Hallow'd Ground

Part 1: Prologue



Thunder rumbled and echoed over the distant ragged mountain peaks that surrounded Wortbad. One of the moons pierced the heavy black clouds that rolled and writhed over them and silver light picked out the tops of tangled dead trees. The woods that filled most of the land between the Evernight Peaks and the village were dark and foreboding, even in daylight, at night they were full of terrors. Horrific things prowled the winding paths between gnarled and clawing branches. Spirits of the restless dead, flesh eating creatures, ghouls, ghasts, wolves, bats, vampires and worse.

~ ~ ~

The chill Autumn wind scoured Sorrow Fen and whipped the long coats and tattered robes of the Nachtjägers. Professor Fangmorder pulled his broad brimmed hat firmly down on his head and squinted with his one good eye through a small brass spyglass. After a few minutes of studying the boarded-up doors and windows of Wortbad and noting the numerous crude wards, made of string, twigs, bones and dried flowers hung from door and window frames, he closed the spyglass with a click.

He turned to Grimming and nodded sombrely. “It is as ve feared. The willage is deserted again and looks wery much like it vas overrun by Deadwalkers recently.” he said with a heavy Harrowmark accent.

Grimmig took a long breath, as if to ready himself. The Shaman-Priest hefted his grandhammer and said “Den dere is da Holy vork of Sigmork to be done!” with fury in his eyes.

~ ~ ~

Godfather Viktor and I are about to start a five game campaign for the Halloween season. In the past we have always aimed to play a themed game to celebrate Halloween but for lots of reasons they have never happened. This year we decided to play a mini campaign over a few weeks to make sure the seasonal game takes place, even if we can't play on the 31st of October itself!

Part 2: Game 1, The Harvest of the Dead

The village was quiet.

There was no one in the street and no sign of occupancy in any of the houses. Windows were boarded up or dark. Doors were locked fast. A flock of birds shot past overhead, their dark wings breaking the silence for a few moments. The orruks looked around them as they walked. They knew that something had driven the villagers away and it was likely to still be here, lurking in the shadows somewhere. They just needed to find it...

~ ~ ~







Professor Fängmorder, Gruftbrecher the Troggoth, Witch Hunter Düster and half of the Zealots advanced along the street between the Rose & Scythe Inn and Deathwatch Hall. Ausrufer rang his bell twice, paused, rang twice again and then began tolling a doleful series of strikes.



Grimmig the Warrior-Priest-Shaman, Witch Hunter Heftig and the rest of the Zealots passed through the ruin at the back of the Rose & Scythe.



The Church of Sigmar's Retribution were searching the fallow farm when the Nachtjägers spotted them.





Deadwalkers appeared - drawn to the sounds of fighting (and bell-ringing probably).



Düster's band are the first to bring down a walking corpse.





The Witch Hunter Pieter Von Toorn leapt over a wall and attacked a group of three Walkers, slaying one of them.



Both sides withdrew as an unnatural mist crept through the rotting streets of Wortbad, a fell hand was at work here and there was not time for either warband to get distracted!

~ ~ ~

With the Deadwalker count at one each side the game ended in a draw.

Love seeing the  Nachtjägers in their natural habitat

Sounds like a great campaign, thanks for all the photos.

Von Kurst wrote:

Love seeing the  Nachtjägers in their natural habitat

Sounds like a great campaign, thanks for all the photos.

Thanks VK! It's about time eh?

That is a WONDERFULLY looking, creepy game...just the thing for Halloween.  

Game 2: The Dark Forest

A heinous forest might be the source of the zombie curse affecting the region. Glory awaits the warband that can clear it out. An eternity of brainless servitude those who fail.

~ ~ ~

The mouldering corpse lurched toward Fängmorder and the huge orruk blasted it in the face with an overloaded pistol. The double-charge of powder and two bullets risked blowing the pistol to bits but Fängmorder was lucky and it just obliterated the zombie’s head instead. As the rotten torso dropped to the flagstones three more Deadwalkers loomed behind it. Fängmorder holstered the smoking pistol and lifted is warhammer and great-sabre.

The first walking corpse fell, cleaved in two from shoulder to hip. The second was flung backward by a blow from the hammer. The third was immolated in ghostly green flames as Grimmig appeared behind his Kaptain. He grinned at Fängmorder with the Holy Fires of Sigmork still flickering around his eyes. The pair of orruks pushed on further into the Forest of Tears.

The knotted roots and fallen leaves beneath their feet were slick with gore already and the sounds of the shambling dead echoed in the darkness beneath the trees…

~ ~ ~






Since they were outnumbered the Nachtjägers planned to bring their whole force to bear on one part of the scattered Churchmen at a time, they hoped to be able to sweep aside each enemy unit in turn by hitting them with their full strength.









The Nachtjägers claimed control of one forest, but the Church of Sigmar's Retribution claimed two.





Grimmig suddenly found himself surrounded by Deadwalkers that crawled out of the grave-strune ground around him. He summoned the holy fires of Sigmork and swung his grand hammer...





Heftig and his Boyz swiftly dealt with the Church's Militia with crossbow and hammer, but the Warrior Priest of Sigmar and the Excelsior War Priest were much tougher nuts to crack!



Grimmig slowly worked his way through the Deadwalkers.



Rather than get bogged-down in that over-crowded fight, Fängmorder ploughed into the Devoted of Sigmar who were holding the second forest. He slaughtered them with cold brutal efficiency but he could not quite manage to clear the whole unit!





~ ~ ~

The Nachtjägers assault lost momentum with the Church's heroes holding up the bulk of their force.

The Church of Sigmar's Retribution claimed a solid victory.

GOOD LOOKIN' GAME!  

