House Ghrevax

Icon of House Ghrevax

Colors of House Ghrevax as displayed by the Knight Rampager *Goremonger*

**House Ghrevax** is a Traitor Knight House dedicated to the service of the Blood God, Khorne. Having long ago fallen to Chaos, the knights of House Ghrevax are now little more than animalistic savages, roaring in guttural tongues and slavering as they charge heedlessly at the foe, seeking nothing more than to tear their victim's limb from limb, feasting on the corpses of the dead and painting the holy symbols of Khorne in loyalist blood. Chainswords revving and claws crackling with unholy lightning, House Ghrevax fight less like warriors and more like feral, rabid beasts, barely capable of speech or communication in their constant unending bloodlust.

Towering Knight Rampagers loom over their War Dog comrades, swatting aside any who would impede their advance, leaving smaller, less worthy prey to the loping mechanical hounds under their feet while seeking out worthy prey to tear into pieces, be it a rival walker, an enemy commander, or a tightly-massed cluster of infantry one could cut down like wheat in a single swing of a Reaper Chainsword, or pluck and impale on clawed fingers. Over vox-amplified speakers, the knights roar and scream in animalistic unison and pandemonium, creating a cacophony of chaotic slaughter and madness as they descend upon the unprepared foe. Even the mightiest fortifications are no match for a charge by House Ghrevax, the latter's inability to feel pain coupled with warp-touched agility and ferocity to create mindless killing machines solely dedicated to killing, maiming, and burning all that stands before them.

## History

The knights of House Ghrevax, despite how it may appear, were not always the animalistic butchers they are now. Once, they stood proudly alongside the Imperium, leading the charge into many battlefields and achieving feats which earned them renown and glory among their allies. On countless worlds, House Ghrevax could be seen engaging in compliance operations, open warfare, and all manner of battles in the name of the Emperor. From their discovery sometime during the Great Crusade, House Ghrevax swore fealty to the Imperium, agreeing soundly with the Imperial truth and believing firmly in a brighter future for mankind, which they saw as flawed but nevertheless worth fighting for. For decades, they marched alongside other knight houses, the Legiones Astartes including the XIIth and XIIIth Legions, as well as the Titan Legions of neighbouring forge worlds. While not the most famous or widespread House, they nevertheless made a name for themselves, forging alliances and brotherhoods which they intended to last until beyond their dying breaths.

But the human way is feable. Over the years, House Ghrevax slowly but surely grew into a shadow of their former selves. Their thirst for glory and the thrill of battle had developed into an obsession, pointed out by nobles of allied Houses in hushed whispers, dreading the path House Ghrevax had set themselves upon. The council of allies and friends served only to further isolate them, and they began to feel persecuted and shunned, despite the will of the Imperium and the Crusade. They began to resent those around them, thinking of other Houses and Imperial forces to be liars and hypocrites. First, House Ghrevax had been asked to fight and die for the greater good and a brighter future for humanity, but now they were being shunned for believing in the cause? Furthermore, strange dreams haunted the nobles, and visions of doom plagued them as they entered their Knights. While they were not a superstitious lot, they understood that something grim was on the horizon, and if the House was to survive, then preparations had to be made. Day by day, House Ghrevax sought answers to their foreboding dreams, looking to Legion Librarians, historical archives, and mystics, but none could parse their meaning.

And in one fell blow, all became clear. The Warmaster Horus, a leader they had looked up to and respected, declared that the Emperor was a fool, and that the Imperium must be torn down. And now, despite the years of bloodshed, sacrifice and war, House Ghrevax found themselves in agreement with the Warmaster. Maybe with the doom of the Imperium could come a new, better way of things, something Horus expressed time and time again. It was not a war for anarchy, not even a rebellion; it was a civil war, and House Ghrevax knew that this was the only way.

And so they heeded the call. On world after world, House Ghrevax turned their guns and blades on those they had once called friends. They pleaded for reason, and to be heard, but none would listen, only serving to further deepen the knights into their beliefs. Their desperation became rage, and their rage grew into hate, and in a tale as old as time, before any were the wiser, their once-proud war cries had become bestial roars and howls, baying not for glory, but for blood. Blood, for the Blood God. A true god. One who would care for his people, and would shepherd humanity on a path to true salvation. But first, there had to be blood. Oceans. The Imperium had to drown, and only then could it be reborn.

