Background
The Primarchs were the twenty genetically-engineered sons of the
God-Emperor of Mankind and the genetic fathers of the Space Marine Legions. The Emperor used his own DNA in their creation, and they were designed to be far superior to the average human: immensely larger, stronger, hardier, faster, and more intelligent. They were also incredibly charismatic, as their main role was to be generals and leaders of the Imperial military. Each had their own purpose and specialty, allowing them to serve in specific functions that the Emperor's forces would need in reconquering the galaxy.
Fate of the Primarchs
During the Horus Heresy, half the Primarchs betrayed the Emperor and fought with Horus. Once Horus was defeated all the traitors were driven to the Eye of Terror or killed. All loyalist primarchs have similarly been killed or have gone missing over the millennia except for the now risen
Roboute Guilliman who leads the
Imperium of Man as it strives to fight back against the Chaos hordes.
Sanguinius died at the hands of his beloved brother Horus during the Siege of Terra, who in turn later died at the hands of his father, the Emperor.
Ferrus Manus, primarch of the Iron Hands, died on Isstvan V at the start of the Horus Heresy during the Drop Site Massacre. He was killed by his most beloved brother and best friend, the Primarch Fulgrim
Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars disappeared through a Drukhari Webway portal whilst he was pursuing those savage xenos after a raid on the White Scars' homeworld. Rumours abound that he was captured whilst lost in the twisting paths of the Drukhari's section of the Webway.
Leman Russ of the Space Wolves is one of the primarchs whose disappearance appears to be voluntary. The Space Wolves hold a legend that says Russ went on a quest to find a means to cure the Emperor with the fruit from the mystical Tree of Life, but the truth is likely to be far more complex.
Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists apparently died fighting on the bridge of the Chaos Despoiler-class Battleship Sword of Sacrilege alongside a company of his sons after he led a contingent of Imperial Fists in an attack on the massed armada of the 1st Black Crusade in the late 31st Millennium with a vastly outnumbered force.
There is little known about how Vulkan of the Salamanders disappeared. He vanished into thin air around a thousand years after the Horus Heresy. Some claim that he died on Istvaan V, however he was later present at the Imperial Palace when Guilliman divided the Space Marine Legions into Chapters during the Second Founding.
The Salamanders Chapter believes that after one of their number finds all nine relics that Vulkan left scattered around the galaxy for them to find, Vulkan will return to lead the Salamanders to victory against the Traitor Legions of Chaos and gain vengeance for the terrible slaughter suffered by the Chapter at Istvaan V during the Drop Site Massacre.
Corvus Corax of the Raven Guard was tainted by guilt and shame following the end of the Horus Heresy. After a year of self-imposed exile, he left his tower, haggard and gaunt, and took a small shuttlecraft. It was last monitored as setting a course for the Eye of Terror, the realm of the Chaos Gods. He left only a single word as his legacy -- "nevermore."
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