The Bulwark

This page details people, events, and organisations from the /tg/ Heresy, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. See the /tg/ Heresy Timeline and Galaxy pages for more information on the Alternate Universe.

This page and most associates are currently WIP pending large concept changes

"Bring us your best, for we will take them all."

In ages long since past, the Bulwark were upheld as some of the mightiest of the Emperor's Angels; a specialized Division of Hektor's Legion, they were masters of the arts of siege. Led by Sebastion Rex, they acted as consultants to many Legions, assisting in operations where their skills may be put to proper use. Where some rushed ahead for glory and honor, the Bulwark fortified and subdued; where others pacified planets and moved on, the Bulwark enacted strict "re-processing" programs on any planet they claimed. Their defensive nature was their eventual downfall, however, as they ended up on the losing side of the Heresy and were soon driven into oblivion by the rebounding Loyalist forces.

The Bulwark
Battle Cry	"Hold fast! "
Origin	Heralds of Hektor
Warband Leader	Sebastion Rex
Base of Operations	The Arelon System
Strength	30,000 at peak strength
Specialty	Prolonged Siege Warfare
Colours	Dark Slate, Light Mahogany, Light Silver

Summary of 2nd Division

Numeration: The 2nd Division of the I Legion

Primogenator: Hektor Cincinnatus

Observed Strategic Tendencies: Siege Warfare, Expansion and Occupation Operations

Noteworthy Domains: The Arelon system and various smaller sectors within the Empire

Allegiance: Unaligned

After the recruitment rates of the Heralds began to reach unprecedented numbers, Hektor himself elected his Equerry to create and lead a Division within the Legion. This Division would focus on the defensive, offering forward operating bases to the Heralds and other Legions in kind.

Dubbed the Gatekeepers, the new Division was used to bolster the defenses of any planets that weren't currently a warzone; after conquering a planet, they would leave behind a garrison to keep watch over the planet instead of another Legion wasting its potential resources doing so. Due to this, the Division didn't see action nearly as often as their brethren.

Division Doctrine

WIP

A Sergeant in Bulwark livery

Patience. Space Marines, the transhuman demigods; Despite being the Emperor's Angels of Death and the harbingers of humanity's victory across the galaxy, they often lack the simple human capacity for patience. A raging horde of cannibals who seeks their prey, a mechanized legion of assault tanks, an airborne strike force of assault marines; all focused on bringing the fight to their enemies, striking while the iron is hot, and grinding their foes into the dirt. These tactics result in a swift victory and a captured planet.

But what about afterwards? How many lives are lost to ensure one planet is taken? How high is the probability that the planet will revolt soon after? Statistical probability dictates that for every 5 planets conquered by force, at least one will revolt within a century period. For every planet risen in revolt, others will join the cause at the site of the Imperium's weakness. Despite the initial speed of the conquest of the system and its planets, resources are wasted by rushing and by further pacification in the future.

Ever careful and calculating, the Gatekeepers Division was known for taking their time in their conquests, minimizing losses, and pacifying the populations through extensive re-processing programs. These programs were thorough and shown to be effective, with nearly a 78% survival rate among participants. As an alternative to re-processing, the Gatekeepers also offered citizens the opportunity to join the personal militia of the Gatekeepers; this militia had an estimated 14% survival rate within the first dozen years of service. Any dissidents who refused either option were forced to become servitors; simply eliminating them would be a waste of resources.

Division Colors

"Slate! This colour is as the unyielding bedrock that we form as brethren!

Mahogany! This colour reminds us of where we come from and what we fight for!

Silver! This colour is as the walls of our great fortresses!

Let our colours be pillars in the dark tides of space!"

After their birth as a Division, the Gatekeepers adopted their own colour scheme while still paying some form of homage to their elite status within the Legion. A dull and fairly basic colour scheme chosen by Sebastion, it proved to be easy to maintain and could sometimes act as camouflage in desert or urban environments.

Notable Legionnaires

Members of the Inner Wall, Towers of the Bastions

Believing in ruling from an administrative position of power and delegation, Sebastion elected his most experienced and loyal Lieutenants to act as Towers to his new Division; each Tower would lead a Battalion consisting of 3 Chapters, or 3,000 Marines. These Towers would become known as the Inner Wall of the Gatekeepers; the last defense to be breached, and the strongest members of the Division.