By the time they had reached Terra, House Ghrevax were so thoroughly soaked in blood, both physically and spiritually, that their thoughts, if they could even be called thoughts, were only of conquest and bloodshed. Without heed, they charged across untold numbers of worlds, putting chainswords and clawed gauntlets to work ripping and tearing at any who dared resist their relentless advance towards the Throneworld. On the fields of humanity's cradle, they battled loyalist Knights and Titans, bathing in blood and gore as their daemonic allies shepherded a descent into complete madness. By this point, House Ghrevax were too far gone, and the last nail in the coffin was struck as the traitors were routed into the Eye of Terror, and the madness of the Warp reduced the knights to slavering beasts, no longer able to form coherent thoughts beyond unending carnage, the thrill of slaughter, and of gorging upon the flesh of their enemies.

## Homeworld

The world of Desekar is a nightmarish place, a grey-hued slaughterhouse dominated by the will of Khorne. Its surface is blasted, cratered, and near-inhospitable, an endless expanse of ashen-grey rock dotted with lakes, rivers and oceans of blood. Said surface is also incredibly hot, owing to the fires burning across the planet, locking it in an eternal nuclear winter. Therefore, Desekar is the perfect home for House Ghrevax and their monstrous compatriots.

To the surprise of any who would have the misfortune to gaze upon Desekar's surface, it is in fact home to what could loosely be called "wildlife", though both "wild" and "life" can be put into question. The creatures which prowl the ashen expanse of lifeless rock are in fact leftover and abandoned Daemon Engines, such as Maulerfiends, Heldrakes, Juggernauts, and Helstalkers, left to reproduce and fight for dominance in an entirely carnivorous ecosystem, owing to the impossibility of the Warp. Other creatures include Scourers (Raptor-like mechanical pack hunters capable of blistering running speeds and armed with razor-sharp talons and fangs), Skyreapers (Avian carnivores akin to small Heldrakes), Warjackals (Quadrupedal ambush hunters able to topple even Juggernauts), and Breaker Beasts (Massive bipedal war machines resembling ancient Terran allosaurs). When not hunting loyalists across the galaxy, the Knights of House Ghrevax spend their time in these wastes outside the Hellmouth, fighting one another to hone their skills and hunting the various bio-mechanical creatures of Desekar.

The Knights themselves inhabit a cavernous expanse known as the Hellmouth, located in a region known as the Hellforge Plateau. The true depth of the Hellmouth is unknown, as none have bothered to measure the distance, but it is commonly assumed the pit goes down for miles. Its entrance is marked by an enormous black-iron gate lined with spikes, impaled corpses, and unholy runes painted in blood, both to deter the biomechanical monsters outside and to invite the presence of Khorne to further bless the Knights in their rampaging conquests.

## Campaigns of Infamy

* **The Fall of House Baldron (Date Unknown; ca. 005-014.M31)**: As their allegiances shifted, and tides of war began to turn, House Ghrevax opted to side with the Warmaster and purge the galaxy of the Imperium's weakness and frailty. Their first order of business was the extermination of House Baldron, their former allies, assaulting the rocky world of Kalgaresh in full force. Within three weeks, House Ghrevax were marching on Castle Baldron, tearing at its walls and slaughtering any wearing the ochre and black of the world's defenders, be they civilian or military. Afterwards, they loosed their Armiger packs on the urban centers, allowing them the free reign of the terrified populace to hunt them for sport.
* **The Trako IV Massacre (Date Unknown; ca. 005-014.M31)**: Once House Baldron had been exterminated, the matter of dealing with House Saxon emerged. House Hellwinter had already escaped into the Ultramar sector, and as such were the targets of several of the Warmaster's forces in that region, but House Saxon remained a thunderous thorn in House Ghrevax's side. In a moment of grim and brutal cunning, the knights of Ghrevax allowed the loyalists to create a kill zone at the mouth of a long-dried river canyon, then lured them into performing a charge upon the seemingly massed forces at the other end, apparently less defended and weak to a single thunderous attack. However, Armiger packs and more agile Questoris knights had been placed at the top of the canyon, purposely dimming their reactors, who proceeded to leap from above onto the loyalists below. The carnage that ensued was enough to remove House Saxon from Imperial records, though it is said their final stand echoed through the canyon to be heard across the continent and lasted all of three hours against three-to-one numbers.
* **The Fall of Savvo (Date Unknown; ca. 005-014.M31)**: House Ghrevax assault the recently-retaken Imperial foundry world of Savvo alongside forces of House Rhodon, respective Traitor Guard forces, and Khorne-aligned Astartes. Through shock assaults, House Ghrevax tear across the defenders' lines, spilling unfathomable amounts of blood and gore in their mindless slaughter of the Imperial defenders. Knights were reported to have Astartes riding their carapaces like mounts by way of hooks embedded into the plating, flinging themselves from above into the fray of chaotic melee combat.

