Waaagh! Morkdred

'''Waaagh! Morkdred''' was one of the most devastating ork invasions that targeted Vigilius sector. Occuring between 970.M40 and 982.M40, it managed to successfully invade, destroy and loot number of Imperial worlds in northern Vigilius sector and in the neighboring Arteside sub-sector, before it assaulted the forge world Magna Cupal where it was countered by the joint efforts of Ardens Aestus and Firewyrms titan legions.

Aftermath of Warboss Morkdred's invasion lasted for centuries as the once fallen Imperial worlds were invaded and the orks on worlds destroyed. Not all pockets of resistance were ever successfully culled and especially in Arteside sub-sector, where the sub-sectorial governance had been completely destroyed, a number of spore worlds were left untouched. These worlds would eventually herald new warbosses and new Waaaghs!, each more prominent than the last.

Birth of the Warboss
Later inspections on the birth and rise of Boss Morkdred has led Imperial scholars into a conclusion that the "ground zero" of the Waaagh! was the quarantine world Iota-Omicron 11(36620.781). Iota-Omicron 11 was located in a little surveyed area north-east from Vigilius sector and east from Arteside sub-sector. According to the surveys conveyed by Rogue Trader Erika Stormruler in mid-M36, at least fifteen planets had been infected by the spores of the Green Menace. Even if a crusade to cleanse the worlds was called for in M36, it was never launched and the worlds were left alone, free to prosper without interruptions.

On the world of Iota-Omicron 11 - allegedly - the feral orks had formed some clan sentiments, most prominent of them being the Goffs. Tribal tendencies of the orks had seen the rise of numerous bosses on world and their internal strife had swiftly raised the number of the orks, and the struggle thereof. Loop which feeds on itself, as ork bosses fell and more prominent ones replaced the last, there finally emerged one above all others.

Boss Morkdred was a terrifying combination of both brawn and brains. Cunning beyond the more straightforward members of his Goff brethren, some even considered him as a Blood Axe. Morkdred was not only cunning but also - for an ork - patient. As his tribe would tremble of the agitation and anxiety of the coming battle, Morkdred could calmly analyze the situation at hand and act accordingly. Some time around 960.M40 Boss Morkdred led his tribe off-world and headed - by orkish means - to the other planets of Iota-Omicron region.

Battling his way to supremacy, Boss Morkdred smashed the Boss Muskgoff and his tribe of Goffs on Iota-Omicron 12. He bested the challengers Mek-Boss Lektric and Bigboss Urdheffs on Ulkein Worlds and subdued the squiggoth riders of Tusklord Bigord the Gargantuan on Erik's Fall.

Words of Morkdred spred among the ork-kind and many flogged behind him. Imperial scholars assume that at least six worlds in total managed to pour their numbers into Warlord Morkdred's pool of ork-power before the first rival warboss appeared. Hailing from the orkworld Thunder's Retreat, located on the border of Arteside sub-sector, Warlord Furor Biklaw led a mighty tribe which had fed on itself for too long. Now the tribe was united against the Morkdred and as the tribe of Morkdred fell on Thunder's Retreat, war of prestige, glory and all things orky, began.

As no Imperial records exist about the motions of the orks, it has not been concluded how long the infighting between the tribes lasted. In 968.M41 Imperial chartist captains reported increased ork activity within Arteside sub-sector's warp lane - which led northwards to Attila and Corinthe - and increasing amount of ships were missing around Arteside sub-sector. As the orks heard of the good fight on Thunder's Retreat, they found their way on world to battle of the supremacy and while doing it, pillaged nearby warp lanes, colonies and other ork worlds, drawing ever more orks into the fight.

In 970.M40 Boss Morkdred struck down his rival Warlord Furor Biklaw on the Tempest Ridge and awed the ork-kind on world. He had become the Big Boss, Boss o' Bosses; the Warboss.

Arteside
Battlefleet Arteside encountered Waaagh! Morkdred in 6.200.970.M40 as it destroyed the patrolling pair of Dauntless class light cruisers. From there on the Waaagh! invaded Hestedia system in 5.218.970.M40, Vesfall in 4.300.970.M40 and lastly the capital of the sub-sector, Arteside Major during the same year.

Battle of Arteside Landing, a fleet engagement between Battlefleet Arteside and Waaagh! Morkdred, occured in 4.500.971.M40 as the battlefleet massed to defend the jump-point Arteside Landing. Only the Dictator class cruiser Relentless Tide and three Dauntless class light cruisers managed to escape the destruction via emergency warp jump. Two of the three Dauntless light cruisers were lost in warp and have never been seen since. Captain Hercule Passero was demoted by the Imperial Fleet command after he abandoned his attack craft wings on Arteside Landing.

Sub-sector Arteside was falling and the Imperium had failed to defend it. This put a clear signal to Turbela and Vigilius sector about the level of threat lying just behind their borders.

Vigilius
Northern Vigilius was devastated by the Waaagh! as it landed on Truman's World in 4.203.973.M40 and continued southwards from the north.

Magna Cupal Stands
Fabricator General Nemo Alkaides of Magna Cupal had organised the defences on his world according to the preferred tactics and force compositions of Waaagh! Morkdred. Titan legion the Firewyrms was recalled to defend their home and assistance from Ivaldi Primus was requested. Legio Ardens Aestus and two skitarii macroclades joined the defence from Ivaldi Primus. Thin atmosphere on Magna Cupal made the world ill-suited for Astra Militarum troopers which is why the sector's relief forces were formed on Turbela, ready to counterattack after successful defence. Ork ram ships crushed on planet in 4.405.980.M40 piercing through the thick walls of the Fortress of Motion in northern hemisphere. Had it not been of the joint efforts of two titan legions, a ram ship had surely hit the priceless Dome Magna Mechanicus and destroying it. The magnificent titan Ivaldian rained death upon the orkish horde which assaulted the mechanical constructions of the Mechanicus. Arch-Genetor Suppreme Oved Askioples shamelessly turned the assisting Imperial Guard regiments of the Novossian Rifles into hulking biomutants and launched them against the fiercest ork nob mobs with great success.

As the ork began to reap on the spoils of the destroyed Fortress of Motion, an ancient mobile fortress, they built construction yards and workshops from where more and more bizarre technological creations poured in the war against the Mechanicus. Nobs only grew in size and their mega armours became better crafted and better equipped with every passing day.

Battlefleet Vigilius fought against the Waaagh! in Cupala system but was finally driven out by the orks who looted the destroyed imperial vessels. In 941.M40 the Warfleet Ultima lend vessels for the cause and finally in late 941.M40 the embolstered Battlefleet Vigilius led by Lord Admiral John Vincent the Imperium triumphed against the fleet of Waaagh! Morkdred. Flagship of the Waaagh! Dredrok Biggus was shot into pieces by the broadside salvoes of the Retribution class battle ship Furor Constancis.