High Khessar

Hive world with main Naval base

## Politics

Used to be capital but officially supplanted by Eldritch in recent decades after the ecclesiarchy threatened a crusade over the issue.

Centre of “old power” - still the seat of most of the sector’s great merchant houses, the breeding ground for its generals and admirals, and easily remains in the top three most deadly political arenas of the sector. Old guard aren't giving up their positions and comforts easily.

## Geography

High Khessar itself dominates the Khessari system - the fourth planet from the old Red Giant at the centre of its orbit, and one of seven planets in total. Most of other other astral bodies, and all of High Khessar's many moons, are populated to some degree; but around 90% of the system's population (and over 2% of the entire subsector's population, by some estimates) lives among the vast and bizarre hives of High Khessar itself.

These hives are constructed on top of vast archaeotech aerostats. These arcane machines are human in origin, though the secrets of their creation are shrouded by the mysteries of the Dark Age of Technology. Giant vacuum chambers combined with mysterious gravitic generators keep the structures aloft in the level of the atmosphere that is amenable to human respiration. Of course, the Lithex Dominus tech priests who operate the poorly-understood mechanical systems ensure that the rarefied upper spire levels are maintained at the most agreeable altitude, with lower levels having to tolerate the less hospitable gas composition and pressure of the deeper atmosphere.

Massive gas giant with archaeotech hive city plates, buoyed up in the atmosphere, with subsidiary atmospheric stations and craft dipping deep into the atmosphere to harvest valuable gasses

Hives are mostly located in rings nearer the poles, and are propelled around to provide far shorter days than if they orbited with the planet

Pleasure palaces of the rich drift between hive spires, docking and putting on lavish social engagements

The underhives hang from the bottom of the aerostats, vomiting waste into the lower reaches of the atmosphere. The slum structure provide much needed ballast but occasionally chunks crumble off, consigning thousands to a lethal dive into the crushing depths of the gas giant.

Warp angler fish

Krakens inhabiting the liquid-gas phase boundary

## Military of High Khessar

++++[Excerpted from Jayne’s Guide to Regiments of the Lithesh Sector]++++

Spire flavour: Smug nobles obsessed with honour and glory

Hive flavour: Efficient but nervous city folk trying to endure horrors beyond their ken

Underhive flavour: Necromunda gangers shoved into uniform and onto the battlefield

In many ways quite typical of the hive cities found across the Imperium, the great city-mountains can be thought of as three worlds - the soaring spires where the nobles play their games of politics and intrigue; the core of the great structures where billions toil away; and the depths of the underhives, where gangs roam unchecked and dark things lurk. As the most populous (and arguably the most politically impactful) planet of the entire Sector, I shall relate a regiment or two from each of the zones of Hive Tartarus, one of the largest aerostat-hives.

High Khessar has a strong martial tradition that shares a lineage with the Prometheus system and, to a greater degree than most Hive Worlds (especially in the spires), it prepares its citizens for war. The local PDF is well trained, tested, and provisioned; though few of them have seen the horrors of the battlefield.

The spires of High Khessar almost exclusively produce the Scion regiments and senior command staff for the Imperial Guard forces of the Sector. There is substantial variation in equipment and combat style of the Scions - each Hive has its own proud history of warfare - but their ornate armour, extensive augmetics, and fine breeding are all constants.

Most of the soldiery sent forth from High Khessar originates from the mid sections of the hive cities, including a wide range of infantry and armoured regiments. Standard line infantry are the most common, though more skilled and combat-tested regiments are upgraded to mechanised infantry. Often, High Khessar will loan regiments to the Departmento Munitorum for a period of years, receiving back fewer than half the soldiers sent away, but all of them being battle-hardened. These veterans are inducted into the PDF and sent to run youth training schemes to ensure that the next generation are capable with a lasgun from a young age.

A substantial portion of the troops sent to die on worlds lightyears away and not expected to come back are the dregs of the underhives, press-ganged by Imperial authorities. The High Khessari authorities regard many of these people to be a burden and are more than happy to have them rounded up and shipped off to parts unknown. These regiments are rarely entrusted with expensive vehicles and high quality gear, but they often make useful scouts and rarely need much weapons training to reach competence.

Though infantry regiments, as detailed below, form the bulk of High Khessar’s tithes, the hive world has substantial production capacity that it puts to use to supply armoured forces. Though the locally produced materiel is not up to the standards of the Lithex forge worlds, they are still higher quality than those of Bartok, Cynn, or Corinthia, thanks in no small part to superior electronic components and extensive technical support provided by Lithex Dominus. The forges of High Khessar produce basic Leman Russ patterns, Sentinels, and a few Chimera variants (particularly basilisks, hydras, and salamanders) in highly standardised configurations.

