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The Cardinal Guard Low Gothic: Cardinal Guard High Gothic: Astartes Praecipus Founding Legion: VII, Imperial Fists Founding: 9th Founding (“Nexus Founding”) Current Chapter Master: Attico Diomedes Homeworld: Cathea, Ultima Segmentum Fortress-Monastery: Basilica Fidelum Colors: Red (primary); White, Black (secondary) Speciality: Drop Assaults, Hive Combat Strength: 874 Marines (est. M41.789) Battle Cry: “Tua Venit Tempus! Mors!” Recorded History Of the Cardinal Guard chapter, much can be gleaned from Imperial record and Inquisitorial investigation. It seems that, since the earliest days of the Adeptus Astartes, the Cardinal Guard have maintained a strong presence in Segmentum Ultima, defending their own pocket of space, often from the corrupting influence of the nearby Perfidian Gap. The chapter itself, established during the historically muddled “Nexus Founding” in late M34, has conducted itself in a brash and confident manner, flouting their own brand of bravado and zeal - leading some to erroneously believe them an offshoot of the Black Templars chapter. From the 9th Founding to the 42nd millennium, the Cardinal Guard have played a military and cultural role, emphasizing their defense and reinforcement of the Eccleshiarchy’s cherished strongholds in the region. Whereas other, mightier chapters of the Feast of Blades have shirked a quasi-political role, the Cardinal Guard have taken a strong stance alongside the Imperial Faith, allowing themselves to be regularly utilized as living icons of the God-Emperor . Where records can be located, the Cardinal Guard boast a proud history of nearly 5,000 years of service on recognizable fronts: Armageddon, Bellephon, Taladorn, Pharos, and multiple actions across the Ghoul Stars fighting Hive Fleet Jormungandr. Fighting Doctrine The Cardinal Guard, as observed and recorded with some detail, retain near-Codex strength, often meeting a nine company quota of fighting marines and boasting a healthy scout company - though recent martyr actions have set the chapter back by nearly one full battle-company. The chapter’s primary means of attack, and their most practiced, is the “drop assault” action, wherein the chapter often deploys from a sizable dropship and speeder fleet, landing squads of marines in pivotal locations, rapidly re-deploying at a moment’s notice - a battle dogma that has served the chapter well fighting in the densely packed hives of their protectorate Shrine Worlds. Like so many of the varied chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the backbone of the Cardinal Guard is the Tactical Squad - organized in tight five-man formations - forming firing lines, securing hive-blocks, and clearing the zones mortalis that so often compose the Cardinal Guard’s battlefields. The Tactical Marine, at the heart of these squads, is commonly armed with the ubiquitous load-out of the Adeptus Astartes; his bolter, bolt pistol, gladius, and a compliment frag and krak grenades. Wielding Cathean-born tenacity and trans-human ingenuity, a lone Cardinal Guard is capable of engaging enemy forces, safeguarding Imperial civilians, assessing situational integrity, and communicating with allied forces, all while planning his next action - a testament to any space marine’s incredible abilities. Cathea Imperial records of Cathea place it in the Ultima Segmentum, south east of the Perfidian Gap warp storm, a theta-class world of icy forests and caustic climate, unsuited for proper colonization, but home to a persistent race of man, long ago crash-landed on the death world. Having survived the amniotic climate, hazardous fauna, and sub-zero temperatures, the population was eventually visited by the founding company of Chapter #446, who would build their fortress monastery and recruit from the world’s youth - to great success. To Imperial scholars, it is not entirely clear how or why the chapter settled upon Cathea, it defies belief that such a boon would fall under the chapter’s provenance by luck alone. The Feast of Blades The Cardinal Guard stand with the sons of the Dorn, as stalwart as any other chapter, and have answered the call of the Imperial Fists without hesitation or delay on countless occasions - including summons to the Feast of Blades, an event at which the chapter has rarely claimed any great honor - winning only once, on the 725th Feast. It is unknown, even to the most privileged scholars, if the Cardinal Guard are pledged the Last Wall, or if chapter command is yet to be elucidated of such rites.The dangers of the Cicatrix Maledictum, such that the galaxy has been cleft in two, greatly diminishes any such pledges if they exist, and leave the Cardinal Guard under the hierarchical leadership of Commander Dante, of the Blood Angels chapter.