Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi Guys!

I'm off to throne of skulls on Saturday, and I wrote the below piece of fluff for my Dark Eldar / Eldar corsair army. The HQs are Baron Sathonyx, and an Autarch on a jetbike with the Mantle of the Laughing God, and the army is almost all jetbikes + venoms. I hope you enjoy the story, i'd love your feedback!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sathonyx watched the space battle unfold from the bridge of his flagship - "Solitaire". The vid-pict continued to flash, illuminating the dark room as hostile targets were eliminated. He still couldn't believe what was happening -it seemed like so long ago since he had been "the baron" - ruling the hellion gangs of Commoragh. But now...

"We will make planetfall within the hour" said a voice from the shadows.

Sathonyx looked over. "This is a risky strategy. Committing to a direct assault will deplete our forces more than I would prefer."

"The final artefact is here. We will have no greater chance."

Sathonyx folded his arms and scowled. All previous attempts to enter the planet via the webway had failed - many of his own hellions lost in the process. His warband had been bolstered by his new partner, whose corsair forces preferred to wage war from the saddle. Seeing the advantage in co-operation, he had re-structured his forces in a similar way.

He reflected upon their first meeting - the day that everything changed.

------

Fresh from a raid upon Vect's slave pens, the Baron was preparing to retire for the evening. No sooner had he stepped inside his chambers, was the blade at his throat.

"Be silent Sathonyx. Drop your weapons, and turn around slowly."

Cursing, he put his hand into his robe, and slowly pulled out the long blade concealed within, dropping it to the floor. He regretted owning - if only for a moment - the rug layered with mon-keigh flesh and hair which muffled the noise. He turned round, and saw a figure of similar height, but face hidden within the shadows.

"How did you find me?" For decades the Baron had eluded capture, despite a considerable bounty on his head - to think that he had been caught in such a mundane fashion was as much an embarassment as it was a concern.

The figure chuckled. The Baron scowled - there was something unsettlingly familiar about this figure.

"All you need to know, is that I am an agent of the laughing god - and I have a task for you."

The Baron cursed to himself - despite all the weak tradition he had abandoned during the great exile, one thing which could not be refuted amongst all Eldar-kin, was that to hear the voice of the laughing god was to be damned.

"Spit it out then." he hissed.

The figure tossed the Baron a silk bag, tied with a fine drawstring. The baron looked into the figure's shadow-covered face, and then opened the bag delicately. Inside was a small green gem.

"What is this?"

"That is a powerful artefact known as the hydra's eye. There are six others in the galaxy. When all seven are re-united, my mission will be complete."

The Baron looked non-plussed. "And what happens then?"

"That's not for you to know - but I will tell you that my mission will hurt She Who Thirsts greatly."

As he finished speaking, the room seemed - only for a moment - to be filled with the sounds of whispering. The Baron felt his coat shake - and felt an immense feeling of fear. It was as if something was calling to his very soul. He shook his head, and returned his gaze to the figure.

"You know that we are safe within the webway. Why should I care about that? I have slaves to "assist" me with that particular need."

The figure snorted.

"You think the webway impenetrable? Take it from one who has walked the path - it takes but one incursion, and all is lost. I intend to strike a blow from which She will never recover."

The baron's eyes widened as the stranger's voice started to become familiar.

"Who are you?" He demanded - his voice an inquisitive whisper.

The figure stepped out of the shadows far enough to reveal his face. The Baron spat with rage - he was looking at himself.

"What trick is this?!" The baron demanded. He immediately aimed his arm at the impostor, clenching his fist as a salvo of poison darts shot out. The stranger was preternaturally fast - the Baron was literally aiming at shadows. He turned around too late, as the doppleganger's fist crashed into his jaw, sending him to the floor. He grasped for the knife, but again the stranger was too fast. The knife was kicked frustratingly our of reach, and before he knew what was happening, he was being hauled to his feet.

"Have you had enough yet? Or shall I continue to make you look as foolish as a mon-keigh?"

The Baron took a bit more time to study the face. The stranger was a perfect copy of himself, save for the way he had his hair and the attire. He slowed his breathing, and nodded to the stranger.

"The bones of the seer have more of an effect than you realised. Every time you invoke the rites, you project a part of your soul into the warp. I am the product of this. The last remnants of the farseer's soul pushed me into the webway before I could be claimed by the Great Enemy. As an empty vessel, I was an ideal choice to serve the Laughing God. I was claimed by Cegorach to complete his ultimate plan. Help me - brother. Help me because you value your own immortal soul more than the souls of a few thousand humans. Help me because you want to destroy our race's greatest enemy. Help me because you want to life a life of excess and decadance until you expire. I care not why - but all I ask is that you help me."

The Baron considered what his "brother" had said. He stooped to pick up the silk bad which had fallen from his grasp earlier, and gently picked up the hydra's eye. It seemed to glisten, even in the darkness. After a moment, he dropped the gem back into the bag, and handed it over.

"What is your name? Do you have one?"

"Naas. I am named for the Farseer who saved me."

