vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Exterminatus - Cyclonic Torpedoes: A Cyclonic Torpedo is an Imperial weapon of mass destruction that is deployed from a voidcraft into low planetary orbit.There are a wide variant of weapon types covered under the designation of Cyclonic Torpedo, including the Atmospheric Incinerator Torpedo, but all possess the capability to destroy the entire biosphere of the target world, either through the initiation of a thermonuclear reaction that ignites all free oxygen in the atmosphere or the simple expedient of nuclear-fusion-assisted plasma bombardment.Whatever the exact origin of the mass death to come, the result of these weapons is always the same: the complete destruction of the planetary biosphere, its atmosphere burned away into the void and its oceans boiled to vapor, leaving behind the barren bedrock of a Dead World.The blast radius is large enough to be seen from space and the detonation usually powerful enough to crack a planet's crust and destabilise its core. The Cyclonic Torpedo is only used by the armed forces of the Imperium of Man to carry out an authorised Exterminatus action on a world that has been deemed to present a strategic extinction-level threat to other inhabited regions of the human-settled galaxy.The only organisations known within the Imperium to have access to and to have ordered the use of Cyclonic Torpedoes to carry out an Exterminatus are the Inquisition and the Adeptus Astartes. An Inquisitor has the absolute authority to order an Exterminatus action at any time, and a number of Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes have carried out such regrettable actions under their own authority.The sacrifice of an entire world and potentially billions of lives is no easy matter for even the often-callous Inquisition; an Inquisitor who orders such an extreme action will have his course closely scrutinised by his fellow Inquisitors. If they deem his decision to have been unnecessary, he may very well find himself declared a Heretic and hunted down.
Exterminatus - Two-Stage Cyclonic Torpedoes: Two-Stage Cyclonic Torpedoes, which are a more exotic form of the standard Cyclonic Torpedoes, are the most common of a special class of rare Exterminatus weapons, designed for use against atmosphere-less or biologically-void worlds (Necron Tomb Worlds being the main example).These torpedoes possess two-stage warheads: The first stage is an unusually powerful Melta Charge that bores straight through a planet's crust and mantle all the way down to its core.The second stage is a modified Cyclonic Plasma Charge that destabilises the core, in most cases physically destroying the planet from the inside out.
Exterminatus - Other: During the conquest of the world of Loki, Lord Commander Solar Macharius ordered the destruction of the entire world. Macharius instructed the Tech-priests to change the orbit of Loki's moon, which was achieved by using huge machines placed on the surface that employed massive plasma drives to reposition the moon into the correct orbital path.Some Imperial Navy and Adeptus Astartes fleets have used strategic nuclear weapons in the megaton range during an Exterminatus action to rain down atomic destruction upon target worlds, scouring them of all life and leaving them radioactive husks where no life can survive.The result of the impact was not total planetary destruction, but ended up causing massive shockwaves across the planet, which resulted in massive earthquakes and waves of lava to spill out of the planetary crust. In the end, the only people to survive the destruction, were heretics held up in massive fortresses.Recently, during the 13th Black Crusade of 999.M41, Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed, the Planetary Governor of Cadia and Imperial Commander of the entire Cadian Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus, ordered a massive nuclear fusion Plasma Reactor (Generatorium), on the prison world of St. Josmane's Hope in the Cadia System to be overloaded when it seemed that the forces of Chaos would finally take the world.Rather than a colossal meltdown, the reactor exploded with furious energy and blew the entire planet apart with the force of its blast.
Extinction Angels - Extinction Angels: The Extinction Angels are a Renegade Chapter of Chaos Space Marines that has sworn itself to the service of Chaos.
Extinction Angels - Notable Campaigns: 13th Black Crusade (ca. 999.M41) - The Extinction Angels joined the Black Legion for their assault on Demios Primary, where treachery rendered the orbital defences helpless to resist the Archenemy's onslaught. Their combined assault groups swept through the forges of the Adeptus Mechanicus, scattering the defending Skitarii Legions like chaff. The Titans of the Legio Astorum mobilised in defence of its fortress and gradually repelled the invaders. The loss of the Forge World's manufacturing capabilities proved a serious blow to the Imperial war effort and, solar weeks after the invasion, Extinction Angel units remained hidden in the depths of the Mechanicus facilities despite the arrival of a Black Templars Crusade Fleet to hunt them down.
Extinction Angels - Warband Organisation: The Extinction Angels possess a number of Chaos Space Marine Chosen known as the "Reapers." These cold killers are the most veteran warriors of the Extinction Angels warband. They have focused their studies to master the arts of melee combat, particularly working in conjunction against hardened targets.To overcome such opposition, a band of these proven souls attempts to surround and overpower their foes, using cooperation, misdirection, and crushing blows with Power Weapons.In cases where opponents are more numerous, the Reapers continue their pack-like approach, often herding foes to one another through cover during the melee.
Extinction Angels - Chapter Colours: The Extinction Angels' power armour is painted a dark purple with bone and gold details.
Extinction Angels - Warband Badge: The Chapter's badge is a skull wearing a red hood, with the blade of a white scythe stretching above it.
Extra Armour Plating - Extra Armour Plating: Extra Armour Plating, also known as Reinforced Armour or more commonly as Extra Armour, is a common vehicle upgrade used on many Imperial Vehicles, including those deployed by the Chaos Space Marines and the Lost and the Damned.Extra Armour is common on the various vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the forces of the Inquisition and their Chamber Militants. The plates of additional armour are fitted over the vehicle's existing manufactorum-standard armour, adding a small amount of additional protection.The main result is that the vehicle and its occupants are better protected from kinetic and directed energy attacks, and run less risk of damage from glancing, weaker or just plain lucky assaults. The extra armour plating added to a vehicle is done by its crew, at their behest.
