Jeras

Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of the arid world of Jaras, Adeptus Astartes Homeworld of the Storm Zealots Chapter.

## Planet

### Class

Desert World/
Mining World/
Adeptus Astartes Homeworld

### Military Forces

Storm Zealots
Jerasian Astra Militarum Regiments 48th Jerasian Defenders

## Location

### System

Shamayim

**Jeras** is a civilized desert world that serves as the Adeptus Astartes Homeworld for the Storm Zealots Space Marine Chapter. This Imperial planet is located on the eastern edges of the Ultima Segmentum on the borderline between the Imperium of Man (Realms of Ultramar) and the Tau Empire. Following the end of the Skabbian Heresy, the population of the planet had decreased from around 25 billion to roughly 14 billion.

About 70% of the planet consists of deserts, canyons, and badlands while 30% of it are covered with water from the Gesharet Sea. The surroundings of the sea are covered with scrubs, savanna, deserts, and canyons. The planet's time is nearly similar to a Terran day. But due to difference between the time and space of Jeras and Terra, 1 year in Jeras is equivalent to 10 years in Terra. Jeras also has arid climates with temperatures tending to rise as hot as 60 degrees celcius and will drop by -10 degree celcius at night. The canyons of Jeras are rich with ceramites and lead. These two raw resources are the potential heart of Jerasian military. Due to the system being rich with raw minerals, Jeras is commonly attacked by Dark Eldar raiding parties, Chaos warbands and outrider forces of the Tau Empire. Such a coveted world is often raided and invaded by various xenos and heretics alike. The planet's locals, with the aid of the Imperium, often play a more defensive role in order to preserve humanity and the valuable planet itself. The constant Imperial Navy patrols and its defensive systems are made so the enemy won't be able to take Jeras from its rightful owner - humanity.

The planet's many mines and rigs are worked mostly by citizens of Jeras whom received credits from the ruling administrations. The planet rejects slavery at all cost that even a small time care taker receive credits and lived in a one bed room apartment. Most of its citizen work as miners, factory workers, herders, soldiers, and builders.

There are at least nine Hive Cities on the surface of Jeras. With two of them, Tel Sheva and Tel Goshen have been destroyed by Chaos during the first Jerasian War and since then became a ruins with many of its denizens either slain nor flee to other cities, towns, or settlements. The ruined Hive City now consumed by the nature and only a handful of nomadic tribes and gangs lived there since.

The citizen of Jeras consist of 12 Jerasian tribe that emigrated from Terra back to the Dark Age of Technology, the 12 tribes and a tribe of nomads named Drucim settle in Jeras. The 12 tribes of Jeras are: Tribe of Reuven, Tribe of Shmeon, Tribe of Lev, Tribe of Jehud, Tribe of Essakar, Tribe of Zebul, Tribe of Dan, Tribe of Naftal, Tribe of Ghad, Tribe of Ashour, Tribe of Menash, and Tribe of Benyahim. Later in the beginning of M40, the planet is filled with refugees from many worlds surrounding Imperium. The refugees from Tallarn, Rynn's World, Valhalla, and Atilla were settled in Jeras following wars, famine, and overpopulation. The denizen of Jeras are mostly tolerate with abhuman race such as Squats, Ratlings, and Oggryn who were sanctioned by the government and allowed them to live, work, and even drafted into the ranks of planetary defense force. According to the Imperial Records, the Jerasians covered 40% of the world population and the Drucim covering 25% refugees from Tallarn makes up 10% of the population, refugees from another world 10%, and the abhumans made 15% of the population.

Jeras is known for its second best after New Merica for its denizens to enjoy much freedom and possess higher standard of living compared to most other planets across Herzavar Sector.

Jeras itself is where the Storm Zealots rise, reside, and recruit their members. The harshness of the desert and canyons with its deadly creatures such as vicious saurian Tyrodon, and corrosive spitting Werehemoths makes a good place to train their recruits and shape them to become a Space Marine.

## History

Jeras were settled by human colonies long time ago during the Dark Ages of Technology where nearly 13 Frigates landed upon the scrub lands to the south-east of the planet. These human colonies originally came from Terra from a region called Levant in the map of the Old World. Under the direction of chief rabbis and their followers, the humans soon resettle on the near barren planet, with their technology that now lost to history.

In just half-century, the planet was named Jeras and canals and rivers began to flow from the Sea of Gesharet, a great lake in the center of the planet. Farming, herding, and populous settlements, towns, and even cities began to thrive and population grew.

