Battlegroup Miserere

[The Vagabird]

A combined-army fluff. I've reused some tropes from my old custom space marine chapter that never took off, and instead went for something that could allow me to represent some of my favorite factions under a common banner. I continued my theme of trying to play the beleaguered good guys in a grim, dark millennium.

 

Battlegroup Miserere

 

Location:

 

Neshama, Tannus System, Tehomus Nebula

Miserere Sector, Segmentum Ultima

Orion-Sagittarius Convergence, near to The Maelstrom

 

Established:

 

Human colonization of sector predates M31. Exile of the Neshamans occurred between M31-M36, records lost to the conflict. Reestablished in M41.

 

History:

 

For many millennia, the Miserere Worlds remained peaceful havens, despite their proximity to the hub of danger that is the Maelstrom Zone. Safe within the dark shroud of the Tehomus Nebula, a small Imperial-allied collection of planets made a steady living off the numerous moons and asteroid clusters that drifted within the void, pulling great material wealth forth for themselves and their allies. Though, as with all times of relative peace within the far millennia, it was not to last. In a period of extreme violence in the centuries after the Horus Heresy, the Miserere Sector came under attack by foul xenos and heretics, who burned their way through the tribute-holdings of the sector before laying siege to its capital in the Tannus system: the civilized-world of Neshama, and its twin moons. The Miserere Sector had garnered a collection of powerful friends through the generous nature and high political standards of the Neshaman chieftains; though, despite the aid given by their many allies—including astartes forces and Imperial Knights—the system fell, and the refugees of Tannus poured out into the Imperium, remembering their once-glorious homeland with regret and despair. Many of these refugees, ill-suited to the greater Imperium due to their preferences for the techno-tribal freedom and idyllic nature of their homeworld, died in poverty, or were purged by local Imperial governments who found the Tehomans’ barbaric culture and economic drain not worth the effort.

This was not the end, however. In the 41^st millennium, grace came to the ears of the exiles of Tehomus. With the founding of the Maelstrom Warders, the time was ripe for the reclamation of the nearby sector. The Miserere Crusade was launched as part of the greater push, and the promises of wealth and redemption saw myriad Imperial forces pour in. Guard, astartes of numerous chapters, Knights—most notably of House Hawkshroud, whose oaths had been left unfulfilled with the first fall of the sector—and even the forces of the Adeptas Sororitas and Mechanicum. The former to ensure the healing of the lost worlds and reestablish the Imperial Faith, while the latter had their eyes set on the liberation of the Forge-moon of Zakharia, and the stations that littered the sector.

The armed masses surged in, some at the heed of old alliances, while some were yet being forged. Such might could not be withstood by any foe. Xenos and traitor fell before the onslaught, and the nebula was purged of taint. The capital-world of Neshama was reclaimed, along with its moons of Adamah and Zakharia, Command of the sector was handed to Lord-High Commander Jarilo Moranaeus, whose skin beneath his uniform bore the traditional tattoos of the long-wandering Neshaman tribesman. His people were finally home.

The alliances forged upon the Miserere Crusade were strong as adamantium, and Moranaeus made sure to capitalize on them as much as possible. Temples of the Argent Shroud were built upon the now shrine-world of Neshama and Adamah, while Zakharia was given over to the Mechanicus at the promise of bountiful trade. Oaths and allegiances were blazoned in gold within hives and temples alike, praising the bravery of those space marines who had so selflessly seen the system freed of taint, and the knights who had weathered their hulls with the bolts of enemy guns. Prosperity returned to the Miserere Sector.

Still, it was imperfect. All over the Maelstrom zone, riches of countless other sectors like the radiant Miserere were being brought back under Imperial control, and into the clutches of the greedy and corrupt, while enemies—though driven away—simmered in resentment and hatred. It was not half a millennium later that the Tyrant of Badab brought red war back to the realm. Even outside of the warp storm’s radius, Miserere felt the repercussions, as their allies were slain or betrayed, and their home guard was once again forced to shed blood to heretics, raiders, and opportunistic xenos in defence of their homeland. After the conflict, the sector was left drained and battered, as not only had the people of Tehomus had to stand fast in their own defence, but had given up much to supply their long-time allies with armaments, and shelter their neighbors who were less resilient. What remained was a sector drained of manpower, supplies, and overfilled with the sick and homeless.

