Ursarkar E. Creed

Overview

Ursarkar E. Creed was the Lord Castellan of Cadia, a brilliant and unorthodox general who led the defence of the fortress world during the 13th Black Crusade. His command was so tenacious that Abaddon had to break the planet itself to win.

He is famous for his tactical genius and his unorthodox methods, as well as his habit of smoking cigars. His friend Jarran Kell acted as his voice on the battlefield, relaying his orders with a booming voice. His defence of Cadia lasted far longer than anyone expected. Ursarkar E. Creed was Lord Castellan of Cadia, a strategist of genius known for his unorthodox ways. He was discovered as an orphaned boy in the burning ruins of Kasr Gallan after a Chaos raid, holding only a service pistol and a tattered copy of De Gloria Macharius. He commanded the defence of Cadia against Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade. He is missing in action and presumed dead after the fall of Cadia.

Origins

Soldiers of the Cadian 8th found him as an orphaned boy in the burning ruins of Kasr Gallan, and he grew up within the regiment. During the Drussite Crusade he met Jarran Kell, who became his lifelong friend and Colour Sergeant.

Creed was found as a child in the ruins of Kasr Gallan, clutching an officer's service pistol and a copy of 'De Gloria Macharius'. Though his low birth slowed his promotion, his talent was impossible to ignore. He was named Lord Castellan of Cadia after the Volscani Cataphracts murdered the Lord Governor Primus at the Tyrok Fields, when Creed rallied the shattered Cadian forces and crushed the traitors.

Key events

1. Rose through the Cadian Shock Troops and was named Lord Castellan after victory at the Tyrok Fields.
2. Directed the defence of Cadia against Abaddon alongside Cawl, Celestine and Greyfax.
3. Lost his friend Kell, who died defying Abaddon to buy Creed time to escape.
4. Was listed as missing after Cadia fell. Other accounts say Trazyn the Infinite took him to his galleries on Solemnace.
5. Was released from stasis to command forces defending Solemnace against a daemonic invasion. His daughter Ursula later became Lord Castellan.

He rose quickly once he was in uniform. He went through the Whiteshields, the Cadian youth corps, and met Jarran Kell there, beginning a friendship that lasted the rest of their lives. By the end of the five-year Drussite Crusade he was a captain with Kell as his Colour Sergeant. In 992.M41 he not only held but destroyed an Asuryani attack on Aurent and became the most successful living Cadian commander. Then came Tyrok Fields. Traitors assassinated Governor Primus Marus Porelska and much of his High Command. Creed rallied the survivors, defeated the attackers and recovered the governor's headless body before it could be desecrated. Cadia kept two governors for exactly this kind of emergency, but Governor Secundus Karwyn and the other surviving leaders would not step forward. Commissar Aldrad of the 8th nominated Creed instead. Creed refused the governorship and asked to be made Lord Castellan, an emergency rank giving him command of every Guard and PDF soldier on the planet. The High Lords later confirmed him as Governor Primus anyway.

Battles & campaigns

• Kasr Gallan: As a boy, he survived the burning of his home.
• Cadia: He commanded the defence of the planet during the 13th Black Crusade.
• Fall of Cadia: He disappeared during the retreat after the planet's destruction.

Personality

Gruff, brilliant and charismatic, and devoted to Cadia's people.

He is gruff and blunt, with little patience for bureaucracy or incompetence. He is charismatic and inspiring, able to motivate his troops in the face of overwhelming odds. His devotion to Cadia and its people is absolute.

Weapons & Vehicles

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Power SwordMelee Weapon

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Explore all 48 entries in the Weapons & Vehicles armoury.

Connections

Characters (4)

• 
  Saint Celestine ally · Adepta Sororitas

  Celestine fought beside Creed on Cadia.

• 
  Sebastian Yarrick parallel · Astra Militarum

  Both are legendary Astra Militarum commanders; no in-story meeting is recorded.

• 
  Abaddon the Despoiler enemy · Black Legion

  Creed led the defence of Cadia against Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade.

• 
  Trazyn the Infinite captor · Necrons

  Some accounts say Trazyn took Creed to his galleries.

Factions

• Astra Militarum primary faction

Also in this faction

Arcadian LeontusCiaphas CainIbram Gaunt

Some links are thematic parallels (marked "parallel") rather than recorded meetings. See the connections web.

Legacy

Creed is the Lord Castellan of Cadia, a tactical genius whose defence of the world became legend even though it ended in defeat. He embodies Cadian defiance, and his contested fate after the planet's fall has made him a figure of hope for the scattered regiments. For many fans he is shorthand for Cadia itself, and his uncertain fate after the planet's fall keeps him at the centre of debate. The Cadian survivors keep his memory and his reputation for brilliant, unorthodox strategy.

Appearances & sources

• The Gathering Storm I: Fall of Cadia
• Codex: Astra Militarum background
• Cadia Stands and Cadian Honour (Justin D. Hill)