|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on Apr 29, 2004 20:36:08 GMT -5
Alright campers! I finially got some time to sit down and work on Altarra, and here are some revisions to the basic plan:
1) The society that you all know and love as Altarra is just one nation on the planet, a country called Nadar. There are several others which play a key roll in the politics and development of the world. Nadar maintains mostly Air Mobile and Airborne Infantry defense regiments.
2) The second nation is Marktor, which fields Armored and Mechanised formations. I haven't decided on the government and society for this nation yet, but I want it to be signifigantly different from Nadar and Ithland without causing all out war.
3) Ithland is the third continent on Altarra, and home to a nomadic horse culture (think plains Indians, Mogols, Rohan for LotR). There are is only one spaceport in Ithland.
4) Northmont is located in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Its people have had a long history of maritime trading and occasionally raiding.
5) Kamiah is the smallest continent on Altarra, and actually owned by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Only one port is open to maritime trade with the Altarrans, where the usually commodities exchanged are convicts for weapons. What secrets Kamiah holds are known only to the masters of the Proteus Forgeworld.
6) When Altarra was first discovered, it was home to a species of intelligent reptilians called the Troxie. Through the thousands of years of human settlement, the natives have been almost exterminated. Their only holdouts are the jungle in Nadar, two landmases about the size of new-zealand, and various archipeligos and islands scattered about the vast ocean.
7) Maritime trade is very important to the Altarrans. Sailors from Nadar and Marktor typically use large metal hulled vessels and hydrofoils, while the Ithlanders prefer sails to power their vessels. The Troxie even maintain large tri-hulled sailing vessels.
8) Nadar is the only nation to posses an extensive air-transport network and mag-lev trains. Marktorians relly on personal ground vehicles, and Ithlanders and Nothmonters use beasts of burden like horses and grox.
-More Later. Please question, critisize, and comment.
|
|
|
Post by CELS on Apr 30, 2004 6:30:03 GMT -5
Hello Zidagar Dinoman. Was beginning to wonder if you'd ever return... Wish you didn't start a whole new thread for this though. You're making a mess of my forum 1) The society that you all know and love as Altarra is just one nation on the planet, a country called Nadar. There are several others which play a key roll in the politics and development of the world. Nadar maintains mostly Air Mobile and Airborne Infantry defense regiments. I see. Interesting. I'm not sure about the term 'nation' though. It's like talking about empires within the Imperium, and the word 'nation' makes it sound as if they have their own ruler, who's not subordinate to the Emperor. Instead, common ways to divide a world into 'nations' is using regions, continents, states, etc. 2) The second nation is Marktor, which fields Armored and Mechanised formations. I haven't decided on the government and society for this nation yet, but I want it to be signifigantly different from Nadar and Ithland without causing all out war. With some animosity then? 3) Ithland is the third continent on Altarra, and home to a nomadic horse culture (think plains Indians, Mogols, Rohan for LotR). There are is only one spaceport in Ithland. And a low tech one, I suppose? Most civilised worlds only have a few high tech space ports. What tech level does the Ithlanders have, by the way? Considerably less than the rest of the world? 4) Northmont is located in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Its people have had a long history of maritime trading and occasionally raiding. Kewl. What about tech level? 5) Kamiah is the smallest continent on Altarra, and actually owned by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Only one port is open to maritime trade with the Altarrans, where the usually commodities exchanged are convicts for weapons. What secrets Kamiah holds are known only to the masters of the Proteus Forgeworld. Go Adeptus Mechanicus ;D Of course, we actually need to know what secrets Kamiah hold, since we aren't in the business of creating lots of mysteries and secrets, like GW. Though it might be totally unknown to the general populace of Altarra, and even the local Adeptus Terra, the members of this project need to know for RP and fiction purposes 6) When Altarra was first discovered, it was home to a species of intelligent reptilians called the Troxie. Through the thousands of years of human settlement, the natives have been almost exterminated. Their only holdouts are the jungle in Nadar, two landmases about the size of new-zealand, and various archipeligos and islands scattered about the vast ocean. So why are they still alive? To difficult and expensive to completely exterminate? What kind of tech level and culture? 7) Maritime trade is very important to the Altarrans. Sailors from Nadar and Marktor typically use large metal hulled vessels and hydrofoils, while the Ithlanders prefer sails to power their vessels. The Troxie even maintain large tri-hulled sailing vessels. Well, the Troxie would probably be wary in using their large vessels with even larger sails, considering they must be pretty easy to spot and destroy What are hydrofoils btw? 8) Nadar is the only nation to posses an extensive air-transport network and mag-lev trains. Marktorians relly on personal ground vehicles, and Ithlanders and Nothmonters use beasts of burden like horses and grox. Why the fantastically different tech levels? Mag-lev trains are absolutely state of the art Imperial transports, seen almost exclusively on forgeworlds and some industrial worlds and high tech civilised worlds, I imagine, and I would really prefer that Nadar had some other method of transportation, unless you want them to have the highest possible non-AM tech level. How about just trains on rails, but with fusion reactors or mini-nuclear power plants? -More Later. Please question, critisize, and comment. Must say that it's more interesting than the former Altarra. A few questions need answering though. Looking forward to reading more
