[IronGauntlet]Index Custodes - The Wardens of Mercury (5/2)

[MysticTemplar]

The Wardens of Mercury

Subject:..............FW: RE: Odd Heraldry
Date:..................1988004.M31
Ref:....................ARI8123
To:.....................Lord Alpharius, Primarch of the Alpha Legion
From:..................Captain Viator

I received the following from one of my contacts around the Throneworld, who I had forwarded a picture of the lander that was spotted taking off from Werise IV.  I've organized her message into a more typical format, and as usual my comments follow the remembrancer's in italics.

-Viator Nomis, Captain of the Fifth Company

 

 

Lord Alpharius -

I am honoured by your continued patronage, my Lord.  As per your request, I looked into the heraldry in the image you sent me, and I've collated the results here.  Information regarding them remains scarce at best, so some of the information contained within has yet to be corroborated, and some is little more than educated conjecture on my part.

 

The heraldry in question was that on the lander that was spotted on Kyronis IV during our initial preparations for the campaign there.  As the lander matched patterns used by the Custodians, I made additional inquiries.

 

Origins of the Wardens of Mercury

The first time any member of the Ten Thousand appears in any records with heraldry matching that of the image you sent to me ca. 1971798M30, in the opening acts of the Great Crusade, in scraps recovered by other Rememberancers from those who were ruled by the depredations of the previous tyrants of the Sol System.  Repeated reference is made to them making lightning strikes against those who thought they had super weapons capable of turning the tide - none of which were seen again.  I've attached a list to my missive.

 

At least some of these weapons seem to have ended up in the Vaults of Rython, though the list is long enough that I'm reasonably certain that not all of them did.  A scorched system policy seemed to be the mindset of some of these tyrants, at least one of which is described as being capable of causing Sol to undergo a catastrophic chain reaction which would spell the end for all the planets in the system.

 

Given their heraldric similarities to those of the Warders of the Vaults of Rython on Terra, it seems likely that they are a closely related organization, if not different branches of the same organization within the Custodians.  Anything further on their origins would just be speculation at this time, though I've chosen to refer to them as the 'Wardens of Mercury' later in this missive.

 

They seem to have a different Tribune at their head than those who guard the Vaults of Rython, however.  The handful of intercepted communications between Mercury and Terra reference a 'Lord Warden', who seems likely to be the man in charge on Mercury, though the meaning of the rest of these communiques yet escapes our code breakers.  One of them came with with a pict of one of the Wardens in full array though.  I've attached it at the bottom of this missive.

Homeworld

Mercury, as the planet in the Sol System closest to the Sun is generally considered to be inimical to settlement in the current era.  There is some evidence of facilities on the planet's surface that appear to date back to the Dark Age of Technology, and there is always some activity with regards to the shoal facilities in orbit.  Inquiries with some of the void-born operating in this area revealed occasional signs of activity from the Legio Custodes, as well as at least one sighting of the Black Ships of the Adepta Astra Telepathica.  None of the void-farers admitted to having given a Psyker over to their custody, so it seems likely they had business on the planet itself.  A friend in the Administratum was able to dig up the initial survey records from the earliest stages of the Great Crusade, which was surprisingly devoid of information for a planet with no apparent material value.  What was left, though, seemed to indicate that the planet might either be hollow or highly catacombed as a result of mining operations during the Dark Age of Technology.  I couldn't confirm anything, but I think it is highly likely that the Wardens are based out of either these apparent ruins, or perhaps underneath the surface of Mercury itself.

 

It seems likely that there is something significantly greater than mining detritus in those caverns - if it has been given over to the Custodians as the evidence would seem to indicate, then what is present must be both supremely dangerous and highly powerful, to be kept under the aegis of the Imperial Household, but away from its seat of power.  The contents are suspected to be those items retrieved by the Wardens that weren't handed over to the Vaults of Rython; similar in nature to what is held there, but significantly more volatile - covert assets in the area have detected at least one unusual energy spike from the planet's surface.

