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Absyrtus

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Map Basic Data Planetary Image
px Name: Absyrtus px
Segmentum: Unknown
Sector: Unknown
Subsector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Population: Unknown
Affiliation: Unknown
Class: Dead World, former Civilized World[1]
Tithe Grade: None[1]

Absyrtus was a world that was ruled by Rogue Psykers, which the Primarch Mortarion was charged with bringing into Compliance during the Great Crusade.[1]


Overview

Due to his hatred of sorcery, Mortarion eagerly sought to utterly destroy his foes, in order to free Mankind from its corrupting grasp. Though the Psykers resisted, the defence lasers of their world were no danger to the Death Guard's fleet, which soon surrounded Absyrtus. Aboard the Attack Barque Fourth Horseman, Mortarion intended to repeat the tactic that brought him a decisive and quick victory on Galaspar, by ramming the Barque into Absyrtus' capital city, Temnis. However, as the Fourth Horseman neared the city, the Primarch remembered the haunted look the Emperor had given him after learning of the mass causalities his attack on Galaspar had caused. This led him to instead launch a ground invasion, in an attempt to reduce the deaths that Temnis' population would suffer.[1]

However, after Absyrtus' queen Cirkesce surrendered and begged for her people's lives, Mortarion reluctantly accepted. The Primarch did so in order to test whether or not he could bring victory by being merciful. At first all seemed well, as Queen Cirkesce readily accepted the terms of the Imperium's Compliance, which required ending any use of sorcery. Though the people he saw seemed to comply with this as well, Mortarion felt he was seeing nothing but a façade carried out by Absyrtus' population. In order to learn the truth, and deliver a final judgement upon them, the Primarch secretly observed the people of Temnis, and found a society fully corrupted by sorcery. He learned that numerous Rogue Psykers lived throughout Temnis and they continued to practice their sorcery away from the Death Guard. Now realizing that the population had only surrendered in order to ensure their society survived, an angered Mortarion returned to the Fourth Horseman. He then decided the world was too corrupted to save and once the Forth Horseman was back in orbit, Mortarion gave the order for the Barque to destroy Absyrtus with Cyclonic Torpedoes.[1]

Important locations

Temnis

Temnis was the capital and the cultural and political centre of Absyrtus and location of a spaceport as well as the palace of Queen Cirkesce. It was protected by orbital defence systems and possessed a space port, large enough the Battle Barge “Fourth Horseman” was able to land.

Located on low hills, the palace and the seat of government was located towards the east of the city with a high concentration of structures. Towards the west a space port was located, sitting between hills. A wall protected the city with barracks on the inside.

South-west of the palace, the densest residential areas were located. The hab complexes were low, and, like the palace, darkened by the pollution of the industrial areas with tight windows, suggesting cramped living spaces. Lower down the hill, the population areas became poorer and shabbier, with the base of the hill occupied by slum districts with narrow, winding streets. Even in the slums, there were rogue Psykers conducting their rituals according to the local religion and in defiance of the Imperial Truth.[1]


The Royal Palace

The Palace was located in the east of Temnis, in the centre of a complex of structures. Built from limestone darkened by pollution and damaged by acid rain, the circular wall had towers every hundred meters and windows made from leaden glass.

The main chamber included a council hall and a chapel in the centre of the palace and served as a ritual chamber. It sat in the centre of the palace, circular and, contrary to the rest of the palace, well-cared for. The altar was rectangular but reality-defying lines seemed strangely curved, hinting that the Warp might have influenced the chamber. The rest of the chapel was clad in black marble with inlaid runes. Officially, due to the terms of the compliance, this room was to be destroyed in accordance with the Imperial Truth, but as the compliance by the people of Absyrtus would have only be a façade, it existed until the exterminatus of the world.

On the uppermost floor, a balcony overlooked a wide plaza able to hold thousands of people where Cirkesce and Mortarion addressed the crowd.

The palace also possessed a banquet hall, in which a long table and stone chairs were situated. [1]

Trivia

  • Absyrtus in mythology was a Colchian prince and the younger brother of Medea. Depending on the version of the myth of the Golden Fleece, Medea took her brother with her and murdered and cut him apart to delay her father who stopped to gather the limbs of his fallen son, or he was sent in pursuit of Medea and/or the Fleece and murdered by Jason because Medea lured him into an ambush under false pretences. The name of the planet and its faked compliance might be a reference to the latter version, as well as the witchcraft of its people might be inspired by the witchcraft of the mythological Absyrtus’ family.

See also

Sources