Origins
Shortly after the Second Founding in M31 Roboute Guilliman secretly charged Archmagos Belisarius Cawl with a grand task, producing a new breed of Adeptus Astartes.
Guilliman had learned from the mistakes of the Horus Heresy and foresaw that the forces of Chaos would never relent in their pursuit of the destruction of that which they had once built. He knew that they would once again threaten the relative peace and that warriors with the physical and mental resilience required to stand against them would be needed more than ever.
Now, with the Imperium of Man once again on the brink of catastrophe, the task is complete.
Since Primaris were effectively conceived to battle Chaos, Cawl took this a step further with the Blades Exemplar. With them he employed an adjusted genecode taken from Alpha Primus. Although the experiments that created him cannot be duplicated, some of his genetic makeup was found to be transferable.
Alpha Primus was originally created by Cawl in an attempt to recreate the process the Emperor used to create the Primarchs. The process failed, and instead Alpha Primus was used as the prototype for the Primaris Space Marines. Primus was much more heavily modified than the Primaris, described as having been rewritten on a genetic level rather than merely implanted. The process made him a Psyker of unparalleled power amongst the Astartes as well as physically more powerful than even the Primaris, yet still not to the extent of a Primarch.
The Blades Exemplar are more resistant to the warp and their Librarius has more high-level psykers than other Chapters, no doubt due to their genetic origins. However, this origin has been kept a secret from the Chapter and locked away under Vermillion class cyphers, known only to Bellisarius Cawl, Roboute Guilliman and the High Exemplar.
As with most of the original Primaris, the Blades were recruited from Terra in the 31st Millennium; more specifically the regions of Britonnica, Franc and Jermani. Throughout the ancient history of Old Terra, these 3 regions have a rich history of producing warriors and tempering them in battle.
During Old Night, when Terra was cut off from the rest of the Galaxy and technology grew stagnant, these regions devolved back into a feudal system. As with the rest of the world these regions fought against each other, trying to keep what little they had. Eventually a Warlord rose to prominence, a man who swore he could trace his lineage back to Old Terra and an ancient lord known as Charlemagne.
During his rule ancient historical texts were found containing something called the ‘Code Chivalric’; ideals, oaths and vows used by ancient warriors to live by. This moral system went beyond the rules of combat and introduced the concept of Honourable Conduct - qualities idealised by the ancients such as bravery, courtesy, honour and great gallantry. The warriors of Old Night became known as Knights again, and lived their lives by the ancient Code Chivalric.
Knights of the Emperor
A Knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent era of Old Night but was also expected to temper this aggressive side with nobility and fairness. Something lacking in the other techno-barbarian states of Terra.
This belief and morality system continued up to and past the unification wars.
The Code Chivalric observed by the Blades is a version of this Code from Old Terra:
Living their lives by this code, the Blades Exemplar have earned a reputation as stoic, efficient and honourable warriors.
They fought alongside their brother Chapters in the Indomitus Crusade, helping free numerous Imperial worlds from the yoke of chaos following the emergence of the Great Rift.
As with their unflinching loyalty to the Emperor, so is their hatred bottomless for the traitor Primarchs and legions.They persecute any actions against them with extreme prejudice and will destroy enemy forces down to the last.
The chapter view themselves as crusaders and guardians of the Imperium; willing to battle against all enemies and put themselves in the direst of situations if the outcome means the Imperium is kept safe.
They are specifically recorded with honour in 2 engagements.
Early M42 at the Battle of Vorlese they boarded the Executor with Guilliman, dispatching the Black Legion with clinical precision.They then landed their entire chapter across the northern continent, clearing out every incursion of Black Legion and its cultists with minimal losses to themselves.
Later in the crusade the Chapter deployed to the world of Pyros alongside Guilliman, the Ultramarines, Imperial Fists and Raven Guard, using their precise tactical stratagems to whittle down the Revenants of Umidia. During the final conflict at the spaceport the High Exemplar himself fought the warband’s champion in single combat, defeating him.
After nearly 100 years of crusading at Guilliman’s side, the Blades Exemplar accompanied him to the Ultima Sector to aid in the Plague Wars.
The Chapter fought with honour and bravery and made numerous incursions into the Scourge stars to gain info for the Ordo Sepulturum.
Following on from the Mentor's making contact with the Emperor's Spears in Elara's Veil, the Blades have been despatched there to aid with their fight against The Pure.
