The Dark Fortress
The Dark Angels' mobile fortress, "Stone Fortress," was originally a fragment of the planet "Caliban," the homeworld of the First Legion's Primarch, Ryan Eljonsson, and the Fallen Angel led by Luther, which was accidentally destroyed in a fierce battle. It was later transformed into "Homeworld" by the Lion King's descendants using ancient and mysterious technology.
But in essence, the Stone Fortress is a colossal interstellar warship, employing ancient technologies that even the Martian Mechanicus cannot comprehend. Many speculate that their Chapter's monastery, the Stone Fortress, uses heretical technology or ancient techniques forbidden by Terra.
It is precisely because of this that the mobile fortress "Stone Fortress" where the Dark Angels resides is often elusive, sometimes appearing in one place and then launching a fierce attack on another, or disappearing suddenly like a ghost after completing a mission.
Even those allies who are also loyal to the Imperium often cannot understand the deeper meaning behind the strange behavior of these sons of Ryan.
When the Dark Angels intervenes in a battle, its bizarre behavior is always shrouded in mystery.
However, many of the loyalist faction's offspring share a common understanding regarding the Dark Angels' bizarre behavior.
They are deliberately concealing certain secrets, secrets that every Dark Angels must remember, even etch into their very bones.
From the moment they joined the Legion, passed through layers of trials, and became members of the "Inner Circle," these children of Ryan, the Unforgivable, were given a new mission.
Protect the Primarch's honor, protect the First Legion's glory! The First Legion has no secrets!
But now, this secret, which has been guarded by the Dark Angels Legion for tens of thousands of years, has become precarious.
The evil Chaos Creator, Vashtor, conspired with the Chaos warlock Abaddon to perfectly replicate their former home world, Caliban, using evil Warp magic in the Idolater System!
This replicated planet, named "Caliban Dragon Forest Star," is filled with Chaos blasphemous power, and the entire planet has been transformed into a massive Daemon Factory.
The Supreme Grand Master Azrael could not tolerate the evil creator Vashtor blaspheming their home, Caliban, in such a manner.
But more importantly, he was afraid.
The fear was that this secret, which they had concealed for millennia, the truth about Caliban's destruction, would be completely exposed to the Imperium's gaze.
Once the secrets of the Dark Angels are exposed, they may be regarded as heretics by the Imperium, their former honors will vanish, and Ryan's offspring will be nailed to the pillar of shame, becoming a stain on the Emperor's reputation!
This is a fact that the offspring of Ryan, these unforgivables, absolutely cannot accept.
Thus, under the dual shadows of anger and fear, Azrael, knowing that this was a provocation from the Chaos Creator Vashtor against the Dark Angels, still used encrypted communication to summon a large fleet of Dark Angels mother legions, including a huge number of sub-legions, almost reaching the scale of a legion during the Great Crusade, intending to erase this shame and scar of the Dark Angels before the Imperium even realized the existence of "Dragon Forest Star".
Devotees, Hooded Guardian, Redemption Angel, Vengeance Angel, First Absolver —and many other subgroups, without any reason or warning, directly broke away from the "Indomitable Crusade" fleet.
This action led to the Indomitable Crusade Fleet suffering heavy defeats in several locations in the shadows.
Its scale was almost at the "legion" level, recreating the fleet of the Dark Angels Legion during the Great Crusade Ten Thousand Years Ago. It continued to expand and eventually converged into a force that even made the Chaos tremble, reaching Dragon Forest Star in the Idolater System.
However, the accident happened at that moment.
The Supreme Grand Master personally led Ravenwing, Deathwing, the Librarian Tank, and a large number of elite troops to paralyze the Chaos Fleet deployed in space before directly storming the surface of Dragon Forest Star and establishing a stable position.
His strategy was simple and efficient: after destroying the Chaos Creator Vashtor and the Black Legion's anti-aircraft firepower and key strongholds on Dragon Forest Star, he would then use the ancient yet advanced weapon arrays mounted on the "Stone Fortress"...
To completely erase this planet from the universe.
The idea was good, but—an accident happened!
