As one of the founding members of Metal Head Armory here in Arizona, we have always wanted to have our battles in the same system. For the longest time it was a no name system. Until 2015, when I picked a 40k Planet at random, so we fought for control for Khymara.  As the group has advanced into other games, Necromunda and 30k, we never really left that system.  And it is time to update the Metal Head Armory fluff. 

 

Pre-Heresy

 

 

 

41st Millennium

 

Khymara

 

 

Type                      Mining World

Orbital radius        Khymara is the largest planet in its System and third planet of 8 in its system

Gravity                  .96 G

Temperature         35-50 degrees Celsius (95 - 122 degrees Fahrenheit), Hyper Arid Desert

Population            500,000,000 (human Pre Heresy)

                              100,000 (human 41st Millennium) 

System                  Khymara System

Sector                   Khymara Sub- Sector

Segmentum          Ultima Segmentum

 

he present Mining World of Khymara is an Imperial Mining World. It is in the control by Imperium of Mankind's in the Segmentum Ultima. The capital of the arid planet is the city is the Khymara’s Spire. Today Khymara is mainly inhabited by humans who were formerly citizens of the Imperium but became Penial workers for various crimes against the Imperium.

History

Imperial records do not detail the early colonization of Khymara. It is most likely that the planet was discovered by humans during the early years of the Dark Age of Technology. No records specifically refer to the system, but it is known that many star systems on the Western Fringe of the galaxy were first being explored at this time. On first discovery Khymara may have been dead world, bereft of any life, a hot desert planet of sand and rock with a semi breathable atmosphere. If life ever tried to evolve on Khymara, the constant heat never allowed life progress beyond the level of microorganisms. The planet had few areas of liquid ground water and very little atmospheric moisture. The atmosphere was breathable for humans and the environment was too harsh to foster life. But early human explorers must have noted that although lifeless now, the planet's ecosystem was not far from being life-sustaining. Temperatures were high (in the deep deserts very high) but not to the point of making the world uninhabitable. There was some atmospheric moisture and better still, the planet was extremely rich in strategic metals. Huge quantities of useful ores were present and much of it was close to the surface and easily accessible to strip-mining techniques. There was a stable atmosphere which could be manipulated. Khymara was not beyond hope for human colonization. The lure of the ore deposits made the planet a viable prospect for terraforming.

During the Dark Age of Technology, Mankind had both the advanced technology and knowledge required to alter planetary atmospheres and ecosystems to create a habitat conducive to human life. The transformation did not have to be extensive, only creating a climate where a colonist could survive without an environmental suit and dig a mine. Aided by long-forgotten advanced technology, these human explorers set about terraforming the lifeless desert world into something humanity could survive upon. It did not happen overnight. It may well have taken as long as 5,000 Terran years of hard work, but more liquid water was eventually introduced to the planet's surface in the form of artificial seas. Genetically engineered plants and algae were also introduced to the Khymaraian ecosystem, creating a completely breathable oxygen atmosphere in time. Careful management and nurturing slowly changed the atmosphere. How this was done is a mystery in the less technically sophisticated Age of the Imperium, but some now life now exists on Khymara. The first mention of Khymara in Imperial records is in the 30th Millennium, just after the end of the Age of Strife. The planet was rediscovered by the armies of the newborn Imperium's Great Crusade as they spread out from Earth, reconquering the Milky Way Galaxy for Mankind and reuniting the scattered human colony worlds that had long been sundered from one another by Warp Storms and wars. Humanity had barely survived on Khymara, degenerating into a savage, Stone Age tribal existence. The population, probably never large, had dwindled to less than 10 thousand people. In another thousand years, human life on the planet would have been extinct.

Rediscovery of the planet's mineral wealth resulted in the Imperium deciding to recolonize Khymara. The regressed and now hostile colonists were exterminated by one of the Great Crusade's Expeditionary Fleets and new Imperial colonists moved in, establishing mining stations and a spaceport. Over the next 10,000 years of the Imperium's rule, Khymara's population steadily grew to its current level of approximately 5 million people.  One major city, Khymara’s Spire, developed around the spaceport. Metal ore mining remained the planet's main value to the Imperium.

 

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Departmento Munitorum records indicate that in the entire history of the Imperium, Khymara raised only 3 Imperial Guard regiments. The Khymaraian 1st Regiment was annihilated during the 5th Black Crusade. The Khymara 2nd and 3rd served as part of the Rogue Trader Saen expedition and were eventually disbanded, with their survivors being folded into another Imperial Guard unit.

