Tha Newbz

The alarm was blaring.  It seemed to sound in perfect time with the throbbing headache felt by Jr. Lieutenant Kolchek.  Maybe it was the cause of his headache.  He opened his eyes and slowly looked around.  That's when the memory of the previous night came back into focus.  Today was his first day as an acting Jr. Lieutenant, he had previously been on leave for a week.  It had been his last night of freedom.  One last night with the boys.  Roon may have been a backwater planet with nothing of note for a young naval officer, but man did the cantina have some good drinks.

Jr. Lieutenant Kolchek made his way back to check in and met with his more or less sober crew.  Other than a headache that wouldn't quit and a bit of queasiness it seemed like it would be a good day.  That's when the call came in.  Security had been breached in the Omega Sector.  Reports confirmed three unidentified ships heading further into the restricted zone.  The 37th TIE Squadron, also known as Tha Newbz, had been dispatched.

"Alright gentleman, we have a protocol one procedure ahead.  Three unidentified ships have probably mistakenly passed by the Omega Checkpoint.  Hold all fire until my go and stay safe," Jr. Lieutenant Kolchek reported as he calmly piloted his new TIE Advanced.

"Affirmative," was the retort heard from the other two lance captains.

As the 37th approached the three unknowns the sensors indicated two X-Wings, and a YT-1300 were the three ships that had slipped past the checkpoint.  Nothing to worry about, just a freighter with it's escorts.

"Greetings traders, this is your friendly Imperial neighbors.  We noticed you headed in this direction and have come to ask you to turn around and proceed to the Omega Checkpoint.  You are in a restricted zone," Kolchek informed politely.

A loud and guttural sound reported back over the comm, "AagaAAggaaaghAAAgAAhhagh."

"Did anyone catch what that Wookie just said?"

Charlie Lance Captain Jenkins replied, "Uh... I know a bit of Shyriiwook.  I believe he said something about Khan Sulu and Duke Skybalker had a... uh... delivery for your mom."

"What?  Who the hell are those guys?"

"Never heard of them, sir."

"I repeat, this is a restricted area.  Please turn around now and proceed to the checkpoint."

"They just fired at us sir."

"All right boys, execute the alpha tango maneuver and stay focused."

The three lances of TIEs broke into formation with the Alpha Lance taking the lead on the port side.  Charlie Lance moved ahead on starboard and Bravo Lance, headed by the Jr. Lieutenant, moved along slowly assessing the situation.

Alpha Lance was the first to return fire with mixed results.  The fresh recruits had never actually fired at real live targets before.  Though they did remember to focus fire.  When Charlie Lance moved into position and fired they fortunately hit their target and damaged the X-Wing they were focused on.

Now the X-Wing Charlie Lance had fired on was leaking something out of it's starboard side and headed towards Bravo Lance.  Charlie Lance was told to refocus on the YT-1300 and dutifully obeyed.  Surely a bit of fire and these wayward traders would comply with the commands.  Surely they didn't want to get their ships damaged or worse get themselves killed.

Jr. Lieutenant Kolchek once again tried the comms, "Last warning, disengage from the combat and we will escort you to the checkpoint.  This is restricted air space."

Static proceeded the reply, "Yeeehaww! Die imperial scum!"  Two shots blasted into the side of the TIE Advanced knocking out the shields.  Kolchek gritted his teeth and prepared himself for battle.

The Alpha Lance pursued the X-Wing piloted by Skybalker and held their shots true.  Though the pilot seemed above average, his ship just couldn't quite take the onslaught and had to set down on the surface of the planet.  This apparently outraged whoever was piloting the YT-1300 and it broke into a fantastic display of piloting.

The remaining X-Wing had fired at the Alpha Lance knocking one of the TIE fighters out of commission.  Although it was now being pursued by the Alpha Lance.  The two TIE's left in Alpha fired like crazy and somehow managed not to hit anything.

The YT-1300 flew through the atmosphere of Roon as fast as it could straight towards Bravo Lance firing wildly and dodging many shots that seemed impossible.  It then flew past the Bravo Lance and flipped around completely ready to fire again.  By this time the Charlie Lance and Bravo Lance all had time to maneuver with clear lines of fire towards the larger ship.

The pilot of the YT-1300 fired and hit Kolchek's TIE Advanced once again and caused internal alarms to start singing.  Bravo Lance and Alpha Lance returned fire and watched as the larger ship spiraled out of control towards the ground as it made a hard landing.  The remaining X-Wing assessed the situation and proceeded to make a GTFO maneuver.

With the battle over the young pilots and their leader made note of the locations of the two downed ships and called in their coordinates.  Hopefully they would be captured by the ground forces before they could bug out.

All Jr. Lieutenant Kolchek could think about on the trip back to base was how he was probably going to get in trouble for losing a pilot.  But when he got back to base his Captain was pleased with his report and didn't seem concerned at all about the missing pilot.  A new TIE was given to the unit along with another new recruit.  Reports were coming in that more resistance was being met in all the quadrants, it looked as though Kolchek and his Newbz were going to see a lot more action.

Hereticus: Inquisitors

This is the first part of a set of expanded follow-ups to an older article, intended to update the information for a new frame of reference.  More general information on the Emperor's Holy Inquisition can be found here.  Dark Heresy will begin March 2nd, 2014.

The Ordo Hereticus in the Mardannon sector is spread far and wide across the nine major subsectors thereof.  The most influential of these Inquisitors are described below, together with a short history, modus operandi and other pertinent information.  All of this is considered to be common knowledge amongst Acolytes of the Inquisition in Mardannon.

Remember - innocence proves nothing.

---

Inquisitor Lord Shan Tsien Tiang

• Philosophy - Recongregator (Radical).  Though most members of this faction do not openly speak in defiance of the Imperium, Inquisitor Shan has shown these tendencies in his words and speech.  Even if he's never said as much, his works show this clearly.
• Background - Shan rose to prominence as a Witch-Finder in Vae Salubrious, though his world of origin is unclear and is likely from a barbarian world in another segmentum altogether.
• Modus Operandi - Inquisitor Shan plies the sector, travelling from world to world investigating corruption of Imperial Governors and the Adeptus Administratum.  When he visits a world, he makes it a point to execute as many "witches" as possible - though it is believed by some that in many cases these "witches" were simply corrupt bureaucrats or officials that Shan didn't want to waste time prosecuting openly.  He maintains an ancient Falchion-class escort ship and a full contingent of Imperial Stormtroopers.
• Recent Activity - For the last three decades, Inquisitor Shan has been a traveling "hanging judge" dispensing Imperial justice to witches and greedy, amorl or just plain uppity Governors.  He has garnered a reputation as a fierce and uncompromising figure of authority, while at the same time challenging the pre-concieved notion of how the Imperium should function.

---

Inquisitor Corvus Mandera

• Philosophy - Amalathian (Puritan).  Operating largely behind the scenes, Mandera applies a soft touch to the institutions of the Imperium to root out threats to the stability of the sector.
• Background - Tutored by the late Witch-Hunter Gruber Von Shlauss, Mandera's penchant for secrecy shrouds most of his history in mists of deception.  What is certain is that he was once an Acolyte for a powerful Inquisitor, and led cells of such agents to infiltrate several diabolic cults during his service.  
• Modus Operandi - Mandera pursues cases of corruption in the ranks of the Guild houses of the Mardannon sector.  He has many contacts and is owed many favors by many powerful individuals across the sector.  Many cells of Acolytes are spread across the entire sector, and this web of intelligence brings him all sorts of terrible tales of treachery and heresy.  He remains in the shadows most of the time, working through his acolytes and directing them to infiltrate criminal plots and cults.
• Recent Activity - Mandera personally oversaw the dismantling of a corrupted Imperial cult on Lucruzu Primus after his agents exposed an attempt on the lawful Imperial Governor's life.  Three months ago, he departed Lucruzu for Kelphis with a great many of his followers.

