Brotherhood of the Yellow King: Chapter Eleven

11:  An Explosive Flight - 

Heavy booted rapid footfalls signalled the group's approach. Shadows rushed past and the heavy footfalls receded into the distance betraying their departure. Had the passers-by been more observant they might have noticed scratches on the vent grille on the wall, or the flakes of rust on the floor beneath. Thankfully for the occupant of the vent in question they were not more observant. Carn held his breath as the latest group passed. This was the fourth, and they were getting more frequent. That suggested that they were focusing the search in this area. He would have to move soon. Further progress through the vents was not an option, the system narrowed further on and Carn was a big man, far too big to fit through the gap. He also could not hide here indefinitely, sooner or later he was going to be discovered.

His headlong flight through the corridors had lead him towards the central mining complex. He had encountered a couple more patrols, which he had eliminated, and had gone through a clip and a half of Emperor’s Fury’s precious ammunition. Soon he would have to arm himself from corpses. He had no chance to do so previously, the last couple of hours had been a mix of frantic firefights and a deadly game of cat and mouse. His re-remembered skills had been stretched to the limit as he strove to evade capture. He had had to blast his way out of several ambushes and dead cultists littered the ground where he had passed, constantly acting as a trail of bloody breadcrumbs showing his path. Eventually he had managed to break free of his pursuers and after a prolonged flight down a seemingly deserted access tunnel (though the cultists had a habit of coming out of the very walls such was their uncanny ability to ambush) he had stopped, taken a moment to think and upon hearing pursuit once again, elected to hide rather than flee.

That had been over half an hour ago by his reckoning and he decided that he could remain no longer. Once the running footsteps had receded beyond his hearing he cautiously removed the grate. Almost silently he set it on the floor and slowly descended from the vent. He replaced the grille carefully and swept the rust under a nearby crate on a pallet. His mental map was shattered, he had had no chance to recall pathways or routes during his desperate flight. Going by the build-up of industrial machinery and carts of rock he had seen recently he deduced that he was approaching the central mine, working his way deeper into Endomaw rather than an exit. He knew this was intentional, that he had been shepherded down various tunnels and paths to an area not of his choosing. Deep down Carn knew he would never leave Endomaw, the number arrayed against him was insurmountable, eventually he would be caught. But his divinely appointed task was not completed yet. He had to get word out, broadcast Larkarsky’s message somehow. Furthermore he needed proof, lest the warning be dismissed as the ravings of a clearly distressed servant of the Imperium. He had no way of knowing how he was going to get this proof. He had no way of knowing how he was going to transmit the message, given that the dataslate seemed dead, the indomitable Machine Spirit within extinguished at last. He had no way of knowing how he was going to even get out of this tunnel. All he had was his faith and that would be enough. The Aquila charm at his wrist glinted as if in affirmation of his conviction.

Carn weighed his options. He knew it was going to be impossible to remain out of combat indefinitely, it was only a matter of time before he was forced to fight. Almost unconsciously he removed his knife from his boot and dulled it in the soot and ash at his feet. More deliberately, he rubbed more ash and soot over his arms. His exertions and stress, not to mention the inherent heat underground, had resulted in him sweating profusely and his pale skin was showing through the dirt again. He also blacked his face, his mind wandering once more as he absentmindedly rubbed the dirt into his cheeks above his new beard that had grown over the last few days. Looking at the work lights above him he traced the wiring to the wall opposite, isolating the cable that powered the lumin-globes. Looking about him for any signs of activity, he crept over to the wall and reached up, slicing through the chosen wire. Immediately the tunnel plunged into darkness and he heard cries of alarm echo around him. Advantage Carn. The cultists mining suits had built in search lights but they would be of limited use. From the look of some of the more hulking figures that he had seen, sporting additional limbs and bestial features, they would no doubt have additional senses that they could utilise but he would take every edge he could. He skulked forward like a shadow, like a shadow in the night. Now he was the hunter and his pursuers the prey. A few hundred metres down the tunnel around a bend he saw beams of light up ahead, bobbing up and down as the sources swung about wildly. Carn stopped, the hum of the machinery prevented him from making out individual words but the consternation ahead was clear. He shifted his foot and felt it strike something solid and unyielding. Reaching down he felt cool metal, a track, he must be getting close.

He wouldn’t get through the group up ahead easily, they were on high alert. He suspected he might drop half the group with a surprise attack before he was overwhelmed, even with darkness as his ally. He ran through simulations and scenarios in his mind, before choosing the one with the greatest chance of success. Picking up a lump of rock he struck the track, the trick was to make it the right volume, too loud, everyone heard it and he was no better off. He needed just a couple of the group to investigate and yet still strike hard enough to make sure the sound was heard over the background noise of the active machinery. Sure enough two searchlights swung round and Carn ducked behind a couple of barrels to avoid being spotted. The lights panned across the ground, brightening the tunnel a little as the beams of light passed. The extra illumination showed the barrels in stark relief and as Carn noticed that they bore warning signs another tactical possibility presented itself as his agile mind absorbed the latest information. He waited for the lights to swing away again, deigning not to try to tempt the bearers closer. Once he was enveloped in darkness once more he put his new strategy into action. First he leaned against the barrel he was behind, it was heavy. Full, perfect. Next, as quietly and quickly as he could he punched a hole into the barrel near the bottom. A thick, viscous, sticky liquid flowed forth and an acrid yet honey sweet stench followed it. Not Promethium, something else, likely some kind of lubricant for the machines. As long as it burned, that was all Carn needed.

