Prima Cajalax Maxia [1] (also Prima Cajalax) is an Imperial Knight world, found in Dark Age of Technology and discovered by the Imperium in 394.M41 during the Macharian Crusade. King Jeremias II Cajanus allied his house to the Imperium of Man in 403.M41 and Prima Cajalax has since contributed to the war efforts of the Imperium.
Ruling house on world is house Cajanus.
Orbital charasteristics[]
Prima Cajalax orbits its young, sizable orange dwarf star Cajalax from the mean radius of approximately 157500000 kilometers. Its aphelion goes as far as 161205000 km and perihelion 150058000 km. Planet's average orbital speed is around 26.95 km/s which makes its year as long as 1.15 Terran years (420 Terran days or 10000 Terran hours). Cajalaxian year is 328 Cajalaxian days, 14 hours and 28 minutes, making every other year a leap year, leap day being at the end of the calender.
Planet's axial tilt is 18.4 degrees from its orbital plane causing seasonal changes on Prima Cajalax.
Satellites[]
Prima Cajalax has two natural satellites, moons. The first moon, known by the locals as "the Moon", orbits its host planet from approximately 400 thousand kilometers and is tidally locked. The second moon bears many names, but is most commonly known as the "Red Dwarf". Red Dwarf orbits its host planet from approximately 900 thousand kilometers in an orbit that is tilted 15 degrees of its host planet's plane. Red Dwarf is covered by iron dust and basalt plains and has peculiar reddish color, even if it is only visible in clear nights because of its very dark surface. Red Dwarf orbits around its host in 78.4 Terran days, when the Moon orbits in just over 30 Terran days. When the two moons align, they'll cause massive tidal waters which has forced the coastal settlements on high hills and cliffs.
Rotation[]
Prima Cajalax has rotational period of 1.3 Terran days making one Cajalaxian day 30 Terran hours, 41 minutes and 15 seconds. Cajalaxian people have adapted to these slightly longer days over the millennia.
Physical charasteristics[]
Map of Prima Cajalax
Planet's surface is covered with one ocean, planet's only continent cutting it in half. Within the continent there is also a large area of brackish water, which is known as the North Sea. The major ocean is also cut from north to equator by a long, wide shallow waters that have extensive amount of corals and rich variety of species. The area is so shallow, that some points become islands during the Talltide, when the two moons are aligned.
Planet's surface is relatively flat as the tectonic activity on planet is relatively weak for a world of that size. Most active areas are in the Arvenes mountain range in the northern hemisphere, and in the very center of Prima Cajalax' sole continent. While earthquakes tend to be weak, some extremes do occur in the Central Valley area between the Pollus mountains and Worldnavel range. In the southern hemisphere the Isle of Miro is also known to exhibit regular earthquakes and even volcanic eruptions due the movements of three tectonic plates beneath it, Isle of Miro is however uninhabited. Fiercest volcanic activity is located in the Arvenes mountain range, even if many of the volcanoes are wholly or partially covered under polar glacial. There is also notionworthy amount of volcanic activity in the Isle of Miro as well as in the bottom of the Great Eastern Ocean. It is thought that there could be volcanic activity beneath the southern polar glacials, but as it is not inhabited and won't likely become so, no efforts are made to study it further.
History[]
Age of Strife[]
The Imperial historians and adepts assume that the settlers on Prima Cajalax were splintered very early in the colonisation process, thus effectively negating the pros of Throne Mechanicums' colony-guarding influences. Instead of protecting one big colony, numerous knights began to jealously guard their people from other houses and factions like cocks guard their flocks.
This fragmentation within the colony had, supposedly, led to a rapid decline in technological level as no group was strong enough to acquire required amounts of components for their own standard template constructs' (STC) construction. Arhallan's STC constructor was presumably destroyed in the early days of the colonisation, possibly before the Age of Strife. The Knights, while effectively eternal and indestructible, soon had to give up their ranged weaponries due to the lack of munitions. This might be the reason for extraordinary amount of melee-focused lances hailing from Prima Cajalax.
The STCs were soon disregarded and only the very simplest of them were used, only to keep the Knights going, because their importance for the surviving groups was more than anything else. They guarded the settlers not only from the other settlers and bandits but also from the feral wildlife on planet.
Oldest records on planet found by the adepts of Officio Historica sub. Retrorsus (Questor Imperialis) trace back to the initial colonisation of Prima Cajalax Maxia during the Dark Age of Technology. These records are however extremely rare and scattered across the treasuries, keeps, monasteries and ruins of the world.
Age of Imperium[]
As no centralised governorship existed, Knights viewed each others with distrust and even outright hostility. Especially when the Dark Age of Technology plunged into the horrific Age of Strife many societies - built around the Knights and their dynasties - began to build walls around their cities. When psykers began to emerge within the populations, religious cults were born, some of them undoubtly revering the Lords of Change and Decay (in one form or another), but most of them focusing on moderation, dilligence and the fear of unknown.
Birth of monastic orders occurred before the Great Crusade during the tumultuous Age of Strife. Population on Prima Cajalax began to grow in the early M31 from an estimated 0.8 million inhabitants. As the amount of Knights was limited and population grew, the estates division within the societies began to suffer and the power of Knightly houses over the lesser population weakened. However, not even a full esqadron of Cartanian heavy cavalry was capable of bringing down even the pettiest Knight, let alone a full house. So the Knightly houses kept their status as ruling estate and a membership of a Knightly dynasty was seen as a mark of an ultimate prestige, holding a special place within the First Estate.
As the population on world grew, new cities and towns were found and the vast seas on world became increasingly important area of dominance. Some daring settlers defied the wrath of the South Sea and the Grey Sea - west from the initial colonization areas - and settled the Far Isle and the lands in the Sea of Stag. Needless to say, these settlements did not have Knight Titans to support their rule but their location granted them extraordinary amount of freedom and diversity when compared to their continental neighbors. Without the oppressing rule of the First Estate the Knights had formed, the seafaring societies grew into a more open societies and developed a class-like division in their lands. Almost all over-sea trade was soon run by the seafaring societies.
Many opportunists and wanderers fled to the north when the cities began to grow. While no system of governance ever formed north from the North Sea and Icy Waters, or west from the Walean Valley and Arkland, many nomad bands reigned over each others in these barren lands. Exotic, white furs, fire agates, prismatines and other valuable gems were brought south from the Arvenes mountain range. Whiteharbour, located in the far-east, became the only republic located in continent, its sovereignty is guaranteed by multiple nobles, Knights and other republics to ensure the steady and regulated flow of gems and valuables from the north.
As time went by, many of the Knights suffered from damages caused by their rivals in duels, wars and sabotage. Importance of the Armiger Pattern Knights rose, as they were abundant compared to the "real" Knights, and many houses granted the Armiger pilots extensive rights in their societies. The poorer kingdoms, most notably the Grand Duchy of Cartania, began to utilise other technological constructs originally designed for labor and logistics. Cartanian heavy cavalry became well known for their fast and destructive raids, sabotage and kidnapping missions, their cavaliers mounting bipedal walkers not unlike the Ironstriders of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Beginning of the 41st Millennium[]
As the 41st millennium changed in, the western states were recovering from a devastating war of independence from the Arhallan Hegemony that had ruled over Arhallan Island, Arkland, Druzlanding Coast and Cartania as well as most of the Cajania and Upper Cartania. The city of Arhallan Hall was sacked and the Knightly house Duke - rulers of Arhallan Hegemony - were stripped off of their Knights and lands by the usurpers. According to the Arkwright Chronicles, Arkland - ruled by Knightly house Arkwright - captured seven knights and a host of armigers instantly becoming one of the strongest houses on Prima Cajalax. Kingdom of Arkland became the ruler of Arkland, western Cartania and Druzlanding Coast. Arhallan Island became a tributary to the throne of Arkland. Grand Duchy of Cartania gained the lands around the cities of Cartanborg, Laketown and Port Magna and the lands of Upper Cartania. Knightly house Cajanus of the March of Cajana became independent but was located in a perilous position between the Grand Duchy of Cartania (in west), Swanleague Cities (in south), Kingdom of Acaria (in east) and Purple Alliance (in north).
The Purple Alliance awakened with the crowning of Oebarsin Norrskow (212.M41) who had conquered with his sixteen knights the lands of Walean Valley, East-Walea, Jadol river valley, Osseto and all of the Linda's Land. Oebarsin ruthlessly drove his old rivals, the Lindhersen house, out of their keep from the city of Lindor. Two of their eight knights supposedly were left behind and claimed by Oebarsin while the rest sought asylum from Acarton, capitol of the Kingdom of Acaria. Acarian sovereign granted the Lindhersen family asylum and hid its members in the town of Longlax on Lanhan Isle. Acarian sovereign promised the Lindhersens to support them in a war against the Walea, but wanted to wait some time before doing so.
Swanleague Cities - comprised of the cities of Camans, Cristentown, Midpoint, South Keep, Swancastle and Swansee - had long bothered the sovereign of Acaria and with the six new warriors in his ranks he was willing to try his luck. War between the Swanleague Cities and Kingdom of Acaria broke out in 220.M41 and forced the population within the eastern cities to run west into the cities of Swansee and Swancastle. King Svendall Swan - of Swansee, Swancastle and South Keep, Lord Mayor of Cristenton, Castellan of Camans and Markess of Midpoint - rode out from his palace in Swansee and raised his levies from his river valley kingdom and met the Acarian sovereign in the Falcon Hills west from the city of Midpoint. Power of Swanleague came not only from the immense wealth the House Swan had managed to gather but also from a full lance of Castigator knights capable of extreme speed and devastating close combat prowess. Lance of House Swan broke the initial aggression of Acarian sovereign and the twin Knight Castellans of House Swan utterly destroyed one of the Lindhersen knights. Acarian invasion had ended before it began and House Swan stood triumphant over a foe five times larger. Acarian sovereign perished during the One Day War from the stress caused by the Throne Mechanicum, his Knight taking heavy beating. This particular Knight Lancer - the Shieldbreaker - was given to King Svendall Swann by the Acarian nobles, and a truce of fifteen decades [2] was struck.
Ex libris of house Leocreutz
House Leocreutz, infamous for being sullen and unkind rulers, was driven by the King Luther Labarhsen and his seven knights from the city of Lionholl. In 240.M41 war was joined by the Kingdom of Cania which claimed the shores of Mannsee and the Gulf, and the city of Shallows and the Tempest Keep from the House Leocreutz. House Leocreutz lost one Knight Dominus in the defence of Lionholl (238.M41) and two of its Knights in the war against the king of Cania in the Leun Lowlands. Firstborn of Margrave Percival Leocreutz fell in the Battle of Tempest Keep (242.M41), after he had carved out the nobles piloting the Canian Knights Illyspear and Gulfguard with his rare Cerastus pattern Knight Morta - Thunderer. His Knight was assaulted by a weapon team with a lascutter and he was cut out of his cockpit. Prince Torfast Leocreutz was violently beaten to death in the victory parade in the city of Tempest Keep by the Canian invaders. Margrave Percival Leocreutz surrendered in exhange for his son's body and grudginly signed a truce "to last forevertime" that no Knight of Leocreutz should ever venture down from the Mountains of Leu. House Leocreutz was further humiliated when Margrave Percival Leocreutz' Knight, the Mountain King, was stripped from its weapons by the smiths of Cania, leaving the towering hulk to stand without arms in the courtyard of Castle Leocreutz.
Kingdom of Cania, with a lance provided by its northern Labarian allies, attacked the House Sha-Lias who ruled the lands in the Central Valley and around the city of Davidstown. In 253.M41 the Davidstown fell after it was besieged by the Canian Footguard for two years. The House Sha-Lias fled to the city of Salem but the Canian Knights pursued them and destroyed most of the dynasty and capturing its sole Knight.
In 257.M41 the cities of Lake Cirtan became protectorates of Swanleague Cities after years of negotiating and together stood against the Kingdom of Cania's threat in the south. While House Leocreutz was effectively disarmed, the feral beasts that lived in the Mountains of Leu, known as leucrota, came down from the mountains and drove people from rural villages to cities. Famine followed and the Leun Lowlands suffered greatly, much of their population fled to north west to the northern Central Valley and the Swanleague Cities. This also affected greatly the Davidstown, Salem and the cities in the Kingdom of Cania, effectively halting the Canian offense against the northern states.
City of Cajana became protectorate of the Grand Duchy of Cartania in 254.M41, fearing the northern invasion after the Norrskows attacked the Sword of Osse and conquered the peninsula from Acarian sovereign. Discovering the remnants of the house Lindhersen in the city of Longlax, the Norrskows slayed all the male heirs and bedded their women claiming all lands north of Osseto. The Five Knights of Lindhersen house pleaded the Acarian sovereign to attack and revenge the Norrskows but Acarian sovereign was frightened by the Kingdom of Labaria and the alliance between Labaria and Cania. After being beaten and humiliated in the One Day War, Acarian sovereign wished no war and did not press the Lindhersens claims to the Linda's Land.
Rise and fall of the Eastern Empire[]
In the mid third century of 41st millennium, the Knightly house Carideus of the city of Bask united the lands in Meranco and claimed himself as the Emperor in the East. The western houses utilised strongly centralised rulership holding as many Knights to themselves as they could. The Emperor in the East however based his rule on semi-independent city states and lesser Knightly houses all of whom hosted one Questoris Knight and a host of Armigers, Emperor himself owning only four Questoris Knights. The first Emperor in the East, Preben Carideus, attempted multiple times to negotiate the Island of Eren into his hegemony but the Erenian nobles refused it, finding themselves to be safe on an island from the iron fist of the Knightly houses. In 299.M41 Emperor in the East Preben Carideus hired the shipwrights of Opburg city of the Seal Isle to create a ship so big it could carry one Questoris Knight over the perilous waters of the Southern Eren Channel. After six long years a vessel strong enough to cross the Channel was built and the Emperor in the East sent his oldest son to Eren. Knight Eastern Pride landed in the south-western corner of Eren Island and marched to the Eren City. When the Lord Mayor of Eren saw the towering hulk of a Knight on the southern hills, he surrendered without a fight. City of Asaka on the western Eren did not go without fighting and the Lord of the Channel Kyle Ridley perished while charging against the Eastern Pride on an iron steed.
In his last years, Emperor in the East Preben Carideus made plans to attack the city state of Clarendan which claimed heavy tariffs from all who passed through the Strait of Colossus. The immense Knight Porphyrion, the Colossus, which watched over the strait was however too intimidating and no attack was launched. City state Clarendan, ruled by Archduchess Isolda Jernighsen in 288.M41, subjugated the city of Adrand and allied itself with the Markess of Moonkeep effectively controlling all trade moving through the Watch of Colossus. This caused tension between the Clarendan state and the rulers of Purple Alliance, Kingdom of Labaria, Rastmark and the other city states in the Long Island. Preachborg, Unuri and Manntown allied (Long Island Alliance) against the Clarendan state but dared not to attack for none of the city states had a single Knight.
