Iron Lords (Araneus Continuity)
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This article is about the Non-Imperial Human Civilization; for the Space Marines Chapter, see Iron Lords. |
The Iron Lords were the rulers of the Araneus Continuity, which was a small Human empire connected via several warp gates.[1a]
Their rule ended during the Great Crusade, though, when the Imperial Fists Legion spear headed an attack that brought the Araneus Continuity into Compliance with the Imperium. However soon afterwards, a sudden strike by unknown Xenos destroyed all the worlds of the Iron Lords' empire - save their capital world Araneus Prime, which was renamed Necromunda[1a]. Even with the Iron Lords defeat, though, their name and legacy was still remembered by the Hive World and Necromunda's Imperial Planetary Governors spent the next 200 hundred years combating the rebellious population. This fight for control, gave rise to powerful gang leaders who seized several of Necromunda's Hives[1b] and prevented the Hive World from paying its tithes to the Imperium. Eventually Imperial forces purged the rebellious population in 631.M31[1c], but by 514.M33 order was still not restored.[1d]
By then, a dozen gang leaders claiming to be descended from the Iron Lords, competed for governorship of Necromunda. Each one proclaimed to the Imperium, that they were the true voice of the Hive World and tried to assert their right to rule. In response to the growing chaos, however, the Imperial Fists conducted a second purge, which destroyed the gang leaders, almost all of Necromunda's ruling elite and the populations of several Hive spires[1d]. Even with this, though, the Iron Lords' legacy only truly begins to end in late M33[1e], with the rise of Martek Helm'ayr who swore an oath to restore order to Necromunda[1f]. Among those killed by Martek in his war of conquest, was the powerful gang leader Tray'ayr Cyberia, who sought to overthrow the Imperium's rule and restore the age of the Iron Lords. With Cyberia's death, however, the shadow of the Iron Lords seemed to have been finally lifted from Necromunda[1e] and Martek stabilized the Imperium's rule of the Hive World in 085.M34.[1g]
Source
- 1: Necromunda: Underhive (2017) Updated Rulebook - Necromunda Timeline
