Prodigal Empires: The Grampii

Grampii certainly wouldn’t look much like this…

The Grampii are descendants of a warrior cast genetically engineered by the Serpent Men who fled climate change on their home planet of mud eons ago.

The Serpent Men established colonies – some seized from silicate rhomboids the Serpent men enslaved as computers. They found themselves also taking other populated worlds occupied by carbon based life forms and after unfortunate results using local proxies crafted the Grampii as their warrior race.

An adult Grampii is between 8 and 14 foot tall. They are thick set with powerful muscles and surprising agility. They have sharp natural claws and teeth with an explosive chomp and crocodile like grip. Their long string tails can be used for whiplash effect.They have acute binocular vision that also works well in low light.

All was well for many a millennium. However over time the Serpent Men ruling class fell into decadence. More and more tasks were left to the Rhomboids including, eventually programming the Grampii. The Rhomboids had long memories and were patient in their revenge.

The Revolt was sudden and vicious Serpent Men cities fell swiftly and bloodily. At their moment of triumph the Grampii were robbed of glory. Across the Serpent Men’s inter-stellar empire the Serpent Mem committed nuclear suicide.

The EMP pulses rendered the Rhomboids extinct. The Serpent Men too. A few of the other subject races survived as did outlying garrisons of now leaderless Grampii.

Further millennium passed as roving fleets of Grampii raided the ruins of the Serpent Men empire. Populations bred and grew back but never scaling the technological heights of the original Serpent Men Empire. Eventually uniting they conquered the old territories considering themselves a power to be reckoned with.

Then the humans arrived.

First the Holy Stellar Empire came bent on conquest. Over numerous wars the Grampii & the HSE have developed a grudging respect.

Grampii Military

Grampii ground military have arms and armour comparable to most human powers. The exception is ‘the vipers’ an guard corps who use antique axe energy weapons using old hybrid rhomboid-serpent men technology. (The beams fire out of the bottom the shaft of the axes which are held javelin style to fire.) Despite their size the Grampii are fierce ground combatants they’re fast, have an instinctive appreciation of cover and have limited chameleon abilities.

Grampii most Grampii units are configured in ‘square’ divisions of 4 regiments designed to be effective Garrisson forces. These have on airmobile heliborne regiment and 3 light infantry patrol units. Artillery is attached to regiments and held in local barracks/fire bases for support. Garrison units use basic wheeled transport, often human military surplus.

Viper Divisions are triangular of 3 regiments each fast moving and using gravity propulsion armoured vehicles the envy of human forces though their support is still organic to their regiments.

Their space military consists of swarms of light ships and then heavily armed if lightly protected battleships. They do not employ fighters and have few counter-measures. They have few troop transports and only ‘The Vipers’ are easily transportable between start systems.

The Hera-Ignis Ceti Campaign

More recently the Niptish Empire has taken an interest in Grampii space. ‘Slither’ space is a short cut through two portions of the Niptish Empire. The Grampii colonies are too populous for the Niptish  parliament to want to conquer them and the Niptish have become a friend and protector to the giant lizard men. The Niptish have transit through Grampii space for their trade clippers with the costing policing populous alien worlds.

All was good till the Catholic Communards began spreading doctrine of revolution amongst the Grampii slave races. Now several revolts have broken out and the Communards have sent a fleet and army under their ambitious General Sophia Pinochet to support the rebels. Initially the Niptish can only offer token support for the Grampii.

This then is the background of the Hera-Ignis Ceti Campaign.