The Conclave

The Ordos Majoris - Hobby, Painting and Modelling => In the Field => Topic started by: Molotov on August 13, 2009, 01:50:07 PM

Title: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 13, 2009, 01:50:07 PM

Hey guys, this section says that it's for battle reports but also for campaigns. As a result I wanted to share some of the progress I've made towards the INQ28 campaign we're going to be running (probably over the winter).

I've been working on a small campaign setting based (to a degree) on the studio's world of Karis Cephalon. I liked the setup of Karis Cephalon, with the mixture of farming, mining, industry and cities. As a result, I wanted to create a similar world, which I've named "Nova Castille" after one of the hives on Ichar IV. (I thought it was too good a name to waste on a hive!) A civilised world with farms and mines, a slave underclass with a elite of landowners (the only ones allowed to vote).

However, Nova Castille isn't going to be a complete rip-off of Karis Cephalon; I've also taken some influence from the various Dark Heresy sourcebooks, along with the Cirian Legacy campaignbook.

To kickstart my players and the Inquisitors involved with Karis Cephalon, I've created this document:

Quote

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

REF: Inq/VVSOP2123/NC
AUTHOR: Inquisitor Rixx
SUBJECT: Nova Castille - An Overview

>>ATTACHED PLANETARY DATA DOWNLOAD<<
>>TRANSMITTING<<
>>RECEIVED<<

Planet: Nova Castille
Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 0.995
Orbit: 0.97
Rotation: 0.94
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 1.12
Satellites: 1
Planetary Capital: Cantium

Founding
Nova Castille was originally settled during the Golden Age and was rediscovered during the Great Crusade, c.350.M30 by the Blood Angels Legion.

Notable Historic Events
:: Until the late 33rd Millennium, Nova Castille was ruled by a Monarchy. A popular revolt led by trade and farming leaders and aided by much of the planetary defence forces overthrew the ruling elite and established a semi-democratic process. The Planetary Governor is now an elected official voted for by the ruling elite. This electorate is formed by farm and mine owners – those with economic influence gain political influence. The new regime was officially recognised by the Adeptus Terra in 881.M33.

Features
:: Nova Castille has a mix of agricultural and industrial economy, and is largely self-sufficient. Individual wealth is based upon slave labour for the majority, and most of the people on Nova Castille are either members of - or work for – one of the large merchant families that hold most of the planet’s wealth. The Ecclesiarchy does maintain its own independent holdings on the planet, however.

:: Nova Castille possesses a large mutant population which forms a slave labour force for the planetary economy. Local laws segregate such slaves, and they have no legal rights. There have been several abortive slave revolts in the planet's history but none have seriously threatened the power of the ruling classes.

:: The trade cartel known as the Lazarine syndicate has a number of holdings on Nova Castille, including the opulent Carnivora in the midst of Cantium known as the ‘Red Circus’, along with a number of insignificant mining facilities.

Past Inquisitorial Involvement
:: See separate sub-files on Slave Trading, Licensed Mutants. No reported investigations within the last fifty years.

Unsubstantiated Data
:: The family of the current Imperial Commander has been investigated several times over the last three centuries for connection with diabolic cults, irregular practices and possession of unholy artefacts and materials. No conclusive proof was discovered in all cases.

:: Portents in the warp have led many seers of the Inquisition to suggest Nova Castille is located at the centre of an astrological convergence that will last for several years and narrow the gap between real space and warp space, allowing daemons and other entities to break through more easily.

:: Nova Castille is believed to host numerous Dark Age Technologies, including a weapon known as the Angel [ref: Codices of Alurha, Vol.5: 'The Angel of Destruction was brought forth and the light of death razed the sinful city to ruins.'] Excavations across the planet have found little evidence to support this fanciful tale.

:: Whilst the ruling elite is keen to protect its economic interests through mutant labour, it appears that elements do exist on Nova Castille are anti-mutant, launching extended campaigns of violence against the mutant ghettos. This mysterious organisation goes by the name of “The Eagle’s Claws”.

:: The criminal cartel known as the White Snake dominates the sub-sector, distributing a dangerous narcotic known as ‘haze’. Past investigations [see files 22357/A & 96238/E] seem to promote the theory that ‘haze’ is derived from an ore that originates from Nova Castille, but this has never been proven.

:: Farmers from the lowland farming region of Deepsuth have reported a spate of bizarre Grox mutilations.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The "Unsubstantiated Data" section effectively provides a number of leads for the Inquisitors to investigate, and it will determine how they interact with eachother. There are a number of other groups on Nova Castille, some of which will be immediately obvious to the players, but some of which are content to operate behind the scenes. The Mutant Rebels, the Eagles' Claws, the White Snake Cartel and the Lazarine Syndicate are just a few of the dangerous individuals on Nova Castille.

In the next post I'll introduce the four Inquisitors who will begin our campaign.  

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 13, 2009, 02:17:54 PM

Inquisitor Adorno: (Ordo Malleus, Radical)
Adorno is a (relatively) young and foolhardy radical Daemonhunter whose philosophical leanings would likely ally him with the Xanthites. Adorno has devoted his Inquisitorial career to mastering the dark arts of sorcery through a combination of forbidden lore, dangerous experimentation and focused willpower. Early in his career, he summoned a daemon from the warp with the intent of interrogating it for knowledge. His rash desire for dark knowledge forced him to make his greatest mistake - the daemon was able to break through the improperly-inscribed wards, possessing the Inquisitor and attempting to devour his soul.

After a tumultuous struggle, Adorno was able to force the daemon from his body, though the experience scarred him physically and mentally. Loath to let the daemon go, he bound it into one of his few surviving servants, creating the Daemonhost Seraphael. Adorno has attempted to divine what information he can from it over the years.

Obsessed, driven and intelligent, Adorno has resolved to learn from his earliest mistakes, researching carefully to ensure that he can avoid the pitfalls that so often destroy lesser practioners of the malefic arts. Yet his own arrogance will inevitably be his undoing.

As yet, Adorno's radicalism is not widely known, and he has worked hard to ensure that remains the case. He considers his retinue ultimately expendable instruments of his will. He has come to Nova Castille after receiving information that the planet contains dark knowledge that can be turned to his benefit.


Inquisitor Balthier (Ordo Hereticus, Puritan)
Alaric Balthier is an Amalathian Inquisitor, dedicated to preserving the Imperium so that the Emperor may be afforded the ability to bring His plans to completion. A member of the Ordo Hereticus, Balthier has brought several high-profile cults to account for their heresies. Balthier is also infamous for prosecuting his fellow Inquisitors for their actions. This has led some Inquisitors to be wary around Balthier; his supporters claim that only those with something to hide should be afraid of his methods.

