Dromaeo-Cataphrax Regiment

"No infantry force can survive a cavalry charge, no matter how well trained. When the Primacy needs to break an enemy line, we're the ones they send in first." - Achaeus Corinthus, on the necessity and continued relevance of shatha as a military unit.
The Dromaeo-Cataphrax Regiment is the Turian Hierarchy's oldest and most prestigious cavalry regiment, founded by Primarch Aurelion as part of his eponymous military reforms. Like other Turian cavalry regiments, the Dromaeo-Cataphrax Regiment utilises shatha as mounts, weaponising the creature's predatory adaptations.
The regiment's official motto is "Our teeth to their throats", while its sigil is an orange shatha charging upon a blue field with a white border. In addition to its use in warfare and peacekeeping operations, the regiment also fulfils ceremonial duties on state occasions. Its headquarters are located at the Imperial Mews in Cipritine, Palaven.
== Etymology ==
The correct translation of "Dromaeo-Cataphrax" is difficult to discern, as the exact meaning does not translate easily into alien languages. "Dromaeo" is a taxonomic affix used in the scientific classification of Palaven's native fauna, namely the family of flightless predatory birds to which the shatha belongs. Its closest equivalent translation is "runner", though the word's overall meaning is lost when translated, thus should not be taken as a literal translation.
"Cataphrax" is somewhat easier to translate. Exact translations vary but ultimately the word's core meaning is "armoured". This eludes to the heavy armour and kinetic barriers all trained shatha are outfitted with to protect them during frontline combat.
A literal translation of both words would therefore be "armoured runners". While crude, it sums up what the Dromaeo-Cataphrax Regiment does best; charging enemy lines astride armoured mounts, capable of reaching up to 40mph.
Category:Militaries
Category:Imperial Army