Sons of Dorn

The Sons of Dorn are a Codex Astartes-compliant Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists. They were created during an Unknown Founding sometime during the 34th Millennium. The Sons are based upon the world of Archea, located in the Segmentum Solar. Recently, their homeworld was ravaged by a Tyranids splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan in 999.M41, and with the bulk of their Chapter deployed in defence of the Imperium around the Eye of Terror to halt the 13th Black Crusade, their planet was nearly destroyed. With a world and a Chapter to rebuild, it will more than likely take centuries before the Sons of Dorn are rebuilt back to full strength.

Chapter History
The Sons of Dorn were created during M34 from the genetic legacy of the Imperial Fists’ Primarch Rogal Dorn. Representatives hailing from the Crimson Fists Chapter were chosen as the cadre to help stand up this newly founded Chapter. The Sons of Dorn were given custodianship of Archea as their new homeworld, to base their Fortress-Monastery and to draw their recruits from. The early exploits of the Sons of Dorn were not known by many outside of their sector for nearly a century, until their second Chapter Master, Polus Lichius Alexandros, known by some as ‘the Great’, rose to prominence. Coming from humble origins, Alexandros was the first Chapter Master to have been born on Archea, and therefore became the first Chapter Master that was part of the Archean honoured lineages. He became renowned for leading his fledgling Chapter upon a massive Crusade across two segmentums and into the Eye of Terror itself. Over the course of six centuries, Alexandros led the Sons of Dorn in the re-conquest of many worlds, freeing them from the clutches of both the apostate and the xenos, but his greatest conquests occurred near the Eye of Terror. An active Chapter Master, Alexandros could not rest at peace, knowing that the enemies of the Emperor assailed Mankind. He was forever seeking opportunities to lead his Chapter on campaign. As a result, the Sons of Dorn were rarely at full strength, though what they lacked in numbers was more than compensated for in their determined fervor.

Soon, several sectors adjacent to the Eye of Terror were brought back into the fold of the Imperium. These sectors soon fell under the protection of the Sons of Dorn. A contingent of the Sons continuously guards this domain to the present day. Alexandros continued to lead his Chapter for almost 600 years before he was brought low by a Chaos Champion's plague weapon that dripped with foul pestilence. Instead of succumbing to the virulent decease that infected and ravaged his body, he managed to survive for several more months before the vile decease finally broke down his superior Astartes’ defenses. His body was interred within a stasis sarcophagus and sequestered within the vaults of the sacred chambers of the Temple of Resilience located in the Chapter’s Fortress-Monastery on Archea. Some within the Chapter whisper that the Chapter Master lies there waiting, until such time as a definitive cure can be discovered. On that day, his sarcophagus will be opened, and Alexandros the Great will stride forth once more to lead his battle-brothers to glorious battle.

Chapter Homeworld
The Sons of Dorn’s homeworld of Archea is a lush, temperate world similar to Terra’s ancient Mediterranean area. It has very large land masses but is mostly made up of numerous island chains. Archea never progressed far beyond a feudal state and most technology is reserve for the larger cities and the ruling elite. Though the planet is dotted with several of these large cities it is mostly covered by small townships and farming villages. Of course, each of these is usually dominated by a sprawling villa belonging to some member of the patricians (upper class). The cities are described by many as being both majestic and breathtaking; the architecture of this world is very similar to that of Macragge or the ancient Romani of Terra. Built mostly of white marble, the Archeans constructed monuments involving both architectural and engineering skill, including vast edifices such as bridges, aqueducts, amphitheatres, and triumphal arches, as well as temples and palaces.

Archea was once considered a world of beauty, with its rolling green hills, crystal clear seas, deep, luscious forests and majestic cities. However, almost all of this is now nothing more than a fond memory after it was ravaged by a Tyranids splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The world has been left bare and desolate with only a few cities remaining. Only a small defense force of Astartes remains to protect their homeworld, for most of the Chapter has left to prowl the stars seeking to battle the enemies of Mankind in their newly gifted space-borne fortress. The Sons of Dorn avowed a sacred oath to undertake repeated crusades throughout the Segmentum Solar and Segmentum Obscurus near the Eye of Terror, bringing forth their unfettered wrath down upon the enemies of Humanity in all their wretched forms; apostate, heretic, daemon or xenos. None would be spared from their righteous vengeance.

