Incendir III

Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of the Gold Templars barren home world of Incendir III, present day.

## Planet

### Class

Death World; Adeptus Astartes Chapter Home World; Converted Forge World

### Population

90 Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus clergy, chapter serfs and servitors, neophytes.Approximately 150,000,000 mining and manufactorum laborers.

## Location

### System

Incendir system

**Incendir III** is a barren Death World that is also the demesne of the Gold Templars Space Marine Chapter, serving as their Chapter home world. Their military coordination across the galactic north is executed from here.

## History

The earliest record of human occupation on this planet dates back to a time before the Age of Strife, when humanity exploded out into the stars. Though there are no data-slates or physical documents surviving from this time, ruins of ancient structures indicate that the planet was likely settled in approximately M24.

During the Age of Strife, a potent warp storm roiled around the Incendir system, cutting off connection for millennia. During this period, the technology and society of the world devolved significantly, into a pre-industrial feudal world. Due to the warp storm, the only stars in their night sky were the other celestial bodies in the system, and due to the lack of enforcement of the Imperial Creed, new spirituality began to form around them that diverged from the imperial canon.

While the warp storm was being observed during M37, a patrol squadron of Battlefleet Gothic detected that it had begun to subside, exposing a long forgotten world. Imperial records were inconclusive regarding the presence of human civilization on this world, so the squadron sent a scout ship to tentatively evaluate the world's surface. From low orbit, there appeared to be indications of widespread human civilization, and atmospheric craft were deployed to discover where the human inhabitants remained.

Immediately, the fleet organized to make contact with the leaders of this world. Their societies were brought in line with Imperial conventions very quickly, and after establishing a few key Imperial outposts, the planet was left to develop under the supervision of the Astra Militarum. Soon, colonization expanded to the neighboring planets in the system to populate further, establishing Incendir II and IV as new settlements.

### The Homeworld War

The most devastating conflict hosted in the system, the Homeworld War, was a turning point for the history of their entire civilization. The world was faced by two immense threats, both a Tyranid incursion as well as an invasion of Skullsworn chaos space marines and daemons. In this conflict, nearly every inhabitant of Incendir III was massacred, and the surface and atmosphere of the planet were devastated. Despite the Tyranids rising up against the incumbent Imperial forces first, it was the Skullsworn who razed the planet to its near destruction, erecting an enormous mountain of skulls.

During the conflict, it was the saving grace of the Blood Angels that prevented the complete annihilation of the world, and indeed, the entire Incendir system itself. The small retinue of soldiers that managed to arrive on the planet in time held back the forces of Chaos long enough for an entire company to arrive and repel the daemons and heretics.

Scorched as it was, the tumultuous burning fields cooled over time, forming a barely hospitable death world. The planet's industries couldn't recover, save for the mining operations that existed, due to rich rare mineral deposits. This was seen as the only suitable use for the planet after its destruction, and therefore it was converted to an industrial world. Centuries later, when the Gold Templars arrived to establish their home world, the now forge world of Incendir III was shaped into the center of their operations and resources.

## Industry

Due to the inhospitable wastelands covering the planet, it serves only two purposes now: industry and military occupation. Multiple massive manufactorums are present to exploit the natural mineral resources, and these factories are directly overseen by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

### Labor

Workers from Incendir IV rely heavily on manufactorums to survive. The existence of jobs shrank in the extreme after the cities were wiped from the surface of Incendir III, and the industry of the whole system shriveled. Many tens of thousands of destitute hive city inhabitants fight daily to earn rations for themselves and their families, because work on Incendir III is highly valuable. New manufactorums opening are often celebrated.

### Adeptus Mechanicus Presence

Even though the Gold Templars Chapter Master officially governs Incendir III, the dominant presence on the planet is actually the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Templars have decidedly given quite a lot of leeway to the organization of factories, industry, and resources, in the effort to culminate a positive relationship with the Mechanicus. In turn, the chapter is given access to a great wealth of wargear and resources, which are produced at a very rapid rate.

Tervos, at once a highly important figure in the Gold Templars chapter as well as the Adeptus Mechanicus, leverages these resources for his benefit. The isolated nature of the chapter's functions results in reduced scrutiny, a fact that is also exploited. As such, things like experimental pieces of armor and weapons can occasionally be constructed and tested for the benefit of the chapter, or to satiate the dark curiosities of the Mechanicus. Indeed, there are concerns among the chapter that further projects, known only to trusted members of the Mechanicus operating on Incendir III, are taking place. Some believe that these projects could theoretically be to the benefit of humanity, while others fear that they may spiral out of control and benefit only chaos.

## Chapter Occupation

The Templars predominantly draw neophytes from Incendir II and Incendir IV, as their populations were not tainted by the devastation of chaos. The partially reconstructed cityscapes and magma caves have served as both fortifications for the fortress monastery, as well as valuable training grounds for their neophytes. The loss of Incendir III had been a massive shock to the citizens of the system, and the Templars utilized the fear that the citizens had of foes lurking around every corner, reshaping the system's culture into a war-ready society.

Due to the lack of permanent habitat structures for citizens, the only presence the Gold Templars officially maintain on the planet is that of their home base.

### Fortress-Monastery

The structure they used for defense during the Homeworld War was converted into their fortress-monastery, known as *Lux Bastille*. The fortress is the center of a large distribution network of soldiers, and while it does serve the purpose of storing and maintaining the chapter's relics, armory, and libraries, troop organization is handled primarily onboard the battle barges of the chapter. Drilling of neophytes is predominantly carried out on vast training grounds that can simulate a wide array of tactical situations.

Forces are rarely stationed at the monastery in large numbers, with a small contingent of guards in place to defend the system. When neophytes are fully trained, they are sent on void ships to one of the systems in the Imperium Nihilus where marines are needed most. Gold Templars that are rising to a new company will return to *Lux Bastille* to complete rites of ascension and acquire new equipment. Due to the need for efficient use of resources, multiple squads will ascend at the same time, making the events infrequent.