Chapter Summaries

Ron and the Custodes tried to destroy the incubation chamber, but Yosef emerged transformed and attacked them. After Yosef overwhelmed Carter and struck Ron, Ron blocked the blow and revealed his power.

• Ron ordered the Custodian Warriors to fire an Armor-Piercing Rocket at the cracked glass incubation chamber.
• Yosef smashed the Heavy Prison Rocket Launcher, emerged transformed, and sent Cyborg Guards to fight the Custodes.
• Ron charged toward the chamber while the Custodes battled the guards, but Yosef confronted him and ranted about revenge against Grant House.
• Ron taunted Yosef over his betrayal and his murder of his own family, enraging him into attacking.
• Yosef defeated Carter and struck at Ron, but Ron blocked his blow as golden light and lightning appeared around him.

Ron defeated Yosef, but he failed to stop the Chaos Embryo from being born. The cultivation tank shattered, and Yosef welcomed the offspring of the Lord of Ten Thousand Eyes into the world.

• Yosef attacked Ron with venomous tentacles, but Ron restrained and burned them with Psyker Power, then stabbed Yosef with his own stinger.
• Ron beat Yosef relentlessly, breaking his bones and sending him crashing into the cultivation tank.
• Ron tried to smash the tank with his fists, then used Psyker lightning to hurl a heavy steel platform at it.
• The Chaos Embryo’s eyes turned toward Ron, and the cultivation tank exploded, knocking both men aside and deflecting the platform.
• Yosef watched the Chaos Embryo emerge and welcomed it as his child.

Ron faced the Tzeentchian Maggot alone after ordering the Custodes to withdraw, while Bishop Dony prayed for strength at the Ecclesiarchy Cathedral. Ron charged the monster with a golden Chainsword, and Dony saw a sacred sun appear within The Void.

• Yosef was devoured by the Tzeentchian Maggot, which then killed the Custodian Warriors who attacked it.
• Ron stopped Carter and the Custodes from making a final charge, took Carter’s Ripper Chainsword, and ordered them to establish a defensive line.
• The Custodes obeyed and withdrew while Ron confronted the Tzeentchian Maggot alone.
• Ron powered up the Chainsword with golden lightning and swung at the charging maggot.
• Bishop Dony sensed a terrifying presence, prayed to the God-Emperor, and saw a radiant sun within The Void.

Ron and the Palatine District forces fought the Tzeentchian Maggot after Ron failed to defeat it alone. As the Maggot overwhelmed the defensive line and charged at Ron, an Assault Gunship arrived with the powerful warrior Ron had blessed.

• Ron emerged from the collapsing Secret Laboratory wounded, and the Tzeentchian Maggot crawled out after him.
• Ron ordered the assembled Palatine District forces to attack the Maggot, while Kais's snipers, the tanks, and Ari drew its attention.
• Ari dodged the Maggot's attacks, blasted it with a shotgun, and climbed onto it to strike with his Chainsword.
• The Maggot threw Ari aside and charged toward Ron, breaking through the defensive line as Carter urged Ron to retreat.
• Ron stayed to hold the Maggot off, trusting that the warrior he had blessed would arrive, and an Assault Gunship appeared overhead.

Bishop Dony regained his strength through Ron’s blessing and joined the battle against the Tzeentchian Maggot. After the Maggot was killed and the Homan House heretics were eliminated, a charred mass of humanoid flesh twitched in the secret laboratory.

• Bishop Dony arrived at the battlefield and attacked the Tzeentchian Maggot with his Power Great Axe.
• The wounded Maggot fled, but Kais struck it with an energy beam, Ari’s tanks knocked it down, and Carter’s Custodes pinned it with harpoons.
• Bishop Dony charged the restrained Maggot and killed it by driving his axe into its head.
• Ron supported the wounded Bishop Dony, who praised him as Earth Planet’s Savior, and sent an Apothecary to treat him.
• The Custodes burned the Maggot’s corpse, completing the operation against the Homan House heretics.
• A charred mass of humanoid flesh twitched in the devastated Cultivation Zone of the secret laboratory.

