Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments

Sigil of the Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments

Rough Sketch of a Bondsmen Trooper

### **Motto**

“Through Humility and through Faith will we find victory, and through victory, enlightenment.”

## Other information

### **Specialty**

Heavy/Mechanised Scouting, Slow Advance Assaults, Line Defence, Line Holding

### **Heavy Weapons**

Mortar, Autocannon, Heavy Bolter, Lascannon, Missile Launcher, Twin-Linked Heavy Stubber

### **Special Weapons**

Flamer, Grenade Launcher, Meltagun, Plasma Gun, Long-Las

## Commanders

### **Acting**

Lord-Bondsman-General Chryseos Kontos

The **Kaldeia Bondsmen** are the infantry regiments raised from the Knight World of Kaldeia. The soldiers of Kaldeia are used to hold lines that would break if manned by other regiments. No songs are sung of their glory, and no statues are erected in their honour, and this is the way they like it, for they see holding back the enemies of humanity as taking greater precedence than being known for doing so.

## History

The first known usage of Kaldeia citizens as infantry by the Grand Order of Hermetika was during the sieges of Mezoa in M31, where a hastily organized Kaldeia Militia was shipped out to serve as cannon fodder against the forces of the Dark Mechanicum and Traitor Legions. They were equipped and hastily trained with war gear meant to be shipped out to proper regiments of the Imperial Army, however this was impossible with an ongoing naval war taking place in Mezoa’s high orbit. In the first battle in which the Kaldeia Militia was deployed they were not expected to achieve much more than take a miniscule amount of pressure off of the Knights and Skitarii battling elsewhere before being overrun. During the height of battle, all vox-contact with the Militia was lost, and the force was assumed shattered. So it was a great surprise when a Skitarii Rangers squadron, sent to take sniper positions around what was supposed to be the Militia’s abandoned position, found them fighting on. Despite grievous casualties and overwhelming odds, the Militia had held fast, not once breaking to charge or retreat, they had held their line longer than anyone, including themselves, had expected them to.

After the end of the Horus Heresy, the few survivors were brought back to Kaldeia and used to train a regiment of the newly created Astra Militarum. Over the next few hundred years, the Hierarchs and the newly created Commissars perfected the tactics of the Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments. Between battles, the Bondsmen are used as heavy scouts, using chiefly Sentinel walkers in unison with infantry and sniper squads to map out enemy positions and to test the enemy's readiness and strength. During battle they make use of the only vehicles regularly issued to them, the Hellhound, Bane Wolf and Devil Dog tanks, Chimera APC and Taurox APC. These vehicles are usually held in reserve, with the APCs used to carry reinforcements to strained portions of the line, and the Hellhound variants used to clear dense pockets of enemy resistance or armour.

Though Kaldeia is famous for it’s knightly house, the Grand Order of Hermetika, its unsung heroes are the men and women of the Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments. Since Hermetika has it’s Knight suits maintenanced and built by its allied Forgeworld, Mezoa, the Hierarchs have seen it prudent to devote more planetary resources and manpower towards building and maintaining a sizable regimental infantry force. Though a part of the Astra Militarum, the Kaldeia Bondsmen almost always accompany their knightly lords to battle, and are commanded by them in all but name. When escorting their knight allies, the Bondsmen Regiments are used primarily as heavy scouts and line holders, used to secure areas too large for the few knights deployed to the battle.

## Homeworld

Though once a barren wasteland full of dormant volcanoes and entrances to mineral-rich lava tubes, recent efforts by the Hierarchs of Kaldeia have begun to reintroduce plant and animal life-forms to Kaldeia, allowing it to support the population necessary to maintain its sizeable Imperial Guard Regiments and burgeoning cities. The result is that much of the planet is now covered in a shrubby layer of grass and sage, while a few forests have grown around rivers and lakes.

## Regimental Organization

The Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments as a whole are commanded by a Lord-Bondsman-General, who is often raised from one of the many regimental Colonels, and who spends most of their time on Kaldeia organising war fronts with the Hierarchs.

The second-highest command position amongst the Bondsman Regiments is that of Colonel, who are often picked from the Hierarch’s personal guard. The Colonels in charge of Bondsmen elements in an operation will often plan out engagements ahead of time with the leaders of Hermetika Knight Lances.

