In this deep high-canopy jungle, the ground gives way to large cavernous hollows underneath the roots, big enough to contain entire villages, the swampwater draining slowly into them and down dark paths down the earth. Strange mushrooms and moss grow down all along the columns and stalactites, glowing green and exuding a mystical aura. Mist and shadows cling to the corners down here, and the mind strains to see clearly, leading some to suspect that Ulgu might be leaking into this space.
And it gets worse. Surviving scouts tell of strange metaliths slowly stalking the caverns, their very shadows catching those caught underneath and sending them elsewhere in this horrible maze… a curious property indeed. And they speak of a daemonic presence, a huge eye that peers of out of the darkness and seeks to consume their souls, capable of blinking in and out of existence.
Badly shaken from her experience under the Shattered Temple, the Briarbrood Branchwych nonetheless leads her sisters ever onwards, towards whatever horrors fate has in store for them next.
Briars in Darkness: The Great Weave
The Inquisition fights out of the Black Pits
The rents open in the earth by Rhondol’s spasms caught the army of the Inquisition Templars. The force led by Keeper Zindimir is now surrounded by a labyrinth of rock and ancient ruins. And trapped together with them are the forces of Blackmaw, the Choppas and other marauding treasure seekers in the Dell.
Thankfully, the Templars had managed to infuse their Incarnate of Beasts with energy again, and the monstrosity surged forward, a battering ram shielding the rest of the Templars from whatever horrors and ambushes lay in wait.
The first encounter is indeed with an old rival: trogboss Mooneye, blind navigator from the now defunct Ghalbakk’s Company. Their trogherd might’ve been just lost and passing by, but in their belligerence managed to deviate the Templars further into the canyons.
There, they were caught by Tzenchian Daemons hiding deep in the Black Pit, and had to endure warpfire and unending waves of horrors.
Others blocked their way out, believing them to carry loot from the ruins or the Seraphon wreck. A Nagashite strike force fell on them, having followed them from the Shattered Temple. The Templars Incarnate bought them enough time to escape.
Not soon were they clear of the threat that they had to face ogor mercenaries coming from the cavern depths.
When at last the skies were in sight, they were ambushed by none other than a Khardihrian duardin aetherfleet. Undoubtedly, things must have gone sour in the council, Zindimir thought, for an elimination of the Vermillio agents to be called in the middle of this upheaval, of all times.
At last, battered and with their Incarnate spent once more, the Templars emerge back into the jungle, and regroup with the rest of their forces at the Shattered Temple.
Read the Inquisition of Umberspire’s full campaign in the Furyoth Dell here.
Renewed by battle and sensing destiny at work, the Briarbrood Branchwych delves into a newly opened crevasse, leading her sisters onwards to whatever fate awaits them. In so doing, she discovers an awful truth and announces her intention to set things right… if only she will be permitted to do so.
Briars in the Chasm: The Great Weave