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This article, Tempest Knights, is currently under active construction. The author, Achilles Prime, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "In war, there is nothing more honourable than victory."
- —Chapter Master Augustine Navarre
The Tempest Knights are a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Chapter of Space Marines who are a 4th Founding Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists. Created sometime during the middle centuries of the 32nd Millennium, following the disastrous events of the War of Beast, when the Imperium was nearly brought to its knees by the largest Ork WAAAGH! seen by Mankind since the Ullanor Crusade during the Great Crusade. After a period of mandatory gene-tithing by the surviving Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes to help rebuild the genetic stores of gene-seed, by the latter years of the fifth century of M32, the 4th Founding occurred. For nearly a century, the Imperium had descended into a period of anarchy and infighting. The newly created Chapters of this Founding were created to help restore order to an Imperium rife with civil upheaval and insurrection. Since that time, the Tempest Knights have continued to maintain order and bring swift justice to those who would dare sow discord or preach rebellion.
Chapter History
The Tempest Knights trace their origins back to the tumultuous aftermath of the catastrophic War of the Beast in 544.M32. This event marked one of the greatest crises ever faced by the Imperium of Man, when an overwhelming Ork WAAAGH!, led by the monstrous Warboss known as The Beast, threatened the very survival of humanity. The greenskin invasion tore through Segmentum Solar, reaching as far as Terra itself, and brought the Imperium to the brink of collapse. It was only through the most extreme measures - including the mobilisation of the Adeptus Custodes, the Imperial Navy, and the Adeptus Mechanicus, as well as the sacrifice of countless Astartes - that the Ork menace was finally quelled.
The cost to the Imperium was staggering, with many Space Marine Chapters shattered or driven to the edge of extinction. In the wake of the crisis, the Imperium recognized the need to replenish its defences and fortify against future threats. To that end, Maximus Thane, the acting Lord Commander of the Imperium, decreed that the Imperium would raise as many new Chapters as the gene-seed reserves in the great vaults of Terra could support. This decision led to the 4th Founding, the largest creation of Space Marine Chapters since the First Founding, with the goal of surrounding the Imperium in a ring of adamantium and ceramite.
The 4th Founding was a massive undertaking, initiated with the blessing of the High Lords of Terra and overseen by the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Administratum. It required the cooperation of all surviving Space Marine Chapters, which were ordered to release a portion of their Veteran warriors to form the core of these newly minted Chapters. In addition, gene-seed tithing was doubled for the next standard century, ensuring that the vaults of Terra would be replenished even as they were drawn upon. The goal was to establish hundreds of new Chapters, each ready to bring order and stability to an Imperium still reeling from the War of the Beast.
The newly created Chapters would be tasked with a wide range of duties, from guarding the Imperium's borders against xenos incursions to suppressing internal rebellions and insurrections. These new Astartes forces were expected to restore Imperial law in sectors that had fallen into anarchy during the crisis, reinforcing the Imperium's presence in regions that had been all but abandoned during the greenskin invasion.
The Tempest Knights were among the many Chapters that emerged from this Founding. Created using the gene-seed of the Imperial Fists, the Tempest Knights inherited the stubborn resilience and unbreakable resolve that defined their primogenitor, Rogal Dorn. Like all Scions of Dorn, they were instilled with a deep sense of duty and unyielding discipline, traits that would serve them well in the Imperium's efforts to restore order to a galaxy in turmoil.
The Tempest Knights' inception was overseen by a cadre of Veteran Imperial Fists and chapter serfs, selected for their experience in siege warfare and urban combat—skills that would prove invaluable in their future campaigns. These veterans imparted their knowledge of fortress-building, defensive tactics, and the discipline of holding firm even in the face of overwhelming opposition, ensuring that the young Chapter would uphold the traditions of Dorn.
The Tempest Knights' Chapter symbol - a pair of crossed swords - which serves as a constant reminder of their oaths and duty. Their Chapter icon also reflects their role as a force of swift retribution, capable of striking with sudden fury to pacify insurrection and defend the Imperium's borders. Their war cry, "Sacrifice, strength, duty!," echoes their commitment to relentless assault and unbreakable defence.
Establishing a Legacy
Following their creation, the Tempest Knights were assigned to the Segmentum Obscurus, a sector of the galaxy known for its proximity to the Eye of Terror and its susceptibility to Chaos incursions and xenos threats. Here, they established their fortress-monastery, Dargaard, on the feudal world of Exsteros, a planet beset by constant warfare and unpredictable storms. The harsh environment of Exsteros served as an ideal proving ground for the new recruits of the Tempest Knights, teaching them to thrive under difficult conditions and to adapt to ever-changing battlefields.
In their early years, the Tempest Knights distinguished themselves by engaging in campaigns to quell warlord uprisings and rogue psyker outbreaks across the Segmentum Obscurus, demonstrating their versatility in both siege-craft and rapid-strike warfare. They played a pivotal role in the Pacification of Koloth's Reach, where they dismantled a series of fortified strongholds belonging to a renegade planetary governor. Their ability to weather the enemy's firepower while methodically breaking down their defences earned them a reputation as a stalwart bulwark against threats to the Imperium.
The Tempest Knights quickly became known for their role as protectors of Imperial worlds, building a network of fortifications and watchtowers across the regions they were tasked to defend. They took to heart the belief that strength lies in preparation, ensuring that even the most remote outposts were properly garrisoned and supplied. These actions made them a favoured ally among Imperial Governors and military commanders, who often called upon the Tempest Knights to reinforce critical positions or to spearhead assaults against entrenched enemies.
However, their commitment to fortifying the Imperium did not come without challenges. The Tempest Knights’ stubbornness and rigid adherence to doctrine sometimes brought them into conflict with other Imperial forces, particularly those that favoured more flexible strategies. Nevertheless, the Chapter’s successes on the battlefield and their willingness to bear the brunt of enemy assaults ensured that they earned the respect of their peers.
Noctis Aeterna
At the dawn of the 42nd Millennium, as the galaxy faced unprecedented darkness and despair, hope flickered once more with the resurrection of Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines. His return marked a pivotal moment for the Imperium, rekindling the flames of loyalty and valour in countless hearts across the stars. As the galaxy teetered on the brink of chaos, the re-emergence of one of the Emperor's loyal sons inspired renewed faith in the Imperium's mission.
With Guilliman came the culmination of 10,000 years of research and development - the Primaris Space Marines. These new warriors were engineered for greater strength, resilience, and adaptability, surpassing their predecessors in many ways. Each Primaris was equipped with the most advanced weaponry and armour, crafted using knowledge gleaned from centuries of conflict and adaptation.
Hearing of this momentous event, the entire Tempest Knights Chapter wasted no time in setting course for the Realm of Ultramar. Upon arrival, they pledged their unwavering loyalty to Guilliman, swearing to serve him and the Imperium in perpetuity. This allegiance was not merely ceremonial; it was a commitment that would forever change the Chapter's destiny.
As the Tempest Knights integrated Primaris Space Marines into their ranks, they were fortunate to receive fully grown and battle-hardened warriors, each ready to fight for the Emperor with fervour and skill. These Primaris Astartes quickly distinguished themselves on the battlefield, exhibiting remarkable prowess and strategic acumen. Their advanced capabilities allowed the Tempest Knights to adapt to the challenges of the Indomitus Crusade with newfound vigour, providing a crucial boost to the Chapter's war efforts.
In addition to the reinforcements, the Tempest Knights gained access to the technology and knowledge necessary to create their own Primaris Astartes. This included the specialized gene-seed and advanced augmentation processes that had been refined over the millennia. With these resources, the Chapter began to train and recruit new Primaris Marines, rapidly increasing their numbers and enhancing their combat effectiveness.
Dawn of a New Era
The return of Roboute Guilliman and the introduction of the Primaris Marines herald a new era for the Tempest Knights. No longer merely a bastion of the Imperial Fists' legacy, the Chapter has embraced its role as a modern defender of the Imperium, adapting to the challenges of the 42nd Millennium. The Tempest Knights now stand at the forefront of the fight against the encroaching darkness, their resolve bolstered by the addition of the Primaris Astartes.
The infusion of Primaris Astartes into the Tempest Knights has dramatically transformed their approach to warfare. Now equipped to wage war on a grander scale, the Chapter has been able to deploy entire Great Companies composed primarily of Primaris Marines. This newfound strength has allowed them to engage in prolonged campaigns against the myriad threats facing the Imperium, from xenos invasions to heretical uprisings.
During the Indomitus Crusade, the Tempest Knights demonstrated their capabilities on numerous fronts. They employed their Primaris forces to spearhead assaults against entrenched enemy positions, utilizing superior mobility and firepower to break through enemy lines. Their strategic prowess, combined with the advanced technology of the Primaris Marines, enabled them to execute manoeuvres that outmatched their foes, ensuring swift and decisive victories.
The exact number of Primaris Astartes serving within the Chapter remains uncertain, but their presence is felt throughout the ranks of the Tempest Knights. Each battle they participate in strengthens the bond between the Primaris and the original Astartes, fostering a culture of mutual respect and camaraderie.
As they continue to forge their path in this tumultuous era, the Tempest Knights remain steadfast in their dedication to the Emperor's will, prepared to face whatever horrors the galaxy throws at them. Their legacy, intertwined with the resurgence of the Primaris, is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Adeptus Astartes and their commitment to the protection and preservation of humanity against the endless night.
Chapter Homeworld
Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of Exsteros, the feudal Chapter Homeworld of the Tempest Knights.
Exsteros is a feudal medieval world in the Percivalian System, located near the far western reaches of the Segmentum Pacificus. Its geography is marked by several large landmasses separated by a vast, tempestuous ocean. Due to its severely tilted axial rotation, Exsteros experiences wild seasonal changes, resulting in extremes of scorching summers and bitterly cold winters. Its turbulent atmosphere frequently generates powerful storms and unpredictable weather patterns, shaping both the landscape and the culture of its inhabitants. Vast mountain ranges pierce the skies, dividing the lands into fertile valleys and frozen highlands, while dense forests and ancient ruins are scattered across its windswept plains.
Exsteros Society
At the heart of Exsterosian society is the concept of the House, a structure that embodies both identity and honor. A House on Exsteros is more than a mere family line - it is a political entity, a warband, and a tribal identity all at once. Each House is defined by its history, its deeds, and its bonds of loyalty. A warrior without a House is considered an outcast knight-errant - a lost soul without a banner or purpose, and often looked upon with disdain or suspicion. In contrast, a warrior with a noble lineage brings prestige and honour not only to himself but to the House he serves.
The Houses of Exsteros range in power and influence. Great Houses govern vast territories, commanding castles and fortresses built into mountainsides or along the coasts, where they oversee the production of agricultural wealth, craftsmanship, and tribute from their vassals. Minor Houses, while smaller, may be known for their martial prowess or specialized skills in areas such as swordsmithing or horse breeding, and they often serve as loyal bannermen to the Great Houses. Together, these Houses form the backbone of Exsterosian society, with each House responsible for administering, defending, and maintaining their own territories.
