The Bloodworks
On its way from the Sanguinal Refineries to the Cranic Furnaces the mixture of promethium, blood and daemonic ichor travels and is stored and stabilised in a network of Haematic Plasma Regulators and Condutis. Much like the other Belochian structures claimed by the servants of Khorne, this machinery is slowly turning into organic structures, the conduits ever more resembling blood vessels while the plasma coils contract and beat like cardiac muscles. The tanks and heat vents' sides bleed from never-healing wounds on their flanks and skulls are tossed around, often piled into impromptu altars to the Red God. The reek of blood clings to the air, as does the faint echo of a laughter coming from the Skull Throne.
Recently I've started playing Kill Team relatively regularly and that motivated me to get back to this terrain project. These are all relatively small pieces made with a combination of bits from the Sector Mechanicus kits I assembled in the past, plastic piping and even a plastic container for toothpicks.
The strainght pipes are cut to the same length as the gantries of the Hanging Ways, just like the original Thermic Plasma Conduits. The curved one is only a few centimetres smaller than the angled walkways I stil have to assemble, but I couldn't find anything of the exact same size. The veins crisscrossing them are sculpted with greenstuff.
The ladder going up the vent is made using cleaned up sprues.
The Thermic Plasm Regulator is converted exactly like the Sanguinal Refinery, with bone spurs from the Ogor Mawtribes range, Khornate symbols and trophies and also the horns with dangling skulls from the Black Orcs banner.
Finally I had the hatches from the STC Ryza-pattern Ruins to which I simply glued some skulls. They're the only pieces that have not been smeared with my home-made texture (coffe grounds and PVA) to represent the wounds on the sides of the structures.
The palette is essentially the same as the other pieces. However, this time I've used an iron mica effect enamel spray for the undercoat rather than Leadbelcher spray, resulting in slightly darker tones.
As always, every piece is perfectly sized to match the others, either to join at ground level or to sit on top of larger pieces.
Barrels and blasts
"So uncivilised!" Xal'ar'ap scoffed, its green tongue darting out between every word. "Staging a heavy cavarly charge during an underground siege..."
"Typical of Khornates and Pantheonites", quipped Vyzorak watching as Umbra, Ghargon and Shërbëtor took their places at the head of the column and disappeared down the largest tunnel leading to the Aetheric Bastion.
"And what are we to do in order to show them Tzeentch's superiority?" asked the Changecaster.
"They'll provide the distraction we need. While they get all the attention, we'll use the blastpowder bombs we recovered from the Wolfram Industries at the grot camp you mentioned."
"Did I tell you they fight for the Boltbreakers?"
"Then we'll make sure nobody sees us as we really are, and plant some of the Wolfram corpses on the battlefield."
"Blaming another enemy for your actions, Lorehoarder?"
"You're not the only schemer, Plotgibber", came Vyzorak's reply amidst a growling laughter.
The grots were camped around one of the outer structures of the old Stormfort, a massive rockgut troggoth shambling around, idly kicking up black ash.
Vyzorak had tasked the Tzaangors to act as sappers and assigned a small escort each to Kleok and R'tefcar. They were waiting, at the end of opposite corridors, for the rest of the Coven to provide a diversion.
It was up to Vyzorak, Xal'ar'ap and Inklineilis to provide that, and hidden under layers of glamours that made them look like Wolfram Industries' mercenaries, they launched themselves at the grots.
As the grot camp descended into a bedlam of high pitched screams and multihued fire blasts, the sapper teams advanced carefully, least a sudden movement triggered the volatile charges ahead of time.
Xal'ar'ap and Inklineilis had despatched half of the grot and pinned the rest in combat, though Zirithinion had fallen under their spears.
Vyzorak channeled all the sorcerous power he could into his staff and managed to smash aside the troggoth while Thalamyr took care of a grot and their squig snuffler. The way was open for the sappers.
But as the sappers prepared to close the distance to the Stormfort walls, the rest of the grot showed up, dangerously close.
Iridios and the Blue Horror Vyzorak had bound to his service leapt forward, blocking the mouth of the tunnel the grots were coming from while Kleok reached the first steps of the Stormfort.
But R'tecfar was held back. Though he and Ocladius dispatched a grot fanatic, the Loonboss stopped the Tzaangor from advancing.
Daemons and Acolytes continued to trade blows with the grots, their line holding firm.
Vyzorak and Talamyr rushed forward, pushing the Loonboss away from R'tecfar.
The two Tzaangors reached the battlements almost at the same time, lit the fuses and jumped away squawking for the others to run for cover.
Then the charges detonated, debris and oily smoke mixing with the Howling Abyss' ashes.
As the grots dispersed, the Coven of the Purple Flame moved onto the breach, tossing a couple of the Wolfram militia corpses into still burning fires.
