Orcan Stonecrushers - Orcan Stonecrushers in the Spinward Front: The Orcan regiments have something of a unique position on the Spinward Front, owing to their recent history. Orcus is situated firmly with the Periphery, and was amongst the planets claimed by the Severan Dominate when Duke Severus XIII declared his secession. For many solar months, this meant little, until the "liberation forces" of the Severan Dominate arrived. The miniscule contingent of Adeptus Arbites stationed on the planet were completely unprepared to hold off the invading force. Their chances might have been better with the native Ogryns' assistance, but the Ducal Legates reached them first, ensuring such aid would not come. The Duke's own political officers quickly swayed the loyal Ogryns to their cause, twisting the Abhumans' devotion to the Emperor, just as the forces of the Severan Dominate did on many other worlds. Much to the Severan Dominate's satisfaction, this act proved much easier with the simple-minded and trusting Ogryns. The Ducal Legates succeeded in convincing a large number of the Ogryns, including chieftains and Bone'eads, that they represented the will of the Emperor, and that obedience to Duke Severus would please Him on Terra. Wisely and correctly concluding that the small presence of Ministorum priests stationed within the penitarium complex would pose the greatest obstacle to the conversion of the Ogryns, the Duke's forces struck at the representatives of the Ecclesiarchy swiftly, despatching special operations units to silence them. This being done, the Severan Dominate's wordsmiths continued their mission to recruit the dim-witted Orcans to the Duke's cause. With the aid of the native Ogryns, the Severan Dominate quickly took control of Orcus.By the time Imperial reinforcements arrived in the form of the Brontian 23rd Light Infantry, with artillery support from the 203rd Krieg, Orcus was firmly in the hands of the Severan Dominate, who had begun recruiting Imperial convicts and recidivists of all stripes to their cause. Many of these individuals, already resentful of the Imperium, took little convincing to swear to the Duke's service. Still more gladly pledged their service in exchange for freedom from the penitariums. Though this caused some concern for the native Ogryns, who had been taught for centuries to despise the prisoners as enemies of the Emperor, it was not enough to sway them from fighting alongside the Duke's forces to repel the Imperial relief. With the high-gravity conditions of Orcus, both the Severan Dominate and Imperial forces fought at a huge disadvantage, leaving the Ogryns as the deciding factor in battle.With so many Ogryns bolstering their numbers, the Severan Dominate decisively won battle after battle. The turning point came when a number of Adeptus Ministorum priests took to the field, hoping to rally the Brontian forces for a renewed counter attack. Recognising the preachers as representatives of the Emperor's will, the Ogryn forces faltered when they saw the scions of the Emperor's word about to be slaughtered. Their leader, Brik Agrak, switched sides once more and rushed to the preachers' aid, barrelling into the Severan Dominate infantry, swiftly followed by his Ogryn warriors. In the confusion, it was only thanks to Brik's Bone'ead surgery, required for his duty as a pen-block supervisor, that a battlefield alliance was possible. Loudly affirming the Ogryns' loyalty and devotion to the Emperor, Brik parleyed with the Ministorum detachment and quickly rallied the other (rather confused) Ogryns to redirect their attacks against the Severan Dominate forces. With Brik's assistance, the Imperial Guard soon rallied the rest of the local population to the Imperial cause. As word of the Severan Dominate's treachery spread throughout the Ogryn population, they rose up and retook their world alongside the Imperial forces. The victory took many solar months, but with the Ogryns against them, the Severan Dominate lacked the manpower to hold their territory. With previously unseen fury, the Ogryns decimated the Severan Dominate forces that had deceived them into betraying the Imperium.In the aftermath of the retaking of Orcus, the Departmento Munitorum was understandably wary of the Orcan Ogryns. However, even during the Duke's control of Orcus and the natives' misguided allegiance to him, Orcan forces had continued to serve the Imperial Guard loyally in the Jericho Reach, Scarus Sector, and even in the Spinward Front. The Orcan regiments fought valiantly against the forces of the Severan Dominate, even while their brethren at home were swayed to the Duke's cause. Weighing all factors, the masters of the Departmento Munitorum saw fit to raise several additional regiments from Orcus, once the pacification was all-but-complete. The General Staff immediately pit these new regiments against the Severan Dominate on a half-dozen worlds, with Commissars assigned to directly supervise their activities. Sure enough, the newly recruited Orcans fought ferociously against the Severan Dominate forces, driven by rage at the Traitors and an overwhelming desire to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Imperium and the Emperor.Recently, officers of the Departmento Munitorum have made the controversial recommendation to raise a penal regiment from amongst Orcus' imprisoned criminal population. With the ever-increasing need for personnel in the Spinward Front, this action is proceeding, and a new Orcan regiment of a very different kind is soon to be amongst the Imperial Guard forces fighting against the enemies of the Imperium on the Calixis Sector's border.