Balthier has been ordered to Nova Castille by his masters, who have ordered him to investigate the apparently insignificant world for corruption. Balthier has been forced to place his own investigations on hold, and considers his task a nuisance.

Inquisitor Hoth (Ordo Xenos, Motivations UNCLEAR)
Villem Hoth is an Inquisitor with a great many tales to tell. As an Interrogator he was apprenticed to an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus. Hoth discovered his master was communing with daemons and called in the Ordo - and the Grey Knights. Hoth endured severe interrogation and investigation to prove his purity after his master was executed for his heresies. However, the only Inquisitor who would take on the Interrogator was a member of the Ordo Xenos.

A morally complex man, Hoth has always maintained that the Inquisition needs thinking men, and not fanatics. He has little time for politicking, which has impeded his rise through the Inquisition - perhaps even more than his association with a reviled heretic. As a Daemonhunter, Hoth would likely be classed as a rabid puritan. As a member of the Ordo Xenos, his views are more lenient; he has had dealings with aliens before, and expresses opinions that might be considered radical by some within the Ordo.


Inquisitor Ferox (Ordo UNKNOWN, Motivations UNKNOWN)
+++INFORMATION CORRUPTED+++

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Sideros Peltarion on August 13, 2009, 03:44:19 PM

Looks like a good starter pack there, with lots of different routes that Inquisitors can take their investigations.  How much of it was from the studio's stuff on Karis Cephalon? Were the factions your own idea or theirs?

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on August 13, 2009, 05:09:58 PM

Sounds like it's got some potential as a campaign.

However, I have a couple of points on the numbers. I know you've mostly copied them from Karis Cephalon (other than a change in equatorial diameter), but GW made some mistakes with them.

Quote

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Orbit: 1.24

The KM distance is pretty much bang on 1 AU (149,598,000 km), so 1.24 doesn't agree with that - of course assuming AU are being used, but these figures are generally considered comparative to Terra.

Quote

Mass: 1.02
Rotation: 1.45
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 1.12

For this mass, diameter and rotation*, gravity should be 0.995. (It's also wrong if you use the original 10,900 km figure, when it should be 1.39 - but a planet that small and of that mass would be quite a dense planet, at 63% more than earth). Again, with the caveat that it's comparative to Earth.

*Although the effects of rotation on gravity are very minimal, minor effects of "centrifugal force"**
** Yes, I know "centrifugal force" doesn't truly exist, but when considering inertial effects on a rotational reference frame, you need to consider that one does.

It's not important details, but it doesn't hurt to get them right.
I'll admit to having a spreadsheet that works these things out for me automatically - throw in the numbers, then get back planet gravity, gravity lapse rate at the ground and average planet density. I keep meaning to add something to figure what the atmospheric pressure would be as well, but that's probably me being over pedantic.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 13, 2009, 11:19:45 PM

Marco, thanks for your input. To a degree I guess I regarded the numbers as little more than flavour text that I know my players will ignore and/or forget. Still, I understand the desirability of authenticity, so I aprpeciate the response.

My understanding is that you're suggesting that a Castillian year be closer to a Terran year - as Nova Castille is closer to its sun, the year would be correspondingly shorter? I could change it to something like 0.97?

I'll change the gravity to your suggested figure.

@ Sideros Peltarion: It's a bit of an eclectic mix. The various factions are my invention, for the most part. The White Snake Cartel is based on the Red Serpent from the Cirian Legacy. The mutants are perhaps the only faction from the Karis Cephalon campaign - it's more the details of the planet itself that are taken and altered (badly, apparently!) that are duplicated.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Adlan on August 14, 2009, 10:31:51 AM

Quote

** Yes, I know "centrifugal force" doesn't truly exist, but when considering inertial effects on a rotational reference frame, you need to consider that one does.

Marco: http://xkcd.com/123/ (http://xkcd.com/123/)

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on August 14, 2009, 03:44:30 PM

Quote from: Molotov on August 13, 2009, 11:19:45 PM

My understanding is that you're suggesting that a Castillian year be closer to a Terran year - as Nova Castille is closer to its sun, the year would be correspondingly shorter? I could change it to something like 0.97?

It does depend on the solar mass, but Kepler's 3rd law defines the square of the orbital period as proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the orbit, a necessity in order to orbit - rather than float off or slowly spiral into the sun.

If Nova Castille's sun has the same mass as ours, its year would be around 351 Terran days.
Of course, if it has a sun of a different mass, then its year would vary appropriately. Heavier suns would demand shorter years, and lighter suns longer ones.

However, messing with solar mass/orbital distance would also change planetary temperature. If Nova Castille's climate can be considered reasonably similar to Earth's then its year should be of a length a little less than 365 Terran days. (In Nova Castillian days, expect a year of 500-520 NC days.)

But don't feel too forced to be too precise on that one. Climate is affected by planetary albedo and atmospheric thickness, so the length of a year can move a reasonable distance due to changes in the solar mass - provided they have been compensated for by the planet's "reflectivity" and atmospheric makeup in order to keep the climate habitable.

Also, I should note that you altered the planetary mass, not the planetary gravity.

~~~~~

@Adlan: Like I said, when considering inertial effects on a rotating reference frame. In an inertial reference frame (what the universe as a whole is), it doesn't exist.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 14, 2009, 04:07:23 PM

Okay... I suppose the bright side of this is that it lets me learn more stuff!

I'm working on the assumption that Nova Castille is earth-like, with a sun (and a climate) essentially similar to ours. If you say that a Castillian year of ~500 days is the same as a Terran year of 365, does that mean that a day would be 17.5 hours long? (365 x 24 = 8760 ÷ 500 = 17.52)

These sorts of things aren't really my strongpoint, though I'm keen to understand more.

My mistake on the mass/gravity - So we have something like this...?

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 (?)
Orbit: 1.24 (?)
Rotation: 1.45 (?)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Gravity: 0.995
Satellites: 1
~~~~~

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on August 14, 2009, 04:44:57 PM

Quote from: Molotov on August 14, 2009, 04:07:23 PM

If you say that a Castillian year of ~500 days is the same as a Terran year of 365, does that mean that a day would be 17.5 hours long? (365 x 24 = 8760 ÷ 500 = 17.52)

I've taken "Rotation: 1.45" to mean it rotates 45% faster than Earth, which gives it days of what would in Terran terms be 16 hours 33 minutes. (24/1.45 = 16.55 hours)
The equivalence was for a ~350 Terran Day year = ~510 NC Days.

