vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Voss Prime - History: Founded during the Age of Technology, Voss Prime reconnected with Mars during one of the Warp Storm lulls of the Age of Strife. By the time the forces of the Great Crusade reached Voss Prime in the late 30th Millennium they found a thriving Forge World modelled after, and allied to, Mars.Since that bygone era, Voss Prime has continued to churn out armaments for the Imperium's armies and fleets, a record of service that cannot be matched by any save Mars itself. During the outbreak of the galaxy-wide civil war of the Horus Heresy, Voss Prime remained loyal to the Emperor and is still a vital and productive Forge World for the Imperium in the late 41st Millennium.Voss Prime's production numbers have soared thanks to their aggressive exploitation of the nearby asteroid fields -- known as the Mordon Belt -- that surround their sub-system. The asteroids have also proven an effective defence for the planet. Even the Ork fleets that rampaged for so long across the nearby Armageddon Sector could not navigate the floating debris, and the wreckage of thousands of their ramshackle voidcraft floats amidst the element-rich rocks.The daemons that swarmed out of the Warp Storms unleashed after the opening of the Great Rift, however, proved another matter. Only Voss Prime's unmatched ability to repair their Legio Cybernetica maniples and replace their Servitors allowed them to weather the successive waves of invaders. Despite the attacks, the manufactoria of Voss Prime continued to roll armoured vehicles, weapons and ammunition off their assembly lines at rates few could hope to match.Across the Imperium, Voss Pattern vehicles are much revered, although their Plasma Weapons have rightfully gained a dire reputation. Despite their vaunted output capacity, Voss Prime has less success at replicating plasma technology than other Forge Worlds. That they have not asked for aid, and that it has not been offered, is indicative of the pride and secrecy that exists even amongst the most devout of the Cult Mechanicus.
Voss Prime - Voss Prime Iconography: The illuminated, stylised "V" of Voss Prime is borne proudly by its warriors. This icon incorporates the skull and cog of Mars, a nod towards their ultimate Cult Mechanicus masters on the Red Planet.
Voss Prime - Voss Prime World Colours: Voss Prime's Skitarii Legion wears brass-coloured armour plates, while their robes are halved between the red rust colour of Mars and sunburst yellow. The toothed iconography which rings the hoods, sleeves and hems of their robes is reminiscent of the teeth of a cog, a symbol of sacred significance to the Tech-priests of the Cult Mechanicus.
Voss Prime - Manufactoria Capabilities: Voss Prime produces everything from Astra Militarum infantry weapons to Imperial Navy aircraft and the mighty Battle Titans of the Collegia Titanica. The forges of Voss Prime are some of the mightiest in the Imperium, and Voss Pattern weapons and vehicles are found on many Imperial worlds and in many armies of the Emperor.Voss Prime is known to have its own patterns of Missile Launcher Pods, Rocket Pods and Autocannons which are commonly found on Imperial Navy aircraft such as the Vulture. This Forge World is also known to make its own patterns of Autopistols, such as the Mark 10 and the Mark 11. The forge-cities of Voss Prime also produce their own pattern of Hunter-Killer Missile Launchers, many of which are found on Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, and Adeptus Astartes vehicles.Much like many other Forge Worlds in the Imperium, Voss Prime's Magi lack a a detailed understanding of plasma technology, and much to the dismay of the planet's Forge Masters many say that the manufactoria of Voss Prime display less skill in replicating items dependent upon plasma technology than many other Forge Worlds of its same size and importance.
Voss Prime - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (8th Edition), pp. 12, 23, 66Dataslate: Cypher - Lord of the Fallen (6th Edition), "Cypher"The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 229Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 8, 251Imperial Armour Volume One: Second Edition - Imperial Guard, pg. 10Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pg. 148
Vostroya - Vostroya: Vostroya is an Imperial Industrial World in the Halo Zone of the Segmentum Obscurus, located beyond the Eye of Terror.The planet is considered an "Industrial World" by the Imperium of Man, because it does not quite meet the legally defined requirements to be considered an Adeptus Mechanicus-ruled Forge World, but it is not quite like an independently-governed Imperial Hive World either.Like all Forge Worlds, Vostroya has deep ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus, but because it is not ruled entirely by the Priesthood of Mars, it is not classified as one of their worlds.The origins of this unusual arrangement can be found in the Age of Strife, when Vostroya was the rare independent world that swore allegiance to Mars, rather than be settled by a colony of tech-priests as was the norm for almost all of the other Forge Worlds.After declaring its allegiance to the ancient Mechanicum, Vostroya quickly developed into a heavily industrialised world with the influx of Mechanicum personnel and technological knowledge.Under Imperial rule, the output of the many Vostroyan manufactoria now provide war materiel for the Emperor of Mankind's massive war machine.
