Iron Gauntlet 2024: Index Quistoris Knight House Garaipeña

[NovemberIX]

I, NovemberIX, of the Knight House Garaipena take up your Challenges. I vow, before my brothers and sisters of the B&C to complete Challenge The First and submit it to the Liber before the deadline. I vow to support my fellow challengers to the best of my ability. May the Fires of Time curse me if I fail.

 

 

Defiantly they walked.

 

Summary

Origin World: Lumen Alpha II-b

Leader: The Grand Matriarch Surella

Battlecry: 

Colors: Yellow and Blue

Emblem: The Quartered Shield Novemberine

Allegiance: Inquisitional Ordo Chronos Novemberine detachment (November IX/Novemberine)

Current Strength: 1 Cerastus, 2 Dominus , 5 Quistoris, 6 Armiger Chassis

 

Count	Type	Name	Pilot
1	Castigator		Alqmar
1	Castellan		Piria
1	Valiant		Threzet
1	Errant	Temporia Junah	Ihati
1	Gallant	Tempris Seguna	Koldeer
1	Preceptor		Lassys
2	Crusader	Epochia Fadia, Ephochia Fellisa	Temis, Verao
2	Helverin		Veril, Satra
4	Moirax		Chye, Ambra, Belera, Sozette

 

Introduction:

 

 A small Matriarchal Knight house, House Garaipeña vowed allegiance to the November IX, no matter the road or the challenge, they would walk ever forward. They left their homeworld for the Novemberine ship, the Spite of Glatisant to provide heavy mobile support to the IX, often operating in concert with the November Warriors, the Sisters of The Frozen Flame, and the Forge Kantariss. The Garaipeña have eschewed most of the pomp and courtly intrigue of other knight houses, relying instead on the ideals and reputation of proficient competency. Every pilot, no matter her personality, has spent 1000's of hours honing their combat abilities in combat and in regular testing sims. Even the youngest and greenest Pilots have earned the respect of their battlefield peers through intense cross training with the other fighting arms of the IX. As a whole, besides their fellow combat forces, the Garaipeña have a close relationship with the Forges of Kantariss. The AdMech cohort provides support, repair and refit, intently guiding the Sacristans of House Garaipeña.

 

Founding History:

 

In early M38 the colony of Lumen αlpha II-B was a world in rebellion. The Planetary governor and head of the largest Knight House has been assassinated by his traitorous brother making a power grab. Loyalist knights had been surreptitiously directed off world  or starved of resources so that when the turn happened they were caught wrong footed. But for a small backwater, much of the planet was falling under traitor control until the young outland noblewoman Aya Garaipeña was able to activate an ancient Castigator Knight that had been hidden and gene-locked for over 4 thousand years. Her sister abducted and much of the rest of her family killed, her fury at the atrocities, the betrayal of ties of honor seemingly caused the machine spirit or maybe the ghosts of the throne to overwrite the gene key. The first of the Thrice Blessed Grandest Matriarch’s miracles. Using the Castigator she took the fight to the heretic forces, relieving and rallying troops along the way.  One such place was a minor satellite chapel of the order of the Frozen Flame. It was the sisters of this chapel that were further able to rally the disparate Loyalist PDF and loyalist militia. The battles that followed were fierce but exhibited the martial prowess of the pilot and her ability to lead mixed combat forces.

 

With more support, the Grandest Matriarch directly began to target the traitor house with one goal, to deny them the ability to bring Knights to battle. With ground forces, they were now able to help defeat and overrun opposing knight facilities in daring raids of outlying outposts and forward operating bases. A major turn to the conflict occurred as the Order of the Frozen Flame were able to send an astropathic message to the November IX after the capture of a major communications facility, calling for reinforcement from the November Warriors. Space Marine support tilted the favor of combat towards the loyalist. Ultimately The Lady Garaipeña herself spearheaded the attack on the traitor leader, defeating him in single combat. Thereafter rescuing her sisters from captivity, she claimed a number of defeated foes knights as her own, establishing the House Garaipeña with her sisters at her side. Even as the fog of battle began to lift, the Grandest Matriarch wasn’t content to sit on her laurels. She swore her fealty to the force that helped liberate her world and rescue her family. The Novemberine, their Warriors and the Order of the Frozen Flame. As long as they had need, she and hers would walk with them.