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on Apr 30, 2004 8:57:18 GMT -5
Hello Zidagar Dinoman. Was beginning to wonder if you'd ever return... Wish you didn't start a whole new thread for this though. You're making a mess of my forum I see. Interesting. I'm not sure about the term 'nation' though. It's like talking about empires within the Imperium, and the word 'nation' makes it sound as if they have their own ruler, who's not subordinate to the Emperor. Instead, common ways to divide a world into 'nations' is using regions, continents, states, etc. With some animosity then? Nadar, Marktor, etc. were originally just the continents of Altarra, but I decided to give them some extra signifigance by adding cultural and technological differences to geographic ones. I want there to be a rivalry between the different regions, competing for who controls the Imperial Governorship and gets to export their troops to fight in the Imperial Guard. And a low tech one, I suppose? Most civilised worlds only have a few high tech space ports. What tech level does the Ithlanders have, by the way? Considerably less than the rest of the world? Kewl. What about tech level? Nadar Tech level 8 Marktor Tech level 7 Northmont Tech level 4 Ithland Tech level 3 Troxie Tech level 1 Marktor and Nadar have 2-3 high tech spaceports, While Ithalnd and Northmont only have one. Go Adeptus Mechanicus ;D Of course, we actually need to know what secrets Kamiah hold, since we aren't in the business of creating lots of mysteries and secrets, like GW. Though it might be totally unknown to the general populace of Altarra, and even the local Adeptus Terra, the members of this project need to know for RP and fiction purposes I figured I'd leave this open until someone had a really great idea. I was thinking a A.M. area 51 or Black Project facility, away from the prying eyes of the Imperium and Inquisition. So why are they still alive? To difficult and expensive to completely exterminate? What kind of tech level and culture? The Troxie aer a genotocracy (meaning that the eldest rule). Infact, they are not one set species, but several different symbiotic reptilian species. The areas inhabited by the Troxie are mostly jungle or heavily forested. Nuclear weapons and defoliates have been suggested in the past, but never used. The Troxie are not seen as a threat (besides the occasional rouge pirate group), and are mostly ignored. Well, the Troxie would probably be wary in using their large vessels with even larger sails, considering they must be pretty easy to spot and destroy The Troxie Pirates mostly prey upon primitive Ithland vessels. What are hydrofoils btw? Mag-lev trains are absolutely state of the art Imperial transports, seen almost exclusively on forgeworlds and some industrial worlds and high tech civilised worlds, I imagine, and I would really prefer that Nadar had some other method of transportation, unless you want them to have the highest possible non-AM tech level. How about just trains on rails, but with fusion reactors or mini-nuclear power plants? Sounds fine with me. -Dino Must say that it's more interesting than the former Altarra. A few questions need answering though. Looking forward to reading more
|
|
|
Post by CELS on Apr 30, 2004 9:51:40 GMT -5
A lot of my comments and questiosn were answered only with an empty space. An accident, or was this silence supposed to tell me something? Nadar, Marktor, etc. were originally just the continents of Altarra, but I decided to give them some extra signifigance by adding cultural and technological differences to geographic ones. In that case, perhaps the term 'state' would be better. Although, cultural and technological differences tend to form by geological differences sometimes... Nadar Tech level 8 Marktor Tech level 7 Northmont Tech level 4 Ithland Tech level 3 Troxie Tech level 1 Check this thread. According to what you write, Troxie would be pre-bronze age, Ithland and Northmont would be both be pre-industrial, equivalent to earth ca 1200-1600s. Marktor would be equivalent to industrialised nations of earth ca 1970 and Nadar ca 1990. Is this about right? To me, this seems very, very spread. Why do you want so very different tech levels, and how would you explain it, story-wise? Marktor and Nadar have 2-3 high tech spaceports, While Ithalnd and Northmont only have one. A high tech space port in a region with middle age technology seems a bit... strange. It would have to be controlled by Nadar or the Adeptus Terra then, I suppose. I figured I'd leave this open until someone had a really great idea. I was thinking a A.M. area 51 or Black Project facility, away from the prying eyes of the Imperium and Inquisition. Well, let's hope that someone comes up with a really great idea An equivalent of Area 51 would need explaining... I think the Adeptus Mechanicus prefer to do experimenting and testing on their own grounds, rather than other Imperial worlds. This goes for testing on humans and testing new technology as well. I'm also a bit concerned about what the Adeptus Terra would make of the Adeptus Mechanicus just showing up on an Imperial world, claiming a continent as their own, and declaring it off-limits to anyone else... I'll try to think of an idea for you The Troxie aer a genotocracy (meaning that the eldest rule). Infact, they are not one set species, but several different symbiotic reptilian species. The areas inhabited by the Troxie are mostly jungle or heavily forested. Nuclear weapons and defoliates have been suggested in the past, but never used. The Troxie are not seen as a threat (besides the occasional rouge pirate group), and are mostly ignored. Hmm, but the Imperium tends to be very xenophobic, running around chanting "Kill the xenos scum", and destroying any aliens they possibly can, don't they? Then again, they don't hate the grox, so maybe they would leave the Troxie alone if they believed them to be unintelligent? A few scientists on Altarra could theorize that they were, but be laughed of. Of course, they'd have to be pretty stupid to think them unintelligent when they show up in tri-hull sailing ships... hmmm....