As the Emperor in the East passed away, the a new Emperor was elected amongst the most prestigous vassals in the Empire. Duke Joah Strand of Totquay assumed the title of Emperor in the East and struck a deal with the rulers of Rastmark of an invasion against the Clarendan state. Kingdom of Acaria had found itself squeezed by the Purple Alliance and Grand Duchy of Cartania and was not interested to take part in the aggression against the Archduchess Jernighsen. Kingdom of Labaria had soured the relations with Swanleague Cities by taking interest in the city of Midpoint and was readying to a war. Emperor in the East found no further allies, but was determined to attack the Archduchess' domain. In 308.M41 Emperor in the East declared war agains the Clarendan state and the Knights of Rastmark, infamous of their bold Armiger tactics, crossed the Northern Strait with flotilla of crude rafts and ships. Emperor in the East boldly rose on his ship in Totquay and sailed towards the Clarendan. Archduchess had anticipated the Emperor's arrogance and moved her Colossus to counter the landing. Twin-linked Magna Lascannons ripped through the Emperor's flagship's hull and sent the Knight Merancoan with its pilot to the depths of the Strait of Colossus. Still unaware of their ally's sorry end, the Knights of Rastmark landed near the city of Adrand and claimed it. Archduchess Isolda Jernighsen with his cousin Prince Burgess Rickard Jernighsen charged their Knight Gallants against the swarming Rastmarkian Armigers smashing them like rodents. Markess Baldrik Rastsen galloped against the Archduchess with his Knight Lancer but was pierced by the Magna Lascannons of the Colossus before reaching close combat. Seeing their liege fall in such inglorious fashion, the barons of Helkirk, Brasshold and Farleigh tried to swarm Archduchess Jernighsen in close combat but her skill with her Knight Gallant was of such levels she bested two of the aggressors by herself, third one being ripped to pieces by Prince Burgess Jernighsen. Rule of the Clarendan state was not bested and house Jernighsen seized all the Armigers from the northern barons. Rastmark was also forced to give the lands north of the Watch of Colossus to Clarendan state and become its tributary state. Knights of the barons of Farleigh and Helkirk were returned to their houses as a sign of good will.
With the death of Emperor in the East, the Empire fell into disarray, house Carideus with his allies in the Bay of Bask and Southern Channel claimed the Emperor's position by right of inheritance while the elective succession was written in the constitution of the Empire. Lord Preben II Carideus burned the constitution of the Empire and claimed he'd conquer the lands if the Knightly houses would not bend their knees otherwise. Eren, having fiercely yearned for independence since its annexation, declared itself free from the Empire and fortified the southern shores with culverins and other weapons unable to counter a Knight but well capable of sinking ships of any aggressor. The remnants of Merancoan Empire formed no alliance and the house Carideus was too weak by itself to fight against all its previous vassals and so the lands became separated into city states and Knight-ruled counties. By the end beginning of 90s no power had grown amongst the Merancoan lands.
Midpoint War[]
The Labarhsen house ventured against the Swanleague Cities with its long-term Canian allies in 316.M41 claiming the city of Midpoint as their own. Midpoint was a renowned trading hub and located in a valley through which basically every trader had to travel. Viscount of Midpoint, Lord Seneschal Edwin Swan, valiantly fought the Labarhsen Knights but ultimately failed before the house Swan managed to join the fight. City of Midpoint was devastated and brought to ruin by the warring factions in the next fifteen years. The war was joined by many volunteers of the Clan of Sha-Lias - descendants to those who the Kingdom of Cania had driven from Davidstown and the Central Valley. Tempest Keep was badly damaged when the Pollus Mercenaries raided the Canian lands from the south and the libraries of Faramnon, capitol of Cania, were burned, only a carriagefull of books were saved from the thousands of manuscripts within the library. The Archduchess Jernighsen forced the Long Island Alliance its tributary states and robbed the islands Scyll and Scalt in the Sea of Twins from the Kingdom of Labaria. Kingdom of Labaria otherwise fared well in the war and its grasp of the city of Midpoint was fierce until the Swanleague Cities final offense, joined by some unnamed Knights assumably from the Kingdom of Acaria, in 333.M41 when the League pushed the eastern invaders off. Nothing of the city remained though and the effects on trade between the eastern and western world were tremendous. As the war had forced much of the trade through the Straits of Colossus, the house Jernighsen had grown obscenely rich in very short time, ripping off the ripe fruits of the war. The original Treaty of Midpoint Borough was signed by Swanleague Cities, Kingdom of Labaria and Kingdom of Cania, and endorsed by the Kingdom of Acaria and house Leocreutz. In the treaty it was agreed that the city of Midpoint should become an independent state ruled by a Lord Mayor. As the city had been ruled by a viscount for fifteen decades, no house could claim it themselves. Viscount of Midpoint Edwin Swan resigned from his position as the Seneschal of house Swan and took the mantle of Lord Mayor of Midpoint because he thought that having already acted as the Lord of Midpoint for fifty two years granted him the right to rule the city again. The war broke out anew when Edwin Swan refused to step down from the position of Lord Mayor, which was strongly opposed by the Kingdom of Labaria who had wished to name the Lord Mayor of Borough as the ruler of both Borough and Midpoint, as the treaty's name had suggested.
Hostilities began anew in 328.M41 when Kingdom of Labaria stormed the ruins of Midpoint and scattered the garrisoned footguard there. Swanleague Cities answered offense with one of their own and once again the Midpoint had turned into a battleground where Knight beated another. Kingdom of Cania sent its Knights from the valleys between Worldnavel and Mountains of Leu and breached the walls of Camans. City's garrison had been drawn empty and many civilians fled to west to notoriously impregnable South Keep. Queen Svanhild XIV Swan of Swanleague Cities in her arrogance noted the Acarian sovereign that her troops would move through the territories of Kingdom of Acaria without any formal agreement on it. Bound by the truce struck after the One Day War, Acarian sovereign granted the passage with heavy heart. When the Kingdom of Labaria realised that Kingdom of Acaria had taken its side in the war, they besieged the Brigskeep and raided the city of Falconberg, even if it was thought to be unraidable due its location on a cliffy Falcon Hills and surrounded by a river. Queen Svanhild XIV was married to the Norrskows and the last members of house Lindhersen strongly opposed the Acarian sovereign's decision to let the Swanleague Cities draw Kingdom of Acaria into their war. When the Norrskows joined the war after a few months of watching and waiting, they too crossed the lands of Acaria. The last five Lindhersens attacked, against the wishes of Acarian sovereign, the eight Norrskow Knights who were passing the city of Jarlmouth in northern Acaria. They crippled one of the Knights by destroying its leg servoes completely, destroyed one by ripping its head off and carving the pilot, King Balaphor II "the Clueless" Norrskow, from its cockpit and squeezing him into a pulp with a thunderstrike gauntlet. One of the Lindhersens took a fatal blow but not before effectively destroying another Knight in a single combat before the gates of Jarlmouth. Rest of the eight Knights were damaged and regrouped west of the Jarlmouth sending messengers to Queen Svanhild XIV about Acarian sovereign's treachery.
Queen Svanhild XIV was not pleased of the Acarian sovereign's efforts to keep the Lindhersens out of the fight and demanded actions from her truce-bound ally. Acarian sovereign declared the Lindhersens as outlaws but sympathised them so much that sent his best smiths and engineers to restore their damaged Knights. Every garrison commander was given orders to randomly send reports of Lindhersens whereabouts and the Norrskows decided to leave the game aside and advanced towards the Brigskeep in 321.M41 with their remaining five Knights. The crippled Knight, Northscourge, was pulled outside of Jarlmouth. At the same time the Labarian Knights pushed to the Midpoint and their footguard pillaged the lands between Midpoint and Long Ness lake.
Brigskeep, built on an plateau at the end of a narrow isthmus was designed to counter Knights and storming it with one would result in heavy damages, possibly unrecoverable ones. The Norrskows were reluctant to attack the keep because of its peculiar design and so a new siege was set around it. In the middle of a night, few weeks after the siege was layed, group of Labarian footguards sneaked amongst the Knights in the middle of the night and managed to cripple the Knight Walean Valiant with a heavy grenade forged beneath the Brigskeep, before the whole group was annihilated by the rest of the Knights. Norrskows had payed a heavy prize for taking part in Svanhild's war. Siege was continued by the Norrskows until the end of the war.
Knights of Cania attacked the South Keep in 320.M41 but were repelled before the city walls by the Knigths of Swan and pushed back to Camans. Pollus Mercenaries were again utilised by Queen Svanhild XIV and they attacked the city of Jeras in Cania, burning the fields and granaries on their way. Cadet branch of Swan, Brimwylsen, ruled the cities of Heburg and Rosston and offered to join the war. Queen Svanhild XIV ordered the Grand Duke Pryde Brimwylsen to take his Knights and join the forces of Cirtown near the city of Riverton, which was mainly inhabited by the remnants of Sha-Lias Clan, and to march via Central Valley to Salem and seize the city with any volunteers from Sha-Lias Clan. Over three thousand volunteers grasped their halberds in Riverton and marched with the Grand Duke Pryde Brimwylsen to Salem. With the aid of the Brimwylsen Knights, Sha-Lias Clan returned to their ancestral home in Salem, conquering it in a day. The Knights marched north at the change of 321.M41 and advanced towards Camans from the south, while Knights of Swan began their march towards Camans from the South Keep in west. In early 322.M41 Knights of Swan and Brimwylsen supported by the garrison of South Keep, Grand Duke Brimwylsen's Lifeguard and Sha-Lias volunteers attacked Camans from west and south scattering the Canian forces as they fled towards Midpoint and Kingdom of Labaria. Holding these positions, participants of war sought out a solution with diplomats for the whole spring and summer. Harsh winter postponed the negotiations and Acarian lands suffered from famine caused by the lost harvests in Midpoint, Falconberg, South Keep and Camans. In early 323.M41 the participants of war agreed on terms of a truce. Midpoint was granted independence and its sovereignty was guaranteed by Kingdoms of Acaria, Cania, Labaria and Walea and the Swanleague Cities. Pneumonia had claimed Lord Mayor Edwin Swan during the negotiations and so the Labarhsens demanded that Prince Justus Labarhsen should take the Lord Mayor's position. Queen Svanhild XIV Swan swallowed her pride by the request of Grand Duke Pryde Brimwylsen who noted that the lands around Long Ness lake were devastated by the war and the people could not take another year of famine and poverty. Truce of Midpoint Borough also granted Salem its independence from Kingdom of Cania and the Sha-Lias Clan settled in their ancestral home. Besieged Acarian city of Brigskeep surrendered few days after the truce was signed not before blowing up their armory and destroying major part of the town built within the walls.
Lindhersen Claims[]
Acaria was greatly unpleased by the terms of Truce of Midpoint Borough, because it raised prices of all eastern products, such as the exquisite Labarian wines. Kingdom of Acaria also gained nothing from the war it was forced to take part in, yet some of its cities were caught in the pneumonia epidemic and famine was common in areas near Midpoint and Falcon Hills. Acarian sovereign, old, infirm and weak-willed Mahlus Acarhsen was allegedly assassinated by his last surviving son, Jaromil Acarhsen. Sovereign Jaromil LXIX Acarhsen of the Kingdom of Acaria ascended to throne in early 323.M41 and sought out the remaining Lindhersens. After the devastation of Brigskeep, the Norrskows moved their Knights to the city of Jarlmouth, where one of their crippled Knight was situated. Lindhersens' Knights were repaired by the master smiths sent by late sovereign of Acaria and greatly pleased by the efforts, they contacted new sovereign. Together the last four Lindhersen Knights and five whole lances of Sovereign Jaromil LXIX Acarhsen assaulted the marching Norrskow Knights destroying three of the six knights, capturing two and letting one to flee towards the sea to drown itself in the Freshwater Bay.
Sovereign Jaromil LXIX granted the Castellan Lys of Brigskeep extended rights for piracy and encouraged the Brigskeep garrison to sail to Lanhan Isle and loot and pillage the city of Longlax. Despite being part of the Grand Duchy of Cartania, Cajanian[3] rulers granted the Acarian Knights passage through their lands to Upper Cartania and into the Giant Valley where the Lindhersens breached the walls of the city of Jadul and hanged the Norrskow appointed castellan. Sovereign Jaromil LXIX shared the Lindhersens hate towards the Norrskows, if with more recent transgression, and the sudden blitz of six lances the allied houses unleashed against the Norrskows made terrible havoc in Linda's Land and East-Walea. King of Walea had died before the walls of Jarlmouth in 320.M41 and the house was still undecided of his successor, especially as his close relatives had died in the Battle of Freshwater Bay. Patriarch Sassa Lindhersen marched his Knight into the Walea City breaking its gates with his infamous thunderfist gauntlet and breaking the walls of Norrskow Palace performing an inhuman massacre against the Norrskow family and the people of Walea City. Almost a century-full of grudge was unleashed in the Walea City bringing its walls to ground and grinding the palace into dust.
Though not exactly allies, house Cajanus decided to seize the lands of Osseto and the Sword of Osse, considering the areas as payment for gaining military access through their lands. Sovereign Jaromil LXIX claimed Lanhan Isle after it was pillaged by Castellan Lys who fashioned herself as Lady Privateer of Brigskeep. The Lindhersens utterly destroyed the Norrskow house in the next few years, seizing the Norrskows' all ten Knights, granting one for the Sovereign Jaromil LXIX as a payment for finally pressing their claim to the northern realms.
The lands of the Purple Alliance were divided by the four Lindhersens. Patriarch Sassa Lindhersen took in 328.M41, in an advanced age of 74[4] years, the city of Lindor and the surrounding Linda's Land. Giant Valley with the cities of Jadul and Roswen on the coast of East Sea were claimed by Sassa's nephew Alexander. Barony of Whitmore was taken by Sander the Old, brother of Sassa. Walea City was taken by the last of the "Five Knights", Sherah Lindhersen, niece of Sassa.
Visqueen Sherah had already reached a venerated age of 48[5] years and had no children of her own. She adopted a Walean-born aristocrat who was allegedly also her lover. This was opposed by High King of Lindhersens Sassa the Righteous who refused to teach the Ways of the Knights for Sherah's adopted son's children who were born from a concubinage with a daughter of northern nomad king. Sassa Lindhersen had no descendants of his own either and designated his younger brother Sander the Old as his heir.
Sassa Lindhersen died in 330.M41 after ruling two years the lands that were his birthright and the lands passed to Sander the Old. Sander the Old's only living descendant was Visqueen Sherah and even if he loved his daughter, he too agreed that the descendants of Sherah's adopted son were not Lindhersens and could not be taught the Way of the Knights. So he held a meeting with Alexander Lindhersen who was his late sister's and allegedly the late King Balaphor I Norrskow's bastard. Her mother was raped during the Norrskow raid on Longlax city and she had later escaped with the help of smugglers to the Kingdom of Acaria and then reunited with her family in the 220s of 41st millenium. Alexander was taught the Way of the Knights by Sassa Lindhersen himself and officially granted the name Lindhersen after the Norrskows were beaten. Now reaching the age of 65[6] years he and Sander the Old considered Alexander's descendants more qualified to the throne in Lindor and decided to assassinate Visqueen Sherah. It seems however that the alleged lover and adopted son of Visqueen Sherah had plans of assassination too and Sherah died clutching her throat in the late 330.M41 while holding harvest festival in the southern Walea. Walean peasantry had quickly grown fond of the visqueen, most likely for her worldly attitude and sympathy towards the lesser estates, having spent most of her life in exile in foreign lands and living on alms of the Acarian sovereign. Those who witnessed Visqueen Sherah's death demanded her adopted son, now Prince Regent Todd "Petty" Lindhersen[7], to uncover those responsible of visqueen's death. Prince Regent Todd did not hesitate to accuse Alexander and Sander Lindhersen of the assassination and peasant mob massed from the Walean Valley and marched to the city of Lindor to crowd the streets and basically to siege the Lindor Palace where Sander the Old resided.
The lands formerly belonging to Purple Alliance, now being Kingdoms of Lindhersen, were extremely divided by the new rulers, some of the lesser nobles found them to have the right for the lands, some thought they were invaders. Assassination of well liked, and a public figure, Visqueen Sherah caused havoc all around the kingdoms and as none of the lesser nobles shared any blood with the new rulers, they opportunistically seized the moment and claimed themselves independent from the Lindhersen oppression. New Roswen, city near the Cartanian border, was assaulted by the son of Alexander Lindhersen, Alexander "the Younger", with three Knights and utterly destroyed. As a sign of determination to search and destroy all other rebels, Alexander Lindhersen spred "fifteenhundred wagons worth" of salt in the city and its surroundings so nothing would live there. Place became known as the Mound of Alexander and whenever Alexander's reign was questioned it was brought up.
