Because I got Bored: Makira Landing

[RedsandRoyals]

Admittedly, not the most promising titles for a fluff thread, but I'm nothing if not distressingly honest.

Anyway!

I've spent the past month tinkering around with some ideas for a campaign setting, and I've finally got it mostly completed. I won't get a chance to use it probably, so I thought I'd post it here to see if anyone wants to use it themselves, or just give general feedback. It can be used for a tabletop campaign, a fluff setting, or any of the 40k RPG systems (it was designed with Only War in mind, but it has leads into Deathwatch, Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, or even Ork-centric campaigns). So, if you like it, go ahead and borrow it, modify it, and make it your own!*

I apologize in advance for my horrendous spelling and grammar, but proof-reading is for communists.








_{*Just remember to give me some credit}

[RedsandRoyals]

A Brief and (mostly) Accurate of Makira Landing


The world of Makira Landing was initially discovered by a joint expedition between the Mechanicus and Aster-Cylix rogue trader dynasty. The expedition itself was conceived by the Mechanicus, who effectively chartered Lord Captain Harrington Aster-Cylix’s vessel to carry a survey and exploitation team into the Solomon System. In return, the Lord Captain would receive colonization rights to whatever planets were discovered (Minus a few areas that the Mechanicus would hold sway over), and would be granted the “favor of the Mechanicus”. Harrington was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he was quite happy to agree.

The Solomon System proved to be something of a disappointment. Of the three planetoids in the system, only Makira Landing was habitable, and possessed any resources worth exploiting. It had reasonable levels of biological diversity and common minerals, but there were no exotic beasts, alien ruins, or lost relics of humanity anywhere on the planet. Harrington's interest waned accordingly. The Mechanicus set up shop on several islands in the Faore Island Chain, which sat off the eastern flank of the planet’s single macro-continent, and established a few smaller outposts on the mainland. Harrington laid the groundwork for several mining colonies and set up a replenishment station in the Faore chain to resupply his vessels with fresh water and foodstuffs (and to keep an eye on the Mechanicus). His claim - and the Mechanicus expedition- established, Harrington filed Makira Landing away as “To Be Exploited Later’, and plunged onward in search of further adventures.

The next decade was fairly uneventful for Makira Landing. The mining colonies began to reach their optimum output, providing a safe, if rather dull, source of revenue that Harrington used to finance his Foie Gras expenditures. The supply facilities in the Faore chain provided to be moderately useful. No one was stupid enough to pry into what the Mechanicus was doing on their islands, even as the priests of the Machine Cult began to erect shockingly large fortress walls. Tentative plans to establish a proper civil colony were put into motion, as well.

And then there were Orks.

There weren’t that many at first, at least by Orkish standards. They arrived in a small fleet of roks that smashed into the western side of the mainland. Most of the planet’s small population thought it to be a simple meteor shower. They were disabused of that notion several days later, when Ork warbands began to sack mining camps. The miners and colonists, lacking any real means to defend themselves, began to flee eastward by whatever methods could be found. An impromptu evacuation to the Faore islands began, where more casualties were incurred by panic, infighting, and accidents than by Ork choppas and shootas. The Mechanicus seemed neither surprised nor alarmed by the arrival of the xenos, and simply continued to complete the fortifications of their islands.

When word finally reached the Lord Captain, he made three decisions. First, given the time lapse between when the first warning was sent and when he received it, and the aggressive nature of the xenos invaders in question, it was most likely that the planet had already been overrun, or would be shortly. Second, far too many rogue trader dynasties had been destroyed by trying to fight the Green Tide, and while it would be a shame that the Mechanicus chappies would no doubt be killed, they had only contracted him to deliver them to the planet, not rescue them if needed. Third, he decided he didn’t really like Fois Gras that much anyway. Armed with these decisions, Harrington decided he would be better off simply washing his hands of Makira Landing and turning his attention to less ork-filled endeavours.

Unfortunately for the Lord Captain (and fortunately for the surviving residents of Makira Landing), the Holy Ordos had become aware of the planet’s plight, and interceded to change the Lord Captain’s mind. It’s unclear exactly how the Ordo Xenos in particular became aware of the situation, or why they decided to intercede. All that history remembers is that a representative of the Ordos visited Harrington, and demanded he return to stabilize the situation, and promised him financial and material support. Harrington was left with little choice but to accept. Armed with three Guard regiments and accompanied by a deeply unlucky chartist captain who’d been conscripted to haul supplies, he set off for Makira Landing.

