vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
T'au Wargear - Rail Rifle: A potent weapon, the Rail Rifle makes use of the same technologies as the larger Railgun and Heavy Rail Rifle, albeit on a smaller scale so that it is infantry portable. Possessed of an impressively long range and ability to deal great damage, the Rail Rifle's true strength lies in its armour penetration capabilities. The Rail Rifle's hypersonic projectile is able to punch through even Terminator Armour with ease. As a dedicated elite infantry killer, enemy units that manage to survive a Rail Rifle fusillade often find themselves pinned down, unable to do anything in the face of such deadly fire. The Rail Rifle also proves effective when used against light vehicles. Rail Rifles have only recently been authorised for issue to frontline T'au units, having completed an extensive field-testing phase.
T'au Wargear - Heavy Rail Rifle: A Heavy Rail Rifle is similar to the larger Railgun, but is slightly smaller so that it can be mounted on a T'au Battlesuit. Whilst this weapon’s range and damage is not as great as its larger cousin, it is still an impressive anti-tank weapon, renowned for its effectiveness at penetrating enemy armour at extreme ranges. The XV88 Broadside Battlesuit is the only T'au unit that is armed with the Heavy Rail Rifle, and the XV88 makes use of it as a twin-linked primary weapons system.
T'au Wargear - Railgun: Railguns are renowned for their capability to penetrate enemy armour at extreme ranges. The Railgun is most commonly mounted as a primary weapon on a Hammerhead gunship. Along with standard solid-shot rounds, a Railgun is also able to fire sophisticated submunition rounds, which consist of smaller projectiles that can strike a wide area. Whilst the overall damage imparted on impact with this variant of the Railgun's projectile is less than the standard shot, such submunitions are extremely useful for suppressive area fire against infantry targets.
T'au Wargear - Heavy Railgun: A Heavy Railgun is a larger version of the standard Railgun and is usually only mounted on the Manta and AX-1-0 variant of the Tiger Shark aircraft. Heavy Railguns fire larger rounds at higher speeds, and these projectiles are fin-stabilised to provide extra lift, and therefore greater range when fired in-atmosphere.
T'au Wargear - Starship Railgun Batteries: Despite recent T'au advances in superconductor technology, Railgun Batteries mounted on T'au starships are of such enormous size and require such large amounts of energy to fire that they are grouped into batteries and fired one barrel at a time in sequential order, ensuring that the first barrel is loaded and ready before it is charged again. T'au Starship Railgun Batteries are considered comparable in firepower and effectiveness to the batteries of Macrocannons employed by Imperial starships.
T'au Wargear - Sources: Apocalypse (4th Edition), pg. 158Apocalypse (6th Edition), pp. 181-182Apocalypse Reload, pg. 68Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, pp. 96, 98Battlefleet Gothic: 2010 Compendium, pg. 159Battlefleet Gothic Magazine 19, pg. 9Chapter Approved 2004, pg. 46Codex: Tau Empire (3rd Edition), pp. 16-20, 25-26, 27, 30-31Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pp. 16, 25-31, 35-38, 39-41, 46Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition), pp. 28, 33, 36-38, 40-49, 50-51, 54, 59, 63, 65-70, 72-73, 100, 102-103Deathwatch: Ark of Lost Souls (RPG), pp. 123-124, 142, 365Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 366Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (RPG), pp. 5-6, 10, 12, 26-27, 193Deathwatch: Tempest Rising (RPG), pg. 139Farsight Enclaves - A Codex: Tau Empire Supplement (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 113-118, 120-121, 129-130, 169-170, 187-188, 193-194, 218, 230, 245, 250-251, 304-305, 307-309, 320Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pp. 58-64Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pp. 77-82, 84Imperial Armour - Apocalypse 2, pp. 58-60Imperial Armour Volume Three -- The Taros Campaign, pp. 68, 80-81, 141, 158-159, 162, 166, 170, 172-175, 177-178, 187, 190-191, 194-195, 198, 201, 207-208, 211, 282-284, 287Planetstrike, pg. 45Rogue Trader: Into the Storm (RPG), pg. 121Warhammer 40,000: Munitorum - Rail Rifles (Digital Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition), pg. 62Warhammer 40,000: Wargear, pp. 26, 46, 49Forge World WebsiteShas'O R'myr Experimental RulesForge World – XV107 R'varna Battlesuit Experimental Rules DatasheetForge World – XV109 Y'vahra Battlesuit Experimental Rules DatasheetFire Warrior (Novel), by Simon SpurrierDawn of War - Dark Crusade (PC Game)Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)White Dwarf 285 (AUS), "Chapter Approved - Tau Rail Rifles" by Pete HainesWhite Dwarf 316 (AUS), "Index Xenos - The Vespid"
Tabius Rasa - Tabius Rasa: Tabius Rasa is the name of both a star system within the Jericho Reach, and the only habitable planet within it. This Feral World bears the presence of Humanity with grave reluctance.Its vast oceans of water are high in phosphates and potassium salts, which require extensive filtration prior to consumption.The planet's weather is dramatic; likely due to the tidal effects of its four moons, with surface winds frequently exceeding 150 kilometres per hour. These storms constantly scour the surface, leaving worn rocks and short, reedy plant life.
