Welcome to Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum! Log in and join the community.

House Ærthegn

From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
Jump to: navigation, search
Colour Scheme House Info Symbol
ThegnKnight.jpg
Name: House Ærthegn
ThegnSymbol.jpg
Affiliation: Chaos[4a]
Knight World:
Colours: Red and grey.[4b][4c]
Motto:

House Ærthegn was a Knight House of the Imperium during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[1][4a]


History

Origins and the Great Crusade

Known to be a savage House, the Knights of Ærthegn hail from a desolate region of Ultima Segmentum rife with barren planets and pirates. Descended from a long-lost Knight House whose world was destroyed in an unknown calamity, their predecessors became reaver lords by enslaving psykers and navigators in order to allow interstellar travel and establish a petty kingdom for themselves. Becoming known as the Wræken Dreor (or pilgrims of blood and ashes in proto-gothic), after the Ullanor Crusade Warmaster Horus dispatched the Luna Wolves to finally deal with them.[1]

Battling the Dreor on the frozen seas of Altus Ferro, Horus himself tore apart the Knight of the enemy commander. After the battle Horus travelled into the heart of the territory and was able to pledge the Knights to their service, renamed as House Ærthegn and taking up a region of space known as the Hrethmael Drift as their domain.[1]

Despite being officially pledged to the Imperium, the House continued their old ways and pillaged non-compliant sectors of space. They did little to change their brutal ways and established a vicious and undisciplined reputation in Imperial service under the command of their chieftain, Kynerak Gravewalker. They would frequently provoke duels with other Knight Houses and Freeblades just for an opportunity to spill their opponents' blood. For his part, Horus dismissed the Knights' sour reputation as the work of "rogue elements". The Household faced no discipline for their behaviour despite calls to, particularly after the slaughter and enslavement of 100,000 citizens on Altus-Legia.[1]

Horus Heresy

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the House quickly joined the forces of Horus during the Horus Heresy.[1][4a] Ærthegn were allied to the Mechanicum of the Forge World Cyclothrathe.[4a]

In the course of the Heresy, the House took part in the Battle of the Coronid Deeps[1] and they later fought beside Legio Suturvora and Legio Fureans in the Battle of Beta-Garmon.[2] By the time of the Horus Heresy they are estimated to have had around 300 Knights.[4a]

However, it is worth noting that not every scion of House Ærthegn heeded the Warmaster's call; a number of Ærthegn warbands rejected both Horus and the Imperium and returned to the ways of the Wræken Dreor of old.[4c]

House Elements

Known Knight Armours

Notable Knights

See also

Sources