Presumably they'd have a more practical local time system that doesn't use 16' 33" days. Conveniently, that's 993 minutes, so let's say they use a slightly different minute to get to 1000 minutes, then have 50 or 100 minute "hours" (for 20 or 10 per day, respectively). NC seconds would be thus 0.7% shorter than Terran ones. Nothing notable for normal use, but I assume they would have to convert from NC units to Imperial standard for anything scientific or precise data being sent off planet.

~~~~~

With a star that precisely resembles our sun (anything in bold is an "Input" that was used to calculate the other numbers.)

Quote

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 Terran Masses
Orbit: 0.963 Terran Years (351.8 Terran days, 510.1 NC Days)
Rotation: 1.45 (16 Hour 33 minute day)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Average Planetary Density: 5425 kg/cubic metre (0.98 relative)
Gravity: 0.995 Terran g (9.77 m/s/s)

All of those numbers relate to each other appropriately.

With the Earth's atmosphere and albedo, the planet would have a fractionally hotter climate than Earth because of its closer proximity to its star, but not noticeably.

If you'd like to mix it up slightly so the star isn't a direct clone of the sun, at 1.05 Solar masses, the orbital period becomes as follows: 343.3 Terran Days, 497.8 NC Days, 0.940 Terran Years
Planetary climate could still be close enough to Earth-like that you wouldn't notice.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 14, 2009, 05:13:21 PM

Thanks for this - I definitely appreciate the input. I'm not sure I want days that are that short, though - perhaps if we had a roughly twenty-hour day (by Earth standards) - how would that work out? What would the figures have to be changed to?

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Simeon Blackstar on August 14, 2009, 05:47:12 PM

All this stuff is pretty interesting, but I have to admit the physics is going over my head without knowing the equations.  Would it be possible to put them into an Excel spreadsheet that people could input key values into and get the appropriate other results?  It strikes me that that could be quite a useful tool for world building.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on August 14, 2009, 06:22:27 PM

@Simeon Blackstar: It is all in an Excel spreadsheet. It's a damned messy Excel sheet, as is my norm, but I've got it all there so I can just throw the right numbers at it.

I need to neaten it up and make it a bit more intuitive before I release it, but sure.

~~~~~

@ Molotov: For a 20 hour day, rotation would be 1.2 - Gravity is very minorly effected, but it's beyond the 3rd significant figure.
To randomise it a bit, we'll call it Rotation 1.21 - so 19 hour, 50 minute days or 1190 minutes (so perhaps 1200 NC minutes to a day).

Year would change to (depending on the mass of the star...)
1 Solar Mass: 425.7 NC Days
1.05 Solar Masses: 415.4 NC Days

Relative Terran year lengths are unaffected.

~~~~~

Actually on that note, if you think at the trouble with jet-lag on Earth, imagine what transfer between planets of different day lengths would do to you (and not even including the mess of actually travelling there).

And more unrelated, but still interesting, I briefly mentioned the complexity of ballistics between different planets in an RP on the last 'Clave. Different planetary gravity or spin would make long range shooting no simple task.

I'm enough of a geek that the trajectory calculator I'm working on can be programmed to accept planets other than Earth. It will obviously never see genuine use for those purposes, but it's kind of fun that it can.

So, you've got to wonder how much of a Vindicare's training would need to go into learning how to shoot accurately at long range (for these effects are only really notable at greater distances) even when the planet changes. It would take serious study, intelligence and experience to be a masterful "interplanetary" sniper.

Still, what's happening here is that I'm ranting about guns again...

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Simeon Blackstar on August 14, 2009, 10:47:14 PM

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on August 14, 2009, 06:22:27 PM

So, you've got to wonder how much of a Vindicare's training would need to go into learning how to shoot accurately at long range (for these effects are only really notable at greater distances) even when the planet changes. It would take serious study, intelligence and experience to be a masterful "interplanetary" sniper.

I'd never thought of that - probably quite a lot considering they're unlikely to be on the same planet twice!  I'm no gun expert, but I'm lead to believe that out around the 1000 yard mark you can regularly be aiming ~3' above your target?  With altered gravity, that could change pretty substantially.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 14, 2009, 11:32:57 PM

Marco, so just to clarify:

Mean Orbital Distance: 145,900,000KM
Mass: 1.02 Terran Masses
Orbit: 0.9?? Terran Years (351.8 Terran days, 425.7 NC Days)
Rotation: 1.21 (19 Hour, 50 minutes Terran/day)
Equa. Diam.: 12,900KM
Average Planetary Density: 5425 kg/cubic metre (0.98 relative)
Gravity: 0.995 Terran g (9.77 m/s/s)

Is that about right? We just need to clarify the orbit value and then I can consider that bit "Marco-proof"? :)

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on August 15, 2009, 12:24:16 AM

Quote from: Simeon Blackstar on August 14, 2009, 10:47:14 PM

I'm no gun expert, but I'm lead to believe that out around the 1000 yard mark you can regularly be aiming ~3' above your target?

At 1000 yards, even with a pretty high powered rifle, you can expect to be aiming 10 or more yards above your target.

Gravity is not the only force at stake. Atmospheric drag and the Coriolis effect (compensation for the planet rotation) would make it a nightmare at those ranges. You could easily miss a target at a few hundred yards simply because the planet was rotating the other way to what you thought it would be.

Although I doubt GW considered it, it's a good reason for snipers to use Long Las rifles - the beam wouldn't be affected by these things (at least, notably).
It's probable that Vindicares (which as far as I know, use solid projectile weapons) are equipped with scopes designed to automatically compensate, but it's still important to understand these things.

~~~~~

@ Molotov:

Assuming you're going with 1 solar mass, orbital period will be 0.963

~~~~~

Also, I've got a thread for the spreadsheet, if you want one yourself:
http://www.the-conclave.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=94.0

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: madwargamer on August 16, 2009, 09:48:38 PM

I really see a lot of potential from this campaign, I will be sure to check it regularly.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on August 16, 2009, 10:16:25 PM

Thanks! I'm hoping to start the first few games (and therefore have the first few battle reports) soon. I'm going to be easing the players in slowly, giving them introductory games where they can refamiliarise themselves with the rules once more. (And I need it just as much as they do!)

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: madwargamer on August 16, 2009, 10:21:32 PM

no problem, perhaps when I write a campaign myself (one brewing on the fringe of my mind) you can return the favor and give me your comments

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on December 09, 2009, 11:00:11 PM

Hey guys, I've just returned home from my friends' house where we played the first scenario in the campaign for Nova Castille - a campaign that should occupy most of the next year if things work out right! I'll be trying to get a battle report together in the next few days, so please keep your eyes peeled.


Sanctustide
The world of Nova Castille turned slowly, glittering like a jewel. The system's star backlit the world, creating a halo around it. The Inquisitor lifted one hand to touch the armoured glass of the observation windows, brushing his fingers slowly along it. The swirls of colours... the clouds... the jagged shape of land just visible beneath.

As Nova Castille span silently through the heavens, as the population celebrated a new year, few knew the fate that awaited the world...

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on January 16, 2010, 10:06:26 PM

Well, I'm over a month late but I've been fiddling around with the background for the Nova Castille campaign, but you can see that in this blog entry (http://inq28.blogspot.com/2010/01/setting-scene.html).


Following on from our previous update, welcome to the first of the battle reports in our INQ28 campaign, which will detail the struggles to determine the fate of Nova Castille, an apparently insignificant planet at the centre of many intricate plans!

At least four Inquisitors have been drawn to Nova Castille (and there are many other factions hiding in the wings) so one of my main aims was to slowly introduce each of the Inquisitors in a way that fitted their narrative and helped the player. My group has played a number of Inquisitor games before, but it didn't hurt any of us to take it slowly!

For this scenario, Darren (my player) would be using his character to infiltrate a den of criminals and kill their leader by whatever means possible. Stealth was preferable, but not mandatory. With a number of guards in his way, Darren would have to be careful and try to manipulate circumstances to his advantage...

-------------
A little bit of background for you all...
The White Snake cartel is a relatively powerful organisation that has begun to spread throughout the Hyades Sub-Sector. In recent years, the cartel has been primarily associated with the distribution of the prohibited narcotic known as 'Haze'. Preliminary Inquisitorial investigations have traced the distribution network of Haze back to Nova Castille, but other considerations have meant that the Inquisition has yet to take substantive action.

With the sudden and unexpected death of the White Snakes' leader, a former petty thug by the name of Tybalt Andrus has quickly grasped control fo the cartel, setting in motion plans to eliminate those dissenters within the organisation who pose a threat to his position. He has dispatched a trusted assassin to kill Abel Bivander, a high-ranking member of the cartel who is perhaps his biggest threat..

Unbeknownst to Andrus, his trusted assassin is in fact the Inquisitorial acolyte Ra'ef Venris, dispatched by Inquisitor Ferox with the aim of infiltrating the White Snakes and learning what threat the cartel poses - and what aid it may offer Ferox's Istvaanian plans. After several months of careful progress, Ra'ef has garnered himself a reputation within the cartel as a hardened but dependable killer with few qualms. With the unexpected rise of Andrus, Ra'ef has been given an unparalleled opportunity to gather information on the cartel's activities. Succeed in killing Bivander, and Andrus may well give up more information on quite how the cartel is gathering "Haze", and just who is backing the organisation in its spread across the sub-sector.

As we catch up with our erstwhile protagonist, Ra'ef has tracked Bivander to a series of catacombs beneath Cantium, the capital of Nova Castille. Cantium is said to sit upon many miles of catacombs, the locations of some of which are public knowledge, whilst others have been lost for centuries. It appears Bivander has established a base of some sort, though for what purpose is unclear.


Set-up
We decided to make use of the recently-released <span style="font-style: italic;">Space Hulk</span> board sections to represent the area of catacombs that'd been taken over by Bivander.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Battlereport0001.jpg)

A dimly-lit, shadowy locale, Ra'ef could theoretically sneak through and eliminate his target silently, but he would have to contend with the guards in his way. On the other hand, tearing the heart out of the enemy would send a powerful message to Andrus's rivals...

BOLTHOLES
Venris pulled the heavy grating closed behind him as he entered the catacombs. He moved silently on the balls of his feet, a combat knife held in the prescribed style, blade below the fist. As he progressed along the tunnel, his eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting, and the noise of the crowds milling on the street for the Sanctustide celebrations began to fade.

The Interrogator trusted that the noise of the crowd would have covered his entrance. Although he was dressed in thede facto uniform of the White Snakes - his head shaven and a long, dark trenchcoat that concealed the armoured bodyglove he wore beneath - he did not know what lay ahead. He hadn't had time to observe the catacombs; circumstances had necessitated that he enter Bivander's underground base of operations lest Venris lose him altogether.


(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Battlereport0002.jpg)

As he moved forwards, he became aware of a chamber ahead, illuminated by a powerful light-globe. The silhouette of a guard carrying a bulky autorifle dominated the doorway. The figure was facing away from him. Hefting his knife, Venris quickly considered eliminating him. He inched forwards, keeping out of the light.

Andrus had been clear in his expectations that the assassin live up to his reputation - Venris was to tear the throat out of Bivander's unsanctioned operations and send a message to the entire White Snake that Andrus would brook no opposition.

As he closed, he could smell the acrid stink of sweat on the Cartel member. He raised the knife, readying for the killing strike. He breathed in

as the Cartel member stepped forward, walking out of the room, entirely unaware of how close he'd come to death. Venris exhaled slowly, listening as the guard's footfalls faded to echoes before moving through the room, taking the opposite doorway. These catacombs appeared to have been co-opted by Bivander's men. Crates and other contraband had been stacked in the chambers and tunnels, providing ample cover for the Interrogator as he moved through them.

Venris stiffened as he heard footsteps heading towards him. Another cartel member was in the chambers ahead.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Battlereport0003.jpg)

Quickly, he moved to the side of the doorway. He was thankful that the lack of light in the catacombs. He held his breath as the Cartel member moved into the chamber before striking. Quickly, one hand covered his victim's mouth as the other slashed the combat blade across his throat, deflating his lungs and robbing him of the air he needed to scream. Venris held the cartel member in a vicelike grip until the body went limp before lowering it to the ground.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Battlereport0004.jpg)