Archean Culture
Archea is a highly hierarchial and class-conscious society, but there is always the possibility of mobility between most classes because class is no longer determined solely by birth. For the most part, Archean social structure is that of a Republic, although the Sons of Dorn themselves are known to take control in times of national emergency or when absolutely necessary. Family lines or Lineages play a very important part within Archean society, extending even into the Chapter itself. Their culture has often been described as being that of a Renaissance, with wealth prevalent throughout most of society (except of course, for the indentured servants). The main body of government for the planet is located in the capital of Capuas, a city described by the prominent traveling scholar, Danius Abnuss, "...as one of the 1,500 wonders of the Segmentum Solar."' Its streets spiral out from a central courtyard or forum which houses the mansions of its wealthiest citizens and the soaring ivory towers of the political sector. Every building is carved out of marble and inlaid with intricate reliefs and sculptures depicting heroic battles from the Sons of Dorn's history alongside many of the world’s mightiest heroes.

A popular attraction for its citizens and visitors is the Gladium, a towering amphitheater which is home to brutal displays of vicious combat. Often criminals or slaves are tested in the Gladium by being thrown in against vicious Chrono-Gladiators, favored champions or sometimes even an Astartes warrior. The latter, usually only participates in order to fend off boredom, hone their battle skills or punish those they see as being particularly unworthy. It has been known on occasion however, for an Astartes to be thrown into the Gladium as punishment for some failed task. He is stripped of his rank, sacred Power Armor, war gear and most prized of all, his name and therefore his Lineage. If he survives for a certain number of games (for even an Astartes can fall to skilled-enough opponents, if enough are thrown at him at once) and shows proper penance for his failure, he will be allowed to rejoin the Chapter with his rank and honor intact. Whilst in the Gladium, or 'The Pits', as members of the Chapter colloquially refer to it, they are shown no favoritism and are typically hassled and mercilessly harassed by the baying crowd, and shunned by their society until they can, once again, prove their worth.

The Chapter's Fortress-Monastery resides deep within the impenetrable mists of the World's Peak Mountains, which according to ancient tradition was the home of Archea's gods before the enlightenment of the benevolent Emperor of Mankind. It is both majestic and menacing at the same time; a strange blend of Archea's beautiful architecture, the Imperium's Gothic aesthetic and the bare-bones functionality of a modern fortress. Very rarely has the entire Chapter been present at once within its walls, and at most times there are only a few Companies present. The Apothecarium dominates a large portion of the fortress and is kept under heavy guard as it contains many dangerous strains of disease, several of which are warp-touched, which the Apothecaries use to further enhance their knowledge of the Archenemy and strengthen the immune systems of their own Battle-Brothers. Attached to this structure is a building that embodies an eclectic mesh of both religion and science. This structure is known as the Temple of Resilience which houses the sacred body of Alexandros the Great in stasis. The rest of the fortress is given over to armories, training grounds, Astartes' quarters and the usual assortment of facilities needed to maintain a fully functioning Chapter.

