+ guestpostinload: Regimental Review: Cadian 144th +

+ Regimental Review: Cadian 144th Infantry Regiment +

[+Guestpostinload SCREEDAUTHORIDENT: The Rook +][+noosphericexloadlinkembedded+]

‘Those last bloodied few,

orphans of war

Emperor grant them glory in death

and peace thereafter’

Personal Writings, Father Oriah of the St Baston Ecclesiastica, Boreas

+++

+++

+ Abstract +

The fortress-world of Cadia may be destroyed, but its orphaned people are still counted amongst the finest and best-disciplined soldiery in the Imperium. Within the Warmaster Augustine’s armies, the handful of Cadian regiments assigned there form a backbone of war-bitten veterans amongst the relatively fresh regiments of the Cetus-Scorpii sector.

+ Disposition +

The handful of Cadian regiments present in the Crusading forces were assigned primarily to the Second Army, under Lord-General Valen. These represented one of very few elements of Augustine’s forces that did not originate from within his home sector of Cetus-Scorpii. Instead these units were dispatched, under the command of Marshal-General Helkov, to form an honour guard that accompanied the Imperial Writ from Terra granting Augustus the title Warmaster and tasking him with bringing the Red Hand region to compliance.

Helkov had expected command of one of Augustus’ army groups, but was snubbed by the Warmaster who preferred to promote from within his own circles. Instead, he and his regiments of ‘outsiders’ were relegated to the Second Army in which Helkov commanded a small battle group and was deployed along the Buir’s Reach corridor to engage in a series of hard fought compliances along the periphery of the Crusade, away from the glory-winning campaigns in the Corewards Theatre.

Of these regiments, the 144th was a frontline infantry regiment of primarily ‘second generation’ Cadians (void-born after the destruction of Cadia) formed around a core of veteran officers and NCO’s, most of whom were Cadian-born. Amongst the other Cadian regiments, these ‘true-born’ Cadians were steadily reduced and the balance within them tipped as replacements were slowly introduced from other depleted regiments from other worlds, until many of them were practically ‘Cadian’ in name only. The 144th however, managed to endure, forever under strength, as an almost purely Cadian-blooded regiment, gaining them the epithet ‘The Cadian Last’ from Helkov himself. This was due to accident rather than design, as the 144th was merged with the Cadian 1077th after the breakout from Solace in M41.045 that left both regiments badly mauled.

+ C-Company, 144th Inf. Reg. +

NOTE: Winterised flak armour. It became common practise amongst the troops fighting on Boreas to paint their flak armour white for better concealment in the snow. This low-grade paint, thinned with water was particularly prone to scratching and chipping.

NOTE: Las-rifles were painted in the same way as the troopers flak-armour.

NOTE: Pict-capture shows some troopers wearing winter fatigues. The 144th were supposed to be supplied with full winter-camouflaged fatigues, but due to delays in supply, very few sets were issued before deployment onto Boreas.

+ Heavy Weapons Platoon, C-Company +

NOTE: As an infantry regiment, the 144th had a dedicated weapons platoon attached to each las-rifle platoon. These became particular invaluable on Boreas where the weather and terrain severely limited the availability of air and armoured support that the infantry were accustomed to fighting in conjunction with.

NOTE: Easily maintained and using nearly-universal ammunition, the mortar and heavy bolter were the main support weapons of the 144th.

+ Command Staff +

+ Captain Drear, CO, C-Company +

To Lord Commissar Ziejn Ro, Officio Prefectus, I44th Inf. Reg. attached, 

Lord, I am writing in response to your request for a character appraisal of Captain Drear. I am aware that suggestions have been made to you that the captain’s dedication and faith in the Emperor have faltered in recent months. I would like to state forthrightly that I do not find that these rumours have any foundation and that they constitute mere gossip from the officers’ mess. With that being said, I have compiled an honest account of Captain Drear as I have found him to be as per your request, I am ever your servant.
Captain Drear has commanded C-Company of the 144th for four years. Before that, he had commanded a company in the Cadian 1077th and had been marked for promotion to major until the battle for Solace left the majority of his regiment dead. 

The survivors of the 1077th were folded into existing regiments before deployment to Boreas. C-Company of the 144th, having recently lost its own captain at Xarro, is where Drear ended up; and he had had very little time to integrate with his new command before making planetfall on Boreas. 

Amongst the men of the regiment, it is widely rumoured that their new captain is cursed by the Emperor. News of his previous company’s fate is well known, and it is widely – although wrongly – believed that Drear was the only survivor. The captain is also famously introvert and reserved with his fellow officers, and never talks about his previous commands. This has given rise to wild speculation amongst the rank-and-file – and even some of the officers – that all of Drear’s previous commands’ have perished to a man and that he himself is the only survivor. 

Captain Drear’s own dour and reserved demeanour has not warmed him to his men and First Lieutenant Halberd is widely known to be his only confidant and friend amongst the officers of the company. 

Regardless of this, Captain Drear conducts himself with professionalism and shows a genuine concern for the well-being of his men. He is a diligent and practically-minded man who demonstrates sound strategic ability and courage in battle. 

I consider that his personal demeanour has had no adverse effect on his ability to command one of the Emperor’s companies. He is an asset to his regiment and to the Imperium. I would not recommend that any action is taken immediately but I would like to assure you that I shall maintain a diligent watch over him as I do with all of the men in this company. 

With my compliments, 

Commissar H’dane, Officio Prefectus, C-Company attached.

+++

+ Notable actions  +

+ Primary deployment during the Early Crusade period +

[+SPOOLING+]

+ Primary deployment during the Late-crusade period [M42.049–057] +

Ardent 

[+subspool deploying+]

The Battle of Boreas, also known as the Ardent System Counteroffensive, was one of the last major Red Hand offensives during the Augustine Crusade and took place from late M42.050 to M42.053. The offensive was intended to stop Imperial use of the starport at Gella Major and to open a new front against the Crusade by allowing the traitor forces to encircle and destroy a large portion of the over-extended Crusading forces and thereby force the Crusade to a halt and allow time for Apostate-Warlord Xiah Hesh to consolidate his forces. 

