A TALE OF THE

DARK FRONTIER

Secrets of the Expanse

Ah, so you wish to know of the Koronus Expansethat the Mechanicus Calixis
sometimes still call the Khronus Expanse after he who was said to be its original
discoverer. I know of a man you should listen to, though his sanity wanes in these late
years, and his tractability with it. He is a holy man born of Archaos and at one time a
chronicler for the Rogue Trader Amphian Deed, yet somehow evaded the pyre that was
Deeds recent end.
This holy man is by name Ibraham Totimus, and he can be found in this year 815.
M41 within a twisting manse of the mighty void-station Port Wander, an Imperial city
in its own right, set at the very edge of the Marches of Saint Drusus, and the gate to
the Koronus Expanse in the Halo Stars beyond. Every alcove of Totimuss manse holds
dataslates, rare tomes, strange materials brought back to the Imperium by Rogue Traders
... and a slavering cyber-mastiff, waiting for the command to kill. These things and the
web of knowledge connecting them are, I believe, all that keeps him clinging to his life.
I caution that when I say holy man I mean to say that Totimus holds himself in favor
of Drusian Adherency. Which is to say that he is of a particularly strident and disowned
sub-cult of the Dissident Drusian movement, itself a faction of a prominent cult within the
Ministorum of the Drusus Marches. For those of a less theosophical bent, I remind you
that the Drusians honor Saint Drusus above all other saints, he who took command of
the Angevinian Crusade in its darkest years of M39, banished the foul xenos from what
was then the Calyx Expanse, and founded the Calixis Sector in the God-Emperors name.
There exist entire shrine worlds rightfully dedicated to his deeds, and billions chant
his name.
Dissident Drusians, such as Drusian Adherents, teach that the Saints Crusade never ends,
and that the God-Emperor commands all men to take up the unfinished acts of Saint
Drusus in whatever way they canwith the aim of conquering worlds, establishing new
colonies, crushing the xenos, and expanding the borders of the Imperium of Mankind. It
is a popular theology with Rogue Traders who harrow the Koronus Expanse, though an
apostate would say that this is because Dissidents provide a path to the vast coffers of the
Ministorum, rather than through any heartfelt faith. What is the faith of a rogue, a reaver,
an outcast noble soul who brings the Emperors fury down upon far worlds? Ask him if
you dare.
But to Totimus. Those of Archaos are ever difficult and contraryit is a world renowned
not so much for its philosophers as for the sheer foaming breadth of its philosophies,
theologies, Ministorum cults, and raging theosophical battles. Archaosians are
instinctively against any new concept before they are grudgingly for it, and that is their
nature. Just agree with everything Ibraham Totimus says to you, whether it is that the
God-Emperor has been ascendant upon the Golden Throne for all eternity, or that certain
xenos are less than vile, and let no other hear you doing so.
But you should listen to him.

Calixis came to be, yes? This will

how
of
w
kno
u
Yo
!
age
rim
pilg
lous
zea
and
r
Our hosts of wa
Expanse! So will we be made exalted in
the
of
ars
St
lo
Ha
the
in
but
r,
cto
Se
new
be again, a
Drusus!
the God-Emperors eyes, and blessed by Saint
e by the Divine Astrometricum
mad
p
-ma
void
ic
lith
this
at
here
k
Loo
?
hmm
But a far path it is,
storm-voids beyond this void-station to
the
ves
clea
us
enic
Ab
by
told
fore
e
ssag
Pa
e
how the One Tru
beyond. The House of Winterscale, bless
true
and
wn
kno
is
le
litt
at
wh
see
and
e,
ans
open the Exp
ce in this map, and even yet give battle to the
pla
l
tfu
righ
r
thei
in
s
star
set
e
hav
s,
soul
r
rrio
their wa
a and others I will not name
ord
Ch
y
Lad
e
Th
ne.
mes
De
sed
cur
Ac
the
foul Ork who rises from
to praise the Emperor and light
e
ther
them
set
and
s,
orld
W
ling
und
Fo
the
carry the faithful to
the darkness with their psalms.
with Thrones and treasure, not faith! They do
ed
fill
are
s
der
Tra
ue
Rog
e
thes
of
rts
hea
But the
ils before duty to Saint and
qua
t
bold
Um
of
use
Ho
the
n
Eve
e.
alon
es
what they do for themselv
gment of what the farthest reaching
fra
gile
fra
a
but
are
won
s
ain
dom
ll
sma
e
Emperor! And thes
e. It matters not, no, for is it not said
ans
Exp
the
in
n
upo
d
che
tou
e
hav
eror
mp
d-E
fingers of the Go
se? Patience, patience. Bolder and more
fal
are
s
tool
s
Hi
en
wh
even
s
snes
teou
righ
ds
that He buil
holy Rogue Traders will emerge, yes.

