The Vadinax Campaign is Goonhammer’s Global Crusade Campaign for Warhammer 40,000. Each week we’ll explore the major events taking place in the sector and talk about how players are shaping the ongoing story in the sector.
This past week was a bit of a crazy one, and so our update is going to be quick, talking about the local campaigns before we return to a more regular schedule this Wednesday with an update from the weekend’s games.
If you missed the most recent update before this, you can find it here.
+++ STATUS UPDATE: PERPLIOR +++
+++032823M03+++
Brothers, Sisters, and all disciples of the star gods, the time of ascension is near! This is Jex Yarum reporting on all things of the People’s Liberation Collective. This last weekend our prayers were answered and the star gods themselves descended to our world to deliver their kiss of truth personally. Praise be!
This last weekend, a massive campaign of all forces on Perplior commenced, coinciding with our star gods arrival! Mislead Imperial forces of the two-armed Emperor held off the forces of heretics assaulting their front lines. Imperial forces dug into their fortifications to keep their enemies out of the hives when all of the sudden an atmospheric calm surrounded the battlefields causing Xenos and Chaos forces to retreat. With great furry, the star gods made themselves known! Holy fire erupted bombarding the Imperials and brining the gods themselves to Perplior.
Round 1:
Xenos forces take the initiative and shatter defenses of the Two-Armed Emperor while expertly keeping heretic forces at bay. Foul Aeldari forces raid the supply lines of snipers alley and a star god swarm brings peace to the Space port of Transit Station Reprand. Evil demons of the warp manifest themselves around the orbital cannon to attempt to rain fire on enemy forces.
Round 2:
Xenos continue to keep the transit station from Chaos forces. Chaos does inflict heavy losses and destroys the landing pad!
Round 3:
Chaos takes control of the space station and are now masters of the skies and aerial insertions. Imperial forces target key Aeldari VIPs and cripple their command structure. Chaos and Imperial forces attempt to take the mountain fortress. Imperial forces had a short lived victory as Chaos forces swiftly destroy the just captured fortress.
Round 4:
Imperial Forces attempt to wrestle the transit station back from Xenos forces, but perfidious Chaos forces use the orbital canon to destroy the final landing pad in the transit station.
Chaos then scuttle the orbital canonto keep it out of Xenos hands. Imperial forces took advantage of the chaos to capture the spaceport.
Round 5:
As the Xenos and Chaos forces make their way to the outer sector of the politicus sector, Imperial forces are assaulted on two fronts. While spearheading into the politicus sector, Chaos and Xenos spend the same amount of effort in attacking each other. In the end Xenos forces manage to put a dent into both Chaos and Imperium forces. In the final battle, many Warmasters were fully killed, A bloodthirster was felled, and an Ork Warboss even stabbed in the back. A chilling end to this weekend campaign of violence.
== Reports From The Front ==
These are first hand reports from Players from the Weekend Narrative Event:
Da Boyz are Back in Perplior
Well Boyz, we’z put a hell of a hurtin on both da umiez and da spikey umiez on Perplior these past few weeks. But, nowz, pour out a wee bit of your fungus beer as I tellz ya da tale of how our old warboss, Groznik, was taken fromz us: Groznik led us across Perplior, raging through da Sniper’s Alley, Politicus sector, and other places. We rampaged thru all those areas and krumped all kinds of gitz: Red gitz, spiky gitz, fish gitz, and tough as nails gitz. But, our most recent and tragic battle was against Groznik’s nemesis, da GOLDEN GITZ. He had experience against them before and krumped em proppa, but these gitz brought along a mek bigger than a Squiggoth, along with all their golden Boyz on foot and bikes and whatnot. So, Groznik knew from experience that charging out headlong into these Golden Gitz would not be a great idea, so he called upon Mork for sum inspiration. Mork answered and said “wait behind those tall buildings, then jump out and krump em”. Groznik heeded these words, bidded his time, and once the time was right, let out a mighty WAAGH so loud that even the lowliest Grots had the courage to stand toe to toe with da golden Boyz Knight/mek thingy. Groznik led the charge on da right while Morrak led on the left. Da Boyz on da left wiped the ground with golden boy blood and it was GLORIOUS. But, on Groznik’s side, krumpin was abound. Our Boyz krumped the golden Boyz proppa good. But then, out of the golden Boyz ranks, a Blade Wizard or sumthin silly like that charged Groznik while he was yelling orders and killed our mighty Boss in one go. Then, like da cowards they are, the remaining golden boyz, even da big ass mek, left da field of battle due to the losses they had sustained. Some golden git in da back yelled “Retreat, it’s da best strategy to save our asses.” Or some nonsense like that. So Boyz, pour out a bit of your fungus beer in remembrance of Groznik GoldKruncha, Da Ravager of Perplior. -Told by Ozrog World Blitza, da new Boss.
