816.M41 First Assassination of Lord Sector Hax: Death Cult Assassins of the Astral Knives strike at Lord Sector Hax, stabbing him a total of one hundred and fifteen times before they are killed by security forces. Lord Hax survives and undergoes extensive rehabilitation.

819.M41 Second Assassination of Lord Sector Hax: Lord Sector Hax' space yacht is attacked by a powerful warhead while approaching Scintilla; Lord Hax is found badly injured but alive at the crash site.

823.M41 Third Assassination of Lord Sector Hax: A virulent nano-virus of ancient origin is released into Scintilla's governmental palace, killing more than 100.000 people. Lord Hax is mortally injured but survives with Adeptus Mechanicus aid.

824.M41 The Examination of Solkarn Senk: The wanted heretic Solkarn Senk turns himself in at the Tricorn Palace. The following Examination finds him free of taint and innocent of heresy – his confessions are handed over to the Arbites who prosecute him for mundane crimes too numerous to mention. Senk is convicted and sentenced to death, but is pardoned by Lord Sector Hax.

833.M41 VINCULUS CRUSADE: The Vinculus Crusade was declared against the assassin-cult warriors of the Peleregon cluster. Black Templars under the command of High Marshal Ludoldus consented to fight alongside the warriors of of Inquisitor Vinculus.

844.M41 The Scourge of Luggnam: The seeds of corruption sown by Lady Sinderfell bloom, throwing Luggnam into bloody chaos. Unlike the last time the insurrection is not limited to a single mine complex, but rather spreads like an epidemic to plague the entire world.

848.M41 The Luggnam Inquiry: Three Inquisitors are brought before their peers to answer charges of criminal neglect with regards to the Luggnam incident. There is an incident during the proceedings, and the Inquiry is closed. All documentation is classified Dark Omega.

867.M41 Tyrant Star Appears: The failing frontier world of Calistra suffers a visitation of the Tyrant Star. There is initial confusion and chaos, threatening to spread to nearby worlds. The timely intervention of the Tyrantine Cabal reverses the situation, turning Calistra into a model colony (albeit with a somewhat reduced population).

888.M41 CRUSADE OF WRATH – BLACK TEMPLARS DEFEAT WORD BEARERS

899.M41 Kao-li Quarantine: The entire system containing the minor imperial Kao-li is quarantined by order of the Ordo Xenos. A joint Calixis-Ixaniad fleet is deployed to the area.

901-912.M41 BADAB WAR – CAMPAING TO BRING THE RENEGADE ASTRAL CLAWS CHAPTER TO JUSTICE

937.M41 Slaught presence revealed: The alien species known as the slaught are determined to have been involved in destabilizing the minor Malfian worlds of Kuluth and Facrast, causing them to become embroiled in an ever-deepening spiral of strife. The Ordo Xenos dispatches additional Inquisitors to the area.

941-942.M41 THE SECOND WAR FOR ARMAGEDDON – GHAZGHKULL DFEATED

950.M41 Eldar Threat Rating upgraded to Majoris: Increased Eldar activity in Calixis sector over the course of the last century causes the Ordo Xenos to upgrade the threat rating of these insidious Xenos.

962.M42 Genetech purges: The Ordo Hereticus Calixis cooperates with its Ixaniad, Scarus and Finial counterparts in dealing with the illegal bioroid trade that has its roots deep in Ixaniad society.

973.M41 Protasian Declaration of Independence: The world of Protasia declares itself independent of the Malfian sub-sector, petitioning Terra to be returned to the Duusus Marches.

980.M41 Xeiros Prime incident: The agri-world of Xerios prime emerges from a decades long warp-induced isolation. Malleus investigation reveal breakdown of Imperial authority, with rogue psykers and worse roaming freely. Exterminatus is declared and the planet bombarded by viral warheads. Post-delivery analysis suggests that the majority of inhabitant have survived. The planet is placed under 'viral quarantine' until a more permanent solution can be divined.

991.M41 Chaos Renegades confirmed on Tranch: The Ordon Malleus releases a report confirming the presence of Renegades on Tranch, including one Captain Daedalus of the Night Lords. It is believed that the Renegades are behind the latest resurgence of violence on Tranch.

993.M41 THE SECOND TYRANIC WAR ENDS – HIVE FLEET KRAVEN HALTED AT ICHAR IV

993.M41 Sepheris Secundus Witch-war: Heretics attack Inquisition holding facilities, releasing thousands of psykers await transfer to the Black Ships. Despite the efforts of the Inquisition rogue psykers continue to cause problems for many years.

996.M41 The Veiled Hand declared Heretical: The assassin clan known as the Veiled Hand is declared heretical after Inquisition investigations reveal it to be a death cult engaged in worship of a forbidden xeno deity. A coordinated raid by the Ordo Xenos destroys the main monastery on Malfi and lesser holdouts elsewhere.

996.M41 CURRENT YEAR

DATE STAMP 40K STANDARD / DARK HERESY

M30-M31 THE GREAT CRUSADE

EARLY M31 THE HORUS HERESY

M31-M32 THE AGE OF REBIRTH: The Imperium rises from the ashes of the Horus heresy under the direction of the High Lords of Terra.

M32-M34 THE FORGING: The Golden Age of the Imperium as the high lords of Terra continue the Emperor's holy work of uniting the galaxy.

M34-M35 THE NOVA TERRA INTERREGNUM: The Imperium is divided for nine centuries as Nova Terra, and most of Segmentum Pacificus with it, rejects the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy and the rule of the High Lords of Terra.

100-600.M36 THE AGE OF APOSTASY

228.M36 THE WAR OF ASSASSINS

378.M36 THE REIGN OF BLOOD ENDS IN THE DEATH OF GOGE VANDIRE

395.M36 The Haarlock Charter: The granting of the Haarlock Great Charter by Sebastian Thor to the Free Captain Mordercai Haarlock for his service against the apostate fleets of the Frateris Templar.

723-736.M36 The Great Voyage: Solomon Haarlock’s fleet undertakes a perilous thirteen-year voyage and charts a volume of space beyond the Imperium’s borders he dubs the “Calyx Expanse” finding several xenos domains, substantial mineral resources, several stable warp channels and scattered human populated worlds of unknown providence. He also notes several worlds that he deems to mark out the territory, of a long dead greater civilisation, aeons old, and names their former realms a “Chalice of Great and Ancient Wickedness”. He notes the area for its entry in the Cartographia Universalis as rich in “Souls, Plunder, Wealth and Things Best Left Undisturbed”, and a region that could be added to the Imperium but only purchased with a “Great Effusion of Blood.”

M37 THE AGE OF REDEMPTION: The Imperium tries to cleans itself of past sins in an orgy of death and destruction.

133.M37 The World of Sinophia Founded: As the Granted Personal Fiefdom of the Rogue Trader Teresa Sinos at the end of her voyages. The planet is situated beyond the edge of the Scarus Sector and rapidly becomes a staging post for expeditions into the Calyx Expanse and the Halo Stars.

M37-M39 The Age of Plunder: The stories brought back from the Calyx Expanse of wealth, xenos artefacts and life sustaining worlds draw numerous Free Captains, Rogue Traders and renegades to the region from across the Scarus and Ixaniad Sectors. Darker tales surface as well of inhuman empires, horrific xenos “Mind Eaters”, warp worshiping savages who were once men, the dark perils of the limitless “Abyss of Ha’az’Roth” and of a baleful black star that presages disaster. But enough plunder flows to keep a steady stream of adventurers, rogues and Explorators entering the expanse, many never return.

M38-M40 THE WANING: A trying time for the Imperium as its military resources are exhausted and enemies new and old attack from within and without.

290-299.M38 THE ALTID CRUSADE

Mid. M38 The Meratis Settlement: Isolationist voider families fleeing persecution in the dynastic wars of the Ixaniad Sector settle the Meratis Cluster in the stellar dead zone between the abyss and their former home. In time their numbers are swollen by human renegades, outlaws and worse, forming the Meratech Clans.

Late. M38 THE 23RD SPACE MARINE FOUNDING: Green Knights Chapter Created.

