Muspelheim

Muspelheim is a Forge World colonized during the early days of the Great Crusade's conquest of what would later be known as Segmentum Ultima. Here the Adeptus Mechanicus claimed the fourth planet in the system due to the ancient human ruins of a colony dating back to the Dark Age of Technology. The Mechanicus settlers were allowed to study the ancient ruins if they, in turn, promised to aid the continued efforts of human expansion into the Segmentum. Today the Forge World stands proud and loyal to the Imperium of Man. It produces large quantities of weapons, armor and ships to the nearby imperial worlds though they have a treaty with the Turquoise Protectors to produce some of their equipment and have a strong bond with the Wardens Cosmic which they also gift the finest of their ships and weapons to the Chapters in exchange for protection from xenos or the rare chaos threat. The Forge world is currently ruled by Alpenan Joichoks. Muspelheim also has a small moon that was terraformed to establish a mining colony. This small moon was named Surtr and was classified as a Knight World at the beginning of the Horus Heresy.
==History==
===Great Crusade===
Muspelheim was first discovered in 844M.30 by a combined fleet of Mechanicus Explorator vessels and a White Scar legion fleet. The combined fleet swept through the system to purge a technologically inferior xenos race that had just become space faring. With the combined forces of the White Scars and the Explorators, the insignificant forces of the xenos stood no chance at all and were quickly overrun and slaughtered to the last. It was after this short war that an Explorator vessel picked up readings from the fourth planet in the system and quickly went to investigate. The Mechanicus discovered, to their great awe, that the planet had ruins of multiple human settlements dating back to the Dark Ages of Technology. The Explorator fleet quickly laid claim to the planet but the leader of the White Scar forces protested to this claim. He meant that the technology hidden in the ruins were not for the Mechanicus claim but the Imperium at large. The two forces of humanity argued for days over the riches of the planet, coming close to armed conflicts, until the White Scar captain proposed to send word back to Holy Terra for the Emperor himself to decide who would be given the planet. After months of waiting a Custodian arrived in the system and the Magos Explorator, the White Scar captain and the Custodian meet on the surface of the planet in what must have been the planet's planetary palace. The Custodian told the two leaders that the planet would be given over to the Adeptus Mechanicus on the condition that the world would supply equipment for the White Scars and handle the repairs of their vessels in the Segmentum. 
The planet was colonized, its ruins explored for any Archeotech and eventually converted into a full fleshed Forge World. When the Forge World was up and running in late 915M30 it provided the imperial war machine with everything from lasguns to battleships. It was also a key rally point for Explorator fleets in the Segmentum for many thousands of years to come.
===Horus Heresy===
Horus Heresy eventually came around and plug the Imperium of Man into a galaxy-wide civil war. Back on Muspelheim the Hereteks was gaining power as more and more members of the planet's population joined the Dark Mechanicus in an attempt to overthrow its government and convert the loyalists to the forces of Chaos. Muspelheim was about to fall when a mixed force of Space Marines from different loyalist legions arrived in orbit of the planet, having sought repairs for their vessels and resupply. The loyalist Space Marines made planetfall and with the assistance of the remaining loyal Mechanicus, they were able to surround a quell the rebellion on the planet. The people of Muspelheim, thankful of the Space Marines' help, repaired their vessels and transferred as many troops to their command as they dared to help them in the war. While Muspelheim wasn't attacked for the rest of the Horus Heresy it kept sending war materials to the frontlines which helped save billions, if not trillions, across the galaxy.
