0 CONTENTS

IV

INTRODUCTION THE STRUGGLE

IN THE SPIRE II THE HERALD

Running this adventure.................... 4 Equipment...................................... 12

Adventure Summary........................ 5 The Mission................................... 12 The Platform.................................. 22
Part One: Boots on the Ground......... 5 Through the Tunnels...................... 12 Onto the Spire................................ 23
Part Two: The Struggle in the Spire... 5 The Spire Lord................................ 13 Across the Rails............................. 23
Part Three: The Dead Rise................ 5 Breakout........................................ 14 The Final Approach........................ 23
Part Four: The Herald....................... 5 The Cathedral of the The Herald of Nurgle ..................... 23
The Tora Armis Insurrection............. 5 Emperor Triumphant...................... 15 Resolution ..................................... 23
Taskforce Endless Struggle............... 6 The Mission................................... 17 Awarding XP ................................. 24
The Strike Team Framework ............ 6 We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place.. 17
Equipment........................................ 7
Abseiling Equipment ....................... 7
THE DEAD RISE III APPENDIX

BOOTS ON THE
GROUND I Form a Line.................................... 18
Approaching the Peripheral Line.... 19
Station 6......................................... 19 The Deadly Battlefield.................... 24
Servo-Skull Epsilon 6 ...................... 8 The Battlefield................................ 19 Calling for Support......................... 25
Using the Vox-caster........................ 8 The Opposition............................... 19 Battlefield Ruin.............................. 25
The Mission..................................... 9 The Chimera................................... 20 Statblocks....................................... 26
Hot LZ.............................................. 9 Equipment...................................... 21
Clearing the Hangars...................... 10 Mission.......................................... 21
The Thing in the Hangar................ 10 The Tunnel..................................... 21
Reassuring the Scions.................... 11 Lifting the Veil................................ 21
Destroying the Shrine..................... 11
Into the depths............................... 11
 CREDITS
Cover Art: Frost Llamzon Cubicle 7 Business Support: Anthony Burke,
Elaine Connolly, Donna King and Kieran Murphy
Art: Frost Llamzon, Sam Manley,
Jamie Noble Frier, Erin H. Rea Cubicle 7 Creative Team: Dave Allen,
Emmet Byrne, Dave Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski,
Senior Producer: Emmet Byrne Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Cat Evans, Runesael Flynn,
Dániel Kovács, Elaine Lithgow, TS Luikart,
Producer: Cat Evans Rachael Macken, Rory McCormack, Dominic McDowall,
Sam Manley, Pádraig Murphy, Ceíre O’Donoghue,
Writing: Martin Lloyd JG O’Donoghue, Síne Quinn, and Christopher Walz

Graphic Design & Layout: Rachael Macken Publisher: Dominic McDowall

Editor: Christopher Walz Special thanks to the GW team.

Proofreader: Lynne M. Meyer Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd,

Unit 6, Block 3, City North Business Campus,
Co. Meath, Ireland. Printed in China.

First edited: June 2021 V1.0

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers.

Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2021. Warhammer 40,000
Roleplay, the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay logo, Wrath & Glory, the Wrath & Glory logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space
Marine, 40k, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Doubleheaded Eagle logo, and all associated logos,
illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness
thereof, are either ® or ™, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under
licence. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited.
All rights reserved.
 n the Wings of Valkyries follows a strike team RUNNING THIS
of Imperial commandos through the battle for
Tora Armis. Following a daring aerial assault, ADVENTURE
the strike team fight their way into the spire gathering
intelligence and causing havoc behind enemy lines. On the Wings of Valkyries is a roleplaying scenario
set during a military operation. There’s plenty of
This adventure is suitable for Tier 2 characters with combat, but there should be plenty of social interaction
the IMPERIUM Keyword. The adventure takes place as well. Keep the tempo high and impress the high
entirely on a battlefield, making it most suitable for stakes and danger on the players.
characters with a military calling. The Agents will
be organised into a battlefield squad. Players could Throughout the adventure the players' characters,
choose to be a squad comprising a single Archetype, referred to as the Strike Team, are the elite spearhead
such as Tempestus Scions, Space Marine Scouts, or of a tactical assault. Though they are the stars of this
Adepta Sororitas, but a mixed force would be equally story, they are far from the only warriors fighting in
suited for this kind of mission. this battle, and the army they are a part of can support
them in various ways. The rules in The Deadly
After completing this mission, the Agents could go on Battlefield (see page 23) simulate this through the use
to further adventures elsewhere in the Gilead System, of Glory and Ruin, but you should include descriptions
or the players might want to play one of the other mini- of the unfolding battle in your general narration.
campaigns in this series, and join the fight for Tora
Armis from the perspective of Agents at a different Tier. The Strike Team are given orders at the start of each
The Bloody Gates casts players as members of the section and then largely left to their own devices. If
Gilead Gravediggers Penal Brigade, sent to storm the your players like the idea you could appoint one of
outer gates of the hive city, and later adventures take them as Strike Team leader, with the right to issue
agents of the Inquisition, and Primaris Marines, deeper orders to the others and make decisions for the group.
into the spire. It’s up to your group to decide if this will add to the
4 military feel, or just create unnecessary tension around
the table.
ADVENTURE
SUMMARY SENSITIVITY
When the forces of Chaos overran Tora Armis, a rogue
WARNING INTRODUCTION
psyker called Raurok seized control of the top levels of The adventure features the horrors of
BOOTS ON THE
the hive spire. Raurok plans to summon a Warp storm warfare in the 41st Millennium, graphic GROUND
to devastate the forces surrounding the spire, and it is combat deaths, summary executions,
up to the strike team to stop him. mutation, and ethical dilemmas. These are THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
all normal fare for Warhammer 40,000, but
Part One: Boots on the Ground it is possible that some content might make THE DEAD
RISE
The strike team join an aerial assault on the Spire’s members of your group uncomfortable. After
landing platforms. Once the landing zone is secure, you’ve read through, check in with each of
THE HERALD
they must deal with an unholy shrine and rappel into your players about what they’re comfortable
the depths of the spire. with, and change the adventure to suit their
tastes, if necessary.
Part Two: The Struggle in the Spire
The strike team make contact with some surviving
loyalists within the spire and set out to destroy the
dangerous witch Raurok.
On the Wings of Valkyries is a Wrath & Glory
Part Three: The Dead Rise scenario set in an ongoing battle. There’s plenty
Across the spire, the dead rise and a tidal wave of of combat, but plenty of social interaction as well.
Poxwalkers prepares to wreak havoc on the Imperial Keep the tempo high and impress the confusion and
forces assaulting the spire. madness of the situation on the players. Be sure to
read the whole adventure before playing the first
Part Four: The Herald session, and familiarise yourself with the layout of the
As a Warp storm threatens to devastate the besieging spire.
forces, the team take on Raurok in a struggle on the
edge of the spire.
THE TORA ARMIS
Each of the four missions has the following structure.
INSURRECTION
u Orders: The Strike Team are given their orders for
their mission. Tora Armis is a minor hive spire on the Hive World of
Gilead Primus, located on the edge of a vast chemical
u Equipment: If the Strike Team have been issued runoff basin that was one of the planet’s seas millenia
any special wargear it is detailed here. Any special ago. Three months ago the ruling van Staten family
support they can call in by spending Glory is also reported food riots and then fell silent. It is now 87
listed here. days since anything has been heard from Tora Armis,
but drone reconnaissance has revealed that the hive
u The Mission: This details the fixed moments in spires’ defences have been reinforced. Tora Armis
the mission the Strike Team have to deal with. Any is an important centre for the manufacture of ball
battlefield effects the GM can trigger by spending bearings, without its output parts of the Gilead System
Ruin are also listed here. will literally grind to a halt.

u Map: A map of the battlefield, if required.

u Statistics: If the mission requires any additional

stat blocks, they are listed here.
5
 TIER 2 ARCHETYPES

Tier Framework Typical Characters Typical Enemies

2 Strike Team Any character with the Any force holding a
You are elite warriors assembled to form the IMPERIUM Keyword. tactically crucial position.
tip of the spear in a tactical assault. The mass
defeat of Imperial forces in the wake of the Great
Rift means such teams are often made up of the
greatest representatives of multiple Factions.
At the GM’s discretion every member of the
party gains +1 Influence to represent their
relative fame in the Gilead System.

