#to challenge him and prove himself better and its huge event the emperor and all the nobles are there

[dmitriyuriev]

「これ大柑子十五あるベし」

"There are 15 oranges inside"

[koganeirou]

Alright I finished Crimson Flower and after letting my thoughts marinate for a bit, I decided to do a very long write up on my thoughts. Despite the fact that I made a beeline for black eagles the moment I got the game because I had an extreme feverish passion for El at first, my thoughts on this route are unfortunately mostly negative. This is the first and only route I played so far, and I know very little about the events that transpire in the other routes.

Five thousand disclaimers that these are just my opinions that may or may not change when I play the other routes and it’s not meant to discredit folks who like Crimson Flower. Also there will be spoilers.

For starters, I think the story does a terrible job at convincing you that Edelgard’s actions are justified or even necessary. This route felt less like fighting to change the world for the better and more like a savage conquest with every chapter being El going like “we gotta kill this guy now” and I’m like “but why” and El’s like “WE JUST GOTTA”. I guess the right way to say it is that El’s route lacked emotional impact. I could not celebrate her victories with her because my only reaction was “was that really necessary” and “buddy why”. It ultimately felt like El was simply solving problems by creating more problems.

Instead of just saying “I want to uproot a societal system from its core so I have to overthrow the Church”, the story opts for El to give incredibly vague and wishy washy reasons on why the Church Is Bad. Something something, they’re not really humans and twist history??? The story forces you to do some crazy mental gymnastics to try and see El’s side of the story when everything just boils down to “Crests are Bad = Church is Bad”.

In Part 1, there was a lot of build up of the church’s obvious corruption and how they’re not to be trusted, but the build up falls flat because the story tries to make the reveal of Rhea’s beast form be the damning thing to convince the player that the church is so terrible that they have to be stopped even at the cost of thousands of lives... and well... in a franchise where almost everyone is secretly a dragon, that just did not sell me. 

We’ve been knew that Crests Are Bad but does that justify sacrificing thousands of lives to upheave the church? I dunno man..................................... the story doesn’t really put much effort to convince you that this is the Only Way and it doesn’t feel like El has put much thought into trying alternative solutions before jumping straight to murder because it was the easiest solution. Which sucks because I think exploring El’s methods and mindset would definitely make for an interesting conflict. The whole idea of if war is never justifiable, is it better to let everyone remain suffering under the status quo forever? El’s belief that nothing will change unless she takes direct action has validity to it, but the game just expects you to agree with her from the get go so El never truly has to stand firm and defend her values.

Edelgard’s decision to unify Fodlan is something I really, really side eye. She’s straight up invading sovereign lands and putting them under her own rule of her own volition. While yes, Church Is Bad, barging into someone else’s land uninvited to dictate how they rule their government and “fix their society” is ultimately something I find incredibly self righteous and arrogant. This idea of “fighting for peace” through not just instigating a war, but going on a violent conquest just seems... disingenuous to me? How does she plan on dealing with the lingering resentment from the folks whose land were conquered? She’s just replacing the crest system with an Empire who will murder anyone who stands against them which... makes her literally no different from what Rhea was.

The above point is mainly due to her whole tirade into the alliance which just felt extremely unnecessary, especially when Claude was trying to keep the alliance in a neutral stance. El’s reasoning for conquering the alliance because “some of the nobles oppose me” was really flimsy like... maybe they wouldn’t oppose you if you just left them alone instead of making them choose between handing over their independence or having their land burnt to the ground. 

Her dialogue with and about Dimitri is ridiculous because she criticizes him for being consumed by hatred and obsession and “losing his path as a king” but...... bruh, you’re STILL invading his country, so even if Dimitri wasn’t a raging murder man, he’d still oppose you because did you just expect a king to simply Hand Over His Land and not defend himself????? 

The absolute worst, worst part of CF isn’t even Edelgard herself but how the other students react to her. It feels like none of the beagles and especially the other house characters except Lysithea have any real reason to side with her, and even if they did (which wouldn’t be surprising because we see how the crests ruined so many lives), these valid reasons are never brought up and it’s overshadowed by almost everyone lamenting “is this bloodshed even necessary?” (news flash: probably not). But why the FUCK are you guys even siding with her in the first place if you're gonna regret it afterwards or don’t actually agree with her? You don’t just side with an instigator of war with half baked resolves, and the convictions of these characters aren’t even quarter baked. 