038.M39 THE MOONS OF YMGRL CLEANSED OF GENESTEALERS

322.M39 The Angevin Crusade Begins: Preator Golgenna Angevin, a powerful noble from the Terran Court is raised to the rank of Lord Militant and granted a writ from the High Lords to persecute a crusade to liberate and dominate the area of space designated as the Calyx Expanse. His crusade forces drawn principally from the Segmentum Solar numbering over seventeen million levied troops divided into four battle groups and a strategic reserve, re-enforced by elements of the Legios Venator and Magna, as well as the Black Templars, Tigers Argent, Sons of Medusa and Charnel Guard Chapters of Adeptus Astartes and a significant naval deployment from the battlefleets Solar and Obscurus. While a score of Rogue Trader and Explorator fleets range ahead of the main forces identifying targets and providing active reconnaissance in this dangerous region of space. Swelling the forces already vast ranks are tens of thousands of “pauper warriors” whipped up into a frenzy of holy zeal by the Ecclesiarchy and the passing of the crusade fleets and innumerable petty hangers-on, opportunists and logistical transports, with supply trains leading back whole sectors away from the font. Using the well established frontier world of Sinophia as its forward staging post and marker, the crusade’s main thrust in launched like an armoured fist into the heart of the Calyx Expanse across the Periphery in a two pronged assault into the regions heading towards two prominent systems where Rogue Traders have long established pro-Imperial human contact; Malfi and Solomon.

341-545.M39 The Reaping of the Emperor’s Wrath: Having strongly established and fortified two salients of conquered territory into the Calyx Expanse, with their domains now anchored on the worlds of Solomon and Malfi, as well as defeated three minor xenos empires and innumerable other non-compliant forces in the prior twenty years of fighting, the Crusade pauses for fortification and entrenchment of its gains before the next stage of conquests begins. The crusade is then granted a fresh influx of troops by the High Lords in recognition of its success (and the wealth already pouring from their conquests), in order to press on. Seizing the moment, the Crusade forces carry out the greatest single sweep of conquests of the conflict as the two-pronged assault from the salient arms sweep together conquering as many worlds in the apace of four years as had been taken in the proceeding two decades, forming the territory later known as the Golgenna Reach it what becomes known to the chroniclers as the “Reaping of the Emperor’s Wrath.” Of the many famous victories of this campaign, one of the most lauded belongs too the young general Drusus, who took the war-world of Iocanthos in single week, overthrowing a great and baleful tyranny there, while perhaps the most infamous is the Exterminatus of the world of Amun’an Morrus, whose once-human machine population is judged to tainted to exist. Such horrors are attested to on this world that after its destruction its former location is stricken from all records, only to live on as a dark legend.

353-558.M39 The Golgenna Consolidation: With the first and second great phases of its vast operation complete,(and partly owing to battle fatigue after thirty years of Crusade), Angevin’s forces consolidated their hold of what was more than two hundred captured worlds, and shepherded the arrival of the a first wave of Imperial colonisation to the areas they controlled. During this period of relative peace, several notable regiments who had earned great glory in the wars (such as the Brontine Centurions) were given rights of settlement to their own worlds, while several attached forces (such as the Astartes) rotated out of Crusade service.

359.M39 The Crusade Second Front is Opened: The Crusade’s third great push begins with freshly raised army group gathered from the core worlds of the Segmentum Obscurus, under the command of High Admiral Vaakkon, opening a second front. Invading from the Calyx expanse’s Coreward, with the goal of linking up with Angevin’s own forces who advance from Golgenna to meet them. This phase of the campaign proves disastrous, as worsening warp conditions and a series of calamities and reversals beset the conflict, and when the fleets finally meet in 363.M39 at Orendal the Imperial losses of the last four years nearly equal that of the first two decades of the Crusade. Angevin commands the world of Orendal to be transformed in a shrine to honour the fallen dead and retreats, some say a man broken in will and purpose, to the interior of Golgenna Reach, devolving command of his armies to his senior generals and admirals with mixed success, as with no clear line of authority factionalism and bitter rivalries start to appear in their ranks.

363-369.M39 The Bleak Years: With the Crusade’s forward impetus stalled, its domains begin to come under repeated and sustained attack from without, weathering the storms of an Ork Waagh, and the privations of xenos corsairs and raiders whose assaults claims the lives of millions. Signs and opens are everywhere; a burning black fire is seen in the skies of Lossal prime days before all contact with the thriving colony world is lost, the wreckage of an entire overdue re-enforcement battle group out of Akurion is discovered by piquet ships operating on the fringes of the Ha’az’Roth region and plagues decimate the worlds of the Malfian Holdfast. Rebellions and cult activity rises to threaten what were thought to be stable worlds and assassins claim the life of Arch-Confessor Melcher El, the Crusade’s spiritual leader. Worsening rivalry between the generals and Imperial Commanders break out into petty conflicts, betrayals and wave of outright distrust allows matters to deteriorate further. For the first time the Crusade’s gains begin to be lost, and the Imperial forces are stretched increasingly thin in their defence of the new realm, and morale problems and discord grow in the ranks. Only the fleets of the Rogue Traders Sibylline Haarlock and Ludd Sabrehagen providing rapid transport and redeployment for the brilliant and daring counter attacks of General Drusus’s army group against the warp-worshiping xenos race known as the Yu’vath and their debased human allies prevent the entire Malfian region from collapsing and leaving the Crusade’s conquests wide open for assault. Drusus is widely acclaimed as a saviour but many power figures view him as a dangerous warmonger and would-be usurper.

367.M39 The Transfiguration of Drusus: According to some sources, betrayed by agents of his rivals among Angevin’s generals, Drusus is attacked by a deadly assassin while rallying his depleted forces on Maccabeus Quintus and is seemingly slain, before rising again – an event many see as a true miracle and a clear mark of the Emperor’s favour. The Drusine Imperial Cult begins to flourish in his shadow, already revering him as a living saint, while shadowy agencies, some say belonging to the Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition also bring new aid to his forces in the persecution of the Yu’vath and their allies (which include traitors within the Imperial’s own ranks). Almost by sheer force of personality and by independently rallying much of the Crusade’s forces to his own banner with tacit backing from the wider Imperial powers, (including the involvement of a sizable force from the Iron Hands Astartes Chapter). So empowered, Drusus forces the Angevin Crusade’s beginning the third and final great phase of conquests destroying the powers that controlled much of what would later be known as the Drusus marches in his honour, laying waste to as many worlds as he dominated.

370-610.M39 The Great Founding: Mass colonial expeditions from the overpopulated worlds of the distant Segmentum Solar, and from nearer afield in the troubled Mandragora and Gehenna Sectors arrive within the fledgling Calixis Sector, creating a great influx of population to the region.

372.M39 The Death of Angevin: Golgenna Angevin dies at his palace on Quaddis, the official judgement is natural causes, with rumours accounting his decline in health to advanced old age and a surfeit of fine living, darker stories persist of the Officio Assassinorum’s hand in matters as punishment for his latter failings. Drusus is named Lord Militant by wide acclaim in his stead (with both Departmento Munitorium and Inquisition backing) and as soon as a state period of mourning for the late Angevin is over, immediately sets to re-forging the regions military forces for a final counter attack into the regions of the Adrantis Nebula and remaining strongholds of the Yu’vath Hell Worlds.

380.M39 The Grant of The Lathes: In recognition of their invaluable assistance and heavy losses in the purging of the taint of the Adrantians, as well as their service to the Crusade in decades past, Drusus grants the Lathe system to be the sole domain of the Adeptus Mechanicus in perpetuity, and ratifies their claims to several other worlds and rights of free and unchecked passage through the stars the Crusade has conquered. By this act, the lords of Mars were bound in strength both to the fledgling sector and to his own banner.

384.M39 The Angevin Crusade officially ends in the Birth of the Calixis Sector: With the final defeat of the xenos Yu’vath and the Bale Childer, and the Exterminatus of their homeworlds, the final serious organised resistance to Imperial Rule in the Calyx Expanse ends and Drusus declares the Crusade to be complete. Drusus installed with full rights and title by the Equerry Primaris of the High Lords of Terra as the first Lord Sector Calixis to much acclaim. Among his first acts are the confirming the world of Scintilla as his capital, the ratification of the great trade charters to the mercantile shipmasters and rising commercial powers that had maintained the Crusade, binding the sector’s life blood of trade and creating what would become the great Chartist families and first great houses. His other achievements include the creation of the sectors great legal code, the Corpus Presidium Calixis and the instillation of a Calixian Holy Synod at Tarsus on Scintilla. Full effective pacification of the sector will however consume much blood and material of the Imperial war machine for a further three centuries to come.

417.M39 The Death of Drusus: The first and greatest Lord Sector dies and is succeeded by Marshal Corin Shultus, his former aide-de-camp and distant kinsmen to the late Angevin. The final resting pace of Drusus’s mortal remains is kept a secret, although rumours circulate that he was taken back to Maccabeus Quintus to be interred at the site of his first “death”. Mass lamentation and unrest accompany the news of his passing and the entire sector undergoes a seven-year cycle of mourning.