Carn drew Emperor’s Fury from his waistband, this shot didn’t need to be accurate, his next did. Peering back over the barrels he could see that the lights were more steady, much less agitated as the group discussed their next move, or perhaps waited for an update after reporting in. It mattered not, they would be dead soon enough. Levelling the weapon, he aimed for just below one of the lights and fired. The Emperor himself must have guided his aim as he struck true and his target dropped immediately. The reaction was immediate. All the lights swung as one in his direction and he ducked again, if he presented a target then they might fire and that would be a fiery death for him that he had no intention of experiencing. He tried to control his breathing, this would have to be timed perfectly. The lubricant continued to flow onto the floor and he prayed that their lights wouldn’t show the leaking liquid, as it was it was pooling round his boots. Grunts and shouts followed and then the sound of running. The lights jogged and jerked crazily as the cultists approached. Carn calmed himself, focusing his energies and trusting in the Emperor's guidance, placing himself under His aegis. The lights grew closer, closer, the sound of boots blending with the hum of machinery to provide a symphony building steadily to an inevitable crescendo. Closer, closer. Carn tensed like a coiled spring, he had only one chance at this. The cultists slowed, they were only metres away now, and knowing they were approaching the location of the shooter they were more cautious. Carn’s tally thus far was common knowledge at this point and they feared him. They slowed to a walk, the lights steadying and showing more barrels that Carn had failed notice. They were right on top of him when one of them stopped, noticing the liquid as it squelched underfoot.

Now.

Carn sprang, not at the cultists but over the barrels, still full enough to support his weight without being toppled. The cultists saw little more than a dark blur but swung in the direction of the noise. Carn was not as agile as he once was but managed a clumsy somersault none the less, getting as far away from the barrels as he could. He hit the ground, rolling as he did so. Gun fire came up after him as he came up into a crouch, twisting and bringing Emperor’s Fury up in both hands and firing in one action. It still wasn’t quick enough and he was struck by a few shots as he fired. His aim was true though and the reaction immediate and violent. Despite this Carn saw everything in slow motion adrenaline and focus sharpening his senses and awareness. The flash of Emperor’s Fury’s muzzle, the alarm on the cultists faces, mouths and snouts parting in snarls, the impacts on the ground stitching their way toward him. His shot moving towards the barrels. He grunted as he was hit by autogun fire, spinning to the side in an attempt to dodge further injury. He didn’t see the impact of his shot or the lubricant ignite but he felt the explosion. He tried to get to his feet but in any event was hurled through the air as the barrels ignited. The conflagration singed his hair and burned the clothes from his back and Emperor’s Fury was flung from his grasp as he was thrown from the explosion, further barrels ignited and the roar of exploding flammables was joined by the rumble of dislodged and falling rock as the tunnel caved in.

Carn hit the ground hard and lay motionless for a moment as the roar subsided, replaced by a loud ringing in his ears. He got shakily to his feet and looked back. The tunnel collapse was total, ground to celling was a pile of rock. A few twisted and broken bodies lay around the debris, some of them still burning. Carn saw Emperor’s Fury glinting in the firelight and he stumbled towards it, it took him two attempts to retrieve the gun such was the disruption to his equilibrium. He had to move, fast. The cave in had eliminated his enemies and prevented pursuit from one direction but was almost certainly going to attract attention from elsewhere. Unsteadily, he moved down the tunnel, away from the flickering flames and deeper into the darkness of the tunnel. He walked along the track, peering into the gloom. One eye was swollen and half closed and as he moved he became acutely aware of the hits he had taken from the cultists gunfire. Thankfully the majority were flesh wounds, Emperor be praised, and only one really counted as a gunshot wound, low on his right shoulder. He could feel that the bullet was still in there and suspected it had impacted his right shoulder blade. Blood flowed profusely from the wound and he attempted to staunch it with the remains of his tunic best as he was able. He turned down the first side tunnel that he could, it was less likely to lead to anywhere critical but he had to get somewhere that was not likely to be the source of reinforcements investigating the cave in. Besides the roof above him was creaking and groaning ominously and he could not be sure that he had not further damaged the entire tunnel structurally. He also seemed to have reached the extent of the circuit he had severed as presently he came across working lighting and he would swiftly be discovered should he remain in such a lit area. Even if he had been seen however, he would surely have had a moment before being recognised. Burnt, covered in ash and blood, he looked as much like a daemon or fiend from legend as an identifiable human.

But he was still human, not a mutant cultist, and he had the Emperors work to perform. Securing Emperor’s fury in his belt once more he carried on down the side tunnel as quickly as he could, back behind him he could hear commotion as booted feet pounded past and he felt quitely vindicated in his choice. He had just no idea how fortuitous his decision actually was. He had to climb a few ledges and navigate a few narrow gaps but eventually he came to a deserted processing room. The machinery here was loud, with grinding gears and engines drowning out even the residual ringing in his ears. Even better there was a medikit on the wall. Carn pillaged the kit, taking dressings, pain pills, stimm pills and emergency coagulant, laying them out on the floor. First though he had to get this bullet out of his shoulder. He grabbed a pair of forceps, and taking his knife from his boot (and sterilising it), made an incision in his shoulder. He was less dexterous with his left hand but eventually he managed to extract the round, which thankfully was still in one piece. He could feel bits of his shoulder grind as he moved it though and new that professional medical care was going to be needed, the wound being beyond his battlefield medical training to repair. 

