Warhammer 40K: The Fall of Cadia

Come learn of the Warmaster’s triumph; the day the Imperium wept. The Fall of Cadia.

Abaddon’s Opening Moves

By the end of the 41st Millennium, Abaddon began a fresh attack on Cadia’s last remaining major bastion: Kasr Kraf. Opposing him were the shattered remaining Imperial defenders consisting of Creed and the Cadian Shock Troops including the Cadian 8th, Space Wolves under Orven Highfell and Sven Bloodhowl, the Dark Angels 4th Company under Korahael, Black Templars of the Cruxis Crusade under Marshal Marius Amalrich, the Order of Our Martyred Lady under Eleanor and Genevieve, House Raven under Vardus, and various other hodgepodge surviving formations. Abaddon made a major new attack spearheaded by Traitor Guard regiments that had just revealed their presence, as well as a significant force of Iron Warriors which led most of the sieges. However it was at this point that Creed revealed his hidden “salvation bases”, underground structures mass producing tanks to provide Cadians with essential reinforcements. Thanks to the bases, Creed was able to hold out against the Chaos onslaught.

In space, the Imperials were soon beset by a fresh orbital attack from Abaddon’s fleet spearheaded by the Blackstone Fortress Will of Eternity. The vessel had the ability to destroy planets, and the Imperial defensive shields down Cadia seemed doomed. Thus the Space Wolves planned to lead a delaying operation in space while Mechanicum forces on Cadia frantically tried to repair the planetary shields. Due to the presence of Xenos technology the Mechanicum was able to prevail and prevent the Will of Eternity from destroying the planet

Xenos Machinations

Meanwhile, Trazyn the Infinite‘s collection on Solemnace was devastated in upheavals. This provoked him into action, and using the Celestial Orrery he traced the disturbances to the Eye of Terror. Trazyn was moved to resolve the crisis by going to Cadia. At the same time, Mechanicum Magos Belisarius Cawl was instructed by the Harlequin Shadowseer Sylandri Veilwalker to investigate a long-abandoned planet devastated in the 4th Black Crusade. On the world he discovered the presence of Pylons much like Cadia and is then instructed by Veilwalker to head to Cadia. The Imperials also had reinforcements heading to Cadia in the form of the Phalanx, which had just defeated a Chaos invasion of its own.

Back on Cadia, Abaddon thus was forced to launch another ground assault on Kasr Kraf. The Imperial forces were overwhelmed by this massive final invasion, thanks in a large part to the traitor Titans of the Legio Vulcanum which nonetheless took heavy losses. The Daemon Prince Urkanthos was chosen by Abaddon to lead the invasion, who attempted to capture the planetary shield generator in the Battle of the Elysion Fields. Ultimately after slaying both Cannoness’ Eleanor and Genevieve, Urkanthos was able to capture Cadia’s last remaining shield generator complex. However thanks to the machinations of Trazyn (who was able to take control of Chaos tanks and turn them on their allies) and the sudden appearance of Saint Celestine leading lost Sisters of Battle reinforcements, Creed was able to lead a successful counterattack. Celestine, summoning Genevieve and Eleanor back from the dead, was able to defeat Urkanthos just as the Phalanx appeared over Cadia, decimating the Will of Eternity and Black Legion Fleet. The Will of Eternity was ultimately destroyed by the Phalanx after its shields were disabled by Sven Bloodhowl’s boarders. The destruction of the vessel forced the Black Legion fleet to withdraw as an angry Abaddon vowed to lead the next assault himself.

Cawl’s Gambit

With some breathing room, the Imperial forces were able to regroup and receive some reinforcements from the Imperial Fists and Legion of the Damned forces from the Phalanx, Crimson Fists under Ruis Tracinto, House Taranis, and Belisarius Cawl’s fleet of Skitarii. During the subsequent war council, Cawl was able to inform the Imperial high command of Abaddon’s intentions to destroy the pylons and cause the Warp to advance across the Materium. After the meeting, Cawl reluctantly accepted the help of Trazyn who pledged to halt the spread of Chaos across the Galaxy by maintaining the pylons. Cawl and Trazyn began to modify Pylons in tunnels beneath Cadia as Abaddon began his assault.

