House Cadmus

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Colour Scheme House Info Symbol
HouseCadmusKnight.jpg
 Name: House Cadmus
HouseCadmusSymbol.jpg
Affiliation: Imperium (Adeptus Terra)[10]
Knight World: Raisa
Colours: Green/Yellow[4]
Motto: They Who are Not our Allies are our Prey

House Cadmus is a Knight House of the Imperium.[1] They were sworn to the Adeptus Mechanicus[5a] but have since pledged themselves to the Adeptus Terra.[10]

Overview

For thousands of years, the Knights of House Cadmus have gathered every midsummer’s eve to prepare for an annual hunt to keep the mutant numbers of their forested world of Raisa in check. This much-celebrated event is known as the Cull. Bio-reading cogitators are attached to their Knight suits before every Cull, enabling each Knight to track the number of savages he has slain during the course of the day-long hunt. The Knight who claims the greatest number of kills is the winner of this macabre tourney, and will rule the affairs of the house for the next year. So has the leadership of House Cadmus changed hands with far greater frequency than any other knightly house over the centuries. However, the current ruler, Baron Roland of Swinford Hall, has retained command for the last thirty-two years, such is his incredible run of victories in the Cull.[1]

It is well that a leader of such experience still rules, for the fighting strength of House Cadmus has suffered greatly in defence of the nearby forge world of Gryphonne IV after it was overwhelmed by Hive Fleet Leviathan.[1] The House lost so many Knights that Roland decreed that the House would be dedicated to the Imperium directly, as opposed to the Adeptus Mechanicus.[5a] However the lingering influence of the Mechanicum lives on in the House, and they boast expertly maintained systems, augmetics, and advanced cogitators that can be used when hunting elusive prey. Worship of the Omnissiah also remains widespread.[10]

It is a tradition of the House that only male members of the House may take up arms, including piloting the Knights; female members of the House instead perform other duties, including conducting ceremonial and diplomatic dealings with other forces of the Imperium and the bearing of items of value (such as flags, trophies and rolls of honour). Most respected of these ladies of the House are the Knights' consorts - wives to the menfolk of the House and mothers to its future generations.[5b]

Another tradition of the House is that of the pre-battle feast. An old tradition, dating back to before the fall of the High Lord, in which the Knights and their consorts gather at the hearth to eat, drink and enjoy each other's company while they can. It is even traditional for the Knights to ride out to battle the next day with a sour belly and a hangover, although the Knights' bionic enhancements include inbuilt chem-shunts to mitigate these effects before the actual fighting starts. On Raisa itself this ritual occurs within the House's base, the hall of Golem Keep, set on a plateau overlooking the mutant-infested forests.[5a][5c]

The carracks that deliver the knights of House Cadmus to their respective battles also contain the house’s sizeable caravan of bakers, pâtissiers, and courtesans that tend to the knights' every concern. Alongside seemingly bottomless wine casks, the ship’s abattoir keeps the knight's tables piled high with grox and verdikine during their pre-battle feast.[9b]

In contrast to their masters, the Sacristans of House Cadmus pledged to serve each belong to one of five orders. The Sacristans of all but one order, the Inheritance of Skhallax, wear varieties of rubberized crimson cassocks and keep their faces covered at all times. They use their own mystical hierarchies, but all ultimately serve House Cadmus. Each order vies with the others, viewing their rivals with distrust. They compete for political influence within the Knightly house.[10]

A common recreation among the knights of House Cadmus nobles is hunting with ornately decorated fusils, akin to Las-Lock rifles and muskets, resulting in some knights being proficient marksmen.[9c] Games of regicide are another recreational activity enjoyed by the knights.[9b]

The House's symbol features a split mutant's head, celebrating the Cull. This symbol was displayed alongside the Cog Mechanicus, however it is now displayed with the Imperial Aquila following the fall of Gryphonne IV.[5a]

Notable Actions

Known Knights

  • Baron Roland - Current head of the House.[1] Pilots a customized Knight Lancer, although he prefers to pilot a Knight Errant during the Cull, an action which he believes levels the playing field.[5e]
  • Sir Anthonis - Senior Knight.[5a]
  • Creig - Part of the detachment sent to rescue the memory engrams of the Binary Apostle from Vikara. Deceased.[5h]
  • Enoch - Defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5f]
  • Sir Edgar Lorristan - Pilot of Bladequeen, a Knight Castigator destroyed during the Fall of Gryphonne IV. Edgar was reported as having deceased alongside his war machine, however, in truth he survived. He bears great shame and dishonour for not having died alongside his beloved Bladequeen and continues to serve Gryphonne IV's diaspora fleet aboard Explorator Sherax's ship Peregrinus.[9a]
  • Sir Mikel Farrimond - Defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5f]
  • Jaime Garratt - Defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5b][5e]
  • Sir Gregor - Part of the detachment sent to rescue the memory engrams of the Binary Apostle from Vikara. Deceased.[5d][5i]
  • Sir Malcolm - Senior Knight and second in command of the House[5a][5d]. Pilot of a Knight Paladin known as The Beast Killer.[3][5f]
  • Sir Martyn - Part of the detachment sent to rescue the memory engrams of the Binary Apostle from Vikara. Deceased.[5d][5i]
  • Monteil - Part of the detachment sent to rescue the memory engrams of the Binary Apostle from Vikara. Deceased.[5h]
  • Orlando - Pilot of Coward's Bane.[3]
  • Rabert - Part of the detachment sent to rescue the memory engrams of the Binary Apostle from Vikara. Deceased.[5h]
  • Axl Roddam - Defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5f]
  • Sir Roderick - Senior Knight.[5a]
  • Silas - Defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5f]
  • Stefan[5i]
  • Jon Vasey - Killed by a Tyranid Zoanthrope during the defence of Verdus Ferrox on Vondrak.[5b][5f]
  • Sir William - Senior Knight. Pilot of Bloody Broadsword.[3][5a]

Other Members of the House

See also

Sources

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