Editing Imperial Knight (section)

==About the Knights==
[[File:Errant Detachment.jpg|thumb|right|EPIC Errant Knights. For when you want to cook your enemies really fast.]]
[[File:PaladinDetachment.jpg|thumb|right|Paladin Titans from EPIC times.]]
The knights are affiliated with, or in some cases part of, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] (rather than being part of the greater Imperium's war machine). Knight Worlds are worlds which supply [[Forge World#Planet|Forge Worlds]] with foodstuff and raw materials, specifically those worlds defended by Knight Households. The Knight World gathers foodstuff and ores for a set period of time (usually a year) before the Adeptus Mechanicus arrive in a drop ship, occasionally bringing new knight suits in exchange for the raw materials. Knight Worlds themselves are typically Feudal Worlds, which were easily brought into compliance during the Great Crusade, and which explains the rather aristocratic tone about the Knights. Knight World politics is fueled by the constant resource tithes and the possession of Knight Titans. Any kingdom that possesses a Knight Titan could absolutely smash a kingdom without one, so it behooves a kingdom to concede to being tithed in exchange for the (relatively) ultimate weapon. Once any given feudal kingdom has become a Knight Household, any Household that has more Knights is a huge threat, so getting more is always important. By the time that the escalation becomes preposterous these Households are already shipping knights off-world to cruise the stars and fighting things, so the extra-planetary losses constantly need to be replenished, lest the Households lose their on-world detachments to off-world conflicts. All that said, Knight Worlds tend to exist rather happily alongside their Forge World; Mechanicus get a defensive buffer and food forever, and the Knight Households get to continue ruling their chunks of the planet. Or all of the planet, depending on how far you can stretch a feudal society.

During the [[Epic]] days Knights were a complete fabrication by the Adeptus Mechanicus, supplied as battle fleets where the Imperial armies are in need of them, much like a Titan Legion is. Knights were a gimmick, given to Feudal Worlds that the Mechanicum settled near in exchange for getting shipments of food, manpower, and raw materials. This simplistic lore is [[retcon|no longer the case]]; apparently the original Knight Worlds were not the Mechanicus' idea. The Knights themselves are [[STC]] relics, dating before even the Dark Age of Technology. In a shocking twist, not only does the Knight STC appear to be relatively intact, the Knight itself seems easy to produce for any given Forge World; a rare case of the AdMech not shitting themselves. When Games Workshop released the new "heroic scale" Knight models, they also released new Knight fluff with them. The first Knights were actually colonists, arriving on new worlds during Humanity's first expansion into the galaxy at large. With no way of returning to Terra once they arrived, and long periods with no outside help, those original human colonies needed to be self-sufficient and the Knight suits were sent along with them, made for fighting against the [[Xenos|myriad threats]] [[Chaos|to their existence]]. Additionally, it turns out that giant stompy robots could also be re-purposed for peaceful uses: cutting down trees with their chainswords, blasting apart boulders with their main weapons, or using the sheer size of their bodies as cranes, lifts, earth-movers, and various other construction equipment. As a byproduct of the Throne Mechanicum bonding processes (see below), the Knights' pilots soon came to see themselves as protectors of their people. In the cases where these heavily-armed frontier colonies were never slated for further colonization, suffered a society-collapsing event as they grew, or otherwise remained isolated, Knight Titans were given the opportunity to become the industrial and military backbone of many of these worlds.

During the Age of Strife, when humanity at large lost its ability to travel the Warp and everything generally went to shit, these planets were guaranteed to be alone and afraid, fighting for their survival against everything they already had to fight, plus all of the weirdness that comes with BIG FUCKOFF WARP STORMS. The proto-Knight-World colonies (fully-grown at this point) regressed from large-scale industrial societies into what are functionally feudal worlds with a sprinkling of techno-barbarianism. Why did this happen? Well, there are a number of possibilites: fear and panic over the lack of outside contact could have sparked apocalyptic military conflicts or nuclear wars, the whole "robot uprising" thing that was also happening during the Age of Strife could have resulted in a rejection of automation, daemons might have invaded through a Warp rift, or the entire world could have been slowly ground down to the barest essentials of living by millennia of constant conflict; take your pick! The Knights themselves eventually formed noble households as time went on, or else noble households formed around the knights, due mostly to the fact that only a large-scale organized society with military force can properly maintain a giant stompy robot. By the time of the Great Crusade (more importantly, by the time of the first Mechanicum Explorator Fleets ''during'' the Great Crusade), almost all of the remaining Knight Worlds had dwindled to feudalism over the course of the Age of Strife, and in many cases the survivors were living threadbare on dying worlds, in great need of new raw materials or the expertise required to maintain the suits. This situation was ripe for exploitation, and some clever bastard in the Mechanicum got the great idea of using these worlds as combination Agri-World, Mining World, and military training ground. Several Forge Worlds and lesser Mechanicum worlds were established intentionally within Knight World systems due to the easy symbiosis. It is assumed that any Knight Worlds which were not in need of assistance (or whom the Great Crusade found before an Explorator Fleet) sided with the Imperium at large, as opposed to becoming vassals of the Mechanicum.

