Lordrium

**Lordrium** is the capital world of the Ixaniad Sector and administrative hub for the myriad thousands of worlds within the realm of space. The importance of this planet to sector politics cannot be overstated, as it serves as the final prize for the competing interests of the various Ixaniad Dynasties. The core world of the system is the nexus in which the competing political factions of the center fight their wars of subterfuge on, and it is this world in which one can rise to the top given the right motivations.

## History

The Ixaniad Sector is steeped in violence and conflict and each world plagued by strife, xenos raiders, and chaotic incursion. The first rulers of the world thousands of years ago came to the sector seeking conquest, power, and land; of which they found plenty. In the dense cluster of worlds which make up the sectors surrounding the Calyxian Expanse, the competing early families came into conflict with each other regularly and the descendants and descendants' descendants maintained this enmity across the sector, but here in the highest court of the realm, the mask of cordial tolerance is donned.

Over the ages numerous ascendant rulers of the worlds in the system have toppled each other, made war on each other, and claimed descent from the great early families. The inhabitable worlds in the sector changing hands numerous times within generations, displacing whole populations into the Merates clusters which bordered into the Calyx Expanse. Lordium is different however. Fragments in the deepest data-crypts indicate that Lordium was one of the first, if not the first, world settled by humanity within the sector millennia ago, and as such claims itself as the origin and progenitor of all worlds spawned from its colonies, and as the distant home of the various noble houses. As such, the ascendant noble house will inevitably claim Lordium as their realm and move their household to the capital to rule as sector governors. The planet is notable in that its entire landmass is covered almost in its entirety in cityscape, forming an ecumenopolis which swaths have been claimed for each noble house, and the common people live in relative ease compared to many imperial worlds. The citizens enjoy the economic benefits of the world and the status it gives them such that they may afford such luxuries as personal apartments, or partake in well supplied public food programs.

### Status in the 42nd Millennium

The perils of the warp reach all worlds in the galaxy in this trying time and the danger of the heretic and the traitor loom ever higher in the minds of the Imperial Elite. Though shielded from harm for the most part by the might of their defenses, the dynastic houses worry that rivals shall take advantage of warp spawned power to finally seize control of the world. This paranoia is spawned from the third year of the Lightless Century when ships of the Imperial Navy rebelled and fired upon the world, devastating entire hive spires and wreaking havoc across the ecumenopolis. For now the world remains safe, but external powers continue to encroach upon it as the fearful nobility begins trading their freedoms for security.

## Planetary Overview

The politicking of the Ixaniad Sector is ultimately focused around obtaining ruler-ship of this world, for its import lies not merely in tradition, but in material, economic, and industrial output and the benefit it brings to whomever controls it. As a High Imperial World, Lordrium represents the peak of technological advancement outside of only the Adeptus Mechanicus' Forge Worlds and with that status comes the blessings of the machine cult to manufacture rare imperial goods, armaments, and luxuries unheard of on lesser worlds. Whichever noble house is able to bend this power to their will will enjoy household guards and retinue equipped to standards far above their rivals, undermine foes economically, and elevate their house to an unassailable position.

The world of Lordium was colonized many thousands of years ago amidst the initial expansion into the Ixaniad sector by mankind as humanity sought to expand its territories in the eons following the Great Crusade, and allegedly as the first world settled. Fragmentary records exist that the planet may not have existed under its current name in the past, such that imperial scholars believe that the sector capital may perhaps have shifted between worlds over the millennia. The world itself is almost uniform, covered into one mega-city broken up by oceans of low salinity water which cover about 33% of the planet. The planet has a longer then average day of almost fourty hours, and a year of 396 ancient terran days.

