User:RemosPendragon/Sandbox2

This sandbox serves as creation space for new articles before they are published. first one serves as notes and test.

=War for Titartos=

A seventeen years long war took place within the borders of the C1325 sub-sector of the Gregora sector in Ultima Segmentum. War for Titartos lasted from 997.M37 to 014.M38 and claimed millions of innocent, civilian lives of the Pharos worlds. The Imperium failed to response to the hostilities performed by the Balathron Pretender, or Balathron Rebels, towards the Pharos worlds souring the relations of the sub-sectors C1325 and B3247 for millennia.

When the conflict was over, the devastation within the Pharos worlds caused civil unrest and increased class differences, driving the Pharos worlds into near-revolt state for centuries. Worlds allied with the Balathron Pretender were culled, enslaved and imprisoned en masse after the conflict causing the sub-sector B3247 to lose contracts and trade deals with nearby sectors and worlds. When the Scarlet Crusade was launched by the Chaos warband Cockatrices, half of the Gregora sector was already drowned in violence and depravity, littered by the cults of excess and pleasure by the gloomy, miserable and joy-looking population.

Prelude to war
Almost half a millennium had passed since the devastating Uprising of Bertha League had wrecked the relations of Pharos worlds and those of Big Bertha. The Uprising of Big Bertha had caused poverty and starvation within the sub-sector B3247. The worlds that took part in the uprising also had lost lot of their influence and their diplomatic relations had soured with nearby sectors and sub-sectors alike. Pharos worlds had simply refused to have any interactions with the worlds of Big Bertha, and only met within the Council of Lord Sector located on the world of Cunan.

Pharos worlds on the other hand had grown into ever more influential and rich and the governors of Rex Pharos had bought number of Rogue Traders to map the wilderness space southwards from Rex Pharos and the rest of the Pharos worlds. Lord Pharos had planned to settle the world of Titartos for years before he requested the rights to do so from the Adeptus Administratum. Titartos was settled in 7.811.681.M37 by the efforts of Missionaria Galaxia, Rogue Trader Mintxo of the House Armien and Lord Pharos Vural of Karda dynasty. This caused the neighbouring governors and commanders to grow ever more envious and hateful towards the Pharos worlds.

When Lord Pharos Vural Karda passed away, the members of House Armien claimed that it was their right to name a successor for the throne of Titartos, which had been governed by Vural Karda himself, because Rogue Trader Mintxo was third cousin of Vural Karda, and brother-in-law (by his third sister Berezi Karda, nee Armien) to the following Lord Pharos Vincentios Karda. Claim was feeble, but many indeed thought that because Rogue Trader Mintxo Armien had found Titartos in the first place, it should be his privilege. It was also imperative to deal with the matter swiftly and single-mindedly in order to prevent an Imperial intervention which would by no doubt lead to a situation where all of the claimants would lose. Lord Pharos Vincentios Karda however preferred his cousin (from his mother's, Amiliana Karda, nee Swynn, side) Romanius of Swynn dynasty, but the rest of the Karda dynasty supported Lord Pharos Vural Karda's second son Yunu Karda from his first marriage with Domitia Swynn-Karda who was a daughter of Julius Swynn who in turn was the younger brother of the Governor Pontius Swynn of the world Swynn. The more conservative Swynn dynasty, and its cadet branch Swynn-Livio supported Kassandra Armien (older half-sister of Rogue Trader Mintxo and Berezi Karda, nee Armien) because she was the half-sister of Queen Lysandra of the world Lydistrip Prime who in turn was the half-sister of Swynn-Livio's patriarch Uruel Swynn-Livio. Queen Lysandra was from an inbred house Lazakron which held the worlds of Lydistrip Prime and Aposis, and were quite influential with the governors of Kelpie Rifts sector north of Gregora. Lord Alwin Greenberg of the world Balathron was half-brother of Queen Lysandra Lazakron, and her husband, King Epiphanus Lazakron. Lord Alwin Greenberg was also cousin to Vincentios Karda himself and his son, Walther Greenberg had just married himself with Alazne Greenberg, nee Armien who was the fifth sister of Rogue Trader Mintxo. Et cetera. Governorship of Titartos was granted to Yunu Karda in 4.000.700.M37 which was met with great outrage from behalf of the governors of Big Bertha.

Political gap between the Big Bertha and Pharos worlds had grown into such levels, that the lords of Big Bertha directed their trade routes to Kelpie Rifts and coreward via Elegios Prime and Rortrund. The governors of Kelpie Rifts took an advantage of the situation and began to collect extra tithes and taxes from all goods being transported from the Gregora. The ever-weakened first sub-sector was driving into financial dead-end. In 980.M37 the lords and nobles of Elegios Prime were accused of avoiding the Imperial Tithe to which the Lady Agurtzane Azarola, governor of Elegios Prime, answered by seceding from the Imperium. Annexing of Elegios Prime lasted from 981.M37 to 982.M37 and was carried out by the 3796th Astra Militarum battle-group, colloqually known as the Fist of Monian, led by General Monian. General Monian took over the world of Elegios Prime and assumed his title of Lord-Protector before the sector council granted him the title of a governor in 986.M37.

