Midath

Icon of Forge World Midath

Xenos Hybris redacted pict-file of Midath.

**Midath** is an Imperial Forge World located in the infamous Calixis Sector in the Segmentum Obscurus.

## History

Midath's history is enshrouded in such secrecy that many doubt its very existence, with good reason. The few bits of documentation detailing its structure, society, and production are varied and conflicting, and only one true artifact remains that can be directly tied to the Forge World itself: The Midath Pattern Power Glove. Available information places it somewhere in the Calixis Sector, but it's system or even sub-sector remain a total mystery. The entire Forge World has been officially designated "Status Unknown: Missing/Lost" for as long as anyone can remember.

The conflicting evidence surrounding Midath and its history are no mistake. Soon after the birth of the Calixis Sector following the conclusion of The Angevin Crusade in 384.M39, the local Ordo Calixis birthed the Xenos Hybris conspiracy within the Inquisition. It is hard to say what precisely spawned the conditions of radical thought in the Calixis Sector: perhaps its proximity to the Eye of Terror, its physical and mental distance from the core of the Imperial Empire, or even just a vague sense of unease and inexplicable dread that plagues the Sector, but regardless of cause these few Inquisitors banded together under the singular driving mindset that the only way to save humanity from certain extinction was by embracing and studying both the achievements and downfalls of the alien.

The Inquisitors needed support, research, and manufacturing in order for their grand scheme to see any fruition, and the powerful Forge World Midath was ready to make that sacrifice. Led by Fabricator General Aurelio Nikola Hielodross, the covens of Magos held The Trying of Martian Precepts and Credentia: an assemblage of Midath’s greatest minds, and the resulting conclusion was the mathematical proof that human survival without Xenos aid and/or technology was a true impossibility. During the conference the Forge World also internally decreed the dogmas of Mars to be antilogical: specifically the conflicts within the 7th Mystery (Comprehension is the Key to all Things) and the 9th Warning (The Alien Mechanism is a Perversion of the True Path). The incompatible nature of a singular true path that fulfills both criteria of containing all things and simultaneously excluding alien mechanisms was ordained to be a faulty misrepresentation of the Omnissiah’s Will, and the already strong Xenarite factions within Midath agreed to take part in the Xenos Hybris conspiracy.

In truth, even before being approached by the Inquisition, Midath quickly rose to prominence amongst Forge Worlds in the Calixis Sector through the long-forgotten processes of reverse-engineering and innovative thinking. Strictly speaking, innovation in design was Martian heresy, but the natural resources of Midath were both unique to its planet and too useful to ignore. Without innovation, the natural gold-like alloy that serves as the foundation for the Midath Pattern Power Glove and other Midath inventions would have never seen the light of day. During their age of compliance, it was easy enough to pass these small details off as uniquely recovered STCs, and none of their inventions were ever produced at a scale large enough to gather the attention of unwanted eyes.

After partnering with the Ordos Xenos, both parties had to quickly go to work to avoid being branded as outright heretics by both Mars and the Inquisition at-large. The distance of the Calixis Sector from the greater Imperium served a blessing in disguise, and without the relative lack of attention given to the region it would have certainly been impossible to make an entire planet disappear. Their time to strike fortuitously came during the unbridled chaos of the War of Brass from 738-740.M40. Both parties knew that no matter the effort it was not possible to erase all mention of Midath existing, so instead they began filing massive amounts of information, misinformation, chart alterations, conspiracies, counter-conspiracies, and falsified records. The Ordo Calixis was confident in their success of this methodology after a successful misinformation campaign following the Tanis Incident in 709.M40. The deluge of information took many years to see results but this, in combination with the immediate halt of exports and trade routes out of Midath, resulted in the current scenario where the validity of any information regarding Midath immediately comes into question, millennia later.

There are rumors of white and black robed Techpriests appearing at the sites of former battlezones in the Calixis Sector; the soft orange glow of their ocular receptors scanning the fallen arms and armaments of the grisly battlefield. But rumors remain rumors, and the truth of Forge World Midath remains an unknowable enigma to all but an incredibly privileged few.

### Opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum(0 ICM.M42)

After the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum between 999.999.M41 and 001.M42, the Forge World Midath suffered a crisis of faith in their mission as much of the Imperium, including Terra itself, were lost across the border of the great divide. Scrambling with the Xenos Hybris Inquisitors as they tried to make sense of the situation and the unfolding chaos, subfactions and a Civil War broke out amongst the Priests of Midath if the time was right to reveal themselves to the Calixian powers that be and offer much needed respite to the Segmentum Obscurus, or to further shroud themselves in shadow and re-commit to their sacred purpose. Both the Integrators and the Isolationists, respectively, had well reasoned arguments for their causes that gave even the accompanying Ordos Xenos Inquisitors pause, but during the height of one of their skirmishes on a nearby lunar base, the decision was made for them as a faint data transmission of Perturabo leading the Chaotic forces of the Iron Warriors himself into a crusade against the strongest worlds of Segmentum Obscurus.