The traitors achieved a total surprise attack in the Ardent System due to a combination of Imperial overconfidence, preoccupation with Imperial offensive plans elsewhere and poor Naval reconnaissance due to increasingly unstable warp conditions around the Red Hand region. Imperial forces under General Helkov – who was in the process of rearming and refitting his battlegroup at Gella Major when the attack began – bore the brunt of the offensive and his hastily reconstituted Battlefleet Ardent suffered the highest death ratio during any operation of the war thus far. Most of the fighting took place on the planet Boreas where the fighting would eventually drag on for nearly four years. However, there were numerous smaller-scale battles on the various moons and orbital stations throughout the Ardent System and a large naval engagement around Gella Major towards the end of the campaign. 

The battle severely depleted the Red Hands’ naval and ground forces, and they were largely unable to replace them. Hesh’s ground forces – mostly comprised of the veteran and disciplined Hundred Hands units, the Ebon Wing drop regiments and the Gothii war-clans – and, later, void warships (in the concluding stages of the engagement) also sustained significant and irretrievable losses. 

+ Imperial commanders and leaders +

• General Ukon Helkov, theatre command on Boreas

• Admiral Felix Ezra, fleet master, 2nd Army Battlegroup

• General Brerotal Obalan, 2nd Army

• General Avanna Kursk, 2nd Army

[+subspoolendvalue: TRUE+]

+++

+ My thanks to The Rook for allowing me to host the Cadian 144th here; I encourage you all to go have a look at his own fantastic blog, which contains some real wonders. +

+ inload: The Houses of Nestis and Temporis [GuestpostID: Lucfier216] +

+ Houses of Suffering and Shadow +

+ Being a bit buried under various data-screeds in the real world, it's with great pleasure that I'm able to showcase another of the PCRC's armies; our resident painting machine Lucifer216's beautiful Knight forces. +

+ A few months back, we played one of our inaugural games of 8th edition 40k pitting the Iron Warriors' 242nd against the combined might of Nestis and Temporis. This would have been an absolutely dreadful match-up in 7th edition, but in 8th it remained tense, dynamic and exciting – which went a long way to convincing me of the success of 8th edition. +

Knights make a fantastic spectacle against the low-rise buildings of Purefinder Chaunterwick.

+ Since the game, I've been keen to get my ever-busy chum to give us a write-up of his gorgeous force; and he was kind enough to oblige. Enjoy! +

+++

Hi all,  Lucifer216 here, long-time friend of Apologist and a member of the PCRC (Plastic Crack Rehab Clinic). With the recent release of the new Imperial Knight codex, we both thought it was a good time to take a look at my own ‘force’ of Knights – though really that should be ‘forces’ as I ended up plumping for two Knight Houses instead of one.

Let’s face it, it’s difficult to resist the lure of big stompy giant robots, and when the Imperial Knights: Renegade boxset first came out, I leap at the chance to get my hands on what for me (lack of posable legs aside), is one of Games Workshop’s best plastic kits.

So, why two Knight Houses? Well, I was a bit torn. On the one hand I really wanted to try out Candy Red as a scheme, having it seen to great effect on a number of armies and I also (inspired by the dark and characterful background of House Vyronii and House Orhlacc) wanted my own shadowy and gothic Knight House. At the same time, I wanted to give my Warhound Titan, the Animus Dominus, some company and expand its background. I also wanted to create two Knight Houses that are very located in the Antona Australis sector [+Appendnote auth:Apologist+ Antona Australis is 
the PCRC’s little postage-stamp sized section of the Galaxy, which you can read about through the tab at the top of the blog].

Enter Houses Nestis [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]  and Temporis [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. House Nestis is an Ancient Greek-inspired Questor Mechanicus house with plenty of references to mythology and a big focus on duality, while Temporis is a Questor Imperialis house, whose pilots are also navigators and possessed of a sinister mien. For more of on their background, click the hyperlinks above.

I painted the knights using an airbrush for the most part (doing their frames all in one go, with the exception of the Reginae Obscurae as I bought it later), and really enjoyed doing a fair bit of freehand. I’ve never considered myself much of an artist, but I’m really pleased about how it’s come out.

It hasn’t been all plain-sailing and some practical lessons learnt include:

• Write down the exact colour scheme as you go (I have forgotten the recipe for House Nestis’ red, which is going to make expanding it tricky)
• Tamiya Clear Red dissolves FW Clear Black which I used for shading so you shouldn’t go back with it. 
• Avoid using mixtures of metallic for the basecoat of large areas. I’m not amazingly happy with how the metallic trims have come out and the mix I used seems to have given it a slight texture in places. I opted for using  Retributor Armour on the Reginae Obscurae which has given a much better result. 

Enough pontificating – let’s move onto the Knights!

+++

+ House Nestis +

+ Enyo and Klymene+ 

+ Designate: Enyo +

The knight armours Klymene and Enyo have fought alongside each other for centuries and embody the obsession with duality that permeates Janusian culture. Enyo, a bellicose Knight Errant piloted by Domina Eris, is always on the move, constantly searching for fresh targets for its thermal cannon or crashing headlong into melee. Enyo’s thirst for carnage is endless and prior to Eris’ ascension, three aspirants died in the attempt to meld with its machine spirit. Her supremacy over the armour’s machine spirit has come at a cost for it is a jealous steed – making the discomfort of disconnection almost unbearable, though the only outward sign of it is her burning gaze and haunted manner.

+ Designate: Klymene +

In contrast to its sister-engine and as might be expected of a Knight Crusader, Klymene is patient and methodical. The armour’s teardrop heraldry reflects both the sorrow the Sito Sisterhood feels under the yoke of the Iron Fathers and the suffering that House Nestis inflicts upon its foes.

