Index Astartes: The Steel Harbingers(WIP)

[dudemanmcgee]

Chapter Name: The Steel Harbingers

 

Successor Of: According to all public records, the Ultramarines

 

Chapter Master: Samuel Strusky

 

Homeworld: Semperia

 

Chapter Motto: "By steel, by might, thy blood we shall smite."

 

 

History: Most of their history is clouded in mystery. They are known to predate the Horus Heresy being veterans of that war however their roles and battles in the war are a closely guarded secret by the chapter. According to the imperial records , the the Steel Harbingers became their own during an unknown founding. At the time their numbers were two hundred strong with maybe twenty heavy vehicles for support. A fringe world near what would become the outer rim of Tau Territory. This planet  became under siege by a most unlikely foe.

 

 

The Saving of Archeron V

 

The Dark Eldar targeted the world of Archeron V. This world held a small outpost for the Adeptus Mechanicus as a small research station, and also held a population of humans. To the Dark Eldar though this was a perfect spot to capture new slaves. The Mechanicus there were lightly guarded and the humans living on the planet still lived in the medieval age. The Ultramarines sent out what would be the Steel Harbingers out to deal with the Dark Eldar. Though there numbers were small compared to to other chapters, they had a will to fight, for both themselves and the Emperor. The marines descended upon the planet, and like a rain of holy fire. Artillery shells rained down upon the first Dark Eldar the chapter came in contact with.

 

The Dark Eldar were taken by suprise now their supposed easy targets had defenders. A war began upon the planet. The local human population began to take up arms with hwat they believed to be the harbingers of their god. In a way there was truth to this thought. The Dark Eldar tried to sneak i nthe shadows using guerilla tactics, but the the Steel Harbingers responded in kind by leveling entire swathes of forest, leveling entire sections of land, with near constant bombardment upon hte Dark Eldar. Eventually they discovered the location of their main webway and managed to level even that. Now with the Xenos scum trapped upon the planet, the Steel Harbingers took great pleasure in eradicating all the remnants they could find.

 

The planet had been saved the humans of the world looked upon the superhuman metal guardians before them as the true harbingers of their god. The marines in turn made sure this god of the humans would meld with the Emperor so his light could touch this planet. It was also this battle that The Ultramarines issued for the the Steel Harbingers to stay in this system. The world was weak and frgail, and the Harbinger's had now found a new purpose. As an adiitonal benefit it meant this area would remain secured for the Imperium . Archeron V would become the recruiting grounds for possible new recruits. However their fortress monastery would find it'shome on another planet in that system. The planet Semperia, closest to the sun. It had daily temperature lows of 100 degrees and metallic crystals jutting out of the rocky world like its own version of trees. The planet itself would be inhospitable to basically anyone.

 

From this harsh world the Steel Harbingers would train it's new recruits from a harsh medieval world, creating a group of marines hardened like the metal that was held in their chapters name.

 

The Ten Day War

 

Upon Semperia a Xenos race lived. It was insect in origin but still distinctly humanoid, they called themselves the Sekthid. These creatures lived above and below the surface of the planet. The Harbinger's could suffer not the alien to live. So began a small campaign. Though these Xenos were more numerous than the marines and had natural biology to back them up, what they didn't have was the technology of a marine or the tactics.

 

The main stratagem for these Sekthids were to wait in ambush just beneath the surface for the opportune moment to strike. It was effective during the first two days of the war however the chapter quickly caught on and began planning for such maneuvers. Now wherever they went a barrage of explosive would precede them. Any Sekthid hiding in the ground would quickly be routed out. The next couple of days were spent scouring the surface for any Sekthid hives.

 

The war Ended after ten days, a crushing defeat for the Xenos. The chapter itself lost a squad and an old predator tank, however the  Sekthid lost so much more. Over  3/4s of their army was annihilated, and any surface hives were quickly eradicated. This forced the aliens into their deep underground tunnels where they would not bother the chapter for a good long while.

 

The Tau Campaign

 

As time went on in a nearby system a race of blue aliens became more technologically advanced, and eventually began expanding. They would later be known as the tau. Archeron V and its surrounding planets were close to this new and growing empire and became under the gaze of the Tau. Unbeknownst to the chapter the Tau had already started planting seeds of an invasion. They had already sent emissaries to the Sekthid offering their support to help remove the Space Marines from the planet. The Tau knew once the chapter had fallen the rest of the system would be easily taken for the Greater Good.

