Dawn Guard

Dawn Guard armorial with Chapter iconography.

Brother Talos of the 2nd Company, 7th Tactical Squad (Battleline).

"*The foe we will soon face knows no fear, they know no loyalty, nor faith, they know only one thing - avarice.*"
— Last Recorded Words of Captain Nelius of the Lamenters
The **Dawn Guard** (sometimes known as the 'Cult of Dionysos') are a Renegade Chaos Chapter of Adeptus Astartes created during the ill-fated 21st Founding, the so-called 'Cursed Founding'. Unlike many renegade chapters, the Dawn Guard still cling to the precepts of the  *Codex Astartes* and some members still continue worship of the Emperor, despite their Heretic status. It is unknown what gene-father the **Dawn Guard** hail from, however it is known that a mutation in their gene-seed however there gene-seeds primary flaw (this was named by the Adeptus Mechanicus as '*The Avarice*') has lead to speculation that they draw there stock from that of the blood angels. The chapter has gone to the effort to make entire ships into "**museum barges**" that store mass amounts of knowledge, relics, and wildlife.

The Dawn Guard are also known to be willing to ally with nearly any faction in the universe so long as that faction can supply the chapter with relics to sate there greed, however this often ends poorly when the Dawn Guard turn mid-battle due to bribes from the enemy or sheer boredom.

## History

### M35- Founding

The Dawn Guard were founded during the early years of the 21st Founding , when the gene seed alterations were rather extreme. during this time they also located and subsequently claimed "the Stalwart Archive" a dark age starfort classified as an Ichor Pattern Starfort.

### M42- Emergence

After having disappeared for so long the chapter re appeared in imperium nihilus and would proceed to perform several raids on un-defended imperial planets

## Notable Conflicts

### The Ichor Conflicts 566.M36

After an investigation by Inquisitor **Lanto Nyre** concluded with his "disappearance" the chapter was designated traitoris and members of several space marine chapters (including that of the grey knights and lamenters) where dispatched to execute the chapter. the conflicts ended with the remaining bulk of the chapter fleeing into the warp, only to reemerge several millennia later when the great rift tore the galaxy in half.

### The Crudelo III Betrayal 093.M42

The Dawn Guard 2nd Company were hired by a warband of Thousand Sons for assistance reclaiming some heresy era manuscripts of the Imperial hive world Crudelo III, however, during the end of this short war against Imperial Forces, the Thousand Sons were betrayed by the Dawn Guard attempting to seize the manuscripts this led to a bloody conflict lasting 24 years before the Dawn Guard were forced to retreat due to reinforcements from the Thousand Sons arriving.

## Chapter Home World

   Ichor IV was an exceptional hive world who's inhabitants prided themselves of the planets beauty, however after the chapter turned traitor the planet was scorched from orbit.

### Fortress-Monastery

The stalwart Archive is a massive star-fort of unknown creator from the dark age of technology it is vast in size. it has the unique function of being able to perform unassisted warp jumps and was originally found embed into the crust of ichor IV. the Adeptus Mechanicus originally stated it was in disrepair and so allowed the dawn guard to use is as there fortress monastery as it was heavily armed with anti aggressor laser batteries. during the closing days of the battle for Ichor IV, Dionysus after fleeing into the fort would reveal to the attackers it was far more operable than previously believed and use it to push through the blockade surrounding the planet and escape into the warp.

## Chapter Organisation

The chapter was mostly *Codex*-compliant however due to the events of the Battle of Ichor IV, many companies are not at full strength. Additionally the Librarius and fourth company are one solid entity, the specific god a marine pledges himself to is normally based on his company such as the 4th Company being entirely worshippers of Nurgle and the second entirely dedicated to Slaanesh. Despite having fallen to chaos before Roboute Guilliman's reformations to the *Codex Astartes* after returning to the Imperium, they still follow said reforms due to having reclaimed an updated edition of the *Codex*.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

The gene-seed of the Dawn Guard is of unknown origin to the Imperium of Man, what is known however is the many faults of the gene-seed seemingly caused by the mechanic's tinkering during the 21st Founding. seemingly derived from instability in the **Sus-an Membrane**, this instability will on occasion manifest in the behaviour of battle brothers causing among other things insomnia, Partial sensory loss, and decreases in dopamine levels. together these symptoms cause a malignant greed, called 'The Avarice' this greed is likely the cause of the chapters fall along with there obsession with collecting anything that has a value placed on it.

