Aeris

"Fascinating, isn't it ? Who would have suspected that the Orkoïd and T'au DNA could deteriorate so quickly with such a minuscule variable in the virus genome. Truly, it is a blessing from the Omnissiah !"

- Fabricatrix General Aelia Ferro Frigus overseeing one of the many experiments in Forge Zero

Colonized during the waning days of the Great Crusade to insure that the forces of the Imperium would never lack resources, the Forge-World of Aeris has been one of the main power in the Ougrean Rift, specializing in the study of the many natives primitive xenos forms and bacteria of its system and the others in this dangerous region of space. The ability of its techno-priests to turn even the most minute of their discovery into a formidable weapon has made them famous in the whole Ultima Segmentum and beyond.

History
The world now named Aeris was for the longest period of its life a savage planet, left alone to its own devices. The colonists who would settle the worlds of Suami and Torndheim refused to risk their life on a world so torrid and covered at 80% with tumultuous oceans while vast jungles sprawled over the three small continents which dotted its surface. It was not before a vast Explorator fleet came from Mars as a prelude to a proper exploration of the Rift that the world became populated by humans. At the time, this fleet was seeking to avoid the consequences of a failed bid to reinforce the biologist factions of the Red Planet over the supporters of macanichal augmentation. Having failed to convince the lords of Mars, Archmagos Ignatius Mons gathered his loyal servants and departed as far and as quickly as possible, avoiding the wrath of those he had wronged but barely. Even his unilateral declaration of his colony as a full-fledged and independent Forge-World angered many in the Mechanicum. The onset of the Horus Heresy and the Martian Civil War allowed him a reprieve however, and when the madness which had engulfed the galaxy finally was contained, none came to dispute his claims, as tenuous as they were.

As the easiets system of the Ougrean Rift to access at the time, and with abundant ore deposits detected deep in the crust and mantle of the planet, the Ocean World was deemed a perfect location by the Mechanicum. In mere months, the first complexes of Forge Prima were erected, and the newly dubbed Fabricator General Mons issued a series of decree, named the Bio-xenological Imperative, which pushed the research in the vast domains of xenobiology, bio-engeneering and viral researches as the most important axis of development for the budding Forge-World, a decree which is still active to this day and explains both why the pure manufacturing capabilities of Aeris are far less developed than most other Forge Worlds of his age, but the abilities of its denizens when it comes to the creation of viral weapons, genetic aberrations to unleash on the enemies of Mankind or even deep knowledge of most of the Xeno races discovered in the galaxy, are unmatched.

Over the ten thousands years of its existence, Aeris saw its industry grow ever more massive, with no less than a dozen complexes carved into the bedrock of the world. To an unsuspecting eye, beyond the rows after rows of shipyards and defensive platforms which extend around the entirety of the world, often just outside its atmosphere, the planet seems almost untamed, with but the spires of Forge Prima piercing the sky. However, each of the complexes which have been built over time have been linked to it, save the lone Forge Zero, a massive station, situated on the largest barren satellite of Aeris, where the deadliest and most dangerous genetic alterations are tested on viruses, xeno priosoners. Many rumors abond about the research of this Forge complexe, but none outside the leaders of the Forge World truly know what happens there.

Because of its origins, the fleet sent by Forge-World Aeris have often been met with resentment, if not outright hostility by the other forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus. It has never prevented the Fabricatrix General Aelia Ferro Frigus, who succeeded -some says usurped- Mons when the later misteriously succumbed to a particularly voracious flesh-eating virus in M.36- from expanding her reach to the whole galaxy, lending her techno-priests to many a Rogue Trader, in exchange of exotic remains, live xenos and other, more esoteric relics and informations to use against her rivals. As the centuries passed, many were forced to begrudgingly admit that Aeris' values was too great to be ignored, which helped bolster the influence of this Forge-World, both in the Ougrean Rift and the larger Imperium.

Geography, Habitability, & Infrastructure
Mostly comprised of water, the surface of Aeris is dotted with three small continents, all comprised between the tropics of the world, where what appears to be the main settlements are situated, due to a greater accessibility and easy expansion. Lacking great bodies of ice, save two small rings on its Western and Eastern hemispheres, while the magnetic field surrounding the planet indeed rest on its North and South poles, this world is rather hot, humid and prone to terrible storms during the rainy season, lasting roughly two third of the fifteen months Aeris takes to make a full rotation around its sun.

However, with the exception of Forge Prima, where the ruler and upper echelon of the Adeptus Mechanicum lives, the other two continents are not settlements in the usual sens, instead having been turned into Biodomes I and II, where most of the natives creatures were tinkered with by the technopriests, becoming highly unhospitable for human life, beyond the walled laboratories and structures lining the borders of the continents to prevent the twisted creatures from entering the seas and polluting the experiments underway beneath the waves. Many of those monsters are captured and turned into support for the Skitariis of Aeris.

