Kantus IV

The planet as it appears during the Chaos invasion

Kantus IV is the only inhabited planet in the Kantus System. The Ecclesiarchy have staked a claim here as with much of this subsector. A world of minor importance in the grand scheme of things, it has become the target of a brutal and bloody Chaos incursion.

## History

The exact date Kantus IV was originally settled has been lost by the Administratum, records found in the church's libraries indicate there was an Imperial presence as far back as M33; before the Age of Strife.

* **Great Scouring (015.M31 - ???.M31) -** Following the death of the traitor Horus at the Siege of Terra, the loyalists began a galaxy-wide counterattack to reclaim the shattered Imperium and destroy any vestige of traitorous influence. It is claimed by the Adeptus Ministorum that Kantus IV remained loyal to the Throne but the truth is far darker. The colonial government was assassinated en masse by agents of the Warmaster and the planet saw heavy fighting for over five years before the pro-Horus forces stood triumphant at the end of the Horus Heresy. Their victory was short-lived as Imperial Army regiments and the Raven Guard Legion arrived to return the planet to the Emperor's light.

* **Age of Apostasy (early M36) -** During this period, Kantus IV was a much more important shrine world than it is today. It was a bastion of pro-Vandire power in western Segmentum Solar even after Sebastian Thor was enshrined as Ecclesiarch and all of Vandire's works were recast as treason. The planet saw some of the fiercest fighting between unrepentant followers of Goge Vandire and the forces of the reformed Ecclesiarchy - even decades after the madman's execution. It took the involvement of an unspecified force of Adepta Sororitas to end the schism and bring fiery justice to the heretics.

* **Invasion of Kantus IV (012.M42 - ongoing) -** The forces of Chaos Undivided launch a brutal attack on the shrine world, determined to topple the edifices of what they see as a false religion. The leader of the Apostates of Ash warband has his own goals in coming here, but he is revealed to be naught but a figurehead when the invasion's true architect - Be'lakor - arrives with a mighty host of daemons. Though his initial foray against the Imperium is halted by the heroic efforts of the Sisters of Battle and the Planetary Defence Forces, it comes at a high cost in lives and shattered minds. It is also not the last that will be seen of the daemon prince.

### Recent Events

All contact has been lost with Governor-Bishop Klait due to the incursion.

## Politics, Culture & Dogma

Kantus IV is ruled by a single bishop - Simonus Klait - who holds absolute power to the point the PDF and the frateris militia are virtually indistinguishable. It is a small religious center in the subsector. Overall military command has been seconded to Canoness-Commander Oshone for the duration of the conflict.

The culture of Kantus IV is completely centred around the Imperial Creed. Religious holidays are public holidays - given over to mass sermons, self-flagellation and blood sports. The most common forms of entertainment are the public burning of heretics, witches & mutants by Ministorum officials and gladiatorial contests performed by enslaved criminals against combat servitors & one another.

## Sanctioned Religion

As is usual of a world under the direct control of the Imperial Church, there are a number of different denominations, sects and approved cults. These range from the grisly practices of the extremist Mortifactor sect to the quiet, studious devotion of the Order of the Guiding Light. Dogmatic differences have flared up into sectarian wars in the past which raged across the planet's surface. The Age of Strife was one of Kantus IV's darkest times as those loyal to Goge Vandire waged holy war against those condemned as heretics by their wayward master. Then when the reformist Sebastian Thor was made Ecclesiarch it was Vandire's followers who were hunted down. Nowadays it is rarely spoken of, and only by high-ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy or the Adepta Sororitas. The common people have no knowledge of such matters.

As the chamber militant of the Ordo Hereticus, the Adepta Sororitas are sometimes called upon by Inquisitors to seek out and destroy suspected blasphemous activity.

## Chaos Cults

Due to the necessarily oppressive nature of life on the planet, a number of cults arose seeking to overthrow the planetary leadership and seize the world for the Dark Gods. Most of these cults were sniffed out and destroyed by the Arbites or the Inquisition; and some even fought bitter wars in the underhives over their own dogmatic differences. However a handful have managed to grow & thrive above all others:

### The Eight-Fold Truth

These cultists worship Chaos Undivided and venerate the daemon primarch Lorgar as the favoured son of the Ruinous Powers; with his Word Bearers serving as his holy warriors. It was their uprising against Imperial authorities which allowed the Apostates of Ash to establish their beachheads on the planet. Now they march to war among the masses of slave-soldiers and traitor guardsmen; used as meatshields by their Astartes masters. So convinced are they in the purity of Chaos, that they would willingly offer themselves up for sacrifice should the Dark Apostle command it. Their summoning rituals regularly involve such sacrifices as the cultists' bodies are often used as vessels by the daemons they call forth.

### The Six Fingers

This cult started as a smugglers' syndicate running black market goods and operating a clandestine arms trade. At an unknown time they were infiltrated by agents of Chaos who widened the scope of their business. They started siphoning from the underhive water reclamation system and selling it laced with opiate narcotics. Once they had a client addicted they would start using a mixture of leverage and blackmail tactics to indebt him to the syndicate. When a client's debt inevitably spiralled out of control they were brought in and convinced to swear an oath to serve the syndicate in order to clear their debt. This oath was actually a devotion to the Chaos Gods as part of an initiation ritual. Once complete, the unwitting initiate was tattooed with a six-fingered hand bearing the mark of Slaanesh.

In battle they wear rebreathers and gas masks which allow them to inhale vaporised psychotropics which lend them a feeling of invincibility. Because of this, they are very hard to rout.

## Military Forces

Kantus IV is host to a commandery-level presence of the Order of the Holy Flame. While some are veterans who fought in the 13th Black Crusade, most battle sisters are seeing their first major engagements against the Archenemy.

In addition, the planet's Frateris Militia numbers close to twenty billion volunteers. These poorly-armed fanatics give battle to the servants of Chaos in the hab-blocks, streets and underhives. What they lack in professional equipment or discipline, they make up for in determination and zeal. Though they have proven to be a great leveller against the Word Bearers' mortal servants - reducing their numerical advantage on many fronts - they are always slaughtered when traitor Astartes or daemons take the field against them. Inspired by fanatical preachers, they stand and embrace martyrdom even against such overwhelming foes.

The PDF, like most other Imperial forces, have been caught by surprise by the invasion with some garrisons being destroyed in their barracks or as they mustered. Though their main communications lines have been thrown into disarray by the ferocity of the Chaos forces, the remaining bases are mobilising in surprisingly good order.