So... uh... hoooooo boy... that's a big ask... What I have written below might be a bit inaccurate since I've read more warhammer 40k books than warhammer 30k/Horus Heresy books. Here's a link to a somewhat reliable wiki on the subject.

Basic Synopsis: Horus Heresy is a galactic civil war, taking place in the 31st millenia, named after the leader of the rebellion, Horus Luperchal. He was considered the best of the Emperor's 20 18 primarchs. There used to be 20 primarchs, each one an embodiment of an aspect of the Emperor. Most of them are now dead, corrupted, or missing. I mean they were, until recently when Games Workshop decided to start bringing back the missing and corrupted primarchs to battle each other. Anyways, this first rebellion is what caused the Human Imperium to become what it is in the 41st millennia, which is to say a fucking mess.

Side note: Space Marines were designed to be superior versions of the Emperor's first elite shock troopers, the Thunder Warriors. They helped the Emperor defeat a Khorne aligned antichrist and various other threats, and seize control of Terra and Sol system. The Warriors were a little too autonomous for Big E since they saw themselves as his allies and not disposable weapons . So he ordered his own (the Custodes) and first (Dark Angels) Legions of Astartes to wipe out the Thunder Warriors. Which they did.

The original plan by the Emperor and his inner circle: Create the primarchs and their associated legions together and simultaneously so that there would not be any division between them all. They would then set out from the Sol system and re-unite the scattered remnants of humanity under the Emperor's rational and atheistic regime. By making humanity Atheist, the chaos gods would lose power over reality. Thus the survival of humanity would be ensured. At the cost of the extinction of every other intelligent life-form that could challenge human supremacy.

Side note 2, the sequel: Some of the Primarchs, and their Legions, were designed to be redundant to the others. For example the Night Lords and Raven Guard were both masters of infiltration. The Blood Angels and Dark Angels or the Lunar Wolves and the Space Wolves having similar names. Mortarion and Vulkan both being extremely durable survivalists. The fact they were replaceable was in the back of each primarch's mind and they all acted out in different ways. The most mentally sane of them worked on legacies that would outlast themselves. The less confident ones worked on their own self-preservation by making themselves either unkillable or irreplaceable. The nihilistic ones just did whatever the fuck they wanted since they were going to figuratively die tomorrow.

How the four Chaos Gods (Tzeentch, Khorne, Slaanesh, Nurgle) fucked up the Emperor's plan: The Gods tore a rift in time and space which scattered the primarchs spawning-pods across the galaxy. The pods ended up on various human occupied worlds which had wildly different cultures. The Primarchs grew up into the super-hero/villain of their adopted worlds, rallying mortal followers to their side. When the Emperor and his forces made contact with these scattered Primarchs, the resulting encounters were varied. Most of the demi-gods were happy to be reunited with their father and their sons. But those who were unhappy with themselves became even worse by meeting the creator of their miserable existence, whom they could not kill or be killed by. On top of that, they were then surrounded by copies of themselves that, in their opinion, were either inferior or should have never been made. The Legions (who had been operating on their own for centuries) were not entirely happy either, since their new dads were allowed to do whatever they wanted to them. Typically this meant inducting men from the primarchs adopted homeworld into positions of authority within the legion. This worried the terran-born marines who saw that this practice could lead to prioritizing those worlds over the whole imperium. Given all these factors, it's no surprise that when all 18 sons of the emperor were finally reunited, things were a bit too hectic for those trying to maintain order, exactly as the gods intended.

Side note 3, hope you're starting to see a pattern: At some point before the Heresy, two of the 20 primarchs were erased from existence by the Emperor and his closest friend Malcador the Sigilite. My personal theory is that the lost primarchs were the first to war against each other. I imagine that the Marines under their commands were either executed or mind-wiped and discretely placed in the other legions. It's entirely possible that both primarchs were the token girls in a male dominated family. We don't know anything about the lost ones and so we can imagine anything we want...

