Cardinal Knights

Cardinal knights
A gauntleted fist grasping a bleeding heart
Battle Cry	"One Heart of the Pure! One Heart of the Taint! We Carry both in our Chests!"
Founding	39th Millenium
Successors of	Ultramarines
Successor Chapters	None
Chapter Master	Puro Corazón
Primarch	Roboute Guilliman
Homeworld	Ashardalon
Strength	Half strength(About 500 Marines)
Specialty	Close quarters Combat/Terror tactics
Allegiance	Imperium
Colours	Blue and Red

Possibly one of the most metal Chapters fa/tg/uys have made with the creation tables, being an Ultrasmurfs succesor chapter that basically says 'Fuck the Codex' and LITERALLY takes out the hearts of their enemies, augments them, and then shove them into their own chest cavities. Yea... they are kinda crazy.

The Cardinal Knights

Founded in early M39 as Ultramarine successors, the Cardinal Knights are largely unique in their organization as well as their rituals. Upon their creation a unique flaw was found in their gene seed. In spite of being founded from the stable gene seed of the Ultrasmurfs, the Secondary heart was not usable. It was filled with benign tumours and essentially useless as an organ. Upon discovering this, the chapter began to evolve an unorthodox set of rituals, mainly involving replacing the second heart. Believing in the inherent weakness of their own heart the chapter sought out the hearts of worthy foes, heavily augmenting them with cybernetics, and using them to replace their own useless secondary hearts. In addition, a Neophyte must eat his own useless secondary heart before becoming a full scout, and it is not uncommon or a brother to have only one heart for long periods of time until he can find a suitable enemy. Largely using Ork hearts due to their relative strength, the chapter will sometimes use the hearts of renegades as well since they already fit rather nicely, after extensive augmentation and purification of course.

Currently the Chapter is lead by their Master of Sanctity and Chapter Master Puro Corazon, who has been entombed within a dreadnought sarcophagus after slaying the previous chapter master who was possessed and became a Daemon Prince of Khorne. He slew him by cutting open his chest, ripping out his heart and shoving it into his own chest cavity to make certain the Daemon could not return to the Warp. Suffice to say, they are pretty blood thirsty and big into the 'Rip and Tear' of other, similarly berserker loyalist chapter(see:Flesh Tearers), and are known for fielding every marine with a power fist and chainsword in addition to their Bolter and/or Bolt pistol. Their talent for CQB and their fearful rituals as well as the common tribal iconography of their armour they are quite talented with Terror tactics, using their screaming berserker nature to their advantage.

Also unlike their Progenitor, the Knights have a unique command structure. The Reclusiam, Librarium and Chapter command are all one, and every captain is both a Cpatain and a Chaplain or a Captain and Librarian. They also field no Devastators, believing their heavy ranged weapons to often destroy worthy hearts.

Homeworld

Ashardalon, located in the Segmentum Ultima near rhe Dominion of Storms, is a civilized ice planet.

Prior to it's rediscovery in M36 the people of Ashardalon were split between the barbaric nomad tribes and the city folk, who possessed technology on a level similar to late M2 Terra. All of the planet's cities were situated around Ashardalon's equator, as only there could the planet's temperature be considered pleasant. The tribesmen had learned to deal with the lower temperatures and roamed the planet's tundras a glaciers. To this day there is great distrust between the citydwellers and the nomadic tribes, with the civilized Imperial citizens believing the barbarians to be 'impure' and with the nomads believing the city folk to be foul sorcerers.

After their planet's rediscovery, life for the city folk has been relatively comfortable for the 41st millenium. They are not very likely to be eaten by a verocious predator of die from an infection. For the barbarians not much changed. The civilized people had no interest in sharing their newfound tech with what they percieved to be brutal savages.and thus the barbarians stick to their nomadic ways.

While the exact culture of the tribes is different from one to the next, certain beliefs are held by almost all. Even with their rudimentary understanding of the human body, they understand the importance of the heart. It pumps blood through their body and it is the heart that makes sure their bodies don't freeze. As such, a lot of the tribals' religious ceremonies involve the drinking and bathing in blood as well as the eating or stabbing of hearts, both human and beast.

When the prophecies leading up to the founding of the chapter were done and a homeworld for the new chapter was chosen, it quickly became obvious the the citydwellers would not provide the appropriate neophytes requires to create proper Astartes. Yet the Imperial citizens would not knowingly except the elevation of the barbarians into the ranks of the Astartes. As such, the recruitment process is largely done in secret.

