The Iron Circle

The Iron Circle are a hostile and expansionist Forge Empire of some 200 worlds, with numerous Forge Worlds. They are currently at war with the independent Forge World of Minerva. They are very conservative, and firmly oppose innovation. While they have heard of Atlantis, and of the crusades waged against it, they do not believe the rumours that the Helios Dominion managed to survive.

They control 80% of the Lamorak Sector, with majority or complete control of 18 out of 20 sub-sectors. At present they are most likely to reach the Wukong Sub-Sector before they reach Helios Sub-Sector. When they reach the Helios Sub-Sector, they are most likely to encounter Cocytos or Ansazia.

Although divination has revealed eleven Forge Worlds, earlier figures indicated that they had fourteen. It is unknown at this time whether the Divination was incomplete, or if they have suffered some kind of disaster. Each forge world is supported by a number of vassal worlds, with an average of three agri-worlds, six hive worlds, and 8 mining or civilised worlds, providing the food, population, and raw materials needed to fuel their industries.

Although their technology is comparatively primitive, they have the benefit of the sheer weight of industry, with each of their Forge Worlds being incredibly well developed. This means that they can support a fleet several times the size of the the Helios Dominion's, albeit mostly made up of frigates, destroyers, and other escort vessels. They also quite literally have more Skitarii in their armed forces than the Dominion's total population.

## Divination (Iron Circle)

The Iron Circle is an alliance of eleven forge worlds in the neighboring Lamorak Sector, each of whom directly controls at least half a dozen worlds in its vicinity. Such a tremendous multi-world power base is rare, and was long an informal affair in the age of the Imperium to get around more paranoid observing and intervening. However, now that the latter has fallen, they have officially become independent, seeking to forge a new galaxy-spanning Mechanicum free from all techno-heresies and dissent.

Though many of its worlds had radical magi in their rank, these have been purged in the wake of the Imperium’s fall, with many of them en route to Atlantis. It would be prudent, Amara cautions, to reach out to these refugee groups before they arrived in Atlantean space, to find who were actually refugees versus Iron Circle spies.

Regardless, the Lamorak Sector has now become a significant local foe, one which will need to be monitored, surveyed, and if need be action taken against. The Iron Circle is a formidable foe however, and far more unified than any of the Imperium of Mars-based Mechanicus forces deployed against the Dominion so far.

## Divination (Tyranids - Genestealer Infestations, Locations)

Amara confirms that there are no Genestealer infestations within any Dominion world old or new. However, there seem to be a great number of infestations within the Iron Circle which its leadership is aware of and actively encouraging. They seem to seek a way of controlling and harnessing the Tyranid puppets as a new obedient breed of slave-soldiers.