Ameton Epsilon IV

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This article is based on information Games Workshop France created on their own behalf and may conflict with more general background material.

Map Basic Data Planetary Image
px Name: Ameton Epsilon IV Unknown.jpg
Segmentum: Ultima Segmentum[1]
Sector: Ultima Sector[1]
Subsector: Ultramar[1]
System: Macragge System[1]
Population:
Affiliation: Imperium[1]
Class: Mining World,[1] Hive World[1]
Tithe Grade: Alpha[1]

Ameton Epsilon IV is an Imperial Mining and Hive World, that is part of the Realm of Ultramar's Macragge System.[1]

Overview

It has a 956-day rotation, which plunges the mineral rich world's north pole into darkness for half the year, while the southern pole experiences perpetual daylight. Seventy eight percent of Epsilon's surface is covered in water, besides the two continents Ameton Epsilon Prime and Ameton Epsilon Secundus, along with numerous uninhabitable islands between them, that contain no useful resources. Only the several hundred kilometers long and heavily guarded Pont Intercontinental bridge connects the two continents together, which are otherwise separated by Epsilon's oceans Mare Occidentalis and Mare Orientalis. Ameton Epsilon Prime is the larger northern continent, whose center contains the huge Complexe Asgrad mining complex, which harvests the world's ore in vast quantities. Most of its resources are sent to Macragge and many other Imperial Systems. This includes several Forge Worlds[2], with the main one among them being Mars itself.[1] The Hive Cities Asgrad Alpha and Asgrad Beta are also near the Complexe and all three structures are surrounded and protected by two concentric circles of forts, called the Marches d'Acier. Each circle contains hundreds of forts and in turn, each fort is garrisoned by a mixture of Astra Militarum Regiments stationed on Epsilon, as well as the world's own PDF, the Milices Territoriales.[2]

The smaller southern continent is Ameton Epsilon Secundus, which contains the walled capital city Dôme, which is named after the plasteel dome that covers it. The capital contains the world's administrative bodies, the High Command of its Astra Militarum forces, along with the most important of the Order of Notre Mère des Souffrances' Adepta Sororitas Commanderies and the palace of Epsilon's Imperial Governor. The Souffrances' Commandery is also part of the pilgrimage road that leads to Macragge and often serves as a staging area for the Sisters of other Orders. Meanwhile, the site of their old Commandery in Epsilon's desert, which was lost during the First Tyrannic War's Battle of Macragge, has been replaced with a mausoleum and is a sacred site to the Order. It is called the Mausolée de Notre Mère des Souffrances and a sanctified stele monument has been placed in front of the mausoleum, in memory of the Sisters who died defending it. Once a year, the Souffrances begin a large procession from their Commandery and visit the mausoleum to meditate on their loss, as they kneel before the stele. Ameton Epsilon Secundus also plays a part in the world's mining operations, as the resources extracted from Epsilon Prime are processed on the continent. The resources are brought to Secundus by hundreds of trains each day, via the Pont Intercontinental bridge that connects the two continents together. The processed resources are then shipped off-world from the fortified Spatioport Secundus spaceport, which lies to the west of Epsilon's capital.[2]

While Epsilon's oceans contain an abundance of fauna, the same can not be said of its inhospitable land. Since the world's native land based animals were wiped out by Hive Fleet Behemoth's invasion of the Macragge System, during the First Tyrannic War, Epsilon has been forced to import animals from other worlds. However due to its hostile environment, the Imperium's efforts to use these animals to establish populations on the world have failed. The only known exception to this, are the hardy Auroch herds that reside on Epsilon's arid and desolate Plaines. Because of its inhospitably to life, the Imperium would likely abandon Epsilon if it was no longer useful as a Mining World.[2]

