WH40k 3rd [codex] Dark Templar [not approved].pdf

NOT APPROVED OR

ENDORSED BY

CODEX: DARK TEMPLAR

Welcome to Codex: Dark Templar, dedicated to collecting, painting and gaming with Dark Templar Space Marines in the

Warhammer 40,000 battle game.

THIS CODEX IS NOT APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY GAMES WORKSHOP

All references to products and names contained within the codex are not intended to challenge or violate international

copyright laws. This codex is not affiliated to, related to, endorsed by, or supported by Games Workshop, Citadel Miniatures

or any associated individual. All copyrights to graphics, icons, illustrations and photographs included herein are reserved

by their respective owners.

WHY COLLECT A DARK TEMPLAR SPACE MARINE ARMY?

It is widely acknowledged that Space Marine armies are one of the best choices for first time gamers. However, a standard

codex chapter may not always be appealing to more experienced gamers. With Codex: Dark Templar, the intention has

been to create a more intriguing hook for potential Marine gamers, with enough details to create an accurate Dark Templar

force based on the list and characters within this book, but also giving gamers plenty of room to develop their own

interpretations and variations on the ideas displayed.

THE ARMY LIST & HOW TO USE IT

This Army List is only applicable in games where participants agree on the use of extra rules and characters. It is unusable

under tournament conditions at this time. Instead of being a stand alone list, the Codex: Dark Templar should be used in

conjunction with the standard Codex: Space Marines, and you will not be able to use the Dark Templar army list fully without

reference to Codex: Space Marines and the Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook.

The standard Space Marine Force Organisational Chart applies to Dark Templar armies, as do most standard Space Marine

Special Rules (see wargear section for details). All characters must be used exactly as described, and may not be given

any additional wargear.

Written and designed by Mike Reynolds dark.templar@btinternet.com

Front cover illustration: Nicolas Lemaitre

Additional illustrations: Michael Lamb, Nicolas Lemaitre, Blake Melancon, Anton Mustar,

Thomas Prentis, Janne Puonti, Mike Reynolds, David Tierney, Adam Wier

Dark Templar Fiction: Nick Hardy, Mike Reynolds

Visit the accompanying website at http://www.darktemplar.co.uk

Many thanks to website visitors for their valuable contributions towards this project

++++++ STATUS REPORT ++++++

++++++ JAREK LORE ++++++

++++++ IMPERIAL INQUISITION ++++++

It has been over a year now since I first set foot on this strange world. I sought to find the elusive shadow

behind curious reports, and drive it into the Emperor’s light. My suspicions lay solely with the malignant

evil of the Chaos powers, but what I unearthed here...none could have guessed.

They had been observing me for days, silent and invisible. I was aware of their presence, but found little

evidence to their identity or exact locale. When I did find them, it was more a case of them revealing

themselves to me. They are noble warriors, as with other Adeptus Astartes, but have a darkness burning

deep within each of them. Chapter Master Talon Duun is a private man, almost distant at times with his

own thoughts, yet a smouldering, intimidating presence none the less.

After gaining some measure of his confidence, I have been granted, albeit somewhat reluctantly, limited

access to their ancient library - a great hall of dusty tomes, chronicling Templar history from the birth of

their Primarch. Every battle and incident laid out in exquisite detail by dedicated scribes over millennia.

Being part of the most righteous Imperial Inquisition, I am fully aware of how Imperial accounts of notable

events have been distorted over time. Is not history written by the victors, to instill reverence and the

loyalty of the masses toward their generals. Yet even I was taken aback at the level of inconsistency

between Imperial and Templar narratives.

I am largely sceptical of the things that I have read here, and suspect many of these Templar teachings

are borne out of folklore rather than fact. Who but the Beneficent Emperor himself can be sure, but for

the sake of protocol I shall translate a brief synopsis as follows:

