VentSector: Koronus Expanse Region: [data redacted] Location: [data redacted] Material: Personal log Recorded by: Seberian von Valancius
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VentI have seen my fair share of battles, but never before have I witnessed anything like that which erupted in the orbit of that accursed dead world. The handful of fighter craft covering the flagship fought an outmatched battle with the unholy enemy's ever-swelling hordes. Yet, sacrificing themselves, the servants of House von Valancius cleared the way for their master, just as they did in days of old.
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VentThere was no knowing what lay ahead. Lumens provided just enough light to reveal smooth walls stretching down into the darkness, and countless platforms hovering over the void. I refused to risk the safety of my person for the purposes of reconnaissance, and so my scion had to give the order to commoners. With no blessed augmetics to rely on, the servants lost their footing and slipped into the chasm. Nevertheless, the ones that survived managed to discover hidden passages in the walls.
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VentThe Tech-Priests reacted with the same cohesion. Like cogs in a single machine, they closed their ranks, forming an impenetrable barrier with their own augmented bodies. Heavy plasma weapons were raised and a volley hit the Necrons, incinerating them and throwing them back.
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VentEveryone was looking about, bracing themselves for a fresh attack, when the walls around them shimmered. Their contours flowed and shifted, forming shining curves around us. Many of the squad recited prayers, hoping to banish the visceral terror that gripped their minds at the sight of this strange phantasmagoria of lifeless light.
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VentFor all its formidable power, the enemy's weapon did not succeed in breaking the mind of a true Rogue Trader. Every step took me enormous effort, and yet I walked on.
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VentI cannot say how long our descent lasted. Finally, we reached our goal: one of the many passageways that riddled the bowels of the planet. The corridor, clad in black metal, was quiet and completely empty.
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VentImbued with the xenos's unholy technology, the very metal of the triangular gates seemed to resist our intrusion. Every attempt to clear the way proved futile, so the Tech-Priests resorted to desperate measures. Sacrificing their stock of melta charges, the servants of the Omnissiah managed to melt a large enough opening for the squad to enter.
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VentAll attempts to open the gate came to naught. When the servants of the Omnissiah overloaded the battery of the plasma cutter, hoping to burn their way through, their calculations proved fatally inaccurate. When the blinding flash faded, the survivors saw the charred bodies of those who had failed to take cover in time. The way was clear, but at high cost.
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VentThere was no knowing what lay ahead. Lumens provided just enough light to reveal smooth walls stretching down into the darkness, and countless platforms hovering over the void. It was as if the accursed structure were mocking us, and I accepted its challenge, as befitted a Rogue Trader. The descent became a series of vertiginous leaps between platforms, and it was only the Ferrum Sanctum my body was blessed with that saved me from falling and granted me success, as I was able to discover several side corridors in the walls.
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Entry point 19 of 85
VentCountless turns, crossings, climbs, and descents later, the squad finally reached its goal. The walls, once closing in relentlessly around us, suddenly opened into a wide, low-ceilinged corridor that disappeared into darkness.
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VentWe had made considerable progress when a harsh ringing sound echoed through the stale air. The vox-casters erupted into cacophonous screeching before falling permanently silent. The last thread linking us to our flagship had been severed.
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VentThe second the squad reached the nearest fork in the passageway, the sepulchral silence was broken by warning signals erupting from the auspexes. The devices' assessments were as precise as they were pitiless: the right-hand branch held unknown gravitational anomalies that might kill the squad, while from the left-hand one enemy forces were inexorably approaching.
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VentAt the cost of many lives, the xenos's defences were breached. Once the artillery finished, several shuttles broke off from the flagship and headed toward the planet's blast-cratered surface. The small, manoeuvrable craft were perfectly suited to my heir's plan to stealthily penetrate the heart of the ancient tomb and take that which was his/her birthright.
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VentIn the eerie silence, the Rogue Trader's voice sounded strikingly clear:
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VentAs soon as the squad stepped into the passage, a wall descended with a whoosh behind us, cutting off our way back. Prisms shimmering a sinister green were set on the floor and walls of the narrow corridor — too large and obvious to be mere decoration. A scout who led the way made the mistake of drawing too close to the glowing artifact: there was a sickening crunch as the man was crushed into a shapeless mass of flesh and bone.