Vostroya - History: Vostroya is an industrialised world which has maintained ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus since the Age of Strife. Covered in manufactories and cityscapes, while not a Hive World, Vostroya is nonetheless heavily populated.Since it was first incorporated into the Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade, Vostroya's primary purpose has been to produce arms and ammunition for the Imperial military. In the more than 10,000 standard years since that time, life on Vostroya has remained unchanged, punctuated only by the changes of labour shifts during the endless cycle of assembly and manufacturing.During the Horus Heresy Vostroya refused to provide soldiers and supplies to the Emperor of Mankind or to the Warmaster Horus, choosing instead to wait out the conflict and preserve its population for work in the manufactoria.After the conclusion of the Heresy, in its shame at having maintained its neutrality, Vostroya swore that every first born child of the world would be sworn to the Imperium's service forever after. The world founded its own elite regiments of the Astra Militarum to take in this massive influx of recruits, who are known as the Vostroyan Firstborn.In the late 41st Millennium the details of Vostroya's past have been lost in the annals of history, obscured behind the veil of ignorance and lies that conceals the truth of the Horus Heresy from the masses. Despite the obfuscation of those times, a dim remembrance persists that the Vostroyans failed to aid the Emperor in His hour of need.It is almost certain that nobody remembers the whole truth of those events, but every Vostroyan knows that their ancestors failed to act when called upon by the Imperium.Those Astra Militarum commanders that know some hint of the truth are quick to remind any Firstborn under their command, and for the soldiers and citizens of Vostroya it is a stain on their reputation and honour that they must constantly toil to expunge.
Vostroya - Government: Vostroya is governed by a ruling oligarchy known collectively as the Techtriarchy. The Techtriarchs comprise a council of native nobility and Adeptus Mechanicus archmagi, as well as other, more traditional, Imperial planetary nobility and officials, who collectively maintain the ruling council for Vostroya.After millennia of industrial production and unregulated pollution, the planet itself is a barren world devoid of almost any flora and fauna and is now habitable only along a broad stretch of its equatorial belt. This region is divided into 7 administrative regions or "managed zones" where all of Vostroya's hive cities are located.As on most heavily industrialised Imperial worlds, the majority of Vostroyan food is imported, as the planet has next to no agricultural facilities because of its devastated environment and ecology. Vostraya has a single moon, named Turtolsky, which is under the same administration as the planet.Most of the population of Vostroya work in the manufactoria, subjected to poor conditions and long hours to ensure that weaponry and other goods are produced in the vast quantities demanded by the Imperium.For the poorest families, their first born are provided with an opportunity to achieve something beyond the toil and frozen squalor of their homes, and for all on Vostroya, the offering of the first born to the service of the Emperor is regarded as both a duty and an honour -- Vostroyan culture places enormous importance on the repayment of their world's ancestral debt to the Imperium.
Vostroya - Culture: Vostroyan society is deeply marked by a rigid class system, divided between the "high-born," the wealthy upper class, and the "low-born," the lower class of labourers.The low-born toil endlessly on the production lines of the Vostroyan manufactoria. Most first born children of the low-born class consider it a blessing to be drafted into the Astra Militarum as Vostroyan tradition demands, so that they may escape slaving in the manufactoria.High-born first born children serve as the officers of the Vostroyan Astra Militarum regiments, and only very rarely does a lowborn reach any rank beyond that of non-commissioned officer.In Vostroyan culture, almost all men wear a moustache, which symbolises both the attainment of mature adulthood and masculine virility. The importance of the moustache varies depending upon which region of the world a man hails from.While some Vostroyan regions accept men not sporting expertly trimmed moustaches, others, like the people of Mushka, consider a man without a moustache to be effeminate and weak.Vostroyans are a deeply religious people who hold tightly to the orthodoxies of the Imperial Creed. They are particularly devoted to Saint Nadalya, the Grey Lady, the patron saint of Vostroya in the Imperial Cult.Her sacred text, the Treatis Elatii, is a common sight in the homes of many Vostroyans and is commonly quoted from to provide wisdom in many different situations.
Vostroya - Vostroyan Linguistic Terms: Vostroya has a very distinctive dialect of Low Gothic that is laced with terms that evolved from the Slavic languages of Old Earth, particularly the ancient language known as Russian. This would seem to indicate that Vostroya's original settlers came from this region of Mankind's homeworld or from other colony worlds whose people originated there.Ossbohk-vyar - A form of native Vostroyan unarmed combat, of which there are 37 "forms" with each successively higher number of form denoting greater mastery of the styleChevek - A derogatory term for off-worlders and non-Vostroyans that literally means "outsider". The word seems to originate from the ancient Russian word "chelovek", which means, simply, "human".Rahzvod - Rahzvod is a clear and potent alcoholic beverage very similar to vodka; there are many different varieties of Rahzvod on Vostroya linked to the world's different regions; some differ in colour due to the ingredients used.Khek - A Vostroyan swear word that can be used as a noun or as any other part of speech, as in "this khekking smog" when used as an adjectiveOhxolosvennoy (usually shortened to "Ohx") - Ohx is a thick and salty drink analogous to coffee that is made from powdered Grox meat to which preservatives and stimulants have been added; Vostroyan low-born workers depend on their Ohx to get them through double-shifts in the manufactorumTreatis Elatii - A Vostroyan sacred text written by Saint Nadalya, the Grey Lady, a saint of the Imperial Cult and the patron saint of VostroyaUshehk - This is a seven-stringed Vostroyan musical instrument that is played with a bow and is small enough to be held upright, making it similar to a Terran violin or fiddleShiny - The slang term used among the troops of the Vostroyan Firstborn regiments of the Imperial Guard for a new recruit, as in "he's a Shiny"Zadnik - Another derogatory term for a person, place or thing. Came from the Russian term for "back side", or, more colloquially, the equivalent word for the English "ass".