Without the power and organization of these Houses, Exsteros would descend into anarchy, dishonour, and weakness. The Houses also maintain a balance of power through a system of alliances, marriages, and feuds, each vying for dominance or striving to uphold the honour of their lineage. This intricate web of relationships is governed by a strict code of chivalry and duty - a concept similar to ancient Terra's feudalism, where knightly orders, vassalage, and loyalty oaths are paramount.
Honour & Nobility
Exsterosian society resembles that of Terra's ancient Northern European medieval culture, where nobility and commoners coexist in a rigid yet potentially fluid social structure. The nobility, born into ruling families of the Great or Minor Houses, are afforded greater status, but their position is not unassailable. The most crucial factor determining one's standing is the ability to fight and a willingness to die for one's House. Honour on Exsteros is not given freely but is earned on the field of battle and through acts of courage and fealty.
For the commoners, there exists a path of upward mobility - a rare opportunity for those who demonstrate exceptional valour and martial skill. Common-born warriors who distinguish themselves in the clan wars, raids, or duels that define Exsterosian life may be invited to join the ranks of a House's warband. This is a great honour, allowing the warrior to serve alongside noble-born knights and to prove their worth before the House's lords. Over time, a particularly brave and successful warrior might even be granted land, titles, and the right to found a new House, establishing a legacy for themselves and their descendants.
This path of advancement is highly meritocratic in theory, but also brutal. Only the strong, the skilled, and the ruthless have any hope of rising through the ranks. For those who fail, the consequences are dire—cowards are often stripped of rank and disgraced, and dishonour can result in a warrior being cast out as a discommendate. This banishment is a fate worse than death for most Exsterosians, as it means being exiled from all Houses, forced to roam the wilds as a wandering outcast, or else to live in squalor on the edges of society, forever denied the hope of regaining honour.
The politics between the Great and Minor Houses of Exsteros is a constant jockeying for power, with alliances and rivalries shifting as often as the seasons. Wars of honour between rival Houses can erupt over insults, ancient grievances, or territorial disputes, with blood feuds sometimes lasting for generations. Yet, even in conflict, there is a code that governs the way battles are fought. Duels between champions, challenges for supremacy, and ritualized skirmishes are commonplace, with heralds declaring the terms and outcomes of each engagement. A warrior's death in such conflicts is seen as a noble sacrifice, while a House that refuses a challenge risks losing face before its peers.
The Houses convene periodically at the Circle of the Oathstone, a great stone amphitheatre located on the cliffs overlooking the Sea of Storms, to settle disputes, negotiate alliances, and make decisions that affect the planet as a whole. Here, the War-Kings and Shield-Lords of the Great Houses, alongside representatives of the Minor Houses, swear oaths of fealty or declare grievances before the Watchers, a group of mysterious seers and warriors who serve as neutral arbiters. The Circle of the Oathstone is the closest thing Exsteros has to a planetary council, though it is less a government than a stage for ritualistic displays of power and honour.
The Emperor and the Imperium
The people of Exsteros venerate the Emperor as the High King of Mankind, a distant deity who reigns over the universe much like their War-Kings govern the land. The Imperial Creed is adapted to fit the medieval worldview of Exsteros, with the Adeptus Ministorum taking the form of wandering priests and battle-clerics who travel from House to House, offering blessings and collecting tithes. They speak of the Astronomican as the Ever-Burning Torch that guides humanity through the darkness and of the Space Marines as the Emperor's Angels, whom the Exsterosians revere as legendary figures of myth.
When the Tempest Knights Space Marine Chapter visits Exsteros to conduct recruitment trials, they are seen as the chosen warriors of the High King, and their arrival is met with great ceremony and festivals. The trials they conduct mirror the House-based system, with aspirants proving their worth through tests of combat, endurance, and devotion. Those deemed worthy are taken from their homes and families to join the Chapter's ranks, leaving behind the Houses of Exsteros for the eternal war in the Emperor's name.
Conflict & Honour
Life on Exsteros is one of constant struggle, where the elements are as fierce as the warriors who roam the land. Yet, amidst the cold winters and scorching summers, honour and duty serve as a guiding light, shaping the lives of its people and defining their place within the cosmic order. It is a world where warriors sing epic sagas of their ancestors, where heraldry and banners flutter over ancient battlefields, and where the fate of entire Houses is decided by the sword and the oath. To the Exsterosians, death in battle is the highest honour, for in the end, they believe, they will be welcomed into the halls of the High King's eternal court, their names forever remembered in the chronicles of their House.
Fortress-Monastery
Dargaard, the formidable fortress-monastery of the Tempest Knights Chapter.
The fortress-monastery of the Tempest Knights Chapter is the ancient citadel of Dargaard, a massive stronghold that looms over the storm-lashed landscapes of the planet Exsteros, their chapter home world. The Citadel is a testament to both ancient architecture and fortified defence, hewn from obsidian-black stone and reinforced with adamantium buttresses and plasteel bulwarks. It is a structure that has withstood the battering winds and seething tempests of Exsteros for millennia, defying both the elements and the enemies of the Chapter.
The citadel of Dargaard stands atop the Stormspine Ridge, a jagged mountain range that pierces the sky, where the thunderheads of the perpetual tempests collide and unleash torrents of rain, hail, and lightning. The fortress is built into the peak of Mount Thraxx, the tallest and most perilous of these peaks, its ramparts jutting out over sheer cliffs that plunge thousands of meters into the churning Sea of Tempests below. The tempestuous weather that perpetually rages around the Citadel acts as a natural defence, with hurricane-force winds and razor-sharp rain making any approach by air or land treacherous. The very elements that might have broken a lesser citadel have become a part of Dargaard's defences, enhancing its reputation as an impregnable bastion.
The Architecture of Dargaard
The architecture of the Citadel is a blend of Gothic grandeur and pragmatic military design. Tall, narrow towers capped with spires rise into the sky, their silhouettes backlit by the constant flashes of lightning. These spires are not merely decorative but serve as watchtowers and gun emplacements, equipped with automated turrets, storm bolter nests, and hydraulic cannons that can repel aerial assaults and ground invaders alike.
The main keep of Dargaard, known as the Stormhold, is a sprawling structure with vaulted ceilings, archways, and massive reinforced gates that can be sealed in the event of a siege. The Halls of Tempest—the fortress’s grand halls—are adorned with ancient banners, trophies taken from vanquished foes, and stained glass windows depicting the victories and sagas of the Tempest Knights Chapter. Flame-lit braziers and incense burners line these halls, filling the air with the scent of sacred oils.
Beneath the Stormhold, subterranean vaults delve deep into the mountain’s roots. These vaults serve as armories, gene-seed vaults, and training halls, as well as crypts where the Chapter's fallen heroes are interred. The deepest and most sacred of these is the Hall of the Tempest Lords, where the remains of Chapter Masters from ages past are entombed in sarcophagi crafted from black marble and silver inlays. The current Chapter Master, alongside the Reclusiarch and Librarians, often come here to meditate and commune with the ancestral spirits, seeking guidance in times of crisis.
The Tempest Forge
One of the most crucial parts of Dargaard is the Tempest Forge, a mechanized forge-complex that serves as the heart of the Chapter’s war-making capabilities. Managed by the Master of the Forge and his Techmarines, the Tempest Forge is a vast, multi-tiered facility located within the mountain's core. Here, the sacred machinery of the Adeptus Mechanicus works tirelessly alongside arcane rites to produce everything from power armour and bolters to Dreadnought sarcophagi and war machines. The forge's heart is powered by geothermal vents deep beneath Mount Thraxx, channeling the planet’s raw energy to fuel the forges and smithies.
The Tempest Forge is guarded by automated defense systems and servo-skull sentinels, as well as heavily armed servitors that will defend it against intruders with a fanatical zeal. It is also where the Chapter's Librarians scribe battle-chronicles and sacred texts that preserve the Chapter’s history and legends, etching these records into adamantine tablets stored within the Vault of Storms—a heavily warded chamber within the forge.
The Hall of the Tempest Council
At the pinnacle of the Stormhold lies the Hall of the Tempest Council, a grand chamber where the Chapter Master and his inner circle convene to deliberate on matters of war, strategy, and the Chapter's future. The chamber is illuminated by the ethereal glow of lumens shaped like storm clouds, which flicker and pulse in time with the weather outside. A massive round table dominates the center of the hall, carved from the obsidian stone of the mountain itself and engraved with sigils of protection and ancient runes. Around this table sit the Captains, Reclusiarch, Chief Librarian, Chief Apothecary, Master of the Forge, and other high-ranking officers.
The storm-shields of previous Chapter Masters hang upon the walls as a reminder of duty, each one bearing the scars of battles long past. Here, the Tempest Council debates the tides of war, plans their raids, and plots the defence of the Tempest Knights’ domain, drawing upon the knowledge recorded in the Chronicles of the Tempest - a millennia-old codex detailing the exploits of the Chapter since its founding.
The Watchtower of the Gale
Rising above the entire citadel, the Watchtower of the Gale is the highest point of the Citadel of Dargaard. It is from this tower that the Chapter’s Astropaths and Librarians maintain a vigil over both the planet and the system, using their psychic powers to detect warp anomalies, xenos incursions, and enemy fleets long before they arrive. The Watchtower also houses the Tempest Beacon, a massive astropathic relay that allows the Tempest Knights to send distress signals and requests for reinforcement across the vast distances of the Segmentum Pacificus. It is a place of meditation and forewarning, where the Librarians of the Chapter gather to peer into the warp-tides and consult the omens for signs of impending conflict.
When the skies above Dargaard turn black and the rains come down in blinding sheets, the Librarians ascend the Watchtower to perform the Ritual of the Gale, a psychic ceremony that has been part of the Chapter's traditions since the earliest days of their founding. During this ritual, the warp-winds howl through the tower, and the Librarians focus their powers to dispel warp-taint and ward the citadel against psychic intrusions. It is said that during this time, echoes of past battles can be heard in the winds, as if the very storms around the citadel carry the voices of the honored dead.
The Bastions of Iron Thunder
Defending the approaches to Dargaard are the Bastions of Iron Thunder, a network of defensive fortresses and outposts built into the mountain slopes and cliffs below the Citadel. These bastions are equipped with heavy artillery, turret-mounted lascannons, anti-aircraft emplacements, and void shields capable of withstanding sustained orbital bombardments. Each bastion is garrisoned by squads of Tempest Knights, ready to repel any invaders that might attempt to scale the treacherous paths leading to the Citadel.
