House Draconis



House Draconis is currently considered the most influental household of Imperial Knights upon the Knight World of Adrastapol as its current ruler is the High King of Adrastapol, a crown House Draconis only recently gained in the wake of the Donatosian War. Like all of Adrastapol's remaining three Knight Houses, House Draconis has sworn fealty directly to the Imperium of Man and has thus escaped the more strict tenures of the Sidon Protocols with which the Adeptus Mechanicus ensures the loyalty of those Houses sworn directly to its service.

In the wake of the dire events of the Donatosian War where fully half of the Knight Houses of Adrastapol turned Renegade, House Draconis' loyalty and that of its allies have been doubted and it is no secret that the House has now come under the close scrutiny of the Inquisition and is currently awaiting the visit of an Inquisitor to determine if it can still be trusted. This is even though the House's actions on Donatos Primus prevented that Industrial World from falling into the hands of the Archenemy.

Notable Campaigns

 * Ork Wars (Unknown Date)
 * Galhorm Crusade (Unknown Date)
 * Donatos War (Unknown Date.M41) - Both because of the heavy toll this war took upon the Adrastapolian Knights and for the glory they gained in bringin this rebellious world back to compliance, the Donatosian War holds a special place within the chronicles of House Draconis. Through the laxity of its rulers, Chaos Cults had taken power, overthrowing the Imperial planetary government in place and killing the local Planetary Governor with the help of Chaos' most dangerous warriors: the Chaos Space Marines. Seeking to further his own goals, the enemy leader the Dark Apostle Varakh'Lorr, led his Word Bearers warband to fight the remaining Loyalists regiments of the Donatosian Planetary Defence Forces and the incorruptible Adeptus Arbites. While vastly outnumbered, the Loyalists were able to hold on to some cities and to issue a general call for aid before astrotelepathic ommunication broke off. The Imperium acted with uncustomary swiftness, despatching a sizeable army of Astra Militarum regiments under the general command of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis. Hailing from such different words as Cadia, Mubraxis and Tanhollis, these regiments of the Imperial Guard would support the gathered might of no less than six Houses of Imperial Knights: the High King's own Household, House Draconis, and its allies from House Minotos, House Chimaeros, House Pegasson, House Wyvorn and House Manticos. After initial success that left the Imperial forces ready to strike at the very heart of the enemy's amassed strength, the Imperial reconquest of Donatos Primus was put into jeopardy when fully half the contigent of Imperial Knights turned renegade and followed Viscount Gerraint Tan Chimaeros into secession. Visibly in league with the Word Bearers, the Renegade Knights of Houses Chimaeros, Wyvorn and Manticos turned their guns upon their former allies which only escaped total destruction by the heroic sacrifice and tactical accumen of High King Tolwyn. To oppose Gerraint's claim to the throne of High King of Adrastapol, the Loyalist survivors chose Tolwyn's son and designated heir, Danial Tan Draconis, a young Knight many saw unfit for the task ahead. With barely 50 Knights remaining out of several hundreds, the remaining Imperial Knights could not take on their enemies head-on but needed to tread carefully. A limited counter-attack turned into the next disaster as House Chimaeros succeeded through duplicity and sorcery to lead the remaining survivors into a second ambush that proved equally murderous as their first fateful treason during the First Attack on the Valle Electrum. Left with little more than two dozen Knights, High King Danial finally fully assumed the mantle of High King and turned his Knights around to lead them on a desperate but ultimately successful second attack on the Valle Electrum which managed to eliminate all enemy commanders and pave the way for the ultimate Imperial victory.

Notable House Draconis Knights

 * Blazeclaw - Blazeclaw was one of the many Imperial Knights lost on the soil of Donatos Primus. The Knight armour piloted by Suset Dar Draconis was lost in a particularly grisly way during the despicable ambush conducted by Alicia Kar Manticos at an abandonned Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress. Both the fortress itself and the towering granite cliffs overlooking it had been carefully prepped with Demolition Charges that would cause a massive landslide. While running from the devastation being wrought by these explosions, Blazeclaw was hit by falling debris, speared through its cockpit by one of the gothic spires the Imperial architecture is particularly fond of.
 * Draconsflame - Sire Olric's Knight, Draconsflame, was one of the few Knight Crusaders in service within House Draconis. Draconsflame survived most of the early battles of the Donatosian War, including the hard-fought escape following the disastrous First Attack on the Valle Electrum and the ill-famed Ambush at the Arbites Tower. Sadly, Draconsflame was destroyed in the Second Attack on the Valle Electrum, caught in yet another ambush by the cowardly Knights of House Wyvorn that used the blazing inferno of Donatos' refineries to mask their generators' heat signature and attack from an unexpected quarter.
 * Drake Ascendant - The Drake Ascendant was the Imperial Knight of Sire Natan which bravely shielded Tolwyn's Knight with its own as the Knight of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn charged their line.
 * Embersword - Embersword is the suit of Knight armour bonded to Gatekeeper Suset Dar Draconis and one of only eight Imperial Knights that survived the Donatosian War.