Fall of the Warmaster: Horus was made warmaster of the entire galactic crusade by the Emperor. But he wasn't told why the Emperor was no longer leading the crusade. Then Horus had to kill a man claiming to be the real emperor and that The Emperor was an imposter. And then Horus was poisoned, isolated, and exposed to the warp by chaos cultists. This exposure revealed terrifying alternate pasts, presents, futures that were previously unthinkable to him. These events, plus everything I mentioned in the side-notes, made him determined to kill his dad-boss and destroy the family business. When reunited with his Legion and the Imperium, Horus acted patiently with a mind towards politics and logistics. He tried to recruit his competent brothers while pushing the fucked-up ones to act as distractions. He shored up his power base and silenced dissenters within his legion. His last act of preparation before declaring outright war was luring the bulk of loyalist forces into a trap where he slaughtered them. This left Terra vulnerable to his own counter-crusade to take down the emperor and his imperium. The Siege of Terra resulted in the death of Horus (and some other primarchs) and the near-death of the Emperor.

Final Side Note: The only winners of the Horus Heresy was the Word Bearer Legion and their dad, Lorgar Aurelia. They all believed the Emperor was a god even though they were punished by Him for trying to spread that belief. That's because faith in anything, even in the Emperor, could be hijacked by the chaos gods and give them power. Amidst the shattered remains of the Imperium, there was no one to stop traumatized humanity from seeking solace in prayer to the God-Emperor...

The full lore cards for the Caste System of the T'au Empire! Complete with auxiliary forces information!

You can see the lore video here for sit-and-relax lore absorbance: https://youtu.be/QEKLSpQbBAU

These beautiful pieces of art were made by the amazingly talented @rowscara! Check out her Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rowscara/?etsrc=sdt

...like antennas to heaven

link to the full image

The really cool thing about Balors in Lancer is that all they are is Nanites on a frame of some sort. There's no real specifiers about WHAT the frame HAS to be made of, so you can make a Balor out of ANYTHING YOU WANT.

Relevant to this line of thinking is this bit of lore crafting that I made for my pilot's turbulent history with Balors and planetary civil wars.

So uh, make Balors out of weird things. Let your nanites do arts and crafts. You too can have your pilot ride around in a lovingly built homemade flayed skeleton powered by bees.

Operation Greenbell

On June 16th 5045u, Ras Shamra was host to operation Palisade Sabre, a military exercise to promote security cooperation between local security forces and Purview military forces operating on planet. Palisade Sabre was a training exercise on urban fighting and due to its prominent location within Ras Shamra's northern campuses was allowed greater leeway by local government officials on the urging of several prominent members of the All Environ Warfare Branch through their influence with the Colonial Security Program (CSP). The exercise began at 0:500 and its opening stages consisted of several infantry companies practicing manoeuvres through the streets. Initially the local security forces including Campus Defensive Battalions particiapated in good faith and cooperated with all military actions within the Campus areas.

At approximately 0:630 hours, two infantry companies and associated mechanised support elements deviated from the exercise's planned route through the North Campus's R&D quarters and seized key buildings in the area in a bloodless assault. Local security forces, bewildered by the rapidty of this turn were taken without a fight with some actively assisting the companies in their efforts. The wider coup began at 0:700 when Colonel Leonard J. Ripley broadcast from the North Campus to all units operating in Palisade Sabre a single codeword. 'Opera'

This was the codeword associated with a plan some years in the making, a reactivation of a decades old Harrison contingency plan. Operation Greenbell.

Once this codeword was broadcast, the remaining units still acting within the bounds of operation Palisade Sabre began their own assaults in key positions across the Terminator Lane. Engineering detachments destroyed key links in the maglev loop that connected each campus, leaving only one connecting ring that was swiftly occupied by Military Police units loyal to this coup attempt. Loyalist troops managed to fight back in sporadic groups, forcing the coup units to engage in short but bloody skirmishes across the campuses. By 0:850 however, the majority of key points were held by forces loyal to this coup attempt. It would take some time for Purview loyalist forces to engage in a counterattack and even more time for this news to get beyond Capitol Peak Station as local monitoring satellites were sabotaged by workers loyal to the coup.

