In the course of my investigation into allegations of heresy within the Cleansing Flames chapter of Adeptus Astartes [Ref: CF-BS-MK/01-42x], I have had the rare opportunity to uncover some noteworthy unorthodoxies in said chapter's practice of the so-called 'Emperor's Champion' tradition.

Ref. CF-EC-EL/01-006

It should be noted that the Cleansing Flames' champion, Calis, serves the same purpose as those documented throughout the histories of other devout chapters, such as the Black Templars. Like the champions of many other chapters, Calis is reputed to be the purest of spirit, the strongest of will, and the most skilled at battle among all his brethren. He operates independently from any other unit but bears the proud duty of inspiring the rest of the troops by seeking out and besting the strongest, most foul of enemies in one-on-one combat. He honors Sigismund, the original Emperor's Champion, by wearing black power armor, but also wears his chapter colors on his vestments. The blade that Calis carries is not the traditional Black Sword; rather, it is a brightly glowing blade that the Cleansing Flames call 'The Emperor's Light' [Ref: CF-EC-EL/01-006].

What sets Calis apart from other chapters' champions is that, according to all chapter accounts to which I was able to obtain access, he alone has served the Cleansing Flames in this capacity for the more than three millennia since the chapter's founding in 960.M38. According to the chapter's lore, their champion--the Eternal Flame--is immortal, sustained and restored through centuries of battle solely by the strength of his devotion to the Emperor. Judging this blasphemy to be worthy of investigation, I called up a large quantity of battlefield footage, as captured by the Emperor's luminaries, and have formulated a possible explanation for the improbable longevity of this 'Eternal Flame'.

Throughout the recordings, there is a consistency to the initiation of the duels. In all cases, Calis steps forward from within a unit, which is almost without exception led by one of the chapter's chaplains, and seeks out the most potent of the enemy's warriors. Balancing his sword in one hand, he silently points out his chosen foe and beckons for him to advance and engage. He then plants the tip of his sword in the ground and crosses his palms on its pommel, waiting. No words are exchanged, nor have I succeeded in uncovering any evidence that Calis has ever spoken a word. He seems to possess the charisma to compel his opponents through force of will alone.

It seemed improbable to me that even such a fierce and confident warrior should live to such an advanced age, and I have, after long days of examining battlefield recordings, formulated a theory which exposes the Eternal Flame legend as the heresy that it is. The recordings show that the Eternal Flame is consistently a warrior of the highest skill and bravery--let there be no doubt of that--but on at least two specific occasions, he has sustained such grievous wounds that there can be no question of his demise. In the first case, his head was cleanly removed from his body by a blow from a chain axe [Ref: KH-4K8-XX/06-66]; in the other, his body was vaporised when craven Biel Tan Eldar, ignoring his righteous challenge, fired upon him with their heavy weapons [Ref: BT-SHL-011/8-013-Z]. In the former case, a nearby chaplain rushed to the Eternal Flame's aid and quickly spirited his corpse back through the confusion of the battle lines, ostensibly to obscure the fact that the champion had fallen. Further examination of the recordings has confirmed that Calis is nearly always closely shadowed by one of these battle priests.

From these evidences, I conclude that this Eternal Flame is not in the least way immortal. Rather, each marine who takes on the mantle of Eternal Flame takes also the name of Calis in an elaborate charade perpetrated upon the rank and file brethren of the chapter for the purpose of inspiring them to ever-greater acts of self-sacrifice in battle. As this heretical conceit serves the will of the Emperor, I recommend no immediate action against the Cleansing Flames chapter, nor against its individual adepts; rather, I place this report into evidence for re-evaluation at such time as it should be required.

His obd't servant,

Inquisitor Antaris Carlisi