During the next major Chaos assault the traitor forces experienced heavy resistance in the face of Celestine and her Sisters. Meanwhile, seeking to decapitate the Imperial command, Abaddon teleported into Creed’s command tower with his Bringers of Despair. Inside however Abaddon found only Jarran Kell, who sacrificed his life to delay Abaddon and allow Creed’s escape. Abaddon’s simultaneous advance against the tunnels beneath Cadia’s surface were confounded when Trazyn appeared with a Tesseract Labyrinth that disgorged a large number of lost Imperial forces collected over the millennium including Inquisitor Greyfax and her retinue, Horus Heresy-era Ultramarines, Vostroyans, Tanith Imperial Guard, and Salamanders. However these reinforcements were overwhelmed by a newly summoned horde of Daemons.

The tide of the battle in the tunnels began to swing again when Space Wolves reinforcements including Wulfen arrived while Celestine and her twin guardians assailed Abaddon directly. It was then that the pylons began to activate, Trazyn and Cawl’s modifications had been successful. The activation caused Celestine and the Legion of the Damned to become de-powered, Daemons and Psykers combatants to lose their power , and causing the Immaterium to recede, even shrinking the Eye of Terror itself. Soon only those without Warp-modification were still standing, and it is in this setting that the traitor Astartes of the Black Legion gained the advantage. Just as Abaddon was about to finish the weakened Celestine, he was stopped by Inquisitor Greyfax who lead a counterattack of Cadian and Vostroyans. Creed himself was able to arrive in the fray, briefly battling Abaddon himself and losing an arm in the process. Just as Abaddon was about to finish his hated adversary Creed, Celestine stood back on her feet and impaled the Chaos Warmaster with her sword.

Cadia Falls

Horribly wounded, Abaddon was forced to teleport away and his surviving Black Legion forces soon followed. Back aboard the Vengeful Spirit, Abaddon ordered that the Black Legion withdraw from the Cadian system. However in a spiteful act, Abaddon attached engines to the fragments of the Will of Eternity in orbit and directs them into Cadia’s surface. The devastating collision, combined with fire from the Planet Killer caused Cadia to begin to split apart and the pylons to falter. A mass evacuation was ordered across Cadia, though in truth few retreated let alone managed to escape. With the pylons failing, Celestine regained her strength and lead a withdrawal of Imperial forces from doomed Cadia. As Creed and his Cadian 8th held the line against the returned Daemonic legions, the Imperials fled Cadia as the planet was dragged into the Warp. The Phalanx led the surviving Imperial vessels out of the system. On the ruins of Cadia, Creed fell to the ground from his wounds but was confronted by a metal giant in a scaled cloak who tells him that this need not be his end.

Aboard the Vengeful Spirit, Abaddon was told by one of his seers that Cawl has a precious artifact aboard his vessel. The artifact identity was not known, but Abaddon considered it of immense importance and he ordered an attempt to capture Cawl’s ship. The Black Legions warships assailed the Imperial evacuation fleet just as it was about to jump into the Warp. Cawl’s ship was captured just as the Phalanx and Imperial warships jumped into the Immaterium. Aboard Cawl’s vessel, the Magos and Inquisitor Greyfax were guided by Celestine’s vision to seek salvation on the outer planet of the system, Kalisus. Fleeing the Black Legion fleet, they arrived on the prophesied world with Cawl’s artifact. Accompanying this force were Black Templars and Tempestus Scions.

However the Imperials were followed by the Black Legion, and Cawl fled with his artifact as the Black Templars led by the Emperor’s Champion fought a rear guard action. Just as the Imperials seemed doomed, Celestine lead the Black Legion into an Eldar trap led by Eldrad Ulthran. Drawn from Ulthwé, Biel-Tan, and other Craftworlds as well as Drukhari Wyches, the Black Legion was ultimately forced to retreat. After the Eldar saved the Imperials, the xenos guide them into a Webway Portal,and away from the doomed Cadian system.

Learn More of the 13th Black Crusade

Lexicanum

Dad, Gamer, Publisher, Pilot, Texan. All games all the time since junior-high.

I started BoLS Interactive in 2006. I’m a lifelong tabletop & RPG gaming enthusiast, and internet publisher working to entertain and inform my readers every day.

I’ve been playing RPGs and Tabletop Games since the 1970s. I’m been playing and covering Warhammer and Warhammer 40K for over 35 years.

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