Two parts.. First coveirng most of Necromunda and then two supplements (spyrers and Enforcers) the last part finshing up and adding outlanders. And THEN I hope I am done with all this shit. But I doubt it.
Part 1 of Necromunda, including the spyrers start.
Online rulebook
Hive (on Necromunda or of the Necromunda type) is 10 miles high (and some below), and probaby at least that wide. Of course they say five miles later on.. so this could mean the thing is 5 miles talla nd 10 across, or its 10 miles tall and 20 across.A hive is an ancient and incomprehensibly vast city, built up layer upon layer, stretching ten miles into the planet’s atmosphere.
The million worlds of the Imperium.Beyond the planet itself is the wider galaxy and the great realm of the Imperium of Man, an empire of a million worlds held in thrall by the Adeptus of Earth
[quote...albino toad on his servitor-carried palanquin. Diesel engines roared and oily black smoke belched into the air as the pit slaves fired up their tool-weapons.[/quote]
Servitors and diesel engines (and fuel) exist in the underhive. I wonder where they get all the petrochem from?
If we needed further proof of how militarized hive gangs are... they have acess to anti armour grade explosives as well as frag devices as a rule (although I dont know if "implosive energy" is a shaped charge.. sometimes krak are shaped charge,s ometimes not.) Apparently they're also lightweight enough that exact number doesnt matter (you can carry many more than a couple without weighing you down considerably)There are many different sorts of grenades available to Underhive fighters. The most common are explosive fragmentation or ‘frag’ grenades and implosive energy grenades called ‘krak’. If a model carries grenades then it is assumed that he has enough to last the entire battl
Necromunda autocannon seem to be more low calibre rapid fire weapons rather than the powerful anti-vehicle ones the Guard uses. (which probably explains why they are lighter and more easily carried.)Basically, these are machine gun type weapons such as the heavy stubber and autocannon which can rake targets with a hail of shells.
If you can drink the venom (at least in a diluted form) and the wildlife is plentiful enough you can brew some of it as alcohol.... This isn't the only thing either. They make other stuff from rats or slugs and other waste. apparently recycling tech is that good. Or they're that durable (and taste-insensitive)The favoured drink of Underhive is the potent spirit known as Wildsnake. It is brewed from the skins and flesh of snakes caught in the badzones. The provenance of each bottle is guaranteed by the dead snake preserved within. Wildsnake is a clear sharp tasting liquid the bitterness of which is derived from the venom in the snakes themselves
Chainsword. I guess they decided they needed to one-up the ambiguity of "monomolecular"The chainsword is a deadly if noisy weapon with a powered chainsaw edge. Its rending saw-teeth are made from sub-atomically honed adamantium and can slice through plasteel.
Tends to suggest something mor mechanical damage than thermal.The sword’s hilt and blade incorporate an energy source and a disruptor generator which sheathes the blade in a shimmering blue energy field. As the blade strikes a crackling discharge envelops the target and tears it apart.
Autopistol. Basically a small assualt rifle. Autogun has vritually the same fluff, including the bits bout fabrication below.The autopistol is a rapid firing automatic pistol, effectively a smaller and handier version of the larger autogun. Auto weapons are easy to manufacture and simple to use, and are amongst the most commonly employed weapons in the Underhive
The underhive even has its own (limited) fabrication. They mention reapir facilities being available too.Most weapons are made in the factories of the hive city and traded down through the hive. Crude but effective versions are made in the Underhive workshops themselves
bolt pistols are, unsurprisingly, temperamental.Bolt pistols and boltguns are manufactured in the factories of the hive city, but the fine engineering tolerances and quality materials required means few if any are made in the Underhive. For the same reason bolt weapons are hard to maintain, spares are rare, and ammunition is expensive
Standard las wepaon fluff. repeated for lasguns.A laser power pack will last for many shots and can be recharged from a standard power source or by exposing its thermal cells to heat or light. In an emergency a pack can be recharged by placing it in a fire, although such treatment tends to shorten the life of the pack and increase the probability of it failing.
Gives perhaps an idea of how lasguns can be armour piercing and flesh penetrating.. although it probablty limits their destructive effects.The needle pistol or needler is a complex laserpowered weapon. Its tight laser beam carries a tiny toxic needle or dart which pierces the target’s flesh to send its deadly poisons into their body. The laser carrier beam will dissolve or blow away armour or clothing and burrow into exposed flesh enabling the darts to penetrate more deeply.
Implies grenade-like effects for a plasma pistol on max power, but less on reduced settings. No overheat, but the power setting effects charge/cooling rate. Again of course this is roughly the same fluff for plasma guns.When a plasma shell strikes its target there is a tremendous release of energy and the target blows apart in an almighty explosion.
...
The biggest disadvantage of a plasma pistol is that it takes a relatively long time to recharge once it has been fired. The user can mitigate against this by firing as short a blast as possible with slightly reduced effectiveness.