===Present day===
====805-818.M37====
Muspelheim kept loyal to the Imperium of Man throughout the ages after the Horus Heresy and became one of the most influential planets in the sector due to its production of ships and other materials that were used to fight back against the many xenos and chaos threats that encroached on Segmentum Ultima. After the 23rd Founding a the newly formed Space Marine Chapter known as the Wardens Cosmic settled on the neighboring planet of Ailuros V which they then renamed Kacreirus. While the Tech-Priests of Muspelheim awaited the Space Marine Chapter's arrival for many centuries they worked overtime with the construction of a large Astartes fleet, as per orders from the High Lords of Terra. At first, Muspelheim saw the Space Marine Chapter as nothing more than extra protection and a new way to gain more influence. But as time went by the two factions forged a strong bond. This newly forged bond was pushed to its very limits when a large Ork Waaagh! invaded the system around ten years after the Wardens Cosmic had settled on their homeworld and had taken control of all the other planets in the system. The first signs of this invasion were when Ailuros XIII suddenly called for assistance against a massive fleet of crude xenos design. The planet quickly fell to the invading force while other parts of the xenos fleet pushed even further into the system. The next planet to be attacked was Ailuros XI that housed the next Imperial world. Here the planet's PDF had managed to prepare before the xenos ships arrived in orbit and it was here that the xenos threat was identified as an Ork invasion. While the brave men and women on Ailuros XI managed to form a desperate defense against the Ork tides they were not able to hold them for long and the Orks once more pushed further into the system. The Imperials on the other worlds were quickly mobilizing their forces by the orders of the Wardens Cosmic's Chapter Master. The Wardens themselves were in a dire situation. Most of their chapter was spread out through the Segmentum on different missions and so were lacking in numbers to stand against the Orks. Back on Muspelheim the Magos Council debated if they too should dedicate their forces to the defense of the Ailuros. They came to the agreement that they would deploy troops, armor, and ships but the sacred Titans would stay on Muspelheim for its own defense. The Orks kept pushing through the system until they reached Kacreirus. Here the ork invasion came to a complete halt when the combined forces of the system's armies clashed on both the planet's surface and in orbit. Muspelheim ships played a big part in breaking through the Orks orbital forces to allow reinforcements from the inner planets safe passage to the surface. The Magi eventually concluded that their titan legion had to be deployed to Kacreirus to make sure the Orks wouldn't reach Muspelheim. The battle on Kacreirus dragged out into a war of attrition. As the war kept going more and more detachments of the Wardens Cosmic returned to defend their home as well as other imperial reinforcements from across the sector. The war on Kacreirus would take around a standard year before the Orks were finally broken and pushed off the planet. This was due to the Ork Warboss finally meeting his end at the hands of a combined force of Wardens Cosmic Marines and Muspelheim Skitarii. With the siege broken on Kacreirus, the imperial forces pushed outwards and slowly liberated their besieged system. It would take another three years before the Orks were completely purged from the Ailuros system. While many imperial citizens and soldiers lost their lives during this four-year-long war it also served to strengthen the relations between Muspelheim and the Wardens Cosmic chapter.
====703-738.M41====
Muspelheim would experience a shift in internal power in 703.M41 when the rather young Magos Prime and psyker, Alpenan Joichoks, ascended to the power of Fabricator-General of Muspelheim and by extension ruler of Muspelheim. While many in Magos Council didn't approve of his ascension to power they were helpless due to the political maneuvers he and his followers had made, such as blackmail and sabotage against their rivals. Joichoks would keep ruling Muspelheim for centuries. 
However, in 738.M41 he was approached by a combined envoy of the Turquoise Protectors and the Crescent Elites who requested new equipment to suit the needs of the Turquoise Protectors and the Crescent Elites. The Crescent Elites also requested the right to establish survey posts that would help them to gather intelligence. While Joichoks was glad to be able to supply another Astartes Chapter with equipment, he was far more skeptical of the Crescent Elites and would want nothing more than to turn the Crescent Elites down. He tried to stall them, however, Lune Crackham intervened, having traveled all the way to Muspelheim to talk personally with Joichoks, and assured the Fabricator-General's reign would be backed by his agents and the survey posts would also secretly relay any information that would help him, but in return, Muspelheim would secretly supply the Crescent Elites with "additional equipment". Joichoks laughed at the Acting Commander's proposal, stating that Muspelheim, and certainly not Joichoks, didn't need such survey posts. He had no qualms with supplying the Crescent Elites with equipment for the right price, but demanding "additional equipment" so they could spy on Muspelheim and the Ailuros System as a whole was an insult to Joichoks and Muspelheim at large. Joichoks, however, allowed the insult to slide this one time. He instead offered that the Crescent Elites could request the equipment they needed or find some other Forge World to get their equipment. Crackham, not wanting make enemies where there weren't any, agreed to Joichoks' proposal. With every party involved more or less happy with the outcome, two treaties were signed, one for the Turquoise Protectors and the Crescent Elites each. The treaty with the Turquoise Protectors was also in Muspelheim's favor as the Turquoise Protectors agreed to come to Muspelheim's aid in times of crisis as long as they, in return, supplied them with weapons, armors, and ships. 
