“The report on Operation: Ivory Hunters. Apothecary Primus Ozymandius X, Watch Fortress Erioch, DATE 4532998.M41, Autopsy Black-Prime-q13-Nytt_Hopp, Black Shield Sergeant Vassenius” the gigantic scientist stated aloud as he slowly moved his right gauntlet across the large brutalized corpse on his white marble table.

“Two cauterized wounds work across the left ribcage. Distance of the attack was within 70 meters according to records. Apothecary Green Six, attempted to resuscitate the sergeant but the assailant came to terminate him within seconds of assessing his squad leader. The assailant was large and both caved in the Black Shield Apothecary’s helmet and skull, as well as corrupting the Astartes’ flesh. A particularly vile form of Warp radiation damage, delivered from a mutant ‘natural weapon’ of some kind” Ozymandius continued as the fine silver tendrils of his gauntlet sliced small samples of Vassenius flesh along the upper entry wound. Green lasers beamed from his helmet. The ancient diagnosticator read measurements and spectragraphics in a few moments. The apothecary blink clicked a red icon to continue his report.

“Spectramancer Octo Gon of the Muzzein’s cadre has requested exacting measurements and tests of all wounds. The Spectramancer’s desire is more specific, he wishes data on the Samech weaponry being found in the Acheros Salient more and more these last few decades” Ozymandius looks a hololith displaying multiple colored lines paralell to one another.

“Nearly two centimeters wider diameter than the las projection of the largest variety of Imperial lascannons. The size is simply brutal, it is the light itself that the grand magos is interested in. The las light exists at frequency near that found along the event horizon of warp breaks. This allows for greater penetration and leads to wounds that take far longer to heal. To see this kind of damage, I do not believe Brother Green Six could have saved Vassenius. The damage was simply too extensive” Ozymandius stated as his tiny tendril probes deposited the skin samples into separate receptacles made of blue plasglass. The giant turned and gazed at the two other corpses in the chamber. One was covered in a black canvas while the other was equally as large, and just as decapitated. In one motion Ozymandius snatched a similar black canvas and draped it across Sergeant Vassenius’ body. With three blinks Ozymandius opened his personal logs.

“Contact the Imperial Fists company fighting along the front at Thoros IV. Y. R. Ugulegos, a fellow apothecary, formerly Deathwatch, is stationed there. Vassenius’ penance is complete. His body will be returned to his chapter. The gene seed though. Very sad” Ozymandius whispered into his helmet microphone, a mixture of sadness and hatred ate at him. Three blinks shut off his log and with light sigh walked across the chamber.

Apothecary Primus Ozymandius X blinked two times to restart the autopsy log.

“The report on Operation: Ivory Hunters. Apothecary Primus Ozymandius X, Watch Fortress Erioch, DATE 4532998.M41, Autopsy Black-Prime-q13-Nytt_Hopp, Black Shield Devastator Drake” the gigantic scientist stated aloud his booming across the chamber through his external grill. Slightly startled by his own voice, Ozymandius quickly realized he activated the vox instead of his autopsy log. Seems his tears distorted his blink command.

The Deathwatch Land Raider, Starbuck, growled as her thick admantium tracks crushed ice and flattened snow. Chunks of ice and gouts of slush launched from either side of the black metallic monster as it raced across Nytt Hopp’s dead, icy terrain. She had not adjusted course in over seven hours, but she would soon reach her destination, her targets were there. She growled louder as her destination came closer. As a war-spirit she had known combat for over a century in service to the Imperial Fists, but this day would see her first blooding under new heraldry. Deathwatch heraldry.

Within Starbuck’s hold waited six spirits much like herself, Adeptus Astartes, her small brothers-in-arms. They were her Father’s Angels of Death and she relished her role as their Chariot. She was also eager to prove her worth as they had chosen her from dozens of war machines. The Deathwatch marines would know victory and she would share in the glory of their most holy crusade, the purge of the unclean.