Sentinels are particularly favoured by the Khessari forces, mostly in missile launcher and flamer variants, facilitating fire support in tight urban/hive environments. The Khessar pattern Sentinel is well armoured and fully enclosed, with robust environmental seals and filters, making them well suited to suppressing uprisings in the dank atmosphere of the lower hive levels

#### Planet-wide favoured weapons

Standard: K-38 lasguns

Special: Melta guns, Grenade launchers

Heavy: Missile launchers, heavy bolter

Officers: Bolt pistols, chainswords

Vehicle: Missile pods, heavy bolter

#### Typical regiment setup [main hive body]

* Home world: Hive World (3pts)
* Combat doctrine: Sharpshooters (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine:
* Drawbacks: Scarred by loss (-2pts)
* Equipment (37 pts)

### The Honourable 78th Generation Noble Scions of Spire 31-Alpha

Drawn from the minor nobility of the spires of High Khessar, the Scions are remarkably tough fighters - well equipped by endowments from their families and the expertise of Lithex Dominus, and trained in a fine martial tradition. Their notably fine suits of lacquered carapace armour - often handed down through the generations - are their hallmark, clearly distinguishing them from the rabble of common guardsmen. Augmetics are prevalent, with soldiers often displaying gilt cybernetic limbs with great pride and flaunting them at social engagements once their service is complete. They excel at close quarters fighting and careful tactical maneuvering, particularly within urban areas, although canny officers should be aware that there are complex rivalries and feuds between inhabitants of different spires, or even sections of spires, and these can boil over at inopportune moments.

* Home world: Highborn (3pts)
* Commander: Supine (1pt)
* Regiment type: Close assault (3pts)
* Combat doctrine: Close quarters battle (5pts), Sharpshooters (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Augmetics (2pts), electro-vox warfare (4pts)
* Drawbacks: Regimental rivals (-2pts; other High Khessar spires), dishonored (-3pts), Honour bound (-4pts)
* Equipment (29 pts)

* + Good quality standard item (K38/C las carbine or combat shotgun, 5pts)
	+ Best quality standard item (light carapace, 10pts)
	+ Photo visor in standard kit (8pts)
	+ Gas mask in standard kit (8pts)
	+ [2 points over]

### Most Venerable Gentlefolk Tankers of Field Marshal Hubertus (retired)

When veteran tankers of noble birth and sufficient valour retire, they are afforded an opportunity to keep their vehicle and crew; often, the vehicle already belongs to their wealthy family. The offer is not always taken up but, when it is, the commanders almost always join a volunteer regiment/social club of esteemed tankers - run by a Field Marshal of great renown who offers their services in times of need, and buggers around in tanks when not on active service. Super patronising tea-swilling nobility who see themselves as paternal grandfathers of the regiments and detest the wasting of young life, though they themselves are near-suicidal in their quest for glory, great stories, and fine teas. Field Marshal has modified Banehammer that is so stable and quiet inside that a civilised dinner party could be (and has been) held in the midst of combat. His companions have a dizzying array of tanks, mostly Leman Russ variants, many of which have seen more battles than they have rivets.

Not quite a brigade, but more than a regiment; the Venerable Gentlefolk ("Grand Old Timers" as they're affectionately known) are an oddity among Imperial forces. Though entirely volunteer and bound by no Munitorum obligations, they serve with valour and dedication. The Field Marshal leads them into dire situations with the goal of protecting the young men and women of High Khessar who are relegated to fighting on foot. More than once, a theatre commander has ordered them to retreat when heavy losses were expected, but the Field Marshal has simply ignored the directive and suffered severe losses in order to save a Khessari regiment from being snuffed out before their time.

The Grand Old Timers consist of ~1,000 personnel (plus servants), approximately half of whom are of high birth with the remainder being highly skilled tankers of humble origins who have earned the admiration of noble members. No member is ranked below Sergeant and the majority are fully commissioned officers, with several Majors and Brigadiers serving out their augmetically enhanced retirements in the force. Vehicles are organised into loose companies by battlefield role, though the Field Marshal is wont to devise elaborate plans to ensure that units' roles complement each-other and is more than happy to ignore protocol if it achieves his purpose.

