Merastian Gallowglass

Gallowglass Regimental Icon

Captain of the CVII Gallowglass Regiment, wielding a chain spear and a las-carbine

## Regimental Data

### **Colours**

Green flak armour, dark grey or black robes

## Other information

### **Specialty**

Coordinated Close-Combat Assaults

The **Merastian Gallowglass** are regiments formed from the Civilised World of Merast Tertius, in the Segmentum Tempestus. Notable for their tactical skill and mastery of spear combat, the Merastian Gallowglass drive to utilise the skills and tactics of the Adeptus Astartes chapter that calls their world home.

## Background

First founded in the late m40, the Gallowglass are regiments formed from the same native population that the Emerald Spears recruit from. Despite being a chapter homeworld and thus exempt from Imperial Tithes, Merast Tertius voluntarily provide regiments to the Imperium due to the martial culture of their world, and as such the culture and warfare of Merast Tertius has been brought to many campaigns throughout the Imperium.

The Gallowglass are noted exemplars of tactics and polearm combat, and are respected throughout the Segmentum Tempestus for their loyalty to the Imperium and lack of fear when facing the God-Emperor's myriad foes, Commisars assigned the Gallowglass rarely needing to ensure courage on the front-lines.

## Homeworld

The Garden/Civilised world of Merast Tertius is relatively new to the Imperium, and is known for both it's idealic beauty and the harsh, foreboding saurid predators that call it home. These predators ensured that the Merastian population devolped a martial culture, formed from a bedrock of coordinated hunts and defences required to stave off the attentions of the saurids.

Upon discovery and incorporation into the Imperium, the natives of Merast Tertius have maintained this martial culture, with all children, regardless of social rank, being trained from a young age in combat and warfare, boys are tested for incorporation into the Emerald Spears at the age of 11 Terran, while girls and unsuccessful but surviving boys are tested at the age of 14 Terran.

Upon passing the coming-of-age tests, the Merastian children are formed into regiments where they continue training and practising while also taking up another career to maintain the world of Merast Tertius. Here they serve as the PDF of their homeworld until the Imperium requests their service.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Rebellion of Thargax V (Unknown Date, M41)-** The world of Thargax V, an agri-world found in Segmentum Tempestus, suddenly declared independance from the Imperium at some time in M41, believing that the tithes of the continent sized fields of their home should not be used to feed an oppressive, corrupt empire. Upon discovery of this fact by the Administratum, the Gallowglass were sent to Thargax V along with many other regiments from the local area. The overlords of the Thargaxan fields lacked many troops or defenses, but in an act of tech-heresy, had modified the servitors and grand farming vehicles into ramshackle yet brutal fighting forces. A short campaign followed, the fight spreading throughout the world, yet the Imperial guard were able to defeat the Thargaxan forces, ending the campaign with a Merastian Chainspear embedded in the former tyrant's skull, where it remained for many months as a warning to the Thargaxan population and the Segmentum as large, rebellion would always end on the head of a Gallowglass spear.

## Regimental Organisation

The Merastian Gallowglass serve the Imperium as a close-combat regiment, and are typically comprised of small, relatively elite squads of about 20 guardsmen. The Gallowglass have a basic heirarchal structure, with the regimental captain at the top, and myriad squad leaders serving beneath them. The Gallowglass don't typically require the strict heirarchy of other regiments due to the ingrained culture of coordination between people, leading to an organised mass-infantry format.

The Gallowglass lack most forms of heavy or specialist wargear, and as such fight primarily as infantry, however they do maintain a supply of modifed Merast-Pattern Chimerae, devolped on the world of Merast Septus, which are used to deliver the close-combat specalised Gallowglass troops to the front lines.

## Wargear

The Gallowglass wield chainspears and local pattern las-carbines, all devolped on the local forge world of Merast Septus, however the specialist output of this forge-world is directed towards the Emerald Spears, leading to the Gallowglass regiments lacking artificer craft wargear, even at the regimental command level.