Sander the Old held a speech in mid 331.M41 having spent a good time in a castle besieged by peasants. He was shot to death with a matchlock musket from the crowd. Chancellor of Lindor Palace had not heard of the Devastation of New Roswen and seeing his liege killed in such an absurd way, for a Knight pilot that is, he ordered the Lindor Lifeguard to search for the lone musketeer with any force neccessary. Lindor Palace became known as the Red Palace after a six hundred men and women from all estates were shot in front of the palace and around the city of Lindor. Lindor Lifeguard was an elite footguard force personally picked by Sander the Old from the old noble houses which shared ties with the Lindhersens. Lindor Lifeguard effectively culled the rebellion in Lindor in the most gruesome fashion. When these events were combined with the utmost ruthlessness performed by Alexander Lindhersen and his designated heir, the Alexander Lindhersen became known as "the Red". Prince Regent Todd Lindhersen was sought out by a lance of five Knights, but was killed by the Throne Mechanicum when he tried to pilot one of the late-visqueen's Knights in an attempt of a last stand. High King of Lindhersens Alexander I the Red was crowned in early 332.M41 at the age of 66[8] years. He died only a few months after his coronation and was succeeded by his firstborn; High King of Lindhersens Alexander II the Younger.
Rebuilding the World[]
After the tumultuous third century, many rulers sought out peace for their devastated lands and generations. Especially the large kingdoms; Acaria, Labaria and Cania and the Swanleague Cities had suffered greatly during the Midpoint War and in those that had preceded it and the lands were devastated. Bandits and highwaymen controlled many roads north from the Mountains of Leu and land-based travel was precarious at best. Burned, unharvested fields grew weeds and flowers, wells had been poisoned with dead bodies and towns were destroyed to their foundings.
Swanleague Cities had grown very weak as its population had fared worse than its neighbours and many had fled the countryside during the wars and now clotted the cities as beggars, vagabonds and thieves. Famine and multiple pneumonia epidemics in late third century had culled population. Yellow fever had ravaged the Canian lands and ergotism destroyed great proportion of Acarian population in just a few years after bad crops and cold winters in the late third century. Triland ruled by the Brimwylsen had fared better as wars had not reached its soil.
The monasteries, which had not really played any role in the society before, became important in the aftermath, as learned people of the monasteries tended the sick and offered a spiritual guidance. Monasteries on Prima Cajalax were not exactly religious places, as no actual religion had developed on world. They served as universities and places of retreat and of protection, few were also wholly dedicated on the sick and its members were conscripted as doctors all around the world.
Prize of Prima[]
House Arkwright had waged war against the oldest house on Prima Cajalax Maxia back in the early 41st millennium, when the Arhallan Hegemony was trumped and the house Duke destroyed. House Arkwright, with their Cartanian and Cajanian allies, had divided the remaining Knights amongst themselves, but Arkwright had claimed most of the lands in the north. Kingdom of Arkland had its western border in the river Aruan, which came down from the Arvenes mountain range, northern border was the majestic Arvenes range and in the east the mountains of Trias and a line drawn from the Druzlanding Coast to the Dividers mountains. Island of Arhallan was tributary to the Kingdom of Arkland.
Arkwrights themselves were generally thought to be sullen and dull, their lands far up north without any natural riches and only a handful of small towns. Most of the northernmost people were nomads and herders and payed no taxes nor obeyed their king who resided in the city of Prima. However, according to a legend the first settlers had created a machine that could pour all kinds of riches from within its golden innards; salt, grain, gold and ammunition. Whatever lied deep beneath the moldy arcades and endless corridors of Prima Palace granted house Arkwright the ability to create ammunitions. It is of no surprise that the Cartanians had long since benefitted from their northern allies by threatening the southern states with their heavy cavalry units capable of unleashing such a devastating volleys of fire that only a Knight could oppose them.
It had became clear, after King Aldo Arkwright's third wife Shannon Lindhersen[9] died in 358.M41, that the house Arkwright had come to its end. King Aldo had reached a venerated age of 68[10] years without siring a single heir, his three sisters had died in tuberculosis epidemic that had spred from the south after the Hundred Years of War[11], none of them had yet reached adulthood, and his sole brother was killed in a duel with some lesser noble fifty years before over some trivial rivalry. After his death in 362.M41 he was often parodied as an old goat, because even in his last years when most of the people are dead or at least unable, King Aldo had no restrains calling peasants, lesser nobles and even other, less savioury women, in his bed in a hope of siring even one bastard. House Cajanus had close ties with the Lindhersens, even if the lands of Osseto had caused some rivalry, High King of Lindhersens Alexander III seeing them as part of the Lindhersens domain, and wanted to secure its position as a powerful vassal in the Grand Duchy of Cartania so the house Karlssen could not walk over it. However, Grand Duke Gerontius Kalssen too was leaning towards the northern neighbor's aid and as all the parties realised what kind of triangle of plots and promises was forming, the relations between houses Karlssen and Cajanus soured quickly. House Arkwright and especially King Aldo were notably jealous of their Knights and no one in the whole Kingdom of Arkland was able to pilot one, except for the old King Aldo. Honor to pilot one was strictly restricted to the house Arkwright by law, compared to the eastern realms where rulers had tradition to have Knights from lesser houses too, if for only one generation at a time.
Untrustful towards the Lindhersens who craved for the lands of Osseto and Sword of Osse, house Cajanus formed and alliance with the Acarian sovereign in secret. As the news of King Aldo Arkwright's death came south the carrions had already gathered in Arkland's borders to seize the moment. Grand Duchy of Cartania seized the city of Druzlanding and its coast with its heavy cavalry, but its Knights marched to Prima. At the same time, Lindhersens marched over the Dividers towards Prima, craving for the abandoned Knights in the city. Arhallan Island, governed by a trader guild, decided to stay and wait for the outcome of a war which certainly would follow from King Aldo's death. House Karlssen announced that should Margrave Jeremias Cajanus attempt to secure any lands or property in the Arkland, the Cajanian status as a protectorate of the Grand Duchy of Cartania would be lifted. Never before had any Cartanian ruler said such thing, and even when the Cajanians were looking for a shelter from a coming storm in early 3rd century in 41st millennium, Cartanians had offered their protection in brotherly fashion, demanding nothing but upholding the Cartanian laws. Margrave Jeremias Cajanus hesitated not to lower all of the Cartanian lion flags in his realms and send them to Grand Duke Gerontius in three full wagons, every single on of them cut in half. One was sent to Acarian sovereign, who in turn arranged a royal weddings with his youngest daughter Princess Ingrid "the Fair" Acarhsen and Margrave Jeremias' oldest son Sir Anders Cajanus. To show the wealth and power behind the marriage, it was arranged in the city of Osston which was given to Sir Anders Cajanus as his demesne as the heir of Cajania. This in turn was a slap to the Lindhersens who claimed the lands of Osseto belonged to the Lindhersen Union.
The Lindhersens and Cartanians did not however have time to meddle with the Cajanians who had allied with the Acarians, but found themselves opposed to each others in an area which was de jure as well as de facto a no-man's land. The Cartanians began negotiations, settling the Prima Palace and inviting the Lindhersens in. After two weeks of intense arguing of Grand Duke Gerontius Karlssen and High King of Lindhersens Alexander III, they agreed to meet on the battlefield to test themselves in a chivalric fashion and without making civilian casualties. Even then citizens from Prima fled to both north and south and even to the Arhallan Island in a fear of an open conflict. In the morn of the Feast of Lieva, a traditional mid-winter holiday, lots of people gathered to see how the Knights dueled against each others in the fields near Prima city. It took only three Knights to duel, before the other one was first time accused of cheating. This of course was met with an outrage from the other side, no one really knows which side was first to do what, but at the end of the day a full scale war between no less than twenty Knights flamed up. These news travelled fast to south and not only Cajanian and Acarian allies looked to north but the Swanleague Cities too eyed northwards the coasts of Cajanian Bay and the city of Port Magna.
In the following three days at least three Knights were completely out of order, maimed by the pounding of thunderfist gauntlets and the eagerly craving teeth of reaper chainswords. Cartanians backed away from the city, as did the Lindhersens, leaving Prima to wait its destiny. Grand Duke Gerontius was ready to call the Knights of Cajanus to his war, when he was presented with one of the cut lion flags from the Castle of Cajana. Margrave Jeremias said he had heard Grand Duke Gerontius' howl of rage from the Arkland and he too prepared his keeps and Knights to a war that surely would follow.
The Lindhersens' presence in Arkland was enough to keep Grand Duke Gerontius on his toes however and he even if he cursed the Cajanian traitors and vowed for vengeance he did not leave the fight in the north. Situation around the castle Prima grew into a stalemate and refugees from Prima county wandered southwards to Swanleague Cities and Cajania, most of the cities in Swanleague refused to take them in, but Margrave Jeremias helped some to get into Osseto where winter had been mild. Margrave Jeremias expressed his fears of the coming retaliation to his ally Acarian sovereign and together they massed an army in the city of Cajana and attacked Port Magna, largest city in Grand Duchy of Cartania. This became known as the February Offense, and it officially started the war between Grand Duchy of Cartania and March of Cajania. Margrave Jeremias bought transportation from the Republic of Devlin and after succesfully conquering Port Magna he sent three footguard platoons to invade Druzlanding city from the sea while the Knights of Cajania marched towards the city of Cartanborg - capitol of the Grand Duchy. The small garrison left by grand duke in Druzlanding was devastated by troops that attacked from four Devlinese merchant carracks during the following night they had arrived in port. Surviving escapees of the garrison propably turned to bandits and raiders for the harsh winter and not a single soldier was seen in Cartanborg where they should have regrouped.
Serene Prince Edward Karlssen - Baron of the Lake Town, Gatekeeper of Cartanborg and Advisor of the Grand Duke - sadly received the news of his barony being overrun by Acarian troops and his lion flag lowered in the Lake Town Keep. Serene Prince Edward was familiar with the Cajanians having shared a border with them for many years and he considered Margrave Jeremias as his friend. When the February Offense turned into a fierce blitz which stormed over the Cartanian lands, Serene Prince Edward was torn between his obligations for his liege and his people. It was clear that the joined forces of Acarian sovereign and Cajania could storm Cartanborg if they wished to at any given time night or day, blizzard or no, and the footguard following the Knights could occupy even a city as big as Cartanborg in a day. His liege far away in north, the Gatekeeper of Cartanborg made his decision and let the invaders in without a fight, saving thousands of people and hundreds of footguard. In the following evening a feast was arranged in the Cartanborg Keep by the conquerors. Serene Prince Edward congratulated the conquerors in dignified way, as a beaten adversary should, but resulted in lowly means of retribution right after by stabbing Prince Anders Cajanus to death.
Serene Prince Edward Karlssen was captured and gridironed in a blizzard by Margrave Jeremias Cajanus over the next days. Margrave also declared a mourning in his realm and locked himself with his dead son in the Cartanborg Keep. Prince Lonan Cajanus assumed regency as the matters of war pressed heavily when news from the north claimed the Lindhersens were driven back to Walea by Cartanians. Because Prince Anders had been seemingly unable, Acarian sovereign called for levirate marriage, which was awkward in many ways. Firstly, Prince Lonan - younger son of Margrave Jeremias - was almost eleven years younger than Princess Ingrid Acarhsen, who had had no children at all. Prince Lonan on the other hand had already sired two bastards, who were both disformed in a similar way as Prince Lonan himself; having significant hunchback. It had also been a matter of discussion that Margrave Jeremias wished to disinherit his younger son alltogether so his line wouldn't be "littered by those little devils", referring to hunchback. Prince Lonan was also taught the Ways of the Knight but had never actively piloted one, even after the death of his uncle Sir Eremias his Knight "the Sixth Wing" was given for Prince Lonan's cousing Sir Efrain to pilot, even if Sir Efrain was four years younger than Lonan and could not possibly pilot one in many years. As Prince Lonan assumed regency, it was met with muttering and shaking of heads, even more so when Acarian sovereign proposed a levirate marriage between Prince Lonan and Princess Ingrid. A small ceremony was performed in Cartanborg in the next week after Prince Regent Lonan had convinced his relatives about his right to the levirate marriage. Acarian sovereign was also oddly fond of Prince Regent Lonan which made his claim to regency more valid.
Everyone knew the stakes when a harsh winter was followed by a war. Granaries were going to be empty, people wandering and abandoning hamlets and fields and diseases were about to spread. Pressure to end the war as quickly as possible was in everyone's mind, even if Cajanians were already promised aid from the south if the war was to continue much longer. Grand Duke Gerontius did not however waste time to meet his former vassals in battle to beat and humiliate them. News of the Cartanian forces moving south came quickly and so Cajanians and Acarians mounted their Knights and strode into the spring blizzards. Grand Duke Gerontius had waited only for so long he had enough ammunitions to rearm his own Knight Paladin Farsight's rapid-firing battle cannon, before he marched to south to meet his adversaries. Certain of the superiority of his Knights of which handful had long range weaponry, Grand Duke Gerontius and his Knights were beaten by the oldest enemies warriors know, weather and terrain. The fields before Cartanborg were mostly flat but a little northward the terrain turned into deep tight ravines and cliffy hills. All of the Cajanian Knights were hidden into these ravines and when the blizzard broke out the Cartanians could not see or anticipate them. Especially when the Acarian sovereign himself led a daring frontal assault with his Knights. The Cajanians effectively attacked Cartanian Knights from behind carving five of them into unrepairable state and smashing the rest into ground. Sir Andreas Cajanus broke the reaper chainsword of Grand Duke Gerontius' Farsight and forced the Knight to ground.
Holding no lands and no Knights, house Karlssen was stripped of everything it had over one humiliating comment about its vassals. Four of the Karlssen Knights were claimed by house Cajanus, one given to Acarian sovereign. The lands of Arkland were claimed by house Cajanus and the Bull of Cajanus Domination of the North was sent to the High King of Lindhersens, Swanleague Cities, Arhallan Island and Long Island Alliance (Clarendan state) announcing that house Cajanus had claimed all of the lands of Kingdom of Arkland and the Grand Duchy of Cartania from river Aruan to East Sea and river Jasua. It also claimed Arhallan Island and Southern Skerry as Cajanian tributary states. Little to no resistance to the bull was met, even the Lindhersens who had been beaten by Cartanians had crawled back to north to lick their wounds eyeing jealously over the spoils of war the Cajanians had claimed. House Arkwright's eleven Knights were claimed by house Cajanus, one was sent to Acarian sovereign. Margrave Jeremias' quarters were stormed in the Cartanborg Keep, but he was found dead by his son's decaying body. Both of them were buried in Cartanborg Keep and Prince Regent Lonan became the Most Puissant King of Cajania[12].
Before the Storm[]
Princess Ingrid Acarhsen (sometimes called "the Barren") was unable to bear children and as King Lonan Cajanus died in 369.M41 not even the old Acarian sovereign dared to propose a new marriage for her seemingly barren daughter. Ingrid Acarhsen joined the monastery of Gabriela Abbey, which disinherited her and made her juridically not part of her house, so she would not bring any more shame upon her house. Because house Cajanus had not many Knight pilots, late King Lonan's bastard son Josua FilzLonan was taught the Way of the Knights and claimed that he had the right for the throne of Cajania. Old Sir Adolf, Lonan's uncle, took the regency swiftly after witnessing his nephew's death and proposed that his son Baron Andreas of Jasua Hold should inherit the kingdom. With this he hoped to prevent another dispute over inheritance if he would take the kingdom and die shortly afterwards. Josua FilzLonan fled the court after a failed apprehension attempt by Sir Adolf. He was capture few years after by a bounty hunter and brought back to Cajania where he was placed within an Armiger Knight the Harlequin under oppressive thraldom of the Helm Mechanicum. King Lonan was succeeded by King Andreas I who moved his capitol to Port Magna which had been growing after many good harvests and the stability provided by late King Lonan's burgher laws. Failure to secure Cajanian and Acarian alliance with blood built distrust and some even claimed that Acarian sovereign deliberately gave the one daughter of his who was barren to the King of Cajania, all the other five daughters of his had had plenty of children.