Extra Armour Plating - Notes: In the pictures featured on this page, the extra armour plating is discernible from the vehicle's standard armour as a lighter shade of grey. The doors and front armour of the example vehicles are also a light grey, but this is not extra armour. These specific areas have been fitted with special Chapter/warband ornamentation, and thus should not be confused with additional armour.
Extra Armour Plating - Sources: Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (7th Edition), pg 98Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) - Space Marine Vehicle EquipmentCodex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) - GlosseryCodex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, Second Codex), pg. 36Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition), pg. 19Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pg. 23Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (4th Edition), pg. 34Forge World Webstore - Land Raider Reinforced ArmourForge World Webstore - Predator Reinforced ArmourForge World Webstore - Chaos Rhino Extra Armour
Extremis Diabolus - Extremis Diabolus: Extremis Diabolus is a High Gothic term used by Inquisitors to level an accusation of consorting with Daemons or being under the corrupting influence of the Daemonic or the Warp. It is the most serious charge that an Inquisitor can bring to bear against an accused and it is most often levelled by a member of the Ordo Malleus. The term can be used to accuse a person, organisation or even an entire planet.Witchcraft, sorcery, pursuing the development of forbidden Warp-corrupted technologies and heresy against the Emperor by turning to the service of Chaos are all grounds for the pronouncement of an accusation of Extremis Diabolus. If the accusation is proved, the punishment is immediate execution if the accused is an individual or an Exterminatus action if the charge is brought against a whole world.
Extremis Diabolus - Notable Instances: Inquisitor Ahenobarbus of the Ordo Hereticus was dispatched to the world of Entymion IV after it suffered from a Daemonic incursion and he declared the entire planet Extremis Diabolis. Afterwards, he conducted an Exterminatus action upon the world with his personal warfleet.The Puritan Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz of the Ordo Malleus declared his own mentor, Inquisitor Lord Laredian, to be Extremis Diabolus due to his attempt to convince his conclave to use Chaos-corrupted crystalline relics to assist the Inquisition's fight against the Archenemy, thus treading the path of the Radical. Despite being an Inquisitor Lord, Laredian was not immune to the charge and had to face his accuser, and was ultimately found guilty and executed by Coteaz on the spot. Afterwards the local conclave immediately appointed Coteaz to take his mentor's place as an Inquisitor Lord.
Eye of Damocles - Eye of Damocles: The Eye of Damocles is a watch fortress of the Deathwatch Chapter located in the Damocles Gulf region of the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy.The Eye of Damocles is a vast watch fortress that monitors the borders between Imperial space in the Lithesh Sector and that of the usurper T'au Empire. Its kill-teams specialise in vertical, airborne assault from attack craft. As a result, this watch fortress' Dominatus Kill-teams will often strike from Corvus Blackstars to turn one-sided firefights into bloody melees.
Eye of Night - Eye of Night: The Eye of Night was an ancient artefact of unknown provenance linked to the xenos artefact named the Hand of Darkness originally located on the Ratling world of Ornsworld in the Gothic Sector. It was a multifaceted obsidian gem which emitted a cloaking haze of darkness and could unleash a beam of pure black energy capable of causing massive power failures or catastrophic internal damage to most forms of advanced technology.The Eye of Night was stolen by the Forces of Chaos during the Gothic War and used by Abaddon the Despoiler to shut down the Imperial defences on three Blackstone Fortresses so that his troops could take control of them. The gem eventually made its way into the hands of the Chaos seer Moriana, who lost control of it to a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch. It was eventually recovered from this Daemon Prince's home, the tower known as the Pillar of Spite Fulfilled, on an unknown Daemon World in the Eye of Terror by the Inquisitor Katarinya Greyfax, a squad of Grey Knights and the undead Inquisitor Phaedus Falconet Horst in 999.M41. Greyfax returned it to the resurrected Primarch Roboute Guilliman, who believed it held clues as to how to close the Great Rift that had divided the Imperium of Man in half in the wake of the 13th Black Crusade and the fall of Cadia.
Eye of Night - Recovery of the Eye of Night: After the Gothic War ended, it appears that the Eye of Night fell once more into the possession of Moriana, who lost it in turn to an unnamed Daemon Prince of Tzeentch who dwelled within a tower on a Daemon World in the Eye of Terror called the Pillar of Fulfilled Spite. Inquisitor Horst eventually tracked the artefact down with the aid fo a squad of Grey Knights commanded by a Paladin named Bellicus, but proved unable to defeat the Daemon Prince. When at last Horst and Bellicus confronted the Daemon Prince of Tzeentch who called the Pillar home, the daemon succeeded in possessing Horst's body, forcing the Inquisitor to telepathically take over the body of Bellicus. Horst, now an animated undead being after Bellicus' death, returned to the ruins of an Imperial cathedral beneath the shattered Cardinal World of Savaven in the Gothic Sector that had been destroyed by Abaddon the Despoiler's Planet Killer during the Gothic War. He left a psychic beacon behind so that other psyker Inquisitors might locate him. He was eventually discovered by his fellow Inquisitor Katarinya Greyfax and revived in 999.M41, accompanying her on her own quest to recover the Eye of Night as an undead monstrosity wearing Bellicus' body and Paladin Aegis Armour. After Greyfax successfully tracked down and slew the Tzeentchian Daemon Prince with the aid of Moriana, destroying Horst's true body in the process, his spirit's hold on the material realm was seemingly broken, and Bellicus' body crumpled to the ground, cracking the skull within the Paladin's helm. Inside the broken skull, Greyfax discovered the Eye of Night -- Horst had unknowingly recovered it during his prior encounter with the Daemon Prince.
