Dawn Templars

Dawn Templars armorial with Chapter iconography.

Battlebrother of the Dawn Templars Septimum Company

### **Allies**

Last Wall Chapters, Halo Knights, Knights of Sanguinius, Knights of Ultramar, House Worldscourer

### **Number of Marines**

Extinct (Currently)
1,111 (Formerly)

### **Specialty**

Combined Arms Warfare, the use of Complex Manoeuvre and Discursive Tactical Planning, Void Warfare and Close Quarters Fighting.

### Successor Chapter(s)

Imperial Paladins

***Please note that I am currently revising this Chapter from its original form, the Templars of the Golden Dawn***

The **Dawn Templars** are a Loyalist, semi-Codex compliant, Space Marine Chapter born long ago after the fires of the Horus Heresy. The Dawn Templars endeavor to maintain the Emperor's domain, guarding the Imperium of Man against heretics, traitors, and xenos alike.

## Chapter History and Notable Campaigns

The Dawn Templars have a long and extensive history, having been part of many important campaigns and crusades. Most notable are the 21 Dawn Crusades, where one or more Companies come together for a specific goal, such as the purgation of a specific force or world. In their long ten thousand years of battle, they have fought all matter of Xenos, Heretics and Mutants, venturing into both Imperium Sanctus and Nihlius to purge the enemies of the Imperium

### Early Chapter History

"*I was there, on the killing fields of Istvaan III. I was there when half of our Legion defected and fired upon our brothers. It was there I fell, slaying former Blood Brothers who mercilessly slaughtered those still true to the light of the Emperor. Yet I was reborn after that fateful day, in this ageless body of ceramite, and still I fight. My vengeance will never cease, and I will continue getting my revenge to the day the cold embrace of death comes once more.*"
— Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought Adonis, remembering the dark days of the Horus Heresy
During the dark year of ca. 005.M31, on the planet of Istvaan III, the forces of four Space Marine Legions: the Sons of Horus, Death Guard, Emperor's Children and World Eaters, gathered to this world, to discipline the planet’s population, who had rebelled against Imperial Compliance and were ordered by the Terran Council to be brought back into the Imperial fold. But the true intentions of this gathering were far, far darker. The Traitorous Primarchs Horus, Mortarion, Fulgrim and Angron saw this an opportunity to purge the Loyalist remnants of their Legions (which was roughly one-third of each Legion).

The disaster struck not long after the world was brought back into Imperial compliance. The planet was bombed with the Life-Eater Virus, and the once prosperous (if not rebellious) civilized world was transformed into a ruined, dead version of its former self. The surviving Loyalists on the planet, after the bombings, was close to 100,000 from the four Legions: subsequently their Heretic brothers commenced a purgation of those still Loyal to the Emperor of Mankind.

And so began the start of the Horus Heresy.

One Loyalist group, within the ranks of the Emperor’s Children, managed to make it off-world under the leadership of the Captain of the 21st Company, Vraelion. They fled to Terra, not for the fear of their lives, but for the fear of the safety of the Emperor Himself.

Once they arrived on Terra, they were rigorously tested by a group of Custodians before they were granted audience to the Emperor. All of the humbled Loyalist Children knelt before the might of the Emperor of Mankind:

*All was silent as the eyes of the Emperor scanned every single un-helmeted Astarte in the room. Vraelion knelt at the front, silent.*

*“Rise, Captain Vraelion” said the Master of Mankind.*

*Slowly the Captain did as he was told and looked up at the face of the Emperor.*

*“My Lord, I ask for your forgiveness and let these good men live. They fought side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder against our own accursed brothers who turned away from Your divine light”*

*The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the word* divine *but said nothing.*

*“Simply said, I offer you our blades once more, as humbled and ashamed Astartes. We have lost our Primarch and half of our brothers to the Ruinous Powers. Until we are all but wiped out, we will not stop fighting. We will not stop hunting them. We will not stop until every last Heretic is slain and dead.”*

Very soon after came news that the Traitor forces had entered the Sol System. The small band of Loyalists were allowed access to weapons and armament that heretic Space Marine had wielded before and repainted their armour a bright silvery white with gold trim. The sun rose as the Traitor forces made it to Terra, giving them their name: the Dawn Templars.

The Battle of Terra commenced

Following the Battle of Terra and the interment of the Emperor into the Golden Throne, the Primarch Roboute Guilliman wrote his magnum opus: the *Codex Astartes*. The Captain of the Dawn Templars sought an audience with the Ultramarines Primarch. After much explaining and convincing, they were ‘officially’ made a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists with Rogal Dorn's blessing as part of the famous Second Founding under the name of the Dawn Templars. They were give a substantial amount of thoroughly tested Emperor's Children gene-seed and a vast assortment of power armour and weapons to give to their new recruits.

### The Age of the Imperium

This is the time of legend. It was when the Dawn Templars began to become the famous it is today, along with its very first independent missions and campaigns. Notable events of these times include the first contact with the Angels of the Apocalypse Chaos warband, the discovery of the Aurelia Sector and the First Dawn Crusade.

