The Dornian Heresy - The Bolter and Chainsword

Emperor‟s displeasure, the Brides died
to a woman, and their order expunged
from the pages of history. Dishevelled
and raging, Vandire was hauled bodily
from his hiding place by Sebastian
Thor, his time of misrule at an end.
The two Word Bearers were then
brought by the Custodes to the
Emperor‟s throne room to face
judgement. While Thor emerged as the
new Ecclesiarch, Goge Vandire was
never seen again, and none present
would ever speak of his fate.
It is a testament to the character of
Sebastian Thor that he was able to
rebuild the reputation of both the
Ecclesiarchy and the Word Bearers.
Part of the act of contrition was to
make radical changes to the
organisations of both bodies. While the
High Lords on Terra were purged of
Vandire‟s influence, Thor took
advantage of the waning warp storms
to tour the Imperium and reorganise
the Ministorum. Even though Vandire
was gone, his cronies were unwilling to
yield their petty fiefdoms without a
fight. The Traitor Legions had also
taken advantage of the confusion to
venture forth from the Eye of Terror.
By the time the Word Bearers reached
the domain of the Apostate Cardinal
Bucharis, they found that the entire
sub-sector‟s population had been
The Tower of Blood
culled by the butchers of Leman Russ‟
Space Wolves.
At long last the greed, corruption and
lust for power that had been so rife
under Vandire‟s rule were swept away.
With the Ministorum returned to its
role of guiding the galaxy in the
worship of The Divine Emperor, and to
protecting the Imperium from the
whispers of the Fell Powers, Sebastian
Thor announced his final reform: he
stepped down as the Ecclesiarch. No
longer would any Word Bearer hold
the role. Instead, the legion became the
Chamber Militant of the Ministorum,
acting not only as its strong right arm,
but as the body charged with ensuring
it never again overstepped its bounds.
These decisions returned stability to
the galaxy, and marked an end to the
Age of Apostasy, and ever since, the
Word Bearers have remained diligent
guardians of the Emperor‟s Truth in
the Imperium.
Combat Doctrine
The legion frequently takes to the field
of battle leading much larger groups,
such as the Frateris Militaris, Imperial
Army or even massed mobs of
pilgrims. It also places much weight
upon divinations and interpretations of
the Emperor‟s Tarot, and for these
reasons the Word Bearers have gained
The tallest monument to the martyred is the recently completed Tower of
Blood, on the world of Tanakreg. Traitors of the Iron Hand Legion stormed
the capital-hive of Shinar and drove the survivors into the surrounding
wilderness. The small contingent of Word Bearers that responded found the
enemy numerous and well dug in, but were able to rally the scattered refugees
and whipped them into a righteous fury to re-take their city. Even hardened
veterans of the Imperial Army would have faltered at the sight of their
comrades being flayed to the bone by the weaponry deployed by the traitors,
but the citizens of Shinar were resolute. In a long night of bloodshed the hive
was liberated, and though it was reduced to an uninhabitable ruin in the
process, the mechanical abominations of Ferrus Manus were at last destroyed.
In honour of the fallen, a vast tower was constructed where the city had once
stood. At the dedication ceremony, Chaplain Veraik, a veteran of the
campaign, said that the tower had been built, like the Imperium itself, with
the blood of martyrs. The tower extends high into the clouds above, and the
pilgrims contest that it contains one block for every life that was lost that day,
although calculations have shown that if this was truly the case it would reach
into low orbit.
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a reputation for tactical inflexibility
and naivety. While it is true that they
cannot match the skill at arms of the
World Eaters, or the strategic acumen
of the Alpha Legion, it is a foolish
commander who underestimates them.
Once dedicated to a goal, the Word
Bearers are enthused with an
unquenchable will to succeed, and the
exhortations of their chaplains drive
them to incredible feats of strength and
endurance that can only end in victory
or martyrdom. They inspire the same
fervour in those around them, so that
once committed, the only way for the
battle to end is with the total
annihilation of one side or the other.
While the Word Bearers are the fatal
spear-point in any attack, the
psychological effect of an endless tide
of wild-eyed zealots closing on the
enemy cannot be discounted. These
mobs are often little more than local
citizens, untrained and armed with
nothing but improvised weapons.
Individually they are no match for a
well-drilled opponent, and yet they
give their lives willingly in the service
of the Emperor, and are lauded for
doing so. Across the Imperium there
are vast monuments built to honour the
glorious sacrifice of these martyrs,
often alongside the mass graves of the
fallen.
Organisation
For nearly five millennia the Word
Bearers were commanded by Lorgar,
and in their primarch‟s absence, this
role has fallen to the legion master.
Aware that the first person to hold the
position came perilously close to
destroying the legion, subsequent
masters have been diligent in their
attempts to redeem it. Despite the
moral authority that chaplains wield
amongst the Word Bearers, they do
not command. Such a task is far too
important to get bogged down in the
minutiae of directing the flow of
battle. Instead, their role is to provide
spiritual guidance, inspire their
brethren, and watch over the souls of
those under their charge.
Librarians are greatly valued by the
captains of the grand companies, and