A messianic cult had formed in the Swanleague Cities which preached about the coming change and the end of the world. These doomsday prophetics had began in the early fourth century of the 41st millennium but had gained little attention as religious organizations and cults were rare and the world as a whole enjoyed something of a "don't ask don't tell" kind of religious concensus. Meaning that citizens had freedom of religion, but it was rarely if ever brought up by any means. Swanleague Cities was already coming to its end by other reasons too. The alliance of city states had never fully recovered from the Midpoint War and its ruling house, Swan, was vast and its branches were spred out everywhere making every succession a long and arduous work of lobbing and buying supporters, forging claims and attempting assassinations. The King of Swanleague Cities was frequently replaced for the whole fourth century and in fifty years sixty seven kings had sat in the city of Swansee. Population hadn't returned to the Central Valley as was thought after the Midpoint War and the taxes imposed by the free city between Swanleague and Kingdom of Labaria forced the population to give up all luxuries and foreign imports. The Kingdom of Acaria also had remained in a stagnancy of a sort, its population had not grown and the lack of success to form powerful alliances had forced the Acarian sovereign to commit treasury toward the arming of footguard units. Corsairs and pirates had gathered in the Freshwater coast, possibly by the machinations of the duke of Sword of Osse.
When Acarian sovereign Jaromil LXX ascended on the throne of the Kingdom of Acaria in 389.M41 he boldly reminded that there were lands that had been waiting for Acarian sovereign for fifteen decades, referring to the truce which was signed after the One Day War by Swanleague cities and the Kingdom of Acaria. King Svarod Brimwylsen of the Swanleague Cities had made into his position with intrigue and bribery throughout the years of court games but through the whole time he had reminded the lords of the Swanleague that the truce with Acaria was about to end. None of them had listened to him, fearing it might be a plot or a trick from their rival and so the South Keep had fell into disrepair and the construction of the new town walls in Camans were left halfway finished in 376.M41. The Midpoint-Swansee road was in bad shape, rarely travelled by other than merchants and highwaymen, outposts were unmanned and towns had payed their own mercenary guards to protect them from bandits and the beasts that lurked in the forests. Once prosperous Swanleague Cities had fallen so low and vultures were gathering around.
Cerastus Knight Morta Thunderer had stood in the city of Faramnon for almost one hundred and fifty years after it was claimed by the house Norrman when the kingdoms of Acaria and Cania trumped the house Leocreutz' March. Thunderer's back was opened by a daring lascutter team and Prince Torfast Leocreutz was put to death. The Knight however did not end his fight and whenever a pilot has tried to mount it, it had caused severe conditions, some pilots had even been physically maimed just by sitting in the Throne Mechanicum. So the Thunderer has stood idle in Faramnon. Prince Reynard Leocreutz was the son of the old Margrave Ronald Leocreutz who, as so many of his predecessors, was ridden with enmity towards their Canian neighbours and the truce struck between them. Before the truce Leocreutzs were considered widely as sullen rulers but after it they were simply sulky, gloomy and hateful. Generation after generation they planned all kinds of elaborate sabotages and assassinations in an attempt to make the Kingdom of Cania fall and its ruling house Norrman to cease so the truce would be annulled, all the while training with their sole disarmed Knight, the Mountain King.
Reynard Leocreutz aged 26[13] years and had three sons - Cale, Bohord and Leon - with Lady Helen Oliver. According to the truce between house Leocreutz and Cania; "no Knight of Leocreutz should ever venture down from the Mountains of Leu". So instead of figuring out how to secretly rearm his sole disarmed Knight, he ventured south to Faramnon in disguise. When he reached the vicinity of the Thunderer, the old Knight began to hum, its engines spitting black fumes in the air and its tempest warblade pulsating its enigmatic energies. The Canian footguards who had watched over the Thunderer dropped their weapons and fled in panic. Reynard Leocreutz mounted the Knight, not owned by house Leocreutz, and began to wreak havoc.
End of Truces[]
News of the assassination of house Norrman were quick to travel both east and south. Reynard Leocreutz had bonded with the old Thunderer whose machine spirit after the years of idling craved for blood and justice for its owners. Faramnon Palace was reduced to rubble and ruins when Reynard marched to destroy house Norrman. Three branches on Norrmans ruled over the Kingdom of Cania, first and oldest resided in Faramnon - before they were destroyed, second one in Jeras city and the last one in the Swamptown of the Shallows.
When the news of the disaster in Faramnon reached Castle Leocreutz, Chancellor Ethelward Oliver sent Cale Leocreutz on the fastest steed of all the Leun Lowlands to Salem in Central Valley in hope to urge the Sha-Lias Clan to reclaim their ancestral home of Davidstown, which had been captured by the Canian Kingdom in 253.M41. At the same time the Blue Duke of Azurton eyed the Swamptown of the Shallows and so did the King of the Green Castle, both also interested about the exotic prizes found in the Eastern Rainforest and its sole reasonably sized city, Thohaar. King of Labaria heard the news but the alliance between Kingdoms of Cania and Labaria had long since dissolved and merely an interest towards the Swamptown of the Shallows arose in his mind. The fact the members of house Norrman were assassinated by house Leocreutz had not spred and house Leocreutz association with it was largely unknown. Many thought that the evil spirit which lived in the Knight Morta Thunderer had gone avol on its own.
At the change of 390.M41 Thunderer reached the city of Jeras, breached its gate and charged through the city breaking houses, scattering cattle and killing people, all the way to the Jeras Palace which it smashed to the ground. Fire spred through the city but frightened of the rogue Knight's presence many fled the city instead of trying to save it from the raging inferno which soon claimed most of the city. Even the archaic chariot[14] of Jeras city, the Knightbreaker, was consumed by the flames and lost in the rubbles and so was the morale of the Jeras Guard with it. Halberds and muskets were dropped to ground and the fortifications were abandoned. Jeras became a city of rubble and death all by the efforts of a single, vengeful Knight.
Rulers of Swanleague Cities became anxious about the news from the south and especially the city of Riverton demanded a presence of a Knight after the mobilisation of Sha-Lias Clan, who had ventured to claim Davidstown back from the Kingdom of Cania. Flames of war spred quickly and seeing that an opportunity had risen the Blue Duke mounted his Knight Indigo Herald and marched with his vassals to Swamptown of the Shallows. Swamptown was guarded by the remnants of house Norrman and their single Knight Warden Redemptionist. Blue Duke ran into his rival the King of the Green Castle and his Knight Jade Blade on his way to the Swamptown and as the two adversaries watched each others over the battlefield their footguards clashed in a bloody battle near the border of the Eastern Rainforest.
Baron Lenard Labarhsen of Lionholl also mounted his Knight as did his brother Lionel and together they led the Lionholl garrison to conquer the Swamptown of the Shallows. King of Labaria notified that the Kingdom of Cania was still ruled by Labarhsens' blood relatives and if the baron attacks them there would be consequences. Threat fell to deaf ears as the Knights Lord Mighty and Red Bane marched to south.
- "It must be a dire moment, or a brilliant plan, when one sends his own children to carry messages over hostile lands such as these."
- —Patriarch Joshua of Sha-Lias Clan
Footguard of the Sha-Lias Clan arrived Davidstown from the west as the Lowland Guard - footguard from the Leun Lowlands - arrived from the north, having to circle the Tempest Keep still ruled by the Kingdom of Cania. Chancellor Ethelward Oliver had mounted the disarmed Knight Mountain King and when they arrived to Davidstown the guards of the city mocked the armless Knight and jested about house Leocreutz' battle prowess if they had to send a disarmed Knight to boost its troops morale. Laying siege, the patriarch of Sha-Lias returned Cale Leocreutz to Chancellor Ethelward's care. After four weeks of siege the Thunderer arrived to the siege and as the city guards saw it they blew every horn and rang every bell in the city waking the city into a panic and terror. Before assaulting the city, Reynard Leocreutz met with Patriarch Joshua both greeting each others as old friends saving no niceties or courtesies. After the meeting Reynard mounted the Thunderer and led his footguard into the city smashing through the gates and casting through the Knight's hailers "to each of his due". Sha-Lias Clan showed little mercy when it occupied the city and all citizens who had participated the militia before were put to death in a systematically gruesome fashion. Alliance built upon a friendship and co-prosperity was established between Sha-Lias Clan and house Leocreutz as Cale Leocreutz was betrothed to still immature Aliya of Sha-Lias, daughter of Joshua. The disarmed Knight Mountain King was left with the Sha-Lias Clan's master smiths and craftsmen so the weapons of the Mountain King would be reattached.
Blue Duke had beaten his rival and scattered the troops of the Green Castle and so he advanced towards the Swamptown. The Labarhsen troops had also made haste towards the Swamptown and as the lord of Lionholl launched his attack against the Swamptown, Blue Duke reached the outskirts of the city. Unsure about the situation at hand he decided to play all-or-nothing and attacked the caravans and supply units of Lionholl who had stationed themselves near the city. Breaking the camps of Lionholl the Blue Duke turned towards the Swamptown. As there was no honour in the fights fought by the footguard - according to Blue Duke, that is - Blue Duke did not feel he had performed dishonorably when attacking behind the Lionholl's troops' backs. He could not however charge another Knight from behind and so as his footguard had began to shoot the troops of Lionholl after creeping close enough, he called for the Knights Red Bane and Lord Mighty, challenging them for a battle. He was answered with the roar of two reaper chainswords as Lord Mighty and Red Bane turned around and charged against the Blue Duke. Indigo Herald lowered its lance and after a few steps galloped like a wind against the Labarhsen Knights bringing the Lord Mighty down with a precise blow of his cerastus shock lance, piercing the Knight's head and causing massive damage to its internals. Lord Mighty took few fumbling steps backwards before it fell to ground its head smoking and reaper chainsword whirling as in the last act of defiance against death. The Red Bane closed Indigo Herald chainsword whirling and with masterful manouvers he did not let the Indigo Herald to gain space between them so he could make a charge again with his shock lance. Duel of the Knights dominated the battlefield as the Lionholl troops were annihilated in a crossfire of the Swamptown defenders and the Blue Duke's advancing footguard. The dead sank into the wetland making the city's surroundings mix of blood red and cloudy swamp water. Last Knight of the Norrmans, Redemptionist, was mounted by Serene Prince Erasmus Norrman who led a counter-attack against the offenders and joined the duel of the two knights. Swamptown had no walls or fortifications to speak of and so a counter-attack was a viable tactic as the assaulters were exhausted, frightened and scattered in the wetlands. The Blue Duke, seeing another Knight on the battlefield, turned his back towards the Red Bane and charged the Redemptionist that managed to knock the Indigo Herald off-balance while directing its shock lance away with his thunderstrike gauntlet. Sending the Indigo Herald reeling a good way off made the Canian footguards cheer, but the joy was short lived as the Red Bane charged directly after the Indigo Herald and crashed its swirling reaper chainsword into Redemptionist's upper body. The Redemptionist faltered just for a second which was enough for the skillful Knight Scion Lionel Labarhsen to smash its long since disfigured thermal cannon to the Redemptionist's side making it fall like a rotten tree. Rising from the foggy swamp came the Indigo Herald its bright blue colors below a layer of mud and blood and its shock lance pointed towards the Red Bane's chest. Not even Lionel Labarhsen had a chance when the Blue Duke pierced the Red Bane from its open neck, shock lance breaching the Knight's cockpit and blasting Lionel Labarhsen into a puddle of smoking ichor. Kingdom of Cania was destroyed, its ruling house reduced to a handful of desperately fleeing asylum-seekers, their Knights either destroyed or captured by their enemies and most of their lands occupied by hostile troops. Footguard of the Swamptown of the Shallows halted their counter attack and fled as the Blue Duke marched in to the town center claiming it as his. Troops of Lionholl were scattered in the wetlands but mostly annihilated by the efforts of the Blue Duke's footguard and the city of Lionholl was left in the hands of a ten years old Leonard Labarhsen, son of the late baron of Lionholl.
As the Tempest Keep was besieged by the joint forces of Sha-Lias Clan and house Leocreutz, Cale and Bohord Leocreutz, Bohord only 14 years old, ventured with a footguard detachment to the city of Faramnon to claim the abandoned Norrman Knights. Cale Leocreutz mounted the Knight Gallant Fystrise and Bohord was helped in the cockpit of the Knight Errant Cania Eternal. Chancellor Ethelward Oliver mounted the other Canian Knight after travelling to Jeras city and marched back within the Knight Errant Tempestor. Tempestor was quickly repainted with the white of house Leocreutz and the Chancellor Ethelward hurried in the Screeching Woods and called the yeomen of the woods to arms. As instructed by Reynard Leocreutz, Ethelward Oliver gathered the woodsmen and led them to Lionholl, sending one messsenger to north to Labarton to meet with the King of Labaria. With him the messenger carried a message directly from Reynard Leocreutz which said that the aggressions of the Kingdom of Labaria could be forgotten if the Lionholl was peacefully returned to house Leocreutz. Yeomanry troops led by Ethelward Oliver did not however wait for the answer but stormed the Lionholl Hold at night by climbing the tall walls in secrecy and opening the front gate, letting Tempestor in and forcing the castellan regent to surrender the castle. Leonard Labarhsen was taken as a hostage. Weeks went by and the winter began to settle in on the mountains, answer from the King of Labaria came back. It was a declaration of war for everything the house Leocreutz held dear. Sha-Lias Clan continued the siege of Tempest Keep when Reynard and his sons marched with the Lowland Guard to the Lionholl. Lionholl's close proximity to the Labarton city bothered the Labarian King, but the news of winter strolling down from the Mountains of Leu early made him hold his anger and not lead his troops into the mountains. Instead he raised levies from his lesser nobles in the south and ordered them to reinforce the cities of Borough, Labarton and the shores of the Sea of Twins.
Defenders of the Tempest Keep made a counterattack in the heart of the winter and failed. House Leocreutz captured the keep, built by their ancestors, and settled in for the winter. Winter was one of the harshest in years, even the Mannsee froze over and an ice so thick was set in the Sea of Twins that one could walk from the city of Labeck to Labarton. Nevertheless, there were those who did not fear the winter and the houses Cajanus and Acarhsen readied themselves to war, even if not allied this time, for they had failed to agree on how to split the lands of the Swanleague Cities, after the house Swan and its many cadet branches had been beaten. Arrogant, true, but truthful, for the Swanleague Cities were a wreck and both of its northern neighbours were strong and led by able leaders.
End of the Swanleague[]
As the first winds from the north began to blow to King Andreas II Cajanus' window and the last of the swans residing in the Bay of Port Magna spred its wing and began its journey to south, King Andreas II rose to the highest tower of his palace in Port Magna and blew the massive horn said to have been carved from a gigantic sea monster in the early days of the world. Some say King Svarod Brimwylsen who had miraculously retained his throne for many years, heard the sound of that ancient horn echoing over the Cajanian Bay and he cursed the day.
