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Post by CELS on Dec 12, 2004 11:51:26 GMT -5
Since it is evident from the discussion in the Archaios forum that the details of the Age of Apostasy in Anargo are unclear, I've started a thread where we can work it out. I'm going to post the Age of Apostasy as I see it, and then people can make comments, ask questions and even offer alternatives. Important note: As we decide to make alterations, I'll edit this first post, so it'll be easy to keep up with what's been done.
[/li][li] 215.M36[/b]
Terra: Assassination of Lord Phaedrus: The High Lord of the adeptus astra telepathica, Lord Phaedrus, is assassinated by Lord Vandire who has become both the High Lord of the adeptus administratum and the Ecclesiarch of the adeptus ministorum. Thus begins the bloody period of history known as the Reign of Blood.
Anargo Sector: In the Anargo sector, war breaks out as the pro-Vandire Theocracy of Anargo orders attacks against the worlds that don’t support Vandire or pay the high tithes that it demands. Proteus cuts off contact with Anargo, and Anargo proceeds to attack Proteus and its allies in the Archaios subsector. The situation is similar for the Silver Skulls, who have a minor presence in this sector at this time. The Archaios subsector is considered rebel, as are several worlds within the Anargo, Dorvastor, Castellan, Meksum and Sargassos subsector. Eventually, the situation calms down as wars come to a near stand-still, with the Battlefleet Anargo blockading the Archaios subsector and regaining control of the other subsectors.
[Note: Anargo is still the subsector capital, after the old capital in the Sargassos subsector was Exterminated]
[/li][li] 240.M36
Anargo Sector: Opposing the new regime and the extreme tithes imposed by the pro-Vandire Anargan Theocracy, the Adeptus Mechanicus and Adeptus Astartes grow hostile towards Imperial rule in the sector. In 240.M36, the Adeptus Astartes chapter Silver Skulls attack the Imperial Navy in the Anargo sector, stopping the blockade around Sistina and saving millions from hunger. The Adeptus Mechanicus on Proteus is quick to support this action, and several large military engagements between the forces of the Lord Commander of the Anargo sector and the forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Silver Skulls follow in the next years to come.
[/li][li] 288.M36
Terra: The Adeptus Mechanicus and Adeptus Astartes openly rebel against Lord Vandire, attack his fortress on Terra. Together, the Astartes, Mechanicus, Custodes and Sororitas defeat Vandire. Sebastian Thor becomes the new Ecclessiarch.
Anargo sector: As Sebastian Thor becomes 292nd Ecclessiarch in 288.M36, the Meksumian and Sargassos subsectors rebel against the pro-Vandire seat of power on Anargo. A huge war ensues as the Anargo subsector launches a crusade against the rebels, with full support from the Castellan and Dorvastor subsector. Battlefleet Anargo is forced to loosen its hold on the Archaios subsector, and there is some traffic in and out of the subsector.
[/li][li] 353.M36
Anargo Sector: The war in the Anargo sector between pro-Vandire remnants and pro-Thor loyallists reaches is climax as countless armies appear from different parts of the sector and even other distant sectors, swearing allegiance to the Lord of the Sargassos subsector. For several years, the Meksum and Sargassos subsector are successful in holding off the armies of Anargo.
[/li][li] 360.M36
Anargo Sector: The mysterious allies of the Sargassos subsector are revealed to be cultists of Chaos and the Sargassos subsector publicly announces its loyalty to the Dark Gods. The Meksum subsector is appalled by this revelation and immediately break their ties with the Sargassos subsector. Now alone, the Meksum subsector is forced to fight a war against the chaos cultists within its own borders, the armies of the Sargassos subsector and the vast forces of the pro-Vandire remnants. In a matter of mere months, the Meksumian defences collapse and Anargo regains control of the Meksum subsector.
[/li][li] 365.M36
Anargo Sector: Almost a century after Sargassos first rebelled against Anargo, the sector's battlefleet finally has full control of the Sargassos subsector. With the exception of a few of the youngest colonies, the worlds in the Sargassos subsector have fallen completely to Chaos and the corrupted population is deemed lost beyond hope. Several worlds are utterly destroyed by the bombardement of the Anargo Navy, and hundreds of billions are killed. Of the once glorious Sargassos subsector, only a handful of sparcely populated colonies remain.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:05:51 GMT -5
Assassination of Lord Phaedrus: The High Lord of the adeptus astra telepathica, Lord Phaedrus, is assassinated by Lord Vandire who has become both the High Lord of the adeptus administratum and the Ecclesiarch of the adeptus ministorum. Thus begins the bloody period of history known as the Age of Apostasy. This is not completely acurate, the Age of Apostasy was well under way before vandire ever came to power. His reign is just the most remembered portion of that time. So that we are all working from the same information, I am posting the Cannon fluff on the age of Apostasy. I will add my comments on its implications for the Anargo Sector afterwords. The following information comes from second edition. The fall of Vandire, which I have ommitted from the end of this information has recently been reprinted in a White Dwarf article about the Sisters of Battle (Adeptus Sororitas Chapters)...Sorry the Issue number escapes me at the moment. THE AGE OF APOSTASYPath to DamnationThe power of the Ecclesiarchy spread into every facet of Imperial life. From humble miners and clerks, through Imperial Guard and Navy officers to planetary Governors and the High Lords of Terra themselves, everybody was an adherent to the Imperial Creed, in theory at least. Frequently the High Lords would take their lead from the views of the Ecclesiarchy, believing that he was the mouth of the Emperor; a belief the Ministorum did nothing to contradict. Soon the Ecclesiarchy was indirectly dictating Imperial law, organising armies, deciding which threats gained priority and where to direct Imperial resources. As the grip of the Ecclesiarchy grew, elements of the Imperium railed against such control. In the High Lords' councils the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus opposed the will of the Ecclesiarchy, and the Chapter Masters of the Space Marines also viewed Imperial orders with doubt. Following their lead, the Administratum began to fight against the pervasive force of the Ecclesiarchy. Angered by their loss of control, the Administratum began to re-establish itself as the commanding, binding power within the Imperium. So began a feud that has lasted 7,000 years to the present. The Administratum exercised its influence in a number of ways, undermining the authority of the Ecclesiarchy, influencing votes in