Axandria IV
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Name: | Axandria IV | 
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| Segmentum: | Ultima Segmentum[2] | ||
| Sector: | Prospero Sector[2] | ||
| Subsector: | Prospero Subsector[2] | ||
| System: | Axandria System[1a] | ||
| Population: | |||
| Affiliation: | Imperium[1a], formerly the Thousand Sons[1a] | ||
| Class: | |||
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Axandria IV is an Imperial world, that was once ruled by the Thousand Sons.[1a]
History
It was one of the first worlds brought to Compliance by the Thousand Sons during the Great Crusade, following the rediscovery of the Legion's Primarch, Magnus. Axandria IV thus served as a symbol of their achievements as a Legion and the world was soon remade. Cities built in the style of the Thousand Sons' Homeworld Prospero were built by the Imperium's finest architects and Axandria IV became a shining exemplar of the Legion's ideals for civilization - a world centered around erudition and a safe harbor to pursue knowledge without persecution[1a]. It became part of the Thousand Sons' Prosperan Realm[2] and the Legion maintained a garrison there, that was located within the pyramid Sinsilanita. This was in turn located in Axandria IV's capital, Jinirya and the pyramid also contained extensive data-vaults in its lower levels. These held the greatest concentration of the Legion's knowledge outside of Prospero and had been curated by the Order of Ruin's Numerologists. They also used their knowledge and skills to heavily augment the already formidable blast doors, that could be closed to protect the data'vault's entrance.[1a]
As the Great Crusade continued, Axandria IV remained true to the Thousand Sons' ideals, by being replete with knowledge. It also earned a reputation as being a haven for Imperial scholars to explore the paths of learning. This, however, ensured the world was little more than a curiosity, a destination for learned souls to visit but one that offered little of worth to the wider Imperium. Then came the Horus Heresy and the Imperium destroyed the Thousand Sons' Homeworld, Prospero, after declaring the Legion to be traitors to the Emperor. Following its destruction, Axandria IV became the most notable surviving garrison of the Thousand Sons[1b] and under the guidance of the Order of Ruin's Numerologists it became a sanctuary from the Imperium for the shattered Legion. As the Horus Heresy raged, the Order of Ruin worked to not only to rebind Axandria's Thousand Sons into a cohesive force, but to also reconstruct a measure of what the Legion lost at Prospero[1a]. However they knew it was inevitable that Axandria IV would face destruction at the Imperium's hands for Legion's transgressions. Until that time came, though, the small Thousand Sons garrison had little choice, but to prepare as best they could, as they waited for the attack.[1b]
This would finally occur in the Horus Heresy's last years, when the Ruinstorm abetted enough for the Imperium to learn of the Thousand Sons' efforts on Axandria IV. Word of this reached Terra and Malcador the Sigillite himself, dispatched a new Censure Fleet to the world, at the command of the Custodian-Warder Arascid Nassau. It was charged with not only with destroying the Thousand Sons located on Axandria, but also the destruction of their horde of knowledge and to bring ruin to the traitorous world that had aided them. The Censure Fleet attacked Axandria IV in 012.M31 and shattered the world's orbital defenses, before its forces began their invasion. Their target was the pyramid Sinsilanita, where the Thousand Sons were gathered and the Imperials devastated Axandria's capital, Jinirya, as they fought their way through the world's militia to reach it. The militia was destroyed, after repeated calls for the Thousand Sons to aid them were ignored, as they chose instead to lay in wait within the Sinsilanita. Despite launching overwhelming firepower upon the Imperials, after the Sinsilanita's entrance was breached, the Thousand Sons stood no chance against them. 200 hundred of the surviving Thousand Sons, soon retreated into the pyramid's data-vaults and quickly sealed its entrance. Before it could be breached by Nassau's forces, a Thousand Sons fleet suddenly appeared and began attacking the Imperials' warships above Axandria. The Thousand Sons Fleet teleported several hundred of its forces into the sealed data-vaults and they led the survivors on a surprise attack upon Nassau's forces. This forced the Imperials to retreat from the pyramid and ultimately allowed a majority of the Thousand Sons' forces to evacuate to their waiting fleet. The fleet then made its escape, taking with it the Thousand Sons' knowledge that had been held within the Sinsilanita. With the Traitors now gone, the battle was over and Axandria IV once more belonged to the Imperium.[1a]
See Also
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Community: Unleash the Unlimited Power of Numerology With a Free Download for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy (Posted on 16/09/2022) - The Axandria IV Incident PDF (Last accessed on 16 September 2022)
- 2: White Dwarf 470, pg. 105 - Chronicles of the Horus Heresy
