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The Palagios of the Horned Ones are part of a vast horizontal labyrinth of countless Venutian family palaces, villas, and luxury resorts separated from and interconnected with each other by an intricate and layered network of Imperial shrines, cloud canals and Venutian sky bridges making it appear as if the planet’s atmosphere has been transformed into one large floating hive city.

Most palagios on Venus are small hive cities in themselves with millions of souls working and living – generation after generation – in the deep bowels of the palaces as servants to the noble families of Venutian aristocracy high above. Low Venus is a crime-ridden, poverty-stricken and grey world. Apart from the deep orange taint and hints of verdigris almost all colour has gone, worn down through centuries of neglect as the palagios have risen ever upwards into the semi-transparent haze of the planet’s mesopshere.

Low Venus is home to the destitute and the warblind. It is criss-crossed by fearways, danger-ways, coffin-paths, corpse-ways and ghostways; violent gangs, criminals and beasts roam its bowels and Venutian cults deemed hereticus hide there from authorities.

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Domum Æris (The Brass House). A small household that handles debt collecting mostly on the lower levels of social strata. As the commonly known saying goes, a debt owned to them can be paid back only in brass or bones. As a curious sidenote this small enteprising household runs a side business with many ossuaries on Venus system, giving a chance to relatives of a recently died insolvent debtor to get the remains of their family member a final resting place receiving the following epitaph “Meo sum mortuus in ære (I am dead but not in debt).

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The incense Baroness and her retinue of skilled hunters are nobelites who travel the systems with her family’s incense shipments. They have a lust for the hunt and seek out exotic hunting opportunities wherever they go. While anointing the festivities with their finest stock, blessed by the most ancient priests, and made of the ashes of fallen heroes, the crew will be seeking local guides to Venus’ biggest game, be it beast, demon, or man.

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Operations Commander Lucian Ramart headed out from the cargo docks towards the Palago Saggiatore, the great metal palace. His entourage consisting of the centuries old Metallurgist multi-servitor and the Praetorian mutant cyborg as security. One can never be too careful at this side of the city, especially when moving around with something as valuable as Lucian had. He felt pleased as they had discovered something truly unique from the A’Bani star system. The sample having characteristics unknown to any database, this should really wake the interest of the Assayers.

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Born in the dark and raised in the saddle, the Corpse Runners are a guild of mercenary couriers who run the hostile lengths of the cloud canals and sky bridges that connect the floating hives of Venus, trafficking sensitive or volatile cargoes, intelligence and materiel. This particular cell of runners is currently operating under the commission of the minor knightley household of Velen Essecrato, and tasked with the capture and ferrying of live psykers that have been captured by other Essecrato agents operating throughout Venus, for purposes that the miserable Venutian socialite has yet to reveal.

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House Salnero is considered low caste by many of the ruling elite of Venus. Below the clouds though, they are one of the most vicious and cutthroat business empires on the planet with a firm hold on the mining, refining and shipping of the planets infamous “black salt”. Their power stretches beyond the salt though, their hands in countless illegal enterprises and alliances with many criminal organizations and a hushed tie to Monstrare. Only time will tell why the Salnero have made the trip above the clouds and what they are up to.

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Transit, with it’s accompanying balls & salone, is a boon to the artisans and cortigiani of Venus. Atelier Von Loos – Milliner Venutiae – presents their latest collection Bounty of Neith.

Ansel Von Loos as Modiste Primus will showcase the collection at Conclavum. She cares little for the machinations of the Horned Ones or whispers of Thorian rebirth. Beauty & Truth her guide. The seed vaults & arboretums of Neith her inspiration. The Contract Testina her goal!

Her patreon, the Dowager Contessa Flavia di Medvicci is more worldly and has provided the Atelier with armed protection in the form of two gun-servitors. After all, even the artisans of Venus can be snared in the spiders web…

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The three heirs of the former House Delpharae have served Venutiae Tenebrosus since they were children. House Delpharae was a minor house specialising in transcription, minuting and witnessing of legal and financial transactions. At one conclave between House Tenebrosus and several prospective clients, a minor scribe in the employ of House Delpharae made a transcription error. Only found days later, Tenebrosus demanded recompense for the losses incurred. Unable to pay, Delpharae offered all they were able: the service of their three children. Soon after their adoption by Tenebrosus, their parents were found dead.
Children of a deceased house, the three heirs have served Tenebrosus ever since as information brokers and gatherers. They are accompanied by automaton servitors who serve as their guards – though some suggest jailors, given the trio’s reluctant service to the house that ended their family. A regular of the social circuit amongst the minor houses of Venus, they are led by the eldest sister.

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Ink Guild hunters set off in search of a tox-squid, its viscous mucous sure to afford a healthy night at one of the finer Venutian watering holes. The Monstrare house pays top coin for tox-squid ink as it’s truly the root of their library’s power.

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The House of Ions are rarely seen, but always heard. Dwelling in their forge on the underside of the Venutian plates, they tend to their vast generatorum that power the glittering palaces above. The hardy scions of the house owe their allegiances to Mars, but in recent ages have fallen under the sway of the Cult of the Blue Ember; an extreme sect dedicated to the veneration of the Deus Mechanicum as a manifestation of pure energy. Now, Ver High Magos Tokamak-33 and Ver court ascend to the Conclave with a rare request: They want a world…

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+ Iron Sleet Invitational MMXXI +

We are thrilled to showcase early WIP’s from our friends and patrons for the first part of our Iron Sleet Invitational MMXXI. We start with in Low Venus – the dank and dark depths of the Palagios – and will move upwards into the light of the Emperor in subsequent posts.

MMXXI will be the year of exploring Venus on Iron Sleet – and we cant wait to expand what has been set in motion during 2021.

Stay safe!