Welcome back to our multi-part exploration of the Warhammer 40,000 universe! Today, we delve into the life and times of Rogal Dorn, the Primarch of the Imperial Fists, and his tumultuous relationship with the Codex Astartes.
In the aftermath of a great crusade, Dorn returned to Terra, where Roboute Guilliman, the Lord Commander of the Imperium, announced the adoption of the Codex Astartes. Like other loyal Primarchs, Dorn was outraged at the notion of dividing his sons, the Imperial Fists, but he refrained from igniting a new conflict. The memory of the damage inflicted upon the Imperium on the day the Emperor was struck down was still fresh, and the Primarch was unwilling to bring additional harm.
Dorn’s life entered a period of darkness, his heart heavy with the impending fragmentation of the Imperial Fists and the looming end of the peace he had managed to retain. The Primarch was shaken to his core, feeling betrayed as the Imperium sought to dismantle the legion that had safeguarded it for years.
However, Dorn did not express overt animosity towards his brother’s idea. Instead, he evaded the reformation for some time, focusing on pursuing traitors Leman Russ and Vulkan. This evasion led to escalating tensions and even the bombardment of the Seventh Legion Strike Cruiser, the Furious Angel, by the forces of the Imperial Navy.
During this time, Dorn’s longtime adversary, the Primarch of the Iron Warriors, challenged him. A challenge Dorn could not refuse due to his nature and accumulated rage. He vowed to dismantle Perturabo’s fortress and bring him to Terra in an iron cage.
Yet, the issue of adopting the Codex Astartes remained unresolved. The loyalty embedded in Dorn and his sons was so ingrained that the division into chapters promised to be a painful and fatal process. In search of guidance, Dorn immersed himself in meditation, employing a device known as the Pain Glove for seven solar days.
The revelations he received indicated that the Seventh Legion required redemption, a path forged through pain and self-sacrifice. By the end of the seventh day, Dorn realized that the Emperor was not dying but thinking, acting for the benefit of the Imperium, and watching over his sons.
He decided that the symbolic pain glove for the entire Legion should be a mission against the Iron Warriors. However, the battle in the Iron Cage didn’t lead to redemption but to a catastrophe. The Imperial Fists were unable to break through the fortifications crafted by Perturabo’s genius. The Seventh Legion would have been doomed, but they were saved by the arriving Ultramarines Fleet, led by Roboute Guilliman.
Dorn conceded to Guilliman and agreed to the Second Founding, but by that time, the Legion, almost annihilated, had to retreat from the battles and focus solely on replenishing their losses for the next 19 years.
In the 31st Millennium, Dorn witnessed unsettling changes in Imperium society, with more and more people beginning to call him and the other Primarchs demigods. His protests had no impact on this irreversible process. It is believed that Rogal Dorn fell in battle against the forces of Chaos in the year 781 of the 31st Millennium, during the first Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
The only remnant of the Primarch was his hand. This relic, now held by the Imperial Fists, serves as a stark reminder of Rogal Dorn’s immense sacrifice and unyielding loyalty to the Imperium. Tune in for our next part where we will continue to unravel the complex and captivating saga of Warhammer 40,000!
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