Dante
|
This article is about the the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels. For other uses of Dante, see Dante (disambiguation). |
"For eleven hundred years, I have fought and I have seen the darkness in our galaxy. I have seen the vileness of the alien and the heresy of the mutant. I have witnessed the sin of possession. I have seen all the evil that the galaxy harbours, and I have slain all whose presence defiles the Emperor. I have seen what you will see. I have fought what you must fight, and I have slain what you must slay... so fear not and be proud, for we are the sons of Sanguinius, the protectors of Mankind. Aye, we are indeed the Angels of Death."[2]
Dante is the current Chapter Master of the Blood Angels. Commander Dante is one of the most experienced and able Space Marine commanders. In no small part, this is due to the longevity of the Blood Angels, which he has ruled for 1,100 years. Dante is the oldest living Space Marine in the Imperium (excluding Dreadnoughts) and is held in awe by leaders of other Chapters, who can remember him being a famous commander when they were in the Scout Company.[1][3]
Contents
History
Luis[8] Dante was born in 447.M40[6a] on Baal Secundus (Baal's second moon) and his growth was stunted by malnutrition and radiation. When he took part in his clans trials at the Place of Challenge he showed no special promise, but nonetheless survived. Afterwards he was inducted by Chaplain Malafael into the Blood Angels Chapter as an Aspirant under Sanguinary Priest Araezon. He first drew notice when during his transformation after drinking the gene-seed synthesized blood of Sanguinius, he went into a year long coma and cried out the names of fallen primarchs, dark gods, and long-banished Daemons. Upon emerging Dante was trained to become a battle-brother, then - Brother-Sergeant.[5] He reached the rank of Captain in 753.M40[6b] Later he took part in the Kallius Insurrection of M40, where every Captain of the Blood Angels but Dante himself was slain, and it was decided by the gathered Chaplains and Sanguinary Priests that he would become the new Chapter Master.[5]
His very presence inspires troops to acts of valour that are extraordinary even for Space Marines. Because of this reputation, when it came to choosing a leader for the Armageddon intervention, the Masters of the other two Chapters taking part (the Salamanders and the Ultramarines) unanimously asked for him to be placed in charge.[1] Dante is a legend not just amongst the Blood Angels but also amongst the common citizenry of the Imperium, to whom he is a saviour, a golden-armoured hero who descends to save them in their darkest hour.[3]
Commander Dante has led the Blood Angels to some of their greatest victories, from the bloody campaigns in Ultima Macharia to the Liberation of Canau. He clove the mighty Bloodthirster Skarbrand in two at the Gates of Pandemonium and drove the Orks from the twelve worlds of Blackfang.[5]
Perhaps his most famous victories were in the Second War for Armageddon, where his leadership allowed the beleaguered defenders to triumph over the fury of Waaagh! Ghazghkull. There he led the valiant strike against the Orks attacking Hive Acheron, where the horde was ripped asunder by cannon and bomb as Dante spearheaded the reinforcements. And it was in the closing stages of the war that Dante's tactical genius finally broke the back of the Ork army, leading a massed Drop Pod assault against the Orks assaulting Hive Tartarus, his Blood Angels slaying fully half of the Orks and driving them back to the ash wastes and jungles.[3]
In the closing days of the 41st Millennium, heroes like Dante were points of light in the growing darkness. He stood, as he had done for a millennium or more, between the enemies of Mankind and the Imperium.[3]
As a leader, Dante is utterly fearless, and full of drive and initiative. If his opponents ever make a mistake, Dante is on it in a flash, and he always exploits their error to the fullest. He has a reputation for leading from the front and can usually be found where the battle is fiercest. Plummeting from the skies at the head of his personal bodyguard, a halo of power playing around his head.[1]