Military

Its Astra Militarum forces are grouped into two armies, which are themselves divided into three army corps. The First Army consists of those that defend the Marches d'Acier and the capital Dôme, while Second Army is a mobile force. They all receive their orders from the High Command located in the capital, but this changes if the controversial Commandement Suprême des Opérations de Défense organisation is activated. It automatically grants the Défense's commander full control of Epsilon's Astra Militarum, Milices Territoriales and the Order of Notre Mère des Souffrances' forces on Epsilon, so that they follow orders from a single person. However this authority is only given on the order of Epsilon's Imperial Governor, when the world faces a serious threat to its safety. The organisation is also subject to the authority of any Inquisitors or Space Marines, that come to Epsilon's aid when it is activated.[4]

Epsilon also has a perpetual conscription program, to increase the Milices Territoriales PDF forces that could be called upon to defend the world. The program requires each family to enlist their eldest child at the age of twelve, for a period of ten years. This was done to increase the Militias strength, so that it could better aid Epsilon's Astra Militarum Regiments and so that a significant portion of the world's population had advanced military training. If the need arose, then these trained civilians could then be called upon to join the Territoriales. To ensure its young conscripts are faithful and obedient, they are supervised by Preachers who serve the Cellule d'Endoctrinement et de Veille, indoctrination and monitoring organisation. It requires that the conscripts attend a mass in the morning and night, where they are administered l'Eau de Pureté ointment. Under its usage, the ointment undermines the conscripts' will and removes any spirit of dissent they may have. The conscripts are also not allowed to have contact with the outside world and most are stationed in one of the distant Les Marches' forts. This is done to ensure the conscripts are kept far way from Epsilon's civilian population. Furthermore, in order to keep the number of the Milices Territoriales conscripts at a constant stable level, Epsilon's birth rate is governed with the aid of using Imperial propaganda. As a result of this, the Territoriales had just under eighty million conscripts and an estimated four hundred and fifty million former conscripts, in 853.M41.[4]

The Marches d'Acier are among its defenses as well and are composed of two massive concentric circles of artillery armed, autonomous forts. They were built around the Complexe Asgrad mining complex and the Hive Cities Asgrad Alpha and Asgrad Beta, which the Marches are charged with protecting. Each fort is garrisoned by eight hundred soldiers and is stocked with enough supplies to last for forty five days. They are also equipped with a self-destruct system, which can be activated by a Lieutenant and can cause a two kilometer wide explosion. The forts are only connected to each other via marked roads and they are otherwise separated by three thousand meters of mines, barbed wire and other defensive works. This allows a flexible defense, as the Marches d'Acier are designed to slow the advancement of enemy forces. They would need to destroy each fort, before reaching Complexe Asgrad mining complex, or risk being attacked by the remaining Marches d'Aciers' artillery weapons or garrisons.[4]

History

Epsilon was already home to a Human population, when it was discovered and colonized by the Imperium. However the Nomads, as they later came to be known, had an archaic tribal society based on oral tradition and had not developed black powder or mechanical transports. Any effort by the colony's Missionaries to convert the Nomads to the Imperial Creed, was fiercely resisted and soon conflict erupted by the Imperials and the Nomads' tribes. Eventually though, the Nomads withdrew from any land near the Imperials and settled into Epsilon's storm-ridden plains. Afterwards, the Imperials decided to worry about the tribes at a later time and focused instead on building a viable colony on Ameton Epsilon IV.[5]

Its rich mineral resources would make this possible and in a few decades, Epsilon became a Mining World. The huge Complexe Asgrad would occupy the center of its main continent, Ameton Epsilon Prime, which formally held rare cultivable areas used by the Nomads. At this time, Epsilon's Imperials once again attempted to deal with the tribes, but they proved elusive and it became obvious the world's military forces would not be enough to deal with the Nomads. The tribes would then continuously raid their Imperial neighbors' convoys and patrols, while escaping any retaliation or efforts to convert them. However any attempts of launching direct attacks against the tribes ended in 432.M40, after the Nomads destroyed three Astra Militarum Companies in Theng's Pass. This led to the decision that Epsilon's Imperial forces would focus on defensive measures against tribes from then on. The resolution also put an end to any further efforts to convert the Nomads.[5]