Notable Campaigns

 * Castigation of Tarion (M34) – It wasn’t until a century after their Founding, that the name of the Sons of Dorn would first be heard throughout the Imperium and they would come to be known as liberators and heroes. A collection of worlds adjacent to the Eye of Terror came under the threat from a massive coalition of the Forces of Chaos, gathered by a most foul champion of the Plague God, Nurgle. Imperial scholars later identified this mysterious Chaos Lord as Necrosius, the 'Hand of Nurgle', Master of the Apostles of Contagion Renegade Space Marines Chapter. Necrosius and his vile plague forces spread disease and the "gift" of the walking death wherever they went, heedless of to whom they brought their blighted contagion, whether they were servants of the Emperor or other followers of the Ruinous Powers. Soon a Crusade was called into action by the Sons of Dorn’s second Chapter Master Alexandros. The newly elected lord of the Sons quickly took upon himself the heavy burdens and responsibilities as Chapter Master, leading the Sons of Dorn into glorious battle. Many worlds were liberated during the following centuries as the minions of Chaos fell like wheat before the scythe. It wasn't until the world of Tarion that the Sons of Dorn faced a true challenge. Tarion was defended by legions of the vile servant of Nurgle. They had prepped the planet with innumerable layered defences, protected by kilometers of razor wire and deadly gun emplacements and redoubts. They implanted the ground with deadly clusters of anti-personnel mines. The enemy was firmly entrenched and fortified, making the world all but impenetrable. The cities were turned into veritable fortresses bristling with large calibre guns. But the vile Plague Sorcerer had not been idle, for Necrosius and his vile band of dark sorcerers performed unspeakable rites of the darkest necromancy amongst the thousands of unburied dead that littered the streets of the outlying towns of the benighted world. As the slaughter began in earnest during the Imperial assault, the corpses of the fallen rose from the dead, spreading the vile corruption of the feared Zombie Plague amongst those that had somehow survived the Chaos force's initial planetary assault. Heedless of these threats, the Sons of Dorn’s elite 1st and 4th Companies valiantly spearheaded the orbital assault against Tarion, conducting a concentrated attack supported by regiments of the Imperial Guard on the heavily defended planet. Taking the planet by force proved to be a murderous prospect for the Imperial forces as Necrosius unleashed his renegade legions upon the unsuspecting Loyalist Chapter. Despite the forces arrayed against him, Alexandros refused to accept defeat, and for over 12 hours the Sons of Dorn stalwartly defended the landing zone against the phalanxes of corrupted Plague Marines, waves of shambling Zombies, and foul Chaos-worshiping cultists. By their resolute action they were able to firmly establish multiple beachheads along the coastline just outside the capital city, circumventing the carefully prepared defences of the Chaos forces. The Chapter Master then pulled back his Astartes leaving the Imperial Guard to hold these positions. The Chapter Master then boldly ordered a heavy orbital bombardment, despite the close proximity of his position, and soon they Sons' orbiting fleet managed to bring down the city's void shields. Using the full force of the 6 Battle Companies at his disposal, Alexandros launched a lightning raid on the enemy capital. The entirety of the Astartes streamed down to the streets in Drop Pods and Thunderhawk gunships. The fighting between Loyalist and Renegade forces was brutal and vicious, neither side asking for quarter and giving nothing in return. Many battle-brothers lost their lives in the conflagration, but ultimately Alexandros and his personal honor guard fought their way to the enemy’s command center. The firefights that took place within the confines of the governor’s palace were brutal to the extreme. Alexandros’ elite force soon encountered the vile Necrosius and his elite bodyguard. Not wanting to spill anymore of his men’s precious blood, the Chapter Master challenged Necrosius to single combat, confident that the hands of the benevolent Emperor and the Sons’ gene-father Rogal Dorn would guide him in victory. The Chapter Master and the Chaos Sorcerer soon joined in furiously intense single combat. This dual has since gone down in the Chapter's history as one their proudest moments. Alexandros’ swordsmanship was superb, and he landed multiple mortal wounds that would have fell even the most stalwart of Astartes, but the servants of Nurgle are notoriously difficult to kill. Necrosisus’ body seemingly shrugged off the mighty blows of the Chapter Master, and he struck back with the foul warp-spawned blade of his Daemon-possessed Force Weapon. Despite the severity of the wound, Alexandros managed to push past the intense pain, maintaining his initiative, before delivering a sweep of his Power Sword and severing the Chaos Sorcerer’s head. But as history would later show, Necorosius is notoriously difficult to kill. He would later appear throughout Imperial history, to plague mankind down through the millennia, time and again. (Most recently, during the Siege of Vraks in 813.M41.) With the traitor’s leader dead, the impetus of the Chaos forces' attack faltered, and soon the rest of the planet fell to the might of the Imperial war machine. After the successful campaign upon Tarion, the Sons of Dorn took their leave and continued with their Crusade across the Segmentum Obscurus. They would bring many more worlds back into compliance before declaring their Crusade over.