---

Inquisitor Abakum Lukyanov

• Philosophy - Xanthite (Radical).  Lukyanov has been declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the Conclave Mardannon.
• Background - Once a promising young Witch-Hunter, Lukyanov embraced the lore of psychic phenomena with gusto.  However, in recent years he has become increasingly unstable, conducting bizarre experiments with the psykers under his purview.
• Modus Operandi - Before he was excommunicated, Lukyanov investigated acts of warp heresy involving possession.  He had very few Acolytes, and most of those that were known are now deceased.
• Recent Activity - Lukyanov's dabbling in warp arts was exposed by an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor sometime in the last year.  Fleeing the denunciation and High Conclave on Ordavis, his current whereabouts are unknown.

Army Briefing: Provincial Defenders of Wissenland

Provincial Defenders

Of

Wissenland

By Chief Scrivener Hannan

Wissenland, 2523 I.C.

During the last months of 2522 I.C., a horrible disaster occurred on the border of Wissenland.  In the Grey Mountains, a dwarf enclave called Khazid Grimaz fell to the machinations of orcs, goblins and fouler creatures of chaos.  The resulting war that began with the destruction of the Khazid and continues with the ingress of beastmen and undead to the Brightflow Gap has erupted into full scale war right on the edge of the province.  Abandoned by the mercenary ogre clans that had already been paid for their service, the people of Wissenland looked to the Countess Emmanuelle of Nuln for an answer.

The doors of Nuln slammed shut, and the Countess’s guard surrounded the city.  She has made it clear that the army of Nuln would defend Nuln, even though that city is the capital of Wissenland.  And even though she is technically bound by oaths to the Emperor to defend the province, she doesn't regard the rather rural and unrefined areas outside the capital to be worth defending.  In her mind, if Nuln survives the next war, then so does Wissenland.  For all the folk of the province that are not fortunate enough to live within the walls of the city-state of Nuln, the future is grim indeed. 

Independent Organization

Yet the people of Wissenland have survived this long with her indifference.  They are long used to the way the nobles and common folk of Nuln treat the people of the wider province.  Long ago they realized that if they did not defend themselves, then no one would.  There are those who keep watch on the Emperor’s lands, even if the Countess herself will not.  She doesn’t bother with the affairs of Wissenlanders, and Wissenlanders don’t concern themselves much with what happens in Nuln.

In the small town of Eppiswald, a chapter of the Knights of Morr rose to prominence during the battles around Khazid Grimaz.  The heroic Grandmaster of the chapter perished in those bloody combats, but the new leadership is determined to defend Wissenland from this looming threat before it comes to fruition and begins to overwhelm the land.  To this effect, the Knight-Commander began to reach out to the local militias, and units of fighting men pledged their service to the defense of the land.  Eventually, this militia began to form a real army from the disparate regiments of troops that answered the call to battle.

The Grey Mountains and the River Reik

The new army, led by Knight-Commander Barnabas Pech of the Black Guard of Morr, quickly swelled in size.  Aided by a company of Imperial pistoliers called the Wissenland Bounders, the small force had great intelligence on its enemies and was able to counter several small scale.  The Knights were also able to reach out all across Wissenland, and communities concerned with what would happen to them if there was a successful invasion, gladly sent men to aid in the defense of the province.

From Eppiswald itself, a regiment of spearmen were raised, and forms the centerpoint of the infantry line.  Halberdiers from Pfielsdorf and swordsmen from Heisenburg make up the rest of the fighting infantry, but not everyone in Nuln is as apathetic to the plight of their countrymen.  A regiment of Gunnery School cadets have brought a great cannon to Pech’s army, and together with a regiment of handgunners from Wittenhausen form a formidable gun line.

The new army needed a base of operations, and the abandoned and haunted Schloss Bestrafe in the Brightflow Gap was a fantastic location for a campaign in the Grey Mountains.  After vanquishing the undead horrors lurking in that place, the army took up residence there.  The haunting would continue, but in a much less dangerous way.  Yet after this victory and occupation of the area, the army gained even more allies.  Dwarf refugees from the Khazid Grimaz made camp not far from the Schloss Bestrafe, and the camp of the mercenary ogres was never far away from Pech’s army until they turned against Imperial forces suddenly and without warning.

A powerful Imperial Battle Wizard named Sagan arrived at Schloss Bestrafe one day, and explained that his sanctum was not far away.  The wizard and the Knight-Commander spoke long into the night, and a mutual defense agreement was made.  In the days and weeks that followed, magisters from every school of Imperial Wizardry made themselves known to the Knight-Commander.  From that point on, the Provincial Defenders had everything they needed.  Soldiers, will to fight, and now – magic.

It was not long after that even stranger events began to occur.  The wizards brokered a meeting with a strange creature from the mountains that resembled a Halfling sized, bipedal lizard.  The creature spoke to the wizards in a strange language, which Pech was told was Elven.  It conveyed a prophecy of dire warning, and provided intelligence on the greatest threats to the land.  After demonstrating it’s good intentions, it provided information relating to a large supply cache that Pech desperately needed.  The wizards assured the Knight-Commander that the creature could be trusted, and the supplies were obtained by the army and deemed safe.

Since then, the Provincial Defenders have fought alongside the lizardmen from beneath the mountains many times.  The alliance has resisted beastmen and undead advances for months.  The lizardmen always disappear into the passes soon after battle, but parley occurs occasionally, reaffirming the mutual pact of aid between the two races.  Yet, ever greater the threat grows…and the alliance is outnumbered.

The Free City of Dallas

We're back in the World of Darkness this month with a new campaign for Mage:  The Awakening.  Set in Dallas, Texas, this modern day chronicle of modern sorcery will form the cornerstone of the campaign setting.  We'll be using this paradigm going forward, so this is your chance to help shape and change the backstory!

South By Southwest is the name of the chronicle setting, and this chronicle is titled Asleep No More.  This title and designation differentiates this story from Smokefall Ridge, which shares the same regional setting, but is separated from the events of this chronicle by more than a hundred years (1876 vs 2013).  Both settings will continue developing, and together they will form a dynamic view of our World of Darkness.

The theme behind Dallas in this setting is that of distorted familiarity.  Everything seems so correct, so everyday, so normal and most of all, so close to our location and everyday lives.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth, and everything seems to obscure conspiracies, plots and skulduggery.  More than that, the supernatural elements of the world come to horrible life when framed inside a familiar visage.

What Has Come Before

The Free Council was formed on the last night of the 19th century.   In the 20th century, the Council established a place for itself on the Atlantean Pentacle, and despite all it's fine ideas of freedom and progress was relegated to the obscure fringes of Awakened society.  Since then, the Free Council has spread across the world, but in most places the idea that these mages aren't much more than reckless children skateboarding down the half-pipe of the Supernal Realms to damnation has propagated and taken root.  Unfortunately, in many cases that's the full truth.