The Iron Thunder Bastions are also home to Storm Talon gunships and Land Speeder squadrons, providing the Chapter with rapid-response capabilities across the rugged terrain of Exsteros. The Tempest Knights' reconnaissance teams and scout marines patrol these outposts, ever watchful for signs of xenos, traitor forces, or any threats that might endanger their fortress-monastery.
The banners of each Company hang within the gates of the bastions, serving as symbols of unity and reminders of duty to the battle-brothers who serve there. These bastions represent the unyielding spirit of the Tempest Knights, embodying the defensive prowess and tenacity that the Chapter is known for.
The Symbol of Unbreakable Resolve
The Citadel of Dargaard is more than just a fortress; it is the spiritual heart of the Tempest Knights Chapter. It is a symbol of their unbreakable resolve and eternal vigilance, standing firm against the darkness that threatens the Imperium. Within its walls, the traditions of the Chapter are upheld, and the newest generation of Astartes are trained, forged into the warriors of the storm that the Chapter prides itself upon. To the Tempest Knights, the Citadel of Dargaard is more than just a home—it is a sacred bastion, a place where the storms of war are met with the unyielding power of the Emperor’s wrath.
Notable Campaigns
- Compliance of the Goros Spiral (ca. Mid 800s.M32) - This was a joint Imperial Compliance campaign conducted by multiple Adeptus Astartes Chapters, including the Tempest Knights and the Death Templars in a region of space known as the Goros Spiral. The Gorosites were well-versed in the art of building fortresses, and their strongholds were dug deep around narrow passes, remote hilltops and natural barriers in the landscape. Once again, the Tempest Knights were sent to a resistant star system to conduct brutal siege warfare against formidable fortress-builders. The Gorosites knew their craft well and the campaign to take their world for the Imperium proved both bitter and hostile.
Tempest Knight fighting in the defence of the Cadian Gate during the 3rd Black Crusade.
- 3rd Black Crusade (909.M32) - Abaddon the Despoiler launches his Third Black Crusade, sending the Daemon Prince Tallomin against the Cadian Gate in a reckless and bloody frontal assault, after convincing the Neverborn that bathing in the blood of loyal Adeptus Astartes would grant him untold strength and power to crush his daemonic rivals. The daemonic horde that followed in Tallomin's wake accounts for the destruction of millions of lives and draws in several Astra Militarum regiments and nearly a dozen Space Marine Chapters from across the Segmentum Obscurus. The Tempest Knights answer the Imperium's call to war and help with the defence of the Cadian Gate, playing an instrumental role in holding the daemonic hordes at bay, and buying enough time for their Space Wolves allies to drive the Daemon Prince screaming back into the Warp, however, unknown to the Imperial defenders, Abaddon had already achieved his nefarious goal, destroying the remains of Saint Gerstahl upon the shrine of the world named after the Imperial saint, forestalling any chance of fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
- Imdali Nebula War (Late.M32) - Almost the entire Tempest Knights Chapter takes to the field, and it is recorded that all three of the Sacred Standards of the Chapter flew above the scene of that great triumph.
- The Tenebra Uprising (014-103.M33) - The Tenebra Uprising was a massive sub-sector wide conflict that erupted in the Tenebra Sub-Sector located in the Caligari Sector, an ancient and nearly forgotten region located on the fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus. Several forge worlds formed an outlaw-technocracy, declaring their independence from the Imperium proper, and soon began raiding nearby worlds in their obsessive quest to obtain lost technology. When word reached the ears of the High Twelve, they immediately dispatched a large Imperial castigation Crusade in order to bring the wrath of the Emperor down upon the upstart forge worlds. Several Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, including the Tempest Knights, Death Templars, the Blades of the Lion and the Imperius Ravagers, alongside several Astra Militarum regiments and Skitarii forces of multiple forge worlds, joined the Imperial Crusade to take back the disputed sub-sector. As the conflict ensued for over a decade, the staggering death toll continued to climb into the hundreds of millions. With no end in sight, and lacking the resources to end the conflict decisively, the Imperial forces blockaded the system, to contain the sessionist technocracy forces. From the outer dark, an unknown Imperial force soon arrived, unheralded and unlooked for - the mysterious and previously unknown Space Marine Chapter, the Shadow Talons. With the arrival of such a fierce force, the tide of the entire conflict was about to shift in the Imperium's favour. Without preamble, the Shadow Talons officially entered the conflict during the Siege of Metis, which was under siege by both the Blades of the Lion and the Tempest Knights Chapters. Launching an all-out assault on the forge world's capital city, launching a Vanguard Strike force deep into the bowels of capital city's primary forge. Once they reached their intended target, the forge's main reactors, and then in an act of pure malice, they planted melta charges. In a series of coordinated explosions, the Shadow Talons caused a catastrophic chain reaction, which resulted in significant damage to the capital. The Siege of Meratis was effectively ended, and though the cost was high, it was nothing compared to the lives that would've been lost had the siege been protracted. Following the end of this conflict, the Shadow Talons would continue prosecuting this campaign, reaping a huge tally in enemy lives and establishing a fell reputation as harbingers of death.
- The Pentarchy of Death (732.M33) - In a dark and chaotic period of Imperium's history, the Segmentum Obscurus was thrown into anarchy, causing great distress within the Imperium of Man. To restore order and enact their judgement upon the traitorous elements, the High Lords of Terra convened the Pentarchy of Death. This council consisted of five Last Wall Chapters: Tempest Knights, Holy Hospitallers, Mortiferous Shades, Death Templars, and the Revealers. Tasked with the responsibility of bringing justice and retribution, the Pentarchy of Death systematically targeted and destroyed ten Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes which were deemed Traitoris Perdita (meaning "Lost Traitors" in High Gothic). These chapters deviated from their loyal path, succumbing to treachery and betrayal. The Last Wall Chapters unleashed their combined might, bringing devastation to the traitorous Chapters and laying waste to their home worlds. Through coordinated campaigns and overwhelming force, the Pentarchy of Death sought to cleanse the stain of betrayal and purge the heretical elements within their own ranks. The conflict that had plagued the Segmentum Obscurus for nine decades was finally ended through the relentless actions of the Pentarchy of Death. By extinguishing the traitorous Chapters and bringing destruction to their strongholds, the Pentarchy aimed to reestablish order and restore the Imperium's grip on the affected regions. This hidden and purged chapter of history is shrouded in mystery and often lost to the annals of time, known only through whispers and fragments of information. However, its impact on the Imperium's struggle against internal chaos and treachery remains a haunting reminder of the sacrifices made to uphold the Emperor's will.
- Red Stars Campaign (732-822.M33) - The Kulgotha System was an isolated system known for its abundant mineral resources and attracted the attention of various xenos factions. The Imperium of Man sought to secure and claim the system, leading to numerous battles against the xenos forces present. During the Red Stars Campaign, multiple Space Marine Chapters, including the Tempest Knights, participated in the conflicts. The Tempest Knights, renowned for their martial prowess and dedication to the Imperium, played a significant role in several battles fought throughout the campaign. One notable engagement in which the Tempest Knights deployed in full Chapter strength was the climactic Battle of Vermilac Prime. This battle marked a turning point in the campaign, as the combined forces of the Imperium fought against the xenos invaders for control of the crucial planet Vermilac Prime. With the Tempest Knights and other Space Marine Chapters at the forefront, the Imperium launched a massive offensive to drive out the xenos forces and secure the planet. The battle was fierce and intense, with both sides vying for supremacy. Through their unmatched combat skills and unwavering determination, the Space Marines played a crucial role in achieving victory for the Imperium. The successful conclusion of the Red Stars Campaign resulted in the complete scouring of the Kulgotha System of xenos presence and the establishment of Imperial control. The mineral-rich resources of the system would now be exploited for the benefit of the Imperium of Man.
- Destruction of WAAAGH! Gloomrippa (892-898.M33) - The Tempest Knights, alongside several other Space Marine Chapters and Tekarn Armoured Regiments of the Astra Militarum, eradicate the Ork invasion led by Warboss Krugzad Gloomrippa. The campaign takes place on the Imperial hive world of Malcron, a critical industrial hub in the Tarnak Sector, where millions of Imperial citizens toiled in vast manufactoria. The battle would become known as one of the bloodiest conflicts in the planet's history, testing the resilience of the defenders and the unyielding aggression of the Ork horde. Even in victory, Malcron remained vigilant, knowing that the Ork menace might one day return to threaten the Tarnak Sector again. But for now, the planet could breathe free, its skies cleared of the greenskin invaders, and its people could begin to rebuild under the watchful eyes of the Emperor's chosen warriors.
- The Cordia VI Campaign (475.M34) - The 6th Great Company of the Tempest Knigts Chapter advanced 4,000 kilometres in a bold, armour-borne operation, crossing the Burning Plains of Cordia VI's equatorial deserts and toppling the outflanked and ill-prepared rebel theocracy in a single night of retribution. The Tempest Knights instigated a purge of the population, after which the people of Cordia VI were declared free of heresy. Before taking their leave of the war zone, the Chapter asserted recruitment rights over the population, from which it draws Aspirants to this day.
- The Anteus Crusade (521-537.M34) - The Tempest Knights participated in the Anteus Crusade, which led to the conquest of the Kampala Sector for the Imperium, fighting alongside elements from their fellow Scions of Dorn Successor Chapters, the Death Templars and Holy Hospitallers 2nd Priory. Anteus was a long-isolated star system, only rediscovered by the Imperium in the mid 34th Millennium on the outer fringes of the galaxy. Attempts were made to integrate its worlds into the Imperium, but the system had long been prosperous and independent, and scorned Imperial interference. The first missionaries from the Missionaria Galaxia were slaughtered, but when a second group of Imperial priests came to the system they brought with them the three Scions of Dorn Chapters and brought back the Kampala Sector under Imperial Compliance.
The Tempest Knights cleansing the Hive World of Hielara II from the threat of the Cult of the Tenebrous Claw.