Tabius Rasa - Culture: The Human natives of Tabius Rasa are technologically primitive, but have established a stable society that seems free of Warp-taint. Many of their communities are built in the canyons and foothills of mountains that can protect them from the wind.Others have moved to subterranean life, escaping the weather completely. Over the millennia, they have lost virtually all of the advanced technology that carried their ancestors to the planet. By necessity, these survivors have developed agricultural techniques and water filtration systems that exploit the native resources.The planet's mineral resources are skewed away from metallic substances, and none of the surface plants are harvestable for hardwoods. Bone, rock, and coral are used in place of metals. Sub-aquatic plants are harvested for dense reeds that the natives process into a hardwood substitute.They currently lack the technology and the resources to manufacture synthetic materials. These combined limitations are almost certainly key reasons for their primitive lifestyles. Between the limited resources and the difficult weather, some consider it a miracle that the colony has survived.However, there may be darker reasons for its survival. The natives are often found accompanied by reptilian companions, which they call "Drahkens." These xenos creatures are a six-limbed, reptilian species that grow up to a metre in body length with a longer tail.The Human colonists treat the Drahkens with great deference, often carrying them on their shoulders, and in some circles treating them as peers. Some amongst the Ordo Malleus speculate that these reptilian life forms are actually some form of daemonic familiar.Oddly, there are few indications of conflict between the various city-states, even though the planet is poor in resources. Reports have shown that some of these governments include the Drahkens as citizens and peers. Imperial lore is only found among the population's ancient legends.The people of Tabius Rasa do not follow the Imperial Creed. Instead, religions vary substantially from city-state to city-state. In several instances, the mortal rulers of the cities are identified as living gods.The origins of these Drahken xenos are unclear. Records of the system from the Jericho Sector era before the onset of the Age of Shadow do not identify any sapient or even protosapient species. Warp contamination could have induced a metamorphosis in a native life form, but there are few signs of contamination among the Human population.Alternatively, it could be that Drahkens are not native to the Tabius Rasa System. If that is the case, they might be colonising the planet as well, though the absence of any indications of spaceflight fail to support this theory.In any case, the close interaction between Humanity and a xenos species will, undoubtedly, cause issues when the Achilus Crusade establishes contact with the planet.
Tabius Rasa - Deathwatch Intervention: Efforts by the Deathwatch to study both the Human and Drahken populations led Watch Captain Koulos and his squad to go to Tabius Rasa to begin analyses and to abduct several of the world's Humans and xenos for questioning.All of the Human abductees were sedated and hypno-programmed to remove all memories of the incidents. The Drahkens were eliminated, though their bodies were preserved for further analysis upon their return to the designated watch station. From there, Deathwatch Librarian Ishmael made great success in probing the minds of the native Humans.His preliminary findings suggested that everyone encountered seemed to radiate an unusual degree of contentment. He had far less success, however, with the xenos, yet believes that they may be capable of reading and projecting emotions to Humans.If this finding is supported, their empathy may be the reason for the peaceful nature of these Humans. Such a degree of contentment could be extremely troubling for the crusade's efforts within the Tabius Rasa System, as well as dangerous for any Humans under its effects.Koulos believes further analysis is necessary so that any xenos plot may be further uncovered. Indeed, he reasons there may be merit in proceeding with an immediate extermination of the Drahkens.
Tabula Myriad - Tabula Myriad: The Tabula Myriad is an advanced artificial general intelligence, or "Abominable Intelligence" in the parlance of the ancient Mechanicum of Mars, that became involved in the Schism of Mars during the Horus Heresy of the early 31st Millennium.
Tabula Myriad - History: Originally developed by Humanity at an unknown time in the Age of Technology when sentient machines were still quite common, the Tabula Myriad is a highly rational, cold and calculating machine intelligence that seeks only to assimilate, replicate and then enhance any technology, organisation or system it comes in contact with.The Tabula Myriad had been discovered at some point during the Great Crusade on the world of Ultra Median by the Iron Hands Legion, and the Primarch Ferrus Manus handed it over to the Mechanicum for safekeeping. The tech-priests could do no more than store the device, for such technology was forbidden to the Mechanicum by both their own religious doctrines and the edict of the Emperor of Mankind.Kept in storage on Mars after its discovery, after the outbreak of the civil war between the Loyalist Mechanicum and the Dark Mechanicum that had gone over to the service of the Warmaster Horus, the A.I. was awakened and freed from its prison. It subsequently possessed the body of a standard Kastelan-class robot to disguise itself and ensure its mobility.The Tabula Myriad later formed a pact with the Loyalist Adeptus Titanicus Princeps Kallistra Lennox and her followers to help them in driving the Dark Mechanicum from Mars after the Traitors won control of the red planet. Lennox knew allying with an Abominable Intelligence was the direst form of tech-heresy, but she felt that such a radical step was necessary if Mars was to be reclaimed for the true followers of the Omnissiah.The Tabula Myriad offered its Loyalist allies a 4,267 step strategy to claim victory over the Dark Mechanicum. However, the Tabula Myriad only made this deal in order to eventually dominate all of Mars for itself.
Tachyon Arrow - Tachyon Arrow: A Tachyon Arrow is an intricate Necron wrist-mounted directed energy weapon worn by Necron royalty like Necron Overlords, Necron Lords and Necron Destroyer Lords.When activated, it transmutes a sliver of inert metal into an unstoppable thunderbolt capable of piercing the heart of a mountain.Such a weapon has near infinite range, and is able to penetrate almost any form of armour, including that of Titans.The only disadvantage to this astounding item is that its strange ammo supply is exhausted with a single shot, and is far too complex to be reloaded in the midst of combat.
