House Col'Khak, known also as the "Col'Khak Collective," is an alliance of Imperial Knight houses of the Questor Mechanicus. Col'Khak was founded in the late 30th Millennium during the Great Crusade on the frigid Agri-world of Atar-Planitia in support of the then-recently founded Forge World of Atar-Median.
As such, the Collective owed its fealty first to the ancient Mechanicum -- through its bonded Forge World of Atar-Median -- and second to the Imperium.
History
Origins
House Cohl'Khak colour scheme as displayed by the Cerastus Knight-Atrapos Omissiah's Will.
Newly founded alongside the Forge World of Atar-Median by exiles from Phaeton, the Col'Khak Collective were seeded onto the frigid world of Atar-Planitia during the early years of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, itself newly conquered and life-stocked as an Agri-world. From inception, the warriors of House Col'Khak were forever bound to Atar-Median as vassals to serve alongside its Taghmata forces and the Titans of the Legio Atarus.
The close ties between Atar-Planitia and Atar-Median are evident in the flawless manner with which those of House Col'Khak performed alongside the Firebrands on the field of battle. Together, the three militant arms of House Col'Khak formed a fighting force of much repute capable of facing any threat in any corner of the galaxy. Such is the level of integration between the house and its Mechanicum allies that the archmagos preelate, or lead princeps of a battlegroup to which Col'Khak is assigned, is treated with a measure of veneration and granted full authority over the assembled Knights.
This devotion to the ideals of the Mechanicum extends far beyond the field of battle, for the warriors of House Col'Khak have long adapted many of the rites and practises of the Cult Mechanicus for its own purposes. Many were the gifts of technology and armament bestowed upon House Col'Khak by its patrons and each was treated as precious relics and heirlooms of the Collective. Even the Mechanicum practise of cybernetic augmentation was readily accepted, with many warriors voluntarily undergoing extensive levels of modification to bring them closer to the Omnissiah, though most chose to retain a measure of Human aesthetic.
It is said that many of the oldest Scions of Col'Khak are little more than preserved cerebral matter and life support systems that, outside of their armour, appear almost like animate statuary, their gilded and argent-plated bodies mimicking the ideal Human form.
Horus Heresy
House Col'Khak Questoris Knight Paladin Omnissiah's Grace during the Horus Heresy.
Sworn vassals to the Legio Atarus and Atar-Median first and the Imperium second, House Col'Khak looked to its masters come the Horus Heresy, trusting in the Forge World to lead the household down the prosperous path. To this end, the warriors of House Col'Khak were deployed to Isstvan V alongside a demi-legio of Legio Atarus god-engines and, like their liege lords, fell upon the basalt plains during the Drop Site Massacre, slaughtered by the dishonourable hand of treachery.
This act sealed the future of House Col'Khak, its Scions clamouring to venture forth into the galaxy alongside maniples of the Legio Atarus, as well as several detachments of Knights that were independently deployed in absence of the god-engines in order to claim vengeance for their brethren slain at the hands of the Traitors.
Though a rare sight during the Great Crusade, the independent deployment of House Col'Khak increased in frequency during the Horus Heresy to match the demands of the cataclysmic civil war.
Eager to seek revenge for those brethren slain in the opening moves of Horus' rebellion, the warriors of Col'Khak took to this role with ease, disseminating amongst the stars in search of Traitors to purge in the Omnissiah's name.
Notable Campaigns
- Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V (566.006.M31) - The Col'Khak Collective dispatched a full supporting cadre of Knights in assistance to a Legio Atarus demi-legio sent to support the Loyalist assault on Isstvan V. All were subsequently lost alongside the Titans of the Red Naga War Maniple. The warriors of Col'Khak swore revenge on the Traitors and were most eager to join the battle against the Traitor forces of the Warmaster Horus.
- Battle of Beta-Garmon, "The Titandeath" (006-013.M31) - House Col'Khak took part in the long and savage Beta-Garmon campaign, which included hundreds of war zones across dozens of worlds. During this conflict, House Col'Khak provided Knight support to the Legio Atarus. Even before the greater armies of the Warmaster Horus reached the star cluster, the battle lines had long since been drawn, and fighting had been going on for many Terran years. It was a cauldron of battle that would consume millions of lives before its end and see the demise of entire Titan Legions, earning this campaign the dire moniker of the "Titandeath." The Beta-Garmon Cluster, also known as the gateway to the throneworld of Terra, was the last hurdle that the Warmaster Horus' forces had to overcome before they reached the Imperium's capital world. Heavily fortified by the Loyalists, Beta-Garmon would become one of the greatest and bloodiest battles of the Horus Heresy, as well as one of the longest-lasting.