 * Fire Defiant - The Knight Paladin identified as Fire Defiant was one of the few suits of Knight armour to return to Adrastapol in something akin of a fighting condition, although it had lost its Reaper Chainsword in the fierce fighting against the renegades of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn and the Space Marines of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion. The pilot of Fire Defiant is none other than First Knight Jennika Tan Draconis, the current High King's own sister. Although she had passed her Ritual of Becoming several years before the future High King, the Donatos War would form Jennika's and Fire Defiant‘s true baptism of fire. The Knight Paladin and its pilot both performed admirably throughout the several close-won victories and many setbacks of this campaign. Without doubt, their greatest achievement was obtained in the decisive Second Attack on the Valle Electrum during which Fire Defiant faced and defeated not only the Archtraitor Gerraint Kar Adrastapol, but also the towering monstrosity known as the Iron God, an incredibly ancient and powerful suit of Knight armour identified as a relic Acastus Knight Porphyrion.
 * Firestorm - Firestorm was the Knight Gallant piloted by Sire Percivane Dar Draconis during the Donatos War. Selected as part of the High King's complement of Knights after the tragic death of Tolwyn Tan Draconis, Firestorm was part of the party of 40 Knights that nearly entirely annihilated an enemy patrol of Imperial Knights belonging to the renegade House Chimaeros. The Renegade Knights had believed themselves secure in an abandoned Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress, a belief that soon proved to be false. During the Loyalists' attack on the fortress, Firestorm was the only armour to suffer damage, a lucky hit on its generator housing causing a chain of catastrophic overloads that forced Firestorm into an emergency shutdown. Fortunately for Sire Percivane, his Knight reactivated at the very moment the cowardly Renegade Knights detonated hidden Demolition Charges that destroyed the fortress and caused a massive landslide, allowing Firestorm to outrun the devastation. Others were not so lucky. It is unclear if Firestorm was amongst the eight surviving Knight that escaped the butcher's bill on Donatos Primus or if the Knight was deemed to damaged to be recovered.
 * Fyreheart - As suited Knight armour used by the High King of Adrastapol himself, Fyreheart was the heavily modified Knight Paladin piloted solely by High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis. As the personal steed of the High King, Fyreheart had been equipped with an ancient and powerful weapon -- the heirloom of the High Kings, a powerful Tempest Blade probably passed down from monarch to monarch since the time of the Horus Heresy, or even before that. The tragic tale of Tolwyn's death recounts Fyreheart’s demise: during the fateful First Attack on the Valle Electrum, Fyreheart despatched several attacking House Chimaeros Knights until it was wounded by a champion of the Word Bearers. A well-placed hit with its Power Fist allowed the enemy champion to severely damage one of Fyreheart’s legs, slowing it down. As the Loyalist Knights were in full retreat, High King Tolwyn ordered all the other injured or crippled Knights to form the rearguard around him, buying time for the more mobile survivors to escape the trap laid for them by their enemies. Holding the line, Fyreheart bravely fought on until it was charged by a worthy contender: the usurper Gerraint Tan Chimaeros and his steed Therianthros. However, before his death, High King Tolwyn activated the detonators of the Demolition Charges set by House Draconis Sacristans, destroying the bridge and preventing any pursuit from the Renegade Knights.
 * Honourblaze - The famed Knight Warden Honourblaze has seen many battles at the hand of its battle-hardened pilot: Markos Dar Draconis. According to the tales of House Draconis, it was in this suit of Knight armour that the then very young Markos rode to battle against the Orks of WAAAGH! Skarjaw, on the very day of his Ritual of Becoming. During the Donatos War, the veteran Knight would be at the forefront of the fighting, leading his Lance against such diverse enemies such as Renegade Knights, Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Cultists. Yet the Donatos War would take a heavy toll on Honourblaze, especially its legendary confrontation with the Iron God, a rare Acastus Knight Porphyrion piloted by Dunkan Tan Wyvorn. During this epic fight, Honourblaze not merely survived one, but three separate volleys of the Porphyrion's Magna Lascannons. At the end of this ordeal, Honourblaze was left barely able to stand. Half its heat-sinks had blown out, its reactor nearly went critical and its armour had been punctured in several places, chief amongst them its upper torso and cockpit. Blackened by multiple internal fires, with the bomber wings of the Imperial Navy rushing in to destroy the Valle Electrum, Honourblaze’s wreck had to be abandoned on Donatos Primus.
 * Honour Infernus - Honour Infernus was the Knight armour piloted by Sire Petaer Dar Draconis, one of the Knights selected by Jennika Tan Draconis to join her in the defence of the Loyalists' advance base. With most of their strength drawn away in yet another ambush, the Loyalists came under attack by a large horde of Chaos Cultists and their Daemon Engines. Fighting against three of these unholy mixtures of Daemon and machine, Honour Infernus was brought low and dismembered by the Daemon Engine's pneumatic claws.