• Arch Forfender Chien

- Largest of the Gatekeepers' Towers and Tower of the Defensive Branch, Chien rarely spoke, but when he did, his commands were heeded without hesitation. A father figure to his men, Chien can be considered kind by Space Marine standards, often attempting to ensure his men follow the safest plans and carry the best suited gear for the situation. Often in charge of field operations, Chien was known to work closely with Tower Quillo due to the Defensive Division having the highest demand for supplies. Chien was strongly bonded to all of his close brethren from the Inner Wall, but none moreso than Quillo. A firm believer in leading his men from the front, Chien would often pilot a pivotal Node or primary fortress to the surface in order to ensure his men had the highest chance of survival and could benefit from his leadership. As a kind and compassionate man, Chien took Arkemidea's betrayal the hardest, only being further exacerbated after losing Quillo, one of his closest friends in the Division. After that, Chien no longer laughed or smiled, as he had before. He threw himself into battle, any semblance of control or strategy long passed. Soon after, Chien gave his life to defend his Highcastle from what would have been a fatal blast from an enemy Multi-melta during the final battle of the Crucible.

• Arch Artillerist Yakobus

- Tower of Munitions Branch Survived to join the Ramparts

• Arch Quartermaster Quillo

In charge of resource management, Quillo considered his job to be one of the most important within the Division, despite his brethren often looking down on him. Tower of the Supply Branch, Quillo ensured that all Bastions were properly outfitted and supplied before, during, and after every campaign. A genius with numbers, it was very rare for Quillo to make even a trivial clerical error. However, he could not have predicted the betrayal of Tower Arkemidea; Quillo was the first to lose his life in the carnage wrought by Dz'larhonz.

• Arch Confessor Rivela

A devout follower of the Imperial Truth, Rivela is a man steeped in tradition and mysticism. He was often found inspecting the other Bastions for any inkling of heresy in its many forms; this lead to his Bastion specializing in an inquisitorial branch of information acquisition. This usually involved recon missions before a beachhead was formed on a planet, but it also held a dark secret. Any prisoners or heretics acquired by the Gatekeepers during the Great Crusade were given to Rivela. It was not a rare occasion for heretics from other Legions to end up being turned over to Rivela for "re-processing." None who entered Rivela's flagship, known as the Devout Servitude, were ever seen outside it again, but the 85% accuracy of the information sent out from it spoke for itself.

• Arch Examiner Giuseppe

- Tower of Recruitment/Training Branch

• Arch Magister of the Inner Wall Callisto Arkemidea, First to Lead

What would normally be a logistical nightmare is counterbalanced by Arch Magister Callisto Arkemidea, Tower of the Management Battalion. As every Tower had a specialized role, Arkemidea made sure that each Bastion properly meshed with each of its brother Bastions in order to achieve optimal operational performance. However, his pivotal role within the Legion eventually lead to his downfall; ensorceled by the Dark Powers after an encounter with a daemonic artefact, his lust for power lead to his summoning of a Greater Daemon within the chambers of the Inner Wall on Arelon.

• Arch Strategist Giacomo

Always overly critical of himself and his plans, Giacomo was nonetheless one of the most experienced and knowledgeable members of the Gatekeepers during the Great Crusade. Often working alongside Tower Arkemidea, Giacomo's strategic prowess was the primary reason the Gatekeepers Division was often deployed in the most tactically sound and easily defensible areas during deployments. Despite this, he would often berate himself for any loss of Marines that could have been prevented in hindsight. He was known to have created a shrine within his personal quarters; by the time of the Heresy, there was said to have been tens of thousands of candles present, yet they were all well-kept and lit at all times. Presumed to have been lost into the Warp with his Primarch after the final battle of the Crucible.

• Arch Constructor Xingjian

- Tower of Manufactorum Branch

• Arch Navarch Albimare

- Tower of Naval Branch

• Arch Adjudicator Serbat

More machine than man, Serbat was known to have replaced at least 65% of his body with cybernetics by the time the Unification Wars had ended due to his disregard for his own safety. A rather brash and eccentric man, Serbat lead many tank charges against the Imperium's enemies during the Great Crusade. Serbat's resolute indestructibility become a running joke within the Legion as officers often said in jest that it was easier to kill a Primarch than Serbat. Fortunately, this was not entirely untrue. During one pivotal battle of the Great Crusade, Serbat's Fellblade suffered a mortal blow to its generator and exploded, flinging him in 2 or 3 different directions. However, the Legion was able to save what little of him remained and he was interned within a mighty Contemptor Dreadnought for the duration of the Crusade.

