Arkan Confederates
The Arkan Confederates (also erroneously spelled "Arkhan", see note) are the Imperial Guard Regiments hailing from the world of Providence.[1a] Known actions include battling the Tau Empire and their rebellious Human allies on the world of Phaedra.[1c]
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Referred to as "Old Fury", the regiments' standard is a ram’s skull and crossed sabres overlaid on the Seven Stars of the Confederation.
Battle Cry
"Seven Stars for Old Fury! Seven Furies for the Stars! For Providence and Imperium!"
Uniform
The uniform of the standard "Greyback" trooper consisted of: A grey jacket, crimson-striped breeches, polished rhineskin belts and harnesses, a grey flat-topped kepi cap bearing the ram’s skull icon of the Confederacy (which was carved from bone).[1e] New recruits, referred to as "Greencaps", had a green trim to their hat and jackets. Officers wear a wide brimmed hat and larger greatcoats.[1a]
Paratroopers, known as "Burning Eagles", are issued navy blue jumpsuits which are padded with leather, and fluted bronze helmets with visors shaped to resemble a bird of prey.[1a]
Some cavalry regiments, such as the "Dust Rangers", wear rawhide jackets.[1a]
Equipment
Arkan Confederates are issued Providence-pattern lasguns and bayonets. Sergeants are issued las-rifles and chainswords. Officers are equipped with sabers. Lower-ranking officers are issued laspistols, while high-ranking officers carry antique autopistols or antique bolt pistols.
Troopers known as "pyrotroopers" are issued flamers.[1a]
The Arkan Confederates employ modified patterns of Sentinels, designed with hooves suited for Providence's savannahs in place of the standard claws. Taking inspiration from the models used by the Elysian Drop Troops' Drop Sentinel, but lacking advanced grav-tech, Arkan Sentinels instead employ more primitive rocket boosters and stabilizers which allow for safer drops and limited maneuverability as well as limited vertical take-off. Arkan Sentinels are also noted as being heavily decorated.[1a]
Locally produced heirloom power armor known as Stormsuits and Thundersuits are employed as heavy infantry, operating outside of the standard company structure in a noble brotherhood known as the Steamblood Zouaves. Each suit is unique to its bearer, though most are armed with heavy stubbers and melee weapons such as saws or drills. They are also equipped with one-time use rockets, allowing for sudden bursts of speed, reaching higher elevations, or slowing a rapid descent. Though tough, the suits are unsubtle and difficult to maintain, closer to status symbols than military equipment. However, they prove their effectiveness in battle.[1b]
On their homeworld, their military aircraft consists of dirigibles. However, upon deployment offworld their aircraft consists of drop-ships for troop deployment.[1a]
Notable Regiments
- 19th Arkan Confederates - Participated in the civil war on Providence[1a], later deployed to the Phaedra campaign[1c]. Only a handful survived to escape the planet, but departed in a heavily damaged ship with failing Geller Fields, presumably to their own deaths.[1]
- 1st Company Burning Eagles
- Ensor "Whitecrow" Cutler - Colonel
- Skjoldis 'Lady Raven' - Sanctioned Psyker
- Mister Frost - Colour Bearer/Weraldur
- 2nd Company
- Elias Waite - Major
- Grayburn - Lieutenant
- Pettifer - Lieutenant
- 3rd Company
- Jon Milton Machen - Captain, Steamblood Zouave
- Klint Sandefur - Lieutenant
- Jaques Valance - Scout
- Verne Loomis - Trooper
- Hill
- Baukham
- Dustsnake Squad
- Willis Calhoun - Sergeant
- Claiborne Roach - Trooper
- Gordy Boone - Trooper
- Kletus Modine - Trooper
- Jakob Dix - Trooper
- Obadiah Pope - Trooper
- Audie Joyce - Rookie (later elevated to Steamblood Zouave)
- Cort Toomy - Sniper
- 4th Company
- Ambrose Templeton - Captain
- Thone - Lieutenant
- Brennan - Sergeant
- 10th Company (destroyed)
- Dustsnake Squad(formerly. reassigned to 3rd company)
- Silverstorm Calvery
- Hardin Vendrake - Captain
- Pericles Quint - Leiutenant
- Beauregard Van Hal
- Leonora - Callsign "Belle du Morte"
- Mister Silver - Mascot
- Steamblood Zouaves
- Prentiss
- Wade
- Purcell
- 14 other Zouaves
- Unknown Company:
- Elroy Griffin
- Grayson Hawtin
- Norliss
- 1st Company Burning Eagles
Other Units
- Dust Rangers - Cavalry
- Internal Affairs
- Thaddeus Blackwood - General
- Kanulph C. Kharter - Major
Note
- Tech-Priests attached to the Arkan Confederates are named professors by Guardsmen after their pre-Imperium equivalents.[1b]
- Medicaes of the Arkan Confederates are referred to simply as "medics", instead of the usual Imperial term.[1a]
- While Arkan is the only spelling used throughout the novel Black Library itself seems to have mispelled it as Arkhan in its abstract on the product website.[2], a spelling mistake that has since found its way onto many other websites.
Trivia
- The Arkan Confederates are based on the military forces of the Confederate States of America (CSA), an unrecognized state that attempted to rebel and break away from the United States of America (USA) in the mid-1800s. Their name is a reference to the state of "Arkansas", one of the states to join the Confederacy. Their uniforms are modeled after CSA uniforms. The "Steamblood Zouaves" referencing the "Zouaves", elite soldiers of the CSA and USA armies during the American Civil War.
Sources
- 1: Fire Caste (Novel)
- 2: Black Library: Fire Caste (last accessed 9 July 2019)
