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Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




BOUNTY HUNTER

Bounty Hunters are amongst the toughest and most dangerous of all Underhivers. They survive in perilous conditions out in the wastes, pursuing outlaws and mutants through the ruins, only returning to settlements to claim their rewards and to resupply. Most Bounty Hunters were notorious stubjacks leading feared gangs. As their gangs gained wealth, many of the gangers moved uphive. For reasons of their own, the Stubjack struck out on their own an took up the life of the Bounty Hunter rather than moving uphive with their gang.

A Bounty Hunter who survives for any length of time soon garners a near legendary status in the settlements near to their hunting grounds. Many Juves will start out their careers having heard of the legendary bounty hunters of their settlement and wishing to become just like them.

It is unknown why many bounty hunters voluntary sign up to enlist in the guard, as their skills would ensure that they could avoid the arbites sweeps if they so wished. Perhaps it is the same reason they don't move uphive with their former gang, simply the chance to test themselves or for some other secret reason.

A Bounty Hunters presence on the battlefield will inspire juves and gangers alike to feats of skill and bravery, all hoping to be noticed by the Bounty Hunter, and perhaps be taken under his wing.

Despite the near legendary status he has, a Bounty Hunter is ruthless and no fool. He knows his limits and wont hesitate to sacrifice others to survive.

A Bounty Hunter stands outside the normal chain of command, indeed, very few Stubjacks and still fewer Gang Leaders would try and tell a Bounty Hunter what to do, less they find themselves on the receiving end of his deadly skills.

Every Bounty Hunter has a unique look about him, his preferred weapons and equipment.

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Sorry for the lack of updates guys, have been playing in an escalation league (with an Eldar Aspect Army of all things), but has allowed me to take a look at my IG regiment (and wider crusade) with fresh eyes. I have started to tailor each Hive Regiment further (I have decided to give each Hive a battlefield role it specialises in), this has resulted in some inspiration to give each of the hives its own flavour. Ranrence is no longer the ruling Hive (or even the richest), but this is my overview of Hive Ranrence fluff wise:

Hive Ranrence

Hive Ranrence is physically the smallest of the Hives on Eris, however, the population is approximately the same as any other Hive on the planet. This has resulted in desperate overcrowding in Hive City and the Underhive with entire families having only a few feet of living space.

Whilst the rich/poor divide of Eris can be seen in every Hive, it is most evident within Hive Ranrence. The majority of the population live in dire poverty, sharing overcrowded habs with others from the Manufactorum where they work exceedingly long hours and living off tasteless nutrient bars. The population is taught they are required to sacrifice for the good of the Hive from an early age.

It is no wonder that Hive Ranrence has a higher proportion of its population venturing into the Underhive, simply on the remote possibility of a better life. Due to the larger numbers in the underhive, prospects are little better given the increased competition for resources. As such, when the tithe for the Imperial Guard is called, many enlist willingly, simply on the promise of 3 meals a day. This results in regiments from Hive Ranrence being noticeably larger than those of other Hives.

In stark contrast, those who live in the Hive Spyre live a life of true luxury and surrounded by splendours. Each Spyre Noble lives in a mansion made of multi coloured marble surrounded by clear lakes and waterfalls, the pathways of the Spyre are quite literally paved with gold. They regularly eat at large banquets with silver cutlery and drink from crystal goblets whilst wearing the finest silks.

The primary exports of Hive Ranrence is the Long Las and Heavy Bolter, both of which can be produced cheaply and in vast numbers.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/03/17 21:12:22


Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Ok, been a while since I did an update on my Hive World (which is now called Eris).

This is my WiP relating to the Hive Arbites. As you will see, still a lot to do, but as always welcome you comments and suggestions:

Hive Arbites

As with every population of any size there is a need for law enforcement agents.  On the world of Eris, this is the responsibility of the Hive Arbites.  The Hive Arbites are the closest organisation that Eris has in the way of an official Planetary Defence Force.  

Whilst officially the Hive Arbites are a law enforcement force, they are in practice the personal armed forces of the various Nobles and Manufactorums.  As such, their level of Law Enforcement only extends to what is best for Noble or Manufactorum that is financing (bribing) them and their workers.

In order to maintain the appearance of independence from the local politics, the Nobles and Manufactorums have no direct say in the deployment, internal promotions or investigations of the Hive Arbite.  In practice however, many minor Nobles will join the ranks of the Hive Arbites, and through these Nobles the game of politics continues.  

Anyone on Eris may join the Arbites if they wish. Upon joining the Hive Arbite each recruit is given a new name and identity and in doing so they are (in theory) supposed to give up all family ties, wealth and previous allegiances.  In practice however, it is quite likely that a new Hive Arbite will quickly find himself protecting the streets of where he grew up.

Given that the Hive Arbites are well funded, both through an official tithe from every person on Eris, and through unofficial ‘donations’ they are equipped with some of the best weapons and armour available.

The standard Hive Arbite kit is a full suit of black Carapace Armour, a Hotshot Lasgun, a Hotshot Las Pistol, 2 Frag Grenades, 2 Crack Grenades, 2 Stun Grenades, 2 Smoke Grenades, Truncheon, Red Dot Laser Sight, Back Pack Power Pack, Clip Harness, Photo-Visor, Respirator, Auspex, Lamp Pack, Magboots, Manacles, Micro Bead and Multi Compass.  In addition to this, specialist troopers will be issued with more powerful weapons such as plasma weapons, grenade launchers and such like.  Each squad is issued with a Taurox which also doubles as their mobile precinct.