 

Combat Doctrine

Some things can be assumed about the Wardens' combat prowess purely from their status as part of the Legio Custodes - they are well equipped, well trained, and absolute terrors on the battlefield.  Fragmentary records surviving from the battlefields that the Wardens have deployed upon confirms this, and suggests a tactical doctrine oriented around pinpoint strikes.  It is likely this tendency derives from the overall mandate, for there is additional evidence that the bulk of those bearing the Wardens' heraldry are likely to withdraw from battle once their primary objective is met.  On the moon Nereid, for example, it seems that the Wardens penetrated deep into the mutants' defenses before abruptly withdrawing once they had retrieved something that the surviving records name only as 'the Cataphlex of Oblitsteri'.

 

Care will have to be taken if the Wardens are encountered on the battlefield - if their tendencies hold true, it seems that the Wardens hold to their sworn duty over any strategic considerations.  It may be possible to control their presence on the field through the presence of their target, either to keep them in the battle, or to cause them to leave early.  High priorities will need to be put on discerning their target should the need arise.

 

It's not clear how the Wardens determine the location, or even existence of their targets.  There was one pict capture of what appears to be a man swathed in heavy robes seemingly directing the Wardens, but he is absent from other images of them fighting.

 

Current theory is that either the Emperor himself directs their acquisitions, or perhaps that they have some other source of clairvoyance to seek out things that fall within their mandate.

Organization

Author

Remembrancer Aria Orianski

Based on the picts I have been analyzing, I estimate that the Wardens' field strength numbers no more than one hundred members, between the warriors on the ground and the pilots of their vehicles.  They do seem to possess an unusual number of vehicles, up to and including at least two of the Moritoi.  It is possible that there are more, but with the quality of the picts it is impossible to tell - much of the heraldry is obscured through what seems to be either grime or battle damage of some regard.

 

Hard information on the Custodian Moritoi branch is hard to come by at the best of times, but with our best estimate of their disposition, it seems likely that the Contemptors available to the Wardens number no more than four, given the perennially small size of their ranks.

 

It's difficult to determine how many of the Wardens remain whatever base they possess on Mercury.  The heraldry present in their deployment provides the only real clue - best guess based on the number of observed variations is that their field force is roughly a third of the total strength available to the Wardens.

 

Given that the Mercury installation is important enough to warrant direct control by the Imperial Household, it seems likely that the Wardens have additional strength of some sort.  A more conservative estimate of the forces that remain on Mercury full time is roughly three times their field numbers...  And it seems likely that there is something either more significant or esoteric, or both.  Perhaps one of the Titans that the Emperor requisitioned from Mars lies dormant therein...?

 

It appears that the Wardens' leadership follows the same pattern as the rest of the Ten Thousand.  Determining the Tribune in overall command has been a feat that has thus far escaped me.  It is possible that he never leaves Mercury, and thus no recorded evidence of him exists.

 

No agent has yet successfully identified the Tribune in command.

 

The pict was labeled simply as Orien.  By his armament, it appears that he is one of those collectively known as shield captains, for not even the Companions are generally equipped with weapons such as his.

 

Regards,

Remembrancer Aria Orianski

 

 

 

Message Ends

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Subject:..............FW: Remembrancers
Date:..................1990004.M31
Ref:....................WAR8123
To:.....................Lord Alpharius, Primarch of the Alpha Legion
From:..................Captain Viator

 

Shortly after my receipt of the previous message, I received the following, hand delivered by a member of the Adepta Astra Telepathica who's ship was currently resupplying at the naval depot my company was staging out of. 

 

Captain Viator.  I do not appreciate having an Astartes Legion dragging their noses through my business.  I will overlook your transgression this once, but in return you will leave the Black Prism that you acquired on Loiren with the Oblivion Knight who delivered this message.