the council of the High Lords and positioning its own loyal followers in powerful posts. From the late 34th to the early 35th millennium, the power of the Ecclesiarchy waned. Following the election of a series of disastrously weak and incompetent Ecclesiarchs, the Administratum managed to wrest much of its control back from the Ministorum. As time passed the Administratum gained dominance once more. To the populace at large the Ecclesiarchy was as mighty, all-seeing and powerful as ever, but behind the scenes the Administratum was dictating the agenda of the Holy Synod. In an attempt to escape the clutches of the High Lord of the Administratum, Ecclesiarch Benedin IV moved the Holy Synod and the upper echelons of the Adeptus Ministorum to the planet of Ophelia VII in the Segmentum Tempestus. This had been Benedin's diocese as a Cardinal and was possibly the richest planet after Terra and Mars. The Ecclesiarchal palaces on Ophelia covered nearly 90,000 square miles and soared 4,000 metres into the sky.They were only rivalled by the Imperial palace on Earth. Separated from the designs of the Administratum by sheer distance, the power of the Ecclesiarchy grew again. With a succession of punishing increases in tithes, the resources of the Ministorum reached its height. The Cardinals of different dioceses competed with each other to erect the most magnificent monuments, to build the largest and most ostentatious temples and cathedrals. The purges of so-called heretical cults increased significantly, as any opposition to the word of the Ecclesiarch was ruthlessly crushed. Separated from the Administratum, the Ecclesiarchy began to form its own fleet of interstellar ships and armies. The Frateris Templars, as these forces came to be known, numbered many commercial transports and warships, and dozens of fighting armies each of which rivalled an Imperial Guard regiment in strength. All the while, the Ministorum buildings on Earth were left to ruin and crumble. In the middle of the 35th millennium, nearly three hundred years after the move to Ophelia VII, Gregor XI was elected to the position of Ecclesiarch. A deeply spiritual man, Gregor was seen as the next step in the Ecclesiarchy's growth: a fresh outlook to spur on what had increasingly become a stagnant Holy Synod. However, the Cardinals were totally unprepared for what would come next. Gregor announced that the Adeptus Ministorum would return to Earth. Although this was vigorously opposed both within and outside the Ecclesiarchy, Gregor felt that the true centre of the Faith should be Terra, the home world of humanity. None could dissuade him from this course, and though it took him twelve years to organise the return, with the time needed for marshalling his resources and the physical requirements of warp travel, the doors of the Ecclesiarchal palaces on Earth were finally opened once more. The refurbishment of the palaces took a heavy toll on the already thinly stretched resources of the Ecclesiarchy. Their funds depleted by the extremely expensive business of relocating to Terra, the Ecclesiarchy had to increase tithes even further to balance the costs of the rebuilding. As the rebuilding progressed, Gregor XI began laying the groundwork for other changes within the structure of the Adeptus Ministorum, changes that were seen as radical by many of his peers within the Holy Synod. Again, he refused to bow to opinion, but before his innovations could be put into action, Gregor died of food poisoning. Tears were wept at his funeral (it is said that six million followers filed past his open-topped casket) and the Cardinals spoke of a great man that had been taken from them too soon. However, no sooner had the tears dried and Gregor's body been interned in the great Mausoleum of Remembrance than a new, more conservative Ecclesiarch was elected and the Ministorum continued as it had done before.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:07:41 GMT -5
Descent into Anarchy
Fuelled by the growing demands of the Cardinals, Ecclesiarchy tithes were increased once more. Unfortunately, much of the populace was already stretched to breaking point and this further increase was seen by many as unnecessarily exorbitant. Across many worlds of the Imperium the populace openly rebelled against the Ecclesiarchy and refused to pay. Even Planetary Governors spoke out against the excesses of the Ministorum, but they went unheeded.
The Ecclesiarchy responded with a vengeance, sending its armies to crush any sign of revolt and executing higher officials as heretics. Alexis XXI used the Officio Assassinorum to eliminate several Governors who redirected their tithes to pay for their own Planetary Defence Forces, and is quoted as saying, ''They had forsworn the Emperor's protection for their own worldly gains.'' The tithes were used to build ever larger temples, to line the highways of planets with statues of past Ecclesiarchs and to decorate the Ecclesiarchal palaces with the rarest metals and gems.The unrest continued, massive uprisings spreading across the Imperium, only for the Frateris Templars of the Ecclesiarchy to arrive and quell any insurgencies.
All those who defied the rights of the Ecclesiarchy were decried as heretics and suitably punished. Some thought the Ecclesiarchy's bloody methods of control were excessive, but it was nothing compared to what was to come. Even as the Imperium struggled to survive amidst bushfire wars and a lack of true leadership from Earth, further disasters befell humanity. In the early 36th millennium the incidence of warp storms started increasing. Travel between all but the warp soon became a tumultuous mass of roiling tempests and storms. Navigation became difficult everywhere and hundreds of systems were totally isolated.
With the resources of the Administratum and Ecclesiarchy turned towards their power struggle, much of the Imperium devolved into anarchy. In those few worlds still accessible by starships, the power of the Ecclesiarchy was brutally enforced by the Frateris Templars and any slight deviation from the holy decrees was marked as heretical, with the burnings and hangings which attend that crime. Seeing the turmoil wracking the Imperium, Chaos raiders poured forth from the Eye of Terror to attack and despoil their ancient foes. Ork Warlords rampaged across vast tracts of the galaxy and there was nobody who could halt them.
On the planets cut off from Terra, Chaos and Genestealer cults rose in rebellion and overthrew their governments, damning entire worlds to slavery an slaughter. Those worlds are not overrun by alien attackers strove to retain what they could. As time passed even the most advanced worlds were brought to their knees. As before, with no central guidance from the Adeptus Ministorum even the worship of the Emperor began to devolve into a series of cults and sects, and in the trying times of those centuries those who were once brothers under the light of the Emperor fought against each other to assert their religious ideals.