The Free Council exists apart from the other Atlantean Orders.  The remaining four are considered "the Diamond" - four points of an ancient tradition.  Even today, the difference between the Atlanteans and the Free Council is pronounced, with many ideas the Pentacle espouses seems at direct odds with the ideas and methodology of the Free Council.  For it's part, the Diamond considers the Free Council a necessary evil - without them, they are weaker - and that's the only saving grace of the Free Council to many Atlantean mages.

The Free Council in other places than Dallas are fringe elements.  There are few Free Councilors out there, and they are almost always the minority.  This has led to the divide between the Free Council and the other orders of the Diamond, but in more recent times a new movement has emerged from the disparate ranks of the Order.  In most areas of the world, the sort of activity that is going on in Dallas would get the Free Councilors in serious trouble with the Diamond...but in Dallas that time has come and gone.


The Unseen War

In the late 1950's, the Free Council came to Texas.  Here, their innovations and support of human technology touched some of the great events of the time.  They drafted their Resolutionary Agenda, a document that has guided the development of the Free City and the Southwest since then.  Science has progressed and times are generally good, but it was not all this way.  As they migrated to the Southwest, the other orders did as well.  When the Diamond attempted to cow the Free Council here, as they have always done elsewhere, something happened:  the Unseen War broke out amidst the orders of the Pentacle.

During this time, the Adamantine Arrow was the only ally of the Free Council in the Southwest.  Their cabals owed many oaths to the Free Councilors who had bled into the foundations of these states, and when the other orders rebelled against a Consilium ruled by the Free Council, the Arrow remained true to these oaths and fought side by side with the Free Council.  Things quickly progressed from "differences of ideology" to "minor ideological skirmishing" to full blown "religous war" very quickly.

The worst hit in 1974, during an event that has come to be known as the Bloodbath.  The Free Councilors wanted to establish an greater assembly, and the order itself came to the aid of the Southwestern cabals.  Soon, there were many Free Council mages and their arrow allies standing firm on their idea of a new future.  Yet the Silver Ladder and the Guardians of the Veil had enough of the upstarts turning the ancient traditions on their head, corrupting them through modernism or simply discarding the laws of Atlantis as tomfoolery.

The Guardians and the Silver Ladder banded together and attempted to exterminate the Free Council.  Many died, but when these unjustified and covert killings began even more Free Council mages arrived from all over the world.  In Dallas, on March 3, 1974, the Free Council made their stand.  The Silver Ladder and Guardian cabals that had come to quell the upstarts were utterly destroyed in a single night of unbridled magical fury.  The Free Council assembly declared that the Ladder and the Guardians had wronged them, and were forbidden to enter the Free City on pain of death.  For many years, it stayed that way - a perpetual state of vigilance and violence.

In 1983, the Executors of the Resolutionary Agenda declared the lifting of this ban, and allowed the orders back into the city if they recognized that Dallas was the province of the Free Council.  If that was not acceptable, the ban would continue as it had for years, and if the Diamond orders did not want the Unseen War back in full force then the orders would respect the Free Council's position.  Reluctantly, the Diamond orders agreed...yet it took a long time for new cabals from those orders to spring up in the Southwest.


The Assembly

The Assembly in Dallas is one of singular purpose.  They are working to widen humanity's paradigm, and expose them (in a controlled manner) to the supernal truth.  This unity is what keeps them strong, as the cabals work together for the betterment of everyone.  Currently more than twenty Free Councilors strong, the Assembly encourages members of the Diamond orders to attend and participate.  Usually, one or two turns out but seldom take part in the proceedings.

Acknowledgement of the Assembly's intent is important to cabals from other orders present in the Southwest.  Many cannot see the reason behind this, and others simply think it's foolish.  Either way, in Dallas it's best to keep those opinions to yourself.

Despite this friction, the Orders of the Pentacle are getting along much better in Dallas these days.  Even as the Free Council is apart from the Diamond, together they make the Pentacle.  As the Unseen War drew to a close, and the Order of Forbiddance forced the Guardians and the Ladder to fight an extended bid for control that slowly strangled their resources, the Executors saw the bigger picture.  As a peace offering, the Free Council Assembly offered to reinstate the Consilium of Dallas.


The Consilium

The formation of the Consilium is a long and complicated story of oaths, bonds, promises and secrets.  The Assembly put forth the idea to the Guardians and Ladder, but would only pursue it if one of their Executors were installed as Hierarch.  The orders agreed, and to this day the hierarch has always been a Free Councilor.  It is unlikely that the Assembly would ever suffer a Diamond order in that position.

For the Free Council, the Consilium is a way to unify the intent of all the cabals in Dallas.  While the Assembly has the Free Council behind it, what of the cabals belonging to their allies the Adamantine Arrow or the Mysterium (which remained neutral during the conflict)?  This is a way to make everything good for everyone, almost.  As it is, the Atlanteans are the minority in Dallas.

Adamantine Arrow wields great power here.  They have been allied to the Free Council here in Dallas for a long, long time.  The Mysterium also negotiated for peace in the early days of the Unseen War, and have received quite a lot of support from the Assembly ever since.  It is unlikely that either of these orders will ever challenge the Free Council here.

The Guardians of the Veil and the Silver Ladder are obviously miffed about the whole thing.  One wants to keep Sleepers sleeping, and the other believes that they should rule all mages.  Both are entirely inimical to the mindset of the Southwestern Free Councilor, and there is a lot of bad blood between the orders.  Today, they are both working to re-establish their power in the Southwest and find a way to exist in the framework the Assembly has created - at least until they can topple this new regime and install one with a traditionalist bent.  Naturally, this mindset has increased tensions profoundly.

An Uneasy Peace

The Assembly and the Consilium exist together in a kind of uneasy peace.  Each one distrusts the others' methods and motives, and both sides believe their ideology to be superior.  However, the Assembly itself disregards most of what is decided by the Consilium - it's either already been disseminated to them (since the Hierarch is an Executor) or matters little.  The Consilium's rules still apply to the other Atlantean Orders, however.

Though there is tension, there's not much outright conflict these days.  Seldom does it progress past a "gentle nudge", where the Consilium attempts to overturn or change the details of how or what the Assembly is doing.  These little power plays are taken in stride by the Free Council, but they mean a great deal to some of the Orders, so concessions are regularly made in the name of peace.

Less common is a "hard shove" against the Assembly.  This could take the form of an adroit political power play or even a challenge to the Hierarch.  Though not common, the atmosphere conducive to this sort of threat could be quickly approaching.


Supernaturals

Mages are a surprising lot.  In many places, not much is known about the rest of the world, and the supernatural creatures that live there.  However, in Dallas, the paranormal and supernatural are part and parcel of everyday life.  Spirits are cataloged and documented.  Ghosts are training for Moros mages.  The Twilight and the Shadow are part of what mages are taught, and are a major factor in most of the Agenda's action items.

Werewolves are known to exist.  There are several packs around the outskirts of Dallas, and even more in the Southwest at large.  There isn't much direct contact, but it's an accepted fact that werewolves exist.  What's more on debate here is if they can be trusted.

Vampires also exist, but are not welcome in Dallas.  A few vampires are rumored to live with the blessing of the Assembly (through the Outreach Program) but an interloper will be dealt with swiftly, if he leaves evidence.  For mages, finding evidence is less problematic that for Sleepers.  Vampires in general are regarded as inhuman monsters who would rule all men, Awakened and Sleeper, if they could insinuate themselves into society.  For that reason, vampires are taken very seriously by the Assembly.


