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Solemnus

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Solemnus is a former Adeptus Astartes Homeworld of the Black Templars.[1]

Map Basic Data Planetary Image
px Name: Solemnus Unknown.jpg
Segmentum: Unknown
Sector: Unknown
Subsector: Unknown
System: Solemnus System
Population: Unknown
Affiliation: Imperium
Class: Feudal World, former Adeptus Astartes Homeworld, Forbidden World
Tithe Grade: Aptus Non

History

Solemnus is believed to have been first settled by mankind during the millennia-distant Dark Age of Technology[2a]. A thousand years before the Black Templars, under Marshal Emrik, came to Solemnus to quash an insidious genestealer cult that had held almost the entire planet in its filthy talons. After cleansing the planet of the genestealer taint, the Black Templars claimed Solemnus and used it as a recruiting world[2b]. The chapter maintained a monastery-fortress on the planet, which they used to resupply and gather suitable recruits for their chapter between crusades; consisting of a permanent population of a hundred battle-brothers, as well as the neophytes, serfs, adepts and many other minions who saw to the needs of the Black Templars and the fortress itself.[1a]

A world troubled by storms, its populace sustained themselves by sheep-farming, forestry, the raising of livestock, basic mining and quarrying. Those same people maintained their own method of government via a system of petty kingdoms and vassal lords. But it was the castellan of the monastery-fortress who was the true overlord, and effectively governor, of the planet, who represented Solemnus to the greater Imperium.[2b]

Right before the Black Templars fleet, under Marshal Brant, were expected to return to the planet, from the Apollo Subsector, and the site of the Liberation of Lugnasad[1b], Solemnus was attacked by an armada of the Blood Scar Ork tribe, under Warboss Morkrull Grimskar. The Ork armada targeted the monastery-fortress with an orbital bombardment, which the fortress' shield generators absorbed, before finally sending a Rok crashing down near the fortress. The rok fired its weapons at point blank range and the force of the impact caused the fortress' shields to overload and collapse. A section of its walls were destroyed during the attack, which allowed a large force of Orks to invade the fortress and massacre all inside.[1c]

When Marshal Brant's fleet, they found Solemnus under assault. The Black Templars fleet attacked the Ork armada, which began to retreat under fire, before sending drop pods to the planet[1c]. A fierce battle commenced, with the Black Templars fighting the Orks within the ruins of the fortress. Soon the battle was finished, with all the Orks on Solemnus killed. The Black Templars searched for any survivors amid the ruins, only finding Brother Jarold, nearly dead, atop a pile of Ork corpses. His wounds were so great that the only way to save him was to inter him within a Dreadnought.[2b]

The Black Templars quit Solemnus, soon after the battle and destroyed the ruins of the fortress. It is no longer a recruiting world for the Black Templars. Or indeed any Chapter, thanks to the warning beacon left in orbit by the departing Space Marines. Now it was left as a memorial to those brethren who had lost their lives to the Blood Scar tribe's assault on the planet, making it no more, and no less, than another relic of the Black Templars Chapter.[2c]

Marshal Brant's remaining forces departed in pursuit of the Orks. Renamed the Solemnus Crusade, they vowed to avenge their departed brethren against the hordes that followed Warboss Morkrull Grimskar.[2b]

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