Eye of Octos - Eye of Octos: The Eye of Octos is a watch fortress of the Deathwatch Chapter that is located within the Ultima Segmentum's Octarius Sector and it lies close to the Ork Empire of Octarius.In the Era Indomitus, a splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan broke off from the on-going Octarius War and invaded the nearby Pankallis Sub-sector. Pankallis' Imperial worlds called for aid and the Eye of Octos' current watch commander, Akrep Xie, led the fortress' kill-teams there to aid them.
Eye of Octos - History: Whilst on a destabilisation raid to the war-torn Ork Empire of Octarius, the kill-teams of the Eye of Octos witnessed a Mekaniak invention that disrupted the synaptic control linking Tyranid organisms to their Hive Mind. Appearing much like a crown of electricity, it was used by the self-appointed King Mek Baddkrasha to break swarm after swarm. The kill-teams waited for the two xenos armies to decimate each other before diving in, their Furor Kill-teams cutting through to Baddkrasha before escaping with his decapitated head -- crown and all -- for further study.Later, in the Era Indomitus, Vermillion-level astropathic alerts reached the Doombreak, Eye of Octos and Furor Shield watch fortresses as the unthinkable finally happened. Triggered by empyric shock waves from the opening of the Great Rift, swarms of enormous Tyranids and hordes of hulking Ork Skarboyz finally broke away from the Octarius War to attack neighbouring star systems. The watch masters of all three fortresses immediately requested urgent reinforcement from the wider Imperium, before surging into battle.
Eye of Terra (Anthology) - Eye of Terra (Anthology): Eye of Terra is the thirty-fifth volume in the The Horus Heresy series of novels.
Eye of Terra (Anthology) - Synopsis: An anthology of Horus Heresy tales written by some of Black Library's bestselling authors.Once, the title of Warmaster stood for honour, loyalty and a fierce pride in the strength of the Space Marine Legions. But perhaps by following the myriad lines of destiny and defiance that were already woven around the Primarchs and their sons, we may yet come to understand the bitterness that can eat away at even the most steadfast of souls...This Horus Heresy anthology contains fifteen short stories by authors such as Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme, Gav Thorpe and many more. It also includes Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s acclaimed novella Aurelian.
Eye of Terra (Anthology) - Contents: Eye of Terra includes the following 16 stories:The Wolf of Ash and Fire by Graham McNeillAurelian (Novella), The Long Night, and Massacre by Aaron Dembski-BowdenBrotherhood of the Moon by Chris WraightMaster of the First and Inheritor by Gav ThorpeVorax by Matthew FarrerIronfire by Rob SandersStratagem and Red-Marked by Nick KymeSins of the Father and The Herald of Sanguinius by Andy SmillieThe Eagle's Talon by John FrenchIron Corpses by David AnnandaleThe Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen by Guy Haley
Eye of Terror - Eye of Terror: The Eye of Terror, called the Ocularis Terribus in High Gothic, is a massive Warp rift and permanent Warp storm approximately twenty thousand light years across, a nexus of psychic energy and physical space-time where the Immaterium co-exists with realspace.It is the largest and most well-known Warp rift in the Milky Way Galaxy and is located at the rimward edge of the galaxy, to the galactic northwest of Terra, in the Segmentum Obscurus.It is home to the largest concentration of the forces of Chaos in realspace, including the Traitor Legions of Chaos Space Marines that fled from Terra after the end of the Horus Heresy.Incursions by Chaos forces into the surrounding Imperial star systems of the Cadian Gate like the remaining worlds of the Cadian System and those of Belis Corona and Agripinaa are common, and the recent 13th Black Crusade launched in ca. 999.M41 by Abaddon the Despoiler from within the Eye of Terror marked the greatest assault by the forces of Chaos upon the Imperium of Man since the Heresy. In its wake, the Cadian Gate was breached and the Fortress World of Cadia itself finally fell to the servants of Chaos.Travel and communication through the Warp suffered increasing disturbances as the events of the 13th Black Crusade unfolded. Eventually, the Materium could take no more, and a titanic Warp rift tore across the galaxy, spreading from the Eye of Terror to the Hadex Anomaly on the Eastern Fringe. So was born the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Great Rift.