 

-The Lord Warden of Mercury, Tribune of the Legio Custodes

 

Given that we can not afford to draw scrutiny of this nature from the Imperial Household at this juncture, I judged it better to accede to the Lord Warden's demand.  As such, I must report that my mission has ended in failure, though given how recently I acquired the prism, it boggles the mind that the Wardens could have caught wind of it without clairvoyance of some sort.

 

-Viator Nomis, Captain of the Fifth Company

 

Message Ends

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Operation Viscucius - The Siege of Mercury

 

Subject:..............Operation Viscucius
Date:..................1215014.M31
Ref:....................PER9832
To:.....................Lord Alpharius, Primarch of the Alpha Legion
From:..................Captain Viator

 

As ordered, I leaked the information we'd gathered on the relics held by the Wardens to the Warsmith of the 65th Grand Battalion of the Iron Warriors.  As expected, once the Warsmith had finished his task in the asteroid belt, his fleet made straight for Mercury.  Agents embedded in his Grand Battalion granted us access to his tactical net, from which I've stitched together this account.  Putting together the events of the hectic days of the Siege of Mercury has taken me some time, but I suspect that you will find the account illuminating.

 

To begin with, the orbit of Mercury seems to have been secured without incident, the orbital shoals scattering without ever firing a shot at the Iron Warriors' fleet.  Once they landed, however, the defenses of the planet began to unfold, as the following vox cast shows...

 

Captain Zalgen to Warsmith ________  Operation Viscucius - T+6 hours

Warsmith, we've secured the ruins on the planet as directed, but they seem to be a husk.  There isn't actually any...  Wait.  What energy spike?  Where?  But there's nothing the-

 

The transmission ends abruptly at this point.  Analysis of what few of the Warsmith's flagship's sensor logs that our agents were able to make available to us indicates that the ruins seem to have become consumed in a blaze of emerald light, almost like an unusually large phosphex bomb, though it burned itself out too quickly for it to have been that substance.  Analysis of the Iron Warrior's deployment from this point seems to indicate that the Warsmith was able to divine the true entry point to the vaults, but it is unclear of how he arrived at this conclusion.  It is possible that he had a Sorcerer of some sort aboard his vessel, but given its fate, data is sparse.

 

What is clear, however is that the Wardens, previously silent, deployed in force at this point, with a concomitant rise in casualties to the Warsmith's forces.  Despite total command of the orbitals, it seems that the Warsmith felt he was under a time constraint of some sort, as the following recording indicates.

 

Warsmith _________ - Operation Viscucius - T+74 hours - Bridge of his Flagship (Presumed)

How is the anomaly progressing?  Speak to me worm!¹  Bah.  Communications!  Signal all forces at once.  Forces of the _______________, this is Warsmith _________. Our enemy weakens, like the pathetic flesh that they are.  You will take the entry way, now, or the lot of you will be consigned to decimation like the cowards that you are.  It matters not what you face.  Take not one single step back.  End transmission.  Signal the hangar bay, and have my Thunderhawk readied for immediate departer.

 

¹It is clear from the sounds made after this, that whoever the Warsmith was addressing was not having a good day.  There's a rather distinct squelching noise as if a limb is being stepped on by armor.  No cry of pain, however.

 

The Warsmith deploying to the surface of Mercury seems to have been the beginning of the end of the Siege.  Curiously, kill reports being voxed in by Iron Warriors units during this time seem to report a marked down swing in damage inflicted upon the Wardens' mechanised units, and few if any kills on the Custodians themselves.  The command crew seems to have regarded this as them having finally broken the Wardens back, as this recording shows.

 

Operations Officer Keiremus, Bridge of the Warsmith's Flagship - Operation Viscucius - T+79 hours

Speak again, Captain Soemin.  Contact recorded, one Pallas-Class Grav-Attack craft, driven off by anti-aircraft fire, Coordinates Oh Oh Three X Five Six Two.  Designation Yukikaze.  Confirmed.  Over. 

