Fourth Ruin

1. **The Red Eyes’ Disappearance** - Smarting from their forced withdrawal from the war against the Godslayers, Theoderaf’s rage and depression reach new heights. The Red Eyes Legion begins infighting as the need to vent their frustration rises. Theoderaf’s dreams of his brother Rang Talyc reach a conclusion as he receives a message that Rang lives and is waiting for him in the Eye of Terra. The Red Eyes Legion gather above Certus Minor one last time, purging loyalists before disappearing to the Warp. The Imperium is baffled by their disappearance, with Alexandros unable to locate his brother with his foresight.
2. **Preparations within the Eye** - Theoderaf and the Red Eyes are greeted by Rang Talyc and the Shadow Warriors. Though the Chaos corruption is clear, Theoderaf is overjoyed to see his brother once again and Rang performs a ritual to help Theoderaf dedicate himself to the Blood God. In a specially-crafted gladiatorial pit, Theoderaf lets his rage overcome him and he gains Khorne’s blessing. With this complete, the presence of the Riven, representatives from the Black Stars, and multiple warbands drawn from many other Legions are revealed and the four Traitor Primarchs hold council. The plan for the assault on Terra is confirmed and each pledges their forces in coalition.
3. **Assault on Obsailes** - With the galaxy-wide front between the Separatists and the Imperium stabilising in a grim stalemate, the Primarchs Aato Väyrynen and Ezharion Kulas promote a plan to capture the Fire Keepers’ homeworld of Obsailes that lay deep with Separatist space. Koschei Kharkovic gives his tacit approval whilst keeping his oath not to attack it himself. The two Legions use the stargate network to gather their forces at Zbruch and take over the siege of the world. The Separatists begin making progress, isolating the Forge World Iomin and forcing the Fire Keepers to retreat through their lines of defence. The Midnight Host responds to the calls for aid, arriving just in time to save the Fire Keepers and stall out the assault.
4. **The Blood Crusade** - The Traitors emerge from the Eye of Terror in a rapid-moving formation. Cadia, the exit point of the Eye, is swarmed by Daemons and its garrison is caught unawares. The Dominion of Mycenae is thrown into chaos by a mass daemonic invasion as the Traitor Astartes make for Terra. Hectarion and the Crimson Lions fight against this incursion, with Hectarion duelling the Bloodthirster Ma’annan. The Crimson Lions eventually receive reinforcement from the World Shakers.
5. **Sundering of Thecalia** - The minor Forge World of Thecalia is the first world that is able to offer any resistance, but it is utterly overrun and plundered. A single warning message is sent in the world’s last moments.
6. **Loyalist Response** - Terra becomes aware of the Traitor advance, with both Alexandros and Niklaas being present on Terra at the time. With time of the essence, Alexandros redirects Araphel and the Iron Revenants who were preparing to assault the Separatists to relieve pressure on Obsailes and sends summons to Lukas and the Obsidian Guard. Messages are sent across the Imperium calling for reinforcements but the defenders of Terra know that they will not arrive in time.
7. **Sacking of Delos** - The Blacks Stars, their hatred for the Halcyon Wardens having grown to near consuming levels, deviate from their route to Terra to sack the homeworld of Delos. The small garrison is slaughtered and the world is plundered and desecrated.
8. **Solar War** - The Traitors reach the Sol System which was hastily defended by the Loyalists. Mars reveals its treachery and pincers the Loyalists fleet as the Black Star fleet emerges. The Loyalists are forced to fight their way back to Terra or to escape destruction, the Glorianas withdrawing.
9. **Shadow War of Ceres** - The Knights Errant are dispatched to deal with rumoured chaotic activity on Ceres, discovering the Eyes of Terror.
