Jennika Tan Draconis

Hailing from the Knight World of Adrastapol, Jennika Tan Draconis is the older sister of High King Danial Tan Draconis. The High King appointed her as First Knight of House Draconis' ruling council in recognition of the skill as a warrior she displayed during the Donatos War.

On Adrastapol, she is justly celebrated as the slayer of Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, the would-be usurper who led the Renegade House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn to betray the Emperor and to kill her father, High King Tolwyn.

As the first female Knight appointed to this prestigious position in House Draconis' history, Jennika takes her duties extremely seriously, hoping to inspire more female Knights to pass their Rituals of Becoming and join House Draconis' fighting ranks. As the High King's right hand and supreme military commander of House Draconis, Jennika Tan Draconis has led the Imperial Knights of Adrastapol to dozens of beleaguered worlds, turning the tide of battle in favour of the Imperium countless times.

When the Orks of WAAAGH! Killfist fell upon her homeworld, Jennika Tan Draconis reluctantly decided not to fight the invaders, instead attaching herself to Inquisitor Tane Massata who had arrived on the eve of this Second Ork War.

This decision ultimately saved Adrastapol from destruction, for her exemplary conduct during the Inquisitor's mission made him reconsider his judgement of Adrastapol as a world hopelessly corrupted by Chaos and abort the Exterminatus action he had already ordered unleashed upon the Knight World.

History
Jennika Tan Draconis is the first child of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis and High Queen Polenna. As a female, Jennika was prevented by custom from serving as her father's heir, a fate that was cemented by the birth of her younger brother, the current High King of Adrastapol, Danial Tan Draconis.

Jennika's early years were spent in the company of her younger brother and his childhood friend, Luk Tan Chimaeros, the future Knight of Ashes. Such were the bonds of friendship forged in those years that even during the Second Ork War the three would blindly follow each other into the thickest fight. Perhaps it was ultimately this close proximity with the male heirs of House Draconis and House Chimaeros that guided Jennika's steps to pass her own Ritual of Becoming and become a fully-fledged warrior of House Draconis.

Like her brother, Jennika Tan Draconis was trained in the arts of war by High King Tolwyn's greatest warrior, his Herald, Markos Dar Draconis. Having bonded with the Knight Paladin Fire Defiant, Jennika fought in several smaller engagements that provided her an edge the younger Knights did not possess when the Adrastapolian Nobles were ordered by the Imperium to reconquer the rebellious world of Donatos Primus.

The Donatos War
By the time the Industrial World of Donatos Primus revolted against the Imperium, Jennika Tan Draconis had grown into a beautiful woman. As the daughter of the High King, her hand was coveted by numerous Nobles. Yet Jennika refused to consider marriage. Her skills as a warrior had been noticed by all, even her father, who had elevated her to his Exalted Court.

As Gatekeeper of the Draconspire, Jennika was tasked with the defence of the Draconspire, House Draconis' ancestral home and mighty fortress. Wishing to keep an eye on both his children, High King Tolwyn decreed that both Danial and Jennika would accompany him to Donatos Primus.

House Draconis was not the only Knight House to heed the Imperium's call, for the four other Houses of Adrastapol had also pledged their strength to service on Donatos, each House's lord traveling with his or her full Exalted Court and a sizable retinue of Knights and Sacristans. En route, the Adrastapolian Knights were joined by the promised Imperial reinforcements -- several regiments of the Astra Militarum, mainly constituted of Cadian Shock Troops and Mubraxis Dustdogs.

In accordance with High King Tolwyn's plan, the Loyalist forces landed on the Pentakhost Peninsula with the dual objective of capturing the freight terminal located on the shores of the Raekesh Ocean and using the peninsula's bottleneck to establish a clear beachhead for the coming Imperial invasion.

The Knights of Adrastapol used their Drop Keeps, larger and more heavily-armed versions of the Drop Pods commonly fielded by the Adeptus Astartes, to create a bulwark against any Traitor counteroffensive before clearing the peninsula from Chaos Cultists and Renegade Planetary Defence Forces.