|
|
|
Post by Sojourner on May 1, 2004 7:22:21 GMT -5
Oh no, it's just an instinctive response, mimicry if you will. Pay it no mind, just ignore them and they'll go away...
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 1, 2004 9:32:27 GMT -5
Essentially the Troxie were wiped off the main continents thousands of years ago. The ruins of their civilization still remain visible in some remote corners of the world, but most have been destroyed or are hidden beheath years of overgrowth. The Troxie strongholds are rarely visited by outsiders, and are treated as primitive wildlife.
Sorry about the mis-quoting. I'm a tard sometimes.
-Dinoman
|
|
|
Post by CELS on May 1, 2004 9:36:03 GMT -5
Well.... that answers one question.... out of about half a dozen....
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 1, 2004 14:32:06 GMT -5
Some more answers/explanations:
1) Cities: Nadar has 12 large cities, Marktor has 9, Northmont 4, South Ithland 8, North Ithland 3, and Kamiah 5.
2) Spaceports: The Nadar capital has a class B spaceport. There are two other cities in Nadar with class C spaceports, and the rest of the cities have class D ports. Marktor's capital has a class C, with the rest class C. Northmont and Ithland both only have one class E port each. Kamiah's cities each have a class B port maintained by the Adeptus Mech.
3) Kamiah: Perhaps this continent is a biological lab dedicated to the study of the Troxie and other wildlife. The A.M preforms genetic experiments on the animals, creating many twisted lifeforms.
4) Tech level differences: The Nadar and Marktor recieve the majority of Adeptus Mechanicus patronage, supply the most soldiers to the Imperial cause, and are the most tolerant of outsiders. The Northmont and Ithlanders do use basic Imperial technology (lasguns, etc.), but tend to distrust the Adeptus Mechanicus. Most South Ithlanders are farmers, while their Northern relatives (on the other side of a vast mountain chain) are nomadic in nature.
-Dinoman
|
|
|
Post by CELS on May 2, 2004 4:32:10 GMT -5
1) What do you mean by Large cities? 2) An Adeptus Mechanicus base doing research on xenos sounds interesting indeed... but to what end, I wonder. Must be something important, considering they're occupying a whole continent. Makes you think they're not experimenting to see if the Troxies make a savory dish... 3) We still need a reason why half of Altarra has degenerated to such a low tech level, while the other half has not. Half the world suddenly turning back to the middle ages must surely make it more difficult to meet the tithe demands.... Seems you've fleshed out Altarra enough to start on a standard representation though
|
|
|
Post by Kage2020 on May 5, 2004 18:36:36 GMT -5
1) What do you mean by Large cities? It's probably an inappropriate guess, but I'm imagining that it has something to do with the defintion in the Guide. You know... UWP Population -1. E.g. Citizens in the billions. Erm, actually, that's probably a point in and of itself. 3) We still need a reason why half of Altarra has degenerated to such a low tech level, while the other half has not. Definitely. Even more so when one considers the normal GW image... ("In the dark future there is only severe yawning...") Kage
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 27, 2004 10:54:42 GMT -5
STANDARD REPRESENTATION Planet name: Altarra, Heleonis System World class: Civilized World Population: 62,540,000 Tech level: 7 (Moderns) Tithe Grade: Solutio Secondus Aestimare: D1 Orbital distance: .2 Au Equatorial diameter: 8,160 km Gravity: .6615 Imperial Standard Orbital period: 46.7176 days Length of day: 39.445 hours Atmosphere: Standard Surface atmospheric pressure: 1.00 Surface temperature: 33° C Hydrosphere: 61% Life forms: Reptilian and amphibian forms, trees, grasses, wildflowers. Moons: none Planet description Altarra is a world of rolling prairies, thick forests, and high mountains. A hard land, with few only enough natural resources to sustain a small population. Fossil fuels like promethium are rare because of the worlds relative youth. The most distinctive surface feature are the twin continents of Marktor and Nadar. Both have a large inland desert and large mountain chains. Nadar’s eastern end is covered in a thick rain forest. Between the two lie the Inland Sea, a shallow ocean the straddles the equator and his home to many islands and archipelagos. Traveling east from the Twin Continents is Ithland, where the best farmland on the world can be found. Ithland is divided between its northern and southern regions by a large mountain chain. North of Ithland lies the continent Northmont, home to hardier plant species like conifers and evergreens. East of Ithland and west of Nadar lies Kamiah, whose geography is similar to Ithland.