Vostroyan Firstborn - Vostroyan Firstborn: The Vostroyan Firstborn is the name given to the Militarum Regimentum of the Astra Militarum that originates from the Industrial World of Vostroya located near the Halo Stars in the Segmentum Obscurus.The Vostroyan regiments have served the Emperor of Mankind for countless Terran centuries, though in truth they fight to absolve themselves of a terrible shame incurred by their ancestors over ten millennia ago when, during the dark days of the Horus Heresy, Vostroya failed in its duty to the Emperor.When the galaxy was consumed in civil war and anarchy, the Emperor commanded that worlds still loyal to the Imperium send forth troops to help defend it against the Warmaster Horus and his Traitor Legions. Vostroya refused, arguing that it could better serve the Imperium by continuing to devote all its efforts to the manufacture of weapons for the Emperor's armies in the world's great smelteries, and that to give up so much of its populace to become warriors for the Imperial Army would render it incapable of producing those weapons in sufficient quantities.The Vostroyans' refusal to provide soldiers was met with uncommon mercy by the Imperium once the Heresy had ended, and the people of Vostroya have forever after sought to atone for their mistake, promising to provide the first-born child of every Vostroyan family to the service of the Imperial Guard.Firstborn regiments are trained in the frozen, snow and ash-covered ruins of the planet's ancient cityscapes, on portions of their homeworld no longer habitable or functional, before being shipped out, once each generation, to serve the Imperium, never to return.Unusually, the Firstborn reinforce their regiments, sending new soldiers out to each one, no matter how far away it is. This ensures that the youngest Firstborn have the experience of hardened Veterans to draw upon, and means that every Vostroyan Firstborn regiment can trace its existence back to their original mustering, ten thousand standard years before.With every family -- from the highest ruling Techtriarchs of Vostroya to the lowliest menials -- required to send their first-born children to serve, familial ties within regiments are not uncommon, and many young Vostroyans have found themselves under the guardianship of distant uncles or aunts and older cousins, something that encourages a strong bond of brotherhood.Within each regiment, the officer corps is composed of those of noble birth, while the common soldiery are drawn from the worker families that make up the bulk of Vostroya's population. Their ancient pact drives them onwards, instilling them with a stubbornness, courage and fortitude rarely seen outside the Adeptus Astartes.Vostroyan regiments are most commonly line infantry, and are particularly at home in cold environments and urban areas, as these conditions best match those of their training back on Vostroya. However, Vostroyan Firstborn armoured regiments are not uncommon, turning the Vostroyans' traditional close ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus to the operation of powerful battle tanks.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Spinward Front: Several regiments of the Vostroyan Firstborn currently serve within the Margin Crusade, lending their support during the recent escalation that has seen countless regiments pass from the Calixis Sector into the Halo Stars. It came as little surprise that amongst the reserves brought in from outside the Calixis Sector to defend the Periphery Sub-sector were a number of Vostroyan regiments, or that they were amongst the first to arrive.Alongside a variety of Calixian and Cadian regiments, the Vostroyans have served the longest within the Spinward Front, earning numerous victories and staving off disastrous defeats. Yet, thanks to their own traditions of reinforcement, they have remained at close to full strength for the entire conflict so far.Consequently, Lord Militant Ghanzorik has been keen to ensure that the Firstborn regiments stand alongside his own Maccabian Janissaries as the core of many defensive lines, particularly on the world of Kulth, where the battle lines shift daily.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Era Indomitus: The opening of the Great Rift and the onset of the Noctis Aeterna in the Era Indomitus has not curbed the Vostroyans' steadfast loyalty towards the Imperium. Vostroya itself, along with the majority of its regiments, are cut off from the guiding beacon of the Astronomican by the still-raging Cicatrix Maledictum within the Imperium Nihilus.However, the Vostroyans have not only defended their own territories, but have also continued sending reinforcements to other war zones -- hoping to answer the last cries for help that were heard before the Emperor's light was extinguished and all went silent.Without the Astronomican to guide them, Vostroyan Navigators must fly blind, trusting in esoteric data charts or rote memory to navigate the perilously twisting Warp paths. The majority of transports never reach their destination, either emerging far from their target or simply being devoured by the forces of the Immaterium.Despite the devastating losses this has caused the Vostroyans, they continue sending their tanks and soldiers outward into the darkness. Never again will they wait when the call to war has been sounded.