Starbuck’s role in Operations: Ivory Hunters was clear: convey Killteam Claudius to grid point Q13, destroy Stigmartus military forces, and reach a construction called the Tower of Skulls; all the while avoiding the traps and artillery the enemy threw at them. She had never taken the field against forces of Chaos such as this; her experience was versus the Traitor Legions and even a handful daemons. Starbuck reached out through her vox link to The Ebon Zealot in orbit and even listened to the Iron Hand’s thoughts through their link, hoping to understand this new variety of target.

The Ultramarine leader had taken to the coupler hatch. Starbuck secretly wished for pintle mount there for years. Her last techmarine, M. X. Streen, planned to add a storm bolter mount. In the testing though, backwash from missiles launched damaged the smaller weapon. Starbuck was disappointed, but she understood that she, like her Helios kin, were some of the most vicious Land Raiders in the master’s service.

Icy rains and constant hail ruined her vision. Poor magnetic fields, various radiations, and passive enemy jamming stymied her auspexes as well. Starbuck roared as she dove down a steep embankment, her anger grew with each meter.

How can I find my targets?!

The Iron Hand must have heard her lament and the cyborg went to work linking her systems with both his own biologis-cybernetica systems and the vast auspex array of The Ebon Zealot. Her huge ancient brother and his legions of lesser machine-spirits gifted Starbuck with their godlike senses. Nytt Hopp became a green vision set across in a six centimeter by six centimeter grid. She would find her targets, she would bring her Astartes brothers to the front.

To victory.

“Ak’eed a da’alzhin!” Yarika swore loudly across the vox. With a few blinks he transferred a frozen pic of the monster to his squadmates. The Raven Guard apothecary took his run to a flat out sprint taking over a dozen meters in two heartbeats. Ork slugfire was closing on him and Yarika slid the last three meters on his knees through pools of thick ork blood and guts. He came to a sudden stop against the dragon fountain’s side.

“Sir, that thing is over eight meters tall. And I saw heavy weapon mounting. Brother Gadreel is pinned down and the Interrogator is five seconds from the bridge” he reported as he scanned Brother Ymir with his diagnosticator helmet device. With two quick movements he maglocked his bolter drove his narcethium into the librarian’s leg. A nasty wound but the Astartes’ regenerating systems were already at work. Within two seconds the wound was clean and sewn. Yarika had even blinked an icon to Brother Paullian noting the rent in Brother Ymir’s armour. With three more blinks he sent status reports to Sergeant Claudius and Brother Ymir updating his combat status and checking his bolter’s bolt load switching it.

“Brother Gadreel you are not transmitting” Yarika as he stood and saw the rokkits and explosive slugs immolate the blood filled fountain across on the other raft. Just as he tried swearing an icon began to blink again. Rather brightly he thought.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Claudius, for a half second, disbelieved the dimensions the pic read for the gigantic ork charging Brother Gadreel’s position on the northern raft compound. Nearly nine meters tall and half as wide the giant ork wore armour unlike any he had seen the xenos breed don in his half century of service to the Emperor.

“Gadreel! “ roared the Ultramarine sergeant as he saw his fellow watchman engulfed in a conflagration of rokkit and explosive slug fire. The Blood Angel had been a whirlwind of xenos blood. Claudius noted Gadreel’s glorious work. He would make a point to detail the marine’s exploits to the IX Legion.

“Concentrate fire on the larger ork target. Let us pray Brother Gadreel set the melta charges. In three…” Claudius commanded as he stood on the edge of a smoldering crater. A crater made by Brother Gadreel. Good placement he thought as he open the safety lever on the melta charge remote. The Interrogator-Colonel’s trukk would need clear the trukk wrecks to escape the explosives destruction.

