Keepers of The Garden

Keepers of The Garden armorial with corrupted shoulder insignia spotted during the Raid of Fiducia Prime circa M40.

Personal Banner of Zonir Herbrus Veteran Sergeant of the Keepers of The Garden 3rd Company of Blighted Guard Plague Marines, circa M42.

## Chaos Warband

### **Title**

The Grand Gardener, Gardner Of Souls, Harvester of Nurgle's Bounty

### **Specialty**

Plague Zombie Massed Formations and swarms followed by surgical Elite Shock Troop Assaults

### **Allies**

Greater Demons of Nurgle, Typhus The Traveler, Herald of the Change

### **Colours**

Dark Black Moss Colored Armor, with Sickly Green Overtones

## Pre-Heresy

### **Colours**

Death Guard Colors

The infamous **Keepers of The Garden** Chaos Warband emerged as a formidable presence in the aftermath of the final battles of the Horus Heresy. While the Horus Heresy culminated and traitor legions were banished to the Eye of Terror, the Keepers of the Garden endured as a relentless blight on the galaxy, a testament to Chaos's corruption. Transforming from remnants of the Death Guard Legion's 19th Grand Company, the Keepers of The Garden warband waged a ceaseless plague-ridden campaign of warfare throughout the galaxy. Comprising Plague Marines and daemonic allies, and led by Kalgore Bloatscum the Grand Gardner and Harvester of Souls, the Keepers of The Garden warband is dedicated to advancing the vile agenda of Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay. Now, under the Grand Gardener's command, they continue their unending crusade, spreading pestilence and decay, and disseminating Nurgle's nefarious teachings to all who dare to listen, as they attempt to bring forth more plague-ridden planets dedicated to Nurgle's image.

## Warband History

### Rise of the Gardner of Souls

In the darkest days of the Horus Heresy, when the galaxy was torn asunder by the traitorous forces of Chaos, a Death Guard Captain named Kalath Sendal stood as a stalwart defender of his Legion. Kalath was a hulking and stoic warrior, known for his unyielding resolve and unwavering loyalty to Mortarion, the Primarch of the Death Guard Legion. Kalath fought in countless battles during the Heresy, enduring the horrors of the Warp-tainted conflict without succumbing to the corruption that plagued many of his brethren. He was marked by his exceptional leadership on the battlefield, rallying his fellow Death Guard in the face of impossible odds. As the Heresy raged on, and the Death Guard fell secretly deeper under the sway of Nurgle, the Chaos God of Plague and Decay, Kalath's resilience and loyalty would earn him a terrible reward.

While leading Death Guard Forces prior to the assault on Terra, Kalath Sendal's 19th Grand Company and its supporting flotilla were caught in a Warp storm while pursuing a Blood Angel Legion Force in the Tarak System. As Kalath Sendal's ships and battle brothers stood trapped within the warp each began to fall victim to Nurgle's Rot, dying excruciating deaths before reanimating and attacking the surviving brothers of the 19th Great Company. As battles ensued around the flotilla's ships and personnel, Kalath Sendal suffered grave injuries. At the moment of his death as he lay dying on the floor of his flagship, *Silent Blade*, he was offered a way to survive by a small whisper in his head and took it without hesitation. Unbeknownst to Kalath Sendal, the whispers belonged to Fetidlord Bubonicus a Greater Demonic entity of the Chaos God Nurgle. The transformation was agonizing, as his body and soul became host to the vile contagions and blessings of Nurgle.

Emerging from the process as a hulking, grotesque warrior with corroded armour and seeping pestilent wounds, Kalath Sendal was little more than lesions and wounds held barely together by ceramite and flesh. Several of his brothers met similar fates when offered life at the brink of death and together, they rose from their corpses and attacked their former brethren, driven by a seething desire to share their new gifts. As the last survivors of the 19th Great Company were overrun and infected by Kalath Sendal and the other infected, the company's transformation had finished. Kalath Sendal and the Death Guard's 19th Grand Company was no more, for now, he had become a warlord of pestilence and despair and would be charged with the proliferation of Nurgle's Garden both in the mortal realm and within the realms of Chaos. Reborn as Kalgore Bloatscum, venerated Champion of the new warband Keepers of the Garden.