Stub guns.The stubber or slugger is a primitive type of hand gun which fires solid bullets – usually one at a time. It is recognisable as a revolver or small automatic of the kind used since the Twentieth century
hey look! nonlethal weaponry. for taking civilians alive!The web pistol, or glue gun as it is cheerfully called, is not a common weapon. It is used by the Necromundan Houses’ own security forces as a means of suppressing crowds or taking captives without harming them.
hand flamers can engulf several targets with severe (possibly lethal) burns in a single shot, and carries only a few shots. All in a pistol-sized weapon. Of course this is the same fluff for the flamer too... lolA single container contains very little fuel, so flamers often run out of power after a
few shots.
...
At this range it is almost impossible to miss and several victims can be claimed with a single shot.
Variable feeds for shotguns.Some are pump-action guns, fed from a tubular magazine slung under the barrel, others have box magazines or long ammo belts. The ammunition itself is easy to make, and many owners make their own shells
Shotguns seem to fire slugs as standard in NecromundaSolid Slug: This is the standard type of solid
ammunition.
The thing'd have to be full of birdshit to have that.. of course its not going to be more powerful.... they evne mention "hundreds' several times. Wha happneed to buckshot?This is a cartridge filled with lots of small pellets. Although it’s not as powerful as other types of ammunition it is very useful for blasting enemy out of cover. The hundreds of pellets ricochet around and often score hits on partially concealed targets.
Incendiary/dragonsbreath type round.Hot Shot: This is a hollowed out shot which contains a small charge of flamer chemical.
Magnum version of solid shot.Man Stopper: This is a particularly heavy solid cartridge with a massive propellant charge
Apparently bolters and shotguns on Necromunda carry similar calibre (.75) About 11 gauge i think.Bolt: This is a small self-propelled missile. In fact it is a charge adapted from a boltgun round, and has similar properties including being somewhat temperamental.
Its scary to think that they can make "home made" grenade launchers, including armor piercing grenades...A grenade launcher is a light tubular launcher capable of firing most grenade types by means of a compressed gas charge. The most common grenades are explosive Frag grenades and implosive Krak grenades which are designed for cracking open tough and well armoured targets. These grenades are often home-made affairs, simple devices manufactured in the Underhive itself
typical meltagun effects...It works by means of sub-molecular thermal agitation, literally cooking, melting, or
eventually vaporising the target. A melta-gun can melt plasteel and its effect upon living tissue is horrible indeed.
...
..causing a distinctive hiss which becomes a roaring blast as living flesh is hit and body moisture vaporises explosively.
Needler.. again note the laser propulsion. I dont know if dissolve means vaporize, or just ablate but.. *shrugs* interesting firing mechanism anyhow.It is a complex laser powered device and relatively rare in the Underhive. Its tight laser beam carries a tiny toxic needle or dart which can easily penetrate flesh to send its deadly poisons into the target. The laser carrier beam will dissolve or blow away armour
or clothing and burrow into exposed flesh enabling the darts to penetrate more deeply
Autocannon.. again its a stubber of a different type.The autocannon is a heavy automatic weapon – a larger and more powerful version of the autogun. It is a rapid firing, high-velocity weapon capable of spitting out a hail of deadly shells
Heavy stubber.It rattles off a hail of heavy bullets sufficient to stop a man in his tracks. The workshops of the Underhive can turn out weapons like this quite easily, all slightly different in design but basically the same in terms of their effect.
missile launchers are a bit high tech for weapons factories, unlike home made grenade launchers.Not all launchers are identical but most are similar, deriving from the armaments factories of the hive city rather than individual workshops in the Underhive.
some missiles are single shot, some are magazine fed. I imagine the tradeoff is iether in weight or power of the missiles (a magazine either has to weigh more for the extra missiles, or use smaller missiles.)These are powered missiles fed into the weapon by means of a magazine or hopper, though some versions must be loaded one shot at a time
Burn up I gather means maybe several MJ (full body 3rd-4th degree burns)It is a military weapon, made in the factories of the hive city for the armed forces of the
Imperium.
...
The lascannon fires a powerful energy burst, a single mighty blast of energy that can burn up a target or vaporise plasteel.
I'd guess Em launched grenade launchers are not home-made.Grenades are thrown by hand or can be fired from a grenade launcher, a tubular device powered by compressed gas or an electromagnetic charge
Krak grendaeKrak grenades are designed to pierce armoured
targets by means of a concentrated implosive charge.
Assuming a 2 cm thikc door of iron we might get around 100-150 MJ to melt through.Melta bombs or thermal bombs contain a subatomic thermal charge capable of melting through a sheet of plasteel or vaporising flesh. The intense heat caused is very localised in effect, so the weapon is little use in conventional fighting, its primary purpose is as a demolition charge to melt doors or machines
Plasma weapons.. a non expanding, persistent, to enegy conversion process. You wonder why I think its odd. it also doesnt help it can drift for some reason (like a balloon)Plasma is a dangerous and unstable matter in a highly energised state. When a Plasma grenade explodes it creates a plasma ball like a miniature sun.
...
