Editing Komra (section)

==Technology==

The ancestors of the Komra departed Terra long before the development of the Standard Template Construct.  Subsequent generations have taken a substantially different scientific and technological evolution to the rest of the human race, but hardly an inferior one.  Although Komra hardware is not the equal of ancient races such as the Necrons or Eldar, it is extremely sophisticated without losing the trademark ruggedness of human technology.  Beyond their native qualities, the most important factor in the Komra arsenal is the state of their homeworlds: largely lifeless, mineral-rich planets highly suitable for mining and industry.

===Biotechnology===

The Trantor's complement was nourished by hydroponic farms.  Although state of the art at the time of their construction, these farms relied on artificial lighting to sustain photosynthesising plants.  In the centuries in Karor's underground halls, the Komra explored alternatives that would free up power from lighting.  Their efforts led to the cultivation of microbial vaults that efficiently fixed carbon without light, through chemosynthesis.  These vaults were then tailored to produce important organic compounds for use in food and textile industries.  Komra biologists have developed many other micro-organic cultivars for industrial and medical purposes.  Bacterial infections are typically treated with designer viruses - "phage" - which seek out and destroy the bacteria.  Medical kits are similarly exotic to Imperial eyes, with wound dressings grown, rather than spun.

A crowning achievement of Komra biotechnology was the creation of the Phage Towers of Karazak.  These great structures, first built on that mighty Stem World, were exported to the Komra worlds subject to Ork attack.  The series of towers would cultivate and release vast swarms of carefully engineered viruses that attacked Orkoid spores, interfering with their reproductive cycle.  The virulence and fecundity of the Orks was such that Karazak's bioengineering Gelkzaft were constantly recovering tissue samples from emerging Orkoid organisms and tailoring their phage viruses in response.  Nevertheless, Komra scientific genius and tireless labour were able to check the greenskin advance for thousands of years without maintaining massive armed garrisons.

====Scabs====
See [[Cult of Krenz]].

===Interplanetary and interstellar communications===
[[File:Space shipyard by silberius-d74a5c8.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Drydock at Valaya Station]]
Lacking both the Gellar Field and the Navigator gene, the Komra have had to devise a means of traversing the void independent of the Immaterium.  Their method for achieving the physics-violating feat of superluminal speed is to bend the shape of space itself with phased energy fields.  By the time of the Imperium's [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]], development of the space-warping drive allowed Komra vessels to travel hundreds of light years in a few weeks - impressive, but still much slower than using the Warp.

Until the Age of Trade there was no method for superluminal communications other than having "mail ships" go from system to system receiving and broadcasting radio signals.  The emergence of psykers among the Komra has not entirely replaced this old-fashioned method and civilian correspondence (typically between Gelkzaft rather than individuals) is still carried by mail ships.  However, urgent messages are sent by astro-telepathy, much as in the Imperium.

===Planetary Transport===

The Komra homeworlds are marked by many canyons and mountains, making surveying and transport by land extraordinarily hard.  Some regular transport routes benefit from subterranean rail services, but for occasional delivery the '''Komra Aerostat''' is the vehicle of choice.  These massive airships are not fast, but their great size gives them a significant cargo capacity - and great resistance to damage.  There are significant difficulties in using lighter-than-air vessels on high-gravity worlds, but the Komra pride themselves on overcoming such problems.  The abundant helium reserves of their homeworlds make the maintenance of rigid airships inexpensive, while ultralight ceraminium struts and kevlon fibres are used in robust frames.  Finally, the Komra mastery of fusion technology provided them with a power source capable of driving their great ships through the dense atmosphere of their homeworlds.  In times of war, the Komra Aerostat is used primarily as a gunnery and bombing platform.  Troop transport is usually left to ground vehicles.  Drone technology, initially developed for seismic surveying, allows an Aerostat to insert area-denial weapons behind enemy lines.  Finally, it has been a constant pleasure to the Komra that their airships perform even better on foreign worlds, with their lighter gravity, than on the homeworlds.

Mining operations are typically serviced by super-heavy vehicles.  Two different solutions have been developed.  The mighty '''Risung''' chassis typically mounts a haul truck of immense proportions, capable of moving up to 800 tonnes across difficult terrain.  Despite its great size, the expense of refitting the Risung for war sees its use limited to the most severe campaigns.  On such dire occasions, this huge vehicle is configured either as a Titan-killer or a combination fortress and troop transport.  More versatile is the '''Uhs''' class prime mover, capable of drawing a kilometre of heavily-laden wagons over difficult terrain.  Although ultra-long "land trains" suffer from severe mobility problems, the Uhs is commonly deployed to battle with one or two wagons in tow.  Komra militias outfit their war wagons with a great variety of different weapons.

Although the surface is foreboding, small rovers are common on Komra Worlds.  Light vehicles are used to meet recreational as much as economic needs, and these designs are readily modified for military purposes.  '''Sheldkrode''' - reinforced rovers fit for resisting collapsing caverns - are particularly favoured on the battlefield, where they serve as troop transports.

===Weapons and Personal Equipment===

Komra are unusual in the Galaxy in that they rarely forge single-purpose tools for killing other creatures.  Most of their weapons are civilian tools with military applications.  Their standard firearm, the '''Las-Borer''', is a powerful laser used in mining.  '''Heavy Las-Borers''' are also fielded in war and peace, but their mass requires a vehicle mount.  Similarly, Komra equipped for close-combat employ the deadly '''Las-Cutter''', a tool more often used for carving construction materials than slicing living beings.  Although demolition charges see use on both the battlefield and civilian life, Komra expertise in explosives is also used for specialised grenades.

The Dreigen Gelkzaft - professional warriors - use militarised versions of their militiamen counterparts.  Among the dead-eyed Totarg Gelkzaft of lost Karazak, the '''Thermal Blade''' is the weapon of choice.  These terrible close combat weapons are capable of cleaving through even the stoutest armour, but it is impossible to fully isolate their output from the bearer.  As a result of the constant burning, the rare veterans of the Totarg are known as "Blackhands".  Less fatalistic soldiers prefer the '''Rapid Pulse Borer''', a militarised version of the Las-Borer, as their standard arm.  Also popular among the Dreigen Gelkzaft is the '''Thermal Blaster''', a potent anti-tank weapon similar to Imperial Meltas.

Heavy armour is something of a rarity in the militias of the Komra.  Their typical garb is spun from sophisticated Kevlon or Nomlar fibres far superior to naturally obtained fabrics.  This material is comfortable but still fire-retardant and sturdy enough to provide fair protection against small arms and shrapnel.  While remarkably tough, Komra clothing is of little use against heavier guns like the Imperial Bolter.  The threat of such weapons - not to mention generations of tunnel warfare against the Orks - has taught the Komra the importance of specialised squads with significant personal protection.  The '''Grummel''' exo-suit is ideal for this purpose, second only to the mighty Terminator armour of the Adeptus Astartes.

In battles above or below ground, the rugged '''Lakmal''' serves as a heavy support platform.  These six-legged machines combine the maneuverability of walkers with the low profile of tanks.  Their strength and weakness is ever the vehicle pilot, whose own skill and initiative is the decisive factor in Lakmal operation.  More reliable but never brilliant are '''Spimal''' walkers, crude robotic machines fashioned after the Lakmal and given remote direction by a Komra overseer.  Spimal are often used to spearhead assaults without risking living soldiers.  Both designs were developed for work in construction and emergency relief.