 

This was at a point in time where the Chapter was still in a state of building up their forces. Though they had always predicted the foul xenos upon Semperia would attack again they didn't expect that they would have allies The second time around. When the Chapter's sensors finally picked up on the Tau ship approaching their system that was when the Sekthids attacked once more. They broke through the surface and began attacking the Chapters anti-air fortifications. Though most were unsuccessful in causing much damage, a few turrets and fortifications were broken and most were pre-occupied with the Sekthid to really stop the oncoming Tau ships making planet-fall.

 

One the Tau had landed the true fight began. Unlike the insects that inhabited Semperia the Tau actually had stratagem, they had advanced weaponry and they had numbers. There were not just Tau no with them they brought allies from other worlds Kroot and Vespid. A Coalition of Xenos scum. The full numbers of this Tau strikeforce outnumbered the Marines on the ground five to one. In space the Tau fleet as well had engaged the Harbingers Battleship.

 

The main tactic while still viable against the forces of the Tau since they in turn favored range also helped out the Tau due to their own army tactics involving ranged warfare. One thing the Tau lacked though with this strikeforce was any substantial amount of vehicles. They did come with a good number of Battlesuits though. Their attack was swift and with great power. Barrages of Rockets were met with Blue fusion and pulse rounds. Entire stretches of Crystaline fields and mountains found themselves being leveled under the near constant fire from both sides.

 

Although the Harbingers began with having the home turf advantage against the Tau, tide slowly changed. Outpost after outpost of the Harbingers slowly began to fall. The Tau fleet overhead continued to meet in epic conflict against the marines. The main cruiser began sending distress calls for help from brother chapters, as the tides began to change. Eventually the Harbingers were pushed back to their Fortress Monastery.  The Palace of Steel as they called it was fortified to hell and back and managed to keep the Tau at bay. The chapter knew though that they needed a change in battle stratagem if they were to last until outside help would arrive. They had to break the siege on the Palace.

 

It was Captain Korvesky of the 3rd Company who brought to the table a new and daring strategy. For the duration of the war, the Marines had been fighting the Tau how they wanted to be fought. At a distance where they could send out a rain of pulse shots against the marines. The plan was simple, have a small tactical squad inside a heavily fortified rhino drive directly into Tau lines. Once there they could place a teleport homer allowing the chapters 1st company terminators to arrive directly into the enemy line. They would be armed with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields allowing them shrug off any initial firing. Once the Tau became distracted then the 3rd company now outfitted with Assault packs and chainswords would jump in with the cover of the Harbingers Artillery. 

 

It was a suicide mission for sure and had a great possibility  of Failure, but if they could break the Tau Siege then they could possibly begin retaking the surrounding areas. To them the ends would justify the means. To everyone's relief the plan actually worked. Chaplain Xavier kitted in his own terminator suit led the squad of ten assault terminators, and five other terminators kitted with cyclone missile launchers and chainfists.  The Tau were met with shock as sixteen men clad in the toughest of marine armor came crashing into them breaking through their crisis  and xv88 broadside suits. This as expected caused much confusion among the Tau ranks allowing an opening for the third company to slam down  mopping through frontlines.

 

The siege was broken but war had not yet been won. However the wait for the war to end would come sooner than anyone would of expected. A detachment of Ultramarines had come to assist their successor chapter. The distress calls for help had been heard, and within a few months the last remaining Tau had been wiped from the planet and the fleet gone from the system. Though the day had been won, it came at a cost. The fourth company had been wiped out earlier in the war and the second lost many of it's numbers, not to mention to break the siege a whole squad of terminators were lost. Their armor thankfully was saved but the men inside well all that was saved there was the precious Geneseed. Many vehicles had been lost at least half of their armory leaving them withg a little over twenty still usable vehicles.

 

The Following Years

 

In the years that came after the conflict with the Tau, the Harbingers began a massive mining operation to dig out and eliminate the Sekthid that hid beneath the surface all the while rebuilding their armory. Small settlements of humans began to form around the planet to assist in this operation and were rewarded with the minerals dug from the planet. Slowly but surely all the Sekthid hives that hid beneath the surface began to be found and were quickly destroyed with the greatest of prejudice. 

 

Archeron V still remained forbidden for outsiders to interfere with, although the Mechanicus operation on the planet found its close a few years after the Tau Campaign. The Adeptus Mechanicus still kept one or two scientists around afterwards but for the most part the studied what they needed to and got the data that they required. On their island the Harbingers began to build a great Chapel and other assorted holy buildings in the name of the God Emperor. A majestic and holy place that the primitive residents of the planet began seeing as some sort of blessed afterlife.

 

Eventually a small Order of  Adeptus Sororitas managed to inhabit these holy buildings and acted as its defenders.  