Eye of Terror - History: The Eye of Terror is not a naturally-occurring astronomical phenomenon. The Eye was created by the psychic shock wave that accompanied the birth of the fourth Chaos God Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure, during the Fall of the Aeldari over 11,000 Terran years ago.The psychic shock of the birth was so great that it could not wholly be contained within the Warp but spilt out into reality through the minds of the Aeldari who died on their lost empire's homeworlds that now lie within the Eye of Terror and are known as the Crone Worlds. Consequently, the Eye covers most of the region of the ancient Aeldari Empire. Other zones of overlap between the Warp and the physical universe were created at that time across the galaxy, but the Eye is the most significant and the largest of these Warp rifts.The Eye was originally designated a stellar anomaly known as Cygnus X-1 by the early astrographical Adepts of the Imperium of Man during the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. It was Perturabo, the Primarch of the Iron Warriors Legion, who would give the Warp rift its name as the Eye of Terror in the early days of the Horus Heresy. The existence of the Warp rift had haunted Perturabo all his life, and his name for the anomaly was soon in use by the forces of Horus' Traitors and the Emperor of Mankind's Loyalists alike.In the wake of the destruction of Cadia and the Necron-built Cadian Pylons in the 13th Black Crusade that had long kept the growth of the Eye of Terror in check, the Cadian Gate was overwhelmed by the forces of Chaos, and the Eye of Terror actually began to expand across the galaxy. Eventually, the galaxy was bisected by a massive new Warp rift called the Great Rift, or Cicatrix Maledictum, spreading from its heart in the Eye of Terror all the way to the Hadex Anomaly of the Jericho Reach in the Eastern Fringes of the galaxy.To those on the Terran side of the rift, it is a tainted scar stretching across the sky. To those unfortunates on the far side, it is something much worse -- the very gates of Hell. There, the light of the Astronomican is obscured behind a psychic maelstrom of nightmares and the entire region has been dubbed the Imperium Nihilus, or the Dark Imperium.
Eye of Terror - Ocularis Terribus: Though the reach of the Eye of Terror stretches across twenty thousand light years of the galaxy in realspace, the region of space-time contained within the Eye constitutes its own reality, existing within both the material universe and the Empyrean dimension of the Warp. Although planets and star systems exist within the Eye, the standard physical laws of reality no longer fully apply.Time is a meaningless concept, and matter, thought, and energy are indistinct and blurred with one another. The worlds within the Eye are known as Daemon Worlds and each planet constitutes its own bizarre sub-reality whose physical laws are shaped by whichever aspect of the dominant Chaos God is venerated by its inhabitants. At the very centre of the Eye lies the byssos, a hole in the fabric of reality through which raw Chaos energy pours out into the material universe.The Warp and realspace are indistinct and intermixed within the Eye, and the whole region is a maelstrom of psychic energy, impossible to navigate through normally using starships without a connection to the Dark Gods. Imperial starships avoid the area around the Eye for thousands of light years. Ships travelling too close to the Eye of Terror through the Warp can be thrown far off-course -- they can also be caught in temporal whirlpools which carry them backwards or forwards in time, or which trap them in temporal limbo forever.The Warp storms that disturb the Eye are so intense that there is little point in even trying to steer a starship in a particular direction. The Chaos Renegades and Heretic Astartes who call the Eye of Terror home simply launch their starships into the swirling energies of the Warp, trusting fortune and the whims of the Ruinous Powers to carry them to their enemies. This makes most Chaos attacks on Imperial space random, sudden and unpredictable, often occurring on worlds far across the galaxy from the Eye.
Eye of Terror - The Eye as Refuge: The Eye offers a sanctuary to the worst of the Traitors and Heretics forced to flee from Imperial justice. For the Traitor Legions of the Chaos Space Marines, the Eye of Terror has been their exile, sanctuary and safe haven for more than ten thousand standard years, from which they strike out at opportune, seemingly random, moments.The Eye is also a sanctuary for fugitives of Imperial justice and Traitors throughout the galaxy, and all are welcomed by the forces of Chaos as fellow enemies of the Emperor of Mankind and the Imperium. Mortals within the Eye are constantly exposed to the effects of Chaos, becoming physically warped and mutated as their bodies come to reflect their flawed inner natures.The Chaos Space Marines of the Death Guard, for example, worship Nurgle, Chaos God of Death and Decay, so that their bodies become bloated and putrid, incubators for every form of plague and disease known in the universe.
Eye of Terror - Cadian Gate: The Imperial world of Cadia lay nearest to the best-known stable gateway into the Eye; consequently, it was the most fortified and militarised world in the Imperium, the first line of defence against Chaos incursions into realspace, thus earning the name the Cadian Gate. This area of stability was created by the network of Cadian Pylons that can be found throughout the region, instruments of Necron technology that were erected millions of Terran years ago as part of that soulless race's great work to cut off realspace from all interaction with the Immaterium once and for all.For obvious reasons, starships exit through this gateway far more often than they enter it. The Warmaster of Chaos Undivided and Chaos Lord of the Black Legion, Abaddon the Despoiler, led an attack through the Eye of Terror during a massive campaign in the 13th Black Crusade of 999.M41 that decided the fate of Cadia and many other Imperial star systems.Despite the best efforts of the Imperium's staunchest defenders -- including the Black Templars, Imperial Fists, Dark Angels and Space Wolves -- the Fortress World of Cadia, lynchpin of the defences surrounding the Cadian Gate, eventually fell to Abaddon the Despoiler, initiating the period known as the Noctis Aeterna -- the "Blackness" -- when the light of the Astronomican began to fail and the Imperium was cracked in half by the birth of the Great Rift.
