Lethal Lhamean
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Last recorded transmission from Inquistor Kabuck of the Ordos Xenos -
The xenos witch took possession of the artifact from the guardsmen and while the broader command structure believes she immediately departed, I know this to be untrue. I was with Battle Captain Azamarac when she dropped by before departing. I had read up on Inquistor Czevak's notes when I was alerted to their presence in the theater and was prepared for their trickery. However, she let me examine the artifact when I asked. I sensed no taint of chaos nor any real power within, I will assume it needs some activation or is merely some cat's paw that the Eldar are playing. She did have a whispered conversation with the Epistolary Xenophon which I only caught snatches of but I believe they have had dealings before and she provided him some news of such import that he immediately left for some conclave of the chapter leaders. Battle Captain Azamarac then approached me with some matter he said was of great importance which prevented me from following.
Many things have changed since the last transmission. It seems that the forces of chaos have begun leaving the planet and a titanic naval battle is underway. Although the chaos fleet does not seem to be engaging, but rather fighting a delaying action while other portions head not towards the forge world but rather towards one of the distant moons. The Imperial navy assisted by the ships from the Black Templar and Raven Guard are fighting them.
Strangely enough the Immortal Host fleet is focused on continued ground bombardment and support. They have had even more ships arrive and have almost as many ships as the imperial navy. I have never a chapter with so large a fleet. Also in reviewing fleet strength I have spent some time calculating overall forces. If my preliminary estimates are correct I believe that not only is the entire chapter here, but that our estimates of the chapter losses from the engagement on Lockhelm were severely overstated or the chapter is much large than should be possible. I asked for and received an audience with Chapter Master Xerxes. At that time i did inquire about his deployment strength, but he deferred the questions quite elegantly and gave me no real number. I have begun investigating the numbers and looking into their relationship with the xenos witch. I will not take part in the battle, but rather will move my frigate away from the combat zone where I can watch and wait for reinforcement.
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After action report from Rear Admiral to Ordo Xenos inquisitorial headquarters on Pigntass –
Honored members of the Inquisition,
It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the death of one of your servants. Inquisitor Kabuck’s steadfastness and courage was invaluable to us during the entirety of the campaign to drive the forces of chaos from Saios. His ship was well to the rear of our lines, but unfortunately was caught up in an ambush by a destroyer of the heretics who hid from us amongst the wreckage of past battles. The battle barge His Unyielding Will was dispatched by the Immortal host to investigate a distress call issued by Inquisitor Kabuck’s ship as it looked as if they had repulsed the assault. Upon boarding those worthy servants of the emperor reported that no one was alive and destroyed the ship so no secrets of your august organization would fall into the hands of the enemy.
I await your further orders on the matter.
In His Name,
Rear Admiral Quinto Pontificus.
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The population of Iunden had come out in droves, and the parade was a quite dashing affair all things considered. Captain Paget and the heroes of Terramount, the propaganda machines had gone into overdrive claiming that the Imperial forces had driven the Chaos invaders off-planet...which was...well...somewhat true, he supposed. Certainly there had been a battle, and it had ended with Chaos leaving the planet. Never mind that they had left it under near total dominion of the Orks, and that ignored the vast swathes that were still teeming birthing pits of Nurgle daemons and their cult worshipers.
Harry Paget sat up as straight as he could while he waved to the crowds, remembering to wink at any women with a fetching figure he spotted. After all, you never knew when you might find one when trawling around for drinks after the parade, and what a grateful girl they'd doubtless be for ol' heroic Harry, and a wink and a smile from the parade, oh, well, of course I noticed you, dear girl...
His fantasies were interrupted by Lord Marshall Raglan.
"O, Harry m'boy," Raglan guffawed from the seat next to him which the old fool had weasled into, no doubt to soak up some of Paget's reflected honors, "this promises to be quite the campaign, does it not?"
"Quite a campaign?" Harry Paget considered those words for a moment. "I'm not sure I quite follow what you mean."
"I mean us being tasked with pacifying the sub-sector, haw-haw!"
