Blackwater Rifles

History and Regimental Culture
Sarton tradition dictates that the name of an Imperial Guard regiment comes from the region where it was founded and by tradition, its commanding officer comes from the regional capital. Typically- a regiment was founded, campaigning until it was no longer needed, and then disbanded to be reformed at a later date- usually rebuilt around experienced PDF commanders and their troopers. Colonel Adair and many of its members came from the city of Blackwater, the capital of the Blackwater region. Once called "Clearwater" the name changed when the river was polluted by industry and mining.

Blackwater: Wealth and Poverty
While Blackwater appeared to be a pleasant, well lit and safe city of red brick and decorative wrought iron with cars and horse drawn buggies traveling the cobblestone streets patrolled by well dressed Arbites and kept clean by Ogryns this was only a façade. While this appeared to be the case for the city as a whole it was only the case in wealthy areas. The poor of the city had flocked there drawn by jobs in the factories, breweries and slaughterhouses. a visitor would later remark that the city "smelled of blood and beer."

Far more people entered the city than there were jobs for and so these areas also saw the rise of illegal gambling dens, taverns underground fighting rings and worse staffed by men and women willing to do anything to survive.

These men and women would sometimes revolt against their poor conditions and lack of work- leading to harsh reprisals by the local PDF, forcing the draftees to make impossible choices- kill their friends and neighbors or join them?

In short the poor, used to terrible living conditions, poor hygiene little food,little medicine and the daily fear of death of disease, starvation, a random raid by the Arbites or any of a hundred things would be perfect fighting men for the Imperial Guard. As time passed factory owners began increasing their profits by using Ogryns as workers instead of hiring the people of the city. With their only income gone many of these already desperate men turned to the Blackwater Rifles, sending their pay home to their families or taking them with, not unlike many Imperial armies. Traveling with many other regiments and their civilian contingents aboard the Universe class Mass Conveyor Brightstar

The Sarton 6th Heavy Infantry(the 6th of 16 Sarton regiments and the only one of note)earned its reputation and history participating in the Crusade for Nightshores once the fighting was over The Blackwater Rifles were disbanded by the Sarton Parliament since they were no longer required. Many, who had joined out of desperation never returned home, settling instead in the newly claimed worlds of Nightshores or on Akoni.

Akoni
The Imperial Guard of Akoni(the Akoni 3rd Drop Infantry was 1 of 22 regiments whose records have since been lost) and the Imperial Guard of Sarton fought together in the Crusade for Nightshores developing an Intense respect for each other's skills. Most notably in the case of the 3rd Akoni and the Blackwater Rifles lacking in every way but in Heavy Infantry the Sarton Imperial Guard found themselves in danger of being outflanked in a major battle early in the Crusade- only the timely deployment of the 3rd Akoni saved them and later won the battle. While the units had traveled together aboard the "Brightstar" it was this incident which saw them interact for the 1st time, a pattern followed by their civilian contingent as well. From that moment forward the High Command deployed these units together for the remainder of the crusade. The Akoni remained completely fascinated by Ogryns(which none had seen in person) and "The Black Velvet Vixens" and the Sarton were struck by Akoni tattoos and the exotic women depicted in aircraft nose art. Many friendships were born of the working relationship- they remained close friends, allies and trading partners after the end of the Crusade.

Tolomai Heights (the Clash of Legends)
While the Blackwater Rifles fought in many battles in the Crusade their earlist and perhaps greatest is the Battle of Tolomai Heights, on the world of Lanuar V- also known as the Clash of Legends. Tolomai Heights saw the Ogryn companies(themselves legend to their Akoni allies) face and defeat Beastmen who had sworn loyalty to Khorne in a brutal close quarters melee fight. While Ogryns were a common sight to the men of the Sarton Imperial Guard other Abhumans were not- existing only in fairy tales meant to frighten misbehaving children or in jokes poking fun at Ratlings. Tolomai Heights was a sobering lesson. They lost 79 Ogryns including a beloved BONEhead sergeant named Gamjee who died in a duel with a Minotaur and the captain of the 1st company, Markus Holman, noteworthy as the only Human to die that day.

They traded 80 dead on their side for more than 700 Beastmen and the capture of the Tolomai Heights, later used as an artillery position by the Crusade army.

