AuthorThe Drop Bear Au. During the time of the Great Crusade the members of the Hildoras family served under the banner of House Merodach and had a seat on the Baronial Court. When the Mechanicum exploration fleets found their home world of Olara House Merodach swore oaths of fealty to them, however, those of the Hildoras family voiced their concerns of this new alliance. Soon the Knights of House Merodach went out into the galaxy and won many victories for the Imperium. But it was short lived. Warmaster Horus turned against his father and plunged the galaxy into civil war. The masters of House Merodach called a Court meeting to decide their allegiance. The Mechanicum representative stated their fealty was to Horus, but they had no say in the Courts decision. After much discussion they too decided to side with Horus, however, the Hildoras family strongly disagreed with this decision stating their true fealty should be to the Emperor and Imperium as a whole. They were overruled by their masters. Soon enough House Merodach had their fleet ready to depart and begin their participation in the Horus Heresy. Upon arrival to their destination it was noticed that every ship containing members of the Hildoras family had failed to muster. They had broken their oaths to House Merodach and Mechanicum, a most heinous crime in the eyes of their former lords. Duke Damyan Adoniah - youngest son of the House Hildoras family, still loyal to the imperium. That was the day House Hildoras was born, and they began their own campaign of liberating planets which had fallen under the traitors’ banner and restoring Imperial order to them. One such world was that of Ceatania. A gruelling war of attrition was fought between the traitor Imperial Army garrisoned there and those of House Hildoras and a rag tag local militia. Casualties on both sides were great, and many knights fell, but in the end the traitor armies were defeated. During the aftermath the locals offered the Hildoras family an opportunity to remain, an offer which was gladly accepted, as they had no home to go to and a bond of blood had been developed between them. Being Ceatania’s saviours they were given control of the planet, the head of the family Artur Hildoras was declared Sovereign who began the long and arduous job of rebuilding the planet. At the end of the Horus Heresy House Hildoras had continued its campaign of liberating planets, many of which were in the surrounding systems of their new home. Soon enough the armies as part of the Scouring reached them. The first fleets to come into the Ceatania system were that of the newly formed Adeptus Mechanicus. When they contact was made it was very clear that the Adepts of the Machine God should leave swiftly or be forced to leave. Begrudgingly they obliged, and not long after an Imperial Navy fleet entered, who were welcome with open arms on Ceatania. The Sovereign spoke of their distrust of the Mechanicus due to past dealings. During this time House Hildoras swore a new oath, to the Emperor himself, to always come to the aid of any Imperial call to arms and begin their road to recovery for breaking their former oaths. Since that day they have done just that. All calls for aid that the Knights of House Hildoras received have been accepted, and as a result they have won many battle honours and are now held in high regard to their surrounding systems and any Imperial Guard armies they fight with. On the other hand, when requested to aid the Adepts of Mars, no aid is given, for their distrust of them runs deep, even to the present day.
As a result of their distrust of the Adeptus Mechanicus they have been left to become quite self-sufficient. The knowledge of how their machines of war works is held within. Whole families have been employed by the House to keep this knowledge and pass it down to the next generation, they have become known as the ‘Maintainer Families’ a position held in high regard and rank within House Hildoras, only behind the Knight Pilots, and of course, the royal family. The other issue which rose was that of acquiring supplies, for much of that is supplied by the Mechanicus. That has been overcome by many dealings with Merchant Trade families and even Rogue Trader dynasties. Having an entire Knightly House on their side is highly sort after, many are more than happy to give their services, however they are aware that House Hildoras has strong oaths to the Emperor and Imperium, this is a condition that must be accepted, or no deal can be attained. At the end of the 41st Millennium the daughter of Sovereign Artur Hildoras, named after the founder of the house some 10,000 years prior, was sent from Ceatania headed to Aetera, the capital world of the Calamus Sub-sector. Her duty was to find a suitable merchant family or rogue trader to begin negotiations with as a former trade partner had been all be destroyed in an Ork invasion of their home even before members of the House could arrive. Jessonya Hildoras, even in her teens, had become quite the negotiator and was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in her own right, her father always saying she took after her mother in that sense. However this trip was different, at time of her departure Artur was still on campaign, so he could not escort her as is tradition, so the decision was made to send her daughter on a merchant ship returning to Aetera from a supply run to Ceatania, as to avoid any unwanted attention. Jessonya never arrived at Aetera. During the voyage the galaxy tore itself in half as Cadia was destroyed and the Great Rift manifested itself. What happened to Jessonya and the ship she was on is to this day unknown. When the enormity of the situation was realised, Artur recalled the entire House back to Ceatania, to regather themselves and prepare for the wars to come. On his return journey Artur discovered his only daughter had not arrived at Aetera, nor had she been heard from. Fearing the worst Artur ordered his ship change course and also sending a message home to his eldest son and heir, Athurus. ‘My son, I am not coming home. By now you would also know that we have lost contact with your sister. I myself will take on the mission of finding her. Do not come looking for me. I swear to you and our family, I will return with Jessonya, or I will not return at all. In the meantime I am leaving rule of the House over to you. Coordinate our forces and prepare for war like we have not experienced since our forefathers during the Heresy. I have every faith in you my son that you will bring victory and honour to our family, much like you have on countless other occasions. Attached to this message is my personal seal to authenticate my decision to the rest of the Court. Stay true to our Oaths, as I know you will. Peace be with you, for the galaxy will give you known. Soveriegn to the Noble Knightly House Hildoras Artur Hildoras.’ When the Court heard this news there was outrage. How could their Sovereign seem to abandon them in this time of need? It was Sovereign Prince Athurus Hildoras who swayed them to reason. All knew their ruler loved them, but he also loved his daughter, who they all knew he saw as the last piece of his fallen wife. Also the fact that he had sworn an oath to bring her back, or die in the attempt. For now, there were bigger issues to attend to. Those early days were trying. Not since the Heresy had war come so close to home. Calls for aid from a large part of House Hildoras’ friends and partners came in, all of them were answered. On some occasions they could only spare a single knight to send in aid, but they answered when their oaths called none the less. There was some reprieve when the Indomitus Crusade arrived, bringing fresh forces to their small section of the galaxy. Allowing House Hildoras to regroup slightly. Athurus during this time had gone above and beyond, not only as a battlefield commander, but ruler of his House and people. No word from their Sovereign had been heard since his message to Athurus, however tales of a lone knight coming unannounced to the aid of beleaguered Imperial Forces or appearing seemingly from nowhere to change the tide of a battle began to trickle in. Immediately they all knew it was Artur, still doing his duty while searching for his daughter. The reprieve House Hildoras experienced was very short lived, as word reached that Lord Commander Militant Lugius Tardivel had declared a Crusade of Reclamation within the Calamus Sub-sector. The Lord Commander himself requested the aid of House Hildoras during this, for which the Sovereign Prince gladly accepted, not just to aid the Imperial Forces, but to also search for clues of his sister, for he too wanted answers. For the first time in many years, House Hildoras would deploy as one and bring destruction to the Imperiums enemies. What was awaiting them, none could have predicted…
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AuthorA place were your army/fleet background and pictures can be published. Would ideally like to help contribute to the sectors narrative but its not necessary Archives
February 2022
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