Tyche System, Stellar cartography/Colony Record

+++ Datastream loading... +++
+++ Stellar Cartography loaded/Colony record loaded +++
+++ Working...Working...Ready +++

Tyche System Stellar Map

TYCHE SYSTEM – First discovered in the Age of Strife, during humanities first terrified expansion into the stars, this system was named after the most ancient myth of Tyche, goddess of Fortune and Luck. At the end of their fuel, food and other vital supplies, with unrest and fear abound, the crew of the lead colonist vessel made a final desperate warp-transition into the nearest solar system – hoping for a habitable world. Translating into the nebulae and asteroids of the systems large debris belt – the colony transports pushed on, before achieving orbit above a large and more importantly, habitable, world. Landing their fleet, the colonists were not only lucky to have discovered a habitable world, but a world with rich stocks of mineral and fuel wealth. Using this as a staging point, the inevitable colonisation and expansion into the now-renamed “Tyche” system began in earnest.

Separated from humanity during the turbulent warp-storms of the Age of Strife, the system was liberated by Imperial forces during the expansions of the Great Crusade. Staunchly loyal to the Emperor, the Tyche system was the scene of several battles against the traitor Horus. These clashes were localised around the Forge-word of Loki, and the shipyard facilities of Hydra. A large scale naval conflict was fought in the orbit or the gas giant Eris, and to this day the remains of ships, and the detritus of war make up part of a significant portion of the planets ring system.

Never formally conquered by Horus, and with no formal traitor outposts or redoubts, the system was spared Exterminatus in the Scouring and was re-established as a key production system for the neighbouring Badab and Karthago sectors. 

Enemy conflicts remain at a minimum in this generally peaceful corner of the Segmentum Ultima, however increasing raids by Eldar reiver-kin, and Ork raiding parties have demanded a continued Naval and PDF presence in-system. Adeptus Mechanicus forces on Loki and Hydra maintain system-ship pickets, and their own garrison forces to defend the assets of the Martian system-lords. 

In the last few years supply ships from all over the system have been lost traversing the so-called “Challenger Deep” – the gaseous and asteroid-rich belt surrounding the local star. Rumours abound as to pirate raids, abnormal spatial weather-systems and space-bound mega-fauna.

SAFEHOLD – Named by the initial colony established late in the 30^th Millennium, Safehold provided the initial safe landing and colonisation point of the entire Draco subsector. Fading in time compared to the larger and more prosperous hiveworld of Loki, and the subsector capital of Freiya, Safehold still provides vital material and supplies in the form of its vast Mithril mineral resources and large, cultivated arable pastures. Supplying not only the raw material for the manufactorums on Loki, but the very foodstuffs to feed the subsector, Safehold remains a vital Imperial resource.

Similar in size to Holy Terra, with similar moderate M-class climatology, Safehold holds a variety of terrain and landscapes. The larger, northern continent holds the main Mithril mining facilities, and its attendant rail and spaceport facilities. This mountainous region is surrounded by the arable plains that house the many Soylent growing and processing facilities. This high-protein and nutrient rich “green” meal-pack will be familiar to any hiveworlder in the sector, and many Guard ration-quartermasters. Promethium facilities and storage bays lay scattered throughout the planet, along natural deposits of liquid and gaseous collections.

Transport across Safehold is maintained by an ancient service of hover-rails left from the original colony expansion. In addition to the planet’s spaceport facilities the largest communities are supported by regular airship and tractor-convoys. These convoys are maintained by a guild of Tech-magos oath bound from Mechanicus holdings on Loki. 

In addition to the many mining and farming communities on the planet, large communities persist in the northern continent. The towns of Junon, Mideel and Kalm surround the larger metropolis of Midgard. Named for three of the pioneer-captains, and the lead colony vessel itself, these conurbations hold the main population centres on the planet. Each conurbation has its own specialised production and refinery facilities, related to the initial speciality of colonists founding the communities.

Nibelheim Mithril Mine & Processing Refinary

SENTINEL – The natural moon to Safehold, Sentinel is largely used as a storage and spaceport facility for produce to be sent coreward to the Karthago and Badab sectors. Contrary to its name, the moon houses little in the way of planetary defences, and only a small PDF training base. Main protection of Safehold is historically entrusted to local Arbites assets, and protection-pact with blessed Astartes of the Imperial Fists.

CHALLENGER DEEPS – The closet local jump-point is in the turbulent area of space known to local traders and ship-masters as the “Challenger Deeps”, these asteroid and wreck ridden areas are frequently disturbed by warp-tidal eddies, making longer range warp-travel hazardous. Unique amongst the systems of the Ultima Segmentum, the “Deep”, is a nebulae surrounding the planets star itself, with rogue comets and meteorite fragments wandering the extensive asteroid belts. Due to the massive amounts of uncharted and in many cases, mobile debris, main trade routes bypass this area, and generally take the slow-burn coreward via out-of system jump-points. However, the long sub-light burn to coreward make transports a prime target for local pirate and indigent raiders. 

The Navy presence in this area (cross ref: Fourth Horseman/Sword-class) is usually able to stymy the worst excess and persevere the vital trade routes, however ships and crew are lost regularly. Intermittent Astartes actions have been required to stifle more robust opposition, and unconfirmed rumours suggest a 1^st Legion strike cruiser is stationed in the sector following kill-missions against the Eldar-reiver vessel “Blackheart”. Regular Mechanicus exploratory and science vessels patrol this region of space, with the newly launched deep-void Explorator vessel “Event Horizon” currently on void-trials following it’s certification from the shipwrights of Hydra.

