Tyranteous uprising

Ever since the loss of Betor the situation on Zadoc had become dire. Although not a true hive world, Zadoc relied heavily on it's neighbours to provide it with the food required by its 800 million inhabitants - this mostly due to its poor soil and lack of habitable dry land. The situation was only made worse by the loss of Alphe, and imperial intelligence worried over the loyalty of Zadoc as its people began to suffer. Rationing was brought in but riots across the world were becoming more frequent as food became scarce.

However it was not on Zadoc, but on the last remaining large agri-world, Tyranteous, that trouble started. Pushed ever harder by the administratum to produce more, the world and its population were ever more exploited throughout 011M42 and 012M42 as the imperial authorities doubled, then trebled the tithe in order to ease the trouble on Zadoc. Less and less food was available for the 8 million of Tyranteous, and yet they were expected to work harder and harder, turning ever more of the planet into a vast farm to feed the millions on the subsector capital.

There was no mass rioting however. Instead, in early 08012M42 the imperial governor, Diana Selken, was informed by her regional councils that Hollyden, an island state near the equator of the world, had seceded from the federation which nominally governed the world, rejecting the imperial tithe and declaring themselves independent. Lady Selken was horrified by the news, and immediately ordered the PDF to assault the state and take its capital, Hollydale. The PDF dutifully moved in via North Landing, but it was clear they were less than happy with their orders from the capital, Jutesburg. Then the unthinkable happened, as a host of daemons suddenly ambushed the small PDF column advancing on Hollyden. The loyalists were scattered and the rebel state was now known to harbour heretics rather than just traitors.

Diana Selken knew she had to ask for aid, and in mid-08.012M42 sent a general appeal. The reaction from the sector commander, Lord General Mikell Denham was swift, and three regiments of Librian guard were reassigned from Alexander's battlegrouop to help quell the rebellion. News of daemonic activity also secured the help of the Raven Guard and Blood Martyrs chapters of marines, and in late 08.012M42 the combined imperial force landed on Tyranteous and moved against the heretics of Hollyden.

The Raven Guard moved in from the south, while simultaneously the Librians and Blood Martyrs attacked once again from north landing. At both ends of the state the land narrowed into a small isthmus, and it was as the imperial forces crossed these narrow strips of land that the traitor forces responded. Rather than fight themselves, daemonic entities were once again summoned. At Fernal Crossing the Raven Guard fought furiously, aided by the Grey Knights themselves, who had arrived in small numbers to destroy the daemons. The chaotic forces were too strong however, and despite a stubborn defence, the imperial forces were obliged to retreat back out of the Fernal isthmus.

In the north, at Weybridge Crossing, the Imperium fared no better. With the enemy sighted midway across the crossing, the Librians dug in, hiding behind hastily prepared fortifications, while the Blood Martyrs forged ahead to break the apparently weak cultist resistance. However once again the daemons were summoned, and swept across the plain towards the imperial forces. Massed fire had little effect on the warp creatures, and the Blood Martyrs were cut down where they sttod. The imperial guard forces found their defence lines irrelevant as the daemons brushed them aside, and very few survivors made it back to North Landing. Here the imperium dug in and awaited even more reinforcement, while Lord Inquisitor Hathek sent agents to determine the level of heresy on Tyranteous.