A Prison for Gods: The Story so far. (Fluff heavy!)

The War in Heaven.

Approximately 60 Million years ago, the galaxy was dominated by two very different species: The Old Ones and the Necrontyr. The Necrontyr, short lived and miserable in their mortality looked upon the mysterious Old Ones with jealousy.  The Old Ones were immortal, only death by injury could take them, but they would not share this secret.

The Triarchs, the rulers of the Necrontyr society sought a way to stop the terrible infighting that had crippled their species’ expansion for a long time.  Seeing hope in offering a common enemy, the Triarchs used a war against these selfish immortal Old Ones as a way to unify the Necrontyr.
While the Old Ones were masters of the warp the Necrontyr, whilst mortal, were masters of Science and of the laws of the real.  To the other races of that galaxy it seemed as if the Gods themselves had gone to war.

In the end, it was the mobility of the Old One’s webways that won that early portion of the war.  The Necrontyr, blunted by so much conflict, fell into old habits and began fighting amongst themselves once more.

It was at this point that the C’tan appeared.  Unfathomable entities of energy, the C’tan were eaters of the stars themselves, stellar vampires that were Gods in all but name.  Able to alter reality to suit their needs, their dislike of the warp-spawned antics of the Old Ones pushed them closer to the goals of the Necrontyr.  It has been said that it was the raw hatred of the Old Ones that sang out across the stars, attracting the C’tan like flies to a corpse.

Some say that the C’tan later known as the Deceiver first approached the Silent King of the Necrontyr, some that it was the Silent King approached them.  Either way, a devils bargain was struck. For the Immortality they so desired, the Necrontyr leadership gave away their peoples’ souls and their free will, becoming creatures of metal and energy.  Undying, unrelenting and forever condemning their name to become synonymous with death.  They would be known as Necrontyr no longer, but as the Necrons.

The war began a fresh, the terrible power of the Necrons unburdened by life alongside the ancient star gods pushed the Old Ones into new levels of desperation.  New child races were made, the K’nib, the Eldar, the Krork and the Jakoaro, each tapping into the energies of the warp.  The immaterium screamed under the burden just as much as the C’tan reeled from this anethma that threatened to turn the tide.

Against these warp spawned powers, the Necrons and the C’tan began a great undertaking to cut the galaxy off from the Immaterium.  Beginning in what would later be known as the Cadian Gate, gigantic pylons silenced the warp and rendered these psykers useless.  At the same time, the C’tan known as the Burning One taught the Necrons how to breach the Old Ones Web Ways with Dolmen Gates, finally seizing the initiative.

As the fortunes of the Necrontyr waxed, the Old One’s waned.  Their efforts to weaponise the peaceful Immaterium had unleashed the Enslaver Plague, decimating their race to extinction and tainting the creatures of the warp into daemons.  The ensuing conclusion of the war was quick as it was bloody.  Entire systems died as the vengeful and merciless Necrons hunted the Old Ones down.

The Silent King of the Necrons, who had been patiently waiting for his chance, saw one of his enemies defeated, the other glutton and tired.  Seeing his opportunity, he struck, betraying their patrons the C’tan and finally revenging his race’s lost souls in a campaign that shattered the star gods and obliterated entire systems.  Over 50 million Necrons died as did the great Triarch, all but the Silent King.  Each shard of those former gods was sealed away into Tesseract Vaults.  As they were the stuff of the universe itself the C’tan could not be so easily killed and the destruction of one in particular had been disastrous, unleashing the dreaded Flayer Virus that would forever plague them.
Broken and imprisoned, the C’tan had gone from Masters to Slaves.

Victorious in a ruined galaxy, the Necrons retreated to their Tomb Worlds, sleeping away the eons with the intent on returning when nature had rebuilt what had been lost.  Destroying the command protocols, the Silent King left the galaxy, knowing he had failed his race.

The Silent King, in his silence, held many secrets.  But as all sentient life know:  The truth will out.

The Faustus Sub-Sector – A Timeline.

The Faustus Sub-Sector upon the borders between the holy Segmentum Solar and the vast expanse of Segmentum Ultra.  Located deep on the spiral and decorated by an old dwarf star, it has a long history mostly lost to ruin.  Its history, though not exceptional to those living there, is non the less interesting, if you know where to dig.  Be careful what you find.