Eye of Terror - Sectors and Sub-sectors surrounding the Eye of Terror: Due to the constant threat of raids and incursions, the Imperium's military forces are present in one way or another in almost every star system within 500 light years of the Eye. This military presence can range from small listening posts to heavily fortified frontier worlds.Belis Corona Sector - Belis Corona is the heart of the Imperium of Man's naval efforts and its orbital spacedocks are listed in von Heffman's Glorium Imperialis as one of the wonders of the Imperium. It is said that the entirety of Battlefleet Obscurus could dock in the vast orbital shipyards in orbit above Belis Corona.Medusa Sub-sector - The Medusa Sub-sector is famous as the homeworld of the Iron Hands Space Marines Chapter. Unlike many other parts of the Eye of Terror, life is hard and uncivilised barbarians inhabit many of the planets of the sub-sector.Scarus Sector - Scarus Sector is the most populous of all the sectors surrounding the Eye of Terror, with no less than six Hive Worlds which come together in trade, commerce, and mutual defence, all supported by numerous mining and agri-worlds. There are also two Forge Worlds, Nysa Stromolo and Mordax Prime, which supply the vast Scarus Defence Forces. It is said that 70% of the surface of Thracian Primaris, the capital world of the sector, is covered in hive cities.Scelus SectorSentinel SectorCadian Sector - The Cadian System of the Cadian Sector is possibly the most well-known star system near the Eye of Terror, with its 1st Imperial Guard Regiment having won many successful campaigns against Chaos and gaining wide recognition across the Imperium. Cadia's star system stands in the way of the only clear passage out of the Eye of Terror into the rest of Imperial space and so represents a fortress that the forces of Chaos must take if they are ever to topple the Imperium. Abaddon the Despoiler had attempted a campaign against the system almost ten thousand years ago during the 1st Black Crusade; after he was repelled by Imperial forces, Cadia was transformed into a fortress world against the sporadic attacks of Chaos forces in the Eye of Terror. Currently, much of Cadia remains under the control of Chaos as a result of Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.Chinchare Sub-sectorNemesis Sub-sectorCaliban Sub-sectorAgripinaa Sector
Eye of Terror (Novel) - Eye of Terror (Novel): Eye of Terror is a novel written by Barrington J. Bayley.
Eye of Terror (Novel) - Synopsis: As the war-fleets of the Imperium prepare to launch themselves on a crusade into the very heart of Chaos, Rogue Trader Maynard Rugolo seeks power and riches on the fringe worlds of this terrifying insane realm.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Eye of Terror Campaign: The Eye of Terror Campaign (3rd Edition) was used by Games Workshop as the setting for their 2003 worldwide Warhammer 40,000 campaign. The campaign itself represented Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade against the Imperium of Man in 999.M41, which was focused primarily on the attempt by the united Forces of Chaos to break through the Cadian Gate.These events were ultimately retconned in the 2017 Gathering Storm sourcebooks for the 7th Edition of Warhammer 40,000 to produce a new outcome for the 13th Black Crusade that comported with the new background story that led to the birth of the Great Rift.
Eye of Terror Campaign - The Concept: In concept, the Eye of Terror campaign was created to be a monstrous strategy game with an unguessable number of players. By posting results from their tabletop games on the Eye of Terror website, players could make infinitesimal moves' on the Eye of Terror map, choosing where to make a difference in the overall picture. The big question was always whether the players themselves could organise their efforts in ways to make a difference to the overall map. In the Armageddon Worldwide Campaign the games played virtually cancelled each other out because there was no room for strategies. The campaign was fought at a tactical level and across the thousands of games played overall army balance meant that there was seldom more than a 10% swing in either direction. Interestingly the Imperial fleet was the real star of that campaign, consistently outperforming the Orks.So, the idea for Eye of Terror was to draw up a map and rules where tactical games allowed strategic moves. Because the individual moves would be tiny on such a vast scale (Whole worlds at war with millions fighting) it would mean that the overall strategy would be generated by the players' decisions en masse. To facilitate this Games Workshop created war rooms on the websites for the two sides' players to communicate and work on their strategies. They made up a set of event cards to distribute to individual players to allow them to make a difference in the fighting and create narrative ideas. Games Workshop also coordinated with the indefatigable GW Events and Retail Staff members so they could create an event packed with battles all over the globe. They met with clubs and talked about what was coming up in White Dwarf Magazine, at gaming conventions and on the net. They finalised the mechanics of the campaign for the website and then awaited the big day.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Campaign Events: Games Workshop felt it was important to introduce some pre-programmed events into the campaign which would give it a sense of unfolding drama and engage the players throughout its duration. These allowed them to sketch out a broad framework of themes for the course of the campaign in narrative terms. So, over eight weeks the campaign moved from a period of insurrections, raids and sabotage up to a devastating full-scale Chaos invasion, the commitment of Imperial reinforcements, intervention of the Eldar and on to a final, suitably apocalyptic showdown with warp storms cutting off access to all but the key strategic areas. In addition to the programmed events there were wild cards too. Some of these were dictated by the turn of events within the campaign. For example Games Workshop decided that the loss of Imperial control on certain worlds might ultimately lead to their destruction -- the Imperials invoking Exterminatus in order to stop the Chaos taint spreading further. Within this broader framework we then used the player event cards to flesh out individual acts of bravery or infamy, random chance and cruel fate.