Commanding her own lance, Jennika Tan Draconis deployed alongside several other Knights, including her mentor, the King's Herald Markos Dar Draconis, to watch over those young Knights entering combat for the very first time. She was particularly concerned about her younger brother Danial and their mutual friend, Luk Tan Chimaeros.

Facing only lightly equipped infantry, the Knights of Adrastapol easily vanquished their foes, clearing the Pentakhost Peninsula of enemy presence in a solar day and allowing the remaining Imperial troops to land safely.

With their base camp established, the army of High King Tolwyn pressed northwards. Because of the heavily urbanised terrain, the Knights' weaponry was ill-suited to driving the foe from cover without incurring massive civilian casualties. As such, the bloody business of clearing hab blocks and manufactoria fell to the men and women of the 454th Cadian Regiment, a unit that specialised in urban warfare.

A mutual bond of respect soon formed between the Nobles of Adrastapol and the Cadian infantry, though this affection was soon stretched to its limits.

Disaster at the Valle Electrum
After one solar month of continuous campaigning the enemy had been pressed back to the strategic location known as the Valle Electrum -- a valley whose mountainous surroundings had been further fortified to form a formidable line of defence. For any conventional army, the Valle Electrum would have been impregnable, but with the might of more than 300 Imperial Knights at his back, High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis was fairly confident of taking it in a single solar day with some aid from the Astra Militarum's artillery.

The Valle Electrum derived its strategic importance from the presence of two great conglomerations of Plasma Generators -- Generatorium One and Two -- which provided the northern hemisphere of Donatos Primus' defence network with energy. As long as the enemy held it, the fortresses and Macrocannon-batteries they controlled would hinder the Imperial campaign to reconquer Donatos Primus. If the Imperium achieved victory here, the rest of the planet would soon fall as well.

But as the Knights of Adrastapol stormed the enemy stronghold, calamity struck. The enemy's hordes of Chaos Cultists and Renegade Planetary Defence Force troops were suddenly reinforced by the very best fighters the the forces of Chaos could muster -- Heretic Astartes. This in itself was no surprise to the Imperials as their intelligence had already confirmed that the fanatic Word Bearers of the Scribed Blade warband were present on Donatos Primus. High King Tolwyn had warned his men and allies of what they would face, but what happened next took them all by surprise.

One of House Draconis' accompanying Sacristans -- Acolyte Haladexi -- discovered a ghost signal in the Noosphere. Before the Sacristans could properly identify it, the noospheric virus spread to all Imperial communication channels, attacking Vox-arrays and all sensors. One after another, the Cherubim of the Heavenly Host tasked with the Auspex-surveillance of the battlefield fell out of the skies, child-like winged bodies plummeting to the ground.

Larger vehicles such as Land Crawlers and Imperial Knights were less affected, but still the digital virus afflicted communications and made targeting systems unreliable. The only units unaffected were the Knights of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn. The reason for this soon became all too clear when the lead Knights of House Chimaeros opened fire on their Draconis allies.

In a matter of solar minutes, the coordinated Imperial charge devolved into anarchy. Betrayed by their fellow Knights, the Imperials suffered dearly. Shot from behind by the Renegade Knights while their Ion Shields were still angled towards the enemy before them, several dozen Knights of House Minotos, House Pegasson and House Draconis were toppled. Virtually blind, surrounded on all sides and with their communication network still in tatters, the Loyalist Knights began to fight back.

For all the chaos which surrounded her, Jennika Tan Draconis was one of the few Knights to keep a level head, her battlefield instincts taking over. Jennika's first concern was for the security of her brother. She engaged those Renegade Knights trying to earn their lord's favour by killing the High King's son and heir.

With the Vox network still unreliable, even at close range, it was Jennika who first thought to revert back to the use of Squire's Code, a rudimentary sign language consisting of raising and lowering a Knight's autopennants to convey messages.

With a functioning communication network, the Loyalist Knights of House Draconis now had a fighting chance to survive. Having rushed ahead of the battle line as was customary for such aggressive warriors, the Knights of House Minotos were faring the worst, having been surrounded by Donatosian Renegades.

Previously tasked with long-range fire support, House Pegasson was trying its best to avoid annihilation by the turncoats of House Wyvorn. Panicked and intermittent Vox messages relayed the dire news that the House's ruler, the Marchioness Tan Pegasson, had been slain.

