433
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Changes
From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
m
→Prelude to War
==History==
===Prelude to War===
In mid [[M39]], much of the [[Calixis Sector|Calyx Expanse]] had been liberated by the [[Imperium]] from [[Xenos]] control. Many [[Rogue Trader]] houses arose to fill the void, hoping to rule these newly liberated worlds. The most successful of these Rogue Traders was Duke [[Severus I]], who battled many foul Xenos, discovered vital [[Warp]] routes, and battled a gigantic Warp beast. He went on to forge a stable and prosperous Imperial rule over the [[Periphery Sub-sector]]. However it soon became apparent that there was more to Severus that than meets the eye, and he used his prestige and wealth to establish a private empire within the Calyx Expanse. In the end however, Severus' deeds and popularity was outdone by the [[Imperial Guard]] [[Lord General Militant]] [[Drusus]], who soon became the dominant player in the Expanse at the expense of House Severus. Embittered, the Severus family would carry a grudge against the Imperium for centuries to come.{{Fn|1}}
In 779.[[M41]], the latest ruler of House Severus, [[Severus XIII]], began to plot ways to increase his own power. Looking to the Periphery Sub-Sector once more, Severus allied with the [[Dark Eldar]] warband known as the [[Children of Thorns]]. Providing the Dark Eldar human slaves in return for their aid, Severus was able to use the cruel xenos to conquer the weak [[Planetary Governor]]s of the Periphery Sub-Sector and establish the private empire his ancestors had worked to achieve for generations. To try and keep his activities from attracting Imperial retribution, Severus avoided declaring formal secession and tried to keep his ties to the Dark Eldar as secretive as possible.{{Fn|1}}
