vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Astral Claws - Chapter Fleet: The fleet assets of the Astral Claws were considerable, and included two powerful battle barges, and an ancient Cardinal-class heavy cruiser, recaptured as a wreck in the Maelstrom and brought back into service, as well as seven strike cruisers and over thirty escort vessels of various classes.The exact number of escorts the Chapter maintained is a matter for some debate as it was known to possess a number of captured vessels taken from within the Maelstrom, as well as armed transports of its own.The known, named vessels within the Astral Claws Chapter fleet included the following starships:Seraph of Judgement (Battle Barge)Hyrcania (Strike Cruiser)Piercing Nova (Strike Cruiser)Thoth's Hound (Cardinal-class Heavy Cruiser)Dreadchild (Gothic-class Cruiser)
Astral Claws - Chapter Colours: In their original incarnation during the 1st Edition, the Astral Claws were referred to as the "Tiger Claws," and their armour was portrayed with a tiger stripe pattern.In the updated canon they now wear metallic silver power armour with blue pauldrons, trimmed in gold.As the Heretic Astartes survivors of the Badab War now known as the Red Corsairs, they wear corrupted, predominantly red and black Power Armour with gold trim.
Astral Claws - Chapter Badge: The original Chapter iconography for the Astral/Tiger Claws was an orange, black and white, tiger-striped colour scheme with a tiger's head centred on the shoulder plate inside a yellow roundlet.The Chapter's new iconography is a contemporary tiger's head in gold and black on a dark blue background.
Astral Claws - Canon Conflict: In the original iteration of the Badab War which appeared in the Warhammer 40,000 Compendium in "The Badab War" article by Rick Priestly, the Tiger Claws were the primary Chapter that was responsible for the civil conflict. This version also indicated that Lufgt Huron was possibly a shapeshifter or had been subjected to alien domination to cause him to turn Traitor, gaining psychic abilities in the process.In its newest iteration, re-released in Forge World's Imperial Armour Volumes Nine & Ten - The Badab War, Parts One & Two, the name of the Chapter responsible for the outbreak of the Badab War has been changed to the "Astral Claws".In this retconned lore, the Tiger Claws Chapter has instead become a Successor Chapter of the Astral Claws whose survivors were mysteriously absorbed by their parent Chapter.
Astral Claws - Sources: Deathwatch: Honour the Chapter (RPG), pp. 114, 126Deathwatch: The Jericho Reach (RPG), pp. 76–77Deathwatch: The Emperor's Chosen (RPG), pg. 39Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pp. 12, 14-17, 19-21, 24, 26-27, 34, 40, 42-43, 47, 53-65, 77, 93, 101, 111, 160-163, 173-176, 178, 180, 182, 184, 187-188, 193Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pp. 9, 20-21, 24-25, 28, 30, 36-39, 42, 46-49, 52-61, 69, 78, 88-89, 127, 136, 175, 180Warhammer 40,000: Compendium (1st Edition), "The Badab War" by Rick Priestley, pp. 33–35White Dwarf 303 (UK) "Index Astartes: Rogue Sons" by Andy HoareWhite Dwarf 101(UK) "Index Astartes: The Badab Uprising" by Rick PriestleyHeroes of the Space Marines (Anthology), "The Skull Harvest" by Graham McNeillLegends of the Space Marines (Anthology), "The Trial of the Mantis Warriors" by C.S. Goto
Astral Drakes - Astral Drakes: Astral DrakesSpace MarineChapterFoundingImperialOrkWarlordGhazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka
Astral Drakes - Chapter Colours: The Astral Drakes' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Drakes - Chapter Badge: The Astral Drakes' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Fists - Astral Fists: The Astral Fists is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin that operates within the Ultima Segmentum. The Astral Fists have yet to leave their mark in Imperial history, so very little is currently known about this Chapter.Both the Astral Fists and the Angels Eradicant sent small contingents to investigate the last distress call of the now-extinct Marines Mordant Chapter on their homeworld of Vitrea Mundi in the Maelstrom Zone after that Chapter came under assault by the insidious forces of the Alpha Legion.The Chapter's only notable engagement was when it was ordered to engage the Tyranids Echidna Splinter Fleet sometime during the 41st Millennium.
Astral Fists - Chapter Colours: The Astral Fists' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Fists - Chapter Badge: The Astral Fists' Chapter badge is a clenched silver fist.
Astral Hawks - Astral Hawks: The Astral Hawks is a Codex Astartes-compliant Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and genetic origin.
Astral Hawks - Chapter Colours: The Astral Hawks primarily wear ebon power armour. The power pack's ports, faceplate, arms, knee plates and shoulder plate trim are dark greyish-blue. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest is also dark greyish-blue.The white squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder plate.A black Low Gothic numeral centred in the middle of the squad specialty symbol indicates squad number. The white Low Gothic numeral on the right knee plate designates company number.
Astral Hawks - Chapter Badge: The Astral Hawks' Chapter badge is the profile of a white stylised hawk's head, centred inside a red roundlet, edged in white. This roundlet is centred on a field of black.
