Quan Zhou
Quan Zhou (Forbidden Citadel[3a]) is the Fortress-Monastery of the White Scars Space Marine Chapter. Located in the heart of the Khum Karta Mountains on Chogoris, it sits atop the most inaccessible peak on the entire planet and was originally the site of Jaghatai Khan's ancient palace.[1] Despite its formidable defences, it is also known for its intense beauty and menagerie of flora, fauna, and artwork.[3a]
Overview
In the time before Jaghatai Khan, Quan Zhou was the capital of the Palatine's empire. After capturing the fortress-city, Jaghatai made it his own capital and first met with the Emperor there. The Fortress-Monastery of the White Scars was later built upon it.[4]
Today, no known roads lead directly to this inaccessible peak, though it is said there is a single path from the Plains of Altak that is a closely guarded secret. This was a deliberate decision by Jaghatai Khan himself to keep the tribes of Chogoris pure and unspoiled.[3a]
The gates of this great city-sized[2] fortress are lined with the severed heads of countless defeated foes while its feasting halls are heavily hung with wealth taken in the White Scars' campaigns. Like all fortress-monasteries, it is armoured and void-shielded to withstand any siege or bombardment and its walls bristle with enough firepower to flatten a city. Aerial defences include an array of Icarus Pattern Lascannons and a Defence Laser known as Khan's Fury which can destroy a capital ship in a single shot.[1]
The Librarium is in a lightning-wracked spire where the Chapter's Librarians, known as Stormseers, study their lore and chronicle the deeds of their Khans. They also preside over the Chapter's Astropaths as they relay messages throughout space.[1]
When a White Scars warrior falls in battle, his Chapter will make every effort to return his body to Chogoris, and to the Kardunn mountain shrine besides Quan Zhou. Here the Chaplains perform the rites of kal damarg over their slain brothers, granting their souls passage to the Eternal Heaven as their bodies burn.[2]
Notable Locations
- Square of Ascension[3a]
- Circle of the Heavens[3a]
- White Road - Training ground which borders the citadel and leads to its primary gate. Along this path are countless spikes, upon which the White Scars place the head of their foes. These including not only fellow Humans but also Orks, Eldar, Tyranids, T'au, and a score of other alien species.[3a]
- Mouth of Flame - Burning pit that is a many days walk from the Citadel. It is maintained by the warriors of the 2nd Company, who climb into its fiery depths to claim the crystal pearls that develop there.
- Mount Kardunn - One of the nearby mountain peaks where fallen brothers are cremated.[3a]
- Baatarbish - Known as the monument of the undying heroes. It was erected by the First Company, who followed Jaghatai Khan through a portal on the day of his disappearance. Each of their names was carved into this great arch. The Chapter's Dreadnoughts often take up names from the arch in order to honour these warriors, and the monument is flanked by the torch of Ekhleed, or Torch of the First. This will only be extinguished when the Primarch returns, and should it go out before this it is said the Chapter will fall.[3b]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition) (E-Book Edition), pgs. 126-127
- 2: Codex Supplement: White Scars (8th Edition), pg. 9
- 3: First Founding (Background Book):
- 4: Index Astartes I - Lightning Attack: The White Scars Space Marine Chapter
