I Am Fortifying This Position (Grimdark WIP)

Hello!

Grimdark Month is upon us!  And what better way to kick off this blessed lineup than with the Praetorian of Terra himself?

Ah Rogal Dorn, as much as your reputation precedes you, it does not do you justice.  If the Lion is chivalric dignity personified, then I'd say Dorn is the personification of stoicism.  Unlike the rest of the demigod brotherhood, Dorn is probably the only son who believed in the Emperor's vision whole heartedly without an inch of reservation.  Because many Primarchs like to count every perceived slight against them like scab wounds, yet Dorn never questioned a single command from the Throneworld.  

He's also the only Primarch who took the initiative to find the Emperor instead of the other way around, showing up on the giant Phalanx and presented it to his father as a gift.  Big E was like 'Thanks, but you should use it instead'.  So Dorn did but it's the thought that counts! 👍

Anyways, Dorn was one of the most successful commanders during the Great Crusade, conducting campaigns with peerless devotion and military genius. It was said that he possessed one of the finest military minds amongst the primarchs, ordered and disciplined but still inclined to flashes of zeal and inspiration.  While Rogal Dorn excels in every facet of war, he is of course known as a defence specialist.  Any fortress the Imperial Fists is reputed to be impenetrable.  It is this reputation which saw Dorn get the singular honour of becoming the Praetorian of Terra and fortifying the homeworld.  You can be sure Perturabo had a meltdown at this announcement.  

Speaking of Perturabo, the Lord of Iron famously seethed at how mistreated he and his Legion were during the Great Crusade.  But if Dorn was given the exact same missions, he would do them without a single word of complain and to the letter, trusting that every campaign no matter how trivial was part of a larger long term plan.  In fact, I'm pretty sure Dorn got his fair share of gutter missions but you'd never hear him bemoaning his lot in life.  No task is beneath Dorn.  He would endure any hardship if it meant getting one step closer to his father's goal.  That's why Dorn got the job and Perturabo did not.  

He is also part of Guilliman's Dauntless Few, a quartet of Primarchs that the Big Blueberry thinks he could win any campaign with provided one of them was helping them.  The other three were Sanguinius, Leman Russ and Ferrus Manus.  Horus even said that if his Legion ever clashed with the Imperial Fists, it would be a never ending stalemate.  Well, that didn't turn out the way Horus thought it would.  

A common complaint lodged against Dorn is that he's boring.  But you know what, boring is just another word for reliable.  I don't know about you but in a pitched firefight, I'd rather have the most reliable warriors covering my ass instead of horde of drug addicts who will leave you out to dry just to make human cocaine.  

Okay, personality-wise Dorn's not going to take home any best friend awards (Dorn's idea of stimulating conversation is the best way to file your tax returns or analysing the structural integrity of your apartment).  He's often described as dour and emotionless and he also has a reputation of never telling a lie, delivering truth bombs with the subtlety of a Power Fist to the face.  Rogal Dorn also has zero patience for excuses or weakness of character and holds all his sons to this brutal exacting standard.  

While many would consider this to be a downside, this iron clad discipline has moulded the Imperial Fists into the toughest and most successful Space Marines the Imperium has to offer.  They will never retreat, never surrender even when the odds are beyond hopeless.  Their stubborn refusal to die got them through the Siege of Terra and sent the traitors screaming into the Eye of Terror.  Without Dorn, there wouldn't be an Imperium (or a setting but you know what I mean).  

So that's why Dorn is such an S-Tier Primarch.  If you have zero tolerance for bullshit, get a high from filing your tax returns or enjoy getting kicked in the balls every day, Dorn is the Primarch for you. 👍 

From a visual standpoint, I more or less stuck to his concepts but included the popular fan edit of giant whiskers.  Yes, I think this version is the best as well and a missed opporunity to give Dorn a unique look.  Speaking of missed opportunities, how does the Primarch of the Imperial Fists not get a Power Fist as part of his standard loadout?  That's just leaving money on the table, something I thought the Angry Company was addicted to.   

Anyways in terms of lore accurate wargear, Dorn gets quite a few goodies.  By default, he comes with a massive chainsword called Storm's Teeth which definitely looks intimidating, is great for dealing with tarpits but apparently isn't suited for Primarch vs Primarch duels on tabletop.  He also gets a master crafted bolter called the Voice of Terra which was gifted to him by the Custodes upon his elevation as the Praetorion of Terra.  In Saturnine, he used a sword/shield combo when fighting against Fulgrim.  I presume this is the same sword he shattered at the end of the Siege of Terra after discovering Big E's mangled body.  

Career Highlights

• The Siege of Terra!  There has never been a battle more stacked on one side.  Horus had superior numbers, positioning and cheat codes.  By every metric, the Siege should have ended very quickly.  But through tactical genius and sheer force of will, Dorn held out long enough for Guilliman and the Lion to bring their forces close enough for a forced confrontation between Big E and Horus.  Seriously, it's hard to overstate how many miracles Dorn pulled to give the loyalists a fighting chance (To be fair, Perturabo had to deal with a fair amount of nonsense as well).  Definitely Dorn's crowning achievement. 👑  
• Gives Daemon Primarch Fulgrim a humiliating thrashing during the Siege of Terra, forcing Mr Perfect to slither away with his tail betwen his...uh, tail.  What's the matter Fulgrim?  I thought you liked being spanked now. 😈
• After reading about the awesomeness of Dorn and the Imperial Fists during the Siege of Terra, I must constantly resist the urge to punch holes in walls.  I settle by getting strangers to kick me in the balls so I may experience the privilege of being in the Pain Glove.  
• Gave the traitors a proper trashing during the Scouring.  Really hope they'll expand on how the Fists and the other loyalists kicked them into the Eye of Terror.
• Many of the best Space Marines are descended from Dorn's lineage.  He definitely has the most well known out of any of the Primarchs.  Being a son of Dorn means there's a high chance you are destined for greatness! 👍

This is completely unrelated to anything.  But some community member may remember awhile back I made some Sunny references about Fulgrim and Khorne?  Well, apparently this has become a thing. 😄

Okay, next up is Garro and a member of the Legion of the Damned!  They will definitely show you why it's great to be loyal!  Stay tuned!