#### The First Dawn

The Templars made their first move under the leadership of their first Chapter Master Vraelion. He decreed that the first thing that they would do would be to discover the perfect system to be their base of operations, and they would look in the eastern fringes of the Galaxy. They decided to stay out of conflict until they could bring their numbers to the recommended 1000 Space Marines of a Chapter: they continued heading eastwards, recruiting along the way, until they were on the very edge of the galaxy, outlooking the immense darkness of the intergalactic void.

#### The Aurelia Sector

They found what they were looking for, a small sector on the eastern side of what would become the Somnium Stars warp storm. It was being besieged by a Chaos Heretic Astartes warband known as the Angels of the Apocalypse, and this first battle against the Angels of the Apocalypse sparked a bitter and long hatred for one another. The Angels were assailing the southern parts of the sector, in a system known as Halaeus – the valiant PDF armies and navies were already valiantly defending the system, but it was a losing battle. The small Chapter, only containing 493 Astartes at this point, speared into the side of heretic assault with all of their pent-up fury, and with a solar week, the warband had been driven out of the Sector.

After the conflict, Vraelion spoke to the System's Government, which was an un-orthodox democracy of 25 Representatives, each having an equal say in the system’s affairs. Vraelion requested that he build the Dawn Templars' fortress-monastery on the capital of the Sector, a paradise world known as Oleyuria Primus, which was also known as Araethyra. Half the council disagreed, saying that the young Imperium would ruin the Sector’s peace and prosperity. But in the end, the Templars were allowed to build their Sanctuary in the northern reaches of the planet’s largest landmass, on a large open plain with a massive, lone mountain jutting out of its middle. Construction commenced, and the Templars began their Trial Araethyralis to recruit new Astartes.

#### The Concordia War (835-837.M35)

Concordia was the twin-world of Nyx in the Klythios System, settled nearly thirty years prior and destined to be a Forge World due to its mineral rich surface, of which was covered in seething metallic sands. The Adeptus Mechanicus constructed an small fortress in the southern hemisphere, where they began producing goods. In the north, mining commenced. A year of this continued until a large portion of the southern hemisphere was covered in Forges and the northern mined, until the Mechanicus yet again became too greedy and delved to deep into the surface and unearthed an ancient terror in the form of the Ahhomopet Necron Dynasty. Within a full standard day all communications with the world were lost.

The Templars immediately responded to this, despite not knowing of the Necrons, and dispatched the Secundus Company to investigate. By the time they reached the edge of the Klythios System, they were met with incredible Necron force. An astropathic call for reinforcements was sent out, and the Templars engaged the enemy fleet. A day later the rest of the Templars fleet arrived and the Necron fleet was engaged. The battle raged on for three standard weeks, where the Templars managed to push the Necrons back to their tomb on Concordia.

Here the Templars made planetfall and fought their way to the North Pole of Concordia,

#### Hyperion Crusade

Up in Araethyran Orbit at the Battle of Tyrion, Da Scoundrels fleet engages the Templar's Golden Armada. The Imperatoris Judicium engages the Monty Python (the Scoundrel's capital ship) in battle. Suddenly, a massive green object is shot from the Monty Python, in a direct course to the Sanctuary. It somehow passed through the Planetary Shield Network, the O.D.I.N Satellites and through the fire power of the Golden Armada. It plummeted through the atmosphere, a bright sphere of green and purple flame that shot towards the gold and white walls of the Sanctuary. To the disbelief of the Bright Lord, it passed straight through the Fortress-Monastery's shielding, defensive networks and even the Templar's best Eliminators: somehow every shot missed and the emerald green projectile slammed through into the Reclusiam.

Little did the Templars know that this projectile was actually the leader of Da Scoundrels, Zrakha Grimskull Irongob, who had been shot out of a massive cannon from orbit. He broke into the Black Vault and stole one of the most dangerous relics that the Templars possessed: the Daemon Blade of Hyperion, and amongst other things, the Chalice Valiant and the One Ring.

He was teleported back to the Monty Python, and the Ork fleet promptly left. The Templars were left bewildered and confused at the sudden attack that ended within 45 minutes. Only after the clean up effort did they realise the purpose of the attack: and within hours the Templars raced after their thieving foes. They chased after them for a year and a half, and they fought near the Blood Angels homeworld of Baal, where the Templars managed to regain their relics with surprisingly no casualties on either side.

#### The Atomic Conquest (496-632.M38)

In the midway of the 36th Millennium, a massive Chaos incursion slammed into the Aurelia Cluster by the extremely dangerous Children of Atom warband led by the infamous High Confessor Tectus. The climax of the war took place in the Oleyuria SubSector, in the Oleyuria, Halcyon and Klythios Systems, which left three world uninhabitable and thousands upon thousands of cities decimated and destroyed. The High Confessor set his eyes on the crown jewel of Aurelia: the paradise world of Araethyra, the Homeworld of the Templars of the Golden Dawn. Araethyra was besieged for three standard weeks, and the Children of Atom managed to get through the Golden Gate and make planetfall. They brought down massive obelisks known as the Peons of Division, which spread radioactive fog onto the ground and into the sky, turning all that touched it into monstrous mutants or just outright killing them. Quintus called an evacuation and managed to get the areas residents into safety before fighting commenced...

