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The Rock Wulfen

The Rock, the Dark Angels Chapter's mobile fortress-monastery, and the Chapter's fleet exit the Warp during the Siege of the Fenris System in 999.M41.

The Rock, officially known as the Angelicasta ("Tower of Angels"), is the massive mobile fortress-monastery and home of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter.

It was once a part of the Dark Angels' lost homeworld of Caliban upon which sat the fortress-monastery of The Order, the elite monastic order of knights that was led by the Dark Angels' Primarch Lion El'Jonson before he was rediscovered by the Emperor and from which many of the later Astartes recruits for the Ist Legion were drawn. After Caliban was destroyed by a Warp Storm summoned by the Ruinous Powers that tore the world asunder during the rebellion of Luther and the other Fallen Angels, the Dark Angels reshaped the old fortress into a massive mobile fortress-monastery. It was outfitted with the most advanced Imperial technology including a Warp-Drive, gravity generators and void shields so that it could serve as their mobile headquarters as they sought to hunt down every one of the Fallen.

The Rock serves as the primary source of imprisonment for every one of the Fallen hunted down by the Dark Angels Chapter and its Unforgiven Successor Chapters, as they believe that they can never restore their honour in the eyes of the Emperor until every single one of the Fallen has been captured and forced to repent before they die.

The Rock also held the greatest of the Dark Angels' secrets: the Arch-Traitor, Luther himself, was alive and well in its deepest dungeon, kept alive by a stasis field while he insanely mumbled that he had no need of confession or repentance, for one day Lion El'Jonson will return and forgive him for his sins against the Emperor. Luther was freed by an assault of Daemons upon The Rock after the opening of the Great Rift. he is now free to plague the galaxy once again.

ThrRockInterior

The Rock in the void, escorted by the Dark Angels' Chapter fleet.

Caliban, the ancient homeworld of the Dark Angels, was once a verdant world of dense forests. Those forests seethed with mutation and corruption, the baleful influence of the nearby Eye of Terror making Caliban one of the deadliest Death Worlds in the galaxy. The original inhabitants of Caliban are said to have been a proud, martial people similar to the medieval European society of Old Earth, brought up to live and die by the sword.

The lush forests were inhabited by all manner of terrifying Great Beasts that had been warped by Chaos. The ferocity of these creatures forced the people of Caliban to build brooding stone fortresses in huge clearings hacked from the forests, in which the Calibanite warrior-elite dwelled. It was from one knightly monastic organisation drawn from this aristocracy, called The Order, that the officer class and most of the later Astartes of the Dark Angels Legion were recruited.

During a terrible battle immediately following the end of the Horus Heresy, the entire planet of Caliban was torn asunder, reduced by the power of the Warp and the effects of a cataclysmic orbital bombardment to scattered debris. All that remained was the fragment of Calibanite rock upon which stood the ruins of The Order's fortress-monastery. In the long millennia since the destruction of Caliban, the Dark Angels have drilled deep into the bedrock of this fragment and rebuilt the fortress' ruins.

The dead asteroid was transformed into the Dark Angels' home, called The Rock, while the rebuilt monastery is referred to as the Tower of Angels. Countless tunnels, halls and chambers were constructed and, in time, even a Warp-Drive and more powerful Void Shield emitters were fitted to allow The Rock to move from star system to star system. As a result, The Rock does not stay in any one place for any length of time, and the Dark Angels recruit their neophytes from a variety of different worlds.

Many dark secrets lie deep within the ruined Tower of Angels. Dungeons that have remained sealed for centuries and secret caves shut behind adamantium doors and bound with holy sigils conceal vast repositories of ancient archeotech. Only the most senior of the Dark Angels, the Masters and the members of the Chapter's Inner Circle, are aware of these chambers' existence and may unlock their dread secrets.

History[]

The Rock Stained Glass

Stained-glass window located within The Rock's main chapel.