Much of the Imperium was under the malaise of a preapocalyptic gloom. Crazed zealots denounced the Ecclesiarchy and claimed the Emperor was displeased with their greed and excesses- sending the warp storms as a test to judge the truly faithful and set them apart from heretics and sinners. Spurred on by these statements, citizens turned to flagellation and self-mutilation to prove their belief and faith. Whole populations became seething masses of despair-laden cults, each trying to outdo the other in their tortuous devotion to the Emperor. Strange splinter groups grew in power, preaching extreme causes. Bloodthirsty pogroms eradicated many innocents as the populace tried to stem the wrath of the God-Emperor. In some communities any small deviation from what deemed normal brought instant death to a child and its family. Whole populations were enslaved or slaughtered, deemed heathens for some real or suspected deviancy.
High Lord Vandire
The name most infamously connected with the Age of Apostasy and the architect of the Reign of Blood was Goge Vandire, 361st High Lord of the Administratum. Vandire had a hard reputation and was a staunch opponent of the Ecclesiarchy's dominance. It was rumoured he used Assassins and blackmail to achieve the rank of High Lord, and none within the Administratum dared oppose him. Shortly before his ascendancy to the vaulted rank of High Lord, Vandire was instrumental in the election of Ecclesiarch Paulis III, a degenerate incompetent who was easily controlled by Vandire and his followers.
Once he had established his position within the Administratum Vandire moved in to take over the Ecclesiarchy. While other High Lords had manipulated the Adeptus Ministorum covertly, Vandire personally led a handpicked contingent of Imperial Guard officers into the Ecclesiarchal palace and overthrew Paulis III in what can only be called a military coup. Declaring Paulis to be a traitor to humanity he had the Ecclesiarch summarily shot and took upon himself the dual role of High Lord of the Administratum and Ecclesiarch.
Shaken and terrified, the Holy Synod could do nothing to oppose Vandire as he set about eradicating any within the Ministorum who opposed him. As Vandire's wrath fell upon the Cardinals all those not already fleeing elected to return to Ophelia VII to escape the High Lord's clutches. However, fate thwarted them and as their ship entered the warp it was engulfed by a huge storm and they were never seen again. Vandire claimed it was the will of the Emperor; evidence of his divine right to reign over the Imperium in the Emperor's name.
Vandire elected Cardinals of his own choosing to fill the mahogany benches of the Holy Synod chambers. He chose a calculated mix of weak-willed fools and brilliant geniuses with just the right amount of cruelty to ensure they would enforce his will without any qualms. The High Lord now had total, unopposed control of both the Ecclesiarchy and the Administratum. The Imperium was about to face its darkest time since the Horus Heresy.
The Reign of Blood
Vandire was insane: a paranoid megalomaniac who saw plots and intrigue everywhere. His mind was twisted in every way and he delighted in torturing his victims, declaring he was purifying their souls for the Emperor. He expected his every word to be recorded for posterity and was constantly accompanied by a plethora of scribes whose job was to note down anything he said or any particularly innovative tortures he inflicted in the converted catacombs beneath the Ecclesiarchal palace. His mood would swing violently, laughing one moment and murderously angry the next.
Vandire would often fall into a trance-like state, during which he would argue with himself in a mumbling voice and on other occasions he would shout out loud for no apparent reason. He claimed he was receiving messages from the Emperor. These meditative periods would always be followed by bouts of excessive violence. He had a huge tri-d map of the Imperium installed in is audience chamber, with a constant relay of current warp storm activity. As soon as a world was reachable, he would despatch a war fleet to establish control.
The Reign of Blood affected the whole Imperium. Sycophantic Army and Navy officers were only too ready to execute Vandire's orders: virus bombing the hive world of Calana VII without reason; invading the farmlands of Boras Minor and enslaving every female child under twelve years of age; using the orbital batteries of Jhanna to melt the planet's ice caps, drowning nearly 4 billion people in the resultant floods. The list goes on and on, meticulously recorded by Vandire's scribes. Vandire would dictate long speeches bemoaning the wretched state of the Imperium, demanding justice object of hate.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:19:33 GMT -5
Daughters of the Emperor
Early in the Reign of Blood Vandire's extensive network of spies notified the High Lord of a particular sect which had previously eluded the attention of the Ministorum. It was a small cult, perhaps only 500 members in total on the little known agri-world of San Leor. Vandire was furious when he first heard of the group, but as his agents continued to explain the nature of the cult, his interest swerved from homicidal intent to covetousness. The sect, known as the Daughters of the Emperor, contained only female members and devoted itself to worship of the Emperor through inner purity. The Daughters of the Emperor studied the ancient arts of war using a taxing learning process to clear their minds of all worldly considerations, honing their skills over their entire lives. His interest piqued, Vandire ordered a ship to prepare immediately for a journey to San Leor and announced he would honour the world with an Ecclesiarchal visit.
With an entourage of nearly a hundred thousand servants and soldiers, Vandire on San Leor. As the miles-long procession made its way to the temple of the Daughters of the Emperor, Vandire's agents moved ahead of the Ecclesiarchal train, forcing the meagre population of the farms and towns to line the streets and show due respect. Those who failed to cooperate were executed as heretics, regardless of their reasons. Even newly-born babes and ancient elders were dragged from their homes to witness the arrival of the Ecclesiarch. The crowds were supplied with laurels and gifts to present to Vandire, showering him with scented flowers and crying their praise at gun point. Holo-vids of the various ceremonies performed by Vandire were spread throughout the accessible Imperium and the propaganda was used to further enforce the power of the Ecclesiarch.
Upon reaching the temple, Vandire found the gates barred against him and was informed by a young Daughter of the Emperor that the order did not recognise his authority. Expecting the customary explosion of rage and destruction, Vandire's terrified functionaries feared for their lives. However, Vandire had anticipated such an insolent response and had already considered the solution. He ordered the Daughters of the Emperor to witness a feat that would prove he had the favour of the Emperor.With a small bodyguard of men. Vandire entered the temple and was conducted to the main hall. Before the assembled order Vandire knelt in supplication to the Emperor, praying for his protection, clutching the Ecclesiarch's Rosarius in both hands. Standing again, he ordered one of his guards to shoot him with his laspistol. The officer refused at first, begging with Vandire not to endanger himself. Vandire's response is quoted as, ''there is no danger, I have the Emperor's protection. Do you doubt that?'' The officer had no answer to such a question, loaded as it was subtle malice and the threat of punishment. He duly raised his pistol, aimed at the Ecclesiarch's chest and pulled the trigger.