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Regimental Homeworld: Vostroya was colonised long ago, during the Age of Technology, when Mankind first reached the stars. The homeworld of the Vostroyan Firstborn is a frigid, industrialised Hive World, though it does not bear that official designation, covered in manufactoria and towering hive city arcology cityscapes, which has maintained strong ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus since the Age of Strife.Like most Hive Worlds, it is heavily populated. Smoking chimneys belch toxic clouds of pollutants into the sky and blast furnaces fend off the bitter chill as vast workforces toil unceasingly for their Imperial masters. These smoke-clogged edifices are the only places where heat can be found, choking oases of light and warmth amidst the perpetual icy gloom. Few folk stray from their manufactoria without good reason.Vostroya is governed by the Techtriarchs, a curious committee of Adeptus Mechanicus archmagi and traditional Imperial planetary nobles, whose primary duty is to ensure that the Imperial tithes and production quotas placed upon the Vostroyans are always met.Most of the world's population work in the manufactoria, subjected to poor conditions and long hours to ensure that weaponry and other goods are produced in the vast quantities demanded by the Imperium.For the poorest families, their first-born children are provided with an opportunity to achieve something beyond the toil and frozen squalor of their homes, and for all on Vostroya, the offering of the first-born is regarded as both a duty and an honour -- their culture places enormous importance on the repayment of their ancestral debt to the Imperium of Man and the God-Emperor.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Regimental Organisation: Vostroyan Firstborn regiments are trained in the frozen, snow and ash-covered ruins of the planet's ancient cityscapes, on portions of their homeworld no longer habitable or functional, before being shipped out, once each generation, to serve the Imperium, never to return.Unusually, the Firstborn reinforce their regiments, sending new soldiers out to each one, no matter how far away it is or how difficult providing these reinforcements will prove to be. This ensures that the youngest members of the Firstborn have the experience of hardened veterans to draw upon during combat, and that every Vostroyan Firstborn regiment can trace its existence back to their original mustering, ten thousand Terran years before.With every Vostroyan family -- from the highest Techtriarchs to the lowliest menials -- required to send their first-born children to serve the Emperor, familial ties within regiments are not uncommon, and many young Vostroyans have found themselves under the guardianship of distant uncles, aunts and older cousins, something that encourages a strong bond of comradeship. Within each regiment, the officer corps is composed of those of noble birth, while the common soldiery are drawn from the Vostroyan worker families that make up the bulk of the world's population.Vostroyan regiments are most commonly line infantry, and are particularly at home in cold environments and urban areas, as these conditions best match those of their training back on Vostroya. However, the Vostroyan Firstborn's armoured regiments are not uncommon, turning the Vostroyans' traditional ties with their Techtriarchs among the Adeptus Mechanicus into the highly-skilled operation of the Astra Militarum's powerful main battle tanks.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Regimental Beliefs: Vostroyans believe that the proper ways of living are those tried and tested by the generations that have gone before. Horror, pain and death are the just rewards of curiosity, for those that look too deeply into the mysteries of the universe are all too likely to find malefic beings looking back at them.For Vostroyans, ignorance truly is bliss. The Vostroyans also reserve a deep disdain for those Astra Militarum regiments they perceive to be less devoted to the Imperial cause than themselves, although that can sometimes include a great many of their allies on the battlefield.But should the Vostroyans' respect be gained by an individual or a fellow regiment, they are comrades in the face of death and hardship that any servant of the Emperor would be proud to serve beside.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Regimental Appearance: With both the industrial capacity of Vostroya and its unusual tradition of reinforcement for existing regiments, the Vostroyan Firstborn are particularly well-equipped, clad in durable, plasteel-alloy Carapace Armour breast plates and armed with finely-wrought lasgun rifles.These are both often passed down through the generations, giving the Firstborn a baroque look, further embellished by their traditional use of red dyes and brass metalwork in their uniforms and wargear.It is traditional for Firstborn regimental officers to bear lasguns with integrated axe blades or bayonets. Vostroyan regimental standard bearers bear ancient tribal sabers and daggers, along with ritual scars on their upper torsos.With stoic resolve, the Vostroyans steadfastly sacrifice their lives to the service of the Emperor either in the manufactoria or on the battlefield. The weaponry Vostroyan workers produce is always of the finest quality, for the Firstborn guardsmen who will make use of it are their children, siblings and parents and their only hope for redemption in the Emperor's eyes.As such, hand-carved wooden stocks are expertly inlaid with precious metals and precision tooled barrels replace the utilitarian weaponry used by other Astra Militarum regiments. Every item of Vostroyan wargear is a work of art and carries the hopes of a world in its construction.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Armoured Regiments: 24th Vostroyan Heavy Armoured Regiment, "Iron Bloods" - The 24th Vostroyan Heavy Armoured Regiment consisted of less than 1,500 Guardsmen at its founding-strength. The Iron Bloods are most famous for the actions of one of their Tank Commanders. There have been countless Tank Commanders of note in the Astra Militarum's history. Astrov Yemenev of the Iron Bloods was noted for taking out the dread Biel-Tan tank ace, Vathwal Heavenlance. The Iron Bloods encountered the Fire Prism pilot on Hive World Degis, alone and cut off from his invading army. With a trio of lancing blasts the Aeldari incinerated an entire squadron of Leman Russ battle tanks while weaving deftly between the returning Imperial fire. Three more blasts saw another squadron obliterated. With his company below half-strength, Yemenev ordered the remaining gunners to lay down a wide blanket of fire on either side of the zigzagging Fire Prism. This left but a narrow channel where Heavenlance