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AdvancedJ3llyThe First Ngāpokere [Nar-poke-eray] (Native) Regiment
“What are they doing now? Dancing! What a ridiculous waste of time.” - Infamous last words of Lieutenant Jos Darien, 18th Foscov Dragoons.
Regimental Speciality: The First are named after the largest tribal grouping on the Oceanic world of – according to the Imperium – Jospearus (named Pukepotoao by the Ngāpokere), although there are members of other island-dwelling peoples contained within, the Ngāpokere are the most warlike and formidable.
Their skills in bush-craft, fortification building, formidable ambuscade work, ability to adapt swiftly to new situations and technologies without much in the way of resistance or hassle, and their consummate skill in close-quarters combat mean that any commander would be lucky to have them as long as they can put up with them.
In short, close-in fighting, scouting and stealth-work are their forte, but they should not be overlooked or underestimated in other arenas of war.
Regimental Flaws: A lack of discipline, a near-fanatical obsession with ones honour and notions of righteous vengeance (utu) against those they see themselves offended by, and potential cannibalism of enemies and prisoners are constant problems when dealing with the Ngāpokere.
Outside of their own chiefs, and potentially a very strong outside leader who understands their customs, the tribesmen of Jospearus as a whole do not take kindly to outside influence; for this reason the Commissariat are conspicuously absent from the regiment, the tattooed warriors needing no encouragement to kill for the 'Great War-god', and frankly quite ungovernable if a battle goes against them. As such the black-clad figures keep an eye on them from a good distance away, and prefer to keep it that way.
Really, their own culture and customs are their primary flaws, their oddness to outsiders and rough-and-ready rules. This is not helped by their language being most of what they speak (although a good number can speak Low Gothic to a decent level), or the whole 'regiment' (or taua) being essentially a government unto itself.
Number of Humans Souls: Approximately 2,500, give or take a few.
The regiment is split roughly into warbands ( taua) of 600 or so warriors, each of these is commanded by a lesser but proven chief, the regiment commanded overall by an elected and tested warleader – this being something of utter importance to the tribes-folk, for should their leaders be craven or weak then it is highly unlikely they will follow them anywhere, let alone into space.
In general and en masse, the First are armed with an assortment of their traditional weapons – various forms of short spears, clubs and axes, metal-bladed tomahawks being a more recent introduction – one of the advantages of being in contract with the Imperium being that these, originally wooden or bone, weapons are now crafted from more durable materials and metal is more plentiful for those that want it.
A full half of the regiment are armed with older patterns of lasgun, either traded from the Imperium or taken one way or another from someone else. While not the most proficient marksmen this side of the galaxy, they are fully capable of laying down a rather hotchpotch rate of fire, far more likely to cause serious damage if used in their favoured environments and from a position of surprise.
As for uniforms, this is a particularly colourful affair for Ngāpokere warriors, some retaining their customary kilts of woven flax and dog-skin cloaks adorned with feathers, others mixing and matching flak vests with them, some wrapping Guard-issue blankets about their waists and ornamenting themselves with spoils from the field of battle - bone trinkets, jade necklaces and other such items are particularly rife.
In general and en masse, the First are armed with an assortment of their traditional weapons – various forms of short spears, clubs and axes, metal-bladed tomahawks being a more recent introduction – one of the advantages of being in contract with the Imperium being that these, originally wooden or bone, weapons are now crafted from more durable materials and metal is more plentiful for those that want it.
A full half of the regiment are armed with older patterns of lasgun, either traded from the Imperium or taken one way or another from someone else. While not the most proficient marksmen this side of the galaxy, they are fully capable of laying down a rather hotchpotch rate of fire, far more likely to cause serious damage if used in their favoured environments and from a position of surprise.
As for uniforms, this is a particularly colourful affair for Ngāpokere warriors, some retaining their customary kilts of woven flax and dog-skin cloaks adorned with feathers, others mixing and matching flak vests with them, some wrapping Guard-issue blankets about their waists and ornamenting themselves with spoils from the field of battle - bone trinkets, jade necklaces and other such items are particularly rife.
Name: Te Kohe Tiwha
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Everything else: Te Kohe is pretty much the prime example of his people and their homeworld – a planet walking the line between a Feral and Frontier- class world, although pretty much a fusion of both – he is the mixed produce of an interracial relationship between his native mother and his Imperial father, a man who enjoyed adoption by the people and could truly have claimed to be somewhat of an expert on them where others had failed.
