[Molotov]

Hey guys, this section says that it's for battle reports but also for campaigns. As a result I wanted to share some of the progress I've made towards the INQ28 campaign we're going to be running (probably over the winter).

I've been working on a small campaign setting based (to a degree) on the studio's world of Karis Cephalon. I liked the setup of Karis Cephalon, with the mixture of farming, mining, industry and cities. As a result, I wanted to create a similar world, which I've named "Nova Castille" after one of the hives on Ichar IV. (I thought it was too good a name to waste on a hive!) A civilised world with farms and mines, a slave underclass with a elite of landowners (the only ones allowed to vote).

However, Nova Castille isn't going to be a complete rip-off of Karis Cephalon; I've also taken some influence from the various Dark Heresy sourcebooks, along with the Cirian Legacy campaignbook.

To kickstart my players and the Inquisitors involved with Karis Cephalon, I've created this document:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

REF: Inq/VVSOP2123/NC
AUTHOR: Inquisitor Rixx
SUBJECT: Nova Castille - An Overview

>>ATTACHED PLANETARY DATA DOWNLOAD<<
>>TRANSMITTING<<
>>RECEIVED<<

Planet: Nova Castille
Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 0.995
Orbit: 0.97
Rotation: 0.94
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 1.12
Satellites: 1
Planetary Capital: Cantium

Founding
Nova Castille was originally settled during the Golden Age and was rediscovered during the Great Crusade, c.350.M30 by the Blood Angels Legion.

Notable Historic Events
:: Until the late 33rd Millennium, Nova Castille was ruled by a Monarchy. A popular revolt led by trade and farming leaders and aided by much of the planetary defence forces overthrew the ruling elite and established a semi-democratic process. The Planetary Governor is now an elected official voted for by the ruling elite. This electorate is formed by farm and mine owners – those with economic influence gain political influence. The new regime was officially recognised by the Adeptus Terra in 881.M33.

Features
:: Nova Castille has a mix of agricultural and industrial economy, and is largely self-sufficient. Individual wealth is based upon slave labour for the majority, and most of the people on Nova Castille are either members of - or work for – one of the large merchant families that hold most of the planet’s wealth. The Ecclesiarchy does maintain its own independent holdings on the planet, however.

:: Nova Castille possesses a large mutant population which forms a slave labour force for the planetary economy. Local laws segregate such slaves, and they have no legal rights. There have been several abortive slave revolts in the planet's history but none have seriously threatened the power of the ruling classes.

:: The trade cartel known as the Lazarine syndicate has a number of holdings on Nova Castille, including the opulent Carnivora in the midst of Cantium known as the ‘Red Circus’, along with a number of insignificant mining facilities.

Past Inquisitorial Involvement
:: See separate sub-files on Slave Trading, Licensed Mutants. No reported investigations within the last fifty years.

Unsubstantiated Data
:: The family of the current Imperial Commander has been investigated several times over the last three centuries for connection with diabolic cults, irregular practices and possession of unholy artefacts and materials. No conclusive proof was discovered in all cases.

:: Portents in the warp have led many seers of the Inquisition to suggest Nova Castille is located at the centre of an astrological convergence that will last for several years and narrow the gap between real space and warp space, allowing daemons and other entities to break through more easily.

:: Nova Castille is believed to host numerous Dark Age Technologies, including a weapon known as the Angel [ref: Codices of Alurha, Vol.5: 'The Angel of Destruction was brought forth and the light of death razed the sinful city to ruins.'] Excavations across the planet have found little evidence to support this fanciful tale.

:: Whilst the ruling elite is keen to protect its economic interests through mutant labour, it appears that elements do exist on Nova Castille are anti-mutant, launching extended campaigns of violence against the mutant ghettos. This mysterious organisation goes by the name of “The Eagle’s Claws”.

:: The criminal cartel known as the White Snake dominates the sub-sector, distributing a dangerous narcotic known as ‘haze’. Past investigations [see files 22357/A & 96238/E] seem to promote the theory that ‘haze’ is derived from an ore that originates from Nova Castille, but this has never been proven.

:: Farmers from the lowland farming region of Deepsuth have reported a spate of bizarre Grox mutilations.

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The "Unsubstantiated Data" section effectively provides a number of leads for the Inquisitors to investigate, and it will determine how they interact with eachother. There are a number of other groups on Nova Castille, some of which will be immediately obvious to the players, but some of which are content to operate behind the scenes. The Mutant Rebels, the Eagles' Claws, the White Snake Cartel and the Lazarine Syndicate are just a few of the dangerous individuals on Nova Castille.