Tachyon Arrow - Arrow of Infinity: This advanced tachyon weapon contains a gravitationally compressed sliver of the Star of Ages, the magnificent energy crystal that once lay at the heart of the xenos Khosyphane civilisation.The Crypteks of the Mandrakyn Conclave eradicated the Khosyphane to seize the crystal, and now use its tremendous destructive force to subjugate new foes.
Tactica Imperialis (Background Book) - Tactica Imperialis (Background Book): Tactica Imperialis is the second background book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series of novels by Dan Abnett. Tactica Imperialis was first published in 2007 and details four separate Imperial military campaigns from the latter years of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, with accompanying maps and descriptions of battles and important characters. As of 2017 the book is currently out-of-print, however, the section focusing on Lyubov was partially reprinted as an appendix in the Sabbat Crusade anthology.
Tactica Imperialis (Background Book) - Synopsis: This is a Warhammer 40,000 background book, emulating in tone the The Sabbat Worlds Crusade, describing a number of significant battles/campaigns in Imperial history. The book is written from the perspective of an actual educational document of the 41st Millennium and as such is packed with diagrams, maps, artwork, photos and numerous facts and figures of these battles.
Tactica Imperialis (Background Book) - Contents: Tactica Imperialis includes the following sections detailing Imperial Campaigns from the latter years of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, with accompanying maps and descriptions of battles and important characters.Naxos - The Reef Stars 811.M41 - Dark Eldar raiders mount a raid on the main habitation area of Naxos, Colony One, until the Adeptus Astartes of the Iron Snakes Chapter, under the command of Captain Trokus, arrives to put an end to the raids.Lyubov - The Sabbat Worlds 778.M41 - The Hive World of Lyubov has been conquered by the Forces of Chaos, including warriors of the Blood Pact. General Andreas Carnhide, a veteran Astra Militarum commander, has to draw together feuding factions of the Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy and the Adeptus Mechanicus to retake the planet.Rophanon - The Protean Ebb 990.M41 - The council of Rophanon instigates a rebellion against the Imperium for taking their lands and power away, turning Rophanon into a retirement community for high-ranking clerks and a massive records storage facility. Lord General Artemis Blythe just so happens to be on the planet recovering from wounds suffered during a void battle. He leads the Imperial counterattack against the rebels, which eventually becomes mired in a war of attrition. When the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan emerge near Rophanon Imperial Forces withdraw and let the Tyranids destroy the planet before the Deathwatch pronounce Exterminatus.The Black Crusade of Jihar The Lacerator - 599.M37 - Former Emperor's Children officer Jihar the Lacerator invades Imperial space but is met by stern resistance from the 13th Mordant Acid-Dogs regiment of the Astra Militarum, the so-called "Lucky 13s".
Tactica Imperium - Tactica Imperium: The Tactica Imperium is the most widespread military manual employed by the officers and guardsmen of the Astra Militarum to provide guidance on logistical, personnel, tactical and strategic matters. However, despite the name, it is not a single work, and has no known author; instead it is a whole collection of unrelated documents, including established military tactical and strategic doctrines, prior manuals of military wisdom dating back millennia, and notes on combat practice approved for inclusion by the Departmento Munitorum and the office of the overall Lord Commander Militant of the Astra Militarum.The collection of books and other treatises officially comprising the Tactica Imperium is therefore constantly being updated as the sheer size of the Imperium and its military forces precludes any true standardisation.
Tactica Imperium - History: The origins of the Tactica Imperium lie in the Imperium of Man's earliest days during the Great Crusade. In those times, the vast forces of what was then the Imperial Army and its fleet component, the Armada Imperialis, were being raised quickly and it became evident that some standardisation was required to have any chance of properly coordinating military organisations that were often radically different in culture, orders of battle and even technological levels. Any available military texts were seized on and distributed to provide at least some guidance. Over time this initial collection expanded.Now contained within the Tactica Imperium used in the 41st Millennium are treatises on the proper construction of field fortifications, the correct evolutions of close order combat drill, the oaths of allegiance to be made by new recruits, and the statutes of military law. Many of these are adopted verbatim by various regiments of the Astra Militarum, although some are best viewed metaphorically. The tactical treatises in particular are subject to many different interpretations. Their value lies more in provoking thought and, through it, an understanding of the core principles of military science so these can then be applied by a skilled unit commander as needed.The dictates of the Tactica Imperium are not meant to be taken too literally. In war, circumstances change too quickly to refer every decision to the outline of a solution found in any book, no matter how comprehensive or ancient. The true virtue of the Tactica Imperium is that it provides a reference for new Imperial Guard officers and there is always a chance that some form of helpful guidance can be found for an officer facing some critical issue.
Tactica Imperium - Solon's Axe: Among the knowledge to be found in the Tactica Imperium is a wealth of information on tactics, including armour formations such as that known as "Solon's Axe." Tanks using this formation spread out over a broad, flat front with trailing edges to cover the flanks. The front acts as a mobile fortress wall, providing protection to assets in the middle, although the potential firing arcs of some elements of the formation may be seriously restricted.In 3.267.397.M41, this formation was utilised by the Imperial Guard forces fighting against the Orks of WAAAGH! Gratzdakka on the Kostoval Flats on the planet Kalidar IV during the Kalidar War.