502.M39 The Beatification of Saint Drusus: After nearly a century of deliberation the General Synod of Holy Terra confirms sainthood on Drusus, whose cult and dogma had already flourished within the Calixis sector to become a dominating factor in the local Imperial Creed.

550-760.M39 The War of Hubris: The independent world of Sinophia fights a covert trade war with the burgeoning commercial powers of the Calixis Sector and is laid low. As a result in the years that follow, much of its population is repatriated to the sector itself, its hives emptying and Sinophia, now retains but a shadow of its former prominence and grandeur, nominally passing under the writ of the Lord sector Calixis, and condemned to long, slow economic starvation.

989.M39 THE DONIONIAN CRUSADE

123.M40 The Threefold Curse: Two heavily defended Battlefleet Calixis watch-stations and a sizeable capital ship taskforce, lead by the grand cruiser Fire of Heaven, are destroyed by unknown assailants within a year in the outer reaches of the Hazeroth abyss, forcing an retrenchment, effectively shrinking the border of the sector and ending further military expansion in the region. The only clue to the cause is found carved on a bulkhead in the hulk of sentry-17, which reads, “The worms that walk have come for us all”.

387-401.M40 THE MACHARIAN CRUSADE

552-570.M40 The White Sorrows: Eldar corsairs, later known as the Cabal of the White Sorrow, plague the area of space known as the Periphery with a devastating series of raids. The corsairs are shattered and their threat ended at last when confronted and brought to battle by a force consisting of Battlefleet Calixis, Explorator and Rogue Trader forces (aided it is rumoured by unknown xenos forces) under the overall command of the Rogue Trader Kobras Aquairre. The battle turns when Aquairre’s flagship, The Son of Seth, successfully rams and boards the corsair flagship Altar of Torment, Kobras himself slaying the enemy’s Butcher Archon in single combat.

709.M40 Tanis is Lost: The thriving hive world of Tanis and its surrounding system, which had been an outer bulwark of the Calixis Sector’s power in the Hazeroth region, is visited by a unexplained phenomena in the shape of a baleful black “Tyrant Star” that presages destruction, madness and death. Within a period of weeks, the Tanis System is ravaged, resulting in over two billion dead or missing. Survivors are only found on the agri-moon of St. Astrid’s Fall, which itself is badly ravaged. The “Tanis incident” is covered up with full Inquisitorial authority and declared a forbidden subject on pain of death. Civil data is adjusted accordingly so that Tanis never existed in the public record. This event, taken with a long and erratic slew of other dark mysteries and a rising weight of deadly prophesy, leads to the formation of the current incarnation of the Tyrantine Cabal to investigate the matter and take whatever action is necessary to combat what was now classified as the phenomena of the Hereticus Tenebrae.

738.M40 THE 26TH (AND LAST TO DATE) SPACE MARINE FOUNDING

738-741.M40 The War of Brass: The hive worlds of the Gelmiro Cluster fall into sedition, following the charismatic leadership of a figure calling himself the “Emperor of Brass”, debasing themselves into the worship of the Ruinous Powers. Heavily militarised, the renegades quickly sponsor and arm rebel groups on nearby worlds and when counter-attacked, reveal the hand of dark forces from the Eye of Terror in their ranks. The so-called “War of Brass” that followed was comparably brief but bloody, involving forces drawn from across the sector, and the involvement of the Adeptus Astartes and the titans of Legio Venator, it rendered the once thriving worlds of Gelmiro blasted, rubble strewn rocks. Classified as war worlds and the haunt of murderous scav-mutants, renegades and wreakers ever since, while the reign of the Emperor of Brass is long over, the system is still a shunned no-man’s land to this day.

740-745.M40 THE SECOND VORTIGERN CRUSADE

098.M40 Mara Colonised: The ancient, frozen world of Mara in the Hazeroth Abyss is colonised, miners explore the worlds icy depths for rare and unique trace elements.

103.M41 The Birth of Ateanism: The arch-heretic Julius Ateanos “accidentally” creates the Eris Transform, a heresy that will claim thousands of souls and lives down the years that follow.

126.M41 The Dark Heresy: The Propheticum Hereticus Tenebrae; being a compilation of many sources, case studies and prognostications is compiled into a single archive of dark lore by the Tyrantine Cabal and housed in the depths of the Bastion Serpentis, (although rumours abound that is merely a version of some much earlier work of unknown origin). Its implications trouble the sleep of many great minds.

143-160.M41 THE GOTHIC WAR (12TH DARK CRUSADE)

191.M41 Mara Isolated: All contact with the colony on Mara is lost amid warp disturbances troubling the area. Later contact finds no trace of the former inhabitants.

211-226.M41 The Meritech Wars: The clans of the Merates Cluster secede from the Imperium, rallying many renegade factions to their cause, raiding deep into the sector and causing widespread disruption and anarchy. The wars, at their height, pose the greatest threat to the sector’s stability in generations and even threatens to provoke internecine conflict with the bordering Ixaniad Sector. Thanks to the rise in power of Myram Harvala as sector governor, the Meritech clans are crushed and the worlds of the cluster are scoured clean of life. In the aftermath, the tech-heretic conspiracy of the Logicians is proved to have been behind the war.

385.M41 The Seventeen Holy Martyrs: A small force of Adeptus Sororitas die to a woman defending the agri-colony of Gallowglass in the Malfi system from a cult of decay, slaying an incarnate daemon of great power in the process. A permanent shrine is raised to their honour in memoriam of this great deed.

389.M41 Tyrant Star Appears: The Asteroth Mining Colony in the Drusus Marches falls to heretical rebellion and waves of mass suicides following a visitation by the Tyrant Star. The colony is effectively destroyed, survivors flee to the nearby Locura system where they sow discord and unrest before a joint Inquisitorial and Adeptus Arbites purge of the refugees.

410-412.M41 The First Siege of Vaxanide: The Vaxanide system is besieged by an Ork raider fleet, the Ork forces also make planet fall to assault its hive cities but are swiftly repulsed. The Orks are eventually driven off by the Battlefleet Calixis, one sizable splinter force landing on the world of Ganf Magna.

428-430.M41 The Fall of the Tellurian Combine: The dominating commercial power of the Tellurian Combine is uncovered as a front from the malefic cult of the Brotherhood of the Horned Darkness. Such is the groups widespread power and infiltration, even of the Lucid Court, that rather a risk civil war and open purge, the Ordos Calixis declare a shadow war against the brotherhood, which lasts for three years and involves what is believed the largest employment of both the Offico Assassinorum and the Grey Knights in the sector’s history before its conclusion. An unforeseen side affect of the wide spread secret purges and fearful suspicion they create is a dramatic and long term weakening of the sector’s central government which has detrimental effects for centuries to come.

428-479.M41 The Reign of Terror on Malfi: The ascension of the House of Koba on Malfi results in the most tyrannical and brutal regime in the history of the Calixis Sector, and raises the spectre of succession and sector civil war, threatening the wresting, by covert and bloody means, of the seat of sector government from the then weak Lucid Court on Scintilla. The House of Koba falls at last by its own hand from betrayal within, leaving a power vacuum that leads to a twenty year period of strife, misrule and petty house wars on Malfi, ended only by a greater threat that rises from the tumult.

444.M41 THE FIRST WAR FOR ARMAGEDDON

499.M41 The Bloody Solstice on Malfi: The rise of the appallingly powerful cult of the Pilgrims of Hayte, forces an end to Malfi’s internal divisions at the cost of the near fall of that mighty world to annihilation. The Pilgrims of Hayte, while defeated, are not destroyed and live on to become a thorn in the side for the Calixis Sector till the present day and the source of a great many woeful atrocities.

503.M41 The Tyrant Star Appears: Snowden’s World suffers a visitation by the Tyrant Star leading to twenty days of riots and a mass famine that decimates the population.

507.M41 The Second Siege of Vaxanide: A second Ork invasion force centred around the Space Hulk designated Pinnacle of Savagery attacks the system. Although this force is considerably larger than the first, it is met with swiftly by Battlefleet Calixis and allied forces whose mass bombardment cause the hulk to break up and disintegrate before it can approach the hive world, although fierce fighting continues as some Ork forces make it through.

560.M41 The Devayne Incorporation: The writ of holy orders is removed from the Devayne Fraternity by the Synod Calixis, sighting the group’s worldly aspect and growing moral turpitude, forcing its slow rebirth into the entity known as the Devayne Incorporation, one of the most powerful and rigorously organised commercial powers in the sector.

