Difference between revisions of "Gehenna Prime"
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When the [[Gehenna system]] fell victim to [[Waaagh! Hargluk]] the [[Orks]] arrived on three different [[Space Hulk]]s that plowed through the system's defences of fighters and orbital monitors in a matter of days. When the Orks attacked Gehenna Prime thousands of them were killed in their landing crafts by ground-based missile batteries and defence lasers. Thousands more however managed to survive and established a landing zone in the western districts of [[Hive]] [[Kravaster]].{{Fn|4}} | When the [[Gehenna system]] fell victim to [[Waaagh! Hargluk]] the [[Orks]] arrived on three different [[Space Hulk]]s that plowed through the system's defences of fighters and orbital monitors in a matter of days. When the Orks attacked Gehenna Prime thousands of them were killed in their landing crafts by ground-based missile batteries and defence lasers. Thousands more however managed to survive and established a landing zone in the western districts of [[Hive]] [[Kravaster]].{{Fn|4}} | ||
| − | The [[Ork]] landing zone was attacked on the following by an [[Imperial Guard Regiment]] stationed further south from [[Hive]] [[Kravaster]] in the [[Graildark mountains]], the [[72nd Sarum]]. The [[Imperium|Imperial]] soldiers were driven back by a huge force of [[Gargant]]s under the command of ork warlord [[Hargluk]] himself. The Imperials suffered heavy losses and the regiment's [[432nd Rough Rider company]], [[3rd Super Heavy Tank company|3rd]] and 16th Super Heavy Tank company|16th Super Heavy Tank companies]] were overrun in less than an hour and destroyed, along with the [[23rd Tactical company|23rd]] and 26th Tactical company|26th Tactical companies]]. Other companies were repulsed by Gargant [[Big-mobs]]] and had to retreat to the core of Hive Kravaster.{{Fn|4}} | + | The [[Ork]] landing zone was attacked on the following day by an [[Imperial Guard Regiment]] stationed further south from [[Hive]] [[Kravaster]] in the [[Graildark mountains]], the [[72nd Sarum]]. The [[Imperium|Imperial]] soldiers were driven back by a huge force of [[Gargant]]s under the command of ork warlord [[Hargluk]] himself. The Imperials suffered heavy losses and the regiment's [[432nd Rough Rider company]], [[3rd Super Heavy Tank company|3rd]] and 16th Super Heavy Tank company|16th Super Heavy Tank companies]] were overrun in less than an hour and destroyed, along with the [[23rd Tactical company|23rd]] and 26th Tactical company|26th Tactical companies]]. Other companies were repulsed by Gargant [[Big-mobs]]] and had to retreat to the core of Hive Kravaster.{{Fn|4}} |
Faced with the results of this battle [[Governor]] [[Suvik]] who was in his palace in the [[Hive]] was left with no illusions regarding the seriousness of the situation. He sent an [[Astropath|astropathic communication]] requesting [[Imperium|Imperial]] reinforcements while his [[Planetary Defence Forces]] dug in and fortified the approaches to the core of Hive [[Kravaster]].{{Fn|4}} | Faced with the results of this battle [[Governor]] [[Suvik]] who was in his palace in the [[Hive]] was left with no illusions regarding the seriousness of the situation. He sent an [[Astropath|astropathic communication]] requesting [[Imperium|Imperial]] reinforcements while his [[Planetary Defence Forces]] dug in and fortified the approaches to the core of Hive [[Kravaster]].{{Fn|4}} | ||
Revision as of 00:20, 16 February 2020
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| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Gehenna Prime | 
|
| Segmentum: | Ultima Segmentum[4] | ||
| Sector: | Unknown | ||
| Subsector: | Unknown | ||
| System: | Gehenna system[4] | ||
| Population: | Unknown | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperium[4] | ||
| Class: | Unknown | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Unknown | ||
Gehenna Prime is one of the seventeen planetoids in the Gehenna system - and apparently the only one that was terraformed and colonised during mankind's first expansion to the stars. In comparison to many other worlds of the Imperium it is considered to be an unspoilt wilderness of plains and mountains. Its capital and largest Hive city is Kravaster. The Governor of Gehenna Prime during Ork invasion (see below) was called Suvik.[4]
Contents
Planetary characteristics
Geography
