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It is the thirty-fifth millennium. The Imperium is in turmoil.

Faith wars with rationality as the Ecclesiarchy and Administratum tussle for power.

In disgust, the Ur-council of Nova Terra has led a fifth part of the Imperium into secession, striking out to form a new Imperium of their own.

Seers speak hauntingly of the half-remembered terrors of Old Night, as warpstorm activity increases across the galaxy. The veil grows thin.

The smouldering embers of rationality and hope slowly fade out, one by one.

Against a galaxy in flames, mankind falls on itself; and as the eyes of man turn inwards, the horrors of the wider galaxy gather in the darkness.

The Alien Wars begin.



+++


[M35.914411]
In retrospect, the broad history of the Nova Terra Interregnum is one of Imperial ambition, division and decline. The preceding centuries had seen the Ecclesiarchy enjoy a rise in influence, culminating in the recognition of the Emperor as a God; followed by the gradual reassertion of the Administratum. Such tension inevitably led to conflict. Few historians would have realised how massive the convulsions would be, or how radically they would redraw the Imperium's path.

The conflict between these two pillars of Imperial power was, of course, complex and multi-layered. Some histories paint the Nova Terra Interregnum as a conflict between the neo-rationalism of Constantium – known to posterity as Nova Terra – against an increasingly theocratic Imperium, while others identify the Ur-Council as the acceptably bureaucratic face of a fundamentally religious movement. The truth probably lies between these poles: the scale of events is simply too vast and complex to summarise neatly.



While later records boldly state that an Imperial Segmentum – Pacificus, to the galactic West – broke off from the Imperium, this is only true in the broadest sense. The immutable borders of Pacificus, established during the Great Crusade itself, may obey human reason; but the galaxy is a messy place. Five thousand years of gradual astral movement have shifted the locations of stars and systems, and new worlds are being re-discovered and lost all the time...

+++

+ Enlist +



+++

Now this is good 40k.

Watching with much interest!

+ Anatomy of the enemy I: Orks +


It is said – perhaps apocryphally – that when mankind first stepped into the stars, the first species with whom the pioneers made contact were the orks. After a short pause, the two species immediately settled into an eternity of conflict.
Extract from All Human History – Inquisitrix Barbari Kills, Ordo Xenos

Greenskins have plagued the galaxy since time immemorial. Their origins are uncertain; with competing theories placing them as the degenerate descendants of the long-extinct krork; as a naturally developed form of galactic hygiene; as a genetically uplifted and manipulated slave species that outlived its creators; and – perhaps predictably in these times – as the scourge of God-Emperor, sent to test mankind's worthiness.

The truth is that nobody knows for sure; least of all the orks. Their culture is as ramshackle and resilient as their biology, but not predisposed to recording events. Most tribal groups maintain an oral history of sorts, but this seems primarily geared towards encouraging social grouping, rather than the transference of acquired knowledge. Most Imperial scholars agree that orks inherently have 'built-in' knowledge; a sort of precociously complex and deeply-based instinct. It is a part of their biology that underscores their culture, their actions, and even their mindset.

With every ork – and their precursor organisms and slave caste – seemingly containing the underlying structure of the entire culture, it becomes clear how the orkoid's robust civilisation has spanned the stars for time immemorial.


Typical orks – belligerent, aggressive and seemingly enjoying the events of war. These specimens belong to a sub-group of the Charadon empire; a force which translates as the 'Drop Legion of Luggub'.

+++

+ Orks during the Nova Terra Interregnum +
Across such a timescale – the Nova Terra Interregnum now entering its fourth century – and span of the whole Imperium, it is impossible to do more than touch upon the broadest generalities of the ork encroachment on previously safe Imperial space.

Whatever their origin, orks have infested the whole known galaxy. Rogue Traders, explorators and pioneers almost always inevitably meet with greenskin pirates or isolated ork settlements when travelling known routes – it seems orks are drawn to shipping, whether Imperial or otherwise. The species as a whole is nomadic, always seeking to expand and move on; though individual warlords are known to settle a particular system or region and fortify it as an empire. Such empires include Jagga, Charion and Charadon in the galactic east; the Calverna dominion which straddles Segementum Solar and Tempestus; and Gathrog and Dredruk in the north of Imperial territory. The two latter empires are most familiar to Imperial scholars, being unusually willing to trade with, and for a few isolated and celebrated periods, to have allowed cultural exchanges by Imperial observers. For this reason, the guttural dialect here is most familiar to the Imperium.

Nor is Nova Terra immune. The secessionists must contend with the Cromart empire in their northern marches, while the orks of Mastag Prime sit on the borders between the Western Imperium and Prime Imperium. These long-established empires are the exception, rather than the rule. While belligerent and aggressive, these empires are largely predictable and mostly concerned with internal affairs. [+appendnote auth. Unfortunus Veck – This complacency was to be rewarded with the near destruction of the Chapter Astartes Crimson Fists and the devastation of Rynn's World in later years, so perhaps the learned Inquisitrix's advice must be taken cum grano salis, as a product of her time.+]

With the Imperium split, many sub-chieftains and hitherto unknown ork forces seem to have taken the opportunity to begin raiding. Where once they would have been swiftly countered, the Imperial Navy and Guard were largely concerned with internal patrols, leaving border regions and wilderness space unpatrolled. Fortunately, most Imperial Commanders proved capable of directing their own forces to counter most small-scale raids, though many dozens of border worlds were undoubtedly lost to the greenskins as a direct consequence of the Imperial division.


+ Orks, Space Marines and The Alien Wars+
Nevertheless, disrupted and aggressive greenskin tribes are a sizeable threat, and no world could afford to be isolated. The Interregnum might have proven disastrous – even an existential threat to united humanity – had a purely defensive, inward-looking strategy been pursued by the Twin Imperium against species exemplified by the orks. It is fortunate, then, that the bulk of the Adeptus Astartes proved willing to begin prosecuting attacks and intercessary assaults on alien species in wilderness space.


Novamarines struggle against power-armoured orks during the defence of Cypra Mundi against the orks of the Dregrak Dominions

As a whole, the Astartes stood aloof from the underlying events of the Secession – most Chapter Masters were either philosophically unwilling to be drawn into Imperial politicking, or recognised that the increasingly religious fervour of the Imperium made direct interference potentially deadly; inviting suppression of the arguably heretical Chapter Cults.

With the exception of a few Chapters – notably the Imperial Fists and Chapter Castellan, who openly arrayed themselves with Terra; and the Consecrators, high profile successors of the mercurial Dark Angels, who declared open warfare on Nova Terra for reasons unknown – few notable Chapters openly declared in favour of Terra or Constantium (as Nova Terra was then known); instead prevaricating, citing constitutional technicalities that prevented them from interfering with Imperial policies, or simply withdrawing. To the common man, it would have made little difference, but to the Imperial nobility, the Space Marines' reduced communication must have seemed like the withdrawal of a protective aegis.


Iron Hands of the now-obselete Clan Trago fights the orks of da Shooty Boyz
Fortunately for humanity, the Space Marines were not sitting idle. They were, in many ways, more active than they had been in years; taking up the slack of patrolling the wilderness regions, and launching isolated, preventative assaults on xenos strongholds to degrade their ability to launch assaults on humanity.

These wars were fought galaxy-wide, and were often unnoted beyond the individual Chapters' own records. The patchy histories of these largely unsung wars were later gathered into the period known as the Alien Wars, the name drawn from an early campaign launched by the Blood Angels Chapter Master of the early period, Formosus. Despite the name, the xenocidal campaigns of the Alien Wars lacked a unity of focus; most Astartes Chapters understandably wary of associating even with their closest cousin-Chapters, for fear of being honour-drawn into later censure, should their allies later decide to declare for Constantium or Terra.

An overview, then, tells of a thousand separate wars fought in isolation; of the Astartes fighting a leaderless crusade against the foes of humanity, largely free of favour or political affiliation. The Alien Wars tell of glorious victories and horrible defeats, but as the saying goes, for every battle honour, a hundred heroes die alone, unsung and unremembered.

While these wars were fought against hundreds of species – the Q'orl, Shint, Eldar, Krell, Janii, and Muspella to name but a few – the wars against the orks were undoubtedly the most numerous. The struggle between ork and space marine on long-forgotten worlds, far beyond the borders of human space proper, has thus become entrenched as the enduring and iconic image of the Alien Wars.


+ The orkoid mind +
The 'deep instinct' of their inherited knowledge is perhaps the most alien part of these creatures' mindsets to humans; and what sets them apart in success and longevity than so many other species, who are similar or superior in physical stature and cultural nuance. Despite their outward actions mirroring the most base level of feral primitive or hive scum criminal; it is dangerous to think of them as inherently inferior. Their mental actions and processes are direct and uncomplicated, in their uniquely alien manner, but this is not to suggest uncomplex.


While typically robust rather than innovative, ork technology is often surprisingly complex. Ork field technology, in particular, is of a level far in advance of modern Imperial ability to replicate. Some xeno-archeologists suggest it is in advance of such species as the Uive and Eldar. GIven their obvious technical prowess, why assume the orkoid mind is any less capable of extremes?

