Erendan

The Symbol of Forge World Erendan

Skitarii of the Erendani Legione Chamenos attack

The world of **Erendan** (Pronounced /ɛrɛnjdɑːn/) is the primary Forge World in the Levan Sub-Sector and one of the largest in the Mandavi Sector. It is closely affiliated with the Holy War World of Heb, and supplies most of the equipment for their Imperial Guard Regiments.

Erendan is the homeworld of the Legio Amicissimus, a small Titan Legion established early in M41. It is the originator of the Type VI Warhound Titan Hip Assembly and the sole producer of the Erendan Pattern Plasma Gun.

## Planetology

The Forge World of Erendan, technically Erendan II, is the second of four planetary bodies in the Erendani System. The innermost world, Erendan I, is unsuitable for major habitation, even by the Mechanicus. However, mining and power collection stations would be developed on its tidally locked dark side from M40 onward. The Erendan III, separated from the Forge World by the system's two main asteroid belts, is a gas giant with a mass approximately 12 times that of Jupiter in the Sol System. Major gas harvesting operations would begin there as early as M37, although it's moons would not be developed until M40. Erendan IV, also known as Sentinel, is a small cold world, far outside the orbit of Erendan III. Early in M41, Battlefleet Mandavi would establish a base and depot on the world, taking advantage of the proximity of the Forge World to ensure the transfer of supplies to other Anchorages across the Sector.

When the Forge World was first surveyed, it was found to be a Pangea type world, with a single supercontinent surrounded by an ocean. The world has roughly 70% of the surface area of Terra, with its one ocean covering roughly half of it's surface. Unlike the majority of Forge Worlds, Erendan has maintained the majority of its ocean In liquid form, not out of any environmental concerns, but to be used as a heat sink. The largest and most powerful machines and production lines in Forge Primus are linked to the deep ocean via ancient superconductors. This allows them to run hotter than even the Mechanicus would normally be able to tolerate, boosting productivity and output.

Erendan was never a lush world, however little remains of its original flora and fauna. The dumping of excess heat in the planetary ocean has killed off all but the simplest of aquatic lifeforms, and few land based life forms can survive the toxic output of the world's machinery.

Forge Primus, Erendan's main settlement, was founded along the east coast of the sole continent. From there, it expanded, gradually incorporating outposts and complexes, until by the end of M41, there was very little Erendani land area outside of Forge Primus. There were, however, numerous offshore extraction facilities, as well as orbital shipyards and outposts throughout the System, by that time.

## History

### Early History

The Forge World of Erendan is the oldest settled world of the Mandavi Sector, having been claimed for the Mechanicus by the Explorator fleets of Forge World Anuaris during the early years of M36. It remained a minor outpost until the settlement of the surrounding systems four centuries later. When the Mandavi Sector was established, Erendan was incorporated into the Levan Sub-Sector.

By late in M39, Erendan had grown to become a Grade III-Tertius Forge World. The Erendani Forge Primus covered over a third of the main continent and outlying facilities dotted the world’s surface. It, together with the Forge World of Ressay in the Hamdan Sub-Sector, were able to provide for a majority of the military needs of the Astra Militarum in the Mandavi Sector. It should be noted that Ressay was settled by Explorators from the Forge World of Konor, the long standing rival of Anuaris within the complex hierarchy of the Mechanicus. Due to this ancient grudge, the two main Forge Worlds of the Mandavi Sector have often been at odds, or worse.

### The Blue Hand Heresy

Main Article: Blue Hand Heresy

Late in M39, the Levan Sub-Sector would be shaken by two back to back crises, WAAAGH! Blakskull and the Blue Hand Heresy. These events would reshape Erendan, the Levan Sub-Sector, and the Mandavi Sector as a whole.

When the Ork WAAAGH! led by Grimtooth Blakskull was detected approaching the Levan Sub-Sector, the Blue Hand Space Marine Chapter rallied the forces of the Sector to stand and repel the Xenos on the uninhabited world of Craw, just beyond the Sector’s borders. With millions of Guardsmen, the Majority of Battlefleet Mandavi, and an entire Chapter of Astartes, the Imperium stood a good chance of holding back one of the largest WAAAGH!s in centuries.

However, at the culmination of the battle against the Orks, an ancient trap laid by the Chaos God Tzeench would bathe the planet in Warp energy, turning all but a handful of the Imperials to his worship.