In the next post I'll introduce the four Inquisitors who will begin our campaign.  

[Molotov]

Inquisitor Adorno: (Ordo Malleus, Radical)
Adorno is a (relatively) young and foolhardy radical Daemonhunter whose philosophical leanings would likely ally him with the Xanthites. Adorno has devoted his Inquisitorial career to mastering the dark arts of sorcery through a combination of forbidden lore, dangerous experimentation and focused willpower. Early in his career, he summoned a daemon from the warp with the intent of interrogating it for knowledge. His rash desire for dark knowledge forced him to make his greatest mistake - the daemon was able to break through the improperly-inscribed wards, possessing the Inquisitor and attempting to devour his soul.

After a tumultuous struggle, Adorno was able to force the daemon from his body, though the experience scarred him physically and mentally. Loath to let the daemon go, he bound it into one of his few surviving servants, creating the Daemonhost Seraphael. Adorno has attempted to divine what information he can from it over the years.

Obsessed, driven and intelligent, Adorno has resolved to learn from his earliest mistakes, researching carefully to ensure that he can avoid the pitfalls that so often destroy lesser practioners of the malefic arts. Yet his own arrogance will inevitably be his undoing.

As yet, Adorno's radicalism is not widely known, and he has worked hard to ensure that remains the case. He considers his retinue ultimately expendable instruments of his will. He has come to Nova Castille after receiving information that the planet contains dark knowledge that can be turned to his benefit.


Inquisitor Balthier (Ordo Hereticus, Puritan)
Alaric Balthier is an Amalathian Inquisitor, dedicated to preserving the Imperium so that the Emperor may be afforded the ability to bring His plans to completion. A member of the Ordo Hereticus, Balthier has brought several high-profile cults to account for their heresies. Balthier is also infamous for prosecuting his fellow Inquisitors for their actions. This has led some Inquisitors to be wary around Balthier; his supporters claim that only those with something to hide should be afraid of his methods.

Balthier has been ordered to Nova Castille by his masters, who have ordered him to investigate the apparently insignificant world for corruption. Balthier has been forced to place his own investigations on hold, and considers his task a nuisance.

Inquisitor Hoth (Ordo Xenos, Motivations UNCLEAR)
Villem Hoth is an Inquisitor with a great many tales to tell. As an Interrogator he was apprenticed to an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus. Hoth discovered his master was communing with daemons and called in the Ordo - and the Grey Knights. Hoth endured severe interrogation and investigation to prove his purity after his master was executed for his heresies. However, the only Inquisitor who would take on the Interrogator was a member of the Ordo Xenos.

A morally complex man, Hoth has always maintained that the Inquisition needs thinking men, and not fanatics. He has little time for politicking, which has impeded his rise through the Inquisition - perhaps even more than his association with a reviled heretic. As a Daemonhunter, Hoth would likely be classed as a rabid puritan. As a member of the Ordo Xenos, his views are more lenient; he has had dealings with aliens before, and expresses opinions that might be considered radical by some within the Ordo.


Inquisitor Ferox (Ordo UNKNOWN, Motivations UNKNOWN)
+++INFORMATION CORRUPTED+++

[Sideros Peltarion]

Looks like a good starter pack there, with lots of different routes that Inquisitors can take their investigations.  How much of it was from the studio's stuff on Karis Cephalon? Were the factions your own idea or theirs?

[MarcoSkoll]

Sounds like it's got some potential as a campaign.

However, I have a couple of points on the numbers. I know you've mostly copied them from Karis Cephalon (other than a change in equatorial diameter), but GW made some mistakes with them.

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Orbit: 1.24

The KM distance is pretty much bang on 1 AU (149,598,000 km), so 1.24 doesn't agree with that - of course assuming AU are being used, but these figures are generally considered comparative to Terra.

Mass: 1.02
Rotation: 1.45
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 1.12

For this mass, diameter and rotation*, gravity should be 0.995. (It's also wrong if you use the original 10,900 km figure, when it should be 1.39 - but a planet that small and of that mass would be quite a dense planet, at 63% more than earth). Again, with the caveat that it's comparative to Earth.

*Although the effects of rotation on gravity are very minimal, minor effects of "centrifugal force"**
** Yes, I know "centrifugal force" doesn't truly exist, but when considering inertial effects on a rotational reference frame, you need to consider that one does.

