THE KAGETAKH DYNASTY
Phaeron. . . . . Dakhara the Shrouded
Crownworld . . . Imos
Size . . . . . . Seven Known Awakened Worlds
Location . . . . Marilith Zone, Veiled Region, Segmentum Pacificus
Colors . . . . . Deep Red, Black Steel, and Aged Brass
Allies . . . . . None Known
-- Challenge issued by Dakhara to Planetary Governor Omi Suragard

By the time the War In Heaven engaged again in full, the Kagetakh Dynasty had lost many of its ties with the other Dynasties through sacrifices in political manipulations or for fear of military reprisal. As their enemy, the ever enigmatic Old Ones, cared nothing for barter or trade - nor would the Necrontyr engage if they had - the Kagetakh's preferred weaponry remained unspent and their name once again became unremarkable in the purge of the stars. They instead used their tact to select their engagements, encouraging the Nemesors of their galatic conquest for preferred deployments and coercing allied Phaerons to take the brunt of support. As such, the Kagetakh Dynasty managed to mitigate much of the losses of war.
While their influence dwindled once again, their wealth flourished. Their skilled manipulations saw that they were able to partake in great spoils of war and spend little of their own resources. They amassed great treasuries of relics and large vaults of precious items. As more and more of the servants of the Old Ones fell, Kagetakh agents stole away vast amounts of spoils in dedicated Vault Worlds.
The constant insistence on isolationist ideas and the secrecy with which they put into every aspect of their hoarding ensured that the Kagetakh Vault Worlds passed through the millennia relatively unscathed. However, not all of their wealth had been transported, and the tomb shards left adrift in the darkness between the stars eventually found their own trouble. Many of the Vault Worlds left within the larger galaxy fell prey to the Eldar's fanatical hunt for vengeance, or to the later races in looting raids, or to the catastrophes of time. The fragments of their forces drifted into the fatal heat of distant suns, or fell onto worlds too far removed from Necron influence, or were awakened by contact with other races only to be decimated in short order. Whatever the case, the realm of the Kagetakh became as isolated as their philosophy.
But even the Vault Worlds that remained safe were not without incident. Modifications to the Tomb World design were not without their cost, and they were not immune to malfunction. The most notable is Imos itself. The Master Program did not properly engage the stasis protocols - leaving the entire Crownworld frozen but awake. As a result the Kagetakh Overlords are painfully aware of exactly how much of their former fortune has been denied to them. Their desire to see the wealth of their vaults restored has become nigh overwhelming over the countless ages.
Something moved in the night, a darker shape amid the deep shadows. Victor froze. His hand raised to ignite his flare, and his eyes narrowed. The shadow advanced with sudden purpose, and Victor smelled a faint whiff of something he'd never smelled before. Something... Other.
Victor rolled himself forward, as far and as fast as he could, coming to his feet with a shout. He flung the flare as hard as he could one way even as he hurled himself in the other direction. Answering shouts arose, one near at hand and another farther off, and additional flares followed. By then Victor was running into a hard sprint with the dark figure right behind him.
Desperately Victor ducked around a corner to slip and stumbled his frantic way up and over a rubble heap. He flung himself forward into a sprawl as his pursuer's arm came down – and then froze as a long alien blade sliced out of the night to hack that reaching arm away. The assailant shrieked in astonished pain. Then the sword came slicing again, it's owner not slowing in stride.
The dark-plated skeleton stepped forward from its victim into a spin, bringing its blade directly into the path of another attacker's shoulder as they rounded the same corner. As it swung, the Necron hissed something sharp and triumphantly challenging that Victor didn't understand. The Necron's sword bit into flesh again, removing the knee of the second fighter. That fighter reeled, whimpering, and fell.
And then it turned on Victor. "Tribute. Pay."
The Phaeron immediately engaged the Orks directly and challenged the bold Warboss. The demand was simple: return what was stolen and pay tribute or be slain. The Ork Warboss Naturally refused. Dakhara was swift to enact retribution for their taken treasures, slaughtering the unprepared Orkz and driving them away from their territory, though the tenacious Toofkrakka managed to survive the engagement.
Little did the Kagetakh Overlords know that they had driven the Orks directly into a frontline push from the Space Marines in the Marilith Zone, effectively trapping the greenskins and ending their attempts at a WAAAGH!. It wasn't until some time later, when Dakhara sought to reawaken their sister Vault Worlds nearby, that the Kagetakh came into contact with the forces of the Imperium.
The Ransom of Suufari - After receiving the customary opportunity to vacate before an invasion begins in earnest, Planetary Governor Omi Suragard engaged in negotiations with the Phaeron in an attempt to stall the invasion for Space Marine reinforcements to arrive. Those reinforcements would never appear, as they were waylaid en route, forcing the Governor into a precarious position. Drakhara found the engagement amusing, and offered an alternative that Omi could not avoid: pay tribute to the Necron Overlord, or be faced with the invasion immediately. Much to the surprise of everyone - immediately following the payment of tribute, the Necron forces removed themselves from the system and have not returned.
