Mura ae see UE FORge \Pae A In the grim darkness ofthe 41st Millennium, Humanity stands on the brink of extinction. Bloodthirsty servants of the ‘Chaos Gods sow terror and ruin across the stars, venous hordes of Daemons pour from tears inthe fabric of reality, and hostilealien races advance upon the worlds within Mankind’s domain. Peace isa distant dream, and the only ‘hope for survival lis inthe complete annihilation of the enemies without and within, Yet few know the full truth of fe eect rs After first stepping out into the cold This was the beginning of a new Pree ee Ot eee ee eet te ee Poa meee ns reason gave way to superstition, and across the galaxy of a newly amongst the stars. Records of when progress was replaced by stagnation. _ discovered artefact that could turn the and how so many disparate planets The looming Chaos and xenos threats tides of countless wars. What these across the galaxy weresetled have drove the gears ofthe Imperial war whispered accounts tell of no mere been lost tothe ages, destroyed in the machine, and any deviation from Seren ene eet er ieee Se et eee eee cs es Cea ee ae ee ee eS Y Peo ee Millions died every day on battlefields past there had been sx other enlightenment, Mankind vas plunged across the galaxy, while those that etry eee eet toiled endlessly to produce the vast all have since been destroyed or eee arty ee nee across countless worlds, psykers tw the skies for fear of sceing what _devastation they wrought across the ee ete a eet ene Pee crate frequency, and the machines designed toserve Homanity turned violently Pee ea prereeeee e Crete en et Se ee ees feet rd Poem enema Sean eet! Pee test Roe ec ets ees eee ents roe eee) leader known only as the Emperor signals emanating from a previously Rr eres uncharted and unnavigable region ee ee ee ee ee cro ey Pee an Se ee cet ee eo ern sc ee ee eee eee Pee ee aes ere At ae ee en ey Pena ecneenc Rees a eS ec een eed ee en ee eee ey [Navigators o plot courses over the ike gash in reality, and with them the have ventured towards the signals ee ee ne er re ec ee Cee eee meee co et ee eee eee reclaim the lost colonies scatered cere ere the Blackstone Fortress, ut speak of a eet eet aes Ree ee ee eC ae eee ny erred ert a ee Cee nS Legions betrayed the Emperor and to cll foraid against the horrors that The warring factions of the 4st sided with the Chaos Gods. Though _ besiege them, while inthe rest of the Millennium cannot afford to ignore Cee ee ee SS ee ee eer tog erg ge te eee ee eC ee en eee ee ea eS Perr er eh ee ee eer ee ‘was placed within the Golden Throne, "races encroaching on every side. For __the Blackstone Fortress, to enter its See een res ct ec ee ee thousand years. eet eects 3\ae SS As vdst and dark as a sunilessplanetoid, the Blackstone Fortres is a creation far beyond the technological ken of any race in the galaxy. Who built this colossal craft and for what purpose ave questions that many wish to answer, for even in its current state of torpor the Blackstone Fortress is possessed of immense power. Yet this mysterious structure ‘others like it were found by the Imperium many centuries ago, and the destruction they wrought Peer sgn ‘The earliest Imperial records of the taking up blockading positions above the invaders, and Abaddon fled into Blackstone Fortresses date back vital worlds and outposts twas atthe warp with two of his captured een ents Pe eee Ce em es Emperor’ rule Extensive analysis of Chaos ships broke through the eee eee ey and attempts to activate the dormant Imperial lines to ly direct siege wo one thousands o pieces. ee ee ee eens ‘generated more than enough power ‘eet drew within ange, the The nest time the power of a ee ee eT ee esc cnn Mechanicus with defence turrets and shut dawn completely rendering it upon the Imperium was during the er Pee ee eee eet ay the Blackstone Fortresses boasted Pee Rn eee ee tne een eee ry teen ei ene eat et ee a ee eos) ee) eet ee ed eens Se ees a ee ee er nc ee tal Se ee ic ceased ino function than had been thought ten millennia, The las of the six ets Deeg | TEC eee ee eset etre en ce ete ‘of Abaddon the Despoiler looded three was used to wreak havoc on the tyrannical master of the Red Corsairs, The rumours that bound have piqued my interest. Iam sceptical man ~in pact, that is why Tam sill alive ~ but ifthe stores ate true, and a new Blackstone Fortress hat indeed appeared within the borders of our galaxy, then it shall be me that claims it for th the Imperium>. Through my contacts in the alan Sub Monunenta and R amongst other less reputable works on the subject of Blackstone Fortresses. There i much in th hat ‘would give a pusillanimous man pause, but Humanity is fortunate enough to have on Janus Draik vant. Ihave set a course for the Western Ri n arival will nvestigate~ tothe fallest extent of my powers ing rumourTHE WESTERN REACHES ‘As the Great Rift tore open, the entire galaxy was flooded with waves of Chaos energy. Countless systems were ‘destroyed by the empyric deluge, embroiled in newly formed warp storms or beset by ravenous Daemons. But other regions of space that had been shrouded for millennia were suddenly unveiled. Inthe Imperium’s Western Reaches, at the far edge of Segmentum Pacificus a patch of reality known to be completely unnavigable and astropathically silent ‘began to emit strange signals. Reaching the source of these signals proved difficult, but from those vessels that made the journey came whispers of a monumental discovery ~ another Blackstone Fortress. SEGMENTUM PACIFICUS The westernmost division of the Imperium is known as the Segmentum Pacificus, one of the five Segmentae “Majoris that comprise the