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v=tZ28k2zRxdw&feature=plcp&context=C3e6b0b 7UDOEgsToPDskLAa3cXfNJ8xEV8qzRMfJgr By: ajree210 Pregame Inquisitor Barus VanKruller scanned the lush countryside around him, taking in the seemingly peaceful environment. Colorful birds fluttered from tree to tree, chirping and singing their gleeful tunes. To his right was a massive mountain range, its peaks hidden by puffy white clouds. A blue scar ran down from one peak, its snowmelt creating a large river that wove its way down its slopes. They would soon reach the river, and he licked his dry lips. He looked forward to the cool, crisp taste of the water. It has been ages since he s drank real fresh water, and his canteen has long since run dry. He smiled, a strange sense of peace washing over him as he and the massive Grey Knights around him marched forward. Strange, he thought to himself. For how much Chaos activity Librarian Vitrius has been mentioning, it sure hasn t left much of a mark on this area +Close your mind, Inquisitor. Do not let this faade of tranquility lower your defenses. In fact, I believe we are drawing near to the Portal. Prepare yourself for anything.+ If you wish to contact me, Librarian, I d prefer you stay out of my head. The Inquisitor thought in reply. Vitrius didn t reply, but the Inquisitor knew he got his message across. After a few more minutes of walking, the strike team came to a halt. A crystal clear stream cut through the forest, lazily winding over the exposed sandstone. An overgrown stone bridge arced over the stream with a thick forest past that. That s when he saw the Portal. A giant red cube sat exposed on a circular stone structure, power radiating from its core. The Inquisitor had to squint as he looked at it even though his helmet dimmed its lenses to its maximum darkness. His vox sparked to life as he stood in awe of the Portal. Squad Fovius, move up river and take position in the hills. Watch for anything unusual. Brother Ramus, take your Purifiers and move forward over the bridge and secure the Portal. The rest of us will follow you across and support you as needed. My Venerable brothers, take position on the hills on this side of the river. You are free to fire when you see fit. Move. With that, the Grey Knights moved as one towards the river. The Inquisitor drew his weapons, a strange feeling nagging in the back of his head. The dark foliage ahead of him showed no signs of life, but something wasn t right. That s when he saw the shadows.

Turn 1 The Inquisitor flinched as he saw dozens of large spikes rise out of the trees into the air. He watched in horror as they slammed down into Ramus s Purifiers, somehow changing their directions mid flight as if they were alive. Most were expertly avoided, their white helmets aimed skyward, dodging the long spikes as they barreled at them or cleaving them in two with their glowing force weapons. One spike found purchase, burying itself deep into one of the Knight s shoulder guards. He staggered, reaching at it with a free arm, but this one was only a distraction to slow the armored warrior down. It wriggled as it burrowed deeper into his armor, and a cry of pain could be heard over the vox. A second spike, changing directing mid-dive, slammed into the small gap between his white helmet and his chest guard, spearing his vitals and killing him instantly. A wave of fury washed over the Inquisitor, looking forward to try and find their attackers. Shadows moved quickly in the trees ahead and he could feel a massive psychic presence that was hidden somewhere in the foliage. Suddenly the heavy fire from autocannons began whipping over him, plumes of purple gas erupting from the twin barrels as the Psybolt-charged weapons discharged their powerful munitions. The Purifiers reached the bridge and raised their Storm Bolters, firing on full auto as they advanced onto the stone walk way. Return fire! Avenge our fallen Brother! Brother Sergeant Ramus called out. The barrage of spikes suddenly stopped, and the Inquisitor grinned knowing that the Dreadnaughts killed whatever was firing those spiky projectiles. Fovius, we are taking fire! Can you see what is shooting at us? The Librarian said calmly into the vox. All clear over here, sir. We cannot pick out what is shooting at you. I have a detachment moving into a better position now. The enemy must be well camouflaged. He replied. Good, let us know what you see. Venerable Brother Altiumar, what lies ahead of us? The deep, robotic voice of the Dreadnaught spat, age old hate resonating in his voice. Tyranids. Turn 2 The forest suddenly came to life. An uncountable amount of scythe-limbed Tyranid creatures materialized out of the woods, swarming towards the stone bridge. Two massive creatures, one with a variety of close combat weapons and one with four saber-like arms thundered their way behind the warm. A sudden pressure of psychic energy pressed on his mind as he locked eyes with the saber-armed beast.

