vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Spinward Front - Severan Dominate: As a political entity, the Severan Dominate exists only in the head of its titular figurehead Severus XIII, and in the hearts of those of his followers who fight to maintain its tenuous borders. As far as the Imperium is concerned, it is nothing more than a collection of rebel worlds dominated by an arrogant Secessionist, its peoples having betrayed their very humanity. Despite the Imperium’s refusal to acknowledge the entity’s existence, its troops on the ground have come to refer to the rebels they fight as “Dominates,” investing them with an identity and a cause, against which the Guardsmen can rally.The core worlds of the Severan Dominate lie along the Calixis-Scarus Warp conduit, while a number of subsidiary worlds are located on lesser spurs of this great route. None of the core worlds are untouched by war. At various times, they are being attacked by the forces of the Imperium or those of Grimtoof Git-Slaver, while numerous other foes take advantage of the general anarchy that has gripped the region. The Dark Eldar launch massive realspace raids wherever they will, their agreements with Severus XIII only barely holding, while the followers of various Chaos Lords operate openly and according to their own unknowable agendas.The nature of Warp travel is such that war can, and frequently does, ignite almost anywhere within the Severan Dominate. Imperial vessels can drop out of Warpspace atany point along the Calixis-Scarus conduit, making defence against such assaults all but impossible to coordinate in any meaningful way. As disruptive as these attacks are, they are difficult to maintain over extended periods, and so they tendto be prosecuted by the elite of the Imperium’s forces such as veteran Imperial Guard forces, Storm Trooper detachments or even the superhuman Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes. The bulk of long term operations on the Spinward Front are concentrated on those worlds nearer to the Calixis Sector’s borders, where countless thousands of troops are fed into the meat grinder of total war each day.The Severan Dominate faces enemies at all quarters, yet somehow, it continues to withstand them all, if only tenuously. Its populations still rally to the cause of their despotic master and willingly renounce the rule of the Imperium. Severus and his agents have been able to separate the rule of the High Lords of Terra from religious devotion to the Emperor of Mankind in the hearts and minds of the people of the Dominate, supplanting the High Lords with Severus XIII while maintaining worship of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Thus, Severus’ agents preachthat the High Lords are the true Traitors to the Emperor and to Mankind, while Severus is the rightful leader of the Dominate. The Imperium’s brutal suppression of this notion is held up as evidence of Severus’ creed, evidence that can scarcely be denied.
Spinward Front - Cuyavale: Humanity first began to colonise Cuyavale in the distant prehistory before the time of the Great Crusade. When remnants of the Angevin Crusade reached the distant world, they were surprised to discover the hallmarks of human life. Further exploration soon revealed two separate populations, which continued to thrive in spite of the world’s deadly predators. After re-establishing contact, the Ecclesiarchy committed missionaries to the world, so that the surviving humans might learn the glory of the Immortal Emperor. While the Imperial Creed now flourishes upon the planet, their physical distance from the remainder of the Calixis Sector has limited the amount of interaction between Cuyavale and the agents of Terra.
Spinward Front - Climate: The world’s surface is covered by massive, temperate rain forests. Huge trees, more than a hundred metres in diameter at their bases, extend over a kilometre into the heavens. Closely packed, these enormous plants completely block out the primary’s light from ever reaching the ground. Consequently, those creatures that live among the arboreal heights know a normal day-night cycle, while those that dwell in the shadow of the trees live in perpetual darkness.While Cuyavale does enjoy some seasonal variation in climate, the massive boles of the world’s trees limit these changes. The trees shelter all who dwell at ground level from any prevailing winds in the fall, and provide relief from the sun’s heat in the summer. Few of the enormous trees shed their leaves seasonally. Though there is ample detritus among the shadows of these massive living organisms, little of itcomes from the trees themselves. Instead, the animals and lesser plants that live on and among the trees create their own ecosystems, which are often dependent upon the trees.After considering the trees, the most significant of Cuyavale’s life forms are the Drakons. These fearsome apex predators pose a significant threat to any life that travels upon the world. This is, in part, due to the creature’s unusual life cycle. Though they can grow to enormous size -- reports indicate mature specimens may have a wingspan in excess of 250 metres -- the flying reptiloids begin life at a far smaller scale. During their mating season, mature female Drakons create nests among the planet’s few arid mountains. These nests are invariably on the borders of the mountainous regions, where they abut with the forests. When the eggs mature and hatch, each nest can unleash thousands of ravenous, metre-long hatchlings upon the unprepared temperate rainforests.In the weeks that follow, those destructive young often strip hundreds of square kilometres bare as they destroy all life, as well as a significant proportion of their siblings. Only a small percentage of each litter survive this period of frenzied hunting, leaving only the strongest and canniest an opportunity to reach maturity. In the years and decades that follow, the young Drakons continue to grow in size, often preying upon other members of their species at the same time as they devour the world’s other life forms. Explorator survey reports indicate that during the early years of their development, Drakons may grow more than a metre each year, though this rate seems to be largely dependent upon the availability of prey organisms. Because of this, Drakons are fiercely territorial, interacting with other members of their species only during the breeding season. The largest specimens are believed to be many centuries in age, and are fiercely protective of their own domains, savaging anything (be it a lone explorer, an infantry formation, or a main battle tank) that wanders too close to it.
