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THE BEGINNING OF THE END TIMES
Darkness has fallen across a hundred worlds, and for the defenders of the Cadian Gate, the pure light of day now seems but a distant memory. Though the forces of the Despoiler have been denied the ultimate prize of the fall of Cadia, Abaddon?s hordes have gained a foothold upon the worlds of Man, and none can see them being repelled for many years to come. Abaddon and his council of three have outmanoeuvred and out fought the forces of the Imperium at almost every turn. Corpses litter the battlefields in their millions, yet millions more still stand beleaguered, against a foe that knows no mercy and whose only goal is the utter destruction of all who stand before them.
The Thirteenth Black Crusade has broken the Imperium?s hold upon the Cadian Gate- perhaps forever. The raging tempest of the Eye of Terror has surged forth, engulfing those worlds lost to Chaos. The Imperium no longer bars the gate to the Eye, only a small channel remains through which Imperial Navy vessels may pass to bring aid to the desperate forces upon Cadia.
At the close of the Thirteenth Black Crusade, Cadia still stands. But she stands alone, a failing beacon flickering against the encroaching night. Total war is come to Segmentum Obscurus, and all hopes of repelling the invaders are dashed. The Imperium must now consolidate its grip upon those worlds it still holds, and prepare to fight a war that will not end within the lifetime of any of its combatants. While Cadia still stands, humanity has reason to hope, but Abaddon the Despoiler has finally achieved what he has failed to do on twelve previous occasions, over ten thousand years- he has breached the Cadian Gate, and none can now hold back the inexorable tide of Chaos unleashed upon the Imperium of Man.
Cadia
The bleak moors of Cadia are reduced to a barren, crater-pocked wasteland, blasted by orbital torpedoes, super-heavy artillery and the footfall of titans. The Vilklas and Andur defence lines have collapsed under the relentless pressure of a million frenzied cultists, traitors and mutants, and the Cadian High Command has been forced to relocate to Kasr Gallan on the far side of the Caducades Sea. Though the Imperial Navy is in control of the inter-system space lanes, Chaos rules the skies above Cadia since the orbital defences fell in the opening days of the Black Crusade. The defenders of Cadia are now deployed around Kasr Gallan and throughout the Wastes, resolute that not a backward step shall be taken. The order is given- ?stand at Cadia, or damn the Imperium of Mankind to the depredations of Chaos for all eternity?.
Scarus
The unstoppable force of the Green Krusade has laid waste to the Scarus system, and now the Orks rule Lethe Eleven and Mordax. The Forge Worlds of Mordax are now infested with lootaz of the Death Skull clan, a truly terrifying prospect to the devotees of the Machine God, who know full well the depths of blasphemy against the Omnissiah to which these barbaric xenos will sink. Only Thracian Primaris holds firm against the Green Crusade, bolstered first by the intervention of a Black Templars Crusade, and later by the stalwart defence mounted by the Salamanders Chapter. The situation is grim in Scarus, and none can see an end to the infestation given the dire situation across the region.
Belis Corona
The Imperium have largely held at Belis Corona, suffering the worst excesses of a Tyranid splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Leviathan, and the horrific plagues bestowed upon the Hive Cities by the Death Guard. Subiaco Diablo saw the Convent of the Order of the Ermine Mantle hold out against overwhelming odds, before being relieved by a host of Adepta Sororitas from across the region, their assault spearheaded by the celebrated Canoness Astra.
Agripinaa
The industrial heartland of the Cadian Gate lies in ruin. Though the Imperial Navy controls space, many worlds of the sector are lost to anarchy and destruction. Agripinaa itself may stand, but without the Agri-worlds of Yayor, Ulthor and Dentor, its populace may yet starve to death, and without the vital materiels provided by the Hive worlds of Albitern, Amistel and Tabor, its mighty forges may yet fall silent. With Typhus, Herald of Nurgle consolidating his grip upon the Ulthor system, as if claiming it as the capital of a nascent, plague-ridden empire of his own, it is apparent that the taint of Chaos is well and truly upon the Agripinaa sector.
The Webway
The Eldar have sealed the Webway against all invaders, expelling the Traitor Space Marines of the Thousand Sons Legion, and pushing their own wayward kin, the Dark Eldar, back to their shadow-realm of Commorragh. For now, the hidden places of the Eldar, and the most terrible secrets they hide are safe from the predations of the ?lesser races?. Those warzones only accessible through the Webway are now held by the Eldar, including the ancient Crone World of Belial IV, former jewel in the once-mighty galaxy-spanning empire of the race.
The space lanes
The Imperial Navy has fought with courage and vigour throughout the war, ruthlessly taking the battle to the enemy wherever it encountered them. Admiral Quarren has been hailed a true hero of the Imperium, for his masterful defence of the space lanes was all that stood between survival, and utter defeat for the Imperium. Though Cadia is besieged, the Imperial Navy commands space, and is able to offer support to beleaguered forces on the ground. The only question is whether the rapid redeployment of almost the entirety of Battle Fleet Gothic, along with a substantial proportion of Battle Fleet Solar will leave the Navy dangerously overstretched elsewhere and unable to maintain the level of operations required to hold the line at the Cadian Gate.
Caliban
The Dark Angels have not only held on to the ruins of their homeworld of Caliban against continuous attack, but have countered the activities of a number of the ?Fallen?- rogue brethren who the Chapter and its successors relentlessly hunt to the exclusion of all other considerations. Rumours abound that the Dark Angels captured The Voice of the Emperor himself, only for this mysterious heretic to escape his prison en route to the Tower of Angels. Other rumours suggests that Lord Castellan Ursarkar Creed now harbours a deep resentment towards the chapter, whose presence, he feels, might have proved critical in the defence of Cadia in the most desperate phases of the war, were the chapter not focusing their efforts upon Caliban.
The Tau Empire
If any one group can said to have gained from the wholesale destruction of the Thirteenth Black Crusade, it is the Tau. The collectivist xenos have expanded their territory, and look set to establish at least one, perhaps two, new Sept worlds in space formally claimed by the Imperium. With the forces of the Emperor firmly committed to defending Segmentum Obscurus, the Tau may just be able to consolidate their hold upon their newly won worlds.
These are the initial results of the Eye of Terror campaign. Inquisition Servitors, lexmechanics and auto-savants are currently engaged in the lengthy process of compiling a true and detailed account of Abaddon?s Thirteenth Black Crusade. These results will be published shortly in White Dwarf, along with the account of the climactic battle that took place at Cadia, the battle for the very future of the Cadian Gate.
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