Stahl repulses Emerald Serpent rescue mission

Stahl’s attention was focussed upon Hexis, while he cared little for the world itself he had recognised its strategic value in future campaigns. So determined he was to secure the planet he ordered the flask containing Marcus to be shipped to Hexis so his essence could be syphoned for further fortifications.

This was of course scryed by the Emerald Serpent, though it was not the worshippers of Tzeentch that had responded, but rather the Daemons of Nurgle. The Grandfather of plagues had been pleased with his pets in the Emerald Serpent and had been loathe to see them come to harm. Like a dutiful parent he sent his hordes to recapture their beloved Marcus, even though the shrivelled soul was not one that belonged to the lord of plagues.

In late 0902.019M42 the Iron Warriors under Line Captain Zhorisch were overseeing new supply lines, using the flask of Marcus to speed up progress. The Sorcerer Itharion wove a ritual the soul of Marcus shrieking as it was stretched, malformed and syphoned into Daemonic engines.

The thinning of the veil required to weave the ritual gave the hordes of Nurgle the chance to tear into the Material realm. The Iron Warriors quickly pulled into a tight defensive formation, with Autocannons, Missile Launchers and Heavy Bolters all trained upon the pestilent horde. The daemonic horde was accompanied by a greasy yellow fog and buzzing flies that obfuscated them. Despite the miasma clouding their aim, the Iron Warriors unleashed so many shells that many daemons were cut down, though more tore into reality. Zhorisch knew that it was hopeless to hold the supply points in the short term, so surrendered them without a fight, allowing more time for his Warriors to take a successful firing solution. The Thorakitai fanned out into a defensive perimeter, baiting the Plague Bearers to attack, which they obligingly did so.

The Decimator war engine, Contemptor and Havoc teams focussing on the Plaguebearers furthest from his defensive line on the right flank,  the Thorakitai withdrew from the Plague Bearers on the left. The Daemons had been drawn into the Iron Warriors kill zone. Zhorisch’s Chosen warriors, armed with flamers and combi flamers, moved forward and unleashed a torrent of promethium on the plague bearers. The Chosen burned the plaguebearers and dispersed the greasy yellow fog and cloud of fat flies. Rank after rank fell to the Plague Bearers. What's more, the Havoc teams had a clear bead on the Plague Bearers and hammered home shell after shell. To their credit even after this fusilade, a third of the plague bearers still stood. The Chosen charged supported by the Thorakitai, cutting down the bloated bodies till their grasp on reality faded.

The Nurgle Daemons pulled back keen to avoid the Iron Warrior counter attack and hold onto the warp tears. The Chosen raced forward to immolate one of the Daemon Princes leading the attack while the Havoc Team and walkers obliterated the other unit of plague bearers. The lead Daemon Prince realising they had drastically underestimated the defensive capabilities of the Iron Warriors made to retreat but was halted by a furious assault by the Chosen. Though the Daemon Prince manage to put down the veteran astartes, the ancient Contemptor was hot on their heels crushing the Prince and sending its essence back to the warp.

The Iron Warriors completed their new supply lines on Hexis and once again asserted their dominance of the Chaos forces. This episode had made Stahl note that the presence of the soul of Marcus destabilised the Emerald Serpent and so used the device to return the shrivelled and tortured soul to Mordecai shortly thereafter.