The Ancient Lineage of Imperial Knights
Towering above the battlefields, Imperial Knights are bipedal engines of war hailing from feudal worlds known as Knight Worlds. These mechanical behemoths are piloted by noble warriors, known as Knight Scions, who hail from esteemed Knight Households.
The Birth of Knight Worlds
During the Dark Age of Technology, humanity’s first great stellar exodus led to the founding of the original Knight Worlds. Over decades, colonization ships arrived at their designated planets, only to find hostile environments and deadly wildlife. The ship’s resources allowed the colonists to flourish, and with the aid of STC machines, they created the first Knight suits to defend against predators and hostile aliens.
The Evolution of Feudal Societies
As the pilots of these early Knight suits spent more time in their Throne Mechanicum consoles, their values shifted from practical self-defense to authoritarianism, chivalry, and martial honor. A feudal system emerged, with those protected by the Knights becoming vassals to their masters. Later, during the Age of Strife, Mars sent expeditions to find remnants of human knowledge on other worlds, leading to the discovery of anarchic galaxies and the establishment of contacts with the Knights.
The Rise of Forge Worlds
The Tech-priests settled among the feudal empires, trading with their worlds and investigating ancient ruins for surviving technology. In return for their technical expertise, the Knights provided manpower and security against enemies such as marauding Orks and land-hungry Eldar Exodites. As the Forge Worlds grew powerful, the Knight Worlds flourished under their wing, becoming mutually dependent and transforming into technically sophisticated cultures.
The Great Crusade and Horus Heresy
During the Great Crusade, the Rogue Trader Militant Bastian Jeffers discovered the first Knight World, and many were subsequently assimilated into the fledgling Imperium. Later, during the Horus Heresy, many Knight Worlds and their Knight Houses pledged their banner to the traitorous Warmaster.
The Current Age
In the current Age of the Imperium, Imperial Knights fight alongside Titans, forming a reserve of troops that can be called up into the Titan Legions when required. Each Knight is piloted by a noble of the Knight Worlds, which have maintained their feudal societies over the millennia. Some Knights do not owe allegiance to any House, wandering the galaxy as Freeblade Knights.
The Lineage Continues
The legacy of the Imperial Knights endures, a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of humanity. As the Imperium continues to wage war against its enemies, the Knights remain steadfast, their mechanical bodies a symbol of the unyielding spirit of the warrior nobility.
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