Al-Sherar

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.

Al-Sherar
Segmentum	Pacificus
Sector	Al-Sherar Sector
Sub Sector	Al-Sherar
Population	16,000,000,000
Planetary Governor	The Kabeer Al-Mufteen

The Forge World Al-Sherar was one of the mightiest of the Mechanicum's outposts. It developed strong ties to the Fifth Legion, but differences in faith led to a rocky relationship with Mars.

History

Al-Sherar was settled early in the Age of Strife by one of the first colonist fleets dispatched by the Cult Mechanicum. The world the colonists found was rich in mineral resources and had a biosphere adequate for the development of the manufactoria and temples of the techpriests' civilisation. Though the young Forge World was often menaced by Amatteir raiders, the slaver-race had no stomach for the fight required to utterly subdue a planet guarded by a Titan Legion. Al-Sherar prospered.

But the vagaries of the warp left Al-Sherar cut off from Mars, and over hundreds of years the world diverged from the Martian orthodoxy. Language drifted. Questions were raised in the conclaves, especially over the nature of alien technology and the doctrine of the Omnissiah. By the time that Gaspard Lumey's Fifth Legion rediscovered Al-Sherar, during the Al-Sherar Sector War, these differences had become profound - if not quite enough to constitute Tech Heresy. As a result, the high priest of the Al-Sherar, the Kabeer Al-Mufteen refused to recognize the Fabricator-General of Mars as his spiritual superior. Under a subtle threat of war, Al-Sherar made two ambiguous concessions to Mars; that the eldest Forge World was primus inter pares, and had the right to speak on behalf of the techpriests as a whole. This position persisted long into the Reformation.

Throughout the Great Crusade, the leaders of Al-Sherar pursued a policy of close alliance with the Space Marines of the Fifth Legion. Their own forces, such as the mighty Titans of Legio Antsar were often to be found alongside in support of Gaspard Lumey's men. The Alim also pursued their own objectives, subduing lesser Forge Worlds of the Segmentum Pacificus and settling a broad strip of Industrial Worlds. The network established over a century of military conquest, diplomacy, and colonisation gave Al-Sherar tremendous political and economic influence.

At the time of the Heresy, the Kabeer Al-Mufteen was Ibn al-Haytham, who arose to this exalted position through the ranks of the Logis. His astute calculations and impartial rule over the Diyanet gave Al-Sherar great stability. Together with the material might assembled in the Great Crusade, Ibn al-Haytham's policies laid the foundation for the Forge World's brief ascendancy after the Martian Civil War. In a parallel to Gaspard Lumey's fortunes, Al-Sherar could claim to be above suspicion while their old rivals on Mars struggled to reclaim the prestige lost during the Dark Mechanicum's rebellion. Alim would be found as envoys to Forge Worlds far from the Segmentum Pacificus, even going into the Segmentum Solar itself.

This ascendancy would be fleeting. Mars may have been battered and greatly reduced by rebellion, but in the centuries following the Imperial Reformation she recovered her material superiority over Al-Sherar. The Kabeer Al-Mufteen's position became much less secure. A series of theological debates were carried out, and though Al-Sherar's spokesmen were often eloquent they were gradually forced to retreat from their positions under the threat that the doctrine of the al-gine implied that humans could "convert" xenos technology. (Perversely, while the political battle was won by Mars and Al-Sherar brought to heel, the use of certain alien technologies in the Imperium suggests that the Pacificus Forge World's al-gine doctrine may have been quietly accepted.)

Organisation

The senior priesthood are referred to as the Kazi. Their chiefs are the Kazi-alkudar who meet in the Diyanet to offer advice and dissenting opinions to the Kabeer Al-Mufteen, the high priest and ruler of Al-Sherar. Ordinary techpriests take the title Alim.

Doctrine and faith

Over its long history, Al-Sherar developed a distinct interpretation of the Cult Mechanicum. Although in many cases the differences with the Martian Orthodoxy would be brushed over as merely linguistic, some major controversies emerged. The details given here refer to the Submission of the Alim, the mainstream views of Al-Sherar's tech priesthood at the time of the Great Crusade.