## Notable Members

### Chief Librarian Sceptus

**Chief Librarian Sceptus** Captain Of The Fourth Great Company, master of the keep, Reclusiarch Of Nurgle, and Seventy Eighth in His Favour, is one of the most influential lords in the **Dawn Guard** second only to **Dionysus** and likely the first of the entire chapter to fall to the ruinous powers. during the Ichor conflicts he would leave **Dyonysus's** side
To discover the loyalty of the **fourth company** and whether they would assist in the defense of the chapter. He would drive to the fortress of the fourth company discovering they were loyal to the **Imperium,** who would then attempt to slay him, however he would use his psychic might and blessings by the **Plague God Nurgle** to smite down the company's captain and use his soul to summon hoards of daemons who would aid in a great spell that would cause the corruption of the entire company making them mindless zombies who know only plague. S**ceptus** would then return to **The Stalwart Archives,** near the final stage of the **War for the Archive,** who's Librarius and new company were able to hold off the encroaching Imperium Forces for long enough for the starfort's warp engines to power up and pull the entire fortress along with a chunk of the planet to be ripped out of **real space** and into the **warp**.

During the 42nd millennium **Sceptus** has lead the **fourth company** on many campaigns such as border runs on Ultramar during the plague wars to assist the Death Guard, he has since that though returned to **The Archive** to serve **Dionysus**.

## Chapter Fleet

#### **Prevalent ships**

* **Magnum Opus** is the most heavily armed ship in the entire Dawn Guard fleet it is the **flagship of the 9th company.** It is a Battle barge and is capable of launching hundreds of Helldrakes and drop pods into battle.
* **Woetide** is the flagship of the 7th company and Is an unusually large strike cruiser equipped with a makeshift "boarding ram" it is filled with skulls and the blood of thousands of different species across the universe.

## Museum Barges

Museum barges are a ship type unique to the Dawn Guard where they hollow out nearly all furnishing from a normal ship to fill it with artefacts, creatures, books, plants, and just plain resources. The Dawn Guard dedicates itself fully to filling these ships in a weak attempt to satiate there incessant greed, lust and gluttony.

#### Relics and Artefacts

* an athame
* 3 noctilith crowns seized en route to vigilus
* several suits of ancient power armour including; that of the custodies, and mark 1 "thunder armour"
* the ashes of a rubric
* a damaged webway gate
* a shard of the c'tan Tsara'noga
* the old Terran "crown jewles" of Britannia
* the fulgurite
* the song of entropy
* the Sidearm of Anton Chekhov

#### Fauna and Flora

* A Ymgarl genestealer
* several Venus man traps
* many Ambull
* multiple tame mimics
* a watcher in the dark in stasis.
* a hive tyrant full skeleton.
* several gaunt's and other Tyranid species.
* a Squat
* a Zoat

#### Libraries

The library of the dawn guard is seconded only in size by the black library itself. the most notable of these are:

* several pages of the book of Magnus
* an original copy of the Lectitio Divinitatus
* a copy of the book of Lorgar
* the updated codex astarties
* many prophesies to do with the primarchs and the chaos gods

#### Other

* the geneseed of 16 of the 20 original legions
* several large deposits of Blackstone of both polarities
* several ork vehicles including but not limited to:
	+ an oak bomb launcha
	+ several warbikes
	+ several battle wagons
	+ a battle fortress
	+ a kill burst
	+ several deff dreads
	+ a mega dread
	+ a gorkanaut
	+ a morkanaut
	+ a stompa
	+ several tractor cannons
* a Necron monolith
* a resurrection orb
* several tons of living metal

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

A majority of the chapter are adorned in purple power armour with respective trim colours and a white left shoulder pad, however, this differs for fourth company who adorn themselves in black.

### Chapter Badge

The chapter badge resembles a sun rising above a horizon this was meant to represent the dawning Imperium rising from the humble beginnings, however after the Chapter fell to the Ruinous Powers its meaning has been twisted into a selfish and dark shadow of itself.