Overview
Harvesters are tank-like, half-living war machines encountered within the Great War. They drag corpses into their armor, using the bodies inside to fuel their movement.
They belong to a battlefield where dead soldiers rise, artillery returns in cycles, and the terrain is repeatedly reshaped. A Harvester makes the accumulated casualties part of an active weapon.
Corpse Collection
A Harvester's most distinctive behavior is the collection of bodies. The remains are drawn into its armored structure rather than simply pushed aside as it moves through the battlefield.
The precise process that converts corpses into movement is unknown. Their half-living nature is established, but their construction, creators, and degree of awareness remain uncertain.
Weapons and Targeting
Harvesters fire explosive shells indiscriminately. Movement, light, and large groups are frequent targets, making an exposed party particularly vulnerable.
Their behavior does not establish a dependable allegiance to any recognizable army. Travelers should not assume that the uniforms which influence undead soldiers will provide the same protection against a Harvester.
Encounter Considerations
- Avoid presenting an exposed, tightly grouped target.
- Limit unnecessary light during battlefield movement.
- Account for explosive fire when choosing cover; the Node's bunkers do not reliably survive direct artillery strikes.
- Do not assume that a machine collecting bodies is inactive or harmless.
Current Understanding
Harvesters are recorded as entities because their behavior combines machinery with living or reanimated material. It remains unclear whether they are independent organisms, altered weapons, or manifestations sustained by the repeating conflict.
No confirmed universal weakness or permanent method of disabling them has been established.