Hajmahn

Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of Hajmahn.

"*Listen close heathens, for if you shall not hear my words, then you shall certainly heed my blade!*"
— Emir Adrik of the Oaza, during the Great Illumination.
**Hajmahn** is a civilised desert world located in the Alamae Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus. This arid planet is the homeworld of the specialised Hajmahni Tunnelers regiments of the Astra Militarum.

## Details

### History

Hajmahn is believed to have been originally colonised during the Great Crusade. Colonised may not be the strictly correct term however, as the world's new settlers were not in fact expected to survive, and the Imperium believed the world to be lifeless for some ten thousand years following its discovery. The majority of sources believe that the most likely source of the world's population, suddenly discovered in 870.M41, was a group of Imperial Army deserters whom had been abandoned on the desert world as punishment for their crimes. This was seen as a more poetic justice than simply shooting them, and seeing as daily temperatures in the world's deserts could be expected to reach as high as ninety degrees Celsius, it was not unreasonable to consider this an effective means of execution. It would seem that they were able to eke out an existence however, and birth a whole civilisation. One of the main pieces of evidence for this is the the ancient city of Perpetium, a millennia old settlement seemingly built with Imperial techniques and stylings, constructed in the long dead lava tubes of Mount Rubricatus, an extinct volcano. Upon the world's rediscovery, no comparable settlements existed. The city itself is no longer inhabited, but remains a holy site to the various tribes of the desert.

It would appear that the descendants of the Imperial Army exiles eventually left Perpetium, spreading to the more fertile lands of the poles in events that persist in Hajmahni folklore as the Great Treks. Those who reached the North Pole became known as the Oaza, those at the south the Ljudi, with thousands of small tribes still living out in the desert regions, mostly living underground in a bid to shelter from the all-too deadly sun. For millennia this status-quo existed, and the societies came to support one another. As industry took hold of the Ljudi, their lands became less viable for agriculture, creating a lucrative market for the Oaza. The more agreeable desert tribes became couriers for these goods, and the more hostile ones took to plundering their caravans.

Some two hundred and fifty years ago, the world was finally rediscovered by Explorator fleets, and contact was made with Sheikh Adrik of the Oaza, the leader of his people, whom had ambitions beyond the Northern reaches. He pledged to join his world with the Imperium, putting himself forward as the planet's ruler, and claiming that he could make the other factions fall into line with little to no bloodshed. He set about this immediately, and suddenly ceased all exportation of foodstuffs to any who had not sworn their fealty to the Oaza. The only force with the resources to resist this was the Ljudi, however they had also become reliant on the Oaza for most of their sustenance, and if it could not be restored in short order, they would have no choice but to capitulate. However, as much as they may have wanted to strike at the Oaza, the fact remained that the two were seperated by a planet of shifting sands and scorching sun. The only safe way to move their forces with any speed would be through the underground passages that were dug and maintained by the lesser tribes. However this would be an extremely defensible environment for their enemy, and also risked raids by more helpless factions whom might already have agreed to the terms. In the end, no viable military strategy could be found, and the Ljudi bound themselves to the Oaza.

Then began a decades long effort to convert the Hajmahni to the Imperial Creed. The now Emir Adrik of the Oaza led the beginnings of the world's PDF and a contingent of missionaries from the Adeptus Ministorum in what would become known as the Great Illumination, converting all but the most remote tribes to the worship of the Emperor. Adrik remains the Emir of Hajmahn to this day, now approaching some three hundred years old.

Since joining the Imperium, the ruling Oaza have relied less and less on the industry of the Ljudi, citing long delivery times and poor efficiency of production, instead favouring imports from the wider galaxy. This has led to a major economic downturn for the Ljudi, whose poverty and shortages continue to worsen. Many journey across the desert to live in the Oazan lands, often buoyed by advertisements for work, only to face tribal discrimination and exploitation upon their arrival.

