Lithex Forge Worlds

The three feuding Forge Worlds of Lithex Dominus, Lithex Maximus, and Lithex Optimus

## Politics

### Dominus

Bitter rivals of Lithex Maximus and enemy-shifting-into-frienemy of Lithex Optimus. Favours defence of the heartland of the Excellon subsector, although provides token materiel to the Excellon Line, particularly in the form of ship hulls.

The conflict with Maximus goes back countless generations, with each world disputing the source of the grievance. Currently the most frequently aired grievances centre around the reluctance of Dominus to provide a as substantial a share of the materiel to fight the Correndor wars as Maximus would like. In particular, the titans of Legio Dominatus have remained at rest throughout all but the first years of the conflict; Dominus cites ongoing technical issues, but in truth the archmagos has no desire to lose such majestic engines of destruction in a futile war of attrition.

Relations with Optimus remain chilly, due in no small part to an ongoing dispute over the near-monopoly that Dominus holds over provision of fertiliser to the agri-worlds of the Regalia subsector. Nevertheless, a recent collaboration between the two worlds in climactic optimisation technologies hints that a thaw may be coming.

Dominus used to be clear dominant power among the three Lithex worlds, but the bureaucratic inertia behind the wars in the Correndor sub has driven a wedge between Dominus and the elites of the sector. For centuries Dominus has relied heavily on a close relationship with the venerable leadership of High Khessar but, with the change in sector, this power has depreciated and Maximus has been only too happy to outmaneuver the sclerotic bureaucracy of Dominus in order to cosy up with the emerging players.

### Maximus

Longstanding antagonist of Lithex Dominus. Currently somewhat warm but cooling relations with Lithex Optimus.

Prioritises the security of the Excellon Line above all else and is constantly pushing for more resources to be assigned to its defence. Though outwardly enthusiastic about the stated goals of the Correndor subsector wars, in truth there is a persistent belief among the highest echelons of Maximus that one of the worlds lost to the carnage holds holy STC relics. The life's work of many an magos of Maximus has been dedicated to tracking down these fragments.

Hostile to novel technology, Maximus focuses on finding and exhaustively chronicling genuine pieces of STC-approved tech and producing these designs as closely to the ideal of the original specifications as possible.

Their provision of mining equipment has endeared them to most of the mining worlds of the sector, which has been souring relations with Lithex Optimus who particularly compete for Mosscoh's affection.

### Optimus

Mercurial in their relationship with the other two **Lithex Worlds**. Have been more positive towards Lithex Maximus than Dominus over the last century or so, but tides are turning in the other direction in recent years.Their broadly pro-Cawl stance and conflicts over mining contracts with Mosscoh have driven a wedge between Optimus and Maximus as the latter has begun to ascend towards a dominant position, pushing the former towards the influence of the waning Dominus world.

The primary consistent theme to Optimus' interaction with its Mechanicus neighbours is a desire for balance between the other two powers, which the leadership of Optimus pursues through a range of underhanded means. Their motivation for this policy if, first and foremost, wanting to be left alone by their more powerful rivals so they may focus on extending influence over the Regalia sub and engaging in biological experiments that may be deemed questionable should the intelligence organisations of Dominus and (especially) Maximus stop being distracted by each-other.