The Order of the Broken Sword

Created during the Second Founding The Knights of the Blade took no part in the hunting of the Fallen and instead assisted the Adeptus Mechanicus in hunting their own traitors. As a Result The Knights of the Blade knew about the Fallen and would hunt them if they came across them but were far more likely to just pass the information on. If they ever captured a Member of the Fallen they would be sent under escort to the Dark Angels.

The Knights of the Blade took extraordinary care of their Swords. Every rank, posting, battle, commendation and reprimand a Brother ever received was personally engraved on his sword.

The Halls of the Chapters Home Planet of Galland V were filled with the recovered swords of the dead Battle Brothers and the Chapters history was not in books or on Data-Pads but on the Blades of it’s Warriors. This gave rise to the Chapter Motto

And the Chapter’s Battle Cry

The Knights of the Blade accompanied the Mechanicus until their Homeworld was attacked by Eldar. Galland V was secretly a world that contained Spirit Stones and the newly arrived mining activities of the Mechanicus were threatening them.

The Eldar came swiftly and wiped out the Two Reserve Companies that held the Planet and Drove the First Company back into their Fortress Monastery. The remaining Seven Companies returned the the Planet and the First Three were destroyed in Piecemeal as they rushed to reinforce the First Company.

The remaining Companies massed on the planets moon and launched a surprise drop pod assault on the Eldar besiegers as the First Company sallied forth from the Fortress Monastery.

The fighting was fierce and before long only a handful or Marines survived. Lead by Brother Captain Vandels the last handful of The Knights of the Blade died fighting hand to hand with the Eldar. Brother Captain Vandels’ Sword was broken in single combat with an Eldar Autarch and he was found clutching it with the last of his strength.

When the nearest Imperial help arrived on Galland V only Brother Captain Vandels survived and even he was shattered beyond repair and was immediately interred in a Dreadnought.

Believing the Chapter destroyed The Knights of the Blade were officially declared destroyed and Former Brother Captain Vandels was transferred to the Mechanicus for safekeeping.

Rather than finding him a new Chapter to Serve the Mechanicus created a false Chapter known as “The Order of the Broken Sword” in M.37 shortly after the fall of Galland V.

“The Order of the Broken Sword” had no official connections to the Adeptus Mechanicus and existed only so they could take in the best of the new recruits destined for a Space Marine Chapter but who would instead find themselves in the ranks of the Skitarii.

Kept in a limited stasis Brother Captain Vandels was turned into little more than a glorified scanner, reading and transcribing documents before uploading them to the Private Data Frame of the local Forge World. Among the Documents he read over the Millenia was the Lectitio Divinitatus and many writings on “The Imperial Truth”. This Document and his treatment at the hands of the Mechanicus would set the groundwork for the Philosophy of “The Order of the Broken Sword”.

The “Order of the Broken Sword” were always listed as having taken heavy casualties in combat and so were constantly receiving new recruits and equipment that could be stolen by the local Adeptus Mechanicus.

After the Destruction of Galland V the Mechanicus moved all of the equipment, infrastructure and machinery of their mining operation to the moon “Galland Seniorem” which possessed the same resources only in smaller quantities.

They reconstructed the Chapter Monastery although it was only a shell and possessed no decorations or anything of significance to the Chapter. Their Swords were taken and distributed among the high ranking members of the Adeptus Mechanicus on the Moon who treated them as curiosities and badges of office.

Only the Former First Captain, Brother Captain Vandels Excitor, had his sword preserved.

In his duel with the Eldar Autarch Brother Captain Vandels’ Sword was broken in half. He managed to mortally wound his opponent with the remnants of his sword before delivering the deathblow with the top of the blade that had broken off. His Sword, seen as useless by the Local Mechanicus, was attached to his Dreadnought Sarcophagus.

Vandels was made into the Chapter Master of the Order of the Broken Sword. His Dreadnought was outfitted with a close combat weapon and a Plasma Cannon although both were deactivated. For millennia he was kept in a limited stasis, his only function to scan the vast collections of Imperial Records, Data and History collected by the Mechanicus and upload it to a database.