As the bolt of energy struck Vandire there was an explosion of light, blinding all who stood in the hall. As they recovered their senses, they saw Vandire standing totally unharmed in the centre of the chamber, leaning on his bone walking cane. Almost as one, the Guardsmen and Daughters of the Emperor fell to their knees in worship. As he later boasted to his scribes, Vandire had gambled that the isolated Daughters of the Emperor would have never heard of a Rosarius or the conversion field generator it contained.
Taking oaths of fealty from the Daughters of the Emperor, Vandire elevated the sect to the position of Ecclesiarchal bodyguard and took them back to Terra with him. From then on, the warrior women became his personal retinue of soldiers and companions, and Vandire renamed them the Brides of the Emperor. They were trained by the best teachers in the Imperial Guard to combine their own skills with the modern weapons of war and world of their dedication to the protection of Vandire spread through the Imperium. They were his constant guardians and his silent executioners, who would kill with a word from their lord.
The Brides not only served as Vandire's bodyguard, but also as servants and companions. They tasted the High Lord's food, fed him when he fell weak with illness, nursed his frail body and entertained him with singing, dancing and other, more exotic, skills. For all their gaiety on occasion, the Brides of the Emperor were still hardened fighters, and when the Holy Synod tried to have Vandire assassinated a few years later, the Brides went into the meeting chambers, locked the doors and emerged an hour later carrying the severed heads of every Cardinal present.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:21:13 GMT -5
Sebastian Thor
The violent repression and wanton slaughter continued for seven decades after Vandire's ascension to the Ecclesiarchal palace.The resources of the Adeptus Ministorum were directed towards bloodthirsty pogroms and the building of immense new monuments to the Emperor and Vandire. However, Vandire's insanity was ever directed outwards, and though distant planets boasted mile-high spires and cathedrals, the Terran palace itself was allowed to fall into decay once more. Whole wings of the sprawling building collapsed from the weight of centuries, and the immense chandeliers and incense burners of the audience chamber were allowed to gutter and die.
While the rest of the Imperium glowed with the radiance of gold and platinum and sparkled with the light of millions of rare gems, Vandire's own domain became a dark lair of shadows and dank, chilling winds. Dust lay knee-deep in places, the ancient relics were tarnished and stained, tapestries became torn and mildewed and rats and other vermin left their trail across the priceless rugs and carpets. Occasionally just a single candle would be lit in the enormous expanse of the great hall, with only the odd footfall betraying the presence of the Brides of the Emperor in the darkness. Even during the day, the patina of grime and filth on the stained glass windows let through only a trickle of sunlight. When sweeping rains cleaned the outside of the windows a shaft of brighter light might play about the floor of the great hall, but at these times Vandire would retire to his chambers and sit for days on end in complete silence. The High Lord fell into long, nightmare-ridden sleeps, crying out in hysterical screams. His ancient body was pumped full of drugs and elixirs to keep the inevitable diseases and depredations of age at bay. However, with the guns of the Brides of the Emperor always ready to obey his will, the crippled High Lord still commanded with an iron fist. In his more lucid moments, the ailing Vandire could be heard muttering about the light, and the writings of his scribes recorded that his fear of light seemed to grow with every passing day.
It was with trepidation that a young agent appeared on Terra, coming back from the northern reaches of the galaxy, around the planet Dimmamar. His report was disturbing to the High Lord's advisors and caused Vandire to break into a fit of apoplectic rage. Dimmamar had denounced the High Lord as a traitor of the Imperium and the ancient rites of the diocese. The name of one man was heard again and again, all across the Segmentum Obscurus. His name was Sebastian Thor.
None on Terra knew where this man came from or what his ultimate purpose might be. The puppet High Lords raged with debate for over a mouth as to what course of action to take. After his initial outburst, Vandire withdrew into himself more than even, and for most of the council meeting would be seen huddled in the velvet and ebony throne of the Ecclesiarch, surrounded by the ever vigilant Brides of the Emperor, his eyes staring at nothing. As more news came in of the revolt, it became clear that things would have to be stopped soon. Within three months another eighty systems had declared their loyalty to the Confederation of Light and only the Weight of Ministorum armies and fleets in other sectors prevented similar occurrences all across the northern reaches. The most trusted and loyal of the Frateris Templars were dispatched to deal with the threat, and were ordered to raze Dimmamar and eradicate every living creature on the world.
The war fleet was duly sent, but shortly after it jumped into warp space outside the Clax system it was smashed asunder by a warp storm of gigantic proportions. The last astropathic transmission reported white arcs of energy tearing apart the hulls of the ships, the power of the storm literally twisting men and machines apart, turning soldiers inside out and disintegrating everything. The Clax system has been cut off ever since by the swirling tempest, and it is clamed that those who pass close by can still hear the screams of the dying and feel the panicked last thoughts of the Astropaths echoing through the whole region. It is an area of ill omen now known as the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath.
With this huge blow to the Ecclesiarchy's military power, the whole of the Segmentum Obscurus erupted into rebellion. The Cardinal palaces were stormed by frenzied converts who tore down the hangings, burned the icons and smashed the ornate stained glass windows. Through all the madness, the name of Sebastian Thor still kept appearing. Who was this shadowy figure who seemed intent on the destruction of the Ecclesiarchy and with that, the Imperium itself? Perhaps he was some from of vessel for the gods of Chaos, another Horus attempting to enslave humanity once more. Or maybe some other alien influence controlled him, one of the many creatures of the warp or one of the immensely powerful elder races, hitherto undetected. As more information was relayed back by the Ministorum's agents, the High Lords were stunned by the news.