As the Word Bearers led fresh regiments of Donatosian rebels in an enveloping movement, High King Tolwyn knew his situation was becoming untenable. The Knights' Astra Militarum allies, the brave men and women of the Tanhollis Highlanders and Mubraxis Dustdogs, had already begun to retreat. Rallying the remaining Knights around him, High King Tolwyn led what remained of his House in a desperate breakout attempt.

The Noose Tightens
Having linked up with her former mentor, the King's Herald, Markos Dar Draconis, and an unnamed Knight, Jennika took her place in the great push, making sure to stay close to her little brother, for the traitorous Chimaeros Knights had been ordered to eliminate all influential members of the Loyalist Houses. As High King Tolwyn's designated heir, Danial Tan Draconis featured prominently on their list of targets.

When Markos and Jennika finally found Danial, it was just in the nick of time. Oath of Flame was fending off an entire lance of Chimaeros Knights. Two Knight Gallants and a single Knight Warden were closing in on him before Markos and Jennika intervened.

As the first Gallant charged her little brother, Jennika timed her shot, her shell almost cutting her opponent in half. Cursing, Markos Dar Draconis engaged the second Gallant in a brief but vicious hand-to-hand combat, but even outnumbered, the remaining opponent refused to surrender, unleashing its Stormspear Rocket Pod's projectiles into Danial's Ion Shield.

Just as the trio defeated their last opponent, a limping Sword of Heroes emerged from a wall of smoke -- it was Luk's Knight! But Luk Tan Chimaeros was on the run from a Renegade Knight in the livery of House Wyvorn. Without hesitation, the three Draconis Knight came to the aid of Danial's closest friend. Jennika let loose twin shots with her Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon, and the twin impacts proved potent enough to discourage the pursuing Knight from closing any further.

Conflicting emotions reigned within the small group of survivors. While Danial was relieved to see his closest friend unharmed, the veteran amongst them, Markos Dar Draconis, was loathe to trust a Knight of House Chimaeros so quickly. He even threatened to kill Luk should he make any aggressive movement against them. It took all of Jennika's tact and diplomacy to prevent a potential disaster. In the end, Luk was treated as a prisoner of war by the Loyalists. Under the watch of his "allies," he joined the desperate retreat forming up around High King Tolwyn.

Due to the efforts of High Sacristan Polluxis, the High King had gained knowledge of a weakness in the enemy lines. This bridge, while still heavily defended, offered the best chance for the Loyalists to escape total annihilation. All the surviving members of House Draconis, House Minotos and House Pegasson rallied around the High King. He would command a force of fifty-seven Knights. Though small, it was powerful enough to punch through anything the enemy could muster.

Pushing westwards, away from the Valle Electrum, High King Tolwyn's army pressed on. As the effects of the pernicious scrapcode began to lessen, High King Tolwyn transmitted the final objective to his Knights and allies. It was a rally point designated Zeta-Lambda-Rho, which was a network of subterranean storage bunkers in an abandoned part of Donatos Primus' main continent. But to get there, the Loyalist first needed to punch through the enemy defenders.

With the Renegade Knights of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn behind them, the Loyalist Knights charged the Word Bearers tanks and heretic Astartes who defended the bridge. Calamity struck when a Word Bearers' Aspiring Champion managed to jump onto one of Fyreheart’s feet and began ripping apart the delicate machinery of the Knight's joints with his Power Fist. While Tolwyn Tan Draconis ultimately managed to shake his opponent off, the damage had been done.

"Rally to the king!" shouted Dannial, the High king's son, and the loyalist Knights interrupted their breakthrough to form a nearly impenetrable barrier of over-locking Ion Shields around their lord. Knowing that his Knight's diminished mobility might doom them all, High King Tolwyn countermanded that order: all uninjured Knights were to cross the bridge and move on to the rallying point. Those Knights having suffered damage similar to Fyreheart would form up on Tolwyn and hold the enemy back as long as they could, buying the Sacristans the time to plant their explosives and collapse the bridge.

