Welcome back to The Art of Caesura!
This week, I'm picking up from last week's battle report with a narrative based on my Black Templars vs T'au game with Rob. If you'd like to check out my previous such narrative of Black Templars vs. Tyranids, you can do so here.
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Fortress of Faith
In the desolate expanse of the industrial world Nimbosa, the blackened sky crackled with the foreboding hum of advancing T’au forces. Beneath the iron-grey clouds, a lone Chapter keep stood defiant, its stark spires thrusting into the heavens. This was Fortress Absolutum, the last bastion of humanity defending a remote reliquary out in the wastes of this forsaken world. Its defenders were the Black Templars.
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| Art by Judas Chaban |
Merek Grimaldus, High Reclusiarch of the Black Templars, stood upon the battlements, his obsidian armor gleaming with purity seals fluttering in the frigid wind. He surveyed the horizon, his piercing gaze narrowing at the sight of the T’au's sleek battlesuits and hovering gunships advancing with cold precision.
"Brothers," Grimaldus' voice boomed, amplified by the vox-casters, "today, we fight not just for Nimbosa, but for the Emperor's will. We shall cast these xenos back into the void from whence they came!"
A roar of righteous fervor answered him, the Black Templars below readying their weapons, chanting litanies of hatred and faith. At the forefront stood Emperor's Champion Folkert, his Black Sword crackling with energy. Beside him, the Sword Brother Gaius adjusted his scabbard, his eyes burning with zeal.
The ground trembled as the T’au forces closed in, their commander, a Cadre Fireblade, striding at the forefront. Commander Ko'Vall surveyed the citadel through the targeting array on his pulse rifle, calculating vectors and trajectories with emotionless precision.
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| Art by Games Workshop |
"All units, advance," Ko'Vall ordered, his voice grizzled with many seasons of war.
The battle began with a thunderous barrage. T’au railguns and plasma rifles unleashed streams of searing energy, hammering the fortress walls. In response, the Black Templars' bolters and las fusils roared to life, spitting death into the oncoming xenos.
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| Art by Games Workshop |
Emperor's Champion Folkert charged forth, his Black Sword cleaving through the air with a hymn of vengeance. He cut down a Fire Warrior with a single, decisive stroke, his Armour of Faith splattered with alien blood. Sword Brother Gaius followed, his plasma pistol leaving an acrid scent of ozone as he laid down suppressive fire.
Amidst the chaos, Grimaldus descended into the fray, his presence a beacon of unwavering faith. His Artificer Crozius Arcanum fell upon the enemy with the force of a comet, each strike a testament to the Emperor's fury.
"Stand firm, brothers!" Grimaldus' voice rang clear. "Let no xenos defile this holy ground!"
Commander Ko'Vall, observing the battlefield, marked Grimaldus as a primary target. With a flick of his wrist, he directed a Fire Warrior breacher team to disembark from their Devilfish and attack the Hero of Helsreach.
Grimaldus met the T'au head-on, the Conversion Field emitter in his Rosarius absorbing the brunt of the assault. With a mighty swing, he shattered a swathe through a mass of Fire Warrior breachers. Yet, for every T’au slain, another seemed to take its place, their relentless precision a stark contrast to the Templars' fervor.
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| Art by Games Workshop |
The battle raged on, neither side yielding. Emperor's Champion Folkert and Sword Brother Gaius fought side by side, a symphony of blade and maul. Gaius saved Folkert from a well-aimed pulse shot, only to take the hit to his own chest, crumpling him to the ground.
"Leave me," Gaius grunted through gritted teeth, frustration etched on his face. "Fight for the Emperor."
Folkert's eyes blazed. "We fight together, brother." He hauled Gaius to his feet, propping him against a barricade before turning to face the next wave.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the battlefield, the Templars' resilience began to turn the tide. Inspired by their Emperor's Champion's unyielding spirit, they pressed forward, driving the T’au back.
The Emperor's Champion and Commander Ko'Vall, supported by the Ghostkeel Battlesuit finally met on the field, a duel of faith against technology. The Ghostkeel's advanced systems and Ko'Vall's swift strikes were countered by Folkert's brute strength and indomitable will. Sparks flew as sword met blade, the ground beneath them shattering from the impact.
With a final, earth-shaking blow, Folkert's Black Sword connected with the Ghostkeel battlesuit, crushing it in a burst of sparks and shattered armor, the pilot's death scream lost in the cacophony. The battlesuit fell, and with this defeat, the remaining xenos forces began to falter and retreat.
Victory seemed to be with the Templars. They stood bloodied but unbowed, their fortress secure. Grimaldus raised his Crozius high,
"Faith prevails," he uttered, the wind carrying his words across the battlefield.
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| Art by Games Workshop |
But as the last T’au gunships vanished into the darkening sky, from within the belly of one of these ships, Ko'Vall smiled with grim satisfaction. One of his Stealth Suit teams had retrieved the artifact that they so bitterly sought. Although many of his warriors had died this day, it was a worthy sacrifice for the power that this artifact may hold. For the Greater Good.
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I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll see you right back here next week on The Art of Caesura!
Reading: Deth Wizards Rulebook - Snarling Badger Games
Watching: Succession (Season 1)
Next Week:
Blood, herbs and horse manure...
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