Interex

Xenobia - Capital World of the Interex Empire

### Size

501 Inhabited worlds, unknown number of mining colonies, research posts and orbital facilities

### Ruler

Prime Designate Bartosz (At the time of Imperial first contact)

### Notable Features

Highly advanced human culture, accepting and inclusive with multiple xenos races (Examples include the Kinebrach and the Cythrax)

### Eventual Fate

Destroyed by the Palatine Wings Legion shortly after their discovery. The purge was near total, any survivors are likely to be extremely few in number.

The Interex were a highly advanced interstellar human civilisation that existed at the time of the Great Crusade in the 31st Millennium. Long before the Imperium strode the stars, another people descended from Terra managed to rise above the petty squabbles and warlords of the Age of Strife, bringing together a mighty empire of five hundred worlds in the galactic north. Unlike the Imperium, they were driven by hope and compassion, a burning flame that refused to die no matter what the galaxy threw at them. They were the first of Interex, driving towards the ultimate goal of unification and alliance with all other sentients within the galaxy, human and xenos alike, for unlike the Imperium, who abhorred and feared the alien, the Interex accepted them, working alongside them as they accepted their differences and leaned upon their strengths.

Closest of these xenos allies were the Kinebrach, an ancient race the Interex had integrated into their own society,  becoming the close allies and nominal overlords to the simian aliens. The two species have been allied for centuries, almost since the beginning of the Age of Strife, but by the time the humans of the Interex made first contact with them, the Kinebrach empire was old and decaying. Rather than go to war against a more vibrant and powerful species, decided to ally themselves with humanity instead, becoming their firm allies, combining their ancient technology with that of the Interex. Many of the Kinebrach within the empire became scientists and scholars, but many also joined with the Interex’s military, their physically powerful, stocky builds making them perfect shock troopers.

They were not unique however, dozens of xenos species calling the empire home, all treated as equal citizens. Most integrated fully into every aspect of the empire, but some gravitated almost entirely towards one role above all others, such as the Cythrax, who due to their natural low-level psychic connection with living organisms made exceptional farmers of plant and animal life.

Interestingly, or perhaps not given their ultimate fate, the Interex were not blind to the ruinous powers as the majority of the Imperium was. Indeed, thanks to the Kinebrach, the empire knew all too well the devastating powers of Chaos, or Kaos as they called it. Despite this knowledge of such corrupting things however, the Interex’s society seemed to stave off damnation, likely stemming from their post-want sociatale model, rather than the oppressive regime the Imperium would one day become.

For all their technological might, cultural enlightenment, and understanding about the ultimate truth of the galaxy however, the Interex Empire would not survive the Imperium’s great crusade. Faced with a fully militarised empire, carried out by some of the greatest warriors in mankind's history, the Interex were all but annihilated. Though it took years, the Imperium’s grinding war eventually shattered the Interex, the few survivors fleeing to the far points of the galaxy, their eventual fates unknown.

## Technology

Interex technology at the time of the empires first contact with the Imperium of Man, was extremely advanced, in some way exceeding that of the Imperium at its height in the Great Crusade-era of the early 31st Millennium, though their military technology did lag behind its Imperial equivalents. Even so, they did possess some extremely potent weapons on an infantry level, perhaps the most extreme example of these coming from the Kinebrach, blades known as an Anathame. Thanks to the knowledge of the Kinebrach, these weapons were dedicated to and blessed by the Chaos God Nurgle without pledging the users soul to the god. If the name of a target was spoken to the blade, the weapon would become inimical to that being on an almost molecular level, producing poisons and toxins tailored specifically to his or her genetic structure. Due to its origins however, these weapons were rarely used, almost all known examples stored in the Hall of Weapons on the planet of Xenobia, the Interex’s capital world.

