House Vampes

Heraldry of House Vampes.

House Vampes livery, as displayed by the Knight Crusader *Righteous Wrath*.

**House Vampes** is a Knight House from the world of Bresse a small World in the Leman Sector. Vampes allegiance belongs to the Imperium which contacted them first and offered them the Knights recovered from a fallen Knight House. Cooperation with the Adeptus Mechanicus is quite common, too common for some in the Sector Command, and military support for the local forge worlds is substancial. Depending on the High King can this tactic of partly split allegiance work resulting in more ressources from the courting sides or ignorance from both sides and in the worst cases even massive political pressure to remain in line.

## History

### Pre-Imperial Time

Founded during the late phase of the Dark Age of Technology, is House Vampes around 20,000 years old. Developing from a force to protect the colony on Bresse and as construction helpers to a proud and noble House, saw the Vampes many changes in tasks and traditions. Warfare was always the main task and is today the sole duty of the Knight House, which was sowed rare but when happening resulting in massive struggles. Contact with the Imperium was established in 978.M30 with the House more or less bribed into the Imperium with the promise of getting the 8 Knights found by an Imperial Expeditionary Fleet.

### Imperial Time

House Vampes history since its integration into the Imperium was colourfull. From the battles fough against the Traitors during the Horus Heresy preventing them from entering the Sector, over the early Black Crusades were they brought down a number of bigger Titans or the Plague of Unbelieves. A notable event was the Cadet War when four cadet branches fought against each other for influence in the House, resulting into the decimation of all combatants and the defacto extinction off them. More modern conflicts were the 11th Black Crusade and the Battle for Black Reach. Nowadays fight their Lances in the regions of space recaptured or captured in the first time for the Imperium by the Indomitus Crusade.

## Notable Campaigns

* **The Great Crusade (005.M31 - 014.M31):** House Vampes Knights support the defence of the borders of the Leman Sector preventing Horus forces from breaking into the Sector.
* **The Cadet War (091.M33 - 097.M33):** The Cadet War was a power struggle between four cadet lines for influence in the House. Such development was enabled several decated ago when members of the Vampes married into influential noble families and the resulting wave of new members not compleatly raised in the ways of the Vampes meaning that they started over time to glean more and more power for their close family. The ruling High King was not able to defuse the situation and the following years saw the honour duelles degenerationg into battles between groups. Such dishonourable actions lasted until only a few members of the cadet branches still lived and the then High King wars dispossed.
* **11th Black Crusade (301.M40):** Members of the House took part in the fightings against Abaddon's forces and the Orks from WAAAGH! Murgor.
* **Battle of Black Reach (885.M41):** Three Lances supported the 2nd Ultramarines Company in fighting against WAAAGH! Zanzag and took part in mopping up the thoughest pockets of Ork survivors.
* **Battle of Sorus I** **(031.-033.M42):** A group of Lances took part in the combat against the Blackshield Knight House Paylon. House Paylon had tried to plunder the storage facilities om Sorus I when the fist Knights of House Vampes reached them and engaged them. Fire and melee duelles brought no clear winning side while terrain prevented major engagements. In this battle captured the Renegades Lyra de Vampes and destroyed after her capture 5 Knights more than the half of the destroyed Knights, but were repelled by them.

## Homeworld

Bresse is an Civilised World similiar to a Frontier World in its settlement. Unlike regular Frontier Worlds has Bresse a fully working government and has several production centres for its formidable agriculture production and is the logistical base for the mining operations in the surrounding Systems. Miners from the Subsector are supplied with food and material made on the planet from a part of the mined minerals while most are stored at depos on the planet or on the Port Basilum a space station in the system. Bresses continents are mostly unsettled only a few location near highly fertile areas or on peninsulars have Small Hives or extensive urban centres. The Inland is largely unsettled with only a few mines, outposts or villages dotting it, though expeditions and patrols are common and exact maps and knowledge about the Inland exists.

### Headow Castle

Headow Castle was built in a cauldron located in a mountain plateau. A massive gate was built to allow Knights to march out of the castle while heavy bunkers placed next to the gate, over it and in front of it can stop every enemy trying to attack in a frontal assault. The lift surrounding the cauldron is protected by walls, reinforces stone and bunkers, while a few buildings stand on the lift rising into the sky. Most of the Headow Castle was built in the cauldron filling it with floors and internal towers for stability. An Adamantium layer was built in the rock to add further strength to the natural defences.

## Notable Members

* **Lyra de Vampes:** Lyra de Vampes was a disgraced member of House in early M42. Originally operating a Knight Gallant and one of the members taking part in the Battle of Sorus I were her Lance fought against the Blackshield Knight House Paylon. Her Knight was in the later phase of the campaign destroyed and she taken as prisoner of the Blackshield Knight House. Attempts to sell her back failed and she had to spent a couple of years as a slave to the renegades. Lyra was later able to escape and return. Instead of a war, welcoming awaited Lyra a cold reception. HighK King Athos de Vampes gave her the blame for the losses of lives and Knights suffered after her defeat and claiming that she willingly bowed to House Paylon. For months was Lyra held under house arrest and later exiled off-world. Since then operates she as a Freeblade.
* **Jaquez Vampes:** Jaquez Vampes is the first recorded member of House Vampes and lived in M21. Records say that he commanded the defence of Bresse against an Ork invasion which was able to overrun Worlds arround the system. He stated to have lived for 234 years in which he succeed in securing House Vampes influence.

