Warhammer 40,000: Cataclysm of Albion

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The Philosoraptor

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[fieldbox= , red]Ah, Albion. Center of Imperial pleasure and relaxation. From the holiest of Cardinals to the lowliest of rogue traders, this great world is a beauty in its complexity. From the underground casino caverns to the skyscraper brothels, to even airborne bars, Albion is, among Imperial Pleasure Worlds, a crown jewel. Until, of course, the day the Cataclysm began...

It started when the Greenskins fell from the sky on their meteors. The large garrison of soldiers placed on Albion was no match for the burgeoning WAAAGH!, and barely managed to send out a distress call before going into hiding. And when there was nothing left but Orks and bloodshed, the swarm that they'd been running from arrived: The infinitely multiplying Orks went to war with the unbeatable Tyranids. And when the blood soaked the ground, and Chaos had bred sufficiently, the Warp was rent asunder, and Daemons poured forth to compliment the Cultists of Albion and meet their foes in battle.

For a solar year these factions warred with each other, while the remaining humans fought valiantly against their invaders from the shadows. Now, a year since the conflict began, the Space Marines have arrived, a vanguard for several regiments of the Imperial Guard. And while the very earth is ripped apart with this great clash of titans, yet more threats awakes from beneath the ground and among the stars above...
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Welcome to Warhammer 40K: Cataclysm of Albion! As the above text suggests, this is the story of a massive clash between virtually every faction in the Warhammer universe, excluding only the Tau. On one front, the side of Chaos, battle the dreaded Ork WAAAGH!, the Chaos Cults and their accompanying hordes of Daemons, and the vile Tyranids. On the other, the side of Order, the valiant Space Marines, the expendable Imperial Guard, the mighty Eldar, and the sinister Necrons.

The gameplay for such a massive RP is relatively simple. As players, we would each take control of a single commander character, who would then orchestrate and participate in battles with other players. Each large-scale action should be overseen and approved by the GM first, and the player it would affect second. Small-scale, internal actions, however, are at the discretion of each player. The following are the available factions, with some background information for each:


  • Chaos - The player takes control of a Chaos Lord of one of five Chaos sub-sects: Khorne, Slaanesh, Nurgle, Tzeentch, or Chaos Undivided. Keep in mind that the former two are the most likely, as Slaanesh holds a place on every Pleasure World, and Khornate Daemons swiftly follow any bloodshed. As a high-ranking commander in the forces of the Dark Gods, you have been tasked with subjugating and breaking the wills of the local populace after the failure of your predecessor to swiftly take the world. Your forces are centered in the north of the world's super-continent within massive, thousand-kilometer wide capitol city of Camelot, (named after the city of Terran legend) where temples and monuments to your Chaos God(s) have been erected. Your armies are comprised of Chaos Cultists and Daemon hordes. Though well-armed, and even complimented by Chaos Space Marines, you have yet to summon many Greater Daemons, and have been fenced in by the surrounding Orks and the rising Necrons. Your first act as a new Chaos Lord should be to crack through the lines of your weakest enemies and break the siege over your fortress, so as to keep your soldiers supplied and your Daemons empowered by battle.
  • Space Marines - The player takes control of the Chapter Master of a Chapter of Space Marines, either Canon or OC. Having just arrived at Albion, your fleet remains in Orbit, battling with the remaining Ork and Tyranid ships in orbit, and dealing with the sudden emergence of a Necron fleet. Your first act as commanding officer should be to breach the layer of ships surrounding the planet and establish a foothold on the surface, by which your Imperial counterparts may land and begin their assault.
  • Imperials - One player takes control of an officer in the Imperial Guard. A Supreme Commander of the forces assaulting Albion, he is often subject to the wills of the Chapter Master above him, but is more often than not in charge of most military operations. Another player would take control over an Admiral in the Imperial Navy, in command of most, if not all of the human ships orbiting Albion. The former officer's first act should be to follow the Space Marines down to the planet's surface and establish fortifications, while at the same time preparing for future assaults on the enemy. Meanwhile, the latter officer is in charge of ensuring the safe landing of the Space Marines and Imperial Guard, as well as fending off the fleets around them.
  • Tyranids - The player takes control of a unique Hive Tyrant, spawned for the express purpose of conquering Albion. While not nearly on par with the Swarmlord, and still subject to the Norn Queen, this morph is remarkable for its intelligence and individuality, and makes an excellent commander in the field. Furthermore, its uniqueness extends to one particular trait as much as its odd physical appearance: The Tyrant can seize control of other Tyranids, temporarily severing them from the Hive to accomplish a specific task. This power ranges from dominating several small biomorphs, such as Hormagaunts, to something as large as a Tyrannofex. The Tyranids have established themselves on the southern half of the planet's supercontinent, a vast and formerly lush place that has since become a forest of capillary towers and a staging area to attack the north, where the Orks and the forces of Chaos have fortified. A new response to the prolonged fighting on Albion, the Hive Tyrants first orders from the Norn Queen have been to grow the Hive's forces on the ground by raiding the Orks, and then to strike out at the Necrons, who are, theoretically, the greatest threat to the Tyranids. At the same time, in the void above, its mind watches and micromanages the Hive Fleet in the interests of the Norn Queen.
  • Orks - The player takes control of an Ork Warboss, formerly a Freebooter, who has since gathered a massive WAAAGH! around himself. Using his massive store of assets, soldiers, and ships, this Warboss has brought the Greenskins to Albion, creating a massive army that has quickly become one of, if not the largest force on the planet. However, his fleet is one of the weakest, having spent most of its power fighting the Planetary Defense Force when the Orks first arrived. With the arrival of new enemies, his first action should be to WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
  • Necrons - The player takes control of a newly awakened Necron Lord, whose sanity has, despite the ravages of time, remained intact. His armies are in relatively good condition, and his ships, despite the violation of the surface above, remain entirely functional. Having only been awakened by the arrival of the Space Marines, the Necrons have little intelligence on the war above, and are entering with little to no idea what enemies they fight. Awakening right beneath the Tyranid hordes, the Lord's first actions should be to blitz the fleets above and cut off the supplies of the enemy, establish a stronghold, and evaluate the enemies around him.
  • Eldar - The player takes control of an Eldar Autarch, commanding a Craftworld that was overtaken by the Space Marines. While the ensuing skirmish was brief and quickly ended, the two sides were both sucked into the conflict on Albion. Initially, the Autarch wanted nothing to do with the disastrous battle, but ultimately succumbed to the desire to enter the battle when the Warp rift began to grow. Like the Necrons, Space Marines, and Imperials, the Eldar have only just arrived to the battle, and know little of the conflict. However, the Autarch's objectives should not be to land just yet. Instead, their immediate first action should be to stay clear of the Mon-keigh and ensure the safety of the Craftworld.
At the moment, there are openings for eight players in this roleplay.