The Turquoise Protectors were quick to make use of this treaty and requested a new Jump Pack to replace their old ones. For the needs of the Turquoise Protectors, Fabricator-General Alpenan Joichoks urged the Magos Council to design a new jump pack that would operate better in the vacuum of space than the current one the Turquoise Protectors were using. While the magi were hesitant at first, believing it to be blasphemy against the Machine God, he was eventually able to convince them. The Turquoise Protectors didn't take a liking to the first jump pack that the Magos Council delivered and demanded a better one, stating that the jump pack itself was too heavy when used on planets as the gravity easily destabilized the jump pack. This made many on the council angry for taking their hard and sacred work for granted. They demanded that the Forge World should cut ties with the Turquoise Protectors immediately. Joichoks managed to calm them all down and claimed that this must be a challenge set before them by the Machine God to test their faith and zeal in him. Inspired by Joichoks' speech the council began improving on the design and the Mark II was a great success as the Turquoise Protectors were very impressed by its effectiveness. The Crescent Elites received their supplies but still established survey posts in the system and enhanced their influence over not only the Magos Council but also beyond the Dominion of Kacreirus. The work with the Wardens Cosmic and Turquoise Protectors also allowed Muspelheim access to the technology to produce and maintain Power Armor as well as getting their hands on STCs for other technologies that are associated with the Adeptus Astartes. While this required that some of the factories were to be converted completely to fit the production of Astartes sized weapons and vehicles this allowed Muspelheim to increase its influence throughout the sector and many other Adeptus Mechanicus controlled worlds and forces viewed Muspelheim with increasing respect. This also led to Muspelheim becoming a staging ground for Explorator fleets before heading out into the unknown stars beyond Imperial control.
==Production==
===Ships===
One of the biggest incomes for Muspelheim is its ability to produce almost every class of vessel in use by the Imperium to date. Its many shipyards allow it to finish constructing a ship much faster than other Forge Worlds in Segmentum Ultima. While the vast majority of ships manufactured on Muspelheim are sold to the Imperial Navy, many other vessels are sold to the Ailuros System Defense Fleet, the Wardens Cosmic and other private parties like Rouge Traders or wealthy merchants.
Haivng these great shipyards also allows Muspelheim to construct ships specifically used by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Countless Adeptus Mechanicus and , and Monitor Cruisers are produced in the Belt of Steel and Fire from resources gathered from across the sector. Once or twice every millennium the shipyards will also complete an .
===Mark II Muspelheim Pattern Space Marine Jump Pack===
The Mark II Muspelheim Pattern Space Marine Jump Pack was conceived at the request of the Turquoise Protectors that were in need of a more effective jump pack that could carry their assault marines across the vacuum of space more effectively. To do this the Magos Council of Muspelheim greatly modified the Mark 7 Mars Pattern Space Marine Jump Pack to fit the Chapter's needs. The result was the Mark I Muspelheim Pattern Space Marine Jump Pack. Though bulkier and heavier than the original, it was outfitted with better stabilizers and adjustment thrusters which allowed for greater mobility to carry the marines to their intended target. But the Turquoise Protectors were not impressed with their new jump pack due to its poor performance in battlefields with gravity, especially on planets with high gravity. This led the Magos Council to add an anti-gravity device into the design which allowed the jump pack to become almost weightless in normal gravity while, at the request of Turquoise Protectors, this anti-gravity field could be turned off during fights in the vacuum of space.
