Servitor GH-0u1
GH-0u1 once was an escort servitor tasked with scouting ahead and protecting one of the failing Tors. Since its charge ground to a halt, it has roamed Ferrugo Pass, mindlessly repeating its routines. And yet, to fulfill its primary directive to protect, its organic component must survive. The urge to survive has partly overriden the mind-wiping, and GH-0u1 has started to feed upon those that threaten the Tors. In this way, it protects and survives.
In weeks 3 and 5 (if everything goes according to plans!) of the Ferrugo Pass Campaign, our games will feature various NPCs. They will represent the denizens of Ferrugo Pass and of the failing Tors that lie within it. Saul is currently at work on some of them. The idea is that the denizens are degraded Mechanicus creations: servitors, robots and so on that, following the downfall of Tor Megiddo, have not been maintained and whose programming routines are now corrupted, leading to erratic and often aggressive behaviours. Here's my contribution, based on the Necromunda Ambot, with the head swapped for the leftovers I had from building my tech-wytche Mahela, namely the body of the Med Servitor from the Sector Imperialis objectives and the head of the Necromancer. The arms are from the Flesh-eater Courts Ghouls.
I've swapped the Ambot's left claw for a Razorback Heavy Bolter with the drum feeder from a Sentinel autocannon. The ogor belly plate was added to give the model a more feral look and to link it to Saul's Rustman, the Vulture.
I've continued that theme on the right shoulder, with another belly plate keeping in place a piece of cloth (Orruk 'ardboyz banner), another recurring element on the Rustmen.
An animal skull (yet another feature of the Rustmen), spikes, a brazier and feral-looking trinkets help to complete the techno-barbaric look of the model. Now, to paint it!
The Law of Perishton
Where the Schorced Plain ends, there sits Perishton. By ancient law, not the Yaike Yaike nor the Flesh Barons nor the Red Church rule over it, for it is said that all are equals when preparing to enter the Barrens. And in Perishton the equality of Men is measured by the strength of their arms, their right to gather supplies only that they can claim over their peers. To Perishton went the Purebred, for the Barrens were to be their road to Ferrugo Pass where the broken Tors lie.
Onto Perishton stepped Great Father Arun, trusted Yash at his side, to stake the Purebred's claims.
And in slurred voices, a challenge came from the Stash Riders, lurking in the shanties nearby.
Quick were the Purebred to react. Eshelon the Rider rode forth to take the blessed Prometheum to feed the Purebred's engines. And Mahela laid her metal hand on precious bullets.
And then, from the Barrens emerged ragged strangers. Hooded and masked, they spoke the tongue of the Skull-Cog. They too, had come for Perishton's bounty and Snapper was the first to feel their strength.
Warfather Dez gave voice to his flamer, but the Stash Riders were well protected behind their walls. And as the angry flames subsided, they came out, guns blazing and Dez fell.
And Eshelon retreated where the strangers' weapons could not reach him. There he continued to gather the blessed Prometheum.
Up to the leader of the strangers Yash went, for he was heading for what belonged to the Purebred.
To the fusilade of the Stash Riders fell Great Father Arun on the truck he was trying to start.
And though she was old, Mahela braved the Stash Rider's gun. For it was her duty to protect any fallen Purebred. And around fallen Dez and a stash of ammo, the two danced, metal claw sparkling over rusted dagger.
Yash's chainsword sang and his opponent lay in the dust. And then, the Blemished grabbed what he could and jumped to the truck, there to give his life to protect the Great Father if that was what awaited him.
But that was not to be his day. For in Perishton, the Purebred had shown that they were the more equal amongst equals. And trading bullets and lighting amongst themselves, the Stash Riders and the strangers retreated.
And at the Purebred camp, Mahela tended to the serious injuries of Dez. Then, she spoke of the strangers.
"It is written in the Book of Da-Ar-Vin that when a Tor dies, its servants enact the Anomaly Protocol. And they set out of Ferrugo Pass to find what can stave off the Tor's death. Be warned, Arun, for we'll meet them again and the Skull-cog smiles upon them".
Introduction
And away the Rustmen went, back to the Broken Mountains, heedless of the dust storms that strip the flesh off Man and Beast. Nor Warleader nor Tech-wytche knew who saw them going. And yet, as Red Wind left once again, the Great Gathering heard of the Rustmen heading for Ferrugo Pass where the broken Tors lie.
Of the Promethean Tower, there was no more talk. There the Slipgibbets had spent Red Wind to claim their war rights and at the gates of the Valley of Defilement only a stripped down hulk remained. And Arun of the Purebred raged at that and prepared for a war of vengeance.
But then Mahela spoke.
"Great Father, the Mutant has had its fill, let it enjoy the Flesh Barons' charred left overs. Richer pickings await us. For it is said in the Book of Da-Ar-Vin that were the Rustmen go, the Skull-Cog will reward those that follow".
And Great Father Arun saw that the Keeper of the Flesh was wise. To the Warfathers, the Brothers and the Blemished he turned and ordered to make ready.
So it was that the Purebred left the Great Gathering and out over the Scorched Plain they went. To the Broken Mountains and to Ferrugo Pass where the broken Tors lie.
This visit to Tor Megiddo came way before I was expecting it. I was toying with the idea of converting the retinue of a Flesh Baron, but didn't even get to the stage of starting to talk with my gaming mates to nail down the concept. So, that project has been ditched, for now, and I'll be using the Purebred again.
However, this time we are using Kill Team rather than Necromunda, so I had to work out how to represent them rule-wise. Since we had agreed to allow Open Play selection for our Combat Rosters and Kill Teams, I looked for profiles that could best match the nature of the various characters in the warband.
The Purebred males are all tough and brutish and during the previous campaing showed a propensity for close combat and horrible aim, unless they could loose a steady stream of bullets. That, to me, meant Ork Boyz.
In comparison, Eshelon the Rider and Mahela the Keeper of the Flesh are far more frail, and Eshelon was by far the best shot in the gang, so for them I decided to use Astra Militarum Guardsmen.
For Snapper the Dusthound, luckly, the rules for Kroot Mercenaries in White Dwarf provided profiles for Kroot Hounds, so that was an easy match as well.
What was left to do, was matching models to Specialisms, especially for those that were Champions under Necromunda rules and for Eshelon. After all, the fact that he rides a mutated horse deserves being represent, no? Here is the resulting Combat Roster I'll be using during the campaign.
Great Father Arun: Ork Boy Boss Nob with Slugga and Big Choppa, Leader, 12 pts.
Warather Jax: Ork Boy Gunner with Big Shoota, Heavy, 7 pts.
Warfather Dez: Ork Burna Boy, Zealot, 12pts.
Snapper the Dusthound: Kroot Hound, 6pts.
Larg the Tribesman: Ork Boy with Shoota, 6 pts.
Yash the Blemished: Ork Boy with Slugga and Choppa, 6pts.
Kurk the Blemished: Ork Boy with Slugga and Choppa, 6pts
Eshelon the Rider: Guardsman, Scout, 5pts
Mahela, Keeper of the Flesh: Sergeant, Medic, 5pts
Total: 9 members, 65pts.
Since we have set our games at 50 points, I have plenty of options when it comes to choosing the Kill Team. They have already seen some action, and you can read Saul's version of the story here. Mine will come shortly.
