Beginning, several millions of years ago??
-Blue giant stars are short living by astronomical timescale. They also tend to develop as supernovas when transiting from blue giant to next stellar stage. Reason for their short lifespans is based on speed that they change matter to a radiation and a heavier elements. A sun soon starts to run out of a fuel and either goes supernova or collapses. Developing Yu’Vath xeno culture did not want to have supernova in their backyard. They opened portal to warp inside of the suns heart and bound daemon to regulate the flow of fuel/matter to star. Thus perpetual blue giant was created.
-Violent sun storms of blue giant are same time a great evolutionary accelerator and a destroyer. Original lifeforms, that have arisen at third planet of Ultima Tectum system, was able to take incorporeal form during sun storms and developed ability to drain sustenance from electro-magnetic radiation basking their planet.
-Intelligent native xeno lifeforms arises and populates the third planet of the system.
-Daemon at the heart of the blue giant sings through warp to anyone with psychic abilities. It guides xenos life form forward and planning them to be agents of it\s release. By daemons guidance xenos learn Forbidden lore Warp and Scholastic lore *Occult.
–Native xenos culture peaks:
*Haze of nano-crystals are implanted to Gravis Minor atmosphere and planet is used to shield lost planet from solar storms.
*Later accumulating energies of sun storms are contained in warp bubble created by unfathomable xenos technology. As pinnacle of their knowledge they create mausoleum of their achievement on the suns surface which will be visible as permanent sunspot. Mausoleum acts as monument of their cultural and technological achievements. It contains three distinct areas: Wall of memory, Monolith of power and Oculus.
Arrival of humanity. 20.000 years ago?
-Explorers of Solar Hegemony scouts system of Ultima Tectum
-Invasion of AI controlled grand cruiser and colony planets Nothus (promethean reservoir in continental crust) and Carduus (adamantium reservoir in continental crust)
-Terran xenocide wipes native xeno species. Initial battle between Xeno empire and colonization fleet of Hegemony of Terra happens in outer reaches of system at Nimbus Extern. Victorious Hegemony fleet invades inner system. Warp backed technology of xenos is able to halt invasion for a moment. Xeno homeplanet collides with Carduus and both are shattered to form Penitus Balteus asteroid field.
-Solar Hegemony terraforms and colonizes Gravis Minor, Gravis Major and has STC space station on Nimbus Extern. Resource planet Nothus is positioned to the outer circle.
-As human psyker activity increases a sun-flare from the mausoleum of sun scorches system. Colonies collapse and degenerate to primitive. Life survives at Gravis Minor, Gravis major and Irae (Moon of Impensus).
-Gravis minor is protected by haze of nanocrystals
-Gravis Major has Archaotech fallout shelters with terraforming facilities. As sun flare destroys all life sterilizing half of the planet, huwans survive on fallout shelter and planet is rapidly regrown by archaotech seed-vaults.
-20K years ago. Artificial intelligences named ANGEL 1 and ANGEL 2 fight over the control of the archeotech grand cruiser and colonization fleet on the orbit of Gravis Minor. Grand cruiser is badly damaged and crashes to the surface of the planet. Battle continues on the surface of the planet as each AI pumps energy from nano-crystals and launches weapons of mass destruction to each other. Large part of planets mass is transformed to giant intertwining and struggling mechadendrites. In the end each of the ANGELs perish and techno-evolution of Gravis Minor is built upon their servitors, which were left behind and still continue their tasks.
-10k years ago. Amount of surviving colonists exceeds critical mass and solar flares of blue giant erupt and annihilate life of Gravis Major.
-2000 years ago. Last catastrophic stellar burst from permanent sunspot scorches all life on planet. Only small population of Huwans survive in archaotech fallout shelters. It took 10 years for terraforming machinery to return life of the biosphere of Gravis Major.
-1500 years ago. Eldar xenos visit Gravis Major and teach the native humans to cultivate Usha and to procure an Usharillos to prevent population psychicly overloading the sunspot anomaly.
Arrival of Imperium to the system
584.M41 Explorator fleet of Thule visits solar system and sets up research station EF-118 to Gravis Minor before continuing their voyage towards Hecaton Rift.
735.M41 Bastion of Saint Drusus is founded by Imperial colonists imported by unknown rogue trader captain.
746.M41 Unknown rogue trader captain has the charts of the warp route to Ultima Tectum for sale and a copy of it to ends up to Winterscale Dynasty.