### Cities

Hajmahn is considered to be home to two cities, Ljudi'Ard and Watan Oaza. As may be inferred from their names, these are the respective polar territories of the Ljudi and Oaza. Each is a sprawling metropolis rather than a hive, though small spires do exist in the more built up areas. The layout of each has been determined by their growth, as both essentially started as a village, though there do exist a few commonalities. The center of the cities is more-or-less positioned on the very pole of the world, and in both cases this has become a gated palacial district for the upper echelons of society. Here, the sun never sets, and the residents are treated to a permanent golden sunset. Around and within these districts are extensive garden complexes, with artificial oases providing luxurious and extensive leisure areas for the rich and noble. This makes up a relatively small area however, and extended concentrically from this hub are the poorer regions, often becoming progressively more so as the environment becomes drier and dustier.

In Watan Oaza, the appearance of concentric circles is most dominant, due mostly to the fact that the city is dedicated primarily to food production. Beyond the garden district is a great ring of fields planted with crops. Beyond this a city ring, packed with housing, garages, repair shops, processing plants and warehouses, everything and everyone needed to tend the fields. Beyond this is another field ring. These continue outwards for miles, eventually giving way to livestock pens and finally the desert beyond. The crops are mostly wheat analogues or similar in order to feed the masses, however the most humid inner regions also produce more indulgent fruits, roots and berries to satisfy the world's more demanding palettes. When viewed from the air or space, it is easy to see why Watan Oaza is known as the City of Rings.

Ljudi'Ard however, is dedicated to the production of materiel, and presents a more traditional cityscape. As with so many, the metropolis was once many small distinct towns, each built around a factory and surrounded by subsistence farms. As the Ljudi and Oaza became more interdependent, the farms were built over, the factories extended and housing began to sprawl. New factories were built in between and construction turned vertical as the need for workers outstripped nearby space. The positions of those original towns is still evident in the modern city by the points of their towers, producing a strange landscape of stalagmites ranging away from the city's centre.

### Flora and Fauna

Hajmahn is home to three distinct biomes. The north and south poles, each unique by their isolation, and the vast desert that divides them.

The desert, though extremely inhospitable to human life, nevertheless succeeds in maintaining its own limited ecosystem. Most creatures are either arthropodic or reptilian in appearance, and are capable of at least limited burrowing. This allows them to survive the scorching temperatures of the midday. The most notable exception is the Shams Lizard, a wide, flat creature generally under a foot long, which survives via a form of photosynthesis. This creature essentially fills the niche of vegetation, and is the primary meal of practically all other desert life. Due to the lack of standing water on or indeed anyway near the surface, the animals of Hajmahn extract what moisture they can from the air they breathe, via an ingenious biological venturi. This also has the added benefits of ensuring that moisture is also not lost in exhalation, and cooling their core temperature. The largest creature on the planet is the Hout, a worm-creature that sifts deep layers for water and the anaerobic bacteria that grows around it. The Hout are both ally and bane to the Hajmahni desert dwellers, often providing them with pre-built tunnels and other times collapsing them. For this reason they have a strong association with luck and fate within tribal cultures.

The poles each have the boon of surface water and cooler temperatures, allowing a much greater array of life to flourish, however there is little to no natural crossover between them, and so a completely different set of species exist at each. For example, the North pole is host to a wide range of bird-like animals, many of which are flightless, whereas evolution on the South pole has decreed that wiry, short haired creatures are the norm. Both regions are tightly controlled by humanity however, and there is little in the way of truly notable wildlife. The plant life is a little more interesting, both regions are home to their own species of trees, bushes, ferns and grasses which largely keep the population fed, however of particular note is the Basr Flower, which is said to have strong hallucinogenic properties. It grows in only one cavern at the world's North pole and is considered sacred in the Hajmahni's pre-Imperial religions. Its use is tightly controlled, and now officially illegal, however each year the Oaza harvest its yield nonetheless.

