Trial of an Inquisitor Lord

[BrokenWing]

After the catastrophe of the Felmortis Sector, the Highlords of Terra launched an investigation of many of the highest ranking parties involved. It was their determination that somewhere, someone had obviously made a catastrophic mistake. The great wheels of Imperial government began to turn, determined to find a scapegoat and grind it to dust. The High Lords of Terra would not have it that Chaos had simply won, nor would they accept answers of "you didn't provide us with enough support" or "but we did stop the ritual." Nor would the Highlords accept that an entire Sector had been lost. The great resources of the Imperium turned to the area around the Felmortis Sector, entire banks of cogitators and entire cadres of Imperial Generals of high rank took to the problem. Numbers were worked out, likely casualties predicted and armies gathered. Like everything the Imperium did, it would take time.

In the meantime, the first target of the witch hunt was Inquisitor Lord Broken Wing, who many in the highest ranks of the Inquisiton had long suspected of being less than pure and now many within the highest echelons of Imperial government were willing to keep one ear open to such accusations.

So it was the Inquisitor Lord Broken Wing now stood before a "tribunal" of high ranking members of the Imperial government. Broken Wing was an elderly man by any standards, but he was in good phyiscal shape and still a capable fighter. His true history was long...much longer than anyone at the tribunal suspected and much more complicated than that as well. There were only two beings alive who knew his full past, one of them was the Inquisitor himself, and the other was the God Emperor. Sadly, he was not present at the Tribunal. That...of course, was the crux of the matter for Broken Wing, who had little respect for the High Lords of Terra.

Broken Wing ran the fingers on his biological hand through his white hair, looking around the darkened chambers and then to the desk, behind which sat three men of some high rank or another, that were to make a decision and report it to Terra. Remarkably efficient, considering the source. He recognized one of them as a high level member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, more machine now than man. The others were Bureaucrats of one form or another and he cared little for their rank or specific Administratum. They were old, or their bodies thought they were anyway. They didn't have the phantom aches that Broken Wing did, from wounds belonging to another life.

"You have failed to answer our question." One of them said. One of the human ones.

"No." He disagreed. "You have failed to ask a question with an answer."

"Watch your tongue Inquisitor, you are on trial here, not us."

"Are you certain?" Broken Wing asked. "You should be certain of that."

"Silence!" Another of the human ones yelled, slamming a gavel down on his desk. It was supposed to make him jump. It didn't.

"Answer the question." They said.

"Alright." Broken Wing said. "Felmortis fell because we were out manned and out gunned at nearly every turn. Three Chapters of Marines and a load of Orks had to try to fend off an entire traitor Chapter, two Chaos Primarchs and large elements of World Eaters, as well as a Kabal of Dark Eldar."

"You had Imperial Guard Regiments." One of them said.

"True." Broken Wing replied. "We did. Right up until a war on one front became a war on several and they were gutted by Angron and the World Eaters."

"You had a Titan Legion." The Adeptus Mechanicus member said.

"We did. But the governor, who was apparently in fact a Greater Demon, took it and spread it across the Sector, where it could not be brought to bear. I sent requests for aide. Requests the High Lords of Terra chose to deny."

"These things take time to approve." One of them said.

"Not things as large as an entire Sector needing support." Broken Wing said.

"Excuses! You provide nothing but excuses!" One of them shouted. "I think this need go no further. It is obvious to this Tribunal that you failed in your duty to the Emperor and now you attempt to hide your failure behind excuses and heretical accusations."

Broken Wing sighed. "I grow tired of this."

"Silence!" The man shouted. "We are going to rule, the accused will be executed in accordance with the wishes of the High Lords of Terra."

Broken Wing looked at them for a moment and smiled. "I do not accept the authority of the High Lords. I answer only to the Emperor of Man. By his authority, I order your executions." He pointed a finger at the Adeptus Mechanicus representative. "You have collaborated in the construction of Artificial Intelligence in direct violation of the Emperor's Laws." He pointed at the central and most vocal of the figures. "You deny the Imperial Truth as laid down by the Emperor during the Great Crusade." He then pointed to the third figure. "And you worship at the alter of the High Lords of Terra. You are the worst of the three, one who has seen that the High Lords have long rejected the Word of the Emperor and now rule only in their own best interests, yet you serve as their lap dog. By decree of the Emperor on Terra, I order your executions."

"Impossible!" The central of the three shouted. "You are the accused and the guilty, it is our place to render judgement and yours to be judged. You will be silent! Guards! Take him to his cell!"

The Arbites in the room moved from their positions to take Broken Wing into custody but paused when they heard weapons fire in the corridor beyond the chamber. The doors suddenly burst open and a towering figure in black power armor covered by a white robe strode into the room. He leveled a Bolt Pistol of ancient design and an equally old Plasma Pistol and fired. The plasma burst caught one of the guards square in the chest, launching him backwards and slaying him instantly. The bolt pistol shell turned the other guard's head into a cloud of vapor. Before the three judges could act, he fired again.

The Adeptus Mechanicus representative was protected by a force field, his bolt pistol round bouncing off of it harmlessly. A plasma burst caught the central judge in the head, destroying a majority of his head and shoulder area. The third judge was sent flying backwards as a bolt pistol round exploded in his chest cavity.

The Adeptus Mechanicus representative stood, bringing a weapon out from his robes, but he never got off a shot. The intruder fired his plasma pistol, shorting the force field around the Adept before he fired two bolt pistol rounds into his chest, forcing him backward. He was largely protected by his cybernetics, but a second shot from the plasma pistol fused his upper torso, sending his lifeless body to the ground. The figure turned his gaze on Broken Wing, who stood from his chair. They looked at one another for a moment before the Inquisitor Lord simply nodded. The two turned from the Chamber and left.


oc: part one of the story intro to the new campaign.