"Naas - I will help you. But understand this - our joint forces will serve under my command. And before this is over, you will tell me what you intend to do."

Naas nodded, his face stoic. "I will contact you again soon with our first mission. You should prepare to leave the city behind."

As soon as he said this, a brilliant purple flash enveloped the room - and as the Baron regained his senses, he found he was alone.

----

"I think the time has come for you to tell me about your mission Naas."

Sathonyx spoke as he returned to viewing the space battle. It was a warzone of mythic proportions. Imperial cruisers unleashed devastating salvos into their heretical counterparts, at the same time as crude greenskin craft attempted to crash into them both. Tau battleships exchanged fire with Necron dreadnought-class ships, as Imperial navy fighter ships scrambled in all directions. All of this carnage was taking place orbiting a seemingly unimportant planet. Yet the intrigue could not be denied - all attempts to enter via the webway had failed, and the presence of so many hostile craft could not be explained or accounted for.

There was undoubtedly a prize of significance on the surface.

Before Naas could reply, the primary pilot addressed Sathonyx.

"Sir, we have taken approximately twenty-percent casualties, but the majority of our space bourne forces are slipping through the battle lines. We should have a landing trajectory in the next 5 minutes."

Naas looked inside the silk bag hanging from his belt. Six gems. Green. Red. Blue. Purple. Yellow. White. He remembered the battles they had gone through to recover them. He remembered the assault on Cadia, where Sathonyx's masterful diversion had allowed him time to slip in and recover the prize. He remembered disembowelling a Tyranid monstrosity to recover another while Sathonyx had engaged the master Hive-Creature. Sathonyx was an impressive commander, and Naas had great admiration for him.

"Just one more brother..." he thought to himself.

"I guess this will need to wait Naas." He watched as Naas bowed, and then left to prepare for the drop.

Sathonyx had questioned his reasons for even getting involved in this "quest", but the encounter so long ago on Commoragh had shaken him to the core. He could not deny the effect of the seer's bones, and having seen their power manifest in Naas - he was willing to go on a little faith. This was it - one way or another the quest would come to it's conclusion on the planet below. He wondered - even if only for a moment - if they could defeat the Great Enemy. His resolve hardened, and he placed a firm hand on the pilot's shoulder.

"Prepare for orbital assault."

This post is the fluff for my first game at throne.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Eldar convoy slithered silently across the plateau - a procession of jetbikes and skimmers, moving as silently as a whisper. The dust lay undisturbed beneath them, as the anti-grav units effortlessly propelled the convoy forward with an angelic grace. The twin suns were setting, casting shadows as far as the eye - even a trained Eldar eye - could see.

"We've yet to encounter any resistance. I find that fact alone suspicious in itself." Said Sathonyx.

Naas grimaced as he listened to Sathonyx over the communications channel - though his face was hidden behind the mask he wore. It was a grotesque thing - the face was pale white, with a smattering of purple - the same purple that adorned the hulls and armour of their joint forces. The smile carved onto the face was welcoming - yet also mocking. Tears etched down one cheek, stopping at the large smile while also adorned it's face.

Naas glanced casually at the scanner in the HUD of his jetbike, and then looked ahead to where Sathonyx was riding with the aspect warriors, responding his communique.

"There's nothing around here for several miles. We should be able to continue for another few hours."

An audible click over the comm channel signalled Sathonyx's acknowledgement.

The warband continued on its course for the next hour. Almost thirty jetbikes gliding across the land, led by Sathonyx. Naas was everywhere, constantly weaving in and out of all parts of the formation. He had committed the formation to memory, and knew where everyone was at all times.

The convoy came to a shuddering halt, as one of the mounted warriors pointed frantically at the sky. It seemed as if the very atmosphere had been set ablaze, as a large meteor started crashing its way down planetside. Sathonyx pressed a button on his shoulder plate, materialising a visor across his eyes. He immediately looked up, and saw the reality of the situation.

Drop pods. The Space Marines. The Mon-Keigh.

"We're under attac" - Sathonyx never got to finish the command, as a purple drop pod hammered into the earth behind him, sending all nearby crashing off their bikes. It wasn't just one - more and more pods began raining down upon the Eldar host, each of them expelling purple titans from within. Purple clad giants stormed forth from each of them, spraying the unsuspecting Eldar with a hail of automatic fire.

Seeing that Sathonyx had been incapacitated by the impact of the Drop pod, Naas immediately began directing the host. He screamed at the nearest squadron of bikers to return fire, while directing the heavier skimmers to open fire with their poisoned weapons. A deadly crossfire began to swathe the battlefield, as the Eldar forces attempted to regroup from the surprise attack. Naas snarled, as he charged his jetbike into overdrive, aiming directly for the drop pod which had been the herald of the marines' arrival.

The marines heard the roar of the bike, as they turned to open fire on the new threat.

"Bring the xenos filth down! Meltaguns, now!" The marine sergeant barked at his squad. The marines obliged, unloading round after round in the direction of the Laughing God's avatar. Naas relished in their cries of anguish as they failed time after time to hit him with their weapons. All of this took a split second - the split second that Naas needed to bring ruin to them. He aimed his lance down as he closed the distance, skewering two marines through their eye sockets. Their emperor would admire such accuracy.