609.M41 The Recovery of the Lucid Court: Lord Sector Larhanus Sult, called by many “The Great Conciliator”, is inaugurated and restores much power and prestige to the Lucid Court. He successfully pulls back executive authority to the office of the Lord Sector that had been slowly devolving to the Great Houses over the years, and massively expands the directly controlled military forces of his office and institutes aggressive reforms to the governance of Hive Sibellus.

623.M41 The Fall Narrow Incursion: The Fall Narrow mining outpost on 88 Tanstar is revealed to been secretly dominated by the Cryptos xenoform.

689.M41 THE CORINTH CRUSADE

703.M41 Haarlock Vanishes: Erasmus Haarlock, Rogue Trader, thought to be the last of his line, vanishes after completing the extermination of his bloody kin and leaving himself the sole-survivor of his clan.

724.M41 The Sutters Rock Outbreak: The mining asteroid colony of Sutters Rock becomes the first confirmed location where what will come to be called the Fydae Strain Virus is encountered. The plague runs rampant and the dead walk, leading to the loss of all 120,000 colonists in a matter of hours. The virus is a warp-contagion linked to the foul daemon-cult known as the Vile Savants.

731.M41 The Ascension of Marius Hax: The iron-handed Marius Hax becomes Lord Sector Calixis, after effectively ruling as the power behind the throne for the prior decades for his ailing and aged kinsman, Larhanus Sult. Subtle, clever and above all ruthless, and able to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Hax is arguably the strongest ruler the sector has seen for several centuries.

740.M41 The Manchenko Purge: A sizable portion of the Commercia Great House of the Manchenko Dynasty is found to be corrupt and sanctioned by Inquisitorial purge, leaving it a battered shadow of its former power, further assailed and tormented by its rival houses. The Manchenko endure however and spend the next decades slowly rebuilding their power.

742.M41 THE DAMOCLES GULF CRUSADE

742.M41 A Pattern Revealed: The Tyrantine Cabal conclusively identifies the “Calixian Pattern Killings” going back at least eleven hundred years.

742.M41 The Tyrant Star Appears: Sighting by Explorator vessels in the area of the Death World of Vigil.

742-770.M41 The Malygrisian Tech-Heresy: The militant Explorator Archmagos, Umbra Malygris, goes renegade after clashing with the High Fabricator of the Lathes, taking with him hundreds of adepts and followers and threatening a full dogmatic schism within the Machine Cult’s ranks within the sector. Hunted on all sides, Malygris becomes increasingly insane but refuses to flee the sector, hiding instead in its shadows and cultivating a conspiracy of sympathisers and traitors to aid him. The renegade unleashes blasphemous horrors and forbidden weapons seemingly at random in order to further his research or avenge himself on his enemies. His forces also plunder and attack Mechanicus facilities, exploratory bases and even rival tech-heretic forces in order to obtain their secrets. Eventually destroyed at the hands of the Mechanicus Dragon Secutarii. However, Malygrisan lore still exists to plague the Omnissiah’s cult to the present.

743.M41 Ice Station Mara: A mining penitentiary outpost is re-established on the frozen world of Mara in the Hazeroth Abyss.

745.M41 THE FIRST TYRANIC WAR – HIVE FLEET BEHEMOTH SHATTERED AT MACRAGGE

748.M41 The Tyrant Star Appears: Plagues and an epidemic of madness grips the feral World of Endrite.

755.M41 THE SABBAT WORLDS CRUSADE BEGINS

768.M41 Mara Abandoned: The mining colony on Mara is abandoned amid great loss of life and the entire region of space around it is quarantined by Inquisitorial edict.

777.M41 The Treachery of Nephthys: Inquisitor Erya Nephthys, once the most promising of her generation, goes renegade and massacres a number of her peers in the very heart of the Tricorn Palace on Scintilla. The vilest of traitors, she attacks numerous other Imperial holdings and carves a bloody path cross the sector, prompting a blood hunt by the entire Ordos Calixis. She dies a third and final time at the hands of Witch Hunter Rykehuss and her ashes are interred in a sealed vault to insure her disposal is a permanent one.

784.M41 The Margin Crusade is Launched: Under holy writ by the Synod Obscurus and taking place far to the Calixis Sector’s Spinward border, a crusade is launched into the Margin region beyond the light of the Astronomicon to the galactic north. The Calixis Sector is called on to provide troops and material to the ongoing effort and grudgingly complies. Thirty years later the crusade still grinds bloodily on.

792.M41 The Astral Knives Cult declared Heretical: Long tolerated, the centuries old void born death cult of the Astral Knife is found to have become tainted by association with dark forces and declared heretical by the Holy Ordos.

799.M41 The Doom of the Ardent Seeker: The mission ship, Ardent Seeker, is ravaged by a false prophet of the Pilgrims of Hayte on the way to the shrine world of Maccabeus Quintus. Seven thousand worthy souls die in ways more hellish than the sane can imagine.

807.M41 Tyrant Star Appears: Zillman’s Domain suffers a visitation of the Tyrant Star.

807.M41 The Tranch Insurrection: A mutant uprising in the soot warrens of the minor industrialised hive world of Tranch rapidly develops into a planet-wide insurrections which topples the ruling class, the brutal Oligarchs of Tranch. The mutants have formed together into aunified faction calling itself the Pale Throng, led by a cabal of terrifyingly powerful witches and mutant-psykers known as the Shroud Council. As rumours of the successful rebellion spread, so do brushfire revolts and uprisings on other worlds in the sector, and the flames of malcontent are fanned. Lord Sector Hax realises the wider threat to Imperial order and declares a mass counter-invasion of the war-torn world to bring the rebellion to heel, calling on the Inquisition to dispose of the Shroud council, which they do, whilst Ordo Hereticus launches Operation Bellerophon to decapitate the mutant forces. At huge cost in lives and at the price of laying waste to much of Tranch, the Pale Throng is crushed, but its many factions manage to scatter off-world, while sympathisers still raise revolt in the pale Throngs name elsewhere. Although the war is officially over, the pacification of Tranch goes on, providing a bloody baptism of fire for many of the sector’s soldiers.

808.M41 The “Dance of the Dead” on Kalf: Mysterious cult activity on Kalf forces a notorious clash between differing Inquisitorial factions, leading to bloodshed and acrimony within the ranks of the Ordo Calixis.

810.M41 The Vervilix Disaster: After suffering serious malfunction in transit, the mass-troop conveyer Vervilix, far off course, makes a forced landing on the forbidden ice world of Mara. Heavy causalities ensue and the remaining survivors are taken into Inquisitorial custody.

811.M41 THE REEF STARS CRUSADE

811.M41 The Red Vaults of Luggnam: A small Adeptus Arbites taskforce, investigating evidence political corruption, murder and tithe-theft on the mining world of Luggnam, instead encounter the horrors perpetrated by the wanted arch-heretic Myrchella Sinderfell. In the aftermath, the Inquisition steps in and instigates a two year planet-wide witch-hunt to weed out recidivist elements.

812.M41 The Disappearance of Inquisitor Layran: The Inquisitor and his retinue of acolytes vanish en-masse while investigating rumour of a xenos conspiracy, peripherally connected to the so-called “Beast House” organisation on Fenksworld. Their loss prompts Ordo Xenos to place the entire, widespread trans-sector group under scrutiny, leading to an ongoing covert investigation of the Beast House and its mysterious master, Solkarn Senk.

815.M41 ORIGINAL START DATE FOR DARK HERESY

While every human world has a distinct character (some more distinct than others) they are derived form the same base stock. Not only do all humans originate from the same Terran gene-pool, but the original human colonists built their homes using STC technology. This not only ensured a degree of social and technological similarity, but actually meant that many of the worlds settled were transformed into places pleasing to the human form and human aesthetics. Vast terraforming projects taking millennia to complete turned many worlds into copies of Earth, or as near as one could get given local limitations. On other worlds the effect was not so overwhelming, but adapted Terran strains would mingle with manipulated local flora and fauna. Even where no terraforming could be undertaken did STC technology dominate, giving everything a distinctly Terran feel.

During the Age of Strife much was lost, but every world still had the same roots. And with the arrival of the Age of the Imperium every world be reunited with their Terran roots. Sharing not only a common ancestry, but also a common destiny, the worlds of the Imperium may be diverse, but they are still surprisingly similar. The hardy grox, a genemod strain of an Old Earth herbivore can be found almost every Imperial world capable of sustaining it. Local mutations have optimized it for local conditions, but it is still the same animal that left Terra all those years ago. Imperial Gothic architecture might be all the rage in the 41^st Millennium, but it and older styles are still all based upon STC building templates. Various cereals are still grown under distant suns, covering sometimes covering continent-spanning farms.