Spinward Front - Fourtheden: As an Agri-World, Fourtheden provides a substantial portion of the Severan Dominate’s food supply. The vast majority of the Secessionists’ strategic reserve came from tithes taken from this planet. If the Duke lost his hold on the world, several others might fall in short order. Without its bounty, the Secessionists would be unable to provide the necessary supplies to a number of worlds that rely upon imported foods. Consequently, this system and its agricultural bounty represent a key holding to the rebel forces.
Spinward Front - Climate: Fourtheden enjoys a very mild climate and only slight seasonal changes. This is largely due to the fact that the world has a nearly circular orbit around its system primary, and only the slightest of axial shifts. These factors combine to yield a world with a perpetual growing season. Both the native organisms and the humans who have made it their home have adapted to take advantage of the ongoing harvests. With little seasonal variation, surface temperatures are almost always comfortably within the ranges ideal for human life. For much of the world, rainfall is a daily event, but severe storms are exceptionally rare. Throughout the world’s recorded history, there have only been two cataclysmic storms, both of which only had a significant impact on coastal habitats and the surrounding regions. With the exception of the world’s tropical regions and its poles, Fourtheden typically has daily weather which is reminiscent of a late spring day.The most substantial variations to the world’s climate are largely regional, due to geographic factors. For example, temperatures are far cooler near the poles and in some of the more elevated regions. In contrast, the areas nearer the planet’s equator are substantially warmer. Even in these less hospitable regions, the natives have identified useful plants that produce abundant harvests.The system’s native life forms are almost never hostile to Terran life. In fact, the only organisms which seem capable of significantly interfering with agriculture are specimens that humans imported during Fourtheden’s colonisation. It is unclear why the world’s native species are so easily controlled, particularly given the world’s inherent suitability for agriculture. Some more radical agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus posited that the entire planet might be a construct, designed specifically for agricultural purposes. However, those agents were never able to accumulate any concrete evidence to corroborate such theories, and so they remain largely baseless suppositions.
Spinward Front - History and Culture: Imperial forces first discovered Fourtheden during the waning days of the Angevin Crusade. By that time, High Command had already recommitted the majority of its forces to other war efforts. Expansion of the Imperium remained a primary goal, but the Crusade was considered a success, as the entire region that would eventually become the Calixis Sector was safely secured. By this point, the exhausted forces of the extended campaign were more than adequately prepared to enjoy a well-earned rest. Even though the world appeared bountiful, its discovery came too late for the commitment that completing securing it would require. Instead, Imperial forces chose to only commit a minimal colonising effort to Fourtheden. The system was simply too far removed from more established worlds and major Warp routes for the Imperium to properly integrate it into the Calixis Sector. Given its distance from the more civilised regions, High Command only undertook any effort at all because it was too promising of a jewel to ignore. Explorator reports strongly indicated that, with a minimal effort, a small group of colonists could establisha thriving population in relatively short order. An initial commitment of less than a million Imperial citizens soon proved this prediction true. In less than a century, much of Fourtheden’s surface was colonised, and dozens of small communities and trading centres emerged.Ultimately, Fourtheden’s early success played a key role in the development of the other worlds beyond the Periphery. Its surplus bounty provided both additional colonists and ample food supplies for nearby worlds. Without its early success, colonies on many other worlds might never have survived. This same bounty played a significant role in Duke Severus the Thirteenth’s decision to secede from the Imperium. Fourtheden’s bounty of citizens and foodstuffs provide key elements necessary for the Severan Dominate to exist as an independent entity.In spite of his dependence upon this bounty, Duke Severus XIII was readily willing to sacrifice a portion of it to help secure his stranglehold on the region. In exchange for their military support, the Duke ceded the entire population of the world’s southern hemisphere to the Children of Thorns Kabal. By carefully limiting communications -- and blaming it on a necessary part of the war effort -- the Duke worked to isolate large portions of Fourtheden’s population. As part of his negotiations with the Dark Eldar, the xenos have gradually agreed to access more and more of the world. Initially, they stripped the Southern Hemispherebare of human life -- Servitors are the only forces now undertaking agricultural work in that region. More recent reports indicate that the Children of Thorns have begun to assault communities further north. This might be a sign thatnegotiations have broken down, or it could be that Severus is even more desperate than previously believed.
