Feud of the Red Clouds Booklet

7/29/2019 Feud of the Red Clouds Booklet

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Editor: Easy ECheesyRobManGatorFan83

Cartographers: Easy E

Story: Easy E

Rules: Easy EKelsik

Contributors: MonticusZoring

Special thanks to the many members of the Airspace Forumcommunity for their help and support in getting this

project off the ground.


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Content Page

=Rutilus=

A Brief History 6

A Historical Timeline 22

A Terragraphic Record 24

Warzones 27

Notables 33

=Playing the Campaign=

New Units 38

Squadron Lists 72

New Scenarios 76

New Advanced Game Rules 81

Campaign Rules 88
http://z8.invisionfree.com/Airspace/index.php?c=1


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Rutilus

Inquisitorial Report: A4567/893/betaReference: Feud of the Red CloudsAccess Code: ********** Level: Magenta


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Old Guard Stars

The Rutilus System

Ammoriss

Zephyrus


Bin Mazar

Rutilus

Rutilus


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Rutilus

A Brief History

The Old Guard stars have been at the fringes of

the Imperium for millennia. They were talked of

in hushed whispers. Ancient star charts simply

had them labelled with the old saying, Here be

Monsters!. Few had the courage, wherewithal,

or insane drive to stray so far into the darkness

and away from the guiding light of the

Astronomican.

However, driven by desperation or madness, the

Rogue Trader Hans Digitalis and his cartel began

to probe the dark reaches and forgotten space of

the Old Guard Stars. Their explorations were

slow and cumbersome. However, they returned

with riches, strange stories, and archeotech. The

Cartel was catapulted to fame and status enough

to last another two millenia before the Digitalis

Cartel faded again into obscurity.

Some historians claim that the beginning of the

end of the Digitalis Cartel was when the

Administratum of Terra declared the Old Guard

Stars as a new sector of the Imperium. This

opened the Old Guard Stars up to competing

interests, and soon the sector that had once been

thought cursed, was a buzz with activity. Much

of it was quasi-legal and frontier, but the Old

Guard Stars were seen as a booming frontier

zone.

Wracked by visions and prophecy; the woman

who would become St. Augustine began to rally

and gather a fanatical following, bent on purging

the Old Guard Stars of the taint of the xeno, the

mutant, the heretic, and reclaim the faithful for

the Emperor. Her origins are shrouded in

Ministorum legend, and it is hard to separatemyth from reality. However, what is clear is that

St. Augustine managed to gain official Imperial

St. Augustine



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sanction. With the authority of the Imperium,

and at the head of a fleet cobbled together from

various Rogue Traders, Inquisitorial agents,

faithful pilgrims and crusaders, and elements of

Battlefleet Pacificus. She set out on her mission

to purge the Old Guard Stars once and for all.

The crusade was no easy task. Again, the truth is

shrouded in Ministorum doctrine, local myths,

and distant legend. The battles were hard

fought, with the forces of the Imperial Guard,

Space Marine Chapters, irregular Frateris

Militia, Militant Orders of the Sisterhood, and

Mercenary forces leading the thrust on planetafter planet. Most of the worlds that housed lost

colonies from the Dark Age of Technology

gladly joined the Imperium of the God-Emperor

with joy in their hearts. Xeno infested planets

were ruthlessly purged.

In 485M 36, we have a definitive date. Ancient

records indicate that St. Augustine and her fleet

believed they had purged 75% of the Old GuardStars. The Crusade lasted for another decade,

but the extent of the gains were unclear. It was

at this point, that St. Augustine herself was

supposedly martyred to the side of the Emperor

at the forefront of the Crusade. Her body was

placed in stasis and returned to Ophelia IV.

St. Augustines Crusade paved the way for the

future Imperial colonization efforts.


The Colonization of Rutilus

The story of the planet Rutilus begins with theExplorator FleetAltar of Discovery first making a

routine warp jump into the system. The fleet was

following on the heels of Hans Digitalis and his

cartel in an attempt to capture valuable resource

for the Priesthood of Mars.

This routine Explorator survey discovered Rutilus

amongst the star system of her fellows. After a

cursory and brief scan of he system, the AdeptusMechanicus fleet moved on. However, the fifth

planet of the newly discovered system was

identified and catalogued into Ad-mech cogitator

banks as being potentially suitable for industrial

gas mining at some future date. The world that

would become Rutilus was first logged as

OGS/System 456/Beta/Planet: Quintus.

After the turmoil of the Augustine Crusade, a

second more thorough Explorator Fleet movedthrough the system. This time, the Torch in the

Darkness discovered that several rare gaseous


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elements were floating amidst the mid-

atmosphere. Without this discovery, it is likely

that Rutilus would have languished in obscurity.

However, with such rare elements present on the

planet the Adeptus Mechanicus grew interested

in harvesting these materials for their own

mysterious purposes.

The masters of the Tech-priests of Mars

methodically went about preparing for a

colonization effort. They allied with the

Administratum of Terra, and used their joint

resources in the region to prepare. The Ad-mech

provided ships, leadership, and technology whilethe Administraum provided menials,

infrastructure, and other necessities.

With the aid of two powerful bureaucracies it

was only a matter of time before colonization

efforts would bear fruit. In 368.M39, the first

station was projected from orbit into mid-

atmosphere of the Gas Giant. The Adminstratum

dubbed the new planet Rutilus; and the AdeptusMechanicus christened the station as Alpha. The

Imperium of Man had established itself.

Station Alpha naturally became the government

center for the planet. From this hub, other

stations were slowly constructed and set-up

around the globe. It was a long, difficult process

but eventually four other station settlements

were created and deployed.

It wasnt long until the stations ofRutilus had a

decidedly Adeptus Mechanicus flavor. As a

result, the Mechanicus leadership within the Old

Guard Stars petitioned to have Rutilus annexed

fully to the Adeptus Mechanicus. After delicate

negotiations and political maneuvering the

Sector Commander granted the petition, and the

Administratum was compensated elsewhere.

Rutilus was declared an Ad-mech protectorate in101.M41.

The Decline of Rutilus

For hundreds of years, the planet harvested and

exported its rare gaseous element cocktail to the

Ad-mechs vassal worlds. For the most part, life

on the planet was routine and proscribed by the

tenants of the Cult of the Machine-God. Each

member a part of the mining machine.

Then, the rare gas elements eventually became

exhausted in 542.M41. The one thing that made

Rutilus an important asset for the Adeptus

Mechnicus was no longer present. Instead, the air

mines of the gas Giant were just another common

resources amongst hundreds available, others thatwere much easier to extract and maintain.

The eyes of the Ad-mech went elsewhere, and the

importance of Rutilus was reduced to just another

backwater world in the Old Guard Stars of the

Eastern Fringe. Even the High Templum of the

Adeputs Mechanicus of the Old Guard stars began

to ignore the planet. As a result, trade pacts were

created with Rogue Trader cartels to ship gaseouselements in exchange for food stuffs and other

supplies. The Rogue Trader cartels took the place

of the Ad-mech itself in supplying the operations

of the mining facilities. This further isolated the

world.

The censuring of Magos Konstanz Cy-Belle by

the High Templum of the Old Guard Stars in

674.M41 brought purpose back to Rutilus. The

Magos Cy-Belle had been pushing the boundaries

of the Cult Mechanicus for years. The exact

nature of his experiments and research have been

purged, but the Magos himself was officially

censured by the High Templum. As punishment

for his crimes, the Magos was reassign to be the

Station Primus of Severus on Rutilus.

The High Templum reasoned that on such an out-

of-the-way planet of little value, there was littletrouble that Magos Cy-belle could cause. This

solution of exile became a popular tool.


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And in the preceeding centuries, a number of

political opponents, radicals, and out-of-favor

Magos found their careers reassign to be a

member of one ofRutiluss five stations. Thegas mines again had a purpose in the

Omnissiahs Cogs.

Of course, such a policy of exile would

eventually lead to a critical mass of resentment,

radicalism, and tainted teachings on one

location. Rumors reached the ears of the High

Templum that proscribed research, dark

experiments, and foul blasphemies against the

Omnissiah were taking place on Rutilus. Such

dark tidings had to be investigated, as the

number of rumors increased. There were reports

of political unrest, as the various Station Primus

vied for influence and control of the planet.