 * Age of Apostasy (Ca. 378.M36) – The earliest recorded battle honours of the Sons of Dorn occurred during a great period of upheaval, known as the Age of Apostasy. This embroiled the Imperium in a massive civil war, the like which had not been seen since the dark days of the Horus Heresy. The relatively young Chapter joined the stand made by its fellow Space Marine Chapters against the corruption and enormous excesses of the megalomaniacal Goge Vandire. Though undoubtedly, they fought in many major battles against the apostate forces of the insane Vandire, mysteriously no records exist of the Chapter for several decades during this period. All that is known with any certainty is that they emerged from the Reign of Blood as a more dedicated and pious Chapter then ever before, with less then half of their number still intact. Though the Chapter was left in tatters, their faith in the benevolent God-Emperor was left unshaken. With a mere handful of surviving battle-brothers, it took them centuries to rebuild back to their full strength. To this day no one outside of the Sons of Dorn knows what transpired, and they are notoriously secretive about it, even to the Inquisition.
 * 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) – One of the Sons of Dorn’s most recent actions occurred when they deployed the bulk of their Chapter in the defence of the Imperium from the predations of Abaddon the Despoiler’s 13th Black Crusade. They valiantly defended the same worlds along the Eye of Terror that their Chapter's legendary hero, Alexandros the Great, had liberated millennia earlier. More than half the Chapter was involved, and it was during this time that disaster struck them once again.
 * Defence of Archea (999.M41) – With their Chapter split across the galaxy their home world of Archea came under attack from a splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Astartes fleet was hopelessly outmatched in orbit and had to disengage to preserve their numbers, leaving the forces on the ground to fend for themselves. With around four Companies worth of Space Marines on Archea they were dispatched across the globe to key cities and locations to protect the population. They fought valiantly but it was a losing battle and eventually the Astartes had to pull back to their Fortress-Monastery, leaving the Archeans civilians to fend for themselves. This brutal conflicted lasted for several months as the Sons of Dorn fought a brilliant but ultimately futile campaign against the vast hordes of the ravenous Tyranids. All hope for aid was lost, and with only one-hundred and thirty-five Space Marines remaining, the Sons of Dorn knew that they were going to die, but not before they sold their lives dearly. Their only consolation was that their Chapter’s future legacy would continue with the remaining Companies still fighting near the Eye of Terror. As the remaining Sons of Dorn prepared to sacrifice themselves in a glorious last stand, their fortunes suddenly changed. The forces fighting the 13th Black Crusade had arrived in the form of the 4th Company led by Captain Agamon. A distress signal had managed to make it off-world before the dark aura of the shadow in the warp, cast off by the approaching Hive Fleet, had cut off all communication. Warp travel had been delayed due to the large psychic interference, but the 4th Company had finally managed to make their way to their beleaguered homeworld, the rest of their Chapter fleet following close behind. The arriving Astartes ships managed to confront the remnants of the orbiting Tyranid fleet despite being vastly outnumbered. The 4th Company’s ships launched a brilliant phalanx against the approaching enemy xenos fleet. As Captain Agamon’s Strike Cruiser valiantly attacked a massive Narvhal bio-ship, it appeared that the Space Marine’s hubris would be his downfall. Fortunately, the rest of the Chapter Fleet arrived to help reinforce the valiant 4th Company. With their numbers bolstered, the Sons of Dorn fleet proceeded to utterly annihilate the Tyranid Hive Fleet’s ships. As the Sons of Dorn descended upon their blighted world, they found a landscape subsumed by carnage – millions of corpses, both human and Tyranid alike, lay scattered across the landscape and cities, and everywhere lay the devastation of war. They quickly made their way to their fellow embattled Astartes who tenaciously defended their Fortress-Monastery from the predations of the massive Tyranid swarm. The weary defenders’ hearts soared at the sights of the descending Drop Pods and Thunderhawk gunships of their Chapter, the valiant 4th Company spearheading the assault. Their resolve hardened at the sight of Captain Agamon leading the charge into the swarm’s flanks. Their numbers reinforced and with the Emperor on their lips, with righteous fury the Space Marine defenders charged the Tyranids. Caught in a two-pronged assault, the Tyranids were decimated. When the rest of the Chapter finally arrived and went about the process of reclaiming their world, they were surprised by what they found – the population had not been completely wiped out as they had expected. The planet’s defences against the Great Devourer had not been neglected, for the remaining Sons of Dorn had wrought a careful series of defences, which they manned alongside the vanguard of Archea’s planetary defence forces. They had managed to hold off the Tyranid swarm in small pockets. All across the globe, these extraordinary mortals had survived for months. The Chapter began the arduous process of rebuilding, both in their Chapter numbers and their world. The humans that had survived the Tyranid invasion were now hardened and seasoned fighters, making an excellent pool of recruits to choose from, ensuring the future of the Sons of Dorn looked bright. Indeed, several of the Neophytes have already made a name for themselves within the ranks of the 10th Scout Company. Though the Sons of Dorn had defeated the Tyranid menace the Chapter Master felt it was a hollow victory. It would take several more years before the vile xenos were finally scoured from Archea.