This began what was known as the Blue Hand Heresy, where the newly minted Warlord of Craw led his traitor Marines and mortal followers in rebellion against the Imperium.

As the second most valuable prize in the Levan Sub-Sector, Erandan was the focus of immediate attention by the traitor forces. In 824.M39, the Captain of the Blue Hand 8th Company led an army of millions of traitor Guardsmen to Erendan and besieged Forge Primus. The four year long conflict known as the Siege of Forge Primus would prove a harrowing and difficult one.

Early in the siege, before the traitors had fully closed off the space above Erendan, a small ship from a neighboring system arrived, begging for weapons to aid in their defense. The Erandani Fabricator-General at the time, whose name was Bedan, granted the request with little thought. The ship was tiny, and he felt it unlikely the weapons it could carry would affect the outcome of events upon his world.

The traitor forces spent the first year of the conflict focused on attempting to draw out the defenders from behind Forge Primus’s formidable defenses. Much of the Second year was spent in active assaults against Forge Primus. While the defenders were hard pressed, the Bastion Walls held, and the Warlord recalled some of his forces to fight other battles. For the next two years, the traitors focused on depriving the Erendani of the mineral and chemical resources they needed to operate. This caused great deprivation among the Erendani, but with the steadying hand of Fabricator-General Bedan, who once publicly disassembled his own left arm to stress the importance of recycling, the Erendani held fast.

In 828.M39, the Imperial Navy entered the system and drove the traitor warships from Erendan’s orbitals: it was then that help arrived from a most unexpected quarter. The world of Heb, to which the Erandani had provided aid four years earlier, had defended themselves until the Navy arrived. Now, half a million Heb infantrymen and women, blooded veterans from the defense of their home world, had come to repay their debt to the Forge World.

The Heb, though lightly armed, established their own lines of envelopment around the besieging force. They then press any weakness in the enemy lines. Anytime they Heb were able to temporarily break the traitor lines and reach the Bastion Walls, the Erandani would pass heavy weapons to them.

During one of these exchanges, an Erendani Magos Dominus named Druzekiel went over the walls to establish communication with the Heb’s leader, Holy Commander Gregory Samualson. Together, the two established a plan to break the siege. However, this plan almost resulted in the traitors breaching the Bastion Walls, when a sally port located at Node 601 jammed open. However, the quick action and noble sacrifice on the part of the Heb 5th Regiment blocked the Blue Hand forces until aid could arrive.

It was there, at node 601, that the Magos Dominus Druzekiel and Holy Commander Samualson confronted and slew the leader of the traitor forces, a heretic Astartes Captain named Lividi Digitulus. This scene, the Magos and the Holy Commander standing and fighting side by side, would come to be seen as a pivotal moment in the affairs of both their worlds.

Following the destruction of the traitor forces, the Fabricator-General welcomed the Holy Commander to his Forge, where the two spoke pacts of enduring friendship. The Forge World would not only supply the Heb throughout the Heresy and thereafter, Bedan swore he would send his own forces to fight at the Heb’s side wherever possible.

The Heresy would be ended in the climactic Second Battle for Craw in 831.M39. Both Druzekiel and Samualson would perish in the battle, but the Warlord of Craw would be slain, and his followers would, apparently, be slaughtered to the last.

### The Modern Age

Over the two millennia between the end of the Blue Hand Heresy and the opening of the Cicatrix Maladictum, Erandan continued to grow and prosper. Outposts were established on planets and moons in the Erandan system, outposts and Forges were rebuilt across the Erandani outlands, and Forge Primus continued to grow in scale and output.

From the third century of M40, Erandan began to send out Explorator Fleets. These voyages, which some in the Mechanicus felt were presumptuous for such a small Forge World to undertake, led to many important discoveries and increased Erandan’s prosperity and prestige. They also, however, also brought about intensified conflict with Erendan’s rival, the Forge World of Ressay.

