When seeking to explore Unexplored Sectors, please send in plans to the relevant Regional Mod to the effect of "these are the ships I am sending out to explore and these are the directions I want to explore out from X Sector." Provide maps if desired, otherwise simply make it clear where you're exploring to. Remember, it is possible to explore multiple Sectors in a row in a single turn, merely make sure to specify how many Sectors you're moving through in your plans.
You will be allowed to react to what has been uncovered after the Sectors are uncovered through plans.
Upon moving out from their Capital Sector, the Federation-in-Exile has encountered three distinct Sectors. The first, to the North, is controlled by a relatively peaceful Xenos Civilization called the Hegemony of Scargill. To the West and South, Explorator Fleets have encountered mostly pre-spaceflight civilizations, the largest of which are the Agri-World of Caracalla and the Feudal World of Flagstaff. To the east, once more little of note is found however Explorator Fleets have discovered a beauteous Garden World the leader of the Explorator Fleet has named Iniguar.
Lorgar Aurelian, the Urizen, the Bearer of the Word, and the Voice of Truth
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Who can say who Lorgar is?
Those who have known him longest, such as the Gun-Deacon Prime, know him as Urizen, the Wisest. He is the Prophet who cleansed Colchis of the sins of the Old Covenant, who swept clean the streets of Vharadesh and purified the City of Grey Flowers of the taint of the Old Gods. Before he came to Colchis, the planet knew only corruption; the Covenant was ruled by the wicked and the depraved. Those who did not kneel to the unworthy were cast out into the deserts, called the Declined, and left to rot. It was a world in a decline, a once beauteous place that had been led astray by false prophets and fork-tongued liars.
To these souls, the Urizen is the one who washed Colchis clean of it's sins and granted it new life. He is the one who unleashed the Brotherhood, who purged Colchis of a third of all life, who tore down the Old Gods and raised up the God Emperor of Mankind. He is Prophet and Messiah both, a God among Men, the Shining Light by which all life on Colchis is cleansed. There are none so wise as the Urizen, none as blessed, none as fated as he.
In the eyes of his sons, who were once named the Imperial Heralds but are now the Word Bearers, he is Aurelian, the Golden One. When the Word Bearers first arrived on Colchis, banished through the Warp in the wake of the God Emperor's Ascendance, they had found themselves lost and without guidance. Where once life had purity, only chaos and discord remained. Surrounded by the ruins of a broken civilization, the Word Bearers began to grieve and lose hope when, in the darkest hour, they found themselves graced by holy light. In their hour of greatest need, they had found themselves before their father, before their Primarch, and granted new life, new purpose, in service to the Golden One who named them his sons.
United with their Primarch, the Word Bearers have found new life in service to the one they have named Aurelian. Devotees to the God Emperor whose fervour is matched by none, students of the Lectitio Divinitatus who have studied at the feet of the Urizen himself. None can rival their devotion, none can challenge their zeal, for in the Word Bearers can be found a reflection of Aurelian.
Then there are those who have, if only for a brief moment, seen past the Urizen and the Aurelian. Who have watched as as Lorgar wrapped his hands tight around his father's throat and squeezed, who have witnessed the tears streaming from his eyes as his sent forth the Word Bearers to cleanse Colchis once more of the wicked and the unfaithful. To those rare few who know of Lorgar as more than the Wisest and the Golden One, he is something different, something dangerous, something all too human.
In their eyes, Lorgar is something that can only be understood by the divine, whether One or Four, for such is his mercurial nature that no man may ever truly claim to know who Lorgar truly is.
The Kig'dak Confederacy had conferred within the Arachnian society they so lived, to traverse the stars. They sent a smaller detachment to the north-west, for they knew of Ogris Major though not who inhabited the planet and what else may lay in the sector. A pleasant feudal world was found, humans living in a relative paradise, with the monotony of maintaining their agricultural society interrupted by war and famine. The slightly larger twin detachment sent south-east discovered Nishan, a Feral World of little note, however the prime-predators were humongous beetles and scorpions, leading to some clever and revolutionary scientists to believe their evolutionary origin to be found in a link to the world. The greatest discovery would be found with the largest fleet, however, sent to the south-west, where they were set upon a world with a colossal amount of wreckage and debris. Curiously, it was no astronomical object, as they were not asteroids tied to the gravitational pull, but the remnants of.. Something. Plastic that emitted physic energy, metal that moved and withered like water. It was amazing to behold, if not frightening. The world below was an entire desert, of no water nor continent, with submerged pyramids and obelisks dotting the landscape. Whatever civilization that had inhabited here must have been massive, likewise to whatever happened to have wipe them out.
Leman Russ, wearing his new power Armour
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Leman Russ strode through the halls of one of the 'battle barges' his sons had arrived in, being lead to the bridge by one of the Rout his mind awhril. Fistly, he had sons, not in the normal sense of the word but still his sons. The thought brought him a strange pride. As they passed by one of the windows he turned his head to look, and saw Fenris.
It still brought him pause whenever he gazed upon his homeworld.
A voice caught his attention. "We are almost to the bridge my lor-.. Father" They were still getting used to calling him that, to be frank so was he.
Still, he smiled and said "About bloody time! these ships are like a dammed maze and i'm eager to begin!" He claped the Terran born marine on the shoulder with his hand and saw him stumble slightly and grin back, though a tad more uncertainly.
Finally they reached the bloody bridge.