When Eris assembles its tithe for the Imperial Guard, a portion of the Hive Arbites will also be assigned.  There are many arguments the various political factions will put forward for why this is, such as preventing the Hive Arbites from gaining too much influence, they are effectively the PDF or it is their duty as Imperial Citizens.  In truth it’s simple politics, an opportunity to remove particularly righteous (and incorruptible) officers, reduce another faction's influence within the Hive Arbites whilst increasing your own or simply to avoid paying off favours owed.  Nothing can stop an investigation to questionable business dealings than shipping the investigators off to the Imperial Guard, and it sends a message to other investigators.

Organisation of the Hive Arbites

Ranks

Lord High Marshal


The Lord High Marshal is the highest ranking position in the Hive Arbites.  In power and influence he is equal to any of the Spire Lords, and should the planet be attacked, the Lord High Marshal is the Commander in Chief of the defence of Eris.

This position is currently filled by Lord High Marshal Irontail.  He is currently in his early 100s and has managed to maintain his position for the past 78 years through careful political maneuvering and, perhaps more importantly, having gathered incriminating evidence on everyone of the current Nobles and he could bring about down the fall of both individuals and corporations should he wish too.

Whilst appearing old and frail, bound to an anti grav chair, there is a cold, calculating intelligence behind his dark eyes.  More than one political enemy has underestimated Irontail and shortly found themselves destitute and, if they are lucky, on the run.

Whilst no one knows of his origin, the numerous tattoos under his black armour suggest that he was once an underhiver. Many suspect he had a hand in the fall of The Graiccull Corporation and the rise of the previously unheard of Branrence Corporation, especially given that the Arbites did little to aid in the defence of The Graiccull Corporation stating that it was a matter of politics and not in the remit of the Hive Arbites to interfere.

High Marshal

There are normally 20 High Marshals, one for each of the Hives.  The High Marshal has ultimate responsibility for maintaining law and order for the Hive under their jurisdiction.  Until recently, the High Marshals would meet once a year to discuss add, remove or change existing laws and discuss any promotions due.

At the last annual meeting there was an explosion that killed all but 4 of the High Marshals, who were conveniently absent when the bomb exploded.  This has resulted in all the political factions accusing one another of arranging planting the bomb.  It should be noted that 2 of the surviving Marshals are known to support the Ranrence Corporation and 1 known to support the Branrence Corporation.  The 4th was a supporter of the Tuytait Corporation but has since been assigned to the most recent tithe of Imperial Guard.

This has drastically shifted the balance of power within the Hive Arbites with 12 of the previous Marshals known supporters (and likely family members) of the Gregvan Corporation.

Marshal

The Marshal is responsible for the large sections of the Hive.  Each of these sections will have a Hive Arbite Fortress Precinct where the Marshal will reside.  In the Upper Spire sections, this will often be a lavish mansion with crystal clear moats and impressive golden statues.  In contrast however, in the Underhive this will be a heavily fortified bunker with heavy gun emplacements and clear lines of sight.  Should a person of influence have a legal issue, it is the Marshal who they would see to have the issue resolved.

Normally the position of Marshal isn’t given much attention by the various political factions, beyond ensuring that any Marshal assigned to areas that they have extensive interest in looks favourably on the faction.  Given the recent vacancies for High Marshals, the position of Marshal has become a hotbed of political activity with many Marshals receiving large donations from the various political factions, whilst others have been abruptly transferred to recent tithe of Imperial Guard.

Magistrate
Judge
Executioner
Bounty Hunter
Investigator
Sherriff
Bailiff
Warden
Regulator
Proctor
Arbite

Units
Arbite Co-Ordinators
Arbite Extermination Team
Arbite Assault Team
Arbite Execution Team
Arbite Snatch Team
Arbite Patrol Team

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in us
Bonkers Buggy Driver with Rockets






Nice to see an update on this project!

A few things about the Arbites:
First, if anyone can join, and there's an Arbites presence throughout large sections of the Hive, then it seems like a lot of citizens would join the Arbites instead of joining a gang due to the size of the organization and the power gained. This works if you want the total Arbites to be a massive number equivalent to most of the people in one of the Hives, but if you want them to be an elite force you may want to change that detail or explain why there are so few.
I like the names of the Arbite units, and would love to see lore about each of them. Have you figured out which ones handle riots? Which ones deal with cults/mutants? And what do Co-Ordinators do?
Lord High Marshal Irontail seems like an interesting character, reminiscent of Vetinari or Lofwyr. One detail that bugs me is that if he's in his early 100s and he took power 78 years ago, then he must have taken the job while fairly young and inexperienced. Is that supposed to be normal among Lord High Marshals? Also is his 78-year reign unusual or not?
Does every squad need a Taurox? Every single one?
Otherwise everything seems good. Marshals are well thought-out, and the potential intrigue is astounding.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/19 19:34:02


40k drinking game: take a shot everytime a book references Skitarii using transports.
 
   
Made in gg
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 gnome_idea_what wrote:
Nice to see an update on this project!

A few things about the Arbites:
First, if anyone can join, and there's an Arbites presence throughout large sections of the Hive, then it seems like a lot of citizens would join the Arbites instead of joining a gang due to the size of the organization and the power gained. This works if you want the total Arbites to be a massive number equivalent to most of the people in one of the Hives, but if you want them to be an elite force you may want to change that detail or explain why there are so few.
I like the names of the Arbite units, and would love to see lore about each of them. Have you figured out which ones handle riots? Which ones deal with cults/mutants? And what do Co-Ordinators do?
Lord High Marshal Irontail seems like an interesting character, reminiscent of Vetinari or Lofwyr. One detail that bugs me is that if he's in his early 100s and he took power 78 years ago, then he must have taken the job while fairly young and inexperienced. Is that supposed to be normal among Lord High Marshals? Also is his 78-year reign unusual or not?
Does every squad need a Taurox? Every single one?
Otherwise everything seems good. Marshals are well thought-out, and the potential intrigue is astounding.