Archmagos from each subfaction immediately conferred via the Noosphere and rapidly came to a sickening, but faultless conclusion: The Calixian Imperium in it’s disjointed state, with or without the help of Midath, would not survive the fallen Primarch’s attacks. Midath chose to remain hidden not for their cause, but purely out of survival. Fabricator General Hielodross himself ordered a rarely seen executive call for all voyaging Explorator Fleets to seek shelter on nearby dead worlds and halt all research operations. Calling them back towards Calixis would draw too much unwanted attention to the Threnos Zone and continuing their normal research operandi could unintentionally alert any modicum of now incredibly threatening Xenos and Chaotic forces to their presence.

The years that followed were a period of stagnation and quiet introspection for Midath, as all eyes and ears turned outward to silently monitor the chaos as Calixis and Obscurus were fraught with dangers from the warp as well as the shambles of humanity tearing out each others throats. On the outskirts of Midath’s expansion and outposts, constant demonic invasions and Xenos excursions caused heavy losses and entire bases began falling to the forces of the warp and the alien. Most bases were able to be annihilated via proper protocol, but some comms channels were cut before a confirmation was ever transmitted, so the true number of links back to Midath is unknown. Only the most important of research was carried out on Midath itself, mostly related to the Immaterios Novis and any other potential form of Warp travel technology which could safely exist in the almost total blackness of the Astronomican in what they would later learn be named Imperium Nihilus. Their experimentation on Immaterium related technology during this time period was fervent and rash with the desperation to not only survive, but potentially save the entire Imperium stranded across the abyss. In their haste they rendered the Novis unusable and derelict, potentially forever losing their last hope of unlocking the secrets of unmanned Warp travel.

Salvation came in the most ironic of circumstances. Fleet Secundus of the Indomitus Crusade, spearheaded by the Order of the Ebon Chalice and the Order of Our Martyred Lady Sisters of Battle forces, broke through the Nachmund Gauntlet and entered the Imperium Nihilus for the first time since the new millennia had dawned. The Road of Martyrs, as it came to be known, secured planet after planet within Segmentum Obscurus, and the Iron Hands’ arrival at Mordian left the Sisters to battle towards the Calixis Sector. At around the same time, the Threnos zone was re-ignited by the Astronomicon, allowing Midath to cautiously begin restoring its operations. Knowing that their radical thought patterns would not be received kindly by the forces of the Ecclesiarchy, the Forge World once again donned a mantle of shadow and began sending out fleets in search of their lost bases to reclaim them, or destroy them and any witnesses who were left.

## Personnel of Note

### Leadership

* **Fabricator General Aurelio Nikola Hieliodross -** Massive in stature and unmatched in dataflow, the Fabricator General of Midath is not to be taken lightly. Hieliodross was able to quickly spin up the forges of Midath to become one of the most powerful worlds in the Calixis sector, and together with the Xenos Hybris was able to obscure all of that power behind an impenetrable veil of secrecy in the blink of an eye. A true leader in all senses of the word, Hieliodross has been able to maintain relationships with the Inquisition as well as keep prying eyes away from the secrets of the Midath for many ages. Whilst a magnificent force to be reckoned with in logistical prowess and internal efficiency, the Fabricator General often designates day-to-day duties to his Locum Jiuseppe Kassander, instead preferring to spend his time running simulations in his vast databank to foresee and overcome any and all possible negative outcomes.

* **Fabricator Locum Jiuseppe Kassander -** The acting head of Forge World Midath and said to be blessed by the will of the Omnissiah itself, Fabricator Locum Jiuseppe Kassander is as enigmatic as the already secretive Midath can be. Communicating primarily via data-transfers, and only over vox-channels when non-enhanced Sapiens require communication, it can be safely said that no entity in the known universe can derive either the physical form or location of the Locum. Despite the veil of mystery Kassander keeps around himself, he has proven inexpendable and “Value Primus” to the functioning of Midath in its continual shadow operations across the galaxy.

* **Archmagos Xenologus Nebuchannezza -** The Archmagos Xenologus known only as Nebuchannezza is a multi-capable force of efficiency and curiosity in both the laboratory and the battlefield. Encased entirely in a portable, spherical lab station, the Archmagos uses a vestigial physical form composed largely of hundreds of mechadendrites and an effigial mask for locomotion and interface with non-Mechanicus entities. What remains of the Archmagos’ physical humanity is truly unknown to all but herself, as she has been interred in her amniotic fluid bath for millennia. She is violently possessive of Xenos tech she lays claim to, and has even fitted her own form with (mostly) sanctified xeno-modifications. She attends to the battlefield herself on priority missions, or even just when there may be a Xenos artefact of particular interest to her studies.

