House Helmawr

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House Helmawr
HouseHelmawrEmblem.jpg
Emblem of House Helmawr
Affiliation: Imperium
Found on: Necromunda
Leader: Gerontius Helmawr
Haera Helmawr (acting)
Seat of Power: Hive Primus

House Helmawr was the ruling Noble House of the planet Necromunda until their recent fall to House Aranthus at the end of the 41st Millenium.

Also called the Ruling House, Imperial House, Royal House of Necromunda, Guardians of all Necromunda or Lords of the Spire, they used a hereditary system of succession, with the leader of the house (styled Imperial Commander Lord Helmawr, Adeptus of the Imperium of Man, and Guardian of Necromunda in the Holy Name of the Undying Emperor) serving as the Planetary Governor of the planet, in effect personifying Necromunda to the Imperium and representing the Imperium to the inhabitants of Necromunda. Occupying the very top of the feudal Necromundan hierarchy, the Adeptus Terra left him to do as he pleased so long as he fulfilled his feudal obligations to the Imperium and maintained the planet's production capacity.[1a][2a][2b][3][4]

History

Lord Helmawr[12]

Imperial records of the Adeptus Administratum are remarkably silent on the history of Necromunda in the early days of the Imperium. The ancestors of Lord Helmawr are known to have reigned over Necromunda since at least three thousand years after the Emperor was installed in the Golden Throne, before which time records of Necromundan government have long since disappeared.[1a]

House Helmawr began as House Helm'ayr. Helm'ayr's progenitor, Martek Helm'ayr, unified Necromunda in 085.M34 and was made Planetary Governor for his efforts.[9a] By M36, however, Martek's last true gene-descendant Jar Helm'ayr developed into a deformed and sickly individual. With genetic engineering and foresight, he grew vat-born children from his own DNA combined with those of the strongest Necromundans. He also created House Helmawr for them, and made preparations for their rise after his death.[9b] Jar's efforts would save their lives mere years after the children were born,[9c] and long after Jar's own death,[9b] when an alliance of the Hive World's Noble Houses enacted a plot to claim rulership of Necromunda from House Helmawr in 223.M36. The Nobles hoped to put an end to the fledgling Imperial House by sending a legion of assassins to infiltrate Helmawr's Hive Spire fortress, where the children resided. However, these assassins were instead killed by the Underhive gangs and Bounty Hunters that Jar had, prior to his death, hired to protect his children. Hundreds would die by the time the last of the noble houses' assassins was slain, but House Helmawr was kept safe and its future remained intact.[9c]

Trueborn

Trueborn are the Noble children of House Helmawr's reigning Planetary Governor, who have a chance to succeed their parent when the time comes to do so. While they may have many children during their reign, both recognized and illegitimate, the laws of autocratic hereditary dictate that only Nobles who the Governor wishes to have a chance to succeed them are named as Trueborn. Normally, however, a Governor will pick one Trueborn to serve as their heir and this choice is accepted by the House, when a reigning Governor is replaced.[10a]

Should the chosen heir not be accepted or that a Planetary Governor pass without naming a successor, then each Trueborn can make the case for why they should become the new Governor. Some will even increases their chances of doing so, by eliminating their rival siblings through assassinations or subterfuge. This can occur even before their parent's reign as Governor is over and makes the life of a Trueborn far from safe. Also adding the natural hazards of being a Noble on Necromunda, means few of the Trueborn live long enough to have the chance to succeed their parent.[10a]

This was proven true for Gerontius Helmawr's Trueborn, when the Great Darkness began on the Hive World. By the end of the upheaval, only eight of Gerontius' thirty Trueborn heirs survived and one was his daughter Haera[10c], who succeeded her Father as Planetary Governor. This was after she killed several of her siblings, in order to secure the title for herself.[11]

The territory and assets of rival House Aranthus were dissolved by Annyr Helmawr himself several centuries ago after a plague swept through their population making them so vulnerable and under resourced that their spiraling debts effectively led to their destruction.[5] This act would be reversed in kind during the 42nd Millenium, when Ozostium Aranthus escaped custody to take hold of Necromunda in the wake of severe infighting between Gerontius's successors. As a result, House Helmawr is now considered a Fallen House themselves. [14]