In it stood various commanders from both the Legion and the Armeija. Most notably among them was Enoch Rathvin the former Legion master and now Lemans Equerry. He looked up from the holomap and greeted his primarch "Greetings father! How fared your tour?" Leman laughed "It was bloody boring! I'll need to memorize the damn layout so i don't have to be lead about like some mewling pup!" There was laughter from the various commanders and he waited for it to settle before speaking again.
"Ah but your not here so you can listen to me bitch and moan, no your here because of a single fact."
He looked each of them in the eye.
"The Emperor is missing, and with him gone their is no great crusade and no Imperium. No one and nothing to guide or direct us. Nothing but one single thing. The reason why I was created, that my sons were created! The Emperors dream of a united humanity!"
He spread his arms and looked around the room, his yellow eyes gleaming
"We will fulfill that dream! We will get all of humanity under our banner! My friends, my sons we will have war!"
The room erupted into cheers.
And Leman Russ gave a feral grin, his wolf like eyes gleaming all the while.
Yme-Loc always held that their Path was to Forge, and that their chosen aspect of Vaul had crafted them the souls to traverse these stars unhindered. In an unprecedented move, the entire Craftworld of Yme-Loc entered within Warp Space suddenly and without much celebration, transitioning to the other side of the galaxy and landing within realspace somewhere near the small colony of New Hope. Though the Eldar knew not what they would face, they knew as much as that it would spare them the horrors of the Eye of Terror. The denizens of New Hope were of a simple, small lot. The Eldar spotted the large colony ship that had formed the basis of a blooming colony, and from there, they spotted transport vessels delivering supplies and further colonists from a nearby sector. It seems that the humans were busy, and so the initial scouting force was sent south-eastward, where they came upon Ashek II. Here they found an established hive world, there were marks of battle upon it's spires but otherwise, it seemed to be a civilization that had met the stars and embraced them. Here, the Eldar were able to decipher the language of these people: "Newfound Homesteads" adorned many of the ships, it was the number one result after a calculation of collaborative phrases. Another scout force went north, towards Nonimax, where a similar hive civilization conducted themselves. They seemed to have a similar designation to this phrase, Newfound Homestead, matching the result of a further northward Verghast. The Eldar Farseers came to the obvious result that they had come upon a fledgling star empire - no, they were a confederacy of sorts. Perhaps an alliance of like-minded worlds? They were of equal technological and populated makeup, save for Verghast as it seemed to have been torn from devastation and war. New Hope and others might be colonies of these 'three', Ashek II, Verghast, and Nonimax. They decorated their ships differently, with unique insignia and heraldry. The silent ships of the Eldar slunk back so as to not be discovered, even now they were more numerous then the barely-operative human vessels, as they found a gruesome feudal world in Grimoyr, still practicing blood-rites and sacrifices. Primitive, but something unsettled the rangers who had spied a warlord gladly behead captured enemies. Lastly upon their scouting voyages, was the ocean-planet Cociaminus, where an Eldar Cruiser reported no signs of life on the surface, until it had unintentionally spotted an emerging unidentified vessel from the ocean. They attested their findings, though they did not track the vessel down, for it was heading north-east. The Craftworld established itself in secrecy around the sector of New Hope, planning it's next move as it imparted itself in the local cluster of planets, beaming with life so soon after the warp storms had subsisted.
The Priestly Conclave dictated that all must fall before the Raderötch, and so they sent their forces forth. A battlegroup composing of four cruisers and twice their number in escorting destroyers sought new worlds to conquer, after all, the Raderotch had overwhelmed their home sector, what forces could contest them? They went towards the Laanath Rifts, a region of space that never knew the light of the Astronomicon. The first world they set upon, ready to conquer, was what could only be described as a hellpit, even compared to Raderotch, it was a pile of ash built around the convex of it's central mountainspine. They did prey upon a few pyramid structures, spying whatever what they were for, the xeno could not comprehend the architecture and effort put into something so superfluous. The only thing of note, was a line of statues sculpted in the visage of a humanoid skeleton.. How mundane. The Raderotch avoided this sector and the world of Shemnoch for the time, as they went further west and south east to investigate their neighboring sectors further. To the south, lay a Death World known as Vor. This was discovered, when a rather forward zealot rushed forward off the escort-vessel that had landed to search for any signs of life. The poor roach was swallowed whole by a seemingly docile plant, the thing was blasted immediately, but the wise Ajavar leading the expedition decided to rendezvous back in orbit as the vines seemed interested in tethering their ships to the surface.. North-west, the Priest leading the larger fleet had shed genuine joy to find their newest discovery. After the disappointing last world, it was a miracle to find Timmax, a mining world, and already being exploited too! Wait.
Upon further inspection, numerous millions of slaves were being driven to death by a similar-looking anthropoid species as the roaches themselves. Of course, entirely different on every biological level, they were far closer to them then a humanoid ever could be. As the Priest contemplated it's next action, a blinking reception was triggered upon one of their vessels. Their fleet was nearly half the size of their full force - did they think they could remain undiscovered? Upon being hailed, one of the overseers of the planet clicked into view, entering as a holoscreen projection if accepted.
"Intruder, you -click- trespass onto Cryp, land just one of your vessels for inspection -click-." ~End of Transmission~
The Necron had been asleep for sixty-million years.
Now?
Now they awake.