At the same time, naval armsmen aboard the Ardent Hope, the Ras Shamra and the Duty staged mutiny attempts within their respective dockyards, rapidly decoupling and firing on their own hangars, seriously delaying any naval action against them. The experimental Carrier, the Ras Shamra was then escorted to a position overlooking Capitol Peak Station.

Harrison intelligence services took notice of the attempt some few hours in but could not relay much of this information to their superiors for fear of informing those associated with the coup. Instead they chose to secretly leak footage of the attacks to known Union informants in the area, attempting to encourage a response through official channels.

By this time, coup forces had effectively redesignated themselves. Harrison employees took photos of the symbol they saw on the soldiers marching by their windows. The now well known 'dagger and stars' was first documented by Harrison employee Arnold Jacobson as he sheltered in place. That photo of a Unified Purview Sherman, its bruise symbol painted over with a field of gold stars and a white dagger became a rapid news sensation.

The occupation of the Northen Campus was the first time that Restricted Operating Units had been used in a combat theatre so effectively prone to mass media observation. Civilian witnesses and camera footage from loyalist and Unified Purview forces alike bled out in waves from the ghost networks of Capitol Peak Station. "Their heavy shrouded forms and black peaks, like monstrous mountains of flame and belching lead made think to the young officers and brave partisans who had taken arms just a block from me. I made to look out my window to see if I could spot the telltale bruise waving high over the apartment complex they'd taken to. I saw the flag but no building from which it could hang." (Markus Ignio, FREE SHAMRA blog, omninet node 102592-A, 5045u) Gun-camera footage from a member of the 4th Colonial Mechanised Company supporting an ROU push into loyalist areas of the Think-Tank's Testing Arcology was uploaded to the omninet by an anonymous poster on the independent news forum LO_ZONE captioned "Purview is blowing itself up, we stay winning. Check this out"

The following thirteen minutes of footage reveals the extremely dangerous weaponry that Harrison Armory produced prior to the crisis. ROU units initiated mass biosphere purges of the Think-Tank's arcology and virtually destroyed the experimental ecosystems being developed within. Supported by Pyrrhus units they rapidly overwhelmed the Think-Tank's remaining loyalist troops in a bloody slaughter described by one of the survivors as a "whirlwind, you could feel the air being sucked out of your lungs as the crownfires consumed the entire complex." (Surviving The Fire, Dr Jessica Abrams, 5070u) The footage was passed on to Union observers near Ras Shamra's gate and rapidly made its way to the DOJHR who considered it as evidence of elements of Harrison Armory retaining Second Committee war machines under false pretence. This rapidly sped up processes for an intercession on behalf of the citzens of Ras Shamra, allowing Union Navy forces not involved in the Sol Campaign to come to Ras Shamra's assistance.

Carvachi Sarcophagus

One of the seventeen Sarcophagi of the Kings of Decimation, the Carvachi Sarcophagus was discovered outside the city of Carvachi in the Vestriga Empire. Made from mysterious impregnable stone the sarcophagus is exquisitely adorned with images of hybrid creatures a mix between panther, dragon and man. Black onyx stones are embedded in the lid of the sarcophagus though some have been plucked away by thieves…all of whom are said to have died in horrific circumstances.

The Carvachi Sarcophagus radiates an aggressive, furious energy. All those who spend any prolonged period of time around the relic are prone to irritation and anger even if they have a temperate demeanor. The Carvachi Sarcophagus is currently held in trust by the Vestriga Imperial Reliquary where it is locked away safely from the public.

“With this fury I shall cleanse ignorance”

-translated carving from sarcophagus lid

Thanks for sharing!

-- REPLIKA UNIT INTERACTION LIST: SGLR --

ADLR

These two first appear to be quite different in personality -- while Segler units prefer physical tasks and wide open spaces, Adler units often fail to understand why this is the case when novels and puzzles can provide similarly stimulating experiences within the comfort of the dormitory. Despite this, it isn't unusual for Adlers and Seglers to develop a level of closeness akin to that of siblings -- the former "cleaning up" after the latter, a stern disciplinary approach veiling an appreciation for her hardworking nature; and the latter, though frequently annoyed with the former's stringency, regardless holding a level of respect bordering on idolization.

