Chapter Summaries

After the Sisters of Silence neutralized the Death Guard’s corruption, Barlow and Coren surrendered and told Dominic why Phelps had come to Brevis. Their account pointed Dominic toward a hidden fragment guarded by the St. Garus Family, which he suspected was an STC.

• Phelps exploded in a burst of plague-ridden flesh, but the Sisters of Silence’s null field stripped away its Warp corruption.
• Barlow and Coren lowered their weapons and explained that they had once fought loyally for the Emperor before the plague and their Legion’s fall.
• Dominic asked why the Death Guard had come to Brevis, and Coren said Phelps planned to corrupt the St. Garus Knight House into a Rust Hounds warband.
• Barlow revealed that Phelps was also searching for a spell fragment of the Great Conspirator, said to have fallen on Brevis and been guarded by a family for generations.
• Dominic connected the guarded fragment to the St. Garus Family and suspected that it was an STC.

Dominic learned that the St. Garus Family's STC contained a fragment of Tzeentch's sorcery and that a powerful traitor on Brevis had aided Phelps. After Barlow and Coren died, Phelps's hidden plague seed infiltrated the Gemstone's machine spirit throne through a Tech-Priest's robe.

• Barlow and Coren warned Dominic about Phelps's highly placed accomplice on Brevis and the possibility of hidden plague vessels, then killed themselves rather than remain corrupted.
• Dominic ordered the entire ship searched and decontaminated, and warned Kerry Von that Brevis had a traitor and the St. Garus Family's STC was tainted.
• Phelps's tiny plague seed survived the explosion and hid in the robe of a low-ranking Tech-Priest who entered the machine temple.
• The machine spirit throne struck the acolyte with lightning, killing him and carrying the plague seed into its power circuit.

Phelps used the Machine Spirit’s lightning to carry the Rust Plague into the Gemstone’s core, leaving the ship’s systems failing and the Machine Spirit steadily corrupted. Dominic and the priests’ massive purification ritual barely slowed the spread, and the Machine Spirit remained in danger of falling completely within twelve hours.

• Phelps sent the Rust Plague through the Machine Spirit’s energy circuits, where it spread toward the throne’s core and corrupted the ship’s systems.
• Dominic received an urgent report and rushed to the machine temple, finding the throne covered in rust and dark green mold.
• The senior priest told Dominic that the plague had entered through the Machine Spirit’s lightning and could not be stopped by the purification methods already tried.
• Dominic ordered every priest and sacred resource assembled for the highest-level purification ritual.
• Nearly a hundred Tech-Priests and Ministorum Priests performed the ritual for three hours, but the Machine Spirit’s purity recovered by less than one percent and the rust continued spreading.

As the Gemstone's Machine Spirit succumbed to the rust plague, Sorine brought Lynn's plan to save it through Dominic's bond with the ship. Dominic introduced her to the machine temple, where she prepared to act despite not knowing exactly how Lynn would carry out the domination ritual.

• Dominic noticed Sorine's silver-red glow and followed her into a maintenance passage, where she told him she needed his cooperation to save the Gemstone.
• Lynn's system detected the infected Machine Spirit and revealed that remote domination required an intermediary whose soul was deeply bound to it.
• Lynn identified Dominic as the ideal intermediary and told Sorine to have him make close contact with the Machine Spirit throne so his soul could serve as an anchor.
• Sorine entered the machine temple with Dominic and faced the tech-priests and Bishop Venka as Dominic declared that she could save the Gemstone.
• Sorine trusted Lynn's plan despite doubting that Dominic's contact with the throne could reverse the Machine Spirit's infection.

Dominic ordered everyone out of the Machine God's temple and entered the Gemstone's Machine Spirit core to confront the Rust Plague. He discovered Phelps had merged his remnant soul with the plague and was attacking the Machine Spirit, then faced Phelps as moths surged toward him.

• Dominic dismissed Bishop Venka, the high priest, and the others, then approached the Machine Spirit's throne while Sorine remained behind.
• Dominic endured the throne's electrical arcs, sat on it, and entered the Gemstone's consciousness.
• Dominic saw the Machine Spirit's steel wasteland being consumed by the Rust Plague and recognized Phelps's grotesque moth-shaped form attacking it.
• Phelps mocked Dominic for entering the core and sent a swarm of moths rushing at him.

