House Blackmaw

The great white boar

A knight gallant in the standard colors of house Blackmaw

**House Blackmaw** is a Questor Mechanicus Knight House from the planet Zhenesta, sallying forth from the great fortresses deep inside the titanic forests. Often viewed as barbaric by other knightly houses but they ignore these insults as few knights can match the violence and fury these tribals can bring upon the battlefield. WIth hatred in their eyes they charge through smoke and flames to crush the enemies of mankind into blackened scrap.

## History

### The Maw

Somewhere in the northern mountains at the edge of the continent spanning forests lies a giant black crater, the remnants of a plasma generatorium meltdown. The blast had turned the surrounding stone to lava, trees to black ash, animals to scorched flesh. The adjacent dam was completely shattered from the blast, thousands of litres instantly flowing into the crater quickly cooling it down forming jagged formations of obsidian. Through centuries of wind and erosion the chunk of obsidian chipped and broke into something resembling crooked teeth.

### Recovery

The years after the meltdown were tough for the house, the explosions had killed most of their artisans and incinerated a lot of equipment. broken imperial knights were often cannibalised for parts to get less broken suits back up and running. Without power the fortresses were too difficult to defend so the people retreated into the forests, building large towns in the clearings. The Colossal trees keeping out the predators the knights could not deal with.

And so, the tribes began to form, each forest village have a couple of knights and mostly fending on their own. The massive warmachines once more became tools as they work to cut down the trees and clear more land.

### Saviours

Through the centuries the house endured, tribes fell and rose, kings lived and died, regions reconquered and lost once more. till one day the storm lifted and ships entered the orbit once again. Red robed figures emerged from their offering their assistance. Turns out the generator's meltdown so many years ago had uncovered something the Mechanicus coveted. Rare minerals and ore required in the fabrication of a multitude of equipment. The forge world would aid them but requested three things in return: The mining rights of the maw, a fortress from which to perform their task and aid when the mechanicus requested it. All tribes unanimously agreed and so the first iron feast was held in celebration. The land was combed and scoured for the remains of their fallen warmachines.

### War Once Again

Soon the house had their strength back, now named house Blackmaw in reference to the site that gave them their new might. The first overking was also crowned to stand as a figurehead of their planet. The years of hard survival in the forest had turned a lot of pilots rather violent in combat and this trait seeped into the thrones mechanicum. Now all foes are weary when the green and white are spotted on the battlefield. For it is an omen of a show of violence and fury that will not be forgotten.

## Homeworld

Zhenesta is covered in continent spanning forest, wild open plains were titanic predators roam and large mountainous regions up north. dotted on the plains are the old abandoned ferrocrete fortresses. without the power to arm their defences they fell to the predators that even the knights couldn't hold off. With their titanic guns offline, they swarmed in and the people had to flee to the forests. The thick titanic tree formed a natural barrier for the giant that walked the plains.

### The Ceramite Forest

The forest on Zhenesta seemingly evolved along with the animals that dwell in it. Reseachers theorize that any tree species not strong enough to not get uprooted by one of the megafaunas simply died out. Eventually one species prevailed and became the most common tree on the planet: ironwood. Given time they can become titans of metallic bark that requires a couple of imperial knights to pull down. This legendary toughness has created a natural barrier from the ones that stalk the plains making the forest the perfect refuge when the fortresses were abandoned.

### The Great White Boar

When the tribes were first starting to settle a large white shape gazed upon them from the forest line: a massive white boar. It was skittish, any attempt at getting close caused it to thunder away, the heavy footfalls echoing through the forest.

### Plainstalkers

The beasts of Zhenesta, destined death, the reaper that lingers. These creatures have hundreds of names across the planet but their official term is plainstalkers. Titanic monsters covered in thick armour; their hide as tough as any material the house has to its disposal. To take on down is a task not lightly considered as even the great war machines have trouble taking one down. reaper chainswords deflecting of its armour plates, high calibre weaponry merely annoying it at best.  It is thanks to these creatures that the people of house Blackmaw retreated into the ironwoods; with their defences shutdown they could only flee into the thicket. The massive metallic tree providing a wall against the beast simply too big to fit.

## Rituals

### The Iron Feast

Once a year all the planets’ tribes convene at the massive mechanicus fortress, surrendering their knights to the red robed figures. what follows is a several days long celebration where servitors bring an unending supply of alcohol and food. During this the mechaniucs perform the necessary rites and difficult repairs to get the massive warmachines back in perfect order.

### Settlers

The nobles of house Blackmaw have a strange and violent way of solving disputes and matters of honour. martial combat is usually the preferred way during which only one weapon is allowed: Settlers, Heavy duty solid steel knuckledusters. Their name slowly evolved as they were mainly used to "settle" conflict between high-ranking members of a tribe

### Litanies of Destruction

Upon the day of the Iron feast, when the servitors march into the great halls The litanies of destruction are read in full. A long list detailing the death of nobles and the destruction of imperial knights. A moment of celebration of the pilots who have died in service of house Blackmaw, each end of a retelling usually followed by loud cheering and heavy drinking.

### Rite of Severing

The way pilots of house Blackmaw interface with their knights is unique among the questor Mechanicus. instead of the cerebral imports implanted in the back of the skull, the pilot has their left arm replaced with a cybernetic one. The imports are then implanted into a shoulder pad connecting the nerves in the shoulder to the artificial controls in the cybernetic arm.

