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Medusa V is a fictional world in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. The world is the focus of the 2006 Games Workshop Worldwide Campaign; The Fall of Medusa V.
The Medusa star system
The Medusa star system is located on the far side of the galaxy to Holy Terra. Named after the homeworld of the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter, the star system consists of eight planets; named Medusa I - VIII. Of these worlds, two were suited to human habitation (Medusa IV and V), and two were gas giants (Medusa VI and VII). Medusa VII was believed to be a Necron tomb-world.
The original purpose of colonising the Medusa system was to provide a waystation and staging point for Imperial starships seeking to utilise the Warp phenomena known as Van Grothe's Rapidity. The system's great mineral wealth, discovered after the removal of the native alien species and the colonisation of Medusa IV and V, became one of the primary contributors to industry in its galactic subsector.
The presence of Van Grothe's Rapidity occasionally causes significant warp storms to flare up on occasion. These storms served to cut off external access to the Medusa system for varying periods of time, ranging from months to decades.
Medusa V
Since the middle of the 41st millennium, Medusa V was the primary world of the Medusa star system. Medusa V was colonised by the Imperium of Man during the early part of the 38th millennium, and is classified as a "Mining/Industrial World" by the Imperium. The planet had a population of 4.5 billion people, who primarily inhabit nine hive cities (massive arcology-like structures that stand several kilometres tall).The world is orbited by three Imperial Navy spacedocks, which contribute heavily to the defence of Medusa V.
Van Grothe's Rapidity
The Warp phenomena known as Van Grothe's Rapidity was discovered by the Imperium two hundred years into the 38th millennium. This Warp/Realspace overlay spans several light years, and like most overlays, is considered extremely dangerous to interstellar travel.However, it was discovered that when the overlay was transversed in a certain way, instead of destroying the vessel, it would propel the vessel through the Immaterium at a significant speed, reducing transit times by a factor of several months. The relative stability of the Rapidity, combined with the rapid-like propulsion effect has been harnessed by the Imperial Navy and Rogue Traders, but the still-present danger has earned the overlay the moniker of Hell's Slingshot.
History
After the discovery of Van Grothe's Rapidity by the Imperial Navy and the Adeptus Mechanicus, it was decided that to exploit this phenomenon, the Imperium would need to maintain a continual presence near the Rapidity. After several years of searching, a nearby star system was located with two human-habitable worlds. Under the protection of a Clan Company of the Iron Hands, the Imperium began to exterminate the indigenous inhabitants of the system, before colonising the star systems fourth and fifth planets. In honour of the Iron Hands assistance, the system was named after their homeworld, Medusa.
Being the larger of the two worlds, Medusa IV was marked for heavy colonisation, with the Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet establishing many large cities, to be filled with civilian colonists (both willing and unwilling), siphoned from Hive Worlds across the Imperium. In contrast, Medusa V's settlement consisted only of a single continent, and was focused primarily around establishing mining regions.
The Medusa Schism
After the system's colonisation, the worlds witness numerous minor attacks, ranging from Eldar pirates to the Tau Empire. However, the most significant attack prior to the end of the 41st millennium came from within. Two Hive Cities on Medusa IV declared themselves independent from the Imperium. As the planetary governor attempted to put down the rebellion, more and more citizens declared their true allegiance — to the powers of Chaos. As the majority of the population fell to insanity, the few Hive Cities still loyal to the Imperium sent out a call for help. Unfourtunately, the Rapidity had generated a warp storm that had already lasted several years.The only people able to respond to the distress call were the inhabitants of Medusa V, whose minimal Planetary Defence Force recruited thousands of willing miners and workers, before commandeering numerous interplanetary freighters and heading for their sister planet. Over the next two and a half years, the hastily-raised Medusa V army was able to defend the final bastions of Imperial allegiance from the forces of Chaos. The Second Company of the Ultramarines, along with several members of the Imperial Inquisition, who deemed that Medusa IV could not survive. The world was sentenced to Exterminatus, although after much appeal, a one-week reprieve was granted to evacuate the few loyal Imperial citizens left on the planet.
Millions of civilians were saved before the Inquisition incinerated Medusa IV's atmosphere, converting the once lush world to a barren, airless rock. The refugees were relocated to Medusa V, where they were forced to undergo months of screening and purification to ensure that the Chaotic taint had not escaped the planet. They were housed in massive prefabricated cities, where they became a willing labour force, processing the raw ores and fossil fuels taken from Medusa V by its original miner-inhabitants.
