The Foundation of Outremer
When the Damocles Gulf Crusade against the T'au was called by Cardinal Esau Gurney of Brimlock in 742.M41, nearly a dozen Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes responded. One of those sending forces was the Black Templars, ever-eager for an opportunity to crusade against the perfidious xenos. One of the castellanies (fighting companies) of the Crusade the Templars assembled to take up the Aquila was that of Castellan
Fulk.
In addition to fighting forces, the crusade was accompanied by Imperial nobles and clergy, some from the Knight World of Normany including Bishop
Arnulf and the family of
Renaud, a minor Baron who was eager to seek his fortune in what he hoped would be newly-conquered Imperial territories.
He was not to be disappointed; after meeting stiff resistance from the Xenos and corrupted human allies in Imperial space the crusade crossed the Damocles Gulf and took the fight to the T'au. While the crusade was bogged down on the world of Dal'yth, splinter forces including Fulk's castellany conquered territory on a number of T'au worlds, establishing a beachhead empire in T'au space. Supported by an ecclesiarchal mandate from Arnulf, Renaud contrived to have himself declared Imperial administrator. Adopting
Gothique as the official language of this new state, he named it
Outremer - "Beyond the Gulf".
Despite his Black Templar zeal for offense, Fulk was pleased to defend this fledgling realm - with constant attacks from the T'au against Outremer his Marines had no shortage of opportunities for valorous purging of the perfidious xenos. It did not hurt that Arnulf constantly preached that Outremer was willed by the God-Emperor Himself, that the defense and expansion of the realm was a divine mandate, and even that Renaud was chosen and blessed by the Emperor. His piety flattered by the wily bishop, Fulk was eager to assist Outremer in whatever way he could.
The Withdrawal
The overall outcome of the Damocles Crusade is
well-documented elsewhere - in the face of the extra-galactic threat of the Tyranids (not to mention as the recalcitrance of the T'au to submit to the mercy of Imperial xenocide) the Imperium withdrew its forces across the Damocles Gulf in 745.M41, abandoning Outremer.
Renaud, Arnulf and Fulk (as well as various Astra Militarum and other forces under their command) were ordered to withdraw by their respective superiors - but, individually and collectively, they refused. While the motivations of the others were debatable and certainly impure, the direct and pious Fulk saw such a retreat as a betrayal of the very spirit of the Black Templars, a slap in the face of Sigismund himself. Goaded by Arnulf and flattered by Renaud, Fulk defied the Crusade's Marshal, calling him a coward and a traitor to the Imperial cause. "Do what thou wilt, Sir," he proclaimed, "but as for me and mine, we will serve the Lord." It is not entirely clear who Fulk meant by 'Lord' - it may have been a reference to the God-Emperor (certainly, Arnulf was eager to trumpet such piety to the common folk of Outremer as an example to emulate) but it may also have been a reference to Renaud, whom Fulk considered to be anointed by the God-Emperor as the rightful ruler of Outremer and an almost-messianic figure (influenced by Arnulf's preaching).
His hands tied by the demands of the wider Imperium, and perhaps privately agreeing with Fulk, the Marshal of the Crusade did not censure his subordinate but also did not condone his actions. He simply withdrew in silence and allowed Fulk to remain in Outremer.
The Deception
When Renaud was killed by T'au, Arnulf recognized the precarious position he and Outremer were in. Having built the nobleman up into an almost mythical figure, the realm was held together by a cult of personality which he controlled by manipulation of Renaud. Furthermore, Fulk's faith and with it his unquestioning allegiance might crumble if it were revealed that Raynald were dead.
Arnulf had been prepared for this eventuality, however - Renaud could not have been expected to live forever and he had taken steps to ensure a continual figurehead he could both elevate and manipulate. Adeptus Mechanicus Magi Biologis loyal to Arnulf had cloned Renaud, growing the specimen to physical maturity and placing it in stasis until such time as it was needed. The clone was presented to Fulk and the Outremer as Renaud and the Templar's loyalty endured.
Much, not merely the identity of Renaud, was kept from Fulk - whose pious devotion blinded him to the truth. He was ignorant of the power struggle within Renaud's family. The lord had no legitimate children, but his younger brother Baudouin was aware of his death and felt he should inherit the crown of Outremer. Supported by elements within the court Baudouin attempted to seize power but was outmaneuvered by Arnulf, his military forces defeated by Fulk and the Templars. He was driven out of Outremer.
