Post by CELS on Feb 24, 2004 16:06:09 GMT -5
Trade and Tithes
As a forge world, Proteus has a special convention in relation to paying tithes. Supplying the Imperium with invaluable commodities such as super heavy tanks for the Imperial Guard, great ships for the Imperial Navy and tech priests for employment on other Imperial worlds, forge worlds do not pay tithes as conventional Imperial worlds. Among other things, Proteus is not required to supply soldiers to the Imperial Guard even though its Tech Guard ranks are endless compared to other worlds’ planetary defense forces. This special relationship with the Imperium comes from the unique status of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the Imperium, and though many question their independence, few question their value and power.
The exports of Proteus are countless, but amongst its most important productions are the super heavy tanks, plasma support weapons and leviathans for the Imperial Guard; the vast escort and capital ships for the Imperial Navy, as well as any parts required to repair and maintain these ships; and vehicles, weapons and powered armour for the Frost Wraith Space Marine chapter. In addition, Proteus equips and arms its own vast armies of Tech Guard and mighty Titan Legion, the Burning Lances, but these remain under the control of Proteus even when sent to other parts of the Segmentum to aid the Imperium.
Proteus only imports a few goods, as it is mostly self-sustained. As all forge worlds, Proteus is extremely suspicious and defensive, and few ships that do not belong to the Cult Mechanicus are allowed to approach the forge world. Instead, Proteus sends out its own transports, known simply as Forge ships to most of the Imperium, which collect needed goods from various worlds and deliver the products of Proteus. Typically, these forge ships will come looking for criminals sentenced for servitor-dom, to bring back to Proteus, blessed ointments, holy waters and incense from the Ministorum, and astropaths, navigators and other psykers from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and Navis Nobilite. It is also possible to do trade with these Forge ships outside of Proteus’ normal trade agreements with the Imperium, and many rogue traders are known to dock with the Forge ships and sell alien technology or alien life forms in exchange for the precious goods of the Adeptus Mechanicus. A very few forge ships are also instructed to bring back artifacts of chaos powers if possible, for research by the more radical Technomagi, but this is of course totally unknown to the rest of the Imperium.
Despite their paranoia, the Techpriests of Proteus do allow some rogue traders and a few of the most respected merchant companies to land on Proteus itself, and this is truly a great honour (and profitable arrangement), as it opens endless trade connections, even with the working class of Proteus and, perhaps more importantly, other forge worlds.
Physiology
After a life indoor and without ever feeling a ray of sunlight on their skin, the majority of Proteus’ citizens are almost grayish pale. The heavy gravity makes the working class considerably stronger and heavier than most humans, but somewhat shorter. With immigrants having been brought in from all over the sector over the millennia, eye and hair colour varies tremendously on Proteus. However, all citizens except the priesthood are required to shave their heads, and in the orange-lit factories or perpetual darkness of outside, most citizens look alike anyway.
The physiology varies greatly amongst the Priesthood, naturally, since they have access to all kinds of physical augmentations and alterations. The lesser height of living on a high gravity world is usually countered by growth-altering chemicals, and Proteus tech-priests are usually at least as tall as the average Imperial citizen.
Psychology
The working class and tech guard of Proteus are almost brainwashed from childhood about their duties to the Machine god, learning that they are required to give their lives in service of the forge world without question. As a result of their monotone lives, working class and tech guard come off as simple people with little imagination, and almost incapable of independent thought to off-worlders.
The Priesthood on the other hand, are known for their cunning, intellect and cynicism, as all Tech Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Still, the behavior and psychology of Tech Priests depends greatly on their philosophical and political standing.
Language and Dialect
The working class and tech guard of Proteus speak a standard Low Gothic, but are characterized by simple language and flat tone. The Priesthood is fluent in both Low and High Gothic, and also speaks a dialect of High Gothic known as Lingua Technis.
Planetary Defense Force
Almost one percent of Proteus’ population is recruited into the Tech Guard, the armies of the Cult Mechanicus and defenders of the forgeworld, a force of fourty million well-equipped and trained soldiers. With traditions going back ten millennia, the Tech Guard of Proteus is a well-organised and experienced force with a style of combat that reflects their unique philosophy of war.
Like any planetary defence force, the Tech Guard is under direct control of the forgeworld’s governor, the Archmagos Ultima and the High Council. Though most of the Tech Guard is stationed on Proteus and its two fortress-moons, quite a few regiments are stationed onboard Proteus’ many star ships. As opposed to the Imperial Guard and most other planetary defence forces, the Proteus Tech Guard has a fairly flexible organisation. Often, the tech guard from a region of Proteus will be assigned to a Magos of the Priesthood. Though it is rare for the Magi to act as commander for Tech Guard forces, the Tech Guard assigned to a Magos will follow him wherever he is assigned, should he be transferred to another continent or even to an Explorator star ship.