Much to the surprise of the relief expedition, the planet had not been overrun. Orks controlled most of the mainland, but they had been too busy looting the mining camps, fighting one another, and staking out territory to pay much attention to the humans cowering in the Faore island chain. The forces accompanying the expedition were insufficient to recapture the planet, so after some discussion between the Mechanicus, the Ordo Xenos, and the Lord Captain, it was agreed to turn the Faore Islands into a network of citadels, from which the Orks could be monitored (and repelled, should they grow too nosy). Fortification began in earnest the next day.

The beady red eyes of the Orks turned to the Faores after they had finished smashing apart the mining camps. The amount of gunz and other loot the ‘umies were installing on the islands was enough to make any Ork drool (well, more than usual), and the capture of the handful of Mechanicus outposts on the mainland had been an irresistible teaser of the kind of fancy gubbins that must be hidden away in the fortresses of the Machine God. The Orks began to congeal into a single force (after the usual round of intercine krumpin’), lead by Warboss Nazdakka Gitmasha, cobbling together a ramshackle fleet of vaguely seaworthy transports, including an enormous hovercraft piled high with totems to Gork (or possibly Mork) from which Nazdakka could command the invasion force. The assembling of the Ork fleet wasn’t exactly hard to spot, and when it set sail for the Faores, they were met by a mixed force of Guardsmen, household troops from the Aster-Cylix dynasty,Mechanicus Skitarii, and a cadre of mercenaries hired by the Inquisition to fill out the ranks.

Over the next three months, the Ork assault swallowed most of the southern islands in the chain and laid siege to the central islands while launching kommando raids and airstrikes against the northern edges of the Faores, attempting to disrupt the supply of guns and ammunition to the front. The situation was decidedly grim for the Imperials. Imperial frontline positions were under constant (if horrendously inaccurate) bombardment from the Ork fleet, Greenskin air superiority prevented any sort of resupply and reinforcement from the northern islands during the day, and those convoys that did try to slip through to the frontline islands in the dark were constantly hounded by submersibles and patrol boats. Lord Captain Harrington and the Guard commanders quietly drew up an evacuation plan, but none of them had the courage to float it to the Ordo Xenos.

Two events changed the tide of battle. The first was a desperate bid for air superiority. With the financial backing of the Ordo Xenos, and the reluctant approval of the Mechanicus, Lord Captain Harrington’s seneschals scoured the sector for airframes, pilots, ground crews, and anti aircraft guns, shipping them to Makira Landing. Arrowhead Island was converted into a massive airfield, and for several weeks, violent air battles between exhaust-belching Fighta Bombas and a deeply eccentric collection of Imperial aircraft raged over the islands. The Imperium eventually gained the upper hand through attrition. The orks were relying on increasingly scarce stockpiles of scrap from the mining settlements to repair both their fleet and aircraft, and after a while, there simply wasn’t enough to replace lost aircraft on a 1:1 scale. The Ork flyers also faced continuous, murderous anti-aircraft fire, both from the Imperium and from their own gunners, who would gleefully fire into swirling dogfights without a single thought for accidentally hitting their own machines.

The second, and more dramatic event was the sudden and spectacular incineration of Warboss Gitmasha, his retinue of Nobz and ‘Ard Boyz, and every ork vessel within half a kilometer when his hovercraft abruptly exploded. The rest of the Ork vessels, not sure what was going on but convinced they were under attack, began to shoot wildly in all directions, inevitably hitting each other in the process. This lead to reprisal volleys, and before long, the Ork fleet was blasting itself to pieces with unparalleled enthusiasm. This self-immolation lasted the better part of three days (the Orks, with their tenuous grasp of both time and numbers, would later call this the “Day uv Dakka”), and by the time it was over, the greenskin fleet had ceased to exist as a coherent force. Most of the surviving ships had wallowed back to the mainland or the southern islands to lick their wounds, and those that remained were quickly sunk by opportunistic Imperial pilots.

