Eye of Terror
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This article is about the galactic anomaly. For other uses of Eye of Terror, see Eye of Terror (disambiguation). |
The Eye of Terror (Ocularis Terribus, Anathema Nonplus Ultra (Ordo Malleus[9]), Ocularis Malifica[16]) is a massive Warp rift, where the Warp co-exists with real space, the largest and most well-known in the galaxy. It is located at the edge of the galaxy, to the north and west of Terra, in the Segmentum Obscurus.[1]
The Eye of Terror is an area of the galaxy where the Warp and realspace overlap. A ship can enter the Warp without a Warp drive simply by crossing its border. The area used to be the domain of the old Eldar empire. When Slaanesh was born, the energy of her birth permanently breached the veil between realspace and the Warp, so now all the planets and stars that existed in that area are now within the Warp. These worlds have become daemon worlds. At the very center of the Eye lies the "byssos"[5], a hole in the fabric of reality through which raw Chaos energy pours out.[6]
Contents
Origin
The Eye of Terror is not a natural phenomenon, as it was created by the Old Ones during the War in Heaven, as they fought the Necrons. The Necrons would then seal the Eye of Terror close, but it was later reopened by the psychic shock wave that accompanied the birth of the fourth Chaos God, Slaanesh, during the Fall of the Eldar.[13]
The shock of the birth was so great it could not wholly be contained within the Warp, but spilled out into reality through the minds of the Eldar. Consequently, the Eye covers most of the region of the former Eldar Empire. Other zones of overlap were created, but the Eye is the most significant.[1]
Sometime at the dawn of the Imperium but before the Horus Heresy, the Eye of Terror was discovered by Imperial explorers in what was presumably a fairly remote region of the galaxy, and Imperial scholars named is Cygnus X-1. The Eye didn't come into prominence until it was later discovered by the Word Bearers, who had arrived officially for conquest, but actually on a personal mission for renewed faith, and it was here that they discovered the "Primordial Truth". It would later be visited by the Emperor's Children and the Iron Warriors, intent on an expedition within the eye for the search of the Angel Exterminatus. Before embarking upon this journey, Perturabo had formally named the Eye of Terror.[7][8]
Old star charts all came to map the Eye of Terror with the legend "Abandon hope all ye who enter here".[14a]
The Eye as a Refuge
The Eye offers a sanctuary to the worst forms of traitors and heretics forced to flee from Imperial justice.[1]
For the Traitor Legions, the Eye of Terror has been their exile, sanctuary, and safe haven for ten thousand years, from which they strike out at opportune, seemingly random moments. The Eye is also sanctuary for the most heretical renegades, fugitives of Imperial justice, and traitors throughout the galaxy, and all are welcomed as fellow enemies of the Emperor and the Imperium.[1]
Mortals within the Eye are constantly exposed to the effects of Chaos, physically warped so their bodies come to reflect their flawed natures; the Death Guard, for example, worship Nurgle, Chaos God of Decay, so that their bodies become bloated and putrid.[1]
The Fall of Cadia
The Imperial world of Cadia laid nearest to the best-known stable gateway into the Eye; consequently, it is the most fortified and militarized world in the Imperium, the first line of defense against Chaos incursions into real space. It would seem that ships exit through this gateway far more often than they enter it.[1]
Abaddon the Despoiler led an attack through the Eye of Terror during a massive campaign, the 13th Black Crusade, which sealed the fate of Cadia and many other systems.[2][3]
Travel Within the Eye
Before the destruction of Cadia and the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the perimeter of the Eye was thoroughly wracked by Warp storms that effectively formed a barrier that both trapped the Eye's inhabitants and kept out intruders.[10]
Some regions of the Eye are calm enough for ships to travel through in a reasonably safe and predictable way, and an interstellar civilization of sorts (all devoted to Chaos) exists among these regions of the Eye.[1][5]
The only safe and reliable opening in this barrier was the Cadian Gate, and that region was heavily defended and patrolled by the Imperium military.[1][5]
Imperial ships avoid the area around the Eye for thousands of light-years. Ships traveling too close to the Eye can be thrown far off-course - they can also be caught in temporal whirlpools which carry them backwards or forwards in time, or which trap them in limbo forever.[1][5]
Notable systems and worlds within the Eye of Terror
- Adraith
- Aktosha, Former Crone World
- Anathrax
- Araki, Fought over by the rival Chaos Lords Toxus the Decayed and Xaarn the Annihilator.[15]
- Belial IV, Crone World, most ill-famed planet of the Eye of Terror[14b]
- Brigannion Four
- Bubonicus
- Chimera System
- Drakaasi
- Eidolon
- Gallium, Forge World
- Gorgon
- Harmony, World of the Emperor's Children
- Logans World
- Maeleum, Temporary homeworld of the Sons of Horus
- Medrengard, Homeworld of the Iron Warriors
- Oliensis
- Plague Planet, Homeworld of the Death Guard.