Astral Hound - Astral Hound: An Astral Hound is a non-daemonic denizen of the Warp that resembles a large, dark, shadowy dog. Astral Hounds are carnivorous and extremely predatory, but are not intelligent. Brute instinct allows them to track the psychic aura of their prey through Warpspace. Although Hounds can track the psychic aura of any creature with psychic abilities, the strongest and most attractive scent is that of the unprotected human psyker. So strong is their compulsion to seek out the source of this aura that the Astral Hound is the single most dangerous foe of the emergent psyker.Astral Hounds hunt alone or in packs of up to 6 creatures. They use the psyker's own powers to take form within the material universe. Astral Hounds attack with a numbing bite, paralysing their victim. Once helpless, infortunate victims are taken back into Warpspace, where the Hounds feed upon their psychic energy. The poor psyker simply disappears, confounding friends and neighbours. Astral Hounds are ferocious combat opponents, and are capable of making short Warp jumps of several metres, suddenly appearing behind or beside their enemy.
Astral Knights - Astral Knights: The Astral Knights was a Loyalist, Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter from an unknown Founding that was a genetic successor of the Imperial Fists.The Astral Knights sacrificed nearly their entire Chapter in 926.M41 to destroy the hideous threat to the Imperium called the World Engine in the Vidar Sector. This Necron weapon was a planet-sized spacecraft, armed with Gauss Projectors capable of scorching entire planets of all life on their surface.Shortly after the battle, the Astral Knights were struck from the roster of active Space Marine Chapters and the Sable Swords Chapter was created to fill the void left by their absence. The Sable Swords took up stewardship of the now all-but-abandoned Astral Knights fortress-monastery on the world of Obsidia.The remaining Astral Knights battle-brothers who had not been present with the majority of the Chapter were too few in number to carry the burden of reconstruction of their Chapter. Instead, they were absorbed into the newly-founded Sable Swords as a Veteran training cadre.
Astral Knights - Chapter's Fate: Sometime shortly after the destruction of the Necron World Engine and the loss of nearly the entire Astral Knights Chapter, an envoy of the newly-formed Sable Swords Chapter, led by 1st Company Captain Daegan, visited the world of Obsidia to inform the remaining Astral Knights that they were to claim stewardship of their fortress-monastery.The remaining Astral Knights, numbering only thirty battle-brothers, were led by the Chapter's last surviving Dreadnought, Brother Thade. Thade, angry at the thought of his proud and noble Chapter being so easily cast aside and replaced with a Chapter so young and inexperienced, nearly came to blows with Daegan, instead demanding what deeds could the Sable Swords offer the remaining Astral Knights.Daegan simply stepped aside, clearing a path from the chamber deep within the fortress and said: "Take a ship from here and ply the stars as the Astral Knights once did, before they set down roots in stone and iron. Fight on in the Emperor's name until you can fight no more, and when that day comes, know that in death your duty has ended." There are no known Imperial records of what befell the Astral Knights in their final days.
Astral Knights - Chapter Beliefs: The Astral Knights were known to be dour by temperament, even for heirs of Rogal Dorn, and guarded their honour jealously. Even the most trivial of disagreements could easily escalate to the point where the symbolic shedding of blood seemed the simplest way to determine who was in the right.Duels of honour were usually held in an arena located in the Chapter's fortress-monastery on Obsidia. The two combatants would enter the arena, stepping forward onto the carpet of tiny crystals, each smaller than a grain of sand, glittering crimson in the dull ember glow of their homeworld's sun.The only garments they wore were the duelling tunics tradition demanded, their plain white fabric dyed the colour of blood by the glowering Eye of Obsidia. The traditional weapon was a soul shard blade. Every Astral Knight carried one of the glittering blades, each as unique as its owner, and would as soon be parted from it as from his Progenoid Glands.The first time every initiate wore power armour was the day he went out alone, to scour the endless plains around the Obsidian Vaults until one of the millions of crystals littering the landscape called out to him; honed carefully into a razor-sharp blade, mounted in a hand-crafted hilt, the soul shard became permeated with the essence of the man who created and carried it, thus its poetic name.The duel would begin once the terms of victory had been agreed upon by both combatants. One of the combatants would begin the duel by announcing the terms of victory. This usually meant "to the drawing of first blood." His opponent would traditionally agree to the terms and the duel would begin in earnest. But if their opponent felt aggrieved enough by the situation, they could choose to fight "to the death."Once the challenge had been thrown down, the first combatant had no choice but to accept. In truth, there was no other answer they could give. To refuse would have smacked of cowardice, or a trace of doubt in the rightness of their cause.To take the life of a battle-brother was almost unimaginable, a duel to the death by mutual agreement the only way in which it could be done without incurring Terran centuries of penitential exile. Even then, the survivor would bear an ineradicable stain on his honour for the rest of his life.These duels of honour would be overseen by the Chapter Master, who observed from a lofty position on his crystal throne, opposite the amphitheatre's entrance.When the Astral Knights' entire progenitor Chapter, the Imperial Fists, had been lost millennia before, when the original VIIth Legion was broken down into separate Chapters during the Second Founding, they were still mourned by those who carried their genetic legacy in their Progenoid Glands.The only thing about death that mattered to an Astral Knight was that he make his final moments a testament to his faith in the Emperor, and the means to a victory in His name. Whoever met the conditions of the duel, be it first blood, or to the death, the duel would then cease -- honour having been satisfied.
