I made a template for your Chapters' voidships! It is based on those black-and-white ship depictions you can find on Lexicanum. Unfortunately, I don't know their origin (maybe they are from an older Codex?) Anyway, I simplified the details and made my version bucket friendly (that is, if the picture is not compressed when I upload it). I hope you like it!
This week I unfortunately couldn't continue the narrative campaign, but I'm hoping to get to it next week! However, I did some basic pixel art and came up with names for my Chapter's voidships.
Currently, the Harvest Guard's fleet is divided into three battlegroups:
Battle barge Cornucopia is the flagship under the command of Chapter Master Holden. Together with strike cruisers Heart Fulfilled and Plentiful Dawn, they roam the Ultima Segmentum in search of argi-worlds to protect, coming close to T'au Empire's territory.
Battle barge Famine's End under the command of 3rd Captain Aluin Chakfeldt is at Oaks IV, preparing for orbital bombardment to stop the Necron counterattack. Soon it will be joined by Burning Daylight, the strike cruiser that had been accompanying the barge but had to abort the jump and recharge its Warp drive.
Vanguard cruiser Promised Payoff under the command of 2nd Captain Falkor Qokade is stalking threats near the Great Rift together with Midsummer's Eve. The ships run silent and keep distance from each other to cover more space and better lure the targets.
Strike cruiser Hearth of Abundance is docked in orbit of the Chapter's homeworld of Harvestfall. It is being repaired by the Mechanicus.
This part is the bridge to Phase 2!
>This time I drew an elite unit of the Harvest Guard: a titanothere rider
>The next part will feature new Chapters, starting with Humanity's Wyverns, but the existing Chapters won't be forgotten as well
Previous post (The Dragon Helms)
General disposition
In the next few days, the preparations for the decisive assault on the canoptek node were complete. The Bronze Serpents vanguard has ventured far into the enemy territory (see Sector B on the map). Their reports, together with orbital scans and Librarian’s divinations, confirmed the location of the objective. To the east stretched a valley with steep, rocky slopes. This place used to house silos, sheltering them from the storms that would roll over the fields. Now it was scorched clean by the enemy, which, among other things, meant that Aluin’s concern for the crops was no longer a thing. It is at the entrance to this valley where the Harvest Guard have established a frontier base.
Meanwhile, reports from the north said that the Dragon Helms were making steady progress at a remarkable pace. New ground was being won, and the Necron reinforcements had no choice but be diverted to new battlefields. To get there, they had to endure ceaseless hit-and-run attacks of the Bloodied Tears.
The Scarlet Templars were reporting increasing numbers of refugees. Their call has been heard, and those who used to hide in the endless fields now flocked to the civilian centers for evacuation.
Assault on canoptek node
The long-awaited day has finally dawned.
“Our Librarian, Appel Kachur, sat on the Impulsor’s floor, his fingers making a mesmerizing weave in the air. Before him lay a golden dish of powdered embers. The warm wind was whirling around, carrying the aromas of oud and motely grass. I waited for the Ritual of Hearth’s Content to come to a close before asking:
‘Any developments?’
‘The ashes are shifting. There is great danger ahead, although it should not surprise us at all.’
‘Indeed.’ I paused for a moment before adding: ‘I’ve been thinking about the message the xenos sent us last week.’
‘What of it?’
I struggled for words, and when they came, they surprised me a bit with conciseness: ‘Are they baiting me to lead the charge so I could prove Bornschein I am to be trusted? Because that’s what I am considering.’
Appel Kachur rose to his feet.
‘The xenos mind is a labyrinth. We can’t be that sure, but… If this is the case… We know what a Harvest Guard does with a snare he has found in the field.’
I caught myself smiling. Indeed we do, Appel!”
-Aluin Chakfeldt, 3^(rd) Captain
The joint assault on the node began with the Bronze Serpents scouting the way down the valley. Squads of Harvest Guard’s Reapers followed them on Impulsors. Among the transports hovered two Repulsor battle tanks and a powerful Gladiator Lancer. All the canoptek constructs that dared show up were cut down before they could approach. The Lancer’s main cannon felled two Doomstalkers. When the hivemind formed by canoptek Spyders concluded this had to be the main assault, the Necrons committed to repelling it in full force. This is when three drop pods fell behind enemy lines. The first two contained a squad of Harvest Guard’s Winnowers and the Eradicators of the Bloodied Tears who would clear and hold the immediate area. Inside the third one was a hand-picked kill team of the Bronze Serpents, Harvest Wraiths and Bloodied Tears Infiltrators, lead by Chaplain Bornschein. Their goal was to descend into the catacombs and set melta charges at the node’s command pylon.
While this was happening, the main force was distracting the canoptek swarms. Aluin Chakfeldt was there with Apothecary Barez, and while the Serpent preferred to get up close and personal with the hulking Tomb Crawlers, often cutting through many Macrocytes to get to the worthier foe, the Harvest Guard was mostly behind the Reaper line, issuing orders to another squad of Winnowers: ‘Lay down that Reanimator! Focus fire!’
‘Don’t want to go against the grain, huh, brother?’ sneered Barez.
This is when the ground shook. Moments later, the strike team signaled: ‘Charges set! Unexpected resistance! Requesting a route out, now!’
Chaplain Bornschein and the kill team were fighting desperately against what was later identified as a Tomb Stalker. Its giant centipede-shaped body would coil and lash, ragdolling space marines all over the pylon chamber. Bornschein’s skill and ferocity inspired the Astartes to fight harder than possible, to survive wounds that would otherwise break them. They held their ground long enough for the charges to reach the inevitable part of the countdown and then retreated, taking casualties and dragging the fallen with them to preserve the geneseed. Behind their backs, the Tomb Stalker phased through the floor moments before the chamber melted in an explosion.
In the meantime, at the surface things were not going according to plan. The Bloodied Tears fast attack squadron that was supposed to strike from the north and clear a way for Bornschein’s team didn’t arrive for some reason. The vox hissed with static. Something was happening. The ground shook again and again, almost alive with screeches of fury from the Tomb Stalker. More and more catacomb entrances opened, spewing forth countless reinforcements, aiming to encircle and devour the space marines. Among the canopteks there were now Necron warriors. Apothecary Barez looked around and saw that Aluin Chakfeldt was nowhere to be found… This was when the Harvest Guard’s Librarian came to the fore. ‘Make way! Then be ready to cover our men!’ he sent into the Apothecary’s mind. Scattering handfuls of seeds from a leather pouch, Appel Kachur touched the ground in a grand gesture, and a thicket of corn taller than an Astartes sprang forth, slowing down the enemy.