"Pacify- but, sir, our losses in the battles on Saios, we're stretched thin and brittle as it stands. Surely we're about to withdraw and allow fresh regiments to take the lead. I heard that was discussed at the Staff meeting earlier today."
"I know, I know, and I'm sure it did your heart sour to know they were going to pull you out before the battle was won, eh, Harry, eh? Haw-haw! Worry not, m'boy, those fresh regiments are being placed under my direct command, we'll have the Allied 1st up and reconstituted in a matter of days, and then, m'lad, we'll take it to those Chaos heretics, what-what?"
"Oh...of course, yes, capital, I'm certain." Harry felt like he wanted to leap screaming from the car, or maybe just throttle Raglan there and then.
"And no worries for you, Hero of Terramount," Raglan elbowed him in the side knowingly, "I know how you work. No fears, I'll get you on a fast cruiser straight to the front as soon as I'm able!"
"To the front?"
"Aye, when our dear Harry 'Flash' gets in there he'll make those heretics remember to fear the Emperor's Armored Fist, haw-haw!"
"Haw..." managed Harry weakly as he turned a brittle face back to the cheering crowds. That daft old fool, Raglan would do it too, send him straight back into the thick of it to face those nigh invulnerable Chaos beasts, the rampaging Ork hordes, and whatever else dark and sundry the galaxy managed to toss at him.
"A happy end, and a glorious beginning, Harry, you'll see." Raglan laughed as he kept energetically waving, no doubt quite pleased with himself.
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"I do not understand the matter of the thing." Gilgard, Dire Avenger in service to Farseer Diyneer, stood at attention, his shuriken catapult held at the ready as he watched the Farseer considering the wards on the disused gate.
"The matter of which thing?" His battle-brother, Lothfalas asked. It did not surprise Gilgard to find Lothfalas unconcerned, he rarely seemed worried by anything that wasn't an immediate problem.
"The whole matter, why did we allow the mon'keigh to look upon the Elendil Thrakul? What did that gain?"
"Because Diyneer forced it to become dormant, it is better that they think it means nothing."
"But now that we have it, why do we not simply leave?"
"Because we cannot." The cold words came from Diyneer herself as she looked over her shoulder, apparently able to hear their whispered conversation as easily as if they had been shouting. "The Elendil Thrakul is meant to be here, in this area of space, it is as weaved into the fabric of the realm here as you are connected to your own physical body. There are ways to sever it, but not in a way that will not alter what it is."
"Then what are we going to do with it?" Gilgard stepped forward slightly to add emphasis to the question, "we cannot hope to hide from the forces of Chaos forever."
"No, not forever, but for a time."
"And what will this time buy us?"
Diyneer smiled faintly, a distant and pained look crossing her features. "For some of us it will buy more time than others, but it is of utmost concern to the Craftworld that we prevent the daemon's plans, rest assured in that knowledge."
The portal behind her flared to life and opened wide. Standing within it were many shapes, but they were Eldarith Ynneas, the Dark Kin, their spiked armor and pallid faces all sharp angles and jagged lines. Murderous smiles split their features as they eyed the small Eldar force.
"You are ready?" A female with a voice like ice and features seemingly carved from stone stepped forward. She was perfect, beautiful, and yet something in her eyes warned that to trust her would mean death.
"We are," Diyneer rose up and motioned for the Dire Avengers to join her.
"Is this wise," Gilgard whipsered to her as he fell into step, "the Dark Kin cannot be trusted, what payment did they demand?"
"No payment," Diyneer shook her head sadly, "they said my visions of what would happen to the system if they helped us would be payment enough." The Eldar stepped into the webway, knowing they had to stay just one step ahead of Gentukama, for the daemon was coming, and he would not be denied, he had already destroyed one world in his quest, he would not balk at bringing the entire sub-sector to ruin if that was what it took. It was quite clear what would be happening next, and Gilgard didn't need to be a seer to realize that...