- Cataclysm of Iron (010.M31) - Across border sectors of the Segmentum Tempestus and the Segmentum Pacificus are located numerous lesser Forge Worlds known collectively as the "Belt of Iron". Since the sundering of the Imperium, many declared for the Traitor cause at the engineering of the fabricator-general of Mars, while others remained loyal to Terra or sought to remain as aloof as possible from the conflict. Strife and tentative conflict between these once-aligned worlds erupted into full-scale war in 010.M31, pitching the Mars-aligned Forge Worlds of Incunabula, Urdesh, Valia-Maximal and Kalibrax against the forces of the Loyalist worlds of Graia, Arl'yeth and Atar-Median, while Arachnis and Jerulas Station both fell into civil war. The resulting conflict, later known as the "Cataclysm of Iron," saw the forge lords, their armies and allied Titan Legions and Knight houses turn on each other in protracted warfare, with scores of Human-inhabited worlds in the region suffering as they become the battlegrounds upon which the combatants fight.
- Assault upon Findari Prime (215.010.M31) - In what is now seen as the first blow of the Cataclysm of Iron, the arrival of the Iron Warriors prompted Atar-Median to assemble its forces to war and fall upon the Findari Spoil. Though the Forge World had long been aware of the efforts of Kalibrax within the system, and long suspected that Kalibrax remained in service to the treacherous fabricator-general of Mars, the arrival of those sworn to the Warmaster Horus proved sufficient evidence to confirm Kalibrax's motives. Tactical assessments of the Spoil prior to its invasion reveal the extent of its transformation undertaken by the Traitors. The outer edges of the system showed a significant concentration of orbital defence platforms constructed upon the extensive asteroid belts, while the solitary planet held a partially constructed Legio fortress garrisoned by several maniples of Legio Kulisaetai Titans kept in stasis within. Desiring control of the sector and its defences rather than total destruction, the forces of Atar-Median, under command of Princeps Maxima Millicent Nuvarss, First Shield of Atar-Median, divided their fleet into two task forces. The first, consisting of Taghmata forces supported by several Banners of House Col'Khak, formed the vanguard of the invasion, breaking from the Warp in close proximity to the system's outer defences. Weathering heavy fire from the Traitor defence stations, the Mechanicum forces quickly boarded the first ring of defences, the ground troops methodically eradicating all within. As this battle raged, a second fleet transitioned into the system, heading directly for the solitary planet. The loss of the outer defences left only minor orbital batteries to repel the Loyalist fleet and it was with little effort that the second wave of vessels seized control of the planet's exo-sphere. Having gained orbital control, the vessels' complement of Legio Atarus Titans were unleashed upon the planet, intent on seizing control of the Gatekeeper fortress. The resulting battle unfolded in two stages, with the Firebrands easily overwhelming the outer defences, guarded by a mere handful of Gatekeeper Titans. Once the outer walls had been seized, the Loyalists ventured into the cavernous centre of the fortress, providing protection for a cadre of Tech-priests that, having gained access to the central systems, laboured to wrest control of the fortress from the Traitors. In the days following their victory, Legio Atarus moved to secure their hold upon the Findari Spoil, hunting down those Gatekeeper Titans that had escaped the fall of their fortress, while Atar-Median Taghmata, supported by House Col'Khak Knights, secured their hold upon the system's orbital defences. In a single solar standard week, the Loyalist forces had claimed dominion over the Findari Spoil, casting out the Traitors and claiming the first victory of the coming conflict.
- Relief of Xiloci II (924.010.M31) - The main objective of the Loyalist force was the seizure of Xiloci II, reasoning that, by securing the sub-sector's capital, they would rob the Traitors of the ability to secure victory within the region. After three solar months of protracted warfare, the Traitors were ousted from much of Xiloci II, with their ground forces holding only a handful of hive cities after Kalibrax had evacuated the surviving elements of the Legio Kulisaetai. The last resistance to Loyalist control was quashed after a determined assault upon the hive city of Tartunrus Spyre which Xixos himself took part in, directly commanding the conflict from within the Legio Astraman Warlord Titan, Grace of Wrath. Unwilling to expend time and lives upon another siege, the fate of Tartunrus Spyre was sealed when the guns of the Legio Astraman were turned upon the mountain around which the city was constructed, burying it beneath an avalanche of stone. Once dominion of Xiloci II was secured, the Knights of House Col'Khak were tasked with rooting out any remaining resistance while Xixos committed his forces to regaining control of the remaining worlds within the Xiloci'ny system and beyond.
- Fire & Fury - Second Invasion of the Findari Spoil (091-417.020.M31) - The barren world of Findari Spoil contained within its borders saw the tread of Traitors once more when an assault, spearheaded by the warriors of House Vextrix, made landfall upon the planet. This caused much confusion to the First Shield Nuvarss who had been tasked with defending the Spoil, for the force assembled by the Traitors posed only a minimal threat to the defences erected by Kalibrax years before and since strengthened by the Tech-priests of Atar-Median. The actions of the Traitor forces also stood at odds with conventional invasion tactics, with roaming groups of House Vextrix Knights moving from location to location, with evidence of collapsed digsites at the centre of each. To understand the logic behind the Traitor forces, a directive was issued demanding the capture and interrogation of a Traitor Tech-Priest in order to extract the purpose behind the invasion. After several weeks of running battles, during which House Vextrix managed to fell three Legio Atarus Titans amongst the World Spine Crags, the warriors of House Col'Khak achieved their goal, capturing a Tech-Priest left behind as the Traitors enacted a hasty evacuation of the planet's surface.