- The Cleansing of Hive Jetreon (Unknown Date.M35) - Sometime in M35, a hidden Genestealer Cult was discovered by agents of the Ordo Xenos, hidden far below the massive hive sprawl complex of Hive Jetreon, the capital hive of the massive Imperial hive world of Hielara II. This vitally important hive world had long been played a vital role as an industrial powerhouse within the local sub-sector, manufacturing weapons for the Astra Militarum as well as mining valuable minerals utilised in the construction of Imperial Navy vessels. But life on the hive world was harsh, and often, the conditions under which the local workers were forced to conduct their labour was harsh in the extreme. This world had often been subjected to civil unrest and worker strikes over several centuries. Unfortunately, before any further intel could be culled by the agents on the ground, all contact with them were lost. Troubled by this turn of events, Ordo Xenos Inquisitors contacted the nearby crusading Tempest Knights Space Marine Chapter, which eagerly responded to the call-to-arms by the Lord Inquisitor in charge. Requisitioning several units of Inquisitorial Storm Troopers as well as several regiments of the formidable Morana Black Guard Astra Militarum, the sizeable Imperial purgation force made its way towards the besieged planet in order to end the scourge of the hidden Genestealer Cult. Once they arrived upon the surface of the hive world, the hidden Genestealer Cult - now firmly established as the Cult of the Tenebrous Claw - led a planetary-wide rebellion against the interlopers who dared to trespass on their domain. The troops of the Morana Black Guard, alongside the local Planetary Defence Forces, utilised excessive force and raw suppression to halt the vast tides of the rebellious population, resulting in the probable and unnecessary deaths of millions of civilians. Meanwhile, the Tempest Knights and their Inquisitorial Storm Trooper allies fought their way through the throng of Genestealer Hybrids and corrupt cultists, making their way towards the tunnels located below the surface of the hive city's manufactorum. It was determined by the Chapter's Librarians that the Underhive would be the most likely spot from which the cult's Patriarch would reside. The Veteran Marines' conviction, fire and fury proved to be a decisive factor in the Tempest Knights' success in penetrating several stories beneath the hive capital. The Terminator elite fought through hundreds of Genestealer Cultists as they plumbed ever deeper into the depths of the corrupted hive world, until they finally reached the dark and foreboding reaches of the Underhive. The Tempest Knights elite 1st Great Company made their way through the twisted pathways and industrial warrens that honeycombed the vast darkness of this darkened and claustrophobic region of the capital's underbelly, purging hundreds of cultists and even Purestrain Genestealers with fire, bolter and blade. Fighting their way through the ravenous hordes, they eventually reached their intended target and faced the horror of the cult's Patriarch. Though they suffered horrific casualties during this encounter, the Tempest Knights finally managed to end the threat of the cult's leader. With the death of the xenos monstrosity, the cohesion and coordination of the Genestealer Cult forces was effectively broken. Within a matter of days, the Astra Militarum and local PDF forces managed to quell the world-wide rebellion, and the Tempest Knights managed to finally purge the final remnants of the insidious cult within a week, successfully eradicating the threat of the Cult of the Tenebrous Claw from the galaxy.
- Smoldering of Wrath (965.M35) - In the latter centuries of M35, several system located adjacent to the infamous tear in reality, known as the Maelstrom, were subjected to a massive invasion by the Forces of Chaos. During this tumultuous period, severe warp surges had cut off many of these systems from the rest of the Imperium, making warp travel a dangerous prospect. These volatile region of the galaxy had long been subjected to attacks by those who followed the Dark Gods as well as renegades that sought refuge within the hellish realm of the Maelstrom. For several decades, the Word Bearers and their Chaos Cultist allies lorded over these helpless systems, as they fell one at time to the overwhelming and destructive power of the chaotic crusade of destruction. Unwilling to let this stand, an Imperial Crusade was called by Imperial authorities, and a general call-to-arms was sent throughout the Segmentum. Several Astra Militarum Regiments, Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii and Orders of the Adepta Sororitas answered the call. They were quickly joined by a triumvirate of bellicose and unforgiving Space Marine Chapters, including the Tempest Knights, Imperius Ravagers and Wardens of Orask. The Imperial Crusade launched a multi-pronged assault into the closest system and began to break the Heretic's lines. Using rapid strikes attacks, the three Space Marine Chapters spearheaded the Imperial assault, winning hundred of battles, but only managed to slow the Heretic's rampage as they focused the majority of their efforts on those worlds being overrun with daemonic legions. The long and bloody conflict culminated in an epic final confrontation upon the enslaved shrine world of Pictoris, where the Forces of Chaos had covered the entire surface with blasphemous temples to the Dark Gods. The Tempest Knights and their brother Chapters broke the back of the Chaos overlords and put every single Traitor to the sword, leaving behind hundreds of mounds of piled skulls - a grotesque display to serve as a stark reminder and a dire warning to those that would make truck with the Ruinous Powers.
- Siege of Velorum Prime (405.M36) - In 400.M36, the civilised world of Velorum Prime was lorded over by the megalomaniacal Planetary Governor Doros Vidius, who ruled the planet with an iron fist. He led a violent and cruel regime, and often exercised his sadistic tendencies on those that displeased. Many Imperial scholars believe that the Vidius' behaviour was the result of daemonic possession or that he was a willing follower of the Dark Gods. Shortly after he rose to power through various nefarious means (such as extortion and murder) he declared his world's indepence from the 'tyrannical rule' of the False Emperor and personally insulted the Master of Mankind. He also (allegedly) sacrificed thousands of Imperial officials to his patron daemon. The actions of such a disreputable individual could not stand. In response, the local Segmentum Imperial High Command send several detachments of elite Tempestus Scions to quell the world-wide uprisings, but became bogged down in the deadly urban warfare fought within the planet's vast mega-city sprawls, which had been preparing for several years for just such a response from the Imperium. The conflict quickly bogged down into a stalemate, as both sides became deadlocked in a conflict that saw no end in sight. After nearly five years, the High Lords of Terra decided that enough was enough, and so, they sent official orders to both the Tempest Knights and the Blades of Dorn Chapters to help bring the ongoing conflict to a decisive conclusion. When word reached both the Tempest Knights and the Blades of Dorn of Vidius' cruelty and heretical practices, both Chapters immediately mobilised for war, intent on crushing the rebellious Planetary Governor's rebellion. When both Chapters arrived in-system, they immediately held a war council to decide on how best to proceed. Both Chapter Masters expressed their desire of having the honour of personally slaying the heretic governor, and discussed their plans until they both came to an accord. Since the Tempest Knights were the senior Chapter, the Blades acquiesced, and agreed to grant the venerable Chapter the honour of leading the assault on the governor's palace. By dawn the following day, the Tempest Knights launched an orbital assault on the heavily fortified capital. Meanwhile, both Chapters teleported their elite 1st Great Company formations directly into the heart of the palace itself, while the rebellious planetary forces were distracted by the Tempest Knights' initial orbital assault. The Terminator-armoured elite cracked open the supposedly "unassailable" palace and proceeded to massacre the governor's rebellious forces. Outmatched and outgunned, the mortal soldiers were slaughtered in a hail of assault cannon and storm bolter fire and slashing lightning claws. Fighting their way to the governor's command bunker, the Veteran Marines slaughtered all those that opposed them, and broke their way inside, past the bunker's formidable defences. Once inside, the Chapter Master of the Tempest Knights personally slew the heretic governor and took as his head as a grisly trophy. After flensing the head of slain governor and dipping it in gold, he sent the gruesome trophy by Space Marine envoy to the Segmentum High Command. Upon the gleaming surface of the brilliantly shining gold-plated skull were etched the Tempest Knights Chapter Master's words, "Thus, perish all traitors to the Emperor."
Azrael Kain, champion of the Tempest Knights, bests the competition after narrowly defeating the Iron Scorpions' champion to win the Feast of Blades.
- The 100th Feast of Blades (549.M41) - The ravages of war imposed that only ten Chapters were in attendance at this Feast. The Tempest Knights' champion, Azrael Kain, won the competition after narrowly defeating the Iron Scorpions' champion in a ritual duel.
- 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - As the end of the 41st Millennium drew closer, the first signs of Abaddon's long-feared return came in the form of numerous sightings of drifting vessels emerging from the Warp in the sectors of Imperial space surrounding the Eye of Terror. The Tempest Knights along with their fellow brother chapter the Death Templars, made all haste to the bastion world of Cadia. When they finally arrived, the Chapter's fleet astropaths received disturbing reports from the Hive World of Tabor, located within the Agripinaa Sector, that they were besieged by none other than the brutal World Eaters Khornate Berzerker, Khârn, the so-called "Betrayer," who had fallen upon that doomed world and shed the blood of its brave defenders in the name of the Blood God. The Imperial forces hoped to make gains upon Tabor and across the Agripinaa Sector by attempting to contain Khârn's mad rampage. But the blood-crazed berzerker was not alone, as he was followed by a sizable force comprised of Khorne Berzerkers. When the two opposing forces met upon the field of battle they stained the ground of Tabor red with blood. But in the end, the Tempest Knights and Death Templars were shattered as a cohesive force, as nearly half the both Chapters fell to the bite of Khârn's infamous chainaxe, Gorechild. As the followers of the Blood God hated all psykers, the majority of these casualties were from the Chapter's Librarius. The Chapter's spiritual leaders also suffered grievous losses as well. Both were almost completely wiped out. Despite their horrendous losses, the Tempest Knights nor the Death Templars would not leave the field of battle when an enemy still stood, but were forced to make a tactical withdrawal, when another large Word Eaters warband, Gladiator Group 138, arrived on Tybor to take part in the slaughter. The Death Templar's Lord Marshal Valdar swore a mighty oath against Khârn -- that he would seek the blood-mad killer across the width and breadth of the galaxy -- promising him that he would die by the Lord Marshal's hands. Valdar would be the one to finally end him and claim his grisly prize -- Khârn's head -- in retribution for all the slain Death Templars and Tempest Knights at the butcher's hands.
- Indomitus Crusade (999.M41-Ongoing) - At the climax of the 13th Black Crusade, the titanic forces unleashed upon Cadia, caused the doomed fortress world to break apart and be consumed by the ever-expanding Eye of Terror. With the veil of reality and Immaterium finally fraying to the extreme, the Materium was ripped apart as a large warp storm of prodigious size, tore open across the width of the known galaxy - from the Eye of Terror to the Hadex Anomoly in the Eastern Fringe. To escape the doomed Agripinaa System, the Tempest Knights and Death Templars were forced to withdraw to escape the gaping tear in reality. Despite suffering grievous losses, the Tempest Knights and Death Templars continued to fight on, to perform their Emperor-given mandate of bringing death to the myriad of foes that assail Mankind and the Emperor's sovereign domain. In the meantime, a miracle had occurred on the Ultramarines' home world of Macragge - the resurrection of the long-dead Primarch Roboute Guilliman! Taking command of his Chapter, the Avenging Son fought a brilliant campaign, cleansing his home world of the foul taint of Chaos. He then launched his Terran Crusade towards Terra, in order to reach the Throneworld in order to speak with his father, the Emperor of Mankind. After much trial and tribulations, Guilliman reached his destination. After speaking with his father, Guilliman assumed command of the entirety of the Imperium's military forces as well as his former position as the Lord Commander of the Imperium. He then revealed his ultimate contingency plan that had been ten millennia in the making - the creation of the genetically superior transhuman warriors - the Primaris Space Marines. Launching his new armada to take the fight to Chaos, the Indomitus fleet encountered dozens of battered and bloodied Chapters, including the Tempest Knights and the Death Templars, and led by their Progenitors, the Imperial Fists. The Chapter Masters gathered aboard the Primarch's flagship and swore their fealty to the only known living son of the Emperor. Humbled, Guilliman then revealed the Primaris Space Marines. They were arrayed in the various livery of the Chapters that now stood before the Grand Master of the Tempest Knights and the Lord Marshall of the Death Templars. Guilliman presented them to the venerable commanders of the Adeptus Astartes, and ensured that those Chapters that had suffered significant losses would be bolstered by these superior gene-crafted warriors. With their Chapter's numbers fully restored, the Tempest Knights along with the Death Templars launched their crusade anew, intent on ridding the galaxy of the foul presence of the apostate, the heretic, xenos and daemonic.
