Editing Icelus (section)

==The Rail Network==

The southern hemisphere of Icelus is criss-crossed by an elaborate railway system which connects the Hives like blood vessels. This network is as old as the Hives themselves, and indeed speculation runs through the more eccentric fringe of the College of Archeologists that the railway predates them. Heavily armed maintenance teams scour the rails daily, fending off raiders and predators in order to keep the trains running without a hitch.

Although the rich and powerful can afford to travel from Hive Secundus to Hive Primus by air, for most travellers their first view of the Capital will be from the windows of a train compartment. It is the primary way of travel between the Hives on Icelus as the foot trails are treacherous and plagued by bandits, some of which have specialised as train robbers and made a name for themselves on the flats. It is also necessary for commerce and trade, and thousands of tons of goods flow upon the rails daily.

The Transcontinental Rail Guilds of Icelus are the source of power and wealth for many noble families. Barons vie for lucrative lines in a constant low-level struggle that at times erupts into open warfare between mercenary armies. Sabotage and assassinations are common, but to be a rail baron in Icelus is to be one of the social elite.

Controlling the network as a whole is the Plotter's Combine, the group of administrators and traffic controllers that are responsible for the railway system as a whole, booking trains into allotted time-slots and making sure that the routes are collision-free. Obviously the power this organization is considerable, though they act more as arbitors and mediators for the Rail Guilds rather than overlords. Nevertheless the Combine is rigid and its schedule tight, it is considered a major social faux pas to waste the time of a Plotter.

High-ranking Nobles and other influential individuals, such as Inquisitors, need no tickets to go to their destination of choice. They simply order a destination, and trains are chartered for them, routes plotted through multiple Guild lines without a question. Congested lines suddenly unblock for them, and commuter trains are delayed for hours or days so that these special trains can pass. Generally known as "Purple Expresses", these trains are the envy of many.

===Icelus Rail Guilds===

Below is a list of the largest and most influencial Rail Guilds of Icelus, along with some rumors that surround them.

====Aldous Company====

Credo: "No delays. No compromise. No mistakes."
Founded by Baron Issachar Aldous and developed by his 3 children, Aldous Company has built a reputation as a solid, reliable Guild that serves midhive and upperhive with an enviable efficiency. Aldous trains are the most punctual in the network, a feat achieved by cogitator-aided trains and hefty bribes to the Plotters in equal measure. Heavy-handed business practices and a competitive edge has given Aldous a near-monopoly on traffic with Quartus hive (with the notable exception of the exclusive supply contract the Nakadah Guild managed to secure with the Emperor's Nightmare chapter). The Aldous monopoly on Quartus-Primus traffic is an insult to the other Guilds, and a source of constant petitions to the Governor's desk.
Rumors: The youngest brother of the Aldous siblings has taken a sudden intrest in the Secundus lower hive levels of late, sponsoring several expeditions to the hive base. This is unusual, especially since Secundus traffic is beyond Aldous territory... 

====Balsus Shipping====

Credo: "Next stop, tomorrow!"
A guild with close ties to the Mechanicus, Balsus trains boast masterwork engines and servitor-operated turrets. This company specializes in cargo shipping, and Purple Ticket passengers generally shun Balsus trains because of the no-frills interiors and service. Still, this Guild is the one most admired by the Priesthood of Mars for the exemplary way it tends to its machines. Balsus Shipping trains are frequently targeted by raiders seeking to avail themselves of the precious cargo they carry. The Guild keeps them at bay with their mechanized guards, as well as strategic alliances with a few nomad clans that are allowed to use cargo compartments to relocate their settlements.
Rumor: A persistent rumor is that the Balsus Guild turns any stowaways they find into servitors. This rumor is false, planted by the Guild itself to mask the actual source of their unending army of lobotomized cyborgs...

====Jaharra Lines====

Credo: "Tried. Tested. Victorious."
An old Guild, Jaharra Lines was the winner in the vicious Waystation Wars of M36-37 and has since cemented its influence on the western parts of Icelus. Jaharra's intrests lie in controlling key chokepoints of the rail infrastructure, such as major crossings and forks. The Guild operates tired, worn-down trains that the common folk can ride for cheap, as well as lavish, extravagant rail yachts for the purple-ticketed crowd. Jaharra Lines is dogged by a persistent scandal that concerns an ill-fated merger plan with House Quarter. Following the Waystation Wars, an arranged marriage between the eldest son of House Quarter and the then-debutante Belesa Jaharra was poised to secure both Houses' fortunes. However, the Quarter's Folly incident financially crippled House Quarter and the marriage was canceled, souring relations between the houses. When Jaharra withdrew from the deal, House Quarter's other rivals took advantage of their weakened state to stamp the Quarters out of the industry, something the surviving Quarters curse Jaharra Lines for to this day.
Rumor: The Matriarch Belesa Jaharra is growing tired of her rejuvenant-extended life, and is preparing to hand her empire over to one of her most trusted concubines... but which one?