The Shape of Things to Come

Things are not as stable as it seems.  Almost every day, the Free City that the Assembly has built lies on the razor's edge.  Threats from within the Diamond are the most pronounced, but there are other threats that everyone seems to have forgotten.  Vigilance is set aside, and new moves by some of the orders are set to ignite the political atmosphere.

If one piece of the puzzle is removed or replaced, a downhill roll could start.  The Free Council could find themselves degenerate fringe magi once again, subjugated by the stifling traditionalism of the Atlantean Orders.  To avoid this, the status quo must be maintained.

The Guardians of the Veil hate the free-spirited sharing of magic, among the other goals of the Assembly.  They revile the Free Council for what it has done and is doing here, and are vocal about that at every Consilium meeting.  Not given to overt action, instead they do as their order commands and attempts to clean up the mess the Free Councilors create.  The problem is, they don't always want the mess cleaned up.

The Silver Ladder maintains it's haughty position that it is they who should rule, not the Free Council.  Every Consilium meeting, the Ladder attempts to undermine the credibility and authority of the Assembly.  Some attempts are more brazen than others, and not all such attempts are effective.  Yet they continue to chip away at the resolve of the Assembly with determined patience.

Amidst all of this, one cold, stark fact stands out.  Everyone seems to have forgotten why the Free Council exists and instead focus on where and how.  This is one lesson it behooves no one to forget, for this enemy is the true foe of the Pentacle.

The Seers of the Throne are out there.

Index Mardannon: Crusade Update 2013

Since 2004, we have been developing our little spot of the galaxy, which we call the Mardannon Sector.  Several sections of the zone have been detailed in our Index Mardannon segments, but today we're expanding the scope of the Index and adding an update to the running storylines and bringing everyone up to speed on where the state of Warhammer 40,000 campaigning rests.  This treatise examines the forces battling for dominance in the sector and where recent actions have left them.

Imperial Forces

• Black Templars - The warriors of the Black Templars exemplify the determination of the Crusade to dislodge heretic and xenos scum from the sector.  However, with their defeat at Nydrazom during the Chaos Invasion they are disorganized and regrouping a large force of ships while attempting to direct the Imperial forces involved to avert further tragedies.  Now, the Black Templars make haste to Vae Salubrious after the failure of Assault Group Salerio to stop the Black Skull Raiders from reaching that system.

• Ultramarines - Though they have not been seen since the Tessina Incursion (2006 campaign, not recorded), the Ultramarines chapter has pledged half a company to the Crusade.  They will rendezvous with the Black Templars upon completion of their muster at sector command...but that is subject to the vagaries of warp travel.

• Dark Angels - Master Grigori of the Dark Angels pledged his Strike Force of half a company to the Crusade.  After a brief strategy meeting, the Dark Angels move toward Vae Salubrious.  However, there has been no contact with the Master Grigori's strike cruiser since it made warp jump from Pandaemus subsector.

• Blood Angels - Assault Group Salerio was dispatched by the Crusade to stop Warboss Nokk's Black Skull Raiders from arriving in force at Vae Salubrious.  In this, they largely failed.  It is believed that portions of the Astartes section of the Assault Group survived, however no communications have been forthcoming.  Because of this, the Crusade turns it's sights on Vae Salubrious.

• Crusader Guard Regiments - The Imperial armies that accompany the Black Templars in the main crusade fleet have been reorganized into two major groups:  the Strongpoints and Storm Groups.  In effect, the Novus Soldati and the mix of other surviving troop formations (called Revenants, since their original regiments have been destroyed) have been amalgamated into a new regiment with it's own fighting tactics.  Though they suffered greatly at Caelum Subterraneous, it is a direct result of that fighting that has molded these soldiers into the fighting force they are today.  A force that will be directed at Vae Salubrious.

• Lumisi Geared Regiments - Along with the Crusader Guard, the Lumisi Geared Regiments suffered greatly at Caleum Subterraneous.  However, the sheer number of soldiers in these regiments allowed their commanding officers to sue for a command postion in the crusade, which resulted in the appointment of the Lumisi Colonel to the newly formed Crusade High Command.  The High Command is a council which consists of a representative from each of the Astartes chapters, the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy, and now the Lumisi Colonel, with the Black Templar Marshal at its head.  This is a major breakthrough for the normal humans on the Crusade as it puts the Imperial soldier's voice on the council.  These regiments made warp jump to Vae Salubrious a few weeks ago, but no further communications have been received by High Command.

• Infinity Watch - Though they have been recuperating on their homeworld of Jade Ryu since the Ordavis Incursion, the chapter has not forgotten what it's duties are.  While the Crusade defends the worlds the Infinity Watch are sworn to protect, the chapter prepares all it's ships and manpower to rejoin the crusade and build new legends for the folk of Mardannon.  Soon, they will mobilize again and add a powerful force to the crusade's building momentum of war.

Chaos Forces

• Umbral Stalkers Cabal - Wreaking havoc across the sector, the Alpha Legion have insinuated themselves into many of the most recent wars, including scouring Ordavis, maintaining outposts on Planet Nokk and the horrible fighting at Nydrazom which first bloodied the nose of the Crusade.  Though splinter cells pop up all over, all the time, the current strength and disposition of the Cabal is largely unknown.

• Brotherhood of the Most Hated - The mad Chaos Warmaster Laserwulf continues his demented quest - to build a laser big enough to punch through the skein of reality.  He has crushed both Imperial and xenos civilizations in pursuit of this dream, and not since Khal-Duraas a thousand years ago has a chaos champion brought such destruction to the sector.  Currently, the Brotherhood has a commanding presence in the sector and even the Crusade itself is trepiditious about engaging his pirate fleet.

• Bile's Band - The legacy of Khal-Duraas lives on.  The warband that once served him has found a new master, and they will soon return to bring terror and death to the Mardannon Sector.  Since they razed the hive of Vogen on Tetrazom, and annihilated the hives of Tessina they grew fat on their plunder.  Now, decades later they threaten to return to reap more of the carnage they crave, for their depraved rituals and indulgences. Soon, the sector will learn that Khal-Duraas did not fade into nothing...

• Legion of Azu'kulman - Chaos begins to stir.  Though the warp is clearly visible in the night sky of most of the worlds of the Mardannon Sector, manifested as a great and terrible eye...trouble is brewing.  Over many worlds, increased psychic activity marks ill omens.  Could all of this be, as the Doomsayers claim, a sign that the Eye will soon open fully??

Xenos Forces

• Black Skull Horde - The scattered ork kingdoms of Magnum Sierra are relatively quiet after Hive Fleet Mah'nunnah hit.  After thousands of years of being rounded up and coralled in Magnum Sierra subsector for thousands of years, the orks here follow the standard cycle of cull, buildup, Waaagh! and cull.  However, it pretty much guarantees a limitless supply of alien soldiers for any ork warlord who manages to create a supply chain...

• Black Skull Raiders - The Black Skull Warlord Nokk is attempting to break out of Magnum Sierra and form a new domain!  If successful, the cunning Warboss could set the stage for a new ork Empire and the re-emergence of xeno power in the Mardannon Sector.  Currently his fleet is heading directly for Vae Salubrious, and all the forces the Crusade can muster are congregating there to prevent this.  However, the Warboss has pulled out all the stops and drove directly for the spiritual heart of Mardannon.  Imperial forces failed to intercept the xenos invaders, and now hope for the citizens of Vae Salubrious rests on the edge of a razor.