It is almost impossible to imagine how an ork's brain develops in cognitive terms, and it is arguable that an ork has no 'mind' as a human would perceive it. Perhaps the closest one an Imperial citizen might come to understanding it is through the relatively familiar concepts of hypno-indoctrination and injected learning: methods through which a human mind may become familiar with a language, skillset or set of knowledge.

However, this is a very crude metaphor. The human mind is a blank canvas for such additions, whereas an ork seems to have nothing beyond such blocks. To extend the painting metaphor, while a human mind builds sedimentary layers of paint to inform his personality, the ork's mind is a series of interacting layers of paint, constantly swirling and bubbling; ever in motion. Even this does little justice to the nature of the greenskin, for far from being mental blanks or unthinking drones (like the drifting, locust-like biomechanical hive-mind creatures newly-discovered near Ultramar), each greenskin evinces personality, individuality, and a uniquely complex series of drives that propels him forward.


Ork minor war-leader of the Bloodsuns Cluster, a minor ork Empire on the borders of Capricon Worlds.

Orkoid biology informs their mental space; and just as their bodies are resistant to physical damage, their psyches are concomitantly resistant to warp-interference – though overload will kill or derange them just as surely as a human; just as a sufficiently powerful firearm will kill individuals of either species.

+ The orkoid body +
Despite their seemingly rooted, unchanging nature, orks are superbly adaptable, in a manner similar to humans – though perhaps to a lesser degree. While humanity has shown capricious biological adaptation to new challenges, leading to numerous subspecies and stable abhuman strains, orkoid biology remains constant across the centuries. There seems to be an inherent biological conservatism to the orks, though this does not apply to individuals, who happily modify, alter and 'improve' their station through the creative use of bionics, augmetics and boosters.

Much has been written about their fungal nature, though is is easy to overstate this, and picture them as some form of mycoidal creature. In truth, orks have a physical structure broadly similar to Terran animals like hominids and humans; with robust osseous bones overlaid with muscle-like sarcotic fibres and tissues. These core tissues have an overlaid fungal banding which serves to increase physical resistance, bind and stem damage, and provide additional storage and provision for energy.


Rear shot of an ork group – ork morale is excellent as long as they believe they are winning a conflict. While fierce, most orks retain survival instincts of some form. If you can convince them that the tables are turned, most orks will flee.

This fungal banding has no direct relation to any human structure, though Magos Aro-venn made a strong case in early M34 for this mycoidal fungus serving a similar purpose as the embedded mitochondria in most Terran animal life – an endosymbiotic relationship that helps to provide energy to the cells. That Aro-venn then went on to claim that this was evidence for ancient genetic manipulation – and eventual raving about sleeping gods and apocalyptic deathless beings – was part of the reason he was later excommunicated and driven into exile; meaning that this interesting path of xenobiology has remained unpursued in the centuries since.

+ Fighting orks one-on-one +
Orks are tough; that much is indisputable. What will render a human a casualty will likely leave an ork unaffected, or at least only inconvenienced. Their physical robustness extends beyond physical trauma to a certain resistance to disease and exhaustion – their animal-like biology likely assisted or augmented by the symbiotic fungus-like structures. However, this should not be overstated. While the typical ork is bulky and fierce-looking, their physical strength is still comparable to that of an extremely fit human adult, rather than clearly superhuman. A typical ork is likely inherently stronger than a typical Imperial guardsman, but not to the extent that every physical contest is without doubt. What an orks gains in raw strength and bulk, he loses in agility; a trained guardsman can undoubtedly win one-on-one in close quarters – if he is sufficiently motivated, equipped and trained, that is.

It ought to be noted, by any Imperial military force, that this is no cause for complacency. The effect of even incremental superiority in raw strength is amplified by resilience – where a man might fall when bayonetted, an ork may be able to ignore the wound sufficiently long to maul his opponent – and by the ork's inherent seeming love of conflict.


The rude, individually-crafted technology of the orks underlies their problems with supply chains; necessitating constant raiding and attacks. Of course, for the ork species as a whole, this keeps them mobile and driven.


+ Ork skin and blood +
Quite aside from their brutal, heavy visages and hunched, loping postures, the most obvious identifying feature of an ork is the colour of their skin; which has given rise to numerous derogatory terms amongst Imperial forces and beyond – the Semmel xeno-forms of the Gothic subsector are known to refer to the orks by a term which translates (albeit awkwardly) as 'the monsters who are the colour of our ancestral plains-vegetation but that sow death and ruin instead of bringing forth plenty damn them for their horrid colour.'


Typical green skin tone owing to the combination of blue and yellow pigments.

The green of an orks' skins is a result of their biology; a combination of yellow xanthin-like pigments and blue-black structures a little like the xantophores of ancestral terrestrial fish. In different proportions, this gives rise to orks coloured in a range from grubby green-browns to dark, petrol-like blue-greens. All are murky and earthy. However, the range of colours is further complicated by structural coloration – that is, the scattering and uneven refraction of light owing to the shape and structure of the skin cells. In a similar manner to long-extinct terrestrial mandrills or butterflies, these structures reflect and refract light, extending the potential range of apparent colours to include much more vivid, brighter greens under certain conditions.


More vibrant greens are possible under bright light; though some orks seemingly lack the physical structures that alter coloration, and remain earthy-brown-green in tone under all lights.

Injured orks bleed red; a fact which often comes as a surprise to novice guardsmen or agents, who expect their blood to match their skin. Orkoid blood system analogue still maintains iron as the oxygen carrier, though this is complemented with haemocyanin structures, meaning that an ork can survive and even fight (albeit at a compromised level) in low oxygen environments. In such circumstance, ork blood will take on a purple-bluish tinge.

This is further complicated by the mulitple redundancies of biological systems, which conflate the endocrine, renal and digestive systems – that is, an ork's blood helps to fight infection, break down pathogens, and even digest food (in a minor manner). As a result, their blood will be affected by recent nutrition, ranging from a bright orange-red to a thick, murky maroon-black.


+ Lifecycles and lifespans +
With a typical lifetime running in the low decades – few orks live beyond twenty – one might suppose that the greenskins are inherently shortlived. However, the average is dragged down by the fact that orks take little time to mature and grow, and vast numbers are killed in internecine fighting. The more successful the ork, the longer he will typically live.

This is not to suggest, as certain sensationalist xenobiologists have hysterically claimed over the years, that orks are functionally immortal. Even those outliers that can be dated with anything approaching certainty rarely find orks of an age beyond fifty standard; with most specimens of that age showing signs of muscular stabilisation – if not atrophy – and general malaise. Given the highly competitive and physical nature of the ork social structure, failing to keep up will almost inevitably see them 'weeded out'.


Ork veterans 'Goranhuwl's skarboyz' of the 'Black Kuttaz' minor orkoid force.
Exceptions, as with humanity, are manifold. Reports exist of ork leaders living for many decades – even centuries – and while this is likely exaggeration or misreporting of an inherited title (such as the 'Grand Warlord of Morscar's Star', a title known to have been borne by over a dozen successive warlords), it is not beyond the scope of the greenskins to have manufactured similar life-extending technology as Imperial juvenat treatments; or some more esoteric solution, such as portable stasis-chambers or chrono-reversing fields.

The whole of [ork culture aggrandises physical conflict as the solution to all of life's problems, and this feeds into the fact that, far from being permanently incapacitated by injury, orks thrive on it. Given sufficient time and nutrition, orks can heal from virtually any trauma short of decaphalisation; and if reports are to be believed, even this is not inherently fatal: ork spines will heal over time to correct paralysis, so a beheaded ork can survive through surgery.

Orks continue to build muscle and bone over time, with the effect accelerated through minor trauma. Ork squabbles and pitfights thus benefit any ork involved; with minor injuries serving to accelerate growth, and the sense of victory releasing growth hormones. Ork veterans – colloquially known as 'scar-boys' by the Guard – are thus slab-muscled and broad-backed, their already rubbery skin losing its elasticity and toughening like hide.


Ork skin becomes thicker and coarser with age. Truly old orks are typically green-brown or even black, rather than the more vivid earth-greens seen in new-born orks.

+++
+ Orks, subspecies and slaves +
While they are perfectly capable of creating their own armaments – and indeed, owning a unique firearm or piece of equipment hand-crafted and refined by their engineer specialists is a mark of honour and pride for an ork – such production is limited and slow. Most orks will instead be armed with armaments looted from enemy forces, or created by slaves in conquered industrial areas.

Orks prefer armaments that are designed to fit their anatomy – their long, sturdy fingers and rangy limbs struggle with human-sized weaponry – and most ork-controlled manufactories will be generating copies of a weapon or piece equipment first created by a 'mekboy' to make best use of local materials. Thus ork forces typically enjoy the benefits of short supply lines; with ammunition and materiel common across the force; while the numerous exceptional one-offs are readily replaced once depleted. This is part of the reason that orks – particularly officers – will commonly carry a back-up weapon or sidearm; giving rise to the common image of ork bands carrying piles of mismatched weaponry.

Orks are famed and feared galaxy-wide as slavers. In isolation, ork-held planets will have this need served by gretchin, a subservient caste of orkoid well-suited to repeated manufacture. Gretchin are, in fact, a precursor species – they will develop and arise in an environment before the orks themselves – but will be exploited and enslaved in short order once the environment allows their larger relatives to emerge from their fungal spawning pits. Gretchin themselves have a form of low cunning – their base intelligence is survival driven, and sometimes exceeds that of typical orks, though it falls behind that of their specialists.