Adlers and Seglers commonly interact due to the nature of their respective work. Adlers are constantly sending and receiving paperwork/parcels, typically on behalf of their assigned FLKR unit.

ARAR

Under normal circumstances, Ara units and Segler units do not interact outside of the number of inevitable shell and exoskeleton repairs the latter require on a regular basis. While Seglers typically have no issues with Aras and even seek to show their appreciation for the frequency of maintenance requests, Ara units usually (successfully) attempt to avoid contact entirely. Segler units often bear the brunt of jokes within an Ara Cadre for their perceived overconfidence and lack of patience, though such jokes seldom make their way outside of a facility's service tunnel system. Despite this, Aras maintain a professional yet distant attitude when interaction with Seglers is unavoidable.

Aras and Seglers commonly interact due to the nature of their respective work. Part orders are frequent and most often fulfilled by one of a facility's Seglers.

Though deep interpersonal relationships are rarely observed between Aras and Seglers, a note should be made that it is not entirely unheard of. There exist multiple documented cases of Seglers returning from field work with species of wild flora normally unobtainable on-base, which are later discovered within the facility's service tunnel system.

EULR

Segler units are most likely to have positive interactions with Eule units, given that both possess relatively sociable natures. Eules are among the few that are able to completely comprehend Seglers' rapid-fire speech patterns, responding in kind and bringing them down from the peak of their excitement if required. It is quite easy to detect when a Segler has made a delivery to a Eule Cadre due to the fact that the average volume of conversation is commonly found to dramatically increase (usually much to the annoyance of any neighboring dormitories).

On an individual basis Eules and Seglers experience a below-average level of interaction, as Eules do not commonly require sizable shipments. However, if the Cadre is considered as a whole, it is not unusual to see a Segler in the Eule dormitory at least once a day.

[[While Seglers typically interact favorably with an entire Cadre, they will usually subconsciously favor one Eule in particular. Administrators must be monitor these relationships and be aware of any jealous behavior that may occur within the Cadre, as Segler units tend to be oblivious to such interactions and require intervention from a third party.]]

FLKR

As with other replikas, in the eyes of Segler units the Falke unit is a god-like figure. Seen as a beacon of absolute authority, Falkes are the sole individuals that Segler units will take orders from without question or attitude. With that respect comes a mix of emotions including idolatry, awe, and fear. It can typically be assumed that a Segler observed working at maximum capacity with minimal mistakes is on direct orders from their facility's Falke. While Falkes typically appreciate the hard work put in by Seglers, they treat them similarly to any other replika.

Falkes and Seglers rarely interact, due to Adler units typically acting as a proxy for any deliveries or expeditions.

KLBR

Interaction between Kolibri units and Segler units is crucial to the delivery infrastructure within each facility. Though Seglers commonly receive instructions in-person or through digital means, smooth function and quick changes are only made possible through utilization of the bioresonance network produced by a Kolibri Cadre. This means that Kolibris and Seglers often must communicate effectively in a professional setting, which has been shown to increase with improved levels of interpersonal connection. Segler units are therefore encouraged to spend time bonding with Kolibris from the Cadre most closely associated with their delivery range.

This can occasionally prove to be difficult, however, due to definite differences in the two units' neural pattern development. Similar to Adler units, most Kolibris prefer literature to physical activity, establishing a rift early on between them and the athletic Seglers. In addition, due to Seglers' excitable nature, Kolibris often find themselves struggling to use their bioresonance to return them to baseline. Some Cadres have discovered that presenting reading materials aloud allows them to simultaneously dampen Seglers' tendency for emotional volatility and form lasting bonds with them.

Despite these difficulties, most Kolibris and Seglers are on good terms. Both can be quite passionate about their interests and as long as this energy is directed into something productive, beneficial relationships can be established.