* Home world: Highborn (3pts)
* Commander: Maverick (2pts)
* Regiment type: Armoured regiment (4pts)
* Combat doctrine: Sharpshooters (4pts), Iron discipline (3pts), anti armour (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Cyber-enhanced (3pts)
* Drawbacks: Dishonored (-3pts), Honour bound (-4pts)
* Equipment (26 pts)

* + Rare item (15pts - each member of the regiment has a personal pistol or melee weapon that is a family heirloom or otherwise fancy)
	+ An auspex per squad (10pts)
	+ Additional dress uniform (5pts - they always wear their dress uniforms, so have a spare to change into for dinner after the battle)
	+ (4pts over)

The Companions (command company)

* One Banehammer super-heavy (field marshal's)
* Two Leman Russ Executioners
* Three Leman Russ Battle Tanks
* Five Leman Russ Vanquishers
* Eight Salamander Command Tanks

Riff-Raff (scouting company)

* One Leman Russ Vanquisher (highly tuned engine)
* Two Bane Wolfs
* Three Devil Dogs
* Five Hellhounds
* Six Leman Russ Exterminators
* Eight Leman Russ Conquerors
* Eight Salamander Scout Tanks

Slow Rollers (battle tank company)

* Two Baneblades
* Two Leman Russ Executioners
* Two Malcador Annihilators
* Four Malcador Assault Tanks
* Five Leman Russ Vanquishers
* Eleven Leman Russ Battle Tanks

The Fencers (close range company)

* One Stormlord Super-Heavy (driven by Field Marshal's protégé)
* One Stormsword Super-Heavy
* Two Malcador Infernus
* Three Malcador Defenders
* Three Thunderer Siege Tanks
* Four Leman Russ Eradicators
* Seven Leman Russ Punishers
* Eight Leman Russ Demolishers

The Bitter Chums (anti-armour company)

* One Valdor Tank Hunter
* One Shadowsword
* Four Destroyer Tank Hunters
* Six Leman Russ Vanquishers
* Seven Leman Russ Annihilators

Greasejacks (maintenance and support unit)

* Atlases and Trojans
* Supply trucks
* Limousines, pleasure skimmers, private shuttles, etc.

### 265th Infantry Regiment of City 31

Particularly well trained for urban pacification and guard work, though long campaigns easily take their toll.

Tarantulas provided by Lithex Dominus

Combat-bloodied squads often suffer psychological problems due to sheltered hive life; depleted regiments coming back from the front are integrated with newbies coming out of basic training, then they’re sent back into the fray.

Capable marksmen, well trained in coordinated ranked lasgun fire

* Home world: Hive World (3pts)
* Commander: Fixed (1pt)
* Regiment type: Line infantry (2pts)
* Combat doctrine: Close order drill (2pts), Sharpshooters (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Automated artillery (tarantula, heavy bolter; 2pts)
* Drawbacks: Scarred by loss (-2pts)
* Equipment (30 pts)

* + Good quality standard item (K-38 lasgun, 5pts)
	+ Good quality standard item (Dominus Flak armour, 5pts)
	+ Favoured special weapon (grenade launcher, 10pts)
	+ Microbead (8pts)
	+ Chrono in standard kit (2pts)

### 141st Mechanised Infantry Regiment of City 31

* Home world: Hive World (3pts)
* Commander: Phlegmatic (1pt)
* Regiment type: Mech infantry (3pts)
* Combat doctrine: Sharpshooters (4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Well-provisioned (3pts)
* Drawbacks: Scarred by loss (-2pts)
* Equipment (30 pts)

* + Good quality standard item (K-38 lasgun, 5pts)
	+ Good quality standard item (Dominus Flak armour, 5pts)
	+ Favoured special weapon (melta gun, 10pts)
	+ Microbead (8pts)
	+ Chrono in standard kit (2pts)
* Chimera weapons: Hvy bolter turret + hull, storm bolter pintle
* Chimera mods: Hunter-killer missile, superior plating, track guards

### 102nd Irregulars of Underhive 31

Hive gangers and any other combat-capable scum dredged up by press gang squads in the dregs of the hive. Some of these regiments end up nigh useless for anything other than clearing minefields by marching across them but, more often than one might think, a diamond is formed from the pressures of the underhive.

Pressed into service to atone for their crimes, most of the current 102nd Irregulars come from a single large gang that was broken up by Arbites officers. Fortunately, Guard rations being superior to the food they were used to back home, the gang has taken well to the soldiering life and now puts their considerable martial skills to use in the service of The Emperor.

Their particular penchant for explosive weapons is what initially brought them to the attention of the Arbites, and with a little training they have proven to be capable infiltrators and guerilla saboteurs. Nevertheless, they still carry the stigma of the underhive with them, and I would estimate a better than even chance that their commanding officer finds himself on the receiving end of an unfortunate frag grenade accident before the year is out.

* Home world: Hive World (3pts)
* Commander: Sanguine (2pts)
* Regiment type: Guerilla (4pts)
* Combat doctrine: Hardened fighters (2pts), Survivalists (urban ruins; 4pts)
* Equipment doctrine: Demolitions (3pts)
* Drawbacks: Condemned (-6pts)
* Equipment (30 pts)

* + Good quality standard item (K-38/C las carbine, 5pts) (often self-modified against Munitorum protocols)
	+ Favoured special weapon (grenade launcher, 10pts)