A reprieve had been granted, but the battle for the island chain was far from over. The combined Imperial forces fought a long, bitter campaign over the next three years to reclaim the southern islands in the chain, and purge the feral Orks that occasionally cropped up behind their line of advance. They continued to expand and fortify as they cleansed the island chain of Orks as they advanced, and by the time they had reasserted control over the entire island chain, the Faores had become an interlocking series of near-unassailable fortresses. Suggestions by Lord Captain Harrington to begin retaking the mainland were quickly vetoed by the Mechanicus and Ordo Xenos. The former was only interested in the security of their own holdings, while the latter was content to simply monitor the orks from afar, and feared that an Imperial landing would serve to rally the xenos into a single massive horde once more.

The Orks were never able to muster with sufficient strength and purpose to do more than imperil the southernmost islands in the chain. That hasn’t deterred them from trying, though, and every few months a small host of Ork vessels will attempt to land a savage horde of howling greenskins on one or more of the islands. Kommando raids are also commonplace, attempting to loot or destroy Imperial equipment and generally keeping the ‘umies on their toes. Currently, though, infighting between the various tribes provides much more entertaining battles. After all, what’s the fun in being blown up in a ship before you can even get stuck in to the real fighting?

[RedsandRoyals]

The State of Things Today: The Imperium and the Faore Islands

In the decades since the initial Ork assaults, the Imperium has continuously refined and expanded its fortification of the islands, creating a formidable bulwark against further Greenskin incursions. Guard regiments still fill the bunkers and trenches of the Faores, and launch periodic inland raids to disrupt and disperse any particularly threatening gathering of Orks identified by reconnaissance missions. Behind barbed wire and gun pits, though, an uneasy existence between competing powers controls a complex network of logistics that ensures at least one last bastion of Imperial might remains on Makira Landing.

Munitoria

The island of Munitoria was originally a pair of islands named Navex and Cahome. They were part of the original “Cogwheel” islands set aside for the Mechanicus, and the techpriests established a handful of manufactorums there. When the Orks invaded, the manufactorums were quickly repurposed to produce ammunition, stubbers, mines, and other simple but essential tools of war. The shift in production was never intended to be permanent, but when it became clear that the Orks would not be dislodged anytime soon, the Mechanicus agreed to expand production. The islands were connected by a vast ferrocrete concourse, additional manufactorums were added, and production diversified to include flank armor, lasguns, mortars, and other relatively rugged and reliable weapons and equipment.

Additional additions and expansions over the years has transformed the island into a sprawling manufacturing center now christened “Munitoria”. Most of the small arms and simple ordnance used on the planet comes from this tangled complex of supply depots, manufactorums, and workers’ dormitories. The Mechanicus oversees the island, it’s facilities, and it’s civilian inhabitants, but security is handled by the Munitorum and the Guard. The island is extremely heavily fortified thanks to its strategic importance, and the defenders have repelled more than a few kommando raids over the years. It’s also seen its fair share of accidents, but fortunately the island is located far enough away from it’s neighbors that only a truly spectacular detonation would damage them

Arrowhead Island

Arrowhead Island (sometimes intentionally misspelled as “Airrowhead” by those stationed there in a rather sad attempt at wordplay) serves as the main airfield complex in the island chain. Arrowhead hosts a staggering diversity of aircraft, as well as maintenance and modification workshops, ammunition bunkers, quarters for pilots and service crews, several advanced auger stations, and the Air Command and Control Headquarters (usually called the ACCHQ). There is also a small and rather eclectic dual shrine to the Emperor and Omnissiah, a field hospital, and a very popular officer’s club.

Arrowhead’s central location in the island chain means its’ aircraft can quickly reinforce those operating out of the forward airfields elsewhere in the chain. Security units are provide by the Rogue Trader, who has nominal control over the island. Many of the ground crews and pilots are from his dynasty as well, and he has made a point of providing recreation facilities for his employees, as well as higher quality barracks and food in the mess. This has made Arrowhead one of the more popular postings in the island chain, and the subject of deep envy for most of the Guard troops, who will rarely get a chance to set foot there.

The Horribles

The Horribles are a splattering of tiny islands and atolls that guard the southern approaches of the island chain. They’re considered strategically vital to the defense of the Imperial position, but their small sizes limits the defensive works that can be constructed there, and the number of troops that can be stationed on any given island, and only two are large enough to hold forward airfields. For the most part, they serve as early warning stations and a useful buffer against any Ork assault from the south.

