REF EVENT - Timeline

[Sigismund229]

I'd say somewhere to the north east of Seraphina and the south east of the EoT

[bluntblade]

Kel - to save his soul.

 

Mikhal - Ifigure at this stage Travier will be hearing the "song", and through that he'll realise Hec has survived. I like the idea that he shares something of Erebus' hubris with more self-awareness

Edited September 2, 2017 by bluntblade

[MikhalLeNoir]

I thought HEC rejected the offering and is blasted away. Even with enough music the unconcious HEC can't be found.

 

No. What do you mean with "song" ^^

[bluntblade]

You haven't read Betrayer? In that, Lorgar hears the currents of the storm he's creating, rendered to him as music. He hears Kor Phaeron fail to slay Guilliman, how it crescendos with Angron changing and even who's involved in that Death of Monumental Significance. So Travier will know if a Primarch lives or dies.

 

Thing is also that, blasted away or not Hec has to be retrieved before daemon Raktra finds and eats him.

[Sigismund229]

In Betrayer, Angron turning into a deamon doesn't seem to be terribly comfortable so that gives a window of time. Here's how I saw it panning out. Hec refuses and drives godstooth into Raktra or travier's stomach. However, he then rips it out and collapses to his knees, roaring to the sky in agony as the shard gets ripped out of his soul by Travier. Bear in mind, this is something the Emperor avoided doing as there was a possibility of killing Hec by doing it, and he's basically having a chunk of his soul ripped out so it's going to hurt. Then, after a good few minutes like that, he collapses, badly injured. Travier then walks forward to take Hec's heart/head to complete the ritual. However, the Lions see this and lose all sense of self preservation, charging forwards to defend their lord and father, many succumbing to the burden. The ensuing bloodshed completes the ritual and the Lions escape with a badly wounded Hec and retreat, leaving some Lions who are too far gone in the throes of the burden behind. Hec's fate is uncertain for a time until he contacts Alexandria via hololith. While clearly worse for the wear and with a freshly scarred soul, he is alive and with a renewed grudge against Travier and Raktra

[bluntblade]

I'm thinking Hec lets Raktra stab him, pulls him close, cracks that Ragnar kinda grin and whispers "you know what's funny about this, brother? This is going to hurt you more than me."

 

Travier's gone into damage control, focusing everything on ensuring Raktra ascends. Hec, right now, is a secondary concern.

[Sigismund229]

Only problem with that is that implies Hec knows what's going to happen, which he doesn't. And getting a piece of your soul ripped out is going to hurt on a whole other level, no matter how conditioned you are to resist pain

[bluntblade]

I figure that Hec is feeling this thing inside him, its malevolence and power when it's so close to the surface, and that drives him to expel it rather than give in to the rage. He's in pain, now doubt, but he's laughing through it. And Raktra's just stupefied by how his brother is laughing until Hec whispers to him and he realises he's failed to escape the War God's hold.

[Sigismund229]

I figure that Hec is feeling this thing inside him, its malevolence and power when it's so close to the surface, and that drives him to expel it rather than give in to the rage. He's in pain, now doubt, but he's laughing through it. And Raktra's just stupefied by how his brother is laughing until Hec whispers to him and he realises he's failed to escape the War God's hold.

Fair points. In which case, he possibly starts out laughing and then starts screaming as he pulls away from Raktra and collapses to his knees as Raktra also starts screaming from pain, a noise made worse by his mouth grille, and Travier watches and smiles. "Look upon my works and despair"

[bluntblade]

I'm thinking Hec's more like Tyler Durden when he's getting beaten up, while Travier's just going"

"fine. Roll plan B..."

[Sigismund229]

I'm thinking Hec's more like Tyler Durden when he's getting beaten up, while Travier's just going"

"fine. Roll plan B..."

As I keep saying, getting part of your soul ripped out isn't something you'll just be able to laugh off. It's agony on a whole other level of being.

 

And Travier is still getting a pretty good outcome. Raktra's ascending and there's a significant chance that having the shard removed will kill Hec, depriving the loyalists of another primarchs.

