Schism of Mars
|
 | |
| Conflict | Horus Heresy |
| Date | M31 |
| Location | Mars |
| Outcome | Traitor victory |
| | |
| Imperium | Dark Mechanicum |
| | |
| Fabricator-Locum Kane Adept Koriel Zeth (d) Adept Ipluvien Maximal (d) First Captain Sigismund Captain Camba-Diaz Princeps Indias Cavalerio (d) Lord Commander Taymon Verticorda (d) |
Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal Adept Urtzi Malevolus Adept Lukas Chrom Adept Regulus Ambassador Melgator (d) Princeps Camulos (d) |
| | |
| Mechanicum Protectors Skitarii various Titan Legions (Legio Tempestus and others) Knights of Taranis Imperial Fists (4 Companies) Saturnine Hoplites (13 Companies) Jovian Grenadiers (4 Regiments) |
mutated Protectors mutated Skitarii Servitors various Titan Legions (Legio Mortis and others) various non-standard war machines (Ordinati and others) Robots The Kaban Machine (d) |
| | |
| Significant; field abandoned | Significant |
The Schism of Mars is the name given to the civil war that erupted on Mars during the early stages of the Horus Heresy. The schism involved all Martian forces, civil and military, from lowly menial through Knight and Titan orders right up to the most senior Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, as well as drawing in Space Marines and units of the Imperial Army.[1e]
History
The Martian Schism originated in a climate of discontent; relations between various Magi were in a condition of tension, with outbreaks of violence and espionage leading to even the Titan Legions being suspected of secretly taking sides in potential hostilities[1a]. Into this situation came Regulus, Mechanicum representative to Warmaster Horus.[1e]
By this point in history, the Warmaster had already settled upon his course of rebellion and had secretly gained the tentative support of the Mechanicum through Regulus and his connection to Kelbor-Hal, the Fabricator-General. Regulus' visit to Mars at this juncture was to demonstrate the commitment of Horus to the alliance with the Mechanicum and the advantages to siding with the Warmaster against Imperial rule. As a result of the information provided by Horus and carried by Regulus, Kelbor-Hal was able to open a long-sequestered area of Mars known as the Vaults of Moravec.[1b]
The Vaults of Moravec were a repository of forbidden knowledge, ordered sealed by the Emperor himself. It soon became clear that the information and industry stored within the Vaults were corrupted by the influence of Chaos. With the opening of the Vaults, this corruption spread across Mars in a peculiarly literal way; as scrapcode. This viral information infection managed to penetrate systems and facilities all across the Martian industrial landscape, causing literal chaos wherever it struck. As a result of the scrapcode infestation, communication across and off-planet was severely disrupted and many essential industries sabotaged. A period of general confusion followed, which the Fabricator-General and his allies used to marshal their forces, intent on making sure the whole of Mars was firmly under their rule. This proved to be somewhat more troublesome than they had anticipated.[1e]
Several areas of Mars remained relatively uninfected by scrapcode, insulated against the assault by their early adoption of a new, far more secure information network; the noosphere. Three of these areas were the Forges of Koriel Zeth, Ipluvien Maximal, and Fabricator-Locum Kane, who would go on to become the leaders of those resisting sublimation into Kelbor-Hal's new Dark Mechanicum.[1e]
While the opening shots had already been fired, it still took a short while before open civil war began. Requiring at least a pretence to march to war, Kelbor-Hal and his allies attempted to provoke those unwilling to join them, employing various acts of sabotage, assassination and outright aggression - as when the Dark Mechanicum-aligned Legio Mortis attempted to goad Legio Tempestus into opening fire first by entering Tempestus territory and refusing to answer hails.[1c]
Eventually the pretence Kelbor-Hal required was given to him by Koriel Zeth, Mistress of the Magma City, when she declared non-belief in the Machine God (while this was her belief, she was still loyal to Terra). The Dark Mechanicum went to war against the Magma City, bringing war to Mars. While conflict erupted all over the red planet, the Magma City soon became the focal point for the resistance, with both Legio Tempestus and the Knights of Taranis coming to Zeth's aid. Holding against the chaotic power of the Dark Mechanicum was a difficult business and soon not only Zeth's forge, but those of Maximal and even Kane found themselves becoming effectively surrounded by enemies and besieged.[1e]
Twin beacons of hope for those still loyal to the Terran-Martian alliance appeared when two Imperial assault forces made up of Imperial Fists Astartes and Imperial Army formations drawn from the Solar levies under the commands of Captains Sigismund and Camba-Diaz arrived on Mars[1d], touching down and intending to secure the two main forge-complexes which supplied Astartes arms and equipment, that of Kane and that of Lukas Chrom. Unfortunately for Camba-Diaz, Chrom, whose complex he was sent to secure, was one of the leading traitors, and a vicious battle between Imperial and Dark Mechanicum forces broke out in his forge complex as a result. Sigismund was more successful, being able to secure Kane's forge - Mondus Occulum - and even able to sally out and attempt to aid the Martian loyalists. All the while this was happening, Sigismund was making sure that as much arms, ammunition, armour, and material as possible was being sent back to Terra from Mondus Occulum.[1e]
However, despite the Imperial reinforcement, it soon became grimly clear that the Dark Mechanicum must be triumphant. Recognising the inevitable, Sigismund issued an evacuation order for all loyalist forces, taking with him as much and as many as he could when he and the Imperial forces finally left, including Fabricator-Locum Kane. The other leaders of the resistance, as well as that part of Legio Tempestus on Mars and nearly all of the Knights of Taranis, eventually died fighting the pernicious and relentless assaults of the Dark Mechanicum, leaving all of Mars effectively under the influence of Horus.[1e]
Sources