Annihilations Edge:
The warning panel flashed, as technomancer Manaan worked feverishly to restore the engrammic imprinter onboard the Scorpion’s Sting. Striking and rearranging the photogeometric glyphs as fast as they rose up in protest. Correcting one error, as another arose to take its place. The glyphs faded out entirely.
It was no use. Pzerathara was gone, millennia of experience and knowledge reduced to slag by a Heavy Melta at their moment of triumph. He’d hurriedly called a retreat after realizing how heavily defended the last bastion of the human defenders had been. But it hadn’t been fast enough. The stuttering Chronomancer had died a final death, and found the oblivion their people had been denied for eons. Manaan involuntarily shivered at the thought.
Blendtekh hadn’t even heeded that order, returning to the mountains instead with his destroyers. The Skorpekh Lord had already faced some of the greatest foes that could be found in the sector, and his cult, much to the Technomancer’s chagrin, were becoming even more unhinged, more powerful, and more dangerous. Grinding offensives and lightning strikes over the past days had seen countless enemies butchered, thousands laid dead in their wake, carving a red river across the planet, until Manaan had bothered to steer them towards an actual meaningful target, decapitating the Imperial command on the planet once and for all.
In that, they’d failed. And the war only looked to drag on for the effort.
Manaan translocated to the Scorpion’s String’s deep holds, an extradimensional space deep within the superstructure of the cruiser, where he kept his personal lab, and the command deck for the Monolith, Doombringer. The living metal of the reliable battle fortress had already finished knitting itself back together, and diagnostics were showing green.
He instead went past monolith, past the tesseract holding the Swirling Doom, and over to another chamber yet dark, willing lights to pierce the darkness from circling scarabs. He reached out a hand, placing it on a massive metal appendage. A burst of flux energy erupted forth from his hand to begin the awakening process.
“I need you again, old friend. Awaken o guardian. Awaken o Atakitar. Nasaak once again requires your service.”
The air changed with the awakening, heat radiating forth. Coaxed back to life, ancient machineries whirred, mandibles clicked, and an array of massive eyes lit up far above. Turning downward with unquestioning regard, and a metallic, grating groan.
OSHA Rapid Enforcement Unit 703:
Incident Report Form
I am reporting a work related: [_] Injury [_] Illness [_] Warp Phenomena [X] Near Miss
Name: Krynn Eagleyre
Title: High-Kahl of Kinhost Oshareu, under the Ymyr League
Supervisor: The Ancients and/or the Votann themselves.
Have you told your supervisor about this incident? Yes. Fervently.
Name of Involved Person(s): Temerity Ansyr
Name of Witnesses: The Entire Kinhost, the surviving members of the Hounds of Alemannia 2nd Company, various civilians
Where, exactly, did it happen? Armoury Complex Iota-7, Plasma Generator Field
What were you doing at the time? Ascertaining the exact location of a reported phasing plasma generator leak involved in a previous overheating incident.
Describe step-by-step what led up to the incident?