could move, through which Yemenev fired the killing blow.1635th Vostroyan Firstborn Mechanised - The 1635th is best known for its Tank Commander Alaxei Dymetrin. Among the troops of the 1635th Vostroyan Firstborn Mechanised, it is said that Dymetrin has oil running through his veins instead of blood. Dymetrin has never really embraced the lifestyle of the Astra Militarum officer, and is more comfortable in the steel belly of one of his beloved tanks than he is in the comfort of headquarters. However, after the death of his own superior officer during the Eighteenth Great War of Vostroya, Dymetrin led his regiment's Leman Russ tank squadrons with such efficacy that he broke the Ork siege plaguing his world's capital. His field promotion was quickly made an official posting, and he has been regretting it ever since. Reasoning that rank has its privileges, he has since given his orders from the command cupola of Tundra's Bite, a Baneblade super-heavy tank whose interior is covered in etchings, friezes and kill markings.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Notable Vostroyan Firstborn: Lord Marshal Graf Harazahn - Harazahn is one of the most famous commanders of the Vostroyan Firstborn, and he was was granted overall command of all Imperial military forces during the Fall of Medusa V Campaign.Lord Marshal Graf Toschenko - Lord Marshal Toschenko led the Vostroyan forces who served during the campaign against the T'au on Nimbosa.Colonel Nikolai Aleksandrov - Colonel Aleksandrov is the commander of the 55th Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment, and is well-regarded by the other officers in his regiment, not purely because of his rank, but because he is a distant cousin of one of the ruling Techtriarchs of Vostroya, and thus an extremely important member of the Vostroyan nobility. The rank-and-file of the 55th have little to no interest in this, and most are entirely unaware of his high status, but respect the man's leadership and prowess—there is little that Colonel Aleksandrov will ask of his men in battle that he will not do himself, and he is always found at the front, leading the charge or exhorting his men with bellowed warcries.Colonel Maxim Kabanov - Colonel Kabanov, known as the "White Boar", served in the 68th Vostroyan Regiment, during the ill-fated campaign on Danik's World. Lieutenant Maro was his adjutant.Colonel Illyich Szradislav - Colonel Illyich Szradislav commanded the Vostroyan 241st Regiment during the Fall of Medusa V campaign. A taciturn and methodical individual, Szradislav is renowned for his practical and analytical approach to leadership, leaving the rousing speeches and battle-cries for others better suited to it. Szradislav is famous for adapting the Vostroyan 241st Regiment's tactics to suit the situation as well as for utilising the exact level of force necessary to achieve any given task. Szradislav adopted the use of Rough Riders mounted cavalry after an experience within the Segmentum Ultima during which several Armoured Fist regiments were seconded to a Rough Riders of Attila Company. The Vostroyan 241st Regiment has maintained an attachment of Rough Riders (Hussars) ever since.Captain Gregorious Sebastev - Captain Gregorious Sebastev, also known as the "Pit-Dog," served in the ill-fated 68th Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment during the campaign on Danik's World. Captain Sebastev and nearly two dozen of his soldiers of the 5th Company were the sole survivors of the regiment after two crushing defeats by the Orks.Captain Grigory Kulikov - Commander of the 1054th Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment's 7th Company.Lieutenant Sava Nikishin - Nikishin served in the 1054th Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Trivia: The distinctive appearance of the Vostroyan Firstborn is based on the archaic uniform worn by the Russian Streltsi early firearm infantry from the 16th to the early 18th century.
Vostroyan Firstborn - Sources: Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pp. 18, 22Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Regiments of Distinction - Vostroyan Firstborn"Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pp. 23, 37Only War: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 56-57Only War: No Surrender (RPG), pp. 13-16, 34, 54Shield of Baal: Leviathan (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), "The Hammers of Ixoi"The Fall of Medusa V (Games Workshop Campaign Booklet)Warhammer 40,000: Cities of Death (4th Edition), pp. 56-57White Dwarf 317 (US), "Index Imperialis: Firstborn Sons of Vostroya", pp. 44-53Rebel Winter (Novel) by Steve ParkerGames Workshop Vostroyan FirstborneMedusa V Wordwide Campaign (Defunct)
Votannic Bolt Cannon - Votannic Bolt Cannon: A Votannic Bolt Cannon, also just called a Bolt Cannon, is a massive, hand-held, heavy fire support and anti-armour ballistic weapon used by the military forces of the Leagues of Votann. Variants can also be used as anti-personnel weapons mounted on armoured vehicles such as the Sagitaur ATV and the Hekaton Land Fortress. The Bolt Cannon is very similar to the Imperial Heavy Bolter.Like its Imperial counterparts, with which it shares a common technological heritage from pre-Imperial Terra through the STC databases, the Votannic Bolt Cannon fires kinetic projectiles known as "bolts" that explode on impact. The Votannic Bolt Cannon is a heavy weapon that requires two hands to lift, possesses a long range and can unleash bolts of extremely powerful explosive force whose salvos can slay hordes of enemies or penetrate thick armour plate.Kin weapons like Votannic Bolt Cannons are superior in almost every respect to those wielded by the agents of the Imperium, since the Kin employ superlative materials and methods in their construction and have no fear of further innovating on an ancient STC design. As a result, the Votannic Bolt Cannon still often has a longer range and more stopping power than any of its Imperial equivalents.Votannic Bolt Cannons are a favoured heavy weapon of the combat engineers known as Brôkhyr Thunderkyn.
