Vaan

From Australis Ultima 30k
Jump to: navigation, search


Vaan
Fortius Prime.png
Knight World of House Vanagandyr

Segmentum:

Ultima Segmentum

Sector:

Australis Ultima

Subsector:

Savage Reach

System:

Vaan System

Class:

Knight World

Type:

Major

Fortius Prime Map.jpg


Geography

Physics

Type Large iron/silicate

Mass 4.17 x 1039 kg

Density 4.98 g/cm3

Composition 30.1% oxygen, 20.9% iron, 19.2% silicon, 18.8% calcium, 3.5% magnesium, 3.2% other metals, 4.3% other elements

Gravimetry

Gravity 2.17 m/s2

Escape Velocity 4.17 km/s

Rotation Period 33.13 hours

Axis Tilt 10.24 °

Atmosphere

Type Dense Breathable

Pressure 372.87 kPa

Composition 75.8% Nitrogen, 24.2% Oxygen, trace other gases


Pre-Reclamation/Age of Strife:

The earliest recorded histories of Vaan show it to be a planet consumed by war. Its fertile lands, from towering mountain tops to the most verdant of fields were divided into clan holds, constantly warring, these clans bred strong warriors, warriors who were held amongst their clans as heroes. Revered above these heroes was Fenrir, the guardian of river Van of which his lair thought to be.

Age old myth tells of a ‘bounty or sacrifice’ to be offered to Fenrir every nine years, this sacrifice came in the form of each clans greatest warrior being sent into the sacred lands surrounding the river Van in an attempt to seek out Fenrir’s lair. Once set out on their journey, none ever return to their clans hold. The clans do this as an offering to Fenrir for his protection and as an offering of good will to the gods above.

Unbeknownst to these clans, many warriors did find Fenrirs lair, though it is not what they expect it to be. Upon finding its entrance they are greeted by a Gamyr, a watcher and guardian of the entrance, in the form of a Knight Warden. This Gamyr offers these warriors the chance to face Fenrirs trials, in a bid to gain favour with the wolf and attain glory for not only themselves, but also their clan. If they do not wish to face these trials, then they are deemed shameful and a dishonour to their clan, they are spurned by the other aspirants and sent into the forests surrounding Van to await their grim fate, for they surely cannot return home with dishonour.

The trials remain a mystery to all pre-reclamation records and even after, what is known however is that of those who are sent on this journey, none have ever returned, whether successful or not.

Towards the end of Age of Strife a new and unknown race appeared on Vaan. Coming from the skies in their machines of war, they flew faster than sound, raiding the clans and stealing their folk before retreating to the skies. These Sky-Raiders as they became known plagued Vaan’s inhabitants for many years until finally the Sky-Raiders no longer flew away but took root in the land. Building their holds and claiming clans-folk as slaves to serve them.

For many years did Fenrir and his pack fight these raiders, but less and less did Fenrir’s pack roam wide in defence of their human charges, less and less did the people of Vaan pay homage to the entity who seemed to no longer defend them. Little did they know that Fenrir had been fighting to end the war between the clans and the sky-raiders, until one day Fenrir tried to parley with the sky-raiders, beseeching them to leave this world and return to whence they came. The sky-raiders, after enduring Fenrir and his mighty packs onslaught over the years agreed, for they could no longer sustain their holds, nor could Fenrirs’ packs sustain any further losses to their own much depleted ranks. Upon agreeing to leave did the sky-raiders leave a ‘gift’ for Fenrir, an amulet of great value for him to bear upon his breast in triumph. Little did Fenrir know, these sky-raiders were notorious for their deceit for it is what they are best known for amongst their own kind.

The legends say that upon returning to his lair, Fenrir did wear the amulet, proclaiming his greatness when the amulet began to hum, its arcane energies released the amulet spewed forth great chains of binding, surrounding Fenrir and bearing him down. His pack immediately set upon the chains but no matter what they tried, the bindings could not be broken, so did Fenrir become bound, never to walk upon the verdant fields or hunt in the forests of Vaan least these chains be broken.

