So after 7 months of gaming the Prison for Gods campaign is finally over. Last saturday the players were invited to one last narrative driven game as the forces of the Faustian Schism attempted to reach the ultimate prize: The gateway to the Duat, resting place of the Necrons sealed away technologies, and the most dangerous of Ctan.
As is typical of such events, not everyone could make it, but we did have a nice complement:
- Rory "Rottimus" with his undefeated Black Scorpions Space Marines.
- William "Wimaro" with his new and beautifully painted Ibraesil Craftworld Eldar.
- Chris "Soundslave" with his perverted and insane Dark Eldar with their famous leader Ozzy.
- Thomas "Lucky" with his determined and plasma shy Krieg Imperial Guard.
- Magnus "Sneaky bastard" with his Black Watch Imperial Guard.
- And me. With my Necrons. You know, the freaking antagonists of this adventure.
Remember that last bit. Because it matters. It really does.
The Finale. (Lotsa pics!)
Around the orbit of the rogue world of Solemnum fleets of all the forces engaged with each other and the heavy automated defences of that mysterious planet. Burning black on red as its very core reignited with the heat from the local star, Solemnum was awakening. Having since long been in the cold, it was said that the kiss of a red star would open the gates. There had been truth to this. Energised by the boiling core of the planet, the ancient technologies that lay under the surface like bones took in that hyper-geothermal energy and powered itself.
The only point on the planet which was not simply deadly Pylon networks, was a simple ziggurat, located north of the equatorial belt.
Only a few of the forces in orbit above managed to send down forces, and of them, little would ever make it. Between the violent magma storms and the Necron defences, it had been clearly stated as a suicide mission. But then, promises had been made and there had been truth to them. Threats old and dark, power unimaginable. Many would risk death.
The Objectives.
The strategic objectives for the game were simple enough, the Ziggurat would yield a massive 6pts at the end of the game, while the Pylon and the Power Conduit would give 3. Each player, took a secret Agenda card, depicting their personal intent. Though on two sides, each player would have their own objectives, which would affect the game, and their allies. As we found out, to horrendous levels!
They could either choose:
- Duty - Selfless Glory
- Ascendancy - Selfish Glory
- Destruction - Wanton Anarchy
Each one gave bonuses to one of the tables, and hinted at things that could happen on the board.
Turn One.
The game started with the Dark Eldar revealing their allegiance to the last force anyone could exp- nah, who am I kidding. Chaos had allied with ozzy it seemed, as a Hellbrute took up office at the Pylon structure, instantly giving the Dark Eldar the reserves bonuses.
Meanwhile, Lucius the Eternal deployed on the Ziggurat itself, already prepared to breach the Prison proper. With the Shard Keys in their possession, most of the Necron defences and security would open to them.
The Necrons had deployed two squads of ten warriors around the ziggurat, poised to take the fight as soon as possible.
Though the Necron side had won deployment, after a reminder from Wimaro, the Dark Eldar side attempted to Seize the Initiative, and won! Which was bad for them. As reserves would be coming on in turn one on a 4+.
The following is sadly a brutally simple report of what happened...
The Necron Warriors make a move to seize the Pylon from the Helbrute as their strongest allies are refused a landing space.
And promptly fail to do anything worthy of note.
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| A typical sight, especially in 7th Edition... |
After failing to Breach the gate on turn one, Lucius charges into the arms of the waiting Lych Guard, whose 3++ saves prove to be a pain. Locked in combat, the two groups would get to know each other quite well...
The skies fill with fliers as the Dark Eldar's only air support delivers its Necrotoxin payload on the Necron Immortals, with disapointing results. Imperial gunships deliver punishing lascannon support.
On the left, Dark Eldar Haemonculus and his body guard deep strike with perfection and no scatter to bring 3 "poop" guns. Necron endurance is the only thing which saves them from total annihilation.
The Black Scoprions finally arrive, at the foot of the Ziggurat with an impressive display. And then Rottimus fails his charge roll (3"!), meaning assured pain in the next enemy shooting phase. A key point in the battle. Tears may or may not have been shed, cups of tea required.
The fight for the Ziggurat heats up as Ozzy gambles everything by teleporting in on the hotspot. As the rules for the portal borrow from the rules for Embarkation, he would have to endure a whole turn before being able to try and enter!
The Dark Eldar Scourges would provide more than a little help in this game, sniping with Dark Lances from afar, they proved yet again to be more reliable then the Ravager.
