Jotunheim appears only in the Alternative Canon. For its Main Canon equivalent, see Vyyrahk.
"Our nation, Drakolich, possesses multiversal travel, a gift which has been bestowed upon but an elite few. I have already begun to draw up plans on how to use it to our great advantage. One of those plans revolves around the construction of a new capital, on a different world to this one. Though Sunikagrad will remain the political and cultural capital of the Mechanocracy, the nation's military affairs will be headquartered on Jotunheim, an ice world that my agents have already scouted out in an alternate dimension that is well out of sight of both the Frenkish and the Imperium. I intend to have one hundred thousand soldiers deployed to the planet in the first ever global conquest campaign within a month of my ascendancy to the position of Grand Curatrix." ~ General Elena Trotskaya, to Drakolich. (*)
Overview[]
Jotunheim is a medium-sized ice planet located in an alternate universe. It is under the complete control of Mechanocratic Russia, and it is considered the unofficial capital world of the nation as of 2157. It is the hub of the Mechanocracy's top-secret interdimensional empire project, the product of a dramatic shift in foreign policy by the Trotskaya Administration that accepts the extreme unlikelihood of ever conquering the New Frenco Empire and thus shifts attentions toward dealing with an even greater threat in the Imperium of Sidhae.
Characteristics[]
"I hate this place. It's always dark, it's freezing even in the fucking summer... And I swear, if I hear ONE more psyker complain about this 'screaming' they keep telling me about EVERY TIME they go near the citadel, I'm gonna punch someone!" ~ a disgruntled Captain Vsevolod Berdan.
The ice crag-covered surface of Jotunheim, plunged into eternal darkness by its dying sun.
Jotunheim has a radius of 5,928 kilometres, being only slightly smaller than Earth and having a little less gravity as a result – its gravitational pull being 0.8 times that of Earth's. As a result of its own gravity and that of its sole moon, Jotunheim experiences considerably greater tectonic activity than Earth. This is especially the case following the construction of the massive equatorial fortress by MAF military engineers, which extends close to the planetary mantle in depth.
Although it is well within its parent star's Goldilocks zone, its surface is almost permanently dark and cold because of its sun's significantly greater age than Sol: it has already expanded and begun to cool down. Astronomers estimate that the star is just twenty two million years away from completely expending its hydrogen fuel and going supernova.
Locations[]
The main gate to Jotunheim Citadel. Two TU-52 superheavy mechwalkers can be seen on patrol in the foreground.
Arguably Jotunheim's most distinctive feature is the gigantic fortress covering the planet's equator, constructed over a period of twelve years from 2156 to its completion in 2168. The fortress is protected by a dense planetary shield and an intricate network of portal jammers, and is armoured to a standard designed to weather orbital bombardment – even a blast from a multi-petawatt energy lance (such as that deployed by the Sidh Dies Irae-class superdreadnought). As well as being able to withstand almost any attack, its defensive armaments can defeat close to any invading military force: it possesses several turreted energy lances of its own, each powered by an independent dark energy reactor, to destroy dreadnought-sized ships. Batteries of TZU-300 superheavy anti-aircraft artillery guns make short work of incoming orbital mass drops and large airships, and thousands of smaller LORAD and SHORAD missile systems and DEAD networks will cut through aerospace bomber or fighter formations.
The Southern Fissure, the remnants of an ancient massive earthquake as seen from the outermost wall of the equatorial fortress.
Should any invader make their way through Jotunheim's formidable first line of defence and successfully make planetfall on the ice world, they will have to contend with constant nuclear bombardment from the many ballistic missile silos and attacks launched from auxiliary forts dotted across the planet. This is in addition to the outermost defences guarding the equatorial main fortress, not least of which is a troop garrison almost two million strong. Additionally, long sieges are all but impossible for the ill-prepared due to Jotunheim's extremely-hostile climate: temperatures can drop as low as -90 degrees centigrade in the winter. For all intents and purposes, Jotunheim is totally impenetrable – the perfect retreat for Grand Curatrix Elena Trotskaya to draw up battle plans and direct the affairs of the country from the infallible safety of her citadel. Indeed, it has only ever come under direct attack just once: in World War IV, by the forces of Frenkish General Nigel Steele during the Raid on Jotunheim – which took place long before the planet's defences were complete.
At the fortress' heart is the vast, circular warship factory used to construct the World Eater hyperdreadnought, Trotskaya's most prized superweapon and ultimate trump card against the Imperium of Sidhae. For obvious reasons, therefore, the warship factory housing the World Eater is easily one of the most heavily-guarded structures on the planet, defended by a brigade-strong detachment of Novaya Chthonian hypersoldiers. The warship factory is also where the Arkhont battlegroup, under the command of General Yulia Trotskaya, is stationed.
Notable appearances[]
- Jotunheim first appears in the Tale from the Frencoverse The Sword of Pride.
Trivia[]
- The appearance of Jotunheim from space is based upon Starkiller Base from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (fortunately, the planet itself does not possess a solar system-destroying megaweapon). The surface, on the other hand, is based upon Icecrown Glacier from World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (with the exception of one photograph used out of a plain lack of better ones).