Emperor's domain, Like ll Imperial teritory, the Segmentum Pacificus is not 2 contiguous network of systems, but rather loose scatering of sectors and sub-sectors, divided by large swathes ‘af dead space and hostile territory. [Even before the opening ofthe Great Rift, this Segmentum was riven by ‘mass uprisings and Chaos invasions in ‘what came to be called the Night ofa ‘ ° od ©: ° ‘Thousand Rebellions. min <> aa THE BLACKSTONE FORTRESS EO eg iN “The Blackstone Fortress is located in ‘what was oncea silent zone. No routes of warp travel passed through this region, and no known webway spars emerged into realspace Within the vicinity Yet there are now those who claim to have entered this space, and to have seen the gargantuan creation that les at its heart. Such rumours hhave spread quickly, fora Blackstone Fortress isa treasure without compare.CADIA The Blackstone Fortress known as the Will of Fernity ‘was crippled during the siege of Cadia, but by sending the gigantic vesel hurtling into the planet Abaddon was abe to sunder the Imperial world ina single fall blow. SEGMENTUM | ‘OBSCURUS, _ THE IMPERIUM NIHILUS ‘When the Great Rift opened, the region of space to its north was plunged into darkness, The light of the ‘Astronomican that had bridged the vast distances between Imperial systems was eut off, leaving untold worlds isolated amidst the emerging terrors. Imperial, Chaos and xenos forces now desperately search for weapons that can be brought to bear inthis nightmarish zone of reality. THE GREAT RIFT. ‘Known asthe Cicatrix Maledictum, the Mouth of Ruin and a thousand other names, the Great Rift isa confluence of raging warp storms that stretches across the entire breadth ofthe galaxy. From this empyrie sear pour ‘the foul servants ofthe Chaos Gods, ravenous Daemons and bloodthirsty Heretic Astartes, who sow the stars ‘with error and destruction, Navigation and astropathie ‘communication across the Great Rit is impossible, save for through those rare and perilous passageways that bridge the roiling tempest, HOLY TERRA. ‘The centre of the Imperium and the seat of the Emperor of Mankind, Terra isthe most heavily fortified and defended planet inthe galaxy. Ibis here thatthe impossibly complex task of organising the supply, defence and compliance ofa millon worlds is undertaken, Through labyrinthine channels of ‘bureaucracy and ritual, Humanity is steered towards the common purposes of survival and supremacy. THE MAELSTROM (One ofthe largest and fiercest clusters of warp storms, the Maelstrom has raged for millennia, and is now adjoined to the mangled lattice ofthe Great Rift During the Terran Crusade, the Imperial let led by the arisen Primarch Roboute Gulliman were drawn {nto the Maelstrom, and there they discovered the last ofthe six original Blackstone Fortress, now in the hands of Huron Blackheart and is Red Corsair.A NEW DISCOVERY ‘To reach the Blackstone Fortress requires a harrowing journey, navigating tothe distant edge of the Imperi ‘through sectors in which heresy and Chaos have taken hold. Yt itis the last leg ofthe voyage that is most perilo for there are no warp charts ofthe silent zone in which the Blackstone Fortress lies, andthe light of the Astronomican. ‘becomes distorted beyond recognition as it beams further into this dead space. As such, the exact position of the Blackstone Fortress is only vaguely known, for few travellers have managed to locate it, and fewer sil have returned. "Those who follow the signals Necron glyphs. But the overwhelming ‘emanating from the Blackstone majority are of designs not captured Fortress may be able to navigate the _by Imperial records, giving hint to ‘uncharted tracts of warp space or humerous ancient xenos species that the vast void expanses that separate __vanished long before Mankind took itfrom the nearest stars. Attheend tothe tars The number of these ofthis journey isa sprawling field ‘wrecks is beyond counting, but each of debris stretching for millions of bears evidence of some great and miles in all directions ~adense cloud destructive force that was levelled ‘made of the remnants of ancient against them, with enormous holes warships and fragmented battle burnt lean through their hulls, and stations. Where thisastral detritus __fuselages crushed as though in the came from and how it came to rip of mighty claws. surround the Blackstone Fortress i mystery. Some bear insignia from The wrecks orbit slowly around the early millennia of the Imperium, _the Blackstone Fortress, which les whereas others are branded with hidden atthe centre ofthis nebula ‘Chaos marks, Aeldari runes or ‘of debris, Newly ariving vessels. dare not travel t00 close, for aside from the danger of colliding with haphazardly loating wreckage, there is the risk that whatever apocalyptic armaments caused such obliteration could still be operational. Yet there is much to entice those whe have made the voyage to the edge of the debris cloud. Amongst the wrecks there are weapons systems, star charts and archeotech unseen elsewhere in the galaxy, and scavenger crews are sent ‘ot in smal shuttles to pick clean the skeletal remains ofthe dead ships. Butthe truly adventurous delve even further into the nebula, wending their way through the floating graveyard towards the Blackstone Fortress isePRECIPICE ‘Travelling into the nebula requires avessel small and nimble enough to avoid the colossal debris drifts and eddies of scrap that constantly circulate, There ate no maps to _puide pilots and navigators towards relatively clear channels ~ or if'such charts do exist they are guarded closely by those who posses them Buta craft that is able to survive eventually emerges into a