He dropped his lance, drew his sword, and acrobatically leaped off his bike in one fluid motion, and raised it up to smash the chainsword of the mon-keigh sergeant who had dared to challenge him. The Eldar laughed as he danced around the sergeant, casually picking off the squad with his shuriken pistol while evading the furious blows from the senior officer. In seconds, the entire squad had been picked off by the speed and agility of the Autarch. The sergeant glared at the Eldar with fury, as he realised he could not defeat him. The sergeant stooped to pick up one of his fallen squad's meltaguns, but Naas had already removed his head from his shoulders by the time he laid hands on it.

Naas quickly ran over to check on Sathonyx - dazed, but still alive. He would be alright. He got back onto his jetbike immediately.

The Autarch hissed commands at nearby squadrons to hammer the marines with a storm of blades. During his decimation of the first marine squad, he was pleased to see that the heavy skimmers and other jetbikes had skilfully outmanoeuvred the mon-keigh. Several of the marines had been ripped to shreds by his craftworld warriors' weapons, while many others lay twisted, contorted, bulbous and shrivelled by the various poisoned weaponry that Sathonyx's cadre utilised.

The fight would be over soon.

Naas cried out as a bolt of force carried him from his jetbike, and again as he slammed into the ruined wall of a nearby building. He quickly got back to his feet and turned to see his attacker. He recoiled immediately. The psychic energy emanating from the human was formidable indeed. The human wore no helmet, but various wires and tubes seemed to be welded into his skull - no doubt to enhance his foul powers. Naas almost felt that when he looked into the human's eyes, that he could see directly into the warp itself. That he could see the Great Enemy. He shook his head and prepared to deal with the current threat.

"I will end you xenos filth. I will crush you with the power of my mind, and leave your carcass to rot on this world. You cannot win, we are legion."


Naas looked at the sky - still flaming from the insertion of the current force - noted that several other drop pods were landing on the planet - though not close enough to decide on the outcome of the current skirmish.

"I don't need to kill all of you Mon-keigh. I just need to kill you." The librarian snarled as his mace snapped and crackled with psychic energy. Naas moved with the speed of light - he was on his jetbike, and had snapped up his lance in the blink of an eye. He engaged his bike into top speed, and smashed his lance into the chest of the Librarian - the result was not what he expected. He cried out as a wave of force denied the killing blow, and he once again fell from his bike, the armoured steed crashing into a nearby rockface without his deft hand to guide it. The wave of force carried him from the saddle, and he smashed his head on the wreckage of a nearby drop pod. His lifeless body was still.

The librarian surveyed the carnage - the xenos was dead, but his forces had taken heavy losses - a tactical retreat was in order. He turned to leave - but noticed a strange glow coming from the corpse of the xenos. He walked over to the body, standing over it - it appeared as if a small gem was glowing on the Eldar's chestplate - brightly, then not at all. The glowing was getting faster - heat seemed to be coming from the body. The librarian's eyes narrowed, as he realised the magnitude of his error. The librarian cried out as a purple flash of energy enveloped him.

A blood-curdling scream cut through the sounds of battle.

Naas' eyes opened, and he sprang to his feet instantly. He shot a glance at the corpse of the Librarian - it was still cooling. The smell of incinerated flesh permeated the air. The sounds of battle had stopped, and his aspect warrior exarch steered his jetbike up to him.

"The site is secure. All human attackers have been terminated."

"Excellent. let's get started on repairs as soon as we can. We need to be away from here before they send reinforcements."

Sathonyx groaned as he sat up shaking his head. His head felt like a thousand needles had been driven through it. Perhaps they had - he'd been unconscious after all. He felt somewhat reassured when his warriors started hauling him up to his feet. He was quickly briefed on what had happened, before making his way over to the makeshift repair station which had been set-up after the battle. Naas was waiting for him.

"I'm glad to see you're alright Brother."

Sathonyx still felt a little uneasy at the use of that term. Despite their identical appearance, he'd never had any brothers - the feeling was unfamiliar. He nodded in response.

"Yes - seems like I missed the fight. At least the Mon-Keigh recognise I'm enough of a threat that they need to drop missiles from space onto me."

The Eldar host all laughed in unison at the mockery of the space marine attack. Sathonyx knew though - this was but one of many battles they would need to fight on this planet.

What other horrors awaited them?

Fluff for round 2
--------------

Sathonyx watched from the hill ridge, his visor magnifying his vision. He could see Naas furiously gesticulating to the other Eldar. The other Eldar was very clearly a Farseer. His staff occasionally crackled with an ethereal energy, while his attire was adorned with various runes and gemstones. He seemed more stoic, and was far less animated than Naas.

