Talismans of Vaul

Ancient space fortresses in the Warhammer 40K universe. Built by the Eldar race during the Old ones war against the C´tan and Necrons 60 million years before the current setting of the game world.

Originally eight talismen, they never were used in that war, since the Enslaver Plague brought an end to almost all life in the galaxy, and the C´tan went into hibernation.

The Imperium discovered the inert space stations and used them as naval bases in the Gothic sector, code naming them Black stone Fortress I-IIV.

Abbadon the despoiler learned of their power and launched a twenty year war to capture them, prompted by the C´tan Deciver (either masquerading as, or served by, an Oracle on a Daemon World).

Having found the artefacts needed to activate the fortresses, Abbadons forces linked them together to get a superweapon capable of destroying stars. Since the C´tan are creatures based on stellar energy, this was most likely the original intent of the Talismen, being the only thing to compleately kill the Star Gods.

Eldar and Imperial counter strikes eventually destroyed all but two of the fortresses, Abbadon fleeing to the Eye of Terror with the last ones.

The corrupted Black Stone fortresses re-appeared during the 13th Black Crusade, threathening Cadia, and the Eldar Farseer Eldrad Ulthran tried to re-capture one of them, but failed, consumed by the Slaaneshi daemonic spirit that had taken control of it in place of the original Eldar Soul.