Nostalgia
Fifteen years ago,
GW launched the Eye of Terror global campaign. I had been playing for about five years at that point, but this was the first time we had seen an event of this scale. Abaddon had begun his 13th Black Crusade, and his sights were set on finally crushing the fortress world of Cadia. Players could submit the results from their games to contribute to the overall war effort, and ultimately decide whether Cadia would stand or fall. Players could choose where on the map their battles would take place, determining which planet or spacelane would get the benefit from their blood and sweat. I only submitted one game, when my Black Templars were embarrassingly defeated by an army of (probably traitorous) Space Wolves.
For me, the most interesting part of the campaign map was far from the main battlefront: the Webway. Locations within the Webway were restricted to a handful of factions. Eldar, Dark Eldar, Necrons and Thousand Sons. Most of my favorite factions were there. I didn't own full armies of these factions at the time. I didn't contribute any games to the war in the Webway. But time flows differently in the Warp, and old events are replayed again...
Introduction
Ahriman's star is ascending. Using knowledge ripped from the mind of a rogue inquisitor, he has forced entry into the Webway and seeks the Black Library of the Eldar. The inscrutable Harlequins stand against him, enigmatic defenders of the Black Library. Theirs is a battle of desperation and defiance, for if Ahriman succeeds, a fifth Chaos god will join the pantheon. Even if Abaddon fails in his crusade on Cadia, the galaxy may yet burn...
Assault on the Black Library is an excuse for me to build and paint Kill Teams for some of my favorite factions. It is also a work of nostalgia for me, since it involves historical events from my early days in the hobby. I hope to update this blog weekly. Time will tell if I can keep up with it.
Factions
-----Prodigal Sons-----
"If the path to salvation leads through the halls of purgatory, then so be it."
The followers of Ahzek Ahriman. Chosen by Tzeentch, yet questioning of his nature. Some of these mighty sorcerers have followed Ahriman since the days of the Heresy, while others have sought him out in the years since to learn from his mastery of the dark arts. Ahriman's quest is clear: ultimate knowledge and ultimate power. If he should gain the Black Library, he will have all of the lore he craves, including insight into the mind of Tzeentch itself. Such a revelation may bring him power, or madness, or both.
-----Masque of the Reaper's Mirth-----
"Death and Fate have taken the stage. We must all play our parts, until the curtain falls."
Remorseless yet not humorless, the Eldar of this troupe are ever eager to paint the battlefield with blood. Foul mon'keigh, tainted by Chaos, have entered their domain, the lands of their god. The Reapers will see to it that the upstarts do not escape from this battle. They will be made to pay with their very souls.
-----Cult of the Sinful Sword-----
"There is no art more beautiful or more diverse than the art of death."
The wyches of the Sinful Sword harbor a deep respect for those who follow the path of the harlequin. After all, are they not fellow entertainers, skilled in the grand arts of blade and violence? Do they not share in the joy of battle, the thrill of blood being shed and sprayed? The Sinful Swords joined in the defense of the Black Library not out of any sense of duty, but simply because they knew that this was a chance for a truly epic battle. And if the mon'keigh could not provide them with the entertainment that they crave, well, after the battle is over, harlequins also make magnificent dance partners...
-----Azure Legions of the Sea Tyrant-----
"Cast off the shackles of your slumber! The galaxy shall be ours once again!"
Overlord Zahid-Kai has a plan. He sees the opportunity to destroy two ancient foes at once. What luck that he would stumble upon this campaign of violence between the servants of the Old Ones and the servants of Chaos. Let the mortals destroy one another. His legions will be more than a match for whatever survivors remain. In the end, the Black Library will be his. Perhaps it will contain the secret to restore his followers to mortal bodies. Perhaps it will teach him how to seal Chaos away forever. The infinite possibilities bring a tiny rush of excitement to the Sea Tyrant's soul for the first time in an epoch...