[BrokenWing]

oc: Don't want to write specifically for other people's characters, so entries for armies not belonging to me will get more of an overview treatment.


Forged in Fire, Campaign Intro Part Two:


The Mortifactors had gone through hell in the last several hundred years. Their journey had started with the Medusa Five Campaign, in which the Chaos Marine Chapter The Storm Dragons, led by ascending Slaanesh Demon Ky'Lius, had destroyed much of their Chapter. The Chapter restructured and rebuilt and for awhile, times were good.

Then had come the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan and orchestrations of the lost Chaos Primarch Romulus, who brought about the destruction of the Mortifactor's Home World of Posul by luring the Tyranids to it, a long with a surprisingly large number of Orks. They had assaulted the planet as well, but it had all turned out to be a ruse to draw reinforcements from a nearby Forge World, which the Legion of Shadow then looted of everything valuable. The Mortifactor's home world of Posul was lost in the struggle, despite the heroic efforts of the Mortifactors and Sentinels, as well as a number of Imperial Titans.

Then their space bound Fortress Monestary had become lost in the Webway with the Chapter on board. Even so, they managed to survive and do so at close to full strength for some time. That ended in the Felmortis Sector, when they lost their Chief Librarian, an entire Company had fallen to Chaos and they learned the truth of their own founding. It seemed as if the Mortifactors would be a Chapter like the Lamenters, doomed to an existence plagued by set backs and tragedy.

Fifty years after Felmortis the Mortifactors received what could eventually prove to be their first break in a long time. Their break started with an unstable and dorman exit to the Webway suddenly opening as their Fortress Monestary passed by, ejecting the Fortress Monestary back into real space for the first time in a long time. They found themselves, perhaps ironically, near the Felmortis Sector in an unclaimed system. There were six worlds, one of which was tidally locked with the huge star that called the system home. One side was in perpetual daylight, while the other, was in perpetual darkness. This planet was populated by tribes of savage humans...a perfect recruiting world.

Luck, as it turned out, never came without a price. They were not alone in the system. In fact, there were a number of apparent threats in the system, some in space and some on other planets. Many of them were armies they had fought in the Felmortis Sector. It would take fighting to get a new Home World...but it was there for the taking.

[BrokenWing]

The Ultimate Goal, Campaign Preview Part Three:

When it came to Chaos Lords, there was really only one ultimate goal, to become a Demon Prince. Lord Dominitus of the Rainbow Warriors had been striving to achieve that goal for some time now, ever since he had become a Chaos Lord in his own right.

During the otherwise successful invasion of the Felmortis Sector, which Dominitus now ruled with an iron fist, he had come within seconds of achieving his goal...only to see the Imperium take it away from him at the last possible second. The sort of rage that fueled within him had been kept in check for the long years after the war while he rebuilt his forces...but now his Warband was ready to strike fear into the heart of men once again, it was time for another attempt at his goal.

Even with his forces ready, Dominitus had to wait for some years for an actual opportunity, one did not become a Demon Prince simply by taking over worlds...one had to gain the favor of the Gods, or a particularly powerful demon. After so many years of waiting however, he now had his chance...

Tzeentch sent Dominitus a vision of glory, of Dominitus standing a top a pile of corpses as his body transformed into a glorious Demon Prince, the likes of which had not been seen in many an age. In this vision, Tzeentch also showed Dominitus leading an invasion of a system known as The Corbalus System, a series of six planets belonging to the Imperium that formed part of the defensive perimeter around the Felmortis Sector. Strategically speaking, the Corbalus Sector actually wasn't terribly important, even as part of the defensive perimeter. It was not one of the few stable Warp Routes into the heart of the Segmentum, so it was difficult to understand Tzeentch's desire to see the Rainbow Warriors invade the system.

There was more to the vision, but most of it was jumbled and difficult to understand, the sort of thing that would take a much more powerful Sorcerer to fully comprehend, someone like Magnus The Red.

There was no time for getting that sorted out now however, Dominitus prepared his forces for the invasion of the Corbalus System and the completion of the ultimate goal. Whatever else Tzeentch had in mind would be discovered later...hopefully to Dominitus's benefit.

[BrokenWing]

The Case of the Missing Inquisitor, Campaign Preview Part Four:

Official word was that Inquisitor Lord Broken Wing had been abducted by followers of Chaos with some nefarious goal in mind when he was being "questioned" by a tribunal. When such word eventually reached The Sentinels the chapter mobilized part of its forces in search for the Inquisitor Lord.

Official record stated that the Chapter and Broken Wing had close ties, but it was a closely guarded secret among the Chapter that Broken Wing had actually pulled a considerable number of not entirely legal strings to found the Chapter, so The Sentinels felt indebted to him and were determined to pay that debt by finding him and rescuing him from his Chaos captors.

So it was that Carrion Mourn, Lord of the Tenth Circle, was dispatched with a vast majority of the Tenth, Seventh and Nineth Circles to find the Inquisitor Lord. Whatever was going on between the Inquisitor Lord and the High Lords of Terra was not of their concern, but they would be damned if they would allow their long time ally to fall to the clutches of Chaos...


Carrion Mourn stood on the ruined battlefield, his eyes scanning over the bodies of their fallen enemies while one of the Purifiers stood by, his gaze on Carrion Mourn, rather than the field of battle. The battle had been swift, their enemy had not seen the attack coming and had been unable to mount significant resistance when The Sentinel's Storm Ravens had come screaming from the sky with weapons firing.

Carrion Mourn crouched down, lifting up a piece of shattered Mortifactor's power armor and turning it over in his armored hand. His other hand held on to his Warding Stave as he considered the scrap of armor.

"Anything?" He asked the Purifier.

