From the diary of Phineas Storch (prodigal genius) – 1st day of Brauzeit
I have been observing these savage people for several days now as they have been about their harvest festival that they label “Felltaine”. They cavort around their erect momunents with no regard for modesty. I of course would never participate in such indecent conduct, even if invited.
It seems the dance involves two teams of youths, who have a shrine at each end of the town that they must capture while defending their own. This has devolved quickly into brutality as each tries to prove his manhood by savaging the other suitors. A death slows them not a bit, but excites them to a faster frenzy.
2nd day of Brauzeit
The vile pagan shrines have a strange shimmer about them now, and shadowy outlines flit across their face, as though someone inside wishes to join the dance.
3rd day of Brauzeit
All hell has broken loose.
To mark the passing of May Day, we organised a 3-player game in a 1v1v1 matchup – Phineas’ sinister research expedition caught between two rival armies of Daemons. I will have to add that disclaimer that the following presentation is only inspired by real events, as I forgot to save my notes.
Phineas Storch has grown in power and become a Master Necromancer, bringing along his most powerful creation yet: a Terrorgheist he stitched together from specimens collected in Albion.
++ Standard (Vampire Counts) [1,225pts] ++ + Lords + Phineas Storch - Master Necromancer [270pts]: General, Hand Weapon, Master of the Dead . Magic Items: Forbidden Rod, The Cursed Book . Wizard Level 4 . . Lore of Necromancy VC 4: 0. Invocation of Nehek, 1. Vanhel's Danse Macabre, 2. Hellish Vigour, 4. Raise Dead, 5. Curse of Years, The Curse of Undeath + Heroes + Wight King [150pts]: Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Shield . Army Battle Standard . . Magic Standard: Cursed Pennant of Mousillon + Core + Bat Swarms [120pts]: 4x Bat Swarm, Expendable Skeleton Warriors [165pts]: Skeleton Champion, Standard Bearer . 29x Skeleton Warrior: 29x Hand Weapon, 29x Light Armour, 29x Shield Skeleton Warriors [136pts]: Skeleton Champion, Standard Bearer . 29x Skeleton Warrior: 29x Hand Weapon, 29x Shield Zombies [69pts]: 23x Zombie + Special + Failed Experiments - Corpse Cart [90pts]: Corpsemaster, The Restless Dead + Rare + Re-Animation Experiment 14 - Terrorgheist [225pts]
The table was split into four deployment zones and a roll determined preference for starting position.
A statue in the centre represented an objective to hold, with 200VP to the occupant.
Caught in the middle of the fray but eager for battle, Khorne’s cloven-hoofed creatures charged ahead to meet the enemy head on – Juggernauts getting confounded for a round by the swarms of agile bats but bursting the partially manifested (assembled) Plaguebearers with a snake-eyes instability test.
Khorne’s wrath was felt immediately with a boulder hurtling from the aether to strike the Terrorgheist for half of its wounds.
Ignoring his miniature kin, Experiment 14 flew past the front line to shriek its displeasure at the god that smote it, although the damage to its health prevented it from destroying one of the Flesh Hounds.
Unable to sneak a series of spells past the protective Collars of Khorne, Phineas scraped through a rite of resurrection, spawning a unit of Skeletons to protect his flank.
Nurgle’s menagerie of things that lay eggs in stagnant pools hopped into action.
Unaware in its frenzy that its friends were vanquished, the Flesh Hound tried to fetch the bones of the Wight King BSB, only to vanish to the weight of the Skeleton horde pressing forward.
The droning and croaking of Nurgle’s cavalry drew nearer and grew into a cacophony. Using the reserve power of the Forbidden Rod, another unit of Skeletons was summoned forth to hold them back. Deep behind the lines, Nurgle’s Herald turned to face the iron clad cavalry.
Furious that their rot could not infect the blood god’s finest by magical means, the Plague Cavalry tried to dent their brass armour instead. A recourse to the rules reminded all that neither Daemons nor Undead were susceptible to poison, and the brass axes gave the amphibians a new set of gills.
Their initial momentum starting to falter, the Juggernauts were halted by the Herald’s aura.
Phineas felt a strange surge of power from somewhere , channeling the maximum Winds of Magic but feeling a tug in a direction he didn’t know existed. Nagash’s Gaze burned a hole through a Juggernaut and The Curse of Ages was cast on the Bloodletters in the centre of the board but could only send two daemons back to their realm. Experiment 14, healed by the flow of necromantic magic, came in to clean up the rest of the Juggernauts with a powerful screech at just the right resonant frequency.
Finishing off the other unit of Juggernauts, the pestilent herald made towards the objective in the centre.
Confidence bolstered by his forces’ strong position, Phineas tried on the Winds of Magic for his lucky number eleven again. Ironic fate betrayed him though as he also rolled an eleven for his Leadership test as demanded by the Reign of Chaos table…subjecting him to Daemonic Possesion. A three-fingered hand, swollen with rheumatism and seeping from whitlows, dragged Phineas into the Realm of Nurgle and switched his place with a bewildered Herald. The undead forces begin to falter…
From this point on, the new Herald tied up the remaining Skeletons long enough to crumble them while the Plaguebearers held the centre to the end, securing victory for Grandfather.
For their efforts, the Plague Cavalry were rewarded with a magic Banner of 50pts.
Khorne’s influence in the mortal realm damaged by the defeat, the Herald is unable to manifest in their next game.
Unable to keep up with the demand for fresh corpses, the Zombies will be limited to half-strength in their next appearance.
Phineas reappeared from a sphinctral portal – appearing outwardly unscathed but feeling a bit worse for wear. He will be -1 Strength for the remainder of the campaign.
From the diary of Phineas Storch (prodigal genius) – 5th day of Brauzeit
My work is hindered somewhat by the shaking of my hand, which has been progressing since my sojourn to that infernal garden. The skin is drawn and pale, the veins beneath almost appear to be writhing of their own accord. No matter, a small price to pay for obtaining the serum, with which I have had remarkable success…re-animating the freshly dead with no need for an incantation!
Perhaps an injection to my hand might have a restorative effect.