Gretchin, being relatively tough, nimble-fingered and subservient, are favoured slaves, but orks will employ any species that they can force into labouring for them. Indeed, Imperial records know of numerous planet-bound species (that is, that have not developed interplanetary travel) that serve only as slaves to the orks; their original culture and achievements brought low.

A final note ought to be made here of ork mercenaries. The events of the Alien Wars saw a great deal of ork warbands selling their services to isolated human worlds; fighting alongside and under Imperial commanders against other species' attacks. Orks bear humanity no inherent ill-will, and are willing, with sufficient payment in weaponry and motivation, to fight alongside almost anyone. Such practises are to be avoided; as the orks' demands for payment and weaponry steadily increase until the inevitable occurs – the common enemy are defeated and the orks turn on their employers.

+++

+ The orks in summary +
As mentioned above, The Alien Wars were a time of splintered actions across a whole galaxy. This history has merely touched upon the general actions of the orks at the time; and may give the impression that the orks lacked ambition or the ability to effect change on a galactic scale. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The very existence of the Segmentum Obscurus was in doubt for a number of centuries owing to raging wars with various orks subfactions, and was part of the reason that Terra was unable to divert punitive forces to deal with the secessionists of Constantium (Nova Terra). Similarly, the abhumans of the galactic core saw ork forces beyond anything they had seen for many centuries, and the allied Leagues record this time as the Embittering, when huge swathes of territory were lost forever.

The romantic impression that the Astartes held back the orks should not be overstated, either. At least two dozen Chapters were mauled irrevocably, either being lost entirely, or being unable to launch new strikeforces for decades afterwards.

This is only to mention the orks' assaults on the Imperium. While many minor species were content to reclaim ancestral territories lost during the Great Crusade, or to launch punitive raids against the latent, withdrawing forces of humanity, the greenskins attacked everybody. My own limited contact with the Eldar indicates that these ancient star-sailors fought terrible wars of destruction with the orks, and the atomic-scarred worlds of the Castal Rim show the indelible results of the battles between the festering K'Nib and the greenskins.

What little we know of the chrono-shifting Hrud indicates that a number of established settlements were driven into migration by orks invaders, and the Thyrrus of Segementum Ultima were utterly exterminated in a series of brutal campaigns.

What conclusions can we draw from this within the Inquisition? Simple: that while we hate the orks, the orks themselves fight war without prejudice or favour. Humanity is simply another foe for the orks – and long may it remain so; for the orks unwittingly fight our wars when in conflict with other xenos; and every ork killed by the aliens remains one less to threaten our divided borders.

+++
In closing, I trust my candour here may prove of service to you, brother or sister Inquisitor; whatever your political inclinations. The Imperium may be divided, but humanity itself must remain united under the Emperor; or we will perish.

I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.

Quite aside from the great minis, I absolutely love this kind of "historical record" writing for SF (there's probably a name for it). Asher uses it to great effect, as do you!

+ Armaments of the Astartes during the Nova Terra Interregnum +

+ Mark IIIc Godwyn-pattern Boltgun +
+ By this point in Imperial history, the Godwyn-pattern boltgun has been the Codex standard weapon used by the Astartes. Developed during the Great Crusade, from an STC discovered in what is now the Veiled Region, and prototyped on Saturn following the fall of Mars, large numbers of the first iteration of the Godwyn pattern boltgun (later retroactively dubbed the 'Mark I') were first used by the remnants of the Salamanders Legion prior to the Great Scouring. +

+ Following the Guilliman Reforms and adoption of the Codex Astartes by the newly-formed Chapters of the Second Founding, the weapon was refined during the events of the Scouring. The Mark II refinements saw an extended magazine housing (the Mark I had the housing recessed within the casing) to ease reloading, and a incorporated an ejection port, allowing for both traditional uncased and specialist cased ammunition to be used, and to ease the clearance of fouling following misfires. +

+ The Mark I and II patterns served alongside one another for a number of centuries, and the weapon was further refined in mid-M33, under the sanction of Mars by Archmagos Dewey-Kain. The Dewey-Kain variant Mark III was a substantially different weapon which benefitted from a number of STC fragments recovered in the years since the Godywn pattern's first creation, and was jointly sanctified by the Ecclesiarchy and Munitorum. +


Mark IIIc Godwyn-pattern Boltgun

+ The most obvious visual difference between the new weapon and its older counterparts was the extended barrel and casing, which sported a rail intended to allow the fixture of further modular enhancements and alterations. In practise, the longer barrel proved awkward, and the intended benefit of increasing the range of the rounds proved less than fruitful, owing to the nature of the ammunition. +

+ By late M33 and early M34, relations between the Munitorum and the Adeptus Mechanicus had deteriorated, resulting in the Astartes Chapters having reduced supplies and shipments. The Chapter forges, already capable of manufacturing and maintaining the small amount of weaponry required by an individual Chapter, took up the slack; with artificers and licensed technomancers refining and adapting the boltgun. By the time of the Nova Terra Interregnum, there were literally hundreds of variants that had found individual solutions to the Dewey-Kain original, most of which were consolidated under the Mark IIIb label. +

+ The second century of M34 saw the Imperium in a rare state of broad unity and plenty, and the Mark IIIc was issued, the intention to provide a full replacement across all the Chapters. It was a vain hope; supply lines had degraded since the high point of the Great Crusade, and while the weapon became widespread, it was far from universal. +


The Blood Angels, as a favoured First Founding Chapter, were issued the Mark IIIc as a matter of priority. They used the weapon throughout the Nova Terra Interregnum, though a number of the older patterns remained in use as revered relics.

+ Visually similar to the Mark IIIa, the support rail was retained on the Mark IIIc, but quietly sidelined – a recognition that the Astartes' autosenses largely rendered it surplus to requirements. A permanent iron sight was instead added to the casing, and numerous internal improvements were added. These included a code lock that meant the weapon could only be used in conjunction with authorised armour transmissions; a second ejection port being fitted, with the weapon automatically transferring to eject away from the firing hand; and an autosanctifying mechanism housed in the stock alongside the cleaning kit, allowing Astartes on extended duties to perform the religious maintenance rituals that had become commonplace following the official deification of the Emperor. +

+ The weapon was superseded when the Nova Terra Interregnum broke out, as patchy supply lines became entirely closed. The weapon was thus used fairly extensively by Astartes during the period, but many Chapters continued using the older, shorter, patterns or self-forged variants. The Mark IIIc remains a high point of sophistication for the boltgun, but this refinement and complexity meant it was ultimately a failure, superceded by the now-familiar Mark snub-nosed IV and V in short order. +

+++
+ Mark Ih Mars-pattern Flame-throwing Gun +
+ Sturdy, reliable and ancient, the standard-issue flame-throwing gun (increasingly known simply by its common name of 'flamer') remained little altered for millennia, though gradual refinement was introduced occasionally – generally to adapt it for various different atmospheric conditions. +



+ Part of the reason for its longevity was its simplicity; but also because numerous identical STCs for the weapon were found early on in the Great Crusade, completely intact and in a number of forms. As a result, very few variants developed traction amongst Imperial armed forces; and the manufacture of these simple weapons saw huge numbers of licenses sanctioned by the various Forge Worlds of the Imperium. +

+ Sturdy and compact, the Mars-pattern flame-throwing gun saw a number of aesthetic variations – generally in the cowling – but the underlying structure remained largely consistent through the centuries. +

+ Owing to their widespread manufacturing base, the Nova Terra Interregnum saw little disruption in the distribution of these weapons, and both adherents to Terra and secessionists used these flame units extensively. +

+ Mark II Proteus-pattern Missile Launcher +

+ An increasingly rare sight in Chapters founded after the Great Scouring, the Proteus-pattern Missile Launcher had largely been replaced by the simpler 'Soundstrike' Chapter Approved model by the time of the Nova Terra Interregnum. It remained in use, however, by many of the First and Second Founding Chapters, and came to symbolise ancient victories. Many were thus used specifically as tools of propaganda and intimidation, their distinctive shape proving readily-recognised by enemies and allies alike. +


Mark II Proteus pattern; shoulder-mounted variant.

+ A reliable and efficient weapon, the Proteus saw a number of unusual variants, from the common shoulder-mounted variety to a urban/tunnel-fighting variant intended to be fired from the hip or on the move. Common to virtually all was the distinctive protective cowl on the front and the three-missile magazine; though the placement of the latter varied according to variant. +

+ The Proteus pattern itself replaced the awkward Retobi pattern, originally developed on Terra itself. +

+ inload: Anatomy of the Enemy II: Janii +
[Note: This fantastic contibution to the Alien Wars group project was built and painted by K0rdhal. Check out K0rdhal's his instagram here.]

+++


Betrayal is only a consideration, if one considers the betrayed an equal.
Inquisitor Willem Svrost, Ordo Xenos

+ First contact +
Aboriginal inhabitants of the southern reaches of what would later become the Segmentum Pacificus, the Janii are a xenos species that extended a long-lasting and relatively stable empire over more than a hundred star systems in the pre-Imperial era.