Aware of the fact that the Acarian sovereign was determined to honor his truce with the Swanleague Cities, King Andreas II Cajanus[15] called for his Knights three hundred days before[16] the truce was to end and declared a war on the Swanleague Cities. The Cartanian Heavy Cavalry was summoned and sent to south as a vanguard before the fifteen battle-hungry Cajanian Knights. King Svarod Brimwylsen had summoned his Knightly vassals in the city of Swansee in an attempt to break the Cajanian offense. When the Knight Cerastus First of the Choir, Knight of King Andreas II, came to the gates of Swansee, no Knightly vassals of Swanleague Cities had arrived in the city. Duchess Hilda of Swancastle had allegedly whimpered when the news of the Cajanian offense reached her, and hid beneath her cliff-carved keep. Marquess Graham of Camans had his hands full of refugees that came from the Labarian lands and in fear of the house Leocreutz' wrath he decided to stay in Camans. Duke Gerhard of South Keep wished to see King Svarod beheaded so he could claim the seat without realising that the Cajanian forces were so vast that only a combined effort could have countered it. Only the Knights from Triland were coming, but they were too far to reach Swansee in time. So it was, that only two Knights; Paladin White Knight and Gallant Fury of the House, formed the defence of the city of Swansee. The bloated lords of Swansee were of no match to the Cajanian Knights and both of them were beaten before the sun went down by the herald of Cajania, Scion Abraham Cajanus of the Knight Sixth Wing.
Envoys from the Riverton reached the Patriarch of Sha-Lias Clan and with them the news from the northern war. Riverton had severed its ties with the Swanleague Cities when the Kingdom of Cajania had declared war to them, and the Lord Mayor of Riverton now sought another overlord to pledge himself to. Having succesfully connected the Mountain King's reaper chainsword to its stump of an arm, Sha-Lias Clan asked a Knight Scion from house Leocreutz so they could venture north and claim the defenseless Riverton city. Reynard Leocreutz was however unwilling to give aid in this matter because the only Knight Scion without a Knight in the lands of Leocreutz was his youngest son Leon Leocreutz, aging only ten years[17]. Hearing of his father's refusal to let him go, Prince Leon Leocreutz, in his youthful foolishness, fled the Castle Leocreutz and came to Patriarch Joshua of Sha-Lias, claiming to be ready for the task. Not aware of the risks of mounting a Knight, patriarch let him close the top hatch and as the engines blew the first fumes the smothered screaming began and the Mountain King twitched in a strange fashion. Its other arm was still unconnected but as the reaper chainsword began to whirl fearsomely the people gathered to watch the mounting started to flee. Soon enough the Mountain King took few long leaps, smashed through the gates of Davidstown bringing down some of the brick wall before fleeing into the south. It was sighted few weeks later in the Barren Lands, sauntering around the Flamingo Sea dragging its still whirling reaper chainsword behind him.
Reynard Leocreutz' attempts to persuade the Blue Duke into an alliance, after receiving news of his succesful attack on the Swamptown of the Shallows, had failed. Blue Duke had answered that an alliance with someone already lost did not interest him and Reynard, if offended by the answer, feared it to be true. The House Leocreutz had only four Scions, Margrave Reynard Leocreutz, princes Cale and Bohord Leocreutz and Chancellor Ethelward Oliver. The Yeomen of the Screeching Woods were proud and stubborn people and unwilling to mount the Armigers of Leocreutz, calling them thrall-steeds and slave-knights, and finding enough talented bladesmen to mount the Armiger Warglaives from the Lowland Guard was tedious and time-consuming job. Chancellor Ethelward Oliver had took his time during the winter and gathered twenty squires to mount the Armigers, all bound to Reynard Leocreutz' Knight Morta Thunderer for he was afraid that guiding of Armigers might be beyond his young sons' capabilities.
Patriarch Joshua of Sha-Lias had contemplated on the disappearance of Leon Leocreutz and was sure of his death. He was also terrified of Margrave Reynard's response and feared for his own, his family's and his clan members' lives. Having witnessed the destruction Reynard Leocreutz was capable of in Faramnon, Jeras and Davidstown, he did not wish to cross his ally. Patriarch Joshua departed with his lifeguard and travelled as quickly as he could in the early spring snows to the Lionholl to meet Margrave Reynard. News of the Mountain King's flight had reached margrave's ears before Patriarch Joshua reached the Lionholl and as he stepped in from the iron cast gates, he knew the bad news had outran him. Patriarch Joshua tried to negotiate with Reynard about the loss of his son by offering his lands as Leocreutz' tributaries. Margrave however pointed out that the personal union between Sha-Lias Clan and Leocreutz existed only because of his good will and that Sha-Lias Clan did not have the weapons to beat his Knights or armies. Patriarch tried to offer Reynard gold and treasures, but margrave said if he'd wanted the treasures he'd just needed to take them. So the patriarch offered margrave both of his daughters to have as concubines, but Reynard showed no interest to them. "You think I'd dishonor my wife by taking concubines in my halls?" had Reynard answered him. And fearing the answer he'd receive, patriarch asked what could settle the violation. According to the old traditions of the mountaineers who lived in the Mountains of Leu, man ought to give his life or his son if he'd kill another one's. So referring to his house's ancient laws, Reynard Leocreutz demanded Patriarch Joshua's youngest son as his, for he had been born during the same winter as Leon Leocreutz had. Patriarch agreed to the demand with heavy heart, at least all of his children were to keep their lives.
King of Labaria did not hesitate when the first snows began to melt and gathering four of the five Knights in Labaria marched to Lionholl. Anticipating the early mobilization of his northern neighbor, Reynard Leocreutz sent his yeomen to north-west so they could raid and pillage the lands of the Borough city. Lowland Guard left the Tempest Keep and advanced north to Labarian border, readying themselves for a long fast-march to Labarton as soon as the Labarhsen Knights were beaten. Reynard Leocreutz stood silently on the windswept hills with his two sons and his loyal chancellor when the Labarhsen Knights arrived to Lionholl. All participants were aware that a failure would mean his and possibly his whole family's end so a long and silent staring contest was launched as the participants measured each others. Labarian Knights were piloted by - no doubt skillful and dedicated - little experienced Scions as the kingdom had long enjoyed a time of prosperity and peace. Knights of Lionholl had also been the diamond tips of the Labarian lances, both of them destroyed by the Blue Duke of Azurton.
According to the later accounts, the Knights stared each others for four whole days and nights. Measuring, calculating and planning all possible outcomes of the fight. Trustful of their lord's skills, Lowland Guard had already proceeded to the outskirts of Labarton and were readying themselves for an attack while the yeomen of the Screeching Woods were pillaging the lands of Borough in north-west. It was the sudden swirl of the Knight Fystrise's reaper chainsword which started the fight over the central lands in the eve of the fifth day. Knight Errant Rock Heart and Gallant Thunderfist plunged from the Labarhsen row and rushed towards the Knight Thunderer of Reynard Leocreutz himself, ready to hack it in pieces. Knight Morta Thunderer's thundercoil harpoon pierced the Thunderfist's raised thunderstike gauntlet and before the fiercesome Knight Gallant reached close combat distance, it was shocked by the Thunderer's extended harpoon making it halt for a moment. That moment was enough for the Chancellor Ethelward Oliver - who led the Knight Errant Tempestor - to charge the Thunderfist and tackle it down to ground. Fystrise took few steps and met the Rock Heart with a devastating strike from its thunderfist gauntlet forcing the Rock Heart back few steps. Adamantine teeth of the reaper chainswords screeched as they grinded against each others when the Knights of Leocreutz, Tempestor and Cania Eternal, advanced against the remaining Knights. Labarian Knight Crusader Guardian of the People was attacked from two sides by Tempestor and Cania Eternal, its limbs hacked off and its cockpit left on the ground. King of Labaria and his brother mounted the venerated Knights Gallant Serenity and Sovereignty. Seeing the devastation the Leocreutz family had wrecked, they assaulted the lone Knight Fystrise. Prince Cale Leocreutz managed to parry Serenity's fierce plunge of its reaper chainsword but could not defend himself against the closing Sovereignty. Sovereignty crushed itself against the Fystrise, reaper chainsword eating through the adamantium plating of the Knight and thunderstrike gauntlet wrestling for balance. Reynard Leocreutz' fears of losing his lineage were slowly realising as the Sovereignty and Serenity opened Fystrise's chest and smashed its interiors an its Scion into smithereens. In his rage, Prince Bohord Leocreutz attacked the gleeful Labarian sovereign and began a raging duel between the Knights Serenity and Cania Eternal. Reynard Leocreutz engaged a duel with the Sovereignty, cleaving its thunderstrike gauntlet into two with his tempest warblade and forcing the Knight to yield by severing its leg servoes. Chancellor Ethelward Oliver joined the duel of Bohord Leocreutz' and the King of Labaria and together they put the Knight Gallant Serenity down.
Mutually Assured Destruction[]
Swansee fallen, Knights of Cajania split into two. First of the Choir, Sixth Wing and Seraphon walked against the Brimwylsen Knights Brightsun and Swordmaster. Site of battle at the end of the Hills of Drought became known as the Swanfall, for it marked the end of house Swan and its cadet branch Brimwylsen. Brimwylsen knights were retrieved by the Cajanian engineers.
Other half of the advancing house Cajanus forced the surrender of Duchess Hilda of Swancastle and took her Knight Castellan Cygnar Iostia and forced her to marry one of the courtiers of house Cajanus. King Andreas II Cajanus halted his advance towards east and south for fearing the response of the Acarian sovereign. While waiting for the possible response of the Acarian sovereign, Marquess Graham Swan of Camans sent an envoy and offered peace on his behalf promising to not to wage war against house Cajanus. King Andreas II accepted the offer even if his vassals urged him to destroy the house Swan once and for all. The three Knights in the south were informed of the King Andreas II's decision and headed towards the South Keep.
South Keep was heavily fortified and Duke Gerhard Swan of South Keep had two Knights of his own. Knight Valiant Argent Giant and Lancer Swiftsilver were an infamous duo, or had been in the past centuries. Now they were mounted by incompetent and lame duo of Scions unable to form any real threat against the battle-hardened Cajanian Knights. Offer of peace and subjugation was given to Duke Gerhard but he refused it without a thought for in his delusions he still considered to be able to take over the Swanleague Cities and claim his ancestral rights to the lands. Knights of South Keep were unwilling to leave the city and so the Cajanian trio breached the gates of the city, brought the watchtowers low and set the city ablaze. Short fight between the Knights saw Argent Giant immobilised and the Swiftsilver crippled beyond any hope of repair.
While residing in Swancastle, King Andreas II received news of the fall of Labarton and the house Labarhsen. As Camans had became vassal of Cajania, King Andreas II made sure to notify the new rulers of Labaria about his intentions of defending everything he had claimed. Reynard Leocreutz received these news as he took residence in Labarton and sent his chancellor to Salem to inform the Sha-Lias clan about these news. Chancellor Ethelward Oliver was also to assist the Sha-Lias in their conquest of Riverton.
Lord Mayor Jonas Labarhsen-Midpoint found himself suddenly between a rock and a hard place. He sent envoys both east and west and also to north to secure the good relations with the Acarian sovereign. Lord Mayor was only interested about security of his lands and caravans travelling through it. War was bad for business in Midpoint as its lands were heavily reliant of its neighbours' food production. Reynard Leocreutz was willing to sign a non-aggression pact between house Leocreutz and Labarhsen-Midpoint in an exhange for the recognition of Leocreutz' rightful rule over the lands it had conquered. King Andreas II Cajanus was doubtful of house Leocreutz' sudden docility after such a devastating blitz against the Labaria and saw the importance of Midpoint as a buffer state eastwards. King Andreas II was also very malcontent with the former Brimwylsen lands south of Lake Cirtan as they were too far for him to conquer them but he neither wanted to hand them to the expanding Sha-Lias clan.
Acarian sovereign too was unsure how to react house Leocreutz' sudden conquests. Neither Acarian sovereign nor King Andreas II knew how many Scions house Leocreutz actually had and what were its alliances in east. Having spent so long in dishonor, many houses had forgot about the fierce warriors of the Mountains of Leu. Both of the sovereigns sent spies all across the former Cania and Labaria to figure out the actual formidability of house Leocreutz.
Acarian sovereign had twenty five Knights under his command, most of them hosting their own cadre of Armiger knights. In addition the footguards of Acaria numbered in hundred thousand. Capital of Acaria, Acarton, was a massive metropolis drawing resources from the forestry lands in north and east of it. However, Cajania covered large swathes of lands from Nearsteppes to Mountains of Leu. Its military was mighty indeed, hosting no less than twenty two Knights and a grand host of Armigers. Accompanied with the mechanical Cartanian Heavy Cavalry and footguards that numbered in at least hundred thousand, Cajanian might was threatening and proven. Acarian sovereign had planned a full scale war between Acaria and Cajania, but Cajanian conquest of the Swanleague Cities had shown there might not be a winner in such war.
After few years it became clear for both Cajanian and Acarian sovereigns that house Leocreutz could not defend itself if invaded. Reynard Leocreutz had arranged a marriage between his sole heir Bohord Leocreutz and Aliya, daughter of the patriarch Joshua of Sha-Lias clan. Lady Helen Oliver, wife of Reynard Leocreutz passed in 394.M41 which forced him to seek a new marriage with one of his neighbors but he was afraid of aligning himself and his house with either Acaria or Cajania because his Knights could potentially tip the scales of balance in either one's favor and force him into a new war. At the same time both of the northern sovereigns were displeased of house Leocreutz' neutrality for it posed a constant threat against their southern borders.
Anxiety within the societies grew. Assassination attempts against all who held power grew more and more common and militarization of the states became more and more apparent.
Missionaria Erudia Eressa[]
Loosely formatted program of the Missionaria Galaxia called Missionaria Erudia Eressa was organized and orchestrated by Dimar Wem, a venerated servant of the Emperor and the Ecclesiarchy who was gifted in the arts of administration. When the news of a knight world reached the ears of Dimar Wem, he used every bit of his influence and power to man a vessel with ecclesiarchal personnel and sent it to this world, soon known as Prima Cajalax Maxia. Knight world was not however a plausible operational headquarters in the area so the search for other worlds continued with great fervor.
Elder William of Nehemnan V of Missionaria Galaxia was the head of the operation on Prima Cajalax Maxia. Mission on Prima Cajalax also included a commandery of Order Sabine Benevolence Iridescent, missions from Order Famulous Auric Wheel, Order Dialogous Owl and Order Militant Enthroned Will, and Adeptus Mechanicus contingent with the sacristan specialists. Representatives from the Officio Historica and of a number of other departments of the Adeptus Administratum also participated the mission.
In 394.M41 the mission arrived in Prima Cajalax Maxia's orbit. Judging by the pictures taken by the mission's designated space craft Carrack class transport Saint Casophilius, first infiltration missions were organized and sent on planet. Led by Palatines Argine, Eguzkine and Leticia of the Benevolence Iridescent, all of the three missions included a member from the Order of the Owl and the Auric Wheel who were responsible of maintaining a database of the languages and political relations on world and to inform the headquarters situated on the vessel Saint Casophilius in orbit.
Mission of Palatine Argine landed near the city of Midpoint where they blended in the heterogeneous population of the trading hub. Palatine Eguzkine's mission landed near Clarendan for the initial scans from high orbit showed the standing Knight Porphyrion Colossus and the Adeptus Mechanicus contingent was extremely interested about its status. Lesser Palatine Leticia's mission landed north near the Port Magna, infiltrating the great city of Cajania.
Initial infiltration period lasted for eight months in total. Elder William mapped the states and their reaches on Saint Casophilius and with the assistance of Lord Hypex Technicus Amira of Adeptus Mechanicus, the mission catalogued sixty Knights and with the assistance of the Sabine missions successfully mapped those Knights' current state.
