Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

In the nightmare future of the 41st millennium, Mankind teeters upon the brink of extinction. The galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man is beset on all sides by ravening aliens, and threatened from within by malevolent creatures and heretic rebels. Only the strength of the Immortal Emperor of Terra stands between Humanity and its annihilation. Dedicated to His service are the countless warriors, agents and myriad servants of the Imperium.

Dark Heresy is a roleplaying game based upon the universe of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000. The setting of Warhammer 40,000 is a dark, gothic future where the Imperium of Man is beset by dangers within and without. In Dark Heresy players take on the roles of Acolytes of the Inquisition, aiming to uncover and combat the enemies of mankind, be they aliens, heretics or mutants!

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:26 pm

Image “The Daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must tell the Daemon from his disguise and root him out from the hidden places. Trust no one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die in vain than to live as an abomination. The zealous martyr is praised for his valour; the craven and the unready are justly abhorred.”

–From The First Book of Indoctrinations

Sepheris Secundus is the largest exporting planet in the Calixis Sector. Without its massive exports of ore, metals and fuel, the trade of the Calixis Sector could not function. Sepheris Secundus relies on imports of food from the sector’s agri-worlds. Its vast population makes it a potential supplier of Imperial Guard recruits, although a relatively small proportion of the population would be suitable because of universally poor health, along with the risk of exposing the subjugated masses to the possibility of life outside the mines.

Sepheris Secundus is a world of immense mineral wealth, city-sized mines, billions-strong hordes of serfs and the sharpest divide between the elites and the masses in the Calixis Sector. It is a grim place of snow and twilight, feral mutants and lives spent in back-breaking labour deep beneath the ground. The Imperium’s eagerness to exploit Sepheris Secundus’s vast resources is such that the planet is at the same time the richest and poorest world in the sector.

Sepheris Secundus’s climate is cold and stormy, its surface obscured by a mantle of cloud. It has no oceans save for the small polar seas, so the moisture in its atmosphere comes from below the crust, spewed out from failed mine workings or natural geysers that pockmark the planet like pustules. Its surface is split between the vast open mines like deep scars in the crust and the dense, snow-laden forests broken only by the ruins of failed kingdoms that tried to claim Sepheris Secundus in the past. With its endless blizzards, widespread ignorance and antiquated methods for doing everything, Sepheris Secundus would be a meaningless backwater were it not for the enormous mineral wealth beneath its surface.
SEPHERIS SECUNDUS
Population: 12 billion.

Tithe Grade: Exactus Extremis.

Geography: Planet-wide overcontinent, small polar oceans. Mountainous, forested, extensive areas of open mine workings. Arctic climate, atmosphere moisture-laden and blizzards constant. Three moons, none inhabited.

Government Type: Feudal monarchy.

Planetary Governor: Queen Lachryma III.

Adept Presence: Very low. Some Adeptus Ministorum clergy, Adeptus Arbites Precinct-Fortress.

Military: Royal Scourges, Baronial armies, noble private armies. Poor/medium quality.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:28 pm

While the whole Imperium is a feudal empire, feudalism is an extreme on Sepheris Secundus. Everyone born on the planet must have a master to whom they pay nine-tenths of everything they produce, which for most citizens means the ore they hack from the rock faces of the planet’s mines. Queen Lachryma III, the planet’s absolute monarch, sits at the top of this feudal system. The rights to the labour of these billions of serfs belong to the barons appointed by the queen or to noble families and business consortiums that purchase them from the crown. The queen’s own master is the Imperium, to whom she hands over truly staggering amounts of ore, metals and raw fuel to fulfil the planet’s tithe. Sepheris Secundus’s tithe is the highest in the Calixis Sector, and without its immense output of raw materials, the economy of the whole province would be badly unsettled.

Two principal forces maintain Sepheris Secundus’s feudal system. The first is the weight of tradition: every serf labouring in the mines is doing what his father did and his grandfather before that, often at the same rock face. Mothers tell their children tales about the horrible fates met by disobedient serfs who deny the demands of their masters, and the lay preachers who administer the Imperial creed describe no greater sin than having ideas above one’s station.