sphere of empty space, atthe heart of which lies the Blackstone Fortress, Under the shadow of the monolithic structure there isa small way station. Cobbled together from pieces of scrap and anchored to solitary node of ‘warp-entangled space it is called Precipice by its ragtag inhabitants ‘Upon arrival, cach vessel is lashed to-one of Precipice’s mooring spars, preventing it from being drawn in by the massive gravity wel of the Blackstone Fortress, and before being allowed to enter the station an ultimatum is delivered tothe crow set aside animosities, ancient hatreds and petty factionalism before coming ‘on board, or face anihilation. Such aggressive precautions area necessity, for Precipice is populated with star-farers from disparate warring races who must be dissuaded from tearing each other, and the station, apart. An ad hoc cadre of the most powerful and influential captains enforce this uneasy truce, though acts of sabotag still commonplace, especially when i serves these captaing purposes. Regardless ofits dangers, Precipice isthe final port of call for those brave and brash enough to enter the Blackstone Fortress itself It serves asa bartering point where travellers ‘can buy, sell o steal the equipment and knowledge needed to survive the horrors tha lic ahead of them, and locale where adventurers of every ilk can form temporary alliances for shared survival. tis the last point of reason before plunging into a realm of madness. = Regue Taser Jans Druk Wirront $f Toude R3B-7ON Daly Sriry: W703 Unless Iam mistaken ~and Tam rarely mistaken =the accounts of'a Blackstone Fortresses having been uncovered are true. By means of parley withthe various scavenger factions Ihave learnt ofa stable porta centre ofthe wreckage nebula, and am currently en route to this station of Precipice! Due to the sheer mast of floating debris, it was necessary to leave the Draikstar a the nebulls edge, along with the vast majority of my personnel to guard it I feel rather nostalgic going forth in my shut afterall it was aboard Vanguard that | conducted my earbest conquests, expanding the Emperor's demain while enjoying aged amasec.aa eS “The mechanisms by which the Blackstone Fortress operates are little understood, but there are ways to gain (oits interior. Apertures of varying sizes pock the massive facets ofthe fortress. Some arc large enough to dock a Retribution-class battleship, while others are so small that a human can barely it through them. Those who venture from Precipice through these apertures may find ways into lightless internal mausoleums scattered with technological treasures of many a forgotten age, or they may simply be obliterated by the abstruse defence systems ofthe fortress. poe ond Re ee ee ee eer an too esoteric to be identified, Relies of chamber will gois beyond the ken of corridors and chambers. Some of its areane technology ie clutched in the any who have thus far set foot inside. geometric halls are vast, arrayed with ands of the ancient dead, or buried spire-lke towers along thet length, amongst heaps ofslowly corroding Once a maglev chamber arvives, Seems es et eco ed Peer ne pee intrepid enough to find them and pry powering down for an hour, a week Cree me ae ee etd acutely twisting floors covered with adventurers set out from Precipice. board have litle choice but to press eect es forwards, probing their way through control panes created by those dead The opening closest to Precipice ene es ey races that have tried to harness the isknown asthe Stygian Aperture find another maglev transport to a Moors and walls, and alongside these small cra itis said tobe the safest _ stranded explorers must keep their are remnants of those who ventured and most stable port ofingeessyet___wits about them as they plumb the Paneer een ond found, Within the Stygian Aperture darkness, lst they stumble into a brought within its bounds against are a number of maglev transport rere ee eee ee ec eT eee ein ee nes eee eer ee eres vehicles are strewn haphazardly fortress. The operation of these defence mechanisms that are hidden’ Cer neat Re Oe en Peet et abyss, be scalded throughout the chambers, along with chambers is far from precise. By SR Seas eee pee et spacecraft. While some ofthis morbid interfaces that are arrayed across the Whatever route is taken cannot Cee ec eo eee ee Peres cd fof known races, most is completely __travel can be initiated, but dictating _known Blackstone Fortresses, the - Long-range vox continues to prove fruitless. Until further notice, datalog entries wil be stored in Vanguard’s cogitator banks, to be transferred manually for astropathic relay upon return to the Draikstar> nd now the nature of Precipice ~ itis eyst inside which the filth ofthe galaxy has pooled. Within ts prevent me from doing so have ordered those attaches and bodyguards who have spanied me thus far to remain strictly aboard Vanguard, and have implemented Hostile Should any ofthe local scurn try to interfere with my shuttle, they shall not lve long en Yet despite the inherent tastelessness of such intermingling, perhaps there is some merit to the arrangement Precipice. All aboard possess a degree of grit and determination , and a handful of them may even prove useful as temporary ali slimpsed the archeotech taken from the Blackstone Fortress, and over the entire couse of my Warrant Ihave rarely seen objects of such intrinsic value. must enter, even if t means venturing alongside this crop of undesirables, 10)a ee Seeaem oe pets ge aalann [ae ‘or simply left as yawning chasms, oo rs 2 ee fe es ae pos eee , :.. acer ey Sceer nana a Ey erent anne 2 ae eee of exploring he Hslstone Fortes Seo Sees eee Ch