Severan Dominate

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 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 by pure luck. The Severan Dominate is all of these combined as 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 40k's Cesare's Legion but more competent, or think the Tau Empire but full of WIN. For all intents and purposes, they are the renegade 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 in rustling the Inquisition's jimmies. The reason why the higher-ups did not touch Severus yet, 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 suggests that the revered Saint Drusus might not have completed his conquests without the successes of Severus. Of course, the biggest flaw of Severus was his enormous ego and ambition. For you see, the Duke was pretty jelly at the power of the High Lords but also view them the same way as /tg/ views these guys: 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 maintains a bastardized version of the Imperial Cult used to enhance the power of the current Duke, Severus XIII. To this end, the Dominate maintains a corps of political officers known as Ducal Legates to enforce its ideology. They are essentially the ideological police that maintains 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.

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 on 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, is under no qualms in making friends with anyone that could facilitate their interests, which is 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 how this relationship survived for over a thousand years by now, it seems that the Duke is able to uphold the end of the bargain.

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; because of their small size, the Severan Dominate actually don't waste their troops and armour unlike some Imperial Guard regiments.

The Severan Dominate has only a miniscule number of soldiers at its command in comparison to the innumerable forces of the Imperial Guard. 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, they are simply 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. Many Severan Dominate regiments simply utilize the equipment of their home world’s 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 citizen, 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 Severan 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 Severan 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 Severan 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

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

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  Officer of the Severan Dominate. Now if only the Officers of 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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  Harvax Scarus, one of the Generals of the Severan Dominate.