 

There is a vox crackle here, and the next line seems to be said to the officer at the station next to Keiremus', though it is difficult to tell with just a recording.

 

See, I told you, Philio.  We've got them on the run now.  Amasec's on me, later.

 

It is thought that the Yukikaze is the personal craft of the Custodian Tribune known as the Lord Warden, so it being reported here in what is one of the Iron Warriors' flank areas by the coordinates given would seem to indicate that there is more than one entrance to the vaults beneath the planet.

 

The last transmission that we received from the battle came just an hour later, as the first Iron Warriors units, led personally by the Warsmith, finally penetrated the vault complex, from one of our embedded agents.  It is below in its entirety.

 

Legionnaire Appolonius - Operation Viscucius - T+80 hours

Boss, we've successfully penetrated the defenses surrounding the Custodian vault complex.  Warsmith ________ is spearheading the assault, but he's lost at least seventy percent of his force in the attempt, and seems likely to lose more within the complex itself.  The Wardens have a warrior of such prowess that I have never seen before outside our Lord and his brothers.  Clad in nothing more than a brown burlap bag, the warrior has scythed through every legionnaire who has dared stand against him, and seems almost untouched.  And more than that...

 

At this point a full pict cast began, showing that our operative had found a secluded position to transmit from.  The pict cast, however, shows a grainy picture of what must be the Lord Warden of Mercury confronting what is probably the Warsmith in what is clearly the first main room of the vault.

 

Lord Warden of Mercury - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

It is a shame, that men as brave as yourselves should come here today, for here you will find no glory, no honor, and no victory.

 

At this point, the dark liveried custodian raises one hand, and points at what is presumably the Warsmith, though his retort is captured loudly and clearly.

 

Warsmith __________ - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

Outnumbered thirty to one, and you dare tell a son of Perturabo that he faces defeat?  YOU DARE?  DIE!

 

Here, the Warsmith seems to fly into a rage, which as you well know never seems to do any warriors any favors.  Though given what followed next, it seems unlikely that it would have much mattered.  The Lord Warden stepped deftly to the side, weapon remaining undrawn, revealing a small ball of energy building at what appears to have been some sort of weapons aperture.

 

Lord Warden of Mercury - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

Know that you have pushed me further than any one ever has before.  But by the Emperor's will...  By any means necessary.  Obliteratum.  FIRE.

 

As to what an Obliteratum is, well...  It remains unclear.  What is clear, though, is that the relatively innocuous orb seems to have not just killed the Warsmith, but wiped him from existence entirely.  An agent aboard one of the surviving shoal-craft recorded an eruption of such power that it seems to have annihilated much of the Warsmith's fleet, and rent a massive chasm into the planet itself, though none seem to have been inclined to take advantage of it.  Curiously, Legionnaire Appolonius seems to have survived the blast, where none of the Iron Warriors did, though this turn of events did not last for long.  His last transmission follows.

 

Legionnaire Appolonius - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

Uh...  Boss.  I don't think...  I don't even know...  The Warsmith...  I...  Don't remember what he looked like, anymore...  I don't understand...

 

At this point a second voice cuts in.  It isn't the Lord Warden's, and it doesn't have the tell tale signs of coming from one of the Custodians, so my best guess is that it came from the unarmored warrior alluded to earlier.

 

???? - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

Ah, a survivor.  It seems that not all cleaved to the same banner, then.  My Lord!  I found a surviving Legionnaire.  Seems to be one of the Hydra's get.

 

The last voice in the recording is clearly the Lord Warden's, and it is somewhat concerning, personally.

 

Lord Warden - Operation Viscucius - T+81 hours

I had expected as such.  You are still transmitting, then?  Good.  Bolster his signal!  Now, Captain Viator, I told you that next time you stuck your nose into my business there would be a reckoning, and there will be.  Do not think that I have missed your handiwork in this.  Enjoy what time you have left.