However, the armour’s sorrowful aspect also owes much to the attitude of its pilot, the supremely skilled Domina Atia. Her long list of honours, engine-kills and exemplary service has bred a burning resentment within her breast. She dreams of the devastation that she could wreck in the Omnissiah’s name while piloting a Warlord titan, but such power will forever be denied to her by the simple and arbitrary impediment of her sex. This bitterness is compounded by witnessing the follies of her two sons, Atlas and Prometheus, princeps of the Warlord Titans, Back-Breaker and Flame Eternal, respectively and the bloody rampages of her older sister, Domina Leda, aboard the Knight Valiant, Tisiphone. When Atia dwells overlong on this injustice, Klymene is prone to glitching, its hurt pride spilling out from the throne mechanicum as auspex-ghosts and grinding gears.

+++

+ House Temporis +

+ Gnosis – Knight Paladin + 

It is said of Gnosis that it is always exactly where it should be. In the madness and chaos of the battlefield, this quiet miracle has saved thousands of Imperial lives and foiled ambushes beyond counting. While all the pilots of House Temporis are blessed and cursed in full measure with the fey insight endemic to those with navigator blood in their veins, Lady Svetlana, Gnosis’ pilot, is famed for flashes of tactical brilliance that manifest themselves as migraine-bright visions of the many futures yet to be. A painfully pale and consumptive creature, given by the gothic standards of House Temporis, Svetlana is haunted by the knowledge of her own demise. Why it should be to old age and neglect in a dank, mouldering, oubliette troubles her beyond all measure.

+++

+ Kynigos – Knight Crusader +

Kynigos and its pilot, the lady Alla, possess inhuman patience, their favourite tactic being to stand reactor cold for long hours at a time, before bursting into motion with horrific ease, going from a cold start to full plasma burn in an instant – a feat that should be impossible for any Knight Armour. This trait first made itself known in Kynigos’ very first engagement, a confused skirmish with the vanguard of Forgeworld Bezoa as its scouting fleet entered the territory of Storm’s End and made planetfall deep in the web-wastes. There Kynigos and its first pilot, Lady Natalya, struck again and again, each time seemingly from nowhere. After the events of that day, in which the newly blooded engine recorded three super-heavy class kills, Natalya commissioned Kynigos’ distinctive heraldry to commemorate their deeds. However, Since the rites of accord were signed between the two factions, Bezoa has petitioned House Temporis to strike the markings that bear silent witness to its folly no less than fifteen times, but Lady Alla and her liege, Queen Katherine will have none of it. 

+++

+ Reginae Obscurae – Cerastus Knight-Atrapos +

+ Designate: Reginae Obscurae +

Given by Forgeworld Bezoa as part of the first tranche of tribute that sealed the grand bargain between it and House Temporis, the Reginae Obscurae ('Shadow Queen' in Low Gothic) has been the armour of choice for the Queens of Storm’s End for centuries. Though it has suffered grievous damage on many occasions, each time it has been painstakingly restored to its former glory. The most recent of these woundings occurred during the chaos invasion of Tsu’as. Queen Elizabeta went to glory, following her wrathful destruction of the Thousand Sons Land Raider, Fist of Ra, laid low by the sorcery of Magnus’s sons and the marksmanship of the Iron Warriors. The residual trauma was so great that Elizabeta’s successor, Queen Katherine, almost died during the rite of becoming and the fallen monarch’s spirit still haunts the knight’s Throne Mechanicum, whispering dire secrets and warnings into the young queen’s ears.

+++

+ The new rules +

In-game, I’ll probably run House Temporis using the rules for House Terryn as their swiftness is a good match for Temporis’ (in-universe) tendency to violate the laws of time and space, often without realising that they are. House Nestis is more problematic – I’ll probably run them as either House Vulkner (shooty) or House Raven (getting in the opponent’s grill quickly), with it being a tradition to consult an Oracle on the eve of battle to decide which of their twin doctrines they will use.

+ Expansion plans +

While I have a huge backlog to work through (I’m painting Tyranids for an event in October, and need to go back to my half-finished Mechanicus, Primaris Space Marine and Death Guard armies), I am tempted to slowly expand both Houses. I’m thinking that House Nestis would work well with a Knight Valiant or Knight Castellan, while House Temporis, given its relationship with Forgeworld Bezoa [+noospheric inloadlink embedded+] (which has lots of Horus Heresy era technology) and the fact that I’ve already got one Cerastus pattern knight, could be expanded with a few more.

Now back to your standard (and Inquisition-approved) pict-feeds…

+++

+ Thanks again to the ever-gracious Lucifer216. +

+ inload: Anatomy of Empire III: Stygies VII [Guestpost by DC147] +

+ Anatomy of Empire III: Stygies VII +

+ Another guestpostinload today, courtesy of the prodigiously talented DeathCat147. Check out One Four Seven Miniature Painting and Terrain on Facebook here [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] for some genuinely inspirational conversions and paintjobs. +

+ DC147 has breathed life into a world that really brings out the shades of grey available to gamers, hobbyists and writers involved in the Alien Wars. If you've ever needed an excuse for Imperial on Imperial gaming, why not give the Nova Terra Interregnum a try? +

+ As usual with a guestpostinload, the models and background below are the owners; and the text edited by myself for consistency within the Alien Wars setting: all typos and errors are mine alone! +

+++

Trying to discern the the motives and goals of a Stygian Priest is, by and large, an exercise in futility and madness. Only those with a discerning eye for the truth may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of their agenda – and even then, you should question closely what you saw.

Extract from All Human History – Inquisitrix Barbari Kills, Ordo Xenos

+++

+ Abstract +

Located at the confluence of Segmentum Solar and Segmentum Pacificus, Stygies VII – poetically referred to as The Ever-Staring Cyclops – was a battleground of ideas, philosophies and influences during the Nova Terra Interregnum. Although recorded as schismatic; this was mainly owing to Martian prejudice: the Forgeworld has a reputation eternally marred by ancient deeds; and its denizens are held in great suspicion because of it. 