"Spare me from the destructive stupidity of Mon Keigh 'bravery'"Taking aim on the Power Conduit, the Shadow Sword "Last Duty" fired its Volcano Cannon. The Power Conduit, a control node keeping the planets geothermal discharge in balance shook from the hit that overloaded its many ancient defences. The Shadow Sword would fire two more times during the game, every attempt to stop it defeated by luck or by the Super Heavies sheer raw toughness.
- Heard from an Iybraesil Dire Avenger.
The 3rd shot, saw it kill its prey. The entire freaking planet.
Managing to roll on the Cataclysm table, Thomas gleefully revealed his Agenda was Duty, gaining him a +1 on the chart in his mission to destroy the gate by any means necessary. He rolled a 6. Meaning the planet would die, quickly and violently. A clock had been started and each turn from now on, everything there would take a strength 10 ap 2 hit. In hindsight, this was waaaay too much. But damn did it feel like the world was ending.
Half the boards figures disappeared as the crust opened and poured lava death across the battlefield. Grand Warlords and tanks were taken out scorched and blackened and entire unites were vaporised by sudden gusts of superheated air.
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Despite the chaos, the fighting continued. More Necrons deployed, though what was a populated board quickly got reduced to desperate heroics by survivors and new reinforcements.
The fighting between Lucius the Eternal and his opponents would come to an end as his "girlfriend" turned up to help.
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| Hey. Can you hear something? |
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| Another rules quandry. There would be sadly... several. Seriously, screw 7th. |
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| Obligatory butt shot. |
Within the Duat, the Deamon Queen tapped into the secrets there within, corrupting some of the ancient Prison for her master. Filling herself with the secrets of Necrodermis and Ctan solar energies.
However, before she could re-emerge as an angel of death, another angel of death ran in behind her.
No-one knows what happened within the Prison, as Brother Cyrus took on the one way trip, closing the Portal behind him. Trapped within with a dimension of danger and a raging Slanneshi daemon as his only partner, his fate would be another story...
Meanwhile, the planet breathed its last as entire continental tectonic plates split and ruptured. The surviving forces fled, many having their promised treasure denied, some wondering if the losses were worth it...
In the end, the Ziggurat was held by the Necron side, as was the other two objectives, winning an otherwise losing battle. Though the prison had been breached, the planet itself had been slain, and the Daemon which had managed to become something even worse, denied escape. For now.
An over-larged skeletal hand wrapped around the Cryptek's extended skull, gripping tightly, drawing the servent high. Overlord Hautsi regarded the squirming Cryptek as he forcibly scanned his coding. Lines of Necrontyr, calculations and script screamed across his vision, stopping as he found what he had expected.
"SO. YOU ARE ALLIED TO ANOTHER." He stated. Slamming the Cryptek against the sheer black wall. The wall cracked, but not as much as the Cryptek's skull. The mewling static informed him that he had broken his vocal emitter.
"ThE OtHErs, We, wE feaRed YouR IntEnTions."
The Overlord dropped the Cryptek, who clumped up like a toy mannequin.
"THE TRAZIAN DYNASTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN SLAVES TO GODS. GODS OF OLD LEAD US TO BETRAYAL. THE FAKE GODS LED US TO DAMNATION. THE NEW GODS I WILL FORGE WILL NOT. WE WILL WORSHIP THEM, AND THEY WILL DO OUR BIDDING."
The Overlord was pacing fists clenching, he was panting, more as an ancient habit then born of any need. The repair protocols on his face plate were malfunctioning, his death mask shifting from a skull to something more organic but at the same time infernal: Snarling and bestial.
"BuT WHy? Said the Cryptek, the blood red Anhk of the Dynasty now changed to that of his true allegiance, that of Sautek. "wE Don'T NeEd TheM!"
Hautsi crooned over the Cryptek, face inches away.
"BECAUSE THE NEW GODS WILL HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO UNDO. THE POWER TO BRING BACK WHAT WE LOST. WHAT WE TRULY SACRIFICED FOR THIS."
"OuR SOuls?" The Cryptek chuckled, green discharge like liquid lightning erupting from the cracks on his skull.
The Overlord came closer, eyes of balefire burning, the Cryptek, despite all of his immense knowledge of the technoarcana, could feel the rage, the insanity.
"NO. OUR CHILDREN."
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