It was a normal routine for the Eldar of Saim-Hann, the Quest for Enlightenment, to live in a carefree, wild environment. They had only practically adopted the Paths, but in many ways, they used it liberally to control society. For the most part, they idolized and lived out their time as they would have before the Fall. Proud, boisterous, aggressive, and most of all fast. The twin nightshades deployed to scout the northern sector where Saim-Hann sat were up for some fun, the accompanying captains having a bit of a rivalry. They raced, to launch first, to reach the planets first, to whip their ships and to perform aerial maneuver. It was something of a game, for these were the Wild Riders, from opposing houses, it was fitting for the kinsmen of their chiefs to display their valour. When they spotted a desolate tombworld, messages were sent back and forth, in prose and temptation. Taunting each other, before a challenge was issued. The first to circle the planet would win, whatever the prize, it wasn't necessary for discussion. Victory was enough, for most, after all. The two ships took off, tracking and scanning the surface as they went, twisting around each other and performing their dance. They went past turrets, either long inactive or far inaccurate, it was usually quite a joy for Eldar to mow down the arrayed-millions of Necrontyr upon the surface, or destroy their so-beloved pyramids, or even cause shift in the tectonic to disrupt the entire planet. It was all fun and games, after all. The Necron were dead, the Eldar had defeated them, each and every one wearing a badge of honor to the victory of their race; hardly pitying the emotionless monsters that lay dormant. They had hid from the fight, they had scoured away, they had fled. These captains did not feel any particular urge to display their superiority, that had been done millions of years prior, and their mission wasn't to destroy the world, after all, not one of such a kind had been given in thousands of years. Though the automated turrets were annoying for their game, as they dodged yet another successive blast, a nightshade fired off a torpedo at the turret, debris launching off to every direction. Both ships lauded the action, racing forth to finish their race, cracking jest at the sorry, failed past of the Necron. But just as they past, and the turret had the remnants of the wraith, did a standing statue itch. It moved. Lights emitted, and the maw of the beast was awoken. The soldier that had been within stasis for millions of years, not a thought to it's head, had saw the destruction caused. With not a second to pass, it lifted it's dust-shrouded gauss rifle, firing it instantly at the passing escort ship. The unsuspecting Eldar hadn't taken a chance to calibrate their defenses, but even so, the nimble Eldar vessel dodged all the same, alarm soaring through bridge as the shocked Eldar scanned for life.. Or rather, unlife, all below. Like electricity, dots started to swarm the radar. Blinking lights, turning on one by one, until the entire planescape was swarmed with them, the pitiful, decayed corpses that had stayed dormant for so long had been brought to rise from their old enemy once again. The nightshades were alerted and both at once began to withdraw in heightened pace. But before they had even escaped the atmosphere, the ever-terrifying sound of all air breaking apart was unmistakable. The anti-matter struck the horizon, as an activated monolith breathed green energy, unleashing it's particle weapon to destroy one of the twin nightshades without a second thought. The last broke the limits of it's drives, getting out of the gravity well of Tamar, and spitting straight back to the direction of the Saim-Hann.. Just as the Captain was rethinking his course of action, the dread of the moment overcoming his shield of emotion, for if they were to lead them to the Craftworld.. The Necron? They were alive? But they weren't, were they. Another silent warning was all that was elicited, as the Cairn Tombship erupted it's weapon systems in a fiery and destructive display. The Nightshades had been destroyed, and with the silent outcry of Aeldari life, the Farseers of Saim-Hann would be touched with a horror so great, it nearly matched the same intensity of the Fall.
Sanguinus found that things hardly made sense recently, then again this galaxy is continuously torn apart by warring aliens and divided human factions. That is one thing but how does it justify Father's disappearance? Sanguinus couldn't understand. Even in his relatively short childhood, he could see his Father's Light which shined like a golden warm reassuring sun that always watched over him. He felt it, that sun couldn't be extinguished, Sanguinus refuses to believe that his Father would die so easily. In fact, if He indeed died, it would never be silent. The psychic backlash from the death of such a powerful soul alone is terrifying to think of.
Sanguinus was content for a few minutes as he rationalized the situation, reassured in that his Father is more likely than not alive and that He had plans. Sanguinus isn't the least bit aware of them so he would do what his Father would do and what he, himself, intended to do for a long time.
"I must find my Brothers, it is only under our united banner that Humanity can thrive and prosper," Sanguinus muttered under his breath. He wouldn't achieve anything by standing there, he needs to get things started. Sanguinus had finally met his... sons, through unknown means. Regardless, they brought with them superior technology and the power armor he is destined to wear and the power sword he is destined to wield, it should have been given to him by his Father but his own sons are a fine replacement.
His sons had told him that he exhibited the same warm Light the Emperor had which repulsed daemons and other warp horrors. Sanguinus denied that he could only reflect his Father's Light nothing more, a part of Father's Soul is in him but wouldn't that be the same for all of his Brothers? Sanguinus could feel his Brothers' power shining in the Warp, some were close and others were far, way too far but he will reach them regardless. He could feel them, that was a step in the right direction and definitely better than looking for them blindly.
Striking out east from Prospero, an Explorator Fleet under the command of a Thousand Sons Sorcerer has come into contact with a hostile Xenos Civilization translators have named "The Hynerian Dominate." Ruled by strange froglike creatures that have used their technological supremacy to assert themselves over a dozen different species, including primitive humans, first contact between the Union of Light and the Dominate has gone poorly. Believing that the Prosperans had arrived as supplicants to the Dominar, the Hynerians attempted to force the Thousand Sons to submit and hand over their ships - deeming them to be worthy tribute - and reacted violently after they were refused. Rounds would be exchanged between the Prosperans and the Hynerians, with a Prosperan frigate being damaged in the exchange, before the Thousand Sons Sorcerer ordered his ships to withdraw so that he might seek counsel with Magnus the Red and discuss how best to move forward.
