What remained of the Legion was divided into three Chapters. The most zealous marines formed the [[Black Templars]]; the more rational and newly recruited marines the [[Crimson Fists]] and the ones most devoted to their Primarch and Legion remained the Imperial Fists. Rogal Dorn spent the next twenty years rebuilding and reforming his chapter according to the standards of the Index Astartes. (There were other chapters, like the Soul Drinkers for instance, though it is unclear when they came into existence.){{Fn|2a}}
===Current Status===During the War of the Beast, the rediscovered Primarch Vulkan stated to Koorland that he would speak well of the Imperial Fist to Rogal Dorn.{{fn|14}} The exact meaning of these words has not been stated, such as whether Vulkan was speaking literally or figuratively. Dorn does not appear to have been leading the Imperial Fists at that time.{{Fn|8}} Rogal Dorn is missing and presumed dead after attacking a [[Chaos]] fleet with a vastly outnumbered force.{{Fn|99a}} Seeing In the importance account of attacking [[Index Astartes II]], at some point, during "a Black Crusade" (which one is not stated) a call for aid was sent to the Imperial Fists. Allegedly, the enemy [[Imperial Navy]] had failed to discover until too late a Chaos fleet while they were still preparingamassing at the [[Pelenos Belt]] to launch an attack on the [[Cadian Gate]]. With most of the chapter deployed to shadow [[Craftworld]] [[Ulthwé]], he relied on hit-Rogal Dorn could only muster three companies of Imperial Fists and-run attacks until his reinforcements could arriveMarines. Dorn went missing He personally lead an attack on board the fleet, ramming a ship under his command into the [[Despoiler Class Battleship]] the ''[[Sword of Sacrilege]]'' , where he would make his final stand. Only after leading his demise did Ulthwé seemingly vanish, freeing the remaining chapter and the [[Phalanx]] arrive to fully defeat the Chaos fleet, having discovered that the original message was a ruse, and that the Black Crusade was not attacking Cadia. The Imperial Fists "boarded the ''Sword of Sacrilege'' before it could flee and recovered what remained of Rogal Dorn:{{fn|2a}} a desperate attack single fist was the only trace found of the primarch.{{Fn|18}}{{Fn|43}} His engraved skeletal hand continues to be maintained in stasis, their holiest icon"{{Fn|2a}}. If this was indeed his death, it would match the [[divination|prophetic vision]] that Konrad Curze had of Dorn's death, shortly upon their first meeting during the Emperor's arrival on its bridge[[Nostramo]]{{Fn|48}}:{{QuoteBox|quote = "I am Rogal Dorn", he said. <br>The Night Haunter said nothing. In his [[psyker|mind's eye]], he saw the giant die, dragged down by a hundred murderers in a dark tunnel, their knives and swords wet with the warrior's blood.{{Fn|48}}|}} Different sources have stated that Dorn's whole body was recovered, and his [[Remains of Rogal Dorn#The Skeletal Body of Rogal Dorn|skeleton]] is now kept embedded in clear amber except for his hands,{{Fn|5}} that unstated remains were recovered,{{Fn|2a}} and that only one of his fists was found.{{Fn|18}}{{Fn|43}}, and that it could have occured in [[M32]]{{fn|51}} or [[M36]]{{Fn|8}}{{Fn|Conflicting Sources}} But they all agree that [[Remains of Rogal Dorn#The Skeletal Hands of Rogal Dorn|his hand]] is kept in stasis as the chapter's most holy relic.{{Fn|2a}}{{Fn|5}}{{Fn|18}}{{Fn|43}}
Dorn's skeletal fist is kept within the shrine, the bones intricately engraved with the heraldry of all the Chapter's previous Masters. Only the Chapter Master has the right to engrave his name upon the bones. Each bone corresponds to former commanders. Left hand, the first metacarpal: Lords [[Bronwin Abermort]], [[Maximus Thane]], [[Kalman Flodensbog]], the first phalanx of the thumb, [[Ambrosian Spactor]], etc.{{Fn|5}}
===Current Status===
Despite being considered dead by the Imperium at large{{Fn|Conflicting Sources}}, some see Dorn's status as unclear. During the [[War of the Beast]], the rediscovered [[Primarch]] [[Vulkan]] stated to [[Koorland]] that he would speak well of the [[Imperial Fist]] to Rogal Dorn.{{Fn|14}} [[Konrad Curze]], however, remained convinced of Dorn's death and that he was torn to pieces by the enemy. This fate was foreseen by the Night Haunter when the two brothers met on Nostramo and was confirmed many years later, when Curze reflected on his past while waiting to be executed by [[M'Shen]], but crucially, this answered only the how, and was entirely lacking the when.{{Fn|21}}
