vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Medicae - Imperial Medical Care: The expertise and training of local chirurgeons and other medicae professionals varies enormously across the Imperium and depends on a wide range of factors, from Feral World herbalists to hive city sawbones to the field medics of the Astra Militarum. On those Imperial worlds possessed of a relatively advanced technological base, the population might have access to many different forms of health care, though in practice this is normally drastically limited by social station, socioeconomic class, personal wealth, and other hierarchical factors.The one resource the Imperium is not lacking in is numbers and so life is cheap on even the most developed world. Only those who are valued by the monolithic local and Imperial institutions of power are generally afforded treatment for any ailment they might contract, while those deemed of little or no worth are denied it out of hand. In the most extreme of cases, individuals are kept alive long past their years using rejuvenat treatments simply because they have been classified by some impenetrable rating system as vital to some process, which itself might be obsolete.On the most primitive of worlds, medical care takes the form of all manner of potions, balms and herbal cures made from whatever sources are to hand. Those recruits taken from these worlds for the Astra Militarum with proper (or any) experience in basic medical skills and procedures, frequently find themselves continuing to propagate the practices of their homeworld on the battlefield as part of the Imperial military. Troopers also often prefer treatments to which they are accustomed, and a guardsman tithed from one of the many primitive or low-technology Imperial worlds is likely to refuse unfamiliar treatment but welcome a familiar folk remedy, even if the former is far more likely to save their life. Of course, there are many field medics who ignore their charges' wishes on the matter, using any and all knowledge they possess to save the lives of their stubborn comrades and apologising for saving their lives in a manner which they find uncomfortable later.
Medusa - Medusa: Medusa, formally Medusa IV, is the Chapter homeworld of the Iron Hands Chapter of Space Marines and of their lost primarch, Ferrus Manus. The Feral World of Medusa is a harsh realm of perpetual gloom, situated precariously close to the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus.The sun almost never breaks through the dark and polluted sky, as it constantly churns over a land of frozen mountain ranges, interspersed with volcanoes and boiling hot geysers. The landscape is under constant flux, the shifting of tectonic plates forming new mountains and seas, and destroying them as quickly as they are created.
Medusa - Coming of the Emperor: When the sky was split for a second time in the history of Medusa, in 824.M30, the clans were confused, unsure of what this sign might represent. Without a word, Ferrus Manus left the clans immediately and travelled to the landing site of the phenomenon. Solar weeks passed with no news of Ferrus, but before the clans decided what they should do in regard to discovering the fate of their saviour, the sky erupted with titanic electrical storms and the ground shook to savage earthquakes, terrifying everyone.These events lasted for eight solar days, after which the entire world was said to have fallen unnaturally silent. A single day later, Ferrus returned to the site of the clans' great meeting, escorting an awe-inspiring figure. Stories concerning what acts the two great men performed vary, but most revolve around the common theme of a battle or trial of powers, responsible for the unnatural storms.Whatever had happened up in the mountains, it was clear to everybody present that there was now a close bond of mutual respect between Ferrus and the Emperor, who had arrived in search of His gene-son. Ferrus Manus soon left with the Emperor to visit Terra, the world of his birth, and become acclimated to the customs and technologies of the newborn Imperium of Man. Yet he promised the clans that he would always return to Medusa, the troubled world that would remain his true home.
Medusa - Geography: The skies of Medusa are always dark and choked by volcanic ash, and its lands are blasted and barren. Massive mountain chains rise high above the land and the peaks of the countless volcanoes are so high that they pierce the black clouds and illuminate them from within as if they were gateways to the infernal. The poles are freezing and savage and the Land of Shadows is a silent region of this barren world that is strewn with alien ruins millions of years old that some Imperial savants believe may belong to the ancient Necrontyr civilisation.Karaashi, the Ice Pinnacle that the newborn Primarch Ferrus Manus' gestation capsule crashed into when he first fell to Medusa, can still be seen today, though it is said to be half the size it once was. A great gaping hole at its peak that spews ash and steam into the atmosphere is evidence of where the shining light of Ferrus Manus crashed millennia ago.Still it rumbles with the constant geological anger of Medusa -- a constant reminder to the planet's people of the need for vigilance. The clans of Medusa prepare for that day when the Ice Pinnacle ceases to rumble Medusa's unease. For that day, it is foretold, will mark the second coming of the great Primarch, and with his return, even the volcanoes of Medusa will at last be content.
Medusa - The Gorgon's Forge: Even after the arrival of the Iron Hands, their homeworld remained sparsely developed, with much of the Medusan populace continuing their nomadic existence aboard vast, armoured crawlers. However, the Chapter does maintain a number of fortified facilities across the planet's surface, each serving purposes both practical and symbolic.One such location is the Gorgon's Forge, a vast factory complex located near Medusa's southern pole. Playing host to a contingent of Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-priests and rumoured to house a handful of STC fragments, the Gorgon's Forge rings day and night with the clamour of heavy industry.It is here that Iron Hands vehicles damaged during battle are brought to undergo repairs, and that the majority of the Chapter's Dreadnought sarcophagi lay at rest between battles. Here also are wrought the finest weapons of the Chapter, masterwork examples of the armourer’s art constructed specifically for use by the Iron Hands' mightiest heroes.