The Rock was once the original fortress-monastery of the monastic knights known simply as "The Order." This fortress was called Aldurukh, which meant "the Rock of Eternity" in one of the ancient Calibanite dialects. Aldurukh was originally the name of the mountain that The Order's founders had decided as the site upon which to build their fortress-monastery, using the name of the mountain for the fortress.

Though The Order had other fortress-monasteries, Aldurukh was their first, and so they gave it a name that mattered, a name that summed up exactly what they were trying to build. This sacred site was The Order's literal rock, their foundation of stone. As long as it endured, then some part of their ideals would always be alive.

At the base of the mountain, rising incongruously to either side of a narrow, paved lane that passed between two towering barracks facilities, stood the ancient, weathered menhirs that marked the foot of the old road. The old stones depicted the beginning and ending stages of a knight's journey: the left menhir was carved in the likeness of a proud knight striding forth into the world, pistol and chainsword in hand; the one on the right showed a battered and weary warrior, his armour splintered and his weapons broken, kneeling wearily but with head held high as he contemplated his return home.

Brother knights would often brush their fingertips lightly against the right-hand menhir as they passed by, a tradition that reached back to the earliest days of the brotherhood. This simple gesture of feeling the smooth stone beneath their fingertips made a returning knight think of the generations of their forbears who had done the same, stretching back for millennia. Within the many practice halls inside Aldurukh, knights and supplicants spent their days honing the skills they needed to survive on Caliban. These knights had taken of the cause to protect the innocent, and for five thousand years had hunted the vile beasts which terrorised the populations of Caliban.

The main monastery was known as the Angelicasta or the "Tower of Angels." It was the primary residence of The Order's Grand Master, resident Masters and subordinate knights. Within the Angelicasta was the place of gathering known as the Circle Chamber. This was where The Order could meet representatives from other visiting orders of Calibanite knights, without rank or station, a place where all were equal. At its arched entrance flickering torches hung, sending a fragrant aroma of scented smoke into the enormous chamber. The hall could hold hundreds of novices, knights and supplicants on the many stone benches that rose in tiers from the raised marble plinth at the chamber's centre.

Mighty pillars rose at the cardinal points, curving inwards in great, gothic arches to form the roof of the dome, a green and gold ceiling from which hung a wide, circular candle holder filled with winking points of light. The walls of the chamber were composed almost entirely of tall lengths of stained glass, each one telling of the heroic actions of one of The Order's knights. Many of these glorious panels depicted the actions of Lion El'Jonson and Luther, but many more pre-dated them joining The Order, and several of these depicted the legendary warrior known as Brother Amadis, the Hero of Maponis.

The centre was empty, with a single throne-like chair set in the middle of the floor. Banners hung from the chamber's roof, where a brother could read the history of the Order in their pictorial representations of honour, valour, and battle. Gold stitching crossed ceremonial standards of green and blue, and red-edged war banners outnumbered the ceremonial ones by quite some margin. The entire roof was hung with banners -- so many that it seemed as though a great blanket had been spread across it, and then slashed into hanging squares.

Within the heart of the monastery was located the Lord Cypher, the individual brother expected to police the customs of the subordinate brothers within The Order. He ensured that The Order's rituals were preserved, and advised on matters of protocol as well as officiating at ceremonies.

The path to the Master's chamber led down into the dark catacombs that riddled the rock the fortress was built upon. It passed by darkened cellars, forgotten chambers and ancient cells. The Lord Cypher would be waiting to initiate potential candidates into the inner working of The Order in a vaulted chamber, the walls fashioned from enameled bricks that reflected the light from the many candles spread throughout the chamber.

At each stage of a supplicant's training The Order's Masters decided whether or not to continue it and whether any such trainees possessed the mark of greatness that merited special attention. The Lion himself would decide who warranted such special attention.

