Severan Dominate

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Severan Dominate
Capital	Karacallia
Official Languages	High Gothic and Low Gothic
Power	Minor Power
Size	11 known Planets, 42 Solar Systems within the Periphery Sub-Sector
Head of State	Duke Severus XIII
Head of Government	Council of Planetary Governors, Ducal Legates and the Duke
Governmental Structure	Supranational Confederal Dukedom
State Religion/Ideology	Modified Imperial Cult
Demographic	Humans, a few Dark Eldar
Military Force	Severan Dominate Forces, Severan Dominate Fleets, Dark Eldar Forces

Throughout the Imperium's history, many have sought to secede and rebel against the authority of the Emprah, with many rebelling Planetary Governors ended up facing their nose against the barrel of a Bolter. Whether it is the Badab War, the Macharian Heresy, or the Nova Terra Interregnum, the Imperium usually succeed in quelling these upstarts after a while.

However, some very fortunate rebels manage to survive intact due to either crafty politicking, competent leadership or just pure luck. The Severan Dominate is all of these combined; in particular, these guys have the fucking luck of the Irish. Founded by an eccentric Rogue Trader going by the name of Duke Severus I, the Severan Dominate is basically what happens when the various rebels actually know a thing or two about Realpolitik. Imagine Caesar’s Legion from Fallout but without the ideology, or think the Tau Empire but full of WIN. For all intents and purposes, they are the non-chaos equivalent of the Blood Pact, having their own Imperial Guard, Commissars and even their own fucking Special Forces. These guys earn /tg/'s seal of Awesome.

Overview

Astrocartography of the Severan Dominate.

Originally part of the Imperium and consisting of worlds Severus acquired in the Periphery Sub-Sector of the Calixis Sector with the help of Dark Eldar, Severus I was nothing short of pragmatic to the point of rustling the Inquisition's jimmies. The reason why the higher-ups did not touch Severus was due to the fact that he was already considered a hero of sorts during the Angevin Crusade that added the Calixis Sector to the Imperium of Man in the 39th Millennium. Without the Rogue Trader’s influence and tactical genius, the war to control the Calyx Expanse would have taken centuries to complete.

Heck, some people with super heretical opinions even suggest that the revered Saint Drusus might not have completed his conquests without the successes of Severus. Of course, Severus’ biggest flaw was his enormous ego and ambition; the Duke was pretty jelly at the power of the High Lords but also viewed them the same way as /tg/ views them: useless old ballsacks that spends more time bickering over laxatives than improving the Administratum. So when the region began to plunge into chaos during the Spinward Front wars, Severus saw the opportunity and proceed to pull a Postumus, announcing his annexation of the worlds under his influence into a private fiefdom and popularizing the move as a revolution against Imperial tyranny.

The Dominate has a bastardized version of the Imperial Cult used to enhance the power of the current Duke, Severus XIII. To sum it up simply, it claims that the Dominate are the true Emperor Loyalists while the High Lords of Terra are super Heretics. To this end, the Dominate maintains a corps of political officers known as Ducal Legates to enforce its ideology; essentially the Legates are ideological police that maintain the loyalty and support of the subservient Planetary Governors. Unlike the Imperium, however, the Severan Dominate actually know how to do Diplomacy, as the Ducal Legates maintain interplanetary relations via excellent oratory speech and charisma. If anything, Middle Power Diplomacy and Finlandisation are one of the key foreign policy goals for the Severan Dominate; the Duke's ability to play the Great Powers against each other whilst currying favour with various neutral or aligned powers is actually competent from a strategic perspective. This is necessary as the Severan Dominate is in an astropolitically precarious situation, besieged on a two-front war between the Imperium of Man and the Orks of WAAAGH! Grimtoof.

Dominate ideology emphasizes three pillars: Interdependence, Justice, and Honesty. While they seem lofty and progressive on paper, in truth Dominate ideology is twisted to allow for a functional totalitarian state.

So why hasn't the Imperium crushed these upstarts as an example to others?

The Severan Dominate is very small, remote, and comparatively new. They're only a nuisance to the Calixis sector, not to the larger Segmentum or the Imperium as a whole. It's unlikely a report of their existence has even made it to the High Lords as of yet. But more importantly, because they're notionally still loyal to the Emperor, it makes their dispute a little more difficult to simply crush. As long as they have A church that worships Him, and as long as their version of the Mechanicus isn't practicing tech heresy, their dispute can be waved away as the sort of job the Arbites are supposed to sort out (purge the leaders and bring them into conformity). Nevermind that the Calixis Arbites aren't exactly equipped to fight a war against an entire subsector. The Dominate seems to know that they're safe from a full blown crusade as long as they have the right answers to a couple key questions.