Good point about being able to join the Arbites. I'll add something about a selection process (a bit like an intense boot camp) that many fail to pass - that will narrow the selection down. Probably throw in not convicted of a crime either, that will narrow down a lot of the potentials. Oh, and given the nature of the world and the arbites, there is obviously going to be a 'fee' involved

Each of the Units have their own role - but rather than thinking which take on mutant, which take on riots etc, it is more a case of what result you want. you want a single person dead, you are going be looking at an execution team, if you want a building stormed, its the assault team, you want an area cleansed you bring in the extermination team. The Co-Ordinators are the organisers and responsible for ensuring that the right forces are deployed where needed. They generally don't make significant decisions, they are told what needs to be done and its there job to get it done. I guess in a way, middle management.

With regards to Needing a Taurox, no, but for the Hives Political Factions, it is a relatively easy thing to obtain (its quite possible that they are produced on Eris, but would need to think about that a bit more, but its certainly a possibility as the Hives do supply Storm Troopers with equipment, and it is a good way of making a 'donation' look legitimate. Often these vehicles will be parked in a particular area and a small precinct will be built up around them. In some parts of the Hive, the vehicle may not move for years or even decades, in other parts it will be moved almost constantly to avoid attacks.

Irontail is definitely unusual in that he gained the post at a rather young age. Whilst I haven't come up with the specific details surrounding his rise to power, I do know there was a lot of political manoeuvrings going on during his rise and he often received promotions because no factions objected too strongly to him as he had no apparent political affiliations, but was more than willing to accept bribes, I mean donations, on a case by case bases ensuring that all the factions knew that they could get the ruling they wanted if they were willing to spend more than the other side. He also appeared to have a code in that he only took donations from the winning side and being open about it if a side offered him a donation that wouldn't be sufficient to get the ruling they wanted. I also suspect that his dossiers that he had on the various influential people helped smooth his promotions.

Once in the position, it is not unusual for a Lord High Marshal to retain their position for the rest of their life. He has been politically savvy enough to get to the position in the first place and has the muscle of the Arbites behind him should any of the political factions try to challenge him. The Interesting thing about the Hive Arbites is that despite how corrupt they actually are, they do not take kindly to overt attempts by the factions to control them and so to challenge a Lord High Marshal is likely to result in the Arbites rallying around him, and to put it bluntly, they have the most guns.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/19 20:25:36


Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Ok, my Hive Arbite Fluff, continued (and completed)

Magistrate

Each Marshal has several Magistrates working for them.  It is the job of the Magistrate to rule on matters of law between businesses.  This can range from interpretation of contracts for the purchase and sale of goods to property disputes and anything in between involving smaller businesses.  For those Arbites who are not politically savvy, connected to a Spire Noble or are still unusually righteous, this is the highest rank they are ever likely to achieve as they fall below the notice of any major political faction.

Many Magistrates joined the Arbites to preserve law and make the Hives a better place.  Those that have retained those aims tend to become well respected and sought after by businesses as they know they will get a fair hearing and resolution.

Those who have lost (or never had) their youthful idealism tend to become bitter at their lack of progression and often pass down harsh rulings.  

Finally, there are those that have carved out a niche for themselves collecting reasonable donations from businesses that come to them with disputes.  On the world of Eris, it is these individuals who are most likely to gain the attention and favour of one of the political factions who can help advance their career, or at least arrange for their transfer to more lucrative precincts.

It is not uncommon for those Magistrates who realise that they are not likely to advance any further, or make any significant difference in their current position, to join the Imperial Guard when a new Tithe is called.

Judge

Below the Magistrates are the Judges.  It is their role to hear the cases of those accused of a crime and pass judgement.  These cases can range anywhere from petty theft to mass murder.  The nature of proceedings can vary as wildly as the crimes they hear.  In the Hive Spyre these proceedings will be held in courtrooms of ornately carved wood with specific procedures and rituals and open to spectators.  Within Hive City hearings are likely to take place in the Judge’s office restricted to only the relevant parties, whereas in the Underhive the Judge will likely hear cases publically in the center of a settlement and pronounce judgement from atop his Taurox.

Should the accused party be declared guilty, punishments will likely reflect the usefulness and status of the guilty and what the Hive is in need of, rather than the crime committed.  If the guilty is a Spyre Noble, then they will likely receive a relatively small fine, a skilled worker may find himself indentured to a Manufactorum for a set amount of time whereas an underhive ganger may find himself conscripted into the Imperial Guard or hanging from the nearest light globe post.

Executioner
Every Judge has a small team of Executioners.  The role of the Executioners is to carry out the sentence decreed by the Judge.  While at times this may be to execute the defendant, it is just as likely to involve taking them to the Imperial Guard, having them tagged with servitude collar, escorting them to the Tech Priests to be turned into servators or many other possible sentences.

Many Executioners will delay carrying out a sentence to allow time for the prisoners friends or family to pay the Executioner for their freedom.  Because of this, it is not uncommon to see an executioner leading a group of chained and shackled prisoners, and they will often make a tidy sum by selling these prisoners as slaves to manufactorums and pit crew foreman.

Bounty Hunter

While Bounty Hunters are not part of the Hive Arbites, they are commonly used to track down fugitives who have fled into the underhive.  Given the hostility that Hive Arbites will often receive in the wastes of the Underhive, it is usually quicker, easier and more cost effective to place a bounty on the fugitives head and let a Bounty Hunter bring back the fugitive (or at least his head).