Even on worlds that are reunited with Terra in the 41^st Millennium, possible after having endured alone in the night since the Dark Age of Technology, will have elements that are recognizable Terran human. There will be traits in the culture, in their languages, in their technology (if any) that can be traced all the way back to the original STC culture that settled these worlds so many years ago.

This has one really GREAT effect for the DM! He doesn't have to completely re-invent everything for every single world of the Imperium. There is actually a at least fairly reasonable reason why human grow corn, herd grox, and live in hive-pyramids regardless of what planet they live on. So knowing that the GM can focus on the important and/or interesting differences rather than focus on cereal production :-)

Computers and their use have been portrayed very differently in various 40K products. Be that as it may, in THIS campaign computers will exist and be standard fare on every civilized world, much like they are employed on RW Earth today. Without computers a hi-tech society like that of the Imperium could not exists. That doesn't mean that the average citizen of the Imperium knows how computers work, only that they do! By the Throne, few people on ancient Earth know how they work; just take that ignorance and multiply it by a factor of ten and then apply a medieval-like superstition regarding all things technological to get an image of how computers fit into this campaign.

Almost every hi-tech appliance contains some form of computer processor, but purely mechanical low-tech devices usually does not. For example, an autopistol has an integrated processor that keeps track of ammunition expenditure, barrel wear, works the ammo feed system, clears most jams, manages sighting aids and recoil compensation and so on. No wonder perhaps, that the owner prays to the spirit in the machine before going into combat! On the other hand, a simple stub revolver is just a mechanical device; no computers are involved. But it probably doesn't hurt to use blessed oils when cleaning it.

Tech adepts can interface (using whatever interface technology they posses) with everything that has a processor onboard. Most processors will have some sort of security systems and encryption protocols, but smaller systems (like the aforementioned gun) are not very hard to break into. On the other hand, a smaller system is also very limited – a tech-priest could jam the guns electrical feed, turning the gun into a manually operated single-shot device, but not much more than that.

More advanced systems offer greater opportunities. A tech-priest that is able to access a Marine's power armor could do great damage (on the other hand the hallowed Astartes PA does not accept wire-less calls from strange tech-priests, so getting in might not be so easy). Larger computer networks also have additional security measures, including dedicated monitor-servitors and tech-priests responsible for the system's purity.

Artificial intelligence on the other hand is considered a tech-heresy by the Mechanicus and severely censured. Only those logic engines approved by ('blessed by the Deus Mechanicus') the Mechanicus are allowed to exist, and those are jealously guarded – and monitored. There may be good reasons for such a doctrine; according to ancient legends from the Dark Age of Technology thinking machines once rebelled against their human masters and came close to destroying humanity. It is one of the holy tasks of the Adeptus Mechanicus (and also the Inquisition) to seek out and destroy rogue machine intelligences.

For tasks requiring low-level artificial intelligence servitors are used. These are mind-scrubbed human drones (often heavily mechanically augmented) that have been programmed for a specific task or set of tasks. Some servitors are former criminals scented to mind-scrubbing, but the vast majority are vat-grown bioroids created in Mechanicus manufactories. A bewildering array of such servitors exists, ranging form pleasure-models and household servants, via gun-servitors manning automated defense turrets, to the high-grade C3 servitors employed on Navy warships.

Whatever their origin and appearance servitors are not considered human; they are machines, biological computers given human shape, but nothing more. Some high-end models might even mimic human emotion and intelligence, but there are strict limits to how human-like they are allowed to be. The Mechanicus and the Inquisition closely watches bioroid manufactories for sings of illegal activities.

Fully mechanical robots are sometimes utilized by the Mechanicus as war-machines, but these are invaluably low-intelligence constructs completely loyal to their masters, and capable of very little creative though and possessing little in the way of independent motivation.

Imperial society is undeniably hi-tech. Massive space vessels cross the void between stars, exotic energy weapons and shields exists, genetically engineered super-warriors stride into battle clad in futuristic power-armor, hive-cities are home to hundreds of millions if not billions, lifespans for the rich are measured in centuries, artificial gravity can be created and manipulated, contra-gravity fields allow infinite commercial transportation unto and of planetary bodies, and so on and so on. And the citizens of the Imperium take these things for granted (those living on civilized planets anyway), like we do aircraft, cars, TVs, and computers.

But there is one huge difference in how technology is perceived; it is part of civilization, but it is NOT understood by the general public. Indeed, there is a great deal of superstition connected to the use of technology, so when using a datapad you'd not only push the buttons, you'd also mutter some prayer to appease the Ghost in the Machine. If this is difficult to envision, think about this; what would it be like if you lived in a would where technology was very advanced, almost magical, only you also grew up in a place where there was no schools, and the only lectures given to you on technology came from your own father, steeped in the religious teachings of the Church, with a sprinkling of good old superstition added? You'd definitely not understand how it works, nor would you want to, since you'd be likely to consider technology a semi-evil necessity.

Another important thing to consider is that technology is not uniform throughout the Imperium, far from it. Whereas the rich and powerful have easy access to everything they can imagine (which is quite a lot), the poor are not so likely to be in direct contact with hi-tech devices. So on the same world you can find areas where archaic devices dominate, even if parts of the planetary population live in floating cities in the sky. Even in a hi-tech place like a Hive-City or on a Forge World there are those who live out their entire lives seeing technology and using it in a passive way, but never really utilizing it themselves. For example, a poor factorium worker might operate a few simple machines at work (with near-reverence for the machines, the spirits that live in them, and the Tech-Priests that attend them), might ride a hyper-velocity mag-lev train to and from his hab-block without ever thinking twice about the hi-tech hidden behind buckled panels and flaking paint, and might have a beat-up holo-vid in his cubicle which he spends most of his free time in front of.

The rich have access to much more technology and may also better know how to use it, but chances are they have servants and such to do any work associated with said devices. If anything the main difference in outlook will be that nobles recognize that technology is yet another power factor and is more willing to use it rather than fear it. Even the tech-priests, be they from Mars or local guilds, view technology with no small amount of reverence and superstition. They may know how it all works (some of it at least), but their knowledge is irrecoverably fused with faith and religious ritual.

Lastly, if there is anything the Imperium has enough of then it is a dirt-cheap and near-limitless pool of manpower. And with hi-tech considered mystical at best, or even outright evil, and the knowledge of its construction and repair understood only by the few, the Imperium has found another way of dealing with...just about everything. Just put enough men on the task and it will be done; if giant fusion-powered excavator-servitors are not available for the building of a new trans-continental highway, three million convicted criminals can do it in the same time using simpler tools.

Timestamp: 7.081.996.M41

Location: Inquisition Deathwatch Strike Cruiser Ignorance is Bliss, en-route to Phagir

Situation: Xerza's welcoming speech

Body: You are all gathered together in the officers mess. A long table dominates the luxuriously appointed room. A large gilded Aquila is bolted to one bulkhead.  Across the table is a large armor-cryz observation window. The grayish globe of Malfi dominates, with numerous orbitals and starships cluttering the starscape.

Xerza is there, wearing her black dominatrix bodysuit under a formal black robe, her Inquisitional rosette on a chain around her slender neck. Four black-armored Stromtroopers stand guard in each of the room's corners, but they are probably more for show than because there is any need for additional security. The table is set for nine people, presumably because in addition to Xerza there are eight people in the room (not counting the guards).

She welcomes you all personally, and whatever she might have done to you before she is now the gracious and polite hostess. Taking your seats you have time for a quick look at the other persons present:

At the end of the table, the second last to arrive, is large male wearing the black body-suit of an Arbites, but without his badge of office. His eyes are hard and distant. A pistol rig under his shoulder holds a heavy autopistol and he has a power-maul clipped to his utility-belt. He's introduced as Maximilian Elazar Dante.

Next to him, the last to arrive, is a slight and wiry male with striking gray hair and matching eyes. He radiates cool confidence and pent-up violence. He is clad in a tight-fitting syn-suit and carries sword, bolt-pistol and needler. You instantly mark him as a trained killer. His name is Haxtes Guilliman.

On his right sits a truly massive woman with close-cropped blond hair, wearing what looks like a Guard-issue parade uniform, without any rank insignia or unit badges. She is actually quite pretty and amply curved; if you like them big and strong enough to rip your arms off.  She has massive hell-pistol in a hip-holster and a two-handed chainblade in a scabbard next to her seat. An ogryn if ever you saw one. She is named Jarra.

Beyond her, next to Xerza, is a tanned fellow with a shaven head and dark almond eyes.  He has twin custom-made Gunmetallicus autopistols in a quick-draw shoulder rig.  He wears leathers and body armor. Whenever you look at him he turns to look directly at you and you suddenly feel that your personal space is being invaded. Ignace smiles to you as he's introduced.