The unstoppable wave of warriors and Tomb Crawlers hesitated for a moment before heading under the canopy. Then, suddenly, a thunderous rumble made the leaves shake. The thicket swayed and the rows of corn crashed down - six titanotheres, native to Harvestfall, roared into the enemy line. Each was mounted by a Harvest Guard in Gravis armor. Captain Chakfeldt was leading this charge. The shock cavalry broke Necron formations. Titanotheres’ branching horns made the Tomb Crawlers tumble. They plowed through lesser constructs and warriors like these were nothing but toys, while the riders jammed power lances into those that escaped.
The swathe cut into the Necron force was enough for Chaplain Bornschein’s squads to escape through. Wounded from his encounter with the Tomb Stalker, the Bronze Serpent stumbled, but made sure he was the last to leave the catacombs. He would have been cut down by the Necrons on the way to safety - but then he saw Chakfeldt’s titanothere trumpet past him into the thick of it. ‘Climb on! You’ve done more than enough!’ yelled the Captain, driving a lance into a xenos warrior’s chest. A gauss flare bloomed against Aluin’s armor. Bornschein did what was asked, and the two warriors made it back, the Chaplain firing his Absolvor bolt pistol as they went. Only after they dismounted behind the cover of the psyker-grown thicket did he see that the gauss shot had cost Aluin half of his abdomen.
‘I don’t regret it,’ Captain said, life bleeding out of his voice. ‘You see a trap in the field, you spring it and bring down the culprit… for all the Humanity…’ He passed out.
Apothecary Barez and Librarian Appel Kachur were able to stabilize Aluin, but the Necrons were already recuperating from the damages caused. The Harvest Guard’s Lieutenant was about to call for a retreat when the next attack started. The ground split, and the vengeful Tomb Stalker crawled out, flickering as it phased and clawed through boulders and corn stalks. ‘Fall in!’ roared the Bronze Serpent, revving his chainsword and narthecium. The remaining titanotheres were circling back, now for a flank charge. Behind their humped shapes flashed silhouettes of regal marble: the Bloodied Tears’ outriders have arrived. Their bikes weaved between the valley’s rocky formations, swarming the enemy, forward-mounted bolters blazed at the targets.
Apothecary Barez jumped at the Stalker to jam open its manidbles, even as they bit deep into his gauntlets and pauldrons. The Bronze Serpent’s sabaton would crash into the monster’s green sensors again and again, temporarily blinding it. A titanothere rammed the Stalker out of balance and gave the Apothecary a way out - just in time. ‘Give it everything you’ve got, peasants!’ ordered Eadwulf Stark of the Bloodied Tears as his helmet’s auspices locked onto target and sent a data-pulse to the cogitators at the Harvest Guard’s Lancer. A searing pulse from the tank’s lascannon evaporated the Stalker’s head clean off, and the Bloodied Tears bikers mag-locked melta charges to the rest of its body. Only after witnessing a fiery bloom behind the retreating outriders did the Bronze Serpents agree to withdraw.
In other sectors
Soon, the vox connection with the rest of the Bloodied Tears was restored. It turned out that their fast attack squads were intercepted by Necron destroyers. ‘Someone make note of the odds here,’ growled Captain Osbeorn Coffyn, driving his power axe into an Ophydian’s head, ducking in time to sear a hole through another enemy’s chest with his pistol. ‘It takes their whole force to slow down the sons of the Paragon!’ It was later revealed that the destroyers they faced and took down formed the backbone of the cult on Oaks IV. Thus, the Bloodied Tears’ victory held no less significance than the canoptek offense.
The bikers that arrived earlier were just the vanguard of the Chevailers detachment led by Marquis himself. During the retreat that followed, they would launch many attacks against the pursuing Necrons, whittling their numbers down substantially. It was calculated that the victories at the node and in the fields to the north caused a delay in the tomb world’s awakening.
However, there was no time to celebrate: Chaplain Bornschein’s been wounded and Aluin Chakfeldt had to be moved all the way back to the main base for extensive surgeries, probably being taken out of action for the remainder of the campaign on Oaks IV.
What’s more, the Dragon Helms and the Scarlet Templars reported a spike in the Necron advance. The substantial blow to the tomb world didn’t just trigger an escalation. The xenos seemed to commit all their forces to the counter attack that could be best described as incredibly vengeful.
Within days, the phalanxes of the Necron warriors took back the southern expanse. This forced the Harvest Guard to fall back to the denial zones they’ve been creating. The Bronze Serpents retreated as well, setting up ambushes and taking out more Doomstalkers and Reanimators as they gave ground reluctantly. Skirmishes of similar ferocity happened in the north, too. The Bloodied Tears fought both from a distance and up close, leaving small pockets of daring resistance to tempt the Necrons into encircling them, before the main force in Gravis armor would strike the enemy in the back.
The Dragon Helms and the Scarlet Templars made it their priority to shield the refugee centers as they were being evacuated to orbit by lighters. Several battles almost became the last stands for the selfless Templars, but the Dragon Helms were there to provide their expertise. Captain Euric of this venerated Chapter has dispatched his honor guard, called the Gedriht, to act as advisors to the Scarlet Templars and the Harvest Guard, coordinating the defense where it mattered most.
What transpired next, and the essential role the recently arrived Chapters played in the events on Oaks IV, is a story in and of its own.
Colored a template to showcase my Harvest Guard's vanguard marines:
To the left is a regular Infiltrator, to the right is a Harvest Wraith.
Harvest Wraiths form the Chapter's 2nd Company, led by Captain Falkor Qokade. They specialize in stealth and take to the field as Reivers, Incursors, Infiltrators and Eliminators, clad in cameleoline cloaks. Due to the peculiarities of their role, Harvest Wraiths do not operate as a unified entity. Instead, they are assigned to other Companies as elite vanguard units.
[The template can be found in here. The picture in the post appears completely black because this is how transparent background pixels are sometimes rendered. If you open the image on a new tab or paste it into an editor, it will look like it is supposed to].
This part features the Chapter called...
Dragon Helms, belonging to u/ThervingiAmal
>The next part will act as the conclusion to Phase 1, describing events that would hopefully lead to the continuation of the story. However, after Phase 1 is concluded, I will have to take a break before proceeding with Phase 2!
>This part also features an updated map. The template for the Necron image on the map belongs to Nelfhithion.
Previous post (Scarlet Templars): https://www.reddit.com/r/40khomebrew/comments/1t96mr4/harvest_guard_campaign_phase_1_part_3_the_scarlet/
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #6
“To the warden of the living host, Aluin Chakfeldt of the Harvest Guard.
