Founding
 |
|
A Founding is an occasion when several new Space Marine Chapters are created. The exceptions to this were the creation of the Grey Knights who were created before the Second Founding[Needs Citation], and the Sons of Medusa, who were ratified by unprecedented edict.[3]
Contents |
History
A founding does not occur at any set interval, but is ordered when it is deemed necessary. As chapters are occasionally completely destroyed, foundings are often meant to ensure that a thousand chapters exist at a time. The latest founding was the Twenty-Sixth, in 738.M41.[1]
The First Founding occurred at the beginning of the Great Crusade, with the creation of the original Space Marine Legions. The Second Founding, following the Horus Heresy, was the division of these Legions into the smaller Chapters, which remain the Space Marine's standard unit of organization, through the present. One chapter of each parent Legion maintained the original colours, symbol, and name of the Legion, and are known as the Chapters of the First Founding.[Needs Citation]
Creation of new chapters
The creation of new chapters can only be ordered by the High Lords of Terra, and it is said ultimately only from the Emperor himself, although the actual process of creation is performed by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The gene-seed used to create new chapters is stored by the Adeptus Mechanicus, originally tithed from existing chapters. New progenoids are created using human test-slaves. Zygotes are grown from gene-seed and implanted into the slaves; these then develop into progenoid organs and are removed. A single slave is used in this way to create two progenoids, which are then implanted into two more slaves, and so on. One thousand sets of organs - the notional number of Marines in a chapter - are created, after more than half a century of constant reproduction.[Needs Citation]
Space Marine Foundings
| Founding | Date | Notes |
| 1st | M29 | The creation of the twenty Space Marine Legions. |
| 2nd | 021.M31 | After the Horus Heresy, the Loyalist Legions were reorganized into smaller Chapters following the dictates of the Codex Astartes written by Roboute Guilliman.[Needs Citation] |
| 3rd | 001.M32 | Unconfirmed founding of the Executioners[3] and the Flesh Eaters.[Needs Citation] |
| Unstated | M32 | Creation of the Marines Malevolent.[4] |
| Unstated | M33 | Creation of the Angels Porphyr, Howling Griffons, and Sons of Guilliman.[Needs Citation] |
| 8th | Mid-M34 | Unconfirmed founding of the Mantis Warriors.[3] |
| 10th | Mid-M35 | Unconfirmed founding of the Astral Claws.[3] |
| 13th | Early M36 | The "Dark Founding," the only one for which the Adeptus Terra does not have a gene-seed sample.[Needs Citation] |
| 19th | M36 | Founding of the Avenging Sons[Needs Citation] |
| 21st | M36 | The "Cursed Founding" which created chapters which fell victim to mutation, heresy, rebellion, or simple bad luck. |
| Unstated | M36 | Founding of the Angels of Fire[4], Celebrants[4], Relictors[4] and Steel Confessors.[Needs Citation] |
| 22nd | M37[Needs Citation] | |
| 23rd | M37/M38 | Creation of the Marines Errant[2], Imperial Harbingers[2], Star Phantoms[3] and Steel Cobras[2]. |
| Unstated | M37 | Creation of the Disciples of Caliban.[Needs Citation] |
| Unstated | M38 | Creation of the Celestial Lions.[4] |
| Unstated | M40 | Creation of the Omega Marines.[4] |
| 25th | M40 | Creation of the Star Scorpions and Fire Angels.[2] |
| 26th | 738.M41 | The latest founding to date.[5][6] |
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf 98 (UK) Chapter Approved: The Origin of the Legiones Astartes by Rick Priestley (reprinted in Warhammer 40,000: Compendium)
- 2: Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, [Needs Citation]
- 3: Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pgs. 91-103
- 4:Index Astartes: Emperor's Shield (White Dwarf 249 (UK))
- 5: Warhammer 40,000: Compendium, pg. 6
- 6: White Dwarf 98 (UK), pg. 39
Uncited
|
|
- Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition)
- Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition)
- Codex: Ultramarines (2nd Edition)
- Index Astartes