As the twisted ships and bodies within emerged from the warp, the Keepers of the Garden sought to turn the Imperium's once-green worlds into foul, bloated gardens of decay and pestilence, as a testament to their newfound unholy patron.

    Kalath's warband, the Keepers of the Garden, became a force to be reckoned with in the warp-torn galaxy. Their Plague Marines and daemonic allies waged a never-ending war, corrupting planets and annihilating all who stood in their path. Kalath, now known as the Grand Gardener, led his warband with ruthless efficiency, forever advancing the diseased agenda of Nurgle. As the Horus Heresy came to an end and the traitor legions were banished to the Eye of Terror, the Keepers of the Garden remained, a festering blight on the galaxy, a testament to the corruption of Chaos and the twisted legacy of the once-loyal Death Guard force.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Battle of Virulent Desolation (M31)** - After the Horus Heresy, the Keepers initiated their campaign of corruption, unleashing a plague of virulent death on the world of Virulent Desolation. Imperial forces were caught off guard as the Keepers used their terrifying plague zombies to overrun the planet, rendering it a garden of decay.

* **Siege of Gloomhaven (M34)** - The Keepers of the Garden assaulted the Hive World of Gloomhaven, using their Plague Crawler Tanks and Land Raiders of Pestilence to breach the heavily fortified hive cities. The defenders were unable to withstand the relentless siege, and the planet was plunged into darkness and disease.

* **The Contagion of Doloria (M36)** - In the Doloria System, the Keepers released a noxious contagion that spread rapidly. They used their demonic siege engines to further spread the pestilence, corrupting multiple planets. The Imperium's efforts to contain the contagion were in vain.

* **The Battle of Verdant Rot (M37)** - The Keepers launched an assault on the Agri-World of Verdant Rot, known for its fertile fields. Their Plague Marines and Nurglings poisoned the planet's crops and water sources, turning the once-thriving Agri-World into a lifeless wasteland.

* **Skirmish at the Plague Barges (M38)** - During a skirmish with a fleet of Imperial vessels near the Plague Barges, the Keepers of the Garden unleashed their corrupted spacecraft, which emitted clouds of contagion, severely weakening the Imperial fleet before retreating.

* **The Slaughter of Hive Tarinax (M39)** - In a brutal conflict, the Keepers assaulted Hive Tarinax on the Hive World of Virentia. Their Harvesters of Souls led the way, causing untold devastation and leaving behind a city of the dead.

* **The Outbreak on Mortos VI (M40)** - The Keepers orchestrated a massive outbreak in the world of Mortos VI, causing widespread panic and devastation. They used the planet's own citizens as carriers of the plague, leading to an uncontrollable epidemic.

* **The Ritual of Fecundity (M40)** - In a heretical ritual, the Keepers of the Garden performed the Ritual of Fecundity on the Daemon World of Filthoros. This ritual involved summoning great forces of Nurgle to further empower their warband with dark blessings.

* **Battle of the Endless Mire (M41)** - In a battle with Adeptus Mechanicus forces, the Keepers of the Garden deployed their demonic siege engines, including Plague Hulkers, to create an impassable bog known as the Endless Mire, effectively isolating and overwhelming the enemy.

* **Siege of Hive Amalgroth (M41)** - During the Siege of Hive Amalgroth on the Hive World of Pestilios, the Keepers used Land Raiders of Pestilence to breach the hive's adamantium walls, unleashing waves of plague zombies that swarmed the defenders.

* **The Taint of Odium (M41)** - The Keepers spread the Taint of Odium on the Shrine World of Seraphicon, turning the once-sacred planet into a twisted realm of corruption. Imperial forces were unable to prevent the desecration.

* **The Scouring of Inexoria (M41)** - Inexoria, an Agri-World, faced the Scouring at the hands of the Keepers. Their Plague Marines and Pestilent Siege Engines polluted the planet's life-giving rivers with toxic filth, devastating agricultural production.