• C.M28 - Signs of prior Eldar colonisation on the human designated world of Woad.  Referred to by the surviving Eldar as Agetha, this Maiden World was suddenly evacuated by its Exodite Eldar people, leaving her empty and waiting for new owners.
• 004.M31 - The Faustus Sub-Sector is first colonised by humans during the Great Crusade.  Beginning with the planet listed as PX-R55Kappa (later known as Nest), the colonists would later expand to take advantage of the rest of the system.
• 014.M31 - During the Horus Heresy, the Sub-Sector was largely untouched, deemed to be of no tactical worth.  After the Heresy, Nolan was taken by the Adeptus Mechanicus by force, claiming Exploratory rights to some undisclosed Archeotech found by dust miners.
• C.M35 – The Ur-Council of the Nova Terra Interregnum dismisses the authority of the High Lords of Terra beginning the era of twin Imperiums.  Finally reaching the Faustus Sub-Sector, the new Ur-Council establishes a “capital” on Warren’s End.  While the system is largely untouched by direct conflict, the discovery of Woad draws both the older Imperium and the Nova Terra into a system wide war.  As neither side is willing to fight on the planet itself, it is dubbed the “War of the Maidens Hand.”
• C.M36 – The tech adepts of Nolan intervene against the Ur-Council.  Adeptus Mechcanicum assassins systematically remove key figureheads while religious iconoclasts from Nest organise a revolt.  The Imperial Ecclesiarchy enforces it’s presence on Warren’s End.  No thanks is sent to Nolan, though several Mechanicum dig sites appear in Nest’s underhives.
• C.M36 - The Age of Apostasy.  The Sub-Sector going largely unaffected by the turmoil bar for a several small revolts.  More military forces are redeployed away from Faustus leaving the door open for corrupt criminal elements which set up shop on Tresium.  The planets Adeptus Arbiters establish Cold Zone cordons continents wide.  Xenos piratical elements such as Ork Freebooters and Dark Eldar reavers are recorded.
• C.M37 - During the Thorian Reformation, the Forge World of Nolan test fires one of its many classified weapons called the Annex-Mort.  It malfunctions, striking across the space and hitting the verdant world of Woad.  The green planet is killed within hours, every life form being reduced by radiation into brown mud.  In the panic, many Tech Adepts flee the planet.  Entire data stacks are purged.  An internal investigation condemned the act as ignorance punishable by death although rumours persist of deliberate intent.  The Forgeworld is censured hard, the majority of its sacred tech is removed.  The process however, is long and with warp travel as unpredictable as it is, much remains, sitting mothballed and forgotten.
• C.M38 – The small world of Wake is discovered by a lost system patrol ship.  The vessel is later found adrift, the crew having massacred each other in a sleep like state.
• 001.M40 - The Warp Storm classified as the Depths of Gorath explodes into the Sub-Sector, yet moves to a snail’s pace as it approaches.  The world of Sordid in its rotation begins getting closer each year and begins to show signs of corruption.  Chaos raiders emerge from the Depths and begin torturing the population with slave runs.  Imperial Guard regiments are summoned to assist.
• 025.M40 – The conflict caused by the Depths of Gorath escalates.  More Imperial Guard are brought in on rotation.  Nest is invaded showing the dangers.  The Inquisition takes interest.
• C.M41 – An unidentified rogue planet is detected moving through the system, the Warp Storms abate and demonic assaults falter.  Using the opportunity, the Imperial Forces push back, cleaning Nest and quarantining Sordid.
• C.M41 -The space hulk classified as The Gospel of Fear enters the System.  Rogue Traders and scavengers from Tresium make several attempts at boarding actions but are called off after several unexplained fatalities.  The Hulk is marked and it path monitored.
• 750.M41 – The Emperors Tarot unilaterally tells of a Great Devourer eating itself.  Several Astropaths commit suicide.
• 760.M41 – Hive Fleet Cruach enters the system and attacks the world of Acre.  Responding to emergency summons, the Astartes of the Black Scorpions come to assist eliminating the fleets Hive ships and rendering the Tyranids leaderless.  Questions are asked as to why the Space Marines were already in system…
• 761.M41 – Under special edict, the world of Acre that is still infested by Tyranids, is turned into a training site for specialist troops.  Astartes of the Deathwatch and other forces come to train against live Tyranid organisms that seem under control without any synapse creatures.
• 801.M41 – The Devils Bargain incident starts a cold war between Inquisitor Craven and Dormengast.  From the gutters of Tresium to the airless Wake, agents and Inquisitional assets murder each other as the two go to war.
• 801.M41 – The results of the Devils Bargain reach fruition as Imperial Regiments turn on each other, Xenos invade the system at the behest of Craven while Dormengast summons the most pure and faithful.  From the Depths spill more Chaos hordes than ever and on Acre, the Tyranids are suddenly getting smarter…

A Devil’s bargain.