Rejoice, for your meager offer has been received, considered and approved by His Glorious Majesty Lord Akhpentekh of the tremendous Nihilakh. Through his servants, he bestows upon you the task of submitting your false allies to his judgement. At the canoptek node, your forces are to retreat after the initial assault. In exchange, His Glorious Majesty Lord Akhpentekh shall allow your host to leave his world with all the paltry biomass you can collect.
Make swift this offering, for his patience runs as thin as your blood.”
Lieutenant Tuyorn Briggs received this message over one of the tributary channels at the Chapter’s planetside Strategium and immediately contacted his Captain, who was leading the Harvest Guard on a joint offensive with the Bronze Serpents (see Sector B on the map).
“I was observing the horizon through a pair of magnoculars when Briggs called over the maximum security channel. My two hearts started beating louder at the sight of the emergency icon.
‘My Lord Captain, you have to see this,’ he said, and transmitted a message to my retinal display. It took me a few seconds to process what I was reading. Needless to say, no such offer on our part could have ever been made.
‘Foul xenos ravings,’ I finally growled. ‘As if we need any more proof of their utter insanity. To think we would even consider! Shuffle the frequencies and update the security protocols. I will forward this message to our brothers and cousins - let us all enjoy a brief respite of laughter! Chakfeldt, over and out.’
But before I could shut down the transmission, a thought crawled into my mind: the enemy can’t be that dumb. It is a ploy. They want something from this. Some sort of a vile mind game, perhaps… It changed nothing, though. There was only one possible course of action, and I just took it. But the thought persisted…”
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3^(rd) Captain
Two hours after the Harvest Guard shared this information, the Scarlet Templars declared that they have received a similar message. It said that the Necrons will let the Chapter evacuate all civilians if they leave the Bloodied Tears’ flank undefended. And although everyone dismissed the news as laughable static, the unasked questions hung in the air. Why did the other two Chapters not receive any offer? Did the Necrons view the Harvest Guard and the Scarlet Templars as susceptible, or was it their goal, to cast such a shade of distrust? Privately, all commanders knew that these doubts were exactly what the enemy wanted. Some couldn’t but think: so, did Chakfeldt just play into the enemy’s cold metal hands by sharing the message? Quickly rejected, the questions still rang, even if for a moment: didn’t it make him inept on some level?
And then the reports started coming, and the vox channels buzzed with activity. Little jabs chipped at the minds of the allied Astartes, prompting even more questions:
“Marquis Osbeorn Coffyn of the Bloodied Tears demands that the commanders meet on his forward base for a strategic update.”
“The Bronze Serpents note a surprising lack of medicae supplies among the mortals. Conducting a spontaneous inspection, they discovered that whole shipments have recently gone missing.”
“Refugee center is Sector 2 reports a number of incidents involving Warrior Serfs of the Bloodied Tears. Tensions between the mortals are rising.”
Meanwhile, the joint offensive has been continuing quite successfully. The Harvest Guard and the Bronze Serpents made it far into the enemy territory, coming within the striking distance of the major canoptek node (Sector B). Having established a steady foothold, Aluin Chakfeldt delegated command to Lieutenant Edwin Chirfall for the time it would take to prepare for the main assault. In the meantime, he flew northwest to meet with the other Captains.
The discussion at the Bloodied Tears’ forward Strategium was destined to turn into a quarrel. Marquis Osbeorn Coffyn refused to parlay with Darian Holt of the Scarlet Templars, addressing the rest of the convocation instead. The time has come to adjust the strategy, he insisted. The Bloodied Tears stood front and center against the xenos tide, fighting in multiple directions simultaneously. Thus, they wanted a substantial say in what was to transpire, especially concerning the upcoming assault on the canoptek node. The campaign required strong leadership, decisiveness and acumen being key. Captain Holt, in his turn, argued that the allies must capitalize on what they have, without major adjustments.
Aluin Chakfeldt offered a compromise: “Another Chapter is making planetfall as we speak. The Dragon Helms are our esteemed brothers of the Second Founding. I propose we transfer leadership to them, by virtue of seniority”.
However, this didn’t sit right with Chaplain Bornschein: “The Bronze Serpents agreed to honor the joint offensive, nothing more. To let another of Macragge’s progeny coordinate the overall defense? My answer is no.”
Another point of contention was the incidents at Refugee Center 2. The Scarlet Templars received reports of mistreatment, disappearances. Having shifted their schedules in a way that allowed to evacuate the center more quickly, they requested that the Bloodied Tears release any Imperium subjects they may have “detained”. Again, there was an attempt at compromise by Aluin Chakfeldt: “I see nothing wrong with providing citizens an opportunity to earn their keep fair and square - indeed, the Harvest Guard has launched an “Eat What You Reap” initiative at our own base. However, these people are under the authority of the Administratum. Mistreatment of any kind cannot be allowed.”
Marquis Coffyn would have none of it: “Captain Chakfeldt, your Chapter owes us three debts already. Is this how you repay us, by joining our lessers in their verbality?”
Before the quarrel could intensify, a serf ran up to him and said that the newly arrived Chapter asks to join the meeting via a hololith. Permission was granted; away flickered the three-dimensional image of Oaks IV that was dominating the Strategium. In its stead, a head in a crested Mk III ‘Iron’ helmet has appeared. Captain Euric of the Dragon Helms declared that his forces had just made planetfall in the northwestern province (Sector 4).
When acquainted with the general situation, he gracefully rejected the notion of taking overall command. Too much of a difference was there between the Chapters for them to submit to one leader. Maybe later, when bonds of fellowship would form, all would be able to trust each other fully. “You might not want to admit it, but the mind-poison of the Necron message has tainted your hearts,” said Euric. “They knew none of us would ever consider treason, but this? This is exactly what they wanted. For all our divides to deepen, fester. However, they underestimate the souls of the Astartes.”
For now, the Dragon Helm proposed such a solution: his forces would operate independently in the north, utilizing the Chapter’s millennia of experience to conduct devastating skirmishes against the Necrons, further dividing their attention. While the enemy diverted more and more forces away from the canoptek node, the joint offensive would be carried out. And when the Astartes succeed in this endeavor, the Bronze Serpents could assume a role mirroring that of the Dragon Helms: independent action at the southern end of the battleground. The Dragon Helms also offered their lighters to speed up the evacuation of civilians, starting with Refugee Center 2.
