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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 6, 2004 7:53:37 GMT -5
Ok. Just an idea I had floating around in my head. No flaming please, I forgot my asbestos underwear. ---------------------------- Deep within the enigma of the Sargassos sector sits a region of dead space. At the heart of this region a multitude of trapped ships sit in a lazy orbit about a dark, cold lifeless sphere. An equal number of wrecked ships dotted the outer shell of the massive sphere, those unlucky enough to drift too close. The Dyson sphere had been created by an ancient race. It was their crowning technological achievement. A number of star systems where plundered of their planets, and the stars destroyed in spectacular super novas. Within a few centuries, their massive undertaking was complete. The Dyson sphere blotted their system from view, making it invisible to stellar cartography. Within the bowels of the massive sphere, a large computer system was implanted and given sentience through the sacrifice of the lead scientist of the project. She would continue to guide their people through eternity. Time continued to pass, and little did they know that the systems they destroyed were critical for proper flow of the warp currents. With only their Dyson sphere providing gravity within a number of light years, the warp currents slowed, then stalled almost completely. Those poor souls unlucky enough to get caught in the stalled current died a slow death of starvation or suffocation. This left the race completely isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Time passed, as it always does, and the ancient race grew stagnant. With no way to leave their home system, growth started to become a problem. Steps were taken to restrict the population growth. Such steps became more and more drastic, sending the government into a more rigid autocracy. Such governments breed rebellion. Soon civil war broke out, plunging the entire system into a bloody conflict. The war claimed millions upon millions and smashed entire infrastructures. Colonies on inhospitable planets perished from lack of required food, medicines and spare parts. Population centers were reduced to ash. The war ground to a halt within a few decades… not because of a clear winner, but because no one was left to fight it. A handful of scientists had survived and developed a new type of faster than light drive. This drive, while inferior to warp drive, did not require warp currents to travel. The drive tunneled through dimensions instead. The scientists gathered their families into one of the prototypes, set the massive computer system on automatic and left the graveyard their home system had become. Thus, the ancient race disappeared into the void, leaving behind a massive gravestone of metal and rock. Century upon century passed. Empires would rise and fall, and in that time the Sargassos would claim many an unsuspecting warp ship. Slowly, mankind made its way into the Angaro sector. The curse of the Sargassos would claim a number of their ships as well. Within time, only the truly brave would venture into the sector and few would come back out again. During this time, the sphere would continue its lifeless existence. The computer, now lonely for any kind of interaction began searching the lifeless void. She yearned for beings to talk to. For the ether to be filled with radio traffic. She yearned for an existence devoid of nothing. Decades after the Age of Apostasy, the cruiser Divine Wind was speeding towards an Alpha legion garrison. The garrison had been set up on a lightly populated world and the citizens were subjugated under the Alpha legions rule. Aboard the cruiser, Inquisitor Delphae led a force of Sororitas and assisting Imperial Guard. The plan was to drop onto the planet and simply cleanse the legion and any followers. The force included a number of tech priests to maintain the land raiders, aging exorcists and penitent engines. The Divine Wind also had the typical contingent of Space Marines. As the saying goes; no plan survives contact with the enemy. In the case of the Divine Wind, no plan survives contact with the inconsistencies of the warp. The cruiser was buffeted by a shift in the warp current and thrown right in the Sargassos. The ship was able to transit from warp space right into the debris field that had settled into an orbit about the sphere. The cruiser was repeatedly struck by various derelict craft before coming to a stop. The cruiser settled into a peaceful orbit as dihydrogen peroxide fuel hemorrhaged from her punctured tanks. The Inquistor, along with the tech priests, quickly studied the massive structure in front of them. They also scanned the ships around, looking for possible fuel sources. As they scanned and probed, an immense airlock came into view. They watched in horror as the airlock slowly opened, like the maw of some giant creature. As the camera above the gate focused on the crippled ship, the light violet energy of tractor beams lashed out and grabbed the hull. The cruiser expended all of her fuel trying to pull away from the unintended destination, but to no avail. The crew inside watched as the doors closed behind them.