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"Dere's a storm comin'"
"I reckon there is, Boss, on account we're standing in it," offered Mr. Grimey. He and Zog'dakka stood on the battlements of Zog'Off! tower surveying the gathering might of Zog'dakka's boyz. Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning bursting amongst them, wind gusted and caught at Zog'dakka's hat and coat while thick waves of rain slashed down on them. The Freeboota ladz had done well for themselves on this planet, the looting and the fighting had both been quite excellent.
"No, not down 'ere, but up dere." Zog'dakka pointed his power klaw skywards into the dark skies.
"Yes, rain comes from above," agreed Mr. Grimey helpfully.
"No, wotcher, past da clouds an' stuff, da stars, dere is a storm in da stars, see? Itz a, whottzit..."
"Metaphor, Boss?"
"Yeah, metyfour an' such. See, da stinky-boyz went up to da stars, and da beakie boyz and whotnot had all run dere, so da stinky-boyz followed ta go krump da lot."
"Except for the lot left down here."
"Well, yeah, but we krumped dem, so dey don' count." Zog'dakka turned, staring out at the fields around his fortress, fields filled with belching war machines and equally belching boyz. "Whot's da count, Mr. Grimey?"
"It was a little tough to count them all, but the lads seem pretty sure that we got, ahem, lotzy-lotz of boys."
"Dat many?" Zog'dakka grinned, "I like da sound o' dat."
"So what's the plan, Boss?"
"Whot did we do wif me Killa-Krooza?"
"You ordered it to ramming speed when we arrived boss, said the planet looked weedy and too slow to dodge."
"Hahahaha! It wuz, it wuz too slow ta dodge!"
"You're a tactical genius, Boss, but now we don't have too many Kill-Kroozers left, on account of all the ramming."
"Dat's okay, I gotz a plan, y'see, we're gonna get all da meks, and all dere grubbinz together, and we're gonna build a drill!"
"A drill, Boss?"
"A drill," Zog'dakka raised his arms, the lightning crashing through the sky as he bellowed, "so big it will pierce da Heavens, an' da earth, and through to da guyz we wanna krump!!!"
"..." Mr. Grimey considered this for a moment as Zog'dakka sat clearly visualizing his drill. It was a wise Gretchin who knew when to speak and how, and he practiced his consideration carefully. Those who didn't tended to get a face-full of klaw. "Well...yes, Boss, or we could just build some Kill-Kroozers again, and use those."
Zog'dakka lowered his arms slowly, glancing suspiciously at Mr. Grimey. "...wiff drills onna front of 'em?"
"Oh, of course, Boss, very drilly, very drilly indeed," he nodded his head in agreement.
"Well, all right 'den, enough muckin' about, let's go get da ladz, an' start buildin' because pretty soon, dis whole thing gonna be one big WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
His cry was echoed from the the innumerable throats of the countless teeming mass of Orks filling the fields.
The Orks could tell.
The whole sub-sector was going to be embroiled in an epic war.
And the Orks would be there, and they would win.
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So ends one chapter of our campaign. Chaos has triumphed on Saios and brought numerous troubles to the Petod system. But the battle is not the war, and Gentukama still has goals for the Elendil Thrakul, as does Diyneer. In our next campaign the entire sub-sector will be brought into the conflict.
The Orks stand strong on Saios.
The forces of Chaos have taken to the stars, massive and implacable, they have crushed all Imperium forces in their path as they search for the Elendil Thrakul.
Diyneer is in hiding, moving about as best she's able, forced to place her trust with the Dark Eldar while hoping more of her people can arrive to help her mission.
And the forces of the stunned Imperium still battle to regain control over their beleaguered system.
Keep an eye out for our second campaign, featuring more beautiful terrain, more painted armies, bigger and funner scenarios, and the same old hackneyed jokes!
Principle theaters of action will likely include –
Saios and Iunden
System Xemorix – Prison world Avita, Farm world Tusden
System Pigntass - starfort Myrdus, capital world Pigntass prime
System Eride – Shrine world of St. Eride, hive world Lurelli
System Heridaire – Hive world Gimat
Asteroid belt Tlaf
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