Bounty Hunters are amongst the toughest and most dangerous of all Underhivers. They survive in perilous conditions out in the wastes, pursuing outlaws and mutants through the ruins, only returning to settlements to claim their rewards and to resupply. Most Bounty Hunters were notorious stubjacks leading feared gangs. As their gangs gained wealth, many of the gangers moved uphive. For reasons of their own, the Stubjack struck out on their own and took up the life of the Bounty Hunter rather than moving uphive with their gang.

A Bounty Hunter who survives for any length of time soon garners a near legendary status in the settlements near to their hunting grounds. Many Juves will start out their careers having heard of the legendary bounty hunters of their settlement and wishing to become just like them.

Investigator

The Investigator is the most common rank other than Arbite or Proctor.  The role of the Investigator is varied, ranging from gathering information for Judges, compiling reports, investigating crime scenes and generally organising the Hive Arbites.  Ultimately, it is the job of the Investigator to ensure that the orders from those of a higher rank are carried out and that they also have anything they require in order to carry out their role.

Given the large volume of work involved in the Investigator's role they will have a small staff to assist in their duties.  Often this team will include specialists such as forensic experts, decoding experts and scribes.  Collectively these teams are known as Co-Ordinators and are ultimately responsible for when, where and how Hive Arbites are deployed in order to carry out the wishes of their superiors.

Sheriff

Sheriff's lead Arbite Extermination teams.  Extermination Teams are deployed when an area with a large number of targets needs to be exterminated.  Such target areas will often include criminal settlements, mutant strongholds, cult temples and large illegal businesses.

Given the nature of their targets, several Extermination Teams will deployed together supported by light armour.  Once all the targets have been eliminated the area will be cleansed and all evidence of habitation eradicated.

Bailiff

Bailiff’s lead Arbite Assault teams.  An Assault Team will usually be deployed to specific locations in order to breach a defended stronghold such as Gang Hideouts or small illegal businesses within a settlement.  Such assaults are usually swift and brutal, leaving most of those inside the stronghold dead.

Warden

Warden’s lead the Arbite Execution Teams.  It is the job of the Execution Teams to hunt down and kill any escaped prisoners who have been sentenced to death, or those who have been sentenced in their absence.  Given the regularity with which such prisoners are able to escape, Arbite Execution Teams will often find themselves with a full workload.

Regulator

Regulators are in charge of a Arbite Snatch Team.  It is the responsibility of the Snatch Team to track and take into custody wanted criminals for judgement and to recapture any escaped prisoners not sentenced to death.  Much like the Execution Teams, the Snatch Teams are never short of wanted criminals.

Proctor

Proctor’s lead the Arbite Patrol Team.  This is the most common type of team you will find throughout the Hives, often being assigned to a particular manufactorum, underhive settlement or public facility.  

They will handle the day to day, street level aspects of law enforcement.  In the Underhive this may involve breaking up drunken brawls or shooting a lone mutant who comes too close to a settlement.  In Hive City they will be used to protect a business’s property, protect the shipments of cargo and break up worker’s riots.  In Hive Spyre it will be to stand on street corners to make the Nobles feel safe and occasionally escort a Noble to a business meeting in Upper Hive City.

Arbite

This is the general term used for non ranking officers within the Hive Arbites.

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in au
Mutilatin' Mad Dok





Australia

Should definitely compile this into a pdf. Great stuff.

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Am using google docs. Once the full codex is complete I plan on posting the link to it, along with a link to this post so people can see both the finished article and all the working and changes that went into it.

Hopefully, for those it doesn't terrify, it will inspire.

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Ok, time for another look at Eris, this time we will be looking at the Guilds (And my Rogue Trader finally gets a name - more on him in the future).

Guilds

Guilds are a major part of life and politics within the Hives with almost all skilled workers a member of a Guild.  The Guilds are broadly divided into four categories: The Transport Guilds, The Banking Guilds, The Merchant Guilds and The Craft Guilds.  

Almost all trade and business on Eris is conducted through Guilds.  In order to conduct any trade or business on Eris, you must have a Warrant of Trade issued by the Planetary Governor.  The Warrant of Trade states what type of business or trade you are allowed to participate in, and is often very specific, sometimes only allowing you to conduct business or trade in certain Hives, or even parts of the Hive.  It is very costly and time consuming for a new Warrant of Trade to be issued (or though it does happen from time to time, most commonly for wealthy off worlders).  The most recent one being issued 12 years ago to Josephus Bramwell Letchford, Rogue Trader of the Imperium of Mankind.

The Warrant of Trade allows the bearer, and any individual working on the bearers behalf to conduct business or trade as stated on the Warrant.  Every Guild Leader on Eris has a Warrant of Trade.  Most however are decades, if not centuries old and are passed down from Guild Leader to their chosen successor, or traded for vast sums and occasionally stolen.  Each Warrant also has a matching electronic seal, and for the Warrant to be useful, must have the seal as well.  As such, most Warrants are kept in highly secure vaults and the seal kept in the Guild Leader’s possession at all times.

Whilst all Corporations have their own Warrant of Trade that allows them to make deals with anyone on Eris, they will often use the Guilds to act as intermediaries.  Sometimes this may be to hide their business dealings, but more often it is give them a degree of separation so that they aren’t seen to be favouring particular businesses or have to agree to future favours.  This is especially useful when dealing with other Corporations, as it will prevent either side being able to exert pressure directly on each other.  Plus it doesn’t hurt to have a middle man to blame should a deal fail.