He used the emergency coagulant to stem the blood flow and gulped down the pain pills and stimms. Dressing the wound carefully he looked about him. The room was very warm, almost intolerably so and he would not be able to stay for long. There was little else of use in the room but another more careful search of the pack revealed a plasma infuser, he jabbed the needle on the end of the device into his side and grunted. The serum within would compensate for the blood he had lost and stimulate the production of cells. A lucky find indeed, though he was inclined to believe that once again that it was the Emperor providing. He lay back for as long as he dared, waiting for the cocktail of chemicals to take effect. His head cleared, strength flowed to his muscles and his aches faded. Sufficiently resorted he rose to his feet. Even the swelling in his eye lessened and he was able to see with both for the first time in a while though his face was still encrusted in blood. The heat in the room was making him sweat heavily and streaks appeared in his camouflage, he rubbed his arms irritably and wiped his hands on what was left of his trousers, it was then that his hands hit the object in his pocket. The dataslate! He had forgotten about it entirely in the frenzied action. He removed it from his pocket and groaned as he saw the damage. Two slugs had hit the device, burying themselves in the inner workings, the explosion itself or at least his subsequent impact into the dirt had cracked the case open and twisted the shell of the device, even worse it had damaged the workings within. The device would never power up again, it was beyond repair.

Carn wept, the tears mingled with the sweat on his face and soaked into his beard. It had all been for nothing, nothing! He had failed, he had failed his Emperor. There could be no greater transgression, no greater betrayal of trust and love.

No, he refused to believe it. There had to be a way. There HAD to be.

His knife lay on the floor, it’s tip covered in blood. He scooped it up and wiped it clean with his palm. Gently, he prised open the casing of the dataslate even as he apologised to the departed Machine Spirit. Finally the case sprang free and clattered to the floor. Carn inspected the inner workings, tears stinging his eyes. He rubbed them clear and peered at the innards of the slate. He was no tech priest but he had rudimentary knowledge of machinery in general. He identified the power core, shattered by a bullet. There was the wiring leading from that to the main processing unit, that too was partially destroyed by a round. Under that however…

He flipped the chip aside with a flick of his knife. There! Under the processor, the memory shard, it was scratched and cracked, hopefully the damage was no more extreme than before. He dared not touch the crystal with a knife, instead he retrieved another soft sterile dressing from the medikit and loosened the cradle with the tip of his blade. He then held the dressing over the crystal and upended the slate. The crystal dropped into the dressing and he wrapped it carefully, placing the dressing back into it's resalable packet. This was now a cargo most precious, There was still a chance that he could access the data on the crystal if he could find a compatible machine. He dropped the carcass of the dataslate to the floor, silently thanking the Machine Spirit for its brave service. The device deserved better than such an ignoble end but he had precious little time as it was.

He had to leave this room. There was no door, he had noticed that when he first entered, but there was a chute above from which the ore was deposited. The processing machine was autonomous, there was no emergency stop rune, no way to deactivate it. Thus Carn found himself suspended above the rotating crushers and milling gears, his shoulder protesting as he pulled himself up into the chute. Thankfully the vertical ascent levelled out relatively quickly and he found himself confronted by a shaft which contained a trough and a conveyor belt. There was space enough though that he could edge alongside the trough if he was careful which was fortunate as ore was moving along the belt to the chute. He had once again been most fortunate with his timing, the Emperor watching over him still. Grunting with the effort and ensuring that the packet was still safe in his pocket, he continued along the dark passageway trying to hear above the squealing conveyor belt to see if anything was ahead.

The Stimms started to wear off and as the adrenaline they had lent his ravaged physiology departed exhaustion began to take it's toll, but he had to keep going, so much depended on him. Worth, the Celias system as a whole, possibly the entire sector. They had to be warned, monsters lay in their midst, had done all along, infiltrating and growing like a malignant tumour. But this was nothing compared to the horror that was coming, unfathomable, ancient and ravenous. Giving up just wasn't an option. So, weary beyond measure, Carn pulled himself along the passageway step by step toward his final destiny.

Brotherhood of the Yellow King: Chapter Ten

10: The Truth Revealed:

Pascal Ralscon leaned over the monitor on hands bunched into fists. Ruddy of complexion and wide eyed, he was trying his very best not to get angry, he couldn’t afford to get angry, not now.

‘Yes I see but.. ‘ he paused as the monitor speakers crackled and hissed..

‘It was an accident’  he responded ‘I made a full report, there is no need to…’

Again he was cut off as whoever was on the monitor interrupted. He cut them off in turn, he was starting to lose his cool.

‘I really don’t think that this is nece…’ this time he was stopped mid word as the volume of the response increased. A barrage of words followed and his face blanched as he absorbed the import of what was being said. His next words were subdued and meek. He spoke only between instructions and to confirm his comprehension.

‘Yes sir, I understand. Full co-operation. Yes. I will make the necessary preparations for his arrival. Yes sir, the Emperor Protects.

The communication ceased, the picture fading to show the standard background of the Imperial Aquila grasping a chain in both talons. Ad Gloriam Imperator was written beneath the looping chain and Ralscon had just been reminded in no uncertain terms that he was but one link, a very insignificant link, in that chain.

Now the Eagle was coming.

He slumped back into his chair, perspiration running from his forehead though it was not warm. In fact he felt cold. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest he thought it was going to burst. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a clear little bag of yellow pills. Each was round and flat and stamped with a curious symbol or brand. He’d paid it no attention at the time. The man who supplied them (at a cheap price no less) assured him that they would make him feel better and that they did was all Ralscon cared about. Apparently they were called the Emperor’s Caress and they were becoming rather popular in Narthley. They were of course strictly prohibited and only available through the rather extensive black market. 

