40K Lore: Redemptors Of The Imperium
As part of our continuing series on the weapons and personnel of the Indomitus Crusade, we come to one of the largest weapons in the arsenal, the Redemptor Dreadnought.
Gather ’round Loremasters, as we ward off the encroaching darkness of chaos with the light of the Emperor’s truth and the knowledge of some of humanity’s greatest achievements–today we continue our lecture series on the Indomitus Crusade, which marks the greatest expansion of Humanity in recent years, both in terms of territory claimed and technology invented. And one of the greatest–in terms of both majesty and power–devices of the Indomitus Crusade is the mighty Redemptor Dreadnought, which allows even the vaunted Primaris Marines to continue serving long after their superior bodies are broken beyond even the repair of the Apothecaries.
And yet there’s much more to the development of the Dreadnoughts. Taller, broader and more cleverly wrought than the traditional Dreadnought design, these goliaths are powered by hyper-dense reactors and sophisticated fibre bundles. Such is the miraculous design of the Redemptor’s neural links that its inhabitant, despite being entombed in the sarcophagus within the Dreadnought’s chest, can exercise control with surprising dexterity and speed.
It is whispered that the advanced systems of the Redemptor are a curse as well as a blessing. The MechanicumTech-Priests that first built these walking machines of destruction spared little thought to the health of the incumbent, seeing him as little more than another part to be interred or replaced as necessary. Many of those Redemptors that have fought for a sustained period have already had their sarcophagi replaced, their original pilots burned out by the intensity of the machine’s destructive prowess. Sometimes though the Dreadnoughts surging energies leech the occupant’s life force until he is reduced to nothing but a sac of blackened organs, fit only to be reinterred, this time in a true mausoleum dedicated to his selfless sacrifice.
Redemptor Dreadnoughts wield an array of devastating weaponry including a Onslaught Heavy Gatling Cannonor Macro Plasma Incinerator on its right arm and a Redemptor Fist with Heavy Flamer or Onslaught Gatling Cannon on its left. It is also equipped with 2 chest-mounted Fragstorm grenade launchers or storm bolters and a carapace-mounted Icarus Rocket Pod for air defense.
In the days since the Redemptor’s debut, many have already distinguished themselves with honors beyond all reckoning. Come take a look at these heroes of the Imperium.
Malcades who was the first Primaris Space Marine to fall in Ultramar. Later he took part in the Plague Wars and fought on the Espandor with the forces of Nurgle.
Oriax of the Sons of Guilliman Chapter, who was part of the strike force that fought to save Drevaris, from the invading Tau Empire. Along with their Silver Skulls allies, the Sons of Guilliman fought a devastating battle with the Tau and Oriax met his end, when he exploded after being struck by a Stormsurge‘s pulse cannon.
Or the Silver Skulls’ Lazarius, who also fought on Drevaris. Lazarius was killed by the Tau Commander Novastorm. Worse still, the damage Lazarius suffered caused the Dreadnought to explode, which killed several nearby Battle Brothers of his Chapter.
Rahellion currently serves in the Deathwatch. He was part of a strike force that invaded the Ork held Gruk’s World to destroy the Doomzday Bomb. In the battle that followed, Rahellion earned himself great renown by singlehandedly tearing apart the Warboss Gruk and then destroying the Bomb.
Marius is an Ultramarines Redemptor Dreadnought who had served in the Indomitus Crusade, since its earliest days. This led Marius to gain significant strategic insight, which he and his fellow Dreadnought Indomator, provided to the strike force of Lieutenant Cassian, as they fought the Crusade’s enemies. During that time he successfully aided the strike force in defeating the flesh-cults of Knossa and the Death Guard Warband of the Lord of Contagion Gurloch.
Throughout their comparatively brief time in service, Dreadnoughts have distinguished themselves with honors–frequently posthumously, but their combat is always spectacular.
The lessons of the Dreadnought should teach us that no one is above serving the Emperor when their body fails–from the lowliest servitor to the mightiest Astartes.