In 838,M41, The High Templum assigned Magos

Deanarus to go to Rutilus, and ascertain the truth

of the rumors. He was declared the new Station

Primus of Station Alpha, and acting ImperialGovernor of Rutilus.

As soon as the Magos landed on Rutilus, he

began his investigation. All the Station Primus

were summoned to Station Alpha. Magos

Deanarus was displeased when only Magos

Breston of Station Epsilon heeded his summons.

Undeterred, the new Governor conducted a tour of

all the stations. Magos Deanarus carried out a

thorough inspection of each station, starting with

the wily old Magos Cy-Belles Station Severus.

His review was meticulous, his envoys went overrecords carefully, interviewed menials and junior

tech-priests, and interrogated the stations core

cogitators.

Magos Deanaruss investigation was slow and

methodical. After two long years, he finally

composed his final report for the High Templum.

His conclusions against his rival Station Primus

was damning. As news of the contents of the

report were leaked, Rutilus exploded into

rebellion as Magos Cy-Belle, Magos Archivald,

and Magos Zigzmund all declare Deanarus unfit

to rule.

Magos Deanarus browbeat Magos Breaton into

supporting him, and the planet erupted into civil

war as doctrinal differences split the planet. The

High Templum authorize Magos Deanarus to use

all available force to bring the renegade Stationsinto line. 851.M41 ends with Rutilus in chaos.

The Madness of Magos Cy-Belle

676.M41 turned out to be a fateful year for

Rutilus. The High Templum of the Old Guard

Stars condemned Magos Konstanz Cy-Belle into

exile. He became station Primus for Severus. In

late 647, the Magos arrived to take his new post.

The Magos had long pushed the bounds of

acceptable research and development. He

guarded his ideas closely, but even his closest


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acolytes began to question his sanity as he began

to dabble in proscribed warp tech. It was these

same confidants who betrayed Magos Cy-Belle

to the High Templum. This led to his secret

hearing and subsequent banishment.

Once ensconced at Severus Station, the Magos at

first drew inward. He rejected the advances of

his subordinates, and retired into his quarters.

No one knows what exactly the Magos was

doing, and he remained in isolation for six

hundred and sixty six days, before emerging

once more.

His attention towards managing the station and

its mining facilities was cursory at best. Instead,

the Magos attention was drawn to the strange

storm like phenomena of the Cyclops Eye.

The Magos organized a number of expeditions to

the Cyclops Eye to study the strange wonder up

close. Many of the lower ranking adepts on

Severus speculated that the Magos wasexecuting search patterns, as if looking for

something within the storm formation itself. Of

course, the Magos himself refused to reveal his

true aims and was under no requirement to do so.

On his fifteenth journey to the Cyclops Eye, the

Magos himself ventured from his observation

craft and entered the storm in a custom designed

craft. Immediately, communication with Magos

Cy-Belles craft was lost. The crew of the

observation ship waited patiently, but as the

hours stretched by; many doubted that Cy-Belle

would return.

Calculi adepts busily tried to calculate the flight

time sustainable by the estimated fuel capacity of

the Magos craft versus the conditions inside the

Cyclops Eye. Even by the most liberal estimate,

the Magos was long overdo. It was with heavy

heart that the observation craft commander

prepared to return to Station Severus with the

news.

Then, the vox net broke into static; that slowly

built itself into the Magos Cy-Belles familiar

bass drone. The Magos craft burst from the

swirling wall of the Cyclops Eye, and dashed

back towards the observation craft.

As the ship settled into the hangar, the Magos

emerged and banished all but a handful of

servitors from the area. From what the tech-

adepts managed to observe before their

banishment, the Magos had retrieved

something from the storms core.

After returning to Severus, the Magos againretreated to his personal lab. No one was allowed

to view what he had discovered. From there, the

Magos began to dismantle everything associated

with his work on the Cyclops Eye. First, his own

exploratory craft was melted down into raw

materials. Then, he ordered his observation craft

similarly destroyed. Next, the Servitors he used

were destroyed.

The Magos stayed working in his lab for another

six hundred and sixty six days, on the decade


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anniversary of his arrival at his new post, Magos

Cy-Belle emerged from his lab. A new era

dawned on Severus Station. Now, the Magos

was animated with an inner fire that had not

been present before. He bent to his task as

Primus with a new enthusiasm.

The Magos personally began negotiating with

the Rogue Traders and Chartered ships that

brought supplies to Severus. He began to have

the manufactorums of the station retooled and

updated. The Magos personally took an interest

in managing the day-to-day operations of the

station. For the first time in a decade, the Magoswas asserting his true authority.

Then, the strange deaths began to occur. Low

level tech-adepts slowly began to succumb to

accidents on the manufactorum floors. Others,

disappeared after routine inspections of air

mining scoops, etc. At first, few took notice.

Deaths like these were simply part of the normal

attrition of the station. However, when the tech-priest formerly in charge of the Magos

Observation Craft disappeared; other tech-adepts

began to ask questions amongst themselves.

Magos Cy-Belle began holding conclaves with

key tech-priests of Severus Station. Here, he

challenged the orthodoxy of the Machine Cult.

He passionately preached against the shackles of

the STC templates. At first, his message was

subtle, and imbedded in honeyed word and code.

However, as the Magos gathered more adherents

to his creed, the radical words were expressed

openly.

The more orthodox of the Tech-priests were

aghast at the Magos words! However, due to

the Magos careful selection process, there were

many all to willing to cross the line between the

sacred, and the profane. At the final Conclave,later to be known as the Conclave of the

Winnowing; Magos Cy-Belle unveiled his latest

creations; blasphemous murder-servitors. Thus,

the Magos Cy-Belle launched his bloody purge

of Severus Station. Cy-Belles opponents were

caught completely by surprise, and most were

slaughtered en mass during the conclave. Those

that could, fled; but they were only prolonging

the inevitable. After several days of violent

skirmishes, vile assassinations, and outright

murder; Magos Cy-Belle was the undisputed

Primus of Severus.

By 740.M41, Magos Cy-Belle began turning his

station into a workshop and development center

for his insane designs. This would increasingly

bring friction with his fellow station masters,

until the extent of his treachery would be

revealed by Magos Deanarus. By then, the madMagos was well on his way to creating his new

vision of STC templates for humanities future.

By the time of Magos Deanarus investigation,

Magos Cy-Belle had long been at work creating

his own warped vision of STC templates, and

reconfiguring his stations manufactorums to

create them. He worked hard to cover his tracks

upon word of Deanarus visit, but he could notsimply hide a century of progress in a matter of

days. Instead, Magos Cy-Belle began planning


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for the inevitable reprisals.

Magos Cy Belle was no fool. He knew that

alone he would stand no chance against Magos

Deanarus and the strength of the High Templum.

He calculated that the High Templum would try

to keep the turmoil on their vassal world under

wraps. Therefore, Magos Cy Belle embarked on

a dangerous path to take Rutilus for himself.

He sought out alliance with the Primus of the

other stations. He knew the others were

renegades who had likewise been exiled to

Rutilus. He hoped he would find a sympathetic

audience with them. His calculations proved

accurate as Magos Archivald and Magos

Zigizmund were willing to join forces with him.

However, Deanarus had gotten to Magos

Breaton first, and convinced him to oppose theRadicals.

This launched the Feud of the Red Clouds.

However, Magos Cy Belle was not content. He

knew that in order to survive, he would need

more powerful allies than just his fellow station

Primus. Instead, he began searching further

afield.

The Old Guard Stars are a wild and frontier

place. It was not long until Magos Cy Belles

search found allies in the form of Mistress

Mercievaux and her renegade band. They vowed

to help Magos Cy Belle claim all of Rutilus as his

new workshops. In return, the Magos would serve

her and provide her troops with his new, mad

designs. Magos Cy Belle knew he had little

choice, and agreed.

Mistress Mercievaux and her allies made way for

the planet of the Red Clouds. They were eager to

put an end to the feud, and unite Rutilus for the

glory of Chaos and their Mistress.