*The sun began to set on the Araethyran horizon, shrouded and hidden by the green and grey fogs seeping out of the two horribly heretical Peons of Division. The High Confessor stood on a mountain, known known as the Atomic Deliverance, and stood studying the distant, beautiful structure that was the Sanctuary. Around him was the irradiated ruins of a city, slowly crumbling by every passing second.*

*“Sir…” rasped his servant, “The Peons are ready”*

*“Excellent…” Tectus replied, “Prepare communications now”*

*The cultist scurried away and activated a small console at the bottom of the Peon.*

*And Tectus spoke.*

*“Come down and face the might of Atom’s Chosen Champion, Quintus! Are you scared to cast away your useless Corpse Emperor and accept the divine light of the Atom? Of course you are, because your weak, and you can’t except that can you, Quintus?”*

*The sun had set by now, and the void-fleets above were now clearly visible. The massive dagger-shaped vessel, the Emperor’s Judgement, now appeared to glow brightly: and suddenly a beam of gold and orange light beamed down about 100 meters away from Tectus.*

*“Excellent! A pleasure to see you again, Quintus” Tectus said politely*

*The man in bright gold armour stood near the mountain’s peak. However, with Tectus’s Heretic Astartes vison he could see the man’s face clearly. A bronze, chiseled face with bright purple eyes and blonde hair. In one hand he held a great spear and the other his helm.*

*“Tectus” he spat in his general direction. “Your corrupted feet are currently standing on holy ground: you are not welcome here.” He reached up and placed his helm on his head. “And as such, I will forcibly remove you from my planet”*

*His jump pack roared to life as he leapt down from the peak, drew his shield from his back in mid-air, and slammed into Tectus all in one fluid motion.*

*“So be it, Loyalist scum,” he yelled as the two exchanged blows, thunder hammer and power spear striking over and over again. Quintus himself was conscious of the death and decay surrounding him, with the ruins of cities he helped raise and the mutilated corpses of the citizens he swore to protect scattered round him. At least Da Scoundrels had a sense of honour.*

*Inside of Quintus rose a sense of rage he never knew he possessed.*

*Tectus’s horrid face twisted into a smile “Ah… Quintus, I see within you a rage that burns as ever bright as the Division Atom has promised us-“*

*Quintus shook his head “I will not give you the satisfaction of buying into your her ramblings! Come at me, heretic!”*

*“Brother, please!” shouted Tectus, and seeing his sneer, said “We are all Brother here, after all, son of the Phoenician. Your just like us”*

*“What? Fulgrim? I don’t know what Millennium you’re in, but all of my Brothers are sons of Rogal Dorn” and with that he leapt back and through his spear with immense power, running Tectus through the torso with the Dawn Bringer.*

*Tectus roared with laughter, pulling the spear out of his stomach and throwing it aside “Anyways, Gold Boy, the Atom is a symbol of destruction, and of creation! If you used this power, you could be unstoppable! Imagine this, Quintus, wielding the power of the Atom to help others attain division and-”*

*Quintus sighed, drew his sword and he took a leap forward and slashed at Tectus. He dodged and responded by swinging his hammer forcibly at the Bright Lord: who blocked it with his shield. The two traded blows for what seemed like hours, Tectus preaching the divinity of the Atom, with the Quintus trying to score a killing blow.*

*“You do not see the blessings I bestow to your people and your planets, I have brought Atom’s divine glory onto the planet! And you repay my generosity with violence?!”*

*Quintus snapped. He slashed his blade with so much force that it shattered his thunder hammer’s head and cleaved through Tectus’s armour diagonally and his body: both the top half and bottom, went tumbling down the slope. “You think that killing thousands of innocents and destroying everything in you path glory?!” Quintus shouted in a furious rage.*

*Tectus started laughing, which to Quintus it sounded absolutely hideous. Quintus raced over, hell bent on finishing what he started, Tectus raised his remaining functional arm and stabbed the Bright Lord through with his glowing Atomic Dagger.*

*Quintus, surprised, swayed slightly with the dagger still in his chest, blood spilling out onto his golden chest piece, and promptly sat down forcibly. His breathing slowed, and his blood began to glow as well…*

*Normally, Quintus wouldn’t even flinch when someone tried to stab him in battle. He normally would pull it out and stab the attacker with their own blade. But this was no ordinary dagger. Already he could feel the pull of the Atom.*

*Tectus laughed one last time, spluttered and coughed up blood as his body: both halves of them, were beamed up to the Heretics’ orbiting fleet...*

Tectus was emergency teleported onto his ship’s equivalent of an Apothecarion, where he was eventually restored to full health, and he ordered a retreat back to their homeworld of Irradiare. Quintus himself was rushed to the Apothecarion in Sanctuary, where he was restored to his former health, albeit one small, dark secret remained.

### The Era Indomitus

These dark times are when the light of the Dawn Templars really began to shine in the Imperium Nihlius.

