Appendix: Tryphon

new

« Prev
1
Next »

CELS
Rogue Inquisitor

Archmagos Ultima

Posts: 2,800

Appendix: Tryphon Dec 31, 2004 12:37:25 GMT -5

Post by CELS on Dec 31, 2004 12:37:25 GMT -5

Topic moved temporarily to the Archive. Hopefully with a completion of the Mission Statement as found with the "At a Glance" forum this will be considered a permanent move.

As you all know, world-building does not end with finishing the SR. That's where you can begin to really explore the worlds in detail, and make them a rich enviroment for wargaming, RPG or fiction. Anyway, here's an appendix for Tryphon which seeks to do just that.

Appendix: Tryphon[/u][/size]

Integration with other worlds
Tryphon is a part of the Anargo tradespine that dominates the economy of the Anargo subsector. Politically, Tryphon does not enjoy very close ties with Anargo Primus, because of the animosity between Anargo and the Ecclessiarchy. Forces (both internal and external) are seeking to change this situation, however, by ridding Tryphon of its current government, the Priesthood of Tryphon.

Integration with other subsectors
The distrust of high technology such as advanced computers, bionics and servitors suggests a possible tension or even conflict with the Adeptus Mechanicus. Beyond this, there is not much to report, except for the obvious close ties with the Dorvastor subsector, and the cardinal world itself.

Tryphonian People’s Front (TPF)
The Priesthood of Tryphon has met increasing resistance from the Tryphonian people over the last centuries, as the members of government are often considered ruthless rulers who care more about building a religious centre in the Anargo subsector than taking care of the world’s own people. Fantastic amounts of resources are devoted to the building and maintenance of cathedrals and shrines, and the monasteries inhabited by the Priesthood. Fearing secularism, the Priesthood has extremely strict censorship of mass media and maintains a centrally controlled monopoly on several commercial markets. Like the public, the Priesthood of Tryphon enjoy very little private property, but many Priests are still accused of being corrupted, as they invest much of the world’s resources in the luxurious monasteries of the Priesthood.

The Tryphonian People’s Front (TPF), often simply called the ‘Front’, is an underground militaristic organization that fights for freedom and democracy for the Tryphonian people. They rely heavily on criminal activities and terrorism to achieve their goals, including kidnappings, bombing actions, assassinations, and sabotage. Though the Priesthood of Tryphon relentlessly strive to destroy the TPF, while reminding the populace that these terrorists are only making things worse by harming innocent people, the TPF has grown both in number and popularity. In centuries past, the TPF could only be found in the wilderness of Tryphon, with secret camps for outlaws deep within forests or caves. In 470.M41, the TPF has started infiltrating the cities of Tryphon as well, and have several major cells in the capital cities of every continent. The structure and organization of the TPF is continually improving, as is its funding. There are civilians all over the world giving money to the TPF, from lowly workers to citizens in high positions. Even offworld organizations are beginning to give secret support to the TPF, and some even suspect the Lord Anargo to be a part of this.

In 470.M41, the TPF has over a million active members on Tryphon, and a few hundred members scattered in the rest of the Aquina system. Normally, it is very difficult to identify members of the TPF, but when its members reveal themselves on purpose, they usually wear red clothes or headwear, in reference to the TPF flag, which is red with a symbol of three fists forming a triangle. TPF attacks can vary in strength and professionalism, from small cells of less than a dozen members armed with primitive ballistic weapons and explosives, to professional soldiers trained in TPF camps, with expensive lasweapons and Imperial Guard pattern personal armour.

The Priesthood of Tryphon
When the Cardinal of Dorvastor sent a mission to Isvik Prime in M34, the Ministorum forces quickly began the process of rebuilding the world. By the time other Imperial organizations were ready to integrate the world with the Anargo subsector and set it up as Imperial domain, the Ministorum had already set up a government for the new world and renamed the world ‘Tryphon’ in honour of Cardinal Tryphon, who initiated the first mission to the world. The government, dubbed the Priesthood of Tryphon, was modeled on the organisation of the Ministorum itself. Though the government obviously had extremely close ties to the Ministorum on Dorvastor, with the majority of its members selected by the Ministorum, it was not a formal part of the Ministorum. In theory, the Priesthood of Tryphon is a separate body from the Ministorum, like all other governments on Imperial worlds. In reality, it is very difficult to draw the line between the Priesthood of Tryphon and the Ministorum forces on Tryphon, something the Inquisition and the Adeptus Terra in the Anargo sector has always been extremely aware of.

