Chapter Summaries

Ron blessed five Heavy Genestealers, using the Little Sun’s Warp-tainted energy, and four survived as Daemon Genestealers aligned with the Chaos Gods. Their transformation consumed some of the Little Sun’s dangerous energy, but the Slaanesh Daemon Genestealer began arousing the others, leaving Ron facing a potentially chaotic scene.

• Ron spent ten million units of Power of Hope to bless five first-generation Heavy Genestealers.
• The blessing transformed the Heavy Genestealers with Daemonic features, while one died and four survived.
• Ron discovered that the Little Sun’s evil Warp energy caused the mutations and that the blessing had consumed some of it.
• Ron identified the four survivors as Daemon Genestealers associated with Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh.
• The Slaanesh Daemon Genestealer released pink mist and provoked the other Heavy Genestealers, alarming Ron.

Ron used the remaining evil energy in Little Sun to Bless four Daemon Genestealers, but only one survived and transformed into a powerful Khorne-aligned daemon. He named it Bael and sent it into the Warp to build a daemon legion, then turned to Bayev’s documents on governing Matila.

• Ron suppressed the Slaanesh Daemon Genestealer’s aura after it stirred the Heavy Genestealers, then used the remaining evil energy to Bless four Daemon Genestealers.
• Three Daemon Genestealers died during the Blessing, while the survivor devoured their remains and transformed into a powerful daemon.
• The surviving daemon submitted to Ron, spoke human language, and received the name Bael.
• Ron decided Bael could serve him in the Warp and ordered it to establish a daemon legion.
• Two days later, Bael entered the Warp with an alloy greatsword and shield, then chose to fly toward Khorne’s realm.
• Ron opened Bayev’s documents about governing Matila and allocating the sector’s resources.

Ron reorganized his administration so he could delegate routine governance and avoid being buried in paperwork as his territory expanded. After the reforms concluded, he relaxed aboard Dreamer, where a message suddenly arrived from the Warp.

• Ron reviewed Matila’s enormous governance file and considered the paperwork he would face as his territory grew.
• Ron summoned Bayev, Ari, Devere, Popov, Tako, Kais, Cawl, and other core members for several days of meetings to streamline administration.
• Ron delegated authority to the Administratum and Departmento Munitorum while retaining the right to intervene, freeing himself from routine approvals.
• After the meetings ended, Ron rested for a day and arranged Apothecary care, Thunder Custodes protection, and future physical enhancement for Old Ba.
• On September 30, Ron lounged beside Dreamer’s deck pool until a message came from the Warp.

Ron reviewed Bael’s rise within Khorne’s forces and received a briefing on Matila’s incorporation into his territory. He then went to the main cathedral aboard the Dreamer, where Bayev and Matila’s future officials awaited a ceremony.

• Ron watched Bael’s messages showing him rise from Khorne Warrior to Centurion and gather a growing Daemon army.
• Ron saw Ka'bandha observing warriors in Khorne’s realm and decided to prepare more Holy Ash Bombs against the threat of his return.
• Ron sent Bael cautious instructions to keep advancing and report important Khorne movements, then considered placing more Genestealer followers among Chaos forces.
• Ron reviewed plans to make Earth Planet the Goli Sector’s capital, abolish Matila’s old power system, reassign its officials, and process prisoners under the Codex of Redemption.
• Linda reminded Ron of his afternoon schedule, and he traveled to the main cathedral aboard the Dreamer, where Bayev and Matila’s future officials waited for a ceremony.

Ron bestowed Blessings on Matila’s leaders, installed the Little Sun’s Psionic Core, and activated the planet’s Machine Spirit Host and Psyker Network. Five years later, Matila’s reconstruction was complete, and its leaders began a ten-year plan to make it a model planet.

• Ron bestowed Blessings on Brown and other officials, strengthening their bodies and abilities for their new roles in Matila’s institutions.
• Ron installed the Little Sun’s Psionic Core inside the Golden Sun and Savior Statue, extending its domain across Matila and helping protect the planet from Chaos.
• Ron and Cawl activated Matila’s Machine Spirit Host, allowing Xiao Ling to connect the Psyker Network and link Matila with Ers in real time.
• Cawl celebrated the network connection and argued with Archmagos Moss on the Mechanicus Forum, while Ron returned to the Dreamer.
• Five years later, Ron reviewed reports showing that Matila’s reconstruction was complete, its population of roughly eighty billion had been counted, and the Citizen Tier System had been implemented.
• Bayev set a ten-year transformation plan to improve Matila’s welfare, administration, and Hive City while developing material prosperity and faith together.

