The Liber Cluster

[Olis]

Hey, did you guys know that the Liber Cluster is larger than This is the Liber?

 

Okay, only a part of it, but it's also noteworthy that it took them four years to build what we've done in two months.

 

I had noticed this thread was growing at quite a prodigious rate a while ago. I figured it would outpace This is Liber Astartes. ^_^

 

 

On an unrelated note; what have you done to Verdinant?! He's all post-human-y now! :P

 

(Actually, this provokes some interesting questions, like; is he the real Verdinant? Did he use a proxy in his time subverting the Verdians? How far in advance did the rot set in?)

[Conn Eremon]

Well, that's three who like it so far!

 

I've updated the 2nd post to include some updates to the Colvin sub-sector as well as introducing this new band of Chaos Marines to the mix. Go check it out. Some of what I wrote is technically new stuff not yet posted, including the warband's identity.

 

I have one more piece to write, that will be considerably shorter than the last. It will tie in what we now know of what happened at Colvin Majoris, and the truth of the Cult of the New Dawn and their "Saint Verdinant," with the fact that this Cult and Saint are still powerful religious icons in the Imperium two thousand years later, as Olisredan established. Once again, I'll be trying for something a little bit different, and will hopefully make an interesting depiction of some very powerful individuals.

 

Once I'm done with that, I'm washing my hands of the Colvin affair. If anyone else wants to take a crack at it, they can.

 

 

Okay, I lied about the warband's identity not being posted yet, because I am going to right now. Originally, I had thought about having the Host of the Broken Dawn be immediate allies to Vesper's Black Legion host. A warband that will twist the very beliefs of the Imperial populations against the Aetheric Swords, forcing them to fight not just the enemy, but those they are sworn to protect as well. And with the recent expansion of their Chapter Master, I think that would be a very interesting moral conflict. 

 

I still really like that idea, but the more I think on it, the more I feel like the Host would be opposed to Sero. I can't see any real reason why, though I can easily create one (their worship of Chaos Undivided, as a whole, leaves them with a sense of superiority over those who gravitate to only one deity). It just feels more right to me.

 

So I'm a little conflicted on what they should do, and I'll leave it up to you guys. Should we have the Host oppose Sero, for some Chaos on Chaos action? Or should the Host turn the very Imperium against the Aetheric Swords, when they need support the most?

 

Edit: Olisredan, the original conclusion, posted before the big piece, was meant to reveal that the original event was not, in fact, the true saint. The Space Marine you see is a powerful Chaos Lord on his way to apotheosis, a devout warrior who has fought in countless battles since the very beginning of the Imperium. The Word Bearers created the Imperial Creed. Who else but them could turn it to their own ends?

 

I have to admit, when I first messaged you with a request of making me a sub-sector capital that I can kill, I hadn't intended in the slightest to go this route. It was your creation of St. Verdinant, and my love of the Siege of Vraks, that got me thinking of doing things differently. And honestly, it wasn't even fully formed until I had already posted maybe half a dozen of the shorter tidbits.

[Olis]

Ah yes, the Siege of Vraks. I could sense the undertones in there. Regardless - a good write up with some interesting additions to the Liber Cluster lore. :)

 

Btw, I, for one, would like to see the Host oppose Sero, for some reason. A little bit of infighting is what Chaos does. :tu:

[Captain Nameless]

I am very interested to see how the whole Colvin affair ends. 

 

And I think that the Host should oppose Sero.  There has been much more infighting within the Imperial forces than with the renegades and warbands, we should at least even things up.

[Wade Garrett]

This makes twice an Imperial Task Force has been stranded in hostile territory and elected to march to its destruction instead of...I don't know, digging in to await reinforcements, scattering to wage a guerilla war, anything except "Welp, outgunned and outnumbered. Better try and fight our way through the heart of the enemy defenses".

 

(First being the Sons of Calderon against the Seireiki Lions).

 

Now, with that said, bravo Mr. Airt, I just think we may need to ease off on that particular plot in days to come.