When the sector’s capital, Anargo, overthrew the Anargan Theocracy in the final years of the Age of Apostasy, this had a substantial impact on the entire Anargo subsector. In the Aquina system, the people of Tryphon, supported by Anargo, felt that this was a chance to form a new and more democratic government. In a brutal display of power, the Priesthood of Tryphon quickly rejected any such attempts however, creating an animosity that would only grow and grow for millennia.

In the Anargo subsector, there are many who continue to stimulate a change of government on Tryphon. Over the past centuries, there has been a continuing dialogue between the Priesthood of Tryphon, the Adeptus Terra and Anargo, to resolve this conflict, but with little actual benefit. Both on Tryphon and in the rest of the subsector, many have given up hope that these negotiations will solve anything, and have turned to secret and illegal methods.

There are large interstellar corporations that are interested in expanding their markets to Tryphon, but who are not allowed to do so, because of the monopolies enforced by the Priesthood of Tryphon. There are forces within the Adeptus Terra, who fear that some insane megalomaniac will follow in the footsteps of the accursed Lord Vandire, and combine a position in the Adeptus Ministorum with command of the military forces of Aquina. There is the government of Anargo, which seeks to overthrow the Priesthood of Tryphon in order to create a more unified subsector, without the disrupting influence of the Ministorum. The methods of these offworld actors vary immensely. Some have an indirect approach, by supporting the rebel organization TPF (Tryphonian People’s Front) on Tryphon, while some send their own assassins or mercenaries to deal with especially dangerous individuals in the Priesthood. Though it remains a secret to the Anargo sector and the rest of the Imperium, the Anargan government is trying illegal methods in parallel with their official negotiations, by supporting pirate activities in the Aquina system. These pirate activities are disrupting trade and the payment of tithe, and if this is allowed to go on, the failure of paying tithes to the Imperium will be met by replacing the government, by order of the Adeptus Terra.

Last Edit: Feb 28, 2005 13:35:50 GMT -5 by Kage2020

CELS
Rogue Inquisitor

Archmagos Ultima

Posts: 2,800

Appendix: Tryphon Dec 31, 2004 12:41:03 GMT -5

Post by CELS on Dec 31, 2004 12:41:03 GMT -5

Sisterhood of Eternity
The Sisterhood of Eternity is a secret cult found in the noble families of Tryphon. Its members are strictly female, and only relatives of the original founding members may be inducted. The Sisterhood of Eternity is an ancient cult, dating back to M36, the Age of Apostasy. It was founded by a chaos witch coven called ‘the seven mothers’, and was almost destroyed in its infancy as six of the seven founding members were taken by the Inquisition and burned. The seventh member, Ana Elcanado the White, was never found.

The Sisterhood of Eternity worships the daemon princess Drot’ninga of Slaanesh, whom they know only as the Silver Queen, offering ritual sacrifice, obscene rituals of chastisement and occasional murder and human sacrifice. In return, the Sisterhood is promised long lives, wealth, healthy offspring and similar blessings. As such, the members of the Sisterhood of Eternity are invariably as beautiful as they are powerful, and often loved by the people of Tryphon.

The Sisterhood of Eternity is extremely isolated for a chaos cult, as it would be too dangerous to cooperate directly with the lesser cults of Tryphon, found amongst the poor and homeless. Instead, the Sisterhood prefers to pull strings and operate behind the scene as a puppet master. With all their wealth and powerful connection, they are often able to nurture lesser chaos cults on Tryphon, without giving any clue to the authorities of Tryphon, or to the chaos cults themselves. Sometimes, not even the members of the Sisterhood know whom they are helping, as their patron gives them seemingly random and incomprehensible instructions. It is thanks to this stealthy way of operating that the Sisterhood of Eternity has survived for several millennia, in the heart of Tryphon.

Daughters of Uriel
The Daughters of Uriel is an extremely puritanical death cult, building on the Imperial creed. Named after Saint Uriel from the Anargo subsector, the cult strives to uphold spiritual purity in the Aquina system by killing heretics, blasphemers and unbelievers. The cult itself consists of a small core of assassins, supported by an extensive network of scouts and suppliers who aid the Daughters in their mission. The Daughters are brought up from birth within the cult, raised by an inner circle of devotees consisting of priests, doctors, venerable warriors and various teachers. Together, this inner circle shapes the Daughters through years of brainwashing and intense training, until they are ready to serve the cult. When their training is finished, the Daughters of Uriel are terrible creatures, able to commit the vilest murders without a shred of doubt or remorse.