"We should just make a run for it, right past them. Inflict minimal casualties." A voice said behind Sathonyx. He turned round to see Drastanta standing with folded arms. In the surprise ambush by the space marines, the Exarch had fought with the ferocity and courage that his legendary namesake had shown in his great battle with N'Kari. Until Naas had approached him that fateful day, he had held nothing but disdain for his craftworld kin. Weak, pathetic, craven. These were words that he had associated with them before. Even during some of their earlier engagements, he had hesitated to trust them - preferring to keep the company of his own warriors. As the unlikely allies' quest progressed and the battles continued, he could not help but feel admiration for their courage and tenacity. Many times had the craftworld Eldar risked their lives to help or rescue Sathonyx or his men from almost certain death. Arrogance and pride were commonplace amongst the denizens of Commoragh - but there was no place for that on this quest. For once, he had something to strive for besides the next rush of pleasure.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Perhaps The Great Enemy's claim to his soul was lessening. He replied to the warrior.

"Not yet. Naas thinks we can talk our way though. I'd prefer to avoid a fight if possible - the longer we can go without confrontation, the stronger our forces will be when we attempt to claim the artifact."

He turned to look at Naas in the distance, before speaking again.

"Though from the way things seem to be going, you may get your wish Drastanta."

-----

Around the fire, Naas stood with Sathonyx and Drastanta. They had been talking for the past few minutes, time which had seen the sun start to set over the horizon.

"He's not willing to let us pass. They are conducting a sensitive search to detect wraith constructs buried here. If we move our anti-grav units over this area, it will disrupt their equipment and set them back several days work."

Sathonyx scowled. "So why don't we just go a different route? Everyone wins."

Drastanta shook his head. "We have already investigated that possibility. Ion storms, coupled with concentrated enemy presence around this immediate area would inflict heavy losses on our convoy. The only safe way across is to go through their camp."

Naas sighed, and looked into the fire. The orange glow illuminating his grotesque face plate.

"We have no choice then. We will have to make a run for it, right over their camp."

"That won't work."

All three men turned to see a fourth approach. He was adorned in black armour, a purple crest emblazoned on his chest. This was Melchiah, champion of the Reaver host.

"We've just came back from a scouting run of their camp. They have a host of jetbikes. If we try to outrun them, they can chase us as hastily as we can elude them."

Sathonyx and Naas shot each other a look. Drastanta was the first to speak.

"Let's get the attack preparations underway."

"Wait - that's not all. They have unearthed a Wraith-Titan construct. It's being re-activated by the farseer right now."

Sathonyx regarded Melchiah carefully - he was not one to exaggerate the facts. He moved to speak, but he was glad that Naas was the one who gave the command.

"Eldar or no Eldar, we must cross this plain before the construct is activated. Kill them all."

All four men around the fire nodded in grim agreement.
---

The Wraith-Construct seemed to glow in the darkness, as thin power cables fed into it, imbuing it with the eldritch energies it would need to reawaken. The Eldar camp was eerily quiet. Soldiers patrolled the boundaries, scouting for threats, while various gun-crew ensured that their weapons batteries remained in optimal condition. The Farseer was housed in a hastily erected fortification - its defences enhanced further by the power of the Farseer. He was troubled by the meeting with the avatar of the Laughing God. His forces had almost opened fire on him when he approached the camp. God or no god, he could not allow his band to pass. They had successfully salvaged one construct, and there were sure signs that more lay beneath the earth. He decided to delve into the Warp, in the hopes he would be guided on this unique situation.

He sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, and closed his eyes. He felt his spirit slowly drift away from his body, and into the tides of the warp. He saw the death and destruction that was taking place on the planet; he saw the titanic space battle going on in orbit; he saw great titans resting beneath his feet; he saw - an attack!

"We're under attack!" The farseer echoed a psychic scream to his battle host - but it was too late.
--
The heavy skimmers unloaded their toxic barrage into the wraith construct with frightening accuracy. Shot after shot sank into its armour, at first seeming to have no effect. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, the construct seemed to writhe in pain, the power cables attached to it snapping and tearing around it. Black ooze pulsed from its many wounds, and it eventually toppled with a cataclysmic smash, the sound accompanied by an unnatural wailing. The jetbikes came out of the darkness, spraying the Eldar base camp with a hail of fire. The gun crews quickly deployed, and immediately began unleashing a barrage of fire upon their assailants. Drastanta snarled, as his warriors skillfully evaded the monofilament blasts. The jetbikes expertly weaved in and out of the deadly strands, bringing their lances to bear upon the unfortunate crew. The Eldar screamed as lances perforated mesh, the foot soldiers no match for the mounted elite.

The farseer screamed orders at his nearest troops, who immediately began mounting their jetbikes in preparation to combat this dire threat. No sooner had they began mounting when a lightning quick shadow passed over them, leaving agony in its wake. Melchiah's squad had not hesitated to unshackle the snares from their bikes, and as they moved over the warriors, the deadly weapons sunk into the mounting warriors. Spike and hooks sunk into flesh and armour alike, and all riders were hoisted from their mounts with a sickening force. Some were torn asunder by the fearsome weapons, while the rest simply died from the extreme impact caused by their fall. Only the farseer alone survived this vicious onslaught, escaping on his bike to join another squadron that had managed to elude Melchiah's grasp.