The new allies did provide. A series of drop pod assaults has in a few days won the allies more ground than had been gained since the beginning of the conflict. The Dragon Helms would coordinate their attack with the Scarlet Templars, so their surgical strikes aimed at extracting the last pockets of civilians would go uncontested by the distracted Necrons (Sectors C, E). The more experienced Chapter also broke apart a whole xenos force completely on their own (Sector E). By baiting the enemy with their ground troops, they would deliver devastating blows from the flanks, executing exemplary maneuvers. There was a cause for concern, though: according to the reports, the Necron presence that the Dragon Helms had to deal with was greater than anything this battleground has seen. Escalation was imminent, and so the Bloodied Tears had to double their already great efforts when dealing with a destroyer nest. The Harvest Guard and the Bronze Serpents made final preparations for the assault on the canoptek node. The Scarlet Templars would support the center and the left flank while giving their all to protect the mortals.
A moment of truth was upon Oaks IV.
This part's star Chapter is...
The Scarlet Templars, belonging to u/Itera95
>This time I also added the updated map! The numbers denote home bases of the respective Chapters, while the letters denote sectors referenced in the text
>The template for the Necron image on the map belongs to Nelfhithion. The image of the Dragon Helms Chapter belongs ThervingiAmal.
Previous post (Bloodied Tears): https://www.reddit.com/r/40khomebrew/comments/1t63i4z/harvest_guard_campaign_phase_1_part_2_the/
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #5
In the coming days the advancing Bronze Serpents and the Harvest Guard have seen a substantial increase in the number of heavier canoptek constructs. Preceded by wraiths and swarms of macrocytes, hulking Tomb Crawlers would emerge from the hidden catacombs. Dreadful Doomstalkers made their move again, which prompted a number of overextensions on behalf of the Bronze Serpents. The space marine force has covered a lot of ground (see Sector A on the map) and was now deep in the enemy territory.
“Before me lay an expanse of withered, greying crops. Everywhere were signs of the enemy: swaths of corn burned down, the emerald fire still smoldering among the ash. Deep fissures, geometric in shape, have split the fields into sections that were becoming more difficult to navigate. Xenos obelisks dotted the landscape… I gritted my teeth and ordered to extend the banner poles that our Impulsors carried”.
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3^(rd) Captain
While the joint offensive was nearing its destination (Sector B), the Bloodied Tears were fighting three battles simultaneously. Their fastest forces were picking off the Tomb Blade squadrons that would otherwise flank their cousins to the south. Impressed by their surgical strikes and wary of the fickle nature of such benevolence, Captain Chakfeldt requested his battle-barge to establish a connection with “The Rune of Odalgar” and the ground forces of the Bloodied Tears. Over this channel, Aluin appeared together with his Company Ancient, who held a standard depicting bountiful sheaves and frothing tankards. Beside them stood the Company Champion, his helmet wreathed with silvery branches yet to bud. The Captain said:
“Esteemed cousins, the hour will come when we could meet in person! For now, duty requires that we greet you from afar, though no less cordially. You answered our call, and the Harvest Guard will repay this debt on this field and other fields to come! May we break bread when victory or respite is upon us!”.
In the wake of Chakfeldt’s message, the Bloodied Tears also repelled an invasion attempt from the east (Sector C), and launched a skirmish to challenge the Necron forces there. It seemed that the previous incident and a battle involving the destroyers triggered some dormant protocol, because the incoming forces included even more followers of that deranged cult. The Inceptor and Suppressor squads led by Eadwulf Stark tested their mettle against the Lokhust and Ophydian subsects. Repulsor fields hummed as antigrav devices were pushed to their very limits; the Necron power cores crackled with surging energy. It was an aerial performance of terrifying beauty. Deathly green rays stabbed the sky, missing the Inceptors by a hair’s width. Plasma rained down upon the xenos in return. The Suppressors would escape the clutches of the mad machines by taking off with their jump packs and descending slowly, as if in a dream.
While these warriors fought up high, Librarian Dreadnought Leofric Rothenberg reigned below. His force weapon alight with crimson fire, he pulled up chunks of the earth and giant boulders, creating a kind of a labyrinth. Forced into its confines by their insatiable desire to destroy, the Lokhusts found themselves within reach of Leofric’s talons. Ophydians phased and burrowed through the obstacles, only to be pummeled back into the walls by psychic shockwaves. Catching one of the destroyers by the end of its whipcoil body, Dreadnought used it as a flail.
Finally, the third battlegroup of the Bloodied Tears was sent to monitor the suspected vector of Ophydians’ infiltration (Sector D). While Heavy Intercessors were bolstering the defenses at the Harvest Guard’s base, Incursor squad Winter went to scout in the northeast. They met many refugees, who were scrambling to the safety of the Astartes’ defenses. The Bloodied Tears forbade them to approach their own forward base, which was a much closer destination. “The peasants’ place is at that flour-dusted granary our cousins can’t defend. There, they will belong,” said one of the Incursors.
The main base’s fate was not to be overwhelmed with refugees, however. Such a turn of events would have undoubtedly lead to more incidents that could have cost the Astartes dearly. Fortunately, a few days later the sky was filled with silhouettes of voidships, red like the dawn of a new day: another Chapter entered orbit. The Scarlet Templars, Choir of the Aegis, have entered the fray, their priority straightforward: to ensure the safety of every worker left on Oaks IV.
“The ghosts were following. I told the grown-ups as much, but they said shut up and walk. I think they knew, but… they didn’t want to say it. So we did walk through the night. The ghosts were there, behind us, I could feel that. I could hear that! Then Peri fell and scraped her knee. I stopped to help her up, then… there were screams! I couldn’t see who ran past us in the dark! I only know that we got left behind. And then the ghosts came. There were- I don’t want to count, just one, just one of them has stopped. It was a dead man, a dead man made of shiny grey, very slumped, with claws!
I cried: ‘Get out, go away! Please! Please!’ - to Peri or to him, I don’t know, both. I got up to shield her.
That’s when an Angel came. There was a big roar, it grew so quickly, and- and something very bright and blue struck the ghost like lightning. It was a spear! Then a scarlet Angel in a fiery cape landed, and the ground shook. He kicked the pierced ghost down, looked at us, then spoke:
‘Are you the last?’
I didn’t know, but thought of ghosts that didn’t stop, so… I just nodded. So he came up to us and… knelt.
‘Then climb on me,’ he said. ‘And hold on very, very tight.’”
