Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

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Jye Nicolson
Legend
Posts: 1852
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:04 pm

Re: Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

Post by Jye Nicolson » Sun Oct 11, 2020 2:35 pm

"May I beg leave to speak freely, my Lord?" Lytanus stared deeply into the giant block of ice over which the Scythes watched, not so much afraid that the armoured form frozen within would overhear, as it would move.

"Beg as you please, Sergeant, though it will not move me one way or t'other. Your deeds here have earned you the right to be frank." Mirhen, conversely, kept his back to the Fenrisian nightmare. Lytanus wondered if his Captain had ever known fear; perhaps passing through the gauntlet of battle with the Skorpekh Lord so often gave him such courage.

"We have fought hard on behalf of the Master Inquisitor, and our armour has caught many blows intended to cut short her life. I do not question the righteousness of her Crusade, and I relish the chance to strike down the alien and the heretic, but..." He hesitated a moment, looking at the impassive, barely mobile forms of his squad as they stood their vigil over the Wolves' Ancient. He wished to have no secrets from them, but could not help but wait for Mirhen's nodded assent to continue. "When we stand guard while the Inquisitor, the Wolves and the Sororitas hold a victory feast to which no man is welcome, even..."

"Even `Uncle Murderfang`!" laughed the Captain. "Is this what Grimnar had in mind when he entrusted so many of his problems to the Master Inquisitor?" His question rhetorical, he gestured to Lytanus to continue once more.

"At such a time one must wonder how the interests of the...Scythes are served. The Wolves write their sagas in Xenos blood, the Sisters seek only the incense of the burining heretic, but for us this battle is work and a wage should be paid."

The jovial tone in Mirhen's voice died, and his response sounded if it was carved in stone. "I swear, Lytanus, on the iron of my blood, I will answer in full, afore we leave this chamber. But I bid thee wait."

And so they stood in silence for half a rotation of the world below.

The silence was broken by armoured feet in the corridor, though not the deceptively undisciplined cadence of the ever-stalking Wolves. Squad Lytanus readied their weapons with due dilligence but did not in truth expect to fire, for the footfalls were those of their brothers. Two men entered the frigid chamber, and the readied weapons were lowered and salutes offered to the officers. They in turn offered salutes to Mirhen, to whom their fealty was pledged.

"Ser Gorhaged, Apothecary Gerlach. Lytanus and his squad will accompany you on your quest, having proved their valour and discretion a hundredfold."

"As you command, my Lord." Dysus Gorhaged looked if anything somewhat intimidated to being assigned such veteran troops, elevated with so little experience to the rank of Lieutenant for some 'great service' - one Lytanus would hazard was rendered in the library. Still, he was a Scythe, and blood would tell.

"If they are sturdy enough, My Lord. I will carry as many of the old sins as I can, but there will be too many for the burden to go unshared." Conversely Apothecary was a young man grown old very fast indeed, his head more scar than skin by now, and Lytanus had heard that more than once he had been obliged to be surgeon for himself on the battlefield.

"I will send you my sturdiest, Osrak and Aximov alongside Lytanus." Mirhen drew his sword and thrust the tip down into the floor, grasping its hilt as if in oath. "Lytanus, I draw back the first veil. Know that I am the Master of Rites, and that I am called to these hallowed fields of slaughter for my most sacred rite and duty. It is our burden and privilege to bear the legacy and expiate the sins of our genefathers, to make good the debts to those they wronged. The vortex of destruction unleashed here is but an echo of the apocalyptic fury of the Wars of Angels once fought beneath our very feet, and of the countless fallen, after endless years some few still bear the greatest gift a Space Marine has to give."

Mirhen looked down to meet the sergeant's eyes, and Lytanus felt awed to see the iron in the soul of a man he had loved and obeyed, but perhaps not sufficiently respected.

"That is the coin in which Tara pays, Lytanus. And you will see that Gerlach collects."


* * *

OOC: There's a new agenda for Marines that gives +1 RP if an Apothecary collects geneseed from a marker by taking an action, and I *really, really* want to make it a thing. Luckily Dave already painted an Apothecary for the Scythes, I just need to do a quick rebase!

Jye Nicolson
Legend
Posts: 1852
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:04 pm

Re: Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

Post by Jye Nicolson » Mon Oct 12, 2020 6:44 am

Also just for clarity:

- Updated Fists with new costs
- Removed Chapter Master from Mirhen, he can't get it the way he originally got it, and while he'd technically qualify for the new way it's not worth the hassle. Instead I changed one of the upgrades he got at the end of my last game to Master of Rites because it's cool and Wolves can't get it anyway.
- Removed Veteran Intercessors from the Wolves Intercessors; I'm otherwise leaving the Daughters alone until the supplement comes out but the VI strategy is no longer a thing and I definitely do not want to convert my Troops to Elites.