Government There are only two governmental branches on Altarra: the Senatorium Altarris and the Governor. The Senatorium Altarris is an elected body whose members hold office for six years, with one third of its 112 members running every two years. In the Senatorium (held in Altarra City), policy issues and laws are debated and passed. In the case of a tie, the Governor has the deciding vote. The Planetary Governor is a hereditary position held by the Xerius family since the founding of the world thousands of years ago. The Governor has command of the PDF and managing the production and economic welfare of the planet. In order to ensure a stable transfer of power, the standing Governor usually gives up his rules when he feels his heir is ready to assume power. As Altarrans have few children, rivalries are few and the standing Governor typically chooses the more skilled of his children to take power. Usually the Governor is a graduate of the sector officer academy and has served with several Altarran Imperial Guard regiments. Like all other aspects of Altarran society, both the sons and daughters of the Governor are eligible for the office. Justice on Altarra is a simple affair. Under the Governor’s jurisdiction are a well-educated and pure of heart corps of Justices, Citizens who acts as arbitrators between opposing parties. As nearly everyone on Altarra receives an amount of consumer goods and property based on need, conflicts over possession are few but do occur. The two parties bring their cases before a Justice, who examines the case, questions witnesses, and renders a verdict. In the case of crimes against the state, there are two punishments. Lesser crimes (drunkenness, negligence, pollution, etc) carry the penalty of flogging. High crimes (murder, rape, treason, heresy, piracy) are punishable by deportation to Proteus, where criminals are destined to become Servitors. On a local level, the only interaction with the government a law-abiding Altarran has is when they receive their daily wage. With this, they can purchase whatever goods they need.
Religion The majority of Altarran citizens and civilians follow could be considered devotees of the Imperialist sect. The minimalist and survivalist matches will with that creed, with two major exceptions. First, Altarrans see themselves soldiers first and missionaries second. They have no evangelical spirit, no drive to convert as many others to their faith as possible. They see the best way to ensure mankind's continued survival is to
Society and law Altarra is a textbook example of how central planning and education can create a happy, productive, populace. Following the Imperialist philosophy, most Altarran couple have multiple children. From birth up to age four, a child is raised by his or her parent. In fact, the parents are usually permitted extensive leave from their occupations to ensure that the baby is given enough attention, is properly socialized, and learns basic reading a writing. From the age of four to twenty, children attend the Basic Education. A combination of wilderness experiential learning and self-directed academic studies, students are usually grouped into a team of 9-12 under the tutelage of a highly trained instructor. This group remains a unit until they graduate. As students are grouped not only by age but also geographic area, conflicts are rare and cooperation and teamwork are high. During Basic Instruction, all Altarrans receive weapons, tactics, and wilderness survival training to supplement their academic skills. While these soldiers are nowhere near as skilled as their professional countrymen, they are still capable of fighting the defend their homes and families. An integral part of Altarra’s defense strategy, if an enemy ever invaded Altarra, they would find nearly every man, woman, and child over the age of ten armed with a Lasgun. From the ages of twenty to twenty four, students attend the Advanced Education school of their choice. The size of these teams is the same as Basic, and efforts to keep Basic members together is made wherever possible. Training is more specialized than Basic, concentrating on specific skills like farming, administration, mining, marine work, education, and soldiering. Transfers between schools is possible, but may be only be done at the end of a year’s term. Transfers are typically assigned their own teams. It is during Advanced training that male and female Altarran meet and decide to spend their lives together. After completion of the advanced course, civilians aquire a house to begin their careers. Military personnel are transferred to a regiment, where their team becomes a Squad, along with their instructor, who is usually a Sergeant. The government distributes living necessities and goods to each person. Unlike many welfare states of the distant past, Altarrans receive virtually everything they could need or want. Because of the socialization and teamwork instilled in the Altarran citizen from an early