As a side note, in a hilarious turn of events, in this new lore these feudal Knight Worlds leveraged their ritualization and xenophobia to purge witches and deviant thought, and therefore psychic influence, from their worlds entirely. This created pockets of relative calm in the hellish storms of un-reality that they floated in, and thus they were saved from the worst of the warpy shit, allowing them to survive into M31 and the Age of the Imperium. This is even more ironic when you consider that in the Dark Age of Technology, they were considered to be little more than a couple of backwater colonies that were never taken seriously by the rest of mankind. Now the descendants of the hillbillies get to lord over the conscripted masses (in theory). Basically how the US behaves with Europeans after 1945.
 
Knight Houses make a tradition of sending their Knights on glorious quests across the stars, which mostly involves going where the Imperium/Mechanicum tells them to, and shooting/punching everything dead once they get there. Knight Houses make a tradition of basically everything, but more on that later. These quests, which one can only assume are fulfilled by the Imperial Navy or Explorator Fleets (and *not* just jumping really high, as some fa/tg/uys suggest), must be chocked-full of silly fish-out-of-water scenes as the Knights must putter around the cargo holds of ships, interacting with Guardsmen, slaves, and Imperial navymen. Knights absolutely love going on quests, because *not* going on quests means staying home and doing rituals and ceremonies. The day-to-day lives and operations of Knight Households, and the noble caste that supports them on-world, are so regimented by ceremony that the Knights themselves *fucking hate it*. Eating, sleeping, social interaction, prayer, bathing (when it infrequently occurs), walking down hallways, looking at art, and probably *breathing* are so highly ritualized that it makes Japanese tea ceremonies look like a practice rehearsal of a theatrical production put on by a class of 3rd graders. You have actual, named, 64-part ceremonies described as happening *daily* in the Mechanicus codex, and those are only one of probably three-hundred-thousand common-to-esoteric ceremonies that could be required to properly perform a given action, formally acknowledge a nobleman's change in standing or status, or even to honor a specific year, month, week, or hour of the fucking day. And Emperor save you if you fuck any of it up.

===The Throne Mechanicum===
A Knight's Machine Spirit is of a particularly unusual type: to interface with the suit, an aspiring noble must first join with the Throne Mechanicum (the Knight's control system) in a ritual known as the Ritual of Becoming. Due to a quirk in the bonding process, the device retains an imprint of each of its former pilots' personalities at the time they were first bonded, and as a result individual suits will develop traits echoing those of their former masters. The link also affects the noble's own mind as well; exposure to the metaphorical (or possibly literal, since there's been at least one case where a Throne Mechanicum took over operating the Knight when its noble was slain by using the memories of its old operators) ghosts in the machine inevitably causes the noble to develop strong positive feelings towards the concepts of fealty and hierarchy along with a near-mystical reverence toward the noble's ancestors. Nobody knows why this is, but the Mechanicus thinks it may have been a failsafe in the original plans meant to ensure that no noble would willingly betray or abandon his own House or perhaps a means to guarantee that the Knights would be more inclined to act as colonial defenders. Either way, this benefits the Mechanicus rather neatly.

This kind of "ghost in the machine" presence exists for true [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Imperial Titans]] as well, though in their case the machine spirit is more of an AI/second ego, and storing past Princeps' personas is something that happens, but the Mechanicus try to avoid/scrub out. Go see the Titan page for a more in-depth comparison.

