Monday, July 8, 2019

Stormvault campaign: Maggotkin vs Legion of Grief, 04.07.2019

Introduction


The Drones of the Plague had ranged far ahead, in search of the once-hidden structure. Virulax himself had lagged behind, to enjoy a moment of play with his favorite Nurglings. It was left to the Bringer of the Pox to march through the arid wasteland with the Plaguebearers. They had climbed a stone stairway leading into nothing to have a better look around - and just in time! A horde of vengeful specters was closing in on them, a horrific maiden at their head.

Battleplan: Meeting Engagement, Borderline


Turn 1


Rattling their chains and crying their vengeance on the living - hah! preposterous, thought the Bringer of the Pox - the specters closed in, taking position on the center of the battlefield. As their ghostly maiden waved her hand, more undead rose from the dusty ground. Skeletal horses neighed, and the once living grabbed rusted weapons in bony hands.


The host of Plaguebearers marched forward. But the Bringer held them back; they had  time. Not even the ghosts could withstand the corruption of the Grandfather; one of them shriveled to nothing just by getting to close to a Feculent Gnarlmaw.

The air was filled with an incessant buzzing, as the Drones of the Plague had turned back to reinforce their brethren.


Turn 2

The undead closed in, and the first horde descended upon the Plaguebearers. They broke like waves upon a rock. A filthy, slime encrusted, rotten rock.


As the Plaguebearers wiped spectral slime off their swords, Virulax had made his appearance. His Nurglings capered and cavorted at his side, clearly enjoying what was to come.



Turn 3

The spectral maiden commanded her followers to hover menacingly along the center of the field. At another gesture, more ghosts broke forth from the ground. Resilient as the plague daemons were, the legion of undead seemed unending. They held the higher ground; there was nothing that Virulax could do.



"Ah, Grandfather. Your despair is always welcome. Let me introduce it to these fine folk here!" - bellowed Virulax. He braced, letting his immense bulk absorb the charge of the Black Knights. He swung his filthy sword and rusty chains, grinding the undead riders to dust.
"Bringer! To me!" He cried. "And you there! Circle 'round! Take that filth!"


Virulax grinned, as the tide turned in his favor. Pressed on all sides, the undead seemed to crumble. Pincering them, he had taken back the initiative and the favorable ground.

Turn 4


Even so, his Maggotkin had barely made headway. To cement his advantage, Virulax bellowed his final order, then barreled into the massed ranks of specters. There! His Nurglings, and some freshly summoned Plaguebearers, held his left flank. The Drones of the Plague hovered above the right. He had them!


Not that the undead were giving up! They pressed on, eliminating the remaining Plaguebearers and encircling Virulax. Grinning, the daemon observed as a host of footslogging skeletons faltered in the dust, unable to reach his troops.


The Drones were sorely pressed. More riders burst from the ground, and the ghostly maiden had also decided on taking the matter into her hands. But the immense Rot Flies held on.


Conclusion


And just like that, the battle was over. Virulax had decimated his enemies, and held them in place. Lady Olynder hissed, and the entire ghostly cavalcade retreated. Although his victory seemed minor, Virulax grinned. The Stormvault he was looking for was just ahead, past the killing fields.

Aftermath


Virulax ordered his host to march into the Stormvault, following them with slow, squelching steps. It looked barren. It must have been looted already... But no! Look! Just in the center, below the dome, a shard rotated in mid air. Virulax approached it candidly. It seemed not to have any defense mechanisms, but such things were seldom visible. Virulax scratched his head, then grinned. He picked up a Nurgling, and threw it at the shard. On contact, the Nurgling exploded in a ball of fire, shrieking. The shard clattered to the ground. Virulax picked it up, feeling it pulsate with pure magical energy. He handed it to the Bringer of the Pox.
"Here. Use it. Corrupt it. Study it. And in the meantime..."
Virulax looked around, gathering his children with a gesture.
"... we have more Stormvaults to loot! In Grandfather's name!"
The host intoned with him.
"In Grandfather's name!"
"In Grandfather's name!"
"In Grandfather's name!"

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