Caerbannog

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**Caerbannog** is the Legion homeworld of the XII Legiones Astartes - the Wardens of Light. Located on the far western brother of the known galaxy in the Segmentum Pacficus, near the border of the Segmentum Tempestus, Caerbannog is the world where the incubation pod of the infant Primarch Gwalchavad came to rest, and would forever after change the fate of this world.

## History

The isolated world of Caerbannog is located on the western-most reaches of the known galaxy, bordering the Inter-galactic Void on the trail edge of the Segmentum Pacificus. This world is a planet of rare structure, consisting not of landmasses surrounded by seas, but of islands and continents drifting in the skies. Thick layers of clouds hid the inner core of the world. The cause of this state was heavily argued upon among the people of Caerbannog. Some speculated it must be the effect of long lost archeotech or incredibly powerful magic. Others saw them as evidence of powerful deities that wanted to reach the light of the sun and lifted the landmasses into the sky. Littered across surface of the floating continents were ruins from a distant past, holding within them the keys to technologies long forgotten and to unknown riches.

Eventually, the humans who set foot on Caerbannog began to exploit these forgotten technologies. With fleets of primitive airships and proto-jumppacks, civilization spread across the face of the world, but soon splintered into smaller tribes fighting over riches from the ancient age. More and more ancient weapons were excavated from the dormant ruins, but power gave birth to ambition, and ambition to war. Nations declared war on neighboring lands, who had also discovered ancient weapons. The battles became epic struggles. And peace was a dream discarded for superiority over one another.

As the burgeoning Imperium of Man began its galactic expansion to reunite the disparate worlds of Humanity into a singular, star-spanning empire of Mankind, these were dark times for Caerbannog. The peasants of this world prayed for a ray of light to end the time of constant wars and free people from the yoke of violence they were unable to escape. When the red comet of an incubation pod appeared over the skies of the shattered world, many inhabitants of Caerbannog did not realize that it announced the arrival of a son of the Master of Mankind.

### The Warmth of Light

As the Primarch rapidly grew to adulthood, his curiosity and insatiable quest for knowledge led him on a globe-trotting quest across the long lost world, discovering a lost city of great antiquity. Over several months, Gwalchavad investigated more and more of the lost city and was able to retrieve several tomes of knowledge. At first he was not able to comprehend them as they were written in a language few humans were ever able to speak. As the days passed, he taught himself how to read the ancient tomes and mastered the language of old. In those ancient rites, Gwalchavad found answers that forever altered his perceptions of Caerbannog, and the universe as a whole. He learned that he stood on sacred ground and that the island was called Avelorn, a place where no violent behavior was permitted and the constructs served as wardens to ensure peace in this sacred place.

He learned that the original inhabitants of Caerbannog came to this planet to seek a new path for themselves, fleeing the corruption which befell their race. But soon the corruption found its way into their hearts once more and thereafter war after war was waged against each other much like the humans who now settled on this planet. Their arrogance was limitless and only amplified by their knowledge of destruction. Weapons of mass destruction were created and after centuries of constant war, the spiral of violence flew out of control. With the weapons created by the ancients, the planet’s surface was torn apart apart and the ancient civilization came to an end. Those who withstood the corruption had created Avelorn, a city hidden in the mist. But as the ruins suggested, they too were destroyed along with their brethren. The ruins were a mere glimpse of the true power the ancients inherited and with Gwalchavad's previous experience of war they were a cruel warning to him that violence would only lead to more violence and eventually obliteration.

With this newfound knowledge, Gwalchavad vowed to atone for his violent past and bring the people of Caerbannog their long sought-after peace, they so desired. Eventually, the Primarch went on to reform the authoritarian state that had lorded over the hapless citizens for so long, establishing true peace. The movement spread across the planet and the people rejoiced at the changing of their fate, believing Gwalchavad's return as the ray of light they had been praying for for. Soon they spoke of him as the 'Avatar of Light', sent by the heavens to free them of the darkness. Peace had quickly reached the remaining nations as the people finally freed themselves from the cycle of conflict.

Weapons only capable of killing were tossed aside and under Gwalchavad's guidance the people finally found peace and were unified as one. When he considered his work done, Gwalchavad put down the mantle of leadership and installed a council of wise men and women, representatives of the countries of old, giving his power back to the people of Caerbannog. They would work together for Caerbannog's prosperous future.

Gwalchavad retreated to Avelorn, the remote island hidden in the mist, where he had conquered his vicious nature and pursued further enlightenment. Every leader-to-be made a pilgrimage to Gwalchavad's sanctuary in order to study the ancient histories of Caerbannog and the wars that had nearly consumed it in ages long past to prevent anything like this from happen again. Gwalchavad himself became a legend and the people told the story of the Avatar of Light who had freed them from the darkness of war.

### The Emperor Arrives

Several decades after Gwalchavad had retreated to his quiet exile, the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade arrived on Caerbannog. The strangers were welcomed with open arms by Caerbannogs open-minded population.

When the Emperor heard the legends of the so called 'Avatar of Light', he knew that one of his sons must have landed on this world. He made his way to Gwalchavad, accompanied by Icarion Stormborn, primarch of the Ist Legion and Ixiptatlan, primarch of the XIIIth.