 * Iron Drake - The Iron Drake belongs to the Knight Gallant-type and its pilot is none other than Sire Garath Dar Draconis, one of High King Tolwyn's former bodyguards and the only one to outlive the esteemed ruler of House Draconis. The Iron Drake saw heavy fighting during the whole of the Donatosian War and was one of only eight Knights to remain battleworthy at the very conclusion of this bitter campaign. As such it participated in all the important battles fought by the Adrastapolian nobility, from the victorious establishment of the Pentakhost Peninsula Bridgehead to the disastrous ambushes at both the Valle Electrum and the Adeptus Arbites precinct-fortress and their final victory upon the Square of Unrelenting Toil.
 * Oath of Flame - One of the eldest suits of Knight Armour still in service within House Draconis, Oath of Flame was built from original STC data during Adrastapol's colonisation by Mankind in the Age of Technology. Oath of Flame is a venerable Knight Errant presented to Danial Tan Draconis on the day of his elevation to Knighthood. Originally equipped with a Reaper Chainsword and a Thermal Cannon, a configuration it featured throughout the entire Donatosian War, it is believed that as the personal armour of the ruling High King of Adrastapol, Oath of Flame now might bear the ancestral Tempest Blade of the High King's office in lieu of its Reaper Chainsword, the very same blade that was retrieved from the fallen Knight of the usurper, Gerraint Kar Adrastapol. Gerraint himself had stolen it from the mangled remains of Fyreheart, High King Tolwyn's Knight.
 * Pyrefang - The Knight Gallant known as Pyrefang was the Knight armour of Sire Daeved Dar Draconis, one of High King Tolwyn's two bodyguards during the Donatos War. At the front of the Loyalist advance upon the Valle Electrum, Pyrefang was severely damaged in the opening volleys of House Chimaeros' treachery. Shot from behind while its Ion Shield was directed to the front, Pyrefang lost an arm before it could counterattack. As High King Tolwyn tried to extract himself from the ambush being sprung, he ordered Pyrefang and the other Gallants to the front to clear a path through the militia-crewed enemy armour battalions. While the Loyalist survivors made good upon their escape, Pyrefang remained at the High King's side, holding back the enemy pursuit in a desperate rear-guard action until the bridge over which the survivors had escaped was destroyed and Pyrefang consigned to fiery oblivion.

Notable House Draconis Personnel

 * High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis - Tolwyn Tan Draconis is a legendary figure within the chronicles of House Draconis, for he was the first Baron of House Draconis ever elected to the office of High King of Adrastapol. But his martial fame was earned well before this event, as he had also been one of the greatest heroes of the Ork Wars. Then the most junior member amongst his father's Exalted Court, Tolwyn, then Gatekeeper to the mighty Draconspire -- House Draconis' ancestral home -- led a suicide attack on the fearful Ork Warboss Skarjaw and his personal Squiggoth and slew them both. This led Tolwyn to be noticed by the young High King Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, and the two of them became firm friends. In the wake of the Galhorm Crusade and the tragic death of Gerraint's son and heir, Tolwyn felt a great deal of compassion towards his friend and only reluctantly agreed to follow him at the head of the Adrastapolian Knights. Tolwyn's rule proved a prosperous one. An honourable and wise sovereign, High King Tolwyn valued diplomacy and sought the consent of the other Knight Houses on important matters of state. On the battlefield he was both an accomplished warrior and a good tactician, but in the end it was Tolwyn's shortcomings as a man that lead to his fall. Blindly trusting his friend, Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, Tolwyn did not see the seed of corruption within House Chimaeros before it was too late. Tolwyn died on Donatos Primus during the infamous First Attack on the Valle Electrum, sacrificing himself in order to buy the Loyalist Knights time to extract themselves from the trap sprung by the Renegade Knights of House Chimaeros, House Wyvorn and the Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers.
 * High King Danial Tan Draconis - Son and heir of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis, hero of the Donatosian War, Danial Tan Draconis is generally considered an almost mythical figure within House Draconis. His glory outshines even that of his father, himself an important figure of the House. The story of Danial's ascension is intricately linked to the accounts of the Donatosian War. Prior to the insurrection that led to the Donatos War, Danial Tan Draconis was a mere Squire, untrained in the arts of war. In this regard, his training was overseen by one of House Draconis' most high-ranking Knights: the Herald Markos Tan Draconis. Markos often found the Kingsward's attention and dedication lacking. From an early age, Danial showed great interest in his House's history and he was noted to have been a fervent student of the texts of Pollandros of the Quill and the great Sage Strategist Sendraghorst. Physically, Danial Tan Draconis was very different from his sister, Jennika Tan Draconis, as he had inherited his mother's blue eyes and blond hair. Close in age, Danial Tan Draconis became close friends with the son and heir to the Viscount of House Chimaeros, Luk Tan Chimaeros, later to become the Freeblade called the Knight of Ashes. When the Imperial order to march on Donatos Primus reached Adrastapol, High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis decided to hasten his son's training, so that he, Luk Tan Chimaeros and several other young Knights of House Draconis could undergo the Ritual of Becoming and strengthen the numbers of the Adrastapolian Knights. Hence, the Donatosian War was Danial's very first deployment and none could have foreseen the terrible hardships and tragedies the Imperial camp would endure in what started out as a simple pacification campaign. After initial success, the Imperial offensive quickly fell into disarray when the Knights of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn turned Renegade and opened fire on their erstwhile allies. Decimated by this unexpected attack, House Draconis and its allies had to mourn the loss of High King Tolwyn, cut down as he lead the rear-guard, and the heavy burden of the crown then came to rest on Danial. Lacking his father's authority and