Against The Nightmares (trying not to die as an independent human planet in 40k)

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It is the 41st Millennium, and after centuries of isolation the Kalgra sub-sector is once again part of a cruel galaxy.
Intro

NottheCrabs!

Local fool making foolish things
Location
The Bottom of The Ocean
Pronouns
She/Her/They
It is the 41st Millennium, and the galaxy is in chaos. Foes new and old ravage the Imperium: From the edge of the galaxy come the all-consuming Tyranids, from the depths of the Imperium's own worlds come the soulless and indestructible Necrons, all while the savage Orks, perfidious Eldar, and dark forces of Chaos continue their wars. The Empire of Rot, Decay, and Misery is about to collapse, and all it would take is one last kick to bring the entire thing down. To most of the Galaxy, Humanity's days are numbered.

In the Kalgra sub-sector Humanity has been given a second chance. A warp storm engulfed the sub-sector, isolating it's planets from both the Imperium and each other for over three hundred years. Some survived, clinging onto the Imperial Aquila with all their might. Some fell, drowning to the Laughter of thirsting gods as their planets were usurped and corrupted. A few, a scant few, have not drowned, nor merely survived, but changed. Here be it in the Nobility or the People or the Ecclesiarchy someone has realised that the stagnancy of the old Imperium cannot continue. Their solutions are many and varied - their ideals and loyalties even more so - but they all believe in one thing: The Imperium cannot continue.

It is the 41st Millennium, and as the Kalgra sub-sector is freed from the Immaterium it once again finds itself in a Galaxy of war. The Imperium eyes its lost territory hungrily, Dark Cults plot to further their influence in the sector, and opportunists circle this new battlefield. The only certainty is war. Whether these new entities will survive the coming storm or be sundered underneath the weight of giants is yet to be seen.



There are several planets that have overcome their Imperial oppressors, your homeworld is one of the most prominent.

