Krinnos Thol stood atop the spire of the Autarchs, gazing out into the inky darkness of space. Vague shapes flitted through his visions periphery, the reflections of vessels passing below to the gate of welcoming. He slowly came about to meet the farseers gaze.
If this is what has been tasked us, so it must be.
Farseer Caelis Sol nodded his head, eyes sad for the loss of life he saw before them.
This opportunity shall dissuade the human war master of this pursuit. If we are not successful in our endeavor however, a great rift shall be brought forth. We must depart the craftworld as soon as may be.
Krinnos Thol nodded. Reaching out with his mind he initiated contact with his surroundings. Keyed to his emotions and thoughts the room responded. A great wraithbone table rose from the floor. Holographic pictures flickered across it's surface. The position of Craftworld Altansar and it's near space. The webway superimposed itself over real space. Krinnos Thol touched the path they were to take, space seemed to fold as the intended destination moved onto the table. A small planet, seemingly out of the way, near the Belis corona. It was near enough to trade routes bringing supplies to Cadia, and had a very intriguing history.
Long ago the planet had been a bustling forge world for the Imperium of man. However the boundary between the warp and reality here was thin. Cults had been part of the societies fabric nearly from its inception. The populace had escaped the inquisitions hounds until it was too late. Daemons erupted from the depths of the forges. Initial attempts at forcing a beach head with marines proved futile. Purifying fire was the only answer. When the imperial armada had finished it's dirty work, not a thing stirred upon the desolate surface, save for the fast moving storms of ash.
Caelis Sol had forseen that Abaddon would take a renewed interest in the planet. He and a small escort had made it out of the eye of terror and were on their way there now. It was planned to bring a mass of souls to be slaughtered there, creating the power necessary to once again free the daemons on the world. Become a breeding ground for horrors to walk reality the Imperium would be forced to deal with it. Distracting them from Abaddon's true aims.
Krinnos Thol and the farseer chose the sight of their battle with care. The webway would constrain them to a limited force for the encounter. They had to be prepared for whatever the war master had with him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The craftworld did not pulse with emotion for this battle. It was a cold group of warriors wearing their war masks gathered before the Autarch. No inspiring words were needed to motivate his troops. Krinnos Thol simply gave the order to mount up in their transports.
Gathered way singers sung to the massive web way gates in the hall of parting sorrows. From towering spires of wraithbone a dark blue tunnel seemed to unravel from nothingness. Pathfinders led the way down the massive artery of Altansars secondary web way. As they moved over into the smaller passages dedicated towards the Belis Corona, a troupe of harlequins joined them from a side passage. Krinnos Thol mentally revised his plans, incorporating the speedy close combat specialists for the coming battle.
The webway deposited the Eldar within the ruins of an Imperial city, near to the outskirts of town.
Caelis Sol outlined where Abaddon should be coming from, and Krinnos Thol made his dispositions accordingly. The Eldar force quickly re positioned themselves behind a small mountain with a clear line of sight upon most of the city below. Pathfinders and harlequins hid amongst the tumbled boulders and dry crevasses. It was not long before great plumes of smoke discolored the horizon.
A land raider, bristling with weaponry led the way into the city streets, flanked closely by a vindicator, glowing with unholy energy and a pair of rhinos winged out to either side.
Krinnos Thol pointed to the nearest of the rhinos as it turned to avoid a large crater, exposing it's rear armor. Falcons quickly flanked out to either side of the mountain, pulse lasers blazing. The vulnerable rhinos hull rippled with explosions, one telling blow detonating the fuel cell and turning the armored vehicle into a smoking crater. Parts of thousand son marines scattered everywhere. Pathfinders opened up on them, felling another, before they could get their bearings. As they struggled to their feet amidst the wreckage a silent cloud of monofilament wire dropped from above. Headless of the razor thin wire the silent bodies of armor filed forwards. One marine trapped amidst the night spinners barrage filleted himself into pieces.
Upon the first fusillade The armored tanks had snapped into a formation with the land raider leading. Weapons prepared to fire, but as they rounded upon their prey a howling screech filled the air. An explosion of ash tore through the valley and into the ruins of the city. A massive ash storm whipped across the battlefield obscuring both sides. Eldar braced in the lee of the mountain, forewarned by Caelis Sol of the coming fury.
As quickly as it had arrived, the ash storm vanished. Moats of burnt dust floating in the air. Immediately the swooping hawks leapt forward. Landing next to the rushing land raider they threw haywire grenades in it's path. Crackling arcs of energy spread over the hull and the behemoth ceased belching smog. Before it had even ground to a halt the target of the effort leapt forth from within. Abaddon's daemonic sword quickly took the life of the squads members. For a moment the exarch stood, his power blade matching the war masters thrusts and parries. For a thrilling moment the exarchs blade pierced Abaddons defense, wounding his powerful sword arm. The victory was short lived as arcing lightning claws nearly cut the eldar warrior in two.
Across the battlefield the sorcerer of Tzeentch made incantations, tracing glowing symbols into the very air. Power gathered around him for a moment before fading away. Caelis Sols runes radiated heat as they absorbed and re directed the warp energy, stealing the power from the Chaos mage.
