The Exorcists are a Loyalist Space Marine chapter with a dark secret: they’re trained to resist Chaos by letting daemons possess them. That practice makes them one of the most controversial chapters in the Imperium, and if the wider Imperium ever learned the truth, they’d likely be declared Traitoris Extremis and purged.
Who the Exorcists are
The Exorcists are a Space Marine chapter created during the 13th Founding, the so-called Dark Founding, which took place sometime between the 35th and 36th Millennia, before the Age of Apostasy. They’re widely accepted to be descendants of Rogal Dorn, sharing the stoic temperament of other Imperial Fists successors.
Their true origins are sealed by the Ordo Malleus. Only the highest-ranking members of that Inquisitorial order know who their progenitors actually were, and the details of their creation stay under Inquisitorial seal.
Why they matter
The Exorcists were founded as a classified Imperial experiment: create Space Marines who are unusually resistant to the powers of Chaos. Their answer was possession. Aspirants are deliberately exposed to daemonic entities and must drive them out through sheer will, emerging with a hardened resistance to the warp.
That makes them effective against daemons and otherworldly threats, but it also makes them dangerous to know. The wider Imperium would almost certainly declare them Traitoris Extremis if the source of their resistance ever came to light.
Rules and tabletop
The Exorcists got an official rules supplement for Codex: Space Marines, including their bespoke Chapter Tactic, By My Will I Deny Thee. That tactic reflects their lore: a stubborn refusal to yield to warp influence.
They were featured in Index Astartes in a March 2021 issue of White Dwarf, which laid out their lore and the supplement rules together.
Key facts
- 13th Founding (Dark Founding) chapter
- Rogal Dorn lineage, Imperial Fists successor
- Trained to resist Chaos through daemonic possession
- Creation sealed by the Ordo Malleus
- Chapter Tactic: By My Will I Deny Thee
- Would be declared Traitoris Extremis if their secret was revealed
FAQ
Who are the Exorcists’ Primarch?
They’re widely accepted as descendants of Rogal Dorn, sharing the stoic traits of the Imperial Fists. Their true progenitors are known only to the highest-ranking members of the Ordo Malleus.
What makes the Exorcists different from other chapters?
They’re unusually resistant to Chaos because of a secret training practice. Aspirants are possessed by daemons and must expel them through willpower, which hardens them against the warp.
When were the Exorcists founded?
During the 13th Founding, known as the Dark Founding, sometime between the 35th and 36th Millennia, before the Age of Apostasy.