Caligula

Map	Basic Data		Planetary Image
	Name:	Caligula
	Segmentum:	Tempestus
	Sector:	Eternum
	Subsector:	Caligulas
	System:	Asrita
	Population:	~75,500,000,000
	Affiliation:	Imperial
	Class:	Hive World
	Tithe Grade:	Exactis Median

Overview

The capital and namesake of Caligulas, Caligula possesses massive hive spires with splendor and turmoil in equal parts. A priority target for the Rotbelchers, Caligula serves a critical role as the site of the Aural Front Militarum Command, chosen primarily for its large astropathic choir and safe, but readily accessible, position. Though the world has never suffered a true invasion even during the First Poxwar, it has repeatedly had Nurgle cults spring up who spread deadly diseases and plague zombies. Most outbreaks are readily contained by the PDF, stationed Guard, and Order of the Last Candle, but occasionally a particularly virulent strain gains a foothold. The worst outbreak in recorded history happened shortly before the start of the Second Poxwar, with a foul sorcerer of the Rotbelchers who snuck onto the world collaborating with a Nurglite cult to infect the food supply of Hive Spire Romero. Caligula has suffered more than any other capital of Eternum, both at the hands of the many enemies of the Imperium, but also nature herself - the great fire of Caligulas in M38 saw a hundred billion lives snuffed out as fires raged beyond the control of the Infernus Judicam, with the most well off aristocrats fleeing with Governor Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Nero aboard his floating residence, Nero's Palace. The inferno was eventually extinguished when fire breaks were created by the power of macrocannon bombardment, but Nero's actions led to several rebellions and brutal crackdowns for centuries until planetary tempers calmed enough for his descendants to return to rule in person.

Hive Spire Romero

Led by the Rotbelcher sorcerer, the Nurgle Cult successfully infected Spire Romero's food supply and and the masses of infected hive citizens, infected with a specially designed variant of the Poxwalker virus, quickly overran Imperial defenders stationed in the spire. While Spire Romero was quarantined and access bridges blown, the Imperium was unable to successfully invade the Hive due to the billions of zombies roaming what had been the most populous spire. The quarantine has continued, with planetary authorities hoping the plague burns itself out, though even with the bridges blown the poxwalkers still occasionally find new access routes to try to sneak past the Imperial blockade. The Imperium has held the quarantine and stopped any breaches from being exploited, but retaking the spire will require a concerted effort to properly purge as orbital bombardment would cause far too much collateral damage from hivequakes and destroy relics, manufactorums, and other useful things spread throughout Romero. Romero Spire is not completely dead, with isolated civilian and Guard holdouts managing to survive and hold off the plague zombies. Holdouts exist throughout Romero, but the bulk of civilians and Guard are centered around the largest market complex in Romero, though were it not for frequent supply drops they would have quickly ran out of laspacks and auto gun ammunition. This complex will likely serve as the Imperium's focus during the retaking of Romero and while it lacks proper landing pads, it serves as a relatively safe spot for gravchuted supplies and possible reinforcements. Militarum Command is concerned about the outbreak existing on the same planet they're coordinating the subsector's defense, though this is mitigated by Spire Romero being far from the Capital Spire Drezen where they are stationed.

Hive Spire Drezen and The Legatus

Drezen has served the command well, for it possesses an advanced strategium built long ago that allows visualization of battlefields at different levels, from tactical actions to strategic deployments. This strategium, the Drezen Legatus, also provides the ability to carry out interactive simulations that provide crucial information, though the ancient cogitators and wired in servitors occasionally underestimate how a unit or action will perform in reality. The Legatus possesses a massive repertoire of Militarum data and combined intelligence from a myriad of Imperial forces, while all needed to perform its calculations, were it to fall into enemy hands or merely accessed by the enemy, the results would be disastrous and critically wound Eternum. This omnipresent threat has resulted in the Legatus being incredibly heavily defended, with a dedicated Stormtrooper taskforce permanently assigned to safeguard it. This taskforce, the Praefectus Legatus, guards the Legatus complex around the clock, while also dispatching smaller strike teams to investigate any potential threat intelligence uncovers. The Eternum conclave also assists in its defense, with the chamber proper guarded by the red and black clad elite Stormtroopers of the Inquisition. Servo-turrets, Tarantula turrets, gun emplacements, and more defend the Legatus complex, with the final line of defense being a secured void bomb that is to be set off were the chamber ever in serious danger of being breached. The Legatus complex sits high above the ground at the top of one of the highest spires, with the only structure to have a clear line of sight to the complex being the famed Cathedral of Caligula, the DeArc Deus. The Cathedral is a favorite pilgrimage site for Eternum's faithful, with its massive stained glass windows overlooking millions of pilgrims annually. The high towers that square the Cathedral and are the only vantage point overlooking the Legatus Complex are guarded by trusted Sisters of Battle, commonly of the Order of the Last Candle, who also oversee the general security of the constantly busy Cathedral. The Cathedral also serves as the center of Caligulas's Archdiocese led by Cardinal Emmanuel Hofstanner at the dawn of the Second Poxwar, who remains well liked by Imperials who have personally worked with the Cardinal, especially compared to the more infamous Cardinals in Gothar.