- Pani, child refugee
The Scarlet Templars would perform high-altitude drops across northeastern territories (Sector D), bringing the civilians relief in the form of defender squads and apothecaries. They were also sending down supply parcels. In the following days, a series of broadcasts was made on all the remaining civilian channels. The laud hailers at the surviving harvest nodes declared:
“We know you suffered and we know you prayed. The Emperor protects – the crops, the land, the people. Take heart, for we have arrived with but one goal in mind. We are the Shield. The people, He protects through us. We are the Scarlet wall, to stand between you and terror. We are the break of dawn, to light the way to safety. Look for the knights in red, for they are your champions! Scutum Populi!”
The Templars contacted the Harvest Guard to inform them of the need to occupy some of the denial zones. Permission granted immediately, they established a chain of refugee centers, each equipped with a vox station transmitting coordinates and instructions to anyone who still roamed the fields. These centers were to act as transit points on the way to the Scarlet Templars’ main base, which was being established in the only sector that has seen no shot fired, no enemy contact made since the beginning of the conflict. There, the Templars planned to perform total evacuation, although the Chapter’s lighters that supplied the refugees performed smaller scale extractions, too.
The centers were created in the back of the denial zones for easier protection. The Templars strived to eventually create two centers in every frontier sector. However, the Bloodied Tears allowed for only one of such canters on their territory, and that was the compromise reached after a heated vox debate. “The day we allow our base to be adjoined to a disruptive shantytown will be the end of our doctrine’s integrity! Trouble someone else with these proposals, and leave your betters to fight the battles you cannot!” was the initial answer. It has been decided to merge one of the planned centers with another in the southwest (Sector A), thus avoiding the forbidden territory.
Captain Aluin Chakfeldt feared that a divide that has already started to form between the four Chapters would only be deepened by what he was about to do - but, feeling that his Harvest Guard hasn’t done enough for the world’s populace, he insisted that one center should still be placed on the northernmost edge of the Bloodied Tears’ sector. “I apologize for this, but the only other placement option would interfere with your ability to skirmish in the northeast, esteemed cousins,” he said. “You have our word that the refugees will be instructed to never set foot in the direction of your operations, and the Scarlet Templars shall evacuate this center as soon as the opportunity arises.” No response from the Bloodied Tears followed - however, the hexagon denoting the position of the devised center remained on the holomap accessible by all the four chapters, and no addendums to its location followed.
Helping refugees was not the only thing the Scarlet Templars got to in the following days. They also launched orbital strikes to break apart the Necron forces that were advancing in the northeast (Sectors D, E). Thus, the Astartes operations on Oaks IV were covered from almost all directions, but something wasn’t quite there yet. It could be felt in the air.
Down in the Necron catacombs, a Psychomancer’s Apprentek was listening to the vox chatter. His neural engrams glowed with emerald-green vitriol as a plan formed in the mechanical brain.
The story continues! This time the star Chapter is...
The Bloodied Tears, belonging to u/KitsuneDrakeAsh
Previous post (Bronze Serpents): https://www.reddit.com/r/40khomebrew/comments/1t3c0lt/harvest_guard_campaign_phase_1_part_1_the_bronze/
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #4
With the arrival of the Bronze Serpents, the Harvest Guard was able to divide its forces further and cover more ground with strategic harvests. Many squads that had been screening the harvesters redeployed to create denial zones in the northeast. At the same time, a column of Impulsors lead by Captain Aluin Chakfeldt began a steady advance in the southeast, intending to draw the attention of the Necrons. That made the enemy vulnerable to flanking attacks of the Chapter’s new ally. The Bronze Serpents struck from their freshly established base, scattering the canoptek constructs. Squadrons of Landspeeders and teams of assault intercessors, lead by Chaplain Bornschein, would bait the enemy into overextending, and then the hellblasters under the command of Apothecary Barez would emerge from the rye, completing the ambush. After that, the Bronze Serpents’ forces swerved aside so that the Harvest Guard’s Reaper squads could move in and deal with the remaining Necrons. Chaplain Bornschein would constantly alternate the direction in which his men were moving - the spearhead of the advance behaved like a crawling snake, turning, recoiling and striking with lightning speed and ferocity. The Harvest Guard provided the backbone for their allies to fall back behind, should the necessity arise. They also acted as the focus for the enemy’s attention, steadily pushing ahead with harvesters in tow. The Necron constructs would lock on the more visible and obvious target, only noticing the Bronze Serpents when it was too late. Captain Aluin’s warriors were safely collapsing catacomb entrances as they went. They would also put down any crop fires. The advance continued like this for a few days, the joint forces taking almost an entire sector. Still, this was just halfway to their destination.
Meanwhile, the Harvest Guard’s Lieutenants were supervising the main base and harvester operations.
“I cold feel the rockrete floor of the command center shake with microscopic tremors as our machines were coming back to feed the macro silos. Suddenly, a short but exquisite tune rang over all available channels. I barely touched the vox bead to recalibrate it when I heard a soft voice declare:
‘If you would pay me your full attention, cousins! Taking the field with you is Lieutenant Gernot Glas at the head of Incursors. With this, we notify you of our landing at your humble base within ten standard Terran minutes. Kindly prepare a clean landing pad should you not have one at the ready!’
We all knew more Chapters were entering the system, but that they would reach the planet so soon? That was a surprise. We, this time the commanding officers ‘we’, also knew that our first ally proved to be abrasive. And now this message! I briefly entertained the thought of directing the incoming Thunderhawk to the furthest, most cluttered landing pad, then expunged such attitude entirely. I did the same with the idea of giving in to such demands.
‘Notification acknowledged, you are in the clear. If you would just... reroute your channel to our dispatch,’ I said and switched the bandwidth too.
The only squads at the base right now were Reaper One and Thresher Seven, the former having been relocated back for debriefing and medicae attention after yesterday’s hostilities. The Threshers were standing watch, so I voxed the Reapers to meet the guests and show them to our strategium. A few minutes later the Bloodied Tears appeared.
‘I stand perplexed,’ said Gernot Glas, his marble-white armor framed with regal red as he was clasping hands behind caped back. ‘Ask me why this would be the case,’ he demanded.
I sighed internally. ‘Why?’
‘Where to begin?’ He walked around the hololith, strategic markers reflecting in the eye lenses of his Phobos-pattern helmet. ‘It would appear our intervention was sought for quite desperately, and judging by that meager imitation of a welcoming parade, your circumstances are dire indeed… And yet I haven’t seen your Captain meet us. Where is he? Who was left in charge of this barn of a base?’
Yes. There it was. My suspicions were realized. Of course, I still explained everything to him. Words don’t matter - worlds do. The more I said, the thicker the atmosphere in the strategium became, as though the shadow of the enemy loomed over us. While I was speaking, the ground shook even more under the weight of harvesters’ threads. The Bloodied Tears exchanged quick glances.