===Houses===
There are three types of Knight households, though a fourth association does exist.
====Imperial Houses====
Those who align themselves with the Imperium directly are called Imperial Houses, and act as independently operating vassals of a greater empire - like [[Space Marine Chapter]]s, but with more stompy mechs and even more medieval themes. This means they get to answer calls for aid whenever they want rather than being ordered to. Most Knight houses are aligned with the Imperium. Known Imperial Houses include:
*'''House Terryn''' - A House known for its [[Ultramarines|courage and honor]] as well as [[Codex Astartes|rigidly adhering to ritual and ceremony]]. Supposedly its homeworld of Voltoris is so [[Macragge|peaceful and boring]] and the aforementioned rituals so tedious that it only encourages them to campaign across the galaxy, thanks to a law that allows them to be exempt from said rituals as long as they're crusading. Has developed an intense grudge against the [[Tau]] after they tried to invade Voltoris. Their colour scheme is [[Ultramarines|blue]], tan, and red with gold trim.
*'''House Hawkshroud''' - A very [[Noblebright]] house, who believe that kindness should be returned tenfold and who answer any and all requests for assistance, which means their homeworld of Krastellan lies virtually undefended. Also have links with the [[Imperial Fists]] having been praised by the chapter master for their efforts against the [[Eldar]] of Alaitoc, and are linked by proximity to the Blood Angels. Take their oaths '''very''' seriously - breaking one is grounds for immediate exile as a Freeblade, and their kids often inherit oaths at birth. Their colour scheme is yellow, black, and white with silver trim.
*'''House Cadmus''' - Were once bound to the Mechanicum, but regained their independence and became an Imperial House when Gryphonne IV was nom nomed by [[Tyranid]]s. Based on the [[Caliban|mutant infested forest world]] of Raisa, they engage on mutant hunts every year, with the [[A Song of Ice and Fire|winner getting to rule the house]] until the next hunt. Their colour scheme is [[Dark Angels|forest green]] and yellow with silver trim.
*'''House Griffith''' - A house of [[Salamanders|hotheads]] who almost exclusively make use of the Knight Errant pattern and come from a planet once inhabited by ''actual dragons''. They are also one of the [[Salamanders|smallest knight houses, but remain one of the most respected]]. They engage in regular jousting tournaments using old fashioned horses, but wearing adamantium armour. Have a preference for [[Rip and Tear|close combat]]. They are also the favorite house of [[Duncan Rhodes|our lord and savior]]. Have nothing to do with [[Berserk|that Griffith]]. Their colour scheme is cream, dark turquoise, and red with silver trim.
*'''House Mortan''' - A house only recently introduced to the Imperium, [[Wat| having been being cut off since before the Great Crusade by a nebula which made their homeworld Kimdaria a night world]]. For thousands of years they fought giant monsters in the dark until the nebula dissipated in M35 and the Imperium arrived. Very enthusiastic about getting into close-quarters combat, but are otherwise squarely in the "dour motherfuckers" camp. Their colour scheme is black, red, and yellow with gold trim.
*'''House Drakkus''' - Featured in the mobile game 'Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade'. Known for being very dead beyond a single Freeblade survivor, and for having a rather fetching jade-green ([[Skub|or turquoise]]) with gold trim colour scheme.
*'''House Vyridion''' - A Heresy-era House. Brought into the fold by Fulgrim, House Vyridion neglected to do their research when the Heresy started and took the side of the III Legion. After a few battles, however, they began to get doubts and headed for Terra, surrendering themselves to find the truth. They were then imprisoned for their crimes and nearly starved to death before being freed... to serve in the Webway. It's not known how many of them are alive or if they even have an intact walker any more, but their Baroness did make a vital contribution in briefly KO'ing the Daemon of the First Murder.
*'''House Vyronii''' - House Vyronii is counted amongst the most venerable Knight Houses of the entire Segmentum Obscurus, its Knights being famed for their tenacity and their uniquely sorrowful demeanour. Separated from the rest of humanity's domains for millennia, House Vyronii nevertheless stood their ground against xenos incursions and the frightfully intelligent megafauna of their home planet, Damaetus III/II. Thanks to a warning from Gios, the son of the house's Grand Master, House Vyronii was able to fend of an invasion from the Forge World of Cyclothrathe right before they were supposed to swear an oath to them. They then teamed up with the Forge World of Mezoa to get revenge. Originally just cream with gold trim, later added emerald green to their color scheme to represent the green glow of the gas giant their homeworld orbited after seeing how lame they looked compared to other Imperial forces.
*'''House Varlock''' - A House based on Cyprus Ultima which appeared in [[Dawn of War 3]]. Worked with the [[Blood Ravens]] in the Acheron Campaign after the Blood Ravens saved them from an Ork incursion. This Knight House has a colour scheme of blue and white with golden trim.
*'''House Draconis''' - Originated from the world of Adrastapol. A world which houses multiple households, all with names that are similar to those of mythological creatures. Draconis is the largest house on the planet, typically being the house to unite the others during times of peril and hardship, such as during the Donatosian War, where House Chimeros and Wyvorn turned against the loyalist forces to work alongside the [[Word Bearers]], which eventually lead to the traitor houses' destruction. They utilise mostly Paladins, Errants and Gallants, with some Crusaders. They feature as the main faction in the books ''Kingsblade'' and ''Knightsblade'' by [[Andy Clark]].