Jye Nicolson
Legend
Posts: 1852
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:04 pm

Re: Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

Post by Jye Nicolson » Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:18 pm

Updated:

- Capacity I never used cycled into character requisitions instead (not currently unused, literally written down after last games but not touched for any purpose)
- Dropped many units to make room for new ones
- No other changes needed to account for Space Wolves book. Geiravor's Warlord trait is significantly changed and not nearly as good as it was but it has the same name and she may as well keep it

Jye Nicolson
Legend
Posts: 1852
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:04 pm

Re: Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

Post by Jye Nicolson » Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:50 pm

"Why" asked the Master Inquisitor rhetorically as she stared right past the approaching Sororitas flagship at the blossoming lights of battle on Okharium below "is a High Lord of Terra muscling her way into my Crusade?"

"Because I invited her, naturally." Even leaning against one of the orate pillars of Tara's chambers, the Wolf Priest loomed above the Inquisitor. Sangrior and Geiravor oft compared Sigrun to a crow with her long black hair and fondness for black robes; self-possessed as she was, Tara couldn't help but feel like a tiny songbird in that analogy.

"You, a walking heresy, an associate of xenos, Wolf Time cultists and at least one deeply suspicious Inquisitor, you are an acquaintance of the Abbess Sanctorum?" Her perfect composure was cracking at last, and Russ' daughter could not help but smile at her discomfort.

"I am gifting her with a treasure she held unawares. I saw a saga in the making."


* * *

"Himiko Immacea, approach, and bring a Sister you trust."

The High Lord was no greater in stature than the Sisters who stood awed in her presence; her armour was ornate, even holy, but no larger than their own. Yet such was the weight of her purpose that they, who of late had consorted with the giants of Fenris, felt like children before her.

Himiko, who had borne her icon stoically through the hells of the Obolis subsector, tried not to scurry. A half nod was enough to have Suiko, one of Saberine's Battle Sisters and the one who ever listened most attentively to her tales, follow at her heels. They gathered their wits as they passed the assembled ranks of the Orders of the Sanguine Halo, past Hypatia, Jeanne and the other Canonesses, and knelt before Abbess Vahl, their eyes downcast.

Himiko felt the High Lord's strength as she took the icon from her grasp and passed it to the startled Suiko. She did not know what to feel as Vahl pushed back her hood and raised her chin to lock eyes.

"Child" and though the Abbess was certainly the younger of the two women, she spoke with an authority as old as the Imperium itself "I have been appraised of your invincible will, of the steadfast service you have rendered your Sisters, that through telling the tales of the Saints that have come before us, you have inspired them to that same invincible faith. Yet such a task, noble as it is, does not befit the glorious purpose that the Emperor gives you. Rise, Palatine Himiko Immacea."

The new Palatine stood smoothly, her limbs given strength through His Divine Grace, though she found herself bereft of words. Vahl gestured, and attendants brought forward relics upon velvet cushions, which she bestowed upon Himiko.

A Rosarius, the very symbol of the Emperor's protection that had catalysed the birth of the Sorroritas.

A plasma pistol, a blessed vessel of His wrath.

And a sword, clearly once immaculate and splendid, but pitted and stained as if by the corrosive blood of some fell beast of the Warp.

"This sword" Vahl closed Himiko's grip around its hilt with both hands "predates anything within my own regalia. It is yours to reforge through the glory of your deeds."

And thus began the second life of Himiko Immacea, who would in time be known amongst the ranks of the Living Saints. It would not be the last time she was reborn.

Jye Nicolson
Legend
Posts: 1852
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:04 pm

Re: Crusade Campaign: The Taran Heresy

Post by Jye Nicolson » Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:54 pm

Updates:

- Finally added in a ton of stuff from TTS games etc
- Some minor changes from Codex: Adeptus Sororitas (PLs etc). Changed the loadouts of most of the Sister Superiors as they can't take combi weapons and inferno pistols anymore so their old loadouts were illegal.
- Dropped the Imagifier and replaced her with a Palatine with the same warlord trait and relic, who is now the campaign's Saint Potentia.
- Dropped a bunch of other (low XP) units to make room for new stuff from the Codex.

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