Sometime during the [[Age of the Dark Imperium]] the [[Black Templars]] [[Emperor's Champion]] [[Johannes Berengar]] experienced a vision of himself fighting against tides of [[daemon]]s alongside a resurgent Rogal Dorn. The vision ended with the two about to face [[Fulgrim]], and following this prophecy the Black Templars engaged the [[Emperor's Children]] on the world of [[Crucible (World)|Crucible]].{{Fn|39}}
==={{Endn|Conflicting Sources}}===
A summary of what ====What we "know":====*Rogal Dorn died during a can be presumed to have survived to at least 100 years after the [[Black CrusadeSecond Founding]] in which 021.M31{{Fn|43}}{{Fn|42}}. While conversing with [[Chaplain]] [[Segas]] on [[CadiaSotha]] ''wasn't'' attacked, meaning it had to be 5 through 12 if it was one of [[AbbadonOberdeii]]'s, refers to the Second Founding as 1-4 having occurred at least a hundred years ago (and 13 involved attacks on the planet.**He died on that [[Sword of Sacrilege|a shipRoboute Guilliman]] built in was already wounded by [[M36Fulgrim]], further corroborating by that he couldn't have died point). Segas in turn refers to Dorn as alive and in command in any of the first 4 Black Crusadespresent tense, having already petitioned the High Lords to approve the upcoming [[Third Founding]] forty years prior their conversation.***Said ship Thus (presuming Segas was not misinformed due to delayed information) this puts one of the last dates he is presumed to be alive as of at least eventually crewed by [[Tzeentch|Tzeeentchian]]s; 121.M31, approximately 600 years prior to the [[8th 1st Black Crusade]] was the one in which 781.M31{{Fn|41}}{{Fn|42}}.*He died on [[AbbadonSword of Sacrilege|a ship]] specifically sought (and acquired) Tzeentchthat his hand was recovered{{Fn|2a}}*Dorn's death in the bowels of an enemy ship is supported by Konrad Curze's favorprophecy: ''dragged down by a hundred murderers in a dark tunnel, their knives and it involved swords wet with the murder warrior's blood.'' This would be reminiscent of highly specific targets one slain in highly specific waysthe confines of a ship by enemies during a boarding action.**FurthermoreCurze's visions were generally proven true in nearly all cases, he was alive during including the deaths of [[Age of ApostasyFerrus Manus]], which occurred during [[M36Sanguinius]]; {{fn|49}}, and even his own death at the wording hands of the text stating this strongly implies he outlived [[Goge VandireM'Shen]], but Goge's death has no specific known datecrucially, this answered only the how, and was entirely lacking the when. {{Fn|21}}*The He died on a "Black Crusade " in question was "bludgeoning its way through the [[Cadian Gate]]", so it however there was no actual attack on Cadia itself.**''Presuming this refers to [[Black_Crusade#The_Black_Crusades_of_Abaddon_the_Despoiler|Abaddon's Black Crusades]]'' it could not have been the 10th through 12th, as none of those crusades used the gate to enter realspacereal space.**He died In the [[Index Astartes II]], Dorn's death is said to have taken place "soon afterthe disappearance of his brother" , [[Corvus Corax]] disappeared into the [[Eye of Terror]], which firmly strongly guarantees it could not have been the 12th(and almost assuredly not the 13th), as Corax was definitely already had been long gone by that point; more generally, it implies an earlier crusade, as Corax's absence from galactic events before his disappearance is less plausible the longer it is.*Dorn was convinced the Imperial Navy had failed to see the threat until it was too late; the two remaining crusades in the suspect list (5-9) in which Abbadon's forces were reputably unpredictable are the [[7th Black Crusade|7th]] and [[8th Black Crusade|8th]]; the other three were reasonably focused on planets and sectors not involving [[Cadia]].**The 7th was specifically about recovering gene-seed, culminating in Abbadon and [[Fabius Bile|Bile]] making new marines from [[Blood Angels]] gene-seed; presumably, they would have used [[Iron Hands]] gene-seed as well if they had a primarch's corpse on hand.