Embarking from Baal, the Blood Angels have headed west to scout out a potential avenue of expansion for their Primarch. Initially encountering only a handful of sparsely inhabited worlds, the Blood Angels would eventually come across a network of space stations hovering over a number of Death and Feral Worlds scattered throughout the Sector. Through a series of exchanges, it would be learned that these stations belonged to a larger confederation of worlds called the Ophisian Matriarchy, a culture dedicated to the hunt that was in the business of claiming hostile worlds as hunting grounds. Deeming the Blood Angels to be worthy neighbours, the Matriarchy have gifted a claw the size of a tank to them, intending it as a sign of friendship between Ophus and Baal.
A light cruiser who recently departed from Saim-Hann has send back word that sector east of Colcha is dominated by feral and primitive worlds, with the only noteable "intelligent" life being primitive Mon-keigh and some Ork WAAAGH! bands. The most populous of these world is Tama Loa, a planet that seemed to have been an ice world until some form of apocalyptic Mon-keigh foolishness lead to the melting of this beautiful place. Now it is dominated by floating cities made up of individual floats of steel and sail that drift this way and that depending on political and social status of their inhabitants.
The Hammer of Olympia looked out upon the Galaxy and saw worlds to be fortified, amphitheaters to be built, and heads to be put through painstakingly crafted models and thus ordered the Iron Warriors to embark out from Olympia in search of new worlds to conquer.
To the South, East, and North West, the Iron Warriors would encounter little worthy of their Gene-Sire's attention. Dara to the East was a Feudal World, divided between a dozen petty families who were more interested in their politcking than in the demigods hovering above their world. In the South, Tolmov was no more than a Feral World, covered in tribes little better than Orks, that were as savage as they were unkempt. Even to the North West, the Agri-World of Achaea only warranted a second glance because the inhabitants seemed Olympian in disposition, descendants of Olympians carried away by the Judges once, perhaps, but otherwise useless to the Hammer.
In the West, a Hive World was discovered. A barren wasteland, Gryft II was a pit in every sense of the word. The Hives were sunk into the ground, with only towering crystalline spires marking their existence, in order to escape the withering effects of the radiation given off by the System's twin suns. Buried beneath the earth, it's inhabitants were pale things, overly sensitive to light, and incapable of withstanding even trace amounts of radiation when removed by the Iron Warriors from their Hives. All of this, of course, in addition to the usual qualities inherent to Hive Worlds.
To the North East, the Iron Warriors would find themselves in contact with the Hierarchy; a Xenos Empire centered around the Thezumus System populated by shaggy six-armed giants that communicate through the rustling of fur and transmuting of pheromones. A stellar power in their own right, the Hierarchy would stop the Iron Warriors on the edge of their space and, through a series of curt but otherwise polite exchanges, inform them that the Hierarchy had no quarrel with the Iron Warriors but that they were to leave. Immediately. Valuing their privacy, the Hierarchy would show no inclination of being friendly with the Iron Warriors and, with the Iron Warriors having only arrived in limited numbers, would find themselves appeased when the commanding Astartes ordered his ship to return to Olympia.
To the South East, affairs would be more heated. Encountering a Human Civilization, the Iron Warriors initially believed themselves in contact with potentially friendly power and would initiate contact with the self-styled Magister of Lirus, dispatching representatives to his Flagship for diplomatic talks. Yet, as the shuttle crossed the void between the Iron Warriors vessels and the Magister's Flagship, treachery would take place with the Magister ordering his ships to fire upon the Iron Warriors, killing the representatives before they could retreat to friendly lines. In the ensuing exchange, a frigate would be lost, at high cost to it's enemies, before the surviving Iron Warriors destroyer managed to withdraw to Olympia, carrying with it word of the vile Magister.
All of this, however, would pale in comparison to what occurred on Imides. A windswept rock, wracked by month long thunderstorms, Imides initially appeared to be nothing more than a prime location for a fortress to the Iron Warriors. In that spirit, they would land on the planet, hoping to scout out a location for such a fortress so that they might return to Perturabo with good news only to discover that they had not been the only ones who believed that Imides would make a good place to dig in. Discovering anomalies in one pockmarked mountain, the Iron Warriors would investigate to discover the ruins of an ancient fortress, one dating back to the Dark Age of Technology,, set inside the mountain. Though most of it had been rendered unusable, having long since been exposed to the horrific weather of Imides, they would discover a number of pieces of archaeotech still fit for use; among the items catalogued would be two archaeotech pistols, which the leaders of the expedition took for themselves, an ancient cooking device referred to as a "toe-star", and something truly extraordinary...
A Macro-Hammer.
Realising it would make the perfect gift for Perturabo, the Iron Warriors have returned the ancient weapon to Olympia and gifted it to their Primarch, hoping that a hammer that uses localised warp disruptions to generate microexplosions along the hammer's face to devastate a foe would earn the Primarch's favour.
Turn One - Alpharius & Custodes - Exploration Results
"What did you see old man? Who broke into this vault?" "......Nobody."
As elsewhere one legion after the other took to the skies, in Sol, years after the disappearance of the Emperor two departed, ready to expand across the galaxy. Yet while one departed in glory and ceremony, wrapped in gold and glory, the other did so covered in shadow and silence.
