Rogue Trader Einar Jafet, part of a prodigious Trader dynasty, discovered System 82/5-314-F quite by accident. He had been seeking a particular planet within the Ultima Segmentum, some light-years away from Hexos – as it was, this was not to be..
After what had seemed like quite a short trip through the Immaterium, he soon found himself in an unknown system closer to the Eastern Fringe than it was to any planets of Imperial origin and, as far as he could tell, the system was entirely uncharted by Imperial cartographers.
He named it the Novem Mundos system, or 'nine worlds', and the capital planet Jafetsport after himself, as well as making it the name of the primary spaceport and settlement on what he considered to be the most fertile world of the nine.
Encircled by the eight other worlds, all of them as devoid of humanoid life as the next, it was not long before the Mechanicus exploration teams were plotting a warp route and human transferral to the Nine Worlds, and with it colonisation.
Generations passed and, due to shortages caused by remoteness, or to simply being forgotten about by the Imperium at large, Jafetsport was the only planet to advance beyond what the Imperium classifies as a 'frontier world'. It took on the trappings of a civilised planet – post modern technology, the ability to produce its own farming tools and build its own cities, vessels capable of taking persons from one planet in the system to another yet no further.
Werner Jafet, direct descendant of Einar, even managed to build a space station for himself that orbits Jafetsport; from here he watches his people, having recruited a person army of Enforcers and mercenaries to enforce his will among the populace, at least on the capital planet.
The other eight planets began, and have remained, as centres of rough-and-ready civilisation, some nearly as advanced as Jafetsport, while others are more akin to wilderness dotted by shanty-towns, settled over the decades by entire hab-blocks off out-system Hivers, Guard veterans , and all manner of collected bodies from throughout the larger Imperium.
Trouble was brewing for Werner though, something happening on Jafetsport, something that grew so bad he was forces to send members of his own 'army' to settle things. Those unfortunate souls never returned.
Now, plagued by an unknown enemy, and needing fresh bodies to form at least some semblance of resistance to this threat– the nearest garrison of the Imperial Guard a good few months away at beast – he has sent a call out to muster all able-bodied men and women of fighting age, to gather at the spaceport of Jafetsport with all haste, and assuring them that help is coming.
Should the capital world fall, it will not be long before the others follow.
The hereditary ruler of the system has called, will you answer?
OOC:
What does this mean for the RP?
It means that your character can hail from any other world that you like, or at least be descended from colonists from whatever world if you prefer, although they will be (or at least begin as) the lowest of the low! Lower even than your average PDF trooper, a scratch-force built more-or-less from civilians and those few with any experience of combat/killing/etc.
Do feel free to make up the state of the other eight worlds, just remember that they're Frontier Worlds in state, technology etc, and model your characters accordingly.
Eventually they may be moulded into an actual fighting force, but to do that they would actually need to survive first.
Personally I would like this roleplay to be an ode to the Everyman of 40k bought alive by the writers, an attempt to show the grimmest of grim darkness through the lens of what are for all intents and purposes conscripted citizens...for now; to this end there will be little to no contact with the Astartes, possible acts of the RP set in one place (not for too long though), and plenty of action against the foes of Mankind.
There will also be change - change of characters and character (by this I mean in body and mind), possibly character deaths (especially if someone gets bored or does something obviously idiotic, but only with player permission of course), change of equipment and so on - I'd like this to be an evolving RP rather than static one.
Oookay, so, if you've read all of the above then, firstly, thank you for doing so because I realise lots of text is not to everyone's taste.
That's really all I've got to say, so if you're interested then please say so below, and if you've any questions/queries at all I shall be more than happy to answer!
Planets of the System
These planets were written into being with the help of this generator here, used to construct the very basics of the planet.
Things such as how the people survive, societies, and so forth are left for the players/writers themselves to decide after choosing a planet of origin.
I expect there may well be questions from folks before/during their writing process, so please feel free to ask me anything.
Capital Planet: Jafetsport
Jafetsport is the very first planet to feel the touch of Human feet upon it's surface, as such it is also the systems capital planet and the orbital station above it is where the systems governor makes his home, life here is more-or-less akin to that found on any standard 'civilised' world within the Imperium; on Jafetsport you can find the spaceport of the same name, ships coming and going all over the system from there, as well as most of the technologies available in the wider Imperium.
Due to being essentially funded solely by the Jafet Dynasty of Rogue Traders, and it's location away from anything of any real value to the greater Imperium, the acquiring and production of technology even on this planet only really goes as far as the production of las-technology and export of precious minerals and materials to be found in the planets various mountain ranges.
Branches of the Adeptus Terra are token upon Jafetsport, a slight police force of Enforcers rather than professional Arbites, and a token delegation of the Astra Telepathica to contact other planets in the Imperium.
In most other respects it can be compared to Ancient Terra – a temperate atmosphere, seven continents, and varying forms of terrain. Perhaps the least similar thing is the size of the population, which is actually smaller and more spaced out.
