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Sortiarius

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Sortiarius
Name: Sortiarius Sortiarius.jpg
Segmentum: Ultima Segmentum (previously Segmentum Obscurus)
Sector: Prospero Sector (previously Eye of Terror)
Subsector: Prospero Sub-Sector
System: Prospero System
Population: Unknown
Affiliation: Chaos (Tzeentch)
Class: Daemon World
Tithe Grade: not applicable

Sortiarius,[2] the Planet of the Sorcerers, is a Daemon World and the current homeworld of the Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marine Legion. Once located deep in the Eye of Terror[1], it was brought into Realspace with a ritual culminating in the Siege of the Fenris System.[4]


History

At the conclusion of the Battle of Prospero, Magnus the Red used his sorcerous powers for a last-ditch master spell, transporting the surviving warriors of his Legion through the warp to another planet, one promised to them as sanctuary.[3] The Planet of the Sorcerers orbited around a constantly changing star, an unstable orb that passed through nine different waning and waxing phases.[6a]

When the Thousand Sons first arrived on the planet, they found it unpopulated. Over thousands of years of raiding, they have acquired a multitude of minions. This has created a servant underclass, some of which have escaped their masters into the hostile land. These escaped servants then often join the nominally independent nomadic warbands upon the Planet of the Sorcerers, led by powerful mortals risen from the ranks of the escaped servants. Often, these mortal champions arising among the warbands are then recruited back to serve the Thousand Sons. Individuals with psychic powers are much sought after by the Thousand Sons to act as servants, becoming known as thrall wizards, psykers bound to the service of particular sorcerers. Also notable is the amount of beastmen arisen upon the planet, a subordinate population group that developed over thousands of years. While some of these abhumans — specifically referred to as tzaangors — enter various warbands, most remain wild. Little is said of flora or fauna, apart from the presence of chaos hounds amongst some warbands[1] and other Chaos creatures (see below).[6a] Random bands of Heretic Astartes periodically appear on Sortiarius, sometimes from time periods unfamiliar to the Thousand Sons themselves.[5] There are also bands of cultists roaming the planet.[6b]

After the Siege of the Fenris System Magnus the Red was able to teleport Sortiarius out of the Eye of Terror and into the Materium over Prospero,[4][6a] bringing with it a great Warp Rift.[4] Magnus later conducted a great ritual from Sortiarius during the Psychic Awakening, but was foiled by a force of Dark Angels and Grey Knights.[8b]

Geography

This planet is now the Daemon World of Magnus the Red; dark, rocky, volcanic and in constant turmoil. Its skies are storms of warp energy; low-hanging multi-coloured clouds cover the land and rain drops of energy to fill up the unnaturally dark rivers and seas which extend between the planet’s shifting and vast continents. The Sorcerer's Towers of the Thousand Sons thrust up from rocks jutting from lava plains, twisted mockeries of what the City of Light once was.[6a] It is not clear how denizens of the planet that require such things acquire breathable air or food, as no regions on the planet have been described as being compatible with photosynthetic life.

For an enemy even to set foot on the Planet of the Sorcerers, they must be either extremely powerful or permitted to land by the Thousand Sons. Invisible conjurations surround the planet, sucking any munitions fired upon it into the warp and dissipating powerful lasers into harmless rays of light. Illusory hexes cause attackers to believe that their weapons have hit their target when they have, in fact, proved wayward. Portals absorb orbital barrages and turn them back on the firers. Other spells and enchantments cause weapons to detonate while still on-board attacking ships, or initiate the warp drives of enemy vessels, hurling them into the Warp without shielding.[8a]

Notable Locations

  • Tizca — Once the capital city of Prospero, Tizca has since been transported to Sortiarius. The majestic spires of the city have now been replaced by disfigured obelisks, its mighty pyramids given way to mounds of crystalline earth-matter, and its pillars mutated into metamorphic towers. Inside of the city is the domain of the Thousand Sons and their libraries of sinister arcane lore.[6a]
    • The Tower of the Cyclops — Dwarfing all other towers is Magnus's own, an obsidian monolith called the Tower of the Cyclops or Obsidian Tower[5]. As well as being staffed by thousands of servants and troops, Magnus's tower also possesses a sorcerous, great, glowing eye. The Eye of the Tower watches over the planet, its gaze also penetrating through the warp into the material galaxy. This allows Magnus to sense the arcane artefacts and gifted psykers which fascinate him, so that he can dispatch his Thousand Sons to raid the Imperium.[1]
    • Pyramid of Photep[7]
  • Corrupted Manufactora — Through pacts with the Dark Mechanicum or by pillaging other Forge Worlds, the Thousand Sons maintain a substantial complex of armouries on Sortiarius. These churn out all war equipment the Legion should need as well as Daemon Engines. The Rubicae are prepped for war at these armouries.[6a]
  • Spawnpit - A sanity-warping and ever-changing tangle of tunnels and caverns, it is into this nightmarish labyrinth that the Thousand Sons cast those who have succumbed to the Flesh Change. The Thousand Sons also draw their supply of Chaos Spawn from its caverns.[10a]
  • Abyssal Maw - Site of Daemon Engine and armoured vehicle manufacture.[10b]
  • Spire of Glass - Living crystal space dock.[10b]
  • Obelisks of Ruin - Defensive structures. Though each is different in form and precise function, these empyrogeometrical constructs are said to know the weaknesses of any enemy who approaches, exploiting it with blasts of arcane sorcery.[10b]
  • Nomad Peaks[10b]
  • Amorphyc Plains[10b]
  • Forest of Tentacles[10b]
  • Glassfyre Chasms[10b]
  • Caverns of Transmogrification[10b]

Beyond the key locations of Sortiarius lays endless expanses of barren landscape. The landscape is in a constant state of change and wracked by powerful storms. Many beastmen, chaos spawn, enormous monstrosities, and other fell creatures stalk the wastelands of Sortiarius.[6a]

Flora and Fauna


Trivia

  • The Eye of Magnus atop the Tower of the Cyclops is reminiscent of the Eye of Sauron atop Barad-dur, from the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien.

See also

Sources