Tang Celestial Dragons

Property of Dominus001

The **Tang Celestial Dragons** are a mysterious and enigmatic Loyalist Space Marine Chapter, whose exact origins and Founding are unknown. Despite the paucity of records, there are very few accounts of this little known Chapter within official Imperial records. However, extant records indicate that the Dragons were first recorded as early as the 32nd Millennium. Despite their aloof and isolationist nature, the Tang Celestial Dragons have continuously protected the Imperium of Man from the various enemies of Mankind.

## Chapter History

It is said by ancient proverb that truth is the first casualty of war and, if this is the case, then rumour is its first child. Almost from the outset, the war of the Horus Heresy was a vast cataclysm, one whose events moved with such quicksilver pace that mystery, supposition, lies and simple ignorance cloaked much of the bloodshed even as it occurred, casting a veil over much that will never be lifted. Though the roll call of the Legiones Astartes and the various forces of the Imperium that sided with the Arch-Traitor Horus and those who remained loyal is largely known and accepted, the full truth is far more complex and far more mysterious than commonly believed.

This is the case for the Tang Celestial Dragons, a mysterious and often aloof Space Marine Chapter of enigmatic origins. Despite the scarcity of records in regards to this little known Chapter, the Tang Celestial Dragons have continuously stood as stalwart guardians and defenders of the realms of the Heavenly Father (the God-Emperor), appearing the annals of the Imperial history as far back as the 32th Millennium. Despite their numerous valiant deeds and momentous victories, the Tang Celestial Dragons eschew accolades and commendations, preferring to Crusade across the width and breadth of the Imperium, bringing the light of the Emperor's wrath to the darkest corners of the Galaxy.

### Forged by Betrayal

During the opening stages of the Horus Heresy, some Legiones Astartes believed that Horus had the superior cause and the superior right to command their allegiance, no the distant and uncaring Emperor, while some retained a loyalty to the Emperor and ideals of His Great Crusade over that of their own Primarch's will. It is true that particularly in the early years of this galaxy-wide conflict, detachments of Legiones Astartes and sometimes entire squadrons of warships simply vanished without apparent trace, and while many had fallen afoul of warp storms and enemy action, it is likely just as true that some quietly slipped anchor and turned their coats to serve another master, and that this happened on both sides of the divide.

As the XIV Legion, the Thousand Sons, slowly transformed into heretics, several formations broke away from their parent legion, intent on joining the side of the Loyalists to fight for their cause. They had already been damned in the eyes of their brethren and by the Imperium at large, for they had willing violated the Edicts of Nikaea and and at the very least dabbled in the occult and the forbidden black arts of psychic sorcery. The Emperor's judgement at the Council of Nikaea had proved severe for the psychic warriors of the Thousand Sons Legion. Their Primarch, Magnus the Red, was to cease all use of sorcery and psychic powers on pain of death. But sensing the corruption of his brother Horus and inevitable disastrous conflict that would take place in the near future, Magnus felt duty-bound to warn the Emperor of the Warmaster's impending betrayal. After much deliberation they resolved to break the proscriptions of the Edicts of Nikaea and psychically contact the Emperor on Terra to warn Him, via a potent sorcerous spell, rather than the use of the legal, but unreliable means, of astrotelepathy. This would seal the Thousand Sons doom.

### The Burning of Prospero

In response for the flagrant violation of His edicts, the Emperor called forth the Primarch Leman Russ of the VI Legion - the feral and savage Space Wolves. He commanded His son to move on the Thousand Sons' home world of Prospero with a large Imperial Censure Host, and sanction the rebel Primarch and his Legion. For consorting with the powers of the Warp in direct contradiction of Imperial edicts, they were to be shown no mercy. The Space Wolves fell upon Prospero as savage barbarians, unleashing their bestial anger on the Thousand Sons and all of their works. Their Primarch Magnus was mortally wounded by the Wolf King when they met one another in bitter conflict, ultimately, escaped their fate, when the Thousand Sons Primarch uttered a word of power and caused himself, the remnants of the XIV Legion and their home world's capital city, to vanish from the surface of Prospero, disappearing into the Immaterium, only to reappear within the hellish depths of the Eye of Terror on a world prepared for them by the Legion's true patron, the Chaos God Tzeentch.