Yet for all of his success, or perhaps because of it, Dante had grown weary of his burdens. He had lived far longer than he should, and the burden of centuries grew even weightier. Only one thing prevented Dante from succumbing to ennui- recorded in the Scrolls of Sanguinius were the Primarchs visions of a great battle to overshadow all others, where one golden warrior would stand between his Emperor and the darkness. For many generations of the Blood Angels, these prophecies had been read as Sanguinius's foreknowledge of his own fate. Yet through some instinct- perhaps a lingering trace of his Primarch's fabled far-seeing eye, or his own prophetic dreams of the golden warrior [8a], Dante believed otherwise. He frequently believed that one day, the defence of the Emperor would possibly rest in his hands, and he aimed to fulfill that final duty.[4]
This belief would come to be understood finally during the Devastation of Baal, when Dante led the Blood Angels and their successor chapter's in a final stand against Hive Fleet Leviathan. During the battle Dante managed to slay the Swarmlord but was badly wounded in the process. As he lay dying, he saw a vision of the Sanguinor and Sanguinius himself. Relieved that his duty was finally over, Dante was about to pass into death when Sanguinius told him to live and that his time was not yet done. Distressed, Dante begged Sanguinius to let him die and take his soul with him, but was suddenly revived on the battlefield.[8b] Fortunately for the Chapter Master, Baal was saved by Roboute Guilliman and the Indomitus Crusade, [7] who commended him for saving half the galaxy from the terror of the Hive Fleet [8b]
Following the salvation of Baal, Guilliman named Dante the Lord Regent of Imperium Nihilus.[9] He used his new authority to organize an offensive to retake the Red Scar region from the tendrils of Leviathan known as the Angel's Halo.[10] He has since undergone the operation to become a Primaris Space Marine.[14]
During the Arks of Omen Campaign, Dante was the first high-ranking Imperial official to discover that Lion El'Jonson had returned after ten thousand years of absence after investigating reports of his return. Dante informed the Lion of recent developments in the Galaxy and that Roboute Guilliman lived.[17] Taking the Lion aboard his flagship Absolution's Ire, Dante and Imperial Navy reinforcements made for the Somnium Stars to rescue the Dark Angels and Unforgiven from the clutches of Vashtorr.[16a]
During the subsequent Battle of Idolatros, Dante arrived to save Azrael and the Dark Angels aboard Wyrmwood just as they were about to be overrun by Angron and his World Eaters. Alongside his Sanguinary Guard, Assault Squads, and Redemptor Dreadnoughts, Dante met the Daemon Primarch in battle but all were swept aside by the Daemon's fury. As the final blow was about to be struck on the injured Dante, The Lion appeared and intercepted the blow deal.[16a] Dante was subsequently recovered by Azrael and his warriors, and upon regaining his composure was able to coordinate the evacuation of Wyrmwood alongside the Unforgiven.[16b]
Wargear
Dante's Artificer Armour incorporates a Jump Pack and the Death Mask of Sanguinius, a golden mask said to have been modeled on the features of the Blood Angels' Primarch Sanguinius. A halo of golden energy plays about Dante's head striking terror into the hearts of his enemies. Dante is also armed with the Axe Mortalis and the Perdition Pistol[2]. Since Dante became a Primaris Space Marine, both weapons have now been upscaled to suit his newly massive frame.[14]
Images
Commander Dante[13]
Dante (2nd Edition)[11]
Dante as a Primaris Space Marine[14]
Videos
- Commander Dante Rises Anew[15]:
Related Publications
Related Articles
Sources
 |
- 1: Codex: Blood Angels (3rd Edition), [Needs Citation]
- 2: Codex: Blood Angels (4th Edition), pg. 6
- 3: Blood Angels Character focus at Games Workshop (last accessed 14 April 2015)
- 4: Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pg. 53
- 5: Warlords of the Dark Millennium: Dante (Background Book) [Needs Citation]
- 6: Dante (Novel)
- 7: Codex: Tyranids (8th Edition), pg. 63
- 8: The Devastation of Baal (Novel)
- 9: Codex: Blood Angels (8th Edition), pg. 22
- 10: Psychic Awakening: Blood of Baal, pgs. 8-9
- 11: Codex: Angels of Death (2nd Edition) pg. 59
- 12: Black Library: Warlords of the Dark Millenium: Dante - via Wayback Mahcine (Saved archive page, dated April 2014) (Last accessed on 16/03/2023)
- 13: Dark Millennium: Damnation's Gate - Card Description
- 14: Warhammer Community: The Legendary Commander Dante Crosses the Rubicon Primaris (Posted on 16/03/2023) (Last accessed on 16/03/2023)
- 15: Warhammer Youtube: Commander Dante Rises Anew (Posted on 16/03/2023) (Last accessed on 16/03/2023)
- 16: Arks of Omen: The Lion
- 17: The Lion: Son of the Forest (Novel) - Epilogue