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 8, 2004 2:39:37 GMT -5
And finally, part II. Any non-flammable comments? -------------------- The Divine Wind was passed gently through the fifteen kilometer long airlock. The ship was decontaminated before coming to a stop at a docking port. The ship was gently grav tethered to a docking section, devoid of any other starships… save the two prototypes the ancients left behind. Space Marine squads were sent out to survey the area and look for hostiles. They found nothing. Even the bodies of the dead had decayed after the long passage of time. With nothing to report but a massive docking structure, the Inquisitor decided to take charge and lead her primary force out of the ship. She decided a recon in force might yield better results. Such a bold move was eagerly approved by the tech priests who wanted to study the technological marvel. The force roamed the docking structure, searching the various areas for life and supplies. A large lift was discovered in the scouting process and the decision was made to take it up for further exploration. When the lift doors opened, even the most hardened veteran stood in awe. They stood in the center of a ruined city, and they could see the inside of the Dyson sphere. Clouds floated gently along, and at the distance one would expect a moon, large planetoids drifted in slow orbits. Plant life had long since returned and had encroached into the city itself. All the while, the computer watched and studied her new inhabitants. Their language was unfamiliar and took time to process. After a few days of surveillance, the computer was ready for further contact. While the main force was on their recon mission, a horde of robots swarmed the Divine Wind. While the crew and Space Marines fought valiantly, they were outnumbered at least a hundred to one. It wasn’t long before every single crewman was captured. Medical robots came aboard and started their work, implanting behavior inhibitors in each person. Reprogramming was also performed, changing memories and implanting new ones. The tech priests were especially important. The computer used their belief in the machine god as a tool through which they would serve her. Their faith would help shape and mold the others. Their work complete, the robots left and any damage from the fight was repaired. All would look as if nothing had ever happened. When the main force returned the tech priests that had remained behind were in complete reverie with their discovery. They explained that the machine god spoke to them. The machine god proclaimed that they were to serve it and that this would be their new home. The Inquisitor was rather resistant to this new revelation. The tech priests nodded and said that they understood. They informed her that all would be explained. The Inquisitor and her retinue were taken to the bridge to be shown the communications that had been received. Once the retinue was on the bridge, the doors were sealed and the entire compartment was gassed. At the same time, waves of robots descended yet again, this time to convert the main fighting force. The fighting was fierce, but the adepta sororitas and their allies could not withstand the unending waves of robots. Before long, all were captured and converted to the will of the machine god. With behavioral inhibitors and memory modifications completed, the computer set her new minions to work. The tech-priests, fueled with their obsession for technology were quickly pressed into service repairing older systems and learning to build new ones. All others were allowed to rebuild a new settlement within the sphere and begin repopulating the once lonely planet. Hundreds upon hundreds of years would pass. The population within the sphere steadily grew. The inhabitants renamed the Dyson sphere Ishtar early in the colonization efforts. By the time the second war for Armageddon took place, the inhabitants had reached a population of over 60 million. Even with such a high population, the colony barely covered a single percent of the sphere and only a rough twenty percent had been surveyed. The human population had developed into two basic castes… warrior and tech-priest. The religion of the machine-god and the Emperor is still maintained, providing necessary focus and devotion to the computer. The warrior caste developed into three sections; The Adepta Sororitas, the Adepta Astartes and the Imperial Guard. For some unknown reason, the birth rate of women to men was easily five to one, resulting in large increases in the sororitas ranks. To hone the skills of the warrior caste, and provide opportunities for the priests to build and refine weapons, the computer saved a number of Orks from their