House Melkonian

House Melkonian coat-of-arms.

House Melkonian Imperial Knight.

**House Melkonian** is a noble Questor Mechanicus hailed from Karabakh. This Great plains and prairie world surrounded by Great Mountains and underground water caves serve as Feudal Worlds for House Melkonian. Unlike other Knight Houses that either believe in the Imperial Cult or Machine Cult, the Knight House Melkonian believed in the Apostolikos Faith. A mixture of old Terran Apostolic Faith and Church of the Machine God, Cult Mechanicus. Stubborn nature, bellicose temper, hungry for challenge, and masters of duel, House Melkonian favour dueling, and close combat warfare. They see long-ranged combat as a coward's tool thus favoring Knight Errants, Knight Gallants, and Knight Valiant in every battle.

The uniqueness of House Melkonian lies on the House's Knights that they will not install nor possess mounted ranged weapons such as autocannons and missile pods. The Knight House of Melkonian only tolerate Conflagration Cannon, Thundercoil Harpoons, Meltaguns and Thermal Cannon as they fire at close range and created to support their close combat doctrines. Knight House Melkonian also possess a strong rivalry with Knight House Bagration since the end of Horus Heresy.

## History

During the early stage of the Dark Age of Technology, the region of Yerevan and Vaspurakh at the South of Iberia are devastated by clan wars and nuclear radiation. Its denizens known as the Karabakhis become a nomad, seeking shelters from many places they venture until the exodus found ancient Barge and plenty of food supply that enables them to travel outside Terra. Aid by the missionary from Mars, Lord Vartan Melkonian and Techpriest Marvidal lead the Karabakhis out from Terra. The small convoy of Terran Barges finally reach the Selendric Sector and found a prairie planet filled with live. Lord Vartan although now encased in an ancient life support system dreadnought, decide to settle in and become its first High King. Thus, the Kingship of Karabakh was born with House Melkonian serve as the Patriarch of Karabakh.

The Kingdom swore allegiance to the Cult Mechanicus of Mars until the Emperor's Great Crusade that made Karabakh's current High Queen Shusanik Melkonian to rise against the invaders. Negotiations reach the table as the High Queen of the Kingship of Karabakh challenge the Emperor of Mankind in a duel. Should the Emperor lose the duel, he would leave Karabakh independent but should He won, Queen Shusanik Melkonian will bend the knee and submit to the Imperium of Man and Mechanicum of Mars that were once her allegiance lies. As the Queen rode her legendary Cerastus Knight-Castigator *Might of Ararat* she met an unexpected foe. Instead of the Emperor Himself, it was his champion from the House Bagration. Prince Temuraz, son of the famed High King David III of Bagration.

The duel ended with the Castigator Knight *Might of Ararat* dismembered and suffering critical damage. Seeing her end, Queen Shusanik wishes for death through self-destruct protocol. But she was saved by both a Custodian Guard and Prince Temuraz who jump from his knight and both rush towards the near destroyed Knight. Sensing honorable defeat and a chivalry, Queen Shusanik bend the knee to the Imperium of Man and renew her oath to the Cult Mechanicus of Mars.

Fortunately, Karabakh and House Melkonian were saved from the horrors of the Horus Heresy. But it come at a price. The martyrdom of Queen Shusanik Melkonian and her son, Crown Prince Mezrob Melkonian at the Battle of Terra. The House Melkonian were saved thanks to the coronation of two kings, the twin son of Queen Shusanik Melkonian, Sevan and Sisag Melkonian. The twin kings able to prevent civil war and create stability and the existence of House Melkonian as a prominent Imperial Knight Houses within the Imperium, creating a foundation for the next millennium.

## Rivalries

House Melkonian is known for its cold rivalries with House Bagration. At the beginning of M32, Aleksandre and Nana Bagration with 300 Armiger and 100 Questoris Knight lead a crusade to aid the Imperium against the Chaos incursion on New Sertca. The forces of House Bagration able to drive the Forces of Chaos until the two siblings fought an enormous Bloodthirster where they are met with Knight Artak Melkonian and his Marshall Tovmas Sarkisian. As the siblings fought side by side against the Bloodthirster and the surrounding cultists and daemons, Artak manage to steal the glory by stabbing the Bloodthirster with the Knight's Reaper Chainsword, banishing the daemon. As the surrounding forces were defeated, so did a heated duel between Nana and Artak commenced that ended up in stalemate.

Thus, begin the rivalries between House Bagration and House Melkonian that stood for more than 11 millenia. From simple friendly jousting to Big Game Hunter, these two noble houses are proved to maintain a strong rivalry and a cold ally when dealing with the enemies of the Imperium. Nevertheless, the souring rivalries ended at 997.M41 where High King Hendrick XV of House Orenstein decided forge alliances, and use the rivalry as honorable competition in slaying the enemies of mankind. On the maw of Zyon, King Oto Bagration I, King Hendrick XV Orenstein, and King Tigran Melkonian sign a treaty of alliances known as Treaty of Zyon. The treaty itself is renewed during the 2nd year of M42. Where three more Knight Houses (House Shirvan, House Chakri, and House Masisi) join the alliances to secure Herzavar and Verturias sector and its surroundings from both xenos and Forces of Chaos itself.