The millions of inhabitants of Aeris toil thanklessly in subterranean cities and industry complexes, where they'll never see the light of die, suffering from lack of clean air and lack of foods and water. In most complexes, the conditions are so bad that slavery had to be put in place to try and keep the workforce in line, a practice which only works so long as no charismatic leader appear. Therefore, slave revolts are quite common on the Forge-World. However, such apparent disorder is actually encouraged by the technopriests, for those among the rabble who rise aboce their station that way makes for wonderful experiment subjects.

The rule of the Martian Priesthood has extended far deeper than the bedrock of the world, however. Gleaming cities and biodomes illuminate the depth of the oceans of Aeris, where important genetic research take place, away from the Forges and factories were more base goods, from bolts to Primaris wargears, are produced to meet the demands of the whole Ougrean Rift. Each and every biome of the world was colonized to create new controlled environment, where new creatures, viruses and technologies can be field-tested. Such drive is what allowed Aeris to rise above its original station to become a true Gorge-World and a great power in its Sector.

Politics, Culture, & Dogma
Ever since its settlement, Aeris has been more a dictatorship than any form of even the smallest oligarchy. Fabricator General Mons and his successor Fabricatrix General Frigus have held absolute dominion over not only Forge Prima and Zero, but also oversight over all the complexes and Forges of their world. Under the rule of Frigus, the power she held were even consolidated with the creation of a special rank of Priest, the Geno-Priests Primus, her envoys -some would say lackeys- who report everything they see and know to the Fabricatrix, weither they want it or not. Their constant surveillance was resented by some but all grew to accept them, for the tasks that the Priesthood of the God-Machine have to complete on this world are of utmost importance.

The core of their faith remains the Cult Mechanicus; however, special emphasis has been given to the research and productions partaining into genetic research and xenobiology, in accordance with the Bio-xenological Imperative which has given rise to a specific sect, the Transcendance of Flesh, which pervades all the echelons of the Aerian society. All, from the lowest worker to the Fabricatrix General herself, adhere to its tenets, which proclaims that the human form is the perfect template, laid out by the God-Machine, but that it has to be perfected not only through the use of crude mechanical assemblages but by discovering all the secrets of the genomes. Only when Mankind will be able to remake itself at a whim through his knowledge of genetics will it have truly achieved greatness, or so believe the Adepts of the Transcendance of Flesh.

At a Sector level, Aeris always was one of the most important planet, only eclipsed by the Hive World of Torndheim IV. It led to a bitter rivalry between the two to achieve dominance over the Ougrean Rift, with the Hive World dominant for ten thousand years. However, the last quarter of M.41 saw the rise of Suami thanks to the Founding of the Sons of Iron on this toxic Death World, almost able to compete with the more ancient sieges of powers in the Rift. After the Temporal Wars, Torndheim was left a desolate planet, unable to recoup its losses and reclaims its ancient glory, only to see the fanatics of the Ecclesiarchy from the world of Uolo, also affected by the temporal anomalies, to rise to such prominence that only an alliance of convenience between Aeris, Suami and the Sons of Iron, insured that a trimvir would be put in place to preserve the Sector from the blind faith of the Uolons.

Having received the STC to create weapons, armors and vehicules for the newly bred Primaris from the returning Kardan Rauth, the late first Inflexible of the Sons of Iron, and other secrets from Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, whom they have supported since at least the rise of Fabricatrix General Frigus, Aeris has enjoyed a new resurgence of influence, and has cemented its relations with the Astartes from Suami, offering to train their Iron Remembrancers and even Apothecaries since the travel to Mars has became almost impossible because of the Cicatrix Maledicutum. Coupled with their output of Primaris equipment, many suspect that Aelia seeks to achieve greater influence over not only the Space Marines but also the world of Suami.

Production Output and Capabilities
With a Production grade considered a high III-Secundus, Aeris is able to support almost all the demands for weapons, infrastructure and other goods required for the Ougrean Rift to survive, mainly because of the poorly populated nature of this sector. A good half of the Forges and complexes are devoted to such mundane but fundamental tasks as the production of military weapons, ammunitions and vehicules, both for the Planetary Defense Forces and the Astartes of the Sons of Iron. However, like almost all Forge-World, it lacks the ability to grow its own food and is thus dependants on the agri-worlds of the Kaajani Nebula.

While such an ancient world of the Adeptus Mechanicus should have been able to produce far more than Aeris does, the Forge World restrained its production of normal weaponry because of its enormous production of viral and biological weaponry. Viral bombs, viruses and other deadly weapons come out of its Forges and laboratories. However, it is far from the sole use of the bacterias discovered or created on the oceanic world. One of the most renown in a specific variety thriving in the conditions of plasma weapons and generators, but unable to survive outside of such environments.

This bacteria decrease considerably the temperature of the plasma generators, allowing for a 17% percent increase in output, which is considered particularly useful in the case of the Titans and starships, which are thus able to produce incredible outburst, surprising their foes. It also allows for a longer period of use before overheating, usually up to 20%, which explains why the secrets surrounding this bacteria, which cannot be extracted from the generators and weapons it has been implanted into, are considered of utmost secrecy. Any leak is punishable by the Servitude Punishment, and many an over-ambitious techno-priest was turned into a mindless Servitor for a loose tongue.