At approximately 1730 the Kinhost made contact with Imperium forces while inspecting the plasma generators outside of the I7 armory complex on the surface of Perpilor. As usual, despite the great risk caused by improper inspection and maintenance of League equipment -many of the generators had been misappropriated or salvaged from the orbiting derelict colony ship – the presence of the Adeptus Astartes forces [des: Hounds of Alemannia] rather than the more familiar PDF escalated the situation. During tense negotiations with the opposition captain, Einhyr Temerity Ansyr somehow became aware of the situation despite precautions stemming from previous incidents with the Astartes and proceeded to exit the dropship unauthorized and make a direct line towards the presumed positions of the Opposition Force. Temerity continued to directly refuse all orders to stand down and was under the influence of drink (note: Unsurprising on both counts). Sensing a window of opportunity, Iron-Master Gusthav immediately ordered the deployment of forces via Hekaton/Sagitaur drop, and was able to leverage the distraction made by Temerity and protection from the Kin to complete proper certification of the generators, with generous contributions of elbow grease from our Ctonian guildsperson contingent. 20 minutes after initial engagement, a request was made via Teleport Crest for immediate boarding onto the dropship. Einhyr Temerity explained during the after action briefing that she had become trapped by the weight of ceramite armor piled lifelessly around her rendering her immobile. No further details were offered.
What can be done to prevent this incident in the future? Direct FM Gusthav to keep EC Temerity’s Teleport Crest signal permanently active and locked during surface missions for rapid-exfiltration, reinforce and secure officer class bulkhead during sensitive negotiation actions, presume that any and all interactions with Astartes forces are an inevitable hostility and approach as such.
Was a Medic seen for this incident? None required.
+++STATUS REPORT: TERN’S ENDEAVOR+++
+++032823M03+++
Storm-waves break over a shattered shore, twisted ferrocrete strewn with barnacles of bone and ceramite. Rain pours from the gutters of bastions and towers, new additions to the architecture carved by artillery and blade and mass-reactive shells. Lightning crackles from upset clouds, unruly ocean weather stoked to further indignation from the atmospheric disruption of low-orbit transport and fighter craft. At times, a boat – civilian craft or industrial transport hastily refitted for war, perhaps, or the ragged prayer-scrawled flotsam of the heretical masses that feed on the carrion left by aspirant warbands – passes closer to the ravaged citadel, disgorging its contents to scavenge these outworks, or to attend to higher business in the better-preserved interior.
But more than anything, Valern Citadel is silent. The amassed warbands of the heretic force have dispersed, glutted on their spoils and pursuing their own agendas, hungry for more of that triumph they so tasted, to outshine their rivals in achievement now that the shared goal has been won.
They are finding such spoils, in one way or another. Such is the way of war, either to unearth secrets long hidden in its thorough malice, or render them obsolete and ground to nothing under its heedless ferocity. And in Tearfall, as the Imperial defenders re-establish the long-range vox and scanning probe systems relocated from Valern, Inquisitor Aleris Mylenne reviews her data suites. Communications have been re-established, for now. She can only hope for a prudent response.
Discord in the Choir
The tech-priests of the Aeolian Choir are, it has become quite evident, not the most orthodox of the Machine God’s faithful, their so-called “Noesite” factional philosophy eager to ally with Xenos interests in the service of technological knowledge and experimentation that many would call outright heresy. Not that this puts them in allegiance with the powers of Chaos, of course – much the opposite, as Archenemy forces make landing at the Aeolian Choir, fallen Sororitas seeking out the promise of Aeldari souls or artifacts, servants of the Dark Mechanicum seeking to usurp control from their eccentric cousins.