In practical terms, Stygies VII was part of the Neomechanicus – that group of forgeworlds which lay in Nova Terran space, and were nominally loyal to Mars while continuing to supply local worlds. Owing to its astrographical positions between Segmenta, this meant that its priesthood occupied a position of supplying both belligerents; essentially remaining politically neutral. 

Its religious standing was no less murky. With the radically schismatic forgeworld of Moirae nearby, many of Stygies' techpriests were influenced by the revolutionary predictions of the Moirae cult; though just as many rejected its doctrines violently – including the famed Barbas Vholk.

Vholk serves as an exemplary member of the famously secretive and insular priests of Stygies, who were famed for secretly followed their own paths; some loyal to Mars and Terra, others looking to extend their influence with the Ur-Council or beyond. During the Nova Terra Interregnum, the world became a mass of competing theologies, black-market smuggling and clandestine parleys between influential groups.

+ The Shadow of Moirae +

Even amongst the normally secretive scions of the Omnissiah, the Magi of the Stygian Priesthood obsessively shroud their activities and agendas from the prying eyes of outsiders, using whatever means at their disposal. The events of the Nova Terra Interregnum only helped to drive individual Stygian Priests to still more extreme efforts to cloak their world from the rest of the fractured Imperium. Only the most necessary tasks and contracts were fulfilled, thoughts of new grand expeditions were banished, and lofty studies suspended. Productivity almost ground to a stop and military actions beyond their world were minimal, as the shroud of secrecy intensified.

Stygies had long been both politically and religiously complex and fractious, with different ideologies and the ambitions of various Magi creating a perfect environment for labyrinthine plots and shadow wars. Despite that, there was a vague equilibrium. That was until cults and notable magi following the nascent Moirae creed – a millennial cult which believed hidden messages in the Astronomicon prophesised, amongst other things, the fall of Mars – started openly extolling their beliefs and exerting power. The Moirae following split apart numerous alliances, fraternities and pacts, destabilising the balance on Stygies and creating a great deal of concern and paranoia for the more orthodox members of the Stygian Priesthood; along with those that wished their less orthodox methods to remain out of sight. Strange new pacts and political alliances were forged in the shadowy corners of the planet as former rivals put aside their differences to rid themselves of the heterodoxical Moirae cultists.

The shadow war on Stygies ramped up over the coming centuries, with the opponents of the Moirae followers seeking to purge their heretek code from their world, lest it draw deeper scrutiny from the Ordo Machinum and other Imperial agencies. The Moirae Purge continued right up until the turn of M36. Unfortunately for the remaining Stygian Priests, the wall of secrecy they threw up to avoid scrutiny drew the attention that they so desperately wished to avoid. Their actions would have bloody consequences not long after, and would only deepen the mistrust of their world within the greater Imperium...

+++

+ Principal holdings +

Stygies VIII is located on the seventh and largest moon orbiting a gas giant in the Vulcanis System, on the edge of the Segmentum Pacificus’ border with the Segmentum Solar and close to the Segmentum Obscurus. A strategic point in a vast web of trade and supply routes that cover the confluence of the three segmentae, Stygies is well placed to feed its voracious appetite for materials and to distribute the fruits of its labours to where they are needed. A constant stream of raw and processed goods pour into the vast orbital docks and tethers that service Stygies, ancient contracts from nearby Imperial Worlds and tithes from vassal worlds fulfilled with minerals, ores, and fresh flesh ready for mind wiping. Mining worlds such as Rast and Varana, along with asteroid mining across many systems supply the vast amount of Stygies needs. For its supply of potential servitors, Stygies relies primarily on a number of nearby hive worlds supplying them with criminals and other malcontents for mind wiping and conversion, along with vat grown biological forms. Stygies' other significant asset is a sizable and highly secretive network of informants and agents supplying them with data and leads to potential sites of interest throughout the Imperium. 

+++

+ Principal military forces +

Stygian Skitarii Praeventore

Militarily, Stygies conforms to the same broad structure as other forgeworlds, using the macroclade system to organise its Skitarii Legions. The only marked difference is a slightly higher number of Skitarii Sagitarii units in the field, often equipped with tracked Light Conveyor Units equipped with a plethora of long-range support weaponry. These units are typically attached to a Praeventore squad along with a small unit of Velites as part of a mutually supportive unit capable of adapting to a variety of threats. 

The Velites range ahead of the Praeventores, scouting out their path as well as identifying and nullifying anything that may stall an advance. Should they encounter a heavy obstacle, such as a defensive position or armoured asset, the Sagitarii are brought to a forward position to clear away the threat with their prodigious firepower. The Praeventores can then begin sweeping away lower level threats with their rad carbines, plasma calivers, and arc rifles. 

This formation lies at the heart of a Stygies Battle Maniple, usually structured around twelve of these units – twelve being viewed as the Omnissiah's sacred number by the Priesthood of Stygies VII– along with the usual Onagers, Dragoons, Ironstriders, Infiltrators and Rustwalkers supporting. Dependent on operational needs, such a formation may be assigned a Skitarii Alpha Primus to coordinate and command in lieu of direct commands from the magos leading the force or one of his techpriest subordinates.

Stygian Skitarii Velite

Alongside the Legion Maniples march a veritable horde of servitor variants, from the Machai Pattern Breacher Servitor, Mors Murder Servitor, Thrax Pattern Combat Servitor, all the way down to the lowly Monotask Servitors. The servitors present in a force depends on the Magos and their personal preferences. The servitors that are part of a Magos rentinue as bodyguards or servants are often outfitted with all sorts of esoteric accoutrements, often a reflection of their owners field of study and their craft.

The most notable force available to the Magos of Stygies VII when fighting abroad are the Titans of the Legio Honorum “The Deathbolts”. During the Moirae Purge the Legio Honorum were mostly left to their own devices, only mobilising for campaigns offworld when there was significant evidence that their god machines' firepower would be instrumental to the battles ahead. Because of this stance, the Legio Honorum left the soil of Stygies on only a handful of occasions during the 35th millennium.