ceeeeen ty i eer teeny Ce Reem etn ceca eernnerr a ee aerator Hieerenireererreeyay ing err eeney man aoe ee i pemerersiaa ee = Sees Seren te creer eee Pea arr ane renee earn eer eanaareneneee rer eneretiny pe epnarererarnas paeerireeeieeer | eet eeet a Be ea eae Pr aoe eneneenrn pera mre een presi earner wr reenter i perenne ren | eee aay ee oe Foun ene at ie en Penner eerie meen Fiseeenrararssnement aia Penerinenerranetitr ay | peeeip ere tn Finger reer oper Ort | taster the maghe transports towards fare ere eeTHE DANGER WITHIN Every expedition inside the Blackstone Fortress fraught with peri. Aside from the ceaselessly rearranging, architecture and deadly defence systems, there are hostile entities lurking inthe darkness. Whilst delving through the halls, adventurers may cross paths with clusters of drone-like sentries, packs of predatory creatures and squads ‘of bloodthirsty warriors. But the greatest danger by far isthe incomprehensible sentience ofthe Blackstone Fortress ‘tse, forthe purpose ofits existence and the true extent of its power are yet to be discovered. eee eee eee peg en eos within the Blackstone Fortress appear bellowed war cries thunder through vessel, which was drawn in and eee the dark halls, and those fighters who devoured by the Blackstone Fortress their form imitating its angular, Cee nena tet ae ea cen ce eure ete tery their wargear either taken by the Pee te rrvvors or consumed by the folding Many on Precipice believe the re ee et eee een eee) usually found inthe Dark City of poeeeeetr tones Se nen ee ee ee eee ‘of the Chaos Gods, ee Fortres are the Chaos Space Marines nested amongst the fortress’ chambers As adventurers and hostile roam led by the tyrannical Lord Obsidius _thatallow ito reach out and pluck the halls, they invariably cross paths, __Mallex, How long these Heretic Pe eee ng The ensuing firfightsaretenseand __Astartes have been entombed et eee cry Pee ee eee er ee ee ey ene eee eee eee es eee ete eee ee ee eee er ec Pees ee mee As ee eae a ee ees ccoverbehind wreckage or duck into fragments ofa Heretic Astartes ship _ system to purge intruders, But even trench-like openings inthe loorsand have been found scattered through __more disturbing isthe evidence that ‘walls From there they lay down ails the fortres, and amongst the foul eat eee ete ee ee ee eee Se ee eee eee ee ee gS Peet ens Cadia, The information traders of time ast prepares for some as yet et ee a ee ee eee pe Preparations for my frst expedition 2 ompacts with some of the denizens of Precipice to venture into the for se, our surface motives align closely enough that we can emporarily edition. Some of these individuals ae ofthe Imperial ik, whereas others are of species that Humanity has deigned to cooperate with at various stages, and with varying degrees of success. These alliances are not robust or elegant, but they are necessary Through able commerce with the information traders, I have collected the learnings of previous parties of xplorers. < The traders in Precipice are not as pliable as those found in other back-sector ontposts, 1 ‘must maintain my wiles whilst aboard.> Firstly, large venturing groups are iniable as only a handful of individuals an fit in each maglev chamber, and no one has discerned how to direct multiple transports to the same location thin the Blackstone Fortress, Secondly, though the internal structure ofthe fortress is inconstant, there are stable nodes, knoven in the local parlance as ‘hidden vaults ret been accessed ~ at least, not by anyone who has returned alive. Thirdly, nothing within the fortress can be trusted, Ths thd observation i part ofan almost tress ‘See’ all that happens inside its bounds, and that it actively guards its 9 this, but hope that I will soon be able to. rsEXPLORERS To enter the Blackstone Fortress is to invite an inglorious and horrific end, and none who undertake such risks do so lightly. Some seek valuable archeotech that they can soll for an unimaginable fortune, thers search for powerful relics lost to their race millennia ago, while others still strive to unlock the cataclysmic power ofthe Blackstone Fortress itself. But regardless of motive, all must work together if they hope to return to Precipice alive. JANUS DRAIK ESPERN LOCARNO Intrepid and audacious, Janus Draik has travelled farand An agent of House Locarno ~ one ofthe great Navigator wide in search of rare commodities to sellto Humanitys Houses - Espern Locarno is a sanctioned Imperial mutant, ruling elit Asa Rogue Trader, his Warrant of Trade grants Like al of is kind, Espern has a third eye capable of both him the authority to explore beyond the charted regions _ seeing into the immaterium and of unleashing devastating ‘of Imperial space and to negotiate agreements with xenos warp energy a those upon whom its gaze is cast, When races, so long as such activites serve to strengthen the news ofthe Blackstone Fortress reached House Locarno, Imperium. He is a deft dvellist, and has slain all manner __Espern was sent to investigate, forit was believed by the of creatures over the course ofhis travels. By locating and House logistors that, amongst the wreckage subsumed exploring the Blackstone Fortress, Draik hopes to unlock by the fortress, there could be cargocs from millennia the terrifying power of the space station and claim it for _past for which the Navigator House sil held contracts Mankind, At the same time, any archeotech he finds that Furthermore, Espern hopes to obtain the time- and space could be sold or used in future pursuits makes awelcome bending technologies of the Blackstone Fortress itself, addition to his ships holds. ‘which are greatly desized by