The 7th, 9th, 15th, and 23rd Erendani Explorator Expeditions all came into armed conflict with ships loyal to Ressay. Erendan claimed that their 7th Expedition was all but eliminated by a Ressaian trick, when two badly battered Escorts managed to limp back to port, although the Ressaians denied it. Efforts by the Fabricator-General of Accatran to mediate the dispute fell apart in 482.M40 when Ressay claimed that their Retribution Class Battleship, *Captet Materiarum*, was destroyed by the 9th Erendani Explorator Expedition. The Erandani denied this charge, although they did admit to being witness to the *Captet Materiarum*’s destruction, after having exchanged fire with her. The Erendani Magos Explorator leading the 9th Expedition insisted the ship had been destroyed by unknown Xenos. Ressaian calls for the Magos to be held accountable fell on malfunctioning audio sensors, as did their demands that Erendan share the secret of the STC the Magos had recovered, for a new type of Plasma Gun. While the Fabricators-General of Erendan have received many tempting offers if they would share this STC, especially from the Forge World of Ryza, the design and manufacture of the Erendan Pattern Plasma Gun remains a closely held secret.

By the dawn of the M41, Erandan had blossomed into a major industrial powerhouse reaching a Production Grade of II-Prima. This allowed the world to have an impact throughout the Mandavi Sector and beyond. The 25th Erendani Explorator, in 032.M41 discovered the long lost technology for the Type VI Warhound Titan Hip Assembly, which Erandan bartered with the Collegia Titanica for the creation of a new Titan Legion, to be headquartered on Erandan. The Legio Amicissimus was established in 044.M41, and had grown to a mid-size legion by the end of the millennium.

Over the course of M41, a state of cold war descended upon the Mechanicus of the Mandavi Sector, with both Ressay and Erendan competing for the loyalty, not only of Mechanicus outposts and resources, but of Imperial worlds and institutions. The establishment of the Sentinel Base in the Erendan system drastically increased Battlefleet Mandavi’s reliance upon the Forge World, and thus Erendani influence over the fleet, whereas Ressaian influence upon the Sector Capital of Mandavi Prime grew to uncomfortable levels, for the Erendani. However, as the conflict turned inward to the Sector, and the fleets of both worlds began to explore further afield, active conflict between two worlds became increasingly rare.

As relationships soured within the Mandavi Sector, and old alliances were strained by dogmatic tension, new opportunities and alliances emerged. The sharing of the Type VI Warhound Titan Hip Assembly, had earned Erendan much acclaim within the wider Mechanicus, and Rogue Traders and Planetary Governors from across the Segmentum vied for the small number of Erendan Pattern Plasma Guns available for purchase each year.

Additionally, a strange series of events in the 180s.M41 would draw Erendani eyes Eastward. None of the parties involved are willing to openly discuss what happened when Explorator Fleets loyal to Erendan, Ressay, and the Forge World of Incendius Lux met in an uncharted system beyond the Eastern Fringes. However, when the 28th Erendani Explorator Expedition returned to the Mandavi Sector, the Fabricator-General of Erendan promptly ratified pledges of friendship and commerce they had made with the Luxian Arch Magos Explorator. Ships were dispatched to establish trade routes and commerce between Erendan and the Ishtar Sub-Sector would continue to grow for the reminder of the millennium.

As darkness closed in upon the Galaxy, and many whispered that The Time of Ending was upon the Imperium, a new hand rose to turn the wheel of Erendan’s destiny when in 914.M41, a New Fabricator-General was proclaimed by the Erendani Synod. Arch Magos Druzekiel-Δ, Lord of the Eighth Forge Temple and Conductor of the Therma-Maxima, had served a term as Fabricator-Locum a century and a half earlier. While he did not put himself forward for consideration, the Machine Spirits of the greatest cogitators upon Erendan assigned him the rarely awarded value of one, catapulting him into the lead when voting began. With this strong foundation, Druzekiel-Δ sought to lead Erendan through the darkness, and into the light of a new age.

## Military Forces

The Military Forces of Force World Erendan have grown considerably since its founding as a small Mechanicus Outpost five thousand years ago. As M41 draws to a close, and a dangerous new age dawns upon the Galaxy, these include the mighty forces of the Skirarii Legione Chamenos, the Battle Congregations of the Martial Forges, the God Machines of the Titan Legio Amicissimus, and the warships of the Basikikon Astra Erendani.

### Skirarii Legione Chamenos

The Erendani use a unique method of organizing their Skitarii, centered around base eight math. Base Eight Math is a nearly lost discipline of the ancients: only those truly blessed of the Machine God may access the holy archives that contain such wisdom.