About those Dark Eldar

Yeah, remember the Dark Eldar we spoke of earlier? The Severan Dominate actually has a covert and vested alliance with the Dark Eldar Kabal known as the Children of Thorns, which is part and parcel of why Severus I declared independence in the first place for understandable reasons. Now, the Imperium do alliances with the Eldar from time to time, but no sane individual would do the same with the Dark Eldar of all people.

This, of course, starts to make sense under the functions of Realpolitik. The Severan Dominate is outnumbered and outgunned and therefore, has no qualms in making friends with anyone that could facilitate their interests: the survival and prosperity of the regime. Beggars can't be choosers and all that. The Children of Thorns want what all Dark Eldar want: slaves to do their 'sexy time'. So Severus I and his descendants struck a deal with the Dark Eldar: we will give you entire worlds to make your peepee hard and in turn you supply us with weapons, military support and protection. Granted, this is the Dark Eldar we are talking about and they are not the most reliable of allies, with the Kabal constantly reminding the Duke to find new worlds of sex toys or they will rescind the alliance. But seeing as this relationship has survived for over a thousand years by now, it seems that the Duke is able to uphold his end of the bargain. Though, it's probably more a testament to how heavily populate said worlds are (and probably skimming the unnoticeables and undesirables of his worlds instead of giving whole populations). And that the Imperium hasn't decided to simply squish the Dominate. Of course, if they were to learn of the alliance with the Dark Eldar, or even just notice that the Deldar don't attack Dominate forces, the Imperium's strength would probably come crashing down in a berserk fury. At the very least, the Salamanders and their friends would come to play with a hate-boner even Dark Eldar wouldn't enjoy.

It must also be noted that not all Kabals are as mustache-twirling eeeevule as Vect's crew. Even in the relatively limited Dark Eldar fluff, there's examples of Kabals that are sinister but pragmatic. So it's quite likely that in the Children of Thorns the Dominate found a kindred spirit that wants what it wants but sees the big picture and isn't stupid enough to sabotage a good deal just because they were programmed to betray by some Brits who suck at writing morally murky material.

Known Planets

• Karacallia - Capital
• Thrax - Frontier World
• Maesa - Frontier World
• Orbiana - Feral World
• Lukius - War World beset by Orks
• Stalynthia - Mining World, perhaps their most valuable asset.
• Fourtheden - Agri-world
• Ohmsworld - Hive World
• Kokytos - Ice World, the site of fierce fighting between the Dominate and Imperium.
• Chuyavale - Rain Forest world
• Cyrda - Grave World

Notable Members

• Duke Severus XIII
• General Frederique Constantine
• General Harvax Scarus
• Lieutenant Roderick Kraig

Military Forces

Yes, under Only War, you too, can play as the Severan Dominate. As previously mentioned, these guys are sensible enough to have their own standing armed forces; despite being besieged by all sides, they somehow continue to withstand them all, if only tenuously. Militarily, the Dominate maintains a small but capable army of mainly PDF troops and mercenaries.

The Severan Dominate has only a miniscule number of soldiers at its command in comparison to the innumerable forces of the Imperial Guard; because of their small force, the Severan Dominate don't waste their troops and armour unlike some Imperial Guard regiments. Though the rebels lack the resources of the Imperial Guard, their shorter supply lines and familiarity with the environments ensure that the ranks of Severan Dominate troops are a threat to the men and women of the Imperial Guard. Severan Dominate forces echo the Imperial Guard in their organisation. A typical squad consists of nine soldiers led by a sergeant. One soldier may carry a special weapon, most likely a flamer or grenade launcher. More technologically sophisticated weapons such as plasma guns and meltaguns are not unheard of, but the Severan Dominate’s access to these rare weapons is substantially limited. In addition, two soldiers can work together to operate a heavy weapon, most commonly a heavy flamer, missile launcher, or autocannon.

Severan Dominate Soldiers

The most basic armed infantrymen. These chaps are drawn from across the worlds under Duke Severus’ leadership. Had events transpired differently, these very individuals might be serving in the Imperial Guard rather than opposing it. For many of these soldiers, fighting against the forces of the Imperium is an uncomfortable prospect at best. They do not view themselves as traitors or enemies of the Emperor, but as victims of the unjust policies of the Adeptus Terra—that is, if they hold any view whatsoever of the wider issues at play.

For many Severan Dominate soldiers, it simply is a matter following orders and protecting their families back home-- of course, the same could be said of many Guardsmen. Severan Dominate soldiers are generally equipped in a similar manner to the Imperial Guard; in fact, much of their equipment was supplied by the Departmento Munitorum prior to the secession of the worlds which now swear allegiance to the Severan Dominate. However, the lack of Departmento Munitorum oversight and resources ensures a broader range of equipment than is seen even amongst the diverse regiments of the Imperial Guard. Which sounds useful but actually isn't. Regiments have equipment best suited to them for a reason. Many Severan Dominate regiments simply utilize the equipment of their homeworlds’ standing armed forces, which they are able to keep maintained and supplied due to their close proximity and short supply lines. Consequently, various patterns of autoguns, shotguns, and other stub weapons are as common as lasguns amongst the forces of the Severan Dominate.

