Dracon Silver

The 2nd False Primarch

Dracon was one of the ill-fated “Primarch Secundus Project", designed to be a new generation of primarchs designed by the Mad Magos Clerval. Dracon Silver, also known as “The Crippled Primarch” was born on a wealthy agri-world near Wolf 359, a star not far from Sol. He was infected by an incurable wasting disease after fighting the forces of Nurgle and spent most of his life in a dreadnought.

## Early Years

He lived a simple yet charmed life on the temperate agri-world known as “Benbow” to the locals, haven been taken in by local farmers. He grew up to be large and strong like his kin and as such could toil many times harder than others and as such he developed quite the reputation among his peers. He became the leader of a youth movement centered on protecting the various crops of the planet from the infrequent raiding attacks. This youth contingent was an auxiliary of the local PDF. He earned fame not only for his skill at arms but for the beautiful plants he cultivated as well as the incredible yields his fields produced. Even as a child Dracon had a talent for knowing the true intentions of people and empathizing with them, both a blessing and a curse. His empathy is thought to have been a function of his immensely strong presence in the warp; a bright spot that few could dim.

## The Curse of Nurgle

Before his 18 birthday the planet of Benbow was overtaken by the plague known as the Curse of Unbelief (aka the “Zombie Plague”). It seems that the raiders had taken a plague sorcerer of Nurgle into their midsts and reanimated the corpses of their fallen to overtake Benbow. The initial carnage resulting from their attack just added to their ranks and soon Benbow was at war with its own former residents. Dracon’s youth auxiliary was all that held the city of Bristolian and with the false primarch’s strength they turned the tide. So successful was the young Silver that his efforts earned the ire of Nurgle himself it is said. Dracon’s unit’s success was a cornerstone for the defenders and once Silver himself had taken over the PDF forces he was able to out maneuver the forces of Nurgle and purge them. In a climactic battle Dracon dueled the sorcerer of chaos and slew him but it cost him much. He lost his right leg and was cursed with a terrible and incurable disease that wasted his body over time.

After the defense of Benbow the world was cleansed with a great fire that destroyed much of its crops and he was made commander of the PDF. Even in their records the Imperium simply listed him as a potential candidate for the astartes program and nothing more.

## Reunion With Clerval

Dracon was always known to the Imperium, they just misunderstood what he was. Because of his presence in Imperial records the Mad Magos Clerval was able to find Dracon relatively early in his quest to reclaim his “sons”. When he first met him Clerval described Dracon as, “A man whose body was frail but whose spirit was strong. He was a man of great intelligence, empathy, and skill despite the wasting disease that caused his flesh to boil, fester, and fall off.” Dracon, for his part, accepted Clerval’s story without question due to his natural empathy and talent for seeing into the hearts of men.

## Role in Clerval’s Crusade

**Main Article:** Clerval's Crusade

Clerval promised to cure Dracon of his disease and to use his influence to see that Benbow was restored to its former status. With these promises Dracon joined Clerval’s crusade. He took with him much of the PDF forces of Benbow, as they were of little use on a burn out planet. Many of the soldiers from the youth detachment of the PDF became marines in his chapter and others served as his officers and troops. Throughout Clerval’s crusade to collect the other false primarchs and the many battles he encountered, Dracon would serve as the general of non-astarte forces. It was easy for others to empathize with him and that made him an effective leader. In contrast some of this brothers, like Bora, Hamish Morder, Renault Vork, and Zade Hugo were intimidating to or dismissive of non-astartes forces.

The disease progressed rapidly over the years and, despite the efforts of bother Clerval and Pandu Hagar, Dracon could not be cleansed of his disease. He was entombed in a dreadnought but this did not deter him. He served his role as both combat leader and as a presence on the battlefield despite this hinderance. His soul burned just as brightly, if not brighter, in his dreadnought as it did in his physical body.

## Unit 359

Under Dracon’s command the non-astartes forces of Clerval’s Crusade were integrated into a force known as “Unit 359”. The force mixed traditional Imperial Guard elements and astartes forces from Dracon’s own complement of Secundus Astartes. The bulk of the forces were standard IG forces but spearheads, special operations, and command squads were comprised of or at least augmented by Secundus Astartes. This level of integration of astartes and traditional Imperial forces was a radical new concept but proved highly effective under Dracon’s command.

## Fate

Despite being in a dreadnought Dracon’s condition continued to deteriorate. By the time of the Siege of Nar’Whin he was hardly able to speak. Dominus Clerval, once again consumed by the madness brought on Tzeentch’s whispers (having been temporarily cured of it by Pandu Hagar), killed Dracon in his dreadnought with a specially prepared bolter round during the battle just after killing Pandu. Clerval believe that if he destroyed Dracon’s physical form his spiritual form could remain in the Immaterium eternally or be reborn into a new form. This may have been influenced by Clerval’s readings on the heretical Star Child prophecies. The slaying of Dracon and Pandu by Clerval are said by some to have been the inciting incident for Clerval’s own assasination at the hands of one of the other False Primarchs (and not his declaration as a reincarnation of the Emperor).

Dracon’s forces, known as “Unit 359”, still lives on today. They have been stripped of their astartes components but they still guard the system of Wolf 359 to this day. Their marine forces have been replaced by “Silver Squads”; elite forces with biomechanical augmentations that surpass even stormtroopers in their effectiveness. Because of their prowess elements of Unit 359 have been called all over Segmentum Solar. Some say they can still sense Dracon’s soul in the Immaterium and that he has appeared to Unit 359 many times as a spirit to fight in times of crisis. Maybe Clerval was right and freeing him from his physical form allowed him to grow but believing such a thing would be quite heretical...

A Secundus Astartes from Dracon's Unit 359.