#137 Battle XLIII - The Visitation of the Pontifex

"He is here, my Lord." 

Castellan Trutz smiled as she delivered the news, but Lord Tzunaak found his feelings mixed. The whole purpose of his ostensible crusade had been to inveigle himself into the Pontifex's inner circle and there was a lot at stake now that this opportunity was upon him.

"Invite him to --" Tzunaak stopped himself and swallowed. "No. Respectfully inform his Excellency that I shall attend him directly." He needed to overcome every ounce of his pride to win over the Pontifex.

The Pontifex Surrexit, astride the Ophanim

Lord Tzunaak knelt before the Pontifex Surrexit who climbed down from the shimmering gheist-drake known as the Ophanim and stepped towards him.

"Your messenger Lord Voltaire told me of great deeds done upon the Ravaged Coast in the name of the Rose." Tzunaak kept his head bowed but smiled - this was a promising start. "If his reports are accurate, your recent victory over the Skaven was especially impressive?"

Lord Tzunaak took the questioning inflective as an invitation and raised his eyes. "Yes, your Excellency, I thank you. It was indeed a decisive victory. My forces outflanked the verminous infidel and coordinated charges from both flanks into their compressed formation. They were cut down like corn."

"Indeed. And yet I hear the Wyrmhole Covenant still has the strength for civil war with their rivals in Hannibal's Horde?"

Tzunaak hesitated. He had not expected the Pontifex to be quite so well-informed. But then, he had always guessed the Templars Ascendent were sending reports back to Barfunweltz.

The Pontifex continued: "Perhaps Dragonbeard will exterminate the vermin for you. Before we left Barfunweltz, Lady Beauvoir scried that the Black Marines of Barak-Nar had offered him assistance. They must feel threatened by our Crusade's rising power for they have sent the Ironclad 'Houyagennerkorl' to his aid. Those Duardin want Hel's Claw just as much as you do, Lord Tzunaak."

"Indeed, your Excellency," agreed Tzunaak. "I notice you referred to 'our crusade' - may we infer from this that you intend to lend your mighty hand to our exploits here?"

"Of course I do boy!" (Tzunaak winced) "So tell me, what is your next move?"

"Well, your Excellency, we find our route to Hel's Claw is blocked by a force of Seraphon known as 'The Carnosaur's Egg'. We have not yet witnessed them in battle so your counsel will be invaluable. My spy-bats have detected them in the vicinity of some sea caverns not far from here. I mean to set an ambush."

Tzunaak was acutely aware that the Pontifex's esteem was very much dependent on this battle plan. So he was relieved to see the Lord Crusader of Barfunweltz lick his lips at the prospect of battle and mutter, "It is some time since I have tasted lizard blood..."

After a particularly brutal game against poor Steve's Skaven (charged from both flanks in battle round one, then I got the double turn and did it again!) I had plenty of emberstone to spend so I traded in my Anvil of Apotheosis hero Lord Voltaire to replace him with a better one! It also fits the story really well to bring the Pontifex in at this stage. My next battle will be against Mel's Seraphon. She's relatively new to Age of Sigmar but has been doing very well indeed and currently sits at the top of our campaign leaderboard. This is going to be one of our 'semifinal' games so if Lord Tzunaak wants the chance to fight for Hel's Claw he has to win this...