More readily available however were the Gleve, the Plasma-Bowcaster, and the famed cen’arus, all used by the Interexine military’s various branches. Alongside these, genetic modifications were widely available, both civil and military in their usage, and unlike Imperial genetic augmentations, these could be reverse if desired, warriors leaving the military often taking advantage of this to return to a normal life after their term of service was done.

Perhaps the most damning technological advancement however, at least in the eyes of the Mechanicum, was the Interex’s mastery and heavy use of AI technology, creating fully sentient machines to aid every facet of their empire. From domestic robots used in the manufacturing and delivery trades, right up to military applications, the cen’arus boasting a simple AI package when disconnected from its rider, while the mighty battleships of the Interexine Fleet often had multiple suites of AI’s running in tandem with each other to bolster the ships power.

## Military

While the Interex were proud of their non-militant stance against the universe, prefering to act through diplomacy rather than violence, they were not fools, and understood that some threats could not, and would not, be negotiated with, the Megarachnids and the Orks standing as perfect examples of this. As such, the Interexine military was phenomenally well armed and trained, while millions more across the empire could be called up as second and third line troops in a moments notice, standing as citizen soldiers should the situation prove dire enough.

On the ground, the Interexine standing army was divided into two distinct branches, the Gleves, and the Sagit-tars, while many more could be called up in times of need, known as the Weri. Of the three, the Gleves were by far the most common sight, making up well over half of the standing army. Each warrior of the Gleves, be they human or otherwise, were equipped with the standard suits of sleek body-armour, each example custom made, hugging the form of the wearer tightly and ensuring their movement was not restricted, while still providing defence comparable to Astartes Power Armour. Offensively, the Gleves carried the weapons named after their branch, long handled glaive weapons known as the Gleve. On one end was a crackling power blade, capable of slicing through flesh with little difficulty, while on the other end was a large, bulbous counter-weight, a seperate power generator within causing it to act in a similar fashion to a power maul or fist. In melee, these weapons were spun in wide, deadly arcs, switching between blade and maul as the situation demanded, Interexine doctrine stating that the weapon should never be still, each movement flowing smoothly from defence to attack and back again. The only time this changed was at range, where the spears became akin to the lightning guns of the Mechanicum, able to fire extremely potent blasts of crackling electricity, capable of frying organic targets or disabling enemy machinery. Indeed, many who saw these warriors fight, whispered that they seemed to fight in the style of another warrior caste, though one superior to the Gleves in every conceivable way, that of the Emperor’s own Custodians...

The second of these warrior castes were the Sagit-tars, their ranks far smaller than that of the Gleves, while the prestige and skill they demonstrated was far above that of their more commonplace kin. Armoured in advanced combat skins that put even those of the Gleves to shame, many Sagit-tars still carried Gleve’s with them for close in defence, but these were no longer their primary weapon, nor their primary mode of transportation across the battlefield. At first glance, these warriors appeared to be as the centaurs of ancient myth, half horse, half man, bringing death across the battlefield at speeds far eclipsing that a human or even an Astartes could move at. In truth however, these centaurus were merely a product of technology, that of the cen’arus. Each warframe was a beautifully wrought quadrupedal battlesuits, capable of moving on their own while being able to carry loads far beyond what the human form could bear. When they truly showed their power however, was when a Sagit-tar interfaced with its form, stepping into the front and becoming a true meld of warrior and machine. Alongside these warframes, the Sagit-tars used weapons that far eclipsed the volkite weapons or bolters that were standard in the early and late legions, despite their archaic looks. Bow and flightless darts were their choice armaments, able to accelerate the solid matter into a perfectly stable and contained plasma state, easily capable of piercing Astartes warplate while being accurate in a way only an energy weapon could be. Many a warrior fell to these bows, underestimating their power, and dismissing them as simply ceremonial, rather than a true battlefield weapon.