Taskforce Endless Both the Tempestus Scions and Adepta Sororitas

Struggle are recruiting Progena as fast as each Schola can be
Lord-Militant Fylamon has dispatched a taskforce, filled with the orphaned children of Imperial warriors.
named Endless Struggle, under the command of General The Absolvers have conscripted record numbers of
Hacker of the Astra Militarum to bring the rebellious recruits in attempts to rebuild their ranks, but lack
spire back under control. It comprises mechanised and the resources to ascend them to fully fledged Battle
artillery regiments of the Gravediggers, with support Brothers. Endless requests for munitions and war-
from the Order of the Sanctified Shield, an airborne machines leave the Adeptus Mechanicus with barely
company of Tempestus Scions and a secondment of enough parts to augment the Skitarii that defend their
Tech-Priests of Avarchus. General Hacker also has Forge World of Avachrus.
contact with the battle cruiser Fury’s Blade of the
Absolvers chapter, aboard 15 battle-brothers are Suffice to say, most of the ‘elites’ of the Imperial forces
available for rapid deployment. in Gilead are either undertrained or underequipped.
However, there are a few members of each Faction
The Strike Team Framework that have prevailed despite the odds and stand as true
The Agents are part of an elite Strike Team, put together exemplars of their kind. General Hacker has assembled
by General Hacker to go behind enemy lines during one such disparate group into a Strike Force to lead
the battle for Tora Armis. Ostensibly, their unit is far their assault on Tora Armis.
superior to the infantry that die in droves on frontlines
across the Gilead System, including the assault on
Tora Armis. In truth, many of the Gilead System’s elite
warriors have fallen in the endless battles since the
Great Rift opened three years ago.

Millions of Gilead Gravediggers have lost their lives

defending the system from daemonic insurgents,
and even the elite Tempestus Scions have had their
ranks thinned. Sanctioned Psykers have fallen both in
battle and to the superstitious and terrified populace
of the Gilead System. Many members of the Order of
the Sanctified Shield have become martyrs defending
the faithful, and even the oathsworn Astartes of
the Absolvers Chapter have faced defeat against
overwhelming odds.

6
 PART 1: BOOTS ON THE GROUND

Take the landing platforms and proceed to the For the descent into the hive spire the Strike Team are INTRODUCTION
depths of the spire. issued with:
BOOTS ON THE
GROUND
Eight hundred miles from Tora Armis on the floating Abseiling Equipment
continental plate Brassyl, Imperial assault troops are Value: 2 THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
preparing for battle. Valkyrie troop carriers are fuelled, Rarity: 2
pilots anxiously watch the weather reports, and Ketwords: IMPERIUM THE DEAD
RISE
troopers of the Tempestus Scions clean their Hellguns Effect: A set of abseiling equipment consists of 50
and sharpen their knives. Grizzled veterans keep their metres of rope, a harness, a descender, and a magnetic
THE HERALD
distance from bravado-fuelled and nervous greenhorns. clamping spike. The magnetic clamping spike can
The mission briefing is introduced by Captain Corvey, secure itself to metal and puncture thin materials, and
of the Fourth Airborne Company of Tempestus Scions. can safely hold up to 400 lbs.

EQUIPMENT It takes a Combat Action to set up abseiling equipment,

after which you can operate it using your movement.
Since the Strike Team will operate behind enemy When moving down with the abseiling equipment
lines without support, all members are issued 2 Frag your Speed is tripled. The reinforced fibre-rope and
Grenades (Wrath & Glory page 220), 1 Krak Grenade magnetic clamping spike are each treated as having a
(page 220), and 5 Reloads for their favoured weapon. Resilience of 5 and 5 Wounds.
They are also issued 2 Medikits, 1 Auspex, and a
Vox-caster (page 238, 236, 240). Characters lacking
armour are issued Flak Armour (page 233).

///++111101001001000
10100011011101001011++//

UNKNOWN REBEL FORCES ARE IN CONTROL OF TORA ARMIS. THE HIVE SPIRE HAS BEEN SURROUNDED BY ELEMENTS
OF TASKFORCE ENDLESS STRUGGLE AND A GROUND ASSAULT LAUNCHED BY ASTRA MILITARUM TROOPS OF THE
GRAVEDIGGERS’ PENAL BRIGADE. THEY REPORT DETERMINED RESISTANCE FROM WELL-ARMED HERETICS.

WE’LL BE ASSAULTING THE LANDING PLATFORMS ON TOP OF THE SPIRE BY VALKYRIE. ONCE THE LANDING
PLATFORMS ARE SECURE, WE’LL ESTABLISH A PERIMETER WHILE THE STRIKE TEAM INFILTRATES THE SPIRE BY
ABSEILING DOWN THE PRIMARY VENTILATION SHAFTS.

WITHIN THE SPIRE THEY ARE TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE, RALLY ANY REMAINING LOYALISTS, AND STRIKE TARGETS
OF OPPORTUNITY TO CAUSE MAXIMUM DISRUPTION TO THE DEFENCE. ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION AND
INTERACTION WITH TORA ARMIS COGITATOR ARRAYS WILL BE FACILITATED FOR THE STRIKE TEAM BY SERVO-SKULL
EPSILON 6.

WHILE THEY DO THEIR WORK, WE’LL BE FIGHTING OUR WAY DOWN THE SPIRE THE HARD WAY. SERGEANT BLETHIN
WILL HANDLE THAT PART OF THE BRIEFING.

7
MAY THE GOD-EMPEROR LIGHT THE DARKNESS BEFORE US.
 Servo-Skull Epsilon 6
Epsilon 6 is a Cypher-Skull, and encrypts all
transmissions between the Strike Team and strike THE VALKYRIE
command. If she is destroyed, the GM gains one Ruin
each time the Strike Team contact Captain Corvey as the
ASSAULT CARRIER
enemy gains more intel on the team’s plans. Epsilon Due to its speed, heavy armour, ability to
6’s intrusion protocols provide +2 bonus dice on Tech hover, and vertical take-off and landing
(Int) Tests to interface with any cogitators found in the capability, the Valkyrie is the favoured attack
hive spire, provided she is properly addressed. gunship of Imperial commandos across
the galaxy. General Hacker’s Valkyries are
In life, Epsilon 6 was known as Decima von Burgsdoff, armed with nose-mounted Multi-lasers,
a loyal Tempestor Prime with decades of superlative Hellstrike Missiles, and carry a pair of door-
service, who showed a knack for combat technology mounted Heavy Bolters. They carry up to a
as well as a zealous devotion to the Emperor. dozen passengers in addition to two door
Unfortunately, none of these qualities prepared her gunners, a pilot, and a navigator.
for the insidious infections wrought by the plague
god Nurgle. After leading her squad in a successful
campaign against the Cult of the Penumbral Pustules,
she fell victim to the vile terminal infection known as
the Amber Scourge. Her dying wish to continue her
service to the Emperor after death was fulfilled when EPSILON 6 EXAMPLE
her skull was converted into Epsilon 6 by the Tech-
INTERACTIONS &
Priests of Avachrus — after a decade-long process of
intensive decontamination.
USES
Provide Light
Epsilon 6 has the intelligence and personality of a The ocular augmetics that allow Epsilon 6
loyal dog, and will slavishly follow whichever Agent to see can also provide light on command.
she's assigned to, chattering and beeping quietly to The inbuilt lumens shed a flickering red
herself. While Epsilon 6 accepts verbal instructions, glow in a 20 metre cone and are effectively
she responds better if they are accompanied by a unlimited in use.
description of the tone they are issued in. For instance
‘Open this door, tone of urgency!’ or ‘Wait quietly, Scout Ahead
soothing voice’. Epsilon 6 is small, stealthy, and capable of
flight, making it ideal as a forward scout.
Using the Vox-caster The Agents can command Epsilon 6 to scout
Conditions in the hive spire mean contacting Captain ahead of them, but will have to be precise in
Corvey by vox requires a DN 4 Tech (Int) Test, unless what they ask for as Epsilon 6 does not have
noted otherwise. His vox operator, Corporal Bingham, a built in pict capturer.
will be the voice the strike team deals with.
Draw Fire
During this mission, the Agents can spend Glory to Epsilon 6 can be commanded to move in
call for a Door Gunner, Scion Support, Suppressing combat as a Simple Action, using its flying
Fire, and Hellstrike Missiles. See page 24, Calling for movement of 10m, and can be commanded
Support. to Run or Sprint to cover more distance. This
can be used to distract or as reconaissance.

