\\ ++ :: Begin Record Recollection :: ++ //

:: Inloading Message Connection Data ::

 \\ ++ ::  Intended Recipient: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ++ //

[[ :: Opening Communication Channel : Acolyte Artaus Transmitting . . . ::]]

“...Greetings most blessed Inquisitor,  after months of collection and vital compiling among hundreds of forgotten librariums of the Cygnet sector, your faithful acolytes have compiled for you the report you most urgently requested. Your request for information on the region of space dubbed the Phantasma Abyss, M’Lord was most strange as few archives exist or are properly maintained in this late hour. ....”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“. . . It has taken you several solar years to compile this data Artaus, whilst I will no doubt express great pleasure in your ruthless diligence, your delays have caused a great stir within the Ordo Minorus. With the most recent revelations by members of my committee as it pertains to our missing Battlegroup, Ordo Chronos has begun probing our investigation, and their intervention in my investigation is something I can ill afford . . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . Of course my most holy Lord, I would not dare waste your time nor resources on folly, my report is comprehensive and contains dozens of reconstructed events using innumerable recountings and data recordings recovered by the Trader Dynasty of Mithreal. I can safely say that we have successfully compiled what could be considered the quintessential report on the lost Battlegroup Astra Integrum . . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . Very well, then let us delve into this archive, the Ordo and myself would be elated to finally close the book on this irksome footnote as it relates to the Phantasma Abyss. Now let us begin, from what you’ve transmitted, I am to understand the Battlegroup in question was fleeing from the nearby warzone of Ichorous V with a host of greenskins upon their trail? . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . Indeed M’Lord the most complete image is drawn from the details of several ranking officers and specialists from the combined arms fleet. From what we can piece together, Astra Integrum was comprised of several different Imperium-aligned factions, ranging from House Valenshroud’s own Knightly Court, to the Forgeworld of Bavarii and several maniples of their warhost alongside their personal armored core the Bavarii “Iron Hounds”.

 In addition several detaches from the Ichorous V Planetary Guard came with them, with various elements from the elite tithe Ashari 2nd “Dunebreaker '' Vanguard and Káthodos 495th “Sky Raider” Drop Wings. Which as you know was dispatched to Ichorous V with the intent of breaking the hold upon several Hive-Worlds by vile greenskins that have ravaged and terrorized the surrounding sectors in the centuries prior.  

From what the menials report,  the Battlegroup gave battle to the massed warband of Orkish invaders but was overwhelmed and collected stragglers and elements from various Imperial elements that remained after it became clear the conflict was to be devastating to Imperial Forces. With what forces they could recover from the doomed system, they set about withdrawing under the orders of Commodore Terval, the ranking officer of the Battlegroup after Admiral Karsis was slain in action. . . “

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . Defeat at the hand of greenskins? Acolyte you must be trying my patience, the Battlegroup of Ad Integrum included elements from some of the finest institutions our blessed Imperium could muster. Shall we not forget, these regiments of the Imperial Guard drawn from worlds who’s tithe to the Imperium has been up until this point peerless in their capabilities.

Thusly are you to imply that a vaunted warhost such as this was broken by the likes of mere Greenskins? Your jesting does so wear upon my patience. . . “

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . .Most holy Inquisitor, I would broker no mockery to the formidable warhost the Imperium did assemble to smite the foes of Man. The preliminary investigations into the fate of the Battlegroup has led us to suspect that there, perhaps, may have been seditious elements that had embedded themselves within the Imperial detachments at the behest of masters of the darkened sort. 

 Listening post data from the time seems to suggest that there was an unusual stretch of activity in the Phantasma Abyss during the time frame in which the Battlegroup would have been entering and returning along the stellar route that moves through the estranged region of space. 

As for the nature of the Orkish incursion that possibly drove away the Battlegroup and gave chase to them, there is no sign. Early reports from the segmentum indicate several disparate war hosts of Greenskins operating under an unusually capable and vile Warboss that had been plaguing the sector prior to their arrival. Early Adaptus Mechanicus reports suggest a ratio of greenskins far higher than even that reported to the units upon their initial dispatch to this sector. It was by the crushing weight of numbers they seem to have driven back our stalwart defenders and given chase to them as they began a disorganized withdrawal.

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . How ill timed, very well then, your report suggested that as the fleet began this poorly organized withdrawal from the doomed sector that they had at least successfully established and completed a transition into the Immaterium. Then if such is the case Acolyte, how did data-servitors carrying all this information end up inside a derelict Cobra Destroyer that was confirmed to have made a transition into the Immaterial with the rest of the withdrawing fleet?  I want to know where the rest of my Battlegroup is Acolyte . . . “

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . I implore you, for but a few moments more of your strained patience, as survey teams boarded the vessel and found the following data as it was, intact and prepared for dispensation for whom it may concern. As it stands, the augers and data-banks of the Cobra Destroy, codified as the Light of Stahl, was indeed part of the few ships that managed to disengage after the stellar battle that claimed the life of Admiral Karsis at the entrance to the Ichorous V system. The remnant of the fleet made haste to collect and recover groundside elements that were trapped in battle planetside on the sector capital of Ichorous V.