According to the cartograph the explosion’s blast should set off the fuel lines and the cascade explosions should sink the raft compound. With speed the orks are moving they will not be able to clear the raft before it capsizes. It all depends on whether or not Brother Gadreel completed his duty. His success so far would factor toward success, but that was a lot of fire. He is fast, Claudius thought to himself. But was he fast enough?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Rage. Chained and controlled but rage none the less. To feel the rage was like the thick smell promethium, refined but volatile. Orks are berserkers, but this…

Even as the librarian was moving mind through the assortment of psychic stimuli, his bolter chattered of round after round in to orks moving afield. Exceptional armour.

… was not an ork’s form of rage. Focus. Sent through like promethium through the muzzle of an incinerator, weaponized. Aiming. Firing.

“Brother.”

The whisper was heard by none. Sensory dampening kicked in. Focused fire. Single target.

Ymir shuddered.

Pride. Supremely fast flashes of impulse.
Dodge!
Me.
Move!
The Blood Angels.
Flip!
Sanguinius.
Dodge!
THE EMPEROR!!!!!!!

Ymir gasped and missed the wound ork by the bridge railing. A stream of promethium geysered from the explosions and confusion of the firefight on the far chinampa.

HA!!!!!!!
Pride.

Ymir smiled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“All day long brothers!!!” intoned the Salamander as watched ork after ork disappear from his helmet’s display. Hellfire rounds are fantastic against orks, he thought. But in this situation he felt that a wider arc of fire is what the loud Ultramarine wanted.

Streams of heavy bolt shells lit up the orks and their trukks. The trukks exploded during the volley and honestly Beav’Star was not really sure what the apothecary was yelling about so loudly. The Salamander was busy, if the Raven Guard is worried about that Blood Angel he is going to need more seasoning. Beav’Star had watched this Astartes tear up every ork he had seen today. It is not like the orks can actually shoot for anything. The Blood Angel is going to be just fine he thought.

Then Yarika’s helmet imager sent an odd pic.

“What the fuck is that?” the Salamander stated in Low Gothic with an actual tone of confusion. That thing is way too big to be an ork. It has to be some kind of walker, Beav’Star thought about what orks called those ugly walkers of theirs as a nasty series of explosions lit up the far fountain. The one that…

“Brother!!!!” screamed the Salamander in a rather high pitched howl as he sent his helmet round counter spinning. With the kind of intense fury found in devastators, Beav’Star Sobcheck gave the orks the one thing he knew about in this fucked up galaxy.

Metal.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Why poison the air? Seems odd for orks.
This world is too valuable, the Mechanicum has just forgotten about it is all.
More machine-spirits? The ancients of Jupiter were paranoid.
Technology like this is necessary, I have got to get as much as I can.
How were these files deleted? Machine-spirits would have been power for a Mek Boy.
Data here is from the Great Crusade, there is information in these datastores the Imperium lost.
How many more processors to go? Seven.
We can hold this world, we can save these…
**
What is that… thing? Far too large to be an ork.
The armour it is wearing, very advanced for orks.
Where is going to go? There is not time or room for him to escape.
Ork weaponry and armour these orks have are too well made.
These ork have accuracy? Ork ballistic fire is known to be sub-standard.
Training and discipline are evident in this horde, a rather unique and disturbing anomaly.
Probable survival from that many rokkits and explosive slugs? He was an excellent marine.
That is a jump pack contrail.
**
Files Stored…
_**______________________________________________________________________________________
Gadreel flew through the air like an angel of fire.
As flew from the ravenous rage of the ork
His brothers rejoiced as they smote his would be murderers.
Our oath to the Deathwatch were fulfilled once again
Sanguinius’ Blood blessing us once again.
¬-The Angel of Jericho. Part One, Verse Seventeen.

The massive Ork leading the ‘ard toofs (known to us as the Gag Boss) charged Claudius’ forward position at the edge of the shrouding, to engage in melee. A wild chainaxe swing over my head created an opening in the beast’s defenses wide enough to put a meltabomb in. Claudius set the timer, and dove away while it was vaporized. Despite a frontal assault by Gadreel, the ’ard toofs stood firm, but were cut down by his excellent blade work. Despite attempts at a flanking maneuver, Gadreel was ordered to advance while these would-be tactical orks were cut down with bolter fire from Ymir, Sobchek Yarika and Claudius.