However, those Aeldari – in their perfidious ways – did not see fit to give the attackers battle. Instead, in a twist of fate fortunate for those enigmatic seekers, the Chaos forces found themselves embroiled in battle against a T’au expeditionary force newly arrived to the world and perhaps interested in swaying the xenophile tech-priests away from their current allies. And if the Aeldari were then free to repel a force of Astartes sent to return orthodoxy to the forge, then, well, so much more the fortunate…
Marauders in the Eye
Long seen as a wretched hulk riddled with smugglers and villains, struggle for orbital advantage has seen forces looking to the Empty Eye as a valuable staging point and depot, with further near-volume assets ripe for the taking. Perhaps raiders and marauders are simply better-suited for fighting in the disjointed station’s landing bays and near-ruined hangars, or fortune has simply favored them; either way, Archenemy attempts to seize the station fully have only been frustrated by sudden piratical ork ambitions, as the greenskins have perhaps learned from the earlier fighting at Valern Citadel that the best scraps tend to be wherever they can get to grips with the forces of Chaos.
Secrets in the Endeavor
Other conflicts upon Tern’s Endeavor have been dispersed thus far, though there seems to be a new angle on the fighting, a new ambition for some of the forces striking at priority targets upon the planet. They are searching for things, perhaps, countless lines of intelligence pointing in a myriad of directions, but all promising treasure of hidden intelligence or glories to be won. Rumor spreads of archeotech caches hidden in the Graves, of secret ways of transportation concealed in smuggler claves in the Laiten Expanse.
The half-masked face Marquis of Lilies lounges in his tribute-shrine in Grand Kriosa, Inquisitor Aleris Mylenne paces the strategium of The Inviolate Sentence. There is a reason they have both come to Tern’s Endeavor, and they suspect that their counterpart knows it, as well.
It is only a matter of time before they are not the only ones who know.
+++STATUS REPORT: NOX VERITAS+++
+++0211023M03+++
The Agrifields are being taken back. After a long bout of no control Imperium forces have doubled their efforts to take the fields back. Chaos begins to lose ground.
The Moon sees additional fighting as chaos gains a foothold. Secrets will be unveiled as more factions vie for control.
The Tomb Of Saint Nilam saw fervent defense by the forces of Shrine Sanctuary Lucia. First from the forces of Chaos hoping to taint the hallowed ground, next from the Orks hoping to expand the Waagh Scrapyard South.
The d of Nox Veritas continues to hang in the balance...
+++STATUS REPORT: MORDRAX+++
++282743++
The explorations of the Grand Forces on the Ark Transport Gloriana have awoken a Warp Entity that was asleep deep within the craft’s inner chambers. It has taken control of the ship and is now steering the vessel back towards Mordrax Prime, while the various warring factions battle to defeat it. The weeks ahead will reveal if they can destroy this abomination before it reaches the planet.
On Aleph Proxima, forces from the Free Peoples and Battle Group Athena have narrowed down the destination of the Mysterious Signal to an abandoned listening post. Both armies had scattered out to better geolocate the transmission, but are now converging to battle for control of this remote base and reveal its secrets.
And back on the surface of Mordrax Prime, the Orphean 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Group have been trying to locate the Mordrax 27th PDF Battalion. While doing so, they made an unsettling discovery…
Castellan Argave looked up to the cupola of the Leman Russ beside him. “Anything?”
Murov peeled his eyes away from the binoculars and glanced down, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.
Argave frowned, squeezing the pommel of his chainsword and turning back to the men mustering behind the tanks. They had sallied out to this abandoned outpost, previously garrisoned by the Mordrax PDF, following the interception of a faint but previously undetected signal on Imperial vox-codes. Now they sat outside the small bastion, having spotted some movement. It was so cold they weren’t sure if what was blocking their view was drifting snow or industrial ash, but between the flurries the figures in the distance appeared to be Mechanicus servitors, just not transmitting on friendly channels.
He crouched down beside his infantry squad, looking into the eyes of the vox-man.
“Sergeant, hold your men here. Keep low. I need you to triangulate that signal. We need to know if it’s an auto-beacon or if there’s someone on the other end pressing the button. Understood?”
The guardsmen in front of him, all huddled behind one of the outer bunkers of the fort out of the bitter wind, nodded solemnly and saluted.