The area indicated is undergoing a matter/energy transformation and is glowing like a
small sun. A plasma ball can persist for several turns, or slowly disperse or drift away altogether.
Targeters can be messsed with via bright flares.Photon grenade or simply as a flare, this device explodes with a burst of intense light, blinding or stunning those nearby. A Photon grenade can dazzle fighters and damage sensitive range finding equipment such as targeters.
Photovisors can see through smoke (on Necromunda, at least.) But not blind.A Smoke grenade or smoke bomb releases a cloud of oily smoke that is impossible to see through without special visual devices such as a photovisor.
implies Mesh and carapace are more common belowground in some forms (but available) but that evne power armor might be found.The armed forces of the far future are equipped with advanced powered armoured suits and protective fields.
...
Although advanced armour is sometimes traded, by far the most common forms of protection are simpler types of protection such as mesh and carapace.
Carapace.A typical suit of carapace covers the vital chest region, with separate plates for the arms and legs. The armaplas plates offer quite good protection from low-powered weaponry but are rather heavy
Flak seems designed to block mechanical damage (blast and explosive near missiles) rather than thermal (although other sources have noted they are good against flamers, large area, low level burning).Flak armour is made from high-tensile padded fabric usually in the form of a sleeveless jacket which covers the upper torso. Flak is rather uncomfortable and not especially popular despite its low cost. It offers minimal protection against low powered weapons and is most useful against blasts and explosive impact from near-misses.
This does suggest one reason why lasweapons sometimes have thermal effects - if the mechanical effects are dampened by the flak, then only severe burning may remain (especially over a larger surface area.)
Mesh. More effective than flak, more flexible, easily worked into clothing.. but the effects degrade over time (then again I suspect flak does as well.)Mesh armour is a fabric-like material made from tiny cells of bonded thermoplas. The resultant mesh is light but very strong and can be fashioned into garments or used as a protective lining. Mesh absorbs physical blows or heat energy by becoming momentarily solid, effectively absorbing the energy of an attack to switch from one morphic state to another. Repeated hits to the same area will tend to erode this effect and reduce the protective value of the mesh.
Hotshot packs.The Hotshot pack is an especially powerful version of the standard laser power pack. It uses a more expensive and less robust power matrix, with the advantage that it can force more power through a standard laser weapon. However, the risk of burning out the weapon or exhausting the pack itself is much greater than with the standard pack.
Infra-sight. Mentioned as potential las-scopes in 3rd edition. Necromunda versions perhaps aren't sophisticated enough to be used on the move.. or they may just be a typical problem of such weapons.An infra-red sight is similar in construction to a monosight but is calibrated to register infra-red rather than visible light. The enhanced image which appears in the sight makes it very easy to pick out targets that are partially concealed behind cover. Like a mono-sight, the infra-red sights works most effectively from a stable platform, and is of no advantage to a shooter whose own movement disrupts the sensor’s image. The sight is designed for attachment to heavy, special or basic weapons
Monosights. Again a potential lasgun sight. It might be low light, but this isn't specific - it just responds to visible rather than IR light (nothing is said about quantity) - some are probably low light though.A mono-sight is an optical sensor worn over one eye, attached to the fighter’s weapon by a power link. The fighter sees an enhanced image and superimposed targetting reticule with its crosshairs clearly showing where his shot will land. The high resolution of the image makes this sight useful only from a stable platform, it is of no advantage to a shooter who is moving. For this reason the mono-sight is designed to be attached to heavy weapons, although they can also be fitted to basic or special weapons.
Red Dot sight. apparently visible lasers for no discernable reason.This sight shines a continuous low-powered red laser beam along the barrel of a weapon, placing a red dot wherever it is aimed. The laser sight can be attached to any pistol, basic or special type of weapon, such as a bolt pistol or lasgun. Wary fighters look out for the glint of the laser beam and take cover if they spy a red-dot scanning nearby
Telescopic sights.. seems standard to lasguns givne they have no optical stuff.A telescopic sight is a simple but effective optical aid to accuracy. The sight can be fitted to any basic or special weapon
bionics and transplants. The living tissue may imply cloned tissue, or just stuff culled or taken from some poor person.To the wealthy inhabitants of the Spire bionic implants and transplants of living tissue are readily available and affordable solutions to disease and injury. Beneath the Wall a few wealthy family patriarchs may be able to afford such services. In the Underhive people cope as best they can, making do with simple prosthetics and putting up with debilitating injuries. However, even in the Underhive there are a few skilled bio-surgeons able to perform transplants for those who are able to pay the price.
Benefits of a bionic eye.The eye’s photosensitive cells also offer protection against Photon Flash flares, and enable the fighter to see through smoke
Enhanced performance limbs. apparently rare, but available underhive. One suggests that the IG could get ahold of those, offering not only some degree of enhanced performance but also resilience to damage.A bionic leg is very much stronger than an ordinary leg...
...
