War Council

The War Council was the ancient ruling body convened by the Emperor of Mankind during the Great Crusade, and through it brought to hundreds of thousands of human worlds the Emperor's law. The Emperor sat at the head of the Council with the rest of the Council composed of the burgeoning Imperium of Man's greatest generals, talented administrators and the Fabricator-General of Mars. As the Great Crusade progressed and the lost Primarchs were reunited with their father, they too, were granted a seat on the Council, as was the Chief Custodian of the Legio Custodes. As the Great Crusade drew to a close in the early 31st Millennium, all the Primarchs were reunited with their Legions and were busy completing the military campaigns to prosecute the Great Crusade to its end. After the monumental victory of the Ullanor Crusade, the Emperor announced that he would be withdrawing from the Crusade to pursue secret endeavours to benefit Mankind. With the Primarchs busy performing their duties as the Emperor's generals prosecuting the Great Crusade, Horus Lupercal, first of the Primarchs and most favoured son of the Emperor was elevated to the esteemed rank of Warmaster. He was placed in charge of all the Emperor's military forces and charged with the resolution of the Great Crusade. The War Council was eventually dissolved and reformed as the Council of Terra, the precursor to the High Lords of Terra.