i'm pondering the idea of launching a new DH campaign, and i'm thinking of confining my game to the world of Sinophia. The reasons are fairly simple: the world has a reputuation for incipient tech heresy, it's relatively isolated and there's enough information scattered across several of the source books that give me sufficient data to build a campaign.

However....I have questions. And while i'm not looking for any sort of 'official' answer, I'd certainly like a second opinion on some things before I write the script for my campaign.

so. here goes.

1. Sinophia seems to have been relatively isolated from the Imperium. Even the Adminstratum seems to have reduced their tithe grade. But does that mean that the Black Ships no longer come to Sinophia to collect their due of psykers for the Emperor? what happens to psykers born on Sinophia?

2. Sinophia seems to be the place where Arbites go to die. but what happened to their older facilites? are the precinct houses/bunkers gone, or merely abandoned?

3. several cities on Sinophia magni are considered 'abanonded'...but would the Adeptus Mechanicus simply give up on the machines that powered and ran those cities?

4. what cults/bad guys might find Sinopha a welcoming place? my personal guess would be the night cult, the logicians and maybe a couple of 'independant' cultists of various denominations....but who really knows?

5. there is little mentioned about Sinophia outside of it's (mostly empty) cities - what's the countryside like? were the ancient estates of the Sinophia nobility abandoned and left to weather and ruin? what of the Rogue Traders who used to live on Sinophia - what might they have left behind?

6. The Imperial Guard also appears to have abanonded Sinophia, and won't raise a regiment from the planet. But did they have a presence on Sinopha? what of their facilites? were they abandoned or have others taken them over?

just some thoughts running through my head about the place. obviously, i'm going to be using source material from various DH products and scraping together some ideas from old Necromunda literature...but I'd also like to hear from the forum denizens just see what others might have to say about Sinophia. any/all comments welcome!

Answers to your questions below.

1. Sinophia is a world which is slowly dieing. Nor because it's ecosystems have been destroyed. Not because of plague. But because of commercial and political sanctions. In the early days, during the Angevin crusade and after the founding of the sector, Sinophia attempted to make itself the political seat of power. They failed and were devastated both economically and politically. Hence the downgrading of their tithe status. This does not mean that the black ships ignore the world, or that psykers run rampant on the world. It means the population has dwindled, and therefore there are less and less souls to tithe to the black ships.
2. During the incident involving the "Empty Men of Sinophia" the Arbites suffered heavy losses to xeno-grafted PDF forces. The Empty Men were a widespread heresy implemented by the Logicians; a Heretical sect bent on "improving" man through both subtle and overt genetic and tech manipulations. The old Precinct Fortress is a shell of itself, currently unsuitable for habitation or operations.
3. Sinophia Magna; which is what I believe you are talking about, is the capital city/hive of the world. There are several "abandoned" districts, but the the Adeptus Mechanicus would have salvaged what could be salvaged and left the remaining hardware in place. Even as a cult that venerates machines as divine, there are limits to how far they will go to salvage resources.
4. No heretical cult would be openly welcomed on Sinophia. Any cult which could convince the morally bankrupt nobility that they can provide them the means to realize their "destiny" to rule the Calixis Sector would be humored, the nobles believing themselves to be using the cult for their own ends... The Logicians are actually a known quantity on Sinophia, with both many among the commoners and nobility knowing they were responsible in some way to the recent horrors visited upon the world in the form of the empty men.
5. I believe the country side was mostly plains and wetlands on the northern continent(s). They were once cltivated and farmed, now they are wild and mostly lawless. The southern continents are currently experiencing a period of volcanism, which has seen an increased level of precipitation worldwide. Nothing is mentioned concerning any of the nobility having estates outside of the cities, so it's open to what you feel would be appropriate.
6. Actually, the raising of Guard regiments is part of the tithe of any world, even one with Sinophia's rating. Guard Regiments do not generally perform garrison duties on their home world, that's what Planetary Defense Forces are for; and Sinophia's are lacking. As to were any Guard regiments would be trained and housed prior to shipping out, probably the PDF barracks, or even part of the Administratum grounds. Sinophia would likely only see the raising of 3-5 regiments at any given time, or slightly less than 10,000 to as many as 25,000 guardsman or so; dependent upon regimental strengths. BUt this would probably only occur every five to ten years or so, given the current low world population.

