| ++Who's Who++ |
| Lord Admiral Terkel, Fleet Commander of Paradise Sector +Awaiting Purity Check+ Valtan Drumm, Subsector Governor of the Phalanges +Awaiting Purity Check+ Arch Prelacy of Paradise +Awaiting Purity Check+ 1st Rho Expeditionary Force --------------------------- Rho's fist Regiment to be sent abroad served as a mobile reserve force during the 13th Black Crusade, fighting on several battlefields under the command of the 1st E.G.I.G.; they showed characteristic Rho courage and tenacity. Most recently they have been transferred to the Agrippa Sector were they are now serving under Inquisitor Null. Royal Black Guard or the 4th Royal Army --------------------------------------- The 4th Royal Army has been in existence since well before the Tradewars of M39, but it was during that war that they were renamed the Black Guard. During an ill-fated attack on pumping station 218, the Arch Prince was surrounded and cut off from the rest of the royalist forces. It was the 4th Army that - on its own - fought through the Cartel lines to rescue the prince. in the process they took nearly 80% casualties, but if it wasn't for their attack, the prince would have been captured. The survivors were awarded the honor of being the Royal family's personal bodyguard. This honor continues to this day, and now only the best of the best can join the Black Guard. LowKey, Leader of the Bastard Sons of Ragnarock (The 10th Battle Company of the Emperor's Children Legion) ---------------------------------------------------------- Before the Fall, LowKey (originally Lou Kei) was Commander of the 10th Battle Company of the Emperor's Children Legion. Fully embracing the joys of Slaanesh, they were one of the fist companies to assault Holy Terra. After the initial pillaging and taking of slaves, he and many of his company became bored with Terra. Even before Horus fell, he took his fleet and left for the Outer Rim to find other idle worlds to loot and spread the word of Slaanesh to. L�leppahc 1666th, or Predakings ------------------------------- *** To: Inquisitor Lord Fabian From: Asst. Explorator Karnov Subject: Being in part, a comprehensive look at the forces fighting in and around the Paradise Sector Thought for the day: Knowledge is a more potent weapon then any cannon. My Lord, as per your request, I shall take over the documentation started by my predecessor before his untimely death. This information I send to you now, concerns the most infamous fighting group amongst the local Imperial Guard and Rho Defense Force. I speak of the L�leppahc 1666th, or Predakings, as they call themselves, but they were most commonly known as the �Skumbags�. If you will forgive my impudence, I must relate the history of the Skumbags, so that the Predakings be fully appreciated. The Skumbags were never an official army of the glorious Imperial Guard. They were a collection of various regiments from around the sector that were thrown together either because of disciplinary problems or because no one else would take them. Because of their limited number of men and resources, they were used exclusively for garrison duties after the main army had swept a planet or suicide missions. Miraculously, they survived 23 suicide missions. The Skumbags were not at all liked amongst the resident guard forces, a feeling that was mutual, and the Skumbags went out of their way to make their displeasure known. They were given the worst missions with little or no support and usually secondhand weaponry. Despite these problems, the Skumbags always prospered, either through sheer guts and viciousness or clever appropriation of their �allies'� resources. There have been many such instances where, after being callously disregarded, that the Skumbags went their own way, resulting in minimal casualties on their part while nearly decimating their supposed allies, either by taking ground meant for other forces, or in the Jezek Incident, taking the lasguns of the PDF and replacing them with the dangerously unstable guns the Skumbags had been issued. The squads in the Skumbags were composed of brutal warriors not at all happy about their treatment. Because of this fact, once stationed on a world, they would immediately make life miserable for those with them. Weapons, clothing, food, the Skumbags helped themselves in abundance taking as much as they could however they could. And if someone protested loud enough for one of them to hear� As a fighting unit, the Skumbags looked only to themselves. Despite different backgrounds and customs, all were looked upon as brothers and each did his share to make sure he and his comrades came out alive. For all their ragtag appearance, the Skumbags were surprisingly well disciplined, and their ability to gather information is uncanny. Many is the time, acting under their own initiative, they have taken the best tactical positions which were meant for the main army, leaving the army to suffer horrendous casualties in positions originally meant for them. How they acquired that information is unknown, although many fingers point to the Skumbags lone ratling squad. It was even whispered amongst the higher ups that former Skumbag commander, Mr. Plasma, was a psyker with mind-reading abilities. But there is war in the Paradise Sector, and casualties eventually take their toll. In no place was this more evident then when Skumbag commander Mr. Plasma fell in battle. After a string of viscous defeats during the ork wars of Valderan, the Skumbags were forced to integrate with the 1666th Kapak �Predators�. At first, tensions were high, and the unit was not a very cohesive force. The Skumbags' unruliness, coupled with the newly created Predators led to many problems of leadership, which I will not bore you with here. Suffice to say that after much infighting and the threat of disbandment, a soldier demanded that there would be a contest of arms to see who would take control. This soldier had been badly wounded; almost the entire left side of his body was mechanized. The contests lasted for many days, until at last only two remained: The metal soldier and an unnamed captain of the Predators. No sooner had the signal been given to fight, the metal soldier produced a plasma pistol and ended his opponent�s life. Much to the surprise of those assembled, this soldier was not Mr. Plasma, but the