Enforcers

Getting a job in a particular profession means joining a guild and following the rules of conduct and pricing.  A person can get a job as an enforcer with a Guild. This isn’t a paid job however, rather the person, their family or perhaps someone within the Guild would have to pay the Guild to teach the enforcer.  Enforcers are usually assigned to a Guilder who is expected to teach them the profession and the guild rules.  Occasionally, an enforcer may catch the eye of a Guild Boss and be assigned to them instead of a Guilder.  This is rare and an Enforcer would need to show particular talent, or be well connected for this to happen.

Guilders

After a period of time, should an enforcer show sufficient skill, and be able to pay the guild fees and bribes to have his name put forward for consideration, he may be promoted to a Guilder.

Guilders have the right to bid on commissions made available to them through their Guild.  They also have the right to go out and source their own commissions, so long as the Guild receive their percentage.

Some Guilders will work alone, preferring to keep their contacts to themselves.  Most however will have a team of Enforcers to assist them in their commissions.  This allows the Guilder to take on more and/or larger jobs.

Successful Guilders who gain a good reputation and bring in more business for the Guild may have the opportunity to become a Guild Boss.

Guild Boss

Guild Bosses will often form alliances with several Guilders allowing them to bid for the largest (and most profitable) commissions that the Guild has to offer.  Given that such commissions are from powerful individuals or organisations, the Guild will only offer them to those who have gained the position of Guild Boss.

A Guild Boss who has developed a reputation of being able to deliver will often receive commissions directly from large organisations and minor nobles.  Given that the Guild takes a smaller percentage from independently sourced commissions, the Guild Boss has the potential to earn substantial profits from such a commission.

Guild Leader

Every Guild, regardless of size has a single Guild Leader.  It is the role of the Guild Leader to source commissions for the members of the Guild to bid on and negotiate the price of the commission, often with a finders fee for himself.  This will often mean that he is negotiating with the leaders of Manufactorums, Spyre Nobles and possibly Spire Lords.  This all means that he will have to look the part, and will often be seen wearing the latest fashions of the Spyre Nobles and hosting extravagant parties for potential clients.  The Annual Balls of the largest Guilds are a must for any Spyre Noble of worth, with invites selling for eye watering sums.

Another role of the Guild Leader is to source talented Guilders and Guild Bosses from other Guilds.  Some of the best Guild Bosses will switch Guilds for sums in excess of what most Guilders would earn in their lifetime, with their guild receiving a substantial amount of that to allow a Guild Boss to end their contract.

I am currently working on going into more details about each type of guild and will be looking at some of the major guilds, including one or possibly two guilds that don't officially exist (even though everyone and his servitor knows about them).

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Ok, a little more on the Guilds, this time a look at Transport Guilds. As always, comments, suggestions, ideas etc are always welcome:

The Transport Guilds

Transport of goods is the lifeblood of the Hives, whether it is transporting goods from a warehouse to a shop, transporting the numerous produced items from the Manufactorums to Storage Domes, transporting workers from Hab Domes to Manufactorums or Transporting goods and supplies from the Hives to ships and storage facilities throughout the system.

Like all Guilds, Transport Guilds vary in size from a small number of guilders using servitors to transport small goods from a single warehouse to various businesses to Hive spanning Guilds with convoys of armoured vehicles carrying weapons and supplies across the ash wastes..

The largest of the Transport Guild is The Pilots Guild.  It is well known that the The Tuytait Corporation controls The Pilots Guild, as they are the only Corporation able to supply The Pilots Guild and its members with surface to orbit and interplanetary vessels.

Unlike other Guilds, a person's rank within the Guild is determined by the type of vessel he flies.  Whilst there are numerous designs for such vessels, they are broadly divided into 4 categories - Light Landers, Heavy Landers, Medium Haulers and Heavy Haulers.

Enforcers

As with other Guilds, this is the entry level for The Pilots Guild.  Enforcers do not have access to their own vessel.  The role of the Enforcers is to act as a ground crew for their Guilder, securing an available landing bay for the Guilder, locating and procuring fuel and tagging the most valuable creates and cargo containers and monitoring which landing bays these containers end up in.

Unlike Enforcers within other guilds, those of the Pilots Guild receive a percentage (albeit a rather small one) of any profit made on cargo that they secure for the Guilder.  This encourages them to keep the costs for landing and fuel as low as possible while locating the most profitable cargo.

Light Landers

The Light Lander is usually the first vessel a Guilder is likely to acquire.  Unless he is from a particularly wealthy family, or has gained sufficient influence with a Guilder, he will usually have formed a coalition with other Enforcers to pool their resources to acquire a vessel and share the profits equally until they can either acquire their own vessel or buy the shares from the other Enforcers.  It is not uncommon for such groups of Enforcers to pay the fees for two (or sometimes more) of their members to be Guilders, and sharing the use of the Light Lander, allowing it to be transporting goods constantly.  Unfortunately, the extra Guild fees and additional stress this puts on the vessel often results in far less profits than if the Enforcers were simply working for an independent Guilder.

The Light Lander is the workhorse of the Guild. It is small, rugged with a simple construction. It main not be pretty, but it is reliable and easy to repair. The Light Lander is capable of carrying small cargo such as crates of lasguns or a small number of personnel.

The Light Lander is often preferred for transporting smaller items as it requires less space to land, can be quickly loaded and refuelled to make another cargo run. This is ideally suited for the Hives as despite their size, space is still at a premium.

Heavy Lander

Most Guilders will aim to upgrade from a Light Lander to a Heavy Lander at the earliest opportunity (such an opportunity may still take years).  As such, The Heavy Lander is the second most common cargo ship in the Guild, right behind the Light Lander. The Heavy Lander is designed to carry the larger and heavier items produced by the Hives. It is able to carry an entire cargo container that has been preloaded with cargo. Each cargo container is large enough to hold a single Leman Russ Battle Tank and protect its contents from re-entry into a planet's atmosphere.