But it was the honor of Tannus that saw the wounds of Miserere begin to heal. Lord-Governor Morigana Perun sent out her call for aid, and the steadfast allies of the old Miserere Crusade answered. Just as before, the disparate Imperial fighting forces came together into the new Miserere Battlegroup, to shelter the burgeoning sector as Perun began to sort out the rebuilding of its holdings. Though progress is slow, thanks in part to the battle-scars some of their allies still bear, and issues with cultural distrust between the Neshaman tribes and the new refugees, not to mention some of their less-than-savory Imperial neighbors, the sector is preparing to once again stand not only as a testament to the power and resilience of the Imperium, but as a shining light of the Emperor’s beauty and bounty within the dark haze of war and horror.

 

Homeworld:

 

The bulk of the Miserere sector lies within the concealment of the Tehomus nebula, a two-sided boon which can both make travel in the void disorienting, but also obscures most of the sector from the prying eyes of their nearby enemies. Most Tehomans live within the mining stations the dot the various micro-moons and asteroid belts of the sector, extracting rich ore with far greater ease than what could be mined from the planets. Several habitable worlds exist within the shroud, most of them handed over to the supply of the greater sector with various natural resources, such as manpower and food. As most mining and production is relegated to orbital stations or dead worlds, the stock of Miserere enjoys an uncommon freedom from normal Imperial pollution, overpopulation, and undernourishment.

The capital system of the micro-empire that is the sector is that of the star Tannus, a yellow star. This star is orbited by a handful of inhospitable planets, and one planet which acts as the golden capital of all Miserere: Neshama. Neshama is a massive planet, slightly larger and with a higher gravitational pull than Terra. Its surface is dominated by colossal, roiling oceans, and huge continents that run a multitude of environments, from desert to tundra, and is on a whole colder and wetter than an average temperate world. High tectonic activity on Neshama has left it with some truly scenic landscapes, though it has also made it a deceptively dangerous place to live. Earthquakes wrack the centers of continents, and send up numerous island chains in the ocean, while the seas and coasts are battered with colossal storms and blizzards. The broad diversity of flora and fauna, though beautiful, can also be a danger. Most prominent of all are the scattering of residual ork populations left over from the various wars of the sector, who now squat among the ruins of Neshama’s ancient empires. The effects of Chaos assault may have also left some minor stain upon the world as well, as the mists and storms the world is known for are told to sometimes hold strange psychic activity. Most of Neshama is given over to wilderness, roamed by the tech-tribes who herd various beasts for the sustenance of the system, while areas of greater stability will hold farmland under the protection of cities and shrines of the greater tribal chiefs, or the priestesses of the Argent Shroud.

The planet’s two moons are more developed. The nearer moon, Adamah, has a similar climate to its host planet, though milder. Thus, the world is mostly centered around governance or agriculture. Expansive crop fields do their part to supply the realm, while hive cities house the numerous governmental and bureaucratic workers who have forgone the brutish lives of their cousins to ensure the prosperity of the sector on a much larger scale. The Tehoman peoples, though having their roots amongst the tribes of Neshama, are a shrewd and mercantile race, whether that merchandise be livestock or gemstones. The other moon, Zakharia, is a dead world enveloped in the colossal factories of the Zakharii Mechanicus. As per the ancient agreements of the sector, the Zakharii have claim to develop upon any planet within the sector that may not produce good agriculture or living space, and the mechadendrites of the tech-priests are woven into the infrastructure of the expansive Miserere mining efforts. An interesting feature of the sectors’ government is reflective of their suspicious nature towards those who have not proven themselves: the defenses and bureaucracy of nebula form an impenetrable wall from the outside, allowing for trade and little else. Allies of the sector’s rulers, however, are given a level of hospitality unseen in most any other parts of the Imperium. Shrines host visiting dignitaries and rogue traders, forge-stations resupply and repair everything from ships to Imperial Knights with a level of expediency not known in the Mechanicus, and worlds like Neshama and Adamah are home to numerous “gymnasiums” which offer expanded training room to visiting forces of astartes.

