Thirteen Commandments of Iron

The Thirteen Commandaments of Iron are a litany of 13 rites of honour that are used instead, or in accordance to the Codex Astartes, as a rite to follow in order to prevent a heresy.

They were written by Iron Warden Urexus Banesword, after seeing that the Codex written by Robute Gulliman could possibly not be enough to ensure preservation from the taint of chaos. Today it is mostly in use by chapters that have experienced, or have dwindled at the brink of a heresy, to ensure that it would not happen again.

The most rigorous followers of this passage are the Space Marines of the Iron Scorpions chapter.

The Thirteen Commandaments of Iron

 * 1) Revere the Emperor above all, serve him and protect all that serve in his name.
 * 2) Fear is a promise of defeat.
 * 3) Make every blow your strongest and every shot strike true
 * 4) Alliance only breeds corruption, only the Emperor's finest may be trusted
 * 5) Show the enemy no mercy, no respect and no pity, death is the only gift for them
 * 6) Respect the Iron warden and all those under his command, for they know the way around the terrors you will be facing
 * 7) Arrogance is an offence equal to that of heresy, for only the Emperor is perfect
 * 8) The only disraction that may cloud your mind is the hate of the Imperium's enemies, and perfection of the art of war.
 * 9) Finish what fallen brothers have failed to accomplish
 * 10) The old ways have ensured our victory since the founding, new ways can only be prefected through error and failure
 * 11) Be tempted by nothing, for even the slightest hint of heresy will spread.
 * 12) Avenge all deaths of your brothers second only to the death of Rogal Dorn
 * 13) Obey these Thirteen Commandaments down to even the last word.