Paullian continued to manipulate the archeotech to our advantage as the transport made its descent. The Inquisitor and his team made all haste to the exfil site all the while harried by a tremendous Ork and a massive horde of greenskins in its wake. In order to more effectively make our tactical retreat, orders were given to place melta charges in the large fountain on the north-central atoll, and timed to detonate as the orks made their way south. The Greenskin leader and his hordes of followers were swifter than we had anticipated, running after the Inquisitor as if Horus himself was behind them. They bore down on Gadreel and nearly dealt him a grievous injury. The combination of Gadreel’s genehanced body, built-in pain suppressing cocktail and superior training and preparedness allowed him to shrug off a series of blows that might have felled anyone else; and cover the Inquisitor’s escape.

The Inquisitor’s conveyance had just made it over the bridge when the fuse on the melta charges blew, and we made regrouping maneuvers towards the transport, providing cover for the Inquisitor and his cohort.

As Claudius and Sobchek held the plaza, Yarika maintained a protective watch over Paullian as he beamed files to our vessel, made contact with the Inquisitorial team, shut down the atmospheric emitters and manipulated the archeotech so as to funnel Orks from the northern shore into our field of enfilading fire. Ymir and Gadreel entered the Atmospheric actuator and engaged the Ork commandos within. Although Ymir took some damage, he eliminated three while Gadreel had help taking care of the four commandos that surrounded him from the commando Nob he drove insane with his battle fury. Timely application of various squad modes including Tactical Spacing, Considered Defense, and Regroup allowed us to eliminate any immediate threats, to blow the manufactorum; and then to take cover while we poured fire into the advancing Ork trukks.

The ’Ard boys in the trukks were the kind that were using the cover of their more feral kin to strike key planetary installations, including the Atmospheric Actuator. We poured derision along with bolter fire on the foul xenos, as the Gag Boss made himiself known to us.

Everything so far went according to Codex. Orbital drop procedures placed us in good position to execute the predetermined orders. While the plaza of the central atoll was secured, demolitions were placed on the target, and our techmarine gained access to the archeotech systems. Although all of the xenos assaulting the plaza were eliminated, even as they tried to escape, the information from the planetary cogitators suggest that there are still targets in the atmospheric regulation building. Ymir and Gadreel have been sent to eliminate potential threats; while Yarika and Paullian continue their task in the administratum building. Sobchek and Claudius will maintain overwatch in the central plaza, and remain in vox contact with our orbital surveillance to monitor any new or continuing threats, as well as the progress of the Inquisitor and his team. For the Emperor.

Operation: Exodus Kelly

Preparation
Briefing: Land on Plantage , Demolish one warehouse, possible Orks forces, raft based agricultural community, massive levee, and food processing center.
Leader: Claudius I of the Ultramarine
Oath-taking:
Arming: 50 Requisition. Kill Team is given a dataslate, cartograph, 10 kilos of demolition charges, 8 melta bombs, and 4 sets of restraints.
Insertion Options:
X- Astartes Jump Pack 15 points/each— DWRPG pg
X- Grav-Chutes 5 points/each— RoB pg 145
Motorcycles 20 points/each— RoB pg
Aquila Lander 10 points— RoB pg *the Kill Team may pool points for this option
Orbital Lander (one way) 20 points— RoB pg *the Kill Team may pool points for this option
Optional Assests: *the Kill Team may pool points for these options
Close Air Support 15 points—RoB pg 216
X- Orbital Surveillance 15 points—RoB pg 217
X- *Vox Transmission FREE—RoB pg 217
Reserve Company 15 points—RoB pg 220
*Death Cult Assassins FREE—Special

Execution
Primary Objectives:
1. Land on Planet and arrive at Central Processing Atoll and Demolish warehouse for Thunderhawk Sigma-Blue and secure LZ
2. Support Inquisitorial agents during their extraction and Secure Xenos ‘package’
Secondary Objectives:
1. Eliminate local Ork presence
2. Protect structural integrity of The Western Levee

A hololith snaps out images of Power Armoured soldiers with various biographic and statistical data streaming.