Praeventores attempt to repel an ork attack upon promethium refinery Beta-Chi 32 during the fighting on Uralon.

+ Notable personnel +

Magos Barbas Vholk, orthodox member of the Stygian Priesthood.
Pict-Capture taken: 236.M35

+ Magos Barbas Vholk +

Fully initiated into the Stygian priesthood in the mid 32nd millennia, Barbas Vholk spent two and a half millennia diligently – many would say obsessively – working on a variety of projects and numerous expeditions. His efforts garnered many accolades and a sizeable amount of influence amongst the hierarchy of the Stygian priesthood, and yet he showed little concern for the accolades and only used his influence sparingly to secure resources and materials for his works.

Even by Mechanicus standards, Vholk is aloof and calculatedly logical, unwavering in his resolve, and considered by many to be misanthropic and cynical. With such a divisive personality it’s unsurprising that it has lead to many strained and fractious relationships amongst his peers. However, his work and it’s results have secured many a like-minded priest to join him, seek his tutelage, or align themselves with him politically.

In mid-M34, Vholk secured in perpetuity the cruiser Caminus Aeternum and its attendant vessels for his latest undertaking, thanks to his supporters and, rather surprisingly, his detractors and rivals. The details of his expedition and it’s goals were rather undefined, only that it would be long-term and would ultimately be for the greater glory of Stygies and the Imperium at large. His opponents threw their support behind Vholk, hoping that at minimum he would spend decades away from Stygies on a ludicrous personal quest, and at best, that some galactic horror might rid them of him during a foray on some backwater planet.

Unfortunately for them, Vholk persisted and thrived. Caminus Aeternum regularly returned to berth in Stygies docks over the years, bearing materials, artifacts and code fragments for analysis and cogitation. Vholk whisks the prize pieces away to his personal facilities for him to pore over in detail. While Caminus Aeternum is well equipped for such activities, it pales in comparison to resources available in his planetside facility. He has often spent decades locked away with his latest baubles and data, only engaging with the forge at large when it suits him, and then frenziedly gathering up his followers, materials, and munitions onboard the Caminus Aeternum and disappearing into the void chasing his next whispered lead.

During the early years of the Nova Terra Interregnum and the rise of the Moirae cult, Vholk was on the far side of the Segmentum Pacificus, having led an expeditionary force to investigate ruins on Anostos IV. He and his expedition spent just over a century charting an erratic course home, beholden to the vagaries of the warp, whispers of ancient technology, and slowed by the machinations of madmen and the pleas of the damned. Once home, he set about securing his holdings and weeding out Moirae Cultists amongst them, identifying any cultists amongst his political allies and removing them from the equation. Such affronts to the Omnissiah would never be allowed to take seed amongst his followers or students, and he would certainly not suffer any of his allies that had fallen to the heretek beliefs. 

Once his own purge had been completed, he isolated his facilities and locked them down so no one could corrupt his works, Any Moirae followers attempting to breach his facilities were to be eliminated with extreme force by the combat servitors and their attendant priests. He organised kill teams to hunt known Moirae followers, occasionally unleashing assassins to eliminate particularly stubborn Magi. 

Vholk’s pragmatism, his Machiavellian schemes, and the brutality of his actions only added to his divisive reputation, once again garnering more critics and earning new like-minded allies. Though Vholk’s actions were small in comparison to the whole story of Stygies VII at this time, they helped secure his realm of influence during this period and showed him to be a loyal servant of Mars and the Imperium. His actions benefited him greatly when greater scrutiny fell upon Stygies in the early years of the 36th millennia.

+++

+ Major conflicts during the Nova Terra Interregnum +

Stygies VII Skitarii engaging Orks of the Serpent's Eye Nebula during the early stages of the Uralon Campaign

• Moirae Purges [154.M35–982.M35]
• Xang-Zao Belt War [287.M35–293.M35] Asteroid mining clans in the Xang-Zao system refuse to send contractual tithes to Stygies and choose independent self governance, throwing off the yoke of Imperial rule. They also rebuff representatives of the Ur-Council in a bold but foolish move. Three separate forces: a Terran Imperial task force, an Ur-Separatist force, and a reclamation force from Stygies each converge on the Xang-Zao system. The Terran and Ur-Separatists each seek to secure the system for their respective leaders. The Stygian forces remain aloof and neutral, working to their own agenda. While the Xang-Zao Clans, the Terrans and the Ur-Separatists engage in a long costly war over a six year period, the Stygian forces slowly secure key processing and mining facilities along with the primary transfer docks. Eventually the rebel clans are eliminated, the Terran and Ur-Separatist forces end up with a bloody stalemate and leave the system to lick their wounds. The Stygian Priesthood become powerbrokers in the system and reorganise the remaining clans, assigning seized assets and creating stronger ties between them and Stygies. Just after the war, the clans discover one of the largest mineral rich asteroids has been cracked in two revealing a vast void and a series of carved tunnels in its interior. No explanation is forthcoming from Stygies, but the clans are quickly distracted by the the easy access to the vast untouched mineral deposits within. 
• The Uralon Scourging [442.M35]  An ork expeditionary force led by Arch-Krumper Ghaznob Wurrgob captures the mining world of Uralon. Attempts to retake the world by forces from Stygies and supporting Nova Terran Army regiments prove futile due to the size of the ork horde planetside, and the vast network of mining tunnels they have occupied. Magos Gharrus Skorn decides to cut his losses and orders the remaining ork void ships to be hunted down and the remains used to bombard the planet, along with all the ordnance the Imperial ships can dispense. After a month-long bombardment the surface of Uralon is turned into a hellscape of blasted rock, magma flows and ash laden superstorms. The dense poisonous particulates in the atmosphere cover the planet in perpetual darkness for centuries to come.
• The Galatex Extraction [714.M35] [+REDACTED auth: Unfortunus Veck+]

+++

+ Post Script +

Thought for the day: It is not in my mind to ask questions that cannot be answered. That is the soul standing upon the crossroad of vacillation. You search for wisdom, but achieve only a stasis of will.