Chapter Organisation
The Tempest Knights are a hardened, veteran force fully able to embrace the concepts of the Codex Astartes, like their predecessors the Imperial Fists, adhering to the precepts of the Codex in spirit, but deviate in several regards. All ranks are able to make tactical decisions and are encouraged to act on their own initiative. The Tempest Knights combine all arms in flexible balanced battle groups each of which can present an opponent with a diversity of threats, then press their attack so swiftly that the foe is overwhelmed before he can react.
Squad Formations
- Armiger-Knight Squad - Veteran Marine entitled to wear Terminator Armour as well as their own heraldic arms.
- Knight-Errant Squad - Veteran Marine Squad equivalent.
- Skirmisher Squad - Close Support Squad equivalent.
- Bombardier Squad - Fire Support Squad equivalent.
- Phalanx Squad - Battleline Squad equivalent.
- Vanguard Squad - Scout Marine Squad equivalent.
Officer Ranks
- Grand Master - Chapter Master equivalent.
- Seneschal - First Captain equivalent.
- Field Marshal - A Marshal who is given a temporary appointment as commander of a Tempest Knights Strike Force consisting of two or more companies.
- Marshal - Captain equivalent.
- Castellan of Exteros - Master of the Keep equivalent, this title is reserved for the Space Marine captain who has been designated to serve as the Chapter Master's second-in-command and will serve as the regent of the Chapter homeworld in those cases where the Chapter Master is off-world or has been incapacitated. The title is usually borne by the Marshal of the elite 1st Great Company.
- Castellan of the Watch - Master of the Watch equivalent, this Space Marine captain serves as the sentinel of the fortress-monastery. He is responsible for the defence of his Chapter's base of operations and homeworld in the absence of the Chapter Master. This title is usually given to the Marshal of the 2nd Great Company though the Great Company that is charged with the garrisoning of the fortress-monastery is allotted to a different Great Company on a rotational basis.
- Castrum of Ordnance - Master of the Arsenal equivalent, this Space Marine captain is charged by his Chapter Master with overseeing his Chapter's arsenal of weapons and munitions. This special duty is traditionally given to those officers who serve as the Marshal of the Chapter's 3rd Great Company.
- Castellan of the Fleet - Master of the Fleet equivalent, this Space Marine captain is deemed to have the most experience and greatest skill at planning and executing void-combats. He is given command of the Chapter fleet, and essentially serves as the Chapter's fleet admiral, commanding its flagship and all other space assets when they deploy for major engagements. The title is traditionally given to the Marshal of the 4th Great Company.
- Castellan of the Marches - Master of the Marches equivalent, this Space Marine commander has the vital duty of overseeing the deployment of the Chapter's fighting strength. It is his knowledge of Chapter dispositions the Chapter Master turns to when readying for war. This title is reserved for the Marshal of the 5th Great Company.
- Castellan of Ceremonies - Master of the Rites equivalent, this Space Marine commander is charged with recording and preserving the martial traditions of the Chapter -- a bombastic, courageous warrior with unswerving loyalty to his Battle-Brothers. This individual exudes a sense of martial pride and fervour to those around them. The Castellan of Ceremonies roars inspiring rhetoric during the heat of battle, reminding his Battle-Brothers to remember their duty and heritage, even as they clash with the foe. This title is traditionally the Marshal of the 6th Great Company.
- Castellan of the Logisticiam - Chief Victualler equivalent, this Space Marine commander is responsible for all the Chapter's logistical and supply needs, particularly those pertaining to food, drink and the other personal requirements of the Chapter's Knight-Brothers and human support personnel. This title is traditionally held by the Marshal of the 7th Great Company.
- Castellan of Blades - Lord Executioner equivalent, this Space Marine commander is a brutal and direct individual, not so much given to glittering heroics and flamboyant challenges as short, bloody and efficiant melee combats. Clutching his favoured master-crafted melee weapon in his hands, he strides purposely foward in battle, the expression of a stone cold killer writ on hsi face as he heads towards his grim duty. Of all the Marshals within the Chapter, the Castellan of Blades is the most menacing. This title is reserved for the Marshal of the 8th Great Company.
- Castellan of Sieges - Master of Relics equivalent, this Space Marine commander is an unmatched expert in the tactics of long-ranged warfare. He is also the custodian of the Chapter's many technological masterpieces, the most dangerous of which are brought to the battlefield in times of exceptional strife. The Castellan of Sieges is traditionally the Marshal of the 9th Great Company.
- Castellan of Squires - Master of Recruits equivalent, this Space Marine commaner is the officer who oversees the Squires (Neophytes). He is a skilled Veteran of hundreds of battles and a shrewd judge of character, easily able to determine what will bring out the best in the genetically-altered adolescents who survived their Aspirant Trials and transform them into true Astartes. The Castellan of Squires is an expert in the irregular forms of combat that define the missions of Vanguards (Scout Marine Squads, including sabotage, infiltration and counterinsurgency.
- Under-Marshal - Lieutenant equivalent, first officer that serves under a Marshal.
- Master of Signal - One of the two Under-Marshals of the 9th Great Company, this junior officer is commonly attached to the forward elements of the 8th Great Company, providing communications support across the wider warzone. His is capable of calling down a pinpoint bombardment from either orbiting fleet assets or static artillery positions nearby, engulfing the foes of Mankind in flaming destruction.
- Master of Reconnaissance - One of the two Under-Marshals of the 11th Great Company, this junior officer is chosen by his Marshal for his aptitude for covert operations. He is responsible for overseeing the Vanguard Space Marines of the Chapter, typically from the 11th Great Company (Primaris Company).
Senior Specialist Ranks
- High Prelate - Reclusiarch equivalent.
- High Clerist - Chief Librarian equivalent.
- High Medicus - Chief Apothecary equivalent.
- Forge-Thane - Master of the Forge equivalent.
Specialist Ranks
- Prelate-Brother - Chaplain equivalent.
- Clerist - Librarian equivalent.
- Medicus - Apothecary equivalent.
- Forge-Smith - Techmarine equivalent.
- Sword Champion - Company Champion equivalent.
- Vexillary - Standard Bearer equivalent.
- August Brethren - Formal title when referring to one of the Chapter's Dreadnoughts.
Line Ranks
- Sergeant-at-Arms - Senior sergeant of the Chapter.
- Armiger-Sergeant - Veteran Sergeant equivalent.
- Preceptor-Sergeant - Sergeant equivalent.
- Knight-Brother - Battle-Brother equivalent.
- Vanguard - Scout Marine equivalent.
- Squire - Neophyte equivalent.
- Initiate - Aspirant equivaelent.
Specialist Units & Formations
- Templar Brethren - The Templar Brethren, or Templars, are the elite of the 1th Great Company. They are the Guardians of the Temple of Swords and the Chapter's most highly accomplished warriors. Warriors of unequalled zeal, the Templar Brethren's relentless determination and matchless skill are the hallmarks of this deadly company, whose punishing recruitment protocol ensured that only the finest Tempest Knights bare this proud heraldry. Though their duty bound them to the Temple of Swords, these dauntless warriors are found wherever the Tempest Knights' carry the Emperor's crusade to unify Mankind. They bare the best wargear that the armouries of the 1st Great Company can provide. With their superior skill in battle and the finest weapons at their disposal. Excelling in close combat, the Templar Brethren wield Power Swords in battle, whilst their Combat Shields provided much-needed protection as they fight on the frontline in addition to their ornate Armour. Few enemies of Mankind seldom survive the first shattering charge of the Templar Brethren and have little chance of overcoming their defences.
- Emperor's Champion - At the very height of the Battle of Terra, Siege of the Emperor's Palace during the Horus Heresy, Captain Sigismund, First Captain of the Imperial Fists Legion, was tasked by his Primarch Rogal Dorn with leading the ground battle whilst the Emperor, Dorn, and Sanguinius led the assault on the Traitor Warmaster's Battle-Barge. Sigismund was chosen as Emperor's Champion because he was filled with such devotion to the Father of Mankind, and to the Imperium and the Great Crusade that had created it, that he was a shining exemplar of all that the Legiones Astartes were and could be. The oath he took when he accepted the mantle of Emperor's Champion resounded through the ages, and was so weighty that it could never be broken. While Sigismund's beloved Emperor fell on that day, the Emperor's Champion prevailed and, with Horus defeated, the vile hosts on the surface were routed. Ever since the Battle of Terra, it has become a cherished tradition amongst the Tempest Knights to field one who the High Prelate has proclaimed the Emperor's Champion. On the eve of battle, the Tempest Knight pray, fast, and meditate upon their duty, and it is not uncommon for one amongst their number to be blessed with some form of vision that speaks to him of his duty and shows him portents of things yet to come. The Battle-Brother then presents himself to the Prelate-Brothers and confesses his vision and if he is found true, is declared to be the Emperor's Champion. The Battle-Brother is ritually prepared for the coming battle, the attendants of the Reclusiam cladding him in the Armour of Faith and presenting him with the Black Sword. The Emperor's Champion will seek out the greatest champions and leaders amongst the ranks of the enemy and strike them down in the fury of single combat. In so doing, he acts as a shining beacon of faith by which the enemy is cast back and the warriors of the Emperor are driven to ever-greater acts of valour. Having taken up the trappings of the Emperor's Champion, the Battle-Brother remains as such only until his vision is fulfilled and he returns to the Watch Fortress. Only by the word of the High Prelate is his duty discharged, and he resumes his place in the ranks once more.
Non-Astartes Personnel
- Claviger - Most senior of the Lay Servants. Oversees the day-to-day operations of those subordinate to him.
- Esquire - Senior ranking Chapter serfs that have faithfully served the Chapter for several decades of loyal, dedicated service.
- Man-at-Arms - Known also as an armsman, these stalwart retainers serve as the maintainers of a Preceptor-Brother's arms and equipment.
- Page - Chapter Serf that attends to a Knight-Brother.
- Journeyman - A lay servant skilled in a given trade of craft such as vessel operations, engineering, building or basic maintenance and upkeep of a Knight-Brother's weapons and power armour.
- Lay Servant - Chapter Serf equivalent that performs the menial duties and day-to-day operations around the fortress-monastery and Chapter fleet vessels.