As distrust and insecurity within the sector grew, a coup was organized for Titartos' governorship. A noble house of the Imperium never forgets its price, and while the origins of the coup were never uncovered it was quite clear that it was orchestrated by the House Greenberg from Balathron. Jesper Azarola, close friend of governor of Balathron David Greenberg and relative of the usurped governess Agurtzane Azarola of Elegios Prime. Jesper Azarola was notorious agitator, well known of his frenzy charisma and militaristic nature. He was in one way or another transported on Titartos and then organized a coup, which resembled more a rebellion, and in 990.M37 assumed the title of Governor for himself. The Imperium did not care for such acts, as long as the world paid its tithes, but the Lords of the Pharos worlds cried in outrage and took the matter to the sector council. The old Lord Sector Toussaint Tindall was from the houses of Cunan and the Queens and was not familiar with the old grudge over governorship of Titartos between the Pharos worlds and Big Bertha. It was also said that Lord Sector Toussaint Tindall was ill-fit for his duty as he was easily swayed and threatened, he had also grown a bit senile and tried to hush the whole incident off his mind. Lord Pharos Sabri Karda refused to join the Sector Council and forbade any governor of his sub-sector to do so. Lord Sector Toussaint Tindall threatened to declare Lord Pharos' sub-sector Ex Imperius Rebellis, but Sabri Karda used his influence to stay Lord Sector's hand and to plea the Lord Commander Ultima himself to form an army to liberate Titartos. Those governors who supported Balathron soon found this out and informed to not to join the Sector Council before Lord Pharos' treacherous plans were ended. In 992.M37 Lord Sector Toussaint Tindall was informed by the Lord Commander Ultima that the 746th Liberation army was directed towards Titartos to reclaim the world to its rightful owners.

In early 993.M37 Lord Sector Toussaint Tindall grew ill and retreated into seclusion. Lords of Big Bertha claimed that the Lord Pharos had poisoned him so Lord Sector couldn't stop the Imperial Guard forces who had entered the sector. Toussaint Tindall died in 5.601.993.M37 after months of silence and inactivity. Chairman of the Council of the Lord Sector, Master Advicus, summoned the governors to the council meeting on Cunan but many refused. After five months of politics and diplomacy the tension was still growing and no council meeting had been arranged. General Mauris of the 746th Liberation army had situated himself and his small fleet in Cyneward's orbit to wait for definite orders. As the sector lords got in no conclusion at all about the matter at hand, General Mauris turned towards the knowledge of Lord-Protector Monian of Dimlight who was familiar with this kind of situations. Lord-Protector Monian instructed the General to stay on Cyneward because he feared that the worlds of Big Bertha might rise against the Pharos worlds and an Imperial army located in between of them would stay the combatants' hands. Monian of Dimlight died shortly after giving his advices to General Mauris and was succeeded by Castellan Mihai Kava who likewise was an old member of the Imperial Guard. Mauris asked Mihai's advices too, who strongly adviced General to do as he was bid to do before a higher authority would notice his idleness. In early 994.M37 General Mauris mobilized his army and flew towards Titartos. General Mauris took his army on ground and began his war against the forces of Governor Jesper Azarola. Jesper fought with zeal and grudge against the Imperium, in a war later known as Jesper's Folly, but could not prevail. In early 996.M37 the sector council received an information that Titartos had been reclaimed by the 746th Liberation army into the hands of the Imperium and that General Mauris would maintain order on world before sector council would assign someone to the position of governor of Titartos.

Council of the Lord Sector was in dismay and even if Lord Pharos visited Cunan for the first time in years, the whole Big Bertha sub-sector was roiling. Adeptus Arbites were notified that all members of the House Azarola were to be captured and imprisoned until their deaths for the house's recurrent treacheries. Marshal of the Court of the planet Cunan Corentin oversaw the gatherings of the Sector Council too and displaced Master Advicus of his duty in mid-996.M37 because of his inefficiency. Fate of Master Advicus was left unanswered but his files were labeled with a Thought for the Pious; "Heresy grows from idleness". Marshal Corentin demanded all governors to send their envoys on Cunan to agree a meeting he would personally oversee, and guide if needed. Lord Pharos Sabri Karda feared for Balathron's reaction to this and began to assemble defences on Cyneward. In early 997.M37 Balathron, and the worlds in league with it, refused to join the sector council before the matter of Titartos was settled for good and sent a message for Lord Pharos to meet on the fields of Cyneward. Lord Pharos refused to join the sector council before it would recognize house Karda's right to rule over Titartos.

In 4.098.997.M37 Marshal Corentin of the Adeptus Arbites declared sub-sectors C1325 and B3247 both rebels from the Imperium. Aid was requested from the Adeptus Administratum to counter these rebel sub-sectors once and for all.

Balathron offence
The Cunan Blockade was formed of the elements of Battlefleet Gregora and the interstellar vessels of the Adeptus Arbites situated in Cunan orbit. Two almost completely trained and armed Imperial Guard regiments of the Lenaphant Guard, the 15th and 16th, were stationed on the world of Lenaphant. Colonels Aurel and Solberg were seasoned Imperial Guard commanders who had returned few years before with Commissar Vasilica, and the very last remnants of the 56th, 57th, 71st and 93rd regiments of the Lenaphant Guard, from the war worlds of Ganmadiklos Shoal. These men were sought out by the agents of Departmento Munitorum and assembled into a new force, ready to be extracted for the usage of Cunan Blockade. From the PDF of Cunan a 2400 man strong regiment known as the Cunan Irregulars was risen and armed. On the other side of the conflict Castellan Mihai Kava formed his blockade with basically everything he got his hands on. Those merchants and nobles who had invested in spacecraft soon found out that Castellan Kava had seized all vessels capable of interplanetary flight and formed his makeshift flotilla near the jump point Elegios. His "navy" elements were embolstered with the ever-faithful regiments of the Vigil Infantry and other regiments who had been part of the Fist of Monian few years before.

Governor David Greenberg of the world of Balathron, now known as the "Balathron Pretender", had long assembled his troops and plans because he had seen that there would be no reasoning with the Pharos worlds' vain governors and dynasties. He was rather upset of the Imperial response but was willing to bet on his survival over the Pharos worlds. He was no fool, repentance ment nothing to the Imperium, especially now when the Adeptus Arbites had taken an initiative against him and the Lord Pharos. Both of the great lords, Sabri Karda and David Greenberg, had been forced to react against the Arbites. The Courthouse of Rex Pharos was one of the ancient architectural miracles and had extremely elaborate lockdown systems which incorporated electrode resonance filters and psi-forced neutron capacitators. Sabri Karda's agents were able to lock the Courthouse from the outside, but could not harm it otherwise which caused much distress among the defenders on Rex Pharos and on other Pharos worlds too. Governor Greenberg had long since filled the foundation of Balathron's Courthouse with heat-reactive massplosives. When the war began, whole Courthouse just vanished from the face of Balathron.