[ ] The Achenid Despotate: As the Kalgra sector flew into anarchy many looked to the Imperial bureaucracy for assistance, but on the frozen world of Achenid things were not so simple. Merely a decade into their isolation a Tzeentchian cult managed to infest much of the local Administratum and Ecclesiarchy. With the influence of these two major facets of imperial government the cult attempted to usurp the heirless Governor and instate a regency for their own ends. Although the coup failed and the cult was destroyed the sheer extent of the corruption shattered faith in the Imperial Bureaucracy. It is here where Governor Constantin lit the spark, declaring that the Achenid people had been betrayed not only by the local branches, but the greater Imperium itself. The speech was met with cheers and when the local PDF began a purge of loyalist Imperial organisations few stood in their way. In the three hundred years since Achenid became independent it has gained a strong national identity and legacy, with a defanged Imperial cult and rising noble senate completely subservient to Despot John the second, grandnephew of Constantin. Now with the warp calming and interstellar travel now within reach the Despotate plans to expand its borders beyond its system for the glory of the Despot and the Achenid people.​
Imperial Authority: The Despotate lives and dies on its rulers, play a traditional CK2 style quest where each ruler's individual strengths and weaknesses change the direction of the country.
The New Empire: Raise Legitimacy and become the true heir of The Emperors dream, or lower it and build a new vision for humanity.
Feudal Government: maintain the opinion of the nobility and the populace to continue your unimpeded rule.
Manifest Destiny: Wars of conquest against other powers will not reduce popularity unless you are losing.
[ ] The Illisid Republic: Illisid was never a firm holding of the Imperium, caught on the edge of a nebula and with few trade networks the Desert world is home to over a hundred different tribes, each with their own proud traditions and cultures led by hereditary or elected Princes. Attempts by the Imperium to convert the nomadic inhabitants were only vaguely successful and resettlement to make use of the planets vast underground supplies of promethium was met with active hostility by the population. When Illisid lost contact with the Imperium it quickly spiralled into a century long civil war, only halted with the defeat of the last Imperial remnant on the planet and the meeting of warlords that followed. Through a mix of fear of Imperial retaliation and a desire to prevent any future conflicts like the civil war the Illisid Republic was formed; a representative democracy built on Pan-Illisid nationalism and Anti-Imperial policy. The Republic however is constantly assaulted by isolationists in the desert who wish for a return to the Independent princedoms, and Imperial loyalists in the Cities who despise the Illisid people. As the sub-sector returns to the greater galaxy plans are made for war with Imperial forces and expeditions are prepared to find allies of any stripe, all while reactionaries attempt to shatter the Republic from the inside.​
Democratic Republic: Build a coalition and win elections to lead the country for ten years. With each Party having vastly different visions for the Republics future.
Edge of the Sub-sector: play the long game far away from the Imperium, either sending support to other independents or building a bastion capable of withstanding the Imperial Tide.
A house of cards: Prevent Illisid reactionaries and Imperial Loyalists from destroying the Republic from within.
For home, For Illisid: Gain major morale bonuses when fighting in Illisids home system.
[ ] The United Councils of Harrak: When the Hive world of Harrak was isolated from the Imperium, the planet immediately began to starve, Chaos cults quickly took advantage and over the following decades the planet was engulfed in a brutal war with the dark gods. Through fanatic zeal and untold cruelty the forces of Chaos defeated the Imperial government, but still the war waged on. For as the planetary government crumbled factory workers banded together to maintain the basic needs that the Imperium increasingly could not provide, when the Imperium lost control of the Hives these workers formed their own militias to protect themselves, and in many hives they managed to fight the cultists off entirely. When the famine began to end and the cultists began to destroy themselves in infighting the victors were not the Imperium, but the workers councils and their own armies. In the wake of such a brutal age the people of Harrak made a solemn vow: Never Again. The United Councils of Harrak were made to bring prosperity, unity, and peace to Harrak while maintaining the workers councils continued independence. While the path forward is long and arduous the people look to an unveiled galaxy with steel in their eyes, for the stars are filled with tyrants and cultists alike, and the people would rather die than feel the boot of oppression once again.​
A weak Union: Spend influence to convince the Councils to approve your policies and initiatives, or build up the power of the executive and use Authority to act without their approval.
The Hunger of Men and Forge: Trade with or annex resource rich worlds to allow industrial output and population growth to increase.
Hive World: Start with the largest industrial and population centre of the Independent factions.
Never Again: Severely reduced Imperial and Chaos influence in your home system.
 
MAP


Blue are the options available on the intro, white is everything else. The Three stable Warp Lanes out of the Subsector are at Willow-III, Annwyn, and Martasia. Will make a better map later.

Icarus, Hathor, and Nova Deimos are planets closely packed together in the Bara cluster of planets, Icarus and Hathor are mining worlds that extract resources for and are directly controlled by the Mechanicus Forge world of Nova Deimos

Huntly is a fog enshrouded world of green hills and vast forests with a tribal people who in spite of their Imperial-Level technology still live tribal societies. The planet has remained largely unchanged since its integration into the Imperium.

Magna Nara is a minor Hive Moon and only connection Huntly and Illisid have with the greater world. The planets Hives have a history of competition and rivalry with one another, with grudges and conflicts some said where older than the Imperium itself. Twice in the last millennium the hive cities of Manga Nara have marshalled armies against one another, with the Imperial Governor only barely managing to halt bloodshed between the planets divided cities.

Corolis is a self-sustaining mining world that sent most of its exports to Harrak, the planet has a large Ork population and relied on a large PDF force to keep them contained to the mountains.

Groxworld is a minor Agri-world mostly known for its grox and its importance on the only secure warp route to Magna Nara.

Antilles is an Ocean-Agri-world that fed Collosia, although overall the planet was considered unimpressive. The limited numbers of islands for the humans of Antilles to actually live on and the relative unimportance of the planet had left it an unimportant backwater.