* **Chief-Xenologist Soren Quintex -** Right hand to Archmagos Nebuchannezza, the Chief-Xenologist Soren Quintex can be often spotted leading the forces of the Skitariius against any Xenos foe. Even against the forces of Chaos or members of the fellow Imperium, Quintex’s dedication to the Midath law of undiscovery is resolute. He began his career on the field in the surprise defense of Gethsemane AFR-74, in which he succeeded in protecting Midath secrets from the forces of the Thousand Sons, and was also the sole survivor. After the scenario, his decision making and combat prowess were lauded by even the Magos Domini, and Skitarii are reverent whenever he and his Omnissian Axe, Null Cog, lead the battle. Quintex is seen as both a trusted military leader and a true innovator in the fields of Xenos research.

* **Infomandrite Superior Herstandus van der Kreeth -** Often accompanied by Data-Vicar Oed al Phal 4-ii, Infomandrite Superior Herstandus van der Kreeth is a high ranking priest of the Diagnostic Coven. Protector Involate of the Dogma Sacrosanct, the Infomandrite is given the holy task of upholding the virtues and mysteries of the Omnissiah, and punishing any who are found to be transgressing. In Forge World Midath he is entrusted as being the judge, jury, and executioner when interpreting the will of the Omnissiah, and often has ideological clashes with the much more lenient Archmagos Nebuchanezza, whom with they regard each other with a begrudging respect. The Infomandrite carries out his morose duties with an air of pensive reflection-- each Heretek being appropriately dispatched but taken as a personal failure.

To combat the depressing nature of killing one’s own kind, van der Kreeth has found an outlet on the battlefield: becoming a near-obsessive combatant and attacking the enemies of Midath with otherwise unseen fervor. Broadcasting noospheric sermons and whipping nearby Skitarii and Cult members alike into a fervent rage, even members of the Ecclisiarchy would be impressed by his leadership, if they could understand it. He is one of the few members of the Diagnostic Coven entrusted with dispatching the Cipher Magistrata, who he appears to occasionally bring into battle for nothing more than his own personal enjoyment.

* **Hephastor B, Artillerist Prime of the Ordo Reductor -** Largely the relic of a forgotten age, Hephastor B was a founding member of Forge Midath during the Angevin Crusade in 384.M39. The Priests who still worship the Great Unmaker aspect of the Omnissiah are somewhat few and far between, but Hephastor B’s knowledge of destruction means his position within the Midathian war engineers is secure.

### Priesthood

* **Macrotek Faustina Bosch -** Faustina Bosch represents a curious case of a young Magos quickly rising through the ranks to become the Macrotek of Divisio Fabricator for Forge World Midath. Less than a century old and purpose-bred to become the ultimate efficiency in machine upkeep, Bosch not only rose to the challenge but exceeded expectations in her handling of even the most obstinate of machine spirits. She appears able and willing to communicate with the machine at a level closer to the metal than ever before attempted by the Forge World in a process known as “Rekindling.” This process presents extreme danger to the attending Magos at the level Faustina operates, creating potential for infinite feedback and degradation of the neurolink rendering the overseeing Techpriest “Sapiens Forfeit” and due for processing into the Servitor Maniple, but Faustina has been able to overcome each challenge with gusto.

* **Omniprophet Mercutio Bensk -** Hailing from the Divisio Investigatus, the Omniprophet Mercutio Bensk is often deployed to battlefields due to his unique ability to identify not only the nature of priority threats, but also their most likely courses of action. A personally developed prototype armor and Servo-skull interface affords Bensk with a persistent three hundred and sixty degree field of vision, and his own tri-neurolink lets him offload data processing to the more limited but efficient servos. He predicts what the enemy will do before they even make a decision, and uploads the proper countermeasures to any and all nearby Midath forces.

* **Hyper-Rationalist Aristotel Boole -** Notable for being one of the few non-Archmagos to personally attend The Trying of Martian Precepts and Credentia (it was simul-broadcast amongst all ranks of the Magos Proper), the relatively young Hyper-Rationalist made a name for himself in the early days of Midath by being able to quickly glance at complex mathematical dataspreads and theorems and accurately produce provable results, countertheorums, or courses of procedures in a fraction of the time it would take even a more accomplished member of the Divisio Logis. Boole attended The Trying and was able to derive its conclusion approximately twelve minutes after the multi-day convocation had begun, but was instructed to withhold the results of his analysis until it had run its course, as a method of redundant verification that the proper course of action was reached. Despite being repeatedly offered opportunities for advancement within Logis, Boole appears content with his position as a Hyper-Rationalist.

### House of Quiescence

* **[Ø] "Zed" -** This elusive member of Forge World Midath, according to all records both external and internal, has never existed. The moniker “Zed” is somewhat of a misnomer in of itself, for it introduces itself as such, but the name slips out of the memory of any it’s had interaction with moments after it leaves. There are even fewer who know of its true designation [Ø], limited to only the very elite of the Forge World, so far removed from the operations below that they have never interacted in the first place. Zed is a savant of noospheric dataflow manipulation henceforth unseen on Midath, and his unique data-inceptors allow him to pass unnoticed and unperturbed throughout any Mechanicus facility. When dealing with outsiders of the cult, he uses altered technology purloined from the sicarian infiltrators to produce audio-visual hallucinations many magnitudes greater than the standard kill-clades. First of the House of Quiescence, his untold mastery of Mechanicum sensors and memory banks has been utilized by the rest of the House as well.