the star-faring Navigators, ROGUE TRADER IMPERIAL NAVIGATOR‘ TADDEUS THE PURIFIER ‘Asan Adeptus Ministorum Priest, Taddeus the Purifier has spread faith in the Emperor's godhood across the stars. ‘Whether amongst the unwashed rabble of a teeming hive orld or fighting alongside the heaving ranks of Astra Militarum soldiery, his words steer Imperial souls towards righteousness, and are backed up by brutal swings of. his power maul. More than one planetary governor has been brought low by Taddeus, his winnoving gaze seeing through their finery to detect deep-seated corruption ‘or psychic mutation. In truth, bringing the justice of the faithful to those loftiest of individuals isthe one true joy Jn which Taddeus indulges, for in the pyre-flames ofthe accused he sees images that he believes to be messages froma the God-Emperor, He saw one such image whilst Jmmolating an impenitent Navyman who had spread ‘rumours about the Blackstone Fortress. This vision showed Taddeus that he must travel to the Western Reaches and. carry the Emperor’ light into the darkness, Now that he hha arrived at Precipice, the Purifier sees that there is much righteous work for him to undertake, both in cleansing the heretical inhabitants of the Blackstone Forteess and in ‘cementing the Imperial Creed within the settlement itself MINISTORUM PRIEST ggth PIOUS VORNE \Vorne isa missionary inthe service of Taddeus the Parifir, having been taken under his wing when she was little more than a teenager. She grew up amongst the refinery clans on the hive world of Gethsemane, and when the Purifier arrived to weed out the rumoured Chaos cults that were fomenting heresy amongst the workers, Vorne watched the priests actions with open admiration. Seven of her clanspeople were identified as potential heretics, and were lashed toa pyre-stake for purification, but after they had bbeen doused in sacred oils, one slipped his bonds and fle. The fugitive raced into the crowd of onlookers, away from the bellowing Taddeus and straight into Yorne, who pushed the oil-drenched man into an exposed pilot ight ‘onthe side of an alchomite stack. So intense was the heat ‘of the maris combustion that the skin on Vorne' lips and ‘hands was burnt away, yet still she watched eagerly until the sereaming heretic had been reduced to ash. Taddeus saw one like himself in Vorne, and gave her the name Pious, as well as a lamer with which she could continue the Emperor's work. Now as she heads into the Blackstone Fortress, Pious Vorne seeks to bring righteous fire to those ‘who have not seen the light ofthe Imperium. MISSIONARY ZEALOTAMALLYN SHADOWGUIDE ‘Asa Ranger, Amallyn Shadowguide i used to operating for from her craftworld home of Biel-Tan, For long centuries she has travelled the webway the latice-lke sub-dimension that connects distant stars, hunting doven the enemies of her people and secking ways to return the Aeldari race toits former glory. Her craftworld was fractured during massive battle ~ ravenous Daemons fought the Avatar ofthe newly formed Aeldari god Yanead in a conflict so cataclysmic that it helped teat open the Great Rift. The Daemon hordes were driven back, the enormous spaceerat was damaged beyond repair, and many ofthe Asuryani souls stored within its Infinity Circuit were lost forever, After receiving word from Biel-Tais Farseets, Amallyn Set out to find the Blackstone Fortress, for they had foreseen that deep within its labyrinthine corridors were sillennia-old remnants of Aeldari technology that might be used to restore ther craftworld. There ae few amongst the Asuryani better suited to this task than Amallyn Sadowguide. Her very name is derived from the Aeldari word otXensa, which means seeker through shadows, and Is borne by those who strive to master the darkness that surrounds them, as wells the darkness within themselves, ASURYANI RANGER DAHYAK GREKH ‘A member ofthe mercenary species known as the Kroot, Dahyak Grekh is an experienced tracker for hire. Kroot are commonly encountered as auxiliaries deployed by the ‘Tau Empire, and are known as savage, animalistic warriors who devour the flesh of those they kill battle. Many adventurers on Precipice think that trusting such a bestial creature i tantamount to ripping out one’ own throat, buat little do they know how crucial the mercenary culture {is to the Kroot, and how seriously they take their violent profession, Fach new contract fulfilled wins them the ‘means to travel further across the stars, and inthis way they netic tts of those foes they devout. To betray a client would be to jeopardise this way are able to absorb the varied of life, and to stem the flow of consumed flesh tht allows their entire species to evolve, Dahyak himself has honed his craft of tracking and slaughtering enemies in multiple war zones, and in service to various client races, He cares ‘not whom he serves, so long as they pay. But in devouring the denizens ofthe Blackstone Fortess, Dahyak has learnt ‘much ofthe darkened maze. He has told no one what he has discovered inthis way, but now tielessly searches for sacred Kroot artefacts hidden within the shifting halls KROOT TRACKERvat UR-025 ‘The Imperial Robot UR-025 iean oddly, even by the standards of Precipice. Clad in thick metallic platn bearing devastating weaponty, this batle-machine isa highly sought-after ally for those looking to venture into the Blackstone Fortress, Having arrived at Precipice on a dilapidated Imperial junk hauler itemitted an ato- proclamation claiming it had been sent by Magos-Etherieus| ‘Nanctos If as an autonomous data-collection unit, and that, ithad directives for sanctioned eradication of those who ‘impeded its