#115 Battle XXVIII - Into the Realm of Shadows

Viktor Bract stepped through the realmgate and was immediately plunged into profound darkness. The sort of deep darkness that could only be found in Ulgu, the Realm of Shadow. He could sense his Lord Elohiim ahead, and the dry bones of their skeletal bodyguard thronged around them. But the old necromancer could see nothing. What madness was this? He understood they were searching for the Cinquefoil (a futile quest in his opinion, but he hardly dared to consider that opinion, let alone express it) - but in Ulgu of all places? 

With nothing else to do, his rheumy eyes began to imagine what they beheld - the magnificently grotesque Lord Elohiim towering before him, the deathrattle troops around him, clad in faded green and tarnished gold and bronze. Beyond them he imagined a comforting landscape of tombs and sepulchres, a place of friendly death. Perhaps Ulgu wasn't so bad after all.

But then he remembered that what he saw was just his imagination. Or was it? That wood in the distance, was he just imagining that it was moving...?

* * *

This was my first game in a Path to Glory campaign I'm organising at my local gaming group. I've always wanted to try an AoS campaign but never had opportunity to play regularly enough until now. There are about half a dozen of us expressing interest at this point, but I'm hoping others might see what's going on via social media and come and join in. Well, hopefully! Either way, Elohiim's adventures in Ulgu have begun - will it be a Path to Glory or a Road to Ignominy...?

My starting list:

• Elohiim the Ineffable (Vengorian Lord)
• Warlord
• Amulet of Screams
• Path of the Warrior: Berserker
• The King of Thorns (Wight King on Skeleton Steed)
• Viktor Bract (Necromancer)
• Lash of the Sire
• The Lost Thorns (Deathrattle Skeletons)
• Guardians of the Barrow (Grave Guard)
• Knights of the Lost Thorns (Black Knights)

Spells: Vile Transference
Manifestations: Horrorghast
Initial Quest: Master Magical Lore

And my first game: 1000pt vs Sylvaneth - Orpheus the Reclaimer (a Spirit of Durthu) and the Unearthed...

The King of Thorns and his royal companions

* * *

Viktor couldn't believe his luck as he stumbled away from the battlefield across ground littered with broken sticks and cracked bones. The Gravelords and Sylvaneth had fought to a stalemate, but the mighty Orpheus had seen off Elohiim - for now. But the necromancer was pleased: he had mastered a new piece of magical lore and more importantly had survived unscathed... But why? Why had Orpheus and Gehenna, the inscrutable Spirits of Durthu let him live? Just like this place, they were a mystery to him.

* * *

A draw, but a moral victory to Orpheus the Reclaimer as he saw off my Vengorian Lord Elohiim in short measure! I didn't gain enough glory or renown points for any upgrades yet, but I did manage to fulfil my first quest, so I added Prison of Grief to my spell list. My next quest is to try and tame a Soulsnare Shackles manifestation!