“They tell us we cannot do this and we must not do that. Who are these feeble minded individuals to tell us what is and isn’t within our power!?! The Belicosa Potentis Omnissiah only serves to restrict our power and curtail our research!

Throw down your ties to the corruption of Mars and the False Emperor and give your allegiance to the quest for knowledge! Usher in a period where your limits are defined only by your skill and inquisition!

Regulus, Dark Mechanicum Representative; Long-burst coded transmission to Xana-Vicidax Facilities.

THE BELICOSA POTENTIS OMNISSIAH

Due to the power of the silica animus and Battle Automata that it is contained within, it was decreed from the beginning that Legio Cybernetica would be permitted to exist only in small cohorts. To further limit the power and reach of the cohort, it could not form a Forge from which it could directly supply itself, though support workshops and fleet vessels were permitted. This meant that a Legio Cybernetica Cohort ranges between 30-100 maniples, with these maniples consisting on 1-5 battle automata.

XANA INCURSION

Located within Vicidax Thule Sector, Segmentum Pacificus, Xana II fueled the Great Crusade with armor, ammunition, vehicles and automata before it was assaulted by Loyalist forces who were attempting to deny Traitor forces the technology and vast military reserves stationed there.

This would only serve to further alienate the Vodian Consistory – the ruling Magi, from the Loyalists. With this ruling cohort later killed by a covert Loyalist operation known as the “Xana Incursion”, much of Xana II, Xana III, Xana IV, Xana-Tisiphone and the smaller satellites were in utter disarray.

Several members of the lower Magi rose to power and began to either war with one another for more power or sought unity of the Xana system.

Anacharis Scoria emerged from the main testing facility on Xana-Tisiphone as a monstrous creation. Previously a maimed, broken, but exceptionally intelligent individual, what emerged now was a machination of high-powered arcane technologies coupled with a hatred for Loyalist forces and what they represented.

THE FIRST ACT

On the world of Xana IV, several Magi continued to vie for power. The war had already consumed several major manufactories and test sites, leaving swathes of the planet’s surface nothing but blackened, scorched earth.

After 173 days of war, without any precursor activity, the war suddenly ended, and the planet fell silent.

Orbital observation satellites recorded elevated levels of radiation across the planet, suggesting the widespread, yet targeted use of high-yield atomics. Hive cities that remained intact became hosts to silent mobs of humans, walking about in shambling and chaotic motions.

The masses of Legio Cybernetica that had been warring against each other outside the Hive walls stood as mute statues, even though their systems had been shielded from the effects of electro-magnetic pulse that occurred as a result of the atomics.

Silence reigned over the planet for 11 more days until the communications
channels simultaneously broke open and broadcast discordant and inharmonious screams with an overlaid message:

“Xana IV under Necrotacitus control”.

ARCANUM MALEFICUS

The truth of what occurred on the surface of Xana IV was not clearly understood. Blackshield fleets in the area rapidly collated what data they could glean from the orbital observation satellite constellation. Without warning the constellation entered degrading orbits in unison, destroying themselves.

Whilst the information was incomplete, what it initially indicated was worrying. Precisely 30 seconds before the world went silent and atomics were registered; a single Forge complex had sent a 10 second transmission on all frequencies and networks. The transmission was comprised of a randomly generated carrier wave that sounded like thousands of overlaid screams and a long burst code reminiscent of ancient Terran Gregor deep vocal chanting. Finally, overlaid atop all of this was a whispering noise that could not be identified.

The analysis of the transmission proved difficult, with the cogitator units overloading upon processing the code. Worse, the code automatically broadcast to other cogitation units, resulting in cascading overload occurring. Eventually, after several dozen cogitators experienced immediate brain death, it was realized that this was the directive of the transmission – to overload and destroy what it entered. It was subsequently classified as scrap code of a new type: Arcanum Maleficus.

A TOMB WORLD

Xana IV resumed its silence and with no method of observing remotely, Blackshield forces dispatched a Recon Company to conduct reconnaissance-in- force.

The planet was desolate. Fields of thousands of Automata stood as silent watchers over the equally silent battlegrounds. The Hive cities were all now silent tombs for rotting corpses of the recently deceased. Those who were alive days before were now naught but rapidly decaying flesh, shattered bones and
puddles of red-brown liquid.Upon arriving at the first Forge, there was nothing but a radioactive crater with castellated walls and defensive positions. From the blast pattern and debris, it became clear that the reactor core had been the source of the blast, undoubtedly a victim of the Arcanum Maleficus. This scene was identical throughout the other Forges too; all destroyed by their own reactor cores.