Normally such tasks were unnecessary, the data is transferred from Database to Database but with the loss of Galland V the Mechanicus also lost their Database. It was destroyed by Vandels when he and his First Company retreated into the Fortress Monastery to prevent it falling into the hands of the Eldar.

Any nearby Forge World could easily have sent a portable Data Transfer to the system and instantly create a new Database but this would result in the shame, demotion and reduction to being a servitor for those charged with it’s protection.

Rather than face this ordeal Fabricator-General RTMGUI-100100100111 decided to manually upload all the trillions of files by “hand” using the enormous backups that the Mechanicus carried with it in case of critical Database Failure. The process has lasted Four Millennia and it is almost complete.

The Files range from arbitrary troops deployments several millennia old, entire histories of planets that no longer exist all the way to a copy of the Lectitio Divinitatus, written by Lorgar Himself.

Unknown to the Imperium, this faction of the Mechanicus had horded copies of Remembrancers Images, Poetry and Histories dating back to the Great Crusade that they could get their cybernetic hands on.

When the decision was made to reinforce the Adeptus Astartes with Primaris Marines those Chapters which had suffered the worst were given priority.

When the great fleet of Primarch Guilliman arrived at Galland Seniorem they brought with them nearly a full Chapter of Marines all ready for action.

When the presence of Chapter Master Vandels was requested and denied the issue was pressed further until the Mechanicum was forced to relent. Reluctantly they reactivated the Ancient Dreadnought and connected him via video link to the new Marines.

Upon being powered up Chapter Master Vandels took his Vengeance. He incinerated the Servitors, crushed his Techpriest babysitter before going on a rampage.

After killing hundreds of servants of the Mechanicus Vandels addressed his new Chapter

Brothers these Heretical Filth have bound me in chains but no more shall I be a slave to their machines. Rise my Friends for we are all Brothers in the Order of the Broken Sword. Destroy these Heretics, Liberate your Chapter, Scour Our Enemies and Serve the Emperor.

The Primaris Marines immediately deployed to the Planet and wrought a terrible vengeance on the forces of the Mechanicus. Despite their best efforts many of the Mechanicus escaped and fled in all directions, taking with them the precious Blades of the former Chapter.

After being informed of their betrayal the Order of the Broken Sword was given a mandate to undertake a Crusade to destroy the remnants of Forge World Galland wherever they may hide and avenge the Knights of the Blade.

After retaking their Fortress Monastery Chapter Master Vandels personally destroyed all the Mechanicus Banners in the Great Hall of the Monastery. He then gathered to him the entire Chapter and laid down the new rules of the order, several Millennia of torture, forbidden wisdom and reflection had left Chapter Master Vandels with a series of reforms to implement.

Here is a list of the things that Chapter Master Vandels knows.

• That the Lectitio Divinitatus was Written by one of the Chaos Primarchs
• That the Emperor did not want to be worshiped as a God
• The Basics of the Imperial Truth from the writings of Remembrancers
• The Names of Four Traitor Primarchs: Horus, Angron, Mortarion and Fulgrim.
• That A Traitor Primarch wrote the Lectitio Divinitatus, he does not know who, why or when.
• That the Mechanicus operates almost separately from the Imperium or at least many of it’s smaller organisations do.
• That the Fallen exist although they are not his duty to hunt.
• That the Emperor wanted an Atheist State devoid of all worship, he does not know or care why.

Each Marine is given a Sword upon initiation, the style and length of which is entirely up to the individual.

The final step to his initiation is to break the blade with his own hands. The broken shard of the blade is then taken to the Great Hall and it is here that the Brother’s Deeds and History will be recorded.

Upon Promotion to Officer the Brother is given a new Sword to represent his rank. He will still carry his old Sword however.

The Chapter does not follow the standard naming designation for it’s ranks.