Coming of the Emperor[]

When the Imperium of Man rediscovered the lost Human-settled world on the fringe of the Eye of Terror during the Great Crusade they brought with them their formidable technology, and transformed the face of Caliban. The Emperor's servants had descended on the planet with enormous machines that cleared kilometres of forest a solar day and left flat, lifeless earth in their wake. Mines, refineries and manufactoria had followed, ready to transform the planet's abundant resources into vital war materiel for the Emperor's ongoing crusade.

Aldurukh rose above all else, a bastion of strength and tradition surrounded by a sea of constant change. Its granite flanks had been scraped bare by Imperial construction machines. Titanic excavators had scaled its sheer sides, carving out ledges and boring tunnels deep into the rock as the fortress was expanded into the heart of the mountain itself. A series of gates were built at the foot of the mountain that provided access to the fortress' subterranean levels as well as lifts that would carry passengers up into the centre of the fortress within seconds.

For all its efficiency, this notion seemed vaguely offensive to those senior members of the old Order; the path up the Errant's Road to the castle gates had been trod by the knights of the Order for centuries, and had taken on great spiritual significance in their legends and lore. Brothers could ride the lifts if they preferred; but some intended to walk the path built by their elders for as long as they were able.

The Battle Halls of Aldurukh quickly resounded with the clash of arms as supplicants and knights were put through grueling training rituals overseen by the Astartes of the I Legion. They wanted to test the suitability of Caliban's human stock and whether or not they were fit to join the ranks of the I Legion. They put the potential Astartes Aspirants from the Order through numerous trials to gauge their level of martial prowess and character. Only the strongest and most dedicated were allowed to pass to the next stage, and the end result of these trials was kept secret.

The Astartes always made their final selection for the advanced training and genetic enhancement required to join their ranks. Through the application of Imperial science and the marvels of the gene-seed, these selected Aspirants were transformed and recast in the warlike mould of the transhuman Astartes.

Aldurukh was quickly deluged with potential Aspirants who wished to join the ranks of the newly renamed I Legion, now known as the Dark Angels. The fortress-monastery became a large selection and processing centre, as the demands of the Great Crusade dictated the need to speed up the selection and training of potential Astartes. Over a period of fifty Terran years Luther, the Lion's right hand, was highly successful in this endeavour.

Horus Heresy[]

Unfortunately, the vagaries of fate would transpire against the Regent of Caliban and his lieutenants as they soon faced a widespread rebellion on Caliban. It was revealed that Caliban was plagued by a resurgence of the great beasts that once ran amok across their homeworld. This dire threat was further compounded by the insurgency raised against them which included former knights of the Order who felt that the Lion had betrayed them.

At the centre of this conspiracy was a mysterious cabal of Terran sorcerers that were somehow linked to the reemergence of the Warp-spawned beasts and hordes of undead corpses. Learning of the Warmaster Horus' rebellion against the Emperor, Luther decided that in the best of interests of Caliban, he was compelled to declare their world's independence in opposition to both Terra and their Primarch alike.

Horus, first amongst the primarchs and most favoured son of the Emperor, had foresworn his oaths of fealty and had instead decided to launch an interstellar rebellion to usurp the throne on Terra. Accounts were fragmentary, and infrequent, but slowly the Dark Angels stationed on Caliban pieced together what had occurred during the opening days of the conflict.

They heard the stories of the other primarchs and their Traitor Legions turning against the Emperor, and against themselves. It became impossible to tell friend from foe. The Dark Angels on Caliban had heard on more than one occasion that the Lion's Dark Angels had turned from the light of the Emperor, or that the Lion had been killed. There was even heretical talk of the Space Wolves Legion assaulting the homeworld of the Thousand Sons, and of Astartes killing Astartes across the width and breadth of the galaxy.

As the Emperor fought Warmaster Horus for the possession of the Terra in the closing days of the insurrection, Lion El'Jonson was far away fighting for humanity. Hearing of the potentially disastrous proceedings taking place on Terra, Jonson hurried back with all haste.

