Ardent Swords

''The Ardent Swords are a Chapter of warrior-knights with a reputation for honour and courage upon the battlefields of the Imperium. For five thousand years they have cut a bloodied swathe through the enemies of the Imperium on their hunt to vanquish the one shameful stain that tarnishes their honourable service in the name of the Emperor of Mankind.''

Founding
Scattered references indicate that the Ardent Swords chapter has been operating in the Imperium’s theatres of war since mid M33 leading to speculation that its creation lies during the 6th or 7th Founding. All other early Imperial records are thought to have been lost to the decays of time and the presumed incompetence of Imperial bureaucracy. The Chapter’s own once extensive archives only go back as far as M36 leaving the Ardent Swords with their first three millennia of service in the name of the Emperor unaccounted for. The loss of their records is accredited by the Chapter to a legendary battle in which the Captain of the 1st Company fell to Chaos and led a host of daemons against the Chapter, tearing the Fortress Monastery asunder. Much of what the Chapter call their history now lies in a single sacred tome, the Apocrypha Camlannae, the Book of Camlann. Referred to as the tome of legends it is one of the most revered relics belonging to the Ardent Swords.

The Battle of Camlann
The Apocrypha Camlannae accounts the Chapter’s history from a point estimated at around 50M36. The largest account within the tome’s first few chapters is the rise of Chapter Master Artair and the Battle of Camlann. Their homeworld of Camlann has been invaded three times throughout the Chapter’s history, but it is the first invasion of Camlann that has shaped the Chapter the most and a tale that haunts the Chapter to this day. It began when the vain Captain of the 1st company, Lord Morgan Medraut, succumbed to the whispers of Chaos. To this day none know how Morgan came to be turned from the light of the Emperor and for years his taint remained hidden as he worked towards his new master’s designs. When he deemed his preparations ready, he began his plot to seize Camlann and destroy the Chapter in the name of the Ruinous Powers at a time when only elements of the 1st and 6th companies were present on their homeworld.

Following his discovery of an ancient warp gate, known as Gorfannon’s Gate, within the bowels of the Fortress Monastery Lord Morgan proceeded to summon forth an army of lesser daemons from the Immaterium. The unholy horde spilled into the upper levels of the monastery and caught the 1st and 6th companies by complete surprise. After a short and costly battle, the surviving forces of the Chapter regrouped under the command of the Captain of the 6th company, Lord Erec, and fortified the hallways to the Great Hall, Librarium and Armoury. It was Lord Erec himself that alerted Master Artair to the treachery that had befallen them. Artair immediately departed for Camlann at the head of the entire Chapter fleet. With aid now on its way, Lord Erec knew it was just a matter of surviving long enough against the endless tide. The never-ending flow of daemons slowly gained headway against the valiant defenders. Running battles raged through the corridors and hallways as the forces of Lord Erec strove to keep the enemy at bay. Morgan personally led the assault on the Librarium which fell shortly and oversaw the destruction of all records there in upon a great pyre.

For three days and nights these fights raged, and on the fourth day Erec stood forth issuing a challenge of single combat to Morgan the Betrayer. Morgan emerged from the daemonic ranks, a shadow of his former glory, twisted by his deeds and masters. He answered Erec’s call by presenting the broken body of Erec’s friend, the Librarian Elandris, as a cruel taunt. They say the duel that ensued was a desperate combat harkening back to the dark days of the Horus Heresy, and ever in all the tongues of corruption did Morgan try to sway Erec, but he remained true. The end finally came when Morgan, unable to best the giant Astartes in martial prowess, resorted to using his foul sorcery to overwhelm the Captain and force him to his knees before piercing him with his blackened sword. Lord Erec fell in the final hours of the battle buying the defenders enough time to regroup once more, his death heralding the arrival of Artair and the reinforcements.