The Balathron Pretender signalled his forces, unscrupulously utilising the Imperial message networks and Astropathic Relays. His first forces did not strike via Cyneward-Balathron warp lane but from the Kelpie Rifts in the north. Greenberg had bought number of mercenaries to join him and not all of them were human. Greenberg had planned to fake the attack from north as a xenos invasion so he could be pardoned by the Imperium of his offence against the Pharos worlds when he had saved them from a xenos incursion. The world of Bastion was attacked by the "Kelpie Mercenaries" and was caught pants down unalerted. The fortress world had suffered from signal interference ever since the mighty starfort Wall of Theseus had crashed on it and bent its orbit. Fortresses on Bastion were in bad shape and the PDF ill-equipped because one after another, all governors had paid heavy tithes and transferred riches for the Lord Pharos' chest. By the mid-997.M37 Governor Greenberg received a message that the Bastion was to fall.

All of the Governors of the sub-sector B3247 were aware that there was possibly no way out of the situation orchestrated by their liege, Governor Greenberg. Number of the Governors had already pledged themselves for Greenberg's cause and when the Balathron 1st Army attacked Cyneward and Balathron 2nd Army took a route to Pharos Min, Balathron 3rd Army subdued the world of Drorix. Nobles and adepts of the worlds Pancore V and Zirram-Io fled to Velociroux which was armed to teeth with four completely trained Velociroux Infantry regiments and one of the most formidable system defence force in Gregora. Velociroux and Convol requested support from the mighty Oscillax forge which shared the same stable warp route with them. Oscillax however refused to send any troops off-world because Fabricator-General Oscillax wanted to make its stand where it was at its strongest to protect its allied Knight world Resolute and the fabled world of Vigil. Velociroux and Convol did however fear for nothing because the Balathron Pretender was not eager to waste time for few worlds long out of the way of the conflict.

Balathron 1st Army, led by General Horace Gagmon, breached its way into the Cyneward system in early-998.M37. Its fleet was built of at least two rogue trader cruisers, a number of vessels which belonged to Battlefleet Gregora and of few warp-capable cargo ships owned by the many dynasties which supported Balathron's claim. The Balathron Pretender had placed his very best in the 1st army, and it hosted somewhat over 500 thousand troopers. It lacked in armor and artillery because no world in Balathron Pretender's reach produced such regiments, but he had gathered those weapons through smugglers and the loyal rogue traders he had. The First Army was led by a mighty battle cruiser, Paris, which almost single handedly crippled the system defence forces and weapon platforms of Cyneward. Castellan Corin Reno, the governor of Cyneward, had ordered two months before the Blathron forces invaded the system to arm all men and women capable of holding a gun. He had ordered his garrisoned troops to clear the industrial areas of civilians and to gather them inside the mighty fortresses built on Cyneward millennia before. Roads and factories were booby-trapped and the great plains were set aflame, Corin Reno wanted to demonstrate the Balathron Pretender his decisiveness by utilising the scorched earth tactics. When the Paris destroyed the first of the planetary satellites of Cyneward, millions of civilians were still scattered in the suburbs and industrial areas, working, living and refusing to leave. Planetary Defence Forces were ordered to leave them and to man the guns in the fortresses, Castellan Reno would not risk the open war, he was gladly safe behind his walls. Planetfall was launched in 270.998.M37 and the Balathron forces took heavy casualties while doing so.

Balathron 2nd Army took its route towards the Pharos Min, as planned, and arrived there only few clicks after the 1st Army had made planetfall on Cyneward. One hundred thousand troopers waited on their ships when the vessels closed the system of Pharos Min. Governor Sylvestre Morea was a bloated fool and even after his liege, Lord Pharos Sabri Karda, had especially warned Governor Morea about the invasion, he had done little to fight it. Pharos Min was driven into chaos and hysteria when the news about arriving fleet were spred into the mouths of the civilians. Governor Morea was sure that his good neighbour from Big Bertha would never really attack the Pharos worlds, but now he was proved wrong and he tried to organize his forces in some sort of defence but it was all too late then. In 273.998.M37 General Fin Lennox of the Balathron 2nd Army contacted Governor Morea about a peaceful decision. Governor Morea struc a deal with the invaders, and General Lennox and a full brigade of his best troops made planetfall and walked a great parade through the grand capital Hroxas of Pharos Min. The parade ended in a public execution of Governor Morea and his senate of 500 adepts and bureaucrats. Pharos Min had fallen.

Northern offence
bastion falls. burke ix assaulted.

Defence of Burke IX
burke ix falls. swynn assaulted. swynn falls.

Cyneward takes it
war on cyneward. rex pharos counterassault.

Jump-point 10P777-Epsilon
jump point found. balathron second army assaults rex pharos. cyneward defence drawn. rex pharos triumphs.

War on Cyneward
armies drive for cyneward. rex pharos assaults titartos. imperial degree to pharos world, rex pharos surrenders to imperial rule.

Likwitz assault
cunan blockade dissolved. likwitz seizes rex pharos and assaults cyneward. balathron falls back to burke ix.

Last stand
likwitz breaks burke ix defence. balahtron pretenders make their last stand on bastion.

Aftermath
b-subsector tithes raised. number of planets culled of population. bastion defences fall into disrepair. subsector b falls into dissatisfaction and misery, slaanesh cults begin to take root within the population.