* **[ØØ] “Uno” -** Occasionally, the only way to destroy is with munitions, a mantra to which Uno strongly propagates amongst Midath’s leadership. Originally a Skitarii Transuranic Arquebus rifleman, Uno was drafted into the Cipher Magistrata when his unnerving skill with the weapon was displayed, time and time again. The already deadly snipers of the Skitarii were simply unable to keep up with Uno’s performance on the field, who was prone to land further, more risky shots, with even more consistent results than the best of his peers in normal conditions. After admittance to the cult and a retrofitting of augmentations befitting his new priesthood status (as well as a deep-brain scan) Uno continued to provide heavy firearms support as a founding member of the House of Quiescence. One shot, one kill is a fairly benign number compared to Uno’s average shot/kill ratio, and his handcrafted munitions are said to make impossible turns and velocity adjustments to decimate his targets. Paired with Zed’s nooshperic shielding upgrades, Uno walks unseen amongst Midath until the call is made, and quickly thereafter, the target dispatched.

* **[ØØØ] “Zwei” -** To Zwei, subtlety is a relic of a forgotten time. Originally an experiment of Forge Word Midath to produce an ultra-capable combatant and taken from the Sicarian kill-clades by the Biologus tech priests. Aside from standard combat stimulants and enhancements afforded to Sicarians the Biologus attempted to create a state of perpetual adrenal stimulation, with which the result was a resounding, but unpredictable success. Zwei, augmented with several additional organs and bio-cleansers to maintain this continued elevated state, is often kept in a state of cryo-genesis, its blood drained and replaced with bio-neutral coolant until the time of deployment is upon it.

* **[ØØØØ] “‘Trois” -** One of the first recorded instances of a Blank upon Midath, upon birth was immediately transferred to the Divisio Psykana training facility to undergo immediate specialized research and extensive modification under the eyes of the psychic specialists. Other null entities had been recorded on the Forge World, but none before Trois survived the horrific regimen of surgery and augmentation uniquely designed to boost the Pariah gene's capabilities on the field. Becoming as physically grotesque as his aura was to be around, he was transferred to the House of Quiescence and began a specifically tailored anti-psyker training regimen curated by Midathian leadership.

### Associated Allies

* **Silas Zaede -** Silas Zaede is a character and a half for most people to digest, and one of the few members of the Inquisition to witness the birth of the Hybris Xenos conspiracy. A native of the Calixis Sector brought into the Inquisitorial fold at a young age for his promising and latently psychic mind, Silas spent his early years as a farmhand on Calixis agriworld of Dreah. Centuries older than many other Inquistors in the sector and witnessing a great many Xenos combat fellow foes of the Imperium, Silas quickly grew in the understanding and ranks of the Ordo Calixis to become a well-known Inquisitor in the sector.

When the Xenos Hybris conspiracy was birthed Silas was amongst the first Inquisitors tapped for support in the cause, and he readily supplied his knowledge and experience on the field. Witness to both the follies and successes of Calixis Sector Xenos species, Silas has grown a unique perspective that has gone on to service the Imperium well. A firm believer that leadership can make or break a battle, he has attuned his psychic prowess to hunting out the leaders of the enemy and quickly dispatching them with his signature meltagun. There is little in the galaxy that can withstand the burn of melta beam, and Silas aims to decapitate the enemies of the Imperium with a laser precision found little elsewhere.

Silas’ relationship with Midath is a complicated one, remembering the greed and avarice of the Forge World since before they went dark, but on important expeditions he will still heed the call of the conspiracy for the good of the Imperium in order to protect Midath from its enemies and witnesses. He wields his Inquisitorial authority with a gumption that is often masked by apparent reckless abandon, but his unknowable experience belies his tactical mindset. He often straddles the line of acceptable actions but never crosses it. He has been recently assigned to the Silent Reclamation Explorator Fleet to help dispatch the foes of Midath by hitting them where it hurts the most.

* **Elenoir De Bastraal -** Elenoir’s fiery temper is only augmented by her grim resolve on the battlefield to utterly destroy each and every enemy of the Imperium. Drawn as a promising orphan from the Schola Progenium into the fold of the Inquisition when her psyker gene manifested early, she was later exported to the Calixis Sector after multiple bouts of insubordination and anti-hierarchical thought patterns. Possessing a challenging, keen intellect and often questioning not only her direct superiors but the leadership only seen from afar, Elenoir was often seen as a contrarian and provocateur, but her unique perspectives have proved her worth several times over and garnered the interest of the Xenos Hybris conspiratory members.