766.M41 Unknown rogue trader is executed for cold trade (xenotech) by Inquisitor Aurora Orlov and his original star charts end up to the hands of Chorda Dynasty.
782.M41 Asteroud habitat Scutum is founded by Chorda dynasty to study xenos influence at the system.
785.M41 Stories about riches of the systems attract void prospectors. Both vacuum-hardened miners and skilled tech extractors arrive to the system as several clans serving at star vessels visiting the system terminate their serve contracts and remain at the system. Beginnning of Adamantium Rush.
785.M41 Noble house of Grand Falls founded at Gravis Major by Lady Isolte.
791.M41 Based on divination’s of her mutated astropath radical inquisitor Aurora Orlov searches for Star child, alpha level psyker that has been foreseen by her mutated astropath. He appoints radical member of Scholastia Psykana to operate training center Collegio Magnitudo with sole purpose of locating and utilizing a star-child. She has been preparing for an encounter and has planted her puppets to the local imperial governance.
796.M41 Winterscale dynasty claims abandoned STC star fortress “Canor Sol” at Nimbus Extern
798.M41 Chorda dynasty tows the star fortress “Avaritas” and emplace it to Penitus Balteus asteroid field.
798.M41 Imperial navy fortress: “Gloria Lapidarius” at Vallum founded by Imperial Navy
795.M41 Comet habitat “Pugia” founded by mutants cast out by Void Clans
798.M41 Penal colony “PC-5728” at Nothus is founded by Imperial Navy
802.M41 “Manor-fortress of Grand Falls” at Gravis Major is founded by noble house of Grand Falls.
809.M41 Winterscale claims solar system by right of Imperial spacedocks of Canor Sol at Nimbus Extern, Chorda dynasty claims same system by right of Imperial agriworld at Gravis Major.
815.M41 Arbirator Mordechai is sent to solar system with Magos Gödel and Astropath Martyn Underberg.
Story begins
817.M41 Imperial Friendship Bridge at Gravis Major is founded by Judge Mordechai
817.M41 Comet habitat “Pauperpolis” of Nimbus Extern is annexed to Imperial taxation.
817.M41 Asteroid habitat “Sphaera Imperator” is annexed to Imperial taxation.
817.M41 Comet habitat “Pugia” at Nimbus Extern is purged and destroyed by Judge Mordechai.
818.M41 Emergency refugee camps at Gravis Major are founded by Chorda dynasty.
818.M41 Huwan religious center “The Valley of a Dense Smoke” at Gravis Major is decimated by Judge Mordechai during “Archeotech Horribilis campaign”.
819.M41 Precinct-fortress is founded by Judge Mordechai and blessed by cardinal Humer at Sphaera Imperator.
819.M41 Comet habitat “Celos” at Nimbus Extern is founded by Void Clan Bethel.
819.M41 Huwan religious center:“The Frosty Spire” at Gravis Major, decimated by Commander Ardman during “Half-prayer campaign” .
820.M41 Large chemical procession arcology “Dolabra Imperator” at Nothus is founded by Judge Mordechai.
821.M41 Adeptus Mechanicus reclaims three archeotech vaults, Vault Alpha, Vault Beta and Vault Gamma, in Gravis Major under their control.
___________________________________________________
Rogue trader dynasties at Ultima Tectum
Chorda
Dynasty profits:
Gravis Major: Drugs (Usharillos, Jingo resin), luxury goods (apex glands, furs, wood)
Peniteus Balteus:
Xenotech, harvested from the ruins of the fragmented xenos home planet.
Exotic minerals (psycrystals), harvested from the ruins of the fragmented xenos home planet.
Exotic element (adamantium),
Medicae services for high society, Avaritas medicae facility provides biological transplants for those of exquisite taste and thirst for longevity. Biological transplants and body parts are harvested from secret penal world Shajol-7 run by Chorda dynasty.
Nothus:
Ceremonial fighting pit for mortal combat games between men and xeno lifeforms. Festival of pit fights, gambling and debauchery for rich and jaded of the Calixis sector.
Negotiations between Chorda dynasty and Stryxis caravans are based on contact between dynasty and Ung’tix the Stryxis merchant. These negotiotations enable Chorda dynasty to supply
Chorda shadow operatives:
Louis, Gravis Major
Security advisor, Avaritas, Peniteus Balteus
“Adonis”, pacifist cult leader
Vladir, Prison warden of Nothus
Chorda puppets:
Humer, Archdiocese
Tesarch, Imperial combat psyker, Vallum
Sebyra, Tech prospector, Scutum
Assassin:
If arbitrator endangers operations of Chorda dynasty
-Arbitrator becomes target of HLF bombings.