Fleet Commander Alpharius would lead his exploration fleet northwest, where his Captain Alpharius would be first to spot the great mining world of Dorona, covered in industrial hubs and small trade ports for interstellar trade. While Alpharius did not manage to avoid discovery, leading to a brief stay in the planet's orbit, he did manage to have Brother Alpharius infiltrate the planet. After about a week of spying he returned telling of a planet ruled by a rich elite of mining moguls, who had submitted most of the local population into slavery. He also reported that the reason for Dorona's prominence as a mining world was the sheer abundance of naturally occuring bronze in its crust. Pleased with what he had discovered Alpharius had the messages send to Terra to Alpharius.
Fleet Commander Alpharius and Malcador would both make similar discoveries as they explored the sector east of Dorona. The Sigilite came upon Ferra, a planet who crust was made up of a cornucopia of different metals, reaching from gold and steel, to the most rare adamantium. Malcador was welcomed initially quite friendly by the planet's ruling class, ever eager as they were for further customers of their wares and suppliers of food. He made connections among them, made friendly chat and learned of their queer customs such as social rank being determined by what precious metal one mined. This would however all come to an end when after a few weeks one of the local nobles would claim that "one of them Marines" had infiltrated his mines and was asking questions among his workers. While none could prove Malcador's guilt (which he vehemently denied), the Supreme Guild of the Smithy still decided to ask him to leave.
Fleet Commander Alpharius unlike his brother Alpharius and Alpharius would however not have the luxury of simple information gathering from rich miners. Instead he would discover a planet of wet rainforests and swamps, orbitted by slow moving biological vessels, reminicent of "wooden saucers". Ever aware of Alpha Legion rules of engagement he ordered a boarding of these strange Xeno ships under the command of brother Alpharius. However, this infiltration team would soon after report their immediate discovery after boarding, describing over the com "blue, scaly horses that ARE INSIDE MY HEAD". Commander Alpharius would order the fleet to fire a barrage to test the enemy's defenses, but after the "wood" proved to be more sturdy than native Terran one, he decided to retreat from the system to another part of the sector for the time being. Thus man discovered the psykerrealm of Houyhnhnms.
Fleet Commander Alpharius would explore to the south of Houyhnhnms, where he would discover only feudal and deathworlds. After months of search he would come upon the planet of Xipuh, a fertile, canal covered planet ruled by a bureaucratic empire that had barely figured out how to work steam. As Alpharius saw that Jenetia Krole had already made contact with the locals he figured it best to stay hidden in the shadows from all.
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First Turn - Thousand Sons (Sol) - Exploration Results
The sons of Magnus are starting to dart across the galaxy sending out their tendrils to the north and south of Keletros.
To the south they would discover only deathworlds, swept clean by a recent stellar explosion in the sector. Among the feral worlds of the region to one of Casa Black has been identified as the most important as while it is covered in ash and fire, a strange xeno species of horned, red, three feet tall humanoids seem to have created something similar to civilization on its surface.
To the north they find a sector dominated by fertile, if savage world at times discovering worms as long as a tower is high or carnivorous plants the size of cities. On the most savage of all these worlds Onasshish they discover an Exodite community battling with and riding their beasts as they would in any other part of the galaxy.
Farseer Illanor was meditating in his personal chamber when the feeling of ancestral dread crept up, this had been happening more and more. ever since those ships that had been sent north to explore and found on of the tombs of the Necrontyr, he could not blame the crews for what happened, all thought the enemy had been beaten, and yet now is this time of galactic upheaval they raise again.
"Lord Illanor" one of his guard had entered his chamber "we have received word of our forces ready to begin the attack"
"Good, tell them to begin and to strike our enemies in their northern cities, may Khaine guide their blades" The guard simply nodded in respect and confirmation of his word being understood.
This left the Farseer to his thoughts, "if the Eldar are to survive in this new age, blood must be shed to determine the true lords of the galaxy" the Farseer said to seemingly no one, and he turned his gaze towards a shrine of Khaine, he had put in his chamber and he sat back down in front of it and began to think of the wars to come and he smiled at the thought of the glory to follow.
"Glory to you, princes of the Sun. You have entered the embrace of the void, feed off it's energy, embrace it's forgiveness. All hail the Nightbringer! All hail Aza!"
The transmission came suddenly. The Explorator Group Ichiron had been sent with four vessels to explore this sector, to discover what may be used by their God, and to recover any information for their prophet, Lorgar Aurelian. Ah, but the young prophet had not foresaw this, had he? The Explorator's were surrounded in relative days, tracked by sleepless ships that passed in the night, their frames slender with gleaming black metal shining off in the distance. The Navigators aboard went mad whenever they arrived, and at first, they seemed to do nothing but observe. While confusing for traversing the stars, the ships were friendly enough not to initiate combat, even so, they had always slipped away at mere sighting. This would have been enough of a report for the Imperial Herald Chaplain, now known as the Word Bearers. But it was for that purpose that he could not. He forged ahead, insistent to plead the case of the God-Emperor of Mankind before these elusive shadows, perhaps new friends could be forged, and that is when they saw it, the planet of Zanna. Built in gaunt mockery of anything that Lorgar had held dear, the looming shadows of their Temples were adorned with dark-marked skeletal busts, visages of phinx and other hideous creature were put upon display. The Word Bearers were drawn closer, to inspect what they saw, an entire world dedicated to seemingly cardinal practices, where the lowest of servants prayed and worshiped and altars made for a shadowy cloaked figure drifting at every corner of the world. The exploratory fleet found itself surrounded with it's tag-alongs and watchers, the sleek vessels drifting close, as the transmission erupted into view. The masked woman said her peace, before gracing a hand upwards in alluring temptation. "Join me planetside, within the Dour Mausoleum below, where we may discuss our.. Ideologies. I have watched you, sons of Lorgar. I am the Sepuliarch, the High Priestess, the Heraldress of the Nightbringer! My name is but a memory now, and yours shall be too, oh joy!" With every word the woman spoke, the psychic-inclined of the bridge began to dampen, their bright souls being outshined.. No. Blotted out. Especially the Chaplain, head of the fleet, waned the most. His orders came at a muttering, as the temptress drew the hatred from them, her blacksoul feeding on it. Their reactions were blurred, as the men of Ichiron scrambled for a response from this witch.