Spinward Front - Karacallia: The Karacallia System contains an unusually high number of gas giants, many of which harbour resources of use to the Adeptus Mechanicus in the construction of Warp-Drives. Though logged, the system’s resources have never been properly exploited, its location some distance from the nearest Forge World, making it a perilous undertaking and the war making it all but impossible. The population of the Karacallia System is scattered across three-dozen and more satellites of the various gas giants and represents the descendants of a first wave of Imperial colonists dispatched there five standard centuries ago to populate the system and thus provide the raw manpower needed to exploit its resources in future generations. But the scheme never reached fruition and, though the population has thrived numerically, it has suffered greatly from its isolation. Thus it was not difficult for Severus to stoke the fires of rebellion on Karacallia, and the densely populated worlds are ripe recruiting grounds for the Dominates.Of the dozens of populated worlds in the Karacallia System, not one is untouched by war. The Imperium has launched over thirty separate assaults since the beginningof the war and the Orks at least the same number. To date, none of these assaults has dislodged Severus’ forces, which fight with almost unholy zeal. Numerous Imperial Guard regiments have been committed to the system and, while substantial gains have been made in the past, most have been at the expense of losses elsewhere. While one satellite might be taken, another will fall, and so war ebbs and flows across the war torn moons and planetoids. The surfaces of the worlds are cratered, corpse- and debris-strewn wastelands, poisoned by the lethal gases Severus’ forces have unleashed and scoured lifeless by the weapons of the Imperium. The war there has been likened to an “island-hopping” campaign, with forces fighting for possession of the countless satellites and planetoids. It is rare for any single world to be held by one side for more than a few months before the enemy dislodges it, but still the war grinds ever on, the system’s location along the Calixis-Scarus Warp conduit making its possession vital.
Spinward Front - Kokytos: A tragedy of epic proportions, there is little good that can come from the continued war on Kokytos. Both the Imperium and the Severan Dominate have spent countless lives on its brutally frigid surface in battles that are unlikely to affect anything beyond the planet’s boundaries. Since the secession, leadership on both sides decided that this world could be a lynchpin in the war. Even though this belief is clearly false, all seem compelled by pride to honour that initial view and continuously escalate the engagement.
Spinward Front - Climate: The average daytime surface temperature on Kokytos is well below the freezing point of water. At night, it is significantly colder. Harsh winds continuously blow across its frigid surface. All of the planet’s oceans are believed to be entirely enclosed by the seemingly endless ice and snow.Ancient records indicate that Kokytos once had a robust population of indigenous life forms, including a broad variety of plants and animals capable of surviving under its extreme cold. Since the outbreak of war, sightings of these specimenshave become progressively rarer. Some posit that the species are dying from the increasingly dangerous conditions, while others suggest that the surviving species have simply gone into isolation to escape the ongoing extreme cold.Prior to the Severan Dominate's secession, much of the world’s human populationwere largely self-sustaining, as they dwelt within isolated domes, designed to protect their communities from the extreme weather. Vast hydroponic gardens were maintained by each of the communities, providing the citizens with ample food supplies that could be renewed throughout the seemingly endless cold. However, virtually all of these cities were destroyed in the opening months of the battle tocontrol Kokytos. This has left most of the planet’s population struggling to survive in the brutal environment with little in terms of survival gear or food. Unless something is done to change the severity of the environment, it is unlikely that any of the local population will survive the war effort, regardless of who might ultimately win.
Spinward Front - History and Culture: Native legends suggest that Kokytos was initially colonised by humanity when it was a temperate planet, with a climate well-suited to human habitation. This ancient effort took place long before the time of the Great Crusade, as the world and its population were only reconnected with the Imperium during the waning days of the Angevin Crusade. By that time, its climate had substantially changed -- apparently, an ice age had begun in the intervening millennia. A few surviving records from the initial contact between the explorers and the local population suggest that the world’s natives were anxious to leave the world for a warmer climate. Unfortunately for the inhabitants, early exploration revealed that Kokytos possessed a substantial reserve of Promethium, deep beneath its icy crust. In short order, the population were assigned the task of mining this valuable resource for the good of the Imperium.When the War of Secession erupted, Imperial forces targeted Kokytos, under the belief that the world’s Promethium reserves represented a critical asset for the war effort. The Severan Dominate exerted a significant effort so that they might retain access to these same reserves. Ultimately, this decision was a tragic mistake, as the planet’s Promethium supply is now largely exhausted. Now, with little of value, both sides continue to wage a grim war across the cold and barren surface for control of a near-worthless rock.