Omnissah-given duty. But in truth, the robot js far more ancient than anyone realises. Its origins date back to the Dark Age of Technology, when Mankind built thinking machines that eventually tured violently upon their masters. Known asthe Men of on, these sentient robots were all but wiped out. Yet UR-025 has persisted ‘over the long millennia, hiding on the Fringes ofthe galaxy and allowing others to believe itis an automatous tol of the Imperium. Unlike the other inhabitants of Precipice, ‘cares litle for the trinkets of xenos races that have been subsumed by the Blackstone Fortress Instead it seeks to obtain the technologies of the fortes itself, for in the colossal space station URO25 sees kindced being, IMPERIAL ROBOT REIN & RAUS ‘Wily, cunning and unabashedly larcenous, the twins Rein and Raus Gaffar are admired and distrusted in equal ‘measure on Precipice. As members ofthe abhuman species known as Rallings, they are comfortable operating on the fringes of society and ae quick to demonstrate that their small statures do not make them easy targets for violence ‘As faras anyone has been able to tell, Rein and Raus were stowaways aboard a ship that was following the signals ‘emitted by the fortress, and upon reaching the wreckage nebula they ‘borrowed! a smaller wessel with which to travel through the debris. No one has been able to figure out if the pair had planned this journey ahead of time or if each Jeg was simply an improvisation. Regardless, they have proven themselves worthy combatants and explorers since their arrival, with Rein being acrackshot sniper and Raus a nimble acrobat. The gear they bear suggests that they were once part of an Astra Militarum Auxila regiment, but they have showa no sigas that they are operating as part of sanctioned mission, With light fingers they rifle through the archeotech pulled from the Blackstone Fortress, Keeping the best for themselves and selling the rest fora heathy prof. RATLING TWINSSSR a ‘Only those craft small enough to pass through the wreckage nebula ever make it to Precipice. As such, the explorers of the Blackstone Fortress must draw upon what limited resources they are able to bring with them in order to survive, trading amongst each other and leveraging the capabilities oftheir various vessels to the fullest extent. RST 3 Constructed by the Mechanicum, Long Hauler Gamma-3- en eee eee eee as eee Ce eee iy ‘how it came into their possession isnot clear ~ and upon arrival atthe space station, the Imperial Robot UR-025: eee at eee ees tre nea cone Renta ences See stained acmaglass windows and infra ‘wave laud hailers. Its hallowed decks eee ee se Peart een a eee conan See est Sone ese and excruciation.UE TEED OF MATH ey . n= TR « f i flee z rae] «til dif met prod aT Seno as Rey ores neon a eee designed for hunting in eee! et etd Pe ean eee een Cece containing details of myriad eae cee Ces eee ec Locamo for many thousands of. Serene erred eee nee ts pee eee eee a psychic signal ofits current Se ee allowing the Navigator agen pon ee But the narrowest webway cee eer ee ey Se eer ae eave as es prem nee coy ne eer Sree) eerie ‘Aeldari artefacts.HOSTILES Halling from the darkest corners of realspace and beyond, the entities inhabiting the Blackstone Fortress are as varied 1s they are deadly. They prowl the shifting chambers, herded by the fortress’ malefic will towards those who enter from outside, where their inherent brutality is put to its use. Those that fall in combat simply add to the piled detritus that lines the corridors, or else are restored by arcane technologies so that they may continue to maraud, SERVANTS OF THE ABYSS OBSIDIUS MALEK CHADS SPACE MARINES (Obsidius Mallex isthe tyrannical Chaos Lord af the ‘The mos terrifying ofthe Servants ofthe Abyss are the warband known as the Servants ofthe Abyss. He fought Chaos Space Marines. Like all oftheir ilk, they ate horeific naval battles far above the surface of rmockeries ofthe Adeptus Astarts ofthe Imperium, having Cadis during the Thirteenth Black Crusade. Aboard his __ fallen to the corrupting influences of the Dark Gods. Hades-clas heavy cruiser, Impaler, Mallex and his warband Over the long millennia, their weaponry and armour have watched as the Will of Eternity crashed into the surface of _ecome twisted into nightmarish shapes, and their psycho- the world, obliterating the last ofthe Imperial forces that _indactrinated sense of duty and honour has been replaced had defended the planet for a hundred centuries. In the with selfish avarice and unquenchable hatred. ‘ensuing empyric explosion, Impaler wes sent hurting into the warp, where it as pulled along by currents neither natural nor daemonic in origi. It emerged in the Western Reaches ofthe galaxy, inside the Blackstone Fortress. Warp ad ‘emergences into solid objects within realspace usually to cataclysmic explosions in which all overlapping matter is ‘uitery destroyed, but by some esoteric means, Impaler was melded with the fortress, its grotesquely twisted hulls inter splicing with the internal structures of the colossal host. As the tessellating chambers rearranged themselves, Impaler ‘was ripped apart, stranding Mallex and his warband, T have seen the destrnction w ashe by th Blucksone Fortress, Te sah pve Ths prisbn 9 burs shal stn become sy sar haem the stars,” my destiny th wie aud with it J shall smite Obsidius Mall, from the throne of impsler [Now the Chaos Lord rages in the darkness, taking out his fury at being made a captive upon all those who daze enter the boundaries ofthe fortress. But through his seething anger Mallex sees that was with the other Blackstone Fortresies that Abaddon ‘wrought such widespread