Speculatively, then, the most plausible Black Crusade in which ====Conflicting Details====*In [[Index Astartes II]] Rogal Dorn is stated to have died was the during a [[8th Black Crusade]], circa 999.in which [[M37Cadia]], ''if it was one of Abbadonwasn'st''attacked{{fn|49}}. This would eliminate Black Crusades 1-4 which did involve attacks on Cadia. If he instead died **Furthermore the [[Despoiler Class Battleship]] is described in [[Battlefleet Gothic]] as having been built in a heretofore undisclosed [[M36]]{{Fn|8}} This too would naturally eliminate Black CrusadeCrusades 1-4.*[[Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition)]] describes his hand being in possession of the Imperial Fists as of [[M32]], inspiring the Imperial Fists from the "Ork Onslaughts"{{fn|51}} Although it might seem like these Ork Onslaughts may refer to the [[War of the Beast]], the only Black Crusade to occur in [[M32]] was presumably the [[2nd Black Crusade]] in either late 597.[[M36M32]] or sometime {{fn|41}}, 50 years after the end of the War of the Beast in 546.[[M37M32]]. {{fn|52}}**The Second Black Crusade did involve an attack through the Cadian Gate, however it also resulted in an actual attack and besieging of Cadia itself, something the account of Dorn's Death in Index Astartes states did not happen at that time.
Rogal Dorn can be presumed to have survived to at least 100 years after the [[Second Founding]] in 021Several of these details are not reconcilable (i.M31{{Fn|43}}{{Fn|42}}e. While conversing with [[Chaplain]] [[Segas]] on [[Sotha]], [[Oberdeii]] refers to the Second Founding as having occurred at least a hundred years ago (and that [[Roboute Guilliman]] was already wounded by [[Fulgrim]] by that point). Segas hand being discovered in turn refers to Dorn as alive M32 and the ship being built in command in the present tense, having already petitioned the High Lords to approve the upcoming [[Third Founding]] forty years prior their conversationM36). Thus (presuming Segas was not misinformed due to delayed information) this puts , depending on which source one of the last dates he is presumed to be alive as of goes by, Dorn's death may have occurred at least 121.M31, approximately 600 years prior to the [[1st Black Crusade]] in 781.M31{{Fn|41}}{{Fn|42}}different times.
In ''====If Dorn Died during M32====At no point in [[Space Marine (Novel)M32]]'' it is stated that during the Imperial Fists have Rogal Dorn's whole [[Remains War of the Beast]] is Rogal Dorn|skeleton]] aboard spoken of by the Imperial Fists as though he were alive and in command of the ''The Phalanx''Imperial Fists.{{Fn|58}}During that war, Vulkan commended [[Koorland]] that his actions honoured Rogal Dorn and that he "will tell him so."{{HTEfn|8}} However, it It should be noted that this source in particular is one the Imperial Fists should not yet have had possession of Dorn's Hand during the very few to be given War of the (now defunct) [[Heretic Tomes]] labeling by Games Workshop, and even rarer, its current ebook listing comes with a warning about treating it as canonBeast.{{Fnfn|4741}}This is further corroborated by there being no mention at all of Dorn's Hand throughout the War of the Beast novels, nor considered by Koorland to Vulkan's words.
