Ryboth

“Amazing. On any other world, you couldn’t get within a standard kilom of that thing. Here, no one’s around to stop us.”
–Last words of Gurborz the Junker (corpse segments still being recovered)
In the Markayn Marches lies the ill-fated Ryboth System and within it, the ravaged planet of Ryboth.
Once a vital forge world dedicated to the veneration of the
Omnissiah, the planet is now a desolate, irradiated wasteland.
Its doom came in the form of a deadly and destructive gamma
ray burst, originating from the death of a nearby star. Ryboth’s
Fabricator, Legarius Hershtolt, was aware of the possibility of
this event via the observations of his Lexmechanics and Logis
Prophesiers. However, they calculated that the planet would
suffer no noticeable effects from this spectacular event, and
Hershtolt even decreed a grand logi-cant to supplicate the
Omnissiah for his guidance in the matter.
Instead of missing Ryboth, as the analyses projected, the
burst struck the planet with tremendous amounts of energy.
Any individuals on the surface were instantly killed as the
force of the burst peeled away layers of Ryboth’s protective
atmosphere, and the vulnerable planet below experienced
planet-wide increases in radiation levels. The manufactorums,
though offering limited protection due to their sheer size
and structural composition, were insufficient to shield most
of their populations. Casualties were extremely high, and in
many places, total, as the survivors desperately sought shelter
and protection from the calamity engulfing their planet.
Ultimately, it was the heavy amount of airborne pollutants,
resulting from the industries of the Adeptus Mechanicus, that
saved the planet from complete devastation.
Following a cessation in communications with the thriving
forge world, the Lathe-Covenant swiftly dispatched an
expedition to assess the fate of Ryboth. When the Explorators
arrived, they discovered dangerously high levels of radiation
emanating from the planet’s surface, as well as a dense field of
orbital debris resulting from the destruction of Ryboth’s orbital
facilities. The leader of the expedition, Magos Explorator
Toborias, eventually decided that the most efficient course
of action was to wait and observe until conditions stabilized
before beginning any reclamation efforts.
==Out of the Ashes==
After over two centuries of isolation, the planet’s surface radiation
began to at last decrease, and members of the expedition finally
descended upon the planet’s surface. Once there, they found a
world littered with the mummified corpses of those who had
failed to reach the protection of the forges’ now crumbling
inner sanctums. Initially, it was thought that none survived the
radioactive purge of the planet’s inhabitants; however, the people
of Ryboth proved more resilient than anyone anticipated.
Whether through luck or adaptation, a number of the
planet’s natives managed to survive the catastrophe, and
even to rebuild parts of their shattered culture beneath the
ravaged surface. The surveyors from the Explorator fleet
simply designated them Rusteks. These hardy survivors
continue to venerate the Omnissiah, and eagerly await the
day he once again reclaims their world and moulds it anew
in his wisdom. Most have also continued the Mechanicus
practice of eschewing their biological bodies in favor of
mechanical upgrades, meaning that almost every individual
has at least minor augmentations.
The surviving refugees were forced to scavenge what they
needed to survive during Ryboth’s centuries-long isolation.
Luckily the planet’s surface, though dangerous, was often
accessible at night, while the intricate networks of maglev lines,
warrens, and passageways beneath the planet’s exterior provided
shelter and passage during the deadly daylight hours. These
tunnels are murky and perilous regions, where other, unknown
denizens and creatures escaped the radioactive fires to gradually
evolve and adapt to prey on the unwary. Many channels
throughout Ryboth are large enough to accommodate massive
transports and gigantic maglev engines, meaning that untold
horrors of unnatural size frequently roam the darkness with
impunity. Some subterranean areas have even developed entire
ecosystems and individual climates, due to the unique nature of
the forges above and the events following the calamity.
Many of the Priesthood of Mars managed to weather the
apocalypse, and continue to wield power and influence amongst
the remnants of the population. Some of these Tech-Priests seek
to regain Ryboth’s former splendor through reconstruction or
strength of arms. Others have forsaken the planet’s reclamation,
seeing it as a waste of their time and an inescapable eventuality.
