Lysimachus

Lovely, so far we've got Azadth taking out the Astartes Gunner (smart move, he wouldn't have a Dodge as if we were playing it out the first Round would be a Surprise), Vafri taking on an Ogryn, and Gerhardt and Zidemi going into the mass of troops. I think that would leave the other Ogryn, and probably some more of the mercenary squads - maybe the Ork and/or Kroot units? And Omoc, Asterius, Moridyn and Alda to choose their targets! Once we've got a fair idea of who is doing what, feel free to start posting IC with the fight from your perspective and if you want, to weave what others are doing into your narrative too.

Scene 32. Home Fires Your final approach up towards the Inquisitorial Fortress, led by the keen senses and instincts of the Wolf and the Mantis Warrior, is perhaps somewhat slower than you might wish… but caution is wise. Orochi was paid to steal something from this place, and it is clear that with most of the Bulwark’s fighting troops drawn away, still aboard the far-off Supremacy of Man, he has come to take it. However, he cannot know that you have been able to return far more quickly than any Imperial Navigator could believe possible. With care you are able to climb close enough to see more details of what has happened here. There are relatively few signs of damage to the exterior of the fortifications, but from many of the windows, vents, and upper balconies, black smoke and flames still rise. Orochi has undoubtedly used Skaayn's authority to allow his forces to bypass the outer defences and attack the Adepts within. While there may be a few pockets of resistance continuing to make their final stand somewhere inside, it looks as though the battle is largely over. The invaders are now working in teams, dragging the bodies of the fallen inhabitants out of the main gate and down the wide steps to the open ground before the walls. These lifeless cadavers are carelessly dumped atop a growing pile of corpses, perhaps intended for a great funeral pyre of loyal servants of the Holy Ordos. However, it is also clear that these Adepts of the Inquisition fought bravely and well. There are a sizable number of bodies being added to the heap that are self-evidently not part of the Bulwark’s complement. Watching the enemy at their grisly task reveals much about who they are. Many seem to be mortal men - garbed in dirty, mismatched battle gear and armed in a similarly eclectic fashion - but amongst them are other, less human, figures. Abhumans, malformed beastmen as well as a few Ogryns, seem to be welcomed as part of the fighting force. A few small mobs of Xenos, hulking Orks and the birdlike Kroot, are likewise accepted, if without much affection. The truth is as plain as it is distasteful. These invaders are mercenaries, perhaps even ones recruited from the Bazaar itself before you ever arrived there. There do not appear to be any real leaders amongst them, other than perhaps a few sergeants or lesser chiefs. That is until you notice a pair of figures standing just inside the open double doors of the main gate, watching over the scurrying workers. Half hidden in shadows, they are difficult to see, but their shape is still immediately recognisable. Astartes in power armour. One of the shapes vanishes, disappearing into the fortress. The other steps forward on the stairs to oversee the work, aiming a brutal kick at a scrawny mortal as he passes. As he comes out into the morning light, you can see that this Astartes, a big, hulking beast, is garbed in somewhat similar fashion to each of you, in matt black warplate. However, he does not bear the silver of the Watch, nor indeed any iconography or sigils of any kind. His unmarked armour is such a mixture of pieces and designs that it could only be described as MkV, and a large ammo hopper atop his backpack feeds the heavy bolter he carries one-handed. He is undoubtedly not Skaayn, so it seems clear that Orochi has brought at least one of his traitorous brethren to Alucar. OOC: Obviously you need to get inside, asap. In the interests of moving the plot along at a good pace, I'm not going to put us into Structured Time for this fight. Instead, we're going to try something else and open things up to handle it narratively. So, please post your character's actions in an attack against the main gate. As mentioned, you are starting off hidden in the rocky slopes looking up at the Bulwark. There is a plateau of open ground ahead (maybe 20m across?) where the pile of bodies is being added to, then a wide set of stone steps that rise 5m to the tall double doors of the main gate. The lowest battlements are far, far above, the main wall of the keep is at least 100m high (even with a jump pack, too far to reach). There are maybe 80ish enemies in your way - most of them are renegade dregs, plus a squad or 2 of xenos, with a few more dangerous individuals (the Astartes Gunner at the door, one or two Ogryns, maybe a handful of troops armed with more dangerous CC/special weapons) - but basically nothing that should be able to stop a whole squad of DW who have the element of surprise! You don't have to worry about automated defences - someone inside shut them down (presumably to let the mercs in) and they haven't been switched back on yet. Get to the gate however you wish. Feel free to kill your way through the opposition as you like. Basically it's first posted, first served, as far as choice of targets goes - you can then work off of each other's posts. Try to be reasonable with your personal tally of glorious victories (if we were rolling dice, could you actually take down both those Ogryns with one punch? ) and don't be too greedy - if you kill all 80 enemies yourself, what is everyone else going to do? On the other hand, don't be too self-deprecating about your murder skills either… it would be very weird if we got up to the door and all the bad guys were miraculously still standing! Alternatively, if any of you want to preplan/collaborate on some of your tactics or kills, that's fine too - feel free to discuss/claim those targets in the OOC, again it's first come, first served. Either way, you should end your posts having fought your way through and entering the Bulwark main entrance. Then for next week we can look at where you want to go inside the fortress. While you will win this opening fight, it's not realistic to think you'll do so without a fair chance of taking some harm. Each player please roll d10-3*. This will be the number of Wounds your character suffers during the fight (and this may also help to inform some of the narrative of your posts). *I'm assuming that Alda won't be going after the really big foes, so @Trokair can therefore roll d5-2. As Mazer likes to say, questions and shouting in the OOC!

