'Some Things Are Best Left Forgotten'
'The War of the False Primarch was a dark and bloody episode of the Imperium's history, now largely lost to myth and purged from all records, that plunged the Segmentum Pacificus into anarchy from 780.M33 to 860.M33. The conflict was finally ended when the High Lords of Terra convened the Pentarchy of Blood and tasked five loyal Chapters to destroy eleven others that had been declared Traitoris Perdita for their actions during the war.'
Imperial Armour Volume Two - Second Edition pg. 17
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| [//Carcharadons engage Marines Saturnine forces in the Tannbach Cluster, Abraxas Sub; Sector Heliopolis+]. |
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+ Abstract – or, 'what are we doing?' +
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| [//Forbearance: One of the infamous Silver Stars directs Partisan soldiers in resisting the High Lords' initial assault.+] |
+ Your invitation +
This is a future you can live now, if you dare – to be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned.
This project is an invitation to collaborate and create a future history of the War of the False Primarch, and to illustrate this through building and painting models, writing stories, or through other creative illumination, such as map-making, illustration and so forth.
+ Core Astartes +
You might be interested in exploring one of the doomed so-called 'Partisan Chapters' that followed the mysterious figure of the rumoured Primarch. An overview of the Chapters can be found in this article – and individual Index Astartes articles will appear over the following weeks. For further discussion and guidance in the meantime, I encourage you to contact the creators via Instagram (their handles are in the captions, following the colon in each case).
You might instead want to hasten their dooms by deploying the horrifying Extinction forces of the High Lords of Terra; most famously the Pentarchy of Blood. An article on the Five Chapters will be posted in February, as Phase II (see below) kicks off.
[//Void Barons request confirmation of sweep-and-clear order as they engage the Death Eagles' Sixteenth Company during the Oblitus Vega Campaign. +].
If you decide that you're more enthused about another aspect of the background – say one of the numerous Guard, Inquisitiorial, Naval or other orthodox Imperial groups – then keep an eye out, as we have articles planned for each. Colour text and images of political figures in the region are going to be just as important as army pictures, so however you want to contribute, you can.
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+ The Shadow War +
The history of the War of the False Primarch is clouded and unclear. Patchy and ancient records have allowed us to explore and unearth what seems to be the truth – but in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, truth is not always what it seems to be.
Groups known as the Marines Mendicant and the Vigilants arise – more on these in later articles, but suffice to say there's another way you might like to contribute a marine to fight the orthodoxy of the High Lords, and usher in the primacy of the Primarch – or vice versa, of course!
Beyond the mighty Astartes are the men and the women of this new age of Imperium; those for whom the Great Crusade is all but a fast-fading myth. Stability after galaxy-shaking wars has been hard-won; and for every person looking skyward for new hope and deliverance, another wants merely for tomorrow to be much like today.
Under the guidance of the High Lords of Terra the creeping theocratic bureacracy of the 41st Millennium is slowly taking shape, strangling dissent and silencing critics as Imperial Orthodxy takes its full brutal shape. Chief amongst the High Lords' forces are the Inquisition, an increasingly powerful political agency in its own right; and their ever-vigilant agents are amongst the first to hear rumours of this mysterious figure. Inquisitors of all stripes can be found involved.
While the broader War of the False Primarch sees demigods clash in a contest to see who will head the Imperium in the coming years – The High Lords of Terra or one of the Emperor's supposed gene-sons – the Shadow War seeks to answer smaller questions; not least to uncover the true identify of the mysterious figure.
+ How this works +
I – Hope is the first step on the road to betrayal
- Timespan: January–March
- Narrative: The False Primarch appears, and forces flock to him; battles between Partisans and Guard/xenos forces.
- Lore: We look at a selection of the Partisan Chapters.
- Works: Example models are unveiled of Dramatis Personae for both the Five Chapters and the Partisans.
- Tag: #hopebetrayal
II – Blessed is the mind too small for doubt
- Timespan: March–May
- Narrative: The High Lords convene the Pentarchy of Blood; opening inter-Astartes battles.
- Lore: We look at the Five Chapters in detail.
- Works: We present forces (Killteam up to full army) of each of the Five Chapters, plus models of the High Lords.
- Tag: #blesseddoubt
III – For the Warrior, the only crime is cowardice
- Timespan: April–June
- Narrative: Height of the war.
- Lore: We look at the remaining Partisan Chapters in detail.
- Works: We present forces (Killteam up to full army) of each of the Partisan Chapters, plus battle scenes.
- Tag: #warriorcowardice
IV – Everything you have been told is a lie.
- Timespan: May–July
- Narrative: The False Primarch makes his appearance.
- Lore: We look at conflicting reports of the Primarch; and encourage readers to submit their own models/theories/lore.
- Works: Continuing showcase of our stuff.
- Tag: #everythinglie
V – Some things are best left forgotten
- Timespan: July onwards.
- Narrative: The Inquisition begin macro-suppression of the affected region; end of the war.
- Lore: We look at how the Pentarchy is disbanded, and how the Five Chapters react.
- Works: Open invitation for all to submit their artwork; and perhaps something big? I'm open to suggestions here; perhaps we might even meet up for a weekend of gaming?
- Tag: #somethingsarebestleftforgotten
+ Who's involved? +
+ The Pentarchy of Blood +
- Red Talons – The Observer/count.hodo
- Death Eagles – Craig/Mike_F biohazardmodels
- Carcharodons – Dennis K the_iron_within
- Flesh Eaters – Paul H Midnightmare
- Charnel Guard – Josh S-D warlords_collective
+ Partisans: Traitoris Perdita +
- Star Wardens – Dan J dark_isles
- Wormwood Sons – Nick T K0rdhal
- Firebreak – Cameron M dizzyeye.01
- Riven Lords – Cole C sharkamanderminis
- Red Fish – Mike F eatdrinkdeath
- Marines Saturnine – Tom K ghostys_neon_rust
- Void Barons – Simon V Vazzy/HeresyHobbyHeadquarters
- Inheritors – Lars J-D lars.j.dahl
- Iron Guard – Michael M-R studio_fatfingers
- Argent Heralds – Matt Swift
- Jade Talons – Adam St-A adam_james_creates
+ The shadow war: the Inquisition and sundry others +
- Inquisitorial team – Peter H PDH_neglected_fruits
+ Dramatis Personae +
- The Silver Stars and [REDACTED]; the Eleventh Primarch – or an Abomination Unto Him-on-Earth – apologist
- The High Lords of Terra – Baraqu Collective
- The Paternoval Envoy – dark_isles
- Lord Commander Militant of the Astra Militarum – Weirdingsway
+ Maps and artworks +
- Dennis K the_iron_within
- Edward R apologist
+ Other contributors +
- Dosjetka
- You!
Come, join us.
#somethingsarebestleftforgotten
Good hunting!