Sardari
Early in the year of fighting for this world the Akoni 3rd and many other drop regiments were deployed directly into the spires of the great city of Sardari, attempting to destroy command and control. The gambit failed, leaving the drop units to fight for every inch of territory they had taken as long distance battles raged among the kilometers high skyscrapers and dogfights tore through the skies over both the city and the world as a whole. All other units in the city, including the Blackwater Rifles fought through the streets(and sewers in the case of the Blackwater Rifles) below, the infantry advancing slowly upward to help them, supported by armor and artillery.

Arming their Ogryns with hammers battering rams and armor made from destroyed enemy vehicles they easily conquered the slums and poor districts of the city below despite facing heavy but disorganized resistance. One particular incident would see Colonel Adair fight a pistol duel with a gangster who claimed a section of the city that they had to pass through. He won and ordered the area leveled to prove his point. Sardari fell after 4 long weeks of fighting, Ashoria would fall after a little more than a year of further conflict. When the world was placed under the control of the Lysian Imperial Guard they were quickly redployed to Vostronov.

Colonel Adair and his wife rescued 3 orphaned children from the ruins, raising them as their own.

Vostronov and Bostrovil
Vostronov and Bostrovil were the 2 core worlds of a small empire controlled by a minor Xeno race called the Y'geht. Three Departmento Munitorum Super Heavy Detachments proved the key to taking Vostronov but the years of fighting beforehand fell to the Imperial Guard.

While the Y'geht were far larger and stronger than the average human they were not larger and stronger than Ogryns, whom the Y'geht came to fear. When Vostronov fell the Y'geht kept up a fighting retreat all the way to Bostrovil. While not the key to the Knight World they played an important role in the eventual victory, holding the regions taken by the Crusade armies against fierce counterattacks.

Vostronov, Bostrovil and the Y'geht
Vostronov and Bostrovil originally belonged to the Y'geht- Bostrovil fell to the first noble houses who conquered the planet, it eventually became a Knight World. Sometime after that, the ruling nobles on Bostrovil exiled one of their more troublesome rivals.

With nowhere else to go Alexei Vostronov and his wife Oksana became "Filibusters"- a word that raised an army from amongst their vassals and any Freebonders (see Freebonding) willing to fight under their banner. They took the then unnamed planet, naming it for themselves and acting as its first human rulers.

In time, these worlds would again fall to the Y'geht and only the Crusade would totally break the hold this xeno species had over their populations.

Anison
They were redeployed to Seroon alongside the Akoni 3rd in an effort to break the siege that had been ongoing for several years. Part of the problem was the city of Anison, built around several railway hubs and held by a segment of the Dark Mechanicum who used the railways to move large guns. Those guns, capable of hitting targets hundreds of kilometers away, or straight up to target vessels in orbit had to be silenced and the city had to fall before the campaign could continue. The Akoni 3rd were the spearhead of this operation, beginning with an all night march from their drop point 50 kilometers from the city. They entered the city just before dawn, catching the enemy's Combat Servitors completely by surprise and silencing the anti aircraft positions. With this done, they signaled the rest of the Imperial Army including the Blackwater Rifles, by broadcasting their Regimental Haka.

With Akoni gunships and Marauder bombers flying air support they knocked out the railway guns and took the city in only one day. Anison would serve out the remainder of the conflict on Seroon as a staging area for Imperial forces, including the penal troops sent to replace losses suffered by the Crusade army. The civilians following the Crusade army moved into Anison and rebuilt, living some semblance of a normal life despite the conflict around them.

Sioa
Sioa The Crusade armies conducted their landings on a series of narrow beaches overlooked by pitted gray-brown stone monoliths covered in overgrown plants, giant examples of local floral caused by a piece of long forgotten xenotech. These overgrown monoliths concealed the army they were fighting. After more than a month of fighting, driving Sioa's "Unified and Perfected Dynasty" off the rocks and cliffs and into the vast plains to the interior.

At first glance the enemy stronghold appeared to be a kilometer wide plateau in an otherwise empty plain- the truth however was far stranger, it was really an enormous fossilized tree stump, in any case it had to fall, as those within controlled everything around it. When weeks of artillery bombardments failed and an orbital strike leveled the surface instillation but failed to destroy the vast underground complex beneath the only remaining option was an infantry assault. While lighter units like the Akoni 3rd drew enemy units away from the battle to destroy them piecemeal all available Heavy Infantry assaulted and ultimately took the stronghold, destroying it and leaving vast scars in the surface of Sioa.