Jennika Tan Draconis recognised a suicidal order when she heard one, but before she could speak, Danial flatly refused to abandon their father. While the High King reiterated his order on an open Vox channel, the ghost of Danial's Throne Mechanicum agreed with his father: the line of succession must be preserved at all cost.

As a member of her father's High Court, Jennika owed him her obedience and supported his order. As both his children retreated across the bridge, the High King opened a private Vox channel to them and told them how proud he was of them, encouraging them to continue to fight, no matter the outcome of this battle. These were the last words High King Tolwyn would ever speak to his children.

The diminished and wounded Loyalist rearguard that defended the bridge was comprised of a thin line of Imperial Knights, half a dozen wounded Sacristan Crawlers and some squadrons of equally wounded Astra Militarum tanks, mainly Leman Russes, with High King Tolwyn at its centre. At first it seemed as if they might succeed, for they suffered only a few casualties from the attack of the Traitors' Renegade Knights.

But with the damaged Fyrheart only fifty Terran yards from safety on the other side of the bridge, a lance of Chimaeros Knights led by their lord caught up to the High King's party and charged. As the High King and the Usurper fought, heavy rain began to fall, obscuring the engagement on the bridge. A sudden explosion lit the gloom and Jennika willed it to be from the destruction of the Usurper's Knight. Then the Demolition Charges on the bridge triggered. As the edifice fell into the waters below, the Loyalists of Adrastapol knew their High King had fallen.

No Time to Grieve
In silence, the Loyalist Knights continued their march, following their lost king's final order. Rally point Zeta-Lamdha-Rho proved to be the perfect hiding spot. It was a series of underground munition warehouses, easily large enough to accommodate the towering Imperial Knights and the massive Sacristan Crawlers. Jennika mourned the passing of her father in isolation, crying tears of grief within the cockpit of Fire Defiant.

And yet Jennika knew she couldn't tarry for long. With High King Tolwyn's death, the Loyalist Knights were now leaderless. If they wanted to avenge Tolwyn's death and save Donatos Primus from all that had befallen it, the surviving Imperial troops would need to rally behind a new leader.

As Kingsward, this position undoubtedly belonged to Jennika's younger brother, Danial Tan Draconis, but the young and inexperienced Knight would need all the help he could get to face the task at hand. Waiting for her brother to exit his own Knight Errant, Oath of Flames, Jennika quickly took stock of the situation. Without clear leadership, most of the Nobles sat idle. The Sacristans had not yet begun their repair works, so the vast underground hangar was quiet. Yet the soldiers of the Cadian 454th Regiment which had accompanied the Knights' retreat were nowhere to be seen.

After a search, Jennika spotted a few soldiers standing at the mouth of the tunnel leading into the adjoining warehouse, tension written upon their faces as they pressed their Lasguns close to their chests. Almost immediately Jennika recognized what was going on: the Cadians were afraid that the Knights with them might also be Traitors!

Jennika hurried back to where her brother was now exiting Oath of Flames. His face looked similar to hers, the eyes red and irritated from weeping, but his cheeks had been swiped clean. Danial's eyes immediately found the Cadian sentries, and took stock of the new crisis that was developing. Yet his first action was to embrace his sister, both children of Tolwyn and Polenna taking the time to share their grief.

"You're alive, Da. And me. And we'll make them pay," Jennika heard herself say, feeling the flames of vengeance ignite in her breast.

The respite did not last long, as many matters necessitated Danial's immediate attention. Danial's first concern was to make sure they had not been followed and that their new base of operations could be quickly secured. Hearing that the conversation was turning to a more strategic topic, Sire Olric Dar Draconis stepped out of the shadows of his Knight where he had waited for the right time to make his presence known.

He explained that the electrical storm that had broken out as the Loyalist Knights crossed the bridge still raged outside, likely having completely hidden their retreat. In their arrogance, the enemy had drawn all the reserves they had to the Valle Electrum, leaving this sector void of any enemy presence. Vastly more experienced than both of the younger Nobles in military matter, his first advice was to secure camp and place sentries.

Danial quickly agreed, already turning his attention to the next challenge of regaining their Cadian allies' trust. But before he could give Sire Olric permission to leave, the Kingsward was rudely interrupted by the arriving Markos Dar Draconis.