The steadfast loyalty and humble demeanor of the Kaldeia Bondsmen has led to a complicated relationship with their Commissar overseers, who are often brought in from the Schola Progenium complexes on the moons of Mezoa. The Commissars brought in to discipline the Bondsmen run into an immediate problem: The Bondsmen practice a very specific sect of the Cult Mechanicus that promotes humility, loyalty and asceticism. This means a Bondsman very rarely acts out of line to warrant a Commissar’s attention, and when they do they are often already punishing themselves by the time a Commissar arrives. This has led some Commissars to become frustrated and “trigger-happy”, using disproportionately harsh punishments for minor offences. Fortunately, most Commissars instead re-assign themselves to a role not unlike that of Space Marine Chaplains, to strengthen the morale of their men and to rally strength in melee brawls.

Other than these minor differences, Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments are organised in a fashion very similar to how Cadian regiments are organized. A Captain commands each company and answers to the Colonel and Commissars. Platoons commanded by Lieutenants fall below the Captain. Platoons are made up of squads commanded by Sergeants. There are a few squads in each platoon that are designated heavy weapons specialists.

Sniper squads and vehicles are separate from platoons and squads, and are deployed as needed in conjunction with other squads and platoons.

### Regimental Markings

A Bondsman’s Regiment number is stenciled in white paint over their right collarbone on their flak chestplate. Above the “KBR” stenciled on every Bondsman’s right shoulder pad is their squad number, made up of a three digit number. Squad numbers are the same across regiments, for example there is a “001” squad in every Bondsmen Regiment.

Bondsmen vehicles and snipers only have regimental numbers, as they don’t belong to any one squad.

## Wargear

The following is a list of equipment carried by soldiers of the Kaldeia Bondsmen.

* Kaldeia Pattern Lasrifle - Manufactured on Kaldeia itself, Kaldeia Pattern Lasrifles can appear archaic to an outside observer, made with a wooden stock and resembling a Feudal world’s musket more than an Imperial Guard’s las gun. Despite this appearance, the Kaldeia Lasrifle is just as effective as the near ubiquitous M-Galaxy las gun, with an internal design geared towards simplicity and reliability. Kalda Pattern lasrifles also are equipped with an under barrel bayonet lug.
* 4 charge packs
* Axe-Bayonet - An axe-bayonet hybrid, similar to the head of a Halberd. It is used as a generalist chopping and cutting tool, but can also serve as a devastating hacking weapon when held like an axe, or used an all-purpose pole arm when attached to a Lasrifle.
* 2 frag grenades2 krak grenades
* Kaldeia Pattern Helmet - Though it resembles the helmet of a Feudal knight more that the Aquila helmets of other regiments, the Kaldeia pattern helmet offers the wearer substantial protection from blunt force and piercing attacks, with the price of hampered side vision, however this is a small price to pay considering the tactics of the Bondsmen Regiments.
* Kaldeia Bondsman Uniform - Composed of six main articles of clothing, this adaptable and robust outfit is well-used by its wearer. The uniform is made up of: A set of form-fitting, soft yet durable underwear, specifically an undershirt and a pair of boxers; A tough grey khaki overshirt and pants; a pair of cotton socks and a pair of waterproof grox-leather combat boots.
* Kaldeia pattern flak armour - A somewhat crude piece of gear, Kaldeia Flak armour gives the wearer much improved protection at the cost of hindered movement. Composed of multiple pieces of layered ceramite, this protective layer is woven into the overshirt of a standard uniform and offers the wearer considerable protection from various physical factors.
* Comm-Bead
* Backpack
* Basic Toolkit
* Mess kit
* Water canteen
* 2 weeks worth of rations
* Blanket and sleeping bag
* Glow-globe
* Bathing set
* Dog Tags
* Imperial Infantry Man’s Uplifting Primer(with Hermetika addendum) - A text of rules, regulations and practices of the Astra Militarum. The ones carried by the Kaldeia Bondsmen Regiments also include an extra section added by the Grand Order of Hermetika, which teaches proper meditation and how to recognise and correct one’s own mistakes.

SPECIALIST WARGEAR

* Kaldeia Pattern Grenade Launcher
* Kaldeia Pattern Flamer
* Kaldeia Pattern Plasma Gun
* Kaldeia Pattern Meltagun
* Kaldeia Pattern Long-Las
* Kaldeia Pattern Heavy Bolter
* Kaldeia Pattern Lascannon
* Kaldeia Pattern Mortar
* Kaldeia Pattern Autocannon
* Kaldeia Pattern Twin-linked Heavy Stubber
* Kaldeia Pattern Missile Launcher

## Relations

### Allies

* Grand Order of Hermetika
* Kaldeia\_Armoured\_Regiments
* Kaldeia\_Grenadier\_Regiments
* Kaldeia\_Rider\_Regiments
* Kaldeia\_Artillery\_Regiments
* Kaldeia\_Flight\_Wings
* Lambdan Lions
* Sable Lions