Already open to the concept of alliable Xenos factions and even entrusting one of her own retinue to a member of a lesser Xenos species, Elenoir was approached by conspiracy members and welcomed them with open arms, finding comrades she didn’t knew existed but already aligned with their radical viewpoints. As a member of the Xenos Hybris she has been granted the knowledge of Forge World Midath’s existence and gained their support in her arms and armaments.

“Bigger weapons means bigger hurt” is a motto Elenoir appears to live by, and the rod she wields in battle has been augmented by Midathian nanites to cleave and destroy as effective as an Astartes Thunder Hammer, and her armor has a constant shroud of nanites surrounding it rendering her appearing in multiple places, nowhere, and everywhere, at the same time. Despite her relatively open mind she attacks any enemy of the Imperium with a renewed fervor, and views any who witness the forgotten Forge World’s machinations as one and the same with the enemy, even if it is fellow Imperium citizens

* **Kaeria Vortel -** Wielder of the infamous Genestealer-felling sword Broodbane, and donning the Artificer Power Armor Promise of Prayers, Kaeria Vortel’s former life was as a Sister Superior of the Adeptus Sororitas Bloody Rose Commandery on Gallowglass. She gained the interest of the Ordo Calixis after accompanying Inquisitor Staven Arcturos alongside her battle sisters on a purge of a nearby Cult of the Pauper Princes infecting the Calixis Sector agriworld of Dreah. In a ferocious battle in which her fellow battle sisters laid at her feet in holy martyrdom, in a moment of desperation she unlocked her latent psychic potential, which had been smothered and repressed throughout years of Sororitas indoctrination and training, and her blade glew with a field of power of her own creation as she felled a cohort of the Tyranid-afflicted alone.

Scared, alone, and unsure of the power that emanated from her-- Inquisitor Arcturos saw an opportunity. He did not mince words as he stated that her hidden psychic ability is likely grounds for expulsion, or worse, from the Ecclisiarchy, but she could find solace as a member of his retinue, where he would be able to protect her from harm. Surrounded by the bodies of her sisters, the blood-red tears of a Bloody Rose champion shifted to the transparent saline of humanity, and seeing no other options, she begrudgingly accepted the Inquisitor’s offer.

After many years in the Xenos Hybris’ care, she has steadily begun to unlearn the formidable brainwashing all sororitas undertake in their journey to become a battle sister, and a watershed moment occurred to her in battle when a Kroot mercenary, whomst she assumed was only around for coin, died so that she might live. In subsequent years she demonstrated a far more open mind amongst any Xenos companions the Inquisitor brought to the field, including the Tau and Aeldari. Witnessing her many years of devout service and recognizing not only her ferocity in battle but her intelligence away from the field, Inquisitor Arcturos eventually saw fit to induct her fully into the Xenos Hybris conspiracy by ordaining her a true Inquisitor of the Ordos Xenos.

As a trusted Inquisitor, Vortel was granted the knowledge of Forge World Midath’s existence, and they quickly worked to improve her armor and stabilize the force powers of her weapon. Owing a great debt to Midath for the bespoke wargear augmentations she has received, she often joins the field in tandem with the Mechanicus, especially if they are targeting a Tyranid threat. In the stoic remembrance of her fallen sisters she seeks to dispatch any and all of the Xenos monsters she can lay her blade upon. Preferring weaponry from her heyday in the Sororitas, the Forge World has supplied her with an Inferno pistol to burn out the hearts of any Xenos unfortuitous enough to fall within her grasp, and her hatred of the Tyranids that killed her brethren continues to forge the psychic flames that inhabit Broodbane to this day.

## Orginization

### Divisio Xenologus

Since entering a cautionary partnership with the Xenos Hybris, the Divisio Xenologus has quickly become one of the most dedicated and developed Divisiones on the Forge World. Largely focused on reverse-engineering and comprehending the mechanisms of the Xenos, it follows a rather simple doublethink to enable and justify its actions: 1. Everything in the known universe is subject to the same laws governing existence; 2. Xenos technology is an existence in the known universe; 3. Xenos technology operates on fundamentally the same principles of Imperial technology; 4. There must be some form of Machine Spirit that operates within Xeno technology; 5. The Machine Spirit, however weak, is proof of the Omnissiah’s Grace; 6. It is the Omnissiah’s Will to understand Xenos technology in the pursuit of true Comprehension.

Due to their extreme expertise encountering Xenos technology and biology, as well as their infallible dedication to the Midath cause, priests of the Divisio Xenologus are often designated to lead the Skitariius legions into battle in lieu of a Magos Dominus. This allows them to be the first to claim and observe any technology during the course of a conflict and autonomously upload petabytes of data and conclusions into the waiting Explorator fleet.