Chapter Organisation
The Sons of Dorn follow the Codex Astartes in all matters of organisation with one exception, the Chapter's number of Apothecaries far exceeds the number normally present in a single Chapter. The Sons of Dorn are renowned for their advanced medical practices, mostly focusing on disease and how best to combat it. The Apothecarium on Archea is vast and houses some of the most deadly strains of disease known to man. These samples are used for study in the hopes of finding vaccines to best combat them and further strengthen the immune systems of the Sons. The Plague of Unbelief and the Destroyer Hive are the two deadliest strains possessed by them. The Apothecaries have worked for millennia to find cures to these horrendously powerful and virulent strains, but so far have been unsuccessful.

For the most part the Sons of Dorn are a fleet-based crusading Chapter, and although they follow the tenets of the Codex Astartes in their basic pattern of organisation, in practice the Chapter has modified its tenets to better suit the needs and patterns of their deployments. An example of this is that the Chapter's Company Captains and senior ranking officers are also assigned flag command of a particular starship in the Chapter's fleet and expected to act autonomously of a higher authority for long periods if needed. The Chapter's Veteran 1st Company The Praetorian and elements of the 10th Scout Company are nominally based on their Chapter's mobile star-fortress with the majority of their number being dispersed as needed to individual commands which can vary considerably in size and operational terms. Being a fleet-based Chapter, the Sons of Dorn are rarely gathered en masse except at the commencement of a major crusade called by the Chapter Master. Most often the forces of the Chapter are dispersed to multiple task forces deployed to various expeditions and war zones spread over the vast distances of space.

One of the trials upon initiation into the Chapter is to be exposed to a particularly powerful strain of disease and see if the Neophyte can overcome it. In reality, it is impossible for non-Astartes to actually survive, but this is not expected. The Neophyte must show that he can instinctively accept his fate and place his trust in the God-Emperor and their Primarch Rogal, thereby, showing that he can master his fear in the face of imminent death. If the Neophyte can do this and survive for the pre-determined amount of time, they are then administered the vaccine and considered to have passed. Due to this, and other highly unorthodox and dangerous training practises, the Sons of Dorn have developed an extreme resilience to most forms of disease.

One of the greatest secrets of the Sons of Dorn is the process to become Chapter Master. When Alexandros was on his death bed he made one final request; no future Chapter Master would be allowed to be as weak as he had been. He perceived this ‘weakness’ as his greatest failure, for he had succumbed to the failure of his own body instead of a respectable enemy in combat. To fulfill this request his body was placed in stasis upon arrival at the Fortress-Monastery to preserve the ailment that had killed him. Whenever a new Master is chosen he must pass a test similar to the one he took upon initiation to the Chapter – he must drink a small portion of Alexandros’ tainted blood. If his body can overcome the deadly toxins he is deemed worthy to lead the Chapter. It is unknown how many have failed this test, for the chosen successors are given no assistance from the Apothecaries and must pass the test on their own.

