The subterranean depths of Belus Prime stir once more. Rumors of a discovery deep within the planet’s crust have drawn the attention of five powerful factions, each guided by secret intelligence, each hungry for the prize.

Miners delving into a sealed cavern vanished without a trace. Fragments of their reports surfaced—snatched, stolen, and recovered by rival operatives—but the precise location has been lost. Somewhere in the shadowed warrens of Rift City lies the key to the mystery.

Inquisitor Madwyn Starc, vigilant and unyielding, has dispatched her chief interrogator, Seris Kael, to parley with a newly arrived fellow Inquisitor. Alongside them, Rogue Trader Zara Vale—their motives as inscrutable as their coffers are deep—has been summoned to pool resources and influence in the pursuit of what might be an artifact of untold power.

Yet the game is not theirs alone. A cunning Ork warband led by Iquisitork Grimsnagga, masquerading in a captured Imperial voidship, has made planetfall on the outskirts of Rift City. The greenskins lurk in shadow, watching, biding their time with a curiosity and patience that is as unnerving as it is uncharacteristic.

Even the Eldar have sensed the tremors of fate. Their seers perceive echoes of the future tied inexorably to this relic, a nexus point in the web of destiny that could alter the fortunes of all who seek it and have sent the warrior Invaril of the Shadowstrike Lugganath force to Belus Prime.

The hunt is on. Secrets, lies, and ambition intertwine beneath the fractured sky of Belus Prime. Whoever unravels the mystery first may claim not only the relic—but dominion over a fragment of the galaxy itself.

+++ ASTRA TELEPATHICA APPROVED LOCAL BROADCAST +++

+++ RIFT CITY CIVIC INFORMATION EXCHANGE +++
+++ BELUS PRIME : 744.M41 +++

The smoke never truly clears in Rift City.

Following weeks of mounting tensions between Imperial authorities and increasing reports of xenos sightings within the lower manufactorum zones, two separate violent incidents have now gripped the attention of both local enforcers and the wider population. Officials continue to deny any coordinated insurgency, though eyewitness accounts paint a far darker picture.

FORGE DISTRICT INCIDENT — “It Begins!”

Rumours continue to circulate regarding an alleged clandestine gathering between multiple Imperial agencies within the abandoned Forge District. Sources claim the meeting was intended to remain covert, though events rapidly descended into violence after unidentified assailants intervened.

Survivors and nearby workers described hearing sudden bursts of close-range gunfire echoing through the derelict factorums before the district descended into chaos. Several witnesses insist the attackers were “non-human in origin,” citing strange movement patterns, distorted vocalisations, and reports of clicking noises reverberating through the rusted corridors.

Authorities have refused to comment on the involvement of any xenos element.

In the aftermath of the incident, widespread rioting and looting erupted across neighbouring hab-blocks. Administratum spokesmen have condemned what they describe as:

“Opportunistic malcontents exploiting tragedy to undermine civic order.”

Graffiti denouncing Imperial authority has since appeared throughout the district, while patrol presence has sharply increased around transit junctions and ration depots.

No official casualty count has yet been released.

HAB DISTRICT FIRE-FIGHT — “Blood in the Streets”

Imperial Forces Clash in Open Streets

Panic spread through a populated hab district yesterday after multiple armed Imperial factions engaged in a running gun battle directly through civilian streets.

Witnesses report hearing sustained heavy weapons fire shortly before a tracked gun-servitor emerged into the main thoroughfare, unleashing torrents of large calibre rounds into unidentified Imperial targets positioned across the avenue.

“The whole street lit up red. Windows exploded everywhere. That machine just kept firing and firing.”

Additional reports mention precision sniper fire originating from elevated positions overlooking the district. Several witnesses claim Imperial storm troopers became pinned beneath a stairwell while attempting to advance under covering fire.

Yet the most disturbing accounts came from residents deeper within the settlement, where strange howling cries were reportedly heard moments before combat intensified.

Numerous civilians described:

• Rapid clicking sounds echoing through alleyways
• Inhuman shrieks moving between buildings
• Shadowed figures charging through the smoke

Speculation of further xenos infiltration has once again spread throughout Rift City.

The engagement reportedly lasted no longer than fifteen minutes before all gunfire abruptly ceased.

When civilians eventually emerged from hiding, they found only shattered masonry, heavy calibre impact scars, and a single corpse left behind — a local ganger identified by authorities as Felix, a known low-level criminal operating within the district.

No Imperial bodies were recovered from the scene.

RIFT CITY UNDER WATCH

With multiple unexplained armed engagements occurring within days of one another, fear and speculation continue to spread among the population.