For their part, the tribes had grown accustomed to their hostile home in the world's arid and desolate plains. They earned their name as Nomads, as the plains are struck by a cycle of storms that sweep the plains annually from north to south. This forced the tribes to follow herds of Auroch bovine, which are sensitive to the approach of the storms and constantly migrate to evade them. These animals are one of the rare mammal species that can survive in the plains and provide food and leather to the Nomads, who would sustain themselves with oases within the plains as well. Their religion also deified the wind and storms that sweep the plains and it is these deeply rooted venerated pagan beliefs, that mainly prevented the Nomads' conversion to the Imperial Creed. The tribes' society was also based off a clan and patriarchal system, with each tribe being led by an Ancient. The leaders of the main tribes would annually gather the Nomads together within Epsilon's mountainous regions, in order to keep the peace between them. Also, thanks to raiding their Imperial neighbors, the Nomads have a large amount of high-tech weapons and vehicles at their disposal. The tribes have learned to operate their plunder from prisoners, but they must launch raids against the Imperials in order to gain more fuel and ammunition.[5] Those who can no longer follow their nomadic tribes, will leave their brethren and instead live amongst the mountains. There, these self-exiled Nomads gather together in small communities and survive off the meager resources it provides them.[2]

First Battle of Ameton Epsilon IV

Like the rest of the Macragge System, Epsilon was invaded by Hive Fleet Behemoth during the First Tyrannic War. As its garrisons grappled with these new Xenos foes, Epsilon's Imperial Governor, Théobald Von Steik, began strict measures to combat the threat to his world. While there were some rebellions against his commands, Epsilon's Adeptus Arbites ensured that they were short lived. Efforts were also made to inform the Ultramarines Chapter of the invasion, but the world's Astropaths soon discovered that they were somehow cut off from the rest of the Macragge System.[3]

The world may have been lost then, had it not been for the heroic efforts of Astra Militarum Marshal Kemps. He had begun the invasion as a Colonel and later succesfully led his Guardsmen to save Epsilon's capital, Dôme, from a massive Tyranid attack, led by a Dominatrix. This led Kemps to be declared a hero by Governor Steik, who then gave him the rank of Marshal and tasked Kemps with protecting the capital from. As the invasion wore on, Kemps would lead his forces in targeting the Tyranids Synapse Creatures after learning how their deaths weakened the Xenos. This proved to be a great success and allowed Ameton Epsilon IV to reestablish contact off world, once the Imperium defeated Hive Fleet Behemoth's Bioships. Imperial reinforcements would then be sent to the world and among them was the Ultramarines Captain Demetrius and his 8th. They were charged by the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Kryptman with killing and preserving the body of a Norn Queen, that had retreated to Epsilon's Mount Antigonos. Demetrius led the attack, which was assisted by many of the world's surviving Guardsman, but disaster struck when the Norn Queen was killed. The creature's unleashed psychic energy collapsed Mount Antigonos' summit and buried everyone. While the Ultramarines survived, the Norn Queen's body was lost beneath the mountain's rubble. Despite this loss, though, Epsilon was soon cleansed of the invading Tyranids and reclaimed by the Imperium.[3]

First Invasion's Aftermath

The invasion cost a high price in Imperial lives to end, including nearly the Order of Notre Mère des Souffrances' entire Commandery. Though its Sisters could have sought shelter within Dôme, they refused to abandon their Commandery, located in Epsilon's desert, and defended it until they were overrun by the Tyranids. Only a few of the Order's Sisters were able to escape the Xenos and then reach the relative safety of the capital's ravaged walls. In the rebuilding that followed, the walls and dome of the Dôme were greatly improved upon in order to better defend the capital. This included increasing the walls' heights and efforts were make to make them impossible to climb. The walls were also rebuilt to allow various pieces of artillery, anti-tank and anti-personnel to fire from within them and their upper sections are ringed with orbital cannons. Mines were also placed two kilometers around the city, which could also be remotely activated.[4]