Army-group Likwitz
Army-group Likwitz included, once it was established in XXXXXXX.M38, the 746th Liberation army (or battle-group), Elegios Blockade of Castellan Mihai Kava, Cunan Blockade of Commodore Pablo Viktori, Pharos worlds' defence forces and the actual army of the Lord General Anton Likwitz. While Cunan Blockade was integrated into the Army Likwitz, donating the Lenaphant Guard and Cunan Irregulars regiments, no other elements were integrated into the main army force. The Army-group was however assembled in a similar fashion as 746th Liberation army in order to improve their cooperation.


 * Bellatrix - Mars class Battlecruiser
 * Silver Star - Dauntless class Light Cruiser
 * Grouse - Defiant class Light Cruiser
 * Sword of Justinianus - Defiant class Light Cruiser
 * 4 Escort Squadron
 * Jasper - Firestorm Frigate squadron (3 vessels)
 * Sard - Firestorm Frigate squadron (3 vessels)
 * Beryl - Firestorm Frigate squadron (2 vessels)
 * Rapier - Sword Frigate squadron (3 vessels)


 * Transports
 * 6 Fuel Transports
 * 2 Noctis class Transport
 * 4 Andor class Heavy Transport

Like the 746th Liberation army, Army-group Likwitz' navy elements boasted a formidable Navy wing capacity. Hundreds and hundreds Imperial Navy bombers and fighters filled the fat bellies of Lord Cormot, Bellatrix, Grouse and Sword of Justinianus so they could provide orbit-to-ground raids and bombardments. Lord General Likwitz himself had requested such composition in order to leave the artillery regiments from his regiment roster. The Imperial strategists believed, and were right about it, that the Balathron Rebels did not have more than one or two space vessels at their hands and so the Navy could leave behind such vessels which excelled in ship-to-ship battles.

746th Liberation army
The Liberation army is a collection of Imperial Guard regiments formed into powerful, offensive fist which can punch through planetary defenses of rebel worlds. It has designated fleet elements to support its endeavours to reclaim rebel worlds that are commanded by a Commodore-Captain of the Imperial Navy. Fleet elements and ground troop forces are regularly changed between other battlegroups and Imperial Guard armies in order to prevent elaborate plans to abandon the Imperium. Liberation army is in fact of a battlegroup size and so is commanded by General Mauris of the Imperial Guard. It contains excessive amount of Adeptus Ministorum agents and Officio Prefectus Commissars as part of its propaganda machine utilised in aftermath of succesful liberation.


 * Lord Cormot - Dictator class Cruiser
 * Nimin - Dauntless class Light Cruiser
 * 3 Escort Squadron
 * Haliatus - Firestorm Frigate squadron (3 vessels)
 * Helion - Firestorm Frigate squadron (2 vessels)
 * Ibin - Sword Frigate squadron (3 vessels)


 * Transports
 * 4 Fuel Transports
 * 2 Noctis class Transport
 * 2 Andor class Heavy Transport

Cunan Blockade
Cunan blockade was hastily assembled from the existing sector fleet and few Imperial Guard regiments at the hands of the sector council. Its main duty was to form a formitable blockade between Cunan and Rex Pharos systems near the two major jump-points near Cunan system. Cunan Blockade's Imperial Guard elements were attached to the Army Likwitz which moved via Cunan-Rex Pharos warp lane. Cunan Blockade itself saw no action.

Elegios Blockade
Established between the worlds of Big Bertha and the Imperial Guard governed world of Elegios Prime, Elegios blockade saw no action at all. However, it was important for the Imperial forces that the Balathron Rebels could not seize the production of Elegios Prime and Rortrund worlds or could not raise the regiments from Plecepra. Elegios Blockade was formed of the ever-valiant Vigil Infantry regiments and few other Imperial Guard regiments who were stationed on Elegios Prime after the Elegios Revolt few years before.

Planetary Defences
The Pharos worlds were rich and their governors held great authority and influence within their region of space. However, many of them had neglected the upkeep of truly powerful planetary defence forces since the establishing of the fortress worlds Cyneward and Bastion. Both the worlds sitting on the major warp lane to north and west, only those worlds frequently provided Imperial Guard with new regiments, Swynn being an exeption to this. PDF of Burke IX suffered great casualties when the world was attacked by Balathron Army, Swynn's PDF was almost completely eradicated. All PDFs consisted of lightly equipped and badly trained troops manning static emplacements and weapons.

Balathron Forces
Balathron forces were divided into four distinctive groups. These were the three Balathron Armies, and a strike force comprised of mercenaries from Kelpie Rifts. In addition, few rogue traders took part in the war on Balathron's side.

Balathron Army
Balathron 1st Army was led by Horace Gagmon, the rank of a General was bestowed upon him by the Balathron Pretender. The First Army was built of somewhat over 500 thousand troopers. Balathron Pretender had had hard time with supplying his forces with more powerful weapons like tanks and artillery, but even those were included albeit in relatively small numbers.
 * Paris - Overlod class Battle Cruiser

Balathron 2nd Army was commanded by General Fin Lennox.

Rogue Trader Sympathizers
Number of rogue trader housholds took part in the war. Not all of them were identified and it is quite likely that when the defeat was apparent those rogue traders fled into the void and took a long way back to the Imperium, wiping or encrypting their datalogs of their treacherous acts against the Imperium.

Summa Summarum
=Birth of Iox=

Series of wars and events that led to the establishing and recognizing of the Iox sector.

History
The governors, cardinals and noble houses of the Guberniya of Carollon had long expressed their dissatisfaction to their sector and its government. Being part of the ancient Remicles sector, Guberniya had little to no influence to the houses and merchant charters of the sector. This was mainly because of the House Carollon's efforts to separate the Guberniya from Remicles to attain more prestige and influence for their house and family. Great deal of scheming and plotting against the ancient sector was going on at the end of the 36th millennium within the area of Remicles sector and its neighbors, Kjipr and Ver Cluster. So loathed and hated had its heavily bureaucratic governance turned that even those within it were willing to rend it to pieces.