This wouldn’t be too bad if not for the fact that the beagle kids themselves also seem to have more reasons to turn on El than to fight for her. Especially when Edelgard has done nothing to ever prove herself trust worthy. Hell, CF is kicked off with Edelgard betraying everyone and revealing herself to be the Flame Emperor, which is literal admittance to her association with the slithers. Yet no one seems to put two and two together and just decides to blindly trust and follow her without second thought because... why? Who knows!!! As Sothis so eloquently puts it, they’re all boulders just rolling down whatever hill they’re on, and I could not stand how little agency and independent thought that the other characters showed. It felt like El was the driver while everyone else was just strapped into the passenger seat, mindlessly going along with the ride. No questions, no thoughts, no challenges, and to top it off, it doesn’t even feel like any of them truly believe in what they’re fighting for because they never bring up the validity of El’s ideals or the consequences of her actions. 

The beagles had the group dynamic of a wet paper bag. Lysithea is the one of the only characters who actively shows any real agency for fighting for Edelgard and firmly voices how El’s goals compare to her personal values, which is a stark difference to everyone else who has a "¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess this is my life now” type attitude to an infuriating degree. 

Byleth siding with El also has me doing extreme shifty eyes. I can get behind them making an emotionally charged decision to defend her from Rhea but holy crap I saved you from Rhea because I didn’t want you to die, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving you the okay to murder all your classmates!! The game expects the player to take a huge leap of faith when siding with Edelgard, thinking “she has to have a proper explanation for this” and cue.... no explanation ever, until like... five years later. El’s relationship with the beagles felt disingenuous because she actively breaches the trust of others, lies to others, hides crucial information from others (slithers, anyone?), and nobody cares. She straight up lies about the church nuking Arianrhod and it’s never addressed.

The issue with the slithers and Byleth’s dad is even worse because it is never addressed until well into the route, and it’s brought up by not El, but fucking Hubert. Not to mention El is giant jackass to Byleth after their dad died even though he died because of her damn accomplices. We’re supposed to just lie down and accept the slithers’ presence because “well they’re necessary for our plans” even though we curb stomped the entire continent by ourselves, so I dunno why we can’t just shank them now. The slithers literally did nothing aside from chill around, maybe blow up a city or two to spite El. It’s ridiculous how the organization who is directly responsible for El’s abuse and trauma has no on screen resolution when frankly, I think the slithers deserve El’s animosity far more than the church. 

Despite my extreme criticism towards El, I want to stress that I don’t hate El. In fact, I love her character a lot and I think she’s really fascinating. However, I think CF really shot her characterization in the foot because it doesn’t feel like El really grew or developed or changed. She stubbornly believed that her actions were right at the beginning and by the end of the game, she still believes her actions were right because the story doesn’t really bother to try and prove her otherwise. I just think she’s much more suited as an antagonist, and I’m excited to see her portrayal in the other routes. Sorry El, I love you, but I would never in a million years side with you.

To end this salt fest on a positive note, I will say the route had three things I enjoyed: the ending, Mercedes and Jeritza’s support, and Edelgard and Lysithea’s support. Seriously, I would not have so many complaints if the rest of the route had the same amount of emotional tension and feeling as El and Lysithea’s support. I enjoyed the ending fairly much; the final battle in the burning city was epic as hell and so was the final cutscene. The scene where El sobs in Byleth’s chest after Byleth’s heart beat returns was extremely touching to me. So because I liked the ending enough, at the very least I was able to finish the play through on a somewhat content note. Also random side note but Edelgard’s seiyuu is amazing.

Anyway my order from favourite to least favourite beagle kids are Dorothea > Edelgard > Ferdie > Bernie > Linhardt > Petra > Hubert > Caspar.

tldr: my experience with crimson flower

[asktheadeptus]

House Cadmus

"He must be humble of heart, strong of arm, Be savage in war, loyal to hearth, And follow deeds of Glory. He must keep honour with all, Banish cowardice from his doings, And bring his House no shame. He must serve the Emperor, And defend the Imperium. Thus should a Knight rule himself."— The Chivalric Duty, Aquitainus Malory Cadmus, M31