 

I also now have an idea for the Blackjaw Kindred's next major campaign. ;)

 

And I see we have a mix-up in the timeline.

 

That is, currently, the arrival of Goge Vandire's forces is before the 18 Worlds Reconquiesta.

 

But Olisredan and I referenced that Crusade as a thing our Chapters had already been through when Reclusiarch Remis killed the best bromance in the Sector after the Conflagrators turned against Vandire.

[Conn Eremon]

Fair enough, Wade. I can see your point. I'll take a break from doing vignettes and focus more on Codex-style accounts.

 

 

We have Vandire's forces enter the Cluster to assert his control in the midst of reclamation. At this time, the Conflagrators are aligned with them.

 

Followed by the 18 worlds shindig, which takes place roughly around when Vandire bites the dust.

 

Followed by a delayed period of the Vandire supporters losing control in the Cluster, which is when the Conflagrators flip to be anti. Insert violence.

 

Am I right? If so, I don't see the conflict. Did I miss something?

[Wade Garrett]

For some reason I decided that the arrival of the Frateris Templar and Daughters of the Emperor in the was what kicked off the all out pro Vandire vs anti Vandire warfare.

 

Why, I couldn't tell you.

[Conn Eremon]

It was, but at that time weren't you both pro?

[Wade Garrett]

We were...but I thought the real "brother against brother" battles in the Liber Cluster didn't break out until after Vandire's death.

 

Or were the initial pro and anti Vandire factions at each other's throats from Day One?

[Conn Eremon]

At first, I saw it as the Pros being super dominant, and the contention being between them and those who might not support his initial rise. There were issues, which served to delay the overall reclamation efforts.

 

But the part where it became true internecine warfare, with Space Marines getting involved, is when it erupted between the Pros and Antis, which happens to occur after Vandire's own demise. And after the 18 worlds. The Conflagrators, ever the zealous over-reactors, are involved in the thick of it when Pro and the Anti. Pre-18 has the Sons involved, who aren't even around after the 18 worlds.

[Wade Garrett]

Except that Olisredan's piece on the Longest Night has Lord Hellfyre (who IIRC did not become Chapter Master until after the 18 Worlds Crusade) confronted by the SoC...

[Conn Eremon]

Well, that's what I get for skimming it again.

 

Yeah, given that the Sons of Calderon are a pre-18 Worlds Chapter only, any encounter with them needs to be prior to that. Ample opportunity for Olisredan to expand on Hellfyre's predecessor, I suppose. The Conflagrators can decide to switch to be Anti before the 18 worlds. The event can still happen prior.

 

But either Hellfyre is a Captain still, or it's a different character as the Chapter Master.

[Ace Debonair]

 

Hey, did you guys know that the Liber Cluster is larger than This is the Liber?

 

Okay, only a part of it, but it's also noteworthy that it took them four years to build what we've done in two months.

 

I had noticed this thread was growing at quite a prodigious rate a while ago. I figured it would outpace This is Liber Astartes.

 

Speaking as one of 'them', I'm not all that surprised myself.

Wasn't that the idea, anyway? That this thread sort of replaces the ol' crazy Liber one?

 

Anyhow, that's one heck of a story you've got there, Cormac.

But I'm left wondering if the Veneti units mentioned are from Venet, the world that the Heralds of Letum and Aetheric Swords got beat up on?

 

'Cause if so, you totally get bonus points for recycling my throwaway planet name.

[helterskelter]

The gathering of the Chapters had nearly come to it's conclusion, representives from all the Liberite chapters, Mechanicum and various other factions had convened at Cardinalis. Ships of all berths filled the skies or held Orbit in atmosphere, preparing to take their leave once the meeting ended, and the council parties returned to their ships.

Planetside, a great hall lined with burning braziers, filled with delegates, one final issue was to be raised.

