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|Image =Dante-Warlords.png
|Caption =Commander Dante{{Fn|12}}
|Title =Commander Dante<br>Luis Dante<br>Lord of the Angelic Host
|Homeworld =[[Baal Secundus]], [[Baal]]
|Birth =447.[[M40]]{{Fn|6a}}
'''Dante''' is the current [[Chapter Master]] of the [[Blood Angels]]. Commander Dante is one of the most experienced and able [[Space Marine]] commanders. In no small part, this is due to the longevity of the [[Blood Angels]], which he has ruled for 1,100 years. Dante is the oldest living Space Marine in the [[Imperium]] (excluding [[Dreadnought]]s) and is held in awe by leaders of other [[Chapter]]s, who can remember him being a famous commander when they were in the [[Scout Company]].{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|3}}
===Biography=======Early life===='''Luis Dante''' <small>(LOO-is dan-tay){{Fn|8b}} {{fn|21}}</small> was born in 447.[[M40]]{{Fn|6a}} on [[Baal Secundus]] ([[Baal]]'s second moon) and his growth was stunted by malnutrition and radiation.{{Fn|5}} Dante was part of his planet's salt clans, a nomadic people that travelled the salt deserts (former seas) of Baal Secundus to harvest its salt, selling it at various permanent settlements at the salt deserts' borders. His mother died giving birth to his stillborn younger brother, and he was thus raised by his father [[Arreas]]. His childhood was hard, with his clan facing dangerous wildlife, human raiders, and an extremely hostile environment; most clan members died before their 30th year. From an early age, Dante felt the desire to help others and make a difference; thus, he was drawn to the idea of becoming a Blood Angel. His father, who did not want to lose his last living relative, forbid him from partaking in the [[Angel's Fall]] trials to determine the next [[Aspirant]]s. Undeterred, Dante regretfully left in secret, crossing the [[Great Salt Waste]] alone to reach the trials.{{Fn|6a}}{{Fn|6c}} He almost died of thirst, but also first experienced a vision of the [[Sanguinor]] who guided him to a mummified corpse with intact water flasks, saving his life and allowing him to continue his journey.{{Fn|6c}}
When he took part in his clans trials at the Place of Challenge he showed no special promise, but nonetheless survived. Afterwards he was inducted by [[Chaplain]] [[Malafael]] into the [[Blood Angels]] Chapter as an [[Aspirant]] under [[Sanguinary Priest]] [[Araezon]]. He first drew notice when during his transformation after drinking the [[gene-seed]] synthesized blood of [[Sanguinius]], he went into a year long coma and cried out the names of fallen primarchs, dark gods, and long-banished [[Daemon]]s. Upon emerging Dante was trained to become a battle-brother, then Brother-Sergeant.{{Fn|5}} He reached the rank of [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] in 753.M40, becoming commander of the [[5th Company (Blood Angels)|5th Company]].{{Fn|6b}} Later he took part in the [[Kallius Insurrection]] of [[M40]], where every Captain of the Blood Angels but Dante himself was slain, and it was decided by the gathered [[Chaplain]]s and [[Sanguinary Priest]]s that he would become the new [[Chapter Master]].{{Fn|5}}
====Chapter Master====[[Image:Dante by nuala kinrade.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Commander Dante{{Fn|13}}]]
His very presence inspires troops to acts of valour that are extraordinary even for Space Marines. Because of this reputation, when it came to choosing a leader for the [[Armageddon]] intervention, the Masters of the other two Chapters taking part (the [[Salamanders]] and the [[Ultramarines]]) unanimously asked for him to be placed in charge.{{Fn|1}} Dante is a legend not just amongst the Blood Angels but also amongst the common citizenry of the Imperium, to whom he is a saviour, a golden-armoured hero who descends to save them in their darkest hour.{{Fn|3}}
Yet for all of his success, or perhaps because of it, Dante had grown weary of his burdens. He had lived far longer than he should, and the burden of centuries grew even weightier. Only one thing prevented Dante from succumbing to ennui- recorded in the Scrolls of [[Sanguinius]] were the [[Primarch]]s visions of a great battle to overshadow all others, where one golden warrior would stand between his [[Emperor]] and the darkness. For many generations of the Blood Angels, these prophecies had been read as Sanguinius's foreknowledge of his own fate. Yet through some instinct- perhaps a lingering trace of his Primarch's fabled far-seeing eye, or his own prophetic dreams of the golden warrior,{{Fn|8a}} Dante believed otherwise. He frequently believed that one day, the defence of the Emperor would possibly rest in his hands, and he aimed to fulfil that final duty.{{Fn|4}}
=====Devastation of Baal=====[[File:PICFILE -BA6824593.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Artisan's imagining of Dante witnessing the arrival of [[Roboute Guilliman]]{{Fn|20}}]]
This belief would come to be understood finally during the [[Devastation of Baal]], when Dante led the Blood Angels and their successor chapter's in a final stand against [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]]. During the battle Dante managed to slay the [[Swarmlord]] but was badly wounded in the process. As he lay dying, he saw a vision of the Sanguinor and [[Sanguinius]] himself. Relieved that his duty was finally over, Dante was about to pass into death when Sanguinius told him to live and that his time was not yet done. Distressed, Dante begged Sanguinius to let him die and take his soul with him, but was suddenly revived on the battlefield.{{Fn|8b}} Fortunately for the Chapter Master, Baal was saved by [[Roboute Guilliman]] and the [[Indomitus Crusade]],{{Fn|7}} who commended him for saving half the galaxy from the terror of the Hive Fleet.{{Fn|8b}}
Following the salvation of Baal, Guilliman named Dante the Lord Regent of [[Imperium Nihilus]].{{Fn|9}} He used his new authority to organise an offensive to retake the [[Red Scar]] region from the tendrils of Leviathan known as the [[Angel's Halo]].{{Fn|10}} He has since undergone the [[Rubicon Primaris|operation]] to become a [[Primaris Space Marine]].{{Fn|14}}
=====Arks of Omen=====
During the [[Arks of Omen Campaign]] Dante led a force of [[Blood Angels]] to intercept an Ark that was targeting the [[agri world]]s of the [[Saganas Belt]]. Upon arrival they found the Ark, [[Night Terror]], drifting in the voide with wrecked heretic warships around it. After boarding it they found dead heretics, astartes and humans, who had been slain by bolter rounds and a large sword, they also found sulpherous residue, the remains of biomechanical infestation mixed with something that resembled wilted plant life. After searching for several days they couldn't find any more clues as to what happened, and Dante ordered samples to be analyzed.{{Fn|19}}
Dante Primaris.jpg|Dante as a [[Primaris Space Marine]]{{Fn|14}}
JoytoyUltraBloodAngelsDante.jpeg|Joytoy Dante figure{{Fn|18}}
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*{{Endn|19}}: [[Arks of Omen: Abaddon]], Pg. 33
*{{Endn|20}}: [[First Founding (Background Book)]], pg. 185
*{{Endn|21}}: [[Warhammer 40,000: Character Encyclopedia]] Pronunciation Guide
{{BAForces}}
