“This is not a warship; to its allies it is glory and relief, to its enemies it is dread given life.”
- - Unknown
The Vorlusordarum- class (High Dracid: Lord of War) or Warlord-class is a model of titan-type vessel built and operated by the Imperial Talon Navy of the Draconid Imperium and serves as the greatest example of might by the Imperial war machine.
More than a dreadnought of ferocious power, the Warlord-class acts as an extension of the Imperium's influence in enemy territory and in more lawless regions of space as each vessel is equipped with relativistic cannons and fabrication facilities for items as large as battleships. Its internal modules and expansive barracks also allow it to serve as a staging point for entire campaigns far from the heart of Imperial space.
History[]
The warlord-class originated as the latest vessel in a line of dreadnoughts fielded in previous eras, all of which had the mission statement of intimidation and a sense of dread whenever it arrived in orbit. In current and previous models this was often achieved by its immense scale (measuring at 20km from nose to thruster), large cargo holds capable of carrying legions of soldiers and usage of a very large main cannon.
The design project that resulted in the warlord-class was codenamed Eclipse in ID.178420 by Utopis Fleet Concern with an estimated ten years spent refining previous designs. Despite two scares of plans leaking out, the first warlord-class vessel TNSS Vorlusordarum that was assigned to executive-admiral Enneyas Relsaytus. The tradition of offering a warlord-class vessel to the Imperium's lord-admiral began after the launch of the TNSS Palvectros in ID.178475 and given command to lord-admiral Teylus Salvortorum.
The warlord's design received a major refurbishment in ID.205791 which saw the introduction of starship fabrication facilities within the design due to the expanded deployment of the Imperial Talon navy in locations such as the Milky Way Galaxy. For a long time the design used a large-scale particle cannon as a main weapon, by ID.219500 the large-scale particle cannons were gradually replaced with a weapon that depending on the setting could either fire a confined beam of quark-gluon plasma or a relativistic projectile, with preparation required when changing settings. Proposals spread of installing the riftfire mk II model cannons, with further talks of upgrading to mk III variants.
Layout[]
Historically the Warlord-class is the largest vessel design currently in service in the Imperial Talon Navy. Like all space-dedicated ITN vessels, the warlord's decks are arranged so crews walk at an angle perpendicular to the primary direction of thrust with artificial gravity generators strategically located to provide a shaft of 0.8g gravity throughout the ship. Decks are numerically arranged with the "base" decks having the lowest values. Due to its massive size, the ship features a tram system to allow rapid transfer of crew, supplies and equipment across the ship.
The lower decks consist primarily of the utility decks: fuel supplies, engineering, fabrication, the primary maintenance bay and the primary reactor (a type XXIII-D Serimos reactor). Alongside secondary reactors, a single warlord-class is reputed to generate the output of a large Type II civilisation. Warlord-class vessels contain industrial-scale quantum replicates that use hypermatter energy to fabricate anything from fuel and equipment to ammunition and rations.
Further up are large bays within the vessel's structure that are separated from the vacuum of space by large reinforced doors. Warlord-class vessels are capable of fabricating replacement starships when on campaign that are launched from these doors. Depending on crew compliment these fabricated vessels can be manned by a crew of a few hundred thanks to the installation of powerful AI cores. The fabrication berths hold workshops and decks for professional shipbuilders, who are often leased from companies such as Utopis Fleet Concern or Valle Astroengineering.
Forward of the drydock bays are the command levels. In the very centre of the ship is the command module; a two-tier chamber with a bridge staff of sixty. The command module is fitted with systems to allow for admirals to manage their forces across entire galactic fronts as well as war room facilities underneath the primary command deck. Surrounding the command module are officers' quarters, marine barracks and drill halls.
Forward of the command section are secondary cargoholds, fabrication units and a second Type XXIII-D Serimos reactor used to supply power to shielding and more energy-intensive weaponry. Some Warlord-class vessels feature hydroponics bays and further accommodation for marines.
Armament[]
The centrepiece of each warlord-class is a Terys-pattern relativistic cannon capably of firing either a GUT plasma beam or a relativistic shot or payload. At six hundred metres in aperture and ten kilometres in length, the payloads from the Terys-pattern are primarily used against very large targets such as super-dreadnoughts, stations, planets or for causing damage within fleet formations. As the name indicates, the barrel is designed to propel projectiles at close to the speed of light.
Lining the broadsides of the Warlord-class are hundreds of rail batteries and turbolaser arrays. Batteries are grouped into firing groups, the quantity and firepower of these batteries coupled with the shielding allows a single Warlord-class to take on entire fleets at a time. Warlord-class vessels carry thousands of kilograms in ammunition and warheads.
In addition to warheads and ammunition, warlord-class vessels hold the facilities to accommodate wings of drone fighters, armoured battalions and legions of marines.
Defences[]
Warlord-class vessels are built sheathed behind twenty differing layers of non-phasic shielding, enveloping the ship in twenty layers of a plasma membrane that can protect the vessel against an immense amount of punishment. These shield layers are powered primarily by the forward singularity reactor with a portion of power provided by the primary singularity reactor close to the engine bay. Shielding projectors also extend to the shallower levels of hyperspace.
Protecting the hull is a four hundred metre series of layered ablative-reactive ceramic armour bolstered by nanite forges linked to the vessel's quantum applicators that repair the ceramic layers when damaged.
Propulsion[]
The Warlord-class relies on a cluster of 20-terawatt ion engines for sublight propulsion along with many laterally-positioned engines to provide directional stability during firing and for on-the-spot rotation in order to maximise battlefield manoeuvrability.
For faster-than-light travel the warlord-class uses a type 18 transwarp drive. At maximum effectiveness, the type 18 is capable of safe velocities of up to 840kc and maximum velocities of 895kc within hyperspace.
Notable Vessels[]
- TNSS Vorlusordarum - 24th fleet, ID.178420-205142
- TNSS Palvectros - 1st fleet, ID.178475-184521
- TNSS Dominax - 1st fleet, ID.214051-present
- TNSS Shivarus - 157th fleet, ID.218721-present
- TNSS Elumitan - 243rd fleet, ID.204318-ID.219500
- TNSS Malgradium - 12th fleet, ID.184720-present
- TNSS Hyperion - 144th fleet, ID.193-present
Quotes[]
“It's crude to fly such a behemoth, but its effect on morale and on an opponent's steel is undeniable.”
“A mighty vessel that serves as testament to the power of the Draconis.”
“I'll take eight.”
- - Agent Nu
“While I am... not particularily keen on such crude application of power in warfare, I cannot help but admire these deadly vessels. One such ship can conquer entire star systems by intimidation alone - and what when its cannons are actually drawn?”
- - Venoriel
“Our pride! This vessel will ensure the protection of the Imperium!”