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VentPlasma discharges vaporised blood and metal with a hiss. Prism after prism collapsed, until puddles of molten metal were all that was left of those creations of perverse xenos genius.
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VentIt was a chilling sight to behold. Necron warriors emerged from the darkness, moving in geometrically perfect, impeccably synchronised formation. Their metal faces were expressionless; only the eye slits were aglow with a malice that spelt death to any living thing in their way. The xenos in the front ranks raised their weapons, preparing to attack.
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Entry point 29 of 85
VentThe way seemed clear and free of perils. The squad advanced at a swift pace, moving ever deeper into the intricate web of passageways.
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VentIt turned out the sense of security was an illusion. The Museion's masters were still intently monitoring our every step — and they struck at the exact moment we let our guard down and allowed ourselves a brief respite.
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VentThe nightmares that ambushed us were an outrage against the very nature of reality. Giant segmented bodies wriggled silently through the air, disappearing and reappearing as lasgun shots passed through them. Their incorporeal appearance was deceptive; the long claws that pierced one man after another left no doubt that they were quite real. Nothing we had could match those technological monstrosities. The only option left was...
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Entry point 33 of 85
VentThe shuttles landed on a tiny patch of clear ground that had miraculously escaped the shelling. Around them towered the colossal ruins of xenos structures pulverised by the flagship's relentless orbital cannons. Concealed somewhere beneath a thick layer of molten metal was Trazyn's only abode in the Koronus Expanse — his Museion.
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VentThe retreat instantly became a panicked flight. Even the Rogue Trader's retinue, hardened through hundreds of battles, did not escape unscathed: I heard the groan of servo-motors as the creatures ripped off the mechadendrite of one Magos, and saw other creatures tear stragglers to pieces. As we fled, leaving a bloody trail behind us, spurred on by a faint hope of salvation... we did not even notice that our pursuers had fallen back. My scion and I were left among our wounded comrades and a handful of thoroughly exhausted humans.
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VentThe soldiers of Zarkov were not in the habit of faltering in the face of monsters. A sergeant charged forward. I did not know his name, but I shall always remember his face: weary yet utterly calm. The creatures' claws ran him through... but the dying soldier managed to activate a melta charge that incinerated both himself and one of the abominations. Several other Zarkovians followed his example, and their surviving comrades finished off the damaged monsters.
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Entry point 38 of 85
VentThe soldiers of Zarkov had intended to fight back against the countless abominations, but the Necron horde had taken too many with them. Once the seemingly endless stream finally dwindled, the ground was littered with bodies: sons and daughters of Zarkov who had made the ultimate sacrifice for House von Valancius.
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VentA low rumble came from somewhere below. Monotonous and growing louder, it sounded like the operation of some monstrous machine awoken from centuries of slumber. The sound intensified, permeating everything, resonating painfully in our bones.
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VentSquad members fell to their knees, unable to withstand the power unleashed upon them. The rumble became a drone — a noise that seemed to penetrate the deepest recesses of the mind, reducing anyone who heard it into a panicked animal. A wave of dread in the face of certain and most horrifying death washed over every one of us. An eternity seemed to pass before I heard...
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Entry point 41 of 85
VentThrough a glowing green haze, I saw [Name] struggle to his/her feet, forcing himself/herself to resist the pressure of the monstrous sound with a superhuman effort of the will. His/Her example stirred his/her subjects' hearts and rallied their spirits. One after another, they got up and followed their master/mistress, driven by that most sublime of human sentiments, loyalty.
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VentThe rest of the journey has been expunged from my memory — and likely from the memories of all who made that nightmarish odyssey into the heart of the Necron world. When the squad finally reached the Museion's antechamber, the sight of it shocked me almost more than anything I had ever experienced before. A gargantuan structure towered in the middle of a vast hall.
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Entry point 48 of 85
VentThe pyramid of black stone, perfectly smooth with gleaming razor-sharp edges, seemed to consume the light around it. At the middle of each of the pyramid's faces, a circular platform hovered in perfect symmetry with the others. Each platform bore a Necron, its casing painted blue and gold. There was no doubt that we were seeing the real guardians of Trazyn's treasure. Hundreds of smaller platforms rose and dipped alternately as they orbited the central pyramid and glided up toward the ceiling, under which could be glimpsed the outlines of the first levels of the Museion's galleries.