Singular marines are sent out into the cold wastelands. There they observe hunters and warriors, looking for the strongest tribes. Then speak to the tribes' leaders, stirring up feelings of anger and displeasure,manipulating the tribes into sending their warriors to attack the cities. While the attacks are always stopped before they deal significant damage, those barbarian warriors that are deemed worthy are then taken by the Cardinal Knights to become Space Marines.

Specific Events/Campaigns

Traitors from within

The Cardinal Knights were not always led by Heart Taker, no their first chapter master was Alma Escura who had been leading the chapter for some 3 centuries before he started to hear a voice in his head, telling him to seek out certain hearts, giving him advice that always lead to victory. Little did he know that the voice was in fact a deamon of Khorne, who planned not only to use the chapter to allow him to enter reality once more, but also turn them into his own personal Astartes.

For over 40 years he guided them, pointing Escura in the directions that would benefit him and his lord, and after a while, began to slowly enter into the body of the chapter master, waiting for its moment to emerge, and drinking in the souls of those slain by the chapter.

Not all within the chapter however where convinced of the purity of their goals. Chaplain Corazón in particular, found the battles the chapter fought in to be interesting, and so began to try and find a pattern within their deployments. He noticed certain things in his research.

He noticed how the chapter would go to worlds that didn't seem to need aid, only for them to arrive just in time for them to meet some foe of the Imperium and catch them unawares, leaving them easy pickings for the chapter.

He noticed how, though they did battle with the numerous agents of chaos, very rarely did they face the servants of the Blood God, and when they did, it seemed to be only when others were in need of there aid to finish off the minions of Khorne.

He noticed how their chapter master had grown in combat prowess, how none could match him in the sparring cages, how no foe seemed to be able to do much but slow him down on the field of battle, and how he had recently taken to drinking the blood of his vanquished foes.

He noticed how many times the number eight came up in battle reports, be they numbers of guard regiments they fought beside, the total number of troops they deployed or even the total death toll.

He noticed the patterns the chapters deployments seemed to make, patterns that looked unusual to Corazón.

He saw all these things, things that may just be coincidences, but if the Chaplain knew one thing it was this: coincidences take a lot of planning.

And so he began to seek out other brothers in important posistions who where uneasy about the chapters victories, Epistolary Via, who had felt something prodding at his mind for some time now, Techmarine Cámaras, who had become concerned by the ins ructions he was given regarding the hearts meant for Escura and his closes subordinates, and Chief Apothecary Sangue, the oldest member of the chapter, who was troubled by the refusal of some of their brother to allow their gene-seeds to be tested,and the chapter masters refusal to allow him to force them to submit to testing.

With these members of the chapter wih him Corazón began to find those he deemed loyal to the chapter, and began to plan the downfall of the man he now believed to be in the clutches of Chaos.

Unbeknownst to Corazón however, the deamon's plan was reaching its endgame. Alma Escura announced a great celebration was to be had to commemorate 48 years of glorious victoris. Each side, unknowingly, had were planning to reveal their hands at this gathering.

At the hight of festival, Escura stood to make a speech. He spoke of the battles they had fought, the hearts they had taken, and the glories they had won, most of them alone. Alone, he spoke, because that was how the chapter was best, away from the Imperial Guard, away from other Space Marines, away from the Imperium entirely. And what thanks, he asked, had they gotten for these acts. None. Sure, the world's they battled on where grateful, but what could they offer ones as strong as they where, what could anyone in the Imperium offer them, really? The Imperium was dying, and why should they fight for the losing side, when their were other causes they could serve, with masters that would have greater rewards, gifts fitting of warriors of their standards. It was then that Corazón spoke up.

He stood and questioned who Escura masters where, what these gifts they could give them where, and just how he came to know of them. When no awnser came, he pushed onwards, throwing all the evidence he had gathered in his eight years of research out into the open. He demanded that Alma Escura awnser him one question, why did he secretly collect the skulls of his enemies? Corazón declared there was only one reason he would do so, that he served the Chaos God Khorne. The Chaplain decried that the chapter master of the Cardinal Knights was a heretic, a traitor and a willing deamonhost. He gave the assembled marines an ultimatum; stand with this villian and sell their souls to Chaos, or side with him and strike down this traitor to the chapter and The Imperium. The response was instantaneous. Brother turned on brother as the feasting hall desensitise into anarchy. What struck Corazón was the number who fought in his favour out-weighted thode who turned the back on all they had stood for. Seeing what he had caused, the Chaplain raised his Crozius and charged his former chapter master. But the deamon, fearing it's host would perish here, choose this moment to ascend. Though their spirits may have merged long ago, it was only now that they fused in body. The traitor's form warped and twisted into a Champion of Khorne, a form Escura felt could finally allow him to feast on all the blood and hearts he could want. But Corazón would not allow this heresy to continue.

