The Great Scouring
30,014 A.D. - 30,021 A.D.
014.M31 - 021.M31
The Siege of the Emperor's Palace had ended and Rogal Dorn has completed and enshrined the Emperor's sacred corpse upon the Golden Throne. Remnants of the heretical forces led by Horus are pursued by Ultramarine forces and forced to flee into the Eye of Terror. Several surviving heretic Primarchs are granted their prizes by their respective deity, a planet to shape as they like and base their forces on. The Loyalist survivors scattered across the Imperium begin to reclaim Imperial worlds and several more human cultures are brought into compliance under the guidance of Roboute Guilliman, in addition to the defeat and extermination of many more alien races encountered.
Lion El'Jonson returns to Caliban from the Heresy with his Dark Angels, only to find that his mentor and oldest friend, Luther, has gathered up the Dark Angels on Caliban to his, and the Chaos God's, cause, killing all who oppose him. Luther immediately engages the Lion's fleet, and soon the two are engaged in hand to hand combat. The Lion wounds Luther but cannot bring himself to deliver the killing blow, and Luther lets loose one last sorcerous blast, mortally wounding the Primarch of the 1st Legion. At this point, Luther realises what he is done, and weeps for his friend. The Dark Angels capture Luther, and the his forces scatter, becoming the Fallen. The Lion is put in stasis and placed within the Rock, the Dark Angels new home.
Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, compiles the Codex Astartes, a vast tome which details the tactics, organization, markings and rituals of the Adeptus Astartes. The Ultramarines and successors (see below) follow the Index to the letter, as do many other Legions. It is known for Battle Brothers of many Chapters to memorise the passages that pertain to them, so that the entire knowledge of the Codex (or at least that which is useful to the Chapter in question) is held within the Chapter's warriors.
The Second Founding: Upon the decree of Roboute Guilliman, the 8 Space Marine Legions are split into 40 Chapter, with 8 Chapters retaining the name and homeplanet of their source Legion. Many Primarchs and commanders are opposed to this decree, but all eventually accept it as a necessity to avoid another Heresy. Chapters of the Second founding (And the following foundings, defined by order of Chapter creation, not time period) are often referred to as successor chapters.
The Grey Knights Space Marine Chapter are secretly created by the newly founded Inquisition. Their origin is disputed, and they are shrouded in secret.
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