Dark Frontier

am old, you are young, and my augmetics press

I
se
cau
Be
hy?
W
ld.
wou
you
if
s,
dle
can
Light the
ters are conducted properly, or
mat
ese
Th
.
not
do
you
if
ght
nau
tell
l
Il
pain upon my bones ... and
x with blessings, and to carry the
wa
the
seal
and
ribe
insc
to
ored
lab
e
hav
ul
not at allthe faithf
Shrinehold of Maccabeus Quintus.

ners
rive
Sc
the
and
el
ntin
Se
far
from
void
candles across the
or it is the hounds for you!
d,
cree
s
int
Sa
the
to
n
utio
trib
con
r
thei
for
Show respect
Eternal and the Ascendant
eror
mp
d-E
Go
the
ept
acc
you
Do
?
hmm
You wish lore from me,
the primordial masses and tests
from
axy
gal
the
all
e
mad
He
t
tha
ept
acc
Imperium? Do you
not understand otherwise. The Rogue
ld
wou
u
Yo
.
good
od,
Go
?
tion
crea
s
Hi
hin
us each day wit
of the Adeptus Terra, empowered by His
ds
han
very
the
by
sen
cho
s
Hi
are
they
see,
Traders, you
nt of Trade is a holy writ and the Koronus
arra
W
A
are.
en
oft
so
ds
han
e
thos
as
d
blin
will, even
ue Traders at the head of our hosts.
Rog
all,
us
test
to
m
Hi
by
ted
crea
is
e
ans
Exp

Secrets of the Expanse

I see you looking at my oddities, my curios from

the Koronus Expanse. Yes, yes, these things are
all a necessity to my lore. Look, solidified nep
hium mined from Lucins Breath, kept in susp
ension
at the temperature of that frigid place. Purest
nephium, enough to fill holds and sate the trea
surelust of a Rogue Trader! This, this is a shard
of a cursed and deserted Egarian structuresee
its
xenos nature in the very way it twists holy can
dlelight. There are those of corruptible nature
who
pay fortunes for such xenos worksand the
faithful laugh at their foolishness, for wealth
cast
upon the forbidden drives Rogue Traders to grea
ter heights in their fated toil for the God-Emp
eror
and Saint Drusus.

They carry out the Drusian prophecies, even unk

nowing, for that is the Emperors will!
In that casket there are pressed xenoflora from
Rain and Valcettis Salvation. Do not touch
the
last in lineunless you desire mortification of
the flesh, hmm? Good, good, the hounds would
have
to drag your corpse from here, and I cannot
abide the howling they make in the course of
such
labors. Xenos beasts and terrible plants a plenty
has the Expanse, and it is the Emperors wish
that
we faithful destroy them in circus and rationsprocessory. Destroy them!

Now you point to a foundation-stone from Fo

otfall, which is here only that I might loath it
more
readily. I will not speak of that vile void-city
of stone and chains, save to curse its very existen
ce.
It is a blight upon the far end of the One Tru
e Passage, where all that is heretic and outcas
t
congregates, and where Rogue Traders are tem
pted away from their God-Emperor-given duties.
If
it serves any purpose in His design, it is that its
destruction by the lancefire of faithful Drusia
ns
in years to come will be a grand cleansing
of false worshippers, apostates, and those too
weak
to carry out the Saints toil, those who have
faltered at the very last step before the Exp
anse
itself.
That ugly arrangement of cerasteel, gnawed
upon by my hounds, is an idol-wheel of Za
yth,
brought to me by Jonquin Saul, one of the few
Rogue Traders to see the Expanse as it truly
is.
Upon Zayth, a billion men await the God-E
mperors word and pray in vain to heathen god
s.
You are right to make the Aquila in fear of
that device, but what worth to give to heathen
s,
hmm? What do I care for their souls? Some
say they have none until the God-Emperors wor
ship
fills their lives. No, what is important is tha
t He has placed these lost worlds of men ami
dst
xenos threats such that wewho are the bloo
d of the Imperiumare made greater by the
acts
of Rogue Traders, His appointed champions.
Rogue Traders are the reason for this void-sta
tion
and the greatest of all the faithful by their act
ions, no matter whether these heathens are crushed
,
burned, or saved.
4

e fallen for their pride.