Though a lesser man may have balked at the sight of this beast, the Chaplain was consumed with a fervour unlike any other. Though the deamon was far stronger, it was still in a new body, and this was an advantage that could be used. The battle only lasted minuets, but it felt longer to Corazón, who pushed his body beyond what even he though he was capable of as he duel with this beast of the Blood God.

Finally the creature grabbed him, crushing his torso as it did, and lifted him into the air. The thing laughed, and said that the Chaplain had picked the wrong side, that he should have sided with Chaos, and how he was fighting for a dead master in a dying empire. And it was in this moment of gloating that Corazón struck.

Activating the device that Via and Cámaras had created, he watched as the former chapter master stagger back, brought low by the null-field projector they had created. Broken, with both hearts punctured, Corazón knew what he had to do. He got to his feet staggered over to the deamon, and plunged his power fist into the foul creatures chest, ripping out the things still beating heart. He took the organ, ripped it free from the tubes connecting it to Escura body and with his other hand, struck the beast with his Crozius in the head, killing the weaken creature as the null-field had sapped most of its strength. Now can the tricky part.

Taking his weapon he cut a great rip in his chest and force the demonic organ in to the hole it created, knowing that with both his hearts ruptured, he had moments to live otherwise.

The heart seemed to squeeze itself into the hole, as though eager to take hold of the Chaplain. With his foe slain and his prize taken, Puro Corazón allowed himself to fall into the blackness of unconsciousness.

The Siege of Tellarix

For 7 years, the 5th company of the Cardinal Knights alongside a detachment of Salamanders held this lone hive city against an Ork Waaaaaagh!! Lead by Big Boss Wall-crusha, a renowned Orkish siege general.

for 7 years the Orks assaulted the city, being thrown back by the salamanders promethium and the Knights bolters. 3 Years in however, they broke the walls. The remaining 4 years were spent in a deadly street by street siege, with the Knights fighting viciously for every block, very step, every inch whilst the salamanders provided fire and protected the civilians. In the end, Boss Crusha fell like the rest, the Captain of the Knights claiming his heart for himself.

Though ssavage throughout the siege, they never harmed a civilian in all their blood lust, never gave in to hate, or despair... only fighting their enemies. Though taken aback by their culture, the Salamanders respected their piety, abilities, and ighteous fury... even with their strange heat fetish. The 5th company left with 62% casualties, the Salamanders left with only 22%, and the civilians lost 18%

Scouring of Goulfbadd

The backwater world of Goulfbadd had 1 strategically imprtant place, its massive Adamantium mines. After the forces of a Slaaneshi warband came to claim it, the Knights were dispatched, the entire 8th company.

The Slaaneshi force was at first easily repulsed, and the eigthth believed the fight had been beneath them... until they came back full force days later.

Outnumbered, outgunned, and with no way to call for backup the Knights withdrew into the mines, and fought a vicious gurreila war with the massive warband

Result

8th company - Annhialated to a man

Slaaneshi's - 87% causalties

The warband was crushed by the Imperial forces sent as backup, the Knights had no surviviors. What gene seed could be salvaged was returned to the chapter

Reform VS Fundamentals

Ever since Chapter Master Corazón gave himself to seal away the Daemon that had possessed Alma Escura a problem has arisen within the knights, many chapters have fallen into overzealous tactics that often get many of their own marines killed. Chapter Captains that use this to their advantage do not mind spilling marine blood in order to achieve their goal, especially if it means capturing an enemy's heart and inspiring zealousness in their troops. As a result the Chapter has become disorganized and hectic. Only a handful of captains have taken to reforming their marines by using themselves as figures of leadership and moral guidance, as a result some chapters are more disciplined and organized than others. Due to their weakened state from devastating campaigns an internal conflict would be incredibly costly on the chapter as a whole so all of the companies are hesitant to begin fighting over the matter. As it stands it's not clear if the more zealous and berserker like approach is better over more discplined and devout disciples but sooner or later one side will make a move to erase the other.

Chapter Leaders

Master of Sanctity, Chapter Master Puro Corazón, Heart Taker

Before Puro Corazón became the current Chapter master he served as a Chaplain Captain under Alma Escur; who had been Chapter Master for some 3 centuries before he started to hear a voice in his head, telling him to seek out certain hearts, giving him advice that always lead to victory. Little did he know that the voice was in fact a deamon of Khorne, who planned not only to use the chapter to allow him to enter reality once more, but also turn them into his own personal Astartes.