Over the course of months, the Radical Inquisitor Yvasilli Craven, once lauded as the Sectors fiercest and most puritanical within the Ordo Xenos, has become emissary to one he was deigned to fight. Bringing the word of an unknown Necron Overlord, he has worked tirelessly to negotiate with and entreat with all manner of forces:  From Imperial Commanders to Alien Raiding hosts.  His offers are always seemingly too good to be true, but too good to ignore, displaying a disturbing level of insight into who these offers are being made to.

For the Inquisitor and many of the Imperial Commanders in the area, it was the potential gift of the Necron Pylon network, reportedly similar in design to those still found along the Cadian Gate.  If deployed in the Faustus Sub Sector, it could silence the Warp Storm and deny the Great Enemy a means to attack so easily, potentially snuffing out the Depths.  It would end the conflict and bring prosperity.  A victory.  To others wealth or power.  In one fell swoop, Imperial commanders, Space Marine Captains, Eldar Farseers and more were separated by one principle: Does the end justify the means?

But what of the cost?  

The Necron asked for one small service: Help finding a lost world, set rogue by events billions of years ago:  Somnium.

Left on an erratic rotation, it would be coursing through the Sub-Sector at a specific time, while old remnants of technology were left that could locate it.  The planet has nothing of importance spare to the Necrons secret agenda.  A simple deal, were it not for those who not only refused the gesture, but now work against it.  Inquisitor Dormenghast, a pious member of the Ordos Hereticus, has picked up the scent of corruption.  Learning of the dealings between Craven and Xenos, he now works in the shadows and out of them, gathering trusted military forces, undermining the works of Craven wherever possible.

Across the Sub-Sector, Inquisitorial assets and agents fought a clandestine war in the shadows. Assassinating key enemy authorities and replacing their own.  Things would come to ahead with the death of the planetary Governor on Warren’s End.  The identity of the murderers would become irrelevant after Inquisitor Dormenghast publicly outed his rival and thumbed him as the detractor.
The resulting hysteria saw many of Craven’s agents dragged into the light for public executions, while his allies went underground.  In retaliation, Craven was forced to call in the favours and across nearly all the worlds of Faustus chaos erupted.

Across Warrens End and beyond, Planetary Defence forces revolted, or simply deserted their posts. Stationed Imperial Guard regiments turned on their allies in pre-planned betrayals.  Cold Zoners on Tresium began a new wave of gang wars, distant outposts were hit by strike teams and even on Nolan the Mechanicum found their fellow Tech-Priests had already made arrangements.  The Adeptus Arbites on Warrens End barred their doors and waited for the madness to end, seeing no true enemy in the confusion.

Despite early gains however, Dormengast held the home advantage, using Imperial propaganda and faith to reinforce his armies.  It seemed as if Craven’s gamble would be stopped before it truly began.
Suddenly, the Sub-system’s outer listening posts detected unidentified signatures.  Craven’s other friends had made their play and entered the fray.  Xenos raiders of all stripes invaded, sparing their predetermined allies and cutting straight for the loyalists of Dormengast.

Meanwhile from the vengeful Depths of Gorath emerged a new wave of Chaos daemons, pushing hard on the already taxed and confused system ships, they made planet fall deep in the Sub-Sector. Temples to the eightfold path were erected on the bone-fields of entire cities and daemons began cavorting in the streets.  Both alarmed at the plans of the Bringers of Silence and taking advantage of the turmoil, for the forces of Chaos this could be their last chance to take the Sub-Sector for their dark Gods…

A shadow over the warp made navel assistance troublesome as the first tell tale signs of an impending Tyranid invasion started making an appearance.  Their intent their own, their actions were met with rejoice amongst the daemon hordes of khorne, who cared not, from whence the blood flowed.

The sides now balanced, the Faustus Schism began in blood-drenched earnest.

The Schism begins.

A coalition of Imperial servants, Adeptus Astartes, Xenos and worse has invaded the Sub-Sector seemingly well organised and of one intent: Conquest.  The Imperial defenders of the Sub-Sector, rotated in over the last few months stand against them with their own allies from unexpected corners. Even as these two forces collide, on the sides work the ever-watchful eyes of the raider, the brute and the corrupting.

While the wars and conflicts are held within but a few worlds, the quest to find the Rogue Planet will see the fires spread out into the rest of the Sub-Sector.  Following clues and signs made before their species even walked upright, a race against time has begun.  For they who can reach Somnium first, holds the fate of Faustus and beyond in their hands.