Game 3: Into the Zombie’s Lair

The Nachtjägers and The Church of Sigmar’s Retribution battled for territory around Deathwatch Manor, an area surrounded by Deadwalkers!









The servants of Sigmork rush forward, both to block the Church’s way and to capture enemy territory themselves. Shaman-Warrior-Priest Grimmig occupied Deathwatch Manor to search for hidden artefacts of Arcane power.







The Nachtjägers Black Orruks roared oaths and crude prayers as they clashed with the Church’s Flagellants while crossbow-armed orruks and Church Militia exchanged fairly ineffective fire in the streets around the town square. Inside the Manor house Grimmig smashed open a likely-looking chest with his grandhammer (as usual the Nachtjägers use the most subtle of investigation and research techniques!) found the hidden artefact and blasted the Militia from the rooftop battlements!







The Militia were wiped out, as are most of the Flagellants, the balance tips in favour of the Nachtjägers...









...but the orruk Witch Hunters are swarmed by the reanimated corpses of the Militia! A draw, but with more time the orruks could've won!





~ ~ ~

The purple darkness started to turn orange on the horizon through the bare trees. The clouds were edged with fire as the embers of dawn flared up into the flames of sunrise. The eastern sky was transformed from twilight into strips of yellow, orange, pink, gold and dark purple. The Nachtjägers stared gratefully at the sunrise as it meant another night’s work was over. The dead would once again settle into torpor in the darkness of their tombs and Wortbad would be quieter for a time - until sunset at least.

Once more a WONDERFULLY photogenic affair!  

Game 4: The Haunted Mansion

The necromancer’s hideout lay between the warbands. Who would claim the right to be the saviour of the day?

~ ~ ~

Angry black clouds roiled overhead. A gusty wind picked up and spiraled dead leaves through the village. Squalls of sudden and violent wind and rain hammered the roofs and walls. The Nachtjägers took what shelter they could find beneath the leafless trees of the Forest of Tears and looked out across the open ground between the forest and the rotting inn that stood before them: The Rose & Scythe.



Grimmig climbed the ancient stone stair to a dais with a heavy aura of death hanging over it. Many of the village’s farm animals had come there to just lie down and die when the dark magic corruption first overtook the region. Pult, his Grot lectern, followed him reluctantly.





The Church of Sigmar's Retribution emerged from the Spiritgate with weapons ready. They seemed upset that the orruk Witch Hunters had beat them to the inn.



The Nachtjägers closed in on the Rose & Scythe and took possession of the rotten buildings.





Avram the Unforged made another trip through the Spiritgate...



... to out-flank Grimmig on the Dreadfire Portal.



Professor Fängmorder led the biggest Orruks into the courtyard.



As a pair of Deadwalkers emerged from the inn.



The Churchmen approached cautiously.



While Endewald the Juggler dealt with the Deadwalkers.





More Deadwalkers started to gather - drawn by the noise the two warbands were making.



The Black Orruks swiftly dispatched the Griffhound



As the rest of the Church Militia closed in.



Heftig's Boyz fired their crossbows at the approaching rival Witch Hunter.



And more Deadwalkers burst out of the tavern.





The fight started in earnest at the rear of the Rose & Scythe.



The lone Witch Hunter was surrounded.



Another herd of Deadwalkers gathered.



Avram felled Grimmig and turned on the frightened Pult.







Professor Fängmorder and the Black Orruks slaughtered droves of Militia while the Necromancer looked on, furious that his plans were being interrupted by two belligerent bands of rival Witch Hunters!





~ ~ ~

The battle ended as a victory for the Orruks, as they were in control of the Rose & Scythe.

Yet another SPLENDID LOOKING game!  
G.W's new names for everything is taking some getting used to.

Game 5: Cut Off the Head

With his last breath, the vile Necromancer cursed the interlopers. Only the enemy leaders’ heads will lift the curse.

~ ~ ~

The Orruk Witch Hunters fortified the abandoned Deathwatch Manor - they planned to make camp for a few days; they boarded up the windows and doors using broken furniture and torn-up floorboards. They chalked symbols of warding and protection from the undead on door and window frames. They drew lots and took turns to stand lookout on the roof of the house, and they spent a few hours looting the house for supplies. They filled all the bottles they found with well water and Grimming blessed them in the name of Sigmork to make bottles of “Holy Water”), and carved stakes from table and chair legs.

They melted-down a handful of silver coins to cast bullets and silver-tipped crossbow bolts. They then ate and drank anything that was still even slightly palatable and settled down to sleep under their coats and cloaks. The Waaagh Priest also wrote out fresh scrolls of protection which they attached to their gear with wax seals.

When the roof-top sentry spotted movement in the Forest of Tears early the next day the Orruk Witch Hunters tumbled out of the Manor house to meet the Church of Sigmar’s Retribution once more!







The Church of Sigmar’s Retribution advanced toward Deathwatch Manor.





The early morning mists swirled around them as the Nachtjägers reached the graveyard. The moans of Deadwalkers just behind them startled them but the Professor turned to face the new foe.





Battle-lines rapidly changed as the Orruk Witch Hunters used the Spirit Gate to make a hazardous journey. They appeared close to the War Priest's flank and surprised him with their audacity!



Fängmorder cut down Avram and threw himself into the Deadwalkers that stumbled across the pumpkin field.



Swarms of Deadwalkers attacked the Black Orruks.





The Brotherhood arrived at the pumpkin field before Fängmorder had dealt with the Dead there.









War Priest Lothar was cut off from his followers and watched helplessly as they were cut down, one after another. He fought his way clear and fled, swearing that his losses would be avenged!

If only they had the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. YET ANOTHER FANTASTIC LOOKING GAME!