Quickly, he rifled through the dead man's trenchcoat, looking for any keycards, codes or ciphers that might aid him in gaining access to Bivander. Unfortunately, he found nothing.

As he straightened, he heard an intake of breath from behind. He turned to see a young-looking man in the characteristic dress of the White Snakes. The Interrogator studied the man - if he could be called a man - before him in a matter of moments. The cartel often took youngsters from the street, inducting them into their organisation because of the terrific loyalty such actions engendered. They were impressionable and fervent to the organisation - something Venris counted upon.

"Don't just stand there!" he hissed. "Get over here and help me!"
"Wha-?" the youth's chin quivered as he took in the scene before him; one White Snake standing over the bloody body of another.
"This man is an assassin, sent by that damn Andrus," Venris was taking a tremendous gamble, but he trusted it would pay off. "I managed to stop him before he could get Bivander!"

The young cartel member took a step forward, momentarily lowering the autopistol in his hand.  Venris stepped forwards, thrusting the bloody combat blade into the youth's hands.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Battlereport0006.jpg)

"Take this, and guard the body. I'm going to get help. Understand?" The Interrogator was forceful and imposing, and the youth just nodded meekly, his eyes wide. With that, Venris strode out of the chamber, leaving the boy behind. He could hear the sound of vomitting.

Venris moved quickly through the catacombs, knowing that time was of the essence. As he walked, he drew his bolt pistol from its holster. It was a bulky weapon, difficult and time-consuming to maintain. It attracted a lot of attention, and that was one reason he'd picked it as part of his cover as an assassin. Such killers-for-hire typically had 'signatures', and it had impressed Andrus from the start. He should have killed the boy, he knew. And yet he hadn't done so. His master would likely consider it a sign of weakness, but Venris trusted he had done the right thing.  He moved into cover behind some heavy pipework as he considered his options.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/battlereport0009.jpg)


Ahead, he could see a heavy door with a keypad next to it. In front of the door stood a hulking brute of a man hefting a heavy stubber. Such firepower heralded something significant.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/battlereport0010.jpg)

Already behind him, he could hear shouting. He wondered just what would happen to the poor gutterjack caught with a bloody knife in his hands and without the brainpower to talk his way out of the situation. He had a flicker of guilt - just a flicker. It was out of his hands now, and he had to press on.

Moving out of cover, he strode forwards, his coat billowing behind him. He screwed an expression of concern upon his face. As he moved up, he saw another Cartel member come out of a side-tunnel, an autogun in his hands and a look of extreme annoyance on his face.

"What's goin' on?" He asked. "What's all the racket?"
"Andrus has sent a hit squad after Bivander!" Venris blurted. "I don't know how many he's killed."
"What?!" The other cartel member looked incredulous, before turning to the guard with the heavy stubber. "We've gotta tell the boss!"
The door guard was resolute and uncompromising. "Nobody gets to see the boss without his say-so."

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/battlereport0011.jpg)


Venris kept his face steady, but mentally raised an eyebrow. Just what was Bivander up to? The guard had been told that a battle was taking place, but only seemed concerned with making sure he was undisturbed.

"Look," he said to the other cartel member. "You go help out the guys. I'll wait here. If anyone else comes here, I'll send them your way."

The other man looked dubious, but nodded, breaking into a run as he headed down the corridor. The Interrogator was keenly aware that his web of lies would very quickly fall apart. There was no hit squad. There was no firefight, and soon people would put two and two together and realise that he didn't belong here. He had only been so lucky thus far because the Cartel was so ill-disciplined.

He turned to the door guard.

"It's a shame, you know."

"What is?"

"That you had to be in my way." Venris snarled, pulling his chainsword from beneath his coat. He stabbed the activation rune and the weapon came to life with a throaty roar. With the bulky heavy weapon in his hands, the Cartel member never stood a chance. The Interrogator almost cut him in half, the spinning teeth splattering gore and viscera across the tunnel walls.

Suddenly, a bullet impacted next to Venris, ricocheting off and narrowly missing him. He span into cover before returning fire down the tunnel, the bark of the bolt pistol almost deafening in the narrow confines of the catacombs. He withdrew into one of the side tunnels as a Cartel member with shotgun stumbled forward. For a split second Venris saw him, standing over the body of the door guard:

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/battlereport0012.jpg)

Venris squeezed the trigger. The bolt struck the cartel member, detonating with a crump and leaving a fist-sized hole in his torso and sending him flying back. Venris moved up, sizing up the reinforced door ahead of him. He wouldn't be able to cut through it before the White Snakes caught up with him. He studied the keypad next to the door; it would have thousands of possible combinations. With a muttered curse he raised his pistol and fired into the keypad. There was a shower of sparks and the door rolled open.

Venris charged into the next chamber. There was Bivander, an older man with close-cropped hair starting to grey. He stood up from his chair, whirling to face Venris as he did so. Across the table from Bivander, a robed figure lurched to its feet, turning and running for the opposite door. Venris fired at the figure, but the shot had little discernable effect. In either case, the Interrogator had no time for anybody but Bivander.

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/battlereport0013.jpg)

Bivander charged at Venris, an axe in his hand. Venris recognised it as a shock weapon of a type common on Nova Castille, but no less powerful for being so. Whilst not as deadly as power weapons, the devices were far easier to manufacture, and could prove fatal. The Interrogator parried an overhead swing with his chainsword, the motor howling as the blade's teeth attempted to grind through the weapon. Venris kicked out, sending Bivander flying across the room. Although spirited, Bivander was older than the Interrogator, and much less skilled at combat.

Bivander sprawled on the floor as Venris moved to stand over him, his bolt pistol ready should the White Snake attempt to fight.

"Andrus sent you?" Bivander seemed to squint at Venris, as though having trouble focussing on him. "Or someone else?"

Venris frowned. Could this man know of his mission?

"What do you know, Bivander?" The interrogator growled, levelling the pistol at the pathetic man in front of him.

"Oh, more than you know..." the White Snake laughed, a hacking, wheezing cough that seemed to turn to a gurgle as he started to convulse, green foam forming at his lips. Venris lunged at him, knowing almost as he did so that there was nothing he could do. The White Snake had swallowed a suicide pill! What could have motivated him to do so?

Looking up, Venris moved quickly to the other door of the chamber. Readying his pistol, he kicked the door open and surveyed an short tunnel ending in an empty grate. As he reached the end of the tunnel, he found a dark cloth - the robe that the mysterious stranger had worn. Where had he gone? He couldn't have fit through the bars... could he?

Warily, Venris returned to Bivander. As he did, someone entered the chamber.

"Halt!" Venris shouted.

"Careful, killer!" Tybalt Andrus entered the room, a smile on his face. He was unarmed, his hands raised in a playful gesture of surrender. "I must say, I'm impressed that you dispatched him so quickly. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to see for myself."