The Eldar base had managed to scramble fighters in the chaos. They immediately sought retribution for the fallen construct, their weapons disabling two heavy skimmers with concentrated energy fire. The fighters paid no attention to the Eldar disembarking from these wrecks in an attempt to reach cover, instead moving onto their next target. Suddenly, one fighter slammed into a barrel roll - its wing smashed by an enemy weapon, and nearly forcing a collision with its wingman. After getting their vessels back under control, the Eldar pilots immediately responded to the new threat - an enemy fighter. The sole pilot flew in between both enemy craft, as if inviting pursuit. The pair duly obliged, looping and giving chase to the new assailant.
Naas and Sathonyx led the remaining bikes in an assault against the base camp's remaining bikes. With no time to prepare for the attack, and against suck skilled opponents, the warriors went down quickly. Some were caught in deadly crossfire, while others felt the full wrath of Naas' and Sathonyx's assault. Naas growled in frustration over the comm channel to Sathonyx.

"Have you seen the farseer yet?"

"No - but don't worry, I will take care of him when I do."

Not too quickly, thought Naas.

The solo pilot was still skillfully evading his pursuers. Frantic communications between the pair ensued, expressing exasperation at their inability to shoot their target down. Suddenly, their target took a nose dive and flew under a ravine, forcing its pursuers downwards. As the pair began their descent, a single jetbike roared its engines, and charged headlong off the ravine into the cockpit of one fighter. Drastanta echoed a battle cry, as his jetbike slammed into the fighter, hanging on by the hilt of the star lance - which was skewered through the glass, and the chest of the pilot. With lightning reflexes, he pulled the lance into the cockpit, and hauled the dead pilot out, allowing the body to fall. With the numbers now against him, the remaining Eldar pilot immediately turned to retreat - only to have his ship obliterated by the original fighter.

The ruined ship rained fire upon the battlefield, as gently as snow might fall in winter.

The farseer was surrounded. Sathonyx's squad had shot down the jetbikes escorting the farseer, and his own mount had suffered irreparable damage. As the circle of mounted warriors drew in closer, Sathonyx dismounted and addressed the seer.

"You brought this on yourself. You should have allowed us to pass."

"Your messenger told me what you hope to accomplish here. It is folly. You are wasting our valuable lives on a futile quest. My only mistake was believing that you were not so foolhardy as to exterminate your own kind. I should have attacked your host the moment he showed himself."

Sathonyx drew his sword. It crackled with electricity. It expected a fight.

"Then defeat me and earn your retribution."

The farseer watched with suspicion, as the remaining warriors powered down their bikes and removed their helmets. It truly seemed as if this fight would be between the two of them. Sathonyx drew his pistol with lightning speed, shooting the split second he took aim. The seer cursed, as a poisoned round embedded itself in his thigh. His eyes glowed, as he unleashed a bolt of eldritch energy at Sathonyx, taking him off his feet. Sathonyx cried out as he hit the ground, the very breath drawn from his lungs. He was up again in an instant, and closed the distance between them. The farseer, his immediate energies spent, swung a tired attack at Sathonyx, his staff sailing over the target's head. The farseer cried out again, as a blow from Sathonyx's sword cut across his flesh. Whether it was the poisoned bullet, or the nightmarish energy field that surrounded the warrior, the farseer could not make out the shape of his opponent.

Suddenly, all went black.

Sathonyx stood over the fallen farseer, his sword pointing at the ground, dripping with the blood an eldar seer. The farseer's head lay a few feet from the body. In a way he almost felt guilty - the seer was no match for a warrior of his skill.

Naas approached the circle of warriors, who parted to allow him access.

"Well done brother."

Sathonyx didn't look at Naas, but he nodded in acknowledgement.

Naas turned to the warriors.

"Preserve the body, it will be of use."

This got Sathonyx's attention.

"For what?"

Naas declined to answer.

Label me intrested in more, I like what you ahve going here.

Round 3:

The Eldar host hovered in silence around the building. The night sky was periodically illuminated by distant explosions, and the near-silence was occasionally broken by the far away sounds of gunfire and battle. The warriors remained mounted, ready to burst into action at a moment's notice. The only vehicle which had completely powered down was the bomber. It's engine - soft sounding as it was - was still too loud to allow the host to remain unnoticed. Save for the gentle sounds of the various anti-grav units and the soft conversations going on between the riders, the area was an oasis of calm in the battlefield the planet had become.

The building they had surrounded was a tall spire - undoubtedly Eldar in origin, but the details were unlike anything they had ever seen. The surface of the exterior was smooth to the touch and brittle in appearance, yet initial scans had indicated that it was complete solid underneath. The spire towered far into the clouds above them - well out of sight. At this distance, it was impossible to determine just how far they were below the summit.

Drastanta remained silent with his arms folded as his men spoke softly around him. He'd been ordered to get ready to move out - but that had been nearly four hours ago. Naas and Sathonyx had been inside the spire since giving that order.

