It will be in two parts. Here's part one.
Page 16
Sanction extremis, of course being Exterminatus. Not sure whether this means the whole fleet does it or just the battle cruiser. Note they are hanging in high orbit, which may imply firing range unless they descend to low orbit to fire (as is more common, but there are cases of geostationary or higher bombardment ranges.)"I noticed the Ordo Malleus battle cruiser, the Spear Excelsis, hanging in high orbit with the Imperial fleet. I assume you command the ship. Do you intend to authorise Sanction Extremis?"
..
"The Inquisition does not take such matters lightly. MY assessment is ongoing. If these people are to die, it shall be because our options have run out."
Also nice seeing an Inquisitor reluctant to use the extreme measures.
Page 17
A rather curious proposition, given that a.) It comes from a Space Marine (whose forces are outside of the Imperium's chain of command technically.) and b.) the fact that Inquisitors are canonically, in theory, able to do whatever they want (limited only by other inquisitors trying to stop them or judge them.)"You may petition my Chapter if you wish a force placed at your disposal, but the Lord Militant will have sprung his trap long before you have your answer. While I recognise your authoirty, I remind you of its limitations. Even you, inquisitor, must work within the legal framework of the Imperium."
We might view this as being "limitations" imposed by politics (Which often can be as compelling as law in the Imperium.) Even Inquisitors and Space Marine Chapters must get involved in Imperial politics (and bow to its pressures) in some way. In this case, an Inquisitor COULd in theory requisition any number of Space Marines he/she wished, but there may be repercussions or consequences that could prove detrimental or fatal to the future of said Inquisitor.
Page 18
3 m tall Space Marine.Almost three metres tall, Artemius towered over the Cordassan men.
Page 18
The Ministorum seen to do something good.Before the coming of the Missionarius Galaxia, the punishment for stepping outdoors without the urut was death.
Page 19
This planet, in defiance of guard tradition, seems to be serving garrison duty on his own planet. Or he was lucky enough to be returned home after service. Or was just recently raised and only took command in an emergency. Also note its apparnetly yet another all-Grenadier regiment, which could be interesting if we are talking about "grenadiers" in the IG codex sense (EG Storm troops by another name.) but that is not clear."The acting-commander of the surviving guard regiments is Colonel Rhamis ut-Halarr, 3rd Cordassen Grenadiers, First Company. A local man."
Page 20
A Dark Angels Space Marine feeling sorry for children. Briefly. It's something at least.Artemius felt a grain of pity taking root within him.
The moment he recognised it, he crushed it to nothing.
Page 21
yep, high tech gear like this for military forces is "old" stuff. Which could mean its either very very good, or its outdated crap, depending on your preferred context of grimdarkitude.The Map Room, deep withiht he bowels of comamnd HQ, was even cooler than the inquisitor's apartment.
Three figures stood int he darkness surrounding a broad table, their faces transformed into eerie masks by the green glow of the mpa-screen that comrpised its surface. Busy cogitators sat against the black stone walls, their myriad lights winking isncrutably. Much of this technology was centuries old.
Page 22
The pragmatic, non "drown them in corpses to win" attitude of the Imperium surfacing once again, indicating that Imperial policy in dealing with various constituents, outsiders (EG aliens), or such may depend on where in the Imperium one is. Closer to the center of things, the greater the influence, the further way, the harder it can be to do things. (Which is good for some folk, like the Tau.)"Cordsassa was only rediscovered by an explorator fleet about two hundred years ago; " continued Commissar Brantine. "Rather than instigate a civil war, the Adeptus Terra decreed that Cordassa's return ot the Imperial fold should be a more gradual process. Hence the election of popular local men as interim governors."
Artemius raised an eyebrow. Such patient consideration was rare in the workings of the Imperiun. Out here in the Halo Zone, however, where Imperial presence was by nature thin, there was wisdom in such methods.
Page 24
Naval forces providing orbital mapping to the ground forces."These maps are recent, sent to us from orbit by Battlefleet Gorgorus," said Colonel ut-Halarr.
..
Artemius stuided the orbital pict.
Page 25
The Guard/PDF forces on the planet had the resourecs to conduct an aerial assault, which presumably meant airlifting at least infantry (if not some vehicles) to assault the city as well as on "the frontlines". Whether it is organic, provided by local forces (requisitioned by the Guard from the PDF or civilians) or provided by some other arm (EG the Navy) is not specified.Marakross was indeed impressive for both its defensive strengths and its engineering. The city nestled in the crook of a great curving escarpment. Tall cliffs walled the city on two sides. At its rear, the towering structure of the dam stretched to the full height of the plateau. The forward face of the city was a vast defnesive wall not dissimilar to Scala's own.
..
"how high is the plateau?" asked Artemis.