Tactica Imperium - Selected Quotes: Below are presented a selection of passages known to have been excerpted from various versions of the Tactica Imperium.
Tactical Marine - Tactical Marine: A Tactical Marine is a Firstborn Space Marine who is equipped to fight using a variety of ranged weapons across a broad range of combat conditions and is part of a ten-Astartes unit called a Tactical Squad. Tactical Squads were once the most common type of Space Marine squad in a given company and formed the mainstay of a Firstborn Space Marine Chapter.Tactical Squads are battleline squads. The most numerous and strategically versatile warriors in a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter form battleline squads. They are flexible enough to press home an attack, or hold a position with withering firepower. Whatever the strategic challenge, battleline squads are usually equal to the task.Like their Assault Marine counterparts, the members of a Tactical Squad can be tough as nails. The Chaos Space Marines also use units equivalent to Tactical Marines, though they have less diversity in weapons, are more vicious in melee combat and are usually led by an Aspiring Champion of Chaos.Since the advent of the Codex Astartes, Tactical Squads have been the backbone of most Space Marine armies. They have been called upon to fulfil the full range of battlefield roles; they hold ground, provide fire support and charge into the close quarters fighting of bloody melees, as the ever-changing theatre of war dictates.As befits their flexible battlefield role, Tactical Squads take a variety of weaponry to the field of battle.In addition to the standard armaments of Bolt Pistol and grenades, most Tactical Space Marines carry a bolter -- the weapon of vengeance made famous on untold millions of blood-soaked battlefields. This formidable anti-infantry firepower is typically complemented by both a heavy and special issue weapon. The exact armaments are chosen to match the requirements of each deployment, and weaponry duties are rotated between all members of the squad save the sergeant, so all Tactical Space Marines must be trained and capable with every weapon their squad can be called upon to field.Each Tactical Squad is led by a grizzled sergeant who has thrived through solar decades, or even standard centuries, of hard and brutal campaigning. It is essential that battleline squads be led by a canny and daring individual capable of reading the battle for opportunity, and it is quite common for such sergeants to be seconded from the elite Veteran 1st Company of the Chapter.This ensures that the mainstay of the Chapter's battle forces are led by the most experienced of its warriors. No matter how detailed a plan, many decisions in the heat of battle -- such as whether to advance at full sprint, fire on the move, take cover, or seize vital strongpoints -- must be made in a rapid fashion. The right snap decision can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Tactical Marine - History: The Legion Tactical Squad, the pre-cursor to the Tactical Squad of the 41st Millennium, was a tactical formation of the ancient Space Marine Legions used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. These squads were the mainstay of the Legiones Astartes and the force by which the Great Crusade reconquered much of the Human-settled galaxy for the Imperium of Man and its Emperor.The Warmaster Horus remarked on several occasions that there were few challenges of war that could not be met by, or did not require, the use of such units. It was by the fighting power of thousands of transhuman warriors such as these, armed and armoured for battle in the harshest of environments and the deadliest war zones, that the enemies of Mankind were crushed time and again.One of the Space Marine Legion's greatest assets in open battle was the massed, coordinated hail of bolter fire its Legion Tactical Squads could unleash. Such was the firepower of this storm of explosive shells that enemy infantry formations and even squadrons of light vehicles would be blasted to the four winds in a single thunderous volley of bolt shells.In the 41st Millennium, Tactical Squads of the Adeptus Astartes are the most numerous and strategically versatile warriors in a Space Marine Chapter. Where an objective must be seized, it is the Tactical Squads that attack in a storm of gunfire and combat blades. Where the line must be held, these courageous warriors plant their feet, raise their weapons, and fight to the last.Armed with bolters, grenades, and Codex Astartes-approved heavy and special weapons, Tactical Squads are superbly versatile strategic assets. Yet their greatest weapons are their indomitable spirit and their solar decades of combat experience -- invaluable virtues that combine with the battle-brothers' fearsome arsenal and superhuman physiques to render them amongst the greatest warriors in the galaxy.