 

Climate and Environment

Khymara's climate could be described in a single word: hot. The coolest climates were in the highly mountainous regions, although they were never cold enough for water ice to form and it was hottest in the deep deserts. The nights on Khymara are extremely cold, with little cloud cover. The major proportion of the evaporated water condenses and returns to the surface during the night. There is minimal recorded precipitation, less than 1 millimeter per annum. Khymara was divided into four principle climatic regions; Mountains, Arid Deserts, Semi-Arid Deserts and Seas. Shifting sands and bare rock covered 95% of the planet's surface. The largest region is the Arid Deserts. The Great Sand Seas are habitable by humans and whilst there may be vast mineral resources buried beneath the sands the logistics of working in such a hostile environment with very high temperatures, low water supply, high winds and the threat of large sandstorms make it hard but not impractical. Most of the deserts also remain unexplored wildernesses Semi-arid regions, concentrated around the coasts are mostly barren, rocky badlands. At ground level, strong, sand-filled winds are commonplace. The second largest region of the planet are the mountains.  Low mountainous highlands cover 20% of the planet's surface. Ancient and heavily eroded by the desert sands, they are not tall, but are extremely rugged. There are no major routes through the mountain regions and no known settlements. They remain an unexplored desert wilderness. The few seas help to mediate Khymara’s extreme temperatures. Surrounding the small seas are the inhabited areas of semi-arid desert. These regions are home to the planet's hydro-farmers. There are two main seas on Khymara called the Mara-sai and the Khy-sai these small, landbound seas are Taros' only source of surface water and were probably artificially created as part of the planet's terraforming by humanity during the Dark Age of Technology. Today the seas are highly alkaline, but provide two-thirds of the population's water supply from hydro-processing.

Hot air rising from the deep Khymaraian deserts collides with the cooler air from over the polar highlands' mountainous regions. The pressure difference causes a high-speed river of air in the planet's upper atmosphere. This air stream can reach incredible speeds, up to 400 mph. This pressure system dominates the climate of Khymara. As the small amount of water in the air condenses to form the wispy clouds common to the skies of Khymara, in the hottest areas these begin to form localized storm clouds, heavily laden with water vapour. The storm clouds rise on hot thermals. If they meet one of the fast-moving air streams, the top of the cloud begins to rotate in the fast-moving wind. This spinning force radiates down through the cloud, spinning faster and faster to form a hurricane. These hurricanes can be huge and blow for days on the surface of Kyhmara. Sucking up huge amounts of sand, these become the sandstorms called Sand Devils by the local population. Most blow themselves out in the deep deserts, but occasionally Sand Devils destroy water farms or mining facilities.

Terraforming

Once, in the distant past before the Age of the Imperium, Khymara was a dead world. Barely inhabitable by humans, it was a bare, scorched desert wilderness. In the Dark Age of Technology, after the discovery of its rich mineral wealth, it was terraformed by the introduction of liquid water and genetically-engineered flora to produce an oxygenated atmosphere. This has managed to create an environment that a small population of humans can survive in.

Flora and Fauna

There is no flora native to Khymara. Genetically-engineered flora was imported to the world millennia ago and survives in the semi-arid zones as scrub and cactus-like plants. The seas contain toxic algae, which generates most of the planet's breathable oxygen. There is no recorded native fauna.

Economy and Society

Almost 100, 000 people inhabit Khymara, mostly in and around the various mining camps and the semi-arid regions surrounding the small seas. Khymara Spire is situated in the Mara-Sai region, where several small landbound seas are Kymara’s only surface water. The water is highly alkaline, but hydro-processing plants situated on the shores turn it into potable, fresh water. This process is aided by the scattered water-farms, which gather ambient moisture from the air. Water farmers sell their produce to the Sector Governor through exclusive contracts. The Governor and his officials control all water distribution on Khymara and therefore all life. Khymara Spire is the single largest urban area with the planet's only spaceport facility. Most Khymaraian inhabits are Penial workers in the mines, working long hours at the strip mines and quarries out in the desert. Other major industries include water-processing and hydro-farming. Hydroponics workers grow food in atmospheric-controlled hydroponic plants. Ore transportation is another large Khyamaraian industry, moving raw ore from the desert mines to collection points in Khymara Spire before transportation off-world. Short distance transportation uses physical manpower (literally labourers carrying a sack of ore each) or tractors towing trains of ore carts. Long-distance transportation uses large cargo aircraft.

 

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In the 38th Millennium, as part of the then-Planetary Governor's drive to improve Khymarian productivity, he requested an order from the Adeptus Administratum to import off-world assitance in the form of Enforcers. A thousand Enforcers were depolyed en masse to Khymara to “increase” productivity in the mines.  Equipped to “increase” the penial workers productivity, the enforcers were effective for a while. Uprisings, riots, protests occurred in many of the mining villages. Adeptus Aribites in the Sub Sector were dispatched to end the uprisings riots and protests with force. Enforcers are still used by many Khymaraian mines to increase productivity. The last census carried out by the Adeptus Administratum, in the mid-41st Millennium, estimated a population of less than 500 Enforcers scattered across the planet.