former Necromundan bounty hunter�s son. Such was the youth�s ferocity and passion that all present swore loyalty to him. Bearing his father�s pistol and proudly displaying the wounds acquiring it had cost him, �Mr. Tin Can� as he is known, set about reorganizing his army. His first edict was to make themselves independent of the main Kapak, who, by that time, were happy to see them go. Mr. Tin Can then trained his soldiers in the way he himself had been brought up. Playing to his men�s strengths, the force can field a higher proportion of veterans, made solely from the surviving Skumbags. Mr. Tin can was also able to �liberate� extra equipment for his men, most notably carapace armor and enhanced scopes for his men�s lasguns. This has had a tremendous boost for morale, for they are more willing to get into action and rarely do they miss their targets. The Predakings, as they later called themselves, are now a coherent force, capable of adapting to most battlefield situations. While still looked down upon by most Imperial commanders, to underestimate them is a mistake that many a foe has learned to regret. I see great things for them, and many are their accomplishments, including the eradication of several Eldar portal raiders on the ice spires of H�oth. For all their ragtag and barbarous appearance, the men and women of the newly christened 1666th Predakings are truly the embodiment of the Emperor�s Will in the Imperial Guard You shall receive the next article in this series later then you are accustomed to, I fear. This article details a force, which has come to the Paradise Sector only recently, but is as mysterious as the void between the stars. I will call them Space Wolves for now, until I learn otherwise. Your humble servant, Asst. Explorator Karnov *** Hounds of Pech -------------- *** To: Inquisitor Lord Fabian From: Explorator Karak Gelt Subject: Being in part, a comprehensive look at the forces fighting in and around the Paradise Sector. My Lord Inquisistor, as per your request, I deliver the first in a series of articles based on the forces currently battling in the Paradise Sector. This first report will detail the Hounds of Pech Coalition, a group of mercenaries of the Kroot race, who have been seen fighting along almost all of the warring factions, including pirate raiders, our own Imperial Guard forces and several planetary defense forces and militias of the Herkamer Sub Sector. The commander of the Coalition, a master shaper named Knicca Khreep, is a shrew and devious business "man", a trait which belies his feral and primitive appearance. From reports gathered, it would seem that he, along with many of the kroot on the home world of Pech, were not all pleased with the Tau's rule of no longer serving as mercenaries, as it detracts from their dogma of the "greater good". As this would dangerously stagnant the kroot's evolution, many keep their soir�es secret. Knicca Khreep, according to sources, ingested a member of the Tau's Water Caste, that species of tau who act as diplomats. Considering the kroot's abilities of acquiring the traits of those they eat, this would explain his slick mannerisms, which are on par with the seediest of hive scum. Yet he is very intelligent, well spoken, and, I must stress, a VERY good judge of character. His words alone have brokered deals that seemed impossible. He is devoted to his ancestors, as are all kroot, but his devotion borders on the fanatical, saying his ancestors grant him visions, and in some cases special abilities. In has been noted that he has, at times, manifested what seem to be psychic powers. Amongst the Hounds of Pech themselves, each kindred holds to a particular genetic trait, which they use to the advantage of all. There is a group adorned with trophies of eldar pirates, and these kroot are especially sadistic and mean spirited. Yet another group bears all manner of rag tag gear, and comes off as a particularly rowdy group of our own guardsmen. It would appear that each group is only to eat a specific species in order to fully absorb and understand their new abilities before sharing it as a whole within the larger group. I must make a special note of a group of snipers, which I feel brokers a special mention. During a mission with regiment of L�leppahc 61st, the unit's ratling snipers went missing. These ratlings, known amongst the men as the Little Deadeyes, were well known cooks and rabble rousers. Several months later, while in the employ of a planetary defense force, a force of mutants was destroyed almost entirely by the well placed shots of a kroot sniper unit. This unit, known as Karga's Deadeyes, exhibited not only the precise aim and ability to infiltrate like aforementioned ratlings, but were also said to be masterful cooks. The fighting prowess of the Hounds of Pech Coalition is impressive to say the least. They are a fast moving and extremely stealthy force, able to sneak right on top of their enemies before attacking. The Hounds of Pech get their name from the large number of kroothounds they bring to bear. The kroothounds, an evolutionary dead end that mixes kroot with a viscous predator, are nasty tempered at best, but the kroot manage to keep them in check with ease. There are at least 200 kroothounds in Knicca Khreep's pens, and the two largest and meanest hounds fight at his side when he goes to war. Both are adorned in cruel spikes and blades, and many an opponent has been left a shredded pile of meat just by being pounced on. The skill of these warriors is without doubt, although they fail in comparison to our Emperor's might legions. They make a good distraction force in their own right, leaving the real fighting to us, but one must be careful when dealing with them. Knicca Khreep is no fool, and no attempt to lead him into suicide missions has yet worked. But he is an honorable beast, and can be manipulated by someone with the skill to match his stolen wit. In conclusion, the Hounds of Pech Coalition must be considered a high threat. True, the have aided our goals on more then one occasion, but they have also fought against us as well. Someone like Knicca Khreep must be disposed of, or used and then discarded, before becoming a serious threat to the Emperor's work here. I shall have my next report to you shortly, detailing a most peculiar force of space marines. |