experience, the first decisions of the newly-elected High King were immediately side-guessed by many within House Draconis, especially amongst the most senior Knights that had formed Tolwyn's inner circle. The Knights' loyalty to the tenets of the Chivalric Code ensured they never acted openly against the High King's orders, but the first days of Danial's rule were largely wasted by the attempts to quell internal tensions fostered by the presence of Luk Tan Chimaeros within the Loyalist ranks. Danial's own mentor and bodyguard, Markos Dar Draconis, was often the most vocal in his opposition to the High King's will. It was largely to satisfy Markos' thirst for vengeance that Danial would lead 40 Knights in pursuit of a smaller force of House Chimaeros, hoping to gain an easy victory and perhaps eliminate one of the rulers of the Renegade Knights. This venture ended catastrophically when the High King's party was ambushed again, this time at an abandoned Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress. With the Loyalist Knights on the brink of conceding victory to the enemy and having drawn on the wisdom of the ghosts of his Knight's Throne Mechanicum, Danial finally provided his Knights with the unshakable leadership they required. Recognising that retreat would only lead down the path to ultimate failure, Danial Tan Draconis gathered his remaining strength for a last-ditch attack on the Valle Electrum, the enemy's stronghold where, unknown to him, Renegade Knights of Adrastapol and Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines had turned on each other. Fractured, the lackeys of Chaos stood no chance against the vengeful and determined Adrastapolian Knights united behind their new High King. With Luk Kar Chimaeros at his side, the High King personally took the fight to the enemy's leader, the Dark Apostle Varakh' Lorr and slew the Word Bearer, also eliminating the hideous monstrosity the Dark Apostle had crafted from Donatos' Astropaths. With victory assured, Danial began the difficult task of rebuilding his depleted House and preparing for the inevitable Inquisitorial Audit that would follow House Chimaeros' and House Wyvorn's treachery.
 * Baron Nathaniel Tan Draconis - Former leader of House Draconis and great-great-grandfather to Tolwyn Tan Draconis.
 * First Knight Jennika Tan Draconis - Jennika Tan Draconis is the first-born child of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis and Queen Polenna, and the elder sister of High King Danial Tan Draconis. Due to her many feats of arms on Donatos Primus, Jennika Tan Draconis is also the first woman to occupy the much-coveted position of First Knight within House Draconis. A beautiful woman by every measure, Jennika Tan Draconis showed much promise as a warrior, even if the Donatosian War would be the first major conflict she would fight in. Being several years older than her brother, Jennika mastered her Knight Paladin Fire Defiant far easier than the younger Knights did their mounts. She proved better able to shut out the whisperings of her Throne Mechanicum which often distracted the more inexperienced Knights. Even before the war on Donatos Primus, High King Tolwyn had formally acknowledged her talent by appointing her as his Gatekeeper, which made the defence of House Draconis' ancestral home, the Drakespire, her responsibility. Following High King Tolwyn's noble sacrifice in the disastrous first attack on the Valle Electrum, Danial's confidence in his sister's abilities both as a warrior and as a leader were such that he shortly considered renouncing the throne and offering it to his sister, but the Chivalric Code forbade it. Once her brother was crowned High King, Jennika became his second-in-command, counselling him as needed. It was her abilities as a leader that made her the perfect choice to command a secondary force of Imperial Knights that would stand guard over the Loyalist camp while the new High King led a retaliatory attack on House Chimaeros. With most of the Knights away, the camp was attacked by Traitor Planetary Defence Forces led by Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines and powerful if sometimes grotesque Daemon Engines which almost overwhelmed the Loyalists' defences. Only the timely return of High King Danial and his surviving Knights turned the battle in the Loyalists' favour. With barely twenty-seven functioning Knights, High King Danial returned to the Valle Electrum and launched a second attack which broke through, Jennika leading her own Lance in both the attack on the Valle Electrum and the Square of Martyrs where Word Bearers and Renegade Knights fought each other for control over the turncoat soldiery and Chaos Cultists. While Danial and the Knight of Ashes would press on into the cathedral proper, Jennika was left to deal with the Traitors present in the square. As force commander she claimed the honour of facing her father's murderer, Viscount Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, herself. As she fought her way through the other combatants to him, she formally declared Gerraint a Traitor to both the Imperium and Adrastapol, challenging him to single combat as the Chivalric Code demanded. She knew full well that Gerraint would not abide by those principles and when the dishonourable cur broke the Code, Jennika was ready for him, her Ion Shield perfectly aligned to deflect the shot intended for her Knight's cockpit. She retaliated with her Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon, depriving Gerraint's Knight of his own ranged weaponry, but before she could fire a second volley the Archtraitor had reoriented his own Ion Shield to ward himself from incoming fire, forcing her to fight blade-to-blade. Jennika was no fool: Gerraint's reputation as a swordsman was excellent and she knew he outclassed her, and yet she did not turn from the fight. In the end, it was a stroke of luck that would see her emerge victorious. With her own Reaper Chainsword damaged by a prior blow from Gerraint's energised blade, Jennika's close combat weapon became stuck in Gerraint's Knight's torso. Having suddenly become top-heavy, the Traitor was too slow to react when Jennika sacrificed her own Knight's weapon's arm and slammed her Knight's shoulder into Gerraint's armour. Its motive accuators overloading due to the additional weight of the Reaper Chainsword, Gerraint's Knight crashed sideways, locking its own blade beneath it. Powerless to right itself, Jennika emptied almost all of her remaining ordnance into the fallen Knight until the wreck burned and Gerraint Kar Adrastapol was no more.