 

The transmission ends here, as do all records of the Iron Warriors' Operation Viscucius, the Siege of Mercury.  Going through what files were available to me after the event, it seems that all instances of the Warsmith's name have been wiped from existence, as if he was unmade entirely.

 

More chillingly, the Lord Warden's last words to the Warsmith seem to indicate that he is willing to unleash those items secured by the Wardens in the defense of Mercury, for his mandate from the Emperor seems to have been 'by any means necessary.'

 

It is my opi-

 

Message Ends

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Subject:..............RE: Operation Viscucius
Date:..................1215014.M31
Ref:....................PER9833
To:.....................Lord Alpharius, Primarch of the Alpha Legion
From:..................Captain Artemaias

 

I must unfortunately report that my predecessor, Captain Viator Nomis, was slain by what appears to have been a Custodian Strike team in the colors of the Wardens of Mercury while composing his report.  Failsafes in the equipment caused it to be sent on his death, which accounts for the somewhat abrupt end of the previous missive.

 

After reviewing the material left behind by my predecessor, there is only one viable conclusion.

 

My Lord, it is my conclusion that no victory can be achieved on Mercury through conventional force of arms.

 

-Artemaias Keinzi, Captain of the Fifth Company

[Sete]

Wait, is this a Custodes "chapter"?

Interesting. Need to read it properly.

Just a quick thing.

Don't involve Malcador into it.

The Custodes would only answer to the Emperor himself. Just keep it misterious.

[Kelborn]

Intriguing...

 

Before I can give any feedback on this, I have to read the Custodes part of Inferno. But you got my attention. :)

[MysticTemplar]

Wait, is this a Custodes "chapter"?

Interesting. Need to read it properly.

Just a quick thing.

Don't involve Malcador into it.

The Custodes would only answer to the Emperor himself. Just keep it misterious.

Hmmm... Fair enough. The idea I was attempting to get across was 'the man is telling them how to find the thing they are looking for' rather than 'the man is commanding them', but I don't seem to have conveyed this well here. (I'm not above admitting that I think Malcador is the most interesting member of the Emperor's court, but you do raise a good point here. I'll remove the speculative line about Malcador.)

Intriguing...

Before I can give any feedback on this, I have to read the Custodes part of Inferno. But you got my attention.

The idea behind the Wardens is that the Warders of the Vaults of Rython are cool, but would you want to keep the really volatile things on your throneworld? It just seems like such a terrible idea.

[LancsHotpot90]

Interesting stuff so far, not everyday you see a homebrew branch of the Custodes.

 

Looking forward to seeing a colour scheme.

Are they still around in tbe 41st millennium?

If so what will their role be? How have they responded to Guillimans return?

[MysticTemplar]

Interesting stuff so far, not everyday you see a homebrew branch of the Custodes.

 

Looking forward to seeing a colour scheme.

Are they still around in tbe 41st millennium?

If so what will their role be? How have they responded to Guillimans return?

 

Heh, there's no Custodes painter, so I've uploaded a picture of one of my minis for the color scheme. 

 

With regards to the 41st Millenium, I admit I hadn't thought about it too much.  I'm thinking that I may do another article or two - one mid-Heresy, and one in the 41st millenium.  I tend to think that they wouldn't really care much about Guilliman - after all, their mandate remains unchanged after 10,000 years, and even the Lord Commander lacks the authority to change it.  It is likely they would sortie in the events surrounding and following his return, though - after all, in the Storm that's come, there are things that may yet require internment.  It's reasonably likely they may come in conflict with the Ynnari, or even some overly enthusiastic Tau.  Maybe even a (failed) assault on Thanatos to recover the Celestial Orrery.