-------

The two figures stood inside a vast chamber, dismounted from their jetbikes. They had descended deep into the bowels of the spire - ironic given how tall the structure appeared to be on the outside. They were standing on opposite sides of what could only be described as an altar. The rest of the chamber was pitch black, save for the single translucent ray of light that shone down from the darkness above. It was strange - it looked like sunlight, yet not only were they deep below ground, but it was night outside.

"We have arrived." Said Naas.

Sathonyx looked confused. "It seems as if we are too late - there is no artefact here."

Naas shook his head. "This is but a gateway - a barrier to conceal the entrance to the real vault."

He walked back over to his jetbike, and looked at his cargo. The body of the fallen Farseer was draped across the chassis, wrapped in fine monofilament. He picked up the body with reverence, and slowly walked towards the altar. Sathonyx looked at this scene with a macabre fascination. He had wondered why his counterpart had insisted on bringing the body along. In truth, he was a little afraid as to what it might mean. Naas laid the body on the altar, and rested his hand upon the dead man's chest.

"This is the key. Only the blood of a seer can unlock the crystal gate." Said Naas after a brief pause.

Sathonyx furrowed his brow. "The crystal gate? You mean an entrance into the webway?"

Naas shook his head. "Not exactly. The webway exists as an intricate network of pathways and nodes. The webway is a realm of its own, with its own cities and people. Commoragh is one such node."

"I've never seen another place like Commoragh in all my time within the webway."

"That doesn't surprise me. Like you - like us - most inhabitants of the webway wish to remain hidden, away from the prying eyes of the universe. Are you aware of the historical event the mon-keigh refer to as 'The Horus Heresy'?"

Sathonyx nodded his head. "Half of the human legions turned themselves over the primordial annihilator and battled with the rest."

Naas nodded his head also. "That's partly correct. Initially, most of these traitor legions followed the puppet, Horus. Eventually they each individually succumbed to their own facets of Chaos, and are now nothing more than slaves. Prior to this cataclysmic event, there was a purge within their own ranks - two of the great legions were excommunicated for reasons that the imperium has heavily classified. Did you know that some of the survivors of this purge now reside in the webway?"

Sathonyx looked stunned. Many times had he explored the labyrinthine conduits and corridors of the webway, but never had he encountered anything such as this

Naas continued.

"The Crystal Gates were one of the first attempts by primitive Eldar millennia ago to achieve planetary travel. Instead of entering the realm of the webway as we do today, stepping through the gate will transport you to a pre-determined location on the planet, where another gate lies to receive you. Entering this gate will take us close to the location of the final artefact."

"The laughing god has shared much wisdom with you Naas."

Naas Smiled. "That he has - I am his avatar after all."

Sathonyx stepped up to the altar, so he was closer to Naas.

"One thing still doesn't add up - why do you need the Farseer to unlock the power of this gate?"

Naas sighed - not a sigh of exasperation, but more one of pity.

"One of the Emperor's sons unleashed a psychic shockwave when he attempted to project his astral form back to the Mon-Keigh homeworld. The Emperor had recovered one of the Crystal gates, and was storing it within the vaults of the imperial palace on Terra. Not only had he unlocked the secrets of the gate, but he had grown dangerously close into creating an entrance to the webway. When the psychic shockwave hit, it opened a rift in the warp which allowed daemons to pour through."

Sathonyx nooded his head. "I have heard that story - they say that he was trying to warn the emperor of Horus' trachery. The Emperor chastised him."

"Tragic isn't it? That the father condemns the son for such an action, and turns him into the traitor he thought he was. It is why the Mon-Keigh are beyond salvation."

Sathonyx looked contemplative. "How does that affect this gate?"

"When the warp rift on Terra opened, some Daemons became... confused. Many of them simply saw a rift in the warp. Daemons spilled out of all the Crystal Gates on Eldar Worlds. They needed to be sealed, and the only way that ancient Farseers were able to do this, was in a blood-letting ritual."

"Why a blood letting ritual?"

"Blood for the blood god. It is known that She Who Thirsts desires Eldar souls above all else, yet the blood god's own thirst is unquenchable. Eldar blood dripping into the warp is enough of a conflict for the forces of Chaos to battle amongst themselves. Our seers took this momentary distraction to place a binding spell over the gates, using their very blood as a shield. only with the blood of another farseer, can the shield be dropped."

Sathonyx took a moment to process this, before replying.

"So are you saying that when we open the gate, we are going to have to contend with a warp rift?" He unconsciously caressed the soul stone which now hung from his neck on a chain. Since leaving the dark city, Naas and his men had insisted that the followers of Sathonyx adequately protect themselves against the ruinous powers - martial prowess was not always enough. Naas shook his head.

"Thankfully no. When the Emperor was entombed on the golden throne, his soul shielded the entrance to the Crystal Gate rifts. That doesn't mean that there aren't some... remnants however. We should be on our guard."

Naas took the Farseer's staff, and tossed it high into the air, directly above the chest of the farseer. He immediately pulled out another weapon, and sprayed the spear with monofilament strands. It hung motionlessly in the air, the tip pointing down at the dead man.