+It seems as though we are not the only one seeking the Portal.+ The Librarian s voice startled him. +Do you know what that beast is, Inquisitor?+ No, I have heard of great monsters called Hive Tyrants, but I have never seen one myself. VanKruller thought. +Prepare yourself then, and you will soon witness how to bring one down.+ Before VanKruller could reply, the ground below him shook violently as a massive worm like creature exploded from the ground across the river. It roared and a massive blast of electricity zapped from its shifting armor plates. Two more Purifiers fell as white hot lightning jumped from Knight to Knight, frying the warriors inside to a dark crisp. Their bodies twitched as they fell to the ground, small arcs of electricity zipping and popping on their charred armor. Push forward! Do not falter, we must purge this xenos filth! The Inquisitor called out over the vox. A fleshy pod suddenly slammed into the opposite bank, water and sediment thrown high into the air. Three creatures emerged from the slimy sac, their massive craniums pulsing with energy. Dreadnaught Altiumar turned, his smoking rifles taking aim at the strange creatures. The Inquisitor cried out, however, when the three creatures each released a blinding lance of energy towards the massive warrior. Two of the shots dissipated and vanished, an invisible shield knocking them out of the air. One of the lances, however, found its mark. It blasted straight through the Dreadnaught s armor, through the casket holding the withered remains of the man once known as Altiumar, obliterating the revered warrior. As the Dreadnaught s systems shut down and the giant toppled over, the Inquisitor and the Paladins around him sprayed wildly with their storm bolters and Psycannons as they crossed the river towards the hovering psychic beasts. The bullets, however, did not find purchase, as psychic barriers melted the rounds before they reached their target. The Inquisitor cursed under his breath. The vox suddenly sprang to life. Sir, this is Fovius! My was just torn apart by some humanoid creatures! Out of nowhere we support you can offer before they tear us apart too. He said, storm bolter shots popping in the background. Dreadknight Copriar, lend your cleansing fires to our Brothers. We will clean up your mess here. The Librarian ordered. Yes, Librarian. Copriar replied. The Inquisitor spotted the hulking form of Corpriar as the Dreadknight turned and began moving towards Fovius s position, his once clean Incinerator now charred and smoking from its continuous use.

Engaging! came Ramus s voice over the vox. Inquisitor VanKruller turned to watch as the remaining Purifiers charged across the bridge and into the oncoming horde. He had to shield his eyes as the Purifiers unleashed their psychic flame into the enemy. White fire burst from the silver warriors, incinerating dozens of the alien creatures, and yet still they came, their lack of fear horrifying to the Inquisitor. He saw one Knight go down as a group of the beasts stabbed and hacked their way through his power armor. Another fell, his halberd knocked aside and out of reach. One warrior crushed one of the alien s heads and used the twitching corpse as a club until finally he was overwhelmed and drug down, the sheer weight of the xenos creatures too much for even him to handle. Eventually, all the creatures were dead, but not without their own losses. Only a small portion of the initial squad remained, and the Inquisitor was ready to make these monsters pay. Turn 3 The Inquisitor dove aside, crystal clear water splashing around him. A volley of lances from the psychic beasts blasted overhead. He could feel the heat from the projectiles, his skin burning slightly from the close proximity of such intense heat. +No!+ He heard the Librarian s cry, both over the vox and in his mind as he picked himself up. Before he could regain his footing, he stumbled over the remains of one of the Paladins. The top half of his torso and head had been blasted away. Purple psysmoke sizzled off of the armor, the cool water from the stream hissing as it evaporated instantly on contact with the white hot ceramite. Rage filled the Inquisitor as he regained his footing and charged at the beasts with the remainder of his squad and the Librarian. Voices spoke over the vox, but Inquisitor VanKruller s ears tuned them out as he sprinted towards the fleshy pod and psychic creatures. We have dealt with the creatures here, moving into better position now. No sign of reinforcements. Fovius said. Look out, that big one s coming straight for us! Move! Get out of h- Ramus was cut short, his fate sealed. Vengeance. The usually silent Dreadnought Matteon uttered, his autocannons thumping out massive psy-shells. The powerful rounds slammed into the worm-like creature, chunks of gore and chitin blasting from its body in a vibrant green spray. It howled in pain and moved its way towards Copriar s hulking form, his Incinerator raised.