The Ork Taint

Magos Breaton had been a long standing memberof the Magos Biologis Xeno. This branch of the

Adeptus Mechanicus is focused on the biological

workings of the various alien foes the Imperium

of Man faces. Magos Breatons area of expertise

was the Orkoid menace, and especially research

into Anzions Theory of Latent Psychic Fields in

the Ork species.

Just by researching Anzions Theory, MagosBreaton was all ready treading on the outside

edges of Adeptus Mechanicus philosophy.

Afterall, Anzion himself had been sanctioned long

ago. However, Breatons fall and subsequent

exile had little to do with his strange research.

Magos Breaton had been authorized by the High

Templum to the Ork infested world of Dratz Fall.

The planet was all ready under quarantine by the

Imperial Navy, and a special dispensation had to

be arranged for the Magos visit.


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The High Templum and Battlefleet Old Guard

Stars limitations were clear. The Magos was

only allowed to observe from high orbit. Magos

Breaton agreed, and with haste made his way to

Dratz Fall.

Once there, the Magos and his staff set-up orbit

and began using the Ad-mech ships rare and

specialized Augur arrays to scan the planet and

its savage inhabitants. After several years of

high orbital observation, Magos Breaton was

excited to see the Orks technology base begin to

increase. He surmised that such growth was due

to the emergence of Ork Oddboyz such asMekaniaks into the population.

Despite the restrictions placed on his expedition

by the High Templum of the Adeptus

Mechanicus, Magos Breaton decided to land a

party and try to capture the emerging Mekaniak

Orks.

The expedition to the planets surface proved tobe a disaster. The entire expedition was killed,

and Magos Breaton was lucky to escape with his

life from the hordes of feral Orks. It was only

the futile last stand of his elite skitarri bodyguard

that allowed the Magos to board his transport

and escape into orbit.

The Magos attempted to cover-up the incident,

but word reached the High Templum, and the

Magos was recalled for judgement. There,

Magos Breaton was condemned to exile as the

station Primus of Epsilon station on Rutilus.

In early 680.M41, Magos Breaton officially

assumed control of Epsilon Station. Unlike

Magos Cy Belle, he immediately set about

establishing his authority, and his wishes to

continue his research on Orkoid biology.

To this end, Magos Breaton negotiated an illicit

contract with one of the Rogue Traders that

supplied his station with a research supply of Ork

spores. In exchange, the Rogue Trader received

favorable trading rights for the stations gas

mining. Within a year, the Rogue Trader

delivered on his part of the bargain.

Magos Breaton set-up a specially constructed lab

where the Magos could attempt to cultivate a

control population of Feral Orks. The lab was

specially sealed, isolated, and protected to avoid

contaminating the rest of the station.

The Magos continued his wretched experiment in

isolation and secret from the majority of his

stations staff. Only a select handful knew of his

radical ways. The Magos was fascinated by the

developments he saw. The entire Orkology was

revealed, and their symbiotic relationship with

squigs, gretchin, and the Orks themselves. The

way their small community developed revealed

amazing insights.

However, in 684.M41 Magos Breaton was

horrified to learn that Orkoid spores had been

detected in the sub-levels of the station. Aghast,

he immediately ended his experiment and purged

his Ork control groups. He had servitors sterilize

the rooms, and then had the servitors themselves

sterilized. He then organized sterilization teams

of Servitors to enter the sub-levels of the station

and purge any signs of the Ork infestation. Likehis failure on Dratz Fall, he tried to cover it all up.


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This time, Magos Breaton reviewed his notes

and the experiment, and realized he had

committed a grave sin against the Omnissiah.

He had let his personal obsession cloud his

judgment. Caught by surprise at the magnitude

of his sins, the Magos was uncharacteristically

wracked by guilt and failure. He destroyed all of

his research, and focused all his energy into

productive gas mining.

When Magos Deanarus arrived to inspect Station

Epsilon, he found the station in good working

order. However, it wasnt long before his

investigators revealed the dark experiments inthe stations recent past. Magos Breaton admitted

to his past sins readily once revealed, and

pledged to aid Deanarus in exchange for

amnesty.

However, unknown to the two Magos; the Ork

eco-system was surviving and thriving in the

sub-levels of Epsilon Station. There small,

isolated communities of Feral Orks and Gretchinsprung up in the damp shafts and ducts deep in

the interior. They survived off the ork eco-

system that naturally evolved in the damp, dark

environments. Far from the routine patrols of

the purge-servitors sent out by the unwary

inhabitants of Station Epsilon.

As is the Ork way, the more Orks that were

spored, the more they were drawn together by

the growing Waaagh! Energy. One boss had

seen the future. He had secretly followed one of

the servitor kill teams, and saw them return to

the surface. He knew that above the tunnels lay

a new world for the Orks to inhabit.

He cunningly brought his message to the Orks of

fellow tribes. He promised a new world of

fighting, against the over-enemies. Many of his

rivalsboyz were drawn to this message. As a

result, low intensity fighting broke out between

the tribes. After a series of cunning ambushesagainst his rivals, Boss Badaxe had established

himself as the Undanob of all the Orks on

Epsilon.

As the Feud of the Red Clouds heated up, much

of the military power of Epsilon station was

deployed to battle the radical Primus of the other

stations. Undanob Badaxe had been amazed at

the abilities and weapons of the overworlders.However, as the Feud continued, he recognized

the weakening of his foes, even as his own Orks

were spawning more rapidly than ever.

In 856.M41, the Undanob led his horde to the

surface. Ork warriors sprang from vents, long


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forgotten manholes, and tore their way through

the stations floors. The sudden ferocious attack

caught the lightly defended station completely

by surprise. Unarmed Tech-priests fell beneath

the crude axes of the Feral Orks with a squeal of

binary protest. Blood, machine oil, and sacred

unguents painted the stations walls as the

greenskin hordes ravaged through Epsilon.

Only the stations main operations center held

out for long. There, the remaining Skitarri

rallied and held the lines. Combat servitors

proved devastating in the confined spaces of the

stations central corridors. However, the Orkknew their way through the secret places of the

station, places that the Tech-adepts didnt even

know about.

Ork huntas maneuvered their way into the main

ventilation shafts of the Command Center. They

fell on the surprised tech-adepts and slew them.

Magos Breaton was one of the first to fall to the

products of his own dark experiment. Theskitarri defenders outside tried to move to help

those inside, and the Orks overwhelmed their

stretched lines. The Command Center and the

defenders of Epsilon Center were overrun.

Badaxe da Undanob had succeeded. As

promised the overworld was theirs, and his

followers were jubilant. However, as the

Undanob reviewed his boyz handiwork in the

Command Center, the Ork began to realize that

there was more to the overworld then just this

station.

As this realization dawned on da Undanob, other

Orks surveyed the manufactorums of Station

Epsilon. Innate memories buried deep in some

of the Ork shaman triggered. Their minds were

suddenly ablaze with images of flying machines,

guns, and other things that could be createdusing these overworlder machines. With innate

curiosity, the burgeoning Mekz began to puzzle

out the secrets of the Ad-Mech.

The Orkoid threat had struck on Rutilus. A new

menace was emerging from the carcass of Station

Epsilon. Like a plague, the Orks of da Undanob

Badaxe would emerge to leave their mark on the

Feud of the Red Clouds.

The Greater Good of the Omnissiah

As a young tech-priest, Magos Kurness Archivald

was assigned to the retinue of an Ordos Xeno

Inquisitor. These years proved to be formative for

the young tech-priest, as he was exposed to a vast

array of xeno technology. The mysterious andblasphemous ways of the alien were astounding to

him, and became a life-long obsession.

After the Inquisitor was killed under mysterious

circumstances, Archivald returned to the High

Templum of the Old Guard Stars to continue his

research. There, he quickly began to gather

political adherents and allies; as his exotic service

with the Inquisition made him charismatic and

popular with younger tech-priests.

The Magos was able to leverage his political


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connections which allowed Archivald to fuel his

desire for Xeno tech. At the High Templum, he

dug deeply into the heretical machines; each day

growing more convinced that a great mystery of

the Omnissiah was hidden within the alien

technology. Naturally, such views made him

powerful enemies on the High Council.

The Magos Archivalds own allies gave him

protection. However, the Magos overstepped his

political bounds when he published and

distributed his work for peer review. His book,

On the Nature of Tainted Technology; crossed

the line. Even his allies were shocked at howdeeply the Magos had debased himself with the

alien technology. He seemed especially

enamored with the radical ideas and abilities of

Tau technology.

