FESTRIS PRIME - The Hive World Capital Climate: Temperate, Polluted Terrain: Urban, Industrial, Wasteland Population: Very High Though not especially involved with the Imperial Cult, the High Lords of Festris pay their tithes and keep their heads down to avoid undue attention. The surface of the planet is a patchwork of sprawling slums, industrial centers, and landfills sparsely dotted with oases: huge walled off compounds with greenery, golden spires, and air scrubbers that highlight the stark contrast between the ruling elite and the subjugated peasantry living in the pollution and squalor below with security details and gun emplacements. Corruption is rampant in the form of gangs, cults, and criminal organizations, often bankrolled by different nobles to further personal agendas and squash competitors. The High Lords were comfortable and complacent until the Imperium began snooping around after receiving reports of xenotech trade, heretical cults, and worse— Imperial tithe evasion. Increased pressure from newly arriving Imperial forces has invoked a reactionary response from the High Lords, including widespread alien witch hunts and radicalization of members of the Imperial Church, demanding retribution and repentance. This shift in the dynamic has been met with resistance from less “legitimate” enterprises, whose ranks are often colored with xenos, pagans, atheists, and witches, adding duel to the fire. While the atmosphere of the hiveworld has always been paranoid, foreboding, and violent, the arrival of Imperial forces have amplified tensions many times over. Festris Secundus - The Capital’s Moon Climate: Inhospitable Terrain: Desert, Mountains, Industrial Population: Low A small moon orbits the capital. While sparsely populated and largely desolate, the moon is rich in natural resources and sprinkled with industrial compounds integral to the hiveworld’s economy, thus the high lords grip on the populace, as well as the Imperial war effort. Without the lunar mining facilities and fuel refineries, it would be impossible for High Lords to continue to exert dominance over the hiveworld and meet Imperial tithe demands. It is for this reason that a large detachment of paramilitary groups loyal to the High Lords are dedicated to the protection of these settlements, though some Imperial officers wonder to themselves if direct occupation would be more efficient. There are rumors that an ancient ruin lies buried deep beneath the surface, possibly created by the early Mechanicus, or perhaps by something much older…