"Come, we must leave. The staff will pierce the flesh of the Seer once gravity pulls it through the strands, and his blood will unlock the gate." Naas mounted his bike and revved the engine.

Nodding, Sathonyx mounted his Jetbike, and began the ascent up to the surface.

-------------------

No more than ten minutes had passed since their return from the spire depths, when the surface of the structure began to radiate with light, dispelling the darkness. The full surface of the spire was illuminated, and the Eldar could see it stretching far into the stars above, well out of sight. An arc of lightning crackled, as the area began to shake violently. The light became near blinding, and a high pitched screech began to sound. Just as the noise and brightness became unbearable, a pulse of energy shot out from the building.

The Eldar had vanished.

-------------------

Melchiah was the first to regain his senses. The host seemed to all be accounted for. They had emerged in a vast subterranean chamber, with crystals and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The crystals seemed to glow in the darkness, radiating off a large lake which encompassed much of the cavern floor. He made his way around everyone, making sure they were safe and that their equipment was working.

After a full systems check, Melchiah and Drastanta met up with Naas and Sathonyx.

Naas was first to speak. "Something is not right here. I was expecting a fight."

"Let's worry about that later. Where do we go from here?" Asked Drastanta.

Sathonyx had wondered about that, but Melchiah already had the answer.

"The far side chamber wall is barely registering on scans. Our fighter should be able to carve a hole large enough for us to get though without causing a cave in. The readings suggest that a large tunnel is on the other side."

Naas and Sathonyx nodded in unison. Melchiah issued a command to the fighter pilot, who immediately set his engines into action. The cave was illuminated further, as the lance weapons shot out towards the wall. The super-heated energy vaporised much of the water in the cavern as it shot across to its target - and went right though as if it was thin air. The wall appeared to suffer no damage.

"What?!" Exclaimed Sathonyx. Melchiah furiously raised the pilot on their communication channel, demanding an explanation. The fighter fired again, with similar results.

"It's an illusion." Said Drastanta calmly. He sped his bike over the underground lake, the remaining water rippling underneath his bike. He increased his speed as he approached the wall - and sure enough, went right through it.

Sathonyx nodded at the remaining soldiers to move out - but the cavern was pierced with a hideous scream.

"Drastanta!" Shouted Melchiah. The Eldar host went into overdrive, as bikes and skimmers alike rampaged towards with illusionary wall. Naas was first to reach it - and lowered his lance in anticipation. He cried out - in surprise - as his lance smashed into the sarcophagus of an Imperial Dreadnought on the other side of the "wall". The dreadnought staggered back, and fell over a nearby precipice. It emitted a loud wail, as it was smashed to pieces on the rocks below. As he rushed to the side of Drastanta, who had been knocked from his bike by the armoured brute, he took a moment to survey the next cavern. They were on a high ledge, with a winding path leading down to the cavern floor. An imperial column was marching though the cave, towards a vast set of ornate double doors on the far side. The doors were enormous in size - several times the size of the dreadnought. Imperial tanks and silver armoured space marines were making their way through, but there was one very distinct figure at the head of the column.

The unmistakable form of Inquisitor Coteaz. This was not the first time the inquisitor had interfered with their quest. Naas promised himself that it would be the last.

"Corteaz!" His voice echoed though the cave, and caused him to look up at the ledge where the Eldar was calling from.

"So you've come! I had hoped the wall would have kept you busy a little longer. Kill them all!"

Coteaz stepped through the doors, and they slammed shut, leaving much of the convoy behind him. The space marines immediately took cover where they could. Some behind rocks, some behind ancient ruined pillars. As one, they opened fire upon the Eldar as they poured into the cavern. The cavern quickly became enveloped in a deadly crossfire, as the two forces traded fire with each other.

Drastanta had re-saddled himself, and let out a war cry as he led his forces into the battle. They charged right off the precipice, and engaged their turbo boosters to compensate for the drop. Another dreadnought turned and began firing its autocannons at the oncoming threat. Drastanta skilfully evaded the fire, though some of his riders were blown to smithereens by the piercing shells. At point blank range, Drastanta and his surviving comrades discharged their energy weapons into the armoured beast, and blew both it's arms off. As they drove past, Drastanta skilfully lodged a plasma grenade in between the beast's armour plates. It exploded in a fiery crescendo behind the riders.

The fighter jet had little room to manoeuvre, but it attempted to target some of the space marines who were taking shelter near the door. Its fearsome lance weapons incinerated some of the space marines, but a shot from a boltgun clipped it's axial matrix, and it crashed into the double doors with fearsome speed. it did not explode, but the wreckage immediately burst into flames.

Sathonyx directed the fire of the skimmers, screaming at them to suppress the space marines. Getting into a direct fire-fight was not a good idea, this cavern hampering their lightning speed and movement. Melchiah's squadron quickly passed overhead, and he rushed to join them. Their chain snares were extremely effective in ripping the space marines from their hiding places, so that they could be targeted by the heavy skimmers. Despite this, many of their host had been forced to retreat or take cover due to the firepower the Space Marines were laying down. The riders and skimmers were starting to take glancing hits, and the damage on their mounts was becoming noticeable. The space marines had hauled the wreckage of the fighter jet out of the flames, and were utilising it as a makeshift barrier.