- Sicarus, Homeworld of the Word Bearers.
- Skalathrax, Former world of the World Eaters
- Sortiarius, "Planet of the Sorcerers." Homeworld of the Thousand Sons. Has since moved into orbit over *Prospero
- Sublime, Black market/neutral world
- Temporia
- Urum, Base of Fabius Bile and his Consortium
- World of Immortal Sorrows
- Xana II
Sectors and Subsectors surrounding the Eye of Terror
  Eye of Terror |
| Location of the Eye of Terror in the Segmentum Obscurus. |
Due to the constant threat of raids and incursions, the Imperium is present in one way or another in almost every system within 500 light-years of the Eye. This presence can range from small listening posts to heavily fortified frontier worlds.[2][3][4]
- Boros Gate — Region of space based around the Boros System that allows for stable routes to Terra. Second in strategic value after the Cadian Gate.
- Agripinaa Sector
- Belis Corona Sector — Heart of the Imperium's naval efforts and its docks are listed in von Heffman's Glorium Imperialis as one of the wonders of the Imperium. It is said that the entirety of Battlefleet Obscurus could dock in the vast orbital shipyards in orbit above Belis Corona.
- Cadian Sector — The Cadian System is possibly the most well-known system, with its 1st Imperial Guard Regiment having many successful campaigns and gaining wide recognition. Abaddon the Despoiler had attempted a campaign against the system; after he was repelled by Imperial forces, Cadia was made a fortress world against the sporadic attacks of forces in the Eye of Terror.
- Scarus Sector — The most populous of all the sectors, with no fewer than six Hive Worlds which come together in trade and commerce and mutual defence. There are also numerous temperate and agri worlds to support the Hives. There are also two Forge Worlds which supply the vast Scarus Defense Forces, Nysa Stromolo and Mordax Prime. It is said that 7/10 of Thracian Primaris, the capital of the sector, is covered in Hive cities.
- Scelus Sector
- Sentinel Sector
- Belial IV Subsector
- Caliban Subsector
- Chinchare Subsector
- Medusa Subsector — Famous as the homeworld of the Iron Hands Chapter. Unlike many other parts of the Eye, life is hard and uncivilized barbarians cover many of the planets.
- Nemesis Subsector
Related Videos
See also
Sources
- 1: Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned, pgs. 162–164
- 2: Eye of Terror website
- 3: The Galaxy of the 41st Millennium
- 4: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pg. 8
- 5: Eye of Terror (Novel), Chapter Eleven
- 6: Renegades, pg. 49
- 7: The First Heretic (Novel), Chapter 27
- 8: Angel Exterminatus (Novel), Chapter 11
- 9: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 20
- 10: Black Legion (Novel), Chapter 8
- 11: Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 24
- 12: Codex: Chaos Daemons (9th Edition), pg. 37
- 13: The Bleeding Stars (Short Story)
- 14: Farseer (Novel)
- 15: Inferno! 43, pg. 33 - The Bad, the Warped & the Insane (Comic)
- 16: Warhammer-Community - The Lore of Legions Imperialis – How ‘the Great Slaughter’ Began (map) (last accessed 13 Feb 2024)
- 17: Warhammer Community (02/06/2022) (saved archive)