+ASSEMBLED BRETHREN+ boomed the mighty Conflagarators dreadnaught +WE HAVE RECIEVED TRANSMISSIONS FROM A CHAPTER THOUGHT LOST. WE+

He was cut off abruptly by blaring sirens, warning of an unscheduled warp translation. There was a buzz of confusion, many commanders voxing their ships for conformation.

Reports were coming in of a fleet entry, though numbers could not be confirmed.

 

A message cut through the noise.

"This is commander Fryg, of the Doomsayers vessel Voidfarer's Doom. You will return the Awaiting Doom and release Chapter Master Kaunaz to us. This, I command. Failure to comply will be met with Violence. If you fail to respond. Doom On You!"

[Olis]

Hmm. It seems we have a conundrum concerning Hellfyre. Would it be easiest to simply substitute in his predecessor, Sauvius? Also of note is that I wrote this with the Conflagrators in their anti-Vandire stance. Is that a problem?

 

 

"This is commander Fryg, of the Doomsayers vessel Voidfarer's Doom. You will return the Awaiting Doom and release Chapter Master Kaunaz to us. This, I command. Failure to comply will be met with Violence. If you fail to respond. Doom On You!"

 

For a moment, the crowd simply listened. Once the message had ended, they turned to the Conflagrators expecting a response. It would be a lie to claim that all assembled knew which way this would go. They did not. Some guessed, either way, others reserved any conclusion at all. It was well known that a Conflagrator could be an intractable soul, even more so with a veteran. 

 

+Listen to me and listen well, Commander Fryg.+ Ordered Kandallius. +You claim you are a Doomsayer! I ask that you show us proof. I was there to see the last fallen Doomsayer, and all of the Doomed fought no more. That day was a dark one for the Imperium. If you are whom you purport to be, the ashes of Kaunaz you can have. His remains mean less to us than the Awaiting Doom does.+ A pregnant pause, deliberately left by the wily dreadnought, stretched out. +You may come to the Awaiting Doom itself, Fryg. Matters can be discussed there. Keep your retinue to a minimum when you board.+

 

A response did not come. The Voidfarer's Doom altered to an intercept course. They were heading straight towards the Awaiting Doom. 

 

+Contact the brothers on the Awaiting Doom. Advise them of the situation.+ Kandallius told his attending techmarine. +I have pressing matters to tend to.+ He turned to the delegations again and began to finalise the agreements. The end of the Conclave of Cardinalis would be a day to remember, for more than one reason.

[helterskelter]

The Voidfarer's Doom was not the only ship on an intercept course. The entire Doomsayers fleet were heading towards Cardinalis, each ship vectoring in on a cousin. Warning bell's rang incessantly, the vox network was sheer mayhem. The seeming audacity of the approaching fleet made no sense to any of the commanders, captains, or admirals,then all of a sudden the fleet stopped. Everything was still in the void.

In the belly of the Awaiting Doom, lights began to flicker. A deep, bass thrum was building. The Conflagarator techmarines in the teleportarium felt the prickle of building static, and knowing what was about to occur, manically tried to shut down the teleporter. What folowed was both blinding and deafening.

With a sound like a thousand bolters firing at once, and flashes akin hundreds of blind grenades being set off, the teleportarium did its work. Never had so many smelt burning ozone simultaneously.

 

Stood in the middle of the Conclave was Captain Fryg. Slowly, he removed his helm, placed it on his belt and turned to face the Lord Machine of the Conflagarators. Surrounding Fryg were 20 veterans of the Doomsayers, armed with Boarding shields and a variety of weapons dangerous to every being in the room.

"All your ships have been boarded, and all those in charge of those ships have a bolter pointed at their heads. If our loyalty and lineage are in question, please, take a sample of our genetic material to your apothecarian, and I will personally answer any questions your librarium and reclusiam have. Now, my Brother, do we have a seat at this council?"