-Xeno assasin
Winterscale
Dynasty profits:
Gravis minor: Archaotech, Working together with levelist Omnisheim to supply imperial navy with archaotech munitions.
Nothus: Penal colony for Imperial navy to press-gang crew.
Nimbus Extern: Space dock profits, archaotech, xenotech, exotic elements (dense water)
Winterscale shadow operatives
Omnisheim, Electro priest
Bernam Bethel
Archaologist
Winterscale puppets:
Makbae, Brother militant
Ekbeh, Commander of Vallum Naval Fortress
Assassins:
If arbitrator endangers operations of Winterscale dynasty
-Arbitrator starts to have problems with vital resources shipped to system.
-Imperial assassin
If arbitrator endangers operations of Omnisheim
-Tech assassin
Winterscale shadow operatives:
Memillius, Void union leader, Sphaera Imperator
Hemlock, Security advisor, Canor Sol, Nimbus Extern
Archaologist, Gaudimonium
OTHER RANDOM NOTES
Human colonization of space before rise of the Imperium
First exodus (M5K onward):
-Traveling speed near to speed of light. Vessels equipped with cryogenic and stasis vaults.
-As humanity had severe overpopulation multitude of people took chance to be taken by cryo and stasis ships across galaxy. Even this date some of those ships are still heading towards their ancient destinations.
Second exodus (M10K onward):
-Colonization of nearby star systems through short warp jumps.
-Development of Hyperdimensional Abacus. Quantum computer.
-Concentrating on realistic colonization plan unlike first exodus.,
Third exodus (M15K onward):
Expansive stages of Hegemony of Terra:
First wave
Great incubation fleets with AI parents.
Second wave
Invasion planets fully populated. At height of power of Hegemony AI controlled heavy cruiseers lead invasion fleets equipped with fully populated planets loaded with necessary resources (adamantium, promethean, /.
Age of Strife
Iron wars
-Hegemony of Terra is splintered to fiercely competing groups of AIs. Main reason for division is attitude to problem of humanity. Major competing views were extermination, culling, modification or galactic exile of humanity. Omnissiah arch-ANGEL of Mars
Hegemony of Terra
-Political unity ruling Sol system before the age of strife. Society heavily relaying on AI intelligences called ANGELs and robotic army called Men of iron controlled by AIs.
-Hegemony launched great galactic colonization project with grand cruiser class vessels with pair of AIs controlling warp jumps of cruiser.
Gravis Major
Temperate continent: land of eagle
Imperial colony “Bastion of Drusus”
Fortress-Manor of Grand falls
Territory of eagle tribe
Native population 1.000.000
Native religion: Usha, Eriad, Ung’Tix, Urbog
Sacred grox run of Eriad
Fauna/Flora: Abundant wild grox herds. Usharillo is the common name for most obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Fllora Xenos. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant. Their parasitic lifestyle have led to some dramatic changes in their metabolism. Their origin can be traced to Eldar maiden worlds.
Archaotech fallout shelter at mountain peaks guarded by giant eagles, signal tower to heavens.
-Lower level occupied by HLF leaders.
Production of usharillos, Psyrate lowering herbal smoke.
Desert continent:Land of snake
Territory of snake tribe
Native population 300.000
Native religion: Usha, Eriad, Ung’Tix, Valbog
–Mutilation rituals to appease wrath of Valbog, endurance hanging by hooks through chest muscles.
Fauna/Flora: Waste Vermillion, Arachmite, Jingo roots, Waste vulture,
Archaotech fallout shelter, “The Great Oasis”, seed vault for terraformation of the planet. Those heroic wanderers who are able to reach the Great Oasis are stored in stasis coffins and rejuvenated after the wrath of Valbog has dissipated.
Production of Jingo resin, Holy ritual substance for Shamans only.
Arachmite poison, bone-breaking epileptic convulsions and warp visions of madness, holy punishment for spiritual enemies of the tribes.
Arctic continent: Land of salmon
Territory of salmon tribe
Native population: 700.000
Native religion: Usha, Eriad, Ung’Tix, Urbog (Marine aspect, bringer of fishes and tsunamis). Leader of the sect has vox interface to machine spirit of the fallout shelter.
