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Purging of Jollana

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The Purging of Jollana was a major battle fought by the Imperium and Daemonic forces of Chaos on the world of Jollana in 913.M41.[1a]

Overview

For three thousand years, Jollana's great Librarium had served as a repository of lost knowledge, unsurpassed in its scale outside of the Sol System. The Librarium's knowledge drew the attentions of the infamous Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons, who struck at the planet in full fury, determined to take the secrets of the world's Librarium for himself. Jollana's Planetary Defense Forces were wiped out by Ahriman's forces and much of the Librarium was ruined.[1a]

In the wake of Ahriman's attack, three Companies of the Invaders Space Marine Chapter were deployed and searched for Ahriman and his forces in the catacombs beneath the Librarium. Launching a full-scale frontal assault of the type the Chapter is infamous for, the Invaders triggered a complex system of sorcerous wards that Ahriman had left in place as a trap. Undetected by the Imperial defenders, when the sorcerous energies of Ahriman's trap were fully charged, the wards exploded and whole sections of the catacombs collapsed and the planet itself was rocked on its axis. Space Marines and PDF alike were incinerated by this monstrous explosion and, just as Ahriman had planned, the barriers between the Materium and Immaterium had weakened. Soon, hordes of Daemons surged across Jollana.[1a]

The invading army of Daemons called for an intervention by the elite Daemon hunters of the Imperium: the Grey Knights under Brother-Captain Caddon Varn. Though the Daemonic invasion was far too vast to be contained by the forces on his single Strike Cruiser, Exterminatus was not an option due to the world's Great Librarium. Thus Varn planned to capture the most vital records of Jollana as the Invaders Chapter held out against hordes of Daemons. Teleporting directly into the fray, the Grey Knights reprieved the beleaguered Invaders and tore through the Daemonic hordes. Though they emerged victorious, their mission had yet to be achieved and the Grey Knights and their Invader allies stormed the Grey Hall itself to close the Daemonic portal that had first led the Daemons onto Jollana.[1b]

Becoming embroiled in a fierce melee in the Great Hall, only Brother-Captain Varn himself managed to reach the portal and began a ritual to close it. However before he could finish, he was assaulted by Kairos, a Lord of Change and Greater Daemon of Tzeentch. When the creature proved too much for even Captain Varn to handle, the Brother-Captain sent a psychic command to the orbiting Strike Cruiser Adamastor and soon a Nemesis Dreadknight was teleported directly between the injured Varn and his foe. Overwhelming both the Lord of Change and his Daemonic minions, the Dreadknight decapitated Kairos with its sword. Varn was now free to complete the ritual to close the Portal as the Dreadknight held back tides of Daemons that sought to stop him.[1b]

Successfully closing the portal, the Daemons were sent back from whence they came and Captain Varn fell into unconsciousness from exhaustion. Though three Grey Knights were lost in the battle, only a dozen Invaders remained and none that survived would be allowed to retain any memory of their deeds on Jollana. A great victory had been won, and though it would take many years to rebuild Jollana the world's Librarium had been saved and Ahriman's trap defeated. However, unknown to the Imperium, Ahriman had stolen knowledge from Jollana that he would soon use to bring the Imperium to its knees.[1b]

Sources