Medusa - Culture: The people of Medusa are truly a product of their difficult environment. Harsh and unforgiving in nature, Medusans are a fierce and hardy people who cannot afford to brook weakness of any kind in their ranks. Those who are too weak or sick to survive without aid voluntarily surrender themselves to die amidst their world's elements so that their lives will not drain the existing resources and put their friends and family at risk.The people are organised into nomadic clans and while in ancient times they trudged across the ever-shifting landscape on foot or astride the backs of sturdy beasts of burden, they now travel in vast processions of ramshackle tracked vehicles each as large as a fortress, the acrid stink of a thousand new engines adding to the sulfurous pollution already present in the atmosphere. It is from these hardy and stoic people that the Iron Hands Space Marines exclusively recruit their Neophytes, for the world, its people and the Chapter are one and inseparable.The Primarch Ferrus Manus saw that weakness could kill the people around him, and came to believe that infirmity of any kind was a plague. He believed that it was better for the weak links of humanity to be destroyed than to have them pose a threat, an unnecessary frailty that would pose a burden to the rest.On Medusa, weak children were routinely exposed to the elements so as not to place an unnecessary encumbrance on the rest of a clan's community. So too, when the time came that an adult was incapable of providing for the community, that person left their clan. Those who accepted the Emperor's Divine teachings were embraced. Those who did not were cut down without pity. The ruthlessness of the Legion and its Primarch terrified those who stood in the way of their relentless approach, and many worlds turned to the Emperor out of the overwhelming fear of retribution that these callous warriors were becoming renowned for.
Medusa - Noteworthy Domains: Sthenelus System (Primary)Sixteen other star systems held in tributary fiefdom since the closure of the Great Crusade, numerous independently operated outpost waystations and holdfasts established -- full number and position remains unknown.
Medusa - Notable Locations: Felgarrthi Mountains - This is a great mountain range that rises high over the basin of the plains of Medusa. It consists of ten big peaks, each hundreds of metres in height, towering from the storm-blasted summit.The Eye of Medusa - The Eye of Medusa is place sacred to the clans of Medusa deep in the Felgarrthi Mountains region.Karaashi, the ice Pinnacle - Karaashi is the name given by native Medusans to the great Ice Pinnacle where Ferrus Manus originally crashed onto Medusa. However the Ice Pinnacle in the late 41st Millennium is said to be only half the size it once was when the Primarch first came to Medusa.Oraanus Rocks - The Oraanus Rocks is the name given to a mountain ridge that extends for several hundred kilometers, stretching north to south, and consists of ultra-hard lumps of diorite, a metamorphic crystal found only on Medusa. The Oraanus Rocks is where the Trial of Rocks traditionally is held, an early test for Neophytes of the Iron Hands Chapter.
Medusa - Notable Fauna: Mountain Yarrk - The mountain yarrk resembles a cross between a giant leopard and a large primate of Terra. It stands several metres tall with broad shoulders. Its long arms and powerful body are covered with black, shaggy hair and its head was encircled by a lion-like mane. A yarrk was a very fierce beast and was frequently hunted by the young Medusan clansmen in attempts to impress the Iron Hands into recruiting then as neophytes.Oryx - An oryx was a large quadruped that possessed a great rack of antlers that was native to Medusa.
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Medusa (Siege Gun): The Medusa is an Imperial heavy artillery siege gun used by the siege armies of the Astra Militarum to bombard heavily fortified enemy positions. Evidence exists that the Medusa was originally deployed during the time of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. At that time, the Medusa was used by the Space Marine Legions as a potent siege weapon.Besides its field artillery companies, the backbone of any siege regiment of the Imperial Guard are its heavy artillery companies. The heavy artillery pieces used by these companies are the big guns, deployed well back from the front lines to provide a sustained bombardment of the enemy forces during a major set-piece engagement. Imperial heavy artillery includes the Guard's workhorse, the Earthshaker Cannon, and the aging Medusa heavy siege gun. Both types of heavy artillery are capable of firing sustained bombardments, box barrages to isolate a battlefield from enemy reinforcements, harassing fire during an enemy advance, counter-battery fire to suppress enemy artillery and destructive fire at selected enemy units, all spotted for by artillery officers who serve in the dangerous role of forward observers on the front lines.Siege regiments of the Imperial Guard are supported not only by their own heavy artillery companies but also by the overall army's bombardment corps. These are concentrations of heavy artillery pieces like the Earthshaker and the Medusa that back up the attacking regiments and are used to maintain sustained bombardments before the launch of major offensives against an enemy's entrenched, fortified positions.
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Armament: The Medusa siege gun fires a heavier shell than the Earthshaker Cannon at a lower velocity over a shorter distance. The heavy shell has excellent destructive capabilities, but the Medusa cannot match the Earthshaker for its longer range and so is less useful for harassing fire and counter-battery fire missions. Instead, it is primarily used to destroy enemy fortifications, such as bunkers, pillboxes, walls and trenches. The Medusa, like the Earthshaker, is too large to be towed by a Centaur field utility vehicle, and the larger Trojan towing vehicle is needed instead. The Trojan can also carry the gun's crew and some of its ammunition as needed. Like the Medusa Siege Tank, the stand-alone Medusa Siege Gun is capable of firing different types of ammunition.