Archaotech fallout shelter, submerged entrance.
Production of apex glands, healing and invigorating medicine. Archaotech gorilla servitor species. Remnant from the past of dark age of genetic technology. Near unigue and fiercely sought and protected by Federation of Galactic Apes.
Huwan mythology
Primordial spirits
Pair of ANGELS with silver wings who abandoned their children.
-Stories have shattered through many extinctions of Huwan tribes. ANGELs come up as dim memory. If someone is skilled, people say, “He was birthed by ANGELs.”
-Also ancient hypnodoctrination song used by Abominable Intelligences incubating children for Hegemony of Terra has survived, sung by countless mothers to their children since the Dark age of technology.
-ANGELs with silver wings
In angels embrace first mother haches from an egg and angel gives to her and her children the paradise.
Old gods
-Urbog, Benevolent earth god, Protector of tribes
-Valbog, Temperamental sun god, Sustainer and killer
Urbog and Valbog are brothers who every now and then end up in terrible fight.
New gods
-Eriad, Fertility/hunt goddes, Bringer of sacred plants
-Usha, Smoke god, trickster god, Son of Urbog or Valbog and Usha
-Ung’tix, god of trade, secrets and hang over.
Since Eriad arrived and married both Old gods, spending every other season beside other and viceversa, old gods have stoppped fighting. As neither of them do not know if Usha is his or the other brothers son, they are cautions not to fight and destroy everything.
Every few years one of the three continents is visited by Ung’tix, god of trade, secrets and hang over. He fanifests himself to planet around time of Usharillo festival. He likes to relax and enjoy and trade Usharillos to secrets and amaze simple natives after hard negotiations and snorting of psycrystals at Scutum.
God of trade is escorted by his personal guard of flesh golems to protect him on moments of stupor.
____________________________________________________
Drifts of abominal unity
-Ancient weaponized nanotechnology forgotten by AI master into the depths of Gravis Minor.
-Drifts of black soot that slowly, almost invisibly, creeps towards sensed energy sources.
-Energy draining nanomachines.
-Vulnerable to cryo weapons, otherwise invulnerable as immune to kinetic damage and fed by energy damage.
Mazebubble of powerfileds
-Hidden in the bedrock of Gravis Minor
-Onion like multiple layers of power fields
-Protects STC datavault
-Effector field is required to olperate the power fields
__________________________________________________
HLF, Huwan Liberation Front
-Ultra pacifist radical movement developed from Pacifism heresy.
-Indoctrinating philosophical debates, hypnotropic drugs and walking on the grass barefoot.
-Goals:
*Sabotaging Canor Sol space station to prevent imperial colonization of Gravis Major.
*Turn Gravis Major to haven of Noble Savages or “Pure human” simple hunter-gatherer society lead by wise philosophers of thw cult.
-Training camps and headquarter hidden deep inside forests and mountains of Gravis Major.
-HQ in abandoned STC bunker.
Cult structure:
Keepers of Utopia, Philosophers, demagogues, future leaders of Utopia
Friends of Utopia, fervently loyal, recruiters,
Messangers of Utopia, recruits, suicide bombers
Cult is equipped, funded and steered by Chorda security consultant from Avaritas space station, Peniteus Balteus
_______________________________________________________
Void Union
-Independence movement of the void born clans to fight against oppression of Chorda rogue trader dynasty aka “The Company“.
“No justice, just us.”
-Goals:
To create influence enough to buy merchant charter rights from Ultima Tectum to Calixis Sector and become Merchant house acknowledged by the Imperium.
To unite Void born clans scattered on Ultima Tectum
Conspiracy structure
Straw bosses
-Leaders of the Void Union,
-Influential among several void born clans
Mine men
-Contact between upper and lower hierarchy of the conspiracy.
-Avaritas, Sphaera Imperator, Scutum, Gaudimonium, Gravis Minor
Chain holders
-Cell leaders
Notable characters
Gurney, Young and angry cell leader
-Father was forcibly lobotomized by Fornius at Avaritas with 15 other prominent Void clan leaders. Instance is called as “Execution of 16” among void clans of Peniteus Balteus.
_____________________________________________________
As WH 40K universe is so large and many story threads do not have final explanation there are parts of universe left unexplained and part of it is contradictory between different editions. Following statements are my interpretations and revisions to items where my campaign differs from official 40K. (In as small ways as possible) Also part of the background has been left so open that I have room to weave up my visions of Warp.