But as the Dark Angels finally arrived in Terra's orbit they quickly realised that they had arrived too late. Events had already taken their terrible course and the cataclysmic final battle was over. The Forces of Chaos had been defeated, but they had left the Imperium in ruins. And for Jonson one final, shattering betrayal remained to be discovered on his return to his homeworld of Caliban.

The Betrayal[]

As Lion El'Jonson's fleet entered Caliban's orbit they were devastated by a defensive barrage from the planet below. Enraged, Jonson immediately ordered a sustained orbital bombardment of what he saw as Traitors and then led a surgical strike against Luther's position at Aldurukh. Meanwhile, the massed guns of the Dark Angels' fleet continued to pound the planet's surface until the very surface of Caliban began to crack asunder under the strain of the sustained bombardment.

The two former friends fought in a titanic struggle. Luther was now a Champion of Chaos empowered with the fell power of the Chaos Gods, he was now equally matched against the power of the Primarch. Using his fell powers, Luther mortally wounded Jonson during the fight. As the Lion lay mortally wounded, Luther realised his own mistake in turning upon his old friend and slumped down next to the fallen Primarch as Caliban was engulfed in a Warp Storm of epic proportions.

The immense strain these powerful psychic forces placed upon the planet, in combination with the tectonic shifting and cracking caused by the orbital bombardment, caused the entire planet to heave and twist itself into oblivion. Caliban shattered, breaking apart into countless chunks of rock. The planet was entirely ripped apart and destroyed, the debris sucked into the Warp.

Reconstruction[]

DA & The Rock

The Dark Angels upon The Rock.

The only thing that remained of the Dark Angels' former homeworld was a large chunk of stone the size of a large asteroid. The huge fortress-monastery where the Lion and Luther had fought survived the conflagration, protected by gravitic force field emitters of awesome power. The monastery of Angelicasta and the huge fragment of Caliban's bedrock had held together when the rest of the planet had shattered. This was all that was left of the Dark Angels' once proud and magnificent homeworld.

The Dark Angels flew down to the surface of the planet that had survived the Warp storm and gazed about them in horror at what was left of their verdant homeworld. The great fortress of Aldurukh had been razed to the ground. At the heart of the ruined wasteland they discovered a mentally shattered Luther, bloody, cringing and gibbering, but they were unable to extract anything coherent out of the shell of the man who had once been the former second-in-command of the I Legion and El'Jonson's closest friend.

Luther repeated the same words over and over again: the primarch had been carried away by the Watchers in the Dark and one day he would return to forgive Luther for the terrible sins he had committed. Of the mighty primarch, Lion El'Jonson, there was no sign.

Following the destruction of Caliban, the Dark Angels made The Rock their new home. Never was there a gloomier sight, for although the Warp storm that scoured Caliban could not penetrate the ancient protective energy shields, they left an indelible mark. The force field over the ancient fortress-monastery held, but was rent with cracks.

To this day, there exists a disturbance within the field's protective shell, as if part of that ancient tempest still rages within. Great chain-lightnings arc across the artificial atmosphere that surrounds the craggy Rock, briefly outlining the ruins that crown the asteroid. The Dark Angels explored the halls and dungeons they found beneath the fortress-monastery. There, they claimed the hoard of machinery that had sat untouched since the little-understood Age of Technology.

Many of the devices from that apex of Human invention still worked, like the great void shield generator itself, although their mechanisms were now unfathomable. Although the remaining halls were large, a massive labour carved out deeper and deeper catacombs beneath the asteroid's bedrock, excavating room for an entire Space Marine Legion. With the aid of the Tech-priests of Mars, spacedocks were added, allowing for the entrance of voidcraft.

Although it took many standard centuries to complete, The Rock was also outfitted with a great Warp-Drive, allowing the Dark Angels' headquarters to travel across the galaxy. The Rock itself does not stay in any one star system for long; at most, it remains in place only for a few generations of mortals. The Chapter gathers recruits from each settled human world at which The Rock pauses.