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Ammunition Types: High Explosive - High Explosive Rounds are the standard shells used by most artillery weapons. These shells are more than capable of destroying infantry units and even vehicles through their sheer explosive force.Siege Shells - Siege Shells are used against enemy structures and fortifications. They are fused to explode after hitting the ground, causing damage to the building's foundation.Bastion Breacher Shells - These shells are fired by the Medusa tank and the stand-alone Medusa Siege Gun. They are fired directly into the enemy walls where they burrow deep and then explode after penetrating, causing the wall to explode outwards and creating a breach for Imperial infantry to enter through.Phosphex Shells - During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, the ancient Space Marine Legions and Imperial Army forces often employed rare and deadly phosphex weaponry. Phosphex is a rare corrosive toxic and incendiary compound utterly inimical to life, deployed both in the form of large canister bombs and heavy shells. It expands on contact with air into a seething liquid mist which burns with an eerie white-green flame which is attracted to movement. This gelid flame ignites metal and eats relentlessly into living tissue, and cannot be extinguished short of exposure to vacuum. With the destruction of the lone STC by the blasphemous Tech-Priest Veriliad, the Adeptus Mechanicus lost the ability to recreate this deadly substance. It is highly unlikely, that the average Imperial Guard regiment would even have access to such rare and deadly ammunition in the modern 41st Millennium.
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Medusa Siege GunVehicle Name:Medusa Siege GunMain Armament:Medusa Siege GunForge World of Origin:LuciusSecondary Armament:N/AKnown Patterns:I - IIITraverse:0 degreesCrew:6 GunnersElevation:0 to 54 degreesPowerplant:N/AMain Ammunition:N/AWeight:12 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:N/ALength:8.2 metres (Carriage Only)Armour:Width:3.7 metresHeight:3.7 metres (Gun at 0 degrees Elevation)Superstructure:N/AGround Clearance:0.7 metresHull:N/AMax Speed On-Road:N/AGun Mantlet:60 millimetresMax Speed Off-Road:N/AVehicle Designation:0198-561-6730-MG42Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Also See: Imperial Guard Vehicles
Medusa (Siege Gun) - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 186, 194, 196, 267Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks Part One, pp. 50, 80, 85, 116-119, 142Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks Part Two, pg. 103Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks Part Threepp. 134, 186-187The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal by Alan Bligh, pg. 231Forge World - Vanaheim Pattern MedusaForge World - Medusa Self-Propelled MortarForge World - Legion Medusa
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Medusa (Siege Tank): The Medusa, also known as the Medusa Siege Tank, is a siege tank used by the Imperial Guard. Like the Griffon heavy mortar carrier, the Medusa is a siege weapon mounted onto a Chimera tank chassis, transforming it into a mobile artillery piece. The Medusa is named after the weapon it carries, the Medusa Siege Gun. During a siege the Medusa is primarily used to breach the walls of enemy fortifications so that the attacking infantry can storm the position and eliminate all resistance. During urban warfare the Medusa can be used as an infantry support vehicle, toppling buildings and walls for the Imperial attackers.The Medusa is an older weapon of the Imperial Guard, and is slowly losing its place as Imperial military commanders look to better alternatives to serve in the role of siege tank due to the Medusa's lack of range, armour, and ammunition capacity. The Medusa and Griffon have been largely replaced as infantry support vehicles by the Thunderer Siege Tank and the Leman Russ Demolisher Tank. The Basilisk and Manticore are also preferred due to their long-range engagement capabilities. The Medusa is still kept in reserve batteries just in case they are needed, but many Imperial commanders try to avoid using them whenever possible. Still, when an enemy wall needs to be breached or a line of heavily defended bunkers needs to be assaulted, the Medusa Siege Tank can get the job done.
Medusa (Siege Tank) - History: The Medusa Siege Tank was first used by the Imperium during the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, where it was fielded in great numbers by the Imperial Army and Mechanicum, and in smaller numbers by the Space Marine Legions. The Medusa tanks used by the Space Marine Legions were usually crewed by the Legion's mortal personnel, but they were also crewed at times by the Space Marines themselves. The Medusa, along with the Basilisk, saw only limited usage by most of the Space Marine Legions, as the Astartes preferred to use the more versatile Whirlwind artillery tanks, which were based upon the Rhino chassis and thus were easier for the Legions to repair. There were some Legions that made heavier use of the Medusa, such as the Iron Warriors and Imperial Fists Legions, who specialised in conducting or defending against siege warfare. During these ancient times the Medusa could be outfitted in much the same way it is in the late 41st Millennium, but the tank could also take on additional upgrades and attachments which have long since been lost to the Imperium.