Tactical Marine - Unit Composition: 4-9 Space Marines1 Space Marine Sergeant
Tactical Marine - Dedicated Transport: One of the following dedicated transport may be selected by a Tactical Squad:1 Drop Pod1 Rhino Armoured Personnel Carrier1 Razorback
Tactical Marine - Wargear: Power Armour (Most commonly Mark VII Aquila Power Armour)Bolter or Bolt PistolFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Tactical Marine - Optional Wargear: FlamerMeltagunPlasma GunGrav-GunChoice of Heavy Weapon, including Heavy Bolter, Multi-Melta, Missile Launcher, Plasma Cannon, Lascannon or Grav-cannonChoice of Close Combat Weapon, including Chainsword, Combi-melta, Combi-flamer, Combi-plasma gun or Combi-GravPlasma PistolPower WeaponPower FistMelta Bomb
Tactical Marine - Optional Wargear, Sergeant Only: 1 Melee Weapon (Includes: Chainfist, Chainsword, Force Weapon, Lightning Claws, Power Fist, Power Weapon, Relic Blade and Thunder Hammer)And/or 1 Ranged Weapon (Includes: Astartes Grenade Launcher, Auto-Weapon, Bolter, Cerberus Launcher, Combi-Weapon, Conversion Beamer, Cyclone Missile Launcher, Demolisher Cannon, Flamer Weapon, Grav-Weapon, Las Weapon, Melta Weapon, Missile Launcher, Plasma Weapon, Skyhammer Missile Launcher, Skyspear Missile Launcher, Sniper Rifle and Thunderfire Cannon)Melta BombsTeleport Homer
Tactical Marine - Optional Wargear for Tactical Squad's Dedicated Transport, Sergeant Only: Deathwind LauncherHurricane BolterIcarus Stormcannon ArrayTyphoon Missile LauncherWhirlwind Multiple Missile Launcher
Tactical Marine - Sources: Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 68-69, 148Codex: Blood Angels (7th Edition), pp. 119-120Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pp. 24, 88Codex: Dark Angels (7th Edition), pp. 73-74, 244-245Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pp. 14, 34, 97Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pp. 25, 84Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 68, 121Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition), pp. 51, 53, 82-83, 121, 124, 143, 145-147, 149-151, 153-154, 156-157, 168, 170, 179-180, 191, 198, 203-204, 301-303, 426-439Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 12, 14, 24-25Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 59, 134Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 34Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pp. 26, 89Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 84-86Insignium Astartes, pg. 18.Ultramarines: The Omnibus (Novel) by Graham McNeillWarhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition), pg. 394
Taghmata Omnissiah - Taghmata Omnissiah: The Taghmata Omnissiah (translated from Lingua-technis into the Terran Gothic of the Imperial Court as, "That which is divinely ordered for war") was the principal type of operational military force of the trans-Martian Mechanicum and also the most numerous at the time of the outbreak of the Horus Heresy during the opening years of the 31st Millennium.To those outside the arcane secrets and strange mysteries of the ancient Mechanicum, the Taghmata was a difficult thing to grasp, seeming at once a purely descriptive term applied to a bewildering tapestry of magi, machineworks and indentured manpower, and also a rigid and labyrinthine hierarchical structure, the equal of any in the Imperium's armed forces in complexity.This organisation was the military reflection of a Forge World's essentially feudal power structure mustered for battle. Alongside the elite Skitarii regiments, whose allegiance and command was owed ultimately to Mars, and the Collegia Titanica which comprised the planet-shattering Titan Legions, both of which operated separate military traditions of their own, the Taghmata formed the great trinity, the Triad-Magna, of the Mechanicum's power during the Great Crusade.Besides these three there stood the "lesser" independent and allied divisions of the Mechanicum's armed forces such as the Knight houses, the Ordo Reductor, the Explorators and the Legio Cybernetica, among others. Each was a great power in its own right, but all were dwarfed both in scale and reach by the great three.
Taghmata Omnissiah - Origins: Although Mars itself was a highly singular and unique entity in military terms, much as Terra itself was to the other worlds of the Imperium, each Forge World in the days of the Great Crusade was an independent power; a kingdom in its own right. While each owed fealty to the lords of the Red Planet, in some cases these bonds were as absolute as satrapies, while in others the ties to the ancient Mechanicum's seat of power were weaker, often simply through distance, and in the most extreme cases this fealty became questionable at best, and rivalry and the threat of rebellion against central control or internecine conflict distinctly possible.By this web of fealty, bound more by common religious doctrine, culture and mutually-shared obsession rather than by principle, loyalty or duty was the shadow empire within the Imperium that was the Mechanicum before the Horus Heresy formed.The proof of this hidden disunity was given unequivocal form during the Horus Heresy when, just as the Imperium was riven by the treachery of the Warmaster Horus, so was the Mechanicum, already rife with internal discord and disharmony, all too readily riven alongside it, turning on itself as well as siding unequally for the warring parties of Traitor or Loyalist, with Forge Worlds and domains siding along long-held fealties and feudal obligations as much as they did for Emperor or the Warmaster.It was of this complex feudal structure, both on the macro-scale which encompassed whole Forge Worlds and alliances of Forge Worlds, and on the local scale of orders, colleges, fanes and forge cities, that the Taghmata system was a direct reflection.
Taghmata Omnissiah - Horus Heresy: During the cataclysm of the Horus Heresy, the Taghmata was called upon on every Mechanicum Forge World and outpost as war and the threat of attack was constant. Soon, the Mechanicum was engaged in a battle for survival both against outside enemies and against rival factions of their own kind, and what had been an organisation of defence became just as frequently a means of attack, whether to claim vital resources, expand a sphere of influence or simply to annihilate an enemy.As the bloody struggle worsened, many Forge Worlds fought to the death to preserve their sovereignty from invasion by former allies, while others took an active and aggressive hand in the unfolding galactic civil war, their Taghmata fighting alongside Loyalist or Traitor, or simply for their own ends.So it was that Mechanicum slew Mechanicum, Mechanicum slew Legiones Astartes and Legiones Astartes slew Mechanicum. In desperate battle were dark sciences and ancient secrets better left undisturbed turned to, either in vain hope of ensuring survival, or by wakened ambition and lust for power, and the nightmarish terrors of the Age of Strife were unleashed once more.