 * Herald Markos Dar Draconis - Closest friend and faithful ally to Tolwyn Tan Draconis, Markos Dar Draconis is a seasoned warrior, a veteran of the Ork Wars and the successful suicide-attack on Warboss Skarjaw which saved Adrastapol from almost certain destruction. Tolwyn's trust in Markos was so absolute that not only did he promote Markos to be his Herald when he took stewardship of House Draconis, but also entrusted the protection of his children into Markos' care. Due to Danial's close friendship with Luk Tan Chimaeros, Markos became the mentor and master-at-arms of both young squires until their Ritual of Becoming. But even after his wards became fully-fledged Knights, Markos' tutelage did not end as Tolwyn had also secretly appointed Markos to act as bodyguard for his son and daughter, and so the hot-blooded but disciplined old warrior left the side of High King Tolwyn to watch over the Kingsward, the designated heir to the throne of Adrastapol. During the Donatosian War, Markos Dar Draconis was appointed to lead a Lance formed by himself, the Kingsward Danial Tan Draconis, and Luk Tan Chimaeros. During the first operations on Donatos' soil, the threat was minimal, as the Adrastapolian Knights faced hopelessly outgunned Chaos Cultists equipped with simple Lasguns and the rare Traitor Leman Russ tank to worry about. Off the battlefield, Markos continued to perform his ceremonial duties as Herald, most importantly during the formal war councils held by High King Tolwyn with his allies of the Loyalist Donatosian Planetary Defence Forces and the Astra Militarum regiments deployed alongside them. True to his oath, Markos would protect the Kingsward during the disastrous first attack on the Valle Electrum, when the Renegade Knights of House Wyvorn and House Chimaeros opened fire on their fellow Knights. Unable to rush to his lord's side while he fought in the rear-guard, Markos Dar Draconis could only stare in horror as his oldest friend sacrificed himself to ensure the remnants of Houses Draconis, Minotos and Pegasson would be saved. The grief Markos felt quickly turned to a powerful thirst for vengeance that led him to lash out at Luk Tan Chimaeros, son of the Archtraitor Viscount Gerraint Tan Chimaeros. Had other Knights not prevented him from doing so, he would have killed Luk right where he stood. Unable to satisfy his thirst for vengeance, Markos became a vocal supporter of immediate retaliatory action against the Renegade Knights. As the most senior surviving member of Tolwyn's Exalted Court, Markos' words led most of the older Knights like Sire Garath Dar Draconis to align with him. Even when Danial Tan Draconis was proclaimed counter-King to Gerraint's claim and became the rightful ruler of all of Adrastapol's remaining Knights, Markos used his political influence and seniority to guide the young and inexperienced High King along the path of action he desired. But the newly-elected High King proved to be more strong-willed than Markos had anticipated and would not be goaded into sacrificing the Adrastapol's most potent fighting force on Donatos Primus in a glorious but ultimately futile last charge. Convinced of Luk Tan Chimaeros' innocence, the new High King ordered Markos to keep his anger in check, at least for a while. Yet Luk's presence so enraged him that at last Markos' restraint broke. Burning with rage and vengeance, Markos Dar Draconis challenged Luk to a duel, vowing to kill the Traitor in the Loyalists' midst. Drawing his draconblade, a fearful weapon named Orkbane that had already served him well in the Ork Wars, Markos stepped into the ring of bystanders and fought the young Knight he had helped to train. Even if High King Danial frowned upon this duel, he could not interrupt it without violating the Chivalric Code and forfeiting his honour. Both fighters landed telling blows and at the end of a hard-fought match, Luk Tan Chimaeros stood victorious over the broken remains of Markos' sword. To placate every further dissent amongst the Loyalists' ranks, Luk then took the Oath of the Freeblade and became known as the Knight of Ashes. Injured, but not fatally, Markos accepted this turn of events. True to his oath, Marcos rode alongside his new High King into battle when one of their scout parties located a hunting party they believed might be led by the Archtraitor Gerraint Kar Adrastapol. Taking 40 Knights with him, High King Danial tracked the enemy to an abandoned Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress which they quickly took by storm. However, the victory proved short-lived as the fortress was actually a carefully concealed killing ground. Humbled by this defeat, Markos and the other Knights agreed that they were now too depleted to fight on and that they would need to link up with other Imperial units if they were to survive. The High King would hear none of it. Understanding that a retreat would be equivalent to conceding victory to the enemy, High King Danial devised an almost foolhardy plan: to assault the Valle Electrum and seize control of the Adamant Citadels that gave the tactical advantage to the Traitors. In this second and glorious battle, Markos Dar Draconis entered the annals of House Draconis as a hero, facing and surviving a direct confrontation with a powerful Acastus Knight Porphyrion. With victory assured, the severely wounded Herald was given immediate medicae attention and would ultimately survive and be rewarded with the High King's renewed trust. Markos Dar Draconis currently acts as Herald to High King Danial Tan Draconis, honourably serving the son as he had served his father before him.
