The Rock, also known as the Tower of Angels (or Spire of Angels), is the legendary home and fortress-monastery of the Dark Angels.
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The Rock, also known as the Tower of Angels (or Spire of Angels), is the legendary home and fortress-monastery of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter. Fortress-monasteries are usually based on Imperial worlds, or on deserted moons or asteroids. In the case of fleet-based chapters the chapter flagship serves as a mobile fortress-monastery. The locations of some chapter planets are hidden while others are well-known. The preferred location for a fortress monastery is an Imperial world, which the Chapter Master is sometimes also the planetary governor of. In other cases the Chapter Master will make a deal with the existing planetary governor, paying a tithe in return for the land they occupy. They are usually welcomed by governors, as the presence of Space Marines deters invasion. The Rock is an immense and powerful ship, capable of blasting even powerful Eldar fleets into oblivion during the Battle of Midpoint.
Fully equipped with both Warp Drives and force fields, it is also home to many ancient and arcane technologies the Dark Angels have accumulated over the millennia. Overall operations of The Rock are overseen by the Master of the Rock.
The Master of the Rock is a variation of the Master of the Forge used by the Dark Angels. Ominously different from standard Masters of the Forge, upon ascending to this honored position the Master of the Rock follows his predecessors by being permanently wired into the control system of the machine banks of The Rock. It is an important duty meant to placate the most important Machine Spirits, direct the maintenance engines and Warp Drives, and preserve the asteroids force fields. The previous Masters, whose bodies have completely withered, are left in place, their mechanical upgrades still working. Eventually they will be collected for display in the Alcoves of Honor of The Rock. Because of their dual allegiances to the Chapter and the Adeptus Mechanicus, Techmarines are not inducted into the Deathwing or Inner Circle. This includes the Master of the Rock, who is privy only to the technological secrets and ancient technologies stored about the asteroid base.
The Rock is thought to be a remnant of Caliban itself that survived the destruction of the world at the end of the Horus Heresy. The Rock travels around the galaxy and visits most of the Dark Angels’ recruiting worlds, and the Watchers in the Dark patrol its halls; an example of a Watcher is the small hooded being that follows Supreme Grand Master Azrael around, carrying the Lion Helm.
The Rock is larger than any conventional class of Imperial warship and is capable of laying waste to entire fleets with its massive array of weaponry. The Rock is further protected by a constant escort of Frigates and squadrons of Thunderhawk Gunships. Deep within the bowels of the Rock are cells in which the Fallen Angels are held. Luther is imprisoned there, kept alive over 10,000 years after his costly betrayal of the Dark Angels. Luther rants and raves, claiming that he has no need of repentance or confession, for the Lion – who he claims is near – will soon return and absolve him. Unbeknownst to any, the sleeping body of Lion El’Jonson is hidden in the heart of the Rock, guarded by the Watchers. Unknown to the Dark Angels until Cypher informed them, for the last ten thousand years The Rock has had the ancient sentient device known as Tuchulcha hidden within it.
