Keltia

The Icon of Keltia

A Keltian unit of Skitarii Vanguard sort through the ruins of a battlefield

The Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World of **Keltia** is located in the Veiled Region, close to the border of the Segmentum Obscurus. This Forge World, established in 873.M36, was originally a forward supply base for Rogue Traders and Explorator Fleets travelling further into the Veiled Region (However now, it is not used as a forward base after a Star Fortress was built nearby). It is known for its heavily steam-based productions, be it weaponry, armor, or vehicles. They specialize in developing and mass producing artillery and heavy weaponry for their allies, namely the Guard Regiments of the Taurus III and the Space Marine Chapter known as the Red Suns.

## Geography, Habitability, and Infrastructure

Keltia is a planet with an atmosphere covered in dense smog produced by its manufactorums. So much so, that from orbit, the planet's surface cannot be seen, as the smog has created a blanket of gas that envelopes the planet, spanning from the planet's Stratosphere until its Exosphere. After centuries of mass production and terraforming, the once vast plains and lush jungle mountains became nothing but withered and deserted wasteland. The mountains were hollowed out, and became storage locations for the Forge World's technology. All of the Forge World's forges are linked to Keltia's molten core, granting almost unlimited geothermal energy throughout the planet. Some of Keltia's moons have either been used as forward defense posts, ship ports, or hollowed out for storage.

The atmosphere of keltia is covered in smog, making it inhospitable to any creature without bionic enhancements or respirators. There are some exceptions, however, such as the bacteria that evolved to survive Keltia's harsh conditions, and some of the Feral Orks that dwell in Keltia's underground.

The planet's surface is completely covered by metal, a network of corridors, platforms, gantries, and pipes, twist and wind, linking to different locations throughout the planet. High rising buildings and spires are arranged in a grid, based on their function, altering in design based on sector. The Keltian Forges' exhaust pipes are the reason for the fumes released into the atmosphere. They emanate immense heat from the power the draw from Keltia's molten core.

## Politics, Culture, and Dogma

The Forge World is led by a council of representatives of every Sector on the planet, as well as the top magi of every Holy Order. At the head of the council are Fabricator-General Brigit Danan, Archmagos Brenin Artur, and Magos Xhu-Chulainn. The council is to deal with the entirety of the planet's Logistics, Management, and Defense. They must take a vote for a movement to be passed, but many of the council's members sport rivalries with each other, thus causing them to blindly disagree with each other's ideas. Because of this discord, only the movements of the head 3 members are able to pass, as nobody dares to oppose them, for fear of their own lives.

The Keltians have a radical faith in their religion, believing Xeno technology to have Machine Spirits that are opressed, and must be liberated from their owner. They believe that any measure is necessary to please the Machine God. However, they still believe in the Omnissiah.

## Sectors

### Udarasach Sector

The head sector of Keltia located at the planet's northern pole. This sector is where Keltia's administrative personnel work. Extravagant, and grandiose buildings follow the Imperium's staple gothic style, with Aquilas and Cogs adorning every building. Key buildings located in the sector are:

* **Round Table of the Knights** - The Knights of the Round Council's headquarters
* **The Forge Mother's Forge** - Fabricator-General Brigit Danann's personal Forge and Office
* **Xhu-Chulainn Watchtower** - Where the Titan Morrigana is kept

### Mileatach Sector

The sector where Keltia's Skitarii forces are created, and reside alongside the Forge World's Titan Legion. Many watchtowers are built in this sector, able to observe the planet's orbit and surface for any threat. Buildings in the Mileatach Sector are geometric and more complicatedly-designed compared to those in the Udarasach Sector. Many of the buildings are cobalt prism-shaped spires, each able to communicate to each other with ease. Statues of notable Tech Adepts are erected in this sector. Key buildings in the sector are:

* **Watchtower Primus** - The head Keltian watchtower, set to observe the planet's orbit and skies. It stores many Keltian attack craft with void capabilities.
* **Conversion Chamber Primus** - The largest Skitarii producer on Keltia, where regular humans are converted into Skitarii or Tech-Priests
* **The Titan Keep** - The base of operations for the Titan Legio Chulainn

### Chulchiste Sector

The Chulchiste Sector is the mountain range in which the storage houses reside, as well as Skitarii bases. This is where Keltia's special-pattern weaponry reside. The Sector is simple, with square or rectangular structures at bases of mountains, and simply designed storage units within the mountains.