Each piece of recovered Xenos tech undergoes a thorough series of rituals, cleansings, and blessings before being operated upon, and many Xenos technologies are still considered too dangerous for study and are instead requisitioned to slag piles or superheavy containment. The most well-studied technology comes from those non-adversarial Xenos, such as the Eldar, Tau, and other minor species. The Machine Spirits inhabiting all Ork technology, while not considered dangerous, are particularly obstinate and combative, with devices often completely falling apart without the nearby presence of a living Ork.

### Divisio Metalurgicus

The unique properties of Midath itself quickly made Divisio Metalurgicus not only an important cog in the machine but one of the defining forces of the Forge World. Midath is a planet covered and filled by a unique gold-ytterbium alloy that lends itself extremely well to nanotechnology development and microcircuitry. This alloy permeates all facets of the planet and is as common as granite on Terra. The paramagnetic properties of the most commonly found isotope and high resilience to liquidization at multiple temperature points mean this naturally occurring alloy has defined the production of Midath for the entirety of its existence, and recent breakthroughs in alloy synthesization by the Divisio Metalurgicus has ensured the continued production of Midath Pattern goods ad infinitum. The alloy is featured in specific high-value Midath pattern technologies such as the iconic Midath Pattern Power Glove and the personal Omnissian Axe of Chief-Xenologist Soren Quintex.

### Diagnostic Coven

Due to the unique processing and logi-beliefs of Forge World Midath, the Diagnostic Coven assigned to root out techno-heresy is both hypervigilant and itself partially heretical. The Magos of Midath are ultra-aware of the incredibly thin line they tread in their pursuit of Imperial security and as such have assigned the Diagnostic Coven to a sort of standing police force amongst the Divisiones. Strictly forbidden from incorporating even the most sanctified of xenos technology into their systems, these Techpriests are ruthless in their duty and are extremely efficient in carrying out their deadly judgments. There are specific rules and guidelines to the handling and experimenting of xenos technology on Midath, and if these rules are ever discovered broken the resulting sentence is always death.

* **The Cipher Magistrata -** A subsect of the Diagnostic Coven, the Cipher Magistrata are elite agents of the Collegia Extremis tasked with ensuring no information of Midath ever reaches outside ears, by any means necessary. Clad in dual Midath Pattern Power Gloves and donning suitably debadged attire, these Techpriests have minimal external augmentations due to their frequent need to assimilate into Imperial crowds, although their inner bodily systems have been heavily modified to produce stronger, tougher, and more agile combatants. Partially lobotomized to maintain consistent activation of their cranially neighboring power fields, they are rendered completely mute, communicating amongst themselves and other Techpriests via noosphere-transmitted data packets. If a Cipher Magistratum ever makes his or her appearance known to you, you can know that it will be the last thing you ever see.

* **House of Quiescence -** The four highest ranking members of the Cipher Magistrata, each designated ultimate authority in the dispatch and command of the Cipher’s ranks. Each of whom are uniquely specialized and qualified to discreetly remove the Mechanicus’ internal threats, they are rumored to be some of the most capable and knowledgeable Techpriests in the entire Forge World. Their identities are unknown to all but themselves and a select few, with even Archmagos barred from those secrets. Shadows in the darkness, they operate unseen and unheard until their prey lies disemboweled or disassembled, whichever is more deadly. Each member possesses a unique specialization suited to a specific context of Mechanical Heresy, and in extremely rare instances they have been conscripted to fight against external foes.

## Associations

### Ordo Calixis Xenos Hybris

The Ordo Calixis, or Calixian Conclave, is an order of the Inquisition tasked with maintaining the security of the sector, and draws in many Inquisitors from each of the major and minor Ordos who are drawn to the mysteries of Calixis. Within the Conclave there is a small sect of Inquisitors, mostly composed of the Ordo Xenos, who believe that humans must learn from both the achievements and the mistakes of the alien in order to survive. These radical inquisitors have positioned Forge World Midath as their strongest ally, and helped all knowledge of the Forge World to disappear entirely from the Imperium’s records. The Xenos Hybris make sure Midath has all of the resources it needs to operate at maximum capacity, and will often personally accompany Midath Explorator fleets to study and discover xenos civilizations new and old. Several of the Inquisitors (whomst are officially listed as dead) are stationed on Midath itself to oversee and aid research and development, by securing supplies and handling under-the-table dealings for the Mechanicus.

### Lathe Worlds

The triple forge worlds of the Calixis Sector represent the main arm of the Adeptus Mechanicus’ presence in the sector, and are home to some of the few remaining records of Midath’s existence. Mostly composed of Martian Cult transplants, The Lathe Worlds would undoubtedly declare Midath to be a cult of Hereteks were they to discover its continued existence. However, they provided an unintentional boon to Midath’s continued secrecy with the passing of The Iron Wall of Silence in 740.M40. The rarely broken moratorium severs themselves almost completely from the entire rest of the sector, and aside from the most dire of circumstances, The Lathe Worlds have actively avoided communication and cooperation with the greater governance of Calixis ever since. The Grant of The Lathes in 380.M39 allows Midath to continually operate both individually and invisibly of the greater sector governance, fully exploiting the right to free and unchecked passage granted to members of the Adeptus Mechanicus in perpetuity.

