Chamber of St. Psyche

Barotta has located a peculiar psychic booster chamber deep within the labyrinthine central structure of Erioch. It's not obviously connected to the Omega Vault, yet there is no record of it anywhere in the archives of the Watch-master or the Chief Librarian of the Long Watch.

While it's obviously a psy-booster of some sort, it seems incredibly complex and powerful, and the notion that it has other, deeper secrets cannot be discounted.

Research Option: Chamber of St. Psyche unlocked. 

Leading to the Chamber of St. Psyche is a spiraling corridor studded with eight most identical chambers. It's worth noting that the corridor itself is improbably long and winding, and the cambers placed so they cannot possibly exist in the space they occupy solely in three-dimensional space.

When found, each chamber held a precious psychic artifact, leading Barotta to believe they were secure vaults. But what if they have another, more sinister function?

Research Option: The Eight-fold Way unlocked.

Watch-Stations of the Jericho Deathwatch

Erioch is a vast fortress, hidden and centrally located, but it cannot cover the entire Jericho Reach effectively. A number of smaller forts are scattered across the Reach, especially in the area around the Hadex Anomaly, but also elsewhere. These so-called Watch Stations were hidden fortress-monasteries, used for rest and resupply, and acting as forward bases.

It should be possible to Research the locations of 1 or more Watch Stations. The stations might provide additional Astartes equipment or other benefits for the Master of the Deathwatch.

Discovered Watch-stations:

Watch Station ANDRONICUS: Distant and dead Andronicus is the site of both a mighty fortress of the Deathwatch, and the Inquisition's Warp Observatory. Pimerial First Techmarine VANDAR ILYCH was recovered from here.

Now the fortress sits empty, protected only by automated defenses, and only a skeleton crew maintains the recently repaired observatory. Only the machine God knows for how long they will manage to keep it running, but the best bet is not very long.

Watch Station Arkhas: Watch Station Arkhas is a void station that sits hidden within the gas clouds that wreathe Arkhas VII, the system's outermost planet.

The Arkhas system contains two inhabitable, but unsettled worlds, frigid Arkhas IV, and steaming Arkhas III. The system is also an important Warp juncture, and could become a major transshipment point.

Watch Station IOBEL: Station is submerged under the kilometers-thick ice sheets of the 2nd moon of Iobel's only planet, the majestic ochre gas giant called ACHYLUS' LAMENT (no records exist of why the planet is so named).

Some of the Midael staff under the leadership of Fire Angel Librarian JON CASTUS escaped here aboard the Claymore-class Corvette Witch-slayer. Novamarine Watch-Sergeant Echilus investigated the site, taking WS Phaedas after the Iron Collar had been pacified.

WM Barotta was forced to assist when Phaedas was unable to leave due to the currents of the swelling Anomaly. It's likely that the system will be consumed, like Midael was, the next time the Anomaly expands. The station should be well protected, however, and could be used as a secret base inside the Anomaly itself.

Watch Station MIDAEL: Located within the deep stone catacombs beneath HIVE CRASSUS, the Jewel of Midael the Fallen. One of the largest of the Jericho Watch-stations, Midael guarded one of the most heavily trafficked routes in and out of the Hadex Anomaly. Such was the scale of the caverns that the station had room enough for an escort-class vessel, hidden from prying eyes by the earth's embrace.

Watch Station Midael was swallowed by a sudden expansion of the Hadex Anomaly. It subsequently came under attack by Chaos forces and it's staff and Astartes slaughtered, including Watch-Captain AMANEDIEL of the DARK ANGELS.

Watch Station OERTHA: Located on a non-descript rocky body in the Oertha system, close to the Greyhell Front, WS Oertah was a recently established outpost, tasked with keeping an eye on the Tau.

When a Tyranid fleet arrived, the Watch-Sergeant of Oertha was forced to make common cause with the Tau. The Tyranids were driven off, but in the process, the Tau discovered the presence of the station. Oertha was obliterated by heavy railgun strikes. At least that's what Barotta believes may have happened.

Watch Station PHAEDAS: The Watch-Station is essentially a Warp-capable void station, its structures constructed into a small asteroid. Phaedas is a relic of ages past, largely automated, its myriad machine spirits (artificial intelligences) demonstrating sophistication that rivals those of the most ancient and revered of Titans. The vessel seems to operate based on incredibly complex logic paths, turning augur data into plotted courses, even able to travel short distances through the Warp without a Navigator.

Phaedas obeys only the commands of the Watch-Master. It's with great reluctance it allows humans to board it, and it will not suffer the ministrations of any Magos.

Unexplored Watch-stations:

Watch Station Bellom - A watch station in the Canis Salient of the Achilus Crusade.

Watch Station Hestus - A watch station in the Canis Salient of the Achilus Crusade.

Watch Station Ormasim

WIP

Watch Station Castiel - A watch station in the Orpheus Salient of the Achilus Crusade.

Watch Station Credence - A watch station in the Canis Salient of the Achilus Crusade.

