Lord General Forbes Calthorpe
Imperial Hero ends his days
Lord General Forbes Calthorpe (retired), victor of the Wasting Wars, has died on his estate on Belliose III at the age of 204.
Born of a distinguished family of generals and commanders in the Imperial Guard, Calthorpe excelled from his earliest days at the Belliose Militarium Cadet School and graduated third in his class of 2,059 in 555.M41,
After a long and distinguished career, Calthorpe, in 678.M41, was named Lord General of the Landenia Crusade, a 30-year campaign to crush a growing xeno incursion into sectors to the galactic east of the Corvus Cluster.
A force of 18 million levied Imperial Guard troops took part in the crusade, supported by three Space Marine Chapters and one Titan Legion.
The crusade’s xeno opponents— a silicon-based species—surrounded their void craft and ground-based troops with energy fields that resulted in genetic degradation to carbon-based life. Almost all Imperial military personnel exposed to the xeno fields suffered physical and mental decline, and more than a million died in a manner that universally was described as “wasting away.”
Hence the crusade became known as the Wasting Wars.
Calthorpe rejected pleas to retreat and regroup. Instead, he turned to his Explorator magi allies to use their arcane science to develop countermeasures to the xeno technology—and pursued an aggressive series of attacks that eventually led to the species’ extinction.
By the end of the crusade, Calthorpe was himself a victim of the wasting effects that plagued his troops, and he retired in 712.M41.
Battle Sisters crush death cult in Alicante
Battle Sisters of the Order of the Bloody Rose pause for prayer after cleansing a habitat block of rebelling heretics on Dozaria.
A sizable force of the Orders Militant has crushed a rebellion of heretics in the outskirts of Alicante on Dozaria.
A commandery of the Order of the Bloody Rose—approximately 1,000 Battle Sisters—took part in the operation to quell rioting and arson that was instigated by a heretical cult with ties to the planet’s Death Guard invaders.
The Sororitas attack was launched only six hours after civil disorder broke out in the Ignata Habitat Block, located on the inner suburb ring of the hive city. But, during those hours, thousands of citizens were slaughtered by heretics, and witnesses reported heretical ceremonies taking place throughout the 20-square mile habitat block
Spearheading the Imperial retribution were 20 squads of Battle Sisters armed with flamers and a three squadrons of flamer-equipped Immolator tanks.
This vanguard laid down a literal wall of fire in front of their advance. To deal with the heretics’ limited number of firearms, jetpack-equipped Seraphim darted in and out of the rioting crowd, striking down anyone armed and then flying off to safety.
Spreading out behind this vanguard were hundreds of boltgun- and flamer-armed Battle Sisters who proceeded to cleanse the smoking ruins left behind.
It took two full days, but the entire habitat block was cleansed of heretic taint, declared Idylien Lister, newly promoted Legatine (lieutenant) and second in command of the Sororitas force.
“The taint of heresy was strong here,” she told a crowd of some 200 prisoners awaiting execution. “But, by the holy flames of promethium, we have cleansed this den of iniquity. Your deaths will cleanse your souls of your sins, as will the deaths of all who live in this habitat block.”
Total civilian casualties were estimated at 40,000, but Legatine Lister rejected that tally.
“Whether they raised their hand against the God-Emperor, or they failed to challenge the heretics, everyone in the habitat block failed in their duty. This failure cost them their citizenship, and thus there were no civilian casualties.”
“Only those totally devoted to the God-Emperor are human.”
Forgotten helmet becomes shrine
There is no explanation for the presence of a Space Marine helmet on the feudal world of Regno Borealis.
On the feudal world of Regno Borealis , primitive farmers who found an Imperial Fists helmet have declared it a holy relic of the God-Emperor.
The helmet, mounted on a wooden stake affixed with thrice-blessed parchments, was found on an isolated hillside outside a small village of wattle-and-daub huts.
Thousands of the planet’s inhabitants have made pilgrimage to the site, and the local warlord is charging benefactions to fund the construction of stone shrine.
There is no explanation for the helmet’s sudden appearance on the planet, according to the small cadre of the Adeptus Administratum who are attempting to bring the recently discovered world into the Imperial fold.
“I personally have seen the helmet,” said Acting Prefectus Gallius Pranix. “It appears to be quite old, although the primitives are too frightened to touch the helm, and it was not considered safe for Imperial officials to attempt to confiscate it.”
Neither Administratum nor Militarum officials have any record of the Imperial Fists visiting the sector—and they could offer no theories as to why the distinguished space marine chapter would have an interest in Regno Borealis.
“It is a mystery,” Pranix said. “Any piece of equipment of the God-Emperor’s Angels of Death would not be idly cast aside. But given the delicate politics involved in bringing this world into compliance, the Administratum has decided that it’s best—at least for now—to allow the primitives to worship this relic and use their religious fervor to solidify Imperial governance over the many feudal warlords that are concerned about the institution of Imperial rule.”
Strange clouds appear over Talaara
Colonists on Talaara are disturbed by the appearance of strange-shaped clouds never seen before.
Citizens on the planet Talaara are unnerved by the appearance of strange circular clouds that have appeared in the sky.
Never in the world’s millennia-long history has such a phenomenon been witnessed, say planetary leaders.
Wild rumors are spreading across the populace. Some citizens suggest the clouds are a sign of the God-Emperor, although there is intense debate over whether their manifestation is a harbinger of good or evil.
Others suggest these clouds are the effect of the Heart of Darkness, a warp storm to the galactic north whose recent expansion has been followed by strange phenomena across multiple sectors.
Another theory is that the clouds are created by xenos, who are using the strangely shaped clouds to mask the presence of warships deploying for an attack.
Administratum officials publicly scoff at the speculation, arguing that the phenomenon must be natural, if extremely rare. “The galaxy is a dangerous place, and the populace has let their imaginations get away from them. They should trust in the God-Emperor’s beneficence.”
As to why no one has seen this phenomenon before, however, officials could offer no good explanation. Said one: “These are just clouds, feth it.”
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Categories: Dozaria Campaign, Rumors
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