===Muspelheim Pattern Mark XXII Lasgun===
The Muspelheim Pattern Mark XXII Lasgun is the standard issued lasgun carried by the Ailuros Guard as their primary weapon. The lasgun is capable of firing up to 200 shots on its normal setting. It has an additional two power settings which increase the power output per shot but also increases the energy required for each shot which decreases the total number of shots that can be fired from a battery and most importantly, increases the risk of the rifle suffering from jamming due to its interior being overheated. 
===Muspelheim Pattern Mark III Hot-shot lasgun===
The Muspelheim Pattern Mark III Hot-shot lasgun is a Hot-shot Lasgun usually issued to Ailurosic Guard special forces and elite soldiers. The Muspelheim Pattern is known for its long effective range. Making it superior at longer ranges than most other patterns of Hot-shot Lasguns. The rifle, however, suffers from a bulky design and lower than normal ammo capacity per battery. Also, the battery used to power the rifle is unique to the rifle which makes it incompatible with other magazines used by other patterns of Hot-shot lasguns. The rifle can connected to a portable power pack worn on the back of the wielder. This greatly increases the number of shots which can be fired from the gun without replacing the magazine. The drawbacks of the power bagpack, is that it's heavy, bulky and hard to replace once the power is used up. Many Afriel Strain Regiments originating from Muspelheim utilize the Muspelheim Pattern Hot-shot lasgun as their primary weapon.
===Onkgudrak Sentry Automata===
The Onkgudrak Automata is a flying automata dating back to the Dark Age of Technology and its STC was discovered in the ruins on Muspelheim when the first wave of Mechanicus colonists explored and settled on the planet. The Onkgudrak was used as a form of automated utility and transport robot that mostly served as manual labor for transport of goods across the ancient human colony. This was achieved with its surprisingly simple but flexible anti-gravity fields what was build into its long tentacle arms. Today it's performing almost the exact same roles on Muspelheim though some variants have appeared over the Millenniums. Most notable of these are the more combat orientated variant known as the Onkgudrak Sentry Automata. While generally staying true to its original design it have been outfitted with fourteen sharp and powerful claws at the end of each of its long mechanical tentacles that can easily tear through flesh and break bones. Another modification the Sentry variant is its ability to be equipped with weapons such as an Arc Rifle, Bolter, Plasmagun or Meltagun under its large head. The appearance of the Onkgudrak Automata is that of a many-eyed octopus that stands around 90 cm high and its total length is more than five meters. Its simple design makes it easy to mass produce in great numbers which allows the Tech-priests of Muspelheim to field them in large swarms to overwhelm the enemies of the Imperium and the Omnissiah.
===Gulnob War Automata===
The STC of the Gulnob War Automata was found on a tropical death world a few thousand years after the end of the Horus Heresy on the border to the dreaded warpstrom known as the Maelstrom. Here the Mechanicus Explorators encountered a few active but badly damaged Gulnob War Automatas that attacked the expedition forces on sight. The Explorators managed to fight their way to the source of the aggressive war machines and discovered the remains of an ancient factorum that produced these hulking war machines. While the factorum itself was beyond any repairs the expedition managed to retrieve a STC for the machines that had attacked them and brought it back to Muspelheim for study and start the production of these powerful war machines. The Gulnob War Automata is a three meter tall robot that is both heavily armed and armored. It's equipped with a power fist and a unique twin-linked Hot-shot Volley Gun to deal with most types of heavy infantry. It is also equipped with a power field which add an extra layer of protection to its already thick armor. The power field, however, makes the Gulnob light up on the battlefield making it an easy target to spot on the field, this even more so during the darkness of night or other dark places, as long as the field is still active.
===Necerophage shell===
The Necerophage shells are a fine fusion of the Kraken and Antiphasic shells. These shells were first given to the Wardens Cosmic who had requested them to fight the increasing Necron activity in the sector the two planets are located in no less. The request was at first denied due to the priesthood's desire to keep the technology locked up and hidden away. But when a Wardens Cosmic exploration mission on an unexplored planet in a star system not far from the Imperial borders showed signs of what could only be a Necron tomb world saw Muspelheim reason, if only to allow them to study the Necron tombs. The shell have a tiny device built into a hollowed adamantium core that prevents Necrons from phasing out of existence and back to their tombs for treatment and repairs. The shell which unleashes an explosion only a millisecond after making contact with it's target, lowing it's diamond tip to first penetrate the surface of the target and wreck havoc on the insides of the target. The sharp adamantium core, however, is pushed forward by the explosion, propelling it even further into the enemy before a tiny secondary explosive detonate inside the hollow core, sending shards of adamantium everywhere inside the target.