However, the Supernova of Bassenheim Star ended all those plots in an instant by destroying the sector almost wholly. The supernova triggered the event known as Fall of Remicles by the historians of the Imperium. As the years have passed in decades, centuries and millennia, the Fall of Remicles has been forgotten by the Imperial population. There are no tales of heroic acts or triumphs when man fights against the laws of nature, so it has been forgotten, lost in the old tomes in dusty libraries and buried data-vaults of the surrounding sectors.

Great Cull
Now as Remicles sector lied in ruins, the remnant worlds were introduced under rule of Guberniya of Carollon and Kjipr sector. Even so, Guberniya still held the status of a sub-sector rather than a full sector which made it inferior to its neighbour sector, Ver Cluster. Also the loss of Necareth Gate cut the Guberniya's direct trade-lanes into Kjipr sector and beyond and the governors of Guberniya were forced to rely on the good faith of Cluster Lords.

Governors and Cardinals of the Guberniya made huge donations for the Adeptus Administratum beyond their tithes, to ensure that their borderworlds, such as Crator, Capella, Luthien, Ciriacus, Phoens and Carollon (system) itself, would not be overcome by the horrors of the newborn, warp-infused Nebulae. Many prominent Astra Militarum retainer houses rose in those times, when nobles and merchants had lost all their properties and goods only to turn themselves for the service of the Imperium. This also lifted some pressure from the politics as many Noble Houses simply vanished without heir. The Governors of Guberniya were however deeply stressed by the actions of the Cluster Lords, who made plans to direct all possible trade out of the Guberniya. Noble houses plotted against one another in order to gain attention from the Cluster Lords. Indeed, many nobles of the Guberniya turned their bacs to their ancient homes and moved into Ver Cluster for it provided flow of resources, currencies and power, where Guberniya was only degenerating.

All this passed under Administratum's noses, for they cared nough of such rivalries. Scribes and menials understood not the significance of trade lanes, or warp routes, for them it was all just mathematics and Administratum itself directed resources off of Guberniya. Not even the xenos menace of Y'geht in south, or Raxoni pirates' appearance rose Guberniya's importance. Plans to take the fight from politics into streets were made, but Lord Carollon Andreas II refused to take such actions, sacrificing his family's properties and making many foolish agreements with the nobles of his own and those of the Ver Cluster. These plans and plots against one another were all swiftly ended in an Imperium-wide event known as the Great Cull. As part of the Great Cull, Lord Carollon Andreas II was assassinated, along with the Lord of the Ver Cluster, and many, many other noble houses' leaders. Some claim that the most malevolent families were completely destroyed, dismembered in their own colossal palaces without warning or notice.

The death of the Lord Carollon heralded a new period within the House Carollon, and the heir of Andreas II was sought out by the Administratum operatives. The First Castellan of the Kelpie Rifts campaign Alois Carollon, was freed of his service in Astra Militarum to take up his heritage as the Governor of Carollon Prime, Governor of Carollon system and Lord Sector of Guberniya. Alois Carollon himself was not very subtle man, already 106 years old at that time, he had served in the ranks of the Imperial Guard for decades. War had laid scars upon him and he was grim and silent man. Alois Carollon thought that his father was killed by the Cluster Lords, knowing little of the interference of the High Lords of Terra themselves, and he vowed to avenge his father by humiliating the Cluster Lords. In one way or another. His cousin, Arch-Cardinal Eremias Hadranoh however was a politician at its best, hammered in the forges of Adeptus Ministorum. Quickly after his cousin's coronation, Eremias sought Alois out and made a pact with him. Together they signed a petition to the High Lords of Terra to launch a crusade into the Nightshores. As justification for this they used the documents of the Missionaria Semitas Necareth and Missionaria Noctus Litoria, as well as the surveys of several rogue traders of the areas around the Pit of Lost Messages and the Xalung Worlds.

Crusade is launched
High Lords of Terra bestowed in their righteous might the title of Warmaster for Alois Carollon, who soon began to form his crusading army. The long idle engines of the House Carollon's magnificent battleship Carolus Rex roared in glee when the crusade was launched in the first hour of the year 028.M37 from the docks of the Carollon Primus.

The Crusade for Nightshores lasted for 23 years from 028. to 051. of the 37th millennium. Its forces were divided into three different theaters, each taking its own course southwards into the depths of the Nightshores and Twilight Coast. The third theater, (aka "Vert") commanded by Grand Marshal Roi Rocha took its own route eastwards. It was Alois' ambition to make his way to the Necareth Gate and submit it under his rule, as it once had been under the rule of Lord Carollon, Warmaster Alois Carollon thought that the Necareth Gate was essential to the survival of the Guberniya. The Vert theater however had to deal with techno-barbarians and abhuman colonies, only to bump into the Y'geht xenos population. As the progress was halted in the other end of the crusade as well, Warmaster finally gave up and ordered the Vert theater to resituate itself alongside the two other theaters. At the same time, the space marines of the White Tigers chapter joined the crusade.

Pilgrims' War
An essential part of the crusade was the army staff's IV-P branch, also known as the "homefront", which consisted agents from various Imperial organisations and departments. Its main job was to inspire and spread crusade-related propaganda within the nearby sectors, mainly in Guberniya, Ver Cluster, Kjipr and Braxis.

Newborn sector
organisations, planets, sub-sectors

=Noble Houses of Iox=

War on Xalung IV
In 479.M36 the campaign for the Xalung Worlds was recorded as started, as the White Tigers' fleet elements came by the particular system and reported to the Ver Cluster and Guberniya of their findings. Fabricator-Generals of Vega Maxia and Nauglir Minoris were eager to receive the word of tech-rich system and quickly informed their Explorator Fleets to change their course to Xalung Worlds.