Imperial records are silent on the supposed first contact event, but second-hand copies of the xenos' own notoriously hard-to-decipher accounts (necessarily incomplete owing to their peculiar means of recording information) imply that the species has been in intermittent contact with isolated branches of humanity for thousands of years; the chronology dating well back into the Dark Ages of Technology.


+ Janii biology +
Physically intimidating, a typical bull is sturdy and robust, standing roughly eight foot to the shoulder. The Janii demonstrate bilateral symmetry; with a form of duplicated bicephaly that gives them a distinctive head shape, with what appears to human eyes as two distinct faces. Unsurprisingly, this gave rise to numerous unflattering slang terms amongst Imperial Guard and Navy forces: 'Bicos' and 'twinfreaks' to list two of the less obscene.

The 'brain' of a Janii is likewise partially divided, with a mutually shared section. This peculiar evolutionary trait is noted to have been common on the species' homeworld; and seems to have evolved as a survival trait that allowed individuals to rest while remaining partially alert – somewhat akin to the Astartes' catalepsean node. The organ is otherwise dissimilar to human brains, being a coral-like structure that extends throughout the creatures' hump.


The creatures' skin is typically loose, dry and smooth, dotted throughout with cuprous chromatophores that give it a bluish hue. In a healthy specimen, these are capable of emitting a faint bio-luminescence.

The species is three-gendered, but the bull, kine and carriers are outwardly very similar in structure, making sileraioi courtship a subtle and complex affair that they never discuss openly.

Sileraioi evolved to breathe an almost inert 'air' of nitrogen, neon and other noble gasses, and fare poorly in human-tolerant envrionments. It is for this reason that they exclusively prefer orbital habitats or hermetic cities on planetary surfaces, where environments can be tailored to their specific needs.


+ Janii linguistics +
The Janii language is a considerable challenge for xeno-linguists to master, requiring significant study and augmetic modification. This is down to it consisting of two different ‘words’ spoken simultaneously, one by each ‘mouth’. Translation is possible but is convoluted to all but the most seasoned linguists.

As an illustration, the statement 'I am pleased to speak to you', would be vocalised as:

/Iemphasiser/ /amspeak/ /emphasiserpleased/ /toto/ /you[/i]clarifier[/i]/

The bracketed linguistic components are split evenly between mouths; alternating between the provision of syntactic operators; and quantifiers; with any non-paired elements being accompanied with coos and grunts from the 'off-mouth' to provide emphasis, direction or clarification. The effect is a bewildering stream of noise, with no gaps or pauses within statements.

The Janii themselves are capable of speaking various Low Gothic dialects, though with considerable difficulty, often lapsing into their native mode of speaking and using two words simultaneously, leading to much confusion. Of particular interest to Inquisitorial-clearance readers: Janii have been encountered speaking proto-gothic languages, indicative of their encounters with Pre-Imperial Humanity.

+ Nomenclature +
Members of the species refer to themselves as /Varak-Koi/, meaning 'the people of two mouths/tongues'. However, the term Janii is a linguistic gloss used by the species to refer to its members during contact with humans and similar single-voiced groups.

Despite the potential for offence, many xenobiologists continue to use janii and sileraioi almost interchangeably; the latter term being more familiar to the Imperium owing to the events leading up to the Alien Wars. Xenolinguists make it clear that the use of sileraioi is rude to the point of insulting in a face-to-faces meeting, as the term applies specifically to a mercenary combat clade of the broader Janii Dominion. Seemingly of loose cultural morals, sileraioi translates loosely as 'those with small/stunted heads, whose tongues speak falsehood'.

+ Sileraioi technology +
A Sileraioi ground combat form is typically armoured in a robust carapace of hard plates incorporated into a thick rubber-like suit that provides excellent protection from ballistics, and limited atmospheric protection. Sileraioi are extremely vulnerable to radiation – likely a result of their homeworld's dim sun – and any exposed skin is routinely slathered in an unctuous lotion to protect them.


Portable charging plate for the microwave beam emitter

The crew of their void-vessels are up-armoured elites, whose suits are enclosing and allow them to fight in airless environments. During the height of the Alien wars, the majority of Janii forces encountered were wielding a mixture of microwave beams and more esoteric weaponry including electron displacers and the feared implosion lance. Since the losses of the Dominion's major industrial zones, Janii forces are now reliant on the more basic microwave beam emitters, though some capability to produce the more advanced weapon types, or substantial stored caches, remain.

The military as a whole is divided into several clades, each representing a sub-category of warfare such as naval, ground, or void combat, as well as other minor specialisms. Janii military as a whole is commonly referred to as the Lochos, which translates 'Those who speak of/bring death'. An exception to this structure are the Sileraioi, who ply their trade as mercenaries, and thus encompass all the clade specialisations. Though not well regarded in Janii society, their ultimate loyalty still lies to the Dominion. They are occasionally encountered today.


+ Rise and fall of a Dominion +
The Sileraioi's supposed homeworld is a dim and rocky moon that orbits a promethium-rich gas giant, itself slowly travelling around a dim brown star. The moon certainly once harboured a diverse web of life. It has since been terraformed and has been colonised as the Imperial Feral world of Dis.



The species achieved space flight sometime during the Dark Age of Technology, and expanded its holdings rimwards; seeking out the dimmest stars near the south-western halo regions. Preferring to seed gas giants with orbitals than land on rocky worlds – perhaps due to cultural taboos – the species and humanity unknowingly expanded alongside one another for a long time; perhaps millennia, before an seemingly accidental meeting occurred.

Xeno-archaeological remains of Janii Float-orbitals, recovered from the gravitic wells of gas giants in systems bordering the Veiled Region, indicate that at the height of the power the Janii Dominion encompassed approximately seven hundred systems. This zenith roughly falls in the centuries preceding the emergence of Old Night. Technological remains, and documents translated from this time indicate the Janii had large-scale atmospheric-manipulation capability and the resources to manufacture stellar megastructures (see Magos Kaive's seminal Treatise on the Ring Worlds of the Neiven Zone for further information).

The Sileraioi Dominion's high point saw it extend in a roughly L-shaped region of space that – owing to its lack of M-class stars and isolation – was of relatively little interest to many other star-faring species, humanity included. This undoubtedly contributed to its hidden expansion over the course of millennia.

Information on the pre-historical branch of humanity that the Janii claim contact with is infuriatingly vague; but it appears that the humans and Janii reached a non-aggression pact after some limited wars and border skirmishing. Janii envoys have even claimed that the two species worked together in a number of campaigns to combat ork and krell encroachment, but this is today regarded as black propaganda by the Imperium. In any case, the human empire died out during Old Night, leaving only tantalisingly vague hints as to its fate.

+ Old Night +
What little has been gleaned of the species' own pre-Imperial history, suggests that the Janii Dominion was reduced to their ancestral holdings in the veiled region of the Galactic East (an area known to Imperial Cartographers as the Shrouded Marche) during the Age of Strife – though whether this was a voluntary retreat or the result of emergent threats similar to those facing humanity at the time is unknown. A small but influential number of scholars have tentatively advanced the theory that the reduction in the Janii's holdings owed to cultural shock at seeing their allies brought to their knees. Best translation of the Janii's convoluted records suggests the species called this period 'A Retreat into the Mists'.



Best estimates of the Dominion’s holdings are estimated to shrunk to fewer than fifty star systems at this point, remaining this way until the Great Crusade was underway.


+ The Great Crusade +
The species became known to the Imperium in the closing years of the Great Crusade – or 'The Age of Reclamation' to the Janii – although no large-scale xenocidal campaigns, or even contact, are on record. It is possible that this is because the species met with one of the Traitor Legions – and thus the records have been redacted – but it is more likely that the cobweb-thin nature of intergalactic empire meant that the Expeditionary Fleets, treating the dim brown stars that the Janii favoured as low-priority, found only ancient cultural 'footprints' and dismissed the then-thriving species as another example of an extinct civilisation.

Evidence subsequently gathered indicates the Janii Dominion expanded in the wake of the Expeditionary Fleets, seemingly taking advantage of Imperial momentum during the Great Crusade and claiming more of their favoured systems, while fortifying their core worlds. This process was presumably only facilitated by the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, as distant frontiers like the Halo zones became all but abandoned as large Imperial forces redeployed, and piracy and xenos attacks increased almost inevitably.

Records of this era are patchy, but a number of xenoarchaeologists now agree that a species fitting the description of the Sileraioi intervened to fight alongside bemused human forces in at least two separate occasions during this period. It is possible that the species supplied assistance in other instances; but less successfully in those campaigns.


+ The Nova Terra Interregnum +



'Why do allies of old raise gun and blade against us Janii? Do you not remember when we strode the stars together? We come palm outstretched and are greeted with the fist...'
– final recorded transmission of Janii envoy ship The Mouths of Reason. Suppressed by the Inquisition.

Little appears of the Janii explicitly in Imperial records for the following millennia, though a number of isolated mercenary forces and Rogue Trader's reports hint at the species' continuing presence in the region. The outbreak of the Nova Terra Interregnum saw the border beween Segmenta Pacificus and Tempestus become highly militarised and contested, and this would ultimately come to spell doom for the hitherto overlooked Janii Dominion.