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Armament: The Medusa Siege Gun serves as this siege tank's primary weapon, and although the tank only carries twenty rounds of ammunition for that gun, it can still be used to great effect against enemy structures. The Medusa also is outfitted with a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter to be used as a defensive weapon against enemy infantry. The Medusa can use several different types of shells, but not as many as the Heavy Mortar Cannon or the Griffon. The Medusa can be upgraded with a enclosed crew compartment, which aids in keeping the crew safe from small arms fire, as well as camouflage netting, extra armour plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a Pintle-Mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, rough terrain modifications, a searchlight, track guards, and a smoke launcher. During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia, Medusa tanks could be outfitted with other upgrades such as an auxiliary drive system and Pintle-mounted twin-linked Bolters. The Medusa was sometimes also used as a command tank for artillery formations.
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Ammunition: High Explosive - High Explosive Rounds are the standard shells used by most artillery weapons. These shells are more than capable of destroying infantry units and even vehicles through their sheer explosive force.Siege Shells - Siege Shells are used against enemy structures and fortifications. They are fused to explode after hitting the ground, causing damage to the building's foundation.Bastion Breacher Shells - These shells are fired by the Medusa tank and the stand-alone Medusa Siege Gun. They are fired directly into the enemy walls where they burrow deep and then explode after penetrating, causing the wall to explode outwards and creating a breach for Imperial infantry to enter through.
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Regiments Known To Field Medusa Siege Tanks: 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment made use of the Medusa Siege Tank during the Sallan's World Offensive28th Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment - The 28th Krieg Armoured Regiment deployed the Medusa Siege Tank as part of the Galan V Expeditionary Force2nd Palladius Armoured Regiment101st Tallarn Armoured Regiment17th Tallarn Regiment - The 17th Tallarn Regiment made use of several Medusa Siege Tanks during the Taros Campaign122nd Cadian Regiment - The 122nd Cadian Regiment made use of the Medusa Siege Tank during the Siege of Vogen City13th Cadian Armoured Regiment - The 13th Cadian Armoured Regiment was issued Medusa Siege Tanks when it served as part of the Cadian Gate Garrison Forces during the 13th Black CrusadeThe Death Korps of Krieg - The regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg used many Medusa Siege Tanks during the grinding Siege of Vraks.The Vraksian Traitor Militia - The Vraksian Traitor Militia, with access to the vast Departmento Munitorum storehouses on Vraks Prime, used many Medusa Siege Tanks during the Siege of Vraks.
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Medusa Siege TankVehicle Name:MedusaMain Armament:Medusa Siege GunForge World of Origin:Gryphonne IVSecondary Armament:Heavy BolterKnown Patterns:II - XIIITraverse:3 degreesCrew:1 Driver, 1 Commander, 1 Gunner, 2 LoadersElevation:0 to 40 degreesPowerplant:Vulcanor 16 Twin Coupled Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:18 RoundsWeight:38 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:300 RoundsLength:5.29 metresArmour:Width:3.78 metresHeight:3.72 metresSuperstructure:100 millimetresGround Clearance:0.45 metresHull:150 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:50 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:35 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:247-941-3021-BA112Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Sources: Imperial Armour, pp. 64-65Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard & Imperial Navy, pp. 165-170Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 9, 160, 162, 169-172, 263, 267Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part OneImperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pp. 28, 76Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 126, 134-135, 187Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 204Imperial Armour - The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal, pg. 220
Medusa (Siege Tank) - Also See: Imperial Guard Vehicles
Medusa V - Medusa V: Medusa V was a Mining World of the Imperium of Man that was devoured by a Warp Storm in the year 999.M41. Luckily, the military forces of the Imperium were able to evacuate the entire surviving civilian population of the planet before it was consumed.Before completing this evacuation, the world became the focus of a large military conflict between eight of the Milky Way Galaxy's major powers for control of the world, each for its own reasons. This military action became known as the Fall of Medusa V in Imperial records.In game terms, Medusa V was the centre of the 2006 Games Workshop global Warhammer 40,000 campaign called  "The Fall of Medusa V."
Medusa V - Medusa Schism: Since its settlement, the Medusa System had seen dozens of minor military incidents. Frequent raids by Aeldari pirates harried Imperial shipping in the region while the T'au Empire, as it grew in confidence and strength, coveted the world for its own reasons.None of these foes, or the dozen others that threatened the Imperium's hold on the two worlds, came as perilously close to breaking the Imperium's grip as the Medusa Schism that raged throughout the system two hundred and fifty standard years ago (ca. 750.M41), during a prolonged period of isolation from the broader Imperium caused by a Warp Storm from the Rapidity.The schism began when two of the largest hive cities on Medusa IV declared themselves independent of the Imperium. The Imperial planetary authorities acted swiftly, despatching three regiments of Planetary Militia to suppress the rebels and bring the cities back under control.Nobody knows how long betrayal had festered in the hearts of those fallen subjects of the Emperor of Mankind, but the rot that gnawed at the underbelly of Medusa IV was deeper and more malignant than anyone had guessed. Well-armed and utterly fanatical worshippers of the Ruinous Powers of Chaos greeted the Planetary Militia's regiments with a storm of fire.Banners declaring allegiance to the Chaos Powers were unfurled and the true cause of the unrest was at last revealed. Degenerate Chaos Cultists and the Planetary Militia waged war in the streets of the great hives for solar weeks, before the situtation took another turn for the worse.More Medusan hive cities declared themselves for Chaos and vast armies of Chaos worshippers marched forth. Lush agricultural districts were put to the torch by the forces of Chaos and millions died in their panic to escape.With every passing solar month, more of the populace of Medusa IV degenerated into insanity, siding with the Dark Gods and turning their backs upon the sacred light of the Emperor. Soon, only a few major hive cities remained loyal to the Imperium.Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the Loyalists sent astropathic pleas for help. Their urgent calls for aid went unanswered for the most part, for while the Warp Storms that isolated the system persisted, no help from the Imperium could come.Only Medusa V was able to answer the call and with admirable courage and unshakeable faith in the Emperor, an army of sorts was mustered. With no real military force of its own, the meagre Planetary Defence Forces (PDF) of Medusa V recruited thousands of willing miners and labourers before departing for Medusa IV on commandeered bulk ore freighters and supply vessels.