The wise members of the High Council knew the

lessons of the ancient screeds of their sect. To

become enamored of the upstart Tau could lead

humanity to repeat the mistakes that had broughtit low during the Dark Age of Technology. They

knew that such fascination must be squashed,

and that Magos Archivald made an example of.

Luckily for the Magos, his allies were able to

persuade the High Council that exile would be

sufficient punishment. The Magos was spared

death. Instead, he was banished to be Station

Primus of Ro on Rutilus.

Archivald realized how close he had been to

death. However, he also felt he was incredible

close to uncovering long hidden mysteries of the

Omnissiah in the Xeno tech. Despite his best

efforts to focus on his core function as Primus,

the Magos again was drawn to heretical tech.

The terms of Magos Archivalds exile would not

allow him to leave Station Ro. So, instead; hesent emissaries out into the stars to find what he

needed. For years, these emissaries returned

returned empty handed, or with only token Xeno

technology. However, the efforts ofArchivalds

emissaries soon came to the attention of agents

allied to one of the Taus Exploratory Fleets. The

Water Caste Envoys aboard realized an

opportunity to cultivate a new resource.

Using their network of sympathizers, spies, andtraitors; the Tau arranged for Rogue Trader Grace

Voo to make a run to Station Ro on Rutilus. Once

there, he tempted Magos Archivald with relatively

mundane Tau technology. With the Magos own

attempts to source such technology failing, he

quickly negotiated a contract with Voo. On the

surface, the contract was completely normal and

well within the rights of a station Primus.

However, Archivald also arranged for Voo to

provide more exotic tech to him personally.


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In exchange, Magos Archivald began to cultivate

his station staff to his own views tolerating Xeno

technology. He carefully selected loyal followers

and demoted or exiled those who did not share his

views. To him, the xeno technology was not a

blasphemy, but a varied avenue for the pursuit of

knowledge in the name of the Machine-God.

In 781.M41, the Tau Water Caste began to send

envoys directly to Station Ro to negotiate trade

deals with Magos Archivald, using the Trader

Hrax Voo (the new holder of the charter) as a

cover for their activities. For his part, the Magos

welcomed direct access to the Taus technologyand technicians.

The two factions played a delicate game, as

Magos Archivald used the Tau to upgrade his

stations facilities so he could observe and

research their technology and how it interacted

with the Machine Spirits of his own station.

Meanwhile, the Tau were secretly influencing the

menials and tech-priests with their ownpropaganda of the Greater Good.

The Tau knew the Tech-priests maintained and

manufactured all of the Imperiums technology.

They hoped to exploit the Magos into revealing

his knowledge of the Warp. However, the Water

Caste Envoys did not believe that Magos

Archivald would reveal such secrets to them

freely. Instead, they sought to corrupt the

common inhabitants of Station Ro to their cause

and eventually take over the station. As a result, a

strange hybrid religion blending the teachings of

the Omnissiah and the Greater Good became

fashionable on Ro.

The coming of Magos Deanarus threatened to ruin

the great work being done by both parties. It was

clear that they could not hide the extent of the

taint from Magos Deanarus prying eyes. The Tauand Magos Archivald had been playing their great

game for far too long. Archivald felt he was close

to uncovering some great secret of the Omnissiah,

while the Tau had all ready invested too much to

simply abandon their hold on Station Ro.

Magos Deanarus denounciation to the High

Templum came as no surprise to Magos Archivald

and his Tau allies. Magos Cy-Belles offer of

alliance came at a critical time, as the Tau were

preparing to leave Archivald to his fate. However,

with the growing alliance against the Imperium of

Man, Water Caste Envoy Twala saw a chance to

exploit the Taus assistance in exchange for the

Warp tech they sought.

In addition to Tau forces coming to support the

station, Magos Archivald began to integrate Tau

technology and weapon systems into his own

defense craft in an effort to beef them up. The

result, was a handful of strange hybrid aircraftmanned by those eager to prove their worth to the

Greater Good of the Omnissiah.

The Corsair Strikes

The final station Primus on Rutilus was Magos

Zigizmund. He had formerly been a high ranking

member of the Great Explorator fleets. Late in

791.M41 the Magos returned with a small fleet

that had explored the far edges of the Old GuardStars. The fleet had been assembled and sent in

search of Xeno artifacts by the High Council in


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M581.M41. Magos Zigizmund took command

when the previous Magos died under strange

circumstances during the mission.

Upon their return to the High Templum, the

Fleets data-arks were filled with new

information, and its holds contained ancient relics

from the edge of the Old Guard Stars. However,

the mood of the High Council of the Adeptus

Mechanicus had changed since Magos Zigizmund

had departed.

The cache of Xeno artifacts brought displeasure

from the reigning Magos. When Zigizmund was

ordered to destroy his discoveries, he balked. For

his recalcitrance, he was banished to Rutilus as

the station Primus of Lambda.

There, Magos Zigizmund settled in to do penance

for his crimes against the Omnissiah. He bent

himself to mastering his new role. However, his

dealings with the Rogue Traders that picked up

and deposited cargo proved to be too tempting for

the Magos.

Out of curiosity and boredom, he began helping

some of the captains analyze their data-arks. Inexchange, they often gifted the Magos with some

of their rare discoveries. The Magos began to

amass a small, rare, and forbidden collection of

of xenotech.

Of course, Magos Deanarus inspection uncovered

the truth, and Magos Zigizmund was condemned

like his fellow Station Primus. The appeal ofMagos Cy-Belle to join in his rebellion seemed

the only logical way to survive, maintain his

collection, and allow himself to continue his

search for knowledge. He committed his station

to support the rebels.

For the most part, pilots from Station Lambda

participated in the back and forth air battles that

characterized the Feud of the Red Clouds.However, in 857.M41; a group of pilots patrolling

near the Whips Crack discovered an anomaly

caught in its swirling vortex.

Upon further review of the augur results, Magos B

Zigizmund determined that the strange signature

was of a Xeno artifact. Eagerly, the Magos

ordered it recovered and returned to the station.

An entire hangar bay was sealed off for

quarantine as the stations servitors moved the

mysterious device into the hanger. Magos

Zigizmund went to view it himself. After

performing some cursory tests, he was convinced

it was of Eldar manufacture. However, Magos

Zigizmunds fascination turned to horror as

energy readings from the artifact began to read off

the scale.

The Artifact opened forth, allowing the witnesses

to look into the unblinking eye of the Eldar

Webway. It was nothing like the Magos or any of

his Ad-Mech crew had ever seen before. Indeed,

such an event had scarcely been recorded in Ad-

Mech histories. Unfortunately, his wonder was

short lived as Eldar Corsairs stormed out.

The xeno raiders butchered all they came across.The stations defenses had been weakened from

years of fighting in the Feud of the Red Clouds.

In addition, Magos Zigizmund death early in the


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battle left the few defenders confused and

unorganized. Within hours, the station was under

control of the Eldar CorsairEiryuan. However,

the mopping up operations lasted for a few more

weeks.

The new commander of Station Lambda had the

hangars and flight decks cleared of the Monkeigh

craft, and his own pilots, crews, and aircraft were

brought in via the Webway. By the time Magos

Zigizmunds allies felt something was wrong, the

Eldar were safely ensconced within the station.

Eiryuan had come from across the Galaxy to takepart in this war. The wandering ranger had been

content to follow the Path of the Outcast, until he

came across the ancient Eldar Shadow Seer

known as the Faceless One.

After that fateful meeting, Eiryuan renounced his

craftworld ties, and took up the Path of the

Corsair. The young Corsair worked his way

through the ranks to command a Corsair fleet ofhis own, and following the prophecy of the

Faceless One, turned it towards Rutilus.

Once there, he sent out a message to all stations

on the planet. They were to surrender their

Station Primus to him, or be destroyed. Of

course, his warnings went unheeded. The Feud of

the Red Clouds took on yet another new

dimension.

The Furor Imperialis

The Imperium is a very political place. The

Imperium of Man itself is monolithic. However,

its hierarchies and bureaucracies are always

shifting and ever-changing. Political movements

and factions vie for everyday control, seeking for

their ideas to gain ascendancy over that of their

rivals.

