Idolum-Class Battle-Automata

The Idolum, otherwise known as the ***Idolum-Pattern Battle-Automata*** is a unique automata developed by the Tech Priests of the Hephaestian Machine Cult developed during the Forge Wars of 500.M35 in the extended century long conflicts against the Dark Mechanicum throughout the Segmentum Obscura by this world's secretive and independent minded forge-wrights.

Although developed based on ancient non-STC Techno-Arcane sanctioned for internal use within the Adeptus Mechanicus, the design for the Idolum'-class Battle-Automata has been a controversial point within the Hephaestian Mechanicum’s history. Though offered up to Sacred Mars in tribute in M36, the pattern was never sanctioned for mass-production by the office of the Fabricator-General of Mars, which makes the “Idolum”-class one of the rarest types of Imperial Robot in service.

## HISTORY

Designed as a rapid-moving, light reconnaissance unit, the “Idolum”-class Battle-Automata was developed in the distant Segmentum Obscura on the Forge World of Hephaestia in response to new forms of nightmare engine emerging from the Eye of Terror. Initially keyed to serve against the Blightcasters and Harmonic Shatterers of the esoteric clades of the Chaos corrupted Dark Mechanicum, the role as a flanking support unit was soon expanded out into general use and was integrated into the war convocations of the Forge.
Despite its excellent performance in its intended role, the design was never approved for mass-production by the Archimanditure of the Martian Mechanicus that still distrusted this divergent Forge World at the edge of the Imperium's domain in the wake of their own weaknesses of dogma.
Political historians of the Orders Historica theorize why this robot was never adopted. Generally, blame falls upon the idiosyncratic choices made in the conception of certain components of the Idolum, with true students of history laying the distrust of the pattern at the feet of the censoring of the Forge World and the purgation of the heretical ‘Golden Order’ at the end of the Age of Apostasy.

Whilst the “Idolum" was introduced into the War Convocations and Skitarii Legions of Hephaestia itself, trade with other Forge Worlds within the greater Segmentum Obscura beyond the Ixaniad Sector was difficult. Despite lucrative deals, the lack of official sanction meant that repairing and refitting this class of Battle-Automata became inherently difficult for those with no direct ties to Hephaestia. As such, the design is limited to Hephaestia and other vassal Forges to the parent forge such as Bezoa, Chorix, and Caberiria, where the pattern was produced consistently throughout the Age of the Imperium and the Age Indomitus. In particular, the pattern found extensive use within the Prefecture Magisterium, the doctrinal keepers of Machine Cult official doctrine and dogma. Their fast moving speed and dedicated hunter-killer machine spirit made them highly useful tools for swift assassination. Darker suspicions focused on the “Idolum's” Machine Spirit artificial intelligence, which was particularly prone to greater than tolerable incidences of *Malifica* -- such as turning upon its creators. The end of the suspicions leads to the notion that particularly dangerous units are removed from service for Magisterium use to best keep watch over their bellicose and agitated machine spirits.

## ARMAMENT

The standard design of the Idolum-Pattern Battle-Automata is comprised of the following equipment;

2x Cognis Lascannons

1x Melee weapon (optional)

Light Deflector Shields