"Yes." The robed marine said, producing a data slate and handing it over to the psyker. Carrion Mourn glanced over the readings for a moment and nodded. "You find fighting our several time allies disconcerting Purifier."

"Not as disconcerting as your ability to read my emotions." He replied. "It is one thing, I feel, to fight those who might discover our secrets and another thing entirely to fight those who simply happen to be in the way."

Carrion Mourn stood slowly, using his Warding Stave to help him to his feet. "Inquisitor Lord Broken Wing put everything on the line when he created out Chapter. We must find him, dead or alive, we must keep him from the hands of Chaos."

"But the Mortifactors are not a Chaos Legion." The Purifier reminded him.

"True, but this battle group was stationed at a listening post near the site of the abduction." Carrion Mourn pointed out.

"Yes, but we could have simply asked for access to it." The Purifier countered.

"And then turned it inward on the Imperium and away from the Felmortis Sector?"

The Purifier gazed at the Lord of the Tenth for a moment. "Some things, can be explained."

"Not everything." Carrion Mourn said, leaving the Purifier's side to join his Tenth Circle Guard and head for the Storm Raven named "Abandon."

The Purifier watched him walk for a moment. "Dark thoughts abide in your mind Carrion Mourn. It is good to cast out Hope and seek only the truth. Let none stand in your path, so long as it remains an honest one."

Carrion Mourn of course, was aware that any conversation a psyker had with a Purifier was a test of the Psyker's continued purity. One slip of the tongue and even the Lord of the Tenth could find himself boiling in purifying flame. Of course, no Circle Lord could be purified without the consent of the Master Purifier, who must also speak with the Chapter Master. Carrion Mourn was in no such danger, he knew a test when he saw one, and he was certainly pure. It was only that he worried something else was at hand and did not trust the official cover story provided by the Imperium. Until he knew the truth, Carrion Mourn would go to nearly any length to discover it.

[BrokenWing]

Da Quest fer Gharkul: Campaign Preview Part Five.


Lead elements of Gork Mork Da Ork's WAAGGGHHH entered the Corbalus System at about the same time as the other factions had begun to scout out the system. These elements were mostly formed from the Eye Choppa Tribe of Ullyman Da Uge. The cunning Warboss hid his fleet behind Corbalus Six and sent out a small group of scout vessels to see what they could see.

Many of these vessels ran into foul fates, but one of them, covered in huge mirrored surfaces, snuck past every sentry vessel in their path and landed on Corbalus Four, the planet now looked at by the Mortifactors as their potential new home world.

The Orks that unloaded from the vessel upon landing belonged to none other than Da Sneaky Gitz, a squad of super elite Ork Kommandos, famous for their "Smoke n mirror" tactics first discovered and put to use during the invasion of Posul.

"Pop da smoke!" The squad Nob shouted. Shortly there after, smoke grenades went flying in every direction and sent off a huge plume of smoke into the air, detectable for miles around. The Orks had already donned their coveted mirrors, which they believed made them invisible to the naked eye, and set out on their "investigatin."

Mortifactors Scouts flocked to the smoke to investigate, finding a small Ork craft covered in mirrored surfaces. Suspecting an old nemesis, they reported their position and waited in ambush.


Da Sneaky Gitz poked around for hours, investigating everything that caught their fancy, completely unnoticed by the Mortifactor scouts that were also investigating the world, and by the tribal humans that populated it. They were invisible, either by luck or skill or a weird combination of both.

"Oy!" The Nob shouted after awhile, stumbling upon something in a big pile of scrap . "Is dis wot I tink it is?" He held up a large roll of parchment, written in the ancient tongue of the Orks.

"Aye.." One of Da Sneaky Gitz said, taking the scroll and reading it over. "Dis is one of dem pieces of paper wot explains were sometin is dat was lost!"

All the Orks looked at him like he was some sort of genius. "Wot do you call dat?"

"I dunno, da Oomies have a word for it, sometin about Tresh-Shure. Dey say if you look for da X, you find da spot!"

"Wot spot?" The Nob asked.

"Da spot were da stuff is!" He replied.

"Oh...dat's pretty smart. But wot does dis word say ere?"

"Oh, dat says...Gharkul...an sometin about some kinda armor." They all looked at each other for a long moment in stunned silence. One of them eventually interrupted. "NAAAAHHH! You mus be readin it wrong!"

"Mus be." The Ork who was reading it replied. "We'll see wot da Weirdest Boy has ta say!"

The Mortifactor Scouts waited in ambush, but never saw Da Sneaky Gitz until their craft was already taking off. Even then, it managed to sneak back to Da Eye Choppa Fleet.

He was indeed reading it correctly, word was sent to Gork Mork Da Ork and the Orks set off on a quest to find the rest of the map and possibly Gharkul's Armor.

[SourImplant]

"Oh, dat says...Gharkul...an sometin about some kinda armor."

Gharkul? A campaign plot revolving around a relic of Gharkul?

You are my new God.

[BrokenWing]

Lol, thanks. There are a bunch of plot threads in this one. The previous Campaign was my attempt at learning the ropes, this time I'm seeking a more expansive and involved experience for everyone. Each army has its own plot thread to follow and then there is something else going on that arcs over all of it. I took my cues from what each player has been talking about. Our Ork Player really likes Gharkul and his Warboss wants to become the next Gharkul. What better way to do that than recover his armor?

[BrokenWing]

And now, the Campaign begins this Saturday:


The stage was set for a massed attack on the unoccupied Corbalus System from all the same forces that had fought over the Felmortis Sector. With the proximity of the System to populated Systems, it was likely this conflict would draw in other races and armies, but for now, it was what it was.