Records of the time are understandably garbled and – to be charitable – lacking in fair balance. What is known for certain is that the Sileraioi attacked and destroyed a border world known as Xanadu. The most complete account is given by the Lexicographer Hilde, an adjutant to the Ur-Council of Nova Terra, who confidently recorded:

Takin[g advantage of wh]at they mistakenly presumed was a period of relative stability for the Imperium, the Janii despatched an envoy ship to the Terran-controlled system of Xanadu. Upon translating from the warp, records indicate that the envoy ship was fired upon and destroyed by system defence pickets under orders from the notoriously xenophobic Abbot of the Burning Mount.

[APPENDNOTE: Hilde's writing is sometimes taken as evidence that the Janii were well aware of Imperial turmoil during the Nova Terra Interregnum; but most other sources suggest the Janii were unaware of the Imperium as a political entity. Surviving Janii transmissions were always addressed to unknown governments or organisations, never mentioning the conflicting opinions and claims of Terra or Constantium. Perhaps this was sheer naïvite on the xenos' part; or perhaps evidence of slyly diplomatic circumspection.]

This ‘misunderstanding’ resulted in the Xanadu Conflagration; wherein Janii Combat Clades and supporting Silearioi ele[ments(?) translated in-system several(?)] months later, laying siege to the Monastery of the Burning Mount on Xanadu. Despite brave effort by the attendant Frateris Templar and its picket defence ships, the world was put to the torch by the incensed Janii, and the Monastery itself levelled by repeated antimatter bombardment. The loss of such a prominent Temple world, including several hundred precious relics, earned the Janii the ire of the Ecclesiarchy, who petitioned several Space Marine chapters to hunt down and engage the Janii defi[...]

A section of Hilde's record has been lost to the ages here, but it picks up later. Her bias against the Old Terrans is notably absent from any references to the Astartes:

[T]he [Janii fleet which] had stayed to examine the ruins of Xanadu, was caught off guard by the rapid arrival of the vanguard of the Astartes force, primarily consisting of elements of the Silver Gua[rds a]nd Void Revenants, was devastated and forced to make a fighting retreat back towards Dominion territory.

Despite this, several Lochos offered their services to the forces of Nova Terra throughout the Interregnum. Always using the same broken and garbled proto-gothic phrase , 'In defence of the long [indecipherable] summer-men'. How many Admirals and Forces took them up on this offer is a mystery lost to the ages. Reports of Janii disc-cruisers, and a single super capital ship (tentatively designated Timingila) are recorded as aiding the Nova Terran forces at the Battle of Mieville, lend credence to the theories that the pragmatic Nova Terra did make use of Janii forces.

This was taken as evidence by recordists and iterators on both sides of the divided Imperium; with demagogues, priests and munitorum agents on both sides variously claiming the others as tainted, xenos-loving monsters; or claiming that the friendly use of xenos mercenaries proved the righteousness of their side, as even xenos stood against the rival Imperial faction.

What is clear from this is that both the High Lords' and Ur-Council's advisors were engaged in a vicious propaganda war; simultaneously willing to employ Janii/Sileraioi mercenaries, while condemning their employ by the other faction. What the Janii made of this is unknown; but the previously safe position of their Dominion was fatally undermined by the deployment of Astartes in response to the Xanadu Conflagration.



+ The Janii during the Alien Wars +

Belligerent identified as Janii species, Varden Drifts

Eventually the Janii found themselves caught between the hammer and anvil, their formerly isolated dominion becoming vital strategic territory to the Secessionists and Greater Imperials.The Sileraioi's fleets found themselves fighting alongside ships of both sides, and suffering horrendous losses as ruthless human admirals pushed the xenos into positions of greatest danger. The Janii found themselves once more in a hostile galaxy. Within a short number of years, the Janii broke off contact with humanity, and began a defensive war of their own.

Commentators on Hilde's later recordings generally take the vulgar view that the Janii's initial vacillating and unsure response to war owing to some inherent cultural unwillingness to attack unprovoked; or to confusion at strategic levels brought on by a crucial misunderstanding of the scale of events or interactions between the rival Imperial factions.

Similarly, Hilde gloatingly states that the Janii were 'Shocked by their old allies’ betrayal, and rampant [xenophobia]' after the Varden Drift campaign; but experience has taught us to beware the attribution of such human emotions when applying them to an alien species. In such cases, the truth will never be known for certain, as alien motivations and drives are just that: alien.



+++

Lo the summer men have turned to winter// bitter and cold.
No more do we dance//under the light of suns//revelling and joyful.
Instead the days and years// are soured//by the acrid taste of war.

-Final Janii transmission directed towards Imperial space. Delivered in High Gothic and intercepted by Void Revenant vessel Ire of Marduk, Late M35.

Unfortunately for the Janii, their nature made them high-profile targets for Astartes fighting in the region, and they became the victims of a brutal xenocidal campaign headed by the Astartes of the Silver Guards, and supported by elements of four other Chapters.


Pict-capture of Void Revenant command staff confonting a Sileraioi Kine during one of the numerous breaching assaults of the Varden Drift campaign.

Despite a number of victories over the Astartes over the early period of the Alien Wars, Janii forces have consolidated back to their core-world regions in the Shrouded Marches. The Sileraioi, however, remain active throughout the region and have been recorded as taking action to support both Janii Dominion strikes and – perhaps surprisingly – Nova Terran forces.

Pursuing Astartes forces were unable to reach the core worlds, due to unusually electromagnetically unstable Nebula shrouding the region, which made navigation for the prowling Astartes vessels impossible. These storms left Janii vessels un-affected, and has been theorised as an artificial defence mechanism by some. Standing orders are for vigilance; and the situation of currently suits both Nova Terran and Terran interests, as the remnants of the Dominion provide an all-but-impassable anchorpoint of defence, making movement through the region of rival Imperial forces unlikely.

Current efforts to pierce the Shrouded Marches remain unsuccessful; and scout forces are routinely interdicted and driven off by Janii War Fleets. Contact occurs infrequently on Imperial Border Worlds, typically involving Mercenary Sileraioi, but occasionally with main Janii Battle Clades looking to reclaim orbitals or artifacts. Janii Battle Clades are typically outright hostile to human elements, and are more than capable of overwhelming Imperial border worlds. However typical Janii protocol seems to be the avoidance of all Imperial fleet traffic, particularly Astartes Vessels.

+++

+ Post Script +
In closing, it is my considered opinion that the Janii are an excellent example of how even a technologically advanced and successful species can find itself brought down by tolerance and naïvete in a few short years.
Truly it is said: the rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal.

I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.

Great stuff! Keep it up! Those orks look particularly dark and brutal, and I always like a good Xenos!

Very nice work and background there Apologist.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks to both of you

+++

+ inload: The Charadon Empire +

Located in the Ultima Segmentum, the Empire of Charadon today incorporates nearly seven hundred primary ork systems, and with a significant further dominion of slave worlds. The empire sprang up in the wake of the Horus Heresy. Its first leader, the Arch-Arsonist Garslab, was quick to take advantage of the power vacuum left by the withdrawing legions, and the pocket empire quickly began to exert its influence across the spiral arm.



Today, the Empire is eclectic, established and markedly cosmopolitan; incorporating as it does a substantial permanent population of non-orkoids, including independent humans, abhumans and nearly a dozen other identified xenos species. The orks seem to tolerate – with some ork planetary commanders even encouraging – the presence of raiders, pirates and freedom-seekers in their realms. The existence of such ne'er-do-wells gives the orks of the Empire an unrivalled understanding of other species' strengths and weaknesses, and a ready source of both mercenaries and enemies against which to test themselves.

It is a mark of the Empire's longevity that the Tactica Imperium itself makes note of the forces of Charadon, using the military strategies of the forbidding black planet as an example of the perils of underestimating the threat of the orks: it is this Empire's pragmatism that has allowed the Arch-Arsonist and his cronies to prosper so long, and to have grown so powerful as to bring the Imperium of Man to terms on a number of occasions.

+ Military forces of the Charadon Empire +
The denizens of the Charadon empire are typical of orks – by which it is meant that the inhabitants are by turns belligerent, aggressive and surprisingly cunning. Unlike humanity, orks show little adaptation from region to region. If one could bear to remove the greenskin's stinking clothing, an ork of Charadon would be all but biologically indistinguishable from one from across the galaxy, which goes some way to demonstrate the sheer resilience of the ork genomic equivalent.

With that said, cultural tropes and norms do vary, and ork forces of Charadon are typically armed and armoured in a slightly more uniform fashion than one might expect of less-established ork regions, whose nomadic forces rarely have an established regional identity. This is due almost entirely to the stable supply lines from a string of indentured manufacturing worlds deep in the region. These include the fabled Lost Forges of Zoroaster – a dozen former Forge Worlds that fell to the first Arch-Arsonist over a decade of terrible warfare, and have remained firmly in the Arch-Arsonist's claws to this day. These churn out the murky fatigues and granite-grey armour plate by which the orks of Charadon can be recognised.


Typical ork Grenadier squad of the Charadon Empire

The clan system here is not absent or suppressed – indeed, a number of worlds within the Empire are vibrant examples of ork Kultur – but it is not a mineral-wealthy region, which in turn means that dyes, paints and other materials are relatively hard to come by. This is no hardship to the orks – after all, it provide the perfect reason to continue raiding each other, and to launch occasional large-scale fleet assaults that the orks call 'World-burnas' on fringe worlds in the reaches. Such attacks are launched by ambitious warbosses (sub-commanders) on their own initiative, but the most terrible are those made by order of the Arch-Arsonist himself, as such fleets are drawn from all across his Empire, and rival the Naval fleets of the Sector in number and mass-displacement.