The eldar force swung towards the mystically powered warriors now. Jump spiders led by Krinnos Thol appeared out of nowhere. Joining their short ranged scything webbers to the heavy laser fire streaming in from the eldar tanks. A short time later, only the sorcerer remained. Gathering his awesome power once more the final thousand son unleashed a shimmering bolt of energy, engulfing a warp spider in coruscating blue flame. As the energy died and sorcerer prepared his next attack a hail of long range sniper fire pattered over the weak points in his armor. Multiple beams of long range fire penetrating where his helmet met ceramite carapace.
A crack of thunder split the air and a trio of massively warped terminators appeared. Large caliber barrels, and heated burners appeared from their fleshy muscular arms. From down the valley, another reinforcement came clanking from behind a rocky spire. Twinned guns and the grinning death mask of a long dead chaos marine opened fire at a nearby Falcon, it's heavy lascannon being absorbed by the wraithbone structure, and a heavy krak missile deflecting off it's sharp hull into the sky. Throttling up the Falcon zipped over the dreadnoughts form, spinning quickly and unloading it's heavy fire into the dreadnoughts unprotected rear. Explosions trembled through the ancient machine, one arm blown clean off. It laboriously attempted to turn, but to no avail as a second hail of fire from the falcon tore it apart.
A new storm appeared, this time from the land raider. A howl of rage unleashed and blood red armor issued from the entrance to the now immobile machine. Kharn led a full squad of berserkers in a charge that overtook the warp spiders before they could jump away. Krinnos Thol and the spiders engaged the raging mad men before them. The exarch and Autarch wove a pattern of death with their powered weapons, cleaving through the artless red marines with a deadly grace. The damage took it's toll though as the other aspect warriors fell to Kharns unquenchable fury. In moments, only Krinnos Thol stood there, his men all gone. He engaged his jump pack, only to feel a cold sharp pain in his side as Kharns final blow met with success. The blood spattered chaos forces turned their attention too late to the now encircling eldar forces. Massed gunfire slew the world eaters, shuriken weaponry and laser fire chewing through their heavily armored bodies. Kharn himself fell amidst the burning anger of a squad of fire dragons.
Abaddon had been but a step behind Kharn and his berserkers when they fell. A sense of foreboding seemed to hang over him, Caelis Sol drawing the fates of doom about the war master. Abaddon prepared to launch himself into his eldar foes and tear them limb from limb. However, he was prevented from doing so by the planned entrance of the crafty harlequins. As he charged past the ruins they had been hiding in he was taken momentarily by surprise.
Blood flowed from his massive chest where the quick strikes of the eldar dancers had pierced his thick armor. Damaged tendons in his sword arm had not healed yet, and he was too slow to catch the nimble fighters. As he whipped around in attempts to slay them, he found himself face to face with a hideous gargoyle mask. He matched it's snarl, raising his lightning claw to rip the troupe leaders head from his shoulders. His arm would not respond however. He glanced down to see the eldars power weapon as it was removed from his chest. A quick command to his ship in orbit, and as he fell to his knees he dematerialized. A trace of ozone was left in the air as the war master was spirited back to his battle barge.
Late arriving plague marines and the possessed vindicator rallied about the obliterators, attempting to seek revenge for their injured leader.
A smashing blast from the vindicator destroyed Caelis Sols wave serpent as he led the attack on the remaining troops. He and his wraithguard issued forth from the damaged vehicle after it crash landed. Weaving the fates about himself Caelis Sol directed the massive weapons of his ghost warriors. Howling rifts in real space appeared, blasting across the possessed vindicator. A shrieking cry arose from the vehicle as the daemon within was sucked back into it's home, the now empty vehicle exploding in spectacular fashion. Caelis Sol took a step back as the vehicle detonated, avoiding the onrushing obliterator he had known would follow. Runes swirled about him as he directed his wraithguard to avoid the onrushing behemoths. Slow to respond however, they were caught by crackling strong fists. Tough wraithbone shattered as super charged blows rent them asunder. Caelis Sol and the remaining warlock felled two obliterators in quick succession. However the warlocks witchblade flew from his hands, trapped in his opponents body. Seeing an opening the final chaos marine lunged forwards, massive hands gripping the warlocks helm. Rune armor glowed hot, but gave way beneath the immense pressures. The now lifeless body still clenched in his fist the obliterator rounded upon the eldar farseer. Whirling the dead body like a flail, the obliterator attacked Caelis Sol, blows were exchanged until harlequins joined the battle. Having wiped out the plague marines, they now leapt upon the obliterator. Lightning fast strikes punctured its armor, blood poured forth a river upon the ground as the last of the chaos forces fell.
Caelis Sol gathered the remaining war host. Together they filled the remaining tanks and transports, leaving charred wreckage behind. Within the web way the rejoined with the injured Krinnos Thol. Healers and pathfinders bore him back to the craftworld where he could rest until his next battle. The planet they left behind would remain lifeless. Abaddon and his forces would once more retreat where they would lick their wounds, and prepare for their next foray into the Imperium.
I will try and redo the pics bigger after someone tells me in another thread how to make them bigger. Thanks guys for your comments and such ahead of time guys.
10000 pts
4000 pts