## Homeworld

Karabakh is a Knight Feudal World located at Selendric Sector Ultima Segmentum between Karrynar Star and the Warp Anomaly known as the Plague Stars. The Feudal world is filled with Castles, towering basilicas and manufactorum churches for the Apostolikos Faith, as well as Khachkars, a Karabakh unique cross stones that marks ancient battles and tombs to those who loyal to the Imperium and Mars. The 100% of planet are covered with prairies and valleys surrounded by Havastar Mountains o the North and Cilicyastan Mountains to the South West.

The Temperature is ranged between as cold as -10 Degree Celcius to 21 Degree Celcius. There are no sea nor lakes on this planet. Instead the hollowed underground and cavern systems is filled with fresh water, a main source of water for denizens of Karabakh. Karabakh itself possess a hidden beauty of underground caverns filled with moss gardens and various giant cave fish that become secondary staple food sources after Galkur Wheat for its denizens.

Karabakh is home to the famous Havastar Rocs, a gigantic two-headed winged bird of prey similar to ancient Terran Falcons. Its blue feather is known to be sources of Karabakhian Sapphire, a precious gemstone prized among Imperial nobilities. It was said that the gems is a mixed between the feather’s strange dust, mixed eith the Roc’s mucus and left for a decade to hardened until the bird moulting the hardened feathers. The feather is then harvested and processed by Karabakhian jewelers. Each of the Imperial Knight’s Throne Mechanicum is filled with at least a Karabakhian Sapphire as a symbol of the chapter’s stoic and proud culture.

At the central of Planet Karabakh lies a great city of Vagraphat. Known for its Great Manufactorum belong to the Cult Mechanicus and Great Apostolikos Basilica of Ekmiadzan. The High King of Karabakh and its lineage ruled from the Fort Vagranasikhan on the top of Mountain Zis. The techno-feudal citizens of Karabakh are known to rival and even bested the cultural progress of Didgorians, and Mogambians. Its citizens are known for its religious and zealotry to the Apostolikos faith and will follow its High Priests and their High King to the death.

The prairies of Karabakh are filled with many local faunas from both cattles nor game animals that is hunted down by lesser nobles.

## House Tradition

House of Karabakh are known for its competitive chivalry, stubborn prideful nature, and refusal to admit defeat. Although the Knight House shown great loyalty to the Imperium of Man, their views on the Machine God and how they view the Emperor as Godly avatar of Machine God prove their loyalty to Mechanicus more than the Imperium. The Apostolikos faith through screenings conducted by both Cult Mechanicus and the Ecclesiarchy deemed pure and unheretical although some members of Imperial Cult and Cult Mechanicus from Mars does mock the faith as an old relic that needs to be reformed.

The denizens of Karabakh wore Arkhalig, an ancient national dress from ancient Yerevanites in the southern Iberia, Terra. These clothes are commonly seen in orange, red, and gray color. Some of the married women of Karabakh wore a short face Burkha to protect their face from dusts and as a symbol of marriage and respect. The female nobilities of Karabakh wore an expensive gemstone decorated long clothes called Taraz.

House Melkonian is also known for their hospitality through hosting banquets followed by gladiatorial games and mock battles to appease the guests, be it emmisaries from Terra, Mars, Adeptus Astartes delegations, Prioress and Cardinal of the Ecclesiarchy, nor Astra Militarum Generals and Commissars.

The nobilities of Karabakh and the royal family held the Military Power, thus only the nobles possess Imperial Knights. Commoners who possess a knight or even an armiger class knight will be suspect to punishment by Karabakhian authority. Soldiers, Sworn Swords, and Auxilias are owned by lesser noble house and the Royal Family. Due to this ancient vassalage system, a small conflict is easily erupted between lesser noble houses. Knight jousting, dueling and skirmishes may occur and usually ended either one side rise as the victor or the interruption of the High Princes or Princesses of Karabakh.

House Melkonian kept the old tradition of close combat specialist, their knights are never seen wielding or equipped with heavy Stubbers Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon, Avenger Gatling Cannons, or other long ranged weapons. They highly favor Reaper Chainswords, Thunderstrike Gauntlets, Harpoons, Lances, and Tempest Warblade. Although the Knight House shuned the usage of long range weapons, they still tolerate the usage of flame and melta weapons due to its supporting role to decimate enemies before landing a critical blow. its Knight Valiants are often seen withouth being equipped with mounted weapons such as Shield Breaker Missiles and Twin Linked Siegebraker Cannons, instead they are equipped with ancient unnamed Sonar and improved Void Shields Technology that protect their knights from incoming ranged attacks.

## Treaty of Zyon

At 997.M41, High King Hendrick XV Orenstein succesfully bind the rivalries between House Bagration and House Melkonian to secure Herzavar sector and its surrounding from Chaos and Xeno incursion. The treaty and the oath of aliances renewed at the 2nd year of M42 with three more house join the alliances both for military defenses, aid, as well as economic benefit between knight houses.

The treaty itself were signed by leaders of each knight houses and their homeworld:

* High King Hendrick XV Orenstein from House Orenstein - Zyon
* High King Oto Bagration I from House Bagration - Didgori Tertius
* High King Tigran Melkonian from House Melkonian - Karabakh
* Great Sultan Murad III Shirvanshah from House Shirvan - Tovuz
* High King Reynald Hotumbu Masisi of House Masisi - Mogambe Prime
* High King Vajralarongkut of House Chakri - New Siam.

## Relations

### Enemies

* **Forces of Chaos**
* **Xenos**