 * Gatekeeper Suset Dar Draconis - Lady Suset Dar Draconis descends from an ancient bloodline which has taken up its quarters in the Draconsforge, the part of the Draconspire where House Draconis' Sacristans toil to keep the House's Knights battleworthy. Like her older brother, Sire Sylvest, Lady Suset was renowned for her technical expertise, routinely spiking her Knight's augury systems to boost their performance -- much to the displeasure of the Sacristans and sometimes her own Knight's Machine Spirit. Like many younger Knights of House Draconis, the Donatosian War would be the first major conflict she would fight in as a newly-raised Knight. Despite her inexperience, Lady Suset survived both the initial Traitor ambush and the follow-up assault on the Adeptus Arbites precinct during which her brother was slain. Driven by her desire to avenge her brother's death, Lady Suset waged her own war upon the Traitors but was able to hold the legendary Draconis fury in check. Lady Suset repeatedly took to the field during the war's most devastating battles and always emerged victorious. She was part of the Lance led by Markos Dar Draconis faced and defeated the Iron God, the relic Acastus Knight Porphyrion piloted by the Traitor Archduke Duncan Tan Wyvorn. At the end of the war, Suset Dar Draconis was one of only eight still operational Knights of the more than 200 Imperial Kights that had landed on the Pentakhost peninsula. High King Danial was so impressed by her conduct and abilities as a warrior that he elevated her to the post of Gatekeeper of the Draconspire. However, tenacious rumours amongst House Draconis courtesans insinuate that feelings other than mere respect may have prompted her elevation into High King Danial's Exalted Court.
 * Sire Daeved Dar Draconis - Sire Daeved was one of High King Tolwyn's bodyguards during the infamous Donatosian War. Faithful to his oath, Sire Daeved stood at Tolwyn's side during the first Imperial attack on the Valle Electrum. As House Draconis and its allies pressed the attack, Sire Daeved was the first to notice that the Knights of House Chimaeros were falling behind the main line. Daeved's Knight, Pyrefang was amongst the victims of House Chimaeros' first volley. Shot from behind, Pyrefang nevertheless shielded the High King but was soon crippled, losing an arm -- which did not hinder it from smashing through the Renegade tanks arrayed against them to prevent House Draconis' Knights from escaping. Faithful to his oath, Sire Daeved stood at his king's side while they covered the retreat of the survivors from House Draconis, House Minotos and House Pegasson. Sire Daeved was the last to fall, slain when High King Tolwyn activated the Demolition Charges the Sacristans had placed to prevent House Chimaeros' Knights from crossing the transit bridge over which the Loyalist Knights had escaped.
 * Sire Galharad Dar Draconis - Sire Galharad was one of the many Knights of House Draconis to be slain on Donatos Primus. Unlike many of his fallen brothers and sisters, Sire Galharad did not meet his end in the fatal ambush during the first attack on the Valle Electrum, but was slain later on in the conflict, during the defence of the Loyalist camp. Sire Galharad's Knight was destroyed by the coordinated attacks of two Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines that managed to make it trip and fall.
 * Sire Garath Dar Draconis - The old, battle-hardened Sire Garath was a longtime companion of High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis who rose to become one of the High King's trusted bodyguards. After House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn had opened fire on the Loyalist Knights, Sire Garath was tasked with leading the rearguard which covered the extraction of the remaining fifty-seven Knights around High King Tolwyn. Unlike his king, Garath would not perish in the rearguard but survive to be present at the crowning of High King Danial. Garath was a vocal supporter of Sire Markos' misgivings about the true loyalty of Luk Tan Chimaeros, who still bore his family name and had not yet taken the Oath of the Freeblade. Like many of the older Knights present, Garath fell in league with Markos Dar Draconis and vehemently argued for an all-out counterattack on the Renegade Knights of House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn. Fortunately for the Imperial war effort on Donatos, High King Danial was wise enough to dismiss this proposition. When the opportunity presented itself for the Loyalist Knights to mount a small counter-attack, Sire Garath was at the front of the Loyalists' charge, rushing right into yet another trap prepared by House Chimaeros. Humbled by the severe losses suffered by House Draconis and its allies at the Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress, Sire Garath was quick to propose a more cautious approach, even suggesting openly that the Loyalist Knights retreat to their bridgehead of the Pentakhost Peninsula. This earned him a firm and well-earned rebuke from High King Danial. Sire Garath would be counted as one of merely eight survivors of the final fight for the control of Donatos Primus.