“Right, let’s go and see what these stupid robots want. Murov, get us moving.”
“Aye-aye!” The tank commander disappeared down into his turret and the tanks all began revving their engines from idle.
Argave grabbed onto the back handhold of his Chimera as the other infantrymen mounted up. “Maybe they can help boost the…”
He was interrupted by a scream over his vox-bead – “TAKE COVER!”
Balls of lightning and Grav-beams sparked across the fortress, hitting the lead tank of the column. Argave, having naturally ducked behind his transport at the shout, swung around to look out at what had swiftly become a battlefield. He saw a horde of tracked automatons swinging out with glowing weaponry firing at them. Reports quickly came in over the vox of bipedal robots lurching in the other direction.
“Contact.”
He held his breath.
“Solution.”
There was the ultrasonic ‘whump’ of a vanquisher shell firing at a target out of his sight, sucking the air from around them.
“Target down.”
Argave released his chest and sucked in air, shaking his head to clear it. Fox squad had already ducked behind the bunker, covering their vox operator. The other infantrymen were sitting ready in the Chimera, looking expectantly at him, or at least that’s what he assumed their faces were showing under the gas masks. He reached to the comm-bead in his ear and clicked it on.
“ALL UNITS, ENGAGE. Forwards for the Emperor!”
————
The battle was fierce, but thankfully short. A 10ft robot already lay smoking, a huge hole in its torso evidence of the vanquisher shell. The other robots had been harder to kill, cannon shells and explosive bolts glancing from a combination of their armour and reactive shielding. Lasguns had been ineffective against the heavily armoured tracked servitors that had initiated the battle, but Fox squad’s meltaguns had made short work of them at close range as they held the rearguard.
But as Commander Murov had rounded the far corner of the fortress to cover the infantry’s advance, he had spotted some small groups of humans attempting to disassemble the wreckage of one of the Sentinels that had charged into the fray. Murov peered through his viewscreen, trying to make out if they were friend or foe. He used his sleeve to wipe the caked dust from the screen and tried to enhance the view further, before the grim realisation came to him. The jerky movements and grafted tools revealed the figures as servitors, the tattered scraps of distinctive camouflage clothing and flak armor revealed something more sinister.
He gulped, not believing what he was seeing. He reached up to click open his vox bead on the command channel, and said to Argave “Boss, they might be fighting us but I found some of the PDF.”
The tank lurched, his driver jinking to avoid a melta-beam fired by one of the servitors.
“Murov, repeat last.”
“The servitors, they ARE the 27th!”
+++>END<+++
+++STATUS REPORT: AGRIPPA IV+++
+++032823M42+++
With the prison mutants escaping containment, small skirmishes have sprung up all over the planet. Some of these conflicts have resulted in some unlikely allies, with the calamity on a global scale seemingly unable to level out.
The forces of the 323rd Siege Regiment have taken the fight to the enemy, engaging the forces of World Eaters and their Khorne worshiping comrades the Rippers in both the Dunes and on the island of the Tyrant’s Claw. The recent uptick in Daemonic activity has also garnered the attention of the Grey Knights, who have sent a task force led by Grand Master Adontor to the planet.
The Tome Keepers have been busy, trying to figure out a way to stem the flow of mutants ravaging the planet, and have found the Citrine Syndicate in multiple sectors attempting to excavate the tunnels used by the mutants for their own nefarious purposes.
While sweeping some of the ruins in the Dunes of Excelsis for signs of mutant infestation, the Tome Keepers found themselves attacked on both sides by the forces of the Agrippan Rippers and the Citrine Syndicate, while suffering a loss of ground there were no fatalities for the Tome Keepers.
The reports of the Sorcerer Wiltman’s demise seem to have been wrong, as he has been spotted gleefully writing poems in the ruins of the Prison’s west bank, though his compatriot Lord Byleron has been lamented as a great loss to the Septet.
That wraps up our update this week but come back Wednesday for the next update.
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