He tipped the bag, three pills tumbling into his sweaty hand which he immediately bought to his mouth whilst simultaneously  moving the other hand to his drink. One, two. Swallow, drink. Done. He sat back and almost immediately felt his body relax. His muscles loosened, his senses dulled and yet at the same time he felt his mind open. He could almost visualise it expanding, unfurling like petals, his cerebrum parting and unravelling. He was still alert even though his movement was slowed and his eyes glazed. Now came the second part of the experience Golden hands, no, tentacles, yellow tentacles it seemed, penetrating his expanded brain matter. The sensation was simply exquisite. Ralscon was far from a sentimental man but he had felt love, and he felt it now, unconditional love for him, spreading through his being. He leaned back into the folds of his chair to better enjoy the high, feeling his spirit and mind being enriched, elevated. He soared on Eagle wings, no they were more leathery and bat like than that, ridged and clawed not feathered. Up and up he went, into the clouds, into the atmosphere, into the stars.

He was conscious of a flashing light on his terminal it pulsed slowly, demanding his attetnion. Suddenly the screen came to life, the Aquila, chain and motto replaced by lines of text, scrolling across the screen, unravelling like thread. It was a report from one of the furthermost relay outposts. He tried to ignore it but the glowing screen and flashing light were insistent. He frowned, this was too distracting. Leaning forward he deactivated the screen. Even three tablets wouldn’t last forever and thanks to Carn he now had an investigation team coming from Celias III to look into things. Even dead the bar was causing him problems. He sank back into the chair. Preparations for their arrival could wait, they wouldn't arrive for several days. First, the stars...

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Far off in Endomaw and far less dead than Ralscon believed, Alistae Carn crouched in the dark. Thus far he had met precious little resistance. Three easily dispatched guards, three easily broken necks, three easily hidden bodies. Now, after concealing the latest corpse, he waited.

It was astonishing how quickly old, half remembered skills had re-established themselves to the fore. His tread was stealthy, even in his boots. His senses were sharpened, his eyes had become accustomed to the gloom and he unconsciously stuck to the shadows undetectable to the casual observer. He was following lengths of electrical conduit, hoping they would lead to a power terminal where he could try to reactivate the precious dataslate. He stilled his mind as his ears picked up faint footsteps.

His predator’s instinct kicked in and he reduced his profile, becoming almost completely invisible in the shadows of the vents and pipes. The footsteps grew closer,  and he perceived a figure approaching in the gloom. Slight, unarmed. This was too easy. None of the workers he had killed thus far had posed even the slightest challenge, they were easy meat. Carn thought of the different undetectable ways that he could kill the approaching miner. The simplest was to allow him to pass then come up behind, a quick grab, choke hold, stamp on the calf and, snap. Subject terminated. Alternatively a sweep kick, throat chop and neck snap. Subject terminated. Or a nerve pinch from behind, neck snap, subject terminated. A knife from behind between the right vertebrate. Subject terminated. Over a dozen possibilities each with varying levels of noise and disturbance and therefore evidence, ran through his mind in seconds, the numbers and scenarios playing out like a vid. None of these would actually be used though and he stilled his breathing as the figure walked past. Non-combat, always the best option unless absolutely unavoidable. The other guards had been in directly in his way, this individual was not. Besides he didn’t want TOO many people to go missing that might be noticed. Carn waited for him to turn the corner and then crossed the corridor and continued down the passage from which the miner had emerged.

The conduits snaked and split a few times, leading to a few wrong turns but eventually Carn found himself standing in front of a data terminal, having had to kill only one more guard, who lay at his feet awkwardly. The terminal was locked of course but another of Carn’s emergent skills took care of that as he deftly prised the cover of the input panel loose and rewired the board whilst at the same time placating the Machine Spirit and beseeching it’s forgiveness with a common litany of contrition. His work done, he restored the machine and attached his data slate. Breathing a prayer to the Emperor, he thumbed the activation rune.

The device hissed and screeched as its abused hardware was activated. The screen flickered a few times and then died. Carn cursed, he didn’t have time for this. He hit the slate hard, jolting the quiescent and damaged spirit within to life. Cajoling only got you so far sometimes.  The screen flickered again and then dulled but the spirit was strong and the dataslate came to life.  The top left of the display was cracked badly but the device was still usable. Carn scrolled through the entries, some of the files were damaged, corrupt. The dataslate's memory had suffered badly in the crash But Carn trusted in the Emperor and sure enough there it was...  he opened the file.

Scan reading the words he felt his heart sink. There was nothing here, nothing obvious anyway. He scrolled through the text, trying to establish any cipher or code. There were no patterns, no keywords or phrases, nothing. He kept scrolling, past the imbedded video files past the charts past...there!  A video excerpt embedded in the text, an interview with a Professor Rex Flavo. This was it. Expanding the video window he hit play, whilst making sure to record a copy to an undamaged section of the dataslate’s memory just in case.

Pallas Larkarsky’s face appeared. Even through the damaged screen Carn could see the Adept was worn and haggard, his eyes wide and haunted. He was jittery, frantic, when he spoke however, his voice was calm and measured. He knew the import of his message and how critical it was that it was delivered concisely.

‘Whoever is reading this message, whether you have stumbled upon it by chance or followed my clues, I implore you, you must warn the Imperium before it is too late. I have escaped Endomaw, but they are coming for me, I can hear them. Worse, I can feel them. In my mind, in my mind oh Emperor save me!’  He made a visible attempt to calm himself before continuing. 

“I had got the feeling that they didn’t want me there, that they were hiding something. And I found it, the door at the main complex, locked by the access panel. The sequence is one alpha four four zeta kappa omega three. I watched them, I have good eyes. They all went, I was alone, they thought I was asleep. But I wasn’t. I followed them. The door, it leads to an antechamber, and there are robes, cowled yellow robes. I took one, put it on, went in through the other doors. The one with the sign. They lead to steps, steps that went down and down and down..' He paused, visibly trying to control himself, aware that he had begun babbling. His eyes bulged and he grimaced in pain, bringing his hands to his temples.