Thor was no daemonic entity intent on corrupting the Imperium, he was just a man, born in a Dimmamar Schola Progenium habitat. Interrogations of old companions revealed that he had been a devout, if somewhat introverted, follower in his early life. However, Thor recently claimed to have visions of the Emperor, and warned that disaster was befalling mankind. It was claimed that Thor had cast an old Preacher from the pulpit in the middle of a prayer session and denounced the ways of the Ecclesiarchy. With an eloquence and charisma the informants could not explain, Thor spoke to those present, reaching into their hearts and minds with his words.
News of the incident spread and soon thousands travelled to hear Thor's sermons and went away with a new religious zeal burning in their souls, spreading the message even further. Members of the heretic Confederation of Light approached declared his loyalty to the sect. Thor was brought before the Imperial Commander, Gaius Welkonnen, and spoke of his visions and dreams, and of his ambition to rid the Imperium of Vandire's tyranny. No one could explain what rare power was held in Thor's voice, but the Governor immediately swore his loyalty to Sebastian Thor and placed Dimmamar's army at his disposal, as the adept had requested.
As word spread, anarchy embroiled the Segmentum Obscurus, and desecration, looting and wanton destruction erupted. Although Vandire's spies were exposed and driven out with startling efficiency, it became clear that Sebastian Thor's 'army' had grown to over 5 million followers within the space of a year, and the huge entourage was slowly making its way through the Imperium towards Terra. Even some of the surviving Frateris Templars joined his forces.
Many legends sprang up around Thor and his long journey, and miraculous events were attributed to his presence. Some of this can be explained by the oratory skills of the young adept, such as the way the population of the planets he passed through would gather their resources to feed and house his immense following. Others remain true mysteries, like the Navigator's tales of the utter calmness of the warp as they journeyed from system to system. Though the rest of the galaxy was still embroiled in the raging tempests that had engulfed the Imperium for many hundreds of years, the massive fleet of the Confederation of Light passed through the warp without hindrance. The Paternova of the Navigators dubbed him Abstracta Preomnis, Master of the Warp.
News of Sebastian Thor spread from the Segmentum Obscurus to other parts of the Imperium. Distance exaggerated the message and soon Thor was being hailed as a god-like being. With much of its armed might destroyed at Clax, the Adeptus Ministorum could do little to stop system after system, diocese from swearing loyalty to the new wave of belief centred around Thor. Despite fierce opposition from many Cardinals and Confessors who saw their power, traditions and whole way of life being destroyed, Thor's creed converted millions of followers. Co-operation and sacrifice became the doctrine of those who heard Thor's impassioned speeches, delivered from different planets along the route to Terra. Although many opposed Thor, all across the Imperium the tide had changed against Vandire. The masses had been pushed too far, and this time they had a leader to unite behind.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:21:43 GMT -5
The Wars of Apostasy
More disturbing news was to reach the Council of the High Lords. Until now, the Adeptus Mechanicus and Space Marine Chapters had played only a small role in the Age of Apostasy. The vagaries of warp travel made any long distance journeys hazardous at best and impossible in some areas. Instead the Adeptus Astartes' planets and the Forge Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus became fortresses amidst a sea of anarchy. These organisations were on the defensive, protecting the few systems they could from the ravages of the Age of Apostasy and the carnage of Vandire's Reign of Blood. Of all the Imperium, it was these small empire-like enclaves which survived the whole epoch with the least harm inflicted, the guardianship of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Space Marines protecting them from the worst events of that terrible era. With news of Sebastian Thor and the spread of the Confederation of Light, many Space Marine Chapter Masters in the Segmentum Solar and the nearest sectors of the rest of the Imperium began voicing their support for this movement. The Adeptus Mechanicus issued a summons for the High Lords to account for themselves and to indict and execute Vandire as a traitor. Vandire's response was to dissolve the Council of High Lords and order his remaining armies and fleets to attack the rebellious Space Marines and Cult Mechanicus. Many officers refused such a suicidal endeavour, only to be burned or hanged as heretics. They were replaced with more tractable commanders, but by this time Vandire's treachery was revealed. Enraged by what he saw Gastaph Hedriatix, the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus, ordered regiments of the Martian Tech-Guard to transport to Earth. These regiments were joined by the Imperial Fists, Fire Hawks, Soul Drinkers and Black Templars Chapters.
Although much of the Ecclesiarchal palace had fallen into ruin, the central complex which housed Vandire's throne room still remained an almost impregnable fortress. For months the combined forces of the Tech-Guard and Space Marines tried to breach its walls, only to be constantly thwarted by the Brides of the Emperor, who numbered some 10,000 fighters by this time. As the huge cannons of the Adeptus Mechanicus pounded on the walls of the palace and the Space Marine assault squads fought down mile-long corridors littered with dead, the attention of the High Lords and Vandire was turned outwards. But it was from within that the greatest threat was to come.
The High Lord Falls
Since the Reign of Blood started, another organisation had remained apart from the bloodshed and devastation. Within the secure walls of the Imperial palace, the Adeptus Custodes continued their eternal vigil over the Golden Throne. To escape the anarchy that prevailed, and to ensure the protection of the Emperor himself, the Custodians had cut themselves off from the outside completely. Only scraps of information passed through the sealed walls of the most holy of places, and it was only when the Space Marines and Adeptus Mechanicus moved against Vandire that the true extent of the treachery perpetrated by the High Lord became known to them. In secret meetings with the commanders of the Space Marines, the Adeptus Custodes learnt of the Reign of Blood and the Brides of the Emperor defending the traitor High Lord. The mysterious order advised the Space Marines to continue their attack while they would do what they could.
The defences of the Ecclesiarchal palace were no obstacle to the Adeptus Custodes, with their lifelong knowledge of the Imperial palace and its thousands of miles of hidden conduits and secret corridors. A small contingent of Custodians, led by a Centurion of the Companions, made its way into the very heart of Vandire's domain. Surfacing not far from Vandire's audience chamber, they were confronted by the Brides of the Emperor. Calling for a truce and a parley, the Centurion laid down his weapons and walked unarmed to meet the guardians of Vandire. For an hour he made an impassioned plea for the Brides to revoke their oaths, striving to convince them that they were fighting for evil, not the Emperor. However, they were not to be swayed by his arguments, and the nameless Centurion had only one option left. Leaving his men as hostages, the Centurion guided their leader and a bodyguard of five female warriors back into the tunnels...
