Plot
Plot
It is the dawn of the 42nd Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the champions of truth have fought a bitter war against the Corpse-God and his servants, the priests of the Adeptus Terra. Now their False Emperor is well and truly dead; the Golden Throne that has suspended his rotting corpse for all these long years has finally failed. The baleful glare of the Astronomican has been stilled forever and the dominion of Man is finally cracking. Already beset on all sides by terrible enemies and riven by internal strife the Imperium is weaker than it has even been. Warmaster Abaddon, heir to Blessed Horus, has launched a final massive Crusade against the Imperium of Man. He will burn Terra and cast down the idols of the Great Betrayer - or die trying, along with all his followers. The Wolftime. The Apocalypse. Ragnarok. The End Times. That time is now.
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To the galactic northwest, beyond the Eye of Terror, lies a backwater area comprised of about a dozen or so sectors of varying size. Among those of importance are the Finial, Scarus, Ixaniad and Calixis sectors. Beyond this region lies only the uncharted depths of the Koronus Expanse - and the Halo Stars. Despite the backwater status of the region it does hold some strategic significance - conquering the region would secure the flank of the Crusade.
To effect the conquest of the key Finial sector Abaddon's strategists assigned a small but potent force led by a trusted Black Legion commander and his cadre of Astartes. Following a great deal of initial success the First Reaving of Finial was lured into a trap and subjected to a massive coordinated Imperial counterattack. The First Reaving was wiped out almost to the last man - only a handful of ships and a few hundred thousand reavers made it back, less that one hundredth of the initial force.
The Second Reaving of Finial fared not much better. Having secured the aid of the Death Guard Legion Abaddon was able to send a fleet of five thousand ships and one hundred fifty million troops against Finial, including no less than three entire Chapters of Death Guard, more than 3.000 Marines and 50.000 Neophytes all told. The World Eaters sent another Chapter. It should have been more than sufficient, but instead the Death Guard became embroiled in a bitter war of attrition - one that not even the vast numbers of the reaving could win. Slowly the reaving was ground to pieces - for every million Chaos troops or renegades the Imperium would field one million guardsmen and 10 million militia. For every Chapter of Legionnaires there would be three Successor Chapters to opposed it. Even against Marines of thinner blood and weaker will the Legionnaires could not triumph with such poor odds.
Now a third reaving is mustering above the broken Sky-Cities of Bokiba-Bapas, the capital of the outlying Finial sub-sector of the same name. It is an altogether different kind of force. More like a coalition of the willing (and quite a few the unwilling - men, women and children from newly liberated systems that haven't seen the Truth yet). Larger than both the previous reavings combined the Third Reaving will surely break the battered defenders of Finial, the sweep across the rest of the region and return to the Eye to receive the accolade of their peers!
06/05/13 06:40:00 pm, 21 comments
Comment from: tancred
The game begins, literally, in the skies above Bokiba-Bapas. The powers-that-be gather upon the remaining sky-city to engage in a pissing contest that will determine the chain of command, overall strategy, that sort of thing.
The Bringer of Faith lies in orbit, not too far away to respond to signals, but not so close as to be in an awkward positions should enemies approach.
Castor and his retinue will be on the sky-city. Presumably so will Uriel.
05/11/12 @ 22:13
Comment from: tancred
Asmodeus of the Black Legion has been elected leader of the 3rd Reaving. Under his guidance the forces of freedom have taken the initiative and begun inflicting real damage on the Imperials. After six months Asmodeus has pushed deep into the heart of Finial sector along a broad front, secuing his rear and flanks to avoid a repeat of the 1st Reaving. But it has been costly - the Imperials give ground slowly and fight back with the same tenacity and skill that ground the 2nd Reaving into oblivion.
05/30/12 @ 08:55
Comment from: tancred
Lesser fleets and raiders find that the Finial sector offers a lot of opportunities during the 3rd Reaving. To be able to halt Asmodeus the Imperial high command has made some tough choices and stripped unimportant systemt and outlying regions of naval assets. Calls for aid are also largely ignored for those unfortunate to come under attack - there are reports of whole systems being murdered while the Navy lies quietly at anchor just a short warp journey away. Such is the cruelty of the Slaves of Terra.
One such raiding force is commanded by Castor of the Word Bearers. The force he commands is not large, but his successes are many. Worlds burned or liberated, ships destroyed or taken as prizes. His victory over the Tigers Argent becomes known throughout the reaver fleet, greatly enhancing his infamy.
05/30/12 @ 09:05
Comment from: tancred
Twelve months into the Reaving, with the sector capital of Amelar seemingly within striking distance, Asmodeus calls for a change of strategy: The general advance will stop and the Reavers will dig in along the front. Rear areas will be secured, flanks with be reinforced. The initiative will be retained using lesser task forces to strike at priority targets, but by and large the strategy is now one of consolidation. Imperial systems are to be captured and their populations put to work. The same goes for shipping. In particular large warp-capable transports are to be taken and put to use.
