Erebusia Unbound!
The shadows of Ulgu darkened into what passed as night, if such a thing existed in Duskhaven. Kaptain Mogrum, Weirdnob Shaman, stood in the ruins of the Wizard's Mansion with the scrimshawed bone in one hand and his totem-covered staff in the other. His steel skull-mask hid his face but his eyes were closed and he was lost in an internal struggle. Most of the crew waited on the floor below, kept out of earshot of the Kaptain by Sludga and Deadwood. Only a couple of deckhands were anywhere near him and they were only there to hold things for the boss.
The ritual was long and complex and any number of things could go wrong but the Shaman hadn't "learned" how to perform it... he sort of just... knew. Maybe it was the scrimshawed bone that put the knowledge in his head? Maybe it was the accumulated sorcerous energies swirling within the Dea Man's Chest?
Or maybe it was given to him by Gorkamorka? He liked that version best, so that was the one he was hanging on too. The others weirded him out too much.
The crew below deck started muttering a bit too loud about whether this was an abjuration or conjuration. Sludga slapped them about a bit to stop it becoming another fight.
~ 🕱 ~
As Snaplock Harald loaded his cannon, Bosun Higgs spotted something and wandered over to him. He asked "What are you using for grapeshot?"
"Just these shiney rune-things. I found a whole load of 'em when we stole them crates from the skyship dock in Wortbad. They don't look like real gold but they have sharp edges and they make a real mess of those Slayers!" said the Ogor with a deep laugh.
Higgs looked worried but he wasn't going to argue with the Ogor.
~ 🕱 ~
Mogrum held the Scrimshawed Bone aloft as wave upon wave of sorcerous energy poured out of it.
The Sunken Gate shimmered and the Hunters of Gloomfen spilled out.
Mistweaver Saih Laelanyel and Auric Runefather Aef-Grimnir approached from the opposite direction.
Harald's gun spoke and everyone jumped as the reported echoed through the dark streets. Black smoke curled into the Duskhaven mists.
The Hunters swept across the cobbles - two Thralls charged Lost Uzzog the Shaman and four Reavers headed for the rest of the crew. Arrows hailed into the walls of the house, one found its mark in Sludga's shoulder.
Seeing that he was already wounded yet still likely to be the toughest of the crew, the Namarti Reavers pounced on Sludga and finished him off.
Lost Uzzog was shocked that he survived the attack by two Gloomfen Namarti Thralls, but he managed to cast Gaze of Mork and incinerated two of them and wounded the Tidecaster!
The Cleavermaws were emboldened by Uzzog's power and lept into combat with the Hunters...
... and they cut down another Thrall.
The orruk pirates that had headed for the Shadowflames were less lucky and the Runefather smashed Dogwatch Fug to the ground.
The orruks in the Wizard's House cheered as...
... the Hunters of Gloomfen fled through the Sunken Gate.
The orruk pirates consolidated their position in the ruined house.
Mr Deadwood and his small group held out for a few minutes, their luck would not last long against that blade though.
Mogrum completed the first step of the ritual! Amethyst energies from Shyish coalesced around him.
The Mistweaver used a darkening flame of Ruin to strike down Ledger Nudd and Double Barrel!
The Sunken Gate shimmered again and three Fyreslayers emerged!
Throwing axes whizzed across the harbour and Oiler Tunn fell with a cry of indignation.
The Runefather smashed Deadwood to the cobbles.
Harald climbed down and fired on the Slayers as they rushed along the jetty.
Tark fell (again!) to the hail of glittering shrapnel.
The orruk pirates charged and clashed with the Fyreslayers in the shallow dark waters.
One after another the slayers fell to orrukish kutlasses. The orruks had cleared the burning Locus of Energy of enemies but Laelanyel still controlled the Dead Man's Chest!
And the crew hurried back to the house, mindful of their duties for once. They were excitable and raring for another fight.
Lost Uzzog hid in the dark of the Wizard's House, and sent searing blasts of green lightning out of the windows at the Runefather and the Mistweaver.
Harald fired another blast then charged through the powder smoke!
The crew cheered him as he lumbered forward.
But Aef-Grimnir was ready for him and swept his Latchkey Grandaxe low.
The Runefather and Mogrum hacked away at each-other but Mogrum managed to keep most of the thaumaturgic threads of the ritual in place.
The Cleavermaws arrived and piled-on the duardin....
The orruks overwhelmed the Runefather finally but it was a few moments too late!
The sapping of energies from the two loci by the aelves and the wounds the Shaman suffered combined to untether the feylines that Mogrum had gathered and woven together.
The clouds overhead roiled and twisted in on themselves. Magical energies started unravelling and a terrible rumbling sound started to build up, just beyond hearing....
~ 🕱 ~
This was The Ritual from White Dwarf (January 2019). Viktor and David were the Assassins with 200 points each, and I had 400 points. We changed the rules slightly, instead of rolling a D6 to complete the Ritual each turn we decided that it could not be completed in the first three turns. Each successful roll would add an amethyst crystal to Mogrum, each of which would add +1 to the Ritual roll at the end of turn 4.
It came down to Mogrum needing a 5+ at the very end of the last turn and I rolled a 4. Viktor had caused more than 3 wounds on the Shaman so he scored a Minor Victory!
Viktor's side of this tale is
here.
This was the penultimate game of the campaign - so there is only one game left! We want to get all four of us playing in that one.
