Planet Epsilon

[Inquisitor Garak]

Epsilon: A geographical and strategic assessment of planet and people by Inquisitor Caius Garak, Ordo Hereticus

To Lord Inquisitor Cairofax, Ordo Hereticus Sector Headquarters

When the Inquisition first assigned me to planet ‘Epsilon’, I was waiting for them to finish the designation and then tell me its name. I was informed that Epsilon was both name and designation for this world. This vexed me to no end-until I saw where it was located. Epsilon is the capital planet in a subsector of space along the galaxy’s northern fringe. It is so sparsely populated that management of the subsector falls under the purview of the nearest subsector with a major Administratum hub, coincidentally several hundred light years away. The subsector consists of seven inhabited planets in four star systems, with Epsilon being on its own in the Epsilon Prime system. My assessment of Planet Epsilon will be covered in four categories: Geography, People, Strategic Value and Inquisitorial Assessment.

Geography

Epsilon has no axial tilt, and a very fast rotation leading to a fifteen hour day/night cycle. It is covered in lush deciduous forests in the center that persist from the equator and progressively thin out into mild taigas in the Polar Regions. Due to past seismic activity and tectonic upheaval, the forests are frequently broken up by colossal mountain ranges and lakes that would safely qualify as freshwater inland seas on any other world. It is extremely rich in natural resources, be it iron ore, wood, water, food or minerals and the inhabitants’ survival relies heavily on Epsilon’s bounty. The planet’s climate supports an almost endless growing season near the equator and even the taigas do not go below zero degrees Celsius at their worst, making this planet perfect for human habitation save one minor detail.

Planet Epsilon is one of the most hostile Death Worlds I have ever encountered. The serenity and beauty of the planet that I beheld during my descent to surface was shattered once I saw the composition of the human settlements and cities, which I shall outline in the next section of my report. There are several deadly species of fauna that roam the forests of Epsilon, none of which have been formally studied past what basic autopsies have revealed after killing them.

The most prevalent is known locally as a “Crawler”. Crawlers are large, insectoid creatures that inhabit the perpetual gloom that is the forest floor. They are slightly larger than a grox, and bear a passing resemblance to a Catachan Devil. They are jet black with long, segmented bodies and dozens of legs. Their primary appendages contain a wickedly sharp blade made of chitin that contains both a venom sac and an ovipositor. The venom is a strong paralytic agent that disrupts all motor control in the victim, presumably so that they do not damage the eggs and so that the eggs have a warm place to incubate. A Crawler sting will deposit anywhere between ten and twenty five eggs in the victim’s abdomen, preferably the digestive tract where they will absorb nutrients through osmosis. The eggs will hatch into larva in about five days’ time whereupon they will begin feeding on the host itself. The “parent” has usually eaten the limbs by then to prevent the host from moving or fleeing. Their saliva seems to contain a natural coagulant, preventing the host from bleeding out. The larvas grow into their next stage after approximately one week after consuming the host. At this point they are juveniles and consume their way up the biosphere into adulthood, whereupon they repeat the cycle. Apparently due to a limited number of creatures close to the size of man, their numbers were regulated pre-colonization. The spike in numbers and severity of their threat is a direct effect of man living on the planet, as evidence by comparative studies of Crawler colonies both near civilization and in the planet’s most remote reaches. Attempts to plant eggs in servitors have proved fruitless.

There are several species of deadly biting insects, land and seaborne fauna that inhabit the planet alongside Crawlers, to be detailed in my next report which will take a more in-depth look at Epsilon’s biosphere. The flora, however, are far more forgiving. The trees are oxygen producing and an excellent source of lumber there are dozens of species of edible berry and mushroom, and only seven known poisonous plants in the ecosystem.

People

The inhabitants of Epsilon have adapted to life on this planet quite well, all things considered. The capital city of Solitaire has two small manufactorums overseen by the twenty techpriests that comprise the Mechanicus presence on planet. These manufactorums are capable of producing most modern amenities from the resources provided by the planet, with only the more complex and rare luxuries being unavailable to the populace. The population is almost universally middle to working class, as even administrators and the wealthier percentage are expected to pull their weight for the welfare of the populace. This is not part of government agenda or ideology, but necessary for humanity to survive on this planet.

Cities are always surrounded by a ten foot high wall to keep creatures out, and it is regularly sanded and smoothed to hamper a creature’s ability to scale it. Sewer outlets and grates are regularly inspected to signs of infestation. Expeditions coming back are quarantined and thoroughly swept for any fauna that latched on and might make its way into the cities. Water sources with 10 kilometers of every settlement are cleansed of breeding insects to prevent contamination and sickness. All in all their procedures are very thorough, disciplined and if I may say so rival that of the Cadians.

The people of Epsilon are a hardy group, immune to several common diseases and generally well-built as befits their way of life. They tend to have paler skin from extended periods beneath the thick tree cover, excellent low light vision, and are nigh undetectable moving through underbrush. They have an intimate understanding of the temperate forest and taiga biomes, as well as mountainous regions, and an excellent knowledge of edible flora and fauna in said environments. These traits make them excellent survivalists, and some of the best mountain and woodland fighters that I have ever encountered.

There are only a few career paths available to inhabitants, those being: Imperial Guard, Planetary Defense Force, Resource Acquisition, Administration, Farming and Manufactorum labor. All of these jobs are regarded with relatively equal levels of respect, perhaps with a little less toward Administration. The Guardsmen and PDF soldiers excel in woodland and mountain warfare, and are passable urban fighters as well. The manufactorums produce woodland camouflage fatigues, reinforced flak armor to resist Crawler stings, Chimeras, Hellhounds, Lasguns and other man portable weapons, Sentinels and a limited number of Leman Russ battle tanks due to their reduced effectiveness in woodland and mountainous terrain. They are still deemed vital, however, for theaters of war off world and urban combat, and are mostly sent out with regiments as part of the annual tithe. The manufactorums are slowly expanding as resources are exported and traded for schematics as well as items not otherwise available to a world so far off the beaten path.

Due to its remoteness, there is no Schola Progenium nearby, and thus a distinct lack of Storm Troopers, Commissars, Assassin, Priests aside from the Bishop and his clergy in Solitaire, and generally any oversight greater than the planetary governor, whom I judge to be a pious man and very knowledgeable in how best to keep his people alive. I do believe I am actually the ranking Imperial authority in the entire subsector and as such they set up an official subsector headquarters for the Inquisition in Solitaire. It is just a two story blockhouse staffed by servitors, but I was flattered nonetheless. I have been permitted to take on acolytes

Strategic Value

Epsilon’s immediate strategic value as the military strongpoint of the subsector is undeniable, and the fighters it produces fit a very valuable niche in the Imperial Guard. That being said, aside from unconfirmed reports of Tau incursions, and an unidentified Astartes Chapter operating in the area, I see no immediate threat that the standing forces cannot handle. There are no signs of heresy whatsoever, and I detect no trace of the taint in the populace. All in all the cost of spending additional resources on defending these worlds outweighs the benefits. The being said, I do not believe the current situation merits the skills of a Hereticus Inquisitor and attached you will my request for transfer to a more populated subsector, which is showing signs of possible cult activity.

Inquisitorial Assessment

I find the population of Epsilon to be in excellent spiritual health, and the Ministorum is more than capable of seeing to the needs of the people. There is no sign of cult activity, or of daemonic incursion. After investigating what is doubtless a false lead pertaining to some Tau activity at the far end of the system, I hope you will seriously consider my request for transfer to a more populated subsector.

Submitted with respect by Inquisitor Caius Garak, Ordo Hereticus

~Innocence Proves Nothing~