Opposite him is a pretty woman that shares many of his racial features; they look like they may be from the same world.  Her long dark hair is fashionably arranged, as if aping Xerza. She appears to know the gunslinger well, perhaps they are intimate even. She also speaks in low tones with the Inquisitor, suggesting a previous aquaintance. She too is a killer by profession.  Her name is Odessa.

Next to her is a pretty little thing, a young girl of sixteen or so.  She is very pale and her long dark hair clings to her slight form. Oddly enough her eyes seem to change color as you look at her; either they are augmentic or she's some sort of witch.  She is dressed in the gown-robes of a female tech-priests. Xerza names her Venus.

Near the end of the table is a middle-aged man in a Navy flight-suit. Honor bars show him to be a triple ace and the recipient of several medals of valor. He's tall, dark and handsome. He also looks haughty and sullen and you immediately dislike him.  You can't explain it, its just a very bad first impression. Silon or something.

Last along the line is an elderly gentleman in a fine suit. He has a neatly trimmed goatee and graying hair, exquisite manners and a very charismatic personality. Just by watching him smile you find yourself straining to hear what words of pious wisdom might emerge from his soul. The savant is called Vern. Professor Vern of Archaos.

Xerza speaks:

"Welcome all of you. The first of you I recruited six months ago, the last only a few days ago. But you are all here for the same reason. To serve the Holy Orders of the Inquisition, and by extension the God-Emperor.  You have been chosen because you are special, because you have been marked by the fates for something more than most men. And you have been chosen by my master, Inqusitor Tancred, because he alone can see your true worth. Each of you harbors a dark secret that would make you unfit, if not tainted, in the eyes of most.  I know your secrets, your peers do not. You may tell them if you wish, but you are not obliged. With my knowing your secret is a secret no longer and thus holds no power over you.  Your souls are pure and whatever you might be or have done is no longer important; only your dutiful service to the Master of Mankind matters."

Standing at the head of the table she calls forth each one of you, pinning the rosette to you and blessing you in the name of Him on Terra. All the while she recites with a strong voice the following:

"These are the twilight years of the 41st millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the God-Emperor of Mankind has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by his own indomitable will, the lord of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies, and guardian of humanity's future by virtue of his unfailing wisdom and foresight. He is a God to whom a trillion prayers are uttered every second. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium to whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die. Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty Imperial battlefleets cross the dreadful miasma of the Immaterium, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion; the inexhaustible armies of the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the unflinching enforcers of the Adeptus Arbites, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants, witches - and worse. To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for there is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods."

Odd words, almost heretical, but no-one speaks out, caught in Xerza's web of words and the emotion of the situation, and soon she speak even more potent words:

"You are an Acolyte in the service of the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition. You stand in the front line of a great and secret war where your duty is to hunt out the foul stench of heresy, the vile alien, and the twisted influence of Chaos. You will tread where others fear to go; venture to distant planets, walk through ancient space hulks, and savour both the cruel depths of the under-hive and the wicked world of the high-born. You will face enemies that would steal the courage from lesser men, you will see things that will scar your mind and soul forever, and you will come to face you own dark desires. You will never know fame nor reward, yet if you stand resolute you will die knowing that you did so serving a higher purpose, and that your name and deeds will be carried to Holy Terra in darkness and silence, there to be whispered to the God-Emperor himself, who will know and remember for all eternity..."

When she is finished she leads you in prayer:

Adore the Immortal Emperor
For He is our Protector
Admire the Immortal Emperor
For His Sacrifice to Mankind
Exalt the Immortal Emperor
For His Strict Guidance
Revere the Immortal Emperor
For His Undying Guard
Venerate the Immortal Emperor
For His Holy Wisdom
Honour the Immortal Emperor
For His Eternal Strength
Glorify the Immortal Emperor
For His All-seeing Vision
Praise the Immortal Emperor
For His Enduring Rule
Hail the Immortal Emperor
For He is the Lord and Master
Worship the Immortal Emperor
For without Him we are Nothing

With that she calls for servitors and a banquet is served.

Stasis isn't unconsciousness or dreamlessness, not quite. Instead you're trapped in a limbo of almost-nothing, an almost-nothing that ever so slowly changes, hinting at things that are never really revealed. At least that's the way it is for you. Most unpleasant.

The lid opens and your mind and body restart. The woman Inquisitor is there with two medicae attendants wearing the both mark of the Officio Mediacle and the =][= of the Inquisition. You're put in a chair and they run some brief tests on you and give a stim-shot to freshen your mind a bit. Then she hands you a glass of vintage amasec, quite a bit more expensive than any you've tasted before, pours one for herself and then sits on the table in front of you. Her posture is not very lady-like this time; she's adopted the bodylanguage of an up-hive escort girl, laced with the less subtle cues sent by a body-dancer. You get the feeling that she might at any time decide to make use of your body in an entirely improper manner.

"I think a little explanation is in order. The reason I called you abomination is because you were not born. You were made. Of course there is nothing wrong with bioroids - most servitors are made from such stock. Yes, the public likes to think that servitors are all condemned men redeeming themselves, but that's not how it works. Would you like to have a middle-aged, semi-obese man with failing health as the basis for your house servitor? Not likely. Combat servitor? No. Pleasure model? Definitely not. And so the bioroid industry churns out Emperor-knows how many billions of fleshy shells each year. Do you see where this is going? I think you do.

"There are rules for making bioroid shells of course. Limits to their programming, restrictions when it comes to their level of creativity and independence. Stray beyond that limit and you're no longer making machines, but imitating human life. And that is heresy of the worst kind." She takes a little pause to move her body around a little, suggesting much, and your body responds in involuntary ways. She pretends not to notice and continues: "There is a certain traffic in pleasure models. You'd think that in a galaxy when pristine flesh can be had so cheaply there would be no market for dolls, but there is. Bioroids can be made to any specification, any appearance, and they can be made to do things that would break a normal human. And they come fully trained and willing." She gets up and thankfully returns to her Arbites-officer personae. "But many such pleasure-models push the limits - screwing a blank-eyed doll doesn't have the appeal that a more human-like bioroid has."

She sits down opposite you and pushes a case-file over the table. "Everything is in here. Your mother was one such. Presented to your father, the Lord Baron Elazar Dante of Absolom Spire, as a gift to keep him company after his third wife passed away and he decided not to re-marry. High-end. Way beyond the limits. Almost indistinguishable from a human. A living heresy." There are pictures in there, of your father looking old, rich and very distinguished. And your mother, Lady Ashira Dante the file says. And incredibly beautiful and regal-looking woman. "Lord Dante seems to have fallen in love with his toy. Even forged certain papers and data-banks to make her a real human. Married her. Decided to have children. Of course, his Lady didn't have a working reproductive system. Lord Dante probably didn't have a thing for pregnant women, so her designers thought that unnecessary I suppose. So instead he had his medicae mix their gene-strands and arranged to have his children grown, just like the mother had been. You were given the best gene-screening and template-updates money could buy. Which is why you're generally stronger, faster, and smarter than the average citizen. You were designed that way.

"One of the Lord Baron's legitimate children for his previous marriages contacted the Inquisition. Probably just wanted to get rid of the father and assume the title a little prematurely. But the Inquisition moved in. Not just because your father had done something heretical, but because it opened an interesting avenue into unraveling a persistent ring of illegal bioroid traffickers. That about sums it up. Of course, you weren't there when we came. Someone, your mother most likely, had spirited you away and hidden you. But we didn't know that, and you slipped through our fingers. So, you're grown using several illegal techniques and without any inhibiting programming; clearly you are an illegal bioroid, an abomination."

Time has passed since your recruitment; about two days according to your internal biological timer. The only thing that's happened so far is a visit from a medicae team. They did spent a few hours doing various tests pertaining to your psychic potential. They were gracious enough the tell you that you're something called an 'Eta Grade' psyker, which is enough to mark you as different but not give you any real power. There will be more tests later on to see if you have any latent power potential as yet unrealized; if so then Xerza might be able to train you. For now you're told to take two small red pills in the evening to blunt your psychic attunement and some sort of psi-dampening field has been activated; seems that they consider untrained witches a great danger and until you've learned more of your 'gift' you'll be kept drugged and under observation.