The Horribles have earned their name thanks to the conditions on the islands. They are almost continuously drenched in rain and tormented by squalls, and the terrain is either malarial swamps or razor sharp outcroppings of coral. The only drinkable water is either distilled from the ocean (with the attendant salty taste) or brought in from Arrowhead or one of the larger islands. Most of the islands host a unique and exotic grab bag of diseases (malaria, which followed humanity from Terra, being the most common), and those with the misfortune of being struck down with a new or rare affliction are often scooped up by the Mechanicus for “observation”, never to be seen again. Because of these many delights, the Horribles are usually considered a punishment detail, with various regiments contributing garrisons made up of their collected misfits and problem children. The only time that the Horribles are ever garrisoned by a single unit is when a deathworld regiment becomes available.

Veritas

Veritas was initially chosen to house the Rogue Trader’s “villa” on the planet. Construction was only partly completed before the Orks, Inquisition, and Imperial Guard arrived to make a mess of thing. Veritas now houses the Inquisition presence on the planet, and has become a rather incongruous mix of island paradise and ominous death fortress. Winding paths through vibrant flowerbeds abruptly end at grim adamantium walls topped with barbed wire and surveillance equipment, automated defense turrets stand ready to rain a brutal crossfire down on the squash ball courts, and lumbering combat servitors add an extra challenge to the hedge maze.

The villa itself still stands, but the interior has been “renovated” and fortified to withstand assault. Most of the expansion, though, was done beneath the villa, creating the network of vaults, interrogation chambers, armories, libariums necessary to the Inquisition’s operations on the planet. Most of the personnel is housed underground, too. No one knows the exact size or depth of these tunnels (and the wise do their best not to think about it). Rumors of secret underwater laboratories and submersible pens abound, though, and ships passing near the island at night occasionally report strange lights beneath the surface, or hearing screams coming from the island.

Principus, Hastatius, and Triarius

These three large islands are sandwiched in between Arrowhead to the north, and the Horribles to the south. They serve as an additional buffer layer between the Orks and the interior islands, and are fortified accordingly. Most Ork assaults either break under the guns of Isadora, though, or become bogged down in the Horribles, so these second-line islands rarely see any action beyond the occasional kommando raid or submersible attacks. Currently, their primary role is to provide air cover for the Horribles, act as forward supply bases to the outer defense islands, and to serve as garrisons and training locations for the regiment stationed in the island chain.

The training is an invaluable asset for any Guardsman that hopes to survive their time on the islands. Not all regiments that deploy the planet have experience with fortified defenses, amphibious warfare, or anti-infiltration tactics, and the training regimen on these island gives them a thorough drilling. Regiments also practice air assaults and coastal raiding here as well in preparation for hit and run raids against the Orks ensconced on the mainland. Strenuous efforts are made to make these drills as realistic as possible. Live ammunition is used more often than not, and the simulated battlefield are dotted with smoke generators and concussion mines, while vox recordings of artillery and Ork war cries are blasted at high volume. All of this, of course, inevitable results in a handful of casualties (usually wounded) during the exercise, but this is considered a small price to pay for the combat ready troops who emerge from the drills.

Isadora

Isadora is the western shoulder of the island chain. Its’ rugged terrain is dominated by a pair of mountains referred to as “the twins”, from which one can see almost the entirety of the island chain. The island is a supremely defensible position, and just about every party with a vested interest in an Imperial presence on the world has contributed to its transformation into a bastion of military might. Fortifications designed by the Mechanicus are developed with resources and labor provided by the Rogue Trader’s dynasty, funded by the Inquisition, and manned and armed by the Munitorium. Thin slivers of beach abruptly end in armored seawalls studded by gunports and pop up turrets, which, in turn, are covered by sequential lines of defense that criss cross the knotted ridges and jagged gullies. All of these are watched over by heavy gun batteries emplaced on the Twins, capable of emerging from their armored casements and shelling unsuspecting foes before retracting back into the mountainside.

Isadora’s fortified position has been repeatedly tested by the Orks over the years. Air assaults, kommando infiltration, conventional (to the extent that applies to anything Orks do) amphibious assaults, and surprise attacks by ramshackle submersibles have all been broken under Isadora’s guns. A substantial debris field of shattered Ork aircraft and ships in the shallow waters around the island add an additional hazard to anyone attempting to land there, as well. For the Orks, the conquest of Isadora has become an end unto itself, rather than just a means of opening the rest of the island chain to assault. Surviving a raid against the island is a considerable bragging right among the Ork clans, and the warlord who eventually crushes the ‘umies on the island and tears down their fortification will quickly become viewed as the ‘ardest Ork around.