derelict craft and planted them in various areas. These Orks quickly formed war bands which thrived within Ishtar. Soon, the humans and the Orks clashed in everything from skirmishes to full blown wars. The Orks have yet to be cleansed completely by the humans and the computer continues to use the Orks as a training tool. Lately, elements of Chaos, coming in through a small warp riflt have also started to become a problem within the sphere as well and have fueled the Ishtaran hatred for Chaos. Within the last hundred and fifty years, the humans of Ishtar have ventured out of the Dyson sphere. With the help of the computer and the two remaining prototypes, new starships were built with jump drives instead of warp drives. Though slower in terms of travel, the jump drive allows the exploration of the Anargo system and determine its current fate. After consulting with a number of rouge traders, it was obvious the galaxy was still in a state of war. After much thought, the computer decided that her forces would act as mercenaries. They would show proper devotion to the Emperor for the Imperial forces, but they would also choose to be the masters of their own destiny. The computer sent an ambassador, along with the yearly tithe and ten thousand sanctified psychics to Terra. The ambassador presented his credentials and a constitution of the people of Ishtar. The constitution clearly stated that the people are Ishtar would see to their own destiny. They would not, however, turn their backs upon the Imperium and would still provide the proper yearly tithe and also provide ten thousand psychics per year. While the forces of Ishtar would provide their services largely as a mercenary force, any pleas for help by Imperial forces and/or planets would not go unheeded. Additionally, given the large number of sororitas at hand, pleas for help along the pilgrim routes would also be answered. Ishtar additionally promised to not take any contracts against loyal Imperial forces in order to show its support. The ambassador was of course branded a heretic and burned on the spot. It was to be expected. Every year after, Terra received a courier ship with the proper tithe and an additional copy of the constitution. This act has started to win over some sections of the administratum. In a further attempt to gain acceptance, Ishtar forces have openly assisted Imperial forces where they have been fighting Chaos elements. Imperial reports show instances of Ishtar forces dropping in, performing lightning fast strikes on Chaos flanks and then leaving the Imperial forces to mop up. This has changed the attitudes of some, and in the last couple of decades, some planetary governors in the Anargo sector have secretly hired the mercenaries for garrison and protection duties. In return, the mercenaries provide such services for payment in cash and salvage of enemy equipment. The mercenaries take such salvage back for scrap metal, or even refit and repair if the item is repairable. Thus giving the Ishtar forces a slightly eclectic look.
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Post by Kage2020 on Jul 8, 2004 3:44:49 GMT -5
I rather like it, but see one rather obvious problem: thematic armies. Now, it's not too much of a problem in my mind but many people have a tendency of associating specific items of technology, or even broad fields of technology, with specific races. Eldar, for example, are considered the 'masters of psychic engineering' to the exclusion of the greater majority of the other races even though, likely, the adeptus mechanicus engages in what it can. Similarly, the Necrons seem to utilise nanotechnology and while I would argue that other races make use of this technology - basically the eldar! - others would be uncomfortable with this. And thus to the Dyson Sphere. It is something that in the 40k universe has only really been mentioned with the Outsider. As such many people tend to make the association that "Dyson Sphere = Necron". Combined with the thematic army approach, any Dyson Sphere that is included must also be Necron technology... (That and it does sound very close to the 'fluff' on the Outsider's sphere...) This is something that I will therefore leave up to peer consensus. In other words, hopefully someone other than me will post an opinion... I'm not against it and, indeed, think that it would be an interesting inclusion and a fantastic source for RPG and, yes, even wargaming! More so since the traditional 'ancient technologically advanced race that is no longer around' is a main stay of both game universes ( Traveller and 40k). Hmmn, indeed, I'm now getting warm fluffy bunny feelings about the Progenitors! On a parallel topic, I actually enjoyed reading through that!