==Armed forces==
===Muspelheim Defense Fleet===
Muspelheim have its own defense fleet that usually stays docked in the Belt of Steel and Fire around Muspelheim. This fleet is mostly composed of Mechanicus Light Cruisers and regular Mechanicus Cruisers but other vessels that are usually seen in a regular Imperial fleet can also be found. The fleet can be split up into four smaller battle groups that each are led by an Ark Mechanicus. The Muspelheim Defense Fleet isn't a part of the System Defense Fleet but has an agreement to come to each others aid should the need arise. 
===Legio Cybernetica===
The legions of Legio Cybernetica on Muspelheim is by far the largest military division on the planet in terms of sheer numbers. Everything from massive automatons to lowly tech-thralls fill these legions' ranks. These hordes of machine and flesh are usually commanded by Tech-Priests of the Cult Mechanicus in the form of a few Magos Domina. It's also in these Muspelheimian cybernetic legions that the dreaded Gulnob War Automata and Onkgudrak Sentry Automata falls under.
===Skitarii Legions===
Muspelheim is also home to a few Macroclades of Skitarii troops. This division of Muspelheim's ground defense forces is considered to be the second largest force on the planet. While Skitarii Vanguards and Rangers make up the bulk of the macroclades' manpower it have also been reported that Sicarian Infiltrators and Ruststalkers have also been sighted within their ranks. The Skitarii Macroclades are led by the Magos Primes and Magos Explorators. The Skitarii of Muspelheim proudly show off the colors of their Forge World by wearing teal colored robes and and dark gray armor plates.
====Notable Muspelheim skitarii units====
*Macroclade Vicesimus "Omnitorius" First War Cohort: The First War Cohort, also known as the "Omnitorius", of the 20th Muspleheim Macroclade is a Skitarii military unit known for their flexibility in the face of overwhelming odds. The Omnitorius stands 8,000 Skitarii strong, supported by Onager Duncrawlers, Ironstriders and even a few Thanatar-class Siege Automatas borrowed and maintained by the priesthood of Muspelheim.
===Cult Mechanicus===
The Cult Mechanicus also field their own forces as a separate division though it's usually deployed alongside the other divisions to assist and support their more combat orientated allies. This division commands Muspelheim's Enginseers and Electro Priests. This division is considered more of a support division rather than dealing with actual combat for the most part.
===Afriel Strain Regiments===
While technically not officially part of Muspelheim's defense forces or within it's official records, the planet has been a place of experimentation of the human sub-species known as Afriel Strain. Tens of thousands of genetically mixed up clones of countless known and unknown imperial heroes across the millenniums have been produced in test facilities deep under the Planetary Palace. This project is led by Magos Biologis Gammoria Tuhrush who oversees the research and development of these superhumans who for some unknown reason yet understood by the Imperium always meet their end due to bad luck. So far has Tuhrush managed to develop a method to keep them out of this deadly bad luck for around a decade. When each individual is nearing the ten year mark they are ordered to return to Muspelheim for study until their sudden and tragic demise. If this can not be fulfilled then the local commissar or Imperial Guard commander is ordered to terminate them in whatever way they see fit. Currently they are being tested on the various imperial worlds in the Ailuros system under the control of the Dominion of Kacreirus. Here they are tasked with purging the more savage and uncontrollable mutants that may arise on the worlds, much to the local Arbites forces relief. 
The Afriel Strain soldiers are bred for one thing and one thing only, war. This makes them stand out in any given social interaction with most other imperial citizens, soldiers and everything in between. They do seem to get better along with people from Fortress Worlds though this is only due to the strict military upbringing, but there are still plenty of situations where even these two groups come into conflict.