Medusa V - Fall of Medusa V: In the two standard centuries after the Medusa Schism and the destruction of Medusa IV, Medusa V continued to thrive as the gateway through Van Grothe's Rapidity, resupplying convoy vessels and exporting millions of tons of precious strategic ores to the ever-hungry shipyards of the Imperial Navy and the Adeptus Mechanicus.Only in the past few years have events begun to accelerate, casting the safety of Medusa V into doubt. The Rapidity had begun to "boil over," a phenomenon that has left even the wisest of the Imperium's savants and Observators baffled.Initially, the change in the Warp Storm was not deemed to be of concern, but there soon was little doubt that its instability was growing at an unexpectedly rapid rate. The Rapidity began to expand through space at a terrifying speed in 999.M41 and every outpost and waystation the Warp Storm touched was lost, all signs of life completely eradicated.Adeptus Mechanicus vessels attempting to monitor the storm calculated that in only a few months it would reach Medusa V. All agreed on a single fact: all the people of Medusa V would die.
Medusa V - Call to Arms: With events quickly spiralling way out of his control, Lord Soloman turned to the Imperium's Sector Command, who brought the matter before the Inquisition. The Ordos immediately desptached an entire cell of Inquisitors to investigate matters on Medusa V.They arrived some solar weeks after the governor's request to find that Hive Euyrales, the capital city of Medusa V, had already erupted into civil war, with the governor's personal guard and the Adeptus Arbites desperately fending off the rebels.Now openly claiming allegiance to the Chaos Gods, vast swathes of the planet's populace rose in defiance of the Imperium and rumours that the terrible Traitor Legions of the Chaos Space Marines were directing their efforts filled every loyal heart with despair. The Inquisition wasted no time in making a wider call for aid, before the planet was consumed by the war raging across its surface.Captain Cato Sicarius of the Ultramarines Chapter was the first to answer the Inquisition's call to arms, bringing the mighty 2nd Company of the Ultramarines to the Medusa System once more.Dozens of other Space Marine Chapters offered support, sending their forces racing for the planet before it was too late. An Astra Militarum Imperial Crusade, led by Lord Marshal Graf Harazahn of the Vostroyan Firstborn, was also launched towards the world, as regiments were raised to meet the new threat or diverted from other campaigns in the Ultima Segmentum by Segmentum Command.With every passing day the cataclysmic Warp Storm of the Rapidity grew close to Medusa V. Governor Soloman reported to the Inquisition that the forces of disorder, Chaos and foul xenos grew bolder and stronger, pushing back the scattered Imperial defenders as they awaited assistance.In the end, there was no doubt that the days of Medusa V were numbered. The Warp Storm would scour the planet clean of whatever life still remained on its surface when it arrived, even if the Emperor's many enemies on the world did not accomplish that task first. But the Imperium of Man would not abandon this world to the forces of darkness without a fight, for a single solar day's production on Medusa V was well worth the sacrifice in manpower.As Drop Pods and landing craft blazed their trails across the burning skies of Medusa V, the planet was consumed in a titanic multifaceted conflict between the Imperium, the forces of Chaos, the Tyranids, an Ork WAAAGH!, Necrons, the Craftworld Aeldari and their Drukhari kindred as well as the Fire Warriors of the T'au Empire whose Earth Caste had secretly maintained a series of scientific installations dedicated to probing the Immaterium across the world.
Medusa V - Outcome: The Imperium of Man, including both the Space Marines and the loyal Astra Militarum troops of the Medusa Crusade, were the overall victors of the Fall of Medusa V campaign that followed.Though the planet itself could not be saved from the ultimate destruction brought by the expansion of the Van Grothe Rapidity's Warp Storm, much of the civilian population of Medusa V was successfully evacuated from the doomed planet.In addition to the successful evacuation, many of the planet's sacred sites were defended to the bitter end, and the Chaos Sorcerer Ygethmor's plan to use the conflict on the planet to fuel his own ascension to the rank of Daemon Prince with Medusa V serving as his Daemon World was thwarted.Such a victory came at a huge cost, with many Guardsmen and Space Marines, led by Lord Marshal Graf Harazhan, choosing to remain on the planet to the end to deny the enemies of the Imperium anything of value until all was washed away by the chaotic tides of the Immaterium.
