Animos

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Animos
Planet
Class	Civilized
Orb. distance	120,000,000 Km
Temperature	(-4) - 38 C
Gravity	1.16 G
Population	900,000,000
Tithe Grade	Solutio Prima
Aestimare	M459
Affiliation	Imperium
Ruler	Governor Carter
System of Governance	Democratic Republic
Location
Segmentum	Pacificus
Sector	Eressa sector

Settled in the last years of the Dark Age of Technology, Animos is a planet enshrouded in mystery. Having only been brought into the Imperium by the Macharian Crusade, little is know to the wider Imperium about the planet other than its abnormally large rate of psyker births.

Description

Prior to Human terraforming, Animos was a relatively flat, lifeless rock. When Humanity began terraforming it for eventual colonization, they did so by crashing massive ice asteroids into the planet in order to create oceans and sent mountain sized terraforming machines to reshape the surface and begin populating the planet with Terra based flora and fauna. The rotational day is almost exactly that of Terra and the orbital year is 540 solar days. The Axial tilt of the planet is 30.2 degrees giving Animos a distinct season cycle.

Animos has one satellite, a moon 2971 Km in diameter. composed mostly of ferric ores and other common elements, the most noticeable feature is the crashed colony ship that brought the original settlers. Too large and embedded to deep to remove, after the coming of the Imperium the Adeptus Mechanicus set up a research station on the moon to more fully study the remains of the ancient vessel. Orbiting the moon are a large shipyards used by the Battlefleet Eressa which returns every few years to refuel and pick up new crew members.

Most unusually the solar system has a small permanent warp storm orbiting the star in a elliptical orbit ranging from 40 to 55 AU out. The warp storm, named the Caligo Volu (or dark swirl in Low Gothic), can prevent warp travel to and from the system for months or years at a time depending on it's position. What caused the warp storm is unknown but combined with the fact that the psychic reverberations from millennia of psykers prevents astropathic communications makes Animos an extremely isolated community.

History

Prior to human civilization, several Xenos species inhabited Animos. These species, unknown to Humanity warred with each other quite fiercely. After millennia of fighting one species finally succeeded in subjugating all the others. Unfortunately this species made the poor decision to attempt to conquer the nearby Eldar held worlds. The Eldar who currently stood masters of the Galaxy crushed them eaisly and wiped out all the warring races of Animos. However, many objects of their construction would remain.

Human colonization

Humanity first discovered Animos near the end of the Dark Age of Technology. Deciding to use it as a research colony for the newly emerging psykers among the Human population, a massive colony ship filled with tens of thousands of colonists (about ten percent being psykers) was sent to the planet. The planet was in the final stages of terraforming when the colony ship arrived. However as soon as they arrived the Men of Iron, (Artificial Intelligence) accompanying them erupted in rebellion. Fortunately for the settlers, there were only a few of the Men of Iron and other rebellious AI were present on the vessel.

Eventually a human victory was achieved, but at high cost. The far sighted captain, realizing that because the majority of the terraforming was complete the planet was habitable, sent the majority of the colonists and supplies down to the planets surface. The Captain and remaining crew forced the ship to crash land into the planet's moon, killing everything on board and irrevocably damaging the ships STC. The colonists were left with no way off the planet, and only a small portion of the STC database to use.

With the destruction of the colony ship and only a partial STC, the colonists were restricted to relatively primitive technology. Fortunately the Terraforming machines remained active, their last task to construct basic cities for the settlers. Without the colony ship though they lacked the ability to transmit new directions to the massive machines, and with only what little of their STC remained they couldn't construct anything else that could. For the first year, waiting for the machines to finish building, the colonists were faced with great difficulties, having to set up temporary shelters and begin the process of food production as they knew what supplies they had brought would not last forever. By the time the city was habitable nearly a fourth of the settlers had died to poor weather.