‘Your basic strategy will have to be adjusted to accommodate for more sophisticated solutions,’ said Gernot Glas after listening to me. ‘We shall start with this-’
What happened next was a tale told in microsecond increments. First, his Incursors raised bolt carbines. My two hearts froze. A treachery?! But then I registered it as well. That shadow that would haunt my words, it wasn’t proverbial! And the tremors, they got more intense - a change even our enhanced hearing barely noticed, but that had been picked up by the Bloodied Tears’ auspexes just in time to react.
A skittering, clawed thing burst from the rockrete floor. The Incursors opened fire - their precognitive arrays saved us a precious second.
‘Hands, battle stations!’ I roared into the vox.
The Necron abomination shook as bolts exploded against its metal flesh. It flickered out of reality, now visible only as a ghastly silhouette, and came at me like a windmill. I felt a bone-shaking ‘thud’ as someone took me down. A hyperphase blade shimmered its deadly arc where I’d just stood! Another volley from the Bloodied Tears, and the creature broke. Still, it came at us, its whipcoil body thrashing wildly - that’s when the Reapers finally stormed in and finished our job.
‘More contacts!’ The vox bead in my ear came back to life. ‘At silos! Generatorum, too!’
‘We take the field indeed,’ said Gernot Glas as he was getting up. It was him who saved my life by crashing into me just a few seconds ago. He didn’t snide, didn’t offer me a hand - but I knew then that our allies were the kind we could take upon the tomb world with.”
- Tuyorn Briggs, Lieutenant
The Bloodied Tears Incursor force helped drive the remaining Ophydian Destoryers off the base. These insane creatures hid among the ‘wraiths’ that the civilians had been seeing in the night. Perhaps angered by the sight of harvesters reaping, they followed the machines, then tunneled underneath the base with claws and phasing flickers.
While this was happening, the advancing Harvest Guard and Bronze serpents received warnings: a recon force of Necrons had been spotted by the harvester parties to the northeast. The vile automata were attempting a flanking maneuver of their own. Their arrival was a matter of a day at best… But before the commanders could have a proper disagreement - should they stop the advance or leave behind a repelling force - they heard an unexpected transmission too:
‘To all the stragglers whom it may concern! You have the honor of receiving word from Lieutenant Eadwulf Stark, commanding strike force “Dreschner’s Thunderstorm”. A recon force of abominable intelligences will be dispatched with utter prejudice. We drop down in the denial zones you thoughtfully prepared. Stand ready for our arrival, for the enemy won’t have that luxury.’
Marquis Coffyn’s grand-cousin and the Librarian Dreadnought, Inceptor and Suppressor squads performed the orbital drop at the forward positions to the north of the main advance. They would wipe out a phalanx of Necron warriors and deal with the supporting destroyers. Then the Bloodied Tears called for more orbital drops, establishing a base for vanguard operations. Osbeorn Coffyn watched from orbit as his strategy of daring and quick skirmishes would unfold.
>Small note: I decided to showcase Eadwulf Stark's force and their Librarian Dreadnought's abilities in the next parts of the story, when the Bloodied Tears will face greater resistance
I decided to accompany some of the campaign posts with drawings. The star Chapter of part 1 is...
The Bronze Serpents, belonging to u/Exodusblaze
>I can't promise I'll do all the Phases like that, but I am definitely drawing Phase 1 chapters! (If their creators don't mind, of course). We'll see if I still have the wind in me to do Phases 2 and 3 in the similar manner. I do hope I will! For now, I am thoroughly enjoying the process, although making such plans even for four chapters is daunting!
Previous post (phase 0): https://www.reddit.com/r/40khomebrew/comments/1t1l7c4/harvest_guard_campaign_phase_0_buying_time/
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #3
The Necrons didn’t wait for the Harvest Guard to be reinforced. As the Chapter’s gargantuan machines were toiling through the night to widen the denial zones, a wraith march has begun. Phasing in and out of reality, clawed abominations slid from under the rye. All over the southwestern sector, the harvesters’ escorts would report attacks of unexpected ferocity. Transmissions were cut short by bursts of bolter fire and metallic zing of the claws. A minute later, the observers on board of “Famine’s End” alerted Captain Aluin of incoming Tomb Blades.
He ordered the machines back, as he’s done many a time in the past few weeks. This was exactly what the Necrons wanted. Deep crevices opened behind the harvesters, ramps of black stone rumbling down into the green glow of catacombs. This is how the enemy’s drones had been able to appear unnoticed - not by burrowing, as Captain Aluin used to think. And now they were doing it en masse.
Swarms of what later were identified as canoptek macrocytes poured from the glowing fissures. Seven harvesters and their escort got caught between them and the wraiths, while the observers in orbit kept counting down to the arrival of the Tomb Blades. Captain Aluin has voxed to “Famine’s End” to prepare the drop pods. The Chapter’s Winnowers were priming their heavy weapons.
This is when the first bronze-clad Thunderhawk swooped down. What follows is an excerpt from the debriefing of Leadhand (Sergeant) Brom, squad Reaper One:
“We were knee-deep in grox manure against those floating creeps, but then the Thunderhawks arrived guns blazing. They dove almost in a straight line, pulling up at the last second. Hatches opened, and squads of jump-packed infantry flew out. I growled my approval, knowing too well it may be the last, while they came down, hacking and slashing and piercing in curt movements. Yes, piercing more than anything. All fought the same. A moment of almost full stillness, then a frenzied thrust - like snakes.
‘What are they doing, lead?’ This was one of my reapers. ‘The techno be that way!’
He meant what I just thought. We should be defending our machines. But the serpents, they pressed ahead. Nah - they rushed. Their lord, a jump-packed Chaplain, raised his Crozius and dove down into the nearest crevice. His warriors followed suit, shooting bolt pistols and slashing at the creeps as they went.
A shrill screech made me cringe. Some ten seconds later, a tall xenos thing rose from the glowing depths, already dying as it did. The snake brothers jammed their swords into its ugly joints. Abomination’s spider legs were fumbling. It got to the surface, rocking side to side. I saw the Chaplain take its head off with a swing of the Crozius. Its doomsday cannon went off into the night as the xenos fell. Good crops were lost, a whole swath! At least the blast took some of the creeps as well.
‘Lead! Reinforcements!’ cried one of the hands. I looked up and saw our Winnowers make a meteoric descent.”
- Brom, Leadhand
Interventions of the same kind happened at all attack sites. The arriving Harvest Guard mopped up the macrocytes and sent the wraiths reeling with squalls of melta fire. A few minutes later, the Chapter’s lighters came to extract the harvesters. One of the escorting gunships landed, and Captain Aluin stepped out.