Imperial Obligations

As Planetary Governor, Helmawr formed a link in the feudal chain that extends throughout the Galaxy to Terra. Like all Imperial Commanders, he was given a free hand to do what he pleases so long as he fulfils certain obligations to the Imperium. The Imperial Tithe was his main obligation, and as Necromunda manufactured so many goods for the Imperium, the tithe is taken as the discount of a percentage of revenue earned. Necromunda must also provide recruits for the Imperial Guard and even Space Marines, and one regiment of Helmawr's personal guard was generally provided as the compulsory requirement from his own troops. Finally, as a major threat, the number of Psykers must be controlled, which on a hive world such as Necromunda is no easy task.[1a]

Palace

Hive Primus is known across Necromunda as the Palatine in reference to the fortified palace complex at the very top of the central and tallest spire that serves as the dynastic home of Lord Helmawr. House Helmawr's domain was the most desirable territory on Necromunda, with the hive boasting some of the most magnificent and grandiose architecture on the planet, and is separated from the rest of the Spire (the domain of the other six Noble Houses) by a smaller version of the Wall that divides the Spire from Hive City.[1d][2a][2b]

Forces

Helmawr was also known to send his troops in expeditionary forces, such as to claim the Space Hulk Kronos when it emerged from the Warp,[4a] sending about 14 troops with lasguns, helmets and body armour, accompanied by a heavy weapon specialist and led by a captain with a power sword and a laspistol. Following the ship of Lady Inquisitor Heleana Jerico, they got deep into the hulk before her retinue, but took heavy casualties from traps along the way. The inquisitor caught up with them, finding them in combat with a giant floating disembodied Necron head, and used her team's combined firepower to destroy it. Rather than thank her for her help, the captain warned her that they were trespassing on House Helmawr property, not backing down even when she provided proof of her station. While they argued, a force of Necrons appeared[4b] and the two bickering groups joined forces to fight them off, Jerico losing her magos while only three of Helmawr's troops survived.[4c] These were later lost either during the awakening of the Setekh[4d] or the subsequent destruction of the hulk by cyclonic torpedo.[4e]

Contracts

Helmawr controlled the financial resources of the whole planet, with Hive Primus alone being more productive and richer than most planets in the Imperium. It also had Necromunda's only spaceport with a shipyard and landing field big enough to take orbital carriers, and as such was the embodiment of Helmawr's monopoly in offplanet trade.[2e][1d]

Lord Helmawr dealt directly with the most powerful factions, completely unconcerned with the activities of lesser powerbrokers, while the patriarchs and merchant families of the Noble Houses constantly competed and co-operated for his attention, trying to secure landing and shipping rights, trade licences and tax concessions, giving rise to endless change in the feudal hierarchy. While currying his favour by doing whatever was necessary, they secretly schemed behind his back, hoping that their own House would one day inherit the Imperial House and House Helmawr brought low. But if a major player in the power game proves weak or treacherous, Helmawr could simply withdraw his support; even the rumour that he was about to do this could encourage their enemies to turn against them and destroy them.[1a][2b]

House Delaque had long been known associates of House Helmawr and a number of other Noble Houses before the Drypus incident - the massacre of dozens of House Orlock gangers sent to seize the chemical resources of Drypus falls during the dispute between the Houses over the Ulanti contract many centuries ago. Lord Arius Helmawr stepped in, ostensibly to prevent the unacceptable open warfare between the two sides, but also using this as an opportunity to reconstruct the relationship with the Delaques, which Helmawr had long feared was too obvious and stymied the Delaque spies and informants. Clearly the guilty party, Helmawr openly ruled the Delaque's actions unacceptable and voided all contracts with them, but privately he assured them that from then on they would be handsomely rewarded to act as his eyes and ears throughout Hive Primus, on the condition that they never disclosed the arrangement, thus avoiding Delaque enmity and indebting them to him permanently. To this day the House has a special understanding with House Delaque, who provide not just materials but also information to the ruling house.[5][2d]

Known Helmawrs

Haera Helmawr[13]
Trueborn Sons
Trueborn Daughters
Illegitimate Children

Past Lords Helmawr

Images

Former Emblem of the Royal House of Necromunda[4b]

See also

Sources


The Houses of Necromunda
Imperial House Helmawr
Noble Houses Athenos • Catallus • Craft • Greim • Harrow • Ko'iron • Ran Lo • Ty • Ulanti
Clan Houses Cawdor • Delaque • Escher • Goliath • Orlock • Van Saar
Fallen Houses Aranthus • Credo • Hasbel • Helm'ayr • Mung • Olwar • Orlund
Other/Unknown Status Averest • Gorshed • Hera • Jungar • Olrak • Olwyr • Vosak • Weyter • Yoranta
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