## Organization

House Ghrevax are more a horde of mindless beasts and barbarians than an organized force. As such, little concept of official rank, status, or organization exists within what passes for strategy when House Ghrevax marches to war. The only recognized leader of the House is Khoroth Scargaze, Fell Lord of Desekar, his rank is only earned by right of strength and power. The concept of "might makes right" and "survival of the fittest" constitute most of their ideals, and one's status is solely determined by who one could defeat in combat. To earn respect, one must fight, and to survive, one must be strong, for the weak serve only to be sacrificed. The only notable rule of power among House Ghrevax is the difference between Knights and War Dogs, as is custom among any House in the galaxy. However, the orders issued to War Dogs are not combat orders so much as simple commands one might issue to a beast of war, for that is exactly the way War Dogs behave; they are little more than feral animals, able to be controlled by a mix of force and respect. War Dogs are not even recognized as Knights, only as "Beasts" or "Hounds".

## Notable Members

* **Khoroth Scargaze**: Fell Lord of House Ghrevax and pilot of the monstrous Knight Rampager *Worldender*. Khoroth is a ruthless and savage leader, willing and eager to kill any who fall out of line or challenge his authority. He revels in a quick kill, shedding as much blood as possible before quickly moving on to the next foe. In this, he seeks not the thrill of mindlessly brutalizing an enemy, but in ending their life and their measly service to a lesser god, giving their soul to the Lord of Skulls, and thinning the herd. In Khoroth's mind, the weak and the cowardly serve only to feed the strong, be it in power, influence, or a more literal sense. His Reaper Chainsword, dubbed *Bonesplitter*, is adorned with skulls and markings from his innumerable engine kills, and his mask is fashioned from the slain carapace of a House Samson Knight from the days of the Heresy.
* **Assangra Goreborn**: Packmaster under Khoroth and pilot of the Knight Despoiler *Blackened*, so named for its near-completely blackened carapace from the heat of its Thermal Cannon and the utter refusal by Assangra to have the carapace buffered or repainted, instead wearing the weathering and scarring as a marking of her dedication and fury in combat. When fighting, she uses her Warpstrike Claw to grasp an enemy by any means possible, before jamming the barrel of her Thermal Cannon into a weak point or joint before firing the weapon until the barrel begins to glow. If this tactic somehow fails, she will resort to simply ripping pieces off of her victim until she finds a critical component or the unlucky pilot within, before firing again into the exposed internals of the enemy walker and turning its insides and occupants to slag and bubbling slurry.
* **Voran, the Scorned**: Senior Knight of the Fell Lord's Pack and pilot of the Knight Rampager *Goremonger*. An insane, mindless berserker, barely able to distinguish between friend and foe, Voran was one of the first among House Ghrevax to completely lose himself to the berserk bloodlust that overtakes the followers of Khorne. None can say what goes on in his head, given that he is unable to express his thoughts (if any exist), and can barely string two words together, let alone coherent ones. However, none can or ever would slander his prowess in combat. Between his seeming inability to feel pain and his preternatural speed and strength, he is a monstrous force to be reckoned with. However, he has racked up a grudge with the House's Hell-Wrights, who resent him for constantly damaging his Knight suit almost to the brink of complete non-recoverability. His Knight suit is customized with the very same metallic braids he himself sports, a tribute to the Primarch Angron's suffering prior to both their falling to Khorne.