A bionic arm is a particularly expensive device which offers greatly amplified strength, grip and dexterity compared to a normal arm
A rather useful bit of automated and self-repair equipment. Can help with keeping equipment maintained,An auto-repairer is a large device kept back in the gang’s hideout or in one of its workshops. The machine is used by a gang’s heavies to check and repair equipment, scan for hidden structural weaknesses and test batteries, power packs and internal generators.
Lifeform sensors.A bio-scanner detects life signs within the proximity of the user. The device is small, about the size of a pistol, and can be worn upon a belt or around the owner’s neck.
Rather useful.A bio-booster is a small chemical charge that fits into a wrist band or similar. The booster’s bio-sensor is activated when the wearer is injured, administering a shot of booster chemical into the bloodstream by means of a pressure diffuser. The bio-booster is selfadministering and completely automatic.
Impromptu rebreathers.Filter plugs, or ‘flugs’, are simple filters which Necromundans stick firmly up their nostrils to purify the air they breathe. Cheap and disposable, these are used in their millions throughout the lower regions of Hive City and the Underhive, where hive smog, pollutant clouds and toxic gases are constant hazards. Flugs sieve out the worst of the pollution including most harmful substances.
Grav chutes are common on Necromunda. Would imply that they can produce drop troop regiments. Or they may be used with grenadier/storm troopers.The grav chute is a passive gravitic repeller which reduces the downward pull of gravity to a fraction of its normal strength. It enables the wearer to float from a great height and land softly, even from a fall of several hundred feet
Grapnel hook and launcher.The grapnel consists of a magnetic grapnel attached to a long wire which is fired from a small launcher.
concealed blade.This tiny blade is cunningly concealed in a
specially designed boot heel, or inside a small biocompartment under the owner’s skin.
Infrared gogglesThese take the form of a pair of goggles or visor which allows a fighter to see the thermal images of enemy fighters in the Underhive. This enables the wearer to see foes who are hiding or who are partially concealed behind cover.
In Necromunda they seem to be fuel sources. In Dark Heresy they're batteries.This is the basic fuel rod used to provide power for almost everything in the Underhive. Rods come from uphive where they are made in Hive City, and sometimes turn up as archeotech
Useful i suppose.The lobotomy chip is similar in appearance and general function to a standard skull chip. The effect is to anaesthetise part of the brain, reducing the wearer’s sensitivity and curbing excessive and violent behaviour.
Buying power/economics of the wealthy on Necromunda.. they can afford millions on mere collections. Also indicator that they use credits as an exhcange medium. My guess is this would be indirect proof that credits and "Throne Gelt" are the same thing.Genuine vases are prized by collectors amongst the noble houses of Necromunda
and first class examples are said to change hands for millions of credits.
In 'modern' terms I suspect they would be part of a larger medkit.The medi-pack is a diagnostic medical computer that can alleviate the major symptoms of wounds by means of electro-chemical impulses.
Photo-contacts. optical version of filtration plugs.Photo-contacts are multi-layered plastic lenses worn on the eyes to enhance vision in poor light conditions. They also incorporate a photochromatic layer which protects the wearer’s sight against sudden bright flashes.
Another augmetic for brains, I guess. Interesting enhancement though, since it would suggest (much as Goliaths do) that physical ehnancement is fairly common (but maybe not reliable.)This is a small bio-chip that looks like a stud or tiny metal plate covered in circuitry. It is attached to the skull by means of a fine needle-like pin which fixes straight into the brain. The chip melds with the wearer’s mind and improves his reaction time and memory functions.
visor version of the contacts. can see through smoke as well as dampen bright flashes.A photo-visor is a special visor that enhances vision in poor light conditions. It also incorporates a photochromatic layer that protects the wearer against sudden bright flashes
Respirators. Visor version of filtration plugs.Respirators are an essential item in the lower regions of Hive City and the Underhive, where hive smog, pollutant clouds and toxic dust are everyday hazards. Respirators
remove the worst of the pollution including most harmful substances
Screamers are small proximity alarms used to protect a gang’s hideout. Individual screamers are tiny but the noise they make is horrendous. A gang will scatter dozens around the perimeter of its hideout in order to warn of approaching intruders.
Stummers look like screamers (see above). They are spread about by intruders as they move. Where screamers make a loud noise stummers stop noise dead. Once stummers are activated all sound within a few metres is momentarily muffled and even loud noises are
barely audible.
Screamers and Stummers.
I'd assume a laspistol bolt is a few mm in diameter.. assume 2-5 mm, and maybe equal that depth for the shot.. melting maybe half a gram of iron (assuming an iron walkway). If it were an inch to several inches thick we could be talking a 5-10x increase in yield. 600 joules for melting a few mm into the metal... I'm betting more on several cm thickness.. and several kj.Gunfire raked the grilled metal walkway. Shotgun shells ricocheted off the structure as it hung suspended high over the rutted and crater-pocked, slag-waste floor of the dome. Las-shots left molten pinholes in the handrails and flicked flakes of rust from the corroded metal as they stung hard at the walkway’s surface.