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Execution: Within the first day it was clear that this campaign was going to bigger than anticipated (many within Games Workshop guessed at Armageddon +50%. They were far off the mark). The initial inroads of Chaos were disappointing to say the least. Over the first week their efforts were rebuffed and in some sectors the forces of Order went over to the offensive, lightening their grip on a few out-of-the-way systems. Over the following pages you can find accounts of the course of the campaign in all the individual warzones. Many recall vividly the wails of dismay in the Disorder war room that first week. Secretly, creators of the campaign, such as Andy Chambers, blamed himself in some measure as he'd used the planet of Nemesis Tessera as an example of being easy to influence in several presentations. The hordes of Chaos duly showed up there and got smacked down in no uncertain terms. What Games Workshop had dreaded -- an easy victory for the more numerous players of the forces of Order -- was in the offing.By the second week there was a change in the wind. The Imperium continued to secure its control in some places but in the major sectors Chaos attacks were starting to take their toll. After the virtual stasis of the initial week the daily shifts were frightening to behold. Instead of concentrating their results in slugging matches with their Imperial opponents the Chaos players had begun to batter at worlds for a day and then move on, leaving their foes to pick up the pieces. Using just this tactic the forces of Disorder succeeded in capturing the prison planet of St. Josmane's Hope. An Imperial counter-attack developed but proved hopeless, the forces of Order had been caught flat-tooted and couldn't muster the strength they needed to make progress.On the internal Eye of Terror web group Games Workshop contemplated the situation. From a background perspective they felt the Imperium would sacrifice the planet rather than lose it to the forces of Disorder, it would also mark the victory of the Chaos players, so that come what may, they had made a milestone mark (unplanned as it was) in the narrative of the Eye of Terror campaign. So it was one Friday night that Games Workshop gave the order to destroy St. Josmane's Hope, a fictional world in a giant fictional game with no actual pieces.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Outcome: The campaign ran for eight weeks, in which more than 40,000 players registered to submit over a quarter of a million games results to the campaign website. The conclusion of the campaign resulted in a minor victory for Chaos. The line was held in many places but on the strategic level the Disorder players were considered to have consistently out-fought and out-maneuvered their opponents, and held over half of Cadia itself. The Forces of Chaos made slow but somewhat steady progress on many fronts, yet could not claim a decisive victory, especially when a "backstage" plan to gain a foothold in the Eldar Webway system turned into a complete and total failure. In addition, Abaddon suffered severe losses to his fleet in the Crusade, which allowed the forces of Order to bottle up the Chaos forces on Cadia itself, preventing them from launching a full invasion of the Imperium.The campaign was hard-fought and senior Games Workshop executives have commented that the events of the campaign will provide a foundation for the rich background lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe for years to come.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Senior Command: Ursarkar E. Creed - Lord Castellan of Cadia and overall Imperial Commander of the defence of Cadia.Logan Grimnar - Great Wolf (Chapter Master) of the Space Wolves Chapter and overall commander of the Adeptus Astartes forces in the Cadian System. A council of representatives from those Chapters of the Space Marines opposing Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade elected the irascible Great Wolf as their nominal head.Admiral Quarren - Commander of Battlefleet Cadia and overall commander of Imperial Navy forces, Admiral Quarren has been hailed a true hero of the Imperium, for his masterful defence of the space lanes was all that stood between survival, and utter defeat for the Imperium. Though Cadia is besieged, the Imperial Navy commands space, and is able to offer support to beleaguered forces on the ground. The only question is whether the rapid redeployment of almost the entirety of Battlefleet Gothic, along with a substantial proportion of Battlefleet Solar will leave the Navy dangerously overstretched elsewhere and unable to maintain the level of operations required to hold the line at the Cadian Gate.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes: Angels of Absolution - 10 CompaniesAngels of Vigilance - 5 CompaniesAngels Sanguine - 7 CompaniesBlood Angels - 4 CompaniesBrazen Claws - 10 CompaniesDark Angels - 10 CompaniesDeath Spectres - 6 CompaniesDoom Eagles - 5 CompaniesExcoriators - 8 CompaniesExorcists - 10 CompaniesHarbingers - 8 CompaniesHowling Griffons - 8 CompaniesImperial Fists - 5 CompaniesIron Hands - 10 ClansIron Knights - 1 CompanyIron Snakes - 5 CompaniesMarines Exemplar - 9 CompaniesNight Watch - 11 CompaniesNovamarines - 6 CompaniesRelictors - Declared Excommunicate Traitoris by the Inquisition during the 13th Black CrusadeRevilersSpace Wolves - 12 Great CompaniesStorm Warriors - 10 CompaniesSubjugators - 3 CompaniesUltramarines - 1 Honour CompanyWhite Consuls - 10 CompaniesWhite Scars - 10 Companies
Eye of Terror Campaign - Companies: Space Wolves 13th Company