*'''House Degallio''' - Formerly the most powerful Knight Household on Alaric Prime. House Degallio was a seaborne house that lived aboard a giant ship known as the Isle Degallio along with a fleet of smaller warships. After getting wiped out by [[Grukk Face-Rippa|Grukk Facerippa]]'s Red WAAAGH!, the house's High King and sole survivor Neru Degallio went Freeblade and took up the name ''White Warden''. Their colour scheme was white, yellow, and black with dark silver trim.
*'''House Orhlacc''' - House Ohrlacc lives on the Death World of Dark Haven, a planet teeming with poisonous plants and rapidly growing fungi in addition to venomous predators. Thanks to some biologists ''(pre-Mechanicum)'' they took in rather than killing on sight like the other houses on Dark Haven, the scions of House Orhlacc were able to modify their genetic structure to adapt to the world and become the dominant house. After being rediscovered by the [[Dark Angels]], they fought with distinction in the Great Crusade and chose to stay loyal after learning about the [[Dropsite Massacre]] from some survivors. They then proceeded to steal a traitor Rogue Trader's fleet and temporarily become a nomadic household as they knew they couldn't defend their world from a full invasion fleet. Their colour scheme is purple and black with bronze trim.
*'''House Vornherr''' - Before being rediscovered by the Imperium, House Vornherr wiped out six other Knight houses and took all their Knight suits, giving them over 600 Knight suits total. After being rediscovered by the Imperium, the house pledged an oath to [[Roboute Guilliman]] and vowed to fight alongside him and the 500 worlds of [[Ultramar]]. At Calth, the majority of the house was destroyed by the [[Word Bearers]] in their opening bombardment. The few survivors offworld at House Vornherr's homeworld of Luhnborg-IX swore a new oath to avenge their fallen Duke and go out with a bang. Their colour scheme was red and yellow with gold trim.
*'''House Donar''' - One of the Knight houses of Molech, based in the Western Marches of the continent of Molechari. They were in charge of keeping the inhabitants of the continent safe from the jungle-dwelling beasts nearby; along with the twinfuckers of House Devine, they were considered some of the top hunters on the planet. Unlike the Slaanesh-aligned House Devine, they refused to turn traitor and were unceremoniously wiped out by the Legio Mortis during the Battle of Molech. Their colour scheme was dark sea green, red, and black with gold trim.
*'''House Indra''' - One of the Knight houses of Molech, living in the swamps of Molech's southern steppes. Back when Molech was ruled by the High King, the Indarii (as the swamp people was known as back then) were given the honour of holding the High King's standard. After the last High King died, House Indra carried on with their original traditions, never forgetting that they were once the banner bearers for the High King. Due to their insularity and strange practices, they were known as the "Mad House" by the other Knight Houses. Destroyed during the battle of Molech. Their colour scheme was green and yellow with gold trim.
*'''House Kaska''' - One of the Knight houses of Molech, living on the Kasha Peninsula on the westernmost point of the continent of Molechari. While some of the other Knight houses [[Space Wolves|looked down upon them as vagrants and drunkards, House Kaska couldn't give less of a fuck what the other houses thought.]] House Kaska adhered to a code of honor that said one must be more than just good at piloting a suit of Knight Armor - you had to be able to [[Awesome|climb the storm-slick peaks of Kasha, wrestle a xeno cub to the ground, and drink your body weight in ale]]. Destroyed during the Battle of Molech. Their colour scheme was white, blue, and red with gold trim.
*'''House Kaushik''' - One of the Knight houses of Molech, living under the mountains of Untar Mesas. The underground arcology they lived in was built by the initial settlers of Molech, and the scions of House Kaushik lived an insular lifestyle within it, rarely leaving. The scions of House Kaushik considered the bond between them and their Knight a spiritual pairing, to the point where they could attain a state known as the "Great Quiet" where their souls were cooled and emotions stripped away by the voices within their Thrones Mechanicum. Destroyed during the Battle of Molech. Their color scheme was half mint green half blue with flame patterns and gold trim.
*'''House Tazkhar''' - One of the Knight Houses of Molech, living on the Tazkhar Steppe of the continent of Molechari. Unlike the other Knight houses of Molech, House Tazkhar [[White Scars|never let go of their tribal roots and still existed as nomadic tribes]]. Every year, the groups got together for a gathering called the Feast of the Storm Lord to celebrate when the [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|Lord of Storms]] first journeyed across the Steppes and gave His blessing to the tribes. There everyone fought each other in their Knight suits or the old fashioned way with a sword and shield, with the person going undefeated claiming the title of "Viziar of Blades" for the year. Seemingly destroyed during the Battle of Molech, although at least one Knight of the House was found to have survived the Heresy. Their colour scheme was desert tan, orange, and white with silver trim.
*'''House Mamaragon''' - One of the Knight houses of Molech, living in the northern seas and archipelagos. In the ye olde days, House Mamaragon were explorers who charted Molech's seas, and later pirates who preyed on the trade routes they helped create. They were the unofficial [[That Guy]] of Molech's Houses, being arrogant and reckless assholes who mocked the others for how small their hunting trophies were compared to the [[Meme|XBOX HUEG]] sea serpents they hunted (in fairness, they were far larger than any animal on Molech). Despite this, they were the first Knight House on Molech to organize the surviving loyalist Knights against Horus, and later set about rebuilding during the [[Great Scouring]]. Their colour scheme is light blue and green with silver trim.