Chando-Rish
Not a planet but the assumed name of a Traitor Guardsman who attracted a small army of fellow traitors and deserters. Amassing a small army of roughly 3500 like minded individuals, he conquered a few small settlements on a world the Crusade armies had already taken. His poor decision brought the wrath of the Blackwater Rifles and the Akoni 3rd Drop Infantry on him and his army and were annihilated in a single battle. This only deepened the relationship and intense mutual respect between these 2 units.

Metius
The Blackwater Rifles and the Akoni deployed near a small town on Silve named Metius, their civilian followers doubling the population almost overnight.

The Akoni gunships ripped into the armored columns headed toward the town while the Akoni outmaneuvered the cultists behind them, letting the 600 Ogryns in the Rifles finish them off, the Militia serving in a support role.

While non combatants the Black Velvet Vixens were vital in keeping the morale of local militia intact and when Metius was secure they would travel with the armies, staying far behind the lines entertaining the sick the injured and the demoralized.

Northern Glaciers
While far inferior in terms in numbers to the local Militia the 3 Imperial Guard regiments on the world faced resistance as well- they were redeployed to the far north fighting in the icy wastes of the northern glaciers, having broken the siege of the world's cities while the PDF were still finishing their role in the defense.

The Akoni did were completely unused to the cold environment but performed admirably all the same using their environment, letting the cold work in their favor as they destroyed enemy food supplies and equipment. Like the militia none of the Imperial Guard were interested in prisoners, the Cadians least of all, simply shooting any prisoners and throwing the bodies into the sea.

Straggling into the cities after roughly 3 weeks of intense fighting the 517th was rewarded with a single day of rest before continuing on their way back home while the Akoni and Blackwater Rifles entered yet another campaign in system.

Officer Corps
1.Officer Corps of 20 men composed of

1. Colonel

2 18 captains

3. Regimental Commissar

Ogryn Companies(Companies 1-6 (Ogryn)
The people of Sarton had no real dislike toward Ogryns, treating them as they would a simple minded relative- albeit one far larger and suited to harder and more dangerous tasks. and so a full third of the Blackwater Rifles consisted of Ogryns- armed with heavy weapons, high explosives, clubs and makeshift body armor made of scrap, they were used as the first wave in assaults or the front line in other battles. The reasoning being that Ogryns would not die as easily as ordinary humans and that no enemy could be prepared for a charging mass of 600 of them.

These 600 Ogryns fell under the command of human captains and the Regimental Commissar but beyond that organization was rather irregular- with no set platoon or company size beyond what the Ogryn BONEheads who acted as Sergeants could control.

Riflemen(Companies 1-12(Riflemen)
The other 12 companies were simply ordinary humans.

1.12 companies of 100 each lead by a Captain broken down into

2. 5 platoons of 20 each commanded by a Vice- Captain(equivalent to a Lt.) broken into

3. 4 squads of 5 men each-
 * 1 Sgt.
 * 2 troopers/mortar crew


 * 1 medic


 * 1 grenadier armed with the Shatterpoint Auto Rifle

Civilan Contingent
Like most Imperial Guard units on extended campaigns they amassed a civilian following as well. As was typical of such things it was composed of the families of those serving and those looking to make a profit. The presence of Sarton civilians aboard the Brightstar and the many years of fighting would see some young men come of age and follow their friends and family into battle, becoming the 2nd generation of the Regiment. It would also produce families with mixed Sarton and Akoni blood- Akoni regulations forbade men in service to marry but said nothing about relationships.

Black Velvet Vixens
"''It's amazing what a couple dozen attractive women can do for the morale of a few thousand fighting men." ''- Colonel Adair



Amongst these civilains was a woman named Kamylla Cole, who saw the need to keep morale among Sarton's fighting men high during the many years of fighting to come and saw an opportunity to expand her audience at the same time. Her Burlesque dance troop "The Black Velvet Vixens" had nowhere to perform since their usual venue "The Black Velvet Club" burned down shortly before the men of Blackwater left. Cole convinced her dancers to come with her, they weren't respected in Sarton society but they would be appreciated among the Imperial Guard.