Lynn took control of Dominic’s consciousness through Sorine and struck back at Phelps in the Machine Spirit’s world. His attack devastated the plague moths but also damaged the Gemstone’s Machine Spirit, forcing Lynn to rein in his power.

• Sorine reached Dominic’s forehead and became the intermediary soul anchor that let Lynn access the Machine Spirit’s consciousness.
• Lynn accepted the system’s offer to take control of Dominic’s consciousness and manifested as a powerful phantom in the Machine Spirit’s world.
• Lynn formed a bone-white greatsword and struck Phelps, erasing a third of the plague moth swarm.
• Lynn’s attack tore through the Machine Spirit’s metallic foundation and sent its lightning and energy into disarray.
• Lynn recognized that further damage could cripple the Gemstone and leave it vulnerable to Chaos, so he decided to hold back.

Lynn and the Machine Spirit joined forces to destroy Phelps’s plague swarm and leave him nearly defeated. As Phelps questioned what Lynn was, Lynn wondered whether the system was an interface to his own Warp power, then pushed the fear aside for now.

• Lynn refined his purple sword power and precisely cut through Phelps’s plague moths without harming the Machine Spirit’s core essence.
• The Machine Spirit recognized the moths as its enemy and targeted them with lightning, helping Lynn weaken Phelps.
• Phelps tried to rush Lynn and accused him of being the False Emperor’s lapdog, but Lynn’s sword strikes kept the moths at bay.
• Lynn and the Machine Spirit wiped out the swarm, causing the corruption across the world to recede and exposing Phelps’s weakened consciousness.
• Phelps asked whether Lynn was a newly born Warp god, prompting Lynn to suspect that the system embodied his own Warp authority.
• Lynn suppressed his fears and reassured himself that his will remained intact and that he could focus on protecting Brevis and living with his beloved.

Lynn destroyed Phelps and the Rust Plague, then subdued Gemstone's Machine Spirit when it attacked him and Dominic. Dominic awoke in the Machine God's temple to find the throne restored and the Machine Spirit stabilized.

• The Machine Spirit's lightning destroyed Phelps and vaporized the last Rust Plague spores beneath the wasteland.
• The confused Machine Spirit attacked Dominic and Lynn, but Lynn blocked its lightning and restrained its flood-dragon form.
• Lynn completed his domination of Gemstone's Machine Spirit and ordered it to obey Dominic and the others.
• Lynn withdrew from the Machine Spirit world as the subdued flood dragon watched him depart.
• Dominic awoke in the temple as the Machine Spirit throne renewed itself, and Sorine sensed the Machine Spirit had become stronger and more docile.

Dominic awoke after the Machine Spirit was restored, though he could not explain how he had survived the encounter. He suspected Kerry Von’s voice had reached him, then collapsed after ordering the sweep of the lower decks to continue.

• The tech-priests and clergy entered the machine temple and found the Machine Spirit restored, with Dominic unconscious on its throne.
• Bishop Venka crossed the cordon and helped the others carry Dominic away without the throne’s electrical arcs attacking them.
• Dominic regained consciousness, heard that the Machine Spirit was fine, and recalled a voice that sounded like Kerry Von’s.
• Dominic told the gathered clergy that a light had driven away the plague, and they credited the Emperor and the Machine God.
• Dominic collapsed from exhaustion after ordering Karen not to stop the comprehensive sweep of the lower decks.

Dominic and Isolde prepared to sacrifice Midtown to stop the Thousand Sons, while Lynn recognized that Luna’s collapsing Warp gate was no longer the main threat. As Lynn moved to reinforce Midtown, Chaos Undivided cultists surrounded Saint Garus Castle and cut off every escape route.

• Dominic learned that the Thousand Sons had attacked Midtown and that the defenders were suffering heavy casualties.
• Dominic offered the Tithe Fleet’s orbital fire support, and Isolde agreed to evacuate the core area and send bombardment coordinates.
• Lynn mocked Luna for believing her Gate of Calamity meant victory, knowing her ritual had enabled Atia and the Thousand Sons to arrive.
• Rena told Lynn that the Warp gate would close within an hour and that the remaining daemons could be defeated, so Lynn ordered a withdrawal toward Midtown.
• Rena reported that cultists marked by all four gods had blockaded Saint Garus Castle, and Lynn identified them as Chaos Undivided.