### Eolas Sector

The sector where Keltian labs and research facilities are built. The Sector is divided into four branches based on different Holy Orders: Magi, Genetors, Logi, and Artisans. The buildings in this sector are often cylindrical, most are tall, but not as high-reaching as the Mileatach Sector's spires and watchtowers. Some key buildings are:

* **Prime Research Facility** - The largest building in the sector, where Keltia's gathered STCs and Technologies are observed by Tech-Adepts.
* **Pattern Development Center** - The location where the Keltian Artisans develop new patterns of Imperial technology
* **Biologos Containment Facility** - Where the Keltian Genetors observe different lifeforms and their biological properties

### Frabaiciu Sector

The location of Keltia's many forges, covered in bellowing smoke. The hottest location on the planet, with gantries, buildings, and large pits that dig deep into the Keltian crust. The buildings here are geometrical, looking like different brass-colored squares and rectangles crudely pieced together to form a structure. High rising exhaust ports billow smoke into the atmosphere.

## Skitarii Legions

The Skitarii of Keltia are known for their swift yet precise strikes and military operations. Instead of deploying en masse with legions of Skitarii present, the Forge World deploys units based on an algorithm that calculates the maximum efficiency on the use of available resources. This is why their military leaders lead their forces analyze the battlefield within seconds and adapt their forces to ensure efficiency.

### Heraldry

The Forge World's Skitarii are heralded by blue robes with Martian Red accents, showing the Forge World's loyalty to the First Forge World. The Silver metals of Skitarii in other Forge Worlds is replaced with a brass color instead, that shines brightly, representing the Forge Worlds' Tech Adepts' brazen characteristic.

### Macroclades

#### **1st Macroclade - "Knights of the Omnissiah"**

The Knights of the Omnissiah are the Keltian Macroclade tasked with crusading in the name of the Omnissiah. Everyone of their tech adepts fights for logic, ancient technology, and most importantly, the Omnissiah. The Knights of the Omnissiah are known for their skill and prowess in combat, as well as their tactical efficiency. Most of the 1st Macroclade's Tech Adepts do not wear robes with the Keltian colors, but rather wear brass-colored plate armor, and carry banners with their Forge World's red and blue.

##### **Knights of the Round Council**

This organization consists of the most intelligent and skilled Tech Adepts who lead the Skitarii under their control into conquests in search of relics, and for the honor and glory of the Omnissiah.

**Lord Brenin Artur**
This Tech Adept is the leader of the Knights of the Omnissiah. He is the Archmagos of Keltia, and has served under Keltia ever since its establishment. Lord Artur leads his army from the frontlines, as well as a shining beacon of logic and prowess among his peers, and those under him. Lord Artur wields a mighty ancient sword known as Caliburnum, which can cut through a Kastelan Robot with ease. It is rumored that the technology is xeno in origin, and may in fact, be a version of a Xenophase blade.

##### **Black Knights**

Black Knights are specialist squadrons within the Knights of the Omnissiah who are mainly used as a frontline unit or as shock troops. Black Knights are difficult to take out of action with their stubborn nature. They will not retreat or falter, as their zeal keeps them strong. Black Knights will very often fight until their very last limb, and even then, their fiery will shall not falter.

**2nd and 3rd and 4th Macroclades - "Victoranias"**
. Named after a great conqueror of old, who's age was defined by steam, smog and steel, these Macrolades follow after this great leader. They follow where the Machine God leads them, retrieving what they deem as lost technology, and safeguarding sacred knowledge. The Victoranias are known for marching in unrelenting, disciplined and unified formation. The disciplined tide of blessed radium and galvanic fire will wear the enemy down, while blessed brass charges in for the kill.

##### **Secret 5th Cohort - "Medicum Plaga"**

The Medicum Plaga are a secret cohort of the 4th Macroclade that resides deep under Keltia's surface. Skitarii of this Cohort are brought alongside Explorator fleets of the 4th Macroclade that are expected to encounter Xeno species. The *Medicum Plaga* gather Xeno technology and "soothe their machine spirits" in order for them to be used as Imperial technology. The process is costly however, as it requires a 500 year old Machine Spirit that has been treated luxuriously to be transfused with the tortured machine spirit of the Xeno tech. Alongside that, the Xeno Machine Spirit must be rehabilitated and soothed in a process that takes at least 150 years to complete. The end result is a fully functional Xeno weaponry in Imperial heraldry.

The *Medicum Plaga* are heralded by smoke, and do not comply with the colors of the rest of the Forge World's Tech Adepts. Instead, they wear black on their outside of their coats, and bone on the inside. Their brass limbs are replaced with silver instead. The blue glow of their eyes are replaced with a ghastly, lime green. On the respirator is a curved silver beak that strikes fear into the enemy.

## Titan Legio Chulainn

Named after the Genius Strategist, and Skilled Warrior, Magos Xhu-Chulainn, who now leads the Legio as its Grand Master. This Titan Legion is rarely deployed, used only in the most important of circumstances; such as Planetary Defense, or Large-Scale Invasions.
The Titan Legio is heralded in the keltian blue, but accented by Magos Chulainn's personal shade of green. The Titans of this Legio often carry banners of Keltia, and are equipped with a variety of weaponry for different situations.