In the [[Index Astartes II]], Dorn's death It is said to have taken place "soon after the disappearance of his brother", [[Corvus Corax]]. This account details feasible that during "a Black Crusade" (which one is not stated) a call for aid was sent to the Imperial Fists. Allegedly the [[Imperial Navy]] had failed to discover until too late a Chaos fleet amassing at the [[Pelenos Belt]] to launch an attack on the [[Cadian Gate]]. With most of the chapter deployed to shadow [[Craftworld]] [[Ulthwé]], Rogal Dorn could only muster three companies of , like Vulkan himself, vanished from Imperial Fists public sight shortly after Corax and Marines. He personally lead an attack on the fleet, ramming a ship under his command into the [[Despoiler Class BattleshipGreat Scouring]] the ''[[Sword of Sacrilege]]'', where he would make his final stand. Only after his demise did Ulthwé seemingly vanish, freeing the remaining chapter in hiding and the [[Phalanx]] arrive only surfacing to fully defeat lead the Chaos fleet, having discovered that the original message was a ruse, and that attack on the unspecified Black Crusade was not attacking Cadia. The Imperial Fists "boarded the ''Sword of Sacrilege'' before it could flee and recovered what remained of Rogal Dorn. His engraved skeletal hand continues to be maintained in stasis, their holiest icon"{{Fn|2a8}}With the War of the Beast ending in 546. However, according to [[Battlefleet GothicM32]] the Despoiler class ship wasn't designed until mid-[[M36]], having originally been an Imperial warship class that fell to Chaos.{{Fnfn|852}} Whether this is an oversight on the class of warship, or if Dorn did indeed lead the Imperial Fists for several millennia, is unclear. Furthermore, prior next closest Black Crusade to occur after it would be the [[13th 2nd Black Crusade]] in 597.[[M32]], only the 1st Black Crusade was known to make a dedicated assault on Cadia, making it possible that the event took place in some other Black Crusades beside the 1st (though ostensibly not the 13th)approximately 50 years later.{{Fn|41}} It is possible that, like VulkanAs mentioned however, Rogal Dorn remained in hiding and only appeared again when he believed the hour was needed2nd Black Crusade did involve an actual assault on Cadia.
Also====If Dorn Died during or after M36===*If the details about the Despoiler Class being built in [[M36]] are correct, this could mean he was alive during the [[Age of Apostasy]]{{fn|49}} though there is no mention of his appearance in those times.*The Black Crusades to occur during or after M36 are those of 5-12, with crusades 10-12 being less likely candidates for "shortly after" Corax disappearance.*Dorn was convinced the Imperial Navy had failed to see the threat until it was too late; among the crusades 5-9 in which Abbadon's forces were reputably unpredictable are the [[Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition)7th Black Crusade|7th]] and [[Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition, 2nd Codex)Black Crusade|8th]] it is stated that ; the Imperial Fists defeated other three were reasonably focused on planets and sectors not involving [[Cadia]] or the Chaos fleet [[Cadian Gate]] at all.*The [[8th Black Crusade]] occurred in [[M37]], and was the one in which [[Abbadon]] specifically sought (and acquired) Tzeentch's favor, and it involved the following search a single fist was the only trace found murder of the primarchhighly specific targets in highly specific ways.{{Fnfn|1850}}{{Fn*The [[7th Black Crusade]] occured in [[M37]] and was specifically about recovering gene-seed, culminating in Abbadon and [[Fabius Bile|43}}Bile]] making new marines from [[Blood Angels]] gene-seed. This should be weighed against the notion of whether or not they had the corpse of [[Rogal Dorn]] or even the longer dead [[Ferus Manus]].