The death of vandire is continued in the sisters of battle fluff, but I think this gives a good description of the events that occured during the Age of Apostasy. Even after Vadire's death the Imperium was still heavily divided. The events of the Ageof Apostasy may have lead to the plague of unbelief. It may have also foreshadowed the rebellion of the fire Hawks (Red Corsairs) and the space marince chapters that followed them into rebellion.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 13, 2004 15:59:55 GMT -5
Has there been any mention of an attack by orks in the Castellan sector around this time. This may be something that we can work intot he metaplot.
Another though is that due to the warp strorms, the Frateris Templars were unable to reach the worlds (in sufficient numbers to take them anyway) of the Sargassos and Meksum Subsectors. If you add on top of this the press of green skins into castellan, they may have been willing to wait to dole out retribution.
This may actually be an interesting point that made other planets and systems align with Hesperus...what if the Frateris Templars did not lend their aid to fight the green skins? They were on a holy crusade to purge those opposed to Vandire. They could not waste their strength fighting orks.
Another question that has been raised was why the Anargo Sector became the new capital. With Meksum appearing to be in open rebelion against the Imperium or at least the ecclisiarchy, that rules them out (during the Age of Apostasy). The Frateris Templars would have still needed a capital from which to administer the sector...Sargassos may have been excommunicated in abstencia and Anargo named capital in its place.
This would sort of be like the middle ages when there were two popes at one time. There were popes in rome as well as in Avignon (France). Both claimed legitimacy, but there was a power struggle going on as to who was the true father of the church.
Anargo and the systems of the sector probably saw this as the perfect opportunity to elevate their status in the Sector. Not only would they gain prestige by being named the capital, but they also would have an influx of money from the armies that were being raised to support the Frateris Templars.
Vandire always had a strategy of promoting weak willed individuals or ones that couldbe manipulated. The Anargo Subsector had always been the poor cousin of Meksum...but with Meksum on the wrong side of the conflict, this was their chance to shine.
Between them, Sargassos and Meksum could probably paid for fielding a huge army and fleet to oppose any movements by the Frateris Templars. It may have not been till the Orks were pushed back and the warp storms began to abate that they were finally brought to task for their actions.
This would give Meksum sufficient time to begin fighting the chaos threat in their own borders, plus seperate themselves from Sargassos enough so that they did not suffer the same fate.
The Warp storms may also explain why there are still some High Tech an large population worlds in the Sargassos Subsector. These worlds may have been cut off even from the other systems of the Subsector. As such they were not touched by chaos.
They of course still fal within the Sargassos cordon, but are still prosperous systems off of the beaten track.
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Post by CELS on Dec 14, 2004 4:43:56 GMT -5
I'm going to tell you what I think happened in the Anargo sector during the Age of Apostasy. What I'm about to tell you is the idea that I've been working on for several months now. This is an idea that was created by Minister, Zholud, Kage and myself, and I really think you should give it a chance before you make a lot of new suggestions, my dear Destecado - which you have a habit of doing The Age of Apostasy: Anargo is the capital subsector. Sargassos used to be the subsector untill the Horus Heresy, but after giving a lot of support to the Alpha Legion, Anargo was the new subsector. When Lord Vandire comes to power and starts to act up, tithes are raised and the Imperium becomes an even worse place to live. The Anargo subsector starts raising tithes in the Anargo sector, and starts making trouble. The Knight worlds in the Archaios subsector are suddenly commanded to tithe to the Imperium, despite the ancient pacts with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and several other worlds in the Anargo subsector rebel against the pro-Vandire government. When Sebastian Thor replaces Lord Vandire, forces in the Anargo sector eventually start moving against the old pro-Vandire government. The Meksum and Sargassos subsectors are the first to hail Sebastian Thor and they struggle to remove the old government and the laws set by Lord Vandire. Before long, the two subsectors are forced to ally to hold off the attacking fleets from the Anargo, Dorvastor and Castellan subsector. The Archaios subsector is rather torn at the moment, as Proteus tries to unite the nearby worlds. Imperial reinforcements from other sectors are delayed at this time, as large parts of the Imperium are busy with wars between pro-Thor and pro-Vandire factions. Some reinforcements do arrive though, with unmarked ships and black flags. From many neighbouring sectors, civilians and soldiers flock to aid the Meksum-Sargassos alliance. One day, the Lord of the Sargassos reveals that he serves chaos. The mysterious reinforcements show their true nature as chaos cults and rebels, and a thousand times a thousand cults suddenly cast off their disguise in the Sargassos subsector. The Meksum subsector has not been corrupted, and immediately breaks its alliance with the Sargassos subsector. With their enemies divided, the rest of the Sector is successful in isolating the Meksum subsector and overwhelming it, before moving towards the Sargassos subsector en masse. After bitter fighting against the chaos cults, the Anargan fleets cut to the centre of the subsector. With the exception of a handful of newly colonised backwater worlds, the subsector is exterminated and put in quarantine. The once glorious hives and civilised worlds of Sargassos are now ghost worlds and scorched glass balls, and Imperial Navy ship constantly patrol the borders of the now forbidden space. The newly colonised backwater worlds are spared because they were mostly ignored by the chaos forces and thus were not corrupted like the highly populated worlds. When the pro-Thor reinforcements finally come from the other sectors (and the Gaian revolution kicks in on Anargo, I think), the pro-Vandire faction is quickly swept away. After the Age of Apostasy, the worlds in the Sargassos that were spared grow and some become as highly populated as the old worlds. This leaves the Sargassos subsector divided, with one part young Imperial worlds and the other part as old ghost worlds, guarded well by the ships of the Imperial navy, in fear that foolish people will visit these worlds looking for treasure, and become corrupted by the chaos taint still there.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 14, 2004 11:08:38 GMT -5