[Badass_Spaz]

Not a huge buff on Custodes lore yet this appeals to me, regardless. The mystique you've draped over this Custodes branch ensnares the reader attention. There's no clear-cut, here-you-go, this is why they're chilling on Mercury; no-no, none of that nonsense, which I applaud. This ever-present mystery leaves plenty of room for speculation as to what these shifty bunch of Blackclad Custodes are up to. Personally, I'm wagering there's some neat tech banned by the Emperor himself, or... Dare I say, the missing Legion!? Oh yes, I just went there. Hehe

[MysticTemplar]

Not a huge buff on Custodes lore yet this appeals to me, regardless. The mystique you've draped over this Custodes branch ensnares the reader attention. There's no clear-cut, here-you-go, this is why they're chilling on Mercury; no-no, none of that nonsense, which I applaud. This ever-present mystery leaves plenty of room for speculation as to what these shifty bunch of Blackclad Custodes are up to. Personally, I'm wagering there's some neat tech banned by the Emperor himself, or... Dare I say, the missing Legion!? Oh yes, I just went there. Hehe

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it.  I must admit to having been tempted to have an official statement from the Lord Warden about how he was not a Primarch, but that would be wrong.  I think it works way better this way, anyways.

[joschlumpf]

The way you wrote this article is great, now I want more

Will we read about the Alpha Legion gets involved in a fight with them for your M41 article?

[Badass_Spaz]

Alpha Legionares arrive and Custodes salute. Hydra Dominatus and Alpha Legion salutes in return. Hydra Dominatus, brother.

Yes, it is only conclusion to that encounter.

[MysticTemplar]

The way you wrote this article is great, now I want more

Will we read about the Alpha Legion gets involved in a fight with them for your M41 article?

Alpha Legionares arrive and Custodes salute. Hydra Dominatus and Alpha Legion salutes in return. Hydra Dominatus, brother.

Yes, it is only conclusion to that encounter.

I'm thinking that there's going to be an Alpha Legion invasion of Mercury during the Solar War.

"My Lord, it is my conclusion that no victory can be achieved on Mercury through conventional force of arms." -Artemaias Keinzi, Captain of the Fifth Company

[Dizzyeye01]

The question I have for you Templar is what would a Custodes have to do or have done in the past to have been given such a post? What makes them worthy of being a Warden? Perhaps go into more detail of their time fighting to claim the Solar System as a whole to lay down what happened with this group of Custodes and ended up becoming vault watchers.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

One think I think is curious is how (if they only have circa 100 custodes) the head custodian has the forces and chutzpah to threaten an entire legion, to the point the threat is sufficient to send an Alpha legionnare packing. Do they have something (beyond doomsday devices) that an Astartes legion would be afraid of, or enough sway with the emperor/the primarchs they'll just look the other way when the legionnaires are censured/killed/disappeared.

 

I am sorry for not chiming in on this sooner, this is an interesting article. Never seen a custom custodes organization, good luck with it!

[Badass_Spaz]

@ Dizzyeye As much as I love reading you're questions, I'd rather not know what the Custodes are guarding on Mercury. Sometimes it's best to leave mysteries unsolved while creating a world around said mystery. We don't need to know every nitty-gritty detail, which the 40K Lore itself clearer demonstrates. We don't know how many pieces the C'tan's were shattered into, how hypno-therapy for Astarte's works, or how exactly the Primarchs were made. We, the fans, are left to fill the gaps ourselves and discuss with others. So, I personally hope Mystic drops a few hints here and there yet never outright explains it.
If Mystic does take the mystique route, I shall challenge you to a head-canon contest. Whoever can conceive the most plausible reason for the Custodes stewardship will... Hmm, I'm not sure. Either way, it's a neat topic to discuss.. If you want.

Still loving the Custodes, by the way.

[NovemberIX]

I like the format, the unreliable narrator is well used, and fairly unique for the IA form. I know how difficult it is to try and write from that perspective so kudos to you. So basically, if they were to be described laconically, they'd be the Warehouse 13 of 40K?