[[Administrators should be aware that it is possible for a Segler's emotional state to have a negative effect on the performance of the bioresonance network of a Kolibri Cadre. If such a case arises, the Segler unit should be immediately decommissioned and the members of the Cadre treated using emergency persona stabilization methods.]]

LSTR

On-base interactions between Elster units and Segler units are limited in scope and do not frequently occur; however, due to their shared nature as land scouting units, they are often required to perform expedition missions together. As one would expect, they are required to interact favorably, particularly on assignments where no direct and consistent contact with a gestalt is to be established.

Elsters' focused, no-nonsense attitude and Seglers' outgoing, talkative nature typically mesh surprisingly well. Though most assignments may start with the Elster ignoring most of the Segler's attempts to interact outside of required tasks, the latter's stubbornness and increasingly creative ways of getting the former's attention often allow Seglers to break through Elsters' cold exteriors. Elsters and Seglers sent on duo missions typically return with significantly altered neural patterns; while this was initially cause for concern, marked improvements in performance indicate that this is a beneficial result.

[[Administrators should be aware that while the previous statement is true, any Elster-Segler duos returning from scouting assignments should be closely monitored for a period of time upon return. While uncommon, there exist documented cases where loyalty shifts from that of the Nation to that of the paired unit. In such cases, both units must be decommissioned immediately.]]

MNHR

Like most other replikas, Segler units interact favorably with any Mynah units stationed in the facility (if present). Mynahs will typically look forward to visits from Seglers in particular, both because of their loose, honest attitude and because they usually come bearing news of the happenings in/around the facility. Mynahs act as a calm and accepting pillar of support for Segler units, who often jump at the opportunity to make deliveries down to the mining levels despite their fear of dark and cramped spaces.

As long as it is not to the detriment of efficiency, Seglers are encouraged to spend short periods of time with Mynahs. It has been observed on multiple occasions that Seglers who return from deliveries to Mynahs exhibit improvements to emotional stability for notable periods of time, likely due to favorable discussion and interpersonal connection.

Mynahs and Seglers commonly interact due to the nature of their respective work. Seglers deliver supplies and equipment to replace those used by Mynahs, as they themselves cannot often return to the surface levels of the facility.

STAR

Interactions between Star units and Segler units appear to be the most inconsistent among all those discussed here. Analysis of relationship and conflict data indicate that this may be due to Seglers' general distaste for or ignorance of the internal hierarchy that often exists within Star Cadres. Seglers tend to treat each Star equally regardless of their rank, which lowly-ranked Stars find refreshing but highly-ranked Stars see as incredibly infuriating.

Though Seglers lack the combat proficiency and overall physical capability of Stars, this does not stop their competitive nature from occasionally taking over. During their free time, they often seek out Stars to challenge in more trivial contests; this can either build rapport between Seglers and the Cadre or progress too far, creating unnecessary conflict.

Stars and Seglers somewhat commonly interact due to the nature of their respective work. While most repairs and equipment orders are fulfilled by the closest ARAR Cadre, Seglers still make the majority of smaller supply deliveries.

STCR

Unfortunately, Storch and Segler units tend to exhibit the most volatile interactions. This is believed to stem from the fact that Storches typically prefer control, organization, and focus, while Segler units generally despise strict rules, professionalism, and structure. Seglers' carefree attitude can drive even the most patient Storches to lose their temper, leading to a slippery slope of argument between the two. Despite Storches possessing a generally physically superior construction and higher level of authority, Segler units are typically not afraid to butt heads with them.

In an effort to avoid unnecessary conflict, any deliveries a Storch wishes to place should be made through a proxy, whether that be a Star within their associated Cadre or a KLBR stationed nearby.

[[Though both units report that they "try not to pick a fight with each other," administrators should be aware of the possibilities and organize jobs to reduce chances for interaction. When it is required, ensure that they are closely monitored to guarantee a professional exchange.]]