* **The Warp Rift Expansion (M42)** - As the Cicatrix Maledictum tore across the galaxy, the Keepers of the Garden seized the opportunity to expand their influence. They opened the Warp Rift near the Gamea Sector, allowing daemonic allies to pour forth and spread contagion even further.

* **The Cursed Campaign (M42)** - The Keepers launched the Cursed Campaign, a relentless onslaught on the Gamea Sector. They overwhelmed Imperial forces using their perfected tactics, infecting multiple planets and strengthening the foothold of Chaos.

* **Zombie Wars of Gamea Prime (M42)**- The Keepers of the Garden and their Cultists Infiltrate Hives on Gamea Prime leading to the Zombie Wars on Gamea Prime, During the latter half of the final stand of imperial forces on Gamea Prime, Wardens of Annihilation Terminators were responsible for slaying several Death Shrouds from the Nurgle Champion Typhus the Traveler’s elite guard as they withdrew with the final imperial forces off-world while a Grey Knight contingent banished the Greater Daemon of Nurgle, Mohk'blorthrus the Repugnant.

* **Destruction of the Space Hulk "Gift of The Grandfather**": In a daring operation to board and rescue Magos Fulgron Vectis aboard the Nurgle-infested Space Hulk "Gift of the Grandfather," Wardens of Annihilation and countless other Imperium Kill Teams launched a desperate mission into the heart of the drifting hulk. Despite deploying elite Harvestor of Souls Terminators against the variety of imperial, chaos, and xenos Kill Teams the hulk was destroyed, ensuring the Magos's rescue while preventing the Space Hulk from infecting the nearby Gamean Systems.

* **Current Day - Unholy Dominion (M42)** - In the present day, the Keepers of the Garden continue to try to exert their unholy dominion over planets and systems the Gamea Sector. Their warband remains a relentless force of death and decay, furthering the agenda of Nurgle and ensuring the corruption of all they touch.

## Warband Organization and Estimated Strength

In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Keepers of the Garden reorganized from their pre-Heresy Death Guard Legion 19th Grand Company's original command structure. Growing into a sizable warband of several Hundred Marines, Thousands of Cultists, and Daemonic Entities; the current Keeper of The Gardens Warband is significantly larger with several additional structural and force changes. In the aftermath of the Heresy and subsequent reorganization, the Keepers of the Garden added several formations of units and equipment that distinguished them from their pre-heresy Death Guard structure. These include:

* **Harvesters of Souls: Elite First Company** - At the forefront of the Keepers of the Garden stand the Harvesters of Souls, elite Death Shroud Terminators who have earned the nickname "Harvesters of Souls" for their unwavering loyalty and their role as the vanguard of the warband. These hulking warriors are shrouded in rusted Terminator Armour, wielding massive Manreapers (power-scythes) with plague-ridden power fields. They are the embodiment of death's inevitability, striking terror into the hearts of their enemies as they advance with grim determination.

* **Companies of Decay** - The warband's ranks are divided into different companies, each with its own role. The mainstay troops are Plague Marines, clad in foul, power armour and armed with boltguns and blight grenades. Heavy weapon companies, on the other hand, deploy weapons like plagueburst mortars and plague belchers to provide devastating fire support. Nurglings and Plaguebearers serve as daemonic allies, adding an extra layer of resilience and infectious assault.

* **Plague Crawler Tanks** - The warband employs a gruesome assortment of Plague Crawler Tanks, heavily modified variants of the Chaos Rhino. These grotesque vehicles are laden with rust and decay, oozing vile fluids and foul contagions. Plague Crawler Tanks are equipped with plague-spewer turrets that unleash torrents of toxic filth upon the enemy, leaving a trail of death and despair in their wake. These vehicles are mobile plague factories, constantly replenishing the ranks of the zombie horde that serves as their shield.

* **Land Raiders of Pestilence** - The Keepers of the Garden also utilize corrupted Land Raiders, known as "Land Raiders of Pestilence." These once-mighty transport vehicles are now brimming with poxwalkers and other twisted monstrosities, making them formidable in both offensive and defensive roles. Land Raiders of Pestilence are used to transport Plague Marines and Harvesters of Souls to the heart of the battle, allowing them to spread contagion and destruction with ease.