It was the commissar who answered. "THose cliffs rise almost two kilometres from the plains."
"You've conducted aerial assaults?"
"Initially, yes. We don't have the resources now. Everything is tied up at the front line. We're down to ground units for the most part. Besides, if you look closely, you'll see that the heretics have shored up the defences since they took possession. Heavy-bolters, las-cannons, anti-air batteries - weapons salvaged from all over the planet. For all their madness, these dogs are well organised."
..
"So the dam is no weak point. Did you not request an orbital strike on the city itself?"
"Not at first," replied the colonel. "We'd hoped to take Marakross intact. With our borders hard-pressed and the plague ripping through our regiments, that became infeasible. When we did request a tactical strike, the Imperial fleet denied us. They didn't deign to justify their refusal."
Additionally we are provided a bit of insight when and how orbital bombardment might be employed in place of ground forces (basically if they want to take it they use troops. IF they don't want it they may try to blast it.)
Page 29
Inquisitor-grade Power armor, complete with holy crap and probably brass skulls.Heiron, who had looked so frail to Artemius back in his palatial apartment, had donned black power armour bearing an Inquisitorial "I". The workmanship was exquisite. Even in the shadows, Artemius could see intricate gold filigree describing holy symbols and scripture across the suit's massive pauldrons. Inquisitorial rosettes and purity seals hung form Heiron's breastplate. In one hand he held an ornate las-pistol; a power sword hung from a scabbad at his waist.
Page 29
Arco-flagellant. Normally IIRC we only see these among the Hereticus and Ministorum forces.The man was a brute, as big as any Astartes, though his raw bulk was less refined. Size aside, this was no ordinary man. His head was enclosed ina pacifier helm - a complex mask of titanium and plastic tubing. Through the tubes coursed hormones, stimulatns and suppressants. His fingers had been replaced by thick adamantine claws terminating in razor-sharp points. This living upppet was the inquisitor's notorious arco-flagellant.
Page 36
The Psyker is only introduced as being part of the "adeptus astropathica", which doesnt say much. Probably a sanctioned psyker though, given she appears to still have eyes. This gives us a benchmark of psyker abilities when it comes to clouding minds, albeit weak ones since they're cultists.Beside Artemius, Inquisitor Heiron looked down at Orphia Legrange with obvious concern. Her veins were bulging with the effort of deceiving a hundred pairs of eyes. Thin rivulets of blood trickled from her nose and ears. Just a little longer. It helped tha thte cultists were so eager to believe the illusion.
Page 37
"surveillance pict feeds" in captured buildings. Stuff like this has been mentioned in the urban fighting game supplements (cities of death/battlezone cityfight) I believe.Atremius knew the enemy would have prioritised the taking of all praeto precinct buildings. If even one of those precincts was receiving surveillance pict-feeds, teh Dark Angels were being watched even now.
Page 38
Dark Angels auspex penetrates buildings at least a short distance and showing life forms.Artemius's auspex showed cultists occupying buildings with good positioning over the streets below.
Page 40
Space Marine combat knife in action.Methandes surged forward and plunged the saw-toothed blade of his close-combat knife deep into the back of the cultist. When the big space Marine pulled the knife out, the sniper's torso was almost ripped in two.
Page 40
Space Marine "auto-senses" probably.His hololithic visor-display zoomed in on the roof of the opposite building.
Page 40
Bolt round vs Cultist head. Pretty standard.Methandes's bolter gave a single angry bark, and the cultist's head exploded, leaving a dark, wet mist.
Page 41
There are two tacticla squads of Space Marines.. this implies there are multiple (possibly individual?) scanners amongst the squads."Good work" voxed the Interrogator-Chaplain. "Check your scanners. We we have large mobs converging on this position. I want supporting ifre from above. Fragmentation grenades at your discretion."
Page 49
Inquisitorial laspistol has enough punch to penetrate CSM shoulder armor and inflict damage enough to knock them back.A las-blast caught the Fallen on the shoulder. At such close range, the blast punched right through the traitor's black ceramite pauldron to the diseased flesh below, sending him reeling backwards.
Artemius looked up. Heiron's laspistol hissed as it cooled.
Page 49
important for the following quote.Its fat white body was sectioned like a great maggot over thirty metres long.
Page 50
Space Marine frag grenade blows apart the huge, 30 m long creature, one that must be as tall as Artemis (3 m tall) since he gets cut apart. this would imply (assuming human like composition), Space Marine grenades are many times more powerful than normal grenades, although how many times is hard to precisely say from the info given (at least several times greater, and possibly an order of magnitude or more.)Artemius pulled a frag-grenade from his belt, tore out the pin and hurled it into the open wound.
..
