m: Interrogator Sandoc Gough for the Fact ae Lapror | {Gapb 4 weapon, jun wl _ Te: ie at a Lord Heyptman; Ds directed, I have investigated the fate of thé YdeptuS Ystartes (Bapter designated “(Ge Scythes of the Fnperor”. J concentrated upon verted reports, reliable witness accounts and records (wBich willbe referenced as appropriate within the report) Yny additional’ information that J believe to be rumour and hearsay, sll be placed into an appendix for reference. Diu tothe nature of communication disturbances during the invasion of Hive Fleet Kraken, often desertbed as a ‘Shadow in thé Oarp, several records and accounts have proven centradictory Where © possible, Sendeavoured to define a middle grownd.* © Ge Soytes of the Finperor Galo refered tas. the Gnperr’s Seythe?) eatiblisbed a Fortress — Denastery> upon their Bome wor of Sotha. From ts base of operations near the region of space feovn as the Damecls Gul, the (bapter took upon themselves the duty of pling and safeguarding of nearby QKiwing and Factory sctements, including notable Smpertal words suchas QKeloc, eal, Grate Nevdian, Devla, Salem, Larparo, Caples Pball, pander, Padnar and Kimmeria® Damorles Gusade s 2 Ge Soytes ofthe Fnperor lng with the Sr Bands and Ulramarnes vere beary involved i the fst Dameles (usade agains the Tou n 742..08¢15 "Gee Scythes of the Fperor led the first assault onto [au beld territory, establishing a landing zone upon the world of Sy'X°Hell, with the 17th Brimlock “Dragoons heavy support elements forcing the ‘position. [oe [aus responded swiftly; sending a heavily mechanised counter assault against the expanding 3 Different sources of information published by Games Workship frequently confict with each other, or otherwise Have differing views. I have tried to encempass all evidence when ferming his cohesive background where possible and tke the path of eat resistance . Various maps inthe back ofthe Tyranid Codes for 2™ (1995) and 3 edition (2001) st Sotha asthe homeworld of the Emperor's Scythes, while the text inthe book and othcP URES refers to them as Seythes ofthe Emperor. think itis safe to assume they ae talking about the same chapter, with Sythgs othe Emperor as the preferred nan ast has seen greater use ‘Arles onthe Sythes in UK White Dwarf SI AE, both refer to a fortress monastery / * ‘These are all established planets shown on map Of Kraken’s invasion route from the 2 (1995) and 3(2001) edition _yranid Codex’s and from maps printed in UK White Dwaff218 yy oe ‘This andthe following information comes {F5tHEAOK 3° (2001) edition Tau Codes, pages 58-60Sper footld. [timely intervention of Scythes of the CEnper marines, acompanted bythe #8 Stormtrooper (Gmpany, averted’a near disaster. © Mfter claiming Sy'L°Hell, the CFusade moved across the Damodles Gult. Ytter a brutal first fleet angagement about the [eu world of Dal’ Vb Prime, the Smperal (jusade landed. [Bis ed too several months bitter fighting, during which the Scythes (alongside the “Ultramarines and Sron Bands (Bapters) were constantly engaged against Tau Heavy -fump infantry uns, during a spear bead effort to aim the [au city of Gel" Bryn. (bis (attraction ended ina stalemate, wherein thE states fought night actions against inflating [au units Realising they bad stumbled upon a major d, the (Susade claimed a starport with Gel Bryn to part, ber the Tau wtdrw fom th te regusts to poform CExterinatas on the world, the startes and’ Imperial Guard comm ad found the [au honourable opponents and were opposed. to such actions. Bow. a n (Hive Fleet Behemoth): reached the crusade, Smp : orto bring resources to bear against this new xenos threat and so th vas pt to a close. Givellect Behemoth (740..6 Gere is no evidence that the the Grand thes of the Gio played any sigticant part in the Badab Oar. dab Wars the Lamenters (Bapter were tasked with performing « century long penance crusade® centred on the a Fringe. [Bey would soon come to play a critical role in the future battles with Bive Fleet Kraken.” Bivetlect Kraken (992 QK4tonwards)® Nualysis seems to indicate that the Scythes of the peror had littl idea of the horror that was approaching them, and so when the first alien Bive ships appeared in tem, they attacked almost Wind to the risks they were facing, and conducted desperate boarding actions to distro roy as many of the ships as they could. involvement im the war. ‘ he reference sources forthe Seythes +" and Hive Fleet Kraken also mention the Lamenters nt (4° edition - 2008) Tyranid codex states Hive Fleet Kraken as There is a backaround conflict here, asthe most ‘593MAI. However, calier Tyran codex 3 (2001) edtion states 992.MI asthe dats, so this isthe date Ihave gone with a it tas