Lynn recognized that the Chaos cultists, Luna’s calamity army, and the Thousand Sons were coordinating a planned operation, while his Warp Essence began awakening. He suspected their true objective was not simply to trap him and ordered Rena to show him the live battle in Midtown.

• Lynn learned that Leo’s signal had disappeared and realized the castle’s security had been compromised.
• Lynn suffered a vivid vision of Chaos energy and confirmed that his Warp Essence was awakening.
• Lynn assessed the forces surrounding the castle and considered using the nearby Vanguard to break the siege.
• Lynn suspected the Thousand Sons, Luna, and the Chaos Undivided cultists had joined forces for a deeper purpose.
• Lynn asked Rena to relay the Midtown battle through the shared vision of frontline junior officers, and images flooded his mind.

Lynn realized the Thousand Sons were fortifying Midtown to withstand the Tyranid Swarm he might summon, rather than trying to conquer all of Brevis. He ordered a coordinated assault on Midtown and placed the forces on Dead World A on high alert, leaving the story with the possibility of exposing the Tyranids and Orks to stop Chaos.

• Lynn saw that Chaos had seized more than thirty percent of Midtown and was building an entrenched stronghold instead of expanding.
• Lynn suspected the Thousand Sons had sensed the swarms hidden on Dead World A and Dead World B and planned to use Midtown's defenses against them.
• Lynn ordered Isolde to assemble northern and southern coalitions to assault Midtown, while a small rescue team pinned down the enemy perimeter without risking a breakthrough to him.
• Rena reported that the upper-city forces were assembling and lower-city groups had eagerly agreed to fight.
• Lynn ordered Rena to contact the swarm on Dead World A and have Toothy prepare for war, warning that he would expose the Tyranids and Orks rather than let Chaos take Brevis.

The northern coalition army and lower-city militia launched a coordinated assault on Chaos-held Midtown, supported by the Tithe Fleet’s orbital bombardment. The Thousand Sons sorcerers and Supreme Thrallband held their fortified positions as the Warp domain continued to expand.

• Isolde coordinated Brevis’s forces as the northern coalition army and lower-city civilians assembled and advanced toward Midtown.
• Dominic ordered the Gemstone to bombard Chaos fortifications, beginning the decisive battle.
• The northern coalition army charged, but Nosak sorcerers struck the Vanguard soldiers with psychic attacks and fire, disrupting their formation.
• The lower-city militia charged into heavy gunfire while scavengers used alleyways and explosive charges to attack Chaos positions from the flanks.
• The Supreme Thrallband repelled repeated assaults from its fortifications as the Warp domain continued to expand.

Atia recovered Tzeentch’s STC spell fragment and used it to raise a blasphemous barrier around Brevis, empowering the Warp domain. The barrier absorbed the Gemstone’s bombardment and struck back at the Imperial fleet, leaving Dominic to seek its limits and weaknesses.

• Imperial allied forces advanced through Midtown while the lower-city coalition captured three Chaos supply warehouses.
• Atia’s priests revealed that they had retrieved Tzeentch’s lost fragment from the St. Garus Family’s castle, and Atia transformed the STC with sorcery.
• Atia raised the fragment to the spire’s summit, where it unleashed a rainbow barrier over Brevis and intensified the Warp domain.
• Dominic ordered the Gemstone to attack the barrier, but it absorbed the ship’s shells and lances before firing back and stripping the Indomitable Warrior’s void shields.
• Dominic halted the bombardment and ordered the fleet to contact Brevis to investigate the barrier’s limits, workings, and weaknesses.

Luna recognized the Profane Barrier’s energy as that of the STC aggregate and convinced herself the Adeptus Mechanicus had betrayed her, then renewed her effort to capture Lynn for the Lord of Change. In Midtown, Atia ordered a counterattack that devastated the Lower City coalition as the barrier fed on the dead and spread across Brevis.

• Luna recognized the energy behind the Profane Barrier as that of the STC aggregate and suspected the Adeptus Mechanicus had taken it to the Thousand Sons.
• Luna rejected the idea that the Lord of Change had abandoned her and resolved to capture Lynn as her greatest offering.
• Luna unleashed a stronger sorcerous assault against Lynn, determined to finish the fight and reclaim what she believed was hers.
• Atia ordered the Chaos army to counterattack and target the Lower City coalition on the southern front.
• Tzeentch Horrors, Chaos Sorcerers, and Nosak Chaos Warriors tore through the civilian militia as the Profane Barrier harvested the dead and expanded.
• The Vanguard struggled to hold the northern front, leaving Brevis in peril while the Profane Barrier remained in place.