To the south-west, Explorator Group Actaea reported finding an agri-world, knowing not the danger their battle-brothers were in. The local inhabitants called the farmlands and all below it Zir, and as a metallic ship came for a shipment, the wise Chaplain retreated to observe. He reported that half the available tribute was burned upon a pyre, underneath a large statue of what he could only describe as the 'Reaper' of Colchis tales was carved above. It frightened him to the core, and so the cautious Chaplain became the cowardly, he shied away from investigating further, returning to Colchis to inform his master what he had learned.
Explorator Group Ayamandar went to the south-east, finding pyramids and obelisks dotting the landscape of a curious planet. Much in the same design as the first, the Word Bearers would soon discover, however these were of an older, ancient design. They teemed with life, as if the metal itself moved. It unnerved the Astartes, as they combed through the ruins of the planet, landing immediately and discovering a large city of humans, already teeming with life, the people of this world did not mind the crevices nor the desertificated state of their world. They stated that they hailed the Tyrites, a civilization that brought them food in exchange for them uncovering and excavating the ruins of the planet, called Zapennec. The humans were mostly as feudal as those from Colchis, before the New Faith of Lorgar, save that the few wise of them knew how to speak to their betters. The people explained that they kept no gods, but they feared the Reaper. He pillaged the skies in his metal ships, but the Sun Ships of the Word Bearers were much kinder. They offered their food stocks to be left alone, and something further: A glorious crown, shaped as a Hedjet, it was metallic as anything else. It suggested pride and elegance, the humble people of the world bid for mercy, stating that The Soulless One took the other two components of the complete crown, twin rearing cobras, appearing almost that of spikes.
The Raven Spreads His Wings Turn One - Corax Exploration, Part One
Under the command of their gene-father and liberator, the ships of the Raven Guard slipped their moorings over Deliverence and ventured forth into the cold, unforgiving void. There was much to do, but no work could be undertaken without appropriate information, and so their orders were strictly given - observe and document, remain undetected if possible, and report back.
The first wave of reports were promising, if not particularly spectacular; the sectors of space directly spinward and trailing of Deliverence were uninhabited, boasting a series of minor worlds and stellar phenomena that could perhaps be called upon to support colonies and feed the ever-ravenous foundries. Indeed, initial reports from the spinward expedition revealed at least one world rich in adamantine ore, a solid rock of valuable material that could doubtless contribute much to the Primarch's efforts.
The reports from the other expeditions, however, were somewhat more concerning.
Directly corewards of Deliverence, the void is overrun by multiple clanking armadas of ramshackle void-ships, seemingly too primitive to ply the spacelanes with any certainty and yet clearly not native to the area. The inhabitants are some kind of strange green-skinned xeno-form, and your reports indicate that they appear to be divided against themselves as much as any external foe, for more than once during its careful observations your frigate bore witness to void-duels of shocking lethality. The xenos nation-state makes sport of raiding spinward, clashing with several minor xenos and human worlds that have yet to develop any measure of interstellar capacity... but curiously, they seem driven to avoid the rimwards direction entirely.
The ship you sent to scout that area of space reports a pair of worlds with a lush tropical biome, the treeline broken by some strange monoliths of blackened stone...
The great ships of Caliban emerged from the warp, the black hulls marred with green created in the excessive powers of the Warp flaying themselves upon the ships of the First Legion. They swept forwards from the nexus to see before them - a ball of light.
Long Distance Pict-feed - I-I or Eye-eye
The Frigate Pentilochos captured this green and blue globe, identified as a beautiful, serene planet at range with no visible life. It was a garden of mythological paradise resting in the nest of stars, orbiting a distant pale star. The Dark Angels made a close sweep and captured the pict above, as survey probes found little in resources, but ancient wildlife preserved by seemingly arcane ruins covered in the runework of a fallen race. Existing records imply it is of the origin of Eldar, implying this is some kind of homeworld of the ancient species though it was hard to discern for the Terran Astartes to determine anything on the scouting mission.
[ Exodite World ]
Long distance Pict-feed - I-II or Silence
The ships would make brief contact with a human listening post in a station over a planet simply known as 'Silence' by its natives. This world is little more than a ball of dying ice, surrounded by large space stations which act as the habitation modules for the humans living there. They prowl the system where Silence resides for sparse resources to fuel their ships and to amass resources, being reduced to little more a rag-tag formation of coffin ships orbiting a dying world. The scout captain would confirm that this is in fact a repeating signal sent by the listening post - a cry for help, and a statement of identity.
[ Friendly human civilization ]
Long distance Pict-feed - I-III or Ussavex
As the Terran ships approached this golden globe of sand and waste, they were met by ships of Solar kin - Martian vessels, of the Mechanicum. They announced themselves as agents sent from Mars as an Explorator Fleet that had been lost during the great warp storms of the Age of Strife. Ussavex had little contact with the homeworld but the rich world was ruled by an Archmagos - Koglos-88, one keen to cooperate with the Dark Angels if prompted, hailing them as one of Terra's agency. It was a Forge World of some substantial capability, defending itself with its own fleet elements over centuries years old.