While the artisans did marvellous work, crafting halls full of clustered columns rising to arched vaults, and much-decorated ceremonial crypts to hold the sacred items of the I Legion and its successors, it was a grim place, full of echoes and cold stone. The Dark Angels' mobile fortress-monastery is now known officially as the Angelicasta (the "Tower of Angels") but is commonly referred to as "The Rock" just like its ancient predecessor Aldurukh.

The Rock at Present[]

The Rock

The Rock

The ruins of Caliban are located in the Cadian Sector, to the galactic north of the Eye of Terror. It was from there that the reconstruction of The Rock began.

The Dark Angels drilled deep into the old bedrock and rebuilt the ruins into a vast new complex with advanced Imperial technology worthy of a Chapter of Astartes. The fortress-monastery is known officially as Angelicasta (the Tower of Angels) but is more commonly referred to as "The Rock" just like its ancient predecessor Aldurukh, though this term is more properly applied to the dead asteroid that is all that remains of lost Caliban.

Although only a fraction of what was once Caliban, The Rock is larger than even the heaviest class of starship, and it bears formidable firepower. The sheer sides of its mass are studded with gun turrets, Lance batteries, torpedo tubes, observation blisters and communications relays. Its cavernous docking bays can accomodate many hundreds of smaller craft -- including Thunderhawk gunships, Nephilim Jetfighters and even Escort frigates. 

Atop The Rock rises Angelicasta -- the Tower of Angels -- the ruined ancient fortress-monastery of The Order within which the Lion once fought the Arch-Betrayer. Even to this day, the tower remains undisturbed and eerily silent, protected by the same gravitic force fields that shielded it during the destruction of Caliban. None know what secrets lie forgotten within its dark halls, for even the Dark Angels themselves dare not set foot upon its hallowed ground, and never shall, until the Lion walks amongst them once more.

No effort was made to rebuild the ruined Tower of Angels atop The Rock, and even now it remains undisturbed and eerily silent, protected from the cold depths of space by the same force fields that shrouded it from the destruction of Caliban. Although the Dark Angels took the barren remnants of their homeworld as a base, they have never attempted to rebuild the wreckage of the ancient fortress-monastery above. Standing proud amongst the desolate rubble however, the Dark Angels did find some elements of their old fortress citadel that withstood the collision of unstoppable force with the impenetrable shield.

Amidst the debris there stood statues -- carved figures from a past age, old even for Caliban. Those stone eyes had seen all of the tragedies that had befallen the Emperor's I Legion and they now glowed with mysterious power, imbued with the energy released on that fateful day. The Stone Guardians, or Ten Brothers of the Order as they were known, were taken below into The Rock and locked in stasis displays deep in the Reclusiam for years.

It was not until the desperation of the Vendetta Campaign that the Dark Angels at last felt compelled to unleash their arcane power upon the battlefield. These statues are now mounted upon the chassis of a Land Speeder Vengeance. These strange mobile reliquaries, known as Ravenwing Darkshrouds, ripple outward with strange energy that creates an otherwordly veil of eldritch power, serving to partially obscure and protect the bikes and light vehicles of the Ravenwing Company as they streak towards their foes.

Although attempts have been made to mask it, an unusual energy signature emanates outwards from The Rock, portending of some great power hidden within. Beneath the shattered ruins, many dark secrets lay cloistered from sight, and the deeper into The Rock's labyrinth of dungeons one goes, the closer one comes to the truth of the Dark Angels -- even truths they themselves do not yet comprehend.

The warrens beneath The Rock are where the Dark Angels bring their Fallen Angels brethren to be redeemed by their Interrogator-Chaplains. It is believed by the Inquisition to hold many other secrets of critical importance to the Imperium. Only when a Dark Angel reaches the rank of Master (Company Captain) does he truly learn all the secrets of the Dark Angels, but one secret was known only to the Supreme Grand Master, the Master of the Chapter: the Fallen Angels' leader, the Chaos Champion Luther, was not only still alive, but imprisoned within the deepest, most secure cavern of The Rock. He is incurably insane, and has thwarted the attempts of every Supreme Grand Master to make him repent to date. Luther simply rants and raves that he has no need of confession or repentance, for one day Lion El'Jonson will return and forgive him for his sins against the Emperor.