3 for Astess, 1 for Phelorak, no vote from Necro/Hadrian or AT/Arazakiel as yet (I think?) Don't know if you're taking a vote from Mazer/Ravyx (as he is technically on board?) So far it's Astess, anyway.

I think it's 3k altogether (including the starting 1k) Though of course as a DH build, Alda had more to spend at the start, so I think she should be at 10k now?

Excellent! As an aside, I'm pretty sure you had a load of xp unspent - it's the end of the game, so I'd use it on something? I did write down a few suggestions somewhere... ah, found them: Totally up to you, though... I'm looking forward to starting again on Friday!

"Then can we delay our departure long enough to confirm that the Iron Warriors could not prevent the garrison being destroyed? I do not want to engage that fleet, but I would like to be sure that all our efforts thus far have actually accomplished something."

I think I'll spend at least some of mine (does me no good sat in savings!) but I'd rather not spend more than 500xp, so I can at least bank 100xp towards other increases I want more. So, max of 500 to spend… but I'm struggling to think how to use it. I've already hit all of the cheap (200xp) options for Assault Marines’ Stat increases. I could take a Simple Fel boost at 500xp, but it doesn't really fit for Elvrit's character to bother much with this Stat! There are also a few where I could take Intermediate Stat increases, again at 500xp (Str, Ag, or Per) but none of these will push the Stat up into the next 10’s bracket (and thereby increase the Stat Bonus, etc), so I don't think any of them are currently really worth it for the cost? So, if not Stats, what else is available? Iron Hands: I could take Tech-Use+20 or Peer: AdMech, but I'm not sure there is much point in taking either now that we have a proper Techmarine on the team? Hatred is useful, but I've already taken Hatred: Traitor Marines, so I'm not sure which (if any) other group would make sense? Assault Marine: A lot of the Rank 2-3 Assault Marine picks are agility/speed based, such as Lightning Reflexes or Leap Up, but which don't really feel quite right for a slower, tanky character. Or they relate to jump pack operation - and he hasn't got one! (I think I may have rather limited myself by building Elvrit into a Breacher rather than staying a standard Assault Marine!) Double Team is maybe an option from this table… does anyone else have this ability, as it is obviously much better with 2 characters? General Advances: Nothing here, I think. We've already got a few Demo guys in the party, and Elvrit's Fel isn't high enough for taking Command. Rapid Reaction again feels too quick, and Rapid Reload isn't much of a boon when you're only carrying a Bolt Pistol. There are a few Elite Advances I'd like (Autosanguine for added tankiness and Mechanicus flavour, and Thunder Charge for… well, thundering charges!) But again these are out of reach for current xp. The only other thing I can see that I'd like is the Favoured Foe Distinction (RoB, pg93) at 500xp, obviously vs Traitor Marines again, which feels quite fluffy for Elvrit - he's killed at least half a dozen of them now, and he's eager to kill more! It feels quite Iron Hand-y and obsessive, which is bang on the money for him. But I'm not clear on whether Distinctions are available/allowed… @Black Cohort? Anyway, if anyone has any other suggestions, I'm all ears…?

Getting the MM yellow over DA green will be tricky, so I'd probably try respraying... although it does depend how many layers you've already got on it? What kind of mini is it? Metal? Plastic? Paint stripper isn't too expensive, and there are a few alternatives that work pretty well too. I reckon if you could scrape off one wing and the sword, that would look ok. It would probably be possible to add a lightning bolt shape with Green Stuff, if you've got any?

Great idea, will do it now!

@Machine God just to be clear, although Elvrit was expressing himself in typically Elvrit-fashion, I'm happy to go wherever the majority think we should go. Currently that's 1 vote for Phelorak, and 2 for Astess.

Anyone else think you might be... Edit: spoilered just in case I'm right and I'm spoiling a surprise!

Elvrit: “We are Astartes,” Elvrit grunted. “We do not need to 'recover' or ‘gather our mettle’. Nor are we children, digging for buried treasure. Our needs are what they were before we came to Phastus. Repairs, resupply, comms and allies. Phelorak can provide all of them. The Mezoan Forges are loyal to the Imperium, I would stake all our lives on it, and their vassals should follow their lead.” He turned to address Nuzry. "Captain, have our augurs confirmed that the garrison was destroyed? The blast should have been large enough to be detected even at this distance."

Please ignore this, behaving like a dumbass. Sincere apologies to Necro.

Personally I think Phelorak is the one to go for. FW Mezoa is definitely Loyalist, and ordered their subsidiary outposts to fight against the traitors. So with any luck, we should find some allies and maybe some repairs/resupply?

Ok, maybe from the reactions, that was being too cheeky... However, I still have a little bit of hope! I just remembered, did any of our clever lads who are playing Raven Guard players take the Picter Helm as their Chapter Trapping? @Mazer Rackham do a bro a favour and come roll on Ravyx' Int and see if you can get me another hundred xp from somewhere?! If no-one took the Picter Helm, that will probably be the plan