[MysticTemplar]

So I'm glad to see that people like this, and I'm a little sad that it's taken me this long to get back to this, but welcome to Operation Viscucius, the Iron Warriors' invasion of Mercury.

 

 

The question I have for you Templar is what would a Custodes have to do or have done in the past to have been given such a post? What makes them worthy of being a Warden? Perhaps go into more detail of their time fighting to claim the Solar System as a whole to lay down what happened with this group of Custodes and ended up becoming vault watchers.

 

This will go unanswered for now, but rest assured that you'll get a closer glimpse into the Lord Warden when I write up his data slate.

 

One think I think is curious is how (if they only have circa 100 custodes) the head custodian has the forces and chutzpah to threaten an entire legion, to the point the threat is sufficient to send an Alpha legionnare packing. Do they have something (beyond doomsday devices) that an Astartes legion would be afraid of, or enough sway with the emperor/the primarchs they'll just look the other way when the legionnaires are censured/killed/disappeared.

I am sorry for not chiming in on this sooner, this is an interesting article. Never seen a custom custodes organization, good luck with it!

 

Take a look at the date of the missive - the thought here was that the demand from the Lord Warden came in the run up to the Dropsite Massacre, so while there might normally have been an incident, Captain Viator preferred to acquiesce rather than draw additional scrutiny right when the Legion could ill afford it.  But as far as doomsday technology, well...  look at the fate of Warsmith _______.

 

@ Dizzyeye As much as I love reading you're questions, I'd rather not know what the Custodes are guarding on Mercury. Sometimes it's best to leave mysteries unsolved while creating a world around said mystery. We don't need to know every nitty-gritty detail, which the 40K Lore itself clearer demonstrates. We don't know how many pieces the C'tan's were shattered into, how hypno-therapy for Astarte's works, or how exactly the Primarchs were made. We, the fans, are left to fill the gaps ourselves and discuss with others. So, I personally hope Mystic drops a few hints here and there yet never outright explains it.
If Mystic does take the mystique route, I shall challenge you to a head-canon contest. Whoever can conceive the most plausible reason for the Custodes stewardship will... Hmm, I'm not sure. Either way, it's a neat topic to discuss.. If you want.

Still loving the Custodes, by the way.

 

 

I like the format, the unreliable narrator is well used, and fairly unique for the IA form. I know how difficult it is to try and write from that perspective so kudos to you. So basically, if they were to be described laconically, they'd be the Warehouse 13 of 40K?

 

Essentially.  There's probably more doomsday weapons per capita on Mercury than anywhere else in the Imperium.  And some other things, as well...

 

I'm glad you liked the format I ended up going with.  I tried something new for the Invasion of Mercury, and I'd like some feedback on how well it worked.  (Or even just how I can format it better, if the overall flow works.)

[TheBlindPrimarch]

It's a very interesting concept and has left me looking forward to more insight into this group. Unfortunately until that time it is a little difficult to give quality C&C. I will say, I like the idea of doing Custodes that aren't gold. kudos!

[Legionare]

"It seems likely that there is something significantly greater than mining detritus in those caverns - if it has been given over to the Custodians as the evidence would seem to indicate, then what is present must be both supremely dangerous and highly powerful, to be kept under the aegis of the Imperial Household, but away from its seat of power. The contents are suspected to be those items retrieved by the Wardens that weren't handed over to the Vaults of Rython; similar in nature to what is held there, but significantly more volatile - covert assets in the area have detected at least one unusual energy spike from the planet's surface."

 

This is an interesting part. Do you have any definition about what that object is? It also strikes me as something similar to the void dragon captured in Mars. Is that intentional or just something that was inpossible to avoid since you wanted the Custodians to have something to guard?

 

The mystery around the Wardens is well written, although sometimes it might be even too much as at least i had hard time grasping some parts, like the Wardens' leader.