House Cadmus is a Loyalist Imperial Knight House which formerly had strong ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus. House Cadmus hails far to the galactic south from the heavily forested Knight World of Raisa. Proud and autonomous, the Knights of Raisa have only ever accepted allegiance with the Imperium as equals, never considering themselves completely beholden to the High Lords of Terra. When the first Rogue Trader set foot upon Raisa he received a cold welcome from its nobles, and it was many years before the first tentative alliances were formed. They were equally resistant when forced to accept oaths with the Forge World of Gryphonne IV, in return for skilled Sacristans and the secret technologies of the Mechanicum. Despite the enduring independence of its nobles, House Cadmus has always honoured the Imperium's call to arms, and has ferociously fought its foes for millennia. In recent times, the fighting strength of House Cadmus has suffered greatly in defense of Gryphonne IV, supporting its Titan Legion, the Legio Gryphonicus, after it was overwhelmed by Hive Fleet Leviathan in 997.M41. The Forge World's destruction has, in turn, freed House Cadmus from their obligations to the Tech-Priests. The current High King, known to all on Raisa as Baron Roland of Swinford Hall, has embraced this change of allegiance, and his Knights now go to war whenever and wherever their lord wishes it.

House History

The remote world of Raisa was isolated from Mankind for thousands of standard years, perched on the edge of the galaxy and staring off into the void. This sense of far frontier is brought home each night to the men and women of Raisa when they look up and see one half of the sky glittering with stars, the other a void of empty space. For centuries only the Knights protected the people of Raisa from the dark things that crawled, stalked and slithered through its arboreal forests, and at night even the nobles retreated to their plateau fortresses, leaving the wilds to the beasts and other, fouler things that prowled in the murk. Most feared of the denizens of the dark Raisan woods were the golems. Elemental creations of wood and stone, each golem was a tangle of sentient vines and trees given life by strange energies from the void. With granite fists and obsidian talons a golem was capable of punching through the carapace of a Knight and tearing out its pilot. The only way to kill a golem was to rupture its stone heart, the living rock at its center in which the resonating energies that held it together dwelt. In a standard century-long conflict known as the Golem War, the Knights hunted down and vanquished the terrifying beasts, shattering the resonating spires from which they were birthed. It was from this war that Golem Keep, House Cadmus' ancestral home, earned its name -- its thick granite walls constructed from the dead stone hearts of the slain creatures.

The Cull

With the golems gone, races of primitive Abhumans flourished in the forests of Raisa. Though these were little match for the nobles astride their Knights, in large numbers the creatures could threaten the houses and their provinces if left unchecked. At times, whole communities would disappear overnight to the depredations of the mutants, who would melt back into the forests before the vengeance of the nobles could find them. So it is that now, on Midsummer Eve each year, the nobles gather at Golem Keep to take part in the great hunt known as the Cull. Born of necessity, the Cull was at first a way for the nobles to ensure that nothing ever again challenged their mastery of Raisa, as the golems had done in times past. The Abhumans were the primary target of the Cull -- though primitive they would occasionally raid the edges of the plateau cities. Where these Abhumans came from is unclear, though there are tales told by superstitious peasants that they are a debased off-shoot of the original human settlers, sharing a distant if dubious ancestry with the noble houses. Whether there is any truth in this it does not stop the nobles culling their numbers, the highborn families content not to speak of such matters or to consider what they might mean.

The Cull has been undertaken for thousands of standard years, and is at the core of Raisan society. In the early hunts the nobles would crash through the forests in their Knights, guns lighting up the shadowy paths and clearings as they cut down anything larger than a vine-vole. At the end of the hunt the nobles would recount their kills, though there were never any true way of knowing how many actual Abhumans had been slain as little remained after Battle Cannon rounds and Reaper Chainsword blades had done their work. Over time the Cull evolved and became more efficient, especially once alliance was made with Gryphonne IV. The use of sophisticated Augurs and bioscanners allowed the Knights to detect the Abhumans through miles of shrouded woodland, and kill-counters were added to the Knight suits to remove any doubt as to who reaped the greatest tally. Eventually the Cull grew in importance to become the means by which the ruling lord of the house was chosen. This developed as a result of the favor bestowed upon the noble who claimed the most kills, and the subsequent influence he had on Raisa politics. The reasoning was to formalize this recognition by granting him lordship, with the understanding it would last for only a standard year until the next Cull. For the last thirty-two years Baron Roland of Swinford Hall has led the tallies of the Cull -- a feat unprecedented in the annals of the event. The other nobles of Raisa have recently entered into a rare accord, questioning whether it is right that prowess in the culling of base Abhumans should determine political might at all. To these dissenters Baron Roland has been heard to say that if they care so much who has lordship they should simply perform better in the Cull. It is well that a leader of such experience still rules, for the fighting strength of House Cadmus has suffered greatly in defense of the nearby Forge World of Gryphonne IV against the xenos menace of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