3rd degree to 4th degree (cloth igniting) from plasma pistol hit. Half a megajoule at least (for the front of the body alone burnt) to several MJ easily (for igniting clothes and full body burning on several sides)Suddenly an Orlock, braced against a twisted spar jutting from the broken ground twenty metres below, was enveloped in a ball of incandescent fire. Screaming like a knife-stuck face-eater, the burning man fell writhing to the ground.
Note that despite the description, this isnt blasting a guy apart. It's either a different setting on the weapon or only maximal settings blast people apart. Possibly this is a flamethrower mode.
Augmetic gladiator. Apparently augmetics can include power-armor like exoskeletal frames.The cybernetically-enchanced monster still had Guild ownership studs implanted in his skull, just as he still sported the over-sized, piston-driven rock-hammer that replaced his right arm. In fact, he appeared to be more machine than man, much of his body supported by a crude exoskeleton. In his remaining hand the pit slave held a recharging plasma gun
Augmetics resist heavy stub fire. They also resist acid baths that dissolve the flesh off a person in seconds.There was the rattling roar of a heavy stubber as Big Aldo fixed the pit slave in his sights. Sparks flew where stub gun shells impacted against the metal portions of the slave and blood sprayed where they hit what little flesh remained. Such a hail of bullets would have killed any other ganger where he stood. Harlon, however, merely staggered backwards as his unnaturally augmented body soaked up the barrage of bullets
laspistol bolt shoots trhough a chain. Assuming a 5 cm diameter portion of chain blasted (at least on one side, if not two) we're talking 1-2 grams. for melting that is 1200-2400 J.Laspistol on rapid-auto Vito ran from cover...
...
A retina-searing bolt of energy streaked past him, leaving behind it the tinny smell of ozone as it burnt a path through the air with a shrieking hiss. The las-bolt sliced cleanly through a link in one of the walkway’s support chains.
Assuming (for sake of argument) a 1 cm diameter hole we get around 7-8 grams at last which is closer to 9-10 KJ at least. i'd guess the bolts are somewhere in between those two values, but alot depends on the material type, adn even then it didnt neccesarily stop at cutting the chain either.
Also a laspistol can fire on "rapid fire" - which I am guessing means full auto.
Periscope.From his jacket Lothar took a long flexible periscope which he pushed carefully
into the ceiling grille. Rotating the device he counted four guards
The force of the blast carried the body across the room where it struck the far wall and slithered to the floor. The explosive bolt had erupted inside the gang leader’s head, smattering bits of bone and brain upon the wall
Bolt pistol round.
Kinda like those psyker liquid crystal tarot cards.Lothar Hex took five mnemonic cards from his coat pocket and placed one upon each corpse. As his fingers touched them the death’s heads upon the cards began to cackle and wink cheerfully
'millions' of inhabitants in a hiveTo its millions of inhabitants each hive is a diverse and complete world]
Dimensions of necromnuda.. the height is half what ws stated earlier... it may be this is a range of values, this being the lower limit for a hive.Their very size is testament to many thousands of years
of growth...
...
Where the hive breaks the surface its broad base spans ten miles or more from edge to edge
..
At cloud top level the hive walls stand almost five miles above the ash waste.
hundreds of metre long balcaonies.Cantilevered balconies hundreds of metres long jut out into open space forming the base for new construction sites
Assuming each cell is a hemisphere or ovoid 200 m tall and 2 miles in diameter and an internal volume of 2.16e12 m^3. A 5 mile tall, 10 mile diametr cone has a volume 5.4e11 M^3. About 1/4 the above. A 10 mile high, 20 mile diameter cone would have a volume of 4.3e12 m^3, or 8x the volume. This would tend to explain the discrepancy (volume wise) I suggested before- the "cells" could be either more numerous, or greater in dimensions, or possibly both . This is approximate nad there's still wiggle room.Hive Primus is the largest and oldest hive. Within its walls there are thousands of structural cells or domes, often many miles across and hundreds of metres high.
The hives seem to be somewhat modular in nature... they build a dome, cover it with metal (or waste slag) where it becomes mountainous, expands out, and lower abandoned levels are compressed by the growing weight. The domes are the self contained habitats wthat constructon occurs in, connected by tunnesl and suchnot... which only reinforces the "hive/ant conloy" metaphor methinks.. Such a space can be built up with constructions as varied as sumptuous palaces and sprawling industrial complexes. The hive is honeycombed with domes both small and large, each built upon the other, linked by tunnels and shafts carrying traffic, power and other vital services through the hive.
From spaceports sunk deep into the spire walls ships carry the products of Necromunda all over the Imperium. In return, the riches of the galaxy flow into the hive – exotic foods, sensuous slaves, exquisite artwork and rare materials from
distant stars
Necromundan trade. Note the acceptance of slavery.
The mid parts of the city are 5 miles high.. this verifies that Necromunda is both taller than 5 miles, and that the uppermost parts extend perhaps another 5 miles (but because they taper it occupies lss volume.Beneath the Wall lies the vast bulk of the working hive, the five-miledeep Hive City that extends from cloud top level to the ground.
