Roboute

Biodata

Background and personality

Roboute governs the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar and regards their management as his duty. His brothers often describe him as ambitious, particularly when he proposes sweeping changes to Imperial institutions. He generally tires of defending himself against the accusation 61 100.

He thinks beyond immediate campaigns: after examining the Evernight Code, he argued that it could be valuable for governing worlds after the Great Crusade. He also supports anti-corruption reforms, though the resulting administrative workload made him question whether Han Mingxuan’s methods were too severe 56 178.

Curze’s trust is a source of comfort to Roboute. When others suspected him over a subordinate’s attempt to take control of Nostramo, Curze instead warned him that such misunderstandings could damage relations between brothers 60 61 100.

Abilities and skills

Administration and reform

Roboute’s experience governing Ultramar makes him a valued administrator. Han Mingxuan recruited him to help keep the Imperium functioning during its anti-corruption campaign 172.

• As head of the Administratum, he worked with other departments to pass a resolution covering military, Great Crusade and governmental reforms 184.
• He coordinated with the Emperor and the military during the purge of Terra’s nobility 190.
• He considers organized logistics manageable, while recognizing the enormous workload created by a major war 470.

Combat

Roboute is a Primarch capable of fighting powerful opponents directly. In the Night Haunter’s account of the original course of fate, he crushed one of Kor Phaeron’s hearts during the Battle of Calth 456.

• In that account, his resistance to Warp sorcery was low because he had kept his psychic talent hidden 456.
• After awakening in the other timeline, he fought beside Angron and later engaged the Daemon Primarch Fulgrim 617.

Equipment and items

• Oil lamp — Han Mingxuan gave Roboute a lamp intended for the City of Truth, hoping its light could guide him through the Mist. After retrieving it from Lady Euten, Roboute lit it at the top of the City of Truth on Macragge 172 415 416.
• Evernight Code — During the battle for Cadia, the awakened Guilliman took Nova’s copy of the Code, tied it to his shoulder and fought Fulgrim 617.

Relationships

• The Emperor — Roboute’s father, who introduced him as his thirteenth son. In the other timeline, the Emperor appointed the awakened Roboute Lord Commander 52 627.
• Lady Euten — Roboute’s mother. Han consulted her about Roboute’s transfer, and her voice later helped awaken the other-timeline Guilliman 172 614.
• Han Mingxuan — Curze’s adoptive father, whom Roboute calls Uncle. Roboute respects him and supported his anti-corruption campaign 52 172 178.
• Konrad Curze — His brother and an ally in Imperial reform. Curze defended Roboute against his brothers’ suspicions and worked with him on Terra’s purge 61 190 445.
• Horus — His brother. Horus later assumed responsibility for several civil-service departments, allowing Roboute and other Primarchs to take a vacation 295.
• Marneus Calgar — An Ultramarine leader who sought help to revive Guilliman and mobilized the Ultramarines after his awakening 522 614.
• Belisarius Cawl — Roboute’s contingency for his revival in the original course of fate. Cawl helped prepare the Primaris Space Marines after Guilliman awoke 471 614.

Story role

Nostramo and Imperial reform

Roboute accompanied the Emperor’s party to welcome Curze on Nostramo. There he studied the Evernight Code, learned that Han Mingxuan had dictated its original version, and mistakenly guessed that Han was a Perpetual 43 56.

Han later arranged Roboute’s transfer to the Adeptus Administratum for the anti-corruption campaign. As its principal leader, Roboute advanced a broad reform resolution and helped Curze secure authorization and supplies for a purge of Terra’s nobility 172 178 184 190.

During planning for military reform, Roboute proposed using the Necrons to pressure the Imperium into investigating the Adeptus Mechanicus. He later joined the conference with Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal and the Necrontyr representatives 280 282.

The Emperor’s disappearance

After the Emperor went missing, Roboute and Sanguinius traveled to Nostramo. Lady Euten sent Roboute a message telling him to come home, and he returned to Macragge after issuing transfer orders to help Curze while preserving his Legion’s strength 392 393.

When Prospero was cursed, Roboute revealed Han’s Evernight Secret Edict directing Magnus home and Lorgar to the City of Truth. He then retrieved Han’s lamp from Lady Euten and lit it in the City of Truth 415 416.

The original course of fate

The Night Haunter described a different fate in which Roboute remained loyal during the Horus Heresy. At Calth, the Word Bearers betrayed the Ultramarines; afterward, Roboute used the Pharos Device to draw scattered loyalist forces and refugees toward Ultramar 445 454 458.

With the eastern galaxy cut off by Warp storms, Roboute sought a stronger organization to preserve humanity there. He, Lion El’Jonson and Sanguinius became the leaders of Imperium Secundus. Roboute was later prevented from reaching Terra during the siege, trapped for nine hours by the Chaos Gods’ machinations 458 462 468.

After the Heresy, he split up the Legions and wrote the Codex Astartes. Fulgrim subsequently wounded him with a poisoned blade, forcing his sons to place him in stasis; Roboute had already instructed Cawl to prepare a means of reviving him 470 471.

Awakening in the later era

A Guilliman from that later timeline awoke after ten thousand years and immediately led the Thirteenth Legion to reinforce Cadia. Vulkan brought him up to date on the Father of Night and the return of several Primarchs, including loyal brothers from another timeline 614 615 616.

After fighting at Cadia, he was appointed Lord Commander and given oversight of Imperial affairs. He then banished the daemons working in the Administratum, only to face a severe administrative backlog. Horus later persuaded him to consider capturing Warp daemons for administrative work, and Guilliman decided to consult the Grey Knights’ Grand Master 617 627 629 631 635.