10. **Destruction of Luna** - The Traitors easily take Luna, capturing the genetech and removing it. A ritual is conducted on Luna and the moon is destroyed by a combination of warp power and orbital bombardment. The fragments of Luna hurtle towards Terra, smashing into the Sky Plate and hammering the world. The combined psychic might of Alexandros, Lukas, Malcador and Magnus is able to shield the Imperial Palace from the meteorites and destroy the largest chunks alongside orbital defences.
11. **The Landing** - The many warbands of various Legions clear a landing zone for the Traitor force alongside the Traitor Imperial Army elements and are then given leave to plunder the unprotected portions of Terra.
12. **The Outer Walls** - The Traitors rapidly establish artillery batteries and begin assaulting the walls. The Fire Keeper defences are formidable and the Traitors make little progress. Theoderaf emerges and the Red Eyes assault the Valdor Wall, allowing Theoderaf to teleport directly onto the wall where Niklaas is stationed. The two Primarchs duel before Niklaas is killed and his head is claimed for the Blood God.
13. **Assault on the Lion Space Port** - The Loyalist defences are swarmed by daemons directed by the Shadow Warriors, with the target being the Lion Space Port. The Iron Revenants are defending it but are pushed off when Rang duels Araphel and kills him. The Space Port is made ready by the Traitors for evacuation.
14. **Disabling the Astronomican** - The Riven target the Astronomican, seeking to darken it to slow any loyalist reinforcements. The effort draws Magnus off the Golden Throne to intercede with the Thousand Sons, escalating to Magnus and Morrigar duelling. Magnus is fatally wounded and Malcador releases K’awil in a last ditch effort. K’awil banishes Morrigar.
15. **Confrontation at Eternity** - Absalom Vaughn, seeking to draw out his hated foe Alexandros, leads the assault on the Eternity Wall. Alexandros emerges and duels him while he springs his trap, the Talons of the Emperor and psyk-out ammunition forcing Absalom back. Absalom manages to critically wound Alexandros, who retreats and is placed on the Golden Throne.
16. **End of the Siege** - With the damage done and the Astronomican still functional, the Traitors determine that the Loyalist reinforcements are approaching and that the time to retreat is now. The uncontrollable elements of the Traitor forces are let loose to distract the defences while the Traitor Legions and Mechanicum evacuate from the Lion Space Port. A combined force of Fire Keepers, Halcyon Wardens and Iron Revenants led by Araphel assaults the space port but they cannot stop the evacuation. They inflict heavy casualties on the mortal and Titan elements of the Traitors but the Traitors evacuate in good order.
17. **Last Stand of the Golden Daemon** - Theoderaf, having fallen into a blood rage, refuses to leave Terra while the Loyalists stand. Alongside a few of the blood-crazed Red Eyes, Theoderaf holds back the Loyalist counter-attack, slaughtering all who approached until the arrival of Lukas whilst the Red Eyes under Athanius Eurex sacrifice their Gloriana to protect their Primarch. Lukas and Theoderaf fight and Theoderaf is banished.
18. **The Retreat** - The Loyalist reinforcements from all corners of the Imperium arrive as the Traitors begin heading for the Warp, restarting the battle in the void. The Black Stars retreat towards Skandra, pursued by the Obsidian Guard and Tempest Reavers, the Riven and Shadow Warriors head towards the Eye, blocked by the Monastic Ascendants and the World Shakers.
19. **The Scouring** - The Obsidian Guard, enraged at having failed to protect Terra, take the fight to the last two surviving homeworlds of the Traitors: Certus Minor and Skandra Prima. Whilst the Certan System is devoid of Red Eyes and thus is easily purged, the Skandra System is heavily defended as the Black Stars return from the Siege. Lukas leads the Obsidian Guard in the assault as the Black Stars attempt a ritual to move their system into the Warp, only partially succeeding by saving the worlds of Antire and Riudal but losing four to the Loyalists, including their capital of Skandra Prima. The Separatists under Ezharion Kulas offer a truce to jointly purge the Black Stars, and though their aid is accepted the relationship between the two sides is tense with many Loyalists calling for the Separatists to be executed.