Dionesia is an Agri-world that also served as a popular tourist destination due to its large amounts of valuable alcohol and drugs that could be farmed in the planets excellent climate.

Arachnee is a jungle death world most known for its highly intelligent and dangerous spider-like xenos, attempts to cull the population completely have been unsuccessful, but a bi-yearly burnout of the more populated Xenos areas has contained them, allowing the small population of colonials to mine the limited amount of Adamantium on the planet.

Willow-III is an unimportant mining world whose main claim to fame was being the only planet with a stable warp lane connecting the Kalgra sector to it's northern and much more stable neighbour, the Tarsonis sub-sector.

Collosia is the largest Hive-world in the Sub-sector, with Much of the Northern part of the sectors resources going into its massive factorums or into feeding its boundless billions. The planet has a long history of revolt and upheaval, from corrupt governors to religious prophets to worker rebellions, but for every million who died in these revolts a million had already been born to take their place. Even propagandistic Imperial records talk of It as the rotten, disgusting heart of the sector, and the source of many of its problems.

Kadragga is the capital of an Ork Empire that spanned from Kadragga to Groxworld to Atlan during the Great crusade, ruled by the WAAAAAAAAGHLORD of Kadragga: Kadragga. Kadragga is said to be an Ork who was so large he dwarfed a Baneblade. Although first person accounts of the history of his defeat have long since been forgotten all remember the Ork. For every couple of centuries a New Ork warlord would name himself Kadragga and march on the old capital of the WAAAAAAGHLORD. The planet has never been completely cleansed of the Orks, every attempt to do so has been stymied by the constant assaults, and over time the planet has been formed into an ad-hoc fortress world solely for the containment of the Ork invaders. The planetary population is said to be almost as skilled and experienced as Cadians, perhaps even better when facing a Greenskin. The planet exports nothing except trained guard regiments, who are renowned in the sector as a whole and serve beyond it with distinction.

Annwyn is a Feudal world of many curiosities, the planet has a toxic atmosphere unsuited to life and is covered in ancient human ruins. But deep beneath the surface lies a continent spanning underground cave that has atmosphere suitable to human habitation, where feudal kingdoms vie for control in glowing moss covered tunnels. In spite of being on one of the major stable warp lanes between the Kalgra sub-sector and the Partheno sub-sector the population of Annwyn was not discovered by the Imperium until the 36th millennium, and besides Conversion to the Imperial faith Annwyn has mostly been left to its own devices.

Danmar is an ancient world, said to have been traveling the stars before the Imperium was even founded, the evidence of this can be found on the dead worlds of Norge and Svek, who had similar languages and cultures to the Small Moon as well as a common heretical religion that has mostly been stamped out in the modern day. Whatever legacy of greatness Danmar once had however is of little import today, Danmar is a small Agri-moon that feeds the endless mouths of Collosia and not much else.

Kazeron is the largest mining world in the sub-sector that fuels the industry of both Magna Nara and Collosia, Not only does the planet hold a vast array of valuable resources, so too does the large asteroid belt that orbits it. The planet itself has no atmosphere, and so most of the population lives in large domed cities, although only one could even come close to a proper hive. Due to the poor working conditions of the planet and the regular radiation storms that bathe its scarred surface the planet requires a constant supply of mining workers, which its either requests the Adminstratum supply them with or directly buy from one of the many Hive Worlds.

Victoria is more a tragedy and a warning than a planet, originally the beautiful and prosperous civilised world of Samnium, the planet had always held a level of contempt for the greater imperium and quickly fell into rebellion after a large increase in the Imperial Tithe. The war was swift and brutal, the planetary defence forces that stood so proudly wiped of the face of the planet by the numerically superior veteran Imperial Guard army that had been sent to crush the rebellion. As the final bastions were cleared the planet earned it's new name of Victoria and a planetary government designed to increase the planet efficiency was handpicked by the Administratum. The new government quickly began to destroy the world, polluting it's surface to service more industry, forcefully resettling the population from their homes to centres of production, and ruthlessly and violently crushing the planetary culture to prevent any future rebellions. By the last millennium the planet had been turned into a corrosive resourceless wasteland, useful only as a penal world for the dregs of the sub-sector to toil and die in in an attempt to find something of worth that has yet to be harvested.