Over the next few years the settlers would continue to grow in number and adapt. Many had been sent either to study the newly emerged psykers or because they were psykers themselves. As their population stabilized and began to grow they sent out groups to find and settle in the other cities that the terraforming machines had built. As they lacked STCs for any vehicles, they were forces to cannibalize the nearby terraforming machine as well as the shuttles that had brought them down in order to build makeshift vehicles.

Other problems would arise, such as governance and communications. Nearly ten years after their arrival the colonists would reach a level of stability. Each city settled using a fairly primitive form of radio communications which, while allowing for local communications, failed to reach the other cities. Thus each city began to develop differently, some cities being ruled by democracies, others by the smartest researchers, and others still by the psykers. Nonetheless each city remained stable and began to establish trade as well as to begin studying both the psykers (as was their initial duty), as well as the shuttles and terraforming machines, so as to try and reclaim at least some of their lost technology.

Strife of the Psykers

As time went on, the psykers among the population began to develop greater powers and capabilities. But with powers come dangers, and soon predators of the warp, as well as daemons began to take notice. According to the oldest records still on the planet, it was in the fourth generation after the initial settling that the first attacks from warp predators occurred. Records found by the Imperium suggest that many of the attacks were from non-daemon warp entities such as Enslavers and Psychneuein. Many of the attacks may well have actually originated from xenos instead of creatures of the warp given their descriptions. Perhaps because of their relative isolation and distance from major galactic population centers, none of these attacks were of large enough caliber to destroy the colony or even seriously threaten them. Instead for each attack the inhabitants, particularly the psykers gained valuable experience in dealing with such dangers. Soon they discovered ways of preventing and predicting such attacks, psychic relics, few of which survived all the way to the 41^st millennium.

With the warp problems safely conquered, the human colonists faced a new problem. With power came pride and many psykers, drunk with power after their victories of the warp predators turned on each other, seeking to rule and conquer. Thus for the next six and a half millennia, the planet was torn between periods of peace and advancement and wars between the kingdoms, most of which were orchestrated by the psyker population. Yet despite the wars and strife the Psyker population continued to grow, for most of the planet was under the impression that it was only by the psykers' powers that the warp predators were kept at bay, not knowing that it was the psykers' attracting them in the first place.

Birth of a Chaos God

Over the course of nearly six millennia the settlements continued to grow with the population. Roads, mines, and new cities sprung over the face of the planet. The population increased a hundred fold as the settlers rediscovered and reinvented much lost technology. Unfortunately Humanity was not alone in the Galaxy, the Eldar Empire was at its peak. In the millennia leading up to M30 the Eldar began a slid into an increasingly hedonistic culture. Eventually the combined depravity of the psychic race gave birth to the fourth Chaos God Slannesh who consumed most of the Eldar race and plunged a massive portion of realspace into the warp, creating the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus.

The psychic reverberations of Slannesh's birth were powerful enough to reach the psychically active population of Animos. Many were driven mad by the tumult in the warp, but the worst was yet to come. With the Birth of Slannesh, the Daemonic forces of the warp were sent into a never before seen frenzy of activity. The settlers, used by now to Warp predators such as Enslavers, had by some strange chance never encountered Daemons prior to this. In perhaps the greatest battles seen in Animos since the War in Heaven, the entire face of the planet was reshaped as psykers became possessed, either as daemonhosts, or used as gate ways to bring Daemons into real space. Over nearly a full millennia of war and battle in the which tens of thousands were possessed and billions were killed, Humanity triumphed at great cost. When the last daemon was banished from Animos, fewer than eight thousand people remained, fewer than the original number of colonists. Psykers, once numbering in the hundreds of thousands and making up nearly twenty percent of the population had been reduced to a mere fifty, less than one percent. Indeed, one of the major lasting effects was that psykers never again grew to such number, numbering at most roughly five percent.