 

Culture:

 

The culture of Tehomus: that born of the Neshaman tribes, is centered around a very rare commodity: trust. Ever since ancient nomads had to take shelter against the near-apocalyptic storms of their homeworld, trust has been the one thing keeping prosperity from turning to chaos. Those who have not proven themselves to the rulers of Miserere—the concentric enclaves of chiefs and lords up to the Lord-Governor herself—can expect enough hospitality to see them on their way in good stead. Visitors who seek to pry secrets, exploit their hospitality, or rest on ceremony and arrogance will quickly find their greeting to be as cold as a Neshaman blizzard. The peoples of the sector enjoy freedoms not seen elsewhere in the Imperium, and their faith is insular, centered around action, honor, and individuality—represented by many Neshamans keeping personal shrines and being adorned with trinkets and tattoos, rather than attending large masses or following behind designated cardinals. As such, the sector is ever at risk of being misrepresented by puritanical and corrupt elements within the greater Imperium. Imperial officials have gone missing within the unfortunately disorienting shroud of the Tehomus nebula, priests have found themselves receiving extended stays with the Argent Shroud, who have cared for the religious needs of the locals just fine over the centuries, while Inquisitors deemed “suspect” are redirected towards alternate targets within the dangerous reaches of the Maelstrom.

The aesthetic of the Neshaman tribes can be seen throughout the sector, whether in a refined form or as the primitive baubles and decorations of the tech-nomads. Utilitarian architecture and clothing is adorned with geometric designs containing holy significance. The hives of Adamah are far from the simple spires of other worlds, instead bedecked in beautiful inscriptions and statuary proclaiming the glory of Miserere, while the caravans of the herders—though ramshackle and primitive on the outside, kept in working order by the grace of those tech-priests sent out to guide the uninitiated—often contain shrine-like interiors filled with charms and textiles.

Miserere also has a strong martial tradition. Every one of the sector’s people has served with the Combined Defensive, either as a PDF/station trooper, or a dedicated guardsman. This makes for a deceptively adept populace, subverting the softness of mind and body normally brought about by long peace and prosperity in the ever-shifting 41^st millennium. Though not as fanatical, physically adept, or abundant as other fighting forces within the Imperium, the Tehomans are nonetheless a force to be reckoned with. Their genes are free of rampant mutation as the result of the fine living conditions across most—though not all—of the sector, they are hearty and resilient from lives of good sustenance and steady labor, and their preference for charms and tattoos keeps them warded from corruption. Most of all, they remain unbreakably faithful, because to them, the light of the Emperor is more than just empty promises and propaganda. They have seen the beauty of His light in the jewel that is their homeworld, and in the just rule of their chiefs. They have faced exile, war, and betrayal, but in the end, it was the ideals of the Master of Mankind that saw them through: faith, honor, and dedication.

Natives of the sector do not often call themselves “Misereren”. Citizens will either identify by their homeworld, or simply as “Tehoman”, in reference to the nebula. Many residents of planets within the sector, especially mining stations, will identify as Neshaman, as the capital planet holds the cultural roots of the greater Miserere realm.

 

Military:

 

The 106^th Neshaman Combined Defensive, or “the Stormcatchers”, is the total fighting force that oversees the safety of the Miserere sector. They specialize in line-holding techniques, and heavy use of armored support. Standard uniform color of the regiments and PDF is dark teal, with gold and crimson accents, though this takes second-place to localized camouflage as the need demands it. Despite their otherwise independent nature, the miniature kingdom of the Miserere sector is still beholden to Imperial edicts. The Lord-Governor has done what she can to ensure a close relationship with local rogue traders, navy captains, and other spacefaring allies, so that they might be able to move their troops when the need arises while not breaking Imperial commandments to keep Guard and Navy separate. Also, while the specialty of the Stormcatchers lies in stationary point defence and line tactics, they are noted for making good use of a battlefield spy network. Though not capable of advanced guerrilla tactics, these spies do wonders in gathering intelligence to give both the Neshamans and their allies the edge in any battle. One final note of the regiment and offshoots are their lack of Commissariat presence. The sector has never held with the brutality of the Schola Progenium, and so Commissars are absent. Sometimes, where Commissars would appear, sisters of the Argent Shroud, or their understudy shaman-priests, inspire and steady the troops.