The highest echelons of the Old Guard Stars areno different. One such faction was known as the

Furor Imperialis. They derive their name from a

text published anonymously called the Codeci

Furor Imperialis. This tract claimed that the times

the Imperium was the most unified, strongest, and

most devout where after it had purged taint such

as renegades and xenos from its body. The fury of

the Imperium should be turned to banish those

unwanted and corrupting elements wherever theywere found with righteous fury. The heretic and

the xeno had no place in the Galaxy, and it was

the Fury of the Imperium of Man to throw such

savage and corrupt creatures from the stars

themselves.

On the face of it, such a policy would seem to fit


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fit in perfectly with existing Imperial policy.

However, the Imperium is a dynamic place.

Different, more tolerant, and less militaristic

views often gain dominance for a time.

The Codeci Furor Imperialis began to circulate

in the higher power structures of the Old Guard

Stars in 151.M41. How it came to the sector is

unclear, but it became the topic for atrium chats,

reading circles, and other leisurely philosophical

discussions and hence began to gain adherents.

Such advocates felt that the Old Guard Stars

themselves could be testing grounds for the

policy prescriptions of the Furor Imperialists.

In 348.M41, Admiral Severus Volsk was a

founding member of the official Furor

Imperialist political wing. The Admiral became

a leading proponent of the doctrine, and quickly

found political allies in the Adeptus

Munitorium, Mechanicus, and Ecclesiarchy.

However, the Furor Imperialists were still

considered a fringe faction within the Old GuardStars.

The Furor Imperialists were one of several

political factions vying for dominance within the

Segmentum High Command, High Templum,

The Cathedral of the Ascendant Saint Augustine,

and at the Sector Governors Palace. Slowly,

they gained converts and political power. Their

rise was helped by the growing instability on the

edges of the Old Guard Stars due to hostile alien

incursions, pirates, and renegade fleets.

After the brushfire wars on Ammoriss, Zephyrus,

Bin Mazar, and a host of other systems; it

became increasingly clear to the Segmentum

Governor that some action would need to be

taken. In 852.M41, he shook up his cabinet and

appointed a host of political figures directly or

indirectly connected to the Furor Imperialists.

With such appointments, the path to war was

was clear. Almost immediately, war plans that

had been drafted in advance; began to rumble into

motion. Orders went out by Astropath and courier

boats. Ships, men, and material began to

assemble at pre-arranged muster points.

The Furor Imperialists plan was simple. Per their

doctrines, they were going to launch a crusade to

purge the Old Guard Stars of all heretics,

renegades, and xenos. They dubbed this assault

the Furor Imperialist Crusade.

At the head of the Crusade would be HighAdmiral Domnatus Volsk. The latest in a long

line of a naval Dynasty that stretched back before

old Severus Volsk himself. The High Admiral had

decided to break his force into several spearheads

that would thrust deeply across the Old Guard

Stars, and purge any non-Imperial elements they

came across. Each spearhead would be a mighty

war host in its own right. These many prongs

would sweep across the Old Guard Stars, and upto the edges of the Wilderness Space beyond.

Early in 855.M41, the High Admiral himself held

a review of ships above the Segmentum Capital.

There, the Segmentum Governor, and other

Imperial dignitaries reviewed the vast armada and

gave praise to the God-Emperor. Over the next

several days, the various Spearheads of the Furor

Imperialis Crusade departed, each intent on

bringing the Emperors wraith to the Old Guard

Stars.


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Three Standard Terran Years later, one of the

spearhead fleets of the Furor Imperialis Crusade

entered the Rutilus system. Taskforce 351 had

all ready blodded itself rooting out several Pirate

bases in the Lasts Hope Asteroid Belt of the

Apex Pointe system. However, their cruise had

been relatively uneventful compared to that of

some of their comrades.

The taskforce came upon Rutilus, unaware of the

Feud taking place in the swirling clouds below.

The High Templum of Adeptus Mechanicus had

kept the situation on the planet secret, even from

the crusading fleets. However, the arrival of thefleet had been anticipated by Magos Deanarus.

Soon after the warships of Taskforce 351 entered

the Rutilus system, they were hailed by Magos

Deanarus. He urgently requested the Taskforces

aid against the rebellious fellow Magos.

Naturally, Rear-admiral Volsk agreed.

This would be his Taskforces greatestopportunity to gain honor in the Furor Imperialis

campaign thus far, and the Rear-admiral

intended to make the most of it for his future

career and reputation. The threat seemed

minimal, and he ordered the majority of

Taskforce 351 onwards to continue the greater

mission while his command ship and a few

support vessels stayed on station to support the

pacification of Rutilus. The Rear-admiral

calculated that it would not take much time and

effort to subdue such a backwater.

Of course, the arrival of the Imperial Taskforce

upped the ante in the Feud of the Red Clouds.

With most of the Taskforce jumping out of the

system to continue the crusade, the situation was

not hopeless. Instead, the rebels acted decisively.

Magos Archivald pleaded with his Tau allies for

aid. Magos Cy-Belle did likewise with MistressMerciveaux. Both responded with forces capable

of matching the remaining Imperial forces.

Upon realizing his error, Rear-Admiral Volsk fell

back; and called for reinforcements from his

Taskforce. However, after leaving the system;

they would be delayed in returning. In the

meantime, the renegade and xeno forces were also

moving to reinforce their positions.

The Feud of the Red Clouds had escalated to

more than just a internal Adeptus-Mechanicus

dispute. Now, it had turned into a flash point in

the battle for influence over the Old Guard Stars.


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Inquisitorial Report: A4567/789/ZetaReference: Investigation of Bin MazarAccess Code: ********** Level: Magenta

A Historical Timeline649.M35

Rogue Trader Hans Digitalis and his cartel beginto explore the area of the Eastern Fringe referred

to as the Old Guard Stars.

999.M35

Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator FleetAltar of

Discovery locates and scans the planet Rutilus

(OGS/System 456/Beta/Planet: Quintus) and

mark is suitable for industrial gas mining.

121.M36

The Administratum declares the Old Guard Stars

as a Sector of the Imperium, and it is divided up

into smaller Sub-sectors.

485.M36

St. Augustine, at the head of a Crusade fleet;

pushes Xeno taint out of 75% of the Old Guard

Stars, hence preparing the way for Imperial

colonization efforts.

245.M39

The Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator Fleet Torch

in the Darkness performs follow-up

investigations on Rutilus. Rare gas elements

discovered near the core of the Gas Giant.

258.M39

Adeptus Mechanicus leadership in the OldGuard Stars deems Rutilus suitable for gas

mining for rare elements. Suitable preparations

are begun.

275.M39

The Adminstratum agrees to support Adeptus

Mechanicus colonization efforts.

368.M39

The initial colonization efforts of Rutilus begins

with the deployment of Station Alpha into the

mid-atmospheres of the Gas Giant.

601.M40

All five of the primary mining stations have been

constructed on Rutilus.

101.M41

The Adeptus Mechanicus petition for full

sovereignty over Rutilus from the joint-rulership

of the Adminstratum is accepted by the Sector

Commander of the Old Guard Stars.

152.M41

The Codeci Furor Imperialistis published andcirculated amongst the ruling elite within the Old

Guard Stars.

348.M41

The Furor Imperialist movement founds its own

political wing to push their agenda within the

Old Guard Stars and the greater Segmentum.

542.M41Rare elements found on Rutilus appear to be

exhausted. Industrial gas mining continues.

601.M41

Adeptus Mechanicus creates trade deals with

Rogue Trader Cartels to provide transport and

freight for Rutilus.

676.M41

Magos Cy-Belle lands from off world and begins

to investigate the strange phenomena associated

with the Cyclops Eye.

684.M41

Orkoid spores are discovered in the lower

reaches of Station Epsilon

781.M41

Tau Explorator Fleet reaches Rutilus. Usesallied Rogue trader vessels to infiltrate Station

Ro.

http://z8.invisionfree.com/Airspace/index.php?c=1http://z8.invisionfree.com/Airspace/index.php?c=1


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838.M41

Reports of growing unrest between various

political and religious groups upon Rutilus

reaches the Adeptus Mechanicus. Magos

Deanarus is sent to investigate.

