Dracus Numeron

Official pict-file of the Deathwatch Black Shield, Dracus Numeon.

**Dracus Numeron** is a mysterious and enigmatic Space Marine that currently serves the Long Vigil with the Deathwatch, the Chamber Militant of the xenos-hunting Ordo Xenos. His origins and background are unknown, as is which Space Marine Chapter he originally hailed from. Keeping his background to himself, Dracus decided to 'take the black' and serve as a Blackshield, removing all former Chapter livery and identifying markings from his battle-plate.

## History

### Discovery

Dracus' origins within the millennia of 41 begins when a rogue trader discovered a large, inactive starcraft suspended in the void and covered in warp residue. Within the vessel were many halls and paths where strange back growths had sprouted throughout like an infestation. Eventully their life scanners picked up that of an Astartes in a state of suspended animation caused by their sus-an membrane. The boarding party gradually came across many other astartes of which none showed any signs of life. The only living astartes was shortly taken aboard the rogue trader's ship after his discovery. When he was taken out of suspended animation, he revealed that he was Dracus Numeron of the Imperial Dragons 7th company. Dracus went on to explain that he was to be undergoing a long vigil with the Deathwatch but was struck by traitors and cast into the warp. This was several millennia ago.
What creatures attacked the ship amidst it's lost voyage remain unknown however they were not chaos, possibly originated from an unknown region of the warp free from the chaos gods' influence and are likely the creators of the growths found within the ship. This fact remains unable to be confirmed as Dracus' memory of the subject is murky at best.
The rogue trader allowed Dracus to fulfil his original mission and escorted him to the nearest watch fortress which would be known as the Black Bastion.

### Service

When Dracus arrived at the fortress he was quickly taken the high ranking members of the Black Bastion's organisation and interviewed. In this, he was asked numerous questions but the most important of these was which chapter he hailed from. When he informed them that he was from the Imperial Dragons a great deal of judgement fell upon him as he learned that his chapter had fallen into the grasps of chaos and with it they eternally damned their former name.

Service in the Deathwatch has given Dracus a feeling of confusion, hope but most of all anger. Anger to the warband his chapter became. Anger for their betrayal against the Emperor they committed and anger towards the enemies of mankind. He has apparently sworn an oath to find his former chapter master, Viserius Zerex, and kill him or die in the attempt. He partook in several counter attacks upon tyranid invasions as well as the exterminating genestealer cults. A notable feat was slaying the patriarch of a Genestealer Cult, though he did lose most of his right arm in the process.

### XMF

Within M41 Dracus was assigned to a kill team consisting of ten astartes which was sent to investigate the reason for an asteroid research station going dark. Upon entering the facility it was discovered that a researched xenos (Named XMF) had broken free and had begun to produce eggs which spawned carriers. These carriers infected hosts with a parasite which would kill the host and exit the body to grow into an XMF. The kill team eventually discovered that all members of the facility had been used as hosts and as a result, their objective changed to destroying the research station by detonating it's core. The kill team split into two groups of five with Dracus being part of the squad that was to detonate the core while the other squad secured a landing zone.

On their way to the core, one of the five astartes was killed by the xenos as they swarmed them. However another's helmet was damaged by the acidic blood of the XMF. The core squad placed charges at their objective and, after a safe distance was achieved, detonated them. One astartes in the kill team was infected by a carrier which led to the astartes' death as it clawed it's way out of him at the hangar. After eliminating the astartes-borne XMF, the team left and watched as the research facility was consumed in an encore of fire and death.

### Princeps Damnatorium

On the dawn of the 13th Black Crusade, Dracus was serving alongside a kill team upon the world of Fool's Noose. This world was being plagued by a daemon worshipping race of xenos scum who were conducting rads on the nearby sectors. The xenos were known as the [REDACTED] and originated from [REDACTED]. The [REDACTED] followed the god of bloodshed and murder Khorne which led to their army being little more than a horde of berzerkers shepherded by those who somehow retained their sanity. The leader of the [REDACTED] was a daemon prince which took the form of a skeleton with bones made of flesh known as the Escam Lord. A gruesome military campaign broke out that eventually ended with the kill team facing down the Escam Lord. A fearsome battle erupted costing the lives of five out of the ten watch brothers within the kill team and just as the final blow was to be struck a great rift erupted in the sky. Cadia had fallen and the Cicatrix Maledictum had been born. This boosted the strength of the daemon prince leading to him slaying all but two of the kill team members. Dracus and an astartes of the Howling Griffons chapter known as Marcus Elevast. The two astartes immediately retreated in a desperate attempt to escape. With an evac vehicle en route. As the hordes came closer, Marcus decided to go the Emperor's Side and went out in a glorious explosion as he set off various melta charges. Countless of the [REDACTED] and their vile leader were banished to the warp in the Astarte's sacrifice. Dracus managed to escape that day but the memory has remained ever since.

## Personality

Dracus has a tendency to use rather colloquial languge in conversation and often jokes and provides his deathwatch cousins with nicknames.
When talking with other astartes, he will be and will listen to what the other has to say before speaking. However he has been recorded as 'accidentally' getting into fights with astartes who display 'irresponsible traits' which ould cause a mission to fail. He refuses to remove his helmet and if asked why he will usually respond with "I shall remove it when I have regained my honour"

## Wargear and Equipment

* **Mk-4 'Maximus' Power Armour**
* ***Dentes Furiae*** - *Dentes Furiae* is Dracus' chainsword that has served him since and before he arrived at the Deathwatch. It's teeth may have been replaced from time to time but it has cleaved many of his foes to pieces regardless.
* ***Draconis Halitus*** - *Draconis Halitus* is the wrist mounted bolter that rests atop his armour's left forearm. The bolter also features a small flame weapon that rests below the astartes' wrist. A favoured weapon of Dracus' Draconis Halitus has saved the astartes several times. Such as when he eliminated a Cult Patriarch
* **Frag & Krake Grenades**
* **Astartes Combat Knife**

## Appearance

Dracus wears the black of the deathwatch and has red coloured lenses implanted into his helmet. His Deathwatch pauldron, that sits on his left shoulder, has a chain with 'drake's teeth' attached to it. Most of his right arm has been replaced with a bionic prosthetic. His right pauldron is covered by a black hide cloak that covers the majority of the pauldron.