Spinward Front - Maesa: Maesa is a world in utter ruin. At one time it was classed by the Administratum as a Frontier World, its population existing in a subsistence state in a number of scattered cities. When WAAAGH! Grimtoof descended upon Maesa, its people fought valiantly to defend their world, but ultimately had no chance of repulsing the overwhelming invasion. Within six months, the world had fallen, the surviving populace rounded up by the Orks in slave pens holding thousands in the grimmest conditions imaginable. Though Imperial forces were too far distant to intervene, a small infiltration mission had been launched to observe the invasion, and it was this team who were the first to observe a change in the Orks’ strategy. Insteadnof slaughtering the defeated natives as they so often did, the Orks rounded them up and set them to work in vast, ramshackle labour camps producing arms and armaments for the Warlord Grimtoof's vast armies. This event marked a turning point in the Ork invasion and its significance was so great that the team set off on the perilous return to the Spinward Front High Command immediately.Though only a few members of the infiltration team made it back, those that did carried such important intelligence that the Imperial Navy mustered a scratch task force of long-range cruisers and escort squadrons, and set out for Maesa without delay. When they reached the planet, almost three solar months after its fall, they found a world transformed.The cities had become huge, ramshackled manufacturing centres and countless Ork vessels teemed in orbit as they loaded hundreds of thousands of tonnes of materiel every day. The task force’s orders were clear and, with a prayer upon his lips, the admiral commanding ordered the cities razed to the ground by a massive orbital bombardment. The Ork slave labour camps were destroyed in a single night, their manufacturing capacity utterly ruined, along with hundreds of thousands of enslaved Maesans, whose souls were commended to the Emperor.Since this so-called "Scouring of Maesa," the world has been transformed into a warzone. The Imperium has launched several planetstrike operations there, but the bulk of the fight has been undertaken by the natives themselves. Those not slain in the Scouring rose up against their alien overlords and now fight the bitterest of wars through the ruins of their former homes. The cities are blackened shells while the land all about is cratered and dead, yet still the Maesans fight on against the Orks. Grimtoof was outraged by the Scouring, for he views the numbers of slaves in his service as a measure of his power and he has ordered them all recaptured or slain. Though distant from the Imperium’s front lines, the battle for Maesa looks set to rage on until one side or the other is defeated.
Spinward Front - Ohmsworld: A dense and toxic atmosphere makes Ohmsworld inimical to human life. None visit the world or choose to live within its countless small spires because of the hideous environment and the dramatic weather. Instead, most residents are the descendants of human colonists who were compelled to live upon the planet due to its unusual mineral assets. This is because the atmospheric contaminants make Ohmsworld a valuable holding. Through careful atmosphere filtration, the inhabitants can obtain several chemicals and compounds key in the creation of adamantium.
Spinward Front - Climate: Nearly all of Ohmsworld’s human population dwell among the countless hive spires that dot the planet’s surface. Though each is far less populous than a typical Imperial hive city, many of these delicate spires are every bit as tall and nearly as broad. This is largely because the enormous structures are little more than air filtration systems. A vast network of delicate tendrils, constructed of near microscopic tendrils, which resemble minute feathers, filter the world’s atmosphere. As air constantly cycles past and through each hive city, the filters carefully identify and isolate the most valuable of the rare ores. The immeasurable numbers of microscopic tendrils capture flecks of each component—far smaller than a grain of sand. The filtration devices pass these precious elements to collection systems. The ore is then smelted into larger bars, which can betransported to off-world refineries and manufactorums.As a side effect of the filtering, breathable air is directed to each hive’s interior. This is an absolutely crucial effect, as without it, the world’s inhabitants would be entirely dependent upon rebreathers. Oxygen is simply too rare for filtration plugs or gasmasks to suffice. Most citizens who venture forth from the hives wear tanks of breathable atmosphere, as any extended foray upon the planet’s surface is otherwise too dangerous. The situation is so extreme that there are no known populations of humans—or even mutants -- dwelling on the world, aside from those within the hives. Due to the world’s inherently toxic atmosphere, agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus have failed to identify any native life forms. They hypothesise that nothing dependent upon a carbon-oxygen life cycle could survive within the environment. If any creatures live within the roiling atmosphere—as local legends suggest -- it might be a creature whose biology is completely foreign to descendants of Terra.
Spinward Front - History and Culture: There are few records of Ohmsworld’s initial colonisation. The filtration towers represent one of the greatest technological marvels within the Severan Dominate, but their ultimate origins are unknown. The technology is clearly consistent with Adeptus Mechanicus design, but there are no records of its creation outside of those jealously guarded by the Machine Cult. It may be that this world was colonised before the arrival of the Angevin Crusade.Recently, Imperial Guard forces began a significant push to secure Ohmsworld. This is in part an effort to secure the world’s ore production, but also an effort to keep that same production from the Severan Dominate. The important caveat is that both the Secessionists and the loyalists believe the hives are far too precious to risk damaging. To date, most of the war’s efforts have been battles conducted on open plains far from any hives, within the murk of the planet’s toxic atmosphere. The few exceptions are instances where agents were able to penetrate a hive’s security, so that Loyalist forces could enter the structures, fighting the resistance in brutal, room-to-room combat.