• The Standard Marine is Known as a “Brother”
• The Squad Leader is Known as a “Brother Sergeant”
• The Lieutenant is Known as a “Sub Commander”
• The Captain is Known as a “Commander”
• Three Companies are Lead by an “Order Commander”
• The Marine Leader of the Order is Known as the “Order Master”
• The Leader of the Order is Known as the “Grand Master”
• Chaplains are Known as “Brother Chaplain” and are treated with immense respect and admiration.
• The Librarian’s are Known as “Librarian” they are treated as any other Brother but intensely monitored. Grand Master Vandels considered outlawing them but was persuaded from it by his Officers.
• Apothecaries are Known as “Brother Surgeons”
• Marines interred in Dreadnoughts keep their Rank and are known as that Rank.
• As a whole the Dreadnoughts are Known as “The Enduring Brothers”
• The Dead are Known as “The Eternal Brothers”

Worship of the Emperor as a God is strictly forbidden.

The Chaplains have extra duties mainly that they ensure that no worship of any kind takes place among the Brothers of the Order.

When the Primaris reinforcements were sent there were no Techmarines included in their ranks. The belief being that a Chapter so linked to the Mechanics had no use for them.

Instead the Chapter loaned Techmarines from their fellow Dark Angels until they could send their own members to be trained as Techmarines.

This is perhaps the biggest difference between the Order of the Broken Sword and other Chapters. The Chapter has no Space Marine Techmarines. Instead being a Techmarine is the worst punishment that can be issued to a Brother of the Order.

If a Brother of the Order disgraces himself, the Order or the Imperium he is stripped of his membership and his Status as an Astartes. He is then demoted to a mere Chapter Servant, equal to any servitor or data entry specialist, and banished to a Forge World to learn his craft before returning to the Order.

Upon his return he is stripped of any name, known only as “Techmarine” followed by a binary number. His helmet is permanently fixed to his armour and cannot be removed under any circumstances, such is his shame.

The disgraced Brother’s Sword is reforged and placed in it’s plinth, all deeds, history and name removed.

Finally, the greatest insult of all, the Gene Seed of the Techmarines are considered tainted by their worship of the Omnissiah and are never recovered from fallen Marines, such is the hatred of the Mechanicus.

The Order of the broken Sword is tasked with hunting down Rogue members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Not necessarily Chaos worshiping Cults or even disloyal Cults but any groups that the Inquisition has denounced.

Any Adeptus Mechanicus groups that attempt Innovation, Go to Extreme Lengths to secure new STC’s or deal with Xenos will find themselves on the ‘Hit List’ of the Order of the Broken Sword.

Of course the Adeptus Mechanicus that formerly occupied Galland V are a constant target for the Order, the Recovery of the Swords of “The Knights of the Blade” is one of their main objectives regardless of any orders.

To oversee their hunt for the Mechanicus Traitors the Inquisition has sent an Inquisitor from the Ordo Machinum, a branch of the Inquisition tasked with overseeing the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Inquisitor Alonso Fredericus Cohannan is out of his mind. He sees all technology as Heresy and an enemy of Mankind. Fortunately he also considers himself to be a Radical Inquisitor and so doesn’t mind the use of Technology so long as it’s used with the goal of eliminating the enemies of Mankind.

The Inquisitor and the Order Master get along extremely well and both give the other a wide berth and plenty of trust. Even though the Order Master is basically just a Machine he tirelessly fights the enemies of Mankind and so is permitted to exist.

The Demi Company is Lead by Sub Commander Adalhard.

The Demi Company has Brother Sergeant Wagner interred in a Redemptor Dreadnought.

White Helmet Markings Denote an Officer or NCO.

Red Hoods or Helmet Markings denote a Veteran.

White Helmet Stripes indicate the Chain of Command for the Demi Company. When the Lieutenant is taken out of action the Sergeant with a White Stripe will take Command and if the Sergeants are taken out of action the Marine with the White Stripe will take Command.

Veteran Status is not a Rank but an award for Bravery and Valour, they do not outrank Brothers in the same way a more decorated Soldier does not outrank his fellows.