The planet is slightly larger than Terra and its rotation is faster. As a consequence there is increased vulcanism and a belt of volcanoes some of which are active while others are only semi-active known as the Graildark mountains. This belt stretches around the equator of Gehenna Prime. Adjacent to the Graildark mountains are jungle highlands and chains of extinct volcanoes that gradually turn into broad plains north and south of the equator.[4]
It is over these plains that the Hives of the human population sprawl. The largest of these Hive cities is Kravaster in the North. Surrounding them are carefully cultivated and armourglass and plasteel protected croplands.[4]
Hive Kravaster
Hive Kravaster is the biggest city on Gehenna Prime and is to the North of the Graildark mountains. It is also the place where the Imperium's planetary overlord, Governor Suvik, had his palace during the Ork invasion. This palace was in Balthuzar spire. The city's main space port is Voskil Central.[4]
Weather
Due to the Coriolis storms brewing in the Graildark mountains and then sweeping down onto the plains with surprising force the weather on Gehenna Prime can become so dangerous that all creatures in the mountains are in mortal danger if they do not find shelter from the storms. On the plains itself the force of these storms is somewhat diminished but they can still be lethal. The powerful lightning strikes occuring during these weather periods can wreak havoc on the electrical systems.[4]
Ressources
The importance of Gehenna Prime to the Imperium lies in its equatorial crystal mines which are needed in Phase crystal systems. The crystals are used to build lasers and powerstacks for the weapons and engines of the Adeptus Mechanicus.[4]
The planet's mountains are riddled with a labyrinth of mine shafts that have to twist again and again around the active lava tubes. The volcanoes and seismic upheavals make large scale strip-mining impossible. The work conditions are such that the miners have to use coldsuits and breathing masks when creeping through the shaking tunnels on their search for the crystals.[4]
The mined crystals can be seeded and artificially grown in orbital factories.[4]
History
The Genestealer infestation
Gehenna Prime was infiltrated by Genestealers under the guise of the Cult of the Emperor's Light. Apparently from there the cult eventually infiltrated the entire Gehenna system, and were finally destroyed by a force of the Space Wolves.[1][3]
The Ork invasion
When the Gehenna system fell victim to Waaagh! Hargluk the Orks arrived on three different Space Hulks that plowed through the system's defences of fighters and orbital monitors in a matter of days. When the Orks attacked Gehenna Prime thousands of them were killed in their landing crafts by ground-based missile batteries and defence lasers. Thousands more however managed to survive and established a landing zone in the western districts of Hive Kravaster.[4]
The Ork landing zone was attacked on the following day by an Imperial Guard Regiment stationed further south from Hive Kravaster in the Graildark mountains, the 72nd Sarum. The Imperial soldiers were driven back by a huge force of Gargants under the command of ork warlord Hargluk himself. The Imperials suffered heavy losses and the regiment's 432nd Rough Rider company, 3rd and 16th Super Heavy Tank company|16th Super Heavy Tank companies]] were overrun in less than an hour and destroyed, along with the 23rd and 26th Tactical company|26th Tactical companies]]. Other companies were repulsed by Gargant Big-mobs] and had to retreat to the core of Hive Kravaster.[4]
Faced with the results of this battle Governor Suvik who was in his palace in the Hive was left with no illusions regarding the seriousness of the situation. He sent an astropathic communication requesting Imperial reinforcements while his Planetary Defence Forces dug in and fortified the approaches to the core of Hive Kravaster.[4]
During the next three days the Orks ferried down the remainder of their troops and war machines from orbit before moving out of the landing zone and attacking the core of Hive Kravaster with all the forces at their disposal. For Warlord Hargluk it was clear that destroying the capital of the planet would mean that the rest of Gehenna Prime would be easier to conquer.[4]
