Massalia

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

Massalia
Segmentum	Ultima
Sector	Focarno
Sub Sector	Massalian
System	Massalia
Population	6,000,000,000 pre-Heresy, now largely deserted
Planetary Governor	Intermittent Gang-chiefs
Orbital radius	1.29 AU
Gravity	1.48 G
Temperature	Temperate

The history of Massalia revealed an important truth: it is not enough to be pure in oneself. True faith requires a commitment to fighting laxity and corruption wherever it dwells. In this, Massalia was both champion and victim.

- Inquisitor Mikops Duvarl, Observations on the history of the Machine Cult.

Massalia was an outpost of the Mechanicum located in the Ultima Segmentum. The humble adepts of this world styled themselves as the Children of the Machine and sought to keep themselves free from the corrupting influences of the flesh world. Their guardians followed a much more relaxed code and investigated all manner of technology (human and xenos alike), a habit which made them well-suited to a pact with the Eternal Zealots. During the Heresy, Aubrey The Grey corrupted the guardians of Massalia and slaughtered the Children of the Machine as an example of the impotence of other deities in the face of the Chaos Gods.

History

Among the many Forge Worlds founded in the Age of Strife, Massalia's history is perhaps most remarkable for its placidity. The adepts who guided its forge-fanes did not find themselves beset by marauding Xenos or witch-led uprisings. Their few contacts with off-worlders before the coming of the Imperium were with Komra from the League of Dawi, and such meetings were peaceful and beneficial to both sides. These favourable conditions were as much a spur to evolution of the Machine Cult as the deprivations found on other worlds, and the leaders of Massalia became obsessed with their own spiritual purity. Though the majority of the "Children of the Machine" lived in limited contact with the lay population, many of the adepts chose to separate themselves from the corruptions of the flesh altogether and dwelt as technohermits deep in the bowels of the Forge World's manufactoriums. Despite this general trend, there were those who chose the life of the guardian. The princeps of Legio Cauteris rarely had the opportunity to take their god machines to battle, but they stood ever-vigilant lest raiders disturb the tranquility of Massalia.

As with many places and worlds in human history, the planet's nature inspired and impacted the nature of those who lived upon it. Just as ancient Mankind invented gods and monsters to inhabit the thunderstorms, deserts, vast oceans and endless mountains of Old Terra, Massalia's geology summoned interesting idiosyncrasies of its own. Few planets become inhabited without any regard to their available resources, Massalia's claim to relevance stemmed from its ceaseless geologic tumult hidden below broad expanses of shallow ocean and vast fields of volcanic islands scattered around small, freshly minted continents.

The mightiest eruptions ever recorded on Holy Terra pale into utter insignificance compared to the titanic outbursts hidden in aeons past. Fueled by radioactive energy, only the ceaseless march of millions upon millions of years dampened the embers enough for terrestrial life to evolve and thrive. Even still, periodic outbursts like those which formed much of Northern Asia nearly erased all life from existence. Massalia is very like a much younger Terra in this regard. Deep within its core are enormous reserves of unstable atomic nuclei which pump unimaginable heat into the planet's mantle and crust. Even after billions of years, Massalia retains perhaps 50% more thermal energy within its rocks than ever Terra did, though Imperial scholars are not precisely certain.

It is fortunate that Massalia's rock tends to be low in silicate content and elevated in magnesium (one of its principle exports), for were its rocks of similar chemistry to Terra's, the volcanic explosions would be much more forceful and the planet uninhabitable. Compared to Terran eruptions, Massalia's are far hotter, far more fluid, and generally gentler. Rather than bottling up their fury and exploding, Massalia's volcanic vents bubble away quite peacefully, ceaselessly dribbling lava in broad, flat rivers across scorched plains. Once cooled, these "pavements" as the locals call them, are easily mined with even the simplest of tools. After the high levels of radioactives are extracted from the volcanic rock, fertile cropland is easily established.

Massalia's crust is more flexible than Terra's, its mountains cannot build themselves nearly so high before slumping into rubble piles. Its continents are smaller, for subduction occurs with extreme rapidity, geologically speaking. Because the continental crust has a similar density to the oceanic material, the oceans tend to be shallow and warm, and a profundity of life eagerly feeds from millions upon millions of black smokers ceaselessly belching minerals into the water. And upon the land are multitudes of shallow lakes fed by meandering rivers, with deep beds of silt and river soil for any number of plants to thrive in. No rapids are to be found on Massalia, for few mountain ranges are steep enough to support fast-flowing water. From orbit, Massalia is one of the greenest, bluest, and most inviting Forge Worlds to be found in the Imperium.