To Deal with a Traitor
The Herald of High King Tolwyn was not alone, pushing Luk Tan Chimaeros before him, one hand clamped on the young Knight's neck and the other holding his ignited draconblade, Orcsbane. A bleeding nose and a bruised cheekbone on Danial's childhood friend's face bore testimony to the Herald's short temper.

The Draconsfire obviously burned high in Markos, veins standing out on his forehead as he vented his anger on the young Chimaeros Knight, leveling all kinds of accusations at Luk, chief amongst them that of having aided his father, Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, in planning the ambush and of being a spy for the enemy.

An audience had rapidly formed around them, attracted by Markos' raised voice. Seeking to protect his friend, Danial stepped in, ordering Markos to stop manhandling Luk, but flinched when his former Master of Discipline turned his anger to him. Jennika was far less subtle.

"Sire Markos Dar Draconis!" she barked in a surprisingly strong voice, "You forget yourself! If anyone is bringing dishonour to our father it is you. We are all angry. We are all betrayed. But no one else is acting like a wild beast!"

The veteran looked at her as if she had physically slapped him, and even the angry murmurs of the assistance were quietened by Lady Jennika's tone. The Herald faltered, grumbling as solar decades of ingrained obedience reasserted themselves. "Now," she commanded him, "you will sheathe your blade, sire, and we will speak to this noble prisoner as the Code Chivalric dictates. Unless you would like to compound your dishonour by striking an unarmed captive again?"

"No" muttered Markos, the anger slowly fading from his words. "No, of course not, milady. My apologies." Having rebuked the Herald, Jennika relinquished the stage to her brother: he would be proclaimed High King and needed to be seen in charge here.

The tumult had attracted yet more bystanders as High Sacristan Polluxis' adepts and the surviving Nobles of House Minotos and Pegasson had joined them as well. Jennika drew the crowd's attention to her brother and took a step back.

Danial Tan Draconis stepped into the circle, towering over the kneeling figure of Luk Tan Chimaeros. During the short interrogation that followed, Luk professed his innocence, claiming to have known nothing about his father's plans. While Danial and Jennika wanted to believe him, the crowd railed against him, Markos openly accusing him of lying.

Staring hatefully at the Herald, Luk reminded him that he himself had seen how one of the Traitors had tried to kill him, how Jennika, Danial and himself had narrowly saved his life, but one Draconis Knight in the crowd shouted that it all have been a ploy to plant a spy in their midst.

Suddenly infuriated, Luk stood and roared back that his own father had tried to kill him, but Markos stepped in, kicking the Chimaeros Knight back onto his knees and drawing Orcsbane again, resting the broadsword's blade on Luk's neck. "Try that again, please," gritted Markos through clenched teeth.

Danial tried to discern some evidence of Luk's innocence. He asked his friend if he had seen or heard anything he did not recognise, something that somehow deviated from House Chimaeros' usual rituals. "The scrapcode!" Luk suddenly exclaimed, "You all saw the way they fought out there. The scrapcode wasn't affecting them, but it struck me just like it did all of you."

While Markos was quick to dismiss this evidence as yet another lie, others disagreed. High Sacristan Polluxis Dar Mechanicus entered the circle, and stated that he and his acolytes had been continuously analyzing the scrapcode since its apparition. As part of their investigation they had conducted auto-séances with the Machine Spirit of each and every Knight and found that Luk's Knight, Sword of Heroes, had been affected by it like all the other Loyalist armours.

Polluxis further theorised that some kind of warding agent must have been applied to the Renegade Knights to protect them and that he hoped to be able to create a similar ward for the Loyalists.

Exonerated by this testimony, supported by Sire Olric and the diplomatic Knights of House Pegasson, Danial dismissed Markos' accusations and declared Luk's honour and loyalty intact, much to the displeasure of Markos and the older Draconis Knights.

With the matter dealt with, Danial finally turned his attention to regaining the Cadians' trust. A council of war quickly formed around Tolwyn's children to discuss this difficulty. As the most diplomatic of all the Knights present, the members of House Pegasson volunteered for the task. The senior commander, Grandmarshal Gustev of House Minotos, chose to accompany the Pegasson Nobles to adequately represent the gathered Adrastapolian Knights.