====Mechanicus Houses====
Other households are directly aligned to the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] and are based on (or linked to) Forge Worlds through what is called the "Sidon Protocol". Though they retain their independence from the Cult Mechanicus, they do have reciprocal trade and resupply agreements as well as swearing oaths of protection to the Mechanicus, often directly to specific Forge Worlds.

Houses directly linked to the Mechanicus will have access to better weapons and technology than their more primitive cousins, which isn't surprising because Techpreists tend to be [[Blood_Ravens|greedy buggers.]] On the other hand, they've got a lot less independent swing and have to deal with the toasterheads permanently looming over their collective shoulders. Their color schemes are predominantly based around the color red.

Examples of Mechanicus Houses include: 
*'''House Taranis''' - The ''First'' of all Knight Houses (read ''Mechanicum'' by [[Graham McNeill]]). They were founded on [[Mars]] during the [[Dark Age of Technology]], and were later the first Martians who met the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] before the [[Great Crusade]], literally the moment after he landed on the planet where he said "[[Awesome|'''Machine, heal thyself.''']]" and fixed one of their suits with a touch. During the Horus Heresy, all but two of the House's nobles on Mars and a few others spread across the galaxy died defending the Magma City from Kelbor-Hal's forces. With no one on Mars to guide the house, the scattered elements each set out on their own paths and assisted both loyalists and traitors in exchange for resources, believing that they were doing House Taranis's heritage right. This house also has ownership of some of the oldest Knight suits.
** For some reason, their Knights' Throne Mechanicum units lack the typical mind-altering effects that they would normally possess; nobody knows why. One reason could be that the pilots of House Taranis are loyal to the Mechanicus first, and the house second. Or Mars is hoarding good shit again. 
** They have a tradition of sending failed nobles over to be made into [[Skitarii]] Alphas, in exchange for the Alphas being allowed to fight alongside House Taranis' knights. Weirdly heartwarming, in a way...
**Originally coloured blue and white with silver trim, they later changed their colour scheme to predominately red like the other Mechanicus-aligned Houses as a means of showing their fealty to Mars and other Forge Worlds who helped replenish them during the Horus Heresy.
*'''House Raven''' - The largest of all Knight Households, formerly based on the world of Kolossi and have close links to the forge world [[Heavy mythril|Metalica]]. Suspected to hold secret [[Standard Template Construct|STC]] data which explains why they have so many Knight suits. Their fortress, the ''Keep Inviolate'', was said to be one of the most well-protected bastions in the Imperium, on par with the Fang and the Imperial Palace, and appears on their coat of arms. Following the loss of Kolossi to the schemes of [[Be'lakor]], the House's survivors have become a crusading House eager for revenge against the Dark Master. Those who were taken by [[Be'lakor]] ended up becoming corrupted by Chaos as House Korvax. Their color scheme is red with yellow and black hazard chevrons and silver trim.
*'''House Krast''' - Based on Chrysis, the first Knight World to be rediscovered during the Great Crusade. Its proximity to Mars meant it was swiftly brought into the fold, but it was ravaged by [[Horus]] during the [[Horus Heresy|Heresy]], leaving House Krast the only Household left on the planet. They have a preference for hunting traitor Titans since the Warmaster's forces on Chrysis were led by the traitor Titan Legion Legio Mortis. Originally colored blue, white, and yellow with silver trim, later changed their colors to red with black and yellow hazard stripes and dark silver trim.
*'''House Vulker''' - A very wealthy but deeply mysterious house from a star system with vast mineral resources, they never expose any flesh and wear golden masks to cover their faces. These guys are hardcore Kool-Aid drinkers when it comes to the Mechanicum's dogma, with their courts staffed mostly by golden servitors and filled with tech priests... Not that outsiders ever get to see inside their courts. Their colors are red, grey, yellow, and white with silver trim.
*'''House Hermetika''' - A Knight house allied with the Forge World of Mezoa that live on the volcanic world of Kaldeia. The leaders of the house known as the Hierarchs are very secretive and reveal little of the house's history to outsiders. The house mines sulfur from caves left behind from long dormant volcanos on their homeworld and trades it with Mezoa, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two and influencing each other's culture. Their color scheme is red and black with silver trim.
*'''House Sidus''' - A Knight house that secretly lived under the surface of the Forge World of Ryza and was not revealed to the world until Ryza was invaded during the Horus Heresy. Despite being one of the smallest Knight houses, it has access to loads of the rarest Knight patterns like the Mageara, Styrix, and Atrapos. Exactly why Ryza kept House Sidus's existence a secret is unknown, as well as how old the house truly is. Their color scheme is black and orange with gold trim.
*'''House Moritain''' - Bound in service to the Forge World of Graia, House Moritain is a house of warrior-scholars. In order to be granted the right to pilot a Knight, a scion of House Moritain must prove themselves knowledgeable in philosophy and academia in addition to the art of war. Their central tenant is that "[[Lamenters|A death in service to the defenceless is greater than a life in service to oneself]]." Like the [[Adeptus Custodes]], they like to give themselves ridiculously long titles for themselves with each part representing a deed on the battlefield. Their color scheme is black, grey, and yellow with bronze trim.
*'''House Zavora''' - Originally destined to leave Mars, House Zavora got stuck there when the Age of Strife broke out. They instead spent their time protecting the forge-fanes of Mars and helping to give House Morbidia a good spanking. By the time the House finally left Mars to join the Great Crusade, they had been thoroughly inducted into the Cult Mechanicus, with some going as far as to seal themselves within their Knight suits to become closer to the Omnissiah. When the Martian Civil War broke out, all the scions of House Zavora stationed there were killed in the conflict. Though some in the house turned out to be more loyal to Kelbor-Hal than the Imperium, House Zavora still kicked major heretic ass on Ryza. Their color scheme is half red half white and black with silver trim.