Of the humans in the Hives, not one was found alive. Every single human on the planet had brain augmentation and connection to a rudimentary backbone network. Of the 5 major Hives, two stood distinctly apart from the rest. Hive 3 was a mausoleum, but where the others had corpses scattered about mindlessly; in Hive 3, the victims had fallen where they stood, worked, rested and cavorted. It had not been a quick death, that was certain. Every one of the corpses had broken arms, disconnected sockets and the remnants of their brains had run from their ears and eyes. It was evident that the carrier wave had been generated from here. Hive 1 was deserted, evidently its inhabitants had left or been consumed by the multitude of chemical and viral munitions that had been expended nearby.

No source for the final transmission could be found and it was clear that for all intents and purposes, the planet had become a tomb world. The Blackshield force exfiltrated from the planet’s surface and prepared to target it with seismic torpedoes, in the hope to destroy the source of the code that had evaded their search.

THE SECOND ACT

Now, 70,000 humans of the original 80,000 from the Hive were separated into nodes of 5,000 central nervous systems, stripped from their bodies and interlinked to arcane machinery. This machinery served to maintain their lifeforce and at a given moment, overstimulate the exposed nerves and extract their agony and torment into a weaponized code. The machinery consumed its victims upon activation, but the code it produced was able to overload targeted cogitator units in an instant. It was also capable of defeating jamming and cover vast distance due to it warp-nature.

With the communications encryption of the Recon Company fully analyzed, Archmagos Dominus Saitama had the key to the Blackshields fleet in orbit. In the months of vicious war on the surface, Saitama had brought the population of Hive 1 to the deep level underground test facility he ruled over under the premise of safety.

Saitama had developed the machinery when Kelbor Hal had provided him with information from the Vaults of Moravec on a “consumptive warp communications weapon”. He now activated that machinery and used his corrupted astropathic choir to supplement the carrier wave and its malefic code with the analyzed Blackshield cryptography.

The Blackshield fleet found itself promptly bombarded by a broadcast emanating from the surface that targeted only their frequencies and networks. The communication lasted 10 seconds and overwhelmed all their weapons, maneuvering and targeting cogitators just seconds before the torpedoes launched.
The torpedoes slid from their launch tubes into the vacuum and began their burn towards the surface of Xana IV. Then they began to enter a lazy arc before shutting off their engines and coasting back towards the vessels that had launched them.

The Blackshield Fleet, unable to move due to the shutdown of maneuvering cogitation units, could only watch as it was consumed by the detonation of its own seismic torpedoes.

EMERGENCE

The surface of Xana IV erupted in a torrent of earth and rock as the huge doors opened to the underground test facility. The facility was bordered by an outwardly unremarkable appearing outpost. This outpost had an equally unremarkable and battered looking communications suite; but that was the premise behind the deception. The array was used to transmit 90% of the off-world traffic, pre-war and had huge bandwidth.

As the array turned live, the battle automata on the surface of Xana IV began to move. Those units that had suffered significant damage entered self-destruct mode. Those in a repairable state began the slog across the planets surface to the facility.

When the first burst from the Arcanum Maleficus had been sent across the surface, it’s code had been subtly modified by the corrupted astropathic choir to not only overload Forge cogitators, but to re-write the Cybernetica cortex of active battle automata on the planet’s surface to shut down and only respond to Saitama’s Cyberthurgy in the future.

Saitama would no longer be bound by the Belicosa Portentis Omnissiah, his Cybernetica Cohort would grow to a size previously unseen and his power would exponentially increase.

ARCHMAGOS DOMINUS SAITAMA

Little is known of Archmagos Dominus Saitama’s operational history outside of the record of his achievements in electromagnetic spectrum warfare and the occurrences on Xana IV. The facility, known as Deep Level Experimentation Facility 102-2, on Xana IV had been developed for Saitama to test captured Xenos or Abhuman communications and weaponized code and find ways of defeating it.

The whole structure was designed by him to be separable from surface access should something go wrong during testing. If this occurred, the site would automatically offload the test results in a specially coded package to the Xana-Vicidax sector to warn others not to attempt to access the facility. Ultimately it was that capability saw Saitama rise to be the dominant Archmagos of Xana IV.

When planetwide war broke out on Xana IV, Saitama opted to wait out the surface war and monitor the progress from the facility. He sealed the accessway and commanded hundreds of weaponized servitors to conceal the huge door into the facility in the center of the outpost. Then, the weaponized servitors were used to assault the walls and buildings of the outpost; establishing the deception of a hard battle being fought there before he triggered the brain death of them remotely.