The armies of the Arch-Arsonist show the usual range of ork technology and tactics, ranging from light infantry forces supported by war buggies to specialised artillery and air units. The warboss Brug Wellshod's Iron Stompers are a good example of such specialism; being a force made up entirely of siege dreadnoughts and power-armoured support. Given the provenance of much of their equipment, it is perhaps not surprising that the orks of Charadon demonstrate a greater-than-usual proportion of vehicles recognisable as adapted STC designs; and most of the Arch-Arsonist's military forces will include weaponry and materiel that would be broadly recognisable to Imperial commanders, ranging from Rapier light weapon platforms to Bullock jet-cycles. This corruption of the Machine God's will, along with the loss of the forges of Zoroaster, has earned the Empire the eternal opprobrium of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who continually petition local Imperial Commanders, mercenaries and Astartes commands to launch counter-raids to recover precious knowledge from these lost worlds.

+++
+ Charadon in the Alien Wars +
By the time of the Alien Wars, the Charadon Empire had become the longest-standing and most stable orkoid region in the galaxy, and the current Arch-Arsonist – by now an inherited title – a significant concern in galactic politics. Prior to taking the mantle of Arch-Arsonist himself, Zogblad the Belligerent had been a powerful lieutenant who helped his predecessor into the ork afterlife by 'accidentally' nudging the previous incumbent into the voracious maw of one of the Seismic Proto-dragons of Kor Luft.

Ruling from the black granite throne of the principal world from which the empire takes its name, the arch-arsonist now broods on the best course of action to take as his minions bring news of retreating Imperial forces all across the galaxy...

+++

+ Painting +
A productive weekend's work has seen me get the fatigues and weapons base-coated across the four squads, and to complete the skin on them all – a very satisfying stage. As noted elsewhere, I've taken pains to make sure they've each got a different skintone, by using unique combinations of paint mixes and washes. I'll have to be careful when adding further refinement, as I've no chance of remembering a particular mix!


More of da ladz

All that remains is to work back over each model in turn, picking out details, filling in gaps (straps and pouches in particular), and adding details like the Drop Legion logo and warpaint to suitable areas. I hope to have that done by the end of the week; then it's on to finishing off the terrain for the game.


Thrugg Bullneck and his squad leaders

+ Anatomy of the Astartes: Crimson Fists Chapter; M34–M35 +
[Append note: the miniatures in this post are by Bob Hunk]

At the dawning of M35, the Crimson Fists were still entirely a fleet-based Chapter, with no home world or dominions to tie them down to a specific sector. Taking on a crusading role similar to the Black Templars or the Imperial Fists before them, they patrolled the marches of Imperial territory, repelling xenos aggression wherever it reared its hideous malformed head.

Although it was over three millennia since the break-up of the Astartes Legions, as a Second Founding chapter the Crimsons Fists still possessed a reasonable amount of functioning ‘relic’ equipment at this point, especially in comparison with chapters from later foundings. This, combined with the difficulty of maintaining regular supply lines to a roving fleet could lead the Crimson Fists of the era to have an eclectic look to their arms and armour. MkVI and MkVII power armour freely mixed alongside older marks. Similarly, the cutting edge MkIIIc Godwyn-pattern bolter rubbed shoulders with the venerable Umbra-pattern bolter and the Proteus-pattern missile launchers.


Crimson Fists circa M35

+ The Sons of Dorn and the Nova Terra Interregnum +
Like the vast majority of Space Marine chapters at the time, the Crimson Fists adopted a strict policy of non-involvement with the Imperium's internal politicking. If anything, the Crimson Fists took this a step further than some other chapters, barely acknowledging that the schism was taking place at all.This culminated in the widely recounted incident where Algernon Traegus – 16th Master of the Chapter of the Crimson Fists – kept ambassadors from Terra and Constantium politely but firmly waiting for an audience for so many weeks that they were both eventually forced to withdraw before meeting him.

This stance was, of course, in marked contrast to their primogenitors, the Imperial Fists, who openly sided with Ancient Terra. However, when we consider the fact that the Imperial Fists have many feudal domains on the Throne World and in the Solar System, this is hardly surprising. As has been noted elsewhere, the mustering of military resources on the borders of Segmentum Pacificus left some parts of the Imperium’s frontiers woefully under-defended. Seeking to address this shortfall, Chapter Master Traegus split the chapter fleet over a number of sectors in the hope of mounting as many patrols and counter-insurgencies as the resources under his command would allow.


Battle-brethren of the Crimson Fists engage the xenos

+ The 4th Company at Temportus +
One such patrol was the strike cruiser Cerulean Rampart and its attendant escorts, carrying the Crimson Fists 4th company commanded by the stoic veteran Captain Grimstone. They had been assigned to patrol the Compitales sub-sector, which, with it’s coreward shipping lanes was a known haunt of greenskin pirates and other foul xenos reavers.

Traegus' choice of the Compitales sub-sector for the 4th company proved prescient, as within days of their arrival in the region they intercepted a call for aid from the bountiful agri-world of Temportus. Grimstone immediately ordered a response. The jump to Temportus was a short one of only a few tens of light years and the 4th company arrived within weeks of the astropathic distress message having been sent.

On arrival in-system, the Crimson Fists discovered that Temportus was under attack by the forces of Luggub’s Drop-Legion, a filthy band of ork raiders. Making all haste to the beleaguered, agri-world, it didn’t take the Cerulean Rampart and her escorts long to drive off or destroy the unprepared and ramshackle assault ships in orbit. Ordering an immediate combat drop, Captain Grimstone led the bulk of the 4th company to the surface and set about eliminating the orks that he found there. The meagre greenskin forces were spread thinly across the surface of Temportus and could offer little meaningful resistance to the wrath of the Crimson Fists. Seeing no benefit in attacking the capital city – the proto-hive of Stenham – the Orks had instead split into smaller mobs to raid the isolated farmsteads, leaving themselves vulnerable to the fast moving and vengeful Space Marines.

In the aftermath of the battle, Captain Grimstone took stock of the defences of Temportus, and was dismayed by the state of what he found. Used to falling under the protective aegis of Imperial Navy shipping lane patrols, the planet’s PDF forces had been run down into a state that barely met the minimum requirements Imperial Governors were expected to maintain.

Although the Crimson Fists didn’t have entirely the same castellan tendencies as their forebears, Captain Grimstone quickly realised that if change weren’t made the the 4th company would almost certainly be forced to return aid Temportus again and again in the near future. After giving the Imperial Governor – a lugubrious man called Rivens – a suitable dressing down, Grimstone immediately set about personally overseeing a recruitment drive for the PDF.

+ Xenos Cunning +
The orks sprung their trap three days later. Emerging from behind moons and from the sensor-baffling rings of the system's gas giants, the armada of Luggub’s Drop-Legion moved in-system towards Temportus with an alien enthusiasm for battle that only the greenskins can muster. This time it was the Cerulean Rampart’s turn to be easily forced out of position. Realising that their was no time to recover his forces from the surface, Grimstone ordered the strike cruiser to retreat to the system edge and attempt to get word of the ork incursion to the rest of the chapter. As the Drop-Legion began to rain from the sky, Captain Grimstone was at the outlying agri-town of Driffield, overseeing the recruitment and raising of the newly formed ‘Driffield Volunteers’ PDF company.


Recovered fragment of a hastily-produced recruitment poster for the ‘Driffield Volunteers' PDF company

Still in parade ground formation and getting used to their freshly starched uniforms, the Driffield Volunteers were swiftly overwhelmed by the greenskins that they suddenly found swarming through the streets of their town. Their armoured support destroyed, Captain Grimstone and his honour guard had no choice but to fall back on foot, heading overland towards Stenham where the bulk of the 4th company were already coming under siege. Travelling by night, or by day when cover allowed, Captain Grimstone led the Crimson Fists survivors of the Driffield massacre back towards the capital. It was a journey that would take many days, and although they managed to avoid the ork hunter-killer- eater patrols at first, their luck couldn’t hold forever. The Crimson Fists were finally brought to battle by the orks at Geo-Station Erpes...


Lieutenant Griguez matches his blade against the crude weapons of the greenskins

+ To be continued... +
If you’re interested in seeing more Crimson Fists (and Imperial Fists) check out Bob Hunk's blog here

This is awesome- 'tis a shame I can only sub once!

So I started reading without looking at your username, got to the biggerized Novamarines and was like "Heyyyyyy, I recognize that style!"

Good to see new stuff from you Apologist, especially such a sweet background project Also neat to see where you've taken the official embiggened marines - naturally to the next level! Impressive lighting work to say the least.

- Salvage

More great material and painting.

Cheers,

CB

Boss Salvage wrote:So I started reading without looking at your username, got to the biggerized Novamarines and was like "Heyyyyyy, I recognize that style!"
Good to see new stuff from you Apologist, especially such a sweet background project Also neat to see where you've taken the official embiggened marines - naturally to the next level! Impressive lighting work to say the least.