====Titanicus Vassal Houses====
A few knightly households do not have any degree of independence at all, but are instead subservient to the Titan Legions which they march together into war. These Titanicus Vassal Houses serve as scouts and skirmishers, outflanking and harassing the enemy forces occupying the objectives as well as protecting the Titans from hidden threats.

[[Grimdark|As a result, their knights have a much higher attrition rate than normal]], and their machines are not treated with reverence as with other knightly households. On the other hand, they have access to the most advanced patterns of knights due to the intimidatingly insane battles Titans are guaranteed to participate in.
*'''House Coldshroud''' - House Coldshroud served as vassal to the Legio Gryphonicus, and they drew their pilots from particular families on planets in the Octad, the region surrounding Gryphonne IV. Exactly what became of them after Gryphonne IV got eaten by the 'Nids is unknown, though it's likely they went down fighting on either Gryphonne IV or during the Legio Gryphonicus' last stand on Cadia. Their color scheme is golden yellow and mottled grey with bronze trim.
*'''House Procon Vi''' - House Procon Vi are unique in that they retain a degree of independence, even having their own homeworld, Procon. Many of the Legio Solaria's Princeps and Moderati which they serve under are actually daughters of House Procon Vi, having been given as an offering to the Mechanicum (see Guy Haley's ''Titandeath''); the sons generally become tech-priests while other pilots were these women's descendants. Whether they followed the Legio Solaria's post-Heresy change to allowing men and women to serve is unknown. Their color scheme is black with silver trim.
*'''House Col'Khak''' - Also known as the Col'Khak Collective, House Col'Khak was formed on the frigid Agri-World of Atar-Planitia to serve as vassals for the newly created Forge World of Atar-Median and the Legio Atarus during the Great Crusade. The oldest Scions of the House are said to be little more cerebral matter hooked up to life support systems that look like gilded human statues. At Istvaan V, several Col'Khak Knights were destroyed along with a Demi-legio of Legio Atarus, putting the House on a path of vengeance that saw them deploying independently more often compared to their service during the Great Crusade. Their color scheme is red and black with silver trim.