 

The benefits to pledging loyalty to the Inquisitors of the Novemberine were immediate, as the Forges Kantariss were already aligned with the IX, they quickly took to supplying and maintaining the Knights. The House in turn supported the Skitarii and Tech Priest in the field of battle. This support is what motivated the Fabricator-General to repair the earlier salvageable but damaged knight hulls. Significantly expanding the strength the house could bring to bear. This growth in strength allowed the newly founded house to gain even greater glories on the field of battle, with the Sisters Garaipeña eagerly prosecuting the will of their Inquisitional Lords. Slowly the house began to grow as thoughts turned to lineage and future duties. Eventually even the Grandest Matriarch held from battle and brought new life into the world. And so it has been for 80 generations.

 

Training: 

 

One of the benefits of being part of the November IX is the esoteric technical support of both the Forges Kantariss and the Comberth Stronghold League. This is best exemplified in the training of Pilots. Bringing a knight to a walk requires immense use of resources, labor, logistical support, and most simply space to operate. The shipboard life of the Novemberine means that operation space is at a premium. It is to fill this need that a series of “simulation bodies'’ that connect Knight Machine Spirit to training pods were constructed within the Spite of Glatisant. Pilots spend their days engaged in simulated war games against a variety of opponents in changing battlefield conditions. A pilot isn’t considered battle ready till they’ve logged at least 20,000 hours.

 

Rookie pilots begin their journey in Armigers under the guide of the Arms Master. Acting as scouting and screening units, Armiger pilots fight to earn the honor of piloting the main Knight Armors. Only once they have participated in a series of campaigns are they allowed to test their connection with the Quistoris Knights and begin to practice in their simulation bodies. Those with the highest synchronization are noted and become part of a short list of backup pilots.

 

Cross training begins with rotations with the Farbanti 765th Lighting Riders, pilot candidates participate in an abbreviated bootcamp style training where they will learn the basics of Astra Militarum close quarters combat, essential survival skills, and LasRifle sharpshooting. Some candidates have been known to take extended training in such fields as artillery and the always popular demolitions. Pilots and Pilot Candidates regularly take PT with the Imperial Navy armsmen, sometimes even participating in anti-boarding drills. Once pilots are assigned to an Armiger they’ll occasionally be tasked to embed with detachments from the other martial arms. They regularly accompany the Skitarii of Kantariss and the Sisters of the Frozen flame in operations, and by request for Militarum, who value their speed and expanded sensor capabilities. 

 

It is rare for Armiger pilots to operate directly with the November Warriors, as their combat deployments are already heavily supported by the prodigious amount of walkers from the marines own armament. When they do deploy, it is as part of a wider House based strategy, and thus within normal combat organization. 

 

 Outside of the martial aspect of training Pilots are also expected to perform a traditional ritual dance. The dance itself is a rigid test of physical ability and endurance. It is meant to appeal to the machine spirit of the Knight Armor by retelling the stories of historical battles. Mystical in nature, none outside of the core family have ever been privy to the full nature of the ritual.