The Marches d'Acier were also greatly improved upon and are now composed of two concentric circles of artillery armed autonomous forts, instead of a single one. The Order of Notre Mère des Souffrances would later build a new Commandery, within Dôme's improved walls and new Sisters would in time replace those that were lost. Sometime later, Marshal Kemps became Epsilon's Imperial Governor and he brought about controversial changes, that were made to ensure the world could better protect itself. Chief among them, was the creation of the Commandement Suprême des Opérations de Défense organisation, as Kemps felt the best way to protect Epsilon from enemies like the Tyranids, was for its forces to only take orders from a single commander.[4]

Kemps also began a perpetual conscription program, to increase the PDF forces that could be called upon to defend Epsilon. The program required each family to enlist their eldest child into Epsilon's Milices Territoriales at the age of twelve, for a period of ten years. This was done to increase the Militias strength, so that it could better aid Epsilon's Astra Militarum Regiments and so that a significant portion of the world's population had advanced military training. Then when the need arose, the population could be called upon to rejoin the Militias and fight any threat to their world. However the conscription program was met with great hostility, including from the Astra Militarum who was not in favour of having so many civilians with military training. It was feared that by doing so, the program would increase the dangers the Militarum would face, if a rebellion broke out on Epsilon. In order to ease these fears, Governor Kemps also created the Cellule d'Endoctrinement et de Veille, indoctrination and monitoring organisation, with the aid of the Ecclesiarchy. It was composed of Preachers, who were responsible for supervising the Milices Territoriales' young PDF conscripts and ensuring they were faithful and obedient. Furthermore, in order to keep the number of the Milices Territoriales conscripts at a constant stable level, Kemps began governing Epsilon's birth rate, with the aid of using Imperial propaganda.[4]

However not all the damage done by Hive Fleet Behemoth could be recovered from, as Epsilon's native fauna became virtually nonexistent, except for those in the world's oceans.[2] The Imperium was also unaware, that a portion of the Nomads population had become infected by the Hive Fleet's Genestealers, during the invasion. In time, a Genestealer Cult began to operate in secret amongst the Nomads, who thought it was merely another tribe. Though none of the Nomads discovered the truth, the Cult became the subject of dark rumours concerning witchcraft and other superstitions. However, this did not stop the Genestealer Cult from growing in power with every year that passed.[5]

Second Battle of Ameton Epsilon IV

However Epsilon was later once again invaded by the Tyranids in 853.M41.[1] This time though, the Xenos were also aided by the Nomads' Genestealer Cult that had infected the world, since Hive Fleet Behemoth's defeat.[1b] Its Magnus, Skongärd, not only rallied the Cult, but also used psychic manipulation and the Nomads' hatred of the Imperium to get other uninfected tribes to join in the attack as well. He promised them, that this was the Nomads' chance to finally drive the Imperium off of their world, for good.[1a] With Epsilon now facing such a large threat, the world's Imperial Governor, Adrianus Quintex, activated the Commandement Suprême des Opérations de Défense, which gave Commander Wilmer Von Epsilon the authority to lead the world's Astra Militarum and PDF forces.[1b] The Governor also sent out a plea for aid and the nearby Ultramarines Chapter on Macragge answered it. Besides two Battle Barges, the Ultramarines also sent their 4th, 5th, and 6th Companies to assist in Epsilon's defense. They were led by[1c] the 5th's Captain, Nerus,[1d] and the 6th's Captain, Maximus Epathus, who had overall command as their Force Commander.[1c] However when Epathus saw the full extent of the Tyranids and Genestealer Cult forces that Epsilon faced, he asked the Ultramarines to send further reinforcements.[1e] Three additional Companies were sent to Epsilon, including the 1st[1f], whose Captain, Julius, took command of the world's defense from Commander Wilmer Von Epsilon.[1g] The invasion of Epsilon, however, eventually drew the attention of the Ordo Xenos and warranted it to send Inquisitor Lord Hull to defeat the Tyranids.[1h] Once he arrived, Hull proceeded to take overall command of Epsilon's defense and sought to find out why the Tyranids had invaded the world. This was because the Xenos were not simply overwhelming the world, as they had in other invasions and instead seemed to be searching for something. He tasked the Ultramarines with discovering what this was and made Epsilon's Mount Antigonos a priority target, as the Tyranids were gathering there in large numbers.[1i]