++ The Young Warrior ++

When the Chaos gods learned of the creation of the superhumans, they scattered the young primarchs

throughout the universe in an attempt to dispel the threat. Amongst the twenty was one Tempus Praetor,

future primarch of the Emperor’s Templar. His capsule fell upon an arid, desert planet, at that time

unchartered and inhospitable. He lay baking in the heat of three suns, until he willed himself to find

shelter or die trying. He was found wandering aimlessly by a group of indigenous nomads, who took him

in and bathed his sores. The chief was convinced that young Praetor was

a gift from the heavens, and adopted him as his own. As he grew, Praetor

was brought up through the nomad initiations and teachings, including

‘the way of the sword’ - their religion of swordsmanship. From the

start he learned to wield a combat blade and fight hand-to-hand

against a variety of desert beasts. He excelled at everything due to

his genetically enhanced abilities, unknown to all including Praetor

himself. Eventually he came to challenge the tribe’s warrior champion,

Cholar, for his position. They were set tests to prove their dexterity,

cunning, brute strength and leadership, then finally

combat to demonstrate swordsmanship and fighting

ability. It was during these trials that Praetor

disappeared. The nomads, thinking him dead,

wept bitterly for their loss. His foster-father never

saw him again. In fact, the Imperium has found

Praetor after years of searching and took him

back to his true father. Arriving back on Terra,

the young primarch was told who he was, and

re-educated in Adeptus Astartes ways. He never

forgot his swordsmanship, and proved himself

a very worthy combateer.

++ The Emperor’s Own ++

The Emperor created twenty legions of superhuman warriors, one for each of his primarch sons. The

first three of these were named the Emperor’s Own, and charged with protecting Terra and the Emperor

personally. The first was the Emperor’s Angels (known also as the Emperor’s Guardian Angels) led by

Lion El’ Jonson. Another advocate of the sword, Jonson was the only primarch who could match Praetor

in its use. The second of these chosen legions was the Emperor’s Templar, proudly led by the young

Praetor. Then came the Emperor’s Children with Fulgrim as their primarch, cunning and ferocious.

Wherever the Emperor went they followed, protecting him and killing his foes. For centuries the forces

of the Imperium went forth, fighting Ork and Eldar, Chaos and Human, spreading the Emperors light

throughout the universe - until the time of the Heresy.

++ The Heresy War ++

Details surrounding Horus’ rise to power are well documented. His legion the Lunar Wolves, later renamed

Sons of Horus , followed his every word, unaware that he had become a conduit for the Chaos gods and

their plans. It was at this time that Horus approached each primarch in turn, twisting the words of the

Emperor and arguing weakness within the Imperium. The All-Father was greatly disturbed by what he

heard of Horus and his exploits. Fulgrim and his legion were dispatched by the Emperor to bring Horus

back to Terra to explain his actions. However, Fulgrim and his marines never returned, and word soon

spread of his siding with the Warmaster under promise of power and pleasure. Praetor was hit hard by

this. Horus had been a great and worthy opponent when exercising close combat skills, and Fulgrim had

been as a brother on Terra. Confused and in need of answers he sought out the traitors to confront them.

Alas, once inside the Warmaster’s realm the Templar was under the influence of Chaos, as Fulgrim

before him. Horus was brimming with charisma, and slowly convinced Praetor that he was challenging

the Emperor for the good of the Imperium. He persuaded the Templar primarch to, somewhat reluctantly,

provide detailed orbital and ground defense information, as well as override codes, in order that Horus

could take Terra with a minimum amount of bloodshed. This was done, and the Templar legion stood

with the Warmaster on the day of the invasion. With two of his legions gone, and the Angels on crusade,

the Emperor found himself with no Emperor’s Own legions left. He took the Imperial Fists and Blood

Angels onto the battlebarge to face Horus, at the cost of both his own life and that of the Blood Angel

primarch Sanguinius. With the Warmaster defeated, the Chaos hold over the Templar was broken. His

Emperor father had been mortally wounded, and Praetor sat distraught outside the Imperial palace. The

realisation of his treachery flooded over him and he wept bitterly, overwhelmed with shame and grief.

++ The Exodus ++

Whilst the defeated Chaos forces were retreating back into the Eye of Terror, Tempus Praetor gathered

his legion together. They were but a fraction of the masses that once stood proud on Terra, a place they

could never return to except under sentence of death. In addition, the legion had lost its many Librarians

and psykers to the Chaos gods, who had sucked them back into the warp for their own twisted pleasures.