 

Traditions: 

 

The Garaipeña forgo the court rituals of most other Knight houses, finding the airs and strictures of nobles to be stultifying and counter to their ideals. This doesn’t mean there aren’t long held practices and traditions within the house.  Because of the Genetic Locks on the Thrones Mechanicum of the house, the Grand Matriarch is responsible for arranging marriages to sustain the pool of suitable pilots. The cold calculus of matroclinal genetics is tempered by the hard earned lessons of previous Matriarchs. Matches are made using a stringent matrix of genetic profiling starting in late childhood so as to acclimate Pilot and partner and engender a productive connection between the two. The partner of the pilot takes the title of manciple, in charge of their affairs, strategic support during combat and overseeing sacristans during repairs and refits. In addition to their regular duties, most manciples hold a Navy rank, they are expected to monitor and support the logistics necessary for an expedition. Usually this is as Loadmaster on the planetary landing craft of the navy, but some have chosen to operate within the command structures of the Guard or the Forge to support their pilot.

 

Forge Kantariss integrated several unique archaeotech systems into the Knights control systems, Embedded Neural Synaptic Interfaces and the Native Biosignal Interlock allow only the daughters of Garaipena to connect, synchronize, and thus pilot their warmachines. ENSI utilizes a spinal port, and a pair of A10 centered interface headset clips as part of its control system, allowing the pilot to perform complex maneuvers that would be difficult with just the physical control system. The NBI acts as a first stage genelock through ENSI by matching the specific Garaipeña genome sequence of the pilot. 

 

Pilots are encouraged to commit to some form of artistic endeavor outside of their training hours. Traditionally music and poetry were the first introduced arts to young pilots, but the pilots have wildly varied interests. Piria is known for her glass work some of which graces the Chapel of the Frozen flame, Threzet practices Vexillography, Ihati binds books, and Temis meticulously maintains an archeotech vox player that is often used during cohesion exercises.

 

Overseen by the matriarchs of the house, each pilot performs a historical “Gowan” dance that they must meticulously practice. All movements are rigidly predefined, range of movement, degrees of turn, force of step, so far as to define the exact placement of fingers at any given moment. Pilots don representative costumes and headpieces to portray the machine spirit  of their Knight Armors. Accompanied by blindfolded musicians the pilots perform hours long dramatized reenactments of glorious battles past on a stage set among the Knight Armours to appease the Machine Spirit and honor the Ghosts of the Throne.

 

The piloting hierarchy is one of inevitable changes. As pilots age and decide to begin the next generation, seats open up, allowing young hopefuls from the ranks of the Armiger Pilots to graduate to the Quistoris Chassis, and those who have earned honors and seniority the chance to pilot the house’s Dominus or Cerastus knights.  The Armiger pilots being the youngest and least experienced dorm together to build their teamwork and a deeper understanding of each other's natures, in the hope that someday they’ll be supporting each other as the main battle force. 

 

Beliefs: 

 

The immediate Garaipeña family of pilots are known to take a regular mass with the Sisters of Order of the Frozen Flame. An arrangement rooted in the liberation of their homeworld and the Thrice-Blessed Matriarch. The household as a whole also studies the scripture of the Omnissiah, in this way they hold faith in the God Emperor as the Omnissiah, believing it is the will of the God-Emperor that guides the machine spirits of their equipment and  Knight Armor. Like most Knight houses, there is a form of ancestor worship due to the imprinting of the throne mechanicum. Besides the Traditional dances, some of the ways this is expressed is through offerings made to ancestral pilots of the armors, lighting of prayer candles, and “pious craft-work” such as needlepoint, painting or even scrimshaw depending on the pilot.   

 

Relationships within the IX

 

Ordo Chronos: They’ve pledged allegiance to the Ordo Chronos as part of their vow to the Warriors and the Sisters of the Frozen Flame. The Ordo affords the house a wide latitude in autonomy, only involving themselves in matters of overall theater strategy. The Grand Matriarch of the house is known to counsel the Inquisitor during their regular afternoon tea sessions. 

 

November Warriors:  Where the Warriors go, so does the House Garaipeña. As the saviors of Lumen, the battle brothers of the Warriors hold special esteem among the whole of the house. When the Quistoris walk it is most often to support the aims of the marines. If ever a Knight goes down, it is the marines who will fight the hardest to secure the zone and help exfil the pilot. Among the warriors, Lt. Farsa Kas has built a solid tactical relationship with Ihati of Temporiah Junah; they have expanded the limits of Knight/Infantry combined operations tactics. 