Spinward Front - Orbiana: The Feral World of Orbiana lies at the spinward extent of the Severan Dominate, representing the last human settled world along the Calixis-Scarus Warp conduit before that twisting route plunges into the benighted depths of inter-sector Wilderness Space. Orbiana itself is a wild, savage world of raging storms and unpredictable weather fronts, its native population existing in a feral, nigh atavistic state. Orbiting the world is a massive defence platform, its plasma generators cold and its capital-scale weapons staring unblinking in the deep void.Though unconfirmed, it is thought that the platform must have been towed out past the Periphery in centuries gone by as a long forgotten plan to defend the Calixis Sector against some now extinct threat. Perhaps it was forgotten or deemed that towing it back was not worth the vast effort it would surely require, but whatever the truth, it has orbited Orbiana ever since. Recently, Severus has ordered the station restored, though those few Tech-adepts that still serve him have yet to succeed in doing so.Orbiana has seen numerous Ork attacks throughout the course of the war, but it is too far from the Imperium’s territory to come under direct assault from that quarter. Nevertheless, several highly placed members of the Spinward Front High Command have expressed the opinion that an assault from the Dominate’s spinward flanks might crush the Secessionists once and for all. It is probable that these planners have no knowledge of the Orbiana defence platform and, were it to be restored to operational status before an assault was launched, the attackers might find themselves facing a well-prepared and potent defence where they least expectedto discover it.
Spinward Front - Lukius: Lukius is a star system entirely devoured by war, for it represents the line in the sand across which Severus has vowed the Orks shall not advance. When it comes to the Dominate’s war against WAAAGH! Grimtoof, the War World of Lukius is far and away the most vital battleground and the one to which Severus has committed the bulk of his forces. It is probable that the Imperium’s Spinward Front High Command are not even aware of the world’s fate, for it lies on a trunk of the Calixis-Scarus Warp conduit and is, in effect, beyond the reach of the Imperium’s conventional forces. The native population of Lukius existed as primitive, tribal savages for many thousands of Terran years, but with the establishment of the Severan Dominate they have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 41st Millennium. Iron Age barbarians used to conducting war with little more than sharp spears have been drafted en masse into the armies of the Dominate, equipped with mass-produced Autoguns and clad in ill-wrought battle dress. Many have suffered a form of combat psychosis as a result of this drastic change, while others have taken to the war with apparent relish. These ramshackle armies go to war against the Orks of WAAAGH! Grimtoof and, from a distance, an observer might have difficulty determining which is which. Certainly, both sides are brutal and bloodthirsty, preferring to establish the victor in the anarchy of melee combat.But it is not only the natives of Lukius that fight there for the Severan Dominate. Forces drafted from across Severus XIII's realm are shipped to the continent-sized battle zones, sometimes travelling for weeks only to be scythed down within minutes of setting foot on the surface. The Dominate’s forces lack the long-established infrastructure of the Departmento Munitorum, and so the armies might go hungry one month and run out of ammunition the next. Entire phalanxes of tanks might grind into action in majestic armoured assaults, only to run out of fuel before the battle is concluded. Some of the more primitive amongst the Dominate’s front line troopers have reached depths of savagery that would see them censured in the ranks of the Imperial Guard, gruesome trophy-taking being the least of their crimes. It is whispered that some of the native Lukians have turned to the eating of the flesh of their enemies when their own supplies have run low, and perhaps found it to their liking. What consequences the vile habit of eating Ork flesh might have remains to be seen, as does what might ensue if and when Imperial forces face these savage warriors.
Spinward Front - Stalynthia: The barren landscape of Stalynthia belies its tremendous wealth. In fact, this Mining World is arguably the Severan Dominate’s most valuable asset. Though it is incapable of sustaining itself -- the world simply cannot produce adequate food for its population -- Stalynthia provides almost enough metallic raw materials to fulfil the needs of all of the manufactoria still controlled by the Secessionists. As long as they can harvest this planet’s wealth and deliver the ores obtained to other star systems, the Severan Dominate is assured of at least some materials that they can commit to their war effort. Of course, such wealth makes the planet a target for almost all of the groups involved in the ongoing war effort in the Spinward Front.
Spinward Front - Climate: Stalynthia has a heavily polluted atmosphere, which retains heat to a nearly insufferable degree. Centuries of aggressive strip mining have heavily polluted the planet’s surface and her atmosphere. The air is thickly packed with particulates, reducing visibility to only a few metres on the clearest days. At times, conditions can be so severe that surface navigation is entirely dependent upon radar signals -- even the brightest of headlights are unable to pierce the densely polluted air. That same air is also extremely dangerous to the world’s citizens. Mining operations are undertaken by all of the world’s inhabitants, from the moment they can lift a shovel to the day they can no longer stand. Rather than digging deep beneath the planet’s surface, all of these mines are open to the sky. This has the benefit of reducing the number of collapses, as well as permitting virtually the planet’s entire workforce to participate in isolating the most valuable of ores. However, even with the limited machinery in use, the constant digging has contributed to the increased air pollution. Dirt is constantly stirred up, and the planet’s aggressive winds readily spin particulate matter into the atmosphere.A comparatively small amount of surface water and an extremely level surface are believed to contribute to Stalynthia’s violent winds. There are few objects to disrupt the air as it flows across the world’s surface. The gravitational effects of the planet’s two small moons are believed to also play a substantial role in its violent atmosphere. Rain seldom graces Stalynthia’s surface, but dust storms are a very common occurrence. The more intense storms are capable of flaying the flesh from an exposed human. Ironically, though Stalynthia’s surface seldom sees direct sunlight, her surface is now far warmer than the legends suggest it might have been in the ancient past. It is believed that the planet’s pollution has darkened the atmosphere, enabling it to absorb substantially more heat. This also diffuses the heat and light, so that the temperature varies little from day to night, also showing little seasonal variation. An additional consequence is that the planet’s surface is always clouded in a gloomy twilight. Very few atmospheric craft are capable of travelling through Stalynthia’s densely polluted air. The amount of matter suspended in the atmosphere is simply too destructive to traditional engines. Most craft which even attempt to enter the atmosphere crash upon the surface as their systems become hopelessly fouled. This makes transport extremely inefficient, and makes any military operations on Stalynthia cumbersome at best.