So the bodily aspects of his son do mirror this, the dark skinned man with piercing blue eyes and a stature and bearing not at all alike to those of his kindred. Where they are mostly squat he is tall, where they are needlessly aggressive and ill at ease with 'modern' technology, he stands with firm legs and his back erect, a student rather than a dismisser of clearly more productive machinery and methods.
Tall, broad of shoulder, and well-built, there is no mistaking him if one were to see him upon the field or off of it.
On the other hand he is as barbarous as the rest - his hair is kept well-groomed and long and tied in a feathered topknot, his body clad in the same flaxen kilt and marked with the same whorls and flesh-carven tattoos as his fellows; he can be differentiated though by the flak vest he wears, the laspistol he carries in a holster at his hip, and by the Aquila medallion he wears about his neck.
When it comes to the personality of this singular 'chief' (Rangatira) he can correctly be said to be much the same as in body, being familiar with Imperial tactics and strategies (which has served him well in the past), able to use firearms and machinery with as much deftness as most Imperial commanders thanks to his keen mind, and having an unspoken (and quite outward) authority that allows him to keep his people in line.
Outside of this, he is again as brutal as any of his tribes-folk, perfectly capable of torturing someone for the fun of it, of seeing slights given from those that are not familiar with Ngāpokere culture and customs, and (very rarely) of ignoring his superiors if it would benefit him and his own.
Overall he is a competent and sturdy leader with an uncivilised twist, a speaker of Low Gothic and a willing convert to the Imperial Cult. Among his people the God-Emperor is seen as the Sky Father or the War God – the warrior ever to grace the universe – but to Te Kohe he is exactly as the Imperial missionaries proclaimed him to be. It speaks volumes for the man that he has never been idiotic enough to attempt to 'convert' his people to his way of thinking...it would not go down well.
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Everything else: Te Kohe is pretty much the prime example of his people and their homeworld – a planet walking the line between a Feral and Frontier- class world, although pretty much a fusion of both – he is the mixed produce of an interracial relationship between his native mother and his Imperial father, a man who enjoyed adoption by the people and could truly have claimed to be somewhat of an expert on them where others had failed.
So the bodily aspects of his son do mirror this, the dark skinned man with piercing blue eyes and a stature and bearing not at all alike to those of his kindred. Where they are mostly squat he is tall, where they are needlessly aggressive and ill at ease with 'modern' technology, he stands with firm legs and his back erect, a student rather than a dismisser of clearly more productive machinery and methods.
Tall, broad of shoulder, and well-built, there is no mistaking him if one were to see him upon the field or off of it.
On the other hand he is as barbarous as the rest - his hair is kept well-groomed and long and tied in a feathered topknot, his body clad in the same flaxen kilt and marked with the same whorls and flesh-carven tattoos as his fellows; he can be differentiated though by the flak vest he wears, the laspistol he carries in a holster at his hip, and by the Aquila medallion he wears about his neck.
When it comes to the personality of this singular 'chief' (Rangatira) he can correctly be said to be much the same as in body, being familiar with Imperial tactics and strategies (which has served him well in the past), able to use firearms and machinery with as much deftness as most Imperial commanders thanks to his keen mind, and having an unspoken (and quite outward) authority that allows him to keep his people in line.
Outside of this, he is again as brutal as any of his tribes-folk, perfectly capable of torturing someone for the fun of it, of seeing slights given from those that are not familiar with Ngāpokere culture and customs, and (very rarely) of ignoring his superiors if it would benefit him and his own.
Overall he is a competent and sturdy leader with an uncivilised twist, a speaker of Low Gothic and a willing convert to the Imperial Cult. Among his people the God-Emperor is seen as the Sky Father or the War God – the warrior ever to grace the universe – but to Te Kohe he is exactly as the Imperial missionaries proclaimed him to be. It speaks volumes for the man that he has never been idiotic enough to attempt to 'convert' his people to his way of thinking...it would not go down well.
Regimental History: Unless you wish to count victories against Imperial settlers and PDF formations, which many understandably do not, then they are a regiment without history at this point. Having been founded only recently from willing volunteers - those that wish to find the ultimate fight among the stars - they are in one way or another set to carve a path in the annals of Imperial history.
Regimental/Planetary Culture: Also quite simple. What's their home like? What do these people look like? What's their interpretation of the Imperial Cult? Do they speak High Gothic, a local tongue or both?
Recruitment Method: How are they recruited? Are they the firstborn son of couples? Orphans that didn't make it to the Schola Progenium? People who drew a bad number at a lottery?