Medusae - Medusae: A Medusae is an invertebrate, alien parasitic organism that resides within the Aeldari Webway. These highly empathic parasites look like a collection of brains and spinal cords one atop another, and they float through the Æther like jellyfish, feeding on the daydreams and nightmares of mortals. Medusae can latch onto a host that intrudes into their realm, absorbing their emotions directly and providing a means of motive power in realspace.Though meeting the gaze of a Medusae's host can cause instant emotional haemorrhaging, these hybrid creatures are highly valuable in the Drukhari realm of Commorragh, for they absorb and store extreme sensations. These visored slave-beings are utilised by Archons to record the roiling emotions of the battlefield.Consuming one of the Medusae's brain-fruit brings back all the vivid and anarchic emotions of a raid as if they were happening then and there. In battle Medusae shuffle forth at their master's behest, foul parasitic flesh-sacs bobbing in their wake as their visors spew nauseous anti-light that hurls foes into contraempathic comas.
Medusan Immortal - Medusan Immortal: The Medusan Immortals were a specialised unit of the Iron Hands Legion that existed during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the 30th and early 31st Millennia.They were comprised of those Iron Hands Legionaries who had failed to meet their primarch's rigid standards and bleak code of honour in battle.Whether tasting defeat by the fickle whims of fate or laid low by a wound too terrible to bear, the Medusan Immortals squads represented a forlorn hope, a final chance at glory and redemption.
Medusan Immortal - History: During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, the strength of the Iron Hands pseudo-feudal system of organisation created a highly disciplined and motivated force which both despised and punished failure and weakness.This created an environment in which the most competent and strongest-willed rose quickly within the ranks, and those who did not make the measure were quickly weeded out.For those Legionaries who had failed their unforgiving father's rigorous standards, by tasting defeat in battle or being laid low by grievous wounds, there remained only one course of action if their own fame or record did not afford them the license to carry on without the scorn of their brothers; the ranks of the Medusan Immortals.The Medusan Immortals represented the final chance at glory and redemption for some in the Xth Legion. They would be placed where the fighting was thickest and survival wasn't likely, even for a transhuman Space Marine.When an Iron Hand was made a Medusan Immortal, their primarch stripped them of rank and title. Reforged, their new calling was a badge of shame to all in their Legion, and they lost their old identities.Armed and armoured principally as Legion Breacher assault units and featuring a high level of cybernetic rebuild among them, the Immortals bore no symbols of their clan or Legion, save its numeration and the black-on-white death's head symbol which proclaimed their mortal intent.It was their lot and their pride to fight and die with steadfast, cold fury, never breaking ranks, marching relentlessly into the jaws of hell.After the Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V, the ranks of the Medusan Immortals swelled to unprecedented levels, the Legion having split into a number of disparate elements, their primarch dead and the Clan Council slain.Those declared Medusan Immortals within the notorious Morragul Clan-Company were allowed to fight alongside their brethren, presenting a genuine opportunity to achieve absolution not just in their own eyes, but in the eyes of those they had failed.Most unusual, the Medusan Immortals of this clan-company were allowed to display the "red talon" icon of the Morragul -- up until this point all Medusan Immortals were stripped of their clan-company markings upon induction.
Medusan Immortal - Unit Composition: 9-19 Medusan Immortals1 Veteran Sergeant
Medusan Immortal - Dedicated Transport: 1 Land Raider Proteus or Land Raider Phobos1 Spartan Assault Tank (Optional)
Medusan Immortal - Wargear: Power ArmourBolt PistolBoarding ShieldBolterFrag GrenadesKrak Grenades
Medusan Immortal - Optional Wargear: Volkite ChargerChainsword or Combat BladeFlamerMeltagunGraviton GunLascutter
Medusan Immortal - Optional Wargear (Veteran Sergeant Only): Plasma PistolPower WeaponSingle Lightning ClawPower FistThunder HammerMelta BombsSingle Breaching ChargeArtificer Armour
Meduson (Anthology) - Meduson (Anthology): Meduson is the third limited release volume in The Horus Heresy series of novels, released as a Horus Heresy Weekender Exclusive in hardback format. Meduson has yet to be re-released in non-limited format, although two of its short stories have been released as a stand alone e-book and audio drama.Meduson was later released as Meduson: The Ultimate Edition, which contains the seven short stories from the original anthology, as well Grey Talon and The Either as full-cast audio dramas with complete production scripts. Also included is a brand new story, Hand Elect by Chris Wraight.
Meduson (Anthology) - Synopsis: Driven almost to the brink of self-destruction by the death of their Primarch, Ferrus Manus, the Iron Hands Legion now seek vengeance for the many horrors of Istvaan V. Gathering survivors from the Raven Guard and Salamanders Legions aboard any vessels capable of Warp travel, they wage a new campaign of annihilation against the Traitor forces across the galaxy -- a campaign masterminded by legendary warleader Shadrak Meduson.