 

Order of the Frozen Flame: A relationship built on mutual support and respect dating back to the liberation of Lumen. The Sisters of the Frozen flame feel a kindred sense of duty and martial ambition from the Daughters Garaipeña, such that the sisters perform regular and special pre-battle mass for the pilots of the house. Combat operations are regularly supported by Armiger hunting packs and Dominus heavy support. 

 

Forge Kantariss: The House has benefited from their relationship of mutual aid greatly, it was the Forge that repaired and refit the salvaged hulls from the liberation of Lumen. Kantariss also developed and installed the pilot interface systems of the knights that geneconnect to the Pilots. The Skitarii cohorts have benefited from the extra firesupport and have at times acted as ground forces for House operations.

 

765th Lightning Riders:  By hosting the initial bootcamp training, and then regular survival course recertification the 765th maintains a professional and cordial relationship. Because of the extended training opportunities with specialist squads, some pilots have become mascots of sorts. During joint pilot recovery operation, it’s usually the Lightning Riders along with Aegir Search and Rescue teams who will exfil the pilot, while the Warriors hold the area, and Kantariss units work to recover the hull.

 

Aegir Fleet: Despite the Juvenant extended ages of most pilots, the more grizzled members of the Navy Voidsmen treat the residents of the Armiger dorm like younger siblings. This usually stems from the regular PT cross training that Armiger pilots participate in. As the IX’s Naval asset, the Aegir fleet is responsible for the transport and landing of Knights to the theater of battle. Most manciples hold a Navy rank and act as the load master for their specific knight and dropship as part of their duties to the house. 

 

Comberth Stronghold League:  As those of Comberth rarely commit to massed martial actions, it is rare to see coordinated operations between the two groups.The nature of their relationship is shrouded in the secretive nature of the CSL, while direct interaction is often minimal, it is known that the league has provided technologies and support used only by the Garaipeña Knights. In return the House has recovered assets at the behest of the League. 

 

Individual Honors:

 

 The Chevrons of Defiance: Crafted from material salvaged from great foe, a pair of metal chevrons are chained as trophies to the Epochia Fadi.

 

The Alphaville Lotus: Gifted for the defense of Forge Outpost 336.

Edited April 17 by NovemberIX
Update

[Kelborn]

Oh, a fellow Questoris friend?

I see, you're a person of culture.

 

Intrigued to see your take on them. The crest looks already dope. Did you make it yourself?

[NovemberIX]

I too look forward to your take on our mutual interest in giant biped war machines!

 

I did design the crest, I figured all the other knight houses have these grand looking designs I should try my hand at one, but in the November Superflat style. One day I might actually get them printed, but more than likely I'll just cut some vinyl for their army case.

[twopounder]

Did you hand draw that crest? Edit, saw the reply.

 

It looks really cool. The birds are a bit flat though for their detail, so I'd recommend reducing their overall number of vertices (basically simplify the profile and reduce feathers) or add some outline or gradient for contrast. It does burn my eyes a little 

Edited March 23 by twopounder

[NovemberIX]

It was kinda a rough blue on this background. I've tried another palette to see if that helps some of the burn. Coincidentally, I did realize the first version I posted wasn't actual house crest, but a variant of my profile banner, so cheers for indirectly reminding me to post the proper one!

[ThePenitentOne]

I've always been curious about Knights, but I know virtually nothing about them. I think the feudal honour/ oath bound thing is almost as cool as the giant battlemech part.

 

What sort of character are you looking to evoke with this House?

[NovemberIX]

First Draft is up! I'm still about 1300 words short, and need to add on more sections, format it, and figure out some Knight Names. I'm still debating on keeping the originals I've had, or going the more standard "Thing of Thing" naming scheme. But I figured I needed to post something to critique besides just a graphic!