Seeing their Alpha brought low, the rest of the pack split, some staying within the lair, others left to roam the sacred lands surrounding the river Van, becoming Gamyr in their own right. So did the lands become silent, no longer did Fenrir and his wolves roam the lands in protection, and in return, no longer did the clans worship them, no more did the clans sacrifice their warriors every nine years and in doing so, did the wolves turn from reality into myth, a story told from generation to generation, but never celebrated nor seen as truth. In the following centuries to come the clans would go through a series of cultural upheavals. No longer was machina seen as anathema, but was beginning to be widely accepted as necessary to the planets future defence and survival from threats such as the sky-raiders or other unknown races.


Age of Reclamation:

Heralded as the Aettjarn (or the coming of iron) by the local populace, the beginning of the Age of Reclamation began with Explorator Fleet Gamma Secundus 28974 and its attaché of warriors from the Xth legion arriving in system amidst a distress beacon being activated on the planet Vaan. Following the distress beacons signal of origin, the explorator fleet find the last stronghold of the Technocracy of Vaan (as they became known after the reformation of the clan system) under siege.

Upon investigation it was clear that xenos work was at hand, a particular race of xenos in which the explorator fleet knew only too well. The Dark Eldar. Returning again to wreak havoc upon the planet Vaan, the Dark Eldar no longer had to face Fenrir and his wolves, and so the technocracy was systematically pulled apart by the far superior Dark Eldar. What would become known as the battle of drjúgr, roughly translated as the battle of lasting, the desperate struggle to standfast and hold the defences at all cost against the dark eldar. On numerous attempts did the raiders ranks swell and clash against the defences, only to be repelled time and time again.

Seeing the local populace defending bravely, the explorator fleet and 10th legion attaché deployed all offensive counter measures, catching the Dark Eldar off guard, the enemy forces were crushed between the two allied forces and forced to retreat from the capital city, thus ending the battle and claiming the first win of what would become the reclamation of Vaan. In the coming months what would become known as the Triad of Iron would form. The Technocracy, Explorator fleet and 10th legionnaires working together to isolate and trap the enemy, using the myriad of forces available to them through cohesion to form multifaceted forces capable of encircling and isolating the invaders forces. Although the invaders were beaten back time and time again, any whom know of the Dark Eldar know of their ways, time and again they would slip from the clutches of the triad, slinking back into the webway, only to emerge again later at another place to raid once more.

Frustrated by slowing momentum, Ferrus Manus himself entered the war, hoping to find some way to finish the Dark Eldar once and for all.

Enlightenment came from an unusual source, the Vaanite warriors of the original clans came together to hold their annual tournament, their emerging warriors entering the tournament as aspirants, keen to battle it out like their forefathers using nought but hand weapons. Interestingly, the Dark Eldar began to stir again, raids increased in frequency and the enemy host began to culminate once more.

Seeing this, Ferrus was intrigued, echoes of Medusas own clan structures could be seen as parallels to those on Vaan. What about these games was so different as to cause the raiders to become predictable? Why were they coming out from the shadows and into contested ground? Seeking the records kept by the Council of Elders, Ferrus learned that this was not a uncommon occurrence, every time the games were to be held, the Dark Eldar attacked. Reading further into the history of the games themselves Ferrus noted the myth of Fenrir and his wolves, a myth he had not heard before.

Myths, as Ferrus knew, were steeped in truth, marred by age, for was his own ascension to ‘god-hood’ not brought about by the defeat of mythic creatures? Storm giants, shades of the dead and even the mighty Wyrm Asirnorth itself!

And so Ferrus did seek out the lair of Fenrir, for every myth has a token of truth, and he would find the truth of this one in the chances it could help fight the invaders in the final great battle to come.

Ferrus studied the ancient texts, until finally he believed he knew where to seek out Fenrir. Heading to the forests surrounding Vanblakkrulf he sought the lair, warned by the Vaanite council elders that when entering that vale, none returned.

