Hinzerhaus was an extensive mountain stronghold which formed the setting for the novel Only in Death.
Description[]
Located on the planet Jago, Hinzerhaus's primary function appeared to be as a citadel-fortress, although who it was intended to defend against is uncertain. It’s original inhabitants, a race of oversized humanoids, had tunnelled Hinzerhaus into the rocky interior of one of Jago's many desert mountain ranges, and designed its defences superbly.
History[]
When the forces of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade invaded Jago, there was an obvious requirement to protect their flanks, and due to this need dispatched the Tanith First to take position at Hinzerhaus and deny the enemy access to the lines of supply. Upon occupying the fortress, the Tanith soon became aware of the seemingly-ethereal energies which permeated the disused complex, with many troopers reporting phantom noises and voices. Much of this was put down to the interlocking tunnels sending echoes to unusual places.
After a series of unexplained attacks, it came to light that the occupying forces of Jago, the Blood Pact, had somehow infiltrated the citadel and were continuing to insert troops throughout the initial stages of the Tanith's occupation. This led to a search by the Imperial forces which uncovered the existence of previously-undiscovered areas of Hinzerhaus, and putting the Tanith back in control of the fortress.
However, a massed assault by a previously-unsuspected number of Blood Pact troops on the main gates diverted the Tanith's attention, and for the next few days they dealt with the assault, although they took heavy casualties, and slowly began to run out of basic medical supplies, water and ammunition.
Eventually, after receiving emergency water drops and utilising the advanced weaponry left behind by Hinzerhaus's original inhabitants, the siege was broken by relief elements of the Sabbat Crusade, including armour from the Cadogus 52nd, and the Tanith were able to transfer the potentially-vital information contained in Hinzerhaus's library to High Command. During the action, the Tanith First suffered almost 1,250 casualties, nearly fifty percent of their strength.
Trivia[]
- What happened to the builders of Hinzerhaus is unknown, although they left a large cache of weapons and an extensive library (containing a vast amount of information which possibly dated back thousands of years) behind, so it is possible that they intended to return at some point.