“Oh Emperor preserve me! They are looking for me, they are in my mind, in my mind! No not yet, not yet, I must tell before it is too late. So I followed the stairs down and as I descended I  heard chanting, thousands of voices chanting. The stairs lead to another chamber. Vast. Massive. Under Endomaw. I stayed at the back, I was scared to get closer. They were all there, in a crowd, chanting and swaying.  Ganvan was there, Ganvan Seris. He was standing at a pulpit, there was something behind him in the shadows, something huge.’ The memory was almost too much for him and Carn could see the terror in his eyes, but from somewhere Larkarsky found hidden reserves of resolve and continued.

'The chanting reached a fever pitch and stopped. Suddenly there was silence, Ganvan said something, I was too far too make it out clearly but he referred to a Yellow King. Then there was a grinding sound and he stepped aside. Something came forward, it was a throne, a throne, and in the throne… no, not yet, not yet!!!'

The Larkarsky screamed. The sound erupted from the devices speakers, startlingly loud. Carn looked about him but there was no sound of activity spare the hum of machinery, which was nowhere nearly loud enough to drown out the piercing shriek. Carn scanned the area for a few moments and then satisfied that the alarm had not been raised returned his attention to the dataslate. The aspect of the video had changed, the sky of Worth visible, clearly the slate had been dropped. Afraid to touch the slate lest he disrupt the playback, Carn waited still glancing about himself warily. The sound of laboured breathing came from the slate and then the view shifted crazily, coming to rest again on Larkarsky’s face. Blood streamed from one nostril, his ears and most worryingly his eyes. His voice was shaky, slurred, his eyes were glazed but he found the strength to continue.

‘it was monstrous’, he managed, 'sitting in the the throne, even from the back of the chamber I could see the claws, the four arms and the eyes, the eyes, they flashed… green'. A vein pulsed in Larkarsky’s temple, slowly, malevolently. The Adept shuddered and continued, wiping blood from his nose.

'I don’t know what it was, but it was alien, but not a dumb beast, it was flanked by two smaller version of itself which crept from the darkness. It looked up, it saw me! It saw ME! In that moment our minds were connected.  I knew this was the Yellow King, I saw the gulf of space, and things, things! Vast living creatures moving through the stars, tentacles writhing. Always hungry, always consuming. A plague on the cosmos. Endomaw is a cult preparing for their arrival. The king was surprised, I could tell. He shrieked and pointed at me and as one the crowd turned and dropped their hoods. They were all monsters too! Well n,no not all of them. But a lot of them, and not just their faces. I could see that some of them had extra arms or claws or other deformities. They came for me, as one, I had to run, to get away. As soon as I was out I tried to send a message but nothing is getting through. I can feel a shadow a shadow preventing me from transmitting. I have to just record this and hope for the best. An invasion is coming,. You must warn them, you must warn them! Warn them about the Yellow king, warn them about the plague, the plague from space.. they are coming… a yellow plague, yellow tentacles from space, yellow...yellow....yellow....

The last was spoken in a whisper and Larkarsky’s eyes rolled. Fresh blood flowed anew from his nostril and the screen shook as a spasm overcame him. Then the screen turned black. Carn stared in shocked silence at the now dark cracked screen. Despite himself he could feel the terror rising. Suddenly he was shaken from his reverie as a siren started blaring. The terminal deactivated and the dataslate sparked and fizzed as the connection terminated with an overload. Carn snatched the dataslate and ran. Red light pulsed as he sprinted down the corridor, all thoughts of stealth forgotten. He drew Emperors Fury from his belt, clearing the chamber. He could already hear shouting nearby. There was no point trying to find another terminal to send a signal, any transmissions would be blocked. He had to escape. He headed out the way he had come, retracing his steps from memory. The shouting was getting louder. He turned a corner and there was a miner, no cultist, they were all cultists. 

Muscle memory bought his arm up and he pulled the trigger. A large hole appeared between the eyes of the miner, no cultist, they were all cultists! and the body crashed to the floor. The gunshot echoed round the corridor and more figures turned the corner. Carn threw himself low to avoid a volley of autofire. He rolled and let off four shots, taking out four targets, but there were too many. More fire struck his position and he scrambled back round the corner breathing hard. His skills might have returned but he was still much older than when he had last used them properly. He had no time to rest his weary body. With the red on the walls blending with the sticky red on the floor, he ran back down the corridor. Instead of heading back to the terminal he purposely chose other passages at junctions, there had to be another way to the surface. His mind raced as he put together an incomplete mental map based upon the paths he had taken thus far. Something he would not have been able to do a day ago now came as second nature to him and he thanked the Emperor for this returned gift. There, a path that he had stopped following not because it had no conduits but rather because it had many, a branching point. A left, a right and another right. Spurred on, he fled down the corridor pursued by shouts and sporadic gunfire.

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Ganvan Seris closed his eyes, the unfortunate neophyte in front of him crashed to the floor, smoke billowing from his eye sockets, mouth, nose and ears. Ganvan sighed, he disliked losing his temper. He addressed the smoking corpse, slowly emphasising each word, each syllable.

‘I said, no, mistakes.’ He pulled his golden robe free of the grasping wizened fingers of the neophyte and motioned to the two Thirds that were his makeshift bodyguard. They shuffled forward and removed the body from in front of him. They then departed as he made it clear that he wished to be alone.

This was a complication, and one that he did not wish for. He could feel the ire of the Patriarch mentally and had no wish to suffer it first-hand. The malign intelligence tasked him. They were so close. Close to the day of truth. The Yellow day. Then it would not matter. Till then, they must remain secret, they must remain safe. Clearly the attack on the Shuttle had failed to eliminate Carn, somehow the Prefect had survived and despite the odds made it to Endomaw. Initially localised, the alarm was now complex wide and the entire mine was on alert. Thus far Carn had killed ten brethren, though truth be told Ganvan mourned their loss not. They were little more than pawns, Fifths and Fourths, of little value. Still it was perturbing that the Prefect eluded them still. He must be eliminated, quickly. Unless….