[Tiberius Cato]

The Voidfarer's Doom was not the only ship on an intercept course. The entire Doomsayers fleet were heading towards Cardinalis, each ship vectoring in on a cousin. Warning bell's rang incessantly, the vox network was sheer mayhem. The seeming audacity of the approaching fleet made no sense to any of the commanders, captains, or admirals,then all of a sudden the fleet stopped. Everything was still in the void.

In the belly of the Awaiting Doom, lights began to flicker. A deep, bass thrum was building. The Conflagarator techmarines in the teleportarium felt the prickle of building static, and knowing what was about to occur, manically tried to shut down the teleporter. What folowed was both blinding and deafening.

With a sound like a thousand bolters firing at once, and flashes akin hundreds of blind grenades being set off, the teleportarium did its work. Never had so many smelt burning ozone simultaneously.

 

Stood in the middle of the Conclave was Captain Fryg. Slowly, he removed his helm, placed it on his belt and turned to face the Lord Machine of the Conflagarators. Surrounding Fryg were 20 veterans of the Doomsayers, armed with Boarding shields and a variety of weapons dangerous to every being in the room.

"All your ships have been boarded, and all those in charge of those ships have a bolter pointed at their heads. If our loyalty and lineage are in question, please, take a sample of our genetic material to your apothecarian, and I will personally answer any questions your librarium and reclusiam have. Now, my Brother, do we have a seat at this council?"

Wow, my initial thought was "All your base are now belong to us". This reminds me a bit of that short story about the Doom Eagles and how their captain returned, seemingly from the dead, and was subjected to numerous trials to test his purity and such.

[Wade Garrett]

A single voice roared out over the vox network.

 

"Fill yo han, you son of de-"

 

The Kin Patriarch's thundered defiance was cut short by the sickening sound of ceramite and flesh melting beneath plasma, but this only the overture to a cacophony of roaring bolters, howling chainblades, and screams of pain and rage flooding the comns as the Blackjaws reacted murderously to this invasion of their vessels.

 

Never again would they bare their throats before those who claimed to be their brethren. Never would they swallow an insult or discount a threat from their fellows.

 

That was the lesson the Conflagrators had taught them, had seared into the soul of their Chapter at the business end of Battlebarge's orbital lances.

 

Those who had raised a hand to them would die, and die so terribly Vulkan himself would weep as their mutilated forms shambled before his bleak throne!

[Ace Debonair]

-=-=-=-=-=-=

Inquisitor Yoshida sighed, but inwardly, not wishing to show any frustration in her current company.

 

She was sat in a nook atop a low building in one of the primitive hive cities of Kyrus. It was raining, and she'd been sat doing nothing in this small space for over three hours.

 

Her present company consisted of one Sergeant Toreus of the All-Seers, a bald, dark-skinned man whose perpetually solemn face was covered in runic tattoos. He was concealed under another overhang, a crack in the tin roof above him causing rain to drip down one side of his power armour.

 

Under Toreus' command were four other Space Marines, sourced from other Chapters of the Liber Conclave, each of them waiting diligently in secure locations around the city and watching for unsual activity. Jevin of the Aetheric Swords, Setari of the Lords Inviolate, Caspius of the Black Falcons and Tybald of the Blades of the Lion - each a veteran of a dozen hard-fought battles and a considerable asset in the war against Penumbra.

 

"Sergeant," came a voice over the coms. "I see Nightmares heading your way, two streets away. They're flanking a group of young women - could be Penumbra operatives, could be another decoy."

 

"Understood, Setari. I will be vigilant." Toreus replied, calmly. Here we go, thought Yoshida. But Toreus remained absolutely still, watching the street below from his vantage point. It was several minutes before the Nightmares came into view, their lacquered carapace armour emblazoned with a purple crescent moon, one of Penumbra's many emblems.

 

Truly enough, they appeared to be discreetly flanking a group of young women on a drunken night out, at least if their attire and banter was anything to go by.

 

As the Nightmares passed them and moved away towards another street, Toreus activated his vox once more, speaking quietly.