Cape Wrath

Cape Wrath was originally (and somewhat aptly) named Wayward Island. It is the largest of the islands occupied by the Imperium, and originally housed the main administrative center for the rogue trader’s various holdings on the planet. Once the Guard and Inquisition moved in, the island was renamed, and became the main command and control node in the chain. The island itself has been extended, leveled, and covered with a dizzying array of structures. Almost no part of the island’s surface is visible above the water anymore aside from a few jagged outcroppings of rock. It’s approach is guarded by minefields and covered by earthshaker emplacements, while hydra and manticore emplacements defend it’s airfields from interloping Orks. It’s position on the eastern edge of the island chain is it’s greatest defense, however, as Ork assaults from the mainland have to chew through half a dozen fortified islands before they set foot on Cape Wrath.

Cape Wrath is a microcosm of Imperial bureaucracy, with every relevant adepta possible (and some that aren’t) trying to shoehorn themselves onto the island. Most of the space is taken up by the munitorium, which oversees the supply dumps, defenses, barracks, comms centers, headquarters facilities, motor pools, dockyards, and other military installations. The Adepta Astra Telepathica has a small fortified spire on a large rock outcropping just offshore from the island (called “Spooky Spit” or “The Asylum” by guardsmen, and rumored to be haunted). The Administratium is obviously there too, since any noble struggle to preserve humanity must be recorded, and it’s expenses and expenditures tabulated. The Rogue Trader dynasty also maintains their “manse” there, although it’s a small and cramped residence compared to the planned opulence of the palace on Veritas that was lost to the Inquisition. There is also a small Arbites presence as well, mostly technical experts and a single judge who provide expertise and advisement on issue with the civilian population to the Commissariat. The Commissariat itself also has a large facility that incorporates an execution yard, interrogation cells, and a prison facility. All these organizations brushing shoulders together can generate a fair amount of friction, which usually falls to the Arbites or Inquisition to defuse.

The Cogwheel Islands

The Cogwheel islands (Norius and Levitica) were the original gift to the Mechancius, selected by the tech priests who accompanied the original expedition. It was an odd selection. By the terms of the expedition contract, the Mechanicus could have laid claim to a large swath of the mainland if they had chose, or one of the smaller continents to the far south, but instead they chose just the two islands. Both were quickly leveled and expanded in preparation for the crimson fortresses that would soon occupy the whole of their landmass. Curiously, the initial fortifications were built long before the Orks arrived. It’s possible that the Mechanicus somehow had received some warning of the impending xeno assault years in advance, but more likely, the twin citadels of the Machine Cult were built to keep others out, and their own secrets in.

The Cogwheel Islands sit on the high western flank of the island chain, far enough to the north that the Orks would struggle to reach them without being blasted apart by Isadora’s guns or aircraft flying from forward air strips. Any Ork who has the dubious fortune of making it to the islands is presented with towering walls of adamantium that are all but unscalable, watched over by arcane gun turrets. The only way in is through the landing pad on the tops of the fortress’, which are ringed with anti aircraft guns. All of this is complimented with a void shield spike, rising out of the water between the two islands and ringed with floating automated defense platforms. For the most part, the Guard and Navy are as unwelcome on these islands as the Orks. Only the Inquisition, and the rogue trader’s dynasty, are ever invited to the Omnissiah’s strongholds in the island chain.

[RedsandRoyals]

Interested Parties/NPCs

Some of the key NPCs skulking around Makira. Feel free to replace or remove as you see fit.

Lady Belladona Aster-Cylix IX

Lord Captain Harrington Aster-Cylix is still alive, albeit retired and confined to a hoverchair. He has passed on his warrant and the associated responsibilities to his descendants. His house’s obligations on Makira have fallen to his granddaughter, Lady Belladona Aster-Cylix IX. Belladona has the misfortune of being the third child in her family, and as neither the heir nor the spare for her family’s warrant, she was considered just important enough to maintain the family’s obligations on Makira Landing, while not being quite important enough to damage the family if everyone on the planet was slaughtered by Greenskins. She also has the dubious honor of being a de-facto hostage of the Ordo Xenos, who use her presence on Makira to ensure the full cooperation of the Aster-Cylix dynasty.

