We've been treating many of the mentioned worlds in the core book as the Prime world for the system they're in then fleshing out the rest of the system for where ever our games take us.

Recently our 2 GM's (myself and another chap) were using Thical Prime as a world converted little more than 150 years ago, formerly a mostly peaceful world using electric engines that putter along at a safe 25mph, and has an unusual "Yoof Element" thats something akin to Victoriana mixed with the Deep South as oft featured in the Lovecraft novels.

Now however, one of the groups will be moving on to the Opus Macharius system, which has no published info that i can find with my Google-Fu level 3 skills, and here's whats been put together for it for the players to digest on route after a quick briefing...

Opus Macharius Prime will not be the setting for our game, instead it'll be set on the 5th planet of the system, one racked with violent earthquakes and is little more than a Death World outside of the prime hive...

~~~~~~~~~~~

<<Notes diligently compiled by Archivist Archimedes Grimm>>

Sector: Druscus Marches {Spinward/Rimward}
System: Opus Mecharius
Planet: OM Quintus
Hive: Calderascape
Population: <<<CLASSIFIED>>>
Tithe Grade: <<<CLASSIFIED>>>
Tithe Type: <<<CLASSIFIED>>>
Government Type: Noblesse Oblige & Mechanicus Sector Magos council
Ministorum Presence: Heavy
Military: N/A. No PDF attached to planet
Trade: <<<CLASSIFIED>>>
Journey Time: <<OM Prime: 39 Days Standard>> <<OM Secundus: 19 Days Standard>> <<OM Tertius: 10 Days Standard>> <<OM Quadrus: 18 Days Standard>>

All journey times are based on in system flight times, no Aetheric Travel is permitted in system except under extreme conditions, and even then it is only permissible by Adeptus Mechanicus fleets.
There are however, recognized Aetheric Translocation Junctions some four to five days towards the System Rim from OM Quintus. No Translocation Junctions exist deep inside the system.

Should a vessel breach the Law in regards to this point they face a strong chance of impoundment with the vessel being taken by the Adeptus Mechanicus as a levy against the crew being freed and sent back to the last out of system port they departed from.
There have been numerous accounts of Arbitrators arriving on the planet to sue for the vessels return. As yet no cases have been successful.
{{see attachment: <AG/OM/Q/Arbites1-2-3-4-5----503-504-505-506-507> }}

Calderascape, assuredly called such due to the fact that the hive itself is built around the rim of several still active volcano's, is owned essentially by the Adeptus Mechanicus, however it is ruled by a parliament of Contractual Nobles, each founded by Traders with wealth from their endeavours.
Each family owns specific contracts dealing with aspects of life within the city, a list of the current Major and Minor Houses, but not including the Least Houses due to the rate of flux from which they change, will be included in this report.

All Citizens can be identified by the fact they wear Respirators whilst out of their hab units, though lung infections are still highly common as are numerous tumorous cancers of the Skin, especially around the Face, Hands and Back, do not be surprised if cancerously mutated individuals approach you for Alms as this is an expected act on the planet, when such citizens are too infected to work they are forced to beg from other citizens and also from the House they worked from, often receiving meagre Subsist Allowances for duties performed that (presently) uninfected citizens to not perform deeper in the Hive City Manufactorums and <<<CLASSIFIED>>> works.
Each Major and Minor House also requires its incumbents to show indenture-ship with Electoos, which can be “Flashed” upon request by any other citizen.

Houses each, as mentioned, own contracts for services around the city, Travel (Inner City)/Travel (Orbital)/Ground Haulage/Lunar Orbital Storage are all examples of the Contracts the Houses own and perform duties relating to.
Each House jealously guards its Contract, however they are not above using subterfuge and wage personal “Buyouts”, which is to say they each wage a quiet war on each other to get more Contracts owned by themselves and ruin other Houses.
The “Buyouts” can be very bloody, essentially a whole portion of the city will wage street battles on another portion of the city, if they are successful the citizens will settle down, families are generally very large and as such, a Steading can often split in two to take control of a new home in the recently razed city zone they have won for the Houses (Major & Minor).
Those citizens who have been ousted are either Dead, or are re-employed by the winning House, though on significantly lower Subsist Allowances.
Once a year the Houses Major (and often the Minor but never the Least) will dole out food parcels on what's known as “Cakey Day”. The bulk of the parcels contain heavy breads and doughy cakes very rich in fruit and preservative spices. As to exactly where this festivity came about has since been lost to history.

Each house is required to educate its incumbent to a critical level, they must know their letters, numbers, the sacred Periodic Pyramid and also show the proper worship of the Cult Mechanicus in other numerous ways. Some houses will give broad training, whilst others will provide what might be considered highly specialised, and possibly even heretical knowledge outside the Cult Mechanicus itself.