"The guards...?" Venris asked.

"Taken care of." Andrus smiled once more. "And you, my friend, will be richly rewarded for your part in this. Come, we must discuss our next operations."

Frowning almost imperceptibly, Venris followed. He would have to contact his master as soon as possible...

---------------------

Reactions
Molotov: I'm pleased with how this mission went. Typically we play with two players and a third GM, but this mission was somewhat different. It was partly played so that Darren could refamiliarise himself with the rules, using a single character. The stakes were clearly high but it was an entertaining game. The end of the mission was perhaps a bit of an anti-climax; Interrogator Venris pretty much hacked through Bivander without much opposition, but in missions against other combat characters, I don't think Ra'ef will prove too much of a handful. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how things went; I'm certainly keen to continue with the Nova Castille campaign, though I'll have to ensure the battle reports are a little swifter!

Darren: When I started the mission I had quite a few ideas of how I wanted to play it. I had given Ra’ef a back story that I wanted to stay true to in the mission as well. By the end of mission however certain elements of Ra’ef’s personality were shown to be more prominent than I had initially anticipated which was great, it gave his character so much depth.

To start the mission I wanted to slowly work my way through and avoid as many people as possible. I didn’t want to stride round and just blast my way in. I started off by getting Ra’ef to observe his environment and pick the best paths to encounter the least amount of people, which he did. However this was short lived. Ra’ef took out the first guard stealthily from behind which was brilliant, exactly what I wanted to do. I tried to hide the body but got caught by another guard and this is where Ra’ef’s personality really started to come into its own. I knew early on I wanted Ra’ef to be a semi-leader when the inquisitor wasn’t around, but he was much more of a fast talker than I had expected. After convincing the young guard that the guy on the floor was the assassin and helping him he went on to convince a second guard to take him to his target basically hassle free. That didn’t quite go to plan but Ra’ef didn’t stop there he talked his way into leaving him and the doorman alone at which point I thought, Finally!, another chance to show off some stealth. That wasn’t to be either. I really wanted this mission to be quick and precise, and I knew I needed to take out the doorman quickly so I hacked off his arm with a chainsword, then a firefight ensued with the remaining guards. By this point I realised nothing had gone as planned and every attempt to make Ra’ef a stealthy killer had fallen flat on its arse, so I thought let’s not fight the tide, I dispatched the guy shooting me with consummate ease, I then (following a nudge from the Games master) blasted my way into my targets room with the boltpistol and after a brief dance around cut him down to size as well.


I was really happy with the game at the end, I fought against my character to make him into something and once I gave that up he turned into a brilliant character on his own. After playing games like Necromunda and Gorka Morka which allow you to make and develop individual characters, it was still surprising to see just how much character can fit into a 28mm model. I’m very much looking forward to the next part of the campaign where hopefully I get to see my other characters develop.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on February 15, 2010, 02:18:14 PM

Hey guys, I've not been able to do much INQ28 stuff because I'm spending my week holiday at my girlfriend's, ninety miles from my workbench. I am, however, travelling soon to Nottingham for my gaming group's semi-annual Warhammer pilgrimage.

We'll be coming to Warhammer World, Nottingham, on Sunday 21st February. We've booked a table and will be playing out the next scenario in the campaign for Nova Castille. If you're nearby, please feel free to come down and say hello!

The battle report should be up quite soon after the game - stay tuned for further news!

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on February 15, 2010, 07:13:58 PM

Sounds like fun. Looking forward to the report.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on February 19, 2010, 11:15:10 PM

Thank you, Marco - I appreciate it. I've put "Boltholes" up on the Conclave. I've been having some fun preparing for the scenario. I've written up character sheets for the characters in Balthier's retinues:

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/MissionDocuments1.jpg)

Here's an example of the character sheet for "Slim" Rios, Balthier's gunslinger.

I've also been coming up with documents to increase the immersion for my players and to make it more of an "experience" for them.

This picture shows the scenario briefing sheet and the "epilogue" sheet for Inquisitor Balthier:

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/MissionDocuments.jpg)

I'm going to be staining them to look like parchment and rolling them up in an attempt to "grimdark" them.

One thing I'm particularly pleased with is the signature of Inquisitor Lord Dire, master of the Ordo Hereticus in the Dalthan Sector:

(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/INQ28Campaign/Dire.jpg)

We're going to Warhammer World on Sunday, and by then I'll have the antagonists' character sheets written up and any last pieces of work I need to do. I hope to have pictures and a battle report up soon!

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on February 21, 2010, 10:46:59 PM

Hey guys, the preliminary battle-report for "A Brutal Affair" is up here (http://inq28.blogspot.com/2010/02/battle-report-brutal-affair.html), and I hope you enjoy it. :)

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: MarcoSkoll on February 21, 2010, 11:10:01 PM

Indeed, I did enjoy reading it. Sounds like it was a good deal of fun.

On a partly unrelated note, it's also nice to see some more photos of the Imperial city table. I've seen very little of it in the past, and it looks like a great table for Inquisitor (of either scale). I can only hope that we do get lucky at the Spring Conclave and get our hands on it.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on February 21, 2010, 11:13:36 PM

I have quite a few more pictures that I can certainly put up somewhere. I'll just get them off my camera's memory card...

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on December 30, 2010, 04:30:25 PM

Okay, so...

[big][big]"RENDEZVOUS"[/big][/big]

This scenario would see two sides pitted against each other. One one, we have the retinue of Inquisitor Alaric Balthier:

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-01.jpg)
(l-r: Salem "Slim" Rios, Inquisitor Balthier, Ishmael Castor)

BRIEFING – INQUISITOR BALTHIER
Having finally arrived at Nova Castille after a month of travel, you have sequestered a small strike force comprised of Arbitrators and PDF forces, and stand ready to destroy the White Snake Cartel utterly.

Like the centre of a web, you plan to strike at Nova Castille first before hunting down any remaining tendrils.

However, mere hours away from the execution of the strike, you receive a coded message marked with Inquisitorial ciphers requesting a clandestine rendezvous in the slums of Cantium.


Whilst on the other, we have Interrogator Ra'ef Venris, currently operating undercover on the planet of Nova Castille:

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-02.jpg)

(l-r: Nasrine Arbest, Ra'ef Venris, Elias Quinn)

BRIEFING – INQUISITOR FEROX
With frustration, you have learnt through your contacts within the Dalthan Conclave that in the wake of the Lady Evangeline’s death, Lord Dire has set one of his lapdogs upon the trail of the White Snake Cartel.

Inquisitor Balthier plans a series of high-profile frontal assaults designed to smash the Cartel and leave it reeling. This will surely prove disastrous for your plans – especially as Interrogator Venris has reported that he is on the cusp of securing the information you require.

With these concerns at the forefront, you have directed Venris to arrange a meeting with Balthier in the hope of convincing him to at least delay the raids.