I hope to see some interest soon!
 
Oh-ho, I am very curious indeed!

I'm wondering how you intend to handle battles, however? Is it all just narrative? And if so, how do you determine who wins?
 
Insomnant's reply is basically my concern. How game-like is it, determining victors, etc. This would almost certainly require a map, maybe even detailed unit counts, etc.
 
Oh-ho, I am very curious indeed!

I'm wondering how you intend to handle battles, however? Is it all just narrative? And if so, how do you determine who wins?
Insomnant's reply is basically my concern. How game-like is it, determining victors, etc. This would almost certainly require a map, maybe even detailed unit counts, etc.
Battles are largely narrative in nature, but an outcome would be agreed upon prior to the posting of the battle, either through random dice rolls or an agreement between players overseen by the GM. No matter what, numbers, types of units, positioning, and equipment will be deciding factors. It's somethinks I have in mind, but the exact system is something I'd post later. It would mostly revolve around receiving more dice for certain things. Your Chapter Master having a Power Sword, or your regiment having so many men equipped with plasma guns, or how many Daemons are supplementing your standard troops. As well, tactics and maneuvering are equally important. Strategic bombings, deployment of soldiers for disruption of supply lines, and placing soldiers in certain places would act as force multipliers and force disruptors.

As a result, unit counts are important, as well as keeping track of what types of soldiers and what weapons you have.

As for a map, those are easy enough to find and/or make.
 
Battles are largely narrative in nature, but an outcome would be agreed upon prior to the posting of the battle, either through random dice rolls or an agreement between players overseen by the GM. No matter what, numbers, types of units, positioning, and equipment will be deciding factors. It's somethinks I have in mind, but the exact system is something I'd post later. It would mostly revolve around receiving more dice for certain things. Your Chapter Master having a Power Sword, or your regiment having so many men equipped with plasma guns, or how many Daemons are supplementing your standard troops. As well, tactics and maneuvering are equally important. Strategic bombings, deployment of soldiers for disruption of supply lines, and placing soldiers in certain places would act as force multipliers and force disruptors.

As a result, unit counts are important, as well as keeping track of what types of soldiers and what weapons you have.

As for a map, those are easy enough to find and/or make.
I would personally prefer to have a mechanical framework to quantify this sort of thing but I of all people know how demanding it is to provide that! I will say it wouldn't have to be something immensely complex, but even a degree of randomness influenced by a simple measure of the quality of your military forces is better than simple contemplation.

But that being said, I'm still quite interested!
 
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