devastation during the Gothic Was and it was withthe Will of Eternity that the defences ‘on Cadia were finally obliterated. Phe could bend the awesome technologies of the Blackstone Fortess to his. vill, Mallex would become a force of destruction without ‘compare. So itis that he searches for a way to turn his prison into a weapon, striving to control the Blackstone Fortress before Abaddon himself comes to claim this dreadful bounty, re isa great prize to claimed. It“The Chaos Space Marines that were inside Impaler when it reemerged from the warp within the Blackstone Fortress now serve as bodyguards to thet Tord, Obsidius Malle, shadowing him ashe searches for a means to awaken the ancient edifice and harness its apocalyptic power for himself. When interlopers aboard the vast structure are encountered, the Chaos Space Marines ruthlessly attack. them on sight, blasting their enemies into bloody chunks witha cruel efficiency born of untold centuries of warfare. Even Mallex does not know how many of his Chaos Space ‘Marines survived ther battleships demise and are now scattered throughout the Blackstone Fortress shifting corridors, fr the structute seemingly strives to keep the Servants of the Abyss divided, This irks the Chaos Lord greatly, for not only does it deny him the fall strength of his warband, butt allows the more ambitious Chaos Space ‘Marines to seek out for themselves the arcane secrets of their prison. As they delve deeper into the Blackstone Fortress’ chambers, many of these abhorrent transhuman wartiors hope to acquire power enough to slay Lord CObsidius Mallex and usurp leadership ofthe Servants of the Abyss TRAITOR GUARDSMEN Soldiers that once served in the regiments ofthe Astra Miltarum function as slaves and worshippers fr the Servants of the Abyss. Swayed by promises of power beyond imagining, and twisted in spirit by the litanies of heretical demagogues, these Traitor Guardsmen scream praises tothe Chaos Gods as they wage war. Those most blessed by the Ruinous Powers bear mutations in thelr flesh, with teth growing into cruel fangs or eyes glowing ‘with baleful light. They see the Chaos Space Marines under ‘whom they serve as gods ~ proof of the immortality that could be theirs i they are worthy. Though at times entire regiments fall tothe insidious taint of Chaos, those of the Servants of the Abyss comprise multiple platoons and deserter squads from various war 2ones. They are united only by their choice to pledge themselves body and soul to the Chaos warband, rather than being butchered in defence ‘of the Imperium, Inside the Blackstone Fortress, the Traitor {Guardsmen are formed into squads and driven into battle, both by their Chaos Space Marine overlords and by the fortress itsell. Then, with overwhelming weight of fie, they ‘obliterate those who defy the will oftheir dark masters.CHAOS BEASTMEN Brutishly strong and filed with savage fury, beastmen axeamong the most deformed species of abhumans, bearing horns, hooves and matted manes of fur. As such, they are severely persecuted throughout the Imperium, and on many worlds they are simply hunted down and slaughtered, In those regions where their existence is tolerated, they ae indactrinated into self-loathing, being told that they must atone for their miscreation through unquestioning service to Humanity. They ae treated litle better than servitors or beasts of labour, and are put to ‘work in the most dangerous environs, When called to battle, they are armed with simple weapons and herded into war zones as shock troops or canon fodder. But despite their feral appearance, beastmen are quite human in their reasoning and intelligence, and understand al too wel the injustices that they must endure. Its litle wonder that many succumb tothe lure of Chaos, embracing their ‘mutations as gifts from the Dark Gods and turning their savagery upon their pitiless Imperial taskmastes. The taint of Chaos warps these creatures minds, augmenting. their inherent ferocity and strength, and leading them to seek out new heretial masters to hom they can swear allegiance. Unlike many other battle-thalls ofthe Servants ofthe Abyss the Chaos Beastmen inthe Blackstone Fortress welcome theie imprisonment, for within the rearranging chambers they have found a home that is even ‘more twisted than they are, and where their murderous Instincts have allowed them to thrive, ROGUE PSYKERS “The psyker mutation is perhaps the most dangerous genetic divergence of Humanity, but also the most valuable to the Imperium. By manipulating the flows of energy that ‘emanate from the warp, a psyker can channel bolls of arcane power through their weapon, create wards against Jneoming projectiles, or wil into being any number of ‘other reality-bending manifestations. Yet each time they ‘draw upon this power they place themselves and all those around them in unimaginable perl for they are piercing the ell that oxists between realspace and the horrors of the immaterium. Citizens ofthe Imperium with the psyker ‘mutation are judged by the Inquisition, and should they show anything less than a will blessed of iron they are ‘executed without merey or hesitation. Even those who ‘are judged strong-willed enough tobe sanctioned may. still succumb to horrendous fate. A momentary lapse in concentration can see a sanctioned payker wracked by their ‘own manifestations imploding into a ball of writhing flesh ‘or devoured by ravenous Daemons thet spill forth from ‘within their mind, But some are warped slowly over time, their abilities becoming enhanced asthe taint of Chaos seeps further into their souls, until eventually they give ‘themselves lly to their whispering patrons