Living conditions in the midlevels of the hive. It actually kinda varies.. I suspect this is the "worst" case... the dregs of the place. it's not exactly nice, but in the Necromunda novels we've seen better than described here (Like when Donna Ulanti escapes the Spire - they had transit and stuff, for one thing.) I can buy the artificially grown foods (probably based on or recycled from waste, and other materials) as well as the recycled water. corpse Starch... well it's a hive world I guess. You recycle and eat corpses. Dammit.The hivers, as the population is called, live in dark, cramped and polluted conditions, never seeing the sun from the day they are born to the day they die. The air they breathe is recycled from above and grows ever more bitter and poisonous as it filters downwards. Even the water is distilled from the discharge of the upper hive and their food is factory produced chemical nutrient, algae-based or spun from corpse starch. Conditions are crowded and insanitary...
anyhow, this is kind of amusing as it suggests the underhivers might eat better (as they eat actual creatures... and make alcohol from them..)
Apparently there ARE (sort of) limits to what the nobles can do to those within the Hive City (EG its not total abuse.. although that isn't saying much.) Underhivers are, of course, fair game (Spyrer hunters.) I suspect that's the tradeof.. if people obey the rules they're fine. If they don't.. they're screwed.The people of Hive City live carefully regulated lives. They are protected by the strict social codes of House and Hive, dominated by family patriarchs, and obliged to work in the guild factories.
the base of Necroumunda. The entire thing is basically a map.. the hive city is 5 miles or so. The Spire is about 3 miles. The top (where helmar and his people live is about 2 miles. The underhive extends for at least 1.-1.5 miles...Beneath this point, though the Hive’s ancient structure continues to descend for some hundreds of metres, it is to all intents and purposes uninhabitable.
billions or tens of billions in other wordsHive Primus alone is as populous as many large worlds in the Imperium. The majority of the hive’s inhabitants belong to one of the thirteen Houses and live in the part of the hive that forms its territory.
The hives (or Hive Primus at least) produces its own food.. somehow. that suggests it is probably more self-sufficient than many hives. Which is quite a damn accomplishment when you think about it.The Houses are manufacturers of goods of all kinds, from foodstuffs to armaments. These products are traded with the Noble Houses and in this way the wares of Necromunda reach the wide universe.
Greed and competition with the other Hive Houses (and competition for favoru from the noble houses.) keeps hive city mostly in line and stable. The rules/laws (and I suspect the ability to hunt the underhive) further keep hive city protected from being fucked over by the nobles. You basically trade freedom for stability and peace and security.Consequently Hive City is mostly peaceful and industrious, and the majority of its people are happy to toil for their House and reap the meagre rewards on offer.
its foundations lie upon deep ferrous slag pits. The hivers mine these pits for the debris of ancient times and extract enough pure metal from the refuse to serve their industries. Over the centuries extensive mining of the slag has caused some lower domes to collapse..
Apparently there is enough raw mateirals in the foundations to support and continue manufacturing.. at least for the forseeable future. I imagine they supplement this with materials drawn offworld to support new construction, given the continued "upwards mobility" of the hive.
What's interesting is that apparnetly the hivequakes don't threaten the upper levels all that much (certainly not the spire at least) - that would suggest some forcefield technologies employed.
Supposedly why Escher is all women.. I suspect its a rumour....Escher is made up almost entirely of women. The few males are shrivelled and
imbecilic, perhaps as the result of a genetic flaw within the House bloodline.
House Van Saar is renowned for the quality of its technical products. Its technology is no more advanced than that of anyone else, progress being almost non-existent throughout the Imperium, but the House’s manufacturing processes are precise and its finished materials
are of the highest quality.
Some could argue that improved quality is a degree of "advanced" - hell it may not be innovated, but good engineering is proof of capability. Better efficiency, etc.
...a tight fitting body suit designed to protect and sustain the wearer in the hive environment. Semi-permeable membranes in the suit reduce the loss of body moisture whilst various spots on the material change colour to warn the wearer of airborne toxins and
reduced oxygen levels.
van Saar typical suitwear.
This suggests that Necromunda alone is Perhaps equal to hundreds or even thousands of other worlds (Given the hive numbers in Confrontation.) Execution hour mentions "hundreds' of worlds like Necromunda in the Imperium. Which suggests those particular hives are equal to tens of thousands at the least, and probably hundreds of thousands or even millions of regular worlds in terms of productivity. I'd imagine similar output from Hive worlds (millions again) If the Hive worlds in 5th edition are anything close to this you could be talking upwards of tens of millions.Hive Primus alone is richer and more productive than most planets in the Imperium.
This does not come without cost - all that industry needs to be fed by food, water, raw materials and other resources which have to be carted in to sustain it, which is quite an industrial task. It also means that such hive (and forge) worlds are vulnerable to attack and sabotage - if food shipments are dleayed or destroyed, people could starve. If resources don't arrive the industry can grind to a halt.