Belladona is understandably unhappy with her current assignment. Waiting and watching for the Orks to attack is not a career that tends to garner plaudits and fame. Theoretically, she is in charge of logistics for the Imperial presence, and commands the aircraft and air crews directly controlled by her dynasty that have been deployed to Arrowhead. In practice, the Munitorium and her dynasty’s seneschals handle the former, while the latter has long since been controlled by the Navy in the name of streamlining the chain of command. Thus, Belladona finds herself with an abundance of free time on her hands. She devotes much of it to studying military history, and comprising elaborate plans for the reconquest of Makira, should she ever find herself with an abundance of men and material. Until that day arrives, she has to settle for posing for increasingly dramatic paintings of her conquering the orkish horde, and lecturing anyone who will listen (usually the long suffering Commissar Noels) on what they should be doing to drive out these pesky Xenos.

General Hiram Mersker, Lord Commandant of Makira Landing

The position of Lord Commandant was created after the initial repulse of the Ork fleet in order to provide a unified command for the eclectic army that was about to be tasked with driving the Orks back out of the Faores. It also had the added bonus of allowing the representatives of the Ordo Xenos and Lord Captain Harrington to pursue other activities while entrusting the security of the Faores to someone else. Since then, the position has been filled by half a dozen different commanders, always appointed by the Ordo Xenos, and “endorsed” by the other parties on Makira. Some have been rising stars in the Guard, using the position to experience true command and earn plaudits to propel their career to new heights. Others have been at the twilight of their careers, possessing enough competence to maintain the status quo, but lacking any sort of brilliance or talent that would see them more usefully employed elsewhere.

General Mersker is the latter of these two types. He is a field commander of middling skill approaching the end of his second century of service to the God Emperor and the Imperial Guard. His talent and passion has always been logistics, though, and he garned success and modest renown as a “troubleshooter”, being shunted from warzone to warzone to help fix snarls in the supply chain. Others might have chafed at being “volunteered” for service on Makira, but Mersker is finding it rather enjoyable, especially when the alternative would be banishment to a backwater command until he was too old to carry on. He spends his days ensuring every detail of the complex logistics network in the Faores runs with streamlined precision. He regards the more tactical aspects of his job with supreme indifference, letting the Inquisition and his regimental commanders decide how to carry out such matters.

Commissar Ryland Noels

Commissar Noels does not have a happy assignment. In addition to being in charge of discipline (and the carrying out of executions and other punishments that entails), he has also found himself responsible for morale and recreation, ensuring the physical health of thousands of guardsmen stationed in a tropical environment rife with exotic diseases, and managing the fragile political alliance between the Mechanicus, Inquisition, Munitorium, Aster-Cylix dynasty, and other lesser players in the Faores. He has also found himself stepping in to coordinate field operations in place of the profoundly disinterested General Mersker. Since he is technically junior to most everyone he works with, he has had to lean on the Inquisition’s authority as much as his own to push through what needs to be done. The authority of the Ordos is a double edged sword, though, and it ties his hands with how he can deal with some of the more problematic individuals he works with (for example, as much as he may want to, he cannot execute General Mersker for incompetence).

Noels would actually rather enjoy the Faores if it weren’t for his co-workers. And the Orks too, obviously. Were it up to him, he would spend his time walking the beaches, painting the spectacular sunsets, and composing terrible poetry about the sea. Most of his time is eaten up by his official duties, though. He tours each of the islands under Imperial control once a week, routinely lectures officers on what precautions their men should be taking against disease and poor sanitation, and officiates the inter-regiment scrumball league he established several years ago. His evenings are usually taken up by endless “strategic planning” conferences, which he usually spends doodling elaborate and gruesome demises of a cartoon caricature who looks remarkably like General Mersker in the margins of his notes, or daydreaming about dramatically rescuing Lady Belladona Aster-Cylix from various perils.