The Schism
Fulk's
seneschal (the second-in-command of a castellany) was
Hugh, an independent-minded man devoted to the God-Emperor. As convinced of the need to remain in Outremer as Fulk, he had nevertheless always been suspicious of Arnulf's preaching and elevation of Renaud and privately considered his master deluded by a tale unworthy of an Astartes and better-suited to keeping credulous mortals faithful. Learning the truth about the death of Renaud and the identity of the man claiming to be him, Hugh was incensed by Arnulf's perfidy and manipulation of his master and the rest of the Templars. More suited to direct combat than political machinations, his attempt to gather support within the castellany was discovered by Arnulf who betrayed him to Fulk. Goaded and manipulated, the Castellan challenged Hugh, accusing him of sedition and rebellion, refusing to even allow him to speak in his defense and denying him the honor of a trial by combat. He and his few supporters were exiled from Outremer.
Betrayed by his brother but still honoring filial piety, Hugh sought out Baudouin and pledged his loyalty to him as the true heir of Raynald and the rightful
Roi d'Outremer. In the intervening years, Baudouin was was able to build a power-base among the Gue'vesa through deft political maneuvering. While the Gue'vesa were given much latitude by the T'au - being allowed to manage their own affairs provided it did not threaten the stability of the T'au Empire - this was a step too far. The T'au fell on Baudouin's settlement, killing many of his supporters. He and his wife died in the attack, but his daughters were saved by Hugh who - overcome by their smallness and delicacy - vowed to protect them, transferring his loyalty to Baudouin's eldest child,
Melisende.
La Femme
Melisende was a brilliant politician, even a teenager as she was. She recognized Hugh's devotion and played on it, encouraging an exiled priest in her court,
Ghibbelin, to preach on the differences and complementarity of the genders. Men were warriors, he taught, and the purest expression of manhood is in conquest and defense of the weak, not in ruling or administration. Women were home-keepers - mothers and housemistresses. While this was entirely in keeping with Imperial theology, the extremes to which Ghibbelin took this doctrine were unique. Women should be rulers and leaders, issuing decrees and defining strategy for the military to follow. The God-Emperor had blessed Hugh and his warriors with a cadre of women - the daughters of Baudouin - to follow and venerate, with the eldest Melisende their paramount chief.
Hugh meditated on this teaching and it found fertile soil in his Astartes philosophy of service, sacrifice and devotion to the Imperium of Man. Were the Astartes not created by the God-Emperor to serve humanity? Were they not stronger, mightier, greater warriors than humanity? Were they not all male and, indeed,
beyond male by their transformation into Astartes? Was it not the case that mortals were, in some way,
all feminine to the Astartes masculine? And if the masculine Astartes were created to serve humanity, the purest form of service was to a female mortal.
The Coup
Hugh's loyalty secured, Melisende resolved to return to Outremer and seize the crown from her clone-uncle and Arnulf. Gathering not only Hugh's Templars, but also Gue'vesa eager to have a measure of independence, she fell on Outremer. Human fought human, Astartes fought Astartes, and Hugh confronted Fulk. The two of them dueled for hours, each dealing the other grievous wounds, the future of Outremer hanging on each sword stroke.
Eventually, Hugh was victorious, striking down Fulk and leaving him for dead. His warriors - Astartes and mortal - had been thrown into confusion by infiltration and a propaganda campaign waged by Melisande for months before her first warrior made planetfall in Outremer, and many had been growing unsure of Fulk's devotion to Arnulf and Raynald since the exile of Hugh - but this did not mean they rallied to the fratricidal Hugh's side. Realizing she needed the loyalty of the Templars under a warrior devoted to her, she had the mortally wounded Fulk interred in a Dreadnought, installing within the sarcophagus an artifact stolen from the T'au. This forbidden piece of xenos tech lobotomized the former-Castellan and rendered him pliable to Melisende, who had him speak with his ceramite-tinged vox, ordering his Templars to pledge their loyalty to Hugh and confessing sins of infidelity to the true
Reine d'Outremer -
La Femme Melisende. Henceforth, the Templars would be known as
Les Chevaliers d'Outremer - the Knights of Outremer - and bear the cross of Outremer as their livery. Finally, he announced he would speak no more unless to pass judgement on any Astartes who defied Melisende... and then fell silent; a silence that not been broken since that time.
The Rebirth
Assured Fulk had seen the error of his ways, Hugh accepted the office of
Castellan (and ultimately
Marshall) and the allegiance of the former-Templars. In transitioning them into Les Chevaliers, he did not change their organizational structure but instead rewarded those loyal to him (and especially Melisende) with promotions and key positions. He also changed the names of many of the offices and structures within Les Chevaliers, adopting words in Gothique rather than the Gothic used in the wider Imperium.