Corbalus held six planets, two of which were populated. Corbalus Three and Four were both populated worlds, with one being a Hive World and another being a Tribal World. No messages had been sent from Corbalus Three (the Hive World) and if any had been received, it was difficult to tell. The planet had sort of an eerie feeling about it to Astropaths and other Pskyers who came within close proximity, like something out there was telling them to stay away...for their own good.

From orbit Corbalus Three was even more disturbing. The night side of the planet never had any lights on, despite the massive Hive Cities covering its land masses. It was as if the world were simply...empty.

Corbalus Three wasn't the only eerie thing about the system, there was its huge red star to be concerned about. Something about the star was just...wrong. It was red like countless other stars in the galaxy and had a diameter and mass equal to one hundred Sols. There was something wrong about the color of red though...if one gazed at the star long enough it became disturbing...as if it wasn't the warm red of a red star, but a baleful, sinister red...and it felt as if the star were...gazing back.

It was rather unfortunate that every race was so busy going after their own goals or they might have noticed one final and much more disturbing note about the system. It wasn't on any Imperial maps...yet it was right in the heart of the defensive front setup against the Felmortis Sector. This was not at all unexplored space, and yet the system eluded all exploration and mapping, it was as if the system had never existed, at least not according to the Imperium. Perhaps if this was a ghost in Imperial records it would have been brushed off by anyone not obsessed with another goal...but it wasn't on anyone else's maps either. Even the ancient Necrons or the Eldar would have been hard pressed to identify the system on any map or navigation system. Corbalus, for all intents and purposes...didn't exist. Yet, it was populated by humans on one world and there were numerous Imperial Hive Cities on another.

To the interested observer, something was *very* wrong with the Corbalus System...but none of the participants had taken notice, far too distracted with their own goals and problems to heavily research the system they had entered.



Opening Moves...

Each army is attempting to establish a strong hold from which they can control the rest of their campaign. The Mortifactors have been here the longest and have already established a presence. They have now begun to move out from their initial stronghold on Corbalus Four to try to seize the rest of the planet from a sudden infestation of Orks.

Scenario: Capture and Control.

Deployment: Pitched Battle.

Points: 2,000

The winner of this scenario will gain 10% control over the surface of Corbalus Four. If at any point during the campaign one side reaches 70% control it will have taken control of the planet.



The Sentinels also have interest in Corbalus Four, but they are not interested in territory. The Sentinels seek information on the whereabouts of Broken Wing and will fight anyone who gets in their way.

Scenario: Annihilation

Deployment: Spearhead.

Points: 2,000

Whoever wins this engagement will receive +10% to their current objective, be it control of territory, a piece of critical information that will lead to their next scenario or what have you.

[BrokenWing]

The First Day...


The Mortifactors engaged the lead elements of Ullyman Da Uge's forces in a series of large hills and rocky outcroppings. Despite the speed of their bike and scout company they were unable to make the necessary gains against the Ork forces and were forced back to their initial fire base. Though their first engagement saw a loss of territory, there would be plenty more engagements to come. The Mortifactors began adding defensive fortifications to their initial landing zone and bringing in more of their forces. It would likely take the greater strength of the Chapter to wrest control of the planet from the Orks. In their time there, they noticed the natives refused to leave the dark side of the planet, to the point of stopping at the line between dark and light even when chasing food. When encountered the natives tried to speak to the Mortifactors, who they seemed to see as some sort of demi-gods or gods descended from heaven to fight a war against the evil gods that had started enslaving some of their number (the orks). Their langauge however was impossible to understand as of yet...one thing was clear...they felt the Sun was a source of great evil.


For the Orks the victory provided an interesting piece of information. When they finished looting the battlefield the Orks discovered a fragment of metal that had once belonged to an Ork encampment many thousands of years ago. The piece of metal had been liberated from the hillside it was in by a Mortifactor's Land Speeder when it spiraled out of the air and crashed into the hill, exploding in a spectacular fireball. The fragment wasn't much to go on, but it told the Orks there had once been an Ork encampment on Corbalus Four. If they could find its perimeter, they could begin digging...

Orks win (using tie breaking victory points): Orks gain 10% to their objective.


Ullyman's forces had barely recovered from the battle with the Mortifactors before the Sentinels assaulted their position. Carrion Mourn led a highly elite force of 10th and 9th Circle veterans and scattered Ullyman's forces, but were unable to secure the information they believed the Orks had gained by taking the piece of territory away from the Mortifactors. As a result Carrion Mourn pulled his forces back, preparing for his next move.

Tactical draw.

[BrokenWing]

Renewed Hatred...


The Rainbow Warriors entered the Corbalus System on the second day of the war. Corbalus Four was already being contested by the Orks and Mortifactors but if Dominitus was to be Demon Prince, he needed to seize the system for himself, and that would mean starting on Corbalus Four.

Despite their defeat at the hands of the Orks, the Mortifactors were still in several now well fortified positions on world. The Orks had been unable to take advantage of their victory by pushing deeper into Mortifactor territory thanks to the attack by The Sentinels.

The reality on the ground left the Rainbow Warriors with an excellent position to setup their own firebase on world, which they set about doing rather swiftly. As more Rainbow Warriors forces were brought on world, the initial elements of the army began to push out word to work as scouts and sentries. This was how the Rainbow Warriors and Mortifactors encountered each other for the first time since Felmortis. Lead elements of both armies blundered into each other at the twilight hour.


Scenario:

Seize Ground

Points: 2,000

Deployment: Spearhead.

Special Rules: The two forces have run into each other near the end of the second day. On turn four, the game becomes a Night Fight game.

[BrokenWing]

oc: super exciting news. We may have a new player joining the campaign at the new store we've been supporting. Best news is he's a Deathwing player and I planned from the beginning of this campaign to involve The Fallen (for those with a good eye, one is already involved) and it's going to be so much more interesting with Deathwing running around.

[BrokenWing]

Feeding Frenzy...