848.M41

Magos Deanarus reports that the unrest upon

Rutilus is being fomented by xenos and heretics.

He is commissioned with restoring the True

faith to the planet.

851.M41

The doctrinal differences between the tech-priests of the various stations explodes into all

out civil war as Magos Deanarus demands that

the stations Ro, Lambda, and Severus renounce

their ways and conform to the Cult of the

Omnissiah presented by Station Alpha and

Epsilon.

852.M41

The Furor Imperialist gain the approval fromSegmentum High Command and the Sector

Governor of the Old Guard Stars to begin final

preparations for the Furor Imperialis to cleanse

the Old Guard Stars.

855.M41

The Furor Imperialis Campaign begins in the Old

Guard Stars to purge xenos and heretics and their

allies from the Domains of the Emperor of

Mankind.

856.M41

An Ork uprising surges out from the underhull of

Station Epsilon.

857.M41

As civil war rages, pilots of Station Lambda

discover a bizarre augur anomaly locked away

inside the swirling winds of the Whips Crack.Shortly after all communication with Station

Lambda is lost.

858.M41

Elements of the Furor Imperialis fleet reach

Rutilus. There the fleet finds the Adeptus

Mechanicus elements there locked in a bitter

doctrinal feud fuelled by xenos and heretics.

Per the fleets mandate, they launch their attack to

purge the xeno and heretic. However, the heretics

and xenos have plans of their own.


24/93


A Terragraphic RecordRutilus is a Gas Giant. Like most such planets,

it is composed of various gases around a rockcore. In the case of Rutilus, the majority of the

atmosphere is Hydrogen and Helium. These two

gases make an outer atmosphere envelope, and

act as a wall to keep the other gases closer to the

center of the world. The different gases inside of

Rutilus make different layers within the

atmosphere of the planet.

In addition to the layers inside of Rutilus, thereare also several, bands and zones visible. The

lighter bands tend to have an internal up draft,

while the darker bands have an internal down

draft. These are high and low pressure

atmospheric conditions that cover large areas.

However, there are also pockets of different

pressures within these bands and zones.

There are no solid surfaces on Rutilus that is

reachable. The core of the planet, is so deepwithin the atmosphere, that the pressure is

immense. Since there is no surfaces, there is no

land masses to cause local heating, most of the

planets surface conditions are dictated by the

planets spin.

The Crimson Path

The planets structure has lead to interesting

banding and zone structure once the outer layerof Helium and Hydrogen has been breached.

Beneath this outer envelope is layers of various

gases. At the outer edge of the atmosphere, the

air pressures are much lower, and become denser

the closer you move towards the planets core.

As a result, the navigable passage for air travel is

bracketed by a ceiling of gaseous clouds before

reaching the upper atmosphere, and a floor of

clouds, below which conventional aircraft would

be crushed. This passage of navigable air space

is know as the Crimson Path.

It is not uncommon for cloud banks to make their

way into the Crimson Path from the cloud

formations above or below. These drifting

stragglers can form an impediment to air travel,

until they are dispersed by the natural

gravitational pull of Rutilus gravity and spin.

In addition to the clouds of gases moving throughthe atmosphere by up and down draft, it is not

uncommon to run across locations with strange

atmospheric phenomena taking place. This is

typically due to local conditions such as the

interaction of gases, pressure, and gravity, and

magnetism.

It was this area between pressure layers that was

slated for colonization. The great stations of

Rutilus were placed within the Crimson Path.

Stations of the Machine-God

The rare gaseous elements found on Rutilus were

the main draw and push for colonization. The

Crimson Path was the only practical location for

placing the mining stations. Essentially, the rest

of Rutilus was unsuitable due to atmospheric

instability or low/dense pressure.

The core of each station was simply launched

from orbit into the proper altitude. From there,


25/93


construction crews were sent down to build

outward from the stations core. Each station was

built to support the mining operations first, and

all other functions second.

Each Station has at its core a powerful ionic

scoop that it can lower into the depths of the Gas

Giant. This scoop extracts gas into the refining

chambers at the center of the station. These

refining chambers are then connected to Space

Elevators. The Space Elevators are then used to

pump valuable gaseous cargo to freighters in the

upper atmosphere.

Around the mining component were added vast

storage tanks filled with gaseous material. These

created a belt of buoyant tanks that allowed

the station to float in The Crimson Path. These

tanks can be emptied and filled to allow the

station limited mobility up and down, with the

natural wind currents. Therefore, the planet is

slowly pushing the stations around the

atmosphere.

The outer rings of the stations are made up of the

necessities of life. That includes hydroponic

farms, living habs, cathedrals to the Omnissiah,

landing pads, augur arrays, and anything else the

station needs to survive. Over the years, these

outer structures have grown organically. This has

led to bizarre outgrowths, which means no two

stations on Rutilus look exactly alike.

In addition, as the core mining elements ran out,

the stations had to begin to diversify their

mining capabilities. This led to the construction

of manufactorums that built semi-autonomous

harvester balloons. These balloons would deploy

from the Stations and go on autonomous routes to

harvest gaseous materials from other parts ofRutilus.

To properly deploy these mining vehicles, an

extreme outer layer of service docks and hangars

sprung up. This makes each station a huge

prickly mass of metal, antennae, and lights.

Now, these mining blimps form the backbone of

each stations economy. Without these vehicles, aStation would be unable to gather enough gaseous

materials to effectively trade off world.


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The Aerial Platforms

As the local deposits of gases were depleted each

station slowly began to expand their mining

territory outward. This led to the construction of

a variety of outlying aerial platforms. These

platforms created a logistical network to support

each Station with gas mining activities.

Initially, these forays away from the main station

were light. However, as the rare gases of Rutilus

depleted rapidly, the need to expand into Gas

Harvesting accelerated the rate of expansion intothe Crimson Path.

Naturally, as the Gas Harvesting platforms grew

in number, additional support platforms began to

be needed. These included weather stations to

predict the strange wind patterns, and move

Harvesters out of danger. Relay stations and

storage platforms were created so that supplies

could be ferried to the outlying platformswithout coming form the main station. Storage

platforms would also act as way stations to get

the vital gas back to the main Station so the Space

Elevators could load it to outbound freighters.

Of course, as the elaborate web of support

platforms grew around the great stations of

Rutilus, the need to defend these stations from

wayward xeno and renegade pirates also grew.

Early warning augur stations and defense weapon

installations were built and towed into positions

across Rutilus. As the Feud between Station

Primarus grew, the militarization of the planet

intensified.

Now, the great stations of Rutilus could no longer

survive without the network of aerial platforms

that spiral outward from each station like the

points on a grid. This various, isolated platforms

are now the backbone of each Stations economic

viability. If enough of these platforms were

disabled, the Great Station would be unable to

harvest the needed gas to support its economy,leading to eventual ruin.


27/93

Warzone 1 Warzone 2

Warzone 3

Warzone 4 Warzone 5

Station

Lambda

Station

Ro

Station

Alpha

Station

Epsilon

Station

Severus

Geltz Rift

St. Abelgard

Vortex

The Doldrums

The RoughAnd Tumble

Eye of theCyclops

The Eddies

ZrukersOverlap

Priests

Fall

The WallOf Faith

The WhipsCrack


=Rutilus=

The Warzones


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Rutilus has been sub-divided into the following

six warzones to ease prosecution of the Feud of

the Red Clouds. Due to the nature of the situation

on Rutilus, they will be referred to as Warzones.

Warzone 1- Station LambdaThe Crimson Path is a band of tolerable pressure

within the larger atmosphere of Rutilus. Like all

the Warzones, this one is composed entirely

within the Crimson Path.

The atmosphere of Rutilus is composed of various

regions of high and low pressure, up and down

drafts, and areas with varying degrees of wind.The Warzone surrounding Station Lambda is well

known for having high winds compared to other

sections of Rutilus. The reason for this is unclear,

but some speculate that the very spin of Rutilus

itself, in relation to her orbit around the systems

central star leads to increased gravitational forces

being exerted in the area.