Meduson (Anthology) - Contents: Meduson contains the following short stories:Meduson by Dan AbnettUnforged by Guy HaleyImmortal Duty by Nick KymeThe Keys of Hel by John FrenchThe Noose by David AnnandaleDeeds Endured by Gav ThorpeUnspoken by Guy HaleyMeduson: The Ultimate Edition includes these extra stories:Hand Elect by Chris WraightGrey Talon* by Chris WraightThe Either* by Graham McNeill*These stories are presented in script form.
Meduson (Anthology Short Story) - Meduson (Anthology Short Story): Meduson is a short story published in The Horus Heresy series that was originally part of an anthology. Meduson was published as part of the event exclusive Meduson anthology and then later as part of the Shattered Legions main series anthology in April 2017. The cover image used is that of Shattered Legions, as Meduson was never republished separately.
Meduson (Anthology Short Story) - Synopsis: After the death of Ferrus Manus during the Drop Site Massacre, the Iron Hands Legion is reformed under the leadership of Shadrak Meduson.
Mega-Cruiser - Mega-Cruiser: A Mega-Cruiser is one of the massive warships of the Leagues of Votann Fleets that is used to ferry entire Kinhosts to their destinations.
Mega Battle Cannon - Mega Battle Cannon: The Mega Battle Cannon, also called the Baneblade Cannon, is a larger, 10-metre-long version of the standard Imperial Battle Cannon and fires rocket-propelled ammunition.It is the primary armament of the Baneblade Super Heavy Tank, the most commonly deployed super-heavy tank of the Astra Militarum.The Baneblade Cannon is possessed of great range, able to strike targets many kilometres away. Each of its shells is a metre in length and is outfitted with rear-mounted stabilization fins and a small amount of solid rocket propellant in multiple stages precisely calibrated to allow the shell to cross a given range in a precise amount of time.Each shell leaves the cannon's barrel under the force of the initial explosion, but once in flight, the rocket stages ignite in turn, with each booster falling away as the next ignites, carrying the shell onto its target with a speed and range that cannot be achieved using a single, explosive charge alone.Though the rocket propellant allows the Baneblade Cannon's shells to be fired over a great distance with an unusual amount of accuracy, it can also increase the chance of grave damage to the cannon if there is a build-up of explosive gasses given off from the propellant within the weapon's barrel.To prevent this, the Baneblade Cannon possesses a double-sleeved barrel studded by gas venting ports around the muzzle to allow the harmful exhaust to escape with each shot.Like the standard Battle Cannon, the Mega Battle Cannon can be outfitted with a variety of ammunition. This includes high-explosive and armour-penetrating shells but also, should the circumstances require it, more exotic projectiles.This was the case during the Kalidar War, when the Baneblade Mars Triumphant was equipped with five shells capable of disrupting psychic powers crafted from Lorelei crystal to combat an enemy Psi-Titan.
Megalith - Megalith: A Megalith is an enormous Necron mobile fortress composed of living metal. The Megalith is fully capable of space travel as well as planetary landings, and is used to initiate full-scale planetary assaults against hardened targets, usually from planetary orbit. Similar in appearance to the Monolith, but far larger, Megaliths are capable of ferrying multiple Monoliths within its hull, and then releasing them like a swarm upon the battlefield once a planetary assault has begun. Beyond their awe-inspiring size and the ability to transport multiple Monoliths, the Megalith is equipped with an arsenal of devastating Gauss and directed energy weapons. A Megalith was first encountered by the forces of the Imperium of Man in the hands of Nemesor Zahndrekh, a Necron Overlord of the Sautekh Dynasty, during the Necrons' Conquest of Uttu Prime in the Vidar Sector in the late 41st Millennium. At Uttu Prime, Zahndrekh's Megalith and its related forces were responsible for eradicating 3 regiments of the Imperial Guard's elite Catachan Jungle Fighters and 3 full companies of Imperial Fists Space Marines. The defeat at Uttu Prime represented one of the worst defeats in both those units' histories, and made clear the scale of the threat that the Necrons posed to the servants of the Emperor of Mankind.
Megalith - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: The analysts of the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos have not yet determined the technical specifications of the rarely encountered Megalith.
Meganob - Meganob: A Meganob (pl. Meganobz) are the richest and most battle-hardened Ork Nobz within a warband who pays a Mek to build them a suit of Mega Armour. Piston-driven and covered in enough protective plating to turn its wearer into a walking tank, this armour is incredibly expensive. Yet it serves as the ultimate Greenskin status symbol. Though other Orks mock the Meganobz for wearing so much armour, only the dullest would do so within earshot. Even a direct hit from a tank round is unlikely to do more than knock a Meganob over, worsening his already foul temper. For many, the only chance of surviving an encounter with an angry Meganob is to outrun him. To counteract this weakness, many Meganobz roar into battle aboard armoured Battlewagons. This saves time that would be wasted slogging across the battlefield, and helps the Meganobz get stuck straight into combat.