8
THE MISSION Your Valkyrie hovers 10 metres above the ground, its
jet engines blazing. Your rappelling line reaches down
After giving the Strike Team their orders, read or to the plasteel surface of the landing pad.
paraphrase the following.
What do you do? INTRODUCTION
Four miles above Tora Armis, a dozen Valkyrie
gunships hang in the air. The deck officer walks among Hot LZ BOOTS ON THE
GROUND
you, checking your rappelling lines. ‘Once the doors The landing platform is a substantial area, 100 metres
open you will have fifteen seconds to deploy.’ Then the square, that extends from the side of Tora Armis. It THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
cargo bay lights turn red and your stomach twists as was covered by batteries of anti-aircraft guns mounted
your transport drops like a stone. The Valkyrie judders on the walls of the hive spire, but these have been THE DEAD
RISE
and rattles as anti-aircraft rounds clatter against the obliterated by Hellstrike Missiles. However, anti-
hull. With a lurch that pushes you down into your infantry guns are still in place, and the 30-metre-tall
THE HERALD
webbing, the descent stops, and the side doors are control tower is garrisoned by well-armed traitors. See
hurled open. below for a map of the landing platform.

Wind and noise rush in. You see the lead Valkyrie roll The centre of the platform can be lowered into the
away from the landing platform, one wing ablaze, its hangar bay. Bypassing the controls to activate the
cargo of commandos still aboard. Beneath you the platform is a DN 5 Tech (Int) Test. There is also a
platform flickers with weapons fire. ‘Go! Go! Go!’ stairwell leading to the hangar bay in the control tower.
yells the deck officer as the door gunners ring out with
explosive Bolter fire.

9
 The landing zone is heavily defended, with fire raining
in from the overlooking spire wall and the troops
deployed on the platform. As the first boots on the CORRUPTION TIMING
ground, the Strike Team takes the brunt of the fire.
GM Note: Ask for Corruption Tests at the end
u On the landing zone Traitor Guardsmen (use Astra of the scene. The effects of corruption aren’t
Militarum Trooper, Wrath & Glory, page 328) instant, but if you say ‘Make a Corruption
man two Heavy Stubbers. They are dug in to heavy Test’ the moment a character examines the
cover (+2 Defence) and strafing those landing. shrine, you can guarantee no one else will
approach it.
u From the top of the control tower, two Mobs of
five Auto-Gun wielding Hive Militia (use Imperial
Citizen, Wrath & Glory, page 327) suppress the
attack. One Mob has a Missile Launcher, which The Thing in the Hangar
they are using to target incoming Valkyries. Once the Enforcers and Cultists have been defeated,
read or paraphrase the following.
u Emerging from the control tower to engage the
Agents in melee is a renegade Enforcer (Wrath & Two dead Hive Militia lie next to a pair of armoured
Glory, page 331), backed by five Cultists (Wrath doors, wired with explosive charges. A Scion gestures
& Glory, page 338). to one of the corpses. ‘He was setting up some kind of
trap on them. Reckon he was planning on disguising
Clearing the hangars it — looks like it’s rigged.’
Once the Strike Team have dealt with the opposition on
the LZ, read or paraphrase the following. The door is wired to explode. Defusing it requires a DN
4 Tech (Int) Test. On a failure, it detonates as a Krak
Across the landing platform, Tempestus Scions take Grenade (Damage 14, ED 5, AP –2, Blast 4).
up positions next to the hangar stairs. Meanwhile, a
Flamer team head into the control tower; the smell of Beyond the doors is a short passageway, and then what
promethium mingles with cordite and burned plasteel. was once a waiting room for important passengers. A
statue of Saint Ezra — he who lights the darkness,
The rebels have prepared a rudimentary secondary patron of travellers — overlooks the room. However,
defence in the hangar bay. The hangar extends into the statue has been defaced: a hood hangs on the
the hive beyond the platform and is full of industrial statue’s head and heretical symbols have been daubed
equipment — it can be accessed via the control tower on its body, seemingly in blood. To a Psyker using
and the landing pad elevator. Psyniscience, the whole room hums with malignant
Warp energy.
Whichever entrance the Strike Team use is defended
by a Mob of six Hive Militia armed with Autoguns. Anyone taking the time to examine the shrine must
In addition, two have a Frag Grenade. Spotting them make a DN 3 Corruption Test (Wrath & Glory, page
before they fire requires a DN 4 Awareness (Int) Test. 286). They can also make a DN 3 Investigation (Int)
Test to find the following items among the mound
Once inside the hangar, the Agents have to deal with of offerings heaped before the statue. Psyniscience
three Enforcers and six Cultists. Two of the Enforcers reveals that Warp energy is coursing through the
carry Combat Shotguns, and the last a Hand Flamer. statue and the items.

u A Human hand, nailed to the base of the statue and

infested with maggots.

u A bloodstained copper bowl. Crudely scratched into

it are the words ‘For Raurok’s Hounds’.
10
The first person to attack the statue is targeted by Into the depths
the Infernal Gaze psychic power (Wrath & Glory Sergeant Blethin of the Scions looks at you. ‘Emperor’s
Rulebook, pages 281–282). The target must make a blessings for your help, but don’t you have somewhere
DN 6 Willpower Test to resist the effect. On a failure, else to be?’
the target comes to believe they are defending a statue INTRODUCTION
of the Emperor from the hordes of Chaos (their allies). To continue their mission, the strike team must abseil
BOOTS ON THE
If the statue is destroyed or purified, the effect is into the depths of the hive spire. The total descent is GROUND
broken. Breaking the effect with Deny the Witch is a around 400 metres, requiring the Agents to secure and
DN 7 Test. reattach their lines at regular intervals. As the first THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
Agent of the Strike Team reaches the grills that cover
Reassuring the Scions the giant shaft they hear footsteps running toward THE DEAD
RISE
‘Somethings wrong with that statue. Shouldn’t be. them. Read or paraphrase the following.
Shouldn’t do that to a statue of a saint, not with the
THE HERALD
Emperor watching… if He still is in this blasted place.’ An access panel is thrust open, and a female hive
ganger bursts out, clearly terrified, and starts to
The Temptestus Scions are clearly shaken by the run across the grills. Moments later, a grotesquely
desecrated saint. The characters can attempt to rebuild augmented Human daubed with hideous symbols and
their confidence through leadership and inspiration. gladiatorial weapons fused to its limbs follows, clearly
Allow any Skill Test with a good justification, but intent on killing her.
all Tests are DN 5. If they leave the Scions with their
morale shaken, the GM gains 1 Ruin. Once the Chrono Gladiator (Wrath & Glory Rulebook,
page 332) has been dispatched, it is easy to note its
Destroying the Shrine collar, attached to which are tags declaring it to be a
If the Agents destroy the desecrated statue, or come up ‘Hound of Raurok’. Meanwhile, the woman gathers
with a convincing means of purifying it, award them herself and says ‘Thank the Emperor. That hound
1 Glory. If they leave the shrine intact, the GM gains nearly had me. You are from outside aren’t you? I was
2 Ruin. trying to find you.’

If any Space Marines or Sisters of Battle are present,

she instead falls to her knees and thanks the Emperor
for sending His angels to the rescue.

