Part 3: Tallarn Desert Raiders (Imperial Guard\Astra Militarum)

In part 1 of this series, I assembled a 10-man squad of Tallarn Desert Raiders; in part 2, I assembled and painted a Tallarn Heavy Bolter team.  In parts 3, 4 and 5, I will be painting the 10-man squad and creating a backstory for these miniatures.  In creating the backstory, I will start out by describing the larger world; next, I explore the regiment the miniatures belong to; finally, in part 5, I will provide backstories for key squad members.

Primed Miniatures: Tallarn Raiders with lasguns

 

Rub’ al Khali: Nearly 2 billion Imperial citizens call the planet of Rub’ al Khali their home; a world first populated by the seeds of humanity during the Dark Age of Technology.  A traveller entering the orbit of Rub’ al Khali will see two great continents, Rhadshida and Yu’catan, sitting amidst a great ocean that covers over 60 percent of the planet’s surface.  The traveller will see a diverse environment with frozen wastelands in the northern and southern poles; a great desert (Rhadshida) and vast jungles (Yu’catan) dominating the equatorial regions; steppes, evergreen forests and mountain ranges covering the lands between.  

Karkemish: The home of Rub’ al Khali’s Planetary Governor’s Palace is the City of Eshnunna, the largest of Rub’ al Khali cities, with a population of 3 million; it is the only city with a space port, connecting Rub’ al Khali to the stars. Eshnunna is in the heart of Karkemish; a vast region of desert lands occupying the southern half of the continent of Rhadshida.  Karkemish is made up of nine mighty kingdoms that are united under the leadership of the High-King, the Planetary Governor of Rub’ al Khali.

 Painting Stage 1

Painting Stage 2

 Painting Stage 3

 Painting Stage 4

Geography of Karkemish: A vast mountain range, reaching from coast to coast, marks the norther border of Karkemish.  South of the Nine Kingdom are the Fallen Lands, kingdoms that were once part of Karkemish, but are now vassals to the Dark Sorcerer.  Between the mountain range and the Fallen Lands is a vast desert reaching from coast to coast.  Within this desert are smaller mountain ranges, marshes of sinking sand and lakes of acidic water.  While water is scarce on the surface of the desert, subterranean rivers and lakes exist beneath the earth.  The inhabitants of Karkemish have learned long ago how to harness the water, ensuring their prosperity in this harsh environment.

The People of Karkemish:  Over 80 percent of the population of Karkemish live in rural villages, each numbering a few hundred residents. Families tend to be large, with sons being vital resources for the families; sons carry on their father’s profession and care for their parents in old age.  Multigenerational and extended family households are the norm, with elderly parents living with their adult sons and their sons’ families.  In Karkemish, the God-Emperor is known as the Everlasting Light; the people of Karkemish are schooled in religion at an early age.  Fathers lead prayer services for their households, and village headmen are ordained priests.

 

Completed Miniatures: front

 Completed Miniatures: back

The Fallen Lands: Two millennia ago, a great wizard, clad in a full-suit of mystical armour, came to the southern kingdoms of Karkemish from the stars.  The wizard seduced the kings of the southern kingdoms with promises of magic and power; five mighty kingdoms fell under the influence of the Dark Sorcerer.  The Dark Sorcerer’s magic was so great that a thick magical fog covered the lands of the five kingdoms. Only those loyal to the Dark Sorcerer can see through the fog, making an invasion of the Fallen Lands impossible.  The magical fog obscures the sensors of Karkemish’s air force, making aerial strikes inefficient.  Thus, the only thing the Planetary Forces can do is to contain the Fallen Lands: numerous regiments from the nine kingdoms are garrisoned along the border of the Fallen Lands; as well, five fleets of seafaring ships, from the nation of Chia’zhu, form a naval blockage around the coastlines of the Fallen Lands. 

Orks, Terrorists and Bandits: While the Dark Sorcerer and his armies are the greatest threat to Karkemish, orks, terrorist networks and bandits also threaten Karkemish. Orks first arrived on the planet five centuries ago.  Since their arrival, the Planetary Forces have worked on eradicating the orks.  While unsuccessful at fully exterminating the orks, the ork population has been kept under control, with small ork warbands isolated to pockets around the globe.  In Karkemish, orks are found in the mountains, in the marshes of sinking sands and in the subterranean tunnels beneath the desert. Sophisticated terrorist networks operate in Karkemish, intent on overthrowing the planetary government and the High King’s rule. A series of attacks against key government facilities have been carried out by the terrorists in recent years.  As long as anyone can remember, gangs of bandits have roamed the desert; operating from hidden bases, the bandits launch raids against villages and caravans alike.     

 

Northern Rhadshida: The lands north of the great mountain range are vastly different from the south; while the southern lands are marked by a great desert, the northern lands are made up of evergreen forests, steppes, wetlands, hills and snow-covered tundra (in the northern most lands).  Just as the geography in the northern half of Rhadshida differs from the south, so do its people and cultures.  While the people of the southern half of Rhadshida are dark-skinned, the people in the north are fair-skinned, having hair that ranges from brown to blond in colour.  The northern lands are divided into several nations; some nations are ruled by elected governments, while others are rule by matriarchal castes of warrior women.  All these nations have sworn loyalty to the Planetary Government of Rub’ al Khali.

 

Continent of Yu’catan: The people from Yu’catan have a bronze skin tone, strait black hair and almond shaped eyes.  The northern part of the continent, located in the planet’s equatorial region, is made up of jungles and mountain ranges.  South of the jungles is a land marked by steppes, mountains and evergreen forests.  Here the land is divided into several nations, the largest of which is the seafaring nation of Chia’zhu.  The southern most part of continent is a frozen inhospitable wasteland, where no humans dwell.   

 

In the next post of this series, I will continue to explore the world of Rub’ al Khali while painting three new Tallarn Desert Raiders: the rocket launcher team (gunner and loader) and a desert raider with lasgun.