Hunting Lances

The nobles of House Cadmus have a reputation as peerless hunters, and there are few other Knightly Houses that can boast the same level of skill when it comes to running prey to ground. The development of hunting skills is a necessity in the wilderness of Raisa, and Cadman nobles are experts in controlling their Knights in dense surroundings like jungles and woods. The thickly forested continents of House Cadmus' homeworld are the proving ground for its Knights, the huge green-armoured walkers crashing through the foliage and sending wildlife scurrying off in all directions. From above, the Knights are difficult to distinguish, their Adamantium plates blending in with the forest canopy, and making them appear like the ominous shadows of undersea predators gliding through dark waters.

Young nobles sometimes disappear for solar months hunting in the woods of Raisa, taking with them a small company of retainers and a favored Sacristan. This can become a rite of passage of sorts, as the noble catalogs his kills and tries to out-do his peers by delving deeper into the wilds of the Knight World. Even in a Knight suit there are places that fathers warn their sons not to tread, though more often than not this only makes such sites more enticing. The Tangle is such a place, a briar patch of twisted trees and knotted undergrowth so thick it can snare a Knight. Rumour has it that in the wake of the Golem Wars not all the beasts were slain, and some survived by fleeing into the farthest regions of Raisa. Some families believe that there is a nest of golems within the Tangle, and more than one young noble has tried to find the truth for himself. Such hunts usually end with the Knights returning to Golem Keep, covered in mud and broken vegetation but empty-handed, though always with tall tales of "things" glimpsed through the trees or just on the edge of Augur range. These stories do nothing to sate the nobility and only ensure that a new generation of nobles will take up the quest.

Even when on campaign, House Cadmus Knights will engage in hunts, forming what are informally known as Hunting Lances to track and kill local creatures. On the Death World of Dynak, Knights of House Cadmus aided the Catachan 217th in defeating a major assault by Eldar Corsairs from the nearby Carrion Rift. After the Eldarhad retreated back into the Rift, the nobles heard tales told by the Catachans of a great beast sighted deep within the swamp-caverns of Dynak. The nobles immediately boarded their Knights and set off on a hunt that would take them across the drenched surface of the world and down into the vast network of fetid sunken caverns. Eventually the Cadman Knights cornered a gigantic leech-serpent, defeating the beast in a battle that raged for over an hour. The Catachan commander could only nod with approval when the Knights returned dragging the stinking, fanged head of the beast with them.

Edge of the Galaxy

Raisa rests upon the edge of the known galaxy, with nothing but darkness staring back at it from the intergalactic void beyond. It is little wonder then that it has suffered strange visitations from out of the Veiled Region. Over the centuries there have been scores of phenomena recorded by House Cadmus, each encounter or event carefully written down in the great Tome of Years held in Golem Keep. In the Year of Dark Rain, millions of obsidian meteors came hurling out of the galactic void, crashing down into the jungles of Raisa. Men foolish enough to try and drag the meteorite fragments back to their homes -- thinking they might have some worth -- grew sick and died, terrible black lesions covering their flesh. Eventually House Cadmus decreed the meteors forbidden and gathered together all they could find using Knight suits, sealing them in the depths of Golem Keep. However, those few men who looked upon one of the meteorites and lived whisper that they were covered in strange script and the crudely carved images of Knights.

During the Year of Haunted Worlds, a light fell from the heavens and landed deep in the woods of the Arborous Basin. That same night the baron left Golem Keep with a few of his men and took their Knights down into the forest. Rumours among the servants of the keep tell of the baron returning with a luminous casket of strange and alien design. Through its transparent lid a willowy woman could be seen, slender of limb and fair of hair with gracefully pointed ears. The same servants say the sleeping maiden was carried down into the vault to be hidden among the most sacred treasures of House Cadmus.