 * Sire Kristov Dar Draconis  - Sire Kristov was one of the Knights whose mounts had been damaged in the first attack on the Valle Electrum and who was ordered by High King Tolwyn to join the rear guard at the transit bridge. Sire Kristov gave his life to allow the remaining Loyalist Knights to escape.
 * Sire Natan Dar Draconis - Sire Natan was the pilot of the Imperial Knight Drake Ascendant. His Knight having been damaged in the First Attack on the Valle Electrum, Sire Natan was ordered to be part of the doomed rearguard that covered the retreat of the Loyalist Imperial Knight. Sire Natan was one of the first to perish when the Renegade Knights of House Chimaeros charged the rearguard.
 * Sire Olric Dar Draconis - The fair-haired Sire Olric embodied all what was best in the younger generation of Knights who would replace the older Nobles who had risen to prominence under High King Tolwyn. In the eyes of those senior Knights, Olric and many others of his cohort were too soft for their own good, but the Donatosian War provided a formidable crucible that served to forge their resolve and courage into far more potent weapons than the noble fury of their ancestors. Level-headed, Sire Olric was always a firm supporter of High King Danial and the sometimes unpopular decisions he was forced to take. In the High Court, Sire Olric often took the role of moderator, especially during the dark days where House Draconis needed to lie low and regain its strength after the terrible blow it had been dealt during the first attack on the Valle Electrum. Sire Olric soon became the voice of reason and caution within the Draconis war council, a feature High King Danial would come to value. As one of High King Danial's most trusted advisors, the High King bestowed upon him the honour of being the third member of his own Lance during the famed second attack on the Valle Electrum. It was there, after having broken through the fortification lines, that Sire Olric perished, slain in an ambush by a Knight Errant of House Wyvorn.
 * Sire Percivane Dar Draconis - Sire Percivane was one of the Knights who was nearly killed on Donatos during the ambush at the Adeptus Arbites Precinct Fortress. Firestorm, Sire Percivane's Knight, was the only armour damaged in the Loyalist attack on the precinct, but its heat-accumulators overheated, necessitating a full shut-down to prevent explosion. Just as Alicia Kar Manticos detonated the hidden explosives, Firestorm reactivated, enabling Sire Percivane to narrowly escape to safety. Sire Percivane would ultimately survive the war on Donatos and go on to faithfully serve High King Danial.
 * Sire Petaer Dar Draconis - Having survived the first part of the Donatosian War relatively unscathed, Sire Petaer was selected by Jennika Tan Draconis as one of the Knights under her command who would guard the Loyalist camp while High King Danial led a counterattack on what he hoped would be a hunting party led by either Dunkan Tan Wyvorn or Gerraint Tan Chimaeros. With most of their numbers having left camp, the Loyalists were attacked by a large Traitor army. Hopelessly outnumbered, Sire Petaer was killed as the Daemon Engines of the Word Bearers bore down on him.
 * Sire Poldred Dar Draconis - Sire Poldred was one of the casualties suffered by House Draconis in its desperate escape from the Traitor ambush at the Valle Electrum.
 * Sire Sylvest Dar Draconis - Sire Sylvest Dar Draconis was the pilot of the Knight armour known as Blazeclaw, one of the many Knights deployed by House Draconis during the Donatosian War. A dependable warrior, Sire Sylvest was the brother to Lady Suset who gained much renown during that conflict. Sylvest Dar Draconis survived the initial ambush led by House Chimaeros and House Wyvorn and followed the newly-elected High King in his quest for vengeance against the Adrastapolian Renegade Knights. Sadly, Sire Sylvest was killed during the infamous ambush at the Adeptus Arbites precinct fortress, his Knight proving too slow to escape the all-crushing wave of debris that killed so many of his brethren's numbers.
 * Sire Vancenz Dar Draconis - A young Noble at the time of the Donatosian War, Sire Vancenz would survive the Traitors' ambush and join the survivors gathered around High King Danial in their continued efforts to reclaim Donatos Primus in the name of the Emperor. When tensions flared yet again between Markos Dar Draconis and Luk Tan Chimaeros, it was Vancenz that went to warn the High King about the incident. His final fate remains unknown.
 * Sire Wallian Dar Draconis - Sire Wallian was a survivor of the dreadful first attack on the Valle Electrum and the terrible ambush sprung by the Renegade Knights of Houses Chimaeros and Wyvorn and their allies from the Word Bearers. He also participated in the famed and hard fought second attack on the Valle Electrum where his accuracy at long range proved paramount in neutralizing enemy automated defence-systems and artillery. Sadly for Sire Wallian, after having survived a third ambush, this time at the hand of the Knights of House Wyvorn, Sire Wallian's Knight was deemed too damaged to continue the fight. Time being of the essence, his Knight could not be salvaged and Sire Wallian had to suffer the ignominy of riding into battle as a mere passenger on one of Polluxis' Crawlers. Sir Wallian was noted to be quite the gambler, and his luck at dice seemed almost uncanny to many within House Draconis.