## Notable Knights

* ***Worldender***: Knight Rampager of Khoroth Scargaze. Equipped with the infamous Reaper Chainsword *Bonesplitter*, and adorned with scores of rattling chains, hooks, spikes and mounted trophies.
* ***Blackened***: Knight Despoiler of Assangra Goreborn, equipped with a Thermal Cannon and Warpstrike Claw, as well as missiles. Named for its scorched armor resulting from vented heat off its Thermal Cannon and the literal heat of battle.
* ***Goremonger***: Knight Rampager of Voran the Scorned. Sports long metallic braids resembling dreadlocks sprouting from the head, and a chainfist built from salvaged Titan parts in place of a chainsword.
* **The Beast of Trako/The Slaughterbeast**: A demented, unnamed carnivorous Knight chained up within the dungeons of the Hellmouth. Fitted with two Warpstrike Claws, a spiked tail, and a monstrous head. More closely resembles a nightmarish creature of hell than a Knight, able to devour any victim unfortunate enough to be grabbed and not torn to bloody, ragged shreds. Rather than running on two legs, the beast lopes like an animal, running on all fours in pursuit of unwitting prey. It is unknown whether a pilot is even contained within the Knight, or if it has gained sentience and overcome the will of its master to prowl the battlefield and feast on the corpses of House Ghrevax's enemies.
* ***God-Eater***: A Knight known for hunting the most prodigious or valuable targets, *God-Eater* strides through the battlefield on its own personal quest, a machine of pure killing power intent on claiming the most esteemed trophies for itself, caring not for ally or enemy before it or underfoot. Its chainblade goes without name, for its actions speak louder than even its thunderous revving; no matter the target, *God-Eater* can be trusted to slay any target set for it by *Worldender*, often to soften up enemy defenses and allow an easier hunt and feast for the other Knights.
* ***Warphound***: A slavering, incoherent monster, barely above the Slaughterbeast, *Warphound* is a Knight in name only; speaking in tongues and nonsensical riddles, it stalks the battlefield, one arm fashioned with an enormous sickle and the other sporting a Warpstrike claw. In combat, it shows unnatural agility, leaping from place to place or sprinting, occasionally on all fours, around its enemies. It favors highly unorthodox tactics for House Ghrevax such as ambushes, stealth maneuvers, and its favored tactic, bleeding or marking an enemy with a tracker, then letting it run, revealing the position of other enemies if the prey proves foolish enough. It face-plate is shrouded in a long, draping hood, from which protrudes a long snout lined with razor-sharp teeth like a crocodile's.
* ***Unshackled***: A hulking, lumbering juggernaut, *Unshackled* wields its makeshift chain weapon with sufficient force to topple mountains. Caring not for mobility, it covers itself in extra armor plating on nearly every possible part of its chassis to become at once an unstoppable force and an immovable object. Using two hands, it hefts a long chain fixed with a spiked metal club on the end, and with enough momentum, can break fortress walls, enemy combatants, and entire sections of the battlefield with one swing. Between flinging it for extra range, or building up momentum as it moves by swinging it repeatedly in an arc, this hulking mechanical beast is a formidable combatant, and surprisingly agile and cunning for its size. At full height, *Unshackled* surpasses even *Worldender* in size, having first been built on a Knight Dominus frame before being extensively customized to better suit a melee fighting style. On its back it sports a volkite combustor for added ranged capabilities.

## Knight House Appearance

The Knights of House Ghrevax blur the line between machine and monster. In the Warp-altered time since their fall to Chaos, their pilots have grown more bestial and monstrous, developing fangs, glowing orange eyes, pale skin, and rapid muscle growth. Meanwhile, the Knights are now decorated with all manner of horrific runes, gruesome trophies of slain foes, banners displaying the House's arms, or spikes on which to impale enemies or pieces thereof. The Knights are also criss-crossed with chains and long, thick spikes, allowing their allies to maneuver across the surface of the carapace using the spikes and chains as foot- and handholds. The chains themselves also sport vicious hooks used to skewer even more prey, most of which is reserved for later consumption.

### Knight House Colors

The colors of House Ghrevax remain unchanged from those of their pre-Heresy days. The primary color is a dark red, the color of dried blood, while accents are an ashen black and armor trim is painted a burnished bronze. Some Knights' face-plates are painted bone white to represent a bare skull flayed of muscle and skin.

### Knight House Arms

The arms of House Ghrevax depict a five-clawed hand grasping a fanged, monstrous skull.