Striding over to the nearest wall he picked up the ornate mouthpiece mounted in its cradle. Finished in bronze It bore the sigil of the Yellow King. It was an ostentatious affectation but one that he allowed himself.

'My brethren, hear me. We have an intruder in Endomaw mine. This non believer is not of the Brotherhood and must be caught lest he spread his lies. Heed him not, find him, capture him. Kill him if you must. But I would rather he is taken alive so that he can embrace the glory of the Yellow King.  Be warned my brethren, this man is dangerous, he has already killed many of our number. But we are strong, the Brotherhood will triumph. This I have seen. Ad Gloriam Flavo Rex!'

Speech over, he replaced the mouthpiece. All around he could feel the cult stir, impelled by his words and subtle psychic signals.  Carn would not escape, there was nowhere to go and they were too many. It was only a matter of time, and when finally snared he would serve them well whether he wanted to or not. 

Hell Awaits....

I've backed a lot of Kickstarters over the years, not as many as some but I am comfortably into double figures. My experiences on those kickstarters have been... mixed to say the least. Certainly I can only think of a couple that have gone smoothly and that I consider to be good value. Often games are extremely delayed, part fulfilled or bear little similarity to what is promised. I had actually sworn off backing any campaigns at all only jumping on a couple of late pledges (IDWs Turtles game which is fun but the minis suck and Deep Madness by Diemension Games which should be here soon.  I was done with Kickstarter though. Totally done.

Till now.

Damn

A few months back Mantic started previewing a new board game based upon the Hellboy comics by Mike Mignola. Not too much was shown, just a couple of sneaky previews of the minis which were painted by Angel Giraldez and a rules feature here and there in the build up to the campaign launch on the blog of developer Jame Hewitt, who has a string of GW games to his credit and has actually set up his own game studio called Needy Cat Games.

H:TBG plays as a mix between a dungeon crawler and investigation game, conscious that it needs to be more than just a brawler to be true to the comics. (and this IS insanely true to the comics.) Therefore the character is encouraged to investigate just as much as fight, in fact it is integral to the make up of the game, so much so that some characters are purely for investigation.

The minis look great!

As you progress through the map you will come across both foes to be be bested and clues to be uncovered. Picking up more clues and progressing the investigation will make the final confrontation with the end Boss more manageable, but if you fail to eliminate the minions then you run the risk of accelerating the final confrontation not to mention your agents being wounded when you get there!

Each mission is represented by a differernt BPRD case file which contains the Boss that you will fight, the minions that you will encounter on the way and the investigation details. Originally the number of bosses was quite limited but the stretch goals on the Kickstarter have added to this considerably and there is now quite the menagerie of bosses.

Before you start each game you will select your agents and equip them. A number of items from the comics are represented including some that were suggested by backers. Each item of equipment has a value and you have an overall budget to spend. Spend carefully!

As well as upgrades you will need to choose your agents carefully to ensure you have a balanced team. For example. Hellboy is very good at punching things, Abe is the superior marksman and Johan is the master investigator. Liz on the other hand is very good at setting things on fire. In addition to this lots of other favourites from the comics have been added from Roger the Haemonculus to Kate Corrigan. There are also supporting characters that have been upgraded to fully playable agents!

All stuff from the comics

So let’s have a quick look at the mechanics of HTBG. I’m not going to lie, some of them are adopted from other games and utilised or adapted in different ways. There’s nothing wrong with this of course a good idea is a good idea and mechanics are frequently reused.

First up is the Doom Track, the race against time mechanic. Timed elements have often featured in game but the Doom Track is most noticeably used in FFGs Arkham Horror series of Cthulhu themed games. Basically this is the length of the game and it will advance when heroes rest when or when certain conditions are met, it will also prompt the narrative as certain events will take place at prescribed points on the track.

More doomy than a very doomy thing. 

Also taken from the Arkham Horror series is the Mythos Deck, here called the Deck of Doom. Basically after each round you will draw from this deck to see which event takes place, it might be an ambush or perhaps a panel from one of the comics like a monkey with a gun, alternatively it might be something good! (not likely, it IS called the deck of DOOM afterall)

The dice mechanic is pretty cool, there are different ranks of dice, each having more successes than the last. The final colour ranking was up for debate till right until the end of the campaign but I think they had settled on Red being highest, followed by Orange and Yellow. You can also upgrade dice using skills and equipment so there is one level higher than red and one level lower than yellow (Black and White respectively I THINK- don’t quote me on that) as enemies and effects, (and probably the Deck of DOOM) can degrade dice. In addition every time you roll you roll an extra dice (probably the DOOM dice) which can further skew the results either positively or negatively.

Even more doomy than the thing that was more doomy than a very doomy thing. 

There are a number of other minor mechanics and nuances that are covered by James in Detail on his Needy Cats Games site HERE including a number of refinements made post campaign like more variation in minion types which is most welcome. I recommend you check them out, they are informative and entertaining.

However, I need to start summarising or else I’m going to miss the late pledge window which is the entire point of this article!

HtBG looks to be an intriguing and fun proposition. Devoutly true to the comics it almagamates a number of existing mechanics into it’s make up whilst maintaining something of a freshness at the same time.

why not a dimly lit hazardous room?