Spinward Front - History and Culture: Not surprisingly, those who dwell upon the world have little knowledge of the value of its mineral wealth or of what a lynchpin their assets represent to the Severan Dominate. In fact, nearly all of Stalynthia’s citizenry live in a state of near abject squalor. It is not believed that this was always the case. Legends suggest that when humanity first colonised Stalynthia, its atmosphere may have been far clearer, and that the world might even have once been well-suited for agriculture. It was only after Imperial explorers discovered the abundance of precious ores throughout the world’s crust that the ecological disaster began. In short order, virtually all of the world’s citizens began to mine the surface. At first, this offered a degree of economic freedom to those who laboured to pry the valuable ores from the planet’s crust.In time, a greater and greater proportion of the population turned to this occupation. This continued until the planet’s pollution problems began, and the amount of arable land began to drop. Soon, members of the world's Imperial nobility began importing food and survival goods, which could be exchanged for the precious ores. Before long, virtually all of the miners were little more than indentured servants. This was an ideal situation for Duke Severus, as he could quickly convert their desperation into a revolutionary mindset.
Spinward Front - Thrax: Thrax is a Frontier World located on the Calixis-Scarus Warp route, its once tranquil, now war torn plains host to an array of weird fungus forests. Thrax has suffered greatly at the hands of Grimtoof Git-Slaver’s forces, yet Severus has managed to cling tenuously to possession of the star system. The world of Thrax and several of its moons are densely populated, though technology is rarely more advanced than the black powder stage thanks to the system’s isolation. It is likely that Thrax was settled by human colonists long before the Age of the Imperium and never really integrated into the Emperor’s domains, even over the course of the ten thousand years since the Great Crusade. Rather, Thrax’s society has continued its lurching climb towards civilisation, the war on the Spinward Front setting it back millennia in one fell swoop.The war has brought twofold suffering to the people of Thrax. On one hand, the advance of WAAAGH! Grimtoof has drawn numerous Ork warbands in search of slaves, and hundreds of thousands have been dragged off to serve in the Git-Slaver’s foundries. In response, Severus XIII has drawn equally heavily upon the world, forcing hundreds of thousands more to join the ranks of his own forces in the defence of the Severan Dominate. To make things worse still, the Imperium has launched a number of long-range strikes against Severus’ bases on Thrax, though given the distance from the Imperium’s lines, these attacks are invariably short-lived and highly focused, designed to cause strategic disruption to the Secessionists’ operations. The largest and most recent was in 815.M41, when the Imperial Guard launched a planetstrike against Thrax. Nine entire regiments were committed to an operation in the world’s southern hemisphere, the intention being to gain a lodgement which could be supplied by orbital drop as needed. The landings were contested by a native force of roughly equal size, but the Imperial Guard should have been able to prevail given the time and space to bring their superior firepower to bear. Tragically, the landings coincided with a massive Ork slave raid and the landing force’s orbital support was forced to withdraw in the face of the far larger enemy fleet. Cut off, the Guardsmen fought on, though under attack by two enemies. Exactly how many were slain is impossible to ascertain, though it is believed that the Orks captured thousands of troopers and dragged off to serve in Grimtoof’s foundries. A force of regimental size is believed to have broken out, however, the survivors have vanished into the wastes where they continue to operate as guerrillas, launching punishing attacks on Severus’ forces and living off of the alien land.
Spinward Front - Rogue Psyker Threat: One of the greatest threats to the continued existence of Mankind is the ever-increasing number of psykers being born each year, for most prove too weak to resist the attentions of the creatures of the Warp. Within the Imperium, those born with or coming into psychic powers are swept up in regular psyker purges and those that survive are shipped off to Terra by the League of Black Ships. Those worlds beyond the Emperor’s light must conduct their own purges and witch hunts, slaying any that display the dread powers of the Wyrd.As a consequence of Severus XIII’s secession from the Imperium, the systems by which psykers are detected and dealt with have all but collapsed and rates of psychic manifestation and outright daemonic possession have escalated by an order of magnitude. To date, the Dominate’s forces have contained the worst outbreaks, but it is surely only a matter of time before a Rogue Psyker emerges whose powers are too great for Severus’ troops to put down. Such beings are capable of turning entire armies into meat puppets or incinerating whole cities with a baleful glance. Some within the Ordo Malleus consider it a real danger that Severus may attempt to harness the power of such Rogue Psykers, if he has not done so already...