The Tech-adepts of Station Lambda wereconsidered the local experts at weather divination

and augur. Their location within such a

windswept part of Rutilus made this s necessity

for survival. They guarded their secrets zealously,

and few other tech-adepts on Rutilus ever tried to

recreate their knowledge base. Their destruction

at the hands of the vile xeno Eldar was a great

loss for the Cult Mechanicus on the planet.

Areas of Note

The following areas are of note in this Warzone:

Station Lambda:

Of course, the most important feature is the

presence of Station Lambda. Of all the great

stations of Rutilus, it is the smallest. The station

was the last to be built during the colonization

phase of the planet.

In addition to being the smallest, it is also the

most symmetrical. The centuries of expansion

at the station was well-regulated by the station

Primarus. The constant danger of Tidal Winds

made the need to regulated construction

paramount during expansion.

Finally, Station Lambda frequently moves aroundRutilus as it is pushed by the frequent high winds

of the Region. This means that navigating to the

station unaided by its navigation beacons can be

difficult. The station may not be in the same

place twice.

The Whips Crack

The Whips Crack is an area of particularly high

and steady wind flow. It is the fastest recurring

current of air on Rutilus. Other currents exist,and are frequently used to aid in long-distance air

travel. However, none is considered more

tempestuous or dangerous as the Whips Crack.

It was a considered a right of passage by Skitarri

pilots of Station Lambda to be able to navigate the

Whips Crack. Without successfully

accomplishing this feat, promotion opportunities

would be limited. However, most of thenavigation charts of the Whips Crack were lost in

the Fall of Lambda.

The Wall of Faith

The Wall of Faith is a curious column of

incredibly dense pressure that literally geysers up

through the Crimson Path before dispersing into

the upper atmosphere. Any craft who have

entered the wall, have never been heard from

again; and presumed crushed. From the outside, it

looks like a huge column of red, like a huge,

billowing thunderhead cloud.


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Warzone 2- Station RoThis Warzone is the operational territory of

Station Ro. It is a large territory, but it is

sparsely populated with aerial platformscompared to the airspace around Station Alpha

and Severus. Station Ro was able to harvest the

rare gases deep within Rutilus the longest of all

stations, and was subsequently late to the

construction of aerial platforms and gas

harvesters.

However, the station Primarus of centuries past

was aggressive in staking out his territorial

claims, even if he was slow to populate it. Thisaggressive policy became somewhat of a

tradition, and hence the Tech-adepts of the

Station have a reputation for being particularly

stand-offish with members of the other stations.

For the most part, this section of the Crimson

Path is dull and quiet. However, colossal cloud

banks in the upper atmosphere occasional block

out the filtered light of the systems star. Thiscan plunge large sections of this Warzone into

prolonged periods of darkness.

Areas of Note


Station Ro

Like all Warzones, the main feature is the great

station that monopolizes the region. Station Ro

has the largest Ionic Scoop of all the stations,

and it is capable of reaching deeper into Rutilus

than any other. This ability has allows Station

Ro to supplement its gas harvester income with

the last traces of rare gases from the planets

center. Therefore, Ro is one of the richest

stations on Rutilus.

Viewing the station from the outside, its relative

wealth is obvious. The outer structures are wellmaintained and ornamentation to the glory of the

Machine-God is common. However, this same

ornamentation gives the station a bit of a

haphazard look. In addition, elements of strange

Xeno tech have been mixed into the far exteriors

of the station, blaspheming against the

Ommnissiah and God-Emperor.

Zrukers Overlap

The Overlap is a unusual meteorological

phenomenon. At the point of the overlap a high

pressure and a low pressure front are constantly

crashing into each other. This leads to an amazing

and constant storm front along the Overlap zone.

This storm front is unusual on Rutilus, as itactually generates lightning. The exact cause is

known only to the Tech-adepts that study such

things. However, the prevailing theory has to do

with overly charged particles in the atmosphere

coming into contact.

Priests Fall

The phenomenon known as Priests Fall is an

unusual level of low pressure that creates a holethrough the lower cloud banks, and goes deeper

into Rutilus than other point on the Gas Giant.

Traditionally, the inhabitants of Station Ro have

used the site as a place for ritual executions and

suicides. The plunge into the depths of Rutilus

being symbolic of ones fall from the grace of the

Machine-God.

On lip of the site is a large aerial platform that

serves as a penitentiary. This location is also

referred to as Priests Fall. This penal colony

housed the Tech-priests and Menials who fell foul

of the authorities on Station Ro. This platform

would house them until their ritual execution in

the Fall.

Now, with the spread of the quasi-religion of the

Greater Good of the Machine God, Priests Fall

house a great many Tech-adepts who failed toconvert in a timely fashion, and have stayed loyal

to the true faith in the Omnissiah.


30/93


Warzone 3- Station AlphaThe first of the Great Stations to be placed on

Rutilus was that of Alpha. As a result, it

maintain a central position on the planet,bestride its equator. Therefore, the corriolous

effect leads to strange wind currents near the

station.

This can make the winds around Station Alpha

unpredictable and difficult to manage. In

addition, it is rough on airframes, pilots, and fuel

consumption as the winds can cause

unpredictable turbulence and delays no matter

the flight plan. Where it was steady flying oneday, can become a rough patch the next.

Therefore, the Adeptus Mechanicus of Station

Alpha rely heavily on Servitors for flight

operations. They have proven to be able to

withstand the constant physical battering better

than the more human Skitarri pilots.

De to the range limitations placed on aircraft

departing from the Great Station, the operationalranges the station can control are limited.

However, the space it can control has been

artificially fortified with a number of aerial

platforms and relay stations. No airspace has

more clutter in it then the space around Station

Alpha. During an unexpected series of

turbulence, a quick landing on one of the many

aerial platforms can be a needed respite.

This rough turbulence is a source of

consternation to the Tech-adepts of Station

Alpha. However, in this dangerous times, they

also have helped protect the airspace and

inhabitants of Station Alpha. Attacking forces

have had difficulty in navigating the rough air

and rapidly changing air currents.

Areas of Note


Station Alpha

This is the oldest of the Great Stations. Its

surface is pockmarked and scoured by time.

Despite the tech-priests diligent efforts, it still

appears ancient and baroque compared to its

contemporaries. It is also the largest of the five

Great Stations.

Housed in this old station is the Cathedral of the

Red Descent. It is the largest place of worship for

the Machine God on the planet. This serves not

only as a temple, but also a databank, laboratory,

logis engine, and manufactorum.

Geltz RiftThe rift is unusual, in that it is a break in the

normal cloud cover of Rutilus, that leads directly

to the upper atmosphere of the gas giant, and out

into space. It is the only place in the Crimson

Path, where one can look up and see the stars.

At the bottom of the Rift, previous Station

Primarus of Alpha had a small and rudimentary

space port built. This space port allows StationAlpha to export more gas than any other station;

thereby securing its dominance over the other

Great Stations. Now, in these dark times, Magos

Deanrus can use it to resupply his war efforts

directly from orbital assets.

The Rough and Tumble

As the name suggests, this area is a constant mass

of turbulence and difficult flying. Despite the

changing conditions elsewhere in the Warzone,

this area is always wracked by turmoil. Aircraft

entering here do so at their own peril, as the

turbulence is great enough to smash an air frame

to bits.

In addition, the area is a relative blank spot for

navigation. No records exist to map out the

interior of the Crimson Path inside the Rough and

Tumble. Some report that instruments within thearea are notoriously unreliable. Others speak of

ghosts and nameless monsters haunting the area.


31/93


Warzone 4- Station EpsilonThe warzone surrounding Station Epsilon is

relatively calm and peaceful compared to other

portions of Rutilus. The winds are mild, andstorm are infrequent. Travel across the warzone

is easy, except for the large distances involved.

However, for all this ease of movement, this area

has the lowest concentration of valuable gas

deposits to mine. Therefore, it is relatively poor,

with vast distances separating aerial platforms

from each other. Instead, the aerial platforms

cluster around pockets of rich cloud banks, like

small boom towns.

Areas of Note


Station Epsilon

As noted, this area is the poorest, and Station

Epsilon reflects this. It is a large station, but

much of it has been abandoned over the decades,

and left to fall into disrepair. Vast underhullsstretch through out the structure where few if

any venture.