It's not important details, but it doesn't hurt to get them right.
I'll admit to having a spreadsheet that works these things out for me automatically - throw in the numbers, then get back planet gravity, gravity lapse rate at the ground and average planet density. I keep meaning to add something to figure what the atmospheric pressure would be as well, but that's probably me being over pedantic.

[Molotov]

Marco, thanks for your input. To a degree I guess I regarded the numbers as little more than flavour text that I know my players will ignore and/or forget. Still, I understand the desirability of authenticity, so I aprpeciate the response.

My understanding is that you're suggesting that a Castillian year be closer to a Terran year - as Nova Castille is closer to its sun, the year would be correspondingly shorter? I could change it to something like 0.97?

I'll change the gravity to your suggested figure.

@ Sideros Peltarion: It's a bit of an eclectic mix. The various factions are my invention, for the most part. The White Snake Cartel is based on the Red Serpent from the Cirian Legacy. The mutants are perhaps the only faction from the Karis Cephalon campaign - it's more the details of the planet itself that are taken and altered (badly, apparently!) that are duplicated.

[Adlan]

** Yes, I know "centrifugal force" doesn't truly exist, but when considering inertial effects on a rotational reference frame, you need to consider that one does.

Marco: http://xkcd.com/123/

[MarcoSkoll]

My understanding is that you're suggesting that a Castillian year be closer to a Terran year - as Nova Castille is closer to its sun, the year would be correspondingly shorter? I could change it to something like 0.97?

It does depend on the solar mass, but Kepler's 3rd law defines the square of the orbital period as proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the orbit, a necessity in order to orbit - rather than float off or slowly spiral into the sun.

If Nova Castille's sun has the same mass as ours, its year would be around 351 Terran days.
Of course, if it has a sun of a different mass, then its year would vary appropriately. Heavier suns would demand shorter years, and lighter suns longer ones.

However, messing with solar mass/orbital distance would also change planetary temperature. If Nova Castille's climate can be considered reasonably similar to Earth's then its year should be of a length a little less than 365 Terran days. (In Nova Castillian days, expect a year of 500-520 NC days.)

But don't feel too forced to be too precise on that one. Climate is affected by planetary albedo and atmospheric thickness, so the length of a year can move a reasonable distance due to changes in the solar mass - provided they have been compensated for by the planet's "reflectivity" and atmospheric makeup in order to keep the climate habitable.

Also, I should note that you altered the planetary mass, not the planetary gravity.

~~~~~

@Adlan: Like I said, when considering inertial effects on a rotating reference frame. In an inertial reference frame (what the universe as a whole is), it doesn't exist.

[Molotov]

Okay... I suppose the bright side of this is that it lets me learn more stuff!

I'm working on the assumption that Nova Castille is earth-like, with a sun (and a climate) essentially similar to ours. If you say that a Castillian year of ~500 days is the same as a Terran year of 365, does that mean that a day would be 17.5 hours long? (365 x 24 = 8760 ÷ 500 = 17.52)

These sorts of things aren't really my strongpoint, though I'm keen to understand more.

My mistake on the mass/gravity - So we have something like this...?

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 (?)
Orbit: 1.24 (?)
Rotation: 1.45 (?)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 0.995
Satellites: 1
~~~~~

[MarcoSkoll]

If you say that a Castillian year of ~500 days is the same as a Terran year of 365, does that mean that a day would be 17.5 hours long? (365 x 24 = 8760 ÷ 500 = 17.52)

I've taken "Rotation: 1.45" to mean it rotates 45% faster than Earth, which gives it days of what would in Terran terms be 16 hours 33 minutes. (24/1.45 = 16.55 hours)
The equivalence was for a ~350 Terran Day year = ~510 NC Days.