Planet 1: New 'New' Cadia
New 'New' Cadia is the only truly militarised planet in the entire system, and even then it is actually more of a retirement home for crusty and de-mobbed Guard veterans; it is a world with a warm climate and arid conditions (protective clothing generally worn when outside for any time), very little rainfall happening and leading to the use of rain-collectors and recyclable liquid facilities - something most of the 'retired' soldiers don't mind too much.
The terrain is primarily a number of large islands covered generally in broken forest and savannah-like grasslands, the earth lacking lacking moisture and causing what growth there is to be hardy and long-lasting.
Technologically the planet is much like that of the system, being 'recently' discovered and colonised and having little time to really develop before the troubles on the home planet began, many of the towns and colonies on the planet nevertheless being fortified and strong simply due to the nature it's inhabitants.
Those on this planet bought with them their knowledge, their wits and their service to the Imperium.
One may ask why Jafet is not using them as an army to crush whatever it is disturbing the peace on Jafetsport, and the simple answer is that the population is both too small and too war-weary to be of great use in that regard.
Planet 2: 7/3-25
This planet is only given a number, although it has been nicknamed 'Sandy Rock', due to the fact that it is indeed just composed of rock for the most part.
Large plateaus of rock are broken up by warrens of caves, possibly made by a pre-existing civilisation now long gone, as well as places where the rock itself has simply broken apart. In most other respects it is decidedly average – the rainfall of the planet and the temperature at large being seasonal and comfortable for those making their living here as miners, quarrymen and labourers, as well as the presence of rivers, lakes and oceans.
Some could say that this planet provides the rest of the system with all the stone and rock it requires, breeding hardy folk and having the largest concentration of Mechanicus-issued machinery anywhere in the planetary grouping, and they would be completely correct.
A small port is present on the planet, though for most intents and purposes it is used for 'official' trafficking of resources and very little else. There have been rumours of more civilian, even 'dubious' traffic heading to 7/3-25, although this has yet to be confirmed.
Planet 3: Igni Primus
With an atmosphere perfectly suitable to human habitation, and with a rainfall that leaves the sparse grasslands of the planet waterlogged and damp most of the year round, it comes as a great surprise to newly arrived colonists that only a small number of the planets islands are lacking both an active volcano – sometimes more than one! - and caves not all that different from those found on 7/3-25.
Could this be evidence of a subterranean xenos civilisation, of non-Imperial humanity, or simply a coincidence?
Surely this world is one of location – the islands that are not either just giant volcanoes, or with one upon their surface, are usually covered in grasslands of varying degrees and even pleasant to live on, farm and survive. If a tad damp, the soil retaining most of the regular rains that fall over this world.
Planet 4: Ferventis Maria
The fourth planet in the system is uninhabited with the exception of specially evolved sea-life, as it is fully covered in what many term 'the boiling seas'; due to pressure in the worlds crust and the heating up of the planet-wide ocean, habitation would be all but impossible for human life without specifically constructed environmental hubs.
Such things the Jafets just do not have the Thrones for, not currently anyway.
Planet 5: Gelida
Gelida is an interesting planet, so the Mechanicus said when they first surveyed it, a planet with a singular continent covered almost entirely in a never-ending forest. Exactly how this forest came to be (and thrive) is one of the mysteries of the place - the fact that the climate is so cold that colonists are required to wear protective gear and modify their dwellings due to the potentially lethal temperature being somewhat of a puzzle. Not only that, but Gelida is so parched of moisture, and rainfall so infrequent, that underground reservoirs and special machines for taking what little moisture there is from the air have had to be built.
Perhaps the most significant landmarks on this planet are several dormant volcanoes of spectacular size, having not erupted for centuries at least, but remaining with the potential to end all life on the planet in a single cohesive blast at some point in the future.
Planet 6: Ipsim
Ipsim is the second 'aquatic' planet in the system, however it is quite different from it's more deadly cousin...well, almost.
The atmosphere of Ipsim is mixed in such a way that it is quickly lethal to anyone not wearing protective equipment, however the world-covering ocean is a completely different matter.
Beneath the waves of Ipsim is an entire world! Fields of specially adapted sea anemones litter the seabed, dormant volcanoes laying quietly in sleep surrounded by deep sea ravines and underwater columns of rock that jut from the ocean floor and erupt into the air above to be slowly eroded over time.
Here the colonists of other Imperial territories have had to change their way of life, not only to survive underwater, but also to avoid being annihilated by such creatures as the Ipsim kraken and ferocious twelve-row shark.
Those that have adapted and overcome the conditions of Ipsim are considered swimmers and aquatic experts without peer, as well as providers of rich and delicious sub-nautical foodstuffs to the other worlds of the Rogue Traders domain.
