~WINTER COMES TO OPHIUCHUS KICKOFF: THUS BEGAN THE CRYO-WARS

"In the shadow of the numidian corridor coreward of the xenophon expanse, lies the Ophiuchus system. Settled by Mechanicus explorator Lord Bakkus Aerd in M35, it soon became a waystation for merchant vessels and rogue trader assets passing through the corridor to reach the badlands that lay in the shadow of the Emperor's light.





Aerd soon left The Ophiuchus system along with his Fleet and Mechanicus Ark in search of new lands past the numidian corridor, and left a small garrison of Skitarii guardians on the prime world of the system; newly dubbed-Aerd's Landing.
In M38, the imperial colonist ships (having been time-locked in the warp-flux tides of the Xenophon Expanse for 3000 terran years) arrived to find the Skitarri guardians still at their posts, literally.
The entire explorator fortress on Aerd's Landing was frozen solid, and the vast asteroid rings circling the entire system had become glittering ice-bands. There had been no distress beacon or forewarning, the entire system seemed to have been flash frozen in an instant, and no remnant or whisper of the culprit(s) remained. The Ophiuchus system was now a frozen tomb, its secrets locked in the icy throats of its dead protectors.



With no other recourse, and no visible threat or enemy to run from, the colonists went to work making this icy system their new home, and over the Next few millennia, created a thriving ice-mining culture that rivalled Janus IV or Terra Nova.
The Ophiochans, as they renamed themselves, would soon discover the horrible fate awaiting them and the entire imperium, when random chance would have Ophiochan ice-miners discover something in the ice that would change the fate of the sector forever...



In the later years of M41.999991, as Baal prepared for the Tyran threat, Fenris shook under the bombardment of friend and foe alike, as the very Imperium trembled at the flickering of the Astronomicon, it would be easy to overlook the secret war that engulfed the Ophiuchus system.
Ice miners tunnelling into the once-verdant ocean world (turned iceball) Twist, broke into an ancient temple that would have once rested on the seafloor.
Inside the temple, the cryonaughts discovered a huge cyclopean dias, atop which rested the Sutropian Thermovex.




This device had once belonged to a powerful warlord who used the artifact to reduce the ambient energy around him to almost complete heat-death. The un-named warlord had captured it from some even more ancient weapons cache of the old races, and new little of its true, chilling potential.
This weapon almost defeated the Emperor's Crusade Armada, but the combined psychic might of the God-Emperor of mankind and his son Magnus was able to contain the weapon long enough to slay the Warlord's forces.
The Emperor knew he could not risk the superweapon getting into the hands of his enemies, and so he hid the device in the deep dark ocean depths of Twist.
Aerd's Skitarii guardian force happened upon the chamber by happenstance while battling aqua-raiders who used the ocean as a hiding place to attack the Mechanicus mining units spread across the Ophiuchan asteriod belts littering the system.
Battle between the pirate forces and Skitarii depth-striders broke through the chamber, and the device was accidently activated, sucking all heat from entire sector faster than the speed of light.

Now, Sutropian Thermovex in hand, the cryonaughts decided they did not need to toil under Imperial rule any longer, and a series of battles consumed the system.
this internecine campaign of destruction soon drew the attention of outlying warlords for sub sectors around.

BEGUN, THE CRYO-WARS HAVE. "




This is where you come in: great warlords of the sector, beasts and men and machines all ready to capture the Satropian Thermoflex for themselves, and use its ICY POWER to control the.... UNIVERSE!

Will it be you??!?!?!?!


Alright guys, its here. This season there will be just two teams, I will randomly assign like last time (teams up tomorrow)



TEAMS












ALGOR CONJOIN (AC)

"The Algor Conjoin came about when the massive influx of small self-interest and black-ops imperial forces and Imperial-friendly Eldar remnants realized that a common enemy was more progressive than internicine skirmishes. The Thermovex could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the forces of disorder. So a conjoin was agreed upon on the comet "Algor", circling the system in an orbit that took it past the major warp entry corridors. At a table carved from promethean ice, Imperial, Eldar and corsair forces agreed to a shaky truce. Their aims might be different, and most would betray the other before the day was won, but for now the guns of Order would point outward..."

-TOM
-CAM
-BEN
-BEAU
-PASCAL
-WES
-MARSHAL
-SEAN














KILHEID INTERMISSIO (KI)


"In the folding eddies of the Xenophon expanse, forces marshalled. The Thermovex meant everything to the forces actively working to destabilize the sector, and for once they would need to put aside their infighting to capture such a relic. On the bridge of the Corsair Cruiser "Kilheid's Folly", Imperial rogues, self-interested Astartes chapters, even Xenos scum from as far as the damocles gulf and the whinnowing ghoul stars gathered in force, and an Intermissio; a cessation of hostilities for a common goal was formed. The galaxy would tremble at the feet of the Kilheid Forces!"

-IAN
-ANDREW
-DAN
-IVAN
-JEREMY
-JORDON
-ROBYN
-KENZIE
-ASHLEY










I will add ppl as more sign up.




Signup form is at the den, $5 if you wanna take part,  (all money goes towards league prizes in the finals.)
This league begins with the Kickoff sunday, and will run for 12 weeks (this will put us through the holidays, but again, it takes few games to get into league finals)

This season as well, new surprise!

EXTRA SEASON POINT: SPECIAL MISSIONS

Instead of 'oldhammer' like last time, you will earn an extra point if you play the special mission I assign every two weeks. You will only get it once per 2 weeks though, so play it at least once, but not every time (that would be boring!)

MISSIONS (WEEKS 1-6)



1. THE WINDS OF WINTER
(Reveals Sunday, October 2nd)


2. BATTLE OVER FELLSPONT
(reveals TBA)


3. UNDER THE ICE
(reveals TBA)


I will reveal the final two planets in the last 4 weeks, and the super secret final mission/planet will be revealed at the very end, stick around!

If you have any questions (like, damn paz, how you so dope) feel free to PM me and/or contact me through the hunters facebook page.



GOOD LUCK DUDES AND DUDETTES, CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THESE CRYO-WARS TURN OUT, AND FOR WINTER TO FINALLY COME!

Awesome write up and graphic work. Looking foreword to seeing this custom trophy you allude to.

Thanks dude, i really appreciate it

*waves hand* I need a team!

Sorry dude, missed some names off my sheet!

Looks awesome as always Paz!

Look at you go Paz. This is fantastic.