* **Demonic Siege Engines** - The warband boasts a terrifying array of demonic siege engines, each a monstrous embodiment of Nurgle's blessings. These war machines include Bilespawn Crawlers, festering and mutated versions of Chaos Defilers, as well as Plague Hulkers, lumbering mechanical behemoths dripping with corrosive bile. These engines unleash devastating firepower and exude clouds of noxious gas and contagion, creating a miasma of death that spreads chaos and decay across the battlefield.

### Warband Force Organization

* **Warband Leadership:**
	+ Kalgore Bloatscum the Grand Gardener (Warband Leader)
	+ Harvesters of Souls (Death Shroud Terminators)

* **1st Company - "Garden's Reapers" (Elite Plague Marines):** Members of the **1st Company - "Garden's Reapers" (Elite Plague Marines)** serve as the ranged counterparts of their Death Shroud counterparts. Utilized as elite shock troops, members of the 1st company are used to droppod or teleport into the midst of an enemy formation to clear a path for the Grand Gardner and Typhus himself and their elite Death Shroud body guards. Given their elite status, and competition to prove themselves alongside the Death Shrouds and warband's leadership, Garden Reapers tend to be some of the most zealous members of the warband; ready to sacrafice themselves at a moments notice for Bloatscum, Typhus, or grandfather Nurgle himself.
	+ Plague Champion Nergaloth
	+ Plague Terminators - "Blightskull Terminators"
	+ Plague Caster Vilespore
	+ Daemon Engine: "Pestilent Scourge" (Plague Reaper)
	+ Named Plague Crawler: "Carrionclaw"

* **2nd Company - "Nurgle's Harvest" (Troop Plague Marines):** Members of the **2nd Company - "Nurgle's Harvest"** troop of plague marines tend to utilize more close combat tactics and relish leading from the front of the packs of ravenous zombies utilized by the warband. Usually seen with various types of rotted sythes or axes, the warband tends to use the 2nd company to augment the massed assaults of plague zombies with select units of elite troops riddled with diseases and worms intersperesed amongst the zombie horde. These troops often strike while the defenses are overwhelmed by plague zombies and the defenders are too occupied to notice 2nd company marines, until it is too late.
	+ Captain of the Harvest Rotfang
	+ Plague Marines - "Blightbearers"
	+ Plaguecaster Filthweaver
	+ Daemon Engine: "Bile Spewer" (Plagueburst Crawler)
	+ Named Plague Crawler: "Rotbringer"

Keepers of the Garden 2nd Company "Nurgle's Harvest" Plague Marine Champion Rotbringer Vorlix at the Siege of Hive Amalgroth (M41)Keepers of the Garden 2nd Company "Nurgle's Harvest" Plague Marine with single hand variant of Plague Scythe Coated with Nurgle's Rotbane disease.
* **3rd Company - "Blighted Guard" (Troop Plague Marines):** Serving as tactical units within the warband, **3rd Company - "Blighted Guard" (Troop Plague Marines)** tend to be the most balanced of the Keeper of Garden companies. Boasting large squads of plague marines with a mix of both tactical, special, and heavy weapons, the units in the 3rd company are as close to their original configuration as they can be identified to their original Death Guard 19th Grand Company lineage.
	+ Lord of Blight Pusmaw
	+ Plague Marines - "Poxbringers"
	+ Plaguecaster Slimeclaw
	+ Daemon Engine: "Rancid Reaver" (Myphitic Blight-Hauler)
	+ Named Myphitic Blight-Hauler: "Maggotmarch"

Keepers of the Garden 3rd Company - "Blighted Guard" Sargent with Fungus outgrowth Circa Battle of the Endless Mire (M41)Keepers of the Garden 3rd Company Original Death Guard 19th Grand Company Heraldry in the immediate aftermath of the Assault against the Blood Angel Legion Force in the Tarak System Circa M31.
* **4th Company - "Pestilent Forge" (Troop Plague Marines): The 4th Company "Pestilent Forge Troops"** of the Keepers of the Garden hosts the Warband's heavy weapon teams and plague masters and corrupted techmarine cadre. Corrupted in the image of Mortarian himself, many of the units plague marines sport moth wings and other insect like appendages. Such is the gift of Grandfather Nurgle, each of the unit's diseased troops looks to these gifts with praise as the extra appendages and diseased body parts makes lifting heavy weapons and material all the easier.
	+ Plague Lord Muculos
	+ Plague Marines - "Diseasebearers"
	+ Plaguecaster Sludgespawn
	+ Daemon Engine: "Corpsebringer" (Foetid Bloat-Drone)
	+ Named Foetid Bloat-Drone: "Blightscourge"