Eye of Terror Campaign - Orders Majoris: Order of the Bloody Rose - 6 PreceptoriesOrder of the Ebon Chalice - 4 PreceptoriesOrder of Our Martyred Lady - 5 Preceptories
Eye of Terror Campaign - Orders Minoris: Order of the Divine LamentationOrder of the Ermine Mantle - 3 MissionsOrder of the Maurdlin CountenanceOrder of the Silver LilyOrder of the Sublime AdorationOrder of the Wounded Heart - 1 Commandery
Eye of Terror Campaign - Notable Regiments: Agripinaa Home GuardAvellorn Field RegimentsAvellornian Gunners - 32 SquadronsBar-El Penal Legions - 4 LegionsBlitzen Heavy ArmouredCadian Shock Troops - 612 RegimentsCadian Youth Army - 36 Regional CommandsCadian Kasrkin - 486 CompaniesCatachan Jungle FightersCthonian Armoured CavalryDeath Korps of KriegDrookian Fenguard -16 CompaniesFinreht Highlanders - 3 RegimentsGudrunite Rifles - 47 RegimentsJouran Dragoons - 7 RegimentsKellersburg Irregulars - 3 RegimentsKnovian Gharkas - 14 RegimentsMordian Iron GuardNecromundan 8th, "The Spiders" - 1 RegimentNarmenian Tank BrigadesNarsine Yeomanry - 32 Battle GroupsPraetorian GuardThracian Guard - 35 RegimentsValhallan Ice WarriorsVan De'Man's World, "Redbacks" - 5 RegimentsZenonian Free Companies - 9 Companies
Eye of Terror Campaign - Ordo Malleus: Inquisitorial Task Forces - CLASSIFIEDGrey Knights - CLASSIFIEDInquisitorial Storm TroopersNemesis Tesera - estimated 38 CompaniesOcularis Terribus War Zone - CLASSIFIED
Eye of Terror Campaign - Departmento Munitorum: Engineer Corps - 18Siege Auxilia Corps - 28 Counter-siege batteries
Eye of Terror Campaign - Officio Assassinorum: Agents - CLASSIFIED
Eye of Terror Campaign - Templars Psykologis: Disruption Squads - 37Augur Teams - 6
Eye of Terror Campaign - Battlefleets: Battlefleet Cadia - 12 Battleships, 12 Cruiser Squadrons, 21 Escort SquadronsBattlefleet Corona - 7 Battleships, 13 Cruiser Squadrons, 17 Escort SquadronsBattlefleet GothicBattlefleet Scarus - 5 Battleships, 9 Cruiser Squadrons, 13 Escort SquadronsBattlefleet SolarBattlegroup NemesisBattle Group ImperatisBakka Sector Task Force
Eye of Terror Campaign - Vessels of Note: Galathamor (Emperor-class Battleship) - Admiral Quarren's flagship.Honour & Duty (Emperor-class Battleship)Duke Lurstophan (Dauntless-class Light Cruiser)Abridal's Glory (Gothic-class Cruiser)
Eye of Terror Campaign - Estimated Fleet Assets: Front Line Battle Groups - 21Rear Echelon Battle Groups - 36Independent Strike Groups - 4Space Marine Battle-Barges - estimated 21+Space Marine Strike Cruisers - estimated 150+Space Marine Escort Squadrons - estimated 200+
Eye of Terror Campaign - Collegia Titanica: Legio Astorum - Entire LegionLegio Gryphonicus - Entire LegionLegio Ignatum - Entire LegionLegio Metalica - Demi-LegionOrdo Reductor - Demi-LegionDivisio Telepathica Psi-Titans - CLASSIFIED
Eye of Terror Campaign - Knights: House Arokon - 4 Households of KnightsHouse Krast - 2 Households of KnightsHouse Lakar
Eye of Terror Campaign - Other Mechanicus Assets: Centurio Ordinatus - 4 OrdinatusSkitarii - 87 Regiments
Eye of Terror Campaign - Senior Command: Abaddon the Despoiler - Warmaster of Chaos and overall commander of the Forces of ChaosTyphus - Herald of Nurgle, and Plague Fleet commander.Kossolax the Foresworn - Chaos Lord of the Foresworn Renegade Chaos Space Marines warband and fleet commander.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Chaos Space Marine Legions: Alpha Legion - 20+ unconfirmed sightings in all sectorsBlack Legion - Major presence in all sectorsDeath Guard - Major presence in Subiaco DiabloEmperor's Children - Unconfirmed actions against Eldar reportedIron Warriors - Suspected presence in the Cadian SystemNight Lords - Unconfirmed reports of presence in all sectorsThousand Sons - Active in the Caliban and Prospero SectorsWord Bearers - Active in rear echelon sectorsWorld Eaters - Significant involvement in all sectors
Eye of Terror Campaign - Renegade Chaos Space Marine Warbands: Extinction AngelsThe PyreSons of MaliceViolators - 3 confirmed actions in Cadia SectorWarp Ghosts - Unconfirmed sighting in Agripinaa System
Eye of Terror Campaign - Major Traitor Guard Units: 5th Columnus - Presence confirmed - Belis Corona666th Regiment of Foot - Confirmed presence - CadiaDiscilan Apostates - UnconfirmedHaradni 13thJenen Ironclads - Major presence - Kromat SystemSentrek FreemenThe Traitor 9th - Significant presence - Kantrael SystemUbridius Light Infantry - Major presence - Cadian SectorVolscani Cataphracts - Active - Cadia
Eye of Terror Campaign - Estimated Mutant Hordes: The Anointed of Aq'si - 6 attacks confirmed - Belisar SystemThe Shyis'slaa - Linked to cult uprisings - Albitern SystemThe Stigmatus Convenant - Significant presence - Mackan SystemThe Unsanctified - Unconfirmed involvement - Bar-el System
Eye of Terror Campaign - Traitor Titan Legions: Death Stalkers - Unconfirmed involvement on CadiaFire Masters - Limited presence in Cadian SectorIron Skulls - Major force sighted on Vorga TorqLegio Mortis - Major presence confirmed on CadiaLegio Vulcanum I - 4 unconfirmed assaults on Belisar and KromatLegio Vulcanum II - Suspected presence on Subiaco Diablo
Eye of Terror Campaign - Battlefleets: The Grand Fleet of Abaddon the Despoiler - 7 Battleships, 13 Heavy Cruisers, est. 23 Cruiser Squadrons, est. 30 Escort SquadronsThe Grand Fleet of Kossolax the Foresworn - 1 Battleship, 3 Cruiser Squadrons, 8 Escort SquadronsThe Plague Fleet of Typhus - Terminus Est, 2 Battleships, 3 Heavy Cruisers, 5 Cruiser Squadrons, est. 12 Escort Squadrons
Eye of Terror Campaign - Notable Vessels: Plagueclaw (Unknown Class Capital Vessel)Darkblood (Styx-class Heavy Cruiser)Planet Killer (Undesignated Class Capital Vessel)Merciless Death (Despoiler-class Battleship)Fortress of Agony (Despoiler-class Battleship)Terminus Est (Despoiler-class Battleship)
Eye of Terror Campaign - Fleet Assets: Battlefleets - est. 38Blackstone Fortresses - 2"Wolf Pack" Squadrons - est. 19
Eye of Terror Campaign - Other Forces: OrksTau EmpireTyranids