If Balthier cannot be convinced to hold off, he must be detained. Killing another Inquisitor – even one as dense as Balthier – is a drastic course of action, one that should not be entered into unless all other avenues have been exhausted.

We set the board up, using our "favela" terrain:

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-03.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-04.jpg)

And the stage was set for the confrontation!

Night had begun to fall upon the slums of Cantium city, bringing with it a fog that was more like a thick woollen blanket, smothering the narrow streets and diffusing the dim light the glow-globes could produce.

Inquisitor Baltheir turned to regard his followers. Salem Rios stood tall, the legacy of a childhood spent on a low-gravity agri-world. His hair was braided and coloured in a style popular on Dalthus Prime, his beard shaped into a goatee that seemed to dance around his lips as they twitched into a slight smile. His hands hovered over the holsters that contained his customised laspistols as he listened to Balthier’s instructions.

Beside him stood the stout warrior-priest, Ishmael Castor. Ishmael’s craggy face, marked deeply by a long, vertical scar sustained in the defence of a pilgrim ship raided by slavers, was as dour as ever. He wore crimson robes and silvered armour swathed with purity seals and trinkets gathered during his years on the pilgrim trails. In his hands he carried a bulky “warspite” auto-rifle.

"Cover my advance as I meet this stranger." Balthier said, curtly. He needed to say no more; he trusted these two individuals to do what must be done.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-09.jpg)

Balthier moved cautiously through the fog, towards the designated meeting-place. He turned abruptly as he heard the sound of a scuffed heel from close behind him. Scowling, he attempted to discern the noise, but could see nothing.

There were others moving in this fog, but he could not tell exactly where they were.

A shadow passed overhead and Balthier looked up to see the dark underbelly of an Arbites Valkyrie sweeping low over the slums. The growl of the craft’s engines was a counterpoint to the howl of the wind.

He dropped his eyes to the street ahead and stopped.

A hooded figure stood before him, regarding him steadily. Its face was hidden by the wide, shadowy cowl of it cloak. The dark fabric trailed in the wind, billowing up around its legs. Given the figure’s size and bulk, it had to be a man. There was little else that Balthier could discern.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-10.jpg)

The stranger spoke, after a moment regarding him.

"Greetings. Are you alone?"

Balthier ignored the question.

"Who are you, and why have you sent for me?" The Inquisitor did little to hide his irritation.

"That is of no concern. We know who you are, and that is enough." The mysterious figure appeared almost to smile.

"Then you know I am not renowned for my patience. I ask you again - why have you brought me here?"

"We know your mission is to bring down the White Snakes. You must halt your strikes."

Balthier drew back, drawing his plasma pistol as he did so. The coils of the deadly weapon hummed to  life, casting a glow that illuminated the face of teh stranger - a face that seemed implacable.

"I have travelled half-way across the sector to complete a mission any novice explicator could accomplish," Balthier hissed. "The assault on the cartel is imminent. I will not halt my work on the words of a robed figure in a backwater street who refused to tell me why - or even to give me his name!"

The figure shrugged.

"Your orders come from Lord Dire. I serve a higher authority. If you love the Emperor, you will do as I ask." He inclined his head toward the plasma pistol. "Killing me will accomplish nothing." It was not a plea; rather, it was a statement of fact.

Balthier found himself caught between outrage that the stranger should insult his faith in the Emperor and incredulity at his gall. What did he know of Lord Dire? Who did he serve, and what was his agenda here?

"And what would delaying the strikes achieve?"

* * *

Nasrine Arbest moved quickly through the fog, gripping her autopistol tightly.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-07.jpg)

Venris had ordered her to locate and silence Balthier's men. Although there had been no sign that the Inquisitor had brought followers, he was predictable enough. Somewhere in these streets, his lackeys were to be found.

She glanced back, trying to discern where Quinn had settled. The fog made it impossible to see more than a few metres, and she trusted that the marksman would be able to protect her, if it came to it.

* * *

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/03/03-08.jpg)

Quinn stared down the scope of his hunting rifle, 'Audrina'. Named after his ex-wife, it was a vicious weapon - though not quite the equal of its namesake. Through the thermal sight, he could see Venris talking to Balthier. He settled his crosshairs on the Inquisitor, and waited for the signal...

* * *

The stranger inclined his head slightly.

"We have plans in place that must be seen to fruition."

Balthier shook his head, raising his plasma pistol. "I will not listen to these riddles and veiled truths. Speak plainly!"

"We are working at cross purposes. Your actions against the Cartel must be halted - one way or another. Let us end this amicably."

"I do not wish to raise arms against another servant of the Emperor." Balthier grimaced. "But if you attempt to halt my work here, then you will leave me no choice."

The stranger sighed. "Neither of us have the luxury of choice here, Inquisitor. What we do here must be done. The ends justify the means." He raised his hand and gestured.

Balthier felt the shot before he heard it.

* * *

The shot took Balthier high in the chest, knocking him off his feet and smashing him to the ground. Coolly, Quinn pulled back the lever, loaded another shot, and fired again.

He caught movement in his peripheral vision, and saw a priest of some kind in silvered armour raising an out-dated autorifle and firing it at his position. The bullets blew chunks out of the brickwork around his position. In truth, the priest was too far away to do much damage, but he was exposed. Quickly, he packed up his rifle and left for the arranged location.

* * *

Nasrine turned the corner of the building, and found herself abruptly confronted by a tall and undeniably handsome man with two laspistols held confidently in his hands. Both found themselves with guns in their faces.

"Well, this is embarassing." She said.

He smiled wryly.

And then she punched him in the face, diving backwards, doing anything she could to escape. She could hear gunfire, shattering the stillness of the night, and the Arbites would be here soon.

Disappearing behind a building, she heard lasfire hissing past her. Doubtlessly she would see this man again...


Conclusion

Balthier was shot in the chest and heavily wounded. The medicae in question should be praised for their tolerance - the Inquisitor is not exactly known for his patience! With the Inquisitor injured, the raids against the Cartel have been delayed, much to Balthier's annoyance.

Knowing that there must be more to the situation than meets the eye, Balthier has requested more intelligence on the White Snake Cartel. The Arbitrators have been able to bring the Inquisitor a transcript from a vox-thief installed in the offices of Gidaeon Kane, the head of the Cartel. It reads:

CLASSIFICATION: BLACK OMEGA
DATE: 910.m41
AUTHOR: Arbitrator Vaun
Subject: Trasncript of meeting between Gidaeon Kane and unidentified individual.
Recipient: Inquisitor Balthier

Inquisitor,
The following transcript is the result of a sound capture obtained by covert methods. The meeting detailed below took place within the offices of Gidaeon Kane, suspected to be the leader of the White Snake Cartel. The manner of both parties would indicate that this was not the first time they had met. Throughout the transcript, Kane is designated ‘K’ and the unidentified mercenary is designated as ‘M’.

[transcript begins]
M: You summoned me?