Saitama is known for being a master of Cyberthurgy due to his preeminent background. He has a secondary cyberbrain that he developed predominantly to streamline and separate his research and combat neutral processes. This cyberbrain is in his Abeyant; and is also capable of providing a manner of battlefield resilience should his primary, human brain become damaged.

His abeyant, known as the “Tacitus” mounts a significant arsenal, however the paired three foot long blades are most notable. These blades are of Xenos origin, having arrived attached to a Wraithbone hewn construct that spewed horrifically effective xenocode during the times of the Great Crusade. Saitama had subsequently reverse engineered their power source to work on Mechanicum field generators and fitted them to the Tacitus.

He has an innate regard for the flow of battle; allowing his enemy to come to him and giving them room to maneuver before shutting down their communications and rapidly destroying them.

Saitama has developed his own battle cant; a deviation from binharic that frequency-hops and alters waveform 1,000 times a second in a polymorphic manner. This makes his battle cant nigh on impervious to interception and jamming.

Whilst he pales in comparison to Anacharis Scoria, his skillset and tactical prowess saw him widely regarded as in the top third of the militarized Archmagos in the Xana-Vicidax sector. Arguably, within the sector he is now second, only to Scoria.

Saitama has little in the way of a command cadre, directing two Magos Dominus to conduct basic Cyberthurgy and Cybernetica control.

MAGOS DOMINUS RIN

Rin is the second in command of the Necrotacitus and is the only other Magos to have a secondary cyberbrain. Her utility within the Necrotacitus is providing battlefield fire control and synchronisation between the heavy support assets.

To achieve this, she has a high-speed datalink imbedded in the secondary cyberbrain with which she can interlink with up to three full size Thanatar Siege Automata maniples at a time. Her primary brain is used for normal battlefield operations and interlinking with House Ærthegn forces to better coordinate fire control.

Rin is specialized in Abominable Intelligence, Biologist and Darkfire weaponry. Most of this experience has come from her experimentation with Xenos technology and components of silica animus that was discovered and returned to the facility during the Great Crusade. She is also primarily responsible for the regeneration and enhancement of injured House Ærthegn pilots.

Her presence in the Necrotacitus accounts for the ease in which the Necrotacitus can produce, field and maintain Darkfire and Warp Lance style weapons systems. She has her own prototype Photon Thruster known as the Disintegrator due to the extreme heat and light it can manifest on its targets.

Rin has a highly customised Abeyant, known as the Widowmaker. This arachnid-esque Abeyant has a huge armoured abdomen that Rin has grown synthetic skin over, providing enhanced cooling to her secondary cyber brain. At the front of the Widowmaker, are two nano-blade Pedipalps and synthetic chelicerae that are used to main, capture and inject necrotising agents into still living victims in order to allow Rin to digest them. By consuming them in this manner, the Widowmaker is able to generate new flesh and organs; repairing Rin on the battlefield.

Not merely a fearsome visage; her mannerisms have a tendency to endear victims to her, unaware of the extreme cruelty she will lay upon them in pursuit of her goals.

MAGOS DOMINUS KURO

Kuro is a highly focused Magos Dominus who has a specialization in base-military cybernetics, crypto code and Darkfire weaponry. Kuro is the least augmented of the trio. Though he is permanently bound to an abeyant it is not of equivalent class and capability to his superiors.

Kuro is outfitted with a wideband core- shunt network adapter that allows him to control the Cohorts Adsecularis Tech Thrall force at great range. The wideband core-shunt network adapter also allows limited control of a single Cybernetica cortex unit.

It is noted that Kuro is responsible for the conversion, maintenance and operation of the many large sized Adsecularis Tech Thrall squads in the Necrotacitus. In the run up to the surface war of Xana IV, this meant that Kuro spent significant time surreptitiously collecting the numerous under-class humans that cohabitated in the lowest levels of the sprawling hives. Stockpiling them in huge storage shed in Facility 102-2, he quietly went about experimentation and testing on thousands before he “perfected” his art. How many perished in agony at his hands and mechandendrites is not known.

Kuro is third in command of the Cohort.

THE NECROTACITUS

The Necrotacitus – “The Silent Death” is the name of Saitama’s Legio Cybernetica Cohort. It was vast in number to begin with and has only grown as more Cybernetica cortex units from the surface of Xana IV return to him and are regenerated.

Comprising of a core of Castellax Battle Automata maniples outfitted with Darkfire Cannons, the Cohort is both resilient and capable in the field. The greatest portion of the Castellax are controlled remotely using Saitama’s advanced Cyberthurgy and are rarely left to prosecute targets as defined in their pre-programmed behavior.