Like the Imperial Guardsmen of the Ailuros Guard, the Afriel Strain are issued equipment from the forges of Muspelheim. The Muspelheim Afriel Strain Regiments are usually outfitted as heavy infantry and as such are equipped with carapace armor and hot-shot lasguns as well as having access to special weapons such as meltaguns, plasmaguns and shotguns.
===Collegia Titanica===
Muspelheim also maintains a small contingent of Imperial Titans though it's hardly the most powerful in the Segmentum. This contingent is led by a single , the Inanis Resistis, which is supported by a small number of Warlord-class Battle Titans. The Battle Titans are supplemented by a dozen Warhound Scout Titans used for scouting of hostile titan grade weapons platforms. These titans are further reinforced by Secutarii Hoplites and Peltasts to protect the titans from smaller targets that would seek to charge the titans.
==Influence==
Muspelheim have established itself as a powerful Forge World over the Millenniums and have gained great political power within the sector and even beyond. It supplies two Apedtus Astartes Chapters, a Knight House, as well as maybe hundreds of Imperial Guard regiments across the Segmentum. Its fast production of ships for the Imperial Navy fosters good relations between Muspelheim and the many imperial fleets that are being reinforced with additional vessels from Muspelhiem's shipyards.
==Notable places==
===Belt of Steel and Fire===
The Belt of Steel and Fire are the countless shipyards and defense platforms that orbit around Muspelheim's equator that looks like a thin asteroid belt around the planet. It's from these shipyards that Muspelheim produces their ships which are either sold to the Imperial Navy or given to the Wardens Cosmic as part of their agreement. The belt's defense is strong, so strong indeed that Muspelheim can easily deploy more than a quarter of its naval defense fleet to other parts of the system to reinforce it with either additional ground forces or reinforce friendly fleets in the system.
===Planetary Palace===
The Planetary Palace is a well-defended citadel with high, thick walls that are constantly patrolled by either Skitariies, watchful combat-servitors or other combat robots. Massive macro cannons and laser batteries are placed on top of the tall towers, ready to lay waste to any enemy that dares to get too close to the palace walls. Within the palace's lowest levels are the data vaults where most of the technological findings and inventions are stored. It is also here that the Magos Council discuss the day-to-day governing of the planet as well as going over its economy, the status on production, and Explorator fleets that are either setting out or returning from expeditions in the great Quest for Knowledge.
===Surtr===
Surtr is the only natural satellite that orbits Muspelheim. Surtr is located a few thousand kilometers from the outer reaches the Belt of Steel and Fire and therefore is not protected by this defensive barrier. It was terraformed to allow humans to settle on it to mine the rare metals found on the moon. Knights frames found on Muspelheim were repaired and later moved to Surtr where the newly established Knight House of Hamdrag were stationed. 
==Notable People==
===Fabricator-General of Muspelheim Eutrivian Launtris===
The ruler of Muspelheim during the Deadfang Invasion. He led the Muspelheim forces in the defense of Kacreirus and the rest of the Deadfang Invasion of Ailuros. He's widely considered the greatest and most powerful leader of Muspelheim in its history, having been a candidate for Fabricator Locum of Mars before his disappearance. Launtris fought on the frontlines alongside his skitarii troops and battle automatas.
===Fabricator-General of Muspelheim Alpenan Joichoks===
Alpenan Joichoks is the current Fabricator-General of Muspelheim and ruler of Muspelheim and a powerful psyker in his own right. His powers first truly manifested when he was already a tech-priest and as such could not be taken by the Inquisition's black ships. Instead, he was trained under the priesthood's own organization that handles psykers into the Cult Mechanicus.
===Magos Biologis Gammoria Tuhrush===
Gammoria Tuhrush is the tube sister of Archimandrite Alpenan Joichoks and is a powerful member of the Magi Council on Muspelheim. It was her that oversaw the genetic augmentations on Alpenan Joichoks to increase his psychic powers as well as implant the psy crystal into his torso that allows him to store large amounts of psychic energy for later use.
Category:Adeptus Mechanicus
Category:Planets
Category:Imperial Planets