The outside looks decrepit and ancient. The

paint is mostly peeled away, and corrosion is

visible across the underbelly. The upper reaches

are a stark contrast, with fresh paint, and no

noticeable corrosion. However, closer

inspection will reveal a number of quick, cheap,

and crude patches put in place on the hull.

Now, with the takeover of the Orks, crude and

shabbily constructed outgrowths have sprung up

all over the outsides of the Station. This make

sit look like a great log, infected with fungus.

These shabby structures serve as makeshift

living spaces for the burgeoning Orkoid

population. The perimeter of the station is now

bristling with crude cannons and guns. Theyhave even gone so far as to paint a huge and

garish red glyph on the outer hull, despoiling the

Machine Gods creation.

The Doldrums

This area is well known for having little in the

way of meteorological activity. However, the

Doldrums take this to new lows. There has

never been any recorded wind activity in this

region, and a strange stillness settles the air.

However, the area is one of the most productive

for gas mining in the Warzone, and a

hodgepodge of aerial platforms cluster around

and in the dead zone. The rules and laws of

Station Epsilon were poorly enforced in thisregion, and local racketeers and gangsters sprung

up, monopolizing the profits of the gas mining.

Typically, the Primaris of Epsilon turned a blind

eye, as long as tithes were met. With the coming

of the Ork, this has become a wild region with

no law, but that of the knife.

St. Abelgard Vortex

Unlike the rest of the Warzone, the Vortex is adangerous area to navigate. Some unknown

cause sucks air from this warzone down into

the lower depths of Rutilus. The Vortex exerts

an incredible pull all around it, and unwary

aircraft can be pulled in and swallowed up.

Where such aircraft end up, or what happens to

them is a mystery. However, no aircraft sucked

into the Vortex has been heard from since.

Thankfully, the Vortex is a known issue. In

general, it can be easily avoided.


32/93


Warzone 5- Station SeverusThe final warzone on Rutilus surrounds Station

Severus. It has long been a region considered to

be cursed. The area is frequently wracked byunexpected wind storms, cyclones, and other

assorted nasty weather patterns. Pilots in the

region have reported ghost readings, mysterious

sightings, Comm whispers, and instrument

disruption.

Aircraft and entire aerial platforms occasionally

disappear without a trace. Even more

mysterious, entire platforms have been found

devoid of any crew with no explanation for theirdisappearance.

As a result, the people of the Warzone are a

superstitious lot. They tend to gather trinkets

and amulets, and use those to help placate the

Machine-spirits. The use of fetishes is also

common. Their rituals are especially elaborate.

Lastly, the Tech-adepts of Station Severus were

prone to the use and veneration of idols in anidealized or artistic form of the Machine God.

Tech-adepts from other stations found these

habits unnerving and barbaric; but these visitors

did not hail from a region of Rutilus rumored to

be cursed.

Areas of Note


Station Severus

Over the course of years since Station Severus

was first inhabited, it has grown to be an ugly

eye sore. Its outlines are sharp and hard. Its

coloration mottled and ugly. The general shape

has become misaligned and grotesque.

The outside of the structure is covered with

seals, sacred texts, iconography, statuary, and

other fetishes. There is no longer any smoothplanes, as it has now been decorated with the

superstitious symbols of the Adepts inside.

The Eddies

This area of the warzone is full of naturally

occurring, small, cyclones. These cyclones tend

to appear and disappear at random in the region,

but are regular enough where one is almost

always visible. The Tech-adepts of the region

have competing theories as to why this occurs,

varying from the mundane to the spiritual.

No matter the cause, these cyclones make

travelling the Crimson path through this area

dangerous. The Cyclones exert a great deal of

destructive power in a relatively small area. Their

unpredictable nature means they can appearanywhere and wreak mayhem in the area. As a

result, no aerial platforms have been built nearby,

and air traffic tends to bypass the Eddies.

Eye of the Cyclops

This is the largest storm on Rutilus, and it has

been present since the founding of the colony.

From the outside, it is a huge billowing cloud

form that bulges out at the center. When seenfrom orbit, looks like a huge unblinking eye

staring into the void. The storm seems to ignore

all the natural elements of Rutilus such as gravity,

pressure dynamics, physics, etc. and seems to

exist in defiance of nature itself.

The Eye seems to exert amazing force and

influence on the surrounding weather patterns,

and cloud banks, smaller storm systems, tidal

wind, and cyclones constantly spin off. These

smaller weather patterns have been recorded to

persist independently for hours and even up to

weeks later. In addition, pressure systems tend to

be repelled by the Eye.

Those who get to close to the Eye of the Cyclops

find their instruments to become untrustworthy,

machine-spirits become restless, and even

servitors begin to glitch and spasm. The moresuperstitious claim that the Eye of the Cyclops is

the source of all evil on Rutilus.


33/93

NotablesMagos Cyril Deanarus- Adeptus Mechanicus- Station Alpha

The Magos Deanarus is well known proponent of strict orthodoxy regardingthe tenants of the Machine God. It was his reputation as a purist that inspired

the High Templum of the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Old Guard Stars to send

the aging magos to Rutilus. Many thought that his brand of conservative

thought would bring the radical tech-magos exiled to Rutilus to heel.

After his departure to Rutilus, some whispered that the council of Arch-

magos were effectively exiling Deanarus himself, under the guise of

investigation. His rabid conservatism had made him enemies on the council.

Some claimed that manufactorums put under his oversight actually lostproductivity and efficiency due to his purges.

Whatever the truth, Magos Deanarus has led the charge to restore the true

purity of faith to the Omnissiah on Rutilus. Once the fleets of theFuror

Imperialis campaign entered the system, he was eager to reach out for their

aid.

Vice-Admiral Nils Volsk- Imperial Navy- Faithful Servitude

TheFaithful Servitude is the flagship of one spearhead of the sprawling

Furor Imperialis campaign. The spearhead that reached Rutilus was calledTaskforce 351, and was led by Vice-Admiral Nils Volsk.

Nils is a second son of a serving fleet admiral, and hails from the infamous

Volsk Naval dynasty. For a vice-admiral in the Imperial Navy, he is a

relatively young man. His youth has led him to an inflated sense of personal

honor, which has thus far caused friction with other officers. He is not a

popular figure.

Vice-admiral Volsk has long been an advocate for theFuror Imperialiscampaign. Thanks to his advocacy and the political connections of his family

dynasty, it was only natural that he would be the commanding officer of one

of the Crusade taskforce elements.



34/93

Commander Markus Plegabo- Imperial Navy- Aeronautica Imperialis

The Plegabo family were loyalist to the Imperial cause during the uprising on

Graingo. After the planets fall to the rebels, the Plegabo family was

evacuated off planet. In return for their loyalty, they have become a

hereditary naval family, serving in the Aeronautica Imperialis.

Markus is the latest in a long line of officers to serve in the Aeronautica

Imperialis of the Imperial Navy. Unlike some of his fellow officers, Markus

is not a pilot. This has led to grumbling from some of the pilots under his

command. However, he is a shrewd logistician and a veteran campaigner.

Commander Plegabo is tasked with leading the Aeronautica Imperialis

squadrons on Rutilus.


Magos Konstanz Cy-Belle- Adeptus Mechanicus- Station Severus

No one is sure exactly how old Magos Cy-belle actually is. However, of all

the station heads, he has been on Rutilus the longest. He has been on station

for so long, no one is exactly sure what got him exiled to Rutilus to begin

with. However, he has long been an advocate for pushing the boundaries of

the Ad-Mechs faith.

As station Primus, Magos Cy-belle has spearheaded efforts to investigate the

strange phenomenon localized around the lightening clouds of the CyclopsEye. There he uncovered a terrible secret, a secret that is said to have infused

him with a new energy. A mad genius for design has since consumed him

and the Magos purged all who stood in his way.

Now, the work stations of Station Severus have been refitted to produce his

mad designs. The Magos has forcefully refused Magos Deanarus calls to

halt his crazed production.

Mistress Mercievaux- Chaos Renegade- The Harsh Mistress

The Mistress is a powerful rogue psyker wanted by the Imperium for hermany crimes against humanity. However, her origins are shrouded in

mystery and legend. Some claim she hails from the outer stars, others that

she is a former Imperial servant, while others claim darker origins of mixed

xeno heritage. The only known truth is that she is

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