Presumably they'd have a more practical local time system that doesn't use 16' 33" days. Conveniently, that's 993 minutes, so let's say they use a slightly different minute to get to 1000 minutes, then have 50 or 100 minute "hours" (for 20 or 10 per day, respectively). NC seconds would be thus 0.7% shorter than Terran ones. Nothing notable for normal use, but I assume they would have to convert from NC units to Imperial standard for anything scientific or precise data being sent off planet.

~~~~~

With a star that precisely resembles our sun (anything in bold is an "Input" that was used to calculate the other numbers.)

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 Terran Masses
Orbit: 0.963 Terran Years (351.8 Terran days, 510.1 NC Days)
Rotation: 1.45 (16 Hour 33 minute day)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Average Planetary Density: 5425 kg/cubic metre (0.98 relative)
Gravity: 0.995 Terran g (9.77 m/s/s)

All of those numbers relate to each other appropriately.

With the Earth's atmosphere and albedo, the planet would have a fractionally hotter climate than Earth because of its closer proximity to its star, but not noticeably.

If you'd like to mix it up slightly so the star isn't a direct clone of the sun, at 1.05 Solar masses, the orbital period becomes as follows: 343.3 Terran Days, 497.8 NC Days, 0.940 Terran Years
Planetary climate could still be close enough to Earth-like that you wouldn't notice.

[Molotov]

Thanks for this - I definitely appreciate the input. I'm not sure I want days that are that short, though - perhaps if we had a roughly twenty-hour day (by Earth standards) - how would that work out? What would the figures have to be changed to?

[Simeon Blackstar]

All this stuff is pretty interesting, but I have to admit the physics is going over my head without knowing the equations.  Would it be possible to put them into an Excel spreadsheet that people could input key values into and get the appropriate other results?  It strikes me that that could be quite a useful tool for world building.

[MarcoSkoll]

@Simeon Blackstar: It is all in an Excel spreadsheet. It's a damned messy Excel sheet, as is my norm, but I've got it all there so I can just throw the right numbers at it.

I need to neaten it up and make it a bit more intuitive before I release it, but sure.

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@ Molotov: For a 20 hour day, rotation would be 1.2 - Gravity is very minorly effected, but it's beyond the 3rd significant figure.
To randomise it a bit, we'll call it Rotation 1.21 - so 19 hour, 50 minute days or 1190 minutes (so perhaps 1200 NC minutes to a day).

Year would change to (depending on the mass of the star...)
1 Solar Mass: 425.7 NC Days
1.05 Solar Masses: 415.4 NC Days

Relative Terran year lengths are unaffected.

~~~~~

Actually on that note, if you think at the trouble with jet-lag on Earth, imagine what transfer between planets of different day lengths would do to you (and not even including the mess of actually travelling there).

And more unrelated, but still interesting, I briefly mentioned the complexity of ballistics between different planets in an RP on the last 'Clave. Different planetary gravity or spin would make long range shooting no simple task.

I'm enough of a geek that the trajectory calculator I'm working on can be programmed to accept planets other than Earth. It will obviously never see genuine use for those purposes, but it's kind of fun that it can.

So, you've got to wonder how much of a Vindicare's training would need to go into learning how to shoot accurately at long range (for these effects are only really notable at greater distances) even when the planet changes. It would take serious study, intelligence and experience to be a masterful "interplanetary" sniper.

Still, what's happening here is that I'm ranting about guns again...

[Simeon Blackstar]

So, you've got to wonder how much of a Vindicare's training would need to go into learning how to shoot accurately at long range (for these effects are only really notable at greater distances) even when the planet changes. It would take serious study, intelligence and experience to be a masterful "interplanetary" sniper.

I'd never thought of that - probably quite a lot considering they're unlikely to be on the same planet twice!  I'm no gun expert, but I'm lead to believe that out around the 1000 yard mark you can regularly be aiming ~3' above your target?  With altered gravity, that could change pretty substantially.

[Molotov]

Marco, so just to clarify:

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 Terran Masses
Orbit: 0.9?? Terran Years (351.8 Terran days, 425.7 NC Days)
Rotation: 1.21 (19 Hour, 50 minutes Terran/day)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Average Planetary Density: 5425 kg/cubic metre (0.98 relative)
Gravity: 0.995 Terran g (9.77 m/s/s)

Is that about right? We just need to clarify the orbit value and then I can consider that bit "Marco-proof"?

[MarcoSkoll]

I'm no gun expert, but I'm lead to believe that out around the 1000 yard mark you can regularly be aiming ~3' above your target?

At 1000 yards, even with a pretty high powered rifle, you can expect to be aiming 10 or more yards above your target.

Gravity is not the only force at stake. Atmospheric drag and the Coriolis effect (compensation for the planet rotation) would make it a nightmare at those ranges. You could easily miss a target at a few hundred yards simply because the planet was rotating the other way to what you thought it would be.

Although I doubt GW considered it, it's a good reason for snipers to use Long Las rifles - the beam wouldn't be affected by these things (at least, notably).
It's probable that Vindicares (which as far as I know, use solid projectile weapons) are equipped with scopes designed to automatically compensate, but it's still important to understand these things.

~~~~~

@ Molotov:

Assuming you're going with 1 solar mass, orbital period will be 0.963

~~~~~

Also, I've got a thread for the spreadsheet, if you want one yourself:
http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=94.0