K: Yes, sit down. [Pause] I’ve been observing you for a couple of months now and I’m impressed with your work; the way you dealt with Bivander was impressive and saved me considerable loss of income. I am now prepared to let you into the inner circle, but first there is something you must do for me. You must take this data-slate to a contact in the riverside district. It must be taken personally. I cannot risk anyone else getting knowledge of this.
M: You wish me to run a simple errand?
K: Yes, but is of the utmost importance. This is why I’m trusting you with it. Take someone else with you as protection, but not a large group as that would raise suspicion.
[Transcript ends]


Seizing upon this opportunity, Balthier orders a squad of Arbitrators to capture the courier and get him that data-slate. Something is going on on Nova Castille, and Balthier intends to find out what it is...

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on December 30, 2010, 04:31:23 PM

"AMBUSH"

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-01.jpg)

Leaving Kane's office, Venris takes with him a Bounty Hunter by the name of Gaius Varrus, known to all as "Gunhound". They set out for the Riverside district.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-02.jpg)

Against him are Judge Theophilius Frost, a hard-bitten man who's not about to let a Cartel member disgrace him in front of an Inquisitor.

(L-R: Arbitrator Knox, Arbitrator Laceo, Judge Frost, Arbitrator Vaun, Arbitrator Cagnus)

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-03.jpg)

The table was laid out like so; Interrogator Venris would be starting on the left-hand side and would have to escape off the right, whilst the Arbitrators were at the right end of the board, hidden ready in ambush.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-04.jpg)

The two of them moved briskly along the street, stopping at the corner so that the Gunhound could try to spot anything untoward...

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-05.jpg)
... but the coast seems clear, so the two of them begin to move down the street.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-06.jpg)

The end seems to be in sight for Venris, who must be wondering why Kane made this all sound so serious!

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-07.jpg)

Suddenly, an Arbitrator bursts from cover. Judge Frost knocks the Gunhound out of action straight away with a clean hit straight to the head with his crackling shock-maul.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-08.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-09.jpg)

The Judge orders Venris to surrender - he is clearly outnumbered and outmatched. The Arbitrators begin to close in from all sides. Vaun aims at him with the shotgun, intending to shoot him if he runs.

Venris smiles. Outnumbered he may be. But outmatched? He thumbs the activation rune on his chainsword and plunges into the fray. As he trades blow after blow with the Arbitrators, he quickly has the upper hand, his ferocious technique making up for the Arbitrators' superior armour. Judge Frost quickly falls, as does Arbitrator Laceo. As he is about to deliver the killing strike, Laceo lashes out with his shock maul, bringing Venris to his knees.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-10.jpg)

Arbitrator Knox quickly steps in and delivers a savage blow to the back of the neck, rendering Venris unconscious.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/04/04-11.jpg)

A victory for the Arbitrators - but not a solid one! Though they outnumbered their opposition five-to-two, Interrogator Venris was still able to do serious injuries to two of the Arbitrators before he was taken out.

With the Interrogator in custody and the data-slate in the possession of the Arbites, Balthier should be able to find out just what the White Snakes are up to... or will he?

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Molotov on December 30, 2010, 04:58:59 PM

Lastly for today, we have...

BREAK OUT

Ra'ef and "Gunhound" have been captured by the Arbites, and are being held in a temporary holding facility before they can be transported and interrogated.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-02.jpg)

The facility is located in the slums. The three uninjured members of Judge Frost's squad have been left to guard the facility - Laceo, Knox and Vaun.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-01.jpg)
(The jail is the building in the centre of the board.)

Little do the Arbitrators know that the White Snake Cartel is mounting an assault. Not to rescue Venris - but to get that data-slate back at all costs!


The scenario begins with the White Snakes unleashing a torrent of fire against the Arbites guarding the cell-block.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-03.jpg)

Over forty shots later, Arbitrator Knox is still standing. The suppression shield that has saved his life is pock-marked and dented, but he stands resolute!

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-05.jpg)
On the other side of the board, Ra'ef's comrades arrive to rescue him. Led by Parragus, a slightly deranged serial-killing Tech-Priest, they make haste toward the cell-block. Nasrine Arbest reminds behind to guard their escape route.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-06.jpg)

Arbitrators Knox and Vaun notice none of this, because they're too occupied fending off the assault of the White Snakes. Vaun kills three of them outright with accurate shotgun shooting, whilst Knox takes one out in close combat, smashing the ganger's head open with his suppression shield.



Parragus works with machine-like efficiency, detonating a Krak Grenade against the jail cell's wall. As the dust from the explosion begins to settle he moves in quickly, hacking open the cell bars. A full-scale melee breaks out inside the cell block as Arbitrator Laceo struggles to contain his prisoners.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-07.jpg)

At that moment, Inquisitor Balthier and his retinue arrive. With Rios and Ishmael providing support, Balthier charges towards the cell block, ordering the Arbitrators to aid him.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-08.jpg)

Balthier kicks open the door to the cell block. Surveying the scene qiuckly, he sees the Bounty Hunter "Gunhound" equipping himself from the cell's equipment locker. Balthier raises his plasma pistol and fires. The pistol spits out a ball of energy that incinerates Gunhound's torso, leaving him dying on the floor. Balthier notices to his dismay that the courier is gone! As is the data-slate!

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-09.jpg)

Balthier charges through the cell-block, exiting through the hole in the wall and finding himself confronted by Elias Quinn. Without so much as pausing, Balthier impales the unfortunate marksman on his power sword, leaving his broken corpse twitching on the floor. He sees the other two leaving, and orders them to stop.

Venris turns and laughs at Balthier, and in that moment the Inquisitor recognises the shadowy man who warned him off the White Snakes. With a cry of "You!", Balthier launches into combat, although the Tech-Priest manages to interject himself as Venris flees.

Only Ishmael Castor is in a position to stop Venris as he flees with the data-slate!

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/INQ28/campaign/05/05-10.jpg)

Unfortunately the hardy warrior-priest finds himself outmatched in combat and falls, allowing Venris to escape.


CONCLUSION

Again Balthier has met Venris, and again he has been thwarted! In a real case of "so near, yet so far, Balthier could not manage to engage the Interrogator in close combat. Not that Balthier knows Venris is an Interrogator, yet!

Still, he knows now that powerful forces are attempting to force him to leave the White Snakes alone, and few can stand against Inquisitors - aside from other Inquisitors. He has little choice now but to pursue Venris and attempt to recover the data-slate.

Venris, for his part, has had his cover blown within the White Snakes. Kane is a suspicious man, and will be wasting no time in attempting to move his assets off-world. Venris must attempt to stop Kane before he leaves Nova Castille and attempt to find out just where they are getting the mysterious drug "Haze" from.

Title: Re: Campaign for Nova Castille
Post by: Easy E on January 04, 2011, 06:00:15 PM

Good stuff as always Mol. 

Nice to see some of these great minis getting more use! 

Regards,
Eric