## Chapter Homeworld

The Templars of the Golden Dawn benefit not only from its Homeworld, but a whole sector that protect. The Aurelia Sector is small region of space 50 light years wide near the Somnium Stars in the Segmentum Ultima, and at the Sector’s core lies three-star systems: the Oleyurian, Thysarion and Aeginian Systems. The capital of the Aurelia Sector is Araethyra. Lush green forests climb up the slops of towering, snow clad mountains with silver streams rushing down their arms into pristine aqua seas. Encircled by a series of diamond rings and three moons: Deliverance, Sentinel and Unity, the planet which the Templars call their true home is truly beautiful. The Templars have carefully planned Araethyra so that it can be exploited to its fullest without ecological, environmental, and planetary devastation. Each District on the planet is dedicated to a particular role: agriculture, irrigation, husbandry, water purification, industry, mining, generation of energy, amenities production and similar practices.

### Fortress Monastery

Built into Mount Vanahyme of Araethyra’s mighty Osidhr Pyhrlis mountain range, the Sanctuary (Sanctum Araethyralis) is the Templars of the Golden Dawn’s Fortress Monastery. Its lowest limits stretch all the way down below the base of Araethyra’s largest mountain, all the way to its summit and further into the atmosphere. It is an architectural and defensive wonder: it’s a massive, towering citadel surrounded by seven walls, each higher than the last, bristling with defensive weaponry. The citadel is made from adamantium infused marble, with elaborate arches, golden spires, and silver lights.

* **Armarium** - The Armarium was built into the base of the mountain; it is a vast complex of immense forge-furnaces, cells, and alcoves, lit by crackling braziers and cold lumen, of which takes up most of the space. Storage facilities, generators, air purifiers and the like fill the rest of the space. It is only accessible from the main elevator that runs through the whole of Sanctuary, and the main tunnel that leads straight to the Landing Platforms on the surface. Each vehicle has its own antechamber that is a shrine itself, adorned with purity seals and vows of fidelity and devotion.

* **Librarium** - The Librarium was built above the forges. This is a place of knowledge, with literally tens of thousands of shelves and containers containing datacards, scrolls and tomes.

* **Various Locations** - Between the Librarium and the Apothecarion are the main storage facilities, power generators, air purifiers, tanks (for water, oxygen, and the like), and the housing for all the Lesser Chapter Serfs and Servitors.

* **Apothecarion** - The Apothecarion was located above this at the summit of Mount Vanahyme. The aroma of disinfectants and antiseptics hangs thickly, and the screams of the wounded, screeching of surgical drills and cracking of bones being reset always ring through the vaults. This is one of the most protected parts of the Monastery, not only because it is their Chief Medical Facility, but it is where the bio-vaults holding the Chapter’s gene-seed is stored, ready to be implanted into Astartes aspirants.

* **The Great Hall** - The Great Hall was a massive pavilion where the Chapter comes together for speeches, gatherings, starting crusades, having feasts, ending crusades, and meeting important Imperial personnel. It is built in such away that a smaller, second pavilion is located towards its center. This is where the Table of Command and the Light of the Golden Dawn is located: a golden brazier, covered in purity seals, parchment detailing the Chapter’s history, and it is alight with bright white flames. It has been there since the Chapter’s founding, and that flame has never gone out. It is foretold that if the flame ever went out, the Imperium’s doom would come.

* **Reclusiam** - The Reclusiam was built in the highest spire of the Sanctuary at its very top. The various relics on display are always bathed in sunlight. This central shrine is the primary place where Golden Dawn prayer and worship are conducted. Also, just below it is the Hall of Seekers, which is where one hundred and eleven investigatus analyticor helots’ pore over ancient lore and forgotten text, searching for more lost parts of Terra’s long past.

#### The Tyrion System

* **Vulcan**: A barren Forge World that is the main base of operations and headquarters of the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Aurelia Cluster. It has crimson red soil and a series of dark rings around it. It has a multitude of rare STCs that give the Aurelian Cluster. Its moon is Kainar, a small volcanic Mining Moon that is currently being strip mined for resources. The only structure on the Moon is the massive depot at the Moon’s southern pole, which is always inclined towards Vulcan.

* **Minerva**: A barren Research World that supplies the rest of the Sector, and have made multiple breakthroughs in many fields.

* **Araethyra**: The paradise world that the Templars of the Golden Dawn call home. It is by far one of the beautiful planets in the Imperium, and is the most defended world outside of Ultramar and the Segmentum Solar. It has three moons: Unity, a Shrine world; Sentinel, a Forge world; and Deliverance, a Hive world.

* **Valincia**: A large agri-world that supports the entire SubSector in terms of food.

* **Earanya and Haranya**: Twin worlds that orbit around one another in a very slowly destabilizing orbit. Earanya is blistering cold, covered in jagged ice plains and massive icy monoliths; and Haranya a blistering hot world covered in volcanos and ancient ruins.

* **Velimir** is an massive blue gas giant, and it has three moons: **Nepthys** is a small, tidally heated ocean moon with small cities on its limited islands; **Fulcrum** is a small barren world that was once a Mining World that has been converted into a Garrison World, **Halycon** is a Death worldand **Hercynia** is a Vox-Relay station.

### Araedrion

    A long time ago, back when the Templars were young, they were based on the fair Shrine World of Araedrion. This World was located in an unknown system in an unknown sector in the Segmentum Ultima. Araedrion orbited around the star Talybithius, and was a highly well known and respected world devoted to the worship of the Emperor of Mankind. Their first Fortress Monastery, the Haven, once stood upon the Plains of Eredrion. The planet was at peace, but this was not to last.