- Battle of Ice World Tralsak (011.M31) - The shallow, frozen oceans of Tralsak are flash-boiled to steam by the fury of engine-war as full Household of Knights from House Col'Khak and Loyalist Titans of Legio Atarus and Legio Agravides clash with the Traitors of the Legio Magna and Legio Victorum as the Loyalist Shattered Legions and Traitor World Eaters fight across the disintegrating landscape of ice floes. Ultimately, outright victory eludes both sides, and each uses the cover of the world-enveloping fog thrown up by the destruction to extricate their forces and redeploy them elsewhere. Nevertheless, numerous supporting Knights of both sides remain to fight a war in which neither will concede defeat.
- Imperial Muster at Beta-Garmon (012-013.M31) - When the Traitor Titan Legions joined the Warmaster's rebellion, they brought with them hundreds of vassal Knight Houses. Some of these joined Horus' cause willingly, eager for their piece of glory alongside the Space Marine Legions, while others came begrudgingly, honouring ancient oaths. Others still fought for years alongside their allied Legios until they discovered the extent of the lies they had been sold. On the opposing side it was the same, and though many Knight Houses upheld their oath to the Emperor above their accords with the Collegia Titanica, some did so only reticently, waiting for their chance to side with the Traitors. Among both Traitor and Loyalist Knight Houses , both those of the Mechanicum closely allied to a Forge World , and the Imperial Knights who held oaths principally with the Imperium, some were bonded to a Titan Legion. Bonded Knights would bear the heraldry and the colours of their Titan Legion, giving up that of their House while they served under a Princeps Seniores. Others came of their own accord, retaining the heraldry of their home world and fighting independently alongside the Legios, or if they chose, offering up their services to commanders they believed were righteous or just in their cause.
Notable Knights
- Omnissiah's Grace (Questoris Knight Paladin) - It was a common practice for House Col'Khak Knights, such as the Knight Paladin Omnissiah's Grace, depicted above upon the fields of Atar-Median in 001.M31, to be permanently seconded to a Legio Atarus Titan maniple. Omnissiah's Grace was reportedly assigned as a forward scout for the Ruptura maniple designated as "Blessed Fire" during the Horus Heresy and saw frequent battle across the Belt of Iron. A Knight assigned to a maniple in such a manner was released from its service only when the maniple rotated back to Atar-Median, which often took solar decades to do so, or when the maniple in its entirety fell in battle. In the latter case, it was often the Knights that fell first, expending their own lives in defence of their betters.
- Omnissiah's Will (Cerastus Knight-Atrapos) - A survivor of Isstvan V, Omnissiah's Will was piloted by the techno-savant Scion Mechanicum Ailaedus VII. Depicted above on the eve of the Cataclysm of Iron's final campaign, Ailaedus had already sown a path of destruction across the Belt of Iron, the speed of his Knight armour and its potent weapons proving the end of numerous Battle Titans. A favoured tactic of Ailaedus and the Omnissiah's Will was to charge a pair of closely ranked enemy god-engines, cutting the legs out from under one of the Titans, so that it fell burning into the other enemy machine, destroying both.
House Strength
Upon its creation, the near-boundless industry of Phaeton provided House Col'Khak with over 100 Knight armours to form the core of its strength, with the means to produce more bequeathed upon the nascent Forge World of Atar-Median. The close ties between Atar-Median and House Col'Khak ensured the Knight house received a continuous supply of Knight armours, including several dozen Magaera and Styrix armours, of which Col'Khak were noted to field significantly greater quantities than most other Knight households.
Following the losses House Col'Khak suffered upon Isstvan V, the household boasted a strength of 254 Knight armours, many of which were directly bound to Legio Atarus maniples deployed across the Belt of Iron. Each detachment of House Col'Khak was designed to support the composition of the battlegroup it served, each boasting several different Knight patterns within its number to ensure the capability of reacting to any threat that presented itself.
House Allies
Parent Titan Legio
Allied Titan Legios
Allied Space Marine Legions
House Appearance
House Colours
The colours of House Col'Khak are red and black.
House Arms
House Col'Khak's coat of arms is a tan Phi icon (uppercase), the 21st letter of Old Earth's ancient Grecian alphabet that was often used to represent the golden ratio. This symbol was centered with an archway, the top of which was a half-cog, denoting this Knight household's close ties to the ancient Mechanicum. These symbols were centred upon a field of red.
Sources
- Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Loyalist Legios (Specialty Game), pp. 68, 74-77
- Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Titandeath (Specialty Game), pg. 93
- Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Crucible of Retribution (Specialty Game), pp. 21-22, 25, 28, 60-61, 70
- Adeptus Titanicus - The Horus Heresy: Rulebook (Specialty Game), pp. 16, 74
- The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution (Forge World Series), "Age of Betrayal", by Alan Bligh, pg. 31
- The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 98-99
- Warhammer Community - Crucicble of Retribution: The Story (23 Oct 2020)
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