History and Politics of The Gilead System

Located in the coreward region near the border of the Segmentum Solar and the Segmentum Obscurus, the worlds of the Gilead system have stood for millennia as a beacon of Imperial order. Possessing numerous habitable planets and moons, those who settled this region found it surprisingly welcoming to human life. Originally discovered by an Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet, the system was claimed for the Imperium after a brief period of war against heretics and Chaos Space Marines who had begun to infest the region. Until the dawning of the Dark Imperium, these worlds thrived and prospered. It was considered one of the greatest successes of its sector of space, a gleaming example of the Imperium’s majesty and righteousness. However, the Noctis Aeterna isolated the system, casting down Gilead’s successes and wreathing the region in the warp-storms of the Great Rift.

## The Heartworlds

The capital world of the system bears the same name. The planet of Gilead Primus is a Hive World of over sixteen billion souls. Its tiered hive-cities rise above banks of eternal fog, its entire surface given over to manufactorums, hab-stacks, slums,the industry of the Imperium. A massive orbital plate hovers overhead, and the world is circled by several moons. The Forge World of Avachrus lies punishingly close to the system’s sun, utterly hostile to human life, yet prized by the Adeptus Mechanicus for its numerous precious resources. It also possesses an orbital ring and shipyard that services the Varonius flotilla. Nethreus a Knight World, home to High King Vilmaar and several Knight Houses. The Imperial Knights often prove their worth by battling the local megafauna. Ostia is an Agri- World whose harvests feed most of the system. A series of orbital Defence platforms, stations, and kill-satellites known as the Crown of Blades rings Ostia and serves as the seat of power for the system’s Astra Militarum regiments. Lastly, the dusty, desert-ridden Shrine World of Enoch is swollen with stranded pilgrims and refugees, barely able to handle a teeming population that they were in no way prepared to host. Lord-Militant Tyleria Fylamon has taken direct, military governance of most of the Gilead System prior to the Varonius’ dynasty’s arrival. Possessing a tyrannical aggressive personality, Fylamon often clashes with the Rogue Trader and other Imperial factions. Her fervour and zealous schemes to secure the system have required many of the influential Imperium leaders to choose between her and Varonius.

## The Reach

Beyond the Heartworlds lies the outermost portions of the system. Here in the Reach, aliens, pirates, and worse thrive amongst this remote region. Many of the ships lost attempting to cross the Straits of Andraste end up as debris and wreckage, filling a large region of space now called the Voidmire. Eldar Corsairs claim the Voidmire as their territory. These corsairs practice both piracy and diplomacy seemingly at random, controlled by the whims of their mercurial leader, Ferianwyr the Emerald Princess. Across the system lies Persephone’s Regret, a tumbling space hulk formed of dozens of ships. This gargantuan conglomerate wildly different void-craft serves as a battleground between several groups of Orks and the alien predators known as genestealers.

## The Membrane Worlds

When the Great Rift appeared, a few rogue worlds emerged from the warp storms. These exoplanets are new additions to the Gilead system, their orbits erratic and confined—at least, for now—to the fringes of the region. Like fresh poison injected into a healthy host, it has yet to be determined how deadly and dangerous these worlds may prove. Vulkaris is a frozen planet, its surface dotted with what appear to be abandoned Imperial shrines. Plague and decay frost every surface on Vulkaris, and it is considered a quarantined world forbidden to any to land there. Troilus at first appears to be simple hive world—empty and silent. However, it appeared directly in the path of the Eldar Craftworld Ul-Khari, causing that massive vessel to crash with a devastating impact. The Eldar of that Craftworld struggle to survive and pick up the pieces of their shattered home.

## The Varonius Dynasty and the Straits of Andraste

The tides of the Great Rift shifted and roiled, forming what seemed at first to be a stable corridor that might offer passage to the Imperium Sanctus. However, this appearance was a treacherous lie, luring dozens of vessels to their doom as they broke apart or were lost forever upon the warp shoals. Only after many decades had passed and all hope seemed lost was the promise of this dangerous journey fulfilled. Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius and his fleet managed to cross the Great Rift, dubbing the passage the Straits of Andraste after the name of his scout frigate who initially located the way through. Aboard the Rogue Trader’s flagship was an ancient and skilled Navigator, an elder of the renowned House Omincara. Only through the Navigator’s impressive power and a healthy portion of good fortune was the fleet able to arrive in the Gilead system. Once there, the Rogue Trader’s charismatic leadership, his influential Warrant of Trade, and the weight of House Omincara’s aid convinced the Imperial officials of the system to bow to the Varonius dynasty as their saviour and guardian.

## The Lost Crusade

With the arrival of Lord Inquisitor-General Victor deBourgogne Ray XVI and Task Force Ultima the power of the Varonius Dynasty was massively reduced. Lord Inquisitor-General Victor deBourgogne Ray XVI openly backed Lord Militant Tyleria Fylamon and with both their forces combined, was double anything that the Varonius Dynasty could field. Jakel Varonius had no choice but to accept a power sharing plan that gave most of the power and control in the system to Lord Inquisitor-General Victor deBourgogne Ray XVI and Lord Militant Tyleria Fylamon.