age, he or she sees no need to accumulate more than his or her peers. In fact, the minimalist spirit of Altarrans encourage that lesser is better! Altarrans live near their or above their workplaces. All built to the same standards, with a shop/workplace on the ground floor and the family quarter on the second story. Farmers live in rural areas, soldiers on military bases, teachers near their students. Altarran houses are simple affairs, with a master bedroom, children's bedrooms, living spaces, a kitchen, bathrooms, and a large storage area for horses and land-transport vehicles. The majority of Altarran cities are located on or near oceans. Large port facilities across the world support merchant and fishing fleets, bringing goods from far away to be distributed at food markets. Grox farmers herd their livestock to slaughter at the city butcher, while agricultural workers harvest the rich floodplains using tractors and other large farm equipment like Land Crawlers. Technology The center of each Altarran city is the Fusion Power Plant. Built and maintained by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the huge energy production capability of these facilities power virtually all mechanical devices in the city. Excess wattage is diverted and stored in energy cells which are available to the Altarran civilian to operate his or her land transport vehicle, farm machinery, or portable device. The vessels of the Altarran Merchant Marine and the Ocean Harvest Fleet are powered by a combination of water-jets and wind sails. This combination makes them very maneuverable. One, two , three, and even four masted ships ply the trade routes between the continents of Altarra. Small one man craft and runabouts are also common, but their range is limited and only found close to shore or near a supporting craft. The main mode of transport over much of Altarra’s land surface are four-wheeled rovers capable of highway and cross country travel. The one exception to this tradition are those regions bordering or in the mountains, where the horse has become the preferred mode of transportation. For the most part, air travel is available to most Altarrans, but is limited to low-speed prop-driven craft. Communications technology is at a high level on Altarra. The government provides a communication portal to each household, and Altarran military units use mircobead transmitters and vox-casters to great extent.
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 27, 2004 10:58:19 GMT -5
Trade and tithes Altarra usually supplies thirty regiments at a time to the Imperial Guard, but can send up to fifty if the need is great. (the total manpower of the Altarran PDF being approximately being 124 regiments). These are comprised of mostly unmarried Altarra soldiers , or couples who are in the same unit. Conscription has never been necessary to meet the tithe, and often soldiers must be turned away. PDF regiments and Imperial Guard Regiments are the same. Altarran regiments are exceedingly well trained, adept at mountaineering, underground warfare, boarding actions, air assault and gravchute operations, skirmishing, beach assaults, zero-gravity/oxygen, desert, forest, and urban warfare. All soldiers can ride a horse and drive a vehicle. Adaptability and Flexibility are the axioms of Altarran soldiers. Infantry Regiment (2000) Companies 1-10: Infantry Company (200 soldiers) Doctrines: Light Infantry, Drop Troops, Hardened Fighters, Sharpshooters, Special Weapons Squads Officers: 1 Colonel, 1 Lt. Colonel, 2 Majors, 6 Captains, 30 Lieutenants, 150 Sergeants. Organization: The first company is always commanded by the Regimental CO, nd the second company by the XO. The two Majors are usually command the third and fourth companies respectively. When the regiment divides
Listing of Famous Altarran Imperial Guard Regiments: 1st Altarran: Rangers 2nd Altarran: Xerius’s Own 3rd Altarran: Legion 4th Altarran: Interdictors 5th Altarran: Roughnecks 6th Altarran: Spartans 7th Altarran: Trojans 8th Altarran: Sky Pirates
Physiology Virtually every race and color can be found in the inhabitants of Altarra. The population’s diverse ancestry and worlds varied climates allow such variations. Most are of average height and build. One disadvantage Altarrans have is the low gravity. While this facilitates construction projects and transportation, soldiers usually spend many weeks adapting to higher gravity conditions found on Imperial starships.
Psychology Altarrans pride themselves on their ability to function on as little as possible. The see the accumulation of wealth as a silly practice. In their view, money should is a means to an end, rather than the end itself. They love visitors from other worlds and welcome immigrants from freshly discharged guard units. Altarrans dislike aliens, though, and have few dealings with non-humans. Language and dialect The Altarran dialect is a mixture of the tongues of its founders: Cadians, Dnieperians, Tallarans, Atillans, and others.