Before the coming of the Emperor's VII Legion the famous Imperial Fist. Jeras once worship a monotheistic religion of the old that adhere 10 basic rules and 613 laws that guide them with the prophecy of the coming of Messiah that save them from evil and bring Jeras to the Golden Age.

When Dorn and his legion the stoic Imperial Fist descent upon Jeras during the Emperor's Great Crusade. The Jerasians warmly welcomes them with great honor. Soon Jeras became one with the Imperium and due to their warmly deeds, Primarch Rogal Dorn under the order of the Emperor of Mankind decides to recruit thousands of Jerasians among the ranks of the 7th Legion. Unknown to Dorn that the Jerasians secretly worship the Emperor as their Messiah.

There are some records indicating that some of the Jerasians typically the Menash and Zebul tribes were recruited by the World Eaters while still named War Hounds before the discovery of primarch Angron. It was told that the savage but honorable 70th Captain Ali Zachrios and the rest of 70th Assault Company were recruited from Jeras. Remained loyal to the Emperor, he and the rest of the loyalist led a heavy resistance against their own traitorous brethren during the earliest event of Horus Heresy at the Battle of Istvaan III. A remembrancer notes indicate that Captain Zachrios survived the devastation of Istvaan III but no further records are explained.

Planet Jeras is safe during the event of Horus Heresy and rediscovered later after the Great Scouring by Sergeant Adi Melchior and Brother Zen Menachem of the Imperial Fist 8th Company. For the next years Jeras becoming a mining colony and a thriving Hive City begin to grow. Ceramites, Lead, Gold, and Steel began to flow to the Imperium and the planet was given a Decuma Prime Tithe Grade. In return the Imperial Navy and planetary defenses are constructed and the planet is formalized by Imperial Military Culture. The 48th Jerasian Defenders is raised as the main planetary defense forces. The Ecclesiarchy of the Imperial Cult were surprised to found out that the planet worship the Emperor as a God and Messiah. Soon the Jerasian Ark were accepted as a variation of the standard Imperial Cult that has been officially recognized by the Ecclesiarchy as a non-heretical faith that has deeply influenced the Storm Zealots Chapter of Space Marines and the people of their desert mining world of Jeras.

In the 37th Millenium a new Space Marine Chapter is born. The newly Founded Chapter, the Storm Zealots was initially raised from the hardy gene-stock of the people of the Imperial desert world of Jeras. They were found to be free of Chaotic taint and genetic mutation and possessed an extreme adherence to the God Emperor in form of Jerasian Ark. The Storm Zealots were created at the express order of the High Lords of Terra in order to counter a myriad of threats along the Eastern Fringe, specifically, the Forces of Chaos which often raided Imperial worlds from the warp anomaly known as the Maelstrom. They were also charged with defending this volatile region of the galaxy from the emergent Tau Empire, which continued to encroach upon Imperial territory, as well as forming part of a bulwark of Chapters to defend the Imperium from the all-consuming Hive Fleets of the Tyranids.

With the guidance of Jerasian Ark that values honor, chivalry, self sacrifice, non celibacy, duty, honesty, loyalty, and adherence to the Emperor as God, Messiah, and Lawgiver; The Jerasians from their ordinary citizens to the ruling government even among the super human Space Marine Chapter Master are ready to live and fight for Jeras and even for the Imperium in all of its glory.

## Planet Culture

The denizens of Jeras are divided into two categories, the City squarlors and the Nomads. Despite some tribals are known to live nomadic lifestyle as well as the existence of Underhive citizens and gangers, Jerasians are known throughout Herzavar Sector for their educations and high percentage of literation rate among its denizens. The denizens of Jeras are also known for their religious adherence to the Emperor of Mankind whom they worship as God. Their adherence to the Emperor as God and Messiah are shown from their mandatory 3 day prayers, fasting once per month, and holidays where no activity was held (unless for security and logistical reason) on Saturday.

The male denizens of Jeras are often seen wearing a skull cap 'Yarmulke' and pray to the God Emperor with prayer shawls and leather belts attached to their right hand as its mandatory for all Jerasians to follow the teachings of Jerasian Ark. The female denizens of Jeras are often seen covering their hairs with headscarf of 'Tischel' and most wore a long skirt from waist to toe. Child marriage aging 12 to 18 are common custom in the planet as the teachings of Jerasian Ark forbid celibacy.