11
 PART 2: THE STRUGGLE IN THE SPIRE

If the Strike Team are uncertain as to what they should u Lord Jegrin, the leader of House Aromat, has been
be doing, remind them of this portion of their orders: holding out in the chem works — he prepared it for
a siege with plenty of food and weapons.
1. Gather intelligence within the Spire
u The House Aromat forces have tried to reach other
2. Locate and rally any remaining loyalists parts of the spire, but they haven’t gotten far, and
they’re the only loyalists they know of.
3. Strike at targets of opportunity to cause maximum
disruption to the defence Through the Tunnels
The passages in the spire are cramped and twisting.
Gabrilla leads you on, eyes peeled in case of ambush.
EQUIPMENT ‘This whole place is full of heretics,’ she tells you, ‘the
whole spire’s gone mad.’
Once the Strike Team have made an alliance with
House Aromat (see page 12), they can call on the The entrance to the Chemical Works lies across a
following for support: Suppressing Fire, Guide, and narrow bridge, guarded by a band of gangers, who
For the Emperor. See page 24, Calling for Support. Gabrilla identifies by their skull masks as belonging
to the Carrion Gang. They have a Passive Awareness
The GM can spend Ruin to trigger Shrapnel, Tripwire, of 3 — if they detect the Agents, they’ll be spread out
and Look Out Below! See page 24, Battlefield Ruin. and ready to fight with at least half of them finding
light cover (+1 Defence), otherwise, they’ll be sitting
around, playing regicide and imbibing various illegal
THE MISSION substances.

Dug in behind enemy lines, the Agents have The group comprises three Mobs of five Scum (Wrath
encountered Gabrilla, a member of a loyalist gang. She & Glory Rulebook, page 334), all armed with Auto-
tells the strike force the following. Pistols and Knives. With them are three Mutants
‘My name is Gabrilla. I’m part of House Aromat. We’re (Wrath & Glory Rulebook, page 333). The Scum must
still loyal to the Emperor. We’ve been locked up in the make a DN 3 Resolve Test each time five or more of
chem works for nearly three months now. When we their number are killed, or when two of the Mutants
heard artillery firing, Lord Jegrin sent me to try and are killed. If they fail, they flee.
make contact with Imperial troops. We’re nearly out
of food, and Raurok’s lot have got us surrounded, but
we’re ready to fight.’

Gabrilla has the following additional information, and

shares it if questioned.

u When the riots started a well known gang leader

named Raurok seized power across the top levels
of the hive.

u Raurok is a Chaos sorcerer, and his followers have

gone mad, ranting that the Emperor is dead, but
that he will return. They believe the dead will rise
to herald his coming.
12
Immediately beyond the gangers is a bridge leading Jegrin is delighted that Imperial forces have arrived
over a deep drop. On the near side of the bridge, two and reached him. News that Imperial troops have
Gun Servitors (Wrath & Glory Rulebook, page 335) entered the spire is a huge morale boost for everyone
are behind improvised fortifications (+2 Defence). On in the chem plant. However, having held out for so INTRODUCTION
the far side of the bridge, crude barricades have been long, Jegrin is in no great hurry to risk more loyalists.
BOOTS ON THE
thrown up, and closed hatches suggest the presence of Convincing him to send troops to support the strike GROUND
hidden gunners. A battered sign proclaims ‘Welcome team requires good roleplay and DN 7 Tests of
to Chem Plant Five’. appropriate Skills (Cunning, Deception, Leadership, THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
or Persuasion). Reduce the DN to 5 for excellent
Unless the fight is silent, three Rounds after combat roleplaying, and increase it to 8 if the Agents offend THE DEAD
RISE
starts, a Mob of ten Scum arrives, and another Mob him.
of ten joins every round until the Agents make it over
THE HERALD
the bridge. If successful, the Strike Team gain the support of
the Aromat Gang, and can spend Glory to call for
During this fight, the Strike Team can spend Glory Battlefield Medic, For the Emperor, Guides, or
to call for Suppressing Fire (see page 24). The Suppressing Fire support for the remainder of the
suppressive fire comes one round after it is called, as a mission.
fireteam of Scions reroute to the Agents’ location and
fire on the gangers from a flanking position. He can tell the Strike Team that:

The Spire Lord u With just a handful of entrances, the Chemical

Beyond the barricade, you find an industrial facility Plant is easy to defend.
converted into a temporary fortress. Dozens of gang
members stand guard, training weapons on the bridge. u They have been besieged here for 90 days, and
Further into the chemical plant, you can see hundreds despite their efforts to ration supplies, food is
of people camping among the machinery. They are running low.
pale, and thin, even by hive standards, but their eyes
blaze with hope at the sight of Imperial forces. u Raurok gave them a deadline to submit or ‘be
subsumed in His glorious return’, which is due to
If the Strike Team includes either an Adeptus Astartes run out today, but there’s been no sign of planned
or Adepta Sororitas, they are treated by the loyalists as attacks — quite the opposite in fact.
living saints. People fall to their knees, ask for blessings,
and reach out to touch them. Use this moment to u Raurok has been calling himself ‘The Herald of the
emphasise just how special these individuals are to Emperor’.
ordinary Imperial citizens, with children pestering any
Space Marine Scouts with questions like ‘Is it true you u Raurok’s headquarters is in the Cathedral of the
can kill a thousand heretics with a single shot?’ Emperor Triumphant, or at least it was two months
ago, when the last few defectors crossed into the
The leader of this band is Jegrin Aromat, of House chem plant.
Aromat. Once he managed this chemical plant for
his patrons in the upper levels of the hive. Now he Hopefully the Agents work out that their next action
uses it to shelter all those loyal citizens he managed should be to head to the cathedral and attempt to
to assemble before Raurok began his siege. Believing take out Raurok. If not, Epsilon 6 makes contact with
(correctly) that the rest of House Aromat are dead, Captain Corvey, and those are his orders.
Jegrin has taken the title of Lord. Early in the fighting
Jegrin lost a hand to a Chrono Gladiator’s blades, and The Strike Team can Regroup here before moving
it was this hand that was nailed to the shrine on the on. The loyalists have enough Medicae training and
landing platforms as a curse. supplies to restore 2 Wounds to each Agent.