The eight thousand survivors, as they attempted to rebuild society, learned much in ways to counter the threat of daemons but were left with a cultural fear of the warp. Even when the technology and population recovered nearly two millennia later in M33 customs, rules, and teachings remained from the first great Daemon war. Ever after, the rulers of Animos would have to deal with the problems of daemonic possession or Chaos Cults, even with the mass suppression of study into the warp or psyker abilities beyond how to counter their threats. It was around this time that the practice of eugenics began to seep into Animos culture where it's popularity would rise and fall with the changes of culture and government.

Rise of The Master

Over the next five millennia, the people Animos remained fractured. Kingdoms and nations would rise and fall, separated by ideals and customs. Records of this period are remarkably scarce, for when the Imperium came many records were burned or lost. Either by the Inquisition to get rid of knowledge deemed heretical, or by the planets inhabitants to hide the planets secrets. What remains is mostly either in the hands of the Inquisition, the Deathwatch, or hidden on Animos itself.

What is known is that the technological growth of the planet fluctuated over time, slowing, halting, or even reversing. This was especially prevalent during the second and third Daemon wars. These wars, while smaller and less devastating than the first ensured a healthy fear of the warp was present in every culture and nation on Animos. Eventually space travel was achieved, allowing them to reach the remains of the crashed colony ship. From salvaging and studying the remains of the vessel, they learned enough to begin constriction of a number of orbital defenses, meant to be both a defense against Xenos attacks, and daemonic invasion. Technology similarly soared on the planets surface, wars were fought with laser and plasma where just a few generations ago they only had relatively primitive stub and auto guns. It was not long before the planet went from dozens of nations and city states, to two great kingdoms.

Technology wasn't the only thing that had advanced. While the population percentage of psykers had remained lower than it was before the Fall of the Eldar, dozens of generations of eugenics and learning of psykers and how to prevent possession had led to greater stability in psykers than the rest of humanity. Around a century after Animos came under rule of these two nations a massive war was instigated between the two nations. Many of the records found by the Imperium detail that the war was instigated by Xenos infiltrators from the Halo stars. During this time, the records also detail the rise of a powerful psyker whose name was only recorded as 'The Master'. Accounts vary in how powerful he was, with some describing feats that would require a Beta or Alpha level psyker, though those few Imperial scholars with access to these accounts generally dismiss them as hyperbole.

What is clear however, was that he was instrumental in ridding Animos of the Xenos threat. Using his psychic power to break their mental influence, The Master simultaneously used his power and new found popularity to overthrow the heads of both nations, unifying them under the banner of a untied Animos. Under his rule he worked hard to erase all the differences separating the newly untied countries. His most noticeable and lasting creations were a vast school for the study of psykers and the warp, (an area of study long avoided), and the planets military force, the Evigilon Triarchs. Most surprisingly, recovered records claim his rule lasted for nearly 200 years, an almost impossible feat given the lack of any life extending technology. Just prior to his death, he instituted a new form of government, different from what had existed in the kingdoms before, to rule after his death. A Grand Council working alongside a separately elected Executive. One record recovered by the Imperium makes mention of a third branch of government, but no other records have been found that confirm this.

Coming of the Imperium

In 398.M41 the first Imperial forces of the Macharian Crusade reached the Eressa Sector. By 339.M41, first contact was established between the Imperium and Animos. For the Imperium, it was shocking to find a Human civilization so far from Terra that not only survived, but were thriving. For Animos, it was equaling shocking to find another remnant of humanity, let alone a mighty empire. The government of Animos, quickly learning of the Imperium's disposition and beliefs, realized that their only hope for the survival of their culture was to join the Imperium voluntarily rather than be conquered. Thus, when a Imperial fleet arrived in system, the Animos petitioned them for admittance into the Imperium. Macharian, intent on preserving forces for his planned conquest of the Halo stars accepted their petition on strict conditions, several of which the people of Animos found strange.