Gredstat is a feral world of vast forests and swamps in the middle of nowhere, it has no major importance.

Martasia is a Civilised world founded by Imperial guard veterans who were settled on the planet after years of long service. The planet has few resources, so the planet instead exports large numbers of well-trained guardsmen. Military life is a part of every facet of Martasia, as the planetary government gives significant extra rights to those who served or had served in the PDF, including the right to vote in local elections and own property. There is no official nobility on Martasia, although military families often get first pick in government jobs, and have a far better chance of actually getting into the PDF. It sits on a stable space lane to the Partheno sub-sector.

Toralis is a Gas giant that has long held a human civilisation in its clouds, for mellenia the humans of Toralis have lived in Dark age of Technology era glideships the size of small cities, refining the gasses around them into fuel for their eternal flight. The planet is practically deserted by Imperial standards, and getting any resources from the moving cloud cities to orbit is incredibly difficult. As such the planet has mostly been left isolated, undeveloped, and without the demands of an Imperial Tithe. With only the Mechanicum having any real interest in the planet.

Gaia is a Paradise Moon full of lush valleys, boundless forests, and caverns of shining gemstones. The planet is famous for its almost unnatural beauty, bringing in tourists from all the noble houses of the Sub-sector and beyond.

Limm is a prominent Agri-world that exported most of its food to Harrack, the planet is known for its rather divergent form of the Imperial Cult, that worships both the Emperor and the planet Limm itself as divine beings.

Atlan is a shrine world dedicated to Saint Atlan the redeemer, who mythically convinced the human civilisations of the sub-sector to peacefully join the Imperium during the great crusade. The planet is home to the Lesser Orders Millitant known as the Grave Guardians, who protect the graves of Atlan himself and dozens of lesser saints around the Sub-sector from any who would even think to do them harm.

Top of map is the Tarsonis sub-sector, a stable and well developed sub-sector that leads to the galactic edge. The single stable warp lane to it is Willow III.

To the left is the Partheno sub-sector, the centre of administration in the Partheno sector and such its namesake. It is home to the Eternal Phoenix Chapter of space marines. Past the Partheno sector is the administrative border where Segmentum Ultima gives way to Segmentum Obscurus.

To the bottom and right is the Obi Sector, a massive administrative zone that encompasses the space in between two stellar arms, various rouge traders and other explorers have attempted to find stable warp lanes between the Kalgra sub-sector and the Obi Sector, but none have been found.
 
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The United Councils of Harrack

Government Type: Socialist Federation


Mutant/Abhuman Rights: Legal Grey Zone
Chaos Cults: Banned
Imperial Cults: Restricted
Military Recruitment: Volunteer Only (+1 to recruited Army Experience)
Scientific Research: Government Supported (Research options unlocked)

Status of the Armed Forces
1st Federal Army Group (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 3/10 Experience)
2nd Federal Army Group (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 3/10 Experience)
Titanus 1st Revolutionary Guard Army Group (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 2/10 Experience)
Titanus 2nd Revolutionary Guard Army Group (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 2/10 Experience)
Forlorn United Militia Army Group (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 2/10 Experience)
Lisra 1st Defence Force Army (Urban Expertise, Wasteland Expertise, 3/10 Experience)

The Federal Army had 20 Million frontline Combat Soldiers, our nations total military numbers 60 million frontline soldiers.