Genetic modifications were commonplace throughout the Interex military, each warrior of the Gleves and Sagit-tars undergoing extensive, though reversible, genetic re-writes, causing them to become more than their own base genome would ever allow. Built for speed and agility, rather than the raw power of the Imperiums Astartes, the modifications meant that the humans of the Interex could easily match an Astartes for height, able to look directly into their eyes if they so desired, and yet left them lean and far more slender, causing them to seem slight compared to the Imperial giants. When their term of service was up, most warriors underwent further surgery, their augmentations almost fully stripped away, returning them to as close as was possible to their normal life, though many still exhibited heightened abilities as a result of the procedures.

Interex military doctrine was built around a simple principle of speed, both on and off the battlefield. Off it, this meant that the Interex would often seek to launch preemptive blows if a war was unavoidable, seeking to end a conflict before it began and spiralled out of control. This tactic was attempted against the Megarachnids, though was unsuccessful due to the nature of the alien swarm. On the battlefield, this doctrine stated that the best armour was not the thickest, but the fastest, a blow unable to do any damage if it did not land at all. On land and in the void, this method was commonplace, the Interex lacking any heavy vehicles because of this, while their voidships, many as large as the Imperium’s own battleships, focused on shielding, energy weapons and speed. Any foe that could not react quickly was destroyed, but any foe that could weather their blows would put the entire Interexine Military at risk, feeding off their lack of staying power.

## Society

Unlike the Imperium, the Interex were not led by a single being of unknowably immense power such as the Emperor, instead being governed by an elected Parliament, with representatives from each of the five hundred and one worlds present. Larger worlds do not have a larger representation than the smaller planets, ensuring that the lesser worlds are not dragged against their will by one or two exceptionally populated planets of the Empire. There are also a handful of seats that are elected by 'spacers' defined as citizens who spend a significant amount of their time in space and do not stay too long on any one colony or planet.

At the top of this parliament sits the Prime Designate, elected from the representatives already present in parliament. The Prime Designate has an obligation to moderate the rest of his peers, rather than to outright lead, for while he has been elevated above the rank and file politicians, he wields very little extra power, save for a single, and total Veto on any decisions made, the use of which requires the Prime Designate to step down upon its use. Before Bartosz rose to the office, no Prime Designate had ever ruled for more than fifteen Terran standard years, though there were no limitations on term length.

Outside of the rulers of the Empire, the Interex society was fairly simple to understand to the outsider, having a very flat structure. All within the Empire were treated equal, human and xenos alike considered the same quality as citizens, rather than being looked down on.

## Language - The Aria

Owing to their status as a fully multi-species empire, the Interex quickly developed a language that could move past the barriers of traditional communication via words, instead transmitting information through a strange melody, known as the Aria. Based in the mathematical constants of the universe, the Aria was played akin to music, a melody that was at times magisterial and loud, especially when the meturge players struck up, while at others it was just a quiet whisper, like a buzz, like tinnitus. It was prevalent across Interex society, and it was a rare occurrence for a world to be truly silent. The Interex still used conventional language, having evolved a human dialect that was almost identical to the prime language of Terra than many Imperial worlds now boasted, but it was the Aria that was their primary form of communication, for both speech and translation.

In Essence, the Aria was a form of high mathematics, a universal constant that transcended linguistic barriers. Mathematical structures were expressed through specific harmonic and melodic modes which, to the untrained ear, sounded like music, though to any versed in its sounds were far easier to follow than High or Low Gothic, indeed being closer to the mechanicum’s Binaric in terms of ease of conveying pure information. Whenever members of the Empire used vocal transmissions to external sources, strands of the complex melody would ring in the background to accompany more standard speech patterns, though when they spoke face to face with another of their kind, it was usual to have one or more of the meturge players accompany his speech with their instruments, though not unheard of.