Wargear

• Armor: Flak armour
• Weapons: M36 lasgun, autogun, or shotgun, combat knife, 3 frag grenades
• Gear: Severan Dominate uniform, basic toolkit, rebreather, 2 reloads for primary weapon, Severan Soldier’s Guide to Battle, homeworld memento, and standard regimental kit.

Sergeants

Sergeants of the Severan Dominate military are usually enlisted just as those under their command; in most cases, a sergeant and his squad served together within a planetary defence force before being drafted to the Severan Dominate cause. In this way, they are not unlike most Imperial Guard sergeants. Also like their counterparts in the Imperial Guard, sergeants of the secessionist forces often have only a vague understanding of why they are fighting a given battle, knowing only that they are following orders. In some cases, they do not even fully comprehend the nature of the war or the true severity of the Duke’s actions. Others, though, are fully dedicated to the secessionist cause.

Wargear

• Armor: Flak Armor
• Weapons: autopistol, laspistol, or shotgun; combat knife, chainsword, 3 frag grenades
• Gear: Severan Dominate uniform, basic toolkit, rebreather, 3 reloads for primary weapon, Severan Soldier’s Guide to Battle, homeworld momento, standard regimental kit.

Officers

The majority of those who have risen to leadership positions within the armies of the Severan Dominate hold a deep commitment to the secessionist cause, yet also a firm devotion to the Emperor and belief in His divinity. Though this seems an impossible contradiction in the minds of many loyal Imperial citizens, the Duke has spent many decades laying the groundwork for his rebellion.

Ducal Legates and others continuously spread the Severan Dominate’s propaganda, painting the Imperium and its forces as the true traitors. Positions of responsibility within the armies of the Severan Dominate are reserved for those committed to the cause: those who believe that Duke Severus the Thirteenth is the rightful representative of the Emperor’s will. As befits their status, lieutenants of the Severan Dominate have access to superior arms and armour. Those with the right connections or who are held in particularly high esteem by the Duke and his circle of advisors covet deadly bolt pistols and several lieutenants have earned the coveted Golden Laurel through acts of valour or in recognition of their tactical acumen.

Wargear

• Armour: Flak armour
• Weapons: autopistol, bolt pistol, or plasma pistol, chainsword, 3 frag grenades
• Gear: Severan Dominate uniform, 3 reloads for bolt pistol, rebreather, basic toolkit, homeworld memento, Severan Soldier’s Guide to Battle

Shock Troopers

Remember the aforementioned Special Forces? Yeah, these are the guys who are essentially the Severan Dominate's equivalent of Stormtroopers. Although military resources are stretched thin for the Severan Dominate, certain soldiers who display a high level of ability earn recognition.

These veteran soldiers are equipped with the finest weapons and armour within the Dominate’s possession and grouped into squads of Shock Troopers comparable to the elite Stormtroopers of the Imperium. Most Severan Dominate soldiers are relatively green, especially by the standards of a typical Imperial Guard regiment; consequently, Shock Troopers are quite rare. The Dominate leadership does not waste these elite troops’ talents and deploys them only under circumstances where other soldiers are insufficient.

The loss of each shock trooper is a serious blow to the Dominate’s limited resources, and the decision to risk their lives and equipment is not made lightly. Shock Troopers are highly dedicated to the Duke’s cause and willing to give their lives in the protection of the Severan Dominate. Though typically assigned to special operations missions and lightning raids, Shock Troopers are sometimes given the duty of protecting an important officer or other official of the Severan Dominate, where their experience and unflinching loyalty can mean all the difference.

Wargear

• Armor: Carapace armour
• Weapons: Hot-shot lasgun, autopistol with man-stopper bullets, combat knife, 3 frag grenades, 2 krak grenades
• Gear: Severan Dominate uniform, micro-bead, rebreather, photo-visor, 3 clips of man-stopper bullets, Severan Soldier’s Guide to Battle

Gallery

• 

  Soldiers of Severus. Just one Football helmet from becoming 40k's Caesar’s Legion.

• 

  Officer of the Severan Dominate. Now if only the Officers of the average Imperial Guard look as dope as this guy.

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  Shock Troopers. Somehow, even more badass looking than normal Stormtroopers.

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  Ducal Legates of the Dominate.

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  Failed a spot check.

• 

  Harvax Scarus, one of the Generals of the Severan Dominate.