In the Year of Shrouded Stars, a huge comet filled the skies of Raisa wreathed in blue and white fire. As it passed near the Knight World tiny burning stars broke off from the comet and fell through the atmosphere. As they fell into the forest the stars resolved themselves into the broken wrecks of voidships, the comet itself an ancient and decaying Space Hulk. From within each vessel alien monsters and mechanical devils crawled out into the forests. That year the Cull hunted metal men and green-skinned xenos. Stories of the contents of Golem Keep have even reached the ears of the Inquisition. When Inquisitor Grumund took refuge on Raisa before travelling on into the Veiled Region, he casually asked Baron Roland about these whispers of alien objects and unknown obscura. Roland's response was merely a smile across the feasting table and a gentle reminder to Grumund that he was there as a guest, and should not trouble himself with the gossip of peasants. Glancing around at the room filled with House Cadmus nobles, all with eyes on the Inquisitor, he wisely chose not to press the point.

Notable Campaigns

The Death of Traitors (c.M31) - Horus lies dead at the hands of the Emperor. But so high is the cost of victory that many seek solace in hounding the fleeing Traitors across the stars rather than face the task of rebuilding the shattered Imperium. This campaign of vengeance is known as the Great Scouring. The surviving knightly houses with the strength to fight unanimously join in this crusade of retribution. Believing the honour of the many to be stained by the treachery of the few, the Imperial Knights hunt down the knightly houses that sided with Horus with extreme prejudice, seeking to redeem their tarnished reputation. Filled with righteous indignation, a combined strike force of Knights from Houses Cadmus, Terryn and Borgius annihilates the turncoats of House Devine as Imperial forces reclaim Molech.

Sport for Commorragh (154.M41) - A Dark Eldar raid captures a House Cadmus Knight for bloody sport in the arenas of Commorragh. He bravely duels the creations of the Haemonculi for thirty solar days before eventually being rendered down by three Engines of Pain.

Disaster on Nalibraxis II (632.M41) - During the Yoladrian Crusade, detachments from House Cadmus land upon the swamp world of Nalibraxis II. Marching in support of Catachan Jungle Fighter infantry regiments, the Knights are caught in a sorcerous ambush by the forces of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. With the Catachans dead or devolved into mindless Chaos Spawn, the remaining handful of Knights resolve to fight their way back to their extraction point. Power armoured automata and scuttling Daemon Engines surround them, yet the surviving nobles fight their way to freedom. After the battle, House Cadmus vows revenge upon the forces of the Thousand Sons, determined to expunge this stain upon their honour.

On the Trail of Traitors (883.M41) - Three entire knightly houses join forces with the renowned tank ace, Commander Pask, and his Cadian 423rd to exterminate a Renegade Titan Legion. All of the Knights at Pask's disposal are deployed in one of the largest armoured conflicts in the Imperium's history. Knight Anthonis, of House Cadmus, wins much honour during the final battle, preventing Pask's Leman Russ tankfrom being crushed beneath the mighty tread of the Traitor Warlord-class Titan Endless Hate by blasting apart the war engine's descending leg scant moments before impact. Pask survives to lead his force to a great Imperial victory.

Notable House Cadmus Knights

Coward's Bane - Baron Orlando's Imperial Knight Warden

Hunter's Fury - Baron Roland's Imperial Knight Errant

The Beast Killer - Sir Malcolm's Imperial Knight Errant

Hound of Raisa - Sir Roderick's Imperial Knight Paladin

Bloody Broadsword - Sir William's Imperial Knight Paladin

Notable Personnel

Baron Godfrey - From the foundation of their knightly house, the nobles of Cadmus were a fiercely independent breed, each family proud of their honour, deeds and heritage. It was this fact that made it all the more surprising when, in the early years of the 31st Millennium, Baron Godfrey signed a concordat swearing fealty to the nearby Forge World of Gryphonne IV. Their ruler's decision was met with unanimous uproar throughout the noble families of House Cadmus, who deemed the treaty to be a heinous betrayal of all that they stood for. Godfrey's most damning act of all was in changing the heraldry of House Cadmus. According to the knightly house's new patronage, it now bore the cog of the Adeptus Mechanicus at its heart. With the full might of the Cult Mechanicus behind him, none dared to oppose Godfrey openly, and he lived out his days like a feudal king.

Baron Orlando - Orlando is next in line to become one of the Twelve Barons of Raisa, and would likely be considered a rival to the ruler of House Cadmus. However, his disregard for the Cull -- the yearly event in which Raisa's Nobles hunt their planet's mutants -- ensures that he could never claim lordship of his house. For Orlando, slaying the beasts is an everyday task, not a sporting event. Thus, Orlando is content as ruler of Patton Hall, a keep in the most isolated province of Raisa. When called to war, Orlando pilots Coward’s Bane, his Knight Crusader. One of the eldest of Raisa's Knight suits, Coward's Bane still flashes emerald when its ancient ion shield repels a powerful incoming shot. Orlando’s Nobles all know well the thunderclap roar emitted when his Knight's gauntleted fist strikes home. It is a sound heard often enough, for Orlando is tasked with leading many campaigns -- a tribute to his fighting prowess.