Tahril - Tahril: Archon Tahril was the leader of the Kabal of the Black Heart within the Kaurava System, his base of operations was located at the edge of the system on a moon called Lacunae which orbits Kaurava IV.Although he was accompanied by Asdrubael Vect, the Archon of the Kabal of the Black Heart and the current supreme overlord of the Dark City of Commorragh who is Tahril's superior, it is Archon Tahril who oversees the coordination of the raid on the system while Asdrubael oversees the overall campaign from the relative safety of Lacunae.Like his fellow Archons, Tahril is naturally a very cruel and sadistic being, who delights in conquering and enslaving many of the worlds within the system, as well as fighting various other factions such as the Imperium, Asuryani and Orks within the region. In battle, Archon Tahril is surrounded by his bodyguard comprised of elite Incubii.
Tahril - History: When a massive Warp Storm erupted in the Kaurava System, located in the Ultima Segmentum, it plunged the entire system into chaos and warfare. Upon the moon of Lacunae, which orbits the world of Kaurava IV, a large Drukhari raider force emerged from the shadows of an ancient Webway gate, looking for souls and new bounty.This Drukhari force was made up of the notorious Kabal of the Black Heart, led by Archon Tahril. The Kabal of the Black Heart was the single largest and most powerful Kabal in Commorragh, and because of this, they were the dominant power in the Dark City.The Drukhari forces quickly slaughtered the Imperial population on the moon of Lacunae and seized control of the Webway gate. Using the moon as their base of operations, Archon Asdrubael Vect, supreme overlord of Commoragh, resided upon Lacunae, as Archon Tahril oversaw the Drukhari campaign in the Kaurava System.The Kabal utilised the ancient Webway gate to access the Webway, which gave them a distinct advantage over the various factions that were also drawn to the Kaurava System, allowing the Tahril to strike any race's stronghold at the moment of their own choosing.Archon Tahril displayed a formidable amount of arrogance above and beyond what is expected of his dark kin, even towards his fellow Drukhari. He relished in the hunt for fresh victims rather than taking the appropriate precautions in preparing adequate defences against a possible enemy assault.Tahril considered the military commanders of the various races as fools and unworthy opponents, with the exception of both Farseer Caerys of Craftworld Ulthwé, and the Chaos Lord Firaeveus Carron.
Tahril - Kaurava Campaign Outcome: As seen in the PC Game Dawn of War - Soulstorm, the fate of the Kaurava System depends on the actions taken by the various factions fighting over it; it can be returned to the control of the Imperium, become a new frontier Sept of the T'au Empire, become the black heart of the Necrons' next genocidal "red harvest", the base of the greatest Ork WAAAGH! ever launched, or a new Daemon World of the Warp.If the Drukhari stronghold is destroyed, Asdrubael Vect's Dais of Destruction (a heavily modified Ravager) is destroyed, which causes Archon Tahril to flee to the relative safety within the Webway. Tahril comments that should Vect fall, that he should be the one to rise and take his place as the lord of the Kabal of the Black Heart.But this would seem highly unlikely, as Tahril would most likely be tortured and eventually executed for his failure. Another conflicting item of the game is that if the Drukhari are defeated, Asdrubael Vect is killed, and with the death of the current leader of Commorragh, the choice of who becomes his successor becomes a issue.If the Drukhari are defeated by the forces of Chaos, the Drukhari find themselves as prisoners within their own cages and torture devices, an ironic and 'just reward', enforced upon them by the depraved worshippers of the Ruinous Powers. If they are defeated by the Orks, the Drukhari also find themselves imprisoned within their own cages, however, the Orks then utilise their captives as sport, to see how far they can throw their prisoners in the moon's low gravity.Should the Drukhari defeat the other factions, they will proceed to partake in a brutal system-wide orgy of destruction of bloodshed, hunting down or kill all of the system's remaining human civilians and surviving members of the other factions, taking thousands of slaves for sport back to the Dark City, and leaving the Kaurava System almost lifeless.
Tahril - Wargear: Kabalite Armour - Drukhari Kabalites go to battle clad in suits of segmented plates, usually part of a larger bodysuit that is secured in place with serrated barbs and hooks.Splinter Pistols - Splinter weapons fire shards of splintered crystal covered in incredibly potent toxins using a powerful magno-electric pulse. The splinter pistol is an elegant sidearm beloved of assassins and street fighters across the galaxy; though it is designed for precision short ranged shots, the toxins inside its reservoir pod are no less deadly.Drukhari Power ClawPlasma Weapons
Tahril - Optional Wargear: Shredder - The shredder unleashes an expanding mesh of monofilaments with miniscule barbs along their length, entangling the victim in an invisible net that slices him apart as he struggles to free himself.Disintegrator Cannon - The disintegrator cannon fires particles of unstable matter harnessed from a stolen sun, each shot capable of atomising the most heavily armoured warrior. Far more sophisticated than conventional plasma-based firearms, it maintains a high rate of fire and always remains cool to the touch despite the ravening energies housed within.Agoniser - An agoniser is an extremely sophisticated weapon that drives a victim's sensorium haywire, causing excruciatingly severe pain as nerves burn out from overload. Though agonisers come in a variety of forms, the most common are toxin-soaked whips.
Tainted Lung - Tainted Lung: The Tainted Lung is a warband or vectorium of Heretic Astartes of the Death Guard Traitor Legion's 2nd Plague Company.