For many moons was Ferrus lost, no word was heard from him until one day he emerged from the vale, his only communication was ‘Bring me the Council of Iron, none other shall pass’. And so it was the the Council of Iron formed, the greatest Forge-Fathers entered the vale, taken by Ferrus to the lair of Fenrir, for he had found it. Upon entering the lair did the Gamyr emerge once more. “Are these the warriors you spoke of, Lord of Iron, will they free my Lord from his chains so he may wreak vengeance on these invaders?”

“Yes, these are my greatest Forge-Fathers, they will help me break these chains and release Fenrir once more”.

Entering the inner-sanctum did the Forge-Fathers finally understand the myths, for Fenrir was real, and so were his wolves.. just not as expected. They were not mythical beasts, no, instead what they found were the remnants of an ancient knightly household, the Vanagandyr, the House of Wolves, Watchers of the River Van. It truly was a sight to behold, for even in disuse, the Wolves were a thing to behold, each one held inside their respective docking bays, awaiting the day a new aspirant will ride them into battle, awaiting Fenrir to awaken and lead them once more.

Finally did the assembled warriors reach the final door of the temple. Towering 20 metres tall the doors were akin to hanger doors seen at the large spaceports, however these were old, rune encrusted doors from before the Age of Strife. Slowly the ancient doors began to open, their hinges squealing with disuse, the sight the Ironhands saw was sickening, there nought 20metres inside the cavernous hold was Fenrir, bound and fettered it was a sad sight, the Warhound brought low.

No one moved, for even bound as he was, a Warhound is always dangerous, seeing apprehension on his warriors faces, Ferrus strode out, unclasping his mighty hammer Forgebreaker and bearing onwards towards Fenrir. Sighting the amulet Ferrus had found his quarry. With an almighty heave he swung Forgebreaker overhead, smashing it into the amulet as if he was hammering iron on an anvil. Slowly cracks began to appear in the amulet, seeing this Ferrus’ warriors rushed forwards, eager to bring to bear their own weapons in an attempt to break the chains binding Fenrir. After culminating their attacks did finally the amulet give way, its hold finally breaking on Fenrir. Rising from the ground, Fenrir released an almighty roar from his vox hailers, powering up his turbo-laser and plasma cannon searching for foes, quickly the Ironhands scrambled to get out of the way, only Ferrus stood stoic before the god-engine. “Lo Brother! We did not come here to fight you, we need your aid! Help us drive back the invaders who chained you, take back this world! Will you fight with us!?”

Fenrir gazed at Ferrus intently; his plasma cannon throbbing with energy, finally Fenrir reared his head and roared at the sky, the temple shook with his mighty roar, aetheric energy swirled around the temple, long silent wolves began to reawaken and emerge from their docking bays, ghost light appearing from their eyes, weapons charging they strode out to meet their liege. With a final howl did Fenrir call his wolves to his side, crashing through the temple to emerge once more into daylight, once more the Vanagandyr would march to war, so came the time of Wolves once more on Vaan.

Frystaenda, the beginning of the end, the final battle on Vaan was a swift affair, the Dark Eldar host had gathered enmasse to assault the ritual games, what they didn’t know however was that these games were a farce, for Ferrus has planned to lure his enemies in once he gleaned their intentions. So did the Dark Eldar strike, seeking to claim new warrior slaves for their arena pits, and so they fell into Ferrus trap. The Triad surrounding the Dark Eldar warhost, whilst vox hailers blaring did Fenrir and his wolves smash into the heart of the enemy, their fury bound for centuries was finally unleashed.

At the end of the battle a strange sight was there to behold, for all at once, the wolves of House Vanagandyr singled out warriors from the local populace, warriors whom had proven their skill and prowess in battle that day. To these brave warriors did the wolves bow, and in return these warriors followed the wolves to a meeting ground. Here the warden stood, his vox hailer boomed “You have been chosen, come forward honoured warriors, come forward if you wish to undertake Fenrirs’ trials, come forward if you wish to rebuild House Vanagandyr, the House of Wolves anew”.

And so it was that House Vanagandyr was reborn, amidst smoke and blood the house was rebirthed, ready to take the fight to the enemy once more.