Division Tactics

On the offensive, the Bulwark mimics the mighty glacier; sequestering themselves within gigantic landships which are then used as forward operating bases for the Heralds or the Legion to which the Palisade is currently attached. These landships house refueling stations, barracks, ammunition depots, and in some cases, small factories, allowing them to serve a multitude of roles depending on the situation. These landships trade speed for armor, meaning that advances are usually painfully slow, but efficient with low casualty rates.

Due to the nature of these crawling advances, flanking maneuvers are often quickly adopted by the enemies of the Bulwark. These often prove to be foolish, however, as the herd-like nature of the landships means that every landship is covered by at least two others; interlacing crossfires make quick work of flanking enemy groups.

Though the Division is seldom deployed to such planets, water-covered worlds or worlds with mountainous terrain do not impede the march of the landships; multiple, specialized models of the landship exist within the Division, allowing them to prepare and circumvent the natural terrain advantages that many opposing forces depend on.

Legion Equipment

WIP

Pre-fab Fortresses; - built on Doward - Legion keeps large stock at all times

Diggers; - Used to circumvent enemy frontline infantry defenses - Primarily used by Grapples

Hades Breaching Drills; - Entrenched enemies may need persuasion

Moles; - Used to undermine possible enemy defenses

Nodes; - explained in the Ramparts section, will move here eventually

Landships; - WIP

Division Culture

WIP

Serious, driven, and dour, the Gatekeepers are fierce defenders who value personal toughness and stubbornness. Any conquered planet is seen as a valuable resource to the Imperium of man, but not so much that excess Astartes lives should be shed taking it. Due to this, the Bulwark almost seem paradoxical; they seek to preserve a planet and its resources, but would rather destroy the majority of a planet than lose a company of Marines.

Outside of the battlefield, the Marines of the Bulwark are a stoic and self-reflective sort, often spending large amounts of time in solitude and meditation to contemplate their true nature and contribution to the Division. Glory on the battlefield as seen as a waste of time and life, and honour is only to be kept when the situation warrants it. Honour duels in regards to issues of great consequence are not unheard of between peers, but far more prevalent is the participation in a periodical contest of skill between squads within a Bunker.

These contests often involved precision riflework, feats of natural fighting ability, and ceremonial stun-sword duels. The victors of these contests would be celebrated by his peers and entered into the annals of history; to counteract this supposed honor, however, the victor was also obligated to become an instructor for the recruitment and training of Neophyte Marines. An instructor may only return to duty after one of his peers has defeated him in one-on-one combat.

Division Organisation

"Is the mighty mountain composed of a single stone? Are walls built of single bricks? Nay, brethren, and nor shall we ever be alone."

An excerpt from Sebastion Rex's first speech to his Division before their maiden voyage

After their creation as a separate Division within the Heralds, the Gatekeepers formed their own organization system to better suit their tactics. While formerly each Chapter had been a well rounded force, Sebastion deconstructed the traditional organizational system in favour of grouping 3 Chapters together into what would be called a Bastion, with each being specialized in its purpose.

Each of the Towers, as they were now entitled, kept their command center aboard their prospective capital ship within the primary fleet. From this launching point, mixed forces from each of the 10 Bastions, formed from around 3,000 Space Marines, intermingled to form what was referred to as a Palisade, or mixed fighting force. Each Palisade, usually consisting of around 10,000 Space Marines, was then broken down into Bunkers of 1000 Marines and 20-50 armoured units, with each of these Bunkers being broken down into 2 groups; Anchors and Grapples. Anchors acted as the defensive force that protected the landship and any captured real estate from enemy assault, while the Grapples slowly set footholds into enemy territory in order to expand their own borders.

During the Great Crusade, the Gatekeepers barely, if ever, split their Division into separate Bastions, instead preferring to have a large primary fleet and send Palisades on sorties into enemy space. In this way, though they lost a degree of their flexibility and reaction time, every battle the Gatekeepers fought would be fought well-supported and even better supplied. Reinforcements were never far away and supply lines were well-protected, and allies could be given needed respite. Floating shipyards were towed behind the great procession, allowing minor to medium refits when needed.