Though the Daughters of Uriel cult is spread over most regions of Tryphon, with hundreds of deadly assassins supported by a network of tens of thousands, their appearance and tradition is largely the same across the world. The method of execution for their victims depends on the crime, and is always highly ritualistic. The fortunate are brought to the nearest Ministorum shrine or cathedral, where they are hung up on aquilas and bled to death. The less fortunate are tortured with blades and flames for days, before they are finally killed by placing incendiary liquids on their chest and letting the flames burn through the flesh and to the heart.

The Daughters of Uriel is in no way a popular cult, eventhough its targets are usually criminals and heretics. On the other hand, few dare oppose the Daughters of Uriel in public, even within the Ecclessiarchy. There are even records of Inquisitors who employ the service of Daughters of Uriel, but this is dangerous business, as the assassins do not always appreciate the methods of the Inquisition. If they stray even a little from the teachings of Saint Uriel, a loyal servant could easily turn into their most hated enemy.

Mutants on Tryphon
Mutants are a fairly big problem on Tryphon, partly because the world has such a large area of hospitable territories, combined with a large number of ruins and abandoned constructions from past millennia. With the increasing political troubles on Tryphon and the rise of the Tryphonian People's Front, the fight against mutants has taken a step back and they are becoming increasingly well established.

The mutants on Tryphon are mostly a problem in the more temperate regions around the equator. Especially in the poor eastern continent Selene, where abandoned mines and catacombs that are thousands of years old and thousands of meters deep have been populated by the mutants. On Tryphon, the tolerance of mutants is extremely low, yet the government does not prioritise the extermination of these. In the cities, mutants are killed at sight and any connection with mutants is punished by death. This includes allowing mutant infants to survive, which is the most common crime related to mutants.

Whilst the majority of mutants on Tryphon live in abandoned ruins, mines and catacombs in the wilderness, some also survive in the underground of major cities. Most of these live like animals, scavenging garbage and eating rodents and insects, but some are able to crawl their way into something resembling human life. The most lucky, skilled and ruthless of these are sometimes able to gain some power in the world of organised crime, but this is exceptionally rare.

The Brotherhood of Sinis

"Alone, our souls are mere candles, invisible in a world of infinite darkness. Together, we are a sea of fire, a terrible inferno that cannot be denied. Stand with me, my brothers, and we shall show the ignorant the purity of our souls and the full power of our hatred."
Laurentzio Demis, leader of the Brotherhood of Sinis.[/size]

Named after the sinis spider, the Brotherhood is one of the greatest mutant powers on Tryphon. It controls a handful of underground towns with thousands of mutant citizens, in addition to many militant and terrorist cells, spread around the Selene continent.

The sinis spider is one of the most deadly insects on Tryphon and notorious for its special way of killing and its extremely poisonous sting. The spider hunts by hiding its long and powerful legs, revealing only its furry body in order to resemble a rodent mammal. As predators or unwary creatures pass by, it leaps into action, killing its victim with poison whilst using its powerful legs to hold on in its victims death throes. The symbolism in the name of the Brotherhood is thus simple, but effective.

The Brotherhood of Sinis is a fairly young power, but increasing rapidly in size and influence. In previous years, certain members of the Tryphonian People's Front have supported the Brotherhood of Sinis with weapons and information in order to weaken the Priesthood of Tryphon, but in later years all such collaboration has ended. Tbe Brotherhood still gets weapons and information from the Tryphonian People's Front from time to time, but it is never voluntarily and never a painless transaction. Now, the Brotherhood of Sinis and the Tryphonian People's Front are mortal enemies, but both respect a cease-fire while they concentrate on their common enemy, the Priesthood of Tryphon.

Last Edit: Feb 10, 2005 16:59:20 GMT -5 by CELS

CELS
Rogue Inquisitor

Archmagos Ultima

Posts: 2,800

Appendix: Tryphon Feb 10, 2005 16:10:48 GMT -5

Post by CELS on Feb 10, 2005 16:10:48 GMT -5

Wargaming in the Aquina system[/u]
The Aquina system lies relatively safe within the Anargo subsector. The only imminent threat in the Anargo sector is the ork empire, and in 470.M41 the Castellan subsector is a solid shield against any major ork incursions, with only small splinter fleets slipping by the defences from time to time. There are no known chaos fleets in the Anargo sector, and eldar attacks are rare in the extreme. On Tryphon, the greatest threat is found inside, as the tension between the Priesthood and the local rebels increases at an alarming rate.