Planet 7: Rupes Iram
A quite small planet with a thin atmosphere that can be breathed normally for a short time, but carries a slight abnormality, that creates an unfavourable taste in the mouth, and will prove fatal if breathed for too long , Rupes Iram is covered in an almost permanent layer of frost, snow and blizzards that makes wandering over the expanse of its three continents near impossible.
Water is hard to come by, mostly to be found in glaciated ravines or in the broken rock formations dotting the land, at least the land that isn't swamped in forests of varying density.
The rugged, hilly, terrain of the planet provides foresters and frontiersmen used to the bitter, arctic, cold and able to operate through snowstorms without toppling from the cliffs to be found in mountain ranges across the planet.
Planet 8: Jafet's Rest
This is the planet upon which Einar Jafet took a rest before handing over authority of the system to one of his many sons many decades ago, Werner being a direct relative of this son; it is also the only other world in the system with a considerable population and a technological level high enough to mass-harvest the forests of Jafets Rest for the good of the system.
Although parched of water and colder than a Fenrisians scrotum, it is nevertheless a more desirable locale than say Igni Primus, vast mountain chains towering high over forested plains and broken rock-faces moving into deep ravines and by towering columns of rock.
Jafet's Rest also happens to contain the most valuable seams of minerals and jewels in the system, an entire force of Enforcers stationed there to make sure that order is kept. They act more as a mobile policing force, the terrain not really made for traditional policing, and it is even speculated that – for a price of course – their heads can be turned.
If there was any planet in the system able to trade with xenos civilisations or non-Imperial factions, other than Jafetsport itself, then this would be it!
The people of Jafet's Rest are known to be more arrogant, stubborn and bodily bigger than those of the other planets – maybe due to their peoples origins as Hivers and labour forces – others often seeing them as slow-witted dullards who clothe themselves in airs of superiority.
Rules
- Sort your squabbles out in private. If you persistently disagree with another player or they're grieving you, involve me. If necessary, I will get the moderators involved.
- No godmodding (controlling someone else's character).
- Try to post at least once a week, let me know if you can't post soon, and please try for at least three paragraphs.
- One character per player.
- My decisions are final.
Character Sheet
I'm not actually going to ask for a Character Sheet for this RP, and leave it up to people's writing to tell us all we need to know about their character; if you do wish to make any form of 'sheet', then I'll gladly accept a brief outline of the character.
"Bob came to Jafetsport from Mordia, is middle-aged and a former miner, now plying his trade on Gelida for the last ten years. He came with his family but they all died from black lung. He's about 6' 0" with a mop of brown hair and a significant scar on his face."
That sort of thing.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
An interesting new take on a character sheet... but I like it. I will try to come up with someone worthy of dying quickly and painfully because he wasn't properly equipped or trained... and surrounded by people who are likewise.
Good thing we have a quick and easy character sheet that goes: Name, planet of origin, former job, appearance. In only four easy steps, you too can produce fresh meat for the grinder!
Thought for the Day: "A closed mind is a protected one." - Lieutenant-Commissar Hugo Cranz, 135th Thelonian Tigers.
Gonna get the first post up tomorrow, so lock and load people...your characters new life begin shortly.
"Come on you apes, you wanna live forever?" - Juan 'Johnny' Rico, "Rico's Roughnecks", 2d Platoon, Company G, Third Regiment, First Mobile Infantry Division.
Just to set the scene, you are freshly arrived on Jafetsport - unless your character comes from there, of course - and the square, that is usually full of stalls and more of a marketplace, has been turned into a mustering station for those answering the call of their Planetary Governor and system overlord.
It is a hubbub of voices, of casual conversations, of servitors and trucks moving and shifting supplies here and there, some volunteers having come in ones and twos and others in entire groups (think the PALS battalions from WW1) - the Jafet's Rest Miner Lads, or the Ipsim Fisherman's Guild among them - and although some are more eager than others, all have come of their own accord, with whatever form of weapon and clothing they could muster. Some with old-pattern weapons and defunct armour, others with no more than a stubber and the clothes on their backs.
The fact that none of them know what is actually happening on Jafetsport may be something to do with the oddly high spirits, spirits that may soon be dampened somewhat.
For now 'the mustering' is all they need worry about, reporting to Enforcer staff and signing their names or mark, getting a full belly from the canteen tents and perhaps even some extra clothing/equipment (rough weather, terrain etc) from the Quartermaster.
All-in-all, it is 2 o' clock on the most advanced planet in the system, the sun is shining, and there are no worries...yet.
@Bright_Ops With all due respect, my dude, why is Molari even there?
My guys a sole survivor from a decimated regiment, has one faulty bionic leg, and is an old age pensioner; Molari is a Corporal from what I assume was a regiment based on nobility, middle-aged, and probably a lot more use in an active Guard regiment.
I'm assuming there will be some folk who aren't going to post then - considering its been a week since the last post - which means I'll get one up in the next day or so and we'll move on.