====Freeblades====
Sometimes individual Knights detach themselves from Noble Houses entirely. When a Knight is dishonored, shunned, decides to fuck off for personal reasons, or is otherwise made unable to continue life within the Household, they become Freeblades and ply the stars alone (dragging their large pool of retainers along to maintain the suit, naturally). These knights break out to either quest across the Imperium or settle down outside of the ritual of their Household and protect the citizens of whichever worlds they end up on.
*'''Amaranthine''' - Never ever speaks or leaves his suit. [[Inquisitor]]s chase him around trying to have a word about his loyalties.
*'''Auric Arachnus''' - Somehow connected to the [[Ultramarines]]; known for slaying a [[Dominatrix]] during the battle for [[Macragge]] during the First Tyrannic War. Exactly who they are and where they came from is unknown. The name itself roughly means "Golden Spider" - three guesses as to its colour and heraldry?
*'''Crimson Reaper''' - Freak who wears a red and black face mask; he's rumoured to be a [[Vampire|blood sucking mutant]]. Pilots a Knight-Errant with a reaper's scythe on one shoulder and the house heraldry blacked out. Is very prone to collateral damage, merrily trampling allied troops underfoot or [[Marines Malevolent|blowing them up along with the enemy.]]
*'''Living Litany''' - A grey, black, and orange Knight Gallant who constantly voxes droning sermons in High Gothic, only changing into loud chants when fighting. He was always a bit bonkers, and in retrospect his fall to becoming the [[Chaos Knight|Dreadblade]] '''Litany of Destruction''' was predictable.
*'''Gerantius ''The Forgotten Knight''''' - Maintains a secret mountain base on Alaric Prime, though his planet is shared by other lesser knight houses. Thought to be [[undead]] and [[Necromancer|in command of spirits]]. Days which he chooses to fight upon are regarded as ill-omens. Rules for him are in [[White Dwarf]], making him a Seneschal-level knight with ''It Will Not Die'' and the ability to both run & shoot in the same phase.
*'''Justice''' - A Freeblade connected to the [[Iron Hands]] who specialises in slaying traitor knights, once taking down seven of House Drakon's Knights in a single battle. The Iron Hands are real tight-lipped on where he came from or why he's with them, but [[Heresy|we can probably make an educated guess]].
*'''Obsidian Knight''' - Fought in the [[Damocles Crusade|Damocles campaign]] along with House Terryn on the planet Agrellan. - Has his own rules in Warzone: Damocles making him an absolute WS/BS 6 [[Awesome|badass]] who hates [[Tau]] with a passion.
*'''Mydos Almighty''' - Hails from a world that was done in by greed-driven civil wars between its Knight Houses, which it fled to actually fight. Rather hypocritically, this Knight is entirely bedecked in fucking GOLD.
*'''White Warden''' - The last man standing for House Degallio from the planet of [[Lawful Stupid|Alaric Prime]] ''(same as Gerantius)'', and subsequently made the scapegoat for the planet's losses against the Red WAAAGH!. Known for his cracking moustache and his willingness to stand up for ridiculous laws. Has recently fought alongside the Salamanders in the defence of Nocturne on several occasions.
*'''Tellurus''' - Only living member of a fallen house; refuses to be seen without armor. Tellurus fought alongside both House Cadmus and House Hawkshroud on Vondrak. ''"...towering and monstrous, a giant of adamantium and fury. With a booming cannon and a roaring chainblade for arms, it was clad in armour the colour of a winter’s sky. Blue and cold, chevroned with streaks of black and amber. A bright gonfalon streamed from its left shoulder. A rearing horse with a fluted horn at its forehead."'' - from ''Knights of the Imperium'' by Graham McNeill. [[Samus|Turns out to be a girl.]]
*'''Domeenito Ohashi''' - Imperial Knight who got stuck on a primitive world under attack by the Orks. [[Awesome|In spite of being sworn to go back to his world of origin, he decides to go Freeblade and fights back the Greenskins, becoming a hero to the population until receiving]] [[Imperial Guard]] reinforcements. [[Awesome|Since then he has wandered across the galaxy helping the Imperium to crush all kind of xenos raiders in the hopes of getting back home eventually.]]
*'''Dyros Kamata ''The Scorched Knight''''' - A Knight whose rider apparently severed all ties with his house and burned off all his livery by walking into a volcano. He eventually learned that his dad was a corrupt prick, so he killed the old man before going off again. Was later killed by Ork bombardment, which royally pissed off [[Ragnar Blackmane]].
*'''Sir Hekhtur''' - A Freeblade from Randoryn Alpha and the last loyal member of House Cereban, he was enslaved for a time by the [[Iron Warriors]] but escaped being corrupted with the rest of his captured household when his Knight Preceptor ''Canis Rex'' [[awesome|broke free of its confinement and blasted its way to its pilot under the influence of its machine spirit]]. He now fights to free any other Imperial citizens enslaved by Chaos as he was, earning him the epithet of "The Chainbreaker". Appears as the first true named character for the Imperial Knights. Like [[Antaro Chronus]], Sir Hekhtur can keep fighting even if his Knight is taken down thanks to his trusty archaeotech pistol.
*'''Kalena Maxus, The Stormwalker''' - A Dominus Knight Castellan, she was ordered to leave her House to die by the High King of Kamdor when it became clear they would be overrun by Chaos during the opening of the [[Great Rift]]. She now haunts the outer reaches of the Rift, making boots out of the asses of Chaos forces.
*'''Manifest Vengeance''' - An Armiger Knight Warglaive who is a [[space Wolves|renowned tracker]], also looks like a [[Harlequin]].
*'''Crimson Death''' - An odd Knight of indeterminate type, though it is described as being reminiscent of a Cerastus Knight Atropos, with a large shield generator mounted in a hump on it's back. Wears a bastardised version of House Krast's colors, and has a bunch of servitors mounted into the shield hump to perform battlefield repairs. It is piloted by the unprounouncably-named Sire J'madus Hw'ss, who has joined with other Freeblades to continue the Emperor's duty across the stars.
*'''Crucible of Wrath''' - Former member of a Mechanicum-aligned house; something he saw while assisting the [[Dark Angels]] on a mission rattled him to the point where he joined with their 5th Company afterwards. Usually seen fighting alongside two other Freeblade Knights, becoming part of a team known as ''The Three Witnesses''.
*'''Madrigal, "The Night's Watchman"''' - Last known survivor of a [[Daemon|daemonic]] incursion that turned his House's homeworld into a pseudo-Daemon World of permanent night, where the bodies of its murdered people sometimes rise up as undead. Patrols the remnants of its cities and forests, fighting against the Warp-risen undead and preventing any daemons from appearing. Totally not [[A Song of Ice and Fire|a one-man Night Watch in spess]].
*'''The Firebrand''' - Hot-blooded asshole who got most of his House killed due to his awful tactics and [[Khorne|excessive aggression]], then was forced into exile as a Freeblade by the few surviving members when they realized the losses taken had doomed them. Randomly shows up wherever the fighting is thickest to start kicking the shit out of enemy forces; whether he's doing this to atone over [[Meme|accidentally]] his house or hasn't learned a thing is [[Skub|a matter of debate]].
*'''Pale Reckoning''' - [[Awesome|Killed a fucking]] [[Daemon Prince]] [[Awesome|in single combat]]. Despite how epic that sounds, [[fail|we don't know how and they haven't been mentioned since]].
* '''Penitent Blade''' - Supposedly the last member of House Felcarn, who got corrupted by Chaos and were subsequently [[Blam|wiped out]] by the Inquisition. Has a [[RAGE|massive hateboner for Chaos as a result]]; they're best known for wiping out all the Chaos Cults responsible for their House going down the clogs, then taking to the stars to keep fucking up Chaos assholes.
* '''Retribution Incarnate''' - Knight Errant that's been around since the days of the [[Macharian Crusade]], at the earliest. Supposedly the last survivor of House Reinharn, who were ambushed and almost completely destroyed by the [[Alpha Legion]] during the last few years of the Crusade; really, ''really'' hates Chaos and the Alpha Legion in particular, to the point where it's almost exclusively seen hunting down [[Chaos Space Marines]].
* '''Luk Kar Chimaeros, "The Knight of Ashes"''' - Former firstborn son and expected successor to House Chimaeros. Got too chummy with High King Danial of the rival House Draconis, resulting in his own parents ordering his death when Chimaeros went traitor. Unsurprisingly [[Rage|very pissed off at his brethren's betrayal]], he helped fight them off then had his Knight Errant fixed up and renamed (even changing the livery to a Chimera being impaled by a sword - subtle, GW!) before beginning to hunt down the corrupted members of his House - starting with his mother, now revealed as a powerful [[Tzeentch]]-aligned witch.
* '''Vortigan Drakkus''' - Aforementioned last survivor of House Drakkus. More on him below.