Near the heart of The Rock lies a single cell. It is deep in the bowels of the asteroid base, where only the Watchers in the Dark and the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter are allowed to venture. There, past locked gates that are shielded by dozens of feet of adamantine plating, is an oubliette. Its walls are inscribed with the most potent runes of warding known to Men, and they have been inscribed to keep creatures out, but also to keep something within. There, sustained in life for ten thousand standard years by a powerful stasis field, languishes the broken man who was once Luther.

Luther's cell can only by reached by the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter, who possesses the ancient Power Sword and mark of his office known as the Sword of Secrets. Fitting the blade into a cleft in the wall unlocks the iron gate leading to a dark tunnel and the rune-protected cell in which the Arch-Heretic Luther is imprisoned.

For nearly 10,000 standard years, the Dark Angels have kept the secret of the disastrous events that took place on Caliban at the end of the Horus Heresy. They will never reveal the truth to anyone outside their Chapter, for they could not bear for others to know their terrible shame. And all the while, deep within The Rock, his continued existence known only to the Watchers in the Dark and the Chapter's Supreme Grand Master, the Arch-traitor Luther raved on -- speaking of what is to come or emitting senseless shrieks of despair.

At times, his voice assumed a grating, inhuman quality and it told cunning lies or spoke words of such utter despair that to hear them was to wish for death. It was the rare moments of lucidity, when Luther begs for his own end, that are, perhaps, the hardest to endure -- although each and every Supreme Grand Master has done so. Down the ages, the Supreme Grand Masters have had some success in using Luther as an oracle.

Although his Warp-contaminated and deranged mind often wanders or attempts to deceive, during moments of lucidity the Luther-thing spoke of events that will be, or might be, or dropped hints at what was hidden and where. Since the Fall of Caliban, each Supreme Grand Master has, in turn, taken the long, dark walk down to the heavily psi-warded cell. Each tried to extract a confession from the Archheretic, each tried to penetrate the madness that clouded his mind; none succeeded.

The thing that was, and may still be, Luther divulged many secrets -- from the names and locations of members of the Fallen; to the whereabouts of relics from the I Legion secreted in the underworks beneath the old fortress-monastery. Mostly, however, all that was gotten out of Luther were mad ravings -- over and over he repeated that he had no need of repentance, for one day Lion El-Jonson would return and absolve him of his sins, and he claimed that day is near and that he can already feel that the Lion lies close at hand. Yet the Supreme Grand Masters still hoped to gain wisdom from this Dark Oracle, hoping to hear Luther recant, so that he might be, at last, released from the torments of life.

Yet even the highest-ranking Dark Angels do not know everything, although they believe that they do...

Buried yet deeper within The Rock, hidden in its innermost chamber, is the final, greatest secret of the Dark Angels and the Unforgiven. It remains unknown to the Inquisition or the Inner Circle of the Chapter. Only one person in the galaxy knows the full truth -- the Emperor of Mankind. Even in his living death upon the Golden Throne, even though the sunken orbits of his skull no longer have eyes, the Emperor still sees much.

Hidden inside a secluded chamber at the heart of what was once the planet of Caliban, unreachable by all save the cryptic Watchers in the Dark, the Primarch Lion El'Jonson lies sleeping. There he slumbers, his wounds long-healed, waiting for that time when he will be needed again, when the clarion call of battle sounds for the last time, summoning him once again to defend the Imperium of Man against its many enemies.

During his duel with Luther on Caliban, Lion El'Jonson suffered a severe psychic blow which left him mortally wounded. He was then pulled into the Warp and lost as the Dark Angels of that time believed. Yet what they did not know was that Jonson emerged from the Warp not long after on The Rock, his own abilities as a Primarch having proven to be enough of a defence to prevent the Ruinous Powers from seizing him, though he had lapsed into a coma.