There are those that do not agree with Asmodeus' change of plans. There is a very brutal reckoning during which Asmodeus unleashes his Black Guard and hordes of daemons against those that do not bend to his will.
05/30/12 @ 09:12
Comment from: tancred
Plunging ever deep into the Finial sector Castor's tiny fleet reaches the outskirts of the Calixis sector. He has gone deeper than any other raiders - this is virgin territory. Which means great challenges, but also potentially great rewards. Over the course of the next six months Castor establishes a hidden base, summons his allies to him and conduct a deep scouting mission into the Calixis sector.
He finds a sector that is vast in terms of size, but small in terms of Imperial-held worlds. It seems ideal for raiding. He also finds a sector untouched by the war, but highly organized and ready for trouble.
And then there is Scintilla: The Reaving's astropaths, navigators and sorcerers have for some time now reported seeing a pale light in the Warp, something akin to the hated Astronomican. Not it's confirmed that Scintilla is its source - it gets stronger the deeper one gets into Calixis. What devilry is this?
05/30/12 @ 09:22
Comment from: tancred
Lorgar's great plan:
The Primarch of the Word Bearers has not, contrary to popular belief, been holed up in his sanctuary on Sicarus writing the Word for all these years. He's been doing that too, but his writings have been inspired by his travels.
As the Primarch puts it: It was through a pilgrimage the truth was revealed. And so Lorgar, ever seeking the truth, has continued on the most epic of all odysseys - a 10.000 year long trip across the galaxy, exploring all aspects of faith and the gods.
For some time now Lorgar has been convinced that the Emperor will be reborn. Eventually the Golden throne will fail and his spirit will soar free from his deathless prison. But a being so great does not simply vanish - he's a false god, but a mighty entity nonetheless. His spirit will seek rebirth. And when that happens Lorgar will be there to meet him and teach him the Word (much like Kor Phaeron taught Lorgar back in the day).
If this can be done the Emperor will become the Prophet - the greatest bearer of the word there ever was. With his power all that hear the Word will accept it and cast aside their false gods and embrace Chaos. When that happens humanity will transcend its limitations and become as one with the Word.
To this end Lorgar has sent trusted envoys, scouts and warriors out into the galaxy to find the Emperor reborn and bring him before his teacher. Such is the Word and Will of Lorgar.
07/23/12 @ 22:31
Comment from: tancred
More than a Terran year has passed since the Apostle Castor Rebelius Xandor joined the Reaving back on Bokiba-Bapas - and yet more months have passed since Abaddon first released Asmodeus upon the Finial sector.
A year as mortals count the days...and in that time...more than a thousand lightyears traveled, a dozen worlds burned, millions put to the sword, and the Powers only know how many converts made. All that in just a year.
All that - and a tiny little deal that with one fell blow made Castor the Apostle not only of a small rag-tag band of crusaders, but the anointed leader of the 10th Host. Not bad for an upstart like Xandor...
05/08/13 @ 19:25
Comment from: tancred
Castor is a man with a plan - more so now than ever before. He has, after all, been given mission by his Primarch. Not many Space Marines can resit the siren call of their genetic sire...
Fortunately for the 10th Castor has a bit of tactical and strategic sense...at times he's more Ultramarine than Word Bearer...or so wicked tongues claim behind his back...but right here, right now that is only good. No amount of zeal and faith will allow a meager Chapter of Marines and the scant fleet of auxiliaries to take down a well-defended Imperial sector.
Castor knows this and he knows there are worse things than waiting - failure for example. Failure is infinitely worse than waiting...
05/08/13 @ 21:27
Comment from: agenthaxtes
Yes it is true that in the service of the living Primarch Lorgnar failure is not recommended, this may seem strange to the servants of the corps emperor who seem to live of there own failures.
05/08/13 @ 21:31
Comment from: tancred
There are those within the 10th Host that favors pushing forward. One strike to end the war - a lightning bolt aimed right at the heart of Calixis, a strike that will burn away whatever foulness awaits there.
Little do they understand of what you face: A brilliant war-master that seems more than capable of holding his own against you...a fragment of the greatest man than ever lived. Yes, little do they understand.
They also like to ignore the simple fact that you are all alone in the dark. Hundreds of light years and several Imperium-held sub-sectors away from the rest of the Reaving. There is no support, no backup, no supplies - nothing but what you plunder or make for yourselves (it's a figure of speech; maybe Uriel and his cronies manage to smuggle through a little, but not enough to go around - so the point is valid).
If you launch yourselves at Scintilla now you'll burn out like a shooting star and that will be the end of it. And that is not the end the Powers have in store for Castor!
