40K Lore: Ultramarines Homeworld Macragge
Loremasters – Today we visit the homeworld of the Ultramarines: Macragge!
Macragge is the homeworld of the Ultramarines Chapter of the Space Marines, and the capital world of the stellar realm of Ultramar. In this, it is unique among all the worlds of the Imperium, in that, apart from Terra and Mars themselves, it is the only planet allowed dominion over other planets – in its case, the eight other worlds of Ultramar.
Geopgraphy
Macragge is a bleak but beautiful planet, dominated by enormous mountain ranges that are uninhabitable for its human population, most of whom live in the lowland regions. Yet despite this geography, it is revered as one of the most magnificent planets in the Imperium.
The highest mountain range are the Crown Mountains, atop which sits the Fortress of Hera, the Fortress-monastery of the Ultramarines. Within the mighty walls of the fortress lies the Shrine of Guilliman, where the Ultramarines’ Primarch sits upon a marble throne, contained within a stasis field. This Shrine is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the Imperium.
History
Before the Great Crusade, Macragge was one of humankind’s lost colonies, and the primary form of government was a pair of officials known as Consuls. Macragge was a bleak but not inhospitable world, part of a decayed star empire of ages past that Mankind had inhabited for many centuries since the time of the Dark Age of Technology. Its industries had survived the Age of Strife relatively intact and its people had retained an authoritarian but cohesive society. It had remarkably preserved a number of antiquated short range warp-capable craft which could be utilized for near-stellar transit -conditions permitting- and its people had continued to build sub-light spacecraft even during the time of the most intense warp storms. This had allowed the people of Macragge to maintain contact with several neighboring human-settled star systems, despite the storms’ fury, and so retain a tenuous link to the rest of human space and the knowledge that it was not alone in the darkness.
The infant Roboute Guilliman landed on Macragge after being taken from Terra by the Gods of Chaos. He was found and adopted by one of the Consuls, Konor. A prodigy, Guilliman became a skilled administrator and a military genius.
While Guilliman was suppressing a bandit revolt in the mountains, his father was usurped and poisoned by his fellow Consul, Gallan. Although a member of Macragge’s nobility, Konor had devoted himself to the “common” people, instituting sweeping reforms that benefitted the masses and undermined the position of the idle rich.
Guilliman returned to the capital city, defeated Gallan’s forces, and was elected to an extraordinary position as sole Consul. Following the example of his father, Guilliman gradually rebuilt Macragge into a meritocracy where everyone worked for the common good.
When the Great Crusade carried the Emperor of Mankind to the planet Espandor in a neighboring system, the people of Espandor spoke of the astounding son of Consul Konor. The Emperor knew he had found one of his sons and set out immediately. When the Emperor finally reached the Macragge system, he was surprised to find a society that was prosperous, advanced, and well-defended. Recognizing Guilliman as one of his lost “sons,” the Emperor reunited Guilliman with his Legion of Space Marines and relocated their base to Macragge.
During the Great Crusade, Macragge, like the rest of Ultramar’s worlds, contributed a steady stream of material and new recruits to the Ultramarines, which allowed them to become the largest of all the Space Marine Legions.
During the Horus Heresy, the Word Bearers Traitor Legion constructed an enormous warship, the Furious Abyss, and set it on a course for Macragge, while another force ambushed the Ultramarines Legion on Calth. Macragge was spared destruction due to the heroic actions of a mixed force of Loyalist Marines, led by Lysimachus Cestus.
Learn more about the Battle of Calth
Later, Macragge became the capital of Imperium Secundus, Guilliman’s auxiliary Imperium. After Konrad Curze escaped onto the planet, a curfew was put into effect. Curze fanned the flames of rebellion on Macragge, and soon even had suicide bombers attacking Imperium Secundus facilities on the planet. Ultimately Lion El’Jonson, Lord Protector of Imperium Secundus, used the Dark Angels to institute Martial Law on Macragge and attacked the Illyrium region to try and root out the rebels.
In 745.M41, Ultramar was invaded by the unstoppable juggernaut of Behemoth, the first Tyranid Hive Fleet encountered by the Imperium. During the final battle of the invasion, Marneus Calgar took a daring risk to take the fight to the Hive Ship in space while leaving the Ultramarines First Company to garrison Macragge’s polar fortresses. The strategy worked, and Behemoth was repulsed, but at great cost; the Ultramarines suffered horrific casualties, and the First Company was completely wiped out.
More on Macragge and the Ultramarines
Lexicanum
Turns out Guilliman’s adopted father Konor Guilliman was also a pretty talented leader as well…