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 8, 2004 4:16:25 GMT -5
I rather like it, but see one rather obvious problem: thematic armies. Now, it's not too much of a problem in my mind but many people have a tendency of associating specific items of technology, or even broad fields of technology, with specific races. Eldar, for example, are considered the 'masters of psychic engineering' to the exclusion of the greater majority of the other races even though, likely, the adeptus mechanicus engages in what it can. Similarly, the Necrons seem to utilise nanotechnology and while I would argue that other races make use of this technology - basically the eldar! - others would be uncomfortable with this. And thus to the Dyson Sphere. It is something that in the 40k universe has only really been mentioned with the Outsider. As such many people tend to make the association that "Dyson Sphere = Necron". Combined with the thematic army approach, any Dyson Sphere that is included must also be Necron technology... (That and it does sound very close to the 'fluff' on the Outsider's sphere...) This is something that I will therefore leave up to peer consensus. In other words, hopefully someone other than me will post an opinion... I'm not against it and, indeed, think that it would be an interesting inclusion and a fantastic source for RPG and, yes, even wargaming! More so since the traditional 'ancient technologically advanced race that is no longer around' is a main stay of both game universes ( Traveller and 40k). Hmmn, indeed, I'm now getting warm fluffy bunny feelings about the Progenitors! On a parallel topic, I actually enjoyed reading through that! I hadn't thouht about a connection with the Necrons and the Dyson sphere. That would make an interesting additional plot complication though. I don't know jack about the Necrons however. I'd have to get a hold of some decent fluff. As for thematic armies... The theme is mercenary... because mercs rock! I was thinking of them having limitations to what they have outside of standard Imperial tech. Salvage would be limited to what was truly repairable, and many such high tech vehicles like Eldar and Tau might very well be relegated to home defense, and to avoid heretic branding by the loyalists. Thus, very little of it would be seen on outside the sphere. Also, they don't control the Dyson sphere, the sphere controls them. Which makes for another sub-plot. ;D As for jump drive. I was thinking the drive should be limited in technological scale, allowing only a maximum size ship to be built, thus limiting the forces that can be transported on a single ship. Another bonus to a Dyson sphere is that there could be a microcosm conflict being waged within the sphere itself. A Dyson sphere would be so huge, that other factions could have easily found a way in after being stranded and set up shop.
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Post by Kage2020 on Jul 8, 2004 4:19:49 GMT -5
Yep, that's broadly why I like the concept. I merely point out that whenever I've tried 'blending' technology based upon a more generic concept of "technological level of achievement" with an individual race then, if it has touched on what another individual considered was "mine!" (or, rather, their race), problems have occurred. Maybe I'm just being overtly cautious at this point... Perhaps a thread/poll in a more frequently visited board such as General might be useful?
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 8, 2004 4:31:09 GMT -5
Yep, that's broadly why I like the concept. I merely point out that whenever I've tried 'blending' technology based upon a more generic concept of "technological level of achievement" with an individual race then, if it has touched on what another individual considered was "mine!" (or, rather, their race), problems have occurred. Maybe I'm just being overtly cautious at this point... Perhaps a thread/poll in a more frequently visited board such as General might be useful? I can understand that and I've encountered that myself. Which is kind of strange. Technology either advances or backslides, it hardly ever stagnates... especially during war time. I think the Dyson sphere would also make a good explanation as to the reason for the empty ammount of space and the lack of warp flow. Although, such an object would be a project unto itself in mapping it.
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Post by Kage2020 on Jul 8, 2004 4:41:15 GMT -5
I think the Dyson sphere would also make a good explanation as to the reason for the empty ammount of space and the lack of warp flow. Hmmn... the space in the Sargassos subsector is not 'empty', although that would be relative depending on where you would set such a world. (Still waiting for Destecado to return...) As to explaining the lack of warp flow, that is at the moment linked to the "Heart of Anargo". In analogy, the area is a "tepid pool" cut into the 'warp' and caused by the action of the warp current flow and the proto-dimensional fragments being discussed elsewhere. With that said, however, integrating ideas is a part of what we're about. Why, in your mind, could your Dyson Sphere be partly - or entirely - responsible for the 'calm warp' in the Sargassos Gulf?