earlier precedent. vaste“Brother Sergeant Reynas led one of the fist oardng actions by the Scythes aginst Bive lect Hrsken, which was sccessfal, ut resulted nthe death ofall of the boarding tam members baring Tomas ant anther ‘Brother cll [ebas? Side note en lost battle brothers: St can be assumed that the ship “Brother Sergeant Temas used sustained seme damage on escape, as Temas did not re-join bis fellow brothers but was instead found much later; unconscious and wounded on board bis spaceship by the CUlramarins (bapter. Remas shared all bis ttelligence on the Taranids vith (aplain (qsstus and would ater give key evidence atthe (Gnelave of Bera from hich agrement vas reached for the Uleamarnes to crate ther elite Torannt Nar Veterans.” In addition other battle brothers of the Scythes of the Fmperor have been reported as rescued by various chapters performing boarding actions against hive sbips from Bive Feet Koaken. Usually the survivors are cocooned and commonly in terminator armour, with a Bigh proportion of -ebarans among them. © | Dt why tis is the case is unknown, but perhaps they posessed some means of preserving themselves TF against feng felled or consumed, or ec the ive mind rgarded them as worthy of preservation for ther study. © | Bets not known tf any of these lst brothers bave ben re-united with the main remnants of the (Bupter i Gee Sthes of the Fnperor fll bac to valiantly defend their Bomeworld and Fortress QKonastry, though it was a forlorn action for eventually the chapter was overrun and the planct rendered lieless.By. the Hive Flect. Ge large majority of the (bapter-scems to haye-perished, deteuding their bomewarld, sneluding st appears, most of thet compiny.? ‘Blowever their efforts were far trom th vain whilst engaged in-the defence-ot thuir planct, the Scythes were able to deliver an astropathic message, giving the.firstreal warning the Smperium had of the coming Bie Ft. message was simple "(Be Gorand are coming Gis messae yas rcaved by yourelt, Lord Heyptman, and alo deed by the Ulramannes, alerting the Smpertum tothe extreme danger it faced" This coupled wth the valuable tm the Seythes of the This and the previous paragraph evidenced from the shor story in UK White Bwart 306, UK White Dwarf 306, pages 53 to 55 Inthe board games of Advanced Space Crusade and Tyranid Attack, various event cards inthe game allowed you to rescue lost brothers ofthe Seythes ofthe Emperor, usually this was alibraran in terminator armour. a The short story in UK White Dwarf 306 talks ofthis destruction, while the article “The Coming of the Great Devourer” in UK White Dwarf 218 tells of the majority of the@hapter dying to defending their fortress monastery. The article in UK White Dwarf218 also goes onto list the ‘historical ffs present at “Giants Coffin’ on page 83, of which there is no fist % 2 ‘company listed —which implies they are dead toe im ‘The Kryptman story published in UK White "end that gives him conerete evidence tothe level ofthe thréat. The Ultramarines are also indicated to have received this message veethle. 130 and 131 indicates that itis the warming ofthe Seythes attheFiperor and Lamenters bought by delaying te Bive Flt lore could read etal momentum, could very well have saved the Ultima Segmentum.! Before the planct and Fortress Monastery was completely overrun, the Scythes managed a breakout from the planct, falling back to regroup in the nearby (AKiral system. [Be pursuing Gyrantd fleet caught and encircled them, leaving the Scythes trapped and surrounded on the jungle deathorld of QKiral Prime. Ce, Scythes organised the local Imperial Guard forces to help defend against the Tyranid invasion and attacks to come. [oe Imperial forces prepared to make a stand upon a large rock formation fnown local as‘ Giants (atin This Ccation was ideally suited for defence, as the rocky otcop bad step sides and deep fis. } Before contact was lost, the Scythes of the Ymperor were ablecto-indicate that they bad fthiltirny forces remaining operational on MK¢ral. ® (Gmmand consisting of (Dapter CKasten(Boreyrag 2.x oar Excalbrarian and. soit staff ® 30 Gactical QKarines, 36 Dssanlt QKarines80 Devator hers, 20 Scouts, 3 attack = bikes 3 prdatrs, 2 whirtvnds, 1 Lundraider, 3 Ragorbacks and 1t Rénos Ge Scythes of the Gnporor and Guard fr fought valiantly to bold back the [raid attack with reports stating that the Sungles of the planct were coming to lite due to the presence of the Cyranids, and. threatening to over-grow their defenstve position, requiring constant action with flamers to bold the line Gntact with the Okzal system was lost at this time, so we do not have a clear picture of what happened 7 to the Scythes of the Emperor