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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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The war began within the hated region known as the [[Eye of Terror]]. The forces within, being devoted to Chaos, usually fight each other, but occasionally and inexplicably they put aside their rivalries to form an assault on their common enemy, the [[Imperium]]. In this case, the unity of the powers of [[Chaos]] was triggered by the arrival of the [[Space Hulk]] ''Devourer of Stars'' around a [[Daemon World]]. The Hulk was large enough to carry a huge chaos force to attack Imperial worlds. The capricious currents of the [[warp]] drew the invasion force to the Imperial Hive World of Armageddon in 444.[[M41]].<sup>2</sup>
Meanwhile, on Armageddon, a series of strange events culminated in armed rebellion breaking out in half a dozen hives. Armageddon consists of three main landmasses. Most human life is located on the main continent, which is split into two parts, Armageddon Prime and Armageddon Secundus, separated by the thick band of jungle known simply as the Equatorial Jungle. The revolts were quickly put down in Armageddon Secundus, but amongst the more widely scattered hives of Armageddon Prime they proved more difficult to eradicate. As the planetary defence defense forces seemed capable of dealing with the revolt, no additional units were sent by the Imperium. Armageddon was a very long way from the Eye of Terror, and no one suspected the cause for the revolts was more sinister than simple civil unrest.
Busy containing the rebellion, Imperial forces were caught by surprise when the ''Devourer of Stars'' arrived in the Armageddon system.
*{{Main|Months of Shame}}
Although they had won, the victorious soldiers of Armageddon were doomed. They had gained knowledge of the existence of Chaos, and been exposed to its corruption. The Inquisition had all of the people who fought on the planet, except for the Space Marines, sterilized and placed in work camps. Armageddon was re-colonized by people from other regions of space with no knowledge of the war. The Inquisition and Grey Knights went on to purge [[Imperial Navy]] and [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] ships orbiting the planet and [[Grey Knights Strike Cruiser]]s destroyed Imperial Guard troop transports that were departing. Three entire nearby worlds were put to the sword to silence the populous when they had heard of the exploits of [[Stormtroopers]] that were at the battle of Helsreach Hive. The purges claimed several billion souls.{{Fn|4}} Logan Grimnar battled long and hard to prevent this and even attempted to have his fleet escort ships of survivors away from the Inquisition, but after an attack by the Ordo Malleus and Grey Knights he failed and has never forgiven the Inquisition for doing what he saw as a betrayal of the people who had fought honorably for their homes and for the Imperium. Moreover the worlds that came into contact with the survivors escorted by the Space Wolves where also put to [[Exterminatus]], resulting the destruction of the [[Adeptus Astra Telepathica]] station [[Ralas Meridian]], the worlds of [[Jendara Quintus]] and [[Tybuilt]], and the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] outpost of Priam Novus.{{Fn|3c}}
==Notes==
In a conversation with [[Chapter Master]] [[Gabriel Seth]] of the [[Flesh Tearers]], [[Inquisitor]] [[Nerosa]] reveals the possible presence of a [[Traitor Titan Legion]] [[Imperator Titan]] buried under the surface as the reason for the [[Orks]] continued assault of the planet. She believed that the [[Khornate]] corruption of such a powerful warmachine had drawn, subconsciously, the Orks to Armageddon over and over again. Seth argues that traitor Titans haven't walked on Armageddon in thousands and thousands of years, not since Armageddon was re-colonized. Chances are that the Inquisitor muddy up the facts of the First War so that no one was aware of how recently it had been. However, both Seth and Nerosa are aware that not only did a recolonization occur but a complete terraforming of the geography occurred. Nerosa believed that while the [[Mechanicus]] were reworking the geography of the world, they missed such a terrible threat and simply buried it. No reference is ever made to Titans being part of Angron's army and although the Imperator in question turned out to be of the [[Legion Annihlator]], both Seth and Nerosa are fully aware that at one point thousands of years ago, Traitor Titans fought on Armageddon. It is possible that the First War of Armageddon was not the first time Chaos had invaded, and that other Inquisitorial cover ups have occurred. {{Fn|6}}
==Sources==
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition)]] pg.13
*{{Endn|5}}: [[Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition)]] pg.20-22
*{{Endn|6}}: [[Blood in the Machine]], by [[Andy Smilie]], Track 3.
==External Sources==
