Five Parsecs. Campaign Game 15. Death in the sump

INQUISITION CASE FILE 496:35-H:9-THETA-8:EPSILON-23

+ ORDO XENOS +

+ SECURITY PSALM RECOGNISED +

+ PROCEED +

+ My master, Inquisitor Kalot of the Ordo Xenos, continues to work against the genestealer infestation of Hive Primus. We operate outside the knowledge of the local planetary authorities to prevent panic in the hive population. +

+ A local merchant, Gallius Marbec, has come to our attention. His trading misadventures have brought him into contact with the cult both here and on Hydresar X [Noospheric inload links embedded]. The fool has decided to pry further. +

+ Archival pict. Marbec stumbles on cult activity. +

+ Our pict-feeds relay his latest folly deep in the toxic environment of the hive sump. +

+ No enemy in sight, but they know they are near. +

+ One group covers the left. +

+ One group advances through the gunk. +

+ Movement on the right! +

+ The crew reposition in the toxic swamp. +

+ The ogryn blasts one and the other skulks away. +

+ Movement on the left! The cult knows they're here. +

+ Movement ahead! The ogryn and the noble
position to take out a heavy weapon. +

+ Flame envelops their rookie. +

+ The ganger shoots the flamer. +

+ Pistol fire hits Marbec and he stumbles-
the toxic sludge overcome him. +

+ The heavy stubber strikes the ogryn-
weakened by fumes it goes down as well. +

+ A coordinated strike takes down the rest of the crew. +

+ Intelligence suggests that Marbec survived. However, he knows too much and must be eliminated. +

++Thought of the day++

++The reward of tolerance is betrayal.++

+ REPORT ENDS +

Whew! What a nasty firefight! I rolled a toxic environment, which was a great excuse to pull out some gunked up tiles. Stunned figures are at risk, and that was what happened to Gallius and Chugger.

Due to pre-game shenanigans, the hybrids started off board and trickled in randomly with added reinforcements. There were twelve of them in the end, and it felt like a shadowy ambush.

Gallius got lucky- he rolled a 99 for his injury and shrugged it off. Corvin made a mysterious full recovery. Chugger, however, died in the toxic sludge. D-E-D dead.

Gallius Marbec mourns Chugger.

Chugger's greatest hits. In memoriam

Rescued from slavery

His first firefight!

Pounding on squats.

Smashing mutants in the dark.

Blowing apart heretics.

Stomping gang scum.

The Emperor protects!

Just as I was about to draw a sad curtain on this sorry tale, I realised I can use a once-per-campaign imperator ex machina to allow Chugger to miraculously survive! His plot armour was too strong. Dry your cheeks, he's still alive!

So. Phew. I am trying to get to twenty missions. The plot thickens. Will Gallius survive to uncover a nest of genestealers? Will the Ordo Xenos intercept him with extreme prejudice? Is Corvin really that useless, or is he a cult infiltrator?

It does sound like it will end badly! I can hardly wait!