I can’t say that there is anything particularly groundbreaking here and the licence is the main draw but James does seem to have created something very promising and there is a lot of engagement and replayability present. The narrative focus of the Case files and investigation is appealing and I really like the dice mechanic and way they have implemented the characters into the game. The Deck of DOOM should mix things up during gameplay ensuring that the missions don’t get too stale.

Contents wise there is a BUNDLE here, it looks like really good value. Everything is styled from the comics and it frequently looks like the panels come to life. An exception to this is the minis which are far more detailed than the artwork but I’m actually aiming to paint mine in a more comic true style anyway. The minis are probably the main reason people were getting confused and thinking the game was based on the movies. I lost count of the amount of people asking for stuff from The Golden Army. Just to be clear, this is PURELY the Dark Horse Comics.

a lot of bang for your buck

There are a lot of miniatures in the base pledge and these should be at least as good as those in Mantic’s The Walking Dead game, not going to be troubling GW’s minis in a hurry but among the best you will have ever seen in a board game. They certainly can’t be worse than the ones in the Turtles Board Game. There are resin versions available for dedicated painters as add ons.

In addition a lot of the components were upgraded over the course of the Kickstarter campaign, from the cards to the Agent boards to the Tokens (several of which were upgraded to 3D plastic versions.) even some models have been tweaked based upon backer feedback.

Numerous characters and Bosses have been added to the game as well, really bumping up the value and replayability. A little more variety in minions wouldn’t have gone a miss as a lot of them are doubled up but I guess you can’t have everything.

who doesn't like tentacles? Hellboy, that's who!

In addition to the core box and conqueror worm expansion the base pledge comes with the BPRD files box which allows you to construct your own missions. How exactly this will work hasn’t been revealed but it’s a cool idea and I hope it’s as exciting as it sounds.

Of course there are also a plethora of add ons available, some of which are Kickstarter (or Late Pledge) exclusive so this is your last chance to get them. These vary from 3D scenery to dice, dicebags resin versions of the minis, a diorama, and expansions based upon other comic stories such as the celebrated Hellboy in Mexico.

Overall HtBG is a must buy if you are a die hard fan of the comics and should be seriously considered by casual fans and interested parties. The gameplay looks solid with bundles of elements designed to drive narrative gameplay and ensure replayability. This looks like it will be a lot of fun.

The case file concept is intriguing and should add a nice narrative.

However the main reason that I backed this, breaking my Kickstarter ban was that I trust Mantic. This is far from their first Rodeo (although I think this may be their first dedicated licensed BOARD game) as opposed to miniatures game) and I have faith that they will deliver a decent product.

The models have come a long way from their Kings of War days and although Ronnie Renton’s philosophy of Cheap and Cheerful (at least in comparison to GW) endures, Hellboy looks like a top quality premium product. Plus the way Mantic have interacted on the Kickstarter comments board was exemplary and they have responded to comments and feedback to an extent that I was worried at one point that it was going to be a game designed by committee (it wasn’t)

Thankfully Mantic's miniatures got a lot better....

So the good news is that if you missed out on the Kickstarter the late pledge is open NOW till August 13th so you can still get in and grab all the stretch goals and Kickstarter exclusives that have been unlocked thus far.

The link is HERE. So what are you waiting for? Hell Awaits!

Conclave of Har boxed game Review - Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire

Games workshop's foray into the deckbuilding scene, Shadespire has been more successful than anyone could imagine. With sensibly priced expansion packs, a clever marketing strategy and a tightly constructed yet flexible ruleset, it graced many a top 10 games list last year where GW products wouldn't normally get a look in and garnered almost universal praise.

Well deserved praise too as Shadespire really is an excellent game. I was skeptical, i'll admit it, (no, surely not, I hear you all cry). Age of Sigmar just hadn't grabbed me, I was pining for the Old World and still mourning its loss. I may have fully embraced the universe now (Soul Wars turned up just the other day) but at the time, I was highly resistant. Then Mike grabbed himself a copy of Shadespire a while back and after one game I was impressed if not hooked. I got my own warband, Sepulchral Guard (undead)  and have played a few times since, enjoying every game. So it was inevitable that I would grab my own copy in time. Now I have it I guess it's time for a full review.

The first thing you will notice is that this is not one of Games Workshop's big boxed games. Instead the box is smaller and portrait in orientation. This is a product designed to sit on a shelf with other games. The box itself is very high quality and nice and thick. It's also colourful, designed to stand out with some, well let's say 'striking artwork'

That is....unfortunate. not the best box art ever...

Removing the lid will reveal the shrink wrapped boards and cards along with the rulebook. We'll get to the rules in a second. after running through the contents. The tokens are nice and thick and really high quality punched really well and falling away from the card with no problem. The presentation and quality is typically high as per most GW products. The boards themselves are thick and double sided and only bettered by the likes of Space Hulk and maybe Silver Tower. Some of the lines are a little difficult to see which can be annoying when you play the game but it's not a massive problem.

The boards are very nice, if not chromatically diverse

Underneath the shrink wrapped tokens and board are the minis and dice as well as the cards which are so important to the game. More on those in a second. The cards are split into 3 decks, a starter deck for each side and some extra cards that can be built in when you are past the starter games to get you into the deck building side of things. A small number of sleeves are included so that you can at least sleeve the character cards.

Baggies are included. Everyone likes baggies

The sprues themselves are made of coloured plastic but thankfully this does not seem to have impacted on the quality and the miniatures are highly detailed. At the time i think this might have been the first female Stormcast (Neave Blacktalon in the Blightwar set might have beaten her, i'm not sure) but female characters are fairly common now as Game Workshop embraces calls for more equality and diversity in their ranges.