The hatch opens and one of the Deathwatch Marines steps through it. He's in his black armor, the only visible color upon his right shoulder, where the green color of his Chapter is left uncovered. But that's not what catches your eye; instead your are compelled to look upon his face - it has been terribly mangled and both eyes are gone. You guess that he's been hit by a splinter rifle fired by one of the Veiled Hand. As if reading your thoughts he 'looks' straight at you and replies. "Yes, my helmet was shattered by weapons fire and my flesh badly gouged by bio-acid. The face can be regrown and my eyes replaced by artificial ones. In the meantime my hallowed suit's auto-senses feeds data from the visual pick-ups straight into my brain. The Emperor's Angels of Death have no need for true eyes, He removed that weakness when he fathered us. Which is good, for when I heard who was Xerza's newest recruit I wanted to look upon him."

You suddenly realize that he's not as tall as you'd expect, six and a half feet, seven at the utmost. Sure, in his armor he towers above you, but he's not the human giant you'd come to expect. Then you understand; Imperial Propaganda and the Marines' reputation have made them true giants in the minds of lesser men. But looking at the hatch behind him you realize why they are not THAT big; if they were, they would be unable to fit through most doorways - and that really would have made them ineffective as warriors! He laughs then. "Yes, your perception is very good. Most marines are about seven feet tall and heavily built. Some are slightly smaller or bigger, but not by much. Put them in a suit and they become giants in the minds of men. But yes, boarding ships and fighting in built-up areas would have been impractical were we any bigger. Very good Haxtes, very good. You would have made a good marine neophyte had not the Veiled Hand found you first."

And the winner for the Nobel Peace Prize 996.M41 (like every other year since M30 or so) is...THE GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND for his unflinching devotion to Humanity...congratulations from all of us to you. The medallion and a special prize of 1000 rogue psykers will be handed over to His Divine Majesty during a special ceremony on Holy Terra. Profits from ticket and souvenir sale will be used to help pay for the next anti-Tau crusade launched next year.

I've updated the entry for general galactic situation to take into account the altered start date (from 999 to 996). I've also altered the dates and layout for the Protasian astropathic messages.

Although not directly relevant for the campaign, at least not for the time being, momentous events are taking place elsewhere in the galaxy:

To the galactic east the 13th Dark Crusade is just about ready to launch under Abaddon the Despoiler's command. In the meantime individual Chaos warbands raid far and away from the Cadian Gate, reaching as far as Calixis and beyond. To the Imperium as a whole it is more of a nuisance, but for those unfortunate enough to be caught in the raids its bad enough. Help from Sector or Segmentum assets is also less likely than normal, seeing as how much of the resources of Segmentum Obscurus are been drained away by the preparation for a major war effort.

Far to the galactic south and east another impossible threat looms, that of the Tyranids. Though some Ordo Xenos Inquisitors theorized that Tyranid infiltrators have long been a presence in the galaxy, it was the appearance of Hive Fleet Behemoth two-and-a-half centuries ago that got the Imperium's attention. Only the desperate resistance led by the Ultramarines, their vassal Chapters and the greater part of Battlefleet Tempestus was finally able to defeat Behemoth. Although scattered remnants of the Hive Fleet continued to plague the far south-eastern reaches of human space they did so in a near-mindless fashion, and the Imperium considered the Tyranids defeated, and down-classified them as a lesser threat.

That changed with the arrival of Hive Fleet Kraken on the extreme eastern fringe of the galaxy, far beyond the blessed light of the Astronomicon. As Hive Fleet Kraken continued its advance it came into contact with scores of lesser species, but it was not until it infringed upn Tau and Imperial space that it ran into real resistance; but that time it had become a bloated many-pronged flee quite unlike the more concentrated Behemoth. Hive Fleet Kraken was eventually halted in 993.M41 at Ichar IV, Iyanden Craftworld, and the D'yanoi Sept (not that the Imperium has made a habit of giving xenos credit, but the facts are logged with the Ordo Xenos). The surviving elements of Kraken continued to be classified as high-threat aggressors, preying upon isolated or ill-protected worlds, but once again the Imperium considered the overall Tyranid menace ended – perhaps because the alternative was too horrible to contemplate...

But now astropaths report a dark and dread presence approaching the Imperium, far greater than anything sensed before. Approaching from below the galactic plane it bores straight into the heart of Segmentum Tempestus, and the Imperial Tarot spells only death and doom for the worlds in its path...Hive Fleet Leviathan is about to wash over Segmentum Tempestus, and this time the Tyranids will not be denied!

Compared to the threats of Chaos Marauders and Tyranid Hive Fleets everything pales...save the heresies and treacheries begotten by man against his fellow men. Indeed, what could better illustrate this than the rumors of vile heresy that have begun drifting up from the Galactic South? All sorts of evil is being whispers, but a certain dark core can be gleaned by combining the oft-contradictory lies st forth by foreigners of little faith and no moral fiber; that somewhere in Segmentum Tempestus a traitor walk the land, claiming to be the Emperor Reborn! Yes, on the eve of battle man will betray his fellows – who needs enemies who has such neighbors and friends...

Personal weapons: Personal weapons come in two primary categories; projectile (autoguns and bolters) or energy (lasers and plasma guns). Most personal weapons are made from advanced light alloys, synthetics, and composite materials. They are lightweight and highly durable, but most importantly they are cheap and easy to mass-produce. Personal weapons come with fixed sights, but commonly have some form of improved targeting gear – rangefinders, optical sights (with or without targeting enhancement), vision enhancement (light-enhancement and/or infrared). Many weapons are auto-stabilized and/or incorporate recoil dampeners.

Almost all weapons have some sort of built-in processor that takes care of a variety of tasks not readily detectable by the user – keeping track of ammunition, warning about jams, overheating and other failures, keeping various aiming aids working at optimum performance, tuning lasers to optimum wavelengths, possibly priming ammunition, working automated feeding/clearing systems, ensuring maximum stability for auto-stabilized weapons, and a host of other things.

Projectile weapons: By far the most common personal firearm in the Imperium is the good old slug-thrower, a weapon that has been around - quite literally – for 40.000 years. Slug-throwers come in a million different variations, but the basic principle is the same; impart kinetic energy to a smallish and dense object, and have it rip apart whatever it hits.

Slug-throwers range from primitive muzzle-loaders found on some feudal worlds, via simple black-powder guns on worlds with slightly more advanced tech-bases, to the ultra-efficient modern weapons available on most Imperial worlds. Some semi-archaic models utilize cased ammunition, cartridges and such, but most contemporary Imperial weapons are autoguns firing high-velocity case-less rounds using an electic pulse for igniting the propellant.

Even more advanced models utilize magnetic accelerators to propel the bullet, adding bulk but also giving higher muzzle velocities. The Adeptus Mechanicus and a few other tech-guilds have the ability to manufacture slug-throwers using grav-pulse technology for truly incredible projectile velocities, but these weapons are very rare, extremely expensive, and ill-understood (Eldar weapons are typically of this type, albeit far more elegant and efficient).

There is also a bewildering array of ammunition types, ranging from primitive lead ball, via basic mantled bullets, to exotic adamantine-tipped mass-reactive explosive projectiles. The most common type of projectile is a saboted kinetic heavy core penetrator that has decent penetrating capability and good damage characteristics against flesh. Other common ammunition types include incendiary, incapacitating, explosive, and armor-piercing types.

Autoguns/autopistols: Autoguns are full-scale rifle-type or squad-support weapons intended for military use, while autopistols range in size from true pistols to light rifles intended for high-risk security work. The autogun is a favorite with many PDFs and paramilitary groups, mostly because they are extremely cheap and easy to manufacture, use and maintain. The autopistol is a common sight among enforcer cadres, Arbites, private security forces, and gangers. Autoweapons are not typically found in the hands of ordinary civilians.

Both types of weapon are capable of a very high rate of fire, using case-less ammunition and (typically) the pulse-ignition system. The main difference between autoguns and autopistols is caliber/muzzle velocity. Autopistols fire relatively small projectiles (typically 3.5 mm) at lower speeds, and thus have reduced range, penetration and damage compared to autogun ammunition (typically 5 mm for rifles and light support weapons and 7 mm for heavier support weapons).

Heavier versions of the autogun are sometimes referred to as autocannon, but such weapons are more correctly classified as heavy weapons. They must either be tripod- mounted and have 2-3 man crews or be mounted on vehicles for use against massed soft targets, light vehicles, or other semi-hardened targets. Autocannon fire masses of high-caliber (typically 15-30 mm) projectiles at impressive muzzle velocities.

Bolters: Bolters are a type of slug-thrower that deserves particular mention; they are the weapon of choice of the legendary Adeptus Astartes – the Space Marines (and they are also a favorite choice for veteran Ork warriors). Instead of launching an inert projectile they fire miniature self-propelled projectiles. This gives bolter longer range and better penetration against distant targets when compared to ordinary projectile weapons. Initial launch from the bolt gun is accomplished through any of the methods mentioned aove; case-less pulse technology for Imperial (and Ork for that matter) bolt weapons, with Astartes weapons always always employing a gauss-type accelearator.