Following in the Tradition of the Chapter Dreadnoughts can receive promotions even after interment and can lead their brothers at the Company Level so long as their service warrants such an honour.

All the Dreadnoughts are Relics from the Knights of the Blade and as such they retain the Chapters Crossed Swords Symbols on the rear of their Pauldrons to calm the Dreadnought’s Machine Spirit.

The Dreadnoughts Symbols are as Follows

• Left Shoulder Outside Face. The Chapters Symbol of a Broken Sword
• Left Shoulder Front. A Personalisation Plate, some Dreadnoughts will have their Brothers make Kill Markings on it, others will keep a record of their years of interment while others still keep it blank.
• Left Shoulder Rear. The Chapter Symbol of the Knights of the Blade. This is done to both calm the Machine Spirit and Honour the Chapter’s History.
• Left Shoulder Top. The Interred Brothers Name. This will often be spread over both shoulders unless one shoulder is too damaged to accommodate it.
• Chest. This is the Branch of the Chapter the Marine Belongs to. Brother Chaplains wear a Skull. Officers Wear an Iron Cross. The Rest of the Men Wear the Chapter Symbol. Librarians and Techmarines are not Permitted the Honour of Interment in a Dreadnought Sarcophagus. The Former because they are mistrusted in life let alone in Death, the latter because a Techmarine is not a Battle Brother.
• Right Shoulder Outside Face. The Cohort the Marine Belongs to. The First Cohort are Companies I, IV and VII. The Second Cohort are Companies II, V and VIII. The Third Cohort are Companies III, VI and IX. Each is Overseen by an Order Commander.
• Right Shoulder Front. This is the Place within the Cohort the Company occupies. I, II or III.
• Right Shoulder Rear. The Chapter Symbol of the Knights of the Blade. This is done to both calm the Machine Spirit and Honour the Chapter’s History.
• Right Shoulder Top. The Interred Brothers Name. This will often be spread over both shoulders unless one shoulder is too damaged to accommodate it.
• The Crotch Plate will sometimes but not always have the Chapter Symbol on it.

The Story of the Downfall of the Knights of the Blade is True. The Order’s Home Planet was attacked by Eldar, they were wiped out and the Mechanicus took over from there.

But the Notion that the Eldar attacked the Chapter because of Spirit Stones is a lie perpetuated by the Mechanicus Forces.

The Amplification Hood Given to Chapter Master Villnis didn’t just amplify his ability to communicate with the physical realm. It utilised the Warp to broadcast far further than any conventional Vox, the Hood was permanently fixed to his brain and the line was permanently open. After several years Dark things began to Whisper to the Chapter Master.

Hundreds of Years Earlier the Mechnicus of Galland had turned their back on the Imperium and secretly began to look for new masters to serve, second to the Omnissiah. While excavating a Battlefield of the Horus Heresy they found what they had been searching for.

Chaos corrupted them over the course of decades, time being but a trivial thing for the Sons of Mars. In return for their worship of these Dark Powers they were given unnatural knowledge and all limitations on the research vanished.

On the Battlefield they discovered two Companies worth of Mk.III Suits of Power Armour filled with what remained of the bones of Astartes. During the fighting the ground the Astartes stood upon gave way and crushed them all to death, the armour, weapons and artifacts lay dormant for Millennia.

The Weapons and Armour were given as gifts to the Knights of the Blade who took them with great thanks and issued them to their Battle Brothers never knowing the Dark pact they had just sealed with Chaos.

The Armour all belonged to members of the Death Guard and carried the taint of Grandfather Nurgle’s Gift. Slowly Nurgle and his followers whispered to those men who wore the Heresy Armour, tempting them with visions of Power and Invincibility.

Once the Corruption of the Chapter Master was complete he set his Dark plans in Motion.

With the Corruption of the Chapter Complete Villnis planned his secession.

All Company besides the First would be sent from the Planet to various places in the nearby system in staggered intervals. Chapter Master Villnis would then take those men loyal to himself and Nurgle and position them on the Moon.