The conditions of their admittance were as follows;

1. Any and all technology dating back to the Dark age of Technology including, the Colony ship, the remains of the Terraforming machines, and any survivng STC fragments are to be given to the Adepts of the Cult Mechanicus.
2. Any and all foundries, factories, and manufactorums of advanced technology are to be inspected by the Adeptus Mechanicus to ensure no techno heresy is taking place.
3. Any and all items of Xenos origin are to be delivered to the Adeptus Mechanicus and Ordo Xenos for examination/destruction.
4. All psykers born on Animos are to be delivered to the Black Ships.
5. All records and histories are to be examined and censored at the discretion of the Adeptus Adminisratum and Ordo Hereticus.
6. The Executive ruler of the planet will be replaced by a planetary governor either elected from the planet or appointed at the discretion of the Adeptus Administratum.
7. The planet must accept Missionaries of the Adeptus Ministorum in order to begin bringing the planet into the worship of the God Emperor.

Surprisingly, the rulers of the planet agreed with little hesitation to the terms. However, when an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus arrived with members of the Adeptus Administratum a year later to examine and censor records, they found that the majority of the planets records for the past 10,000 years had already been destroyed by the planets inhabitants. What little they could find was taken into the custody of the Ordo Hereticus and eventually the Deathwatch.

Macharian Heresy

After the death of the Warmaster, Lord Solar Macharius, much of the newly conquered territory erupted into rebellion as seven of his past generals decided to split from the Imperium and carve out their own smaller star empires. After nearly seventy years of further war the lost territory came once more under Imperial control. When the reclamation forces arrived in the far distant Eressa Sector they were surprised to find that Animos had remained loyal to the Imperium. The rulers of Animos, having estimated the strength of the Imperium and having decided that a reconquest was inevitable, chose to remain loyal and refuse any entreaties by the traitorous generals, turning their orbital defenses on any rebel forces that came in system.

Culture

For millennia the two ideals that remained constant in the various cultures that arose and changed on Animos were the idea of advancement and the fear of the warp. The first is likely due to the fact that many of the original settlers were scientists and researchers. It certainly explains how the people of Animos went from early industrial technology, to at least the level of the greater Imperium between the first Great Daemon war and when the Imperium first made contact. The second is due to the large presence of psykers on Animos. Even after the Imperium began taking them away on the Black Ships, the birth rate remained over ten times the Imperial average. On Tirithond, the sector's capital, it is said that Animos alone contributes more to the Black Ships than the rest of the sector combined.

After joining the Imperium, the Adeptus Ministorum and Adeptus Mechanicus did their best to alter the planets culture. While some on Animos could see the wisdom in having the Imperium united under the worship of the God Emperor, the Mechanicus' fear of change and experimentation confused them. Fortunately for them, none of the factories on Animos utilized or produced anything considered tech heresy, though several of the factories were forced to conform to Imperial standards, which were not always improvements.

Religion

While several religions existed at various times on Animos, when the Imperium arrived there was nothing prevalent enough to be considered a state religion. After accepting missionaries from the Adeptus Ministorum as stated in their treaty, the missionaries were granted ambassador status and began their long work of trying to bring the planet into the Imperial creed, a work that would stretch into the Macharian Heresy. The biggest problem facing the missionaries ironically enough was the planets own high standard of education compared to many other worlds. The other major problem was how psykers had been such a major part of their culture for so long, it was virtually impossible to convince anybody of embrace the Imperial hatred of the witch. Strangely however, many other parts of the Imperial Creed came easily. The people of Animos had fought Xenos from the Halo Stars for generations, and the cultural practice of eugenics had left them with a powerful distaste of mutants. The idea of a God Emperor similarly was easily accepted, more sensitive psykers in the past, (including The Master) had been able to detect the God Emperor's power in the distant part of the Galaxy for millennia so it was simple enough for the missionaries to explain that the extraordinary power they had spoken of was the God Emperor.

