Shadows of Commorragh - part 26, game 6

Spiralling Down

"Oh little one, do not despair, Lady Anielyn's rage was not aimed at the Bleaksouls. Lady Anielyn's rage was not aimed at all in fact. The flames of her vexation were shared wide and far and engulfed many and most who dared come near her at this time.

But the Bleaksouls did suffer; they were cast into that fire and burned. The Lady Anielyn told them they may no longer count on her patronage. So, in desperation, they tried to harvest the soul-energy released from the Sorrowshards by Excrucia's resurrection.

But I have said before: My stories do not oft have a happy resolution. It is not so, nor was it ever so.

The Sorrowshards were in turmoil. The paradoxical energies contained within them was ever on a knife-edge but since Excrucia's kin had used it in desperation and without the proper ritual preparation it had become unstable and dangerous. Standing on the dais was become dangerous, but some may think the risk worthwhile.

Lakbyrn, Ravneth and Morghdrax stepped out of the Webway Portal, and clung to the shadows. They looked about themselves, wary that others may have similar hopes. But unaware that they were expected, anticipated.

Mazrayth the Shards' Sniper and Idarax their Comms Wych watched them calmly from the roof of the ruin. They tracked the Bleaksouls through crystal sights.

Ravneth and Lakbyrn risked the Sorrowshards, but it was a Dark Lance shot that felled the Bleaksouls' Scout, not the tumultuous soul-energies!

The other Bleaksouls ranged out of sight, in the lee of the dais.

Hekatrix Kaerathir stood in the viridian gloom, and watched them cower.

Zendril the Sslyth and Des'rashi the Wych joined their leader.

Morghdrax unwisely stepped out of cover and the Dark Lance punished him.

The other Bleaksouls raged and fired at the Shards as they charged into combat with them.

Blades flashed in the emerald twilight and the combatants span and danced about one another. The fighters leapt and slashed and parried and lunged. The duel moved up the stairs and into the vortex of the Sorrowshards.

Yariaq tried to use a Webway Portal to ambush the Shards' sniper but he became lost in the labyrinthine sub-dimensions and found himself emerged from the wrong egress point.

The Dark Lancer wracked up a fearsome tally of kills.

Jaenis made it to the ruins where the sniper lurked but when she heard the scream as Bahreneq was impaled by the Sslyth she and the other Bleaksouls realised the day was lost and the slunk from the battlefield with curses on their lips.

~ 🝁 ~

Mission: Escalating Conflict (from Elites). This game was hard on the Bleaksouls. Very hard. David's Sniper/Comms combo, armed with a Dark Lance, destroyed everything that appeared in it's scope! David scored 3 soul points and secured the objective. I didn't get any kills so it was a very convincing victory for David!

David's version of this adventure is here.

Soul Points (for the campaign):

The Bleaksouls 16

The Shards 8

The Void Phoenixes 4

Shadows of Commorragh - part 25, game 5

Make them talk!

"Good morning little one, how did you sleep? Are you ready for another chapter of my tale?

Lady Anielyn was displeased, yes so she was. She needed more information about Drachon Daisan's schemes and plots so she ordered the Bleaksouls to capture members of the rival gang and question them sharply, and their stories might be used to barter for their lives.

And so the Bleaksouls ventured out into the darkening streets, near the base of the Obsidian Spire, not far from the River Khaïdes. The stolen suns were lost among the angular towers of the Dark City's trading districts overhead.

They felt no fear there. They were not afraid. It is not so, nor was it ever so. For their enemy was bloodied and cowed, fleeing from their ferocity. They were full of swagger and self confidence.

Fire from a grav weapon platform stabbed out into the shadows. Yariq leapt easily out of the scorching crimson beam's path. He loosed a few splinter pistol shots in return, aimed vaguely at the Ynnari carrying a flamer.

The Shards brought a new friend with them; Zendril the Sslyth.

Mazrayth, the Shards' Kabilite Gunner and Sniper, fired his Dark Lance at Morghdrax. He thought he hit his target but the Bleaksouls' Hekatrix escaped with just singed hair.

Fachean fired at Yariaq, but they missed once more.

The Bleaksouls sprinted through the cerulean gloom, baying like maddened dogs. Taunting their foes.

Lakbyrn the Parched stepped through a shimmering webway portal...

... and traversed most of the plaza in but a single step.

The Void Phoenixes thought they had him trapped. The Parched hunched his long, hooded cape around his withered frame, looked around furtively...

...then hurried into the darkness beneath the broken walkway.

Bahreneq, Ravneth and Jaenis lurked behind a Cauldron of Souls.

Mazrayth aimed his Dark Lance while the other Shards moved into position.

Zendril the Sslyth and& Derash the Wytch Fighter moved through the Shrine of Khaine.

Mazrayth fired his Dark Lance at Morghdrax but missed.

Excrucia charged Morghdrax. Blades sang in the dark and Excrucia's Banshee howl stunned the Hekatrix.

Zendril and Derash charged Excrucia!

Bahreneq moved into the ruins overlooking the Sorrowshards.

Ravneth and Jaenis fired on Thresyn, the Storm Guardian Gunner with a Flamer. They were wary of it's wicked flames.

A bitter combat developed as the warbands closed in on their targets.

Hekatrix Kaerathir moved toward Excrucia and Morghdrax.

The Void Phoenixes realised that the fight was quickly going to turn against them. Though a decisive strike from Morghdrax failed to get through her armour.

Lakbyrn appeared from the darkness beneath the walkway.

Lakbyrn's dagger flashed in the twilight and Excrucia fell! 

Shouts echoed across the ruined streets.

Uless was wounded...

...and she fled to the safety of the Sorrowshards, dragging Excrucia with her.

Uless called her kin back.

Halt’har the Guardian Defender fell back to the Phoenixes.

Bhanlhar laid down covering fire with his grav-platform weapon.

Mazrayth's Dark Lance floored Uless!

The Shards celebrated the kill.

Morghdrax was laid low by Zendril the Sslyth.

Lakbryn impaled Derashi.

Zendril turned on Lakbryn, thirsting for the souls he had claimed!

Hekatrix Kaerathir was rounded-on by Ravneth, Jaenis and Bahreneq!

Yariaq crept out of the shadows for the first time. He hoped no-one would notice his temerity.

Zendril the Sslyth was wounded by Lakbyrn, and the Parched managed to survive her counter-attack by shear blind chance!

Bhanlhar was sniped by Mazrayth, ending the barrage of fire.

The day grew short and the cries of the wounded and dying began to attract even more unsavoury attention. As the warbands withdrew into the night a strange light burst from the Sorrowshards and needled up into the air. A thousand discorporate voices howled, shaking the withered souls of all who heard. The Bleaksouls looked up at the ominous illumination and marvelled at it, even as it faded.

~ 🝁 ~

But don't go yet, little one! My tale is nearly done, there are but two chapters left. You would not like to miss the end."

~ 🜑 ~

The mission for this game was "Take Prisoners". There were 3VP for each captured enemy Leader and 1VP for each captured enemy non-leader. But a model was only "captured" if it was taken Out of Action while there were no friendly models within 2" and there was an enemy model within 1". As a result of this surprisingly tight set of scoring conditions nobody got any VP!

Soul Points (for the campaign):

The Bleaksouls 16

The Void Phoenixes 4
The Shards 5

Viktor's version of this tale is here, and David's is here.