It was a world of beauty.

In 735.M33, the system they were in was attacked by Orks. The Templars they fought and fought, but the entire planet was razed of life. Then a Chaos incursion happened, and Drukhari raiders arrived soon after. Distraught, the Templars tactical withdrew and abandoned the planet. Araedrion was torn asunder and it exploded soon after.

## Chapter Organization

The Templars of the Golden Dawn try to follow the guide lines of the *Codex Astartes* as closely as possible, which they do so to the best of their ability.

### Officer Ranks

* **Knight Commander** – Sometimes referred to as the Knight Master, the Knight Commander is the Chapter Master of the Templars of the Golden Dawn. He is characterized by his set of golden relic armour and his ancient sword, his relic shield and his plasma pistol, all of which is passed down from Knight Commander to Knight Commander. A Knight Commander is a hero of the Imperium, a beacon of nobility and light in an era of darkness.
* **Knight Captains** – The equivalent to a Codex adherent Chapter’s Captains. There are 13 of these mighty heroes in the Chapter, each given the command of an Company. They are mighty and powerful warriors in their own right, striding into battle in their powerful modified armour and ancient blades and bolters, but their true strength lies in their tactical genius and how they command their forces.
* **Knight Lieutenants** - The equivalent to a Codex adherent Chapter’s Lieutenants. Each Knight Captain has two Knight Lieutenants, the commander's personal bodyguards and consuls, who share the burden of commandeering a Company. They are their Captain’s right hands, and the three of them fight as one in battle.

### Command Ranks

* **Knight Champion** – The Templars most skilled Battle-Brother within the Companies, the Chapter Champion is the leader of the Guardians of Light, the personal bodyguard of the Bright Lord himself. The Champion receives the Chapter's highest honour, which is to fight for and die for the Bright Lord.
* **Knight Ancient** – The hand-picked veteran who has been chosen by the Bright Lord to uphold the sacred task of flying the Chapter’s banner. The Chapter Ancient is chosen for his bravery and steadfastness, he is one of the Chapter’s greatest warriors. But if any Ancient was to let go of the Banner during battle and live, he would receive the greatest dishonor anyone could ever receive…
* **Lord of Faith** – The spiritual leader of the Templars of the Golden Dawn. It is the Master of Sanctity’s duty to protect the invaluable relics of the Chapter and conduct the most sacred of ceremonies. Declaring tenets from the Imperial Truth and in the name of the Emperor of Mankind, the Master of Sanctity strides into battle surrounded by a halo of holy light and an aura of divine power and might that spreads like wildfire to his brethren, who are compelled to even greater deeds of bravery and combat.
* **Lord of Healing** – The most skilled doctor within the ranks of the Templars of the Golden Dawn, the Master of Life duty is to make sure that the Chapter's heroes live to see another day.
* **Lord of the Warp** – The Chapter's master of Warp manipulation and Keeper of Knowledge. He can destroy massive swathes of enemies with but a b
* **Lord of the Forge** – the Master of the Forge
* **Guardians of the Light** –This group of 24 highly skilled and powerful Bladeguard Veterans (in the past, 12 Sternguard and 12 Vanguard Veterans) serves only the Knight Commander himself as his personal protectors. These superlative warriors have been recognized for the legendary deeds they have accomplished in the service to the Imperium: they stride into battle in ornate armour, covered in purity seals and brandishing beautifully wrought blades

### Other Ranks

* **The Guardians/Custodians Aurelias**: Those Chapter serfs and servitors chosen to serve as part of the Araethyran Defence Forces. They are highly respected, for without them, Araethyra would of surely fell long ago.
* **The Consuls/Consules Aurelias**: The Chapter serfs and servitors that have been chosen to diplomatically represent the Templars of the Golden Dawn in the Diplomatic Corps. They are respected highly due to being the Chapter's *Champions of Politics.*
* **The Sentinels/Vigiles Aurelias**: Essentially the engineers, researchers and artisans of the Chapter. Respected for their efforts in the construction of the Sanctuary and the development of Araethyra's defences.

#### Companies

*The Guardians of Aurelia*
*The Bringers of Judgement*
*The Radiant Purgatorus*
*Adamantine Blades*
*Solar Scythes*
*Champions of the Gauntlet*
*Altar Knights*
*The Valedictors Unyielding*
 Relic Contemptor Dreadnought Adonis (de-facto Captain of the 11th Company)
2 Leviathan Siege Dreadnoughts
19 Primaris Redemptor Dreadnoughts
17 Castraferrum Dreadnoughts (Standard, Ironclad)
3 Librarian Dreadnoughts
3 Chaplain Dreadnoughts

## Combat Doctrine

The Templars prefer using a mix of multiple doctrines, to get the best out of any combat situation a theatre of war has to offer. From sieging points of interest in vast numbers or sneakily taking it from behind, the Templars are very adaptable when it comes to warfare. But if one doctrine is more prevalent than most, it would by Close Quarters fighting. Every Battle Brother has his own blade, forged by his own hands before being accepted into the Chapter. Each is powerful and skilful swordsman, perfectly capable of taking down anything before them with a few slashes and blows from his blade. The Templars also have a strong affinity to void-warfare, with some of the best pilots and navigators in the galaxy amongst their ranks.