At no point Speculatively, then, going by a death post M36 a very plausible Black Crusade in [[M32]] during which Dorn died was the [[War of the Beast8th Black Crusade]] is Rogal Dorn spoken of by the Imperial Fists as though he were alive and in command of the Imperial Fists. However, during that war, Vulkan commended [[Koorland]] that his actions honoured Rogal Dorn and that he "will tell him socirca 999." It is therefore possible that Rogal Dorn did indeed vanish from Imperial public sight shortly after Corax and the [[Great ScouringM37]], but that like Vulkan, he remained alive and in hiding and only surfacing to lead the attack on the unspecified ''if it was one of Abbadon's Black CrusadeCrusades''.{{Fn|8}} With the War of the Beast ending Unless he died in 546.[[M32]], the next closest Black Crusade to occur after it would be the [[2nd a heretofore undisclosed Black Crusade]] in 597.[[M32]], approximately 50 years later.
====Author Commentary====In a 2014 thread on [[Bolter & Chainsword]] by the (supposed)<sup>[[Rogal Dorn/Sources|[See Additional Sources]]]</sup> account of [[Aaron Dembski-Bowden]] (ADB) regarding the planning of his [[Black Library (BL Publishing)|Black Library]] novels, he affirms the death of Rogal Dorn aboard the [[Sword of Sacrilege]] as per [[Index Astartes II]] (insofar as it was part of his planning). In the post he recounts some of his (at the time) scrapped plans for writing the climax of the 1st Black Crusade. The planned date for this climax would have been between the First and Second Black Crusade, "early [[M2]] ... a couple hundred years after the first Black Crusade", as part of a joint author collaboration meeting to organize when '''all''' the primarchs had died. {{fn|44}} This would corroborate with then already released 6th edition space marine codex description of his hand being found in [[M32]].{{fn|51}} He had proposed having [[Abaddon]] kill Rogal Dorn, merging Dorn's death on the Sword of Sacrilege with the climax of the 1st Black Crusade. Ultimately this story concept was not chosen during the meeting, and thus it was not written.{{Fn|44}}
Per ADB in regards to who was slain by Abaddon during the climax of the First Black Crusade:
Later in 2017, Dembski-Bowden would publish [[Black Legion (Novel)]]. In this story, Abaddon recounted to [[Iskandar Khayon]] the death of Sigismund at his hands. Thus, at least as per the Black Library series narrative, Rogal Dorn was not slain by Abaddon at the end of the 1st Black Crusade.{{Fn|45}}
In ''[[Space Marine (Novel)]]'' it is stated that the Imperial Fists have Rogal Dorn's whole [[Remains of Rogal Dorn|skeleton]] aboard the ''The Phalanx''.{{Fn|5}}{{HTE}} However, it should be noted that this source in particular is one of the very few to be given the (now defunct) [[Heretic Tomes]] labeling by Games Workshop, and even rarer, its current ebook listing comes with a warning about treating it as canon.{{Fn|47}}
==See also==
*{{Endn|7}}: [[Collected Visions]], pgs. 359–379
*{{Endn|8}}: [[Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook]], pg. 117
*{{Endn|9}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition)]]**{{Endn|9a}}:{{CME}}**{{Endn|9b}}: pg.23
*{{Endn|10}}: [[The Dark King (Audio Drama)]]
*{{Endn|11}}: [[The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination]], pgs. 272–273
**{{Endn|46b}}: Chapters 16-18
**{{Endn|46c}}: Chapter 39
*{{Endn|47}}: *{{Endn|5}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150318022606/http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/Space-Marine.html Black Library: Space Marine] ''(saved archive page, dated 18 March 2015, last accessed 18 December 2025)''*{{Endn|48}}: [[Prince of Crows (Novella)]] (E-Version) Ch.VI ''Memory''*{{Endn|49}}: [[Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition)]], pg. 8-16*{{Endn|50}}: [[Black Legion - A Codex: Chaos Space Marines Supplement (E-Book)]], "The Skullgather", pgs. 36-37*{{Endn|51}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition)]] pgs. 41-42 ''*{{Endn|52}}: [[Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook]], pg. 169
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===External links===