Order of Battle
Chapter Command
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| Armoury | Reclusium | Apothecarion | Librarius | Fleet Command |
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Companies
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| 1st Great Company | 2nd Great Company | 3rd Great Company | 4th Great Company | 5th Great Company |
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| Reserve Companies | Scout Company | |||
| 6th Great Company | 7th Great Company | 8th Great Company | 9th Great Company | 10th Great Company |
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| 11th Great Company | |||||
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All Primaris Sapce Marines are assigned to this Great Company and include all specialists unique to their kind, which are utilised as a reserve force for the main Battle Companies. |
Chapter Recruitment
Though Exsteros is the Tempest Knights' home, it is not the only planet from which they actively recruit. The Tempest Knights established the practice of recruiting on many worlds in the Devolin Sector. The Chapter annually recruits from the surrounding system for potential Initiates (Aspirants) to bring back to Exsteros to conduct the Festival of the Battle of Wills. Through the course of this ceremony, Initiate are subjected to a battery of trials that are used to evaluate their martial, mental, and spiritual prowess. Few of those who attempt the trial make it to the later stages. For those who do, the final challenge requires a worthy Initiate to travel deep into the planet's forest and kill a Wyverns with their bare hands. Each year, there are few who manage to complete this brutally challenging test. However, those who successfully survive are far more likely to complete their initiation into the Tempest Knights Chapter than are Initiates with most other Chapters.
Upon recruitment, a Tempest Knight Neophyte will serve in the Chapter's 10th Great Company as a Squire (Scout Marine) just as in any other Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter. Upon completing the ritual known as "The Blooding", the Squire goes on to become a full Battle-Brother of the Chapter and takes his place in one of the Tempest Knights' Reserve Companies. Failed Initiates, primarily those whose bodies proved metabolically and/or immunologically unable to accept the Chapter's gene-seed and Astartes implants, become Chapter Serfs.
Chapter Gene-Seed
As a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion, the Tempest Knights share their genetic legacy with their genetic forebears, and have inherited many of the characteristics of their common Primarch, Rogal Dorn. The Chapter's gene-seed is highly stable, though like the Imperial Fist, the Tempest Knights' genome also lacks the Betcher's Gland that allows a Space Marine to spit corrosive acid, as well as the Sus-an Membrane that allows an Astartes to enter a life-sustaining state of deep hibernation. The Tempest Knights' gene-seed is remarkably stable and healthy, free of all other major mutations and Chaotic contamination.
Like their Progenitors, the Tempest Knights are more than willing to fight to the last, holding their ground and will see themselves triumph or die in the attempt. This expression of duty can become exaggerated in members of the Chapter after long periods in combat. In these instances the Battle-Brother sees only death; the death of his comrades, the death of his world, and the death of his foes. A Tempest Knight believes that the only righteous path lies in the expenditure of his life for these purposes and he faces his death with a stoic heart and a single-mindedness that can only lead to the complete annihilation of everything and everyone he faces, eventually including even himself and those who fight beside him.
Primarch's Curse: Only Honour In Death
All Space Marines are the product of their genetic inheritance, benefiting from its blessings as well as suffering from its shortcomings, and the Tempest Knights are no different then their Progenitors. The Primarch of the Tempest Knights was a deeply devoted warrior who fought tirelessly at the right hand of the Emperor, but even this towering exemplar had his flaws, as he himself is known to have acknowledged. Perhaps because of his dedication, Dorn was devastated when the Emperor fell, and shouldered far more than his fair share of the blame. He cast himself into a crusade of redemption that only ended in the terrible crucible of the Iron Cage, re-forging the Legion in the bloody furnace of war. Dorn's glorious legacy lives on through his sons, but so too does his curse.
The Tempest Knights consider that the only righteous path lies in the expenditure of their lives for these purposes and will face them with a stoic heart and a single-mindedness that can only lead to the complete annihilation of everything and everyone he faces, often eventually including himself and those that fight beside him. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:
- Stage 1 (No Retreat) - As the odds mount so does the Battle-Brother's stubborn refusal to retreat, seeing only the glory and honour in defeating such overwhelming foes if even the barest glimmer of victory remains. Even if the doctrine and teaching of the Codex Astartes dictate retreat or flexible defence, the Battle-Brother will be loath to disengage until there is absolutely no choice, though often this can come too late.
- Stage 2 (Suffer not Defeat) - Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for the Battle-Brother and he would rather die fighting than accept that he has failed. This can lead to reckless behaviour as he throws himself into the fray or takes on excessive odds to win when prudence and tactical reason would dictate he withdraw.
- Stage 3 (Unto Death) - The Battle-Brother has come to accept that perhaps only the cost of his own life will be enough to secure victory and is gladly willing to give it up. This can have dire consequences should the circumstances present him with a chance to martyr himself for the Emperor and bring ruin to the enemies of the Imperium. Should a Battle-Brother suffer mortal wounds, he gains a fatalistic desire to sell his life for the cause and will choose to expend his own life for a chance at victory or the safety of his brothers. This means he will fight on regardless of his wounds and continue to attack or place himself in the path of attacks even though the next blow could mean his end. He will also gladly accept suicidal or near-suicidal tasks (such as disarming unstable warheads, leading a forlorn hope or holding a breach to buy time for his companions) without complaint.
Chapter Beliefs
The Tempest Knights feel a strong contempt for people who worship the Emperor of Mankind as a God and adhere to the dictates of the Imperial Creed, and have on more than one occasion refused to help the Inquisition or the Ecclesiarchy. This behaviour has given them many high-ranking enemies within the bureaucracy of the Imperium but also has developed a reputation for the Tempest Knights of favouring steadfast justice and honesty. The Knights hold true to the memory of the Emperor's wishes that superstition and religion be cast aside by Mankind, though they continue to revere him as the paragon of what humanity should aspire to emulate.
Matters of Honour
The Tempest Knights are known to have a stern temperament, and guard their honour fervently. Even the most trivial of disagreements can easily escalate to the point where the symbolic shedding of blood seems the simplest way to determine who is in the right. Duels of honour are usually held in an arena located in the Chapter's Fortress-Monastery on Exsteros. Only a fully-fledged battle-brother is permitted to duel. A duel only begins once the terms of victory have been agreed upon by both combatants. The two combatants enter the arena, stepping forward onto the arena floor, stripped to the waist, and each are given a Exsterosian arming sword. Once ready, they will salute the cloaked umpire with their swords; then one another.
One of the combatants begins the duel by announcing the terms of victory. This usually meant, 'to the drawing of first blood'. His opponent would traditionally agree to the terms and the duel would begin in earnest. But if their opponent felt aggrieved enough by the situation, they could chose to fight 'to the death'. To refuse would be cowardice, or a trace of doubt in the rightness of their cause. To take the life of a battle-brother is almost unimaginable - a duel to the death by mutual agreement - the only way in which it could be done without incurring centuries of penitential exile. Even then, the survivor would bear an ineradicable stain on his honour for the rest of his life. In such cases both combatants would be given an arming sword and a misericorde (a long, narrow knife), which could be used to deliver the death stroke (the 'mercy stroke') to a seriously wounded opponent. These duels of honour would be overseen by the Chapter Master. Whoever met the conditions of the duel, be it first blood, or to the death, the duel would then cease -- honour having been satisfied.
Bonds that Strengthen
As Scions of Dorn, the Tempest Knights are known to take part in the Feast of Blades, a traditional competition that is held centennially to foster the bonds of brotherhood and maintain relations between the various Imperial Fists' Successor Chapters. This traditional contest helps to strengthen these bonds of fraternal friendship and to temper them through vigorous competition.
Notable Tempest Knights
Augustine Navarre after crossing over to become a Rubicon Primaris.
- Grand Master Augustine Navarre - Grand Master Augustine Navarre rose to prominence within the Tempest Knights not by ambition, but through the weight of his unbreakable will. From his earliest campaigns, he became known for an almost unnatural calm in the face of ruinous odds, standing as immovable as the fortress walls his Chapter venerates. Where others faltered or bent to despair, Augustine remained resolute, carrying his brothers forward through storms of bolter fire and seas of blood. It was this single minded refusal to yield, coupled with a tactical brilliance sharpened by decades of war, that saw him elevated to the rank of Chapter Master. Those who have fought alongside him describe a warrior who sees beyond the fury of the moment, discerning patterns in the chaos of battle like a duelist anticipating his opponent’s killing stroke.
On the field, Augustine Navarre embodies the Tempest Knights’ creed. He leads not from the safety of command decks but from the very heart of the storm, his blade flashing like lightning amidst the carnage. His skill at arms is legendary within the Chapter, honed through countless duels in the training arenas and proven in a hundred campaigns. Yet it is not only his swordsmanship that inspires his brothers, but his unflinching loyalty to them. Augustine has long held that no warrior is expendable, that each Knight’s life is a sacred oath to the Emperor’s dream. He would never demand a sacrifice he himself would not make; it is this conviction that binds the Chapter to him with bonds of loyalty as fierce as iron.
When news spread of Marneus Calgar’s crossing of the Rubicon Primaris, Augustine’s course was clear. True to his Chapter’s belief that only through sacrifice can victory be earned, he became the first among his brethren to submit to the ordeal. His body was torn apart upon the surgeon’s slab, rebuilt bone by bone, sinew by sinew, until nothing remained but a broken frame barely clinging to life. Yet Augustine endured, whispering prayers not to a god, but to the memory of his gene-sire Rogal Dorn, promising he would rise unbroken. After nearly a full day of agony, the Medicus restored him to wholeness, his frame now towering and reforged in the image of a Primaris Astartes. His survival was more than a personal triumph—it was a beacon to the Chapter, proof that even in death’s shadow, determination and faith in one’s duty could overcome all.
In the years since, Grand Master Navarre has guided the Tempest Knights into the turbulent era of the Indomitus Crusade. His counsel is sought even among wary Imperial commanders, for though his Chapter has earned suspicion and ire from the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition alike, none can deny the effectiveness of their campaigns under his hand. To many, Augustine is the very image of the storm, unyielding, unbowed, and uncompromising in his pursuit of justice. To his Knight-Brothers, he is more: a protector, a father, and the living oath of their Chapter made manifest. Wherever he leads, the Tempest Knights follow, for in him they see both the tempest and the bastion, the blade and the shield, the commander who would stand against eternity itself if only to buy his brothers another hour of life and honour.
- Seneschal Augustine du Lac - Augustine du Lac has long stood as the unshakable pillar at the side of Grand Master Navarre, a warrior whose very presence commands both fear and respect. His rise through the ranks was as inevitable as the tide, for he possessed not only the Tempest Knights’ characteristic endurance but also a singular code of honour that set him apart from his brethren. Even in the most desperate clashes, Augustine du Lac refused to abandon the tenets of knightly conduct, always demanding an enemy face him blade-to-blade, steel to steel. To some, this adherence to principle is seen as prideful folly; to his brothers, it is the living embodiment of their Chapter’s creed. He does not bend to the shadows of deceit, nor does he cheapen his victories with trickery. Instead, he forces his foes to confront him in the purity of single combat, where no excuse or falsehood can shield them from the truth of his blade.