13
 Breakout
While the chem plant is easily defended, Raurok’s
THE AROMAT GANG heretics have the place surrounded with dug-in snipers,
and Jegrin suspects they have several explosive devices
Jegrin provides eight gang members as planted around the obvious exits. Getting out is going
support for the strike team. Rolling dice to be a challenge.
for this group adds a lot of complexity, and
takes focus away from the player characters. Gabrilla looks thoughtful, then speaks. ‘There might
When dice rolls are called for, assume they be another way out. After we got here, the heretics
do about as well as the average strike team tried to get in through the waste pipes, but we emptied
member (e.g. if most of the strike team fails, the chemical tanks and drowned them down there. If
they fail too and vice versa). If you do need we can get the pumps working, we could go out that
to roll dice, treat the gang members as a way.’
Mob of Scum. They are:
Opening the tanks and draining the chemicals is a DN
1. Gabrilla, street-smart and alert, and the 7 Tech (Int) Test — remember that Epsilon 6 adds
strike team’s contact. +2 bonus dice to this Test. If the Agents meet at least
DN 5, the tanks are partially drained. Anyone who
2. Faram, Akrin’s big brother. A small guy wades through the knee-deep sludge has the Armour
with a Stubber and Sword. Rating of all worn armour reduced by 2 until it can be
repaired or replaced. Space Marines, Sororitas, or other
3. Akrin, Faram’s little brother. A big guy characters in fully sealed armour suffer no penalty.
with an Autogun.
If the Agents fail to meet at least DN 5, they suffer
4. Mikl, the quiet one, with a thousand yard the same AR reduction and must swim through the
stare and a dead family on his mind. area (Wrath & Glory Rulebook, page 180). In this
case, the area is Difficult Terrain and requires a DN 4
5. Adana, the pious one, who prays constantly Athletics (S) Test to navigate.
and has an uncanny knack for knowing
what’s on your mind. The bodies of the dead heretics in the waste pipes have
been twisted and fused into a single huge mutant (use
6. Bogrun, who wants to join the Astra the Chaos Spawn profile, Wrath & Glory Rulebook,
Militarum but has a sordid past. page 352) that can only manifest the Grasping Tendrils
action. This vast creature has slithered outside the
7. Savlar, the rookie who insists he’s ready pipes, but attacks those who pass through them
for a real mission and often bites off more striking with its tentacles through valves. Spotting the
than he can chew. creature before it strikes is a DN 4 Awareness (Int)
Test — anyone who passes may act before the creature
8. Teetch, a tattooed bruiser with a fondness strikes. Moving silently to avoid being noticed by the
for explosives. creature requires a DN 6 Stealth (A) Test. These DNs
increase by +1 if the Strike Team are wading through
Use the gang to provide some interaction half drained pipes, and by +3 if they are swimming.
and roleplay opportunities for the players.
If the strike team use For the Emperor for If the Agents choose to fully engage the Chaos
battlefield support, randomly determine which Spawn, as the Emperor would expect of His faithful,
gang member dies. They may also die in other the creature’s body oozes through the grating with a
situations to add dramatic tension. Use the sucking sound and reconstitutes itself amongst the
Aromat loyalists not so much as additional Strike Team. The Chaos Spawn is immune to any
firepower for the Agents, but as a reason for conditions present in the waste pipes, such as Difficult
them to care about the spire. Terrain or Armour reduction.
14
The Cathedral of the Gabrilla signals for the group to stop.
Emperor Triumphant
Once the Agents emerge from the pipes, they find ‘Now you’re here... ’ she stops herself, rephrasing
this section of the hive strangely deserted. The few something in her mind. ‘They’re planning something.
civilians they see all seem to be heading in the same Something with the relic in the cathedral. We’ve INTRODUCTION
direction and pay them no attention. known for a while but we couldn’t get inside.’
BOOTS ON THE
GROUND
As you approach the Cathedral of the Emperor If questioned further, Gabrilla explains the cathedral
Triumphant, you encounter abandoned defensive is blessed to contain the Hallowed Dorsum of Saint THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
positions and empty barracks. It seems Raurok’s Salvea: her actual backbone, anointed with holy
forces are elsewhere. When you reach the cathedral, unguents. It’s too precious to be left in the hands of THE DEAD
RISE
you find drab banners have been hung across its a mutant cult.
illuminated windows, and the giant statue of the
THE HERALD
Emperor that stood outside has been cast down and Constructed from black basalt rock, the Cathedral of
beheaded. Small groups of worshippers hurry across the Emperor Triumphant encloses a vast space, and is
the square toward the cathedral, their heads bowed. able to contain fifty thousand worshippers in its nave
From within comes the sound of a thousand voices and transepts. The apse is dominated by a raised altar
chanting in supplication. and ornate pulpit dominate. The walls are lined with
huge statues of Imperial saints, each ten meters tall.
Filthy hoods have been placed over the heads of these
saints, and banners hang from the ceiling declaring
‘He is dead, we wait in darkness for His return.’

The only untouched items here are the stained glass

windows rising into vaults of the cathedral, the light
behind them blocked by tattered banners rendering
their contents almost invisible. Only the pair of
windows behind the altar still let light in. They depict
the well known imperial tale of ‘The Sororitas and the
Witch Repentant’. The figures are rendered in brilliant,
crystalline glass and the look of horror on the witch’s
face provides a mute comment on the scene below.

Within the cathedral thousands of worshippers are

packed into pews, offering praises and praying in
a twisted version of Imperial doctrine. They look
impoverished and starving, and many are clearly in ill
health, others openly show signs of mutation, not even
bothering to hide third arms or mouths hanging agape
where a belly should be. The worshippers are unarmed
and do not engage the Strike Team in any way. When
the fighting starts, they begin to sing twisted Imperial
hymns praising a dead Emperor.

15
 Leading the procession is a sinister figure, barely If the Plaguebearer reaches the front of the
clothed in tattered, rotting brown robes that crawl with congregation, it joins the bishop. If undisturbed, the
maggots and a mold that seems to grow impossibly daemon ceremoniously breaks the holy relic into
quickly. He holds the holy relic, a human spinal pieces, the bone rotting and crumbling away beneath
column wired together with gold filament, above his its touch.
head. His voice echoes through the chamber through
corrupted Laud-hailers: ‘Even now our lord the Herald When the bishop is slain, read or paraphrase the
ascends to the Peripheral Line to join with his fellows. following.
The Herald will prepare the way for the return of the
Emperor. He who will triumph over death!’ As the plague-infected bishop gasps his last, a great
cry of despair goes up from the worshippers packed
Moving through the ailing crowd is a tall, nauseating into the chamber. They wail and moan, and surge
humanoid, cyclopean and horned with green hued toward the body of the fallen abomination. You see
flesh that bubbles with constantly bursting pustules. their flesh dessicate and rot away from their faces;
The foul creature touches each supplicant as it passes they collapse, twitching and jerking madly. You are
them, and counts upwards in a guttural, spluttering left standing in the centre of the cathedral, surrounded
monotone: ‘Fifty-two thousand eight hundred and four. by thousands of corpses piled atop one another.
Fifty-two thousand eight hundred and five’. Behind
the creature, a band of hooded acolytes distribute The Agents might be able to hold back a handful of
fleshy wafers to the congregation. the heretics, but they futilely claw and bite at the
characters, snapping their own rotten bones in the
Suddenly, one of the worshippers screams and attempt. Instead of running this scene as an impossibly
attempts to run from the disgusting green creature. large combat encounter, let the imagery sink in to the
The cyclopean being immediately strikes the worshiper Agents, and the players behind them. Much is at stake
down with a huge rusted blade, then screams in in the battle for Tora Armis.
exasperation after losing track of its counting.
If the Aromat gangers are with the Agents, Adana’s
The bishop is a Possessed Mortal (Wrath & Glory faith is shaken, if even for just a moment, and Mikl
Rulebook, page 341), summoned by Raurok to spots a distant cousin among the dead heretics.
support his work. Moving through the congregation
are a Plaguebearer (Wrath & Glory Rulebook, page
350) and its four Cultist acolytes.

16
 PART 3: THE DEAD RISE

After the Strike Team have had a few moments to We’ve Gotta Get Out of INTRODUCTION
process the gruesome events in the cathedral, Captain This Place BOOTS ON THE
Corvey comes over the vox, the connection barely The strike team and their small band of gangers are GROUND
clinging to life in the thick hive walls. surrounded by thousands of newly created Poxwalkers.
Although initially only a handful will act, gradually THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
pull more and more of their number into the attack.
THE MISSION THE DEAD
RISE
The encounter begins with a Mob of four Poxwalkers
As the Agents and their allies prepare to leave, single (Wrath & Glory, page 351). Each time a Poxwalker
THE HERALD
out one of the characters and read or paraphrase the acts, increase the size of the Mob by 1 as additional
following. Poxwalkers join the attack. Killing Poxwalkers has no
effect on the size of the Mob. If the Agents successfully
The cathedral floor is awash with corpses and bodily break away from the Mob, reset the Mob's size to 1.
fluids. Thousands of them piled up in mounds, fallen
where they scrambled to reach the bishop. One mound With the exits blocked by thousands of animated
of corpses gives way in a small avalanche of grey- corpses, climbing up and breaking a window is
green corpses. A gaunt hand suddenly catches your the easiest way out of the cathedral, but area effect
ankle, and a daemonic creature hauls itself forward. weapons, chainswords, and similar wargear could be
used to carve a path to an exit. If the Agents elect to
What do you do? fight through, it takes three rounds to do so. Unless
the strike team takes an additional two rounds
(five rounds total) to move with caution, 1d6 of the
Aromat gangers perish to the Poxwalker horde. The
Poxwalkers cower away from the Hallowed Dorsum
of Saint Salvea, if it’s still intact and in the strike
team’s possession, reducing the time required for
///++11110100101
a cautious exit to four rounds, and the casualties to
101010100011011 1d6-2 (minimum 1).
101001011++//
Climbing the interior statues and down the exterior wall
is a DN 3 Athletics (S) Test. Anyone who can Shift a
IMPERIAL FORCES ARE FIGHTING FOR
success climbs fast enough to escape the Poxwalkers.
POSSESSION OF THE UPPER LEVELS.
Otherwise they continue to attack, clambering on top
of each other in an effort to reach their targets.
RENDEZVOUS WITH CAPTAIN
CORVEY’S FORCE AND PROVIDE HIM
WITH ALL REQUIRED ASSISTANCE.