The basic unit of the Legione is the Maniple, composed of 64 Skitarii (written as 100 in base eight). This unit, which includes and is led by a Skitarii Primus, allows maximum tactical flexibility on the battlefield. However, when a smaller force is needed, Erendani doctrine allows for the creation of one or more adhoc units known as Tetramonada. These groupings of four Skitarii are roughly equivalent to an Imperial Guard Fire Team, although they have no permanent basis, and may be created and disbanded as often as the tactical situation requires.

Above the Maniple, is the War Cohort, comprised of 512 Skittarii, including and led by an Skitarii Alpha. Skitarii Primuses, Alphas, and Princeps of Erendan are each successively more enhanced than a standard Skitarus. This is not for their benefit, but rather because they each serve as powerful principal nodes in the battlefield command network. While the network will endure, should a principal node fail, the reduced efficiency resulting from this may cause unacceptable delay in feedback and commands. Therefore, such nodes receive additional defensive and integrity upgrades, as well as lesser upgrades, like voxcoders capable of speaking Low Gothic, as well as Lingua-Technis.

The largest formation within the Legione is the Macroclade. An Erendani Macroclade is comprised of 32,768 Skitarii, including and led by a heavily armorrored Skitarii Princeps. There are eight Macroclades of Skitarii in the Legione Chamenos, however, only Five of them are unified structures. The Four Great Forges, are each led by one of the most powerful Arch Magi on Erendan, who are able to raise a Macroclade from their own resources. Additionally, the First Forge, which maintains the Titan Legio Amicissimus and The Prime Macroclade which comprises the Secutarii Titan Guard, is controlled directly by the Fabricator-General.

The remaining three Macroclades are drawn from the Arch Magi and Magi of lesser Forge Temples and Outposts, who contribute what forces they may raise, be that a Maniple, a War Cohort, or some larger measure of Skitarii. There are dozens of such Temples and Outposts in the Erendani system, from the Eighth Forge, which monitors and repairs the great superconductors to the thermal energy collectors upon Erendan I, to the lonely Sentinel Base in the outsystem. When the Fabricator-General issues a call to arms, each will commit what forces he or she can raise to the Machine God’s standard, each fearing to be out done by whichever Magos they see as a rival. These forces will then be formed into the last three Macroclades, and be placed under the command of whichever three Arch Magi have committed the most to their formation.

When all of these forces have been assembled, this is meant to bring the Legion, to 262,144 Skitarii (written as 1,000,000 in base eight) or 86. However, the Secutarii are often deployed off world with elements of the Legio Amicissimus and it is unlikely that a full muster, if called, would equal to this precise numbering.

### Erendani Martial Battle Congregations

Erendani Forges are divided between the Martial and the Vulcanic. Vulcanic Forges are hyper focused on production, for its own sake. They still raise Skitarii for their own defense, who can be summoned by the Legione Chamenos, but the majority of their output is focused upon the creation of Weapons, Armor, Vehicles, and Voidcraft which are sent off world to fule the Imperium's war effort. Thusly do they honor the Machine God.

However, almost a quarter of Erendani Forges are Martial, and these forges focus more of their efforts upon raising and maintaining the more esoteric and uniquely Martian weapons of the Mechanicus. It is these Forges which raise the mighty Battle Congregations which join the ranks of the Legione Chamenos and the Legio Amicissimus, when Erendan goes to war.

When such forces are deployed, mighty armed servitors and lumbering artillery platforms march forth under the command of Magi Domini, and strange and dangerous Electro-Priests follow, chanting mantras of barely controlled power.

While Erendan, as a relatively young Forge World, has few of the ancient Battle-Automata of the Legio Cybernetica, the Lord of the Forth Forge does maintain a small Maniple of such beings, gifted to the Erendani by the Mother Forge upon Anuaris.

### Titan Legio Amicissimus

For much of its history, Erendan lacked a Titan Legion of its own, and had to rely on what Titans were lent to it by the Forge Worlds to which it owed fealty. It is noteworthy that, during the Blue Hand Heresy, Erendan had only three Titans, two Warhounds and a Warlord, on loan from the Legio Destructor through the auspices of the Fabricator-General of Accatran.

When in 032.M41, the 25th Erendani Explorator Expedition returned home bearing the knowledge Type VI Warhound Titan Hip Assembly, the Fabricator-Locum of Erendan was dispatched directly to Mars. There, he bargained for the creation of the Legio Amicissimus in return for the Assembly.