As they entered the Aetheric Bastion, Vyzorak prayed to Tzeentch for the rest of the March forces to have been equally succesful. If not, they'd soon be inside an abandoned Sigmarite stronghold surrounded by enemies.
***
This time, I played The Fall of Snagglewart challenge battle from the Tome of Champions 2020. I have to admit the dice rolling I did for the grots was terrible, turning what should have been a difficult scenario into a rather easy one. I guess Tzeentch was smiling upon the Coven of the Purple Flame.
The coming of the Plotgibber
Again Vyzorak sat at the centre of a summoning circle, the four globes stolen from Wolfram Industries melting inside a small crucible. Thick crimson smoke laced with aetheric energies rose from it and the ogroid gestured to shape it into Tzeentch's sigil. The rune formed into the air, its All-seeing Eye shut.
"Plotgibber! I summon thee, Xal'ar'ap of the Grand Cabal!", once again the ogroid called to the Great Beyond.
The All-seeing Eye's lids slowly opened. As its pupil stared deep into Vyzorak's soul, the air around it started to crack. Then, with a wet rip it opened and out of the rent stepped Xal'ar'ap.
"Well done, Thaumaturge!" cackled the Changecaster as it capered around the chamber deep within Eklysium's citadel, its blue robes swirling madly.
"9 times 9 Hyshian cycles I'm at your service, Lorehoarder. And as a first token of my respect, I'll tell you there is a gaggle of grots camped close to the Aetheric Bastion's devices. Strike fast, strike hard, destroy their camp and seize the devices!"
"So that they can be bent to Eklysium's conquest"
"Indeed! And to the greater glory of Tzeentch..."
An here is Xal'ar'ap Plotgibber, fully painted and ready to fight with the Coven of the Purple Flame.
I obviously kept the palette consistent with all my other Tzeentch models, using exactly the same techiniques I used on the Silver Tower Pink and Blue Horrors.
The base, however, looks more like a swamp than the Silver Tower tiles, and matches that of my Dark Emissary, as I have plans for a Chaos Warband to go with him. Xal'ar'ap will feature in that warband as an ally, but I'm waiting for the end of summer to see if we'll get a new Warcry edition before starting building the other models.
Knowledge and theft
Plotgibber had been true. The human wizard was accompanied just by two scores of militiamen. Vyzorak had observed them for three days, the wizard supervising the operation, some of the militia operating the air pumps provided by Wolfram Industries, the rest diving into the clear waters of the Vitrian Well. Seven of them never made it back. The others emerged encased in their metal suits, carrying four glowing orbs. Inside them, even from the distance, images could be seen forming in an endless repetition of what the divers saw.
The wizard was now studying them, surrounded by guards.
It was time to strike, before he could learn anything useful.
Two pickets of militia stood at the edges of the Wolfram camp.
Vyzorak split the Coven of the Purple Flame so that every militia group could be engaged at the same time.
Bellowing a challenge to the wizard, Vyzorak stampeded toward him, the militia quickly jumping to intercept his advance.
The rest of the Coven sprang forth too, rasing surprised shouts of alarm, warning squawks from the gryph-terriers and a few pistol shots.
While on the left flank the fight stalled, on the right, supervised by their captain, the Wolfram militia quickly recovered their with and got the upper hand.
In the centre, Vyzorak and Kleok opened a bloddy path for R'tecfar and Zirithinion to launch themselves upon the orbs, the wizard's arcane bolts washing over R'tecfar's armour.
Vyzorak was charged from the right and pinned in place, but many a militiamen fell under his staff and horns.
Inklineilis was brought down, marking the collapse of the Coven's left flank.
And yet, even if Kleok was mauled by a gryph-terrier, R'tecfar and Zirithinion ganged up on the wizard creating an opening for Iridios to come forward and grab another orb.
Bleeding from countless wounds, Vyzorak struggled not to give into a furious rage. He instead lowered his head and pushed trought the militia, headed for the last orb. As he grabbed it, the Coven run for the cover of the Snarl undergrowth.
Though this time all members of the Coven had survived, the number of seriously injured fighters was growing. Still, it had been a well worth effort. During their retreat, Zirithinion had fallen into an abandoned scorpid nest which the Coven could put to good use to move quickly around the Snarl. While crawling away from the battlefield, Kleok had been able to snatch an explosive devices carrying the Wolfram Industires mark. And Vyzorak could sense the mixture of arcane and technological power within the orbs as he studied the images contained within them.
Soon, that power would help him bring forth the Plotgibber into Azyr.
***
I continued to play the Rat Hunters campaign, this time using the Ironweld Armoury scenario. Again, it was a tense solo game with half of the Coven taken down and the rest badly wounded, so I've definitely found a better way to play solo games.