Again, Signalis world building is stripped down warhammer 40k. Instead of a dozen factions clashing for control of a galaxy, it's just the Eusan Nation versus the Eusan Empire, fighting over our solar system. There still is a god-like founder of human civilization, the Empress (who founded The Empire by conquering Earth and spreading humanity to other planets in our system) and an usurper, The Great Revolutionary (who ripped the empire in half to form The Nation which is backed by the AEON corporation). And warp-space is there too, still just as chaotic and dangerous but with none of the gods or daemons. The underlying principle to all the mythic history and sci-fi technology (which I will address in a second) is Bioresonance. The Empress and the Revolutionary were both women that could wield Bioresonance to crush their enemies and guide the minds of their followers. And the scientific study of Bioresonance lead to the development of technology that could terraform planets, manipulate gravity, and produce Replikas which are synthetic humanoid servants that are copies of human subjects. All that R&D into Biores has caused stagnation in other scientific fields like telecommunications and engineering. So as a result you got people living on other planets who are using 90's era computers and firearms.

But Signalis isn't really about that, it's about two women, LSTR-512/Elster the Replika and Ariane Yeong the Gestalt (which is what natural born humans are called), who fall in love with each other aboard a spaceship on a one-way trip to an unknown destination. And then that spaceship lands on a strange planet, Ariane disappears, and Elster goes looking for her. Then a lot of really weird creepy shit happens. Basically Elster has to fight through zombie infested recreations of Ariane's memories which have become super imposed onto real locations. I think... I don't know. It's really surreal.

On a really deep level I think Signalis is about the interaction between the concepts of Love and Infinity, and whether one nullifies the other.

ALBERT LAPLACE

AUDIO LOG.

BEGIN PLAYBACK.

“I don’t understand. Why the separation between it and the Eos?”

“Would you not seperate a parasite from its host? I understand your concerns for the welfare of the prime copy doctor Paris, but I fail to see the benefit of letting such a hostile piece of technology keep latching on to our only copy of the Eos.”

“I suppose. I’m merely concerned about the reports, an NHP isn’t supposed to-“

“It’s not an NHP. It is a morphological engine. It manipulates flesh not computers. It isn’t a purely artificial construct Paris. It isn’t one of your toy golems.”

“It’s alive. It mimics us. It can map our neural pathways and make itself identical. Like a curious child it plays our actions back and awaits a response. “

“I’d call it a child.”

“You’re far too sentimental with it Albert. “

“Perhaps but I’d rather it learn to mimic us than the alien intelligence it coupled with. I’m just glad we caught it early. If we hadn’t perhaps Eos would’ve brought it with them and we’d all be little bits of flesh dancing to its tune now.”

“A disturbing thought Albert. But a rational one. I’ll leave you to your studies. Do find me once you come out of this rats nest, I’ll get us some coffee.”

Last known recording of Albert Laplace, 4890u.

Splatures #3 Whale Shark The whale shark is one of the true megafauna alongside, for example, large variants of Zapfish. They are solitary animals that grow to be…. quite large. Unlike a lot of other sharks, they don’t form societies nor do they communicate.  Whale sharks aren’t active predators like most other sharks; they move steadily from place to place and suck small prey animals into their mouth. The larger they get, the larger their territories become; although they do not act in hostile ways against others of their species. As they grow, the size of their prey also increases. Larger whale sharks will settle in one spot for days and wait for unsuspecting prey to wander into their mouths.  Whale sharks live for centuries and possible millenia if let be. With the largest whale sharks growing to hundreds of feet in length, it is no surprise that they make plenty of appearances in stories and legends. After a certain size, whale sharks will stop attempting contact with others of their species and adapt a new strategy of lying down in the depths of a forest, field, or valley to wait for prey to wander to them. The largest, oldest whale sharks will stay in one place for weeks, growing moss- and sometimes other plants on their backs across the years. At their full size, whale sharks have no natural predators and because they aren’t dangerous unless you approach them too closely, most creatures have a good relationship with these fish; some societies have even treated them as deities and worshipped them in the past.  (this one was requested by @devilhigh, thank you!)