When the Supreme Grand Master Azrael, the Chief Librarian Ezekiel, the Grand Master of Penitence Asmodeus, and other combat heroes led their elite forces to forcibly land on Dragon Forest Star, the Stone Fortress far away in space, along with the other sub-squadrons' warships, was suddenly subjected to a massive Chaos attack!
It turns out that this was all a conspiracy by Vashtor, the Chaos Creator!
By deliberately using "Dragon Forest Star" to provoke the Dark Angels, a large number of their main forces were lured to Dragon Forest Star. Taking advantage of the fact that the Stone Fortress and a large number of Dark Angels sub-squadron warships were in space and were lax, the true main force of the Chaos Fleet suddenly emerged from a Warp passage opened up in a star directly behind them, with its target "Stone Fortress"!
His true objective is the "key" hidden deep within the Dark Angels' mobile fortress, the "Stone Fortress."
Previously, Vashtor had collaborated with the Black Legion on numerous occasions, acquiring a large number of "keys." These mysterious artifacts, which are highly likely to originate from the "Old Ones," could help him complete his final plan and thus step into the realm of "gods"!
After all, it's no secret that the Chaos Creator, Vashtor, wants to become a god.
His collaboration with Abaddon was fraught with intrigue and backstabbing. For this partnership, Vashtor promised substantial benefits and even reached some kind of agreement with Perturabo, the Primarch of the Iron Warriors.
Now, the opportunity has finally arrived!
If we can seize the "key" hidden deep within the Stone Fortress, we will be one step closer to becoming a true Warp god and shedding the title of "demigod."
Now, this step is within easy reach!
Two-thirds of the Dark Angels' main force, including their elite troops, were deployed to Dragon Forest Star, which was the time when the Stone Fortress was at its weakest!
At this moment, the Supreme Grand Master Azrael, upon learning that their monastery, the Stone Fortress, was under heavy attack by the Chaos Fleet, had already guessed the conspiracy of the Chaos Creator Vashtor.
The problem is, even though he guessed it, he was dragged into a quagmire from the endless, tsunami-like hordes of renegade Chapter and Daemon on the surface of Dragon Forest Star, from which he could not escape!
They wanted to return to Stone Fortress, but how could Abaddon's Black Legion possibly give them that chance?
Countless Khorne Legion, mortal followers, and Daemon divided the Unforgiven and the offspring of Ryan into small battlefields, intending to wear them down with sheer numbers and the warped terrain of the Warp.
The communication channel was filled with Chaos sounds.
Azrael desperately wanted to know the situation at Stone Fortress, but the communication channel was filled with abhorrent and blasphemous Chaos demonic sounds!
It was that damned Chaos Creator who used a massive amount of Chaos Scrapcode to overwhelm communication between the various Chapter, forcing them to fight independently.
Holding off the main force on Dragon Forest Star was only the first step for Vashtor. The second step for this cunning and treacherous Chaos Creator was to conquer the Dark Angels Legion's Stone Fortress, which held many secrets!
In order to obtain the "key," this Chaos Creator did not hesitate to personally descend upon the Materium.
The Psychic Power array deployed on the Omen Ark "Aurak the Released" drew upon Warp power far exceeding the limits that the Materium could bear, instantly paralyzing the defensive systems of the Stone Fortress.
Taking advantage of the paralyzed defense system, the Chaos Creator Vashtor personally led the Daemon and the Chaos Legion, teleporting directly to the depths of the Stone Fortress, with a very clear objective: the "Nameless Gate"!
This is where the "key" is hidden!
Just when he thought his plan was about to succeed, he saw that deep within the Stone Fortress, in those ancient halls, mysterious mist was shrouding them.
A colossal figure stood on the only path leading to the "Nameless Gate," shrouded in mysterious mist. Behind him seemed to be a narrow path leading to a secluded, deep forest. His enormous cloak billowed, and an invisible pressure transformed into a gale.
"Who are you?"
The Chaos Creator Vashtor watched the figure warily; he felt it looked somewhat familiar.
The figure suddenly took a step forward, and the terrifying aura and gale-force wind crashed in like a tsunami. The rolling waves, carrying killing intent, and a cold and noble sword blade, pierced through Vashtor's Energy Shield!
"Ryan Aljonsen!"