Keepers of the Garden 4th Company marine advancing during the initial campaigns of the Keepers of The Garden Warband in the Gamea Sector the outset of the Cursed Campaign Circa M42Keepers of the Garden 4th Company Veteran Plague Sergeant with Power fist during the final stages of the Zombie Wars of Gamea Prime Circa M42
* **Demonic Siege Engines:**
	+ Plague Crawlers (Various)
	+ Plague Crawler: "Pustulent Deathbringer"
	+ Plague Crawler: "Fleshmaggot"
* **Land Raiders of Pestilence:**
	+ Land Raider of Pestilence: "Blightmare"
	+ Land Raider of Pestilence: "Nurglerot"

* **Demonic Allies:**
	+ Plaguebearers of Nurgle
	+ Nurglings
	+ Great Unclean One: "Fetidlord Bubonicus" (Commander of Daemonic Allies)
	+ Greater Daemon of Nurgle, Mohk'blorthrus the Repugnant,

* **Reinforcements and Auxiliaries:**
	+ Contagion Barges
	+ Poxwalkers
	+ Mutant Scavenger Bands
	+ Cults of Contagion

* **Logistics and Supplies:**
	+ Pox-Forges (Disease-Fueled Armories)
	+ Foul Apothecariums (Medical Facilities)
	+ Daemonic Laboratories (Research and Ritual Sites)

## Combat Doctrine

### **Unholy Shield of Plague Zombies:**

The Keepers of the Garden have devised a macabre and effective strategy by employing plague zombies as a grotesque shield for their forces. These zombies, once Imperial citizens are now grotesque, disease-ridden husks animated by the foul energies of Nurgle. Positioned at the forefront of their formations, these shambling horrors serve as a gruesome buffer between the warband's main forces and enemy fire. The reek of decay and disease emanating from the zombies not only makes them a horrifying sight on the battlefield but also acts as a deterrent, causing many foes to hesitate in their attacks. As enemy forces engage the relentless tide of zombies, the Keepers' Plague Marines and demonic allies advance with relative impunity, using the undead horde to absorb incoming fire and create chaos on the battlefield.

### **Siege Warfare and Contagious Onslaught**

The Keepers of the Garden excel in siege warfare and the gradual spread of contagion. When laying siege to fortified positions, they employ a combination of plague zombies and relentless artillery bombardment to break down the enemy's defences. The zombies serve as inexhaustible shock troops, pressing forward under a constant barrage of enemy fire, overwhelming defenders with sheer numbers. The warband's tanks, heavily modified and oozing with corruption, provide additional firepower, laying down a withering storm of disease-ridden shells. As the enemy weakens, the Keepers' Plague Marines and demonic allies launch their infectious assault, spreading virulent plagues that further deteriorate the enemy's resistance. This methodical approach not only brings about physical devastation but also sows despair and hopelessness among the defenders.

### **Unholy Alliances and Contagious Coordination**

One of the striking aspects of the Keepers of the Garden's strategy is their coordination with demonic allies. These daemonic creatures of Nurgle, such as Nurglings and Plaguebearers, complement the warband's forces with their otherworldly resilience and potent contagions. The Plague Marines and demons work in tandem, with the demons often using their pestilential abilities to create clouds of noxious gases or to weaken the enemy's resolve. Meanwhile, the Plague Marines maintain their position behind the zombie shield, ensuring that the demonic allies can continue their virulent onslaught. This synergy between mortal and daemonic forces makes the Keepers of the Garden a relentless and overwhelming adversary on the battlefield, spreading pestilence and decay in the name of Nurgle, the Lord of Plagues

## Relations

### Enemies

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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