The title of this post could easily be: “The Dreadnoughts of Warhammer 40,000: Keepers of Ancient Wisdom and Mighty War Machines.”
In the universe of Warhammer 40,000, there are warriors who have battled alongside their chapters for millennia. They are bestowed with a title that signifies their ancient wisdom, a wisdom so profound that even a Chapter Master seeks to harness it. These warriors are not your average battle brothers, but Dreadnoughts, gigantic war machines that house the spirits of fallen Space Marines.
But the Dreadnoughts are not without their drawbacks. With prolonged service comes the risk of sanity loss for the ancient spirit within. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to awaken with each passing cycle. Yet, the master of the Forge would nonetheless expend resources to sustain such a Dreadnought, despite the high risk that it may never awaken again.
Over the millennia, these Dreadnoughts undergo numerous modifications, some so extensive that it becomes challenging to recognize the original Castrum model. They are even repaired with parts from other chassis at times. These hulking war machines are often armed with weapons more ancient and unstable than those wielded by their younger brethren. An example of such armament is the Power Fist of the venerable Dreadnought, which, instead of a four-fingered claw, manifests as a fully anatomically correct hand with five fingers.
There are Dreadnoughts known as the Venerable, the Chaplain Rest, who have offered spiritual leadership throughout the ages, projecting their hatred towards the enemies of the Imperium. The burial of a Dreadnought’s chassis usually involves adorning it with sacred symbols of the faith, making it resemble the armor of a chaplain.
A unique formation of Dreadnoughts can be found within the Death Watch, a warrior formation that possesses exceedingly few combat walkers. A Space Marine who is interred within the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought swears to serve as a member of the Death Watch until death, never to return to his chapter. However, a mortally wounded brother still harbors a chance to return to his order. Many Kill Teams of the Adeptus Astartes employ the sarcophagi of Dreadnoughts to transport their wounded to the Bastion of the Death Watch.
The Death Watch Dreadnoughts are frequently modified to meet the specific needs of the Kill Team, a practice that stirs unease among the more conservative members of the Adeptus Astartes. Throughout the existence of the Death Watch, the masters of the Forge have devised numerous modifications and new armaments specifically honed for exterminating particular xenos threats.
Yet, the deployment of Dreadnoughts is seldom due to their size and the clamor they produce in motion. Their weight makes it impossible for some surfaces to bear them. Therefore, if Dreadnoughts are deployed, it is only as forces of protection or assault. They are usually delivered to the battlefield in drop pods aboard Thunderhawks or through ethereal teleportation.
The second most popular model among Dreadnoughts is the Contemptor. This model was widespread during the eras of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. In the current age of Darkness, where the light of the Emperor grows dim against encroaching shadows, such weapons of antiquity serve as grim reminders of the might that once was.
One of the most revered iterations of the Contemptor finds its place within the hallowed ranks of the Custodes. It is known that some Custodes willingly embrace the steel sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. Often, it is the most ancient guardians of the Emperor, those whose strength wanes and old wounds torment endlessly, who volunteer for this eternal vigil.
Thus, the Dreadnoughts of Warhammer 40,000 stand as living archives of data, a testament to countless battles fought, ancient wisdom, and a grim reminder of the might and glory of the past.
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