Innsmouth Sector

**Innsmouth Sector** is an Imperium-designated sector of space in the Ultima Segmentum. It borders the Realm of Ultramar to the galactic south-east and the Tau Empire to the galactic north. Innsmouth Sector derives its name from Hive World Innsmouth, the *de facto* sectoral capital planet.

Innsmouth Sector comprises an area of 8 million cubic lightyears divided into sub-sectors around major population centers. The rest of the sector's wilderness space is home to the Ork pirates, Tyranid splinter fleets, and Chaos renegades that are a constant threat to the region.

Due to its close proximity to the Imperium-Tau border and the ongoing incursion from both Chaos and Ork forces, Innsmouth Sector is home to a substantial deployment of Imperial military assets.

## History of Innsmouth Sector

### **Dark Age of Technology**

Fragmented records in the possesion of Innsmouth Sector historians indicate that the area was first colonised at some point during M20. For several centuries afterwards, the area now known as Innsmouth Sector was part of the ancient fiefdoms allied to Macragge.Hive World Innsmouth was a center of industry and economy for the local region, much as it remains today. Stories abound in these ancient records of archeotech military bases and manufacturing facilities across the region, leading to something of a constant techno-hunt in the modern-day Innsmouth Sector as both agents of the Imperium and its enemies seek out the advantages that such discoveries may bring.

### **Age of Strife**

Innsmouth Sector suffered devastating civil war during the Age of Strife, made worse by widespread daemonic incursions unwittingly brought about by the newly-discovered psyker population. Whole planets were razed of population and industry as the sectoral citizens struggled to survive on their warp-isolated worlds. It was the Age of Strife that brought about the *de facto* independence ofHive World Innsmouth and the surrounding worlds from the ancient empire of Macragge, which never managed to regain these lost territories after the warp storms finally receded at the beginning of the Age of Imperium. By the end of the Age of Strife, Hive World Innsmouth was ruled by a psyker overlord simply known as The Winterman.

### **Age of Imperium & The Great Crusade**

Hive World Innsmouth was rediscovered by the Imperium during the Great Crusade of M30. A tactical turn of fate led to the planet being reclaimed by units of the Imperial Fists rather than the Ultramarines - then still known as the VIII Legion. Whilst the Emperor took the forces of the VIII Legion onward to Macragge and their eventual reunification with their Primarch, a group of Imperial Fists was detached from the main Expeditionary Fleet to secure the flank. The Fists descended upon Hive World Innsmouth with the cold, calculated fury for which they are known. Great battles raged within the walls of the continent-spanning hives that dotted the planet's surface, until eventually The Winterman and his psychic army of horrors was slain to the last acolyte. Following the pacification of Innsmouth Sector, the Emperor decreed that the sacrifices of the Imperial Fists would be celebrated by the conversion of the sectoral world Paulos into a global monument of rememberance. This turn of events in the distant past of the Imperium would lead directly to the eventual formation of the Disciples of Dorn.

### **Horus Heresy**

Innsmouth Sector was cut off from the western Imperium by the Ruinstorm, suffering a second bout of civil war. Although the bulk of the population and sectoral military assets remained loyal to the Emperor, a small percentage of Imperial Army forces with links to the Traitor Legions took up arms in the name of Horus. This second bout of civil war continued until the cessation of the Ruinstorm and the arrival of loyalist reinforcements. The entire sectoral population was then meticulously investigated for remaining traitors in what is known locally as the Innsmouth Scouring; this local event formed part of the larger Scouring campaign that followed Horus' defeat on Holy Terra. Despite this thorough purge, Innsmouth Sector of M41 still suffers from Chaos renegades that lurk within wilderness space and strike out from the strongholds of their traitorous starships.

### **Innsmouth Sector Post-Heresy**

The history of Innsmouth Sector since the Heresy has been primarily one of turmoil, with only occasional stretches of peace. Ork pirates and Chaos renegades are a constant threat to the region, whilst surviving Tyranid splinters from former Hive Fleet Behemoth still make the region their hunting ground. These facts have all resulted in a large quantity of permanently stationed Imperial assets.

In addition, Tau border raids are a common occurrence in the northern systems of Innsmouth Sector. Whilst the Third Sphere of Expansion campaign rages predominately to the north-east of Tau territory across the Damocles Gulf, a sizeable proportion of Tau forces remain on the southern border of their empire. These forces maintain a bulwark against Innsmouth Sector and the Realm of Ultramar, protecting the rear-guard of their core worlds. Imperial intelligence analysts believe the purpose of these Tau raids to be predominately a distraction tactic, tying up Imperial assets and minimizing the possibility of an Imperial strike on the Tau's southern border.

## Geography of Innsmouth Sector

Innsmouth Sector is made up of 4 sub-sectors, withHive World Innsmouth located in the Innsmouth Sub-Sector to the sectoral west.

The following is a comprehensive list of the planetary systems around which each of the sub-sectors are organized, including any notable planets within those systems:

#### **Innsmouth Sub-Sector**

1. Innsmouth system
	1. Hive World Innsmouth - *de facto* sectoral capital. Home of the sector-level branches of the Adeptus Administratum, Departmento Munitorum, and Adeptus Arbites.
2. Astra Rouge System
3. Bravos System
	1. Port Black - Blood Angels vassal world given to the Chapter in thanks for their sacrifices at the First Battle of Invictus Majoris in 825.M41. Home to a detachment of Blood Angels troops and fleet assets.
4. Galaxion System
5. Indrigo System
6. Pioneer System

#### **Pauldron Sub-Sector**

1. Heraldus System
2. Saltire System
3. Bastion System
4. Andreas System
5. Iridia System
6. Cassius System