Planetary defense force Altarra has virtually no orbital defense satellites or minefields, but operates a single space station in geosynchronous orbit above the south pole. The Imperial Navy has stationed one fighter wing and one bomber wing on the base, standard for a installation of this size. Heleonis Station was build by the Adeptus Mechanicus in order to facilitate the transfer of newly founded regiments from the surface to awaiting galleons. The base also serves as a refueling point of patrolling flotillas of Battlefleet Anargo. The primary defense of Altarra is its ground forces, which total at 124 regiments. Each Altarran city is responsible for the creation and maintenance of its part of the planetary defense force, at the rate of one regiment per 250,000 inhabitants. Smaller towns and villages within the city’s jurisdiction are included in this total. Most Altarran cities (46 ) maintain a single infantry regiment for defense. There are three cities that maintain two infantry regiments. The largest cities have between three and seven. The capital is home to no less than ten regiments of Altarran PDF. When a tithe is called for, fresh regiments are sent a new one must be created to serve in the PDF.
World UWP: 9,27,23 - M-V - C566744-7 No Trade 614 Im 920 Diameter: 8,160 km Density: 1.08 Mass: .2584 Gravity: .6615 Primary Mass (Star): .489 (M0) Orbit number (Planet): 0 Orbital period (Planet): 46.7176 days Rotation period: 39.445 hours Axial Tilt: 14° Orbital Eccentricity: .005 Seismic Stress Factor: 1.445 Asteroid Belt Zones: 1 Primary Mass (Planet): .2584 Atmospheric composition: Nitogen/Oxygen Surface pressure: 1.00 Stellar luminosity: .45 Orbit factor: 836.435 Energy absorption: .740 Greenhouse effect: 1.10 Base temperature: 33° Orbital eccentricity modifier: ±.15 Latitude temperature effects: 5° Axial tilt effects: .25 starting at latitude 5 Daytime plus: +10° Nighttime minus: -20° Native life: Microscopic Pyhto/Zoo plankton, single cellular, inscects, fishes, reptilies, amphibians, sentient Troxie (nearly extinct) Atmospheric terraforming: none Greenhouse effect terraforming: none Albedo terraforming: none Temperature terraforming: none Hydrographic percent: 61% Hydrosphere composition: Water Number of tectonic plates: 5 Hydrosphere terraforming: none Terrain terraforming: none Number of major continents: 5 Number of minor continents: 2 Number of large islands: 4 Number of small islands: 3 Number of archipelagoes: 7 Notable volcanoes: 6 Weather control: none Natural resources: Argicultural, Ores, Radioactives, Crystals, Compounds Processed resources: Agriproducts, Metals Manufactured goods: Parts, Durables, Consumables, Weapons Information: Recordings, Documents, Software Total population: 62, 540,000 Local customs: Living quaters all the same, Special responsibilites for Citizens, Free eductation for everyone, Primary cities: 7 (27% of population) Altarra City, (Capital): 5 million Fort Cadia, Nadar: 4 million Huageapolis, Marktor: 3 million Port Kahn, Ithland: 2.5 million Secondary cities: 49 (32% of population) Average of 245,000 per city Tertiary cities: 1532 (41% of population) Average of 16,500 per town Progressiveness: Conservative/Indifferent Aggressiveness: Compeditive/Militant Extensiveness: Harmonious/Friendly Representative authority: (4 )Representitive Democracy: 112 Senators elected by Citizens (discharged veterans) World government description: Other authority: Imperial Governor. Tie-breaker vote, enforces law.
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 27, 2004 10:59:15 GMT -5
History
During the 35th Millenium, Altarra was discovered and mapped by Rouge Trader ________. The presence of a primitive intelligent race was seen as a minor nusciance, a uncommon but not unheard of occurance. Indepth scans and drilling samples indicated there were no exploitable resources on Altarra. A small monitoring station was established and Altarra, like so many other worlds, was forgotten about by the Imperium at large.