Vox-caster - Vox-caster: The Vox-caster, sometimes referred to as a Comm-link, is an Imperial radio communications transceiver that can be as small as a helmet-mounted link and as large as a massive bank of dedicated communications equipment employed at an Imperial military force's headquarters.Usually an Astra Militarum squad or platoon will have a link to their headquarters via one vox unit and smaller relays for trooper-to-trooper communications.Command units usually use a more complex version of a Vox-caster known as a "Master-vox." This communications technology can receive and transmit on multiple radio frequencies at once, making it ideal for coordinating the actions of multiple units at the same time.Command vehicles in armoured companies have a similar system, known as "improved comms," for contacting reserves or artillery support.In the absence of any form of vox communications, troopers are taught to make use of sign language during battle.The troopers of the Astra Militarum, the Space Marines, Sisters of Battle, and servants of the Inquisition have miniature Vox-casters built into the helmets of their armour.The Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus usually have Vox-casters implanted within their skulls as part of their cybernetic enhancements, a common upgrade for all the servants of the Machine God. Most of these Vox-casters are short-ranged and used only for intersquad communications.
Vox-drone - Vox-drone: A Vox-drone is a mobile communications platform used commonly with the Imperium of Man to carry recorded messages. The Vox-drone is an oblate metal unit about the size of a citrus fruit that has an anti-gravity emitter built within it.The Vox-drone carries messages to people it is programmed to find by using a recorded pheromonal trace to track down the person for whom its message is intended. The drone can record short audio and holographic messages that will only be played for the person whose pheromonal markers match the drone's data set.Because it carries a relatively small power cell, the Vox-drone can only be used for short-range communications and is generally used within the spires of wealthy hive cities to carry personal or business-oriented messages between the members of the hive's nobility.
Vox Master Vigdis - Vox Master Vigdis: Vox Master Vigdis, whose full name is Octavus Vigdis Surri Otta of the Toliman dynasty, is the vox master of the House von Valancius Rogue Trader dynasty's flagship. She is a voidborn of the Toliman vassal family who have been in the service of House von Valancius for generations as the vox masters, or chief communications officers, of their Rogue Trader's flagship.Vigdis is in charge of all vox communication within the von Valancius flagship and initiates all vox communications with other ships, void stations or planetary surfaces wherever the flagship goes. Vigdis immediately assumed the duty of vox master upon the demise of Vox Master Septimus, her grandfather, during the Warp incursion on the flagship that also led to the assassination of Lord Captain Theodora von Valancius.Vox Master Vigdis is good friends with the diviner Idira Tlass. After the death of Theodora von Valancius, their relationship has become more distant as both possess new responsibilties and the difficulties of dealing with the new Rogue Trader who has succeeded Theodora at the head of the dynasty.Vigdis has been heavily augmented by bionics like all in her family, which are intended to give her a direct mind-to-cogitator link with the flagship's vox systems.
Vraesque Malidrach - Vraesque Malidrach: Vraesque Malidrach, self-styled as the "Murderprince of the Poisoned Crown," is the archon of the Drukhari Kabal of the Flayed Skull, the militarily second-strongest kabal of Commorragh. The Flayed Skull are specialists in the use of airpower and aerial attacks in carrying out their sweeping raids into realspace to claim loot and slaves from the "lesser races."
Vraesque Malidrach - Wargear: Vraesque Malidrach has been known to wear bone-white armour, all the better to display the splattered blood of his victims.
Vraks Prime - Vraks Prime: Vraks Prime was a Departmento Munitorum Armoury World in the Vraks System of the Scarus Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus and the site of the Basilica of Saint Leonis the Blind, a saint of the Imperial Cult.The Vraks System comprised four worlds, Vraks Prime, Vraks Secundus, Vraks Tertius and the large, gravitationally-trapped asteroid Uryx, of which only Vraks Prime had been settled by the Imperium.The system was protected from astronomical anomalies like stray comets and unidentified voidcraft by the Kerak Sub-sector vigilance stations that were installed following the Bane of Antius Incursion of ca. 748.M38.Located in the Segmentum Obscurus to the galactic northwest of the Eye of Terror, Vraks' importance lay in its strategic position as a part of the Imperium's defences against incursions by Chaos-aligned forces.The planet formed part of a network of similar Armoury Worlds across the Segmentum Obscurus. Its location and facilities enabled it to quickly resupply Astra Militarum regiments committed to defend worlds close to the Eye of Terror, particularly in the Scarus Sector.Vraks was besieged by the forces of the Imperium of Man in 813.M41, after the attempted assassination of the heretical and traitorous Apostate Cardinal-Astra Xaphan by the Officio Assassinorum failed.The Astra Militarum's 88th Siege Army was raised from line regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg to undertake the siege of the world and bring the Renegade cardinal down in a campaign of attrition that the Administratum's adepts calculated would take 12 standard years to successfully conclude.At the conclusion of what actually turned out to be a 17-year-long Imperial campaign of attrition called the Siege of Vraks that required 34 regiments of the Imperial Guard to retake the planet in 830.M41, 14 million Imperial Guardsmen had been lost and Vraks Prime's entire original population of 8 million souls had been consumed in the violence or exterminated after they fell to Chaos corruption.The world was then declared Perdita by the Imperium and placed under an interdiction to cordon it off from the rest of human space as ordered by the Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex.
