Demerium
| Map | Basic Data | Lunar Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
  Demerium |
Name: | Demerium | 
|
| Segmentum: | Pacificus[7] | ||
| Sector: | MX/44219/M/AE[1a] | ||
| Subsector: | |||
| System: | Recidious System[6] | ||
| Primary: | Avarax[1a] | ||
| Population: | <Million[8] | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperium[6] | ||
| Class: | Burial World (ε-class)[1a], Tomb World,[1a] War World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Aptus Non[1a] | ||
"Demerium is the final resting place for heroes from across the aeons who served the Imperium with all of their being. These venerated heroes interred on this tomb world battled for the Emperor in profligate storied campaigns. The patron of this hallowed repository is Saint Lancae. The relics that are housed within this most holy of the Ecclesiarchy's chapels are purified daily to ensure the undefiled sanctity of the interred paragons. None may disturb these honoured remains."[3e]
Demerium is a moon of the planet Avarax[6] and an Imperial Cemetery World.[1a]
Contents
Overview
As of M42, Demerium's Imperial record states that the number of deceased currently interred on the world exceeds 91,000,000,601,000,014.[3d]
In M42, the world would has been invaded by the Thousand Sons. However, unbeknownst to most Imperial records in the system, it is also a Necron Tomb World. The Mechanicus would excavate an ancient civilization's stone ruins with suspicious carvings. Even deeper beneath these ruins monolithic Necron Tomb World structures would be found. The Mechanicus would begin Blackstone research within the xenos complexes,[3a][1d][3c] and Project Aurora's Research Facility would be established somewhere deep within the Necron Tomb layer, at some point. Eventually the Space Marines from the Ultramarines Chapter, would come to its defense.[1a]
History
4,000 years prior to M42, a clash between the Ultramarines and heretics occurred. The Sword of Atreus, a Battle Barge wrecked in the fighting, was laid to rest on Demerium. The body of the ship was ruined, but the internal functions and engines still burned bright even as it was interred. According to Artisan Balthazar and Enginseer Sigma-Eight's diagnostics of the vessel in M42, its engine's capabilities aren't sufficient to escape the planet's gravity. The ship is still in the process of being restored.[4]
At some point an Imperator Titan was laid to rest upon Demerium.[1][5][9]
Excavation
The Adeptus Mechanicus excavation and research on the mysteries hidden beneath the world consisted of examination and exploration of two layers. The first layer consists monolithic stone complexes, populated by arrays of obelisks and hieroglyphic carvings on most of the large the geometric stone architecture. This ancient underground complex might predate the Great Crusade, however what is certain is that this layer aesthetically echoes the Necron structures below.[1]
Magos Ekaterina Mal-Volos was one of the researchers examining the data from these layers of ancient tombs beneath the surface of the Imperial Burial World. During the heretic assault, she would discover a simple subroutine of a very old lingua technica that was deprecated ages ago. Within the data metaset she analyzed, a simple subroutine would be found among the unfamiliar code, a single word deciphered to be "AWAKENING". Following a set of coordinates to the Necron layer of the world, undisturbed for 60,000 years by her estimation, Magos Mal-Volos would connect to a dust and residue covered uplink at the base a sarcophagus. The connection took seconds but the only signal received from it was "AWAKENING" on repeat.[3b] This particular sarcophagus would eventually reveal itself to be that of a Tomb Stalker, a defensive construct common on Necron Tomb Worlds. It would awaken and eventually kill Magos Mal-Volos after she attempted to flee. While being hunted by the metalic centipede-like construct, she would again run the anomalous code that lead her here and it would now decypher as "AWOKE".[3c]
At some point, the Mechanicus research efforts would continue deeper into the Necron Tomb complex. Several more Tomb Stalkers would awaken and subsequently be defeated by expedition forces. This is evidenced by the Tomb Stalker remains with Mechanicus examination equipment attached to their insectoid heads and their disassembled forcipules seen throughout expedition sites. A trail of wiring, scaffolding, and other research expedition tents and equipment would ultimately lead to the location of where the Aurora device would be activated. The Aurora device's activation site was at the base of a prominent obelisk. It was the largest obelisk within the Necron tomb layer and several times taller than any other structure within sight.[1]
Known Locations
- Cathedrum of Saint Lancae[1a]
- Mausoleum D4/c[1a]
- Mausoleum PF/5.2[1a]
- Mausoleum HY8/5[1a]
- Numerellion basin[1a]
- Aurora Research Facility[1a]
Planetary Information
- Aestimare: F850[1a]
Related Articles
Sources
- 1: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Mission V: Dawn's Descent
- 2: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Mission VI: Bellum Sempiternus
- 3: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Dataslates (audiolog collectibles)
- 3a: Mission: Dawn's Descent - Tomb Excavation, Analog Backup 8.6
- 3b: Mission: Dawn's Descent - Tomb Excavation, Analog Backup 8.7
- 3c: Mission: Dawn's Descent - Tomb Excavation, Analog Backup 9.9
- 3d: Mission: Bellum Sempiternus - Amount of Deceased on Demerium
- 3e: Operations: Reliquary - Servitor Greeting, Demerium
- 4: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Operations - Fall of Atreus
- 5: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Operations - Reliquary
- 6: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: Campaign mission selection map
- 7: Warhammer-Community: Secret Level Warhammer – Cool details you might have missed (posted 18 Dec 2024) (archive page saved 18 December 2024, last accessed 15 January 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/urgzcdwr/secret-level-warhammer-cool-details-you-might-have-missed/ )
- 8: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, environment cogitator screen (Battle Barge, Datavault)
- 9: The Art and Making of Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2, pg 81