### Logicians

A miserable cult of influence seen as Heretek by both Mars and Midath alike, the Forge World stands in the unfavorable position of often being mistaken for members of the Logicians when they are rarely glimpsed undertaking their secretive duties by onlookers. Wishing to bring Humanity back to its peaks of technological innovation during the Dark Age of Technology, the power of the cult stems from rogue Tech Priests, war profiteers, mercantilists, and there are whispers of even a few Inquisitors among their ranks. Forge World Midath unequivocally views the Logicians as a terrible threat to the survival of mankind, but due to their clandestine operations have been known to adopt the guise of the cult when it is deemed favorable or convenient. The Xenos Hybris open many doors for Midath, but the Forge World must remain adaptable in order to open even more.

### Divine Light of Sollex

A militant splinter faction of the Adeptus Mechanicus obsessed with technological modification beyond even that of the standard Cult Mechanicum and devoted to understanding the secrets of the photon and the laser, the faction was branded Tech-Heresy and Apostasy by The Lathe Worlds High Fabricator Castillar after the rebellion of Explorator Archmagos Umbra Malygris in 742.M41. The ensuing chaos and carnage lasted in a conflict spanning 28 Terran years with the ultimate demise of Umbra Malygris and his Explorator Fleet. The Divine Light of Sollex has since been heavily scrutinised and re-indoctrinated to the Martian Cult, although it is likely that Malygrisian tech-heresy lives on in the shadows. Midath remained largely isolationate from the conflict, utilizing lowered defenses to further their own missions where they could but mostly letting The Lathe Worlds reap what they had sown.

## Geography

Barren and desolate, the surface of Midath is covered with a fine layer mostly consisting of cyclosilicate mineral Benitoite dusting the surface. The high pressure environment required to form this mineral serve as a stark contrast to the planet’s thin atmosphere-- suggesting a large outgassing event of an unknown, thick atmosphere that occurred sometime before the planet was settled by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Speckling the planet’s surface are formations of it’s trademark gold-ytterbium alloy (Au60%Ni5%Yb35%) that appears largely to form the crustal surface and could be said to be as commonplace as granite on Terra.

Unlike granite, access to this material was a technological boon for Midath and contributed to several important innovations in the Forge World’s history. Immediately recognizing the value of this alloy, the early Midath colonizers decided against terraforming the planet into something more hospitable and instead preferred to build under the surface of the planet itself, simultaneously mining precious alloy and creating space for the mighty forges that were to come.

This penchant for underground operations has served Midath well. The planet, even under close scrutiny, appears totally barren, with the forge entrances well hidden and easily obscured through minor compositional changes to the landscape. This is further aided by the planet’s orbital nature: being tidally locked to its red dwarf star (moniker populus Pyxis Theta) means shifting lighting or instrument conditions are never a concern. The thin atmosphere allows most of the pollution and radiation produced from Midath operations escape the planet’s grasp, although what is left on the planet’s surface remains highly irradiated. There are no documented fauna or flora on Midath, and if it were not for its highly desirable mineral makeup it likely would never have been colonized.

## Explorator Fleets

### ZD-824.i "Zed Pallisa"

ZD-824.i (moniker populus Zed Pallisa) is best known for its Gothic class vessel the Conoscenza, which played a key role in the defense of Gethsemane AFR-74. Equipped with a sizable Ordo Reductor Ordinatus designed specifically to destroy all traces of compromised Midath research stations; it both enabled the successful teleportation of Soren Quintex and defended Gethsemane AFR-74’s knowledge from falling into the hands of the Chaos gods. Often deployed to the fringes of Midath’s normal operations, Zed Pallisa and accompanying similar fleets perform the regular but important duty of wiping Midath’s existence from any known records, as well as monitoring established research channels for signs of tech-heresy. As such, each fleet in the ZD designation carries with it not only capable Ordo Reductor Maniples but also a Heavy presence of the Diagnostic Coven, and often several agents of the Cipher Magistrata. Often not the most sought after of Midath’s many Explorator fleets, the ZD designation including Zed Pallisa performs the vital and brutal duty of Forge World erasure that they serve with utmost attention and care.