The second force is physical violence. One of the reasons that Sepheris Secundus’s culture is so primitive by many standards is that weaponry and other technology is monopolised by the crown. The queen’s Royal Scourges are equipped with lasguns, grenades and chainblades, contrasting with their gaudy, stained-glass-like armour. Though few in number, the technological advantage that these troops possess has been enough to put down a great many uprisings in the mines of Sepheris Secundus, and the planet’s history is littered with massacres where thousands of serfs fell to volleys of lasgun fire. The barons each have their own forces, some of which are permitted to use a few high-tech weapons, although most of them are armed with primitive but well-made weapons and armour with which to enforce the baronial will. Meanwhile, when the serfs rise up, they do so with improvised weapons and mining equipment. The serfs, even when roused to violence in significant numbers, have never held one of Sepheris Secundus’s mines for very long because of the massive superiority in equipment and training possessed by the forces of their masters. When the baronial armies fail, the Royal Scourges do not. The Royal Scourges answer directly to the queen, which also makes them ideal for keeping the barons themselves in line. Many an overambitious baron has refused to send the queen her rightful tribute, only to find his supposedly elite army cut to pieces by the Royal Scourges.
The Rule of Law
Order upon Sepheris Secundus is enforced by the troops of the various barons. While Sepheris Secundus has some generally observed laws—a serf who strikes his master will usually be put to death, for example—each baron enforces his own laws in his own way, and some do not bother at all as long as there is no open rebellion. Other barons, by contrast, have troops patrolling the upper mines ensuring that no one wears the wrong colour on the wrong day, spits in the street or fails to use the traditional forms of address. In Icenholm, the capital, the Royal Scourges enforce order and are also sent to restore obedience where it has broken down.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:39 pm

Sepheris Secundus’s capital is Icenholm, a wondrous city built into the mountain crags that loom over the vast smoking pit of the Gorgonid Mine. Icenholm’s glass spires encrust the mountain peak like a crown, bathed in an otherworldly light. This light is actually concentrated on Icenholm by a series of enormous reflecting mirrors positioned around the peaks overlooking the Gorgonid Mine, an expensive and complicated process that makes it look as if the light of some distant heaven is shining directly onto the capital.

The main body of the city is suspended between three vast peaks on thousands of thick cables and chains, like a glittering jewel upon a complex necklace. The origins of this unusual structure are not recorded anywhere, but a common theory is that it was built around the core of an enormous warship that docked there during Angevin’s crusade and never left, the hive growing up around it like a pearl around a speck of grit. Many buildings dangle from the city’s mass, reaching down hundreds of metres towards the floor of the valley below the city like strands of hanging moss.

Icenholm is constructed of stained glass that shines in a dazzling array of colours in the sunlight. Its spires house some of the most senior barons along with members of the royal family. The majority of Icenholm’s population is made up of hereditary servants, pledged to either the queen or one of her barons. They form small armies of clerks who ensure that the planet’s barons are offering up the correct tithes to their queen, and attend to other matters of governance such as the regulation of heraldry. These servants have their own hierarchies, with the queen’s own servants very much in charge. They wear the liveries of their masters, which in the case of the queen’s servants is red (red is a colour reserved for royal use on Sepheris Secundus—anyone else wearing it is likely to be arrested by baronial troops). Icenholm’s gates do not open to just anyone, so while adepts and barons will be received into Icenholm anyone else will have to sweet-talk the hereditary family of gate servants who are difficult to impress.

The peak of Icenholm is taken up by the palace, which consists of the various chambers of state along with Queen Lachryma’s own quarters. The throne room is spectacular indeed, set beneath a soaring spire of stained glass depicting the glories of Sepheris Secundus’s past monarchs. The throne itself is of ice kept permanently frozen, and the voluminous royal robes which the queen wears are partly to keep her from being frozen herself. The queen’s chambers are lavishly appointed, with three separate bedrooms alone: one for sleeping, one for promulgating the royal line (not used since the Prince Consort passed away twenty years ago) and one for receiving morning visitors.
The Traditions of Serfdom
Sepheris Secundus’s centuries of serfdom have created many traditions that confirm the relationship between baron and serf, some of which seem very strange to outsiders. The details of these traditions differ across the planet but their spirit is preserved everywhere. They include: Marriage. A marriage between serfs must be sanctioned by both serfs’ barons. The prospective husband and wife each cut off a finger and send it to their baron, which symbolises the serfs handing over of their rights of any children born out of wedlock.

Death. To demonstrate the fact that no serf ever fully pays off his debt to his baron, his body becomes his baron’s property upon his death. Most barons dispose of these bounties by burying them under heaps of mine spoil, but some more ostentatious barons make a point of feeding dead serfs to their hounds.

Mandatory Celebrations. On an occasion important to the baron, such as the birth of a child, the baron’s serfs are required to celebrate by breaking into dance upon hearing the news and whenever the baron approaches. Many barons take this very seriously and will flog nearby serfs until they begin to dance, regardless of whether they have heard the baron’s good news or not.

Faceday. A serf celebrates the day when he becomes old enough to stake his own claim on the Face (normally in early adolescence). The first Faceday is marked with three days of ceaseless toil, to demonstrate that the young serf indeed deserves the bounty of the Face. Anniversaries of this Faceday are marked with ceremonies that vary wildly but are always painful or humiliating, varying from simple beatings to being painted with offensive slogans and forced to run naked through the Commons.