Spirit Stone - Ynnead: It is commonly believed that when enough Craftworld Aeldari souls have been gathered within the Infinity Circuits of the craftworlds, a new god will emerge within the Warp, the first Aeldari god to be created since the Fall of the Aeldari; Ynnead, the Aeldari god of the dead. It is hoped by many of the Farseers that this new god will be powerful enough to vanquish Slaanesh, freeing the Aeldari from their doom at the Prince of Pleasure's grasping hands.After the formation of the Great Rift, and the partial awakening of Ynnead in the Warp, his prophet Yvraine demonstrated the ability to serve as a conduit for his power and merge recently deceased Aeldari souls with his essence. This ability affected Asuryani and Drukhari alike, meaning that the Craftworld Aeldari and Drukhari who joined the Ynnari no longer needed to rely on Spirit Stones or leeching the psychic energies of other sentient beings to prevent their souls from being consumed by Slaanesh.The coming of the Ynnari thus represented a new hope for the dwindling species.
Spirit Stone - Notes: The graphic novel Daemonifuge features the Spirit Stones only in passing, but names them "Soul Stones" instead. However, the Aeldari codexes of every edition name them as Spirit Stones.It is not known exactly what happens when a Spirit Stone is destroyed, but one can guess that the soul within is lost to Slaanesh within the Warp.Also of note is that in the novel Dawn of War, a Spirit Stone is smashed by a Power Axe, resulting in an incredibly loud metallic ringing, and then an explosion that not only destroyed the Power Axe, but also sent Trythos, the Space Marine wielding it, flying a few metres away, thus indicating that Spirit Stones are a potent source of psychic energy.
Spiritseer - Spiritseer: A Spiritseer is an Eldar psyker who walks the Path of the Seer in a way that allows him or her to commune with the souls of the dead Eldar preserved in the Craftworld's Infinity Circuit. In times of peace, the Spiritseers serve as a bridge between the living and the dead, ensuring the wisdom of the past remains available to those still able to influence the present. In time of war, the Spiritseers entreat the souls of the dead to empower Wraithguard and Wraithlord constructs, using the dead to protect their living kindred.
Spiritseer - Notable Spiritseers: Iyanna Arienal - Iyanna Arienal, called "the Angel of Iyanden", is the greatest and nominal leader of Iyanden's Spiritseers. Despite the psychic angst and the censure of her kin, she is steadfast and resolute in her task, and never hesitates to lead squads of Wraithguard into battle, devoting every one of her waking moments to the restoration and betterment of her Craftworld.
Spiritseer - Rune: The rune used by the Spiritseers is sometimes associated with Ynnead, the nascent god of the dead, and the mysteries of the Infinity Circuit. Spiritseers wear these runes to show that they stand astride two worlds, but do not truly belong to either.
Spite - Spite: Spite is an Imperial Fortress World within the Achilus Crusade's Canis Salient in the Jericho Reach. It is from here that Lord Commander Sebiascor Ebongrave marshals the crusade against the T'au. It is a world recovering from a terrible attack by Human malcontents, widely assumed to have been supported by the T'au, which killed millions and left Spite a ruined and shaken planet.Captured relatively intact from T'au infiltrators early in the crusade, Spite is a heavily settled and industrialised world, which turned its whole production over to the war effort. Less than three Terran years ago, it was subject to an unexpected and devastating attack known as "the Blasphemy."Fanatics calling themselves the "Vengeance Sept" hijacked a factory ship loaded with fuel and crashed it into a major fault line on Spite's largest continent. The resulting earthquakes and volcanoes devastated several cities and rendered vast swathes of the continent uninhabitable.Fortress Spite has barely been able to function as a military headquarters since the Blasphemy, and refugees choke the remaining cities in the millions.A great many cities still stand on Spite -- the largest is home to tens of millions. These cities are patrolled by Moral Hygiene Militias, raised under Ebongrave's orders to watch for sedition and xenos sympathisers, and suffer frequent visits by the field purgation platoons of Astra Militarum regiments sent to hunt down the worst offenders.Each city is now so paranoid it is effectively its own isolated state, with citizens refused entrance or exit without authorisation from Ebongrave's command. The millions of refugees created by the Blasphemy cower outside the city gates, begging to be let in before Spite's merciless winter descends.