Eventually, after the Macharian Heresy had ended, the Missionaries managed to achieve their goal and establish a church on Animos that contained enough tenants of the Imperial Creed to satisfy the Adeptus Ministorum. The primary tenants include;

• The God Emperor is a God in the form of a perfect human.
• It is the duty of all humanity to try and emulate the God Emperors perfection, those who have come closest are the Imperial saints as evidenced by the Living Saints.
• The God Emperor is the only God of mankind.
• Any who worship anyone other than the God Emperor risk bringing the terrors of the Warp upon Animos.
• The Xenos and the Mutant are abhorrent to humanity and should be shunned or killed.
• The God Emperor has a purpose for psykers, to attempt to refuse the Black Ships is to appose the God Emperor.

Government

Animos is primarily governed by a Grand Council of 363 people. These people are elected from all across the planet by the citizenry of Animos. The elections happen on a five year cycle and if elected you can't be elected again for five more elections. Working alongside the Council is an Executive who serves the role of Planetary Governor. His/Her duty is to serve as a representative to the Imperium and oversee the Imperial Tithe and the planets defenses. They are elected for 9 year terms and can only be elected every three executive elections with exceptions made for war times where changing the leadership is put on hold.

A single document recovered by the Ordo Hereticus makes mention of a third branch of government established by The Master. However, since no other records or information has been found of this third branch its assumed that it either became discontinued to never existed in the first place.

Imperial Tithe

The Tithe paid by Animos is centered around supporting the Sector's Battlefleet. One of the major industries is refining gases from the system's gas giants into fuel for the great vessels. Every Imperial Tithe, thousands of men and women either volunteer or are drafted to man the ships. Many of these recruits will already have experience working in the void from working on gas mining ships or on one of the planets orbital defense platforms.

Notable Locations

Surface

• Caverna ex Antiquorum - Caves formed from artificial hills on top of canyons that the inhabitants of Animos built over the old terraforming machines to protect them from weathering. Unfortunately, several times over Animos' history parts were cannibalized from the machines in order to study and redevelop new technology. When the Imperium claimed Animos, the terraforming machines were claimed by the Mechanicus and they built a permanent research base in the caves to study and attempt to repair the machines.
• Vellios - Current capital of Animos and largest city of the southern hemisphere.
• Demiios - Former capital of Animos and formerly largest city of the northern hemisphere. Capital built by The Master to both house the Grand Council as well as a school for the study of the Warp and the training of psykers. The Capital was moved and the school shut down by the Imperium. Now Demiios is used as a holding ground for psykers awaiting the Black Ships.
• Culpatus Solum - The only place on Animos to witness battles during all three Great Daemon wars, no vegetation grows for miles and no animal life strays there. The people of Animos avoid traveling near the Culpatus Solum. Those unfortunate that do tell tales of strange smells and hideous laughter, especially at night.

System

• Carina Stella - A name shared by both Animos' moon and the crashed colony ship. There is an extensive permanent Mechanicus base on Carina Stella to study the remains of the Colony ship.
• Gloria Adstrum - The series of elaborate orbital defense satellites. While not powerful enough to match a true battlefleet, the Gloria Adstrum have enough fire power to overwhelm most smaller fleets with massive barges of laser, plasma, and even gravitic accelerated rounds. The stations are manned and men and women with experience manning them are often recruited to the Imperial Navy
• Cassius refineries and starports - Great orbital refineries where gases mined from the systems gas giants are refined into promethium and plasma generator fuel. Attached to them are large starports used for refueling ships of the Battlefleet Eressa and taking on new recruits. Minor repairs may also be preformed by the Mechanicus on the ships while they are in port.

Military

The Master, when he ruled Animos, established the military order still in use in Imperial times, the Evigilon Triarchs. A three branched military only one branch remains active, the Castus. Armed with lasrifles and plasma guns and armored with a traditional armor only a little more durable than ordinary flak armor, they serve as the planets defense force.

Animos also maintains a small fleet of non-warp capable void craft, the largest of which being the size of Imperial Navy escorts used to guard against Xenos and rebel threats and protect gas mining ships that travel between Animos and the systems Gas Giants. They, combined with the Planet's orbital defenses, ensured that Animos was left alone during the Macharian Heresy.