Operating as dedicated anti-armor, there are several Vulturax Battle Automata multiples within the Necrotacitus. These vicious platforms can split open heavily armored troop transports or assault tanks and are able to defeat the troops inside using their secondary weapons. Control of these platforms is often difficult due to their speed and as a result are often left to follow their pre-programmed behavior once their primary target has been prosecuted.

With an eye on presenting a 360-degree threat on the battlefield, Saitama has a small maniple of Vorax Battle Automata. These are used primarily in a Hunter Killer role; operating out of the reach of Cyberthurgy but given the sole task of crippling the enemies command structure or other high value targets.

The Necrotacitus is also outfitted with several of the heavier classes of battle automata. Providing support to the Castellax lead elements are maniples of the redoubtable Thanatar Siege Automata. Saitama prefers the outfitting of powerful
ranged artillery such as the Hellex plasma mortar over the more close-assault focused weaponry of the Calix and Cynis class.

The Necrotacitus has possession of a Mechanicum Ark which it utilizes to move to different combat theatres. This Ark was seized by Saitama whilst it was in orbit around Xana IV. Saitama is rumored to have deployed over 30 Vorax to the Ark to wrest control from its owners. The Ark now goes by the name Necronavem – Ship of the Dead.

Unlike some of the Mechanicum forces in the region, the Necrotacitus does not have any organic super heavy assets, instead relying on fielding more Battle Automata to overwhelm their foes. When this is unlikely to occur successfully, they can call on their House Ærthegn indentured force to assist them.

HOUSE ÆRTHEGN

During the initial outbreak of war on Xana IV, the indentured Knights of House Ærthegn were caught up in the initial decimation actions being carried out by enemy Forges whilst en route to Saitama’s facility for emergency refit. Already suffering from damage incurred in battle elsewhere, House Ærthegn struggled through enfilading fire from massed lesser-Knight Questoris chassis. Several of the House Ærthegn Cerastus Knights fell to this directed fire, whilst protecting the core of Acastus Knights.

Saitama dispatched several Vorax and Vulturax maniples to support House Ærthegn. This action ultimately helped prevent the destruction of the House Ærthegn complement on the surface of Xana IV, with them only losing 23% of their Knights.

The House Ærthegn complement, led by Seneschal Hans Jurgen immediately declared allegiance with The Necrotacitus for their actions upon arriving at the facility. Saitama sealed the entry behind them and organized highly skilled work parties to begin repairs on the rare and valuable Knight Chassis’ whilst their pilots refreshed and relaxed.

Saitama didn’t stop at simple repairs to the House Ærthegn Knights. He directed Magos Dominus Rin to install datalinks to the chassis and further augment those pilots who wished it. This ensures that House Ærthegn Knights can interoperate seamlessly with The Necrotacitus and are able to understand their battle cant.

Rin has developed a tight combat bond to the Seneschal, who operates from an Acastus Knight Porphyrion known as “Tormentor”. Both the Tormentor and Juergen have received several datalink augmentations and the Tormentor is speculated to have a secondary cyberbrain installed into it. It is rumored that the cyberbrain has a base Abominable Intelligence coded by Rin to provide combat processing enhancements to the Seneschal and operates as a lifeboat for him should his body be destroyed.

Regardless of the truth behind the cyberbrain installation in Tormentor, the Seneschal is a cunning opponent, able to make the Acastus Porphyrion blend in the terrain. He is renowned for being an ambush predator and has at least 24 enemy Cerastus and Acastus Knight kills. Indeed, Seneschal Hans Jurgen and Tormentor were one of a cadre of House Ærthegn Acastus class Knights that took down an Aeldari Revenant Titan during the closing years of the Great Crusade.

House Ærthegn provide support predominantly from Acastus class Knight chassis, with their complement split evenly between Porphyrion and Asterius sub- classes. However, they do have a sizeable complement of Cerastus Atrapos and Lancer that are utilized as a spear tip force multiplier, whilst the heavier Knights provide highly accurate fire, coordinated through Rin and Hans.

If a Knight is lost in combat action, the chassis is always recovered to the Necronavem; such is the scarcity of components and chassis outright. Pilots are often killed in the combat action, however if they survive then they receive augmentation from Magos Dominus Rin to replace damaged sections of their body and mental augmentation where necessary.

During combat actions, House Ærthegn often targets sub systems of enemy Acastus Class Knights in order to capture it and regenerate it into their complement. Those enemy pilots that do not die in these actions are forcefully removed from their Throne Mechanicum, shot and left to die. It has been known when an enemy has caused significant loss to House Ærthegn, for the pilots to be burnt alive as a punishment.

House Ærthegn are most definitely, the perfect allies for The Necrotacitus.

FORCE ORGANISATION