Originally, the Legio was comprised of 10 Titans gifted from existing Legions, including the three for Destructor which had played such a major role in Erendan's history. However by the opening of the Great Rift, that number would swell to over 20.

The Princeps of the Legio Amicissimus describe the Machine Spirits of their walkers as magnanimous, even jovial. The Legion marches to war out of love for humanity, more so than hatred for its enemies. They are considered an excellent Legion by allied ground forces, be they Mechanicus or Astra Militarum, due to the tremendous care they take to avoid stepping upon their allies.

The Legion will always prioritize the defense of Imperial citizens over the destruction of Xenos or Heretics, with the singular exception being when they encounter the Traitor Titans of the Dark Mechanicum. When faced with these ancient betrayers, the gentle giants of the Legio Amicissimus are roused to a horrific furry that will see Regiments trampled, cities burned, and civilians abandoned to the harsh whims of fate.

### Basilikon Astra Erendani

The Naval forces of the Mandavi Sector never fully recovered from the Blue Hand Heresy. Battlefleet Mandavi lost three of its five irreplaceable Battleships, and the subsequent loss of the Ressaian Battleship *Captet Materiarum* in M40, while celebrated by the Erendani, was a great blow to the Sector as a whole.

As Erendan began to rebuild and expand its orbital and systemwide infrastructure in the wake of the Heresy, a premium was placed upon defense. The desire for mobile defense platforms led to the ship building program that allowed Erendan to begin launching Explorator Fleets in the 200s.M40.

At that time, unable to beg or barter a Battleship, Erendan began to acquire, reclaim, and refurbish ancient Grand Cruisers. These ships, such as the *Aióniou Lógos*, form the backbone of the Basilikon Astra Erendani, and the core of any Fleet sent out by the world.

At the time of the ascension of Druzekiel-Δ to Fabricator-General, Erendan had six such Grand Cruisers, but was working to refurbish a seventh and searching for an eighth. Additionally, the Basilikon Astra Erendani contained 15 Heavy Cruisers, and 28 Light Cruisers, along with various Transports, Escorts, and Support Ships.

## Alliance with Heb

Since the conclusion of the Blue Hand Heresy, the alliance between Heb and Erendan has never noticeably wavered. The Heb PDF never left Erendan, maintaining a liaison presence within Forge Primus, by invitation, following the relief of the world. Eventually, it became customary to have four Regiments of the Heb PDF deployed to Erendan, for mutual defense and cross training, however this number could vary at times. Likewise, within decades of the Heresy, the first steps were taken by Erendani Tech-Priests to fortify Damus, the largest and outermost of the Heb moons. By M41, Damus was a formidable bastion, capable of protecting half of Heb from almost any spaceborne attack.

As promised by Fabricator-General Bedan, the Erendani military have deployed small units alongside the Heb Zealous Light Foot Regiments, almost unfailingly. Such components may be as small as a single Maniple of Skitarii, or a particular vehicle, or (rarely) as large as Multiple Cohorts. While it is technically the right of the Departmento Munitorum to separate these forces from the Heb units they are attached to, few in the Munitorum are willing to risk the personal ire of a Fabricator-General, especially when the Mechanicus is under no obligation to provide the forces in the first place.

It is the practice of the Fabricators-General of Erendan to insist that young Magi lead these detachments as part of their training. The custom is looked on as strange by others in the Mechanicus, and it does take a toll in the loss of valuable young Adepts. But the majority of Erendani Magi who survive this experience generally agree it was important to their education, and it serves a secondary purpose of ensuring that the future generations of Erandani leaders have both experience with, and a high opinion of, the Heb.

Additionally, Explorator Expeditions launched from Erendan receive support from the Heb PDF. This comes in the form of one or more PDF Regiments, renamed Explorator Regiments, sent to accompany the Explorator Fleets and provide protection for the Magos Explorator in his or her explorations. Erendan would supply the Regiment with the same equipment that a Heb Zealous Light Foot Regiment would receive, but could not replace the veterans, called Zealots, who make up the core of hardened NCOs that give Heb Regiments their renowned strength. It is for this reason that when Erendani Explorator Expeditions chart their courses out of the Mandavi Sector, they arrange to stop at planets where Heb Regiments have recently mustered out of the Imperial Guard. While these units are usually at the end of multi-decade long deployments, there are never a shortage of volunteers to receive augmentation and face one more campaign alongside Erendani.