Fourth Horseman, Beyond the orbits of Loki, and Hydra

 

THE KRAKENDOOM – A local legend tells of a large space-faring beast known locally as “Krakendoom”. Rumours abound of a massive insectoid creature, with 100m huge claws and fangs, and grasping ethereal tendrils snaring an unwary shipmaster and his cargo. No confirmed sittings exist – however, no explanation exists for the high degree of new debris and ship wreckage in the Challenger Deep area, or the recent difficulties in astrotelepathy in this region of space. Ordos Xeno specialists suggest the existence of such void-predators to be hearsay at best. 

Rumoured space mega-fauna, image copy from "One-cred-dreadfyls" popularised on Safehold and Freiya.

FREIYA – System crown-world, and main Administratum base, Freiya stands as the main location for government in the system. Spread across many large continents, the Hives of Freiya are regarded as a wonder of the Segmentum, with sub-orbital plates containing housing, fabrication and processing facilities. Below these floating-fortresses lies a largely unspoiled wilderness, with a multitude of flora and fauna. With no natural moon, Mechanicum tech-mages have created and maintained the artificial satellite of “Port Wander” above the planetary capital.

True-colour vidpict of Freiya Hive Primaris "Highwynds"

LOKI – Dark cousin to Safehold and Freiya, Loki lies as the centre for Adeptus Mechanicum forces in-system. A huge manufactorm world containing mega-processing facilities and factorum, Loki is heavily guarded and well-defended by forces of the Martian Mechanicum and within it’s ring system maintains an advanced ship repair and refitting station to support the massive fleets of transports plying the void in the Tyche system.  Unusually, the largest of the manufactories on Loki are not processing Hives as on many worlds, but ancient “Tractor cities”. Lost relics from the Dark Age of Technology, these massive tracked vehicles travel throughout the tundra wastes of Loki, collecting mineral deposits, and being serviced by a fleet of attendant airships and hover-skiffs.

Hive Manufactorum on Loki

HYDRA – Adeptus Mechanicum outpost and space-vessel manufactorum centre, Hydra remains an important world in the Tyche system, with its Tech-Magos renowned for the quality of their ship-wright skills.

Spacedock/Refitting station orbiting Hydra.

CHARON – A large, volcanic deathworld, its chaotic orbit carries it close to “the Eye” – the systems sun. During it’s closet passage to the Eye, the world is riven with titanic shockwaves and volcano eruptions that make permanent habitation on the surface impossible, leaving any settlement to the deeper mantle. In addition to its geological instability, Charon is scoured by radiation storms and electromagnetic fluctuations that greatly limit any exploration of the surface. Due to its geological changes Charon is rich in gemstone wealth, unfortunately few mining or exploratory parties return from prospecting expeditions, however a permanent Adeptus Mechanicus station remains in orbit for scientific evaluation of the planet and for plundering the gemstone veins on the planet below when possible. Due to the attentions of the Mechanicus, several deep-shaft mines core through to the planets deepest regions, these remain unihabited by Man, yet dark rumors persist of mine-expeditions being hunted in the infernal dark by many-limbed monsters of unknown providence. 

ACHERON – A small outpost world, occupied by a subterranean prison facility. Too small to support an atmosphere, Acheron remains a lifeless planetoid with nil flora or fauna of note. Too far from the sun to generate the tectonic stresses needed to produce mineral formation or metallurgical wealth, the planet holds little interest to the Adeptus Mechanicus, with the local Navy vessels the only regular visitor. Exile and imprisonment on this dark world is held by inhabitants of Freiya and Safehold as a de facto death penalty, with criminals choosing the mortality rates of enslavement in the Loki foundries or Hydra dry-docks in preference to a “stretch” on Acheron. Historically, the only way off Acheron for the inmates is banishment to an Imperial Guard prison regiment such as the Savlar Chem-dogs, or Bar-El Indentured. 

Detention Cell-block H, Acheron Detention Complex

ERIS – A super-massive gas giant at the system’s edge, Eris was the site of a large scale naval battle during the dark hours of the Heresy. It’s enormous belts are home to no indigenous life, but rumours abound that it’s dark asteroid belt is home to Eldar and Ork pirates. Due to the amount of unstable debris, and lost, unsafe munitions, Eris and her rings remain abandoned with no standing garrison or Imperial presence.

Hulk/Wreck detonation observed by Mechanium drone-recorder in Eris orbit.

NAVAL RESOURCES – Aside from the main planetary bodies, the system of Tyche acts as a transport hub for the sector at large. As such it is regularly crossed by transport vessels, and Mechanicum trade-barges. Navy protection of the system is maintained by the permanent deployment of the Sword-class frigate “Fourth Horseman” and its attendant system-defence ships and attack craft. These vessels are maintained at high-harbour on Hydra, and Port Wander orbiting Freiya. Furthermore, following Dark Angels interdiction of pirate forces in system, sightings continue of the strike cruiser “Avenger” in the system’s outer reaches. Recently launched from Hydra, the Explorator-vessel “Event Horizon” maintains scientific expedition close to Charon and throughout the Challenger Deeps. This vessel is rumoured to be the test bed for a new class of Mechanicum barge, designed and rebuilt with recovered STC data from wrecks in the Eris debris-belt. Technical specifications remain a mystery, but Inquisition probes and data-requests suggest the “Event Horizon” may be able to navigate and transition to faster-than-light travel without recourse to warp transit or dependence on the Astronomicon. Larger by several classes than even the “Avenger”, the “Event Horizon” remains an important Mechanicum asset in the Tyche system, and a masterpiece of engineering and design.

Adeptus Mechanicus research-barque "Event Horizon" traversing "Challenger Deep"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Message End +++