Lieutenant Commander Cynthia Hellane

The Navy has scant interest in Makira Landing. There are no mighty Ork warships lurking in orbit to smash with righteous fury, all supplies are hauled in by the Aster-Cylix dynasty, or chartists captains contracted by the Mechanicus or Inquisition, and there are no shipyards or orbital facilities that could serve as a proper forward fleet base. The only the least glamorous of tasks- air support for ground forces- requires the assistance of the Navy. Most of the air frames and air crews are provided by the Aster-Cylix dynasty, though, so the Navy is limited to command and control operations, and providing a core of professional air crews and first rate air frames that can shoulder the burden of the most difficult mission taskings.

This would be a dead end posting for any naval officer, and Cynthia Hellane knows this. It is her job to do all of the work and receive little of the credit for maintaining and operating the diverse air fleet stationed across the Faores. Hellane is a talented Vulture pilot, and early in her career she seemed assured of success. A chain of accidents and unfortunate circumstances quickly torpedoed her career. Almost accidently sucking an incautious Ecclesiarchy functionary into her engine turbine was the last straw, and she was quickly “promoted” to her current position on Makira Landing. Hellane knows her career is effectively over, and has finally come to peace with that. She contents herself with leading the occasional strike mission against the Ork and irritating Belladona Aster-Cylix in new and inventive ways. She’s also found an unlikely friend in Commissar Noels, whom she trades snarky notes with during the evening briefings. She tries not to think about the fact that her chain of misfortunes abruptly stopped once she arrived in the Faores.

Inquisitor Celeste, of the Ordo Xenos

Once the Inquisition sinks its claws into something, it’s rare for them to let go. Such is the case with Makira Landing. Although much of the initial Ordo Xenos presence decamped after the Faore islands were reclaimed, one inquisitor and their retinue has always remained to oversee operations. Some hold the position for years or even decades, while others remain only for a handful of months before they mysteriously vanish, and another Inquisitor takes up the position. The current representative of the Holy Ordos is Inquisitor Celeste. At first blush, she seems a perfect fit for the position. She speaks fluent Orkish ( ably assisted by her power fist, which she’s nicknamed ‘Translator”) and seems to have an innate, almost uncanny understanding of their society, motivations, and thought processes (to the extent that Orks have a thought process beyond “smash things”). Her time as resident Inquisitor has seen a marked increase in successful air and coastal raids against the Orks, as well as protracted subterfuge campaign to keep them divided and at one another’s throats.

Her professional qualifications are somewhat offset by her somewhat fractured personality, though. Usually, she is perfectly capable of projection the cool, collected, mysterious and lethal air most Inquisitors often cultivate, and has knack for asking the exact question whomever she’s talking to is fervently hoping she won’t ask. Other times, though, she’s energetic, boisterous to the point of being overbearing, and has a slightly mischievous streak. She can bounce from one personality to the other with no warning, much to the disquiet of those she works with. It’s generally agreed that this is either a clever ruse to keep everyone on their toes, or she’s simply more overtly insane than most of her Inquisitorial colleagues.

Interrogator Haxton Hallon

Interrogator Hallon is a deeply eccentric man with a deeply eccentric history, making him the perfect match for Inquisitor Celeste. Born on a manufactorum world, he was drafted into the Imperial Guard at age sixteen. During his service, he displayed an affinity for machinery, and became a lay-brother of the Mechanicus. He routinely volunteered for ordnance disposal missions, which would eventually cost him his left arm, most of his right, an eye, and half a foot, all of which were replaced by bionics. During one of his extended stays in the medicae, he was recruited for the Inquisition. His technical knack has been extremely helpful in dissecting the various Ork contraptions encountered during raids or amphibious assaults, and his status as a Lay-brother has considerably smoothed the Inquisition’s with the Mechanicus on Makira

Hallon commits the twin sins of being a morning person and an exercise nut. When not leading Inquisitorial expeditions into xeno territory, he can often be found running laps along the shoreline of Veritas, or joining in PT exercises with various Guard units. Hallon also has taken an interest in fine tuning the islands’ defences, and periodically “tests” them by swimming ashore and attempting to infiltrate his way through the garrison. Woe betide any unit that fails to catch him, as they’ll be forced to suffer through an intensive remedial training program for the next several weeks. Hallon is a relentless optimist, and he hates sloth and pessimism with a furious, burning passion. This leads to him sticking his nose into areas where his ‘assistance” is neither needed nor welcome, but it is rather hard to say no to an Interrogator.

The Head Magos of the Cogwheel Islands

To come later (maybe!)

Head of the Munitorium in the Faores

Oops, this one's coming later too!