The Paladins emerged out of the steam, their charge unaffected by anything that got in their way. Darmo, his massive hammer held low to his side, led the charge, taking aim at the pod-like monster. Sinewy whips with razor sharp hooks lashed out from the beast, but Darmo sidestepped around each one as they buried themselves into the earth instead of armor. He swung his hammer straight across his body, putting his entire weight into the attack. The hammer contacted the beast, shockwaves of energy rippling through its body as it blasted a massive wound into its side. Darmo expertly dodged a close range hook and spun, carrying the momentum of his first attack and leading into a backwards follow up swing. This time he let the hammer bury itself deep into the creature, practically tearing the monster in two. He retrieved his hammer from the dying beast and put a few storm bolter rounds into it. The rest of the squad targeted the floating creatures. Librarian Vitrius swung his staff expertly, battling his way through the psychic barriers that the creatures used to protect themselves. The creature nearest to the Librarian quivered as the staff was driven into its open maw and deep into its cranium. Without warning, the Librarian channeled a wave of psychic energy through his staff, directly into the beast. It s bulbous head exploded, bright green fluids splattering on his ornate armor. For having such powerful ranged capabilities, these creatures are quite useless at close range He though to himself as another Paladin cleaved another of the beasts in two, his force sword glowing bright with power. The final creature attempted to back away from the advancing Paladins, but it crumpled as overwhelming fire from a Psycannon pushed through its defenses and tore its body apart. +Feel free to assist at any time, Inquisitor+ The Librarian said as they moved into the woods for cover. The Inquisitor grinned, the normally stern Librarian showing a bit of character for the first time since they met. I m saving my strength for the two leader-beasts ahead of us. He thought back. +You re going to need it.+ Vitrius s voice sternly replied. VanKruller didn t reply. He knew the Librarian was right. Turn 4 As he advanced through the woods, he saw the massive figure of Copriar battling the worm beast in the middle of the stream. His arm mounted Incinerator spat volleys of promethium onto the monster, but it did not stop its assault. Massive scythed limbs clashed against the Dreadknight s powerful fists. One large talon broke through his guard, cleaving the Incinerator from Corpriar s arm. A second talon smashed into his mechanical shoulder and lodged itself deep into the mechanisms. He reached across with his other arm and wrapped his gauntlet around the beasts arm. The beast howled as its limb was crushed and severed by the Dreadknight s powerful grip.

Copriar wound back for a killing blow to the beasts head, but as he swung, the creature s tail lashed out and wrapped itself around his mechanical arm. Copriar realized too late that he had made a grave mistake. The Inquisitor cursed to himself as he saw the Dreadknight s form yanked downward into the stream by the beast s tail. The extended limb gave the creature enough leverage to pin the warrior down. VanKruller looked away as the beast pumped its scythed limbs up and down viciously into Copriar, water splashing wildly by the devastating attack. Copriar is down! Fovius yelled over the vox, psycannons and storm bolters firing on full auto in the background. The beast is weak, we will finish it! Keep firing! VanKruller hoped they were right as he watched the creature weave its way towards the small strike squad up steam. Move forward, we must advance to the Portal immediately. We are running out of time. Vitrius said firmly over the vox. The Inquisitor picked up his pace, winding his way through the dense foliage. He could see small holes where the creatures must have dug in to hide from their patrol. Clever bastards He thought. Suddenly, it felt as though every nerve in his body was on fire. VanKruller fell to a knee, his joints locking up and his lungs straining to pull in air. His head felt as if it was going to explode. What the fug is this He muttered into the vox, his voice hoarse and strained. He glanced ahead and saw the other Knights and Vitrius staggering, suffering from the same psychic pressure he was afflicted by. The Hive Tyrant must be doing something to us I will stop this. Vitrius said, his words tense, as if speaking through clenched teeth. Just moments after he heard the Librarian speak, the pain began to subside. His joints and muscles responded, and the throbbing pain in his head reduced to a dull ache. He regained his footing, along with the other Paladins, and continued the charge. VanKruller knew that whatever Vitrius had done had taken a lot of energy, for his pace was much slower now. He could see the Librarians shoulders rise and fall as his three lungs worked overtime to take in enough oxygen. Push forward We must move with haste. The Librarian said, a deep breath separating his words. VanKruller could see a bright red light shining through the trees ahead of him. He could feel a low bass note humming as the light slowly grew brighter. He knew the Librarian was right. They didn t have much time. Turn 5

