Imperial Factions 12.018M42

As 018M42 drew to a close the Imperium was united once more in its purpose in the Aleph Sector. Or at least, almost. 

Vorushko‘s crusade had been set up to purge a swathe of worlds considered certain to fall to chaos or the tau empire before the coming of the Cicatrix. Started as an inquisition and astartes initiative the inquisitor lord and the Minotaurs, Sky Lords, Charcaradons and Apocalypse Riders had met significant resistance from “loyalist” forces led by another inquisitor lord - Hathek. The crusade tried to capture the Librian system and strip it of its assets before the tau had the chance to sway it to their cause or invade, but Hathek’s refusal to agree with his colleague led to the Librian war. Eventually the system fell to the Tau, precipitated in no small part by the intervention of Hathek. 

During the Librian war, thousands of firebrand preachers, encouraged by Vorushko, had created a zealous militia as well as the following of several imperial guard regiments such as the Volscians. Vorushko even persuaded the Dark Angels to join her side. However when the great rift appeared, the crusading non astartes forces melted away, making pilgrimage to Terra. The Charcaradons had taken severe casualties and the Apocalypse Riders and Minotaurs chapters had both gone missing, presumed destroyed by the Noctis Aeterna. 

After Vorushko’s agents opened the Foramen Inderdictum, saving the Perseus Deeps and much of the Imperium on the wrong side of the rift, Lord Hathek claimed the credit, and opposed Vorushko once again as she tried to destroy the secondary pathway she had unintentionally created - the Foramen Minoris. This pathway she feared would be used as a back door to the imperium by xenos and the forces of chaos, but Hathek demanded it be taken in the name of the Emperor. 

Once again the remaining crusaders took up arms against Hathek and his loyalists, while sector commander Titus Luthor, appalled by two inquisitors creating an imperial civil war, went to see newly risen Roboute Guilliman for advice. Luthor was told to sort it out himself, and returned with no immediate answers. 

By this time Archmagos Dominus Cybixx had joined forces with Vorushko, apparently agreeing with her wish to close the Foramen Minoris and setting up a well defended base at Vandrax. Cybixx apparently intended to use this base in order to close of the Foramen Minoris, which Vorushko was even more keen to do following a prophecy that “traitors will come by the second path” made by a rogue psyker before Vorushko executed him. 

Upon his return to the sector Titus Luthor pleaded with Vorushko to put an end to the new war in the Foramen. The inquisitor lord agreed, called a truce and left for the Hadron Expanse chasing rumours of the Foramen Ignotum and intending to help with the new crusade of expansion in the far galactic east of the sector. 

With Vorushko out of the way, Cybixx began to act erratically, first building a strange and powerful space station and the launching a somewhat abortive invasion of neighbouring Destino. Vorushko sent queries, but given the distance across the sector no one really knew what was going on. Both sides blamed the other for hostilities and Hathek, claiming Cybixx was a heretic, hardly helped matters, his reputation already compromised by events at Libria.

So by 12.018M42 although Vorushko’s crusade was at an end a lot of bad blood remained, especially between forces who had previously been on opposing sides in the conflict between the two Inquisitor Lords. Cybixx however travelled to Hexis, searching for ancient necron technology, and was only stopped by a xenos attack. Although apparently in line with imperial aims in the Hexis campaign, on his visit to the Expanse Cybixx was able to meet with the Black Templars, Charcaradons and even Vorushko herself. At this time no one really knew the Archmagos’ intentions, and this act was the beginning of a new chapter of woe and division within the imperium.