| abstract | - Duke Severus I was unquestionably a hero of the Angevin Crusade that added the Calixis Sector to the Imperium of Man in the 39th Millennium. Without the Rogue Trader’s influence and tactical acumen, the war to control the Calyx Expanse would have taken centuries to complete. Some historians even argue that the revered Saint Drusus might not have completed his conquests without the successes of Severus. Of course, it was the Duke’s own failings that let Drusus surpass him. Severus’ greed was his greatest limitation, as he chose to consolidate his holdings in Calixis rather than continue his task of expanding the Sector. For generations that followed, the heirs of the Severus family have trod a path based entirely upon lies and loathing. Their resentment built with each generation, as their desire for what was seen as their just reward went ever unfulfilled. Even across the centuries, this unjust fury had few consequences for the Imperium at large, as the descendants of the first Duke Severus descended into a family of marginal influence and power without their Warrant of Trade or the capacity to claim new domains and titles. In 799.M41, the latest heir to the Severus lineage, Duke Severus XIII, became Lord Sub-sector of the Periphery. Even as the Calixis Lord Sector Marius Hax granted him the title, he feared that there might be serious ramifications to the appointment. Hax’s hand, however, was forced in making the selection. Severus had spent his lifetime establishing a powerful network of allies throughout the Periphery. Key among his allies were a few ranking members of the Adeptus Arbites within the Calixis Sector. The Duke used these connections to eliminate any rivals, at the same time as he made certain that his own official records appeared spotless. Recent investigations have brought to light evidence that Severus may have planted witnesses, falsified records, and even sponsored assassinations among some of the most loyal noble families in the Periphery Sub-sector. Unfortunately, none of these crimes came to light prior to the Duke’s ascension as ruler of the Periphery. With this authority in hand, he soon began reaching out to new connections, so that he might secure his holdings. In short order, he began to rapidly expand his holdings beyond the boundaries of the Periphery. Soon, he had influence over a significant number of worlds, yet he did not report his expanded control to Lord Hax. Instead, he reached out to the enemies of humanity, including the Dark Eldar Kabal known as the Children of Thorns, so that his rampant expansionism and influence might continue unabated. Disaster struck when the Orks of WAAAGH! Grimtoof descended upon Duke Severus’ holdings. Even as he attempted to marshal his forces so that they might defend the holdings, the Dark Eldar began to press the human politician for ever greater access to the worlds he supposedly secured for their slave raids. As his holdings began to fall, Severus, out of desperation, turned to the Imperium for aid against the xenos. The increased Imperial presence inevitably revealed the depths of the Duke’s betrayal. Evidence of his expanded holdings soon surfaced. Though he had planned to eventually leave the Imperium, the timing forced his hand long before he had completed his preparations. Rather than succumb to the punishments that he so richly deserved, Duke Severus chose to consolidate his forces and secede from the Imperium, initiating the three-way conflict that soon consumed the Spinward Front.
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