Watch Station Hlesan Secundus - A watch station in the Acheros Salient of the Achilus Crusade.
Watch Station Cosel

Watch Station Cressid

Watch Station Skapula

Watch Station Resgulus - A watch station in the Acheros Salient of the Achilus Crusade.
Watch Station Skapula - A watch station in the Canis Salient of the Achilus Crusade.
Watch Station Tryphon - A watch station in the Orpheus Salient of the Achilus Crusade.

Creating a Space Marine Chapter

MUSTERING

Mustering a Space Marine chapter normally requires the following:

• A level 9 system (or a lvl 8 at +50% cost or lvl at +100% cost).
• 100 MT (can be split over several payments).

Control of Erioch allows the creation of 1 Chapter at half cost (for this purpose count Erioch as a lvl 9 system).

The following is also required, but more of a role-playing requirement:

• Access to a full template set for Astartes equipment
• Access to sufficient gene-seed for the creation of at least 1000 Astartes
• Access to special facilities the allow the cultivation and deployment of gene-seed
• Access to instructors, learning machines, and training facilities

Erioch has the necessary facilities and gene-seed, but not all the templates (but there is sufficient equipment at hand). By training first a batch of 100, then the full thousand, there will be sufficient instructors and NCOs after a double cycle.

Creating a Space Marine usually takes at least 4 years (12 rounds), and often as long as 5-6. At least a year, frequently longer, is spent as Space Marine Scout.

It is technically possible to create Marines in as little as a year, but the quality will be worse, and many will die or mutate as their bodies cannot handle the stress of the accelerated transformation.

GENE-SEED

Gene-seed mature inside the fully developed Astartes. After about 5 years, the neck gland has matured and can be removed (routine surgery), after 10 years the chest gland is mature and can be operated out (a little more complicated, but nothing dangerous). 

Taking out the glands before they are mature risk ruining them completely. At best a few organs can be harvested from them. Fully mature glands can become the source of sufficient organs for several new recruits. On average about 2 organs per gland (for 4 per marine). Special cloning techniques can increase the yield, but risk weakening the final product. Given the loss rate of neophytes (trainees) and scouts, about half of those implanted survive to become marines. So each dead marine can give life to 2 new marines (barring description of the glands).

Leaving the glands in longer has no added benefit - on paper. But all Astartes legends indicate that the glands absorb some of the greatness of the Marine that carries them. Thus, glands are rarely removed before the death of the Marine. The only time this is done is when a chapter is greatly weakened and must be quickly brought up to strength, and even then it's done reluctantly.

GM Note: It's not widely known that the Prophet created his legions using the accelerated growth and cloning processes. If it was known, "purebred" Legionaries (like the Sons) would probably look down on those Marines as second-rate. Well the Sons already look down on everyone else, since they are the "True Sons," but if they knew about the processes used, they'd think even less of the Prophets other legionnaires :D

Game effects: An Astartes PC (or key NPC), raised from "true stock," gains a +1 bonus to any characteristic, and starts with a number of bonus XP as determined by the GM. The greater the legacy, the greater the boost. The good quality of the transformation process could also provide additional bonuses, at the GM's discretion.

The Banner of Terra

This war-banner originally belonged to the 17th Chapter "Bared Fangs" of the XVI Legion "Luna Wolves". It followed the Chapter to many great victories in the Great Crusade. Later, as a war-banner of the Sons of Horus, it saw more battles won, this time against the forces of the Imperium. The first and only time the banner has fallen was before the walls of the Imperial Palace of Terra, when the last members of the 17th were cut down by the Imperial Fists as they tried to exploit a breach.

After this, the banner languished in the God-Emperor's throne room for more than ten millennia, until someone who hadn't really studied history much shipped it to Calixis early M42 to arm the 'Imperial Champion' that had surfaced there. Or perhaps whoever sent it was a student of history, and willfully chose to ignore the banner's dark past to exploit its great power?

According to Krawl, corroborated by Barotta's own experience, men who see the banner will not break (exactly how far "see" extends is vague). Those who stand close (also vague) to the banner are also protected from psychics and other similar effects. In this anti-Chaos zone, daemons seem to suffer instability. Finally, if the banner is carried by a man of conviction (doesn't have to be a psyker), it can dispell magical effects already in place and banish daemons by touch. It's also said to be able to heal, but this isn't strictly true. It will break curses and magical effects, even the dreaded Nurgle's Rot, but it will not heal wounds or cure whatever damage a disease already has done.

How and why such a dark artifact can have such great power over Chaos is a mystery only the True Gods can answer.

The Ever-changing Library

The Ever-changing Library (the name was revealed by future Barotta) is the name of the library housed in the Great Hall and adjoining chambers aboard the Eternal Lament. The books, scrolls, and cogitators banks were recovered from the wreck on an ancient Imperial cruiser that crashed into Vaxanhive. The library seems to arrange itself and grown/shrink to fit the space available. It has a touch of Chaos, or should we say Dark Symmetry, but isn't utterly vile and corrupted. Tzeentch may have something to do with it.