The Ultramarines later confirmed the mountain was infested by Tyranids and that the area also contained heavy psychic activity as well.[1j] All of this evidence, led Inquisitor Lord Hull to determine that a Norn Queen was responsible for the activity on Mount Antigonos. However the Norn was not part of the current invasion, but instead had lain within the mountain since Ameton Epsilon IV's previous Tyranid invasion, one hundred and fifty years ago. Though the Norn Queen was thought to have been killed, when Mount Antigonos collapsed during the battle, the Ordo Xenos' research discovered it was possible for a deceased Norn to remain psychically active. Hull theorized that is what occurred and that the Norn's body served as a psychic beacon, which had drawn the Tyranids to the world once more. Though it was unclear what the Xenos intended to do with the Norn's body, Hull ordered that it be destroyed before they succeeded. He then ordered a full-scale attack on Mount Antigonos[1k] and entrusted Julius with an anti-psyker Speculum Charge explosive to destroy the Norn Queen's body with.[1n]

As the battle raged on the mountain, the Ultramarines Epistolary Antonius successfully located a cave that led to the Norn Queen. Captain Julius and the Chapter's First Company then teleported to its location with the Speculum Charge and rushed towards the creature.[1p] They were joined by Inquisitor Lord Hull and his Eversor Assassin,[1q] while the rest of the nearby Imperial forces defended the cave's entrance from the Tyranids. As they did so, the First Company and Inquisitor Lord successfully defeated the Xenos defending the Norn Queen. However when their initial foes were defeated, more Tyranids rushed to the Norn Queen and Captain Julius then volunteered to remain behind to activate the Speculum Charge. He ordered the others to retreat from the cave and after they did so, Julius activated the bomb. It erupted in a massive explosion of anti-psyker energy, which ended the Norn Queen's threat and made Julius an Imperial martyr. The Speculum Charge also caused the Tyranid's Synapse creatures to collapse and without their leaders, the Xenos were able to be defeated.[1p]

Second Invasion's Aftermath

With that, Ameton Epsilon IV was saved from the Tyranids once more, but just as before the cost in Imperial lives was high - including the complete loss of the Order of Notre Mère des Souffrances' Commandery and its Canoness Angelle.[1p] However the invasion also dealt significant losses to the Nomads' Genestealer Cult, including the deaths of Magus Skongärd[1l] and the Cult's Genestealer Patriarch.[1m] The uninfected Nomads were also devastated by the time the Tyranids' invasion was defeated, as the Imperium destroyed not only the tribes taking part in the attack, but also any they came across as well. None were spared, regardless of their age or guilt, as the Imperium sought to finally rid itself of the Nomads' threat to Epsilon. The retribution was so relentless, that it is unclear if any of the Genestealer Cult or Nomands' population, survived the Imperium's purge.[1o]

Gallery

  • Dates of Epsilon's Tyranid invasions[1]

  • Epsilon's Second Tyranid invasion[1]

  • Epsilon's Second Tyranid invasion[1]

  • Ultramarines defending Epsilon, during its second Tyranid invasion[1]

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • Ameton Epsilon IV and all information pertaining to it, were created by the staff of Games Workshop's France division.[1]
  • A campaign to decide the world's fate, called the Second Battle of Ameton Epsilon IV, took place across France's Games Workshop stores from July to August 2005.[1]

See also

Sources

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