The planetwide city is broken up into several distinct areas in which building style changes and fluctuates depending on which faction controls the district. The planet is covered in fluctuating building styles that mirror the masters of that region. The dominating presence of the Administratum spreads over the whole planet, but where it is concentrated in the Administrative Zone, buildings are incredibly blocky, robust, and typical of prefabricated lectum halls. The mechanicum sector is a colossal buildup of industrial forge fanes and manufactoria, whereas regions dedicated to the telepathica and astronomicon reflect the gilded and rounded shapes so commonly associated with those fluid and mercurial groups. Each region claimed as an enclave and embassy for the noble families varies in size and design, the ancestral influences overlapping as territory is conquered, politically or otherwise, from the rival families. None impose upon the church however, and the grand cathedrals which stretch high into the air all throughout the territories and hive levels remind all that the Emperor expects.

Imperial scholars note that over the histories of the sector, the further up the chain of leadership one goes, the more advisers from the Machine Cult they obtain. Whispers among the various noble courts speak of manipulation and encroachment by the Mechanicum with those in power denying any influence over their rule, citing need for wisdom for the industrial power of the planet and advisement for dealing with the Calixian Mechanicus empire. It is spoken in some circles that the Hephaestian Mechanicus is in league with the Calixian Mechanicus to bring the whole sector under their control; something which is denied by all factions involved. All that is known is that while not as prominent as the Inquisitorial bastions, Arbites precincts, and administratum blocs, an unusual amount of material leaves the world of the forges.

## Industrial and Military Power

As befitting a capital world of an Imperial Sector, Lordrium boasts immense industrial power rivaling that of a low grade forge world, producing millions of different sub-mechanicus grade products, as well as holding numerous blessings of the Machine Cult to produce patterns of laser weapons and defenses as well as specialty luxury and biomantic goods as well as arm and equip legions of civil enforcers, maintain a highly well trained and equipped planetary defense force.

The market politics and network are byzantine by typical standards, with a complex sub-culture of bribes, personal connections, and loopholes making up the underbelly of the economy. On the surface, the trade network functions as any other but on a planetary scale. At any time the planetary megacorporations owned by Dynastic Houses large and small vie for market shares while the planetary police try and keep a cap on oftentimes spiraling crime. The megacorporations, to the common man, would appear to rival even the Mechanicus in local influence.

### The Lordrium Fusiliers

The planetary defense force of Lordium is highly trained and very well equipped, supplied with ancient patterns of armor and arms produced by recommissioned STC's. Service in the Fusiliers is considered to be a highly honorable thing, and is looked to as a way for the lowest servant to rise from the gutter and paragons of military valor who have risen from the ranks are championed as examples of what the lowest of lowborn could be.

In truth however, the matter is much more complicated. Where the rank and file are drilled and molded into fine soldiers, the leadership tends to be less so. Politicking dictates the rank and stature of the officers. The unstable political nature of the planet means the officer corp is equally unstable and house loyalties dictate the priorities of defensive formations upon the planet. Readiness is maintained through simulation combat on titanic training grounds augmented by Mechanicum technology, allowing them to adapt and form into whatever field of battle is required ranging from forested vistas to blasted hellscapes.

The PDF is known to possess large quantities of armored formations, superior in quality to typical PDF's, and comprises of proper Leman Russ tanks as well as supplies of Malcador Heavy tanks, Baneblades, and Aeronautica detachments.

When the Imperial Tithe comes to Lordium, the top 10% of the PDF is exported off world to fight the Emperor's wars. It is an open secret that less desirable elements of the dynastic houses are placed in charge of these regiments and they are shipped off. This fate is not to be envied, as the nobility are ill suited for war, and the commissariat not so forgiving as wealthy family.

### Defensive Powers

As is appropriate for a capital world, Lordrium is guarded by bastions of iron and steel. Hundreds of city sized fortresses house orbital lasers and missile platforms on the ground, while above the world are thirty orbital defense platforms and a massive number of autonomous missile platforms float between them. Each hive sized platform is encrusted with gape-mawed novacannons and graviton world-enders, capable of crushing kilometers of space into singularities.

Mightiest of forces upon the ground is the presence of the Legio Kreuzius. five titans of the Legio; 1 warlord, two reavers, and two warhounds, make up the detachment, and they dwell within the Mechanicum Quarter, ready to march forth at behest of their Mechanicum masters.