The Subsector Project

  We’re running, we’re gunning, we’re holding the line! Let’s talk Servants of the Imperium.

I consider this to be an element of one of those “putting the team together” sort of stories. There will be a larger narrative regarding Inquisitor Thaine and his interrogators, as well as diving more into depth about the war for Placid. Its strategic positioning is vital to both the Imperium and the forces of Chaos, so I imagine we’ll end up with quite a few stories taking place there.

Additionally, I wanted to begin the process of introducing a regiment from Hemlock, and allowing glimpses into the deeper lore behind how Hemlock builds its forces. They’re sort of my pet regiment from a lore standpoint, although I take great glee in dropping them into no-win scenarios like this one.

This will also tie into the story of Thaine.

I pictured this facility on Placid as being related to one of the Ordos Minoris, perhaps Chronos, as I’ve already written several other stories centered around time as a key thematic consideration, and Hemlock recruits via a time-travel related process. I think this will make a lot of sense if handled well- it’s not going to be a fun time-travel romp, but lean into the more existential and horrific aspects of how the Warp rends apart meaning and referential timeframes.

  For the actual narrative itself, I pictured something like the defense at the end of Saving Private Ryan (although I generally dislike the transposition of non-Grimdark stories into the setting looking at you, Fire Caste), a hopeless, or near-hopeless holdout while waiting for reinforcements which aren’t guaranteed, bleeding irreplaceable soldiers slowly but steadily to an unceasing foe. Add to that the continued escalation, the assault of the Hippogriffs (a new unit at this time, which I’m very excited to see more of in lore), the Daemon Engine steadily ratcheting up the tension until the airborne intervention of the Tempestus Aquilons.

In my mind, this story also shows what the Inquisition considers the Guard to be- they’re tools, a delaying tactic to avoid dealing with Chaos directly, and potentially disrupt their mission. Interrogator Belmon, despite his status as a former commissar forcing him to inspire those he knew were destined for death or conscription, feels that responsibility much more than Godrik. Godrik, by contrast, is only too happy to puppet Camzoul, as abhorrent as he was as a person, for no issue other than his own personal pride. It’s a demonstration of the lack of concern the rosette provides its agents, and I hope will highlight the tension that guardsmen feel around them (in addition, of course, to their tendency to execute guardsmen as we see at the end of part 2).

Thaine himself is a very important character for the subsector, but I would like to write a few stories before doing something from his perspective, allowing him to exist in the periphery of his servants before being given the spotlight. He’s enigmatic, he inspires complete loyalty in his compatriots, and is zealous in his persecution of the archenemy, perhaps to his detriment. He also connects thematically to time, as I envision him as having some ability to see the future in a non-warp/nontraditional warp sense, hence his ability to know Fairbord’s first name.

Fairbord, as a character, will be relatively minor from here on out, I don’t envision him playing much more than a bit part, but serving as a confidant for the Inquisitor in the future could be fun. The “friend/servant of the boss” sort of character I find works very well in Warhammer 40k, and I’d like to explore that with all the Inquisitor’s cadre.

  This story, as a whole, represents my idea of an average Inquisition operation within a warzone. They get in quietly, and get out loud, getting what they need from beneath the enemy’s nose. If they need to deploy resources to do so, they will move mountains and wings of aircraft in an instant.

Thaine and his interrogators had to combat an unknowable threat within the facility, which I think I got across well from Fairbord’s perspective. It’s something that he can’t even properly conceptualize, something that he can’t even observe. Yet the inquisitor is able to walk out relatively unharmed, although notably without the corpse of Camzoul at all.

This is fear, within which the Inquisition thrives, and ultimately, this is the power (both individual and institutional) they use to achieve their mysterious goals. It’s a little grimdark, a little fun, right down the middle in my opinion.

Anyways, we’ll see what happens with Thaine, Godrik, Belmon, and Major Fairbord in the near future. Hopefully, only exciting and fun things for them coming down the pipeline.