To aid in the struggle of the Imperium for control of the sector, Animos sends many of its best voidsmen to join the Imperial Navy. These men and women are brave and inventive souls, sometimes to the displeasure of their crew mates, and more than once has a crew member from Animos gotten into trouble with the Techpriests for 'improving' their stations or ships. Many of the recruits are distrusted by their crew members due to the high number of psykers on Animos, and accusations of witchcraft are not unknown.

The Forgotten

Unbeknownst to the Imperium, and indeed the vast majority of the planet, many things thought lost, nonexistent, or discontinued still remain on Animos. When the records on Animos were burned, it was to hide their existence as the leaders of Animos knew the Imperium would not allow their existence. The success of this endeavor varies depending on the secret. Some things, such as psychic relics made by the people of Animos in ancient times often find their ways into black markets, both on Animos and the rest of the Sector. Ironically, many can be found in the hands of Inquisitors, as well as the Deathwatch's Watch Fortress Malepertus. Others are so secret even the number of people who know can be counted on a hand.

The 36 Dominor

Most secret of all is the existence of the 36 Dominor. Made up of 18 male and 18 female psykers, the Dominor were made by The Master alongside the Grand Council to rule Animos. Knowing that the Imperium would never allow them to exist, the Dominor exerted their combined psychic might to influence the minds of the planet, orchestrating the destruction of the records and erasing their existence from their memories. So thorough was their purge that only a single record survived which only vaguely referenced them.

Before the Imperium came, the role of the Dominor was to watch over the psychic inhabitants of the planet and prevent future daemonic invasions. Part of their job was also the education of the planets psykers, teaching them to use their powers safely while quietly looking for those who lacked the discipline or will to resist possession. Those who failed to pass the Dominor's tests were euthanized or otherwise vanished.

Now dwelling in hidden vaults well below the surface, the Dominor spend most of their time detecting the beginnings of chaos cults and hiding their own existence. New members for the 36 are drawn from the planets large psyker population as they know no one will miss one or two. To be selected for the Dominor means the candidate must have shown considerable talent and power before the training given by the Dominor. Sometimes decades will go by in between potential candidates. Only after years of grueling practice and tests will the title of Dominor be granted as they must preform all their duties without the protection offered by Soul Binding.

The might of the individual Dominor ranges considerably, from Eta to the rare Gamma. However, working in tandem the might of the full 36 is powerful indeed, for their duties include monitoring millions of minds and erasing the memories of any who discover them. So powerful are all 36 working together that they can even pull ships traveling through the warp towards Animos off course making for a powerful protection against rebel forces or Orks, but less so against the Eldar or Necrons. However to minimize the chances of detection, they will only utilize this power if truly necessary.

The Colatus

One of the branches of the Evigilon Triarchs thought to have vanished, the Colatus are the only people on Animos to know of the Dominor's existence. Created by The Master with knowledge from the Daemon wars, the Imperium would see the Colatus's existence as the highest degree of Heresy, for the majority of members are people who successfully survived daemonic possession and exorcism. Discovering during the first Great Daemon war that those who survive exorcism often possessed far greater resistance to daemonic power afterwards.

The creation of a member of the Colatus is one fought with peril and death. Drawn from among the non-psyker population, only those of the strongest mind, body, and soul are even considered for this dangerous task. Those that are however must voluntarily submit to this, those that refuse are mind wiped by the Dominor and sent back to their normal lives. For those who agree to become one of the Colatus a great deal of preparation must be made for the process is not easy.