@ThePenitentOne In my head imagine a high class family owned hotel that's been around for generation, the kids all have roles, the Matriarch sorta runs everyone's lives, then add in a pastiche of giant-robo anime influences, a little bit of Evangelion, some Gasaraki, a hint of Darling in the Franxx and a touch of Idolmaster Xenoglossia. And that's the House Garaipena

[ThePenitentOne]

Hey, sorry to be such a newb, but where is the draft at- I want to check it out today.

 

Congratulations BTW.

[NovemberIX]

Thanks! It should be in the first post, I've edited it in. I figure keeps things simple if everything is in the top post.

[Focslain]

On 3/30/2024 at 10:19 AM, NovemberIX said:

 In my head imagine a high class family owned hotel that's been around for generation, the kids all have roles, the Matriarch sorta runs everyone's lives, then add in a pastiche of giant-robo anime influences, a little bit of Evangelion, some Gasaraki, a hint of Darling in the Franxx and a touch of Idolmaster Xenoglossia. And that's the House Garaipena

As a fan of all of these this will be an interesting read. Haven't seen Gasaraki in over a decade though.

 

edit: 

As one anime inspired house to another, not a bad start. I can see the Gasaraki reference on your sleeve via the Gowan dance. Could here the chanting and drums as I read.

 

Few things:

In the intro you mention cross training with the other military elements of the IX but it is not mentioned later in the Training section. 

 

This seems to be a fleet based Knight house which is a neat idea. A little more detail on that would be great in a Homeworld section.

 

Now 'normally' once your bonded to a throne (Questorius or higher) your stuck there as trying to bond with another throne requires the same chance if not greater chance of rejection. I'm guessing this is kind of midigated by the gene-lock but it isn't made clear. 

 

Few grammer suggestions:

to deny them the ability to bring Knight to battle.

Should be knights

 

to repair the earlier salvageable but damaged knights.

I would suggest using either knight frames or hulls just to give some variety in terms. 

 

Keep up the good work, you got a nice thing started here.

Edited April 2 by Focslain

[ThePenitentOne]

I really like the Matriarchal Order concept. Do you use models on foot for them (thinking of the Canis Rex example here), or do you build your knights in such a way that it's possible to expose the pilots? I also really like all the other organizations that connect to the house- November IX, the Sisters of the Frozen Flame, Forge Kantariss... It really adds a lot to lean on those other factions. Finally, I love the individual Arts- Piria is particularly interesting- my birth father worked in auto glass all his life, but also did some really cool mirror sculpture abstracts. Her connection to the Sisters of the Frozen Flame via her stained glass is intriguing. I could almost see a knight with a few stained glass details.

 

I didn't catch any of the Anime references- I'm a bit of an Anime newbie (watched me some Akira, some Ruroni Kenshin, some Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, but that's about it). So when I saw Gowan dance, I thought Canadian musician Larry Gowan, current front man of Styx, and best known for his solo tunes Strange Animal and Criminal Mind.

 

And if your ladies were doing THAT kind of Gowan dance, they'd have to learn to Angel Kick targets at 7 feet.

 

 

Edited April 2 by ThePenitentOne

[NovemberIX]

On 4/2/2024 at 11:32 AM, Focslain said:

As a fan of all of these this will be an interesting read. Haven't seen Gasaraki in over a decade though.

 

edit: 

As one anime inspired house to another, not a bad start. I can see the Gasaraki reference on your sleeve via the Gowan dance. Could here the chanting and drums as I read.

 

Few things:

In the intro you mention cross training with the other military elements of the IX but it is not mentioned later in the Training section. 

 

This seems to be a fleet based Knight house which is a neat idea. A little more detail on that would be great in a Homeworld section.