The Fall
Two hundred years after the Schism, near the close of the 41st millennium, the once-stable Rapidity began to grow in size. The cause of this expansion was uncertain and hotly debated by many, but the effect was clear to all. Everything the expanding warp/realspace overlay came into contact with was completely destroyed, and the growth of the Rapidity was increasing. The Medusa system lay in its path, and it was determined that Medusa V would be consumed within less than a year, likely much sooner.As the Imperial forces planned to evacuate the planet, several events occurred, infinitely complicating the situation. Several cities of Schism refugees began to revolt against planetary authorities. Energy spikes were detected, first emanating from the dead world of Medusa VII, then on Medusa V itself, one in close proximity to the second-largest population centre on the planet. Imperial vessels travelling through the outer system were mysteriously attacked, just within sensor range of the planetary picket fleet. An investigating frigate squadron encountered only deal hulks. The Ordo Xenos reported a Tyranid splinter fleet in the subsector, which was apparently being drawn towards the expanding Rapidity. An Ork space hulk appeared near Medusa V, and then was lost by the Imperials. Unknown attackers began to attack farms on the northern edge of the main continent, looting all the machinery. In response, farmers began to abandon their crops in fear, in turn making a famine situation likely. Medusa V, on the verge of death, was about to erupt into chaos and war.
The Fall of Medusa V
The Fall of Medusa V is the Games Workshop Worldwide Campaign for 2006. the campaign is scheduled to begin on the 5th of July, 2006, and will continue until the end of August. The campaign will primarily revolve around the Warhammer 40,000 miniature war game, although other games in the Warhammer 40,000 franchise will likely contribute to the results. Like the previous campaigns, the results will have an impact on the fictional and game play development of future versions of Warhammer 40,000, although it has been announced that regardless of the outcome, Medusa V will be destroyed.
The results of games played can be recorded on the "Fall of Medusa V" campaign website, where they will contribute to the overall outcome of the worldwide event. Similar to the Armageddon3 campaign, different regions of the world are to be assigned different geographical areas on the primary continent of Medusa V. Stores will also be hosting in game events to support it.
However, there are two main differences between The Fall of Medusa V and previous campaigns. The first is that instead of the storyline being a war between two major factions (such as the Imperium and Orks during the Armageddon campaign) and the other races assigned to fight alongside one of the two factions, each race has its own 'campaign objective', and victories by that race will contribute to the accomplishment of that objective. Secondly, no Event Codex will be released. Instead, the campaign material will be provided via the website, White Dwarf, and the Cities of Death Battlefield Codex.
Warzones
As a worldwide campaign, players are assigned to one of nine warzones, determined by their geographical location. Any and all battle-reports, with attendant fluff, would susequently have an effect for their faction in the said warzone and for their faction in general.
The nine battlezones, with major objectives/landmarks/borders, are:
| Zone | Location | Objective(s) | Borders | Real-world area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euryales | Central | Hive Eurayles (Capital) Guilliman's Scar Refugee Camp Alpha Vigilus prison complex | All but Tisiphone | Spain & Latin America | Significant proportion of Medusa V's population located here |
| Articus | Northwestern | Hive Zethus Hive Amphion Hive Alecto | Euryales, Telosia | Italy | Sector contains significant amount of industry; arctic conditions |
| Telosia | Northern | Hive Megaera Spaceport Deimos Hive Machavius | Articus, Euryales, Verdia | Northern Europe (except Germany & France) and South Africa | Spaceport is vital for evacuation; main staging point for incoming Imperial forces; major Necron presence detected |
| Verdia | Northeastern | Monastery of Madrigales Sybilla Secundus The Verdian Strip | Telosia, Euryales, Tisiphone, Edethor | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Sector provides vast majority of Medusa V's foodstuffs; primary astropathic choir and external communications facility; rumours of major Chaos and Ordo Malleus activity |
| Tisiphone | Far Eastern | Hive Tisiphone Nazdreg's Hulk Charybdis Crest | Verdia, Edethor | Canada | Significant land transport infrastructure, major Ork presence detected, Tau presence suspected |
| Edethor | Eastern | Sybilla Tertius Edethor's Mouth Charybdis Crest Sybilla Quarantine Zone The Mortise Line Geryon Strip Mines | Euryales, Verdia, Tisiphone, Armida, Hydra | United Kingdom | Significant mining infrastructure, presence of major Eldar Wraithgate suspected, Tau presence suspected |
| Armida | Southeastern | Hive Stheno The Eye of the Emperor Baptiste's Wrath | Edethor, Hydra | France | Major rebel presence suspected in Baptiste's Wrath; tropical conditions |
| Hydra | Southern | Sybilla Primus Hell's Crucible Hydra Tooth Geryon Base Geryon Strip Mines | Perseus, Euryales, Edethor, Armida | USA | Sector contains significant amount of industry; major imperial air base and communications array present |
| Perseus | Southwestern | Hive Perseus Diamedes Mineral Extraction Facility The Mission / Refineries / Promethium pipelines | Euryales, Hydra | Australia and New Zealand | The refineries provide 76% of the promethium for Medusa V |
Official Timeline
- 2006-05-03: Website Online
- 2006-06-07: Website Opens (Note: Dates may vary for different websites)
- 2006-06-21: Registration Begins
- 2006-07-05: Campaign Starts
- 2006-08-30: Campaign Ends
- 2006-09-01: Results Posted
Campaign slogan
This year, a world will die... ("Year" is replaced with "Summer" or "Winter" in Northern and Southern Hemisphere-specific materials respectively)
References
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External links
Official:
Organizational Websites:
"Medusa V"