Sotha
Sotha, located in the Ultima Segmentum, was the home world of the Scythes of the Emperor Space Marine Chapter.[1]
Although once part of Ultramar, by M41 Sotha was the cardinal world of the Sotharan League which included many other planets in the local region.[6]
Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
---|---|---|---|
Name: | Sotha | ||
Segmentum: | Ultima | ||
Sector: | Unknown | ||
Subsector: | Unknown | ||
System: | Unknown | ||
Population: | Unknown, now n/a | ||
Affiliation: | Imperium | ||
Class: | Previously Civilised World, Adeptus Astartes Homeworld[1], now Dead World | ||
Tithe Grade: | Previously Aptus Non, now n/a |
Contents
The Great Crusade
Sotha was discovered by the Ultramarines Legion in 882.M30[5a] and brought into the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.
In spite of an ideal ecosphere, there were no initial signs of previous human or xenos occupation, but after initial exploration of Mount Pharos an ancient structure of alien origin was discovered. Access to the entire world was restricted by order of the primarch Roboute Guilliman, with only a small agricultural colony to support the ongoing archaeological survey mission. The 199th Company of the Ultramarines was established as an '‘Aegida’' (shield-company) and left to garrison the world.[5b]
The company took on a badge of a scythe to represent the assistance of the local agricultural workers in clearing the vegetation.[5c]
The Horus Heresy
At the height of the Horus Heresy, at Guilliman’s command the renegade warsmith Barabas Dantioch of the Iron Warriors had been sent to Sotha to uncover the secrets of the Pharos, and succeeded in opening up instantaneous communication channels with distant Macragge. The Pharos was found to be an empathic device of ancient xenos construction, and provided a directional beacon for navigation in the absence of the Astronomican. [5d]
The planet was designated by Sevatar as a rendezvous point for the Night Lords fleet elements after the disastrous conclusion of the Thramas Crusade.[4] It is unclear whether or not he knew of the significance that the planet had attained, before giving this order.
The Second Tyrannic War
In the last decade of M41, reports began to reach Sotha of unrest and rebellion spreading along the Eastern Fringe. Chapter Master Thorcyra sent Captain Cassios and the Scythes' Fifth Company to crush any uprising before it could begin before himself heading north into the Saphir Cluster.[2] After a year, garbled communications reached Sotha from the Fifth of a widespread xenos incursion into the galaxy[2] - this turned out to be the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken.[1]
A general recall was issued, summoning every single battle-brother of the Chapter back to Sotha to aid in the defence of their home world.[1] Secretly, the best and the brightest of the youth of Sotha were evacuated, as it was already suspected that it was too late to halt the alien menace and new recruits would soon be required to replace losses and rebuild the Chapter.[1]
The invasion began with a single Hive Ship which appeared at the edge of the system. Sergeant Remas led a boarding mission to halt the ship but barely escaped with his life.[3] Soon afterwards, a rain of Mycetic Spores brought billions of Tyranid creatures to the surface. They swarmed over the defensive barricades and the Scythes of the Emperor were decimated. The survivors were evacuated by the Chapter's remaining Thunderhawks, and fled to the death world of Miral to rendezvous with the returning Chapter Master Thorcyra.[1]
Sotha was completely consumed by the Tyranids, and every single human serf and Chapter servant was lost.[1] Later, Thorcyra's successor Thrasius described Sotha as having been reduced to "mere rubble in space".[1]
Geographical Locations
Flora and Fauna
Notable Sothans
- Commander Cassios[1]
- Reclusiarch Hornindal[2]
- Sergeant Tiresias[1]
- Neophyte Pasan[1]
- Serf-sergeant Milus Ogden[2]
Related Articles
Sources
- 1: Orphans of the Kraken (Short Story) by Richard Williams
- 2: The Shadow of the Beast (Short Story) by Laurie Goulding
- 3: White Dwarf 306 (UK), pg. 52 Index Astartes: Purge the Alien
- 4: Prince of Crows (Novella) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
- 5: The Unremembered Empire (Novel) by Dan Abnett
- 6: The Blood of Sotha (Short Story) by L.J. Goulding
Uncited
- White Dwarf 218 (UK), pg. 80 The Coming of the Great Devourer