At the same time tension between the Acaria and Cajania grew. King Andreas II allowed the Duke of Osseto to start raiding the coastline villages in northern Acaria and Acarian sovereign assembled bandit mobs that harassed citizens within the Ness river valley from Swansee to Nesstown. King Andreas II made his Knights to patrol the long, hilly and forestry border in the Ness river valley. On one cold night the patrolling Paladin Farsight, piloted by Sir Jeromil Cajanus who was the third cousin of King Andreas II, picked up an unfamiliar transmission originating not from any of the Cajanian Knights. Alarmed, he readied the blunted reaper chainsword and fixed his position scanning carefully the lands around him with the barrel of his battle cannon. Extraordinarily sensitive sensors of the aptly named Farsight picked a transmission so cryptid and unfamiliar that the Scion was sure his sensors had been broken. Two assisting Armigers began to swiftly scout the area, guided by the steady mind of Sir Jeromil. In no time they found a group of ten women operating a tall device that emitted this unfamiliar signal. Armigers tried to apprehend the clique but instead found themselves attacked with explosives and the clique attempting an escape into the woods. Sir Jeromil gave an order of extermination and the warglaives ran down most of the women, only three were lost in the woods. Sir Jeromil and his warglaives reached the device the clique was operating, its signal still beeping. Informing Scion Abraham Cajanus who had received the Swancastle as his personal demesne, the Cajanians began to gather their troops for they had no reason to believe the device was nothing more than machinations of the Acarian sovereign.
Elder William received the news in real time and he cursed the palatines carelessness in the vicinity of the Knights. Phase two of the planetary indoctrination was rushed into action. Canoness Commander Augusta of the Enthroned Will took over the ground operations and the palatines Eguzkine and Leticia were ordered to join the soon arriving preachers. Palatine Argine had been granted the martyrdom by the Cajanian warglaives.
Hundred preachers landed on planet on the following weeks as the year changed to 395.M41 and started to preach about the Emperor. Remaining members of the Benevolence Iridescent moved into monasteries and universities proving miraculous astronomical knowledge and claiming that the knowledge had been passed to them by the will of the Emperor, Lord on the Golden Throne. It was Sir Cain Cajanus, Baron of Swansee, who was the quickest to connect the dots. He was not only a Knightly Scion, but also an enthusiastic historian and for his personal pleasure he spent a lot of time creating elaborate conspiracy theories. He had gathered the news about Sir Abraham Cajanus' discovery, about the Intellectual of Gabriela Abbey[18] and about the preachers of the God on the Golden Throne.
Given solid proof about the surrounding systems and stars, many within the monasteries and universities found themselves debating about matters of theology with the newly arrived intellectuals. So it was that Sir Cain Cajanus sought out the newly arrived strangers from within the university of Swansee and arranged a private meeting with them. Missionary-Preacher Rodolfo and Sister Carmia of the Auric Wheel met with the intrigued baron and explained him the nature of the Galaxy and the vastness of the Imperium of Man and the indomitable power of the Master of Mankind. For one whole month, the two agents of the Imperium met with Baron Cain Cajanus every day, answering his questions and teaching him about the Imperial Creed. After a month, in mid-395.M41, Cain Cajanus travelled north to Port Magna to meet his lord King Andreas II Cajanus about the enlightenment he had found.
- "There are no place for superstitious agitation and lies in my domain."
- —High King of Lindhersens Alexander IV "the Malevolent"
Not all missions were this lucky though. Group of fifteen preachers arrived in the city of Lindor, but all of them were apprehended for agitation and sentenced to stocks. When they continued their preaching, High King of Lindhersens saw them put to death.
Burghers of Opburg openly dealed with and assisted the missionaries, either because of sincere belief or because wanting to secure future acquaintances. Opburg ships carried missionaries all around the northern wastes, to Blackhold, Piceton, Sallaxhold, Brahlands and Frosghan, Pennmant and all the way to the Great Mounds and Ettinmoore.[19] Clarendan state took largely pragmatic approach towards the missionaries, the state did not deny them of their right to preach but took no further interest towards them.
When King Andreas II learned about the Imperium of Man from his relative, they traveled together to the Gabriela Abbey that had been converted by the Missionaria Galaxia as its headquarters on ground. Parts of the abbey had been renovated, Imperial aquilas had taken over the older reliquary and the stone arcades had been turned to thick walls. King Andreas II was cordially greeted by Canoness Commander Augusta of Enthroned Will and as he entered the abbey he was introduced to the gossiped Sister Clotilde who began a debate about the future of the world and King Andreas II as its ruler.
King Andreas II was overwhelmed by the information the new inhabitants of the Gabriela Abbey could provide. After a day, filled with stories of the Emperor's greatness, satellite images all over the world Prima Cajalax and star charts of the Segmentum Pacificus King Andreas II returned to his Knight, First of the Choir, and began a long meditation with the ever-whispering guidance of the Throne Mechanicum and its nigh-sentient Machine Spirit.
On the morning a pale rider came from the east carrying a declaration of war, signed by Acarian sovereign Jaromil LXX Acarhsen.
Without further thought, King Andreas II made his way to Port Magna and organised the Cartanian Heavy Cavalry to carry message everywhere from Camans to Nordborg that all Knights were to be mounted by their respectful Scions and every Armiger was to be installed with a pilot. News were that Acarian sovereign had began his march to Jasburg, manoeuvre which would cut the long realm of house Cajanus into two. According to the intelligence provided by the Cajanian spies, explosives known as "Brigskeep breaches" were manufactured in hundreds and assigned to the footguards who were situated south of Acarton. Being well aware of the devastation the Brigskeep breaches could wreak, King Andreas II informed all of his Knights to join him first just south of Port Magna in the Lonely Hill, a small mountain that overlooked the plains of Cajania.
Rumors were true if somewhat exaggerated. Acarian sovereign had long since began fabrication of the Brigskeep breaches that were infamous amongst the Knights for being able to destroy leg servos when used by resourceful breach teams. He had gathered his whole house in his offense that would settle the dispute between houses Cajanus and Acarhsen. Twenty Knights marched westwards from Acarton to Jasbury, that was a small lakeside city governed by Lord Lynn Cajanus of Jasbury, and three were stationed in Acarton to prevent a southern thrust by the lords who now resided in the former areas of Swanleague Cities. Two - Northscourge and Valiant - were cripples, stationed in Jarlmouth and Brigskeep and unable to mount an offensive.
Twenty Acarhsen Knights reached Jasbury before the King Andreas II's message had reached all of his vassals and Lord Lynn of Jasbury forced his people to flee south to Swansee. Lord Lynn was unaware that the lord of Swansee was not in the city but already in Port Magna with King Andreas II. King of Cajania was constantly harassed by the missionaries from Gabriela Abbey who promised aid in the war for the house Cajanus' service. King Andreas II refused all aid.
- "What kind of pact is made in despair? If this Emperor on His Golden Throne is so benevolent and so mighty as you say, He aids my endeavor against my enemies now so I may consider an alliance during the time of peace. Only then He may be certain of my pledge and I of His benevolence."
- —King Andreas II Cajanus
Knights of Cajana south of the Jasua river were united by the Herald of Cajania and Lord of the Swancastle, Abraham Cajanus in the outskirts of Swancastle. Knights Brightsun, Cygnar Iostia, Farsight, Fury of the House, Seraphon, Swordmaster and White Knight joined Abraham Cajanus and his feared Knight Gallant Sixth Wing. Nine Knights - Angelic Fortitude, Blazing Righteousness, Crusader Incandescent, Fireheart, Infallible, Lord of the Flames, Lord Victorious, Puissant and Red Avenger - joined King Andreas II and his Knight Castigator First of the Choir in the north and the last four - Herald of the North, Lord Stalwart, Will of Conquest and Wroth - were on their way from the north.
As the Acarian forces set their foots in the empty city of Jasbury, King Andreas II marched southwards with his column of Knights. No battles of this magnitude had been waged for centuries. Ground shook under the Knights as the clouds of impending battle gathered above. The footguard from each city followed their Knights, carrying the banners of the lesser nobles and barons and playing marching tunes that were lost beneath the rumbling of the Knights.
Acarian sovereign anticipated his enemies' moves for the boldness had always been part of the Cajanian nature and so he mustered his whole army of Knights and rode northwards. The Imperial missionary forces in orbit took a close look on the plains of Cajania, scanners of Saint Casophilius measuring and calculating the movements of the Knights. Elder Missionary William bit his nails. It was clear that the Acarian sovereign had noticeable superiority in numbers when compared to the Cajanians. However, the Cajanians were clearly more open towards the idea of accepting the Emperor as the Master of Mankind than the Acarian sovereign who had not only banished the religious agitators from his realm but also hunted a few of the missionaries down. It was against Elder Missionary William's methods to support the internal struggles of the newfound human colonies but then again he had never had a chance to convert a knight world and make it to swear allegiance to the Imperium. Prima Cajalax Maxia could not simply be lost because of the internal struggles of some ignorant, feuding warlords. It was something the Lord Hypex Technicus Amira repeatedly reminded Elder William about.
Sister-Missionary Clotilde decided to appeal to Lord Hypex Technicus Amira and Elder William. She claimed that repairing at least one of the crippled Knights could make King Andreas II to pledge an oath with the Imperium and if not, it would certainly be a proper way to show some good faith towards the Cajanians. Lord Hypex Technicus Amira however refused to send his Sacristan specialists to operate Knights that might not uphold their Imperial allegiance longer than one fight. In the end, it was Lord Hypex Technicus Amira who decided about the course of this expedition which made Elder William uncomfortable. Dogmatic puritan of the Cult Mechanicus, Lord Hypex Technicus Amira could prove himself a liability in the mission. After receiving negative response, Sister-Missionary Clotilde ventured after the Cajanian forces, joined by a mission of the sisters of Enthroned Will.
Southern Knights of Cajania also traversed northwards to join King Andreas II's column. Finally gathering near Jasua river delta to await news of their king. Events, of which neither Acarian sovereign or King of Cajania were aware, were unfolding in Labaria. Lord Conqueror Reynard Leocreutz - King of Labaria and Cania, Margrave of Castle Leocreutz and Protector of the Central Valley, had readily adopted the tenets of the Imperial Creed. His reasons might have not been wholly sincere but Sister-Superior Dorothea of the Order Sabine Benevolence Iridescent considered Reynard Leocreutz sincere enough. Sister-Superior Dorothea was working under the orders of Palatine Argine who had perished not long before. Skilled and experienced, she was able to assemble a ceremony in which Reynard was accepted into the holy communion of the Ecclesiarchy. However, Sister-Superior Dorothea had lost her means of communication with Elder William and so she was unaware of the situation in north. Sisters under command of Lesser Palatine Letitia had been unsuccessful in their attempts of proselytism in the state of Clarendan and had moved southwards in the lands of Meranco. They joined, as planned, with the missionaries of Missionaria Erudia Eressa and assisted their work in Meranco and Turquoise Lands.
Acarian sovereign began his advance northwards after setting Jasbury in fire. Smoke was carried by the wind to the lance of Lord Abraham Cajanus who encouraged his Knightly associates to advance northwards and to meet with their king. King Andreas II had weighted his option thirty kilometers north of Jasbury and joyfully received the news of Acarian sovereign's advance. He sent few of the Cartanian Heavy Cavalry southwards to look and find the Knights of Lord Abraham Cajanus' lance and to guide them to him. His footguards were stationed in the woods and crags of the Cajanian lowlands, ordered to ambush and kill anyone trying to pass the area which was to become a battlefield. Acarian footguard were given the same orders and they advanced from north-east towards the Cajanian troops.
Elder William and Lord Hypex Technicus Amira found themselves arguing about the possible support the mission could provide house Cajanus with. Lord Hypex Technicus Amira was strictly against the idea of early deployment of his sacristan specialists for they were too precious to be lost in the battlefield. And while the Imperials argued in orbit, the battle between houses Cajanus and Acarhsen began.
Battle of Jasbury Fields[]
Acarian Knights were led by a lance of four Knights Gallant - Ironstrider, Radiant Conqueror, Thunderstruck and Warriorclad. King Jaromil LXX Acarhsen had mounted Knight Valiant Mountain of Acaria. Both sides of the fight were unaware of the fact that Marquess Graham Swan had received his new king's call for war and he had mounted the Knight Lancer Shieldbreaker, Knight what had traditionally been the Knight of the Acarian sovereign. Galloping with his firstborn son who piloted Knight Gallant Swankeeper, they were but days away from the fields of Jasbury.
King Andreas II's First of the Choir was guarded by Fireheart and Lord of the Flames whose reaper chainswords swirled gleefully as the red day dawned. On his left hand Blazing Righteousness and the Indomitable formed a duo of gallants, while on his right lance of three wardens Angelic Fortitude, Puissant and Red Avenger readied their weapons. Acarian Gallant lance began their charge and some of the footguards fled just for seeing the lance, arcs of electricity sparkling from their clenched thunderstrike gauntlets and defeaning roar of the reaper chainswords taking over the battlefield. The few Knights with laser weaponry were able to provide ranged support and the Acarian Knights Panthera Rex and Godfather made Cajanian Knights' void shields sparkle as they deflected the beams of laser. Before the Acarian gallant lance hit their targets, single shell from a battle-cannon pierced the back-plates of Castellan Panthera Rex which has directed his power from void shields to his volcano lance. Cajanian Knights led by the Sixth Wing had arrived and it was Farsight's famous battle-cannon that had penetrated the Panthera Rex from behind.
Acarian sovereign led his Knights after the gallant lance that had struck the equally charging Cajanian gallant duo and the lance of King Andreas II himself. Warriorclad's reaper chainsword found its way through Cajanian Errant Fireheart's front plating and carved itself into the innards of the Knight. Shattering engine, servos and adamantine platings scattered across the battlefield and the footguard began to fire their muskets against the advancing Acarian footguard. Warglaives swarmed between the battling Knights as King Andreas II skillfully parried the furry of blows by Gallant Ironstrider who had been consumed by the fires of battle. As Ironstrider's reaper chainsword blocked King Andreas II's tempest warblade its thunderstrike gauntlet smashed the opportunistic warglaives. Splinters of the Armiger Knights were scattered in the feet of the warriors. Warriorclad's reaper chainsword had been stuck within the Fireheart and so the Lord of the Flames avenged his lance-brother by ripping off the thunderstrike gauntlet of Warriorclad and smashing it to the ground.
Master of Armigers, Scion Ada Cajanus and her Knight Preceptor Infallible managed to direct the flow of the warglaives against stranded Knight Paladin Heart of Acaria and to cut it into unrepairable state. Not even this manage to startle Acarian sovereign Jaromil LXX who toppled Warden Puissant while launching his thundercoil harpoon towards the Red Avenger whose engines were overcharged in an instant. He was seeking his way to King Andreas II and his Castigator that was still dueling the masterfully skilled Gallant Ironstrider. No fight like this had been seen since the house Arkwright conquered the northern world in the end of M39. Knights led by Sixth Wing joined the close quarters with the main offensive group of the Acarian sovereign balancing the fight a little. Castellan Cygnar Iostia and Farsight provided long ranged support forcing the Acarian Armigers behind the real Knights some of them were simply trampled by the dueling Knights.
Size of the Knights ensured that the area the battle covered was vast indeed. At points the Knights were kilometers apart and next they were battling so close their banners got entangled in the thundering wind. When the sun set, remaining Knights backed down to where they had started, leaving smoking ruins of the destroyed Knights on the battlefield. Seven Cajanian Knights - Angelic Fortitude, Fireheart, Lord Victorious, Puissant, Red Avenger, Seraphon and Swordmaster - had been devastated into such state that only the sacristans of the Adeptus Mechanicus could repair them. Five of the Acarian Knights - Heart of Acaria, Ironstrider, Knight Exemplar, Panthera Rex and Warriorclad - were left in the battlefield too scarred for recovery yet at least five more were deeply scarred by the combined efforts of Armiger Warglaives and fire support of Cygnar Iostia. No one was sure how many footguards had fallen but it was clear that the previously green fields were painted red with the blood of men. Improvised trenches were stamped by the dueling knights leaving the lands scarred and lifeless.