Astral Knights - Order of Battle: The following represents the order of battle of the Astral Knights Chapter as it stood at the Battle of Safehold against the World Engine in 926.M41:Chapter Command: Lord Artor Amhrad, Chapter Master of the Astral KnightsReclusiam: Masayak, Reclusiarch of the Astral KnightsLibrarius: Chief Librarian Hyalhi3 Veteran SquadsDreadnought Ancient KeldohranDreadnought Ancient VhortaasLand Raider Squadron PenanceStormraven Gunship MexentiusStormraven Gunship DamocleanTechmarine SarakosTechmarine Methelian2nd (Battle) Company: Captain PelisaarChaplain Khurz8 Tactical Squads1 Assault Squad1 Devastator Squad3rd (Battle) Company: Captain Sufutar6 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads2 Devastator Squads4th (Battle) Company: Captain Mohari6 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads1 Devastator Squad6th (Battle) Company: Captain Sheherz, Master of the FleetFirst Sergeant Kypsalah8 Tactical Squads2 Assault Squads7th Reserve (Tactical) Company: Captain IfriqiLexicanium Dehaarz9 Tactical Squads8th Reserve (Assault) Company: Assault-Captain Zahiros9 Assault Squads9th Reserve (Devastator) Company: Devastator-Captain KhabyarCodicier Valqash8 Devastator Squads10th Scout Company: Scout-Sergeant Faraji7 Scout Squads
Astral Knights - Notable Astral Knights: Chapter Master Artor Amhrad - The final Chapter Master of the Astral Knights Chapter, Artor Amhrad detonated Melta-charges that destroyed a vast Necron tomb complex that housed many of the World Engine's command arrays, which brought down the vessel's impenetrable Void Shields. This allowed the Imperial Navy's starships to destroy the World Engine with Cyclonic Torpedoes. Amhrad willingly sacrificed what remained of his Chapter for the sake of saving millions, perhaps billions of Human lives. He is considered one of the greatest heroes of the Imperium for his tremendous sacrifice.Thade (Dreadnought) - Brother Thade was a Dreadnought and the last Chapter Master of the all-but decimated Astral Knights Chapter. Following the death of the majority of his Chapter, who died heroically in the destruction of the Necron World Engine, Thade had been left behind at the Chapter's fortress-monastery as acting commander of the Chapter's thirty remaining battle-brothers and neophytes. To the honoured Ancient fell the onerous duty of surrendering his Chapter's fortress-monastery to the newly-founded Sable Swords Chapter, who had sent representatives to claim all of the Chapter's possessions on Obsidia. The ultimate fate of Brother Thade and his fellow Astartes is unknown, but Sable Swords Captain Daegan advised his fellow Astartes to embark upon an Imperial Crusade in order to spend the remainder of their lives fighting the enemies of the Imperium.
Astral Knights - Chapter Fleet: Tempestus (Ryza-class Battle Barge) - The flagship of the Astral Knights Chapter, this most ancient ship of the Chapter fleet was one of the finest starships any Chapter could muster. Her Machine Spirit was as old as the Forge World of Ryza where her keel was laid four thousand Terran years ago. Only six such Battle Barges were ever constructed, and only three still sailed at the time of the Tempestus ' death. The secrets of its and its fellows' construction had long been lost. But each of the Ryza-class Battle Barges were renowned for the steadfastness of their construction. They were built to run minefields and asteroid blockades. Impacts that would break another voidship apart could be suffered by a Ryza without destruction. This made the Tempestus ideally suited for her suicide run against the Necron World Engine. Though the ancient vessel penetrated the powerful Void Shields of the massive Necron vessel, the damage it sustained made it unable to ever be void-worthy again. The mortally wounded vessel was moved to the Imperial world of Safehold and a permanent Imperial shrine erected upon it to stand in eternal memory of the Astral Knights Chapter's valiant sacrifice.
Astral Knights - Chapter Colours: The Astral Knights' Chapter colour scheme is known to have been primarily silver-white. The shoulder plate trim and knee guards were blue.The blue squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- was indicated on the right shoulder guard.Officers within the Chapter were easily identifiable through their use of demi-cloaks with tabards.
Astral Knights - Chapter Badge: The Astral Knights' Chapter badge was two crossed white double-edged swords, pointing upwards.
Astral Knights - Canon Conflict: The novel The World Engine by Ben Counter shows the Astral Knights' colour scheme as primarily a light silver with blue trim.But the sourcebook Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters for 7th Edition shows a Space Marine with dark blue armour with a silver Aquila and black shoulder plates and helm that follows the common Codex Astartes scheme for designating company number by the colour of the shoulder plate trim and squad number through a red High Gothic numeral placed on the right shoulder plate.Additionally, the Astral Knights' badge in this publication is depicted not as crossed swords but as a white Gothic cross with a red starburst at its centre. No explanation is given for this discrepancy, but as The World Engine is the more recent source representing the Chapter, its depiction is accepted as canon here.
