Today look upon the hardened soul that based the Black Templars and their everlasting campaign – Sigismund.

Sigismund was the Marshal of the Templars, the First Captain of the Imperial Fists Legion through the Great Crusade, and right-hand man to Primarch Rogal Dorn. During the Horus Heresy, Dorn appointed Sigismund the primary Emperor’s Champion, to defend the Imperial Palace through the Battle of Terra. After the Heresy, Sigismund turned the founder and first High Marshal of the Black Templars Chapter.

The Great Crusade

Sigismund was born on Terra, within the drift camps on the Ionus Plateau. He served through the Great Crusade as First Captain of the Imperial Fists and as an Adjutant to his Primarch Rogal Dorn. ^{During the Great Crusade, Sigismund demonstrated a chilly, realist view of the way forward for the Imperium. While conversing with Captains Garviel Loken and Tarik Torgaddon of the Luna Wolves, he acknowledged his perception that the Great Crusade would by no means finish.}

At some level previous to the Horus Heresy, the Imperial Fists and World Eaters served collectively for a big time period. During their campaigns, Assault Captain Kharn and Sigismund turned shut comrades, even going as far to refer to at least one one other as “Oath Brothers”. It was throughout their frequent duels within the cages of the World Eaters’ flagship, the Conqueror, that Sigismund earned the title the “Black Knight” and adopted the customized of binding his weapons to his wrists with chains from Kharn ^{(after a duel with the Primarch Angron. This customized would later be adopted by members of the Black Templars.}

Horus Heresy

It was Sigismund who led the squad of marines that accompanied Rogal Dorn in a boarding motion on the Eisenstein, beneath the command of Battle-Captain Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard, bringing phrase of Horus’s rise up. Upon listening to the information of the Isstvan V Massacre, Dorn ordered Sigismund to purge the Terra photo voltaic system of all remnants of the traitor legions.

Soon after his return to Terra, Sigismund confessed to Dorn his causes for asking to stay on Terra moderately than command the Retribution Fleet. Dorn turned enraged, and rebuked Sigismund. He confirmed Sigismund why he had erred out of delight, and that his error was not not like the delight that drive a few of the Primarchs to rise up. Shamed, Sigismund supplied his life to Dorn, however the Primarch declined to take it. He retained Sigismund as his First Company Captain to keep away from demoralizing the lads, however disowned Sigismund as a son.

Later, Sigismund was positioned accountable for the outermost defenses of the Sol System through the Solar War. He led a fleet that battled the Alpha Legion through the Battle of Pluto earlier than reuniting with Dorn and returning to Terra for the siege.

Siege of Terra

During the Siege of Terra Sigismund acted as a significant loyalist commander however continued to be beneath Dorn’s shut scrutiny. He met with Euphrati Keeler contained in the Imperial Palace, who acknowledged that the Emperor supposed for him to slay Abaddon in an effort to stop the final word victory of Chaos.

During the ultimate battle for the Spaceport Sigismund battled Kharn, and whereas the First Captain was the superior swordsman he couldn’t match the World Eater, who was surging with the powers of Khorne. Sigismund confronted defeat, however was saved by Dorn himself. ^{Later through the struggle for Saturnine Gate, Sigismund led the protection of the partitions in opposition to the entire of the Emperor’s Children. During the struggle he was assailed by Fulgrim himself, proving himself expert as a fighter however completely outmatched by the Daemon Primarch. As Fulgrim moved to complete Sigismund, he was saved by the intervention of Rogal Dorn. Dorn and Sigismund managed to subsequent maintain off Fulgrim’s elite guard, with Sigismund himself throwing Eidolon from the partitions of the Palace.}

Rogal Dorn subsequently selected Sigismund because the Emperor’s Champion, and gave him the perfect armor and weapons accessible. He went ahead to problem the traitorous leaders to single fight and triumphed over all he met in battle. When Rogal Dorn accompanied the Emperor of Mankind and Sanguinius in boarding Horus’s flagship, he left most of his Imperial Fists behind to look to the protection of the Imperial Palace. Considering him his best soldier, Dorn positioned Sigismund because the chief of the bottom forces till Dorn returned.

After the Traitors have been defeated and retreated from Terra, an enraged Sigismund started a hunt to trace down and kill Abaddon. Despite his efforts although, his path to Abaddon was all the time blocked by Traitors loyal to the First Captain, who then had their lives ended at Sigismund’s palms. Sigismund was undeterred by these setbacks and continued his hunt for Abaddon for the subsequent a number of centuries.

Second Founding

Sigismund was a mighty warrior and after the Horus Heresy and the breakdown of the Imperial Fists into Codex Chapters, he led the extra zealous of the Imperial Fists because the Black Templars chapter. He was elevated to the rank of High Marshal of the Black Templars. His private heraldry, consisting of black and white, turned the official colours of his new Chapter. Immediately following the Horus Heresy, the Imperial Fists and their Primarch Dorn got here beneath suspicion as heretics for his or her refusal to again the Codex Astartes and break down into smaller Chapters. In addition, the Chapters and former Legionnaires of the Black Templars have been laden with strife.