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 8, 2004 4:56:29 GMT -5
Hmmn... the space in the Sargassos subsector is not 'empty', although that would be relative depending on where you would set such a world. (Still waiting for Destecado to return...) As to explaining the lack of warp flow, that is at the moment linked to the "Heart of Anargo". In analogy, the area is a "tepid pool" cut into the 'warp' and caused by the action of the warp current flow and the proto-dimensional fragments being discussed elsewhere. With that said, however, integrating ideas is a part of what we're about. Why, in your mind, could your Dyson Sphere be partly - or entirely - responsible for the 'calm warp' in the Sargassos Gulf? Well, the Dyson sphere would have been constructed not only with the planets in the original system, but also with planets robbed from other systems. The makers might have even collapsed the stars from such emptied systems. The changes in gravity in the system could have cused the change in the flow, stalling it. Perhaps the Dyson sphere was specifically designed to cause this phenomenon as a protective device. The possibilities are endless.
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Post by Destecado on Jul 9, 2004 7:15:14 GMT -5
Sorry I haven't dropped by sooner. I'm still working my way through the text, but I do see a couple of ideas that sent up flags in my head.
1. Overpopulation on a Dysons Sphere.
Earth has a surface area of roughly 789 million square miles. A Dyson Sphere orbiting around a star like our own sun would theoretically have a surface area of approximately 252 quadrillion square miles. This calculation is based on a sphere large enough to fall within the habitable zone of the star.
The consentration of people to overpopulate such as space would be enormous. One thing that has been discussed is the effect of populations on the shape of warp currents. I am under the impression that the subconscious of any sentient species has some effect on the warp. If that is the case, then such a dense population would cause a considerable depression in warp space. Rather than being static, it should be very dinamic arond such a structure.
2. They Only Used Warp Engines?
In the natural progression of drive systems to power their ships, they seemed to have jumped directly to warp drive. Were there no generation ships or other drive technologies prior to warp drive. In the Ring World novels by Larry Niven (which deal with a ring type of dyson sphere) they used Bussard Ramjets, that accelrated vehicles to just under light speed.
3. Destoryed Stars
Again the effects on the warp would be most profound. If the stars were caused to go into supernova, the possible results would either be gas nebulas or black holes.
4. Why are there Space Marines on the Divine Wind.
The mixture of forces you have described as being on the ship to my mind seems some how flawed. Why would there be Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guard all on the same ship?
The Dyson Sphere is an interesting idea, but not for the Sargasso Gulf. Much of the background that we have already built discussed the existance of a pre Age of Strife era micro empire within the Sargassos Subsector. If the Dyson Sphere had existed here, they would perhaps have already found it.
It could perhaps be incorporated into one of the fragments of the protodimension that exist at the heart of the sector.
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 9, 2004 8:06:58 GMT -5
Basic statistics for what Ishtar's interior would be (as a draft).
Primary Star: M5 III
World Gravity: 0.78 terra Orbital Distance: 1 AU Atmospheric Composition: Standard oxygen-nitrogen mix with slightly elevated hydrogen. Surface Atmospheric Pressure: 0.6 atm Hydrographic Percentage: 73% Hydrographic Composition: Liquid water
Total World Population: 60,000,000 (not including Orks, Chaos and unidentified elements). Representative Authority Guide: Religious Dictatorship Representative Authority: Adeptus Mechanicus and Appointed Inquisitor Lord. God View: Machine God/Emperor Spiritual Aim: Worshippers seek enlightenment through combat or technical castes in an effort to become one with the Emperor. Devotional Requirement: Daily practices to further one self to attain glory in the eyes of the Emperor. Organisation Structure: Strict heierchy. Religious Quirks: Warrior caste has developed a mercenary attitude that prevails throughout society. Battles are filmed by news crews and played back home on national broadcasts.