Division Fleet

Sebastion's focus on preserving his Division and its members as long as was possible lead to a doctrine of every Bastion supporting each other, and this extended to the fleet; by the end of the Great Crusade and into the beginning stages of the Crucible, over 48% of the Division's fleet was composed of ships that had been in service since the inception of the Division or longer, as some were carried over from pre-Division status. Arelon's many Industrial Worlds contributed to this; Sebastion personally oversaw the modification of his Legion's battleships and Battle Barges to support more advanced Void Shield technology and thicker armour. To retain the size and format of each Battleship, any weapons that required their own energy source to power them were removed, and their power sources were re-diverted to the newly improved Void Shields. Though this often put the Legion at a disadvantage due to their reliance on solid-slug and mass driver technology, the survivability of the fleet was welcomed as an even trade.

• Force of Will (Gloriana Class Flagship)

Received as a parting gift from the Heralds, the flagship of the Division, a Gloriana class battleship dubbed Force of Will, was modified heavily, as is usual tradition amongst the Legions. In particular, it possessed no primary weapons other than the enormous mass driver that ran through the ship from stem to stern; dubbed The Persuader by Sebastion himself, its primary purpose was to destroy a single planet within a system, thus hopefully driving the rest of the system to surrender. An adamantium slug would be launched into the heart of the planet, causing mass disruption and eventual destruction. The threat of firing it was often enough to cause mass surrender in rebellious systems.

Rumours abound that in times of dire need, the flagship could even detonate the sun within a system, causing a super-nova and obliterating any tactical usefulness the system may have once possessed. Of course, these are merely rumours, as logic dictates that the flagship would need to be far too close to the sun to accurately detonate it; it would likely be caught in the blast along with the dying system.

This painfully specialized system also prevented the flagship from being of any real value during void battles, relegating it to a rear-line command center and occasional fire-support platform.

• Battleships:

Magnificent Terminator (Apocalypse Class)

Hand of Wrath (Apocalypse Class)

Vigilant Destroyer (Apocalypse Class)

Arrogant Artifact (Apocalypse Class)

Harbinger of Victory (Emperor Class)

Progenitus Rex (Emperor Class)

Acheron Unending (Retribution Class)

Flanking Rider (Retribution Class)

• Battle Barges:

The Usual Suspect

Defilade of Arelon

Tower of Might

Gateway of The Rex

Alonzarius

Battle Barges of the Bulwark were usually not used in primary assault formations, instead acting as interference against enemy Strike Cruisers and support craft for the primary landing shuttles of planetary invasions.

• Strike Cruisers:

The Bulwark fielded around 5 Strike Cruisers per Battleship, so their numbers tended to number in the lower hundreds. Their primary purpose was to run interference to the larger ships; they were seldom used for ground assaults, leaving that to the Battle Barges, instead.

• Escort Vessels:

Escort Vessels were often seen as expendable, a rarity in the Bulwark. Due to this, their crew never contained any Astartes. These Escort Vessels were often used as a screen as their larger counterparts assumed their formations; the mortality rate for Escort Vessels was often over 75% during any major void battle.

Notable Successors

The Ramparts

The largest warband to emerge from the ruins of the Bulwark. Siege and colonization specialists

Terran Watchmen

WIP

A relatively small sector of the Bulwark seceded from the main empire after the declaration of the Heresy, remaining loyal to the Emperor. This sector, though not as heavily fortified as the Arelonian Empire, still acted as a much needed supply base during the Heresy and the Great Scouring.

The Arelon System

Main article; The Arelon System

Forming the epicenter of the Bulwark's activities and that of its successors, the Arelon system is a small system of only a dozen planets. However, each planet plays a part in the larger warmachine that is the Bulwark.

Some worlds are only inhabited by skeleton populations that crew the massive Manufactorums that span the planet, while others function as Agri-world to produce all manner of sustenance. These supplies are kept in-system for Arelon's workers due to their high demand, but this is balanced out due to the fact that Arelon's Manufactorums and shipyards contribute over 75% of their production to the Imperial War effort.

The native Xenos were purged by the human colonists long before the Heralds arrived, leaving any resources ripe for Imperial exploitation. This means that freelancers often come from other Segmenta to work the fields or mines.