After three days of brutal fighting on Brevis, Dominic learned that the Profane Barrier briefly weakened when its vortex dissipated and ordered a Sword-class Frigate to attempt a crossing. The First Blood endured violent Warp turbulence and passed through the barrier, leaving the way open for a possible attack from within.

• The Lower City Allied Forces and the Vanguard's assaults repeatedly faltered as Chaos strengthened beneath the expanding Profane Barrier.
• Dominic and the Tech-Priests found that the barrier's energy fell to seventeen percent of normal when its vortex dissipated, and the Navigator proposed crossing it with a ship's Gellar Field active.
• Despite Karen's objections, Dominic ordered the First Blood to attempt the crossing at the vortex's weakest point.
• The First Blood entered the vortex as its energy bottomed out, while its crew fought to keep the Gellar Field functioning against Warp turbulence and daemons.
• The First Blood passed through the Profane Barrier after the distorted mist dispersed and the ship's alarms fell silent.

Dominic’s fleet exploited a weakness in the Warp barrier, allowing several warships to reach Brevis and support the allied forces. After two successful crossings, Dominic led the Gemstone and Pegasus into the barrier, unaware that Warp concentration was rising abnormally.

• The First Blood emerged over Brevis and bombarded Chaos forces in Midtown, lifting the southern allied soldiers’ morale.
• Dominic granted Gus permission to cross the barrier, and the Pinnacle Black Obsidian and two Lunar-class Cruisers reached low orbit safely.
• Dominic ordered the Gemstone and Pegasus to prepare for the crossing, then led them into a dissipating vortex to reach Brevis.
• The Gemstone and Pegasus crossed amid Warp turbulence, while Dominion planned their attacks and an unnoticed display reading showed Warp concentration skyrocketing.

Atia transformed the blasphemous barrier into a trap, swallowing the Gemstone and Pegasus in a Warp Storm and cutting them off from the fleet. The barrier then struck the northern allied forces with a psychic blast, allowing the Chaos counterattack to retake the ground they had lost.

• Atia revealed that the barrier's apparent energy trough was bait and used runes to transform it as the Gemstone and Pegasus entered the vortex.
• Dominic's ships were caught in an expanding Warp Storm, while the Gellar Field strained and contact with the outside was lost.
• Adjutant Karen saw the barrier seal over the vortex, suspended bombardment, and ordered the ground forces to hold their positions.
• The barrier fired a psychic blast into the northern allied positions, killing soldiers and igniting others' souls.
• Chaos forces, including daemons, Cultists, and Thousand Sons warriors, charged and drove the northern allied forces back to their former line.

Lynn and his rescue force emerged from Saint Garus Castle into Atia’s psychic assault, where daemons and Helbrutes overwhelmed their defenses. With Luna’s Chaos Knights closing in from behind and Atia’s forces advancing from ahead, Lynn faced capture or death just as a dragon’s cry rang out.

• Atia focused on capturing Lynn to trace his connection to the Tyranids.
• Lynn met the Sisters of Battle captain and led the rescue force out of Saint Garus Castle as the battle in Midtown worsened.
• Atia unleashed psychic fire on the plaza and confronted Lynn, while Helbrutes and daemons descended to attack the defenders.
• Lynn and the survivors fought back, but their casualties mounted and their defensive line retreated.
• Luna pursued Lynn with eight Chaos Knights, trapping him between her forces and Atia’s army.
• As Lynn’s remaining protectors fought desperately, a clear dragon’s cry pierced the battle.

Rena descended as the Dragon of Frost and helped Lynn defeat a Helbrute while battling Atia above Saint Garus Castle. Meanwhile, the gravely wounded Leo St. Garus lay dying in an underground storeroom as Warp whispers tempted him with power and revenge.

• Rena arrived in dragon form with disguised Tyranid Warriors, who tore through the daemons and protected Lynn.
• Two of the young dragons knocked a charging Helbrute off course, allowing Lynn to destroy its Daemon Engine core with the Sword of Valenia.
• Rena confronted Atia, who was eager to capture her and Lynn, and their psychic attacks collided above Saint Garus Castle.
• Leo St. Garus lay near death in a sealed underground storeroom, remembering his family and Brevis as the Warp offered him power and revenge.