Splinter Pistol - Splinter Pistol: A Splinter Pistol is a Drukhari Splinter Weapon in which the weapon's internal mechanism reduces a potent neurotoxin that has been solidified into a crystal into thousands of tiny splinters and then launches them at incredible speeds towards an enemy using an electromagnetic mass accelerator. Because of its shorter barrel as a pistol variant, the Splinter Pistol has a shorter range than other variants of Splinter Weapons.The Splinter Pistol is the ranged weapon of choice for Archons, Wyches, Reaver Jetbikers and most Sybarites and Dracons. It is usually paired by these combatants with a Monomolecular Knife or Stunclaw and used as a pair for added effectiveness in infantry assaults.The Splinter Pistol uses the same ammunition and firing mechanisms as the Splinter Rifle, although its mechanism is more compact and therefore possesses a shorter range and a smaller ammunition crystal to reduce the weight of the pistol even further. Splinter Pistol crystals are therefore the most frequently impregnated with Drukhari toxins, as they are the weapons that most need the added effect to overcome their shorter effective range.
Spore Chimney - Spore Chimney: A Spore Chimney is a Tyranid biomechanical technology that is used to pollute a prey planet's atmosphere and biosphere in preparation for digestion of its biosphere by releasing billions of microscopic spores which are absorbed by the local flora and fauna with devastating results.Imperial fire teams have learned that shooting these structures can cause a large, spontaneous release of spores into the air.
Spore Chimney - Role: Spore Chimneys are Tyranid plant-analogue bioconstructs seeded onto a hive fleet's target world in the early stages of a Tyranid infestation by Mycetic Spores or early stage reconnaissance bioforms. After they mature within a matter of solar days, Spore Chimneys pump out billions of microscopic alien spores which not only pollute the atmosphere, altering it to match the climatic conditions preferred by Tyranid bioforms, but also alter the native flora and fauna.Local species of vegetation will gradually be replaced by highly aggressive xenos flora that grows from the released spores. As the process of consumption accelerates, the sky darkens from the sheer number of spores entering the atmosphere and the planet's temperature begins to rise as the spores consume biomatter. The surface is soon transformed into an environmental hothouse through an artificially-induced greenhouse effect, accelerating the process of digestion still further and optimising conditions for the next stage of consumption.Within solar days of the appearance of Spore Chimneys on an infested world hordes of Rippers will have consumed the vegetation mass and added it to the digestive enzymes of the Reclamation Pools, where all of the world's digested biomatter is broken down into its biochemical molecular components and ready to be collected by the Capillary Towers for transfer to the Hive Ships in low orbit.
Spore Mine - Spore Mine: Spore Mines (Boletus minoris), are used by the Tyranids as living, floating mines which explode if any non-Tyranid lifeform gets too close to one.Spore mines are grown and launched by Biovores. They grow deep inside a Biovore's body and are then launched via a powerful muscle spasm through the Biovore's dorsal aperture and hurled across the battlefield.An internal gas bladder in the spore mines inflates allowing them to drift down towards the ground, where they do not detonate upon impact but when they sense the proximity of a non-Tyranid.They have been known to drift for solar days, weeks or even Terran years until an unwary foe comes too near. Alternatively, spore mines can also be seeded onto worlds from orbit.Spore mines possess a rudimentary animal intelligence and are full of poisons, toxins, viruses and corrosive chemicals. Their skin is covered in sensitive feelers which seek out heat and vibrations. They are also able to sense nearby enemies' weapon fire and will explode in the hope of killing the enemy firing.All of the spore mines in a cluster are neurologically linked, and when one explodes, they all do even if there are no enemies nearby. If a mine is slain it will also explode.Spore mines come in one of three forms most often:Poison Spore Mines - Full of poisons and toxins, the mine can overcome any physiology. The poisons include highly reactive inorganic poisons, hemo-toxin, afla-toxin, neuro-toxin and phage cells.Frag Spore Mines - It has an iron hard shell which shatters when the mine explodes and sends shards of the shell in all directions, which can scythe down light infantry but can also cause lethal infections and sepsis.Bio-Acid Spore Mines - The acids are thick and viscous, allowing them to cling to their victim to maximize the effectiveness. They have been known to dissolve everything up to, and including, ceramite plate.
Spore Mine - Sources: Codex: Tyranids (5th Edition), pg. 48Shield of Baal: Leviathan (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), "The Aeros Skytide" (Picture)Warhammer 40,000: Conquest (Collectible Card Game) (Picture)
Squad Command (Video Game) - Squad Command (Video Game): Squad Command, also called Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command, is a strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, released on November 16, 2007, for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.The game was developed by RedLynx and published by THQ. The game features three Space Marine Chapters pitted against three Traitor Legions of Chaos (two and two for the Nintendo DS) battling it out on the planet of Rhur III.The game features units from the tabletop wargame such as Dreadnoughts,Defilers, Land Raiders, Whirlwinds, Scouts, Terminators and more.
Squad Command (Video Game) - Single Player Mode: The single-player campaign follows the Imperium's Ultramarines Space Marine forces over the course of 15 cinematically-linked missions as they fend off an incursion by the Word Bearers Traitor Legion on the planet of Rhur III.There are 15 different missions in the game, many of which have different objectives including:Eliminating all hostilesKilling a specific unit or group of unitsDestroying an object or a group of objectsDefending an object, such as a vehicleReaching a certain area on the mapSurviving for a set amount of turns