Standing nearly seventeen feet high and carrying some of the most destructive weapons available to heavy warjacks in the Motherland, the Behemoth strides at the vanguard of the Khadoran Empire . The incredible effort and determination put into this unique machine make it the mechanikal embodiment of Khador.[1]
The Behemoth was first introduced to the Khadoran people during the celebration following the crowning of Empress Ayn Vanar, who along with tens of thousands of loyal citizens watched it march majestically through the streets of Korsk alongside the full military might of Khador. Great Vizier Simonyev Blaustavya rose and presented the unique warjack as a gift from the kayazy to their new empress.[1]
First conceived over a decade ago as the ultimate Khadoran ’jack, the Behemoth exists today solely due to the patriotism and tireless efforts of Blaustavya and Master Mechanik Dahlrif Salvoro. Soon after the project’s inception it became entangled in the vicious politicking for which the kayazy are known. Salvoro, a member of the Khadoran Mechaniks Assembly, had designed the Behemoth as an experiment to showcase Khadoran military mechanika. The staggering costs associated with the warjack made it a lightning rod for criticism. The Behemoth was declared unfeasible, and the project was suspended only weeks after it had begun. Salvoro was frustrated, but other work consumed the time he would have needed to continue to fight for his vision. The plans gathered dust until Great Vizier Blaustavya discovered them almost a decade later. The former regent instantly recognized the Behemoth’s potential and insisted the Mechaniks Assembly resume its work on it. Blaustavya wields considerable influence and enjoys an excellent reputation both within the Mechaniks Assembly and among the kayazy—to say nothing of his close relationship with the empress, whom he had guided to her majority as if she were his own daughter. Declaring the Motherland would never be “chained by coin,” he contributed a startling amount of his own money and set about convincing and coercing the kayazy to do the same. Salvoro was pleasantly surprised to have his pet project endorsed from the highest quarters and resumed construction.[1]
The Behemoth exemplifies the best qualities of Khadoran warjack design: heavy armor, a devastating array of weapons, and immense strength. Each of its mighty fists is armed with integral blasting charges housed in reinforced cylinders. These directional charges augment the punishing power of the machine with armorpenetrating blasts. A blow from one of the Behemoth’s fists can rip through armored opponents and literally disintegrate softer targets. Additionally, each of the warjack’s shoulders houses a bombard slaved to a sub-cortex. These miniature cortexes are the most innovative aspect of the design, allowing for the independent targeting of each of the Behemoth’s bombards.[1]
Since its commission, the Behemoth has been in the thick of some of the Motherland’s most crucial battles, including the final siege at Northguard. There it served on the front line, supporting the initial waves of Assault Kommandos and Demolition Corps forces as they stormed the Cygnaran trenches. The Behemoth was pushed to its absolute limits, functioning as a mobile artillery platform even as it engaged enemy heavy warjacks. Its presence on the battlefield in those violent hours rallied the Khadorans as they watched it barrel into the heart of the most difficult fighting and emerge victorious.[1]