Combat Doctrine
Like their fellow Successor Chapter, the Black Templars, the Sons of Dorn are a headstrong and zealous Chapter. They prefer to show their veneration of the Emperor through righteous battle against the foes the plague humanity. They primarily favour a two-pronged approach to warfare, incorporating first, an orbital assault through the use of Drop Pods and Thunderhawk gunships in the wake of a relentless orbital barrage. If there is still any remaining enemy resistance, the Sons launch a lightning attack over land with the use of their heavy armoured vehicles such as Land Raiders and Rhino Armoured Transports. They'll seek out the strategically most advantageous point to strike within the enemy's lines and exploit it. Relentless in the extreme, the Sons of Dorn will not halt their attack all of their enemies have been slain, and will never retreat in the face of an enemy, even when it would be strategically advantageous for them to do so.

Chapter Beliefs
Like their fellow Imperial Fists' Successor Chapters, the Sons of Dorn venerate the Emperor of Mankind as the gene-father of the Adeptus Astartes, though not as a God, and Rogal Dorn as the Primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion and thus their own founder. As a Chapter of Space Marines recruited from a single planet, each Battle-Brother of the Sons of Dorn shares a common cultural bond.

Lineages play a key role in the society of Archea and the Sons of Dorn themselves. It is a matter of great pride and honor for an Astartes to say he hails from an ancient lineage. Where most marine chapters try and distance their recruits from their lives prior to being inducted, the Sons of Dorn strongly encourage familial ties. It is not uncommon for great grandfathers, uncles, cousins and even brothers to serve amongst the Chapter’s ranks. The only relation not allowed is that of father and son, as it is deemed as being too strong. Usually a father would have been inducted into the ranks before his son was even born. This can lead to the son believing there can be a possibility of a relationship being formed with a father that has no wish in taking part in, beyond the honor of a shared lineage. Due to family names being possessed by many Astartes in the same Company, sometimes even the same squad, it is custom to address their brothers by their first names. This is only allowed within the Chapters ranks though and is seen as a slight against their honor if addressed this way by an outsider.

There are fears amongst other chapters that this practice could lead to nepotism, but this has never occurred. In fact the most famous lineage, that of Alexandros, has had many of his descendants inducted into the Chapter as Space Marines, but they have never passed above the rank of a common brother. However, the Chapter’s two most famous descendants have both risen to the rank of Chapter Master and have played very pivotal roles within the Chapter’s history, something that many rival Chapters are quick to point out.

Gene-Seed
Being a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion, the Sons of Dorn share their genetic legacy with them, inheriting many of the characteristics of their Primarch, Rogal Dorn. The Chapter's gene-seed is highly stable, though the Imperial Fists', and therefore the Sons of Dorns', genome is lacking both the Betcher's Gland that allows a Space Marine to spit acid, and the Sus-an Membrane that allows him to enter a life-sustaining state of deep hibernation.