History
During the Age of Strife, the Cult Mechanicus of Mars sent out many fleets which would build forgeworlds in the name of the Machine God. One of these fleets encountered a turbulent current in the warp, and entered the materium several hundred light-years away from its original destination, in the Taranis system. Just as the fleet prepared to enter the warp again and continue its journey, the machine spirit of the fleet’s flagship, the Proteus, launched an escape pod on the planet Taranis Primus. Curious of this malfunction, the ship’s surveyor priests scanned the planet, and found the faint traces of a human civilisation from the Golden Age of technology. Declaring this a sign from the Machine God, the priests sent an expedition to the world’s surface. The citizens of Taranis Prime welcomed the priests of the Cult Mechanicus with open arms, praising them as angels of salvation and showing no resistance to the imposed authority of the priests.
The Tech Priests discovered that the citizens of this world had been all but wiped out two centuries ago when a plague erupted on the only populated continent on the planet. Only a few dozen ships got to sea to escape the plague, and of these only a handful survived the journey across the stormy seas. When the fleet of the Cult Mechanicus arrived, in year 550, M26, the citizens of Taranis Prime numbered only ten thousand. Deciding that the discovery of such a planet had been an act of the Machine God, the Mechanicus fleet began colonizing the planet, renaming it Proteus after its discoverer. Three dozen Cyclops class colonisation ships detached enormous colonisation modules, leaving empty only empty shells of the original ships. Each of these modules deployed on the surface of Proteus, forming a forge tower on the north or south pole of the planet. Of the other ships in the fleet, the fleet’s flagship Proteus deployed on the north pole of Proteus, rebuilding into the Tower Adamantine, and the other ships either deployed as orbital stations or formed exploration and defence groups.
As time passed, each the forge worlds began constructing mines and infrastructure, and before the first century had passed, cities had been built on every continent of Proteus. After two millennia, every continent on Proteus was covered with sprawling cities and factory complexes, leaving only the planet’s poles, both small island groups, relatively untouched.
Since its colonisation by the Adeptus Mechanicus, Proteus has had a stabile growth, both in population and influence. Though the Anargo sector has suffered many invasions and some civil wars, Proteus itself has always stayed out of harm’s way. Even during the Age of Apostasy, Proteus managed to distance itself from the change of regime and the wars between the Thorians and followers of Vandire. Many Imperial organisations have since commented on Proteus’ neutrality during the Age of Apostasy, proposing that the High Council of Proteus retained neutrality to hide their military force for as long as possible.
As a forge world, Proteus has a special convention in relation to paying tithes. Supplying the Imperium with invaluable commodities such as super heavy tanks for the Imperial Guard, great ships for the Imperial Navy and tech priests for employment on other Imperial worlds, forge worlds do not pay tithes as conventional Imperial worlds. Among other things, Proteus is not required to supply soldiers to the Imperial Guard even though its Tech Guard ranks are endless compared to other worlds’ planetary defense forces. This special relationship with the Imperium comes from the unique status of the Adeptus Mechanicus in the Imperium, and though many question their independence, few question their value and power.
The exports of Proteus are countless, but amongst its most important productions are the super heavy tanks, plasma support weapons and leviathans for the Imperial Guard; the vast escort and capital ships for the Imperial Navy, as well as any parts required to repair and maintain these ships; and vehicles, weapons and powered armour for the Frost Wraith Space Marine chapter. In addition, Proteus equips and arms its own vast armies of Tech Guard and mighty Titan Legion, the Burning Lances, but these remain under the control of Proteus even when sent to other parts of the Segmentum to aid the Imperium.
Proteus only imports a few goods, as it is mostly self-sustained. As all forge worlds, Proteus is extremely suspicious and defensive, and few ships that do not belong to the Cult Mechanicus are allowed to approach the forge world. Instead, Proteus sends out its own transports, known simply as Forge ships to most of the Imperium, which collect needed goods from various worlds and deliver the products of Proteus. Typically, these forge ships will come looking for criminals sentenced for servitor-dom, to bring back to Proteus, blessed ointments, holy waters and incense from the Ministorum, and astropaths, navigators and other psykers from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and Navis Nobilite. It is also possible to do trade with these Forge ships outside of Proteus’ normal trade agreements with the Imperium, and many rogue traders are known to dock with the Forge ships and sell alien technology or alien life forms in exchange for the precious goods of the Adeptus Mechanicus. A very few forge ships are also instructed to bring back artifacts of chaos powers if possible, for research by the more radical Technomagi, but this is of course totally unknown to the rest of the Imperium.
Despite their paranoia, the Techpriests of Proteus do allow some rogue traders and a few of the most respected merchant companies to land on Proteus itself, and this is truly a great honour (and profitable arrangement), as it opens endless trade connections, even with the working class of Proteus and, perhaps more importantly, other forge worlds.