Testing is performed yearly between the ages of 14 and 17. Those who fail the testing are forced to work on ¾ subsist rations in the lowliest of duties, whilst those who pass exceptionally well are given further training and inducted in to the Adeptus Mechanicus as Novices, with their standard ration of subsist rations given to their Steading as a reward for producing a suitable candidate. These additional rations continue until the novice has passed their final indoctrination and has ascended to the ranks of the Cult Mechanicus proper, usually taking 5-15 years depending on the adherent themselves natural ability and faith in the Omnissiah.

Following is a list of the Houses (Major & Minor) and their Contractual Obligations.
<<Maynora>>
Owns the contract on the OM Quintus Orbitus Beta unit (affectionately known by workers as Cob). The unit is in fact the 2nd moon of OM Quintus which has been hollowed out for approximately one third of its component minerals and converted to <<<CLASSIFIED>>> storage, which is, as we all know, highly combustible.

<<Fereq>>
Owns the Surface to Orbit transit contract, they ferry both Personnel and Freight. They married in to the Maynora House some 8 generations ago, however they maintain they are a separate (Minor) House so as to avoid certain Taxation and Levy duties.

<<Borar>>
Own two relating contracts: Smelting & Purification. The Purification contract was won little more than 10 years [Terran Standard] ago.
As they own two strong contracts they are a Very Powerful House, and could be considered The Eminent House Minor.

<<Enjo>>
Own the Ground Haulage & Hive Transportation Contracts. They are very aggressive in protecting their assets, and it is rumoured that no other “Buyouts” could happen with out their agreement (possibly purchased) as citizens need to move about from one Zone to another during times of “Buyouts”.

<<Calo>>
Not based on the planet itself they own the contract for <<<CLASSIFIED>>> mining on Orbitus Gamma. They do not send representatives to council meetings or House Parties. But they do keep good relations with Maynora as would be expected.

<<Payh>>
Owns the Nord Prime to Octus mining contracts, 8 land zones outside of the hive which is all of the Northern External Mining Contracts. They should be considered the Very Powerful House, and could be considered The Eminent House Major. Many of their children spend 15-30 years in apprenticeship to the Adeptus Mechanicus and train often Off Planet.

<<Levk>>
Now a Minor House, having been the former owners of the two Purification Contracts, Levk only possess the Air Purification contract, though through some manner of largesse House Borar allowed House Levk to retain the Gas Extraction contract as it is so heavily relating to the Air Purification Contract. As a house they badly manage their business (which caused the loss of the Mineral Purification Contract) and are said to be in considerable debt to the Adeptus Mechanicus.

<<Charod, Speto, Riceh, Bahpa & Esteb>> each control one of the Southern External Mining Contracts.
The remain 3 divisions of the Southern continent are controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus to their own devices.

<<Nil Contractus>>
There is no Ground Storage Contract, each house is expected to store (specialised) goods themselves within their own Zone of the city or export them with all due expediency.
There is no Law Enforcement Contract, each house is expected to Pacify its own citizens through self policing.
There is no Food Production Contract. The Adeptus Mechanicus provides Sustpaste and Nutritabs for all, including for the Disfigured (those workers who have been mutated via working environmental conditions).
The general effect of the Sustpaste and Nutritabs is one of malnourishment, forcing many Steadings to pool its Subsist Allowance to purchase food from Off Planet.
Those who're high up in the Houses or Ministorum will be considerably fuller figured due to better dietary conditions and access to less marked up Off Planet food stuffs.
The Adeptus Mechanicus keeps all of its adherents well fed with better quality Sustpaste and Nutritabs.

<<Other Icons of Authority>>
The Holy and Most Righteous Imperial Inquisition.
General citizens are unaware of what the Inquisition is, the Adeptus Mechanicus are the dominant power on the planet. That being said however, even the Houses do not really know a great deal about the Holy Ordos, certainly less than they should given the past histories of the Contractual Nobles. Such knowledge is either guarded very closely, or it has since been forgotten. There has only been one recorded case within the last 275 Standard Terran Years, a minor dispute of deportation of unsanctioned Psykers. The house involved was fully purged, and all rights of commerce and contractuality revoked.

Law Enforcement.
The Adeptus Arbites do not host a Station House on the planet, it is generally very peaceful and the only real violence is present at the times of “Buyouts”.
Cult Assassins are only read about in the Throne Thriftfuls, mass produced pamphlets detailing lurid life in the rest of the System, almost all of which show heroes of the Adeptus Mechanicus performing abilities beyond the scope of plausibility., such as leaping from habtop to habtop, foiling daemonic plans by injecting Logic in to the heretical rituals and thus corrupting them in to rituals of Pure Logic. There are no Death Cult Temples on the planet.