Ron reviewed Goli Sector’s rapid development and realized that slow sublight travel made further recovery and administration impractical without a High-speed Passage. After Selen Planet’s celebration gave him enough Power of Hope, he began the plan to bring the Blackstone Gate into the Materium and use it to build a Webway.

• Ron reviewed the expanding institutions, fleets, academies, and military forces, noting how quickly Matila and the Navy Fleet had grown.
• Ron examined Goli Sector’s star map and saw that travel between its worlds could take years, while reaching distant regions might take centuries.
• Ron concluded that he needed to create a Webway of High-speed Passages to develop and govern his territory effectively.
• Ron waited for Selen Planet’s Day of Return celebration and gained two hundred million Power of Hope, bringing his total to nearly 1.2 billion.
• Ron returned to his bedroom, entered the Warp through the Little Sun, and began the Blackstone Gate transport plan.

Ron retrieved the Blackstone Gate from the Warp and brought it to Ers Holy Land, where Cawl began examining it. Ron asked how to activate it, but Cawl said he did not know and would have to study it.

• Ron traveled through the Warp to the Blackstone Gate, fought off several Warp Creatures, and used more than a billion units of Power of Hope to teleport the Gate away.
• Trazyn arrived moments later, discovered the Blackstone Gate was gone, and decided to hunt down the thief and claim both Ron and the relic as collectibles.
• Ron returned to the Golden Sun, then went back to the Materium to check on the Blackstone Gate at Ers Holy Land.
• Ron and Cawl approached the Gate on a Suspension Platform, but Cawl said he needed to study it before he could explain how to turn it on.

Ron obtained the God-Emperor’s vast technical records on the Webway and Warp, then had Cawl and Moss use them to research the Blackstone Gate. After the gate’s construction was completed, Ron returned to the Holy Land of Ers to activate it, and Cawl told him the process required him to channel his Psyker Power.

• Ron stopped Cawl from studying the Blackstone Gate alone, secured the site, and sought technical knowledge from the God-Emperor in the Warp.
• The God-Emperor sent Ron an enormous information stream, which Ron could not understand, so Ron transferred it into storage for Xiao Ling to organize and distribute to Cawl and the other Tech-priests.
• Cawl and Moss studied and built up the Blackstone Gate while Devere, the Void Angels, and other forces guarded the project; Ron inspected the work before leaving on a trip.
• Ron visited Kelenmi Planet to oversee the installation of its Psionic Core and attend a banquet, then received word that the Blackstone Gate was complete and returned to the Holy Land of Ers.
• Cawl told Ron that he had made a key to open the Webway from the provided data and that Ron had to sit on the activation device and channel his Psyker Power.

Ron activated the Blackstone Throne, a heavily customized machine built by Cawl to control the Blackstone Gate and open a portal to the Webway. The gate opened successfully, but Ron sensed an ominous warning as the expedition prepared to begin.

• Ron examined Cawl’s Blackstone Throne and learned that only his immense Psyker Power could operate it.
• Cawl revealed the Throne’s many comfort and utility features, including its heating, office equipment, adjustable reclining seat, and hidden chamber amenities.
• Ron took his seat in the sealed Throne chamber and supplied Psyker Power when the green light indicated the system was ready.
• The Blackstone Throne channeled Ron’s power into the Blackstone Gate, which opened a portal to the Webway and drew cheers from the team outside.
• Ron reflected on his confinement and felt an ominous premonition after imagining the worst-case scenario of being trapped on the Throne.

Ron learned about the Webway, then used a Clone Body to join Cawl’s Survey Ship as it entered the ancient network. The ship emerged into the Webway but was violently shaken by an apparent attack.

• Blackstone Gate shook after a design flaw caused an energy overload, and Cawl admitted the accident to Devere and Moss’s safety committee.
• Cawl’s crew held safety training for the workers and Heavy Genestealers while inspecting the teleportation passage.
• Ron studied beginner courses about the Warp and Webway, then approved Cawl’s Survey Ship expedition and arranged to enter the Webway through a Clone Body.
• Cawl, Duke, Carter, and the Thunder Custodes boarded the Survey Ship, which entered the Webway as Ron endured the Throne’s increased extraction of Psyker Power.
• Ron emerged from his culture chamber aboard the Survey Ship, but the vessel shook violently just as he headed to see the Webway.