Astral Spears - Astral Spears: The Astral Spears is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of unknown Founding and origin. During the Indomitus Crusade, the Torchbearer Fleet Conqueror's Forge delivered the technology to create Primaris Space Marines to the Chapter.
Astral Spears - Chapter Colours: The Astral Spears' Chapter colours are not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Spears - Chapter Badge: The Astral Spears' Chapter badge is not listed in current Imperial records.
Astral Spectre - Astral Spectre: An Astral Spectre is a powerful entity composed of congealed psychic energy and Warp-stuff. When manifest in the physical world, these entities take the shape of incorporeal spectres: patches of moving darkness, unnatural mists boiling with flickering images, half-transparent figures that cast no shadow, and a host of other forms.
Astral Spectre - Role: In the Imperium, psykers are feared not only for their strange powers but for the untold harm which can and often does arise when their powers are used carelessly. When the abilities of a psychically-active mind are wielded by those weak in faith or will, the psychic energy can congeal within the fabric of the Warp to form Astral Spectres. These malevolent shadow creatures attack humans and devour their soul–essence to replenish the psychic energy from which the Spectres were born.Although Astral Spectres vary greatly in appearance, there are a few common characteristics that all such Spectres share. They are vaguely humanoid creatures composed of patches of semi–translucent shadow, and their presence unnerves all sentient creatures in their vicinity, often causing said creatures to experience psychic phenomena. Without fail, their forms are both vile and horrifying. They possess no solid physical form but wield a variety of psychic powers which allow them to interact with and harm material beings.Spectres employ the full range of their psychic abilities in carrying out their evil plans. When pressed, Spectres first attempt to manipulate the minds of weaker opponents, causing them to interfere with or even attack their allies. Spectres almost always target psykers first, as they are far and away the greatest threat to a being of the Immaterium. When cornered, they either unleash their psychic powers in an all-out attack or attempt to possess one of their antagonists. Spectres are cunning and intelligent and always seek to take a host who is either capable of fighting his way out of the situation or one whose allies will be unwilling to attack him. Though Astral Spectres are far from the most powerful foe one may encounter in the Calixis Sector, they are amongst the most difficult to combat due to their nature as creatures of pure Warp energy.Although Astral Spectres are sustained by a combination of stolen life energy and the psychic flux of the Warp, they seem to relish causing terror. They are drawn to fear and will expend great effort to cause it. Often, they will even place themselves at risk in order to terrify a victim by appearing before him in their true, nightmarish form. What benefit if any they derive from this fear is unknown.Appearances of Astral Spectres are on the rise in the Calixis Sector. The reasons for this are many and varied. The violence and conflict in places like Tranch lead to a great deal of psychic energy being released when innocents are killed. Perhaps most significantly, the various Ruinous Powers seem to be turning their attention to the Calixis Sector and moving events in a direction intended to cause more chaos and death. One such Astral Spectre appearance involves the so-called "Alley Reaper" of Gunmetal City on the sector capital world of Scintilla.
Astronomican - Astronomican: The Astronomican is a psychic navigational beacon located on Terra that is ultimately calibrated and projected by the Emperor of Mankind from within the Golden Throne through a massive apparatus located in the Chamber of the Astronomican beneath the fortress called the Hollow Mountain in the Himalazian mountain range. It is powered by the life forces of 10,000 specially-selected psykers called "the Chosen," up to 1,000 of which die every solar day.The Emperor projects this astropathic beam 70,000 light years across the Milky Way Galaxy which Human Navigators can detect and utilise to triangulate a course for the starships of the Imperium of Man through the otherwise unnavigable chaos of Warpspace. As the signal generated is psychic in nature, it exists within the immaterial universe of the Warp.The beacon can be psychically detected from almost anywhere in Warpspace and is vital for faster-than-light travel since the mutant Human Navigators use it as their only fixed reference point when calculating an accurate course through the Warp. Without it, long journeys through the Warp would be impossible and no Human starship would ever reach its intended destination.The Imperium could not survive as an interstellar society in the absence of a functioning Astronomican. Long-range Warp travel would be rendered impossible as starships would be restricted to cogitator-calculated Warp jumps of no more than 4-5 light years at a time.During the Age of Technology, before the Astronomican existed, its functions were fulfilled by a strange xenos techno-arcana device known as a Pharos which was later determined to have been built by the ancient Necrons. These devices projected a stable Warp-beacon for the Navigators to use as a reference point when doing their calculations.It was theorised by savants of the Imperium that there had once existed an entire network of these devices across multiple worlds in the Human-dominated part of the galaxy to facilitate Warp travel, but over time, many were lost or forgotten in the Age of Strife that swallowed the first Human interstellar civilisation.One such device, a xenos construct known as the Pharos, was later discovered by the Ultramarines Legion on the ancient world of Sotha beneath Mount Pharos.