The Lucern Object Incident - The astronomical object labelled 'Lucern Object 1504' was unremarkable enough to never merit a name orbiting a minor star in the outreaches of Segmentum Obscurus, eventually impacting an uninhabited planet near an Imperial Hive World. This object was revealed to be a tomb shard, one of the several segments of the Kagetakh legions sent floating out in the void. It awoke with fury after the impact, and a retaliation of Imperial Guard forces put the small incursion down. This prompted the removal of all unidentified astronomical objects from the system - which included a large portion of an asteroid belt, that was taken to a sector Forge World for use as raw material.
War Game Antuka - Embroiled in a fierce fight with the Space Marine chapter Eclipse Marines, Dakhara the Shrouded led a smaller force to Hannar, one of the moons of Ialdon. While there, the Necron Overlord challenged the Chapter leadership to a trial by combat of sorts; a wargame with a significantly smaller engagement from both sides but would specifically include the leaders of both forces. The challenge laid was simple: allow the wargame to determine the larger conflict. The Space Marines brought their fiercest champions to bear, and did eventually prevail in the trials, though not without cost: In the shuffle to accommodate the wargame, the Eclipse Marines supply lines were revealed. Dakhara later would abscond with an entire cruisers worth of stolen supplies as 'tribute' to the Kagetakh Dynasty.
The Kagetakh nobles also manifest a far more patient temper than the rulers of other Necron dynasties, taking pleasure in outsmarting their adversaries rather than simply seeking to smite those who oppose them with sheer strength.
But using a Dolmen Gate is not without its own perils. The Webway is a curious, shifting place - and seems to adjust to intrusion on its own. For every few of their successful raids into Imperial space, at least one has gone utterly wrong in some fashion. In most cases this has simply led to Kagetakh forces arriving in strange places far from their intended goals. Other cases, however, have ended with the entire loss of a strike force.
Despite its dangers, the immediate access to the Webway has been a boon to the Dynasty in its attempts to reclaim their lost treasures.
Dakhara the Shrouded - The Phaeron of the Kagetakh Dynasty is a creature of meticulous calculation and immense greed. Every interaction is weighed and evaluated and Dakhara almost never makes any statement or action without well informed motives. This has served him well both before and after the biotransference: leading his Dynasty through sharp wit and gambits into untold wealth. Worst than any other Kagetakh Overlord, he has become consumed by the drive to restore their lost opulence, and nearly the entirety of his calculating cerebral prowess is dedicated to this task.
Lord Bekashet - Once a skilled seducer and courtesan, earning her prestige through the manipulative tact the Dynasty was known for, her skillset and experience have become all but useless after the biotransference. This has translated instead to a cruel rage and uncaring ruthlessness after awakening once more to the galaxy. Some suspect she displays the beginnings of the Flayer Virus, others simply believe she is uncreatively overcompensating to cling to power. Whatever the case, she has become an ambitious reclaimer of lost Vaults to shore her status.
The Necrons' underground tombs are generally quite large and cavernous, containing repair facilities, stasis units, and command rooms. A Vault World forgoes as large a selection of stasis units in exchange for singular storage caverns that can hold large amounts of amassed wealth. The repair facilities are also improved, to compensate for the leaner numbers.
The singular goal of the Kagetakh Dynasty after milennia of watching their wealth be stolen away by upstart races is to see these Vault Worlds filled to the brim with great treasures.
Imos (Abandoned World) - Crownworld of the Kagetakh Dynasty, current seat of its budding empire, and Vault World of the Phaeron. Imos is covered in greenery and abundant growth, which has hidden the lattice of structures and tunnels the Necrons incorporated into Vaults long ago. A minor infestation of Orks plagues the surface as well, but the Kagetakh Overlords care little for the trappings of the jungles unless things interfere with their operations below. Untold trinkets and baubles hide beneath the surface within the labyrinthine halls, but so do too uncounted weapons of unknown strength.
Gaven (Dead World) - The ash wastes of Gaven were once fertile grounds, being scouted by Imperial settlers for establishing a new Agri World. The planet has since been the site of several apocalyptic encounters - from the Ork Waaagh! rampaging the settlements to the Kagetakh laying waste to the Ork leadership. Imperial savants claim that the world is not truly scorched beyond repair, but that the grasslands will return richer for the soil that has been tilled by destruction.
Manatoa (Ice World) - This ice covered rock of a planet is under constant battle between the Imperium Forces and Orks, who both wish to lay claim to the Vault World beneath, and slowly exterminate whatever Necron presence they uncover in the process. Due to the constant conflict and the sheer amount of committed forces both sides have on the surface - along with a regular amount of interference from nearby Eldar Exodites - the Kagetakh have been unable to liberate the Vault World from the grip of war.
Edited by Pentharian, 27 September 2017 - 04:39 PM.