The Dark Mechanicus Forces would then attack the First Company, the power of Nurgle would disturb their calls for help and the information of the Mechanicus’ betrayal. As the Companies returned Chapter Master Villnis would use his Hood to demand they immediately engage the enemy on the Planet, himself claiming to be in the thick of the desperate fighting all the while he lurked on the Moon with his followers.

Then once all the Kngihts of the Blade had been Slaughtered the Civilians of Galland that operated the Mining Equipment would be sacrificed to Nurgle and Villnis would ascend to Daemonhood.

The Knights of the Blade would be slaughtered, the Dark Mechanicus would continue to be seen as loyal followers of the Imperium and Villnis would take his place among Nurgle’s Champions.

Partially seeing the events unfolding the Eldar made haste to Galland.

In their Visions they Marines of the Knights of the Blade ravaging their Nearby Craftworlds, shattering their Spirit Stones and bringing unholy decay to their homes. They saw the Forces of Mankind descending on their beloved Craftworlds in pursuit of their wayward sons. A Son of the Emperor himself would lead them in a crusade of Fire and Blood that would extinguish the light of Millions of Eldar. They saw the Emperor’s Son himself pierce the Heart of the Daemon Prince, banishing him to the Warp. The Imperium of Man then left the Craftworlds, shattered and corrupted, and the Eldar would slave for Millennia to make them whole again.

The Farseer saw this and could not let it come to pass. If the Imperium would not put down it’s Rabid Offspring then the Eldar would.

Seeking to stop their Perception of the Future before it began the Eldar launched their attack the day before Villnis planned his own. The Eldar knew to strike at this moment because the felt a great disturbance in the Warp caused by Villnis’ Hood and had picked up fragments of his messages to the Dark Mechanicum Warriors naming this date as their “Time of Assention”.

Striking early and hoping to disrupt their plans the Eldar made an enourmous blunder and sealed their fate.

Rather than the Dark Mechanicum launching the attack Villnis simply held them all back with his own men and allowed the Eldar to slaughter the drip fed reinforcements.

When the last of the Astartes had fallen, Vandels lying mortally wounded, only then did Villnis strike. His men descended on the Eldar, Nurgle’s Warp presence blinding their Farseers to their imminent arrival until it was upon them.

The Eldar that did not escape were butchered and their souls given as gifts to Slaneesh, their Skulls to Khorne, their failed plans to Tzeench and their putrefying corpses to their patron Nurgle. However Nurgle was displeased that Galland itself would not be sacrificed to him, the cover of the traitors still intact they were reluctant to blow it with a sacrifice.

Instead Nurgle Demanded the Sacrifice of Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven Worlds for his boon to be granted to the failed Villnis who took up the challenge with relish.

Reluctant to attack the Worlds of Man and so expose his allegiance he set his sights on those of the Eldar.

The Eldar had acted rashly, foolishly and arrogantly. They saw in the future was what would happen if they did not act but did not stop to think what would come to pass if they did act. Villnis would betray the Imperium alongside the Mechanicum, he would sacrifice Galland V to Nurgle and ascend to Daemonhood.

If they did not act then Villnis would be exposed and hunted by Guilliman himself upon his return but since he was not exposed Villnis was free to ravage and destroy all the nearby Craftworlds, condemning Billions to Oblivion. Without the Forces of Mankind to deffeat him he only grew stronger and the Eldar could not contain him. He would only be destroyed when he ventured into Imperial Space and met his match but the extermination of the Eldar in this part of the Galaxy would be complete.

Villnis upon discovering his old First Captain still lived he had the idea of interring him in a Dreadnought and forcing him to see the lies of his Corpse Emperor for all eternity, deliberatley inserting Documents like the Imperial Truth, Lecticio Devinitatus and Primordial Truth into his required materials. Those recruits sent to the newly founded Order of the Broken Sword found to be susceptible to the whispers of Chaos would be sent to Villnis’ Warband and ensure a steady stream of recruits.

That was until the arrival of Guilliman and the Awakening of Vandels.