Though they might wish to do so, as their balanced approach has served them in many ways in the past, the Tehoman military is not capable of covering every front or fulfilling every specialty. Their populace, though substantial, is still not enough to stand against the ever-present threats of the Segmentum Ultima. As such, the Lord-Governors have long called upon an extensive network of allies to fight alongside the 106^th and company as the greater Battlegroup Miserere. This army, formed of various bonds forged across the first crusade and the Badab War, is composed of many different facets of the Imperial war machine, and have shown themselves to be Friends of Neshama. Some of these groups, like the local, nativized branch of the compassionate Argent Shroud Sororitas, are an integral part of the Battlegroup and are almost always present, while others merely offer support and focus on the defence of their own territories, like the secretive but expedient Zakharii Mechanicus. Other groups come and go as they will within the sector, but once a group has distinguished itself in the eyes of the Tehoman peoples, the bonds are unbreakable and eternal.

 

Forces of the Battlegroup:

 

Imperial Guard

 

106^th Neshaman Combined Defensive, “Stormcatchers”

• The primary defence force of the sector. The “Stormcatchers” designation applies exclusively to the Imperial Guard regiment, though the Combined Defensive also encompasses the PDF and station-defence forces within the sector. All those who serve in the defence of Miserere are trained to the same standards as the Stormcatchers proper.

 

Adeptus Astartes

 

The space marines are the Emperor’s righteous hammer, and their help is ever wanted. Though the sector has seen many chapters that patrol the Maelstrom zone, only a few are counted as Friends of Neshama, granted the Tear of Miserere. Some appear often, while others are rare visitors, and only getting rarer. As a symbol of allegiance to the Angels of Death, many of the habitable worlds within Tehomus have gymnasiums and specialized temples built for, or in honor of, the warriors. For chapters without centralized recruiting worlds, some Neshaman citizens and prodigal warriors have even been offered up on occasion to any who would take them among the ranks of the Emperor’s angels.

 

Ultramarines

• Guilliman’s finest, the Ultramarines are renowned throughout the Imperium. Though their actions mainly keep them confined to the far edges of the Imperium, holding at bay xenos forces, or replenishing the Honor Company at the Eye of Terror, they have on occasion graced the greater Maelstrom Zone with their presence. Proving to be honorable and inspiring to the masses, the Ultramarines are counted as allies of the Battlegroup.

Salamanders

• Perhaps the oldest and most steadfast ally, the Salamanders were among those who stuck by and aided the wayward Tehoman peoples long before the namesake crusade. For their compassion, steadfastness, and long bonds of allegiance, the Salamanders are one of the defining groups within the combined army. The concept of building gymnasiums for their astartes allies was originally inspired by tales of Nocturne—some gymnasiums and their associated shrines even hold homage trappings of the Promethean Cult.

Blood Angels

• Baal’s proximity to the sector has seen the Blood Angels fight alongside the Battlegroup on several occasions. Though they took part in the Miserere Crusade, the sons of Sanguinius were often distant. It was only off the battlefield, during meetings between the Blood Angels and Neshaman command, that the true colors of the warriors shone through: honor, appreciation for beauty, and righteous fury like the very storms of the homeworld.

Raven Guard

• Fleeting allies, the Raven Guard are more respected through their siring of the Raptors, who are much closer allies of Neshama. As with the Raptors, the sector appreciates the efficient and discreet tactics of the shadow legion, and the tales they tell of their noble primarch, who was said to be a great liberator of the masses. As the 19^th Legion’s home lies within the far Segmentum Tempestus, it is more an honorary allegiance than anything.

Space Wolves

• The Wolves of Fenris can be found across the galaxy, so great are their numbers for an astartes chapter. The Wolves did not take part in the initial crusade, but it was the visit of the Company of the Great Wolf that saw them join the ranks of the sector’s allies. Whilst in pursuit of a Word Bearers Chaos Lord, the retinue of Logan Grimnar passed through the Miserere sector, where the respectful nature of the Great Wolf saw the two forces working together to corner the Chaos Lord upon a dead world and bring doom upon him and his cult.

White Scars

• The White Scars, drawn as they are to any sparks of glorious violence within their broad stomping ground of Ultima, were present in some small form during the numerous crusades of which Miserere was a part of. Like the Wolves and Angels, the Scars were respected for their prowess and wisdom, and granted the Blue Teardrop of Miserere, the symbol of the sector command and the highest honor so often granted to notable space marines.

Though the Battlegroup count six First Founding chapters amongst its “friends”, part of these relations are political. The Salamanders have long had a legitimate bond with the sector, but many of the other chapters were marked out for the simple benefit of having honorable chapters ready at hand, impressed with generosity, so that they might attest to the purity of the worlds of Tehomus. Some of the very closest astartes brotherhoods to the Battlegroup command are the offspring of the first chapters, who are not so torn across the stars at the call of reputation, but might instead form more intimate bonds with the peoples of the sector.