Baron Roland of Swinford Hall - The current ruler of House Cadmus hails from Swinford Hall, a cavernous and luxurious wing of Golem Keep. Born of an old and powerful baronial family, Roland is an uncompromising man who does not lightly suffer the presence of fools. His courage in the face of adversity is legend. Baron Roland is a bold explorer and peerless warrior among the people of his homeworld, often spending long solar months on campaign. At his heart the old noble is a hunter and will seek out any chance to hunt a new prey or test his skills, even taking up alliance with the Adeptus Mechanicus despite his fierce independence. In times of war, Roland leads the Knights of House Cadmus from the front, resplendent in his modified Knight Lancer armour, to lay low all who oppose him. Unusually, Roland chooses to pilot a suit of Knight Errant armour when competing in the Cull, unwilling to claim an unfair advantage over his rivals by using the bespoke suit of armour afforded him by his rank. However, his unbroken run of thirty-two victories has long since silenced any critics who claimed he did not take the Cull seriously.

Sir Malcolm - One of the few surviving veterans of the war on Gryphonne IV, Sir Malcolm was instrumental in the defense of the Forge World's manufactorum district, eventually holding out alone against wave after wave of Tyranid assaults long after the Skitarii phalanx stationed alongside him had been overwhelmed.

Sir Roderick - Sir Roderick is a skilled and pitiless hunter, and the favoured lance-brother to Lord Roland. Though he has yet to beat Roland's impressive tally in the Cull, this noble has consistently ranked second behind the master of House Cadmus. This could be attributed to Roderick's unusual upbringing. Many years ago, Abhuman savages killed Roderick's noble parents while they were travelling to a council at Golem Keep. The young Roderick alone escaped to be raised by a hermit in the wild Raisan woods. For over a decade Roderick learnt to survive with only the weapons he could fashion form wood and stone. He was eventually rescued by Roland during a Cull, where the noble lord mistook him for an Abhuman and almost killed him. Roderick went on to reclaim his birthright and has risen to a prominent position within the Knights of House Cadmus. Roderick has put his hunting skills to good use on dozens of worlds, using his Knight to hunt down the foe relentlessly. The skills he learnt against the Tyranids on Galfranus would later serve Roderick well during the defence of Gryphonned IV. He would be one of the few survivors of that war, taking a heavy toll upon the Hive Fleet.

Sir William - When a Noble joins with the Throne Mechanicum especially young, as William did, it can alter his temperament, the feeling of invincibility that comes with being in command of a Knight suit filling his young mind with visions of glory. William's reckless nature brought him close to defeat numerous times -- his actions during the defense of Gryphonne IV against Hive Fleet Leviathan won him great glory but almost cost him his life. Having learnt little from the fall of the Forge World, William would repeat his mistakes on the Hive World of Vaen while fighting against hordes of Orks. Supporting a force comprised of Dark Hunters Space Marines in a first strike against ruined Hive City of Hyrdaxion, at first, they faced no resistance. Instead, they were lured into an uncanny trap located into a great central vault, where the whole structure was rigged into a vast mechanical slaughterhouse. Though William and his Knight suit Bloody Broadsword laid down a devastating barrage against the charging Ork mobs, there was no chance of victory. Only warning whispers from his Throne ultimately saved William and the Space Marines. Turning his gun on the hive wall, he blew a hole out into the dusty plain. At that moment the commanding Space Marine Captain ordered an orbital bombardment. William leapt his Knight clear at the last possible moment, crashing to the ground, shattering its legs and knocking himself senseless. When he came to, the voice of the Throne was for once blissfully quiet, and he enjoyed the sight of the xenos-infested hive burning brightly against the sky.

House Appearance

House Colours

The arboraceous Knight World of Raisa undoubtedly inspired the bottle green of House Cadmus' livery. The Knights are difficult to spot from above as they stride beneath the vast forest canopies of their homeworld -- an advantage they have utilised whenever faced with the threat of invasion. However, should Hive Fleet Leviathan ever encroach upon Raisa, not even the forests will offer the Knights sanctuary.

