Imperial troops are hard pressed on Iconia.

“War is everywhere. It has always been. It will always be. Accept this. You can not stop it. You can only join in the carnage, and live to fight another day.”—Marius Nevarre, captain, 4th Company, Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter

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Continued from Part 2 . . .

Orks gain ground on Iconia

Although Imperial forces have put up a strong defense, the ork army on Iconia is slowly gaining territory and threatening to break Iconia’s Planetary Defense Force (PDF). The world’s governor has taken the desperate step of appealing to regional authorities for off-world reinforcements to help deal with the threat. (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 617 743.M41)

That help is desperately needed. A warband of highly mechanized orks—calling themselves the “Red Runnas”—are proving a tough challenge for Imperial defenders, and their success is threatening to break the Imperial defensive lines.  (Rumors of the Underhive – 3 101 743.M41)

A Bullgryn assigned to the Adeptus Arbites fights cultists on Dozaria.

The Inquisition at work

Although little is known of the work of the blessed Imperial Inquisition, there are times when its operatives make themselves known.

Such was the case on Polarian, where agents of the Ordo Hereticus and Astartes of the Knights of Altair foiled a plot by the infamous sorcerer Voloh Gudag to destroy the planet with a massive outbreak of the dreaded Kassig Plague. (Inquisition foils Kassig Plague outbreak on Polarian)

Meanwhile, a little-publicized campaign has been under way against a Chaos cult that seeks to find three psychic keys that would free a greater daemon of Nurgle known as Kossogtha, who legends say is held within a psychic prison created by the Eldar.

The cult’s activities first came to the attention of Acolyte Konrad Gallas of the Ordo Hereticus, who recruited two squads of Arbites Enforcers to intercept the cultists as they searched for data revealing the keys’ locations.

First fighting the cultists on Dozaria, Gallas was unable to stop the cult leader, Maug Ra, from acquiring the data he sought. But Gallas also obtained the data. (Cultists seek secrets to Kossogtha’s return)

As a result, Gallus followed Maug Ra to  Regno Borealis, a feudal world where the cult believed the keys were hidden. The Inquisitorial agent caught up with Maug Ra in a primitive hamlet and defeated his cultist bodyguard and allied local barbarian warriors. Alas, Maug Ra escaped with a relic that may be the first of the three psychic keys. (Cultists seize first fragment to free Kossogtha)

The hunt for Maug Ra continues.

Heretics take control orbital defense lasers to cause havoc above the planet Lexicon. In this pict, the heretics fire upon the planet’s capital city.

In Other News . .

Spaceport population disappears—The world of Ketera is horrified by the mysterious disappearance of every Imperial citizen living in a small spaceport in the desert of Cethea.   (Rumors of the UInderhive – 3 101 743.M41)

Tau victory in Al’gel System—In a short but brilliant campaign of maneuver, the Tau conquer the ork-held world of Al’gel I. (Al’gel I falls to Tau Empire)

Imperial hero ends his days—Lord General Forbes Calthorpe (retired), victor of the Wasting Wars, died on his estate on Belliose III at the age of 204. In 678.M41, Calthorpe was named Lord General of the Landenia Crusade, a 30-year-long effort to crush a growing xeno incursion in sectors to the galactic east of the Corvus Cluster. (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 683 743.M41)

Lord General Forbes Calthorpe

Forgotten helm becomes a shrine—In an odd bit of news, the discovery of a long-buried Astartes helmet has led to the creation of a holy shrine on the feudal world of Regno Borealis. How the helm, decorated with imperial Fist heraldry, found its way to the planet is unknown, as there is no official history of a visit by the illustrious Space Marine chapter). (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 683 743.M41)

Strange clouds appear over Talaara—Citizens on the planet Talaara are unnerved by the appearance of strange circular clouds that have appeared in the sky. (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 683 743.M41)

Space Wolves on Media III?—Intelligence assets on the Tau-occupied world of Media III recently reported intercepting xeno vox signals regarding a clash between Tau security forces and a team of Space Marines believed to be of the Space Wolves chapter. (Space Wolves continue to probe Media III)

Blood Wolves raid Irodonia II—Several square kilometers of a manufactorum, as well as half a hab-block that housed Mechanicus menials, were destroyed in the Blood Wolves’ attack. Several thousand of the area’s laborers reportedly were taken by the traitor Astartes for purposes unknown. (Blood Wolves raid Irodonia II)

Heretics seize control of orbital laser—A cabal of heretics managed to infiltrate an orbital defense platform over the industrial planet of Lexicon and fire one of its defense lasers at the capital city. The heretics were killed before they could fire the lasers again.

At least 6,000 people were killed in the terrorist attack, and thousands more were injured, as the plasma beam incinerated an area slightly less than half-a-kilometer in area—and caused lesser damage outward to approximately 1.5 kilometers. Scores of munufactorums, hab buildings, and other city infrastructure were destroyed, and many more suffered damage. (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 617 743.M41)

Floating wildlife clog refineries on Furia—Millions of gelatinous creatures that live in the upper atmosphere of the gas giant Furia have descended upon the Mechanicus’ orbiting gas refineries, fouling intake valves, clogging mechanical devices, and attaching themselves to the platforms’ plasteel hulls. (Rumors of the Underhive – 6 617 743.M41)

TheGM: That’s all the news for 743.M41. The lack of major battles has less to do with the frequency of our gaming, but with a growing tendency to play skirmish games. But, already, this year has seen a pickup in major battles, and I’m hoping for several war fronts to see an uptick in heavy fighting.

Could we see several wars be resolved? Time will tell.

Click here to return to update’s beginning.

Click here to return to Part 2.

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Click here to see more of the great artwork of Vookasheen.

Click here  (or video  link at end) to see a video of the “I Life Again” YouTube channel that focuses on the Death Korps of Krieg.

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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.