“I told my men to hold the line. Get the wounded to the Thunderhawks. The Tomb Blades were inbound - the orbital reports said they somehow hid themselves from our augur arrays as they approached… I needed that harvester away, and quickly, and my men were ready to repel and then evacuate.
A moment later, the Chaplain of the Bronze Serpents approached us with his brothers following. He wiped green liquid from his Crozius with a sheaf of rye. My teeth clenched at the sacrilege, but it was a matter for another time.
‘On this field, we greet you golden.’ I pressed my fist against the chest plate. ‘We counted hours to your arrival.’
He nodded up in acknowledgement and said:
‘The Serpents waste no time.’ Then, looking around, he added: ‘Which seems relevant enough. Why are you not advancing? Where are the trophies?’
I paused for a moment, making sense of the disapproval in his voice.
‘We have been moving the perimeter up,’ I finally said. ‘And the harvest continues despite all-”
‘The only harvest that matters,’ he intoned, ‘is the one we just performed.’ He gestured to the carcass of the canoptek Doomstalker as it was slowly phasing out of reality in the pool of glowing ooze. I looked backed at the Chaplain, my eyes narrow not from the interruption, but from the ensuing insult.
‘Then be ready for more. The Tomb Blades will leave the augur shadow soon enough.’
The Bronze Serpent turned away, his Crozius still lowered.
‘Oh, that? They won’t be leaving this shadow, Captain. Our vanguard wastes no time as well,’ he said.”
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3^(rd) Captain
The Bronze Serpents claimed the southwestern sector as their base of operations. The 1^(st) and 3^(rd) Fangs established their own perimeter while waiting for the remaining forces to catch up. The next morning, their Chaplain was at Aluin’s command center, demanding to know when the advance begins. Luckily for the fledging alliance, the Harvest Guard’s Librarian was finally able to divine the approximate disposition of the enemy. Comparing the results of the ritual of Hearth’s Content with orbital scans revealed the location of a major canoptek node. It was the source of yesterday’s attack, and destroying it would slow down the process of awakening.
The new arrivals said the honor of spearheading the assault should be theirs. The Harvest Guard was more than ready to take on the less glorious role of holding claimed ground, mopping up the ‘lesser quarry’ and generally being in the rear guard as the backbone of the advance. Such willingness to forego the best parts seemed to disgust the Bronze Serpents’ Chaplain. He even hinted at the possibility of cowardice or lack of aptitude, to which Captain Aluin retorted that the proposed strategy aligns with his Chapter’s values of hard work and generous support.
‘I hope we’ll come to honor our differences as the advance goes on,’ added Aluin. ‘As it is proper for fellow sons of Guilliman.’
The Chaplain remained grimly, thunderously quiet for a long time before finally growling: ‘For the sake of the hunt, I’ll honor the strategy we have devised. And nothing else.’ Having said that, he left the command center.
The next day, the advance began. The node of awakening lay two whole sectors away to the east from Bronze Serpents’ base. It has been decided to perform reconnaissance in force, claiming ground and distracting the enemy before a decapitation strike from orbit.
Thank you everyone for your amazing contributions! I was not expecting such engagement. This coalition of space marines could realistically take on a tomb world, I think! All the possible slots have been filled, and there's still so many chapters remaining... I don't want to plan too far ahead and need to focus on writing this story first, but know that no space marine will be forgotten! If all goes well, I will include the 'echoes' and the 'distant chapters' into future projects! For now, though, to the matters at hand!
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #2
The call for reinforcements was sent into the warp by the astropathic choir on board of battle-barge "Famine's End", which would stay in high orbit and monitor the surrounding space. The mass conveyors were drifting in its shadow like whales eyeing a mighty battleship of Old Earth. Their cargo holds were now empty, having dispatched all the harvesters to the surface of the doomed agri-world. Captain Aluin Chakfeldt has ordered his forces to stay on the defensive for now, waiting for his cousins to arrive. In the meantime, the Harvest Guard would move in to unoccupied provinces with the singular goal: to create 'denial zones' by strategically reaping the crops in certain places.
"From viewport of my Thuderhawk I could see the harvesters toil in the abandoned expanse. It is quite a sight when the streaks of one's holoquill come to life, like a drawing that takes shape and blooms with color. Mine was, by all acounts, an ugly one, and it served the purpose of the same kind. These clearings were to be the funnels and firing lines for my Winnowers. A living enemy would be clinging to this terrain out of mortal weakness... Our foe had none of that, I thought. And yet the crops had to be safeguarded. So when the battle starts, it will be on our terms."
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3rd Captain
The scans from orbit showed that the Necrons were doubling their activity. Undoubtedly, this was a reaction to the Astartes' arrival. Strange energy signatures would flare in the southern hemisphere. The refugees reported seeing 'wraiths' at night. Squadrons of Tomb Blades were sighted skimming close to the ground. Two of the seven major denial zones came under attack: canoptek constructs had burrowed underground in advance, while the Tomb Blades would appear from beyond the horizon to strike at the harvesters.
"We lost three machines in a fortnight. The techpriests aboard "Famine's End" vowed to repair two and to salvage the third. At this rate, we were to be whittled down like grain in a grinder... The darkening sky seemed to reflect my state of mind. And we've had refugees. Former workers of the proud agri-world... reduced to rabble, fleeing and marauding! But then...
'My Lord Captain', the vox bead in my ear came to life. 'This is "Famine's End". Incoming missives, sire!'
This was Lieutenant Briggs, and his voice betrayed a hint of smile.
'Missives of what kind?' I said, not yet trusting a hope.
'Our request for aid has been acknowledged!'
'What chapters?' I held my breath.
'All of them, I think! Just like you asked.'
I forgave him this jest, for a big moment calls for a big turn of phrase. We may yet prevail."
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3rd Captain
The template for the Necron image belongs to Nelfhithion.
The images of the reinforcing chapters belong to Exodusblaze, KitsuneDrakeAsh, Itera95 and ThervingiAmal respectively.
It’s time for the Harvest Guard to write their history!
Who would like for their homebrew chapter to form an alliance with mine? For narrative purposes, there are currently 4 slots available, but as the story hopefully continues, there will be more. Tell me in the comments if you want me to include your guys into the narrative!
Harvest Guard's Chronicles: page #1
After claiming its homeworld, Harvestfall, the Chapter sent three expeditionary fleets into the wider galaxy. Roaming Segmentum Ultima, they sought out opportunities to apply themselves and their talents.