inthe warp. ‘These Rogue Pspkers will seek out warbands with which toaliga themselves, and those in league withthe Servants ofthe Abyss now ply their witch-craft in the halls of the Blackstone Fortes WEGAVOLT CULTISTS Despite the vigilance of the Imperium, cults of Chaos- ‘worshipping humans arise on many worlds. These cults take different shapes ~ some venerate the Ruinous Powers through cannibalistic sacrifices, others by the spreading of virulent diseases, and others stil by sowing confusion and, fear amongst those who would defend against an imminent invasion. Negavolt Cultists express their heretical devotion by despoiling machinery, corrupting the function of sacred technologies through daemonic invocations and abstruse rituals, Such cults are often found on planets controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus, The Chaos worshippers rise up to slaughter their Tech- Priests overlords taking their ‘most holy war machines so that they may be transformed {nto roaring Daemon Engines. Negavolt Cultiss wire themselves with empathic-resonance coils ~ perverse batteries that are charged by the cultists own pain and hatred. At fll cspacity, these spinally fused energy cells scteam and thrum as they cast off showers of ridescent sparks, From the coil, ares of warp-infused energy are sent coursing through dendritic appendages into the cultists electro goad, where they release burss of crackling power when a target is struck, An anarchic electric field also builds around those dendrites thatthe cultists implant in ther skull, creating an illuminating halo of lightning. The Negavolt Cultist in thall to the Servants ofthe Abyss delight in trying to rip apart the machinery ofthe Blackstone Fortress, as wells any unsuspecting. adventurers they come across. STRONGHOLDS Amongst the twisting recesses ofthe Blackstone Fortress, the Servants of the Abyss have managed to find several strongholds - stable conglomerations fof chambers in which they can muster. Unlike the | smaller rooms that are constantly reconfigured into diferent shapes, each stronghold retains its chase like structure, and is shifted through the fortress interior as an immutable whole, The reason for which these fixed complexes exist is unknown, but the further Obsidius Mallex roams inside the fortress the more he learns oftheir true purpose. Within the strongholds he found shards of hyper-dimensional material, which the Chaos Lord boieves to be keys capable of unlocking some other, undiscovered chamber. One of these keys Mallex has mounted in the hilt of his thunder harmer, and around the others hac has stationed heretical warriors to serve as guards hile he searches for cues as to what the keys will unleash, So its that many ofthe Servants ofthe Abyss ie in wait within the strongholds, brooding over their imprisonment, dreaming ofthe atrocities they commit when they escape, ad listening tothe telltale echoes of maglev transports that alert them to new prey that has entered their domain,4 WN DWELLERS IN THE LABYRINTH ‘The Servants ofthe Abyss are a terifying presence within the Blackstone Fortress but they are far from the only entities that stalk the shadows. As pioneers from Precipice explore further into the fortress’ chambers, more and more strange creatures from across the galaxy are encountered. Some are well known for their horrifying cruelty, and others are unknown to all but the most ancient beings UR-GHULS ‘Ur-Ghuls are troglodytic predators whose speed is matched only by their savagery. Native inhabitants ofthe webway ~ the sub- dimensional lattice that exists between realspace and the warp ~ they ae kept as pets and guard-beast bythe elite ‘of the cruel Acldar faction known as the Druk and are often brought out during high- society functions so that they may evisceratehelples captives forthe entertainment of guests, Ur-Ghuls are completely sightles, but with quivering rows ‘of scent-pits they lock onto their prey. hunting unfortunates down in absolute darkness and shredding their flesh with powerfl claws. There are conflicting theories amongst the inhabitant of Precipice as to how the Ur-Ghuls mace their way into the Blackstone Fortress, bu there is absolute consensus regarding the threat they pose. SPINDLE DRONES (Ofall the entities encountered within the Blackstone Fortress, none areas ubiquitous a the insect sentinels ‘known as Spindle Drones. They skittr through the corridors in tightly packed groups irelescly searching for newly accumulated detritus and cutting any foreign ‘materials they find into smaller and smaller pieces using, pulses of energy. IfSpindle Drones encounter inteuders they follow the same protocols, becoming steadily more aggressive as their enemies fight to defend themselves. By all accounts, Spindle Drones appear tobe formed ofthe same substance asthe Blackstone Fortress, and their trianguloid forms mimic the shifting shapes of the chambers they inhabit, In-depth analysis ofthese metalic creatures has proven difficult. When destroyed, their bodies are quickly reabsorbed by the interior facets ofthe fortress, and efforts to extract neutralised Spindle Drones have proven completly fruitless, with maglev chambers remaining inert whenever a drone corpse is brought on boardCUS TSR SST UT UE Re eee area stan Et cnnne aL eRe eee ee en ae Se ee eee ey te eee nee a eer eee ic ee eaese eer TET a Re eee oe eee ee eee ee et So eee ee eee eee ce er Lamesa wrcat nareaieanenror rerio rare niyroninsmierrernnreanenrs Ce et ee ee et ee tis skein onto evar noting pooratne sansa rian imal Ty St pSnoan UPN Games Workshop Ltd, Willow Ra, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2WS one ey