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A [[TerranTerra]] n native from the plains of the '''Sibran region''', Astelan was a child when his land was conquered by the [[Emperor]]'s [[Thunder Warriors]], and he retained vivid memories of the massacres he saw for the rest of his life.{{Fn|4}} Astelan claimed that his people were then among the first to fight alongside the Emperor during the [[Wars of Unification]] and that it was from them that the Emperor took the first recruits for the [[Legiones Astartes]]{{Fn|5b}}; Astelan was inducted into the [[First Legion]] — then the ''only'' legion - as one of the first 5,000 [[Space Marines]].{{Fn|4}} He next comes to prominence in Imperial record as a Dark Angels Legion Chapter Master, or '''Chapter Commander'''. Little is known of his previous career, though it is believed that his advancement from [[Space Marine Sergeant|Sergeant]] to Chapter Commander took only fourteen years, and that he achieved his Chapter command before the Imperial discovery of his [[Primarch]], [[Lion El'Jonson]]. Indeed, he on occasion referred to being given his power and honours by the Emperor himself.{{Fn|1}},{{Fn|4}} However, other information about Astelan states that, as a recognised veteran, he was in fact appointed Chapter Master by Lion El'Jonson in the years following Jonson's assumption of command of the First Legion.{{Fn|3a}}

His role in the prosecution of the [[Great Crusade]] came to end in the aftermath of the compliance action carried out on the world of [[Byzanthis]]. Previous to this, his [[Expeditionary Fleet]] (something less than eighteen vessels, led by Astelan's command ship, the ''[[Spear of Truth]]'') had spent five years on exploration duties in largely uncharted areas of space, going without refit or resupply from the Legion for four of those, and indeed not even finding any habitable planets worth absorbing into the [[Imperium]] for three. {{Fn|1}}

At the end of this five year period , however, fate would bring both reinforcement and, two weeks later, a world to examine. Chapter Commander [[Belath]] and his fleet rendezvoused with that of Astelan, informing the Expedition leader that the Lion had ordered him to Astelan as reinforcement. Astelan had never heard of Belath before, but was unperturbed by this due to the rapid influx of [[Caliban|Calibanite]] ite Astartes into the Legion. He was surprised , however, by the fact his fleet, which had apparently been assigned to an uneventful area of space, received reinforcement at all; Calibanite in men and material or otherwise.{{Fn|1}}

At last , however, a radio signature was detected from the [[DX-619]] system and Astelan diverted his fleet to investigate. Shortly thereafter, the world named Byzanthis by its inhabitants was discovered. Relatively technologically advanced, but not unified under a single world government, the Byzanthians seemed a likely candidate for peaceful compliance, at least to Astelan. Chapter Commander Belath, however, believed that conquering them militarily was the better option. Heated debate ensued, with Astelan espousing a philosophy that war is bloody and costly and to be avoided if possible, and that a world brought to heel will be resentful and slow to achieve the brotherhood that diplomatic [[compliance ]] can achieve. Belath for his part, stressed that the [[Legiones Astartes]] had been created to fight and that the Lion - who had appointed him to Chapter command personally - had given him orders emphasising the annihilation and punishment of enemies. Eventually, the two commanders agreed on a reconnaissance mission to help them decide on a further course of action.{{Fn|1}}

Astelan was ultimately able to escape his captivity on The Rock, and soon meets met up with former comrades [[Methelas]] and [[Anovel]]. Together they conspired with [[Typhus]] to unite the [[Tuchulcha]] engine with its brother devices and open up a time portal ten thousand years previous that would allow the original legions of Fallen to enter the [[M41|41st MillenniaMillennium]]. With captured gene-seed he planned to have the Fallen, Death Guard, and newly created Astartes all merge together into an unstoppable legion known as the Death Angels. However , Astelan and Typhus are were [[Battle of the Caliban System|ultimately foiled]] thanks to the efforts of [[Azrael]] and [[Cypher]], who managed to turn Anovel to their cause along the way.{{Fn|6}}

*3: [[Fallen Angels (Novel)]]:

**{{Endn|3b}}: Chapters Eight, & Twelve