### ZD-618.o "Zed Uzumaki"

ZD-618.o (moniker populus Zed Uzumaki) is a fleet known to embark upon the Explorator Crusade Ultima Redress, later becoming re-designated Explorator Crusade Dreadfall. Helmed by the rare Ark Mechanicus vessel Dream of the Rood, this mythical craft, one of only several Ark Mechanicus class vessels within the purview of Midath, leads not because of hubris but necessity. Operating on the very edge of Midathian influence in the Segmentum Ultima of the Imperium, the greater manufacturing and defense capabilities of the Dream of the Rood allow it to operate as more of a mobile Forge World than a proper flagship. Housing Midath-optimized forges, teleportation matrices of all sizes, and even an entire clone-vat library– the Dream of the Rood is equipped to handle any and all challenges the forge world may face in this distant region of space. A vessel of such outstanding status could only be helmed by an Archmagos of equally resplendent repute, and the Archmagos Xenologus Nebuchannezza adopted the responsibility, although it was unclear if it was out of a sense of duty or an excitement to operate away from the already lenient xenology of Midath. Originally sent to investigate, reintegrate, or recuperate research outposts in the Segmentum Ultima, upon a closed-door conclave with several tenuous xenobrid allies of the Xenos Hybris, the Explorator Fleet rapidly changed designation to Dreadfall and began investigating the system known as Olnemia.

## Collegia Titanica and Knight Houses

Before the conspiracy, Midath was a powerful Forge World, and one of the few still capable of manufacturing Titan components. As such, their Collegia Titanica remains operational and well-maintained even with their more limited resources, and they have the fealty of several Knight Houses within the thirteen planets of the Threnos Zone. The Legio Halcyonic, or Golden Legion, are not often brought to the field due to their large profile, which is often counterproductive to their subterfuge and secrecy, but rather deployed as a stop-gap measure in the most dire of circumstances, when the only desirable result is unadulterated rubble and destruction. Princeps Grand Master Barnabus Sax commands the Midath Collegia Titanica with a stoic fist, showing great amounts of devotion to the Xenos Hybris cause and recognizing the pinnacle of force his legion commands.

### House Malheur

The history of House Malheur is one of torture. Although most of its official records may be lost to the annals of historical negligence, the legend of its founding ceremony becoming marred by a manifestation of the Tyrant Sun blacking out the sky is one held with conviction and a sort of reverence by the Nobles of the House. It has become an ironic symbol of fortune for a Tyrant Star to be present during the Ritual of Becoming, and the resulting warriors prove to be especially ruthless and brutal additions to the House. The House and its planet were rediscovered shortly before the formation of Forge World Midath, being naturally located in the Threnos sector, and were conscripted to aid The Legio Halcyonic well before the conspiracy came into play. Loyal retainers of the Midath Titan Legions– House Malheur faced a terrible fate after the Xenos Hybris erasure of the Forge World around 740.M40, forced to adopt the clandestine and dishonorable practices of the Midath in order to retain their fealty to The Golden Legion. Hypocrisy and doublethink became required operations of the House Nobles, and many turned to the arts as an outlet for the pressures of this self-hating reality, many even contributing personally to the intricate liveries that decorate their machines. Although the official House motto reads: “The Silver of Nobility, The Gold of Grace,” that has largely been subsumed, and even replaced on newer Knights, with the unofficial but widely adopted motto of “May Salvation Find Us in Death.”

## Notable Findings and Innovations

### Midath Pattern Power Glove

Consisting of a single sheath that extends all the way to the shoulder, the flexible golden material that makes up most of the glove is of a substance unknown to the Mechanicus. It bends and flexes without resistance, and never crinkles or ruffles, maintaining its smooth, reflective surface at all times.

Once active, the glove acts much like a standard Power Fist, albeit a low-powered one, but as the power field it generates surrounds the entire length of the user's armp, it can be used to parry quite effectively. Unfortunately, it is this same power field that tends to cause damage to the wielder's central nervous system the longer the glove is activated, typically limiting its use in extended combat actions.

### Immaterios Novis

The Immaterios Novis is the first true piece of hybrid human-xenos tech produced by Midath. A gigantic brass eye whose pupil continually swirls and pulses with reddish light, it allows a voidcraft to navigate the Warp over short distances without the aid of a physical Navigator.

### Combat Ready Ambull Bio-Automata (C.R.A.B.)

The Luther Pattern Excavation Automata (moniker populus “Ambot”) was a key component to the early days of Midath’s colonization to mine and dig the interweaving tunnels and chambers that make up the ever-producing forges of the planet. One of the few Imperial worlds sanctioned with the controlled breeding and proliferation of the species due to their ubiquitous and necessary utility to the Forge World. It may even be that these early historical ties with Xenos biology led the Archmagi to funnel more and more research and interest into further possible Xenos technological integration. As cultivation of Ambull biology continued and technological curiosity increased, upgrades and experimentation were deemed beneficial to Midath.

The most successful of these experimentations resulted in the Combat Ready Ambull Bio-Automata (moniker populus “CRAB”). Standing a full meter taller than it’s mining equivalent, the CRAB is augmented with a lengthened stride to better close the gap with enemy combatants, and their cortical limiters have been adjusted to allow their more basal, aggressive state of being to be activated via a toggle from an accompanying techpriest. Various weapon retrofittings have been attempted for use with CRABs, but the Ambull brain inside the robotic shell seems to be most proficient and effective with its mining tools and claws.