She was right and they gained a loyal following amongst the Blackwater Rifles and the other units to travel aboard the Brightstar including the Akoni 3rd(all single men) They would also visit other Imperial Guard units at the front as a way to boost morale. Especially during the years long siege on the planet Seroon which not only saw a distinct lack of progress against a splinter group of the Dark Mechanicum but also prompted rumors that Commissars cut down their own fleeing soldiers when the battle turned against them.

For the Penal Troopers sent to Seroon in response they were a source of comfort and inspiration, they were the first women, attractive women at that, they had seen in many years and one of the survivors would remark that seeing them perform had made him "feel human again".

One of them, "Skye Blue" would perform for Grand Marshall Roi Rocha himself at a private victory party for his staff in Anison.

Later generations would follow the regiment throughout their campaigns, incorporating dance traditions from many Imperial worlds including Akoni.

Tactical Doctrine
As heavy Infantry they were often deployed as the center line of a battle or as assault troops for taking enemy fortifications. As most of these men came from industrial or farming backgrounds they tended to build up enormous muscle strength as well making them ideal for close quarters action. As a unit The Blackwater Rifles, and Sarton units as a whole, were rather inflexible, making them best suited to facing equally immobile units. They were excellent defensive soldiers, once they had taken a position they could be trusted to hold it whatever the cost. Anyone facing them would have to expect to pay a high cost of their own.

Famous Members
Since the end of the Crusade has never been able to achieve this level of fame again, any heroes in the intervening millennia were overshadowed by these men.

Colonel Mateus Adair


Born in Blackwater slum, he grew up in an orphanage, never knowing who his parents were, as they had died shortly after his birth. He was a problem child- the staff simply cast him out onto the street at age 13. He was forced to care for himself for the next 2 years. His life changed once he found work at the "Rose Street Meat packing plant." Receiving a steady income for the first time in his life he saved his money he made plans to leave the city and head offworld- he never got the chance, he was drafted into the PDF at age 18 first but this was not all bad. His work ethic quickly earned him promotions, a modest living, and the respect of those he found himself commanding- these men would become the core of the 6th Sarton Heavy Infantry.

His life would change forever one night- going to "The Black Velvet Club" for a drink he encountered a group of unemployed men planning another revolt. He emptied his savings to pay them off, ensuring that they would not do as they planned.

Impressed that he had handled the situation without bloodshed his commander invited him to his home as a dinner guest. That night he met the woman he would marry 2 years later, however an illness shortly after their marriage left her unable to have children, a fact which saddened her deeply.

When Colonel Haryson died he inherited command of the PDF unit that was absorbed into the Blackwater rifles. His beloved wife Sienna Adair(nee Haryson) would follow him when he and his men embarked on the Crusade, while he would survive the stress of command an leading men into battles they had never trained for would take their toll on him aging him beyond his years.

After their safe return he retired from the Imperial Guard to spend more time with his wife and their adopted children when his unit returned to its role as a PDF unit and only then would he meet the 8 siblings he had never known, like him they too had risen from poverty into positions of authority, giving him some peace after a lifetime of war.

Gamjee
" We lift things up... and put them down.  "

Once a household servant to the Harysons and later Colonel Adair he would be one of the first Ogryns to join the Blackwater Rifles out of loyalty to the family. At some point Colonel Haryson had paid for the surgical procedures to make Gamjee a BONEhead and this let him command his own squad. Despite being an Ogryn, he was known to display almost frightening flashes of insight and intelligence along with his enormous strength. Slow to anger but unstoppable when enraged he killed hundreds of the Emperor's enemies before dying early in the Crusade at the Battle of Tolomai Heights.

Urk and Zurk
Ogryn brothers famous for towing a disabled Leman Russ out of enemy fire. Angered by the attack on their allies they would run back into the fight unsupported. After 3 days they came back soaked in enemy blood. The enemy the regiment was fighting would surrender soon after.

Markus Holman
"My mother was a drunk and my father was obscurity"

Born to a destitute mother who would die of liver cirrhosis shortly before his 5th birthday, he was raised in an orphanage until he was 12 years old. This institution was less than respectable and was targeted for a raid by the local Arbites. When it was shut down he was taken in by the lead officer. However he quickly rebelled against the man's authoritarian style of parenting and worked a series of odd jobs and criminal enterprises before hiding in the PDF to avoid prosecution. Colonel Adair's gambit, giving him responsibility to get his life on track, worked and he rose in the ranks becoming leader of the 1st Company(Riflemen) shortly before they departed Sarton. Like Gamjee he died early in the Crusade and the 1st company suffered without his leadership until a suitable leader was found.

