22 March 2024

Echoes of Nihilus - End Game/Conclusion



Echoes of Nihilus is the Crusade Campaign that D J is currently running at his gaming club that is nearing its conclusion. Whilst there will be a brand new campaign starting in the next few months, we thought we would do a write up of the narrative that has happened so far in the campaign as a prelude for what's to come. We would like to thank all the amazing players who have participated in and contributed to the fantastic lore that has made all this possible!

Table of Contents


The darkness cleared and the blighted skies that had enveloped the world of Ultrus Prime for what seemed like a millenia lifted as the final gaunt fell dead upon the rubble that was once the city of Nihmian's Pass. The casualties to Imperial civilians in this war had been great, but the victory the Imperium had achieved over the great many hive fleets that had come to devour this planet was greater still. Inquisitor Le Roy watched the live pict feeds upon his flagship with ambivalence as he witnessed the cheers and celebrations of the Nulla Faculta PDF and the slightly more muted jubilations of the Harkillian 808th over their victory, knowing and cursing that his true prize escaped his grasp yet again.

The joint machinations of the Xenniset and Arkos Dynasties were shut down, their ancient doomsday devices lay in ruin, foiled due to the untimely arrival of the Orks and the Slumbering Horror Kabal. With their reanimation crypts severely damaged and their method of eradicating their organic foes destroyed the two Dynasties find themselves with no choice but to evacuate the planet, utilising a nearby Dolmen Gate to take their forces far away from the Nihilus Imperium. The Drukhari meanwhile, realising that the number remaining lifeforms on the planet did not justify the potential loss they might sustain in capturing them retreated back into the webway, the few spoils of war they were able to claim safely stowed away on their raider ships. As for the Orks, what mobz remained on Ultrus Prime remained on the planet to continue their scrap with the Imperium and their numbers still plague them to this day.

With the Xenos threat eliminated, the Mentors chapter received the order to return to their homeworld to receive a debrief from their Chapter Master, Risk Ran-Thawll. The Blood Angels however were ordered to remain on the planet for the time being, their original orders to protect the Imperial forces remaining as the local populace attempt to rebuild, though they too would leave and return to their homeworld of Baal as soon as it was deemed safe to leave the planetary militia in charge of security.

The Renegade Sisters found safe passage off of Ultrus Prime, only to receive a vox message from the Inquisitors of the Ordos Hereticus soon after stating their intent to investigate the order's involvement in the destruction of Nihmian's Pass, though they were discovered to to be acting in the purest, if not misguided interpretation of the Emperor's will and were subsequently pardoned for their actions.

Drazyk of the Iron Warriors warband "His Silent Sons" was forced to retreat back into the warp. With the Inquisitor Le Roy barely escaping his grasp thanks to the meddlesome Necrons his being on Ultrus Prime no longer served a purpose. Likewise the Emperor's Children also deemed it tactically sound to return to the warp, their vigor and lust of battle diminishing as the literal chaos of the war quietened down to a truly unbearable level.

No-one truly knows what became of the Transcendent Dynasty and the Unseen. For the Transcendent Dynasty it is rumoured that they had left for the Dolmen Gate for reasons of their own long before the Xenniset and Arkos Dynasty had. For the Unseen, some believe they still lurk in the shadows of Ultrus Prime trying to gather whatever Heretek they can find in the absence of all out war, whilst others believe that they had made a pact with one of the other servants of the Ruinous Powers, though no-one really knows anything for certain.

In the final, lesser witnessed hours of the war on Ultrus Prime, the Ghosts of the Webway Aeldari, having prophecised the summoning of the Greater Daemon Ti'kon'ithraxx'loquz found themselves delayed and arriving too late to stop the terrible and mighty hosts of the Hedarai Vultures, witnessing the Overlord Nemekh the Summoner alone below the towering Lord of Change. The Phaeron turned and caught a glimpse of the Spiritseer leading their hosts shortly before their necrodermal body ghosted away alongside the hordes of destroyed Necrons that carpeted the battlefield. Ti'kon'ithraxx'loquz took one hard look at the Aeldari, clutching a broken Othar Ruinspake in talon and escaped alongside the Hedarai Vultures through a warp rift of its own devising, though why they had retreated and to where is an answer known only to the Lord of Change itself. The Aeldari were left stunned - what they had witnessed and for what reason only served to trouble them further, regarding both the Necrons and the servants of Tzeentch. The one thing that they could be certain of is however and wherever they disappeared to it wasn't good news...

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Nemekh found themselves back on Python IV, where it had all began. The discovery of the Crucible of Ne'hekh, their crusade to the Nihilus Imperium to unveil the secrets of the relic, their first defeat by the Thousand Sons, their reclamation of their tomb's assets on Ultrus Prime and now they had come full circle and returned back to the Orberus sector.

'It worked!' Baltha'Zyr the Enslaver exclaimed. 'This is fascinating. It would appear that by donating part of one's necrodermis into the crucible itself, it can harmonise with its original doner even from vast distances and effectively attract them sub-atomically across real space.'

'Excellent.' Nemekh stated flatly. 'This should satisfy the Silent King's demands, sub-atomic transportation across the Pariah Nexus should prove to be a vital strategic asset indeed.'

'Speaking of the Silent King, my Phaeron.' Baltha'Zyr said idly, still examining the relic in his hands. 'You have been summoned by the Triarch regarding your absence as of late. Apparently it has allowed the Imperium to gather strength on the furthest reaches of the system and they are scheming a counter attack. They will be arriving on the morrow, I do so hope you and Kharimekh have suitable explanations...'


- D J Driver

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