====Lindacr Travels====

Credo: "Movement is the life of Man"
The brain child of the eccentric Baron Lindacr, this Guild specializes in luxury train services for the hiver elite. Nobles wishing to survey their estates or travel for leisure use the small, sleek Lindacr trains to the fullest. The most popular departures are booked up several years in advance, and in some cases tickets have been the subject of duels to the death. Lindacr also maintains close ties with land-train caravan lords, something that earns him a great deal of scorn from rival Guildmasters, but ensures him excellent guides for the annual hunting trips that hive nobles make into the Icelus wilds. The hunts are extravagant social affairs, especially since they are frequented by the Planetary Governor Maximilian Escidia who is always eager to add to his immence collection of trophies and specimens. Lindacr's friendship with the Governor also ensure favorable relations with the Plotters' Combine.
Rumor: The departure schedule of Lindacr trains has become increasingly erratic. Unbeknownst to all, if one were to plot the movement of all trains from this Guild, one would see a pattern, almost like a hieroglyphic language being inscribed on the surface of Icelus...

====Varinez - Magroth United Lines====

Credo: "Emperor's Blessings, Terra's Steel"
A Guild formed from the merger of two smaller baronies, V-M boasts the best security of all Guilds in the business. Because of Varys Magroth's connections within the Munitorum, V-M militia guards are hand-picked from the PDF, and Esma Varines' contacts within the Mechanicus keep the Guild's autogun turrets well-oiled and their murder-servitors impeccably programmed. In fact, the flagship train of V-M, the Elhunon, has never once suffered a raider attack, robbery or hijacking, something no train of any other Guild has managed. The Elhunon's guns keep nomads at bay, while strict and draconian security measures ensure infiltration attempts are foiled long before departure, making it the train of choice for paranoid nobles and couriers with precious cargo.
Rumor: While the two Guild heads are deeply in love, their children and heirs hate each other. Minor skirmishes have already erupted between gangs loyal to each of the five siblings, and it's only a matter of time before a full Rail War erupts on V-M soil...

====Concordat of Daloush====

Credo: "His will be done in every endeavour"
One of the largest power players in Icelus, Daloush holds a comparatively small area of the rail network, but makes up for it by diversifying into the much-despised land train and caravan market. Daloush is not run in the traditional Rail Guild way, with a baron leading the organization. Rather, all decisions are made by a gathering of stakeholders, which include a few nomad wheel-lords as well as hiveborn nobles. Daloush also owns and operates a number of mines on Icelus and within the asteroid belts, making it one of the most important supplier of precious minerals to the manufactorums.
Rumor: Returnees from a Daloush expedition into the deep uncharted regions of Icelus' remote asteroid belt refuse to go back and continue prospecting for obscure reasons.

====Nakadah Wayfarer's Service====

Credo: "Tried and True"
Mikober Nakadah took the trial of the Gillyflower at the age of 11. While he managed to survive several skirmishes with nomads, raiders and fellow competitors, he failed to preserve a flower. Impressed by his acumen and skill, the Nightmares offered him life as a chapter serf. Nakadah turned them down, determined to find a place in life where he could rise to the very top. Recruited into the failing Rail Guild of Thraxos Stam, Nakadah worked his way up from a lowly coal-shoveler to assistant guildmaster and right hand of the Baron. After Baron Stam's untimely death, Nakadah swiftly took over the Guild and transformed it from a corrupt, disorderly mess into a serious contender to the dominance of the major Icelian guilds. Nakadah's keen business sense led him to achieve a complete monopoly on the minor commuter lines that ferry menial workers and midhive laborers from Quintus' sattelite settlements and underground caverns into the vast agri-factoriums of the central hive dome. Nakadah trains are old and worn out, but have a reputation for timely departure and safe arrivals. Honouring the Baron's origins, travel on Nakadah trains is free of charge for any child undertaking the Trial of the Nightmares.
Rumor: Secret Nakadah cargo trains ship large quantities of organic compounds and plant matter from Quintus to Primus. It is rumored that these trains ferry unknown drugs for use by the Emperor's Nightmare chapter and several high-ranking Inquisitors...