Meridian

Meridian is the capitol world of Subsector Aurelia, and is, along with Calderis, Typhon Primaris, and Aurelia, under the protection of the Blood Ravens Space Marine chapter. Its Aestimare is A431.

Map	Basic Data		Planetary Image
	Name:	Meridian
	Segmentum:
	Sector:	Korianis4
	Subsector:	Subsector Aurelia
	System:	Unknown
	Population:	32 billion
	Affiliation:	Imperium
	Class:	Hive World
	Tithe Grade:	Exactis Secundus

Geography and History

A Hive World, Meridian's surface is a teeming planetary metropolis, with huge city-spires rising from urban landscapes the size of continents. The planet is also an industrial power, producing everything from household goods to lasguns and aircraft.

Meridian accounts for well over 90% of the total population and economic output of Subsector Aurelia. For this reason, the Governor of the sub-sector sees the other worlds under his rule as little more than a resource frontier, whereas his primary concern is Meridian's links to the larger Imperium.

In M41, Subsector Aurelia was invaded by a Tyranid Hive Fleet. Anticipating the threat, an Eldar raiding force under Farseer Idranel stirred up Orks on several of the worlds in an attempt to blunt the invasion. On Meridian, Governor Gregor Vandis of House Vandis largely ignored the Ork and Eldar activity among his people, until the Eldar raided a warehouse belonging to one of the planet's ruling families.

Even discounting the Tyranids, Meridian was hardly the secure bastion the Governor pretended it is. Ork smugglers from the Blood Axe clan could be found lurking in the shadows of certain hab-spires, while Eldar infiltrate higher strata to recover artifacts pilfered from the ruins of Typhon Primaris.

When signs of the Tyranids became clear, Vandis hastily abandoned the planet, leaving his adjutant, Administrator Elena Derosa in charge. Without any clear information on the situation, Derosa did her best to liaise with the the Blood Ravens, while maintaining the official position that Governor Vandis's permission was needed to access Angel Force, Meridian's primary manufactorum.

When the Tyranid menace became clear, she assumed the Governorship herself, granting full access to Angel Forge to allow the Blood Ravens to manufacture the weapons needed to combat the Hive. Before she could do so, however, it was imperative for the Blood Ravens to secure Angel Gate and several outlying forges against the Tyranids, Orks, and Eldar. While Sergeant Tarkus was securing one of these forges, he discovered a warehouse filled with relics that Governor Vandis had stolen from their chapter, including several suits of Terminator armour. Using these weapons, the Blood Ravens were able to eliminate Idranel and secure the planet.

Since the Tyranid invasion, Governor Derosa has continued in office, though only barely trusted by the planet's ruling aristocracy. Several of these dissatisfied nobles were recruited by the Black Legion and turned their private security forces to the service of Chaos.

Society

A typical Hive World, Meridian is ruled by an aristocracy that dominates the upper city, which remains largely indifferent, or ignorant, of the billions of lower-class citizens who inhabit the rest of the hive cities. Among these lower levels, competition for food and other goods is savage, and riots and gang warfare is frequent.

Sergeant Thaddeus was originally a hive-gang leader on Meridian. Before him, no one from Meridian had been recruited to the Blood Ravens for more than a hundred years, its citizens regarded as decadent and weak by the rest of the subsector. Thaddeus's recruitment to the Blood Ravens, on the recommendation of Davian Thule, was regarded with skepticism by the rest of the chapter, but his hive-ganger instincts served him well as an Assault Squad leader.

Canon Conflicts

There is also another mention of a planet called Meridian in the White Dwarf issue WD356. It is true that both of these worlds are worlds with a large amount of cities and hive spires, but it is unclear whether they are the same world. If they are, then it is also unclear which event happened first, the attack of a Tyranid Hive Fleet or the threat of the Rok of Ages. Although, it could simply be two different worlds with the same name. The information in the White Dwarf about Meridian is contained below, while the information in Dawn of War II is above. ^1,2+3

Meridian and the Rok of Ages

Meridian was once an Eldar Maiden World but was colonised by human settlers at some point in its later history. It used to be a rich, lush world covered in green forests and meadows, with a scattering of mineral rich mountains, but when the Imperium arrived it was to be changed forever. It is now dotted all over with tall hive worlds that pierce the clouds, the snaky, clear river is now a polluted stream of muck. The meadows have been transformed into a damp swamp full of mutated creatures. There are many spaceports and urban sprawls under the shadow of the hive cities. Finally, in the few forests that have been so far spared from man, there are tales of phantoms in the ancient woods that can kill with the merest touch. Man did not just settle this rich world for nothing, there is a more obvious reason why this world is a hive world; when explorators found this world, they discovered a valuable and unique energy source in the abundant mountains on Meridian. This source of energy is an isotope called Helian III, and if the right conditions are applied to it, it can carry on producing power and heat for almost eternity. That is why massive defense networks criss-cross the mountains, and why in Hive Arcadia there is a collossal inter-obital defense laser that can target anything in orbit or close to Meridian. That is also why there is massive sensor array in Hive Ereone. Finally, there is a missile in Benefact Majoris Spaceport that dwarfs even a Deathstrike Missile Launcher. However, global pollution is not the only threat facing Meridian, a massive asteroid called the Rok of Ages is heading towards Meridian. It has both Orks and worshippers of Chaos on it and has been equipped with massive engines to propel it towards Meridian. It is ready to crash into Meridian and blot out the sun forever as the enemies of man swarm off the rock. However, not only does man want to defend their dear world from destruction, the Eldar also arrive through a secret webway gate in the depths of the haunted forests to keep their beloved maiden world intact. ³

The battle for Meridian is still raging, and its fate hangs in the balance, it all depends on which will be destroyed first: Meridian or the Rok of Ages³

Sources

• ¹ Dawn of War II
• ² http://community.dawnofwar2.com/blogs/?p=433
• ³ WD356 Pages 34-47
• ⁴Blood Ravens Index Astartes entry - GW website