Battlegroup Allegiances

Loyalist Titan Legions

Though amalgamated under the rule of Mars and bound through the Red Planet to Terra by the Treaty of Olympus Mons, the Mechanicum was far from united. Divisions, whether motivated by ideological differences or perceived slights, were rife in the Cult Mechanicus and many a Forge World vied for greater power amongst the changing face of the Imperium. When Kelbor-Hal, Fabricator-General of Mars, declared himself for the Warmaster, disunion in the Mechanicum gave way to warfare. Even Mars, the cradle of the Mechanicum, was no sanctuary from the loathing harboured between both magi and Titan Legions, for its sands were amongst the first to be set alight by the fires of treachery.

The decision to remain loyal to the Imperium was individual to each Princeps, motivated both by the inclination of the Forge World they called home and the brotherhoods forged over decades of warfare at the forefront of the Great Crusade. It was not uncommon for Princeps to remain isolated from the rest of their Legio, spread across the galaxy in support of the Imperium's forces. Such isolation created instances of incompatible loyalties, where Titans daubed in the same colours marched against one another, one side unwilling to shed the camaraderie they held for those they had bled with, for a lord and master far removed. Countless records, both verified and otherwise, speak of Princeps who turned against their own, from those of Legio Tempestus who fell defying the minions of Kelbor-Hal upon Mars, to the Hounds of Night, a force of Legio Audax Titans that dedicated themselves to hunting down Traitor Titans across the fields of Beta-Garmon.

Regardless of their provenance, the support of Loyalist Titans was eagerly accepted when offered, for the strength of their engines proved vital in securing victory in numerous battles. From the cataclysm of Beta-Garmon to the warfare on Paramar V, Loyalist Titans stood as beacons of hope for many, determined to show that, when the Traitors had fallen, the true inheritors of Mars' legacy would remain standing beside the Emperor.

(see Loyalist Titan Legions, page 38 of the Matched Play Guide)

Knight Household Allegiances

Like the Titan Legions and Legiones Astartes, the Questoris Familia found their loyalties divided between the Emperor and Warmaster, becoming embroiled in bitter, ideological warfare. Upon the field of battle, each Household, regardless of loyalties and traditions, employed tactics of a similar nature, separated only by the demeanour of their commanders and the virtues, or lack thereof, espoused by their Households.

Knight Worlds

The terminology of Knight World, as classified in the Cartograph Galaxia, referred, in the broadest of sense, to a world where the ruling class consisted of one or more Knight Households, each capable of securing their position through force of arms and the strength of their Scions. Such a distinction was the sole common link between disparate Knight Worlds, for the traditions held by each Knight Household and the numbers they could call upon vastly differed across each one.

In acknowledgement of the eclectic nature of the numerous Knight Households, each was afforded a designation that reflected the complex nature of the oaths a Household held. Though all were bound to the Imperium, and by extension to the Emperor himself, through oaths sworn when their worlds were ushered into Compliance, many were bound further to a particular liege, whether by choice or by circumstance. Beyond binding oaths, informal allegiances were forged through blood and battle, cementing bonds stronger than those sealed by words alone. To ensure clarity when dealing with Knight Households, Imperial records separated them into distinct categories based upon the degree of independence afforded to them. Of those, two remained the most prominent: Questoris Imperialis and Questoris Mechanicus; distinctions assigned based upon the influence the Mechanicum held over a Household.

Questoris Imperialis

In deference to the value many Knight Households placed upon their own independence, the Imperium was quick to establish a precedence of self-sufficiency where a Household held prominence over a world. Indeed, many Knight Households were loath to sacrifice the traditions their ancestors had bitterly defended before the Imperium had discovered their world. Where the temptation of fealty to a powerful Forge World was of no consequence to a Household, the Imperium instead titled them Questoris Imperialis, requiring oaths of service to the Emperor in return for acknowledgement of their self-rule.

Such an agreement was far from beneficent for it placed demands upon the world related to the level of support given to the Great Crusade, while placing onus on the Household to secure the means to achieve such demands. Those Households shepherded by a deft political hand found this situation prosperous, able to leverage valuable resources native to their world in return for periodical supply shipments from other Imperial powers.

However, not all Households were so fortunate and the pressures of the Great Crusade saw many of them begin to flag, their worlds incapable of meeting the escalating calls for warriors to aid the Expeditionary fleets. In the direst of cases, mounting casualties drove Households to the edge of extinction, forcing them to renegotiate the agreements they had sworn and sacrifice further portions of their independence in return for continued existence. In this manner, the number of Questoris Imperialis Households dwindled as the Great Crusade progressed, with many turning to the Mechanicum to secure their Household's future.

It would be remiss to assume those granted the mantle of Questoris Imperialis shared common traits beyond the measure of independence granted to them. In truth little beyond title bound them, for each clung to their own traditions and heritage shaped by the trials they had weathered during the Age of Strife. In the purest, and perhaps most quixotic view, Questoris Imperialis Knights were paragons of honour committed to the defence of innocents and steadfast in the face of overwhelming odds. In reality, though the foundation of all Knightly tenants was based upon such ideals, much had changed in the interceding years, the personalities of many Households having strayed from such virtues. For every House Terryn, rich in tales of glorious conquest, there were Households more akin to House Orhlacc, who existed under a perpetual shroud of suspicion and fear.

(see Questoris Imperialis, pages 40-41 of the Matched Play Guide)

Questoris Mechanicus

The term Questoris Mechanicus holds its roots in a time before the Imperium, when Knight Households were conceived as protectors for Mankind's colonists as they spread across the stars. It is this role that saw many a Household ascend to prominence upon a newly settled world, for they served as first, and often sole, protectors against the dangers of an untamed galaxy. Yet not all stood as masters of their new worlds for they were but one weapon in the arsenal of the Cult Mechanicus, inducted into their rites and bearing traditions far divergent from others of their kind. In these instances, the incorporation of a Knight Household into the Imperium was rarely negotiated with the Household directly, both parties relying on the word of their patron Forge World to secure the House's service to both Mars and the greater Imperium. To overcome potential disharmony and clashes of authority on newly Compliant worlds, each Forge World was given leave to remain regent over all under their domain, and thus the first Questoris Mechanicus Households were formally recognised.

Though alluding to eternal ties to the Cult Mechanicus, the title of Questoris Mechanicus was not exclusive to those established upon a Forge World. Many were the trials humanity faced during the Age of Strife and though they wielded strength capable of shattering worlds, many Households suffered greatly in isolation before they were rediscovered by the Imperium. To such Households, the arrival of the Imperium was a welcome respite and many were eager to change their fortunes. To facilitate this, the Mechanicum were given remit to act as regent for acquiescing Knight Households, each given patronage by a Forge World deemed capable of revitalising a broken House. In return for such aid, new oaths of fealty were sworn, pledging the Knight World in service to the Cult Mechanicus and their patrons, becoming known, by virtue of their new liege, as Questoris Mechanicus.

Though the loss of independence rankled many amongst their number, a Household gained much from its service, swelling in both number and knowledge until they no longer stood destitute. In truth, the changes wrought upon these Households ran deeper than mere resources. Though such changes were subtle and often took generations, in time Questoris Mechanicus Households fell into the practices of the Cult Mechanicus, their demeanour drifting from the traditions they once held dear. After generations, the oaths of fealty offered to their Forge World all but superseded their oaths to the Emperor, a circumstance that proved instrumental at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. Frequently the loyalty of a Questoris Mechanicus House was decided almost entirely by the allegiance of their patron, leading many into betrayal without full knowledge of the scale of their actions.

(see Questoris Mechanicus, page 42 of the Matched Play Guide)