Lord Hypex Technicus Amira frowned on such devastation and claimed that Elder William had failed in his quest. Elder William however did not believe it but saw a new chance to negotiate with King Andreas II Cajanus and requested his ground agents to try to convince the Cajanian king about the necessity of an alliance. Sister Clotilde joined King Andreas II demanding his audience but the king refused to make any deals during the time of war. Sister Clotilde sent the king's answers to Elder William and Lord Hypex Technicus Amira of which the latter began to ready his skitarii cadre for the loss of so many Knights should be prevented at all costs. Elder William was unwilling to act on behalf the native population of the world.
On the rise of the next day neither side was interested in sacrificing any more Knights. Therefore it was reasonable that the footguard took over the battlefield and as the pikes set down the muskets were loaded and the field of battle was covered in thick black powder smoke. Cartanian Heavy Cavalry organised itself and the mechanical beasts descended upon the Acarian footguard. Seeing the brutal charge, Acarian sovereign called them savages and set his armiger hellglaives to hunt the heavy cavalry off. On the second evening of the war, two Knights arrived from the south. Lord of Camans and his Knights Swankeeper and Shieldbreaker arrived to embolster Cajanian forces that had been victorious during the day. From the north came the last four Knights of Cajania, led by the infamously fierce Knight Acheron Wroth, mounted by Lord Matthias "Hellborn" Cajanus of Nordborg. Without formalities or announcements, Knights of Cajania readied themselves for the appearance of Wroth signed immediate combat actions no matter the time or state of the troops. As the sun began to set, red sky was filled with the roar of the Wroth's reaper chainfist, joined by a cacophony of reaper chainswords. Lancer Shieldbreaker began its charge from behind the Acarian Knights, followed by the Swankeeper, as the Cajanian Knights charged against the Acarian Knights once again. Adamantium platings were crushed and the seemingly indestructible Knights fell to the ground as their enemies attempted to gut them. Fierce Visage fell for the Shieldbreaker's lance and the Acarian counter charging Gallant lance smashed Blazing Righteousness into pieces and broke the reaper chainsword of the Fury of the House. Errant Infallible fell as the last rays of daylight were hidden beneath the waves of Cajanian Bay. Scales of the battle had tipped and the Cajanians had superior numbers when the Acarian Knights retreated from the city of Jasbury into the darkness of the night, heading back to Acarton.
Elder William clasped his hands in joy and halted the Lord Hypex Technicus Amira's preparations for systematic lobotomisation of the population of Prima Cajalax Maxia. Humanitarian in his heart Elder William frowned upon the idea of letting Adeptus Mechanicus take over the knight world. He contacted Sister Clotilde and demanded her to once again talk to King Andreas II. However, King Andreas II had been gravely injured during the fighting, his Knight Castigator's side had been pierced by thundercoil harpoon of the Acarian sovereign's Knight.
As the Cajanian Knights gathered at the gates of Jasbury, where Lord Lynn Cajanus assumed his rule over the Jasbury anew, they too shared the news about their wounded king. Not only that for birds from the north claimed that the High King of Lindhersens Alexander IV had summoned his Knights in order to invade the duchies of the Sword of Osse and Osseto. King Andreas II died before the members of Auric Wheel had a chance to assist him and so the Cajanian forces were overcome with grief. Lord Matthias of Nordburg mounted his Knight Acheron Wroth and hurried on the tracks left by the fleeing Acarian Knights. He was joined by the fiercest of the Cajanian Knights; Lord Abraham of Swancastle on Sixth Wing, Princess Garnett on Indomitable and Lord Harold of Cartanborg on Will of Conquest.
Prince Regent Jeremias Cajanus, younger brother of childless late-King Andreas II, assumed his position as a new king of Cajania and demanded support from his lords and relatives. Lords of Cajania accepted Jeremias II[20] as their new king and even Lord of Camans renewed his oath of subjugation to King Jeremias II of Cajania. King Jeremias II had not been introduced into the Imperial faith and denied the sisterhood's requests of addressing the new king. Instead he positioned a large footguard division into Jasbury and led his Knights into north to the Duchy of Osseto. Ten Cajanian knights were left on the battlefield in such shapes that even the sacristans frowned upon the orbital scans about them.
As the Cajanian Knights advanced north, the four Cajanian avengers reached the limping Acarian forces. Without any further notice, Wroth's reaper chainfist roared into life as Lord Matthias charged the Knight Crusader Watchful Conqueror. As the chainfist carved its way through the mechanical body of the Crusader Watchful, Sixth Wing charged past Wroth and smashed himself into the next Acarian Knight, Lionheart. Crusader Lionheart's reaper chainsword parried Sixth Wing's chainsword but its thunderstrike gauntlet found its mark sending Lionheart reeling many steps behind. Lord Harold Cajanus' Will of Conquest was greeted by two thundercoil harpoons launched by Knight Valiant Mountain of Acaria and Steelcracker. Will of Conquest's gatling cannon was pierced as well as its upper body armor after what the valiants shocked the Knight with massive electrical charge. Arcs of electricity lighted the cramped valley as Princess Garnett's Indomitable passed by her peers and smashed the thunderstrike gauntlet into the Mountain of Acaria, that was Acarian sovereign's Knight. Mountain of Acaria smashed its left arm - which had at some point held a conflagration cannon but it had been beaten into a formless piece of metal - to the Indomitable but did not manage to shake it off balance. The Indomitable's reaper chainsword carved deep wounds into Mountain of Acaria's plating, revealing apparatus beneath but she didn't manage to pierce the Knight. Steelbreaker saw his king in trouble and charged the Indomitable by crashing into its side forcing it out of close combat radius. As Knight Paladin Silverclad of the Acarian forces joined the narrow pass where the Knights had gathered, it was instantly assaulted by Wroth and its chainfist. Sixth Wing was left behind Wroth and Indomitable as they tried to reach fleeing Mountain of Acaria.
Acarian sovereign managed to escape that night even if he lost two knights, Valiant Steelbreaker and Paladin Silverclad. In total the Acarian forces had suffered greatly. Ten Knights were left in the Jasbury Fields and over twenty thousand footguards had perished in their combat. Cartanian Heavy Cavalry had harassed the retreating Acarian footguards and pillaged their supply platoons. Cajanian forces had lost eleven Knights in total and their king, losses within the footguard numbered in tens of thousands. King Jeremias II designated his footguard into camps of 200 soldiers across the Acarian border now as he traveled northwards.
Cajania Defiant[]
In 396.M41, news of other found colonies within the Eressa Expanse reached the mission and Saint Casophilius. Deacon Peregrine Dimar Wem recommended Elder William to hurry if he wished to see himself in the sector synod and the division of the dioceses. Elder William however had hands full with Prima Cajalax whose population was seemingly unwiling to change their pagan lives. Even the renewed attempts to befriend Cajanian king were met with bad luck, as King Jeremias II claimed the same as his predecessor: he wasn't ready to sign treaties during the time of war.
Devastation of war was favorable towards the Imperial influence. From Gabriela Abbey the missionaries and preachers moved into the cities and villages in central Cajania and spred word of this god that could help King Jeremias II in his endeavor.
By the end of 396.M41 the Lindhersens were repelled from Osseto they had claimed and their king was imprisoned by king Jeremias II. Acarian sovereign had holed up into his city of Acarton, waiting for the vengeant Cajanian troops. Cajania stood triumphant over its foes and King Jeremias II saw it was time to inspect the promises of the Imperial missionaries. With Lord Cain Cajanus King Jeremias II requested a mission from Gabriela Abbey to the city of Cajana where the king resided for a while before deciding what to do with the Acarian issue. Sister-Missionary Clotilde served as the first envoy to King Jeremias II but instead of trying to convince the king by words only, Elder William decided to make a show too. According to Elder William, knight worlds might be backward but their rulers were educated and wise men gifted with the knowledge that resided within the Knighs themselves. So Elder William step aboard an aquila lander and descended from orbit to the castleyard of Cajana. Crowd which had gathered around the yard panicked for hearing the roaring engines of the lander and seeing the aircraft descending from the sky, but King Jeremias II stood calmly on the steps of the Heather Castle. When the lander opened its hatch, Elder William greeted King Jeremias II with a long, respectful bow and the two were joined by a few lords of Cajania as well as by the mission that assisted Sister Clotilde. After few weeks of negotiation, King Jeremias II sent the missionaries away, holding a meeting amongst the members of house Cajanus. King Jeremias II was convinced about the necessity of the Imperium, in case everything the missionaries had told them was true. In his mind only way to figure our, if the Imperial missionaries were actually generous and the Imperium as vast as they claimed, was to go and see this Master of Mankind himself. Elder William claimed it would not be possible, for there were no audiences granted to even planetary governors, but King Jeremias II was defiant, for him it was a sine qua non.
Elder William visited the vessel Saint Casophilius and consulted the matter with Lord Hypex Technicus Amira. Together they came into a conclusion that it would be the easiest way to arrange King Jeremias II on a pilgrimage to the Holy Terra and to seek an audience with the High Lords of Terra. This was agreed and Princess Garnett Cajanus assumed the position of the regent of Cajania as King Jeremias II, Lord Cain Cajanus and his five sons - Cain, Ian, Jeremiah, Maurice and Peter - assumed on their pilgrimage to the Holy Terra. Adeptus Mechanicus contingent led by Lord Hypex Technicus Amira were situated on planet where they established initial factory sites within the city of Prima and its ancient factories buried beneath ground. On the outskirts of Prima the servitor force assembled cranes and halls in order to recover and repair the damaged knights one by one. With the aid provided by Regent Garnett of Cajania, Lord Hypex Technicus Amira managed to acquire extra servitors from the vast amount of prisoners of war that were assigned into small, crowded and disease-ridden camps in Osseto and Cajana.
Saint Casophilius left the system and headed out to the Holy Terra. Sons of Cain were taught by scholars of the Missionaria Galaxia about the great variety of mankind amongst the stars. From the nobles as them to the lowest of the low, Master of Mankind watches over everyone and by his radiant excellence and resplendent reign the mankind continues to prosper even in such times. Even if warp travelling is a perilous business, King Jeremias II arrived on schedule on Holy Terra in 399.M41 where he was allowed to witness the cradle of humanity. Knight worlds enjoy such a great reputation and respect within the Imperium that King Jeremias II was allowed to visit the Eternity Gate and to attend the Senatorum Imperialis to sign the Pact of Alliance with the High Lords. King Jeremias II returned to Prima Cajalax Maxia in 402.M41 and was greeted by his sister Princess Garnett Cajanus.
Garnett Campaign[]
Many of the Cajanian nobles, even within the house Cajanus, had their doubts about this "Imperium matter". Regent Garnett Cajanus suffered not of any doubt directed towards her younger brother King Jeremias II and assured the Cajanian lords that their king would return in no time with great news. There were however a lot of things to solve on Prima Cajalax too and war with the remaining knights of Acaria was looming over Princess Garnett's plans. Princess Garnett ordered the sisters of the Enthroned Will as her personal bodyguard and the objections of Canoness Commander Augusta were silenced by Missionary-Sister Clotilde who had received the highest authority within the missionary troops. Only Lord Hypex Technicus Amira was out of Sister Clotilde's sphere of authority and answered only to Princess Garnett, as was agreed between Elder William and Amira. Princess Garnett was overtly interested about the Adeptus Mechanicus' agents' duties and works and so she paid very close attention on everything that happened on Prima. In the change of 399. and 400.M41 Lord Hypex Technicus Amira presented Princess Garnett his first gift, a fully repaired Knight Castigator First of the Choir. Knight that had traditionally been the knight of the reigning patriarch of the house was now granted to Scion David Cajanus, who was Princess Garnett's father's second cousin. Lord Hypex Technicus was able to reproduce some of the ammunition used in the knights' weapons with the equipment buried beneath Prima. So he also repaired the ranged weapons of the still active knights giving house Cajanus an edge that was not shared by other houses on the world.
Princess Garnett mounted her Indomitable yet her assault to Acarton was headed by a lance made of Knight Crusader Crusader Incandescent, Paladin Farsight and Paladin White Knight. Three battle-cannons thundered as they launched a volley of destruction against the citywalls of Acarton. Palace of the Four Towers of Acarton shook as the Knights Errant Lord of the Flames and Herald of the North, fired their thermal cannons that melted the stone gateway arch of the city of Acarton. Homes were set afire as the heat from the thermal cannons dried the wooden buildings, creating a storm of fire within the city. Acarian Knights were fired upon as they attempted to counterattack from within the city, sealing the house's end. King Jaromil LXX gave the crown of Acaria to Princess Garnett who then imprisoned him in Prima into quarters befitting his status.
Princess Garnett sent envoys to Castle Leocreutz for she knew the house Leocreutz could not stand up against the might of Cajania, especially now when their Knights were given the ability to engage in ranged combat. Reynard Leocreutz was not willing to surrender and even against such superiority, he refused to give his lands, titles and Knights. Princess Garnett Cajanus sent an envoy made up of the Imperial sisterhoods to find out what Leocreutz wanted and with what price. At the same time her hand reached to south over the Petty Desert and Slaon Lowlands where she sent an ambassador to claim that all were to belong to house Cajanus. Refusal would result in imminent and violent actions on behalf the house Cajanus. House Wyll of Slao answered cordially to not accept any kind of threats of northern barbarians. In mid 401.M41 lance of three Knight Wardens - Angelic Fortitude, Puissant and Red Avenger marched south to the city of Hepburg, ruled by house Wyll after the fall of house Brimwylsen, and destroyed most of the city. Footguard of thirty thousand men set in the city and arranged the Slaon Lowlands under military rule. Mayor Frederick Undol of Rosston and High Lord of Rossau gave his sword to the Cajanian envoy who marched into his city. After that the lance marched ever southwards to the city of Beaston which also surrendered without a fight. Then the lance crossed the Faroes and subjugated the Westharbor and its pirate-king. After rule of Princess Garnett's Cajania was rejected by the Mansu, she sent the Cartanian Heavy Cavalry to pillage its lands. When lance of the three Wardens returned from Faron Coast to Oxitan they found that the Cartanian Heavy Cavalry had already subjugate not only the city of Mansu but also Bonne. At the beginning of 402.M41 the lance visited city of Jadi also receiving their oath of subjugation.
As King Jeremias II returned from his pilgrimage he arrived just in time to attend her sister Princess Garnett's and Reynard Leocreutz' weddings. Those weddings sealed a pact between the houses and from that point on most of the world was governed by the Cajanian alliance. Five sons of Cain Cajanus forfeited their rights to titles or inheritance and began to preach about the Emperor of Mankind[21], such was the impact of the Holy Terra on them.
Famously gifted in Knight duels, Reynard Leocreutz bested the Blue Duke and his Indigo Herald after what he forced the surrender of the King of the Green Castle. Both of the branches of house Livius pledged themselves to house Cajanus. So did the houses of Strand and Carideus who ruled the lands of Meranco. The Icy Waters Evangelists had been able to convince house Rastsen about the importance to join the Cajanian cause and so only the Clarendan state stood apart. Centuries-long repression of the southern city-states paid well for Cajanus for the people of Unuri, Preachborg and Manntown revolted forcing the hand of Archduke Theodor Jernighsen. Wishing not to kill thousands of civilians he contacted King Jeremias II to negotiate the terms of the alliance.