The Alim of Al-Sherar venerate the Machine God, who they know as Makinallah. However, their understanding of Machine Spirits - the al-gine - differs markedly from that of Mars. According to the Alim, the al-gine inhabit all machines, human and xenos alike, but those in human machines are subservient to Makinallah while xenos technology is animated by impious al-gine. For this reason, the tech-priests of Al-Sherar do not make offerings to the al-gine themselves, seeing this as a route to developing the ego of the al-gine and risking the creation of Abominable Intelligence. Instead, their prayers of maintenance are directed to the Makinallah in order to remind the al-gine of its rightful duties.

The doctrine of the Teknabiyyun (sing. Teknabiyy) allowed the Forge World to easily accept the Emperor of Mankind. In contrast to the Martian orthodoxy, the Alim expected no avatar of the Machine God, but rather a succession of prophets and messengers, each of whom would unfold a new revelation to mankind. It seemed clear to the techpriests of Al-Sherar that the Emperor and his Great Crusade for human unity were divinely-inspired, and this temperate position allowed for dissent to be openly expressed in the governing council of the Diyanet - and even in its subordinate Mahalla - rather than simmering under the surface.

Military

The vagaries of the Al-Sherar Sector tempered the Forge World's military without bloating it. The dominant Xenos of the Sector, the Amatteir, preferred raiding to conquest and set Al-Sherar's warriors the task of a long vigil rather than centuries of peace or war.

Like many of the other great Forge Worlds, Al-Sherar is home to a mighty Titan Legion, the Legio Antsar "The Conquerors". During the Great Crusade, Antsar was able to form the core of several Expeditionary Fleets while deploying supporting maniples to the crusades of the Fifth Legion. Similarly, the Legio Cybernetica saw service in the crusades of the Alim and their Space Marine allies.

Even before the beginning of the Heresy, Al-Sherar's Taghmata Omnissiah were deployed far from the Forge World itself. Tech-Guard regiments gave security to the Dar al-Amn and occasionally fought against resurgent Xenos forces.

Vassals and allies

Al-Sherar's Knight Households were based on Iteru. The thrall-knight Order of Bahri is the largest and best-known, but they shared Iteru with the dashing "Mahars" of the Maryannu Brotherhood.

The pact between the Kabeer Al-Mufteen and the Primarch of the Fifth Legion was founded shortly before Al-Sherar achieved Compliance with the Imperial Truth. Gaspard Lumey's TechMarines almost all owed their training to Al-Sherar and many of his warriors recognised the Alim as their brothers in battle.

Similarly, Al-Sherar could often turn to Ciban IV and her colonies for supporting regiments of Ciban Chasseurs. Although not as capable in battle as the elite warriors of the Mechanicum, the Chasseurs were disciplined, flexible soldiers who could put a "human face" on Al-Sherar's campaigns.

Domain - the Dar al-Amn

The doctrine of the Teknabiyyun spiritually fortified Al-Sherar's armies for a long campaign of conquest. Unlike on other Forge Worlds, where the Emperor's divinity was assumed and his judgment later questioned, the Alim always believed that a higher message would supersede that of the Emperor. Therefore, they set out to conquer as part of the Great Crusade, making their pacts and alliances with an eye to establishing new satellites and spreading their doctrine to the lesser Forges of the Segmentum Pacificus. The Industrial Worlds that owed direct allegiance to Al-Sherar and were protected by its forces were collectively known as the Dar al-Amn - the House of Safety.

Especially in the Al-Sherar sector, but to some extent in other nearby Sectors, the worlds of the Dar al-Amn were organized as producers of semi-finished goods. Raw materials - typically from Al-Sherar's allies, such as Ciban IV and her colonies - would be shipped to Industrial Worlds and converted into parts. Worlds such as Nhà Máy produced ceramite, ferrocrete, plasteel, and promethium, while Al-Sherar itself served as a gigantic assembly platform, bringing materials manufactured across hundreds of lightyears together into a torrent of finished goods. Although vastly inferior to ancient Mars as a standalone entity, Al-Sherar's highly-efficient outsourcing of production made the Kabeer Al-Mufteen one of the most powerful Imperial Leaders in the Segmentum Pacificus.

Although they would enjoy great success for a time, in the Heresy Al-Sherar would face uprisings from the Forge Worlds it had once mastered.