Ron and Cawl explored the Webway, where they discovered Chaos monsters and activated a portal to the distant Huangquan VIII Forge World. Ron allowed Cawl to send his Mechanical Fuel Drink through the portal, and an angry Archmagos on the other side demanded to know who had attacked him.

• Ron and the Thunder Custodes disembarked into the Webway, where they found its vast passages tainted by Warp energy.
• Carter killed a Chaos Monster that had attacked the survey team, and Ron ordered the Thunder Custodes to clear nearby monsters.
• Ron used the Blackstone Throne to activate a Webway Portal after Cawl recorded its frequency.
• Cawl identified the portal's destination as the Huangquan VIII Forge World, more than three hundred star sectors away, but Ron forbade him from crossing over.
• Ron permitted Cawl to send a can of Authentic Mechanical Fuel Drink through the portal, and an Archmagos on the other side angrily shouted at the attacker.

Ron’s accidental portal breach alerted Magos Parus on Huangquan VIII, where Parus mistook an authentic Fuel Drink can for a precious gift and began monitoring the portal. After Ron continued exploring the Webway, he fell asleep aboard the Survey Ship and dreamed of Isha, who wept in his arms.

• Cawl accidentally threw a can through the portal, and Carter smashed the Servo-skull that followed before Ron closed the portal.
• Parus recovered the Servo-skull’s footage, found no clear view beyond the portal, and set up surveillance rather than reporting the incident.
• Parus examined the can, drank its Fuel Drink, and found that it sharpened his thoughts and helped his Xenos technology research.
• Ron returned to the Survey Ship, reviewed Huangquan VIII’s information, and continued exploring the Webway after Duke and the others returned.
• Ron fell asleep amid the active Warp energy and dreamed of Slaanesh and Isha before embracing Isha as she began to cry.

Ron became trapped in a dream where Nurgle’s plague power corrupted his consciousness while the God of Plagues visited Isha. After Nurgle left, Isha returned to Ron and took his hand, leaving him wondering what she intended to do.

• Isha contacted Ron through the dream, but her presence shifted to Nurgle’s Garden when Nurgle approached with Plague Soup.
• Ron hid from Nurgle as its presence corrupted the dream, and he became covered in rotten plants and mushrooms while listening to the Nurglings’ music.
• Isha drank Nurgle’s soup and recovered from its effects, but Nurgle stayed to watch the Nurglings dance for her.
• After Nurgle finally left, Ron used Little Sun’s energy to fight the lingering plague corruption.
• Isha returned to the dream, grew grass and flowers over the corrupted plants, and gently took Ron’s hand, raising it to her chest.

Ron met Isha in a dream within the Webway, healed by her and promised to rescue her from Nurgle after receiving part of her Life Authority. He woke when Cawl used an injection, then learned the crew had discovered ancient Eldar ruins.

• Isha healed Ron by removing Nurgle's plague power from his body.
• Ron agreed to rescue Isha from Nurgle's garden if he had the chance.
• Isha recognized Ron as the Demon Eater and gave him part of her Life Authority, strengthening the Little Sun.
• Isha began explaining why she called him the Demon Eater, but Cawl awakened Ron with a Brain-Awakening Injection.
• Cawl told Ron that the crew had found an incomparably ancient Eldar city, and Ron welcomed the prospect of recovering its technology.

Ron led Cawl and the Survey Ship into an ancient Eldar city by psychically opening its barrier, then salvaged automated production equipment for his territory. As the barrier vanished, a huge roaring figure approached the city.

• Ron sensed the city's Psychic Barrier and opened a passage through it, stunning Cawl and the Survey Ship's crew.
• Ron and Cawl explored the city, and Ron decided that its automated production equipment could strengthen his territory's manufacturing capacity.
• Ron brought an engineering team to the manufacturing district, where they loaded several sets of Eldar production equipment onto transport vehicles.
• Ron considered sharing the technology with the Imperium but decided against it, fearing its institutions would condemn him as a heretic.
• The Psychic Barrier flickered out, and a massive figure roared as it flew toward the city.

Ron and the Thunder Custodes were overwhelmed by a Daemon tide after Cawl discovered a breach in the Webway, forcing them to flee through the teleportation gate. Ron sealed the gate behind them, but one high-ranking Daemon escaped into the Materium alone, surrounded by Imperial forces.