[bluntblade]

Good point

[simison]

I'd say somewhere to the north east of Seraphina and the south east of the EoT

 

Interesting. Strela, homeworld of the Warbringers, is not far from the Dominion. So, it's about halfway across Obscurus from the Traitor lines. Which means we're looking at 50+ days of travel but that is somewhat difficult. As Escalation states, Chaos are very much helping out. So, we're looking at a month as the Eagle Warriors and the Berserkers sneak up to the Dominion line, while the Crimson Lions primary force is south in Seg. Solar, prepping for what looks like the second invasion. 

 

Given my recent reading of Escalation, there's a couple of weeks as the Eastern Marches see uptick in raids, until Raktra orders the general advance. Mortax, Port Sarens (Mass Effect reference?), Ilea and many worlds fall to the Traitor invasion. It's only when the Traitors exterminate the Crimson Lions on Strans that Hectarion and Alexandros realizes they've been fooled. Hectarion rushes home, sending an apology to the Warmaster, who retroactively grants permission. But, what's definitely established is the sheer rapid pace of the Blood Crusade compared to the slow and methodical invasion of Terra. It's only a few weeks after Mortax that the Battle of Gidion Rift happens and the Lions are sent reeling by the Eagles and Berserkers.

 

The pace does slow as the Traitors reach the Blood Stars and the outer reaches of Mycenae before they are pushed back toward the Eye of Terror. But we're talking months, not years.

 

By my estimation, and feel free to correct me Sig, the Blood Crusade lasts a year to most. As the calendar flips over to 049.M31, the Insurrection is uncertain. Hectarion, Raktra, and Travier are all missing with very contradictory reports coming from the Dominion. Deprived of his healthiest Legion, Alexandros can't truly take advantage of the missing Berserkers, while Icarion is forced to send a Legion, the Drowned?, back East because Jade is being outmaneuvered and pushed back by Azus and Andezo working together. 

 

Thus, it seems another Stalemate is happening when the Berserkers and the Eagle Warriors reappear, coming out of the Maelstrom. Icarion and the Traitor Primarchs return to Madrigal to review the results. Travier is triumphant as he presents Daemon Raktra to his brothers with the exception of K'awil who can't stand in the same room as D-Raktra. Icarion is disturbed but can't deny Travier's success. Morro volunteers to be next. Koschei, Jade, Kozja, and Nomus are all horrified. It is then that they plot to leave Icarion's Dark Imperium and begin their own empire, while Koschei plans on defecting back to the Imperium. 

 

It is Kozja who proposes the next strategy. Morro and Travier will take their Legions to the Eastern theater to begin Morro's transformation. The remaining Traitors will divide into three armies. The Steel Legion, Warbringers, and the Warriors of Peace will assemble at Strela to threaten both the Dominion and Seg. Solar. Meanwhile, the Harbingers, the newly empowered Berserkers, Grave Stalkers and half of the Eagle Warriors will deploy to the previous battlefield of the first invasion. Koschei insists on preparing his own offensive from Zbruch. The plan is to confuse the Loyalists from which direction the next attack will come, while Travier transforms Morro and the Drowned in the East. Then, with the new power granted by Chaos, the Traitors will smash through the Seg. Solar's defenses.

 

Icarion assents to the plan, with one modification. That K'awil and the Grave Stalkers join the northern Legions since the Grave Stalkers pariahs cripple the Berserker's new power, and their power is better suited to hiding the northern Legions from the Warmaster's sight. Kozja agrees.

 

Thus, three years pass of skirmishes and cold warfare as Icarion moves Legions from one front to the other. The four dissenting Primarchs are careful not to speak to anyone about their plans and always have Pariah bodyguards throughout this period to hide their plans from the Stormlord, Travier, and the Warmaster. The Berserkers are the ones who launch the most raids of this time, and the Loyalists grow ever more wary of what's happened to their cousin marines. Alexandros in particular is attempting to perfect a counter to the daemonic power, something he has been researching and working on ever since his duel with Travier. 

 

052.M31 comes, and it is now that the Traitor Legions begin to split apart as Azus and Andezo attempt to prevent Morro's ascension. The first shock of the year is when the Godslayers are the first ones to reach their position...and are promptly surrounded by a warp storm. Confused, Icarion demands an answer from Travier, who assures him it is nothing more than a good portent. 