The Stygian Priesthood stand as an excellent example of the multi-faceted nature of the Nova Terra Interregnum: it is not enough simply to label an system as loyal or secessionist; any more than a man may be stamped indelibly good or evil. All amongst the Inquisition must recognise this. Just as the human soul admits merely of degrees of guilt; so with the loyalty of a system, we must remember that heresy takes root in even the most well-tended soil. 

I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.

+ inload: Anatomy of the Enemy II: Janii [Guestpost by K0rdhai] +

+ Anatomy of the Enemy II: Janii +

+ I'm delighted to be able to exhibit a Janii on display today – one example of the weird and varied xenos encountered during the Alien Wars. +

+ This fantastic model was built and painted by Nicholas Tredidgo, who goes by the handle K0rdhal on Instagram. Check out K0rdhal's instagram here [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] for some more strikingly imaginative and well-realised conversions, from Imperial Knights to daemon kings. +

+ He says 'if people want to make their own Janii, I would certainly encourage them and not be worried about stepping on my toes!' and I must confess to being keen to give one of these blue-skinned aliens a go myself. Perhaps I'll be able to get K0rdhal to give us a run-down of the build , and some notes on the great paintjob at some point in the future. +

+ In the meantime, thanks again for your wonderful contribution to the Alien Wars; now over to the meat of the inload. All of the good bits of the background text below are also his – you can blame the rest on me! +

+++

Betrayal is only a consideration, if one considers the betrayed an equal.

Inquisitor Willem Svrost, Ordo Xenos

+ First contact +

Aboriginal inhabitants of the southern reaches of what would later become the Segmentum Pacificus, the Janii are a xenos species that extended a long-lasting and relatively stable empire over more than a hundred star systems in the pre-Imperial era.

Imperial records are silent on the supposed first contact event, but second-hand copies of the xenos' own notoriously hard-to-decipher accounts (necessarily incomplete owing to their peculiar means of recording information) imply that the species has been in intermittent contact with isolated branches of humanity for thousands of years; the chronology dating well back into the Dark Ages of Technology.

+ Janii biology +

Physically intimidating, a typical bull is sturdy and robust, standing roughly eight foot to the shoulder. The Janii demonstrate bilateral symmetry; with a form of duplicated bicephaly that gives them a distinctive head shape, with what appears to human eyes as two distinct faces. Unsurprisingly, this gave rise to numerous unflattering slang terms amongst Imperial Guard and Navy forces: 'Bicos' and 'twinfreaks' to list two of the less obscene.

The 'brain' of a Janii is likewise partially divided, with a mutually shared section. This peculiar evolutionary trait is noted to have been common on the species' homeworld; and seems to have evolved as a survival trait that allowed individuals to rest while remaining partially alert – somewhat akin to the Astartes' catalepsean node. The organ is otherwise dissimilar to human brains, being a coral-like structure that extends throughout the creatures' hump.

The creatures' skin is typically loose, dry and smooth, dotted throughout with cuprous chromatophores that give it a bluish hue. In a healthy specimen, these are capable of emitting a faint bio-luminescence. 

The species is three-gendered, but the bull, kine and carriers are outwardly very similar in structure, making sileraioi courtship a subtle and complex affair that they never discuss openly.

Sileraioi evolved to breathe an almost inert 'air' of nitrogen, neon and other noble gasses, and fare poorly in human-tolerant envrionments. It is for this reason that they exclusively prefer orbital habitats or hermetic cities on planetary surfaces, where environments can be tailored to their specific needs.

+ Janii linguistics +

The Janii language is a considerable challenge for xeno-linguists to master, requiring significant study and augmetic modification. This is down to it consisting of two different ‘words’ spoken simultaneously, one by each ‘mouth’. Translation is possible but is convoluted to all but the most seasoned linguists.

As an illustration, the statement 'I am pleased to speak to you', would be vocalised as:

/Iemphasiser/ /amspeak/ /emphasiserpleased/ /toto/ /youclarifier/

The bracketed linguistic components are split evenly between mouths; alternating between the provision of syntactic operators; and quantifiers; with any non-paired elements being accompanied with coos and grunts from the 'off-mouth' to provide emphasis, direction or clarification. The effect is a bewildering stream of noise, with no gaps or pauses within statements. 

The Janii themselves are capable of speaking various Low Gothic dialects, though with considerable difficulty, often lapsing into their native mode of speaking and using two words simultaneously, leading to much confusion. Of particular interest to Inquisitorial-clearance readers: Janii have been encountered speaking proto-gothic languages, indicative of their encounters with Pre-Imperial Humanity.

+ Nomenclature +

Members of the species refer to themselves as /Varak-Koi/, meaning 'the people of two mouths/tongues'. However, the term Janii is a linguistic gloss used by the species to refer to its members during contact with humans and similar single-voiced groups.

Despite the potential for offence, many xenobiologists continue to use janii and sileraioi almost interchangeably; the latter term being more familiar to the Imperium owing to the events leading up to the Alien Wars. Xenolinguists make it clear that the use of sileraioi is rude to the point of insulting in a face-to-faces meeting, as the term applies specifically to a mercenary combat clade of the broader Janii Dominion. Seemingly of loose cultural morals, sileraioi translates loosely as 'those with small/stunted heads, whose tongues speak falsehood'.

+ Sileraioi technology +

A Sileraioi ground combat form is typically armoured in a robust carapace of hard plates incorporated into a thick rubber-like suit that provides excellent protection from ballistics, and limited atmospheric protection. Sileraioi are extremely vulnerable to radiation – likely a result of their homeworld's dim sun – and any exposed skin is routinely slathered in an unctuous lotion to protect them.

