Shape of Things That Were (Svarog #5), DOW:SS map addon - The Dance Macabre - Harlequins Mod for Dawn of War

UPDATE:30th December 2023

FLYER FIX APPLIED: Thanks to brother Hymmnos, flyer fix has been applied to this map. If by some chance you do have issue with flyers do report back. I have tested the map and Chaos, Thousand Sons, Orkish, Tau, Eldar, SM and IG flyers worked just fine.

Archeo-analyst Surveyor Team
Svarog Archeologicum Society, Neimar Subsidiary
Attached to Adeptus Mechanicus Archeotech Explorator Expedition
Shapat, Azdaian subsector, ancient ruins exploration
Executive Overseer, Radyslav Kaurin, Personal Log
Day:-4
I have trouble sleeping. Odd dreams haunt me, but I have grown accustomed to this. It's not my first time aboard starship. Working for the Society, this is hardly my first archeo-analyst surveyor mission. Jevrem travels with his family. His children have grown since the last time we worked together. We all adapt to demanding schedule of our work. Jevrem travels with his family, I travel alone. No strings untied for me.
Day:-1
Dreams are erratic as ever when travelling the Warp and sleep seems to take more out of me than it gives back in return. All seven of us are gathered in the common room. Documentation lays scattered about the great table, each one of us constantly shifting through little data we have on these ruins, dubiously named Reflection City. They are of human origin, at least 13.000 years old. Always the careful one, Darko, our architecturium savant made a bold claim that in fact these structures are almost identical to habitational structures found all across Svarog.
Day:1
Adeptus Mechanicus vessel, the "The Radiant Calculus" has acquired a pair of SDF escorts as soon as we entered the system. I could see one of them from the observation deck. Aggressive lines gave the ship menacing look and despite its size and role, I knew these system ships were a category above average Imperium defense monitors. These ships were product of a thousand years of war and constant threat. Kiril was with me there, our group priest and Ecclesiarchy expert in religious artifacts and structures. Our talk took several hours, and in the end, when I wondered how did these men and women lived without faith and protection of the Emperor, in his usual simple manner, Kiril explained that Humanity was never without the Emperor and despite their ignorance of Him, Emperor was no ignorant of His people spread amongst the stars.
Day: 2
One more day and we achieve orbit around Shapat. Our Mechanicus liaison, Zmayovni has often been part of our expeditions and one of the adepts best suited to deal with archeo-tech. His entire career has been devoted to research and reverse engineering of ancient technologies, a successful career I might add. It is my belief that after 400 years amongst machines and priests of Dazhrod he grew nostalgic for some real human company.
Day: 5
So finally, it begins. There was a small ceremony of breaking the ground and from there things returned to what we have all come to know as standard operating procedure in these circumstances. I have a good feeling about this site, this Reflection City.
Day: 9
Following the initial sonar probing into the ground, parcel of ground was designated as our alpha dig site. Hololithic representations of the structures discovered beneath the sand have shown a part of once thriving city. From our initial surveys we firmly believe this was some sort of residential-administration district. In its time, it must have been a metropolis of great size. However, the most exciting discoveries came later in the day. In the north-east corner of the dig site we found what appeared to an ancient trunk of a long dead tree. It was central piece of a park surface. Fence and benches where still, miraculously, untouched but of any other plant life, there was no sign. Zmayovni colleagues dedicated to research of biological world seemed quite taken by this find.
The second find was something quite unexpected. Surrounded by high walls and rising above black marble floor that seemed as if new, stood a statue of human warrior. After 13.000 years, it was a faded grandeur.
It was possible to see still some lines of noble and elegant face, proud bearing and rough outline of the warriors’ armor. Armor of the statue closely resembled that of Adeptus Astartes and there was no denying the nobility, the pride or the martial bearing of the depicted paragon of humanity.
It was an ideal, but we are blessed to live in times when those ideals where given form in flesh and steel.
Day: 13
It would seem this city was built on several height layers, terraces to be more precise. I spend most of my time over at the warrior found with Kiril while the rest of the team is dispersed around the dig site. What I find particularly interesting is the absence of any kind of biological remains, either human or animal, nothing except the great three that was, unofficially, named Oldbark by the most members of the expedition.