hav
they
and
sen,
cho
s
eror
mp
d-E
Go
the
not
They are
ore their dread, dark depths. They
bef
pet
car
a
are
s
star
the
and
all,
k
bloc
on
The Rifts of Hecat
e others who win their way beyond the
hav
e
hop
at
wh
so
and
rre,
uai
Aq
s
bra
Ko
even
have swallowed
e Servant prophesized by Abenicus will
Tru
the
ly
On
s?
void
the
in
ion
olat
des
h
suc
to
dread Ork
and so win victory in the Saints name.
ms
real
e
thos
into
s
sing
bles
s
eror
mp
d-E
Go
bear the
acts from the far Halo Stars,
tef
Ar
of,
talk
not
l
wil
I
s
ing
Th
ion!
upt
And worse, worse corr
r time. Have you heard tell? Good,
thei
ore
bef
rs
mbe
se-e
corp
e
mad
s
star
ling
trai
from dead worlds
those who touch them. Beware the Cineris
alls
bef
t
tha
e
fat
the
or
,
them
of
ak
spe
not
l
good, I wil
all my curios, all my tomes. A greater test has
dst
ami
see
I
tern
pat
ad
dre
a
is
ere
Th
!
cum
Malifi
s than any others see...but I
usu
Dr
int
Sa
of
gs
hin
teac
the
ow
foll
o
wh
the God-Emperor for we
ages past that rises to challenge the
from
foe
old
an
g,
thin
vile
a
g,
nin
ake
aw
see it. There is an
Saints Crusade once more...
r! We will speak of safer
ispe
wh
t
tha
ths
mou
and
r
hea
t
tha
s
Ear
.
void
But no, there are ears in the
rs or mine. Point out the sigils
you
n
tha
ter
grea
is
th
wor
its
for
p,
-ma
void
lore. Attend the lithic
ed or rumored in the Expansea
over
disc
is
at
wh
of
tell
l
wil
I
and
,
and
erst
you came here to und
mantle of Saint Drusus and that
the
r
bea
may
we
t
tha
h
suc
eror
mp
d-E
Go
the
realm created by
Imperium.
Rogue Traders may bring greater glory to the

Dark Frontier

not greatly enough, too many of the faithful

it
tle
bat
s
der
Tra
ue
Rog
y
man
Too
ion!
upt
But corr
-heat and the void chills all.
star
the
from
turn
ion
stat
the
of
lts
vau
e
thes
succumb, and I fear when
e Reaver Centuries, and they yet
thes
in
e
ans
Exp
s
ronu
Ko
the
into
ped
slip
e
hav
Pirates and witches
root of the Imperial dominion that must
the
on
pois
ey
Th
s.
void
far
in
ce
pla
ing
tak
taint the holy toil
d-Emperor commands. Treacherous Eldar
Go
the
as
s
usu
Dr
int
Sa
or
hon
to
are
we
be created if
beings who flee righteous void-battle and bring
ul
eitf
dec
,
ign
des
nd
gra
s
eror
mp
d-E
Go
the
cut at
s of the Mechanicus turn
dril
ten
ng
-flu
far
the
n
Eve
ds!
wor
r
thei
heed
o
naught but woe to those wh
Disciples of Thule have journeyed
the
ere
wh
e,
ans
Exp
ant
dist
the
in
ies
hec
against Drusian prop
made strange by their discoveries.
nigh unto the Rifts of Hecaton and have been

Credits

Secrets of the Expanse

Lead Developer

Managing RPG Developer

Ross Watson

Michael Hurley

Secrets of the Expanse Written by

Publisher

Reason

Christian T. Petersen

Editing

Games Workshop

Ross Watson

Licensing Manager

Graphic Design

Owen Rees
Thanks to all staff of the GW Design Studioyour work is
an inspiration.

Kevin Childress

Cover Art

Licensing & Acquired Rights Manager

Imaginary Friends Studio

Erik Mogensen

Art Direction

Intellectual Property Manager

Zoe Robinson

Alan Merrett

Production Manager

Head of Legal & Licensing

Gabe Laulunen

Andy Jones

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