Artair and his strike force descended from the sky in drop pods, crashing through the remains of the Monastery’s spires into the midst of the daemon host. The reinforcements immediately began to stem the daemonic tide with the aid of a counter attack by the remnants of the defenders whilst Artair and his honour guard of Knights set off to hunt down the traitor. Artair came upon Morgan in the antechamber of Gorfannon’s gate."“Brother… what have you done?” Artair asked as he entered the ancient chamber buried below the monastery. Morgan glanced back over his shoulder, seemingly not caring about Artair’s arrival before returning his gaze to the nascent portal “…. Look at what I have discovered Artair, the greatest labour of Gorfannon lies before us”. ""“What lies before us is a gateway to the realm of the Enemy! Stop this madness now and we can help you” Artair pleaded. Morgan was still his half-brother by the blood of their father and even now Artair still dared to hope that he could turn him from this dark path.""“Help….” Morgan muttered, momentarily trailing off as if gazing at something familiar beyond the portal. All of a sudden Morgan’s voiced boomed “HELP?! I do not need your help!” he spat, gesturing with both arms open to the swirling vortex, “Beyond this doorway lies my salvation… my ascension!” ""Artair grimaced at Morgan, no longer pleading with his fallen brother “Do this and you will be beyond redemption Morgan”. ""Morgan now fully turned to face Artair, revealing the true madness in his eyes “I am already redeemed! Can you not seehow they have blessed me!?” ""Artair let out a lengthy mournful sigh, finally accepting that there was only one course that events could now take. He began to advance on Morgan, drawing the mythical sword Caliburn from its scabbard, and as he approached he said with deep sorrow in his voice “Know this Morgan. You have been cursed, not blessed, and what I do now… I do for the honour of the Chapter, and for our duty to the Emperor. May he grant mercy on your soul.”  ""Excerpt from the Apocrypha Camlannae, Book III, Chapter XXXI"Morgan proceeded to summon four Greater Daemons through the warp gate to slay the Chapter Master. Artair drew forward as his Knights formed up around him, standing strong and proud before the emergent Daemons; one of each foul aspect of the Ruinous Powers. He held aloft his mighty sword, Caliburn, and advanced chanting the litanies of the Emperor and led his Knights into combat first with the Keeper of Secrets.

Artair charged headlong at the four-armed monstrosity, drawing its attention away from his Knights as they circled around it. A flurry of blows from the creature’s four swords were all parried by Artair and seeing their chance two of his Knights leapt from behind bringing their swords down upon two of the monster’s arms, leaving it with bleeding stumps at the elbows. The Daemon shrieked horrifically in pain and brought its two remaining swords round to its left. One of the Knights stood no chance of evading such a swift counterattack and the noble warrior was split in three. The rest of the Knights raced to the side of Artair and took position around him again. At once Artair charged with his knights towards the Keeper of Secrets as it gathered itself from the loss of its arms. A sudden unexpected lunge from the daemon stopped their charge cold and it caught one of the battle-brothers in its grip, breaking his neck with an audible snap before flinging the limp body into the eaves of the chamber. This however was a miscalculation by the Greater Daemon and it had left itself open to a strike. Artair seized his chance and with the aid of his retinue hewed a mighty cavity into its chest. The Keeper’s body fell to floor as it faded back into the Immaterium.

The next to face them was the avatar of Nurgle, a beast of bloated infectious flesh which consumed five of his Knights before it fell to their righteous zeal. The Lord of Change began its assault barely as the Great Unclean One faded back into the Warp reducing another Knight to ashes. The foul creature uttered every incantation it could muster shortly before having its blasphemous head cleaved from its feathered shoulders. Last of all was the Bloodthirster. This monstrosity of Khorne was the most challenging of all the daemons to emerge through the gate. Artair stood before it with only one of his Knights remaining. The Greater Daemon wasted no time and brought its large axe crashing down in a two-handed grasp. Artair would have perished were it not for the sacrifice of the last Knight who pushed him from the axe’s arcing path, cleaving the noble warrior clean in two. The beast then turned its focus on Artair, its axe clashing time and again with Caliburn and his shield Prydwen, sparks of warp energy flaring between the two. Artair eventually managed to hamstring the great beast and bring it down upon his sword but only after sustaining a mortal wound from the creature’s barbed whip.

Artair now turned to face Morgan and the warp gate, though weary and near death himself. With Morgan in better condition than himself Artair knew he would not win the duel. Refusing to see his homeworld brought to ruin or his brethren fall he chose to sacrifice himself to destroy both the gate and the betrayer. Artair took his mighty sword and impaled it in a large stone dais before charging at Morgan. The sorrowful warrior endured the blasts of baleful warpfire that his brother flung at him and grabbed Morgan and hurled them both through the gate into the warp.

The flow of daemons was halted but the gate remained open. To the Chapter this meant that Morgan the Betrayer still lived, and yet if he lives then there may be hope for Artair and that he will one day return. On this belief was formed the reign of the Lord Regents, care takers and custodians of the Chapter’s rule until the Chapter Master returns. The gate is kept guarded at all times and there the sword of Artair stood embedded and immovable in the sacred stone for over four thousand years, legend stating that only Artair may remove it.