As the Inquisitor emerged from the woods, he saw the worm beast lunging downwards. He knew Fovius s men didn t stand a chance against the monster. One of the large talons speared downward and retracted with a silver warrior skewered through the chest. It was Fovius. He emptied his storm bolter into the beast as he died, a smaller, second talon prying the corpse from the larger scythe. The body fell with a splash into the stream, and the beast turned around, looking for new prey. The two Hive Tyrants and a third creature, one with a large sac hanging from its underside, pushed forward onto the bridge. Smaller creatures surrounded them, this time armed with organic firearms instead of scythed talons. Aim for the brood mother! We kill it and the swarm will perish! Librarian Vitrius yelled out, his storm bolter kicking in his hand. The Inquisitor raised his bolt pistol and squeezed off a few shots, each one thumping wetly into the lumbering creature. The Inquisitors ears rang as the rest of the Paladins unleashed their weapons. The cacophony of sound made his head rattle, and the thump of autocannons pressed against his chest as the Dreadnaught opened fire from across the river. Suddenly, a round from Matteon s autocannons blasted the top half of the creature s head off and it fell, dead before it hit the ground. The smaller creatures around the beast each shrieked simultaneously as their mother was killed. Some of their heads exploded, some just fell over, others ran towards the Grey Knights, only to be brought down by their overwhelming fire. A few of the surviving creatures moved behind the Portal, hiding from the oncoming Knights. The two Tyrants turned, their organic weapons held in a battle stance. They stood on the bridge, almost taunting the Paladins. It s now or never, we have to kill those beasts! Vitrius yelled, hatred filling his voice. VanKruller could feel his heart pound in his ears as his pulse quickened. The squad moved at a full sprint, each one ready to unleash death or die trying. This is it, he thought as they charged headlong towards the pair of xenos monstrosities. Turn 6 They ran as fast as they could. The Inquisitor panted, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He could feel a pressure building in the back of his head, and he knew the xenos beast was trying to incapacitate them again. He turned his head as a blinding blast of blue light exploded around Vitrius, his staff raised high. The creature staggered back but showed no emotion or fear. The squad reached the base of the stone bridge and turned to charge up the ramp to engage the beast. The Inquisitor raised his bolt pistol and got one shot off.

They were too late. The Portal exploded in red hot energy, throwing the Inquisitor and the Paladins high into the air. He cried out, but was met by silence as his eardrums were destroyed by the shockwave. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. His body arced through the air and into the stream with a wet thud and everything went black. End game Inquisitor VanKruller awoke completely paralyzed. Sharp pain blasted through his body with each ragged breath he took. His helmet was gone and his weapons were nowhere to be seen. He looked around, his right eye the only one thing that would respond to his brain s commands. It has gotten darker How long have I been here? He thought to himself, looking towards the dark sky as the cool water trickled around his body. He squinted as he thought he saw motion in the sky and tried to cry out as he realized what it was. Massive tendrils were snaking through the clouds, some reaching towards the planet out of his limited view. Millions of winged beasts of all sizes soared through the air as thousands of fleshy pods fell towards the planet. The Tyranid invasion had begun. We failed No He thought, a single tear trickling down his face into the clear waters surrounding him. +Yes, you have+ said a voice so alien that he wept in horror. A great shadow suddenly blocked his apocalyptic view and stood over him in the stream. He cried out in silent agony as one of the creature s four sabers slammed downwards into his immobile torso. The creature lifted Inquisitor VanKruller s broken body into the air and brought him close to its monstrous face. He looked the beast in the eyes and was horrified at what he saw. Emptiness. Pure, evil nothingness. Something so inhuman that he wouldn t have believed it if he hadn t seen it himself. And it s the last thing Inquisitor Barus VanKruller ever saw.