Day of Thanks. An annual holiday observed across Sepheris Secundus, the Day of Thanks is a chance for the serfs to remember and mourn their dead (a practice otherwise frowned upon or even prohibited). Since mourning is considered a selfish act, participants ritually disguise their identities by wearing masks, painting their faces or attending gatherings in pitch darkness.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Vardaen » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:46 pm

Into this madness you have willingly thrown your lot in along side Baron Ulbrexis. For about a week after Inquisitor Sand left you have been learning what you can, gathering resources, and tidying up loose ends. You now are faced with the unenviable task of finding a way to overthrow Queen Lachryma III.

You have worked with the Baron closely to gather what information you can about the planet and the workings of the planet. If you are to do your job you will need to be in Iceholm, so with the aid of the Arbite Proctor Rotlan, you've gained access to a lighter, and are flying from the Mines to the capitol, the last bit of favor the Proctor can offer you. As you zoom over the frozen landscape below the glittering captiol city is coming into view.

You rumble along, seated among yourselves and the Baron as you head toward uncertainty.
Queen Lachryma III
The queen of Sepheris Secundus is an elderly woman who has successfully led Sepheris Secundus through numerous revolts, baronial uprisings and increasingly spectacular tithe demands from the Administratum. Now, however, she is getting old. Though her mind is still sound, her body is infirm and, some of the more ambitious barons say, she is losing the ruthlessness and willpower that once served her so well.

Queen Lachryma’s aged, underweight form is swamped by her royal regalia, with its voluminous gown made from thousands of panes of stained glass and its crown of white gold. Her voice is thin and shaky, and she no longer has the presence that once acted as an anchor for the feudal system of Sepheris Secundus.

Image
Welcome! So it begins.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:37 am

Damien Quinn, Scholar Arcanum, reclines in his flight chair, his fingers tented in front of him, deep in thought. He has learned much on this world, deeper lore of what is possible with manipulations of the Warp, both technological and arcane. If he were to now be assigned to track down a renegade Psyker, or tease out the workings of of an ancient Warp device, he would be in his element. But now they travel to lay the foundation for a political Revolution. And after getting to know Ulbrexis better, likely a cultural one as well. He doubts the man with his 'democratic' leanings wants to deeply oppress the populace like they currently are.

He sighs, then leans forward to the others in the transport. "Waiting is always the hardest part to me. Makes me feel helpless. Once we're on the ground working I'm ready to go. I feel like I should be doing something right now, even though there isn't much to do besides just fly." At times he's jealous of Haxtes, having his emotions removed like that. Probably doesn't need to worry about boredom, that man.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by bluntpencil2001 » Thu Apr 27, 2017 6:38 am

Lucius isn't bored. He's still stamping, signing, and adding the finishing touches to various arrest warrants for ranking officers of the Royal Scourges, whom he had attempted to gather at least some information on from Proctor Rotlan. Arrest (and execution) warrants aren't the most exciting part of his job, but have to be done if it's going to be done correctly.
Is this like Lenin getting the train from Switzerland to Moscow?

A number of Arbitrators died... would it be possible to take their guns with us, with which to arm the peasants?

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Grimbold » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:58 pm

Damien is right, Haxtes is not bored. He activates an antivirus process on his system and while that is working its way through his brain, he goes on standby. He will reactivate once the lighter is close to landing.

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by bluntpencil2001 » Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:22 am

"Agent Haxtes?" Lucius requests his attention as he continues to sign his name, and file in reports.

"Would you be able to use the Operation Centre's security footage to construct pro-Ulbrexis, pro-Imperial, propaganda?"

A vid showing the Baron putting down the mutant leader, with the assistance of the Adeptus Arbites would show the populace who they could thank for their safety.

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by Grimbold » Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:17 am

The blinking red light in Haxtes's cybernetic eye stops blinking as the Techpriest stops his standby mode and has activated again within seconds. An internal recorder replays an audio of the question, so it takes a few seconds until Haxtes answers. "I could show the footage and use it in a film. I could deal with the technical aspects of this. I could not make it <Haxtes looks up the word in his processor> conforming to the standards of art; satisfying aesthetic requirements; exhibiting taste, or sensitivity. Someone else will need to edit it so it can be used as propaganda."

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Capitulus Novem: The Rise of Saint Ulbrexis

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:33 pm

Damien nods along. "Good idea! Propaganda will surely be a key component at some point in our little campaign. We'll need to figure out at what stage we would go from silently undermining the ruling class, to actively overthrowing them. Would this be video that we are actively pushing, or allow it to leak and organically grow dissent?" As Haxtes adds his strengths and limitations, he puts one last bit in. "I'm a fair hand at aesthetics, I guess. But if we're looking for some sort of expertise, we'll have to go hunting for it. I think the Baron himself might be the best there. He's clearly a man that understands image, in addition to substance."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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