Once Luther was taken prisoner by the Dark Angels, the comatose form of Jonson was also taken into the deepest chamber of the Rock and placed into stasis to keep him alive. It was the mysterious Watchers in the Dark, their purposes always their own, who led the wounded Primarch to his rest deep within the heart of the fortress.

Yet some amongst the Unforgiven believe the Lion will eventually return for one final Crusade intended to lead the Dark Angels to their greatest victory for Mankind and finally bring justice to the remaining Fallen Angels. Others believe that the Lion will only return when the End Times come and the Imperium stands at the brink of destruction. For these believers, Jonson will reappear from the Immaterium, forgive the sins of the Fallen and reunite them with the rest of the Unforgiven as they prepare to defend Mankind one final time. Little do they realise that their Primarch rests literally beneath their feet.

Escape of Luther[]

Given The Rock's vast size, plethora of heavy weaponry and the large fleet of Dark Angels vessels that escort it, it is hard for those that have laid eyes upon it to not immediately consider it impregnable.

Yet to the horror of the Dark Angels, in recent years The Rock has felt the tainting presence of the followers of the Archenemy.

The Arch-traitor Luther was recently freed from his prison during an unexpected attack of Daemons on The Rock after the birth of the Great Rift and the end of the Noctis Aeterna at the start of the Era Indomitus that was led by the Fallen Angel Daemon Prince Marbas.

The Dark Angels believed the attack to have little purpose other than mayhem and destruction, but Supreme Grand Master Azrael knows the truth. The attack was intended to provide a diversion so Luther could be freed from his millennia-long captivity. Luther's current whereabouts are unknown.

How Marbas achieved this feat remains a pressing mystery to the Dark Angels, one that the Chapter's Librarians, Interrogator-Chaplains and Techmarines labour to solve by order of Azrael himself. The slaughter Marbas inflicted and the damage he caused was terrible, yet the Daemon Prince's forces disappeared as quickly as they had arrived. Only Azrael knew the truth, and he chose to keep this most dangerous of secrets to himself.

Master of the Rock[]

Most Space Marine Chapters have a Master of the Forge: the most senior Techmarine within the Chapter. With deep understanding of the arcane sciences refined over many standard years of experience, the Master of the Forge is comparable to a Tech-priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Dark Angels maintain a similar role within their Chapter known as the Master of the Rock, although there is an ominous difference.

Upon ascending to the honoured position, the Master of the Rock follows his predecessors in the office by being permanently and cybernetically hard-wired into the control nave of Cogitators located deep within the asteroid base. It is his solemn duty to placate the most important Machine Spirits, directing the maintenance of the engines and Warp-Drive that allow the enormous asteroid to navigate the galaxy.

It is his mind alone that perceives the workings of the force field that still shields the asteroid base. The previous Masters of the Rock, whose bodies of flesh and bone have withered, are left in place, their mechanical upgrades still functioning while their bones fall in dusty heaps below. Eventually, these bodies will be collected for display in the Alcoves of Honour.

Because of their dual allegiance to the Chapter and the Adeptus Mechanicus, Techmarines are never inducted into the Deathwing. This includes the Master of the Rock; he is privy only to the secrets of the Dark Angels' asteroid base and its hoard of ancient technology, but never to the greatest secrets shrouding the Chapter's origins.

Sources[]

  • Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pg. 10
  • Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 6, 10-12, 16-18, 21-24, 26, 29-30, 32-33, 38, 43, 49-53, 55, 59-60, 67
  • Codex Adeptus Astartes - Dark Angels (8th Edition), pp. 23, 26
  • Codex: Angels of Death (2nd Edition), pp. 12-13
  • Codex Supplement: Dark Angels (9th Edition), pg. 13
  • Deathwatch Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 44
  • Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium (CCG), "The Rock" Card
  • Master of Sanctity (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
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