Astronomican - Astra Telepathica: In addition to this invisible beacon amongst the stars, the forging of the Imperium would not have been possible without the creation and continuation of the Astra Telepathica. This special corps of interstellar communicators was created by the Emperor during the final months of the conquest of Terra, as the Emperor had foreseen their absolute future need.For the most part, the Emperor did not favour the use of psychic talents in others. As a psyker Himself, albeit one of unprecedented power and control, He was well aware of the dangers inherent with Human contact with the Warp.Furthermore, the Age of Strife on Old Earth had its own "witch-kings" and possessed psykers to attest to those dangers, some of whom the Emperor had personally slain.However, He was able to identify those strong enough in will to maintain control of their abilities and aid their self-control through the ritual of soul-binding, and so with some prudence certain psykers were employed in a variety of special roles in the Imperium, and the astropaths of the Astra Telepathica were to be such an exception.
Astronomican - Noctis Aeterna: The Noctis Aeterna, also known as the "Blackness" or the "Days of Blinding" in Low Gothic, was a catastrophic event which consumed the Milky Way Galaxy and the Imperium of Man beginning in ca. 999.M41.The Blackness began following the fall of Cadia at the climax of the 13th Black Crusade and the eruption of the Great Rift that cut the Imperium in half, and was marked by the loss of access to the Astronomican for FTL navigation and a disruption in all astrotelepathic communications.Beyond the Great Rift, in the half of the galaxy cut off from Terra by the great Warp rift known as the Imperium Nihilus, the Astronomican was no longer detectable by psykers and Navigators and the Blackness persisted indefinitely.These disruptions endured for variable times across the galaxy, lasting for only thirty-three solar days on Terra itself, but for solar decades or even standard centuries elsewhere. This period saw more devastating events consume the increasingly isolated worlds of the Human-settled galaxy than at any time since the Age of Strife.Such was the turmoil during the creation of the Great Rift and the period following it that there could be no reliable accounts of what transpired. As limited communications returned, Historitors and Chronotechs struggled to understand incoming reports.With the influx of Warp energies into such vast regions of realspace, time passed strangely, speeding up in some sectors, slowing in others compared to the sidereal time experienced on Terra, at the heart of the Imperium.These effects on the Warp from the birth of the Great Rift faded with the passage of time in the Imperium Sanctus, allowing for the reestablishment of interstellar communications with some regions and somewhat more reliable Warp travel. This restoration of stability, combined with the onset of the Imperial counteroffensive known as the Indomitus Crusade, eventually restored the grip of the Emperor over the Imperium Sanctus. But the Imperium Nihilus still remained beyond the Emperor's light.However, the price paid proved steep. Slightly less than half of the one thousand Space Marine Chapters known to operate across the galaxy remained unaccounted for, and no less than twelve Space Marine Chapter homeworlds were reported as destroyed during the Noctis Aeterna and the equally bitter campaigns that followed.
Astronomican - Adeptus Astronomica: It is the duty of the portion of the Adeptus Terra called the Adeptus Astronomica to maintain all aspects of the Astronomican, including training those Sanctioned Psykers who will power it. The "psychic light" of the Astronomican is beamed from Terra, from the Chamber of the Astronomican buried deep beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains.The Astronomican is powered by the psykers trained by the adepta, though it is the omnipotent will of the Emperor Himself that constantly directs this psychic energy across the depths of approximately 70,000 light years of galactic space.Although the Emperor does not provide the psychic energy of the beacon, only He has the psychic control required to handle such immense amounts of psychic energy and direct it across the galaxy.The psykers who power the Astronomican are recruited into the Adeptus Astronomica through the division of the Adeptus Terra called the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. They are initiated into the Adeptus Astronomica as acolytes, and are taught how to use their powers as well as the philosophy of the adepta and the pivotal role it plays in the continued existence of the Imperium.Astronomica acolytes learn the lore and technical arcana of the Astronomican. Some achieve a mystic state, gaining the status of "Chosen." It is these Chosen of the Astronomican who are eventually called to serve in the Chamber of the Astronomican.Here they fuel the Astronomican's beacon with their psychic energies; as their powers are drained by the Emperor to fuel the beacon, the life forces of the Chosen slowly fade and they die, their lives a necessary sacrifice for the continued good of the Imperium and the existence of Mankind in a hostile galaxy.This psychic power is then directed by the mind of the Emperor across the width of the approximately 70,000 light year range of the beacon. Because Terra is situated in the galactic west, the Astronomican does not cover the extreme Eastern Fringe of the galaxy. Warp travel beyond the Astronomican's reach is severely limited -- thus, it is the Astronomican's reach that effectively determines the true borders of the Imperium.Destroying the Astronomican would most likely halt or badly cripple all Imperial Warp travel within the galaxy, effectively bringing the Imperium of Man to its knees, both economically and militarily.The mutant Navigators, as well as other psykers of any intelligent species, can sense the Astronomican. It is described as a sensation of silvery light and a chorus of many heavenly voices, beginning first with a solitary voice and progressively growing into an angelic choir.It is suggested that "pious Space Marines" who can "hear" the Astronomican possess the ability to fall into a meditative trance when they focus on it, perhaps as a result of their genetic descent from the Emperor through the gene-seed of their primarchs.Captain Gabriel Angelos of the Blood Ravens Chapter of Astartes was known to occasionally enter a sort of battle trance when he "heard" the Astronomican while in battle, improving his prowess in combat for the duration of the trance.