While elements of the Rainbow Warriors were about to encounter the Mortifactors on Corbalus Four their rear echelon was ravaged by a sudden attack from unexpected quarters. The initial assault was led by Dark Eldar forces emerging from the webway, launching a lightning raid against the Rainbow Warriors. Truthfully, the Rainbow Warriors should have thanked them for it, it gave them time to create a defensive line and launch a counter attack. Without the Dark Eldar, it is entirely possible the Carcharodon Astra forces sneaking up on them would have been deep inside their main landing zone by the time the Rainbow Warriors could react.

In the midst of fighting the Dark Eldar the Rainbow Warriors were set upon by the Carcharodon Astra. The assault was sudden and devastated their counter attack against the Dark Eldar, boxing a majority of the Rainbow Warriors into the middle of the battlefield and falling upon them with power swords and bolt pistols.

It seemed as if the Space Sharks would sweep aside the defenders entirely and rush into the Rainbow Warriors landing zone, where they would likely do untold damage...but they weren't interested in such tactics. Instead the assault ended as suddenly and unexpectedly as it began. With the Rainbow Warriors reeling and falling back to secondary defensive positions, the entire Space Marine force simply left. The Dark Eldar soon followed, fleeing the scene with numerous slaves.

Result- Space Sharks and Dark Eldar each gain 5% to their objectives.

[BrokenWing]

Baleful Sun...


Tyberos stood on the bridge of the Carcharodon Astra's Monestary Grand Cruiser Nicor gazing out at the giant, baleful sun that shed its light upon the planets of the Corbalus System. The vast archway view screens that allowed the bridge crew three hundred and sixty degree vision were aglow in the evil light of the Corbalus star.

The Space Sharks fleet had been traveling through the void when they came across Corbalus. Unlike the other armies participating in the Campaign thus far, they had not come to Corbalus for other reasons, they come because it was not on their map. They had stayed because the sun was wrong.

Chief Librarian Korstra entered the bridge and walked up to Tybero's right side wordlessly. When the Chapter Master wished for him to speak, he would indicate as such. Several minutes passed in silence before Tyberos broke the silence. "What have you found?" He asked simply.

Korstra's black eyes could not help but gaze at the Cobalus star for a time...but he forced himself to look away as he felt a presence at the back of his mind, as if the Star itself were probing his psychic defenses...

"The Warriors of the Rainbow were standing upon an artifact of the days before the Emperor's Holy Crusade. They were unaware of its presence." The Chief Librarian said. He removed a fragment of black metal from his belt and handed it to Tyberos, who turned it over in his pale hands.

"Do you know what it is?" He asked.

"No." Korstra said. "But there is someone who has knowledge of such things. I would not wish to disturb him...I know that he prefers your presence over the presence of others."

"I will speak to him." Tyberos said, waving away his Chief Librarian.

Tyberos left the bridge and descended deep into the heart of the ship. He approached a huge set of double doors, flanked by a pair of Terminators. The Terminators watched Tyberos.

"I seek an audience." Tyberos said.

A voice came out, like a whisper from between the doors. "Let him in. I anticipated his arrival."

The doors were opened and Tyberos strode into a large, dark room lit only by flickering candles placed about on every flat surface. There were books everywhere, a vast collection of books on shelves that filled the majority of the room. A huge shadow stood in the darkest part of the room.

Tyberos fell to one knee, bowed his head and held out the object in his hands.

Huge, pale hands took the object from his hands. "Rise." He said.

Tyberos stood...

"More of this artifact will be needed to discern its true purpose." The dark voice said from the shadows. "Though it is no work of the Emperor's."

"Chaos then?" Tyberos asked.

"I do not think so...I will consult my Library to be certain. I believe this has origins considerably older." The shadow shifted, towering over Tyberos. "Do you have news?"

"They still fight." Tyberos said. "And honor your name."





Da Weirdest Day...

The Orks had established moderate defenses in their newly held territory and set about ransacking everything in sight, digging random holes and generally make a giant mess in search of their target. Considerable time, effort and noise went into this project, with Ullyman Da Uge urging his Orks to work harder and louder.

A full day passed before their hard work paid off. A grot came scrambling out of a hole in the ground, shoting and waving about a small box like it was the greatest find since the Emperor started finding his scattered Primarchs. Orks converged on the Grot, eager to see his findings.

Unfortunately, it took a lot of Orks to screw in a lightbulb, or in this case open a small black box. The Orks took to shouting, brawling and pulling faces at one another. Orks were tossed to and fro and the Grot was beat into a pulp as they tried everything their tiny brains could think of.

Eventually a Weird Boy made his way over to the mess, took the box and used his psychic abilities to rip it to pieces. Inside he found a small scrap of paper which he promptly took from the ground and examined.


"Is it da X?!" Someone wanted to know.

The Weirdboy shook his head. It wasn't the X, but it was another piece of the map...and a curiosity. There were a few old Ork runes on it, but the words they created were scattered onto missing pieces of the map. The Weirdboy, being smarter than your average Ork, was able to put two and two together, remembering some of the text from the old map.

"When Da Sun Dat Watches Appears, it shall herald da beginnin of a Great Scrap an da Rise of G..." The Weirdboy frowned. Why did torn up prophecies always end at the beginning of a really intriguing word?

[BrokenWing]

Fortifying the Frontier...


The Mortifactors took advantage of their long years of experience in fighting the Rainbow Warriors when their patrol forces engaged one another. Chapter Master Mortarion led from the front in his usual manner and the Mortifactors were able to sweep aside the Rainbow Warriors, seizing their positions and forcing them back towards their own landing zone.

Seeing an opportunity to defeat the Rainbow Warriors on Corbalus Four entirely, the Mortifactors pressed their advantage, sweeping their forces onward toward the Rainbow Warrior landing zone.