The Fabricator-Generals however had too much belief to the White Tigers, that the chapter wouldn't mess with Mechanicus' business, and so they were amazed when Chapter Master Shahy'Ar reported that the chapter had took an initiative and launched an attack on the fourth planet of the system, Xalung IV.

Tigers' Assault
Started in 479.M36, the White Tigers, led by the infamously reckless and bloodthirsty chapter master Shahy'Ar the Burning Tiger, launched an all-out attack on Xalung IV. The Mechanicus, still dwelling in its own bureaucratical inefficiency, could not possibly hold the chapter and so the First company tried to teleport in a large palace-like building in the lowlands of Xalung IV. Unaware of the massive planetary voidshields, four terminators were forever lost in the Immaterium, three manifested themselves succesfully in the palace, and all the rest, 71 terminators, were scattered across the planet's surface unaware of their positions and completely alone. Retrieval of the terminators was not possible, the voidshields blocked all attempts to recieve the terminators' signals. Quickly after the failure had been registered, Shahy'Ar demanded that dozen drop pods were launched on planet without any crew to see how Inertial Guidance System reacted to the voidshield. It appeared, that the IGS lost it completely and the drop pods came crashing down on surface.

Distress signal to the chapter's homeworld was sent immediately aterwards in order to gather all troops and sent them in Xalung system, the terminators could not be lost in this way and the Shahy'Ar, strict follower of the Azarang's Law could not possibly give in a situation like this. The massive voidshield made orbital bombardment impossible as the bombs became defused only to crash down or explode in upper atmosphere. Even the Thunderhawks lost connection to the mother ship when passing through the voidshields. Chapter master Shahy'Ar decided to make it hard way. First company that was scattered on surface was the first priority, making the palace where the three terminators were, most likely engaging the enemy in hopeless fight, foremost target. Thunderhawk squadrons carried the second and sixth companies on planet striking fast and hard into the palace area that was in the heart of large industrialised city. Stormtalon gunships buzzed around the Thunderhawks as the marines disembarked the massive landers. Safety perimeter was quickly created around the palace's left wing and the strike force massacred its denizens brutally. Actual military oppose had not arrived, the planet was most likely not aware of extra-planetary life in the first place and so was absolutely not prepared for such attack.

Planet's enforcers launched the first attack on White Tigers who were purging the palace with flamers and chainswords. Enforcers were clad in hard, powered, carapace armours that were capable of deflecting the marines' bolter rounds like lasfire. Their weapons were however not much more than basic robust shotgun, and when bolter's inefficiency was finally noticed and swallowed, the sergeants took their initiative and led their squads in bloody and brutal close combat fights. As chainswords ripped through the mechanically augmented enforcers, the planet's troops retreated and marines had some time to collect their thoughts and make plans concerning the planet.

Incoming!
The planet's leaders quickly sought each others and held a meeting. The Imperial forces, at time only White Tigers though, were not aware of such. Planet's nations' leaders held an emergency meeting and even if they were not aware of extra-planetary human civilisation, the Imperium of Man, they started to prepare for the worst. These techno-barbarians collected their mightiest weapon arsenals and decided to use them against the invaders from space. Rapid reaction forces were gathered and dispatched to the area where White Tigers hold their ground and at the same time, the planetary leaders decided to use the forbidden weapons of their own. The planetary factions held massive amount of ICBMs, even if they were not nuclear missiles, as that technology had been lost millennia ago in Xalung IV, they held quite massive destructive power.

The palace, where White Tigers resided, was part of a faction (dubbed later in Imperial records) Zero. Faction clearly agreed to bombard its own capitol, or more likely, its leaders had already been destroyed by the White Tigers assault and so there was none to oppose the act. Planetary leaders prepared dozen of the ICBMs in a matter of hours and launched them to the White Tigers' ground-zero. These massive ICBMs resembled much like the Imperial "Deathstrike" missiles and reaching the speed of Mach 3, it took no more than an hour when first missile hit its target.

White Tigers had just requested cavalry support in the form of Vindicators and number of Predator tanks to assault the city and its military forces that were suprisingly quickly gathered in the area. Seeing as the Thunderhawk transporters came closer with their load, surrounded by Stormtalon squadrons, the first missiles stroke. Half of the palace blew apart in a second. Second missile hit slightly off course and blew a whole block of the city sky-high causing massive fires. Shahy'Ar, who had been on the other side of the palace when the first ICBM hit, ordered the Thunderhawks to retreat and wait for further information.

More missiles were incoming and the Astartes tried to survive the best they could. Sergeants tried to hold their squads together by charging into the city itself so if they'd die, it would not be in dishonorable artillery strike but in the glorious melee with the tech-barbarians. Shahy'Ar, the Burning Tiger, took his combi-plasma and the Blade of Azarang and led the remaining space marines after the squads already assaulting the city. There was little else to do, and as they run through the piles of rubble, blood and fire, at least ten more missiles stroke their previous positions. The palace was no more.

City of Slaughter
Rapid Reaction Force of the "Zero"-faction held a perimeter against the demonic space invaders, and had already built barricades from ceramite walls on the streets and plazas. Fast reconnaissance vehicles took the first hit as the sixth company's bikers made a circle around couple blocks and hit the first perimeter's side. Rapid Reaction Force's Infantry Fighting Vehicles could not hold the firepower of the bikes plasma weaponry and the armoured platoon was quickly culled away. At the same time the Second company's assault squads had divided into combat squads and came crashing down on the defenders. The preciseness and power of the Space Marines' assault crushed the defenders backbone in two before the tactical squads had even arrived and when the bikers closed their circle striking to the defenders' rear, it was nothing more than another bloodbath for the White Tigers.