Notable Sons of Dorn
Polus Lichius Alexandros, ‘the Great’ (Chapter Master) – Alexandros rose from humble origins on Archea to become the greatest hero of the Chapter. Upon becoming Chapter Master he led the fledgling Sons of Dorn on a massive crusade across two segmentums to the Eye of Terror. Here, he campaigned for centuries on end, returning to Archea a mere 11 times, although individual companies cycled through other war zones and their homeworld for refitting during this period. Alexandros was finally mortally wounded on the field of battle by a poisoned blade of the arch-enemy, but slaughtered its wielder and countless others before finally falling. He was rushed back to orbit to be taken home but died during the months-long voyage. On arrival his body was placed in stasis as per his last wish, in the hope that one day a definitive cure could be found and he could be resurrected to walk amongst his battle-brothers once again.
 * Agamon (Brother-Captain) – Agamon is the Captain of the vaunted 4th Company. He was promoted to the rank of Captain a mere fifty years ago, following the death of the 4th Company’s former commander and Chapter hero, Brother-Captain Perseus. Since that time, he has led the 4th Company to more victories, and earned the them more battle honours than any other Company within the Chapter, earning the respect and admiration of his peers and even amongst other Space Marine Chapters. He is known as a brilliant tactical commander, leading his forces from the front in battle, exhorting his men to ever greater heights of hatred and destruction against the God-Emperor’s foes. Agamon has been at the forefront of the Sons of Dorn’s attacks in several key battles against the Forces of Chaos. Most notably he has been charged with persecuting the wars against Chaos near the Eye of Terror to great success. Due to his ability at fighting the forces of the Archenemy, he was away from his homeworld when it was unexpectedly attacked by a Tyranid splinter fleet. By the time he had managed to rendezvous with other elements of his scattered Chapter in order to organise and launch their Chapter Fleet towards their beleaguered world, the majority of Chapter’s forces that was present during the Tyranid invasion were already decimated. Due to psychic interference caused by the Tyranid’s aura within the Warp, the Chapter had difficulty in trying to reach Archea. Captain Agamon’s ship managed to reach Archea forward of the main Chapter Fleet, and began to attack the orbiting Tyranids fleet in earnest. Following the arrival of the rest of the fleet, the Chapter annihilated the remaining Tyranid bio-ships. Leadining elements from the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 9th Companies, Agamon then spearheaded the orbital assault upon the planet’s surface to repel the vile xenos before relinquishing command to the Chapter Master. In the wake of the Tyranid invasion the 4th were left as one of the more intact Battle Companies (the 5th and 8th Companies are also at full strength as they were located near the Eastern Fringe at the time, too far away to participate in the defence of their homeworld) and have since become the figurehead and public face of the Chapter to the battered populace of Archea as the Chapter slowly begins to rebuild their decimated world.
 * Argos (Veteran Brother-Sergeant) – Argos is the Squad Sergeant of the 1st Tactical Squad, 4th Company. He has served with the 4th since Agamon was a fellow Brother-Sergeant. His close personal relationship with the commander led to his promotion to Veteran Brother-Sergeant of the Company Command Squad upon Agamon's own promotion. However after the intense casualties suffered in the defense of their home world, Archea, against the Tyranids, he requested to be re-attached to a Tactical squad where his experience and knowledge could be best put to use.
 * Varro (Veteran Brother-Sergeant) – Varro is the Squad Sergeant for the 2nd Tactical Squad, 4th Company. Varro is one of the senior members of the 4th Company, having first passed through its ranks more then a century ago to the honored elite of the vaunted 1st Company – The Praetorians. He fought valiantly during the defense of Archea against the vile Tyranids, slaying many of the larger bio-creature himself. During a particularly intense confrontation with a Lictor he received the scars that he now wears proudly upon his face while saving the lives or several dozen Archean citizens, including several from his own Lineage. After the successful defeat of the foul xenos, the Chapter Master transferred him back to 4th Company where it was thought his experience would inspire future recruits to aspire to join the ranks of the elite 1st Company. He shares a professional, but oft times, tense relationship with Captain Agamon, whom he sees as inferior to the deceased Chapter Hero, Brother-Captain Persus, whom led the 4th Company when Varro was still a Tactical Marine.

Chapter Colours
The Sons of Dorns’ Chapter colours are primarily black coloured Power Armour with white painted on the faceplate of the helmet, trim of the shoulder guards, knees, top of the power pack and the Aquila on the chest. The eye lenses of the helmet are green. The battle-brothers of this Chapter are known to carefully inscribe intricate scroll-work and blessed prayers to the Emperor upon the Ceramite surface of their blessed battle plate.

Chapter Badge
The Sons of Dorns’ Chapter badge is a clenched ivory fist of purest white, centered on a circle of black.