### Rising from the Ashes

In an act of repentance and sacrifice, and to show his father that he and his Legion were loyal to the end, Magnus did not warn the defenders of the planet or his Legion of the coming Imperial attack, on the contrary, he imposed a psychic veil on the planet so the Thousand Sons would have no clue of the impending assault. He also dispersed the Thousand Sons' Legion fleet far away from Prospero. Following the destruction of the planet, news eventually travelled across the Imperium in regards to wanton destruction enacted by the VI Legion against the Thousand Sons' home world. A small contingent of Thousand Sons, campaigning upon the fringes of the known galaxy to further expand the borders of the burgeoning Imperium ever-outwards, finally received word of the fate that had befallen their kinsmen. Unlike their traitorous brethren who spat on their oaths of fealty, these Thousand Sons remained steadfastly loyal to the Emperor even after the majority of their Legion joined the Warmaster's cause.

The loyalist Thousand Sons became embittered by the betrayal of their former brethren, and decided to take their chances and throw themselves upon the mercy of the Emperor. As they made their way towards the Sol System, this loyalist faction encountered a loyalist fleet patrolling the outer ring of the system's formidable defenses. Meeting in secret with these forces, The Thousand Sons expected to be slaughtered on sight. They would have willingly accepted such a fate, for they were sons of a Traitor who had willingly disobeyed the Emperor's edicts and brought ruination upon their legion. Execution would have been a mercy, rather than living with the eternal shame that their legion had raised arms against fellow Space Marines.

The loyalist Thousand Sons commander stated their loyalty to the Emperor and their inclination to commit suicide if so ordered. They asked for the chance to prove their loyalty and perhaps, to find some sort of absolution for their former father's sins. Despite their deserved fate, fortunately, wiser heads prevailed and the Thousand Sons were spared the executioner's blade. Having received orders from the Regent of Terra himself, Malcador the Sigillite, these loyalist Thousand Sons would be granted the chance to prove their allegiance. Their chance was given, and so they were sent on a suicide mission against a rebellious world that had fallen prey to the agents of the Ruinous Powers and become a veritable realm of the daemonic - a hellish Daemon World under the rule of a Greater Daemon of Khorne.

Despite the fearsome array of daemonic legions arrayed against them, the Thousand Sons were consumed by their vehement wrath and charged into the daemonic horde. Using their formidable psychic abilities, in their incandescent rage, they smashed the daemon horde asunder. Only when the planet was fully cleansed did their rage finally subside. Though the world had been freed from the thrall of the Forces of Chaos, the cost of victory was far higher than they would have wished. Despite sustaining such losses, the loyalist Thousand Sons had emerged triumphant. Proving their worth in the eyes of the Sigillite, these loyalist Thousand Sons were given carte blanche to prosecute their personal war against the Traitor Legions as they saw fit.

For the rest of the Horus Heresy, the newly renamed 'Celestial Dragons', bore the red and gold of their former Legion with pride, refusing to abandon their livery. They effectively became a Blackshield force, no longer beholden to their traitorous legion and casting aside their past, to prosecute those who had spat upon their oaths of fealty to the Emperor. During the ensuing conflict, after these loyalist prevailed against a massive dragon-like creature, they deliberately scoured their old heraldry from their armour, replacing their former iconography with a new symbol that took the form of the devilish beast, as a sort of remembrance of how they had endured.

Though records are scarce, it is believed that the Celestial Dragons clashed with their traitorous kin on several occasions, but their ultimate fate, like that of so many others at this time, remained unknown. Somehow, the Tang Celestial Dragons survived the Age of Darkness as well as the subsequent era of the Great Scouring. If the Celestial Dragons were indeed descended from the Thousand Sons, it would explain why their true origins have been purposely obfuscated. Such a connection to a reviled Traitor Legion would also prove to be a terrible dishonour and would explain why the Celestial Dragons' heritage and original livery was deliberately obscured from the Imperial record.

## Chapter Home World

Celestial Dragons live in large temples in the irregular mountainous planet, known as the Middle Kingdom. Filled with workways of rivers and giant thin mountain, it's a beautiful sight.

## Chapter Organisation

Instead of organising with the maximum allowed 1,000 Astartes in accordance to the dictates of the *Codex Astartes*, the Tang Celestial Dragons traditionally maintain a total number of only eight-hundred and eighty-eight Astartes. This is due to their personal belief that the number 888 is an extremely lucky number in their Chapter's culture. Those surpassing it, work in other lines such as blacksmithing or are Disciples (Marines that have undergone full training and are waiting to pass out, once a position is available).

They are a ranged Chapter filled with exotic weapons. Fans of the Cyclone Missile Launcher, their squads are regularly outfitted with various rocket type soldiers. Devastator squads are a natural sight typically carrying Heavy Bolters, Autocannons and especially refitted Cyclone Missile Launchers.