 

Now 'normally' once your bonded to a throne (Questorius or higher) your stuck there as trying to bond with another throne requires the same chance if not greater chance of rejection. I'm guessing this is kind of midigated by the gene-lock but it isn't made clear. 

 

Few grammer suggestions:

 

Should be knights

 

 

I would suggest using either knight frames or hulls just to give some variety in terms. 

 

Keep up the good work, you got a nice thing started here.

Re: Training, that's a very good point, I've expanded on that in the next draft that should be going up soon. I'll try and expand on the fleet aspect of it too, as there is more of the IX there that can be explored as well. As for the bonding, I'll be honest, I'm sorta treating Knights half like Evangelions/LFO's, the genelock is partially a physical "key", but more in that if you can make the metaphysical connection, you can get the mech to move, it's what motivated the Matriarchal theme. Mothers fighting on behalf of their children. So to connect to a house mech, you HAVE to be one of their children, or else the "machine spirit" will just ignore you, or maybe fry a brain if it dislikes someone enough. Admittedly, I'll probably handwave the details away via archeotech and having the backing of a Forge.

 

Grammar bits have been fixed, and yeah, I need a few more nouns to refer to the Knights, I've been slowly going insane trying not to repeat myself over and over, but that's gone about as well as you can see :D

 

 

On 4/2/2024 at 5:27 PM, ThePenitentOne said:

I really like the Matriarchal Order concept. Do you use models on foot for them (thinking of the Canis Rex example here), or do you build your knights in such a way that it's possible to expose the pilots? I also really like all the other organizations that connect to the house- November IX, the Sisters of the Frozen Flame, Forge Kantariss... It really adds a lot to lean on those other factions. Finally, I love the individual Arts- Piria is particularly interesting- my birth father worked in auto glass all his life, but also did some really cool mirror sculpture abstracts. Her connection to the Sisters of the Frozen Flame via her stained glass is intriguing. I could almost see a knight with a few stained glass details.

 

I didn't catch any of the Anime references- I'm a bit of an Anime newbie (watched me some Akira, some Ruroni Kenshin, some Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, but that's about it). So when I saw Gowan dance, I thought Canadian musician Larry Gowan, current front man of Styx, and best known for his solo tunes Strange Animal and Criminal Mind.

 

And if your ladies were doing THAT kind of Gowan dance, they'd have to learn to Angel Kick targets at 7 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

At some point I'm going to try kitbashing up a pilot or two, I do have the Sir Hektor model, it's just a matter of finding a head that I'd like to 3d print, and getting muuuuuch better at painting eyes (my poor googly eyed commissar....) I have to admit to my own model building laziness though, I have the bits to do the interiors for at least two knights, but I'm fairly sure I'm just gonna glue the canopies closed for simplicity. I do want to try and work in the stained glass via Rift Cannon bits from the Dark Talon Kit, but again it's a matter of finding where I left mine....

 

The Anime references are more like anime influences I guess, and subtle at best. The most obvious reference is to Gasaraki, an anime about bipedal tactical armors, Noh Dance, and moratoriums on grain exports. The ladies do enjoy some M2 rock and roll, but Gowan in this case refers to the Gowa Family and their "Noh Dance of Gassara". In the anime it's all rather mysterious and "can open doors to other dimensions", here, it's what anchors and appeases the spirits of the previous pilots still in the Knights, still with some mysticism.

 

The other main anime influences are the previously referenced Evangelion, Eureka Seven, and Idolm@ster Xenoglossia. Eva has a few bits cribbed here and there, and a lot of stolen terms. Eurka Seven's compac drives inspired a Key System, IM:X is a little easier and a little harder to explain, the main influence is the Dorm life for the Armiger pilots, but as with Eva, there this thing about the mech having a will of its own, accepting and rejecting pilots of it's own volition.

[NovemberIX]

Draft 2 is up, and I'm at about 2500 words, I'll probably work up some battle's and maybe a few more honors. Knight names are still in flux.