## House Organization

The Barons of house Blackmaw are practically kings in their own right, their tribe shall not follow anyone else into battle. This has led to some heated "accidents" when two tribes are forced to fight together. But one ruling figure will eventually arise: a headless snake will eventually grow a new one (there is some peculiar fauna on the planet...). This figure is referred to as the Overking, usually the rules of the biggest tribe but it is not unheard of the king of a smaller tribe can attain this position through the game of politics.

	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight gallant**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**
* **knight errant**
* **knight preceptor**
* **knight paladin**
* **knight paladin**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**

	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
	+ **armiger warglaive**
* **knight crusader**
* **knight errant**

## Notable Members

### Overqueen Sogal The Slaughterer

A more violent women you won't find, Overqueen Sogal is the most decorated knight in the house’s history. Her list of deeds and victories is long enough to stretch the entire length of the black maw. Anyone brave or stupid enough to challenge her has ended up as a bloody mess on the floor, their settler now hanging from her already full belt. Her knight gallant is always quick to spot on the battlefield. A cloud of blood, oil and scrap all around the machine as the reaper chainsword carves another victim to bits, the thunderstrike gauntlet hurling tanks and metal into scores of enemies.

This knack for acts of brutality has put her at odds with other imperial organizations as she has, on more than a few occasions, literally killed the messenger. So for matters of diplomacy, she calls upon the kings of other tribes letting her rage be directed upon the battlefield.

#### **Commander Dosha Kervalla**

The calm wave to the raging fire, commander Dosha is one of the only people that can calm Overqueen Sogal. A capable leader in her own right, she commands the imperial guard of house Blackmaw. Her spotless service record has given her a voice in the higher ranks of the house eventually meeting a certain noble: Sogal Rezan. The two immediately hit it off, Sogal finding her violent temper cool down when she was around Dosha.

Their relationship quickly blossomed, some dissenting voices coming from other nobles as Dosha was not of noble lineage. Not a lot of these dared to voice their opinion out loud though as Sogal's clenched fist would soon connect with their face. With some carefully placed favours and a few broken bones Sogal Rezan and Dosha Kervalla officially married. Now they rule together, Dosha keeping herself to the back of matters while Sogal leads from the front.

### Queen Gol The Speaker

A tragic figure amongst the warriors and nobles in her tribe Gol came to reign after a bloody and brutal duel with her brother Bel who had challenged her to be the next in line. The resulting fight was long and painful. both breaking multiple bones but Gol eventually gained the upper hand. Every sickening crunch making her brothers head more unrecognizable. This dragged on till finally with a last blow Gol collapsed, broken, bloody but victorious.

Killing her brother mentally broke Gol. Spending days on end locked up in her chambers, loud desperate wailing heard at night. After a while Gol once more left her quarters seemingly cured from her deep depressions but the truth is Gol is still as tortured as the moment her settler connected with her brother’s face, she has just learned to hide it well. Her growing self-loathing has caused her to become reckless, borderline suicidal. Taking the most dangerous quest and warzones seemingly in search for a glorious death. But each time she returns and with each violent victory her self-loathing grows and her throne becomes a little more poisoned...

### King Sur the Patient

An old and wise man, king Sur has been ruling his tribe strong and fair for decades. Protecting his people from what lurks in the dimness of the forest. The tapping of his cane a common and appreciated sound inside the halls of the keep. A lot of his time is spent in the vast halls of his personal library studying the houses ancient history. The walls of the library are lined with ancient tech recovered from the great fortresses on the plains, each find a relic any techpriest would swoon over. Several times the local mechanicus forces have tried to acquire them with diplomacy or even with force. Such attempts are swiftly turned away when a few imperial knights and an angry mob awaits them at the front door.

### Queen Adda the Mad

To most queen Adda is a peculiar and strange individual. Seemingly talking to nothing but thin air or spacing out for minutes at a time. Her position as queen has never been questioned though as her skill at the pen and the sword has been proven many times over. She, king Sur and queen Gol usually form the diplomatic wing of any war effort the house has involved themselves in.

In truth the source of Adda's traits is not mental illness or personality for she is a latent psyker. Not nearly powerful enough to attract anything of importance mind you but enough for a connection into the warp where whispers can snake through. Small tatters from astropath messages leaking into her mind forming incoherent messages impossible to decipher.

### King Ghoterk

In the southern continental forest, Beneath the titanic trees in the deepest part lies one of the tribes of house Blackmaw. Furthest removed from the mechanicus fortress, the planets centre of technology, they have regressed to their lowest barbarian ways. large wooden palisades surround huts and tents. Imperial knights on the verge of breaking apart are adorned with the skulls of the slain. The people themselves are the same, skulls and teeth cover their attire, severed heads on pikes throughout their villages.

king Ghoterk is the embodiment of this.  A giant of a man, either eating, fighting or a mix of the two. He has ruled his tribe for years several challengers ending up on pikes or fed to the local wildlife as an example. This savagery transfers over to the battlefield, the tribe's pilots blood lusted to the last wreaking bloody murder upon the battlefield

## Litanies of destruction

For each noble slain, for each warmachine the scribes of house Blackmaw note down a detailed retelling of its/their demise. Each retelling requires a debt to be settled in blood, for the loss of either is something that cannot go unpunished. So, the book slowly fills.

## Quotes

### By House Blackmaw

"*Kill em all! Except for him, his faceplate is mine...*"
— Overqueen Sogal when fighting against a traitor house.
"*For blood spilled demands blood as payment.*"
— Mantra of Queen Gol
"*House Dragon you say....never heard of em. What's a dragon even?*"
— King Sur

## House Appereance

### Knight House Colours

The main house colours are drab green and blueish white. The green symbolising the great forest of the planet while the white symbolises the white stoned fortresses that used to protect the population.