Ha; thanks very much! I've been entrenching my blog recently, but still plugging away. Thanks for the kind words – but please note the LED-enhanced Primaris marines are Bob Hunk's, not mine. Check out his Team Fisto blog on the link above – it's awesome!.

Captain Brown wrote:More great material and painting.

Very kind, thanks.

Skinflint Games wrote:This is awesome- 'tis a shame I can only sub once!

Well, don't just stop at subscribing – get involved! The Alien Wars project – an exploration of the aliens and rival Imperial factions of M35 – is open to all-comers. Everything you need is in the following link:
Read this to learn enter M35, and experience the Nova Terra Interregnum.

The project's seen some fantastically imaginative aliens and background from hobbyists across the world already – would love to see what the talented denizens here can do



+++

Luggub's Drop Legion is (for the moment) finished...



...onto the next species!

Cannot wait to see them.

Cheers,

CB

The smiley Orks are at once so creepy and so right

Also dig the glove nailed to the looted bolter, double trophy!

- Salvage

 Boss Salvage wrote:
The smiley Orks are at once so creepy and so right
Also dig the glove nailed to the looted bolter, double trophy!

Cheers! The idea was to link the models more closely to the Crimson Fists and The Battle for the Farm.
In practical terms, the enterprising ork Hruk has nailed the Crimson Fists' hand to the boltgun and got a mekboy to run a cable to the ident-sensors in order to bypass the boltgun's gene-lock and allow him to use it. Orky-know-wotz at its best.

+ Anatomy of the enemy III: Eldar +

 
'Who seeks the Eldar, grasps at smoke.'
- Proverbs of Dontian -

+++

+ Abstract +
To speak of the 'Eldar' to xenoscholars is so broad a canvas as to be virtually meaningless , such is the breadth of an impossibly complex society of diverse natures and behaviours, united only by the common biology and the irredeemably corrupt and breathlessly arrogant nature of its members.

The records that the Inquisition holds of the species are simultaneously extensive, and oddly cursory; for the Eldar are an ancient and subtle species that is known to share only that which it desires of its aeons-old culture. What little sure knowledge we have of them has been wrested from the fey creatures through honest warfare, righteous torture and Inquisitorial subterfuge. Nevertheless, the diversity and elusiveness of the creatures, coupled with their rarity, means that this missive can deal with only the broadest strokes.

In reading of them, be aware that never is all as it seems. Their mythology and history are deeply intertwined; and arguably synonymous to an Eldar.
 
+ Eldar biology +

Typical Eldar warrior, Iyanden  designate
As a rule, eldar are slight, willowy and gracile, but otherwise similar in silhouette to humanity, with the species sharing peculiarly similar limb structure, right down to the number of fingers and toes, and facial layout. Indeed, a number of less anthropomorphic species – such as the Chi-soma and multi-limbed Semb – are recorded to have mistaken human emissaries for Eldar. 

To a human, however, the differences are immediately obvious. There is an uncanny underlying 'otherness' to an encounter with the Eldar that cannot be accounted for by simple cultural difference, but is a result of their gossamer-subtle postural shifts that make up part of their physical communication, in combination with their heightened proprioception and reactions which gives them a superlatively graceful aspect.

Physically, almost all Eldar are relatively tall, though still within standard human variance. Lacking a subcutaneous fat analogue, they appear slender or even slightly avian. Gender dimorphism is not marked – male and female Eldar are distinguishable, but most are relatively androgynous. On an individual level, their sensory organs appear appealingly exaggerated: exhibiting large almond-shaped eyes, and elegantly structured ears and noses – they exude an aesthetic style which, on the surface, has an immediate appeal.
 

Group of eldar raiders, Eosshi designate [Model credit: Lord Blood the Hungry]
 
In groups, the impression is diminished. A permanent level of communion at the subconscious and psychic level means that groups of Eldar often react like a shoal or flock; mirroring each other's movements in an quite hypnotic cascade. The impression is that of a troupe of dancers or acrobats; poised and attuned, and it adds to their disconcerting presence. This is further heightened by their similarity.Beyond personal attire, clothing styles and body modification, Eldar exhibit little variety in their phenotype. Almost all are pale-skinned; and with faces that shriek of a shared heritage. Stripped of their equipment, it would be difficult to distinguish an Eldar from one culture to another.
 
+ Major cultural groups +
However physically similar at birth, the Eldar one may encounter during Inquisitorial duties – or that the forces of the twin Imperium may face – are not monocultural. Indeed, what they lack in phenotypical diversity is more than compensated for by the complexity of their preferred dress, equipment and behavioural mores.

Eldar fall into four main groups:

Nomadic world-ship dwellers – asuryani, or craftworld eldar

Those settled on feral worlds within the galaxy – asrai, or exodite eldar

The eldar of the worlds beyond the galactic rim – moirai, or halator eldar

Piratical and cabalistic raiders – drukhari, or corsair eldar

+ Do you want to know more? +

+ Anatomy of the enemy IV: Saharduin +




As the great Warmaster Chronos had it: "Some aliens it is my solemn duty to fight; while waging war on others is little more than an irritant. The best aliens of all, however, are a pleasure to purge from the God-Emperor's worlds."

Extract from All Human History – Inquisitrix Barbari Kills, Ordo Xenos

+++

+ First contact +



The Epistles of Lieutenant-General Tosh, fragments of which were written during the Great Crusade, and which formed the seed for the Ecclesiarchy's Bibliothekon Illicitus, contains the following entry for the little-known species known variously as the saharduin, zcualo, eeligators, dussumers, pisceans and veermaads, depending on where in the Ultima Segmentum you encounter them. Since the term Saharduin has most currency in Segmentum Solar, we use it here to refer to the whole species.

The Saharduin control several worlds in the Ultima Segmentum. They are both hostile and powerful, and have technology roughly equivalent to that of the Imperium. A typical Piscean Warrior is armed with a boltgun-analogue and a power sword. The Imperium has fought a long war against the saharduin, but were unable to eradicate them. The menace could only be contained. To this day, no known human has ever set foot upon one of the planets of Saharduin; they remain dark and unexplored.

As with much of this Imperial hero's romanticised reportage, while the broad strokes are true – the Imperium has fought a number of campaigns against the saharduin, and their surmised home systems remain in native hands – much of the rest is fanciful. Imperial records show successful extermination campaigns against saharduin colonists on Bolar and the world of Shim-Jil; and records – admittedly patchy – remain of the saharduin's inner worlds from an attempted xenocidal campaign by the VIth Legion during the Great Crusade.



In any case, the saharduin have been in conflict with mankind since prior to the Great Crusade – as indicated by the names given to them by a number of previously-unconnected human species, all of whom suffered depredations of saharduin shoal-fleets during pre-Imperial times. The unofficial names given to them by Imperial Guard forces that have faced them are equally varied: reds, shimmers, darters, and the wonderfully earthy name the Catachan regiments favour: 'sea-bastards'.



+ Saharduin biology +


Saharduin often wear photo-chromaric lenses to protect against light damage.

As technologically advanced apex predators on – and beyond – their mist-shrouded worlds, the saharduin number in their billions. Standing a good eight foot at the shoulder; ten from toe to tip of the snout, they are an intimidating foe for a human to face despite their slender appearance. Their skin is tough and rubbery, and while not to the extent that it protects the saharduin from gunfire, it will resist even heavy clubbing blows. The creatures' flexible musculature and semi-pliant bone-structure further protects them from impact damage. Fortunately, bladed weapons are extremely effective, carving through their skin easily to reveal the easily-shredded meat beneath.

Saharduin flesh is usually a red-brown colour, but the skin colours vary wildly, even within a single group. Almost any colour, or combination of colours is possible, and a number of specimens have demonstrated the ability to alter their hue to a greater or lesser extent – surmised to be a relic of some camouflaging talent, or perhaps a trait created by sexual selection. As with much of this species, little can be determined with certainty.

They live relatively short lives of approximately thirty years or so. Properly-nourished saharduin mature to their full physical size within two years or so, but are not believed to reproduce until later in life – though the mechanics of this species' reproduction is too complex to explain in the limited summary here. Interested parties are guided to the seminal treatise of Magos Hebron Xio, Inside the Piscean; a biological examination, from which the following salient extract is drawn.

[...]Saharduin have at least eight distinct 'genders' – though the term is only loosely applicable to this most peculiar species, and I have considered using 'generative quales' as a more appropriate term – that I have been able to identify, plus upwards of forty gender roles that I have been able to witness. Given the complexity of interaction and my specimens' frustrating and wilful refusal to procreate anywhere except in private, it is possible that there are many more.

Saharduin brooding usually produces three kinds of individual – pandoran, heran and promethean. Of these, the pandoran are genetically identical to the brooding adult; effectively clones (and perfectly capable of later reproduction of their own). The herans, who are the closest to a traditional female in that they provide a portion of genetic material to their offspring, grow to full size and await a 'male'. The males appear as part of a secondary generation born only to the 'male-progenitor gender', the prometheans. Prometheans themselves bear saharduin secondary male characteristics, but are born without gentialia; instead brooding upwards of three pygmies inside him/it. These dwarf males, who grow to less than half the size of other saharduin, are birthed via regurgitation, and form the fourth gender. All pygmies are genetically diverse – far more so than the other primary genders; drawing as they do a mix of gene-equivalents from, effectively, two generations: their promethean 'parent 'and their heran and pygmy 'grandparents'.