I'm going to tell you what I think happened in the Anargo sector during the Age of Apostasy. What I'm about to tell you is the idea that I've been working on for several months now. This is an idea that was created by Minister, Zholud, Kage and myself, and I really think you should give it a chance before you make a lot of new suggestions, my dear Destecado - which you have a habit of doing Actually, There was a thread on the Age of Apostasy started in the Sargassos Subsector forum quite some time ago where a discussion had begun about the fate of the worlds of the Sargassos Subsector. At that time, Kage posted the following... This is one of those points that I seemed to remember being keen on one interpretation and being fairly sure that I had made that opinion known. Suffice to say: The Cursed Subsector was, until the Age of Apostasy, the sector capital. It would seem that both because of the activity of the Alpha Legion and the formation of the Sargasso Gulf (possibly afterwards) that the Cursed Subsector became, well, cursed. Thus sayeth the law... <said in best Judge Dredd voice> KageAs far as I had been aware, nothing had been completely set in stone with regards to the disposition of the Sargassos Subsector. The Age of Apostasy: Anargo is the capital subsector. Sargassos used to be the subsector untill the Horus Heresy, but after giving a lot of support to the Alpha Legion, Anargo was the new subsector. When was this decision made and by whom? If it was after the date of the quote I referenced then can you point me to the thread where it was discussed, so that I may read up on the descision that seem to be effecting the worlds being created in the sargassos subsector. When Lord Vandire comes to power and starts to act up, tithes are raised and the Imperium becomes an even worse place to live. The Anargo subsector starts raising tithes in the Anargo sector, and starts making trouble. The Knight worlds in the Archaios subsector are suddenly commanded to tithe to the Imperium, despite the ancient pacts with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and several other worlds in the Anargo subsector rebel against the pro-Vandire government. The heavy tithing by the cardinals of the ecclisiarchy started long before the time of Vandire. So to did the raising of armies and the Frateris Templars. Why Vandire is most remembered and what made him so dangerous, was that he was the High Lord of the Administratum who by a military and political coup took over the Ecclisiarchy, thus consolidating the vast power of these to positions into the hands of one man. This was the final straw that started many a revolt, but planets had already been revolting prior to the ascension of Vandire. Of course the warp storms made enforcing the decrees of the Ecclisiarchy difficult. When Sebastian Thor replaces Lord Vandire, forces in the Anargo sector eventually start moving against the old pro-Vandire government. The Meksum and Sargassos subsectors are the first to hail Sebastian Thor and they struggle to remove the old government and the laws set by Lord Vandire. The may have used Thor's movement as a validation of their actions, but this may have just been for political expediance. Their true motivations may have been hidden behind this veil of legitimacy. Imperial reinforcements from other sectors are delayed at this time, as large parts of the Imperium are busy with wars between pro-Thor and pro-Vandire factions. Some reinforcements do arrive though, with unmarked ships and black flags. From many neighbouring sectors, civilians and soldiers flock to aid the Meksum-Sargassos alliance. Don't forget wars being fought with chaos forces and orks as well. They were using this time to attack worlds issolated by warp storms. I still think we need to look at the possibility of a Waaagh during this era. One day, the Lord of the Sargassos reveals that he serves chaos. The mysterious reinforcements show their true nature as chaos cults and rebels, and a thousand times a thousand cults suddenly cast off their disguise in the Sargassos subsector. The Meksum subsector has not been corrupted, and immediately breaks its alliance with the Sargassos subsector. You make it sound like he outed himself as an agent of chaos. I really dislike the idea of this. It may be the political spin that the Imperium places on the events, but reality is never quite that simple. This completely ignores other motivations. With their enemies divided, the rest of the Sector is successful in isolating the Meksum subsector and overwhelming it, before moving towards the Sargassos subsector en masse. After bitter fighting against the chaos cults, the Anargan fleets cut to the centre of the subsector. With the exception of a handful of newly colonised backwater worlds, the subsector is exterminated and put in quarantine. The once glorious hives and civilised worlds of Sargassos are now ghost worlds and scorched glass balls, and Imperial Navy ship constantly patrol the borders of the now forbidden space. The newly colonised backwater worlds are spared because they were mostly ignored by the chaos forces and thus were not corrupted like the highly populated worlds. Again this discounts systems that are inaccessable because they are trapped in warp storms or that did not receive chaos troops and fought those worlds that did. This also does not take into account worlds that have a higher tech level than the Imperium.
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Post by CELS on Dec 14, 2004 16:02:22 GMT -5
Actually, There was a thread on the Age of Apostasy started in the Sargassos Subsector forum quite some time ago where a discussion had begun about the fate of the worlds of the Sargassos Subsector. At that time, Kage posted the following... Then I stand corrected, on that point. Nothing is ever set in stone. But this is the idea we have so far. I don't see any reason why we should change it. I'm quite fond of it. If I could, I would. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I have this from. But given your quote of Kage above, it doesn't really matter at this point. Fair enough. Just find another name for the faction that started upping the tithes then, instead of pro-Vandire. Yep. But if I remember correctly, zholud wanted his subsector to be pro-Thor. The history of the Anargo sector thread in the Meta-forum (page 2, I think) should have more info on this. Erm.. ok. I'm not too fussed either way. Now that I think about it, it doesn't make sense for him to just go out and announce it. But the point is that it was revealed, intentionally or not, and that Meksum broke the alliance. This led to the quick annihilation of the rebels. I also think it's very important to have full chaos corruption, which gives the 'Cursed subsector' its nickname. The subsector was, after all, created with the imagery of a forbidden, cursed zone in mind. Imperial navy ships patrolling cursed ghost worlds, that kind of stuff. I for one am still very fond of this idea, and don't see why we need to change it. Erm, no, it doesn't, because that wasn't really a part of the idea. The complications you mention don't really have to play a part, unless we really want them to. Of course, the more worlds that are trapped in warp storms, anti-chaos loyallists, high tech (for whatever reason....) or whatever, the closer we get to there only being one or two corrupted worlds in the Sargassos subsector. And if there were only one or two corrupted worlds in the Sargassos subsector, then the whole previous idea kinda falls flat on its face, and the cool idea of the 'cursed subsector' is... well... not so cool. Again... I don't really see why we have to change this so radically. I'm not saying the idea is perfect, but... well, my interest in the Sargassos subsector would drop dramatically if it was just another subsector without the many ghostworlds and top-secret cursed feel to it.