Tyrell Braydon
A meat packer turned back alley prize fighter, he was drafted into the PDF and ended up serving as an informal instructor in hand to hand combat(favoring a meat cleaver instead of a knife). He continued in this role when the Regiment went to war, serving as a mentor to the younger soldiers and their go between to their officers as he was a respected PDF veteran himself. He would survive the Crusade, retiring with a Captain's commission and a pension paid for by the grateful government of Sarton. This allowed him to care for his wife Amira(a former member of the Black Velvet Vixens who went by the stage name "Honey") and their children.

Jarvys Klayton
Turning aside from his studies for the priesthood he chose to serve The Emperor in action rather in words. He was seen as a good soldier and a source of constant support and encouragement to the men around him, however they saw him as too uptight as he refused to drink or associate with the Black Velvet Vixens.

He would not live to see the end of the Crusade, he threw himself on a grenade during the battle for Sioa to save his squad. With nothing left to bury his squad would inter his dogtags and holy books instead.

Wylder
 "I fought alongside him for more than 20 years- can't say I ever really knew him."''

- a comrade in the Blackwater Rifles

He simply showed up to enlist one day, shipping out with the rest of the regiment. A man of very few words anything he did say, often single words or rarely an entire sentence, was delivered in a rumbling baritone described as "the peal of distant thunder."

This fit him well- he was more than 2 meters tall, wearing a heavy beard and black hair he wore in a long ponytail tied back with a red ribbon and a gold ring- rumors he never confirmed or denied stated that this ring had belonged to his late wife. The gold ring he wore on his scarred and burned left hand would seem to confirm this however. Others would see him standing alone staring into the distance for several minutes, mouthing what was perhaps a prayer before continuing on his way.

Enlisting as a common soldier he never showed any drive to be anything else, and so he never climbed the ranks any higher than corporal.

He would use his large size to good effect on many occasions- once using a mortar as a shoulder fired weapon, using it to knock out the treads of an enemy tank before dropping it and finishing the crew with a meat cleaver. Another incident saw him gut an Y'geht with a chain dagger he salvaged from a fallen guardsman from another Guard regiment.

He would survive the Crusade leaving the regiment somewhere between 65 and 75 years of age- no one was sure. Upon his return home to Sarton he would vanish just as quickly, no one ever heard from him again.

Equipment

 * M36 Kantrael pattern lasgun with 2 extra drum magazines
 * "Shatterpoint" pattern autorifle/grenade launcher(carried by grenadiers)Shatterpoint.jpg
 * 3 Sarton pattern "Ball Lighting" pattern frag grenades
 * Sarton pattern "Thunderclap" mortar
 * Fighting Knife/bayonetArtillery-sword-bayonet.jpg
 * Meat cleaver- not standard but many men still carried one.
 * Chainsword(Vice captain and up)
 * Sarton "Hammerhand" Revolver
 * Imperial Guardsman's Uplifing Primer
 * Sarton flak armor/helmet
 * 7 days of rations (including a daily ration of the beloved "Blackwater Brown")
 * Bedroll/pack

"Blackwater Brown Ale"
Only brewed in the city of Blackwater this beloved alcoholic beverage, named for its deep brown color was a favorite of the men and officers of the Blackwater Rifles. When they shipped out they carried enormous kegs with them- enough that the civilians of the region would be forced to go without it for several months. When the regiment received reinforcements it also received fresh supplies of Blackwater Brown and the raw materials integral to its production to replace their strained reserves. The stop gap supplies were produced by the civilian contingent aboard the Brightstar in elaborate but improvised brewing plants that left their section of the ship smelling of beer. The results were deemed "Inferior but acceptable."

Author's note
Sarton is meant to be a stylized version of Victorian England- as the Crusade for Nightshores takes place in M37- millennia before the main stories of 40k I created units for it inspired by the ancient (Asharas Yek Taxamada) or simply old, as I did here.

The "Shatterpoint" rifle is the "Falchion" rifle from The Order 1886- I felt that it fit in perfectly.

I also like happy endings so a few of these guys get one. I think they earned it...