On the battlefield, du Lac is a figure of awe and dread, his massive form striding forward like a mailed titan amidst fire and ruin. His swordsmanship, tempered over centuries of dueling within the Chapter’s practice halls and sharpened in wars without number, has earned him a reputation as one of the Imperium’s finest duelists. Even amongst the Astartes, where all are giants, Augustine du Lac stands taller, his inhuman strength lending terrible weight to each blow. Yet he is not merely brute force; his movements are honed, precise, and almost beautiful in their economy. Those who have faced him and lived tell tales of his implacable advance, of how the storm of his blade stripped away all hope of victory. To fight him is to fight inevitability, for du Lac is as relentless as the crashing tide and as merciless as the storm.
Within the Chapter, he is more than just the First Captain, he is the Seneschal, the right hand of Grand Master Navarre and the one upon whose shoulders the future of the Tempest Knights may yet rest. The bond between master and Seneschal is forged in centuries of war, a mutual trust born of shared battles and shared ideals. Du Lac has stood at Navarre’s side in victories and in bloodied defeats, serving as his counsel, his sword, and his shadow. To the younger Knight Brothers, he is a living exemplar of their creed: honour in all things, justice without compromise, strength without cruelty. Should the Grand Master fall, none doubt that Augustine du Lac would bear the mantle of leadership with the same unyielding resolve. Perhaps, in his hands, the Chapter would grow even harsher, even more uncompromising in their vision of humanity’s destiny. For in the Seneschal burns a storm no less fierce than that which drives his master.
- Marshal Jean-Paul d'Aigremon - Captain of the 2nd Great Company and Castellan of the Watch, is a warrior whose vigilance has become legend within the Tempest Knights. Where others see walls of stone and steel, d’Aigremon sees only the men who hold them, and he is ever among them, walking the ramparts with sword at his hip and helm beneath his arm. Known for his stoic patience and his hawk like gaze, he has broken more sieges through endurance than through reckless charge, teaching his brothers that steadfast resolve is as much a weapon as any blade. Yet he is not without warmth; to the serfs and squires who serve the Chapter, d’Aigremon is a guardian who knows their names and honours their toil, a rare touch of humanity beneath the armour. His brothers whisper that when the thunder of war comes to the Chapter’s gates, none can hold them as Marshal Jean-Paul d’Aigremon does. For he is the Watch made flesh, the oath of vigilance sworn in steel and blood.
- Marshal Raston de Lauzon - Captain of the 3rd Great Company and Castrum of Ordnance, is a master of fire and steel whose voice carries the thunder of cannons as readily as the crack of command. Stern and calculating, he directs the Chapter’s vast arsenals with the precision of a duelist’s blade, orchestrating barrages that break sieges and grind xenos hordes to ash. Unlike many of his knight-brothers, de Lauzon is less a figure of pageantry and more a grim architect of destruction, finding honour not only in the clash of blades but in the mastery of war’s brutal mathematics. Yet those who serve beside him know he is no cold mechanist; every shell fired, every lance unleashed, is weighed against the blood it will save, for he believes each weapon is a covenant between warrior and war. On campaign, his towering presence is marked by a cloak of scorched heraldry and the scent of smoke clinging to him, as though the arsenal itself breathes through his flesh—making him both commander and embodiment of the Chapter’s firepower.
- Marshal Eobar de Mayence - Captain of the 4th Great Company and Castellan of the Fleet, is a seafarer of the void whose soul seems bound to the starry gulfs as much as to his Chapter’s sacred oaths. Patient yet relentless, he commands the Tempest Knights’ warships with the steady hand of a mariner steering through endless storm, his voice calm even as enemy fire rakes across the hull. De Mayence has earned renown for his mastery of void combat, weaving his fleet like a knight’s lance to strike at the heart of foes with unerring precision, and then withdrawing into the dark before the enemy can rally. Among his brothers, he is both admired and feared for his uncanny ability to predict the tide of void-war, as though the Emperor Himself whispers to him through the silence of the stars. Cloaked in a mantle stitched with the faded sigils of ancient campaigns, de Mayence carries himself with the weight of one who has watched suns die and empires burn from the decks of his vessels, yet whose eyes burn ever forward, seeking the next horizon where battle must be joined.
- Marshal Marius De Caux - Captain of the 5th Great Company and Castellan of the Marches, is a warrior whose duty binds him to the wild and war-torn fringes of the Tempest Knights’ domains, where the Imperium’s light burns dim and enemies strike from every shadow. Known for his unyielding vigilance, de Caux is a sentinel as much as a commander, his campaigns often fought in isolation with little hope of reinforcement, yet always carried out with the unshakable honour his Chapter demands. Broad of shoulder and stern of gaze, he is revered among his brothers as the shield of the forgotten, a knight who bears the hardships of the frontier so others may endure. His armour is scarred from centuries of ceaseless patrols and bitter sieges, yet he wears each mark as testimony to his oath—that the Emperor’s realm, no matter how remote, will not fall while he yet draws breath. Even in the darkest reaches of the void, where only silence answers, the name of Marius de Caux is spoken by settlers and soldiers alike as the guardian who never abandons his watch.
- Marshal Roland d'Leoncourt - Captain of the 6th Great Company and Castellan of Ceremonies, is a master of ritual and martial precision, embodying the Tempest Knights’ austere code in both action and tradition. On campaign, he is as formidable as any battlefield commander, leading his warriors with the unwavering discipline of a duelist in the arena, each maneuver executed with deliberate, almost ceremonial grace. Off the field, d’Leoncourt oversees the Chapter’s rites, from induction of aspirants to the solemn consecration of banners and weapons, ensuring that every act is performed in strict accordance with the Chapter’s principles of honour and integrity. His presence is at once inspiring and imposing, for he carries the weight of centuries of accumulated knowledge and a piercing sense of duty that reminds even the most veteran Knight-Brothers that their oaths are sacred. To fight under Roland d’Leoncourt is to feel the perfect union of tradition and warcraft, a living testament to the ideals upon which the Tempest Knights were founded.
- Marshal Dominic Chastain - Captain of the 7th Great Company and Castellan of Logisticiam, is a master of preparation and supply, whose mind maps the vast machinery of war with the same precision that guides his blade in battle. Known among his brothers for his calm, deliberate demeanor, Chastain ensures that every campaign undertaken by the Tempest Knights is executed with flawless coordination—ammunition, armour, and reinforcements all arriving when and where they are most needed. Though few would call him flashy, his presence on the field is unmistakable: a towering figure in cerulean and gold plate, moving through the chaos of combat with the quiet authority of one who knows that victory is won long before the first shot is fired. Beyond logistics, he is a mentor to his Great Company, teaching younger Knights that discipline and foresight are as vital to honour as courage and steel. Under Dominic Chastain, the Tempest Knights move not as scattered warriors, but as a single, unbreakable phalanx, their strength magnified by meticulous planning and unshakable resolve.
- Marshal Timon de Reznor - Captain of the 8th Great Company and Castellan of Blades, is a warrior whose mastery of close combat has become the stuff of legend within the Tempest Knights. Known for his uncanny reflexes and relentless ferocity, de Reznor wields his blade as an extension of his very being, striking with precision and unyielding force against foes who would dare challenge the Emperor’s legacy. Though his presence on the battlefield is terrifying, he tempers his ferocity with the measured wisdom of a seasoned commander, ensuring that every strike serves the Chapter’s objectives rather than mere bloodlust. Among his brothers, he is revered as both a teacher and a paragon, drilling the young Knights in the deadly elegance of swordplay while embodying the honour and discipline that define the Tempest Knights. In the heat of combat, his eyes burn with the quiet fire of purpose, a reminder that every swing of his blade is an oath fulfilled, every enemy felled a testament to the Chapter’s enduring vigilance and unbroken resolve.
- Marshal Aernout De la Croix - Captain of the 9th Great Company and Castellan of Sieges, is a master of attrition and fortress warfare, whose mind is as sharp as any sword he wields. Revered among his brothers for his patience and unyielding resolve, de la Croix orchestrates assaults and defenses with the precision of a master strategist, turning the tide of battle through meticulous planning as much as the strength of his warriors. His presence on a battlefield is formidable; towering in his plate, he surveys the enemy’s positions with an unblinking gaze, anticipating weaknesses and exploiting them with ruthless efficiency. Yet for all his calculated rigor, he carries the weight of empathy for his brothers, knowing that the lives of his Astartes are the most precious asset under his command. To fight under de la Croix is to be part of an unbreakable hammer, each Knight a node in his grand design, where patience, discipline, and honour converge to crush the foe beneath the might of the Tempest Knights.
- Marshal Talus d'Sable - Captain of the 10th Great Company and Castellan of Squires, is a mentor and sentinel whose presence shapes the future of the Tempest Knights as much as any battlefield victory. Stern yet patient, d’Sable oversees the training and development of the Chapter’s aspirants and initiates, instilling in them the principles of honour, discipline, and courage that have defined the Knights for centuries. Though his role places him away from the immediate fury of war, he is no stranger to combat, and his towering frame and formidable skill with the blade mark him as a veteran of countless campaigns. Among the Squires, he is revered not only as a teacher but as a living example of the Chapter’s creed: that every Knight must temper strength with wisdom, courage with discipline, and that the true measure of a warrior lies in the guidance and protection they give to those who follow. Under Talus d’Sable’s vigilant hand, the next generation of the Tempest Knights is forged with the same relentless fire and unwavering honour that defines the Chapter itself.
- Marshal Gerard Thévenet - First Primaris Captain of the 11th Great Company, is a towering figure among the Tempest Knights, both in stature and reputation. Newly ascended to command yet already seasoned by countless engagements, Thévenet embodies the fusion of ancient tradition and the enhanced might of the Primaris Astartes. He carries himself with quiet authority, each movement deliberate and measured, reflecting a mind trained to anticipate the flow of battle before it arrives. Despite his enhanced strength and resilience, he remains profoundly connected to the brothers under his command, understanding that leadership is not merely strength, but guidance, vigilance, and example. On the field, his presence inspires both awe and fear—his enemies see an unstoppable storm of steel and resolve, while his brothers see the embodiment of what the Tempest Knights aspire to be: disciplined, honour bound warriors whose courage is matched only by their loyalty.
- High Prelate Renaud le Miséricordieux - Current Reclusiarch and Master of Faith.
- High Clerist Allard de Montalbán - Current Chief Librarian and Master of Knowledge.
- High Medicus Draper Molenarr - Current Chief Apothecary and Master of Healing.
- Forge-Thane Ulric de Montauban - Current Master of the Forge.
- Emperor's Champion Theseus Raff - Current Chapter Champion.