[RedsandRoyals]

The Orks of Makira Landing


To come later! I've got a few ideas kicking around, and after talking with Tread, Emptyhat, and Melissia, I'm going to think about what I want to do here. I may turn it over to some of them to develop, if they want, or use ideas that they've generously suggested (with all credit due to them, of course). Alternatively, I may put down some bare bones concepts and let people fill in the blanks themselves.

[RedsandRoyals]

Creator's Notes

If you've read this far, I salute your determination. I just wanted explain the method to my madness when I was working on the setting, in the hopes it might provide additional information. Since this was originally designed for use in an Only War campaign of some sort, my initial intention was to create a setting that centered around quick, 1-2 session hit and run raids, while still providing a chance for large set piece battles. I also wanted to explore amphibious operations, riverine warfare, air assaults, and other themes that aren't often looked at in the Guard. I also wanted to make a setting that could cater to more unique stories and campaigns; Ork or Mechanicus-centric campaigns one one focused on air to air combat over the islands, for example. I've purposely made the situation a stalemate, and no one likely to change without significant effort. That was mostly done to sidestep the idea of 'Imperial forces are fighting a rearguard action but are inevitably doomed" (which is why I avoided Tyranids, Chaos, Necrons, etc as enemies). Orks as an enemy also provide lots of eccentricities, and are just as likely to fight one another as the Imperium, which, I freely confess, is a handy explination for why the Imperial forces haven't been swarmed to death yet.


I also wanted to leave a lot of plot hooks dangling. The reasons for the involvement of the Inquisition, as well as whatever the Mechanicus is getting out of Makira, are both up in the air as far as I'm concerned. There's a fair amount of politics going on between the various imperial factions, too, and that could easily erupt into conspiracy or bloodletting. Lastly, for those using the setting for a 40k RP, there's a chance to switch over to other systems, should the story warrant it. Competent guardsmen may be conscripted by the Ordo Xenos, leading into Dark Heresy, or seconded to the Aster-Cylix dynasty for a switch over to Rogue Trader, for example. What happens is dependent upon whatever you'd like to do with the setting, but I believe I've built in enough flexibility to incorporate a wide range of options.


Anyway, I hope someone can find some use for this, since I'm not likely to. Questions, comments, and suggestions are, as always, welcome.


Oh. And there is one reference in there that is entirely childish and only a single person on this forum will get. I'm sorry in advance.

[Rolling Thunder]

Well developed.

[treadiculous]

Much liking this, I have imagined a few battles I would like to re-create already.

I have also got a nice Female Commissar from Victoria Minuatures (thanks empty!) which may well become one of the female characters.

[emptyhat]

Nov 11, 2015 12:30:06 GMT -5 treadiculous said:

Much liking this, I have imagined a few battles I would like to re-create already.

I have also got a nice Female Commissar from Victoria Minuatures (thanks empty!) which may well become one of the female characters.

Ah Tread, thanking me so foolishly ( ) That isn't from Victoria, it is from Raging Heroes. How are you doing with painting her by the way? Chem and I have mostly got ours done and we still need to play that 'Battle of the Three Sisters' game.

Reading about the islands made me think about how the Orks might be able to break the stalemate but I don't think they are together enough to have the good gubbins floating around to make my ideas work.

[treadiculous]

Any chance of a map to go with this?

[RedsandRoyals]

Maybe of the islands, I had to sketch one out at one point to keep their locations straight.

[ElegaicRequiem]

We demand maps! Also, keeping track of this thread will be easier if I post in it.

[treadiculous]

islands - with a little bit of the mainland would be ideal.

doesn't need to be much detail at this point.

this is cool. I like Makira. Nice beaches, Pleasant climate, Happy mix of locals all at odd with one another, Interesting flora and fauna, medium to high chance of death, And free lasguns on the sight seeing tours.

(appalling grammar due to translationer being from one of the southern isles)

[RedsandRoyals]

I'd like to think it has a little dysfunction for everyone. This week I probably won't make any progress here but the next two weeks should provide me with enough free time to do more work on this. I want to plunk down some outlines for the Orks I've had kicking around my head, but I think half the fun with Orks is just saying "Okay here's a few bullet points go nuts with your own stuff" to the people who play them.

[jenburdoo]

I like the feel of it, and the humorous touches. Makes me feel like playing again...