25M256
The
Knightly Order was formed at the beginning of the Age of Strife. It
was to be an order, rather than a household, as its founders from
Terra were more scholars and keepers of the ancient manuscripts of
pre-dark age histories. The texts, books and scrolls they kept were
so old that some could not be removed from their stasis cubes to be
transferred to the safer storage devices of this era.
These
were not
hidden histories,
but parts of humanity that had been forgotten. Mostly tales
of knights and battles and histories of ages that were no longer
relevant. Times before machines
fought wars for humanity. Many amongst the ranks of the Ordo
Scolastica deemed their continued existence to be a waste of
resources. And so the Order was formed of the few that considered
these works of the early days of humanity to be records of a time
that would repeat again. Times of fractured houses and knights
sent to war against each other. And by the time of the Great Heresy
they were justified, and ready to face their foe
29M984
Lion
el'Johnson arrives on Telka. After being brought back into the
Imperial fold of his father and reading of the knightly houses, his
first visit was to Telka. It was on this world where he believed the
Order of the Last Dawn finally colonised. Taking a small contingent
of his 1st Company,
he found eventually them.
The
world was not far removed from Caliban. Forests and jungles covered
much of its surface and it was clear that the knights here were of a
different breed. Honour and fealty went hand in hand with the ancient
and amazingly well-cared
for suits of Castigator, Lancer and Acheron armour. The early
Mechanicum envoys that went with the original colonists had been
among the most senior priests of Mars. Knowing that the technology to
keep the books in such pristine condition was something sacred, they
could not leave without studying it. They welcomed the Knights and
merged with the Order to
became
a single entity. Machine Lore and the books of a forgotten age were
both taken with equal solemnity. The secrets of both were shared and
a revived Order was reborn,
knowing
their armour because they had helped build it.
The
head of the Order, Arator, met the Lion on their jousting fields and
immediately swore loyalty to him. Seeing in him all the qualities of
a knight in any age of man.
It
transpired that the system of worlds ruled by the Order had faced
countless wars since loosing touch with humanity. Eldar, Ork, and
even the tentative raids by other knightly households that they had
swept aside with ease. And with the tactical help of the Dark Angels
by their side they tore apart the strong holds and worlds lost in the
5000 years of silence.
30M150
The
Order and the Dark Angels Were now one and the same. The ancient
volumes had been entrusted to the Lion to safe guard on Caliban and
instead of freeblade knights running to see the galaxy with other
households or legions, the freeblade knights of the Order swore oaths
of blood to the Lion and painted in the colours of the legion, they
would march as honour guard.
Known
for their joy in battle and camaraderie with the space marines, they
were a welcome addition to Crusade.
30M200
+++++++ HISTORIES EXPUNGED ++++++++++
41M959
Nearly
10,000 years passed between the Heresy and the knights of the 41st
millennium. Now a Household with its banners proudly displayed the
knights still hold the heraldry of the Dark Angels,
however they
no
longer
fight along side them. Amazingly they still hold all the patterns of
armour that had fought against Horus and the traitors. It is widely
believed that the stasis technology that kept their books and
treasures in such pristine order were also used to keep the armour
and even pilots for a time when they would be needed again.
Colours
and heraldry:
While
red features prominently within the colours of the house it was made
very apparent that this had nothing to do with the Mechanicum
of today. The majority of knights in the household are coloured red,
black, and white. One or two knights choose to be black or white
knights. Both a type of freeblade yet still a part of the Order. The
Black and White seems to dictate that the knights are no longer
constrained by the hierarchy
of the Order,
making independent
choices
on the battlefield.
The
Skull has featured prominently in the strange and scattered heraldry
of the Order since its inception,
however,
most
knights’
colours and heraldry are left to the pilots. Many have given
prominence to the illuminated text from the manuscripts they have
protected through the millennia.
Thank you to John (www.heresyandheroes.wordpress.com) who has kindly given his time and expertise to making this read like something not written by a tired man.