Portable charging plate for the microwave beam emitter

The crew of their void-vessels are up-armoured elites, whose suits are enclosing and allow them to fight in airless environments. During the height of the Alien wars, the majority of Janii forces encountered were wielding a mixture of microwave beams and more esoteric weaponry including electron displacers and the feared implosion lance. Since the losses of the Dominion's major industrial zones, Janii forces are now reliant on the more basic microwave beam emitters, though some capability to produce the more advanced weapon types, or substantial stored caches, remain.

The military as a whole is divided into several clades, each representing a sub-category of warfare such as naval, ground, or void combat, as well as other minor specialisms. Janii military as a whole is commonly referred to as the Lochos, which translates 'Those who speak of/bring death'. An exception to this structure are the Sileraioi, who ply their trade as mercenaries, and thus encompass all the clade specialisations. Though not well regarded in Janii society, their ultimate loyalty still lies to the Dominion. They are occasionally encountered today.

+ Rise and fall of a Dominion +

The Sileraioi's supposed homeworld is a dim and rocky moon that orbits a promethium-rich gas giant, itself slowly travelling around a dim brown star. The moon certainly once harboured a diverse web of life. It has since been terraformed and has been colonised as the Imperial Feral world of Dis.

The species achieved space flight sometime during the Dark Age of Technology, and expanded its holdings rimwards; seeking out the dimmest stars near the south-western halo regions. Preferring to seed gas giants with orbitals than land on rocky worlds – perhaps due to cultural taboos – the species and humanity unknowingly expanded alongside one another for a long time; perhaps millennia, before an seemingly accidental meeting occurred.

Xeno-archaeological remains of Janii Float-orbitals, recovered from the gravitic wells of gas giants in systems bordering the Veiled Region, indicate that at the height of the power the Janii Dominion encompassed approximately seven hundred systems. This zenith roughly falls in the centuries preceding the emergence of Old Night. Technological remains, and documents translated from this time indicate the Janii had large-scale atmospheric-manipulation capability and the resources to manufacture stellar megastructures (see Magos Kaive's seminal Treatise on the Ring Worlds of the Neiven Zone for further information).

The Sileraioi Dominion's high point saw it extend in a roughly L-shaped region of space that – owing to its lack of M-class stars and isolation – was of relatively little interest to many other star-faring species, humanity included. This undoubtedly contributed to its hidden expansion over the course of millennia.

Information on the pre-historical branch of humanity that the Janii claim contact with is infuriatingly vague; but it appears that the humans and Janii reached a non-aggression pact after some limited wars and border skirmishing. Janii envoys have even claimed that the two species worked together in a number of campaigns to combat ork and krell encroachment, but this is today regarded as black propaganda by the Imperium. In any case, the human empire died out during Old Night, leaving only tantalisingly vague hints as to its fate.

+ Old Night +

What little has been gleaned of the species' own pre-Imperial history, suggests that the Janii Dominion was reduced to their ancestral holdings in the veiled region of the Galactic East (an area known to Imperial Cartographers as the Shrouded Marche) during the Age of Strife – though whether this was a voluntary retreat or the result of emergent threats similar to those facing humanity at the time is unknown. A small but influential number of scholars have tentatively advanced the theory that the reduction in the Janii's holdings owed to cultural shock at seeing their allies brought to their knees. Best translation of the Janii's convoluted records suggests the species called this period 'A Retreat into the Mists'.

Best estimates of the Dominion’s holdings are estimated to shrunk to fewer than fifty star systems at this point, remaining this way until the Great Crusade was underway.

+ The Great Crusade +

The species became known to the Imperium in the closing years of the Great Crusade – or 'The Age of Reclamation' to the Janii – although no large-scale xenocidal campaigns, or even contact, are on record. It is possible that this is because the species met with one of the Traitor Legions – and thus the records have been redacted – but it is more likely that the cobweb-thin nature of intergalactic empire meant that the Expeditionary Fleets, treating the dim brown stars that the Janii favoured as low-priority, found only ancient cultural 'footprints' and dismissed the then-thriving species as another example of an extinct civilisation. 

Evidence subsequently gathered indicates the Janii Dominion expanded in the wake of the Expeditionary Fleets, seemingly taking advantage of Imperial momentum during the Great Crusade and claiming more of their favoured systems, while fortifying their core worlds. This process was presumably only facilitated by the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, as distant frontiers like the Halo zones became all but abandoned as large Imperial forces redeployed, and piracy and xenos attacks increased almost inevitably.

Records of this era are patchy, but a number of xenoarchaeologists now agree that a species fitting the description of the Sileraioi intervened to fight alongside bemused human forces in at least two separate occasions during this period. It is possible that the species supplied assistance in other instances; but less successfully in those campaigns.

+ The Nova Terra Interregnum +

'Why do allies of old raise gun and blade against us Janii? Do you not remember when we strode the stars together? We come palm outstretched and are greeted with the fist...'

– final recorded transmission of Janii envoy ship The Mouths of Reason. Suppressed by the Inquisition.

Little appears of the Janii explicitly in Imperial records for the following millennia, though a number of isolated mercenary forces and Rogue Trader's reports hint at the species' continuing presence in the region. 

The outbreak of the Nova Terra Interregnum saw the border beween Segmenta Pacificus and Tempestus become highly militarised and contested, and this would ultimately come to spell doom for the hitherto overlooked Janii Dominion.

Records of the time are understandably garbled and – to be charitable – lacking in fair balance. What is known for certain is that the Sileraioi attacked and destroyed a border world known as Xanadu. The most complete account is given by the Lexicographer Hilde, an adjutant to the Ur-Council of Nova Terra, who confidently recorded:

Takin[g advantage of wh]at they mistakenly presumed was a period of relative stability for the Imperium, the Janii despatched an envoy ship to the Terran-controlled system of Xanadu. Upon translating from the warp, records indicate that the envoy ship was fired upon and destroyed by system defence pickets under orders from the notoriously xenophobic Abbot of the Burning Mount.

