Shield of Absolution
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Shield of Absolution | 
|
| Segmentum: | Tempestus | ||
| Sector: | Eternum | ||
| Subsector: | Makerus | ||
| System: | Absolution | ||
| Population: | ~2,000,000 | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperial | ||
| Class: | Fortress World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Adeptus Non | ||
Overview
The Fortress Monastery of the Crimson Bulwark, the Shield of Absolution is arguably the most defended point in the Eternum sector, guarded by marines of all companies save fifth, chapter serfs, advanced defenses gifted by Filimars, and Imperial Guard regiments. If ever seriously threatened, all available companies will cease whatever action they are currently in to pull back to defend the Fortress, forcing their foe to face close to a whole space marine chapter at once. The Shield of Absolution is ringed by several fortress stations, each one alone capable of defeating a standard enemy fleet, but together an almost unassailable wall of defense. Mines also fill the system, and the only two clear space paths through the system are guarded by rows of defense platforms and star forts manned by chapter serfs. Still, these paths are not invulnerable, but would whittle down any would be attacker before they face the true defenses of the Shield of Absolution.
These defenses effectively mandate any invasion must target the surface and land as quick as possible before their ships are destroyed, where they'll find no location not covered by several fortress firing lanes and fighting endless crossfire with no cover, all designed with the brutal lessons of the pox war in mind. The Shield of Absolution is surrounded by fortresses but is itself first and foremost a monastery, with masterfully crafted barracks and chapels with shrines for each company's most venerated relics, along with artisan forges that rival those found on Filimars. The Shield of Absolution suffered during the First Poxwar, with records of its history lost alongside records of the then Crimson Hammer as well. Although nowhere near as fortified as it is now, the Shield of Absolution was still a formidable fortress where the most decisive battle of the first Poxwar was fought - an invasion that saw half the world scorched and multiple fortress complexes obliterated. The Crimson Hammer managed to not only defend the planet, but inflict severe damage on the defilers that stalled the invasion of Eternum as a whole, though at great cost to themselves.
With the lessons learned from the First Poxwar shaping the massive fortification effort that followed the rebuilding of the chapter, the Shield of Absolution is barely recognizable compared to surviving pict-grabs, with the boreal highlands, lochs, and expansive valleys covered in trenches, bunkers, defenses, and fortified complexes that house the chapter, their serfs, and their villeins alongside the artisan forges and shrines prized by the chapter. Any Imperial visitor to the Shield of Absolution will find themselves constantly watched if they're even allowed to approach, and even the Inquisition is treated as trespassers if they do not have an expressed invitation to visit the Bulwark's prized home. Although far less common since the First Poxwar, the Shield of Absolution does possess small villages inhabited by fishermen and simple folk, who are left to their own devices save for a biannual summit where each village elder brings the village's 10 strongest teens to begin the Crimson trials. Almost all will fail, with most of the ones who live becoming chapter serfs, though rarely they are successful and become proper marines. The villages and hamlets that succeed lessen their obligation to the Chapter, with one less teen required for each successful aspirant to a minimum of one supplicant required. The villages that require just one supplicant are incredibly rare, but it is a coveted position that promises prosperity and prestige as the Bulwark opens their forges to the most honored villages.