Unfortunately for the Mortifactors, a second force of Rainbow Warriors was already establishing a defensive line. The two forces met and the Mortifactors met with a swift reversal of fortune. This time it was the Rainbow Warriors who swept the field, but the losses they suffered were too great to press their own temporary advantage.

The result at the end of the day for the Mortifactors was a gain in territory despite suffering significant losses in their second engagement. More forces were brought into their newly acquired territory and they set about the task of creating defensive positions and preparing a new offensive.


For the Rainbow Warriors, they were at last able to collect skulls for Dominitus's push toward Demonhood. A fresh victory meant fresh power from the Chaos Gods...although two victories would have been better. Dominitus could feel new power flowing through his body, though it wasn't enough to have an impact on his fighting prowess yet.


+10% for the Mortifactors.

+10% for the Rainbow Warriors.



The Arrival of the Tau...


Tau Commander Shas'el Kais'len'ra of the Swift Swords had come all the way across the Galaxy hunting a band of Tau who had supposedly fallen to Chaos. His orders were clear, exterminate them utterly. Anything that got in the way he would deal with as it came up. The Commnader had no intention of invading Corbalus Four, so he established a base on one of the planet's moons and began sending out scouting forces to track down the Chaos Tau that had slipped into system a day or two ahead of him.

Shas'el was young and, being this far from the Tau Empire, a bit nervous. There were a lot of hornet's nests that could be stirred up in the Corbalus System if he wasn't careful. As a Tau, he didn't get the same feeling from the Corbalus star as everyone else, but something in his being told him that something about this system was off, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

There was a great deal for the young Shas'el to worry about, there were Orks, Chaos, Space Marines and others besides...and then there was that huge Space Marine fleet made up of seemingly random and very old ships that seemed to lurk between Corbalus Three and Four, like some sort of giant predator in a state of half sleep.

One of the Shas'el's scouting groups landed on Corbalus Four, where they were suddenly and promptly attacked by a load of Orks. Unfortunately, the surprised Tau never really had time to get together a proper defensive line and they were swept from the field without much trouble. The survivors fled back to their lunar base with news of the battle and the Orks.


The Orks were a bit disappointed in their victory when it was over. It seemed the Tau lacked any bits of map for them to make use of..but they did feel as if somehow they had moved closer to their objective anyway, doing a lot of digging and mucking about in search for more scraps of map.

+5% ork objective. Everyone's first victory is worth 10%, everything following that varies according to the scenario/conditions/map tile.




A Temporary Silence...

Things were quite after the Tau forces arrived. Weeks went by without major engagements as each force tried to settle in and determine their next move. The Rainbow Warriors were the first to make a move to break the silence...

The Rainbow Warriors gathered together a number of their forces and launched a sudden invasion of Ork territory, hoping to take them by surprise and gain some momentum. The Orks did lose quite a few of their forces and Ullyman Da Uge was gravely wounded, though not slain. Unfortunately, the Rainbow Warriors simply couldn't break through the Ork defenses with enough of their forces to really begin their invasion and after considerable deliberation, they pulled back into their own territory.

The Orks, happy to have fought, but confused by the sudden attack, went back to digging around in their territory.

+5% ork objective.

[BrokenWing]

The Roads Ahead...


The first paths of war are always the easiest. Attacking an enemy at this place or that place, starting a war or not starting a war, these are the easy decisions. From then on is when war becomes difficult. A thousand and one pathways open up after the dawning moments of a war, a thousand choices lead to tens of thousands more.

This was where all the sides now sat on and around Corbalus Four. The first crossroads of the war...not a fork, a fork implied two or three directions, but the center of a thousand pointed star.


With the most wins thus far, the Orks clearly held the initiative.

oc: Here's how this works:

1. Each week, hopefully around monday or tuesday, I'll post results, story updates and so on. Then I'll roll a d6 for everyone, the highest number will "have the initiative." This person will get first choice. They can choose to attack or bolster their defenses in newly acquired territory. This gives them an extra d3+1 terrain pieces they may place before the start of their next game. These must be walls, bunkers and so on.

A person choosing to attack will need to decide who they want to attack and if they want to go for small or large percentages. Small percentage games are one on one games of 2,000 points or less and will net 5% towards your objective. Large percentage games are team games, where players will align themselves against or for the defender however they choose. The percentage total is divided up among the winning team members. For example if two players are on the winning side, the winning side will get 20%, which means each player will get 10%.

Larger games are risky however, because they involve a greater commitment of forces. If a player commits to a large scale attack, they will suffer a % penalty if they lose, usually of 5% (10% for a team of 2 equaling 5% per player) but it can vary.

All games will include a unique feature, usually a terrain piece, that will become part of the "map" (this is all a little obscure without a map right now, but bear with me) and lend a bonus or become an objective to all games played in that area.

2. If a player receives a major victory they can attempt to press their advantage. This means they will use the list they already used. Any slain characters must be replaced, any wounded characters will retain their wounds. Damaged vehicles will retain damage and the player will receive d6x100 points back from their dead pile. The two players immediately play another game of the same points value, with the defender deploying using Dawn of War and the attacker deploying with standard Spear Head deployment rules. Obviously this is risky for both sides. The winning player receives 10% to their objective. If the attacker wins he can try to press his advantage again, but only if he has at least 40% of his points left.

3. Story Arc. There is an overarching plot. This will also receive a die roll for initiative. If it wins, a story battle will happen as opposed to a regular one. Story Battles can also take place instead of regular ones if the story piece in question is a major development.

4. Remember, the sooner you choose (if you win the initiative) the sooner I can post scenarios.

5. This week, the Orks have the initiative.


Holding the Line...