 

"Tybald, they're heading towards the space port. Keep watch and let me know when they get close. Jevin, keep watching in case they do something unexpected. Caspius, Setari, head towards the space port. Remain unseen. I'll be joining you shortly."

 

Toreus turned to Inquisitor Yoshida.

 

"Inquisitor, are your men in position?"

 

"They have been for the last half-hour. Don't worry. If it comes to a firefight at the spaceport, we'll have them outnumbered."

 

The Inquisitor and the Space Marine carefully made their way down to ground level and began tailing the Penumbra party from a distance.

 

The Penumbra soldiers took a twisting route that seemed only by coincidence to get closer to the space port. The party they were seemingly tailing were laughing and joking as they went, regardless of the rain, occasionally stopping at odd places to chat to other residents.

 

As unlikely as it seemed right now, intercepted transmissions had shown that one of these young ladies was likely to be Morius, one of Penumbra's deadliest killers.

 

Eventually, the party passed by the spaceport, and ducked into an alleyway. They were observed by Caspius, a skilled marksman from the Black Falcons Chapter, who watched them from a roof across the street, through the scope mounted on his bolter.

 

The six young ladies ducked behind a stack of crates while the soldiers stood guard. After a long moment, they re-emerged, dressed in uniforms very much like the local Arbites, and marched alongside the Nightmares to the spaceport proper. All former traces of their party-happy attitude and seemingly drunken behaviour was gone - they behaved like a disciplined, no-nonsense military unit.

 

"Toreus. They're coming around to the side entrance." Caspius voxed in.

 

"Good," the Sergeant replied. "Exactly as planned. On my signal, squad, eliminate the Nightmares."

 

The Nightmares split up, two of the group entering the space port while the other five spread out, watching the streets nervously.

 

"Proceed." Toreus voxed, quietly.

 

Suddenly, shots rang out. Caspius and Setari, from their vantage points, picked off the Nightmare guards with their bolters before they could identify where the shots were coming from. All around, civilians scattered. The pack of young women reacted with remarkable discipline, diving into cover and drawing las-pistols. They began to open fire as Toreus strode out towards them, his power sword crackling in the rain.

 

The shots found no purchase on the All-Seer's armour, and he quickened his pace. As the women moved to try and flank him, two more Space Marines burst through the door behind them. Two of the women reacted immediately, pulling loose some vicious knives and trying to stab the marines in the neck. Tybald parried a strike from one of them, and hesitated for a moment. Jevin reached across and punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

 

"There's a time and a place for chivalry, son of Jonson."  Jevin grinned.

"Hmph. Just giving the foe a sporting chance." Tybald sniffed his response, throwing another assailant bodily into a sturdy crate, stunning her.

 

By this time Sergeant Toreus, Inquisitor Yoshida, and a squad of Imperial Guardsmen had moved to surround the surviving Penumbra agents. The six young women, realising they couldn't win, reluctantly surrendered.

 

 

The six assassins were loaded aboard Inquisitor Yoshida's personal transport Chimera, to be taken to an Imperial base for questioning. Toreus paused, staring at the last of the women to be loaded aboard with an intense frown on his face. She squirmed, but seemed unable to look away.

 

"We've struggled to get any purchase in battles with Penumbra, yet you made that look easy. Morius, whichever one she is, is one of Penumbra's deadliest killers - how did you do that?"

 

"Morius... is not just one person." Toreus replied, continuing to stare at his prisoner. "The identity is shared between these six." Inquisitor Yoshida looked bewildered.

 

"What...? How do you know this?"

 

"It was foretold." Toreus sighed, and pushed the prisoner into the Chimera. "I will not say more. I cannot share all of our knowledge with an outsider, no matter how just your cause." Toreus turned and motioned to his men, who formed up behind him.

 

"But be careful not to act in undue haste, Inquisitor. When the time comes to finally remove Penumbra from the Liber Cluster, the All-Seers will offer their aid."

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 

There we go, the last of my planned Penumbra stories.