05/08/13 @ 21:36
Comment from: agenthaxtes
There are "those" in the host that need to attend mass and contemplate the meaning of our saying of " By Your Word My Apostle" if that fails to Illuminate them then the next step is to carve those words into the eyeballs of "those " so that they will always see them, understand there place and never question the Word and he who speaks them for the Host gain.
05/08/13 @ 21:42
Comment from: castor
This is a sermon of light in celebration of the true words of the living primarch Lorgnar.
05/08/13 @ 22:03
Comment from: tancred
Meanwhile in the larger galaxy, as brought to you by the interrogation of Imperial prisoners, rumors, Council reports and the whispers of the Warp:
Abaddon is pushing ever deeper into the Segmentum Solar. He is the spear of vengeance and liberation, aimed at the rotten heart of the Imperium. Victories are numerous and grand. There are few news of setbacks and defeats. It sounds entirely too good to be true; that the Crusade grinds forward you can believe, but not that it's all easy victories.
Much of Segmentum Obscurus has been overrun, but large swathes (such as Finial and adjacent sectors) are still holding out. Being the most heavily fortified part of the Imperium makes it rather less attractive as a target for raiders and reavers, despite it's proximity to the Eye. At any rate it is hardly the ultimate prize - Earth is - so you should not expect there to be much in the way of significant reinforcements for the Reaving.
The Thousand Sons have finally cracked the Fang and had their vengeance on the Space Wolves. The cost has been great however. Only a handful of Astartes remain under the command of Ahriman. Of Magnus the Red the tales differ - some claim he has been slain (as if such a thing is possible!) or banished into the Warp (either by the Wolves or his own servants, you take your pick).
05/20/13 @ 08:57
Comment from: tancred
Segmentum Pacificus is far away, beyond the Segmentum Solar even and not important to you in any way...but it is with some degree of glee you hear of Imperials fighting Imperials and chaos cults growing unchecked while corrupt bureaucrats do what they do best - lining their own pockets with worthless trinkets.
In equally distant Segmentum Tempestus they say that a new leader has emerged. Central authority is holding and there is little to be happy about. Fortunately this is a region badly ravaged by other enemies - tyranid hive fleets and other dark things from the void.
And from the Ultimata Segmentum? Nothing at all; but this region of the galaxy was only lightly held by the Imperium in the first place. It a poor, distant and forlorn segmentum. Leave it to the xenos, the rogue humans and the Ultramarines.
05/20/13 @ 09:08
Comment from: tancred
In the sixth year of the 3rd Reaving, after years of consolidation, Asmodeus is finally pushing steadily forward, systematically demolishing Finial, system by system, sub-sector by sub-sector. At this rate the entire sector should fall in less than a decade. Slow by some standards perhaps, but when compared to the two previous failure is a great success.
Further out in the dark reaches of the Calixis sector the 10th and 34th Hosts of the Word Bearers, plus a sizable detachment of Death Guards, are scouting in force...and that's when the enemy rears it's ugly head again. Were it not for the heroic actions of the 10th Host...every ship and marine would have been lost, the forward base demolished and the Imperials of Calixis would have joined forces with those of Finial. perhaps shifting the balance of power sufficiently to turn Asmodeus back...
06/19/13 @ 20:52
Comment from: tancred
The return of Lorgar:
Who was the man in the golden armour that Castor fought with aboard the Imperial Battlecruiser Rapturos Est?
He certainly looked, sounded and felt like Horus (save for his very Emperor-like terminator armour). He also claimed to be Horus. And he fought with more skill than anything Castor had ever crossed Crozius with - man, xenos or daemon.
But how can he be Horus? The Black Legion (and many others over the millennia) have tried so had to bring him back, without any hint of success. So why now? And how did he come to be an Imperial commander?
It makes little sense. Perhaps the Word has a solution.
06/19/13 @ 20:57
Comment from: tancred
Chapter 2 ends with:
Asmodeus doing reasonably well (or actually incredibly well given his resources - much like the 10th in fact, only on a larger scale).
The 10th have saved the 34th, but both hosts have taken a beating...so the 10th is pretty much back to where it was before...in orbit over Diamantina, short on Astartes and with a battered fleet. But given time it will recover, bigger, stronger and meaner than before!
Meanwhile the Death Guard have gone into Calixis in force, presumably looking for the same stuff Sgt. Adrotos is looking for...
06/19/13 @ 21:01
Comment from: castor
Castor take on it that IF it was Horus, HE would have no need to keep saying who he was, we would know :-)
Or its a loyal primarch; there are those lost in time.
Or its a bloody powerful fighter, fueled by psy might, claiming ancient heritage to unman his opponents.
Time and the word will tell.
06/19/13 @ 21:01
Comment from: castor
The 10th has a good recovery plan, and will keep working on that.
06/19/13 @ 21:03
Comment from: tancred
If the Word Bearers really knew the truth they wouldn't have to nag about it all the time...same logic :D
06/19/13 @ 21:17