17
 Form a Line u A DN 6 Leadership (Wil) Test. The Scions are an
Once the Agents fight their way clear of the cathedral, independent force. Leadership will have to rely on
they’ll find it easy to put some distance between moral authority, rather than chain of command.
themselves and the Poxwalkers. But all is not well. A
light breeze moves the air within Tora Armis, and it is u A DN 5 Deception (Fel) Test. If the Agents come
immediately obvious to characters with the PSYKER up with a suitable lie, Taur is stressed and unlikely
Keyword that it isn’t natural. to see through it.

Beyond the cathedral, the dead are slowly spreading Sergeant Taur is an extreme adherent of the Imperial
through the hive. Small clumps of Poxwalkers Cult and practices flagellation. Characters who
emerging from other blocks suggest that it wasn’t just are themselves extremely pious can make a DN 3
the walkers in the cathedral who transformed. Screams Awareness (Int) Test to spot that the bleeding around
from hab blocks suggest that they weren’t all empty. his leg is caused by a cilice. Playing on his extreme
piety reduces the DN of any Test by 2, and visibly
carrying the Hallowed Dorsum of Saint Salvea, if it’s
still intact, reduces the DN by a further 1.

VOX UPDATE The Agents might think to contact Captain Corvey

to defuse the situation. This deep in the spire, the
Reports come over the strike team’s vox that team’s vox unit is struggling and requires a DN 6
there are other large gatherings of civilians Tech (Int) Test to reach the captain. The Scion’s own
in the hive spire, chanting and calling out comms specialist was killed in a firefight and their vox
that ‘He will return’ and ‘We will rise’. equipment destroyed.

If successful, Captain Corvey orders Taur and his

Scions to stand down as there are no obvious signs
As the Agents progress through hab blocks, either of mutation or resistance. The Scions obey the chain
having minor engagements with Poxwalkers — feel of command, but hold a grudge against the Agents for
free to narrate these rather than reach for the dice — or some time.
finding routes past them, they encounter two teenage
civilians, Lucia and Jamil. They seem as afraid of the The following might complicate this scene:
Agents as they are of anything else. They are hiding
from a team of 6 Tempestus Scions led by Sergeant u There are more civilians in the nearby hab blocks
Jethro Taur. The Scions have fought their way down and might startle the stressed Scions.
from the higher levels and have come through some
tough fighting, although they haven’t seen the u The civilians are protesting that they’re not
Poxwalker hoard yet. Two of them are bleeding badly heretical, and explain that they’d even refused
but patched up, and one has lost an eye. They’re in the heretics offers of bread (they do seem to be
the process of clearing a hab block and have thirty starving).
terrified residents lined up at gunpoint. An execution
is in the offing. u One of the civilians, Rura, is a budding psyker.
The malevolent energies, as well as the stress,
Preventing Sergeant Taur from executing the civilians are getting to her and she's about to lose control
demands suitable roleplaying, and the use of one of (roll a Perils of the Warp check, Wrath & Glory
the following Skills: page 262). Once the Scions notice her, they move
immediately to execute her.
u A DN 8 Intimidation (Wil) Test. With a squad of
Scions backing him up Taur isn’t in the mood to The Scions only attack the Agents in the most
back down. extreme circumstances. The squad consists of 5 Astra
Militarum Troopers led by a Sergeant (Wrath &
18 Glory, pages 328–329).
If the Agents handle this well, the Scions agree to Anyone who shouts out in the direction of the Cherubs
accompany them as they seek to rendezvous with finds that Raurok can hear their words. There isn’t
Captain Corvey. If the execution goes ahead, Gabrilla much to be gained by talking. Raurok, however, is
and the Aromat Gang abandon the Agents, and the interested to learn who has killed his bishop and fishes
GM gains 3 Ruin. for information. For each major piece of information INTRODUCTION
the Agents share, such as their names, faction
BOOTS ON THE
As the issue with the civilians is resolved, ripples affiliations, or Imperial troop numbers and movement, GROUND
of black light flicker about the hive spire and the the GM gains 1 Ruin.
strange breeze stiffens to a gust. The Poxwalkers are THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
continuing to spread through the spire, but it’s easy Localising Raurok’s location by tracking his signal
enough to stay ahead of them, and they’re mostly is a DN 6 Tech (Int) Test, and allows the Agents to THE DEAD
RISE
drifting toward the sounds of fighting coming from the deduce that Raurok’s location is close to Station 6 of
main Imperial assault. the Peripheral Line.
THE HERALD

Approaching the Station 6

Peripheral Line The Strike Team can make their way to the rendezvous
Raurok has headed to the Peripheral Line, a transit with Captain Corvey’s forces without issue. Captain
network that circles the top levels of the spire. From Corvey’s troops are in the process of securing the
there he plans to unleash a Warp storm that will pave transit line’s level. The combat is stalled at present,
the way for what he describes as ‘the ascension of the with dug-in Traitor Guardsmen stubbornly defending
Emperor’. the seven stations while Imperial forces wait for
reinforcements. Captain Corvey is at the site himself
Raurok has sensed both the death of his bishop and and meets with the Strike Team.
the creation of the Poxwalkers ahead of schedule. To
find out what has happened, he has dispatched a flock ‘This makes no sense. They’ve spread their best troops
of corrupted Cherubim. These grotesque creatures flit around the rim of the spire and let us have the middle.
down and settle onto buildings above the strike team We’ll push them out soon enough, but they’re fighting
like hideous pigeons. Several carry vox speakers, and like mad. If it wasn’t for this damned storm the artillery
five struggle to bear aloft a banner bearing the symbol would have finished them off from outside by now.’
of Nurgle, which they hang on a convenient building.
The strange wind and black lights are clearly robbing
The Cherubs sing laments to the fallen bishop, along the Imperial troops of their courage. While not actively
with a message of reassurance for his worshippers. dangerous, such clear evidence of witchcraft has got
‘Fear not, for the Herald has begun his great work, and them worried, and the Imperial attack has stalled.
the father of us all will return, and all who fall will rise Corvey’s forces need inspiring if they’re to launch a
again and take pleasure in His bounty.’ new attack in support of the Strike Team.

A dark and threatening voice comes from the speaker. The Peripheral Line features seven separate stops, all
‘Fear not my flock, for the father and fate of all located at the end of streets that radiate out like spokes
approaches. The heretics beyond our walls will soon from the centre of the hub. The heretics are defending
be welcomed into His forgiving embrace, and our all of the stops. If the Strike Team haven’t deduced
fallen bishop will stand beside Him.’ There is a pause. Raurok’s location, a transmission from outside the
‘I sense that our bishop’s killers are listening. Perhaps spire comes in advising Captain Corvey that the storm
they have something to say to me?’ battering the hive spire appears to be focused around
an anomaly near Station 6.

19
 CHIMERA DAMAGE TABLE
d6 Result
1 Armour Breach: Your attack damages the armoured plating of the Chimera. The Chimera’s Resilience is
reduced by -1.
2 Fire: Your attack triggers a small fire in the Chimera. The crew of the Chimera are unable to attack until the
end of your next Turn as they scramble to fight the fire.