Astronomican - Astronomican Operation: The Chamber of the Astronomican is located deep beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains of Terra. The original purpose of the device which would become known as the Astronomican has been lost to time; what is known is that it was built by the Emperor of Mankind Himself as a focus for His fathomless psychic power.Because of its vital role in the maintenance of the Imperium, the Astronomican has great religious significance for believers in the creed of the Imperial Cult and the Emperor's divinity and it is also sometimes metaphorically referred to as "the Light of the Emperor," "the Ray of Hope" or "the Golden Path."
Astronomican - Limitations of the Astronomican: Warp Storm activity can affect the overall range of the Astronomican but it generally had a range of approximately 70,000 light years before the birth of the Great Rift.As the galaxy is about 100,000 light years in diameter and Terra is approximately 25,000 light years towards the galactic southwest, the Astronomican barely penetrates the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy; even less so in the wake of the arrival of the Warp-smothering Tyranid hive fleets.
Astronomican - Tyranid Attraction: The Astronomican's potent psychic beacon is what is drawing the Tyranids like moths to a candle flame to threaten the Milky Way Galaxy after they were alerted to its location by the Pharos' activation during the Battle of Sotha in the Horus Heresy.It is now also drawing the hive fleets, inexorably and irresistibly, towards Terra itself.
Astropaths - Astropaths: Astropaths, referred to in older sources as "Astrotelepaths," are psykers who are responsible for carrying out all of the superluminal communications that tie the Imperium of Man together using their telepathic abilities. Chosen from the multitudes of psykers born across the vast breadth of the Imperium, these individuals are detected and incarcerated within one of the fearsome Black Ships of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and brought to Terra due to their great power and their potential use to the Imperium.The fate of the vast majority of these psykers is to fuel the insatiable fires of the Astronomican so that the Imperium might be held together for another solar day. Of those allowed to live, a tiny fraction are judged strong enough and possessed of enough willpower to undergo training and go on to serve the Imperium in a staggering array of capacities as a Sanctioned Psyker, from Inquisitor to Astra Militarum Battle Psyker to Astropath.The Warp influences communication between worlds spanning the Imperium and between vessels travelling between these worlds. This is the domain of the Astropaths, who stretch their minds deep into the Immaterium to connect with the psychic resonance of their own kind throughout the galaxy to pass information, messages, or warnings in an instant. Solar decades of training and the torment of the Soul Binding ritual strengthen the will of these psykers to withstand penetrating the terrors of the Warp without suffering mental instability or daemonic possession.
Astropaths - History: Psykers first emerged amongst Mankind in the middle part of the long distant Age of Technology, a period of human history about which all but nothing is remembered in the 41st Millennium. Since that time, among the ever-greater numbers of humans within the Imperium of Man, some people are born different. Some fickle turn of fate or chance twist in the genome has seen them join the growing ranks of psychic individuals within the human race, and others still come into such powers later on in life.These psykers labour under a blessing and a curse. They have the rare talent to draw power from the Warp, the hidden dimension of Chaos that lurks beneath the fabric of reality, and shape it into all manner of strange and supernatural effects. Using such power, however, comes with a terrible risk. Whether they know it or not, the mind of each psyker shines brightly within the otherworldly dimension of the Warp, or Immaterium as it is also known. This psychic realm is home to unspeakable beings, hungry predators that look upon such soulfires with great anticipation. The denizens of the Immaterium -- Warp beasts, daemons and worse -- find great sport in weak and unprotected minds. An unwary psyker is easily attacked, consumed or used as a gateway from the Warp to the physical realm.Psykers are regarded in many different ways across the Imperium's countless worlds. On the more primitive planets, they are thought of as shamans, witches, and sorcerers. More sophisticated societies are usually aware of psychic abilities and refer to psykers by other titles such as "gifted" or "the touched." But in almost all cases, and on all worlds, they are feared for the darkness and chaos they can bring down on those around them. There are many that believe psykers represent a gross perversion of all that humanity is and a constant reminder of the terrible powers of the Warp. This idea seems to hold some weight as the majority of psykers succumb to madness and ruin, often at the cost of countless other lives. Those that can master psychic power, however, become a prized, if somewhat dangerous, commodity to the Imperium.
Astropaths - Rites of the Soul Bound: Each Astropath has his own different way of utilising his power. An extensive ritual has to be performed to ensure that the Astropath is fully protected against the rigours of the Warp before he can impart his message, and he has to mentally shroud his message to protect it lest it be intercepted by the malign intelligences that traverse the æther.