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Post by Destecado on Dec 14, 2004 16:18:38 GMT -5
I'm not saying that the sector is going to lose the feel of being cursed. There are plenty of world in the subsector that have yet to be worked on, but saying these should all be blasted ruins also makes it seem worthless to work upon. How many blasted post apocalyptic worlds can you make before the concept becomes trite and repetative?
If you want to use an analogy, the Cursed Subsector (Sargassos) can be thought of like the countries behind the Iron Curtain. Little is known about them by those on the outside. They see only the monolithic threat of the Soviet Union and not the fractious nature that underlies the U.S.S.R.
If you say the name Siberia, it automatically conjures up images of Stalins purges with Gulags and labor camps. The pristine beauty and abundant resources do not really fit into this image. Just because the Imperium reinforces the idea, it does not mean that Sargassos Subsector, is all desolate wastelands.
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Post by Dazo on Dec 14, 2004 16:22:41 GMT -5
Hmmm well, I am not doing either a blasted glassy ball nor a chaos infested world, and if this is a mandatory condition for sargassos your not going to see much development. I assume there were worlds that supported the loyalist forces and so would not have been bombed back into the stone age. And I was under the impression the nickname for the cursed sub came from all the strange spacial annomalies present in that region of space due to necrons, what you seem to be saying is that its now the second eye of terror Well there aren't really that many worlds to begin with, 12 at most that could in the greatest stretch of the imagination have the ability to stand up to the imperium, thats assuming they are all heavily populated worlds, which they would have to be to warrent exterminatus, otherwise the imperium could just send ground troops in to kill the population and leave the worlds intact for the new wave of settlers. If it was the forces of chaos destroying the worlds in a scorched earth situation then ok why not, they would do that without hesitation. Howmany ghost worlds would you like to see, can you give us a rough estimate.
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Post by CELS on Dec 15, 2004 9:55:03 GMT -5
It's really too bad that we didn't have a summary for you two to read before you started work on the 'cursed subsector'. I can sympathize with the frustration of starting work on something, and then getting told what someone really had in mind. Anyway... Obviously, there's little point in writing SR's for totally exterminated worlds with not as much as single-cellular life to write about. Instead, we'd take the barren mainworlds within the Sargassos subsector and announce that these were once Imperial worlds, but that they were exterminated. Thus, all the attractive mainworlds are still available to you. How many blasted post apocalyptic worlds can you make before the concept becomes trite and repetative? I really think we should be careful with the attitude that all worlds must have a unique concept, to avoid 'clones'. Let's face it- not every world in a sector is wildly different from all others. There are going to be several contested worlds between the Castellan sub and the ork empire, for example, and I'm quite prepared that some will be fairly similar. Not clones, but similar. It's the same for the 'cursed' worlds in the Sargassos sub, but there's still room for variation. Disregarding the glass balls which will not have a standard representation, consider the following concepts. 1) A former hive-world which was only partially corrupted. All continents except one were corrupted beyond hope, and purged with nuclear bombs. In 470.M41, most of the planet is covered with ghost-hives that were destroyed by the bombing. Mutants are common on the forbidden continents, living in the ghost-hives. There is still a dangerous amount of radiation and fallout. (I don't know if the last is realistic, even with the bombs of 40k)
2) Once a beautiful world with lots of plant life and agriculture, one world was so devastated by the war intended to save it that it was deemed worthless and evacuated, similar to Sistina in the Archaios subsector. It is now an uninhabited ghostworld, but is currently being terraformed in the hope of returning it to its former self.
3) (Inspired by Dazo) When the Anargan forces started dividing and conquering the Sargassos subsector, the chaos lords on one world decided that they would not let the Imperium take back their world. In a sacrifice for Khorne so horrible that the Anargo sector had never seen its like, the chaos armies successfully slaughtered 95% of the population, both through bombing and conventional warfare. Even as the Imperial forces made planetfall and started attacking, the chaos forces heedlessly continued their slaughter.
All chaos armies were destroyed with ease and the Imperium began the slow process of recolonisation after centuries of careful cleansing. Unfortunately, they did not do their job well enough, and now the seed of chaos is starting to grow once again.
These are just concepts from the top of my head, since I was trying to prove that you can have similar, but different worlds. Hmmm well, I am not doing either a blasted glassy ball nor a chaos infested world, and if this is a mandatory condition for sargassos your not going to see much development. Maybe not (even if there is a possibility that others might be interested), but that's besides the point. If you'd read my posts carefully, you would have noticed that not all worlds in the Sargassos subsector were bombed or infested. Some were newly colonised in M36, and could have grown to mature Imperial worlds by M41. So if you want to do a fairly normal Imperial world, that's ok, but to fit in with the sector's history, it should have been colonised in M34-41 and been rather unimportant in M36. Good assumption, though I did already write that... Second eye of terror? Wow, you really didn't read what I wrote at all, did you? The origin of the nickname did change a lot since the days of Portent till we came to this board, but last I heard, we sort of landed on the story I wrote above (though Destecado pointed out a few mistakes). Check out the thread called 'History of the Anargo sector' for more information. They're not standing up to the Imperium as a whole. Remember that the Archaios subsector was rebel at this time, as were any nearby Adeptus Astartes and Adeptus Mechanicus forces. And it's not like the orks were on a vacation during this time, so it's quite possible that the Castellan subsector was unable to give much assistance. This leaves the Anargo sub and the Dorvastor sub to deal with three rebel subsectors. Granted, Anargo probably received support from other sectors, but so did the Sargassos subsector. How about if you take the four least attractive worlds and make these exterminated and lifeless, and then let 1-3 other worlds be 'post-apocalyptic'. Of course, these 'post-apocalyptic' worlds might have been more or less rebuilt, depending on the original corruption. This would leave 7-9 worlds to be standard Imperial worlds.
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