Tainted Lung - Notable Campaigns: The Smog of War (Unknown Date) - Vectoriums of the Death Guard Legion's 2nd Plague Company, including the Rusted Claws and the Tainted Lung, engage the Iron Hands of Clan Kaargul and Astra Militarum armoured regiments on Tsarvia II. As the grinding tank war starts to turn against them, the Death Guard set light to the sprawling chem-works of Tsarvia Secundus. Malignant Plaguecasters channel the resultant fumes into banks of corrosive smog that wreathe the Death Guard tanks and dissolve the hulls of their Imperial foes. Able to withstand the hideous conditions in a way that their enemies cannot, the Death Guard soon crush Tsarvia II beneath their armoured treads.
Tainted Lung - Warband Colours: The Tainted Lung's power armour is the same as that of the Death Guard, composed of decayed and cracked plates of ceramite. The Tainted Lung's Chaos Space Marines, like those of the Death Guard, often wear grotesquely warped suits of antique Mark III Iron Power Armour.
Tainted Lung - Warband Badge: The Tainted Lung's warband badge is usually a modified version of the standard Mark of Nurgle, similar to that used by the rest of the Death Guard.
Tainted Sons - Tainted Sons: The Tainted Sons are a warband or vectorium of Heretic Astartes of the Death Guard Traitor Legion. One of the most feared vectoriums of the Death Guard, the Tainted Sons earned the favour of Mortarion himself while fighting alongside him during the endless campaigns against the other forces of Chaos within the Eye of Terror. Unleashed at last upon the ailing Imperium, Death Guard Lord Gulgoth the Afflictor and his hideously bloated warriors embody the implacable fortitude and relentless aggression of the XIV Legion, and make use of every available weapon in their ongoing war against the Imperium.When the Tainted Sons are unleashed on a battlefield, they are a slow but unstoppable force, known as effective trench warriors and line-breakers without compare among the Death Guard. Under the command of Lord Gulgoth, they have earned a reputation for brutality in close combat and display both a terrifying fire discipline and an obsessive desire for efficiency that borders on insanity.A favoured tactic of the Tainted Sons is to make a single target their priority and engulf it in a merciless hail of fire before choosing another. The Tainted Sons' effectiveness was earned in the countless wars they fought for their Daemon Primarch Mortarion against the forces of the other Chaos Gods in the Eye of Terror, actions which also earned them the favour of the Plague God Nurgle. Once the Tainted Sons emerged from the Eye to wreak havoc, they discovered that Nurgle's blessings were still upon them, for the very ground they walk upon will curdle into churned filth, while unnatural disease-carrying spores and Warp-tainted fumes thicken the air around them. Nothing natural can survive for long in the presence of the Tainted Sons. As the servants of Nurgle close upon them, enemy troops who face the Tainted Sons will find their flesh beginning to rot from their bones as they break out in clusters of buboes. The end comes quickly once the Tainted Sons gurgle their warcry, "All will rot!"
Tainted Sons - Warband Colours: The Tainted Sons' power armour is the same as that of the Death Guard, composed of decayed and cracked plates of ceramite discoloured in sickly greens and browns. Tainted Sons Chaos Space Marines, like those of the Death Guard, often wear grotesquely warped suits of antique Mark III Iron Power Armour.
Tainted Sons - Warband Badge: The Tainted Sons' warband badge is usually a modified version of the standard Mark of Nurgle, similar to that used by the rest of the Death Guard.
Talasa Prime - Talasa Prime: Talasa Prime is an Imperial Fortress World located in the Talasa System of the Realm of Ultramar in the Ultima Sector of the Segmentum Ultima. It has been gifted in perpetuity to the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition and the Deathwatch Chapter by the Ultramarines. It now serves as the foremost watch fortress of the Deathwatch and one of the primary training centres for that Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos.Talasa Prime, the archetypal training world for the Deathwatch, maintains an Aquila pattern watch fortress in addition to dozens of attendant watch stations. It has a wide variety of kill-teams, each tested against those xenos races that would encroach upon Ultramar's borders. Overall command of the watch fortress as watch commander is entrusted to Watch Master Mordelai, a humourless and extremely efficient proponent of the Malleus war doctrine, who has the long-standing trust of Chapter Master Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines himself.Like most watch fortresses, Talasa Prime maintains five Watch Companies, numbered Primus to Quintus, comprised of four kill-teams of varying types each. The fortress' order of battle can be seen below.
Talasa Prime - History: Following the gift of Talasa Prime to the Inquisition by Macragge, the Ordo Xenos constructed a massive Inquisitorial Fortress upon the world which its Inquisitors now share with the Astartes of the Long Vigil.Talasa Prime serves as the headquarters watch fortress and foremost training world of the Deathwatch Chapter -- not just a void station, but a whole planet sited in the Realm of Ultramar. The lords of Talasa Prime's Deathwatch keep their own counsel, though their wars against the Tyranid hive fleets and the T'au Empire have proved critical to the safety of the Imperium in the galactic east. The watch fortress also recruits, trains and equips kill-teams composed from the nearby Ultramarines, Scythes of the Emperor and Lamenters Chapters for service against the Tyranids.Since the birth of the Great Rift at the start of the Era Indomitus, however, the influx of new Space Marines seconded to the Deathwatch from the Imperium Nihilus has all but stopped. Rumours suggest the watch fortresses of Praefex Venatoris and Fort Excalibris now share the responsibility for training those Deathwatch members that are active in the blighted realm of the Dark Imperium.It was at Talasa Prime that the Deathwatch, under the direction of Watch Commander Mordelai, first integrated the Primaris Space Marines into its kill-teams, by creating the first Fortis Kill-teams. Later, Mordelai refined his ideas, and also created the Primaris Indomitor and Spectrus Kill-teams to better make use of the single-armament squads used by Primaris Marine forces.