One of such expeditions, lead by Aluin Chakfeldt, Captain of the 3^(rd) Company, intercepted a distress signal from the agri-world of Oaks IV. By the time the Astartes arrived, the planet was revealed to be a tomb world overrun by the Necrons. Losing Oaks IV would trigger a cascade of supply chain failures, ultimately destroying an entire subsector.
The Harvest Guard sends out a call for other Astartes to reinforce them and take back the planet. Meanwhile, the forces under Captain Chakfeldt’s command establish a foothold and start harvesting the remaining resources. The warp currents around the star system are unstable, so one can only hope that enough reinforcements will be able to arrive.
"The air of Oaks IV is clean. Too clean, with a certain cold tang that screams of its origins. Our enemy is not alive, and in their inexorable march they seem to syphon what they lack from the universe. I can feel it in the ground; the rich soil of this world, once black as fiery tar, now whispers greyly under my feet. I can see ears of wheat lose their golden sheen, perhaps an effect of the murky clouds above... Perhaps. Before me is a sight too familiar - a field, stretching over the hemisphere. The wrongness of it all shines through this familiarity like a strange, fell light in a homely window. My eyes glance over the harvesters that we have been descending from orbit for the last few days. They feast upon the wheat - slowly, as if the cold tang affects them too. I turn my head to a break in the clouds. Back on Harvestfall, we have a constellation of the Golden Sickle to shine upon us through the coming night. I hope my cousins hear our call, and soon their ships will dot the skies with almost matching might. Will they come in time? Will it be enough?"
- Aluin Chakfeldt, 3rd Captain
The template for the Necron image in the second picture belongs to Nelfhithion: https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer40k/comments/1syc7h3/i_tried_to_adapt_astartes_homebrew_chapter/
“What is the price of a sheaf of wheat? Or an ear of rye? Cross paths with me and find out.”
Harvester leviathans land with the first light. The mighty Solara gilds their mile-wide thoraxes as she rises from beyond the peaks. Then a moment. A silence. The planet stares groggily at the intruders; a million eyes, reptilian, insectoid and human, all watch from under the canopy as the harvester arrays growl to life, and the feast begins. Tall figures clad in green and amber scout ahead as their leviathans devour the hulking toxigourds and reap the calorye by the acre. They walk tall yet watchful, for this world is old and cruel, and the untold billions pray among the stars for the deliverance their silos bring.
The Harvest Guard is a Chapter of the Ultima Founding. Based on the agri/deathworld of Harvestfall in the Solara Prime system, they are the ultimate specialists when it comes to defending the planets of this type. Be it a rolling field that stretches across the whole continent, a dense forest full of rare trees and rarer beasts, a hydroponic hive where you can wander for a lifetime or an ocean of algae – the Harvest Guard will fight to the last hand, for every grain and every fruit saves a life half a Segmentum away.
Chapter doctrine and units
Battle-brothers of this Chapter are known as Reapers, and it is their job to deny the enemy the chance to land on the priceless soil of agri-worlds. Should the void warfare prove unsuccessful, the Reapers will organize a fighting retreat and strike with renewed vigour when the enemy falls into the clutches of…
The Threshers. Close-quarter combat specialists make up a sizeable portion of the Chapter (three whole companies instead of the one prescribed by the Codex Astartes). The Harvest Guard place such emphasis on melee combat because it helps minimize the collateral damage that would otherwise be dealt to the precious crops. Should the need arise, however, and in come…
The Winnowers. They are the heavy weapons specialists. In contrast to more Codex-compliant Chapters, where the Devastator company is the first stop a marine makes after earning his power armor, the Harvest Guard entrust such potent weaponry only to the veterans, just like the Space Wolves. However, they do so in a belief that it takes an experienced warrior to use a flamer or a multimelta in a field of corn.
While the battleline marines, called ‘hands’, fight their war directly, the Harvest Wraiths slip through the shadows to sabotage and distract the foe. Usually unseen, brooding and clad in tattered capes, they make up a whole Second Company of the Chapter.
Chapter homeworld
The planet Harvestfall is incredibly hot, overgrown and dangerous. Its oceans are teeming with titanic creatures and small continents of algae, and a roaring storm is always just beyond the horizon. The land is covered in dense jungles full of monsters – and monster-sized fruit so packed with calories that just a bite could make a man sick. Where there is no jungle, stretch endless fields of corn as tall as an Astartes. The ‘cattle’ grazing there could turn a Baneblade upside down, and they will. The planet is so dangerous that the space marines leave their two fortresses – Goldenstead and Thunderfield Bastion – only for the harvest missions.
Fortress monastery
Goldenstead is the Chapter’s primary base of operations, dominating the northern hemisphere. This bastion is carved into a sheer cliff face, kilometers-tall and polished by the winds. Above the fortified slopes rises a golden gate shaped like a giant ear of wheat. The fortress monastery stretches deep into the mountains. A maze of tunnels connects Goldenstead to isolated valleys with thousands of silos, hangars, landing pads and processing arrays.
Star system
Hypercaloric paste, nutrient bars and dried fruit made at Goldenstead are shipped off-world to feed the neighboring planets and systems. Harvestfall with its moon Narattai orbit Solara Prime with three other celestial bodies:
Aegeriid is a mysterious and uninhabited orb covered with thick silvery-white clouds. Beneath lies a completely smooth mirror-like surface impervious to any instruments the local Mechanicus possess. Aegeriid is the closest to Solara. The sun’s rays filter through the atmosphere, making it glow. Should one descend upon the planet, they will find a realm of pure white nothingness.
Beyond Harvestfall rises Borealis Exilium, a frigid gas giant. There are a couple of research stations orbiting in its upper layers, though the nature of the research remains classified.
And finally, on the outskirts of the star system lies Frostforge, a small pink-hued world of ice and geysers. It is home to several industrial hives operated by Adeptus Mechanicus. The Harvest Guard has established close ties with Frostforge. They supply it with food, and the Mechanicus maintain their equipment, including harvesters and ships, and share their expertise in refrigeration technology. This planet also serves as a depot for the Imperial Navy. It is from its docks that the space marines venture forth into the wider galaxy to protect the agri-worlds and their people.
The Chapter’s future
The Harvest Guard roams the Segmentum Ultima, lending its hand in the defense of those planets that supply entire subsectors with their produce, or taking up missions that leave no room for collateral damage. Sometimes they reveal themselves to offer the honour of the last harvest to the worlds soon to be overrun by the enemy. In the grim darkness of the 41^(st) millennium, every grain still counts for something.