Day: 17
News reached me this morning while I was working on the warrior statue. Drones and heavy machinery have completed the second phase of excavation work but I’ll spend some more time with the old soldier before I move on. It would seem the second level is mostly industrial and storage facilities, little work for me.
Day: 19
Today, as I was finishing up the last serie of tests on the warrior statue, I heard news bordering on amazing. Oldbark has bloomed and techpriests studying it are claiming that leafing is not far behind. I finished my work and with my own eyes witnessed a tree older than ten thousand years spring back to life with such vigor it was almost unbelievable, even when seeing it for myself.
Day: 24
Had some bad dreams last night. After breakfast I went down to the second level to see what the all fuss is about. Zmayovni was there as well. It would seem there was, mostly intact, an ancient distribution grid for something, probably fuel, that captivated the minds of the techpriests, until power-plant of ancient design was not found. What interested me the most was the discovery of two almost intact storage facilities that were still sealed and from preliminary reports, it would seem they were sealed for all this time.
Day: 27
Zmayovni said several tech-priest and their teams will attempt to unseal one of the storage facilities tomorrow morning. In the last several days reports started coming in about lack of discipline amongst security detail and some of the workers. I will have to talk with the ranking member of the Mechanicus before this situation turns ugly.
Day: 28
My excitement was short-lived. The facility was empty.
Day: 30
Fatigue is starting to get to me. Decaff and stim-pils are helping, for now. Troubles in the security detail and work force didn’t stop with more flexible time table. In more than 4 instances now, patrol would come back with a body and a prisoner. It makes no sense, these are men who know each other and have served together for years. Skitarii have shown more discipline, but even they seem afflicted.
On the other hand, the workforce seems to be on the edge of total breakdown. Already, nine workers have disappeared or were found dead, more than two dozen servitors and servo-skulls have been savagely damaged.
There is no reasonable explanation for the barbaric outbursts, nothing is amiss, and yet, something is clearly wrong here.
Day: 32
Third level excavation is done. The whole level is taken by only one structure of immense proportions. Together with Kiril, I went there today and there is no doubt in my mind, the place is an ancient temple. Kiril agrees and there is definitely a sense of faded majesty to the structure. The size of the temple is, in itself, is impressive. The surviving roof rests upon eight colossal pillars, each one guarded by single statue similar to the warrior found on the level one. First cases of insanity and more disappearances followed with three new deaths. This can’t continue. We must leave.
Day: 37
Techpriest were unwilling to leave. That was five days ago. Today, it might be too late. In the last three days we lost almost 50% of our mission. By this point I don’t even think about the cause, my only concern is the safety of the remaining mission members. Everything has stopped, the patrols, the work, everything. Techpriests decided to listen at last, but it was to no avail. The Radiant Calculus and governing IG commander have put us under quarantine. No one leaves until situation is assessed and help sent. I believe it will be all over by then.
Day: 42
I wonder now why am I not affected like others. Kiril was killed today. Crazed woman with a power tool, just like that, no provocation, no interlude. Emperor bless his soul, and the souls of us all.
Day: 48
All semblance of order has gone. Zmayovni has disappeared, Jevrem and his wife, Stanija, were found two days ago, together with their children. All dead. Suicide. May the Emperor forgive them, I know I would. The last I saw Darko was moment before he was, feral himself, torn to pieces by crazed mob just outside the compound. It would seem only I remain. Screams, guttural yells and animal howls, gunfire and insane laughter, they all mix in one maniacal sound echoing through ruins of Reflection City.
Day: 51
This is my last entry. My legs are broken and the only reason I can still type is because the madman dragging me somewhere has lost all semblance of humanity and intellect. I am to die, that is certainty, but I still have my duty.
Burn the Emperor-damned tree. Obscenely piled, broken and torn bodies of the expedition lie around it. There can’t be coincidence in this. The moment it awoken did our troubles start and now we are to feed its wretched existence. It’s a parasite and needs to die.
Emperor guide your work,
Radyslav Kaurin

Personal log recovered by Adeptus Astartes Storm Dragons Chapter Strike Team.
Site purge enacted
Source of xenoflora infection removed
Quarantine established until further notice