## Deathwatch Service

The Templars of the Golden Dawn regularly send Marines to the Deathwatch, choosing to send only highly skilled spare members of the Chapter, of whom serve Long Vigil for 250 standard years. Members returning from Deathwatch service are hailed as skilled and exemplar members by both younger and veteran brothers. Many Veterans are required to have served in the Deathwatch for at least one Long Vigil before being excepted amongst the ranks of the Primus Company. Despite this, the Templars still keep the Deathwatch, and through them the Inquisition, at arm’s length.

## Chapter Culture & Beliefs

The Templars of the Golden Dawn firmly believe in bringing peace and prosperity to Mankind, by any means necessary. They also truly believe almost anything is redeemable, and as such they have good relations Renegade Chapters, believing they can all be brought back into Imperial fold. They revere the Emperor through the *Imperial Truth*, not the *Imperial Creed*. They also hold Rogal Dorn in high regard, with him second to the Emperor. They also heavily believe in their Golden Dawn concept:

## Chapter Recruitment

The Templars of the Golden Dawn recruit from all across the Aurelia Sector, from Araethyra, Vulcan, Minerva, and other worlds across the sector. They receive young men straight from noble families that train children from birth to be an Astartes: to them, to have an child in the ranks of the famed Adeptus Astartes is one of the greatest honors they could receive, which is rightly so. They hold the Golden Trials every 5 years, where aspirants from all across the Sector participate in Seven Trials, which are as follows:

* **The Trial of Insight**: This Trial tests the knowledge and wisdom that a aspirant possesses.
* **The Trial of Body**: Testing an aspirant's physical strength and endurance.
* **The Trial of Spirit**: This one evaluates an aspirant's spiritual power and values.
* **The Trial of Mind**: Tests their intelligence and brain power, and psychic talent if possessed.
* **The Trial of Courage**: Tests their courage in the face of danger. An aspirant is put against his greatest fears.
* **The Trial of Devotion**: Tests their devotion and loyalty to the Emperor of Mankind.
* **The Trial of Araethyra**: A grueling test where an aspirant has to survive in the Araethyran wilderness for a month with only their wit and their fists.

Those who succeed these Trials are on their way to become an Neophyte. Those who do not succeed still may wish to join into the Chapter. These aspirants are sorted into the ranks of the Enlightened depending on the results of the Tests. They may become either Guardians, Consuls or Sentinels. This is a highly respected rank in the Aurelia Cluster, as these humble aspirants, despite having failed the Golden Trials , still strive to defend the Aurelia Cluster from the heretic, xenos and witch alike.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

***//FILE: TEMPLARS\_OF\_THE\_GOLDEN\_DAWN\_GENE-SEED***

***//ALPHA-EXTREMIS CLEARANCE REQUIRED***

***//ACESS GRANTED***

***//PENDING…***

***//PENDING…***

***//PENDING…***

***//AUTHOUR: CHIEF APOTHECARY I.ELEPHRON***

***//LOG: 825***

*>Quintus has tasked me to do a thorough analysis and investigation in our Chapter’s Gene-Seed. After the ruin of the data-library on the Fist of Aurelia in its last battle, the original files containing information on our gene-seed were destroyed. Despite knowing we were clearly descendants of the Imperial Fists; I conducted the first set of tests.*

***//LOG: 826***

*>The first set of tests are completed, and all I have found is that we are like any other Imperial Fists Successor Chapter in terms of mutations and deficiencies which is fairly low. I reported back to Bright Lord, but he has asked me to continue the testing even more thoroughly. And so, I shall.*

***//LOG: 827***

*>It seems… everything has been a lie. I crossed-matched various different Chapters of Ultramarines descent: according to my research, we are not actual descendants of the VIIth Legion as was originally thought. We share the same genetic structure, but it seems our Primarch is not Rogal Dorn. I can’t let this be known to anyone but me: this would devastate the whole Chapter; I can’t tell anyone until I know more: investigations will continue.*

***//LOG: 828***

*>I can’t believe what I have found. I asked for help from some of our allies: the Chief Apothecaries of the Knights of Sanguinius and the Halo Knights assisted me in my research upon Araethyra and collaborated all the gene-seed of all the Nine Loyalist Legions. Unless if the medical genius of three Chapters is wrong, we Templars are not the descendants of the Loyalist Legions…*

***//LOG: 829***

*>It had to be them. Them of all of the heretics. Again, once more with the help of the Knights of Sanguinius and Halo Knights, and even a Librarian of the Knight of Ultramar, we traced our origins back to the Betrayal of Isstvan III. Our Chapter’s founding father, Vraelion, was actually the Captain of the 21st Company of the Emperor’s Children. We are the last remnants of the Emperor’s Children. It explains our physical beauty, and our slightly weird bodies as well. I shall speak to the Bright Lord about all of this…*