House Arms

When Badron Godfrey signed a concordat swearing fealty to the nearby Forge World of Gryphonne IV in the early years of the 31st Millennium, their coat of arms was changed, to bear the cog of the Mechanicum at its heart. They bore this symbol for the next ten millennia. However, the recent demise of Gryphonne IV beneath the onslaught of Hive Fleet Leviathan in 997.M41, has somewhat freed House Cadmus from their obligations to Tech-priests. To the horror of Raisa's Sacristans, but the delight of its noble families, Baron Roland has since reinstated the original heraldry of House Cadmus, replete with wings and the crest of a slain mutant.

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com

[aghiadghazal]

The Holy Stones

It was a cold and windy morning when Pingochi the 3rd woke up, I’ll just refer to him by his first name from here on. Pingochi was the first among his waddle (or group) of penguins to wake up. He was famous for being a ‘morning penguin’ and he always woke up the first, but he was also mocked for sleeping rather early in the night. It was cold, but Pingochi and his group have seen worse days.

It was October, and the worst has passed. It was a particularly tough winter and many penguins, including Pingochi’s best friend Tip, died in some of the harshest snow storms. But now they are looking forward to warmer weather until January when temperatures start dropping down again.

Our story takes place in Antartica, the biggest and driest snow desert in the world, with its horrific freezing winters yet mesmerizingly beautiful scenery. Absolute silence only interrupted by the occasional horrendously loud sound of glaciers crackling and breaking. Snow started melting in some areas, and it was time to get things done! Pingochi had a mission today, which he has been planning for quite a while now. He wanted to build his own nest, but this is no easy task. His nest needs to look pretty and well decorated, for he was told by his mom that only then he can catch the attention of the ladies.

Pingochi was an ambitious good-looking young penguin, full of energy and hope of finding a beautiful companion. He went out searching for nice round pebbles. He was a bit of a perfectionist, shuffling between pebbles looking only for the perfectly round and smooth pebbles, while he noticed some of his friends would pick whatever pebbles they could find.

Across the channel, on a big hill, lived a huge tribe of emperor penguins who are much larger than the regular penguins. A majestic species respected by all other penguin species. They are the tallest and heaviest of all living penguins, and known for their physical strength, yet they rarely resort to violence for they were very wise and reflective and could resolve their conflicts through dialogue. 
The hill on which they live is rather unique, it overlooks the ocean and has beaches full of colourful and transparent and perfectly smooth stones. Legend has it that ages ago, the Gods landed on their beaches and left those colourful stones as a token of appreciation for the emperor penguin’s wisdom therefore these stones are not only gorgeous but also blessed by the Gods. They also blessed their hill and granted it to them until eternity, so no other penguin species dares to step a foot on it. In reality, it was ships using the beaches as dumping grounds for their empty booze and beer bottles few decades ago, and with time, the waves have washed the broken bottles into millions of colourful round and smooth stones until environmentalists managed to put an end to their practice and now they dump their waste elsewhere.

All other penguin tribes respected and envied the emperor penguins for they sit on this invaluable fortune given to them by the Gods and they fear them because they believe they are the chosen ones and the Gods favoured them over all others.

However, since I mentioned that the emperor penguins are wise, they realised that they should share some of their wealth with the other penguin tribes to avoid any uprising for they are greatly outnumbered and can be easily toppled and driven away from their hill and valuable stones. They allow the chiefs of the different penguin tribes to collect some colourful stones at the beginning of every season where they can distribute them as they see fit.

Pingochi has inherited some blessed stones from his grandfather, and he has been acquiring some on his own over the past few years, so he could include them in his future nest. Over the past week, Pingochi was finalising his nest when he was asked by some of his friends to give them a beak and help them with his architectural skills to make their nests also look pretty. As he was busy helping out, he stayed away from his own nest for few days, however, when he returned to his place, he could see that most of his beautiful round and smooth pebbles, and specially the blessed ones, were gone! Clearly someone stole them and completely ruined his home! How will he attract any of the ladies now? Pingochi was outraged, screaming and flapping his flippers (wings) ferociously! How could this happen? He thought to himself.

He asked around and was quickly told that it was, as he suspected, Pingatto who committed that heinous crime. Pingatto was pingochi’s arch nemesis, their rivalry was known to the entire community, some say Pingatto was always jealous of Pingochi for his looks, some say because of his royal heritage for Pingochi came from a long line of rich aristocrats and his family was known across all the penguin tribes in Antarctica, however it was unprecedented for Pingatto to commit a crime of this magnitude! Therefore, Pingochi decided to take legal action. He headed to the local authorities and explained his situation, however they quickly informed him that this kind of crimes is ‘above their pay grade’ therefore he headed to the chief of the tribe.

