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Hello,

Me and my gaming group have decided to start a new campaign for our respective 40K armies. What we have is two AM armies (one of them traitor), one Vanilla Space Marine, one Tau and one Ork/Militarum Tempestus (me). I am to be the «game master» when it comes to decide the type of battle we are going to play, their objectives and their special condtions. Of course this includes a setting in which our armies will evolve. Simulteniously, me and three of the players of that campaign will start soon a game of Only War were I will also be the «Game Master». Its a pen and paper rpg about life has a guardsmen for those who never heard about it. I decided for a little bit of extra spice to use the same setting for our 40K campaign and our Only War adventure. The others agreed with the idea (even those who will not be playing the Only campaign). Since I want it to be great, I turn to this community for critic in the hope to make it better. So here it is and wait for your comments.

The Free Realm of Rarken are a cluster of 32 of the 35 worlds in the Rarken Sector in the southern quadrant of Segmentum Ultima rather close of the Realm of Ultramar and the Ork Empire of the Archarsonist. It’s a normally prosperous, stable and divers region of the Imperium. It harbors many important planets for their goods and natural resource production and exploitation. Its sector capital is an ancient orbital space station, the Nexus, dating from the Dark Age of Technology orbiting around a gas giant. Before the recent event, The Rarken Sector hasn’t been subject to a massive war since the Reign of Blood despite some ork migrations. Nearly a century ago, Increase military activity in that sector of space caused by Tau expansion, Ork migration and Tyranid invasion forced an increase in the imperial tithe. Thrice more food resources were demanded from the rather lush planet of the cluster as well as twice more crafted goods and soldiers from the large population basin of the civilised, industrial and hive worlds. This decision had terrible consequences on the stability of the cluster. Famine broke out on several planets, most of them food dependent Hive World, while other saw their security force so depleted that mobsters and criminals took control of large city districts.

After several years of privation and crisis and solid rumours of another tithe increase, three worlds: Danatus, Krasus and Gaern went into full blown revolt against imperial authority. Combat broke out into streets of their major cities. The rioters quickly organised and armed themselves after capturing poorly defended weapon caches and security facilities. When fighting became intense, most of the PDF of each planet turned their coat and chose to fight with the rebels. Victory was short to follow, but it was just the beginning of greater event and a time for leader to rise at the fore. The figure head of the victory on Danatus, a major Hive world, was the supreme commander of the PDF a young and brilliant commander and administrator named Vego Sastar. After becoming the official ruler of Danatus, he quickly proclaim is world independence from the Imperium, yet kept is allegiance to the Emperor of Mankind. He also send a rallying call to all the other worlds in open rebellion or in chaos. Krasus and Gaern who revolted in the same time than Danatus answered the call and an alliance was formed with Sastar at its head.

The new leader managed to secure himself the control of the local battlefleet by seizing the docks of Danatus and triggering several mutiny amongst capital ships by playing to his advantage old allegiance, friends and comrades. With the control of a fleet, he could sent soldiers on neighboring planets to help their local rebellious forces and help organise or trigger similar event in the entire Rarken Sector. This period of strife was named by the loyalists the Hunger Wars. Calls for help were sent by many governors who were getting overrun. An ork waaagh and an incursion of tau’s forces diverted much of the imperial war machine away from the conflicts in the cluster and only a few Imperial Guard regiments and ships were sent to help the loyalist against the growing tide of the desperate rebels. Underestimating their proved to be a terrible mistake for the Imperium. In a decade, nearly the entire cluster fell into the rebels’ hands, the Free Realm of Rarken was declared and Sastar, the architect of their victory, was named their king. The Hunger Wars were over and a certain stability and prosperity returned to the Rarken sector and especially to the Free Realm.

Knowing than sooner than later, the Imperium would come to crush their rebellion, Sastar prepared the cluster by fortifying the key planets and organised a more vigorous army from the various PDF at is disposal. He also moved is HQ from Danatus governor palace to the Nexus were astropathic choirs are particularly well trained. Eleven years after the proclamation of independence of the Free Realm of Rarken, the Imperium used a short period of cease fire in the region surrounding the Tau Empire and launched a massive counter offensive named by its leader, Lord Solar General Ignacius Gracio, the Reclamation Crusade. The imperial force were impressive with a force of over 10 million fighting men and women from over 30 worlds in the Imperium like Mordia, Tallarn, Vartarn, Trax and many others.
At first, the imperial forces were very successful despite the stiff resistance of the enemy. The few loyalist world of the Rarken cluster helped has a staging for the assault but were still problematic for they still had rebellious elements dating back from The Hunger Wars. Six world, amongst them the very strategically important Telka, were reclaimed in as much years. Seeing their defeat coming in more or less twenty years, Sastar and his lieutenant called for the help of the taus, hired kroot forces has mercenary and even a clan of ork freebooters in hope to stall the conflict. These reinforcement proved to be enough to stop the winning streak of the imperial forces. More troops were thus committed to this war zone, even from world like Lasaitasun or Overgon who never or rarely produced Imperial Guards regiment before. Chaos renegade fleeing from the Blue Sun chapter found solace in the Free Realm of Rarken and joined the war effort on the rebel side. Though, the presence of the Archenemy forces caused serious mistrust amongst the defenders of the Free Realm who still hold loyalty in their eyes to the Emperor. Despite the presence of chaos worshipers on the front inquisitor Ronald Gamasius of Ordo Hereticus assure there is no evidence pointing to the leadership of the Free Realm being corrupted to the Ruinous Power yet. War has now been raging for 14 years in the region with no clear winner, but the stale mate may be shifting soon.

The last major offensive of the imperial forces wad an ambitious plan. Sent a large portion of their forces through the contested system of Lukaron to reach the world of Gaern, one of the most pivotal nod of defense of the Free Realm and the source of its elite soldiers and equipment. Unknown to them, the attack plans were leaked to Gaern liege and military commander Camellia Arabella. She quickly reassembled her scattered forces and made a perfect countering strategy. When the Imperium arrived, Gaern was ready for them. The assault was a complete disaster. Over a million soldiers died during the 15 days of battle and twice more were injured or captured. Entire regiments of the Emperor finest guardsmen were broken by the Gaern Guard expertly executed assault. If it wasn’t for the excellence and bravery of a few regiments like the traxian White Owls 8th and 11th or the Exors Janissar 9th, the imperial invaders would have been incapable of retreating.

Using the momentum of their crushing victory, Sastar launched a counter attack with some of its best element from the Lukaron system to attempt and wrestle the still vital world of Telka from the imperial grasp. Disorganised and demoralised, it was a success, but the Imperium still hold some vital region of the planet and to prevent its lost have created an impressive fighting force from the surviving elements of the Gaern fiasco. These regiments, the Survivors, are an amalgam of various other regiments currently undermanned. They prove to be a barely functioning patchwork with various problem of communication due to language barrier, cultural gaps, differing combat doctrines and good old fashion mistrust and rivalry. Despite the major problems and setback caused by the defeat on Gaern and the founding of the Survivor regiment, these imperial soldiers must strive to find new alliances, get a grasp of their situation and organised themselves in that chaos if they are to see victory again.