Yosef survived his defeat but was killed by the Mutated Grey Rat before he could escape to the Lower Hive. The rat reached the Underhive, defeated a local Rat King, and claimed a kingdom of its own as Big Foot Rat.

• Yosef activated a secret passage and crawled toward it, hoping to rebuild his forces in the Lower Hive.
• The Mutated Grey Rat caught Yosef and gnawed through his head, killing him before entering the pipe.
• The Mutated Grey Rat fell into the Underhive and eagerly explored its garbage-filled surroundings.
• The Mutated Grey Rat killed the local Rat King and forced the other mutated rats to submit.
• The Mutated Grey Rat named itself Big Foot Rat and claimed the area as its kingdom.

Big Foot Rat established himself as the Rat King of Trash Mountain, while Ron caught Yosef trying to escape and prepared to have him permanently sealed away. Yosef was left awaiting judgment, and warriors descended to burn the Secret Laboratory clean.

• Big Foot Rat ordered the Mutant Giant Rats to kill a Mutant, ate the corpse, and claimed the abandoned transport vehicle as his palace.
• Yosef, having survived by playing dead, crawled toward the pipeline to escape to the Lower Hive and vowed to return against Ron.
• Ron returned to the Secret Laboratory, used Psyker Power to drag Yosef away from the pipeline, and silenced him with a mechanical Gag.
• Ron placed Yosef in a solution-filled glass container to suppress his Chaos energy, and Custodian Warriors sealed the container inside a Plasteel shell.
• Warriors carrying Flamethrowers entered the Secret Laboratory to cleanse it with fire.

Ron purged Chaos from Homan House territory, dismantled its rule, and oversaw the review and resettlement of its surviving officials and vassals. The Palatine District formally reclaimed the territory, and Ron announced an important judgment at Sacred Plaza.

• Ron scanned Homan House territory, sent the Custodes and Defense Force to eliminate Chaos traces, and ordered the capture of the missing Shattered Eye cult leader.
• Ron led the Custodes into the Homan House estate, judged Chaos-tainted officials and minor houses, and ordered the principal offenders and their families burned.
• Surviving officials and vassals surrendered, while Devere led a review that purged those who failed its standards and approved one-third to pledge loyalty anew.
• Ron praised Devere, then gave Bayev responsibility for placing the reviewed personnel throughout the Palatine District's administrative system.
• Bayev completed the placements, the Palatine District restored institutions and supplies, and Claudi led the Arbites in restoring order.
• Ron declared Homan House territory reclaimed as part of the Palatine District and announced an important judgment at Sacred Plaza.

After Ron fell asleep, a powerful Warp entity attacked his Little Sun, but the God-Emperor destroyed it in response to Ron’s plea. Ron realized how dangerous the Warp remained and asked to move closer to the God-Emperor’s Cold Sun.

• Ron returned to Spire Mansion and went to bed before the next day’s grand trial.
• In the Warp, a giant octopus-like evil entity bound Ron’s Little Sun and tried to drag it away.
• Ron called for the God-Emperor, whose sacred Psyker Power dissolved the tentacles and vaporized the attacker.
• Ron called out to the silent God-Emperor and worried that another evil entity might attack before he could get help.
• Ron asked the God-Emperor if he could move closer to the Cold Sun.

Ron guided the Little Sun toward the God-Emperor’s Cold Sun to seek safety, but nearly collided with it after falling asleep. After the God-Emperor’s Psyker Slap warned him in time, Ron backed away and resolved to grow stronger and help protect humanity.

• Ron guided the Little Sun closer to the Cold Sun and fell asleep while it traveled on autopilot.
• Ron dreamed of lurid scenes in the Warp, then woke when a Psyker Slap struck him.
• Ron stopped the Little Sun just before it collided with the Cold Sun and reversed it to a safer position.
• Ron believed the God-Emperor had warned and protected him, then worried the Emperor might expect him to take the Golden Throne.
• Ron resolved to build strength, reclaim planets, and support humanity before returning to his dream.
• A massive Psyker Tide swept toward Ron as his consciousness fell asleep again.

