Editing Nobledark Imperium Imperial Forces (section)

==== The Dragon Lords ====

The history of the Dragon Lords dates back to the founding of Praetoria, in the days of the post-Beast rebuilding. It was deemed that the military side of the endeavour would require the substantial presence and use of Space Marines to remove some of the more fearsome and prepared horrors that had moved in during the intervening years. As Primarch Vulkan was the overall commander in bringing the worlds of Wilderness Space back to the light of civilization, it was understandable when one of his newly minted chapters set up a way station alongside the more entrepreneurial efforts of the Gredbrittonic founding families.

The head of the space marines in this endeavour was Commander Xiaphas Jurr of the Afrique League, a former Chaplain. Commander Jurr never let the change in position from preacher of the Promethean faith to overall commander interfere with his missionary work and vice versa, and Praetoria's growth into a mostly Promethean world is largely his doing. This was not without practical merit, as the forces raised from Praetoria all held a faith in common, even as the years went on, and were all the closer for it. It has been speculated that the noble feuds of later years would undoubtedly have bloomed into minor wars without this vague sense of brotherhood.

As Praetoria grew from a minor service stop into a nation, the waystation he commanded likewise grew, such that in time it was declared a Chapter in its own right with Jurr as its commander — a rank he wore well. He and his newly designated Dragon Lords were now distinct from the rest of the Prometheans, as although he had been influencing the world he commanded, so too had it been influencing him.

As the population of Praetoria grew, the Dragon Lords soon found that they could recruit from the planet exclusively even with the introduction of the Tithe. Before the tithe, the military of Praetoria was predominantly composed of the house militias and private military companies of the nobility, with only the Red Coats — the mostly ceremonial soldiers of the Parliamentary Herald — representing the planet as a whole. At the time, the Red Coats were seen as a token force of no real concern and the butt of many jokes due to their lack of real experience and attachment to a figurehead rather than anyone with any real power.

This changed when the Imperial Army demanded its due. They didn't want soldiers loyal to any one city or lord in contest with their comrades of the same world. They wanted soldiers loyal to the Imperium representing their world as a unified whole. The imposition of a standard uniform was seen as a way to gently erode those mental barriers; they were one and all Praetorian. The distinctive green and black colour scheme of the Dragon Lords was surrendered not long after, coincidentally a few days after the death of Xiaphas Jurr, to their current red and ivory as a show of solidarity with the common soldier.

By this time, native-born Gernebern of Auchmouth — a progeny who rose fast but died a mere few centuries later — had taken command of the Space Marines and was the source of many reforms within the chapter. It was deemed prudent to have the chapter integrate even more closely with the common soldiery, splitting the companies up into squads and placing them on long term loan to the — at the time — 90 regiments of the Praetorian Guard as specialist squads. All but one company was split in such a manner, and the remaining company was to remain whole to guard their homeworld at all times.

Despite all the upheavals and political manoeuvrings — which could fill a very dry library in their own right — the contributions that Praetoria has made to the conquest, rebuilding, and protection of the wilderness worlds and beyond are often overlooked. Indeed, it was to this noble endeavour that Commander Jurr sacrificed himself. Were it not for the diligence, vigilance and sacrifices of the red coated Praetorians, the Orks, marauders, and worse would have just swept right back in, and the fates of those that called these places home would have been, at best, pitiable.