Rapid Reaction Force of 500 soldiers was crushed in about half an hour and the Space Marines started to spread into the city in order to avoid the massive bombardments and to effectively cull the population. "Burn them. Burn them all!"

- Shahy'Ar, the Burning Tiger

Bike squadrons formed the foremost reconnaissance force of the White Tigers and so they roamed in front of the companies all the time. Librarian Mehrzad "Dragonfire" supported the complete genocide of the planet's inhabitants and the Thunderhawks made supply runs bringing more flamers to the chapter. The city turned into a mess of screaming and running people, blood, fire and smoke. In the wake of the flames came the Space Marines and the terror they caused to the natives was irrational.

Of the city, nothing but smoking ruins were left on the morn.

Clash of Cavalries
Bipedal armoured vehicles have always intrigued human minds and especially the Dark Age of Technology produced number of these things.

On the third day the White Tigers regrouped on the outskirts of the city. More firepower was needed, Shahy'Ar understood that the chapter couldn't counter the world of that size on their own, especially as only around 200 marines were under his straight command. The cavalry was first thing they needed and so the Thunderhawks returned on their duty and delivered the Vindicators, Rhinos and all four Land Raiders the chapter owned. The strike force of White Tigers had to rely on the scanners they had on surface and Thunderhawk and Stormtalon surveyos as the fleet was unable to scan the surface due the voidshields.

Planet's leaders have came into conclusion that bombarding their own inhabitants would do no good as the Space Marines didn't even seem to notice the massive barrages of ICBMs. New tactics were implemented and as the chapter roamed through the countryside and stroke in the next city only to leave its smoking ruins behind, the planetary leaders were forced to combine their forces. Petty rivalries and ancient politics on planet could stay away awhile now, threat much more dangerous had already stepped from their door inside their house.

Three weeks of advance and the White Tigers had received messages from the rest of the chapter. Five companies answered the chapter master's call, third and ninth companies were too deep involved in their own campaign to leave it in any reasonable way. So the charts were layed in front of the Master of the Marches of fifth company and the remaining fleet elements took their course in Xalung Worlds. Estimated arrival was six weeks later.

Arriving in the outskirts of city (later dubbed by the Imperial records as) Delta, the White Tigers encountered heavy resistance. What at first seemed only a platoon of Imperial Sentinels was soon identified much more threatening force. Heavily armoured bipedal vehicles launched volleys of explosive shells in the White Tigers' ranks causing the vehicles to break from the advancement formation. The assault's moment was however not that easily stopped and as the Vindicators launched their massive cannons to break the forward installements, into the explosion caused chaos landed the Tigers' assault troops. Their power armours' enchanted heat vision gave the assault squads great advance over defenders and with righteous hate the assault marines turned their chainswords on and began the slaughter. The Land Raiders managed to cripple number of walkers with their lascannons and the companies were inside the city.

This was not the end of it. The planetary Rapid Reaction Forces immediately launched counter-attack in order to repell the invaders and more bipedal walkers literally ran to the fight launching volleys of MIRV missiles and devastating auto-cannon fire to the White Tigers' ranks. Three Land Raiders pushed in the adamant tip of the spear through the defence lines and countered the counter-assault with their lascannon and assault-cannon fire. The Rapid Reaction Force's walkers withdrew from the fight and so the White Tigers gained a foothold in the city.

The strike force was reassembled quickly and the Space Marines began their push in the city again. Three Thunderhawks launched a bombing run to the city center and made major skyscrapers to fall on the streets and plazas. The dust, fire and smoke hid the civilians' and defenders' bodies as the Space Marines advanced. Shahy'Ar quickly realised that the defenders, at least in this point, couldn't counter the chapter's superior aircraft and ordered more bombing runs. Thunderhawks began to drop theeir loads when Stormravens and Stormtalons covered their progress and provided air-to-ground support to advancing Tigers. This was textbook example of succesful lightning war by the Adeptus Astartes and so the Burning Tiger, in the tip of the assault, led the Tigers to the far end of the city to close the bridges that crossed the canyons east of the city. White Tigers, now grey from the dust and smoke, crossed the bridges and regrouped with one of the lost terminators. They made their base in the crags of the rocky desert that begun there and started to scan the surface for the rest of the terminators.

On the following days the Space Marines patrolled the city and looked for another terminator, finally finding him dead, apparently for being teleported inside a concrete block. The armour was unretrievable and Shahy'Ar vowed to kill a million natives for each suit lost, and ten million for each First Company member lost. He had also vowed before to destroy the whole population, so this was not really a threat at all.

On the following days the biker squadrons who scoured the surrounding desert and canyon area reported of aircraft. Apparently unmanned reconnaissance craft. Shahy'Ar cared not for such petty tricks of the techno-barbarians of Xalung IV. The techmarines had finally managed to calm the Land Raiders' machine spirits that seemed to be upset about something and on the morn of the D-Day+36 the White Tigers began to move again to the coastline, where at least three major cities were located.

Explorator Fleet arrives
Nauglir Minoris' Explorator Fleet was the first one to arrive in Xalung Worlds system. The massive battle barge, Wrath of the First Tiger, waited in the silence of the void as the ancient vessels of Adeptus Mechanicus approached it. In the same silence, transport craft was launched from the Mechanicus' ships and the Red Priesthood's envoy boarded the White Tigers flag-ship.

Chapter Master Shahy'Ar, locked in the fierce battles on planet that had begun on the D-Day+37 evening, was unable to communicate with the envoys. The Mechanicus' messengers demanded answers for such rash actions by the White Tigers but the captain of the Wrath of the First Tiger refused to succumb to their wishes. He provided the envoys with all information that White Tigers' ground forces had gained concerning the local technologies, which didn't please the Mechanicus' envoys. They blamed the chapter for summoning the Explorators in vain and from great distance too. Nothing about the voidshield impressed the Mechanicus envoys and when records about how it had defused bombs and completely messed the drop pods' Inertial Guidance Systems and even spread the terminators around the planet, the Mechanicus Explorators were sure that the planet's technological devices were corrupted by some kind of taint or improper care of their machine spirits, if those abominations even hosted one. The explorators of Nauglir Minoris' fleet returned on their own vessels and reported their home forge about their dissatisfaction toward the White Tigers.