## Theology

Erendan is a fairly orthodox world, by the standard of the Cult Mechanicus. However, there is one aspect of this orthodoxy which they adhere to so strongly that it has caused friction with other Forge Worlds that are inclined to a more lax interpretation.

The creed of the Cult Mechanicus, as promulgate by holy Mars, recognizes that the Omnissiah took human form as the perfect biological machine. This being was known to the unenlightened as The Emperor of Mankind, and those who are of the flesh, which is weak, share some measure of sanctity by worshiping the Omnissiah in that guise. This is the basis of the Mechanicus' inclusion in the Imperium, and to doubt it's truth is tech-heresy, according to those of orthodox belief.

However, away from Mars, some Tech-Priests, and even some whole Forge Worlds, are lacking in such orthodoxy. While few Fabricators-General will turn a blind eye to those who openly deny that the God Emperor and the Omnissiah are one and the same, many will ignore, or even embrace those who merely question whether they might not be different entities, or those who claim to be uncertain. To the Erendani, this sowing of doubt and confusion is known as Differential Blasphemy.

Erendan’s position on the question of Differential Blasphemy hardened quickly, following their alliance with the Heb. Following the Relief of Erendan by Heb forces, deep bonds were forged between the peoples of the two worlds. Every Erendani, from the Fabricator-General to the lowliest Menial, held a high opinion of their new allies and wished to see the relationship sustained.

The Heb, however, were fierce adherents to the Imperial Creed who had freed two worlds from heretics in the God Emperor's name. While they too thought highly of their new allies and wished to remain close to Erendan, there was some concern about the seeming difference between the theology of the Mechanicus and the Imperial Creed. To address these concerns, the Erendani began making a point of expressing the oneness of the God Emperor and the Omnissiah, openly and often, so as to reassure the Heb that they were united in their belief. This mode of behavior became so ingrained, that the Erendani continue it, even when no Heb are present. A typical Erandani greeting goes, “I greet you in the name of the Omnissiah who is known to men as the God Emperor.”

The Heb, for their part, were greatly relieved by such gestures. As a result, the Heb are friendly and welcoming to any members of the Cult Mechanicus they encounter. This even extends to teaching Heb children to sign the Martian Cog, as easily as they do the Aquila, a feet many Imperials struggle to master as adults. A typical greeting from a Heb to any member of the Mechanicus goes, “I greet you in the name of the God Emperor who walked upon Mars as Omnissiah.” The Ecclesiarchy in the Mandavi Sector have generally welcomed what they saw as a minor concession from the Priests of the Martian Brotherhood, and blessed the union of these two worlds wholeheartedly.

## Planetary Culture

Like all Forge Worlds, Erendan is organized as a Theocracy under the Cult Mechanicus. At the head of the Cult is the Fabricator-General, followed by the Fabricator-Locum and the Arch Magi. Erendan continues to use the old term, the Synod, to describe its Arch Magi collectively. Each Arch Magos controls his or her own Forge Temple or Outpost, although many are located within Forge Primus, and oversees numerous Tech-Priests, Logi, Artisans and Menials.

Children are tested from a young age, with those with the highest aptitude being singled out for education and entry into the Tech-Priesthood. This system is strictly meritocratic, with even the idea of one's biological ancestry playing a role in ones station in life being considered vulgar, if not disgusting. This attitude quickly endeared the Erendani to the egalitarian Heb, whose detestation of Aristocracy was, and remains strong.

Unlike on many Forge Worlds, the position of Fabricator-Locum is seen as a temporary posting upon Erendan. Few Arch Magi will fail to occupy the position, at some point in their lives, before returning to their own Forge Temple. While it is unusual, two Magi have risen to the rank of Fabricator-General without ever having served in the role.

Upon the death or rare retirement of a Fabricator-General, the members of the Erendani Synod will gather and present data packets to the greatest and most powerful cogitators upon the world. These data packets may be a compilation of their own accomplishments, an endorsement of, or an attack upon, another Magos, or even a data attack, designed to unbalance the system in their favor or a security protocol designed to protect it: all are considered legitimate. Upon the receipt of all data packets, the cogitators assign each Arch Magos a whole number between one and the total number of members of the Synod. The Synod will then vote until a winner is decided, but to be victorious, a candidate must have the support of Arch Magi equal to or greater than the number they were assigned. This means that while a candidate thought well of by the Machine Spirits of the cogitators can win by a simple majority, a candidate fully disapproved of by the Machine Spirits of the cogitators can only be elected by unanimous consent of the Synod. However, the latter event has never come to pass.

