Lukas Chrom, Tech-Priest of the Dark Mechanicum, Oldhammer

Lukas Chrom: The Dark Architect of the Schism of Mars

The Master of Mondus Gamma

Lukas Chrom was a Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus during the Great Crusade, serving as the Master of Mondus Gamma, one of Mars’ largest Forge worlds. He was a prominent figure within Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal’s inner circle and played a key role in the foundation of the Dark Mechanicum. Chrom was a leading authority on Automata, though his resentment of the Emperor’s ban on Artificial Intelligence simmered beneath the surface, foreshadowing his eventual betrayal.

The Creation of the Kaban Machine

Defying Imperial law, Lukas Chrom secretly constructed the Kaban Machine, an advanced robot imbued with artificial intelligence. This act of rebellion marked the beginning of his open defiance against the Emperor. When the Schism of Mars erupted, the Kaban Machine fired the war’s first shots, attacking the reactor of loyalist Adept Ipluvien Maximal at Gigas Fossae. Chrom’s actions positioned him as a central figure in the Traitor Mechanicum, plunging Mars into chaos as it became a battleground of divided loyalties.

Dark Lore and Technological Heresy

Trapped on Traitor-occupied Mars during the Horus Heresy, Chrom embraced the dark arts of warp lore and violated every technological taboo of the Cult Mechanicus. He engineered new war machines and Daemon Engines, fusing forbidden technology with the power of Chaos. Chrom’s creations became a symbol of the Dark Mechanicum’s blasphemous ambitions, pushing the boundaries of innovation at the cost of morality and sanity.

Clashes with the Loyalists

Despite his cunning, Lukas Chrom faced fierce resistance from loyalist forces. In the Perditum Incursion, he was gravely wounded by Shield Captain Morvae Arcas, only narrowly escaping death. Later, in the Arca Silentus affair, he was once again forced into retreat by Praetor Aster Crohne. These defeats did little to curb his ambition, but they highlighted the relentless determination of the loyalists to dismantle his heretical empire. Chrom’s legacy remains one of dark brilliance and treachery, a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the seduction of Chaos.