## Notable Knights

House Vampes uses a mix of all existing Knight Pattern, but mainly us the Knight Gallants (with autocannons), Knight Wardens, Knight Crusaders, Knight Paladins, Knight Valiants, Armiger Helverins and Armiger Warglaives.

* ***Pilgrim of Fury* (Knight Gallant)** - Once been on Terra
* ***Doom Errant* (Knight Errant)**
* ***Death Bringer* (Knight Valiant)**
* ***Questor of Bresse* (Knight Warden)**
* ***Honoured Defender* (Cerastus Knight-Lancer)** - The oldest still working Knight used by House Vampes.

## Organisation

### Ranks

* **High King:** The leader of House Vampes and if female called High Queen. Only individuals with extreme levels of experiences in warfare and politics is allowed to become one. An election is held by the oldest and highest ranking members of the House to elect a candidate.
* **High Barons:** High Barons are individuals chosen for the second highest rank and fill specific titles. Such titles give the owner the responsibility for Headow Castle (Master of the Fort). High Barons rule also over several provinces on Bresse and lead Courts into the battle.
* **Barons:** Barons are a mix of mid-ranking officer comparable to Majors or even Colonels on the battlefield and at home the ruler of a province. They pilot also the strongest regular Knights and have an internal hierachy.
* **Knight:** The rank and file pilots.
* **Knight Apparent:** An in-training Knight.

Ranks below the High Barons are heritary to the heirs. Most titles are divided among the hairs by a lottery while the oldest successor inherits the highest title and the Knight This system applys not of the deceased had made specific distribution in his testament which overrules the standart succession system.

### Formations

House Vampes Knights are organised in so-called Lances, formations with 3 to 6 Knights. Lances in turn are organised in Baronial Courts. Such Courts can have up to 20 Knights. The Exalted Court is the personal Court of the High King and has the best 30 Knights available. Vampes has the following Courts at it`s service who are named after the barony of the leading Baron.

* **Exalted Court**
* **Court of Haverland**
* **Court of Osterland**
* **Court of Averland**
* **Court of Pavaron**
* **Court of Wesselmark**
* **Court of Rassaln** - understrenght
* **Court of Kelin -** understrenght

House Vampes has around 140 Knights of different patterns and 154 pilots.

## Combat Doctrine

Knights from House Vampes use more than other Knight Houses communication technologies and electronic warfare equippment in their Knights what allows for more coodinated operations while enemies are hindered in their defence through jammed communications and suppressed sensors. The Knights in the Lances are often equipped individually with weapons to fill all possible needed scenarios. Household troops serve their masters as recon force and as defencive line when the Knights aren`t in their machines. Heavy Knights operate normally as a mobile reserve near their lighter cousins or as spearhead and shaft for it to remain on an offensive.

## Traditions

House Vampes has like every Knight House a strong chivalry and are followers of the Imperial Creed, but the worship of the Machine God is allowed. Marriages to pesants are for the house members forbidden except for the Knights recruited from the pesantry who can still marry to pesants. Furthermore is the forming of cadet branches forbidden after the Cadet War and the children have either to join House Vampes or the other dynasty give up their claims on land and Knights. A reason why he pilots of the House fight so determinated is the danger of being exiled if they should fail critically. Such drastic action however is mostly done in a weakened form, but the number of members exiled after seriouse mistakes total 231.

## Relics

* ***Obliteration of Kay***: A Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon from an ancient pattern with a bigger ammunition capacity. It became a relict when it was able to destroy a Knight Paladin when it was possesed by a Nurgle Deamon.
* ***The Divine Lance***: A Thermal Spear - a Melta Weapon - used to purge deamon-possesed Knights.
* ***Avenger of Mars***: An Iradd-Cleanser, a powerfull radiation weapon effective against infantry. A rare weapon.

## House Appearance

### House Colours

House Vampes primarily paints their Knight engines Tyrian Purple, Trypan Blue and Cyan with silver trim.

### House Heraldry

House Vampes coat-of-arms takes the form of a black stag rampant ("rearing up"; depicted in profile standing erect with forward legs raised), centered upon a winged trypan blue coloured shield outlined in tyrian purple. Upon the shield is an ornate crown, and centered below it is a pair of crossed Bresse sabres.

## Gallery

House Vampes livery shield with Household coat-of-arms prominently displayed, affixed to the hull of the Knight Crusader *Righteous Wrath*.House Vampes Princep's honour banner of the Knight Crusader *Righteous Wrath*.