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 9, 2004 8:19:47 GMT -5
Sorry I haven't dropped by sooner. I'm still working my way through the text, but I do see a couple of ideas that sent up flags in my head. 1. Overpopulation on a Dysons Sphere. Earth has a surface area of roughly 789 million square miles. A Dyson Sphere orbiting around a star like our own sun would theoretically have a surface area of approximately 252 quadrillion square miles. This calculation is based on a sphere large enough to fall within the habitable zone of the star. The consentration of people to overpopulate such as space would be enormous. One thing that has been discussed is the effect of populations on the shape of warp currents. I am under the impression that the subconscious of any sentient species has some effect on the warp. If that is the case, then such a dense population would cause a considerable depression in warp space. Rather than being static, it should be very dinamic arond such a structure. 2. They Only Used Warp Engines? In the natural progression of drive systems to power their ships, they seemed to have jumped directly to warp drive. Were there no generation ships or other drive technologies prior to warp drive. In the Ring World novels by Larry Niven (which deal with a ring type of dyson sphere) they used Bussard Ramjets, that accelrated vehicles to just under light speed. 3. Destoryed Stars Again the effects on the warp would be most profound. If the stars were caused to go into supernova, the possible results would either be gas nebulas or black holes. 4. Why are there Space Marines on the Divine Wind. The mixture of forces you have described as being on the ship to my mind seems some how flawed. Why would there be Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guard all on the same ship? The Dyson Sphere is an interesting idea, but not for the Sargasso Gulf. Much of the background that we have already built discussed the existance of a pre Age of Strife era micro empire within the Sargassos Subsector. If the Dyson Sphere had existed here, they would perhaps have already found it. It could perhaps be incorporated into one of the fragments of the protodimension that exist at the heart of the sector. 1. Hadn't thought about population effects of warp. Good point. Time for some rewrites. 2. It is highly possible that they did have other drives before hand. Drives below FTL speed are rather slow on the interstellar scale however and usually not worth mentioning so I skipped past it. 3. Nebula effects could be a distinct possibility that I overlooked while trying to stay awake. So, throw that idea out the window as well. 4. Aren't Space Marines assigned on ships to combat boarding actions and provide security? As to the IG, they would have been called to assist in the planned combat. Ok, so if we are going to move it. Where would the heart be?
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Post by Kage2020 on Jul 9, 2004 13:12:21 GMT -5
Erm, hello....?
<waves hands>
Are you really wanting to go forwards on the Dyson Sphere given the problems of peoples' interpretations on 'thematic armies'? My god, I have enough trouble getting people to believe that the eldar have high and consistent technology let alone believe that a 'fan race' would have "Necron technology"...
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 9, 2004 16:01:32 GMT -5
Erm, hello....? <waves hands> Are you really wanting to go forwards on the Dyson Sphere given the problems of peoples' interpretations on 'thematic armies'? My god, I have enough trouble getting people to believe that the eldar have high and consistent technology let alone believe that a 'fan race' would have "Necron technology"... So far, no one's really mentioned it. Besides, this army doesn't have Necron technology. If anything, the Necron technology has them. As for the whole Dyson sphere idea, I think its a great idea. It provides a microcosm within the macrocosm to wage yet more battles upon. Considering the sheer ammount of land mass available, the sky is also the limit for creation and imagination.
