Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this investigation
into the fortress world of Cadia. The first 500 people to use the link in the
description will receive 2 free months of Skillshare’s online classes. In the region of Imperial space designated
Segementum Obscurus, there lies an anomaly that has come to be known as the Eye of Terror. It is an enormous rift, a permanent storm
in the fabric of reality that for 11 thousand years has provided a gateway to the nightmarish
realm of The Warp. Inside is a dimension of madness and despair
where skies weep blood, ancient stars burn in multi-coloured flares and the whims of
the Dark Gods hold sway. Since the time of the Horus Heresy, the forces
of Chaos that reside within have attempted to break out from the Eye of Terror and strike
at the millions of worlds that lay beyond. Only one thing has stood in their path. A fortress world that guarded the only navigable
route to the Eye of Terror, a place where time and time again the servants of the Dark
Gods would break against the greatest defenders of man. It was a planet known as Cadia, and it was
here above all that the bloody work of the Imperium was done. A terrestrial world closely resembling Holy
Terra before the Age of the Imperium, Cadia was marked by great oceans, temperate plains,
windswept moors and towering mountains. Cadia was colder than most civilized worlds,
yet not enough to impede the planet’s settlement. It was famous across the galaxy for its sparkling
glaciers and thick pine forests. It was the planet’s network of strange black
monoliths that remained Cadia’s most enduring mystery however, known across the galaxy as
the Cadian Pylons. When precisely Cadia was first colonized has
been lost to antiquity, but in the decades before the Horus Heresy, it had become inhabited
by a primitive race of violet-eyed humans who worshipped the Chaos Gods. The Word Bearers Legion and their Primarch,
Lorgar Aurelian was the first to re-establish contact with Cadia, but whatever transpired
in these initial meetings might never be known. Lorgar ordered the cyclonic bombardment of
the planet, wiping out the native Cadians and whatever secrets they possessed. With the end of the Horus Heresy, the Word
Bearers and the other traitor legions fled to the Eye of Terror to heal their wounds
and nurture their hatred. Black Crusades mounted against the galaxy
from the Eye of Terror convinced the Imperium that Cadia was of vital strategic importance
and settlers were sent to the world to claim it in the name of the Emperor. Cadia was eventually forged into a world worthy
of the Imperium, but it was learned at great cost that the planet would forever be threatened
and its entire society would have to reflect that. Its earliest cities were constructed in the
traditional style emulating Holy Terra, but the broad avenues and ordered urban grids
favored any attacking force, and sweeping changes were enacted. Cadia could not afford any distinction between
its fortresses and cities. Streets were constructed in such a way as
to disorient any potential invader, arrayed in zig zag patterns that would force an enemy
to fight for every block. Bastions and local garrisons were stationed
in every corner and spire that possessed a commanding view, while at the heart of every
city was an enormous fortification known in the local dialect as a Kasr. From the air, these resembled intricate puzzles,
which could be held for months if not years even if the surrounding city had been taken. Its people were no different than its buildings,
reorganized into a society wholly devoted to the defense of their world. Every Cadian was taught the skills necessary
to become a soldier from the moment they could walk. Tactical doctrine was prioritized above basic
literacy and every citizen was required to serve at least a four year term in the planet’s
military before either becoming a career soldier or instead joining Cadia’s military industrial
complex. Even the wealthy and successful elite wore
clothing reminiscent of the camouflage patterns issued to the lowliest guardsmen. The famed Cadian Shock Troops were widely
regarded as the best soldiers in the Imperial Guard and some of the most well equipped. Regiments either formed on Cadia or those
emulating its style and doctrine could be found across the entire galaxy. Cadian equipment in particular was so ubiquitous
that it was nearly the standard of the entire Astra Militarum. For millennia the planet stood as an unshakeable
foundation that challenged the will of the Dark Gods themselves. Every invasion was shattered and every Black
Crusade was repelled. But in the 999th year of the 41st Millenium,
Cadia was finally broken. Abbadon the Despoiler, greatest champion of
Chaos since Horus himself, launched the 13th Black Crusade. In the opening moments, elements of the planetary
guard turned traitor, assassinating Cadia’s High Command, its Governor and Lord Castellan. A reformed defense now under the command of
Ursarkar E. Creed were able to contain this initial assault, but the Black Crusade was
just beginning. In orbit of the planet, an enormous Chaos
Armada traded blows with the warships of Battlefleet Cadia all while reinforcements swept across
Cadia’s skies before joining in battle against the planet’s beleaguered defenders. Mysteriously, it was not the famous fortress
cities of Cadia that appeared to be Abbadon’s primary target, but rather the large network
of pylons, particularly those within the Elysion Fields. What precisely happened there can only be
guessed at, but some claim that for a brief moment, servants of the Imperium working with
ancient xenos managed to activate the Cadian pylons. The forces of Chaos were seemingly cut off
from the Warp and even the Eye of Terror was said to shrink. By the order of Abbadon however, an enormous
Blackstone Fortress struck Cadia with the force of an artificial meteor. The planet’s continents were split apart,
its ancient forests burned away. The few who managed to evacuate the dying
world bore witness not only to the destruction of Cadia, but the expansion of the Eye of
Terror across the entire galaxy. With the fall of Cadia, the Forces of Chaos
had won a victory that for millenia had been almost unimaginable. Tendrils of the Warp have split the galaxy
in two and there is little doubt that the Imperium has entered the Time of Ending. But the ultimate triumph of Abbadon the Despoiler
still eludes him. The fall of Cadia has awakened something in
the Imperium more powerful than even its greatest fortress. A hunger for retribution has swept across
every world and Cadia has become a martyr whose memory has spurred humanity to ever
greater feats of valor. If a creature like Abaddon is still capable
of experiencing even a tinge of fear, then he must be haunted by the fact that in destroying
Cadia, he has added a trillion fallen saints to the highest pantheon of the Imperium. For even as the planet split apart and its
shattered remnants were consumed by the Eye of Terror, the red streaks of firing lasguns
could still be seen in the darkness. Defenders of Cadia refusing to give in, even
as their world cracked and burned around them. From their sacrifice has arisen a new battlecry,
one shouted in hatred from the arctic steppes of Valhalla to the deadly jungles of Catachan,
a simple phrase that ensures the memory of Cadia will remain for as long as humanity
endures: “The planet broke before the Guard”. Thanks again to Skillshare for sponsoring
this investigation. Skillshare is an online learning community
with thousands of high-quality classes by experts working in their fields. If you’ve ever considered venturing into
the grim darkness of the 41st milennium or elsewhere, Skillshare has many classes on
designing gameplay for tabletop, roleplaying and video games, as well as guides on how
to improve storytelling and character design. For less than 10 dollars a month, Skillshare
can help you build on your current skills or learn completely new ones, unlock new opportunities,
and do your best work. The first 500 Templin personnel who sign up
for Skillshare using the link in the description will receive 2 free months of unlimited classes
that can help you in everything from painting and gameplay design to creative writing, social
media, and even learning new languages. The galaxy can be a dangerous place and as
every Templin field agent knows, knowledge is power, so use Skillshare to help give yourself
an edge.
