[Epic] Ork Campaign Background

From: Erik K. Rutins <snowdo1_at_...>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 14:30:46 -0400

Thought some of you might be interested in the brief background story
for our upcoming campaign. I will be posting the special rules and
charts as an add-on to my existing campaign system in the next day or
two.

== Overview

The following sections provide an example of how to customize the
campaign system to incorporate a storyline, specific objective and
special rules for the races you are using in your game. This sample
campaign involves the combined might of the Imperium against the Ork
Tribes. Special rules for the Ork Tribes are introduced, as is a chart
of events based on victory point levels.

== The Background

In terms of population, Anacreon Five was a minor colony of the
Imperium. Only one of its seven continents, imaginatively named Alpha,
had been cleared and colonized. The world was barely inhabitable by
human standards with a thin atmosphere and light gravity. Surface
temperature swung like a crazy pendulum and dust storms swept across
the rocky terrain. The Anacreon system, however, was remarkably rich
in rare ores and centrally located in Santanni Sector. The Imperium
had therefore placed a sizable military base on Anacreon Five, the only
inhabitable planet in the system, and shipped in thousands of colonists
over a century ago.

Alpha continent is home to both the military base (which contains the
only spaceport on Anacreon) and the planetary capital city, Anacros.
Most of Anacreon Five's four million colonists live in Anacros, the
rest being spread out among various towns across the continent. The
major industry is survival, coupled with native agriculture and mineral
processing. While not as rich in ore as the rest of its system,
Anacreon Five can sustain the building and repair needs of its
inhabitants and the spaceport.

The Imperial Defense forces on Anacreon Five consist of a mixed
infantry and armor regiment of Imperial Guard drafted from the planet
and a Titan Battle Group from the Star Swords Titan Legion. Anacreon
Five's central location and the fleet operations in the area make any
kind of space-borne attack nearly impossible. Therefore, Anacreon Five
is considered to be at 'low risk'. However, because of its importance,
Anacreon Five is on the High Lords' priority list for response forces
should trouble occur. Several light years away is the home world of
the Shadow Skulls Chapter of Space Marines and they are earmarked as a
first response force in case of trouble in Anacreon.

The Imperium is aware of an Ork presence on the other continents of
Anacreon. To date, however, the Orks have been fighting perpetual
tribal warfare with each other. The Orks are not in possession of
spacecraft, nor were they aware of the Imperial presence up until
recently. Now that has changed. A great Ork Warlord has risen, one
strong enough to potentially unite the Orks into a Waaagh. He has
discovered the presence of the humans which gives him someone to fight
other than the rest of the Orks. The path to unification of the tribes
will be difficult, but the potential rewards are staggering. The dream
of sweeping the humans off the planet and gaining access to their
technology and spaceships to cross the stars is a compelling one and
this Warlord is spreading it as gospel. First, however, he must prove
to the other Orks that he is the great leader and slayer of humans that
he claims to be...

An Imperial Outpost on the coast of Alpha continent spots a dark line
on the dim horizon. As dawn breaks, a massive fleet of makeshift
vessels can be seen making its way towards the land. Loudspeakers
magnify the chants and yells of the occupants, announcing that the
Waaagh has arrived. As the guardsmen frantically relay the news to the
capital and take up their positions, the first ships begin
disembarking. As a plume of thick black smoke laced with fire from the
burning ruins of the outpost and its defenders soars into the sky, so
also does a powerful telepathic message from the Astropaths of Anacros,
headed across space for the home world of the Shadow Skulls.

Regards,

- Erik

"Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble
up, if you will ever dig."
- Marcus Aurelius
Received on Tue Sep 09 1997 - 18:30:46 UTC