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Entry point 49 of 85
VentThere was no time to waste. As soon as the guardians saw us, the pyramid's faces lit up with countless chains of glyphs and ripples ran along the walls of the hall as they prepared to release hordes of metal monstrosities. It was then that...
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Entry point 50 of 85
VentWith shouted prayers, the Zarkovians rushed into battle. They held the unholy machines at bay, fighting until the last drops of blood left their veins. My scion, his/her retinue, and myself were able to climb a platform that took us up to the Museion, but all the brave soldiers who had not hesitated to follow their commander had fallen in the unequal fight.
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Entry point 51 of 85
VentWe were faster than death itself as we fought back the alien creations while trying to stay on top of platforms that were soaring up toward the Museion. Plasma shots burned rough-edged holes in our foes' metal bodies, but we were hopelessly outnumbered. A heroic death under the Necron onslaught was a fate only a few escaped.
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VentWere it not for the dynasty's servants forming an impenetrable shield between us and the Necrons, I doubt any of us would have been left alive. Only a handful survived — yet, defying fate and thwarting our monstrously powerful enemy, my scion and I were unharmed.
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Entry point 53 of 85
VentWhen my vision returned, I found the place utterly transformed. There was no doubt we were in the Museion, and the sight of its solemn halls destroyed by orbital bombardment filled my heart with vengeful joy. We were but one step away from exacting revenge on the thief who had dared to steal the Sacred Warrant. The heir of House von Valancius had done the impossible, entering the lair of this most dangerous foe with no harm to himself/herself.
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Entry point 54 of 85
VentWith a crash and a roar, the world fell back into place. There was no doubt we were in the Museion, and the sight of its solemn halls destroyed by orbital bombardment filled my heart with vengeful joy. That joy, it turned out, was somewhat premature. No sooner did we stir from our spots than sinister glyphs began to glimmer along the entire perimeter of the hall. The xenos had obviously made thorough preparations for this meeting.
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VentAt the Rogue Trader's command, the Adeptus Mechanicus servants accompanying the squad released a swarm of servo-skulls into the air. Guided by binharic hymns, their auspexes unerringly detected usable points of entry.
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VentWe were exhausted and wounded but not broken, not even by our encounter with the faceless horrors of the catacombs. We remained determined to exact vengeance on Trazyn for every outrage perpetrated against House von Valancius.
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VentThe Zarkovian soldiers faced the enemy with grim and stoic determination, not even a muscle twitching on their faces. A barrage of shots rained down on the oncoming xenos swarm, but the squad's firepower was not enough. Finding no resistance worthy of the name, the Necrons charged silently forward, eliminating the defenders with merciless efficiency.
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VentThe platforms that carried us upward had already drawn level with the gates leading into the galleries of the Museion's lower floors when a terrible blow shook the crypt to its foundation. Another of the flagship's artillery strikes had hit the planet's surface not far from us, and the accursed pyramid proved insufficiently sturdy to withstand it. The last thing I saw was cracks running along its surface, filling with a poisonous green glow. Then an unbearably bright light flooded everything, and I was temporarily blinded.
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VentIzdrig's guttural roar, full of fury and contempt for the enemy, thundered like an exploding krak grenade. Hearing it jolted the Zarkovians out of their stupor at once. One after another, the soldiers jumped to their feet, clenching their teeth and wiping off the blood that seeped from their ears. They picked up and carried those who could no longer walk. The stoicism of the generations who had survived in the badlands of a frontier world for centuries had imbued them with an unshakeable resistance to fear.
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VentThe Warrant was there, somewhere ahead, along with the one who'd had the audacity to steal it. And we, the Rogue Traders of House von Valancius, were prepared to do anything to reclaim what had been granted to us by the God-Emperor Himself.
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VentWithout hesitating, [Name]...
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VentMy heir gave the order just in time, and everyone froze in perfect obedience to his/her will. Rapid signals in Lingua-Technis sounded as the Tech-Priests in the rearguard advanced slowly, raising their plasma guns.
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VentThe scout's death was but the first of many, as the soldiers following him did not fall back in time. Their blood turned the black stone under our feet a rusty scarlet. Only a salvo from the plasma guns of the flagship's Tech-Priests, who were marching in the rear, made everyone freeze in place.