The diverse cultures found on Altarra are the result of Munititorium Progenium DXC133487. Launched after the Age of Apostasy, the Munitorium in the Anargo Sector found itself with a large number of extra-sector Imperial Guardsmen. Rather than transfer valuable men from outside the sector to other warzones, the commanders decided to “invest” these resources for the future. The hope was that by retiring several regiments from differing backgrounds on several planets, these seperate cultures would melt together and create excellent soldiers. Crews were sent to various worlds in the sector, and were impressed with Altarra. As a result, humans from no less than seven seperate worlds were sent to carve out their own colonies on Altarra. The invasion force consited of four regiments of Cadian Shock Troops, three Dnieper Armored regiments, nearly 6,000 rough riders from Atilla, one regiment each from Kovina 9 and Serica, and a regiment of Tallarn Desert Raiders. The first objectives for the army, under the command of Cadian general Xerius Maximus, were the twin continents of Marktor and Nadar. Seperated by a shallow inland sea, the majority of the Troxie cities were focused in the region of Altarra. Following weeeks of orbital bombardment which decimated the stone and earth infrastructure of the Troxie, the Imperials landed at night. Virtually all forces made planetfall intact, as the Troxie had no air defense capabilites. Investigation of the largest cities and interogation of prisoners indicated that the Troxie had no clue as to what was happening. According to them, they had done something to upset the gods and they were seeking their vengence. Millions of refugees were fleeing to the jungles on the far eastern end of Nadar. Xerius quickly organized his next offensive. The cadian regiments would be air-lifted to the jungle’s edge and establish fortifications, while the Dnieper corp would push the fleeing enemy into them. Caugh between the hammer and the anvil, the Troxie would perish by the hundreds of thousands. On the southern continent of Marktor, the remainder of Xerius’s forces (mostly rough riders) would sweep down and push the troxie into the polar ice cap, where their reptilian biology would be their undoing. Up to this point, the Imperials had only encountered the basic Troxie civilian. The orbital bombardment had wiped out the majority of their soldier and leader classes. While smaller and weaker than the average human, what resistance they put up was guerillia raids contuducted with short-ranged “needlers”, spine weapons actually a plant selectivly breeded for hunting and intertribal warfare. Imperial Intelligence informed Xerius that the likelyhood of other varieties of Troxie was very low. They were terrribly mistaken. As the Cadians deployed from their Valkyries, previously unknown Troxie forces swarmed out of the jungle to meet them. At their core were lizards the size of Space Marines, swinging large maces. Leading these legions were mounted cavalry, including leaders riding the fiercest of native wildlife. The stalwart Cadians, having seen years of warfare, held their ground where others would have fled in terror. They exacted a heavy toll, killing five of the enemy for each Imperial to fall. Still it was not enough. General Xerius, who had deployed with his men, held a council of war with his top officers, aids, and Commisars. The decision was made to fall back to the south and establish a fortress next to the sea. General Xerius lead a heroic rearguard action, buying time for his forces to retreat. As the last of his troops reached the newly erected Fort Cadia, Xerius and his bodyguard of Kasrkin were the last to be evacuated. Fort Cadia was a huge affair. The engineers would continue improving its forfitications thoughout the war, from simple ditches the flakboard trenches to concrete walls thirty meters high. The Troxie, being mainly a close combat force, could not penetrate the defenses and were forced to withdraw upon the arrival of General Clydemestra Hauge’s Dnieper corps. On Marktor, Atillan General Magnus Kahn’s corps faced their toughest match. The open plains of Marktor were home to the fastest of Altarran predators: two meters tall, armed with razor sharp claws, and capable of sprinting 70 miles per hour. The troxie had domesticated them and they formed the core of their light cavalry. Time and time again the mounts ridden by Kahn’s troopers were killed by the teeth and claws of the Troxie. Only the superior ranged weaponry of the Atillans gave them the edge, and through a three month campaign chased the remaining Troxie forces into the southern icecap where they froze to death. With Marktor secure and the Troxie in Nadar contained to the jungle, General Xerius took stock of his remaining forces. The Cadians had lost an entire regiments worth of troops, the Attilans had lost a third of their strength. General Huage still had most of her tanks, which proved difficult for the Troxie to defeat. Xerius’s next invasion was the continent of Ithland. Rather than dividing his forces against the Troxie, Xerius opted for a combined arms strategy (a tradition to continue until the present by Altarran forces). Of the remaining forces, Xerius organized three seperate divisions, each with a two Infantry regiments, one Armored, and Rough Rider. The command staff selected three landing sites on Ithland’s southwestern coast for Operation Red Dawn. Weeks of orbital bombardment by the Light Cruiser Blue Lake (later destroyed and replaced by the Red River) reduced enemy cities to ruins, clearing the way for the three divisions to make their assault. The initial landings went well, with little resistance. However, General Kahn was killed during a counter-attack. Ithland was taken with few casualties, as the armored spearhead of Dnieper tanks were impervious to all but the largest of Troxie beasts. Kamiah was next to fall, folloed by Northmont at the start of the next year. With the offense slowing, Xerius turned to removing the Troxie from their one remaining stronghold: The Nadarian jungle. Horses and tanks had difficulty navigating the dense terrain, so the invasion would be an all infantry affair. The Nadar Campaign would be the defining moment in Xerius’s career, and the cauldron the that would forge the different peoples of the invasion force into one culture: Altarrans. The cities in the jungle were the most ancient of the Troxie civilization, and protected by their fiercest warriors. Clad in bone armor as strong as a stormtrooper’s carapace, the fierce guardians of the jungle exacted a heavy toll on the invading humans.