*Ave Imperator*

***//FILE TERMINATED***

The gene-seed of the Dawn Templars was once considered to be pure, being thought as descendants of the Imperial Fists Legion of old. However, since the infamous investigations of Chief Apothecary Illimitar Elephon, it has been discovered that the true origins of the Dawn Templars was lost to time: they are in actuality the last loyalist sons of the Primarch Fulgrim. The gene-seed shows no signs of corruption or mutation, but some ‘flaws’ have been introduced through out the Templars expansive history. They have an superbly efficient Occulobe, being able to see clearly in blinding light and pitch blackness; a non-functional Betcher’s Gland which interferes with their voice boxes, giving them slightly deep, angelic voices. In addition to this, over the years, more and more of their number has been awakening dormant psychic abilities, and many Astartes that originate from Araethyra have a shared psychic consciousness and can communicate telepathically with one another. Lastly, their skin colour is a deep bronze in colour, their hair becomes silky and dirty-blonde in colour, and their eyes become either purple, blue or green in colour.

### Primarch's Curse: Only Honour in Death

Over the Dawn Templars long years of believing they were sons of Rogal Dorn, the Templars have a very similar Chapter Flaw: they are more than willing to fight to the last, holding their ground with a siege-like mentality which sees them triumph or die in the attempt. This expression of duty can become exaggerated in members of the Chapter after long periods of combat, especially against foes such as Heretic Astartes. In these instances, these Battle-Brothers see only death; their comrades, the death of their world and the death of their foes. A Templars Battle-Brother believes that the only righteous path lies in the expenditure of their own life for these purposes and he faces his death with a stoic heart and a single-mindedness that can only lead to the complete annihilation of everything and everyone he faces, eventually including even himself and those who fight beside him. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:

* **Stage 1 (No Retreat)**: As the odds mount so does the Battle-Brother's stubborn refusal to retreat, seeing only the glory and honour in defeating such overwhelming foes if even the barest glimmer of victory remains. Even if the doctrine and teaching of the Codex dictate retreat or flexible defence, the Battle-Brother will be loath to disengage until there is absolutely no choice, though often this can come too late.

* **Stage 2 (Suffer not Defeat)**: Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for the Battle-Brother and he would rather die fighting than accept that he has failed. This can lead to reckless behavior as he throws himself into the fray or takes on excessive odds to win when prudence and tactical reason would dictate, he withdraws.

* **Stage 3 (Unto Death)**: The Battle-Brother has come to accept that perhaps only the cost of his own life will be enough to secure victory and is gladly willing to give it up. This can have dire consequences should the circumstances present him with a chance to martyr himself for the Emperor and bring ruin to the enemies of the Imperium. Should a Battle-Brother suffer mortal wounds, he gains a fatalistic desire to sell his life for the cause and will choose to expend his own life for a chance at victory or the safety of his brothers. This means he will fight on regardless of his wounds and continue to attack or place himself in the path of attacks even though the next blow could mean his end. He will also gladly accept suicidal or near suicidal tasks (such as disarming unstable warheads, leading a forlorn hope, or holding a breach to buy time for his companions) without complaint.

## Notable Members

### Vraelion Caelestis

This Astarte of legend was the patriarch of the Dawn Templars: he was the first Bright Lord and formerly served under the banner of the Emperor's Children 21st Company as its Captain, but after the Betrayal of Isstvan III, they fought under the banner of the Imperial Fists 13th Company defending the walls of the Imperial Palace

* **Vraelion Caelestis** - The Celestial. He was the patriarch and first Bright Lord of the Templars of the Golden Dawn. He once served as the Imperial Fists' 21st Company’s Captain, but after the majority of his Legion turned traitor, Vraelion fought in the later half of the Horus Heresy under the banner of the Imperial Fists. Famous for bringing many Sectors back into Imperial Compliance and slaying two Daemon Princes during the Scouring. Sadly, he was slain during the Battle of Araedrion defending the Templar’s first Homeworld.
* **Azariah Arrhenius** – The Star King. He was the second Bright Lord of the Templars of the Golden Dawn in the times when the Templars were a fleet-based Chapter after the destruction of their Homeworld. He was slain during the \_th Black Crusade, defending a young family of Cadians from a whole warband: he slew every Heretic Astarte, and before dying he named his blood Brother, Quintus Knight, his successor.
* **Quintus Arcturus** – Quintus Arcturus is the Last Son of Araedrion. He is the twenty-first and last Bright Lord of the Dawn Templars. He is literally the last person to be born on the Shrine World before its destruction along with his Brother, the previous Bright Lord. However, everyone else but him from the planet are dead, making him the Last. Nevertheless,
* **Dathmir Stygian** – The eleventh and current Master of Knowledge.
* **Thrazar Davorion** – The

## Chapter Fleet

The Templars of the Golden Dawn have powerful fleet, possessing perhaps the strongest fleet this side of the Cicatrix Maledictum. The main Chapter Fleet is always in orbit around Araethyra unless it has been assigned to a mission. The most well-known and venerated spaceships of the Templars are:

* ***Imperatoris Judicium* (Archon-class Titan)**: Also known as the Emperor’s Judgement, this is the Templars of the Golden Dawn's capital ship, generally used by the command officers altogether with members of the veteran company, the *Judgement* is custom made void-craft 24 kilometres in width, with shipyards down both wings. The ship is equipped with several armaments of great destructive potential, including the greatly feared Deliverance Engine (a superweapon capable of shattering worlds), many las-cannons and mass-drivers, and hanger bays; its also equipped with venerable, ancient armour and powerful shielding. Whoever sees the large dagger-shaped capital ship of the Templars of the Golden Dawn knows they are doomed.
* ***Gladius Argenteus* (Aurelian-class Battle Barge):** Known by the foes of the Imperium as the Silver Blade, this
* ***Lancea Aurea* (Aurelian-class Battle Barge):** Known as the Golden Lance by Mankind
* **Last Hope (Aurelian-class Battle Barge):** Command Ship of the 1st Company.