Astropaths - The Contemplation: Ideally, the Astropath should remove himself to a quiet retreat to prepare for the projection. He must centre his mind, unperturbed by the material world. Most Astropaths insist on having their own quarters separated from other officers and crew, to which they can retire to perform their talent. These quarters are set out according to the individual's taste. Some might be little more than ascetic cells, a brilliant white from floor to ceiling, sealed from sound to allow no sensory interference. Or they might be cavernous grottos draped with tapestries decorated in esoteric designs, the floor etched with hexagrammatic wards to keep the ravenous Warp at bay, brilliantly lit by an array of candles and choked with heavy incense that cleanses the Astropath's mind as a prelude to projecting a message. A certain Astropath might prefer to inhabit echoing libraries whose walls are crammed with tomes and scrolls, brimming with arcane knowledge. Vox Servitors might line the walls, reading aloud from selected grimoires, their monosyllabic chants sending the Astropath deep into a hypnotic state. Another might surround himself with the iconography of the God-Emperor, his quarters decorated with sacred statues and the relic-bones of martyrs and heroes, with Servo-skulls droning incessant hymns to bring his mind to peace.The setting prepares the Astropath's frame of mind for his task, and helps him clear his psyche of all distractions. He must spend time contemplating the mental odyssey ahead, cleansing his mind of all unnecessary thought. Many Astropaths find that external stimuli help with this process and resort to practices such as physical deprivation, bodily punishment, the ingestion of psychotropic substances, or the incantation of religious dogma. Some Astropaths might have Servitors suspend his fleshy frame on hooks swinging from the ceiling, or plunge their places of meditation into extremes of heat or cold, so that the physical anguish focuses their mental effort. Others might consume rare poisons that lift their mind free of physical baggage, leaving their bodies twitching and drooling during their meditative state. They might achieve a similar effect by inducing religious ecstasy with sacred mantras and hypnagogic prayers to the God-Emperor. When the Astropath finds himself in a heightened state of consciousness, he can begin to strengthen his mind against the dangers of the Warp and prepare himself for the psychic journey ahead of him.
Astropaths - The Shrouding: Before an Astropath sends out his signal, he should cloak his message in psychic wards to protect it from interception. The creatures of the Warp can pick up stray thoughts projected through the æther. Mindless entities might simply consume the signal, feeding on its psychic residue, especially if its sender instilled fear or panic within the message. More cunning denizens delight in twisting the message to cause confusion and disorder upon its receipt. If the message contains information that might be of use to the enemies of the Imperium, it is vital that it should not fall into their hands. It is not just daemonic intelligences that can prove a problem -- xenos and Heretic sorcerers are known to scry the Warp precisely to apprehend Imperial signals, and even another Astropath might attempt to tamper with the contents of a rival's message.As well as attempting to hide their signals from the prying Warp, Astropaths encapsulate their messages in obscure mental ciphers known only to other Astropaths. Signals are often not just relayed as simple images or sentences. Information might be projected as whispered, coded messages, bewildering hallucinogenic visions, psychic puzzle boxes that must be mentally solved and unlocked, prophetic dreams masked in obscure allegory, solemn hymns whose sanctity repels the unclean, or even grand operatic performances whose subtle metre and notation hide clues to the meaning of the experience.
Astropaths - Encrypting the Message: An Astropath shrouding his signal does so as part of the ritual described earlier and the base amount of time spent performing his contemplation increases from 5 to 25 solar hours. If he does not encrypt his message, there is a greater chance that his signal is intercepted by a malign intelligence within the Warp, and of its meaning being understood if intercepted.
Astropaths - The Projection: The final stage of the Astropath's act of astral telepathy involves the projection of his thought-signal into the Warp. To do this, he must open his psyche to the Warp -- an extremely hazardous act that might lead to madness, daemonic possession, or death. However, a Soul-Bound psyker is strengthened against the dangers of Chaos as long as he maintains his composure. Before determining the effectiveness of his projection, an Astropath must decide whether he wants to send a focused message or a broadcast message. A focused message must be sent to a specific Astropath (or group of individual Astropaths) known to the sender. A broadcast message is simply projected out into the Immaterium in the hope that it is picked up by any Astropath.
Astropaths - Focused Signals: Focused signals are intended for a specific recipient. This individual is almost always another Astropath and, at the very least, must be psychically prepared in order to receive the message.
Astropaths - Broadcast Signals: The signal strength of a broadcast message is equal to the amount of the Astropath's psychic power used to send it, just as with a focused signal. However, broadcast signals grow unstable much more quickly than focused signals. A broadcast signal must cover a massive area, while a focused signal need only find a path between two points. As with focused signals, broadcast signals can only be picked up by individuals and entities which are gifted with psychic abilities and have a certain measure of psychic strength.
Astropaths - Sending the Signal: Once the Astropath has completed his preparations, he can launch his mind-missive into the Warp, hopefully into the waiting consciousness of an ally and not an enemy. His concentration will be tested. The difficulty of this test is defined by his distance from the intended recipient (or the area he wishes to cover with the message).
Astropaths - Warp Effects: When he opens his mind to the Warp, an Astropath endangers his physical body as well. The deluge of swirling energies assaulting his psyche can manifest as bizarre and disturbing effects on his recumbent form.
Astropaths - Interception: There is a chance that the message might be intercepted by malign forces. Frequently, these are Warp entities, but sometimes mortal agents such as sorcerous Renegade psykers or even other Astropaths might attempt to intercept a message.