There was a muffled boom and a section in the middle of the beast exploded outwards.
..
The creature was still alive, or rather, it was now two creatures, each severed part squirming nad creaming with a life of its own.
Artemius sprinted through the space he'd created in its massive body, to fast for the fiend to bring it sjets of vomit to bear.
Page 52
Bolt pistol shot blows apart a CSM head (which is going to be several times more massive and several times harder to destroy than a human head, due to enhancement.) Also take note the shell casing from a supposedly rocket propelled round.The deep crack of a gunshot echoed off the walls of the descrated sanctuary.
A single, fat brass shell-casing rang like a tiny bell as it struck the stone floor.
Where Borroleth's head had been, only a stump of flesh and exposed spine remained. The Chaos space Marine fell lifelessly forward.
Page 56
Vindicaire assasin lying in wait.She could feel the energy of the sun beginning to soak into the chemicals of her membranous armour, thawing her frigid limbs and returning suppleness to her carefully set joints, feeding her organs iwth nutrients.
..
She had been jammed into the crevice since the Imperial Guard rode out to confront the enemy six days before, utterly motionless, waiting.
Page 56
"It" being the Swordwind of Biel tan. Note the apparently "uber hive cities", although whether we take "core" literally or not is not clear (Be rather surprising if it is, unless it refers to just the heat sink.)It had swept across the planet's surface and dirven the last remnants of the Imperial population to Pious IV, the colossal hive city that dove down into the depths of the planet core and pierced the clouds at its distant apex.
Page 57
A psychic Inquisitor manages to predict the precise aiming point for the Vindicaire sniper to use, a week before. A rather impressive and accurate use of precog by 40K standards.She twisted her body deeper into the crevice and braced the long barrel of her rifle agianst the rock, holding a tight angle of depression so that the reticule focussed on the sandy ground next to the statues base. That was the precise point that the psychic Inquisitor Lord Parthon had indicated a week before from the comfort of his chambers on the top of the Spire of Piety, near the apex of Pioux IV, and Nyjia had held her rifle trained on it four the last four days.
Page 58
A bit of detail on the Vindicaire rifle. The name is stupid (but this is A Goto story, so there ya go), but the augmentations are interesting. This would tend to suggest this particualr Exitus rifle is some sort of non-chem propelled weapon.Long ago in the Vindicare temple she had made Shlareen herself, and she had maintained it ever since - caring for her with the same devotion that she had offered to her body.
...
The Inquisition had augmented her body and provided technology for her to augment her weapon. Shlareen contained an eclectic mix of alien parts, including an eldar gravitic accelerator, which removed all recoil from the weapon and rendered it almost silent in operation. Nyjia's mastery, Lord Parthon, was a radical inquisitor, and he enjoyed the irony of hunting aliens with their own technology.
Page 58
Vindicaire implants again.Squinting her eyes against the sun as her ocular implants glossed into blakcness, working to filter out the dazzling light, Nyjia could see the vanguard of the ledar Swordwind cresting the horizon.
Page 62
This particular Vindicare seems notable in having some close-combat augmentations. The knowing bit is a side point and hard to quantify.But even without checking, Njyia knew that the shot was out of range. Just as she would know whether the blades fused into her fingertips would reach the neck of a heretic, so she knew whether her bullet would reach the head of a distant alien. and the Exarch was just out of reach.
Page 62
Goto Eldar in action. I wouldnt be surprised if the Matrix were somehow involved in this. It is interesting in indicating that this particular Exarch was a match for a Space Marine hand to hand.As the blades clashed once again, the captain braced his muscles and the servoes of his power armour, struggling to repel the inhuman power of the Eldar. But the exarch was ineffably light on its feet; its legs bicycled out to the side, as though running up an invisible wall, pivoting around the clashing swords, and landing a punishing kick against the side of the Dark Angels' head.
Page 63
Like Trade Fed repulsors in TPM, Eldar grav drives (at least these kind) don't seem to exert any noticable downwards force to keep the craft afloat.The Falcon tanks slid effortlessly over the debris and corpses that were strewn over the killing zone, hardly evne disturbing the sand beneath them as their anti-gravitic engines pulsed with mysterious energies.
Page 68
Its a striking scorpions Exarch, incidentally. Which means that the round had to not only blow apart an eldar sized skull, but a fuckoff huge helmet as well. We dont know the exact range, but the propogation rate would seem to be virtually instantaneous.Withy a tiny motion, she caressed her rifle into life and Shlaereen hissed a potent whisper into the morning air.
The exarch's head exploded into a rain of shattered fragments. The magnificent emerald warrior slumped ot its knees in the sand, its blade falling from its grip and crashing into the desert.