• Eldar - Numerous Eldar factions have been flitting around the sector for many years, but not since ancient times before the Old Crusade have they been involved in much fighting.  A Swordwind known as "Killing Frost" has fought both in the alien warzone at Tangrus III (Nokk) and fought during the invasion of Nydrazom against chaos forces.  At the same time, the Dark Eldar Kabal of the Writhing Lash appeared during the Nydrazom engagement and fought with everyone, including their craftworld kin.  Yet a third eldar faction has been present in and watching the events of the Mardannon Sector War with great interest - the craftworld of Tetu'tethann.  As usual, all their goals and motives remain unscrutable, and they seem inhumanly capricious.  However, one thing is certain - eldar activity in the sector is on the rise.

Grim Outlook

The next few campaigns will center on these storylines.  Announcements as to the nature of those campaigns will take place at the appropriate time, but for now it's important to note how grim the darkness of the far future is.  There is ONLY war.

We have something here at the Wargate that a few of you might actually know about.  It's called the Master Campaign Record, or "MCR" for short.  You'll see more of this as we go on, but here's the basic gist.  There's a record of every game played at the Wargate for all campaigns, and this record also gives us a lot of information at a glance.  It helps us remember where campaigns took place, who won them (the "Victor") and who lost the hardest (the "Vanquished").  Yet it is more than that.  You see, there are other values that it tracks that I will talk about when I do an article on the MCR itself.

For now, we know these three facts from the information in the MCR:

1. Bile's Band and the Brotherhood of the Most Hated are the most powerful forces in the Mardannon Sector.  They will become major plot points for the narrative going forward, until another force dethrones them.
2. Chaos and Xenos are overrunning the sector.  The last several major wars have been clear defeats for the Imperials, and the effect is beginning to snowball the Imperial forces down the hill of annihilation.
3. Almost every major Imperial military force has been Vanquished.  This means they suffered a crippling defeat.  Almost every major Chaos and Xenos force has been the Victor, without ever being Vanquished.  This means that almost every enemy force outclasses the Imperials.

It's not too late!  The sector can be saved, but not without a lot of grim and bloody fighting.  There won't be a status-quo to maintain if the aliens and xenos decimate the sector.  Sign your troops up today for next year's Warhammer 40,000 campaign!

The Imperium needs you!

The Iron Kingdoms: Mercenaries

The Mercenaries of the Iron Kingdoms conduct war as a trade in an open market.  Primarily making their homes to the north of Cygnar in the small kingdom of Ord, Mercenaries are a facet of everyday life in Western Immoren.  A code as old as the Iron Kingdoms themselves rules their conduct, and in many cases these bands of sell-swords are more forthright in their dealings than most victuals merchants.  Violating this ancient Charter is a grave act which will ruin a Mercenary company for many reasons - the foremost of which is the reality that the Charter is accepted as law in almost all of the Iron Kingdoms

Mercenaries in good standing are accept contracts to conduct military action against other military forces.  Some of these contracts are from private individuals, but the main employers of Mercenary companies are the Iron Kingdoms themselves.  It's sometimes humorous to review a company's deployment history - though they never accept missions against the agency that first commissioned them, they very often fight against those they recently were employed by.  Unless of course that particular contract stipulated a "cooling down" period against the employer.

There are four big contracts that constantly attract new companies.  These are for major military forces, for the most part.  For example, the Highborn Covenant Contract is pretty much given to any Mercenary company who is fighting in occupied Llael, especially if they are hired by the Cygnaran government or the Llaelese government in-exile.  The Searforge Commission is a contract that any potential mercenary commander has to deal with if they want to hire Rhulic mercenaries.  However, the Four-Star Syndicate has a standard contract, and routinely hires companies of Mercenaries to conduct its more brazen raids.  Even the fleets of pirates on the Broken Coast have founded their own standard contract, called the Talion Charter.

In our particular neck of the woods, there are large movements of the Steelheads, an old and highly reputable Mercenary company.  Aside from a few smaller companies of great renown, it's this company you're most likely to encounter.  The Steelheads are very large, and have multiple deployments across a wide range of contracts - of course, they never violate the Mercenary Charter by creating a "conflict of interests".  However, there are whispers of soldiers marching out of Rhul...

The bottom line is that Mercenaries are employed as a matter of course by the military powers of the Iron Kingdoms.  They are motivated solely by profit, and governed by honor.  Non-military targets are never accepted, and civilians are never tortured, pillaged or extorted.  This is ancient tradition, and practical policy as well.  In many cases, Mercenary companies behave better than many national militaries.  It is for this reason the populace at large does not balk at such private armies.

Many laws, contracts and charters rule the Mercenary's life.  Yet, this code has a certain honor in it.  Many commanders never feel restrained by it at all, but rather they feel liberated from many other laws.  Though there are many strictures in the Charter, a clever Mercenary commander can find a lot of wiggle-room in the wording of his contracts.

The Iron Kingdoms: Protectorate of Menoth

The followers of a vengeful god have created a haven for themselves in Western Immoren.  Menoth, the True Creator of Man, has called forth his chosen.  In recent times, followers of the True Faith have heard the call of the Creator and migrated en masse to this new land, a holy land.  Now, the world shakes with the power of Menoth's armies, and the ranks of the believers continue to swell.

Once (and not so long ago), the the lands now known as the Protectorate of Menoth were a part of Cygnar. Following the Cygnaran Civil War in 484 A.R., Cygnar ceded the eastern portion of the capital city of Caspia.  The Menites renamed their portion of the city Sul, and the new kingdom on the eastern bank of the Black River began to flourish.  With their warcasters seemingly empowered by their Creator god, the worshippers of Menoth began a campaign of expansion that now includes lands as far north as the Llaelese city of Leryn.

The people who dwell in the lands of the Protectorate are invariably faithful adherents to the Canon of True Law, the holy writ of Menoth.  Almost all of the original inhabitants who lived in these lands were driven out if they accepted other gods, and as Menites from other kingdoms began to arrive and settle in the new promised land there became less and less room for the unbelievers.  Now the land is populated by fundamentalists, extremists and zealots.  The onward grind of the Menite war effort does not lack for enthusiastic volunteers.

Worship of other gods is outlawed in the Protectorate, which is problematic given the state of affairs with the more open-minded Kingdom of Cygnar.  No other god is above Menoth, and it's not uncommon for travelers who are openly reverent of other deities to be murdered by angry mobs frothing with religious zeal. Indeed, few are the fools who travel to the Protectorate without Menoth in their hearts.

The other Iron Kingdoms keep the Protectorate at arm's length, diplomatically speaking.  It's a state of open war with all other kingdoms as far as the Menites see it, and this does much to continually widen the gap between their new state and the other nations of Western Immoren.  As things are now, the state of affairs is only poised to worsen.  Yet even as the other Iron Kingdoms are forced to deal with them militarily, the might of the Protectorate of Menoth grows with each new pilgrim that finds their way to Menoth's holy land.

This short treatise is the second part outlining one of the Iron Kingdoms background for our players who have been on the edges of the club's game.  Check out the earlier background segment for Cygnar, then choose a warcaster and help us build a fantastic narrative!