With the Kingsward's permission, the Sacristan began to repair the remaining Knight armours while High Sacristan Polluxis initiated the preparations for the coronation ceremony.

Difficult Times
The tragic death of High King Tolwyn had robbed House Draconis of more than just a capable leader, for with the loss of Tolwyn's Knight, Fyreheart, and its priceless Throne Mechanicum, all of Tolwyn's wisdom and experience as well as that of his ancestors that had been lost. Even worse, the ancestral crown of the High Kings of Adrastapol now adorned the brow of a traitor and usurper: Gerraint Tan Chimaeros.

With great care, the Sacristans tended to Oath of Flame and the other Imperial Knights, mending armour, resupplying ammunition racks, and comforting grieving Machine Spirits. In the meantime, High Sacristan Polluxis personally crafted a fitting replacement for the crown of the High Kings.

In a grand ceremony, Oath of Flame’s Throne Mechanicum was removed from its Knight Errant's cockpit and placed atop a pile of rubble, the reconsecrated and rearmed Knight looming over High King Danial's makeshift throne in anticipation of the war to come.

While the stage was set, some of the actors were not yet prepared to play their part. Despite the best attempts of Luk and Jennika to reassure him, Dannial had serious doubts about his capacities to lead.

He repeatedly expressed the fear that he wasn't ready to rule. He even considered abdicating the throne to Jennika, but she would have none of it. Even the smallest deviation from the ancestral line of succession would be interpreted as a sign of weakness or even an act of sedition, especially amongst the traditionalist Knights. There would be no other king than Danial.

Throughout the long ceremony that followed, Jennika stood at her brother's side, first marching behind her brother as he passed through the gathered Adrastapolian noblemen and noblewomen and ascended the rubble to sit upon his throne, then standing watch behind him, her position mirrored by Herald Markos Dar Draconis on Danial's left. High Sacristan Polluxis then presented Danial with a freshly forged crown - a simple circle of gold, a replacement since his father's crown was now out of their reach. Polluxis plucked the crown out of the ornate box he was carrying it in, his silver Mechadendrites passing the crown to Jennika who reverently lowered it on her brother's head.

"Kneel," she said with a strong voice that filled the cavernous ammunition depot, "Kneel for Danial Tan Draconis, High King of Adrastapol." As one man, the assembled Nobles drew their ceremonial weapons, holding them high of their head before lowering their weapons and kneeling down, their head bowed. "All hail the High King!" she shouted, and a chorus of voices took up her salute, marking the first day of the reign of High King Danial Tan Draconis.

The Birth of the Knight of Ashes
The first days of King Danial's reign were glum. While the Cadians stood watch over their hiding spot and the Sacristans worked relentlessly at repairing the damaged Knights, the Adrastapolian Nobles were left idle with little else to do than combat their own ennui. This forced period of inactivity sat ill with the most senior Knights, those men which had fought under Tolwyn since the end of the Ork Wars. It should have come then as no surprise that tempers soon flared.

Having stayed closed to her brother in case she could assist him with her counsel, Jennika learned the bad news at the same time as her brother when a Draconis Knight, Sire Vancenz, came to warn them that an honour duel had been called. Rushing to the location of the fight, the newly-crowned High King and his sister could only watch in horror as Markos Dar Draconis fought Luk Tan Chimaeros.

Forbidden by the Chivalric Code to intervene or call off the duel, Danial's hands were tied. This was however not the case for Jennika who tried to reason with both warriors, calling upon Markos' sense of honor to interrupt their duel, but the old, irascible warrior would have none of it. A crowd had gathered around them, mostly Draconis-Knights, most of them shouting for Luk's death. They were to be sorely disappointed when the young Luk vanquished his old teacher, even sparing Markos' life.

At the minute the duel was decided and Luk proclaimed the victor, the last loyal scion of a disgraced House called upon Danial to witness his oath. Reciting the age-old verses, Luk Tan Chimaeros renounced his name and status and took the Freeblade Oath, formally becoming the Knight of Ashes.