Gawain the Elder

Chapter icon of the Astral Serpents Chapter

**Gawain yr Henoed** **(Gawain the Elder)** is a Watch Captain of the Deathwatch and a veteran of the Astral Serpents. Gawain was seconded to the Deathwatch for his skill and experience in the ways of war and his attitude about getting his objective done no matter the cost.

## History

Gawain was the bastard son of a minor clan chieftain and a lowly peasant girl. As a child Gawain had a very sickly appearance and often had to work to survive and to help support his mother. Due to this, he never got to be a child though it did harden him. When he was 12, a Chaplain came to his village to find possible recruits for the Astral Serpents out of all the children in the village, Gawain alone was chosen to become an Aspirant because the Chaplain believed that Gawain had the "eyes of a warrior".

Along with the other Aspirants gathered from other villages and cities across Viperae, they underwent the 3 trials of the Serpent. Gawain passed each of these trials with flying colors, on the climb Gawain pushed himself to his breaking point to make it to the top of the mountain despite his broken legs and arms. During his Vigilance, he held his torch aloft despite the bitter cold and biting rain typical of the mountains, and in the Cerven Jungle, Gawain survived the 3 months alone without any aid from his fellow Aspirants.

After only 5 years of being a Scout Gawain's squad was deployed upon the death world of Gerved to investigate strange and anomalous readings. Soon after making planetfall it became clear that the taint of Chaos was upon the world and Gawain's sergeant attempted to send a message to the rest of the fleet but the squad was ambushed and both the sergeant and thunderhawk were destroyed during the opening moves of the battle. The scouts were cut off and taking severe losses, but in this moment of greatest turmoil Gawain rose to the occasion and took up the mantle of leadership and managed to save the squad from destruction. Following this battle and the purge of the world, Gawain was made a full Astartes and joined the 7th Squad of the 5th Company.

Over the next 200 years Gawain would fight with honor and with great zeal, and would eventually join the 5th Company command squad under Velrog yr Bedyddiwr. During these years, he fought against rebellious planetary governments, alien raiders and fought in the Damocles Gulf Crusade where he and his company began cleansing the worlds of the Tau, taking them back in holy fire. In 780.M41, Gawain was seconded to the Deathwatch, but before he left Bryn High Chief of the Astral Serpents gifted him an ancient blade made by the first divine smith and passed down through the ages for those deemed of great honour. A year after Gawain left Velrog, his former captain, launched a coup in an attempt to seize control of the Chapter, and as his opening act he had Bryn assassinated and attempted to purge the rest of the clan council. After learning of this base treachery, Gawain was wracked with guilt and blamed himself for not seeing that Velrog had fallen, and he vowed to repent by serving in the Deathwatch until both the Emperor and his ancestors forgave his sins.

Gawain was first assigned to the Eye of Damocles where he fought against the Tau who wished to expand their empire into Imperial territory. Gawain's Kill-Team was composed of Eldrad, a Black Dragon Dragons Claw Assault Marine, Telemachus, an Iron Snakes Terminator, Landolf, a Dragon Lords Librarian and led by Ko'van, a Veteran of the Salamanders. It is with these brothers that Gawain fought against the xenos races of the Tau, Tyranids and other foul xenos races, often throwing themselves into situations that could be considered suicidal but no matter the odds they always succeeded in their objectives.

After serving over 250 years with these marines and dozens of other kill-teams, Gawain was given the honour of becoming a Watch Captain in 995.M41, which he accepted and has been ever since. Gawain was sent then sent to command Watch Company Tertius of Watch Fortress Surgegate, where Gawain would command and lead the Kill-Teams of his company against the enemies of the Emperor.

## Personality

Gawain, like many Viperaens, is a salt of the earth type of man believing that those who both serve with him and under him are of great worth and should not be treated differently unless protocol demands it. Gawain is stoic and contemplative to a fault that most who do not know him believe that he is either mute or scheming, when in actuality he is simply a quiet man. He is man of few words, and of greater actions, believing that boasts and titles are nothing, if actions do not back up such bold claims of superiority.

## Wargear

* **Bolt Pistol** - Hand-crafted for the Deathwatch, the bolters given to Deathwatch veterans are the very best of their kind, thrice-blessed during their creation and their machine spirits attuned to match their user's personality, and even modified to allow the user to select his ammunition type at will.
* ***The Fang*** -An ancient blade gifted to him by High chief Bryn when he left for the Deathwatch.The blade is straight with no cross guard, the blade itself is made of a Strong metal that can cut through solid stone. The Fang is said to be made by the first divine smith and is engraved with with ancient runes That speak of Ancient Heroes of a bygone age.
* **Combat Knife** -A back-up melee weapon that Gawain will use if no other option is available.
* **Power Armor** -Do to Gawain willingness to throw himself into danger and general disregard for his own well being, his Armor Is a Mishmash of different Power Armor do to him having to constantly replace damaged pieces of armor. He wears a MK IV helm, with MK VIII Breastplate, Mark IV *Coes* (leg armor) and his right Pauldron, which bears the Astral Serpent Heraldry is MK VII
* **Special Issue Ammunition** - Each member of the Deathwatch is gifted special artificer-crafted bolt shells designed with a special purpose. From the corrosive Hellfire rounds to the armor-piercing Kraken bolts, these specialized rounds give Deathwatch veterans the flexibility to take on any foe.
* **Special Issue Ammunition** - Gawain brings with him several grenades fit for almost any occasion. he has Krak grenades, Frag Grenades, Anti-Plant Grenades, Smoke Grenades and Melta Bombs.