Vraks Prime - History: Vraks was a barren and drab world, covered in a layer of old volcanic dust and pumice-like rock. It was first discovered and logged into Imperial records by Imperial forces during the Great Crusade at some point after the Age of Strife.Later it was explored by an expedition led by Rogue Trader Van Meer of the Van Meer Household. A supply base was established on Vraks for stockpiling Imperial military materiel for future exploratory expeditions around the rim of the Eye of Terror.Throughout its settled history, Vraks endured many raids, mainly from Renegades and pirates looking to loot military equipment from its vast stores. There were also several uprisings from among its indentured labour force, the most serious of which was suppressed by the Imperium in 4665.082.M39.As the supply base grew in size the materiel stockpiles needed protecting, and thus Vraks' use as an Armoury World began in earnest. A fortress was built to protect the stockpiles from raiding pirates or xenos. A star port facility was constructed to allow easy access for freighters and transport vessels. This facility was eventually destroyed during the siege by the Dark Angels under Supreme Grand Master Azrael in 821.M41.The Vraks star port was surrounded by an Imperial city of approximately 5 million workers. Smaller settlements were scattered across the Van Meersland Wastes. Over thousands of standard years, Vraks was transformed into a huge Imperial armoury. The spaceport was expanded to service the largest Imperial landing craft, capable of ferrying huge shipments of arms, armoured vehicles and munitions to bulk carriers waiting in orbit.Situated in the centre of the Van Meersland Wastes, Vraks primary fortress, known as "the Citadel," was the control centre of Departmento Munitorum operations on Vraks. It was a large fortress, situated atop the core of a long-dead volcano. It contained the headquarters of the Planetary Defence Forces, the Master of the local Administratum's offices, extensive archives, the Cardinal's palace and the Citadel's own garrison barracks.High security dungeons carved into the rock beneath the Citadel itself were sometimes used as a secure prison for Inquisitorial prisoners captured in the sector. Astropathic communications, the Adeptus Arbites precinct, as well as the control centre for the network of defence laser batteries were also sited there.The Citadel of Vraks also included the Basilica of St. Leonis the Blind, built by Vraks' Cardinal-Astra in the 38th Millennium to attend to the faith of the millions of indentured workers interred on Vraks and consecrated with the bones of St. Leonis, an Adeptus Ministorum Missionary of the 38th Millennia who was martyred by Heretics in the Scarus Sector. Pilgrims and penitents visiting the Shrine of St. Leonis arrived by the thousands on Vraks Prime, and were attended to by the many priests based at the Basilica of St. Leonis and the attached Cardinal's palace.
Vraks Prime - Geography: Vraks is considered an old planet in geological terms for the Scarus Sector, with a stable surface. Little tectonic movement has been recorded in recent Terran millennia.This geological stability, combined with some of the planet's bedrock being relatively easy to access and mine, made Vraks a good prospect for subterranean storage of volatile materials like munitions.Sulphur-rich oceans cover 55% of the planet's surface and waterways cut deep trenches into the planet's crust. It was possible for violent electrical storms to form on short notice, bringing torrential downpours that turned the sulphurous soil into sticky mud as it drained away and unleashed flash floods. These storms were initiated by the effects of high sulphur content in evaporated water on the upper troposphere.The Van Meersland Wastes were perhaps one of the most dominant geological features of the world. Extending across some five thousand barren square kilometres, outcrops of volcanic rock were the only noticeable terrain feature in the region.The world had small northern and southern polar regions that were largely unexplored. Its mountains were rugged and highly eroded. Some exposed deposits of harder igneous rocks had been quarried for construction of Vraks' worker hab-blocks.Vraks Prime's lowland regions were exposed to fierce storm erosion and criss-crossed by canyons and trenches. The Imperial population was concentrated within the lowland region around the Citadel and the Vraks star port in the Van Meersland Wastes.The population's water supply was generally supplied by deep hydro-sinks driven into the soft crust of the planet to extract subterranean stored water. This was then filtered to remove the high sulphur content before being rationed to the general worker populace.Additional water shipments were transported to Vraks Prime from the Ocean Worlds of Paeleos VIII and Gjar Alpha.
Vraks Prime - Flora and Fauna: Vraks Prime has no extant fauna. Some algae and single cell organisms were recorded in early Imperial surveys. These are all now considered extinct.
Vraks Prime - Vraks Society: As an Administratum facility, Vraks Prime's society was organised with the same hierarchy as the broader Adeptus Administratum on Terra. Masters, prefects, adepts, ordinates, scribes, ciphers, curators, menial and subordinate workers ran the vast bureaucracy on Vraks.The millions of Administratum Labour Corp indentured workers were guarded by Departmento Munitorum garrison troops. Vraks' also had its own Planetary Defence Force militia, organised from within the work force.There was also a substantial Ogryn population amongst the Labour Corps and a transitory population of Imperial pilgrims that visited the shrine of St. Leonis, ranging from approximately 1 to 5 million. The exact figures were unknown.Many different Astra Militarum regiments arrived for arming and equipping on the world before being transported to their next destination. Barracks were provided at the starport to house these transient Imperial troops.