Given the Heavy Landers greater cargo capacity, it has the potential to earn greater profits.  This allows the Guilder to have his pick of the best available Enforcers.  Given the cost of a Heavy Lander it is not uncommon for Guilders to team up and share the costs of the Heavy Lander.  Unlike Enforcers who do this with a Light Lander, these partnerships are usually very profitable.

The Light and Heavy Landers purpose is to transport the goods from the Hives to the planet's orbiting moon. The moon along with many of the asteroids in the system are hollow due to extensive mining in the distant past. The Moon and the Asteroids have ancient technology that create a thin atmosphere inside them.

After the cargo is has been delivered to the moon, it is sorted, then loaded onto Meadium and Heavy Haulers and transported to the various asteroids to await transport to the various ships of the Imperial Navy as and when they arrive for resupply. It is rumoured that across the system, there are enough arms and equipment to equip every person on the Hive World should the need ever arise. Whether this is true or not, it is certain that no matter how large an Imperial Guard force arrives for resupply, there is never a shortage of what they need.

The Light and Medium Landers are (relatively) short range craft. In order to transport personnel and cargo from the moon to the various storage asteroids the fleet includes Medium and Heavy Haulers. The Medium Hauler is a variation of the Heavy Lander. With the Medium Hauler, the cargo container is fixed rather than removable (as it is on the Heavy Lander) and part of the space used to store additional fuel.  Also, due to the size of the vessels, Enforcers are also used to crew them.  This means that these haulers often have very little say in what they are transporting or to where.

Medium Hauler

Only Guilders who have gained a reputation for reliability, skill and have substantial funds are likely to be offered a Medium Hauler.  

The notable exception to this are Nobles from the Tuytait Corporation, who have the funds and the contacts to buy Medium Haulers outright.  The rest of The Pilots Guild often regard these pilots with disdain, not having worked their way through the ranks.  It is also noted that their lack of experience shows.  Because of this, such pilots will often find it difficult to gather a good team of Enforcers.  It is not uncommon for many of these Pilots to decide to rent their vessel out to another Guilder and return to the luxury of Hive Spyre and collect the income.

The main role of the Medium Hauler is the transport of personnel between the moon and the various storage asteroids. It also has a rear loading ramp in order to load material and equipment as required by the asteroids.

Heavy Hauler

The Heavy Haulers are large craft capable carrying 12 cargo containers at once. Due to the limited numbers of these craft made available to Guild members, only the richest and most successful Pilots can ever hope to acquire a Heavy Hauler.  For those that do however, they provide almost guaranteed large profits.

Some Pilots modify these vessels to carry fuel instead.  They will then sell their fuel haulers who find themselves running low on longer runs or have tried to increase profits by purchasing inferior quality fuel.  Of course, given that their customers don't have a choice but to purchase the fuel, these pilots charge exorbitant prices for their fuel.

Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Hi All

Sorry its been a while, been playing some games and doing some work on my codex. I have started to commission some specific art pieces. I did have a bit of a light bulb moment though. Rather than trying to work on everything at once (as I have been doing), I have started breaking everything down into sections (factions, regiments, hives, corporations, however you want to term them). I'll give you list of how I have decided to split things:

The Gregvan Corporation, The Ranrence Corporation, The Votlill Corporation, The Nannaim Corporation, The Proocaws Corporation, The Henslerd Corporation, The Collstein Corporation, The Graivsu Corporation, The Petkett Corporation, The Urdni Corporation, The Sleeddaw Corporation, The Shanfax Corporation, The Rulbrou Corporation, The Zubsul Corporation, The Nondoows Corporation, The Branrence Corporation, The Ivseam Corporation, The Elbild Corporation, The Veargong Corporation, The Tuytait Corporation, Hive Arbites.

The Last Division - This is the catch all term for the reminents of the previous regiment(s) from Eris. In game terms they will be veterans.
The Guilds - I decided that given the size and influence of the guilds, they would become their own faction as far as background goes.
Pyskana division - this is just a general term to cover my Psykers. I'm not sure how they are going to fit in with everything else yet. Initially they were going to be part of my inquisitors progamme but I'm not sure if that will remain the case yet.
I also havent decided if I am going to keep the separate regiment of storm troopers yet (as they were part of the inquisitors group), as my arbites are represented by storm troopers on the battlefield, so I'm not sure if I want to create a totally new storm trooper regiment when I already have the arbites.

Anyway, lets get on with the codex as it stands now - what I am putting here is what I am tentatively calling my final draft.



The World of Eris

To the North West of the galaxy, towards the Halo Stars lies the grey world of Eris. Set in a system with a single star, it is the only remaining planet. The system is littered with asteroids, thought to be the remains of other planets, destroyed in some long forgotten war during the Dark Age of Technology. Many of these asteroids are now hollow, having been mined of all useful materials, many more are continually mined to this day.

All of the asteroids that are still viable for mining contains at least one mining facility manned by one of the mining clans. These clans are loosely aligned together into the league of miners. From these stations Eris obtains much of the raw materials that supply its countless manufactorums.

The depleted hollow asteroids throughout the system are the domain of the Adeptus Mechanicus from the Forge World of Binarus VIII. Through ancient contracts and agreements, the techpriests of Binarus VIII maintain the mysterious force fields and atmospheric generators of these asteroids. In return for maintaining these systems and storing the goods of Eris until they are needed, the Techpriests are able to establish their own workshops to work on their own projects without interference or scrutiny of the Corporations of Eris, and the Imperium at large.