 

Lamenters

• Battlegroup Miserere, for all its dedication, did not take direct part in the Badab War. The forges of Tehomus supplied those who called for it, but the sector was reeling from the treachery of Lugft Huron—the greatest sin against the trust-centered Neshamans. The Lamenters had been great allies in the crusade, and are still counted as the dearest defenders of the people, but their current dying state has left them fleeting visitors of the sector.

Doom Eagles

• An easy allegiance for the Battlegroup: in their long years of service not only within the Ultima Segmentum, but in such far reaches as the Eye of Terror, the Doom Eagles can be counted amongst the Salamanders as some of the oldest members of what would eventually become Battlegroup Miserere. At the battle of Sheolum VI, a mining colony within the Tehomus nebula, Doom Eagles assault marines nobly put themselves in harm’s way defending the beleaguered Neshaman troops and POWs from Chaos Marine attack. Though the Eagles may not have much of a concept of gratitude, or indeed any positive emotion, their sacrifices would never go unsung.

Celestial Lions

• A fleeting allegiance, not to last in the face of such ill fortune. The Celestial Lions were granted return aid during one of their routine scourings of the local sectors. Before their return to their home of the Segmentum Solar, the Lions were granted provisions and honors due to the great charisma of one of their Brother-Captains, and the valiance he had displayed beyond what was expected even of the astartes. They were wished luck as they departed, and the chapter was never seen again. Far tales and whispers spoke of tragedy upon Armageddon, but nobody could know the full extent of the devastation.

Raptors

• Pragmatic warriors who had taken part in the many conflicts within the Maelstrom Zone, the Raptors are greatly respected not necessarily for the standards of ethics or glory like the Salamanders or Lamenters, but for the sheer efficiency of all their engagements. Never in the presence of Corax’s progeny do the Neshaman commanders have to worry about fallout, collateral damage, undue civilian losses, or severe disruption of the chain of command in the name of “great glory in sacrifice”. As such, the Raptors are held in high regard.

Guardians of the Covenant

• Among the rarer allies to see visiting the sector, the Guardians of the Covenant have found fair port within the nebula on those times they return from the edge of the frontier to resupply and regroup. Such a comradery may have never come about, were it not for a key exchange that occurred between the two factions: it was discovered that within the possession of the Lord-Governor was one of the few surviving copies of Dives in Misericordia, an ancient historical piece of great interest and value to the Guardians. In turn, the present Captain offered Applications of the Star-Storms, one of many books kept in the expansive collections of the chapter, and one which had its roots among the early Zakharii Mechanicus.

Ecclesiarchy

 

Argent Shroud

• Another of the oldest Friends of Neshama, the Adeptas Sororitas Order of the Argent Shroud have since become perhaps the most integral member of the Battlegroup, extending beyond simple wartime allies to have become a fixture of the local culture. Millennia of cross-pollination between the traditions and heritage of the Neshaman tribes—which forms the culture of the greater sector as a whole—and the practices of the silver-warriors have formed an order not only known for their storming fury, but their nurturing love. Shrines of the Shroud are waystations amongst the blasted reaches of Neshama, and the turbulent clouds of the sector. Such is the local preference for the compassionate ways of the Argent Shroud, that other Ecclesiarchal forces have found difficulty in being allowed entry to the sector. More puritanical and disruptive preachers have found themselves warded away by the Neshaman Sororitas under the assurances that the sector is well and truly within their domain, and under their austere guidance. Few wish to dispute the Brides of the Emperor on this matter.

Imperial Knights

 

House Hawkshroud

• In ancient eons, the Knights of the yellow house pledged their honor to the defence of Miserere, for wealth and glory. After the felling of several of their warriors during the trials of the first exodus, the fury of House Hawkshroud was kindled like no other. Not only does the house now always seek to prove itself and reassure its steadfast ally of its honor and dedication, but they have placed curses upon the ravenous greenskins and Word Bearers that plague the sector as strong as any of the oaths they’ve given to their allies. For every dent in the hull of the Hawkshroud Knight caused by traitor bolt, or the chipping of their radiant paint under xenos stench, they place another hundred curses and promises of eradication against the enemies of the Emperor and the Battlegroup.

[Claws and Effect]

That's a lot of detail there.

 

Well done.