[ Forge World Ussavex ]
The Latervian ships were arguably ancient, no matter what its dark master was capable of, and as they drifted out of orbit and departed into the warp, they felt themselves eager with the ambition of discovery.
Long distance Pict-feed of Gyllas Secundus
The great starships emerged over the star of Gyllas, which had been charted many years ago by the Latervian deep space probes but where deemed unreachable until proper ships could be built. They saw a small world, covered in ice, having been tide-locked seemingly by whatever forces keep the galaxy in place. It was nothing exceptional.
[ Nothing significant found ]
Long distance Pict-feed of Maxentus
The Latervians to their north encountered a rather unique system, one established by ancient Mars long ago. It was a Forge World with a dozen satellites each providing ores and minerals for their ilk. The Archmagos of this world, known as Maxentus, would welcome the Latervians as fellow heralds of the Cradle, offering to negotiate with them freely.
[ Dense Sector - Forge World and Mining World ]
The former Storm Walker ships departed with no incident, as the warp opened up to them in a blaze of glory it was a mystery as to what they'd find on the other side.
Long distance Pict-feed of X-I - Or N'aer
Upon their arrival, a small force of Iron Hands would find themselves facing the border beacon buoys of a competent, human civilization. While lacking the sheer scale of traditional Terran-built ships, these small buoys heralded the arrival of a vast fleet of escort sized vessels, each marked with a single white stripe denoting the age of the vessel in centuries. They'd hail the Iron Tenth with hesitance, and upon being told of the Primarch and his plans, the N'aer hesitated, before a single burst of data would follow asking the sons of Ferrus Manus to leave, this world was not theirs to conquer. Reluctant initially, the captain of the leading Light Cruiser, the Hol-ar, would signal for a withdrawal, escaping any sort of engagement against the Medusans, for now.
[ Hostile human civilization, the N'aer ]
Long distance Pict-feed of X-II
Upon their arrival, the Iron Hands knew something was wrong. Preliminary scouting showed that the planet that dominated their viewscreens and the pict-feed was completely stripped of all life. It had been scorched into a blasted bronze wasteland by something immensely powerful. And such a thing showed itself moments later as a dark violet lance struck the prow of the escort frigate, causing it to spin out of control without appropriate combat shielding. The battle that would commence would be rather one-sided as fast moving Eldar ships raked the frigates, sending all three to scatter and flee with the one that was initially hit depositing what Astartes and Auxilia it carried onto the world beneath. The commanding Light Cruiser would manage to destroy the leadship of the Eldar and chase down the other corsairs, pulling back the last two frigates to begin making nominal repairs while a course of action was decided.
The world itself, having no name was totally barren, as not even ruins remained to remind one of the civilization before and under the scorching sun did the Iron Hands find little to speak of the contrary, though in orbit an asteroid base of Eldar was found and destroyed in retaliation for the crewmen lost in the initial attack.
[ Combat engagement against (Dark Eldar), 3 frigates and 1 light cruiser damaged. 4 escort sized Eldar ships destroyed, along with 1 light cruiser ]
Long distance Pict-feed of X-III
The world was blue, a ball of oceans with the green marks of scattered land being little more than indicators that land is scattered like crumbs across this world - the largest 'island' if you could call it that was barely larger than one of the mountain ranges on Medusa. However, past the preliminary orbital scouting, the many surveys of this quiet world was rich with raw minerals and resources. One that could be exploited with immense ease.
[ Mining world ]
Fenris was not enough for the wolves - to the stars, the King called His Wolves. They had traveled from Terra across their great migration to meet their father, and now they had encountered Him. Now he sends them back to the stars, the bone trinkets of Fenris providing the Wolves protection from the Great Beyond.
Long distance Pict-feed of VI-I or Kulukos
The world the small explorer fleet encountered was abnormal, for it was terraformed at some point in the distant past, no doubt by the species which had the capacity to do so. It was a rather plain, unassuming world, unguarded as the Wolves made their patrol, until a long arc of emerald light spat from the world and sent the exploring ship into flames - orbital weapons seemingly capable of reaching even the highest of anchor would begin firing in sporadic bursts, the first shot a lucky one. The Fenrisians managed to withdraw with little casualties aside from the escort, a destroyer.
[ Combat engagement against unnamed Xenos, 1 destroyer lost. ]
Long distance Pict-feed of V-II, or Yulon
Where the Rout was spat out next, it was unknown, though many of the Terran crewmates sighed in relief as they were received by frequencies only known by members of the old Terran colonists - ones asking for the identity of the Astartes ships and their goal. They would manage to get past introductions and learn this world, known as Yulon, was in fact a heaving Hive World under the limited protection of screen ships, lacking any serious orbital defenses as a major xenos threat obliterated their space capacity. The Hive World would cordially invite the Wolves to meet with them, and possibly negotiate in regards to the status of Yulon in the wider galaxy given the old motto of Unity that is engraved on the Space Wolves' ships and armor.
[ Hive world ]
Pict-feed of Entity #433 - a void whale
The last fleet would come across a mass field of asteroids, one all but dead except one creature weeping its abandonment. A void whale, one stretching past even the great warships of the Astartes would float through the vast asteroid field, calling out in its ancient signals to mates that would never come, to other entities like it of deep space that would never be there. The whale paid no heed as the astounded human crew watched the majestic creature drift in its song of solace past their vessels and their unnatural light giving its skin a pale violet sheen. They would watch it for many hours more before sailing back to Fenris to deliver their report. This sector had nothing but a lost creature.
