Kharis Sector

## History

### Pre-Imperial Era

This area of space has been inhabited by humanity since the Dark Age of Technology, having been one of the last areas near Terra to be settled by explorers. Up until then, deep space endeavours were mostly aimed north and east towards the galactic core.

A handful of STCs dating from this period were discovered by the Adeptus Mechanicus around M36.

### Great Crusade & Horus Heresy

This area was conquered early in the Great Crusade and, like every other Imperial territory, saw its share of civil war when the Horus Heresy split the Imperium in two. On the majority of worlds the loyalists won so when the Great Scouring swept through the sector, it found most planets were still openly loyal to the Emperor. The relative handful of planets which had declared for Horus had their populations ruthlessly exterminated by vengeful loyalist Space Marine Legions and Imperial Army contingents. These planets were invariably resettled by colonists from the other worlds centuries later, though a few were quarantined and subject to exterminatus.

### Nova Terra Interregnum

During the war between Nova Terra and the Imperium the Kharis Sector fell onto the Imperium's western border, becoming contested territory. When war broke out between the Ur-Council of Nova Terra and the High Lords of Terra, the worlds of the Kharis Sector dutifully raised new Imperial Guard regiments by the hundreds, sending hundreds of millions of men and women to fight for Imperial reunification. The same occurred during the Constantinus Iconoclasm when Nova Terra rose in revolt a second time.

### Age of Apostasy & Reign of Blood

When the excesses of Ecclesiarch Goge Vandire and his predecessors once again brought the Imperium to the brink of collapse, the Kharis Sector was largely engulfed in strife. Unrest at the Ministorum's exorbitant tithes boiled to the surface and Vandire's Frateris Templars found themselves besieged by rioting citizenry. Eventually Sebastian Thor and his Confederation of Light arrived in the Kharis Sector, hoping to find allies in Segmentum Solar. Thor's skillful oratory rekindled the faith of billions. Following the death of Vandire, the Adepta Sororitas were viewed as the Imperium's saviours. Statues and effigies of Vandire were torn down, smashed and burned throughout Kharis Sector and his few remaining supporters were executed for heresy. The newly-reformed Ecclesiarchy's efforts to restore the infrastructure and well-being of the common people of the Imperium paid off spectacularly, creating an upwelling of religious fervour which saw the creation of shrine world after shrine world.

### Psychic Awakening

The phenomenon known as the Psychic Awakening has spread across the galaxy, affecting countless Imperial worlds. Fearful of a new Age of Strife, Ministorum Preachers have incited Imperial citizens against the witch, resulting in witch-hunts and the brutal executions of newly awakened psykers and their families.

## Subsectors

The Kharis sector is divided almost evenly between five different subsectors:

### Boreus

Kharis' northern subsector,this region is cold, desolate and sparsely inhabited with little beneficial resources; most planets in this area of space are dead worlds and/or ice worlds. At present it is largely impassable due to clusters of dark matter, the dense remains of dying stars in ancient nebulae and increasing warp turbulence. What few worlds the Imperium exploits in this area are inhabited by hardy settlers who have fended off sporadic greenskin attacks for decades.

### Zephyros

Constituting the west of Kharis along the border with Segmentum Pacificus, this is considered to be a stronghold of the Adeptus Ministorum due to the high number of shrine and cemetery worlds. It contains many systems along the Great West Pilgrim route between Terra and the western Halo Stars. The majority of this route has been declared insecure since the start of the Night of a Thousand Rebellions and Sector Command has made the decision to turn back or destroy ships entering from Segmentum Pacificus unless they can produce sufficient military authentication.

### Eurus

The eastern part of Kharis is heavily populated, full of hive worlds, forge worlds and agri worlds which send much of their surplus to Terra. There are also several shrine and cardinal worlds along the western pilgrimage lanes towards Terra. This subsector raises many Imperial Guard regiments.

### Notos

The southern subsector; astropaths have reported a growing psychic dead-zone slowly spreading eastwards. Contact has been lost with a number of Imperial planets in this area.

### Centris

The lynchpin of the sector, all space lanes pass through this territory so it is heavily defended. It contains the fortress world of Jumora Majoris, headquarters of Sector Command and the main hub of Battlefleet Kharis.

## Notable Astronomical Features

### Subsector Boreus

* **The Bakkria System** - home to the Bakkrian Mountain Men regiment

### Subsector Zephyros

* **The Persid System** - Home to the Order of the Holy Flame and Order of the Red Candle
* **The Kantus System** - Home to the Order of the Guiding Light

### Subsector Eurus

* **The Lyria System** - Home to the Adepta Sororitas Order of the Sunset

### Subsector Centris

* **The Jumora System** - Houses Sector Command and one of the largest shipyards in the sector.

## Space Stations

Due to the presence of numerous xenos threats in and around the Kharis Sector, the Deathwatch maintain a watch-station here.

## Sector Governance and Culture

While the Kharis Sector is governed by a military officer the culture of the territory is religiously-oriented to an extent rarely found away from prominent worlds like Ophelia VII or Terra. Many planets which once relied on the influx of pilgrims heading for the Sol System have suffered economic setbacks as the flow of worshippers has dried up due to conflict in Segmentum Pacificus and the whole Kharis Sector being placed under military control.

### Politics

As with every other Imperial sector, the politics here are a never-ending power-struggle between the Administratum and the Ecclesiarchy. In this case, the balance is tipped in favour of the Imperial Church on many worlds due to their nature and classification. Sophia's Rest is a notable exception, as while it has in the past been ruled directly by conclaves of high-ranking priests, governorship of the world has passed to secular hands as it has become increasingly fortified. Protests by the planet's former ruling body have been silenced by the Ecclesiarch himself, who has been pressured by the other High Lords to agree to such changes though they are necessary.

## Military Forces

### Adepta Sororitas

 Red Candle
 Guiding Light

## Noteworthy Characters

* **Hesta Opaline** - The Canoness-Superior of the Holy Flame and highest ranking Sororitas official in the Zephyros subsector

## Power Groups

### Imperium

#### Imperial Adepta

* **Adeptus Ministorum**
* **Adeptus Administratum** - The Imperium's central bureaucracy attempts to impose some form of control to ensure the Ecclesiarchy does not hold unanswerable control over the region, and that it contributes materially to the Imperium.
* **Adeptus Mechanicus**