3 Storm Bolter: Your attack destroys the Storm Bolter.

4 Heavy Bolter: Your attack destroys the Heavy Bolter.

5 Lascannon: Your attack destroys the Lascannon

6 Internal Explosion: Your attack causes the Chimera to explode.

The Battlefield On a critical hit that scores enough Damage to penetrate

This was once a wealthy part of the spire. Seven spokes the Armour, roll on the following table. Shifts on the
radiate out from a central hub, and a maglev line runs attack roll can be used to add one to the result. You can
around the outside. The buildings here are large and also add one for each previous critical hit.
impressive, and make excellent defensive positions.
The biggest challenge for the Imperial troops is that A Melta weapon that penetrates the hull rolls a critical
the heretics have dug in a Chimera at the entrance to with a +1, or +2 at short range.
the station.
If the Agents want to apply more heroic methods of
The Opposition attacking the Chimera, such as leaping on top and
3 squads of Traitor Guardsmen (use statistics for Astra throwing a grenade inside, encourage and reward the
Militarum Troopers) hold each of the transit stations. players.
Each squad is a Mob of 10 Troopers, and one in each
squad is armed with a Flamer instead of a Lasgun for Once the Chimera is destroyed, the Agents are free to
house-to-house fighting. proceed into Station 6.

Each bunker is held by a heavy weapons team, Raurok has summoned a vile Warp storm at the edge
consisting of a crew of 2 Troopers working a single of the hive spire that is holding the invading Imperial
mounted Heavy Bolter and 3 Troopers armed with forces at bay, and cutting off the forces in the hive from
Lasguns protecting them. support. As the Strike Team approach the entrance to
Station 6, Captain Corvey relays a message.
The Chimera
The traitors have sandbagged and barricaded a
Chimera to create a permanent armoured position. The
Chimera has a Resilience of 15, a Defence of 1, and
is armed with a Heavy Bolter, a Multi-Laser, and two
Lasgun Arrays.

The Chimera has 16 Armour on the front, 14 on the

sides and roof, and 12 on the rear. It has 40 Wounds.
It’s not a hard target to hit, with a Defence of 1, raised
to 2 since it’s dug in.

20
 PART 4: THE HERALD

EQUIPMENT Each character must make a DN 6 Willpower Test. INTRODUCTION

Psykers using Deny the Witch can protect themselves
BOOTS ON THE
The Strike Team should still have their rappelling gear with a DN 7 Test, but this psychic effect, fueled by GROUND
from their insertion. They have no access to battlefield the surging Warp, is too powerful for them to protect
support during this mission. Once the Agents are others. THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
outside the spire, the GM has access to A Long Way
Down and Lightning Blast. Those failing the Willpower Test find themselves THE DEAD
RISE
assailed by figures from their past, perhaps those
Throughout this mission, psykers must roll one who have done them harm, or those whom they have
THE HERALD
additional Wrath die on all Psychic Tests as the Warp left behind. There is no explanation as to how these
storm weakens the boundaries of reality. figures came to be in this tunnel, or why they attack
the characters.

MISSION Those who resist the effect see their colleagues pass
into a kind of madness, lashing out at unseen foes.
The rockcrete entrance to Station 6 is scarred with Las-
fire and chipped by explosions. A short flight of steps Lifting the Veil
leads down into a dark entrance tunnel. Characters who haven’t succumbed to the terror may
attempt to aid their colleagues. This works as follows:
The Tunnel
As the Agents push into Station 6, nightmares from The player of the afflicted character decides who or
the Warp take hold of their minds and attack. what attacks them, and describes the efforts of their
character to fend them off. This is a good chance
Suddenly you are surrounded by grasping shapes. for them to bring out material in their character’s
They push against you on all sides, scrabbling for your background.
wargear and calling out in familiar voices. The tunnel
is packed with bodies — you are pushed away from 1. The player of the character who is helping can talk
your comrades in the crush. with the afflicted character, who believes they are
aiding them in their fight.

2. Once they’ve understood what the foes attacking

the afflicted character are, the helping character
///++110001001011 can attempt a DN 4 Deception (Fel), Leadership
01010100011011 (Wil), or Persuasion (Fel) Test to bring their
101001110++// comrade back to reality. Choose which Skill to
roll based on the roleplay between the characters.
Psykers can attempt to Deny the Witch at DN 5.

THERE’S A STORM CUTTING OFF ANY 3. On a success, the afflicted character is restored to
SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE. their senses. With a failure, they remain deluded
for the full duration of the effect. If a Complication
WE’LL TRY AND SECURE THIS LEVEL. is rolled, they make a single attack against the
helping character with a weapon close at hand.
YOU GET IN THERE AND KILL THE
WITCH.

21
 The Platform
While exploring Station 6, the Agents encounter a

GM NOTE gale-force wind blowing up from the escalator that

leads to the platform. At the bottom of the escalator
Falling to your death is a fundamentally they find the following.
unsatisfying way to die. The intention
behind this section is to chip away at the The corridor opens out onto a platform, but there is
Agents’ resources, and build cooperation no line and no train. The sides of the spire have been
between them, not hurl them to their doom. ripped away by the savage winds that rage outside.
For more advice on using a Fail Forward Lashing rain and black gashes in reality swirl around
methodology, see Chapter 13: Gamemaster Tora Armis. Far below you can see an acid lake, and
of the Wrath & Glory Rulebook. beyond it the besieging Imperial forces. Lightning
crackles and sparks above them, forming itself into
giant figures. You can see smoke rising from burning
tanks. Peering up and to the left you see the twisted
Any Agent who succumbs to the Warp’s effects suffers remains of the rail tracks, and what might have once
2d6 Shock and expends half of their Reloads and uses been an antenna platform, above which a great hole
half of their grenades or other expendable weaponry. in space and time vomits out a stream of black light.

If all of the Agents fail, they endure a harrowing period, Getting to the platform requires the strike team to
convinced they are beset on all sides by an endless overcome several challenges. If the Agents are without
tide of foes drawn from their past. The characters their climbing gear for any reason, increase the DN of
eventually come to their senses in Station 6, just a all Athletics (S) Tests to climb by 1.
short distance from the entrance.

22
Onto the Spire The Herald of Nurgle
Getting out and onto the side of the spire is challenging. As the Agents approach the cocoon, the winds
The Agents have to make their way around the edge strengthen, hurling Warp energies across the surface
of what’s left of the platform and as soon as they do, of the platform. The sides of the cocoon split and a
they're exposed to the full force of the storm. Climbing Plague Drone (see page 26) emerges, a nightmaric INTRODUCTION
on the spire is a DN 6 Athletics (S) Test. On a failure, fusion of the hive spire, Raurok, and the daemon
BOOTS ON THE
the character is struck by flying debris for 7 + 2 ED which possesses him. GROUND
damage, and must make another Athletics test to
finish the climb. A character who makes the climb and The Plague Drone sits at the centre of the Warp storm. THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
takes a rope or something similar can help the next, Kill him, and the storm will lift. While the storm
reducing the DN of the Athletics (S) Test to 4. continues to rage, the GM can spend Ruin to call on THE DEAD
RISE
Lightning Blasts (see page 24).
As the Strike Force begin their climb, they can hear
THE HERALD
voices in the storm chanting ‘He will rise, he will rise’.
As they complete their climb, a blazing light appears
high in the sky — a drop pod emblazoned with the RESOLUTION
regalia of the Absolvers. It plummets toward the earth
like a meteor, but is suddenly lost in the Warp storm,
and vanishes. As the storm vanishes, a gap reopens in the heavens
and the drop-pod reappears, continuing its plummet
Across the Rails and crashing into the spire far below. Imperial artillery,
A section of the climb can only be attempted by suddenly able to fire, rips into the sides of the spire,
crossing what remains of the maglev lines. The rails and below reinforcements begin to stream into the
stretch out for twenty meters, a kilometer above the heart of Tora Armis.
ground, in a raging storm. The climb requires a DN 5
Athletics (S) Test. Instead of plummeting to the death, The strike team’s work is done. With a few days of
anyone who fails freezes, too unsure of themselves to hard fighting, Tora Armis will be back in Imperial
continue. It takes suitable roleplay and a successful hands. Leading rebels are executed or converted to
DN 5 Leadership (Wil) Test to get them moving Servitors. Others who took up arms are enslaved or
again. Each round they delay, they suffer 1d3 Shock given the chance to redeem themselves in the Penal
from Warp energy. Legions. A new population is transferred in from
elsewhere throughout the Gilead System, and Lord
As the Agents make their way across the rails, they Jegrin is confirmed in his possession of Tora Armis’s
hear voices in the storm: ‘The ascension approaches!’ chem works. He quickly rises as a major force within
the spire and seems to have a bright future, as much
The Final Approach as one can in the 41st Millennium.
The Agents’ destination is ten metres above, up a
sheer cliff of metal. Lightning crackles around it. General Hacker is delighted with the team’s
performance, and suggests keeping them together for
As you reach the top of the platform, you face a pulsing ‘special operations’.
vortex of Chaos, an open rent in the fabric of reality
through which waves of the Immaterium spills out. The supply of ball bearings is restored.
In the midst of this, suspended between the broken
antenna is some kind of vast cocoon, parts of the spire
and military hardware embedded in its flanks.

