A pict-capture of the unexplained naval bombardment of Muerlla’s capital city.

Imperial Navy bombards Murella capital

For reasons still unexplained by Imperial authorities, a flotilla of Imperial warships appeared in orbit over the industrial world of Murella and conducted a massive lance strike on the planet’s capital city.

There were no reports of xeno attacks, rebellion, or civil unrest, yet the proud city was turned into a 30-square-mile landscape of rubble, craters, and still-burning fires. More than 2 million Imperial citizens are believed dead.

The bombardment, on 6 478 740.M41, was followed by the arrival of hundreds of Imperial Guard transports that landed on the outskirts of the destroyed city, and half a dozen regiments quickly deployed to encircle the ruins. PDF troops and Arbites rescue crews that rushed to the scene were denied entry. There are reports that survivors of the bombardment attempting to leave the city were shot on sight.

Later that same day, a half dozen Adminsitratum cargo ships entered orbit above Murella, bringing more than 20,000 Imperial officials  who quickly took control of the planetary government. Thousands of citizens were ordered to leave the planet’s second-largest city, apparently uprooting them with no warning to make room for the small army of bureaucrats that descended on the city.

The Administratum—and the Imperial Navy—firmly refuse to explain this sudden and deadly attack.

Death Guard still on Volana?

Isolated farms and industrial sites are being burned to the ground—and residents slaughtered—on the twilight world of Volana.

As there have been no reported civil unrest on Volana, speculation is rife as to the attackers’ identity. Some suggest Eldar raiders. Others point to a Death Guard raid earlier in the year. The traitor Astartes were believed to have left the planet when PDF troops engaged them, but there is speculation that some Death Guard marines were left behind—intentionally or not.

“I can assure the menials of Volana that these attacks are an unacceptable situation, resulting in a .02 percent decline in the efficiency of production,” announced Magos Auxilliarus Artemis 5.8, ranking official of the Adeptus Mechanicus government. “Skitarii and PDF troops will be conducting a thorough grid-pattern search of the region surrounding the attacks.”

“We will identify and destroy all disruptive elements to the planetary economy . . . and limit the loss of productive workers.”

Subsector dies after visit by space hulk

All life appears to have been destroyed in the Seraka Subsector after the appearance of the space hulk, The Shard of Damnation.

Although Imperial authorities are threatening prosecution for anyone spreading “unfounded rumors that could lead to public unrest,” it is widely reported that more than 250 million Imperial citizens in the subsector are missing—or their remains are buried in the rubble of once proud hive cities now destroyed.

The Shard of Damnation, a space hulk that’s been frequently spotted over the years across the Corvus Cluster, was reported as having appeared out of the Warp on the outskirts of Iometa, a mining world on the outer edge of the subsector. Soon after, on 6 613 740.M41, all communications with the planet—and later with the rest of the subsector—ceased.

Speculation is rife concerning events in the subsector. Of great concern to Imperial authorities is that the five-planet subsector is within the Drylian Quarantine Zone, which is the site of numerous military clashes with a new cybernetic xeno species called the Necrons.

What role the Necrons—or The Shard of Damnation—played with this disaster is unclear. But some scholars note that the space hulk is known to be dotted with ancient pylons with hieroglyphics—and that similar structures reportedly are common on Necron-held worlds.

Blood Angels repulsed from enemy cruiser

One of the tactical marines that boarded the Death Guard Cruiser. The intense fighting sparked numerous fires in the winding and twisting corridors of the enemy ship.

A demi-company of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter attempted to board a Death Guard cruiser in the war-torn Dozarian System but were repulsed with heavy losses.

The boarding action occurred on 6 643 740. M41, when the Blood Angels cruiser, Sword of Baal, responded to a distress signal from an Imperial troop carrier under attack after it entered the system.

After trading long-range fire with the Death Guard vessel, Sword of Baal moved to close range and launched a dozen boarding torpedoes. Striking the traitor warship near the bow, the torpedoes penetrated deeply into the hull and disembarked more than 130 loyal Astartes determined to bring the traitors to justice.

Details of the battle that followed remain confused, but it appears the Blood Angels fought their way deep into the disease-ridden warship, engaging in vicious hand-to-hand combat through twisted and winding corridors as they attempted to reach the ship’s bridge.

Alas, the attack was stymied by a counterattack by hordes of maddened cultists, three dozen traitor Astartes, and a daemon-possessed champion. In the fighting, the Blood Angels’ company champion, Catellus Quinto, lost a hand to the Warp-tainted champion but managed to strike down the traitor.

More than a dozen loyalists were severely injured or killed before the order was given to abandon the attack and evacuate to Thunderhawks that had landed on the traitor ship’s hull. The Sword of Baal had intended to renew its bombardment of the traitor warship, but the Death Guard vessel used departing Thunderhawks as a screen and quickly withdrew and left the system.

Last known pict transmitted from the Burning Frontier. It shows scouts of the Vorpal Swords during a reconnaissance mission to Arthys IV, where orks and the Dark Mechanicum battle over control of the planet.

Fate of Mograin Crusade still unclear

There has been no communications with the Varrenshall Sector—also known as the Burning Frontier—for nearly 18 months, and Imperial authorities reportedly are beside themselves with worry.

The Vorpal Swords Space Marine Chapter—supported by several Imperial Guard regiments—launched the Mograin Crusade to retake the sector in late 728.M41. For the previous half century, no stable Warp route to the sector had existed, effectively cutting off all contact between sector and the rest of the Imperium.

When a new Warp route was discovered by Rogue Trader Maximo Florton, it was discovered that much of the sector—located near the dangerous Warp storm known as the Heart of Darkness—had been overrun by traitor Marines, the Dark Mechanicum, and orks.

It is rumored that a Cobra-class destroyer was dispatched six  months ago through this new Warp route in an attempt to reach Port Halborg, a planet that had been turned into a staging area for the Vorpal Swords’ planned  military operations. But the fate of the ship, as well as the entire sector, remains shrouded in mystery.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.