The Harrak Navy Currently has No Warships

Population Estimate: 150 billion
The Population is currently: Stable



The Union is Currently Stable

The Federal Government Is allowed to:
Recruit a national Army​
Fund their own research​
Allow or Ban Imperial Cults​
Build Orbital Infrastructure​
Build Interplanetary Infrastructure​
Develop Infrastructure​
Federal Laws are superseded by local laws instituted by The Workers Councils

The Workers Councils of Harrak currently have the right to:
Recruit Their Own Army​
Fund their own research​
Allow or Ban Imperial Cults​
Build Orbital Infrastructure​
Develop Their own Infrastructure and Education System​

Currently an estimated ~73 Million people are without representation in the Union, of these 13 million are citizens currently living in the various minor colonies in the system, with the rest being Nomadic Mutant tribes that live in the toxic wastelands between Hive Cities.

Members of the Union.

Hive Grand
Mutant/Abhuman Rights: Legal Equality​
Chaos Cults: Banned​
Imperial Cults: Allowed​
Military Recruitment: No Military​
Scientific Research: Mechanicum Only (Research options locked)​
Hive Grand currently slightly supports the expansion of Federal Powers​


Hive Titanus
Mutant/Abhuman Rights: Legal Grey Area​
Chaos Cults: Banned​
Imperial Cults: Restricted​
Military Recruitment: Draft​
Scientific Research: Mechanicum Only (Research options locked)​
Hive Grand is currently neutral to the expansion of Federal Powers​

Hive Forlorn
Mutant/Abhuman Rights: Secondary Citizens​
Chaos Cults: Banned​
Imperial Cults: Allowed​
Military Recruitment: Draft​
Scientific Research: Government Supported (Research options unlocked)​
Hive Grand is currently slightly opposed to the expansion of Federal Powers​

Hive Lisra
Mutant/Abhuman Rights: Kill Them All​
Chaos Cults: Banned​
Imperial Cults: Restricted​
Military Recruitment: Volunteer Only (+1 to recruited Army Skill)​
Scientific Research: Mechanicum Only (Research options locked)​
Hive Grand is currently strongly opposed to the expansion of Federal Powers​
 
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reserved for military organisation.
 
Welcome to Against The Nightmare! a 40k quest that I've been planning on and off for the better part of two years. Inspired by the traditional CK2 style fantasy quests and Hearts of Iron IV this will either be slightly different or vastly different from the usual CK2 quests. Either way I hope my self indulgence ends up entertaining. Feel free to post!
 
[X] The Illisid Republic

I'd rather not become Admech/IoM 2.0 since the entire point of breaking away is to not be part of those. Let's go for a more unique flavor.
 
Welcome to the quest Hannz, Astra Myst, useofstrike32, Haruhi is Waifu. Hope you all enjoy it! surprised to have so much traction already.

Space (former) Desert Nomad aesthetic reminds me a lot of Homeworld.
That was actually one of my inspirations for the faction. Homeworld always had a unique aesthetic and I am quite fond of the victorious refugee band and their story.

Thankfully due to their distance from the front things would have to go catastrophically wrong for what happened to Kharak to happen to Illisid. I don't think anyone besides the Eldar could survive a Homeworld style voyage in this galaxy.

[x] The United Councils of Harrak

Workers of the Galaxy unites!

Hey Krahe, welcome to the quest!
 
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Welcome to the quest everyone! I am absolutely astounded at the amount of people already voting, glad to have you all. I'm probably going to leave the vote open while I sleep, so expect the vote to close in around ten hours. In the meantime I've added a bunch of context to the Map section. Giving a rough idea of what each planet was like before the Warp Storm.
 
[X] The United Councils of Harrak

It would be interesting to see some soviet style here with the Imperium representing Tsarist Russia. Like this

It is also good to have a prebuilt power base rather than having to start from a position of weakness and build one. We also have a nearby forge world to export cheap goods to for more complex stuff and trade for some of the resources from their suppliers. There is also Limm to import food from or possibly annex which if we do will be very nice as forge worlds also need to import a lot of food or spend more energy on high tech solutions.

Also @NottheCrabs! I wanted to ask what sort of time scale you were think of for this game. Will the work inside the subsector be just the prologue or in all probability the majority or totality of the game?
 
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