Crisscrossing the system between Eris and the asteroids are the uncounted cargo haulers of The Pilots Guild, each carrying cargo and raw materials between Eris and the Asteroids.

Approaching Eris a viewer will see a world covered in a swirling mass of dark grey ash and poisonous green clouds. The grey and green layer is pierced by mountains of plasteel, plascrete, ferrocrete and rockcrete, 20 in total, each sparkling with uncounted lights. These are the Hives of Eris.

While it is not known how old the Hives are, it is said that their construction began during the early part of the Dark Age of Technology, growing from just a few scattered hab-domes. Once, the Hives of Eris were 20 different hives, separated by polluted Ash Wastes, however over the millennia they have grown both outwards and upwards until they became a single, planet spanning Hive. In the 41st Millennium, on Eris the term Hive refers less to physical boundaries, but political borders. Not only did the hives expand upwards, but also downwards as more and more of the planet's resources were mined. Eris, or though still classified as a planet, is much more akin to a planet sized space station.

The main export of Eris is manufactured goods, ranging anywhere from humble Lasgun to the Leman Russ Battle Tank. Much of this is supplied to the Imperial Guard, either directly, or indirectly by equipping the Planetary Defence Forces of other planets. The Departmento Munitorum estimates that a single day's production output is enough to supply over 6,000 Regiments of the Imperial Guard.

Each Hive is ruled over by a Corporation who constantly vie with each other for influence, power and wealth. The headquarters of each Corporation is located above the layer of poisonous gasses and swirling ash storms, at the pinnacle of one of the 20 Spires.

Or though all the Corporations have the ability to produce any of the goods manufactured on Eris, each one is known for a specific items that it produces of superior quality and in a greater quantity than the other Corporations. This has been achieved through generations of careful investment in companies directly involved in the production of these goods, to the point they are the major shareholder in almost every Company involved in the items production.

By day the Corporations elite sit in expensively furnished offices with plush armchairs and rare wood tables reviewing production figures, discuss trade deals and change the fate of millions with the stroke of a quill.

By night these elite eat from exquisitely prepared food from distant worlds, each mouthful worth more than most hivers would earn in several lifetimes. Every Corporation holds regular balls with the select list of guests seeking to outdo each other with the rarest and most expensive gowns all the while scheming and plotting to bring their rivals low.

Each Hive has a dozen or so major Companies and hundreds of minor ones. Each Company owes its loyalty to one of the Corporations, either through the direct financial investment of the Corporation, or indirectly through the investment of other larger and more influential Companies

Each Company specialises in the production of a specific item, whether it be the power cell of a las-guns or the battle cannon of the Leman Russ tank or anything in between. Even the smallest of Companies own and control at least one zone in Hive City, and the larger owning several zones.

Every Company executive dreams of becoming the sole supplier of a particular item and gaining a monopoly and will constantly scheme and plot to gain a larger share of the market. The truth however is that should a Company be found to be cornering the market, the larger companies or possibly the corporations themselves will switch their supplier, knowing that competition will keep the prices lower and prevent any threat to their own position and status.

The source of a Company's wealth are its manufactorums. Every Company owns at least one manufactorum, with most owning several, and the largest Companies owning dozens or even hundreds.

Each manufactorum is run by an overseer who is responsible for the several hundred workers of the manufactorum who toil endlessly on the production lines, often doing the same, repetitive job for their entire lives. For most Hivers, the position of overseer is the highest position they could ever hope to obtain and allowing them to afford a small hab room of their own and a full belly.

So vast are the Hives of Eris, from their dark roots to their glittering tips that a man born in one zone can go his entire life without setting foot in another, with each zone as diverse as any world in the imperium with its own distinct culture. He can labour his entire life in one of the company manufactorums or work his way through the ranks of a guild. In this way most contribute to the vast wealth of the Corporations.

Not all men are content to serve in the timeless fashion: a small minority dream of better things. Some crave wealth, power, or.simply to escape from bludgeoning poverty. Others seek to escape the restrictions of the guilds or the crippling social order of the Company and Corporation. Whatever their reasons, there is no shortage of young adventurers willing to chance all for a taste of wealth, prestige and power.

The Hives

Most of the Hives of Eris follow a similar construction and organisational structure. Within their walls are thousands of structural cells or dome, often many miles across and hundreds of metres high. Such a space can be built up with constructions as varies as sumptuous palaces and sprawling industrial complexes to cramped single room apartments. The Hives are honeycombed with domes both small and large, each built upon the other, linked by tunnels and shafts carrying traffic, power and other vital services throughout the hives.

The Hives are divided into vertically ordered sections. From their tips to their subterranean depths these are: The Spires, Hive Spyres, Hive City, the Underhive and Hive bottom.

The Spires

Rising many miles above Hive City like slender shards of glass are the Spires, 20 in all. Each one is the domain of one of the Corporations. These are areas of scented fresh air, crystal clear pools of water, imported vegetation, large open parks and palaces made of rare offworld stone. On these few levels of the Hives you could easily forget that you are enclosed within a structure of plasteel and rockcrete.

Hive Spyres

Beneath each Spire there are the Hive Spyres. Dozens of glass Stalagmites rising up in smaller imitations of the Spire. Each of the Spyres is interconnected by walkways and bridges, allowing those of the more prominent Companies to look down on those of the smaller Companies. Each Spyre houses one of the many Companies. The larger the spyre, the more prominent the Company.

Whilst nowhere near as luxurious of the Spire, the air here has only been recycled a few times, and is still scented with incense and spices from offworld. The water has also been recycled, but still tastes fresh. Each of the Spyres is a honeycomb of rooms and corridors, each richly furnished with soft rugs and walls hung with rich paintings and artfully crafted statues, any one of which would cost more than any dweller of Hive City would earn in their lifetime.