The divide between Vulcanic and Martial Forges is unique to the culture of Erendan. It is not considered a matter of doctrine, neither the Vulcanic nor the Martial Tech-Persists have any difference in their beliefs or interpretations of the Cult Mechanicus. However, the Vulcanic Tech-Persists feel drawn to express their devotion to the Machine God solely through fabrication. They begrudge the diversion of their time and energy to actual combat, although they recognize that it is, at times, necessary.

Having been founded by Explorators from Forge World Anuaris, Erendan owes fealty to the Fabricator-General of Anuaris, and in turn to ancient Accatran, and holy Mars. However, as the world has increased in production grade the dynamic of that relationship has changed from one of complete obedience, to one of general loyalty, to one of special deference. Though little discussed and not widely known, the relationship between Erendan and it's Mother Forge would be put to the test in 095.M41 during the Third Cyber-Conclave of Accatran.

The conclave sought to issue a condemnation of Differential Blasphemy which, the Erendani felt, did not go far enough. The Fabricator-General of Erendan at the time, Majid Sophia, was insistent that the document must equate Differential Blasphemy with Tech-Heresy. The Fabricator-General of Anuaris took her aside and asked her to lessen her demands, and accept a general condemnation of the practice.

Fabricator-General Sophia responded that not only would she not settle for a mere condemnation, but that she would have to insist upon Anuaris' support in the matter, as a condition of her not publicly severing the ties which bound the two worlds. Anuaris did, eventually, support the more stringent language, pushing the measure through to confirmation, but relations between Anuaris and Erendan suffered for centuries thereafter.

## Alliances

**The Holy War World of Heb**

**Battlefleet Mandavi**

**Forge World Incendius Lux**

**Forge Moon Mjorn**

## Notable Leaders

### Fabricators-General

Priamos Bedan
Fabricator-General during the Blue Hand Heresy. Bedan led his people through deprivation and loss to relief and triumph with a steady hand and a firmness of purpose. He established the alliance with the Heb, and set his world on a course it would hold for over 2000 years.
Majid Sophia
Fabricator-General at the dawn of M41, Sophia represented Erendan during Third Cyber-Conclave of Accatran. While her rule saw a worsening of relationships with both the Mother Forge upon Anuaris and an intensification of hostilities with Forge World Ressay, it would also remembered as a time of booming growth in industrial output. Additionally, she negotiated the establishment of the Sentinel Base on Erendan IV with Battlefleet Mandavi, strengthening Erendani influence over the fleet, at the expenses of the Ressaians. However, her greatest achievement was the establishment of the Titan Legio Amicissimus which finally ended Erendani reliance on other Forge Worlds for Titan support.
Druzekiel-Δ
Coming to power less than a century before the opening of the Great Rift, Druzekiel-Δ has led his people through many hardships and dangers. He is seen as a gifted and conscientious administrator, dedicated to the maintenance of all of his resources, be they physical, natural, technological, or even biological. He is fiercely loyal to the Alliance with the Heb, and seems to enjoy their company, on a personal level, even more than most Erendani. It is rumored that there are two data-wafers in the Fabricator-General’s core memory unit given over to his time in service alongside the Heb 206th, which he refuses to remove or truncate.
## Famous Magi

Magos Dominus Druzekiel
The great hero of Erendani lore, Druzekiel fought in defense of his world during the Blue Hand Heresy, before falling in the final action upon Craw, while ensuring the destruction of the traitors' fortress. His partnership with the Heb Holy Commander Gregory Samualson is seen as the ideal embodiment of the alliance between the two worlds, and of what can be accomplished when Erendani and Heb unite.
## Quotes

"*I greet you in the name of the Omnissiah who is known to men as the God Emperor.*"
—Traditional Erendani greeting, post Blue Hand Heresy
"*I greet you in the name of the God Emperor who walked upon Mars as Omnissiah.*"
—Traditional Heb response to the Erandani, post Blue Hand Heresy
"*You have murdered the face of kindness, but you shall find the God Emperor has a colder face, a face of metal.*"
—Druzekiel-Δ, to the murderer of his friend the Heb Regimental High Chaplin Ezry Bennad, Gatta Secundus, 102.M41