[ MOD EVENT - Void Whale, Ordinary Sector with no discernible planets of note ]
Forward. We are the many scattered remnants of the Cradle's children - or so the saying goes, as the antiquated ships of the Draconith territory surged forth to scout future prospects.
Long distance Pict-feed of Uuul
Here, the ships captured images of what can only be described as a 'serene' world, occupied by a primitive people who ascended to the little moon of their world they called 'Uuul' with a great elevator. These were a pacifistic people worshiping odd gods, with an abnormal appearance. They were xenos, at least, by definition, non-humans. Their skin was pale like calcium substitutes, covered in thin chitin with four arching legs and two arms protecting green, gazing eyes. The scouts were treated like friends, feasted and settled with a good story before being sent on their way.
[ Non-hostile civilization encountered, the pacifistic natives to Uuul ]
Long distance Pict-feed of +++///3i;ERROR
Orks. The eternal scourge of the galaxy, they had nestled on this small satellite in a system of barren moons and acted as raiders, interstellar highwayorks for the unsuspecting deep space traders which now had prowled the galaxy for two standard Terran centuries. The ships of the Governate found themselves horribly outnumbered and chose to withdraw. The world itself was largely grey wastes like the rest of its sisters, aside from sparse enclaves of ork fortresses surrounded by what limited resources the planet offered. The Draconithian ships withdrew knowing that a scouting fleet was ill-advised against the Ork.
[ Hostile xenos civilization encountered; Orks ]
Reclamation, the dream of the Biel-tan Craftworld. As their ships broke from the vast world, the sleek, sailed vessels would drift off, travelling at an incredible speed before reaching their part of the galaxy.
An image of a world with no name
The world was nothing of interest, a simple globe of green and blue. Life lived here, but it was of no exceptional nature or composition. If anything, it was a perfect world in a shattered galaxy. The Eldar found nothing of note here.
In a pict and radio broadcast across the planet as well as the various orbital stations and ships
Fenrisians! Terrans! Men and women of the Armejia! Men of the Rout! We have been attacked by foul xenos. They have destroyed one of out mighty ships as it came into range of their orbital defenses. In the face of this firepower of what was thought an abandoned world by unknown aggressors the commander wisely chose fly back to fenris and inform me of this.
I will not let this go unpunished! These filthy creatures think they can attack us with impunity? No! they cannot for i will not allow it!
From: Latverian Expedition North
To: Forge World Maxentus @Kerensky
Greetings, I am Commodore Bram Velsing of The Royal Latverian Navy. I speak with the Authority of my Lord Victor I, The Lord Doom to open Negotiations.
My Lord Doom desires Maxentus to Federate with the Latverian Principality so that we may both be stronger together in the face of potentially Hostile Xenos. Failing that, we wish a Friendly Maxentus and a trade agreement.
To facilitate Federation, we are authorized to offer samples of some of our technology to the Archmagos so that you may study technologies that you may not have the STC schematics for. We are also empowered to offer trade of foodstuffs and raw resources to feed your masses and forges alike.
Affirmative, TAG;Commodore. This is envoy supremis PYRAX-55 on behalf of the Archmagos Ugoyae-Prime.
The Archmagos has piqued his interest towards the STANDARD TEMPLATE CONSTRUCT schematics, QUERY; is it damaged? He would meet this TAG;Lord Victor Doom. The prospect of FEDERATION would have to be further explored by leaders, not messengers.
The forges of Maxentus has no ill intent towards identified:LATERVIA, and relishes the first contact with humanity beyond the obfuscations of the Warp.
Affirmative, TAG;Commodore. This is envoy supremis PYRAX-55 on behalf of the Archmagos Ugoyae-Prime.
The Archmagos has piqued his interest towards the STANDARD TEMPLATE CONSTRUCT schematics, QUERY; is it damaged? He would meet this TAG;Lord Victor Doom. The prospect of FEDERATION would have to be further explored by leaders, not messengers.
The forges of Maxentus has no ill intent towards identified:LATERVIA, and relishes the first contact with humanity beyond the obfuscations of the Warp.
The STC we have on Latveria is quite full of schematics, though it seems to have been artificially limited in some way as to the level of technologies. For Example, we have schematics for controllable Drones, but not Autonomous Robots. Lord Doom theorized that the ancestors felt Autonomous robots were too close to the Men of Iron who plagued the ancestors civilization and scrubbed the plans.
As to a Meeting with Lord Doom, we have communicated your request back to Latveria and Lord Doom is Eager to speak with a fellow "educated man of Science" his words. Lord Doom is a proud man and that he refers to you as such bodes well for the upcoming talks.
We are Authorized to escort you to a neutral location for the talks. We just found a Tidally locked planet not far from here that should be suitable, if The Archmagos Agrees. Lord Doom will be waiting.
A resonant signal burst sent from the Forge World offers confirmation that the delegates including the Archmagos shall travel to the tidal locked world, requesting that the Latervians bring samples of this STC for further study.
No mention of an Omnissiah, or any particular worship of Mars, one might note, all it was simple cold pragmatism. RECIEVED, [ @triumph8w ]
Confirmed that message has been received by the authorities of Hive Primus Magellan. The Wolf-King, as he calls himself, is welcome to meet with the dignitaries of the Yulonite City-States, an 'ambassador-class' frigate is available in orbit for the meeting between Overseer Nox and the King Russ.
