended animation was not an option but then they would starve however, as they waited, each began to hear a voice in their mind, claiming that they had been brought there for a reason. They would swear fealty, and it would protect them and give them a greater purpose than their current ones. Brother-Captain Emmanuel shouted out his defiance, and demanded that the owner of the voice show itself. However, it mockingly said that it was too important, and that it would let its minion deal with them. The casket opened, and the figure began to arise. The Dark Angels prepared for battle. They were not, however, prepared for one man to defeat them. The figure casually smashed down Emmanuel's men unarmed, with strength beyond belief, ignoring both bolter fire and even the terrible forces of the squad's Plasma Gun. It took time, but soon the figure was standing over seven unconscious or crippled bodies, with only Sefiel remaining. The warrior told the Dark Angel that he was chosen to be the last for a reason that he understood the nature of redemption, and that it would be necessary to help his battle-brothers come to terms with the nature of their defeat and the servitude that they would be required to perform. And with that the man returned to his casket. Sefiel tended the wounds of his comrades, urging them to go into suspended animation. He would protect them while they rested, and would begin working to escape. He was disturbed by the man's words, but knew that his own loyalty was strong. After tending his brothers, Sefiel received a vision from the mysterious voice whose temple this must be. He saw the wars between brother space marines, and the rise of Chaos. He realised that the voice too was an entity of Chaos, and he tried to drag himself out of his dream, but did not have the strength to oppose this being in its place of power. However, while the voice admitted that it was of the Empyrean, it also told him that it was opposed to all other Lords of Chaos, and that its champion, who rested in the casket, would one day be instrumental in the defeat of certain enemies. Furthermore, his new bodyguards would accompany him. Was it mere coincidence that their squad numbered eight, as did the points on the star of Chaos? No. They had been destined to serve as soon as they chose to make their base on the Great Swan Sefiel's own advice. They would redeem humans, traitor marines, and even some of the stuff of Chaos itself. Sefiel spent days or weeks, thinking on this, slowly starving, but ever watching over the bodies of his fallen comrades. He discharged the plasma gun in his attempts to break through the stony walls of his prison. He used grenades, but in the end was unable to get even halfway to the exit. Then he had more visions of a hooded man that he vaguely recognised, who bore a sword, much like that of the Lion himself. What did it all mean? Without realising it, his body's abilities took over, and he entered suspended animation. When he awoke the hooded man from his dream stood before him. There were others, all of whom wore modified armour of the Dark Angels, and supplies. The man told him that it had been most of a century since his squad had been buried, but his purpose was still clear to protect the temple and serve its master. He also told of the fall of Caliban, the death of el'Jonson, and the schism existing amongst his descendents. Then the man took his followers away, saying only that he would return, and that Sefiel and the others should be ready. Sefiel, recognising the seniority of the man, swore that he would. The others gradually awoke, after careful tending by Sefiel. He brought them round one at a time, and spent much effort in convincing them of what he had seen and been told. They could not return to the Dark Angels after their time in the temple, but could remain on this world secretly. They would protect it and redeem those who had strayed from the path of righteousness. Eventually, reconciliation with the rest of the Dark Angels would occur, because, he knew, they could be redeemed, just as could the humans. Emmanuel was difficult to convince, but even he understood that returning to the Legion after so long would provoke dangerous questions from leaders paranoid about loyalty. So they would remain in this backwater, biding their time, protecting the farmers and redeeming their criminals and heretics. And thus they became the Order of the Black Guards. Since then the members of the Order have become addicted to a strange blood-like substance that maintains the champion in his casket. They began drinking it during the Feast of Malediction, an ancient Dark Angels rite, accepting him as their brother. This substance retards the aging process, probably making the Order the oldest living loyalist space marines. Several carry supplies with them at all times. While it may well be tainted by Chaos, the Order is convinced that this is merely part of the process of humanity gaining control over Chaos and achieving its next evolutionary step a (now) heretical idea that formed part of the Emperor's theory of human psychic development. Structure Since returning to the surface of Hellenica-4 the Order has remained largely secret, appearing only to the exiles of the Great Swan and the small Ministorum mission there. They are apparently a small group of monks who have taken a vow to minister to the needs of the colony. Of the marines present, only four live among the criminals at any one time: most of the time the rest guard the temple. Their benefactor, now known to them as Cypher, sometimes visits them. Cypher also brings others, to whom he refers as Fallen, who wish to join the Order, and has added another sixteen marines to the total. While all the more recent recruits had previously sided against El'Jonson, Sefiel and Remiel have worked on converting them back. This has been successful with some, but others have not been convinced. However, all have sworn allegiance to Malal, and fight as brothers against their common enemies. Sefiel is without doubt the leader of the Order when Cypher is not present, and has adopted the ancient title of Custodian. Remiel and Emmanuel are effectively Sefiel's deputies. When guarding Cypher they usually form a single large unit, led by Sefiel; otherwise they usually form two or three squads. Very rarely they will form four squads, with the latter led by Brother-Sergeant Duma. The work with the prisoners has given the Order a number of dedicated warriors, with an attitude similar to the Red Redemption. As very skilled space marines have trained them, many of these prisoners are the equivalent of veterans from other regiments! Furthermore, a number of them actually are experienced guardsmen, who have been sent to the Great Swan by the authorities for crimes against the Imperium's Articles of War. There are now around forty Redemptionists in the colony, and over a hundred (as yet) unredeemed military prisoners. Furthermore, a delegation from the Ecclesiarchy has also been sent to oversee it for the Imperial authorities. These men see little of the Order, who will usually be dressed in simple habits while dealing with the prisoners. The priests are unsure of the nature of the monks, but all are impressed by the zeal that the Order has for destroying enemies of the Emperor! |