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VentThe battle was long. The humans fought to the last, though exhausted by the enemy's incredible might. At the cost of their lives, the soldiers dealt with the vanguard, but countless more xenos were emerging from the corridors. My heir ordered a retreat, and the sappers collapsed the passage behind us with melta charges to hold back the enemy and win us time.
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VentThrough a glowing green haze, I saw [Name] struggle to his/her feet, forcing himself/herself to resist the pressure of the monstrous sound with a superhuman effort of the will. Alas, only a few mustered the strength to follow him/her, the rest still paralysed by the terror that had drained the last of their strength.
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VentFor all its formidable power, the enemy's weapon did not succeed in breaking the mind of a true Rogue Trader. Every step took me enormous effort, and yet I walked on.
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VentFor a moment, the sheer desperation in Vedka's sonorous voice overcame even the crypt's deadly dirge. Hearing it jolted the Zarkovians out of their stupor at once. One after another, the soldiers jumped to their feet, clenching their teeth and wiping off the blood that seeped from their ears. They picked up and carried those who could no longer walk. The stoicism of the generations who had survived in the badlands of a frontier world for centuries had imbued them with an unshakeable resistance to fear.
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VentWe plummeted downward in an infinite, soul-wrenching fall. I closed my eyes, unable to bear the terror, and consciousness fled me.
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VentFor all its formidable power, the enemy's weapon did not succeed in breaking the mind of a true Rogue Trader. Every step took me enormous effort, and yet I walked on.
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VentI said those words over and over, until it dawned on me with horrifying clarity that the Museion's cursed air was preventing the humans from hearing a single word as it sapped their will to live. Living flesh was no match for the ancient terror brought forth by the maddened dead creatures of metal.
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VentThe deathly cold that grew more intense as we delved deeper into the pit was a terrifying trial for every one of us. It felt like the bone-chilling breath of death itself. It was only thanks to the soldiers' brutal training and rigorous discipline that we avoided unnecessary casualties.
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VentYet the wisdom of the God-Emperor was still with me. The vox-augment that had replaced my throat amplified my voice a hundredfold, letting it drown out the crypt's dirge. My heir was the first to hear my call — and he/she found the strength to rise to it. Others followed, inspired by his/her example.
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VentYet the wisdom of the God-Emperor was still with me. The vox-augment that had replaced my throat amplified my voice a hundredfold, letting it drown out the crypt's dirge — but it was not enough. Alas, only a few mustered the strength to rally, with the rest still paralysed by the terror that had drained the last of their strength and snuffed out all hope for salvation.
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VentElectric flashes, like the wrath of the God-Emperor Himself, pierced the air, shielding the humans from the death-bringing xenos. One after another, the servants of the Omnissiah fell, spilling blood and sacred unguent, and reciting binharic litanies filled with righteous anger until their last moments. Their deaths granted us the precious seconds we needed to reach the soaring platforms.
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VentElectric flashes, like the wrath of the God-Emperor Himself, pierced the air, shielding the humans from the death-bringing xenos. One after another, the servants of the Omnissiah fell, spilling blood and sacred unguent, but they were too few. A number of the xenos were struck down, only for the rest to advance their onslaught, treading on the bodies of the dying Tech-Priests. Only a handful survived from the squad — yet, defying fate and thwarting our monstrously powerful enemy, my scion and I were unharmed.
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VentThe Guardsmen charged at the enemy, the battle cry of "Atonement for the one!" on their lips. Distant descendants of the penal legionnaires of Merov, the Zarkovians fought with all the fervour and ferocity of their progenitors, consumed by a holy hatred of the xenos. They unleashed the fury of the doomed upon the Necrons, and were able to hold them off just long enough for my scion and I to reach the platforms.
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VentWere it not for the dynasty's servants forming an impenetrable shield between us and the Necrons, I doubt any of us would have been left alive. Only a handful survived — yet, defying fate and thwarting our monstrously powerful enemy, my scion and I were unharmed.
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VentThe descent was long and arduous. Many of the soldiers succumbed to the icy darkness they faced in the bowels of this Tomb World. The unbearable cold, emanating from the very walls of the place, sapped them; their strength spent, they unclenched their fingers and plummeted. Dark oblivion claimed their bodies forever.