after this point. However, many years later the Imperial Fists, (ed by (Gptain Lysander returned to QKtral during the invasion of Hive fet Leviathan, and seem to have successfully repulsed several waves of Cyrantd attack.” Nobile there are no reports of any sightings ofthe Scythes of the Emperor by the Smperial Fists, the simple fact that the planct of QMival was still a jungle plant and the Smperial Fists were able to conduct successtul operations, indicates that the Gyrantds must have been unsuccesstul im claiming and evouing this planet ring the orginal vasion by ive fleet Kraken, which lads one to bev that at least some of the Imperial forces survived and escaped the engagement, or at the very least they inflicted enough damage on the Gyranid invasion of the planct that it was halted or abandoned for caster prey. Advanced Space Crusade, Tyranid Atack and 2 Faivon (1995) Tyran Codex all speak ofthe importance ofthis sacrifice in buying time forte Imperium to organise defence. Bs Details of the fall back and preparations for defence are in UK White Dwarf'218, pages 82-83. Thisalso provides the force breakdown forthe Zz # As indicated "9 m Tyranid Codey 414 and the 4° (2004) edition codex, page 14 of Hive Flee Levin on the jungle plane of Mia, Though conrad UK White Dwarf 218 slighty, which sys no father contact hasbeen had with Mir Aste Fists are on Mil at later dt, weave o ations hiss ofthe sonst {v= had with Miral during the invasion of Kraken, rathe? MMP BOict ever ssn,FMW alsa have several noncdettled reports netved on red that state the Soytis of the Bperor survive as scattered remnants'® and there have been reported sightings of the Scythes of the mperor deploying Gminaor forces against Cjranids via [ounderbavvk from an orbital “Battlebarge™, Where this battle barge and accompanying (erminator units were located during the destruction of Sotba and subsequent dence of Rea unknown Grom this evidence, and the evidence of the S were someon able to escape or defeat their Taranid opponents, either though or perbaps by intervention of the forces missing from the last communication receved on ONKgral = in partcar the [erminators, with accompanying Counderbovks and Batletarge might have buen able to perform nscue. Care bas, however, deer no furter sighting of (bapter Caster [Bora since Aral, shethor be still commands the (apte, or whether «fellow brother has now taken charge 's unknown. ugh the exact details of their current status still‘remains uniknawn for the time being, it seems likely from the evidence acquired that elements of the (Bapter still survive in some form (likely now mobile, perbaps in the Battlcbarge or other spaccrat). (Bere have also been recent sightings on n record that have een attributed to the Scythes, in which they have been seen actively recruiting large numbers of new scout or sy ‘members. In conclusion, it seems likely that the Scythes of the Emperor are still pursuing war against the enemies af the Snerium with whatever nsources they bave at ther disposal, while slowly trying to re-build the depleted stngt of their capter. iru ee Advanced Space Crusade, Tyranid Attack and various Tyranid Coden’s talk about the Seythes surviving as ‘scattered remnants’ ora company in strength. The 2 Edition “Codex Imperialis", page 91 slates the Seythes ofthe Emperor are destroyed however this isthe only location to do so, and so the weight of evidence from sources both before and afer this seem to indicate tha they survive sill in some form or other. The “Codex Imperialis’ could just be overly simplifying matter, as the Scythes are certainly all but destroyed asa fully functiontAig HPN n any reasonable strength. 2 UK White Dwact 198 had a special Epic force,gafdbdetailing a Terminator detachment of Scythes. ‘The text on page % UK White Dwar 197 twits bout the SMES ofthe Emperor within large atic about Space maine. “indicates they are actively recruiting new scouts, suggesting ideas for playing the Scythes in games of 4OK to reflect this.sof Garand bad Become a more fearsome foe since the last sector= pire 50 ong ago. Sam currently boping to obtain the full3 2 w 8 Be Debence of GiantGe Scythes of the Emperor D factual story Report Concept Yudrew Golor @ Sehastion Stuart Research & Writing Dudrew olor Media, Artwork & Co-Editing Sebastian Stuart Models & Photography Andrew Cylor S Schastian Stuart Based upon Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game. Utilising sources from various publications by Games Workshop and Partners. All artwork is original and based on Games Workshop themes. ‘No challenge is intended. Produced on a Mac ‘Adobe Photoshop 7.0, Macromedia Freehand 10 Word for Office OSX and Adobe PDF 7