[APPENDNOTE: Hilde's writing is sometimes taken as evidence that the Janii were well aware of Imperial turmoil during the Nova Terra Interregnum; but most other sources suggest the Janii were unaware of the Imperium as a political entity. Surviving Janii transmissions were always addressed to unknown governments or organisations, never mentioning the conflicting opinions and claims of Terra or Constantium. Perhaps this was sheer naïvite on the xenos' part; or perhaps evidence of slyly diplomatic circumspection.]

This ‘misunderstanding’ resulted in the Xanadu Conflagration; wherein Janii Combat Clades and supporting Silearioi ele[ments(?) translated in-system several(?)] months later, laying siege to the Monastery of the Burning Mount on Xanadu. Despite brave effort by the attendant Frateris Templar and its picket defence ships, the world was put to the torch by the incensed Janii, and the Monastery itself levelled by repeated antimatter bombardment. The loss of such a prominent Temple world, including several hundred precious relics, earned the Janii the ire of the Ecclesiarchy, who petitioned several Space Marine chapters to hunt down and engage the Janii defi[...]

A section of Hilde's record has been lost to the ages here, but it picks up later. Her bias against the Old Terrans is notably absent from any references to the Astartes:

[T]he [Janii fleet which] had stayed to examine the ruins of Xanadu, was caught off guard by the rapid arrival of the vanguard of the Astartes force, primarily consisting of elements of the Silver Gua[rds a]nd Void Revenants, was devastated and forced to make a fighting retreat back towards Dominion territory.

Despite this, several Lochos offered their services to the forces of Nova Terra throughout the Interregnum. Always using the same broken and garbled proto-gothic phrase , 'In defence of the long [indecipherable] summer-men'. How many Admirals and Forces took them up on this offer is a mystery lost to the ages. 

Reports of Janii disc-cruisers, and a single super capital ship (tentatively designated Timingila) are recorded as aiding the Nova Terran forces at the Battle of Mieville, lend credence to the theories that the pragmatic Nova Terra did make use of Janii forces. 

This was taken as evidence by recordists and iterators on both sides of the divided Imperium; with demagogues, priests and munitorum agents on both sides variously claiming the others as tainted, xenos-loving monsters; or claiming that the friendly use of xenos mercenaries proved the righteousness of their side, as even xenos stood against the rival Imperial faction. 

What is clear from this is that both the High Lords' and Ur-Council's advisors were engaged in a vicious propaganda war; simultaneously willing to employ Janii/Sileraioi mercenaries, while condemning their employ by the other faction. What the Janii made of this is unknown; but the previously safe position of their Dominion was fatally undermined by the deployment of Astartes in response to the Xanadu Conflagration.

+ The Janii during the Alien Wars +

Belligerent identified as Janii species, Varden Drifts

Eventually the Janii found themselves caught between the hammer and anvil, their formerly isolated dominion becoming vital strategic territory to the Secessionists and Greater Imperials.

The Sileraioi's fleets found themselves fighting alongside ships of both sides, and suffering horrendous losses as ruthless human admirals pushed the xenos into positions of greatest danger.

The Janii found themselves once more in a hostile galaxy. Within a short number of years, the Janii broke off contact with humanity, and began a defensive war of their own.

Commentators on Hilde's later recordings generally take the vulgar view that the Janii's initial vacillating and unsure response to war owing to some inherent cultural unwillingness to attack unprovoked; or to confusion at strategic levels brought on by a crucial misunderstanding of the scale of events or interactions between the rival Imperial factions.

Similarly, Hilde gloatingly states that the Janii were 'Shocked by their old allies’ betrayal, and rampant [xenophobia]' after the Varden Drift campaign; but experience has taught us to beware the attribution of such human emotions when applying them to an alien species. In such cases, the truth will never be known for certain, as alien motivations and drives are just that: alien.

+++

Lo the summer men have turned to winter// bitter and cold.

No more do we dance//under the light of suns//revelling and joyful.

Instead the days and years// are soured//by the acrid taste of war.

-Final Janii transmission directed towards Imperial space. Delivered in High Gothic and intercepted by Void Revenant vessel Ire of Marduk, Late M35. 

Unfortunately for the Janii, their nature made them high-profile targets for Astartes fighting in the region, and they became the victims of a brutal xenocidal campaign headed by the Astartes of the Silver Guards, and supported by elements of four other Chapters.

Pict-capture of Void Revenant command staff confonting a Sileraioi Kine during one of the numerous breaching assaults of the Varden Drift campaign.

Despite a number of victories over the Astartes over the early period of the Alien Wars, Janii forces have consolidated back to their core-world regions in the Shrouded Marches. The Sileraioi, however, remain active throughout the region and have been recorded as taking action to support both Janii Dominion strikes and – perhaps surprisingly – Nova Terran forces.

Pursuing Astartes forces were unable to reach the core worlds, due to unusually electromagnetically unstable Nebula shrouding the region, which made navigation for the prowling Astartes vessels impossible. These storms left Janii vessels un-affected, and has been theorised as an artificial defence mechanism by some. Standing orders are for vigilance; and the situation of currently suits both Nova Terran and Terran interests, as the remnants of the Dominion provide an all-but-impassable anchorpoint of defence, making movement through the region of rival Imperial forces unlikely.

Current efforts to pierce the Shrouded Marches remain unsuccessful; and scout forces are routinely interdicted and driven off by Janii War Fleets. Contact occurs infrequently on Imperial Border Worlds, typically involving Mercenary Sileraioi, but occasionally with main Janii Battle Clades looking to reclaim orbitals or artifacts. Janii Battle Clades are typically outright hostile to human elements, and are more than capable of overwhelming Imperial border worlds. However typical Janii protocol seems to be the avoidance of all Imperial fleet traffic, particularly Astartes Vessels.

+++

+ Post Script +

In closing, it is my considered opinion that the Janii are an excellent example of how even a technologically advanced and successful species can find itself brought down by tolerance and naïvete in a few short years. 

Truly it is said: the rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal.

I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.