### Religion

The Hajmahni exercise a version of the Imperial Creed in which the Emperor is revered as a Sun God. Specifically, they believe that each and every star is a manifestation of the Emperor. He is seen as a destructive and vindictive god, but also one that judges all men equally and allows or disallows access to the afterlife. The Hajmahni pray each day at dawn and dusk, the only times at which it is comfortable to be on the surface in the hottest regions. Their warriors are encouraged to battle "with the ferocity of the sun", however they notably consider death by fire to be the Emperor's domain, and thus will not employ flamers under any circumstances. This may have its roots in the fact that fires will consume all the oxygen in a tight space, and as underground tunnels are a part of everyday life for the Hajmahni, apparently unexplained deaths by asphyxiation could have been interpreted as divine retribution.

### Imports and Exports

Hajmahn is theoretically self-sufficient, however, largely due to political interests, a great deal is imported and exported with the wider sector.

The planet primarily imports materiel and luxury goods with a focus on Northern agriculture and the Nobility. This is allegedly because other, more industrialised worlds can deliver the goods faster and more cheaply than the Ljudi, compounded by the slow delivery and banditry through the underground highways. A more cynical point of view might assert that this is merely a ruse by the Oaza to weaken the position of the Ljudi, as food supplies for the South pole are still transported via the same highways.

Hajmahn's exports generally match their imports, as the Ljudi are forced to ship their produce off-world in order to survive. In doing this however, they are competing with local Hive worlds and even the Forge world Duopedes, and so struggle to turn a profit.

## Military

In terms of Astra Militarum output, Hajmahn exclusively produces Hajmahni Tunnelers. Due to the inherent lethality of travelling across the surface of the planet, Hajmahn is criss-crossed with hundreds of underground passages, dug over ten thousand years. Some are barely crawlspaces, others are large enough to admit huge bulk transports, and new ones are constantly dug by various parties, legal and otherwise. The desert tribes whom are friendly to the planet's establishment are entrusted to guard and maintain the passages necessary for trade, and in return are provided equipment and the basics of living. Whilst those tribes less friendly often supplement their own means by raiding the traffic that passes through. Therefore, the main focal point of armed conflict on the world is in these tunnels, and as such the Hajmahni have become quite capable at it. The tunnelers excel at constructing and fighting in offensive mines, as well as capturing and defending existing tunnels. Their skills also often prove useful in other close quarters environments, such as urban and shipboard combat, however their tactics often leave them vulnerable to flanking attacks in less linear engagements. The tunnelers have been used in more open terrain in the past, however as their equipment is almost exclusively specialised for close quarters, they suffer terribly when engaged at range. Notably, all tunnelers are issued with earplugs to protect them from the shockwaves of weapons firing in confined spaces.

Within these regiments there is a relatively strict adherence to Hajmahn's existing class system, though some mobility does still exist. At the bottom are the tribal raiders, whom when captured have the choice of labour, military service, or death. Most choose the service, and are then generally used as one might employ penal troops. Organised into Alliwa (Brigand) squads, unarmoured, and equipped with sidearms and simple melee weapons, these men do the majority of the digging, are often sent through breaches first, and will often be sacrificed to cover retreats should their own tunnel be assaulted. There is next to zero hierarchical mobility for these men, and the best they can expect to achieve is Corporal, and even then only in exceptional circumstances. Above these are the friendly desert tribes, who form the majority of the enlisted men, and the NCOs of the Alliwa squads. Their primary weapons are shotguns and frag grenades, supported by heavy stubbers, heavy bolters and grenade launchers, with flak vests for armour. These men are the main fighting force of the regiment, and have some upward mobility, generally peaking at the junior officer level, though this is quite rare. On the highest level are the Ljudi and Oaza. Although both share theoretically equal mobility, the upper echelons are dominated by the Oaza, as well as the more honorable or desirable positions, such as aides and logistical positions. Recruits from both groups will have had very different experiences to their desert-dwelling counterparts, mostly police and garrison duties in all likelihood, and are selected for leadership in most cases. All but the least promising candidates will begin their careers as at least Sergeants or rear echelon personnel. Progression from then on is theoretically meritocratic, however in practice other, more political factors almost always dominate.