Army Briefing: Black Skull Raiders

Black Skull Raiders

By Chief Scrivener Hannan

Planet Nokk, .M41

Tangrus III is completely annihilated.  Orks rove the plains, hunting horrific tyranid beasts that remain after the invasion of Hive Fleet Mahnunnah a few years previous.  Two massive tribes had always vied for power on this world, which is known by its inhabitants simply as “Nokk”.  The Evil Sunz tribe long held an enclave here, but the great Black Skull Goffs have ruled this part of the sector for thousands of years. Now, something has happened on Nokk that will require the immediate attention of the Imperial war machine.

A great warlord has emerged from the warring tribes of Nokk after the invasion of the tyranids.  When it seemed the six legged monsters would annihilate everything, an Evil Sunz warlord (named, naturally – Nokk) managed to convince the Black Skulls to join his Waaagh!! – and the newly formed horde pushed almost all other creatures off their world.  No humans have lived on Nokk for some time, and since the Tyranid War the necrons and eldar have taken their battle elsewhere.  Tangrus III, now known as Nokk – is ruled by orks. 

Freek Puke

Though Nokk rules the horde, his native Evil Sunz were in the minority compared to the other orks on the planet.  There were many more Black Skulls, but their warlord on Nokk was hemmed into their communities and the tyranid monsters laid siege to them.  The mobile Evil Sunz roaming the ash wastes of Nokk were more maneuverable, and Warlord Nokk of the Evil Sunz was suddenly inspired.  He broke the sieges of the Goff city states, and one by one they pledged to his Waaagh!!

The other clan was not truly receptive of the Evil Sunz ways, but slowly acclimated and ceded that they would not be fighting and winning if it wasn’t for the Speed Freeks.  The roving horde soon had a new vibe – Goff with a dash of Kult of Speed.  They were now the Raiders, and they literally raided hive ships.  As disgusting and unlikely as it sounds, it’s almost certain a great many feasts were held wherein the main course at the orky festival had six legs.

Mekboyz have become prevalent in the horde since the joining of the tribes.  Now, huge fleets of battlewagons, looted Imperial tanks, ork trukks and deffkoptas have been built, and are congregated around the construction site of Warlord Nokk’s most inspired project yet – a great ship that seems to be warp capable on launch.  It took many months of warring and scrounging the wastes and broken cities of Tangrus III, but in the end the Warlord’s vision was accomplished.  The Black Skull Raiders had formed from the ashes of Tangrus III, conquered their world, and built an interstellar transport from the warp cores of salvaged Imperial ships.

The Big Red RokkIt Ship

Building a war fleet has long been Nokk’s agenda.  After corralling all the mekboyz he could find or coerce, he set them to building more and bigger weapons and vehicles for his horde.  However, there were few system ships available to the orkz on Tangrus III, and those were quickly subsumed into Nokk’s horde.  This limited space flight capability allowed the horde to strip several Imperial ships in orbit and use the critical portions of the engines in building The Dumstah, the Warlord’s new flagship.

The great ship was built in the middle of the Dust Plains, where it quickly grew to a size that rivaled the far off mountains.  Free roaming ork bands that wandered the lands around could see the giant edifice from miles around, and made a pilgrimage to the mighty edifice of the ork gods.  In this way, the horde grew to an mind boggling size.  Soon, plans began to emerge of actually leaving the planet on a conquest, and that’s when the comet appeared in the sky above Nokk.

It was a great green ball, and passed very close to the planet.  Strange portents awoke the weirdboyz, and all the greenskins looked upon the green light in the sky and knew that their faith in their Warlord was not misplaced.  For nearly a month, the light of the comet shone at night and the orks took this as a sign of their god’s favor.  The horde labored feverishly, preparing for their foretold conquest of the stars.

Many smaller ships were built for the horde, and every Imperial system ship was refitted to suit their orky delight.  Fighters, bombers and escort craft were built both on the ground and in the Imperial orbital installations the orks had overtaken.  In the end, the flotilla that launched from the Tangrus system numbered nearly forty warp capable ships, and innumerable smaller ones in those holds.

Joined in space by several small Freebooter parties, the ork fleet has grown.  Naograssa subsector is rife with xenos pirates and orks from the greater Black Skull Empire in the neighboring Magnum Sierra subsector.  Some of these bands possessed ships equivalent to a battle-cruiser, and joined the Waaagh! for the same reason many ork bands do – for a fight, for (what passes for) treasure and (the strange ork notion of) glory.

The Black Skull Raiders focus on speed and firepower, and salvage whatever they destroy into more weapons to use in their never ending conquest.  There are a great number of small flying craft accompanying the boyz when they hit the ground, noisily chugging alongside the great battlewagons carrying the horde into battle.  A great Waaagh! has come forth once more from the southeast quadrant – and the Imperial citizens of the Mardannon Sector pray that this will be the only one…

Army Briefing: Crusade Strongpoint

Crusade Strongpoint

By Chief Scrivener Hannan

Caelum Subterraneous, .M41

As Imperial Guard regiments and more and more Astartes Chapters commit to the Crusade, more and more soldiers are deployed along the battlezones.  The vast majority of those soldiers are guardsmen, and the majority of those soldiers hail from Novus Fideles.  Known as the Novus Soldati, thousands of these brave souls have pledged their souls to the Emperor and their lives to the Crusade.

Originally fielded in separate regiments, during one of the opening campaigns of the Mardannon Crusade proper, the Novus Soldati were nearly destroyed completely by marauding Obliterator cults of Chaos.  The Soldati were brave to a fault.  Lacking any real regimental armored support or artillery, the Soldati regiments were issued only their field gear – no transports or vox-casters.  The regiment attempted to wage war against Chaos the same way they waged war on their home planet, and met with disaster.  It was the loss of thousands of Novus Soldati in the caves of Caelum Subterraneous that prompted the newly formed Crusade High Command to take action and change the way they fielded the regiments.

Combined Regiment Tactics

The High Command Council is headed by the Black Templars Marshal Erasmus, and he is attended by the highest ranking commanding officers of each regiment, and a command representative of each of the other Astartes chapters.  As the disaster on Subterraneous unfolded, the Marshal suggested a new operating order for the Novus regiments.  There had already been mass carnage on other worlds, and there were other regiments who had already been depleted to below fighting strength.  All these regiments would be combined and new tactical applications developed.

The Novus Soldati would be used as the main infantry force for the Crusade, while elements of other depleted regiments would be used to support them.  Though this practice is common on the battlefields, the Marshal actually appointed all new officers from different regiments to head new divisions.  One of these divisional types was dubbed simply “Strongpoint”.  The majority of the remaining Novus Soldati would remain an infantry assault group, but would be supported by elements of the nearly defunct Travertine Subjugators.  The Subjugators were a large Leman Russ formation consisting of standard pattern battle tanks and the exquisite Executioners, whose ancient plasma cannons reaped thousands of souls for the Emperor.  Yet there were few of them left, so the crews were reassigned to Novus sections designated as “Strongpoint” groups.

The regiments were also supplied with new gear and logistical support.  With Aegis defense lines dropped by friendly aircraft, the Strongpoints are assigned artillery officers to coordinate with divisional support batteries.  Once again, the Novus Soldati once again prepare to head to war.