It should be noted that whilst not unlawful, it is not standard for weapons to be carried except during the “Buyouts”. However, it would be remiss of me not to include a cautionary note regarding some weapons commonly carried that are beyond the standard Stub pistols, Shivs and Wrenches. Choker Grenades are a common device used to cause extreme nausea and debilitating breathing difficulties, some variants are also able to pass through the basic re-breathers that the average citizen wears whilst out of their Hab. Nailers, a deadly gas powered pistol, fire as the name suggests Nails which pierce most non-hardend armours. Grav-Hooks are an unusual impromptu weapon, normally used to move heavy loads they are weaponised to capture then fling people against walls or in some recorded instances in to the way of speeding maglev trams or other haulage vehicles. Rad-Cleansers have been used in some port side altercations, however due to their size and weight they are never seen outside the Fereq Dock.

The Holy Institution of the Imperial Cult
The Ecclesiarchy holds very little sway on OM Quintus, the Omnissiah is the Holy Icon of the planet, the Emperor is simply considered the Human part of the Divine Architect.
Whilst disturbing, I am reliably informed that this is a standard practice on worlds and systems where the Cult Mechanicus is dominant. No doubt there are shrines to Him on Terra, however they will be in the severe minority when compared both numerically and visually to the Cult Mechanicus Templum. This may require additional investigation when the chance comes up at a later date.

Psykana Mysterium
The planet is not home to any Astropaths, however a small Choir Host do live on the Alpha Moon. They are adherents to the Adeptus Mechanicus Lores, Laws and Catechisms, and are closely monitored by the Adeptus Mechanicus who also use the moon as a powerful message relay station for the system which acts in accordance to Rites decreed by OM Prime
Psykers are very rare, more so than normal, however those that are born are handed over to the House in who's zone they are born in, many of which are dispatched to the Black Ships, it is rumoured that some remain on planet in secret, especially those with the powers of Healing, Divination and Beast Speech. It is said that those strong enough are Sanctioned and work directly for the Houses in one aspect or another, however all investigation in to this matter has been inconclusive.
Warp Currents are generally not Unfavourable, but then again neither are they especially Favourable for travel to and from the system via the Aether.

<<Electoos of the Houses Major & Minor>>
It should be known at this juncture that citizens call them “Flashies”, and only request others “Flash Up” if they do not know them or if they know they are from another Zone in the city, this is rarely requested outdoors due to the often toxic atmospherics of the hive. But do not be surprised if you're requested to enter a nearby building to “Flash Up”
Each House/Zone has its Electoo on a different part of the head, details of which follow.
House Incumbents/Citizens are Electoo'd at the age of majority, which is between 14 and 17 on OM Quintus. Majority is considered to be in effect once the child engages in full contractual passing of basic education, as done by the Adeptus Mechanicus and notably comprised of Mechanicus Basic Rotes, basic literacy and numeracy.

Maynora
Size: 4cm
Location: Left Cheek
Colour: Green (Bright, Solid)
Description: Circle with a single headed eagle inside

Fereq
Size: 3cm
Location: Behind Left Ear
Colour: Grey/White (Bright, Solid)
Description: Enneagram (9 pointed star)

Borar
Size: 3cm
Location: Around the Mouth
Colour: Red, Orange & Yellow (Bright & Strobing)
Description: Flames

Enjo
Size: 10cm
Location: Forehead
Colour: Black (Motative)
Description: 2 Cogs, one essentially above each eye, Interlocked & Flash to look as if they are moving.

Calo
Size: 10cm
Location: Back of the Skull
Colour: Black (Solid)
Description: 20 Interlinked Circles (Rosebud patterning)

Payh
Size: 16cm
Location: Throat
Colour: Blue (Dark, Solid)
Description: Aquila Fray (Inverted Long Teardrop Shape)

Levk
Size: 4cm
Location: Right Cheek
Colour: White/Blue (Bright/Strobing)
Description: Circuit Stamped Omega

Charo
Size: 6cm
Location: Left Brow
Colour: <Hood> Black, <Head> Mixed Greys (Solid)
Description: Hooded Wolfs Head (Facing Right)

Speto
Size: 4cm
Location: Left Side of Neck
Colour: Red (Dark, Solid)
Description: Eagle Topped Totemic Pole, Eagle, Horse, Bear, Dog, Snake

Riceh
Size: 2cm
Location: Right Side of Neck
Colour: Black (Solid)
Description: Solid Square

Balpa
Size: 6cm
Location: Right Brow
Colour: Black (Solid)
Description: Outline of a Dictator class Imperial Cruiser

Erteb
Size: 5cm
Location: Bridge of Nose
Colour: Green (Dark, Strobing)
Description: 3 Horizontal lines