Taken as a whole, Massalia is a surprisingly peaceful place to live. It is warm and pleasant, with surprisingly few earthquakes and virtually no hurricanes to speak of. The warm, water-rich and pliable crust moves easily without much friction so little tension builds along fault-lines, and while the oceans are warm they are also small. Hurricanes find themselves passing over land soon after they form which chokes off their energy. Monsoon rains cause frequent flooding, but this is easily managed with proper construction techniques. Most of the resources a Forge World exports are brought to the inhabitants from below by the planet itself, and all they need do is stretch out their hands to receive the deep mantle's bounty of radioactives. Once upon a time Massalia was a byword for atomics, both weapons and energy sources. Their unstable exports brought great wealth to a modest population.

Each island chain and mini-continent developed its own slightly divergent culture from the rest, but most disputes were peacefully resolved. There was enough to go around to satisfy most needs, and interstellar trade (sometimes with xenos) saw to the rest. Massalia promoted introspection and relaxation, not war and strife, and its inhabitants developed a generally mellow outlook on life uncommon on human worlds. The tech-worshippers cloistered themselves according to their individual beliefs, and a culture of philosophy emerged with time. Any number of technological adepts could be found preaching their own brand of dogma, attempting to pierce the layers of ignorance which blocked them from true spiritual awareness.

After the Imperium's coming to Massalia, a great forum was constructed on the largest continent overseen by adepts belonging to the "original" religious branch of Mars, and from the moment of its inaugural opening to the last days of Massalian existence, there was never a moment of silence within its halls. In those more open-minded eras Massalia's unique culture was not crushed from existence, but preserved and studied in great detail. Like a colossal cogitator picking through individual strands of data in search of final completeness, the Collegia Mentamathicae pondered all facets of existence, recording incredible volumes of dataslates with religious thought, free for all to examine. In this way a great compromise was reached between independence and orthodoxy.

Divergent opinions would be permitted, but only with approval of the orthodoxy could they be promulgated amongst the masses. It was a matter of no small Massalian pride that no fewer than forty-seven "Massalian Illuminations" found their way into the halls and thoughts of sacred Mars, to be incorporated into broader Mechanicus doctrine. Perhaps of more practical utility were the endless arguments spoken by official Haereticus Adeptae, special groups of Massalian Magi dedicated solely to divining and compiling every possible avenue of heretical or treacherous dogma they could devise, presenting themselves before the great red-robed congregations to be picked apart mercilessly. Though a thankless job for which public acknowledgement was forbidden, these Haereticarii earned great respect, for thanks to their tireless efforts the Mechanicus was often one step ahead of iconoclasts and religious deviants, forewarned and well-prepared to break down their dangerous logic before it could come to full fruition. Deviance, bound and channeled for productive ends. Several of the greatest philosophers ever to grace the Machine God's presence emerged from this crucible of words, and their mental ripples swayed the entire Imperium's course over the millennia in myriad subtle ways. Several of the Mechanicus' deadliest religious police called Massalia their birth world as well, and their names are spoken of only in hushed tones amongst techno-heretics across the galaxy.

Centuries of peace were disrupted once and for all in 933.M30, with the coming of the Imperium. Rogue Traders under the guidance of Aubrey The Grey's own Expedition Fleet detected Massalia. The Primarch was glad to receive word of a Forge World in the reaches of the Ultima Segmentum that could help supply his endeavours and decided to honour the new discover with his person. Aubrey's reception was unusually muted, however, as the Children of the Machine were unwilling to meet with him. They did not oppose union with the Imperium and ancient Mars, but their spiritual oaths forbade association with a man outside the faith entirely. Instead of being met by the world's nominal rulers, Aubrey was received by the Princeps of Legio Cauteris, who extended him every courtesy. Though the meeting was largely a formality, with Massalia's de jure compliance to be settled with the envoys of the Mechanicum, this early high-level contact between the Eternal Zealots and Legio Catueris helped to establish a bond that would be forged strong through the battles of the Great Crusade.

When the provosts of Mars arrived, they were received by the inner circles of the Children of the Machine and found a humble, compliant priesthood happy to concede their material sovereignty to the Red Planet. Discussion on matters spiritual was more terse, with much of the ritual observance that had developed on Massalia considered highly heterodox, but ultimately the Martians found nothing objectionable about the conduct of the Children of the Machine. Spending more time in prayer and communion with the Machine God than was strictly necessary was far from a sin.