Weak of spirit and aimless in thought, Praetor sat wiping the blood stains from his sword. He remembered

his foster-father and the nomad warriors of the desert, and he knew

he would find clarity and direction there once again. Boarding any

space-able vessel they could find, the remaining Emperor’s Templar

set out to find the desert foster world of their primarch. Praetor found

himself drawn to the place without the need for navigation computers

or starcharts, but what he found only saddened him further. Whether

it had been the forces of Chaos or some marauding alien raiders,

the planet stood devoid of life - blasted from orbit till nothing lived,

or so was thought. Taking a detachment down to the planet surface

Praetor found survivors, no more than a thousand in number, yet

all nomad warriors descended from his foster-tribe. He took all on

board, and they drifted on in their rag-tag convoy beyond the edges

of chartered space until they found a planet they could call home.

++ The Holy Land ++

On a red desert planet they found what they were looking for. Their new home had an immense mountain

range along its equator, dividing it evenly into two regions of vast desert. At each of its poles there were

luscious rainforests, where anomalous weather systems allowed the development of plant life and rivers.

The nomads were separated into two tribes, one for the northern region and one for the south, where

they would live and survive by their own means, with no future contact with the marines. In turn the

marines would habit the mountainous territory, overseeing the welfare of the planet and all life on it,

taking warriors from the tribes as required. Unbeknown to all at this time, the planet was once the

homeworld of, and named after, a now extinct Eldar father race known as the Alor, their ruined cities and

temples considered holy ground by all descendants. It was not long before a contingent of Craftworld

warriors appeared, seemingly from nowhere to confront the Templar. They were from the Drasaan

Craftworld, thousands of sleek troops in purple and white armour, determined to remove the trespassing

humans from their holy land. The situation was tense, and neither side could afford a long or drawn out

conflict. Weary of the rigours of the fighting on Terra, Praetor began a parley with the Drasaan Farseer

council. After weeks of negotiation the Eldar agreed a solution. In return for residing on the planet, the

marines vowed to watch over and protect the Alor holy lands from any and all invaders, aided by the

Eldar when it could be spared. Harlequins too came, intrigued by the fallen warriors of the Imperium.

They were most interested in the well-being of the planet, and those who sought to protect it. The Templar

were gifted the name ‘Guardians of the Alor Spirit’, as the Harlequins believed their Eldar forefathers

still walked the land in spirit form.

++ The Dark Templar ++

Eager to know more about the Alor, Praetor educated himself in their ways and beliefs. He incorporated

much of what he learned into the make up of his reborn legion so they should not forget their promise

to the Eldar. He took the name Zerr’a Tuul, meaning ‘Watcher of Souls’ in the Alor tongue, as a sign of

a new beginning. No longer deserving to call themselves the Emperor’s Own, the legion’s name was

changed to the Dark Templar. They shed their golden yellow armour for black and dark shades, in respect

for the passing of events, their new identity and obligations. They were few in number now, but had been

given an opportunity to make amends for former failures. Ever since that time they have struck back at

Chaos at every opportunity. The Great Feasting Hall pays testament to their dedication and valour,

adorned with banners and trophies from age old battles.

++ In Conclusion ++

As the Emperor’s Templar had not been seen or heard of since, presumed terminated entirely, it was

decided to erase all reference to them, and others, from Imperial records to hide the extent of treachery.

The Dark Angels came into existence as the remnants of the loyal Emperor’s Angels. As new chapters

emerged as part of the Second Founding, the forgotten Templar were also

replaced. The Black Templar were made up from loyal Imperial Fist marines,

to ensure no further stain on the Templar name. Should news of the Dark

Templar ever be circulated, it would surely send shockwaves throughout

the Imperium. Many of the Adeptus Astartes would be outraged at their

existence, not least the Blood Angels, who sacrificed their primarch

standing in for the wayward Templar. As for the Templar themselves,

they continue to this day with their zealous retribution and bloody

vengeance. They are reminded of their history every Alor year

by way of a re-enacting of the terrible events. The Chaplains

play the parts of the Chaos traitors, with the Master Chaplain

portraying the Warmaster himself. It seems only they have the

strength of mind to overcome the lure of Chaos whilst in their

roles. The Primarch is represented by the Chapter Master, and

the entire Chapter gathers around The Great Feasting Hall to

observe and remember. This performance only enhances their

desire for retribution. Does their drive to redeem themselves

in the eyes of the Emperor knows no bounds?

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