Foundling Worlds

The Foundling Worlds are commonly accepted as the oldest Imperial-settled worlds in the Vlaktes Sector.

Disputed Origins
Whether from the Bruder Dynasty or other, more haphazard efforts, mankind made headway into the worlds of the Vlaktes Mare. First of these colonies were the Foundling Worlds, a cluster of systems and planets along the high-spinward edge of the sector. These worlds were the choicest cuts of the early exploration efforts, rich in natural resources and hung carefully in stable orbits around mainline stars. These frontier planets forged a symbiotic survival relationship, giving each other military and industrial aid when needed.

It is difficult to ascertain precisely which worlds still inhabited in the modern day Vlaktes Sector were original foundling worlds. Wars, relocations, planetary catastrophes and the decay of records over the intervening seven thousand years has destroyed much of what was once known about these planets. The Galthan Apocrypha mentions seventeen original foundling worlds. Of those, eight are never mentioned by name. Another two--Argos and Uluthea--were destroyed in the Thrukvok Wars of M38, obliterated by an order of exterminatus before that pernicious species could spread its canker afar. Arkonatta, Yevina, Damasko, and Korobaan have retained their names across the millennia, while Lymnos IV, Tectonatta, and Desciathea have been renamed Saint Larramo’s Landing, Tectonia Prime, and Dessicatia, respectively.

Some have said that the eight worlds missing from the record were so heavily reaped during the Red Harvests of 180.M36 that no man was left to voice their names for the record. Though as the Apocrypha was written a full seven centuries before the Red Harvests began, it is more likely that the Unnamed Eight were resistant to the process and, through rebellion, earned their names retroactively stricken from the record.

Despite this dark origin, over thirty worlds have claimed in their personal histories a place as one of the Unnamed Eight. While some could well be contenders, just as many are blatantly false. Raylen’s Bane, for instance, lies so far outside the suggested boundaries of the now-Tectonian Sub-Sector that its inclusion in the foundling worlds is impossible.

Contemporary History
After the Fall of Tectonia Prime to the forces of Chaos in 11 post VCM.M41, the rest of the foundling worlds soon followed their capital into darkness. Archenemy fleets blackened the skies above each of the seven remaining planets. With Battlefleet Tectonia in disarray and Imperial high command in full rout, nothing but token planetary defense forces were left to stand against the invaders. Still, the foundling citizenry gave as good as they received. On Korobaan, the citizens of Klenserhive overloaded their own geothermal reactor to annihilate an invading host, and on Saint Larramo's Landing, the local abbey of the Adepta Sororitas held out for over forty days of continuous siege before finally falling to the blades of the Black Legion.

Still, by early 12 post VCM.M41, all of the foundling worlds were solidly in thrall to the Ruinous Powers.