“Interrogator-Colonel Nilihilus Prime and his Arcanix cohort have inserted on planet Plantage on the edge of the Calixis Sector. Their mission is reconnaissance and hostile extraction of xenos” Watch Captain Servais begins.

An odd mechanical limbed being in what looks like green Mechanicus robes enters from a conceal portal in the floor. Four mechadenrites locomote the being to the console in the mezzanine of the War Room. Smaller appendages snake out into the console and the images in the hololith shift to images of Orks!

An image of a ‘standard’ ork appears. High speed vid of vivisection and statistics scroll by. Fairly common ork xenology. Images shift to the planet Armageddon and bulletpoints and images appear by the dozen. Individual bits shift from green to red and collect with notations from various Ordo Xenos inquisitors and biologis magos.

A syntesized voice squeels “Yes! Yes! The Interrogator’s mission is KEY!!! Small, not even medium waaaaaaagh, but… but…AH!!! Yes! Warbands of orks! Warbands have been invading planets across the Calixis sector in random incidents. HA! Random???” the odd magos becomes very animated and new green images are projected from a newly revealed mechadenrite in his skull.

The images spin and focus to an unbelievable resolution and real color. A very large ork specimen appears. Covered in ork tech armour wielding a vicious power klaw and large ork heavy weapon. Ghazghull Thraka! Other images of orks appear, but out of focus and small. The magos gains near Zen-like composure and his voice projects very clearly.

“This ork is Ghazghull Thraka, prophet of Waaagh, the menace of Armageddon. He is central to the story. Thraka is unlike any ork encountered in all of Humanity’s dealing with the xenos breed. Through a series of events and biology Thraka is unique, and possibly the most powerful ork in the galaxy”. The images begin to show images from the Armageddon Wars appear and disappear. Thraka is like a force of nature. The images eventually show the defeat of the orks and their flight from Armageddon.

“Thraka brought together all the major ork tribes of the galaxy, as well as thousands of smaller tribes and warbands. The Waaagh was broken but many of the survivors as well as at least five subsequent generations of orks have left Armageddon and are unaccounted for throughout all of Imperium intelligence reports. Accounting for incidents such as warp related destruction, infighting, and over five hundred other factors, over fifty million Armageddon orks are ‘at large.’ In most considerations, taking into account for ‘standard’ ork psychology and history, not truly a problem since over a few decades attrition will decrease this number to insignificant numbers”. The Inquisitor steps into the hololith images abruptly.

“Excuse me Spectramancer! This level of detail is extraneous and outside of the Deathwatch’s present purview and purpose… The magos disconnects and his extra limbs collapses and he descends the stairs on normal legs, his thick green robes flutter as he approaches the Inquisitor and Watch Captain.

Astartes enhanced senses detect the slightest hint over movement toward the Inquisitor as she chides the magos. It seems to disappear as quickly as it appeared.

“I beg your pardon Madame Inquisitor and yours as well lords Astartes. I meant no breech of protocol. I AM!!! AH!!! The data. So, so much” the magos shakes his head and leaves the chamber quickly. The Inquisitor remains composed and turns to the Kill Team. Watch Captain Servais directs his equerry to reactivate the hololith.

An image of an agriworld farm compound appears. A large levy covers a large arc closing in the compound on the north and west. Large raft islands, known as chinampas, have resblocks, storage, and light manufactorum facilities connected by causeways bob along the long irrigation conduit stream. Chinampa farms drift along the perimeter of the Central Processing Atoll. Various runes and icons flicker across the entire facility, and according to the text much of the planet, is run with archeotech systems from before the Great Crusade.