 

The Loyalists move to counter the Traitor deployments. Niklaas and the Fire Keepers move to the south of Seg. Solar ready to turn back the Godslayers. The Crimson Lions deploy at the edge of the Dominion border, while the Iron Bears begin to box in Strela from the north. The Void Eagles assume a position between Delos and the Dominion, ready to re-deploy to whichever war front they are needed. Meanwhile, the Halcyon Wardens and Scions continue the staring contest with Icarion's army across the segmentum border.

 

What catches both Travier and Icarion off-guard is when the other half of the Traitors reach Strela. Only moments after establishing an orbit above Strela, Kozja requests a war council with K'awil, Nomus, and the Jade General. After a complete review of unit strength, location, and assignment, Kozja signals his brothers. With mere seconds to react, K'awil is only able to grasp the hilts of his swords before he is bludgeoned to death by Nomus' maul, Kozja's maul, and Jade's power gauntlets. (Did anyone else notice that the three Suzerainty Primarchs all prefer bludgeoning weapons?)

 

At a command, the Grave Stalker fleet and Legionaries are ambushed and annihilated. In an hour, the Grave Stalkers are reduced to the edge of extinction as only the few GS units at Madrigal, with Icarion, and on the Eastern front are all that remains of the XVth. A paltry number that barely rises above a few hundred. Their alliance sealed in blood by this second betrayal, the three declare to the galaxy the creation of the Suzerainty. 

 

The Loyalists are utterly shocked by this revelation, but Alexandros quickly moves to establish diplomatic relations with the Suzerainty though his ultimate goal is reunification. Icarion is enraged by this betrayal and launches a retribution campaign before the Suzerainty can dig in, unleashing Raktra and his Berserkers against them with a significant force of Harbingers. 

 

The final surprise of 052 is the unveiling of the Nurgle Godslayers. Completely corrupted, only Koschei, Alexander, and a few other Godslayers retain their minds, but the Godslayers now truly embody undying endurance. Icarion orders them to skirt outside of Loyalist space and reinforce Raktra's offensive. 

 

053.M31 sees a countdown. Kozja and Alexandros have entered into negotiations while the Suzerainty deals with Raktra's furious assault. Although the Suzerainty Legions are holding, it is solely due to the Pariahs of the WoP who undermine the Berserkers' 'blessings'. Whenever the Traitors catch a Suzerainty force without a Pariah, the odds are against the Suzerainty. With the Traitors specifically targeting the WoP Pariahs, it is unknown if the Suzerainty can hold indefinitely once the Godslayers arrive. 

 

But Kozja and Alexandros can't budge on one point: recognition of the Suzerainty. Alexandros warns that without the Loyalists, only death awaits the Suzerainty, while Kozja counters the Imperium can't hope to win without the Suzerainty Legions. Alexandros hopes that the threat of the Godslayers' approach will be enough to force Kozja to accept his terms. 

 

Elsewhere, utterly disgusted by the Godslayers' transformation, Niklaas and the Fire Keepers enact Exterminatus on the Zbruch system after the Godslayers have headed north. But by far, most of the Loyalist Legions are taking the reprieve to rebuild their numbers as they watch this new war between Traitor and Suzerainty. 

 

Alas, it is Alexandros who ends up accepting Kozja's terms. Terrible news arrives. The Eastern Front has collapsed. 

 

Not only was Travier able to successfully orchestrate Morro's and his own ascension, the Andezo and the Predators have defected to the Traitors. Azus and the Dune Serpents were forced to retreat lest they be annihilated. Although the East technically isn't secured by the Traitors, Andezos, Travier, and Morro have begun the journey to decide the war once and for all at Terra.

 

By the end of 053, the Imperium officially recognizes the Suzerainty's right to exist. In turn, the Suzerainty signs a military alliance between the two empires. Hearing of this alliance, Icarion ends Raktra's offensive and summons Raktra's force and the Godslayers to his staging grounds (we really need a name for this system where Icarion launches his first Solar invasion). 

 

Unbeknowst to all parties is one, happier surprise for humanity. Hearing of the atrocities and utter corruption, Gwalchavad once again marches to war. The Wardens of Light begin the trip to Terra to face against evil. 