 

The rest of the Khymara population is made up mostly of poor Water and Hydroponic farmers operating in across the Planet. A medium level of technology is maintained, with many tasks automated because of the difficult environment and the importance of Khymara minerals to the Imperium's war machine. The Ecclesiarchy's Missionaria Galaxia missionaries report that there is little evidence of genetic mutation or psychic abilities among the Khymaraians.

 

Due to the extreme aridity of the planet water is the primary resource on Khymara. Hydro-farming is an important industry, as is hydro-processing from the alkaline seas. Sea water is processed to make it fit for human consumption. All water trade is centrally-controlled by the Sector Governor through his official "water-agents." Processing plants are situated on the coast and purify the water via a three-stage process. Hydro-farms are widely scattered across the Khy-Sai region.

 

The world's primary exports, first to the Imperium are mineral ores for ferro-alloys, including lead, vanadium, rhenium, cobalt and manganese. Vanadium is a toxic, silvery-white metallic element, occurring in vanadinite which is a red/yellow/brownish mineral formed by the weathering of lead ores in desert climates. It is used in steel alloys to provide extra hardness and as a catalyst in other military-grade alloys. Rhenium is a dense, silvery-white metallic element with a high melting point that occurs in gadolinite and molybdenite. It is used in alloy with tungsten in high-temperature thermocouples. Manganese is a brittle, greyish-white metallic element that occurs in manganite,a black mineral consisting of a form of manganese oxide. It is used in some steel and other ferromagnetic alloys. Manganese steel is a very hard form of steel containing 11-14% manganese by volume to produce hard-wearing tools such as rock crushers, heavy pistons and gun barrels with high-tensile properties. Lead is a heavy toxic blue-white metallic element that occurs in galaena (a blue-black mineral that consists of lead sulphides). It is highly malleable, and it is used in alloys for accumulators, cable sheathing and radiation shielding. Cobalt is a brittle, hard, metallic element that is a ferromagnetic metal and occurs in cobaltite, and it is used in steel alloys to help resist corrosion. Taros' principle imports are food and fresh water.

 

Khymara’s native food supply is largely grown under cover in large, atmospheric-controlled hydroponic plants. Many Khymaraian buildings have their own hydroponic plants, but the largest are situated around Khy-Sai and in the coastal regions. This provides the population with 90% of their food supply, the other 10% being imported from surrounding worlds. Khymara’s principle crops are variants of the millet and sorghum plants, both members of the grass family, providing highly nutritious grain. Groundnuts, related to the soya bean, are a growing source of protein and provide many varied foodstuffs. Some exotic off-world fruits are grown. All Khymaraian crops have evolved to survive on a minimal water supply, which is heavily recycled by the hydroponic plants to prevent any wastage. Other sources of vitamins and protein come from algae and marine microorganisms harvested from the seas and chemically processed to make an edible gruel called "grud" by the natives. This is the staple diet of the Khymaraian miners and workers. Other foodstuffs, meats, dairy products and luxury items must be imported and are only available for celebrations.

 

Only one city exists on Khymara, Khymara’s Spire which has a population of approximately 25,000 people. It acts as an ore collection point, the centre of the planet's political administration, Space Port, the only area constantly patrolled under the watchful eye of 100 Adeptus Arbites, the distribution center for water and food supplies and other smaller industries. The largest town is Ira Khy-Sai which has the highest density of hydro-farms and water processing plants. There are very few other large settlements. Those that do exist are towns built up around the largest strip-mining and quarrying operations.

 

Geographical features

Khymara’s Spire - The only City on Khymara and the most populated area around the Mara-sai is called "Khymara’s Spire" and is home to approximately 25,000 of Khymara's population. This area has the most temperate climate on the planet, due to the proximity of the seas and the prevailing wind conditions and as a result, the majority of the world's population lives here.

Ira Khy-Sai- The strip of land near the Khy-Sai, seas on which the town of Ira Khy-Sai is situated. It is the largest hydroponics facilities on the planet. Population is estimated to be near 5,000 Khymaraians.

Alpha Class mines- Living in mining settlements around the mining facilities are the other 70,000 residents of Khymara are Penial Workers. Alpha class mines are worked by penial troops. Each mine is classified as a vertical grid coordinate 0-9, Horizontal grid coordinate 0-9 and Material ie Lead, Vanadium, Rhenium, Cobalt and Manganese. All One of the most productive and largest mines on Khymara is Alpha-67c.

The Great Sand Sea - The vast empty deserts of Khymara, The Great Sand Sea is uninhabited and there are no roads. It is empty except for rolling sand dunes. Huge mineral deposits may still remain undiscovered here, yet to be exploited.

The Pyre - An area of desert surrounded on all sides by mountains. It is accessible only by aircraft. The highest temperatures on Khymara occur within this heat trap. Rumored to be a mass graveyard for the inhabitants of Khymara

The Naolg Heights - An area of rocky badlands and low hills with a reputation for banditry but also very lucrative mineral deposits.