## Combat Doctrine

The Keltians do not fight out in the open, rather they deploy smog before opening fire upon their enemies, often lighting the smog in the glow of their energy weapons. However, a common formation is always seen with Skitarii Vanguard at the front lines, sometimes supplemented by CQC-dedicated units such as Electropriests. While the Vanguard push, Skitarii Rangers and the force's artillery, such as the Onager Dunecrawlers provide fire support. This bulk of the force is meant to be used as a feint, while an ambushing force is often kept in reserve or in hiding to strike at key openings in enemy positions.

### Ovethrow the Senses

This stratagem utilises the weakness of oragnic life and its limitations, often deployed in the Keltian ambushes. The opponent is covered in Keltian smoke, as Sicarian Infiltrators strike their foes, disrupting their senses with their Neurostatic auras. This makes a good chock force for the other Keltian forces to close in and destroy the targets.

### Radium Barrage

Utilising the Keltia-pattern Radium Carbines, specifically designed with the ability to link fire with other Radium Carbines to improve on their ability for destruction. Using this to their advantage, Skitarii Vanguard form packed formations with multiple rows. It starts with the front row firing with their weaponry, reloading, and crouching to allow the row behind them to fire soon after. The problem with this stratagem is that it minimizes mobility, and is tightly packed, thus making the Skitarii Vanguard in this formation easy targets.

## History

Keltia was founded in the late 36th Millenium as a supply base for Imperial ships, but later used as a fully functioning Forge World after the construction of a Star Fortress nearby. It was after this that Magos Brigit Danann was appointed by the Planetary Governor to be the Fabricator-General of the planet. Soon after, her right-hand-man, Magos Brenin Artur, was promoted to Archmagos.

### The Capture of the C'tan Shard of the Deceiver

Led by Fabricator-General Brigit Danann, the forces of Keltia protected a nearby Imperial World from a Necron Tomb Awakening. For the tomb to be destroyed, an explorator team led by Magos Aigneis Nic Cuimin explored through the Necron Tombs to destroy its Overlord, and possibly gather more information on the Necron Technology. In their search, they were able to locate a C'tan shard within the tomb's vaults, and captured it for themselves after a brutal conflict with the Necrons.
Nic Cuimin presented the shard to Fabricator-General Danann, who welcomed it as a blessing of knowledge from the Omnissiah. The news of this quickly spread amongst the Magi of Keltia, who hurried their defense of the planet in order to study more on the C'tan Shard. Due to this, the Necron Awakening was able to destroy the planet and its inhabitants, but the Keltians were able to escape before such a thing happened.
When returning to their planet, the Magi hollowed out one of their moons, and converted it into a containment chamber for the C'tan shard, where it would be observed by Nic Cuimin and her retinue of magi for centuries.

## Important Events

* **873.M36 -** Forge World Keltia is founded in the Veiled Region as a forward supply base for Rogue Traders and Explorator Fleets travelling into the Veiled Region.
* **872.M37 -** A Star Fortress is built nearby as an alternate supply base for Rogue Traders and Explorator Fleets. It is established as a better supply base, and is used as a supply base instead of Forge World Keltia. Keltia becomes a fully functioning Forge World.
* **883.M37** - The Titan 'Morrigan' is discovered deep underground in Keltia, and repaired.
* **892.M37** - Explorator fleet 01-sin uncovers a weakened C'tan shard on a Necron Tomb World and trap it in one of Keltia's moons
* **993.M37** - Ork WAAAGH! Grimklaw attempts to invade Keltia, but is repelled thanks to the Forge World's superior artillery and navy.
* **999.M37** - Archmagos Artur retrieves the Caliburnum from an Aeldari Craftworld during a Keltian raid.
* **006.M38** - A Keltian explorator fleet forges an alliance with an Aeldari Craftworld when combatting a Necron invasion.
* **443.M38** - Excavator fleet Xhu-Chulainn invades a Necron Tomb World, and succeed in their gathering of technology, but fail to save the planet from being completely invaded by the Necron forces.
* **899.M41** -The Keltians leave the Heralds of Light for dead on Graphis V after they "suffer heavy losses," where in reality, they massacred them to keep the Medicum Plaga secret assured.
* **999.M41** - Inquisitor Cael Avissus discovers the presence of the Medicum Plaga, but doesn't call an Exterminatus, as the 13th Black Crusade was able to break Cadia.

## Notable Technology

### Keltia-Pattern Radium Carbines

This newly developed Radium Carbine looks normal at face value, with only a different casing to the Mars-pattern Radium Carbines. However, they are able to tap into the noosphere to link with other Radium Carbines, allowing the Machine Spirits within them to push themselves past their limit. Due to this, the Radium Carbines glow green, and bellow smoke as they fire, needing to cool down after every magazine is used.