Recognizing that solely an act of supreme religion may quell such suspicion and restore the integrity of the Space Marines, Sigismund declared an everlasting campaign, vowing by no means to stop his prosecution of the Emperor’s enemies. All subsequent High Marshals of the Black Templars have renewed this oath, and so the Black Templars have waged their campaign, unbroken, for greater than 10,000 years.

Ultimate Fate

Sigismund realized that the Abaddon and lots of the Traitor Legion survivors had fled inside the Eye of Terror and introduced a big Black Templars fleet to the Cadian Gate, the place they maintained a vigil over the Eye. Not content material to merely look forward to the Traitors to make their return, Sigismund additionally despatched ships into the Eye to scout for them and one such ship crashed into the Black Legion held world of Maeleum^{. The Lord of the Black Legion ultimately led his Warband out of the Eye of Terror and attacked the Black Templars’ fleet within the First Battle of Cadia. At this time Sigismund was a thousand years outdated, however his hatred of Abaddon and the Traitors had saved him alive. He was too cussed to die with out ending their lives first.}

He proved this when Abaddon and his Warband boarded Sigismund’s flagship, the Eternal Crusader, through the battle and scores of the Black Legion have been killed of their try to assert the High Marshal’s head. Finally Abaddon discovered Sigismund and his Sword Brethren combating inside a big chamber. Their warriors stopped and gathered by their leaders’ sides because the Lord of the Black Legion approached the Black Templars’ High Marshal. Instead of drawing his weapons nevertheless, Abaddon as an alternative spoke with kindness to a foe he had lengthy revered and gave an impassioned plea for Sigismund to open his eyes to the Traitors’ trigger. He insisted that the Imperium rightfully belonged to the Space Marine Legions that had bled and died to construct it through the Great Crusade and Sigismund ought to be part of them in reclaiming it from the Emperor’s corpse. Sigismund pushed again in opposition to this although, stating that by starting the Horus Heresy and practically destroying the Imperium, Abaddon and his fellow Traitors have been oath-breakers, who proved that they’d not cared for the Empire they’d constructed.

The Last Duel

With that, they each drew their weapons. Sigismund didn’t wield the Sword of the High Marshals and as an alternative unsheathed his Black Sword. The Sword of the High Marshals was then given to considered one of Sigismund’s Sword Brethren, who shortly left the chamber as Sigismund and Abaddon started their duel. What adopted was a fierce battle between two closely skilled opponents, through which neither was capable of achieve a bonus over the opposite. Though Abaddon was nonetheless in his prime, as a consequence of how little time had handed inside the Eye, Sigismund’s sword expertise have been as sharp as ever. Eventually, nevertheless, Sigismund’s age started to work in opposition to him, and he drained beneath Abaddon’s unrelenting assault.

Knowing that his life was at an finish, Sigismund laid a lure for Abaddon by stepping away from the Lord of the Black Legion. Abaddon thought this was his alternative to finish their duel and arrogantly rushed ahead to kill the High Marshal. But this allowed Sigismund to strike a blow that left the Black Sword buried inside Abaddon’s chest. Doing so nevertheless, left Sigismund defenseless and Abaddon retaliated with a swing from the Talon of Horus, that severed the High Marshal into two items. Abaddon kindly informed his outdated foe, that he regretted having to kill the High Marshal, however at the least now Sigismund may lastly relaxation. Sigismund replied not with an oath to the Emperor or his Chapter’s creed. Instead he used the final of his life to rebuke the Lord of the Black Legion, earlier than expiring.

Abaddon was supplied with the perfect care the Black Legion possessed, and barely survived the wound dealt to him by Sigismund. ^{He would endlessly preserve the scar it left, as an indication of respect for the High Marshal, and esteemed foe.} 

Appearance & Demeanor

Sigismund had darkish blond hair and a patrician face. His construct was thick and durable. ^{He is described as having a face that “might have been handsome, but war and genecraft had carved it to a different end.” He had a scar beneath his proper eye that ran down his cheek to his jaw. His eyes have been brilliant, sapphire blue. Sigismund additionally bears the Raptor Imperialis on the knee of his armor, indicating that he fought alongside the Emperor himself.}

Sigismund was recognized for being risky and hot-headed, a popularity recognized broadly sufficient that even Malcador the Sigilite remarked on it in dialog with Rogal Dorn. ^{He was additionally recognized for his superior swordsmanship, being thought to be among the best swordsmen within the Astartes Legions.}

Learn More of the Black Templars

Lexicanum

Dad, Gamer, Publisher, Pilot, Texan. All video games on a regular basis since junior-high.
I began BoLS Interactive in 2006. I’m a lifelong tabletop & RPG gaming fanatic, and web writer working to entertain and inform my readers every single day.
I’ve been enjoying RPGs and Tabletop Games because the Nineteen Seventies. I’m been enjoying and protecting Warhammer and Warhammer 40K for over 35 years.

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