Talasa Prime - Notable Personnel: Mordelai, Watch Commander of Talasa Prime - Mordelai is the watch commander of  Talasa Prime who was seconded to the Long Watch from the Imperial Fists. Talasa Prime, the archetypal training world for the Deathwatch, maintains an Aquila pattern watch fortress in addition to dozens of attendant watch stations. It has a wide variety of Firstborn and Primaris Marine kill-teams, each tested against those races that would encroach upon Ultramar's borders. Overall command is entrusted to Watch Master Mordelai, a humourless and extremely efficient proponent of Malleus war doctrine, who has the long-standing trust of Chapter Master Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines himself. It was Mordelai who first devised the Fortis Kill-team structure for the Primaris Marines who joined the Deathwatch after the Ultimaris Decree of Primarch Roboute Guilliman. He would later go on to help devise other Primaris kill-team patterns as the new transhuman warriors proved their value and capabilities again and again during the conflicts of the Era Indomitus.
Talasa Prime - Sources: Chapter Approved 2003, pg. 74White Dwarf 306 (UK), pg. 30Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 25Codex Adeptus Astartes - Deathwatch (8th Edition), pg. 15Codex Supplement: Deathwatch (9th Edition), pp. 16, 52-53
Talasa Secundus - Talasa Secundus: Talasa Secundus is an Imperial Hive World and a War World located in the Talasa System of the Realm of Ultramar in the Ultima Sector. It is the most heavily populated world in the Talasa System, home to many hive cities. During the 13th Black Crusade, Talasa Secundus was one of the many worlds of Ultramar that were invaded by the Chaos forces under the command of the Warmaster of Chaos Abaddon the Despoiler.The planet was again assaulted during the Plague Wars of the Era Indomitus, this time by the Heretic Astartes of the Death Guard. The Chapters of the Silver Templars and the Novamarines engaged in a fierce battle to liberate the world from the mortal and Daemonic servants of Nurgle.
Talasa Secundus - Siege of Talasa Secundus: As the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade came to an end following the Battle of Raukos some 12 standard years after the birth of the Great Rift, new Chapters consisting entirely of Primaris Space Marines were founded. The majority of these new Chapters were created from the gene-seed of the Ultramarines, the most stable and enduring Astartes genetic material available.Many of these new Chapters, including the Silver Templars, were placed in control of worlds recently freed by the Imperium during the Indomitus Crusade.The warriors who would become the Silver Templars were forged in the fury of battle. They served with honour and distinction at the side of their primarch during the Indomitus Crusade, battling Daemon and xenos alike.Having cleansed the world of Novaris in the Realm of Ultramar from the taint of the Flawless Host, they were granted that vast world as their Chapter planet, and they were given the task of defending this region of space from the many enemies of Mankind.They settled quickly on Novaris, establishing their fortress-monastery and replacing their losses from the battle-hardened populace of their newly claimed world.It would not be long, however, before their beloved primarch called for their services once more. In Roboute Guilliman's absence from Ultramar, the Heretic Astartes of the Death Guard and their Nurglish Daemon allies had invaded in force during what became known as the Plague Wars, devastating several worlds and penetrating as far as Macragge. The Silver Templars did not hesitate when word reached them, dispatching three full companies of their most experienced warriors to assist their brothers and liberate Ultramar.All three companies fought bravely at the side of their parent Chapter, distinguishing themselves in battle against Daemon hordes and Death Guard warriors alike. It was to be the campaign undertaken by the 3rd Companyto Talasa Secundus, however, that solidified the Silver Templars' reputation for fearlessness and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and devastating losses.
Talasa Secundus - Siege Begins: Led by Captain Petricias, the 3rd Company of the Silver Templars arrived in the Realm of Ultramar to join a small force of Ultramarines Successor Chapters in the defence of the Hive World of Talasa Secundus in the Talasa System. Control of the task force had been given to Captain Aurelius Lobos of the Novamarines' 5th Company, the most experienced of the Space Marine commanders who served as the campaign's Force Commander.By the time the Imperial forces reached the surface, Talasa Secundus was already succumbing to the devastating diseases and viral bombardments unleashed by the Death Guard forces. Much of the Human population was infected with foul contagion, coughing their lungs out into the dirt.The fortunate died swiftly, the rest found their souls corrupted by Nurgle's taint and were transformed into boil-encrusted, shambling Poxwalkers. The walking dead surged across the surface of the planet, harrying the Space Marines as the Death Guard forces used the distraction to land their Plague Marines unopposed.As they fought running battles with hordes of Poxwalkers, the Space Marines formed defensive lines around the hive cities and dug in, preparing for the inevitable Plague Marine assault. For solar weeks the Space Marines held their lines.The Silver Templars battled back-to-back with their Novamarines allies, fighting day and night to hold back the press of Death Guard warriors. Assailed on both sides by Poxwalkers and heavily armed Plague Marines, the Space Marines eventually began to falter. Sensing weakness, the Death Guard made their final push.