Astropaths - Receiving Astral Signs: The way that an astral signal is received depends on whether it has been sent as a focused message or a broadcast message.
Astropaths - Deciphering the Signal: An Astropath who picks up the signal may still not understand the message encrypted within it. He might receive it as a blur of conflicting images or a faint whisper in the back of his mind. His mind may have to sift through the message and make sense of any hidden meanings or puzzling oracles contained therein. This might involve not just strenuous mental agility, but also the perusal of arcane lore. A powerful Astropath can employ an entire army of Scribe-Servitors to pore through an archive of tomes, ancient data-slabs, and oracle-bones to interpret the garbled utterances he pronounces as he imparts his visions into words. Less influential Astropaths might only have a few scraps of parchment recording obscure prophesies that may or may not help decode the signal. The Astropath receiving the signal must determine whether he can make sense of it and how long that takes.
Astropaths - Choirs of the Astropaths: Within the borders of the Imperium and beyond, psykers and Navigators are a necessary evil without which Mankind has no hope of fulfilling the destiny of which the Emperor so long ago dreamed. Every Warp-capable vessel numbers amongst its crew a cadre of Astropaths, generally formed into an Astropathic Choir and led by a Choir-Master Telepathica. Certain Astropaths are chosen to journey into the unknown void aboard Rogue Trader vessels; these are individuals able to face the awful void far from Terra without being driven utterly insane. To travel beyond the haven of the Emperor's light is, for an Astropath, a dreadful prospect, for the ever present song of so many other, similarly attuned minds is replaced with a limitless void, where the cold, alien thoughts of unknowable xenos species, some aeons dead, resound.Most vessels carry as many Astropaths as their masters can secure from the Astra Telepathica, for the majority inevitably perish or go mad amongst the alien stars beyond the Imperium's reach. Most Astropaths who survive their tenure in an Astropathic Choir go on to perform a more specialised role. Some ascend in the ranks and become masters at directing the mind-voices of their choirs. Others are scattered across the galaxy to serve as the personal Astropaths and advisors of powerful Adepts such as Inquisitors or Praefects, or are seconded to organisations such as the Administratum, the Adeptus Arbites, the Astra Militarum, or even the Adeptus Astartes. A very few return to Terra to take up a role in the Scholastica Psykana, mentoring other would-be Astropaths and teaching them the inner secrets of their order's vocation.Most Astropaths serving Rogue Traders in the Koronus Expanse come from amongst those serving in a Choir on the fringes of the Imperium. Such Choirs are generally those found aboard Imperial Navy defence stations guarding the outer marches, or perhaps those sitting on the very fringes, in the anarchic grey area between the frontiers and the lawless wastes. Serving in Choirs in such places, Astropaths inevitably pick up on what is variably thought of as the psionic background field, the echoes of the death cries of long dead species or the resonant thoughts of slumbering things that bear no relation to humanity's field of existence. Service in frontier Astropathic Choirs exposes the Astropath to numerous dangers, not least of which is constant low-level exposure to half-heard alien whispers that drive many to burn out or break down. Those able to survive, however, are considered ideal candidates to serve as Astropaths aboard Rogue Trader vessels.
Astropaths - Port Wander: A traveller passing out of the Calixis Sector towards the Maw would be wise to layover at the Imperial Navy void station of Port Wander, if only because it represents one final opportunity to turn back. Port Wander serves numerous functions, acting as a naval depot, a defence station, and a port, as well as a refuge for numerous individuals of distinctly low character. The decks heave with crowds of off-duty voidsmen and the crews of Rogue Trader vessels. Its decks and companionways are at once violent and lawless and also subject to the brutal justice of the Imperial Navy provosts who prowl its depths in search of fresh meat to be press-ganged.Like any other Imperial Navy frontier station, Port Wander is served by a substantial Astropathic Choir. Those serving in the choir must contend with a vast range of unique trials. Most significantly, the proximity of the Calixis terminal of the Koronus Passage, as well as the Great Storms through which the Warp route plunges, places huge strain upon the psyches of any Astropaths using their powers here. In particular, the storm known as the Screaming Vortex is said to emit a shrill dirge that, when it reaches a periodic crescendo, can cause dozens of Port Wander's Astropaths to fit and convulse, cutting off communications for solar days. To make things worse, the Choir is subject to the capricious and tyrannical rule of a Regent Choir-Master, as the Adept assigned that role has not been seen outside of his sanctum in living memory.To ascend from service in the Port Wander Astropathic Choir, an Astropath must have proven himself able to survive the ebb and flow of tumultuous energies that are the result of the Great Storms raging nearby, as well as the incessant politicking of the Choir's own masters. Such individuals are often held to be somewhat cold and jaded, as if inured to human suffering and able to shut out the feelings of others on a whim. They are valued by those willing to risk the outer edges of the Great Storms, as well as the numerous other raging ætheric tempests to be found within the depths of the Koronus Expanse, for such places appear to hold less fear for them as they do others of their calling. Oddly, this state of mind does not extend to the Rifts of Hecaton, a region that veterans of the Port Wander Astropathic Choir hold in the greatest of dread.