To further complicate the picture, it appears that certain stressors can bypass this system, causing both herans and pygmies to spontaneously produce promethean-equivalents themselves – creating sub-populations of genetically identical (or at least dwindling in diversity) beings. If isolated, these groups seem self-sustaining (though obviously more vulnerable to toxin, disease and other dangers); but are more usually a temporary measure until the population meets other Saharduin, at which point the sub-population is re-absorbed.

Of the remaining 'genders/life-roles', I have identified three distinguishable groups, which I have dubbed the Chalybs, Telkines and Dacts, though I confess these intermittently-produced beings do not fit neatly into any organisation I can conceive. Unlike the other genders, these genders are not part of the viviparous system, instead being born as semi-mobile 'larvae'. Telkines and Dacts eventually develop into, respectively, mock- or pseudo-herans and pandorans, which don't seem to be capable of reproduction, and are frequently malformed. Chalybs, meanwhile, are the most confusing of all; as while they show all other signs of life, they seem to remain in a larval state permanently. All is most fascinating; and I await our next safari with great urgency and excitement.





Typical saharduin tower over humans.

Saharduin require oxygenated fluid to breathe comfortably, but can naturally also metabolise manganese gasses, though this leaves them sluggish. Their skeletons are not rigid, which means they tire relatively quickly on land without support. Most dangerous in aquatic or other fluid environments, Saharduin are nevertheless swift, strong and cunning.



+++

+ Saharduin technology +
Saharduin capital-class voidcraft are oblate spheroids, appearing like two dished placed face sides together. They are made of pale, textural alloys; almost ceramic in appearance. Weaponry – mass drivers, particle projectors or laser tech – is usually clustered around the apex of the curve, while the rim houses mobile force field projectors.

The warren-like interior of clustered tunnels that connect control nodes is filled with a rich oxygenated gel that acts as a defensive life support: under impact, the gel temporarily becomes more rigid, helping to minimise damage, and also making boarding actions considerably more complex for most other species. The gel will also act as a temporary plug for minor hull breaches


The combat-breathing apparatus is clearly visible on these two Janissaries

Saharduin Janissaries are most commonly encountered by Imperial forces on land; which means that the common image of the creatures is with their land-suits; tough bionically-enhanced pressurised coverings for their limbs that compensate for their difficulty out of the water, and enhance their strength in a similar manner to power armour, though to a lesser extent. To guardsmen, Saharduin are most familiar with their combat-breathing apparatus in place. These backpacks use tubes implanted into the gill analogues to deposit aerosolised fluid directly onto the membranes. This allows the Saharduin to breathe comfortably on land, and the packs also dispense combat drugs to increase the bearer's aggression, reactions and pain threshold.


Janissary bearing a projector gun

Native Saharduin projectile weaponry is based on mass-driver technology. Their compact and short-ranged projector guns are reliable and sturdy. Created to serve in fluids, they are brutally effective in gaseous atmospheres – their low-velocity rounds cause raggedly explosive effects that have a superficial similarity to bolt wounds; which is likely the source of Lieutenant-General Tosh's comments [see above].


Janissary bearing looted las-pistol and saharduin vibro-blade.


Well-suited to close-in fighting, Saharduin use vibration technology to enhance their close combat weaponry. Their armour-piercing vibro-blades emit an audible hum that escalates to a terrifying shriek when operated, and is well capable of penetrating carapace armour – or even astartes plate.

Saharduin are adaptable and aggressive, and frequently scavenge enemy weaponry to use – often finding it better suited to the alien atmospheres in which they are fighting. This often has a deleterious effect on enemy morale, particularly human forces.



+++

+ Saharduin domains +



Saharduin Enclaves are confined to the Ultima Segmentum, where they border a number of densely-populated worlds. This has brought them into frequent contact with a number of species, and they defend their borders hyper-aggressively. The murky, aquatic worlds of the Primary enclaves are so densely defended and protected that attacks are all but suicidal – the regions have long been quarantined by Imperial edict.

The species seems to have developed and then lost or forbidden their warp-jump capability, with the secondary enclaves isolated from the primary enclaves. While no Saharduin worlds officially interact with other species, individuals from the newly-established Secondary Enclaves are sometimes found as mercenaries in the employ of Rogue Traders, ork and squat warlords and the like. Small expeditionary forces of Saharduin occasionally launch attacks beyond the Enclaves, but rely on capturing warp-capable ships from other species.



+ The Nova Terra Interregnum +
Isolated within the Ultima Segementum, the Saharduin were largely unaffected by the early events of the Nova Terra Interregnum. Within a few decades, however, withdrawing Imperial patrols and pickets meant that many more traders, explorers and adventure-seekers were able to slip past into the quarantine zone and make contact with the Saharduin. Few escaped alive; and the Saharduin found themselves provided with many small warp-capable ships.

This prompted an explosive expansion into the worlds that would become the Secondary Enclaves, and launched a cataclysmic series of cascading invasions on nearby systems. As a world was overwhelmed, more warp-capable craft were captured and the attacks began again on the next system. In this way, the Saharduin conquered vast tracts of space over the course of a century; and were only stopped by the intervention of Waa-Ghrast, a greenskin counter-invasion on the paradise world of Tummus. This campaign escalated in a bloody stalemate which drew reinforcements from the surrounding areas and allowed Imperial forces to establish a burnt-earth policy on the surrounding region, starving the Saharduin of warp-capable ships.



+ The Saharduin during the Alien Wars +
+ Battle of Berabbadon +


Imperial Guardsmen attempt to hold the line against Saharduin assault.

Saharduin invaders burn the moons of Berabbadon before descending on the populous world. A hastily-assembled Imperial Guard regiment supported by Ghast and Tamarin mercenaries hold the line briefly, but are wiped out over the course of four weeks. The Crimson Lions Titan Legion arrives in-system a fortnight later, and after four God-Engines are lost in an abortive landing effort, the Martian Suprematists that command the Legion order its withdrawal.

+++

+ Annexation of Jenna +

Forces of the Marauders Chapter scramble to intercept a Saharduin fleet-caravan from attacking an independent fiefdom, and succeed in destroying a quarter of the hotch-potch armada before planetfall is achieved.



The aliens disappear into the rich oceans, forcing a decade-long purging campaign that ends with the major conurbations of the world ruined, and the defeated Marauders forced to move out-system after an overwhelmingly large Ecclesiarchy fleet of Frateris Templars demands the Astartes withdraw their aegis from the independent humans of Jenna.



+++
+ Waa-Ghrast +
This explosive conflict saw the literal destruction of the world of Xin, when an ork Space Hulk crash-landed onto the small planet. Drawing in millions of fighters from both sides, as well as over dozen other alien species, the orks were eventually successful in defeating the Saharduin. This event is grudgingly regarded as having saved substantial proportions of the Ultima Segmentum from the depredations of the Saharduin, catastrophically reducing the species' fleet numbers and ability to expand.



Despite the collateral damage sustained by allies in the region – the Squat League of Drummond lost forty per cent of its holdings, and two Forgeworlds were lost – the result is seen as a net positive for the Imperium, whose reserves descended on the bloodied remnants of Ghrak's forces and decimated them over the plains of Zomm.



+++

+ Post Script +
The enemy of my enemy is an excellent weapon.
I remain, at your service; Inquisitrix Barbari Kills.

Lovely work. The alien models are interesting and different and the background well thought out. Thanks for.sharing the sea bastards

Ta very much – more to come!

Solid stuff, as always

The Third Company, based on the army from WD139, expands:

Great looking squad Apologist, big red marines have some serious presence. Read the full blog post, enjoyed your commentary on adapting the OG baby angels to these embiggened lads

Took the recently-painted intake of my Lamb's World Guard to battle at the weekend. So enthused, I've started an expansion. 
 

 
+ Caef (the Lamb's World term for senior officer) Whittaker oversees an command post. +
 
The figure's a RT Commander with Elysian bits to help tie him in with the rest of the army, which is largely converted using Elysians and Cadian respirator heads. As you can see, there are bits and bobs from all over the place, too.
 

 
The army as a whole (right side of the image). This is a shot from the game with my pal Lucifer216, who brought his gorgeous Bezoan Skitarii to battle.
 

 
+ Lief – that is, junior officer – Moorway issues orders prior to combat.
 

 
+ The Civilised World of Lamb's World (principal export: liquid water) might not supply the best-trained, best-equipped or best-motivated soldiers, but they faithfully – and usually with a certain gallows humour– execute their duty to the Emperor. +
 
 

 
+ Lamb's World troops advance over the top during the Ambush at Snakepit Plains +
 
If you'd like to read the battle report, you can find part I here: Tensions Over Neues Treno +

Thanks for sharing the report over here, thoroughly enjoyable. Both armies are great, loads of character on the Guard side and weird mechanicus gribblies on the AdMech side, as it should be

Caught up on your blog real quick like, shout out to that Space Fimir!

absolutely gorgeous, thanks for sharing - cracking battle report too!

What a creative and compltely awesome thread. Love the grimy looking Orks

Amazing stuff all around. Cool miniatures and interesting fluff and battle reports.

Thanks all – and do feel free to join in