“Do you have anything that proves your ownership of these stones Pingochi?” asked chief Fatping, it is not clear whether this was his actual name or simply a nickname given to him due to his big fat belly. He never liked the name because it reminded him of all the fish bribery he has been receiving over the years. “No” answered Pingochi in a tone ruder than he intended.

Fatping: Have you maybe laser engraved your name on them? Any witnesses? Or anything to prove your ownership? Maybe tax receipts, have you been paying taxes on the stones by the way? Pingochi: what? 
Fatping: never mind, in any case, I am afraid there is not much I can do for you, we could take it to the security council though and see if they can look into your case and maybe rule in your favour?

The security council was, of course, hosted by the emperor penguins on the top of their holy hill, with supreme judge Albert as the head of the council with permanent members representing 6 of the biggest tribes and temporary members representing the other tribes.

Amidst the negotiations and the back and forth between the members of the council, the bailiff who is guarding the gate to the council slams the doors open and hurries inside panting, and as he was trying to catch his breath he said “supreme judge, there is an alien who just landed on our shores, he calls himself human and would like to speak to you, he said he was sent by his race to learn more about us and our ways of living”

All the members of the council gasped, some out of fear, some out of excitement and others out of curiosity and all started talking among themselves indiscernibly, until the supreme judge slammed his hammer and said “quiet everyone, in light of the current events, the case of Pingochi versus Pingatto will have to be postponed until next month, and now I shall discuss the arrival of this human alien with my advisors”

My name is John and I am a scientist sent by SCAR “Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research” to learn more about your ways of living and understand your species better.

Though penguins generally don’t have land predators, Albert was skeptical and cautious of this human alien but tried to conceal his fear for he is the supreme judge and cannot appear scared. You interrupted a very important trial we have been discussing in the security council when you landed on our shores, said Albert with a tone of authority.

May I ask what was the trial about? Asked John as he pulled out a notebook and a pen.

And as soon as Albert told John the story of Pingochi and Pingatto, John bursted in laughter and said “you do realise that there is nothing holy or godly about these colourful stones, right”

Yes, I know, but only I and a small circle of my most trusted advisors know the origin of those stones.

Why don’t you tell the others then?

And lose the influence we have over them? Lose all the riches and tributes we receive every season for giving a way few of these stones?

But you have tons and tons of it, why not share more with the rest of the penguin tribes?

Then the stones lose their value, said Albert, the scarcer they are, the more precious. Then Albert put his left flipper (wing) on John’s right shoulder and said, come with me let me show you the view of our colourful beaches from the top of the hill.

But they are nothing more than stupid colourful stones! Said John, and besides, couldn’t you just grant Pingochi another nest somewhere else, it’s a huge land with endless amount of stones? Do you really need to argue over something so trivial as to who owns that meter squared area and ignore all the real challenges your people are facing such as preparing for the coming winter? Albert then got irritated with John’s condescending tone and interrupted him and said, please tell me of your ways then, human.

John chuckled and said, no no we are an advanced species, the most advanced on this planet and possibly the entire universe, and every other species is inferior to our intelligence.

Don’t you have any precious stones that are worth something? Or holy stone bestowed on you by the Gods? or holy land promised by the Gods like the big hill you are standing on right now? Don’t your people argue over pieces of land and draw lines in the sand?

And all of a sudden, the smirk on John’s face faded away and said “As a matter of fact, when you put it this way, we do actually have precious shiny stones that are of very little use yet of great value, we also believe in holy stones that were sent by the Gods, and some people still believe certain land was promised to them by God as well”.

I guess we are not so different after all, said Albert in a confident yet sarcastic tone before he pushed John off the top of the hill. As John swayed and lost his balance and was about to fall off the cliff, he hung to the edge of the cliff and with eyes wide open and full of fear, he looked up at Albert and asked WHY!!?

I cannot risk you telling the penguins about the secret of the colourful stones, and jeopardise everything my ancestors worked hard for .. he then pecked on John’s fingers with his sharp beak until John surrendered, let go and fell to his death.

The End

Note: This story is loosely based on true events .. maybe very loosely haha Dec. 24th 2018