The Daemonastrolabium of the Iron Maw. The Artist, painted the Iron Maw, the warship of the Iron Butchers, and a key part of this vessel is the Daemonastrolabium. This unique device, a collaboration between the Iron Butchers’ Warpsmiths and the Dark Mechanicum Hereteks, sits atop the observatory dome of the ship’s highest spire. Known as the daemon-compass, it was designed to allow the Iron Butchers to navigate the Warp without relying on a Navigator, whose scarcity and instability make them unreliable for traitor warbands.
The Daemonastrolabium channels the power of a bound Slaaneshi daemon, the Lady of the Void, who was entrapped by Warpsmith Varago. Through a system of punishments and rewards, she reveals the pathways of the Warp, which are then translated into machine code by the device and interpreted by Mechanicum Calculus Logis to chart the course through the Immaterium. While this method removes the need for kidnapped navigators or risky deals with other Warp entities, it remains fraught with peril.
The process of controlling the Lady of the Void is a constant challenge for Varago. The daemon is kept subdued in a state of sensory deprivation, enforced by the psychic-nullifying power of nearby blank remnants. To ensure her cooperation during warp travel, human sacrifices must be made, and the demands for blood grow with every journey. Missteps or miscalculations, sometimes caused by the daemon’s trickery, occasionally throw the ship off course, but even with its dangers, the Daemonastrolabium is far more reliable than traditional methods.
Though risky, the Iron Butchers have embraced the Daemonastrolabium, as it frees them from the constraints of relying on Imperial Navigators and gives them the freedom to pursue their bloody crusades across the galaxy.