Questions remain unanswered:

• Why are Imperial factions meeting in secret?
• What force intervened in the Forge District?
• Are xenos truly operating within Rift City’s underlevels?
• Why do all involved parties disappear before authorities arrive?

For now, the people of Rift City are advised to obey curfew regulations and report all suspicious activity to local enforcer precincts.

+++ THE EMPEROR PROTECTS +++

Belus System — Segmentum Pacificus | Population: Est. 54.3B

Belus Prime — Detailed planetary map

Belus System — Segmentum Pacificus | Population: Est. 54.3B

Planets

Planet	Type	Role / Notes	Population
Belus Prime	Mining World	Central hub; mountains, open-cast & deep-core mines; 3 moons: Arenig, Tolig, Lavig	21.8B
Corwen	Mining World	Closest to star; requires environmental controls for workforce	8B
Tegrid	Gas Planet	Small-scale gas mining for stellar fuel	Minimal / station workers
Tegrid 2	Gas Planet	Almost no harvestable gas; mostly uninhabited	N/A
Carno	Rocky / Mining Planet	Outer system mining; planet nearly cored, rumored collapse	Minimal / station workers

Moons of Belus Prime

Moon	Role / Notes
Arenig	Main ore distribution hub; hundreds of haulers arrive/depart daily
Tolig	Military fortress moon
Lavig	Military fortress moon

Asteroid Belt

Splits the system almost in half. Hundreds of mining operations (legal and illegal) take place. Large fleet patrols protect planets from rogue asteroids displaced by mining accidents.

General Overview

Belus system (circa 765.M41)

Primary Planet: Belus Prime

Affiliation: Imperium of Man, Adeptus Mechanicus

Type: Mining World

Size: 1.8 terran equivalent

Orbital Radius: 1.1 AU

Gravity: 1.2 G

Temperature/Climate: 18c Arctic to temperate

Population: 21.8 Billion

Planetary Governor: Ludlow Penrose III

System: Belus System

Sub-sector: Unknown

Segmentum: Segmentum Pacificus

Tithe Grade: Ore

History of the Belus System & Belus Prime

The Belus system was first observed in 383.M36 due to unusual warp-route fluxes detected by the Adeptus Astronomica. Initial surveys revealed three rocky worlds, two gas giants, and a vast asteroid belt that would later prove crucial to the system’s industrial output.

Belus Prime, the central planet of the system, holds a special place in Imperial history. Named for Saint Olivier Belus, the semi-legendary navigator and spiritual guide, it is said that Saint Olivier led the seven original settler families across the Immaterium to this world, establishing the foundations of human habitation in this remote sector. Evidence of earlier human activity suggests that human outposts may have existed as far back as M27, though these were cut off from the wider Imperium and likely lost to time. Certain artefacts recovered from deep-core mines are believed to originate from this primordial colonization.

Upon the planet’s formal discovery, the Imperium of Man recognized the strategic and material value of its ore deposits, essential for the production of ceramite armor and other war materiel. Belus Prime was formally claimed under Imperial law, and an Administratum presence was established, though day-to-day operations remained heavily influenced by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

To administer the growing population and ensure compliance with the Tithe requirements, the Imperium installed Governor Ludlow Penrose III, though real authority resided with the three surviving dynastic families — Gwynedd, Nefyn, and Idris — descendants of the original seven settler families. Through centuries of corporate maneuvering, war, and intrigue, these families consolidated power, controlling mining rights, infrastructure, and security forces across the planet.

Belus Prime’s history is not without turmoil. Notable incidents include:

• Et Absentis 764.M41 — Inquisitor Madwyn Starc uncovered a servitor conversion conspiracy involving the Idris family and an Adeptus Mechanicus adept.
• Mentis Viribis 744.M41 — A rogue Mechanicus attempt to create psychic-capable servitors was thwarted by Inquisitorial intervention.

The planet’s geography and infrastructure were profoundly shaped by mining. Vast mountain ranges and open-cast mines became the foundations for urban districts, while the three moons — Arenig (primary ore hub), Tolig, and Lavig (military fortresses) — ensured the system’s resource flow and defense. The asteroid belt, splitting the system nearly in half, remains a source of both wealth and danger, with numerous mining operations and patrol fleets maintaining order.

Over the centuries, Belus Prime has evolved into a well-fortified, industrious world, central to Imperial military supply chains and Mechanicus industrial production. Its population of over 53 billion souls labors under a strict bureaucratic and militarized regime, ensuring that the planet remains one of the Imperium’s most valuable and tightly controlled mining worlds.