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Post by CELS on Jul 10, 2004 1:04:12 GMT -5
Alright, I've been putting this off for too long now! Non-flammable comments; - There is no typical contingent of Space Marines onboard a ship of the Imperial Navy, so their presence would need to be requested by the Inquisitor. Keep in mind that cruisers are not really dedicated troop transports, so there are limits for how many troops you can have onboard. - "...repopulating the once lonely planet"? But this isn't a planet... - I don't believe these people would have the ability to keep the Adeptus (not Adepta) Astartes for very long. Even Space Marines will eventually die, and the tech-priests of your average Navy cruiser know very little about the creation of Space Marines. Space Marine Apothecaries will know a great deal, but I don't think even they know everything. - I don't like the part about so many women. You need to explain this better than "for some unknown reason" - Keep in mind that almost everything in the galaxy is susceptible to the corruption of Chaos, and I don't see why this artificial intelligence would be different. There are plenty of examples within the fluff of machines and machine spirits becoming corrupt by Chaos. Besides, if this artificial intelligence knew anything about chaos (and I presume she would, since she's been around), she'd be very reluctant to letting it corrupt the sphere. - Why did the computer send the people out? And why should they become Mercenaries? And why would they fight for the Emperor? I would think the computer would want to shy away from Imperial contact, for her own safety. - This dyson sphere seems rather self-sufficient, but where does it get minerals to build new robots, new ships, and to support its population? - I personally have enormous reservations about the people of Ishtar openly contacting and even fighting alongside the Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus would be on the sphere like flies on poo-poo, and then the Imperium would start making demands, ordering the computer around for the good of the Imperium. That is, if they didn't consider the sphere an abomination and put it under the knife of Exterminatus. I think it's a very interesting idea, but I was wondering when exactly this race disappeared from the sector (and indeed the galaxy, I suppose). On Necrons; drop them. Let there be two races in the galaxy who have built dyson spheres. We're here to avoid the mistakes of GW and its fans, not repeat them. Oh, and Vatsy, there's no need to quote other people if you'll just be repeating their entire post. Either cut the quote into pieces to show what your comments are in reply to, or drop quoting alltogether
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Post by Inquisitor Lord Vatsyayana on Jul 12, 2004 2:28:52 GMT -5
Hi Cels; Thanks for the reply and the good info. I need to figure out some way to get a hold of the fluff bible. It would make my life easier and I wouldn't look like such a dork. I would have thought small numbers of Space Marines would have been assigned to ships just like Marines are today. That's what I get for thinking GW writers have had any kind of a military background. By the way, am I to gather that Space Marines are vat born and can't reproduce? If that's the case, that means that if the computer felt Space Marines were needed to further augment its' forces, they would have to be captured and properly re-educated. Hmm, there's an intresting plot. The part about higher female birth rates could be explained by the infusion of Escher DNA in the soroitas ranks. As to Chaos, I was planning on them being the main focus for hatred. Chaos would be the one target that they would strike at above any other. Partly because of thier religious background. Perhaps also because the computer knows how dangerous a threat Chaos could be to her as well. They wouldn't need to be specifically in the sphere and could easily be written out. I just felt Chaos should be the main nemesis/target. I do as well, and I'm not entirely married to the idea. The way I'm looking at the army, they still use primarily Imperial technology and Witch Hunters rules 95% of the time. I'm sure the computer would feel it would be either subjugated or destroyed by the actual administratum... it's not stupid. The reason for them still following the Emperor / Machine God is that it would give the computer a pliable tool in which to keep the population in line. The computer just works on more independent mindset to keep them from wanting to rejoin the Imperium. Being that the army is mercenary in nature (an outlook that seems to be lacking in Warhammer 40K) the administratum would not receive them well anyway. Almost any tickets they make with the Imperium would probably be under the table with planetary governors and the like. The minerals for building new supplies would have to come from salvaging efforts for the most part, as they wouldn't have knowledge for mining. Chances are, most material would have already been depleated in creation of the sphere and cities. While they can still do scavenging within ruined cities, Ork tribes would have slowed that. So, performing mercenary actions provides cash flow and slavage opportunities. Mercenary operations also provide critical intelligence gathering. As for Necron technology, I'm not all that partial to the sphere having been created by them. I think leaving it an unknown race would be just fine as well. In fact, perhaps the Necrons were the reason the race left. That could make far more sense. The reason for designing a different technology for space travel was to avoid being detected and followed when they fled.
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