The Mortifactors had no sooner established control of their new territory than they fell under renewed attack by the Orks. The Mortifactors had yet to fully establish a defensive perimeter so they had to swiftly bring forces to the front to hold off the initial Ork attack. If the Mortifactors could inflict enough damage on the attacking Ork they would force a retreat and be able to hold their territory. If not they would need to fall back to their main fire base in the new territory or flee entirely, depending on the damage done to them.

Fortunately for The Mortifactors, the Rainbow Warriors were unable to launch an attack of their own at the same time, or the Mortifactors would have been extremely hard pressed to defend themselves. Considering the difficulties the Mortifactors had faced since Felmortis, and even since arriving in system, it was vital they achieve a victory and perhaps buy themselves some much needed respite.


Scenario:

Annihilation

Deployment: Pitched Battle

Points- 2,000

Special Conditions:

There is an old fragment of black rock in the center of the battlefield. No one has any idea what it is, but it seems to be generating some sort of force field around itself. Any unit with 50% of its models within 6 inches receives a 4+ cover save.

[BrokenWing]

oc: just a quick update. Campaign is still on, but there was a tournament last Saturday, so we aren't getting the next campaign game in until tomorrow.

[BrokenWing]

Crossing the line...

The Mortifactors did what they could to hold off the Ork assault, but there were simply too many Orks pouring in to their position to be able to hold them off forever. Eventually the Moritfactors were forced to fall back to a secondary defensive position, giving up some of the little territory they had managed to gain so far.

The one bright side for the Mortifactors in their loss was they were able to inflict a rather high number of casualties on the Orks, including seriously wounding their Big Mek. The damage done was enough to keep the Orks from pressing their advantage and trying to break through the next line of defense.

Since they had to stop anyway, the Orks set about digging around. This time they didn't find anything that added to their map, although they did uncover a fragment of metal the un-wounded big Mek was almost certain was a piece of an ancient Gargant. They certainly seemed to be looking in all the right places, it seemed like only a matter of time before they found what they were after.

There was also the matter of the scrap of "rock" in the middle of the battlefield. The Orks discovered the "rock" was actually part of some sort of metal structure and had a button on it...which was, of course, pressed.

When the button was pressed, there was a sudden pulse of energy out from the structure, which incinerated every Ork within a hundred foot radius and left a black scorch mark on the ground. Shortly after the Orks could hear some sort of thrumming sound below ground. The entire structure pivoted in place and aimed the cannon like apparatus at the top off to the west. After that, everything got boring and nothing else seemed to happen. Many Ork attempts to break the structure and use its metal and parts failed miserably, resulting in all manner of broken choppas, power klaws, ork faces and various other equipment.

Below ground...a light turned on, a single, blinking red light. This was followed by a monitor activating. Words appeared on the screen..."Security Network sleep mode canceled. Prisoners waking. Establishing Planetary Null Field......error, no signals detected. Power low. Activating emergency protocols, emergency local null zones established. Please activate power source to prevent eventual Null Zone failure."



The Prophecy...

Not long after the activation of the strange device by the Orks, events began to take a turn for the stranger, for everyone.

The leaders of every army in the system had the same dream. In their dream a voice spoke to them from the Warp, but they did not know who the owner of the voice was. What it said to them was a warning and a portent...

"If you are receiving this, then it may well be too late. The truth is, we didn't know what to do with the Corbalus System. There was too much there. Everything was there, in fact. At that time, the Warp Storms were tearing everything apart, we could barely travel from system to system anymore and we certainly wouldn't risk bringing a full scale army to Corbalus. We considered options for a long time before we reached this one. I hope that you forgive us, because you will soon have to fight the battles that were ours to fight and our understanding of the future is one of misery and darkness...and it's only going to get darker.

I'm told that it will begin when one who's wing is broken disappears. Another, who's name is the same as one far more vile, will be visited by a man in robes and then a Khan long lost will return. His return will herald the dawn of an age of darkness. They will wake, and others will return and Corbalus will burn. So much of your fate will be decided there.

Please forgive us, you already had wars to deal with and the age of darkness would have come without our doing...but we have made it so much worse. Do not fail at Corbalus. In the name of whatever you hold most sacred, do not fail. We have cast Corbalus through time, it will eventually materialize and all of what I have said is to happen, will begin."


For Dominitus of the Rainbow Warriors, there was an additional message, one he knew was from the infinitely complex mind of Tzeentch himself.

"When they wake, take them! You will find the Protocol when the time is right. Herald the end of the Imperium and the beginning of the Age of Chaos!"


The Man in Robes...


Mortarion of the Mortifactors was walking from one defensive point to another, alone mostly with his thoughts and his plans for the battles ahead. Another marine came up along side of him while he walked between defensive positions and at first, Mortarion assumed he was a Mortifactor. He assumed as much until the marine stopped him and he saw the black power armor and white robes that he wore. There were two pistols at his hips, along with a sheathed sword, and his hair hung at fair length beneath the hood of his robe.

"I was going to secret something away from here, but you have built fortifications on top of it. The responsibility for it now falls to your Chapter. Defend your fortress with the life of your Chapter. Sweep this planet clean of enemies if you must, do whatever it takes to keep them from finding what you have built your defenses on top of. Fools. You have come to a prison, and worse, the guards are all dying because of your actions." The robed figure turned and began to walk away. "When next we meet, we will be on opposite sides." He said. As he finished his sentence, his form faded into nothing.


Scenario:

A Turn of Events

The Sentinels have engaged in a massive attack against both Chaos and Ork positions, opening the way for the Mortifactors to link with them and make a push to regain their lost territory.

Initial scouting of the area has revealed a cave entrance that seems to lead to some sort of a control room. Given the dreams of the various army leaders, this has now become the central focal point of the fighting. Access to the cave means access to the Control Room and a better understanding of whatever is going on in Corbalus.