Due to their mastery of conveying the Aria, the meturge players were the translators and envoys, and formed an integral part of the Interexine society. In a similar vein to the Interexine military, the meturge players received a suite of augmentations to allow them to carry out their role, both genetic modifications and cybernetic. Clad in the uniform of their kind, they wore long coats of a glossy, green fibre, laced with slender gold piping. The flesh of their ears was distended and splayed, by their genetic and surgical enhancement, like the ears of bats or other nocturnal fliers, while comm technology, the equivalent of an Imperial vox, was laced around the high collars of their coats, and each one carried an instrument strapped across his chest, a device with amplifiers and coiled pipes, and numerous digital keys on which the meturge player's nimble fingers constantly rested. A swan-necked mouthpiece rose from the top of each instrument, enabling the player to blow, hum, or vocalise into the device.

These meturge players were prevalent in all walks of life within the Interex Empire, and there was not a single diplomatic enclave that did not have at least a dozen of their number within their walls.

## History

**Approx M.15** - The Kinebrach rise to power as an interstellar civilization, befriending the Eldar empire

**Approx M.25** - The Age of Strife begins, the Kinebrach suffer heavily, their civilization begins to decline

**Approx M.27** - The Kinebrach empire makes contact with colonists from Xenobia, the colonists naming themselves the Interex and already holding six planets under their banner. The border conflict grows, and eventually the two sides descend into an all out war.

**Approx M.27** - Though the Kinebrach boast superior technology, they cannot match the Interex in combat. In order to negotiate, the Interex develop the Aria, and soon, the two sides come to terms, forging an alliance. This was the true start of the Interex Empire.

**Approx M.28** - The Interex Empire makes contact with the an Eldar Exodite world. The Eldar readily share their fears of the Chaos Gods and how their empire is threatening to birth a new member of their kind. This is where the Interex first learn of Chaos, and swear to fight it. The Kinebrach also reveal that they know of chaos, lending their knowledge to their allies.

**M30.799** - Bartosz, Primarch of the XIVth Legion of the Imperium of Mankind, lands on the capital world of the Interex empire, Xenobia. The Interex quickly recognise him as a product of a highly advanced species, resolving to raise him to the best of their abilities to act as an eventual ambassador between the Interex and his people.

**M30.851** - Bartosz, now in command of a detachment of Sagit-tar’s, makes first contact with the Megarachnids. Negotiations are attempted, but are unsuccessful, the Interex barely escaping the swarm.

**M30.852** The Interexine-Megarachnid war erupts, engulfing the entire Interex Empire. All citizen soldiers are called up to fight.

**M30.860** Bartosz takes command of the entire Interex war effort. By this point the Interex have lost multiple worlds, and are threatening to break entirely against the merciless, relentless foe.

**M30.866** The Megarachnid swarm is broken at the Fourth Battle of Urisarach, Bartosz slaying Grand Empress Shaseek'az.

**M30.867** - The Interexine-Megarachnid War officially ends

**M30.867** - An election is called throughout the Interex Empire, Bartosz near unanimously voted as the new Prime Designate. The surviving Megarachnids are confined on Urisarach, their ability to create space-faring technology stripped from them, while a vast orbital net of listening posts and security broadcasters is set up to try and ensure none will descend to or ascend from the world.

**M30.932** - The Interex Empire colonises its five hundredth and first world, marking the high point of the Empires size.

**M30.943** - The security cordone of Urisarach is broken, Bartosz mustering a fleet to travel to the world, preparing to fight the ancient foe, or treat with those who had inadvertently stumbled upon the Megarachnid nesting world.

**M30.944** - Bartosz and the fleet arrives at Urisarach, making first contact with the Imperium of man, and his own genetic sons, the Palatine Wings, XIVth Legion of the Emperor

**M30.944** - At a word from the Emperor of Mankind, Bartosz turns upon the Interex Empire, leading a war that makes the Interexine-Megarachnid war look small by comparison.

**M30.947** - The Imperial First Contact War Ends. The Interex Empire is shattered, those few survivors fleeing into the depths of space. The Interex Empire is no more.

## Sources

[1] - Artwork by https://www.deviantart.com/byrdworx