Potential conflict scenarios:
Rebellion – The Tryphonian People’s Front has influenced entire regiments of PDF, and a battle between rebels and loyalists ensues. This could very include Adeptus Arbites forces on the side of the loyalists, or even as a third party.
Inquisitor: N/A
Warhammer 40,000: Imperial Guard rules could be used to represent the Tryphonian PDF. Witchunter armies could also be included to represent the Priesthood and their allies.
Epic 40,000: N/A
BFG: N/A

Ork infestation - A small Ork raid on the agri-world Dominic, orbiting Aquina II, has led to a great ork infestation. Imperial forces are sent to exterminate the growing number of orks as soon as possible. Collateral damage is to be prevented at all costs.
Inquisitor: N/A
Warhammer 40,000: Imperial forces can be Imperial Guard, Space Marines or Alien hunters. A campaign system would be appropriate, where the Imperial player has to win three consecutive battles in order to exterminate the orks. For each battle played, the Ork player earns more and more victory points, to represent collateral damage.
Epic 40,000: N/A
BFG: N/A

Chaos rising – A major Chaos cult has been discovered by the Inquisition. The Alpha Legion is definitely behind this chaos uprising, and may have sent Chaos Space Marines to join the lines of the cultists. It is only a matter of time before full war erupts.
Inquisitor: An Inquisitor, Arbites Judge or Priesthood investigator is travelling the world, trying to find the leaders of the chaos cult in order to kill the uprising at its infancy.
Warhammer 40,000: The PDF and Imperial Guard is fighting the growing numbers of Chaos cultists led by Alpha Legion Traitor Marines, aided by the Inquisition and the forces of the Ecclessiarchy.
Epic: A full-scale invasion is begun, and the PDF and Imperial Guard are fighting a worldwide war against Chaos forces. Imperial Guard and Chaos armies can be used, and even Imperial Space Marine armies.
BFG: Planetary assault scenario with the chaos player as the attacker would be highly appropriate.

Pirate attacks - A small fleet of pirate ships are attacking Imperial transports carrying goods out of the Aquina system, and a Imperial Navy patrol is sent to intercept. It is vital that the transports escape the pirate attacks and that the pirate leaders are brought before the Adeptus Arbites for interrogation.
Inquisitor: N/A
Warhammer 40,000: N/A
Epic 40,000: N/A
BFG: Convoy scenario, with Imperial fleet lists used for both sides. The pirate player may not have capital ships. The Imperial player can try to board pirate ships by boarding actions or hit-and-run attacks. For each pirate ship reduced to 0 hits by boarding actions or hit-and-run attacks, the Imperial player counts as having successfully evacuated one transport. This represents the value of arresting pirate leaders for interrogation. Pirate ships boarded in this manner do not leave a blast marker when they are removed from play.

Roleplaying in the Aquina system[/u]
Potential scenarios:

Genestealer infestation – It is winter on the coldest continent of Tryphon, and the great cities are hibernating as the powerful blizzards pass. Suddenly, a number of people go missing, and some horrible scenes with pools of blood send the city into panic. Since the city is isolated, it is up to the local law enforcers to investigate. When it is later revealed that there is a Genestealer infestation, there is a desperate attempt to contain the infestation till outside help arrives. But in the masses of helpless civilians, not everyone is as innocent as it seems.

Assassination – The Adeptus Arbites has reason to believe that someone is going to assassinate the Pontifex Mundi of the Tryphonian Priesthood during the great parade on Saint Lazarus’ Day. In twenty days, the assassin will strike. The main suspect is the TPF rebels and their underground network, but there are other forces in the system that may also benefit from this assassination, including the Adeptus Administratum itself!

Divided loyalties – A group of members of the Tryphonian Priesthood is sent to infiltrate the rebel TPF organization in order to have the dissidents arrested and executed for their crimes. Eventually, some of the investigators learn that their work will lead to the execution of hundreds or even thousands of citizens fighting for freedom. Torn between their loyalty to the Priesthood and the Imperial church, and the fear of sending thousands of citizens to their death for acts that could even be considered noble, the group of investigators is divided. If the members who remain loyal to the Priesthood report the sympathizers, they risk death at the hands of the TPF. If the sympathizers come clean to the TPF and tell them that the other members of their group plan to report back to the Priesthood, they would definitely be killed by the Priesthood, if the TPF doesn’t kill them first.

Chaos cult – The Priesthood of Tryphon has learned of a Chaos cult within its own ranks; the Sisterhood of Eternity. Fearing that this might bring an end to the rule of the Ecclessiarchy on Tryphon, the Priesthood decides to take matters in their own hands. An experienced investigator from the Cardinal-world Dorvastor arrives to uncover and purge the Chaos cult. Unfortunately, the Inquisition is growing suspicious and may come knocking on the door before long.