Some points in the history of Warhammer 40,000 are decisive turning points. One of the most important, if not the most important event, is the fall of Cadia, an imperial world. You hear about this again and again in the games. MeinMMO explains what it is all about.
If you have played Space Marine 2 but do not know the lore of Warhammer 40,000, you may be wondering: Why is it so special that some of the NPCs constantly say they come from Cadia? And why does it sound like such a big deal?
Even in the role-playing game Rogue Trader, the planet is mentioned repeatedly. And there is a reason for that. For the Imperium of Man, Cadia was one of the most important planets ever. And even more: it was even important for the entire galaxy.
The full extent of its relevance and the consequences of its destruction became apparent to many people only too late.
In Space Marine 2, you will encounter Cadians repeatedly:
“I am a Cadian, Sir!”
Before its fall, Cadia was a fortress planet, from which some of the best human soldiers come. The planet is located near the Eye of Terror, the warp rift that was created during the birth of the god Slaanesh.
For the nerds among you, here are some data about the planet:
- Name: Cadia Prime
- Segmentum: Segmentum Obscurus
- Sektor: Cadia
- System: Cadia
- Population: about 850 million before the fall; today about 3 million still live there
Due to its proximity to the Realm of Chaos, the inhabitants had to defend themselves constantly, and martial law prevailed on Cadia. Over 70% of the population were armed. Children learned to handle a laser rifle, disassemble and reassemble it before they could read and write.
Most children mastered shooting and killing before their 10th birthday and were proficient in all military maneuvers. Before puberty, adolescents had to survive naked and alone on an island for a month.
Cadians are such tough soldiers that even the superhuman Space Marines respect them. However, military expertise is not what made Cadia so important.
Cadia, the protection against Chaos
Several thousand black pylons were scattered across the planet, made from a material unknown to humans: blackstone. These pylons have the property of being able to keep the warp, that is, chaos, at bay.
Thus, Cadia served as the only stable warp tunnel for the Imperium to the Eye of Terror and back. And additionally: the pylon network of the planet significantly prevented chaos from spreading further in that direction.
The black pylons were probably part of the network that the Necrons spread across the galaxy to keep chaos at bay. Accordingly, the destructive forces had a great interest in destroying the planet.
The 13th Black Crusade and the Destruction of a World
The eternal fight of chaos against the Imperium really ignited when the Imperium itself was nearly destroyed by the Horus Heresy. You can read more about this in the history of the Imperium.
As a result of the heresy, numerous Space Marine chapters fell to chaos, and one of the fallen Space Marines has particularly intensified the fight against the Imperium: Abaddon.
During his “Black Crusades,” he attacked the forces of order for about ten thousand years while trying to destroy the black fortresses of the Necrons – who, of course, are known to stop chaos.
The 13th Crusade ultimately turned against Cadia itself. Although the people there fought together with Necrons and Eldar against Abaddon and even defeated him, the chaos general could still destroy the planet with one last attack.
For this, Abaddon crashed the remains of a Black Fortress, the Will of Eternity
, onto the planet. Black Fortresses are enormous space fortifications built by the Eldar to keep the C’tan, star-eating gods, away from the universe.
The crash of the fortress destroyed the pylons on the planet and triggered a chain reaction. Cadia literally shattered.
A wound that festers to this day
After or probably through the destruction of Cadia and thus also of the black pylons, the border to chaos has weakened and the Great Rift has arisen, which today divides the galaxy. The rift, or the “Cicatrix Maledictum”, is a literal tear in reality.
If you are wondering why people in the 41st millennium speak so strangely: In Warhammer 40,000, people have their own unique language.
Due to the rift, it is almost impossible for Astropaths to see the Astronomicon, the light of the Emperor, which enables them to navigate through the warp. The people on the “eastern” side of the rift are cut off from the rest of the Imperium and left to fend for themselves in the fight against the demons.
The destruction of Cadia and the pylons had a significant impact on developments in the galaxy. However, the supposed creators of these pylons, that is, the protective net against chaos, are just beginning to awaken again. And they apparently have dangerous plans: The end of Space Marine 2 could massively influence the future of Warhammer 40,000