Sathonyx desperately wanted to regroup his forces - once they fell back, they would be able to attack with a better plan.

"All units, fall back to the cave!" The command went out over all available communications channels. The host immediately disengaged from the fighting, and engaged their engines as they started back to the illusionary wall. Suddenly, the air seemed to grow thick and heavy. Sathonyx knew what this meant.

"Naas! Get up here!" No sooner had the words left his mouth, when the Imperial Terminators teleported onto the ledge with a loud crackle, barring the way out. Without waiting for their commander's order, all units immediately re-engaged the space marines holding the cavern floor. The Terminator captain stepped forward in a challenge to Sathonyx.

"I serve the master of mankind. You are nothing before my might - I will crush you in the name of the emperor!" The almost robotic voice echoed throughout the chamber. Sathonyx could not help but feel a shade of admiration for the imperial navy officer who had so precisely brought this squad to the battle. Any single miscalculation could have sent the humans into the cavern wall, to die horribly when they re-materialised. Against so many of the Emperor's finest, even he knew he was outmatched. He opted to appeal to the human's arrogance.

"Face me then, and prove your worth to your master."

Sathonyx thought he heard a snort of derision, but the human stepped forward, a mighty hammer wielded in one hand. The other humans spread out to encircle the two fighters. The human lowered his head in a brief silent prayer, before lashing out at Sathonyx with his hammer. The Eldar swiftly evaded the blow, and drew his own sword in response. In the blink of an eye, Sathonyx smashed blow upon blow onto the human. Despite a furious flurry of blows, Sathonyx could find no weak-point in the human's armour, and he snarled in frustration. The human came at him again - with more speed than such a hulking brute had any right to. Sathonyx dodged the first incoming hammer blow, but when he attempted to dodge the human's punch, he found himself hit by a ball of unseen force. He gasped and fell to the ground, hearing the mocking laughter of the other humans.

"Whats the matter Mon-Keigh? Can't defeat me without your parlour tricks?"

The human snarled, and raised his hammer to deliver the deathblow. Sathonyx snapped up with lightning speed, swinging his sword in an upward arc. Perhaps through more luck than judgement, the sword dislodged the face plate of the warrior, exposing the face beneath. The human staggered back, and swung his hammer instinctively in a defensive arc. Sathonyx turned into the blow, absorbing it in his shadowfield. Before the human could react, Sathonyx had pressed the barrel of his pistol against the exposed forehead of the human. An unspoken moment of recognition passed between the two warriors. Sathonyx pulled the trigger. The poisoned round had embedded itself in the brain of the human, and Sathonyx watched as it's toxins reduced the human to a pile of sludge, his armour collapsing on top of his remains. The stench was unfathomable. Sathonyx knew that this was but a moment's respite, as the other terminators drew their weapons in unison, determined to avenge their commander. Sathonyx sunk to his knees, and closed his eyes, awaiting the deathblow.

------

It never came.

A brilliant flash of light enveloped the cavern. Sathonyx opened his eyes, and all he could see was white. It almost seemed as if the very ground he was kneeling on was white. He got to his feet, and saw a figure in the distance against the white backdrop. He thought it looked familiar.

"....Naas?" He called out hesitantly.


---


In the next instant, he found himself standing on the lower level of the cavern, amongst his men. Sensing his disorientation, Melchiah moved up to him, and motioned to the higher ledge. How could this be?

Naas was battling the squad of Terminators single handedly - but this was more than Naas. As Sathonyx watched, it seemed as if an echo was following him. Such was the speed of his movement, it often looked as if there were two, maybe three of him at any one time. In one moment, he had shot a terminator at point blank range with his fusion gun reducing the warrior to a pile of molten metal. The next, he had circled around them on his jetbike, and skewered two of the warriors on his lance. During this, the Terminators were firing weapons, and aiming clumsy attacks at Naas. Sathonyx looked on in astonishment, as the avatar of the laughing god danced through the humans, bringing death and despair. In a few seconds, it was all over. Naas stood amongst the dead, breathing heavily. The corpses around him were completely ruined - reduced to smoking piles of flesh and charnel. The rest of the cavern was littered with the bodies of dead space marines. The eldar host had suffered considerable damage to their equipment - but their casualties had been surprisingly minimal.

Suddenly, Naas snapped his head up, and his eyes caught Sathonyx's. One image after the next flashed through both of their minds in that instant.

A God of War.

A Daemon of Desire.

A struggle.

Death.

Murder.

Excess.

The Laughing God.

Just as quickly as the visions came, they stopped. Sathonyx was invigorated.

"My god...we're going to beat this, aren't we brother?"

Naas nodded with a smile. A smile hidden by the mantle of the laughing god. The laughing god had empowered his champion once again in their hour of need - but their greatest test was still before them.

"We need to reach the artefact before Coteaz does. Let's get started on our repairs."

Sathonyx nodded and turned to face the double doors.

"And then we need to get these open."