Mind, some of the above is merely my educated guess work pulling from various DH sources and general knowledge of the setting. I hope it helps though.

-=Brother Praetus=-

I appreciate your reply!

hmm...i'm thinking I need to concentrate on the themes of abandonment, decadance, decay, betrayal and bitter indifference. i'm trying to come up with settings and descriptions that might best exemplify those themes as part of my campaign. Like allowing the players use an abandoned/decayed former Arbite bunker as their base of operations. sure, they can make it operational but not even the best attentions of the Tech priest can get that fungus smell out of the air conditioning system...something along those lines.

I also noted that rain is a constant part of the setting. Rain + a reptuation for tech heresy makes me want to find a way to include a blade runner angle to all this.

*ponder*

You're welcome. The themes you're looking at focusing on are all very appropriate. Blade Runner is a good source of imagery. Another good choice would likely be Split Second (1992) with Rutger Hauer and Kim Cattrall. Good flick, if a little campy in parts. It may be especially inspiring if you 're looking to also utilize the Calixian Pattern Killings in your story.

-=Brother Praetus=-

And just an extra thought on the tone of the setting:- I read the Sinophian urban setting as being a bit like a heavily industrialised Venice that has been largely abandoned and left derelict. So lots of polluted canals, empty factories, dredgers, wharfs etc etc. All this combined with lots of faded finery, the relics of a richer and more extravagent era. And loads of constant dismal rain.

Just my two pennies worth!

EDIT: And Brother Praetus, that is an EXCELLENT call on Split Second! Haven't seen that film in years, but you're right, the images of a damp, flooded city are very close to the tone of Sinophia. I should also recommend the Album "Gargantuan" by spooky, an excellent piece of early '90s ambient techno said to be directly inspired by that movie...

Seconding to Lightbringer and "Brother" in case of SplitSecond! A =VERY= good choice to get in mood for Sinophia (if one mixes in a little more barocue).

@weaver95
If you want to incorporate a Bladerunner-Like scheme...ever thought of involving the "False Men of Nomen Ryen"? (see.. it was Creatures Anathema..wasn´t it?). They are (like the Replicants) "copies of humans" but not halve as "human" as the Hautjobs where. Perhaps they are somehow involved in the ongoings of your campaing. As Sinophia was (in other publications) being descripted as ripe with Tech-Heresy and Mind-Rusting Tech-Priests, some further "strange Tech-Priest" will not get immidiate notice...especially in an isolated Area where there is no / not much contact to other, "real" Tech-Priest who mide be able to tell the difference...

I think that all there is on Sinophia much anymore is strange (which is saying a lot) tech-priests. Most of the non-heretical lot are still fairly bad having succumbed to mind-rust and locked themselves away in there fortresses to pursue their odd and often senseless projects leaving Sinophia's machines in the caring hands of hereteks like the warp-worshiping hack-mechanics, The Disciples of Thul.

But, yes, Sinophia would be a great setting for a full on campaign. The world has so much atmosphere and story potential. For inspiration, I'd agree that Split Second's got a goodly amount of fallen glory and sogginess to it. I get to watch it about once a month as my house-mate is a bit obsessed with the movie and, for some odd reason, detective **** Dirken -though to give her props, she made quite an amusing character based on him once. Another movie that struck me as a fodder mine for Sinophia when I first saw it is Repo: The Genetic Opera. Visually, it has a wonderful living as parasites off the past feel to it as well as, prior to the official treatment of the planet, what I had imagined the Sinophian hives to look like (sans the floating billboards, natch). I reckon it would still work if you just dump a lot of water over the whole thing and kick on the rain that never stops.

After reading all the responses so far (and getting some most excellent feedback indeed!) another possible source of setting material would be the Bioshock game series.

hmm. I shall ponder this some more.