After a Warp surge knocked Ron unconscious, a navigator and an Ecclesiarchy Priest glimpsed two suns and vowed to keep the sight secret. Meanwhile, the Palatine District launched a surprise raid to capture the Grey Wolf Warband’s leaders before Judgment Day, and its forces advanced through the gangs’ territory.

• A navigator and an Ecclesiarchy Priest saw two suns in the Warp, then swore to conceal the sight after both vanished.
• Ron’s orders sent the Custodes and Defense Force to capture the Grey Wolf Warband’s leaders before Judgment Day.
• Carter, Ari, Kais, and the other commanders planned a surprise strike, infiltrating gang territory during the Grey Wolf Warband’s truce day.
• Carter and the other Custodes moved toward the Grey Wolf Warband’s base while more than a hundred Custodes approached from different areas.
• Carter saw civilians’ corpses displayed on stakes and hurried forward, while Ari grew furious at the brutality and flesh sold in the streets.

Ari arrived in a gang-ruled settlement where the Bone Gang terrorized civilians, and he intervened just as a Skull-Face Gang member tried to shoot a child. The gang member ordered his men to kill the girl, leaving Ari facing the Bone Gang.

• A Skull-Face Gang member shot a man who tried to stop him from abducting a gaunt woman, then dragged her toward the gang stronghold.
• The gang member suddenly shot the woman, and her daughter rushed to her body and struck him in anger.
• The Skull-Face Gang member shoved the girl down and aimed his gun at her as the surrounding civilians stood by in fear.
• Ari seized the gunman's hand and redirected his shot, saving the girl.
• The Skull-Face Gang member asked which gang Ari belonged to, then ordered nearby Bone Gang members to kill the girl.

Ari and the Defense Force killed the Bone Gang members, but the civilians turned against them when Ari refused to spare a wounded gang member. After Ari urged the people to take revenge, a few who had not joined the accusations finally stepped forward against the Skull-Face Gang member.

• The Defense Force ambushed and killed the Bone Gang members, leaving Ari to face the Skull-Face Gang member he had restrained.
• The Skull-Face Gang member threatened the civilians, who confronted Ari and the Defense Force to prevent him from killing the gang member.
• Ari slashed open the Skull-Face Gang member’s belly, and the civilians cursed Ari while refusing to help him.
• Ari revealed his Palatine District uniform and urged the civilians to take revenge, but they remained afraid.
• Some civilians who had not accused Ari took weapons from the others and approached the Skull-Face Gang member.

Ari armed the civilians and made them reserve soldiers as the Defense Force launched an assault on the Bone Gang and the Grey Wolf Warband’s territory. The civilians defeated fleeing gang members, while the battle reached the Grey Wolf Warband base, where bodies lay piled among the ruins.

• Ari disarmed a Skull-Face Gang member, and civilians beat him to death in revenge for his crimes.
• Ari asked the civilians if they wanted to become warriors, then gave them weapons and declared them reserve soldiers of the Defense Force.
• Ari discovered the gang member had sent a distress signal, but Bone Gang reinforcements were ambushed by Defense Force soldiers.
• Ari and his soldiers charged toward the battle as combat squads attacked across the Grey Wolf Warband’s territory.
• Reserve soldiers fired on wounded gang members who fled into the neighborhood and killed them with their Standard Laser Rifles.
• The battle continued at the Grey Wolf Warband base, where bodies were piled high and flies swarmed over the rotting remains.

Carter led the Custodian Warriors into the Grey Wolf Warband’s corrupted square and warehouse, where they fought mutant beasts and the warband’s elites. After defeating a massive Mutant, Carter returned to face the Grey Wolf Warband leader, an enormous mountain of flesh who spoke of pain.

• Carter burned through swarms of flies and led the Custodian Warriors toward the warehouse, where they killed several charging Mutant Hounds.
• Carter’s group breached the warehouse, destroyed two Flame Troopers with grenades, and clashed with the Grey Wolf Warband elites.
• A huge Mutant rammed Carter out of the warehouse while the Custodian Warriors fought the elites inside.
• Carter dodged the Mutant’s charges, climbed onto its back, and ripped out its spine to kill it.
• Carter returned to the warehouse after the Custodian Warriors defeated the elites and confronted the Grey Wolf Warband leader, a vast mass of flesh who spoke of pain.