Endless Waves of Blood and Steel

The commanders of the Imperial regiments being reorganized on the surface of Caelum Subterraneous are supremely confident about how the Crusade’s reorganization of the depleted regiments will perform.  The Novus Soldati have fought with the Lumisi mechanized infantry in the crusade, but now the officers from other regiments are indoctrinating the guardsmen in how to fight with the new heavy equipment.

Many of the common soldiers have had their spirits uplifted by the Black Templar’s personal touch, as the Marshal inspected the troops personally, on the ground, before assigning new officers.  The presence of the Space Marines has alternately terrified and elated the guardsmen serving in the Mardannon Crusade, and the personal touch from the “honored masters” has greatly bolstered morale in the wake of the slaughter by the Chaos Obliterator cults.

Abhuman reserves have been assigned to the Strongpoints as well.  Though the Black Templars hate these creatures as they do psykers, they have allowed the ogryns to serve by protecting the anti-aircraft batteries in these newly created battlegroups.  The ogryns do so faithfully, and they are well received by the Novus Soldati regulars.

Perhaps the most interesting of the units assigned to the Strongpoints are the Executioners.  Their ancient plasma coils are dangerous and mysterious, and cannot be repaired easily.  However, the Crusade is organizing trans-divisional field maintenance to help rearm units across the entire battlezone.  Storm Raven transports are seen flying over, carrying payloads of Techmarines and Techpriests who are united in service to both the Crusade and the Machine God.  In this way, the technologically impaired Novus regiments can receive the supplies they need to maintain all the new equipment.

The Strongpoints are important pieces of the Crusade’s overall strategy.  As other Imperial Guard regiments are organized into “Storm Groups”, the focus of the Adeptus Astartes remains on seizing new ground and assaulting enemy positions.  The Strongpoints will be the static formations that hold that ground against counter-attacks, and who act as beach-head forces who can secure a much greater area than the smaller strike forces.

The Mardannon Crusade begins to organize itself according to the fortunes of battle.  Already Marshal Erasmus and the Crusade High Command have shown themselves to be able to break with long standing Imperial Tradition if doing so is in the best interests of the Crusade at large.  The light of the Emperor will be brought to the enemy by the combined efforts of every man in the Crusade, and it will continue to organize what troops and resources it has to create an invincible army of the Imperium.

Index Mardannon: Pandaemus Subsector

Pandaemus Subsector

								1	Travertine's Dock
	1							2	Pandaemus Offensio
								3	Malificus Aestus
	2		4					4	Kordent
						5		5	New Waco
		3

The Colonial Frontier

Many of the worlds in the Pandaemus subsector were won with fire and steel between two and five thousand years past, with some such as Travertine’s Dock colonized during the Old Crusade.  A few are relatively newly colonized, such as New Waco.  What they all share, however, is a deep and abiding feeling of collectivity, stemming from the fact that most of these worlds were promised to retired Imperial Guard regiments.  Those martial traditions still exist today, together with the instilled feelings of propriety that the original settler’s descendants feel about their worlds.

In Pandaemus, space travel within the sector is very common, and most citizens are quite aware of the Imperium and the larger galaxy.  The effect is that this place is one of the wildest zones in the Mardannon sector, teeming with pirates, rogue traders and other riff-raff of the Imperium and beyond.  The subsector’s Battlefleet is stretched very thin dealing with these raiders, not to mention overt threats such as the xenos breeds of Necrons and Orks.

Travertine’s Dock System

• Travertine

• History:  During the Old Crusade, this world was quick to join the fold of the Emperor’s Grace by aiding the Imperials as they made planetfall.  The citizens were not advanced, but soon came to call their world by the Imperial name for it – Travertine, after the commander of the original explorator fleet that discovered it.  The hereditary nobles of the world became Knight Houses renowned all across the sector, though in recent years there are only a handful that still exist. 

• Geography:  Travertine is a world covered by nearly seventy percent water.  There are a few minor continents and three major ones, all are in very good condition ecologically.  The planet itself is largely temperate and comfortable to humans. 

• Inhabitants:  Travertine boasts a large and productive population, and is centered around a type of sprawling city called a “megaplex” rather than a traditional hive style.  Space travel is fairly common, and a majority of the population has been off-world, at least to a moon or further in-system. 

• Mierax 

• History:  Mierax is actually the first habitable world that the Old Crusade found in this system, but was deemed much too cold to colonize.  After the success at Travertine and the resources available in-system at Roth’s Mirror, the Mechanicus set about modifying Mierax’s atmosphere to retain more heat.  Around five hundred years later, the planet retained massive amounts of water and oxygen and was declared ready for colonization. 

• Geography:  Mierax is further from its’ sun than Travertine, and is much colder in climate.  The land is very rough, with many insanely high and jagged mountains and deep, shadowed valleys.  Much of the water on this world is frozen, and semi-liquid gaseous oceans form above the ice in the deepest recesses and highest peaks of the world, creating a very thick cloud cover that precipitates mist all the time.  There is very little livable land, and it’s only within a certain altitude band that humans find a relatively non hostile environment to build standard hives. 

• Inhabitants:  Hives exist both in the optimal altitude band, known as the Optimus Band, and in the deep recesses of what should have been Mierax’s seas.  In the atmosphere and highest peaks, hives also exist, though those above and below the Optimus Band are sealed air locked against the semi-liquid clouds, which are pervasive and too clogged with water to breathe.  However, the clouds possess a large amount of chemical reagents that can be processed and exported throughout the sector, and remains this world’s livelihood. 

• Roth’s Mirror 

• History:  The gas-giant of Roth’s Mirror is the reason the Old Crusade came to what would be called the Travertine’s Dock system.  A huge, silver orb shining in the night sky, it is laden with unlimited chemical storms and mineral gases intensely valuable to the Imperium.  It became known to the Old Crusade’s fleets via long range outrider patrols looking ahead for worlds that might be valuable to the crusade. 

• Geography:  Roth’s Mirror is a gas giant ringed by a large and dense asteroid belt.  Stations have been set up at intervals in geosynchronous orbit with the planet to monitor the movements of the chemical storms and harvester fleets that are constantly sweeping the planet’s surface for various resources. 

• Inhabitants:  The inhabitants of Roth’s Mirror live primarily in Belt Stations located at various locales around the perimeter of the asteroid belt.  These stations have various functions; some are processing plants for the various harvests brought back from the planet.  Some stations are devoted to demolition of asteroids that stray too far into the inner orbit.  Some are simply hab stations where the workers dwell, but they are all highly advanced.

Pandaemus Offensio System

• Canis Aedilis 

• History:  The world was once a cultivated agri-world, a product of the Explorator fleet that set about terraforming the worlds of this system during the end of the Old Crusade.  For almost a thousand years, it was productive and vital, and the system showed signs of great prosperity.  However, almost one hundred years ago a massive space hulk smashed into this world, carrying innumerable orkoids.  They spread across the planet, and even built new system ships to carry them across the system.  Ever since, this world has been struggling to survive against the tide of greenskins. 

• Geography:  The world is actually quite nice for a world that was terraformed fairly recently.  It consists of several continents that are covered with various ecologies, and the planet itself is temperate in climate.  The atmosphere is thin, and at the highest elevations the oxygen levels drop dramatically. 

• Inhabitants:  The Explorator colonies still exist, but are in a constant state of warfare with the greenskins from the Sky-Hulk.  They now resemble armed and guarded plantations, with most of the military resources devoted to guarding what harvests can be safeguarded in the massive city compounds. 