 

[Will finish the rest later. Getting groceries.]

[Sigismund229]

I'd amend the Blood Crusade's length to a max of 2 years, as the fall of East March and the period following the battle of Gidion Rift is when the Insurrectionists have the greatest momentum. By contrast, once the Eagle Warriors hit the Blood Stars and the Lions recover from Gidion Rift and start hitting back, the Insurrectionist advance slows considerably

 

And following their victory at Cadia, while they're hideously beaten up, the Lions will still pursue the Berserkers and EW, retaking what's left of the Eastern March and beginning to assault the north western provinces of Icarion's empire. Apart from their lust for vengeance, the Lions would realise that they now have the initiative and wouldn't want to waste it on fortifying the Dominion when they could use it to exact a bloody toll on the Insurrectionists. After all, every legionary they kill in the north west and every traitor world they burn will be one less legionary attacking the Seg.Solar and one less world supporting Icarion's war effort. So even while Hec is missing, the Lions will be attacking under the command of their Myrvalli, Clan Karakal in particular will be out for blood at all costs, as the East March was theirs to defend and they lost their Myrvallen on Cadia. So they have the mist incentive to make the Berserkers pay and may well swear some kind of blood oath to do so. And Gathos will be pursuing his personal vendetta against Riktus Innorvak.

 

In addition to that, the Warbringers have a special place in the ranks of hated traitors, alongside the EW and 'Serkers, in the CL's eyes so if they head north, then I could see the Lions going for their throats if the CL still think they're under an enemy banner.

Edited September 3, 2017 by Sigismund229

[simison]

So, definitely adding a year to everything to account for the Blood Crusade's length.

 

Mexicatii and Kabyieb are directly north of the Dominion, would they be suitable targets? I ask because Strela is actually connected to the Dark Imperium, while the other two are isolated and easier targets. 

 

...that and a destroyed Strela messes up my fluff. 

 

050: Stalemate. Crimson Lions go on a rampage without Hectarion to rein them in. Corrupted Berserkers and Eagle Warriors. Koschei and the Suzerainty Primarchs plot to abandon the Traitors.

 

051 - 052: Icarion prepares for his next invasion. The Drowned and Eagle Warriors head east.

 

053: Godslayers are corrupted by Nurgle. The Fire Keepers set fire to the Zbruch system. K'awil is slain with most of the Grave Stalker Legion. The Suzerainty comes into existence. Icarion sends Raktra on a retribution campaign against the Suzerainty.

 

054: Kozja and Alexandros begin negotiations. Morro and Travier ascend. Andezo defects to the Traitors. Azus is sent in retreat. The Eastern Traitor Legions begin to march west. Gwalchavad marches from the West toward Terra. 

 

Which brings us to 055.M31. Even with the Chaos gods speeding travel, the Eastern Traitor Legion are still looking at a full two years before they reach the Western front. The Western Traitor forces are stationed in the Yomi system, under Icarion's command. With the alliance secured, the Suzerainty and Imperium coordinate their armies as they prepare to assault the Dark Imperium. The goal is to destroy the Western Traitor Legions before they can regroup with the Eastern Traitors. 9 Legions prepare to lead the attack against Icarion's 3.5 Legions. 

 

Though Icarion is bitter about this turn of events, he knows better than to hold his ground. In a mirror of the early Insurrection, it is now the Traitors that are throwing up speed bumps as the Loyalists and Suzerainty forces try to catch them before the Traitors can unite. Unfortunately, while the allied forces are able to strike at Icarion's rearguard and take territory from the Dark Imperium for the first time since the Insurrection began, on 056.M31, Alexandros declares their attempt has failed. They will not be able to eliminate Icarion before he rendezvous with Travier's forces. 

 

The Loyalists begin to withdraw back toward Terra, drawing defense plans as they prepare to weather this next storm. Likewise, the Suzerainty forces fall back to the Strela system. 

 

But what of the Wardens of Light? While the Chaos gods cannot see these Pariahs, they can see the ship ratings and are doing every they can to stymie their most hated foe. What should have been a mere 1.5 years has been transformed into 4.5 years. Furthermore, the Chaos gods will not allow a single astropathic message from the Wardens of Light to reach Terra. Thus, the journey goes on. 