On battlefield the fight raged on as the White Tigers pushed the defenders from their trenchlines into the next city and taking over their supply battalion.

Archmagos Explorator
Before the Nauglir Minoris' Explorators managed to send messages to the other fleet approaching, they already arrived from the Warp into the system. Archmagos Explorator of the Explorator Fleet stationed in Vega Maxia contacted the Explorators of Nauglir Minoris and learned that their trip in Xalugn Worlds was made in vain. Archmagos however wanted to take a look at the data about Xalung IV's technologies and requested them. The captain of the Wrath of the First Tiger was unsure how to act for such request and so he summoned three techmarines of the chapter to deliver the data for Vega Maxia's Archmagos Explorator, for who else a man of such rank would even listen to?

Three techmarines carried the data on Cognis Seculo, a grand Ark Mechanicus space vessel whose size made the massive battle barge of the White Tigers look like a puny dinghy. The techmarines, honestly grateful for such audission and invite on such magnificent vessel were humble, or as humble as a space marine can be, in front of the Archmagos Explorator and explained the chapter's findings on planet in such detailed and ponderous way that a normal man would propably die of boredom or kill himself to grant peace for himself from such prolix explanations and further investigations the techmarines had done concerning the data on their vessel.

In the end, the Archmagos Explorator wasn't a lot more pleased than the Explorator of Nauglir Minoris. He, unlike the Nauglir Minoris' servants however, knew that his forge world needed to make a finding, something spectacular, something... something to clear their name from the filth of Moirae Schism with what their forefathers had tainted the noble name of Vega Maxia. The great suspicion about planet's technology's purity and value dwelled in the ancient head of the Archmagos as he weighed the risks and after the techmarines had done their job, he asked the White Tigers to go back on their vessel so he would inform them after taking a look on the data himself. Eagerly, the techmarines, the captain and the chapter master on Xalung IV waited the Archmagos' answer.

On the next day the only message White Tigers received was from their Master of Marches who informed the main forces about an unfortunate delay due the Warp currents that were against them. Shahy'Ar, furious about this, already aware about the dangers of prolonged war, was already thinking about asking emergency reinforcements from the Departmento Munitorum. However, the hardy chapter master wished no such shame upon the chapter who so recklessly had assaulted the world in the first place, and only ordered the marines to prepare for war of attrition in a matter of weeks.

As the week went by, the White Tigers began to face even more fierce and unyielding resistance and when the planetary forces finally countered the last Thunderhawk gunships that were about to make a bombing run with their own aircraft, the situation began to look quite hopeless. It was D-Day+43, when Archmagos Explorator finally gave his decision about the matter of Xalung IV, the Mechanicus was to join the war (1).

Mechanicus joins the campaign
When the Archmagos Explorator of Vega Maxia had reported about the Xalung IV's technologic value to the Fabricator-General of Vega Maxia, he quickly started to coordinate the attack on Xalung Worlds. The wheels of bureaucracy, amount of Skitarii and other forces, and insufficient amount of ships ready to the campaign prolonged the launch and when the White Tigers reported of heavy casualties and about the tech-miracles they had seen, the Fabricator-General grew impatient, being afraid of the possibility that Ecclesiarchy or Rogue Traders in the Guberniya, or even the Mechanicus of Nauglir Minoris, would meddle with his business.

The mightiest dynasty, Carollons, took their chance with the all-powerful Mechanicus, and offered them help. Lord Carollon himself travelled on Vega Maxia and made a deal with Fabricator-General. Soon after, in late 482.M36, the Carollons raised one hundred regiments of Carollon Royal Rifles (35) and Carollon Royal Guard (65) and took ten warp-capable ships from their personal fleet. Rest of the noble houses and dynasties saw this as abusing their powers as Guberniya's governors and no wonder, sector's governor takes third of its fleet to raise his own status and to serve his own needs. It took no longer than three months when Lord Carollon shut himself in his own vaults, when he had survived from 100 assassination attempts already.

Offering the ships and additional troops, the Carollon supported Mechanicus' desires and had great amount of important trade deals with the Vega Maxia forge world. Fabricator-General, interested only in the technology and their production rates, cared nought for the rivalries of the lesser Houses.

In early 483.M36 the fleets left to the Xalung Worlds from Vega Maxia.

=House Lothringen=

"No road is inaccessible to virtue"

- Motto of the Lothringen Family

Overview

Taming the Rift
Karl Lothringen and colonising of Lothringen system

Raxan Wars
how those vile xenos affected the triumph of Lothringens

Fortune favours the Bold
After Raxan Wars, plans for new colonies, colonising of Jenguril and race for Ferghost Colonies

Thirst for Glory
getting hold of Iox trade lanes and power struggle with the Great Carollon Dynasty

Lothringen Heresy
Waldemar Lothringen and his delusional wishes of own Empire

Fiefdoms
before Lothringen Heresy

Notable members

 * Karl Lothringen
 * Waldemar Lothringen

Spinoff Families
N/A

d'Ark
d'Ark family covered the only surviving member of the House Lothringen after the Lothringen Heresy. This family was later separated into the line of Ira (Lothringen) and Eru (d'Ark) in 628.M40

Late-Lothringens
Line of Ira Lothringen that ended in 577.M41 with Ceridwen Lothringen

Trivia
N/A

Template:Iox

Category:OrganizationsCategory:ImperiumCategory:Rebels