Physiology
After a life indoor and without ever feeling a ray of sunlight on their skin, the majority of Proteus’ citizens are almost grayish pale. The heavy gravity makes the working class considerably stronger and heavier than most humans, but somewhat shorter. With immigrants having been brought in from all over the sector over the millennia, eye and hair colour varies tremendously on Proteus. However, all citizens except the priesthood are required to shave their heads, and in the orange-lit factories or perpetual darkness of outside, most citizens look alike anyway.
The physiology varies greatly amongst the Priesthood, naturally, since they have access to all kinds of physical augmentations and alterations. The lesser height of living on a high gravity world is usually countered by growth-altering chemicals, and Proteus tech-priests are usually at least as tall as the average Imperial citizen.
Psychology
The working class and tech guard of Proteus are almost brainwashed from childhood about their duties to the Machine god, learning that they are required to give their lives in service of the forge world without question. As a result of their monotone lives, working class and tech guard come off as simple people with little imagination, and almost incapable of independent thought to off-worlders.
The Priesthood on the other hand, are known for their cunning, intellect and cynicism, as all Tech Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Still, the behavior and psychology of Tech Priests depends greatly on their philosophical and political standing.
Language and Dialect
The working class and tech guard of Proteus speak a standard Low Gothic, but are characterized by simple language and flat tone. The Priesthood is fluent in both Low and High Gothic, and also speaks a dialect of High Gothic known as Lingua Technis.
Planetary Defense Force
Almost one percent of Proteus’ population is recruited into the Tech Guard, the armies of the Cult Mechanicus and defenders of the forgeworld, a force of fourty million well-equipped and trained soldiers. With traditions going back ten millennia, the Tech Guard of Proteus is a well-organised and experienced force with a style of combat that reflects their unique philosophy of war.
Like any planetary defence force, the Tech Guard is under direct control of the forgeworld’s governor, the Archmagos Ultima and the High Council. Though most of the Tech Guard is stationed on Proteus and its two fortress-moons, quite a few regiments are stationed onboard Proteus’ many star ships. As opposed to the Imperial Guard and most other planetary defence forces, the Proteus Tech Guard has a fairly flexible organisation. Often, the tech guard from a region of Proteus will be assigned to a Magos of the Priesthood. Though it is rare for the Magi to act as commander for Tech Guard forces, the Tech Guard assigned to a Magos will follow him wherever he is assigned, should he be transferred to another continent or even to an Explorator star ship.
History
During the Age of Strife, the Cult Mechanicus of Mars sent out many fleets which would build forgeworlds in the name of the Machine God. One of these fleets encountered a turbulent current in the warp, and entered the materium several hundred light-years away from its original destination, in the Taranis system. Just as the fleet prepared to enter the warp again and continue its journey, the machine spirit of the fleet’s flagship, the Proteus, launched an escape pod on the planet Taranis Primus. Curious of this malfunction, the ship’s surveyor priests scanned the planet, and found the faint traces of a human civilisation from the Golden Age of technology. Declaring this a sign from the Machine God, the priests sent an expedition to the world’s surface. The citizens of Taranis Prime welcomed the priests of the Cult Mechanicus with open arms, praising them as angels of salvation and showing no resistance to the imposed authority of the priests.
The Tech Priests discovered that the citizens of this world had been all but wiped out two centuries ago when a plague erupted on the only populated continent on the planet. Only a few dozen ships got to sea to escape the plague, and of these only a handful survived the journey across the stormy seas. When the fleet of the Cult Mechanicus arrived, in year 550, M26, the citizens of Taranis Prime numbered only ten thousand. Deciding that the discovery of such a planet had been an act of the Machine God, the Mechanicus fleet began colonizing the planet, renaming it Proteus after its discoverer. Three dozen Cyclops class colonisation ships detached enormous colonisation modules, leaving empty only empty shells of the original ships. Each of these modules deployed on the surface of Proteus, forming a forge tower on the north or south pole of the planet. Of the other ships in the fleet, the fleet’s flagship Proteus deployed on the north pole of Proteus, rebuilding into the Tower Adamantine, and the other ships either deployed as orbital stations or formed exploration and defence groups.
As time passed, each the forge worlds began constructing mines and infrastructure, and before the first century had passed, cities had been built on every continent of Proteus. After two millennia, every continent on Proteus was covered with sprawling cities and factory complexes, leaving only the planet’s poles, both small island groups, relatively untouched.
Since its colonisation by the Adeptus Mechanicus, Proteus has had a stabile growth, both in population and influence. Though the Anargo sector has suffered many invasions and some civil wars, Proteus itself has always stayed out of harm’s way. Even during the Age of Apostasy, Proteus managed to distance itself from the change of regime and the wars between the Thorians and followers of Vandire. Many Imperial organisations have since commented on Proteus’ neutrality during the Age of Apostasy, proposing that the High Council of Proteus retained neutrality to hide their military force for as long as possible.