What We Do in the Realm of Shadows - Episode Four

 This weekend Orion was back in town, so we got in another episode of our What We Do in the Realm of Shadows campaign! 

Our "heroes" were nearing the end of their journey back to Shyish, the Realm of Death, to which they had been summoned by the Mortarch of Blood - Neferata! 

They had been wandering about and wading through the foetid, tainted marshes that surrounded the realmgate for days. As they finally neared the Realmgate, they found it surrounded by a horde of Plaguebearers of Nurgle... 

Sir Raven the Dour charged forth and skewered a few on his lance, they collapsed into piles of feces and filth and larvae of the most foul sort... 

The others advanced more cautiously, not wanting to be swarmed by the putrid creatures... 

Sir Renmould guarded Lady Esmerelda as the Plaguebearers approached. 

Sir Raven and Harald continued to press the attack 

Harald Shattered three in one blow, splattering Sir Renmould with a shower of gore and excrement and the most putrid gunk. 

There was a slightly larger daemon that seemed to be directing the Plaguebearers (a Spoilpox Scrivener)... Harald charged and attacked it... but it proved to be a bit tougher than the plaguebearers... 

Sir Raven charged in and finished it of... 

And with that, the way was clear to the Realmgate... but as they passed through, they found themselves in the middle of a massive battle between a host of the Maggotkin of Nurgle and a chamber of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer Stormcast Eternals. 

To one side there were fewer combatants that they figured might be easier to fight their way through! 

Immediately beside the Realmgate was a Rotbringer Sorcerer that Harald and Sir Renmould turned on and slaughtered... 

Sir Raven charged forth and attacked a huge Rotbringer which turned out to be a Lord of Plagues and was very nearly his undoing. Sir Raven charged and gored the side of the Lord of Plagues with his lance. The lord of plagues side burst open spilling a pile intestines and massive maggots onto the ground and showering Sir Raven with a virulent discharge of puss and tainted blood. Sir Raven followed up with a swing of his sword which took a chunk of the Lord of plagues shoulder... but it was not down... The Lord of plagues raised his befouled great axe and very nearly cleaved Sir Raven in two!! 

Sir Raven cantered away, trying to stay on his mount and retreated back to the Realmgate. Harald the Spirit Torment was able to use the soul of the recently departed Rotbringer Sorcerer, to bring Sir Raven back from the brink of death! 

But the Lord of Plague pursued them and swinging it's blade through Harald a few times distrupted and seriously damaged the essence of the Nighthaunt! 

While the undead desperately fought against the Lord of Plagues, the Stormcast Eternals and Putrid Blightkings continued to battle each other... thinning out each others ranks.. 

In a moment of desperation, Sir Raven charged the nearest Putrid Blightking and tried to drink it's blood to heal himself... but poisoned himself in the process... 

The Liberators were somewhat startled and confused by the sudden appearance of a vampire on the battlefield... doing grievous damage to their enemy... and... attempting to drink it's blood!?

Sir Renmould briefly attempted to fight the Lord of Plagues... and was very nearly destroyed by the beast. He only just escaped, largely by fleeing the beast and rushing towards the Stormcast Eternals, who intercepted the hulking rotbringer and brought him down. 

The Knight-Questor was confused by the vampires rushing through their lines. He took a swing at Lady Esmerelda as she ran past, wounding her slightly... 

Having made it past the Stormcast Eternals our Champions of Death fled the battlefield and left the servants of Nurgle and Sigmar to deal with each other! 

Little did they know, Neferata herself observed the battle herself, flying high above on her Dread Abyssal, Nagadron. She marked their return... and the LACK of the army they promised to bring with them! 

Our next game will, hopefully, be on Sunday 2 November 2025!