The candidate is secured powerfully to a mighty metal throne in the hidden chambers of the Dominor. As part of the process, should the possessed break free of his restraints, a psychic blank will be within the chamber. The candidate is then exposed to the denizens of the warp by the Dominor for possessions, though on occasion the candidate simply dies instead of being possessed. Once possessed, the Dominor begin the process of exorcism and here, the candidate's own sense of self and will are critical. Should the candidates own mind and will prove to weak, the process of exorcism will inevitably either kill them or leave them permanently comatose. Those few who survive with their mind intact must have their soul thoroughly examined by the Dominor to ensure no trace of the Daemon remains before being released from their restraints. Finally, the experience of being possessed is one of untold horror, even for those who survive exorcism, many commit suicide afterwards, not being able to live with the memories. All told, dozens of candidates will either die or break before one is found strong enough to become a member of the Colatus.

The other, smaller, part of the Colatus that is not made up of the exorcised, are psychic blanks. They are peerless when it comes to fighting the forces of Chaos, but due to their rarity, and the fact that their presence is painful for the Dominor, the majority ware kept in a form of hibernation similar to stasis. Only deployed to curtail the most advanced Chaos cult, or to serve as protection during an exorcism.

Together the Dominor and the Colatus serve as secret protectors of Animos against the future threat of Chaos Cults and Daemonic possession. When the Dominor detect a cult forming, or possession occurring, they send out agents of the Colatus dressed in the uniforms of the planet defense force to kill those involved.

Psychic Relics

Animos holds countless man-made relics, designed to be used by psykers. Most of these were made during two periods; before the first Great Daemon war and after the rule of The Master. After the coming of the Imperium, many of these relics were taken, studied, or destroyed by the Inquisition or Mechanicus, a good number also ended up in black markets across the sector or in the hands of Rouge Traders. Many of these relics are relatively harmless items, meant to be used by psykers in day-to-day life, others require multiple powerful psykers and can affect entire continents, while the purpose of others still remains unknown.

Daemon Wards

Of the few relics left on Animos, the Daemon wards represent both the oldest, and the most noticeable. Unusual in that they were made during both the first and second Great Daemon wars, the Daemon wards are mighty pillars of a unknown material covered in psychic markings. The exact nature of the markings has yet to be identified though careful study has proved it to indeed be of human origin. After decades of study, the precise method the Wards use is still unknown, as well as their construction but several things have been learned. One is that, contrary to initial beliefs, they function entirely differently than the Necron pylons on Cadia. Rather than forcibly separate the materium from the warp, the Wards feed off the psychic energies of the planets inhabitants to generate a massive amount of warp interference which, while not as dangerous as a warp storm, effectively renders the planet 'invisible' to warp denizens as well as preventing any form of astropathic communication.

Early in the testing it quickly became apparent that any form of internal examination or attempts to remove inevitably brakes the Wards. Furthermore the removal of the majority of the planets psykers every time the Black Ships take their harvest temporarily great weakens the interference until more psykers are born. For this reason the Inquisition decided to leave the remaining wards to continue to protect the planet as best they may.

Slave Stones

Strange, but useful devices, Slave Stones are rare and highly popular among members of the Inquisition, as well as any others who utilize psychic powers. The Slave Stones are pairs of clear reddish stones that can be used to sap the powers of a psyker and transfer them to another effectively turning the victim into a psychic battery. While in theory capable of working on anything with a soul, few would waste such rare tools like that. The 'victim' stone of the pair must be implanted in the victims central nervous system, typically in the spine. Among effects including typically crippling the victim, Slave Stones gradually erode the victims mind, eventually leaving them comatose.

Deathwatch investigations into the origins of the Slave Stones have revealed that they either are, or are based off of, Eldar Spirit stones.

Fortune Gems

Often taking the form of black crystal, carefully carved and polished into geometric shapes these stones are often placed into rings or necklaces, and it is said that those who wear them experience good fortune in their daily lives. While seen largely as superstition- there are enough examples that seem to prove the truth behind them.

Quotes

add your own

"Isolated, major Imperial tithe, extremely high psyker birth rate, pronounced tendency towards secrecy. Assessment: Watch closely, contact Inquisition in case of suspicious activity."

—Deathwatch assessment by Watch Captain Ciaran