The Order of the Broken Sword

Created during the Second Founding The Knights of the Blade took no part in the hunting of the Fallen and instead assisted the Adeptus Mechanicus in hunting their own traitors. As a Result The Knights of the Blade knew about the Fallen and would hunt them if they came across them but were far more likely to just pass the information on. If they ever captured a Member of the Fallen they would be sent under escort to the Dark Angels.

The Knights of the Blade took extraordinary care of their Swords. Every rank, posting, battle, commendation and reprimand a Brother ever received was personally engraved on his sword.

The Halls of the Chapters Home Planet of Galland V were filled with the recovered swords of the dead Battle Brothers and the Chapters history was not in books or on Data-Pads but on the Blades of it’s Warriors. This gave rise to the Chapter Motto

And the Chapter’s Battle Cry

The Knights of the Blade accompanied the Mechanicus until their Homeworld was attacked by Eldar. Galland V was secretly a world that contained Spirit Stones and the newly arrived mining activities of the Mechanicus were threatening them.

The Eldar came swiftly and wiped out the Two Reserve Companies that held the Planet and Drove the First Company back into their Fortress Monastery. The remaining Seven Companies returned the the Planet and the First Three were destroyed in Piecemeal as they rushed to reinforce the First Company.

The remaining Companies massed on the planets moon and launched a surprise drop pod assault on the Eldar besiegers as the First Company sallied forth from the Fortress Monastery.

The fighting was fierce and before long only a handful or Marines survived. Lead by Brother Captain Vandels the last handful of The Knights of the Blade died fighting hand to hand with the Eldar. Brother Captain Vandels’ Sword was broken in single combat with an Eldar Autarch and he was found clutching it with the last of his strength.

When the nearest Imperial help arrived on Galland V only Brother Captain Vandels survived and even he was shattered beyond repair and was immediately interred in a Dreadnought.

Believing the Chapter destroyed The Knights of the Blade were officially declared destroyed and Former Brother Captain Vandels was transferred to the Mechanicus for safekeeping.

Rather than finding him a new Chapter to Serve the Mechanicus created a false Chapter known as “The Order of the Broken Sword” in M.37 shortly after the fall of Galland V.

“The Order of the Broken Sword” had no official connections to the Adeptus Mechanicus and existed only so they could take in the best of the new recruits destined for a Space Marine Chapter but who would instead find themselves in the ranks of the Skitarii.

Kept in a limited stasis Brother Captain Vandels was turned into little more than a glorified scanner, reading and transcribing documents before uploading them to the Private Data Frame of the local Forge World. Among the Documents he read over the Millenia was the Lectitio Divinitatus and many writings on “The Imperial Truth”. This Document and his treatment at the hands of the Mechanicus would set the groundwork for the Philosophy of “The Order of the Broken Sword”.

The “Order of the Broken Sword” were always listed as having taken heavy casualties in combat and so were constantly receiving new recruits and equipment that could be stolen by the local Adeptus Mechanicus.