And why not, female heroes make as much sense in a world such as that of Age of Sigmar as any other and should they fall in combat coming back as reforged super soldiers makes just as much sense, it certainly makes the range a touch more interesting. It's not like the Fluff imposed sausage fest of the Astartes and it's all done very tastefully and naturally unlike some miniature manufacturers (Raging Heroes, i'm looking at you). That said I do fear for Slaanesh when the inevitable overhaul takes place, I can't see that aesthetic surviving unscathed.

Textured bases all round. 

Aaaanyway.... getting away from all that these are really some very nice models. The 3 Stormcast are well, cast in blue and the 5 Reavers in red. Other expansions that have been released have each had a unique colour, green for the Orruks, bone for the Undead, and so on. Presumably eventually they will run out of colours? There are a lot of factions yet to feature and blue, red, brown, orange, green, bone are all taken. This is an obvious commitment to those that choose to game rather than paint and shows GW going after a completely different target demographic. Even the manual contains no reference to painting the models though there are pictures of painted models on the back of the box. This is a gamer's game through and through.

i

I'm more of a painter tbh. Not a massive fan of bare plastic. 

The minis are all pushfit although I do have to say that the Stormcast Liberators fit that description better than the Chaos Reavers who could certainly benefit from a little glue here and there. The Sepulchral Guard also go together perfectly so maybe it is just the Reavers. There are minimal to no mould lines and each figure comes with a scenic base. This really is GW at the top of their game, if you'll excuse the pun.

Here you can see the dice results, not a painted model in the manual!

And that extends to the rules too. This is a tight ruleset based around competitive play. The game lasts a strict three rounds, each round consisting of four activations. Should your warband consist of more than four fighters then you'll have to decide who isn't activated. If you have less than four then you will be looking at additional activations for some. This adds a layer of strategy and tactical potential to the game, fully aided by it being alternate activations. An activation can be to move, to fight or to charge which allows you to do both there are tokens to allow you to keep track of who has charged., you can also draw a power card as an action if you are running low. You can only move once and if you charge you can't do ANYTHING else with that fighter. Choose your actions carefully.

The rulebook is well laid out and easy to follow 

Each and every warrior is represented by a card which contains all of it's stats. One side of the card is gold with increased stats and skills. You will use this side when your warriors become inspired. The way your warband becomes inspired varies from faction to faction which is a masterstroke by GW and adds a lot of variety and yet another level of strategy to the game. For example Orruks become Inspired when they get hurt so you will want all your fighters to take at least one wound. Reavers get Inspired when a certain amount of fighters go out of action (blood for the blood God!) where as the undead get Inspired when they are resurrected. Sometimes Inspiring your fighters will lie in line with your objectives, sometimes it will be opposed to them. This is one of the great things about the game that fills it with strategy. We'll cover objectives in a sec.

This upgrade card is only for Steelheart.. They should upgrade his name coz he sounds like a Care Bear

Let's look at combat first though. It's all pretty simple, the game has bespoke dice and you roll these looking for the symbol that matches your weapon. In addition there are symbols that will count if you have one, or two supporting models that are not themselves engaged. To defend you need to roll dodges or shields, again, dependent on what your card says, Criticals count either way. If you dont beat the amount of hits you take the weapons damage value as wounds. That's it, sounds simple enough and it is, where the depth comes in is in your cards.

You have a hand of cards, that you draw from your pre-constructed deck and you can play from this deck after an activation. You might play a ploy card, which will allow you to perform a strategy or tactic in your next activation, or if you have accumulated Glory you can buy a permanent upgrade which are sometimes restricted to a specific character. You do this by flipping over the Glory to the spent side so although it cannot be used again for an upgrade it still counts toward your victory score. Glory is earned in the end phase as well as for killing foes. In the end phase you will get to play objective cards to claim Glory. As you can see these cards in advance in your hand you can plan your strategies in advance. You might play one for claiming objectives and another for having a warrior not take a wound in a turn or even one for Inspiring all your fighters. I have scored 12 Glory in one turn before by cunning playing of objective cards!

Three Glory Points if you score this

You can also play cards as reactions to activations so if you are attacked you can respond with a card that might increase your chances of survival, but careful! You only get to refill your cards int he end phase at the end of the round.... Careful management and use of your power cards is as critical as tactical positioning and good dice rolls. This is a game that rewards strategy and a multilayered strategy could involve a combination of cards.

A reaction card can be played out of sequence. 

So obviously the more cards you have the more strategies you have available, and you only get the cards in the warband packs so serious deck builders will want them all. It's a clever marketing strategy and the packs are very reasonably priced at well under 20 quid a pop, for that you are going to your miniatures and a deck of cards, pretty sweet.  It's not a steal exactly but any decent discounter will get that down to under 15 quid which is pretty good value for the gameplay you will get. The only thing I am not too keen on is there is an artifact set that if complete will make victory almost guaranteed and you guessed it, if you buy ALL the extra warbands you WILL have the complete set. This seems a bit cheap and unworthy of the game if I am being honest. Not necessary.

Glory to Khorne - literally. 

At this stage everything mentioned in the rulebook has been released but there are some noticeable factions that have not featured yet. Sylvaneth, Idoneth, Daughters of Khaine, Kharadon Overlords, Seraphon, and now Nighthaunts, not to mention all Chaos Gods except Khorne. So one would imagine that a second season is imminent, perhaps with a new starter box and a change of setting. After all the brand is Warhammer Underworlds not Shadespire. Given the success of the game it is unthinkable that there will not be more coming at some point. Personally I really hope there is, it is a great game with some very deep strategy and tactical potential. Couple that with some awesome looking expansions at an attractive price point and you really are on to a winner.

Expansion warbands are available and I am sure there are more to follow....

Recommended. Its a great quick game that embraces tactical nous and is a lot of fun. Check it out.