Cajanus Triumphant[]
King Jeremias II was the first person - since the fabled dynasty of house Duke in the beginning of 39th millennium - who had united the world. In 403.M41 the planetary system was dubbed as "Cajalax Maxia" - Greater Cajania - and its capitol world as "Prima". Jeremias Cajanus became known as the High King of Prima Cajalax Maxia after adopting the title of the "Highest and Most Puissant King Jeremias II Cajanus of Cajalax Maxia; High King of Linda's Land; King of Arkland, Acaria and Walea; Grand Duke of Cartania; Margrave of the March of Cajania; Serene Duke of Hepburg, and the Sword of Osse and Osseto; Duke of the Swanriver Valley; High Privateer of Lanhan; Dominus of Faron Coast; Suzerain of Arhallan Island, Deer Isle, Opburg, Rossau and Jadi; Overlord of Oxitan and Nimgarden; Lord Mayor of Port Magna, Cajana and Lake Town; and Baron of Heather Castle". Knightly houses of Leocreutz and Rastsen became semi-independent while other houses were forced to become vassals and to answer the call of High King of Prima Cajalax Maxia.
Prima Cajalax Maxia was recognised by the sector council in 403.M41 and the successor of Arch Cardinal Telmon Galene, Biron Zupan, recognised Prima Cajalax as part of his diocese which allowed him to banish Dimar Wem on Prima Cajalax.
Human population[]
A little over milliard people live on Prima Cajalax Maxia, most of them in the central areas of Cajania, Acaria, around the Swanriver Valley and around the Bay of Bask in the east. The largest city is Port Magna, which is also considered as the capitol of the world by the Imperial adepts.
Culture[]
Feast of Lieva was a popular holiday at the change of the year. Starting from the Feast the people began to wait for the spring and the coming summer and the food was conserved and meals were made smaller. Feast was originally associated with chaste and waiting. It is customary to make all kinds of divinations during the Feast, most of them associated with foreseeing from pools of water or wells. Those ready for marriage are to tie a long cloth around their neck.
Imperial Creed[]
As the world is only recently introduced into the Imperium, it is understandable that the Imperial Creed is not widely spread on world. High King of Prima Cajalax Maxia and his house acknowledges the Emperor as the Master of Mankind and a god. However, religious tendencies on Prima Cajalax have always been somewhat lacking and the world is rife with unsanctioned superstitions and folkloric beliefs. Missionaries of Ecclesiarchy have tirelessly proselytized the population on world, building temples and re-purposing existing monasteries and hermitages.
Locations[]
- Cajana - city of Cajana is the ancient home of the house Cajanus and is centrally located in the March of Cajania
- Heather Castle - castle of Cajana is the seat of Cajanus rule
- Port Magna - capitol of Prima Cajalax Maxia. Port Magna, Prima and Labarton are the three cities with dedicated ground-to-orbit launch platforms and space ports.
- Prima - city of Prima was built atop the original ground zero when the planet was colonised during the Dark Age of Techology. It is a major port-city and trade from Nearsteppes and Deer Isle to Walea and Linda's Land tend to go through Prima.
- Manufactorum Prima - large swathes of the city of Prima have been transformed by Adeptus Mechanicus into factories and workshops dedicated to the upkeep of the Knights on world. Manufactorum is ruled over by Lord Hypex Technicus Amira of Adeptus Mechanicus.
Government[]
After the triumph of house Cajanus, the world has been ruled by the High King of Prima Cajalax Maxia, title which has been held by the head of the house.
However; houses Leocreutz, Rastsen and Labarhsen-Midpoint are semi-independent, tied to the house Cajanus by treaties of alliance rather than subjugation. These houses are able to form off-world relations of their own and are allowed to wage war between each others or even against the vassalised houses of house Cajanus.
Houses Leocreutz, Rastsen, Labarhsen-Midpoint and Cajanus form the Senatorum Cajalax, body of governance where every Knight scion has a seat, except for the vassalised houses who only have one seat per house. Of course as the Knights of Prima Cajalax have eagerly joined the wars of the Imperium since the 404.M41, Knight Scions are often represented by their close relatives who may also hold more than one position within the government.
Knightly houses[]
- Cajanus - prominent house of Prima Cajalax. Hosts 51 Knights.
- Jernighsen - house in Long Island. Hosts 3 Knights.
- Swan - house in Camans. Hosts 2 Knights.
- Labarhsen-Midpoint - house in Long Island. Hosts 1 Knight.
- Leocreutz - house in Labaria and Leu. Hosts 4 Knights.
- Carideus - house in Bask. Hosts 4 Knights.
- Livius - house in Turquoise Lands. Hosts 3 Knights.
- Rastsen - house in Rastmark and Frosghan. Hosts 3 Knights.
Lesser Nobles[]
- Darby - rulers of the Deer Isle
- Norrena - nobles in the Walean Valley, best known of the Todd Petty-Lindhersen
- Oliver - nobles in the Leun Lowlands, traditionally chancellors of Castle Leocreutz
- Ridley - rulers of the city of Asaka
- Sha-Lias - house in Central Valley
- Undol - rulers of Rossau
Destroyed houses[]
- Acarhsen - house in Acaria, rulers of Kingdom of Acaria early-mid M41
- Arkwright - line ended in 362.M41, rulers of Kingdom of Arkland and Arhallan Hall
- Brimwylsen - cadet of Swan, house in Triland
- Duke - house in Arkland, rulers of Arhallan Hall and the Arhallan Hegemony early M39-218.M41
- Karlssen - destroyed in 363.M41, rulers of Grand Duchy of Cartania
- Labarhsen - house in Labarton, Labaria, rulers of Kingdom of Labaria
- Lindhersen - house in Lindor, Linda's Land
- Norrman - cadet of Labarhsen, house in Cania, rulers of Kingdom of Cania
- Norrskow - destroyed in 325.M41, rulers of Purple Alliance in early-M41
Military[]
Knights[]
Here are listed every Knight from Prima Cajalax Maxia and their Scion in 650.M41 as recorded in the Tome of the Knights in Gabriela Abbey.
| Name | Pattern | Type | House | Scion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colossus | Acastus | Porphyrion | Jernighsen | N/A |
| Wroth | Cerastus | Acheron | Cajanus | N/A |
| First of the Choir | Cerastus | Castigator | Cajanus | N/A |
| Righteous Judgement | Cerastus | Castigator | Cajanus | N/A |
| Steel Resolute | Cerastus | Castigator | Cajanus | N/A |
| Swordmaster | Cerastus | Castigator | Cajanus | N/A |
| Indigo Herald | Cerastus | Lancer | Livius | N/A |
| Jade Blade | Cerastus | Lancer | Livius | N/A |
| Shieldbreaker | Cerastus | Lancer | Swan | N/A |
| Swiftsilver | Cerastus | Lancer | Cajanus | N/A |
| Thunderer | Cerastus | Morta | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Baywatch | Dominus | Castellan | Carideus | N/A |
| Cygnar Iostia | Dominus | Castellan | Cajanus | N/A |
| Panthera Rex | Dominus | Castellan | Cajanus | N/A |
| Argent Giant | Dominus | Valiant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Lord Stalwart | Dominus | Valiant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Mountain of Acaria | Dominus | Valiant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Steelcracker | Dominus | Valiant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Crusader Incandescent | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Fierce Visage | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Frostgild Crusader | Questoris | Crusader | Rastsen | N/A |
| Lionheart | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Rockbreaker | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Stoat Defiant | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Stoic Eternal | Questoris | Crusader | Strand | N/A |
| Valiant | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Watchful Conqueror | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Will of Conquest | Questoris | Crusader | Cajanus | N/A |
| Brightsun | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Cania Eternal | Questoris | Errant | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Errant Infallible | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Fireheart | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Firestriker | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Herald of the North | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| High Pyre | Questoris | Errant | Labarhsen-Midpoint | N/A |
| Lord of the Flames | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Northscourge | Questoris | Errant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Seawatch | Questoris | Errant | Carideus | N/A |
| Tempestor | Questoris | Errant | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Archduchess | Questoris | Gallant | Jernighsen | N/A |
| Blazing Righteousness | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Choir of Clarendan | Questoris | Gallant | Jernighsen | N/A |
| Fury of the House | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Indomitable | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Ironstrider | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Lord Hel | Questoris | Gallant | Rastsen | N/A |
| Radiant Conqueror | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Serenity | Questoris | Gallant | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Sixth Wing | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Sovereignty | Questoris | Gallant | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Swankeeper | Questoris | Gallant | Swan | N/A |
| Thunderfist | Questoris | Gallant | Leocreutz | N/A |
| Thunderstruck | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Warriorclad | Questoris | Gallant | Cajanus | N/A |
| Eastern Pride | Questoris | Paladin | Carideus | N/A |
| Farsight | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| Heart of Acaria | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| Knight Exemplar | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| Lord Victorious | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| Silverclad | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| White Knight | Questoris | Paladin | Cajanus | N/A |
| Godfather | Questoris | Preceptor | Cajanus | N/A |
| Infallible | Questoris | Preceptor | Cajanus | N/A |
| Enmity Incarnate | Questoris | Styrix | Cajanus | N/A |
| Angelic Fortitude | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
| Puissant | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
| Red Avenger | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
| Redemptionist | Questoris | Warden | Livius | N/A |
| Seraphon | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
| Warriorheart | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
| Werewatch | Questoris | Warden | Carideus | N/A |
| Winter Knight | Questoris | Warden | Cajanus | N/A |
Freeblades[]
- Mountain King - disarmed in 243.M41, originally Knight of the Leocreutz but was given to Sha-Lias after the fall of the Kingdom of Cania in 390.M41, was mounted by Leon Leocreutz in 391.M41 who was overcome by the machine spirit and the Knight disappeared into the Barren Lands
Cartanian Heavy Cavalry[]
Cartanian Heavy Cavalry is an ancient cavalry formation on Prima Cajalax. These cavaliers mount bipedal walkers - not unlike the ironstriders of Mechanicus - which are equipped with autocannons. Traditional gear of the cavaliers also included a lance but after being reintegrated into the Imperium, Manufactorum Prima has been able to manufacture hunting lances similar to other rough rider units of the Imperial Guard for the Cartanian cavaliers.
Since the Cajanese-Imperial Alliance, the Cartanian cavaliers have been formed into formations capable of fighting alongside the Imperial Guard regiments. These cavaliers are usually assigned into same warzones as the Knights of Prima Cajalax but have also fought on their own.
Knightguard[]
Every Knight, that leaves Prima Cajalax and joins the Imperial wars off world, is joined by the knightguard. Knightguard is a very prestigious post and usually the members of each Knight's knightguard are handpicked from the footguards of their personal demesne. Their duty is to carry the standards of their lord and to play marching songs of their homeworld. Traditionally it has also been the knightguard that has removed the fallen knight scion from within the Knight and carried back home. In the times of the Imperium however knightguard serves more like the Secutarii of the Titan Legions, even if not as well equipped or physically augmented.
Order of the Enthroned Will[]
- Main article: Order of the Enthroned Will
The Enthroned Will keeps a mission of twenty four Sororitas on world to guide and protect the high king. They are equipped with Dorothea pattern Adepta Sororitas boltgun and the standard Sororitas pattern power armor.
Planetary Defense Forces[]
Planetary Defence Forces (PDF) of Prima Cajalax are known as the "footguards", even if not all troops part of PDF fight on foot. After the contact with the Imperium and Imperialisation of Prima Cajalax, High King Jeremias II Cajanus demanded the rights to arm his citizens with weapons that could oppose interstellar forces. Adeptus Mechanicus contingent led by Lord Hypex Technicus Amira provided King Jeremias II the means of production and the muskets of the footguards were replaced by autoguns and culverins by autocannons. Lord Hypex Technicus Amira assisted King Jeremias II with designing formidable planetary defenses with such weaponry even uneducated, low-life peasants could man them.
Skitarii Contingent[]
Lord Hypex Technicus of Prima Cajalax, who has been techpriest Amira since the signing of the Cajanese-Imperial Alliance, is allowed to occupy notionworthy areas around the city of Prima. Lord Hypex Technicus Amira's personal retinue is made up of fifty - or so - Skitarii Protectors armed with high-powered laser and plasma weaponry, hand-crafted by Amira's techpriest associates. Manufactorum Prima is guarded by Skitarii Cohort Prima which is built of several hundred autoweaponry-equipped hyspasists.
Notes[]
- Noble houses on Prima Cajalax may be written as being "knightly" for them partaking in a more "traditional" cavalry formations that were used by certain factions on planet. When I talk about the Imperial Knights, however, "Knightly" is always capitalised to separate it from the "lesser" nobles and dynasties.
- This article is part of a community project "Eressa sector". However, its contents are solely written by User:RemosPendragon who wishes that its contents would not be changed without his consent.
References[]
- ↑ As the House Cajanus won the civil war, world was named as "Prima Cajalax Maxia". Here initial city was Cajana, its rulers members of House Cajanus, it was located in an area of Cajania, which was translated to High Gothic as Cajalax. The system became known as Cajalax Maxia which is the "Greater Cajania", and the system's main world was Prima. Hence, Prima Cajalax Maxia translates to "Capitol of Greater Cajania".
- ↑ As one year on Prima Cajalax is 420 Terran days, the Truce was to end in 392.M41
- ↑ People from the world of Prima Cajalax Maxia are known as "Cajalaxian(s)" and people from the area of Cajania as "Cajanian(s)".
- ↑ 86 Terran years
- ↑ 56 Terran years
- ↑ 75 Terran years
- ↑ "Petty" was prefix for his surname; "Petty-Lindhersen". Todd Lindhersen was originally from the house of Norrena of the Walean Valley.
- ↑ 77 Terran years
- ↑ Daughter of Alexander II Lindhersen's second son King of Walea Sander I Lindhersen.
- ↑ 78 Terran years
- ↑ Period from 212.M41 to 332.M41. 120 Terran years and 104 Cajalaxian years.
- ↑ At the time his whole title was; the Most Puissant King Lonan Cajanus of Arkland, Grand Duke of Cartania, Suzerain of Arhallan Island, Margrave of the March of Cajania, Duke of the Sword of Osse and Serene Sovereign of Osseto.
- ↑ 30 Terran years.
- ↑ Rapier Laser Destroyer of an ancient design.
- ↑ Andreas II was the grandson of Margrave Jeremias' brother Sir Adolf. And son of King Andreas I Cajanus.
- ↑ In 9.178.391.M41
- ↑ 12 Terran years.
- ↑ Intellectual of Gabriela Abbey was Sister-Missionary Clotilde "Starchild", of the Missionaria Galaxia. Her methods of proselytism included creation of astrological and astronomical maps and divinations to prove herself as an envoy of the divine.
- ↑ These forty eight missionaries who left from Opburg to the north continued their duties until their deaths and became known as the Icy Waters Evangelists.
- ↑ Cajanian rulers count Margrave Jeremias of Cajana as the first king of Cajania, even if he did not assume that position before his death, and so in 395.M41 Jeremias Cajanus received II as his regnal ordinal.
- ↑ Five sons of Cain Cajanus became known as the Apostles of Cajanos. They were later venerated by sector synod.
| Eressa sector | |
|---|---|
| Sector Planets | |
| Imperial Worlds | Animos · Beyonne · Palavo · Prima Cajalax · Sennach · Tirithond · Watch Fortress Malepertus |
| Rebel Worlds | AMS-622A3 · Chodounska · Mariposa · Phaalia Triangle · Stahlrose · Tevrova system · Yaelea system |
| Eldar Worlds | Craftworld Baharruin · Dyann Ag'dris · Faen-Sho · Galanvyn · Mal-Therith · Tar-Caldeen |
| Others | Rolgreg · Siccaro · Todenheim Gate · Ushug · Uzzoz |
| Notable People | |
| Black Tortoise Society | |
| Others | |
| Related Forces | |
| Human | House Decebal · Artemisia Armored · 616th Fighter Wing · Battlefleet Eressa |
| Xenos | Da Meteork Skwadron · Kabal of the Silver Wisp |
| Others | Janus Clique |