Eye of Terror Campaign - Abaddon the Despoiler: Though Abaddon's final goal of smashing through the Cadian Gate was ultimately unsuccessful, the advances made by his forces have gained him much more than was initially imagined. His retinue of Chosen, led by Devram Korda, the Tyrant of Sarora, returned to his side in the closing days of the war, bringing with him two individuals who had journeyed to the centre of the Eye of Terror. Together with the sorcerer Ygethmor the Deceiver, they presented Abaddon with the Heart of Chaos, a power that Zaraphiston, sorcerer of the Despoiler, had long claimed could not exist. It is known that Ygethmor now stands at Abaddon's right hand, while the tale of Zaraphiston remains a mystery.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Ahriman: Ahriman himself ripped open the walls of the Webway with information torn from the mind of Inquisitor Czevak. His plan to breach the fastness of the Black Library came dangerously close to fruition, but the combined forces of the mysterious Harlequins and the Ulthwé Strike Force held him from its gates. In a daring move, the Harlequinade of the Red Masque freed Inquisitor Czevak, though what they have since done with him is, at present, unknown: it is believed by Imperial Astropaths that he may be incarcerated by the Eldar within the Webway. Though his ultimate goal was thwarted, Ahriman's star has since risen in its ascendancy with his Daemonic Primarch, so perhaps some other, unguessable objective was achieved that remains to come to light.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Ursarkar E. Creed: No man, no Space Marine, fought harder to save Cadia. Although each Castellum levelled cut him deep, the faith of Ursarkar Creed was unshakeable. His victories could not easily be counted but the numbers of the Arch-enemy did not lessen whereas each defeat drained his strength. Creed was forced first to give ground to preserve his forces and then to abandon his favoured mobile defensive tactics in favour of defending fortified lines. His friend, Jarran Kell, was wounded defending him from yet another Chaos Champion eager to make a name and Creed was fatigued to the point of collapse when finally the momentum of the Chaos forces ran out. Cadia stood, but only just. The greatest fortress-world of the Imperium had been reduced to a blasted husk. It may have been a time of despair, but Creed sent out a message that was eventually relayed to every Cadian regiment wherever it was:"Soldiers. I speak to you to tell you to keep faith with the God-Emperor. We have a sacred duty greater than any of us. We are Cadians, we bar the gate to hell; if it is breached, we will seal it. Wherever you are, recruit. Recruit and train. Seek out pious men and bring them under your colours. While the Shock Troops march toward Cadia hope remains. Know that we will never cease to fight while our world lies desecrated and burned. March on my soldiers, march on, till we are together again, tomorrow, on Cadia."
Eye of Terror Campaign - Maugan Ra: The immortal Phoenix Lord Maugan Ra took a vital role in deciding the fate of the Eldar over the course of the Thirteenth Black Crusade. Responsible for the creation of the Ulthwé Strike Forces, Maughan Ra and the elite Black Guardians fought across every sector by cunning use of the Webway. He ultimately led the Eldar to victory even in the heart of the Eye of Terror and, after repelling Dark Eldar raids on Xersia, fought alongside Creed against Abaddon's the Basilica Dufaux. It is believed by many Farseers that the reappearance of the shadowy Craftworld of Altansar and its ghost-like inhabitants was purely due to the iron determination of the Phoenix Lord to locate and redeem his once-lost brethren.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Logan Grimnar: A council of representatives from those chapters opposing Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade elected the irascible Great Wolf of the Space Wolves Chapter as their nominal lead. His leadership in the campaign proved a decisive factor in many engagements, and he even ordered a Great Company under his command to stand beside a company of Dark Angels at Kasr Sonnen. The two forces putting aside their deep, mutual resentment to rout a force many times their own size. The incident proved that the two forces united presented a force many times more powerful than the sum of its parts, yet few believe the two chapters will be able to put aside their differences for good.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Typhus: Striding through the blackened ruins of the ravaged worlds of the Imperium, crushing the bones of the slain beneath his Terminator Armour and spreading the vilest afflictions of Nurgle, Typhus was the embodiment of terror, a cursed thing too terrible to name. His ship, the Terminus Est, and its supporting plague fleet were one of the largest Chaos battle groups remaining active throughout the war and allowed Typhus to terrorise warzone after warzone. It was on Ulthor in the Agripinaa System, that Typhus unleashed his greatest sorceries, exhibiting the favour in which he is held by Nurgle. The once verdant Agri-World was twisted and corrupted. The taint of the Herald devolved whatever life it found, rendering it down into a formless sea of putrescence trial wailed in unending torment. Seeing his handiwork Typhus took the nascent daemonworld for his own; a stronghold beyond the Gate from which he could bring terror to the Imperium at his leisure.
Eye of Terror Campaign - Cypher: The mysterious leader of me Fallen. Cypher has been hunted by the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters for ten thousand years. Though it is not known whether Cypher was encountered directly during the war, unconfirmed reports suggest trial the chapter's Interrogator-Chaplains captured as many as eight Fallen during the battles around the Caliban system, more than have been captured in such a short period in many thousands of years. Further reports link Cypher to the mysterious Voice Of the Emperor, who, it is rumoured, was captured by the Dark Angels during the fighting, but whose cell was found empty upon the prison ships' return to the Tower of Angels.