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{{AdeptusMechanicusPortal}}
[[File:Volkite-caliver.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Volkite Caliver{{Fn|3}}]]
'''"Volkite Weapon"''' is a [[Mechanicum]] term for a type of ancient "thermal " ray{{Fn|6}} weapon dating back to the [[Age of Strife]]. How these differ from other rays that heat up a target (such as a [[laser weapon|thermal laser]] or [[melta weapon]]) is unclear.
==Overview==
Possessing a killing power surpassing most armaments of their size, Volkites were little-understood and difficult to replicate on even the most capable Mechanicus [[Forge World]]s. Volkite weapons could '''deflagrate''' organic matter, explosively burning flesh into ash and jetting fire{{Fn|1}}. A direct hit by a Volkite weapon could cause a target to simply combust, often taking nearby comrades with them.{{Fn|7}}
At one point they were relatively common in the fledgling [[Space Marine Legions]], but by the time of the [[Horus Heresy]] were a rarity and had been replaced by the more flexible and easy to manufacture [[bolter]].{{Fn|1}} The loss of Forge Worlds during The the Horus Heresy sped the decline of Volkite weapons in the Imperium.{{Fn|1f}}{{Fn|7}}
Telerac pattern weapons are far more ancient and ill-omened than even those designated 'Proteus', the name implying dark associations with the technological horrors of the Age of Strife. The shortage of reliable supplies of Volkite weaponry saw many Telerac pattern weapons restored to service, and carefully maintained in the Space Marine armouries.{{Fn|6}}