 

Semperia: A small planet roughly the size of Mars. The planet itself is barren of plant life. The ground is a dark brown. The atmosphere is made up of mostly gaseous sulfur, and copper compounds giving the planet a yellowish orange haze during most points of the year.Jutting from the ground around the planet are spires of a titanium iron alloy. Their shape varies however it is mostly crystaline in feature. This is due to the fact that most of the inner mantle of the planet is made of the same substance  The temperature of the planet parley drops below one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.  Some animal life does live on the planet mostly consisting of ground boring beetles that feed on many of the metal  alloys within the planet itself.

 

The Harbinger's Fortress Monastery resides on this planet. They believe training and living here hardens up the chapter and keeps them in tip top fighting condition

 

Archeron V: A planet still living in the medieval age. The planet is fairly large. Upon it is a main continent that is almost like a closing crescent moon. Most of the terrain is Jungle in nature and surrounding this continent as well as in the middle are vast expanses of salt water. In the middle of the near closed crescent moon is a much smaller continent of a more oval shape. On this smaller continent lays a small Adeptus Mechanicus research facility. To the denizens of the world this is an off limits location that only the foolish would dare go to. In turn the Harbinger's allow for the Mechanicus to remain on this island so long as they don't interfere with the population of the planet.

 

The chapter keeps the humans in the dark ages as they believe it will battle harden them up years before they can even join the chapter if proven worthy and alongside that it makes the planet look like a less desirable target to certain other factions in the Galaxy. The humans are split up into varies Kingdoms and Nations, each ruled by a King or Baron. Twice every year the varies kingdoms send their greatest champions to a grand tournament to test their fighting skills. There the Harbinger's watch and pick out potential recruits. Of course they also will hand-pick recruits throughout the year but this is a time for them to get a large influx of recruits. To the people the marines are harbingers of their God. Mighty angels of death who saved them from the evil slender demons that tried to take them.

 

Finally also on this planet is a small colony of Orks. as far as the Harbinger's can tell they lack any form of major technology and as such they let them live to provide even more of a challenge to the world's humans.

 

Tactics: As there history shows, the Harbingers prefer heavy artillery and explosives. They are not afraid to level entire swathes of land in glorious explosions if the outcome is deemed better. Along with that though this chapter employs and abnormal number of Chaplains. The word of the Emperor to them like most chapters is law and they make sure wherever any detachment goes there's always a chaplain or two to spread it diligently.  There is not a battle as well that you will not find at least two squads of Devastator Marines or Two mighty predators out in the vanguard.

 

It should be implied, but the chapter also has a fondness for other heavy tanks such as whirlwinds and Vindicators, and along with them they hold their Techmarines in high regard. The highest of which being known as the Lord of Steel.

 

Current Strength:

 

1st company: Twenty Terminators

40 Space Marine Veterans

2 Dreadnoughts

 

2nd Company: 5 Space Marine Veterans

50 Tactical Marines

15 Heavy Weapon Marines

3 Dreadnoughts

10 Close Combat Veterans

 

3rd Company: 25 Assault Marines

10 Assault Marine Veterans

1 Dreadnought

10 Tactical Marines

 

4th Company: 20 Scouts

 

Armoury: 10 Techmarines

4 Predator Tanks

3 Whirlwind Tanks

3 Vindicator Tanks

8 Razorback/Rhinos

2 Land Raiders

10 Land Speeders

 

Apothecarion: 4 Apothecaries

 

Reclusion: 7 Chaplains

 

Libarius: 5 Lexicaniums

3 Codiciers

2 Epistolaries

 

 

 

 

Notes: Thank you to anyone who has read through this mess so far. I plan on adding more to the history as I find time and as well I do plan on expanding their history during the HH once I find time As well as the combat tactics. Also having a hard time deciding on a founding so if anyone has any suggestions based on the history so far on what founding would make the most sense let me know.

Edited March 25, 2018 by dudemanmcgee

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your OP is acceptable. However, a planet the size of Earth's moon wouldn't have enough gravity to maintain an atmosphere. If you want it to have native life forms, you best increase Semperia's size, or make the planet the product of archeotech or xeno technology (maybe Eldar), which allows it to maintain an atmosphere the beetles can breathe in.

[Knightsword]

I like the mysteriousness of the founding. Can't have enough secrets in 40k. Pre-existing the Heresy but definitely not counted amongst the 2nd Founding. This is leading my mind down the surviving lost Legions route or loyalist traitors.