Depth of underhive.The Underhive lies beneath Hive City and beyond the laws of House and Hive. Its depth varies from a few hundred metres to almost a mile and its extent is neither constant nor strictly delineate
Internal structure and construction of hives. Again they seem to imply a rather heavily modular nature in the construction (and continued contruction) of the hive.The hive probably began as a single hab-dome of plascrete or some other highly durable material. Over the years, more domes were added together with broad tunnels and shafts to connect them. Eventually, new domes were built on top of the old, and further domes were raised on top of these, producing a honeycomb of large enclosed spaces. The thick walls and foundations of these man-made caverns give the hive its structural integrity.
Material and food resources of the underhive. Again it's remarkable how extensive an ecosystem can exist and how much food they can produce to sustain a place as massive as Hive Primus (billions of people) without any evident external support.With hard work tunnels can be opened up, generators and air pumps can be installed, effluent flows can be diverted and water stills erected. Slurry pits and hive dust can be coaxed to yield crops of algae, mutant fungus and nutritious slime. Over the years order can be restored and eventually an area may even be reclaimed for Hive City
..
Shelters and other buildings are converted from the ruins and materials scavenged from the refuse. It’s possible for a family to survive by cultivating edible fungi, algae, slime or the parasitic lichen that grows upon them. In some places settlers raise animals native to the Badzones such as rats, blood beetles, giant slugs, blind snakes and mutant dogs.
Underhive natural/mineral resources.Pollutants transmute over the millennia, gradually losing their toxic properties and forming new stable compounds, including sparstone, adonite crystals, carnotite gems and dark nuggets of igneous adamantorite. These precious substances are found in the deeper parts of Underhive and the Hive Bottom. Rich deposits are very rare and searching for them amongst the poisonous wastes is hazardous.
Mineral ore deposits are more common. These often originate from liquid discharges from Hive City. Working their way downwards, ore-laden wastes reach open spaces and form stalagmites and stalactites of ferrous haematite or ‘iron slag’. Some pollutant liquids filter through porous wastes which act as sieves, depositing solid ore in the form of a crust or pan. These substances are bulky and not tremendously valuable, but their exploitation is relatively easy.
Again the peculiarity of the Underhive economy and ecosystems. In a way its kind of impressive, because the Underhivers have to be some of the most efficient and practical minded people to survive in that enviorment - nothing is wasted - everything has a use. Its a bit like a frontier or old US "wild West" type scenario. I suspect that may be kind of deliberate.But some come, attracted by the sump lake itself, to hunt its monstrous spiders whose faceted eyes are hard as diamonds and greatly prized by the jewellers of a thousand worlds. Others come to feed upon the spoils of the hunt, to bid for the tough spider pelts and chitin, to boil down the creature’s nutritious fat or extract its deadly venom. There are a hundred petty industries that thrive upon the spiders,
The various useful sorts of molds and fungus that exist and serve useful functions in the Underhive. Interesting that psychic enhancing molds exist too.Further riches can be gleaned from the mutant fungoid life forms which grow in the dark Underhive. The detritus of the downhive provides the ideal medium for fungi to grow in and, as a result, Underhive supports a substantial ecology of parasites and mutant creatures.
There are tens of thousands of varieties of fungi and moulds, some edible or otherwise useful, others highly toxic and downright dangerous.
The slow growing pearl spore forms tiny lustrous pearls within its flesh...
...
Iron mould is not valuable in itself, but grows on rust piles and detritus saturated with sequestered iron and other metals. The mould extracts water and bound oxygen from the substrate leaving nodules of metal underneath.
..
Spook is a relatively common but dangerous psychic stimulant formed from fungal spoor. More useful is the curative Stinger mould, which has powerful recuperative abilities as well as strong antibiotic properties.
Isotropic "crystal" fuel rods.. a near-immortal fuel source (or at least millenia.)Isotropic crystal fuel rods, on the other hand, remain good so long as they are unused, and can be traded for a good price.
The truly old or populous hives seem to sport even low level mutation, which perhaps makes them abhumans.The constantly recycled air, water and food of the hive have an inevitable effect on its inhabitants. Pollutants and toxins build up in the bio-system causing genetic instability and mutation. The effects of this are worse further down the hive where toxins are more concentrated. Because mutation is so common minor deformities are tolerated to a degree, even in the Spire and Hive City
Wyrds are accepted.Some appear normal, but actually have psychic powers of one kind or another. These mutants are more readily accepted into Underhive than conspicuous deviants. Some are even welcomed and protected because their abilities are useful, such as psychic healers and precognostics
Technical knoweldge (of some basic sort) in underhives.Heavies are heavily built or physically fit individuals well suited to lugging round heavy weaponry. They are also technically competent.
Security measures include power fields and doors with "psychic locks" - which I assume means they need a psyker to open. (internal mechanisms manipualted by TK)Somehow, an assassin had got past the traps and guardian power fields, through the adamantine doors with their psychic locks, and into the inner sanctum.
spyrers update.