The main drawback of bolters is bulk and weight. To be effective the missiles launched have to be fairly massive, resulting in a very heavy weapon with a large high-caliber ammunition (.75 cal is standard) and a bulky gauss launch system. While this is no problem for Astartes in power armor to heft a 40+ pound weapon system the same cannot be said for normal humans. Lighter bolters use the weaker .50 cal ammunition and a simpler pulse-ignition system, but the weapons are still characterized by great bulk and limited ammunition capacity. Though less effective than Marine bolters, the Imperial bolter its still a potent weapon system and does see use with some Stromtrooper divisions and other elite formations.

Bolt pistols also exist; they fire the same caliber (.75 for Astartes weapons and typically .50 for 'civilian' versions) ammunition that bolters do, but the rounds have a much smaller initial charge (and less capable gauss-type launch system) to reduce both recoil and ammunition/weapon weight. Bolt pistols thus have less accuracy, range and penetrating power, but if they do penetrate they can do nearly as much damage as a full bolter rounds. Apart from being the back-up weapon of choice of the Astartes, bolt pistols remain fairly rare because of their weight, recoil, difficulty of use, and high ammunition cost. But in the hands of a skilled operator they can be very deadly indeed.

Heavy bolters fire the incredibly potent 1''/25 mm round that combines excellent range, superb penetration and lethal damage in one small package. It can deal effectively with everything from power-armored infantry, to masses of unarmored targets, to light-to-medium vehicles. The heavy bolter is the Astartes support weapon of choice, but it also sees some use with special forces units, and it is a common secondary weapon for vehicles and aircraft. The assault cannon is a special heavy bolter with an astounding rate of fire that is employed almost exclusively by Space Marine Terminators.

Needlers: Needlers or needle guns (also known as sliver guns) are semi-common weapons in the 41st Millennium. Needlers fire low-caliber ammunition at modest velocities. It is not a military weapons system since its range and penetrating power is limited, but primarily see use with assassins and certain other civilian organizations. The selling characteristic of needlers is their ability to fire silently and accurately. Several types of ammunition exist, ranging from super-dense penetrators, via molecularily destabilized darts (contact-explosive), to toxic-crystal (a favorite of assassins). Basic Imperial needlers use a powerful spring mechanism to launch the needle at speeds just below the sound barrier. There is no thermal bloom, no muzzle flash, and very little sound produced. A small power cell resets the spring after each shot, giving needlers a decent rate of fire. Needle rifles are quite rare since they defeat the purpose of the needler; keeping a low profile. Still, some snipers and assassins favor the needle rifle for the lack of muzzle flash, thermal bloom and other side-effects common to standard projectile or energy weapons. Some needle rifles have a selector to allow them fire supersonic darts for better accuracy at long range.

Eldar marauders frequently make use of a somewhat similar weapon system (often called 'splinter rifles'), although it uses a laser beam instead of a spring system to propel the needles. Similar STC-compliant weapons are available in the Imperium, but while they have a better rate of fire and more power than spring-needlers, they are no more stealthy than normal lasweapons. Regardless of origin this variety of needlers fire crystal slivers that can – depending on the power setting of the lasbeam and the ammunition use – kill, injure or just deliver whatever toxin is infused in the toxin-crystal-matrix ammunition. Eldar commonly use on low-power setting to incapacitate and capture unarmored targets.

Gauss autoguns are sometimes called needlers (because they fire needle-like projectiles with narrow cross-sections, much like needlers do), but they are a different breed of weapon altogether, being advanced high-power autoguns manufactured for military use. The same applies to various grav-pulse projectile weapons employed by the Eldar (including the iconic 'shuriken catapult)' and other 'advanced' (but degenerate) xenos races.

Launchers: Launchers are weapons designed to fire grenades or missiles further than an ordinary soldier can throw the same ordnance. Many grenade launchers are man-portable, shoulder-fired weapons, usually mounted on a rifle-type weapon such as a bolter, lasgun or autogun. Such launchers are frequently single-shot, but certain patterns have magazines, typically with space for 3-5 grenades (plus one in the launch tube). Independent launcher systems exist, such as the Imperial Guard SGL (Squad Grenade Launcher). These weapons will almost invariably have either box or drum magazines with room for a large number of grenades. Unlike the rifle-mounted systems these weapons are capable of semi-automatic, or even full-automatic fire. Grenade launchers are also used as heavy support weapons or mounted on vehicles, ether as an offensive weapon system or as a defensive measure (launching smoke/blind or frag grenades against close-in infantry).

Standard ammunition for grenade launcher is the 30-40 mm high-explosive grenade, but special grenades are also available. These range for non-lethal webber rounds, via auxiliary types like flare, smoke and blind, to krak greandes and melta designed to deal with armored targets. Many ammunition types are primed by the launcher's machine spirit as it is fired; for example, frag rounds can be set to explode at a certain distance or elevation, thus enabling them to affect hard-to-reach targets.

Missile launchers are scaled-up versions of the grenade launcher, capable of firing larger projectiles with more capable payloads over longer distances. More primitive missile launchers can be of the single-shot type, but most have magazines and are capable of semi-automatic fire. Too heavy for ordinary soldiers to carry, they must either be operated by 2-3 man fire-teams, be emplaced, or carried by power-armored Astartes (together with heavy bolters missile launchers are the primary support weapon for Space Marine squads).

Shotguns: Shotguns of the 41st Millennium have little in common with the hunting weapons of earlier ages, but rather combines the characteristics of autoguns and bolters. They are capable of semi-automatic to fully-automatic fire with large caliber (.75 being quite typical) ammunition of various kinds. Shotguns are very effective at shorter ranges (they lack the muzzle velocity and penetrating power of true bolters, and do not have the accuracy or rate of fire of autoguns), especially against lightly armored targets, making them popular with enforcers and starship security alike (because the chance of damaging ship-critical systems is reduced).

Standard shotgun ammunition consists of dense-penetrator flechettes that can punch through light armor and deliver terribly wounds to unarmored targets. Other ammunition types include self-propelled (a cheap version of the bolter), high explosive, incendiary, stun, entangle, and many more. Several common shotgun patterns (such as the Lathes Pattern Arbites Riot Gun) have two (or more) magazines spaces, allowing the gunner to switch between several ammunition types at the flick of a switch.

Stubbers: The term 'stubber' is a catchall for the myriad less advanced projectile weapons manufactured and used throughout the Imperium. They exist in a wide range of size and complexity, from small two-shot hold-out pistols, via large caliber revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, to machine pistols, various rifles made for hunting and war, to light and heavy support weapons.

The selling points of stubbers is their simplicity and low-tech nature. They can be manufactured anywhere there is even a small industrial base. Because of their cheapness and ease of use they are found in great numbers even on worlds with a high tech-base. Getting a license to carry a stub pistol is fairly easy; indeed, getting caught with an illegal stub revolver might result in just a period of incarceration, while having a military grade weapon on you could lead to far worse.

Stubber ammunition is usually just as simple as the weapons themselves, cheap and low-tech, but exceptions do exist. The same goes for accessories; most stubbers lack anything beyond fixed sights, but if you've got the Thrones for it you can add things like advanced sights to your stubber.

“Good. I was hoping you would be sensible. Don't worry too much about your continued existence breaking any laws; the Inquisition need heed no law but the Emperor's Will – you are above and beyond any law made by man as long as you are with us.” She releases the force maul clipped to her utility belt, then does something to the control surfaces. Instead of activating as it should the maul's grip suddenly transforms into a tripod, which the woman places on the floor, well away from the table. It sits there, humming with pent-up power, then there is a sudden rush of air and a sickening sensation of falling. A large metal chest sits upon the floor where the tripod was moments before; a teleportation homer! “Unfortunately the local Arbites know a little too much about your nature, so it would be best for all if you died here. To prevent further inquiry.” She moves over to the chest, opens the lid, and hauls out an exact physical replica of Maximilian. She turns and smiles: “Time to change places Acolyte.” As you hobble over to the chest the copy stirs as it is manhandled into the interview chair. The last thing you see before the lid closes is the dark-haired woman calmly loading a slide into her auto-pistol. “Sweet dreams Maximilian Elazar Dante. And welcome to your new life.” The the lid slams down and the stasis-field immediately engages, freezing your body and mind at that exact moment of time.

To: Haxtes/Maximilian Can you check if you got an e-mail regarding the re-post of Maximilian's last background entry. I added some text and then saved with new date. Just want to know if that generates an e-mail to subscribers or not.