Lord Solar Macharius

Lord Solar Macharius was the Lord Commander Solar who led a seven-year crusade to the galactic edge, conquering nearly a thousand worlds. He was raised on Donia as the heir of a governor, and Terra later conferred on him the title of Lord Commander Solar at a younger age than any previous holder.

The crusade ended at the Halo Stars, where his armies would not follow him further. Macharius died on the return journey. The official cause was jungle fever, but an alternative account holds that he was assassinated and that the death was concealed, an account the Administratum continues to reject in favour of the official version. The actions of his generals towards the conquered territories after his death are known as the Macharian Heresy.

The Ministorum canonised Macharius as a saint. The Imperial Guard still invokes his name as a challenge to its own ambitions. His shrine world is Macharia, which was formerly named Donia.