These individuals turn their efforts towards more idiosyncratic
pursuits, spending much of their time scouring the waste for
whatever relics and lost pieces of Archeotech they can find.
The use of servitors also survived the forge world’s
destruction. Following the cataclysm, the inhabitants managed
to salvage and repair many constructs, as well as acquire a
few new ones from off-world sources. Others are the product
of semi-operational servitor maintenance and construction
bays that continue to function due to the efforts of surviving
Artisans. These creations are crude when compared to those
of other Mechanicus holdings, their robust designs combining
salvaged and refurbished implants and simple neurological
modifications. Regardless of their origin, these unthinking
workers can be found in every settlement, and are as vital to
Ryboth’s inhabitants as those of other forge worlds.
Unfortunately, there are those inhabitants who feel that
cooperation holds little value on a world such as Ryboth. Such
individuals readily kill and raid other survivors in order to obtain
valuable resources or unearthed treasures. Many lone members
of the Adeptus Mechanicus have also begun to descend on the
planet and ruthlessly scavenge any useful technologies they can
from its ruins. Though the risks of these endeavors are often
great, the rewards can be greater still.
==Empires of Ruin==
Two of the most well-known surviving Magos on Ryboth are
Magos Veserimus, former Master of Foundry MFS1249 and
keeper of six of the Twenty Seven Rites of Initialisation, and
Magos Gresix, the Lord of a Thousand Voices. These Magos
have managed to acquire and maintain power bases within
the ruins of the forge world, and both wield great influence
over the devastated planet.
Magos Veserimus has bent all his efforts towards uniting
the scattered survivors of Ryboth beneath the proper rule of
Mars. He is a staunch Magos Fidelis, and views the destruction
of Ryboth as vindication of his beliefs that the Lathe Worlds
have strayed from the true path. He attracts many followers
and his augmented forces are a crucial factor in the reclamation
of the lost world. Veserimus has even managed to restore a
fraction of his foundry, and subjects once again toil to forge
weapons of war beneath his cold and calculating guidance.
Magos Gresix’s pursuits and ambitions are far less explicit than
those of Veserimus, and he seems to care little for the ultimate fate
of Ryboth. His domain, deep beneath the bowels of the massive
Manufactorums of Forge Secundus, is unique in functioning almost
exclusively with servitor labor. Those rare Rusteks encountered
beneath this hive are unusually reluctant to speak to outsiders, and
are careful to avoid being seen conversing in public.
Magos Gresix himself is never seen, choosing instead to
speak through his servitors, which have a curious manner of
echoing each other when conducting business transactions
for additional parts or subjects. No one is quite sure what
Magos Gresix does deep in his dark lair, though it is clear
that he trusts none save those slaved to his will. Whatever his
plans, all who dwell near Magos Gresix live in perpetual fear
of becoming unwitting participants in his designs.
Of Hershtolt himself, there are few details following the
calamity. Before the burst hit, Forge Primoris automatically
locked down, while every defense system immediately
activated and brutally massacred the trapped menials and Tech-
Priests alike. Since then, no one has been able to penetrate the
defenses of the forge to ascertain the fate of the Fabricator.
The Lathe-Covenant cannot name a new Fabricator, as to
do so for any reason other than death or heresy requires
considerable many years of debate and decision-tree analysis.
Explorator Toborias remains obsessed with gaining access
to Forge Primoris, and is rumored to trade handsomely for
information regarding its design and security protocols.
==Expunged==
When the Great Storm struck the planet, many of the existing
Ryboth-pattern servitors escaped direct exposure, and only
suffered radiation damage to the task programming in their
circuit-engrams. These mindless menials often had their
programming partially erased or corrupted, leaving them
with many incomplete sub-routines and protocols, but also
reconfiguring many of their neurologic-patterns into heuristic
directives their creators never envisioned. This fractured
cognitive state left many unable to cope with the hostile
environment they now inhabit. Those who did not perish
now wander the wastes. Some mindlessly continue their task,
but others roam the landscape seeking basic guidelines for
existence, something they can neither identify nor recognize,
and that would surely horrify the Mechanicum.