Soon after the final shot was fired, the remaining commanding officers met to discuss settlement policies. Each soldier would be given on vote in electing representitives to draft a constitution. The capital, Altarra City, was founded The colonists first priority after eliminating the Troxie natives was arranging a source of food and energy. Local plantlife combined with imported crops as well as livestock (especially Grox) provided the Altarrans with enough food to subsist on. Energy requirements proved more difficult meet. Petrolium and other natural fuel sources were rare on Altarra, and expensive Adeptus Mechanicus Fusion Generators had to be imported and placed in cities.
|
|
|
Post by Zidagar Dinoman on May 27, 2004 11:05:03 GMT -5
The largest changes to Altarra have been the uniformity of the regiments raised, and here is the reason: Doctrines. In my mind, all Altarrans regiments should have the Sharpshooter and Hardened Fighters doctrines. Currently, the Imperial Guard rules do not allow Rough Riders or the Mechanised Infantry in the Imperial Armor Codex to take doctrines. If GW revises these rules, I'll probably change the Altarran regiments to reflect this.
I plan to find a server or webpage to host some picts, especially my map, some photos of Altarra (actually Idaho, but you get the picture), and my Imperial Guard army, the 8th Altarran Sky Pirates.
-Dinoman
|
|
|
Post by CELS on May 27, 2004 12:25:07 GMT -5
Yay! A new standard representation for the Archaios subsector. This puts us back in the lead! ;D Nice work, Dinoman. The Altarrans are starting to sound very greek now, almost like the fictional societies described by Plato. This is cool enough, except I was planning on having a very greek theme for Archaios. Perhaps we can work out an explanation for this, with Altarra being partly colonised by Archaians, or receiving much help in colonization by Archaios? There's only so much armies can do alone, after all. Anyway, here are my comments. Quite a few of them, but don't take that the wrong way. It's generally a good sign 1) The Tithe Grade is solutio secondus. Did you use Zholud's grade system or my own? Reminds me that we have to agree on that.... 2) Gravity is very low, isn't it? It would make the Altarrans somewhat physically weak, I think, compared to other troopers. Just a few weeks onboard Navy ships wouldn't be enough to adapt to 1+ g, I think. Granted, 0,66 g is still far from zero gravity, but astronauts spend months of training to recover from weeks in zero gravity. I suspect it might take a while to adapt to 1 g after 20-30 years in 0,66 g... Perhaps you can increase the density of the world? Increase its mass. 3) Life forms. With the world having an incredibly advanced ecosystem before it was colonized, that makes terran terraforming very difficult. It has been 5 millennia though. How much of the planet has been terraformed in M41? I suppose it can't all be 100% terraformed, otherwise the Troxies would be extinct. 4) Salaries. Everyone is given enough daily wages to "purchase whatever goods they need". What does this mean? Enough goods in order to survive? Do the Altarrans have no luxury? Is there no difference in economy between the world's highest standing officials and its most lowly farmers and workers? 5) Religion. You left this paragraph with an unfinished sentence ("is to"...?). Reading about the "Imperialist" religion reminds me that we should work out different directions within the Imperial Creed.... I made an attempt at this on Portent a while back, but I guess the post is lost now.. 6) Society and Law. This paragraph doesn't have so mcuh about law, since you write about law in the government section. Perhaps some cutting and pasting is appropriate? 7) Trade & Tithes. The world produces 30 regiments each Tithe period. Is this one Altarran year a standard Terran year... what? 8) Famous Altarran regiments. I'm not too crazy about using the names Spartans and Trojans. All but a few shreds of knowledge of the ancient history of Earth is known on Earth in M41, let alone the Segmentum Ultima. But that's my personal opinion. I have heard of people who disagree with me, and I remember a Space Marine chapter called Sons of Sparta appearing in White Dwarf. 9) Psychology. You say that Altarrans don't like Non-humans. Do you mean Abhumans? 10) Founders. Atillans and Tallarns co-founding Altarra is fine, though it's a long trip. Cadians... I think I may have protested about this before. It's a long way from Cadia. A long, long way. And I'm pretty sure there's plenty of action for the Cadians in Segmentum Obscurus, making it unlikely for them to reach this far into the Segmentum Ultima. 11) History. The soldiers who colonized Altarra were both men and women, right? In the text, this is not entirely clear, IMO. Perhaps you should put more emphasis on this? PS: Where does it say that Rough Riders can't have Combat Doctrines!?!? This is terrible news!!
|
|