Meganob - Role: Ork culture is a seething morass of violence where the strong constantly assert their position over upstart, ambitious young Orks. Only the largest, toughest, and most aggressive Orksrise to leadership amongst the Greenskins. This makeshift "nobility" results in a class of Ork known as "Nobz" in their guttural language. Nobz are larger, richer and more aggressive than normal Orks, and never miss an opportunity to remind their fellows of it. These mighty Orks lead by example, fighting where the fighting is thickest and "encouraging" any recalcitrant Orks or Grots with cuffs and blows to get them into the battle. Orks instinctively obey those larger than themselves, provided they are a healthy shade of green -– most Orks would rather die than bow to a non-Greenskin's will. A Warlord's or Warboss' decisions are enforced by this ruling caste.Alongside sheer body mass, decent wargear is the sign of nobility and status amongst Orks. No ordinary Ork trooper is allowed to keep wargear that is better or more prestigious than that of his tribe's Nobz, and will quickly have such items "confiscated". Because of this, Nobz are usually armed and equipped with a bewildering variety of killy stuff. In many warbands, Nobz gain a favoured status for collecting loot or special wargear from the Meks, such as Mega Armour. Such Mega Armoured Nobz (known as Meganobz) often form an elite bodyguard for an Ork Warboss and accompany him into the heart of any fight with savage enthusiasm. If the Warboss falls, the largest Nob will take his place (after kicking in some heads to restore order, of course). Some Nobz prefer to lead mobs of smaller Ork Boyz who they can boss around with impunity.
Meganob - Wargear: The following is a selection of the wargear most Meganobz use:Twin-linked Shoota - Shootas are kinetic ballistic weapons used by the Orks that are chosen not for their efficiency but for the amount of noise they make and the amount of damage they can do. The best Shootas are deafening and deadly in equal measure. Like the Slugga, Shootas are not very accurate. This suits the Orks just fine, since they seem less interested in accuracy than in causing damage and raising a ruckus.Power Klaw - A variant of the more common Power Fist utilised by Imperial forces, the Power Klaw is a large cybernetic claw, often with three bladed fingers. A Power Klaw functions much like a Power Fist does for the Imperials, and with it an Ork can tear the side from an armoured vehicle with ease and easily rip apart armour of almost any kind.Mega Armour - The most powerful Orks sometimes don Mega Armour, the most potent personal defence in the Orky arsenal. Bashed together from thick steel plates, scavenged power-exoskeletons, powerful hydraulic rams, and other bits and gubbins of military and industrial detritus, Mega Armour is one of the heights of the Mek's craft. Each suit is custom built for its wearer, typically a flashy, domineering Nob, but oftentimes a Warboss or other high-ranking Ork. These ponderous, clanking, smoke-belching suits of armour allow an Ork Warboss or Nob to stand toe to toe against even a Space Marine in Tactical Dreadnought Armour, and make them nigh unassailable by Imperial Guard troopers armed with anything less than potent antitank weaponry.Stikkbombz - An Ork  Stikkbomb is an anti-infantry fragmentation grenade commonly utilised by Ork forces. Ork grenades are much bigger and heftier than those used by other races, which makes good sense to an Ork because the bigger something is, the more dangerous it will be. Stikkbomz are made up of a can filled with crude explosives which is screwed onto a stick so that it can be used as an equally crude mace if necessary. Mekboyz churn out Stikkbomz by the score and mainly two sorts -- Frag and Krak stikkbombz. Frag 'bombz detonate with a dull explosion and shower shrapnel and fragments of casings over a wide area. Krak 'bombz detonate with a high-pitched snapping noise and punch a dirty great hole through whatever it is they have hit. Krak bombz are harder to throw because they have to strike the target "head first." There also exist "Suppa Stikbommz", which are little more that multiple Krak Stikbommz strapped or bolted together and wired to a single detonator. Meks often build them to add a little more armour penetration to their explosives, at the cost of operational safety (such as it already is).
Meganob - Sources: Codex: Orks (7th Edition), pp. 68, 84, 92, 94, 148-149Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pg. 33Codex: Orks (3rd Edition), pg. 8Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (RPG), pg. 57Only War: Enemies of the Imperium (RPG), pp. 52-53WAAAGH! Ghazghkull: A Codex Ork Supplement (7th Edition), pp. 33-34, 84-86,
Megarachnids - Megarachnids: The Megarachnids are a sentient race of xenos resembling giant spiders that resided in the early 31st Millennium on the planet Murder, which was also known as Urisarach and One-Forty-Twenty. An extremely hostile alien species, they were an old enemy of the non-Imperial human Interex civilisation who instead of committing xenocide had exiled the surviving members of the species to the world they called Urisarach as an act of mercy. The Megarachnids were stripped of their interstellar travel capabilities but they retained the ability to build weather control devices that created powerful atmospheric disturbances and interfered with radio communications. These appeared in the shape of large "trees" found across the planet.A campaign of extermination was waged against them by the forces of the Imperium of Man many years later during the Great Crusade after several companies of Space Marines were lost to the Megarachnids' latent hostilities during the initial Imperial investigations of the planet. The war proved costly in Astartes lives, but seemed to be making steady progress by the sixth month. The campaign came to an abrupt end when the Interex arrived to see who was disturbing the planet and first contact occurred between them and the Imperium, as represented by the Warmaster Horus. Whether or not the campaign was continued after the destruction of the Interex by the Imperium in the final days of the Great Crusade is unknown, and the ultimate fate of this species is unrecorded in any existing Imperial records.