### Specialist Units & Formations

* **Pearl Terminator Squads** - Pearl Terminators use Repeater Storm Bolters. The Repeater is a triple barreled bolter with an extended range of fire. Terminators are fitted with a shoulder-mounted Las cannon, and each wields a Power Broadsword. Pearl Terminators are a rare sight, usually tasked with engaging heavily armoured opponents.

* **Falcon Commando Tactical Squads** - Falcon Command Tactical Squads are plentiful; outfitted with Bolt Rifles for extended range and loaded with incendiary rounds.

* **Heavenly Embrace & Falcon Commandos** - The Cyclone Missile Launcher is normally a Terminator weapon; however, it has become the standard Heavy Weapon of Tactical and Devastator squads renamed Heavenly Embrace and Falcon Commandos for Tactical Squads.

* **The Jade Pinnacle** - The Celestial Dragons have one major melee unit, the Jade Pinnacle, a class of psychic warrior monks that use potent abilities to either increase their attack speed and strength or toughness and luck. They are armed with Force Jian swords and jump-packs.

* **Disciples** - Disciples wear carapace armoured robes and are armed with Bolt guns and Broadswords.

### Special Equipment & Vehicles

Rapier and Thunderfire Cannons are a common sight used as the Chapter's artillery and referred to as the Bees Nest. They, however, have a slight modification, they use less powerful smaller grade projectiles, though fire thirty percent more shoots per barrage over a wider area.

Ethereal Landspeeders are also equipped with the Cyclone and Reaper Bolter.

Regular Dreadnoughts are armed with double Cyclone Missile Launchers and the other type used for melee is fitted with the Dragon Lance and Heavy Flamer.

Celestial Dragons use Divine Wisdom Land Raiders fitted with duel Cyclones and Hurricane Bolters as side sponsons. Their main battle tank is the super heavy Dragon Blade; however, only three are available and used only in brutal conflicts such as; anti-Titan, Knight battles or similar.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

### Dark Secret

The Chapter has a dark secret though and if discovered, could mean the end to them. Absolutely ashamed by this disability, the will eradicate it once the symptoms arise. During their time as Thousand Sons, the corruption somehow entered their bloodstream, dormant, it may never occur; however, if it does, the warrior goes insane and violent.

Dragons that suspect themselves to have symptoms are thoroughly checked by the Company Chaplain. If discovered their disease has awoken, then their brothers will paint the ill-fated warrior in Red, symbolising luck. Similar to the Death Company, the warrior will join other brothers with the same case. Known as the Awoken, they will have one more battle and die with honour.

## Notable Members

* **Chapter Master Liu** - Chapter Master Liu is a grand strategist, an expert in ordnance, he can carefully place bombardments. Fitted in power armour with a CLM fitted, his shoots are highly accurate, causing multiple causalities. He is also armed with a master-crafted Reapeter Storm Bolter.

* **Librarian Wi-Gong** - Librarian Wi-Gong is the company expert fighter, armed with a Force Lance, he can pierce through thick armour and strike multiple opponents respectively. His jump-pack enables him to burst into combat instantly, disrupting enemy squads while blasting his powerful psychic attacks too.

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The Tang Celestial Dragons primarily wear red coloured power armour with gold on parts of the armour, including the backpack, shoulder pauldron trim, the Aquila or Imperialis on the plastron (chest guard) and the left poleyn. Veteran status is indicated by adding additional gold to their battle-plate, and often includes the face plate of their helmets and the armour of the entire left arm or sometimes both arms. They often decorate their armour with various gold filigree and detailed depictions of their Chapter's central symbol. A large white squad specialty symbol is stenciled on the right shoulder pauldron, indicating a battle-brother's assigned Squad Specialty (Fire Support, Close Support, Battleline, Veteran or Command). A black coloured kanji numeral stenciled on the center of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad assignment, while a larger black kanji numeral stenciled on the left poleyn (knee guard), indicates a battle-brother's assigned company.

### Chapter Badge

The Tang Celestial Dragons Chapter badge takes the form of a golden coloured, stylised celestial dragon centered upon a field of red. This potent icon is revered on the Chapter's home world as a primordial entity that transport humans to the celestial realms after death. This symbol also encompasses several different things such as the natural world, adaptability and transformation. The pearl clutched in the dragon's taloned grasp, represents the dragon's eternal pursuit of wisdom, spiritual energy and enlightenment.

In battle, the Chapter often carries large battle banners that depict this central symbol, so that their enemies know whom they face.