Hive population of 'billions" , and spyrer hunts are used as a sort of rite of passage.These siblings of noble blood are cast down into purgatory to prove themselves tough and resourceful enough to take their place amid the ruling families. In a hive containing so many billions of souls, only the most dynamic and merciless individuals can expect to rule, or
indeed to survive
Spyrer rig. some sort of exotic, quasi-powererd armour with fancy abilities (self repair, and adaptive abilities.) Supposedly this is tau tech.. although i'd love to know how they got it all the way to segmentum solar!Spyrers use ritualised combinations of weapons and armour that favour different combat styles. Each rig is meticulously crafted off-world, a wondrous device of halfforgotten technologies worth its own weight in credits. The rig is self-sustaining and self-repairing, with integral weaponry and, most importantly of all, built-in power boosters which activate as the wearer gradually masters the suit’s functions. These power boosters make each Spyrer evolve in a subtly different way, creating a diverse and powerful group of individuals in each hunt.
Means of sustenance of spyrer packs. I suspect they collect and reciruclate fluids and wastes.Spyrers gain synthesised sustenance from protein packs wired into their suits, so they are immune to the effects of starvatio
Spyrer rig power boosts. Note the "armour cells' thickening. This probably also explains their self repairing as well (the same mechanism probably does both.)They work by increasing the energy feed into weapon systems and making them more powerful, improving cybernetic enhancements to make the wearer stronger or faster, thickening armour cells to increase their protection
Orrus rigs are the closest to space Marine power armor it gets. What's more they have shielding, armour and bolters. One per arm.Its distinctively oversized powered arms and hulking shoulders betray the Orrus’ fearsome combat style: that of crushing and battering its opponents to a bloody pulp. Ranks of armoured pistons power the arms and its blunt, claw-fingered hands, and each fist is backed by a rack of bolt launchers to blast apart opponents at a distance. Though the Orrus is the slowest of the Spyre Hunters it is also the most indomitable. Not only are the powered arms and shoulders heavily armoured but a force field protects the Spyrer as he lumbers forward.
An Orrus Spyrer is equipped with abio-booster, filter plugs and photo contacts.
All rigs have these devices.. they seem to be additional to the rig and not built in.
Jakara suit. also has a monosword I iomitted mention of. The main part is the shield and its absorption/reflection capability, bu the cables that feed to the armor are noteowrthy as well. Shield effects laser/plasma/melta attacks.The suititself is armoured with flexible plates like snake scales which are overlaid with the tubes and cables that feed power to the Spyrer’s limbs. The Jakara buckler is inset with energy absorbing devices that look like faceted jewels, each one of which can drain the force from a shot or blow and hurl it back at the attacker.
Yeld suit. can fly, has cloaking, and uses laser weapons on arm mountings.Its wings are jagged with edges sharp as razors so it can slice its victim as it swoops overhead. When stealth is needed, the Yeld’s wings curl around it and mimic the hues surrounding its body, concealing the Spyrer from view until it takes flight again.
Its's systems seem optimized for mobility (leaping and jumping) and has spinner webs and claws as weapons.The rest of the elongated limbs and back of the Malcadon are covered with downward pointing spines and overlapping plates of armour. Its arms and legs are boosted by pistons and hydraulics which permit it to climb swiftly and leap great distances so that it can move quickly among the mass of broken pipes and struts which form the dark canopy of the Underhive
Matriarch - an advanced spyrer rig. This also tends to suggest there are a great variety of types (we see yet another one different from all these in the first Kal Jerico novel) Also has cloaking abilities.The Matriarch wears a special ‘chameleon cloak’ that allows her to blend in with her surroundings. She will stalk her prey and then suddenly appear, her chainscythe in one hand, a deadly sharp monomolecular sword in the other.
Patriarch's suit also called "combat armour" suggesting it is something that can be found or purchased openly. IT is heavily armoured, agile (perhpas as much as astarted armour given the 'without hinderance') and comes with targetin gsystems and what amount to mechadendrite weapons. Two pulse lasers and two power claws. Note the Patriarch also has a bio-scanner, different from all the other rigs.Spyrer Patriarchs are equipped with the finest combat armour that credits can buy. The suit’s heavily reinforced armour is capable of shrugging off all but the most powerful attacks, while its powerful servomotors allow the wearer to move and fight without hindrance. The suit has highly sophisticated in-built targeting systems that allow the wearer to detect and attack multiple targets simultaneously. However, most deadly of all are cybernetically controlled combat arms fixed to the suit’s back that can lash out to attack any opponent that is near by
Orrus rig enhancements. note the ability to create new rigs, to alter the effect of the bolter ammo, as well as to thicken/harden the armour, and enhance the power field defence.New ammo feeds come on line to make the suit weapons capable of sustained
fire.
..
Power Field Strengthened. The suit’s power field ...
...
Combat Neuroware. The suit links up additional neuroware which sharpens the wearer’s fighting skills.
...
The suit’s armour thickens and harden...
...
Heavy Bolt Ammo. The bolts fired by the suit’s launchers explode more fiercely on impact.
The combat neuroware as well (physical enhancement.) All rigs get that, but I will mention it only here.