I'm not as happy with this one as the last one, but I figured I might as well get it posted.

It's probably riddled with mistakes, so I'll probably edit it a bit tomorrow.

 

[Olis]

Do bear in mind, helter, the Conflagrators are followers of the Nikaea Edict: They have no Librarium. Suffer not the witch to live, as the Black Templars are most fond of saying. 

 

"All your ships have been boarded, and all those in charge of those ships have a bolter pointed at their heads. If our loyalty and lineage are in question, please, take a sample of our genetic material to your apothecarian, and I will personally answer any questions your librarium and reclusiam have. Now, my Brother, do we have a seat at this council?"

 

Lord Kandallius, easily towering over the Doomsayers in his relic Contemptor chassis, regarded the insertion team. He surveyed each member, weapon and position relative to himself and the other delegations present. Bolters, meltas, plasma pistols, even a power fist or two. Fryg himself carried a thunder hammer. 

 

A great booming laughter echoed through the chamber, the augmitters on the dreadnought blaring out Kandallius' amusement, crackling slightly with distortion. Fryg himself did not appreciate the outburst, a look of anger flashing across his face.

 

"Do you mock us, dreadnought?" The Captain stepped forward, pointing his hammer at Kandallius.

 

+It is not mockery, little one. I think Kaunaz would be proud of you.+ Another chuckle burbled from the dreadnought. +You've got guts, Fryg.+

 

"I am doing what is necessary." His face still contorted in displeasure, the Captain tipped his chin. Lord Kandallius was toying with him, surely.

 

+No doubt. Apothecary Lavis and High Reclusiarch Volcus will be here shortly. If they are satisfied, I am satisfied.+ An audible sigh of relief came from the human delegations - they clearly had no desire to experience a close quarters post-human battle personally - and the other Doomsayers appeared to be relaxing their combat stances a fraction.

 

"And the Awaiting Doom?"

 

+It will be relinquished on one caveat.+ His Contemptor-bulk leaned forward, bringing his chassis face to face with Fryg. The Captain raised an eyebrow.

 

"Which is?" 

 

+A crusade. Let it be here and now on Cardinalis that we vow to crush every loathsome renegade and foul turncoat in this sub-sector. I might be satisfied that you are who you say you are by the end of tonight but trust will be earned with deeds, not words. The Emperor gained His son Vulkan by deeds, blessed be His name.+ Kandallius straightened up. +Prove yourselves, not to me, but to Him, and the Liber Cluster will rejoice with open arms at their guardians of old, returned from the grave.+

 

 

Edit - I posted this up not seeing what Wade had posted. This will be... interesting, I must say. 

[Wade Garrett]

I imagined that attending a Conclave on Cardinalis following the Days of Unshed Tears would have the Kin on edge anyway, and when another Chapter teleported onto their ship and shoved bolters in their Patriarch's face it was, as they say, on like Donkey Kong.

[Olis]

I imagined that attending a Conclave on Cardinalis following the Days of Unshed Tears would have the Kin on edge anyway, and when another Chapter teleported onto their ship and shoved bolters in their Patriarch's face it was, as they say, on like Donkey Kong.

 

In the absence of finding any good bar brawl music, have this instead:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89p8ya3ZdnQ

[helterskelter]

I thoroughly accept that some incidences would have occured, that at a later point, could either lead to friction or be passed as misunderstanding and so on. Obviously, in the case of the kindred, not everyone us going to be happy with such a display (also assuming the kindred don't play with teleportation due to superstition).

Ah, I forgot about the nikea bit, I'll edit when I get a moment

[Tiberius Cato]

Hey all,

I was curious about something, do we have any plans for a Liber Deathwatch? The Liber Cluster is fairly large and I'm sure a myriad of Xenos species exist that need to be eradicated and have their tech plundered for the Slaneslau to reverse engineer for Imperial needs.

[Dizzyeye01]

There is at least one Deathwatch base mentioned so far but not much after that.