Make way for the Royal Person!
His Imperial Majesty, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe Shaddam IV, will soon be arriving on Arrakis to settle the question of its supervision once and for all, and He is not happy about having to make the journey.
House Corrino has been at the helm of the Imperium for 10 millenium, balancing the conflicting interests of the CHOAM, the Spacing Guild, and the Great Houses, and they’re not about to lose their grip on the most valuable planet in the universe.
The Emperor brought with him his terrifying legions of Sardaukar, mysterious elite warriors from Salusa Secundus. He’ll have to use them, as well as the full extent of His political acumen and his hold over the CHOAM, to subdue the unruly houses and savage rebels of Arrakis.
Shaddam IV, the 81st Padishah Emperor, has ruled the Corrino Empire for 36 years, after the tragic assassination of his father. After years handling the tumultuous politics of the Landsraad, Shaddam has become an expert at using his opponents’ ambitions against them.
His growing paranoia, fueled by his lack of a male heir and the growing popularity of Duke Leto Atreides, led him to set up the Spice Wars as a way to eliminate any threats to his rule, and assert his domination on the spice trade.
The imperial administration is perfectly crafted to rule a galaxy-wide territory efficiently. At the heart of it lies Shaddam’s court of trusted advisors, mostly composed of family members and long-time associates, whose loyalty and competence could not be questioned.
- Princess Irulan is the eldest daughter of Shaddam IV. Involved in both the plots of her father and of the Bene Gesserit, she is used to making the best of a bad situation.
- Wensicia Corrino is the third daughter of Shaddam IV, trained from the youngest age for stewardship. Her independent mind pushes her to seek a more active role in House Corrino’s doings.
- Captain Aramsham is a proud officer of the Sardaukar, sent on Arrakis during the Spice Wars. Aramsham is an expert at using conscripts as cannon fodder to support Sardaukar legions.
- Hasimir Fenring is a sharp assassin mentat, one of the deadliest fighters in the imperium and the closest friend of Shaddam IV.
The Emperor has no intention to stay on Arrakis for long. Bringing to Arrakis his royal spaceships, mobile palaces fully equipped to accommodate the imperial administration and act as their centre of operation. And of course, if the need arises, he can call for a second of these juggernauts to descend from the skies towards Arrakis.
The position of Emperor brings a lot of power, but even more crucially, a lot of responsibility. The most critical one being, to keep the Spacing Guild docile. While House Corrino receives a tax or bribe of Spice from most factions on Arrakis, they must in turn pay the Guild’s fees to maintain interstellar travel at an affordable price, not only for their own profit, but also for the benefit of all the great Houses in the imperium.
This duty gives them a lot of leeway to influence the other factions, further reinforced by their ability to lend Sardaukar, to change the Landsraad’s agenda, and to use their connections to manipulate the CHOAM market.
In the last recourse, House Corrino can always rely on its military might to make a reluctant faction fall in line.
It uses large formations of cheap conscripts, and a few elite units specialised in shock tactics, including the formidable Sardaukar. Its armies are renowned for being ruthlessly efficient and leaving no room for error.
- Infantry are conscript swordsmen. Relatively weak when alone, their mastery of complex formations make them stronger with each ally infantry in their vicinity.
- Ranged Infantry are conscript riflemen. Like their melee counterparts, they get stronger when surrounded by their allies.
- Incinerators wield flamethrowers that bring agonising death to even the most armoured opponent.
- Sardaukar are the infamous elite swordsmen of the Emperor. Originating from the mysterious prison planet Salusa Secundus, the secret of their training and recruitment process is one of the most well-guarded in the imperium. They are as renowned for their legendary fighting ability as for their lack of mercy.
- Artillery Drones throw high-calibre explosives from a long distance. These dreadful siege machines need to be anchored to sound ground to operate.