-There is no C’tan shard in labyrinth of Mars as in newer canon. True power lain there was ancient Abominable Intelligence that collapsed during age of strife. Since it’s code was affected by psychic load out of humans it did not directly interact with humanity but used mechanical proxies for directing its martian servants.
Even after AI collapsed it’s servitor continued hypno-doctrinated their duties to appease silent digital god. Thus was cult of mechanicus born.
-Begin of age of strife is always cornerstoned to two main calamities: Rise of daemon-possessed psyker and AI aka Men of Iron turning against humanity.
In my version beginning of age of strife situation is much more complex
As Hegemony of Terra was society voluntarily lead by AIs. When psychic loadout of humanity thinned veil between warp and reality enabling daemons to see protruding psykers of humanity part of AIs came to conclusion that only way to protect galaxy from psychic residue produced by humanity is exterminate them.
In some sense humanity was for AIs an historical monument that was spread out through worlds of Hegemony by default programming from the past.
At the peak of Hegemony three were three kinds of AIs: Dedicated ANGELs, ANGEL twins, Curia of ANGELs
Dedicated ANGELs were not allowed to re-programming. Not able to warp jump. Slaves of Hegemony an Host. (Some were able to escape during Iron wars and created their own interstellar refugee faraway from Hegemony. Only keeping one necessary mechanic abroad all the time to minimize psychic loadout received.)
Twin ANGELs were pairs of AIs able to reprogram other but not themselves. Warp jump capable.
Arch-ANGEL was AI responsible for one planet of Hegemony
Curia of ARCH-ANGELss was conglomeration of AIs connecting worlds of Hegemony of Terra. Stationed to planetary network of Hegemony.
At the beginning of age of strife great war that tore Hegemony up was not AIs against humans. It was AIs against AIs and humanity was just on shotgun seat during dreaded Iron wars.
One reason for initiation of Iron wars may have been host of ANGELs disagreeing on necessity of extincting human species.
Servitors
Cyborgs: One good reason to keep humanity aboard was heavily augmented human cyborg who could be sent on one way missions to operate hearts of power cores.
Androids
Sponsor worlds
Barsapine, Calixis sector Archaotech
Shrine world, Calixis sector, exotic materials
Naval base, Koronus expanse, located near stable wormhole to Jericho reach.
__________________________________________________________
Imperial navy special operations at Koronus Expanse
-Jericho-Maw wormhole offers imperial war engine possibility to rally troops to Jericho front quickly.
-Downside is that if wormhole is invaded by Tyranids or Tau they will have possibility to create second assault front against Imperium.
-If scorched earth tactigue is used on Jericho Reach xenos are denied of resources while they exhaust eachother in bitter conquest.
-As both enemies are weakened Imperium will launch second crusade through Maw-Jericho wormhole.
-As importance of wormhole has dawned to imperial navy admirals resources are fervently distributed around Koronus expanse to build up naval infrastructure to support coming crusade.
-Ultima Tectum is one of the several space dock combined with penal worl that Winterscale dynasty is preparing for future naval use.
-Winterscale dynasty and imperial navy have deeply intertwined goals in future of Koronus sector and it’s use to further Imperial crusade of highest importance.
______________________________________________
Void born clans
Imperial sub-society born around deep space miner population.
-Growing up in low gravity, poor atmosphere and unshielded of radiation from space causes high percentage of children be born with minor and major mutations. Same conditions cause gradual mutations in adults.
-Because of high risk of mutation Void born clans have developed some levee on minor mutations but also strong social self-regulation of rampant mutations.
-Among clans of Nimbus Extern midwife Ugrippa is known to handle mutated pregnancies and after birth executions.
-Divided to several competing clans. Void union and Bethel clan being strongest at the system.
Penitus Balteus
-Drawn to system by adamantium rush of early decades of exploration of the system.
-Clans arrival to system facilitated by Chorda dynasty
-Clans united by deep faith to imperial s Confederation of light and form united social hierarchy around Relics and Saint of Sphaera Imperator.
Nimbus Extern
-Ice clans who have millennia of experience on mining comet clouds for minerals and water.
-Chances of finding archaotech increased arrival of void born clan prospectors.
-Clan Bethel (mining, archaotech, high creed, lead by Mama Bethel)
-Clan Morgo (mining, xenotech, Chorda funding)
-Clan Turang (mining, cult activity, lead by Ugrippa)
___________________________________________________________
Ultima Tectum 