This is another collaboration effort between Mr Callahan and Tze Kun Chin, for Damnation Crusades Issue 5. Maybe it’s the novel, but “Deus Sanguinius” gave him a much stronger influence on the grim and dark environment of Warhammer 40K.
The Black Templars are one of the most fanatically devout Space Marine Chapters in Warhammer 40,000. Born from the shattered remnants of the Imperial Fists after the Horus Heresy, they were founded by the legendary Sigismund, the first Emperor’s Champion, whose deep devotion to the Emperor shaped the chapter’s fierce zealotry. Unlike other Chapters, the Black Templars refuse to be bound by the Codex Astartes’ strict organization, particularly the rule limiting Chapters to a thousand marines. Instead, they conduct eternal crusades across the galaxy, their numbers swelling far beyond the typical Chapter size as they continuously recruit new warriors. Known for their crusader-like armor and chains of devotion wrapped around their weapons, the Black Templars fight with unmatched fervor, seeing themselves as the Emperor’s holy warriors, purging heretics, mutants, and xenos in His name.
Driven by their hatred of witchcraft and their unshakeable belief in the Emperor’s divinity, the Black Templars are especially brutal in their battles. They abhor psykers and shun Librarians, instead relying on the spiritual guidance of their Chaplains. Their ranks are filled with ferocious close-combat specialists, wielding swords, shields, and bolters in righteous fury as they charge into battle. Their loyalty to the Emperor borders on religious fanaticism, and their martial rituals and ceremonies reflect this devotion. The Black Templars are a symbol of unyielding faith in the Imperium, embodying the grim darkness of the far future, where there is only war and zealous loyalty to the Emperor.