- Vexillary Jean-Michel Beaumont - Current Chapter standard bearer.
Deathwatch
Chapter Relics
- Misericorde - A misericorde is a traditional Exsterosian knife that is used to deliver the death stroke. In battle, the blade of these long, narrow knives are thin enough so that it can strike through the gaps between armour plates. Traditionally, this weapon was used to dispatch knights who had received mortal wounds, which were not always quickly fatal in the age of bladed combat; it could also be used as a means of killing an active adversary, as during a grappling struggle. The blade could be pushed through the visor or eye holes in the helm with the aim of piercing the brain, or thrust through holes or weak points in plate armor, such as under the arm, with the aim of piercing the heart. The Astartes of the Tempest Knights have maintained this tradition of utilising the misericorde, and often employ a power-weaponised version of these deadly blades in conjunction with an Exsterosian Powersword. These deadly blades are also utilised in the Chapter's ritual honour duels when the contest is 'to the death'.
Chapter Fleet
A unknown class of battleship, the Eternal Vow, flagship of the Tempest Knights.
The fleet of the Tempest Knights is a reflection of their character: unyielding, austere, and crafted with an uncompromising devotion to their duty as protectors of the Imperium. Born of the 4th Founding, their warships bear the mark of Imperial Fists lineage—imposing vessels of stone-grey and storm-black, their hulls carved with the stark, geometric patterns that echo the fortress-builders of old. Unlike many Chapters who adorn their vessels with shrines to the Emperor as a divine figure, the Tempest Knights eschew superstition; their ships are instead etched with maxims of discipline, honour, and truth, reminders to the crew and Astartes alike that mankind was meant to rise by its own strength and will, not by blind worship. To sail in their fleet is to feel the gaze of warriors who would rather burn in defiance than bow in submission.
This devotion has earned the Tempest Knights as many enemies as allies. Where other fleets fly with the blessings of priests, the Knights sail beneath storms of suspicion. Inquisitors whisper of their arrogance, Ecclesiarchs condemn their impiety, yet Imperial commanders respect their brutal honesty and their refusal to cloak war in rhetoric or false piety. Their fleet is feared by xenos and heretics alike for its discipline and precision: vessels strike like the crashing of storm-tides, cutting through enemy lines with the same relentless pressure with which they hammer breaches into fortress walls. Each vessel is both fortress and blade, carrying the uncompromising judgement of the Knights.
The flagship of the Chapter, the Eternal Vow, is an ancient and formidable Battle Barge whose silhouette dominates any void in which it appears. From its command sanctum, the Chapter Master directs crusades with unwavering clarity, the ship itself a symbol of the Knights’ rejection of superstition and their embrace of unvarnished duty. Around it sail the fleet’s Strike Cruisers and escorts, disciplined in formation, like stormwinds driving against a defiant shore. Together, the fleet is not merely a tool of war, it is an extension of the Tempest Knights’ philosophy: to carve a path of justice through deceit and corruption, regardless of whose ire it raises within the Imperium’s labyrinthine halls.
Little is known about the make up of the Tempest Knights' fleet, though the following vessels have been confirmed to belong to the Chapter:
- Eternal Vow (Unknown Class Battleship)
Batte Barges
- Bastion of Honour (Battle Barge) -
- Iron Gale (Battle Barge) -
Strike Cruisers
- Pillars of Truth (Strike Cruiser) -
- Defiant Dawn (Strike Cruiser) -
- Unbowed Resolve (Strike Cruiser) -
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Tempest Knights are distinguished by their striking and purposeful colour scheme, which serves both practical and symbolic functions on the battlefield. Their power armour is primarily painted in slate gray and dark blue, colours that evoke a sense of both authority and stealth. The darker tones allow for effective camouflage in a variety of environments, from urban ruins to the desolate battlefields that often characterize their campaigns. The use of slate gray as a base colour also reflects the Chapter’s stoic nature and unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.
Affixed on the center of their plastrons (chest guards) is an Aquila - the double-headed eagle symbol of the Imperium - or an Imperialis - a winged skull icon that dates back to the Horus Heresy when it was used by the Loyalist Space Marine Legions and the Imperial Army troopers in recognition of bravery and loss. Later, it became a badge of honour borne by Loyalist units during the Heresy. In the case of the Tempest Knights, these iconic emblems are rendered in black, signifying their allegiance to the Emperor and their unwavering commitment to the Imperium of Man. The choice of black for these chest icons are a deliberate one, emphasising the Chapter's readiness to confront the darkness that threatens humanity. It also contrasts sharply with the slate gray and dark blue of their battle-plate, making the emblem a focal point that draws the eye.
On the right shoulder pauldron, the Tempest Knights display a white squad specialty symbol, which denotes the specific role and expertise of the squad within the Chapter. This symbol is not merely decorative; it serves a functional purpose, allowing fellow Astartes to quickly identify the capabilities of their comrades during the heat of battle (Fire Support, Close Support, Battleline, Veteran or Command). Centering the squad specialty symbol is a white Roman numeral, which indicates the specific squad number within the Tempest Knights’ organizational structure. This numerical designation further enhances the clarity of communication during combat operations, allowing for rapid identification of units. The use of Roman numerals adds a touch of classical elegance to the design, resonating with the Chapter’s deep-rooted traditions and their martial heritage.
When the Tempest Knights don their power armour, they do so not just as individuals, but as part of a greater whole. Each piece of armour is meticulously maintained, with its surface often bearing the scars and marks of previous battles, telling a story of honour and sacrifice. The uniform appearance instills fear in the hearts of their enemies, signalling the approach of disciplined and relentless warriors who embody the principles of the Imperium.
Chapter Badge
The Chapter badge of the Tempest Knights features two white, crossed double-edged swords that point upward, set against a slate gray field. This simple yet striking design is rich in symbolism, reflecting the Chapter's heritage, values, and martial ethos.
Symbolism
The crossed swords are a symbol of unity and readiness for battle. By pointing upward, the swords represent a constant state of vigilance, suggesting that the Tempest Knights are always prepared to confront their enemies and defend the Imperium. The double-edged nature of the swords emphasizes their adaptability in both offence and defence, as the Chapter is equally capable of leading relentless assaults and holding firm in defensive positions. This dual focus on attacking and defending mirrors the Chapter’s combat style, which blends the siege-craft and fortification expertise inherited from their Imperial Fist progenitors with the ability to launch swift, decisive strikes against their foes.
The white coloration of the swords symbolizes purity of purpose and the unwavering resolve of the Tempest Knights to carry out the will of the Emperor. It also reflects the Chapter's adherence to the tenets of duty, loyalty, and honour - qualities that are deeply embedded in their identity as Scions of Dorn. White, as a colour, represents the clarity and righteousness of their mission: to purge the enemies of the Imperium and bring order to a chaotic galaxy. It also serves as a stark contrast against the dark backgrounds they often fight in, symbolizing the light of the Imperium shining against the darkness of heresy and xenos threats.
The slate gray background symbolizes stoic endurance and the unyielding strength of the Tempest Knights. It represents the stone and steel of the fortifications that the Chapter is known for building, as well as the stormy environments of their homeworld, Exsteros, which is constantly beset by tempests and electrical storms. The gray field is a reminder of the Chapter's origin during the stormy aftermath of the War of the Beast - a time when the Imperium was in desperate need of solid and unshakeable defenders. The slate gray is also reminiscent of adamantium, a material known for its strength and durability, further emphasizing the unyielding nature of the Tempest Knights as they hold the line against any threat.
When the battle-brothers of the Tempest Knights march into battle, their crossed swords insignia serves as a constant reminder of their oaths and duty. It is emblazoned on their pauldrons (shoulder armour), battle standards, and war machines, and is often displayed on the banners that lead them into war. The sight of the white swords against the slate gray background has become synonymous with relentless discipline and tenacious defence among Imperial forces, inspiring allies and intimidating foes.
The Chapter badge is more than just a symbol - it is a manifestation of their identity as warriors of the Imperium, willing to stand firm against the galaxy’s dangers while being ready to strike like a sudden storm when the opportunity arises. It represents their belief that a true Astartes must be both a guardian and a sword, and that their strength lies in their ability to be both at once. The Tempest Knights carry this icon with pride, knowing that it reflects their role as a bulwark against the darkness and a blade of retribution for the enemies of mankind.
Relations
Allies
| Blades of Dorn |  |
The Blades of Dorn are a fellow Scions of Dorn Chapter that share a close bond with the Tempest Knights. Despite their progenitors corruption to the Ruinous Powers, the Tempest Knights do not hold them responsible for their forebear's actions. For the Blades of Dorn have earned the respect of the Tempest Knights through their courage, battle-prowess and honourable service to the Emperor of Mankind. Both Chapters have fought on dozens of occasions throughout their history. |
| Death Templars |  |
The Death Templars are a Chapter that have battled alongside the Tempest Knights many times down the millennia, as both Chapters have entered into a special agreement where they would willingly lay down there lives for one another. The origin of this honour debt to one another is lost to the mists of time, but when these two Chapters fight side-by-side, the foes of Mankind are swept aside with contemptuous ease by righteous bolter fire and blade. |
| Holy Hospitallers |  |
The Tempest Knights hold this cousin Chapter in high regard, for they have proven to be stalwart protectors of the Imperium's citizens as well as having proved themselves as capable warriors against the myriad of foes of Mankind. Like their Primarch, the Holy Hospitallers have proven time and again to be stoic in the face of overwhelming odds. They have proven themselves on the field of battle through their sound tactical planning and adaptability, and have proven to be staunch allies when they have fought alongside the Tempest Knights on several occasions. |
Enemies
| Word Bearers |  |
The Tempest Knights utter contempt for these traitors of man have endured for millennium. For the Tempest Knights will stop at nothing to wipe out these traitors for the grievous act that nearly destroyed their homeworld. The Knights hatred for Word Bearers has no bounds and will purge the known galaxy of these bastards of chaos. |
Notable Quotes
By the Tempest Knights
About the Tempest Knights
- "Come, mighty knights, come and face my Kinsmen. Come and test your blades against their warp blessed claws. If they fall, it is the warps will. If you fall, well, then it's no matter to you is it?"
- "Resplendent, aren't they? Nice swords. They're skilled with them apparently. Not that it matters, I bet they still can't deflect a bolt shell."
- — Obsidian Blades squad shadowing a Tempest Blades cohort.
- "Hmm. Not bad Templar, not bad. But you're gonna need much faster reflexes if you want to best Kerventes. I'm just the warm-up. "
- — Chapter master of the Wings of Salvaxes, Euilitus Ephrain
- "That's a fine blade, Knight, a fine blade indeed. Superb craftsmanship. I'll bet you have slain many foes of the Imperium with such a blade, but while you have no doubt slain hundreds with such a blade, with my cannons, I have slain billions."
- — Warmachines Siege Master
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