House Manticos - Words of Prophecy: Over the millennia, a Chaos Cult dedicated to the Chaos God Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, spread its baleful influence within House Manticos. Granted a vision by an ancient amulet having belonged to his grandfather, High King Danial Tan Draconis swore that the cult within House Manticos possesed a daemonic patron, a powerful daemon known only as "That Which Dwells In Darkness". During the countless rites, ceremonies and adorations a prophecy emerged from the daemon's lips. It foretold of events yet to come, of how in the shadow of a black tower, the dracon, the heraldic beast of House Draconis, would fall and its reign end, a necessary destruction before the rise of a queen, an aberration in the patriarchal culture of Adrastapol:A world of fire and slaughter,A bond of trust betrayed,The questing soul is broken,And broken is the blade. In blackened tower's shadow,The dracon there shall die,And from its scattered ashes, A queen, instead, shall rise...These words of prophecy were passed down from generation to generation, the Chaos Cultists determined to see it fulfilled. With a patience only the followers of Tzeentch possess, they bided their time, spreading their influence and growing strong until the day came when they could reveal their hand. Ultimately, House Manticos' doom bore the savage traits and green skin of the Orks. Led by a terrifying Warboss, an Ork WAAAGH! devastated Adrastapol and fell upon House Manticos' keeps, razing several of them. Even though the WAAAGH! was quickly defeated by a coalition of Adrastapolian Knight Houses, the damage had been done, for in the ruins of their keeps the Loyalist Knight Houses found proof of the Manticos cult's rituals. Horrified by what would happen if word of their discovery reached the ears of the Emperor's Inquisition, the Imperial Knights of Adrastapol resolved to purge House Manticos and blame its destruction on the Orks. In the wake of what would be called the Ork Wars, House Manticos was stripped of its honour and became a disgraced House within the Adrastapolian nobility.However, the purge was incomplete. In the ruins of one of House Manticos' keeps, a young woman -- barely more than a girl -- had survived. Her name was Alicia Tan Manticos, daughter of the last ruler of her House and secretly an adoratrice of Tzeentch well-versed in the mysteries of the cult. Alicia was wounded in the attack on her home, trapped by debris and unable to free herself. She would have bled to death if the beautiful young woman had not been saved by a dashing young Knight who bore the crown of the High King of Adrastapol upon his brow: High King Gerraint Tan Chimaeros. Taking pity on the girl and seeing in her no more than an innocent child, the far older Gerraint freed Alicia from the debris that had trapped her and personally rushed her to the nearest medicae facility. From this act of kindness, the ultimate corruption of House Chimaeros would ensue, for unknown to the High King, the girl he had saved had been a leading figure of the Cult of Tzeentch.Convinced that the ancient prophecy applied to her, the young Alicia Kar Manticos began to plot her rise to power. The obvious choice was to use her direct relationship to the High King as her stepping stone. Was it true love? It would seem so, for the High King and Alicia soon became inseperable. Honour prevented the High King from truly taking the heiress of a disgraced House as his new wife -- instead Alicia Kar Manticos was formally recognised as the High King's consort. To cement her status, Alicia even bore a son to the High King, Luk Tan Chimaeros, even though the High King already had a son and designated heir.As the new woman at the High King's side, Alicia Kar Manticos soon wielded very real power. Swiftly, she became Gerraint's most trusted advisor and her diplomatic skills proved unmatched within House Chimaeros. Thanks to Alicia's efforts, House Chimaeros soon brought an age of peace upon Adrastapol. The Manticos dynasty reigned unopposed and deep bonds of friendship had been struck between House Chimaeros and House Draconis. Tolwyn Tan Draconis and Gerraint Tan Chimaeros were great friends, but their friendship paled before that of their two sons, Luk Tan Chimaeros and Danial Tan Draconis. As a mother and a wife, Alicia achieved everything the nobility expected of her and she revelled in the perfect facade she had crafted for herself. But secretly Alicia continued to practice the forbidden arts and rituals taught to her as a girl.