 

Mid-way through 056.M31, the Traitors reunite at the capital world of Madrigal. Here Icarion declares his intention to slay the Emperor and to conquer Terra. Travier counters that to defeat the Emperor, it is time for Icarion to finally embrace Chaos, something he has avoided since the beginning. Icarion finally relents. Thus, while Icarion seeks out the Chaos gods to receive their blessings, the majority of the Traitor Legions continue onward, intent on conquering Terra. 

 

Back in the East, Azus rallies the remnants of his Legion and travels along the southern corridor to reinforce his Loyalist brothers.

 

[Also, if any Loyalist Legions are not at the defense of Terra, insert massive, surprise warp storm that scatters the Loyalist fleet.]

 

By 057.M31, the Loyalists had returned to the Seg. Solar's defense zones. During this time, the Warmaster, known for his encouragement and ever-present grin, was unusually somber. Though he would brush off inquiries with explanations, it would not be until after a brief visit to Delos would Alexandros return in better spirits, claiming he could see victory. Given the Chaos gods' intervention, the Loyalist only have two months before the Traitors arrive at the outer edges of the segmentum. 

 

Forewarned by the Warmaster, the Loyalists are prepared as the entire Traitor force ignores the Suzerainty to hammer into the Seg. Solar border defenses. 

 

It is at this moment that Kozja makes the extremely controversial decision not to support the Imperial Legions, but to begin a counter-invasion aims toward Madrigal. It is a strategy that is supported by the Jade General, but voraciously protested by Nomus. Although warned about the decision days before it happens by the Warmaster, the Imperial Primarchs experience various negative emotional reactions to this event. 

 

Unfortunately, despite all of the Warmaster's attempts to prepare the Imperium for what's coming, words cannot convey what travels with the Traitor Legions. Armies of daemons straight from the mouth of Hell make war in tandem with the Traitor Legions. Only the Crimson Lions and the Halcyon Wardens are somewhat prepared as both had experienced early instances of true daemonic warfare in the Blood Crusade and the Delian Defense, respectively. 

 

As experienced as the Loyalist Legions are in fighting the Traitor Legions, they are simply unable to hold against the Traitors and their Daemonic allies. While the fight with skill and valor earned after two whole decades of civil war, the Loyalists are forced back. Although the Fire Keepers had repaired and strengthened the three defense lines, only four months pass before the first line is breached at great cost. 

 

The second line lasts five months, but it too is unable to prevent the Traitors from advancing onward. The dawn of 058.M31 sees the third line cracking underneath the relentless attacks of the Traitors and Daemons. 

 

For all of the defeats the Loyalists had suffered, the Suzerainty experienced in equal measure. Deprived of its Legions except for a portion of the Harbingers Legion guarding Madrigal, the Suzerainty Legions carved through the Dark Imperium as they came closer and closer to Madrigal. The Dark Imperium's mortal soldiers simply proved unfit in preventing the Suzerainty advance. Thus, despite having to travel farther and bedeviled by an angry immaterium, the Suzerainty fleet outpaced the Traitor's success.

 

Despite all of their efforts, the Dune Serpents remain months away.

 

When the final border defense zone breaks, the Daemonic horde threatens to sweep through the Loyalists as they attempt to retreat out of danger. It is at this moment, that the Wardens of Light finally reach the war. Although deeply disturb by what they see, the golden warriors deploy, standing directly beneath the battered and bloody Loyalists and the hellish armies. Against the Pariahs, the daemons are forced back, leaving only the Traitor Legions, who themselves have been beaten bloody to face against these skilled soldiers of light. 

 

Although it comes at great cost to the Wardens of Light, the Loyalist Legions are saved. The Warmaster declares that they will stand or fall in the Sol system. Once there, much as he had a decade ago during the first invasion, Alexandros makes another declaration that sends shockwaves throughout the galaxy. Alexandros reveals himself to be the writer of the Lectitio Divinatus and claims divinity through the Emperor. Declaring himself to be the eternal enemy of Chaos, Alexandros took to the battlefield to reveal a brand new power that seemed effective against the daemonic hordes as they began their invasion. 