Objective:

Take the facility. There is no such thing as contesting, whoever has the most infantry units within 6 inches of the objective at the end of the game wins. If the game ends in a draw, the side with the unit closest to the objective wins.

Secondary Objectives:

Each player on each side must nominate a character to be their general. If their general slays an enemy general before the end of the game, they may roll for an additional unit on the veteran abilities chart.


Points: 8,000.

[BrokenWing]

An Understanding of Sorts...


Thanks to a sudden, unexpected attack by Chaos, the Sentinels never received aide from the Mortifactors, but they did receive unexpected aide from a Tau force that lent its considerable firepower to the effort to seize the cave entrance.

Carrion Mourn led a full squad of veteran Tenth Circle Guard (Paladins) and the Master of the Tenth Circle (Draigo's rules) directly for the cave entrance, supported by two other members of the Tenth Circle and their veteran Tenth Circle Guard escort. This assault was initially screened by three Land Raider Redeemers led by the Fires of Posul, carrying full loads of Seventh Circle Guard (Grey Hunters).

The cave entrance lay in a fissure, crossed by two large, high grade military bridges that had been erected sometime in the distant past. This was the meeting place of the Sentinels and the Orks and Rainbow Warriors. The Orks rushed across the bridge on foot, thanks to the destruction of their vehicles by Tau and Sentinel firepower...and bridge 347 became a living hell for every Ork that tried to cross it.

Each time the Orks tried to cross 347 they were struck by two members of the Tenth Circle casting Vortex of Doom, scattering and crushing their bodies with ease. Almost thirty Orks died just trying to cross bridge 347, torn asunder by blasts of hellish psychic energy. The third attempt to cross the bridge was nearly successful...until it was blunted by an assault by Seventh Circle Guard, led to combat by members of the Purifiers, who kept them from fleeing and aided in their attempts to cut down the Orks.

With bridge 347 turned into a river of blood, the Orks had no choice but to try for bridge 348. This time they were led by Gork Mork The Ork himself and his Nobz, while Chaos launched a scathing counter attack in the rear of the Sentinel and Tau lines, driving the Tau before them in a orgy of Terminator firepower. Without the psychic power of the Tenth Circle guarding 348, the Orks crossed succesfully, crushing a unit of Seventh and Eight Circle Guard, as well as a unit of Tau Fire Warriors in the process. It looked as if the Orks might be able to secure 348 and sweep into the Sentinels to completely drive them back...

Until Carrion Mourn's scream of "FOR THE EMPEROR!" pierced the noise and smoke of the battlefield. Gork Mork the Ork, driven towards the Tau by the commotion of battle, could only turn and watch as the Veteran Tenth Circle Guard, Carrion Mourn and Master of the Tenth Circle crashed into the flank of his Nobz. The Nobz were cut down in a matter of seconds, turned into little more than mist and bone fragments before they could even strike. As quickly as it had begun, the attempt to take bridge 348 was shattered.

Rather than get cut down himself, Gork Mork the Ork slaughtered another Fire Warrior squad and moved swiftly away from Carrion Mourn, who took his charge onto bridge 348 itself. In the mean time, withering plasma and lascannon fire from the Sentinels caused the Chaos Terminators to break and flee, ending any hope of a pincer attack. Even bridge 347 was beginning to be pushed back again, with the other Librarians of the Tenth Circle leading their own counter assault on bridge 347.

Seeing no chance to regroup and take back the bridges, let alone threaten the cave entrance, Gork Mork the Ork led a swift retreat from the field, better to live and fight another day than get cut down, after all. Seeing the Orks break and run, the Rainbow Warriors packed up their gear and left the field as well.



Carrion Mourn entered the cave with his guard, where he found a massive computer with a number of dead screens. There was a single monitor with a blinking line of text: "Security Network sleep mode canceled. Prisoners waking. Establishing Planetary Null Field......error, no signals detected. Power low. Activating emergency protocols, emergency local null zones established. Please activate power source to prevent eventual Null Zone failure."

Carrion Mourn didn't understand technology particularly well...but he placed his hand on the console and was rewarded with a psychic vision...He saw Inquisitor Lord Broken Wing standing before the same control system. He was gazing at the same line of text and seemed deeply troubled. At last, he turned to another man, a black armored Marine with robes and a pair of pistols..."What do you make of it?"

The other paused a moment before speaking..."I can show you." He said. "But understand, this entire system is a prison. What this is telling you, is that our doom is fast approaching. This is where it all begins."

"Where what all begins?" Broken Wing asked.

"The final judgement of Humanity. Before your time here is over, your faith in everything you hold sacred will be tested." The figure said.

"That, has already come to pass." Broken Wing replied.

"How is your faith Lord Inquisitor?"

Broken Wing looked at him silently, and motioned for the other man to lead on...

[BrokenWing]

A Day of Violence, a Day for Khorne...


While the other sides from the previous battle regrouped, the Rainbow Warriors seized the initiative and launched an assault on a territory bordering their own. It was the site of a massive impact crafter that had begun filling with blood the moment the Rainbow Warriors landed. The battle would take place around its perimeter and on the lip of the crater itself. The goal of the Rainbow Warriors was simple, sweep the area of any enemy resistance and secure the territory in the name of the Blood God Khorne.


Points: 6,000

Scenario:

There are four objectives. Two must be placed within 12 inches of the center of the table. Then each side must place one objective in their deployment zone. The side with the most objectives at the end of the game wins.

10% towards objective for each player on the winning side.

[BrokenWing]

Oc: Brief update. We have delayed the game because of vacations and stuff, but it should be happening this week or next at the latest.

Also got two Planetary Empire sets and put them together,our campaign map is now up and running and is huge (96 tiles). That's just for the first planet.