## Chapter Relics

* ***Celestial Armenta***
* ***The Halo Aurelias*** – An ancient halo containing fragments of the Emperor’s own armour, with an intense protection field. The wielder
* ***The Daemon Blade of Hyperion***
* ***The Standard of the Templars Ascendant***
* ***The Aanarian Rings***
* ***The Crown of Unity*** – One of the ancient relics of the ancient times of Aurelia. It has two gems: an emerald and a ruby within its crest are infused with warp energies, and the crown itself seems to be a psychic amplifier.
* ***The Dawn Blade***
* ***The Golden Heart***
* ***The Fury of the Emperor***
* ***The Helm of Aurelia***
* **20 suits of Cataphractii Terminator Armour**
* **20 suits of Tartros Terminator Armour**
* **10 suits of Stygian Terminator power armour**
* **About 150 Relic Blades**

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

    The Templars go to war in bright white battle plate: this includes all of the Astarte’s armour excluding that of his right arm, only shoulder trims and right poleyn (knee guard). His right arm and right knee pad are painted the colour of the Company that he is in, with both shoulder trims painted gold. The only exception to this is to the veterans of the Primus Company, where their right arm is painted gold with the right shoulder pad painted white.

Battlefield specialty is painted on the right arm within the shoulder guard inset with squad number superimposed over the top of this symbol and the right poleyn. Either a

### Chapter Badge

The heraldry of the Templars of the Golden Dawn is that of a golden ring with three lines forming a triangle within. The interconnecting lines represent the deliverance, harmony and unity that the Templars bring to battlefield, and all together they symbolize the Templar's eternal mission: to bring a bright Golden Dawn to the Galaxy.

## Relations

### Allies

The Templars of the Golden Dawn, as an ancient Chapter that has served the Imperium for millennia, have strong ties with many Space Marine Chapters and factions within the Imperium from thousands of years of conflict fighting side-by-side.

#### Black Templars

    Although they both possess differing beliefs, and despite the Templars of the Golden Dawn being branded as traitors, the zealous and holy Black Templars know what the Templars really are. Together the crusading Chapters have fought across the width and breadth of the Galaxy, taking the fight to the heretics, mutants and xenos. On the fateful day where the Templars of the Golden Dawn were torn apart and cast away from the Imperium, the Black Templars stood by their side, helping them drive away the traitor forces and helped them establish a foot hold within the Aurelia Cluster

#### Angels of Sunrise

The Angels are part of the Adepta Sorotias.

### Strained

#### Flesh Tearers

Because of this Chapter’s complete disregard of the people they were sworn to protect, the Templars of the Golden Dawn simply refuse to work along side them, seeing them no better than any Heretic Astartes.

### Enemies

#### Da Scoundrels

A large freebooter warband of Orks lead by the infamous Zrakha Grimskull Irongob. Da Scoundrels try their hardiest to do whatever they can to do to ruin the Templars greatest works and achievements and get a good fight.

#### The Children of the Atom

One of the Templars’ more powerful adversaries are the Tzeentch-aligned Chaos Warband of Heretic Astartes who claim descent from the Word Bearers Traitor Space Marine Legion. They revere and respect the constructive and destructive capability of the Atom as a sign of its divinity.

#### Ahhomopet Dynasty

A small amount of Necrons under the rule of the Crimson King is located within the Aurelia Cluster.

#### The Emperor’s Children

Not only did Fulgrim the Phoenician and his Heretic Astartes betray the Emperor and Mankind at Istvaan III; they almost slew the Templars’ adoptive Primarch Roboute Guilliman, they destroyed the Templars’ first Homeworld of Araedrion, branded the Templars of the Golden Dawn as heretics, and slew their first Chapter Master. To the Templars, their heretic Brothers are the worst as they can get.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Dawn Templars

"*Through the fires of war, we Templars shall bring three things: Unity to the countless world of the Imperium of Man; Harmony to its Citizens and Peace to its People; and Deliverance to the Heretic, Xenos and Traitor!*"
—
### About the Dawn Templars

"*The Dawn Templars were an imperial fist successor chapter, 2nd founding. These logs suggest that they had traitorous origins, drawn to the Phoenician's genes. unfortunately this is all we know, If we are to investigate more, we will have to explore the dead worlds of the Aurelia sector where they made their home*"
—Knowledge keeper Bestigious of the Twilight zodiac, informing their Captain of the logs created by the Apothecary of the now Extinct Dawn Templars

[Source]

 White Scars Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage
 Renegades

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