League of Blackships
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This article is about the the League of Blackships; for the other uses, see Black Ship. |
"I knew their fate, they had been tested and found wanting, they were too vulnerable, too dangerous to live. Souls such as these I carry to the Emperor's table."
- Captain of a Black Ship[10]
| League of Blackships | |
| Parent Agency | Adeptus Astra Telepathica |
| Headquarters | Magdan Orbital Construct, Sol System[2] |
| Leader | Mistress of the Black Fleet |
| Established | M30 |
The League of Blackships is one of the two divisions of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, the other being the Scholastia Psykana.
Contents
Overview
The League of Blackships forms the recruiting division, consisting of a substantial fleet charged with collecting and transporting psykers[1]. Independent of the Imperial Navy, they are the second-largest fleet in the galaxy. There are many thousands of Blackships, but only the highest-ranking adepts in the Adeptus Astra Telepathica know the true scale of the fleet and the vast scope of its operations[3b]. The Black Fleet itself is based from the Magadan orbital construct in the Sol System.[2] They are not to be confused with the Black Ships of the Inquisition.[1]
Reporting directly to the Master of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, the Blackships are feared transports filled with mournful psykers held in cavernous, psi-shielded holds to be taken back to Terra to feed the voracious psychic appetite of the Emperor. Black Ships are technologically advanced vessels covered in anti-psychic wardings and constructed from a psychically resistant ebony metal.[4] The Blackships themselves are overseen by a member of the Chamber Astra of the Sisters of Silence, under the Mistress of the Black Fleet[5][6]
The Blackship fleet travels constantly throughout the Imperium. Each Imperial world is visited every hundred years or so by a Blackship. When a Blackship nears a planet, its governor is instructed to prepare the customary levy - a tithe of psykers. Once the levy has been collected, the Blackship Captains make an initial evaluation of their cargo before proceeding to the next world in their circuit. When the ships are full they return to Terra and the psykers are transferred to the Scholastia Psykana before the ship leaves again to continue in their eternal search[1]. Should a world be declared abandoned by the Administratum, however, the Blackships will stop visiting them[7]. It is common for Inquisitors to travel on board these ships, as this gives them a good opportunity to investigate a planet's potential for psychically-based corruption.[1]
Recently due to the Great Rift's creation, the supply chain of the League of Blackships has been severely interrupted and Imperial worlds that have been cut off from having their Imperial Tithes taken by the Black Ships are now forced to implement their own restraints upon their populations of untrained psykers.[3a]
Crew
Due to their complicated mission, Blackships maintain a crew several times higher than similar-sized vessels of the Imperial Navy.[4] Only those with the strength of mind to withstand the constant soul-numbing despair that permeates the Blackship may crew it, so mentally traumatic is such duty[1]. The most vital crew of the Black Ships are the Sisters of Silence, which are well-suited to combat any psychic threat they encounter.[4] However the majority of the crew are standard humans[4], and the Captains and other senior officers of the Blackships are senior adepts of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. As for the rest of the ships' crews, they are indentured workers drafted from a number of Imperial worlds situated relatively close to Terra. The Astra Telepathica have ancient contracts with these worlds, ensuring a steady flow of suitable recruits in return for exemption from Imperial Tithes. The mortal crews of Blackships are well-trained and equipped with highly secretive exotic anti-psyker weaponry.[4]
All crews that serve aboard the Blackship fleet are rigorously tested and scrutinised for any latent psychic abilities or sensitivities and are regularly mind-scrubbed to purge any taint or infection. All crew is chosen for a lack of Psychic ability, with the Sisters of Silence being full Blanks while the rest are at least below Sigma-grade on the Imperial Assignment, though those below Tau-grade are preferred.[6] The Navigator Houses of Granicus, MacPherson and Ptolemy work exclusively for the Astra Telepathica and are the only Navigators allowed to work aboard the Blackships. Generally, few other Imperial agents, besides Inquisitors, are permitted aboard these dread vessels, but occasionally Space Marines, Sisters of Battle or higher-ranking members of the Adeptus Terra may be accommodated at the discretion of the Blackship's Captain.[3b]
Known Blackships
- Aeria Gloris[8][9]
- Enduring Abundance — Took part in the Second Battle of Terra under the command of the Custodes.[4]
- Honour Haltis[9]
- Lamentation
- Norn's Ghost
- Psythanatos
- Validus — Lost to the Warp.[9]
- White Sun[9]
Sources
- 1: Codex Imperialis (Background Book), pgs. 36–37
- 2: The Horus Heresy Book Seven, pg. 128
- 3: Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition Rulebook:
- 4: Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion, Chapter 15
- 5: Master of Mankind (Novel), Chapter 10
- 6: Throne of Light (Novel), Chapter 7
- 7: Interrogator (Animated Series), Episode 9
- 8: The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel), Chapter 3
- 9: The Voice (Short Story)
- 10: The Tithes (Animated Series): Episode 2: Harvest