Page 69-70
Imperial industry at work. They are efficient and pragmatic in harvesting the resources, if nothing else.Acid seas covered ninety per cent of the planet's surface, and great ore ships of the Adpetus Mechanicus would periodically enter low orbit to suckle from the burning oceans. These monstrous vessels then transported the chemical-rich seawater to the mechanised hell of a forge world where it would be refined into vehicle fuel, propellants, and war materiel of all descriptions.
The planet's only other exportable commodity dwelt in the oceans, tiny desquamating invertebrates that swam the acid seas in continent-sized shoals. Ironclad crawlers crossed the oceans harvesting swathes of the miniscule creatures whose hyper-efficient metabolisms were ultra-rich in proteins that could be processed into Imperial Guard ration packs.
Page 70
A prison facility with it sown energy shields. These may not neccesarily be combat rated, however, as the living conditions on the prison (as we find out) ar rather hazardous to organic and inorganic materials and thus the shields may simply be to protect against corrosion.Gun towers and ultilitarian landing facilities were all that remained above ground, protected from the planet's deadly vapours by a series of energy shields.
Page 70
The gunships are interesting. A possible variant.The ship bore no insignia and flew with an escort of gunships, insectoid craft with gimbal-mounted assault cnanons and racks of missiles slung under each wing.
Page 71
Prison warden/leader of the Enforcers. Note the mesh armour.De Zoysa, a shaven-headed, bull of a man in dented bronze mesh armour with a face that mirrored the landscape beyond the prison walls, nodded and said "let them. I've got my enforcers itching to break some heads."
Page 72
Inquisitor age. Presumably doesn't include any pre-Inquisitor time, but that probably isnt significant anyhow.Sypphax Osorkon was a man of fearsome reputation, a man who had uncovered the secret heart of the Pyurs Reach for nearly three centuries.
Page 74
Apparently this particular juvenat process has not yet inflicted any unhealthy or ugly side effects, and keeps him looking (phyiscally at least) prior ot middle age (no wrinkles or anything.)Tall and smooth-skinned from extensive juvenat therapy, Osorkon's features held a blandness that was easy ot underestimate.
Page 80
Again the shielding exists, but seems designed more for protecting the prison from the planet rather than combat."Have no fear, Lord Osorkon, the shields protect us from the sea, though if they were to fail, the acids would eat through the plasteel in seconds, kililng us all,"
Page 83
Void shield and power field tech can be (in some manner) combined. One wonders why they don't use it elsewhere (like starships. But perhaps they do. That may ) How they combine isnt known.A hybrid of power field and void shield technology, it formed an impregnable barrier of lethal energy that would incinerate anything that attmepted to pass through it.
Page 85
They're nice enough to give the prisoners at least some protective equipment, even if it is old (in a bad way).Those prisoners sent to work the acid pumps that kept the prison complex form flooding were sent in wearing flimsy corrosion-resistant oversuits and rebreather appartaus that looked as though they had come from the earliest days of the Imperium.
Page 87
Our good buddy Erebus from the Heresy era. Still an asshole. THe hybrid forcefield defneses seem to have a thermal component to them on c ontact.Erebus snarled and hurled himself at the inquisitor..
..
Osorkon didn't flinch as Erebus was hurled back in a blaze of light, his armour scorched and skin blistered from teh discharge of the enclosing energy field.
Page 90
A specialized sort of body armor, not mesh armour, but it does provide an interesting hint at what Flak might be capable of (flak is arguably better.)The enforcer's body armour was designed to resist knife thrusts and bludgeons, not a point blank shotgun blast, and the grey floor of the corridor was sprayed with a fan of blood and bone.
Page 99
Space Marine bolters vs prisoners, although quantifying it is going to be hard (no ida how many guns or how many shots to explode people.)Such optimism was hopelessly misplaced as the intruders' guns barked bright flames and blew apart those who ran towards them, bursting them like red, wet blisters.
Page 101
Its claimed there are "thirty, maybe more" but it is still hard to be certain how many shots it takes to explode people. Presumably something like a burst but less than a full clip.Hard barks of gunfire followed them and Finn wsa sprayed with fine mists of red as enforcers exploded from within. He looked back through the door to see red-armoured daemons following the enforcers, malevolent and implacable, fire and death blasting form the roaring muzzles of their weapons.
Page 107
Bolter explodes part/most of the chest of a Grey Knight, although how many shots (single or a burst) isn't specified. Overall probably worth at least several grenades worth of damage, not including body armor and such.A daemon-mouthed bolter was rammed into the warrior's chest and his back exploded in a halo of splintered ribs and shredded meat.
Page 108
Enforcers thrown aisde and "torn apart" by bolts, agian. This implies singel shots or volleys per bolter exploding people.Enforcers were hurled back, torn apart by explosive bolts that were little short of missiles...