 After several stalling actions made by their bedraggled capital ships and destroyer escorts, the fleet made an emergency transition into the Immaterial. The internal ledger for the vessel records them departing with a sizable force of orkish warships riding and pursuing their wake through the Warp.

 It was near the mid-way of their journey…. And forgive my lack of grasp Inquisitor, that they were suddenly pulled from their stellar route, their place of arrival is unrecoverable my Lord as Adaptus Mechanicus thralls and Administratum data-menials were unable to point to any solid location within our expanse that these data-points coincide with. From there the Light of Stahl’s own data-banks come to an end after the crew abandoned ship in orbit of an unknown world. The data bank only recorded a single emergency jump that hauled the ship back into real-space somewhere within the Phantasma Abyss some considerable time later. . . “

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . How irksome, but you do have confirmation that much of the lost battlegroup was indeed intact when they were forced to make a transition into the material or what it could loosely be called within that twisted mote of reality they had been drawn too?. . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“. . . Indeed M’Lord, we have confirmation that the information as it has been presented to you includes everything we can glean from on the ground details. Several of the regiments kept detailed logs of their time within this anomalous region of space. It is from these logs that were placed seemingly purposefully within the data-banks recovered from the Light of Stahl that we’ve been able to cobble together a rough time-table and account of what unfolded.  Within the realm they refer to as “The Land of Illusions” and from what we’ve gleaned it is some-sort of half-realm, neither fully within the material nor within the Immaterial. M'Lord, tis an estranged place out of time truly, where the laws of reality have broken down in some regards. 

Yet unlike recorded daemon-worlds, this realm did not match any previously catalogued worlds touched by Chaos and it's infectious and twisting nature. This realm may indeed have been some world forged by beings of the Immaterium that sought some sort of order- . . . “

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“. . . We do not have idle time to speculate on the nature of the Immaterial nor the nature of the Arch-Enemy. You would do well to avoid mention of such and the speculation pertaining to such matters, least we draw in the focus of more Ordo’s with far more esoteric interest in said manners. I broker little patience for their probings when so much work remains to be done in finding our lost fleet.

Now, this “Land of Illusions”, I see you have taken the liberty to translate the local Low Gothic dialect into a more legible form of High Gothic. This name is somewhat cumbersome to speak aloud, what in their tongue, did the reports refer to the land as Acolyte? . . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . I shall heed to your infinite wisdom M’Lord, I do beg your pardon for such errant speculation staining our communication’s link. Indeed, I had taken the opportunity to translate the text into something more manageable for High Gothic speakers, when spoken in Low Gothic it composed the word Gensokyo, at least in the native dialect.” 

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . Gensokyo? Feh, a cumbersome word as well, spoken by savages no doubt. Very well Artaus, let me see what sources we have at our disposal for recollection, make certain to include what you can in this briefing so that I can relay this to my committee most effectively. Now, I want to start with the journals from a source I recognize. 

This one,  here from a 1st Lieutenant Tomas Foley, of the“Sky-Raiders” Drop Troop. I am familiar with the feats of this Imperial Guard regiment, as I’ve seen several after-action reports from warzones they’ve participated within.  If I recall correctly they possess, a fairly well decorated unit of honor-bound Stormtroopers with a suitably intense loathing and hatred for the Greenskin. I am to understand that my elected account, being it is one of many, is one of the more grounded of the entries. Or are all of the presented archives and notes going to be just as fantastic and difficult to explain? . . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . Most noble Lord, if I were able to make these clear and grounded as the dawn, I would have. Unfortunately the scenario we find ourselves in, lacks just that. Clarity in any true capacity as we have been forced to cobble this together the best we can, shall I begin relaying the data-entry to you so that you may intake it's contents at your leisure, M’Lord? . . .”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic: Ordo Astra; Inquisitor Tharix :: ]]

“ . . . Indeed, begin the inload. Let us see what we can glean from these entries, hopefully delving into the depth of this enigma will shed some light on the state of the Battlegroup and possible whereabouts as to it's final location. 

You may begin transmitting at once Artaus . . . [*Muffled*] Veritus, get me a glass of amasec, I feel  as if I will need such for this wordy catalogue of information and it's entire depth.”

[[ :: Incoming Vox Traffic : Acolyte Artaus ::]]

“ . . . But of course M’Lord as you will. Blessed be Him on Earth. May he elucidate the fate of the souls of our brothers and sisters at arms that were lost among the Phantasma Abyss. May His justice account in all things.

[[ :: Vox Communication; Terminated ::]

[[ :: Beginning Data In-load from Remote Source ::]

\\ ++ . . . ++ //

 \\ ++ ::Addendum to Drafted Archive :: ++ //

“These are the after-action and recovered data-logs from various sources attached to the doomed Battlegroup Astra Intergum that vanished along routes that travel through the condemned sector known as the Phantasma Abyss upon some shifting realm aether realm known as Gensokyo.  

The following stories and accounts are a record of the officers and enlisted that served upon that world, how this tale will end, only further study will reveal..

[++ :: Benediction of the Day :: ++ ]]

“. . . Blessed be those that tread the lightened path, for within the dark does treason grow . . .”