Hive City

Below the lowest level of the Spyre is a layer of solid adamantium called the Wall which divides the towering Spyre from Hive City. Heavy gateways through the Wall enable carefully controlled passage between the two parts of the Hive.

Beneath the Wall lies the vast bulk of the working Hive, the five-mile-deep Hive City that extends to ground level. This is where the Hives have joined over the centuries to become a single, world spanning Hive.

The hivers, as the population is called, live in dark, cramped and polluted conditions, never seeing the sun from the day they are bom to the day they die. The air they breathe is recycled from above and grows ever more bitter and poisonous as it filters downwards. Even the water is distilled from the discharge of the upper hive and their food is factory produced chemical nutrient, algae-based or spun from corpse starch. Conditions are crowded and insanitary, and, as the Hive deepens, the darker and the less habitable the environment becomes.

Hive City is divided into Sectors, Levels and Zones.

A Sector is approximately a 1 mile square on a single Level. Sectors tend to be either a manufacturing, commercial or residential Sector. The manufacturing Sector is the heart, without which the surrounding sectors would not exist. Almost everyone from the surrounding sectors works for the manufactorum in one form or another. Each manufacturing Sector will usually have only one commercial Sector adjoining it. It is here that you will find the Company stores which supply the manufactorum workers with basic supplies. The residential Sector is mostly communal halls for the workers to eat and sleep in overcrowded conditions with nothing more than a few rags to sleep on. Each residential Sector will usually have a few small, but private rooms for the foremen and overseer.

A Level is a single layer of the Hive at a certain height above ground level. Each Level is 12-15 meters in height. Each Level is a series of criss-crossing and inter-connecting corridors and rooms, some vast, taking up entire Sectors, whiles others are small, only a few feet wide with a mass of humanity constantly moving to and from the manufactorums in endless service to the Companies and Corporations.

A Zone is several Sectors on multiple Levels owned by a single Company, usually with a manufactorum at its heart. Zones vary in size depending on the size of the manufactorum. The larger the manufactorum, the more Sectors needed to support it. It is not uncommon for a Company to own several zones in the same area and for them to simply combine to become a single zone.

The more successful a Company, the higher up in Hive City its zones will be. This results in many smaller and less successful Companies will be located in the lowest levels of Hive City where it is most polluted and fatal and crippling accidents are commonplace. For all Hivers working in such conditions, they hope that there Company will become successful enough that it will attract the attention of a more successful Company who will buy the smaller Company giving the Hivers the possibility, if they work hard enough, to be transferred to a manufactorum further up hive where conditions will be slightly better. In truth, this rarely happens and all the Hivers have to look forward to is a quick death in a fatal accident or a miserable existence and slow death after a crippling injury.

In the past, where the different Zones met, it was not uncommon for there to be violent clashes between rival Companies, often resulting in damage to expensive equipment, loss of production and most importantly loss of profits. It has since become customary for there to be a single Sector between Zones owned by different Companies. These areas have become the domain of the Guilds. It is possible to travel to any Zone in Hive City using these sectors.

The Underhive

In the depths of the Hive City it is common for power or water to fail or access tunnels to collapse, creating unproductive toxic waste zones. The lower the region the worse is its air, power and access, and the more unstable its structure. As the hive deepens normal habitation becomes impossible, and this region is known as the Underhive. There is no formal barrier between Hive City and the Underhive because the border is constantly changing. Even as areas of Hive City are abandoned parts of the Underhive are resettled and rebuilt. As a consequence, the Underhive is an ever-changing frontier where people are constantly seeking new opportunities or fleeing from sudden Catastrophe.

The Underhive is a frontier in more ways than one. Not only is it a barrier between Hive City and the unimaginable horrors of the Hive Bottom, it is also a region outside the formal law and order of the Hive. The people of Hive City live carefully regulated lives. They are protected by the strict social codes of Corporation and Hive, dominated Company and Corporate executives, and obliged to work in the Company manufactorums. The sprawling Underhive is lawless and anarchic, and its stockaded settlements form the only havens of relative order. Even in these refuges, murder and violence are everyday facts of life. Gun law is the common law of the Underhive, and self-protection is the best and only reliable defence.

The Hive Bottom

At the base of the hive, buildings become so structurally dangerous that the region takes on a different and even more inhospitable character. This is the final and deepest zone called the Hive Bottom. The Hive Bottom is so decayed and crumbling that the original domes and foundation piles have long since collapsed, forming a layer of almost solid rubble. Within the rubble are enclosed pockets linked by holes and tunnels worn by liquids leaking from above. These pollutants and effluents, the discharge fluid of the entire hive, form a vast lake of radioactive putridity called the Sump

Nothing can live in the Hive Bottom other than the most monstrous mutants. Its denizens are the spawn of darkness and pollution. Some of these foul creatures find their way into the Underhive, or even into the lower parts of Hive City, but their natural domain is the darkness of the Hive Bottom.


That it for now. The faction I will be focusing on first is The Gregvan Corporation.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/09/30 09:09:54


Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
Made in gg
Hurr! Ogryn Bone 'Ead!




Hive Gregvan Ganger:



I had this commissioned from Joshua Black, highly recommend him to anyone thinking of getting some art commissioned for warhammer 40k (and other projects). You can see his work at https://orothrex.deviantart.com/

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/10/02 21:53:09


Currently working on a Hive World Imperial Guard 'Codex' - You can find the WIP here: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/711392.page

'My Sword'
'Where did you leave it'
'In the back of a Primarch'

Cookie if you can remind me who said that 
   
 
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