• Carter killed a Daemon that attacked Ron’s transport team, while other exploration groups returned with Eldar technology and reported more Daemon attacks.
• Cawl detected abnormally active Warp energy and concluded that a Webway breach could admit Daemons; his calculations showed the rift was large enough for them to pass through.
• Carter warned the Survey Ship to run as his Thunder Custodes fled a vast Daemon tide, and Ron sent Assault Gunships to extract them.
• The ships escaped through the teleportation gate, and Ron used the Blackstone Throne to seal it just before the Daemon tide could enter.
• One high-ranking Daemon emerged on the Blackstone Gate platform and found itself alone before a fleet, nearly a thousand warriors, and a Heavy Combined Arms Brigade.

Ron captured a Greater Daemon for the Daemon Research Institute and sent Eldar artifacts for study, but his first Webway campaign failed and the Blackstone Gate faced a two-and-a-half-year deadline. After feeling the God-Emperor’s torment and choosing not to burden him, Ron decided an Ork army might be able to hold the Webway and began wondering where to find rookie Orks.

• Datong and the Adeptus Astartes beat the trapped Greater Daemon until Ron stopped them, then Sage Mao took it away to study with his Anti-Psyker Field Collar.
• Ron arranged for hundreds of Eldar devices to be sent to research institutes and ordered the Adeptus Mechanicus to prioritize automated Psyker Power production technology.
• Ron sent a force of ten million Storm Army Group troops, twenty million Genestealers, and two thousand Adeptus Astartes into the Webway, but they withdrew after Daemons overwhelmed them and Warp exposure corrupted soldiers.
• Ron rejected the proposed long-term campaign after Cawl warned that the Blackstone Gate could fail within two and a half years, releasing the Webway Daemons.
• Ron sought the God-Emperor’s help, felt the agony of the Golden Throne, and returned determined to handle the crisis himself.
• Ron concluded that Orks could potentially remain and reproduce in the Webway, and he wondered where he could find rookie Orks to subdue and raise into an army.

Ron searched the Warp for an Ork tribe but lost the small Ork he found to a Void Whale and returned empty-handed. Orks then invaded Kanda Planet, and Ron led a force aboard the Dreamer to confront them, planning to use Ari to bring them under his command.

• Ron found a shrunken Ork in the Space Hulk, but a Void Whale swallowed it along with the surrounding wreckage before he could rescue it.
• After weeks of searching the Warp and surviving a fight with Beastmen, Ron returned without finding any Orks.
• On Kanda Planet, scouts discovered Ork spores, and a group of Orks attacked and killed two scouts before the others retreated to Ore City.
• Tako informed Ron that Kanda Planet was under Ork invasion, and Ron ordered a rapid military response.
• Ron assembled several hundred Adeptus Astartes and an army group aboard the Dreamer, choosing Ari to command the campaign against the Orks.

Ron arrived at Kanda Planet as nearly a million Orks attacked Ore City, and he watched the Imperial forces battle the green tide. As Ari the One-Eyed charged into the Orks’ core, the Orks recognized his resemblance to the terrifying Old One Eye and surged toward him.

• Dreamer reached Kanda Planet while nearly a million Orks attacked Ore City, and Ari led the defenders into battle.
• Ron donned his Ork-styled Power Armor, landed at Ore City, and watched the Orks’ crude weapons and aerial attacks damage the Imperial forces.
• The Storm Army Group deployed flamethrowers and incendiary weapons, slowing the Orks’ advance with a wave of fire.
• Ari led several hundred Adeptus Astartes toward the Orks’ core positions, fighting through the enemy lines with his Power Sword.
• The Orks saw Ari’s resemblance to Old One Eye and, despite their fear, swarmed toward him.

Ron watched Ari’s luck and head-trophy tactics terrify the Orks, but their leader Steel Pincer retreated into the forest before the battle could end. Ari then led a night raid on the Ork camp, where the frightened Orks fled as he fought Steel Pincer and gained a new legend as Old One-Eye, who could glare Orks to death.

• Ari survived a crowded Ork assault and prematurely detonated explosives, then killed two Ork Warbosses as his display of heads spread fear through the Ork ranks.
• Steel Pincer withdrew with most of his forces into the forest, and Ari’s pursuit failed to stop them from escaping.
• Ron learned that Ari had found Steel Pincer’s trail and set out with the Adeptus Astartes, while Datong stayed behind because his Power Armor had been destroyed and cooked Ork meat for Ron.
• Ari and his warriors launched a night raid on the Ork camp, where panic prevented the Orks from organizing a defense.
• Ari battered Steel Pincer and frightened off a scar-faced Ork veteran with a glare, prompting the Orks to flee and spreading a new legend about Old One-Eye.