While climbing, any Complications result in the

character being caught by a tendril from one of the
swirling clouds of Warp energy, causing 1d3 Shock.

23
Awarding XP THE DEADLY
For each mission, award 3 XP for roleplaying and
having fun. Additionally, the following awards are BATTLEFIELD
available:

Boots on the ground The previous adventure in this series, The Bloody
u 1 XP for defending the LZ Gates, introduces two new rules for games of Wrath
u 2 XP for clearing the hangar & Glory. During the battle players can spend Glory
u 1 XP for destroying the shrine to call for support from nearby imperial forces. This
might take the form of a battlefield medic, a barrage of
The Struggle in the Spire artillery fire or covering fire from nearby allies.
u 2 XP for defeating or avoiding the Scum
u 2 XP for retrieving the relic In a similar way the Gamemaster can spend ruin to
trigger effects on the battlefield as the players attempt
The Dead Rise to complete their mission. Perhaps a far off sniper or
u 1 XP for escaping the cathedral artillery observer takes an interest in their position.
u 1 XP for preventing civilian executions Perhaps the terrain in front of them is mined or a patrol
u 2 XP for victory at Station Six of enemy soldiers is about to stumble across them.

The Herald
u 2 XP for defeating the Herald
CALLING FOR BATTLEFIELD RUIN
SUPPORT During the battle the GM can spend Ruin to trigger
different effects on the battlefield. The options
During the battle the Strike Team can spend Glory to available vary per mission, and are listed in the INTRODUCTION
call for support from friendly forces on the battlefield. mission descriptions.
BOOTS ON THE
The support available varies per mission, and is listed GROUND
in the equipment section for the mission. The GM can trigger effects in narrative time or combat
time. If triggered in combat time it takes a turn, as if THE STRUGGLE IN
THE SPIRE
Calling for support is a full combat action. Once called, there was an additional NPC involved.
support may take some time to arrive. Players should THE DEAD
RISE
be the ones to roll the dice for support actions, but
these rolls do not generate Wrath, Glory or Ruin. Use
THE HERALD
the Astra Militarum statistics from page 327 of the
Wrath & Glory Rulebook for any supporting troops
who arrive.

CALLING FOR SUPPORT TABLE

Cost Support
1 Battlefield Medic: A medic administers battlefield care. They have
a Medicae pool of 6 dice and arrive in D3 turns.
1 Door Gunner: A valkyries’ door gunner opens up on a target picked out by the Strike Team. Make a single
Heavy Bolter attack with a pool of five dice.
1 Guide: A hive resident beckons you forward to a position that exposes
your opponent. Reduce the DN of a ranged attack by 2.
3 For the Emperor: A loyal servant of the Emperor throws themselves toward the foe,
intercepting a blow meant for you. Ignore damage from a single attack.
2 Hellstrike: A valkyrie launches a hellstrike missile on a target picked out by the Strike
Team. Roll an attack with 7 dice. Damage is Blast (10), Damage 12, ED 4, AP-2.
2 Scion Support: A special weapons team armed with either melta-gun or grenade launcher and a hellgun
support the Strike Team. They will help destroy a single target, they fight with a pool of 7 dice.
1 Suppressing Fire: A valkyrie or Scion squad turns its weapons on targets picked out by
the Strike Team. The target has a DN penalty of 2 when attacking the Strike Team.

BATTLEFIELD RUIN TABLE

Cost Support
2 A Long Way Down: A member of the strike team must make a DN 4 Athletics test, or find themselves clinging
to the edge of the landing platform. They count as prone until they pass a DN 3 Athletics Test to regain their
footing.
2 Friendly Fire: An overenthusiastic door gunner picks the wrong target. Make a single Heavy Bolter attack at
medium range against a member of the Strike Team with a pool of four dice.
2 Look Out Below! High about an unseen assailant hurls masonry toward a member
of the strike team. A DN4 athletics test to dodge or take 8+2ED damage.
1 Shrapnel: Explosions are everywhere. A member of the Strike Team takes damage as 6 damage
+3 ED, AP-1, they must make a DN 4 Determination Test or be staggered for a turn.
2 Sniper: A sniper takes an interest in the strike team. They attack with a pool of 6 dice, Damage 10, ED
1. After d6 shots they move on to a different target. Spotting the sniper is a DN 5 Awareness Test.
2 Tripwire: A member of the Strike Team must make an DN 4 Awareness Test. On
a failure they trigger an improvised explosive, Damage 8, ED 2, AP -1.
2 Lightning Blast: An attack with a pool of 5 dice, damage 6 ED 4 plus D3 shock. 25
 STATBLOCKS
TEMPESTUS SCION

KEYWORDS: IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS

ADMINISTRATUM

S T A I Wil Int Fel

4 4 4 4 2 2 2

Resilience
9 (Tempestus Carapace: 4 AR)

Defence Wounds Shock

3 7 3
SKILLS: Default 4, Athletics 6, Awareness 4 (Passive
2), Ballistic Skill 8, Pilot 6, Stealth 6, Weapon Skill 6

ABILITIES
ACTIONS: Hot-Shot Lasgun: 7 +1 ED / -2 AP / PLAGUE DRONE
Range 9-18-27 / Salvo 2 / Rapid Fire (1), Reliable
Knife: 6 +2 ED / Range 1 (16m thrown) Tier 1 2 3 4
WRATH: Elite Soldier
Threat A A E E
This Threat is an expert in inflicting pain through
weapons of the Imperium. Whenever this Threat KEYWORDS: CHAOS, DAEMON, NURGLE
rolls a Wrath Critical when attacking using a weapon
with the ASTRA MILITARUM Keyword (such S T A I Wil Int Fel
as the Hot-Shot Lasgun) it deals +2 Damage.
6 9 2 2 6 3 0
DETERMINATION: Spend 1 Ruin to roll 4d6.
Resilience
Conviction Resolve Speed Size
13 (Base 10 plus Hardened Carapace 3)
2 1 6 Avg
Defence Wounds Shock

1 20 9
SKILLS: Default 8, Awareness 7 (Passive 4),
Ballistic Skill 6, Weapon Skill 7

BONUSES
Aura of Sickness: Anyone approaching within 10m of
the Blight Drone must pass a DN 4 Conviction Test or
raise the DN of all Tests by 1.

ABILITIES
ACTION: Plaguesword: 11 +2 ED / Range 1 / Inflict
(Poison 7), Parry
Proboscis: 10+3 ED / AP –2 / Range 1 / Brutal

BATTLECRY: Frightful Form: Anyone that can see this

Threat must make a DN 3 Fear Test.
DETERMINATION: Daemonic Determination:
Spend 1 Ruin to roll 7d6. Daemons can roll
Determination against Mortal Wounds. Any Wounds
negated by Determination are ignored instead of being
converted to Shock.

Conviction Resolve Speed Size

6 5 4 Lrg
 EXPLORE A SYSTEM FORSAKEN
BY THE GREAT RIFT

The Forsaken System Player’s Guide contains a wealth of information

for running and playing Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory.

Find out more at www.cubicle7games.com

Pre-order now and receive the PDF straight away.

Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2021