Carter and the Custodian Warriors captured the suffering Grey Wolf Warband leader and burned the corrupted flesh mountain, helping the Palatine District reclaim the warband’s territory. Ari took in Maya and arranged for her to attend the Schola Progenium, while Ron woke from his coma after the God-Emperor’s Psychic Lash.

• Carter and the Custodian Warriors found the Grey Wolf Warband leader fused into a corrupted mass of flesh, captured him, and burned the mass to ash.
• Carter returned with the Custodians as the fighting ended, and Defense Force soldiers and Arbites began securing the reclaimed territory at dawn.
• Ari decided to adopt Maya and use his enrollment slot to send her to the Schola Progenium, urging her to study hard.
• Ron woke in the Spire Mansion after his coma and wondered whether the God-Emperor’s Psychic Lash had helped him sleep.

Ron dined with his warriors, heard their battle reports, and met Ari’s adopted child, Maya, before presiding over the Great Judgment of the Upper Hive’s heretic traitors. The public execution marked the Upper Hive’s reclamation, eased the people’s suppressed emotions, and gave Ron another million points of Power of Hope.

• Ron reflected on the Imperium’s crises and the Emperor’s failures of communication, then focused on reclaiming the Lower Hive and developing his strength.
• Ron shared a meal with Carter, Ari, Kais, and the others, heard their battle reports, and gave Maya a Frost Poro Cookie.
• Ron brought his companions to Sacred Plaza, where Bishop Dony announced the crimes of Yosef and the other heretic traitors.
• Ron pulled the lever that began an hour of electrocution and burning, and the traitors were reduced to ashes as the crowd vented its grief and anger.
• Ron announced the Upper Hive’s reclamation and promised the people a better life, then gained another million points of Power of Hope and the ability to bestow another blessing.

Ron discussed reviving the Ecclesiarchy on Earth Planet with Bishop Dony and pledged support to rebuild chapels, recruit members, and establish monthly Prayer Days. Bishop Dony gratefully watched Ron leave, while Ron’s plans promised to strengthen the faith across his territory.

• Ron kept his Blessing in reserve because it worked best on a suitable target vessel.
• Bishop Dony worried that the ruined Ecclesiarchy lacked the people and resources to rebuild its chapels.
• Ron visited the cathedral, completed its prayer and benediction ritual, and discovered that Bishop Dony could now bestow Blessings.
• Ron promised Palatine District personnel and Administratum policies to help rebuild the Ecclesiarchy and bring workers to prayer.
• Bishop Dony thanked Ron and watched him depart, praising him as the God-Emperor’s most devout follower.

Ron oversaw the Upper Hive District’s recovery while preparing to retake the Lower Hive, then selected Devere to lead a new secret organization. Devere accepted the role of Lord Inquisitor, tasked with establishing the Inquisition.

• Ron expanded public welfare, industry, and military preparations as the Defense Force readied for an operation to retake the Lower Hive in six months.
• Ron reviewed Devere’s family records and judged him loyal, hardworking, and suited to a leadership role.
• Devere entered Ron’s office, hoping the Governor had chosen a placement for him.
• Ron appointed Devere Lord Inquisitor and charged him with leading and establishing the Inquisition.

Ron established the Palatine District’s Inquisition under Devere and continued working to build his territory’s Imperial institutions. Overwhelmed by paperwork, he resolved to pursue a rudimentary internet and AI system, which Moss was already secretly testing.

• Ron appointed Devere to lead the Palatine District’s Inquisition, assigning it Custodes, Defense Force troops, Arbites, and administrative personnel.
• Ron considered the future expansion of his territory and recorded plans to preserve the Imperium’s governing framework while making minor adjustments.
• Ron finished his paperwork, only for maids to deliver two more towering stacks of documents.
• Ron dreamed that Roboute Guilliman summoned him to Holy Terra to become a High Lord, then woke relieved that it was not real.
• Ron decided to reform office work with internet and AI, noting that Sentient Robot Moss had already begun secret experiments using 3K Era technology.