 

During the apocalyptic battles of Seg. Solar, the Suzerainty advanced continued pressing deeper into the Dark Imperium. Until, as the Loyalist Legions were falling back to the Sol System, the Suzerainty arrived at the outer edge of the Madrigal system. A month before the Sol system would be placed under siege, Kozja declared he would not rest until Icarion lay dead at his feet. 

 

As the capitals of their respective empires, both systems were heavily fortified and defended. At Madrigal, the Suzerainty would have to contend with waves of Traitor regiments as they filtered into the system at Icarion's behest, while the Suzerainty Legions bashed at some of the best units of the Harbinger Legions. At Terra, the Traitor Legions would have to brave the Fire Keepers' best fortifications in the entire galaxy and the might and experience of 7 Legions. In both cases, the sieges would be costly, drawn-out affairs. 

 

It would only be after 058.M31 expired and 059 took its place before the Insurrection would finally see its conclusion: an Emperor broken, a Warmaster and Stormlord slain, and evil defeated.

 

~~~

 

So yeah, does that answer your question, Sig, about what the Crimson Lions can do besides the Blood Crusade?

[bluntblade]

Going by canon, at that stage Warp storms might leave Hec entirely out of contact. If PoH is anything to go by, the White Scars spent four years fighting Horus and no one on Terra even knew who they'd sided with.

[Sigismund229]

When I said the Lions would go for the throat, I actually meant they'd attack the Warbringers themselves rather than Strela. Of course, that all depends on how long it takes for the Imperium and Suzerainty to enter negotiations with each other.

 

And yeah, that answers it

Edited September 3, 2017 by Sigismund229

[bluntblade]

There will also be the resulting factor of "we are sundered from the Emperor. What do we do?" Edited September 3, 2017 by bluntblade

[Sigismund229]

There will also be the resulting factor of "we are sundered from the Emperor. What do we do?"

Which given the Lions have already failed in their duty to the Emperor once, when they sacked Han and as such missed Icarion's first push on Seg. Solar, will be a far more agonizing question for them than normal. They have four traitor legions in front of them that they could attack, two of them weak enough that the Lions could probably annihilate them, but at the same time they followed their vengeful instincts once before and it led to nothing but dishonour.

[bluntblade]

I see all that spurring the now calmer, wiser Hec to "we voyage, comrades."

[Kelborn]

Finally, I was able to catch up again.

 

Well done, Simison! Truly, a very good timeline to work with! :tu:

 

I realized that I have to update the Predators' timeline as I've stretched their downfall way more. Until now, I used an independent chaos cult, which was chased by the Predators. With the updated timeline, it kind of makes more sense to use a separate traitor force, which was already corrupted.

 

Have to reconsider the way of Andezo's persuasion....will continue this chain of thoughts in the Predators' thread.

[simison]

Thank you! A lot of work went into those posts, and I feel much more comfortable with the tempo and cadence of the Insurrection.

 

That said, how do the Predators and Andezo look? Moving Andezo to the East was a new idea, even though it grants him the isolation from most of his brothers that will lead to his fall.

[Kelborn]

It does suit them very well. Theri homeworld, Mardum is located within the Segmentum Ultima, adding another reason for them being at the eastern front.

Further, it fits their desire to be the unbound hunters / loners in order to hunt down the foes of mankind. While chasing after Jade and Nomus, the Predators might get frustrated because of the ongoing attritional war, which is nothing they would feel comfortable with.

 

So we got their disappointnemt in not having found a way to get rid of chaos + the attritional war against their former brothers + being alone at the front (yeah, the Serpents are still out there, but they are possibly even more elusive than the Predators), which could be a good start for their downfall.

 

AND I'm still able to make use of the Andezo vs. Nomus duel I had in mind when we last talked about this side of the war. Stabbing oneself in order to overwhelm ones foes....lovin' it.

[simison]

Excellent. I've already spoken with Redd to clarify the Iron Bears, so, minus the details, this timeline is functional.

[bluntblade]

I would chop a couple momths off the Siege of Madrigal as a personal preference, so while massively important it clearly doesn't rival Terra, and gives it more of a desperate, last-roll feel whilst making Icarion look more formiddable.