==Rusteks==
Rusteks are the descendants of Ryboth’s menials who managed
to survive the “Reforging” and the cruel barren wasteland that
resulted. Scavenging crude or recycled bionic implants from
across the wastes, these hardy remnants maintain their faith in the
Omnissiah as they eke out a squalid existence amidst the ruins of
the once great foundries. They hold cortex implants in especially
high regard as connections to the knowledge of the distant past,
and many are passed down from generation to generation within
family groups. This practice often has unintended side-effects,
however, as some implants have rather undesirable legacies.
==The Tarnished==
The Tarnished are raiders and murderers who use their skills
and knowledge of technology to further their own personal
gain. Though they still worship the Omnissiah, these
individuals beseech him for wealth and destruction instead of
knowledge. They view the Omnissiah as a granter of power
and fortune, whose divine will manifests in the destructive
power of their weapons and the performance of their
equipment. These ruthless degenerates frequently undergo
rudimentary and unorthodox augmentations, using salvaged
cybernetics and jury-rigged components in order to enhance
their combat effectiveness. They believe such acts allow them
to directly channel the Machine God’s favor. These barbaric
marauders respect only strength and violence, with only the
greatest warriors among them attaining positions of power.
==The False Fabricator==
In 624.M41, the Lords Dragon formally accused the Forge
Master of Ryboth, Fabricator Garamond, of tech-heresy.
Garamond’s crime, according to his accusers, was that he
had tampered with a number of servitors and cogitators,
edging over the line towards Abominable Intelligence and
into the tech-heresy of the Silica Animus. Garamond’s
defense was spirited, and the evidence against him was
weak. After four months of debate and an appeal to the
High Fabricator, the issue was still in doubt.
At the end, the judgment of the Lords Dragon would
not be denied. Garamond was stripped of his position,
but his influence, the length of his service, the sheer
amount of knowledge and technology he had provided
to the Calixian Mechanicus, and his eloquent defense
had swayed his fate away from the Logicutioners.
Instead, Garamond was to be exiled, sent away to the
far Sargos Sector, there to toil with the common tech-adepts
for his remaining length of function.
==Unique Equipment==
Ryboth Tavel Suvival Kit
A staple for many air and ground transports, the Ryboth kit
is relatively lightweight and transportable (as many crashed
pilots will need to quickly remove themselves from their
wreckage to safety before enemy troops arrive). Typical
kits contain basics such as fishing gear and animal snares,
firestarter tabs, flares, compass and signal mirror, water
purification tabs, antibiotic and detox pills, insect repellent,
sunscreen gel, flextent shelter, limited med kit, exposure
cloth depending on the projected travel locations, multitool,
disposable handgun, a booklet on survival tips, prayer
scrolls, vox hailer, combat blade, and more. Rations included
are basic in the extreme but will keep body and soul in the
Emperor’s Embrace until rescue can arrive. Ryboth kits grant
a +10 bonus to Survival Tests, providing the tools (but not
the knowledge) to aid the user in staying alive longer than
he would otherwise. Good and Best Craftsmanship versions
grant a +20 instead.
WT 15kg, Rare
==Forge World Origin==
Only those that are truly blessed can flourish on the surface of Ryboth. Still languishing in the aftereffects of the radiation storm that brought the forge world to its knees two hundred years ago, the remaining population ekes out a meagre existence in the hope that one day their world might be restored.
Characters from Ryboth reduce their starting Strength and Toughness by 3 and reduce their starting Wounds by 1, but gain the Hardy and Resistance (Radiation) Talents, as well as one additional Fate Point.
Category:Forge Worlds
Category:Calixis Sector
Category:Planets
Category:Markayn Marches