 

Realistically as Bjorn says you'd need to increase it's size to something similar to Mercury, Titan or Mars. Mars is only 800km bigger than our Moon and had a fairly rich atmosphere for a few million years in its infancy. It is however possible to get a planet down to the size of Earth's moon and still have the same gravity as Earth, but you'd be having to do silly things like making the planet a solid sphere of platinum which is the example used in the link below. This would give a diameter of 1662km with the same gravity as Earth whilst the Moon is 1737km. In the link there a few explanations of how to work out the smallest size a planet can be and still support life. Hope this proves helpful.

 

https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/9900/how-small-could-an-earth-like-planet-be-while-still-realistically-being-able-to

Edited February 8, 2018 by Knightsword

[dudemanmcgee]

Fair enough, changed the size of the planet to around that of Mars. Cool bit of information in that link as well I'll have to mess around with that equation a bit in the future. 

[Archivist Thaddeus Kryptem]

First of all can I start by saying I really enjoy the core concept of your IA, but there is one thing that bothers me currently.

 

 

 

History: Most of their history is clouded in mystery. They are known to predate the Horus Heresy being veterans of that war however their roles and battles in the war are a closely guarded secret by the chapter. According to the imperial records , the the Steel Harbingers became their own during an unknown founding. At the time their numbers were two hundred strong with maybe twenty heavy vehicles for support. A fringe world near Tau Territory became under siege by a most unlikely foe.

 

The Saving of Archeron V

 

The Dark Eldar targeted the world of Archeron V. This world held a small outpost for the Adeptus Mechanicus as a small research station, and also held a population of humans. To the Dark Eldar though this was a perfect spot to capture new slaves. The Mechanicus there were lightly guarded and the humans living on the planet still lived in the medieval age. The Ultramarines sent out what would be the Steel Harbingers out to deal with the Dark Eldar. Though there numbers were small compared to to other chapters, they had a will to fight, for both themselves and the Emperor. The marines descended upon the planet, and like a rain of holy fire. Artillery shells rained down upon the first Dark Eldar the chapter came in contact with.

 

 

With the above passage it seems a bit unclear to me when this chapter was founded, from the initial statements in the History and the relationship the Steel Harbingers have with their alleged parent chapter it would suggest this is set shortly after the Heresy during the Scouring. 

 

But with the references to Tau space it left me wondering whether the this was actually intended to be a later Founding post discovery and re-discovery of the Tau which featured in the first half of M39 with their crossing into the Damocles Gulf putting them around the 24th Founding, as the 23rd was at the latest early M38 and the 25th late M40. 

 

Either one is absolutely fine, and I suspect that you intend for them to be in the area before the emergence of the Tau and later conflicts with them ensued with their expansion but it would be worth making what you mean a little clearer, even if it meant to be shrouded in mystery :) 

 

As a slight side note, when reading this I got the sneaking suspicion that you were alluding to these Steel Harbingers actually being of Iron Warriors gene-stock and the descendants of the might Barabas Dantioch and his still loyal brothers, was that intentional? If so my hat goes off to you because it felt wonderfully subtle! 

[dudemanmcgee]

I wasn't quite sure about their founding yet you are correct. The way I was meaning for it to be interpreted was more or less fro ma geographical sense. I used Tau space early on just to give an idea of where it was in the grand scheme of the Galaxy however I'll rephrase it as I can see the confusion, as Well I forgot the tau came into being much much later, I'm going to rephrase a few more concepts in there. Thxs for the feedback though.

 

I will say the feeling you get about there Gene-Stock is 100% intentional, Hmm maybe I will leave that part of their a history to leave people wondering though, sounds fun.

[Archivist Thaddeus Kryptem]

Not a problem, glad I could help

[dudemanmcgee]

Thanks again for the compliments. Just a little update added a bit more onto the tau campaign section of the history and also added a small war with the native xenos of Semperia to bridge the gap between the initial war on Archeron V and the Tau Campaign

[Archivist Thaddeus Kryptem]

I like the additions, a little more detail on the 10 days war and the Tau campaign would be good though   

 

Also slight side point you mention:

 

 "This was at a point in time where the Chapter was still in a state of building up their forces"

 

 

Why is this? I assume it isn't due to the founding, It would be really cool if this was a because of a defeat or Pyrrhic victory that could be explored as an interim between the two conflicts and a nice chance to demonstrate how your chapter deals with hardship.  

 

Again just a suggestion

 

Keep up the good work!

Edited February 28, 2018 by Inquisitor Van Horn

[dudemanmcgee]

I suppose I could add more to the ten day war, also finished off the base for their war with the Tau. And an interesting question possibly it could be because of some other conflict I would need to think more on that. I know I wanted them left pretty beaten after their fight with the Tau however having them have another large loss early on will also be put under consideration. Thank you for the comment. 

 

Also added in company strength

Edited March 16, 2018 by dudemanmcgee