• Concipio Canticum 

• History:  This thick jungle planet is in the last stages of terraforming, and its ecosystems are just beginning to blossom.  It has been the home of several large Explorator colonies which dot the landscape in huge agro domes.  It has remained largely untouched by the greenskin onslaught due to the Mechanicus defense platforms in orbit, which forbid entry to the planet until it is more suited to the Emperor’s will. 

• Geography:  The landscape of Canticum is a primordial jungle rife with volcanoes and other seismic activity.  Vast jungles dot the land and the planet itself has a large volume of salt water.  There are four main continents amid the vast oceans, and scores of smaller islands and archipelagos. 

• Inhabitants:  Only the beasts of Canticum are known to dwell upon the surface.  Most ork craft approaching the planet are simply destroyed by the orbitals, and the Explorator colony forbids Imperial ships to land on the planet unless accompanied by the Mechanicus themselves.  All sorts of feral predators and animals exist on the surface, and creatures of vast proportion dwell in the oceans. 

• Quaestio Argus 

• History:  Quaestio Argus shares a similar orbit around the binary suns of Pandaemus Offensio as Canis Aedilis.  A single colony was established here, and though the planet did not have to be terraformed, existence was hard. The Explorators here were charged with making the earth productive while the vast majority of the fleet concentrated on Canis, which was more suited to the Emperor’s needs of the time.  For the next several thousand years, the Mechanicus here would work to make this a thriving world.  However, for the last century orks have been running rampant over the surface, turning this once peaceful world into a one of blood and iron. 

• Geography:  A temperate world with slightly lower temperatures year round, Quaestio still has large areas of rocky crust jutting forth from the oceans, forming continents of unworkable rock.  The best areas in the world have been made into arable land thousands of years ago, and the Explorators continue their work to this day. 

• Inhabitants:  Many of the people living on Quaestio Argus live a feudal existence, ignorant of the Imperium at large and dependent on the Mechanicus to exist.  The population is allowed to govern itself, and the men of the world have divided it up into kingdoms.  One of these is appointed High King, until his death.  The High King is the liaison with the Mechanicus also inhabiting the planet.  For the last one hundred years, their technology and contact with the Imperium has dwindled so much that now most men have to meet the orks falling from space or emerging from under rocks armed with crude powder pistols and swords.  

Malificus Aestus Subsector

• Caelum Subterraneous

• History:  This system’s star is huge and blue, and the first habitable planet in the system is over three times as far away from its sun as Earth.  Visual conditions around the star cause the human eye to see it as blue, even though most of its output is in the ultraviolet range.  After the founding of the hives on Inlustro Veritas, Explorators were sent to assess the planet’s value to the Emperor and found numerous materials suitable for use in the Emperor’s armies.  They colonized the planet and have been working here for almost three thousand years.  Since the Explorators arrived, the world has been riven with wars amongst the Mechanicus factions stationed there. 

• Geography:  Most of the planet is flat, with very little atmosphere.  Explorator Colony Domes dot the surface, with a few large connected and covered thoroughfares connecting them.  Under the surface, the world is cavernous – to the point where that’s where everyone lives.  The domes simply connect to the underground factories and hab complexes of the Mechanicus. 

• Inhabitants:  Originally seen as a barren rock with little to offer, Explorator colonies have been set up here and dot the planetoid’s surface, but most of the life is underground.  A tech-heresy of great magnitude was once said to take place here, and now the populace is divided between the official version of the Omnissiah’s faith and the apostate version that has been handed down.  Militant groups have repeatedly gained control of Skitarii weapon systems and brought the world to war.  Currently, the situation is one of extreme wariness and spiritual tension. 

• Inlustro Veritas 

• History:  Returned to the Emperor’s Fold almost three and a half thousand years ago, the people of Inlustro Veritas were a strong willed and technologically advanced strain of humans.  They readily accepted the Emperor, remembering him from their tales of the Star-God who fought back the beasts of the Old Night.  Since then, they have worked hard to stand tall as servants of the God-Emperor. 

• Geography:  Inlustro Veritas is a very dark world, with little of the sun’s blue light making it to the surface as the atmosphere is perpetually bathed in dark clouds.  The planet itself consists of almost 16 different continents separated by heavy saline oceans, but most of the surface is dusty white sand. 

• Inhabitants:  The folk of this world are hard working hivers who venerate the Immortal Emperor as men should – by letting their faith drive their work and (less commonly) their play.  They are grim and dour by most standards, but take such pride in their toil that they stand as model citizens across the galaxy.

Kordent System

• Kordent 

• History:  Terraformed only a little over two thousand years ago, most of the arable land had long been plotted out and marked by the magos biologis for growing biomass food products.  Populated mostly by the Magos and their serf laborers, Kordent is almost idyllic by the standards of the Imperium. 

• Geography:  Covered with seas and small continents, the planet Kordent has many different topographical elements.  Mountains, deserts, forests…all those are present on Kordent.  The most inhospitable part of the planet, however, is the southern climate band.  The planet is slightly closer to its sun than it’s neighbor Lumis, and the axis tilts the southern hemisphere towards the star.  In the south, burning deserts thwart life.  In the north, glaciers crush ever southwards. 

• Inhabitants:  The inhabitants of Kordent are a curious lot.  They are very dependent on their agri-machines for day to day life, and know a great deal about the planet they live on.  They are aware of the Imperium but do not really care – there are few visitors to Kordent, mostly from nearby Lumis.  However, as one of the pristine agri-worlds in the sector, large ships can be seen in the sky more often than not. 

• Lumis 

• History:  Originally established as a base of operations for the Old Crusade, this fortress world was established nearly four thousand years past.  Since then, it has grown a strong military tradition and is one of the most heavily defended worlds in the sector.  From this position, most of the subsector was conquered and consolidated under the power of the Immortal Emperor. 

• Geography:  Lumis has little surface water in the form of oceans, but massive rainfalls on the northern hemisphere that turn much of the plains to marsh-fen.  There are also huge mountain ranges housing Imperial training facilities, as well as arctic deserts in the southern hemisphere.  All of these features are dominated by the Imperial military machine. 

• Inhabitants:  The inhabitants of Lumis are of a proud warrior tradition deeply steeped in the culture of the Imperial Guard.  There are several types of Guard formations that the Lumisi train and field in the wars around the sector, the most famous of which are the Lumisi Geared Regiments, consisting almost entirely of mechanized infantry.  The Imperial authorities around the subsector also make use of Interdiction Teams from Lumis, who are trained in handling subversive populations on Imperial worlds.

Gregoriam System

• New Waco 

• History:  A backwater even when it was founded, New Waco has been a place for the dispossessed to flee for over two thousand years.  Protected from much of the galaxy by Kordent and pretty much out of the way of everything else, this planet has grown a civilization out of the burgeoning population of transients and workers. 

• Geography:  Much of New Waco is wasteland, either desert or rock barrens.  The few patches of arable land are home to great agri-domes or cities.  A few of the cities are truly major, and span hundreds of miles along the surface of the planet.  There are few seas on New Waco, and most have a high salinity value.  Even the rain has a high level of salt, and there are salt flats in many areas. 

• Inhabitants:  The people of New Waco are a tolerant lot.  While there have been many outbreaks of violence on the planet, no major conflicts have risen here except perhaps a few Redemptionist purges, which are usually put down by the Arbites fairly quickly.  Many disparate lots of folks who try to eke out an existence here, but war has left the place remarkably untouched.