 * Polluxis Dar Mechanicus - If House Draconis was able to wrestle victory from defeat on Donatos Primus, it was due in no small part to Polluxis' tireless efforts to keep their mechanical steeds battleworthy. As High Sacristan, Polluxis was not only responsible for the maintenance and repair of House Draconis' suits of Knight armour, but also for the monitoring of the wider battlefield through the many sensors of the Heavenly Host, a small army of Cherubim which gave House Draconis extensive knowledge of enemy movements. When the Heavenly Host and the Loyalist Imperial Knights fell prey to the chaotic scrap-code engineered by the Word Bearers, it was Polluxis who maintained the short-range Vox channels. Having preserved the integrity of his own Crawler's systems, High Sacristan Polluxis was able to develop potent data-wards capable of protecting the remaining Loyalist Knights for the rest of the conflict, thus enabling High King Danial to mount his decisive attack on the Valle Electrum. When Archduke Dunkan Tan Wyvorn unleashed the tremendous power of the relic-pattern Acastus Knight Porphyrion against House Draconis, it was yet again High Sacristan Polluxis who came up with a plan to further destabilise the Archduke's already stressed mind and push it past its breaking point, thus enabling Sire Markos and his Lance to fell the mighty war-engine.

House Strength
As with the other Houses of the Adrastapolian Nobles, the numbers of House Draconis before or after the Donatosian War are difficult to judge. It is generally believed that prior to the Galhorm Crusade, House Chimaeros -- then the House of the ruling High King -- and House Draconis were more on less on equal footing with approximately 110 Knights each, which would place House Draconis in the lower secundus rank. However, in the wake of the gruesome struggle on Donatos Primus, House Draconis' numbers were severely depleted, leaving no more than 10 active suits of Knight armour remaining in their inventory. As with the other Houses, House Draconis heavily favours the Knight Paladin and its other variants, especially the Knight Errant.

As proven by the Donatosian War, House Draconis true strength not only rested in the number of Knight Armours it could field, or even the skill and moral of its Nobles, but also in the quality and efficiency of its support cadre. To allow for greater tactical insight and accumen, the leaders of House Draconis had long sought to develop a way to coordinate and expand the sensor-readings of their gathered Knights, combining the fragmented view of each Knight into a global picture of the battlefield. This goal was finally achieved with the creation of the Heavenly Host, a small army of cybernetically ingeneered Cherubim capable of casting a wide sensor-net over the whole battlefield. Largely ignored by the enemy, these Cherubim allowed House Draconis to keep an eve on enemy movements beyond their immediate surroundings or accurately pinpoint weaknesses in the enemy battleline.

House Colours
House Draconis' main colours are a red in black, both being fielded equally on every Imperial Knights' armour. It is generally believed that the red is fielded as a sign of the House's close ties to the Adeptus Mechanicum, even if as an Imperium-aligned Household, House Draconis' allegiance goes firstly to the Imperium and the High Lords of Terra. Secondary colours include a fiery yellow and white, especially on banners, as well as common pyroclastic motives such as burning flames, preferably fielded on the black portions of a Knight's armour. These are believed to echo the burning heart of the volcano House Draconis has elected as it's most important domain: the Draconspire. Usually a Knight's edgings would remain silver or polished metal.

House Arms
As with the other Knight Houses of Adrastapol, House Draconis derives its name and emblem from the mightiest of the mythological beasts of Old Earth. The dracon -- also known as dragon, drakk or drake in other parts of the Imperium -- is a fearsome flying reptile capable of breathing fire and equipped with razor-sharp teeth and claws. House Draconis' crest fields a dracon de gueules (red dragon) on a sable field (black), with a demi-Aquila of the same colour on a bisected field of red.

Signature Weapon
Save perhaps for the strange chimersword, the ancestral weapon of the now deposed House Chimaeros, House Draconis' favoured weapon must surely be the most exotic weapon wielded by an Adrastapolian Noble. When deactivated, a draconblade closely resembles an ordinary broadsword of superior craftsmanship. It would only be on second glance that the observer would notice the inbuilt fuel reservoir that coats the blade in burning flames when activated. More than a mere theatrical effect, the flames of the ignited draconblade can prove deadly in combat, as even a glancing blow can cause an opponent's clothes to catch fire. To maximise the effect of this weapon, the Draconis' swordsmanship relies on large, sweeping movements that leave roaring fire-trails in the wake of the blade's pass. Most opponents, be they man or beast, instinctively recoil from the flames, leaving the Draconis Nobles to go on the offensive. The fire-trails also serve to shield the Noble by blocking the most direct routes for a counterstrike. However, a well-protected enemy may realise that the flames cannot truly harm him and use the blind spots created by the draconblade to attack from an unexpected quarter.

As with most martial cultures within the Imperium, it is common for Nobles of House Draconis to name their blades in honour of previous victories. As a veteran of the Ork Wars, Herald Markos Dar Draconis named his impressive blade Orksbane, a name it carried until the weapon was broken in an Honour Duel held against Luk Kar Chimaeros, the Knight of Ashes. Both for ceremonial puposes and practical reasons, High King Tolwyn Tan Draconis used to wear his own draconblade, Drakesclaw, when appearing in public.