When the Orks tried to storm Kravaster with their Gargants, tanks, bikes and foot troops vicious street fighting erupted as the Immperial defenders fought like cornered beasts: PDF troopers had to be driven back barricade by barricade, arcade by arcade and street corner by street corner, Hive Gangs attacked the Orks from ventilator shafts and sewers and the survivors of the 72nd Sarum held onto the main concourse that led towards the city's Balthuzar spire where the palace was. Three Super Heavy Tank companies with their support troops dug in around the Hive's Basilica Adeptorum and managed to destroy two Great Gargants of the Gargant Big-mob spearheading the Aliens' attack. This success turned the tide and the Orks were driven back without being able to conquer Kravaster.[4]
Denied victory Warboss Hargluk then laid siege to Kravaster but Imperial reinforcements in the form of Imperial Guard troops who had guarded the crystal mines in the mountains managed to filter in and harried the Greenskins' landing zone and settlements that the Xenos beasts had set up in the outer sectors of the Hive. It was Colonel Tahal under whose inspired command hit and run attacks by armoured companies against the Orks were conducted day and night. In the meantime additional regiments of the Planetary Defence Forces had arrived from other Hive cities and pushed against the siege ring the Orks had set up around Kravaster.[4]
Governor Suvik gave the order to simultaneously attack the Ork from both inside and outside the Greenskins' perimeter and on the 27th day of the siege the Imperial artillery opened up on the Aliens. Colonel Tahal at first managed to gain ground with his armmoured forces against the Orks but when his tanks entered the ruins of the Hive's outer sectors stiff resistance from Goff warriors and Gargants stopped him. The Imperial counterattack from inside Kravaster met with even less success as the troops leaving were greeted by heavy fire from Hargluk's Mega-Gargants as soon as they left their trenches. In order to not senselessly sacrifice his scant defence troops Governor Suvik called off the attack.[4]
To Suvik's dismay he soon received reports that - in addition to not being able to break out of the city - a big part of the Ork forces laying siege to the city including three Mega-Gargants had actually broken off from the main body of the Greenskin army and were now pursuing the armoured troops of Colonel Tahal. And while Hargluk had left enough Ork troops to keep Kravaster sealed up tight and to pound the Hive spires and raid its defensive positions the Greenskin pursuit force managed to drive Tahal into the highlands and further and futher south. If they managed to back the Colonel against the mountains of the equator that would have meant the end for him and his men. On their way south the Orks looted and destroyed any Hive they came across, destroying any human resistance with their Mega-Gargants and forcing civilians to flee for their lives.[4]
On the 40th day of the Ork invasion Imperial reinforcements arrived in the skies over Gehenna Prime in the form of Blood Angels Space Marines. The Space Marines smashed trough the Ork defences with their Drop pods and Thunderhawk drop ships and managed to seize Kravaster's main space port, Voskil Central, from the Greenskins and to link up with the human defenders of the Hive. When the Orks counterattacked already the first kilometre-long transport barge of the Legio Metalica Titan legion landed at the spaceport and out stepped the Imperator Titan Casus Belli. The Emperor Titan immediately faced the Ork onslaught and Gargant Big-mob and the Casus Belli managed to destroy its Boss Gargant. Then a full Knight Household and more Titans emerged from the transport barge to drive the Orks off who suffered heavy losses.[4]
The combined forces of the Legio Metalica, Blood Angels and troops of Governor Suvik proceeded to break the siege around Hive Kravaster in the following days. The Orks retreated to the highlands and linked up with the Mega-Garagants and other troops who had been pursuing Colonel Tahal and his forces. Tahal managed to circle the Orks and pulled his tank crews back to Kravaster.[4]
work in progress
Other information
- The Administratum's reference for the Gehenna system is 314/889/01A.[4]
- The Adeptus Mechanicus' cross reference files for the equatorial crystal mines/ Phase crystal systems is X21/23.19/.[4]
Trivia
 |
Gehenna is a small valley in Jerusalem. As a Biblical term it has been interpreted as analogous to the concept of Hades, Hell or Purgatory. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter, it was deemed to be cursed.
Related Articles
Sources
- 1: Warhammer 40,000: Wargear, [Needs Citation]
- 2: White Dwarf 179 (UK) - Inferno battle report
- 3: Codex: Space Wolves (2nd Edition), [Needs Citation]
- 4: Titan Legions (Epic), The Fires of Gehenna scenarios booklet, p. 2-3