===Sacristans=== 
Unlike the much larger [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan legions]], most Imperial Knight Households do '''NOT''' retain [[Techpriest]]s of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to maintain and repair the Knight suits (though deeply-bonded Mechanicum households usually do).

Instead they invariably include a specific class of individual called a '''Sacristan''', who is basically an artisan and a technology specialist. These Sacristans accompany the knight on his travels and keep his suit operational during the campaign, and if a Knight becomes somehow divorced from his household and becomes a Freeblade, the sacristans associated with the suit shall travel with him. It is assumed/alluded to that Sacristans have a cadre of serfs and underlings whom also follow ''them'' around, all of whom form the cadre of attendants for a single Knight.

Unbeknownst ''(or immaterial)'' to the Imperial Households, these Sacristans '''ARE''' inducted into the Machine Cult in a similar fashion to the [[Techmarines]] of the [[Adeptus Astartes]], having been trained either off-world or under an apprenticeship to an already established Sacristan. So while they may not be fully ordained Tech-Priests, they do further the interests of the Mechanicum while living amongst the Knight Households. Sacristans may be historically connected to whomever maintained the Knights during the Age of Strife, making Sacristans even more inspired by ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' than the Mechanicum itself already is.

===[[Chaos Knight|Chaos and Renegade Knights]]===
[[File:Screenshot_181.jpg|350px|thumbnail|right|Like an Imperial Knight, but spiky and evil.]]
Though they are rare, there are a number of Knight Households or lone Freeblade Knights who have fallen to [[Chaos]]. Most infamous of all is the [[Slaanesh]] Hellknights of House Devine, who turned during the [[Horus Heresy]] due to [[A Song of Ice and Fire|Targaryen]]-esque amounts of twincest. That said, Renegade and Chaos Knights are hunted down by Loyalist Households, who view their existence as shaming all other Knights. The "board game" <b>Imperial Knight: Renegade</b> shows one such hunt.

For those who survive, these Renegade Knights (''Questor Traitoris'') can find employment and protection within the warbands of [[Chaos Space Marines]], or find themselves on the heretical end of a [[Daemons|warp incursion]] that puts their skills and equipment to "good" use. Of course, being a massive war machine, Chaos Knights may find themselves converted into massive [[Daemon Engines]] called Daemon Knights. The only real distinction between Renegade and Chaos Knight is that Chaos Knights actually worship Chaos and can become Daemon Knights, whereas Renegade Knights can simply be disowned and mercenary Freeblades who don't always side with for the Imperium or humanity at large, or loyalists who have run afoul of nearby authorities and have to unofficially operate until they can skip several sectors and change the colors. The distinction is often irrelevant during the decision-making process of whether or not Imperial forces intend to kill them (though "kill for the honor of the House" and "kill the fucking traitor with ''extreme prejudice''" aren't exactly the same state of mind for the ones doing the killing itself).

They can be divided roughly into three groups similarly to their Loyalist cousins, discounting Houses sworn to Traitor Titan Legions:

*'''Iconoclast Houses''', whose monstrous oaths to the Dark Gods have turned them into twisted mockeries of their former selves;
*'''Infernal Houses''', pledged to the [[Dark Mechanicus]] in exchange for unnatural power;
*'''Dreadblades''', fallen Freeblades who work for whoever can point them in the direction of someone to kill.