Vraks Prime - Urbanisation: The largest urban area on Vraks Prime was the sprawl of worker habitats, temporary storage facilities, hangers, repair facilities, barracks and administration buildings that had risen up around the landing areas of the star port.Although still referred to simply as the star port, it was in fact a small Imperial city of some five million workers.Other urbanised locations were the Labour Corps workers' habs scattered across the Van Meersland Wastes to house the labourers that constructed and maintained Vraks' network of storage bunkers, service roads and defences.These hab-zones contained rudimentary barracks as housing for the labourers and their Departmento Munitorum guards.
Vraksian Traitor Militia - Vraksian Traitor Militia: The Vraksian Traitor Militia, also referred to as the Vraksian Renegade Militia, is the catch-all term applied to the Renegade military forces of the Apostate Cardinal-Astra Xaphan during the Siege of Vraks.Xaphan seized control of the Departmento Munitorum Armoury World of Vraks Prime in the Scarus Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus in 809.M41 and ultimately forced the Imperium to fight the gruelling 17-year-long Siege of Vraks (813-830.M41) to dislodge him and end his threat to the Emperor's realm.
Vraksian Traitor Militia - Wargear: The Vraksian Traitor Militia had a structure similar to that of most Astra Militarum armies throughout the Imperium. Manning the forward trenches were countless disorganised platoons of militiamen, armed with heavy weaponry at crucial points in the defensive lines. Supporting them were artillery in the form of Basilisk batteries, Bombards, Manticores, Medusa, and Griffon mortars.Having access to the vast Astra Militarum stores maintained on the Armoury World of Vraks, the Traitor Militia had access to a plethora of weapons and armoured vehicles. Mothballed tanks and endless underground supply depots left the Vraksians in an excellent position to fight the impending war. The average Vraksian militiaman was not especially well-armed, relying on the less popular Autogun in many cases instead of the standard Lasgun of active Imperial Guard regiments.In addition to an Autogun or Autopistol, many militiamen were armed with crude melee weapons fashioned by sharpening tools from scrap metal. Some labour corpsmen relied on mining picks and rock drills for close-quarters combat, the sort frequently experienced during the trench warfare common during the siege. These same militias generally had to fashion their own armour, crude and cumbersome as it was.Despite the inferior materials and decrease in the efficiency of the force that resulted, this makeshift armour offered protection on par with the Flak Armour issued to many Imperial troopers across the sector. The more well-equipped militia had access to every weapon an Imperial soldier might have, from plasma weapons, mortars, demolition charges, and the Flamers commonly used to storm trenches during a counterattack.The Cardinal's Champions and the Disciples of Xaphan had access to many of the more exotic items, including Plasma Pistols, sniper weapons, Power Weapons, and Power Fists as well. One universal item carried by each Renegade was a rebreather, whether unsophisticated or complex. In the harsh, sulfurous atmosphere of Vraks Prime, those without breathing equipment were guaranteed to suffer a lingering death.Supporting the eight million or so soldiers in the Vraksian militia, rows upon rows of artillery batteries had been meticulously placed to rain death on any advancing force. A common armoured unit used to defend the siege included the Leman Russ Tank, generally deployed to repel infantry assaults against the Vraksian defensive lines.Another preferred choice among many Traitor Militia commanders was the Malcador Assault Tank, used to spearhead many assaults into No Man's Land. Although of a more antiquated design, these sizeable war machines were more than able of raking infantry formations, disabling enemy armour, and laying down a curtain of explosive fire upon the Imperial attackers.
Vraksian Traitor Militia - Vraksian Traitor Militia: Disciples of Xaphan (estimated at 50,000 troops)Garrison Auxilia (estimated at 10,000 troops)Labour Corps (formerly of the Departmento Munitorum, estimated at 1.5 million)Planetary Defence Forces (estimated at 500,000 troops)Militia (estimated at 1.5 million troops)Frateris Militia (former Pilgrims) (estimated at 250,000 troops)Other Vraksian Renegades (estimated at 1 million irregular troops)
Vraksian Traitor Militia - Chaos Space Marines (11 Traitor Legion Warbands): World Eaters WarbandsSkulltakersThe SanctifiedBerserkers of SkallathraxDeath Guard WarbandsLords of DecayThe TaintedApostles of ContagionThe PurgeIron Warriors warbandsSteel BrethrenAlpha Legion WarbandThe Faithless (Warband of Arkos the Faithless)Black Legion WarbandBlack Brethren of AyreasNon-Aligned WarbandAdharon's Reavers
Vraksian Traitor Militia - Other Renegade Forces: Other Heretical Forces (Estimated at 500,000 troops)Traitor Fleet AssetsAnarchy's Heart - Despoiler-class BattleshipBlood Dawn - Styx-class Heavy Cruiser Fallen Sun - Slaughter-class Cruiser Ferrum Invictus - Devastation-class CruiserGore Feasters - Iconoclast-class DestroyerDamnators - Infidel-class RaiderArmed TransportsAharon's Bane - Heavy Transport