“The fragile nature of the barge fill platforms will not allow for drop pod insertion and none of the landing zones are large enough for a Thunderhawk, at present” Watch Captain Servais states.

The inquisitor points to the processing rig in the center. The area highlights in gold.

“This warehouse is to be leveled by melta charges to allow for a thunderhawk extraction when the Interrogator-Colonel, his operatives, and the xenos package arrive. Civilians are being evacuated from the township and the area will be vacant by the time of your insertion”. She continues as she walks around the perimeter of the hololith.

“After the demolition portion is completed the Kill Team may deploy in a defensive stance to hold the extraction zone until the Interrogator-Colonel arrives. Brother Claudius will be in full command of the operation up and until contact with the Interrogator-Colonel is made, at that point the Interrogator-Colonel will take operational control…”

“He has an exceptional combat record Brother Claudius. He and his commandos are able and devoted” Watch Captain adds as a shadow detaches from wall and becomes a tall man in a black cloak. The cloaked man approaches in between both the inquisitor and watch-captain, he comes to stand at the edge of the hololith’s halo.

“Our cabal will make planetfall before the Kill Team. We will traverse the township and clear the eastern residence blocks of any xenos presence. We will be in vox range. Prime is not only my former fellow acolyte, he is my friend. This mission will be a success or I will hold those responsible for its failure in His name” with that the cloaked figure snaps around and disappears in the shadow. A brief glint of light appears from a concealed passage as the cabal exits.

“The Shogun of the Dark, will be on planet and may be able to deliver support if you request it Brother Claudius. He and his cabal are… able and devoted” Inquisitor Carmillius finishes. She bows slightly to the Kill Team and then the watch-captain and swiftly marches from the war room, her escorts meet her in the corridor and they march away.

Servais waits until the blast doors seal before facing the Kill Team.

“This mission is atypical of Erioch’s normal fare. Calixis sector is not within Erioch’s normal operational reach. Also Erioch does not make a habit of fielding newly formed Kill-Teams on an operation of such importance to the Ordo. This operation and the Inquisitorial agents involved will be coming to Jericho Reach to continue their work and requested a Kill Team seconded that could be called upon regularly” Watch Captain looks directly at the Ultramarine Brother-Sergeant Claudius.

“This inquisitor is ambitious and his ‘theories’ are interesting and more than a little disturbing. Bring the Interrogator-Colonel to the Reach with his prize and your secondment to Deathwatch will prove to be interesting” the watch-captain slowly walks across the kill team; he looks each member in the eye as examines them.

“You are good Astartes each. Your records are excellent, glory to each Chapter you represent…” in a flash Servais turns on his heel and his eyes turn alight with the type of zeal rarely seen outside the ranks of the Astartes.

“You are Deathwatch now. And we expect more from you than your chapters ever could. I truly mean that. And to be chosen to directly serve His holy Inquisition from the start is a heavy weight, one I do not envy brothers. You have taken the Oath. The Watch will always be here for you, you must always be here for the Watch” with that the Watch-Captain strides out, his equerry follows stopping to give Claudius a data slate and giving to Kill Team the sign of the Aquila.

The Kill Team is left in the War Room to prepare.

[Mission Point to any player that adds to the Preparation portion of Mission One here in the Adventure Journal]

Pre-planning stages went well, and the general stratagem survived planetfall. Secure the central chinampas atoll by utilizing the archeotech and demolishing the manufactorum. Several Orks engaged us, and although there were no confirmed kills, we suppressed these skirmishers before the hordes engaged. Our techmarine and apothecary entered the administratum building and began to interface with the cogitation banks inside. Although the librarian and assault marine were unable to execute their entry into the manufactorum, they were instrumental in keeping the foul xenos at bay.

Plan update- Brother Joe should set off a charge on the southeastern portion of the manufactorum building, as we fall back, the orks will continue to advance. The blast might catch more orks, it will allow us entry into the frame of the building. Other suggestions?